[Development and application of SSR markers of Saposhnikovia divaricata based on transcriptome].

Transcriptome sequencing was employed to mine the simple sequence repeat(SSR) locus information of Saposhnikovia divaricata and design specific primers, which aimed to provide a basis for the research on the genetic diversity of S. divaricata germplasm resources. The seed purity, 1 000-seed weight, germination rate, and seed vigor were determined. MISA was used to obtain the SSR locus information from 12 606 unigene longer than 1 kb in the transcriptome database. Forty-three pairs of SSR primers designed in Primer 3 were used to analyze the polymorphism of 28 S. divaricata samples of different sources. The results showed that there were differences in the seed purity, 1 000-seed weight, germination rate, vigor, and seed length and width among S. divaricata samples of different sources. Particularly, the germination rate and seed vigor had significant differences, and HB-ZJK1, NMG-CF4, NMG-BT, NMG-HLE1, and NMG-CF2 had significantly higher 1 000-seed weight, germination rate, and seed vigor than the samples of other sources. Among the 86 233 unigene, 12 606(14.62%) unigene contained 15 958 SSR loci, with one SSR locus every 5 009 bp on average. The SSR loci were mainly single nucleotide and dinucleotide repeats, which were dominated by G/C and TC/AG, respectively. All the primers were screened by using 28 S. divaricata sample from different habitats, and the primers corresponding to the amplification products with clear bands and stable polymorphism were obtained. The clustering results of the biological characteristics and genetic diversity of the 28 S. divaricata samples were basically consistent, and the samples of the same origin(HB-AG1, HB-AG2, HB-ZJK1, and HB-ZJK2) generally gathered together and had close genetic relationship. The SSRs in S. divaricata transcriptome has high frequency, rich types, and high polymorphism, which provides candidate molecular markers for the germplasm identification, genetic map construction, and molecular-assisted breeding.

Ultrafine PtCo alloy by pyrolysis etching-confined pyrolysis for enhanced hydrogen evolution.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) has been widely used as a precursor to developing efficient PtCo alloy catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, traditional in-situ pyrolysis strategies involve complicated interface structure modulating processes between ZIF-67 and Pt precursors, challenging large-scale synthesis. Herein, a "pyrolysis etching-confined pyrolysis" approach is developed to design confined PtCo alloy in porous frameworks of onion carbon derived from ZIF-67. The confined PtCo alloy with Pt content of only 5.39 wt% exhibits a distinct HER activity in both acid (η10: 5 mV and Tafel: 9 mV dec-1) and basic (η10: 33 mV and Tafel: 51 mV dec-1) media and a drastic enhancement in stability. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the strong electronic interaction between Pt and Co allows favorable electron redistribution, which affords a favorable hydrogen spillover on PtCo alloy compared with that of pristine Pt(111). Operational electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that the Faraday reaction process is facilitated under acidic conditions, while the transfer of intermediates through the electric double-layer region under alkaline conditions is accelerated. This work not only offers a universal route for high-performance Pt-based alloy catalysts with metal-organic framework (MOF) precursors but also provides experimental evidence for the role of the electric double layer in electrocatalysis reactions.

[Transcriptome profiling of Saposhnikovia divaricata growing for different years and mining of key genes in active ingredient biosynthesis].

Saposhnikovia divaricata is a commonly used bulk medicinal plant. To explore the key enzyme genes and their expression in the biosynthesis of chromone and coumarin, the key active components, we carried out transcriptome sequencing(Illumina HiSeq) and bioinformatics analysis for the 1-year-old(S1) and 2-year-old(S2) plants of S. divaricata. A total of 40.8 Gb data was obtained. After the sequence assembly via Trinity, 110 732 transcripts and 86 233 unigenes were obtained, which were aligned and annotated with NR, Swiss-Prot, GO, KEGG, and PFAM. Daucus carota and S. divaricata had the highest sequence homology. KEGG pathway enrichment showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. A total of 27 differentially expressed unigenes, including 13 enzyme genes, were identified in the pathways related to the synthesis of active ingredients in S. divaricata. Compared with S1 plant, S2 plant showed up-regulated expression of PAL, BGL, C4H, 4CL, CYP98A, CSE, REF, and CCoAOMT and down-regulated expression of CHS, CAD, and COMT. HCT and POD had both up-regulated and down-regulated unigenes. Among them, PAL, C4H, 4CL, BGL, and CHS can be used as candidate genes for the synthesis of the active ingredients in S. divaricata. The four key enzyme genes were verified by RT-qPCR, which showed the results consistent with transcriptome sequencing. This study enriches the genetic information of S. divaricata and provides support for the identification of candidate genes in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.

Trends in Diabetes Mortality in Urban and Rural China, 1987-2019: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis.

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus is emerging as an epidemic worldwide, and the incidence and prevalence of diabetes have drastically changed in China over the past 30 years, but data on its mortality rate are scarce. This study aimed to analyze the time trends of mortality rates among patients with diabetes in the rural and urban population in China between 1987 and 2019. Methods: The research data come from China's annual report on national health statistics and the Chinese Health Statistics Yearbook. Age-standardized mortality rates were calculated by using the direct method based on the World Standard Population from the WHO. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to estimate the annual percent change and average annual percentage changes of mortality rates of diabetes mellitus. Results: An overall trend for increment in diabetes mortality was observed. The crude mortality rates and age-standardized mortality rates of diabetes for urban and rural residents in China showed a significant increasing trend between 1987 and 2019. Mortality due to diabetes in urban areas has been higher than in rural areas for 30 years. However, due to the rapid increase of rural diabetes mortality in the past decade, the gap between the two gradually narrowed. The age-standardized mortality rates of diabetes increased by about 38.5% in urban areas and 254.9% in rural areas over the whole study period. In addition, the age-standardized mortality rate of females with diabetes was higher than that of males, but this pattern began to change in urban areas in 2012. Finally, the age-standardized mortality rates in the elderly population in China are higher with a faster growth rate, especially in rural areas. Conclusion: The mortality rate of diabetes is on the rise in China. The rapid growth of the mortality rate of diabetes in rural areas leads to the reduction of the urban-rural gap. Male mortality rates in urban areas have surpassed those of women. At the same time, the mortality rate of diabetes showed obvious elder-group orientation. As China's population ages, the burden of death and disability caused by diabetes and its complications will continue to increase. These results indicate that diabetes has become a significant public health problem in China. Such an effect increases the demand for strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus. In addition to the prevention and intervention of diabetes in high-risk groups, it is also necessary to establish diabetes screening networks to identify patients with mild symptoms. Early detection and timely intervention can effectively reduce the incidence and mortality of diabetes.

[Pathological factors associated with staging of metastatic lymph node ratio and metastatic lymph node number in advanced gastric carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association of pathologic factors with the staging of metastatic lymph node ratio (rN) and metastatic lymph node number (pN), and to provide evidence for reasonable tumor staging in advanced gastric carcinoma (AGC). METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 555 patients, who received radical resection for primary tumor of AGC between November 2003 and December 2011 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, were reviewed retrospectively. The clinicopathological factors influencing rN and pN were analyzed. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that differentiation degree, vascular invasion, tumor diameter, gross type and invasion depth were significantly associated with rN or pN (all P<0.05). Histological type was significantly associated with rN (P<0.05), but not with pN. Logistic regression analysis revealed that vascular invasion, tumor diameter≥4 cm and invasion depth were independent risk factors for lymph node distant metastasis in AGC (all P<0.05). ROC curves showed that rN was consistent with pN in evaluating the diagnostic value of lymph node distant metastasis for tumor staging in AGC (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vascular invasion tumor diameter≥4 cm and invasion depth are independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in AGC based on either metastatic lymph node ratio (rN) or metastatic lymph node number (pN). The rN staging is consistent with the pN staging in evaluating the diagnostic value of metastatic lymph node for tumor staging in AGC.

[Meta-analysis on the correlation of cholecystectomy or cholecystolithiasis to risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese population].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It is reported that the incidence of colorectal cancer is higher in patients receiving cholecystectomy (CHE) than in those who did not. However, the correlation of CHE and cholecystolithiasis (CHO) to colorectal cancer is unclear. This study was to investigate the correlation of CHE or CHO to risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese population. METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted according to the guidelines set forth by the meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology (MOOSE statement). A manual and computer search of literature was performed. Included literatures were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Original data were extracted, pooled odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (Cl) were calculated using revman 5.0. RESULTS: In total 26 studies were included. The pooled OR between CHO or CHE, CHE alone, CHO alone and colorectal cancer were 3.00 (95%IC 2.30-3.91), 2.85 (95%IC 2.13-3.81) and 2.68 (95%IC 1.93-3.72), respectively. Sub-group analysis in sex and position of tumors revealed obvious correlation of CHE or CHO to colorectal cancer except for the men's subgroup. CONCLUSION: CHE or CHO may be associated with colorectal cancer in Chinese population.