Rice ( L.) Grain Size, Shape, and Weight-Related QTLs Identified Using GWAS with Multiple GAPIT Models and High-Density SNP Chip DNA Markers.

This study investigated novel quantitative traits loci (QTLs) associated with the control of grain shape and size as well as grain weight in rice. We employed a joint-strategy multiple GAPIT (Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool) models [(Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK)), Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Uniform (FarmCPU), Settlement of MLM Under Progressive Exclusive Relationship (SUPER), and General Linear Model (GLM)]-High-Density SNP Chip DNA Markers (60,461) to conduct a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). GWAS was performed using genotype and grain-related phenotypes of 143 recombinant inbred lines (RILs).

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) with high-throughput SNP chip DNA markers identified novel genetic factors for mesocotyl elongation and seedling emergence in rice ( L.) using multiple GAPIT models.

This study employed a joint strategy high-density SNP Chip DNA markers and multiple Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool (GAPIT) models [(Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK), Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Uniform (FarmCPU), General Linear Model (GLM), and Settlement of Mixed Linear Model (MLM) Under Progressively Exclusive Relationship (SUPER)], to investigate novel genetic factors controlling mesocotyl elongation and seedling emergence for direct-seeded rice. Genotype data (230,526 SNP Chip DNA makers) of 117 doubled haploid lines (derived from a cross between 93-11 ( L. ssp.

Acceleration of wheat breeding: enhancing efficiency and practical application of the speed breeding system.

Background: Crop breeding should be accelerated to address global warming and climate change. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major food crop.

Structural parts based on Municipal-Solid-Waste incineration ashes.

We investigated a novel processing technique of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ashes. By using two thermodynamic driving forces - a strong alkaline activator and a compaction pressure, the otherwise relatively nonreactive MSWI ashes could form strong solids, with relatively high flexural and compressive strengths. The produced material was dense, with a low defect density.

Autonomic Imbalance Increases the Risk for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background: Although autonomic imbalance is associated with an increased risk for metabolic disease, its effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether autonomic dysfunction predicts the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: A total of 33,899 participants without NAFLD who underwent health screening programs between 2011 and 2018 were enrolled.

An Integrated Approach of QTL Mapping and Genome-Wide Association Analysis Identifies Candidate Genes for Phytophthora Blight Resistance in Sesame ( L.).

Phytophthora blight (PB) caused by is a highly destructive disease in sesame ( L.). In this study, we used linkage mapping and genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes associated with PB resistance.

Serum lipoprotein(a) levels and insulin resistance have opposite effects on fatty liver disease.

Background And Aims: High lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the association between Lp(a) and fatty liver disease (FLD) remains controversial. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between FLD and serum Lp(a) levels in Korean adults.

Decreased Vagal Activity and Deviation in Sympathetic Activity Precedes Development of Diabetes.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine whether altered heart rate variability (HRV) could predict the risk of diabetes in Asians.

Research Design And Methods: A cohort study was conducted in 54,075 adults without diabetes who underwent 3-min HRV measurement during health checkups between 2011 and 2014 at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. We analyzed the time domain (SD of the normal-to-normal interval [SDNN] and root mean square differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals [RMSSD]) and the frequency domain (total power, normalized low-frequency power [LF], and normalized high-frequency power [HF] and LF/HF ratio).

Resveratrol, an activator of SIRT1, improves ER stress by increasing clusterin expression in HepG2 cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) is involved in lipid metabolism and lipotoxicity and can lead to apoptosis. Resveratrol, a sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) agonist, prevents ER stress and improves ER stress-induced hepatic steatosis and cell death. Clusterin is a secreted chaperone and has roles in various physiological processes.

Identification of quantitative trait loci associated with flowering time in perilla using genotyping-by-sequencing.

Understanding the transition to the reproductive period is important for crop breeding. This information can facilitate the production of novel varieties that are better adapted to local environments or changing climatic conditions. Here, we report the development of a high-density linkage map based on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) for the genus perilla.

Metabolic Obesity Phenotypes and Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Cohort Study.

Background: No cohort studies have evaluated the effect of obesity on the incidence of thyroid cancer according to metabolic health status. Therefore, this study examined the association of body mass index (BMI) and metabolic health status with thyroid cancer risk.

Methods: A cohort study was performed involving 255,051 metabolically healthy (MH) and metabolically unhealthy (MUH) adults free of thyroid cancer at baseline who were followed for a median of 5.

Association between thyroid hormone levels, body composition and insulin resistance in euthyroid subjects with normal thyroid ultrasound: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Objective: Thyroid hormones play crucial roles in the control of energy homoeostasis and can influence body composition. In contrast, the changes in body composition might influence thyroid hormone levels. We evaluated associations between thyroid hormone levels, body composition and insulin resistance in euthyroid subjects with normal thyroid ultrasound (US) findings.

Exendin-4 improves ER stress-induced lipid accumulation and regulates lipin-1 signaling in HepG2 cells.

Lipin-1 performs dual function during lipid metabolism, i.e., it functions as a transcriptional coactivator and as a phosphatidate phosphatase during triglyceride biosynthesis.

Increased risk of diabetes development in individuals with weight cycling over 4 years: The Kangbuk Samsung Health study.

Aims: Weight cycling is defined as cyclical loss and gain of weight and recent studies suggest deleterious effects of weight cycling on cardiometabolic health. We aimed to analyze the risk for diabetes development in association with weight cycling over 4 years of follow-up.

Methods: A retrospective study performed in 4,818 non-diabetic participants (mean age 43 years, 78.

The persistence of fatty liver has a differential impact on the development of diabetes: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Aims: To evaluate whether variable fatty liver status over time influence the risk of type 2 diabetes differently.

Methods: We analyzed the data from 7849 subjects without type 2 diabetes who underwent comprehensive health check-ups annually for 5 years. All subjects had an abdominal ultrasonography annually.

Association Between Coronary Artery Calcification and the Hemoglobin Glycation Index: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Context: The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) is known to be correlated with the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To analyze the association between incident coronary artery calcification (CAC) and the changes in HGI among participants without diabetes, over 4 years.

Design, Setting, Participants, And Outcome Measures: A retrospective study of 2052 nondiabetic participants in whom the coronary artery calcium score was measured repeatedly over 4 years, as part of a health checkup program in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Korea, and who had no CAC at baseline.

Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research Task Force Report: Perspectives on Intermittent High-dose Vitamin D Supplementation.

An adequate supply of vitamin D is considered necessary for osteoporosis management and fracture prevention. Intermittent high-dose vitamin D supplementation is an effective and convenient way to achieve and maintain sufficient vitamin D status. However, the long-term effectiveness of supplementation for preventing falls and fractures is unclear, and some deleterious effects of such treatments have been reported.

Effects of Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol on Coronary Artery Calcification Progression According to High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels.

Background And Aim: Previous studies reported that many patients are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) despite achieving recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Therefore, we investigated whether the association between LDL-C and the risk for incident CVD differed according to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels using coronary artery calcium score (CACS) progression as a surrogate marker for predicting CVD.

Methods: We investigated 2132 Korean men in a health screening program, in which CACS was measured at baseline and after 4 years.

Increased risk for development of coronary artery calcification in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and systemic inflammation.

Background: Recent studies have suggested the importance of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and systemic inflammation in the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to compare the risk for coronary artery calcification (CAC) development according to the status of NAFLD and inflammation over four years of follow-up in subjects without baseline CAC.

Methods: A total of 1,575 participants in a health screening program were divided into four groups according to baseline NAFLD state and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (median 0.

The one-hundred most-cited articles focused on thyroid research: a bibliometric analysis.

Introduction: The number of citations that an article has received reflects its impact on a particular research area.

Evidence Acquisition: We determined the one-hundred most-cited articles in thyroid research via the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge database, using the search term. The following parameters were used to analyze the characteristics of the 100 most-cited articles: publication year, journal (including subject category and impact factor), number of citations and annual citations, authors, department, institution, country, type of study, and topic.

Additive effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the development of diabetes in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), with insulin resistance as the common pathophysiology. In a current longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated the separate and combined effects of MetS and NAFLD on incident diabetes risk.

Methods: Participants were categorized into four groups on the basis of the presence of NAFLD and MetS at baseline (i.

Insulin resistance contributes more to the increased risk for diabetes development in subjects with low lipoprotein(a) level than insulin secretion.

Background: Recent studies suggest an association between Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and the development of diabetes mellitus. We analyzed the association between baseline Lp(a) levels and diabetes development after 4 years of follow-up, in a population of apparently healthy Korean subjects.

Methods: A total of 2,536 non-diabetic participants (mean age: 41 years, men: 92%) of a health checkup program were included in the study.

Predictive Value of Triglyceride Glucose Index for the Risk of Incident Diabetes: A 4-Year Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

The Triglyceride Glucose Index (TyG index) is considered a surrogate marker of insulin resistance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the TyG index has a predictive role in identifying individuals with a high risk of incident diabetes and to compare it with other indicators of metabolic health. A total 2900 non-diabetic adults who attended five consecutive annual health check-ups at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital was divided into four subgroups using three methods: (1) baseline TyG index; (2) obesity status (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) and cutoff value of TyG index; (3) obesity status and metabolic health, defined as having fewer than two of the five components of high blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and highest decile of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance.

Increased risk of coronary artery calcification progression in subjects with high baseline Lp(a) levels: The Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Background: Results from previous studies support the association of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels and coronary artery disease risk. In this study, we analyzed the association between baseline Lp(a) levels and future progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in apparently healthy Korean adults.

Methods: A total of 2611 participants (mean age: 41years, 92% mend) who underwent a routine health check-up in 2010 and 2014 were enrolled.

The association of serum glycated albumin with the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: To determine the clinical relationship between serum glycated albumin (GA) and diabetic retinopathy in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A cross-sectional study including 424 patients with T2DM was conducted. Patients were divided into groups based on the presence of diabetic retinopathy and tertiles of serum GA and 1,5-anhydroglucitol levels.