•This paper presents a systematic literature review discussing the privacy paradox.•Users are concerned about their privacy but undertake little to protect their data.•Risk-benefit evaluation or ...little risk assessment drives information disclosure.•Design solutions of mobile apps should be adapted to different cognitive styles.•Support users through automated user-centered systems and user-friendly interface.
Also known as the privacy paradox, recent research on online behavior has revealed discrepancies between user attitude and their actual behavior. More specifically: While users claim to be very concerned about their privacy, they nevertheless undertake very little to protect their personal data. This systematic literature review explores the different theories on the phenomenon known as the privacy paradox.
Drawing on a sample of 32 full papers that explore 35 theories in total, we determined that a user’s decision-making process as it pertains to the willingness to divulge privacy information is generally driven by two considerations: (1) risk-benefit evaluation and (2) risk assessment deemed be none or negligible. By classifying in accordance with these two considerations, we have compiled a comprehensive model using all the variables mentioned in the discussed papers. The overall findings of the systematic literature review will investigate the nature of decision-making (rational vs. irrational) and the context in which the privacy paradox takes place, with a special focus on mobile computing. Furthermore, possible solutions and research limitation issues will be discussed.
Crop yield is dependent on climate conditions, which are becoming both more variable and extreme in some areas of the world as a consequence of global climate change. Increased precipitation and ...flooding events are the cause of important yield losses due to waterlogging or (partial) submergence of crops in the field. Our ability to screen efficiently and quickly for varieties that have increased tolerance to waterlogging or (partial) submergence is important. Barley, a staple crop worldwide, is particularly sensitive to waterlogging. Screening for waterlogging tolerant barley varieties has been ongoing for many years, but methods used to screen vary greatly, from the type of soil used to the time at which the treatment is applied. This variation makes it difficult to cross-compare results.
Here, we have devised a scoring system to assess barley tolerance to waterlogging and compare two different methods when partial submergence is applied with either water or a starch solution at an early developmental stage, which is particularly sensitive to waterlogging or partial submergence. The use of a starch solution has been previously shown to result in more reducing soil conditions and has been used to screen for waterlogging tolerance.
Our results show that the two methods provide similar results to qualitatively rank varieties as tolerant or sensitive, while also affecting plants differently, in that application of a starch solution results in stronger and earlier symptoms than applying partial submergence with water.
Self-incompatibility (SI) is a mechanism that many flowering plants employ to prevent fertilisation by self- and self-like pollen ensuring heterozygosity and hybrid vigour. Although a number of ...single locus mechanisms have been characterised in detail, no multi-locus systems have been fully elucidated. Historically, examples of the genetic analysis of multi-locus SI, to make analysis tractable, are either made on the progeny of bi-parental crosses, where the number of alleles at each locus is restricted, or on crosses prepared in such a way that only one of the SI loci segregates. Perennial ryegrass (
L.) possesses a well-documented two locus (
and
) gametophytic incompatibility system. A more universal, realistic proof of principle study was conducted in a perennial ryegrass population in which allelic and non-allelic diversity was not artificially restricted. A complex pattern of pollinations from a diallel cross was revealed which could not possibly be interpreted easily
, even with an already established genetic model. Instead, pollination scores were distilled into principal component scores described as Compatibility Components (CC1-CC3). These were then subjected to a conventional genome-wide association analysis. CC1 associated with markers on linkage groups (LGs) 1, 2, 3, and 6, CC2 exclusively with markers in a genomic region on LG 2, and CC3 with markers on LG 1. BLAST alignment with the Brachypodium physical map revealed highly significantly associated markers with peak associations with genes adjacent and four genes away from the chromosomal locations of candidate SI genes,
and
, respectively. Further significant associations were found in a
chromosome 3 region, having shared synteny with
LG 1, suggesting further SI loci linked to
or extensive micro-re-arrangement of the genome between
and
. Significant associations with gene sequences aligning with marker sequences on
LGs 3 and 6 were also identified. We therefore demonstrate the power of a novel association genetics approach to identify the genes controlling multi-locus gametophytic SI systems and to identify novel loci potentially involved in already established SI systems.
Picea sitchensis, Sitka spruce, is of interest to forestry as both a conservation species and a highly productive crop. Its native range stretches from Alaska to California, and it is hence ...distributed across a large environmental cline with areas of local adaptation. The IUFRO collection, established in 1968–1970, consists of 81 provenances of commercial and scientific interest spanning this native range. We used genotyping-by-sequencing on 1177 genotypes, originating from 80 of the IUFRO provenances which occupy 19 geographic regions of the Pacific Northwest, resulting in an SNP database of 36,567 markers. We detected low levels of genetic differentiation across this broad environmental cline, in agreement with other studies. However, we discovered island effects on geographically distant populations, such as those on Haida Gwaii and Kodiak Island. Using glaciation data, alongside this database, we see apparent post-glacial recolonization of the mainland from islands and the south of the range. Genotyping the IUFRO population expands upon the use of the collection in three ways: (i) providing information to breeders on genetic diversity which can be implemented into breeding programs, optimizing genetic gain for important traits; (ii) serving a scientific resource for studying spruce species; and (iii) utilizing provenances in breeding programs which are more tolerant to climate change.
Prior knowledge on heading date enables the selection of parents of synthetic cultivars that are well matched with respect to time of heading, which is essential to ensure plants put together will ...cross pollinate. Heading date of individual plants can be determined via direct phenotyping, which has a time and labour cost. It can also be inferred from family means, although the spread in days to heading within families demands roguing in first generation synthetics. Another option is to predict heading date from molecular markers. In this study we used a large training population consisting of individual plants to develop equations to predict heading date from marker genotypes. Using permutation-based variable selection measures we reduced the marker set from 217,563 to 50 without impacting the predictive ability. Opportunities exist to develop a cheap assay to sequence a small number of regions in linkage disequilibrium with heading date QTL in thousands of samples. Simultaneous use of these markers in non-linkage based marker-assisted selection approaches, such as paternity testing, should enhance the utility of such an approach.
Genomic selection (GS) can accelerate genetic gains in breeding programmes by reducing the time it takes to complete a cycle of selection. Puccinia coronata f. sp lolli (crown rust) is one of the ...most widespread diseases of perennial ryegrass and can lead to reductions in yield, persistency and nutritional value. Here, we used a large perennial ryegrass population to assess the accuracy of using genome wide markers to predict crown rust resistance and to investigate the factors affecting predictive ability.
Using these data, predictive ability for crown rust resistance in the complete population reached a maximum of 0.52. Much of the predictive ability resulted from the ability of markers to capture genetic relationships among families within the training set, and reducing the marker density had little impact on predictive ability. Using permutation based variable importance measure and genome wide association studies (GWAS) to identify and rank markers enabled the identification of a small subset of SNPs that could achieve predictive abilities close to those achieved using the complete marker set.
Using a GWAS to identify and rank markers enabled a small panel of markers to be identified that could achieve higher predictive ability than the same number of randomly selected markers, and predictive abilities close to those achieved with the entire marker set. This was particularly evident in a sub-population characterised by having on-average higher genome-wide linkage disequilibirum (LD). Higher predictive abilities with selected markers over random markers suggests they are in LD with QTL. Accuracy due to genetic relationships will decay rapidly over generations whereas accuracy due to LD will persist, which is advantageous for practical breeding applications.
Under natural environment plants experience different light intensities which can affect photosynthesis and consequently the availability of carbohydrates for daytime growth and their transient ...storage to supply night growth. We grew a spring barley cultivar, Propino, under three different light intensities under warm days and nights, and evaluated the spatial and diurnal adjustments occurring in the transient carbon stores. Leaves under high light at the end of the day accumulated mainly sucrose (30%) and malate (35%), with lower content of hexoses (5%), starch (15%) and fructans (15%). Under low light, plants presented reduced photosynthesis, with lower metabolite contents at end of day. The malate represented 51% of the total carbon accumulated at end of the day, at the expense of sucrose (12%), other metabolite contributions remaining similar to high light. The percentage of metabolites consumed at night was similar for all light intensities with around 75% of the sucrose and starch being mobilized whilst malate and fructans were only partially mobilized with 56 and 44%, respectively. Altogether, sucrose and malate were the main contributors of the total carbon used at night by barley plants, sucrose being predominant under high light (35% vs. 27%), but malate being the major metabolite used under low light with 40% of the total carbon consumed. Interestingly, light intensity also influenced the location of the C transient stores, the plants under low light prioritizing the accumulation of the metabolites, mostly malate, in the youngest tissues. Therefore, light influences quantitatively, but also qualitatively and spatially the carbon stores in the spring barley cv. Propino, suggesting a tight regulation of the primary metabolism.
Perennial ryegrass is a cool-season grass species from the family Poaceae and is widely cultivated in temperate regions because it exhibits rapid growth and establishment, and possesses high forage ...quality. The extension of the growing season in Ireland in spring and autumn is a breeding target to make farming more profitable since a grass-fed diet based on grazing is the cheapest way of nutrition for ruminants.
Fifty-seven perennial ryegrass accessions were screened for their ability to grow under typical Irish spring conditions as taken from long term temperature records in controlled climate chambers. They were grown in low temperature (8 °C/2 °C day/night) and control conditions (15 °C/8 °C day/night) in three consecutive independent experiments. Fresh weight, height, chlorophyll content and electrolyte leakage were measured, and these parameters were used to rank plant performance under low temperature growth conditions.
The results showed that height, yield and electrolyte leakage are excellent measures for the impact of cold stress tolerance. Little variation in growth was seen under cold stress, but a wide variety of responses were observed under control conditions.
Our results suggest that cold stress is under tight physiological control. Interestingly, the various genotypes responded differentially to more amenable control conditions, indicating that a quick response to more amenable growth conditions is a better target for breeding programmes.
The challenges of grass-weed control in a mild Atlantic climate, added to by the use of non-inversion tillage and limited herbicide options necessitated on-farm knowledge acquisition on grass weeds ...in Ireland. We surveyed 103 farms from 2020 to 2021 of which, 62 were plough-based and 41 non-inversion tillage. The survey comprised a questionnaire to determine grower demographics, grass-weed challenges, and the adoption of integrated grass-weed control methods (IWM); a grid-square assessment of key grass weeds encountered in one or more cereal fields in both years using weed scores from 0 (absent) to 10 (total weed cover); with samples collected for herbicide-resistance testing. Across the 103 farms,
Bromus
spp., (62%) and
Avena fatua
(56%) were the most prevalent but with moderate resistance (8% acetolactate synthase (ALS)-resistant
Bromus
, 10% acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-resistant
A. fatua
);
Lolium multiflorum
(13%) and
Alopecurus myosuroides
(16%) were found on fewer farms but with higher resistance levels (56% ACCase and/or ALS-resistant
L. multiflorum
, 43% ACCase/ALS-resistant
A. myosuroides
). Of those who adopted non-inversion tillage, a higher proportion of growers practiced crop rotation (88% cereal/non-cereal break or 83% alternate spring/winter-sown) and used cover crops (71%) than those ploughing (52-66% crop rotation or 19% cover crops), but herbicide use was similar in both systems. Despite higher levels of IWM practices, non-inversion tillage farms had higher weed scores (2.2 ± 0.2 or 3.8 ± 0.7) of
B. sterilis
and
L. multiflorum
than ploughing (1.2 ± 0.2 or 2.0 ± 0.7). Considering the complex resistance profile of high resistance-risk species, there is a need for urgent determination of and adoption of effective IWM across systems, specifically, non-inversion tillage. Most of the growers were aware of herbicide-resistant grass weeds (>80%) and most (>90%) used IWM practices (4 or more) to some extent. In our survey, non-inversion tillage farms tended to have younger growers with more formal education and larger farms. This is the first multi-component survey in Ireland establishing long-term monitoring of grass-weed challenges, grower characteristics and IWM practices.
Miscanthus and Saccharum are closely related perennial C₄ grasses. Miscanthus has recently attracted interest as a non-food crop for energy and fibre production. However, molecular genetic tools for ...the selection of new Miscanthus genotypes and study of its genetic resources are limited. We have identified six chloroplast (plastid) marker loci,containing both microsatellites (cpSSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and developed primers to amplify and sequence these regions. The primers were designed using the complete chloroplast genome sequence of sugarcane and were tested on a collection of 164 Miscanthus genotypes and 14 related species of the subfamily Panicoideae. The cpSSR markers were highly polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from 10 to 16 per locus. Within the six cpSSR marker loci, the hybrid M. ×giganteus exhibits virtually no cpDNA variation compared with its putative parents M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus. These SNP markers enable the differentiation of most Miscanthus species and detect infraspecific variation suitable for defining cytoplasmic genepools of Miscanthus for breeding purposes.
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