Mr.Bean: a comprehensive statistical and visualization application for modeling agricultural field trials data.

Crop improvement efforts have exploited new methods for modeling spatial trends using the arrangement of the experimental units in the field. These methods have shown improvement in predicting the genetic potential of evaluated genotypes. However, the use of these tools may be limited by the exposure and accessibility to these products.

Differences in excito-repellent behavior between susceptible and permethrin-resistant strains of Aedes aegypti upon exposure to insecticide-treated fabric.

Background: An important component of the biological activity of pyrethroids, when used in disease vector control, is excito-repellency. In this study, behavioral differences between insecticide susceptible (Orlando) and pyrethroid resistant (Puerto Rican) strains of Aedes aegypti were explored in a round glass arena using fabrics treated with permethrin, etofenprox, deltamethrin, or DDT. Repellency was evaluated across several variables, including the time to first flight (TFF), number of landings (NOL), total flight time (TFT), and maximum surface contact (MSC), all by video analysis.

Optimizing Sparse Testing for Genomic Prediction of Plant Breeding Crops.

While sparse testing methods have been proposed by researchers to improve the efficiency of genomic selection (GS) in breeding programs, there are several factors that can hinder this. In this research, we evaluated four methods (M1-M4) for sparse testing allocation of lines to environments under multi-environmental trails for genomic prediction of unobserved lines. The sparse testing methods described in this study are applied in a two-stage analysis to build the genomic training and testing sets in a strategy that allows each location or environment to evaluate only a subset of all genotypes rather than all of them.

Increasing genomic prediction accuracy for unphenotyped full-sib families by modeling additive and dominance effects with large datasets in white spruce.

Introduction: Genomic selection is becoming a standard technique in plant breeding and is now being introduced into forest tree breeding. Despite promising results to predict the genetic merit of superior material based on their additive breeding values, many studies and operational programs still neglect non-additive effects and their potential for enhancing genetic gains.

Methods: Using two large comprehensive datasets totaling 4,066 trees from 146 full-sib families of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), we evaluated the effect of the inclusion of dominance on the precision of genetic parameter estimates and on the accuracy of conventional pedigree-based (ABLUP-AD) and genomic-based (GBLUP-AD) models.

Revealing the Complex Relationship Among Hyperspectral Reflectance, Photosynthetic Pigments, and Growth in Norway Spruce Ecotypes.

Norway spruce has a wide natural distribution range, harboring substantial physiological and genetic variation. There are three altitudinal ecotypes described in this species. Each ecotype has been shaped by natural selection and retains morphological and physiological characteristics.

Dynamic QTL-based ecophysiological models to predict phenotype from genotype and environment data.

Background: Predicting the phenotype from the genotype is one of the major contemporary challenges in biology. This challenge is greater in plants because their development occurs mostly post-embryonically under diurnal and seasonal environmental fluctuations. Most current crop simulation models are physiology-based models capable of capturing environmental fluctuations but cannot adequately capture genotypic effects because they were not constructed within a genetics framework.

Using trained dogs and organic semi-conducting sensors to identify asymptomatic and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections: an observational study.

Background: A rapid, accurate, non-invasive diagnostic screen is needed to identify people with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We investigated whether organic semi-conducting (OSC) sensors and trained dogs could distinguish between people infected with asymptomatic or mild symptoms, and uninfected individuals, and the impact of screening at ports-of-entry.

Methods: Odour samples were collected from adults, and SARS-CoV-2 infection status confirmed using RT-PCR.

Genomic prediction in family bulks using different traits and cross-validations in pine.

Genomic prediction integrates statistical, genomic, and computational tools to improve the estimation of breeding values and increase genetic gain. Due to the broad diversity in mating systems, breeding schemes, propagation methods, and unit of selection, no universal genomic prediction approach can be applied in all crops. In a genome-wide family prediction (GWFP) approach, the family is the basic unit of selection.

Independent Validation of Genomic Prediction in Strawberry Over Multiple Cycles.

The University of Florida strawberry ( × ) breeding program has implemented genomic prediction (GP) as a tool for choosing outstanding parents for crosses over the last five seasons. This has allowed the use of some parents 1 year earlier than with traditional methods, thus reducing the duration of the breeding cycle. However, as the number of breeding cycles increases over time, greater knowledge is needed on how multiple cycles can be used in the practical implementation of GP in strawberry breeding.

Exploring Deep Learning for Complex Trait Genomic Prediction in Polyploid Outcrossing Species.

Genomic prediction (GP) is the procedure whereby the genetic merits of untested candidates are predicted using genome wide marker information. Although numerous examples of GP exist in plants and animals, applications to polyploid organisms are still scarce, partly due to limited genome resources and the complexity of this system. Deep learning (DL) techniques comprise a heterogeneous collection of machine learning algorithms that have excelled at many prediction tasks.

Sticky Trap Design Considerations for Entrapping Bed Bugs.

Little evidence has been presented on the usefulness of sticky traps for monitoring bed bugs, . We examined how the surface roughness around the adhesive of a sticky trap affects both bed bug behavior and adhesive entrapment. In the first assay, bed bugs were placed onto acetate paper discs with different roughness averages (R).

Developmental Pleiotropy Shaped the Roots of the Domesticated Common Bean ().

Roots have been omitted from previous domestication analyses owing mostly to their subterranean nature. We hypothesized that domestication-associated changes in common bean () roots were due to direct selection for some aboveground traits that also affect roots, and to indirect selection of root traits that improved aboveground plant performance. To test this hypothesis, we compared the root traits of wild and domesticated accessions and performed a multistep quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of an intra-Andean recombinant inbred family derived from a landrace and a wild accession.

Sex Modulates N6.2 and Phytophenol Effectiveness in Reducing High Fat Diet Induced mTOR Activation in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the underlying cause of some devastating diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These diseases have been associated with over-activation of the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. This study utilizes a high fat diet (HFD) to induce MetS and to dissect the effects of a beneficial bacterium, N6.

Independent and Joint-GWAS for growth traits in Eucalyptus by assembling genome-wide data for 3373 individuals across four breeding populations.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in plants typically suffer from limited statistical power. An alternative to the logistical and cost challenge of increasing sample sizes is to gain power by meta-analysis using information from independent studies. We carried out GWAS for growth traits with six single-marker models and regional heritability mapping (RHM) in four Eucalyptus breeding populations independently and by Joint-GWAS, using gene and segment-based models, with data for 3373 individuals genotyped with a communal EUChip60KSNP platform.

Phenotypic Description of L. for Yield and Vigor Traits From 34 Hybrid Families in Costa Rica Based on the Genetic Basis of the Parental Population.

A comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of target traits in any crop is critical to design breeding strategies for the development and release of new improved varieties. In this study, 34 cacao families were evaluated for vigor and yield related traits over the course of 6 years in Costa Rica. Linear mixed models provided the variance components for the partitioning of additive and non-additive effects.

Methionine as a safe and effective novel biorational mosquito larvicide.

Background: Mosquito larvicides provide a source-reduction strategy to diminish adult females that bite and potentially spread pathogens. Demands are mounting for new and innovative effective biorational larvicides, due to the development of resistance to some currently utilized mosquito larvicides, undesirable non-target effects, and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restrictions. Methionine is a human nutrient essential amino acid that unexpectedly has been shown to be a valuable safe pest management tool against select insect pests that possess alkaline gut physiology.

Improving accuracies of genomic predictions for drought tolerance in maize by joint modeling of additive and dominance effects in multi-environment trials.

Breeding for drought tolerance is a challenging task that requires costly, extensive, and precise phenotyping. Genomic selection (GS) can be used to maximize selection efficiency and the genetic gains in maize (Zea mays L.) breeding programs for drought tolerance.

Genetic Parameters and the Impact of Off-Types for L. in a Breeding Program in Brazil.

Breeding programs of cacao ( L.) trees share the many challenges of breeding long-living perennial crops, and genetic progress is further constrained by both the limited understanding of the inheritance of complex traits and the prevalence of technical issues, such as mislabeled individuals (off-types). To better understand the genetic architecture of cacao, in this study, 13 years of phenotypic data collected from four progeny trials in Bahia, Brazil were analyzed jointly in a multisite analysis.

A Predictive Model for Time-to-Flowering in the Common Bean Based on QTL and Environmental Variables.

The common bean is a tropical facultative short-day legume that is now grown in tropical and temperate zones. This observation underscores how domestication and modern breeding can change the adaptive phenology of a species. A key adaptive trait is the optimal timing of the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stage.

Application Site and Mosquito Age Influences Malathion- and Permethrin-Induced Mortality in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Concentrations of malathion and permethrin typical in droplets generated from ultra-low-volume and low-volume applications used to control mosquito populations were evaluated for efficacy against multiple-aged Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), using a topical bioassay. Although insecticide droplets will impinge on many exoskeletal body regions and a range of ages of mosquitoes in a population, traditional mosquito topical bioassays focus pesticide application to the mesothoracic pleural or dorsal regions across an average mosquito age (e.g.

N6.2 Modulates the Host Immune Responses: A Double-Blind, Randomized Trial in Healthy Adults.

Unlabelled: N6.2 mitigates the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in biobreeding diabetes-prone rats, in part, through changes in kynurenine:tryptophan (K:T) ratios. The goal of this pilot study was to determine the safety, tolerance, and general immunological response of N6.

Development of a QTL-environment-based predictive model for node addition rate in common bean.

This work reports the effects of the genetic makeup, the environment and the genotype by environment interactions for node addition rate in an RIL population of common bean. This information was used to build a predictive model for node addition rate. To select a plant genotype that will thrive in targeted environments it is critical to understand the genotype by environment interaction (GEI).

Impact of Topical Application Site On the Efficacy of Permethrin and Malathion To Culex quinquefasciatus.

Although insecticide spray droplets will potentially impinge on many exoskeletal body regions, traditional mosquito topical bioassays focus insecticide application to the mesothoracic pleural or dorsal area. Concentrations of permethrin and malathion found in droplets from ultra-low volume and low-volume sprays were evaluated for efficacy against adult Culex quinquefasciatus using a topical application bioassay. Results document nonuniform insecticide sensitivity across body regions, which has not been previously assessed in mosquitoes.

Maternal Effects on Seed and Seedling Phenotypes in Reciprocal F Hybrids of the Common Bean ( L.).

Maternal control of seed size in the common bean provides an opportunity to study genotype-independent seed weight effects on early seedling growth and development. We set out to test the hypothesis that the early heterotrophic growth of bean seedlings is determined by both the relative amount of cotyledon storage reserves and the genotype of the seedling, provided the hybrid genotype could be fully expressed in the seedlings. The hypothesis was tested via comparison of seed weight and seedling growth phenotypes of small-seeded (wild, ~0.