Moon Young Kim

The genome of soybean (Glycine max), a commercially important crop, has recently been sequenced and is one of six crop species to have been sequenced. Here we report the genome sequence of G. soja, the undomesticated ancestor of G. max (in particular, G. soja var. IT182932). The 48.8-Gb Illumina Genome Analyzer (Illumina-GA) short DNA reads were aligned to the G. max reference genome and a consensus was determined for G. soja. This consensus sequence spanned 915.4 Mb, representing a coverage of

Abstract Background Sarcopenia has been reported as a prognostic factor. We evaluated the impact of sarcopenia to the conventional prognostic factors [Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP) score, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG)] in cirrhosis. Methods Overall, 452 patients with cirrhosis were stratified by MELD score (low < 15, high ≥ 15), CTP class, and HVPG [non‐clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), 6–9 mmHg; CSPH, 10–19 mmHg; extremel

With advances in the management and treatment of advanced liver disease, including the use of antiviral therapy, a simple, one stage description for advanced fibrotic liver disease has become inadequate. Although refining the diagnosis of cirrhosis to reflect disease heterogeneity is essential, current diagnostic tests have not kept pace with the progression of this new paradigm. Liver biopsy and hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement are the gold standards for the estimation of hepatic fi

Since the genome sequences of wild species may provide key information about the genetic elements involved in speciation and domestication, the undomesticated soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.), a wild relative of the current cultivated soybean (G. max), was sequenced. In contrast to the current hypothesis of soybean domestication, which holds that the current cultivated soybean was domesticated from G. soja, our previous work has suggested that soybean was domesticated from the G. soja/G. m

Portal hypertension (PHT) is associated with hemodynamic changes in intrahepatic, systemic, and portosystemic collateral circulation. Increased intrahepatic resistance and hyperdynamic circulatory alterations with expansion of collateral circulation play a central role in the pathogenesis of PHT. PHT is also characterized by changes in vascular structure, termed vascular remodeling, which is an adaptive response of the vessel wall that occurs in response to chronic changes in the environment suc

The measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) for the estimation of portal hypertension (PH) in cirrhosis has some limitations, including its invasiveness. Hepatic vein arrival time (HVAT), as assessed by microbubble contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), is negatively correlated with the histological grade of liver fibrosis because of the associated hemodynamic abnormalities. Anatomical and pathophysiological changes in liver microcirculation are the initial events leading t

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alterations in the Doppler hepatic vein (HV) waveform are associated with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. We prospectively evaluated the correlation between the extent of abnormal Doppler HV waveforms expressed as damping index (DI) and the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and response to propranolol in patients with cirrhosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 76 patients with cirrhosis (69 men and seven women), both DI of Doppler HV waveform and HVPG were measured, and th

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that the renin-angiotensin system is implicated in hepatic fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. However, no study was done in humans with alcoholic liver disease. AIM: To investigate the antifibrotic effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1-R) blocking agents (ARB) in patients with alcoholic liver disease. METHODS: The primary outcome was improvement in patients' histological features. Eighty-five patients with compensated alcoholic liver fibrosis (≥ F2)

We used a set of approximately 200 Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. genes that are involved in the control of flowering time as a reference to identify orthologous (or homologous) counterparts of these genes in three legume species, that is, Lotus corniculatus L. var. japonicus Regel [syn. Lotus japonicus (Regel) K. Larsen], Medicago truncatula Gaertn. (barrel medic), and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. A total of 96, 98, and 304 homologs of flowering genes were identified in L. corniculatus

Appropriate surface wettability and roughness of biomaterials is an important factor in cell attachment and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the correlation between surface wettability and roughness, and biological response in human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs). We prepared wettable and rough gradient polyethylene (PE) surfaces by increasing the power of a radio frequency corona discharge apparatus with knife-type electrodes over a moving sample bed. The PE changed gradually

To develop a biodegradable polymer possessing elasticity and flexibility, we synthesized MPEG-b-(PCL-co-PLA) copolymers (PCxLyA), which display specific rates of flexibility and elasticity. We synthesize the PCxLyA copolymers by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and l-lactide. PCxLyA copolymers of various compositions were synthesized with 500,000 molecular weight. The PCxLyA copolymers mechanical properties were dependent on the mole ratio of the ε-caprolactone and l-lactide compone