Circulating palmitoyl sphingomyelin levels predict the 10-year increased risk of cardiovascular disease death in Chinese adults: findings from the Da Qing Diabetes Study.

BACKGROUND: Higher levels of palmitoyl sphingomyelin (PSM, synonymous with sphingomyelin 16:0) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with diabetes. Whether circulating PSM levels can practically predict the long-term risk of CVD and all-cause death remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether circulating PSM is a real predictor of CVD death in Chinese adults with or without diabetes. METHODS: A total of 286 and 219 individuals with and without diabetes, respectively, from the original Da Qing Diabetes Study were enrolled. Blood samples collected in 2009 were used as a baseline to assess circulating PSM levels. The outcomes of CVD and all-cause death were followed up from 2009 to 2020, and 178 participants died, including 87 deaths due to CVD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate HRs and their 95% CIs for the outcomes. RESULTS: Fractional polynomial regression analysis showed a linear association between baseline circulating PSM concentration (log-2 transformed) and the risk of all-cause and CVD death (p < 0.001), but not non-CVD death (p > 0.05), in all participants after adjustment for confounders. When the participants were stratified by PSM-tertile, the highest tertile, regardless of diabetes, had a higher incidence of CVD death (41.5 vs. 14.7 and 22.2 vs. 2.9 per 1000 person-years in patients with and without diabetes, respectively, all log-rank p < 0.01). Individuals with diabetes in the highest tertile group had a higher risk of CVD death than those in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.73; 95%CI, 1.20-6.22). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PSM levels are significantly associated with a higher 10-year risk of CVD death, but not non-CVD death, in Chinese adults with diabetes. These findings suggest that PSM is a potentially useful long-term predictor of CVD death in individuals with diabetes.

Does high-normal blood pressure lead to excess cardiovascular disease events and deaths in Chinese people? A post-hoc analysis of the 30-year follow-up of the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study.

AIM: Whether systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) values of 130-139/80-89 mmHg should be defined as hypertension has been debated for decades. We aimed to characterize the effect of high-normal BP on cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and deaths. METHODS: In total, 1726 individuals from the original Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study were enrolled, and divided into the normal BP group (SBP <130 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg), high-normal BP group (SBP 130-139 mmHg and/or DBP 80-89 mmHg) and hypertension group (SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg). CVD events and their components were assessed from 1986 to 2016. RESULTS: During the 30-year follow-up, the high-normal BP group was not at higher risk for CVD events [hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-1.30, p = .68], coronary heart disease (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.77-1.63, p = .57), stroke (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.82-1.34, p = .71), or CVD deaths (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.82-1.60, p = .41) compared with the normal BP group, after adjusting for covariates. However, the hypertension group exhibited significantly increased cardiovascular risk (CVD events, HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.48-2.46, p < .0001; coronary heart disease, HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.12-2.67, p = .01; stroke, HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.43-2.52, p < .0001; CVD deaths, HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.43-3.01, p = .0001) than the normal BP group. Subgroup analyses showed that, regardless of the presence of diabetes, high-normal BP did not increase CVD events compared with normal BP. CONCLUSIONS: This post-hoc study provided no evidence that the high-normal BP increased cardiovascular risk in the Da Qing study population, suggesting that it was reasonable to continue to define hypertension at 140/90 mmHg in China.

Efficacy of 1-hour postload plasma glucose as a suitable measurement in predicting type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications: A post hoc analysis of the 30-year follow-up of the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study.

AIM: To evaluate whether 1-hour plasma glucose (1hPG) can be a comparable measurement to 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPG) in identifying individuals at high risk of developing diabetes. METHODS: A total of 1026 non-diabetic subjects in the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study were included and classified according to baseline postload 1hPG. The participants were followed up and assessed at 6-, 20- and 30year follow-up for outcomes including diabetes, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and microvascular disease. We then conducted a proportional hazards analysis in this post hoc study to determine the risks of developing type 2 diabetes and its complications in a '1hPG-normal' group (1hPG <8.6 mmol/L) and a '1hPG-high' group (≥8.6 mmol/L). The predictive values of 1hPG and 2hPG were evaluated using a time-dependent receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Compared with the 1hPG-normal group, the 1hPG-high group had increased risk of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 4.45, 95% CI 3.43-5.79), all-cause mortality (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-2.01), CVD mortality (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.16-2.95), CVD events (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.86) and microvascular disease (HR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.03-2.79) after adjusting for confounders. 1hPG exhibited a higher area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting diabetes than 2hPG during the long-term follow-up (AUC [1hPG vs. 2hPG]: 10 years: 0.86 vs. 0.84, p = 0.08; 20 years: 0.88 vs. 0.87, p = 0.04; 30 years: 0.85 vs. 0.82, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated 1hPG level (≥8.6 mmol/L) was associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its long-term complications, and could be considered as a suitable measurement for identifying individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

Influence of a diet and/or exercise intervention on long-term mortality and vascular complications in people with impaired glucose tolerance: Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome study.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the long-term influence of a diet and/or exercise intervention on long-term mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. METHODS: The Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study had 576 participants with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) randomized to diet-only, exercise-only and diet-plus-exercise intervention group and control group. The participants underwent lifestyle interventions for 6 years. The subsequent Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study was a prospective cohort study to follow-up the participants for up to 24 years after the end of 6-year intervention. In total, 540 participants completed the follow-up, while 36 subjects lost in follow-up. Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied to assess the influence of lifestyle interventions on targeted outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the diet-only intervention in people with IGT was significantly associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death [hazard ratio (HR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.61-0.97)], CVD death [HR 0.67, 95% CI (0.46-0.97)] and CVD events [HR 0.72, 95% CI (0.54-0.96)]. The diet-plus-exercise intervention was significantly associated with a decreased risk of all-cause death [HR 0.64, 95% CI (0.48-0.84)], CVD death [HR 0.54, 95% CI (0.30-0.97)] and CVD events [HR 0.68, 95% CI (0.52-0.90)]. Unexpectedly, the exercise-only intervention was not significantly associated with the reduction of any of these outcomes, although there was a consistent trend towards reduction. CONCLUSIONS: A diet-only intervention and a diet-plus-exercise intervention in people with IGT were significantly associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death, CVD death and CVD events, while an exercise-only intervention was not. It suggests that diet-related interventions may have a potentially more reliable influence on long-term vascular complications and mortality.

A Ghd7-centered regulatory network provides a mechanistic approximation to optimal heterosis in an elite rice hybrid.

Heterosis refers to the superior performance of hybrids over their parents, which is a general phenomenon occurring in diverse organisms. Many commercial hybrids produce high yield without delayed flowering, which we refer to as optimal heterosis and is desired in hybrid breeding. Here, we attempted to illustrate the genomic basis of optimal heterosis by reinvestigating the single-locus quantitative trait loci and digenic interactions of two traits, the number of spikelets per panicle (SP) and heading date (HD), using recombinant inbred lines and 'immortalized F2 s' derived from the elite rice (Oryza sativa) hybrid Shanyou 63. Our analysis revealed a regulatory network that may provide an approximation to the genetic constitution of the optimal heterosis observed in this hybrid. In this network, Ghd7 works as the core element, and three other genes, Ghd7.1, Hd1, and Hd3a/RFT1, also have major roles. The effects of positive dominance by Ghd7 and Ghd7.1 and negative dominance by Hd1 and Hd3a/RFT1 in the hybrid background contribute the major part to the high SP without delaying HD; numerous epistatic interactions, most of which involve Ghd7, also play important roles collectively. The results expand our understanding of the genic interaction networks underlying hybrid rice breeding programs, which may be very useful in future crop genetic improvement.

Association between stress hyperglycaemia and in-hospital cardiac events after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients without diabetes: A retrospective observational study of 5450 patients.

AIMS: To investigate the impact of stress hyperglycaemia (SH) on in-hospital adverse cardiac events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients without diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 5450 patients without diabetes who underwent CABG were analysed. SH was defined as any two instances in which the random blood glucose level was >7.8 mmol/L after CABG in the intensive care unit (ICU). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including in-hospital mortality, acute myocardial infarction, stroke and acute renal failure. Secondary outcomes included surgical site infection (SSI) and length of ICU stay. RESULTS: Patients with SH had higher rates of MACEs (5.7% vs. 2.3%, p < .0001) and higher SSI (3.3% vs. 1.4%, p = .0003) and longer ICU stays (2.6 ± 2.0 vs. 1.3 ± 1.3 days, p < .0001) than those without SH. Furthermore, SH was associated with a higher risk of MACEs [odds ratio (OR): 2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-3.90], SSI (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.20-3.95) and longer ICU stay (OR: 12.27, 95% CI: 9.41-16.92) after adjusting for confounders. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with SH >10 mmol/L or SH that occurred in the ICU and lasted more than 48 h had increased risks of postoperative complications (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: SH was significantly associated with an increased risk of MACEs, SSI and longer ICU stay after CABG in patients without diabetes. In addition, SH >10 mmol/L or that occurred in the ICU and lasted more than 48 h increased the risk of adverse outcomes.

Identification and sex-specific expression of chemosensory genes in the antennal transcriptomes of Pachyrhinus yasumatsui (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Pachyrhinus yasumatsui Kono et Morimoto is a major pest of Chinese jujube, which is widespread in northern China and causes severe economic losses in the jujube industry. Chemosensory genes play crucial roles in insect behaviors. Currently, little is known about chemosensory genes in P. yasumatsui. In the present study, antennal transcriptomes of female and male adult P. yasumatsui were annotated. In total, 113 genes involved in chemosensory functions were identified, including 41 odorant receptors, 28 odorant-binding proteins, 16 ionotropic receptors, 15 chemosensory proteins, 9 gustatory receptors, and 4 sensory neuron membrane proteins. Subsequently, the phylogenetic analyses of these olfactory-related proteins in P. yasumatsui were conducted using multiple sequence alignment. Furthermore, sex-specific expression levels of 113 genes were analyzed based on fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (FPKM). Then, the quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to quantify gene expression profiles of 28 P. yasumatsui OBPs (PyasOBPs) and 15 CSPs (PyasCSPs). The results revealed that 20 PyasOBPs and 13 PyasCSPs exhibited significantly higher expression in the antennae than in the bodies, suggesting that they might have functions in olfaction. Moreover, some OBPs and CSPs (PyasOBP6, PyasOBP7, PyasOBP16, PyasOBP21, and PyasCSP4) exhibited female-biased expression, indicating that they might take part in several female-specific behaviors. This study will promote the understanding of olfactory mechanism in P. yasumatsui, and our findings lay the groundwork for developing environmentally friendly pest management measures.

Cancer and its predictors in Chinese adults with newly diagnosed diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT): a 30-year follow-up of the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore if hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia in the diabetes and prediabetes population were associated with increased risk of cancer occurence. METHODS: Overall, 1700 participants with different glycaemic statuses were screened from the 110,660 residents of Da-Qing, China, in 1985. They were followed up to 30 years to access cancer outcomes. RESULTS: Cancer was identified in 15.2% (259/1700) of the participants. The incidence of cancer in the normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes groups was 6.06, 6.77, and 7.18 per 1000 person-years, respectively (P = 0.02). In the Fine-Gray model with all cause death as competing risk, compared with the NGT controls, both IGT and diabetes groups demonstrated significantly higher risk of cancer (for the IGT group, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.77, 95% CI 1.38-2.27, P < 0.0001; for the diabetes, aHR = 3.34, 95% CI 2.64-4.22, P < 0.0001). Among the IGT participants, progress to diabetes (aHR = 2.28, 95%CI 1.24-4.20, P = 0.008) and insulin-area under the curve at baseline (for 1 SD increase, aHR = 1.39, P = 0.02) were also associated with the risk of cancer after adjustment of covariables. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycaemia in patients with diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, and progression to diabetes in people with IGT is significantly associated with the long-term increased risk of cancer occurrence.

MIR31HG polymorphisms are related to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head among Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUNDS: MIR31 host gene (MIR31HG) polymorphisms play important roles in the occurrence of osteonecrosis. However, the association of MIR31HG polymorphisms with the risk of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between MIR31HG polymorphisms and SONFH susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 708 volunteers were recruited to detect the effect of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MIR31HG gene on SONFH risk in the Chinese Han population. Genotyping of MIR31HG polymorphisms was performed using the Agena MassARRAY platform. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to evaluate the correlation between MIR31HG polymorphisms and SONFH risk using logistic regression model. RESULTS: According to the results of genetic model, rs10965059 in MIR31HG was significantly correlated with the susceptibility to SONFH (OR = 0.56, p = 0.002). Interestingly, the stratified analysis showed that rs10965059 was associated with the reduced risk of SONFH in subjects aged > 40 years (OR = 0.30, p < 0.001) and male populations (OR = 0.35, p < 0 .001). Moreover, rs10965059 was associated with the reduced risk of bilateral SONFH (OR = 0.50, p = 0.002). Finally, multi-factor dimension reduction (MDR) results showed that the combination of rs1332184, rs72703442, rs2025327, rs55683539, rs2181559, rs10965059 and rs10965064 was the best model for predicting SONFH occurrence (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The study indicated that rs10965059 could be involved in SONFH occurrence in the Chinese Han population, which might provide clues for investigating the role of MIR31HG in the pathogenesis of SONFH.

Associations of progression to diabetes and regression to normal glucose tolerance with development of cardiovascular and microvascular disease among people with impaired glucose tolerance: a secondary analysis of the 30 year Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to determine associations of regression to normal glucose tolerance (NGT), maintaining impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or progression to diabetes with subsequent risks of CVD and microvascular disease among Chinese adults with IGT. METHODS: We conducted an observational study among 540 participants in the Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study, a 6 year lifestyle intervention trial in people with IGT, defined by 1985 WHO criteria as fasting plasma glucose <7.8 mmol/l and 2 h post-load plasma glucose ≥7.8 and <11.1 mmol/l. At the end of the trial, the groups that had regressed to NGT, remained with IGT or progressed to diabetes were identified. Participants were then followed for 24 years after completion of the trial, during which we compared the incidence and hazard ratios for CVD and microvascular disease in each group and estimated the differences in their median time to onset from parametric Weibull distribution models. RESULTS: At the end of the 6 year trial, 252 (46.7%) participants had developed diabetes, 114 (21.1%) had remained with IGT and 174 (32.2%) had regressed to NGT. Compared with those who developed diabetes during the trial, the median time to onset of diabetes was delayed by 14.86 years (95% CI 12.49, 17.25) in the NGT and 9.87 years (95% CI 8.12, 11.68) in the IGT groups. After completion of the trial, among those with diabetes, IGT and NGT, the 24 year cumulative incidence of CVD was 64.5%, 48.5% and 45.1%, respectively, and 36.8%, 21.7% and 16.5% for microvascular diseases. Compared with participants who had progressed to diabetes during the trial, those who regressed to NGT had a 37% (HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.47, 0.85) reduction in CVD incidence and a median delay of 7.45 years (95% CI 1.91, 12.99) in onset, and those who remained with IGT had a 34% (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.47, 0.91) lower CVD incidence with a median delay in onset of 5.69 years (95% CI 1.0, 10.38). Participants with NGT had a 66% (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.20, 0.56) lower incidence of microvascular diseases and a median delay in the onset of 18.66 years (95% CI 6.08, 31.24), and those remaining with IGT had a 52% (HR 0.48; 95% CI 0.29, 0.81) lower incidence with a median delay of 12.56 years (95% CI 2.49, 22.63). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: People with IGT who reverted to NGT or remained with IGT at the end of the 6 year trial subsequently had significantly lower incidences of CVD and microvascular disease than those who had developed diabetes.

Efficient expression and function of a receptor-like kinase in wheat powdery mildew defence require an intron-located MYB binding site.

The LRK10-like receptor kinases (LRK10L-RLKs) are ubiquitously present in higher plants, but knowledge of their expression and function is still limited. Here, we report expression and functional analysis of TtdLRK10L-1, a typical LRK10L-RLK in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum). The introns of TtdLRK10L-1 contained multiple kinds of predicted cis-elements. To investigate the potential effect of these cis-elements on TtdLRK10L-1 expression and function, two types of transgenic wheat lines were prepared, which expressed a GFP-tagged TtdLRK10L-1 protein (TtdLRK10L-1:GFP) from the cDNA or genomic DNA (gDNA) sequence of TtdLRK10L-1 under the native promoter. TtdLRK10L-1:GFP expression was up-regulated by the powdery mildew pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) in both types of transgenic plants, with the scale of the elevation being much stronger in the gDNA lines. Both types of transgenic plants exhibited enhanced resistance to Bgt infection relative to wild type control. Notably, the Bgt defence activated in the gDNA lines was significantly stronger than that in the cDNA lines. Further analysis revealed that a putative MYB transcription factor binding site (MYB-BS, CAGTTA) located in TtdLRK10L-1 intron I was critical for the efficient expression and function of TtdLRK10L-1 in Bgt defence. This MYB-BS could also increase the activity of a superpromoter widely used in ectopic gene expression studies in plants. Together, our results deepen the understanding of the expression and functional characteristics of LRK10L-RLKs. TtdLRK10L-1 is likely useful for further dissecting the molecular processes underlying wheat defence against Bgt and for developing Bgt resistant wheat crops.

Wheat heat tolerance is impaired by heightened deletions in the distal end of 4AL chromosomal arm.

Heat stress (HS) causes substantial damages to worldwide crop production. As a cool season crop, wheat (Triticum aestivum) is sensitive to HS-induced damages. To support the genetic improvement of wheat HS tolerance (HST), we conducted fine mapping of TaHST1, a locus required for maintaining wheat vegetative and reproductive growth under elevated temperatures. TaHST1 was mapped to the distal terminus of 4AL chromosome arm using genetic populations derived from two BC6 F6 breeding lines showing tolerance (E6015-4T) or sensitivity (E6015-3S) to HS. The 4AL region carrying TaHST1 locus was approximately 0.949 Mbp and contained the last 19 high confidence genes of 4AL according to wheat reference genome sequence. Resequencing of E6015-3S and E6015-4T and haplotype analysis of 3087 worldwide wheat accessions revealed heightened deletion polymorphisms in the distal 0.949 Mbp region of 4AL, which was confirmed by the finding of frequent gene losses in this region in eight genome-sequenced hexaploid wheat cultivars. The great majority (86.36%) of the 3087 lines displayed different degrees of nucleotide sequence deletions, with only 13.64% of them resembling E6015-4T in this region. These deletions can impair the presence and/or function of TaHST1 and surrounding genes, thus rendering global wheat germplasm vulnerable to HS or other environmental adversities. Therefore, conscientious and urgent efforts are needed in global wheat breeding programmes to optimize the structure and function of 4AL distal terminus by ensuring the presence of TaHST1 and surrounding genes. The new information reported here will help to accelerate the ongoing global efforts in improving wheat HST.

TaPHT1;9-4B and its transcriptional regulator TaMYB4-7D contribute to phosphate uptake and plant growth in bread wheat.

Efficient phosphate (Pi) uptake and utilisation are essential for promoting crop yield. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still poorly understood in complex crop species such as hexaploid wheat. Here we report that TaPHT1;9-4B and its transcriptional regulator TaMYB4-7D function in Pi acquisition, translocation and plant growth in bread wheat. TaPHT1;9-4B, a high-affinity Pi transporter highly upregulated in roots by Pi deficiency, was identified using quantitative proteomics. Disruption of TaPHT1;9-4B function by BSMV-VIGS or CRISPR editing impaired wheat tolerance to Pi deprivation, whereas transgenic expression of TaPHT1;9-4B in rice improved Pi uptake and plant growth. Using yeast-one-hybrid assay, we isolated TaMYB4-7D, a R2R3 MYB transcription factor that could activate TaPHT1;9-4B expression by binding to its promoter. Silencing TaMYB4-7D decreased TaPHT1;9-4B expression, Pi uptake and plant growth. Four promoter haplotypes were identified for TaPHT1;9-4B, with Hap3 showing significant positive associations with TaPHT1;9-4B transcript level, growth performance and phosphorus (P) content in wheat plants. A functional marker was therefore developed for tagging Hap3. Collectively, our data shed new light on the molecular mechanism controlling Pi acquisition and utilisation in bread wheat. TaPHT1;9-4B and TaMYB4-7D may aid further research towards the development of P efficient crop cultivars.

Efficacy of lifestyle intervention in adults with impaired glucose tolerance with and without impaired fasting plasma glucose: A post hoc analysis of Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study.

AIMS: The extent that pre-diabetic fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels influence the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in preventing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is uncertain. We aimed to determine if the outcome of lifestyle intervention in people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) differs in those with normal or impaired FPG levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were used from the Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study, which was a 30-year follow-up of a 6-year randomized trial of lifestyle intervention in 576 people with IGT. We then conducted a post-hoc analysis to compare the efficacy of intervention to reduce the incidence of T2DM and its complications in those with baseline FPG <100 mg/dL and FPG ≥100 mg/dL. RESULTS: Lifestyle intervention reduced the cumulative incidence of T2DM by 37%-46% in those with baseline FPG <100 mg/dL and by 47%-51% in those with FPG ≥100 mg/dL. The FPG <100 mg/dL group had a lower cumulative incidence of diabetes and 6.41 years median delay in its onset compared with 2.21 years delay in the FPG ≥100 mg/dL group. In those with FPG <100 mg/dL intervention was associated with at least as great a reduction in cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality as in the FPG ≥100 mg/dL group. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle intervention reduced the incidence of T2DM in people with IGT regardless of baseline FPG levels, and in those with FPG <100 mg/dL led to a substantial delay in its onset. All persons with IGT, with normal or impaired FPG levels, may benefit from lifestyle intervention to delay its onset and mitigate the incidence of T2DM.

Functional analysis of the odorant receptor coreceptor in odor detection in Grapholita molesta (lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

The olfactory system must detect and discriminate various semiochemicals in the environment. In response to such diversity, insects have evolved a family of odorant-gated ion channels composed of a common receptor (coreceptor, Orco) and a ligand-binding tuning odorant receptor (OR) that confers odour specificity. This study aims to examine the expression pattern of Orco gene of Grapholita molesta (GmolOrco) and to elucidate the role of GmolOrco in detecting G. molesta sex pheromone and green leaf volatiles by using gene silencing via RNA interference (RNAi) coupled antennal electrophysiological (EAG). Multiple sequence alignment showed that GmolOrco shared high sequence similarities with the Orco ortholog of lepidopterans. The results of real-time quantitative PCR detection demonstrated that GmolOrco was predominantly expressed in adult antennae and had the highest expression quantity in adult period among the different developmental stages. Compared with the noninjected controls, GmolOrco expression in GmolOrcodouble-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-injected males was reduced to 39.92% and that in females was reduced to 40.43%. EAG assays showed that the responses of GmolOrco-dsRNA injected males to sex pheromones (Z)-8-dodecenyl acetate (Z8-12:OAc) and (Z)-8-dodecenyl alcohol (Z8-12:OH) were significantly reduced, and the GmolOrco-dsRNA-injected female to green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate also significantly declined. We inferred that Orco-mediated olfaction was different in male and female G. molesta adults and was mainly involved in recognizing the sex pheromones released by female moths.

Experiment of Mechanical Properties of a Customized Distractor Based on Three-Dimensional Printing Technology.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to design and fabricate a customized distractor based on 3D printing technology and compare its mechanical properties with conventional distractor. The investigators designed and implemented a study composed of conventional and customized distractors. The design of customized distractor was based on the specification of conventional mandibular distractors and was fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM) technology. The same type of conventional distractors served as control group. Vickers-hardness test, three-point bending test and welding strength test were carried out for the conventional and customized distractor respectively and data was analyzed with t test using SPSS13.0 software package. The sample was composed of 18 distractors grouped as follows: customized distractor (n = 9) and conventional distractor (n = 9). The customized distractor showed better result than the conventional distractor in mechanical property tests, with statistically significant differences in Vickers-hardness and maximum load (P < 0.05), and no significant differences in yield strength and welding strength (P > 0.05). The results of this study suggest indicated that compared to the conventional distractor, the customized distractor had better mechanical properties and could be used in maxillofacial distraction osteogenesis.

Optimized Active Layer Morphologies via Ternary Copolymerization of Polymer Donors for 17.6 % Efficiency Organic Solar Cells with Enhanced Fill Factor.

Regulating molecular structure to optimize the active layer morphology is of considerable significance for improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, we demonstrated a simple ternary copolymerization approach to develop a terpolymer donor PM6-Tz20 by incorporating the 5,5'-dithienyl-2,2'-bithiazole (DTBTz, 20 mol%) unit into the backbone of PM6 (PM6-Tz00). This method can effectively tailor the molecular orientation and aggregation of the polymer, and then optimize the active layer morphology and the corresponding physical processes of devices, ultimately boosting FF and then PCE. Hence, the PM6-Tz20: Y6-based OSCs achieved a PCE of up to 17.1% with a significantly enhanced FF of 0.77. Using Ag (220 nm) instead of Al (100 nm) as cathode, the champion PCE was further improved to 17.6%. This work provides a simple and effective molecular design strategy to optimize the active layer morphology of OSCs for improving photovoltaic performance.

Multiple transcriptomic analyses and characterization of pathogen-related core effectors and LysM family members reveal their differential roles in fungal growth and pathogenicity in Penicillium expansum.

Penicillium expansum is a destructive phytopathogen causing postharvest decay on many stored fruits. To develop effective and safe management strategies, it is important to investigate its pathogenicity-related mechanisms. In this study, a bioinformatic pipeline was constructed and 50 core effector genes were identified in P. expansum using multiple RNA-seq data sets and their putative functions were implicated by comparatively homologous analyses using pathogen-host interaction database. To functionally characterize P. expansum LysM domain proteins during infection, null mutants for the 15 uncharacterized putative LysM effectors were constructed and the fungal growth rate on either PDA or Cazpek medium or lesion expansion rate on the infected apple fruits was evaluated. The results showed the growth rate of knockout mutants from PeLysM5, PeLysM12 and PeLysM15 was retarded on PDA medium. No significant difference in growth rate was observed between wild type and all mutants on solid Cazpek medium. Nevertheless, the hypha of wild type displayed deeper yellow on the back of Cazpek medium than those of knockout mutants. On the infecting apples fruits, the knockout mutants from PeLysM5, PeLysM7, PeLysM8, PeLysM9, PeLysM10, PeLysM11, PeLysM14, PeLysM15, PeLysM16, PeLysM18 and PeLysM19 showed enhanced fungal virulence, with faster decaying on infected fruits than those from wild type. By contrast, the knockout mutation at PeLysM12 locus led to reduced lesion expansion rate on the infected apple fruits. In addition, P. expansum-apple interaction RNA-seq experiment was performed using apple fruit tissues infected by the wild type and knockout mutant ΔPeLysM15, respectively. Transcriptome analyses indicated that deletion of PeLysM15 could activate expression of several core effector genes, such as PEX2_055830, PEX2_036960 and PEX2_108150, and a chitin-binding protein, PEX2_064520. These results suggest PeLysM15 may play pivotal roles in fungal growth and development and involve pathogen-host interaction by modulating other effector genes' expression. Our results could provide solid data reference and good candidates for further pathogen-related studies in P. expansum.

Hybrid breeding of rice via genomic selection.

Hybrid breeding is the main strategy for improving productivity in many crops, especially in rice and maize. Genomic hybrid breeding is a technology that uses whole-genome markers to predict future hybrids. Predicted superior hybrids are then field evaluated and released as new hybrid cultivars after their superior performances are confirmed. This will increase the opportunity of selecting true superior hybrids with minimum costs. Here, we used genomic best linear unbiased prediction to perform hybrid performance prediction using an existing rice population of 1495 hybrids. Replicated 10-fold cross-validations showed that the prediction abilities on ten agronomic traits ranged from 0.35 to 0.92. Using the 1495 rice hybrids as a training sample, we predicted six agronomic traits of 100 hybrids derived from half diallel crosses involving 21 parents that are different from the parents of the hybrids in the training sample. The prediction abilities were relatively high, varying from 0.54 (yield) to 0.92 (grain length). We concluded that the current population of 1495 hybrids can be used to predict hybrids from seemingly unrelated parents. Eventually, we used this training population to predict all potential hybrids of cytoplasm male sterile lines from 3000 rice varieties from the 3K Rice Genome Project. Using a breeding index combining 10 traits, we identified the top and bottom 200 predicted hybrids. SNP genotypes of the training population and parameters estimated from this training population are available for general uses and further validation in genomic hybrid prediction of all potential hybrids generated from all varieties of rice.

Identification and characterization of virulence-attenuated mutants in Ralstonia solanacearum as potential biocontrol agents against bacterial wilt of Pogostemon cablin.

Ralstonia solanacearum is a soil-borne pathogen that causes bacterial wilt worldwide. The virulence-attenuated mutants were able to combat the soil-borne plant diseases. In this study, we screened the virulence-attenuated mutant PRS-84-4-49 of Ralstonia solanacearum and demonstrated that this strain showed a significant biocontrol effect against patchouli bacterial wilt. Three putative virulence-attenuated mutants obtained in our previous preliminary screen were individually tested for their pathogenicity to patchouli plants. Mutant PRS-84-4-49 showed significantly less virulence to patchouli plants than the other investigated mutants. The virulence-attenuated mutant PRS-84-4-49 was then evaluated for its potential to control patchouli bacterial wilt. The results revealed that the biocontrol treatment significantly reduced disease severity compared with the inoculated control plants, their highest disease incidence were 33% and 63%, respectively, at 5 days post-inoculation. Mutant PRS-84-4-49 exhibited less motility and produced fewer biofilms than the wild-type strain. Therefore, our results demonstrate that virulence-attenuated mutant of Ralstonia solanacearum has potential as biological control agent capable of suppressing patchouli bacterial wilt.