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Simple Summary: Historically, Korea has been an agrarian society where cattle played a significant role in Korean culture as working animals. However, in recent decades, there has been an increase in meat demand and the expansion of the Korean economy. This shift has led to the predominant use of native Korean Hanwoo cattle for beef production since the 1960s. Genetic improvement programs for Hanwoo cattle traditionally focused on carcass and growth qualities due to the accessibility of trait information and the simplicity of analysis techniques, rather than reproductive traits. However, there has been a recent surge of interest in genetic analyses of the reproductive traits of Hanwoo cattle because these traits significantly impact calf productivity. To enhance beef production and the overall profitability of Hanwoo farming, it is imperative to implement genomic predictions for age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), gestation length (GL), and number of artificial inseminations per conception (NAIPC) to better understand and improve their response to selection. This study aimed to estimate heritability and the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) using genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) and Bayesian methods (BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR) for traits under study. Our analysis revealed relatively lower heritability values for these traits and indicated that the accuracy of genomic prediction across all methods applied was similarly reduced, likely due to the inherent lower heritability of reproductive traits. As a result, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into the genetic breeding programs of the beef cattle industry. This study aimed to predict the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for reproductive traits in Hanwoo cows using the GBLUP, BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR methods. Accuracy estimates of GEBVs for reproductive traits were derived through fivefold cross-validation, analyzing a dataset comprising 11,348 animals and employing an Illumina Bovine 50K SNP chip. GBLUP showed an accuracy of 0.26 for AFC, while BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR demonstrated values of 0.28, 0.29, and 0.29, respectively. For CI, GBLUP attained an accuracy of 0.19, whereas BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR scored 0.21, 0.24, and 0.25, respectively. The accuracy for GL was uniform across GBLUP, BayesB, and BayesR at 0.31, whereas BayesLASSO showed a slightly higher accuracy of 0.33. For NAIPC, GBLUP showed an accuracy of 0.24, while BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR recorded 0.22, 0.27, and 0.30, respectively. The variation in genomic prediction accuracy among methods indicated Bayesian approaches slightly outperformed GBLUP. The findings suggest that Bayesian methods, notably BayesLASSO and BayesR, offer improved predictive capabilities for reproductive traits. Future research may explore more advanced genomic approaches to enhance predictive accuracy and genetic gains in Hanwoo cattle breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) with regard to cardiovascular (CV) event incidence and direct medical costs during type 2 diabetes treatment. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using national health insurance claims data from September 1, 2014, to June 30, 2018, of patients in Korea. Patients who were prescribed dapagliflozin and DPP-4i for the first time were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of a composite of major adverse CV events (MACEs)—nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or in-hospital CV death. Proportional hazard models after propensity score weighting were used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MACE in the dapagliflozin and DPP-4i groups. A decision analytic model was used to compare direct medical costs between the two treatment groups from a healthcare provider's perspective. Of the 260,336 patients in the cohort, 23,147 and 237,189 received dapagliflozin and DPP-4i, respectively. During the follow-up, 184 patients receiving dapagliflozin and 3,674 receiving DPP-4i (incidence, 6.47 and 11.33 events/1,000 person-years, respectively) had MACE. The adjusted HR of MACE for dapagliflozin compared with that for DPP-4i was 0.69 (95% CI 0.57–0.83). The corresponding HRs were consistent among patients with and without underlying CV disease. The estimated direct medical cost appeared to be lower by $68,452 in the dapagliflozin group than that in the DPP-4i group for 3 years, in 1,000 hypothetical patients. In this population-based cohort study, the use of dapagliflozin instead of DPP-4i was associated with a reduced risk of MACE, which subsequently reduced direct medical costs. These data provide valuable information to patients, practitioners, and authorities regarding the risk of CV events associated with dapagliflozin versus DPP-4i use in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Sapsaree is a breed of dog (Canis familiaris) native to Korea, which became perilously close to extinction in the mid-1980s. However, with systematic genetic conservation and restoration efforts, this breed was rescued from extinction and population sizes have been gradually increasing over the past few decades. The aim of this study was to ascertain novel information about the genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic history of the Sapsaree breed using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data. We characterized the genetic profile of the Sapsaree breed by comparison with seven foreign dog breeds with similar morphologies to estimate genetic differentiation within and among these breeds. Results: The results suggest that Sapsarees have higher genetic variance compared with the other breeds analyzed. The majority of the Sapsarees in this study share a discrete genetic pattern, although some individuals were slightly different, possibly as a consequence of the recent restoration process. Concordant results from analyses of linkage disequilibrium, effective population size, genetic diversity, and population structural analyses illustrate a relationship among the Sapsaree and the Tibetan breeds Tibetan terrier and Lhasa Apso, and a small genetic introgression from European breeds. The effective population size of the Sapsaree has contracted dramatically over the past generations, and is currently insufficient to maintain long-term viability of the breed's genetic diversity. Conclusions: This study provides novel insights regarding the genetic diversity and population structure of the native Korean dog breed Sapsaree. Our results suggest the importance of a strategic and systematic approach to ensure the genetic diversity and the authenticity of the Sapsaree breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]