• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.110-121
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• 2022

Leaf functional traits widely have been used to understand the environmental controls of resource utilization strategy of plants along the environmental gradients. By using key leaf functional traits, we quantified the relationships between leaf traits and local climate throughout the distributional range of Rhododendron caucasicum Pall. in eastern and western Georgian mountains (the South Caucasus). Our results revealed, that all traits showed high levels of intraspecific variability across study locations and confirmed a strong phenotypic differentiation of leaf functional variation along the east-west longitudinal gradient in response to the local climate; out of the explored climatic variables, the moisture factors related to precipitation and number of precipitation and dry days for winter and growth seasons were more strongly related to leaf trait variation than the elevation and air temperature. Among studied leaf traits, the leaf specific area (SLA) showed the highest level of variability indicating the different resource utilization strategies of eastern and western-central Rh. caucasicum individuals. High SLA leaves for western-central Caucasian individuals work in relatively resource-rich environments (more humid in terms of precipitation amount and the number of precipitation days in winter) and could be explained by preferential allocation to photosynthesis and growth, while eastern Caucasian samples work in resource-poor environments (less humid in terms of precipitation amount and the number of precipitation days in winter) and the retention of captured resources is a higher priority appearing in a low SLA leaves. However, more evidence from a broader study of the species throughout its distribution range by including additional environmental factors and molecular markers are needed for firmer conclusions of intraspecific variability of Rh. caucasicum.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and characteristics of occupational blood and body fluid exposure for operating room personnel during surgical procedures and identify risk factors. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 519 operating room personnel who participated in 132 surgeries in an acute care hospital in Seoul between April 12 and 20, 2006. Results: The response rate was 82% (530/646) and analyzed total 519 except for improper 11 questionnaires. Exposure rate was 45.5% (60/132) during operations and 20.4% (106/519) for operating room personnel. By job categories, the exposure rate was as follows; anesthesiologists and nurses 31.2% (44/141), operators and assistants 22.1% (32/145), circulating nurses 12.0% (11/92), scrub nurses 11.4% (14/123). The mucous membrane-eye exposure with a high risk of transmitting infection was 6.6% (7/106) and the most frequent route of exposure was blood and body fluid touching unprotected skin. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors of exposure were services, duration of operation, a patient who had a peripheral arterial catheter line, and job category. Conclusion: Educational programs and appropriate use of personal protective equipment are necessary to prevent operating room personnel from being exposed to blood and body fluid.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.99-103
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• 2007

The antibacterial efficacy of 0.1% (w/v) chitosan solution against Staphylococcus intermedius isolated from a dog with superficial pyoderma was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The exposure time for the 0.1% chitosan solutions at different pH to be able to eliminate the bacterial cells and the effect of pH of the solutions on antibacterial activity was tested at the same time in vitro. The antibacterial activity of chitosan was compared to other antibacterial agents including 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, 0.5% chlorhexidine acetate, 0.1% chitosan solution combined with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and chitosan combined with 0.5% chlorhexidine using a modified detergent scrub quantitative technique in 10 adult mongrel dogs in vivo. They were able to eliminate a number of bacteria after the exposure time of 10 minutes at varying degrees according to the pH of the solutions. The antibacterial activity of chitosan was inversely affected by pH with higher activity at lower pH value. The 0.1% chitosan solution was also efficacious against Staphylococcus intermedius in vivo. The combinations of chitosan with benzoyl peroxide and with chlorhexidine were shown to exert higher activity when compared to those of chitosan alone and benzoyl peroxide or chlorhexidine alone. The 0.1% chitosan solution was considered to be efficacious against Staphylococcus intermedius isolated from a dog with superficial pyoderma in both in vivo and in vitro and have a potential for the clinical applications in the treatment or pyoderma in dogs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.301-308
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• 2020

Owing to global climate change, the global resurgence of vector-borne infectious diseases and their potential to inflict widespread casualties among human populations has emerged as a pivotal burden on public health systems. Tsutsugamushi disease (scrub typhus) in the Republic of Korea is steadily increasing and was designated as a legal communicable disease in 1994. The disease is a mite-borne acute febrile disease most commonly contracted from October to December. In this study, we tried to determine the prevalence of tsutsugamushi disease transmitted by chigger mites living on rodents and investigated their target vector diversity, abundance, and distribution to enable the mapping of hotspots for this disease in 2015. A total of 5 species belonging to 4 genera (109 mites): Leptotrombidium scutellare 60.6%, L. pallidum 28.4% Neotrombicula tamiyai 9.2%, Euschoengastia koreaensis/0.9%), and Neoschoengastia asakawa 0.9% were collected using chigger mite collecting traps mimicking human skin odor and sticky chigger traps from April to November 2015. Chigger mites causing tsutsugamushi disease in wild rodents were also collected in Hwaseong for the zoonotic surveillance of the vector. A total of 77 rodents belonging to 3 genera: Apodemus agrarius (93.5%), Crocidura lasiura (5.2%), and Micromys minutus (1.3%) were collected in April, October, and November 2015. The most common mite was L. pallidum (46.9%), followed by L. scutellare (18.6%), and L. orientale (18.0%). However, any of the chigger mite pools collected from rodent hosts was tested positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi, the pathogen of tsutsugamushi disease, in this survey.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.23-36
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• 2010

The Cat Ba Islands in Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam, consist of a large limestone island with a maximum height of 322 m above sea level and 366 small limestone islets with a total area of about $180\;km^2$. The islands are relicts of karst limestone mountains that became submerged during the Holocene transgression 7000 - 8000 year ago. The combination of the longtime karst process and recent marine processes in the monsoonal tropical zone has created a very diversity landscape on the Cat Ba Islands that can be divided into 3 habitat types with 16 forms. The first habitat type is the karst mountains and hills, including karst mountains and hills, karst valleys and dolines, karst lakes, karst caves, and old marine terraces. The second habitat type is the limestone island coast, including beaches, mangrove marshes, tidal flats, rocky coasts, marine notch caves, marine karst lakes, and bights. The third habitat type is karst plains submerged by the sea, including karst cones (fengcong) and towers (fengling), bedrock exposed on the seabed, sandy mud seabed, and submerged channels. Like the landscape, the biodiversity is also high in ecosystems composed of scrub cover - bare hills, rainy tropical forests, paddy fields and gardens, swamps, caves, beaches, mangrove forests, tidal flats, rocky coasts, marine krast lakes, coral reefs, hard bottoms, seagrass beds and soft bottoms. The ecosystems on the Cat Ba Islands that support very high species biodiversity include tropical evergreen rainforests, soft bottoms; coral reefs, mangrove forests, and marine karst lakes. A total of 2,380 species have been recorded in the Cat Ba Islands, included 741 species of terrestrial plants; 282 species of terrestrial animals; 30 species of mangrove plants; 287 species of phytoplankton; 79 species of seaweed; 79 species of zooplankton; 196 species of marine fishes; 154 species of corals; and 538 species of zoobenthos. Many of these species are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam as endangered species, included the white-headed or Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), a famous endemic species. Human activities have resulted in significantly changes to the landscape end ecosytems of the Cat Ba islands; however, many natural aspects of the islandsd have been preserved. For this reason, the Cat Ba Islands were recognized as a Biological Reserved Area by UNESCO in 2004.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.129-144
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• 2010

We have studied the changes of the environmental and vegetational factors according to the hydro-seral stages in the shoreline of the lagoons, Korea. We have divided seral stages into 7 stages from open water stage to the stratified forest stage considering as the characteristics of water body, dominance of submerged and emergent plant, and development of the shrub, subtree and tree layer. According to the successional stage, water depth gradually decreased and water quality changed from seawater to brackish water and from brackish water to fresh water, organic matter in a soil layer gradually increased, and the litter layer grew up. As the development of the vegetation structure, the life-form of the vascular plants changed as follows; open water ${\rightarrow}$ submerged plant and floating-leaved plant ${\rightarrow}$ emergent plant and submerged plant ${\rightarrow}$ emergent plant ${\rightarrow}$ emergent plant, mesophyte and scrub ${\rightarrow}$ mesophyte. In the late seral stage, the 3 different forest types were established by the water retention or drainage and nutrient accumulation of the soil layer. Salix dominant forest developed in the wetted sites, the forest type dominated by Pinus thunbergii, Carex pumila and mesophytes developed in the well drained sites causing by sand substrate, and the forest type dominated by the planted or ruderals such as Pinus densiflora, Robinia psedo-acacia, Festuca ovina, Setaria viridis ect. developed in the sites composed of forest soil introduced by artificial reclamation.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.1129-1139
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the toothbrushing practice behavior of preschool children by observing children's actual toothbrushing behavior and further to offer basic data available for being reflected in direction and goal establishment of the systematic and organized oral health education in consideration of individual characteristic. Methods : It targeted 225 preschool children from May 6, 2010 to June 8, and analyzed by having the survey results of totally 208 people, except 17 who are noncooperative with the observation survey. As for the collected materials, it carried out frequency analysis and $x^2$-test in order to grasp subjects' general characteristics and toothbrushing practice behaviors and to examine correlation, by using SPSS 12.0 for window. Results : 1. A grasp of toothbrush was indicated 47.1% for "proper" and 52.9% for "improper." The position of holding a toothbrush was indicated to be the highest with 59.6% for "the center in grip." 2. Toothpaste amount was indicated to be 49.0% for" tip in toothbrush, "followed by 38.9% for "half in toothbrush" and 12% for "every side of toothbrush" in order. Significant difference was shown according to age($x^2$=19.125. p<.05). 3. Average toothbrushing time per once was surveyed to be $106{\pm}56$ seconds. 4. As for a toothbrushing method by region, the labial and the baccal surface were indicated to be horizontal scrub with 63% and fones method 11.5%. Significant difference was shown according to gender($x^2$=10.275. p<.05). The anterior lingual surface wasn't washed with 72.6%. Significant difference was shown according to appearance of education($x^2$=6.056. p<.05). 5. A case of requiring exchange because of being widened toothbrush was indicated to be 59.2%. The toothbrush replacement in the highest ratio was needed in kindergarten teachers. Conclusions : The actual toothbrushing practice attitude of preschool children was surveyed to be not right as a whole such as toothbrushing time, toothbrushing method, toothpaste amount, and replacement of toothbrush. Accordingly, the oral health education will need to be performed in order for a change into positive attitude and for improvement in practice level. In addition, it is considered to be likely necessary for development in substantial oral health educational program available for enhancing knowledge level of oral health care in mothers and kindergarten teachers.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.625-634
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• 2021

Based on the field investigations in 91 investigation sites (counties) in southwest China between 2001 and 2019, the present paper reported the chigger mites on A. agrarius mice in southwest China for the first time by using a series of statistical methods. From 715 striped field mice captured in 28 of 91 investigated sites, only 255 chiggers were collected, and they were identified as 14 species, 6 genera in 3 subfamilies under 2 families. Of 715 A. agrarius mice, only 24 of them were infested with chigger mites with low overall prevalence (P_M=3.4%), overall mean abundance (M_A=0.36 mites/host) and overall mean intensity (M_I=10.63 mites/host). The species diversity and infestation of chiggers on A. agrarius were much lower than those previously reported on some other rodents in southwest China. On a certain species of rodent, A. agrarius mouse in southwest China seems to have a very low susceptibility to chigger infestations than in other geographical regions. Of 14 chigger species, there were 3 dominant species, Leptotrombidium sialkotense, L. rupestre and Schoengastiella novoconfuciana, which were of aggregated distribution among different individuals of A. agrarius hosts. L. sialkotense, one of 6 main vectors of scrub typhus in China, was the first dominant on A. agrarius. The species similarity of chigger mites on male and female hosts was low with C_SS=0.25, and this reflects the sex-bias of different genders of A. agrarius mice in harboring different chigger species.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2024

This study examined the fecal samples of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius coreae) captured in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Fecal samples, including the colon and other intestinal organs, were collected and subjected to aerobic culture to investigate the distribution of intestinal microorganisms. Gram staining of the aerobic cultured bacterial colonies from 36 fecal samples revealed the predominant presence of gram-negative bacilli in all samples. Among the 36 samples, gram-negative bacilli were identified in 36 strains (100%), gram-positive cocci in 21 strains (58.3%), and gram-positive bacilli in 15 strains (41.7%), while no gram-negative cocci were observed. The gram-negative bacilli cultured from the 36 samples were identified using the Vitek 2 system, and all were determined to be Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains. In addition, one sample was concurrently identified with E. coli and Enterobacter cloacae strains. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing for the identified E. coli strains did not include all antibiotics, but one strain exhibited intermediate resistance to cefoxitin. No pathogenic bacteria were present in the fecal samples of the scrub typhus-infected rodents, which are vectors for chigger-borne diseases affecting humans and animals.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2010

The subjects of this study were patients at scaling practice, the total number of the subjects was 249 of 138 men and 111 women. The results were analyzed using SPSS 12.0. 1. In oral health care, among tooth brushing methods, scrub method was found to be 65.9%(164 patients), and 83.9%(209 patients) did not use oral care aids. 2. Mean calculus index was $0.57{\pm}0.22$. 3. For calculus index per tooth brushing method, there was statistically significant difference in all of the upper jaw, the lower jaw, the anterior portion, and the posterior portion(p < 0.05). 4. For calculus index per frequency of tooth brushing, there was statistically significant difference in the upper jaw, the lower jaw, and the posterior portion(p < 0.05). 5. For calculus index per time of tooth brushing and per use of oral care aids, there was statistically significant difference in all of the upper jaw, the lower jaw, the anterior portion, and the posterior portion(p < 0.05). 6. For factors influencing calculus index, as a result of applying stepwise method based on 0.05 of significance level, age, use of oral care aids, sex, and time of tooth brushing were found to influence calculus index. Final regression model was calculus index = $0.362^*age+0.216^*$use of oral care aids - $0.161*sex-0.127^*$time of tooth brushing, and explanatory power of the model was 23.4%. $0.362^*age+0.216^*$use of oral care aids - $0.161^*sex-0.127^*$time of tooth brushing, and explanatory power of the model was 23.4%.