• Title/Summary/Keyword: Biological agents

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Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Agents in a Healthcare Setting (무균조제 항암제 취급의 안전관리)

  • Lee, Su-Mi;Chung, Seon-Young;Im, Hyun-Jeong;Park, Hyo-Jung;Lee, Su-Yun;Jeon, Eun-Yong;Sohn, Kie-Ho
    • YAKHAK HOEJI
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    • v.55 no.2
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    • pp.81-90
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    • 2011
  • Most antineoplastic agents are nonselective in their mechanism of action, affecting noncancerous as well as cancerous cells, and resulting in acute effects such as irritation of mucous membranes and chronic effects such as genotoxicity, teratogenicity, and carcinogenicity. Healthcare workers occupationally exposed to antineoplastic agents are at risk. The present study aimed to develop and apply methods to monitor occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents, using cyclophosphamide (CP) as the model compound. To monitor environmental and biological exposure, potentially contaminated surfaces were wiped and 24 hour urine samples were collected from workers. Liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry was performed, with a limit of detection of 0.05 ng/ml. Measurable amounts of CP were detected on 92% of the sampled surfaces, with a geometric mean of 175.22 $ng/m^2$. Despite the environmental contamination of the model compound, CP was below the detection limit in all urine samples. If workplace contamination cannot be completely avoided, it is importance to reduce exposure to the lowest possible levels. To this aim, efforts to minimize occupational exposure along with biological and environmental monitoring are required. The standardized sampling techniques, and specific and sensitive analytical methods reported in this study may be helpful in assessing occupational exposure and devising strategies to reduce exposure.

Statistical Optimization of the Lysis Agents for Gram-negative Bacterial Cells in a Microfluidic Device

  • Kim, Young-Bum;Park, Ji-Ho;Chang, Woo-Jin;Koo, Yoon-Mo;Kim, Eun-Ki;Kim, Jin-Hwan
    • Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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    • v.11 no.4
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    • pp.288-292
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    • 2006
  • Through statistically designed experiments, lysis agents were optimized to effectively disrupt bacterial cells in a microfluidic device. Most surfactants caused the efficient lysis of Gram-positive microbes, but not of Gram-negative bacteria. A Plackett-Burman design was used to select the components that increase the efficiency of the lysis of the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. Using this experimental design, both lysozyme and benzalkonium chloride were shown to significantly increase the cell lysis efficiency, and ATP was extracted in proportion to the lysis efficiency. Benzalkonium chloride affected the cell membrane physically, while lysozyme destroyed the cell wall, and the amount of ATP extracted increased through the synergistic interaction of these two components. The two-factor response-surface design method was used to determine the optimum concentrations of lysozyme and benzalkonium chloride, which were found to be 202 and 99 ppm, respectively. The lysis effect was further verified by microscopic observations in the microchannels. These results indicate that Gram-negative cells can be lysed efficiently in a microfluidic device, thereby allowing the rapid detection of bacterial cells using a bioluminescence-based assay of the released ATP.

Application of TMAH-based Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry to a Biological Detection System (TMAH에 기반한 열분해 질량분석법의 생물 탐지체계 적용)

  • Kim, Ju-Hyun
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.289-298
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    • 2011
  • TMAH-based Py-MS has been investigated to apply for a real-time classification of biological agents in the field. Acquiring reproducible data from mass spectrometry is a key to biological detection in the field. Nevertheless, it has been little studied on what factors could affect to the reproducibility of the TMAH-based Py-MS spectrum patterns. Given the TMAH-based Py-MS applied to the field system, several factors which could affect to the reproducible pattern of TMAH-based Py-MS spectra are needed to be examined, including changes in TMAH injection volume, growth temperature for microorganism, and number of cells collected in pyrolyzer, and implication of stabilizer used for lyophilization. This study showed that the reproducibility of the spectrum patterns was significantly hindered by changes in TMAH concentration and cell number, and stabilizer implication but not by growth temperature. Among those at low TMAH concentration(0.015m) was not observed the significant alterations of the spectrum pattern even when its injection volume was changed, yet was in different cell numbers and stabilizer implication.

Developing a Protein-chip for Depigmenting Agents Screening (미백제 스크리닝용 단백질칩의 개발)

  • Kim, Eun-Ki;Kwak, Eun-Young;Han, Jung-Sun;Lee, Hyang-Bok;Shin, Jung-Hyun
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.31 no.1 s.49
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    • pp.13-16
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    • 2005
  • For the high-throughput-screening system (HTS) of depigmenting agents using a protein chip, effects of oligonucleotide-inhibitor sequence on the binding of Mitf protein to E box of MC1R was investigated. The sequence of oligonucletide-inhibitor affected the binding of the target DNA to Mitf, depending on the location of the sequence variation in the inhibitor nucleotide. The oligonucletide-inhibitor that changed the CATGTG sequence didn't show enough inhibition of the target DNA to Mitf, whereas significant inhibition was observed when the sequence outside the CATGTG was changed. This result indicated that CATCTG is crucial sequence for the binding of Mitf to I-box which initiates the transcription of pigmenting genes.

Biological control of Colletotrichum panacicola on Panax ginseng by Bacillus subtilis HK-CSM-1

  • Ryu, Hojin;Park, Hoon;Suh, Dong-Sang;Jung, Gun Ho;Park, Kyungseok;Lee, Byung Dae
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.38 no.3
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    • pp.215-219
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    • 2014
  • Background: Biological control of plant pathogens using benign or beneficial microorganisms as antagonistic agents is currently considered to be an important component of integrated pest management in agricultural crops. In this study, we evaluated the potential of Bacillus subtilis strain HK-CSM-1 as a biological control agent against Colletotrichum panacicola. Methods: The potential of B. subtilis HK-CSM-1 as a biological control agent for ginseng anthracnose was assessed. C. panacicola was inoculated to ginseng plants and the incidence and severity of disease was assessed to examine the efficacy of the bacterium as a biological control against C. panacicola. Results: Inoculation of Panax ginseng plants with B. subtilis significantly suppressed the number of disease lesions of C. panacicola and was as effective as the chemical fungicide iminoctadine tris(albesilate). The antifungal activity of B. subtilis against C. panacicola was observed on a co-culture medium. Interestingly, treatment with B. subtilis did not significantly affect the diameter of the lesions, suggesting that the mechanism of protection was through the reduction in the incidence of infection related to the initial events of the infection cycle, including penetration and infection via spore germination and appressorium formation rather than by the inhibition of invasive growth after infection. Conclusion: Our results suggest that B. subtilis HK-CSM-1 can be used as an effective and ecologically friendly biological control agent for anthracnose in P. ginseng.

Detection and Quantitation of Residual Antibiotics and Antibacterial Agents in Foods

  • Ryu, Jae-Chun;Seo, Ja-Won;Song, Yun-Seon;Park, Jong-Sei
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.159-164
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    • 1990
  • To detect and quantitation residual antibiotics and antibacterial agents in meats, we performed a biological assay employing the three microorganisms Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341, and Bacillus cereus var. mycoides ATCC 11778 for the screening purpose and developed a Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry(GC/MS) analysis for the confirmation and quantiation. In the biological assay (paper disk method), three test solution are used depending on the character of the residual antibiotics and antibacterial agents, follow by a simple clean up procedure which includes homogenization with Mcilvaine buffer, defatting with includes homogenization with Mcilvaine buffer, defatting with hexane, extraction with chloroform, clean-up by Sep-Pak $C_{18}$ and Bakerbond SPE carboxylic acid column. The chloroform layer is used for the analysis of sulfa agents. macrolides antibiotics and antibacterial agents, Adsorbed materials in the Sep-Pak $C_{18}$ were also employed for th analysis of penicillins and tetracyclines. Effluents from the Sep-Pak $C_{18}$ were cleaned-up one more by Bakerbond 10 SPE COOH column and employed for the analysis of aminoglycosides. In the instrumental analysis by using the GC/MSD, residual antibiotics and antibacterial agent were quantitated by selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode after derivatization. A simultaneous analysis of six residual antibiotic and antibacterial agent such as oxytetracycline, penicillin, ampicillin, choliraphenicol and thiamphenicol was developed with simple cleanup procedures revealing good recovery and reproducibility. Also, simultaneous detection of macrolides antibiotics such as erythromycin, spiramycin, and oleandomycin was developed after acid hydrolysis due to their large molecular structures. Because of the high reproducibility and selectivity of these two methods, it is very desirable that the combination of the two methods be used in the bioassay for the screening of residual antibiotics and antibacterial agent and that GC/MSD analysis be used for the confirmation and quantitation.

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Improvement of Biocontrol of Damping-off and Root Rot/Wilt of Faba Bean by Salicylic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide

  • Abdel-Monaim, Montaser Fawzy
    • Mycobiology
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.47-55
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    • 2013
  • Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, and Macrophomina phaseolina were found to be associated with root rott and wilt symptoms of faba bean plants collected from different fieldes in New Valley governorate, Egypt. All the obtained isolates were able to attack faba bean plants (cv. Giza 40) causing damping-off and root rot/wilt diseases. R. solani isolates 2 and 5, F. solani isolate 8, F. oxysporum isolate 12 and M. phaseolina isolate 14 were the more virulent ones in the pathogenicity tests. Biocontrol agents (Trichoderma viride and Bacillus megaterium) and chemical inducers (salicylic acid [SA] and hydrogen peroxide) individually or in combination were examined for biological control of damping-off and root rot/wilt and growth promoting of faba bean plants in vitro and in vivo. Both antagonistic biocontrol agents and chemical inducers either individually or in combination inhibited growth of the tested pathogenic fungi. Biocontrol agents combined with chemical inducers recorded the highest inhibited growth especially in case SA + T. viride and SA + B. megaterium. Under green house and field conditions, all treatments significantly reduced damping-off and root rot/wilt severity and increased of survival plants. Also, these treatments increased fresh and weights of the survival plants in pots compared with control. The combination between biocontrol agents and chemical inducers were more effective than used of them individually and SA + T. viride was the best treatment in this respect. Also, under field conditions, all these treatments significantly increased growth parameters (plant height and number of branches per plant) and yield components (number of pods per plant and number of seeds per plant, weight of 100 seeds and total yield per feddan) and protein content in both seasons (2010~2011 and 2011~2012). Faba bean seeds soaked in SA + T. viride and SA + B. megaterium were recorded the highest growth parameters and yield components. Generally, the combination between biocontrol agents and chemical inducers recorded the best results for controlling damping-off and root rot/wilt diseases in greenhouse and field with addition improved plant growth and increased yield components in field.