Registration of Common Bacterial Blight, Rust and Bean Common Mosaic Resistant Great Northern Common Bean Germplasm Line ABC-Weihing

Great northern common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm line ABC-Weihing (Reg. No. GP-246, PI 647964) was developed by the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division in cooperation with USDA-ARS and released in 2006. This line, tested as NE1-05-4, was bred specifically for enhanced resistance to common bacterial blight (CBB), a major seed borne disease of common bean caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (Smith) Dye (Xcp). ABC-Weihing is a great northern BC5F3:6 line obtained from five backcrosses (‘Weihing’*5//‘Chase’/XAN 159). The first cross was made in spring 1997. Only BCnF1 plants resistant to Xcp isolates Dominican Republic DR-7 and Nebraska SC4A, as determined by multiple needle leaf inoculation tests in the greenhouse, were used for successive backcrossing. In addition to phenotypic selection for CBB resistance, marker-assisted selection for the resistant QTLlinked marker SU91 was conducted in the BC1F1, BC2F1, and ABC-Weihing. When inoculated with Nebraska Xcp strains in the field, ABC-Weihing exhibited resistance in both 2005 and 2006. ABC-Weihing has Ur-3 and Ur-6 genes for resistance to common bean rust and carries the single dominant hypersensitive I gene that provides resistance to all non-necrotic strains of the Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV). ABC-Weihing has bright white seed, blooms 45 d after planting, and is a midseason bean maturing 92 d after planting

Utilization of Varying Colors of Light Emitting Diodes in Vertical Farms for Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato)

In response to climate change and significant decreases of arable land in developing nations, vertical farming has emerged as a suitable alternative to the conventional method of farming with its use of modern technologies such as LED lights. Since previous literature on this subject had mainly focused on the effects of blue and red lights concerning plant growth, this research paper involved 620 nm (pink light), 550 nm (green light), and the combination of the colors in the color spectrum (white light) to expand the scope of the study. The facilities used for the experiment were a multiple-row vertical setup and a raised bed garden for the conventional setup. These setups were created using recyclable wood and furniture. Measuring tapes and finger-counting were utilized to detail the average height and number of leaves of plants within a specified group. One-way analysis of variance and repeated measures variance was used to show the variance or consistency of each group and significant differences between all groups. The results had depicted pink-colored LEDs to have yielded the best results by the end of the experiment with an average plant height of 10.39 cm and an average leaf number of 3.1. Overall, the vertical farming setups outperformed the conventional farm setup in terms of both mean plant height and number of leaves

Nuevos registros de Pimelodella laticeps, Eigenmann, 1917 (Siluriformes, Heptapteridae) y ampliación de su distribución occidental hacia los Andes Centrales de Argentina

The lack of detailed knowledge about the diversity, distribution and biology of the fish in the province, together with the permanent introduction of exotic species such as salmonids, added to the anthropic activity associated to wetlands, threaten the conservation of the fish species richness. To date, for San Juan there is only a single report of P. laticeps collected in the Zonda department in Presidente Sarmiento Protected Natural Area. Specimens of P. laticeps are reported for the departments of Jachal, Ullum, Rivadavia, Zonda and Calingasta, expanding its distribution to its westernmost extreme towards the central Andes of Argentina.La falta de conocimiento detallado sobre la diversidad, distribución y biología de los peces de la provincia de San Juan, junto con la siembra permanente de especies exóticas como los salmónidos, sumado a la actividad antrópica asociada a humedales, atentan contra la conservación de la riqueza ictícola. Hasta la fecha para San Juan solo existe un único reporte de P. laticeps colectado en el departamento Zonda en el Área Natural Protegida Presidente Sarmiento. Se reportan ejemplares de P. laticeps en los departamentos: Jáchal, Ullum, Rivadavia, Zonda y Calingasta ampliando su distribución a su extremo más occidental hacia los andes centrales de Argentina.Fil: Valenzuela Gomez, Agustina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Rubén D.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Fabricio Rubén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Juan Carlos. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Corrales Zuñiga, Lucas Anibal. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Valdez Ovallez, Franco Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentin

Carotid artery plaque in women with rheumatoid arthritis and low estimated cardiovascular disease risk: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: We previously reported that most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and moderate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk according to the Systematic COronary Evaluation score (SCORE) experience carotid artery plaque. In this study, we aimed to identify patient characteristics that can potentially predict carotid plaque presence in women with RA and a concurrent low CVD risk according to the SCORE. METHODS: A cohort of 144 women with an evaluated low risk of CVD (SCORE value of zero) was assembled amongst 550 consecutive patients with RA that underwent CVD risk factor recording and carotid artery ultrasound. Participants had no established CVD, moderate or severe chronic kidney disease, or diabetes. We assessed carotid plaque(s) presence and its associated patient characteristics. RESULTS: Carotid artery plaque was present in 35 (24.3%) of women with RA. Age, the number of synthetic disease-modifying agents (DMARDs) and total cholesterol concentrations were independently associated with plaque in multivariable stepwise backward regression analysis (odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.15 (1.07 to 1.24), P49.5 years or/and total cholesterol concentration of >5.4 mmol/l, respectively, compared to only 7.8% in those (n=64; 44.4%) with age≤49.5 years or/and total cholesterol concentration of ≤5.4 mmol/l, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-third of women with RA who experience a low SCORE value and are aged >49.5 years or/and have a total cholesterol concentration of >5.4 mmol/l, experience high-risk atherosclerosis, which requires intensive CVD risk management

COVID-19 anxiety, psychological well-being and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean: relationships and explanatory model

This study assesses the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being in terms of the mediating role of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Additionally, the contribution of sociodemographic factors (sex and age) and risk perception on COVID-19 anxiety and its potential measurement invariance was tested in 5655 participants from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A mixture of both latent and observable variables were analyzed using a system of structural equations. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) and single-item measures were used to assess the perceived probability of death, perceived severity and concern about transmitting COVID-19. The results indicated that there is a significant and relevant direct effect of COVID-19 anxiety on participants' well-being. Furthermore, COVID-19 anxiety significantly predicted both preventive behavior (β = .29, p < .01) and well-being (β = –.32, p < .01). The effects of COVID anxiety and preventive behavior explained 9.8% of the variance in well-being (R-square = .098); whereas, 8.4% of the variance in preventive behavior was associated with COVID anxiety (R-square = .084). Likewise, perceived likelihood of death from COVID, perceived severity of COVID, and concerns about COVID transmission were positively related to anxiety. Age was negatively related to anxiety, with men being less anxious than women. The results are invariant by country, i.e., the broad relationships found in the combined sample are also present in each individual country. The findings indicate that, although the exact relationships between variables may vary between countries, there are enough similarities to provide useful information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in each of the countries included in the study

Protective Role of the Interleukin 33 rs3939286 Gene Polymorphism in the Development of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the interleukin-33 (IL-33)-interleukin-1 receptor like 1 (IL-1RL1) signaling pathway is implicated in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 576 Spanish RA patients from Northern Spain were genotyped for 6 well-known IL33-IL1RL1 polymorphisms (IL33 rs3939286, IL33 rs7025417, IL33 rs7044343, IL1RL1 rs2058660, IL1RL1 rs2310173 and IL1RL1 rs13015714) by TaqMan genotyping assay. The presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by carotid ultrasound (US). RESULTS: RA patients carrying the TT genotype of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism had lower cIMT values than those homozygous for the CC genotype (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 0.71 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.76 ± 0.16 mm, respectively) while patients carrying the CT genotype had intermediate cIMT values (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.17 mm). Moreover, RA patients carrying the mutant allele T of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism exhibited significantly lower cIMT values than those carrying the wild allele C (mean ± SD: 0.72 ± 0.16 mm versus 0.75 ± 0.18 mm respectively; p = 0.04). The association of both genotype and allele frequencies of IL33 rs3939286 and cIMT levels remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at the time of US study, follow-up and center (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0023, respectively), evidencing that the potential effect conferred by IL33 rs3939286 may be independent of confounder factors. No association with other IL33-IL1RL1 genetic variants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results may suggest a potential protective effect of the IL33 rs3939286 allele T in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA

Anthracological evidence suggests naturalness of Pinus pinaster in inland southwestern Iberia

The study of well-preserved archaeological charcoals in the pre-Roman Iron Age settlement of Castillejos II (Badajoz, Spain) is used to reconstruct environmental conditions and land-use practices in vegetation landscapes in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula before the arrival of Roman civilization. The results support that, while evergreen Quercus forests dominated during the Holocene, Pinus pinaster existed as a natural element of southwestern Iberian Peninsula vegetation. Although its presence could be linked to anthropogenic disturbance or fire history, it is suggested that P. pinaster populations survived during the Holocene in the region, mixed with oaks or in monospecific stands in mountain enclaves. This hypothesis contrasts with previous assumptions that P. pinaster was not autochthonous in the area

Is the meaning of subjective well-being similar in Latin American countries? A cross-cultural measurement invariance study of the WHO-5 well-being index during the COVID-19 pandemic

"Background: There is an urgent need to assess changes in well-being on a multinational scale during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus culturally valid scales must be available. Methods: With this in mind, this study examined the invariance of the WHO well-being index (WHO-5) among a sample of 5183 people from 12 Latin Americans countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). Results: The results of the present study indicate that the WHO-5 is strictly invariant across samples from different Latin American countries. Furthermore, the results of the IRT analysis indicate that all items of the WHO-5 were highly discriminative and that the difficulty required to respond to each of the five items is ascending. Additionally, the results indicated the presence of moderate and small size differences in subjective well-being among most countries. Conclusion: The WHO-5 is useful for assessing subjective well-being in 12 Latin American countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, since the differences between scores can be attributed to differences in well-being and not in other characteristics of the scale.

What Is the Support for Conspiracy Beliefs About COVID-19 Vaccines in Latin America? A Prospective Exploratory Study in 13 Countries

Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 began to emerge immediately after the first news about the disease and threaten to prolong the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by limiting people’s willingness of receiving a life-saving vaccine. In this context, this study aimed to explore the variation of conspiracy beliefs regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine against it in 5779 people living in 13 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) according to sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, educational level and source of information about COVID-19. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between September 15 and October 25, 2021. The Spanish-language COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (ECCV-COVID) and a sociodemographic survey were used. The results indicate that, in most countries, women, people with a lower educational level and those who receive information about the vaccine and COVID-19 from family/friends are more supportive of conspiracy ideas regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. In the case of age, the results vary by country. The analysis of the responses to each of the questions of the ECCV-COVID reveals that, in general, the countries evaluated are mostly in some degree of disagreement or indecision regarding conspiratorial beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines. The findings could help open further study which could support prevention and treatment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic

Design and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 13 Latin American Countries

"Aims: Over the past 2 years, the vaccine conspiracy beliefs construct has been used in a number of different studies. These publications have assessed the determinants and outcomes of vaccine conspiracy beliefs using, in some cases, pooled data from different countries, and compared the results across these contexts. However, studies often do not consider measurement invariance as a necessary requirement for comparative analyses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the crosscultural MI of the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale (COVID-VCBS) in 12 Latin American countries. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory analysis and alignment method were applied to test measurement invariance in a large number of groups. Results: The COVID-VCBS showed robust psychometric properties and measurement invariance for both factor loadings and crosstabs. Also, a higher level of acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about vaccines is necessary to respond to higher response categories. Similarly, greater acceptance of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines was related to a lower intention to be vaccinated. Conclusion: The results allow for improved understanding of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines in the countries assessed; furthermore, they provide researchers and practitioners with an invariant measure that they can use in cross-cultural studies in Latin America. However, further studies are needed to test invariance in other countries, with the goal of developing a truly international measure of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines.