Quality requirement for seed production in the Nigerian seed industry

Greater attention is always being given to quantity of seeds produced rather than the inherent quality when issues related to seed requirements are discussed. However, seed production should not be limited to production of crops with high yielding potential, but also of high quality seeds with good economic potential that can give good crop establishment and yields in a wide range of production environments. This requires good knowledge of seed production and the establishment of an economically functional seed system with serviceable strategies. This underscores the importance of seed quality assurance systems strengthened with seed law enforcement strategies to assure production of good quality seeds of preferred varieties. This paper discusses those strategies put in place to ensure a successful production of quality seeds in the Nigerian seed industry and how the setups operate to achieve this objective.

Ethical infrastructure: Halal and the ecology of askesis in Muslim Russia

This article explores the ecology of late-modern askesis through the concept of ‘ethical infrastructure’: the array of goods, locales, technologies, procedures, and sundry pieces of equipment upon which the possibility of ethicists’ striving is premised. By looking at the ethnographic case of halal living among Muslim pietists in post-Soviet Tatarstan (Russia), I advance a framework that highlights the ‘profane’, often unassuming or religiously unmarked, yet essential material scaffolding constituting the ‘material conditions of possibility’ for pious life in the lifeworld of late modernity. Halalness is conceptualised not as an inherent quality of a clearly defined set of things, but as a (sometimes complicated) relationship between humans, ethical intentionality, and infrastructurally organised habitats. Pointing beyond the case of halal, this article syncretises theories of self-cultivation, material religion, ethical consumption, and infrastructure to address current lacunas and explore fresh theoretical and methodological ground. This ‘ethical infrastructure’ framework enables us to conceptualise the embeddedness of contemporary ethicists in complex environments and the process by which processes of inner self-fashioning change and are changed by material worlds.

Negotiating Authenticity in Technological Environments

Essentialists understand authenticity as an inherent quality of a person, object, artifact, or place, whereas constructionists consider authenticity as a social creation without any pre-given essence, factuality, or reality. In this paper, we move beyond the essentialist-constructionist dichotomy. Rather than focusing on the question whether authenticity can be found or needs to be constructed, we hook into the idea that authenticity is an interactive, culturally informed process of negotiation. In addition to essentialist and constructionist approaches, we discuss a third, less well-known approach that cannot be reduced to any of the two forms. This approach celebrates the authenticity of inauthenticity by amplifying the made. We argue that the value of (in)authenticity lies not in choosing for one of these approaches, but in the degree to which the process of negotiating authenticity enables a critical formation of selves and societies. Authenticity is often invoked as a method of social control or a mark of power relations: once something is defined as authentic, it is no longer questioned. Emerging technologies—especially data-driven technologies—have the capacity to conceal these power relations, propel a shift in power, and dominate authentication processes. This raises the question how processes of authentication can contribute to a critical formation of selves and societies, against the backdrop of emerging technologies. We argue in favor of an interactionist approach of authenticity and discuss the importance of creating space in authentication processes that are increasingly influenced by technology as an invisible actor.

Targeted resurrection of chromosomal arm 1RS in two elite wheat lines with 1BL/1RS translocation for improved end-use quality

1BL/1RS translocation is widely used around the world to enhance wheat yield potential, resistance to various diseases, and adaptation. However, the translocation is combined with inherent quality problems associated with reduced dough strength and dough stickiness due to the presence of Sec-1 on proximal end and absence of GluB3/GliB1 on distal end. Two NILs, one carrying the distal (1RSRW) and the other carrying the proximal (1RSWR) fragment from 1BS, in background of Pavon were used for transferring these two loci in yellow rust resistant version of two elite wheat varieties PBW550+Yr5 and DBW17+Yr5. Foreground and background marker assisted selection was done for the Sec-1- and GluB3+ alongwith Lr26/Yr9/Sr31, Pm8 and 1RS loci in the advancing generation. BC2F5:6 NILs with absence of Secalin and presence of GluB3/GliB1 loci were evaluated for two years in replicated yield trial. A positive correlation of thousand grain weight (TGW), harvest index (HI), and tiller number per meter (TNpM) with yield (YD) with significant GxE effect was observed. Further multivariate analysis of these traits contributed maximum to the effective yield. Thirty promising NILs were identified with Sec-1-/GluB3+ alongwith with high yield contributing parameters.

Sexual selection theory meets disease vector control: Testing harmonic convergence as a “good genes” signal in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Background The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a medically important, globally distributed vector of the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Although reproduction and mate choice are key components of vector population dynamics and control, our understanding of the mechanisms of sexual selection in mosquitoes remains poor. In “good genes” models of sexual selection, females use male cues as an indicator of both mate and offspring genetic quality. Recent studies in Ae. aegypti provide evidence that male wingbeats may signal aspects of offspring quality and performance during mate selection in a process known as harmonic convergence. However, the extent to which harmonic convergence may signal overall inherent quality of mates and their offspring remains unknown. Methodology/Principal findings To examine this, we measured the relationship between acoustic signaling and a broad panel of parent and offspring fitness traits in two generations of field-derived Ae. aegypti originating from dengue-endemic field sites in Thailand. Our data show that in this population of mosquitoes, harmonic convergence does not signal male fertility, female fecundity, or male flight performance traits, which despite displaying robust variability in both parents and their offspring were only weakly heritable. Conclusions/Significance Together, our findings suggest that vector reproductive control programs should treat harmonic convergence as an indicator of some, but not all aspects of inherent quality, and that sexual selection likely affects Ae. aegypti in a trait-, population-, and environment-dependent manner.

The concept of “l’honnêteté” (nobleness) as the category of ethical and spiritual life in the French society of the XVII century

The subject of this research is the concept of nobleness “l’honnêteté” as the category of ethical and spiritual life in the French society of the XVII century. The ideas of “l’honnêteta” promted the formation of the new cultural and intellectual elite, anew ethos that was relatively supranational and standing above classes, adapted to court and secular life. The focus of the discussion that unfolded in the early XVII century is the question of whether it is possible to become a noble person by cultivating certain personality traits close to the ideal, or nobleness is an inherent quality and determined by social position in the existing hierarchy. The answer to this crucial question of the era had to destroy the stereotypes of medieval mentality. The philosophy of “l’honnêtetit” legitimized the infiltration of the third estate into the ruling class – nobles of the robe and petty nobility. The discussion around nobleness and the new ideal of a noble person performed the function of adaptation of the elites to the changing social conditions – the strengthening absolutism. The debate on the definition of a noble person continued unabated throughout the XVII century. However, by the second half of the XVII century, it was no longer relevant and completely replaced by the gallant ideal. The Russian historical literature did not give due attention to studying the “theory of nobleness”, which defines the relevance of this research. The focus of attentions shifts onto the new ideal that determines behavioral and communication pattern, system of education, and generated French society in the early XVII century; the ideals, which along with the French language and gallant culture, spreads across Europe and comes to Russia.

Change at the Museum - The Knowledge Production of Human Evolution

Museums today play an important role as a space for learning about science and the world. For this article, the phenomenon of human evolution is explored as an example of knowledge production about change. Empirical materials on exhibitions of human evolution were collected from visits to 25 historical and natural history museums. The empirical materials are analyzed together with a posthuman version of evolutionary theory, with a focus on aspects of change. This is based on a post-anthropocentric and relational approach to human evolution and change. The analysis shows that (i) museums face an anthropocentric tension, (ii) evolutionary change is seen as both an inherent quality of the individual species and as an entanglement of humans and the natural environment, (iii) the notion of ‘the first human’ produces various and contentious versions of knowledges about evolutionary change.

What is normal

The text discusses the role of art engaging in current urban issues, and how critical spatial practice and artistic-urbanistic strategies can contribute as durational involvement (see Paul O’Neill) to direct urbanism – for promoting a more just society by a socially engaged urban planning and development. The two projects 'NORMAL' and 'Harbour for Cultures' presented in this text address questions of what is considered 'normal' in our current society – which is characterized by the unplannable and increasing fears fueled by right wing demagogy. Rather than resigning in helplessness or fear – on the contrary, transparadiso considers this a unique chance to question dominant values of society driven by neo-liberal economics for re-introducing shared values of living together as social beings, for creating new, inclusive communities beyond cultural borders and thus counteracting the increasing isolation based on fear. Both projects exemplify participatory strategies like the 'production of desires' for producing programs beyond the functional, enhancing also poetic moments as non-recognized value in urban planning, and discuss how dialogues (see 'dialogical art', Grant Kester) can be created between conflicting interests. At the same time the projects make use of the 'autonomy of art' as inherent quality of approaching burning issues of society from an angle of the non-functional, the non-efficient – thus counteracting the dominant claims of decision making in our contemporary globalized society.

Sexual selection theory meets disease vector control: Testing harmonic convergence as a “good genes” signal in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a medically important, globally distributed vector of the viruses that cause dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Although reproduction and mate choice are key components of vector population dynamics and control, our understanding of the mechanisms of sexual selection in mosquitoes remains poor. In “good genes” models of sexual selection, females use male cues as an indicator of both mate and offspring inherent genetic quality. Recent studies in Ae. aegypti provide evidence that male wingbeat acoustics signal aspects of offspring quality and performance during mate selection in a process known as harmonic convergence. However, the extent to which harmonic convergence may signal overall inherent quality of mates and their offspring remains unknown. To examine this, we measured the potential acoustic signaling and heritability of a broad panel of parent and offspring fitness traits in two generations of field-derived Ae. aegypti originating from dengue endemic field sites in Thailand. Our data show that in this population of mosquitoes, harmonic convergence does not signal male fertility, female fecundity, and male flight performance traits, which despite displaying robust variability in both parents and their offspring were only weakly heritable. Together with previous work, our findings suggest that vector reproductive control programs should treat harmonic convergence as an indicator of some, but not all aspects of inherent quality, and that multiple forms of sexual selection are likely at play in Ae. aegypti in a trait, population, and environment dependent manner.

The Road to Collective Security: Soviet Russia, the League of Nations, and the Emergence of the ius contra bellum in the Aftermath of the Russian Revolution (1917–1934)

This article argues that the quest for ‘peaceful coexistence’, sometimes depicted as an inherent quality of Soviet foreign policy, rather reflects a re-interpretation of actual practice in the light of subsequent developments – in connection with the emergence of Joseph Stalin’s doctrine of Socialism in one country. The latter was primarily inspired by tactical necessities rather than doctrinal dogmas. Even though Soviet Russia was perceived and sometimes acted as an outsider, if not a disrupting agent, until the accession of the USSR to membership in the League of Nations in 1934, Soviet foreign legal policy discourse in the 1920s and early 1930s, with its increasing focus on ‘peaceful coexistence’ and collective security rather than world proletarian revolution, contributed substantively to the emergence and development of modern ius contra bellum.