Molecular Detection of Parvovirus in Manchurian Chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus asiaticus) Captured in Korea.

Cross-species transmission of viral diseases alarms our global community for its potential of novel pandemic events. Of various viral pathogens noted recently, parvoviruses have posed public health threats not only to humans but also to wild animals. To investigate the prevalence of parvoviruses in wild Manchurian chipmunks, here we detected genetic fragments of the nonstructural protein of parvovirus by polymerase chain reaction in wild Manchurian chipmunk specimens captured in the central and southern regions of South Korea and compared their sequence homology with references.

Comparison of Intravascular Injection Rate Between Blunt and Sharp Needles During Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Block.

Background: Cervical transforaminal epidural block (CTEB) is a useful option in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical radicular pain. However, inadvertent intravascular injection can lead to severe neurologic complications. Blunt needles are considered to displace instead of penetrate vessels because of their dull needle tip.

Enhanced Antioxidant Activity of Bioactives in Colored Grains by Nano-Carriers in Human Lens Epithelial Cells.

The use of phytochemicals for preventing chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress such as cataracts is hindered by their low bioavailability. The effects of nano-carriers on the antioxidant activities of extracts of black rice with giant embryo (BRGEx) and soybeans (SBx) have been determined in human lens epithelial B3 cells. Scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that rGO (reduced graphene oxide) has a flat surface unlike GO (graphene oxide), which has a distinctive wrinkled structure with defects.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Rutile TiO2 Nanocrystals and Their Photovoltaic and Photocatalytic Properties.

We report a novel method of synthesizing rutile TiO2 nanocrystals at low temperature (200 degrees C) via a butanol rinsing process followed by heat treatment in an O2 atmosphere. The rutile nanocrystals show uniform size distribution of approximately 20 nm and good crystallinity confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. A mechanism for the low temperature synthesis of rutile nanocrystals is rationalized in terms of an explosive thermal decomposition reaction of butoxy groups on TiO2 powders with O2 gas.

Effect of HCl and H2SO4 treatment of TiO2 powder on the photosensitized degradation of aqueous rhodamine B under visible light.

The acid treatments of TiO2 nanopowder with HCI or H2SO4 solution increase the concentration of the hydroxyl group on TiO2 surfaces compared to bare TiO2, which acts as a Brønsted acid site. For the case of the HCl-treated TiO2, the dissociation of Brønsted acid (proton donor) sites on TiO2 leads to a drop in the pH levels of rhodamine B (RhB) dye solutions (leading to the protonation of the RhB molecule), which allows the physisorption of the uncharged carboxyl acid group on the positively charged TiO2 surface. The carboxyl acid group is believed to afford a more efficient charge injection from the Visible-light-excited RhB to the conduction band of TiO2 compared to the N-ethyl group, yielding a significantly enhanced photodegradation of RhB mainly via the N-de-ethylation pathway.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Fishery Workers.

Objectives: This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from the fecal samples of fishery workers who work in fish farms and often use antibiotics for the feeding fishes.

Methods: Seventy-three E. coli strains isolated from the fecal samples of fishery workers and 180 isolates from a control group of restaurant workers were tested for antibiotic resistance by agar disk diffusion with 16 antimicrobial agents.

Downregulation of RNAIII in vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains regardless of the presence of agr mutation.

Reduced vancomycin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus can cause serious problems relating to treatment failure and persistent infection. We investigated vancomycin susceptibility, genetic relationships and transcriptional changes of the accessory gene regulator (agr) in vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains isolated from South Korea compared with vancomycin-susceptible S.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension, but not gestational diabetes mellitus, is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism in pregnancy.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the association of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Subjects And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 57,009 pregnancies during 2002-2008 at Cheil General Hospital, Kwandong University. The diagnosis of VTE {deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE)} was based on clot visualization via ultrasound or computed tomography.

Two variants of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IVA in community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in South Korea.

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains harbouring staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IVA are known to be more prevalent in South Korea than in other countries. Variations in the SCCmec IVA structure have been identified, including in sequence type (ST) 1 and ST72 strains. This study compared and investigated the genetic characteristics of two subtypes common in South Korea.

Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains as a cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in Korea.

Background: The prevalence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains causing bloodstream infection (BSI) has not been studied in Korea.

Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence of CA-MRSA strains among isolates recovered from patients with MRSA BSIs and to explore epidemiological changes in Korea. We also sought to evaluate clinical characteristics relevant to the development of healthcare-associated BSIs.

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation of nanojet injection with adaptive-spatial decomposition parallel algorithm.

An Adaptive-Spatial Decomposition parallel algorithm was developed to increase computation efficiency for molecular dynamics simulations of nano-fluids. Injection of a liquid argon jet with a scale of 17.6 molecular diameters was investigated.

Effect of MMT concentration on tribological behavior of MMT/Epoxy nanocomposite.

Numerous studies have investigated the material properties of clay/polymer nanocomposites, such as their fracture toughness, elastic modulus, and hardness. However, only a few researchers have studied the tribological properties of clay/polymer nanocomposites. This study investigated the effect of the montmorillonite (MMT) concentration on the tribological behavior of MMT/epoxy nanocomposites.

Enteric bacteria isolated from acute diarrheal patients in the Republic of Korea between the year 2004 and 2006.

In an epidemiological survey of human enterobacterial infections in the Republic of Korea during three years from 2004 to 2006, we isolated 1,784 (6.2%, isolation rate of enteropathogens from stool samples) in 2004, 2,547 (9.5%) in 2005 and 3,506 bacteria (12.

Preparation of a nanoporous CaCO3-coated TiO2 electrode and its application to a dye-sensitized solar cell.

A nanoporous CaCO3 overlayer-coated TiO2 thick film was prepared by the topotactic thermal decomposition of Ca(OH)2, and its performance as an electrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell was investigated. As compared to bare TiO2, nanoporous CaCO3-coated TiO2 provided higher specific surface area and, subsequently, a larger amount of dye adsorption; this in turn increased short-circuit current (Jsc). Furthermore, the CaCO3 coating demonstrated increased impedance at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface and increased the lifetime of the photoelectrons, indicating the improved retardation of the back electron transfer, which increases Jsc, open-circuit voltage (Voc), and fill factor (ff).

Surveillance of bacterial pathogens associated with acute diarrheal disease in the Republic of Korea during one year, 2003.

An epidemiological survey of human enterobacterial infections was conducted to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens in the Republic of Korea during one year, 2003. We tested for infectious diseases in 26,992 stool samples obtained from people who visited clinics located in six big cities and six rural provinces. From these samples, we isolated 1,291 cases of enteritis bacterial infection (4.

Preparation of nanoporous MgO-coated TiO2 nanoparticles and their application to the electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Sol-gel-derived Mg(OH)(2) gel was coated onto TiO(2) nanoparticles, and the subsequent thermal topotactic decomposition of the gel formed a highly nanoporous MgO crystalline coating. The specific surface area of the electrode that was prepared from the core-shell-structured TiO(2) nanoparticles significantly increased compared with that of the uncoated TiO(2) electrode. The increase in the specific surface area of the MgO-coated TiO(2) electrode was attributed to the highly nanoporous MgO coating layer that resulted from the topotactic reaction.

In situ observation of the stability of anatase nanoparticles and their transformation to rutile in an acidic solution.

Thermodynamic stability of anatase nanoparticles and their transformation behaviors to rutile phase in an acidic solution was investigated in situ at two different peptization temperatures using a freeze-drying method. When peptized at 30 degrees C, the initial product was anatase with a significantly distorted atomic structure, a significant amount of hydroxyl group and Ti3+ ions, and, thus, a thermodynamically unstable state. The instability of 30 degrees C-peptized anatase was responsible for a suitable transformation to rutile later via dissolution of the anatase to form a titanium hydroxylate, followed by reprecipitation into rutile.

Association of Angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms with preeclampsia.

We tested the hypothesis that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen gene polymorphism influence the incidence, development and outcome of preeclampsia. Subjects were recruited from 90 Korean patients with preeclampsia during pregnancy and 98 age-matched controls. After isolation of DNA, polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were carried out to detect polymorphism of the ACE and angiotensinogen.