Euschistus heros (F.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is the most prevalent stink bug pest in Brazil, and populations can be difficult to manage using organophosphates or endosulfan. Because E. heros is difficult to rear in the laboratory, no baseline insecticide susceptibility data have been published. Therefore, we conducted dose-mortality studies using field-collected insects, and, using the results from the dose-mortality studies, we surveyed susceptibility to acephate, methamidophos, and endosulfan in populations from southern and central Brazil. In addition, esterase activity was evaluated among populations as these enzymes have been related to organophosphate resistance. Finally, newer chemistries were evaluated for E. heros population management in small-plot field studies. In the dose-mortality bioassays, variation in susceptibility to methamidophos and endosulfan among populations was significant, but the variation in susceptibility to acephate was not. The population from Londrina (at the Embrapa Soybean Research Station, northern Parana state) was among the most susceptible, whereas the population from Pedrinhas Paulista (southwestern Sao Paulo state) was among the least susceptible. Significant variation among populations was observed in esterase activity with the population from Pedrinhas Paulista having the highest esterase levels and the population from Londrina having among the lowest levels. To survey populations, we used the dose-mortality data for the Londrina population (because it was, consistently, one of the most susceptible populations) to estimate the insecticide concentration that killed 99% of the population (LC99). The corresponding doses were 5.9 microg (AI) of acephate adult(-1), 0.7 microg (AI) methamidophos adult(-1), and 1,600 microg (AI) endosulfan adult(-1). The survey data confirmed the data from the dose-mortality bioassays in that the population from Pedrinhas Paulista was identified as one of the least susceptible and the population from Londrina was one of the most susceptible. The field tests confirmed that older chemistries provided minimal control (< 50% control), whereas the products containing mixtures of pyrethroids and neonicotinoids provided better control (> 60%).

ABSTRACT. Susceptibility of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) to cypermethrin, dichlorvos and triflumuron in southern Brazil. The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), is an important insect pest in poultry houses in Brazil. Susceptibility of the lesser mealworm collected from eight poultry houses in Paraná state, southern Brazil, was evaluated for cypermethrin, dichlorvos and triflumuron. Adult A. diaperinus were tested in bioassays with cypermethrin and dichlorvos. Larvae were fed rabbit feed wetted with a triflumuron-water solution. Concentration-mortality regressions were estimated using Probit analysis and resistance ratios were calculated based on the susceptible population. Among the field populations evaluated, cypermethrin LC 50 values for adults, ranged from 68.1 to 6,263 ng (AI)/cm 2 . LC 50 values for adults challenged with dichlorvos ranged from 10.3 to 1,385 ng (AI)/cm 2 . One population from Pato Branco showed reduced susceptibility to triflumuron (LC 50 = 272 µg (AI)/ml of solution) when compared to the most susceptible population (LC 50 = 109.8 µg (AI)/ml). Application of cypermethrin and dichlorvos analogues should be managed with caution to minimize insecticide resistance problems.KEYWORDS. Insect growth regulator; lesser mealworm; poultry house; pyrethroid; organophosphates. RESUMO. Suscetibilidade de Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) a cipermetrina, diclorvós e triflumurom no sul do Brasil. O cascudinho, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), é uma importante praga em aviários no Brasil. A suscetibilidade do cascudinho à cipermetrina, diclorvós e triflumurom foi avaliada em oito aviários do Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Adultos de A. diaperinus foram testados mediante bioensaios com cipermetrina e diclorvós. As larvas foram alimentadas com ração para coelhos impregnada com suspensões de triflumurom. As regressões de concentração-mortalidade foram estimadas usando análise de Probit e as razões de resistência calculadas com base na população suscetível. Entre as populações de campo avaliadas, os valores da CL 50 para adultos tratados com cipermetrina variaram entre 68,1 to 6.263 ng (IA)/cm 2 . Os valores da CL 50 para adultos tratados com diclorvós variaram de 10,3 to 1.385 ng (IA)/cm 2 . Uma população de Pato Branco apresentou reduzida suscetibilidade ao triflumurom (CL 50 = 272 µg (IA)/ml), quando comparada à população mais suscetível (CL 50 = 109,8 µg (IA)/ml de solução). Cipermetrina, diclorvós e análogos devem ser manejados e aplicados com cautela para minimizar os problemas de resistência a inseticidas.

BackgroundComputational discovery of microRNAs (miRNA) is based on pre-determined sets of features from miRNA precursors (pre-miRNA). Some feature sets are composed of sequence-structure patterns commonly found in pre-miRNAs, while others are a combination of more sophisticated RNA features. In this work, we analyze the discriminant power of seven feature sets, which are used in six pre-miRNA prediction tools. The analysis is based on the classification performance achieved with these feature sets for the training algorithms used in these tools. We also evaluate feature discrimination through the F-score and feature importance in the induction of random forests.ResultsSmall or non-significant differences were found among the estimated classification performances of classifiers induced using sets with diversification of features, despite the wide differences in their dimension. Inspired in these results, we obtained a lower-dimensional feature set, which achieved a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 95%. These estimates are within 0.1% of the maximal values obtained with any feature set (SELECT, Section “Results and discussion”) while it is 34 times faster to compute. Even compared to another feature set (FS2, see Section “Results and discussion”), which is the computationally least expensive feature set of those from the literature which perform within 0.1% of the maximal values, it is 34 times faster to compute. The results obtained by the tools used as references in the experiments carried out showed that five out of these six tools have lower sensitivity or specificity.ConclusionIn miRNA discovery the number of putative miRNA loci is in the order of millions. Analysis of putative pre-miRNAs using a computationally expensive feature set would be wasteful or even unfeasible for large genomes. In this work, we propose a relatively inexpensive feature set and explore most of the learning aspects implemented in current ab-initio pre-miRNA prediction tools, which may lead to the development of efficient ab-initio pre-miRNA discovery tools.The material to reproduce the main results from this paper can be downloaded from http://bioinformatics.rutgers.edu/Static/Software/discriminant.tar.gz.

Durante as safras 2008/09, 2009/10 e 2010/11 foi monitorada a sensibilidade do fungo Phakopsora pachyrhizi aos fungicidas tebuconazol, ciproconazol, metconazol e protioconazol (inibidores da desmetilação, IDMs). Folhas destacadas de soja foram tratadas com os fungicidas em doses variando de zero a 32 mg L-1 (tebuconazol, ciproconazol e metconazol) e zero a 8 mg L-1 (protioconazol) e inoculadas com esporos de P. pachyrhizi provenientes de lavouras de soja de diferentes regiões produtoras. As folhas inoculadas foram incubadas em placas de Petri com papel umedecido, a 23°C ± 2ºC, e a severidade da ferrugem estimada 15 dias após a inoculação. Foram determinadas as doses efetivas para reduzir 50% da severidade da doença (DE50). O fungicida protioconazol apresentou a maior atividade intrínseca, com valores de DE50 variando de 0,000001 mg L-1 a 0,39 mg L-1. Os valores de DE50variaram de 0,001 mg L-1 a 1,49 mg L-1 para tebuconazol; 0,001 mg L-1 a 3,27 mg L-1 para ciproconazol e 0,004 mg L-1 a 3,89 mg L-1 para metconazol. As medianas de DE50 para todos os fungicidas avaliados foram inferiores a 0,5 mg L-1, nas três safras. As correlações (r) entre as DE50 dos quatro fungicidas foram significativas (p<0,05), mostrando a existência de resistência cruzada entre os fungicidas. A variação nos valores de DE50 no monitoramento mostra uma coexistência de populações com diferentes níveis de sensibilidade aos IDMs no campo.

-The objective of this work was to determine genetic and environmental effects on beta-conglycinin and glycinin content in Brazilian soybean cultivars. The concentrations of these protein fractions were analyzed by scanning densitometry after electrophoresis, in 90 Brazilian soybean cultivars sown in Ponta Grossa, PR, in 2001. The effects of the sowing location were determined in the cultivar MG/BR 46 (Conquista), sown in 16 locations of Goiás and Minas Gerais states (Central Brazil), and in the cultivar IAS 5, sown in 12 locations of Paraná and São Paulo states (Southern Brazil), in 2002 soybean season. A significant variability for beta-conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) protein fractions ratio was observed among the 90 Brazilian soybean cultivars. 'MS/BRS 169' (Bacuri) and 'BR-8' (Pelotas) presented the highest and the lowest 11S/7S ratios (2.76 and 1.17, respectively). Beta-conglycinin protein fractions presented more variability than glycinin protein fractions. Grouping test classified 7S proteins in seven groups, 11S proteins in four groups, and protein fraction ratios (11S/7S) in nine groups. Significant effect of sowing locations was also observed on protein fractions contents. There is a good possibility of breeding for individual protein fractions, and their subunits, without affecting protein content.Index terms: eletrophoresis, nutraceutic properties, protein fractions, seed, sowing location. Variação genética e ambiental e teores de beta-conglicinina e glicinina em cultivares de soja brasileirasResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da variação genética e ambiental sobre os teores de beta-conglicinina e glicinina em cultivares de soja brasileiras. A concentração dessas frações protéicas foi determinada por densitometria após eletroforese, em 90 cultivares de soja, semeadas em Ponta Grossa, PR, em 2001. Os efeitos dos locais de semeadura foram determinados na cultivar MG/BR 46 (Conquista), semeada em 16 locais de Goiás e Minas Gerais, e na cultivar IAS 5, semeada em 12 locais no Paraná e em São Paulo, em 2002. Foi observada variabilidade significativa quanto à razão entre as frações protéicas da beta-conglicinina (7S) e da glicinina (11S), entre as 90 cultivares avaliadas, em que a 'MG/BR 169' (Bacuri) apresentou a maior razão 11S/7S (2,76) e a 'BR-8' (Pelotas) a menor (1,17). As frações protéicas de beta-conglicinina apresentaram maior varibilidade do que as de glicinina. A análise de agrupamento discriminou as proteínas 7S em sete grupos, as 11S em quatro, e as razões 11S/7S em nove. Efeito significativo dos locais de semeadura também foi observado sobre os teores das frações protéicas. Existe uma boa possibilidade de melhoramento para as frações individuais de proteínas e suas subunidades, sem que o teor de proteína seja alterado.Termos para indexação: eletroforese, propriedades nutracêuticas, frações protéicas, semente, local de semeadura.

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Seed coat characteristics may be related to seed quality and longevity, attracting the interest of breeding programs. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the water absorption parameters and storage tolerance of soybean seeds with contrasting seed coat characteristics. For this purpose, seeds of five soybean cultivars with different seed coat colors and lignin contents were used. Before storage, the seed coat lignin content, moisture content, water absorption rate in 11 hydration periods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, 32, and 48 hours), hydration speed index, germination, viability, and seed vigor were determined. After six months of storage in a dry and cold chamber (at 11ºC and 54% relative humidity [RH]) and uncontrolled environment (at 25ºC and 71% RH), the seeds were evaluated for germination, viability, and vigor to quantify changes in their physiological quality during storage and relate them to the seeds water absorption parameters for the different cultivars. The seed coat lignin content is negatively correlated with the seeds water absorption parameters. Soybean cultivars have different storage tolerance levels. Seeds that absorb larger amounts of water have lower tolerance to deterioration related to temperature and relative humidity fluctuations that occur in storage under uncontrolled conditions, negatively affecting the physiological potential of seeds.

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is the main disease affecting soybean production in Brazil. The plant introduction PI 594756 is a resistance source that has been employed in breeding for resistance to ASR in this country. This study aimed at investigating the resistance of the PI 594756 to a panel of P. pachyrhizi isolates and mapping its resistance in populations derived from the cross with the susceptible PI 594891. The PI 594756 and resistant varieties were inoculated with seven ASR monosporic isolates. F 2 and F 2:3 populations were tested against ASR in a greenhouse and used to map a resistance gene to a likely genomic location by means of bulked segregant analysis. Bulks were genotyped with In nium BeadChips and the genomic region identi ed was saturated with target GBS (tGBS). PI 594756 presented a unique resistance pro le compared to the differential varieties, being resistant to six isolates and immune to one. The resistance was visually monogenic dominant; however, it was classi ed as incompletely dominant when quantitatively studied. Genetic and QTL mapping placed the PI 594756 gene between chromosome (chr) 18 55, 863,741 and 56,123,516. This position is slightly upstream mapping positionsof Rpp1 (PI 200492) and Rpp1-b (PI 594538A). Finally, we performed a haplotype analysis of a panel composed of Brazilian historical germplasm, sources of Rpp genes and resistant varieties and found SNPs that can successfully differentiated the new allele from PI 594756 from Rpp1 and Rpp1-b sources. The haplotype identi ed can be used as a tool for marker assisted selection.