• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate gender and age differences in hygienic behavior among the general population, focusing on hand-washing habits and the microbial load of hands. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey and a separate microbial examination were performed. The Pearson's correlation between hand-washing habits and microbial load was analyzed. Results: In the questionnaire survey on hand-washing habits, gender differences were found in hand-washing frequency, use of hand-washing agents, and hand drying methods (p<0.05). Age differences were found in numbers of washing parts of the hands and also in hand drying methods (p<0.05). Females showed better habits washing hands than did males, as did older people compared to younger. In the microbial examination of indicator bacteria on their hands, younger people tended to show a higher load of total aerobic bacteria than did the older, and females showed a higher load of total coliforms than did males (p<0.05). There were significant relationships between the load of total aerobic bacteria and hand-washing frequency, duration, and method of turning-off water (p<0.05). Conclusions: Although females were expected to show a better practice of hand-washing than were males based on the survey results, they showed a higher level of total coliforms in the hand examination. The older age group showed better hand-washing habits than did the younger age group and had less total aerobic bacteria on their hands. These inter-gender and age differences highlight the need for development and implementation of gender-and age-specific educational programs or campaigns.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2014

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) and bioelectrochemical systems are novel bioprocesses which employ exoelectrogenic biofilm on electrode as a biocatalyst for electricity generation and various useful chemical production. Previous reports show that electrogenic biofilms of MFCs are time varying systems and dynamically interactive with the electrically conductive media (carbon paper as terminal electron acceptor). It has been reported that maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method can automatically control load by algorithm so that increase power generation and columbic efficiency. In this study, we developed logic based control strategy for external load resistance by using $LabVIEW^{TM}$ which increases the power production with using flat-plate MFCs and MPPT circuit board. The flat-plate MFCs inoculated with anaerobic digester sludge were stabilized with fixed external resistance from $1000{\Omega}$ to $100{\Omega}$. Automatic load control with MPPT started load from $52{\Omega}$ during 120 hours of operation. MPPT control strategy increased approximately 2.7 times of power production and power density (1.95 mW and $13.02mW/m^3$) compared to the initial values before application of MPPT (0.72 mW and $4.79mW/m^3$).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1093-1100
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• 2021

The present study investigated the effect of ammonia load on microbial communities in mesophilic anaerobic digestion of propionic acid. A laboratory-scale continuous anaerobic digester treating propionic acid as a sole organic substrate was operated under non-inhibitory condition and inhibitory conditions with ammonia (1.5 g and 3.5 g ammonia-N/L, respectively), and bacterial and archaeal communities in the steady states of each ammonia condition were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Thirteen bacterial families were detected as abundant bacterial groups in mesophilic anaerobic digestion of propionic acid. Increase in ammonia concentration resulted in significant shifts in microbial community structures. Syntorophobacter, Pelotomaculum, and Thermovigra were determined as the dominant groups of (potential) propionate oxidizing bacteria in the non-inhibitory condition, whereas Cryptanaerobacter and Aminobacterium were the dominant groups of (potential) propionate oxidizing bacteria in the ammonia-inhibitory condition. Methanoculleus and Methanosaeta were the dominant methanogens. Acetate-oxidation coupled with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis might be enhanced with increases in the relative abundances of Methanoculleus and Tepidanaerobacter acetatoxydans under the ammonia-inhibitory condition. The results of the present study could be a valuable reference for microbial management of anaerobic digestion systems that are exposed to ammonia inhibition and propionic acid accumulation.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.487-491
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of treatment with squeous chlorine dioxide and hot water on the germination of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seeds, and reduction of microbial load on the seeds. Increases in treatment and the concentration of aqueous chlorine dioxide in water resulted in increasing reductions in the counts of total aerobic microbes. Seeds treated with aqueous chlorine dioxide (100 ppm/20min, 200ppm/20min) showed about a 10-fold decrease in microbial loads. Germination of seeds was not adversely affected by any treatment tested, although the germination rate of seeds in the group treated at $55^{\circ}C$ for 20 min was reduced by 10% compared to that of control. Combined treatment with hot water and aqueous chlorine dioxide yielded better out comes in both microbial reduction and seed germination rate than did single treatments. A combined treatment with 100 ppm aqueous chlorine dioxide and hot water($45^{\circ}C$ or $50^{\circ}C$) resulted in about a 100-fold decrease in microbial load whereas germination rate showed only a slight increase to $97.0{\sim}97.7%$. Total aerobic microbial counts in radish seeds were decreased by aqueous chlorine dioxide and hot water treatment in the order. aqueous $CIO_2$+ hot water > aqueous $CIO_2$ > chlorinated water > hot water > control.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 1989

Three mushroom cannerries were selected by size which are representative vegetable processing firms in korea for monitoring microbial contamination of processing water, washing water, mushroom before and after washing through first and second washing tanks and, blanched and prolonged mushroom for certain time at room temperature. Total contamination degree was expressed as colony forming unit (CFU) of mesophilic aerobes. The contamination degree of processing water was $10^{2}\;CFU/100\;ml$ and washing water in first and second washing tank were 10 to 100 times higher than processing water. When 2.3 tons of washing water was used for washing 1 ton of mushroom, washing effect was showed by reduction of microbial load but cutting it to 1.8 tonsIl ton of mushroom, microbial load was higher than that of raw mushroom level. Blanching reduced microbial load to 50-500 CFU/g of blanched mushroom and it was not seen much increase of CFU in blanched mushroom left at room temperature for 3 hours in $16^{\circ}C$ processing water. Just after injection of $80^{\circ}C$ brine in container, CFU/ml of brine in container was $84{\times}10^{4}$ but it was increased rapidly to $20{\times}10^{7}$ after 2 hours at ambient temperature.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1140-1151
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• 2010

Differences in DNA banding patterns, obtained by ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA), and nitrification were followed in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) receiving municipal landfill leachate. Complete nitrification (>99%) to nitrate was obtained in the two-stage MBBR system with an ammonium load of 1.09 g N-$NH_4/m^2{\cdot}d$. Increasing the ammonium load to 2.03 g N-$NH_4/m^2{\cdot}d$or more caused a decline in process efficiency to 70-86%. Moreover, at the highest ammonium load (3.76 g N-$NH_4/m^2{\cdot}d$), nitrite was the predominant product of nitrification. Community succession was evident in both compartments in response to changes in ammonium load. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) supported by similarity analysis (ANOSIM) showed that microbial biofilm communities differed between compartments. The microbial biofilm was composed mainly of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), with Nitrosomonas europeae and N. eutropha being most abundant. These results suggest that high ammonium concentrations suit particular AOB strains.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.218-221
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• 2004

Irradiated red pepper powder (IRPP) was tested for its ability to retard fermentation and to maintain a high quality of Kimchi by the reduction of the initial microbial load. Kimchi containing IRPP at the doses of 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 kGy was prepared. Quality indices for Kimchi in this study were pH, titratable acidity, reducing sugar content, total microbial count, lactic acid bacterial load, and sensory evaluation. Based on the pH and titratable acidity, the Kimchi with IRPP showed a retarded fermentation until 15 days. The number of the total aerobes and lactic acid bacteria of the Kimchi with IRPP were lower by about 1 log CFU/mL compared to control at day 0, however, the counts increased to 8.5 log CFU/mL after 10 days, which was similar to the control group. Kimchi that was fermented with 5 kGy IRPP was better than control and other treatments in odor and color, whereas the control scored highest in taste. Addition of IRPP showed a limited retardation of Kimchi fermentation without other quality deterioration.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.1305-1313
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• 2023

Synthetic antioxidants have shown adverse effects on consumers. The review, thus, aims to assess the effect of marinating broiler meat with plant leaves-derived antioxidants potential for improving shelf-life and human health. Broiler meat loss and waste due to spoilage is more than three million kg annually, thus, extending shelf-life by reducing initial microbial load and autoxidation is essential. Adding various antioxidants would reduce oxidation of protein and fatty acids improving nutritional shelf-life through synergic interactions. Antioxidant synergetic effects also improves reduction in microbiota proliferation leading to the delayed development of off flavours and deterioration of meat colour. To reduce initial microbial load and autoxidation effects, the inclusion of polyphenols and antioxidants from varying sources by mixing various antioxidants would lead to improved synergic effects.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2002

In this study, we examined statistical analysis between sewage plant operations parameters and effluent quality We got six components from principle component analysis of the operation parameters and secondary effluent quality. 91.8% of the total variance was explained by the six components. The components were identified in the following order : 1) organic matter removal by aeration basin microbe, 2) settleability on secondary clarifier load, 3) removal of nutrients, 4) microbial number increasement and species diversity, 5) microbial activity in aeration basin, 6) oxidation in aeration basin.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13.1-13.8
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• 2023

Importance of accurate molecular diagnosis and quantification of particular disease-related pathogenic microorganisms is highlighted as an introductory step to prevent and care for diseases. In this study, we designed a primer/probe set for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) targeting rgpA gene, known as the specific virulence factor of periodontitis-related pathogenic bacteria 'Porphyromonas gingivalis', and evaluated its diagnostic efficiency by detecting and quantifying relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis within saliva samples collected from clinical subjects. As a result of qRT-PCR, we confirmed that relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis was detected and quantified within all samples of positive control and periodontitis groups. On the contrary, negative results were confirmed in both negative control and healthy groups. Additionally, as a result of comparison with next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based 16S metagenome profiling data, we confirmed relative bacterial load of P. gingivalis, which was not identified on bacterial classification table created through 16S microbiome analysis, in qRT-PCR results. It showed that an approach to quantifying specific microorganisms by applying qRT-PCR method could solve microbial misclassification issues at species level of an NGS-based 16S microbiome study. In this respect, we suggest that P. gingivalis-specific primer/probe set introduced in present study has efficient applicability in various oral healthcare industries, including periodontitis-related microbial molecular diagnosis field.