Impact of clonal haematopoiesis on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease according to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in general population.

Aims: Clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), defined as a clonal expansion of age-related recurrent somatic mutations, has recently emerged as a novel cardiovascular risk factor. However, the precise role of CHIP in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains unclear.

Methods And Results: Among 4300 asymptomatic Korean participants aged 40-79 years, we investigated the risk of ASCVD by CHIP and the interplay between CHIP and conventional risk factors in ASCVD development.

Reconsidering mercury sources and exposure pathways to bivalves: Insights from mercury stable isotopes.

Identifying mercury (Hg) sources and exposure pathways to bivalves, particularly in relation to sediment, is important for expanding the utility of bivalves as a monitoring organism for sediment quality. Here we use Hg isotope ratios to decipher Hg sources accumulated into bivalves by conducting field studies and in situ experiments. In the first part of this study, we characterized Hg isotope ratios in individual geochemical fractions of riverine sediment, contaminated by liquid Hg in South Korea (Hyeongsan River; HS).

Subtype-specific Body Composition and Metabolic Risk in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with increased metabolic risks. However, controversy exists as to which subtype of PA has a higher metabolic risk between bilateral and lateralized PA. This study aimed to assess the body composition of 2 PA subtypes, bilateral PA and lateralized PA, according to sex and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) and their contribution to comorbidities.

Unlocking the potential of stem cells: Their crucial role in the production of cultivated meat.

Cellular agriculture is an emerging research field of agribiotechnology that aims to produce agricultural products using stem cells, without sacrificing animals or cultivating crops. Cultivated meat, as a representative cellular product of cellular agriculture, is being actively researched due to global food insecurity, environmental, and ethical concerns. This review focuses on the application of stem cells, which are the seeds of cellular agriculture, for the production of cultivated meat, with emphasis on deriving and culturing muscle and adipose stem cells for imitating fresh meat.

Clonal hematopoiesis as a novel risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Introduction: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that CHIP may be related to diabetes, so we investigated the association between CHIP and new-onset type 2 diabetes.

Methods: This study included 4,047 subjects aged >=40 years without diabetes.

CASPER: Covert Channel Using Internal Speakers.

In recent years, researchers have studied various methods for transferring data in a network-separated environment, and the most representative method is the use of inaudible frequency signals like ultrasonic waves. This method has the advantage of being able to transfer data without other people noticing, but it has the disadvantage that speakers must exist. In a laboratory or company, external speakers may not be attached to each computer.

Effect of Sinapic Acid on Scopolamine-Induced Learning and Memory Impairment in SD Rats.

The seriousness of the diseases caused by aging have recently gained attention. Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic neurodegenerative disease, accounts for 60-80% of senile dementia cases. Continuous research is being conducted on the cause of Alzheimer's disease, and it is believed to include complex factors, such as genetic factors, the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques, a tangle of tau protein, oxidative stress, cholinergic dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and cell death.

Genome-Wide Association Study on Longitudinal Change in Fasting Plasma Glucose in Korean Population.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have identified more than 400 distinct genetic loci associated with diabetes and nearly 120 loci for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin level to date. However, genetic risk factors for the longitudinal deterioration of FPG have not been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with longitudinal change of FPG over time.

The association of fatty liver index and BARD score with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) commonly coexist. However, NAFLD's effect on mortality in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes awaits full elucidation. Therefore, we examined NAFLD-related all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationwide Asian population with type 2 diabetes.

The relationship between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and low muscle mass in an asymptomatic Korean population.

Background: Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) emphasizes the metabolic dysfunction in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although the relationship between low muscle mass and NAFLD has been suggested, the effect of MAFLD on low muscle mass is yet to be investigated. In this study, we examined the relationship between MAFLD and low muscle mass in an asymptomatic Korean population.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Genetic Variants of Apolipoprotein A1 Levels and Their Association with Vitamin D in Korean Cohorts.

Dyslipidemia is an important independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specifically, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and the ApoB/A1 ratio have been linked to CVD. We conducted a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of two Korean cohorts containing a total of 12,924 patients to identify novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with ApoA1 and ApoB levels and the ApoB/A1 ratio.

Significance of Low Muscle Mass on Arterial Stiffness as Measured by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index.

Aim: A link between low muscle mass and arterial stiffness is not always consistent. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of low skeletal muscle mass in relation to arterial stiffness measured by the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI).

Methods: A total of 2,561 asymptomatic Korean subjects who underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and CAVI were included for analysis.

The impact of COVID-19 on cryptocurrency markets: A network analysis based on mutual information.

The purpose of our study is to figure out the transitions of the cryptocurrency market due to the outbreak of COVID-19 through network analysis, and we studied the complexity of the market from different perspectives. To construct a cryptocurrency network, we first apply a mutual information method to the daily log return values of 102 digital currencies from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020, and also apply a correlation coefficient method for comparison. Based on these two methods, we construct networks by applying the minimum spanning tree and the planar maximally filtered graph.

Unveiling Genetic Variants Underlying Vitamin D Deficiency in Multiple Korean Cohorts by a Genome-Wide Association Study.

Background: Epidemiological data have shown that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in Korea. Genetic factors influencing vitamin D deficiency in humans have been studied in Europe but are less known in East Asian countries, including Korea. We aimed to investigate the genetic factors related to vitamin D levels in Korean people using a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

Blood Pressure Variability and the Risk of Fracture: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Context: Although blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with various health outcomes, only 1 study suggested that BPV is correlated with hip fractures. As cardiovascular disease and fractures share similar pathophysiology, there might be a link between BPV and fractures.

Objective: To investigate the association between BPV and the incident fractures.

Hepatic fibrosis is associated with an increased rate of decline in bone mineral density in men with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: There is still controversy about the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study was to clarify the association between NAFLD and the decline in BMD in healthcare examinees.

Methods: Participants who underwent regular health check-ups with BMD and hepatic ultrasonography from 2006 to 2015 with more than one follow-up until 2020 were included.

Diabetes is not protective against the formation of unruptured cerebral aneurysm.

Objectives: Diabetes appears to decrease the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, it is not clear whether diabetes decreases the risk of aneurysm formation. The aim of our study to evaluate the risk of unruptured cerebral aneurysm in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease increases the risk of diabetes in young adults: A nationwide population-based study in Korea.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of diabetes but has been rarely investigated in young adults. In this study, we investigated the relationship between NAFLD and incident diabetes risk in young adults using nationwide Korean population data.

Methods: This population-based cohort study from the Korean National Health Insurance Service included adults aged 20 through 39 years who underwent a health examination from 2009 to 2012.

Visible-Light-Activated Type II Heterojunction in Cu(hexahydroxytriphenylene)/FeO Hybrids for Reversible NO Sensing: Critical Role of π-π* Transition.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high surface area, tunable porosity, and diverse structures are promising platforms for chemiresistors; however, they often exhibit low sensitivity, poor selectivity, and irreversibility in gas sensing, hindering their practical applications. Herein, we report that hybrids of Cu(HHTP) (HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene) nanoflakes and FeO nanoparticles exhibit highly sensitive, selective, and reversible detection of NO at 20 °C. The key parameters to determine their response, selectivity, and recovery are discussed in terms of the size of the Cu(HHTP) nanoflakes, the interaction between the MOFs and NO, and an increase in the concentration and lifetime of holes facilitated by visible-light photoactivation and charge-separating energy band alignment of the hybrids.