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Summary A questionnaire was addressed to general practitioners (GP) from continental Portugal aiming to learn about their perception of drug allergy and identify their difficulties and educational needs for its management and 372 answers were obtained. As main culprit drugs antibiotics were identified by 65.3% and skin is the most involved organ for 65.8% of GP. Drug allergy was considered as very important in clinical practice by 73.7%, but difficulties in recognizing it were stated by 70.2%. Further education in this field would be welcome by 97.8% of the doctors. The collaboration of Immunoallergology centers was considered non satisfactory by 39.8% of GP and 45.7% of them state that two-thirds of the suspected reactions were not investigated.Those points deserve consideration in future health educational and organizational strategies.

The prediction accuracy of multi-environment prediction models can be affected by the complexity of the genotype by environment interaction (G×E). Moreover, depending on the trait genetic architecture, accounting for non-additive effects, such as dominance effects, may increase the prediction accuracy of genomic models. Hence, we aimed to verify empirically: (i) the impact of the genotype by environment complexity on the prediction accuracy of grain yield in maize hybrids; (ii) the advantage of dominance effects modeling for the prediction of maize hybrids in multi-environment trials; (iii) how parent information impacts on the prediction accuracy of hybrids in multi-environment genomic models. We used a dataset comprising 614 maize hybrids evaluated during two growing seasons, under two nitrogens regimes at two locations in Brazil. The prediction accuracies were obtained using four different validation systems (hybrids and half-sib families based sampling). Our results suggest that sampling entire half-sib families or individual hybrids can achieve similar accuracy estimates in multi-environment prediction models. Moreover, modeling dominance deviations in a multi-environment prediction model can significantly increase the prediction accuracy, mainly under high G×E complexity. Also, we found a linear relationship between prediction accuracy and G×E complexity. Furthermore, we observed significant increases in prediction accuracy of lowly correlated environments when information of a linking trial/environment was included in the prediction model.

Objective: To analyze component-resolved diagnosis of sensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) in patients with respiratory allergy and the association between diagnostic findings and clinical severity in different geographical areas. Methods: The study population comprised 217 patients (mean age, 25.85 [12.7] years; 51.16% female) selected from 13 centers in Portugal (5 from the North, n=65). All had allergic rhinitis with or without asthma and positive skin prick test results to at least 1 dust mite. Specific IgE (sIgE) to Der p, Dermatophagoides farinae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Der p 1, Der p 2, Der p 10, and Der p 23 was determined using ImmunoCAP. The Mann-Whitney test was applied for the following comparisons: rhinitis vs rhinitis and asthma; mild vs moderate-to-severe rhinitis; North vs South. Results: The prevalence of sensitization was 98.2% for Der p, and 72.4%, 89.4%, 9.7%, and 77% for Der p 1, Der p 2, Der p 10, and Der p 23, respectively. The corresponding median sIgE levels were 8.56, 17.7, 0.01, and 3.95 kUA/L. sIgE to all allergens was higher in patients with moderate-to-severe rhinitis and rhinitis with asthma (nonsignficant). Concentrations of sIgE to Der p 2 were significantly higher in the South than in the North (P=.0496). Conclusions: The most common sensitization in Portugal was to Der p. The highest prevalence and median sIgE level were observed for Der p 2. All sIgE values for molecular components were higher in more symptomatic patients (nonsignificant). Concentrations of sIgE to Der p 2 were higher in the South, probably because of the warmer temperature and/or the larger sample size.

Melhorar a segurança rodoviária é um dos fatores mais relevantes de maneira a impulsionar a utilização dos modos ativos de mobilidade. Assim, a simulação computacional mostra-se fundamental para o apuramento das causas e consequências do estudo da dinâmica de acidentes rodoviários. O objetivo desta dissertação de mestrado é reconstituir acidentes, recorrendo ao software PC-CRASH, envolvendo ciclistas em zonas urbanas e analisar a influência dos elementos da via com o nível de gravidade do acidente para o ciclista. Foram desenvolvidas simulações de colisão envolvendo onze veículos motorizados de cinco categorias e três tipos de veículos de mobilidade ativa (bicicleta convencional, bicicleta elétrica e, como caso adicional, uma trotinete elétrica). A interseção em estudo foi uma rotunda de duas vias, localizada na cidade de Aveiro, tendo sido desenvolvidos três cenários de colisão distintos (Caso Base, Caso Alternativo 1, Caso Alternativo 2). O Caso Base representa uma colisão onde o ciclista circula pela ciclovia tal como está desenhada na realidade, sofrendo uma colisão a 100º de um veículo que sai da rotunda pela via da direita. No Caso Alternativo 1 o ciclista circula pelo interior da rotunda, junto com o restante tráfego, com uma inclinação de 5º em relação à sua vertical, onde sofre uma colisão a 115º de um veículo que sai da rotunda em direção à via da esquerda. Por sua vez, o Caso Alternativo 2 representa uma possível mudança da ciclovia, mais afastada do anel exterior da rotunda, onde o ciclista sofre uma colisão a 90º com o automóvel. No estudo relativo às colisões com a bicicleta convencional foi variada a velocidade do automóvel mantendo-se a velocidade da bicicleta constante, enquanto nas simulações envolvendo os veículos de mobilidade elétrica a velocidade do automóvel foi constante e a variável foi a velocidade das bicicletas e trotinete. Por fim, foram analisados dois cenários de atropelamento por parte de um ciclista a um peão. A comparação dos diferentes cenários, foi feita com base nos valores de Head Injury Criterion (HIC) na zona da cabeça em dois momentos distintos de cada simulação: impacto com o automóvel e impacto com o asfalto. Os resultados relativos à bicicleta convencional mostram que nos três cenários, o risco de dano cerebral aumenta em função do aumento da velocidade do automóvel, com as diferenças de geometria dos diversos automóveis a ser um fator relevante. O Caso Base resultou nos valores de HIC para o ciclista mais elevados, enquanto as propostas alternativas resultaram em melhores resultados, até 42% mais baixos no Caso Alternativo 1 e 13% no Caso Alternativo 2. Nas simulações envolvendo a bicicleta elétrica e a trotinete elétrica, verificou-se uma tendência decrescente nos valores de HIC com o aumento da velocidade do veículo de mobilidade elétrica, sendo este comportamento mais significativo para a trotinete elétrica. Concluiu-se ainda que estes valores reduzidos de HIC na zona da cabeça para velocidades mais elevadas não foram representativos dos danos causados em outras partes do corpo que, através a observação das simulações, se mostraram mais afetadas pelo impacto. A análise das colisões entre um ciclista e um peão confirmou que a circulação de ciclistas em áreas dedicadas aos peões (p.e. passeios e passadeiras) representa um risco mais elevado ao nível de lesões cerebrais para o peão, em contraste com o cenário onde o ciclista transita pela ciclovia. Por fim, esta dissertação visa contribuir com dados importantes para a melhoria da segurança dos utentes vulneráveis da via, em particular os ciclistas, nomeadamente no desenvolvimento de infraestrutura dedicada para estes utentes e na importância da redução da velocidade de circulação dos veículos motorizados. Improving the safety of cyclists is one of the most relevant factors to boost the use of the bicycle as a mean of transport mode. Computer simulation shows as essential to understand the causes and consequences of the dynamics of road accidents. The main objectives of the Master dissertation are to simulate crashes involving cyclists in urban areas, using PC-CRASH, and to analyse the influence of road elements with the damage caused to the cyclist. Collision simulations were developed involving motor vehicles and three types of sustainable mobility modes (conventional bicycle, electric bicycle and, as an extra case, the e-scooter). The studied location was an urban conventional two-lane roundabout, located in the city of Aveiro where three distinct collision scenarios were tested (Baseline scenario and two alternative cases). The Baseline scenario represents the existing conditions where a cyclist circulates along the cycle path, suffering a collision at 100º from a vehicle that leaves the roundabout through the right lane. In the Alternativo scenario 1, the cyclist circulates inside the roundabout along with the car traffic with a tilt of 5º, when it collides at a 115º angle with a vehicle that leaves the roundabout towards the left lane. Concerning the Alternative scenario 2, it reproduces a possible change of the cycle path further away from the circulatory ring of the roundabout, where the cyclist suffers a 90º collision with a car. In the study regarding collisions with the conventional bicycle, the speed of the car was varied, keeping the speed of the bicycle constant. Then, collisions between motor vehicles and sustainable mobility vehicles were analysed: electric bicycle and e-scooter. In this set of simulations, the speed of the car was constant, and the variable was the speed of the electric mobility vehicles. Finally, two scenarios where a pedestrian was run over by a cyclist were examined. To compare the differences among scenarios, the HIC values in the head area were calculated at two different times for each simulation: impact with the car and impact with the asphalt. Regarding the simulations carried out for the conventional bicycle, it is concluded that, in the three scenarios, the risk of brain damage increases as the speed of the car increases. It was also found that the baseline is the scenario that causes higher HIC values, while the alternative cases showed a 42% and 13% improvement (for alternative scenario 1 and 2, respectively). In the simulations involving the electric bicycle and e-scooter, there was a decreasing trend in the HIC values with the increase in the speed of the electric mobility vehicle, being this behaviour more significant for the e-scooter. It is observed that these reduced values of HIC in the head area for higher speeds are not representative of the damage caused in other parts of the human body that, though the observation of the simulations, are verified to be more affected by the impact. The analysis of the collisions between a cyclist and a pedestrian revealed that the circulation of cyclists in areas dedicated to pedestrians (e.g. sidewalks and crosswalks) represents an increase risk of brain injuries to the pedestrian, in contrast to the scenario where the cyclist travel along the bike dedicated lane. Finally, this dissertation aims at contributing to the improvement of data related to the safety of vulnerable road users, in particular cyclists, namely in the development of dedicated infrastructure for these users and in the importance of reducing the circulation speed of motor vehicles. Mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica

New apps have changed the traditional way of learning and teaching; they are also applied as a quickly executed and effective method in agriculture. Soil-app is a web application with a friendly click-point interface built through packages lodged in R software. The app is an advanced model of an open-source platform to support teaching and learning activities in soil analyses and fertilizer recommendations. Soil-app includes soil test interpretation, soil amendment calculations (lime and gypsum), the fertilizer rate for the most important crops in Brazil, an NPK blend calculator, and NPK blend evaluation. It also includes experimental statistical analysis as applied to soil science. Soil-app is a user-friendly and high-performance tool, garnering fast adoption by both students and professionals. It is available for network use through the following link: http://www.genetica.esalq.usp.br/alogamas/R.html

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-11T22:03:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2021-07-15T15:25:17Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S1984-70332020000200202.pdf: 631839 bytes, checksum: 2a8aa7602f27edaf1cf94a313c73101f (MD5) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) The selection of sexual genitors in Urochloa decumbens breeding is dependent upon the performance of their progeny for several traits simultaneously. Thus, our objectives were to (i) compare the efficiency of indices to select genitors of U. decumbens, (ii) evaluate the genetic gains obtained through selection intensities, and (iii) evaluate the multivariate pattern of progenies through principal components analysis (PCA). For this purpose, 1415 hybrids from 75 progenies of full siblings were evaluated at Embrapa Beef Cattle (Brazil) using seven cuts for dry matter production, regrowth, protein, fiber, lignin, and percentage digestibility. Statistical analyses were performed using mixed models and PCA. The direct selection for dry matter production provided a 37.51% genetic gain. Agronomic traits using indices provided greater gains. Genitors selected using PCA Biplot were similar to selections using indices. Indices and PCA were proven to be an excellent tool to select multi-traits in U. decumbens. Univ Wisconsin, Dept Hort, 1575 Linden Dr, Madison, WI 53706 USA Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av Radio Maia 830, BR-79106550 Campo Grande, MS, Brazil Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Biol, Lavras, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Campus Jaboticabal, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, Campus Jaboticabal, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil CAPES: 001

A pera ‘Rocha’ é uma cultivar portuguesa de pera com características organoléticas únicas, destacando-se também pela sua capacidade de conservação. Esta variedade tem tendência ao aparecimento de desordens fisiológicas após armazenamento prolongado no frio, como o escaldão superficial. Após a proibição da difenilamina, o 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP) tem sido utilizado na conservação de pera ‘Rocha’ para prevenção do escaldão superficial do armazenamento, mas tem apresentado desvantagens, nomeadamente na progressão do amadurecimento dos frutos. Nanoemulsões contendo óleos essenciais têm revelado eficácia na conservação de produtos minimamente processados e outros, pela sua ação antimicrobiana e antioxidante e poderão ser usadas como alternativa ao 1-MCP. Neste trabalho foram testados 4 tratamentos com nanoemulsões contendo alginato e óleos essenciais citral (CI) e erva-príncipe (EP) em pera ‘Rocha’ armazenada a 0 ºC durante 6 meses, e foram efetuadas análises qualitativas aos frutos no momento da aplicação, 2, 4 e 6 meses após armazenamento, assim como após 7 dias em condições de prateleira (22 ºC). O controlo consistiu em frutos sem tratamento. Foram analisados a cor, firmeza, teor de sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, perda de peso, extravasamento eletrolítico, escaldão superficial, acastanhamento interno, evolução microbiana e realizado um painel de provadores. Os tratamentos EP 1,25% e EP 2,5% obtiveram os resultados mais favoráveis quanto à evolução da maturação e prevenção do escaldão superficial, e as peras com o tratamento EP 1,25% tiveram a melhor aceitação geral nas provas organoléticas. Estes tratamentos exibiram melhorias na conservação de pera ‘Rocha’ no frio e podem servir de base em ensaios futuros para encontrar uma alternativa à utilização do 1-MCP nesta cultivar. 'Rocha' pear is a portuguese pear cultivar with unique organoleptic characteristics, also standing out for its storage capacity. This variety tends to develop physiological disorders after prolonged cold storage such as superficial scalding. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) has been used in the preservation of 'Rocha' pear to prevent superficial scald, but has disadvantages, particularly in the resuming of fruit ripening. Nanoemulsions enriched with essential oils have been shown to be effective in fresh and fresh-cut products conservation for their antimicrobial and antioxidant action and may be used as an alternative to 1-MCP. In this work 4 formulations of alginate-based nanoemulsions enriched with essential oils (citral and lemongrass) were tested. 'Rocha' pears were dipped in these nanoemulsions and stored at 0 ºC for 6 months. Qualitative analyses were performed at 2, 4 and 6 months after cold storage and after 7 days at 22 ºC. Control consisted of uncoated fruits. Fruit colour, firmness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, weight loss, electrolytic leakage, superficial scald, internal browning, microbiology and taste panel were analysed. EP 1.25% and EP 2.5% formulations had the most favourable results in the ripening evolution and superficial scald prevention, and pears coated with the EP 1.25% formulation had the best overall acceptance in organoleptic tests. These treatments have shown improvements in cold storage of 'Rocha' pear and may serve as a base for future studies to find an alternative to using 1-MCP in this cultivar.

IntroductionIdentification and characterisation of single allergens at molecular level is important. Component-resolved diagnosis offers the possibility of higher diagnostic precision, thereby allowing better patient management. House dust mites (HDM) have a worldwide distribution. Studies from different countries have shown that IgE-mediated allergy to storage mites (SM) is important in rural and urban populations. With the availability of HDM and SM molecular allergen components, studies have investigated whether different molecular sensitisation profiles are associated with clinical disease outcomes. However, no previous systematic review has synthesised the underlying evidence.Methods and analysisWe will search Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Methodology Register), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, ISI Web of Science (Science and Social Science Index) from inception to March 2020. Unpublished and ongoing work, as well as research in progress will be searched in www.ClinicalTrials.gov; www.controlledtrials.com and wwwanzctrorgau. We will contact an international panel of experts in this field. No language restrictions will apply; translations will be undertaken where necessary. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality assessment tool will be used to appraise the methodological quality of included studies. A descriptive summary with data tables will be constructed, and if adequate, meta-analysis using random effects will be performed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist will be followed for reporting.Ethics and disseminationSince this systematic review will be only based on published and retrievable literature, no ethics approval is required. We will publish the systematic review in an international peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberreviewregistry959.

Be-Breeder is an application directed toward genetic breeding of plants, developed through the Shiny package of the R software, which allows different phenotype and molecular (marker) analysis to be undertaken. The section for analysis of molecular data of the Be-Breeder application makes it possible to achieve quality control of genotyping data, to obtain genomic kinship matrices, and to analyze genome selection, genome association, and genetic diversity in a simple manner on line. This application is available for use in a network through the site of the Allogamous Plant Breeding Laboratory of ESALQ-USP (http://www.genetica.esalq.usp.br/alogamas/R.html).

Objective: To translate and perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ) so that it can be used as a tool to measure the impact of asthma symptoms on quality of life as well as the impact of asthma treatments in severe asthmatic patients in Portugal. Methods: Based on the principles of good practice for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of such instruments, the protocol included the following steps: acquisition of authorization from the authors of the original questionnaire; translation of the instrument to Portuguese, carried out by two health professionals; reconciliation; back-translation to English, carried out by two health professionals who are fluent in Portuguese; review of the back-translation; harmonization; review and approval of the questionnaire; focus groups involving 12 patients who completed and improved the wording of the questionnaire; analysis of the results; and review and preparation of the final version of the instrument approved by the original SAQ team. Results: The final version of the SAQ for use in Portugal included minor modifications suggested by the patients. The mean and standard deviations of the patients age was 50.08 ± 13.43 years and 50% were female. All had some level of education and the majority (58.3%) had a favourable economic background. Conclusions: The SAQ demonstrated to be comprehensible, clear, and appropriate. The original questionnaire and the translated version, cross-culturally adapted for use in Portugal, were reliably comparable. Consequently, it can become an extensively used tool for severe asthma patients. Objetivo: Traduzir e realizar uma adaptação transcultural do Questionário de Asma Grave (SAQ, do inglês Severe Asthma Questionnaire) para que possa ser usado como ferramenta para medir o impacto dos sintomas de asma na qualidade de vida e o impacto do tratamento da asma nos doentes com asma grave em Portugal. Métodos: Com base nos princípios de boas práticas para a tradução e adaptação transcultural de tais instrumentos, o protocolo incluiu as seguintes etapas: aquisição de autorização dos autores do questionário original, tradução do instrumento para português, realizada por dois profissionais de saúde, reconciliação, retrotradução para inglês, realizada por dois profissionais de saúde fluentes em português, revisão da retrotradução, harmonização, revisão e aprovação do questionário, grupos de discussão envolvendo 12 doentes que completaram e melhoraram a redação do questionário; análise dos resultados e revisão e preparação da versão final do instrumento aprovada pela equipa original do SAQ. Resultados: A versão final do SAQ para uso em Portugal incluiu pequenas modificações sugeridas pelos doentes. A média e desvio-padrão da idade dos doentes foi de 50,08 ± 13,43 anos e 50% eram do sexo feminino. Todos apresentavam algum nível de escolaridade e a maioria (58,3%) possuía um histórico económico favorável. Conclusões: O SAQ demonstrou ser compreensível, claro e apropriado. O questionário original e a versão traduzida, adaptada culturalmente para uso em Portugal, eram comparáveis de forma confiável. Consequentemente, pode representar uma ferramenta amplamente utilizada para doentes com asma grave.

Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the employment of genomic prediction in tropical forages when compared to other crops and temperate forages. Moreover, genomic prediction models have been extensively developed for diploid species, whereas to apply those to polyploids most studies consider the genotypic information parametrized for diploids. This simplification can reduce the accuracy to estimate genetic effects and, consequently, the genomic breeding values. Another challenge is that agronomical and nutritional traits in forages frequently are negatively correlated and may have low heritability. To circumvent those problems one attractive alternative is the use of multi-trait prediction models. Therefore, we compared the impact of the ploidy parametrization over the prediction accuracy of agronomical and nutritional traits in Urochloa spp. hybrids using single and multi-trait models. GBLUP-A (additive) and GBLUP-AD (additive + dominance) showed similar prediction abilities in both single and multi-trait models. Conversely, combining GBLUP-AD and tetraploid information may improve the selection coincidence. Furthermore, the multi-trait Validation Scheme 2, where one trait is not evaluated for some individuals, can provide an increment of up to 30% of prediction ability. Therefore, it is an excellent strategy for traits with low heritability. Overall, all genomic selection models provided greater genetic gains than phenotypic selection. Similarly, the allele dosage associated with additive, dominance, and multi-trait factors increased the accuracy of genomic prediction models for interspecific polyploid hybrids. Finally, genomic prediction should be used in tropical forages breeding programs in order to reduce time.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that limits crop production. Among the deleterious effects by metal induced stress on plant development, cell leakage and nutrient losses have been observed, whereas root morphology is severely affected. However, the mechanisms by which genotypes contrasting in tolerance level to heavy metal excess maintain root cells integrity and nutrient absorption are still unclear. In this work, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) genotypes with contrasting tolerance to Cd toxicity, Calabash Rouge (sensitive) and Pusa Ruby (tolerant), were used to shed some light on possible tolerance mechanisms against Cd toxicity. For this purpose, plants were grown in hydroponics containing 0 or 35 μM CdCl2 for 7 days. Temporal variations (on the 1st, 4th and 7th days of Cd exposure) in nutrient management (absorption and use efficiency), relative plant growth, biomass partitioning, root morphology and Cd accumulation were evaluated in control and Cd-treated plants. Furthermore, multivariate analyses, in which information about the antioxidant machinery was also included, were performed in order to identify the set of parameters related to plant tolerance. The results showed that Pusa Ruby was able to improve biomass allocation to roots, further increasing their capacity to accumulate this metal. The tolerant genotype was also more capable to modulate nutrient uptake by roots under Cd excess. In conclusion, the current study revealed that Pusa Ruby is more tolerant to Cd exposure than Calabash Rouge due to its ability in reducing Cd-induced damages on root morphology and on nutrient absorption and use efficiency.

The breeding process in tropical segmental allopolyploid forage Urochloa is challenging due to the complex genetic control of the traits. Knowledge about genes associated with forage traits, expressed in the different cutting seasons, are extremely useful to support breeding programs and development of new cultivars. Thus, the aims of our study were (i) to identify genomic regions related to forage traits through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and (ii) to verify the influence of allele dosage on these results. A panel of 272 genotypes of Urochloa spp. [U. brizantha (Hoscht. ex A. Rich.) R. Webster × U. ruziziensis (Hoscht. ex A. Rich.) R. Webster] was evaluated in both the wet and dry seasons. The GWAS analyses were performed with 26,535 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) using diploid and tetraploid allele dosage configurations. Furthermore, we evaluated scenarios including additive, dominance, and epistatic effects. Seven candidate genomic regions associated with the main forage traits of Urochloa spp. were identified. The importance of the diploid and tetraploid molecular configuration in GWAS analyses for segmental allopolyploid species was demonstrated to identify the genomic behavior of important regions. Results demonstrated that it is possible to identify the same regions using both ploidy configurations; however, in some cases, the allele substitution effect can be biased mainly for regions with dominance and epistatic effects. Finally, this study contributes to the understanding of genetic control of tropical forage traits and genomics to accelerate the selection and reduce the cost to release new cultivars.

Genotyping costs can be reduced without decreasing the genomic selection accuracy through methodologies of markers subsets assortment. Thus, we compared two strategies to obtain markers subsets. The former uses the primary and the latter the re-estimated markers effects. Moreover, we analyzed each subset via prediction accuracy, bias, and relative efficiency by main genotypic effect model (MGE) fitted, using genomic best linear unbiased predictor linear kernel (GB), and Gaussian nonlinear kernel (GK). All scenarios (subset of markers × kernels models) were applied to a public dataset of rice diversity panel (RICE) and two hybrids maize datasets (HEL and USP). The highest prediction accuracies were obtained by MGE-GB and MGE-GK for grain yield and plant height when we decrease the number of markers. Overall, marker subsets via re-estimated effects method showed a higher relative efficiency of genomic selection. Based on a high-density panel, we can conclude that it is possible to select the most informative markers in order to improve accuracy and build a low-cost SNP chip to implement genomic selection in breeding programs. In addition, we recommend REE (re-estimated effect) strategies to find markers subsets in training population, increasing accuracy of genomic selection.

A tropical forage breeding program contains several peculiarities, especially when it involves polyploid species and facultative apomixis. Despite their importance, there is still a lack of information on genetic studies of critical forage traits and on the employment of genomic tools when compared to other crops and temperate forages. The genus Brachiaria is the most important for forage in tropical regions mainly beef production. The commercial species in this genus are excellent perennial forage, and the identification of superior genotypes depends on the selection of many characteristics under complex genetic control, with high cost and time-consuming evaluation. Therefore, the knowledge about uses and applications of classic and genomic tools in forage traits may be useful to support breeding programs and the development of new cultivars. In this context, the aim was to evaluate several different classic and genomic tools to be employed as selection strategies in a traditional tropical forage breeding program. A panel of tetraploid hybrids obtained from crossing Urochloa brizantha x Urochloa ruziziensis was phenotyped and genotyped to evaluate genetic parameters and perform genomic studies. The classic phenotypic analysis showed no clear trend of the importance of additive and non-additive genetics effects for agronomical and nutritional traits. The Mulamba and Mock index should be used in the univariate level, due to the promotion of a more balanced response to selection for all traits in the multivariate selection. In the genomic extraction and evaluations, the reads that were aligned to a \'mock\' reference genome, created from GBS data of the cultivar \'Marandu\', had more SNP discovered compared to the closest true reference genomes, Setaria viridis and S. italica. We recommended different thresholds of sample depth and genotype quality (GQ) to eliminate poor quality reads without introducing genotype bias. Cross-validation revealed that missing genotypes were imputed with a median accuracy of 0.85 using Random Forest algorithm to produce a complete genotype matrix, regardless of heterozygote frequency. The genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) revealed candidate genes associated with many tropical forage traits across all cutting seasons, which could be the first step toward marker-assisted selection (MAS). Moreover, our results suggest that accounting for allele dosage is essential, since the tetraploid level provided more information about the true biological state. Therefore, our findings revealed the complexity of the genetic architecture of Urochloa spp. traits and provided important insights towards the application of GWAS in polyploids species. The genomic selection analysis revealed that GBLUP-A (additive) and GBLUP-AD (additive + dominance) showed similar prediction abilities considering both single and multi-trait models. Conversely, combining GBLUP-AD and tetraploid information could improve the selection coincidence. Furthermore, the multi-trait validation scheme 2 (VS2), where one trait is not evaluated for some individuals, provided an increment of up to 30% to the prediction ability. Therefore, it is an useful strategy for traits with low heritability. Overall, all genomic selection models considered provided greater genetic gains than the phenotypic selection. Similarly, the allele dosage associated with additive, dominance and multi-trait factors increased the accuracy of genomic prediction models for interspecific polyploid hybrids. Finally, genomic tools should be used in forages breeding programs in order to reduce cost and time. Um programa de melhoramento de forragem tropical contém várias peculiaridades, especialmente quando se trata de espécies poliplóides e de apomixia facultativa. Apesar de sua importância, atualmente, faltam informações sobre estudos genéticos de características forrageiras e sobre o emprego de ferramentas genômicas quando comparadas a outras culturas e forragens de clima temperado. O gênero Brachiaria é o mais importante para formação de pastagens nas regiões tropicais, principalmente para produção de carne bovina. As espécies comerciais deste gênero são excelentes forrageiras perenes, e a identificação de genótipos superiores depende da seleção de muitas características sob controle genético complexo, com alto custo e avaliação demorada. Portanto, o conhecimento sobre usos e aplicações de ferramentas clássicas e genômicas em características forrageiras pode ser útil para apoiar programas de melhoramento e o desenvolvimento de novas cultivares. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se avaliar diversas ferramentas clássicas e genômicas a serem empregadas como estratégias de seleção em um programa tradicional de melhoramento de forrageiras tropicais. Um painel de híbridos tetraplóides obtidos do cruzamento Urochloa brizantha x Urochloa ruziziensis foi fenotipado e genotipado para avaliar parâmetros genéticos e realizar estudos genômicos. Para a análise fenotípica clássica, concluímos que não havia uma tendência clara da importância dos efeitos genéticos aditivos e não-aditivos para características agronômicas e nutricionais. O índice de Mulamba e Mock deve ser usado no nível univariado, devido à promoção de uma resposta mais equilibrada à seleção para todas as características na seleção multivariada. Na extração e nas avaliações genômicas, as leituras que foram alinhadas ao genoma de referência \'simulado\', criado a partir dos dados de GBS da cultivar \'Marandu\', tiveram a maior porcentagem de descoberta de marcadores SNP comparado aos genomas de referência mais próximos, Setaria viridis e S. italica. Recomendamos diferentes limiares de profundidade de leitura e qualidade de genótipo (GQ) para eliminar leituras de baixa qualidade sem introduzir viés de chamada de genótipo. A validação cruzada revelou que os genótipos ausentes foram imputados com uma precisão mediana de 0,85 pelo algoritmo Random Forest para produzir uma matriz genotípica completa, independentemente da frequência de heterozigotos. A análise de associação genômica ampla (GWAS) revelou genes candidatos associados a muitas características forrageiras tropicais, o que poderia ser o primeiro passo em direção à seleção assistida por marcadores (MAS). Além disso, nossos resultados sugerem que a contabilização da dosagem alélica é essencial, uma vez que o nível tetraploide fornece mais informações sobre o verdadeiro estado biológico. Portanto, nossos achados revelam a complexidade da arquitetura genética de características de Urochloa spp. e fornecem informações importantes para a aplicação de GWAS em espécies poliploides. A análise de seleção genômica revela que o GBLUP-A (aditivo) e o GBLUP-AD (aditivo + dominância) mostraram capacidades de predição semelhantes, considerando tanto os modelos simples quanto os multi-característica. Por outro lado, combinando-se GBLUP-AD e informação tetraploide foi possível melhorar a coincidência de seleção. Além disso, o esquema de validação multi-característica 2 (VS2), onde uma característica não é avaliada para alguns indivíduos, pode fornecer um incremento de até 30% da capacidade de previsão. Portanto, é uma estratégia útil para características com baixa herdabilidade. No geral, todos os modelos de seleção genômica considerados proporcionaram maiores ganhos genéticos do que a seleção fenotípica tradicional. Da mesma forma, a dosagem do alelo associado a fatores aditivos, de dominância e multicaracteres aumentou a acurácia dos modelos genômicos de predição para híbridos poliploides interespecíficos. Finalmente, ferramentas genômicas devem ser utilizadas em programas de melhoramento de forragens para reduzir custos e tempo.

The Be-Breeder application is an on-line tool constructed through the R software for the purpose of assisting in some of the main genetic and statistical analyses related to the area of plant breeding. In addition, Be-Breeder provides a section called "Learning", which in a simple click-point manner allows explanation of theories related to the effect of inbreeding, population structure, qualitative and quantitative traits, heterosis, population size, effect of selection, and composition of hybrids. Be-Breeder is available for network use on the website of the Allogamous Plant Breeding Laboratory (Laboratorio de Melhoramento de Plantas Alogamas) of ESALQ-USP through the link: http://www.genetica.esalq.usp.br/alogamas/R.html.

Aims: To establish the optimal dose of Phleum pratense subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with/without asthma. Materials & methods: One hundred and fifty-one patients were randomized to receive SCIT 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 skin-prick test units (SPT) or placebo. The primary end point was the variation in the concentration of Phleum pratense extract needed to produce a positive nasal provocation test from baseline (V0) to final visit (FV). Results: After 17 weeks, a dose-dependent trend was apparent in the concentration of P. pratense extract needed to produce a positive nasal provocation response. Systemic adverse reactions occurred with 3.2% of administered doses. Grade III (n = 2) and IV (n = 2) events were observed only at the two highest doses. Conclusion: P. pratense depot SCIT showed signs of clinical and immunological efficacy by dose-dependently decreasing the allergen sensitization rate. Risk-benefit favored doses below 1.0 SPT units for confirmatory trials.