• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2016

Objectives : Hwangheuk-san is a complex prescription composed of oriental traditional medicine and has been reported for antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer effects in the recent study. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of important causes of fatal infectious diseases such as septicemia, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). S. aureus is reported as being for a variety of human diseases and its epidemiological relevance is mainly due to their ability of becoming highly resistant to common antimicrobials such as tetracycline, penicillin, cphalosporin and aminoglycoside. The objective of this study is to determine the antimicrobial effect of Hwangheuk-san ethanol extracts (HHS) and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Methods : The antimicrobial activity of HHS was measured by the disc diffusion method, broth microdilution method and the checkerboard dilution test, time-kill curve assay was performed to investigate synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Results : HHS showed antimicrobial activity against MRSA with a MIC value of 125 ㎍/㎖. In the checkerboard test, the interaction of HHS with antibiotics oxacillin produced almost synergy or partial synergy against MRSA. This study showed that HHS reduced the MICs of oxacillin tested, and a remarkable antibacterial effect of HHS, with membrane permeability enhancers.Conclusions : These results suggest that HHS has the antimicrobial effect and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA. This study thus can be a valuable source for the development of a new drug with low MRSA resistance.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.357-366
• /
• 2021

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to verify the level of ethical consciousness and decision-making of dental hygiene students in pandemic as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This study included 249 college students who were interested in new infectious diseases. They completed a questionnaire on a 5-point scale, and data were analyzed by independent t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. Results: The perception of COVID-19 was moderate at 3.42 points. This was higher among males, first graders, emergency management students, those who received education and experienced self-quarantine. The level of ethical consciousness was moderate (3.89 points), which was higher in sophomores, emergency management students. Ethical decision-making was moderate, with a score of 3.44, and was higher in those with first grade, field practice training, and self-quarantine experience. The level of perception positively correlated with ethical consciousness (α=0.310, p<0.01). In addition, as the degree of ethical consciousness increased, the degree of decision-making also increased (α=0.539, p<0.01). Conclusions: In a crisis, involving the spread of COVID-19, providing prospective dental hygienists accurate information and an experience similar to that faced by patient is necessary for raising the level of ethical consciousness and decision-making.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.3-6
• /
• 2000

Antimicrobial resistance has been a well-recognized problem ever since the introduction of penicillin into clinical use. History of antimicrobial development can be categorized based on the major antibiotics that had been developed against emerging resistant $pathogens^1$. In the first period from 1940 to 1960, penicillin was a dominating antibiotic called as a "magic bullet", although S.aureus armed with penicillinase led antimicrobial era to the second period in 1960s and 1970s. The second stage was characterized by broad-spectrum penicillins and early generation cephalosporins. During this period, nosocomial infections due to gram-negative bacilli became more prevalent, while those caused by S.aureus declined. A variety of new antimicrobial agents with distinct mechanism of action including new generation cephalosporins, monobactams, carbapenems, ${\beta}$-lactamase inhibitors, and quinolones characterized the third period from 1980s to 1990s. However, extensive use of wide variety of antibiotics in the community and hospitals has fueled the crisis in emerging antimicrobial resistance. Newly appeared drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (DRSP), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase-producing Klebsiella, and VRSA have posed a serious threat in many parts of the world. Given the recent epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance and its clinical impact, there is no greater challenge related to emerging infections than the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Problems of antimicrobial resistance can be amplified by the fact that resistant clones or genes can spread within or between the species as well as to geographically distant areas which leads to a global concern$^2$. Antimicrobial resistance is primarily generated and promoted by increased use of antimicrobial agents. Unfortunately, as many as 50 % of prescriptions for antibiotics are reported to be inappropriate$^3$. Injudicious use of antibiotics even for viral upper respiratory infections is a universal phenomenon in every part of the world. The use of large quantities of antibiotics in the animal health industry and farming is another major factor contributing to selection of antibiotic resistance. In addition to these background factors, the tremendous increase in the immunocompromised hosts, popular use of invasive medical interventions, and increase in travel and mixing of human populations are contributing to the resurgence and spread of antimicrobial resistance$^4$. Antimicrobial resistance has critical impact on modem medicine both in clinical and economic aspect. Patients with previously treatable infections may have fatal outcome due to therapeutic failure that is unusual event no more. The potential economic impact of antimicrobial resistance is actually uncountable. With the increase in the problems of resistant organisms in the 21st century, however, additional health care costs for this problem must be enormously increasing.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.697-712
• /
• 2020

New infectious diseases have broken out repeatedly across the world over the last 20 years; COVID-19 is causing drastic changes and damage to daily lives. Furthermore, as there is no denying that new epidemics will appear in the future, there is a continuous need to develop measures aimed towards responding to economic damage. Against this backdrop, the living population is an important indicator that shows changes in citizens' life patterns. This study analyzes time-based and socio-environmental characteristics by detecting and classifying changes in everyday life caused by COVID-19 from the perspective of the floating population. k-shape Clustering is used to classify living population data of each of the 424 dong's in Seoul measured by the hour; then by applying intervention analysis and One-way ANOVA, each cluster's characteristics and aspects of change in the living population occurring in the aftermath of COVID-19 are scrutinized. In conclusion, this study confirms each cluster's obvious characteristics in changes of population flows before and after the confirmation of coronavirus patients and distinguishes groups that reacted sensitively to the intervention times on the basis of COVID-related incidents from those that did not.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.117-130
• /
• 2021

The government's social distancing policy and concerns about COVID-19 are increasing restrictions on outdoor leisure activities. Based on the decrease in outdoor leisure activities and the increase in indoor leisure activities, The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between the degree of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the number of VOD views. This study conducted a time series analysis for 348 days from February 18, 2020 to January 31, 2021. Data were collected from the number of daily VOD views provided by the Korean Film Council and the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 provided by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The analysis showed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has a significantly positive effect on the number of daily movie VOD views at the 5% significance level. This results indicate that the more confirmed cases of COVID-10, the more people watch movie VOD as indoor leisure activities. While previous studies examined the relationship between the confirmed cases of COVID-19 and indoor leisure activities in general, this study tried to academically contribute by analyzing the impact on specific indoor leisure activities. The practical implications of this study are as follows. The results of this study show that efficient promotions are possible based on significant social issues, such as infectious diseases. According to the results, promotions that respond quickly to changes are more effective than long-term promotions considering the climate or seasons. Due to the limitations of the data, the current study was conducted based only on PPV, but future research should also consider various billing forms such as PPM and SVOD.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.50-71
• /
• 2022

After the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic impacted most of the industries resulting economic fallout. Firms sought for solutions of governments regulations to prevent spread of infectious diseases. This led to demand rise of digital layer and spectrums of virtual reality. Replacing the reality in to virtual and interactions with the digital contents by augmented reality, the consequences were decrement of human-to-human contact. Concerns of Covid-19 and public interests of digital solutions has led to significant amounts of research and developments of Virtual/Augment Reality resulted to driven up new terms of extended reality. However, the uses in industries and the characteristics of the extended reality are currently not defined. In this paper the goal is to define and classify the uses and characteristics of extended reality based on previous researches suggested by research institute. By developing a new classification models of extended realities core technology, uses of industries and utility to analyze trends of extended reality. Two separate classification models of uses of industries and utility will be used as a tool by creating a linkage matrix. The x-axis is divided by utiliy classification model of extended reality. The y-axis are divided into classification model of uses in industries. This matrix will be used as a tool to present a guideline for industry-utility development where extended reality can be served as a service

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1199-1213
• /
• 1998

Background : The number of immunocompromised hosts has been increasing steadily and a new pulmonary infiltrate in these patients is a potentially lethal condition which needs rapid diagnosis and treatment. In this study we sought to examine the clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, and therapeutic outcomes of pulmonary mycoses presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts. Method : All cases presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts and confirmed to be pulmonary mycoses by pathologic examination or by positive culture from a sterile site between October of 1996 and April of 1998 were included in the study and their chart and radiologic findings were retrospectively reviewed. Results : In all, 14 cases of pulmonary mycoses from 13 patients(male : female ratio = 8 : 5, median age 47 yr) were found. Twelve cases were diagnosed as aspergillosis while two were diagnosed as mucormycosis. Major risk factors for fungal infections were chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy(10 cases) and organ transplant recipients(4 cases). Three cases were receiving empirical amphotericin B at the time of appearance of new lung infiltrates. Cases in the hematologic malignancy group had more prominent symptoms : fever(9/10), cough(6/10), sputum(5/10), dyspnea(4/10), chest pain(5/10). Patients in the organ transplant group had minimal symptoms(p<0.05). On simple chest films, all of the cases presented as single or multiple nodules(6/14) or consolidations(8/14). High resolution computed tomograph showed peri-lesional ground glass opacities(14/14), pleural effusions(5/14), and cavitary changes(7/14). Definitive diagnostic methods were as follows : 10 cases underwent minithoracotomy, 2 underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, 1 underwent percutaneous needle aspiration and 1 case was diagnosed by culture of abscess fluid. All cases received treatment with amphotericin B with 1 case each being treated with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole due to renal toxicity. Lung lesion improved in 12 of 14 patient but 4 patients died before completing therapy. Conclusion : When a new lung infiltrate develops presenting either as a nodule or consolidation in a neutropenic patient with hematologic malignancy or in a transplant recipient, you should always consider pulmonary mycoses as one of the differential diagnosis. By performing aggressive work up and early treatment, we may improve prognosis of these patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.448-463
• /
• 2000

Background : Pulmonary infiltrate is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with leukemia. It is often hard to obtain a reliable diagnosis by clinical and radiologic findings alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of invasive procedures for new lung infiltrates in leukemia. Methods : Patients with leukemia who developed new lung infiltrates from December 1994 to March 1999 were included in this study. These patients were classified into the empirical group who received empirical therapy only and into the invasive group who underwent bronchoscopy or surgical lung biopsy for the diagnostic purpose of new lung infiltrates. A retrospective chart review was done to find the etiologies of new lung infiltrates, the yield of invasive procedures, outcome as well as predicting factors for survival. Results : 1) One hundred-two episodes of new lung infiltrates developed in 90 patients with leukemia. Invasive procedures were performed in 44 episodes while 58 episodes were treated with empirical therapy only. 2) Invasive procedures yielded a specific diagnosis in 72.7%(32/44), of which 78.1% had infectious etiology. Therapeutic plan was changed in 52.3%(23/44) of patients after invasive procedures. None of them showed procedure-related mortality. 3) The overall survival rate was 62.7%(64/102). Survival rate in the invasive group (79.5%) was significantly better than that in the empirical group (50.0%) (p=0.002). 4) Upon multivariate analysis, the performance of invasive procedures, no need for mechanical ventilation and achievement of complete remission of leukemia after induction chemotherapy were the independent predicting factors for survival in patients with leukemia and new lung infiltrates. Conclusion : Bronchoscopy and surgical lung biopsy are useful in the diagnosis of new lung infiltrates in patients with leukemia. However, survival benefits of invasive procedures should be considered together with disease status of leukemia and severity of respiratory compromise.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.41-58
• /
• 2003

Background : The resurgence of tuberculosis and the widespread emergence of multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis have emphasized the importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic procedures. Recently, the oligonucleotide chip has proven to be a useful tool in the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to rapidly and accurately detect specific mutations in the rpoB, katG and rpsL genes associated with rifampin, isoniazid and streptomycin resistance in M. tuberculosis, respectively, using a single oligonucleotide chip. Method : For detection of drug-resistance, 7 wild-type and 13 mutant-type probes for rifampin, 2 wild-type and 3 mutant-type probes for isoniazid, and 2 wild-type and 2 mutant-type probes for streptomycin were designed and spotted onto glass slides. Fifty-five cultured samples of M. tuberculosis were amplified by PCR, and then underwent hybridization and scanning. Direct sequencing was done to verify the results from the oligonucleotide chip and to analyze the types of mutations. Result : Thirty-five cases out of 40 rifampin-resistant strains(~88%) had mutations in the rpoB gene. One case had a new mutation(D516F, GAC R TTC) and another known mutation together. Twenty cases out of 42 isoniazid-resistant strains(~50%) had mutations in the katG gene, while 7 cases out of 9 streptomycin-resistant strains(~78%) had mutations in the rpsL gene. From these results, the oligonucleotide chip was confirmed to be able to detect the most frequent mutations from the genes associated with rifampin, isoniazid and streptomycin resistance. The results proved that the drug-resistance detection probes were specific. When the results from the oligonucleotide chip and DNA sequencing were compared, the types of mutations were exactly matched. Conclusion : The diagnostic oligonucleotide chip with mutation specific probes for drug resistance is a very reliable and useful tool for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of drug resistance against rifampin, isoniazid and streptomycin in M. tuberculosis infections.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.97-105
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Serotyping pneumococcal isolates is important to monitor efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines. Because of difficulties of typing pnueumocci, a multiplex bead-based (multibead) serotyping assay was recently introduced. The aim of this study is to establish a new multibead serotyping assay and to apply this method to analyze clinical isolates of pneumococci in Korea. Methods: To establish the multibead serotyping assay, six key reagents were transferred from University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to Ewha Center for Vaccine Evaluation and Study (ECVES): bead set coated with polysaccharide and monoclonal antibody pool were used in one multiplex inhibition-type immunoassay and 2 bead sets coated DNA probe and 2 primer pools were used in two multiplex PCR-based assays. After multibead serotyping assay was set up, 75 test samples of pneumococci were analyzed whether ECVES is able to identify serotype correctly. After confirming the performance, serotyping assay was applied to identify serotypes of 528 clinical isolates of pneumococci collected from 3 different hospitals. Results: After establishment of the multibead pneumococcal serotyping assay system at ECVES, 75 test samples were analyzed. There was no discrepancy of serotypes of 75 test samples between the results assigned at UAB and those at ECVES. The serotypes of 528 pneumococci isolated from patients or healthy subjects were determined in 94.3% of isolates (498/528). Conclusions: The multibead pneumococcal serotyping assay can be successfully established in Korea. With this method, surveillance of serotypes of pneumococci isolated from patients as well as healthy subjects could be studied.