Revisiting the use of the EORTC QLQ-STO22 to assess health-related quality of life of patients with gastric cancer: incorporating updated treatment options and cross-cultural perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The EORTC QLQ-STO22 (QLQ-STO22) is a firmly established and validated measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with gastric cancer (GC), developed over two decades ago. Since then there have been dramatic changes in treatment options for GC. Also, East Asian patients were not involved in the development of QLQ-STO22, where GC is most prevalent and the QLQ-STO22 is widely used. A review with appropriate updating of the measure was planned. This study aims to capture HRQoL issues associated with new treatments and the perspectives of patients and health care professionals (HCPs) from different cultural backgrounds, including East Asia. METHODS: A systematic literature review and open-ended interviews were preformed to identify potential new HRQoL issues relating to GC. This was followed by structured interviews where HCPs and patients reviewed the QLQ-STO22 alongside new issues regarding relevance, importance, and acceptability. RESULTS: The review of 267 publications and interviews with 104 patients and 18 HCPs (48 and 9 from East Asia, respectively) generated a list of 58 new issues. Three of these relating to eating small amounts, flatulence, and neuropathy were recommended for inclusion in an updated version of the QLQ-STO22 and covered by five additional questions. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the content validity of the QLQ-STO22, suggesting its continued relevance to patients with GC, including those from East Asia. The updated version with additional questions and linguistic changes will enhance its specificity, but further testing is required.

Enhancing climate change resilience in agricultural crops.

Climate change threatens global food and nutritional security through negative effects on crop growth and agricultural productivity. Many countries have adopted ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation targets that will exacerbate the problem, as they require significant changes in current agri-food systems. In this review, we provide a roadmap for improved crop production that encompasses the effective transfer of current knowledge into plant breeding and crop management strategies that will underpin sustainable agriculture intensification and climate resilience. We identify the main problem areas and highlight outstanding questions and potential solutions that can be applied to mitigate the impacts of climate change on crop growth and productivity. Although translation of scientific advances into crop production lags far behind current scientific knowledge and technology, we consider that a holistic approach, combining disciplines in collaborative efforts, can drive better connections between research, policy, and the needs of society.

Opioid-Free Anesthesia for Awake Neurosurgery in a Patient With Asthma and Von Willebrand Disease: A Case Report.

Anesthesia for awake neurosurgery requires meticulous planning. We report the case of a 44-year-old female with glioblastoma undergoing an awake craniotomy. Due to her asthma and von Willebrand disease, an opioid-free approach was chosen. Conscious sedation was attained using propofol and dexmedetomidine. The operation was successful after nine hours with patient comfort maintained. The patient was discharged from the intensive care unit in two days without sequelae. However, the use of desmopressin caused hyponatremia and cerebral edema. The scalp block was effective for pain management. This case highlights the importance of individualized anesthetic strategies in awake neurosurgeries.

Genetic and molecular analysis of stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) resistance in Brassica napus (canola type).

Identifying the molecular and genetic basis of resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is critical for developing long-term and cost-effective management of this disease in rapeseed/canola (Brassica napus). Current cultural or chemical management options provide, at best, only partial and/or sporadic control. Towards this, a B. napus breeding population (Mystic x Rainbow), including the parents, F1, F2, BC1P1 and BC1P2, was utilized in a field study to determine the inheritance pattern of Sclerotinia stem rot resistance (based on stem lesion length, SLL). Broad sense heritability was 0.58 for SLL and 0.44 for days to flowering (DTF). There was a significant negative correlation between SLL and stem diameter (SD) (r = -0.39) and between SLL and DTF (r = -0.28), suggesting co-selection of SD and DTF traits, along with SLL, should assist in improving overall resistance. Non-additive genetic variance was evident for SLL, DTF, and SD. In a genome wide association study (GWAS), a significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) was identified for SLL. Several putative candidate marker trait associations (MTA) were located within this QTL region. Overall, this study has provided valuable new understanding of inheritance of resistance to S. sclerotiorum, and has identified QTL, MTAs and transgressive segregants with high-level resistances. Together, these will foster more rapid selection for multiple traits associated with Sclerotinia stem rot resistance, by enabling breeders to make critical choices towards selecting/developing cultivars with enhanced resistance to this devastating pathogen.

Exploring the Potential of Lidocaine in a Bilateral Erector Spinae Plane Block for Multimodal Analgesia in Partial Hepatectomy: A Case Report.

The bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESP) has been effectively used for abdominal surgery, and the placement of catheters is known to extend the benefits of the block while allowing for the adjustment of local anesthetic doses as necessary. Since fascial plane blocks require high volumes of local anesthetic and a prolonged duration of effect, typically, long-acting local anesthetics are preferred. However, lidocaine is not commonly chosen for these types of blocks due to the large volumes required and the associated risk of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Nonetheless, we present a case report of a patient who underwent a partial hepatectomy under general anesthesia, with perioperative placement of a bilateral ESP block. Bilateral catheters were inserted, and 1% lidocaine was selected as the local anesthetic due to resource limitations. The surgery proceeded without complications, and the patient reported effective analgesia and a high level of satisfaction. Our report suggests that the utilization of lidocaine in a continuous ESP block can be a successful alternative for partial hepatectomies.

Comparison of performance data between emergency medicine 1-3 and 1-4 program formats.

Objective: This study compares performance data from physicians completing 3-year versus 4-year emergency medicine residency training programs. Currently, there are 2 training formats and little is known about objective performance differences. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of emergency residents and physicians. Multiple analyses were conducted comparing physicians' performances, including Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education Milestones and American Board of Emergency Medicine In-training Examination (ITE), Qualifying Examination (QE), Oral Certification Examination (OCE), and program extensions from 3-year and 4-year residency programs. Some confounding variables were not or could not be considered, such as rationale for medical students to choose one format over another, as well as application and final match rates. Results: Milestone scores are higher for emergency medicine 3 residents in 1-3 programs (3.51) versus emergency medicine 3 residents in 1-4 programs (3.07; P < 0.001, d = 1.47) and highest for emergency medicine 4 residents (3.67). There was no significant difference in program extension rates (emergency medicine 1-3, 8.1%; emergency medicine 1-4, 9.6%; P = 0.05, ω = 0.02). ITE scores were higher for emergency medicine 1, 2, and 3 residents from 1-3 programs and emergency medicine 4 residents from 1-4 programs scored highest. Mean QE score was slightly higher for emergency 1-3 physicians (83.55 vs 83.00; P < 0.01, d = 0.10). QE pass rate was higher for emergency 1-3 physicians (93.1% vs 90.8%; P < 0.001, ω = 0.08). Mean OCE score was slightly higher for emergency 1-4 physicians (5.67 vs 5.65; P = 0.03, d = -0.07) but did not reach a priori statistical significance (α < 0.01). OCE pass rate was also slightly higher for emergency 1-4 physicians (96.9% vs 95.5%; P = 0.06, ω = -0.07) but also non-significant. Conclusions: These results suggest that although performance measures demonstrate small differences between physicians from emergency medicine 1-3 and 1-4 programs, these differences are limited in their ability to make causal claims about performance on the basis of program format alone.

Accuracy of Selection in Early Generations of Field Pea Breeding Increases by Exploiting the Information Contained in Correlated Traits.

Accuracy of predicted breeding values (PBV) for low heritability traits may be increased in early generations by exploiting the information available in correlated traits. We compared the accuracy of PBV for 10 correlated traits with low to medium narrow-sense heritability (h2) in a genetically diverse field pea (Pisum sativum L.) population after univariate or multivariate linear mixed model (MLMM) analysis with pedigree information. In the contra-season, we crossed and selfed S1 parent plants, and in the main season we evaluated spaced plants of S0 cross progeny and S2+ (S2 or higher) self progeny of parent plants for the 10 traits. Stem strength traits included stem buckling (SB) (h2 = 0.05), compressed stem thickness (CST) (h2 = 0.12), internode length (IL) (h2 = 0.61) and angle of the main stem above horizontal at first flower (EAngle) (h2 = 0.46). Significant genetic correlations of the additive effects occurred between SB and CST (0.61), IL and EAngle (-0.90) and IL and CST (-0.36). The average accuracy of PBVs in S0 progeny increased from 0.799 to 0.841 and in S2+ progeny increased from 0.835 to 0.875 in univariate vs MLMM, respectively. An optimized mating design was constructed with optimal contribution selection based on an index of PBV for the 10 traits, and predicted genetic gain in the next cycle ranged from 1.4% (SB), 5.0% (CST), 10.5% (EAngle) and -10.5% (IL), with low achieved parental coancestry of 0.12. MLMM improved the potential genetic gain in annual cycles of early generation selection in field pea by increasing the accuracy of PBV.

Optimal Contribution Selection Improves the Rate of Genetic Gain in Grain Yield and Yield Stability in Spring Canola in Australia and Canada.

Crop breeding must achieve higher rates of genetic gain in grain yield (GY) and yield stability to meet future food demands in a changing climate. Optimal contributions selection (OCS) based on an index of key economic traits should increase the rate of genetic gain while minimising population inbreeding. Here we apply OCS in a global spring oilseed rape (canola) breeding program during three cycles of S0,1 family selection in 2016, 2018, and 2020, with several field trials per cycle in Australia and Canada. Economic weights in the index promoted high GY, seed oil, protein in meal, and Phoma stem canker (blackleg) disease resistance while maintaining plant height, flowering time, oleic acid, and seed size and decreasing glucosinolate content. After factor analytic modelling of the genotype-by-environment interaction for the additive effects, the linear rate of genetic gain in GY across cycles was 0.059 or 0.087 t ha-1 y-1 (2.9% or 4.3% y-1) based on genotype scores for the first factor (f1) expressed in trait units or average predicted breeding values across environments, respectively. Both GY and yield stability, defined as the root-mean-square deviation from the regression line associated with f1, were predicted to improve in the next cycle with a low achieved mean parental coancestry (0.087). These methods achieved rapid genetic gain in GY and other traits and are predicted to improve yield stability across global spring canola environments.

Gastrointestinal procedures and anastomoses can be safely performed during complex abdominal wall reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: The literature regarding combined abdominal wall reconstruction and gastrointestinal surgery is limited and largely suggests staged procedures due to a reported increased incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs), hernia recurrence and anastomotic leak, but this exposes patients to the risks of two substantial procedures. This study evaluates the outcomes of single-stage GI surgery with complex abdominal wall reconstructions (CAWR) by a single surgeon. METHODS: Analysis of 10 years of a prospectively maintained single surgeon CAWR database compared those who had CAWR-alone with those having concomitant gastrointestinal surgery (CAWR-GI) such as stoma reversal or bowel resection but excluding cholecystectomy, gynaecological surgery and adhesiolysis alone. Groups were compared using the paired t test (continuous data) and Fisher's exact test (nominal data). RESULTS: Overall, 62 elective cases (42 CAWR-alone vs. 20 CAWR-GI) were analysed. Baseline demographics (age, BMI, co-morbidities, smoking status and hernia size) showed no differences; CAWR-GI mean operating time was significantly longer compared to the CAWR-alone group (5.4 h vs. 4.1 h) with an increased incidence of post-operative ileus in the intestinal group (40% vs. 11.9%, p < 0.05). Post-operative complications were common (chest infection (32.3%) and SSI (41.9%)), but similar between groups. There were no anastomotic leaks, and the hernia recurrence rate at almost 4 years median follow-up was 10% in both groups. CONCLUSION: Performing simultaneous intestinal surgery during complex abdominal wall repair can be performed safely without increasing the risk of hernia recurrence, mesh infections or anastomotic leak. A careful choice of mesh implant is required.

A Comparison Between Saline and Balanced Solutions in Kidney Transplants: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the impact of different types of intravenous fluids - normal saline (NS), lactated Ringer's solution (LR), and PlasmaLyte (PL) - on the acid-base balance and electrolyte concentration following kidney transplant, a common procedure for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methodology A randomized controlled trial design was employed, wherein the primary parameters analyzed were postoperative pH and serum potassium levels. Postoperative concentrations of serum bicarbonate, sodium, chloride, and creatinine, as well as graft functionality, were assessed as secondary outcomes. These measurements were performed at the start and end of surgery, as well as 24 and 72 hours postoperatively. Results A total of 53 patients were included in the study and randomized into three cohorts: NS, LR, and PL, each of which showed comparability in terms of demographic and transplantation specifics. Notably, patients in the NS group exhibited a more significant decrease in pH (NS group: 7.285 ±0.098, LR group: 7.324 ±0.075, PL group: 7.7338 ±0.059) and bicarbonate levels (17.0 ±4.2, 20.9 ±2.8, 20.0 ±4.5) post 24 hours after the operation and displayed a similar pattern immediately after the surgery. However, there were no discernible differences in potassium (p=0.460), sodium (p=0.681), and chloride (p=0.321) levels across the groups. Furthermore, the study did not observe any significant differences in postoperative graft functionality. Conclusion The use of NS as the intraoperative fluid of choice led to lower pH and bicarbonate levels following kidney transplant, as compared to LR and PL. However, these results did not correlate with improvements in graft functionality.

Leaving no one behind: Defining and implementing an integrated life course approach to vaccination across the next decade as part of the immunization Agenda 2030.

Strategic Priority 4 (SP4) of the Immunization Agenda 2030 aims to ensure that all people benefit from recommended immunizations throughout the life-course, integrated with essential health services. Therefore, it is necessary for immunization programs to have coordination and collaboration across all health programs. Although there has been progress, immunization platforms in the second year of life and beyond need continued strengthening, including booster doses and catch-up vaccination, for all ages, and recommended vaccines for older age groups. We note gaps in current vaccination programs policies and achieved coverage, in the second year of life and beyond. In 2021, the second dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV2), given in the second year of life, achieved 71% global coverage vs 81% for MCV1. For adolescents, 60% of all countries have adopted human papillomavirus vaccines in their vaccination schedule with a global coverage rate of only 12 percent in 2021. Approximately 65% of the countries recommend influenza vaccines for older adults, high-risk adults and pregnant women, and only 25% recommended pneumococcal vaccines for older adults. To achieve an integrated life course approach to vaccination, we reviewed the evidence, gaps, and strategies in four focus areas: generating evidence for disease burden and potential vaccine impact in older age groups; building awareness and shifting policy beyond early childhood; building integrated delivery approaches throughout the life course; and identifying missed opportunities for vaccination, implementing catch-up strategies, and monitoring vaccination throughout the life course. We identified needs, such as tailoring strategies to the local context, conducting research and advocacy to mobilize resources and build political will. Mustering sufficient financial support and demand for an integrated life course approach to vaccination, particularly in times of COVID-19, is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Impact of fermentable fiber, xylo-oligosaccharides and xylanase on laying hen productive performance and nutrient utilization.

This study evaluated the impact of feeding xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), fermentable fiber in the form of wheat bran (WB), and xylanase (XYL) on laying hen productive performance and nutrient digestibility. The hypothesis was that the WB would provide the microbiota in the hindgut with fermentable dietary xylan, and the XOS and XYL would further upregulate xylan fermentation pathways, resulting in improved nutrient utilization. Isa Brown hens (n = 96) were obtained at 39 wk of age. They were fed 12 dietary treatments, 8 hens per treatment, for 56 d. A commercial laying hen ration was fed, and for half of the treatments 10% of this ration was directly replaced with WB. The diets were then supplemented with either 1) no supplements; 2) XOS 50 g/t; 3) XOS 2000 g/t; 4) XYL (16,000 BXU/kg); 5) XYL + XOS 50 g/t, or 6) XYL + XOS 2,000 g/t. Hen performance and egg quality were measured every 14 d. On d56, ileum digesta samples were collected for determination of starch, nonstarch polysaccharide (NSP), XOS, protein, energy, and starch digestibility. Ceca digesta samples were also collected for analysis of XOS, short chain fatty acid (SCFA), xylanase and cellulase activity and microbial counts. Feeding 2,000 g/t XOS increased ileal protein digestibility. Combined 2,000 g/t XOS and XYL increased cecal Bifidobacteria concentration. This combination also increased cecal xylanase activity in birds fed the control diet. Cecal cellulase activity was improved by feeding WB, XYL, and 2,000 g/t XOS. XYL increased cecal lactate production. Feeding 2,000 g/t XOS with WB increased insoluble NSP degradability and shell breaking strength at d56. In summary, supplementing laying hen diets with fermentable fiber, XYL and XOS increases utilization of dietary xylan, improving nutrient utilization, performance, and gastrointestinal health.

Contactless radar-based breathing monitoring of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Vital sign monitoring systems are essential in the care of hospitalized neonates. Due to the immaturity of their organs and immune system, premature infants require continuous monitoring of their vital parameters and sensors need to be directly attached to their fragile skin. Besides mobility restrictions and stress, these sensors often cause skin irritation and may lead to pressure necrosis. In this work, we show that a contactless radar-based approach is viable for breathing monitoring in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For the first time, different scenarios common to the NICU daily routine are investigated, and the challenges of monitoring in a real clinical setup are addressed through different contributions in the signal processing framework. Rather than just discarding measurements under strong interference, we present a novel random body movement mitigation technique based on the time-frequency decomposition of the recovered signal. In addition, we propose a simple and accurate frequency estimator which explores the harmonic structure of the breathing signal. As a result, the proposed radar-based solution is able to provide reliable breathing frequency estimation, which is close to the reference cabled device values most of the time. Our findings shed light on the strengths and limitations of this technology and lay the foundation for future studies toward a completely contactless solution for vital signs monitoring.

Quantitative Trait Loci for Heat Stress Tolerance in Brassica rapa L. Are Distributed across the Genome and Occur in Diverse Genetic Groups, Flowering Phenologies and Morphotypes.

Heat stress events during flowering in Brassica crops reduce grain yield and are expected to increase in frequency due to global climate change. We evaluated heat stress tolerance and molecular genetic diversity in a global collection of Brassica rapa accessions, including leafy, rooty and oilseed morphotypes with spring, winter and semi-winter flowering phenology. Tolerance to transient daily heat stress during the early reproductive stage was assessed on 142 lines in a controlled environment. Well-watered plants of each genotype were exposed to the control (25/15 °C day/night temperatures) or heat stress (35/25 °C) treatments for 7 d from the first open flower on the main stem. Bud and leaf temperature depression, leaf conductance and chlorophyll content index were recorded during the temperature treatments. A large genetic variation for heat tolerance and sensitivity was found for above-ground biomass, whole plant seed yield and harvest index and seed yield of five pods on the main stem at maturity. Genetic diversity was assessed on 212 lines with 1602 polymorphic SNP markers with a known location in the B. rapa physical map. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed two major genetic populations: one from East and South Asia and one from Europe. Heat stress-tolerant lines were distributed across diverse geographic origins, morphotypes (leafy, rooty and oilseed) and flowering phenologies (spring, winter and semi-winter types). A genome-wide association analysis of heat stress-related yield traits revealed 57 SNPs distributed across all 10 B. rapa chromosomes, some of which were associated with potential candidate genes for heat stress tolerance.

Isokinetic Muscular Strength and Aerobic Physical Fitness in Recreational Long-Distance Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: Andrade, MS, Silva, WA, de Lira, CAB, Mascarin, NC, Vancini, RL, Nikolaidis, PT, and Knechtle, B. Isokinetic muscular strength and aerobic physical fitness in recreational long-distance runners: A cross-sectional study. J Strength Cond Res 36(3): e73-e80, 2022-Muscular strength, bilateral asymmetry, and imbalance between antagonist muscles have been considered as risk factors for knee injuries. Moreover, muscular strength has also been associated with aerobic performance. The aim of the study was to investigate bilateral muscular symmetry and muscular strength balance assessed by isokinetic dynamometry in recreational long-distance runners and to verify whether knee muscular strength would be associated with maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2max), anaerobic threshold (AT), and running economy (RE). Thirty-nine runners (male [n = 24]: age, 30 ± 8 years; height, 176.0 ± 7.3 cm; body mass, 70.3 ± 8.0 kg; race pace below 4:30 min·km-1 and female [n = 15]: age, 31 ± 7 years; height, 163.0 ± 3.8 cm; body mass, 55.9 ± 4.7 kg; race pace below 5:00 min·km-1) participated in this study. Comparing the conventional knee balance ratio with the literature recommendation (60%), male runners presented significantly lower values for the nondominant side (55.5 ± 7.3%; p = 0.001; d = 0.85; confidence interval [CI] = 0.47 to 1.20) but not for the dominant side (58.1 ± 6.8%; p = 0.208; d = 0.37; CI = -0.12 to 0.86). Female runners presented lower values for both sides (52.1 ± 7.1%; p = 0.001; d = 1.55; CI = 0.86 to 2.20 and 50.7 ± 8.0%; p = 0.001; d = 1.62; CI = 0.90 to 2.30 for dominant and nondominant sides, respectively). Female and male runners presented nonfunctional ratio imbalance and asymmetry of bilateral strength. Strength outcomes were not associated with V̇o2max, AT, or RE. In conclusion, recreational runners were characterized by an imbalance in muscular strength between knee flexor and extensor muscles, which was more obvious in female runners, and by symmetrical thigh muscle strength values. Moreover, muscular isokinetic knee flexor and extensor muscle strength was not associated with aerobic fitness parameters.

A chickpea genetic variation map based on the sequencing of 3,366 genomes.

Zero hunger and good health could be realized by 2030 through effective conservation, characterization and utilization of germplasm resources1. So far, few chickpea (Cicer arietinum) germplasm accessions have been characterized at the genome sequence level2. Here we present a detailed map of variation in 3,171 cultivated and 195 wild accessions to provide publicly available resources for chickpea genomics research and breeding. We constructed a chickpea pan-genome to describe genomic diversity across cultivated chickpea and its wild progenitor accessions. A divergence tree using genes present in around 80% of individuals in one species allowed us to estimate the divergence of Cicer over the last 21 million years. Our analysis found chromosomal segments and genes that show signatures of selection during domestication, migration and improvement. The chromosomal locations of deleterious mutations responsible for limited genetic diversity and decreased fitness were identified in elite germplasm. We identified superior haplotypes for improvement-related traits in landraces that can be introgressed into elite breeding lines through haplotype-based breeding, and found targets for purging deleterious alleles through genomics-assisted breeding and/or gene editing. Finally, we propose three crop breeding strategies based on genomic prediction to enhance crop productivity for 16 traits while avoiding the erosion of genetic diversity through optimal contribution selection (OCS)-based pre-breeding. The predicted performance for 100-seed weight, an important yield-related trait, increased by up to 23% and 12% with OCS- and haplotype-based genomic approaches, respectively.

Multivariate genomic analysis and optimal contributions selection predicts high genetic gains in cooking time, iron, zinc, and grain yield in common beans in East Africa.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is important in African diets for protein, iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn), but traditional cultivars have long cooking time (CKT), which increases the time, energy, and health costs of cooking. Genomic selection was used to predict genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) for grain yield (GY), CKT, Fe, and Zn in an African bean panel of 358 genotypes in a two-stage analysis. In Stage 1, best linear unbiased estimates (BLUE) for each trait were obtained from 898 genotypes across 33 field trials in East Africa. In Stage 2, BLUE in a training population of 141 genotypes were used in a multivariate genomic analysis with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data from the African bean panel. Moderate to high genomic heritability was found for GY (0.45 ± 0.10), CKT (0.50 ± 0.15), Fe (0.57 ± 0.12), and Zn (0.61 ± 0.13). There were significant favorable genetic correlations between Fe and Zn (0.91 ± 0.06), GY and Fe (0.66 ± 0.17), GY and Zn (0.44 ± 0.19), CKT and Fe (-0.57 ± 0.21), and CKT and Zn (-0.67 ± 0.20). Optimal contributions selection (OCS), based on economic index of weighted GEBV for each trait, was used to design crossing within four market groups relevant to East Africa. Progeny were predicted by OCS to increase in mean GY by 12.4%, decrease in mean CKT by 9.3%, and increase in mean Fe and Zn content by 6.9 and 4.6%, respectively, with low achieved coancestry of 0.032. Genomic selection with OCS will accelerate breeding of high-yielding, biofortified, and rapid cooking African common bean cultivars.

Fast-forward breeding for a food-secure world.

Crop production systems need to expand their outputs sustainably to feed a burgeoning human population. Advances in genome sequencing technologies combined with efficient trait mapping procedures accelerate the availability of beneficial alleles for breeding and research. Enhanced interoperability between different omics and phenotyping platforms, leveraged by evolving machine learning tools, will help provide mechanistic explanations for complex plant traits. Targeted and rapid assembly of beneficial alleles using optimized breeding strategies and precise genome editing techniques could deliver ideal crops for the future. Realizing desired productivity gains in the field is imperative for securing an adequate future food supply for 10 billion people.