Search

AbstractThis paper examines women-exclusionary discourses on the popular anime Usenet newsgroup, rec.arts.anime. By going back to pre-2000 online anime histories, this paper proposes to understand how women-exclusionary discursive practices on rec.arts.anime have contributed to shaping contemporary toxic technocultures’ discursive identities, as it is admitted that forum 4chanoriginated from online anime fandom. By using a data set of 252 messages related to gender issues posted from 1992 to 1996, I identify 7 discursive practices that I am theorizing here under the name of negative networking: 1. Blaming female anime fans for their lack of visibility; 2. Doubting the authentic interest of women in anime; 3. Mystifying the female anime fan; 4. Harassing female anime fans; 5. Criticizing the association of feminism with anime, both as interpretive practices and as scholarship; 6. Belittling female anime fans’ concerns; and 7. Denying or ignoring the challenges faced by female anime fans. I argue that the impact of these discourses must be understood as determinant in the establishment of the online anime hegemonic fan identity and its prediscourses, especially as they relate to the long-lasting marginalization of women and gender diverse anime fans.

Fruit quality traits are major breeding targets in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Taking into account the requirements of both growers and consumers when selecting high-quality cultivars is a real challenge. Here, we used a diversity panel enriched with unique European accessions and the 50 K FanaSNP array to highlight the evolution of strawberry diversity over the past 160 years, investigate the molecular basis of 12 major fruit quality traits by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and provide genetic markers for breeding. Results show that considerable improvements of key breeding targets including fruit weight, firmness, composition, and appearance occurred simultaneously in European and American cultivars. Despite the high genetic diversity of our panel, we observed a drop in nucleotide diversity in certain chromosomal regions, revealing the impact of selection. GWAS identified 71 associations with 11 quality traits and, while validating known associations (firmness, sugar), highlighted the predominance of new quantitative trait locus (QTL), demonstrating the value of using untapped genetic resources. Three of the six selective sweeps detected are related to glossiness or skin resistance, two little-studied traits important for fruit attractiveness and, potentially, postharvest shelf life. Moreover, major QTL for firmness, glossiness, skin resistance, and susceptibility to bruising are found within a low diversity region of chromosome 3D. Stringent search for candidate genes underlying QTL uncovered strong candidates for fruit color, firmness, sugar and acid composition, glossiness, and skin resistance. Overall, our study provides a potential avenue for extending shelf life without compromising flavor and color as well as the genetic markers needed to achieve this goal.

Flavonoids are products from specialized metabolism that contribute to fruit sensorial (color) and nutritional (antioxidant properties) quality. Here, using a pseudo full-sibling F1progeny previously studied for fruit sensorial quality of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), we explored over two successive years the genetic architecture of flavonoid-related traits using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (13 compounds including anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols) and colorimetric assays (anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolics, and total antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing antioxidant power and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity)). Network correlation analysis highlighted the high connectivity of flavonoid compounds within each chemical class and low correlation with colorimetric traits except for anthocyanins. Mapping onto the female and male linkage maps of 152 flavonoid metabolic quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) and of 26 colorimetric QTLs indicated colocalization on few linkage groups of major flavonoid- and taste-related QTLs previously uncovered. These results pave the way for the discovery of genetic variations underlying flavonoid mQTLs and for marker-assisted selection of strawberry varieties with improved sensorial and nutritional quality.

Strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa) fruits are an excellent source of L-ascorbic acid (AsA), a powerful antioxidant for plants and humans. Identifying the genetic components underlying AsA accumulation is crucial for enhancing strawberry nutritional quality. Here, we unravel the genetic architecture of AsA accumulation using an F1population derived from parental lines ‘Candonga’ and ‘Senga Sengana’, adapted to distinct Southern and Northern European areas. To account for environmental effects, the F1and parental lines were grown and phenotyped in five locations across Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain). Fruit AsA content displayed normal distribution typical of quantitative traits and ranged five-fold, with significant differences among genotypes and environments. AsA content in each country and the average in all of them was used in combination with 6,974 markers for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Environmentally stable QTLs for AsA content were detected in linkage group (LG) 3A, LG 5A, LG 5B, LG 6B and LG 7C. Candidate genes were identified within stable QTL intervals and expression analysis in lines with contrasting AsA content suggested that GDP-L-Galactose Phosphorylase FaGGP(3A),and the chloroplast-located AsA transporter gene FaPHT4;4(7C)might be the underlying genetic factors for QTLs on LG 3A and 7C, respectively. We show that recessive alleles of FaGGP(3A)inherited from both parental lines increase fruit AsA content. Furthermore, expression of FaGGP(3A)was two-fold higher in lines with high AsA. Markers here identified represent a useful resource for efficient selection of new strawberry cultivars with increased AsA content.

Club cell secretory protein (CCSP) is a protective biomarker associated with annual decline in lung function. COPD progression results from an imbalance between injury and repair initially triggered by cigarette smoking.