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In order to understand the genetic diversity and structure within and between the genera of Saccharum and Erianthus , 79 accessions from five species ( S. officinarum , S. spontaneum , S. robustum , S. barberi , S. sinense ), six accessions of E. arundinaceus , and 30 Saccharum spp. hybrids were analyzed using 21 pairs of fluorescence-labeled highly poloymorphic SSR primers and a capillary electrophoresis (CE) detection system. A total of 167 polymorphic SSR alleles were identified by CE with a mean value of polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.92. Genetic diversity parameters among these 115 accessions revealed that Saccharum spp. hybrids were more diverse than those of Saccharum and Erianthus species. Based on the SSR data, the 115 accessions were classified into seven main phylogenetic groups, which corresponded to the Saccharum and Erianthus genera through phylogenetic analysis and principle component analysis (PCA). We propose that seven core SSR primer pairs, namely, SMC31CUQ, SMC336BS, SMC597CS, SMC703BS, SMC24DUQ, mSSCIR3, and mSSCIR43, may have a wide appicability in genotype identification of Saccharum species and Saccharum spp. hybrids. Thus, the information from this study contibites to manage sugarcane genetic resources.

Background Congenital cataract is a leading cause of treatable childhood blindness and both clinically and genetically heterogeneous. Among the already characterized phenotypes, coralliform cataract is a rare special form of congenital cataracts. Although previous studies had shown that mutations in the γD-crystallin ( CRYGD ) can result in congenital coralliform cataracts, no conclusive genotype-phenotype correlation might be drawn. Here we aimed to identify the spectrum and frequency of CRYGD gene mutations in congenital coralliform cataracts of Chinese origin. Methods The medical records of 392 Chinese families with congenital cataracts were reviewed between January 2011 and December 2021. The families, clinically documented to have congenital coralliform cataracts, were screened for mutations in candidate CRYGD gene. The genomic DNA of all subjects was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. PCR amplified and direct sequencing were performed to identify the disease-causing mutation. Results A total of 12 families with coralliform cataracts were recruited in this study in the past 10 years, accounting for 3.1% of the families with congenital cataracts. Of the 12 families, all affected individuals presented with bilateral non-progressive coralliform cataracts since birth, with the best-corrected Snellen visual acuities ranging from 20/200 to 20/25. A recurrent c.70 C > A (p. P24T) mutation in CRYGD was identified in 10 families (83.3%) with congenital cataract, which co-segregated with all affected individuals and was not observed in unaffected family members or ethnically matched normal controls. Conclusions The coralliform cataract is characterized by being bilateral, non-progressive and present at birth. A recurrent p.P24T CRYGD mutation occurs independently in 83.3% of the Chinese families with congenital coralliform cataracts and most likely represents a mutational hot spot, which underscore the relations between coralliform cataract and p.P24T CRYGD .

Purpose To evaluate the availability of human resources for ophthalmic services in mainland China. Methods In 2021, we conducted a nationwide survey of ophthalmic outpatient services across 2996 tertiary hospitals and 10,404 secondary hospitals in 31 provinces in mainland China. Results The response rate was 73.6% (9856/13400), with 78.7% (7759/9856) providing ophthalmic services. By 2021, the total number of ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, and optometrists was 48,652, 64,495, and 14,320, respectively. The densities (per 50,000 population) were 1.7, 2.25, and 0.47, respectively. The density of ophthalmologists was < 1 only in the XiZang region. The average doctor-patient ratio was 2584.8. In Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces, this ratio exceeded 4000. Conclusion There are currently 1.7 ophthalmologists, 2.25 nurses, and 0.47 optometrists for every 50,000 people in China. The number of ophthalmologists has reached the global average, but the number of optometrists is far below the global average. And the medical pressure across China is uneven, with some provinces such as Shanghai and Zhejiang facing enormous pressure.

The oriental armyworm Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) can feed on the leaves of many crops, resulting in vast areas of damage and severe losses. Therefore, this insect has become a significant agricultural pest in north Asia. In this study, we fed 3 rd instar larvae with artificial diets containing different concentrations of chlorogenic acid and found a significant lethal effect and the mortality increased with increasing chlorogenic acid concentration. Next, we measured the sublethal effect of chlorogenic acid at LC 20 on the growth and development of M. separata larvae. The durations of the 4 th and 5 th instar were longer than those of the control group (prolonged by 0.8 and 0.6 days, respectively), and the 6 th instar was shorter (by 1.1 days). The total survival rate, pupation rate, eclosion rate, sex ratio, and oviposition amount in the LC 20 chlorogenic acid-treated group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of 3 rd instar larvae fed various concentrations of chlorogenic acid revealed that several MsCYP450 genes were significantly up-regulated, and this finding was further validated by qRT-PCR. In addition, various concentrations of chlorogenic acid and different treatment times significantly affected the enzyme activity of CYP450 in 3 rd instar larvae. Importantly, dietary ingestion of dsMsCYP450 significantly reduced the mRNA level of MsCYP450 genes and increased mortality in the presence of chlorogenic acid. Our results revealed that MsCYP6B6 , MsCYP321A7 , and MsCYP6B7-like play an essential role in the detoxification of chlorogenic acid by M. separata . This study provides evidence of control effect by botanical insecticide chlorogenic acid on M. separata , and potential detoxification mechanism mediated by P450 of botanical insecticide in arthropods.

The insect gut bacteria play important roles in insect development and growth, such as immune defense, nutrient metabolism, regulating insect adaptations for plants, etc. The Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a destructive invasive pest that mainly feeds on solanaceae plants. However, the relationship between gut microflora and host adaption of T. absoluta remains to be known. In this study, we first compared the survival adaptability of T. absoluta feeding with two host plants (tomatoes and potatoes). The T. absoluta completed the generation cycle by feeding on the leaves of both plants. However, the larvae feeding on tomato leaves have shorter larvae durations, longer adult durations, and a greater number of egg production per female. After Single Molecular Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, according to the LDA Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis, the gut bacterial biomarker of T. absoluta fed on tomato was Enterobacter cloacae and the gut bacterial biomarker of T. absoluta fed on potatoes was Staphylococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus gallinarum. Furthermore, a total of 6 and 7 culturable bacteria were isolated from the guts of tomato- and potato-treated T. absoluta, respectively. However, the isolated strains included bacterial biomarkers E. cloacae and S. gallinarum but not E. gallinarum. In addition, different stains bacterial biomarkers on T. absoluta feeding selection were also studied. E. cloacae enhanced the host preference of the SLTA (T. absoluta of tomato strain) for tomato but had no impact on STTA (T. absoluta of potato strain). S. gallinarum improved the host preference of STTA to a potato but did not affect SLTA. The results showed that the gut bacteria of T. absoluta were affected by exposure to different host plants, and the bacterial biomarkers played an important role in host adaptability. This study not only deepens our understanding of gut bacteria-mediated insect-plant interactions but also provides theoretical support for the development of environmentally friendly and effective agricultural pest control methods.

PurposeTo study the association of myopia progression with the morphological changes of optic disc and β-peripapillary atrophy (β-PPA) in 8–11 years old primary school students.MethodsThis study was a prospective, school-based investigation. This study included 610 children (1008 eyes) who were continuously observed and had data available from 2016 to 2017 in the Sanhe Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCSRFM). The children underwent a comprehensive eye examination including measurement of visual acuity, autorefractometry, and posterior segment of the eye. β-PPA regions and optic disc ovality index were identified and measured on the fundus photographs.ResultsThe prevalence of myopia was 72.62% (732/1008) in 2016. In myopic children, the prevalence of the vertical β-PPA, the horizontal β-PPA, and the oval optic disc were 75.68% (554/732), 75.96% (556/732) and, 11.61% (85/732) respectively. From 2016 to 2017, with the progression of vertical β-PPA, horizontal β-PPA, area of β-PPA, and optic disc ovality index, the myopic diopter and the axial length (AL) were increased. The progression of horizontal β-PPA was significantly correlated with the progression of myopic diopter and AL (all p < 0.05). The analysis on the distribution of progression rate of parameters in different groups found that the progression rate of horizontal β-PPA, area of β-PPA, and optic disc ovality index increased with the increase of the progression of diopter and AL. The progression of horizontal β-PPA, area of β-PPA, optic disc ovality index, and diopter in girls were greater than that in boys, and the progression of optic disc ovality index and diopter had a statistical significance (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe 1-year follow-up study of the third-grade primary school students showed that with the progression of myopia and the growth of AL, β-PPA and optic disc ovality index also changed. There was a positive correlation between the change of β-PPA and optic disc ovality index and the progression of myopia diopter and AL.

Recently-developed molecular markers are becoming powerful tools, with applications in crop genetics and improvement. Microsatellites, or simple sequence repeats (SSRs), are widely used in genetic fingerprinting, kinship analysis, and population genetics, because of the advantages of high variability from co-dominant and multi-allelic polymorphisms, and accurate and rapid detection. However, more recent evidence suggests they may play an important role in genome evolution and provide hotspots of recombination. This review describes the development of SSR markers through different techniques, and the detection of SSR markers and applications for sugarcane genetic research and breeding, such as cultivar identification, genetic diversity, genome mapping, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, paternity analysis, cross-species transferability, segregation analysis, phylogenetic relationships, and identification of wild cross hybrids. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of SSR markers and highlight some future perspectives.

Sugarcane leaf scald is a systemic disease caused by Xanthomonas albilineans that limits sugarcane yield and quality. Previous research has shown that exogenous application of copper hydroxide to plants is effective in controlling this disease. However, long-term bactericide use causes serious “3R” problems: resistance, resurgence, and residue. It is therefore urgent to discover new methods for the improvement of bactericide efficiency and efficacy. In the present study, disease index values for leaf scald were measured in sugarcane seedlings over time to determine the effects of different concentrations of copper hydroxide, types of silicon additive, and treatment timing after inoculation with X. albilineans on controlling sugarcane leaf scald disease. Our results show copper hydroxide mixed with organosilicon additive could improve the bactericide efficiency and efficacy and reduce the growth of pathogenic bacteria, even at a reduced concentration in both laboratory and field conditions. This study provides an important practical model for controlling sugarcane leaf scald disease by reducing the concentration of bactericide and increasing its efficacy in sugarcane fields.

Purpose To compare the accuracy of three intraocular lens (IOL) formulas in Chinese cataract patients with prior radial keratotomy (RK). Methods Medical records of cataract patients with prior RK at Beijing Tongren Hospital were retrospectively analysed. The absolute error (AE) was calculated as the absolute difference between the actual postoperative spherical equivalent and the predicted spherical equivalent. The AE and percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, 1.0D, and 2.0D for three formulas [Barrett True-K, Holladay 1 (D–K), Haigis] were calculated and compared. Results Forty-seven eyes of 28 cataract patients were included. The Median AE (MedAE) was significantly different among the three formulas ( P  < 0.001). The MedAE was lowest for the Barrett True-K formula (0.62), followed by the Haigis (0.76), and Holladay 1 (D–K) (1.16). The percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, and 1.0D were significantly different among the 3 formulas ( P  = 0.009, and P  < 0.001). The Barrett True-K formula achieved the highest percentages (46.8%) of eyes with AE within 0.5D. Haigis achieved the highest percentages (70.21%) of eyes with AE within 1.0 D. Conclusions Barrett True-K is the most accurate IOL power calculation formula among the 3 formulas and Haigis is an alternative choice. Considering the relatively lower accuracy of IOL formulas in cataract patients with prior RK, newer and more accurate IOL formulas are desirable.

A 125 cm long catheter makes it possible to perform renal arteriography via radial artery, but its feasibility and safety remain unclear. Our study recruited 1,323 patients grouped by two different vascular accesses to renal arteriography, i.e., femoral artery access and radial artery access. The success rate of angiography was 100% in both groups. Differential analysis showed that the overall complication incidence of radial artery access group was significantly lower (2.5% for radial artery access vs. 4.8% for femoral artery access, p=0.03). From this study, we suggest that using the 125 cm angiographic catheter to perform renal arteriography via radial artery access is feasible and safe.