A few bioinformatics tools have been used to find out conserved regions as probes. We have developed a system based on a heuristic method with web interfaces to find out conserved regions against microbial genomes. The system runs in real time by using relative entropy in limited narrow regions and detecting similar regions between pair regions with local alignment. The system could be useful to find out conserved regions as genome-wide scale.
Computational Biology ; Entropy ; Genome

OBJECTIVES: The individual's ability to recognize and describe emotion in self and others is an important concept of many psychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate emotional awareness deficits in patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS: 55 male inpatients with alcohol dependence and 28 male normal controls were evaluated by the Korean version of the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS-K), the Korean version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20K), the Openness Experience Inventory (OEI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The LEAS-K is an objective measure to assess the ability to be aware of one's own or another's emotions and the TAS-20 is the most widely used subjective measure of alexithymia. Scores of these scales were compared between two groups using ANCOVA controlling age and BDI scores. RESULTS: The LEAS-K scores were significantly lower in alcohol-dependent patients than normal controls. The TAS-20K total scores, factor 1 (Difficulty to Identifying Feeling, DIF) and factor 3 (Externally Oriented Thinking, EOT) were significantly higher in alcohol-dependent patients than normal controls. In contrast to the LEAS-K, the TAS-20K scores correlated significantly with the BDI scores. CONCLUSION: Emotional awareness is impaired in alcohol-dependent patients and it may not be related with depressive mood. Additional studies are needed to explore the significance of alexithymia, especially impaired emotional awareness, and its relationship to depressive mood in patients with alcohol dependence.
Affective Symptoms ; Alcoholism ; Depression ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Thinking ; Weights and Measures

Background: Since 2013, the number of requests for diagnosis for horses based on neurological symptoms has increased rapidly in South Korea. The affected horses have commonly exhibited symptoms of acute seasonal hindlimb ataxia. A previous study from 2015–2016 identified Setaria digitata as the causative agent. Objectives: This study is an epidemiological investigation to find out risk factors related to the rapid increase in hindlimb ataxia of horses due to aberrant parasites in South Korea. Methods: An epidemiological investigation was conducted on 155 cohabiting horses in 41 horse ranches where the disease occurred. The surrounding environment was investigated at the disease-causing horse ranches (n = 41) and 20, randomly selected, non-infected ranches. Results: Hindlimb ataxia was confirmed in nine cohabiting horses; this was presumed to be caused by ectopic parasitism. Environments that mosquitoes inhabit, such as paddy fields within 2 km and less than 0.5 km from a river, had the greatest association with disease occurrence. Conclusions Most horse ranches in South Korea are situated in favorable environments for mosquitoes. Moreover, the number of mosquitoes in the country has increased since 2013 due to climate change. Additional research is required; however, these data show that it is necessary to establish guidelines for the use of anthelmintic agents based on local factors in South Korea and disinfection of the environment to prevent disease outbreaks.

PURPOSE: Watson for Oncology (WFO) is a computing system for considering treatment option with patients. The aim of this study is to determine the concordance rate of WFO and tumor board in treatment options of breast cancer.METHODS: One hundred and seventy breast cancer patients who were treated at Gachon University Gil Medical Center (GMC) from December 2016 to March 2018 were investigated. “Concordance” is defined that treatment provided by GMC tumor board and WFO-provided treatments (Recommend or For Consideration) were coincide. “Discordance” is defined that treatment provided by GMC tumor board and WFO-provided treatments (Not Recommended or Not Available) were coincide.RESULTS: In chemotherapy, of the total 170 patients, 23 patients were excluded, and the concordance rate was compared in 147 patients. Concordance rate was 93% (136/147). In the 11 patients who were discordant, seven patients complied with the treatment proposed by GMC tumor board due to insurance problems and age, and two patients did not follow the treatment proposed by WFO due to pregnancy and patient's choice, and one patient chose a treatment determined by WFO, last one patient was not treated with chemotherapy because it was not considered to be clinically necessary. In radiotherapy, the overall agreement rate was as high as 99% (147/148).CONCLUSION: Through this study, we found that many of the treatment proposals provided by WFO are highly reliable. Although the overall agreement is high in the radiotherapy regimen, the indication for radiotherapy by WFO is more aggressive and hypofractionated high dose intensity radiotherapy is growing trend by WFO.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Insurance ; Pregnancy ; Radiotherapy

Background/Aims: Chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene (CEAS), an inherited disease characterized by nonspecific intestinal ulcers, has emerged in the Japanese population via loss-of-function mutations in the SLCO2A1 gene. We aimed to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of Korean patients diagnosed with CEAS. Methods: From July 2018 to July 2021, we performed Sanger sequencing of the SLCO2A1 gene in 46 patients with chronic intestinal ulcers. CEAS was confirmed based on known SLCO2A1 mutations. We summarized the clinical characteristics of patients with confirmed CEAS. Results: Fourteen out of 46 patients (30.4%) had genetically confirmed CEAS, and two SLCO2A1variants were detected (splicing site variant c.940+1G>A and nonsense mutation [p.R603X] in SLCO2A1). Twelve patients (85.7%) were females and the median age at diagnosis of CEAS was 44.5 years. All patients presented with abdominal pain, and 13 patients (92.9%) presented with anemia (median hemoglobin, 9.6 g/dL). Ten patients (71.4%) had hypoalbuminemia (median, 2.7 g/dL). The most commonly involved site was the ileum (13/14, 92.9%). Manifestations of primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO), such as digital clubbing, pachydermia, and periostosis were observed in five patients (28.6%) and two male patients and one female patient satisfied all major PHO diagnostic criteria. Conclusions The clinical and genetic characteristics of Korean patients with confirmed CEAS were similar to those reported in the literature. CEAS should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with unexplained chronic nonspecific ulcers of the small intestine.