• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

Background: Korean ginseng is an ethnopharmacologically valuable herbal plant with various biological properties including anticancer, antiatherosclerosis, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Since there is currently no drug or therapeutic remedy derived from Korean ginseng, we developed a ginsenoside-enriched fraction (AP-SF) for prevention of various inflammatory symptoms. Methods: The anti-inflammatory efficacy of AP-SF was tested under in vitro inflammatory conditions including nitric oxide (NO) production and inflammatory gene expression. The molecular events of inflammatory responses were explored by immunoblot analysis. Results: AP-SF led to a significant suppression of NO production compared with a conventional Korean ginseng saponin fraction, induced by both lipopolysaccharide and zymosan A. Interestingly, AP-SF strongly downregulated the mRNA levels of genes for inducible NO synthase, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, and cyclooxygenase) without affecting cell viability. In agreement with these observations, AP-SF blocked the nuclear translocation of c-Jun at 2 h and also reduced phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and TAK-1, all of which are important for c-Jun translocation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that AP-SF inhibits activation of c-Jun-dependent inflammatory events. Thus, AP-SF may be useful as a novel anti-inflammatory remedy.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.272-279
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• 2006

Background: After Genome project, cancer genetic information is being rapidly changing. Everyday nurses are incorporating current cancer genetic knowledge and genetic testing into their practice. So their cancer genetic knowledge is important for ensuring quality of cancer patient care and education. Purpose: This study is performed for describing the Korean nurses' current knowledge level about the hereditary breast cancer. Method: This national wide survey used 15-item questionnaire which is modified from the Breast Cancer Genetic Counseling Knowledge Questionnaire originally developed by Erblich et al.(2005). Three hundred and nine nurses were recruited for this survey from April 1, 2006 to September 30, 2006. Result: Nurses' knowledge level about the hereditary breast cancer was not high. Clinical nurses with master degree, working large hospital located in Seoul had higher knowledge about hereditary breast cancer. Education related to cancer genetics was significantly impact on the level of nurses' knowledge. Conclusion: Cancer genetic educational program for Korean nurses is strongly needed for delivering cancer care services sensitive to ever-changing cancer genetic information.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2022

Purpose: Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare genetically heterogeneous disorder caused by genetic variants of the cohesin complex. However, the diverse genetic etiologies and their phenotypic correlations in Korean patients with CdLS are still largely unknown. Hence, this study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics and genetic background of Korean patients with CdLS. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 15 unrelated patients (3 males and 12 females) genetically confirmed to have CdLS were retrospectively reviewed. All individuals were diagnosed with CdLS using target gene analysis, whole-exome sequencing, and/or chromosomal microarray analysis. The clinical score (CS) was calculated to assess disease severity. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 1.7 (range, 0.0-11.8) years, and median follow-up duration was 3.8 (range, 0.4-11.7) years. Eight (53.3%) patients showed classic phenotypes of CdLS, two (13.3%) showed non-classic phenotypes, and five (33.3%) had other phenotypes sharing limited signs of CdLS. Fifteen causative variants were identified: NIPBL in five (33.3%, including 3 males), SMC1A in three (20.0%), SMC3 in three (20.0%), and HDAC8 in four (26.7%) patients. The CS was significantly higher in the NIPBL group than in the non-NIPBL group (14.2±1.3 vs. 8.7±2.9, P<0.001). Conclusion: We identified the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of CdLS in Korean patients. Patients with variants of NIPBL had a more distinctive phenotype than those carrying variants of other cohesin complex genes (SMC1A, SMC3, and HDAC8). However, further studies are warranted to understand the pathogenesis of CdLS as a cohesinopathy and its genotype-phenotype correlations.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2024

Background: Fruit bats are natural carriers of Nipah virus (NiV). The primary objective of this study is to identify potential reservoir species in a selected geographic regions. It is necessary to determine an accurate species identification of the associated reservoir bat species distributed in a specific region. Results: In this study, we collected 20 different bat specimens from the NiV-prone area of the Kushtia district. Among these, 14 were tissue samples (BT-1-14) and six were fecal samples (BF-1-6). We used the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b, one of the most abundant and frequently used genetic markers, for polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing. Out of the 20 samples, 12 tissue samples and 2 fecal samples were successfully amplified and sequenced. However, two tissue samples and four fecal samples yielded chimeric sequences, rendering them unsuitable for annotation. The sequences of the successfully amplified samples were compared to those deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database using basic local alignment search tool to identify the bat specimen collected. The study identified six different bat species using both morphological and genetic data, which may carriers of the NiV. Conclusions: Our results suggest that additional research should be conducted to gather more information on fruit bats from different localities across the country. The study contributes to the establishment of appropriate measures for NiV carrying disease control and management.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2024

Background: As the number of households raising companion dogs increases, the pet genetic analysis market also continues to grow. However, most studies have focused on specific purposes or native breeds. This study aimed to collect genomic data through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip analysis of companion dogs in South Korea and perform genetic diversity analysis and SNP annotation. Methods: We collected samples from 95 dogs belonging to 26 breeds, including mixed breeds, in South Korea. The SNP genotypes were obtained for each sample using an Axiom^TM Canine HD Array. Quality control (QC) was performed to enhance the accuracy of the analysis. A genetic diversity analysis was performed for each SNP. Results: QC initially selected SNPs, and after excluding non-diverse ones, 621,672 SNPs were identified. Genetic diversity analysis revealed minor allele frequencies, polymorphism information content, expected heterozygosity, and observed heterozygosity values of 0.220, 0.244, 0.301, and 0.261, respectively. The SNP annotation indicated that most variations had an uncertain or minimal impact on gene function. However, approximately 16,000 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) have been found to significantly alter gene function or affect exons by changing translated amino acids. Conclusions: This study obtained data on SNP genetic diversity and functional SNPs in companion dogs raised in South Korea. The results suggest that establishing an SNP set for individual identification could enable a gene-based registration system. Furthermore, identifying and researching nsSNPs related to behavior and diseases could improve dog care and prevent abandonment.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.13.1-13.7
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• 2020

Stock enhancement is considered to be a valuable approach for restoring fishery resources. Because no specific official institution in Taiwan is responsible for the production of fry, the released fry are purchased directly from the private sector. However, fishermen from the private industry have not established a genetic background, so the genetic composition for each batch of released fry is unclear. Mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus), a prominent species released in Taiwan, was collected after its official release. One hundred and two field samples were compared with four batches of hatchery fry (n = 685) by using a microsatellite-based multiplex PCR assay. Four of the field samples (3.9%; 4/102) were revealed to be from a fish farm and most likely from a single batch. This study revealed that wild mangrove red snappers are genetically different from those originating from farms, and their origins can be traced through molecular markers, even without information on breeding stocks.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4953-4960
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• 2013

Primary liver cancer is one of the most common cancers at the global level, accounting for half of all cancers in some undeveloped countries. This disease tends to occur in livers damaged through alcohol abuse, or chronic infection with hepatitis B and C, on a background of cirrhosis. Various cancer-causing substances are associated with primary liver cancer, including certain pesticides and such chemicals as vinyl chloride and arsenic. The strong association between HBV infection and liver cancer is well documented in epidemiological studies. It is generally acknowledged that the virus is involved through long term chronic infection, frequently associated with cirrhosis, suggesting a nonspecific mechanism triggered by the immune response. Chronic inflammation of liver, continuous cell death, abnormal cell growth, would increase the occurrence rate of genetic alterations and risk of disease. However, the statistics indicated that only about one fifth of HBV carries would develop HCC in lifetime, suggesting that individual variation in genome would also influence the susceptibility of HCC. The goal of this review is to highlight present level of knowledge on the role of viral infection and genetic variation in the development of liver cancer.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2003

In electrical impedance tomography(EIT), various image reconstruction algorithms have been used in order to compute the internal resistivity distribution of the unknown object with its electric potential data at the boundary. Mathematically the EIT image reconstruction algorithm is a nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem. This paper presents a new combined method based on genetic algorithm(GA) and modified Newton-Raphson(mNR) algorithm via two-step approach for the solution of the static EIT inverse problem. In the first step, each mesh is classified into three mesh groups: target, background, and temporary groups. The mNR algorithm can be used to determine the region of group. In the second step, the values of these resistivities are determined using genetic algorithm. Computer simulations with the 32 channels synthetic data show that the spatial resolution of reconstructed images by the proposed scheme is improved compared to that of the mNR algorithm at the expense of increased computational burden.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.11 no.4 s.42
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• pp.283-289
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• 2006

The present image segmentation is what user want to segment image and has been studied for technology in composition of segment object with other images. In this paper, we propose a method of novel semi-automatic image segmentation using gradual region merging and genetic algorithm. Proposed algorithm is edge detection of object using genetic algorithm after selecting object which user want. We segment region of object which user want to based on detection edge using watershed algorithm. We separated background and object in indefinite region using gradual region merge from Segment object. And, we have applicable value which user want by making interface based on GUI for efficient perform of algorithm development. In the experiments, we analyzed various images for proving superiority of the proposed method.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.66.1-66.9
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• 2021

Background: Maedi/Visna virus (MVV) is a contagious viral pathogen that causes considerable economic losses to the sheep industry worldwide. Objectives: In China, MVV has been detected in several regions, but its molecular characteristics and genetic variations were not thoroughly investigated. Methods: Therefore, in this study, we conducted next-generation sequencing on an MVV strain obtained from northwest China to reveal its genetic evolution via phylogenetic analysis. Results: A MVV strain obtained from Inner Mongolia (NM) of China was identified. Sequence analysis indicated that its whole-genome length is 9193 bp. Homology comparison of nucleotides between the NM strain and reference strains showed that the sequence homology of gag and env were 77.1%-86.8% and 67.7%-75.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the NM strain was closely related to the reference strains isolated from America, which belong to the A2 type. Notably, there were 5 amino acid insertions in variable region 4 and a highly variable motif at the C-terminal of the surface glycoprotein (SU5). Conclusions: The present study is the first to show the whole-genome sequence of an MVV obtained from China. The detailed analyses provide essential information for understanding the genetic characteristics of MVV, and the results enrich the MVV library.