Quadrados mínimos parciais uni e multivariado aplicados na seleção genômica para características de carcaça em suínos.

A principal contribuição da genética molecular é a utilização direta das informações de DNA no processo de identifi cação de indivíduos geneticamente superiores. Sob esse enfoque, idealizou-se a seleção genômica ampla (Genome Wide Selection - GWS), a qual consiste na análise de marcadores SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) amplamente distribuídos no genoma. Devido a esse grande número de SNPs, geralmente maior que o número de indivíduos genotipados, e à alta colinearidade entre eles, métodos de redução de dimensionalidade são requeridos. Dentre estes, destaca-se o método de regressão via Quadrados Mínimos Parciais (Partial Least Squares - PLS), que além de solucionar tais problemas, permite uma abordagem multivariada, considerando múltiplos fenótipos. Diante do exposto, objetivouse aplicar e comparar a regressão PLS univariada (UPLS) e multivariada (MPLS) na GWS para características de carcaça em uma população F2 de suínos Piau×Comercial. Os resultados evidenciaram a superioridade do método MPLS, uma vez que este proporcionou maiores valores de acurácia em relação à abordagem univariada

Comparison of dimensionality reduction methods to predict genomic breeding values for carcass traits in pigs.

A significant contribution of molecular genetics is the direct use of DNA information to identify genetically superior individuals. With this approach, genome-wide selection (GWS) can be used for this purpose. GWS consists of analyzing a large number of single nucleotide polymorphism markers widely distributed in the genome; however, because the number of markers is much larger than the number of genotyped individuals, and such markers are highly correlated, special statistical methods are widely required. Among these methods, independent component regression, principal component regression, partial least squares, and partial principal components stand out. Thus, the aim of this study was to propose an application of the methods of dimensionality reduction to GWS of carcass traits in an F2 (Piau x commercial line) pig population. The results show similarities between the principal and the independent component methods and provided the most accurate genomic breeding estimates for most carcass traits in pigs

Faunistic analysis of Gyponini (Cicadellidae: Iassinae: Gyponini), collected in plum orchards located in the municipality of Videira, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Gyponini has a wide distribution in the Americas and high abundance in plum orchards in southern Brazil. However, there is not much information regarding the economic importance and potential as vectors of microorganisms for the culture of plum. The purpose of this study was to perform the faunistic analysis of Gyponini in two plum orchards, variety ?Letícia?. The orchards are located in the municipality of Videira, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil (orchard #1 - 27º03?18??S; 51º08?46??O, orchard #2 - 27º02?05??S; 51º08?57??O). Each area contains 1 hectare and plants aged 10 years. Sampling was carried out from December 2010 to December 2012 using yellow sticky cards (8.5 x 11.5 cm), installed in 10 equidistant points (35 x 35 m). At each point, two traps were installed and replaced monthly; low (B) at 0.5 m above the ground and high (A) at 1.7 m above the ground. Eleven species belonging to Gyponini were identified: Curtara sp. (13), C. samera (3), Gypona sp. (14), G. acuta (9), G. parvula (5), G. sellata (2), G. stalina (1), G. validana (1), Polana sp. (3), Reticana lineata (1) and Sordana sordida (1). A total of 53 individuals were collected in the orchards. The highest rate of capture has occurred in the trap B, totaling 31 specimens, and only 22 individuals on the trap A. The dominant species were Curtara sp., Gypona sp., G. acuta and G. parvula with respective frequencies of 24.53%, 26.43%, 17% and 9.43%. There was no occurrence of constant species, only accessory and accidental species. Curtara sp. and G. acuta were caught predominantly in the lower traps. G. parvula showed higher capture rate in traps located in the upper part of plant canopy and Gypona sp. showed a similar distribution among the different heights. It is emphasized that this collecting method allowed identifying the most active species in relation to the stratum of the culture, as well as the abundance of the group in the orchards

Aplicação da análise de imagem no estudo da influência do MgCl2 na morfologia dos cristais de NaCl

Este trabalho versa sobre a influência do MgCl2 na morfologia dos cristais deNaCl. Este estudo foi desenvolvido utilizando técnicas de análise de imagens combinadascom a Análise Fatorial Descriminante (AFD). Com esta metodologia foi possível distinguirautomaticamente entre três diferentes classes de cristais. A concordância entre a classificaçãoautomática e manual, em termos do índice de performance, situa-se à volta de 90%, emmédia. O efeito da sobressaturação e da concentração de impureza nas diferentes classes decristais foi também objeto de estudo.This paper deals with the influence of MgCl2 in the crystallization of NaCl,namely on crystal morphology. The study was developed using image analysis techniquescombined with discriminant factorial analysis. With this methodology was possible todistinguish automatically among three different classes of crystals. Agreement betweenautomated and manual classification, measured in terms of a performance index, is 90% onaverage. The effect of supersaturation and impurity concentration on the different classes ofcrystals was furthermore determined

Comparative analysis of the capture of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae), for different strata in plum orchards in the municipality of Videira, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Leafhoppers, belonging to Cicadellinae, are known as insect vectors of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which is the cause of Plum Leaf Scald (PLS) disease. Within Cicadellinae, the tribes Cicadellini and Proconiini show conspicuous morphological features and different behavioral patterns. This study aimed to analyze the capture rate of Cicadellinae at higher and lower portion of the vegetative strata in two plum orchards variety ?Letícia?. The orchards (1 ha each, containing 10 years old plants) were located in the municipality of Videira, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Sampling was carried out from December 2010 to December 2012 using yellow sticky cards (8.5 x 11.5 cm), installed in 10 equidistant points (35 x 35 m). At each point, two traps were installed and replaced monthly; low (B) at 0.5 m above the ground and high (A) at 1.7 m above the ground. During the survey, 25 species were identified, included in 18 genera: Cicadellini - Bucephalogonia sp.; B. xanthophis; Caragonalia carminata; Diedrocephala sp.; D. variegata; Dilobopterus costalimai; D. dispar; Erythrogonia dorsalis; Hortensia similis; Macugonalia sp.; M. cavifrons; M. leucomelas; Pawiloma victima; Parathona gratiosa; Sibovia sagata; Spinagonalia rubrovittata; Tettisama quinquemaculata and Torresabela fairmairei; Proconiini - Aulacizes sp.; A. obsoleta; Homalodisca ignorata; Molomea personata; Oncometopia facialis; O. fusca and Phera carbonaria. Cicadellini had a capture rate of 86.48% in low traps, which were located in the lower stratum of the vegetation; this corresponds to the behavior observed in other studies. However, Proconiini had a capture rate equal to 73.48% in low traps and only 26.52% on traps located on the tree stratum of the orchard; this is different from what was found in other cultures already evaluated. The development of wild vegetation present in the orchards possibly plays a part in the occurrence of leafhoppers in the lower stratum

Genomic selection for slaughter age in pigs using the Cox frailty model.

The aim of this study was to compare genomic selection methodologies using a linear mixed model and the Cox survival model. We used data from an F2 population of pigs, in which the response variable was the time in days from birth to the culling of the animal and the covariates were 238 markers [237 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) plus the halothane gene]. The data were corrected for fixed effects, and the accuracy of the method was determined based on the correlation of the ranks of predicted genomic breeding values (GBVs) in both models with the corrected phenotypic values. The analysis was repeated with a subset of SNP markers with largest absolute effects. The results were in agreement with the GBV prediction and the estimation of marker effects for both models for uncensored data and for normality. However, when considering censored data, the Cox model with a normal random effect (S1) was more appropriate. Since there was no agreement between the linear mixed model and the imputed data (L2) for the prediction of genomic values and the estimation of marker effects, the model S1 was considered superior as it took into account the latent variable and the censored data. Marker selection increased correlations between the ranks of predicted GBVs by the linear and Cox frailty models and the corrected phenotypic values, and 120 markers were required to increase the predictive ability for the characteristic analyzed

Recent advances in breeding potato for resistance to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) in Brazil.

The objective of this pre-breeding activity of the Brazilian potato breeding project was to obtain superior bacterial wilt (BW)-resistant clones free from undesirable traits found on wild species

Flutuação populacional e análise faunística de cigarrinhas (Cicadellidae) em pomar de ameixeira em Paranapanema, São Paulo, Brasil.

A produção de ameixa no Brasil é de grande importância econômica. O Estado de São Paulo ocupa a 4ª posição na produção nacional e, assim como os demais estados produtores da fruta, vem enfrentando problemas fitossanitários graves devido a Escaldadura das Folhas da Ameixeira. A doença, causada pela bactéria Xylella fastidiosa, caracteriza-se pela necrose das folhas e secamento dos ramos colonizados pela bactéria, provocando o declínio no vigor e na produção, culminando com a morte da planta. A bactéria X. fastidiosa é transmitida por cigarrinhas (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae). Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar as espécies de cigarrinhas (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae; Gyponinae) presentes em um pomar de ameixeira representativo do município de Paranapanema (São Paulo - Brasil), realizando-se a análise faunística além de comparar métodos de coleta e conhecer a flutuação populacional. Palavras-Chave: Ameixa, Cicadellidae, Xylella fastidiosa, São Paulo, Escaldadura das Folhas da Ameixeira. The production of plum is of great economic importance for Brazil. São Paulo is the fourth largest producer, but is facing a serious phytosanitary problem due to the disease Plum Leaf Scald. The disease is caused by the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa, which is transmitted by leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae). This study aimed to identify species of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae; Gyponinae) in a plum orchard in the municipality of Paranapanema (São Paulo - Brazil); performing faunistic analysis; analyse of sampling methods and the population fluctuation. Sampling was conducted from April 2011 to May 2012 in a Japanese plum orchard, Prunus salicina Lindl., containing plants aged 4-5 years, variety Gulfblaze, with total area of 1 ha. Leafhoppers were collected with yellow sticky cards installed in 10 equidistant points. Each point contained two traps, low and high, which were replaced every 15 days. Eight species of leafhoppers were identified, five in Cicadellinae: Bucephalogonia xanthophis; Hortensia similis; Macugonalia cavifrons; Sonesimia grossa and Oncometopia facialis. Three in Gyponinae: Curtara samera; Sordana placida and Sordana sordida. Curtara samera and Oncometopia facialis were classified as constant and dominant species with respective frequency of 32.5 % and 20.9 %. The population peak of Cicadellidae was in July 2011. Keywords: Plum, Cicadellinae, Xylella fastidiosa, São Paulo, Plum Leaf Scald.Revista Interdisciplinar de Ciência Aplicada, RICA - Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS) - Campus Bento Gonçalve

Estimating additive and dominance variances for complex traits in pigs combining genomic and pedigree information.

Knowledge of dominance effects should improve genetic evaluations, provide the accurate selection of purebred animals, and enable better breeding strategies, including the exploitation of heterosis in crossbreeds. In this study, we combined genomic and pedigree data to study the relative importance of additive and dominance genetic variation in growth and carcass traits in an F2 pig population. Two GBLUP models were used, a model without a polygenic effect (ADM) and a model with a polygenic effect (ADMP). Additive effects played a greater role in the control of growth and carcass traits than did dominance effects. However, dominance effects were important for all traits, particularly in backfat thickness. The narrow-sense and broad-sense heritability estimates for growth (0.06 to 0.42, and 0.10 to 0.51, respectively) and carcass traits (0.07 to 0.37, and 0.10 to 0.76, respectively) exhibited a wide variation. The inclusion of a polygenic effect in the ADMP model changed the broad-sense heritability estimates only for birth weight and weight at 21 days of age