• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 2009

A method for the identification of Nocardia seriolae, the causative agent of nocardiosis in cultured fishes, using PCR was developed in the study. A PCR primer set specific to N. seriolae was designed based on 16S-23S rRNA sequence of various Nocardia species accessed in GenBank. Designed PCR primer set, Nseri-F (5'-GCA AAC TCT TCG AAC AGT CG-3') and Nseri-R (5'-GGA TAT CAG GAC TTA CCG GC-3'), amplifies the target regions of N. seriolae only, but not 4 other Nocardia species, N. asteroides, N. crassostreae, N. farcinica and N. salmonicida.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7635-7638
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of serum gastric markers to differentiate between patients with precancerous lesions and nonatrophic chronic gastritis. Materials and Methods: Serum samples of 128 patients with dyspepsia who were candidates for endoscopic examination were tested for pepsinogen (PG I and PG II), PG I/II ratio, gastrin 17(G-17), anti-Helicobacter pylori (anti-H pylori ) and anti-CagA antibodies. Two sample t-tests, chi-square tests and Pearson's correlation analyses were used for analysis using SPSS (version 20). Results: PGI, PG I/II ratio values were decreased significantly in the precancerous lesion group (0.05, 0.001 respectively). The frequency of H pylori infection was significantly (p=0.03) different between the two groups ofthe study. Conclusions: We suggest PGI and the PG I/II ratio as valuable markers for screening of premalignant gastric lesions.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.519-523
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• 2006

Poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) has been employed as a microchip material for DNA separation in microfluidic condition. Different sieving molecules such as cellulose derivatives having glucose building block (methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC)) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) having linear (ring-opened ethylene oxide) unit were used and their performance was compared in terms of separation efficiency and resolution. In general, PEO showed better separation performance than cellulose derivatives probably due to the nature of linear shape polymer conformation. It was possible to perform at least 15 consecutive running with 1.2% PEO at the electric field strength around 200 V/cm. Fast analysis of the standard $\Phi$X 174 RF DNA/Hae III (less than 130s) was obtained with the number of the theoretical plate around 250,000/m. Our PMDS microchip was applied to the measurement of CAG repeat number, which is related to male infertile disease.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3299-3309
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• 2022

Nuclear energy has the potential to play an influential role in energy transition efforts than is now anticipated by many countries. Realizing sustainable human development and reducing global climate crises will become more difficult without significantly increasing nuclear power. This paper aims to probe the role of nuclear energy, external debt, and financial globalization in sustaining human development and environmental conditions simultaneously in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. This study applied a battery of second-generation estimation approaches over the period from 1990 to 2019. These methods are useful and robust to cross-countries dependencies, slope heterogeneity, parameters endogeneity, and serial correlation that are ignored in conventional approaches to generate more comprehensive and reliable estimates. The empirical findings indicate that nuclear energy and financial globalization contribute to human development, whereas external debt inhibits it. Similarly, financial globalization accelerates ecological deterioration, but nuclear energy and external debt promote environmental sustainability. Moreover, the study reveals bidirectional feedback causalities between human development, carbon emissions and nuclear energy consumption. The study offers useful policy guidance on accomplishing sustainable and inclusive development in BRICS countries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.366-368
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• 2008

We report there on a 46-year-old male patient whose angina recurred after a coronary bypass graft (CABG). Occlusion of the first diagonal branch was found on performing a coronary angiogram (CAG), and this occlusion had not previously been present. So, a redo-off pump CABG was performed via a left posterolateral thoracotomy. The anastomosis was made between the descending thoracic aorta and the diagonal branch by using the right radial artery. On the Multi-detector computerized tomography (MDCT) coronary angiogram conducted after the operation, it was confirmed that there was no abnormality in the anastomosis site. A Redo-CABG was successfully performed via left posterolateral thoracotomy in the patient whose disease was only at the diagonal branch.

• 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 Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.572-584
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• 2022

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of trinucleotide CAG repeat in the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. The major pathogenic pathways underlying HD involve the impairment of cellular energy homeostasis and DNA damage in the brain. The protein kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is an important regulator of the DNA damage response. ATM is involved in the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), suggesting that AMPK plays a critical role in response to DNA damage. Herein, we demonstrated that expression of polyQ-expanded mutant Htt (mHtt) enhanced the phosphorylation of ATM. Ginsenoside is the main and most effective component of Panax ginseng. However, the protective effect of a ginsenoside (compound K, CK) in HD remains unclear and warrants further investigation. Methods: This study used the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD and performed behavioral tests, survival rate, histological analyses, and immunoblot assays. Results: The systematic administration of CK into R6/2 mice suppressed the activation of ATM/AMPK and reduced neuronal toxicity and mHTT aggregation. Most importantly, CK increased neuronal density and lifespan and improved motor dysfunction in R6/2 mice. Conversely, CK enhanced the expression of Bcl2 protected striatal cells from the toxicity induced by the overactivation of mHtt and AMPK. Conclusions: Thus, the oral administration of CK reduced the disease progression and markedly enhanced lifespan in the transgenic mouse model (R6/2) of HD.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2014

Homeostatic imbalance between cell proliferation and death in gastric mucosal epithelia may lead to gastritis and gastric cancer. Despite abundant gastrokine 1 (GKN1) expression in the normal stomach, the loss of GKN1 expression is frequently detected in gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori, as well as in intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer tissues, suggesting that GKN1 plays an important role in gastric mucosal defense, and the gene functions as a gastric tumor suppressor. In the stomach, GKN1 is involved in gastric mucosal inflammation by regulating cytokine production, the nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway, and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. GKN1 also inhibits the carcinogenic potential of H. pylori protein CagA by binding to it, and up-regulates antioxidant enzymes. In addition, GKN1 reduces cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation by inhibiting cell cycle progression and epigenetic modification by down-regulating the expression levels of DNMT1 and EZH2, and DNMT1 activity, and inducing apoptosis through the death receptor-dependent pathway. Furthermore, GKN1 also inhibits gastric cancer cell invasion and metastasis via coordinated regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related protein expression, reactive oxygen species production, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. Although the modes of action of GKN1 have not been clearly described, recent limited evidence suggests that GKN1 acts as a gastricspecific tumor suppressor. This review aims to discuss, comment, and summarize the recent progress in the understanding of the role of GKN1 in gastric cancer development and progression.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 2018

Aortic dissection (AD) is a catastrophic disease with high mortality and morbidity, characterized with fragmentation of elastin and loss of smooth muscle cells. Although AD has been largely attributable to polymorphisms defect in the elastin-coding gene, tropoelastin (TE), other undermined factors also appear to play roles in AD onset. Here, we investigated the effects of post-transcriptional control of TE by microRNAs (miRNAs) on elastin levels in aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC). We found that miR-144-3p is a miRNA that targets TE mRNA in both human and mouse. Bioinformatics analyses and dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-144-3p inhibited protein translation of TE, through binding to the 3'-UTR of the TE mRNA. Interestingly, higher miR-144-3p levels and lower TE were detected in the ASMC obtained from AD patients, compared to those from non-AD controls. In a mouse model for human AD, infusion of adeno-associated viruses (serotype 6) carrying antisense for miR-144-3p (asmiR-144-3p) under CAG promoter significantly reduced the incidence and severity of AD, seemingly through enhancement of TE levels in ASMC. Thus, our data suggest an essential role of miR-144-3p on the pathogenesis of AD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.567-574
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• 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are known to share many risk factors. In particular, in the case of acute coronary syndrome, it may be difficult to clearly determine the diameter of the vessel due to complete occlusion of the vessel and thrombus. Thus, the relationship between the diameter of the coronary arteries was evaluated to be used as a reference data before the treatment of coronary arteries and drug selection in patients with AF. From January 2020 to August 2022, images of coronary angiography (CAG) with AF and normal sinus rhythm (NSR) on electrocardiography were target. In both subjects, images of normal coronary artery without lesions as a result of CAG were used. For all vessels, the diameters of the vessels were measured by dividing them into proximal, middle, and distal parts, and the measured diameters were divided by the average for evaluation. As a result of analyzing the left anterior descending artery diameter, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.24±0.26 mm, which was smaller than that of the NSR patient, 2.86±0.38 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) As a result of analyzing the left circumflex artery diameter, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.34±0.28 mm, which was smaller than the vessel diameter of the NSR patient, 2.87±0.29 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) As a result of analyzing the diameter of the right coronary artery, the vessel diameter of the AF patient was 2.68±0.5 mm, which was smaller than the vessel diameter of the NSR patient, 3.35±0.4 mm, and was statistically significant. (p<0.001) Considering that the coronary artery size of AF patients is significantly smaller than the coronary vessel size of NSR patients, it is considered as a useful study to be used as a reference for evaluating coronary artery diameter when the arrhythmia is AF. In particular, it is considered to be a study that can be helpful in diagnosing lesions, using drugs before and after surgery, and choosing to use auxiliary devices such as intravascular ultrasound.