• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2635-2639
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• 2013

The rapid and accurate identification of biological agents is a critical step in the case of bio-terror and biological warfare attacks. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been widely used for the identification of microorganisms. In this study, we describe a method for the rapid and accurate discrimination of Bacillus anthracis spores using MALDI-TOF MS. Our direct in-situ analysis of MALDI-TOF MS does not involve subsequent high-resolution mass analyses and sample preparation steps. This method allowed the detection of species-specific biomarkers from each Bacillus spores. Especially, B. anthracis spores had specific biomarker peaks at 2503, 3089, 3376, 6684, 6698, 6753, and 6840 m/z. Cluster and PCA analyses of the mass spectra of Bacillus spores revealed distinctively separated clusters and within-groups similarity. Therefore, we believe that this method is effective in the real-time identification of biological warfare agents such as B. anthracis as well as other microorganisms in the field.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.574-580
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• 1998

Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases in the worldwide. To control and prevent the disease effectively, several methods such as development of a fast and specific diagnostic method and vaccine, education etc, have been carried out. However, it still has a problem in the control and prevention. To control, the most important method is the prevention of direct or indirect contact of the causative agent with susceptible host. Therefore, we developed a fast and specific detection method, polymerase chain reaction, of B anthracis from soil and infected animals because the organism could survive long time in the environment including soil due to formation of spore. With the method, virulence genes of B anthracis were successfully amplified from experimentally infected soil and mice. Up to $4.2{\times}10$ of the organisms per gram could be detected with the PCR method from experimentally infected soil. These results suggested that this PCR method could be effectively used not only to detect B anthracis in soil and infected animal but also to provide the information to prevent the disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.196-201
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• 2013

Fluoroquinolones are an important class of antibiotics that are widely used in adult patients because of their broad spectrum of activity, good tissue penetration, and oral bioavailability. However, fluoroquinolone use in children is limited because juvenile animals developed arthropathy in previous experiments on fluoroquinolone use. Indications for fluoroquinolone use in patients younger than 18 years, as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, include treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and postexposure treatment for inhalation anthrax. In Korea, the systemic use of fluoroquinolones has not been approved in children younger than 18 years. Although concerns remain regarding the adverse musculoskeletal effects of fluoroquinolones in children, their use in the pediatric population has increased in many circumstances. While pediatricians should be aware of the indications and adverse effects of fluoroquinolones, recent studies have shown that the risk for musculoskeletal complications in children did not significantly increase following fluoroquinolone treatment. In addition, fluoroquinolones may be particularly helpful in treating multidrug-resistant infections that have not responded to standard antibiotic therapy in immunocompromised patients. In the present article, we provide an updated review on the safety and current recommendations for using fluoroquinolones in children.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.750-758
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• 2013

Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by the aerobic spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is an important pathogen owing to its ability to be used as a terror agent. B. anthracis spores can escape phagocytosis and initiate the germination process even in antimicrobial conditions, such as oxidative stress. To analyze the oxidative stress response in B. anthracis and thereby learn how to prevent antimicrobial resistance, we performed protein expression profiling of B. anthracis strain HY1 treated with 0.3 mM hydrogen peroxide using a comparative proteomics-based approach. The results showed a total of 60 differentially expressed proteins; among them, 17 showed differences in expression over time. We observed time-dependent changes in the production of metabolic and repair/protection signaling proteins. These results will be useful for uncovering the metabolic pathways and protection mechanisms of the oxidative response in B. anthracis.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.478-485
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• 2010

The vaccine is biological pretreatment that improves immunity to a particular disease. We can get immunity from producing antibody with injection antigen which has ability to defense against the disease. The ELISA is the most widely used method to measure antibody titer. We have developed and performed validation of ELISA according to the guideline of KFDA and ICH. In this paper, we have verified ELISA method is an excellent method to measure the titer of anti-PA antibody. We have constructed recombinant protective antigen among anthrax toxins and used as antigen of ELISA. In this validation, we have evaluated precision (repeatability, interlaboratory precision), specificity, linearity(range) and LOD, which are validation articles suggested by guideline. Inter-person precision was replaced with inter-laboratory precision. From the results, we have confirmed high precision in all experiments with CV under 20%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1713-1719
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• 2006

A method for the simple, rapid, specific, and accurate detection of Bacillus anthracis spores was developed by employing specific capture peptides conjugated with fluorescent quantum dots (QDs). It was possible to distinguish B. anthracis spores from the spores of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus using these peptide-QD conjugates by flow cytometric and confocal laser scanning microscopic analyses. For more convenient high-throughput detection of B. anthracis spores, spectrofluorometric analysis of spore-peptide-QD conjugates was performed. B. anthracis spores could be detected in less than 1 h using this method. In order to avoid any minor yet false-positive signal caused by the presence of B. thuringiensis spores, the B-Negative peptide, which can only bind to B. thuringiensis, conjugated with another type of QD that fluoresces at different wavelength was also developed. In the presence of mixed B. anthracis and B. thuringiensis spores, the BABA peptide conjugated with QD525 and the B-Negative peptide conjugated with QD585 were able to bind to the former and the latter, specifically and respectively, thus allowing the clear detection of B. anthracis spores against B. thuringiensis spores by using two QD-labeling systems. This capture peptide-conjugated QD system should be useful for the detection of B. anthracis spores.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.383-397
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• 2012

The incidence of zoonoses in Korea has recently increased. But the study for high risk group such as pig farmers to zoonoses has not been conducted in Korea. Thus we reviewed the articles in order to obtain basic data for zoonoses among pig farmers, especially in rural communities. Pigs are one of the most important domestic livestock in Korea not only from economic standpoint but also from standpoint of food. Pigs also represent a potential reservoir for many novel pathogens, therefore may transmit these to humans via direct contact, vectors such as mosquitos, or contaminated meat. The zoonoses associated with pigs can be classified into bacterial pathogen, viruses and so on. Bacterial zoonoses include brucellosis, leptospirosis, listeriosis, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, tuberculosis, anthrax, necrobacillosis, swine erysipelas, erysipeloid, melioidosis, Streptococcus suis infection, Clostrium difficile infection, and campylobactor infection. Viral zoonoses consist of Japanese encephalitis, swine influenza, Nipah virus, Reston ebolavirus, and hepatitis E virus infection. Other type of zoonoses include actinomycosis, toxoplasmosis and Taenia solium infection. These zoonoses were important in Korean health policy but lately they have been overlooked. For effective health policy, we need to study zoonoses associated with pigs, and clinicians and veterinarians must care deeply about these zoonoses.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2018

The authors are using Qi-diagnosis (integrated diagnosis by bio-energy) that is a method of diagnosis and treatment. We applied Qi-diagnosis to the main study to lay the foundation and framework for research and education about the Korean Medicine. The authors try to describe systemically and specifically the Qi-diagnosis that the authors are using in clinical diagnosis ane treatment so that anyone can use it. The authors have been able to grasp the flow of human bio-energy through years of training. It has had many effects by applying the Qi-diagnosis to patients. The steps of the bio-energy flow have become objective. And the authors have been applied to acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, bruising treatment and anthrax anesthesia in clinical through the Qi-diagnosis. Also, it is applied to the life management of patients. It is applied to arts such as music therapy and art therapy. The deeper the depth of the Qi-diagnosis, the greater the opportunity to utilize the Qi-diagnosis. The Qi-diagnosis is the origin of the korean medicine. It was able to make diagnosis and treatment correct and to establish clues that the medical problems would be solved through the Qi-diagnosis. In order to do so, the diagnostician must be able to feel the auricular flow of the body accurately and objectively. In addition, he must have a comprehensive understanding of the overall framework of medicine. As a result, diagnosis and treatment of the patient as well as general problems of the patient can be identified and advised, so comprehensive treatment is possible. And it is not only a specific person can do it, but it is a diagnostic method that anyone can take if they take the basic steps step by step.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.806-811
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• 2007

Bacillus anthracis is a soil pathogen capable of causing anthrax that is closely related to several environmental species, including B. cereus, B. mycoides, and B. thuringiensis. DNA homology studies showed that B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. mycoides, and B. thuringiensis are closely related, with a high sequence homology. To establish a method to specifically detect B. anthracis in situations such as environmental contamination, we initially performed RAPD-PCR with a 10-mer random primer and confirmed the presence of specific PCR bands only in B. anthracis species. One region specific for B. anthracis was cloned and sequenced, and an internal primer set was designed to amplify a 241-bp DNA fragment within the sequenced region. The PCR system involving these specific primer sets has practical applications. Using lyses methods to prepare the samples for PCR, it was possible to quickly amplify the 241-bp DNA segment from samples containing only a few bacteria. Thus, the PCR detection method developed in this study is expected to facilitate the monitoring of environmental B. anthracis contamination.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.58-64
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• 2016

The birth of the scientific revolution, brought forth by Vesalius and Copernicus in 1543, marked the beginning of a new age. However, the changes such as treatment effectiveness, survival rate, prevalence of specific diseases, etc. had not yet become clear during the 16th century. In the early 17th century, Boerhaave emphasized bedside teaching and practice. His attitude influenced numerous students and educators, so many medical students visited hospital wards where he worked. From the late 18th to 19th centuries, Jenner's smallpox vaccination, Pasteur's anthrax and rabies vaccinations, and Koch's four postulates used to detect pathogens were developed using the scientific research method, which initiated big changes for medicine. Flexner, credited for reporting the new medical education system, adopted scientific medicine. He believed medical students must study basic medical science since it could be the foundation of clinical medicine and lead to a revolution in the field. He proposed a new medical curriculum composed of two-years of basic medicine and two-years of clinical medicine, which has been used more than 100 years. During the late 20th century, bedside teaching rounds decreased gradually as scientific medicine has become popular. Many medical educators in many articles have proposed bedside education as an effective method for medical learning. Despite the advent of the age of artificial intelligence and the changing of medical environments in the near future, bedside education will be more useful and important for medical students, educators, and patients as it is a traditional method and essential for patients who desire a more personal approach.