• Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.427-432
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of sonication technique for microbiological diagnosis and the sterility of the recycled autoclaved femoral components from infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a sonication method. Methods: Nineteen femoral implants explanted from patients with infected TKA were sterilized with a standard autoclave method. Standard culture of the fluid before and after sonication of the sterilized implants was performed to detect pathogenic microorganisms. Additional experiments were performed to evaluate the sterility of the recycled implant by inducing artificial biofilm formation. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was inoculated into 10 implants and sterilization in a standard autoclave was performed, and then the fluid was cultured before and after sonication. Results: Two of the 19 sterilized implants were positive for growth of bacteria after sonication, whereas no growth was detected in the cultured fluid from the sterilized implants before sonication. The bacteria were Staphylococcus species in all two cases. In one of 10 implants inoculated with MRSA, the culture was positive for growth of bacteria both before and after sonication. However, Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from both occasions and thus this implant was thought to be contaminated. Conclusions: We found sonication for identification of pathogens could be helpful, but this finding should be interpreted carefully because of the possibility of contamination. Sterilization of an infected femoral implant with an autoclave method could be a good method for using the temporary articulating antibiotic spacer in two-stage revision arthroplasty.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.135-144
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• 2019

Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI; H9N2) and Newcastle disease (ND) are economically important poultry diseases in Korea. In this study, we investigated pathological features and virus distribution in the lymphoid tissues of chicks experimentally infected with H9N2 and/or ND virus. Six-weeks-old SPF chickens were divided into 4 groups, Control (C), H9N2 (E1), NDV (E2), and H9N2+NDV (E3). E1 group was challenged with 0.1 ml A/Kr/Ck/01310/01 (H9N2) $10^{5.6}$ $EID_{50}$ intranasally, E2 group was challenged with 0.5 ml KJW (NDV) $10^{5.0}{\sim}10^{6.0}$ $ELD_{50}$ intramuscularly, and E3 group was challenged with H9N2, followed 7 days later by NDV. In histopathological examination, E1 group showed depletion and necrosis in bursa of Fabricius, thymus, cecal tonsil, and spleen, whereas E2 and E3 groups were noted severe lymphocyte depletion and necrosis with destruction of lymphoid organs structures. In TUNEL assay, apoptotic bodies were detected in lymphoid organs of all experimental groups, which was most severe in E3 group. H9N2 and ND viruses were predominantly detected in cecal tonsil of E1, E2, and E3 groups by PCR and immunohistochemistry (ICH). In conclusion, co-infection of H9N2 with NDV caused severe pathologic lesions and apoptosis in lymphoid tissues compared to single infections.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.790-800
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• 2022

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer is one of the most valuable medicinal plants which is enriched in anti-microbe secondary metabolites and widely used in traditional medicine. Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that causes gray mold disease in a broad range of hosts. B. cinerea could overcome the ginseng defense and cause serious leaf and root diseases with unknown mechanism. Methods: We conducted simultaneous transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of the host to investigate the defense response of ginseng affected by B. cinerea. The gene deletion and replacement were then performed to study the pathogenic gene in B. cinerea during ginseng - fungi interaction. Results: Upon B. cinerea infection, ginseng defense responses were switched from the activation to repression, thus the expression of many defense genes decreased and the biosynthesis of antifungal metabolites were reduced. Particularly, ginseng metabolites like kaempferol, quercetin and luteolin which could inhibit fungi growth were decreased after B. cinerea infection. B. cinerea quercetin dioxygenase (Qdo) involved in catalyzing flavonoids degradation and ∆BcQdo mutants showed increased substrates accumulation and reduced disease development. Conclusion: This work indicates the flavonoids play a role in ginseng defense and BcQdo involves in B. cinerea virulence towards the P. ginseng. B. cinerea promotes disease development in ginseng by suppressing of defense related genes expression and reduction of antifungal metabolites biosynthesis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.39.1-39.18
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• 2021

The high virulent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that emerged in China at the end of 2019 has generated novel coronavirus disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), causing a pandemic worldwide. Every country has made great efforts to struggle against SARS-CoV-2 infection, including massive vaccination, immunological patients' surveillance, and the utilization of convalescence plasma for COVID-19 therapy. These efforts are associated with the attempts to increase the titers of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing Abs (nAbs) generated either after infection or vaccination that represent the body's immune status. As there is no standard therapy for COVID-19 yet, virus eradication will mainly depend on these nAbs contents in the body. Therefore, serological nAbs neutralization assays become a requirement for researchers and clinicians to measure nAbs titers. Different platforms have been developed to evaluate nAbs titers utilizing various epitopes sources, including neutralization assays based on the live virus, pseudovirus, and neutralization assays utilizing recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein receptor binding site, receptor-binding domain. As a standard neutralization assay, the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) requires isolation and propagation of live pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 virus conducted in a BSL-3 containment. Hence, other surrogate neutralization assays relevant to the PRNT play important alternatives that offer better safety besides facilitating high throughput analyses. This review discusses the current neutralization assay platforms used to evaluate nAbs, their techniques, advantages, and limitations.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.303-309
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• 1999

Mass mortality of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum has been reported all along the west and south coast of Korea for the past several years. As a pathogenic agent, Perkinsus sp., an endoparasitic protozoan has been identified in this study and believed to be responsible for the mass mortalities. Prevalence and infection intensity of Perkinsus sp. was investigated from a Manila clam population inhabiting at Komsoe Bay in the west coast where mass mortality of the clam has been reported. A total of 142 Manila clam, 50 oyster, Crassostrea gigas, 10 ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii, and 5 predatory gastropada, Rapana venosa were examined for the presence and the quantity of Perkinsus sp. Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium method (FTM method) with modified Mackin's infection intensity scale and Choi's quantitative method were used in detecting and quantifying the parasite. All individuals of R. philippinarum examined in this study were infected with Perkinsus sp., indicating $100\%$ prevalence while none of the oysters and the gastropods exhibited the parasite. Six to ten individual hypnospores of Perkinsus sp. were counted from the ark shells. The number of hypnospores in the clam tissues varied from 16,667 to 4,091,667, with a mean number of 1,077,628. Average infection intensity according to Mackin's was 2.87, indicating a moderate infection. A negative correlation was observed between the number of Perkinsus sp. in the tissue and the condition index, a ratio tissue wet weight to shell cavity volume. The clam size and the infection intensity in terms of total number of parasites were positively correlated; the bigger clam, the heavier infection. Such high number of Perkinsus sp. counted in the clams could be enough to cause physiological disturbance of clams, such as retarded growth and reproduction. It is also believed that such a high infection leads mortality of the clam via continuous draining of the energy by metabolic activities and reproduction of the parasites. Correlation between the condition index and the infection intensity observed in this study supports this hypothesis.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-66
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• 1984

Giardia lamblia is a pathogenic flagellate causing intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and malabsorption of nutrients. Giardia is mainly infected by the ingestion of contaminated foods per os. Craun (1979) has recently reported that mass infection of this flagellate through the contaminated water supply systems is one of public health hazards. Also, so-called traveller's diarrhea is sometimes caused by Giardia infection (CDC, U.S.A., 1971). However, a few epidemiological studies figuring out the mode of infection or control measures of Giardia infection has been done so far in Korea. The present study was aimed to know the prevalence of Giardia infection in several Korean populations, detectability of this flagellate in water systems and the viability of the cysts against sewages and disinfectants applying to drinking water. In the present study, 388 stool specimens from orphanage children in Chun-joo, Chung-joo, On-yang and Chun-an areas and 538 stool specimens from inhabitants in Woo-do, In-chon, and Chun-joo were examined by formalin-ether concentration technique to detect out Giardia cysts. On the other hand, water samples from 14 sites of Han River and its tributaries were collected in May through July, 1984. Fifty liter of water sample in each sampling site was then filtered through water filtering system deviced by U.S. Environmental Proutection Agency and the sediments rinsed out from the thread rolls, a part of water filtering system, were examined to detect out the Giardia cysts. In order to observe the viability of Giardia cysts in the sewage samples, the cysts were treated in it at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$ for 7 through 28 days. For this purpose, the cysts were also exposed to various concentrations of disinfectants such as chlorine, iodine and ozone gas for proper time intervals. After treatment, the viability test of the Giardia cysts were carried out by method of Rice and Schaefer (1981) with minor modification. The results obtained in this study were as follows : 1) The detection rates of G lamblia cysts in the stool specimens were 18.3% in orphans and 4.3% in general examinees. 2) The prevalences of Giardia Infection were higher in the young age groups than in-adults. The highest positive rate was 18.4% in the age group less than 10. 3) Of 14 water specimens sampled from Han River system and its tributaries around the Seoul area, the Giardia cysts were detected from 4 samples, and no cyst was found in the water supply systems. 4) The cysts treated in the sewage survived for 28 days at $4^{\circ}C$ and for 13 days at $25^{\circ}C$. 5) The cysts were completely destroyed within 60 minutes by exposure to 8 mg/l of residual chlorine at 4g and within 30 minutes by exposure to the same concentration of chlorine at $25^{\circ}C$. 6) The cysts were all dead when exposed to 1 mg/1 of iodine for 60 minutes at $4^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$. 7) The cysts were destroyed after 10 minute exposure in 0.15 mg to 0.25mg of residual ozone gas per liter. Summarizing the above results, it is considered that Giardia infection is regarded as water-borne disease and the cysts are able to be controlled by the application with the disinfectants in the water supply systems.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.296-301
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• 2008

Actinomyces is a part of the normal oral flora, but under certain circumstances it may become pathogenic. Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous infective disease caused by microaerophilic Gram-positive bacteria of the genus actinomyces. It can involve almost any system, but principally affects the head and neck. Because the lesions in the submandibular region and the angle of the jaw give the face a swollen, indurated appearance, actinomycosis of mandible can be easily misdiagnosed in its acute or early state of infection. In these cases the disease usually presented as a swelling suggestive of an abscess or mimicking a neoplasm. The yield from standard cultures was poor and repeated sampling and anaerobic culture may be needed to obtain a positive culture. So actinomycosis should always be considered in a differential diagnosis of all infections of the cervicofacial area. Diagnosis of actinomycosis is made based on the histopathology, the clinical presentation and past dental history. We experienced a case of actinomycosis in the masseter muscle and present the case with review of literature.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.636-639
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• 2007

Septicemic polyserositis and navel ill associated with Escherichia coli were reported in a 14-day-old male thoroughbred foal. The horse died after showing 12-day history of anorexia, lethargy, lameness and endophthalmus. Grossly, milky yellow abscesses were occupied in umbilicus, umbilical vein and artery. Large amounts of turbid pale yellow fluids were seen in pericardial sac, thoracic and abdominal cavity. Yellowish fibrinous materials were also presented in thoracic and abdominal cavity. Sticky pale yellow fluid and fibrinous materials were filled in stifle joint cavities of both hind limbs. Histologically, fibrino-purulent polyserositis and arthritis were observed. Severe omphalophlebitis with intra-lesional Gram negative bacterial colonies were noted in umbilical vein. Most of mesothelial cells in serosal cavities were severely hypertrophied. Pathogenic E. coli was purely isolated from ascites, thoracic and synovial fluids. Based on the results, the septicemic polyserositis may be originated from the umbilical cord infected with E. coli in this foal.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.117-123
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• 2012

Pathogenic fungi and bacteria such as Pectobacterium atrosepticum, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus, Verticillium albo-atrum, and Rhizoctonia solani were the major microorganism which causes diseases in seed potato during postharvest process. Current detection method for disease-infected seed potato relies on human inspection, which is subjective, inaccurate and labor-intensive method. In this study, a reflectance spectroscopy was used to classify sound and disease-infected seed potatoes with the spectral range from 400 to 1100 nm. Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with various preprocessing methods was used to investigate the feasibility of classification between sound and disease-infected seed potatoes. The classification accuracy was above 97 % for discriminating disease seed potatoes from sound ones. The results show that Vis/NIR reflectance method has good potential for non-destructive sorting for disease-infected seed potatoes.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 2014

Cockroaches are abundant in Nigeria and are seen to harbour an array of pathogens. Environmental and sanitary conditions associated with demographic/socio-economic settings of an area could contribute to the prevalence of disease pathogens in cockroaches. A total of 246 cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) in urban (Benin, n=91), semi-urban (Ekpoma, n=75) and rural (Emuhi, n=70) settings in Edo State, Nigeria were collected within and around households. The external body surfaces and alimentary canal of these cockroaches were screened for bacterial, fungal, and parasitological infections. Bacillus sp. and Escherichia coli were the most common bacteria in cockroaches. However, Enterococcus faecalis could not be isolated in cockroaches trapped from Ekpoma and Emuhi. Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungus in Benin and Ekpoma, while Mucor sp. was predominant in Emuhi. Parasitological investigations revealed the preponderance of Ascaris lumbricoides in Benin and Emuhi, while Trichuris trichura was the most predominant in Ekpoma. The prevalence and burden of infection in cockroaches is likely to be a reflection of the sanitary conditions of these areas. Also, cockroaches in these areas making incursions in homes may increase the risk of human infections with these disease agents.