Comparing Genomic Characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes Associated with Invasiveness over a 20-year Period in Korea

Shin Hyoshim,Takahashi Takashi,Lee Seungjun,Choi Eun Hwa,Maeda Takahiro,Fukushima Yasuto,Kim Sunjoo 대한진단검사의학회 2022 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.42 No.4

Background: Few studies have investigated the invasiveness of Streptococcus pyogenes based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Using WGS, we determined the genomic features associated with invasiveness of S. pyogenes strains in Korea. Methods: Forty-five S. pyogenes strains from 1997, 2006, and 2017, including common emm types, were selected from the repository at Gyeongsang National University Hospital in Korea. In addition, 48 S. pyogenes strains were randomly selected depending on their invasiveness between 1997 and 2017 to evaluate the genetic evolution and the associations between invasiveness and genetic profiles. Using WGS datasets, we conducted virulence-associated DNA sequence determination, emm genotyping, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), and superantigen gene profiling. Results: In total, 87 strains were included in this study. There were no significant differences in the genomic features throughout the study periods. Four genes, csn1, ispE, nisK, and citC, were detected only in invasive strains. There was a significant association between invasiveness and emm cluster type A-C3, including, emm1.0, emm1.18, emm1.3, and emm1.76 (P<0.05). The predominant emm1 lineage belonged to ST28. There were no associations between invasiveness and superantigen gene profiles. Conclusions: This is the first study using WGS datasets of S. pyogenes strains collected between 1997 and 2017 in Korea. Streptococcal invasiveness is associated with the presence of csn1, ispE, nisK, and citC. The emm1 lineage and ST28 clone are explicitly associated with invasiveness, whereas genomic features remained stable over the 20-year period.

Comparison of factor structures on pleasure derived from physical activity by 10- to 12-year-old children in South Korea and Japan

( Takahiro Ikeda ),( Osamu Aoyagi ),( Tae Hee Choi ),( Nam Ik Han ),( Kwang Soo Koo ),( Youn Shin Nam ),( Young Whan Seo ) 한국체육학회 2016 국제스포츠과학 학술대회 Vol.2016 No.1

Purpose: In recent years, the inactivity of Asian children has been cited. Japan and South Korea, which are located in the same Asian region, are neighboring countries that have many similarities as well as unique aspects. Thus, this study aimed to compare factorial structures of pleasure derived from physical activity between Japanese and South Korean elementary school pupils. Method: 1,689 Japanese and South Korean elementary school pupils in the fifth and sixth grades (461 Japanese boys and 406 girls; 395 Korean boys and 427 girls) answered a questionnaire, which consisted of 22 items presuming 10 factors developed by Tokunaga and Hashimoto (1980). First, factor analysis was conducted on Japanese data. Next, factor analysis with incomplete Procrustes rotation was successively conducted on Korean data using Japanese factorial structure as a hypothetical structure. Result: The following new factors of pleasure from physical activity by Japanese children were extracted (cumulative factor contribution= 52.0%): “F1: Pleasure factor from challenging and creative activities” (factor contribution=4.42, rate of factor contribution=21.4%); “F2: Pleasure factor from winning and group activities” (3.66, 16.6%); and “F3: Pleasure factor from watching physical activity and cheering” (3.06, 13.9%). However, pleasure factors such as competition, admiration, self-realization, good health, and sense of thrill were not extracted from the Japanese data. Thus, Procrustes-rotation factor analysis was applied to the Korean data targeting the 12 items related to the factors of “challenge,” “creative activities,” “sense of winning,” and “watching and cheering.” As a result, the following two factors were extracted: Pleasure factors consisting of two items involved with group activity and competition (Factor contribution=2.734) and factors including all items except for the items contained in the first (9.240). Conclusion: Tokunaga (2016) assumed the hierarchical structure of pleasure factors for physical activity. Based on this, it can be understood that F3 in Japanese factorial structure is located at a low level and F1 at a high level. That is to say, the factorial structure of pleasure for physical activity by Japanese children is diverse depending on their level of physical fitness and tastes, indicating that they derive pleasure from physical activity from various viewpoints. On the other hand, Korean children derived their pleasure from physical activity from a one-dimensional and simple perspective. In specific terms, their factors can be characterized by whether they are generated in the context of their relationship with friends or rivals participating in exercises, or not, and by pleasure produced due to other factors.

Development of “high presence” video communication system

Takahiro Komine,Akihiko Machizawa,Shin-ichi Nakagawa,Fumito Kubota,Yasuo Tan 한국정보과학회 2002 한국정보과학회 학술발표논문집 Vol.2002 No.1

Commercial strain typing of Lentinula edodes with inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism-PCR method

Fumito Sasaki,Shin Takahashi,Hisashi Fujita,Takahiro Yamauchi,Sumio Ayusawa 한국버섯학회 2010 한국버섯학회 국제학술대회 Vol.6 No.-

Comparison of the implementation status of weight control and physical activities between South Korean and Japanese university students

( Tomoko Ikeda ),( Takahiro Ikeda ),( Osamu Aoyagi ),( Tae Hee Choi ),( Nam Ik Han ),( Ye Ju Hong ),( Kwang Soo Koo ),( Youn Shin Nam ) 한국체육학회 2016 국제스포츠과학 학술대회 Vol.2016 No.1

Purpose: Adolescent Japanese girls have a strong desire to be thin and, therefore, engage in many unhealthy weight-control behaviors such as dieting. In recent years, this drive for thinness has spread to include boys as well as girls. Meanwhile, the desire to be thin is also increasing among adolescents in South Korea. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between weight-control (WC) behaviors and physical activity (PA) among university students in Japan and South Korea. Method: The subjects comprised 1,833 university students in Japan (male, 454; female, 456) and South Korea (male, 449; female, 474). All subjects were asked whether they engaged in WC behaviors and were queried about the intensity (mild, moderate, and vigorous), number of days per week, and duration of PA. The correlations between sex, WC behaviors, and PA were investigated by country using a chi-square test. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was then applied to investigate overall correlations. Result: The rates of WC behaviors were higher among female students than male students in both countries (58.7% vs. 18.4% in Japan [χ2=151.9***] and 61.1% vs. 42.3% in South Korea [χ2=32.6***]). Regarding PA, male students tended to exercise more days per week than female students in South Korea for all PA intensities. The same tendency was observed in Japan in relation to moderate and vigorous PA, but not for mild PA which was the same for males and females. Two-dimensional (2D) plots based on the results of MCA showed a correlation between not engaging in WC behaviors and performing PA among male students and between engaging in WC behaviors and not performing PA among female students in both Japan and South Korea for mild PA (1D: α=.455, eigenvalue=1.519; 2D: α=.336, eigenvalue=1.337). This tendency became increasingly marked for moderate (1D: α=583, eigenvalue=1.776, 2D: α=.463, eigenvalue=1.531) and vigorous (1D: α=.656, eigenvalue=1.970, 2D: α=.470, eigenvalue=1.544) PA. Conclusion: Female university students in Japan characteristically engaged in WC behaviors without PA, and this tendency became more marked as exercise intensity increased. Female university students in South Korea also engaged in WC behaviors, but they also performed moderate PA; and WC behaviors were associated with PA. Male university students in South Korea engaged in WC behaviors, but these were associated with PA and the number of days per week; and durations of PA were greater than those of female university students in South Korea at all PA intensities. The rates of WC behaviors were low among male university students in Japan; however, the number of days per week and duration of PA were greater than those of male university students in South Korea at all PA intensities. The present findings show that the correlations between WC behaviors and PA observed among university students in South Korea are stronger in Japan.

Commercial strain typing of Lentinula edodes with inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism-PCR method

Fumito Sasaki,Shin Takahashi,Hisashi Fujita,Takahiro Yamauchi,Sumio Ayusawa 한국버섯학회 2010 한국버섯학회지 Vol.8 No.4

[Aims] Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler has many commercial strains both morphologically and physiologically similar to each other. At present, detection of polymorphism in rDNA-IGS region (Babasaki, 2006) and/or RAPD marker (Zhang and Molina, 1995) is generally used for strain typing of L. edodes. However, it is rather time-and-cost consuming. Inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP)-PCR method mainly used for horticultural crops takes less time and lower in cost in strain typing (Kalendar et al, 1999). In this study, we designed IRAP primers for L. edodes and verified their strain typing efficiency. [Method] Thirty three strains were provided for this study. Either fungal cultures on PDA or fungal tissues of fruit bodies were cut into approximately 4 x 4 x 4 mm. Total DNA of each samples were extracted by DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN). For PCR, IRAP primer set and Pfu-X polymerase (greiner) were performed. Based on LTR (Long Terminal Repeat) sequence in L. edodes, we designed one set of primers amplifying the regions between retrotransposons. Ampricons were electrophored for 50 min at 100 V on 1.7 % agarose gel with GelRed (Biotium) and evaluated under UV irradiation. [Results] The products obtained by IRAP-PCR were determined using mini-gel electrophoresis system. The band patterns of IRAP-PCR products differ among strains except the ones having the same parental cultivar. The detected bands were bright and clear without smearing. The IRAP-PCR products of fungal cultures on PDA and correlating fungal tissues of fruit bodies showed the same band pattern, suggesting that the procedure is highly reproducible. Thus, it is considered that IRAP-PCR with short ranged (ca. 1 kb) electrophoresis is a time-efficient and practical strain typing method of L. edodes.

Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis-Induced Lower Leg Ulceration in the Course of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Advanced Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report

Dongkyung Seo,Shin Ariga,Kosuke Ishikawa,Takahiro Miura,Rika Moku,Emi Funayama,Yuhei Yamamoto,Taku Maeda 대한창상학회 2024 Journal of Wound Management and Research Vol.20 No.2

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have expanded therapeutic options for advanced malignancies, offering new hope for conditions once deemed untreatable. However, the advent of ICIs has introduced a spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), a rare but significant complication. This case report describes development of LCV after treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab in a 70-year-old man with malignant melanoma, highlighting the diagnostic and management challenges of such irAEs. Despite extensive investigation, conventional pathology failed to identify the immune complexes typically associated with LCV. The clinical presentation, alongside a detailed medical history and the exclusion of infections, medications, and autoimmune diseases, was crucial in establishing a diagnosis. Ulcer resolution following discontinuation of ICI therapy and initiation of steroids further support the conclusion that LCV was an irAE in this patient. This case underscores the need for vigilant monitoring for irAEs for the variable onset after ICI therapy and the importance of thorough history-taking to guide diagnosis and treatment. With ICIs becoming increasingly prevalent in oncology, the incidence of ICI-induced ulcers like LCV is expected to rise, necessitating heightened awareness and multidisciplinary approaches to patient care.

Application of Cerenkov radiation generated in plastic optical fibers for therapeutic photon beam dosimetry.

Jang, Kyoung Won,Yagi, Takahiro,Pyeon, Cheol Ho,Yoo, Wook Jae,Shin, Sang Hun,Jeong, Chiyoung,Min, Byung Jun,Shin, Dongho,Misawa, Tsuyoshi,Lee, Bongsoo SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engine 2013 Journal of biomedical optics Vol.18 No.2

<P>A Cerenkov fiber-optic dosimeter (CFOD) is fabricated using plastic optical fibers to measure Cerenkov radiation induced by a therapeutic photon beam. We measured the Cerenkov radiation generated in optical fibers in various irradiation conditions to evaluate the usability of Cerenkov radiation for a photon beam therapy dosimetry. As a results, the spectral peak of Cerenkov radiation was measured at a wavelength of 515 nm, and the intensity of Cerenkov radiation increased linearly with increasing irradiated length of the optical fiber. Also, the intensity peak of Cerenkov radiation was measured in the irradiation angle range of 30 to 40 deg. In the results of Monte Carlo N-particle transport code simulations, the relationship between fluxes of electrons over Cerenkov threshold energy and energy deposition of a 6 MV photon beam had a nearly linear trend. Finally, percentage depth doses for the 6 MV photon beam could be obtained using the CFOD and the results were compared with those of an ionization chamber. Here, the mean dose difference was about 0.6%. It is anticipated that the novel and simple CFOD can be effectively used for measuring depth doses in radiotherapy dosimetry.</P>

Continuity of Ce4felectronic structure across the quantum critical point: A resonant photoemission study onCeNi1−xCoxGe2

Im, H. J.,Ito, Takahiro,Hong, J. B.,Kimura, Shin-ichi,Kwon, Y. S. American Physical Society 2005 Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials Vol.72 No.22

Long-term Observation of Gastric Adenocarcinoma of Fundic Gland Mucosa Type before and after Helicobacter pylori Eradication: a Case Report

Takahashi, Keitaro,Ueno, Nobuhiro,Sasaki, Takahiro,Kobayashi, Yu,Sugiyama, Yuya,Murakami, Yuki,Kunogi, Takehito,Ando, Katsuyoshi,Kashima, Shin,Moriichi, Kentaro,Tanabe, Hiroki,Kamikokura, Yuki,Yuzawa, The Korean Gastric Cancer Association 2021 Journal of gastric cancer Vol.21 No.1

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland mucosa type (GA-FGM) was proposed as a new variant of gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (GA-FG). However, at present, the influence of Helicobacter pylori and the speed of progression and degree of malignancy in GA-FGM remain unclear. Herein, we report the first case of intramucosal GA-FGM that was endoscopically observed before and after H. pylori eradication over 15 years. The lesion showed the same tumor size with no submucosal invasion and a low MIB-1 labeling index 15 years after its detection using endoscopy. The endoscopic morphology changed from 0-IIa before H. pylori eradication to 0-IIa+IIc and then 0-I after H. pylori eradication. These findings suggest that the unaltered tumor size reflects low-grade malignancy and slow growth, and that the endoscopic morphology is influenced by H. pylori eradication.