Linkage disequilibrium (LD) is the non-random association between the loci and it could give us a preliminary insight into the genetic history of the population. In the present study LD patterns and effective population size (Ne) of three Korean cattle breeds along with Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian cattle were compared using the bovine Illumina SNP50 panel. The effective population size (Ne) is the number of breeding individuals in a population and is particularly important as it determines the rate at which genetic variation is lost. The genotype data in our study comprised a total of 129 samples, varying from 4 to 39 samples. After quality control there were ~29,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for which r² value was calculated. Average distance between SNP pairs was 1.14 Mb across all breeds. Average r² between adjacent SNP pairs ranged between was 0.1 for Yanbian to 0.3 for Qinchuan. Effective population size of the breeds based on r² varied from 16 in Hainan to 226 in Yanbian. Amongst the Korean native breeds effective population size of Brindle Hanwoo was the least with Ne = 59 and Brown Hanwoo was the highest with Ne = 83. The effective population size of the Korean cattle breeds has been decreasing alarmingly over the past generations. We suggest appropriate measures to be taken to prevent these local breeds in their native tracts.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Breeding ; Cattle* ; Family Characteristics ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Korea ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Population Density ; Quality Control

A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 patients with pineal region tumors treated with radiation from 1979 through 1985 at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Histologic confirmation was done in only one case by surgical removal, and in the remaining 22 patients, the diagnosis was based on clinical and radiological findings. The radiation volume was the primary tumor site in 1 case, whole brain in 14 cases, and the whole craniospinal axis in 8 cases. The overall 5 year survival was 71.5%. The 5 year survival was 69. 3% for whole brain treated group and 73.3% for craniospinal axis treated group. The survival for the two groups did not differ significantly. In two cases sites of recurrence were detected. One in supratentorial area, and the other in the lung. The results from this retrospective analysis and the review of other reports indicate that routine use of prophlatic spinal irradiation is not warranted in pineal region tumor, and the craniospinal irradiation is recommended in cases with high risk for subarachnoid seeding such as positive CSF cytology, surgical removal or biopsy.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Craniospinal Irradiation ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung ; Pinealoma* ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; T-Lymphocytes*

Thirty eight patients with stage Iand II primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital between 1979 and 1984. There were 6 systemic disseminations during radiotherapy, and the overall failure rate were 31% in the cases with tumor bulk less than 5 cm in diameter before radiotherapy and 75% in the cases with tumor bulk greater than 5 cm in diameter (p<0.05). The overall 5 year survival rate were 69.2% in 28 patients who completed radiotherapay and 72% in 24 patients with tumor bulk less than 5 cm in diameter (small or no tumor bulk). The 5 year disease free survival rate were 71% in cases with tumor bulk less than 5 cm in diameter and 25% in cases with tumor bulk greater than 5 cm in diameter (p<0.01). But the initial stage was not related with treatment result in all cases or subgroups of cases. Thus the cases with small or no tumor bulk were shown to be curable with combined surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, but for the control of the cases with large tumor bulk that had a guarded prognosis combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be tried.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Prognosis ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Seoul ; Survival Rate

Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Education ; Humans ; International Cooperation ; Oceania ; Seoul

Background: Microvascular ultrasonography (MVUS) is a third-generation Doppler technique that was developed to increase sensitivity compared to conventional Doppler. The purpose of this study was to compare MVUS with conventional color Doppler (CD) and power Doppler (PD) imaging to distinguish Graves’ disease (GD) from destructive thyroiditis (DT). Methods: This prospective study included 101 subjects (46 GDs, 47 DTs, and eight normal controls) from October 2020 to November 2021. All ultrasonography examinations were performed using microvascular flow technology (MV-Flow). The CD, PD, and MVUS images were semi-quantitatively graded according to blood flow patterns. On the MVUS images, vascularity indices (VIs), which were the ratio (%) of color pixels in the total grayscale pixels in a defined region of interest, were obtained automatically. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to verify the diagnostic performance of MVUS. The interclass correlation coefficient and Cohen’s kappa analysis were used to analyze the reliability of MVUS (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT04879173). Results: The area under the curve (AUC) for CD, PD, MVUS, and MVUS-VI was 0.822, 0.844, 0.808, and 0.852 respectively. The optimal cutoff value of the MVUS-VI was 24.95% for distinguishing GD and DT with 87% sensitivity and 80.9% specificity. We found a significant positive correlation of MVUS-VI with thyrotropin receptor antibody (r=0.554) and with thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin bioassay (r=0.841). MVUS showed high intra- and inter-observer reliability from various statistical method. Conclusion In a real time and quantitative manner, MVUS-VI could be helpful to differentiate GD from thyroiditis in thyrotoxic patients, with less inter-observer variability.

Human taeniasis was investigated in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) between 2000 and 2011 as part of the nation's helminthiasis survey. A total of 55,038 inhabitants, including 29,846 school children, were examined using the Kato-Katz and scotch-tape anal swab method, and morphological observation of adult worms. Molecular identification of Taenia tapeworms was performed by multiplex PCR or DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. Taenia eggs were present at a rate of 1.5% (845/55,038) in the subject population. Adult tapeworms were identified as T. solium or T. saginata by analyzing the collectable stool specimens (n=126). Three specimens identified as T. solium were found in Luang Prabang, while the remaining 123 specimens, which were T. saginata, were found in Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouane, Luang Namta, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Phongsaly, Saysomboune, Saravane, Savannakhet, Xayaboury, Xekong, Xieng Khouang Province, and Vientiane Municipality.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anal Canal/parasitology ; Animals ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Laos/epidemiology ; Male ; Microscopy ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Taenia saginata/isolation & purification ; Taenia solium/isolation & purification ; Taeniasis/*epidemiology/parasitology

Knowledge of the prevalence of human Toxoplasma gondii infection is required in the Republic of Korea. In this study, we surveyed the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and analyzed the risk factors associated with seropositivity among residents in 2 administrative districts; Seoul and the island of Jeju-do, which have contrasting epidemiologic characteristics. Sera and blood collected from 2,150 residents (1,114 in Seoul and 1,036 in Jeju-do) were checked for IgG antibody titers using ELISA and for the T. gondii B1 gene using PCR. In addition, participants completed a questionnaire that solicited information on gender, age, occupation, eating habits, history of contact with animals, and travel abroad. The T. gondii B1 gene was not detected in all residents examined. However, ELISA showed 8.0% (89 of 1,114 sera) positive for IgG antibodies against T. gondii in Seoul and 11.3% (117 of 1,036 sera) in Jeju-do. In both districts, the positive rates were higher in males than in females, and those 40-79 years of age showed higher rates than other ages. In Seoul, residents older than 70 years of age showed the highest positive rate, 14.9%, whereas in Jeju-do the highest prevalence, 15.6%, was in those in their sixties. The higher seropositive rate in Jeju-do than in Seoul may be related to eating habits and occupations. The present results and a review of related literature are indicative of an increased seroprevalence of T. gondii in Korea in recent years.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Child ; DNA, Protozoan/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sex Factors ; Toxoplasma/genetics/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Young Adult

The infection status of mullets Mugil cephalus (n = 139) and gobies (n = 35) Acanthogobius flavimanus with metacercariae of Heterophyes nocens and Pygidiopsis summa was examined in 11 western, southern, and eastern coastal areas of the Republic of Korea, using a digestion technique. Heterophyid metacercariae were highly prevalent in mullets from western and southern coastal areas; Shinan-gun (100% for H. nocens and 100% for P. summa), Muan-gun (93% and 100%), Buan-gun (42% and 75%), Seocheon-gun (73% and 53%), Ganghwa-gun (47% and 100%), Sacheon-shi (47% and 77%), and Gangjin-gun (50% and 70%, respectively). Only 1 (10%) of 10 mullets from an eastern coastal area, i.e., Donghae-shi, was positive for P. summa metacercariae. Metacercarial densities were the highest in the trunk of mullets for H. nocens and the gill for P. summa. Gobies from Muan-gun were positive for H. nocens (40%) and P. summa metacercariae (40%), and gobies from Seocheon-gun revealed H. nocens metacercariae (20%). The metacercarial density was remarkably higher in mullets than in gobies. The results revealed that H. nocens and P. summa metacercariae are prevalent in mullets and gobies from coastal areas of the Republic of Korea, and the prevalence and intensity of infection vary according to geographical locality.
Animals ; Fish Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Geography ; Heterophyidae/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity ; Korea/epidemiology ; Life Cycle Stages ; Perciformes/*parasitology ; Population Surveillance ; Prevalence ; Smegmamorpha/*parasitology ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary