• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 1997

Purpose: The antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae has encountered with increasing frequency from around the world. In our country, penicillin resistant strains of S. penumococci are rapidly increasing. It has been known that colonized pneumococci in upper respiratory tract cause sinisitis, otitis media, meningitis and pneumonia. We tried to reveal the colonization rate of pneumonocci in upper respiratory tract, their antimicrobial resistance and DNA fingerprinting pattern in normal children. Methods: We got specimens from 117 children of day-care center in Seoul through oropharyngeal swab. After incubation on BAP, optochin test and slide latex agglutination test were used for identification. Antimicobial susceptibility test to penicillin, vancomycin, erythromycin and TMP-SMZ was done with disk diffusion method. Penicillin MIC was gotten through the broth microdilution method. Genotyping of 45 pneumococci was done by rep-PCR using REP1R-Dt and REP2-Dt primer. Results: The carriage rate of pneumococci in the day-care center children was 38%(45/117). The resistance of penicillin, erhthromycin, TMP/SMZ, vancomycin by the disk diffusion method are 89%, 91%, 64% and 0%, respectively. 64% of the isolates showed multiple resistance. 7 types of DNA fingerprinting were gotten and 78% of isolates belonged to three types. Conclusion: We found that the antimicrobial resistance of children attending the day-care center in Seoul was much higher than expected. We assumed that this might be due to their easy and frequent exposure to antimicrobial agents and crowded day-care center environment.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2011

Purpose : It is known that carriage rates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are highest in newborns and that the asymptomatic carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with invasive MRSA infection with the colonizing strain. This study was carried out to investigate the carriage rates of MRSA in neonates with neonatal jaundice. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 545 neonates admitted with neonatal jaundice to neonatal intensive care units between January 2006 and December 2010. Nasal and inguinal swab specimens had been taken from them and cultured for the isolation of S. aureus. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests had been done for such isolates to determine methicillinresistance. Results : Out of 545 neonates, 318 (58.3%) were colonized with S. aureus and 214 (39.3%) were colonized with MRSA. Results of the antibiogram analysis showed that 65.7% of MRSA isolates were likely to be community-associated (CA) MRSA. Conclusion : Based on the MRSA carriage rate of 39.3%, a surveillance program for MRSA colonization is considered necessary in neonates transferred from other clinics or hospitals. Out of MRSA isolates, 65.7% were likely to be CA-MRSA. This suggests that CA-MRSA strains were already present in obstetric clinic environments where the neonates were born. It is thought that MRSA surveillance programs in these environments are also necessary.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2006

Objectives : Polymorphisms of genes from glutathione Stransferases (GSTs) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) have been associated with increased susceptibility to various cancers. Previous results showed that East Asians such as Koreans, Japanese and Chinese have a much higher frequency of the GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and NAT2 rapid acetylator type. Therefore, we investigated the association between the polymorphic types of GSTs (GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1) and NAT2 and the incidence of gastric cancer which is one of the most prevalent cancers among the East Asians. Methods : It was performed in a case-control study consisting of 238 healthy subjects and 108 cancer patients (54 distal and 54 proximal carcinomas). We also evaluated the association between GSTs and NAT2 and the risk factors for gastric cancer such as alcohol consumption, smoking, H. pylori infection, family history of gastric cancer, and tumor location. Results : In our study, the percentage of cases whose hometown was rural was higher than those of controls (odds ratio (OR) =2.88; 95% CI=1.72-4.76), and the frequency of the lower socio-economic status increased significantly in patients (OR=2.53; 95% CI=1.59-4.02). There was no significant difference in the GST polymorphic types between the cases and controls. However, NAT2 rapid or intermediate acetylator types were frequently detected in the cases with family history of gastric cancer (OR=1.92; 95% CI=1.79-26.0). Conclusions : These results suggest that the hometown and socio-economic status are important environmental factors for gastric carcinogenesis, and NAT2 polymorphic types could be associated with familial gastric carcinoma.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2010

Purpose : Previous studies have suggested that Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand-2 (CCL-2; also known as MCP-1) and CCL-5 (also known as RANTES) are possibly associated with the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and non-inflammatory renal diseases. The present study was conducted to investigate association of polymorphisms of CCL-2 and CCL-5 genes with childhood IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Methods : The authors analyzed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CCL-2 and CCL-5 in 196 pediatric IgAN patients and in 285 healthy controls. We compared variations in SNPs between two several sets of IgAN subgroups, allocated by presence of proteinuria (>4 mg/$m^2$/hour), podocyte foot process effacement, and pathologically advanced disease markers, such as interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, or global sclerosis. Results : Genotypic data of IgAN patients and controls showed no significant SNP frequency difference in both of of CCL-2 and CCL-5. Even though two linkage disequilibrium blocks were formed, there was no significance in the haplotype analysis. In the patient subgroup analysis, no SNP of CCL-2 and CCL-5 was found to be associated with the presence of proteinuria, podocyte foot process effacement, and pathologically advanced disease markers. Conclusion : Our data indicate that no association exists between CCL-2 and CCL-5 SNPs and childhood IgAN susceptibility, and presence of proteinuria, podocyte foot process effacement, and pathologic progression of IgAN.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2016

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have recently become the bacteria most frequently found in clinical infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and molecular characteristics of CNS isolates from dental clinic environments in Busan, Korea. One hundred and fifty-four samples were collected from 10 dental clinics and dental hospitals in Busan from December 2014 to January 2015. Species were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion methods. A polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect mecA, mupA gene, and SCCmec types. Of the 154 samples, 10(6.5%) isolates were identified as CNS (5 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 2 Staphylococcus capitis, 2 Staphylococcus, and 1 Staphylococcus haemolyticus). Among the 10 isolates, 6 were resistant to penicillin, 5 were resistant to gentamicin, 3 were resistant to tetracycline, and 2 were resistant to cefoxitin and erythromycin. However, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, teicoplanin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistant isolates were not present. Genes encoding mecA were detected in 4 (2 S. warneri and 2 S. haemolyticus) isolates, and mupA in 1 (S. epidermidis) isolate. One methicillin-resistant CNS (S. warneri) isolate was determined as being of the SCCmec type I. It is concluded that CNS resistant to various antimicrobial agents was widely distributed in dental clinic environments in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.427-434
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• 2008

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a multifactorial disease and certain individuals are more at risk or may be predisposed to it. An altered lipid metabolism is one of the major risk factors for osteonecrosis, especially corticosteroid therapy and alcoholism. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A. (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, stalin used as lipid-clearing agent, have been known to decrease the risk of osteonecrosis in patients receiving steroids and affect coagulation and fibrinolysis. Therefore we evaluated the association of HMG-CoA reductase gene polymorphisms and haplotypes between osteonecrosis patients and normal controls. We directly sequenced the HMG-CoA reductase gene in 24 Korean individuals, and identified five sequence variants. Four SNPs (-6933C>T, -6045T>G, +12673G>A, and +18128C>T) were selected and genotyped in 349 male ONFH patients and 300 male control subjects. The genotypes, allele frequencies, and haplotypes of the polymorphisms in the total patients as well as in the subgroup by etiology were not significantly different from those in the control group. In addition, no significant differences between each genotype of the polymorphisms and plasma lipid level could be found in the control group. These results suggest that the polymorphisms and haplotypes of HMG-CoA reductase gene are unlikely to be associated with a susceptibility to ONFH.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.40-50
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• 2015

In the interaction between plants and pathogens, carbon (C) resources provide energy and C skeletons to maintain, among many functions, the plant immune system. However, variations in C availability on pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) triggered immunity (PTI) have not been systematically examined. Here, three types of starch mutants with enhanced susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 hrcC were examined for PTI. In a dark period-dependent manner, the mutants showed compromised induction of a PTI marker, and callose accumulation in response to the bacterial PAMP flagellin, flg22. In combination with weakened PTI responses in wild type by inhibition of the TCA cycle, the experiments determined the necessity of C-derived energy in establishing PTI. Global gene expression analyses identified flg22 responsive genes displaying C supply-dependent patterns. Nutrient recycling-related genes were regulated similarly by C-limitation and flg22, indicating re-arrangements of expression programs to redirect resources that establish or strengthen PTI. Ethylene and NAC transcription factors appear to play roles in these processes. Under C-limitation, PTI appears compromised based on suppression of genes required for continued biosynthetic capacity and defenses through flg22. Our results provide a foundation for the intuitive perception of the interplay between plant nutrition status and pathogen defense.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.431-439
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• 2009

Rice Oryza sativa accelerated cell death and resistance 1 (OsACDR1) encodes a putative Raf-like mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK). We had previously reported upregulation of the OsACDR1 transcript by a range of environmental stimuli involved in eliciting defense-related pathways. Here we apply biochemical, gain and loss-of-function approaches to characterize OsACDR1 function in rice. The OsACDR1 protein showed autophosphorylation and possessed kinase activity. Rice plants overexpressing OsACDR1 exhibited spontaneous hypersensitive response (HR)-like lesions on leaves, upregulation of defense-related marker genes and accumulation of phenolic compounds and secondary metabolites (phytoalexins). These transgenic plants also acquired enhanced resistance to a fungal pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea) and showed inhibition of appressorial penetration on the leaf surface. In contrast, loss-of-function and RNA silenced OsACDR1 rice mutant plants showed downregulation of defense-related marker genes expressions and susceptibility to M. grisea. Furthermore, transient expression of an OsACDR1:GFP fusion protein in rice protoplast and onion epidermal cells revealed its localization to the nucleus. These results indicate that OsACDR1 plays an important role in the positive regulation of disease resistance in rice.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2001

In order to characterize the microscopic fracture behaviour of the weldment din stress corrosion cracking(SCC) phenomena, SCC and acoustic emission(AE) tests were carried out simultaneously and the correlation between mechanical paramenters obtained from SCC and AE tests was investigated. In the case of base metal, much more AE events were produced at -0.5V than at -0.8V because of the dissolution mechanism before the maximum load. Regardless of the applied voltages to the specimens, however, AE events decreased after the maximum load. In the case of weldment, lots of AE events with larger amplitude $range(40{\sim}100dB)$ were produced because of the singularities of weld HAZ in comparision to the base metal and post-weld heat-treated(PWHT) specimens. Numerous and larger cracks for the weldment were observed on the fractured surfaces by SEM examination. From these results, it was concluded that SCC for the weldment appeared most severely in synthetic seawater. Weld HAZ was softened by PWHT which also contributed to the reduced susceptibility to corrosive environment in comparison to the weldment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 2008

Landslides cause enormous economic losses and casualties. Korea has mountainous regions and heavy slopes in most parts of the land and has consistently built new roads and large-scale housing complexes according to its industrial and urban growth. As a result, the damage from landslides becomes greater every year. In summer, landslides frequently occur due to local torrential rains and storms. It is critical to predict the potential areas of landslides in advance and to take preventive measures to minimize consequences and to protect property and human life. The previous study on landslides mostly focused on identifying the causes of landslides in the areas where they occurred, and on analyzing landslide vulnerability around the areas without considering rainfall conditions. Thus there were not enough evaluations of the direct risk of landslides to human life. In this study, potentially risky areas for landslides were identified using the GIS data in order to evaluate direct risk on farmlands, roads, and artificial structures that were closely connected to human life. A map of landslide risk was made taking into account rainfall conditions, and a land use map was also drawn with satellite images and digital maps. Both maps were used to identify potentially risky areas for landslides.