Potential Parents Research Articles

Genetic variation in sorghum as revealed by phenotypic and SSR markers: implications for combining ability and heterosis for grain yield

AbstractHybrid breeding relies on selection of genetically unrelated and complementary parents for key traits. The objective of this study was to examine genetic variation and identify unique sorghum genotypes using phenotypic and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and to determine their relationships with combining ability and heterosis for grain yield. A total of 32 landraces and four cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines were phenotyped using 25 agro-morphological traits and genotyped with 30 polymorphic SSR markers. The landraces were crossed with four CMS lines using a line × tester mating design. The 128 hybrids, 36 parentals and four check varieties were field-evaluated using a 12 × 14 alpha lattice design with three replications. General combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) and heterosis for grain yield were determined. Genetic distance estimates ranged from 0.39 to 0.60 and 0.50 to 0.79, based on phenotypic and SSR markers, respectively. Landraces 72572, 75454, 200654, 239175, 239208, 244735A and 242039B and CMS lines ICSA 743 and ICSA 756 displayed positive and significant GCA effects for grain yield. Based on the SCA effects of yield, lines were classified into three heterotic groups aligned to the different cytoplasmic systems of testers. Lines with high GCA effects rendered hybrids with highly significant SCA effects with high mid-parent heterosis (MPH) for grain yield. Both marker systems were effective in demarcating sorghum genotypes that provided desirable cross-combinations with high combining ability effects and MPH for grain yield. The selected genotypes are recommended as potential parents for sorghum hybrid breeding in moisture stress environments.

Genetic analysis for shoot fly resistance traits in sorghum

A diallel analysis of 36 F<sub>1</sub> and 36 F<sub>2</sub> progenies hybrids along with nine divergent parents were estimated. The general and specific combining ability for selection of potential parents and crosses and to ascertain the nature of gene action operating in inheritance of some important quantitative characters associated with shoot fly resistance. These 36 hybrids were developed by crossing nine diverse parents in <italic>rabi</italic> 2011-12. The results indicated that, IS 18551, IS 2312, SPV 504, Ringni and AKSV 13R showed desirable gca effect for most of the shoot fly resistance traits in F<sub>1</sub> and F<sub>2</sub> diallel progenies. Crosses exhibiting highest positive significant sca effects for almost all the shoot fly resistance traits included CSV 18R X IS 18551, Ringni X AKR MS45B and IS 2312 X IS 18551 in F<sub>1</sub> and F<sub>2</sub> diallel progenies. So these crosses may be forwarded further to develop genotypes with shoot fly resistance.

The Right to Parent and Duties Concerning Future Generations

WHY does the present generation have an environmental obligation concerning distant future generations? And does this obligation restrict the scope of legitimate procreation such as to avoid an overcrowded world? I address these questions by drawing on the claim that adults have a fundamental interest in rearing children that they can adequately parent, an interest which under normal conditions generates a right to parent. This right—as recently defended by several contemporary philosophers—could be interpreted either as a negative right, protecting potential adequate parents from interference with attempts to engage in parenting, or as a positive right, entitling potential adequate parents to active support such as assisted reproduction. Even if there is no entitlement to assisted reproduction, the right—I will argue—generates requirements on others that they preserve sufficient environmental resources to ensure adequate life prospects for the resulting children; therefore, it cannot be purely negative. While it is not beyond dispute, this right may be the best justification of the universal practice of allowing an individual to parent a child even when better prospective parents for that particular child are available and willing to replace the existing parent. The argument, in a nutshell, is:

Parental Attachment in subjects with female-to-male gender dysphoria

Introduction Attachment has been defined as a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space. Subjects with gender dysphoria (GD) are sometimes accompanied by psychiatric problems because they face potential parent and peer rejection. Objectives The present study aims to investigate the parental attachment in subjects with female-to-male (FtM) GD. Methods Sixty-six subjects with FtM GD (DSM-5 criteria) and 67 female controls were assessed using: short version of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA). Results Main findings highlighted that female controls were significantly more attached to their parents than subjects with FtM GD. The scores of specific dimensions of attachment such as trust, communication and alienation were significantly higher in control females than subjects with FtM GD. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that subjects with FtM GD have significantly poor parental attachment compared to female controls, measured by IPPA. These findings may suggest that psychological basis underlying the development of psychiatric disorders, which was seen in subjects with FtM GD.

CRISPR, a Crossroads in Genetic Intervention: Pitting the Right to Health against the Right to Disability.

Reproductive genetic technologies (RGTs), including gene-editing technology, are being discovered and refined at an exponential pace. One gene-editing innovation that demands our swift attention is CRISPR/Cas9, a system of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and a protein called Cas9. As CRISPR and other RGTs continue being developed, we must remain vigilant concerning the potential implications of genetic-engineering technology on our interpersonal and legal relationships. In the face of increasingly numerous and refined RGTs, we must maintain the rights of everyone: potential parents, prospective children, and individuals (both living and prospective) with disabilities. For those who wish to become parents, how should procreation be regulated in light of developing RGTs, especially gene-editing technology? What duties do parents owe their children, and when does such a duty attach? What role should RGTs play in parents’ fulfillment of their duties to their children? This article will contextualize the right to health and what I will term the “right to disability” in the CRISPR/Cas9 landscape. The article will then explore these rights in reference to the “subjunctive-threshold” interpretation of harm. Finally, I will argue that RGTs must be thoughtfully regulated, with such regulations taking into account the opinions of geneticists, bioethicists, and lay people concerning both the right to health and the right to disability.

Planned children--supporting and inhibiting influences on the development of personality and relationships after technology-assisted reproduction

In the western industrial countries more and more couples with an unfulfilled desire for a child use assisted reproductive technology (ART). This focusses on physical processes and doesn't sufficiently provide necessary supportive psychological/psychotherapeutic guidance.Neglecting the psychological dimension causes ART to enhance the risk for negative processes of emotional development of a child.After a brief overview of prevalence and summarizing the legal situation three areas will be discussed which involve a high risk potential and their influences on relationship- and personality development will be described: • The psychological burden for potential parents during the treatment. • Wishes of perfection and high expectations concerning the child which can turn normative crises into severe problems. • The frequent handling of the treatment as a taboo which can become a destructive family secret between parents and child.The paper will conclude with thoughts concerning prevention and treatment.Every person working in the field of childhood and adolescence can contribute to a healthy psychological development of these children. This means acknowledging and working through the emotional burden and the wishes and explaining about the dangers of taboos like in foster care and adoption.

High-throughput phenotyping of an apple core collection: identification of genotypes with high water use efficiency

To detect genotypes with high water use efficiency (WUE) in apple (Malus × domestica), 193 genotypes from an INRA core collection were evaluated in 2014. Eight grafted replicates per genotype grown as one-year-old scions were studied in a high-throughput phenotyping platform (PhenoArch). Individual pot weight was recorded twice a day and irrigation was scheduled for 46 days according to two irrigation treatments: well-watered (WW), maintaining soil water content (SWC) at 1.4 g g-1; and water stress (WS), reducing SWC until 0.7 g g-1 and maintaining this value for ten days. For each genotype, half of the replicates were WW while the other half were grown under WS. Plant 3D images were automatically acquired every two days. Analysis of images and pot weight differences allowed the estimation of the accumulated whole plant biomass (A_Bio) and transpiration (Plant_T) during the experiment. WUE was calculated as the ratio A_Bio/Plant_T. A_Bio and WUE had a higher genetic variation than Plant_T under WW and WS conditions. The genetic variation in WUE is a promising result, indicating that available genetic resources such as the INRA core collection could be useful to improve apple plant material for the use of water. WS reduced A_Bio and Plant_T but the reduction was less evident in WUE. Some genotypes had similar WUE values under WW and WS conditions. We identified of a group of 38 genotypes with high WUE under WW and WS. The existence of genotypes with high WUE whatever the water regime in apple may encourage apple breeders to consider the use of these genotypes as potential parents for improving apple plant material for the use of water.

Self-Serving Bias in the Implicit and Explicit Evaluation of Partners and Exes as Parents: A Pilot Study.

The quality of partners' relationship can be influenced by the reciprocal respect of the other's parenting role, especially when the couple breaks up. This study is aimed at investigating the implicit versus explicit self-serving biases in the evaluation of partners and exes as parents (or potential parents), exploring sex differences and possible relationships with dyadic cohesion. Two Implicit Association Tests and two semantic differentials, comparing each respondent with current partners and last significant exes, and also a scale measuring dyadic cohesion were administered to 108 participants (40 men; M age = 28.1 yr., SD = 8.7). As expected, participants assessed themselves as better than others on both IAT and self-report evaluations, with larger effects toward exes than toward partners and on implicit than explicit measures. Women devalued exes, but not partners, more than men. Dyadic cohesion scores were negatively correlated with the explicit evaluations of partners but not with implicit ones. Theoretical interpretations in terms of self-serving bias were discussed.

An ASGCT Perspective on the National Academies Genome Editing Summit.

The armamentarium of modern genetics and gene therapy has recently expanded with the rapid development of the tools of “genome editing,” including zinc-finger nucleases, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9 techniques that allow exquisitely targeted sequence modifications. An alluring application of such technology is somatic cell genome editing for the prevention and therapy of genetic disease. Most scientific, ethics, and policy agencies support somatic cell applications of genome editing; the gene therapy community has understandably taken deep interest because we represent the major biomedical conduit through which the technology will eventually be translated to clinical application.

Parent Selection for Intercrossing in Chili (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) through Multivariate Genetic Divergence Analysis

Thirty chili ( Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes were evaluated to screen out suitable parents for hybridization programme through multivariate analysis. Genetic diversity in chili genotypes based on twelve characters was estimated using Mahalanobis’s D 2 statistics. Six different clusters were formed through non-hierarchical clustering. The cluster I had the maximum number (9) of genotypes followed by cluster III and IV with 7 and 6 genotypes. Cluster V contained only one genotype. The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster II and V (532.214) and the lowest inter-cluster distance was observed between the cluster I and IV (91.948). The results indicated that fruit diameter (16%) contributed maximum to the total divergence followed by plant height (14.5%) and fruits/plant (12.5%). Cluster VI produced highest mean for fruit diameter (14.04), fruits/plant (219). Cluster V produced highest mean for fruit length (8.15) and yield/plant (617.13). Six different homozygous divergent parents G1, G11, G13, G25, G17 and G30 were selected from six different clusters using variance ranking among genotypes within cluster. A Genotype by trait (GT) biplot analysis was done to show the six potential parents from six different clusters along with their suitable characters in one frame.

Physiological, Qualitative and Molecular Markers Based Evaluation of Mango Cultivars

In this investigation of mango cultivars, five physiological parameters, six quality parameters and three molecular markers (RAPD, ISSR and SSR) were employed to measure the discriminatory power of marker and to select lines that can be used as potential parents in a future breeding program. Three principal components were extracted (PC1, PC2 and PC3) from both physiological and qualitative characters showed that all physiological characters such as fruit weight, fruit volume, peel weight, pulp weight and stone weight had maximum contribution (83.28%) to total variance. It was also observed that cultivar Neelkrit could be utilized as a good parent for the breeding program, since it contained high amount of TSS (16.15%) and ascorbic acid (5.11%), while Malgoa and Totapuri could be used as a good candidate for the improvement regarding physiological traits. From the study, it was concluded that Malgoa and Totapuri showed maximum diversity from the rest of the cultivars. SSR marker was found to be a good choice for estimating variability in mango as it revealed 71.86 per cent polymorphism and could act as an important molecular flag for selecting target trait and development of mapping population in mango.

Growth, flowering and yield attributes of full-sib (Amrapali × Sensation) hybrids of mango

The present investigation was carried out to study the growth, flowering and yield attributes of 50 full-sib mango hybrids belonging to ‘Amrapali’ × ‘Sensation’ cross along with their parents during 2010–2012. The hybrids and their parents showed significant variation for growth, leaf, flowering and yield characters. Results revealed the maximum number of leaves in H-12-8 (48.60), maximum leaf area in H-13-7 (136.82 cm2) and longest petiole length in H-13-4 (5.22 cm). Hybrids such as H-1-10, H-13-1 and H-13-4 had the maximum inflorescence pigmentation (7.00 rating). Maximum number of hermaphrodite flowers per panicle was observed in H-1-1 (362.48), whereas male flowers were maximum in H-2-9 (1499.50). However, the maximum sex ratio was noted in H-3-5 (0.94). The longest flowering duration was obtained in H-1-14 (20.68 days). Maximum fruit weight was recorded in H-1-5 (315.43 g) and yield in H-1-1 (44.25 kg/tree). This study would be of great helpful in selection of potential parents for their further utilization in mango improvement programmes.

Phase stability of the nanolaminates V2Ga2C and (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C from first-principles calculations.

We here use first-principles calculations to investigate the phase stability of the hypothetical laminated material V2Ga2C and the related alloy (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C, the latter for a potential parent material for synthesis of (Mo1-xVx)2C, a new two-dimensional material in the family of so called MXenes. We predict that V2Ga2C is thermodynamically stable with respect to all identified competing phases in the ternary V-Ga-C phase diagram. We further calculate the stability of ordered and disordered configurations of Mo and V in (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C and predict that ordered (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C for x≤ 0.25 is stable, with an order-disorder transition temperature of ∼1000 K. Furthermore, (Mo1-xVx)2Ga2C for x = 0.5 and x≥ 0.75 is suggested to be stable, but only for disordered Mo-V configurations, and only at elevated temperatures. We have also investigated the electronic and elastic properties of V2Ga2C; the calculated bulk, shear, and Young's modulus are 141, 94, and 230 GPa, respectively.

Легитимация коммерческого суррогатного материнства в России

In modern life commodification has become a widespread phenomenon. A prime example of unique object commodification is commercial motherhood surrogacy motherhood, within which maternity turns from “the women’s social mission” into a service where human life is a final product of monetary transaction. According to Igor Kopytoff, violation of the border between commodities and unique objects leads to the undermining of social order [Kopytoff 2006]. Nevertheless, the existence of commercial surrogacy does not bring disorder, and therefore, the question is: how can this commercial service be functional and legitimate in society? The study is based on the analysis of 14 interviews with staff members of Moscow reproduction clinics and agencies providing the legal support services for surrogate mothers. The authors show that identification of the child’s status, selection of potential parents and surrogate mothers, as well as the regulation of relations between them by staff members, are formed in a way to fit the notion of kinship in accordance with the Euro-American theory of David Schneider [Schneider 1980]. The theory has at its core the idea that kinship relations are primarily determined by common genetic substance and secondarily by social relationships based on specific behavior patterns in the family. This leads to the priority of genetic kin in the creation of kinship ties perception and the decreasing significance of the gestational relationship. Thus, staff members’ recognition of the genetic ties as dominating above all allows for legitimation of commercial surrogacy as a whole and in its organizational aspects through decommodification of the child, who is no longer considered an object of market transaction.

Synthesis of a Vpr-Binding Derivative for Use as a Novel HIV-1 Inhibitor.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant viruses compromises the efficacy of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) therapy and limits treatment options. Therefore, new targets that can be used to develop novel antiviral agents need to be identified. We previously identified a potential parent compound, hematoxylin, which suppresses the nuclear import of HIV-1 via the Vpr-importin α interaction and inhibits HIV-1 replication in a Vpr-dependent manner by blocking nuclear import of the pre-integration complex. However, it was unstable. Here, we synthesized a stable derivative of hematoxylin that bound specifically and stably to Vpr and inhibited HIV-1 replication in macrophages. Furthermore, like hematoxylin, the derivative inhibited nuclear import of Vpr in an in vitro nuclear import assay, but had no effect on Vpr-induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest or caspase activity. Interestingly, this derivative bound strongly to amino acid residues 54–74 within the C-terminal α-helical domain (αH3) of Vpr. These residues are highly conserved among different HIV strains, indicating that this region is a potential target for drug-resistant HIV-1 infection. Thus, we succeeded in developing a stable hematoxylin derivative that bound directly to Vpr, suggesting that specific inhibitors of the interaction between cells and viral accessory proteins may provide a new strategy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Estimation of genetic divergence in garden pea (<italic>Pisum sativum var. hortense</italic> L.) germplasm to facilitate the selection of potential parents for hybridization programme

Genetic divergence in the 54 genotypes of pea was worked-out using Mahalanobis’s D<sup>2</sup> statistics to identify the potential parents to be involved in the hybridization programme so that superior segregants can be selected in the segregating generations. On the basis of performance of various traits, 54 genotypes of pea were grouped into four clusters and maximum number of genotypes was accommodated in cluster II. The average intra-cluster distance was found maximum in cluster II and minimum in cluster III. Inter-cluster distance was maximum between cluster II and III indicating that hybridization between genotypes from cluster II and III can be utilized for getting the superior recombinants in segregating generations. Furthermore, on the basis of cluster means for various traits studied, cluster II was found superior for number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod, shelling percentage, pod yield, total sugars and total soluble solids, whereas cluster III was found superior for plant height and total phenols. Hence, hybridization between parents from cluster II and cluster III for these characters may produce new recombinants with desired traits in the segregating generations which can be further purified by various plant breeding schemes.

Prioritizing Unknown Transformation Products from Biologically-Treated Wastewater Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry, Multivariate Statistics, and Metabolic Logic.

Incomplete micropollutant elimination in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) results in transformation products (TPs) that are released into the environment. Improvements in analytical technologies have allowed researchers to identify several TPs from specific micropollutants but an overall picture of nontarget TPs is missing. In this study, we addressed this challenge by applying multivariate statistics to data collected with liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and subsequent tandem HRMS (MS/MS) in order to characterize peaks detected in the influent and effluent of a WWTP. Known biotransformation reactions were used to link potential parent compounds and TPs, while the structural similarity of these pairs hypothesized by MS/MS similarity was used for further prioritization. The methodology was validated with a set of spiked compounds, which included 25 parent/TP pairs for which analytical standards were available. This procedure was then applied to nontarget data, and 20 potential parent and TP pairs were selected for identification. In summary, primarily a surfactant homologue series, with associated TPs, was detected. Some obstacles still remain, including spectral interferences from coeluting compounds and identification of TPs, whose structures are less likely to be present in compound databases. The workflow was developed using openly accessible tools and, after parameter adjustment, could be applied to any data set with before and after information about various biological or chemical processes.

Satisfaction and Communication in Couples of Parents and Potential Parents – Psychological Predictors and Implications for Sexuality Education of Children

This study investigated the existence of several predictors for sexual communication anxiety, sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction in coupled adults. Relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, sexual communication anxiety, perfectionism and sexual perfectionism were measured for 128 participants. Results indicated a strong positive correlation between perfectionism and sexual perfectionism. Sexual satisfaction mediated the effect of relationship satisfaction on sexual communication anxiety. Women expressed on average less anxiety to communicate on sexual topics and more sexual satisfaction than men. Married participants reported lower levels of sexual satisfaction and higher levels of sexual communication anxiety. Implications of findings for sexuality education programmes are discussed.

Genetic divergence evaluation of apple germplasm by D2 multivariate analysis

Genetic divergence was worked out in the new germplasm of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) including 42 genotypes. Mahalanobis's D2 statistics was applied for identifying the potential parents to be involved in the hybridization programme for trait specific improvement or selecting better segregants. On the basis of performance for various traits, genotypes were grouped into three clusters and maximum numbers of genotypes i.e. 28 were accommodated in cluster I , while 10 and 4 genotypes were arranged in cluster II and III respectively. The average intra cluster distance was maximum in cluster II (2.214) and minimum in cluster III (1.212). Inter cluster distance was maximum between cluster II and III (5.077) indicating that hybridization between genotypes from cluster II and III can be utilized for getting the superior recombinants in segregating generations. On the basis of cluster means for various characters , cluster II was found superior for shoot thickness (0.34cm), inter - nodal length (2.38cm), number of lenticels (62.10) and leaf blade length (8.79cm) whereas cluster III was found superior for leaf blade width (5.10cm), petiole length (2.64cm) and leaf blade ratio (3.62). Hence, hybridization between parents from cluster II and cluster III for these characters can produce better recombinants in segregating generations.

Segregation pattern and inbreeding depression in F2 generation of some hybrid okra varieties

An experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in the experimental field of Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Lebukhali, Patuakhali during April, 2014 to October, 2014 for assessing the inbreeding depression, genetic parameters, gene action and segregation pattern of Okra [Abelmoschusesculentus (L.) Moench]. The experiment was comprised of five commercial hybrid Okra genotypes such as Tara sonali, Bimala, Juboraj, Suvo 1and Noor, their respective F2 progenies along with a check variety named as BARI Dherosh 1. Results of the experiment indicated that there were considerable variability among the F1 and their F2. The yield were in-between 14.81 to 7.92 Kg plot-1in case of F1 generation, which deteriorate to 10.32 to 5.32 Kg plot-1 in F2 generation. Broad sense heritability computed through variance component method showed that all the quantitative traits were moderate to highly heritable. The trait yield per plot exhibited 68.83% broad sense heritability coupled with 50.96% genetic advance suggesting the existence of sufficient amount of genetic variability for improvement of this trait and also indicates that the trait is more amenable to selection and could be improved easily. In case of segregation pattern, plant height and pod pubescence content exhibit as polygenic trait. Leaf shape, fruit base shape and branching pattern showed complete dominance and fruit color displayed incomplete dominance. The present investigation thus provide information about the nature and magnitude of genetic variation, segregation pattern and inbreeding depression for yield and its components in okra so as to formulate suitable breeding strategy and isolate potential parents and promising crosses for further breeding program.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2015, 1(2): 316-335