Host Specificity in the Honeybee Parasitic Mite, Varroa spp. in Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major global threat to the Western honeybee Apis mellifera. This mite was originally a parasite of A. cerana in Asia but managed to spill over into colonies of A. mellifera which had been introduced to this continent for honey production. To date, only two almost clonal types of V. destructor from Korea and Japan have been detected in A. mellifera colonies. However, since both A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies are kept in close proximity throughout Asia, not only new spill overs but also spill backs of highly virulent types may be possible, with unpredictable consequences for both honeybee species. We studied the dispersal and hybridisation potential of Varroa from sympatric colonies of the two hosts in Northern Vietnam and the Philippines using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers. We found a very distinct mtDNA haplotype equally invading both A. mellifera and A. cerana in the Philippines. In contrast, we observed a complete reproductive isolation of various Vietnamese Varroa populations in A. mellifera and A. cerana colonies even if kept in the same apiaries. In light of this variance in host specificity, the adaptation of the mite to its hosts seems to have generated much more genetic diversity than previously recognised and the Varroa species complex may include substantial cryptic speciation.

Interdependent recovery of adults with schizophrenia: Asian American consumer perspectives of family involvement and influence.

OBJECTIVE: Family involvement is important in the recovery experience of culturally diverse adults with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the influence of family among consumers purported to have close family ties without regular contact. This study explored Asian American consumers' views about family relationships and participation in their recovery. METHOD: Secondary analysis of qualitative data from a larger project was conducted to explore family related themes of 8 Asian Americans receiving services from recovery-focused programs in urban Southern California. RESULTS: Most consumers described their family support as adequate while simultaneously reporting limited family involvement. Asia-born and U.S.-born Asian consumers varied in describing family support, suggesting providers consider nativity in culturally responsive service delivery. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Families need not be present to affect the perspectives of Asian Americans receiving recovery-oriented services. The extent of family influences on recovery, beyond the initial determination of current family contact, requires further exploration.

Correlates of neighborhood environment with walking among older Asian Americans.

OBJECTIVE: There is a limited research and understanding regarding the physical activity (PA) of older Asian Americans. This study examined the associations between neighborhood factors and walking among older Asian Americans. METHOD: Drawing from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey, our sample included 1,045 older adults aged 55 and above representing five Asian groups: Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used to test the association between neighborhood factors and walking. RESULTS: The results showed that different from the less active health profile among Asian Americans when compared with White adults, Asian older adults overall walked considerably more than White seniors. Higher neighborhood cohesion was associated with more walking among some groups but not all. Association between other neighborhood factors and walking varied among the ethnic groups. DISCUSSION: Health promotion policies and programs should be strategically tailored for specific ethnic groups to more effectively promote PA among older Asian Americans.

Intrinsic motivation as a mediator of relationships between symptoms and functioning among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a diverse urban community.

This study investigated intrinsic motivation as a mediator of the relationship between clinical symptoms and functioning. The mediation model was tested with a sample of 166 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders attending psychosocial rehabilitation programs in a diverse urban community. Ethnic minority status was examined as a moderator of the mediation model. Motivation was measured using items reflecting intrapsychic drive. Symptoms were assessed with the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and functioning with the Role Functioning Scale. Motivation was a significant mediator of the relationship between functioning and all symptom scores; fully mediating the relationship between functioning and negative, disorganized, and global symptoms, and partially mediating the relationship between positive symptoms and functioning. Motivation scores between ethnic minority and nonminority individuals differed significantly (p < 0.05), but no moderation effect was indicated. The strong mediation effect schizophrenia of motivation on the symptoms-functioning relationship supports future work to translate findings into effective recovery-oriented services.

A culturally relevant conceptualization of depression: an empirical examination of the factorial structure of the Vietnamese Depression Scale.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high risk of depression among Vietnamese refugees, there has been insufficient attention to the psychometric properties of the most utilized scale, the Vietnamese Depression Scale (VDS: Kinzie et al., 1982). AIM: The primary aim of the study is to empirically derive the factorial structure of the VDS to support its use as a culturally responsive depression screening tool in community samples of Vietnamese adults. METHOD: The factorial structure, reliability, and associations of the VDS factors with recognized socio-demographic correlates were examined using data collected from interviews with a non-probability community sample of 180 Vietnamese refugee adults in the Houston area. RESULTS: The empirically derived factorial structure of the VDS approximated the theorized conceptualization of depression introduced by the scale's originators. Three factors (depressed affect, somatic symptoms, and cultural-specific symptoms) accounted for 65% of the variance. As hypothesized, the VDS factors correlated with age and acculturation variables. CONCLUSION: Overall results suggest that the conceptualization of depression among this sample of Vietnamese refugees has both universal and culturally specific features. Implications for providing culturally responsive mental health services are offered.

Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of the Multidrug Resistance-Reversing Agent Hapalosin and Its Non-N-methyl Analog.

Hapalosin was initially synthesized by macrolactonization, and a second synthesis was achieved by cycloamidation. In both syntheses, three of the five stereocenters in hapalosin were established by two Brown allylboration reactions. The synthesis of the non-N-Me analog of hapalosin involved chelation-controlled reduction of a gamma-amino-beta-keto ester and cycloamidation. In CDCl(3) at 25 degrees C, synthetic hapalosin exists as a 2.3:1 mixture of conformers, while its non-N-Me analog exists only as a single conformer. (1)H,(1)H-NOESY and computation reveal that the configuration of the amide bond is responsible for the conformations of the two compounds. The major conformer of hapalosin is found to be an s-cis amide, the minor conformer an s-trans amide, and the non-N-Me analog an s-trans amide. Applying distance constraints to protons that exhibit NOESY correlations, computation shows that the major conformer of hapalosin and the non-N-Me analog have very different conformations. By contrast, the minor conformer of hapalosin and the non-N-Me analog have very similar conformations.