Concerted cis and trans effects underpin heightened defense gene expression in multi-herbivore-resistant maize lines.

In maize (Zea mays ssp. mays), agriculturally damaging herbivores include lepidopteran insects, such as the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), and distantly related arthropods, like the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). A small number of maize lines, including B96 and B75, are highly resistant to both herbivores, and B96 is also resistant to thrips. Using T. urticae as a representative pest that causes significant leaf tissue damage, we examined the gene expression responses of these lines to herbivory in comparison with each other and with the susceptible line B73. Upon herbivory, the most resistant line, B96, showed the strongest gene expression response, with a dramatic upregulation of genes associated with jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling, as well as the biosynthesis of specialized herbivore deterrent compounds, such as death acids and benzoxazinoids. Extending this work with allele-specific expression analyses in F1 hybrids, we inferred that the concerted upregulation of many defense genes, including the majority of benzoxazinoid biosynthetic genes in B96, as compared with B73, for the herbivore treatment, resulted from an assemblage of trans control and multiple cis effects acting with similar directionality on gene expression. Further, at the level of individual and potentially rate limiting genes in several major defense pathways, cis and trans effects acted in a reinforcing manner to result in exceptionally high expression in B96. Our study provides a comprehensive resource of cis elements for maize lines important in breeding efforts for herbivore resistance, and reveals potential genetic underpinnings of the origins of multi-herbivore resistance in plant populations.

A Real-Time Learning Analytics Dashboard for Automatic Detection of Online Learners' Affective States.

Students' affective states describe their engagement, concentration, attitude, motivation, happiness, sadness, frustration, off-task behavior, and confusion level in learning. In online learning, students' affective states are determinative of the learning quality. However, measuring various affective states and what influences them is exceedingly challenging for the lecturer without having real interaction with the students. Existing studies primarily use self-reported data to understand students' affective states, while this paper presents a novel learning analytics system called MOEMO (Motion and Emotion) that could measure online learners' affective states of engagement and concentration using emotion data. Therefore, the novelty of this research is to visualize online learners' affective states on lecturers' screens in real-time using an automated emotion detection process. In real-time and offline, the system extracts emotion data by analyzing facial features from the lecture videos captured by the typical built-in web camera of a laptop computer. The system determines online learners' five types of engagement ("strong engagement", "high engagement", "medium engagement", "low engagement", and "disengagement") and two types of concentration levels ("focused" and "distracted"). Furthermore, the dashboard is designed to provide insight into students' emotional states, the clusters of engaged and disengaged students', assistance with intervention, create an after-class summary report, and configure the automation parameters to adapt to the study environment.

Preventing Retraction With Use of Primary Eyelid Spacer Grafts in Cosmetic Lower Lid Blepharoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Lower eyelid retraction is a challenging complication that can develop after a cosmetic lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Factors such as proptosis and negative orbital vector may place patients at a higher risk for developing postblepharoplasty retraction. Rather than addressing this complication after it occurs postoperatively, this study focuses on preventing its occurrence through the use of primary eyelid spacer grafts during the initial blepharoplasty. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to review the outcomes of primary eyelid spacer graft placement during the initial cosmetic lower lid blepharoplasty. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed at Emory Eye Center between January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2022. Patients that underwent lower eyelid blepharoplasty with primary eyelid spacer graft placement were identified and included in the study. Fifteen patients with Hertel measurements of >17 and adequate preoperative and postoperative photographs were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with exophthalmometry measurements of >17 and adequate preoperative and postoperative photographs were analyzed. The mean change in marginal reflex distance 2 was 0.19 mm (range, -1.05 to 1.24 mm). Two patients developed eyelid retraction at their long-term follow-up. Both patients developed retraction about 2 years after the initial surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Although this study was limited by its retrospective nature and had a small sample size, none of these high-risk patients developed immediate post blepharoplasty retraction. Careful preoperative evaluation should be performed to identify these high-risk patients, and placement of a primary eyelid spacer graft during the initial lower eyelid blepharoplasty should be considered in this population.

Selection of a density separation solution to study microplastics in tropical riverine sediment.

Microplastics (MPs) are small (< 5 mm) plastic particles that are widely found in marine, freshwater, terrestrial and atmospheric environments. Due to their prevalence and persistence, MPs are considered an emerging contaminant of environmental concern. The separation and quantitation of MPs from freshwater sediments is a challenging and critical issue. It is necessary to identify the fate and sources of MPs in the environment, minimise their release and adverse effects. Compared to marine sediments, standardised methods for extracting and estimating the amount of MPs in freshwater sediments are relatively limited. The present study focuses on MP recovery efficiency of four commonly used salt solutions (NaCl, NaI, CaCl2 and ZnCl2) for isolating MPs during the density separation step from freshwater sediment. Known combinations of artificial MP particles (PS, PE, PVC, PET, PP and HDPE) were spiked into standard river sediment. Extraction using NaI, ZnCl2 and NaCl solutions resulted in higher recovery rates from 37 to 97% compared to the CaCl2 solution (28-83%) and varied between polymer types. Low-density MPs (PE, HDPE, PP and PS) were more effectively recovered (> 87%) than the denser polymers (PET and PVC: 37 to 88.8%) using NaCl, NaI and ZnCl2 solutions. However, the effective flotation of ZnCl2 and NaI solutions is relatively expensive and unsafe to the environment, especially in the context of developing countries. Therefore, considering the efficiency, cost and environmental criteria, NaCl solution was selected. The protocol was then tested by extracting MPs from nine riverine sediment samples from the Red River Delta. Sediments collected from urban rivers were highly polluted by MPs (26,000 MPs items·kg-1 DW) compared to sediments located downstream. Using a NaCl solution was found to be effective in this case study and might also be used in long-term and large-scale MP monitoring programmes in Vietnam.

An Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetase, OKI1, Is Required for Proper Shoot Meristem Size in Arabidopsis.

In plants, the stem cells that form the shoot system reside within the shoot apical meristem (SAM), which is regulated by feedback signaling between the WUSCHEL (WUS) homeobox protein and CLAVATA (CLV) peptides and receptors. WUS-CLV feedback signaling can be modulated by various endogenous or exogenous factors, such as chromatin state, hormone signaling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling and nutrition, leading to a dynamic control of SAM size corresponding to meristem activity. Despite these insights, however, the knowledge of genes that control SAM size is still limited, and in particular, the regulation by ROS signaling is only beginning to be comprehended. In this study, we report a new function in maintenance of SAM size, encoded by the OKINA KUKI1 (OKI1) gene. OKI1 is expressed in the SAM and encodes a mitochondrial aspartyl tRNA synthetase (AspRS). oki1 mutants display enlarged SAMs with abnormal expression of WUS and CLV3 and overaccumulation of ROS in the meristem. Our findings support the importance of normal AspRS function in the maintenance of the WUS-CLV3 feedback loop and SAM size.

A maize glutaredoxin gene, abphyl2, regulates shoot meristem size and phyllotaxy.

Phyllotaxy describes the geometric arrangement of leaves and is important for plant productivity. Auxin is well known to regulate phyllotactic patterns via PIN1-dependent auxin polar transport, and studies of maize (Zea mays) aberrant phyllotaxy1 (abph1) mutants suggest the importance of auxin and cytokinin signaling for control of phyllotaxy. However, whether additional regulators control these patterns is poorly understood. Here, we report a new dominant maize mutant, Aberrant phyllotaxy2 (Abph2), in which the shoot meristems are enlarged and the phyllotactic pattern switches from alternate to decussate. Map-based cloning revealed that the Abph2 mutation was caused by transposition of a glutaredoxin gene, MALE STERILE CONVERTED ANTHER1 (MSCA1), which gained an altered expression pattern in Abph2 mutant embryos. msca1 loss-of-function mutants have reduced meristem size and revealed a novel function of glutaredoxins in meristem growth. In addition, MSCA1 interacts with a TGA transcription factor, FASCIATED EAR4, suggesting a novel regulatory module for regulating shoot meristem size.

Interchangeable adaptors regulate mitochondrial dynamin assembly for membrane scission.

Mitochondrial fission is mediated by the dynamin-related GTPases Dnm1/Drp1 (yeast/mammals), which form spirals around constricted sites on mitochondria. Additional membrane-associated adaptor proteins (Fis1, Mdv1, Mff, and MiDs) are required to recruit these GTPases from the cytoplasm to the mitochondrial surface. Whether these adaptors participate in both GTPase recruitment and membrane scission is not known. Here we use a yeast strain lacking all fission proteins to identify the minimal combinations of GTPases and adaptors sufficient for mitochondrial fission. Although Fis1 is dispensable for fission, membrane-anchored Mdv1, Mff, or MiDs paired individually with their respective GTPases are sufficient to divide mitochondria. In addition to their role in Drp1 membrane recruitment, MiDs coassemble with Drp1 in vitro. The resulting heteropolymer adopts a dramatically different structure with a narrower diameter than Drp1 homopolymers assembled in isolation. This result demonstrates that an adaptor protein alters the architecture of a mitochondrial dynamin GTPase polymer in a manner that could facilitate membrane constriction and severing activity.

Understanding phycosomal dynamics to improve industrial microalgae cultivation.

Algal-bacterial interactions are ubiquitous in both natural and industrial systems, and the characterization of these interactions has been reinvigorated by potential applications in biosystem productivity. Different growth conditions can be used for operational functions, such as the use of low-quality water or high pH/alkalinity, and the altered operating conditions likely constrain microbial community structure and function in unique ways. However, research is necessary to better understand whether consortia can be designed to improve the productivity, processing, and sustainability of industrial-scale cultivations through different controls that can constrain microbial interactions for maximal light-driven outputs. The review highlights current knowledge and gaps for relevant operating conditions, as well as suggestions for near-term and longer-term improvements for large-scale cultivation and polyculture engineering.

Changes in social norms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across 43 countries.

The emergence of COVID-19 dramatically changed social behavior across societies and contexts. Here we study whether social norms also changed. Specifically, we study this question for cultural tightness (the degree to which societies generally have strong norms), specific social norms (e.g. stealing, hand washing), and norms about enforcement, using survey data from 30,431 respondents in 43 countries recorded before and in the early stages following the emergence of COVID-19. Using variation in disease intensity, we shed light on the mechanisms predicting changes in social norm measures. We find evidence that, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing norms increased while tightness and punishing frequency slightly decreased but observe no evidence for a robust change in most other norms. Thus, at least in the short term, our findings suggest that cultures are largely stable to pandemic threats except in those norms, hand washing in this case, that are perceived to be directly relevant to dealing with the collective threat.

Simultaneous real-time PCR detection of nine prevalent sexually transmitted infections using a predesigned double-quenched TaqMan probe panel.

Sexually transmitted diseases are major causes of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and premature birth. Here, we developed a new multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of nine major sexually transmitted infections (STIs) found in Vietnamese women, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and human alphaherpesviruses 1 and 2. A panel containing three tubes × three pathogens/tube was predesigned based on double-quenched TaqMan probes to increase detection sensitivity. There was no cross-reactivity among the nine STIs and other non-targeted microorganisms. Depending on each pathogen, the agreement with commercial kits, sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and reproducibility coefficient of variation (CV), and limit of detection of the developed real-time PCR assay were 99.0%-100%, 92.9%-100%, 100%, <3%, and 8-58 copies/reaction, respectively. One assay cost only 2.34 USD. Application of the assay for the detection of the nine STIs in 535 vaginal swab samples collected from women in Vietnam yielded 532 positive cases (99.44%). Among the positive samples, 37.76% had one pathogen, with G. vaginalis (33.83%) as the most prevalent; 46.36% had two pathogens, with G. vaginalis + C. albicans as the most prevalent combination (38.13%); and 11.78%, 2.99%, and 0.56% had three, four, and five pathogens, respectively. In conclusion, the developed assay represents a sensitive and cost-effective molecular diagnostic tool for the detection of major STIs in Vietnam and is a model for the development of panel detections of common STIs in other countries.

Efficient symptomatic treatment and viral load reduction for children with influenza virus infection by nasal-spraying Bacillus spore probiotics.

Influenza virus is a main cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. This is the first double-blind, randomized, and controlled clinical trial examining the efficacy of nasal-spraying probiotic LiveSpo Navax, which contains 5 billion of Bacillus subtilis and B. clausii spores in 5 mL, in supporting treatment of influenza viral infection in pediatric patients. We found that the nasal-spraying Bacillus spores significantly shortened the recovery period and overall treatment by 2 days and increased treatment effectiveness by 58% in resolving all ARTIs' symptoms. At day 2, the concentrations of influenza virus and co-infected bacteria were reduced by 417 and 1152 folds. Additionally, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-6 in nasopharyngeal samples were reduced by 1.1, 3.7, and 53.9 folds, respectively. Compared to the standard control group, treatment regimen with LiveSpo Navax demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness, resulting in 26-fold reduction in viral load, 65-fold reduction in bacterial concentration, and 1.1-9.5-fold decrease in cytokine levels. Overall, nasal-spraying Bacillus spores can support the symptomatic treatment of influenza virus-induced ARTIs quickly, efficiently and could be used as a cost-effective supportive treatment for respiratory viral infection in general.Clinical trial registration no: NCT05378022 on 17/05/2022.

Sex disparity in stroke outcomes in a multicenter prospective stroke registry in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Although men have a higher rate of stroke than women, it is not clear whether women have a worse outcome after adjusting for confounders such as vascular risk factors, age, stroke severity, and reperfusion therapy. We evaluated sex differences on 90-day functional outcomes after stroke in a multicenter study in Vietnam. METHODS: We recruited patients presenting with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at 10 stroke centers in Vietnam for a period of 1 month from 1 August 2022 to 31 August 2022. We reviewed the patient's clinical demographics, time from symptom onset to hospital admission, stroke classification, stroke subtype, stroke severity, characteristics of reperfusion therapy, and 90-day clinical outcome. We compared functional outcomes and predisposing factors at day 90 between men and women after an ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Poor outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale 3-6. RESULTS: There were 2300 stroke patients included. Men accounted for 61.3% (1410) of participants. Compared to men, women were older (67.7 ± 13.9 vs 63.7 ± 13.3, P < 0.001), had a higher rate of diabetes mellitus (21.1% vs 15.3%, P < 0.001), a lower rate of tobacco use (1.0 % vs 23.6%, P < 0.001), and a lower body mass index (21.4 ± 2.70 vs 22.0 ± 2.72, P < 0.001). There was a higher rate of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in men (21.3% vs 15.6%, P = 0.001), whereas the rate of subarachnoid hemorrhage was higher in women (6.2% vs 3.0%, P < 0.001). For ischemic stroke, door-to-needle time (36.9 ± 17.6 vs 47.8 ± 35.2 min, P = 0.04) and door-to-recanalization time (113.6 ± 51.1 vs 134.2 ± 48.2, P = 0.03) were shorter in women. There was no difference in 90-day functional outcomes between sexes. Factors associated with poor outcomes included age ⩾50 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-2.66), history of stroke (aOR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.15-1.96), large artery atherosclerosis (aOR: 5.19; 95% CI: 3.90-6.90), and cardioembolism (aOR: 3.21; 95% CI: 1.68-6.16). Factors associated with mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke included a history of coronary artery disease (aOR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.03-8.92), large artery atherosclerosis (aOR: 3.37; 95% CI: 2.11-5.37), and cardioembolism (aOR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.20-8.27). CONCLUSION: There were no sex differences in the clinical outcome of stroke and ischemic stroke in this prospective cohort of hospitalized Vietnamese patients.

Post-Graduation Work Visas and Loopholes: Insights into Support Provision for International Graduates from the Perspectives of Migration Agents, Universities, and International Graduates.

Background: Major host countries of international students such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US have introduced post-study work rights as a strategic policy to both enhance their destination attraction and support international students' post-graduation work experiences. While this policy is generally welcomed by both host institutions and international students, little is known about the support mechanism for the growing cohort of international student graduates who stay in their countries of study on temporary graduate visas, especially in relation to major concerns such as post-graduation work, visa application, and migration pathways. Objective: This article fills an important gap in the existing literature. It aims to assess the role of universities in supporting their international alumni on temporary visas. Research Design: It is derived from a study that includes 50 interviews with university staff, agents, and international graduates. It uses positioning theory as a conceptual framework. Results: The findings of the study raise concerns about the scope of university advice. It reports loopholes which legitimize the practices of migration agents to the conditions that enable them to exercise their exclusive rights in providing work-migration nexus advice to international students and graduates, making this cohort vulnerable to exploitation of unethical agents. The study provides the evidence base to develop recommendations for related stakeholders in improving the post-graduation experiences of international student graduates who remain in the host countries on temporary visas.

Nasal-spraying Bacillus spores as an effective symptomatic treatment for children with acute respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs) in young children. However, there is currently no vaccine or treatment available for children. Here, we demonstrated that nasal-spraying probiotics containing 5 billion of Bacillus spores (LiveSpo Navax) is an effective symptomatic treatment in a 6-day randomized controlled clinical study for RSV-infected children (n = 40-46/group). Navax treatment resulted in 1-day faster recovery-time and 10-50% better efficacy in relieving ARTI symptoms. At day 3, RSV load and level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in nasopharyngeal samples was reduced by 630 folds and 2.7-12.7 folds respectively. This showed 53-fold and 1.8-3.6-fold more effective than those in the control-standard of care-group. In summary, nasal-spraying Bacillus spores can rapidly and effectively relieve symptoms of RSV-induced ARTIs while exhibit strong impacts in reducing viral load and inflammation. Our nasal-spraying probiotics may provide a basis for simple-to-use, low-cost, and effective treatment against viral infection in general.

Maize Inbred Line B96 Is the Source of Large-Effect Loci for Resistance to Generalist but Not Specialist Spider Mites.

Maize (Zea mays subsp. mays) yield loss from arthropod herbivory is substantial. While the basis of resistance to major insect herbivores has been comparatively well-studied in maize, less is known about resistance to spider mite herbivores, which are distantly related to insects and feed by a different mechanism. Two spider mites, the generalist Tetranychus urticae, and the grass-specialist Oligonychus pratensis, are notable pests of maize, especially during drought conditions. We assessed resistance (antibiosis) to both mites of 38 highly diverse maize lines, including several previously reported to be resistant to one or the other mite species. We found that line B96, as well as its derivatives B49 and B75, were highly resistant to T. urticae. In contrast, neither these three lines, nor any others included in our study, were notably resistant to the specialist O. pratensis. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping with replicate populations from crosses of B49, B75, and B96 to susceptible B73 identified a QTL in the same genomic interval on chromosome 6 for T. urticae resistance in each of the three resistant lines, and an additional resistance QTL on chromosome 1 was unique to B96. Single-locus genotyping with a marker coincident with the chromosome 6 QTL in crosses of both B49 and B75 to B73 revealed that the respective QTL was large-effect; it explained ∼70% of the variance in resistance, and resistance alleles from B49 and B75 acted recessively as compared to B73. Finally, a genome-wide haplotype analysis using genome sequence data generated for B49, B75, and B96 identified an identical haplotype, likely of initial origin from B96, as the source of T. urticae resistance on chromosome 6 in each of the B49, B75, and B96 lines. Our findings uncover the relationship between intraspecific variation in maize defenses and resistance to its major generalist and specialist spider mite herbivores, and we identified loci for use in breeding programs and for genetic studies of resistance to T. urticae, the most widespread spider mite pest of maize.

Effects of Size and Surface Properties of Nanodiamonds on the Immunogenicity of Plant-Based H5 Protein of A/H5N1 Virus in Mice.

Nanodiamond (ND) has recently emerged as a potential nanomaterial for nanovaccine development. Here, a plant-based haemagglutinin protein (H5.c2) of A/H5N1 virus was conjugated with detonation NDs (DND) of 3.7 nm in diameter (ND4), and high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) oxidative NDs of ~40-70 nm (ND40) and ~100-250 nm (ND100) in diameter. Our results revealed that the surface charge, but not the size of NDs, is crucial to the protein conjugation, as well as the in vitro and in vivo behaviors of H5.c2:ND conjugates. Positively charged ND4 does not effectively form stable conjugates with H5.c2, and has no impact on the immunogenicity of the protein both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the negatively oxidized NDs (ND40 and ND100) are excellent protein antigen carriers. When compared to free H5.c2, H5.c2:ND40, and H5.c2:ND100 conjugates are highly immunogenic with hemagglutination titers that are both 16 times higher than that of the free H5.c2 protein. Notably, H5.c2:ND40 and H5.c2:ND100 conjugates induce over 3-folds stronger production of both H5.c2-specific-IgG and neutralizing antibodies against A/H5N1 than free H5.c2 in mice. These findings support the innovative strategy of using negatively oxidized ND particles as novel antigen carriers for vaccine development, while also highlighting the importance of particle characterization before use.

Ancestral sequence reconstruction pinpoints adaptations that enable avian influenza virus transmission in pigs.

Understanding the evolutionary adaptations that enable avian influenza viruses to transmit in mammalian hosts could allow better detection of zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential. We applied ancestral sequence reconstruction to gain viruses representing different adaptive stages of the European avian-like (EA) H1N1 swine influenza virus as it transitioned from avian to swine hosts since 1979. Ancestral viruses representing the avian-like precursor virus and EA swine influenza viruses from 1979-1983, 1984-1987 and 1988-1992 were reconstructed and characterized. Glycan-binding analyses showed stepwise changes in the haemagglutinin receptor-binding specificity of the EA swine influenza viruses-that is, from recognition of both α2,3- and α2,6-linked sialosides to recognition of α2,6-linked sialosides only; however, efficient transmission in piglets was enabled by adaptive changes in the viral polymerase protein and nucleoprotein, which have been fixed since 1983. PB1-Q621R and NP-R351K increased viral replication and transmission in piglets when introduced into the 1979-1983 ancestral virus that lacked efficient transmissibility. The stepwise adaptation of an avian influenza virus to a mammalian host suggests that there may be opportunities to intervene and prevent interspecies jumps through strategic coordination of surveillance and risk assessment activities.

Prevalence of and factors related to microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Tianjin, China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Since chronic hyperglycemia-related damage to small blood vessels results in complications, patients with longer durations of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are more likely to develop microvascular complications, such as retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy, which are very harmful to the health of humans. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of diabetes-related microvascular complications and to explore their risk factors in patients with T2DM in Tianjin, China. METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at 8 hospitals in urban and suburban regions of Tianjin, China. The information collected from the subjects mainly included demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements and clinical information. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the possible risk factors for microvascular complications (retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy). RESULTS: A total of 4,490 patients with T2DM from 8 hospitals in Tianjin, China were selected from November 2015 to January 2016. Of the study subjects, 2,270 (50.6%) were males. The median age was 64.0±13.0 years. The percentage of patients with T2DM who had at least one microvascular complication was 34.5%. The prevalence rates of neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy were 23.5%, 17.4%, and 10.8%, respectively. The results of the multivariate logistic regression showed that the duration of diabetes, insulin use, and the presence of hypertension and dyslipidemia were the main risk factors for developing microvascular complications of T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of diabetes complications in Tianjin is high. Increasing the control of risk factors can reduce the occurrence of complications to reduce the disease burden and improve the quality of life of patients.

Long-Term Population Studies Uncover the Genome Structure and Genetic Basis of Xenobiotic and Host Plant Adaptation in the Herbivore Tetranychus urticae.

Pesticide resistance arises rapidly in arthropod herbivores, as can host plant adaptation, and both are significant problems in agriculture. These traits have been challenging to study as both are often polygenic and many arthropods are genetically intractable. Here, we examined the genetic architecture of pesticide resistance and host plant adaptation in the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, a global agricultural pest. We show that the short generation time and high fecundity of T. urticae can be readily exploited in experimental evolution designs for high-resolution mapping of quantitative traits. As revealed by selection with spirodiclofen, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor, in populations from a cross between a spirodiclofen-resistant and a spirodiclofen-susceptible strain, and which also differed in performance on tomato, we found that a limited number of loci could explain quantitative resistance to this compound. These were resolved to narrow genomic intervals, suggesting specific candidate genes, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase itself, clustered and copy variable cytochrome P450 genes, and NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, which encodes a redox partner for cytochrome P450s. For performance on tomato, candidate genomic regions for response to selection were distinct from those responding to the synthetic compound and were consistent with a more polygenic architecture. In accomplishing this work, we exploited the continuous nature of allele frequency changes across experimental populations to resolve the existing fragmented T. urticae draft genome to pseudochromosomes. This improved assembly was indispensable for our analyses, as it will be for future research with this model herbivore that is exceptionally amenable to genetic studies.

Generalist and Specialist Mite Herbivores Induce Similar Defense Responses in Maize and Barley but Differ in Susceptibility to Benzoxazinoids.

While substantial progress has been made in understanding defense responses of cereals to insect herbivores, comparatively little is known about responses to feeding by spider mites. Nevertheless, several spider mite species, including the generalist Tetranychus urticae and the grass specialist Oligonychus pratensis, cause damage on cereals such as maize and wheat, especially during drought stress. To understand defense responses of cereals to spider mites, we characterized the transcriptomic responses of maize and barley to herbivory by both mite species, and included a wounding control against which modulation of defenses could be tested. T. urticae and O. pratensis induced highly correlated changes in gene expression on both maize and barley. Within 2 h, hundreds of genes were upregulated, and thousands of genes were up- or downregulated after 24 h. In general, expression changes were similar to those induced by wounding, including for genes associated with jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling. Many genes encoding proteins involved in direct defenses, or those required for herbivore-induced plant volatiles, were strongly upregulated in response to mite herbivory. Further, biosynthesis genes for benzoxazinoids, which are specialized compounds of Poaceae with known roles in deterring insect herbivores, were induced in maize. Compared to chewing insects, spider mites are cell content feeders and cause grossly different patterns of tissue damage. Nonetheless, the gene expression responses of maize to both mite herbivores, including for phytohormone signaling pathways and for the synthesis of the benzoxazinoid 2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one glucoside, a known defensive metabolite against caterpillars, resembled those reported for a generalist chewing insect, Spodoptera exigua. On maize plants harboring mutations in several benzoxazinoid biosynthesis genes, T. urticae performance dramatically increased compared to wild-type plants. In contrast, no difference in performance was observed between mutant and wild-type plants for the specialist O. pratensis. Collectively, our data provide little evidence that maize and barley defense responses differentiate herbivory between T. urticae and O. pratensis. Further, our work suggests that the likely route to specialization for O. pratensis involved the evolution of a robust mechanism to cope with the benzoxazinoid defenses of its cereal hosts.