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Reducing generation time is critical to achieving the goals of genetic gain in important crops like wheat (Triticum aestivum). Speed breeding (SB) has been shown to considerably reduce generation times in crop plants. Unlike spring wheat cultivars, winter wheat varieties require typically 6–9 weeks of cold treatment, called vernalization, for flowering which extends the generation time for the development of improved winter wheat cultivars. Here, we optimized the SB method using a set of 48 diverse soft red winter wheat (SRWW) cultivars by testing vernalization duration, light and temperature requirements, and the viability of seeds harvested after different durations post‐anthesis under extended daylight conditions. We have found that using a 22‐h setting (22 h day/2 h night, 25°C/22°C) in high‐density 50‐cell trays results in rapid generation advancement. We used genotypic data for a panel of soft red winter wheat varieties from the regional programs to determine the impact of photoperiod and vernalization alleles on the efficiency of the SB approach. Using a set of 48 SRWW cultivars and germplasm from Maryland and four other public breeding programs, we establish that this protocol can allow for the advancement of four generations per year in controlled conditions for winter wheat varieties, experimental lines, or emerging cultivars. Our work shows the potential to reduce generation time by ∼30 days per generation faster than what had been reported in the SB strategies for winter wheat, thus allowing for a quicker turnaround time from original cross to genetically stable experimental genotypes that can be tested in field settings. The pace of generating improved winter wheat cultivars is enhanced using the speed breeding (SB) approach.Genetic gain is enhanced using the SB approach.The optimization of the SB method for diverse soft red winter wheat cultivars is illustrated.

Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is a multi‐purpose crop, harvested for grain (for food, feed, and other products) as well as used as a forage or cover crop. The functionality of rye across these spheres is due to its abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and unique phytochemical composition. In this review, we focus on the current state and prospects of breeding rye for quality traits, where we define quality traits as grain, feed, or forage quality. Rye grain for human consumption has numerous healthful compounds, notably high dietary fiber content in grain and unique flavors that contribute to the signature properties of rye baked products and distilled spirits. As a forage, rye is useful in marginal environments and has high quality, including high crude protein, and is thus valuable for livestock production. While yield remains a major focus of breeding efforts, due to recent improvements in rye genomic and phenotypic resources, there are now opportunities for increased attention on breeding high‐quality ryes for multiple end uses. Through genetic improvement of quality traits, cereal rye has the potential to expand and serve multiple markets as a climate‐resilient crop. Rye is a healthful whole grain with high dietary fiber content and unique flavors.Rye is a high‐quality forage, but forage rye breeding has received little attention.Recent genomic advances in rye propel breeding and research toward greater efficacy.There are opportunities to integrate diverse phytochemicals into study of rye quality for multiple end uses.Rye is a climate‐resilient crop, and breeding for high quality can support local value chains.

Kentucky's wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) crop is planted into a rotation in which corn (Zea maysL.) is followed by wheat, which is followed by double‐crop soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. The causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), Fusarium graminearumSchwabe, overwinters in corn stubble; thus, the Kentucky wheat crop is always at risk for FHB. The preeminent goal of the University of Kentucky wheat breeding program is releasing FHB‐resistant winter wheat cultivars. ‘Pembroke 2021’ (Reg. no. CV‐1198, PI 701381) is an early‐maturing, semi‐dwarf, soft red winter wheat cultivar developed and released in 2020 by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station for FHB resistance, high yield and test weight potential, and lodging resistance. Pembroke 2021, tested as KY 07C‐1145‐94‐12‐5, was developed from the cross ‘IL99‐15867’/B990081//KY97C‐0554‐04‐05. The pedigree of the KY parent is VA94‐54‐549/Roane//Kristy. Pembroke 2021 was named for the Pembroke silt loam soil series prevalent in the main wheat‐producing area of Kentucky. Pembroke 2021 was selected from F4:5head rows using a modified bulk breeding method; selected rows carried the resistance allele at the following FHB resistance quantitative trait loci: 1B Jamestown, 1A Neuse, 4A Neuse, and 3B Massey. Pembroke 2021 was tested in Kentucky in multi‐location replicated yield trials, the Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery, the Mason‐Dixon nursery, the Uniform Northern Winter Wheat Scab Nursery, and the Kentucky Wheat Variety Trial. Scab resistance is essential in wheat cultivars grown in Kentucky.Small‐effect scab resistance QTL can be pyramided to confer acceptable resistance.Low deoxynivalenol levels are still the best indicator of effective scab resistance.

Organic acids are exuded by plant roots into the rhizosphere for a variety of reasons, including nutrient acquisition. The most frequently reported organic acids are those involved in the Krebs cycle and other important biochemical pathways that are responsible for the production of important plant metabolites, including oxalic, malic, and citric acid. Many studies report increased citric and malic acid exudation when plants are P‐deficient. Because plant breeding is typically carried out under heavily fertilized conditions, it is possible that wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) breeders have unintentionally selected for varieties with decreased nutrient acquisition capability from soil organic matter and soil colloids. In this study, we evaluated a diverse panel of 10 winter wheat cultivars, which included wild‐type (tall) and semidwarf varieties, for organic acid content. Plants were grown in solution culture with and without P for 24 d. Thirty 1‐cm root tips were bulked per sample and the extracts were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography for citric, malic, and oxalic acid content. Under P deficiency, total organic acid content differed between wild‐type and semidwarf varieties, with wild‐type cultivars containing more organic acids in the root tips. This difference in total production was driven by oxalic acid, whereas citric and malic acid concentrations were conserved. Unlike citric and malic acid, oxalic acid is not necessary for major metabolic processes and therefore may be expendable. Breeding for semidwarf wheat corresponds with unintentional changes to root system function that could impact nutrient acquisition and other rhizosphere processes. The root tips of semidwarf cultivars contained fewer organic acids than wild‐type cultivars.Semidwarf and wild‐type cultivars respond to P deprivation with increased oxalic acid content.Citric and malic acid concentrations did not vary in response to P deprivation.

Previous results from our laboratory have shown that optical sorter–based indirect selection reduced deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in soft red winter wheat (SRWW). In this paper we evaluate the efficacy of optical sorter–augmented genomic selection (OSA‐GS) for lowering DON accumulation at three selection intensities across 2 yr. In total, 758 SRWW breeding lines were genotyped and then phenotyped in an inoculated Fusarium head blight (FHB) nursery. Accumulation of DON was measured on all breeding lines. The proportion of Fusarium‐damaged kernels estimated using an optical sorter (FDKos) was measured on 120 lines; these data were used to train a genomic prediction model. Genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for FDKos were computed for all lines without actual FDKos data. The top 20, 30, and 40% of lines without actual FDKos data were selected based on FDKos GEBVs. The same was done using actual measured DON values. Both strategies lowered DON, but traditional direct phenotypic selection based on actual DON values outperformed OSA‐GS. In other words, phenotypic selection was necessary to achieve the greatest reductions in DON. However, using previously published cost estimates for the price of an optical sorter, DON analysis, and genotyping, we determined that OSA‐GS required less financial investment than phenotypic selection based on measured DON. Taken together, our findings indicate that OSA‐GS is a cost‐effective method for lowering DON accumulation and support the usefulness of an optical sorter as a tool for FHB resistance breeding in SRWW. Optical sorter–augmented genomic selection reduced DON accumulation in wheat.Phenotypic selection for reduced DON accumulation outperformed genomic selection.Genomic selection required less financial investment than direct phenotypic selection.

Use of genetic resistance is one of the most important strategies to manage the devastating disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. Numerous quantitative trait loci (QTL) having varying effects on reducing FHB and the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation have been reported from Asian, European, or distant sources such as wild relatives of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.). However, coming from nonadapted backgrounds, the incorporation of such QTL into regional breeding programs has often resulted in the simultaneous transfer of other undesirable traits. Therefore, it is important to identify, characterize, and deploy sources of genetic resistance that do not suffer from poor adaptability and/or linkage drag. In the present work, QTL associated with FHB resistance in a high‐yielding, moderately resistant soft red winter wheat cultivar ‘Jamestown’ were mapped and validated. The QTL mapping was done using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of Pioneer ‘25R47’ × Jamestown having 186 individuals. Phenotyping over 2 yr at three locations, and genotyping using the 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) platform identified two new QTL, named QFHB.vt‐1B.1and QFHB.vt‐1B.2, on the chromosome 1B long arm. The QTL contributed to FHB incidence, FHB severity, Fusarium‐damaged kernels, and DON content. Independent mapping of these QTL using two additional RIL populations of FG95195 × Jamestown (170 RILs) and Jamestown × LA97113UC‐124 (77 RILs) validated their stability and effectiveness in different genetic backgrounds. Kompetitive allele specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) assays were developed using linked SNPs for marker‐assisted selection of the QTL. These QTL are being used in breeding programs to develop FHB‐resistant, high‐yielding varieties.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) that has caused billions of dollars in losses in recent decades. Although a massive breeding effort has been undertaken on multiple continents, there are no wheat cultivars with immunity to the disease. Resistance is conditioned by multiple loci and is further complicated by the role of the environment in expression of the disease phenotype. The objectives of our study were (i) to evaluate the phenotypic response to FHB in a large, diverse soft red winter wheat mapping panel; and (ii) to identify promising quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with FHB resistance based on a genome‐wide association study (GWAS). We evaluated the mapping panel in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 in an irrigated, inoculated scab nursery near Lexington, KY. Traits evaluated were heading date, plant height, FHB rating, severity, incidence, index, Fusarium‐damaged kernels (FDK), and deoxynivalenol (DON). There were significant (p< 0.05) differences among genotypes for all traits measured. The GWAS (based on 2‐yr entry means) identified 16 significant (p< 0.001) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with disease traits on multiple chromosomes. Single nucleotide polymorphism association ranged from −2.14 to 4.01% of the mean of a given trait. We detected SNPs associated with FDK and DON on chromosomes 4A, 5B and 6B, and these SNPs decreased DON levels by 1.5, 2.1 and 3.2 mg kg−1, respectively. Our study demonstrated that even small‐effect QTL can potentially decrease disease levels and thus be useful in breeding programs.

The majority of studies evaluating genomic selection (GS) for plant breeding have used single‐trait, single‐site models that ignore genotype × environment interaction (GEI) effects. However, such studies do not accurately reflect the complexities of many applied breeding programs, and previous papers have found that models that incorporate GEI effects and multiple traits can increase the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs). This study's goal was to test GS methods for prediction in scenarios that simulate early‐generation yield testing by correcting for field spatial variation, and fitting multienvironment and multitrait models on data for 14 traits of varying heritability evaluated in unbalanced designs across four environments. Corrections for spatial variation increased across‐environment trait heritability by 25%, on average, but had little effect on model predictive ability. Results between all models were generally equivalent when predicting the performance of newly introduced genotypes. However, models incorporating GEI information and multiple traits increased prediction accuracy by up to 9.6% for low‐heritability traits when phenotypic data were sparsely collected across environments. The results suggest that GS models using multiple traits and incorporating GEI effects may best be suited to predicting line performance in new environments when phenotypic data have already been collected across a subset of the total testing environments.

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Introduction

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Introduction:FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations have been historically associated with inferior outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and an intermediate risk status as per the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) 2022 guidelines. In 2017, the US FDA granted approval to midostaurin for frontline treatment and a year later, gilteritinib for use in relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML. These agents began to be widely used in our provincial leukemia program in early 2018 as per the label indications. In this study, we compared clinical outcomes for patients with FLT3-ITD mutated AML before and after this change in British Columbia.

Introduction: Lung involvement in chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) is an uncommon but potentially devastating complication with significant morbidity and mortality in patients who have received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT). Unfortunately, early detection remains difficult as early lung cGVHD tends to be asymptomatic or present with nonspecific symptoms such as cough or mild shortness of breath. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, routine pulmonary function tests (PFTs) have been employed in the screening of lung cGVHD in this population at an interval of every 3-4 months for the first 2-3 years after alloHSCT. However, it is unknown whether routine screening 1) improves detection of lung cGVHD, and 2) enables earlier intervention to lead to better outcomes. We aimed to assess the real-world outcomes of lung cGVHD screening and compared the characteristics and clinical results of patients who had lung cGVHD detected via routine PFT screening, versus those who were detected after development of symptoms.

Genomic selection (GS) uses training population (TP) data to estimate the value of lines in a selection population. In breeding, the TP and selection population are often grown in different environments, which can cause low prediction accuracy when the correlation of genetic effects between the environments is low. Subsets of TP data may be more predictive than using all TP data. Our objectives were (i) to evaluate the effect of using subsets of TP data on GS accuracy between environments, and (ii) to assess the accuracy of models incorporating marker × environment interaction (MEI). Two wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) populations were phenotyped for 11 traits in independent environments and genotyped with single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers. Within each population–trait combination, environments were clustered. Data from one cluster were used as the TP to predict the value of the same lines in the other cluster(s) of environments. Models were built using all TP data or subsets of markers selected for their effect and stability. The GS accuracy using all TP data was >0.25 for 9 of 11 traits. The between‐environment accuracy was generally greatest using a subset of stable and significant markers; accuracy increased up to 48% relative to using all TP data. We also assessed accuracy using each population as the TP and the other as the selection population. Using subsets of TP data or the MEI models did not improve accuracy between populations. Using optimized subsets of markers within a population can improve GS accuracy by reducing noise in the prediction data set.

‘Pembroke 2016’ (Reg. No. CV‐1144, PI 686941) is an early‐maturing, semidwarf soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) cultivar developed and released in 2016 by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station for its combination of high yield potential, excellent test weight, resistance to lodging, and resistance to Fusariumhead blight (FHB), a persistent threat in Kentucky because of the grain crop rotation most widely used by farmers. In the fall, the wheat crop is planted directly into corn (Zea maysL.) stubble that harbors the causal fungus for FHB, Fusarium graminearumSchwabe. Therefore, the main focus of our breeding program is the development of FHB‐resistant winter wheat cultivars. The cross from which Pembroke 2016 was derived is ‘Pioneer 25W33’/‘Pioneer 25W60’//Pioneer 25W33/KY90C‐042‐37‐1. The pedigree of KY90C‐042‐37‐1 is ‘LB 63’/‘Freedom’. The cross was made in 2003, and Pembroke 2016 was initially selected from F4:5head rows in 2008 using a modified bulk breeding method. Breeder seed of Pembroke 2016, tested as KY03C‐1002‐02, comprised selected rows that carried the resistance allele at a major FHB resistance quantitative trait locus, Fhb1. Pembroke 2016 has been extensively tested in multilocation replicated breeding line yield trials, the Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery in 2011 and 2012, and the Kentucky Wheat Variety Trial since 2012.

Reducing N rates did not have significantly reduce wheat yields.Incremental application of N increased wheat yields over conventional application.Earlier maturing wheat genotypes had greater postanthesis N uptake than later lines. The complex interaction of genetics, environment, and management in determination of crop yields can interfere with selection progress in breeding programs. Specifically, the impact on selection for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in soft red winter (SRW) wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) can be confounded by these interactions. We utilized a multi‐environment trial in Lexington and Princeton, KY, from 2013 to 2015 to assess variation in traits associated with NUE based on interactions of genotype × environment × management (G×E×M). The NUE traits were measured on 10 genotypes under three management levels and four levels of N fertility. Genotype and genotype × environment interactions were significant for NUE traits (p< 0.001) but no genotype × N rate interactions were significant. Reduced N rates had no negative effect on grain yield for any genotype. Incremental application of N rates increased yield and postanthesis N uptake significantly. The utility of incorporating management treatments into breeding programs, specifically geared to low‐input systems, could help drive progress for development of increased NUE in wheat cultivars.

Green roof construction is constrained by cost of labor to install the plant material. Optimizing seed germination and establishment could significantly reduce installation costs but would require specific growing conditions that are difficult to provide during installation. Plants of the stonecrop (Sedum) genus are commonly used for the roof top because they will tolerate the high temperatures. This study compared the germination rates of four stonecrop species {goldmoss sedum (Sedum acre), 'Oracle' sedum (Sedum forsterianum), blue spruce sedum (Sedum reflexum), and amur sedum [Sedum selskianum (synonm Phedimus selskianum)]} at two temperatures, 70 and 90 °F, following storage of seed in dry, cool (40 °F) conditions of different durations (54, 98, 157, 197, 255, or 343 days). At 70 °F seed of goldmoss sedum, 'Oracle' sedum, and blue spruce sedum produced minimum germination rates of 60% at 21 days in seed stored for 54, 98, 157, 197, 255, or 343 days. Goldmoss sedum, 'Oracle' sedum, and blue spruce sedum showed reduced germination in 90 °F, probably due to temperature-induced dormancy. Amur sedum had germination of at least 83% at 21 days in both temperatures tested. As amur sedum germination rates appear to be unaffected in the temperatures tested, it could provide an excellent seed for use on green roofs where ideal temperatures are rarely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Val-boroPro (Talabostat, PT-100), a nonselective inhibitor of post-proline cleaving serine proteases, stimulates mammalian immune systems through an unknown mechanism of action. Despite this lack of mechanistic understanding, Val-boroPro has attracted substantial interest as a potential anticancer agent, reaching phase 3 trials in humans. Here we show that Val-boroPro stimulates the immune system by triggering a proinflammatory form of cell death in monocytes and macrophages known as pyroptosis. We demonstrate that the inhibition of two serine proteases, DPP8 and DPP9, activates the pro-protein form of caspase-1 independent of the inflammasome adaptor ASC. Activated pro-caspase-1 does not efficiently process itself or IL-1β but does cleave and activate gasdermin D to induce pyroptosis. Mice lacking caspase-1 do not show immune stimulation after treatment with Val-boroPro. Our data identify what is to our knowledge the first small molecule that induces pyroptosis and reveals a new checkpoint that controls the activation of the innate immune system.

•There is a chance to predict rye distillate aroma and flavor with simple rye bread sensory evaluation.•Intensity of specific aroma and flavor notes vary among different rye genotypes in bread and distillate.•Sensory attributes should be included as traits for genetical improvement.

The Kentucky wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) crop is always at risk for Fusarium head blight (FHB) because of the prevalent grain crop rotation used by farmers. Corn (Zea maysL.) is followed by wheat, which is followed by double‐crop soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. The wheat crop is planted directly into corn stubble that harbors the causal fungus for FHB, Fusarium graminearumSchwabe. Therefore, developing FHB‐resistant winter wheat cultivars is a major goal of the wheat breeding program in Kentucky. ‘Pembroke 2014’ (Reg. No. CV‐1113, PI 675564) is an early maturing, semidwarf soft red winter wheat cultivar developed and released in 2014 by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station for the combination of resistance to FHB, high yield potential, excellent test weight, and resistance to lodging. Pembroke 2014 was developed from the cross ‘25R18’/KY92C‐0010‐17//KY96C‐0767‐1. 25R18 is a soft red winter wheat cultivar with FHB resistance that likely traces to ‘Sumai 3’ or one of its derivatives. KY92C‐0010‐17 is a breeding line derived from the cross T63/VA85‐54‐290. KY96C‐0767‐1 is derived from the cross ‘2552’/VA92‐51‐12. The cross was made in 2003, and Pembroke 2014 was initially selected from F4:5headrows in 2008 using a modified bulk breeding method. Selected rows that gave rise to Pembroke 2014, tested as KY03C‐1237‐32, carried the resistance allele at a major FHB resistance quantitative trait locus, Fhb1. Pembroke 2014 was extensively tested in multilocation replicated yield trials, the Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery, the Uniform Northern Scab Nursery, and the Kentucky Wheat Variety Trial.

Obesity alters the therapeutic window of sedative/hypnotic drugs and increases the probability of respiratory complications. The current experiments used an established rodent model of obesity to test the hypothesis that the sedative/hypnotic drugs eszopiclone and dexmedetomidine alter ventilation differentially in obese rats compared with lean/fit rats.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious disease of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) worldwide that has elicited a widespread resistance‐breeding effort. One approach to breeding relies on deployment of exotic quantitative trait loci (QTL) from wheat outside North America. Germplasm line KY06C‐11‐3‐10 (Reg. No. GP‐965, PI 669817) is a soft red winter wheat that is a product of an accelerated backcrossing program performed jointly by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, North Carolina State University, and the USDA–ARS. KY06C‐11‐3‐10 carries exotic FHB resistance alleles from Chinese spring wheat ‘Ning7840’ at Fhb1, and at QTL on chromosomes 5A and 2DL. These QTL, backcrossed into ‘McCormick’—which itself has nonexotic, native moderate resistance—reduced FHB spike symptoms, percentage Fusarium‐damaged kernels, and concentration of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). KY06C‐11‐3‐10 has additionally been selected for yield, test weight, heading date, height, milling and baking quality, and resistance to lodging. The combination of exotic resistance QTL, moderately resistant genetic background, widespread adaptation, and competitive agronomic and quality characteristics makes KY06C‐11‐3‐10 a useful germplasm for wheat breeders.

The article offers a musical critique of Anton Webern's "Schweight Auch Die Welt" from his last completed work, "Second Cantata Opus 31," composed in 1941-1943. It compares the composer's late works to those of his mentor and contemporary, Arnold Schoenberg, noting that both return to earlier settings or ideals. It adds that while Schoenberg's final pieces are romantic, Webern uses the rigid structure of serialism in this work. Hildegard Jone's poem "Schweigt auch die Welt" is presented.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles are potent antioxidants, based on their ability to either donate or receive electrons as they alternate between the +3 and +4 valence states. The dual oxidation state of ceria has made it an ideal catalyst in industrial applications, and more recently, nanoceria’s efficacy in neutralizing biologically generated free radicals has been explored in biological applications. Here, we report the in vivocharacteristics of custom-synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) in an animal model of immunological and free-radical mediated oxidative injury leading to neurodegenerative disease. The CeNPs are 2.9 nm in diameter, monodispersed and have a −23.5 mV zeta potential when stabilized with citrate/EDTA. This stabilizer coating resists being ‘washed’ off in physiological salt solutions, and the CeNPs remain monodispersed for long durations in high ionic strength saline. The plasma half-life of the CeNPs is ∼4.0 h, far longer than previously described, stabilized ceria nanoparticles. When administered intravenously to mice, the CeNPs were well tolerated and taken up by the liver and spleen much less than previous nanoceria formulations. The CeNPs were also able to penetrate the brain, reduce reactive oxygen species levels, and alleviate clinical symptoms and motor deficits in mice with a murine model of multiple sclerosis. Thus, CeNPs may be useful in mitigating tissue damage arising from free radical accumulation in biological systems.