• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.150-160
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• 2022

Purpose: The current study investigated how clinical microbiology courses are conducted at the undergraduate nursing level in South Korea to identify the perceptions of clinical nurses regarding their knowledge and the clinical importance of microbiology and further assess their educational needs. Methods: Curricula presented on the websites of 202 undergraduate nursing institutions were reviewed. In addition, a survey assessing the knowledge and importance of clinical microbiology perceived by nurses was conducted online. A total of 150 nurses participated in the survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, t-tests, analysis of variance, Borich Needs Assessment Model, and Locus for Focus Model. Results: The results indicated that 90% of undergraduate nursing institutions offer clinical microbiology courses under various subject names. The perceived knowledge and importance of clinical microbiology were correlated; however, knowledge was consistently lower than the perceived importance of clinical biology among nurses. The structure and proliferation of novel viruses ranked highest in the educational needs of nurses based on both the Borich Needs Assessment Model and Locus for Focus Model. Conclusion: Based on the findings, this study suggests educational opportunities for clinical microbiology in hospital settings to reduce discrepancies between knowledge and the importance of clinical microbiology faced by nurses.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.129-131
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• 2006

The antimicrobial effects of sodium benzoate against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were investigated. The $MIC_{90}$ of sodium benzoate were 64 mg/ for E. faecalis and 32 mg/L for E. faecium, while the $MBC_{90}$ were 128 mg/L and 64mg/L, respectively. Although further studies are required for clinical evidence, sodium benzoate seems to be effective against Enterococcus spp.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.360-362
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• 2006

Cyclospora cayetanensis is an agent of emerging infectious disease, and a recognized cause of diarrhea in some patients. Also, the flagellated protozoan, Giardia intestinalis, induces a diarrheal illness of the small intestine. Cases of cyclosporiasis are frequently missed, primarily due to the fact that the parasite can be quite difficult to detect in human fecal samples, despite an increasing amount of data regarding this parasite. On the other hand, G. intestinalis can be readily recognized via the microscopic visualization of its trophozoite or cyst forms in stained preparations or unstained wet mounts. In this report, we describe an uncommon case of co-infection with G. intestinalis and C. cayetanensis in an immunocompetent patient with prolonged diarrhea, living in a non-tropical region of Turkey.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2004

Toxoplasmosis has been well known as an important human infection to consider especially in pregnant women. Although many serologic methods are available, the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis can be extremely difficult. The presence of increased levels of Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies indicates an infection, but it does not differentiate between a recent and past infection. The purpose of our study was to compare the performance of the ELISA T. gondii IgG/IgM test, a widely used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, to the ELISA IgG avidity method. One hundred and four serum samples (from 38 males and 66 females) were tested and evaluated from symptomatic patients (chorioretinitis, lymphadenopathy), and from women in their first trimester of pregnancy who were suspected of having toxoplasmosis, The high IgG avidity and ELISA IgG antibody levels were in agreement for 51 of the specimens (49.0％). Thirty-eight discrepant (borderline) results from the IgG avidity method were positive for IgM (3 specimens) and IgG (37 specimens). Interestingly, out of the eight serum samples that were positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies, two samples were low IgG avidity, and three samples were borderline. There was no statistically significant relation observed between the results of the IgG avidity method and the ELISA IgG test, and the IgG avidity method and ELISA IgM test (X$^2$=1.987; p=0.370 and X$^2$=2.152; p=0.341, respectively). The IgG avidity method was considered easy to perform and an acceptable approach for the differentiation of discrepant results (recent/chronic) and for the current detection of T. gondii antibodies. We concluded that the determination of IgG avidity is a helpful tool for the diagnosis of the ocular form of toxoplasmosis and it is a safe method for screening this disease in the first trimester of pregnancy.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.301-304
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• 2002

Is a multiple number of sputum specimens necessary for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis? To answer this question, 6844 respiratory specimens obtained from previously untreated patients suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis between 1998 and 2001 were evaluated retrospectively. All of the specimens were evaluated by acid fast bacilli smear and BACTEC 460 TB culture system. A total of 785 (11%) specimens from 353 patients were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. For 76% (270/353) of these patients the organism was detected from sputum specimens collected sequentially for daily basis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in the first, second and third samples of the majority (98%,195/199) of patients who had three or more sputum samples sent to the laboratory. Our results indicate that, we could carry out Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolation in the first, second and third sputum samples of the overwhelming majority of the patients and the diagnostic value of four or more sputum specimens submitted to the laboratory was very low (2%). We recommend that, for definitive and cost-effective diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at least three sequential sputum specimens be collected for all patients suspected pulmonary tuberculosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.145-156
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• 2022

Over the past few decades, few technologies have had a greater impact on clinical microbiology laboratories than matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The MALDI-TOF MS is a fast, accurate, and low-cost and efficient method of microbial identification. This technology generates characteristic mass spectral fingerprints that is a unique signature for each microorganism, making it an ideal method for accurate identification at the genus and species levels of both bacterial and fastidious microorganism such as anaerobes, mycobacterium and fungi etc. In addition, MALDI-TOF MS has been successfully used in microbial subtyping and susceptibility tests such as determination of resistance genes. In this study, the authors summarized the application of MALDI-TOF MS in clinical microbiology and clinical research and explored the future of MALDI-TOF MS.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.399-402
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• 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major health problem worldwide. Timely diagnosis of co-infections mimicking COVID-19, such as malaria, might be challenging particularly in non-endemic areas. We report the first case of COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale malaria co-infection from our region aiming to highligt the importance of travel history and prophylaxis in malaria management in the context of pandemic. The galloping sound can sometimes be a harbinger of zebra besides the horse.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.286-290
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genetic mechanisms of erythromycin resistance in staphylococci. A total of 102 erythromycin resistant non-duplicate clinical isolates of staphylococci [78. coagulase negative stapylococci (CNS), 24 Staphylococcus aureus] were collected between October 2003 and August 2004 in Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in Turkey. The majority of the isolates were from blood and urine specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by the agar dilution procedure and the resistance phenotypes by the double disk induction test. A multiplex PCR was performed, using primers specific for erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), and msrA genes.. Among the 78 CNS isolates, 57.8% expressed the $MLS_{B}-constitutive$, 20.6% the $MLS_{B}-inducible$, and 21.6% the $MS_B$ phenotypes. By PCR, 78.2% of these isolates harbored the erm(C) gene, 8.9% erm(A), 6.4% erm(B), and 11.5% msrA genes. In S. aureus, the constitutive $MLS_B$ (58.3 %) was more common than the inducible phenotype (20.8%). erm(A) was detected in 50% and erm(C) in 62.5% of the isolates, while 37.5% contained both erm(A) and erm(C). erm(C)-associated macrolide resistance was the most prevalent in CNS, while ermC) and erm(A, C) was the most prevalent in S. aureus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1343-1349
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• 2012

Most of the Helicobacter pylori strains containing the cag pathogenicity island (PAI) have been associated with more severe gastric disease in infected humans. The cag PAI is composed of 27 proteins, and some of the components are required for CagA translocation into host cells as well as induction of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8); however, the exact function of most of the components remains unknown or poorly characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that CagT (HP0532), which is an essential structural component of the cag PAI apparatus, plays an important role in the translocation of CagA into host epithelial cells. In addition to being located on the bacterial surface, CagT is also partially localized in the inner membrane, where it acts as a chaperone-like protein and promotes CagA translocation. However, CagT secretion was not detected by immunoprecipitation analysis of cell culture supernatants. Meanwhile, CagT was related to the introduction of IL-8 of the host cell. These results suggest that CagT is expressed on both the inner and outer bacterial membranes, where it serves as a unique type IV secretion system component that is involved in CagA secretion and cag PAI apparatus assembly.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.90-98
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a clinical practice nursing students' microbiology program based on the mastery learning model, and to evaluate the effects of the program on nursing students' knowledge, self-efficacy, performance, and satisfaction related to the nursing students' microbiology program. Methods: The program was developed by using the processes of the mastery learning model. The pre-experimental research design involved a one group pretest-posttest design. The setting was a university located in Incheon, Korea. A total of 130 nursing students participated in the program including a theoretical lecture, clinical practice, and formative and summative evaluation. Results: Using the program that was designed and developed, results for the total score of self-efficacy, knowledge, and performance in the post-test application were significantly higher than in the pre-test application (p<.05). The satisfaction of hand hygiene and disinfection/contaminated hand microbial culture and disinfection test received the highest ratings. Conclusion: The application of a clinical practice nursing students' microbiology program was effective, and can be expanded to other nursing students. Future research with other study designs was warranted in order to prove the effect of a microbiology program based on the mastery learning model.