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Context or Problem: Most of the research evaluating rice varieties, a major global staple food, for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation has been conducted under continuous flooding. However, intermittent irrigation practices are expanding across the globe to address water shortages, which could alter emissions of methane (CH 4 ) compared to nitrous oxide (N 2 O) for reducing overall global warming potential (GWP). To develop climate-smart rice production systems, it is critical to identify rice varieties that simultaneously reduce CH 4 and N 2 O emissions while maintaining crop productivity under intermittent irrigation., Objective: This study assessed CH 4 and N 2 O emissions, grain yield, and GWP of four rice varieties cultivated under intermittent irrigation in Colombia., Methods: Four common commercial rice varieties were evaluated over two seasons-wet and dry in 2020 and 2021-in two Colombian regions (Tolima and Casanare)., Results: Wet-season crop productivity was similar among varieties. However, F68 in Tolima and F-Itagua in Casanare significantly reduced yields in the dry season, likely due to periods of crop water stress. Overall, CH 4 emissions and GWP were relatively low due to frequent field drainage events, with GWP ranging from 349 to 4704 kg CO 2 equivalents ha -1 . Accordingly, N 2 O emissions contributed 73% to GWP across locations, as wet-dry cycles can increase N 2 O emissions, creating a tradeoff for GWP when reducing CH 4 through drainage. Varieties F67 in Tolima and F-Itagua in Casanare significantly reduced GWP by 32-61% across seasons, primarily by decreasing N 2 O rather than CH 4 emissions., Conclusions: Rice varietal selection achieved significant GWP mitigation with limited impacts on grain yield, mainly due to reduced N 2 O emissions under non-continuously flooded irrigation., Implications/significance: This research underscores the critical role of rice varietal selection in addressing global climate-change and water-scarcity challenges, which drive the adoption of intermittent irrigation practices. By focusing on reducing N₂O emissions through appropriate variety selection, this study provides valuable insights for rice systems worldwide that are adapting to these pressing environmental challenges., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Diverse molecular markers have been used to analyze the genetic diversity of plant pathogens. Compared with traditional fingerprinting methods, multiple loci variable number of tandem repeat analyses (MLVAs) have gained importance recently due to their reproducibility, high discriminatory power, ease of performance, low cost, and throughput potential. These characteristics are desirable for continuous pathogen monitoring, especially for pathogens with relatively low genetic diversity, and for disease epidemiology studies. Genetic diversity studies of Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis , which is the causal agent of cassava bacterial blight, have shown variability and changes in the bacterial population over time. Thus, an easy and fast method needs to be developed to type populations of this pathogen in different countries of the world, especially on small scales. In this study, we developed an MLVA scheme to analyze X. phaseoli pv . manihotis variability on a local scale. The MLVA-15 scheme comprises 15 variable number of tandem repeat loci grouped into four multiplex polymerase chain reaction pools. We showed that the MLVA-15 scheme had slightly higher discriminatory ability at the locality level when compared with amplified fragment length polymorphisms. The MLVA-15 scheme allowed for an accurate determination of the number of genotypes in the sample and showed reproducibility and portability. Additionally, this scheme could be used to analyze numerous strains in a reasonable timeframe. The MLVA-15 scheme was highly specific to X. phaseoli but up to eight tandem repeat loci could be amplified from other Xanthomonas spp. Finally, we assessed the utility of the scheme for analyses of X. phaseoli pv . manihotis genetic variability in the Colombian Caribbean region. MLVA-15 distinguished 88.9% of the haplotypes in our sample. Strains originating from the same field and isolated at the same time could be discriminated. In this study, the advantages of the MLVA-15 scheme targeting 6- or 7-bp repeats were demonstrated. Moreover, this scheme was a fast method that was appropriate for routine monitoring of X. phaseoli pv . manihotis populations on a local scale and, thus, was useful for addressing epidemiological questions.

Objectives: To estimate the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a daily urology practice and to determine its association with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED)., Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Data from all male patients aged ≥40 years who attended our outpatient urology clinic from 2010 to 2011 was collected. Prevalence of MetS was determined, and LUTS and ED were assessed. A logistic model was used to determine possible associations, controlling for confounders and interaction factors., Results: A total of 616 patients were included. MetS was observed in 43.8% (95% CI 39.6-48.3). The bivariate model showed an association between MetS and LUTS (p<0.01), but not between MetS and ED. The logistic model showed an association between MetS and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), while controlling for other variables. Patients exhibiting moderate LUTS had a greater risk for MetS than patients with mild LUTS (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.14-2.94). After analyzing for individual components of MetS, positive associations were found between diabetes and severe LUTS (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.24-7.1), and between diabetes and ED (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.12-5.8)., Conclusion: This study was able to confirm an association between MetS and LUTS, but not for ED. Specific components such as diabetes were associated to both. Geographical differences previously reported in the literature might account for these findings. Given that MetS is frequent among urological patients, it is advisable that urologists actively screen for it., (Copyright © 2017 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)