Biodegradation of crystal violet by newly isolated bacteria.

Confronting the environmental threat posed by textile dyes, this study highlights bioremediation as a pivotal solution to mitigate the impacts of Crystal Violet, a widely-utilized triphenylmethane dye known for its mutagenic and mitotic toxicity. We isolated and identified several bacterial strains capable of degrading Crystal Violet under various environmental conditions. Newly identified strains, including Mycolicibacterium nivoides, Chryseobacterium sp., Agrobacterium rhizogenes, Pseudomonas crudilactis, and Pseudomonas koreensis demonstrated significant decolorization activity of Crystal Violet, complementing the already known capabilities of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Initial experiments using crude extracts confirmed their degradation potential, followed by detailed studies that investigated the impact of different pH levels and temperatures on some strains' degradation efficiency. Depending on the bacteria, the degree of activity change according to pH and temperature was different. At 37 °C, Chryseobacterium sp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia exhibited higher degradation activity compared to 25 °C, while Pseudomonas crudilactis and Mycolicibacterium nivoides did not exhibit a statistically significant difference between the two temperatures. Mycolicibacterium nivoides performed optimally at pH 8, while Pseudomonas crudilactis showed high activity at pH 5. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia's activity remained consistent across the pH range. These findings not only underscore the effectiveness of these bacteria as agents for Crystal Violet degradation but also pave the way for their application in large-scale bioremediation processes for the treatment of textile effluents, marking them as vital to environmental sustainability efforts.

The association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors in North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors among North Korean defectors. METHODS: This study involved the collection of self-reported questionnaires from 123 North Korean defectors visited a dental clinic that offered complimentary services, to receive dental treatment in a metropolitan area of South Korea from December 2017 to April 2018. Oral health literacy was measured with the Test of Korean Functional Health Literacy in Dentistry (TOKFHLiD), which consists of 30 items concerning verbal oral health literacy and 42 items concerning functional oral health literacy (28 items for reading comprehension and 14 items for numeracy). In addition, the questionnaire contains 15 and 14 items related to demographic characteristics and oral health behaviors (interest, lifestyle, diet, prevention), respectively, for a total of 101 items. RESULTS: The mean oral health literacy score was 44 (out of a maximum possible score of 72). Oral health literacy and oral health behaviors were positively correlated (r = 0.526, P < 0.001), and oral health literacy also had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.04-0.33). However, although functional oral health literacy had a significant effect on oral health behaviors (Beta = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.01-0.43), verbal oral health literacy did not (Beta = 0.13, 95% CI: - 0.06-037). CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions are needed to improve oral health literacy, and thus oral health behaviors, as a part of the health promotion measures undertaken to facilitate the stable adjustment of North Korean defectors in South Korean society.