Population genetic characterization of the Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), using novel microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA gene sequences.

The Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai Guérin-Méneville, 1861 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), is an important natural resource of industrial value for silk fiber production. Owing to a lack of geographic and population genetic information, systematic domestication of An. yamamai has not been possible yet. In this study, 10 microsatellite markers developed using next-generation sequencing and two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences (COI and ND4) were used to investigate the genetic variation and geographic structure of An. yamamai populations in South Korea. The two mtDNA gene sequences revealed very low total genetic variation and, consequently, low geographic variation, validating the use of more variable molecular markers. Genotyping of 76 An. yamamai individuals from nine localities in South Korea showed that the observed number of alleles at each locus ranged from 3 to 26, the polymorphism information content was 0.2990-0.9014, the observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.3252-0.9076 and 0.2500-0.9054, respectively, and FIS was -0.654-0.520. The population-based FIS, FST, RST, and global Mantel tests all suggested that the An. yamamai populations were overall well-interconnected, suggesting that any population can be used as a genetic source for domestication. Nevertheless, STRUCTURE analyses using microsatellite data and mtDNA sequences indicated the presence of two genetic pools in many populations, although a plausible explanation for this observation requires further studies.

HIV-related symptoms and patient clusters among Chileans living with HIV.

Identifying both Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related and co-morbid symptoms experienced by people living with HIV (PLWH) who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment is a major challenge for healthcare providers globally. Yet, little research to date has examined the symptoms of illness experienced by PLWH including patients living in Central and South American. To address this gap, this study was designed to identify symptoms of HIV by socio-demographic and/or clinical characteristics among Chilean patients living with the virus. A convenience sample of 209 Chilean PLWH was recruited from an outpatient clinic in Santiago, Chile. A structured interview was used to elicit socio-demographic information and HIV symptoms status. Additional clinical information was obtained through a review of the participants' medical records. Results show that patients' most commonly reported HIV-related symptoms were fear/worries (66%), anxiety (52%), gas/bloating (50%), and thirst (50%). Multivariate analysis revealed a positive association between the number of reported HIV-related symptoms and number of years living with HIV. Having completed college was negatively associated with number of symptoms. Latent class analysis indicated that PLWH in the sample who had completed college were two times more likely to experience a mild intensity of HIV-related symptoms than their lesser educated counterparts. Similarly, logistic regression revealed that college-educated PLWH were twice as likely to be classified in the subgroup reporting mild intensity of symptoms than those who lacked a college degree. Overall, the study's results reveal that many Chilean PLWH, even those with high CD4 counts and low or undetectable viral loads, are not symptom free. The findings point to the need for clinicians to tailor a plan of care for individuals living with HIV that is based on their symptomatology.

Multiple displacement amplification for preimplantation genetic diagnosis of fragile X syndrome.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has become an assisted reproductive technique for couples that have genetic risks. Despite the many advantages provided by PGD, there are several problems, including amplification failure, allele drop-out and amplification inefficiency. We evaluated multiple displacement amplification (MDA) for PGD of the fragile X syndrome. Whole genome amplification was performed using MDA. MDA products were subjected to fluorescent PCR of fragile X mental retardation-1 (FMR1) CGG repeats, amelogenin and two polymorphic markers. In the pre-clinical tests, the amplification rates of the FMR1 CGG repeat, DXS1215 and FRAXAC1 were 84.2, 87.5 and 75.0%, respectively, while the allele dropout rates were 31.3, 57.1 and 50.0%, respectively. In two PGD treatment cycles, 20 embryos among 30 embryos were successfully diagnosed as 10 normal embryos, four mutated embryos and six heterozygous carriers. Three healthy embryos were transferred to the uterus; however, no clinical pregnancy was achieved. Our data indicate that MDA and fluorescent PCR with four loci can be successfully applied to PGD for fragile X syndrome. Advanced methods for amplification of minuscule amounts of DNA could improve the sensitivity and reliability of PGD for complicated single gene disorders.

Population genetic structure of the migratory rice leaf roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), inferred from the mitochondrial A+T-rich region and nuclear ITS2 sequences.

The population genetics of the migratory rice leaf roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), was characterized using the maternally inherited mitochondrial A+T-rich region and bi-parentally inherited nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). One hundred and eighty-seven specimens of the rice leaf roller collected from 13 Korean and Chinese localities revealed 94 A+T-rich region haplotypes, ranging in sequence length from 339 to 348 bp and 129 ITS2 sequence types, ranging from 444 to 450 bp, with maximum sequence divergences of 4.55 and 4.43%, respectively. The finding of almost no significant F(ST), even among Chinese and Korean localities, except for one Chinese island population (ITS2 only), and the finding of genetic variance principally at the within-population level indicate the genetic structure characteristics of a migratory insect that is well connected among populations due to high gene flow. Detection of significant F(ST) estimates of one offshore island population in China (Haikou) compared to most others only by ITS2 rather than by the mitochondrial A+T-rich region, as well as the somewhat higher degree of genetic differentiation seen on ITS2, suggest the importance of female dispersal. Structural analysis of the A+T-rich region revealed a poly-T stretch (10-16 bp), a microsatellite-like AT repeat (10-14 repeats), and a 5-bp long-motif "ATTTA". The typical 5-bp long conserved motif sequence (ATAGA) previously detected in other lepidopterans was found to be ATAG in the C. medinalis A+T-rich region.

Global quality criteria, standards, and indicators for doctoral programs in nursing; literature review and guideline development.

BACKGROUND: Nursing profession has intensified education and training of nurse researchers who could enhance the health of people through the discovery and dissemination of knowledge. This resulted in rapid increase in the number of doctoral programs in nursing in many countries in recent decades, but the guidelines for quality programs are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To develop guidelines for quality criteria, standards, and indicators for doctoral programs in nursing that may be used worldwide. METHODS: The work of the quality criteria, standards and indicators (QCSI) committee of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing formed the basis of this paper and authors supplemented it by a literature review and consultation with international experts. FINDINGS: The major criteria of quality of doctoral program were: the nature of the mission, the quality of faculty, the students, the curriculum, program administration, and resources. Sub-criteria, standards and indicators for each of these criteria were identified in sufficient detail to provide guidance for quality doctoral programs in nursing. Concerns as to whether the QCSI would apply to those countries and doctoral programs that focus on a research thesis only, without formal coursework were addressed. Experts from across the world felt that the QCSI would be applicable for most program types. CONCLUSIONS: Global criteria, standards, and indicators for doctoral programs in nursing presented in this article may serve as guidelines for most doctoral programs in the world as these were developed by experienced nurse scholars representing eight countries from five continents. The degree of detail in these parameters is sufficient to enhance the utility of the QCSI for all doctoral programs worldwide.