Generation and validation of genetic markers for the selection of carioca dry bean genotypes with the slow-darkening seed coat trait

Slow darkening (SD) is a trait that helps to maintain a brighter seed coat appearance in certain market classes of dry beans. The aim of this study was to generate new fluorescence-based markers and validate previously identified microsatellite markers for linkage to the SD trait in lines of the carioca market class. Four segregating populations were generated by Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, from crosses between the SD cultivar BRSMG Madrepe´rola and the regular-darkening cultivars BRS Estilo, BRS Cometa, BRS Nota´vel and BRS Sublime. These populations were screened with the simple-sequence markers Pvsd- 1158 and PVM02TC116 and with a TaqManTM marker designed for the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) PvbHLHp12804. A KASP marker was also designed for the PvbHLHp12804 marker for testing on advanced carioca lines developed by the University of Saskatchewan. In the carioca lines developed by Embrapa, PVM02TC116 proved unsuitable for marker-assisted selection (MAS). Both the Pvsd-1158 and PvbHLHp12804 markers were found to be tightly linked to the gene responsible for the SD trait, with genetic distances calculated at 2.8 cM for Pvsd-1158 and 2.0 and 3.1 cM for PvbbHLHp12804, respectively. These markers presented more than 97% of selection efficiency. The genotypic scoring using the PvbHLHp12804 KASP marker was perfectly correlated with the phenotype in all lines of the University of Saskatchewan. The results of this study validates the use of Pvsd-1158 as a gel-based marker for SD in carioca beans. The new fluorescence-based SNP PvbHLHp12804 markers exhibited very tight linkage to SD in carioca and pinto bean lines. These markers will be ideal for MAS for the SD trait in these market classes

Nova light curves from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) - II. The extended catalogue

We present the results from observing nine Galactic novae in eruption with the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) between 2004 and 2009. While many of these novae reached peak magnitudes that were either at or approaching the detection limits of SMEI, we were still able to produce light curves that in many cases contained more data at and around the initial rise, peak, and decline than those found in other variable star catalogs. For each nova, we obtained a peak time, maximum magnitude, and for several an estimate of the decline time (t2). Interestingly, although of lower quality than those found in Hounsell et al. (2010a), two of the light curves may indicate the presence of a pre-maximum halt. In addition the high cadence of the SMEI instrument has allowed the detection of low amplitude variations in at least one of the nova light curves

Chagas Cardiomyopathy in the Context of the Chronic Disease Transition

Latin America is undergoing a transition from disease patterns characteristic of developing countries with high rates of infectious disease and premature deaths to a pattern more like industrialized countries, in which chronic conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes are more common. Many rural residents with Chagas disease have now migrated to cities, taken on new habits and may suffer from both types of disease. We studied heart disease among 394 adults seen by cardiologists in a public hospital in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia; 64% were infected with T. cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Both T. cruzi infected and uninfected patients had a high rate of hypertension (64%) and overweight (67%), with no difference by infection status. Nearly 60% of symptomatic congestive heart failure was due to Chagas disease; mortality was also higher for infected than uninfected patients. Males and older patients had more severe Chagas heart disease. Chagas heart disease remains an important cause of congestive heart failure in this hospital population, but often occurs in patients who also have obesity, hypertension and/or other cardiac risk factors

Induction of seed coat darkening in common beans (\u3ci\u3ePhaseolus vulgaris\u3c/i\u3e L.) and the association with cooking time after storage

Carioca is the most important edible dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in Brazil. It represents the largest dry bean market class in the world. The seed coat of carioca beans will darken under adverse harvest conditions and with the increasing of storage time. In general, darkened seeds are associated with older seeds that suffer from prolonged cooking times. A relatively new ‘slow darkening’ trait is available in carioca that delays seed coat darkening under storage. However, its effect on cooking time is unknown. The objective of this work was to evaluate two induction methods of seed coat darkening and to examine the effect of slow darkening trait on cooking time after storage. Lines derived from four segregating populations resulting from crossings between cultivar BRSMG Madrepérola with slow seed coat darkening, and the parents BRS Estilo, BRS Cometa, BRS Notável and BRS Sublime with normal darkening were evaluated. An experiment inlcuding 220 lines, 55 per population and the five parents, in a 15x15 triple lattice was conducted in the winter growing season in Brasilia. Seed coat darkening and cooking time traits were evaluated. Two methods for inducing seed coat darkening were compared: an accelerated aging test using UV light for 72 hours, and an extended storage for 90 days under ambient conditions. The correlation between the induction methods ranged from 0.77 to 0.85 for the different populations indicating either method could be used to discriminate lines with normal versus slow darkening trait. The percentage of light-colored grain lines was identified by both induction methods of seed coat darkening ranged from 75 to 85.7% in the populations. The genetic correlation between seed coat darkening and cooking time varied from -0.06 to -0.48, indicating that in some populations there is no significant genetic correlation between seed coat darkening and cooking time. Thus, light colored grains are not indicative of low cooking time, when they are considered genotypes with genetic variation for the seed coat darkening