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The study aimed to select rice genotypes based on agronomic traits and commercial grain quality. The study was carried out in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 harvests in eight growing environments, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Fourteen rice genotypes were sown in each environment. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with four replications. The following agronomic traits were evaluated: number of days to flowering and grain yield as well as commercial grain quality traits: percentage of whole grains and percentage of chalky area in the grains. AMMI, GGE and MGIDI methodologies were used to select the best performing genotypes. Using the AMMI, GGE and MGDI methods, genotypes G9 and G1 performed close to the ideal ideotype for the number of days to grain flowering, yield and quality.

Introduction: The clinical consequences for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who stop treatment owing to side effects have not been fully investigated. Methods: This retrospective observational study aimed to compare patients who discontinued thiopurine treatment due to side effects with those who tolerated thiopurine treatment in the use of other IBD drugs, surgery, and fecal calprotectin values in the first 5 years after the start of thiopurine treatment. Results: The proportion of patients with IBD who initiated thiopurine treatment at our clinic was 44% (32% ulcerative colitis and 64% Crohn's disease) and 31% (n = 94) of those patients had to stop thiopurine treatment within 5 years due to side effects. Patients who discontinued thiopurine treatment due to intolerance were significantly older (median age 33 vs. 27 years, p = 0.003), significantly more often used prednisolone (89 vs. 76%, p = 0.009), and used to a lesser extent TNF inhibitors at the start of thiopurine treatment (3% vs. 9%, p = 0.062). Budesonide treatment and non-TNF inhibitor second-line therapy were significantly more commonly used in patients who discontinued thiopurine treatment owing to side effects, but there were no statistically significant differences in the use of other treatments. The proportion of patients with a median FC >200 μg/g was significantly higher during follow-up in patients with UC who discontinued thiopurine treatment owing to side effects. Conclusions: Patients who discontinued thiopurines owing to side effects were prescribed more budesonide and non-TNF inhibitor second-line therapy, but there were no differences in the use of TNF inhibitors, prednisolone, or surgery.

Background: Treatments and strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have gradually evolved in the 2000s. Objectives: We investigated whether the prescription of corticosteroids (prednisolone and budesonide) in patients with IBD in the first 5 years after diagnosis changed in patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2018. Design: Retrospective observational study. Methods: The cumulative prescribed dosage of corticosteroids for the first 5 years after diagnosis was registered in all patients with IBD ( n = 386) at our clinic for those diagnosed between 2006 and 2018. Results: The proportion of patients with IBD who were prescribed at least one prescription of corticosteroids in year 1–5 after diagnosis was 55.3%, 27.9%, 22.7%, 14.1%, and 14.6%, respectively. The proportion of patients who had a cumulative dose of prednisolone >1 g in the first 5 years after diagnosis was 40.1% for ulcerative colitis and 34.9% for Crohn’s disease (CD). The cumulative prescribed dosage (within 3 years after diagnosis) of prednisolone had declined (rs = −0.164, p = 001), but had increased for budesonide (rs = 0.202, p

Abstract Background and Aim We aimed to investigate whether individuals with low pepsinogen I levels differed from those with normal pepsinogen I levels in terms of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) use, referral to gastroscopy, and findings on gastroscopy. Methods Serum pepsinogen I was measured in 518 persons (mean age 51.6, SD 8.8; 49% women). A medical chart review focused on PPI prescriptions and gastroscopic findings in the follow‐up period. Results Patients with serological atrophic gastritis (pepsinogen I

Background: Smoking and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and statins have been associated with microscopic colitis (MC). Objectives: We investigated whether these factors were associated with repeated budesonide treatments in patients diagnosed with MC. Design: Retrospective observational study. Methods: All patients with a histologically verified diagnosis of MC at our clinic between the years 2006 and 2022 were identified. Baseline factors and drugs prescribed before and after diagnosis were registered. The influence of risk factors on the odds of having a prescription of oral budesonide and the odds of having a second course of budesonide was studied. Results: Patients with MC ( n = 183) with a mean age of 62.3 years [standard deviation (SD): 13.3 years] were followed for a median of 5 years (25th–75th percentile 4–10 years) after diagnosis. In all, 138 patients (75%) had at least one prescription of budesonide after diagnosis, and 90 patients (49%) had at least one clinical relapse treated with budesonide. Patients who had been prescribed NSAIDs within 1 year before clinical relapse had higher odds for clinical relapse [odds ratio (OR): 3.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–12.9] but there was no increased risk for clinical relapse for the use of ASA (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.39–2.90), PPIs (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.45–2.63), SSRI (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 0.82–2.44), or statins (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.35–1.99). No association was seen between being a smoker and/or being prescribed NSAID, ASA, PPI, SSRI, and statins at baseline and the odds of having a prescription of oral budesonide within 1 year after diagnosis. Conclusion: The risk of being prescribed a second course of budesonide is associated with receiving a prescription of NSAIDs but not with the use of ASA, PPIs, SSRIs, and statins.

Richard Thörn,1 Oskar Hemmingsson,2,3 Åsa Danielsson Borssén,1 Mårten Werner,1 Pontus Karling,1 Jonas Wixner1 1Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; 2Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; 3Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, SwedenCorrespondence: Richard Thörn, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, S-901 87, Sweden, Tel +46706024820, Email richard.thorn@regionvasterbotten.sePurpose: Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recommended in at-risk patients, but its effectiveness in Western populations has been questioned. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of surveillance in patients with HCC in a Northern European setting.Patients and Methods: Data on patients diagnosed with HCC between 2009 and 2019 were collected from the nationwide Swedish National Registry for Tumors of the Liver and Bile Ducts (SweLiv). Patients who had undergone HCC surveillance were compared to those who had not (but had an obvious indication for surveillance, ie, liver cirrhosis or hepatic porphyria and an age of ≥ 50 years) regarding etiology, tumor burden, presence of extrahepatic spread, treatment and lead-time adjusted overall survival.Results: A total of 4979 patients with index HCC were identified and information regarding surveillance was available in 4116 patients. Among these, 1078 had got their HCC diagnosis during surveillance, whereas 1647 had been diagnosed without surveillance despite a presumed indication. The most common underlying etiologies for HCC were hepatitis C (28.2%) and alcoholic liver disease (26.9%), and 94.8% had cirrhosis. The surveillance cohort more frequently met the University of California San Francisco-criteria (79% vs 53%, p < 0.001), more often received a potentially curative treatment (62% vs 28%, p < 0.001) and had less extrahepatic spread (7.6% vs 22.4% p < 0.001). After adjustment for lead-time bias (sojourn time of 270 days), the surveillance group had a significantly longer estimated median survival time than the non-surveillance group (34 months vs 11 months, p < 0.001). A multivariable cox regression analysis showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.59 (95% CI 0.51– 0.67) in favor of surveillance.Conclusion: Surveillance for HCC in at-risk patients is associated with diagnosis at an earlier tumor stage, treatment with curative intent and with improved lead-time adjusted overall survival. These findings encourage HCC surveillance of at-risk patients also in a Western population.Plain Language Summary: In this research article, we aimed to evaluate whether patients who have a known risk to develop liver cancer have a better prognosis if they undergo regular screening examinations with ultrasound every sixth months. Using information from a nationwide Swedish registry, we investigated the outcome in a large group of patients who had been diagnosed with liver cancer. We compared patients who had performed regular examinations to those who had not and concluded that the screening group had less advanced disease at diagnosis, as well as a better survival.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, surveillance, survival, cirrhosis, chronic liver disease

Background: Thiopurines are commonly used to treat inflammatory bowel disease but withdrawal due to side effects are common. Thioguanine has been suggested to be better tolerated than conventional thiopurines. Objectives: We studied drug-survival of low dose of thioguanine in real-life clinical practice in comparison to conventional thiopurines. Design: Retrospective observational study. Methods: All patients born 1956 and later, and who at least once started thiopurine treatment between 2006 and 2022 were included. A medical chart review was performed that noted drug-survival for every thiopurine treatment attempt. The Mantel–Cox rank test was used to test differences in drug-survival for different thiopurines. Blood chemistry analysis and faecal calprotectin levels were registered for the first 5 years of treatment. Results: In the study population, there was 379 initiated thiopurine treatments (210 for Crohn’s disease and 169 for ulcerative colitis) in 307 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Low-dose thioguanine (median dose 11 mg; 25–75th percentile 7–19 mg) had been initiated in 31 patients. Overall, when including all thiopurine attempts, thioguanine had the longest drug-survival [Mantel–Cox rank test: thioguanine versus azathioprine p = 0.014; thioguanine versus 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) p

Resumo Fístula aorto-esofágica é uma comunicação anormal entre a aorta e o esôfago, causadora de hemorragia digestiva alta potencialmente fatal. O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar um caso de sucesso na abordagem endovascular aórtica única e tratamento conservador do esôfago em fistula aorto-esofágica. A paciente de 81 anos foi admitida com sinais de hemorragia digestiva alta volumosa e, após realização de exames, diagnosticou-se uma fístula aorto-esofágica. Optado pela realização de tratamento endovascular, sendo bem sucedido, a paciente recebeu alta após nove dias de internação e manteve-se em seguimento ambulatorial até a resolução total do quadro. O diagnóstico precoce é extremamente importante, uma vez que se trata de uma patologia fatal na ausência de tratamento. Espera-se agregar conteúdo pertinente para comunidade científica.

Abstract The objective of this work was to determine the genetic correlations and the direct and indirect associations of agronomic traits and grain quality attributes with the percentage of whole grains in flood irrigated rice. The experiment was carried out in two environments, in a randomized complete block design with three replicates, using 23 irrigated rice genotypes. The evaluated traits were: percentage of whole grains, caryopsis length, caryopsis width, panicle length, panicle weight, 1,000 grain weight, days to flowering, percentage of chalky grains with white belly, total chalky area, total whiteness, vitreous whiteness, and defects in coloring. The percentage of grains with white belly and total chalky area were positively correlated, whereas the percentage of grains with white belly and vitreous whiteness were negatively correlated. The traits caryopsis width, percentage of chalky grains with white belly, panicle weight, and 1,000 grain weight showed indirect effects on whole-grain yield response according to total chalky area and total whiteness. Total chalky area and total whiteness are the factors that most negatively influence the percentage of whole grains according to the genotypic correlations and direct effects.

Aproveitando-se a ocorrência de um evento espontâneo de baixas temperaturas (

Abstract Background Faecal calprotectin (FC) is a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. There is uncertainty if tumor characteristics are associated with FC levels. We investigated how tumor stage and tumor localization influence the extent of FC levels in patients with CRC in clinical practice. Methods In two cohorts of patients with CRC, we retrospectively analyzed FC tests (CALPRO®) performed within three months prior to diagnosis. One hundred twenty-four patients with CRC were included (mean age 68 years, 44% women). Results Ninety-eight patients with CRC (79%) had a FC ≥ 50 µg/g. FC correlated positively with tumor stage (UICC based on WHO TNM classification) (rs 0.24; p = 0.007) and with CRP levels (rs 0.31, p = 001), and a negatively with B-haemoglobin (rs -0.21; p = 0.019). The patients with right-sided CRC had significantly more often a FC ≥ 50 µg/g than patients with left-sided CRC (92% vs 74% p = 0.027). In a binary logistic regression analysis, tumor stage III/IV (adjusted OR 3.47; CI 1.27–9.42) and right-sided tumor localization (adjusted OR 3.80; CI 1.01–14.3) were associated with FC ≥ 50 µg/g. Tumor stage III/IV (adjusted OR 2.30; CI 1.04–5.10) and acetylsalicylic use (adjusted OR 3.54; CI 1.03–12.2) were associated with FC ≥ 100 µg/g. In a cox regression analysis, a FC ≥ 100 µg/g was not associated with survival (Hazard OR 0.61; CI 0.24–1.52). Conclusions Elevated pre-diagnostic FC levels were common in patients with CRC in close proximity to diagnosis. Right-sided localization and tumor stage were significantly associated with a rise in FC levels.

Background: Corticosteroids, immunomodulators (IM) and tumour necrosis factor antagonists (anti-TNF) are commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but they also supress the defence against infectious disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the incidence of infectious events in patients with IBD and the association to concomitant medical therapy. Methods: We performed a retrospective medical chart review of patients with IBD aged 18–65 years included in the Swedish Registry of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the catchment area of Umeå University Hospital, Sweden. Data were collected from the period 01 January 2006, to 31 January 2019. An infectious event was defined as an outpatient prescription of antimicrobials or a positive diagnostic test for infection. Results: During a period of 5,120 observation-years, we observed 1,394 events in 593 patients. The mean number of infectious events per 100 person-years was 27.2 (standard deviation [SD]: 0.46). There were no differences in mean incidence rates between patients treated with no immunosuppression (23.0 events per 100 person-years, SD: 50.4), patients treated with IM monotherapy (27.6 events per 100 person-years, SD: 49.9), patients treated with anti-TNF monotherapy (34.3 events per 100 person-years, SD: 50.1) and patients on combination therapy (22.5 events per 100-person-years, SD: 44.2). In a multivariate logistic regression, female gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49–3.37) and combination therapy (AOR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.52–7.85) were associated with higher risks of infection (>32 events per 100 person years). Also, patients treated with any immunosuppression treatment for 25–75% (AOR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.21–4.34) and for >75% (AOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.19–3.12) of the observation period were at higher risks compared to patients treated with immunosuppression

Objetivo: desenvolver e estimar a evidência de validade de um instrumento para avaliar a percepção dos acadêmicos de medicina sobre a prevenção quaternária. Método: Trata-se de um estudo metodológico desenvolvido em três etapas: 1) construção do instrumento para avaliação do conhecimento sobre Prevenção Quaternária a partir de referenciais teóricos; 2) evidência de validade baseada no conteúdo, realizada por 13 juízes; 3) evidência de validade baseada na estrutura interna, realizada por 180 acadêmicos de medicina. Análises fatoriais foram realizadas para verificar a estrutura hierárquica do modelo a partir das duas dimensões inicialmente construídas: Domínio Conhecimento e Domínio Prático. Resultados: O coeficiente de evidência de validade de conteúdo da escala total (CVCt) foi de 0,98, demonstrando uma alta concordância entre os avaliadores com a conceituação teórica subjacente. Quanto à precisão do instrumento, todos os itens apresentaram valores de Alfa de Cronbach acima de 0,7, indicando boa precisão. Verificou-se bons indicadores de precisão para a escala com dois fatores (Domínio Conhecimento e Domínio Prático) ƛ2= 109.746, gl= 103; p

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often associate their symptoms to certain foods. In congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID), recessive mutations in the SI gene (coding for the disaccharidase digesting sucrose and 60% of dietary starch)1 cause clinical features of IBS through colonic accumulation of undigested carbohydrates, triggering bowel symptoms.2 Hence, in a previous study,3 we hypothesized that CSID variants reducing SI enzymatic activity may contribute to development of IBS symptoms. We detected association with increased risk of IBS for 4 rare loss-of-function variants typically found in (homozygous) CSID patients, because carriers (heterozygous) of these rare variants were more common in patients than in controls.1,4 Through a 2-step computational and experimental strategy, the present study aimed to determine whether other (dys-)functional SI variants are associated with risk of IBS in addition to known CSID mutations. We first aimed to identify all SI rare pathogenic variants (SI-RPVs) on the basis of integrated Mendelian Clinically Applicable Pathogenicity (M-CAP) and Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) predictive (clinically relevant) scores; next, we inspected genotype data currently available for 2207 IBS patients from a large ongoing project to compare SI-RPV case frequencies with ethnically matched population frequencies from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC).

Background & aimsGenetic factors are believed to affect risk for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but there have been no sufficiently powered and adequately sized studies. To identify DNA variants associated with IBS risk, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the large UK Biobank population-based cohort, which includes genotype and health data from 500,000 participants.MethodsWe studied 7,287,191 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms in individuals who self-reported a doctor's diagnosis of IBS (cases; n = 9576) compared to the remainder of the cohort (controls; n = 336,499) (mean age of study subjects, 40-69 years). Genome-wide significant findings were further investigated in 2045 patients with IBS from tertiary centers and 7955 population controls from Europe and the United States, and a small general population sample from Sweden (n = 249). Functional annotation of GWAS results was carried out by integrating data from multiple biorepositories to obtain biological insights from the observed associations.ResultsWe identified a genome-wide significant association on chromosome 9q31.2 (single nucleotide polymorphism rs10512344; P = 3.57 × 10-8) in a region previously linked to age at menarche, and 13 additional loci of suggestive significance (P < 5.0×10-6). Sex-stratified analyses revealed that the variants at 9q31.2 affect risk of IBS in women only (P = 4.29 × 10-10 in UK Biobank) and also associate with constipation-predominant IBS in women (P = .015 in the tertiary cohort) and harder stools in women (P = .0012 in the population-based sample). Functional annotation of the 9q31.2 locus identified 8 candidate genes, including the elongator complex protein 1 gene (ELP1 or IKBKAP), which is mutated in patients with familial dysautonomia.ConclusionsIn a sufficiently powered GWAS of IBS, we associated variants at the locus 9q31.2 with risk of IBS in women. This observation may provide additional rationale for investigating the role of sex hormones and autonomic dysfunction in IBS.

Introduction: Faecal calprotectin (FC) is commonly used as a diagnostic tool for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, there is uncertainty in daily clinical practice how to interpret an elevated FC in patients with a normal colonoscopy. We investigated if patients with a normal colonoscopy but with an elevated FC more often were diagnosed with a GI disease in a 3-year follow-up period. Methods: Patients referred for colonoscopy (n = 1,263) to the Umeå University Hospital endoscopy unit between 2007 and 2013 performed a FC test (CALPRO®) on the day before bowel preparation. A medical chart review was performed on all patients who had normal findings on their colonoscopy (n = 585, median age 64 years). Results: Thirty-four percent of the patients (n = 202) with normal colonoscopy had elevated FC (>50 μg/g), and these patients were more frequently diagnosed with upper GI disease during the follow-up period than patients with normal FC levels (9.9 vs. 4.7%; p = 0.015). The upper GI diseases were mainly benign (i.e., gastritis). In a binary logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender, nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug use, and proton-pump inhibitor use, there was no difference for a new diagnosis of upper GI disease in the follow-up period (multivariate OR 1.70; 95% CI: 0.77–3.74). There was no difference in a new diagnosis of lower GI disease (6.4 vs. 5.2%; p = 0.545) or cardiovascular disease/death (multivariate OR 1.68; 95% CI: 0.83–3.42) in the follow-up period between patients with elevated versus normal FC levels. Conclusions: In patients with a normal colonoscopy, a simultaneously measured increased FC level was not associated with an increased risk for significant GI disease during a follow-up period of 3 years.

Abstract Background Rectal bleeding and a change in bowel habits are considered to be alarm symptoms for colorectal cancer and they are also common symptoms for inflammatory bowel disease. However, most patients with these symptoms do not have any of these diseases. Faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) for haemoglobin are used as triage tests in Sweden and other countries but little is known about the symptoms patients have when FITs are requested. Objective Firstly, to determine patients’ symptoms when FITs are used as triage tests in primary care and whether doctors record the symptoms that patients report, and secondly to evaluate the association between symptoms, FIT results and possible prediction of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Methods and materials This prospective study included 364 consecutive patients for whom primary care doctors requested a FIT. Questionnaires including gastrointestinal symptoms were completed by patients and doctors. Results Concordance between symptoms reported from patients and doctors was low. Rectal bleeding was recorded by 43.5% of patients versus 25.6% of doctors, FITs were negative in 58.3 and 52.7% of these cases respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) of rectal bleeding recorded by patients for colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease was 9.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.2–14.7); for rectal bleeding combined with a FIT the PPV was 22.6% (95% CI 12.2–33.0) and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 98.9% (95% CI 96.7–100). For patient-recorded change in bowel habits the PPV was 6.1% (95% CI 2.4–9.8); for change in bowel habits combined with a FIT the PPV was 18.2% (95% CI 9.1–30.9) and the NPV 100% (95% CI 90.3–100). Conclusions Doctors should be aware that, during consultations, they do not record all symptoms experienced by patients. FITs requested in primary care, when found positive, may potentially be of help in prioritising referrals, also when patients present with rectal bleeding or change in bowel habits.

Abstract The objective of this work was to analyze components of variances and heritabilities, estimate selection gain, and evaluate the different selection pressures for physical quality attributes of grains of families of segregating generations of irrigated rice (Oryza sativa), through the REML/BLUP methodology. The experiment was conducted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where selections were made in the F3, F4, and F5 segregating generations, in the 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018 crop seasons, in eight segregating populations (families) from different crosses. Intrinsic physical quality attributes, genetic parameters, and response to selection were evaluated using different selection pressures. The obtained estimates showed genetic gains for the characters related to grain quality, mainly for total chalky area, vitreous whiteness, total whiteness, ratio between vitreous whiteness and total whiteness, and percentage of whole grains and broken grains, in selections in early generations. The used families show satisfactory results, being superior to the control cultivars. For most characters, the estimates of broad-sense heritability are considered intermediate, together with the other parameters, showing the possibility of genetic selection for grain quality attributes. The response to selection with a pressure of 10% is very promising for rice grain quality attributes.

OBJECTIVE:Smoking has previously been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but no study has reported on cotinine, an objective, biochemical measure of tobacco use. We aimed at testing the hypothesis that cotinine levels among healthy subjects are associated with an increased risk of developing IBD in later life. DESIGN:We analysed plasma cotinine and evaluated corresponding lifestyle questionnaires that included tobacco habits in subjects (n = 96) who later developed late-onset IBD (70 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 26 Crohn's disease (CD)) and in sex and age-matched controls (n = 191). RESULTS:Patients who later developed IBD had significantly higher plasma cotinine levels compared to controls. In multivariable analysis, higher log-cotinine was associated with a higher risk of developing IBD (OR 1.34 (95% CI 1.01-1.63)). After stratifying for time to diagnosis, the association was only significant in subjects with shorter time (< 5.1 years) to diagnosis (OR 1.45 (1.09-1.92)). The findings were similar for UC- and CD-cases, but did not reach statistical significance in CD-cases. Although plasma cotinine concentrations were higher in snuff users compared to combusted tobacco users, no increase in the risk of IBD and lower risk of developing IBD among subjects with shorter time (< 5.1 years) to diagnosis was seen among snuff users. CONCLUSIONS:Cotinine, a biomarker of tobacco use, is associated with increased risk of developing late-onset IBD in general, and UC in particular. No increased risk among snuff users indicates that other components in combusted tobacco than nicotine may be involved in the pathogenesis of IBD among smokers.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to estimate the effects of genotype x environment interaction and the genetic potential of flood-irrigated rice cultivars, released between 1972 and 2017, for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The experiments were carried out in the field, in all agroclimatic regions of flood-irrigated rice crop in the state, between the 2005/2006 and 2015/2016 crop years, totaling 60 environments (trials), with 1,961 experimental units. Twenty-five cultivars of irrigated rice were evaluated for the traits grain yield, plant height, days to flowering, and whole grain quality after milling. The values of adaptability and stability were estimated with the aid of mixed models. The rice cultivars BRS Pampa, BRS Pampeira, and BRSCIRAD 302 showed simultaneously high-genotypic grain yield, adaptability, stability, good agronomic traits, and good whole-grain yield after milling. 'BRSCIRAD 302' and 'BRS Pampa' show high-yield stability and can be recommended for all rice cultivation regions of Rio Grande do Sul. 'BRS Pampeira' is responsive to environmental improvements and is indicated for high-technology conditions.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to determine the genetic progress of grain quality attributes of flooded irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 1972 and 2016. The genetic estimates followed an approach based on the comparative analysis of 25 cultivars released by Embrapa’s breeding program over this period. The experiment was implemented in four producing regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul: Sul, Campanha, Planície Costeira Interna, and Planície Costeira Externa. The following significant genetic gains were observed: 0.20% per year, for percentage of whole grains after processing; -1.38% per year, for percentage of chalky kernels and white-core grains; -0.77% per year, for total chalky area; -0.08% per year, for total whiteness; and -0.82% per year, for non-vitreous grain whiteness. Most cultivars released have high amylose content and a low gelatinization temperature. Therefore, the breeding program presented significant annual genetic progresses between 1972 and 2016 for the main attributes of grain quality, and made cultivars available according to the national demand for grain quality in the several segments of the rice production industry.

BRS AG is an irrigated rice cultivar developed by Embrapa, recommended for cultivation in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is intended for grain alcohol production or animal feed, with average thousand-grain weight of 52g (double of the conventional cultivars) and average yield of 8193 kg ha-1.

BRS Pampeira is a rice cultivar developed by Embrapa, recommended for irrigated cultivation in Brazil. It shows modern architecture, with high tillering and tolerance to lodging. It stands out for its high yield potential, medium cycle and good grain quality.

This paper reports the alpha and beta diversity of phytoplankton communities of two streams differing in land use. We analyzed which environmental conditions affect diversity of the phytoplankton communities and tested the hypothesis that stream stretches protected by forests will have lower species richness, whereas higher beta-diversity would occur among the non-protected stretches. Samples were taken quarterly, from February to November 2012, in nine stretches, including four non-protected stretches, two partially protected stretches and three totally forest-protected stretches. Eleven abiotic variables and their coefficients of variation were analyzed. Phytoplankton was analyzed for species richness (alpha diversity), frequency of occurrence and beta-diversity. Species richness was calculated by first and second order jackknife indexes. Biotic data were submitted to Sørensen similarity analysis. A total of 429 infrageneric taxa were reported, representing 88% of the estimated expected species richness. The phytoplankton composition was typical for lotic environments with high richness values of Bacillariophyceae (66.0%). High phytoplankton richness values occurred in all the sampled stretches, even though beta-diversity was moderate and indicated similarity between the sampled stretches, therefore only a part of the original hypothesis was corroborated.

Objetivou-se nesse estudo estimar a distância genética com base em distintos caracteres fenotípicos e descritores agronômicos, em experimentos a campo, em casa de vegetação e análise conjunta de ambientes em arroz irrigado. Neste estudo foram avaliados 16 genótipos de arroz irrigado em experimentos a campo e em casa de vegetação. Nas duas condições experimentais foram mensurados 24 caracteres, sendo, 16 considerados quantitativos e oito considerados qualitativos. A partir dos dados fenotípicos foram obtidas três matrizes de distâncias de Mahalanobis (baseadas nos caracteres mensurados a campo, casa de vegetação e análise conjunta), que posteriormente originaram três dendrogramas, utilizando o método de agrupamento das médias das distâncias (UPGMA – Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic averages). A associação das matrizes de distância genética foi realizada pelo teste de Mantel. Assim, as estimativas da distância genética utilizadas, mostraram-se adequadas no agrupamento dos genótipos, evidenciando estreita distância genética entre as cultivares de arroz irrigado avaliadas. As matrizes de distância genética entre os genótipos com base nos caracteres qualitativos aferidos a campo, em casa de vegetação e a conjunta de ambos os ambientes, evidenciaram associação elevada entre si. Existe efeito do ambiente em caracteres de herança genética quantitativa.

Background: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) secondary to treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but little is known about the relationship between AI and the clinical course in IBD. The aim of the study was to compare the clinical course in IBD patients with normal adrenal function versus patients with subnormal adrenal function. Methods: A retrospective observational study on 63 patients with IBD who had performed a low-dose short Synacthen test (LDSST) (1 μg) immediately (1–7 days) after a standard course of GCs. A subnormal LDSST was defined as serum cortisol

We report the anurans of four locations at the rural zone from municipality Maringá, Paraná state, Brazil. Specimens were registered by acoustic and direct visual search. Twenty-one species of frogs in eight families were collected between August 2006 and July 2007: Hylidae (9), Leptodactylidae (7), Bufonidae (1), Odontophrynidae (1), Hylodidae (1), Microhylidae (1) and Ranidae (1).

Tereancistrum paranaensis sp. n. is described from the gills of Schizodon borellii (Boulenger 1900) (Characiformes) from the upper Paraná river floodplain, Brazil. The new species is mainly characterized by morphology of copulatory complex, dorsal anchor with shaft recurved and pointed and arc-shaped dorsal bar. Tereancistrum parvus was described based on only one specimen and some characteristics were not observed. Now we provide an emendation to the diagnosis of this species.

This paper presents a science metric study of parasites of fish farming in Brazil, including a significant review of the literature. The methodology used was based on researching articles in three different databases, carried out ​on May 2012: ISI (Institute for Scientific Information), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and Google Academic. The number of articles on fish parasites is mounting (currently over 110), having much increased since 1995. However, the quantity is still low compared with the amount of papers on parasites of fish from natural environments. In Brazil, the farmed fish that have been studied the most are pacu, tilapia and tambaqui. Monogeneans represent the most prevalent group, followed by protozoa and crustaceans. The regions most researched were the southeast and south, making up 84% of the total literature. The main issue addressed in articles was pathology, followed by treatment and record. In conclusion, the treatment of parasitic diseases of farmed fish in Brazil is still incipient, highlighting the importance and usefulness of management practices to prevent the occurrence of health problems.