Compositions and methods useful in identifying and selecting maize plants with increased ear weight and yield are provided herein. The methods use molecular genetic markers to identify and/or select maize plants with increased ear weight and increased yield or to identify and counter-select maize plants with decreased ear weight and decreased yield.

Described herein is a method of determining lithium responsiveness in a bipolar disorder patient. The method includes obtaining a sample from a patient having bipolar disorder, and assaying the sample for the presence or absence of one or more glutamate decarboxylase-like 1 (GADL1) gene variants selected from the group consisting of a T allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs17026688, a G allele of the SNP rs17026651, and GADL1 1VS8+48delG. The presence of one or more of the GADL1 gene variants indicates that the patient is responsive to lithium treatment.

The invention generally relates to droplet based digital PCR and methods for analyzing a target nucleic acid using the same. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve forming sample droplets containing, on average, a single target nucleic acid, amplifying the target in the droplets, excluding droplets containing amplicon from the target and amplicon from a variant of the target, and analyzing target amplicons.

A novel class or family of TGF-β binding proteins is disclosed. Also disclosed are assays for selecting molecules for increasing bone mineralization and methods for utilizing such molecules.

Treatment and diagnostic methods are provided for pulmonary disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Arhgef1, a leukocyte signaling molecule, functions normally to suppress integrin-mediated MMP production by alveolar macrophages. MMP9 production by fibronectin-stimulated monocytes and macrophages depends on autocrine thromboxane receptor signaling and this signaling pathway is attenuated by Arhgef1. Expression of ARHGEF1 by human peripheral blood monocytes varies between individuals and inversely correlates with fibronectin-mediated MMP9 production. Arhgef1 levels can function as a predictor for a pulmonary disease candidate and a thromboxane receptor antagonist can treat a pulmonary disease condition resulting from low Arhgef1 levels.

The present invention provides compositions and methods based on genetic polymorphisms that are associated with cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart disease (especially myocardial infarction) or hypertension. For example, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing the polymorphisms, variant proteins encoded by these nucleic acid molecules, reagents for detecting the polymorphic nucleic acid molecules and variant proteins, and methods of using the nucleic acid molecules and proteins as well as methods of using reagents for their detection.

The invention provides to methods for diagnosing eye-length related disorders, including myopia. The invention also provides methods for treating and limiting eye-length related disorders, including myopia. In addition, the invention provides certain haplotypes associated with eye-length related disorders, including myopia and Bornholm Eye Disease.

The present invention relates to methods that are useful for predicting the response of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients to pharmacological treatment.

The invention relates to a method for the reclassification of a subject to a more appropriate risk assessment to that obtained using the algorithms for such risk estimation such us but not limited to Framingham, Regicor, Score, Procamor Qrisk based on the presence of different polymorphisms. The invention also relates to a method for determining the risk of suffering a cardiovascular disease by combining the absence or presence of one or more polymorphic markers in a sample from the subject with conventional risk factors for CVD as well as computer-implemented means for carrying out said method.

The invention provides methods of diagnosing and treating multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, including methods of identifying and treating multiple sclerosis patients who are at increased risk of developing a secondary autoimmune disease following lymphocyte depletion, caused, e.g., by treatment with an anti-CD52 antibody. The increased risk may be linked to certain single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes that are indicative of elevated IL-21 levels. Also embraced are methods of selecting treatment regimens for MS patients, and reagents useful in the above methods.