• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.69-73
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• 2014

Purpose: Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a genetically heterogeneous disease for which more than 30 subtypes have been identified. However, 5 subtypes, SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, and SCA7, account for more than 60% of cases. In this study, we report the distribution of these 5 subtypes in Korean patients. Materials and Methods: Six hundred and thirty-eight unrelated patients with a presumptive diagnosis of SCA were included in this study. Trinucleotide (CAG) repeat number (TNR) repeat number was determined using fluorescently labeled primers and fragment analysis. Results: A total of 128 unrelated patients (20.1% of all individuals tested) tested positive for SCA subtypes, including SCA1 (5 patients, 3.9% of those testing positive), SCA2 (38 patients, 29.7%), SCA3 (30 patients, 23.4%), SCA6 (39 patients, 30.5%), and SCA7 (16 patients, 12.5%). The mean copy number of pathogenic TNR alleles was $45{\pm}8.5$ for SCA1, $42{\pm}3.1$ for SCA2, $72{\pm}5.4$ for SCA3, $23{\pm}1.5$ for SCA6, and $50{\pm}11.4$ for SCA7. TNR copy number was inversely correlated with onset age in SCA2, SCA6, and SCA7. Conclusion: SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 are common SCA subtypes in Korean patients and could be screened as a first-line test. Expanded pathogenic allele size was associated with early onset age.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.22-37
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• 2007

The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases, clinically and genetically heterogeneous, characterized by degeneration of spinocerebellar pathways with variable involvement of other neural systems. At present, 27 distinct genetic forms of SCAs are known: SCA1-8, SCA10-21, SCA23, SCA25-28, DRPLA (dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy), and 16q-liked ADCA (autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia). Epidemiological data about the prevalence of SCAs are restricted to a few studies of isolated geographical regions, and most do not reflect the real occurrence of the disease. In general a prevalence of about 0.3-2 cases per 100,000 people is assumed. As SCA are highly heterogeneous, the prevalence of specific subtypes varies between different ethnic and continental populations. Most recent data suggest that SCA3 is the commonest subtype worldwide; SCA1, SCA2, SCA6, SCA7, and SCA8 have a prevalence of over 2%, and the remaining SCAs are thought to be rare (prevalence <1%). In this review, we highlight and discuss the SCA7. The hallmark of SCA7 is the association of hereditary ataxia and visual loss caused by pigmentary macular degeneration. Visual failure is progressive, bilateral and symmetrical, and leads irreversibly to blindness. This association represents a distinct disease entity classified as autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) type II by Harding. The disease affectsprimarily the cerebellum and the retina by the moderate to severe neuronal loss and gliosis, but also many other central nervous system structures as the disease progresses. SCA7 is caused by expansion of an unstable trinucleotide CAG repeat in the ATXN7 gene encoding a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the corresponding protein, ataxin-7. Normal ATXN7 alleles contain 4-35 CAG repeats, whereas pathological alleles contain from 36->450 CAG repeats. Immunoblott analysis demonstrated that ataxin-7 is widely expressed but that expression levels vary among tissues. Instability of expanded repeats is more pronounced in SCA7 than in other SCA subtypes and can cause substantial lowering of age at onset in successive generations termed ‘anticipation’ so that children may become diseased even before their parents develop symptoms. The strong anticipation in SCA7 and the rarity of contractions should have led to its extinction within a few generations. There is no specific drug therapy for this neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, therapy remains purely symptomatic. Cellular models and SCA7 transgenic mice have been generated which constitute valuable resources for studying the disease mechanism. Understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration in SCAs should lead to the identification of potential therapeutic targets and ultimately facilitate drug discovery. Here we summarize the clinical, pathological, and genetic aspects of SCA7, and review the current understanding of the pathogenesis of this disorder. Further, we also review the potential therapeutic strategies that are currently being explored in polyglutamine diseases.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

Purpose: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are progressive neurodegenerative disorders with diverse modes of inheritance. There are several subtypes of SCAs. SCA 8, SCA 12, and SCA 17 are the less common forms of SCAs with limited information available on their epidemiological profiles in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17 in Korea. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six unrelated Korean patients were enrolled and showed normal trinucleotide repeats through polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) for the genes ATXN1, ATXN2, ATXN3, CACNA1A, and ATXN7, which correspond to SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, and SCA7, respectively. PCR products from patients were further analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using fluorescence labeled primers for the genes ATXN8OS, PPP2R2B, and TBP, which correspond to SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17. Results: Three patients had 104, 97, and 75 abnormal expanded repeats in the ATXN8OS gene, the causative gene for SCA8. None of the patients exhibited abnormal repeats in SCA12 and SCA17. Normal trinucleotide repeat ranges of the cohort in this study were estimated to be 17-34 copies (average, $24{\pm}4copies$) for SCA8, 7-18 copies (average, $13{\pm}3copies$) for SCA12, and 26-43 copies (average, $35{\pm}2copies$) for SCA17. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17 are rare in Korean patients with SCA, and further genetic studies are warranted to enhance the mutation detection rate in the Korean SCA population.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.43-50
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• 2020

In this paper a low power Spreading Code Authentication (SCA) sequence with a BPSK(1) modulation at a frequency offset of +7.161 MHz is tested for authentication purposes, the Galileo E1OS is used as base signal. The tested signals comprise a Galileo constellation with 5 satellites including the Galileo OS Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) and a low power offset BPSK (OBPSK(7,1)) as SCA component. The signals are generated with the software based MuSNAT-Signal-Generator. The generated signals were transmitted Over-The-Air (OTA) using a Software-Defined-Radio (SDR) as pseudolite. With a real-environment-testbed the performance of the SCA in real channel conditions (fading and multipath) was tested. A new SCA evaluation scheme is proposed and was implemented. Under real channel conditions we derive experimental threshold values for the new SCA evaluation scheme which allow a robust authentication. A Security Code Estimation and Replay (SCER) spoofing attack was mimicked on the real-environment-testbed and analyzed with the SCA evaluation scheme. It was shown that the usage of an OBPSK is feasible as an authentication method and can be used in combination with the OSNMA to improve the authentication robustness against Security SCER attacks.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.631-638
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• 2007

This study investigated the influences of a student-centered analogical instruction using physical analogies upon students' conception and application, retention of conception and application, perceptions of science classroom environment, and perceptions of analogical instruction. Six classes of seventh graders (N=208) at a middle school in Seoul were assigned to the control, the teacher-centered analogy (TCA), and the student-centered analogy (SCA) groups. They were taught about 'three states of matter' and 'motion of molecules' for 8 class hours. Analysis of the results revealed that the scores of the SCA group were significantly higher than those of the other groups in the conception test, retention test of conception and application, and perception test of science classroom environment. The scores of the SCA group in the application test were also higher than those of the other groups, but there was a significant difference only between the control and the SCA groups. The TCA group performed significantly better than the control group only in the test of the retention of application. In addition, the students in the SCA group exhibited more positive perceptions of the analogical instruction than those in the TCA group. Educational implications are discussed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.7-16
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• 2013

Objectives : Brassica campestris var narinosa (BCN), Canavalia gladiata DC semen (CGD) and their combinational prescription (BCN+CGD) have been use to demonstrate to regulate hematopoiesis. In the current study, we investigated whether Brassica campestris var narinosa, Canavalia gladiata DC semen and their combinational prescription is related to hemato-potentiating function using Sca-$1^+$ hematopoietic stem cells (Sca-$1^+HSCs$) as a testing system. Methods : Sca-$1^+HSCs$ isolated from femur in C57bl/6 mice with leukopenia and thrombocytopenia induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). Then, Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA expression, ELISA and haematopoiesis-related gene (EPO, TPO, IL-3, SCF, c-kit, GM-CSF), the phosphorylation of JAK2, GATA-1 and STAT-5a/b were observed by western blot, and the numbers of $CD117^+/Sca-1^+$ cell and the number of granulocyte erythrocyte monocyte macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GEMM) and erythroid burst forming units (BFU-E), semisolid clonogenic assay was performed. Result : When Sca-$1^+HSCs$ were treated with Brassica campestris var narinosa, Canavalia gladiata DC semen and their combinational prescription with rIL-3/rSCF, the expression of haematopoiesis-related (EPO, TPO, IL-3, SCF, c-kit, and GM-CSF) were significantly increased at the levels of mRNA as well as production in Sca-$1^+HSCs$. Additionally, CGS enhanced phosphorylation of JAK2, GATA-1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription-5a/b (STAT-5a/b) in Sca-$1^+HSCs$. Furthermore, their combinational prescription (BCN+CGD) significantly enhanced the growth rate of granulocyte erythrocyte monocyte macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GEMM) and erythroid burst forming units (BFU-E) in vitro. Conclusion : These result suggest that Brassica campestris var narinosa (BCN) and Canavalia gladiata DC have hematopoietic enhancement via hematopoietic cytokine-mediated JAK2/GATA-1/STAT-5a/b pathway, and their combinational prescription (BCN+CGD) has superior hematopoietic enhancement to those of individual extracts.

• Information and Communications Magazine
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.47-58
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• 2007

모든 유/무선 네트워크에서 제공하는 서비스를 언제, 어디에서나 단일 단말 시스템으로 접속할 수 있는 유비쿼터스 유무선 통신 시대의 도래가 가시화됨에 따라, 하나의 개방형 플랫폼상에서 소프트웨어적인 변경을 통하여 다양한 무선 접속 규격 및 서비스를 지원할 수 있는 SDR기술의 중요성이 더욱 부각되고 있다. 본고에서는 SDR기반 통신 애플리케이션 소프트웨어를 지원하는 하부구조 관점에서 SCA Core Framework의 구조 및 기능을 기술하고, ETRI에서 SCA 2.2규격을 준수하여 개발한 SCARLET 미들웨어 및 SDR 단말기능 검증용 공용 하드웨어 플랫폼을 소개하고, SCA기반의 WiMAX / HSDPA 통신 응용 컴포넌트 구현을 통한 실험 내용을 소개한다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.114-122
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• 2019

Objective : Silent corticotroph adenomas (SCA) are endocrine-inactive pituitary adenomas with positive immunohistochemistry staining for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). We investigated whether SCA-associated clinical profiles were more aggressive than hormonally negative adenomas (HNA). Methods : Among 627 patients with pathologically proven endocrine-inactive pituitary adenomas between 2004 and 2013, positive immunohistochemistry revealed 55 SCAs and 411 HNAs. Surgical outcomes and radiological and endocrinological characteristics were compared. Results : Strong female predominance was observed in the SCA group (p<0.001). Cavernous sinus invasion was identified in 22 (40%) SCA patients and 72 (17.6%) HNA patients (p<0.001). There were no differences in ACTH or cortisol levels between the two groups. The incidence of preoperative hypopituitarism and postoperative hormonal outcome did not differ between two groups. Total resection was achieved in 35 patients (63.7%) with SCA and 332 patients (80.8%) with HNA (p=0.007). When tumors were completely removed, recurrence rates were not statistically different between two groups (p=0.60). When complete resection was not achieved, tumors regrew from these remnants in seven patients (35.0%) with SCA and 12 patients (15.2%) with HNA (p=0.05). Conclusion : Total surgical resection for SCA is often challenging as these tumors frequently invade a cavernous sinus. Early remnant tumor intervention is justified, because untreated residual pituitary tumors regrow when patients were followed up for a long time. Prophylactic radiotherapy is not warranted for completely resected SCAs as tumor recurrence is uncommon.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.338-342
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• 2007

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are caused by expansion of (CAG)n triplet repeats. These repeats occur as polymorphic forms in general population; however, beyond a threshold size they become pathogenic. The sizes and distributions of repeats at the SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA7 and DRPLA loci were assessed by molecular analysis of 124 unrelated ataxia patients and 44 controls, and the association of larger normal (LN) alleles with disease prevalence was evaluated. Triplet repeat expansions in the disease range were detected in 8% (10/124) of the cases, with the majority having expansion at the SCA1 locus. Normal allele ranges in the cohort studied were similar to the Caucasian and North Indian populations but differed from the Korean and Japanese populations at various loci. The percentage of individuals with LN alleles at the SCA1 and SCA2 loci was higher than reported in Indians, Japanese and Caucasians. LN alleles showed a good correlation with the incidence of SCA1, indicating that SCA1 is the most prevalent ataxia in our population. The majority of cases with clinical symptoms of SCA could not be diagnosed by established CAG repeat criteria, suggesting that there may be an alternative basis for disease pathogenesis: (i) Repeats lower than the normal range may also result in abnormal phenotypes (ii) LN alleles at different loci in the same individual may contribute to symptoms (iii) Exogenous factors may play a role in triggering disease symptoms in individuals with LN alleles (iv) Triplet repeats may reach the disease range in the brain but not in the blood.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics B
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• v.31B no.7
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• pp.101-107
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• 1994

In this work a scanning capacitance microscopy(SCaM) by stage driving is proposed and presented some of the experimental results.SCaM is a microscope which scans a surface of materials mechanically in two or two point five dimensions by a capacitance probe with a few tenth $\mu\textrm{m}$ ize tip, and display images of the surface shape or capacitive distribution. The present target of the SCaM is 0.1$\mu\textrm{m}$ resolution power which exceeds that of optical microscope. This will become a powerful tool for inspecting ULSI pattern etched by X-ray biological data etc. The experimental system is composed based on a VHD video disk which captures the capacitance changes of the video disk surface and converts it into video signal.