Accurate knowledge of intra-specific diversity of underutilized crop species is a prerequisite for their genetic improvement and utilization. The diversity of 77 accessions of African yam bean (AYB, Sphenostylis stenocarpa) was assessed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of EcoRI/MseI primer pairs were selected and 227 AFLP bands were generated, of which 59(26%) were found to be polymorphic in the 77 accessions of AYB. The most efficient primer combination for polymorphic detection was E-ACT/M-CAG with a polymorphic efficiency of 85.5%, while the least efficient was E-AGC/M-CAG with a polymorphic efficiency of 80.6%. The Jaccard genetic distance among the accessions of AYB ranged between 0.048 and 0.842 with a mean of 0.444. TSs98 and TSs104B were found to be the most similar accessions with a genetic similarity of 0.952. The neighbour-joining dendrogram grouped the 77 accessions of AYB into four distinct clusters comprising 8, 20, 21 and 28 accessions. The major clustering of the accessions was not related to their geographical origin. Cluster I was found to be the most diverse. The mean fixation index (0.203) and the mean expected heterozygosity (0.284) revealed a broad genetic base of the AYB accessions. The same germplasm set was previously evaluated for several agro-morphological traits. As the collection of additional AYB germplasm continues, the phenotypic profile, the clustering of the accessions and the AFLP primer combinations from this study can be used to augment breeding programmes.
Unexpected variations can occur during natural and in vitro propagation of bananas (banana and plantain) to generate off-types. The molecular basis of such variations is not well-understood. This study aimed to characterize the functions of genomic regions varying within clones grown naturally or in vitro. Fifty-four simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and six primer combinations of EcoR I/Msp I-amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to analyze accessions of the AA, BB, AB, AAA, AAB, and ABB groups of Musa, and polymorphic regions were sequenced to characterize candidate genes. One SSR locus with significant similarity to an arcelin gene revealed a deletion in a subculture regenerant. In AFLP analysis, 24 (6.15%) of 390 bands accounted for within-clone variations, with 0.5% and 5.65% occurring in natural and in vitro propagated plants, respectively. Sequence homology searches revealed that most polymorphic regions were related to cytochrome P450, cell-wall biosynthesis, and senescence genes. The importance of these candidate genes is discussed. The plants harboring the variations were field-established to relate molecular variations to phenotypic changes. Sixteen of the sequences registered in Genbank (ET165586 to ET165601) and select PCR primers from this study can be further tested for variations between normal clones and offtypes in Musa.
This paper details our collaborative approach in capturing a holistic understanding of parental technology use through an assets-based framework. We steer the focus away from the design of technology as the central force of technological innovation, and instead support participants to reflect and describe intimate details that highlight specific use-contexts of technology in their lives. We leverage a group of foreign graduate student mothers' self-described unique strengths to gain an in-depth account of their lived experiences with technology. As research participants and co-authors, our collaborators elicit intimate narratives about meaningful events in their lives, bringing social and cultural aspects of their lived experience to the forefront, and thus providing broader context of their use of technology. We detail and reflect upon our approach of promoting user agency by creating an affinity group, fostering a safe and intimate space for research engagement, and describe the implications of using our adapted research methodology in intimate settings. We conclude by highlighting the various ways in which technology facilitates foreign student parenting, as well as the ways in which it serves as a temporary band-aid solution, prompting consideration of larger social issues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.