Avian species survey with citizen-science data in Janghang Wetland, Goyang, Republic of Korea.

Background: Monitoring of avian populations in Janghang Wetland, Goyang, Republic of Korea (ROK) is based on citizen science (also called community-based monitoring). This monitoring data can be used to track avian density, population status and waterbird census at local, national and regional levels. The Ministry of Environment (MoE) ROK has surveyed since 1999, including Odusan Unification Tower to Ilsan Bride, which connects the cities of Gimpo and Goyang along the Han River estuary. However, it has not covered Janghang Wetland, which is located in the Han River estuary at the transboundary between the two Koreas. The Janghang Wetland is a protected wetland in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. In 2019, Janghang Wetland was designated as a Flyway Network Site by Goyang City and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership. This Network site is a voluntary collaboration and includes many internationally significant wetlands for waterbirds that still lack formal national protection. In addition, it was designated as a Ramsar site in 2021. The wetland currently supports wintering population of White-naped Crane (Grusvipio), species listed as vulnerable and Tundra Bean Goose (Ansercygnoides), spring-autumn migration population of Swan Goose (Ansercygnoid), species listed as vulnerable and a breeding population of Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor), species listed as endangered in summer. New information: We provide data that the Janghang Wetland is a significant area for migration and breeding for waterbirds; and that Han River estuary is also internationally important for waterbirds during the migratory bird season. We observed 14 orders, 42 families and 132 species. The surveys also observed the critically-endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor), Swan Goose (Ansercygnoides), White-naped Crane (Grusvipio), Whooper Swan (Cygnuscygnus) and Peregrine Falcon (Falcoperegrinus). We also observed the Black-faced Spoonbill, Great Egret, Little Egret, Great Cormorant, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Pheasant and Brown-eared Bulbul at the sensor camera point and White-naped Crane, Hooded Crane, Bean Goose, White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Swan Goose, Great Cormorant and Eastern Spot-billed Duck at the closed-circuit television camera point from the camera-trap surveys. Based on the species recorded, the survey area is of clear importance for biodiversity conservation.

Avian Surveys in the Korean Inner Border Area, Gimpo, Republic of Korea.

BACKGROUND: Birds are useful environmental indicators as their presence reflects the health of the food web. Bird occurrence, rarity and abundance are reliable indicators of ecosystem health. Monitoring of avian populations in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is a primary requirement due to plummeting populations and the risks to threatened species. The Ministry of Environment of ROK started conducting winter bird censuses in 1999, including inland areas and coast areas, such as Cheorwon, Yeoncheon, Junam Reservoir and Han River. Cheolwon, Yeoncheon and some extent islands in the West Sea have been survey extensively due to iconic bird species, such as White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) or Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) wintering there. However, the winter bird census has not covered Yu Islet, Han River Estuary. Yu Islet is located within the Han River Estuary, a protected wetland in the Neutral Zone between the two Koreas and north of Gimpo in the ROK. The Islet currently supports a large, mixed breeding colony of waterbirds, such as one of the nation's largest concentration of breeding Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and smaller numbers of breeding Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Grey Heron (Ardea cinereal), Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia). Access to the area has long been restricted for military reasons, but recently, regular survey activity is possible supported by Gimpo City and the military base in Gimpo from November 2018. NEW INFORMATION: Here, we provide data demonstrating that Yu Islet is important for breeding for waterbirds; and that the northern Gimpo part of Han River Estuary is also internationally important for waterbirds during the migratory bird season, as defined by the Ramsar Convention (Ramsar 1971, RRC-EA 2017). In particular, four waterbird species were found during the survey in the Main Survey Area: Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) and Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser frontalis). Once considered widespread in East Asia and abundant, the world population of Swan Goose is now estimated at only 60,000 - 78,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2020) and the species is assessed by BirdLife International as globally Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2020). The 1,010 Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) counted on the vegetated mudflats at Jogang-Ri in the Main Survey Area on 27 November 2018 represents more than 1% of the total world population of this species. Notably, it is also the highest count of this species in the ROK for at least a decade. The count confirms the continuing international importance of the Han River Estuary for the survival of the Swan Goose. The number counted in November had fallen to 250 by 28 December 2018; and none was recorded in the Main Survey Area in January or February 2019. Although searched for in March, none was noted during the northward migration either. The surveys also found small numbers of nationally-scarce Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Yungipicus canicapillus) in several areas of woodland surrounded by the Han River Estuary. By selecting the most species-rich count within a given month in each of the two survey sectors, the number of species we recorded ranged from a minimum 29 in January to a maximum of 65 in April 2019. Based on the species recorded, the survey area is clearly important for avian conservation. Its importance derives from the combination of the extensive areas of high-quality wetland and its geographic location within one of the Korea Peninsula's largest and most important remaining wetland ecosystems, the Han River Estuary. Our surveys resulted in the detection of a substantial number of bird species, especially in March and April when forest-breeding birds are more obviously vocal. The survey result is provided in the supplementary material (Suppl. material 1).

Safety and Effectiveness of Once-Daily Tadalafil (5 mg) Therapy in Korean Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia/Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in a Real-World Clinical Setting: Results from a Post-Marketing Surveillance Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of tadalafil 5 mg once daily (quaque die [everyday], QD) among Korean men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a real-world clinical setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-country, prospective, observational cohort study in which patients newly prescribed tadalafil 5 mg QD for the treatment of BPH/LUTS were followed-up for 12±2 or 24±2 weeks, or to the last treatment, during post-marketing surveillance. Safety was evaluated in terms of the frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Effectiveness was assessed by changes in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) from baseline to each endpoint. RESULTS: All patients receiving ≥1 dose of tadalafil 5 mg QD (N=637) were included in the safety population. Two percent of patients (n=13) experienced 15 TEAEs of mild (n=10; 66.7%) or moderate (n=5; 33.3%) severity. No severe TEAEs and no SAEs were reported. Effectiveness evaluations included all patients receiving tadalafil who had both baseline and endpoint observations (12-week, N=265; 24-week, N=44). Compared with baseline, the mean IPSS total score (±standard error) significantly improved by 4.7±0.3 and 6.4±0.7 points at the 12- and 24-week endpoints, respectively (p<0.0001), with significant improvements also observed on the storage, voiding, and quality of life subscores. In total, 69.1% of the patients had a clinically meaningful ≥3-point improvement in the IPSS total score. CONCLUSIONS: Tadalafil 5 mg QD was well tolerated and effective in Korean men with BPH/LUTS in a real-world clinical setting.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of prasugrel in healthy Korean males.

Prasugrel is a thienopyridine for treatment of acute coronary syndromes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Higher concentrations of prasugrel's active metabolite (R-138727) have been observed in Asian than white subjects. The primary objective was to investigate pharmacokinetics of R-138727 in healthy Korean males. Thirty subjects were randomized (1:2) to a 60 or 30 mg loading dose, subsequently (1:1:1) to 10-, 7.5-, or 5-mg maintenance doses. R-138727 plasma concentrations were analyzed with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Platelet aggregation was measured with Accumetrics VerifyNow. Mean (coefficient of variation) exposure to R-138727 was 600 ng·h/mL (16%) after 60 mg prasugrel and 283 ng·h/mL (17%) after 30 mg. After 10, 7.5, and 5 mg, mean exposures were 78.1 (24%), 58.4 (21%), and 38.3 ng·h/mL (24%). Pharmacokinetics were linear over this range. Daily 5 mg doses maintained a 65% (SD = 14.5%) inhibition of adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation; all other doses produced ≥90%. Prasugrel was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. Results are consistent with other studies of Asian subjects administered prasugrel. Although further guidance will be provided by a recently completed phase 3 study, these preliminary data suggest that dosing strategies approved for white patients with acute coronary syndromes are applicable to Asian patients.

Analysis of the distribution of bacteria within urinary catheter biofilms using four different molecular techniques.

BACKGROUND: Most nosocomial urinary tract infections are associated with the long-term use of urinary catheters. Such urinary catheter-associated infections are caused by bacteria that reside in biofilms. We determined the distribution of fastidious/nonculturable bacteria in biofilm of urinary catheters and evaluated the availability of concurrent applying various molecular techniques. METHODS: The biofilms were isolated from urinary catheters that had been installed in patients for 3 or 4 weeks and examined by the following 4 different 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) analysis techniques: capillary electrophoresis, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and pyrosequencing. RESULTS: A total of 329 isolates was identified by capillary electrophoresis. The most common genera were Edwardsiella, Enterobacter, Escherichia, and Pseudomonas. A total of 32 bacterial strains was identified by T-RFLP. Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Moraxella, Proteus, Serratia, and Yersinia were the most represented genera. Similarly, Escherichia, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter were the most prevalent according to DGGE. Burkholderia, Corynebacterium, Achromobacter, Alcaligenes, Citrobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Streptococcus were also detected. Escherichia and Pseudomonas were abundantly detected by pyrosequencing. Enterobacter, Bacteroides, Klebsiella, Corynebacterium were also seen. CONCLUSION: These 4 techniques detected different kinds of bacteria, suggesting that the simultaneous application of multiple techniques is necessary to accurately detect fastidious/nonculturable bacteria. Because bacterial growth within urinary catheter biofilms may be associated with urinary tract infections, further comprehensive studies are required.

Sphingobacterium kyonggiense sp. nov., isolated from chloroethene-contaminated soil, and emended descriptions of Sphingobacterium daejeonense and Sphingobacterium mizutaii.

A Gram-reaction-negative, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile strain, designated 2-1-2(T), was isolated from perchloroethylene/trichloroethene-contaminated soil in Suwon, South Korea. A polyphasic approach was used to study the taxonomic position of strain 2-1-2(T). Strain 2-1-2(T) showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Sphingobacterium daejeonense TR6-04(T) (97.9%) and Sphingobacterium mizutaii ATCC 33299(T) (97.1%); sequence similarities to other Sphingobacterium species were less than 93.0%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 2-1-2(T) belonged to the clade formed by members of the genus Sphingobacterium in the family Sphingobacteriaceae. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 36.6 mol%. Strain 2-1-2(T) showed the typical chemotaxonomic features of the genus Sphingobacterium, with the presence of a ceramide phosphorylethanolamine (CerPE-2) as the major ceramide, menaquinone 7 (MK-7) as the predominant respiratory quinone and iso-C(15:0), iso-C(17:0) 3-OH and summed feature 3 (comprising iso-C(15:0) 2-OH and/or C(16:1)ω7c) as the major fatty acids. On the basis of phylogenetic inference, fatty acid profile and other phenotypic properties, and DNA-DNA relatedness, strain 2-1-2(T) represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium, for which the name Sphingobacterium kyonggiense sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 2-1-2(T) (=KEMC 2241-005(T)=JCM 16704(T)). Emended descriptions of Sphingobacterium daejeonense and Sphingobacterium mizutaii are also proposed.

Viscerally obese women with normal body weight have greater brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity than nonviscerally obese women with excessive body weight.

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the association of visceral obesity and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and to compare metabolic indices and baPWV between individuals who have normal body weight but are viscerally obese and individuals with excessive body weight who are not viscerally obese. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: We recruited a total of 150 women, aged 22 to 67 years. We assessed body composition, measured by computed tomography (CT), and divided the study population into four groups, based on visceral adipose tissue area (normal, normal body weight but viscerally obese, excessive body weight but not viscerally obese, and excessive body weight and viscerally obese). The baPWV was measured, using a volume plethysmographic instrument. RESULTS: Despite lower levels of total body fat, the women who had a normal body weight but were viscerally obese had a higher plasma triglyceride level and baPWV measurement and greater subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and thigh SFA than the women with excessive body weight who were not viscerally obese. After adjustment for age, mean blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), triglyceride levels, fasting insulin levels, and free fatty acid (FFA) levels, baPWV was independently correlated with abdominal visceral fat area, as measured by CT (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Mean baPWV was higher in women with normal body weight who were viscerally obese than in women who had excessive body weight but were not viscerally obese, and abdominal visceral fat was an independent factor for baPWV. These results suggest that early detection and intervention in viscerally obese individuals, even those within a normal BMI range, could be needed to prevent atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Association of high sensitivity C-reactive protein with coronary heart disease prediction, but not with carotid atherosclerosis, in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is believed to predict coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy subjects and in patients with atherosclerosis. We investigated the association of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) and other inflammatory markers on cardiovascular outcome, and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 122 hypertensive patients and compared them with 64 normotensive volunteers. We measured circulating levels of HS-CRP, white blood cells (WBC), albumin, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and interleukin-6, and examined the associations with traditional risk factors of CHD, carotid atherosclerosis, and a 10-year risk of CHD, based on the risk prediction algorithm of the Framingham model. The mean of blood pressure (BP) of the hypertensive patients was 163/102 mmHg (normotensives; 118/79 mmHg). The 10-year risk of CHD was higher in the hypertensive patients (9.3 +/- 7.3%) compared with the normotensive volunteers (4.3 +/- 4.2%). Albumin and HS-CRP were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients. Multivariate analysis showed that among markers, only HS-CRP was associated with 10-year risk of CHD (beta=0.13, p=0.03). The BP, body mass index, high-density lipoprotein, WBC count, fibrinogen, and cardiac hypertrophy increased across quartiles of HS-CRP. There was no association between HS-CRP and carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with hypertension and normotension. CONCLUSION: A higher HS-CRP level was associated with a higher risk score of CHD, but not with carotid atherosclerosis, in patients with hypertension.

Association of Angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms with preeclampsia.

We tested the hypothesis that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen gene polymorphism influence the incidence, development and outcome of preeclampsia. Subjects were recruited from 90 Korean patients with preeclampsia during pregnancy and 98 age-matched controls. After isolation of DNA, polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were carried out to detect polymorphism of the ACE and angiotensinogen. M235T and T174M genotypes of angiotensinogen were determined by digestion with restriction enzyme endonuclease Tth 111-I and NCo I, respectively. The frequency of DD genotype was significantly greater in preeclampsia (0.36) than in controls (0.14) (p<0.05). The frequency of D allele was 0.55 in preeclampsia and 0.40 in controls (p<0.05). There were no differences in the onset of preeclampsia and pregnancy outcomes according to the ACE genotypes. There was no difference in the frequency of a allele of angiotensinogen M235T between the groups (0.79:0.78 in preeclampsia : controls). The frequency of T allele of angiotensinogen T174M gene was slightly increased, but not significantly, in preeclampsia (0.11) than in controls (0.07). In a multivariate analysis, only ACE genotype was associated with the development of preeclampsia (beta=0.27, p=0.05). In conclusion, a molecular variant of ACE, but not angiotensinogen, gene is associated with preeclampsia in Korean women.

Pulmonary edema during pregnancy: unilateral presentation is not rare.

Information regarding pulmonary edema in obstetric patients is limited, especially its natural history as most cases are from tertiary care centers. The incidence, etiology, and course of pulmonary edema in all obstetric patients at a primary-secondary care center was studied prospectively among 29,621 obstetric cases in the past 3.5 years. Pulmonary edema developed in 18 cases (0.06%) of all obstetric patients that were associated with pre-eclampsia-eclampsia and tocolysis with beta-mimetics. The onset of pulmonary edema was 1-8 days postpartum in 12 patients, 1 day antepartum in 3 patients, and 26-32 gestational weeks in 3 patients. The cause was mainly cardiogenic, and the mean time taken for resolution was 2.2 days. Unilateral pulmonary edema occurred in 4 patients and there was delayed resolution compared with bilateral pulmonary edema because of delayed treatment. Pulmonary edema associated with pregnancy developed in 0.06% of cases, mainly during the peripartum, and resolved rapidly. Unilateral pulmonary edema was not uncommon.