Genetic association analysis in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) for sucrose accumulation in humid environments in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Sucrose accumulation in sugarcane is affected by several environmental and genetic factors, with plant moisture being of critical importance for its role in the synthesis and transport of sugars within the cane stalks, affecting the sucrose concentration. In general, rainfall and high soil humidity during the ripening stage promote plant growth, increasing the fresh weight and decreasing the sucrose yield in the humid region of Colombia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify markers associated with sucrose accumulation or production in the humid environment of Colombia through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). RESULTS: Sucrose concentration measurements were taken in 220 genotypes from the Cenicaña's diverse panel at 10 (early maturity) and 13 (normal maturity) months after planting. For early maturity data was collected during plant cane and first ratoon, while at normal maturity it was during plant cane, first, and second ratoon. A total of 137,890 SNPs were selected after sequencing the 220 genotypes through GBS, RADSeq, and whole-genome sequencing. After GWAS analysis, a total of 77 markers were significantly associated with sucrose concentration at both ages, but only 39 were close to candidate genes previously reported for sucrose accumulation and/or production. Among the candidate genes, 18 were highlighted because they were involved in sucrose hydrolysis (SUS6, CIN3, CINV1, CINV2), sugar transport (i.e., MST1, MST2, PLT5, SUT4, ERD6 like), phosphorylation processes (TPS genes), glycolysis (PFP-ALPHA, HXK3, PHI1), and transcription factors (ERF12, ERF112). Similarly, 64 genes were associated with glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, and hormones. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in sucrose accumulation in sugarcane and contribute with important genomic resources for future research in the humid environments of Colombia. Similarly, the markers identified will be validated for their potential application within Cenicaña's breeding program to assist the development of breeding populations.

Forestry Applications of Space-Borne LiDAR Sensors: A Worldwide Bibliometric Analysis.

The 21st century has seen the launch of new space-borne sensors based on LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology developed in the second half of the 20th century. Nowadays, these sensors offer novel opportunities for mapping terrain and canopy heights and estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) across local to regional scales. This study aims to analyze the scientific impact of these sensors on large-scale forest mapping to retrieve 3D canopy information, monitor forest degradation, estimate AGB, and model key ecosystem variables such as primary productivity and biodiversity. A worldwide bibliometric analysis of this topic was carried out based on up to 412 publications indexed in the Scopus database during the period 2004-2022. The results showed that the number of published documents increased exponentially in the last five years, coinciding with the commissioning of two new LiDAR space missions: Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2) and Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). These missions have been providing data since 2018 and 2019, respectively. The journal that demonstrated the highest productivity in this field was "Remote Sensing" and among the leading contributors, the top five countries in terms of publications were the USA, China, the UK, France, and Germany. The upward trajectory in the number of publications categorizes this subject as a highly trending research topic, particularly in the context of improving forest resource management and participating in global climate treaty frameworks that require monitoring and reporting on forest carbon stocks. In this context, the integration of space-borne data, including imagery, SAR, and LiDAR, is anticipated to steer the trajectory of this research in the upcoming years.

Assessing Motor Variability during Squat: The Reliability of Inertial Devices in Resistance Training.

Movement control can be an indicator of how challenging a task is for the athlete, and can provide useful information to improve training efficiency and prevent injuries. This study was carried out to determine whether inertial measurement units (IMU) can provide reliable information on motion variability during strength exercises, focusing on the squat. Sixty-six healthy, strength-trained young adults completed a two-day protocol, where the variability in the squat movement was analyzed at two different loads (30% and 70% of one repetition maximum) using inertial measurement units and a force platform. The time series from IMUs and force platforms were analyzed using linear (standard deviation) and non-linear (detrended fluctuation analysis, sample entropy and fuzzy entropy) measures. Reliability was analyzed for both IMU and force platform using the intraclass correlation coefficient and the standard error of measurement. Standard deviation, detrended fluctuation analysis, sample entropy, and fuzzy entropy from the IMUs time series showed moderate to good reliability values (ICC: 0.50-0.85) and an acceptable error. The study concludes that IMUs are reliable tools for analyzing movement variability in strength exercises, providing accessible options for performance monitoring and training optimization. These findings have implications for the design of more effective strength training programs, emphasizing the importance of movement control in enhancing athletic performance and reducing injury risks.

The Use of Incremental, Decremental or a Random Order of Loads does not Affect Peak velocity Values during Bench Press Throw Load-velocity Relationships.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the load order used (i. e. incremental, decremental or random loads order) during the bench press throw load-velocity profile on peak velocity achieved against four different loads (20-40-60-80% of one repetition maximum [1RM]). Both intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated to assess the reliability of the measures. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess differences between protocols. A linear regression analysis was performed to assess the load-velocity relationships among the different protocols. Peak velocity showed good to high ICC values independently of the load used (ICC=0.83-0.92). CV scores showed good reliability (ranging between 2.2 and 6.2%). No significant differences in peak velocity attained at each load were found between the three testing protocols (p>0.05). In addition, peak velocity at each load was very large to almost perfect, correlated between protocols (r=0.790-0.920). The linear regression model showed a significant relationship between testing protocols (p<0.001; R2=0.94). In conclusion, due to some ICC scores below 0.9 and R2 below 0.95, the indistinct use of different load-order protocols to assess load-velocity relationships in the bench press throw exercise is not recommended.

Geometric Accuracy Assessment of Deimos-2 Panchromatic Stereo Pairs: Sensor Orientation and Digital Surface Model Production.

Accurate elevation data, which can be extracted from very high-resolution (VHR) satellite images, are vital for many engineering and land planning applications. In this way, the main goal of this work is to evaluate the capabilities of VHR Deimos-2 panchromatic stereo pairs to obtain digital surface models (DSM) over different land covers (bare soil, urban and agricultural greenhouse areas). As a step prior to extracting the DSM, different orientation models based on refined rational polynomial coefficients (RPC) and a variable number of very accurate ground control points (GCPs) were tested. The best sensor orientation model for Deimos-2 L1B satellite images was the RPC model refined by a first-order polynomial adjustment (RPC1) supported on 12 accurate and evenly spatially distributed GCPs. Regarding the Deimos-2 based DSM, its completeness and vertical accuracy were compared with those obtained from a WorldView-2 panchromatic stereo pair by using exactly the same methodology and semiglobal matching (SGM) algorithm. The Deimos-2 showed worse completeness values (about 6% worse) and vertical accuracy results (RMSEZ 42.4% worse) than those computed from WorldView-2 imagery over the three land covers tested, although only urban areas yielded statistically significant differences (p < 0.05).

UAV-Based Digital Terrain Model Generation under Leaf-Off Conditions to Support Teak Plantations Inventories in Tropical Dry Forests. A Case of the Coastal Region of Ecuador.

Remote sensing is revolutionizing the way in which forests studies are conducted, and recent technological advances, such as Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), are providing more efficient methods to assist in REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) monitoring and forest sustainable management. The aim of this work was to develop and test a methodology based on SfM from UAV to generate high quality Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) on teak plantations (Tectona grandis Linn. F.) situated in the Coastal Region of Ecuador (dry tropical forest). UAV overlapping images were collected using a DJI Phantom 4 Advanced© quadcopter during the dry season (leaf-off phenological stage) over 58 teak square plots of 36 m side belonging to three different plantations located in the province of Guayas (Ecuador). A workflow consisting of SfM absolute image alignment based on field surveyed ground control points, very dense point cloud generation, ground points filtering and outlier removal, and DTM interpolation from labeled ground points, was accomplished. A very accurate Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) derived ground points were employed as ground reference to estimate the UAV-SfM DTM vertical error in each reference plot. The plot-level obtained DTMs presented low vertical bias and random error (-3.1 cm and 11.9 cm on average, respectively), showing statistically significant greater error in those reference plots with basal area and estimated vegetation coverage above 15 m2/ha and 60%, respectively. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study aimed at monitoring of teak plantations located in dry tropical forests from UAV images. It provides valuable information that recommends carrying out the UAV image capture during the leaf-off season to obtain UAV-SfM derived DTMs suitable to serve as ground reference in supporting teak plantations inventories.

Trends in cardiometabolic parameters among Spanish children from 2006 to 2010: The Cuenca study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the trends in cardiometabolic risk factors among schoolchildren in Cuenca, Spain, from 2006 to 2010. METHODS: Data were taken from two cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2006 and 2010 among schoolchildren aged 8-12 years from 20 public schools in the province of Cuenca. The final sample consisted of 2148 participants with measured anthropometric variables, biochemical assessment, and blood pressure. RESULTS: We observed an increase in mean serum total cholesterol (8.5 mg/dL and 10.7 mg/dL), LDL-cholesterol (13.7 mg/dL and 17.3 md/dL), triglycerides (3.6 mg/dL and 2.6 md/dL), fasting insulin (1.2 µU/mL and 0.3 µU/mL) and HOMA-IR (0.2 and 0.02) and a decrease in mean serum HDL-cholesterol (4.4 mg/dL and 5.7 mg/dL), systolic blood pressure (3.8 mmHg and 5.4 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (0.8 mmHg and 2.0 mmHg) in both sexes. In girls, mean arterial pressure (3.2 mmHg) also decreased in this period. In addition, we found an increase in the prevalence of adverse total cholesterol concentration (≥200 mg/dL) (7.8% and 8.9%), HDL-cholesterol concentration (<40 mg/dL) (1.9% in boys and 3.5% in girls) and LDL cholesterol concentration (≥130mg/dL) (4.8% and 5.8%) in boys and girls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a worsening of the lipid profile in schoolchildren from Cuenca, independent of weight status and age.

A Replicative In Vitro Assay for Drug Discovery against Leishmania donovani.

The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis, a disease potentially fatal if not treated. Current available treatments have major limitations, and new and safer drugs are urgently needed. In recent years, advances in high-throughput screening technologies have enabled the screening of millions of compounds to identify new antileishmanial agents. However, most of the compounds identified in vitro did not translate their activities when tested in in vivo models, highlighting the need to develop more predictive in vitro assays. In the present work, we describe the development of a robust replicative, high-content, in vitro intracellular L. donovani assay. Horse serum was included in the assay media to replace standard fetal bovine serum, to completely eliminate the extracellular parasites derived from the infection process. A novel phenotypic in vitro infection model has been developed, complemented with the identification of the proliferation of intracellular amastigotes measured by EdU incorporation. In vitro and in vivo results for miltefosine, amphotericin B, and the selected compound 1 have been included to validate the assay.

Effectiveness of multifactorial interventions in primary health care settings for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of multifactorial interventions carried out in the community setting to decrease cardiovascular risk in healthy patients. METHODS: Systematic review of the MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases from January 1980 to January 2014. Identified for inclusion were systematic reviews of clinical trials that included multifactorial interventions carried out in primary care or community settings, targeting more than one cardiovascular risk factor, and implementing more than one type of intervention. The methodological quality of the included articles was evaluated using the AMSTAR tool. RESULTS: Eight systematic reviews were selected, including 219 studies. All of these reviews provided information about the effectiveness of multifactorial interventions in reducing mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases. Four reviews reported moderate effectiveness and four showed limited effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Multifactorial community interventions improve cardiovascular risk factors and have a small but potentially important effect on mortality. These interventions seem to be more effective in the at-risk population and when they are carried out at a high level of intensity.

Gender differences on effectiveness of a school-based physical activity intervention for reducing cardiometabolic risk: a cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Studies that have examined the impact of a physical activity intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors have yielded conflicting results. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a standardized physical activity program on adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in schoolchildren. METHODS: Cluster randomized trial study of 712 schoolchildren, 8-10 years, from 20 public schools in the Province of Cuenca, Spain. The intervention (MOVI-2) consisted of play-based and non-competitive activities. MOVI-2 was conducted during two 90-minute sessions on weekdays and one 150-minute session on Saturday mornings every week between September 2010 and May 2011. We measured changes in adiposity (overweight/obesity prevalence, body mass index [BMI], triceps skinfold thickness [TST], body fat %, fat-free mass, waist circumference) and other cardiometabolic risk factors (LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol ratio, insulin, C-reactive protein and blood pressure). The analyses used mixed regression models to adjust for baseline covariates under cluster randomization. RESULTS: Among girls, we found a reduction of adiposity in intervention versus control schools, with a decrease in TST (-1.1 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.3 to -0.7), body fat % (-0.9%; 95% CI -1.3 to -0.4), waist circumference (-2.7 cm; 95% CI -4.5 to -0.9), and an increase in fat-free mass (0.3 kg; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.6). The intervention also led to lower serum LDL-cholesterol and insulin levels. Among boys, a reduction in waist circumference (-1.4 cm; 95% CI -2.6 to -0.1; P = 0.03), and an increase in fat-free mass (0.5 kg; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9; P = 0.003) was associated with the intervention versus control schools. The prevalence of overweight/obesity or underweight, BMI, and other cardiometabolic risk factors was not modified by the intervention. No important adverse events were registered. CONCLUSIONS: An extracurricular intervention of non-competitive physical activity during an academic year, targeting all schoolchildren regardless of body weight, is a safe and effective measure to reduce adiposity in both genders and to improve cardiometabolic risk profile in girls. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials NCT01277224.

[Endovascular management of residual intracranial aneurysms after surgical clipping]. / Manejo endovascular de aneurismas intracraneales (AI) residuales posquirúrgicos.

OBJECTIVES: To identify and evaluate the cerebral aneurysm remnants after clipping and the endovascular treatment in our institution. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We made a clinical ambispective collection of all aneurysms microsurgically clipped during four years and we analyzed their endovascular treatment. RESULTS: There were 290 cerebral aneurysms; in 270 a digital subtraction angiography was made. Ten aneurysm remnants were found (3.7%); of these, a second operation was performed on two, and coil placement was done in six patients. CONCLUSION: The cerebral aneurysm remnants after clipping in our institution are equivalent to international results. The endovascular treatment of this aneurysm is safe and effective.

[Ventriculo subgaleal shunt in hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage in prematures]. / Derivación ventrículo-subgaleal en hidrocefalia secundaria a hemorragia intraventricular (HIV) en el prematuro.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is one of the most serious complications in premature lightweight. While in the decade of 1970-1980 the incidence was 40-50%, now it is at least 20%. But it presents a challenge because of the multiple existing therapies and the results in terms of neurological sequelae. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 48 patients managed with ventriculo subgaleal shunt and a therapeutic decision based on gestational age, weight, and grade of intraventricular hemorrhage. RESULTS: Of the patients, 29 (60%) of the cases were female and 19 (40%) were male. The average gestation age for placing the subgaleal system was 30 months, with an average weight of 1,511 g, and with an infection rate of 4%. In 44 cases peritoneal system was placed (92%) because four died (8%). No mortality was observed at surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality in the past appeared in 75% of patients, with the realization that derivation of subgaleal irrigation reduces infections besides allowing proper control of hydrocephalus and thus decreases the long-term neurological sequelae.

Dataset on sub-daily vertical profiles of physicochemical parameters and chlorophyll concentration in El Val reservoir, together with its daily meteorological data, storage state and downstream flow (2018-2022).

The dataset addressed in this article contains parameters about El Val reservoir (province of Zaragoza, Spain). It includes physicochemical variables, the water level, the stored water volume, its meteorological conditions and the flow rate of its effluent, the Queiles River, a few metres downstream of the dam. The El Val reservoir stores water from the Val River, but it also receives water from the Queiles River through a pipeline and from several ravines. The dam releases on the Queiles River, which is a tributary of the Ebro River (the second one in Spain in length and discharge rate). A multiparametric probe (aquaDam, Adasa Systems), hanging from a structure located in the dam, every 6 h makes a vertical profile taking the measurements at each metre of depth from the surface to approximately 573 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.), in other words, between 2 and 3 m above the bottom outlet. This probe collects data of water temperature, pH, ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll concentration. Meteorological data are collected in the nearest weather station, located in the municipality of Los Fayos which is about 500 m downstream of the dam. These include daily accumulated precipitation, daily maximum and average solar irradiance, daily maximum, minimum and average air temperature and daily average wind speed. The water level and volume of stored water and the flow rate of the Queiles River are collected in the El Val monitoring station and the Queiles River gauge station respectively, and are also provided on a daily basis. These data are useful to feed deterministic, data driven or hybrid hydrological models with different purposes, like the identification of the impact of meteorological conditions on the physicochemical properties of the reservoir as well as the assessment of different management strategies in the reservoir. This is a data article that additionally supports the work published in Ecological Informatics [1] where the use of common and readily available open data is promoted through its use to feed data driven models, in particular to infer the depth of the thermocline in reservoirs that are periodically or permanently thermally stratified. In that article a dataset derived from the one presented in this article is used.

Sparse testing designs for optimizing predictive ability in sugarcane populations.

Sugarcane is a crucial crop for sugar and bioenergy production. Saccharose content and total weight are the two main key commercial traits that compose sugarcane's yield. These traits are under complex genetic control and their response patterns are influenced by the genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction. An efficient breeding of sugarcane demands an accurate assessment of the genotype stability through multi-environment trials (METs), where genotypes are tested/evaluated across different environments. However, phenotyping all genotype-in-environment combinations is often impractical due to cost and limited availability of propagation-materials. This study introduces the sparse testing designs as a viable alternative, leveraging genomic information to predict unobserved combinations through genomic prediction models. This approach was applied to a dataset comprising 186 genotypes across six environments (6×186=1,116 phenotypes). Our study employed three predictive models, including environment, genotype, and genomic markers as main effects, as well as the G×E to predict saccharose accumulation (SA) and tons of cane per hectare (TCH). Calibration sets sizes varying between 72 (6.5%) to 186 (16.7%) of the total number of phenotypes were composed to predict the remaining 930 (83.3%). Additionally, we explored the optimal number of common genotypes across environments for G×E pattern prediction. Results demonstrate that maximum accuracy for SA ( ρ = 0.611 ) and for TCH ( ρ=0.341 ) was achieved using in training sets few (3) to no common (0) genotype across environments maximizing the number of different genotypes that were tested only once. Significantly, we show that reducing phenotypic records for model calibration has minimal impact on predictive ability, with sets of 12 non-overlapped genotypes per environment (72=12×6) being the most convenient cost-benefit combination.

Motor variability during resistance training: Acceleration signal as intensity indicator.

Analysis of variability in physiological time series has been shown to be an indicator of the state of the organism. Although there is evidence of the usefulness of analysis of the amount and/or structure of variability (complexity) in cycling actions, there is limited knowledge about its application in resistance exercise. The aim of this study is to find out whether variability in acceleration signals can be an indicator of intensity level in a squat task. For this purpose, an experimental design was developed in which the following participated seventy-two participants (age = 25.7 ± 4.4 years; height = 169.2 ± 9.8 cm; body mass = 67.7 ± 11.2 kg; ratio 1RM/body mass = 1.4 ± 0.3). They performed four repetitions of back squat at loads of 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of 1RM. Acceleration during the exercise was recorded using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a force platform. The variability of the movement was then analyzed using Standard Deviation (SD), Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA), Fuzzy Entropy (FuzzyEn), and Sample Entropy (SampEn). For the IMU and for the force platform, significant effects were observed in all variables (p < 0.001). In pairwise comparisons, IMU showed a significant increase in motor complexity with increasing intensity, among most intensities, in DFA, FuzzyEn and SampEn. Differences in force platform were more limited, and only DFA detected differences between most intensities. The results suggest that measures of signal and acceleration variability may be a useful indicator of the relative intensity at which a squat exercise is performed.

Novel digital-based approach for evaluating wine components' intake: A deep learning model to determine red wine volume in a glass from single-view images.

Estimation of wine components' intake (polyphenols, alcohol, etc.) through Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) may be particularly inaccurate. This paper reports the development of a deep learning (DL) method to determine red wine volume from single-view images, along with its application in a consumer study developed via a web service. The DL model demonstrated satisfactory performance not only in a daily lifelike images dataset (mean absolute error = 10 mL), but also in a real images dataset that was generated through the consumer study (mean absolute error = 26 mL). Based on the data reported by the participants in the consumer study (n = 38), average red wine volume in a glass was 114 ± 33 mL, which represents an intake of 137-342 mg of total polyphenols, 11.2 g of alcohol, 0.342 g of sugars, among other components. Therefore, the proposed method constitutes a diet-monitoring tool of substantial utility in the accurate assessment of wine components' intake.

Real-world study on microsatellite instability and mismatch repair deficiency testing patterns among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in Spain.

PURPOSE: Clinical practice guidelines recommend that all patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) should be tested for mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). We aimed to describe the dMMR/MSI-H testing practice in patients with mCRC in Spanish centers. METHODS: Multicenter, observational retrospective study that included patients newly diagnosed with mCRC or who progressed to a metastatic stage from early/localized stages. RESULTS: Three hundred patients were included in the study from May 2020 through May 2021, with a median age of 68 years, and two hundred twenty-five (75%) had stage IV disease at initial diagnosis; two hundred eighty-four patients received first-line treatment, and dMMR/MSI-H testing was performed in two hundred fifty-one (84%) patients. The results of the dMMR/MSI-H tests were available in 61 (24%) of 251 patients before the diagnosis of metastatic disease and in 191 (81%) of 236 evaluable patients for this outcome before the initiation of first-line treatment. Among the 244 patients who were tested for dMMR/MSI-H with IHC or PCR, 14 (6%) were MMR deficient. The most frequent type of first-line treatment was the combination of chemotherapy and biological agent, that was received by 71% and 50% of patients with MMR proficient and deficient tumors, respectively, followed by chemotherapy alone, received in over 20% of patients in each subgroup. Only 29% of dMMR/MSI-H tumors received first-line immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that a high proportion of patients with mCRC are currently tested for dMMR/MSI-H in tertiary hospitals across Spain. However, there is still room for improvement until universal testing is achieved. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Characterization of Limnospira platensis PCC 9108 R-M and CRISPR-Cas systems.

The filamentous cyanobacterium Limnospira platensis, formerly known as Arthrospira platensis or spirulina, is one of the most commercially important species of microalgae. Due to its high nutritional value, pharmacological and industrial applications it is extensively cultivated on a large commercial scale. Despite its widespread use, its precise manipulation is still under development due to the lack of effective genetic protocols. Genetic transformation of Limnospira has been attempted but the methods reported have not been generally reproducible in other laboratories. Knowledge of the transformation defense mechanisms is essential for understanding its physiology and for broadening their applications. With the aim to understand more about the genetic defenses of L. platensis, in this work we have identified the restriction-modification and CRISPR-Cas systems and we have cloned and characterized thirteen methylases. In parallel, we have also characterized the methylome and orphan methyltransferases using genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation patterns and RNA-seq. The identification and characterization of these enzymes will be a valuable resource to know how this strain avoids being genetically manipulated and for further genomics studies.

The role of inhibitory control in sport performance: Systematic review and meta-analysis in stop-signal paradigm.

Inhibitory control is an executive function that is closely and bidirectionally related to sports practice. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to study the effect of this relationship when response suppression is assessed within the Stop-Signal Paradigm. Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for qualitative analysis, of which 11 studies were further analyzed through meta-analytic techniques. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was estimated for the stop-signal reaction time, and the influence of moderator variables was assessed. Athletes showed shorter stop-signal reaction time than non-athlete controls (SMD=0.44; 95% CI=0.14, 0.73), and this effect was mediated by age (SMD=-0.56; 95% CI=-1.11, -0.01). Athletes' superior stop-signal reaction time may be a result of extensive practice in cognitively demanding competitive environments. Young athletes can benefit the most from sports practice. In addition, engaging individuals in more cognitively demanding activities may obtain better response suppression enhancements, although the evidence in the stop-signal task is limited. Finally, some stop-signal task methodological aspects should be considered in future research.

Genome-wide association analysis of plant architecture traits using doubled haploid lines derived from different cycles of the Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic maize population.

Selection in the Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS) maize population for high yield, grain moisture, and root and stalk lodging has indirectly modified plant architecture traits that are important for adaptation to high plant density. In this study, we developed doubled haploid (DH) lines from the BSSS maize population in the earliest cycle of recurrent selection (BSSS), cycle 17 of reciprocal recurrent selection, [BSSS(R)17] and the cross between the two cycles [BSSS/BSSS(R)C17]. We aimed to determine the phenotypic variation and changes in agronomic traits that have occurred through the recurrent selection program in this population and to identify genes or regions in the genome associated with the plant architecture changes observed in the different cycles of selection. We conducted a per se evaluation of DH lines focusing on high heritability traits important for adaptation to high planting density and grain yield. Trends for reducing flowering time, anthesis-silking interval, ear height, and the number of primary tassel branches in BSSS(R)17 DH lines compared to BSSS and BSSS/BSSS(R)C17 DH lines were observed. Additionally, the BSSS(R)C17 DH lines showed more upright flag leaf angles. Using the entire panel of DH lines increased the number of SNP markers identified within candidate genes associated with plant architecture traits. The genomic regions identified for plant architecture traits in this study may help to elucidate the genetic basis of these traits and facilitate future work about marker-assisted selection or map-based cloning in maize breeding programs.