• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.883-893
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• 2021

Clostridium difficile present in feces of food animals may contaminate their meats and act as a potential source of C. difficile infection (CDI) to humans. C. difficile resistance to antibiotics, its production of toxins and spores play major roles in the pathogenesis of CDI. This is the first study to evaluate C. difficile prevalence in retail raw animal meats, its antibiotics susceptibilities and toxigenic activities in Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia. Totally, 240 meat samples were tested. C. difficile was identified by standard microbiological and biochemical methods. Vitek-2 compact system confirmed C. difficile isolates were 15/240 (6.3%). Toxins A/B were not detected by Xpect C. difficile toxin A/B tests. Although all isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole, variable degrees of reduced susceptibilities to moxifloxacin, clindamycin or tetracycline antibiotics were detected by Epsilon tests. C. difficile strains with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics should be investigated. Variability between the worldwide reported C. difficile contamination levels could be due to absence of a gold standard procedure for its isolation. Establishment of a unified testing algorithm for C. difficile detection in food products is definitely essential to evaluate the inter-regional variation in its prevalence on national and international levels. Proper use of antimicrobials during animal husbandry is crucial to control the selective drug pressure on C. difficile strains associated with food animals. Investigating the protective or pathogenic potential of non-toxigenic C. difficile strains and the possibility of gene transfer from certain toxigenic/ antibiotics-resistant to non-toxigenic/antibiotics-sensitive strains, respectively, should be worthy of attention.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2019

Superficial fungal infections with dermatophytes, nondermatophyte molds, or yeasts are treated primarily with topical and/or systemic antifungal agents. Additional or alternative treatment modalities, particularly energy-delivering modalities, however, are used widely to induce fungicidal effects via selective photothermal reactions. In addition to light- or laser-based devices, plasma therapy also has antifungal properties. This report describes a Korean male patient with mycologically confirmed tinea pedis that was treated effectively with two sessions of nitrogen plasma treatment at one-week intervals using a plasma delivering system. Nitrogen plasma was prepared by loading a 0.28-ml inert nitrogen gas/pulse that was activated by a microwave generator. The other treatment settings were a nozzle diameter of 5 mm, pulse energy of 0.75 J, pulse duration of 7 msec, and two passes. One week after the first session of nitrogen plasma treatment, the patient exhibited marked reductions in scale and inflammation. One month after the final treatment, no clinical features of recurrence were found, and successive potassium hydroxide testing revealed negative results.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.107-114
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• 2023

Successful implementations of DevOps practices significantly improvise software efficiency, collaboration and security. Most of the organizations are adopting DevOps for faster and quality software delivery. DevOps brings development and operation teams together to overcome all kind of communication gaps responsible for software failures. It relies on different sets of alternative tools to automate the tasks of continuous integration, testing, delivery, deployment and monitoring. Although DevOps is followed for being very reliable and responsible environment for quality software delivery yet it lacks many quantifiable aspects to prove it on the top of other traditional and agile development methods. This research evaluates quantitative performance of DevOps and traditional/ agile development methods based on software metrics. This research includes three sample projects or code repositories to quantify the results and for DevOps integrated selective tool chain; current research considers our earlier proposed and implemented DevOps hybrid model of integrated automation tools. For result discussion and validation, tabular and graphical comparisons have also been included to retrieve best performer model. This comparative and evaluative research will be of much advantage to our young researchers/ students to get well versed with automotive environment of DevOps, latest emerging buzzword of development industries.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.238-242
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• 2016

The effect of the alkali, alkali earth metal elements on selective catalytic reduction(SCR) catalyst deactivation behavior were investigated in terms of microstructure, surface area, pore volume and De-NOx test. Poisoned SCR catalyst were manufactured by injection of $K_2CO_3$, $Na_2CO_3$, $Ca(CH_3COO)_2{\cdot}H_2O$, $C_4H_6MgO_4{\cdot}4H_2O$, $H_3PO_4$ solutions in the new SCR catalyst at $350^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours. New and poisoned catalysts surface were similar. But specific surface area, pore volume decrease from Na, Mg, K, Ca, P compared to new SCR catalyst. Especially, Na poisoned catalyst surface area and pore size extremely decreased by $10.20m^2/g$, $0.061cm^2/g$. De-NOx test results of new and poisoned catalysts at $150{\sim}450^{\circ}C$ indicated that alkali metal (K, Na) poisoned SCR catalysts have the lowest De-NOx efficiency, alkali earth metal poisoned SCR catalysts (Ca, Mg) De-NOx efficiency are higher than alkali metal poisoned SCR catalysts. P poisoned SCR catalyst De-NOx efficiency is similar new SCR catalyst. It were considered that physical deactivation of SCR catalyst was affected by SCR catalyst surface area and pore volume change.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.4672-4678
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• 2013

Aluminum dross is formation at the surface of the molten metal as the latter reacts with the furnace atmosphere and it was an unavoidable by-product of the aluminum production process. However aluminum dross was usually landfilled or disposed without treatment, causing much environmental damage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of ceramic catalyst support using recycled Al dross. The recycled Al dross was made into SCR catalyst by mixing with $WO_3$, $V_2O_5$ and $TiO_2$. The $V_2O_5-WO_3/TiO_2-Al_2O_3$ SCR catalyst was observed with XRF, XRD and BET. $V_2O_5-WO_3/TiO_2-Al_2O_3$ SCR strength was measured by Universal Testing Machine(UTM). As the added $Al_2O_3$, streagth is increased. And the NOx removal activity was observed by MR(Micro-Reactor). The temperatures ranging from $350^{\circ}C$ and $400^{\circ}C$, $V_2O_5-WO_3/TiO_2-Al_2O_3$ SCR catalyst De-NOx performance result of showed excellent activity over 90% at application condition.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.419-425
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• 2008

A qualitative and quantitative analytical method was developed for detection of methamphetamine (MA) and its main metabolite amphetamine (AM) in oral fluid. Oral fluids of eleven drug abusers were provided by Police, specimens were collected by stimulation with a cotton swab treated with 20 mg of citric acid ($Salivette^{(R)}$; Sarstedt, USA). As the preliminary test, oral fluid samples were screened for amphetamines by Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay (TDxFLx, Abbott Co.). Extraction for MA was performed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) by $RapidTrace^{TM}$ (Zymark, USA) with mixed mode cation exchange cartridge, CLEAN $SCREEN^{(R)}$ (130 mg/3 ml, UCT) after dilution with phosphate buffer. Samples were evaporated and derivatized by pentafluoropropionic acid anhydride (PFPA). Quantitation of MA and AM was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using selective ion monitoring (SIM), the quantitation ions were m/z 204 (MA), 208 (MA-$D_5$), 190 (AM) and 194 (AM-$D_5$). The selectivity, linearity of calibration, limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) within- and between day precision, accuracy and recoveries were examined as parts of the method validation. All oral fluid samples gave positive results to immunoassay for MA (cut-off level, 50 ng/ml as d-amphetamine). Concentrations of MA and AM by GC-MS in eleven samples were ranged 104.2${\sim}$4603.3 ng/ml and 32.4${\sim}$268.6 ng/ml, respectively. Extracted calibration curves of MA and AM were linear over the two concentration range of 1${\sim}$100 and 50${\sim}$1000 ng/ml with correlation coefficient of above 0.999. LOQ of MA and AM was 1 and 3 ng/ml, respectively. The intraand inter-day run precisions (CV) for MA and AM were less than 10%, and the accuracies (bias) for MA and AM were also less than 10% at the two different concentrations 5 and 100 ng/ml at low calibration range, 50 and 1000 ng/ml at high calibration range. The absolute recoveries of MA and AM at low and high calibration ranges were more than 82% and 75%, respectively. In this study the qualitative and quantitative analytical method of MA in oral fluid was established. Oral fluid testing may detect drug use in past hours because of its shorter detection window than urine, and be useful in post-accident situations. So oral fluids will be most useful for testing drug abuse in the driving under the influence of drug (DUID) as the alternative specimens of urine.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.7-18
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to reduce the stress and the disturbance occur in selective action of patient. This article will also help us to control spreading and reduce the order and bacteria produced by leprosy disease among the lepers. This will be achieved with the help of several variables and these variables help us on health benefits is 5S (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) i.e. ratio of sectional morphology, lessor 90 degree angles, day light, universal design building and maximum ventilation. The replies from the questionnaire were collected based on varying levels of satisfaction and gloominess on the scale of 1-10. Methods: The multi-layer methodological framework for maximising the healing environment obtained from the observation of schemes and parameters of ANOVA: (Analysis Of Variance between five deciding factors) are. Firstly applied for the calculation of the patient's satisfaction for U.V light from sun on ECOTECT simulation, secondly the number of $90^{\circ}$ angle, along the corridors. Thirdly understanding the ways to represent people's perceptual structures and way finding with Space Syntax software. Fourthly the ratio of depth to height of the building typology and finally interviewing the subjects describing their special experiences based on scale value. The focus of this testing of human subjects was to receive data for the existence of image scheme in way-finding and to identify the mechanisms by which sun light impacts human (lepers) health. Results: AMPVA studies concluded that there is similarity between I and O plan as well as L and H plan whereas U plan was difference among the five selected architectural shapes. Implications: The purpose of this research is to show the effects of the I-type, L-type, C-type, U-type and O-type plan design, and to analyse the morphology for EBD (Evidence-Based Design) healing environment which is a universal design for Munghopir Karachi, in Pakistan.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2013

Background: Throughout Indonesia, thyroid cancer is one of the ten commonest malignancies, with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in our hospital accounting for about 60% of all thyroid nodules. Although fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the most reliable diagnostic tool, some nodules are diagnosed as indeterminate and second surgery is common for PTC. The aim of this study was to establish the diagnostic value and feasibility of testing the BRAF T1799A mutation on FNA specimens for improving PTC diagnosis. Materials and Methods: This prospective study enrolled 95 patients with thyroid nodules and future surgery planned. Results of mutational status were compared with surgical pathology diagnosis. Results: Of the 70 cases included in the final analysis, 62.8% were PTC and the prevalence of BRAF mutation was 38.6%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for BRAF mutation analysis were 36%, 100%, 100% and 48%, respectively. With other data findings, nodules with "onset less than 5 year" and "hard consistency" were proven as diagnostic determinants for BRAF mutation with a probability of 62.5%. This mutation was also a significant risk factor for extra-capsular extension. Conclusions: Molecular analysis of the BRAF T1799A mutation in FNAB specimens has high specificity and positive predictive value for PTC. It could be used in the selective patients with clinical characteristics to facilitate PTC diagnosis and for guidance regarding extent of thyroidectomy.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to evaluate the toothbrush abrasion characteristics of class V restorations. Thirty extracted human premolars, which were collected from oral surgery clinics were used. We mounted five teeth in a metal ring mold of 50 mm in diameter and 15 mm in height using chemically cured acrylic resin. Class V cavities were prepared in lingual cervical root surfaces and restored using one of following restorative materials : Dentin Conditioner/Fuji II LC (Group FL), All Bond II/Z-250 (Group ZT), One-up Bond F/Palfigue Estelite (Group PE), F2000 Primer/Adhesive (Group FT), and Prime & Bond 2.1/Dyract AP (Group DR). They were stored under distilled water at $37^{\circ}C$ for seven days. The toothbrush abrasion test was conducted using a wear testing machine of pin-on disk type under a load of 1.5 N for 100,000 cycles. We have examined the bonded interfaces, the changes of surface roughness and color of abraded surfaces. From this experiment, the following results were obtained. 1. The change of surface roughness showed high degree: RMGIC>compomer>composite resin (p<0.05). 2. Because of the protrusion and missing of filler particles, SEM observation of abraded surfaces of RMGIC and compomers revealed the increase of surface roughness due to the selective removal of matrix resin. 3. The color change by toothbrush abrasion was affected in large part by the change of $L^*$ and $b^*$ of resin composites (p<0.05). 4. The color change by toothbrush abrasion was so small to detect by human eyes. 5. SEM observation of abraded surfaces revealed the interface bonding was the best in the FT group.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.933-945
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• 2008

The genetic association test on age of onset trait aims to detect the putative gene by means of linear rank tests for a significant trend of onset distributions with genotypes. However, due to the selective sampling of recruiting subjects with ages less than a pre-specified limit, the genotype groups are subject to substantially different censored distributions and thus this is one reason for the low efficiencies in the linear rank tests. In testing the equality of two survival distributions, log-rank statistic is preferred to the Wilcoxon statistic, when censored observations are nonignorable. Therefore, for more then two groups, we propose a generalized log-rank test for trend as a genetic association test. Monte Carlo studies are conducted to investigate the performances of the test statistics examined in this paper.