Culture and Learning

Ensuring "the development of the child ... to the maximum extent possible" is part of every child’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. But to what extent is "development" a cultural process that varies between societies, or a natural process that is the same for all children? This edition of Early Childhood in Focus addresses the major policy questions surrounding the place of culture in early childhood programmes, and how to promote development and learning while respecting cultural diversities. Published in collaboration with the Open University, the ECiF series provides clear reviews of research on key policy and practice issues intended to be of value to policy makers and advocates for the rights of children

Optimizing selection efficiency in maize for the drought prone eastern and southern African environments

Breeding for stress tolerance is the most cost effective way of avoiding drought-induced yield reduction in the tropics. Optimizing breeding for drought tolerance at CIMMYT could enhance the effectiveness of this multi-national breeding program and warrant fast delivery of drought tolerant materials to the farmers. Thus, the overall aim of my study was to improve the efficiency of drought tolerance breeding of maize at CIMMYT for the rapid and cost effective advancement of drought tolerant materials for the drought prone regions of the ESA (Eastern and Southern African countries). We screened a diverse source of tropical germplasm for their haploid induction rate (HIR) and the seasonal variation of this trait. We then compared various managed drought and well watered experiments conducted as line per se performance trials (LP) and testcross performance trials (TP) in Kenya and Mexico. Further, we estimated the relative selection efficiency of the principal breeding regions of CIMMYT for the tropics in ESA and Mexico with unselected and selected breeding materials. The specific objectives of my study were to (1) monitor the variation for HIR among diverse source germplasm in tropical maize, (2) determine the relative importance of general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities of the source germplasm for HIR, (3) investigate the influence of tropical summer and winter seasons and genotype × season interactions on this trait, (4) determine if LP is predictive of TP for yield under drought in sets of lines under development by the CIMMYT maize breeding program in Kenya and Mexico, (5) determine the genetic correlation between performance of lines per se under drought and testcrosses under optimal conditions and assessing its effect on yield potential, (6) examine the correlation between TP under well-watered and drought stress conditions for potential indirect selection efficiency of well-watered conditions in comparison with drought stress, (7) determine the relative importance of regional adaptation of maize hybrids to Mexico and ESA by subdividing the genotype × environment interactions and determining genotypic correlations between both regions, (8) calculate the indirect selection efficiency for selecting materials based on test results from one region on the selection gain in the other region, and (9) identify the most suitable stage for exchanging breeding materials between Mexico and ESA. Source germplasm and induction season affected HIR and MCR (mis-classification rate) considerably in tropical maize. Source germplam with high HIR and low MCR could be used in the initial stage of implementing the DH technology in the tropics. GCA effect was more important than SCA or genotype × season interaction effects for HIR in tropical maize. Thus, enhancing HIR in source germplasm can be achieved through cyclical breeding or recurrent selection. Winter season was considered the best season for induction because it provides suitable environmental conditions for higher HIR and lower MCR. Overall HIR was high enough to apply the in vivo DH technology in the routine breeding activities in tropical maize. There were moderate genotypic correlation and ISE (Indirect Selection Efficiency) values between LP and TP under drought that increased with an increase in stress level. Hence, LP trials were predictive of TP trials particularly under severe drought stress. Furthermore, screening of lines for LP under drought stress did not compromise yield potential. TP under well-watered conditions were not predictive of TP under drought stress emphasizing the need of managed drought trials to identify drought tolerant materials. With the current shift of inbred development to large scale DH line production, LP evaluations can reduce the cost of making large numbers of testcrosses and optimize breeding for drought tolerant hybrids in the tropics. The exchange of breeding materials between ESA and Mexico can be done with early and late generation materials. This is because there was negligible genotype by region interactions as compared to genotype by location interactions within each region and high genotypic correlations between the two regions. Further, ISE estimates for trials conducted in Mexico and in ESA were high. Adaptive diseases for each location might hamper the exchange of materials, however, with current molecular marker tools like marker assisted selection and genomic selection, the problem of selecting for disease resistance in the region where the disease is not prevalent seems promising. In conclusion, there are ample opportunities in the CIMMYT maize breeding program to optimize breeding for drought tolerance in the tropics through rapid and large scale production of DH lines and evaluation of these lines for LP in managed drought trials. Moreover, breeders from ESA and Mexico could benefit from each other?s materials and test results by regular exchange of breeding materials at both the early and late stages of testing.Die Züchtung auf Stresstoleranz ist der kosteneffektivste Weg, um Trockenheitsstress bedingte Ertragsverluste bei landwirtschaftlichen Kulturpflanzen zu minimieren. Eine Optimierung der Züchtungsstrategien am CIMMYT bezüglich Trockenstresstoleranz von Mais könnte die Effektivität dieses multi-nationalen Züchtungsprogramms enorm verbessern und eine schnellere Bereitstellung von trockenstress-tolerantem Material an die Farmer in den Zielregionen garantieren. Aus diesem Grund war das übergeordnete Ziel dieser Forschungsarbeiten die Verbesserung der Effizienz der Züchtung von Mais auf Trockentoleranz am CIMMYT, um schneller und kostengünstiger Fortschritte bei der Entwicklung von trockenstresstolerantem Material zu erzielen, insbesondere für die durch Trockenheit stark gefährdeten Regionen im östlichen und südlichen Afrika (ESA, Eastern and Southern Africa). Mittels der Technologie zur Erzeugung von Doppelhaploiden(DH)-Linien wurde ein breites Spektrum von tropischem Material bezüglich seiner Haploiden-Induktionsrate (HIR) und der saisonalen Variation in diesem Merkmal untersucht. Weiterhin wurden vergleichende Experimente unter kontrollierter Trockenheit als auch unter optimaler Wasserversorgung durchgeführt, bei denen sowohl die Linieneigenleistung (LP = line per se performance) als auch Testkreuzungsleistung (TP = testcross performance) in Kenia und Mexiko erfasst wurde. Zusätzlich wurde die relative indirekte Selektionseffizienz (ISE) für die beiden tropischen Züchtungsregionen des CIMMYT, nämlich ESA und Mexiko, an unselektiertem und vorselektiertem Material untersucht. Die spezifischen Ziele der Untersuchungen waren (1) die Erfassung der Variation für HIR von tropischem Mais verschiedenen Ursprungs, (2) die Bestimmung der relativen Bedeutung von allgemeiner (GCA) und spezifischer (SCA) Kombinationseignung für HIR in einem di-allelen Kreuzungsschema mit verschiedenen tropischen Inzuchtlinien, (3) die Untersuchung des saisonalen Einflusses und der Genotyp x Saison-Interaktionen bei diesem Merkmal, (4) die Ermittlung der Vorhersageeignung von LP für den TP-Ertrag unter Trockenstress für Gruppen von Linien des CIMMYT-Maiszüchtungsprogramms in Kenia und Mexiko, (5) die Schätzung der genotypischen Korrelation zwischen LP unter Trockenstress und TP unter optimalen Bedingungen, bei Berücksichtigung der Auswirkungen auf das Ertragspotenzial, (6) die Untersuchung der Korrelation zwischen TP unter optimaler Wasserversorgung vs. Trockenstress Bedingungen zur Ermittlung der indirekten Selektionseffizienz unter diesen Testbedingungen, (7) die Ermittlung der relativen Vorzüglichkeit regionaler Adaptation von Maishybriden für Mexiko und ESA durch Aufteilung der Genotyp x Umwelt-Interaktionen und Schätzung der genotypischen Korrelation zwischen diesen beiden Regionen, (8) die Schätzung der indirekten Selektionseffizienz in selektiertem Material anhand der Ergebnisse einer Region und dessen Auswirkung auf den Selektionserfolg in der anderen Region und (9) die Identifizierung geeigneter Stadien für den Austausch von Zuchtmaterial zwischen Mexiko und ESA. Das Ausgangsmaterial und die Anbausaison beeinflussen HIR und MCR (Mis-Classification Rate) bei tropischem Mais. Ausgangsmaterial mit hoher HIR bei gleichzeitig niedriger MCR könnte als Ausgangsbasis für die Etablierung der DH Technologie in den Tropen dienen. Die GCA war wichtiger als die SCA oder die Genotyp x Saison Interaktionen für HIR. Aus diesem Grund kann ist die Verbesserung der HIR im Ausgangsmaterial durch rekurrente Selektion sehr aussichtsreich. Die Wintersaison war im Vergleich zur Sommersaison besser geeignet für die Haploiden-Induktion, da hier optimalere Umweltbedingungen für eine höhere HIR bei gleichzeitig geringer MCR vorherrschten. Zusammenfassend kann festgestellt werden, dass die HIR ausreichend hoch ist, um die in-vivo DH-Technologie in den üblichen Züchtungsablauf bei tropischem Mais zu integrieren. Es wurden mittlere genotypische Korrelationen und ISE-Werte zwischen LP und TP unter Trockenstress gefunden, die sich bei einem Anstieg des Stressniveaus erhöhten. Dies bedeutet, dass LP-Ergebnisse einen hohen Vorhersagewert für TP haben, insbesondere bei extremem Trockenstress. Weiterhin konnte festgestellt werden, dass die Prüfung von Linien auf Eigenleistung unter Trockenstress deren Ertragspotenzial nicht maskierte. Demgegenüber war die TP unter optimalen Bedingungen nicht aussagekräftig für TP unter Stress. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit kontrollierter Trockenstress-Experimente, um trockenstress-tolerantes Material zu identifizieren. Mit dem Wechsel von der herkömmlichen Linienentwicklung zur serienmäßigen Produktion von DH-Linien ermöglicht die LP Evaluierung eine Reduzierung der Kosten für die Herstellung einer großen Anzahl von Testkreuzungen; insgesamt ermöglicht dies eine deutliche Verbesserung der Züchtung trockenstress-toleranter Hybriden für die Tropen. Der Austausch von Zuchtmaterial zwischen ESA und Mexiko kann sowohl in frühen als auch in späten Phasen der Materialentwicklung erfolgen. Dies ist möglich, weil die Genotyp x Region Interaktionen im Vergleich zur Genotyp x Orts-Interaktionen innerhalb der Regionen vernachlässigbar sind, bei gleichzeitig hoher genotypischen Korrelation zwischen den beiden Regionen. Zusätzlich waren auch die ISE-Werte für die Experimente sowohl in Mexiko als auch in ESA hinreichend hoch. Unterschiedliche Pflanzenkrankheiten in den beiden Zielregionen könnten allerdings einen Materialaustausch in Frage stellen. Mit den heute verfügbaren Techniken der modernen Pflanzenzüchtung, wie beispielsweise Marker-gestützte Selektion oder genomische Selektion, bestehen jedoch gute Aussichten, die in der jeweiligen Zielregion benötigten Resistenzgene in kurzer Zeit in das Zuchtmaterial einzukreuzen. Als Schlussfolgerung ergibt sich, dass es vielfältige Möglichkeiten gibt, das Maiszüchtungsprogramm des CIMMYT zur Verbesserung der Trockenheitstoleranz in den Tropen zu optimieren. Insbesondere die Etablierung der DH-Technologie und die Prüfung der DH-Linien auf Eigenleistung unter kontrolliertem Trockenstress bieten vielversprechende Ansatzpunkte. Darüber hinaus könnten die Züchter in ESA und Mexiko von einem gegenseitigen Austausch von Zuchtmaterial und Ergebnissen sowohl in frühen aber auch späteren Stadien der Materialentwicklung enorm profitieren

2012 Annual report

The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems is a multi-year research initiative launched in July 2011. It is designed to pursue community-based approaches to agricultural research and development that target the poorest and most vulnerable rural households in aquatic agricultural systems. Led by WorldFish, a member of the CGIAR Consortium, the program is partnering with diverse organizations working at local, national and global levels to help achieve impacts at scale

Adapting Tools To Measure Students\u27 Affective Filter For The Elementary Dual-Immersion Context

The purpose of this study was to discover what tools were available to educators to measure students’ affective filter; it further sought to adapt current tools for use in the Spanish-English dual-immersion elementary context. Research revealed that R. C. Gardner developed a measure called the Anxiety and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) in 1985. Another measure, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) had been developed by Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope in 1986. For this project, these two measures were synthesized and adapted for the elementary dual- immersion context. Careful attention was given to each survey item to ensure that it was culturally relevant as well as linguistically and developmentally appropriate for students in third through fifth grades. A Spanish survey and an English survey were compiled and have been included in a resource guide. The resource guide was developed to help educators assess the strength of students’ affective filter and then plan appropriate learning experiences, which maximize students’ language learning potential

A GENERAL VIEW OVER THE STRUCTURAL FUNDS IN TOURISM – CASE STUDY ROMANIA -

The major subjects of our paper are focus on the following subjects: thesupervision of the structural funds with reference to the money put at Romania’sdisposal for the development of tourism; the analysis of competitiveness in tourismthrough the 8 parameters presented; the analysis of the economic contribution ofTourism and Travels at the national scale, within the Satellite Account for Romania. Theconclusions of the paper will represent a support for analysis both in the case ofgovernors and of practitioners.tourism, accounting, audit, regional policy

Bioinformatics tools @ NBBNet: online infrastructure for the management and analysis of biological data

The use of informatics tools for the management and analysis of sequences for nucleic acids and proteins has resulted better throughout capability of wet lab research work to infer biological data to functional biological information. The field of computational biological information management and analysis is generally known as bioinformatics. We discuss some tools and processes which have been developed or integrated into a data management and information presentation pipeline by the Malaysian National Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Network. Central to this is the Bioinformatics Tools @ NBBnet online infrastructure system. This infrastructure system utilizes grid computing technology. In addition, the deployment of niche databases and database shells for research applying specific datasets such as a particular protein function, protein family or genomes have been discussed

What works? A review of actions addressing the social and economic determinants of Indigenous health

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to review evidence relating to ‘what works’ to influence the social and economic determinants of Indigenous health, in order to reduce health inequities, and ultimately contribute to closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. We outline a conceptual framework for understanding how social and economic determinants influence health and wellbeing, and identify a number of key determinants of health. We review evidence relating to how each determinant is associated with Indigenous health and wellbeing, and then consider specific actions designed to improve Indigenous outcomes in each of these areas in order to determine the characteristics of successful initiatives. Based on our conceptual framework, we link successful actions which result in positive outcomes for Indigenous Australians in each of the key determinants to ultimately improving health and wellbeing and contributing towards ‘closing the gap’ in health and wellbeing. We note that many actions we consider only aim to improve the situation for Indigenous Australians in regard to that specific area (for example, education, housing) and were not devised to take direct action to improve health, even though the evidence indicates that those actions may be likely to contribute to improved health over the longer term

Uses of Social Media for Marketing among Entrepreneur Weavers to Sustain Songket Products in the Malay Cottage Industry

Utilizing semi-structured interviews, this paper examines how songket entrepreneurs in Kuala Terengganu use social media for marketing. Results indicate varying levels of social media literacy among Malay women in rural areas. The AIDA model is proposed as a strategic framework to optimize their social media usage. The study suggests the need for targeted training to exploit digital opportunities fully and calls for further research on technology's role in sustaining traditional industries