Effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on postural balance in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Postural balance impairment can affect the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have described connections of the vestibular system with postural functions, suggesting a potential participation of the basal ganglia in receiving vestibular stimuli. This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on postural balance in patients with Parkinson's disease. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using the electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and PEDro. The study selection was independently conducted by two reviewers, and disagreements were evaluated by a third reviewer. The included studies had no restrictions on publication dates or languages and the last update occurred in July 2023. RESULTS: From the 485 studies found in the searches, only 3 studies were deemed eligible for the systematic review involving a total of 130 participants. The Berg Balance Scale was described as the tool for evaluation of postural balance in all studies. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant results in favor of vestibular rehabilitation (MD = 5.35; 95% CI = 2.39, 8.31; P < 0.001), regardless of the stage of Parkinson's disease. Although the effect size was suggested as a useful functional gain, the analysis was done with caution, as it only included 3 randomized controlled trials. The risk of bias using the RoB-2 was considered as being of "some concern" in all studies. Furthermore, the quality of the evidence based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation system, produced by pooling the included studies was considered very low. CONCLUSION: Compared to other interventions, vestibular rehabilitation has potential to assist the postural balance of patients with Parkinson's disease. However, the very low quality of the evidence demonstrates uncertainty about the impact of this clinical practice. More robust studies are needed to confirm the benefits of this therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease. This study was prospectively registered in PROSPERO: CRD42020210185.

Factors influencing the positivity of diagnostic tests for congenital syphilis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the factors that influence the positivity of treponemal and non-treponemal tests in cases of congenital syphilis. METHODS: This cross-sectional and correlational study was carried out from the analysis of the database of Disease and Notification Information System (SINAN, in Portuguese) using the data obtained through the Epidemiological Surveillance Group 29, with 639 notifications of congenital syphilis between 2007 and 2018. The data were analyzed by a descriptive and inferential analysis from logistic regression with a significance level of 5% (p≤0.05). RESULTS: The positivity of the treponemal test was higher by 4.5 times in infants living in rural areas and 19.6 times among those whose mothers obtained the diagnosis of syphilis after birth. The treponemal test showed positivity 3.2 times higher for the variable "having been diagnosed between 2007 and 2015" and 5.5 times higher for the variable "having been diagnosed with maternal syphilis in the postpartum period." CONCLUSION: This study shows that testing during prenatal care is essential for early diagnosis and prevention of syphilis complications.

Validation of Endogenous Control Genes by Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction for Acute Leukemia Gene Expression Studies.

Reference genes are used as internal reaction controls for gene expression analysis, and for this reason, they are considered reliable and must meet several important criteria. In view of the absence of studies regarding the best reference gene for the analysis of acute leukemia patients, a panel of genes commonly used as endogenous controls was selected from the literature for stability analysis: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene human homolog 1 (ABL), Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl-transferase 1 (HPRT1), Ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P0 (RPLP0), ß-actin (ACTB) and TATA box binding protein (TBP). The stability of candidate reference genes was analyzed according to three statistical methods of assessment, namely, NormFinder, GeNorm and R software (version 4.0.3). From this study's analysis, it was possible to identify that the endogenous set composed of ACTB, ABL, TBP and RPLP0 demonstrated good performances and stable expressions between the analyzed groups. In addition to that, the GAPDH and HPRT genes could not be classified as good reference genes, considering that they presented a high standard deviation and great variability between groups, indicating low stability. Given these findings, this study suggests the main endogenous gene set for use as a control/reference for the gene expression in peripheral blood and bone marrow samples from patients with acute leukemias is composed of the ACTB, ABL, TBP and RPLP0 genes. Researchers may choose two to three of these housekeeping genes to perform data normalization.

Development and Clinical Applications of PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway Inhibitors as a Therapeutic Option for Leukemias.

Leukemias are hematological neoplasms characterized by dysregulations in several cellular signaling pathways, prominently including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Since this pathway is associated with several important cellular mechanisms, such as proliferation, metabolism, survival, and cell death, its hyperactivation significantly contributes to the development of leukemias. In addition, it is a crucial prognostic factor, often correlated with therapeutic resistance. Changes in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway are identified in more than 50% of cases of acute leukemia, especially in myeloid lineages. Furthermore, these changes are highly frequent in cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, especially those with a B cell phenotype, due to the correlation between the hyperactivation of B cell receptors and the abnormal activation of PI3Kδ. Thus, the search for new therapies that inhibit the activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has become the objective of several clinical studies that aim to replace conventional oncological treatments that have high rates of toxicities and low specificity with target-specific therapies offering improved patient quality of life. In this review we describe the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal transduction pathway and its implications in leukemogenesis. Furthermore, we provide an overview of clinical trials that employed PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors either as monotherapy or in combination with other cytotoxic agents for treating patients with various types of leukemias. The varying degrees of treatment efficacy are also reported.

Automated Image Quality and Protocol Adherence Assessment of Examinations in Teledermatology: First Results.

Introduction: Image quality and acquisition protocol adherence assessment is a neglected area in teledermatology. We examine if it is feasible to use deep learning methods to automate the assessment of the adherence of examinations to image acquisition protocols. In this study, we focused on the quality criteria of two image acquisition protocols: (1) approximation image and (2) panoramic image, as these are present in all teledermatology examination protocols currently used by the Santa Catarina State Integrated Telemedicine and Telehealth System (STT/SC). Methods: We use a data set of 36,102 teledermatological examinations performed at the STT/SC during 2021. As our validation process, we adopted standard machine learning metrics and an inter-rater agreement (IRA) study with 11 dermatologists. For the approximation image protocol, we used the Mask-Region based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) Object Detection Deep Learning (DL) architecture to identify the presence of a lesion identification tag and a ruler used to provide a frame reference of the lesion. For the panoramic image protocol, we used DensePose, a pose estimation DL, architecture to assess the presence of a whole patient body and its orientation. A combination of the two approaches was additionally validated through an IRA study between specialists. Results: Mask-RCNN achieved a score of 96% mean average precision (mAP), while DensePose presented 75% mAP. IRA achieved a level of agreement of 96.68% with the Krippendorff alpha score. Conclusions: Our results show the feasibility of using deep learning to automate the image quality and protocol adherence assessment in teledermatology, before the specialist's manual analysis of the examination.

PARP1 Characterization as a Potential Biomarker for BCR::ABL1 p190+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Detection of t(9;22), and consequent BCR::ABL1 fusion, is still a marker of worse prognosis for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with resistance to tyrosine-kinase inhibitor therapy being a major obstacle in the clinical practice for this subset of patients. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of targeting poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) in a model of BCR::ABL1 p190+ ALL, the most common isoform to afflict ALL patients, and demonstrated the use of experimental PARP inhibitor (PARPi), AZD2461, as a therapeutic option with cytotoxic capabilities similar to that of imatinib, the current gold standard in medical care. We characterized cytostatic profiles, induced cell death, and biomarker expression modulation utilizing cell models, also providing a comprehensive genome-wide analysis through an aCGH of the model used, and further validated PARP1 differential expression in samples of ALL p190+ patients from local healthcare institutions, as well as in larger cohorts of online and readily available datasets. Overall, we demonstrate the effectiveness of PARPi in the treatment of BCR::ABL1 p190+ ALL cell models and that PARP1 is differentially expressed in patient samples. We hope our findings help expand the characterization of molecular profiles in ALL settings and guide future investigations into novel biomarker detection and pharmacological choices in clinical practice.

Sarcopenia in Children With Wilms Tumor: A Marker of Undernutrition Which May Impact Adversely on Clinical Outcomes.

The therapeutic approach to Wilms tumor (WT) is multidisciplinary and leads to significant patient impairment, increasing the risk of nutritional compromise and malnutrition. Children with cancer are vulnerable to sarcopenia which has been recognized as a negative impact of anticancer therapy. Recent studies have highlighted the reduction in the total psoas muscle area (TPMA) to be associated with a poor prognosis in many pediatric diseases, including cancer. This study aims to evaluate changes in the TPMA compartment during the treatment of children with WT. An observational, longitudinal, and retrospective study was undertaken in a single institution evaluating children (1 to 14 y, n=38) with WT between 2014 and 2020. TPMA was assessed by the analysis of previously collected, electronically stored computed tomography images of the abdomen obtained at 3 time points: diagnosis, preoperatively, and 1 year after surgery. For all patients, TPMA/age were calculated with a specific online calculator. Our data show a high incidence of sarcopenia (55.3%) at diagnosis which increased after 4 to 6 weeks of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (73.7%) and remained high (78.9%) 1 year after the surgical procedure. Using TPMA/age Z-score curves we have found significant and rapid muscle loss in children with WT, with little or no recovery in the study period.

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Lipid Abnormalities in Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis: An Integrative Review.

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in CYP27A1, leading to a deficiency in sterol 27-hydroxylase. This defect results in the accumulation of cholestanol and bile alcohols in various tissues, including the brain, tendons and peripheral nerves. We conducted this review to evaluate lipid profile abnormalities in patients with CTX. A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and the Virtual Health Library in January 2023 to evaluate studies reporting the lipid profiles of CTX patients, including the levels of cholestanol, cholesterol and other lipids. Elevated levels of cholestanol were consistently observed. Most patients presented normal or low serum cholesterol levels. A decrease in chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) leads to increased synthesis of cholesterol metabolites, such as bile alcohols 23S-pentol and 25-tetrol 3-glucuronide, which may serve as surrogate follow-up markers in patients with CTX. Lipid abnormalities in CTX have clinical implications. Cholestanol deposition in tissues contributes to clinical manifestations, including neurological symptoms and tendon xanthomas. Dyslipidemia and abnormal cholesterol metabolism may also contribute to the increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications observed in some CTX patients.

Numerical Modeling of the Dynamic Elastic Modulus of Concrete.

This article introduces simulations of theoretical material with controlled properties for the evaluation of the effect of key parameters, as volumetric fractions, elastic properties of each phase and transition zone on the effective dynamic elastic modulus. The accuracy level of classical homogenization models was checked regarding the prediction of dynamic elastic modulus. Numerical simulations were performed with the finite element method for evaluations of the natural frequencies and their correlation with Ed through frequency equations. An acoustic test validated the numerical results and obtained the elastic modulus of concretes and mortars at 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 water-cement ratios. Hirsch calibrated according to the numerical simulation (x = 0.27) exhibited a realistic behavior for concretes of w/c = 0.3 and 0.5, with a 5% error. However, when the water-to-cement ratio (w/c) was set to 0.7, Young's modulus displayed a resemblance to the Reuss model, akin to the simulated theoretical triphasic materials, considering matrix, coarse aggregate and a transition zone. Hashin-Shtrikman bounds is not perfectly applied to theoretical biphasic materials under dynamic situations.

Transient Coatings from Nanoparticles Achieving Broad-Spectrum and High Antimicrobial Performance.

Cationic and hydrophilic coatings based on casting and drying water dispersions of two different nanoparticles (NPs) onto glass are here described and evaluated for antimicrobial activity. Discoid cationic bilayer fragments (BF) surrounded by carboxy-methylcellulose (CMC) and poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium) chloride (PDDA) NPs and spherical gramicidin D (Gr) NPs dispersed in water solution were cast onto glass coverslips and dried, forming a coating quantitatively evaluated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. From plating and colony forming units (CFU) counting, all strains interacting for 1 h with the coatings lost viability from 105 to 106, to zero CFU, at two sets of Gr and PDDA doses: 4.6 and 25 µg, respectively, or, 0.94 and 5 µg, respectively. Combinations produced broad spectrum, antimicrobial coatings; PDDA electrostatically attached to the microbes damaging cell walls, allowing Gr NPs interaction with the cell membrane. This concerted action promoted optimal activity at low Gr and PDDA doses. Further washing and drying of the deposited dried coatings showed that they were washed out so that antimicrobial activity was no longer present on the glass surface. Significant applications in biomedical materials can be foreseen for these transient coatings.

Association between Immunophenotypic Parameters and Molecular Alterations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy that occurs due to alterations such as genetic mutations, chromosomal translocations, or changes in molecular levels. These alterations can accumulate in stem cells and hematopoietic progenitors, leading to the development of AML, which has a prevalence of 80% of acute leukemias in the adult population. Recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities, in addition to mediating leukemogenesis onset, participate in its evolution and can be used as established diagnostic and prognostic markers. Most of these mutations confer resistance to the traditionally used treatments and, therefore, the aberrant protein products are also considered therapeutic targets. The surface antigens of a cell are characterized through immunophenotyping, which has the ability to identify and differentiate the degrees of maturation and the lineage of the target cell, whether benign or malignant. With this, we seek to establish a relationship according to the molecular aberrations and immunophenotypic alterations that cells with AML present.

Dentinal tubule penetration of sodium hypochlorite in root canals with and without mechanical preparation and different irrigant activation methods.

Objectives: This study evaluated the dentinal penetration depth of 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in root canals with and without preparation and different irrigant activation protocols. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three bovine mandibular incisors were randomly allocated to 6 groups (n = 10): G1, preparation + conventional needle irrigation (CNI); G2, preparation + passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI); G3, preparation + Odous Clean (OC); G4, no preparation + CNI; G5, no preparation + PUI; G6, no preparation + OC; and CG (negative control; n = 3). Samples were filled with crystal violet for 72 hours. Irrigant activation was performed. Samples were sectioned perpendicularly along the long axis, 3 mm and 7 mm from the apex. Images of the root thirds of each block were captured with a stereomicroscope and analyzed with an image analysis software. One-way analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey post hoc test, and the Student's t-test were used for data analysis, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The NaOCl penetration depth was similar when preparation was performed, regardless of the method of irrigation activation (p > 0.05). In the groups without preparation, G6 showed greater NaOCl penetration depth (p < 0.05). The groups without preparation had a greater NaOCl penetration depth than those with preparation (p = 0.0019). Conclusions: The NaOCl penetration depth was similar in groups with root canal preparation. Without root canal preparation, OC allowed deeper NaOCl penetration. The groups without preparation had greater NaOCl penetration than those undergoing root canal preparation.

Recurrent Interpopulation Selection in Popcorn: From Heterosis to Genetic Gains.

In view of the need to develop new popcorn cultivars and considering the uncertainties in choosing the most appropriate breeding methods to ensure consistent genetic progress, simultaneously for both popping expansion and grain yield, this study addressed the efficiency of interpopulation recurrent selection regarding genetic gains, the study of the response in genetic parameters as well as heterotic effects on the control of the main agronomic traits of popcorn. Two populations were established, Pop1 and Pop2. A total of 324 treatments were evaluated, which consisted of 200 half-sib families (100 from Pop1 and 100 from Pop2), 100 full-sib families from the two populations and 24 controls. The field experiment was arranged in a lattice design with three replications in two environments, in the north and northwest regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The genotype × environment interaction was partitioned and the genetic parameters, heterosis and predicted gains were estimated by the Mulamba and Mock index, based on selection results in both environments. The genetic parameters detected variability that can be explored in successive interpopulation recurrent selection cycles. Exploring heterosis for GY, PE and yield components is a promising option to increase grain yield and quality. The Mulamba and Mock index was efficient in predicting the genetic gains in GY and PE. Interpopulation recurrent selection proved effective to provide genetic gains for traits with predominantly additive and dominance inheritance.

Comparison Between the Direct Method and Friedewald's Formula for the Determination of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Serum Levels in Horses.

This study aimed to compare the use of enzymatic colorimetry and Friedewald's formula for the determination of LDL in horses. A total of 260 samples were used. Direct analysis was performed to determine low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC). The LDL level was calculated using the Friedewald equation (LDL= TC-HDL-TG/5). The correlations between the direct LDL analysis and the LDL calculated using the Friedewald formula were determined by Pearson's tests, and the coefficient of determination was also obtained by linear regression using SAS software (P<.05) and the kappa value. The mean value (± standard deviation) of the LDL was 22.12 (±10.34) mg/dL, and that of the result obtained by the Friedewald formula was 19.94 (±19.13) mg/dL. The correlation between the two variants analyzed in this experiment was significant, with a value of P < .001, and values of r = 0.688 and R2 = 0.4893. These results are relevant, given that recent studies have demonstrated a correlation between LDL plasma values and equine metabolic syndrome. Previous studies have reported discrepancies between the data obtained using Friedewald's method and the LDL-c values directly determined in humans and animals. The results of the present study suggest that the Friedewald method can be used to estimate the LDL plasma concentration in horses. Nevertheless, the coefficient of determination was not found to be adequate to recommend the Friedewald formula as a replacement for the enzymatic colorimetric method in determining LDL in horses.

The Role of WRAP53 in Cell Homeostasis and Carcinogenesis Onset.

The WD repeat containing antisense to TP53 (WRAP53) gene codifies an antisense transcript for tumor protein p53 (TP53), stabilization (WRAP53α), and a functional protein (WRAP53ß, WDR79, or TCAB1). The WRAP53ß protein functions as a scaffolding protein that is important for telomerase localization, telomere assembly, Cajal body integrity, and DNA double-strand break repair. WRAP53ß is one of many proteins known for containing WD40 domains, which are responsible for mediating a variety of cell interactions. Currently, WRAP53 overexpression is considered a biomarker for a diverse subset of cancer types, and in this study, we describe what is known about WRAP53ß's multiple interactions in cell protein trafficking, Cajal body formation, and DNA double-strand break repair and its current perspectives as a biomarker for cancer.

Characterization and Differential Cytotoxicity of Gramicidin Nanoparticles Combined with Cationic Polymer or Lipid Bilayer.

Gramicidin (Gr) nanoparticles (NPs) and poly (diallyl dimethyl ammonium) chloride (PDDA) water dispersions were characterized and evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungus. Dynamic light scattering for sizing, zeta potential analysis, polydispersity, and colloidal stability over time characterized Gr NPs/PDDA dispersions, and plating and colony-forming units counting determined their microbicidal activity. Cell viabilities of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans in the presence of the combinations were reduced by 6, 7, and 7 logs, respectively, at 10 µM Gr/10 µg·mL-1 PDDA, 0.5 µM Gr/0. 5µg·mL-1 PDDA, and 0.5 µM Gr/0.5 µg·mL-1 PDDA, respectively. In comparison to individual Gr doses, the combinations reduced doses by half (S. aureus) and a quarter (C. albicans); in comparison to individual PDDA doses, the combinations reduced doses by 6 times (P. aeruginosa) and 10 times (C. albicans). Gr in supported or free cationic lipid bilayers reduced Gr activity against S. aureus due to reduced Gr access to the pathogen. Facile Gr NPs/PDDA disassembly favored access of each agent to the pathogen: PDDA suctioned the pathogen cell wall facilitating Gr insertion in the pathogen cell membrane. Gr NPs/PDDA differential cytotoxicity suggested the possibility of novel systemic uses for the combination.

SIRT1 activation and its circadian clock control: a promising approach against (frailty in) neurodegenerative disorders.

With the increase in life expectancy, the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders and their impact worldwide has been increasing in recent years. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, have complex and varied mechanisms of pathogenesis. Importantly, they share the common feature of disrupted circadian rhythms. This hallmark is believed to underlie the symptoms of such diseases and even potentially contribute to their onset. In addition, the association of physical frailty with dementia and neurodegenerative disorders has been demonstrated. In fact, frail persons are 8 times more likely to have some form of dementia and population studies report a significant prevalence for frailty in older patients with AD and PD. SIRT1 regulates the acetylation status of clock components and controls circadian amplitude of clock genes. However, the mechanisms responsible for this circadian clock control have been the subject of contradictory findings. Importantly, the activation of SIRT1 has been shown to have very relevant therapeutic potential against neurodegeneration. Nevertheless, few studies have attempted to connect the therapeutic reestablishing of SIRT1 as an approach against circadian disruption in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we address: circadian rhythms as an important early biomarker of neurodegenerative disorders; mechanisms for SIRT1 activation and the novel sirtuin-activating compounds (STACs); SIRT1 circadian paradox and subsequent studies in an unprecedented way in the literature; the beneficial role of SIRT1 activation in neurodegeneration; innovative proposals of how circadian-based interventions (e.g., SIRT1 activators) may become an important therapeutic approach against neurodegenerative disorders and how non-pharmacologic interventions (e.g., Mediterranean-style diet) might help in the prevention and/or treatment of these high-burden disorders, while tackling frailty and enhancing robustness.

Clinical Course, Genetic, and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Solid Pseudopapillary Tumor of the Pancreas (Frantz Tumors) in a Brazilian Cohort.

Frantz tumors or solid pseudopapillary pancreatic neoplasm (SPN) are rare exocrine neoplasms that carry a favorable prognosis; they represent up to 3% of all tumors located in the region of the pancreas and have specific age and gender predispositions. In recent years, the rising curve of diagnosis is entitled to the evolution and access of diagnostic imaging. In this paper, we have retrospectively reviewed and described the clinical course of 40 patients with SPN from three institutions in Brazil, who had their diagnosis between 2005 and 2020, and analyzed the clinicopathological, genetic, and surgical aspects of these individuals. In accordance with the literature, most patients were women, 60% with unspecified symptoms at diagnosis, with tumors mainly located in the body and tail of the pancreas, of whom 70% underwent a distal pancreatectomy with sparing splenectomy as a standard procedure, and none of the cases have experienced recurrence to date. Surgery still remains the mainstay of treatment given the low metastatic potential, but more conservative approaches as observed in this cohort are evolving to become the standard of care. Herein, we present an in-depth analysis of cases focusing on the latest literature and report some of the smallest tumor cases in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first report evaluating germline genetic testing and presenting a case of detected Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

All Are in a Drought, but Some Stand Out: Multivariate Analysis in the Selection of Agronomic Efficient Popcorn Genotypes.

The search for productive germplasm adapted to adverse conditions is an important action to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The aim was to identify the yield potential of 50 popcorn inbred lines grown in field conditions, in two crop seasons (CS), and under contrasting water conditions (WC). Morphoagronomic, physiological, and root system traits were evaluated. Joint and individual analyses of variance were performed, in addition to the multivariate GT bip-lot analysis. Expressive reductions between WC were observed in 100-grain weight (100 GW), popping expansion (PE), grain yield (GY), expanded popcorn volume per ha (EPV), row number per ear (RNE), plant height (PH), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), and nitrogen balance index (NBI). It was found that the SPAD, 100 GW, GY, PE, and grain number per ear (GNE) traits had the most significant impact on the selection of genotypes. Regardless of WC and CS, the ideal lines were L294 and L688 for PE; L691 and L480 for GY; and L291 and L292 for both traits. SPAD, 100 GW, and GNE can contribute to the indirect selection. Our work contributes to understanding the damage caused by drought and the integration of traits for the indirect selection of drought-tolerant popcorn genotypes.