• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1059-1070
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• 2007

Prion diseases, often called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are infectious diseases that accompany neurological dysfunctions in many mammalian hosts. Prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, "mad cow disease") in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elks. The cause of these fatal diseases is a proteinaceous pathogen termed prion that lacks functional nucleic acids. As demonstrated in the BSE outbreak and its transmission to humans, the onset of disease is not limited to a certain species but can be transmissible from one host species to another. Such a striking nature of prions has generated huge concerns in public health and attracted serious attention in the scientific communities. To date, the potential transmission of prions to humans via foodborne infection and iatrogenic routes has not been alleviated. Rather, the possible transmission of human to human or cervids to human aggravates the terrifying situation across the globe. In this review, basic features about prion diseases including clinical and pathological characteristics, etiology, and transmission of diseases are described. Based on recently accumulated evidences, the molecular and biochemical aspects of prions, with an emphasis on the molecular interactions involved in prion conversion that is critical during prion replication and pathogenesis, are also addressed.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.234-246
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• 1996

양의 스크래피(scrapie)는 우리나라에서의 발생보고가 없는 해외가축전염병의 일종이며, 동물의 전염성 해면형 뇌증(Transmissible Spomgifrom Encephalopathies; TSEs)중 역사가 가장 오랜 질병인데, 현재 영국에서 문제되고 있는 새로운 전염병인 소 해면형 뇌증(Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; BSE) 즉 일명 광우병(mad cow disease)과의 어떤 연관 가능성 때문에 수의학계의 관심의 대상이 되고 있는 질병이다. 일단 감염되어 발병되면 치료대책 없이 100$\%$ 폐사되는 세기의 불치병으로 알려진, 소 해면형 뇌증(BSE)은 영국에서 현재 사람의 크로이츠휄트-야콥병(Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; CJD)과의 관련 가능성 여부를 놓고 독특한 문제가 되고 있는 세계적인 희귀질병이다. 이들 질병에 대하여는 아직까지 확실한 병인체가 밝혀져 있지도 않으며, 그렇기 때문에 면역 혈청학적 진단방법도 확립되어 있지 못할 뿐만아니라 예방백신의 개발 또한 불가능하다. 다만, 임상적인 병력과 임상소견, 뇌조직 표본에 대한 현미경 검사 또는 전자현미경 검사에 의한 특이소견 관찰 등 조직병리학적 진단만이 가능할 뿐이다. 본편에서는 소 해면형 뇌증(BSE)의 병리학적 감별진단과 관련, 지금까지 보고된 임상증상을 검토해보고, 우리나라에서 경험한 소의 광견병에 대한 조직병리학적 진단 재료를 근거로하여 감별진단을 위한 참고자료로 설명하고, 국제수역사무국(Office de International Epizooties; O.I.E.)에서 발생한 Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for List A and B Diseases of Mammals, Birds and Bees(1992)(포유류, 조류, 꿀벌에 있어서의 A급 및 B급 질병에 대한 진단시약 및 예방백신에 대한 표준지침) 중에서 소 해면형 뇌증(B 83; p 742-747)과 스크래피(B 32; p 424-427)에 관한 내용 (Chapter 22, 205-215)을 기본자료로 제공하고자 한다.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.439-448
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of knowledge level on the perceptions and attitudes toward BSE(Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) and American beef. A survey was conducted with university students in a metropolitan area. Out of 590 questionnaires distributed, 481 were analyzed(81.5% response rate). The data was analyzed using SPSS windows(ver. 14.0). In evaluation of the BSE-related knowledge level, the average correct answer rate was 42.6%(the lowest 21.0% ~ the highest 64.9%). There were significant differences in perception and attitude based on the BSE-related knowledge level. In three groups of knowledge levels(top, middle, bottom), the bottom level group tended to be more concerned regarding the origin of beef than the top and middle level groups. Moreover, as the level of knowledge increased, people tended to consider American beef safe. In their attitude toward the government's move to re-import American beef, the top level group tended to think positively. On the other hand, the top level group had negative attitudes toward the media coverage of American beef. As the level of knowledge decreased, the rate of menu selectivity was higher. This research suggests that people need to be educated in BSE-related knowledge. Through the education of BSE-related knowledge, people will gain a more correct understanding and attitude towards American beef, which will help livestock and food service industries grow.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.126-142
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• 2006

A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between knowledge of perceived food safety and actual food purchase practices among parents of children under the age of seven (N=309) in 2005. The seventeen following perceived food safety items were included in the survey (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, foot and mouth disease, pathogenic avian influenza, swine fever, allergens, GMO, irradiated food, food poisoning bacteria, endocrine disrupter, antibiotics, food additives, carcinogen, natural toxin, agrichemical residues, place of origin, cultivation methods, and heavy metal) Most parents were highly concerned about investigating all food safety topics. Up to 90.0% of the participants recognized the importance of food safety. The public concern has caused a considerable decline in the demand for food afterreceiving news about food safety through mass media, Also, the majority of subjects required correct food safety information.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.247-251
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the applicability of the detection of central nervous system tissues (CNST) in beef by-products in retail market. Beef by-products including large intestine, brain, spinal cord, liver, lung, spleen and heart were purchased and tested for the presence of CNST using an ELISA method. The ELISA test was evaluated and showed a high correlation coefficient by a standard curve (R value = 0.999). Based on the analytical instruction, the positive indication of the CNST contamination of brain and spinal cord was detected above 0.1% but large intestine, liver, lung, spleen, and heart was negative. Result suggests that the ELISA method is applicable to a real meat system and may provide a method to ensure confidence for consumer against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.15-28
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• 2014

Concern about food safety among consumers is very high at the moment, because many problems related to food safety have occurred, such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). To improve consumers' reliability about food safety issue, government in every country have tried to set various food policy, and the Korean government has also tried to set consumers at ease about their diet, for instance, food traceability system. The aim of this study is to define consumer perceptions and intention to participation for solar salt traceability system. As the results, consumers generally have positive perception about solar salt traceability system, and the study identifies that attitude, reliability and availability significantly influence intention to participation for solar salt traceability system.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.273-282
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• 2009

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) disease group are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting a wide range of hosts. The group includes kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The exact nature of the infectious agent involved in the transmission of these diseases remains controversial. However, a central event in their pathogenesis is the accumulation in infected tissues of an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein, the prion protein (PrP). Whereas the normal cellular protein is fully sensitive to protease ($PrP^{sen}$), the disease-associated prion protein ($PrP^d$) is only partly degraded ($PrP^{res}$), its amino-terminal end being removed. BSE was first reported in the mid-80s in the UK. Ten years later, a new form of human prion disease, variant CJD (vCJD) developed in the wake of the BSE epidemic, and there is now strong scientific evidence that vCJD was initiated by the exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues, thus indicating a zoonotic disease. However, the ban on the feeding of animal-derived proteins to ruminants, and the apparent lack of vertical transmission of BSE, have led to a decline in the incidence of the disease within cattle herd and therefore, an assumed decreased risk for human contacting vCJD. The origin of the original case(s) of BSE still remains an enigma even though three hypotheses have been raised. Hypotheses are i) sheep- or goat-derived scrapie-infected tissues included in meat and bone meal fed to cattle, ii) a previously undetected sporadic or genetic bovine TSE contaminating cattle feed or iii) originating from a human TSE through animal feed contaminated with human remains. A host cellular membrane protein ($PrP^C$), which is abundant in central nervous system tissue, appear to be conformationally altered in the diseased host into a prion protein ($PrP^{Sc}$). This $PrP^{Sc}$ is detergent insoluble and partially protease-resistant ($PrP^{res}$). The term $PrP^{res}$ is normally used to describe the protein detected after protease treatment, in techniques such as Western immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay using fresh/frozen tissue. Immunohistochemistry may performed with formalin-fixed tissues. Also, clinical signs of the BSE are one of the major diagnostic indicators. Recently, atypical forms (known as H- and L-type) of BSE have appeared in several European countries, Japan, Canada and the United States. An unusual case was also reported in a miniature zebu. The atypical BSE fall into two groups based on the relative molecular mass (Mm) of the unglycosylated $PrP^{res}$ band relative to that of classical BSE, one of the higher Mm (H-type) and the other lower (L-type). Both types have been detected worldwide as rare cases in older animals, at a low prevalence consistent with the possibility of sporadic forms of prion diseases in cattle. This raises the unwelcome possibility that vCJD could increase in the human population. Now, active surveillance program against BSE is going on in Korea. In regional veterinary service lab, ELISA is applied to screen the BSE in slaughter and confirmatory tests by Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemisty are carried out if there are positive or suspect in the screening test. Also, the ruminant feed ban is rigorously enforced. Removal of specified risk materials such as brain and spinal cord from cattle is mandatory process at slaughter to prevent the infected material from entering the human food chain.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1269-1269
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• 2001

The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is one of the more important problems that have affected the economy of european cattles and the Public Safety. Their transmission is mainly through digestive system, and the compound feeds made with animal proteins are one source of infection for healthy cows. Nowadays the official method for meat and bone meal (MBM) detection in compound feeds is a microscopy technique. However, this methodology is subjective, and that alter the fact to make one exhaustive quantitative analysis and one differentiation between mammalian and poultry bones. In addition, the separation of the differents fractions in a sample by density before the analysis, requires the use of organochlorates products as $CCl_4$, which produce serious damages in the atmosphere ozone content. NIR methodology is another possible way to confirm and identifying animal ingredients in compound feeds, Its capabilities for quantitative and qualitative analysis of foods and feeds has been enought demonstrated. The objective of this work was to use NIR as a tool to make an qualitative and quantitative analysis and a prediction of the meat and bone meal presence in compound feeds from North Spain cattle farms. Using a global population of compound feeds, on make three different groups depending of MBM percentage presence (0, 0-100, 100), to build and validate one calibration equation to determine MBM content and make one discriminant analysis between these three groups. The preliminary dates obtained with another differents samples of known composition showed promising results.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.645-654
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• 2009

Recently there have been increasing consumers' interests in the geographical origin of foods, due to the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) in the global market. Especially, in Korea, in relation to BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), it is considered to be urgent to develop analytical techniques for distinguishing the geographical origin of beef. Korea is facing conclusion of FTA with many countries, and there is a deep national concern about the distinction of the geographical origin of food. Diverse analytical techniques have been used in many of recent researches to obtain data for distinguishing the geographical origin of foods produced in various countries. In this paper, we reviewed national and international researches about tracing of geographical origin and food authentication using stable isotopes. Improvement of the isotopic techniques and their numerous application have been provided useful information of their geographical origin in food products. Furthermore, we expect that this study could be detecting of many frauds and illegal transaction of food products. We look forward to active progressing research of detecting food origin using isotope analysis and numerous application about imported food products.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.859-866
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• 2006

The aim of this survey is to examine factors that influence on the perceived helpfulness in consumers' predicting its quality and safety when the country of origin (COO) of beef is declared. The data were analyzed that had collected from a consumer survey done in March 2006. 250 consumers living in Suncheon, Jeollanamdo were randomly selected as respondents. Eleven of them did not complete the survey material, so the total number of available samples were 239. All samples were estimated using proc logistic procedure of SAS package. The results indicate as follows: first, the levels of perceived helpfulness of COO in consumers' predicting beef quality and safety depend significantly on he age, the occupation, and the education level of demographic variables. Second, when analysing attitude variables to beef, the levels are significantly correlated with the respondents' ability to acquire information, their trust of information about beef, nd their interest about bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE). The proportional odds assumptions of models are not violated at p<0.05. Third, it is the gender, the age, and the education level of the respondents, and the respondents' ability to acquire information which significantly effect on the level of the perceived helpfulness of COO in predicting beef quality. Fourth, it is the consumer's age, their education level, and their trust of information about beef which statistically have a significant effect on the level of perceived helpfulness of COO in predicting beef safety.