• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2012

Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron. is one of the most important diseases in Brassica crops worldwide. To establish more simple and reliable screening method for resistant cabbage and broccoli to P. brassicae, the development of clubroot on the plants according to inoculum concentration and incubation period after inoculating with the pathogen was investigated using P. brassicae GN1 isolate (race 9). To facilitate and acquire precise result of resistance screening of cabbage and broccoli to clubroot, 14-day-old seedlings were inoculated by drenching roots with the spore suspension of P. brassicae to give inoculum density of $2.5{\times}10^9$ spores/pot. To develop the disease, the inoculated seedlings were incubated in a growth chamber at $20^{\circ}C$ for 3 days, and then cultivated in a greenhouse ($20{\pm}5^{\circ}C$) for five weeks. Under the optimum conditions, 16 cabbage and 17 broccoli cultivars were tested for resistance to four field isolates (GN1, GN2, GS and YC) of P. brassicae collected from four regions in Korea. Among them, some cabbage and broccoli cultivars showed different resistance response to three isolates (GN1, GN2 and GS) determined as race 9 by using the differential varieties of Williams. On the other hand, all the tested cultivars were highly susceptible to YC isolate (race 2). The results suggest that this method is efficient screening method of cabbage and broccoli for resistance to P. brassicae.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 2006

Aryl sulfotransferase (AST) IV is a liver enzyme involved in detoxication and has been shown to be susceptible to down regulation by a number of hepatotoxic xenobiotics. Studies presented here to investigate the ability of biological and non-biological divalent metal cations on AST IV activity showed that AST IV was strongly inhibited following in vitro or in vivo exposure to. Zn ( II ), Co ( II ) or Cd ( II ). It was found that $0.025\sim$2.5 uM of these metal ions were sufficient to cause $50\%$ of inhibition in vitro in purified AST IV and $0.25\sim$25 uM of these metal ions in liver cytosolic fractions. For the in vivo study, 1,000 mg Cu ( II )/kg, 2,000 mg Zn ( II )/kg or 250 mg Cd( II )/kg was added to individual diets and administered to three (3) group; of mts over a 7 week period The Co ( II )-supplemented diet produced no apparent change in rat growth rate and resulted in 30-fold increase in liver cytotolic Cu ( II ) levels, suggesting that elevated levels of Cu ( II ) ion in the liver were responsible for the loss of AST IV activity. In contrast, the Zn ( II )-supplemented diet caused a decrease in rat growth rates and resulted in zero increase in liver Zn ( II ) levels, which suggested an indirect inhibition mechanism was caused by Zn ( II ) in the liver. Rats were fed the Cd-supplemented diet also displayed a decrease in growth rate with little or no change in liver Cu ( II ) or Zn ( II ) levels. When the liver cytosols of mts from the metal ion diets were immunochemically analyzed for the AST IV and albumin contents, no significant changes were observed in albumin levels. However, AST IV contents in the cytosols of mts fed the Zn ( II )-supplemented diets showed a slight decrease in amount These results showed that AST IV activity in vitro and in vivo can be inhibited by Co ( II ), Zn ( II ), and Cd ( II ) by apparently different mechanisms. The immediate response to a Zn injection showed a decrease in AST IV activity but not in the AST IV content in liver cytosol. These mechanisms appeared to involve direct actions of the metal ion on AST IV activity and indirect actions affecting AST IV amount.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.479-485
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• 2021

Background: Vibrio vulnificus has been frequently detected in seawater, fish, and shellfish mainly in the coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the analyzed biochemical properties, genetic characteristics, and distribution of Vibrio vulnificus isolated from environmental sources in coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province from 2019 to 2020. Methods: A total of 1,510 samples were obtained from six different sites in Chungcheongnam-do Province. Isolated strains from the samples were identified by a VITEK 2 system and MALDI-TOF. Antibiotic susceptibility testing for 85 isolates was done by microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration methods, and 11 isolates were analyzed for 16s rRNA sequences in multiple alignments. Results: Among the 1,510 samples taken during the investigation period, 306 strains were isolated and the detection rate of V. vulnificus was 20.3%. One hundred eighty-eight strains (24.6%) from seawater and 118 strains (15.8%) from mud flats were isolated. It was mainly detected in July (17.3%), August (36.5%), and September (28.8%), and the proportion was 82.0%. Based on the CLSI-recommended breakpoints, V. vulnificus isolates were all susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. However, nonsusceptible isolates to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefazolin, cefoxitin, imipenem, tetracycline and chloramphenicol were identified. In the analysis of the nucleotide sequences for 16s rRNA of V. vulnificus isolates, it was confirmed that mutations frequently occurred between nucleotide number 922 and 952, and 98.2% to 100% nucleotide identities between isolates was verified. Conclusions: The results of this study can be used as a basic data for infection control and prevention of Vibrio vulnificus infection by describing the distribution and characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus strains isolated in coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.231-239
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand how a dental hygienist is viewed by students in terms of both image and job /employment perception using structural equations. This together with the incorporation of available online information would help in collating the necessary data for ensuring adequate manpower of dental hygienists' in the future. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 24.0 and AMOS Graphics 21.0 statistics packages. It was found that students who perceive employment positively have a positive image of a dental hygienist even if a new infectious disease were to occur. They appreciate that a negative image of a dental hygienist's job during an epidemic could cause a negative perception of employment as a dental hygienist. Those who think negatively of the internet as a source of information believe that the internet has a lot of false information, is harmful, promotes anxiety, and has been shown to promote negative perceptions about employment as a dental hygienist. Those who think positively of internet information think that dental hygienists are susceptible to infection and can transmit infection, which has been shown to negatively affect their perception of employment. In conclusion, it is important to form an image of a dental hygienist through the recognition of the correct internet information in the period of new infectious diseases.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.460-467
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• 2022

In this study, we collected snake roadkill data from 2006 to 2017 and developed a species distribution model to identify the pattern of snake roadkill and predict the potential hotspot of snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park of South Korea. During the study period, snake roadkills occurred most frequently on the road, which passes through between forest and stream at an altitude of about 600 m. The modeling result showed that the occurrence probability of snake roadkill was high on a road with a gentle slope at a distance of 25 m from the stream and an altitude of 600 m. The most susceptible regions for snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park were located on National Route 6, about 2.2 km and 11.7 km away from the southern border of the park, and on Local Road 446, 3.44 km away from the southern border of the park. The results of this study suggest that providing alternative basking places and eco-corridors and installing protection fences that block the inflow of snakes into roads, preferentially around roads and streams at an altitude lower than 700 m would be an effective way of reducing snake roadkill in the Odaesan National Park.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.239-252
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• 2023

Most apple trees in South Korea are grafted on M.9 and M.26 rootstocks; however, these rootstocks are susceptible to fire blight. Although M.7 rootstocks are moderately resistant to fire blight, they tend to exhibit excessive vigor, which is unsuitable for high-density planting, unless weak cultivars are used. This study investigated the vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality of apple trees grafted onto M.7, M.9, or M.26 rootstocks to assess the feasibility of establishing high-density apple orchards domestically using the M.7 rootstock a period of seven years (1-7 years after planting). Rootstocks were tested using three cultivars with contrasting induced vigor and harvesting times: vigorous and late-maturing 'Fuji,' moderate vigor and middle-maturing 'Hongro,' and low vigor and early-maturing 'Sansa.' The planting density was maintained constant, with 190 trees per 10 a. Primary thinning (leaving only the king fruit on clusters) was performed, whereas secondary thinning (controlling crop load) was not. Vegetative growth, accumulated yield per 10 a, and yield efficiency varied depending on cultivars and rootstocks; however, the cultivars had a more notable effect on fruit quality than the rootstocks. Biennial bearing often occurred in the M.26 rootstock. 'Fuji'/M.7 was overly vigorous for high-density planting. The fruit quality and accumulated yield per 10 a of M.7 were similar to those of M.9 with the 'Hongro' and 'Sansa' cultivars. In particular, 'Hongro'/M.7 did not show tree vigor reduction due to heavy crop load, and the degree of biennial bearing in 'Sansa'/M.7 was not particularly high. These results indicated that high-density apple planting using the M.7 rootstock was achievable using the 'Hongro' and 'Sansa' cultivars.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.433-441
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• 2022

Bacterial phytopathogen Pectobacterium causes soft rot disease in several vegetable crops globally, resulting in heavy agricultural losses at both the pre and postharvest stages. The present work was carried out to screen Kimchi cabbage genetic resources conserved at the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Rural Development Administration, Korea, for resistance against the soft rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum KACC 21701 over a period of three years (from 2020 to 2022). Infection of the phytopathogen was carried out at four-leaf stage and for each accession, twenty-five plants per germplasm were infected with KACC 21701. Kimchi cabbage cultivars Wangmatbaechu, Seoulbaechu, and CR Kiyoshi were used as control. Seven-days post-infection, the Disease Index (DI) values were manually recorded from zero to four, zero matched perfectly heathy plants and four completely dead plants. The 682 accessions of Kimchi cabbage exhibited varying degrees of disease resistance to KACC 21701 and thirty accessions, exhibiting a DI≤2, were considered for replication studies. During the replication studies, four landrace germplasms (IT102883, IT120036, IT120044, and IT120048) and one cultivar(IT187919) were confirmed to be moderately susceptible to KACC 21701. Results of the preliminary screening as well as replication studies were documented for the all the 682 germplasms. Addition of such information to the passport data of stored germplasms might serve as potential bio-resource for future breeders and researchers to develop resistant varieties or study the mechanisms involved in resistance of plants to such phytopathogen.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2024

Background: As pollutants caused by non-point sources flow into rivers, river water quality monitoring for fecal pollution is becoming increasingly important. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of microbial communities in the Yeongsangang River water system and sewage treatment plants in Gwangju and to evaluate their antibiotic resistance. Methods: In the experiment, samples were distributed to five selective media at each point and then cultured for 18 to 24 hours. When bacteria were observed, they were sub-cultured by size and shape and identified using MALDI-TOF MS equipment. When identification was completed, 17 types of antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using VITEK II equipment, focusing on gram-negative dominant species among the identified strains. Results: During the study period, a total of 266 strains were isolated from 39 samples. Gram-positive bacteria were 37 strains in four genera, or 13.9% of the total, and Gram-negative bacteria were 229 strains in 23 genera, or 86.1% of the total. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of 23 strains, the major dominant species, showed that one strain (4.3%) was resistant to only one antibiotic, and two strains (8.7%) were 100% susceptible to the 17 antibiotics tested. The other 20 strains (87.0%) were multidrug resistant bacteria resistant to two or more antibiotics. There were various types of multidrug resistance. Among them, penicillin and cephalosporin series showed the highest resistance. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it was found that the bacterial community structure changed according to regional and environmental factors, and it was judged that continuous research such as genetic analysis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria present in natural rivers is necessary.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.846-853
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• 2003

Purpose : Pneumoccocus is one of the most important causes of invasive infection through the childhood period and the prevelance of antibiotics resistance of pneumococcus is increasing worldwide. A 7-valent conjugate vaccine has been developed. It is important to know the prevalence of each serotype of pneumococci in the countries where the vaccine is used to estimate the coverage rate by the vaccine. Methods : One hundred and twenty seven strains of clinical isolates and 72 strains from healthy carriers recovered from Korean children during the period from 1997 to 2002 were subjected to determination of serotype by Quellung reaction and penicillin susceptibility with oxacillin disc diffusion test. Results : Forty-three per cent of clinical isolates were obtained from children under two years of age. Thirty strains(24%) were isolated from normally sterile body fluids. The frequent serotypes were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6A, 6B and 9V. Fifty-six per cent of the clinical isolates were represented in the current 7-valent protein conjugate pneumococccal vaccine, and 84% when the cross-reactive serotypes were included. Frequent serotypes of strains isolated from one to five year-old healthy children were 19F, 14, 11A, 23F, 18C, and 19A. Seventy-one per cent of the carrier strains were included in the 7-valent vaccine. Ninety-three per cent of the clinical isolates and 86% of carrier strains were not susceptible to penicilline. Conclusion : Fifty-six to 84% of pneumococci recovered from Korean children are covered by the current 7-valent protein conjugate pneumococcal vaccine and the prevalence of penicillin resistance was very high.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-181
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• 2009

Purpose: To identify trends in causative bacterial organisms for neonatal sepsis and antimicrobial susceptibilities over 10 years in one neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of culture-proven neonatal sepsis between January 1998 and December 2007. The 10-year period was divided into two phases (phase I, 1998-2002; phase II, 2003-2007) to distinguish the differences during the entire period. Results: Total 350 episodes of neonatal sepsis were identified in 315 neonates. The common pathogens of early-onset sepsis were S. epidermidis, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. cloacae in phase I, and S. epidermidis and E. cloacae in phase II. In cases of late-onset sepsis, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, S. aureus, and K. pneumoniae were isolated frequently in both phases. The incidence of sepsis caused by multi-drug resistant organisms decreased with strict infection control. Gram positive organisms showed 0-20% susceptibility to penicillin, ampicillin, and cefotaxime in both phases. Sensitivity to amikacin for Enterobacter spp. increased, whereas P. aeruginosa showed decreased sensitivity in phase II. Between 50% and 60% of other gram negative bacteria, except P. aeruginosa, were susceptible to cefotaxime in phase II in contrast to phase I. Greater than 80% of gram negative bacteria were sensitive to imipenem except P. aeruginosa and ciprofloxacin in both phases. Conclusion: The trend in causative microorganisms and antimicrobial susceptibilities can be used as a guideline for selection of appropriate antibiotics. A particular attention should be paid to infection control, especially to reduce sepsis caused by multi-drug resistant organisms.