Developmental validation of a novel multiple genotyping assay with 24 Canine STR loci.

Canine individual identification and parentage testing are essential in various fields, including forensics and breeding programs. This study aimed to develop and validate the Canine 25 A kit, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system designed to address these critical requirements. This novel system enables the simultaneous amplification of 24 canine autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci and one sex-determining marker. Validation of the Canine 25 A kit was conducted following the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines, demonstrating significant sensitivity, high inhibitor tolerance, canine specificity within a mixture, species specificity, and precision in genotype determination. The Canine 25 A kit was crucial in resolving several forensic cases, such as casework samples from a dog attack incident and parentage determination. Its effectiveness in genotyping these samples highlights its significance in forensic applications. Population genetic parameter analysis revealed a high discriminatory power, as indicated by the calculated combined discrimination power (CDP) values for each breed exceeding 0.999 999 999 999, while the combined power of exclusion (CPE) surpassed 0.9999. Overall, the Canine 25 A kit offers a precise and dependable tool for canine individual identification and parentage determination.

Novel microRNA biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematosus in plasma: miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p.

BACKGROUND: To explore the clinical value of miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p in plasma, and to examine whether these microRNAs can serve as biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus. METHODS: Samples from 50 patients with SLE and 47 healthy individuals were collected from the Rheumatology and Immunology Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The expression of miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum were determined by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR). We then further analyzed the associations between these microRNAs and clinically relevant indicators. We employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curves (AUCs) to validate the diagnostic value of miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p. RESULTS: The expression of miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p was significantly upregulated in PBMCs and serum from SLE patients compared with the normal control group (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis indicated that plasma miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p were thus candidate diagnostic biomarkers for SLE, with AUCs of 0.714 (95% CI, 0.610 to 0.820, P < 0.05) and 0.705 (95% CI, 0.600 to 0.809, P < 0.05), respectively. Furthermore, the combined diagnostic efficiency of miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p was higher than that for miR-124-3p or miR-377-3p alone, and the AUCs for miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p in plasma were higher than in PBMCs. Plasma miR-124-3p expression was also associated with various clinicopathological parameters such as antiC1q and C3. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the expression of miR-377-3p was an independent predictor for SLE, and the plasma miR-124-3p was independently associated with the remission rate of SLE. CONCLUSION: Circulating miR-124-3p and miR-377-3p may constitute promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of SLE.

Plasma YKL-40 and NGAL are useful in distinguishing ACO from asthma and COPD.

BACKGROUND: Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) overlap (ACO) is characterized by the coexistence of features of both asthma and COPD and is associated with rapid progress and a poor prognosis. Thus, the early recognition of ACO is crucial. OBJECTIVES: We sought to explore the plasma levels of biomarkers associated with asthma (periostin, TSLP and YKL-40), COPD (NGAL) and their possible correlation with lung function, the bronchodilator response and radiographic imaging in patients with asthma, COPD and with features of ACO. METHODS: We enrolled 423 subjects from 6 clinical centers. All participants underwent blood collection, lung function measurements, bronchodilator response tests and high-resolution CT. Correlations of the plasma biomarkers with lung function, the bronchodilator response and percentemphysema were calculated by Spearman's rank correlation and multivariate stepwise regressionanalysis. RESULTS: 1) Patients with features of ACO had lower plasma YKL-40 than COPD patients and a moderate elevated plasma level of NGAL compared with asthma patients. 2) Patients with features of ACO had an intermediate degree of airflow obstruction, the bronchodilator response and emphysema between patients with COPD and asthma. 3) Plasma YKL-40 was negatively correlated with lung function and with the bronchodilator response, and plasma NGAL was positively correlated with the extent of emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma YKL-40 is a promising candidate for distinguishing between patients with features of ACO and COPD patients, while plasma NGAL may be a valuable biomarker for differentiating between patients with features of ACO and asthma patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-OOC-16009221.

Accent, perpetual foreigner stereotype, and perceived discrimination as indirect links between English proficiency and depressive symptoms in Chinese American adolescents.

The current study uses García Coll et al.'s (1996) developmental competence model of ethnic minority children and Kim's (1999) racial triangulation theory as frameworks for investigating the mechanisms whereby early adolescent English proficiency relates to perceived discriminatory experiences and adolescent depressive symptoms. Data from 444 adolescents (239 girls and 205 boys, with a mean age of 13.0 years for Wave 1 and 17.0 years for Wave 2) and their parents living in major metropolitan areas of Northern California were collected. The structural equation modeling analyses indicate that self-reported low levels of English proficiency among Chinese American adolescents in middle school are related to these same students later reporting that they speak English with an accent in high school, which in turn relates significantly to their perceiving that they have been stereotyped as perpetual foreigners. For girls, a perpetual foreigner stereotype relates to perceptions of chronic daily discrimination, increasing the risk of depressive symptoms. For boys, the path is different: A perpetual foreigner stereotype is apparently related to discriminatory victimization experiences, which increase the risk of depressive symptoms.

Cultural orientation as a moderator of the relationship between Chinese American adolescents' discrimination experiences and delinquent behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among Chinese American adolescents' discrimination experiences, cultural orientations, and delinquent behaviors. Data were collected from three hundred and eleven Chinese American adolescents (58% girls) and their parents when the adolescents were 7th or 8th graders and again 4 years later. The data analyses demonstrated that adolescents' perceptions of discrimination and victimization experiences were significantly related to their delinquent behaviors conditionally based upon their cultural orientation. Specifically, adolescents' high Chinese cultural orientation amplified the negative impact of discriminatory experiences on delinquent behaviors whereas high Western cultural orientation protected them against that impact. The significance of both ethnic and mainstream cultural orientations for understanding ethnic minority adolescents' adjustment and improving their adjustment outcomes is discussed.

Family influences on adolescent delinquent behaviors: applying the social development model to a Chinese sample.

The current study applied the Social Development Model (SDM) to improve understanding of the mediation processes through which the family environment was related to Chinese adolescent delinquent behavior. We tested the hypothesized model using structural equation modeling with questionnaire data collected from 736 Chinese 7th and 9th graders, their parents, and their teachers from two middle schools in Beijing, China. Testing the model separately for boys and girls yielded adequate fit indices for both although the hypothesized model was not invariant across gender and several gender differences were identified. The SDM appeared to be a valuable tool in studying the development of Chinese adolescent delinquency.

Agreement between parent and teacher reports on behavioral problems among chinese children.

Research has consistently shown low to moderate correlations between parent and teacher reports on children's behavioral problems in Western samples. Little is known about the agreement between parent and teacher reports on behavioral problems among Chinese children. The authors examined the agreement on behavioral and emotional problems in a community sample of 2836 Chinese children aged 6 to 11 years from Mainland China. Children's behavioral problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF). Consistent with most previous studies in Western samples, our results indicated that parent-teacher agreement was low to moderate for attention, externalizing, and internalizing problems. Parent-teacher agreement was higher for attention and externalizing problems than for internalizing problems and decreased with increased behavioral problems. Child's gender, age, and academic performance and father's age were correlated with parent-teacher agreement on ratings of behavioral problems.