Exploiting genomic tools for genetic dissection and improving the resistance to Fusarium stalk rot in tropical maize.

KEY MESSAGE: A stable genomic region conferring FSR resistance at ~250 Mb on chromosome 1 was identified by GWAS. Genomic prediction has the potential to improve FSR resistance. Fusarium stalk rot (FSR) is a global destructive disease in maize; the efficiency of phenotypic selection for improving FSR resistance was low. Novel genomic tools of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic prediction (GP) provide an opportunity for genetic dissection and improving FSR resistance. In this study, GWAS and GP analyses were performed on 562 tropical maize inbred lines consisting of two populations. In total, 15 SNPs significantly associated with FSR resistance were identified across two populations and the combinedPOP consisting of all 562 inbred lines, with the P-values ranging from 1.99 × 10-7 to 8.27 × 10-13, and the phenotypic variance explained (PVE) values ranging from 0.94 to 8.30%. The genetic effects of the 15 favorable alleles ranged from -4.29 to -14.21% of the FSR severity. One stable genomic region at ~ 250 Mb on chromosome 1 was detected across all populations, and the PVE values of the SNPs detected in this region ranged from 2.16 to 5.18%. Prediction accuracies of FSR severity estimated with the genome-wide SNPs were moderate and ranged from 0.29 to 0.51. By incorporating genotype-by-environment interaction, prediction accuracies were improved between 0.36 and 0.55 in different breeding scenarios. Considering both the genome coverage and the threshold of the P-value of SNPs to select a subset of molecular markers further improved the prediction accuracies. These findings extend the knowledge of exploiting genomic tools for genetic dissection and improving FSR resistance in tropical maize.

Effect of Flowering Time-Related Genes on Biomass, Harvest Index, and Grain Yield in CIMMYT Elite Spring Bread Wheat.

Grain yield (YLD) is a function of the total biomass (BM) and of partitioning the biomass by grains, i.e., the harvest index (HI). The most critical developmental stage for their determination is the flowering time, which mainly depends on the vernalization requirement (Vrn) and photoperiod sensitivity genes (Ppd) loci. Allelic variants at the Vrn, Ppd, and earliness per se (Eps) genes of elite spring wheat genotypes included in High Biomass Association Panel (HiBAP) I and II were used to estimate their effects on the phenological stages BM, HI, and YLD. Each panel was grown for two consecutive years in Northwest Mexico. Spring alleles at Vrn-1 had the largest effect on shortening the time to anthesis, and the Ppd-insensitive allele Ppd-D1a had the most significant positive effect on YLD in both panels. In addition, alleles at TaTOE-B1 and TaFT3-B1 promoted between 3.8% and 7.6% higher YLD and 4.2% and 10.2% higher HI in HiBAP I and II, respectively. When the possible effects of the TaTOE-B1 and TaFT3-B1 alleles on the sink and source traits were explored, the favorable allele at TaTOE-B1 showed positive effects on several sink traits mainly related to grain number. The favorable alleles at TaFT3-B1 followed a different pattern, with positive effects on the traits related to grain weight. The results of this study expanded the wheat breeders' toolbox in the quest to breed better-adapted and higher-yielding wheat cultivars.

Assessing combining abilities, genomic data, and genotype × environment interactions to predict hybrid grain sorghum performance.

Genomic selection in maize (Zea mays L.) has been one factor that has increased the rate of genetic gain when compared with other cereals. However, the technological foundations in maize also exist in other cereal crops that would allow prediction of hybrid performance based on general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities applied through genomic-enabled prediction models. Further, the incorporation of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction effects present an opportunity to deploy hybrids to targeted environments. To test these concepts, a factorial mating design of elite yet divergent grain sorghum lines generated hybrids for evaluation. Inbred parents were genotyped, and markers were used to assess population structure and develop the genomic relationship matrix (GRM). Grain yield, height, and days to anthesis were collected for hybrids in replicated trials, and best linear unbiased estimates were used to train classical GCA-SCA-based and genomic (GB) models under a hierarchical Bayesian framework. To incorporate population structure, GB was fitted using the GRM of both parents and hybrids. For GB models, G × E interaction effects were included by the Hadamard product between GRM and environments. A leave-one-out cross-validation scheme was used to study the prediction capacity of models. Classical and genomic models effectively predicted hybrid performance and prediction accuracy increased by including genomic data. Genomic models effectively partitioned the variation due to GCA, SCA, and their interaction with the environment. A strategy to implement genomic selection for hybrid sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] breeding is presented herein.

Genomic Prediction Enhanced Sparse Testing for Multi-environment Trials.

"Sparse testing" refers to reduced multi-environment breeding trials in which not all genotypes of interest are grown in each environment. Using genomic-enabled prediction and a model embracing genotype × environment interaction (GE), the non-observed genotype-in-environment combinations can be predicted. Consequently, the overall costs can be reduced and the testing capacities can be increased. The accuracy of predicting the unobserved data depends on different factors including (1) how many genotypes overlap between environments, (2) in how many environments each genotype is grown, and (3) which prediction method is used. In this research, we studied the predictive ability obtained when using a fixed number of plots and different sparse testing designs. The considered designs included the extreme cases of (1) no overlap of genotypes between environments, and (2) complete overlap of the genotypes between environments. In the latter case, the prediction set fully consists of genotypes that have not been tested at all. Moreover, we gradually go from one extreme to the other considering (3) intermediates between the two previous cases with varying numbers of different or non-overlapping (NO)/overlapping (O) genotypes. The empirical study is built upon two different maize hybrid data sets consisting of different genotypes crossed to two different testers (T1 and T2) and each data set was analyzed separately. For each set, phenotypic records on yield from three different environments are available. Three different prediction models were implemented, two main effects models (M1 and M2), and a model (M3) including GE. The results showed that the genome-based model including GE (M3) captured more phenotypic variation than the models that did not include this component. Also, M3 provided higher prediction accuracy than models M1 and M2 for the different allocation scenarios. Reducing the size of the calibration sets decreased the prediction accuracy under all allocation designs with M3 being the less affected model; however, using the genome-enabled models (i.e., M2 and M3) the predictive ability is recovered when more genotypes are tested across environments. Our results indicate that a substantial part of the testing resources can be saved when using genome-based models including GE for optimizing sparse testing designs.

Correction to: High-throughput method for ear phenotyping and kernel weight estimation in maize using ear digital imaging.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13007-018-0317-4.].

High-throughput method for ear phenotyping and kernel weight estimation in maize using ear digital imaging.

BACKGROUND: Grain yield, ear and kernel attributes can assist to understand the performance of maize plant under different environmental conditions and can be used in the variety development process to address farmer's preferences. These parameters are however still laborious and expensive to measure. RESULTS: A low-cost ear digital imaging method was developed that provides estimates of ear and kernel attributes i.e., ear number and size, kernel number and size as well as kernel weight from photos of ears harvested from field trial plots. The image processing method uses a script that runs in a batch mode on ImageJ; an open source software. Kernel weight was estimated using the total kernel number derived from the number of kernels visible on the image and the average kernel size. Data showed a good agreement in terms of accuracy and precision between ground truth measurements and data generated through image processing. Broad-sense heritability of the estimated parameters was in the range or higher than that for measured grain weight. Limitation of the method for kernel weight estimation is discussed. CONCLUSION: The method developed in this work provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost of selection in the breeding process, especially for resource constrained crop improvement programs and can be used to learn more about the genetic bases of grain yield determinants.

Valoración de la ansiedad y depresión en cuidadores informales del adulto mayor dependiente del Policlínico Chiclayo - Oeste durante julio - diciembre 2012 / Valuation of anxiety and depression in older informal caregivers dependent Policlinico Chiclayo - Oeste during july-december 2012

Objetivo: Estimar el nivel de ansiedad y depresión en los cuidadores informales del adulto mayor dependiente del policlínico Chiclayo - Oeste. Material y Métodos: Se realizaron entrevistas individuales a 107 cuidadores de adultos mayores dependientes, empleándose en cada uno de ellos los test correspondientes para medir ansiedad rasgo - estado y depresión ( Inventario de Beck). Resultados: Se tuvo 107 cuidadores informales, predominio sexo femenino (94.4%) entre 18 y 80 años. Predomino la ansiedad como estado en un 54.2% de la población estudiada y depresión leve en el 50.5% de la misma. Se encontró asociación con factores del cuidador informal tales como edad y tiempo de cuidado con depresión; y horas de cuidado y tiempo de cuidado con ansiedad estado. Conclusión: En toda la población estudiada se encontró depresión, siendo la de mayor frecuencia la depresión leve (50,5 %).El perfil típico de la persona cuidadora informal es el de una mujer

Problemas de comunicación percibidos por las enfermeras / Communications problems as perceived by nurses

La interacción de las enfermeras con las demás personas en el desarrollo de suejercicio profesional puede ser una fuente de estrés laboral.Objetivo: describir las dificultades de comunicación percibidas por las enfermerascon los pacientes, familiares y equipos de trabajo.Diseño de estudio descriptivo transversal, con una muestra de 59 enfermeras delComplejo Hospitalario de Ourense, pertenecientes a varios servicios de hospitalizaciónde enfermos agudos.Metodología: cuestionario autoadministrado conteniendo variables demográficasy valoración de los niveles de dificultad percibida en tres áreas de relación, segúnpropuesta de Ulla et al (2002).Resultados: las enfermeras perciben más dificultades para comunicarse con losfamiliares próximos al paciente y menos para la relación con el equipo de trabajo,aunque en este área es mayor la dificultad para comunicarse con el médico.Los hombres perciben menos problemas de comunicación. Con la edad mejora lapercepción de la comunicación con el paciente y familia y empeora con los miembrosdel equipo

The interaction of nurses with other individuals during the performance of their professionalduties can be a source of professional stress.Objective: to describe communication difficulties the nurse may experience withpatients, relatives and their colleagues.This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted on a sample of 59 nurses froma hospital in Ourense, working at hospitalisation wards and Acute Care Unit.Methodology: self-administered questionnaire containing demographic variablesand evaluation of the level of difficulty perceived in three interaction/relationshipareas, according to Ulla et al proposal.Results: nurses find it more difficult to communicate with relatives close to the patientand less difficult to communicate with other members of their team, eventhough it must be mentioned that within this group, communication with thephysician is the hardest. Men perceived fewer communication problems. Withage, communication is perceived to improve with the patient and family and to worse with colleagues (AU)

Conización en frío con anestesia local / Cold knife conization by local anesthesia

En 67 pacientes a las cuales se les practicó conización en frío con anestesia local en el Pabellon de Cirugía Ambulatoria se observó que la misma permite la realización del acto quirúrgico con completa tolerancia por parte de la paciente y sin dificultades para el operador. Pequeños detalles incorporados a la técnica quirúrgica, la simplificación, y evitan algunas complicaciones. Si bien los conos obtenidos en nuestra serie fueron grandes por ser conizaciones terapéuticas, las complicaciones fueron menores que las señaladas por autores que utilizaron la anestesia general. Se redujo notablemente la estancia hospitalatia sin menoscabo para la recuperación de las pacientes con un considerable ahorro de cama/día. Igualmente se produjo la liberación de 67 cupos quirúrgicos en los pabellones convencionales, con la posibilidad de realizar más intervenciones de cirugía mayor