Medicaid-insured and uninsured were more likely to have diabetes emergency/urgent admissions.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations between potentially avoidable diabetes-related emergency/urgent hospital admissions and different health insurance status (ie, Medicaid, Medicare, uninsured, private), along with other characteristics including sociodemographic status (age, race/ethnicity, gender, region), hospitalization status (previous hospitalizations, weekend admissions), and health status (complications, comorbidities), among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). STUDY DESIGN: The 2011 data set of all inpatient discharge records with a primary diagnosis of T2DM from all hospitals in Pennsylvania were included in the analyses. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression modeling with diabetes-related emergency/urgent hospitalizations as the dependent outcome variable and health insurance status as the main exposure independent variable, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender, region, previous hospitalizations, weekend admissions, complications, and comorbidity. Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used for logistic model fit analysis. RESULTS: Nearly 91% of 17,097 potentially avoidable diabetes-related hospitalizations were emergency/urgent admissions for T2DM patients in Pennsylvania during 2011. Uninsured and Medicaidinsured patients were 2.1 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.11; 95% CI, 1.23-3.61) and 1.8 (AOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.44-2.20) times more likely than privately insured patients, respectively, to be admitted through emergency/urgent admissions. There was no statistically significant difference in emergency/urgent admissions between Medicaid and uninsured (AOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.49-1.47). CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid-insured T2DM patients, like the uninsured, are more likely to be hospitalized through emergency/urgent admissions. The presumption that insured individuals with diabetes are more likely than the uninsured to manage and control the progression of their condition, and receive care in the right setting, is not supported for those with Medicaid coverage.

Characterization of a single recessive yield trait mutant with elevated endogenous ABA concentration and deformed grains, spikelets and leaves.

The characterization of yield trait mutants is important for understanding the regulation of grain yield formation in staple food crops. Meh0239 is a yield trait-related mutant identified from a mutant library of the common wheat cultivar Wangshuibai created by ethylmethyl sulfide (EMS) treatment of dry seeds. To shed some light on the nature of this mutation, it was investigated morphologically, physiologically, anatomically and genetically. The mutant plant showed obvious phenotypic differences in comparison with the wild type, starting at the seedling stage, including reduced plant height, wider and shorter leaves, shortened spikes, spikelets and grains and a more compact spikelet distribution. Also, seeds produced in the mutant germinated more slowly. Meh0239 contained a significantly higher level of abscisic acid (ABA) but lower levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) in flag leaves. Cells of all types in the leaf epidermis appeared shorter along the axial direction. The bulliform cells and long cells on the adaxial leaf surface were abnormal in shape. A genetic analysis using two F2 segregating populations indicated that a single recessive mutation in wheat chromosome 7DS, about 3.1cM distal from Xwmc506, caused these variations. Because of the pleiotropic nature of this gene and its relation with yield trait formation, we named it Yt1 for yield trait related 1.

Composition and phylogenetic analysis of wheat cryptochrome gene family.

Cryptochrome (CRY) gene family encodes photoreceptors mediating developmental responses to blue light throughout the life of plants. We report here the characterization of CRY gene family in hexaploid wheat. Degenerate PCR amplification of the regions encoding the conserved flavin-binding domain of CRY proteins yielded seven bands, resulting from amplification of CRY1a, CRY1b and CRY2 homologous genes. Assignment of individual amplicons to subgenomes was accomplished by comparing their sequence compositions with those from the ancestor species of wheat. ESTs coding for CRY-DASH like proteins were identified in wheat EST database in GenBank. Southern blot showed that TaCRY1a, TaCRY1b and TaCRY2 are single copy genes. We mapped TaCRY1a and TaCRY2 to chromosomes of homoeologous group 6, TaCRY1b to group 2, and TaCRY-DASH to group 7. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CRY subfamily diversification occurred before the divergence of monocots and dicots. The regulatory and functional changes of CRY members within subfamily are discussed.

Suppression subtractive hybridization analysis of Ms2 near-isogenic lines of wheat reveals genes differentially expressed in spikelets and anthers.

The dominant male sterility gene Ms2 in wheat has been widely used in recurrent selection and variety improvement. Identification of genes associated with the male sterility in Ms2-carrying wheat will help us understand how Ms2 functions. Using a pair of isogenic lines of Ms2, subtractive hybridization was conducted with cDNA from bulked spikelets at meiophase of sterile plants as the tester and cDNA from the same tissues of fertile plants as the driver. Two major bands at 270 bp and 450 bp were obtained by suppression PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of the subtractive cDNA. A total of 882 recombinants from PCR product cloning were isolated for reverse Northern analysis. The results demonstrated that up to 90% of the inserts in the library were up-regulated in the sterile spikelets. Twenty-one unique inserts from this library were sequenced. Similarity search showed that eighteen of them were homologous to ESTs (expression sequence tags) derived from spike or anther tissues at meiophase. The chromosome locations of nine of the ESTs were determined using C.S. (Chinese spring) nulli-tetrasomic lines, one of which was assigned to chromosome group 4 that includes chromosome 4D where Ms2 is located. In addition, four additional ESTs could also be assigned to this group according to their homology to BACs (bacterial artificial chromosomes) or PAC (P1 artificial chromosomes) of rice chromosome 3. The expression patterns of eight of the inserts examined displayed increased expression in spikelets and anthers of the sterile plants.

Cloning and characterization of TOM7-like gene in wheat.

The cDNA encoding TOM7 (translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane subunit 7) like protein in wheat was cloned through RT-PCR, and its genomic DNA fragment was subsequently cloned. This gene was tentatively designated as TaTOM7. It has no intron in the coding region and its product possesses one hydrophobic trans-membrane domain in the middle, and one hydrophilic domain in the N-terminal and C-terminal domain, respectively. The amino acid composition in the trans-membrane domain of the TaTOM7 subunit is highly conserved among plants, animals and fungi. According to the phylogenetic tree, TOM7-like proteins from different species can be classified into three groups, representing plants, animals and fungi respectively. TaTOM7 is a single- or oligo-copy gene in the wheat genome, displaying different expression levels between Ms2 near-isogenic lines in some tissues, suggesting a role of Ms2 in its expression. TaTOM7 was mapped to chromosome group three of wheat.

Cloning, mapping and protein expression of wheat thaumatin protein gene (TaTLP1).

To understand wheat powdery mildew resistance mechanism, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cDNA library screening were performed to isolate the full-length cDNA of wheat thaumatin protein gene from wheat-Haynaldia villosa 6VS/6AL translocation line. The putative amino acid sequence of this gene consists of 173 amino acid residues, and is an acid polypeptide. It was highly homologous to thaumatin proteins isolated from other plants, so it is designated as TaTLP1 (GenBank accession number: AF384146). Northern blot analysis of TaTLP1 showed that the transcription difference obviously existed between resistant wheat-Haynaldia villosa 6VS/6AL translocation line and susceptible "Yangmai 5". The result of western blot showed that the protein expression product of TaTLP1 gene in wheat seedling leaf was a soluble cytoplasm protein, whose expression was induced by fungus Erysiph graminis and apparently related to disease resistance of the 6VS/6AL translocation line. Southern blot indicated that the TaTLP1 gene had 1-2 copies in wheat genome, and had been localized on the specific region of 7B and 7D chromosomes in wheat.

Molecular cloning, characterization and mapping of a rhodanese like gene in wheat.

To isolate genes related to resistance to Erysiphe graminis (Blumeria graminis) DC. f. sp. tritici in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), differential display analysis was conducted for mRNA extracted from seedlings of a wheat-Haynaldia villosa 6VS/6AL translocation line 92R137 that contains a powdery mildew resistance gene Pm21. A full-length cDNA sequence named TaTST (Triticum aestivum thiosulfate sulfurtransferase) homologous to the thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (rhodanese) in Datisca glomerata was isolated. Northern blot showed that the expression of TaTST was enhanced after infection with Erysiphe graminis. TaTST was mapped on the short arm of 6B chromosomes of wheat through Southern blot and GSP-PCR using Chinese Spring nullisomic/tetrasomic lines and ditelosomic lines. There is a homologue of TaTST on 6VS too.

[Homoeologous grouping of R. kamoji chromosomes introduced in wheat using RFLP molecular marks].

Twenty six DNA probes from seven homoeologous groups of triticeae were screened to reveal the RFLP between 45 wheat-R. kamoji derivatives and their parents R. kamoji, Chinese Spring, Yangmai 5. The result showed that the introduced R. kamoji chromosomes in 16 wheat-R. kamoji alien chromosome lines including additions, substitution or putative translocations were grouped into homoeologous group 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7. Alien chromosome pairs could be readily transmitted into the descendants. The added chromosomes in K139, K141, K214, K218, K219 and K224 disomic addition lines were grouped into homoeologous group 1, but the added chromosomes in K214 and K218 were different from K219 and K224 which originated from different genomes of R. kamoji. Ditelosomic addition line K147 might involve a R. kamoji chromosome long arm homoeologous to group 1 of wheat, and the added R. kamoji 1 L chromosomes in K139, K141 and K147 probably derived from different three genomes of R. kamoji. U chromosome of R. kamoji. showed homology to wheat homoeologous group 1. Homoeologous group 1 chromosome of R. kamoji, particularly its long arm is related to genes for scab resistance. Result also demonstrated a possible rearrangement occurred between homoeologous group 1 and group 6 of R. kamoji. Two R. kamoji chromosomes introduced in K203 were grouped to homoeologous group 1 and 6, respectively. In K166, the introgressed R. kamoji chromosome involved the short arm of group 5. Another alien chromosome line K177 was revealed as to be with introduced chromosome involving group 5L, 6S and 7SL of R. kamoji. Results also confirmed the homoeology between S, H and Y genomes of R. kamoji.

[Construction and analysis of near-isogenic line derived from wheat cultivar sumai 3].

Wheat scab can cause significant yield lost and quality decrease as well as toxicoses in animals and humans. Sumai 3, a resistant cultivatr to scab, is widely used in the wheat breeding of scab resistance. To study the inheritance of resistance to scab in Sumai 3, the highly susceptible cultivar Chuan 980 was crossed with Sumai 3 and backcrossed with Sumai 3 as a recurrent parent for seven times, thus a near-isogenic line S016 susceptible to scab was developed. S016 was evaluated in five regions and a period of two years for resistance to spread of scab in spike. Results showed that S016 was as highly susceptible to wheat scab as one of the parent Chuan 980. Molecular markers (RFLP, RAPD) were screened to identify chromosome regions of negative element of resistance gene (s) in S016. The DNA polymorphism between the near-isogenic lines was showed using six restrict enzymes (EcoRI, EcoRV, HindIII, Dra I, BamH I, Xba I) and 85 probes located in wheat chromosome 2D. Among the amplified bands of 450 10-mer random primers, OPH191400 and OPH191200 were perhaps linked to negative regulator element. Some reported probes linking to scab resistance gene(s) did not show any polymorphism between this near-isogenic line and their generation.