Dynamic systems theory places the scientist in the system

Journal ArticleDynamic systems theory is a way of describing the patterns that emerge from relationships in the universe. In the study of interpersonal relationships, within and between species, the scientist is an active and engaged participant in those relationships. Separation between self and other, scientist and subject, runs counter to systems thinking and creates an unnecessary divide between humans and animals

Peer acceptance, parent-child fantasy play interactions, and subjective experience of the self-in-relation : a study of 4- to 5-year-old children

This study was aimed at investigating direct links between peer acceptance and parent-child interactions, and exploring whether subjective experience of the self-in-relation would function as a mediator. A central assumption was that better accepted children are more capable of autonomy-within-connectedness. Eighty kindergartners with a mean age of 60 months and their mothers and fathers (n = 74) participated in the study. The children were selected to be popular, average, or rejected by their peers. Subjective experience was assessed with a Doll Story Completion Task and Cassidy's Puppet Interview (Cassidy, 1988; Ver-schueren, Marcoen, & Schoefs, 1996), and the Pictorial Scales of Perceived Competence and Acceptance (Harter & Pike, 1984). Results showed that better accepted children and their mothers showed a higher balance of control behaviors and were more likely to be simultaneously en-gaged in play. They also tended to share more positive emotions. More control in the father-child interactions was related to lower peer acceptance. In addition, better ac-cepted girls and their fathers were more often dyadically engaged in play, and shared more fantasy play, than less well-accepted girls and fathers. Children who shared more positive emotions with their parents presented parent-child relation-ships as more positive and were more positive about themselves. Interestingly, more control with father was linked to a more negative sense of self for boys, but a more positive sense of self for girls. Because girls tend to be more directed toward con-nectedness from a young age, maybe it is more important to them to develop their autonomy, at kindergarten age. Control between fathers and sons may be more likely to become competitive, which may make boys feel less accepted. Children who represented parent-child relationships as more secure were better accepted by peers. The connections (especially with father-child security) were stronger for girls. Contrary to expectations, better accepted children were not more positive about themselves. Regression analyses showed that the representation of the mother-child relationship mediated the relation between shared positive emotions and peer acceptance. Controlling for security with mother, peer acceptance was no longer related with shared positive emotions. This study offers one of the first indica-tions that the meaning the child gives to relationships may be more important than specific behaviors by themselves. In the final chapter, findings are discussed and suggestions are made for further theory and research on parent-peer linkages

Combinando tecnología video digital y métodos narrativos para comprender el desarrollo infantil

Mit zunehmender Verbesserung der Technologie ergeben sich neue Möglichkeiten, Forschungsvorhaben durchzuführen. Dieser Aufsatz beschreibt die Anwendung der Videobearbeitungssoftware Adobe Premiere in der qualitativen Forschung. Zur Veranschaulichung der Vor- und Nachteile dieses neuen Tools für qualitative Beobachtungsstudien verwenden wir Beispiele aus unseren Untersuchungen über Mutter-Säuglings-Beziehungen. Die Vorteile in der Anwendung von Videobearbeitungssoftware liegen in der Art und Weise, wie Datenmaterial strukturiert, präsentiert und bearbeitet werden kann, was bis dato so nicht möglich war. Indem nur die Videosegmente, die für die Studie relevant sind, aufgezeichnet und chronologisch geordnet werden können, wird es möglich, Filme zusammenzustellen, die von der Größe her gut handhabbar sind und die zu weiteren Analysezwecken relativ einfach weiterverarbeitet werden können. Dies bietet neuartige Wege, um Entwicklungsstadien zu visualisieren und zu analysieren. Des weiteren diskutieren wir den potentiellen Gewinn und ethische Gesichtspunkte, die berücksichtig werden müssen, wenn digitales Videomaterial in Online-Zeitschriften veröffentlich wird. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0202245As technology improves, the possibilities for new ways of conducting research emerge. This article focuses on the use of Adobe Premiere video editing software in qualitative research. Examples from our studies of mother-infant relationships will be used to highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of this new tool in observational, qualitative research. The major benefits of using computer film editing software are that it makes it possible to rearrange, present, and navigate through video in ways never possible before. By capturing segments of video with the types of behavior most relevant for the study, then chronologically ordering the segments into a computer file or a new video, it is possible to create a condense and digestible film to study. This provides a new way to visualize and analyze developmental change. The article also briefly discusses the potential benefits and ethical issues for using digital video in online journals. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0202245Al mejorar la tecnología, surgen nuevas posibilidades de conducir investigaciones. Este articulo se enfoca en el uso del software Adobe Premiere que permite editar videos en una investigación cualitativa. Ejemplos de nuestro estudio de las relaciones entre madres e hijos serán usados para destacar algunas de las ventajas y desventajas de esta nueva herramienta en la investigación cualitativa observacional. Los mayores beneficios de usar el software de edición de videos en la computadora son que hacen posible el re-arreglar, presentar y navegar por el video en una forma nunca antes posible. Capturando segmentos del video con los tipos de comportamientos más relevantes para el estudio, y luego ordenando los segmentos cronológicamente en un archivo de computadora o en un nuevo video, es posible crear una película condensada y fácil de estudiar. Esto proporciona una nueva manera de visualizar y analizar el cambio en el desarrollo. Este articulo también discute brevemente los beneficios potenciales y temas éticos al usar videos digitales en diarios de la RED. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs020224

Spatial multivariate cluster analysis for defining target population of environments in west Africa for yam breeding

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a major staple crop with high agricultural and cultural significance for over 300 million people in West Africa. Despite its importance, productivity is miserably low. A better understanding of the environmental context in the region is essential to unlock the crop’s potential for food security and wealth creation. The article aims to characterize the production environments into homologous mega-environments, having operational significance for breeding research. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed separately on environmental data related to climate, soil, topography, and vegetation. Significant PCA layers were used in spatial multivariate cluster analysis. Seven clusters were identified for West Africa; four were country-specific; the rest were region-wide in extent. Clustering results are valuable inputs to optimize yam varietal selection and testing within and across the countries in West Africa. The impact of breeding research on poverty reduction and problems of market accessibility in yam production zones were highlighted

Sample preservation and plant sex prediction in white guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.)

Open Access Article; Published online: 11 Jul 2020Introduction: Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an economically important staple food in tropical regions, especially for people in West Africa. Understanding of the flowering behavior of the crop to determine potential manipulation available to accomplish crop improvement at early stage remain key challenge in the yam breeding. The methods that reliably yield quality DNA and distinguishing sex type at the early stage of growth have been a challenge in yam genetics and breeding studies. This study assessed the effect of sample preservation methods on DNA quantity and quality during extraction and potential of DNA marker to diagnose plant sex at the early seedling stage in white Guinea yam. Materials and Methods: Five sample preservation methods were assessed for quality DNA extraction during field leaf tissue collection, namely liquid nitrogen, dry ice, silica gel, 95% ethanol, and oven drying. The predicted sex at the seedling stage using the molecular marker was further validated with the visual score for the sex phenotype at the flowering stage. Results: According to the findings of the present study, the DNA extracted from leaf samples preserved in liquid nitrogen, silica gel, dry ice, and oven drying methods were higher in molecular weights than samples stored in ethanol solution. Yam plant sex diagnosis with the DNA marker (sp16) identified a higher proportion of ZW genotypes (female or monoecious phenotypes) than the ZZ genotypes (male phenotypes) in the studied materials with 74% prediction accuracy. Conclusions: The results from this study provided valuable insights on suitable sample preservation methods for quality DNA extraction and the potential of DNA marker sp16 to predict sex in white Guinea yam

Variation in tuber dry matter content and starch pasting properties of white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata) genotypes grown in three groecologies of Nigeria

Open Access Journal; Published online: 28 Sep 2021The primary objective of this study was to assess the effects of genotype (G), location (L), and G × L interaction on tuber quality traits (dry matter content and starch pasting parameters) in white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.). Variability in tuber dry matter and starch pasting properties was examined using 18 advanced breeding lines and two dominant landrace cultivars of white Guinea yam grown in three different agroecological zones (forest‒savanna transition, southern Guinea savanna, and rainforest) in Nigeria. The starch pasting properties were evaluated using a Rapid Visco Analyser. Our results show that the G × L interaction effect was low compared to the genotype and growing location effects on the variability of key starch properties. In addition, the repeatability of trait performance across locations was high and relatively uniform for key traits, suggesting that any of the three locations used in this study can be employed for their evaluation. Furthermore, TDr1100873 had a higher dry matter content than the dominant landrace cultivars (Amula and Meccakusa) but was similar to them in starch pasting properties. Hence, TDr1100873 is considered a suitable variety for future breeding activities

Genotyping-by-sequencing to unlock genetic diversity and population structure in white yam (dioscorea rotundata poir.)

Open Access Journal; Published online: 22 Sept 2020White yam (Dioscorearotundata Poir.) is one of the most important tuber crops in West Africa, where it is indigenous and represents the largest repository of biodiversity through several years of domestication, production, consumption, and trade. In this study, the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach was used to sequence 814 genotypes consisting of genebank landraces, breeding lines, and market varieties to understand the level of genetic diversity and pattern of the population structure among them. The genetic diversity among different genotypes was assessed using three complementary clustering methods, the model-based admixture, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), and phylogenetic tree. ADMIXTURE analysis revealed an optimum number of four groups that matched with the number of clusters obtained through phylogenetic tree. Clustering results obtained from ADMIXTURE analysis were further validated using DAPC-based clustering. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed high genetic diversity (96%) within each genetic group. A network analysis was further carried out to depict the genetic relationships among the three genetic groups (breeding lines, genebank landraces, and market varieties) used in the study. This study showed that the use of advanced sequencing techniques such as GBS coupled with statistical analysis is a robust method for assessing genetic diversity and population structure in a complex crop such as white yam

Genome analyses reveal the hybrid origin of the staple crop white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

西アフリカの主食作物ギニアヤムの起源を解明 --ギニアヤムはサバンナと熱帯雨林に生育する野生種の雑種起源--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-11.White Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is an important staple tuber crop in West Africa. However, its origin remains unclear. In this study, we resequenced 336 accessions of white Guinea yam and compared them with the sequences of wild Dioscorea species using an improved reference genome sequence of D. rotundata. In contrast to a previous study suggesting that D. rotundata originated from a subgroup of Dioscorea praehensilis, our results suggest a hybrid origin of white Guinea yam from crosses between the wild rainforest species D. praehensilis and the savannah-adapted species Dioscorea abyssinica. We identified a greater genomic contribution from D. abyssinica in the sex chromosome of Guinea yam and extensive introgression around the SWEETIE gene. Our findings point to a complex domestication scenario for Guinea yam and highlight the importance of wild species as gene donors for improving this crop through molecular breeding