Purpose: To verify the anti-microbiotic activity and to develop eco-friendly surface disinfectants using the Opuntia ficus-indica extract. Methods: The stem and fruits of the Opuntia cultivated in Jeju Island were extracted with hot water, 70% EtOH and 100% MeOH, respectively. To examine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts, gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium), yeast (Candida albicans), mold (Aspergillus flavus) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus) were measured to form a clear zone. Results: The antibacterial activity of the fruit extract was higher than that of the stem extract, and the antibacterial activity of the 100% MeOH (FM) extract and the 70% EtOH (FE) extract of the palm cactus fruit was suitable for the surface disinfectant overall, and clear-zone formed even at relatively low concentrations (250 mg/mL). The FM and FE have antibacterial activity against various bacteria, therefore they can be used as disinfectants. Conclusion The antimicrobial activity of Opuntia ficus-indica extract from Jeju Island by stem and fruit was determined at relatively low concentrations (250 mg/mL). The Opuntia ficus-indica extract will be useful for surface disinfectants dissolving the patients’ bath, oral gargling, and powdered powder in water or ethanol in appropriate concentrations.

Severe bark decay disease was observed on oak logs at a shiitake cultivation farm in Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam province. The symptoms observed were fruiting bodies that had developed on the top and side surface of oak logs. As a result, the bark came off easily exposing the sapwood. Slime mold specimens collected from oak logs showed developing fruiting bodies comprising of stalks, hypothallus, capillitium, and columella, and the causal agent of bark decay disease was identified as Stemonitis splendens on the basis of morphological characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Stemonitis splendens causing bark decay of oak logs used for shiitake mushroom cultivation in Korea.
Fruit ; Fungi ; Korea ; Shiitake Mushrooms

This research has done for 262 people of the aged men and women that are more than 65 years old who are live in 9 areas of Yecheon as target; through twice of face to face interview for 24 hours recall method, the result of food intake for 2 days is as following. In case of energy, the aged men (women) of sixties ingested 67.7 (72.0)% of Korean RDA by 1,369 (1264) kcal, for the ages of seventies and eighties, 68.9 (66.9)% of Korean RDA and 76.3 (65.8)% by each 1,309 (1104) kcal and 1,368 (1052) kcal. The aged men ingested protein 46.0~49.6 g (70.6~82.9% of RDA), and aged women ingested protein 32.7~40.2 g (59.4~73.0% of RDA). Calcium intake of aged men was 388.8 mg, 319.8 mg, 284.4 mg by age range, and aged women was 291.9 mg (41.6% of RDA), 246.5 mg (35.3% of RDA), 240.1 mg (34.3% of RDA). Iron intake of aged men was 8.6~8.9 mg (72~74% of RDA), and aged women ingested 8.6 mg (71.3% of RDA), 7.5 mg (62.6 of RDA%), 6.6 mg (55.4% of RDA) for iron by age range. Vitamin B1 intake of aged men was 0.62~0.71 mg (62~71% of RDA), and aged women's intake was 0.50~0.60 mg (50~60% of RDA). Vitamin B2 intake of aged men was 0.59~0.60 mg (49% of RDA), and aged women's intake was 0.45~0.50 mg (37~42% of RDA). Vitamin C intake by age range, in case of aged men (women) in sixties was 53.1 (48.9) mg, in seventies was 49.9 (33.2) mg and more than eighties was 34.1 (33.4) mg. The average food intake by age range, in aged men (women) of sixties was 828.9 (670.8) g and seventies was 726.8 (568.8) g and more than eighties was 656.0 (525.3) g. Plant food intake of aged men was 490.8~569.5 g and aged women was 417.9~537.7 g. Aged men (women) of MAR by age range, sixties was 0.60 (0.58), seventies was 0.59 (0.50) and more than eighties was 0.56 (0.49), respectively. INQ for protein, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B, niacin, vitamin C was more than 1 in 60's and 70's aged men, but there was no nutrients in eighties of aged women. Aged men and women's KDDS points represent average 3.14 and 3.04 (out of 5 points), and while intake of the milk was the most lacking, but intake of the fruit was the most lacking in DDS.
Aged ; Ascorbic Acid ; Calcium ; Eating ; Female ; Fruit ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Humans ; Iron ; Male ; Milk ; Niacin ; Phosphorus ; Plants ; Riboflavin ; Thiamine ; Vitamin A ; Vitamins

Plants pollination are conducted through various pollinators such as wind, animals, and insects. Recently, the necessity for artificial pollination is drawing attention as the proportion of natural pollinators involved is decreasing over the years. Likewise, the trade in pollen for artificial pollination is also increasing worldwide. Through these imported pollens, many unknown microorganisms can flow from foreign countries. Among them, spores of various fungi present in the particles of pollen can be dispersed throughout the orchard. Therefore, in this study, the composition of fungal communities in imported pollen was revealed, and potential ecological characteristics of the fungi were investigated in four types of imported pollen. Top 10 operational taxonomic unit (OTU) of fungi were ranked among the following groups: Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., and Didymella glomerata which belong to many pathogenic species. Through FUNGuild analysis, the proportion of OTUs, which is assumed to be potentially plant pathogens, was higher than 50%, except for apple pollen in 2018. Based on this study of fungal structure, this information can suggest the direction of the pollen quarantine process and contribute to fungal biology in pollen

Plants pollination are conducted through various pollinators such as wind, animals, and insects. Recently, the necessity for artificial pollination is drawing attention as the proportion of natural pollinators involved is decreasing over the years. Likewise, the trade in pollen for artificial pollination is also increasing worldwide. Through these imported pollens, many unknown microorganisms can flow from foreign countries. Among them, spores of various fungi present in the particles of pollen can be dispersed throughout the orchard. Therefore, in this study, the composition of fungal communities in imported pollen was revealed, and potential ecological characteristics of the fungi were investigated in four types of imported pollen. Top 10 operational taxonomic unit (OTU) of fungi were ranked among the following groups: Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., and Didymella glomerata which belong to many pathogenic species. Through FUNGuild analysis, the proportion of OTUs, which is assumed to be potentially plant pathogens, was higher than 50%, except for apple pollen in 2018. Based on this study of fungal structure, this information can suggest the direction of the pollen quarantine process and contribute to fungal biology in pollen

Bone marrow necrosis is infrequently diagnosed during life, and its presence often signifies a poor prognosis. It has been associated with a variety of disease, including acute and chronic leukemia, carcinoma, malignant lymph oma, infection and sickle cell disease. About 5-26% of acute myeloid leukemia has been reported to express lymphoid differentiation markers, of which CD7 is ex pressed very early during T-cell ontogeny. A 46-year-old male complaining severe bone pain had pancytopenia, leukoerythroblastosis and bone marrow necrosis. Peripheral blood immature cells expressed CD7 as well as myeloid markers such as CD13 and CD33 on immunophenotypic studies. We report a case of CD7 positive acute myeloid leu kemia associated with bone marrow necrosis, confirmed by bone marrow biopsy and immunophenotypic study.
Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Antigens, Differentiation ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow* ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis* ; Pancytopenia ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocytes

Purpose: To compare the effects of orthokeratology lens (Ortho‐K lens) and topical cyclopentolate on myopia progression in children. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 36 children who received Ortho‐K lens and 28 who received cyclopentolate (i.e., total of 64 eyes). The following data were recorded: sex, age, age at first intervention, follow‐up duration, and visual acuity and axial length (AL) at the time of first treatment and after 6, 12, and 24 months of treatment. Results: In the Ortho‐K group, the changes of AL significantly decreased by 0.3 ± 0.25 mm at 12 months and 0.52 ± 0.34 mm at 24 months (p for trend < 0.001). In the cyclopentolate group, the changes of AL significantly decreased by 0.36 ± 0.17 mm at 12 months and 0.62 ± 0.29 mm at 24 months (p for trend = 0.022). Compared to the use of cyclopentolate, the use of Ortho‐K lens resulted in smaller changes in AL during follow‐up (p = 0.038). Conclusions In myopic children, Ortho‐K reduced myopia progression, whereas cyclopentolate significantly less affect myopia progression than Ortho‐K lens.

Cypripedium japonicum is known to be the indigenous plant to Korea, Japan, and China. However, C. japonicum represents the most critically endangered plant species in South Korea. The plant is esthetically pleasing due to its flower, which is larger than any other orchidaceous species. Disease symptoms relating to gray mold were observed on C. japonicum in May 2019. The suspected pathogen was successfully isolated from the symptomatic leaf tissue and conducted a pure culture of the fungi. The conidia formed consisted of a colorless or light brown single cell, which was either egg or oval-shaped with a size of 7.1 to 13.4 × 5.2 to 8.6 μm. Molecular phylogenetic relationship analysis was also confirmed that the pathogen concerned belonging to the family of Botrytis cinerea. Therefore, the findings confirmed that the pathogen isolated from C. japonicum was consistent with the unique properties of B. cinerea.

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by below-average intelligence (intelligence quotient of <70) accompanied by adaptive behavior deficits. Defects in the functions of neural stem cells during brain development are closely linked to the pathogenesis of ID. To understand the molecular etiology of ID, we examined neural stem cells from individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder in which approximately one-third of the patients exhibit ID. In this study, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a normal individual and DMD patients with and without ID to identify ID-specific functional and molecular abnormalities. We found defects in neural ectoderm formation in the group of DMD patients with ID. Our transcriptome analysis of patient-derived neural stem cells revealed altered expression of genes related to the hippo signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, implicating these in the pathogenesis of ID in patients with DMD.