Female Parent Research Articles

Downregulation of the expression of subgenomic chromosome A7 genes promotes plant height in resynthesized allopolyploid Brassica napus.

Homoeolog expression bias and the gene dosage effect induce downregulation of genes on chromosome A7, causing a significant increase in the plant height of resynthesized allopolyploid Brassica napus. Gene expression levels in allopolyploid plants are not equivalent to the simple average of the expression levels in the parents and are associated with several non-additive expression phenomena, including homoeolog expression bias. However, hardly any information is available on the effect of homoeolog expression bias on traits. Here, we studied the effects of gene expression-related characteristics on agronomic traits using six isogenic resynthesized Brassica napus lines across the first ten generations. We found a group of genes located on chromosome A7 whose expression levels were significantly negatively correlated with plant height. They were expressed at significantly lower levels than their homoeologous genes, owing to allopolyploidy rather than inheritance from parents. Homoeolog expression bias resulted in resynthesized allopolyploids with a plant height similar to their female Brassica oleracea parent, but significantly higher than that of the male Brassica rapa parent. Notably, aneuploid lines carrying monosomic and trisomic chromosome A7 had the highest and lowest plant heights, respectively, due to changes in the expression bias of homoeologous genes because of alterations in the gene dosage. These findings suggest that the downregulation of the expression of homoeologous genes on a single chromosome can result in the partial improvement of traits to a significant extent in the nascent allopolyploid B. napus.

Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling smut resistance in Louisiana sugarcane using a bi-parental mapping population

Sugarcane smut, caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, is a major disease worldwide. Breeding resistant cultivars is the main management strategy. However, occasional failure to detect susceptible clones due to unfavorable environmental conditions, inconsistency in disease ratings between experiments, and continued clone losses due to pathogen adaptability are some of the challenges for this strategy. The development and use of molecular markers associated with smut resistance may overcome these limitations allowing more accurate identification of resistant parents and progeny. A genetic analysis was conducted using an inoculated population of 162 F1 progeny from a biparental cross between susceptible/female and resistant/male parents to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance. A total of 1574 single dose (SD) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers used to construct a genetic map resulted in 253 linkage groups (LGs) of which 150 LGs were assigned to the female parent and 204 LG to the male parent with a genome coverage of 24,580 cM. (Composite) interval mapping with selective sub-populations identified six consistent QTLs that cumulatively explained 25.74% of the phenotypic variance with LOD scores ranging from 3.17 to 23.7. Four out of 12 SNP markers closest to the QTL peaks had effect >10 for resistance in the heterozygous condition. Genes known to be involved in disease resistance, such as cellulose synthase, expansin, protein degradation, and receptor-kinase were linked to the genomic regions associated with smut resistance. The markers upon validation in different populations can be utilized for marker-assisted selection.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of C-type lectins in discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) during parental care

Discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) exhibit a unique parental care behavior: adult discus produces secretion through their skin, on which the larvae live after birth. The immune components in the skin mucus of parental discus would change during different parental care. C-type lectins (CTLs) could identify and eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and play important roles in innate immunity. Studies on CTLs of discus fish especially during parental care, however, are scarce. Here, we identified 186 CTL genes that distributed in 27 linkage groups based on discus genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. aequifasciatus CTL (SaCTL) members were grouped into 14 subfamilies. A total of 80 gene replication events occurred, of which 15 pairs were subjected to segmental duplication and 65 pairs underwent tandem duplication. Ka/Ks ranged from 0.11 (SaCTL25/SaCTL158) to 0.68 (SaCTL36/SaCTL69), all undergoing purifying selection. RNA-seq analysis revealed that SaCTL members, including duplicated genes, in the skin of parental discus show distinct expression patterns in different care stages and between male and female parents. The SaCTL11 was differentially expressed in most care stages and reached the maximum after eggs spawned, but the expression of its paired SaCTL14 was low in each stage. The SaCTL39 increased first and then decreased, reaching a peak in eggs spawned, while paired SaCTL48 first decreased and then increased, reaching a peak in hatched eggs. The SaCTL50 was differentially expressed only in female fish during care, but not in male fish. These results provide new insights into the evolution and potential functional differentiation of CTLs in discus fish during parental care.

Effect of provenance on flowering behaviour of parental lines of sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.) Hybrid-KBSH-78

The study revealed that sowing of parental lines of sunflower hybrid KBSH-78 at different locations had no significant influence on plant growth specially flowering behaviour and seed yield. However, 50% flowering was observed at 57 DAS in male parent and 62 DAS in female parent i.e., female parent is late in 50% flowering by 5 days compared to male parent. In order to achieve the better synchronization between parental lines and also to enhance seed yield of the seed parent, male parent has to be sown late with two staggered sowings of 3rd and 5th day after sowing of female parent, irrespective of the seed production locations.

Competitive interspersed staminate flowers in females: A problem in hybrid seedproduction of castor

The in vitro pollen germination study was carried out by using pollens of six genotypes which included two popular hybrids, two female and two male parents viz, DCH-177, ICH-66, DPC-9, SKP-84, DCS-9 and ICS-164 to know the competitiveness of interspersed staminate flowers (ISF). The standardized medium containing 15% sucrose, 0.01% H3BO3, 0.3% Ca(NO3).4H2O, 0.0214% Mg (SO4) 7H2O and 0.01% KNO3 were used in the study. The results revealed that highest % of pollen germination observed with ISF pollens of female parents (DPC- 9: 57.35% and SKP- 84: 44.51%) in both the hybrids compared to their respective male parents (DCS-9: 47.24% and ICS-164: 27.27%). It indicated the importance of rouging of ISFs in order to maintain the high genetic purity in castor hybrid and parental seed production.

Studies on crossability in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) genotypes

Successful hybridization primarily depends on the crossability of the parents involved as well as development of the F1 hybrids and their derivatives. In the present study, 12 crosses were attempted to study the crossability relationship among cashew genotypes. Among the crosses, the highest crossability was recorded in the cross H-303 x VTH 711/4 (17.16%), whereas, high rate of abscission of young fruits was observed in crosses involving NRCC Selection -2 as female parent. The genotype VTH 711/4 has shown substantially high per cent of crossability and better nut set with different genotypes of cashew.

A Retrospective Study on Adoptive Parenthood in the First Year after the Adoption: The Role of Parents' Attachment and Empathy on Communicative Openness.

Communicative openness (CO) defines the willingness of parents and children to explore the significance of adoption. Especially in the first year of adoption, CO could be challenging for adoptive parents, who are influenced by personal characteristics. Using a retrospective assessment, we investigated parents' communicative experiences in the first year of adoption and whether these are affected by romantic attachment and empathy. In the study, 290 adoptive parents (females = 73%, mean age 50 years) filled (a) an ad hoc questionnaire for CO, (b) Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) for attachment, and the (c) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) for empathy. During the first year, most parents reported difficulties in controlling their emotions and understanding their children's emotions. Parents with an avoidant attachment and personal distress in empathy were more likely to feel fatigued in sharing and controlling personal feelings and understanding their children's feelings. Open adoption-related communication is a complex and challenging process for adoptive parents, which can be facilitated or not by individual characteristics such as avoidant attachment and personal distress in emotional situations. These results could help develop psychological interventions targeting adoptive parents during the first year after the child enters the family system.

Stigma receptivity and flower development stage during emasculation in tomato affect artificial hybridization

ABSTRACT Determination of appropriate stages of flower emasculation and flower development when self-pollination occurs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) flowers is important to increase the degree of success of cross pollination. The experiment was conducted from July 2015 to June 2017. Seven tomato varieties (as female parents) and 1 genotype (as pollen source) were evaluated. Stages of flower emasculation (3 levels) were: 1) emasculation of immature flowers (light yellow petal) (Stage I); 2) emasculation of mature flowers (dark yellow petal, and/or petal not opened) (Stage II); and 3) emasculation of mature flowers (dark yellow petal, and/or petal partially opened) (Stage III). Complete success of cross fertilization was for the interaction of Stage II (dark yellow petal, and/or petal not opened) flower emasculation with pollination of emasculated flower after 24 h. The lowest (1.8%) percent of success of cross fertilization was at stage I (light yellow petal) flower emasculation with pollination of emasculated flower within 12 h. The low range, 1.8–5.3% of success of cross fertilization was at flower stage III (dark yellow petal, and/or petal partially opened) emasculation with no pollination of emasculated flower, indicating occurrence of an accidental self-fertilization. Stage of flower development stage I (light yellow petal) and pollination of emasculated flowers after 48 h could give the optimum percent of success of cross fertilization and avoid accidental self-pollination.

Developmental cardiotoxicity of 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT) in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

The application of 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (DCOIT) as an antifouling biocide causes high toxicity to non-target marine organisms. To examine the developmental cardiotoxicity and mechanisms of DCOIT, we concurrently performed sub-chronic exposure and life-cycle exposure experiments using marine medaka embryos. After sub-chronic exposure to DCOIT at 1, 3, 10, and 33 μg/L, cardiac defects were caused by upregulation of cardiac gene transcriptions, decreasing heart size, and accelerating heartbeat. Hyperthyroidism in medaka larvae was identified as the cause of developmental cardiotoxicity of DCOIT sub-chronic exposure. In addition, parental life-cycle exposure to 1, 3, and 10 μg/L DCOIT led to transgenerational impairment of cardiogenesis in offspring medaka. A crossbreeding strategy discriminated a concentration-dependent mechanism of transgenerational cardiotoxicity. At 1 μg/L, the DCOIT-exposed female parent transferred a significantly higher amount of triiodothyronine (T3) hormone to offspring, corresponding to an accelerated heart rate. However, DCOIT at higher exposure concentrations modified the methylome imprinting in larval offspring, which was associated with cardiac dysfunction. Overall, the findings provide novel insights into the developmental cardiotoxicity of DCOIT. The high risks of DCOIT—even at environmentally realistic concentrations—raise concerns about its applicability as an antifoulant in a marine environment.

Climate change anxiety positively predicts antenatal distress in expectant female parents

Clinical and subclinical levels of anxiety and depression are common experiences during pregnancy for expectant women; however, despite rising awareness of significant climate change anxiety around the world, the extent to which this particular type of anxiety may be contributing to overall antenatal psychological distress is currently unknown. Furthermore, the content of concerns that expectant women may have for their existing or future children remains unexplored. To address this gap in knowledge, 103 expectant Australian women completed standardised assessments of antenatal worry and depression, climate change anxiety, and perceived distance to climate change, and responded to several open-ended questions on concerns they had for their children. Results indicated that climate change anxiety accounted for significant percentages of variance in both antenatal worry and depression scores and, unexpectedly, neither child number nor perceived distance to climate change moderated these relationships. Content analysis of qualitative data highlighted the significant health-related anxieties for participants’ children related to climate change (e.g., disease, exposure to extreme weather events, food/water insecurity). Given the escalating nature of climate change, further investigation of this relatively new stressor contributing to the experience of anxiety and distress, particularly in uniquely vulnerable groups such as expectant women, is urgently needed.

Comparison of Physiological, Anatomical, and Morphological Traits between Sugarcane Hybrids and Their Parents with Different Stalk Dry Weights in the Early Growth Stage under Hydroponic Conditions

The high stalk weight sugarcane cultivar has a special mechanism to obtain greater growth, which was inherited from its parents. Thus far, comparisons of the high stalk weight sugarcane cultivar growth with its parents and cultivars with a low stalk weight have never been reported. The purpose of this research was to reveal the growth mechanism of the high stalk dry weight cultivar KK3 by comparing its physiological, anatomical, and morphological traits to those of a low stalk dry weight cultivar (UT12) and their four parental cultivars under hydroponic conditions. Their growth characteristics were evaluated at 15-day intervals from 30 to 90 days after planting. The root traits were measured at 2 months after planting (MAP), whereas the anatomical and physiological parameters were collected at 3 MAP. Biomass was recorded at 1, 2, and 3 MAP. KK3 had similar anatomical root traits to its female parent, whereas it had similar aboveground morphological traits to its male parent. The comparison between UT12 and its parents revealed that almost all its root anatomical traits were similar to the female parent, but it did not differ in leaf anatomy and root system size. Some physiological traits of KK3 were not different from those of its parents. In contrast, the net photosynthesis rate (PN), height, tiller number, stem dry weight, and stomatal density of UT12 were lower than those of its parent. For KK3, its small root stele and vessel size and high root length, surface area, and volume supported water uptake. The increase in stomatal density and decreased stomatal pore length may be appropriate characteristics for reducing water loss in this drought-resistant cultivar. Furthermore, KK3 exhibited a high water use efficiency (WUE) to promote biomass accumulation and growth despite its low transpiration and photosynthesis rates. This basic knowledge will be useful for selecting the parents based on their characteristics to create new sugarcane cultivars with a high stalk dry weight for drought stress during the early-growth-stage breeding programs and predicting their performance.

The Effect of the Combining Ability using the Second Generation According to Factorial Mating System in Durum Wheat

This study was carried out by evaluating the second generation of ten genotypes of coarse wheat, six (male parents) of which were obtained by ICARDA (Maggy, Zeina2, Joudille, Gigamar Lcarasha2, Adnham) and three adopted category (female parents) (Svevo, Grecale, Duma-1). In addition to a additive genotype * (Sardar), which was previously cultivated within the environmental conditions of the region and proved its distinction, these genotypes were planted with second generation hybrids, which numbered (24 hybrids) in the season (2021-2022) in the Bashiqa region of the city of Mosul, using the randomized complete block design. (R.C.B.D) with three replications. The study included the qualities : number of days to flowering at 50%, plant height (cm), spike length (cm), high leaf area (cm2), number of grains in a spike, number of spikes/m2, biological yield (kg/h), yield Cereals (kg/h), harvest guideline %, weight of 1000 grains, and protein percentage %. The data of the hybrids were analyzed according to the factorial panmixis method. analysis table showed variance for the mean squares of the hybrids that they were significant at the level of probability (1%) for all the studied qualities except for the characteristic of the biological yield. Significantly, at the probability level (5%), the male father (Duma-1) was superior in the effect of its general ability to joint the characteristics of plant height, spike length, high leaf area, number of spikes / m2, biological yield, grain yield, harvest guideline, weight of 1000 grains, and protein percentage. Showed Hybrid (Maggy x Sardar) specific effects to the desired direction for most of the qualities studied.

Effects of High-Lipid Dietary Protein Ratio on Growth, Antioxidant Parameters, Histological Structure, and Expression of Antioxidant- and Immune-Related Genes of Hybrid Grouper

The hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatus) is a new species of grouper crossed from giant grouper (E. lanceolatus) as the male parent and brown-marbled grouper (E. fuscoguttatus) as the female parent. We hypothesized that optimal levels of dietary protein may benefit liver function. High-lipid diets are energetic feeds that conserve protein and reduce costs, and are a hot topic in aquaculture today. Therefore, the objective of the research is to investigated the effects of dietary protein level in high-lipid diets on serum and liver biochemistry, liver histology, and liver immune and antioxidant indexes and gene mRNA expression of the juvenile hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatus). Six iso-lipidic (161 g/kg) diets were formulated containing graded levels of protein (510 as control, 480,450, 420, 390 and 360 g/kg). Each treatment consisted of three replicates and 30 fish (6.70 ± 0.02 g) in one replicate. After an 8-week feeding experiment, the results indicated the following: (1) With the decreasing of dietary protein level, the specific growth rate (SGR) of groupers increased gradually and then decreased; SGRs of the 390 and 360 g/kg groups were significantly lower than other groups (p < 0.05). (2) In terms of serum and liver, the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) content, and the activity of immune enzymes such as lysozyme (LYS) and immunoglobulin (IgM) was significantly increased under the appropriate protein level. (3) Based on liver histology, we know that high or low dietary protein levels cause liver damage. (4) Dietary protein levels can significantly affect the mRNA expression levels of an anti-inflammatory factor gene (tgfβ), pro-inflammatory factor genes (il6, il8), heat shock proteins, and antioxidant and immune genes (hsp70 and hsp90, gpx, nrf2, keap1). It is concluded that the appropriate protein level can promote the growth performance of groupers, improve antioxidant activity and immune enzyme activity in serum and liver, and enhance the expression of immune genes.

Redefining Isolation Distance Standards for Quality Seed Production in Hybrid Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill sp.

Background: Adopting adequate isolation distances is one of the very crucial principles and practices of quality seed production. Upon research and continuous evaluation, isolation distances for each crop, kind and cultivar have been determined in almost all cultivable crops. The development of hybrids through various mechanisms has led to redefining isolation distances in a few crops like pigeonpea based upon the principles of pollination ecology and the activity of various pollinators. Methods: Our study on the direction of male and female blocks, activity and frequency of pollinators and their effect on production potential and quality of seed was systematically conducted at various isolation distances viz., 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 m between female (A) and male (R) lines. Result: Our empirical information depicts that an isolation distance of 400 m between male and female parents reduces the chances of genetic contamination and hence the isolation distance in case of hybrid seed production of pigeonpea shall be redefined as 400 m.

Genetic relatedness among interspecific hybrids in the genus Capsicum and their implications in breeding King chilli

The present study explores the potentiality of interspecific crosses using three different Capsicum species, comprising of two C. annuum (Krishna and Capsicum), five C. chinense (King chilli A1, A5, A18, A19, A20) and one C. frutescens (Mem) genotypes, with the objective to identify the incompatibility barriers, accomplish the morpho-molecular characterization of parents and hybrids and assess the genetic relatedness between the genotypes.Amongst the three species used for the crossing programme, 'Krishna' (C. annuum) and 'Mem' (C. frutescens) are local cultivars of Assam (India) and possess excellent adaptability. Guinness World Records certified King chilli, or 'Bhut Jolokia' (C. chinense), as the world's hottest chilli (10,001,304 SHU) in September 2007. King chilli has tremendous export potential but is prone to viral diseases, thereby necessitating the transfer of desirable disease resistance from local cultivars.It was observed from the study that the reciprocal crosses involving C. chinense and C. frutescens were compatible, but C. frutescens (Mem) was crossable with only accession A5, suggesting genotype specificity in the interspecific crosses. The usual Euclidean distance between Mem and A5 was 716.605Similarly reciprocal crosses involving C. annuum and C. chinense were partially incompatible. Both the C. annuum (Krishna, Capsicum) genotypes successfully crossed with King chilli accession A18 thereby exhibiting genotype specificity. It was observed that in the cross A18 x Krishna the F1 seeds failed to germinate and in the cross A18 x Capsicum the F1 plants exhibited dwarfism. Hence, unilateral incompatibility was observed when King chilli accession A18 was used as the female parent. In the reciprocal crosses, germination and plant development was normal.The pollen viability ranged from 72.64 to 94.92 % for parents and 23.55 to 81.02 % for the hybrids. Thus, hybrids exhibited lower pollen viability compared to their parents. Significant morphological differences were visible between the parents and their combinations; some features were similar to the male or female parent, and others were either intermediate or novel.Parental polymorphism was detected using thirty random SSR primers, and the markers showing polymorphic bands were used to confirm the hybridity of F1s. Therefore, an attempt was made in this study to assess the possibility of interspecific crosses to transfer disease resistance from the related species to enhance the quality of King chilli, thus improving its commercial valve.

Unveiling the Genetic Basis Underlying Rice Anther Culturability via Segregation Distortion Analysis in Doubled Haploid Population.

Anther culture (AC) is a valuable technique in rice breeding. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying anther culturability remain elusive, which has hindered its widespread adoption in rice breeding programs. During AC, microspores carrying favorable alleles for AC are selectively regenerated, leading to segregation distortion (SD) of chromosomal regions linked to these alleles in the doubled haploid (DH) population. Using the AC method, a DH population was generated from the japonica hybrid rice Shenyou 26. A genetic map consisting of 470 SNPs was constructed using this DH population, and SD analysis was performed at both the single- and two-locus levels to dissect the genetic basis underlying anther culturability. Five segregation distortion loci (SDLs) potentially linked to anther culturability were identified. Among these, SDL5 exhibited an overrepresentation of alleles from the female parent, while SDL1.1, SDL1.2, SDL2, and SDL7 displayed an overrepresentation of alleles from the male parent. Furthermore, six pairs of epistatic interactions (EPIs) that influenced two-locus SDs in the DH population were discovered. A cluster of genetic loci, associated with EPI-1, EPI-3, EPI-4, and EPI-5, overlapped with SDL1.1, indicating that the SDL1.1 locus may play a role in regulating anther culturability via both additive and epistatic mechanisms. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic control of anther culturability in rice and lay the foundation for future research focused on identifying the causal genes associated with anther culturability.

Community bylaws concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights in Machinga District, Malawi: to what extent are they responsive to young people’s needs?

BackgroundCommunity bylaws are commonly accepted mechanisms to influence behaviour change to achieve better health and development outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the uses, benefits, and potential downsides of community bylaws are largely unclear, especially regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which community bylaws in Machinga District in southern Malawi are responsive to young people’s realities and SRHR needs.MethodsIn Phase 1 of this qualitative study, 35 community members were interviewed, including 14 young people (15–24 years), five parents, five traditional leaders, and eleven key informants. Based on findings from Phase 1, eleven members from local youth groups co-created a drama performance that covered issues concerning bylaws and young people’s SRHR (Phase 2). The drama was performed in the community, after which young women (18–24 years), young men (17–24 years), female and male parents discussed on what they saw in the drama, focusing on young people’s SRHR, in four focus group discussions (Phase 3). All transcripts were coded and thematically analysed and narratives were written on main themes.ResultsThree community SRHR bylaws, related to teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and sexual harassment and rape were identified and commonly accepted in the community. While these bylaws intend to reduce SRHR-related issues among young people, they are often not involved in bylaw formulation. The bylaws were associated with protection of girls, and a good reputation for boys, young men and traditional leaders. Bylaw enforcement faced problems, as fines were not in line with national laws, and wealthy offenders could avoid them through bribes. Effects of bylaws on teenage pregnancy rates seemed limited, while some positive effects on school readmission, prevention of child marriage, and reporting sexual harassment were reported.ConclusionsThe study revealed that community bylaws were accepted but not owned by young people, and had different effects on the rich versus the poor, and girls versus young men. Bylaws were associated with punishment in terms of money, which seemed to overpower their potential to promote rights and address social norms underlying SRHR issues of the youth.

Benefits and costs of female and male care in amphibians: a meta-analytical approach.

The origin of parental care is a central question in evolutionary biology, and understating the evolution of this behaviour requires quantifying benefits and costs. To address this subject, we conducted a meta-analysis on amphibians, a group in which parental care has evolved multiple times. We found that both male and female parents increase egg survival, regardless of whether the breeding site is concealed or exposed. Parental care also increases survival and growth of tadpoles and juveniles, independent of the caring sex. However, parental care reduces parental body condition, particularly when parents remain stationary near the offspring. Females tend to experience higher reproductive costs, but sample size is restricted to few species. In some frog species, paternal care increases male reproductive success because females prefer caring males. The benefits of parental care in amphibians resembles those reported for arthropods but differ from fish, in which parental care does not improve offspring survival. Moreover, the decrease in body condition, which is not found in fish, is influenced by the form of parental care, suggesting a trade-off between caring and foraging, as already reported for certain arthropods. Finally, the reproductive costs of parental care for both sexes remain unexplored and deserve further research.

Estimation of Variance and Heritability Components in F2 Populations of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Dry Land

The F2 population of maize plants that has been obtained from hybridization between NK212 and NK7328 varieties has not been suspected of genetic diversity components and heritability in the narrow sense. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of the alleged value of variety components and heritability, as well as determine the types of varieties to be formed. The experimental design used was the Group Randomized Design (RAK) - North Carrolina I (NCI) consisting of 120 treatments. The experimental setup involved 40 male parent plants, each paired with 3 female parent plants in season I, and this procedure was replicated twice, resulting in a total of 240 treatment groups. The collected data was subjected to analysis through variety analysis (ANOVA) utilizing the NCI model. The results showed that the presumptive value of additive variety and dominant variety based on the results of data analysis varied, but in all observed traits the dominant variety value tended to be greater. Most of the observed traits have a negative heritability presumptive value, except for stem diameter, panicle exit age, fresh pruning weight, and 1000 seed weights. The conclusion obtained is that most of the observed properties have additive variance values and negative heritability values; the dominant variance value in all observed properties is greater than that of additive variety; The heritability of most traits cannot be predicted because they are negative. Therefore, it is advisable for the improvement of the F2 population is with the formation of hybrids.

Social Network Platforms and Digital Games for Refugee Students in Transit

The article is based on ethnographic research carried out in Eleonas refugee camps in Athens, Greece, from February 2019 to March 2020. Based on in-depth interviews with fifteen male and female Syrian refugee parents, the article studies the use of smartphone devices, network applications, and the digital games “Feed the Monster” and “Antura and the Letters” as essential tools of an informal educational process. Digital mobile devices dominate the everyday life of Syrian students in the camp, redefining the way they keep and reform family ties at a distance. They share experiences, comments, and photos. At the same time, digital games on smartphones are a powerful educational tool by providing children with multiple opportunities to have access to knowledge and acquire skills from different learning areas, such as language, mathematics, and science. Additionally, they encourage children to determine issues of the world around them as they share and negotiate different social and cultural experiences through their play. The interaction between play and learning is of primary importance for preschool and early school students since it contributes to the highest level of learning with the greatest degree of assimilative capacity. In this complex and ever-changing context, the article attempts to raise further questions regarding the use of digital games as part of a daily ritual play, an informal educational process, and a linguistic interaction within the family context.