Intron prediction is an important problem of the constantly updated genome annotation. Using two model plant (rice and Arabidopsis) genomes, we compared two well-known intron prediction tools: the Blast-Like Alignment Tool (BLAT) and Sim4cc. The results showed that each of the tools had its own advantages and disadvantages. BLAT predicted more than 99% introns of whole genomic introns with a small number of false-positive introns. Sim4cc was successful at finding the correct introns with a false-negative rate of 1.02% to 4.85%, and it needed a longer run time than BLAT. Further, we evaluated the intron information of 10 complete plant genomes. As non-coding sequences, intron lengths are not limited by a triplet codon frame; so, intron lengths have three phases: a multiple of three bases (3n), a multiple of three bases plus one (3n + 1), and a multiple of three bases plus two (3n + 2). It was widely accepted that the percentages of the 3n, 3n + 1, and 3n + 2 introns were quite similar in genomes. Our studies showed that 80% (8/10) of species were similar in terms of the number of three phases. The percentages of 3n introns in Ostreococcus lucimarinus was excessive (47.7%), while in Ostreococcus tauri, it was deficient (29.1%). This discrepancy could have been the result of errors in intron prediction. It is suggested that a three-phase evaluation is a fast and effective method of detecting intron annotation problems.
Codon ; Genome ; Genome, Plant ; Humans ; Introns ; Plants ; Triplets

On July 6, 2009, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred among middle school students in Incheon. An investigation to identify the source and describe the extent of the outbreak was conducted. A retrospective cohort study among students, teachers, and food handlers exposed to canteen food in the middle school was performed. Using self-administered questionnaires, information was collected concerning on symptoms, days that canteen food was consumed, and food items consumed. Stool samples were collected from 66 patients and 11 food handlers. The catering kitchen was inspected and food samples were taken. Of the 791 people who ate canteen food, 92 cases became ill, representing an attack rate of 11.6%. Thirty-one (40.3%) of the 77 stool specimens were positive for Campylobacter jejuni. Interviews with kitchen staff indicated the likelihood that undercooked chicken was provided. This is the first recognized major C. jejuni outbreak associated with contaminated chicken documented in Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Campylobacter Infections/*epidemiology ; *Campylobacter jejuni ; Chickens ; Cohort Studies ; *Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Food Contamination ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Water Microbiology

DiGeorge syndrome is the developmental anomalies of the third and fourth pharngeal pouches. Recently, damages or abnormal development of the neural crest is suggested as a possible pathogenetic factor, because neural crest cells play a crucial role in development of pharyngeal pouch derivatives, e.g. thymus and parathyroid glands, as well as the aortic arches and conotruncal part of the heat. Most cases have abnormal findings of chromosome 22 and are sporadic, but familial cases have been described. Typical features of DiGeorge syndrome are congenital heart disease, aplasia or hypoplasia of the thymus and parathyroid glands and facial dysmorphism. The main problems and cause of death are severe congestive heart failure due to cardiac anomlies, hypocalcemic complications or immunocompromised conditions. As these results, most cases were expired at infantal period or early childhood. Recently, we have a case of Digeorge syndrome which was associated with complex cardiovascular anomalies(tetralogy of Fallot, atrial septal defect, right aortic arch, left hemitruncus), severe hypocalcemia, aplasia of thymus and facial dysmorphism.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cause of Death ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; DiGeorge Syndrome* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Failure ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Infant ; Neural Crest ; Parathyroid Glands ; Thymus Gland