Among major global threats to papaya cultivation, papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is the most challenging one. In the absence of any PRSV resistant commercial papaya cultivar, PRSV management is restricted to minimizing yield losses. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Pune has developed PRSV tolerant dioecious papaya lines, Pune Selection (PS)-1, PS-2, PS-3 and PS-5. Being dioecious these lines have limited acceptability among farmers. Gynodioecious population from these lines were developed and characterized. They are numbered PS-1-1, PS-2-1, PS-3-1 and PS-5-1. These lines were characterized against prevailing commercial gynodioecious cultivar, Red Lady, for five generations. The average plant height of PS-2-1 and PS-5-1 (183 cm) was more than Red Lady (158 cm), however, stem girth of all lines was lesser than Red Lady. The fruiting height of all lines was less than Red Lady (87 cm). Length of the fruiting column of all lines was more than Red Lady (37 cm), except in PS-1-1. Fruit yield of all lines was more than Red Lady (16 kg/plant). Intensity of PRSV infection in Red Lady (48%) was considerably more than all lines. These lines can be used for developing PRSV tolerant gynodioecious papaya variety.

With the continuous development and rapid progress of Internet technology, the technology of “Internet +” has been widely used in almost all walks of life, including education. The new learning mode of “Internet + education” is changing learners’ learning habits, and this learning mode has become a hot issue that scholars pay attention to. Although there is much research on blended learning, the research on the influencing factors of blended learning in Chinese private colleges and universities is limited. In this paper, the questionnaire was designed based on the theory of planning behavior and the technical acceptance model theory, and distribute these questionnaires to undergraduates at Harbin Cambridge University, a private university in China, and 162 valid questionnaires were collected. Analysis was performed by multiple linear regression and structural equation model method. It is found that college students’ blended learning effect is positively correlated with perceived usefulness, interactive behavior, and learning acceptance, while perceived ease of use and learning atmosphere have no significant influence on the learning effect. This study further found that perceived usefulness and interactive behavior can influence the effect of blended learning through the mediating effect of learning acceptance. The results of this study provide a new idea for the study of blended learning; that is, students will know how to improve the effectiveness of blended learning, and also provide a valuable reference for teachers to solve the problem of how to improve the quality and effectiveness of blended classroom teaching.

Since 2019, Togo has resolutely engaged in the decentralization process marked by communalization and elections of municipal councilors. Financial autonomy constitutes an essential lever for the free administration of municipalities, allowing them to ensure decision-making and the implementation of development projects. However, despite a legal and regulatory framework defining taxation specific to local authorities, Togolese municipalities are often perceived as needing more financial resources. This study aims to map the financing mechanisms for decentralization in Togo and analyze their contribution to municipal budgets. By adopting a quantitative approach combining documentary analysis and interviews with 188 experts and practitioners of local finance from various Togolese structures, four main financing mechanisms were identified: local, national, Community, and international. Among these mechanisms, own resources (in particular from the sale of products and services, fiscal and non-fiscal taxes) and state transfers via the Support Fund for Local Authorities emerge as the primary sources of financing for municipalities. However, the study reveals that several instruments of local mechanisms, although institutionally defined, still need to be updated in many municipalities, thus limiting their effectiveness in resource mobilization. These results highlight the importance of optimizing the management of local mechanisms to strengthen municipalities’ financial autonomy and support territories’ sustainable development.

Shared education has the potential to foster pluralistic values and improve relations between individuals from diverse ethno-linguistic backgrounds. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of how shared learning experiences can promote pluralism and social equality by examining the pedagogical factors that influence their success. This study focuses on a shared English learning model implemented with 8th-grade Arab and Jewish students in homogenous Israeli cities. This qualitative study, involving observations, interviews, focus groups, and transcript analysis, engaged 42 students, two teachers, and two administrators. The findings suggest that shared education has positive social implications. It facilitated interaction between Arab and Jewish students and challenged negative stereotypes. Notably, the Jewish students’ limited Arabic language proficiency led to complex interactions, stimulating critical thinking about linguistic inequality and increasing motivation to learn Arabic. While shared education improved intergroup relations, it also encountered logistical challenges that necessitated institutional support to optimize its effectiveness.