INTSORMIL 2005 ANNUAL REPORT

The 2005 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the SorghumiMillet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University) and scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Afflca. Agricultural research provides benefits not only to producers of agricultural products but also to processors and consumers of agricultural products. Agricultural research has proven itself continuously in providing improved products of greater quantity and quality, as well as improved health to consumers and broad-based economic growth which goes beyond producers and consumers

INTSORMIL 2007 Annual Report

The 2007 INTSORMIL Six Year Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the Sorghum/Millet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2007. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at seven U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University), scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Introduction and Program Overview Project Reports Sustainable Plant Protection Systems Agroecology and Biotechnology of Stalk Rot Pathogens of Sorghum and Millet — John F Leslie (KSU 210) Low Input Ecologically Defined Management Strategies for Insect Pests on Sorghum — Henry N Pitre (MSU 205) Striga Biotechnology Development and Technology Transfer — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 213) Sustainable Management of Insect Pests — Bonnie B Pendleton (WTU 200) Sustainable Production Systems Economic and Sustainability Evaluation of New Technologies in Sorghum and Millet Production in INTSORMIL Priority Countries — John H Sanders (PRF 205) Cropping Systems to Optimize Yield, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Pearl Millet and Grain Sorghum — Stephen C Mason (UNL 213) Soil and Water Management for Improving Sorghum Production in Eastern Africa — Charles Wortmann and Martha Mamo (UNL 219) Germplasm Enhancement and Conservation Breeding Pearl Millet for Improved Stability, Performance, and Pest Resistance — Jeffrey P Wilson (ARS 206) Breeding Grain Mold Resistance in High Digestibility Sorghum Varieties — Dirk Hays (TAM 230) Development and Enhancement of Sorghum Germplasm with Sustained Tolerance to Biotic and Abiotic Stress — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 207) Enhancing the Utilization of Grain Sorghum and Pearl Millet through the Improvement of Grain Quality via Genetic and Nutritional Research — Mitch Tuinstra, Joe Hancock, William Rooney and Clint Magill (KSU 220A, KSU 220B, TAM 220C, TAM 220D) Germplasm Enhancement for Resistance to Insects and Improved Efficiency for Sustainable Agriculture Systems — Gary C Peterson (TAM 223) Crop Utilization and Marketing An Evaluation of New Market Development and Marketing Strategies on Sorghum and Millet Farmers\u27 Income in Tanzania and Zambia — Donald Larson and J Mark Erbaugh (OSU 200) Chemical and Physical Aspects of Food and Nutritional Quality of Sorghum and Millet — Bruce R Hamaker (PRF 212) Food and Nutritional Quality of Sorghum and Millet — Lloyd L Rooney (TAM 226) Entrepreneurship and Product Development in East Africa: A Strategy to Promote Increased Use of Sorghum and Millet — David S Jackson (UNL 220) Host Country Program Enhancement Central America — Stephen C Mason Hom of Africa — Gebisa Ejeta Southern Africa — Gary C Peterson West Africa — Bruce R Hamaker Educational Activities Educational Activities Appendices INTSORMIL Sponsored and Co-Sponsored Workshops 1979-2007 Acronym

INTSORMIL 2003 ANNUAL REPORT

From 1980 to 1999, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the number of food-insecure people in developing countries fell from 920 million to about 800 million, yet in 2003, the International Food Policy Research Institute declared that without significant changes in policies, public investments, and institutions, we simply will not achieve the 1996 World Food Summit goal-reaffirmed at the 2000 Millennium Summit and again last year at the World Food Summit: five years later of reducing the number of our fellow human beings who are food insecure by at least half by no later than 2015. FAO indicates that the number has been decreasing by barely 2.5 million per year over the last eight years. At that rate, we will reach these goals one hundred years late, in 2115. Increased production of cereals, which are crucial sources of food energy and other nutrients, is necessary to reduce world hunger. According to Entering the 21st Century-World Development Report 1999/2000, about 900 million people in almost 100 countries are affected by drought and desertification, and by 2025, that number will double. The population of the world has doubled since 1940, but fresh water use has increased fourfold. Water scarcity is becoming more widespread, with concomitant effects on regional peace and global food security. Nearly all of the 3 billion increase in global population which is expected by 2025 will be in developing countries where water is already scarce. To meet the increasing demand for food in those countries, there is an increasing demand for more efficient production and new ways of utilizing drought-tolerant crops which have a competitive advantage to produce food under conditions of unpredictable and scarce rainfall. As water becomes more precious in the United States, cereals which can produce energy for feed and fuel in drought-prone areas of the country are demonstrating increasingly competitive advantages

INTSORMIL 2004 ANNUAL REPORT

The 2004 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the SorghumlMillet CRSP during the period of July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University) and scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in nineteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Agricultural research provides benefits not only to producers of agricultural products but also to processors and consumers of agricultural products. Agricultural research has proven itself continuously as providing improvements which yield products of greater quantity and quality, as well as improved health to consumers and broad-based economic growth which goes beyond producers and consumers

INTSORMIL 2009 Annual Report

The 2009 INTSORMIL Annual Report presents the progress and notable achievements by the Sorghum, Millet and Other Grains CRSP during the period of September 30, 2008 through September 29, 2009. These results are an outcome of partnerships between scientists at six U.S. Land Grant Universities (Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University), scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Tifton, Georgia and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and National Universities in sixteen countries in Central America, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Project Reports Sustainable Plant Protection Systems Grain Molds, Mycotoxins and Stalk Rots of Sorghum and Millet — John Leslie (KSU 101) Ecologically-Based Management of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Insect Pests in Africa and the United States — Bonnie Pendleton (WTU 101) Sustainable Production Systems Integrated Soil, Water, Nutrient and Crop Management Strategies for Improving Productivity in Sorghum and Millet Based Cropping Systems — PY Yara Prasad & Scott Staggenborg (KSU 104) : Crop, Soil and Water Management to Optimize Grain Yield and Quality for Value-Added Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa — Charles Wortmann (UNL 101) Germplasm Enhancement and Conservation Breeding Pearl Millet with Improved Performance, Stability and Resistance to Pests — Jeffrey Wilson (ARS 101) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Resistance to Striga and Drought in Africa — Gebisa Ejeta (PRF 101) Developing Sorghum with Improved Grain Quality, Agronomic Performance, and Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses — Mitch Tuinstra (PRF 104) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Grain, Forage Quality and Yield for Central America — William Rooney (TAM 101) Breeding Sorghum for Improved Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses and Enhanced End-Use Characteristics for Southern Africa — Gary Peterson (TAM 102) Crop Utilization and Marketing Enhancing the Utilization and Marketability of Sorghum and Pearl Millet through Improvement in Grain Quality, Processing, Procedures, and Technology Transfer to the Poultry Industry — Joe Hancock (KSU 102) Market Development in Support of Sorghum and Miller Farmers in Tanzania and Zambia — Donald Larson and 1 Mark Erbaugh (OSU 101) Product and Market Development for Sorghum and Pearl Millet in West Africa — Bruce Hamaker (PRF 102) Development of the Input and Product Markets in West Africa for Sorghum and Millet — John Sanders (PRF 103) Product and Market Development for Sorghum and Pearl Millet in Southern African and Central America — Lloyd Rooney (TAM 103) Building a Sustainable Infrastructure for Product Development and Food Entrepreneur/Industry Technical Support: A Strategy to Promote Increased Use of Sorghum and Millet in East Africa — David Jackson (UNL 1 02) Host Country Program Enhancement Central America — William Rooney Hom of Africa — Gebisa Ejeta Southern Africa — Gary Peterson West Africa — Bruce Hamaker and Bonnie Pendleton Educational Activities INTSORMIL Sponsored and Co-Sponsored Workshops 2006-2009 Acronym

Analysis of negative historical control group data from the in vitro micronucleus assay using TK6 cells.

The recent revisions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) genetic toxicology test guidelines emphasize the importance of historical negative controls both for data quality and interpretation. The goal of a HESI Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee (GTTC) workgroup was to collect data from participating laboratories and to conduct a statistical analysis to understand and publish the range of values that are normally seen in experienced laboratories using TK6 cells to conduct the in vitro micronucleus assay. Data from negative control samples from in vitro micronucleus assays using TK6 cells from 13 laboratories were collected using a standard collection form. Although in some cases statistically significant differences can be seen within laboratories for different test conditions, they were very small. The mean incidence of micronucleated cells/1000 cells ranged from 3.2/1000 to 13.8/1000. These almost four-fold differences in micronucleus levels cannot be explained by differences in scoring method, presence or absence of exogenous metabolic activation (S9), length of treatment, presence or absence of cytochalasin B or different solvents used as vehicles. The range of means from the four laboratories using flow cytometry methods (3.7-fold: 3.5-12.9 micronucleated cells/1000 cells) was similar to that from the nine laboratories using other scoring methods (4.3-fold: 3.2-13.8 micronucleated cells/1000 cells). No laboratory could be identified as an outlier or as showing unacceptably high variability. Quality Control (QC) methods applied to analyse the intra-laboratory variability showed that there was evidence of inter-experimental variability greater than would be expected by chance (i.e. over-dispersion). However, in general, this was low. This study demonstrates the value of QC methods in helping to analyse the reproducibility of results, building up a 'normal' range of values, and as an aid to identify variability within a laboratory in order to implement processes to maintain and improve uniformity

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene of Moniliophthoraperniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom disease of Theobroma cacao

This report describes the cloning, sequence and expression analysis of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene of Moniliophthora perniciosa, the most important pathogen of cocoa in Brazil. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of a single copy of the GAPDH gene in the M. perniciosa genome (MpGAPDH). The complete MpGAPDH coding sequence contained 1,461 bp with eight introns that were conserved in the GAPDH genes of other basidiomycete species. The cis-elements in the promoter region of the MpGAPDH gene were similar to those of other basidiomycetes. Likewise, the MpGAPDH gene encoded a putative 339 amino acid protein that shared significant sequence similarity with other GAPDH proteins in fungi, plants, and metazoans. Phylogenetic analyses clustered the MPGAPDH protein with other homobasidiomycete fungi of the family Tricholomataceae. Expression analysis of the MpGAPDH gene by real-time PCR showed that this gene was more expressed (~1.3X) in the saprotrophic stage of this hemibiotrophic plant pathogen than in the biotrophic stage when grown in cacao extracts

A Novel Mutation in LEPRE1 That Eliminates Only the KDEL ER- Retrieval Sequence Causes Non-Lethal Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 (P3H1), encoded by the LEPRE1 gene, forms a molecular complex with cartilage-associated protein (CRTAP) and cyclophilin B (encoded by PPIB) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This complex is responsible for one step in collagen post-translational modification, the prolyl 3-hydroxylation of specific proline residues, specifically α1(I) Pro986. P3H1 provides the enzymatic activity of the complex and has a Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) ER-retrieval sequence at the carboxyl terminus. Loss of function mutations in LEPRE1 lead to the Pro986 residue remaining unmodified and lead to slow folding and excessive helical post-translational modification of type I collagen, which is seen in both dominant and recessive osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Here, we present the case of siblings with non-lethal OI due to novel compound heterozygous mutations in LEPRE1 (c.484delG and c.2155dupC). The results of RNA analysis and real-time PCR suggest that mRNA with c.2155dupC escapes from nonsense-mediated RNA decay. Without the KDEL ER- retrieval sequence, the product of the c.2155dupC variant cannot be retained in the ER. This is the first report of a mutation in LEPRE1 that eliminates only the KDEL ER-retrieval sequence, whereas other functional domains remain intact. Our study shows, for the first time, that the KDEL ER- retrieval sequence is essential for P3H1 functionality and that a defect in KDEL is sufficient for disease onset

Estrogen and COVID-19 symptoms: Associations in women from the COVID Symptom Study

It has been widely observed that adult men of all ages are at higher risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19 when compared with women. This study aimed to investigate the association of COVID-19 positivity and severity with estrogen exposure in women, in a population based matched cohort study of female users of the COVID Symptom Study application in the UK. Analyses included 152,637 women for menopausal status, 295,689 women for exogenous estrogen intake in the form of the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), and 151,193 menopausal women for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Data were collected using the COVID Symptom Study in May-June 2020. Analyses investigated associations between predicted or tested COVID-19 status and menopausal status, COCP use, and HRT use, adjusting for age, smoking and BMI, with follow-up age sensitivity analysis, and validation in a subset of participants from the TwinsUK cohort. Menopausal women had higher rates of predicted COVID-19 (P = 0.003). COCP-users had lower rates of predicted COVID-19 (P = 8.03E-05), with reduction in hospital attendance (P = 0.023). Menopausal women using HRT or hormonal therapies did not exhibit consistent associations, including increased rates of predicted COVID-19 (P = 2.22E-05) for HRT users alone. The findings support a protective effect of estrogen exposure on COVID-19, based on positive association between predicted COVID-19 with menopausal status, and negative association with COCP use. HRT use was positively associated with COVID-19, but the results should be considered with caution due to lack of data on HRT type, route of administration, duration of treatment, and potential unaccounted for confounders and comorbidities

A meta-analysis of previous falls and subsequent fracture risk in cohort studies

NC Harvey acknowledges funding from the UK Medical Research Council (MC_PC_21003; MC_PC_21001). The WHI program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through 75N92021D00001, 75N92021D00002, 75N92021D00003, 75N92021D00004, and 75N92021D00005. Funding for the MrOS USA study comes from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research under the following grant numbers: U01 AG027810, U01 AG042124, U01 AG042139, U01 AG042140, U01 AG042143, U01 AG042145, U01 AG042168, U01 AR066160, and UL1 TR000128. Funding for the SOF study comes from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), supported by grants (AG05407, AR35582, AG05394, AR35584, and AR35583). Funding for the Health ABC study was from the Intramural research program at the National Institute on Aging under the following contract numbers: NO1-AG-6–2101, NO1-AG-6–2103, and NO1-AG-6–2106.Peer reviewedPostprin