Antennal Transcriptome Evaluation and Analysis for Odorant-Binding Proteins, Chemosensory Proteins, and Suitable Reference Genes in the Leaf Beetle Pest Diorhabda rybakowi Weise (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Diorhabda rybakowi Weise is one of the dominant pests feeding on Nitraria spp., a pioneer plant used for windbreaking and sand fixation purposes, and poses a threat to local livestock and ecosystems. To clarify the key olfactory genes of D. rybakowi and provide a theoretical basis for attractant and repellent development, the optimal reference genes under two different conditions (tissue and sex) were identified, and the bioinformatics and characterization of the tissue expression profiles of two categories of soluble olfactory proteins (OBPs and CSPs) were investigated. The results showed that the best reference genes were RPL13a and RPS18 for comparison among tissues, and RPL19 and RPS18 for comparison between sexes. Strong expressions of DrybOBP3, DrybOBP6, DrybOBP7, DrybOBP10, DrybOBP11, DrybCSP2, and DrybCSP5 were found in antennae, the most important olfactory organ for D. rybakowi. These findings not only provide a basis for further in-depth research on the olfactory molecular mechanisms of host-specialized pests but also provide a theoretical basis for the future development of new chemical attractants or repellents using volatiles to control D. rybakowi.

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.

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.

Covalent functionalization of Sb2S3 with poly(N-vinylcarbazole) for solid-state broadband laser protection.

An optimized complex multi-component nanomaterial system would help greatly enhance the optical limiting performance and applicability of 2D nanomaterials. By using antimony sulfide-[S-1-dodecyl-S'-(α,α'-dimethyl-α''-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate] (Sb2S3-DDAT) as a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, a highly soluble poly(N-vinylcarbazole)-covalently modified Sb2S3 (Sb2S3-PVK) was synthesized in situ and embedded into a non-optically active poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) matrix producing a PMMA-based film with good optical quality. In contrast to both the Sb2S3/PMMA and Sb2S3:PVK blends/PMMA films, the Sb2S3-PVK/PMMA film exhibits more superior optical limiting performance. After annealing in N2 at 200 °C for 30 minutes, the achieved nonlinear absorption coefficient and limiting threshold are changed from 411.79 cm GW-1 and 1.93 J cm-2 at 532 nm and 242.79 cm GW-1 and 4.17 J cm-2 at 1064 nm before annealing to 478.04 cm GW-1 and 1.70 J cm-2 at 532 nm and 520.92 cm GW-1 and 1.40 J cm-2 at 1064 nm after annealing, respectively. These advantages make Sb2S3-PVK one of the potential promising candidates for a broadband laser protector in both the visible and near-infrared ranges.

Genome resources for the elite bread wheat cultivar Aikang 58 and mining of elite homeologous haplotypes for accelerating wheat improvement.

Despite recent progress in crop genomics studies, the genomic changes brought about by modern breeding selection are still poorly understood, thus hampering genomics-assisted breeding, especially in polyploid crops with compound genomes such as common wheat (Triticum aestivum). In this work, we constructed genome resources for the modern elite common wheat variety Aikang 58 (AK58). Comparative genomics between AK58 and the landrace cultivar Chinese Spring (CS) shed light on genomic changes that occurred through recent varietal improvement. We also explored subgenome diploidization and divergence in common wheat and developed a homoeologous locus-based genome-wide association study (HGWAS) approach, which was more effective than single homoeolog-based GWAS in unraveling agronomic trait-associated loci. A total of 123 major HGWAS loci were detected using a genetic population derived from AK58 and CS. Elite homoeologous haplotypes (HHs), formed by combinations of subgenomic homoeologs of the associated loci, were found in both parents and progeny, and many could substantially improve wheat yield and related traits. We built a website where users can download genome assembly sequence and annotation data for AK58, perform blast analysis, and run JBrowse. Our work enriches genome resources for wheat, provides new insights into genomic changes during modern wheat improvement, and suggests that efficient mining of elite HHs can make a substantial contribution to genomics-assisted breeding in common wheat and other polyploid crops.

'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' Changes the Metabolite Composition of Jujube Tree Leaves and Affects the Feeding Behavior of Its Insect Vector Hishimonus hamatus Kuoh.

Hishimonus hamatus Kuoh is a leafhopper species native to China that feeds on Chinese jujube leaves. This leafhopper species has been verified to transmit jujube witches' broom (JWB) disease, caused by phytoplasma, a fatal plant pathogen, which belongs to the phytoplasma subgroup 16SrV-B. The transmission of JWB phytoplasma largely relies on the feeding behavior of piercing-sucking leafhoppers. However, the specific mechanisms behind how and why the infection of JWB influences the feeding behavior of these leafhoppers are not fully understood. To address this, a study was conducted to compare the feeding patterns of H. hamatus when feeding JWB-infested jujube leaves to healthy leaves using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique. Then, a widely targeted metabolome analysis was performed to identify differences in the metabolite composition of JWB-infected jujube leaves and that of healthy jujube leaves. The results of EPG analyses revealed that when feeding on JWB-infected jujube leaves, H. hamatus exhibited an increased frequency of phloem ingestion and spent longer in the phloem feeding phase compared to when feeding on healthy leaves. In addition, the results of metabolomic analyses showed that JWB-infected leaves accumulated higher levels of small-molecular carbohydrates, free amino acids, and free fatty acids, as well as lower levels of lignans, coumarins and triterpenoids compared to healthy leaves. The above results indicated that the H. hamatus preferentially fed on the phloem of infected leaves, which seems to be linked to the transmission of the JWB phytoplasma. The results of metabolomic analyses partially imply that the chemical compounds might play a role in making the infected leaves more attractive to H. hamatus for feeding.

Deoxynivalenol accumulation and detoxification in cereals and its potential role in wheat-Fusarium graminearum interactions.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a prominent mycotoxin showing significant accumulation in cereal plants during infection by the phytopathogen Fusarium graminearum. It is a virulence factor that is important in the spread of F. graminearum within cereal heads, and it causes serious yield losses and significant contamination of cereal grains. In recent decades, genetic and genomic studies have facilitated the characterization of the molecular pathways of DON biosynthesis in F. graminearum and the environmental factors that influence DON accumulation. In addition, diverse scab resistance traits related to the repression of DON accumulation in plants have been identified, and experimental studies of wheat-pathogen interactions have contributed to understanding detoxification mechanisms in host plants. The present review illustrates and summarizes the molecular networks of DON mycotoxin production in F. graminearum and the methods of DON detoxification in plants based on the current literature, which provides molecular targets for crop improvement programs. This review also comprehensively discusses recent advances and challenges related to genetic engineering-mediated cultivar improvements to strengthen scab resistance. Furthermore, ongoing advancements in genetic engineering will enable the application of these molecular targets to develop more scab-resistant wheat cultivars with DON detoxification traits.

Safety and effectiveness of metformin plus lifestyle intervention compared with lifestyle intervention alone in preventing progression to diabetes in a Chinese population with impaired glucose regulation: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Impaired glucose regulation (defined as either impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose) is an important risk factor for the development of diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of metformin plus lifestyle intervention compared with lifestyle intervention alone in preventing diabetes in Chinese participants with impaired glucose regulation. METHODS: We did a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial at 43 endocrinology departments in general hospitals across China. Eligible participants were individuals with impaired glucose regulation (ie, impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, or both), men or women aged 18-70 years with a BMI of 21-32 kg/m2. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) via a computer-generated randomisation to receive either standard lifestyle intervention alone or metformin (850 mg orally once per day for the first 2 weeks and titrated to 1700 mg orally per day [850 mg twice per day]) plus lifestyle intervention. Block randomisation was used with a block size of four, stratified by glucose status (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance), hypertension, and use of any anti-hypertensive medication. Lifestyle intervention advice was given by investigators at all participating sites. The primary endpoint was the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes at the end of the 2-year follow-up. Analysis was done using the full analysis set and per-protocol set. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03441750, and is completed. FINDINGS: Between April, 2017, and June, 2019, 3881 individuals were assessed for eligibility, of which 1678 (43·2%) participants were randomly assigned to either the metformin plus lifestyle intervention group (n=831) or the lifestyle intervention alone group (n=847) and received the allocated intervention at least once. During a median follow-up of 2·03 years, the incidence rate of diabetes was 17·27 (95% CI 15·19-19·56) per 100 person-years in the metformin plus lifestyle intervention group and 19·83 (17·67-22·18) per 100 person-years in the lifestyle intervention alone group. The metformin plus lifestyle intervention group showed a 17% lower risk of developing diabetes than the lifestyle intervention alone group (HR 0·83 [95% CI 0·70-0·99]; log-rank p=0·043). A higher proportion of participants in the metformin plus lifestyle intervention group reported adverse events than in the lifestyle intervention alone group, primarily due to more gastrointestinal adverse events. The percentage of participants reporting a serious adverse event was similar in both groups. INTERPRETATION: Metformin plus lifestyle intervention further reduced the risk of developing diabetes than lifestyle intervention alone in Chinese people with impaired glucose regulation, showing additional benefits of combined intervention in preventing progression to diabetes without new safety concerns. FUNDING: Merck Serono China, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Multifunctionality of Jasmonic Acid Accumulation during Aphid Infestation in Altering the Plant Physiological Traits That Suppress the Plant Defenses in Wheat Cultivar XN979.

Crop plants have coevolved phytohormone-mediated defenses to combat and/or repel their colonizers. The present study determined the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation during aphid infestation on the preference and performance of Sitobion miscanthi Takahashi (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and its potential role in fine-tuning hormone-dependent responses in XN979 wheat cultivar seedlings was evaluated via the transcriptional profiles of marker genes related to JA- and salicylic acid (SA)-dependent responses. The preference experiment and the life table data reveal that direct foliage spraying of 2.5 mM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) exhibited weak negative or positive effects on the preferential selection and the population dynamics and oviposition parameters of S. miscanthi. The transcription level of phytohormone biosynthesis genes shows that foliage spraying of MeJA significantly upregulated the marker genes in the JA biosynthesis pathway while downregulating the SA pathway. In addition, either MeJA treatment or previous aphid infestation significantly induced upregulated transcription of the genes involved in the JA- and SA-dependent defense responses, and the transcription level of the tryptophan decarboxylase (TaTDC) gene, which facilitates the conversion of L-tryptophan to tryptamine, was rapidly upregulated after the treatments as well. The main products of tryptamine conversion could play a crucial role in suppressing SA-dependent defense responses. These results will provide more experimental evidence to enable understanding of the antagonistic interaction between hormone signaling processes in cereals under aphid infestation.

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.

Development of models to predict 10-30-year cardiovascular disease risk using the Da Qing IGT and diabetes study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk equations for Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) to predict 10-, 20-, and 30-year of risk. METHODS: Risk equations for forecasting the occurrence of CVD were developed using data from 601 patients with newly diagnosed T2D from the Da Qing IGT and Diabetes Study with a 30-year follow-up. The data were randomly assigned to a training and test data set. In the training data set, Cox proportional hazard regression was used to develop risk equations to predict CVD. Calibration was assessed by the slope and intercept of the line between predicted and observed probabilities of outcomes by quintile of risk, and discrimination was examined using Harrell's C statistic in the test data set. Using the Sankey flow diagram to describe the change of CVD risk over time. RESULTS: Over the 30-year follow-up, corresponding to a 10,395 person-year follow-up time, 355 of 601 (59%) patients developed incident CVD; the incidence of CVD in the participants was 34.2 per 1,000 person-years. Age, sex, smoking status, 2-h plasma glucose level of oral glucose tolerance test, and systolic blood pressure were independent predictors. The C statistics of discrimination for the risk equations were 0.748 (95%CI, 0.710-0.782), 0.696 (95%CI, 0.655-0.704), and 0.687 (95%CI, 0.651-0.694) for 10-, 20-, and 30- year CVDs, respectively. The calibration statistics for the CVD risk equations of slope were 0.88 (P = 0.002), 0.89 (P = 0.027), and 0.94 (P = 0.039) for 10-, 20-, and 30-year CVDs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The risk equations forecast the long-term risk of CVD in patients with newly diagnosed T2D using variables readily available in routine clinical practice. By identifying patients at high risk for long-term CVD, clinicians were able to take the required primary prevention measures.

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.

Effect of glycemic control and glucose fluctuation on in-hospital adverse outcomes after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with diabetes: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal glycemic control level in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (On-Pump) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of different blood glucose control levels and glucose fluctuations on in-hospital adverse outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing on-pump CABG. METHOD: A total of 3918 patients with diabetes undergoing CABG were reviewed in this study. A total of 1638 patients were eligible for inclusion and were categorized into strict, moderate and liberal glucose control groups based on post-operative mean blood glucose control levels of < 7.8 mmol/L, from 7.8 to 9.9 mmol/L and ≥ 10.0 mmoL/L, respectively. The primary endpoint was defined as a composite endpoint including in-hospital all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular complications. The secondary endpoint was defined as major cardiovascular complications including acute myocardial infarction, strokes and acute kidney injuries. To determine the associations between blood glucose fluctuations and adverse outcomes, patients with different glycemic control levels were further divided into subgroups according to whether the largest amplitude of glycemic excursion (LAGE) was ≥ 4.4 mmol/L or not. RESULTS: A total of 126 (7.7%) patients had a composite endpoint. Compared with moderate control, strict glucose control was associated with an increased risk of the primary endpoint (adjusted OR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.18-4.15, p = 0.01) and the secondary endpoint (adjusted OR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.01-3.77, p = 0.049). Furthermore, LAGE ≥ 4.4 mmol/L was significantly associated with the primary endpoint (adjusted OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.12-2.50, p = 0.01) and the secondary endpoint (adjusted OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.17-2.62, p = 0.01),respectively. Patients with LAGE ≥ 4.4 mmol/L had significantly higher rates of the composite endpoint and major vascular complications in both the strict-control (the primary endpoint, 66.7% vs 12.4%, p = 0.034, the secondary endpoint, 66.7% vs 10.3%, p = 0.03) and moderate-control groups (the primary endpoint, 10.2% vs 6.0%, p = 0.03, the secondary endpoint, 10.2% vs 5.8%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: After On-Pump CABG patients with diabetes, strict glucose control (< 7.8 mmol/L) and relatively large glucose fluctuations (LAGE ≥ 4.4 mmol/L) were independently associated with in-hospital adverse outcomes.

Functional disparity of four pheromone-binding proteins from the plum fruit moth Grapholita funebrana Treitscheke in detection of sex pheromone components.

Grapholita funebrana, also known as the plum fruit moth, is an oligophagous pest species that causes enormous economic losses of the fruits of Rosaceae. An eco-friendly method for the control of G. funebrana besides chemical control has not yet been developed. The sex pheromone communication system plays an important role in moth courtship and mating, in which pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are critical. In this research, we identified four PBPs, namely, GfunPBP1.1, GfunPBP1.2, GfunPBP2, and GfunPBP3, from the antennae of G. funebrana. The results of real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that all four GfunPBPs were overwhelmingly expressed in the antennae and that GfunPBP1.2 and GfunPBP2 showed male-biased expression patterns, whereas GfunPBP1.1 and GfunPBP3 were equally expressed between sexes. The results of ligand-binding assays illustrated that although all four recombinant GfunPBPs (rGfunPBPs) had binding activity with the tested sex pheromone compounds, their preferred ligands were significantly different. rGfunPBP2 had the strongest binding affinity to Z8-12:Ac and Z8-12:OH; rGfunPBP1.1 preferred to bind Z8-14:Ac, Z10-14:Ac, and 12:OH more than to the other three GfunPBPs; and rGfunPBP1.2 exhibited stronger binding affinity to E8-12:Ac than to the other rGfunPBPs. Molecular docking results demonstrated that hydrophobic forces, especially van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, were the most important forces that maintained GfunPBP-pheromone ligand complexes. This study will improve our understanding of the sex pheromone recognition mechanisms of G. funebrana and promote the development of novel strategies for controlling G. funebrana.