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Research on buyer-seller exchange consistently acknowledges the role of uncertainty as an influential factor in decision-making for both exchange parties. However, a fragmented understanding of uncertainty, limitations from data collection, and overreliance on a narrow set of theoretical frameworks has hampered the development of uncertainty as a core concept in sales research. To address these challenges and encourage future research, we conduct a systematic literature review to streamline and synthesize the disparate research on buyer-seller uncertainty. The review process reveals interesting trends in the prevalence of uncertainty research as well as overarching research themes. Discussion of these themes alongside managerial insights help illuminate multiple research gaps that offer fruitful areas for future sales research. The results of this analysis produce an encouraging discussion for sales scholars to reconsider their theoretical, methodological, and conceptual approaches to understand both buyer and seller uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sales profession is fraught with customer rejection and defections. Understanding why customers say "no" to a sales proposal is complex given that factors at the organizational-, individual-, and interactional-level are synthesized in the customer's decision-making process. Academics and practitioners alike therefore stand to benefit from greater understanding of this phenomenon. The current study leverages text-based machine learning on postmortem interview transcripts from 113 business-to-business sales failures, spanning over 1,500 pages of text, to provide exploratory insights into the reasons for sales proposal rejections. Results reveal several thematic facets of sales proposal failures from the perspective of the customer, along with insights that variance in topic salience—i.e., buyer focus on a few topics or a spread of dimensions—is contingent on supplier incumbency status. Specifically, using topic modeling, findings show that buyers converge on a distributed (concentrated) range of sales proposal rejection topics for in- (out-) supplier proposals. Additionally, the authors show how the text-based machine learning approach can highlight key areas of concern for firms, enabling them to effectively enact changes that will improve future outcomes. Collectively, this research contributes to efforts to bridge the chasm between theoretical, managerial, and technical aspects of machine learning in sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venom systems are complex traits that have independently emerged multiple times in diverse plant and animal phyla. Within each venomous lineage there typically exists interspecific variation in venom composition where several factors have been proposed as drivers of variation, including phylogeny and diet. Understanding these factors is of broad biological interest and has implications for the development of antivenom therapies and venom-based drug discovery. Because of their high species richness and the presence of several major evolutionary prey shifts, venomous marine cone snails (genus Conus) provide an ideal system to investigate drivers of interspecific venom variation. Here, by analyzing the venom gland expression profiles of ∼3,000 toxin genes from 42 species of cone snail, we elucidate the role of prey-specific selection pressures in shaping venom variation. By analyzing overall venom composition and individual toxin structures, we demonstrate that the shifts from vermivory to piscivory in Conus are complemented by distinct changes in venom composition independent of phylogeny. In vivo injections of venom from piscivorous cone snails in fish further showed a higher potency compared with venom of nonpiscivores demonstrating a selective advantage. Together, our findings provide compelling evidence for the role of prey shifts in directing the venom composition of cone snails and expand our understanding of the mechanisms of venom variation and diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After non‐native herbivores arrive in a novel habitat and establish, they must then disperse to new host plants to continue invading. While flight‐capable insect herbivores can expand their non‐native ranges by flying to new hosts, insects that lack wings, such as female scale insects, are often aided in their spread by wind and phoretic dispersal vectors such as birds and mammals.After being detected in 2004 in a Texas nursery, crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), has established in 15 different states across the Southeast and Middle Atlantic regions of the USA.We quantified the wind speeds leading to scale insect dislodgement and, in the laboratory and field, evaluated the willingness of CMBS nymphs to crawl onto vector proxies (bird feathers and mammal fur).Our findings demonstrate that CMBS nymphs can become dislodged from ecologically relevant substrates at low wind speeds (~7 m/s) and provided evidence that CMBS nymphs willingly, though not preferentially, crawl onto vector proxies, a final step before dispersing phoretically. Our results indicate that trees with high‐density infestations of CMBS are frequent sources of propagules, given that (i) wind speeds that shake small tree branches are likely to dislodge active crawlers and (ii) active crawlers appear willing to walk onto birds and mammals.The apparent ease of between‐tree spread by CMBS via multiple modes of dispersal presents challenges for preventing the spread of this insect, but field confirmation of these mechanisms is needed to understand their relative importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The venom of cone snails has been proven to be a rich source of bioactive peptides that target a variety of ion channels and receptors. α-Conotoxins (αCtx) interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and are powerful tools for investigating the structure and function of the various nAChR subtypes. By studying how conotoxins interact with nAChRs, we can improve our understanding of these receptors, leading to new insights into neurological diseases associated with nAChRs. Here, we describe the discovery and characterization of a novel conotoxin from Conus ateralbus, αCtx-AtIA, which has an amino acid sequence homologous to the well-described αCtx-PeIA, but with a different selectivity profile towards nAChRs. We tested the synthetic αCtx-AtIA using the calcium imaging-based Constellation Pharmacology assay on mouse DRG neurons and found that αCtx-AtIA significantly inhibited ACh-induced calcium influx in the presence of an α7 positive allosteric modulator, PNU-120596 (PNU). However, αCtx-AtIA did not display any activity in the absence of PNU. These findings were further validated using two-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology performed on oocytes overexpressing mouse α3β4, α6/α3β4 and α7 nAChRs subtypes. We observed that αCtx-AtIA displayed no or low potency in blocking α3β4 and α6/α3β4 receptors, respectively, but improved potency and selectivity to block α7 nAChRs when compared with αCtx-PeIA. Through the synthesis of two additional analogs of αCtx-AtIA and subsequent characterization using Constellation Pharmacology, we were able to identify residue Trp18 as a major contributor to the activity of the peptide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of tris(pyridin‐2‐yl)amine with [CyRuCl2]2 (Cy = p‐isopropyltoluene or cymene) in refluxing diglyme led to the formation of cis‐[RuCl2{κ2‐(2‐py)3N}2]·CHCl3 (1a) after recrystallization from chloroform/pentane, or cis‐dichloridobis[tris(pyridin‐2‐yl)amine‐κ2N,N′]ruthenium(II) dichloromethane disolvate, [RuCl2(C15H12N4)2]·2CH2Cl2 or cis‐[RuCl2{κ2‐(2‐py)3N}2]·2CH2Cl2 (1b). Treatment of 1a with one equivalent of silver(I) hexafluoridoantimonate in dichloromethane gave [RuCl{κ2‐(2‐py)3N}{κ3‐(2‐py)3N}][SbF6]·CH2Cl2 (2a). Crystallization of 2a from chloroform provided chlorido[tris(pyridin‐2‐yl)amine‐κ2N,N′][tris(pyridin‐2‐yl)amine‐κ3N,N′,N′′]ruthenium(II) hexafluoridoantimonate chloroform monosolvate, [RuCl(C15H12N4)2][SbF6]·CHCl3 or [RuCl{κ2‐(2‐py)3N}{κ3‐(2‐py)3N}][SbF6]·CHCl3 (2b). Complex 2a reacted with a further equivalent of silver(I) hexafluoridoantimonate to give [Ru{κ3‐(2‐py)3N}2][SbF6]2 (3). The reaction of (2‐py)3N with [CyRuCl2]2 in dichloromethane followed by treatment with excess sodium hexafluoridoantimonate gave the known complex [CyRuCl{κ2‐(2‐py)3N}][SbF6] (4). Complex 2 is a rare example of a complex containing both κ2‐ and κ3‐(2‐py)3N. Intramolecular π‐stacking interactions determine the orientation of the free pyridyl in the κ2 complexes. An interesting encapsulation of methylene chloride hydrogen‐bonded tetramers was noted in one case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scale insects are some of the most abundant and damaging pests of urban forests in North America. Despite their prevalence, scale insect emergence during the winter dormant season, which could contribute to their population growth and spread and thereby inform management, has not been thoroughly investigated. Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is a nonnative pest of a widely grown landscape tree, crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.). Now present throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, CMBS has spread rapidly since its initial detection in Plano, TX, USA, in 2004. The contributions of year-round activity to the insect's widespread abundance and economic importance are unclear. Here, after infesting crapemyrtles with known numbers of CMBS in Summer 2021, we recorded the presence or absence of CMBS immatures on infested trees from Autumn 2021 to late Winter 2022. We found that active nymphs occurred throughout the entirety of these colder seasons. Additionally, average CMBS density drastically increased from October to March, growing from 28 ± 10 SE insects per plant to 554 ± 133 SE, respectively. Our results highlight previously unknown aspects of year-round crawler emergence by CMBS, which could provide opportunities for landscape managers to use targeted winter applications of less harmful pesticides such as horticultural oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide hormones and neuropeptides form a diverse class of bioactive secreted molecules that control essential processes in animals. Despite breakthroughs in peptide discovery, many signaling peptides remain undiscovered. Recently, we demonstrated the use of somatostatin-mimicking toxins from cone snails to identify the invertebrate ortholog of somatostatin. Here, we show that this toxin-based approach can be systematically applied to discover other unknown secretory peptides that are likely to have signaling function. Using large sequencing datasets, we searched for homologies between cone snail toxins and secreted proteins from the snails' prey. We identified and confirmed expression of five toxin families that share strong similarities with unknown secretory peptides from mollusks and annelids and in one case also from ecdysozoans. Based on several lines of evidence we propose that these peptides likely act as signaling peptides that serve important physiological functions. Indeed, we confirmed that one of the identified peptides belongs to the family of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, a peptide not previously observed in Spiralia. We propose that this discovery pipeline can be broadly applied to other systems in which one organism has evolved molecules to manipulate the physiology of another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymantria dispar L. is an invasive, non-native defoliating Lepidopteran established in North America that feeds on forest and urban trees. While many products are available to manage L. dispar post-emergence, few exist to prevent egg hatch when applied to egg masses. Here, we present the results of 3 separate experiments aimed at determining the efficacy of pre-emergent insecticides against L. dispar egg hatch. We found that the labeled rate (1:1) of Golden Pest Spray Oil (GPSO; AI: 93% soybean oil) can prevent L. dispar larvae from emerging in both field and lab assays. In large public spaces, we found that this treatment was ineffective at preventing L. dispar emergence or defoliation. Acelepryn (AI: 18.4% chlorantraniliprole) resulted in some suppression of egg hatch at a very low rate (.06 ml/ 3.8 liter) in both lab and field settings and the efficacy of higher rates should be further investigated. We also tested GPSO against Lepitect (97.4% acephate) in a public area that also received a Foray 48B (12.65% Bacillus thuringiensis, subsp. kurstaki) aerial application. On large oak trees in public areas, GPSO and Lepitect were not effective at reducing defoliation. Dormant pesticide applications generally reduce the risk of affecting negatively predator and parasitoid communities and are therefore desirable. Lymantria dispar pre-egg hatch applications will not work in every situation but should be considered as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for individual homeowner trees where thorough coverage can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many non‐native species arrive in novel environments, only a fraction successfully establish. A crucial factor affecting the colonization process of invading species is propagule pressure. The positive association between propagule pressure and colonization probability is driven both by stochastic dynamics and the 'Allee effect'. Although the role of Allee effects in invading populations is theoretically compelling, they are difficult to quantify in the field because the earliest phases of biological invasions are typically not observed.We conducted parallel studies using two species of bark beetles, Hylurgus ligniperda in New Zealand and Ips pini in North America, to (i) assess the role of propagule pressure on colonization success, (ii) empirically test for Allee effects and (iii) estimate Allee thresholds. We evaluated each of these factors by experimentally testing the effect of propagule pressure (numbers released) on simulated tree colonization success in two different settings: (1) field conditions where beetles could disperse freely and (2) enclosed cages where dispersal loss was prevented.Colonization success was positively associated with numbers released (i.e. propagule pressure) for both species, though colonization occurred at lower numbers for H. ligniperda than for I. pini. A demographic Allee effect was only detected in H. ligniperda and the Allee threshold was smaller when beetles were released 1 m from host billets than when they were released 10 m away. Greater colonization success at lower release densities may explain the invasion success of H. ligniperda worldwide. Higher release densities required for successful colonization may explain why I. pini is a poor establisher.Synthesis and applications. Our results linking invasion failure to small founding population densities generally support the theoretical literature on the role of propagule pressure and Allee effects in biological invasions. Agencies such as the International Plant Protection Committee (IPPC) setting phytosanitary measures such as the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) should consider using the colonization thresholds estimated here to limit numbers of colonizing individuals below invasion thresholds. Additionally, agencies conducting trapping efforts at ports‐of‐entry should be aware of these thresholds and widely report when trapping numbers exceed these thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is often debilitating, and current treatments are neither universally efficacious nor without risks. Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels offer alternative targets for pain relief, but little is known about the regulation or identities of endogenous TRP ligands that affect inflammation and pain. Here, transcriptomic and targeted lipidomic analysis of damaged tissue from the mouse spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced chronic pain model revealed a time-dependent increase in Cyp1b1 mRNA and a concurrent accumulation of 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) and 19,20-EpDPA post injury. Production of 8,9-EET and 19,20-EpDPA by human/mouse CYP1B1 was confirmed in vitro, and 8,9-EET and 19,20-EpDPA selectively and dose-dependently sensitized and activated TRPA1 in overexpressing HEK-293 cells and Trpa1 -expressing/AITC-responsive cultured mouse peptidergic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. TRPA1 activation by 8,9-EET and 19,20-EpDPA was attenuated by the antagonist A967079, and mouse TRPA1 was more responsive to 8,9-EET and 19,20-EpDPA than human TRPA1. This latter effect mapped to residues Y933, G939, and S921 of TRPA1. Intra-plantar injection of 19,20-EpDPA induced acute mechanical, but not thermal hypersensitivity in mice, which was also blocked by A967079. Similarly, Cyp1b1 -knockout mice displayed a reduced chronic pain phenotype following SNL injury. These data suggest that manipulation of the CYP1B1–oxylipin–TRPA1 axis might have therapeutic benefit. Targeting CYP1B1–Oxylipin–TRPA1 network may represent a novel treatment option for preventing chronic pain in patients. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic stereotypes are traits, often polygenic, that have been stringently selected to conform to specific criteria. In dogs, Canis familiaris, stereotypes result from breed standards set for conformation, performance (behaviors), etc. As a consequence, phenotypic values measured on a few individuals are representative of the breed stereotype. We used DNA samples isolated from 148 dog breeds to associate SNP markers with breed stereotypes. Using size as a trait to test the method, we identified six significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) on five chromosomes that include candidate genes appropriate to regulation of size (e.g., IGF1, IGF2BP2 SMAD2, etc.). Analysis of other morphological stereotypes, also under extreme selection, identified many additional significant loci. Less well-documented data for behavioral stereotypes tentatively identified loci for herding, pointing, boldness, and trainability. Four significant loci were identified for longevity, a breed characteristic not under direct selection, but inversely correlated with breed size. The strengths and limitations of the approach are discussed as well as its potential to identify loci regulating the within-breed incidence of specific polygenic diseases.

Genetic variation in functionally integrated skeletal traits can be maintained over 10 million years despite bottlenecks and stringent selection. Here, we describe an analysis of the genetic architecture of the canid axial skeleton using populations of the Portuguese Water Dog Canis familiaris) and silver fox (Vulpes vulpes). Twenty-one skeletal metrics taken from radiographs of the forelimbs and hind limbs of the fox and dog were used to construct separate anatomical principal component (PC) matrices of the two species. In both species, 15 of the 21 PCs exhibited significant heritability, ranging from 25% to 70%. The second PC, in both species, represents a trade-off in which limb-bone width is inversely correlated with limb-bone length. PC2 accounts for approximately 15% of the observed skeletal variation, ~30% of the variation in shape. Many of the other significant PCs affect very small amounts of variation (e.g., 0.2-2%) along trade-off axes that partition function between the forelimbs and hind limbs. These PCs represent shape axes in which an increase in size of an element of the forelimb is associated with a decrease in size of an element of the hind limb and vice versa. In most cases, these trade-offs are heritable in both species and genetic loci have been identified in the Portuguese Water Dog for many of these. These PCs, present in both the dog and the fox, include ones that affect lengths of the forelimb versus the hind limb, length of the forefoot versus that of the hind foot, muscle moment (i.e., lever) arms of the forelimb versus hind limb, and cortical thickness of the bones of the forelimb versus hind limb. These inverse relationships suggest that genetic regulation of the axial skeleton results, in part, from the action of genes that influence suites of functionally integrated traits. Their presence in both dogs and foxes suggests that the genes controlling the regulation of these PCs of the forelimb versus hind limb may be found in other tetrapod taxa.

The first genetic transcript map of tim soybean genome was created by mapping one SNP in each of 1141 genes in one or more of three recombinant inbred line mapping populations, thus providing a picture of the distribution of genic sequences across the mapped portion of the genome. Singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered via the resequencing of sequence-tagged sites (STSs) developed from expressed sequence tag (EST) sequence. From an initial set of 9459 polymerase chain reaction primer sets designed to a diverse set of genes, 4240 STSs were amplified and sequenced in each of six diverse soybean genotypes. In the resulting 2.44 Mbp of aligned sequence, a total of 5551 SNPs were discovered, including 4712 single-base changes and 839 indels for an average nucleotide diversity of [theta] = 0.000997. The analysis of the observed genetic distances between adjacent genes vs. the theoretical distribution based upon the assumption of a random distribution of genes across the 20 soybean linkage groups clearly indicated that genes were clustered. Of the 1141 genes, 291 mapped to 72 of the 112 gaps of 5-10 cM in the preexisting simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based map, while 111 genes mapped in 19 of the 26 gaps >10 cM. The addition of 1141 sequence-based genic markers to the soybean genome map will provide an important resource to soybean geneticists for quantitative trait locus discovery and map-based cloning, as well as to soybean breeders who increasingly depend upon marker-assisted selection in cultivar improvement.

Somatostatin and its related peptides (SSRPs) form an important family of hormones with diverse physiological roles. The ubiquitous presence of SSRPs in vertebrates and several invertebrate deuterostomes suggests an ancient origin of the SSRP signaling system. However, the existence of SSRP genes outside of deuterostomes has not been established, and the evolutionary history of this signaling system remains poorly understood. Our recent discovery of SSRP-like toxins (consomatins) in venomous marine cone snails (Conus) suggested the presence of a related signaling system in mollusks and potentially other protostomes. Here, we identify the molluscan SSRP-like signaling gene that gave rise to the consomatin family. Following recruitment into venom, consomatin genes experienced strong positive selection and repeated gene duplications resulting in the formation of a hyperdiverse family of venom peptides. Intriguingly, the largest number of consomatins was found in worm-hunting species (>400 sequences), indicating a homologous system in annelids, another large protostome phylum. Consistent with this, comprehensive sequence mining enabled the identification of SSRP-like sequences (and their corresponding orphan receptor) in annelids and several other protostome phyla. These results established the existence of SSRP-like peptides in many major branches of bilaterians and challenge the prevailing hypothesis that deuterostome SSRPs and protostome allatostatin-C are orthologous peptide families. Finally, having a large set of predator–prey SSRP sequences available, we show that although the cone snail's signaling SSRP-like genes are under purifying selection, the venom consomatin genes experience rapid directional selection to target receptors in a changing mix of prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gloomy scale (GS)(Melanaspis tenebricosa) is a major pest of red maple (Acer rubrum) across much of the eastern USA. Current pesticide recommendations for GS management are efficacious when applications are made at the appropriate time. However, appropriate timing may not always be possible. For instance, the tree owner may not contact pest management professionals in time to make timely applications. We established a field trial to determine the efficacy of the pesticides pyriproxyfen plus horticultural oil and dinotefuran, as well as a relatively new pesticide available in the ornamental woody plant market, flupyradifurone, against GS. There were three primary goals of this study: (1) to quantitatively compare the effectiveness of pyriproxyfen plus horticultural oil and dinotefuran; (2) to compare flupyradifurone with these two generally recommended treatments; and (3) to assess whether flupyradifurone is effective when applications are made later in the summer. We found that pyriproxyfen plus horticultural oil, dinotefuran, and flupyradifurone applications made during the active crawler period were equally efficacious, statistically, and that flupyradifurone treatments applied later in the summer were not statistically differentiable from untreated controls. While these pesticide applications are effective at suppressing GS populations, plant health care tactics aimed at preventing outbreaks should be prioritized and incorporated into the complete pest management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification and characterization of neuronal cell classes in motor circuits are essential for understanding the neural basis of behavior. It is a challenging task, especially in a non-genetic-model organism, to identify cell-specific expression of functional macromolecules. Here, we performed constellation pharmacology, calcium imaging of dissociated neurons to pharmacologically identify functional receptors expressed by vocal neurons in adult male and female African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis. Previously we identified a population of vocal neurons called fast trill neurons (FTNs) in the amphibian parabrachial nucleus (PB) that express N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and GABA and/or glycine receptors. Using constellation pharmacology, we identified four cell classes of putative fast trill neurons (pFTNs, responsive to both NMDA and GABA/glycine applications). We discovered that some pFTNs responded to the application of substance P (SP), acetylcholine (ACh), or both. Electrophysiological recordings obtained from FTNs using an ex vivo preparation verified that SP and/or ACh depolarize FTNs. Bilateral injection of ACh, SP, or their antagonists into PBs showed that ACh receptors are not sufficient but necessary for vocal production, and SP receptors play a role in shaping the morphology of vocalizations. Additionally, we discovered that the PB of adult female X. laevis also contains all the subclasses of neurons at a similar frequency as in males, despite their sexually distinct vocalizations. These results reveal novel neuromodulators that regulate X. laevis vocal production and demonstrate the power of constellation pharmacology in identifying the neuronal subtypes marked by functional expression of cell-specific receptors in non-genetic-model organisms. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Molecular profiles of neurons are critical for understanding the neuronal functions, but their identification is challenging especially in non-genetic-model organisms. Here, we characterized the functional expression of membrane macromolecules in vocal neurons of African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, using a technique called constellation pharmacology. We discovered that receptors for acetylcholine and/or substance P are expressed by some classes of vocal neurons, and their activation plays a role in the production of normal vocalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is an invasive woodboring beetle native to northeastern Asia that continues to expand its range within North America and European Russia. The insect reproduces within and kills most North American species of ash Fraxinus spp.Because both the adult and larval life stages of EAB are difficult to detect prior to development of tree symptoms, much work has focused on quantifying spread and clarifying the potential movement pathways to improve early detection and monitoring strategies.In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed county‐level infestations of emerald ash borer in the state of Iowa, U.S.A., subsequent to the initial detection of EAB in 2010. Visual data analysis had suggested that new infestations were not in accordance with the expected patterns of establishment along roads, near campgrounds or by large population centres.We found a positive correlation between the establishment and detection of EAB in Iowa counties and the length of railroads in each county. To our knowledge, this is the first statistically significant association between rail pathways and the spread of EAB on the North American continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil waterlogging is a major environmental stress that suppresses soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and yield. Our objective was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the tolerance of soybean to soil waterlogging. We subjected 208 lines of two recombinant inbred (RI) populations, `Archer' x `Minsoy' and `Archer' x `Noir I', to 2 wk of waterlogging when the plants were at the early flowering stage. The control plants were not flooded. The experiment was conducted in three environments: Columbus, OH, in 1997 and 1998 and Wooster, OH, in 1998. We identified a single QTL, linked to marker Sat_064, from the Archer parent which was associated with improved plant growth (from 11-18%) and grain yields (from 47-180%) in waterlogged environments. This highly significant QTL (P = 0.02-0.000001) was identified in both RI populations and at both Columbus 1997 and 1998 environments, but not at the Wooster 1998 environment. The differences in soil type and flooding treatment (stagnant versus moving water) could have contributed to the lack of QTL identification at the Wooster 1998 environment. The Sat_064 QTL was uniquely associated with waterlogging tolerance and was not associated with maturity, normal plant height or grain yields. The Sat_064 marker maps close to the Rps4 gene for Phytophthora (Phytophthora sojae M.J. Kaufmann & J.W. Gerdemann) resistance; however, since Archer does not contain the Rps4 resistance allele, it is probably not a disease tolerance QTL. Near isogenic lines with and without the Sat_064 marker have been developed and are being field tested under waterlogging conditions to confirm the association of the QTL with the tolerance of soybean to waterlogging stress., PERIODIC FLOODING during the growing season adversely affects soybean growth and grain production in many areas of the USA and the rest of the world. (Stanley et al., 1980; Oosterhuis [...]