In-Ho Song | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Use of SSR markers to complement tests of distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) varieties.

This study was carried out to assess the potential of SSR markers for variety identification by comparing SSR markers and morphological traits in tests of distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) varieties. Twenty-seven SSR markers were polymorphic in 66 pepper varieties, revealing a total of 89 alleles. Average polymorphism information content (PIC) value was 0.529, ranging from 0.03 to 0.877. Cluster analysis of the band patterns separated the varieties into three groups corresponding to varietal types. Morphological trait-based clustering showed some degree of similarity to dendrogram topologies based on the SSR index. However, no significance correlation was found between the SSR and morphological data. SSR markers could be used to complement a DUS test of a candidate variety and to select complimentary varieties by pre-screening existing varieties in the context of protecting new varieties of pepper.

Capsicum↗

PubMed2005

New Glucocorticoids on the Horizon: Repress, Don't Activate!

Glucocorticoids are highly effective drugs; their immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory actions are used in the treatment of many rheumatic and other inflammatory diseases. However, their use is sometimes considerably limited by numerous adverse reactions. For this reason, great efforts have been made in recent years to develop innovative glucocorticoids or glucocorticoid receptor ligands that have improved therapeutic effect/adverse reaction ratio. We summarize the position and critically discuss the following products that are currently under development: (1) selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRA or dissociating glucocorticoids); (2) nitrosteroids; and (3) long-circulating liposomal glucocorticoids. Finally, we describe the state of research on membrane-bound glucocorticoid receptors as possible further targets for specific glucocorticoid actions.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

New glucocorticoids on the horizon: repress, don't activate!

Glucocorticoids are highly effective drugs; their immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory actions are used in the treatment of many rheumatic and other inflammatory diseases. However, their use is sometimes considerably limited by numerous adverse reactions. For this reason, great efforts have been made in recent years to develop innovative glucocorticoids or glucocorticoid receptor ligands that have improved therapeutic effect/adverse reaction ratio. We summarize the position and critically discuss the following products that are currently under development: (1) selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRA or dissociating glucocorticoids); (2) nitrosteroids; and (3) long-circulating liposomal glucocorticoids. Finally, we describe the state of research on membrane-bound glucocorticoid receptors as possible further targets for specific glucocorticoid actions.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Recurrence quantification analysis of sleep electoencephalogram in sleep apnea syndrome in humans.

The aim of this study is to elucidate whether the results of recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) of sleep EEGs in sleep apnea syndrome are valuable for analyzing sleep EEGs in sleep apnea syndrome. We investigated the ability of RQA to discriminate sleep stages and to characterize the different behaviors of sleep EEGs in sleep apnea syndrome. RQA was applied to EEG signals during sleep stages 1, 2, slow wave sleep (SWS), REM and the stage 'awake.' The sleep EEG signals were obtained from the MIT-BIH polysomnographic database. To examine the differences in the RQA measures for all sleep stages, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis were performed. From the results, all sleep stages could be distinctly discriminated by means of the RQA measure of %RATIO. We observed that stage 1 and REM had fewer recurrences, and that stage 2 was more autocorrelated than the other stages. The different dynamic behaviors of wakefulness and sleep EEG were also observed. Of significant interest was the observation that RQA was able to distinguish stage 1 from REM. In conclusion, we suggest that the information obtained from RQA of sleep EEGs in sleep apnea syndrome is valuable for its analysis, and that RQA constitutes a useful tool for analyzing sleep EEGs in subjects with sleep apnea syndrome.

Computing Methodologies↗

PubMed2003

A PC-based high-quality and interactive virtual endoscopy navigating system using 3D texture based volume rendering.

As an alternative method to optical endoscopy, visual quality and interactivity are crucial for virtual endoscopy. One solution is to use the 3D texture map based volume rendering method that offers high rendering speed without reducing visual quality. However, it is difficult to apply the method to virtual endoscopy. First, 3D texture mapping requires a high-end graphic workstation. Second, texture memory limits reduce the frame-rate. Third, lack of shading reduces visual quality significantly. As 3D texture mapping has become available on personal computers recently, we developed an interactive navigation system using 3D texture mapping on a personal computer. We divided the volume data into small cubes and tested whether the cubes had meaningful data. Only the cubes that passed the test were loaded into the texture memory and rendered. With the amount of data to be rendered minimized, rendering speed increased remarkably. We also improved visual quality by implementing full Phong shading based on the iso-surface shading method without sacrificing interactivity. With the developed navigation system, 256 x 256 x 256 sized brain MRA data was interactively explored with good image quality.

Anatomy, Cross-Sectional↗

PubMed2002

A newly identified chromosomal microdeletion and an N-box mutation of the AChR epsilon gene cause a congenital myasthenic syndrome.

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs) are frequently caused by mutations of the coding region of the acetylcholine receptor epsilon subunit (AChRepsilon) gene leading to a reduced expression of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the postsynaptic membrane. Two recent observations have linked two different N-box mutations of the human AChRepsilon promoter to a clinical CMS phenotype. N-boxes are regulatory sequence elements of mammalian promoters that confer synapse-specific expression of several genes, including the AChR subunit genes. Here, we report on a novel point mutation (epsilon-154G-->A) in the N-box of the AChRepsilon promoter in a German CMS pedigree. Semiquantitative analysis of AChRepsilon mRNA levels in the patient's muscle indicated significantly impaired AChRepsilon expression. We provide additional evidence of a pathogenic role for this mutation using the mutated promoter (epsilon-154G-->A) driving a heterologous gene (luciferase) in rat skeletal muscle. We show that agrin-induced gene expression is significantly reduced by the N-box mutant (mt) compared with the wild-type (wt) promoter. Refined haplotype analysis and direct sequencing revealed maternal inheritance of the mutant AChRepsilon promoter (epsilon-154G-->A) together with paternal inheritance of a chromosomal microdeletion (Delta1290 bp) encompassing the promoter and the first two exons of the AChRepsilon gene in the index patient. In conclusion, we provide genetic and functional evidence that a mutation of the AChRepsilon subunit promoter (epsilon-154G-->A) causes CMS due to the reduction of gene expression in skeletal muscle. Moreover, this is the first report of a chromosomal microdeletion affecting an AChR gene. This type of mutation may be missed in standard screening techniques of CMS patients.

Adult↗