Comparative Family Studies Research Articles

Comparative study of DAM, Dof, and WRKY gene families in fourteen species and their expression in Vitis vinifera.

Bud dormancy is one of the most important defensive mechanisms through which plants resist cold stress during harsh winter weather. DAM, Dof, and WRKY have been reported to be involved in many biological processes, including bud dormancy. In the present study, grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and other thirteen plants (six woody plants and seven herbaceous plants) were analyzed for the quantity, sequence structure, and evolution patterns of their DAM, Dof, and WRKY gene family members. Moreover, the expression of VvDAM, VvDof, and VvWRKY genes was also investigated. Thus, 51 DAM, 1,205 WRKY, and 489 Dof genes were isolated from selected genomes, while 5 DAM, 114 WRKY, and 50 Dof duplicate gene pairs were identified in 10 genomes. Moreover, WGD and segmental duplication events were associated with the majority of the expansions of Dof and WRKY gene families. The VvDAM, VvDof, and VvWRKY genes significantly differentially expressed throughout bud dormancy outnumbered those significantly differentially expressed throughout fruit development or under abiotic stresses. Interestingly, multiple stress responsive genes were identified, such as VvDAM (VIT_00s0313g00070), two VvDof genes (VIT_18s0001g11310 and VIT_02s0025g02250), and two VvWRKY genes (VIT_07s0031g01710 and VIT_11s0052g00450). These data provide candidate genes for molecular biology research investigating bud dormancy and responses to abiotic stresses (namely salt, drought, copper, and waterlogging).

A comparative study of different model families for the constitutive simulation of viscous clays

SummaryThe simulation of the viscous behavior of some clays is of high importance in many geotechnical problems. The literature offers a vast amount of constitutive models able to simulate the rate dependence observed on these materials. Although most of these models are calibrated to very similar experimental observations and share similar definitions of material parameters, some discrepancies of their response have been detected, which are related to their mathematical formulations. In this work, the causes of these discrepancies are carefully studied. To that end, four different model families are analyzed, namely, nonstationary flow surface (NSFS) models, viscoplasticity with overstress function (OVP), viscoplasticity with Norton's power law (NVP), and visco‐hypoplasticity (VHP). For the sake of a fair comparison, single constitutive models using the same set of material parameters, and following other requirements, are developed for each model family. Numerical implementations of the four resulting models are performed. Their response at different tests are carefully analyzed through simulation examples and direct examination of their constitutive equations. The set includes some basic tests at isotropic stress states and others as responses envelopes, undrained creep rupture, and an oedometer test with loading, unloading‐reloading, creep, and relaxation. The article is concluded with some remarks about the observed discrepancies of these model families.

Prosthetic Soul Mates: Sex Robots as Media for Companionship

Prosthetic Soul Mates: Sex Robots as Media for Companionship

Experiencing Anti-Immigrant Policies on Both Sides of the U.S./Mexico Borderland: A Comparative Study of Mexican and Iranian Families

The experiences of Mexican and Iranian immigrant families are often unheard and unpacked. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how race, ethnicity, and national identity are at the core of the sociopolitical and economic issues that Latino and Iranian families undergo in the United States. Using critical race theory as a framework, this research analyzed the ways in which Mexican immigrant families who were deported, and Iranian-immigrant families living in the United States, have been differently affected by post 9/11 anti-immigrant policies and by zero tolerance policies enacted by the Trump administration. The research question guiding this study was: How do U.S. anti-immigrant policies affect Iranian and Mexican immigrant families and their children’s futures? Our findings uncovered that both groups were negatively affected, however, in different ways. Iranian immigrant parents worried about their socioeconomic status in the United States and their children’s future. They also feared that their relatives might not be able to visit them due to the U.S. Muslim Travel Ban placed on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. On the other hand, Mexican immigrants who lived in the United States undocumented were deported to Mexico. However, after deportation, and responding to the threat of the Trump administration to deport millions more, the Mexican government provided dual citizenship to U.S.-born children of Mexican returnees to facilitate their access to government services, including education. All people and place names are pseudonyms.

Deep Learning for Classification of Hyperspectral Data: A Comparative Review

In recent years, deep learning techniques revolutionized the way remote sensing data are processed. Classification of hyperspectral data is no exception to the rule, but has intrinsic specificities which make application of deep learning less straightforward than with other optical data. This article presents a state of the art of previous machine learning approaches, reviews the various deep learning approaches currently proposed for hyperspectral classification, and identifies the problems and difficulties which arise to implement deep neural networks for this task. In particular, the issues of spatial and spectral resolution, data volume, and transfer of models from multimedia images to hyperspectral data are addressed. Additionally, a comparative study of various families of network architectures is provided and a software toolbox is publicly released to allow experimenting with these methods. 1 This article is intended for both data scientists with interest in hyperspectral data and remote sensing experts eager to apply deep learning techniques to their own dataset.

In silico Identification and Expression of Protocadherin Gene Family in Octopus vulgaris.

Connecting millions of neurons to create a functional neural circuit is a daunting challenge. Vertebrates developed a molecular system at the cell membrane to allow neurons to recognize each other by distinguishing self from non-self through homophilic protocadherin interactions. In mammals, the protocadherin gene family counts about 50 different genes. By hetero-multimerization, protocadherins are capable of generating an impressive number of molecular interfaces. Surprisingly, in the California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides, an invertebrate belonging to the Phylum Mollusca, over 160 protocadherins (PCDHs) have been identified. Here we briefly discuss the role of PCDHs in neural wiring and conduct a comparative study of the protocadherin gene family in two closely related octopus species, Octopus vulgaris and O. bimaculoides. A first glance at the expression patterns of protocadherins in O. vulgaris is also provided. Finally, we comment on PCDH evolution in the light of invertebrate nervous system plasticity.

A Study on experiences of self-reliance and strengths of single mothers: A comparative study of widowed, divorced and unmarried single mother families

A Study on experiences of self-reliance and strengths of single mothers: A comparative study of widowed, divorced and unmarried single mother families

Genome-Wide Identification and Comparative Analysis of the 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase (HMGR) Gene Family in Gossypium.

Terpenes are the largest and most diverse class of secondary metabolites in plants and play a very important role in plant adaptation to environment. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the process of terpene biosynthesis in the cytosol. Previous study found the HMGR genes underwent gene expansion in Gossypium raimondii, but the characteristics and evolution of the HMGR gene family in Gossypium genus are unclear. In this study, genome-wide identification and comparative study of HMGR gene family were carried out in three Gossypium species with genome sequences, i.e., G. raimondii, Gossypium arboreum, and Gossypium hirsutum. In total, nine, nine and 18 HMGR genes were identified in G. raimondii, G. arboreum, and G. hirsutum, respectively. The results indicated that the HMGR genes underwent gene expansion and a unique gene cluster containing four HMGR genes was found in all the three Gossypium species. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that the expansion of HMGR genes had occurred in their common ancestor. There was a pseudogene that had a 10-bp deletion resulting in a frameshift mutation and could not be translated into functional proteins in G. arboreum and the A-subgenome of G. hirsutum. The expression profiles of the two pseudogenes showed that they had tissue-specific expression. Additionally, the expression pattern of the pseudogene in the A-subgenome of G. hirsutum was similar to its paralogous gene in the D-subgenome of G. hirsutum. Our results provide useful information for understanding cytosolic terpene biosynthesis in Gossypium species.

Employee engagement: a comparative study of family and non-family businesses

Employee engagement: a comparative study of family and non-family businesses

Employee engagement: a comparative study of family and non-family businesses

The purpose of this study is to analyse the antecedents of employee engagement in family and non-family businesses by using the model developed by Saks (2006). Further, the study examines whether there is a difference in employee engagement between employees in family and non-family firms. A quantitative study is applied through cross-sectional survey method by using online questionnaire for data collection. The final sample consists of 126 participants out of which 68 were employees in family businesses and 58 in non-family businesses. The results gave little support for both hypotheses. The partial support was found in the model of antecedents of employee engagement while no support was found for the difference in employee engagement when it comes to comparison between employees in family and non-family businesses.

Transpersonal Ether: personhood, family and religion in modern societies

Abstract This article consists of a theoretical review of the conjunction between lived experience of family belonging and religious encompassment in modern societies, resorting to data resulting from a comparative study of personhood, family and religion in urban Brazil, concentrated in a network of upper social strata and in a medical context of palliative care. In both contexts people move in what may be called a “transpersonal ether”, a complex enmeshing of personhood in kinship and religious experiences that far exceeds the limits of the rational, autonomous, units privileged by hegemonic scientific knowledge and individualistic ideology. Our interest is to contribute to the understanding of the processes and characteristics of the “extended self” in general modern conditions and to explore the circumstances in which these dimensions tend to become more explicit, as phenomenological limits and counterparts to the individualization and disenchantment that has characterized Western modernity.

Intimate Partner Violence in the African American Community: Risk, Theory, and Interventions

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is devastating to individuals, families, and communities. IPV is considered the most prevalent type of violence in families (Owen et al. in Journal of Family Violence, 24(7), 433–445. doi: 10.1007/s10896-009-9239-2 , 2009; Williams et al. in Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 16(3), 296–310. doi: 10.1080/10926770801925726 , 2008a). Unfortunately, IPV occurs far too frequently within African American families. Research suggests that African Americans are more likely to report experiencing IPV than any other racial groups (Bent-Goodley in Health & Social Work, 29(4), 307–316, 2004; Hampton and Gelles in Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 25, 105–119, 1994; Rennison and Welchans 2000). Despite this, there is a paucity of research that highlights the specific factors that may contribute to the high rates of IPV within the African American community. This article will explore the risk factors associated with IPV in this, while highlighting the way in which psychoanalytic theory can be used to understand these rates. Treatment approaches that use a multicultural framework will also be discussed.

Marital Adjustment among Women: A Comparative Study of Nuclear and Joint Families

Marital adjustment denotes emotional stability, intellectual efficiency and social effectiveness people. He present study is an attempt to ascertain the level of marital adjustment among women with reference to their type of family belonging to Madhya Pradesh. For the conduction of study a sample of 120 women (nuclear family=60 & joint family=60) was purposively selected. The measure used for data collection was Pramod, K.; Kanchana, R. Marital Adjustment Scale. The data was analyzed by computing Means, SD, & t-test. The results revealed that there was a significant difference in marital adjustment among women of nuclear and joint families. The women belonging to nuclear showed higher levels of marital adjustment as compared to women of joint families.

A comparative study of family in China and Japan

A comparative study of family in China and Japan

Vanesssa Reimer and Sarah Sahagian (Eds.). Mother of Invention: How Our Mothers Influenced Us as Feminist Academics and Activists. Bradford, Ontario, Canada: Demeter Press

"Vanesssa Reimer and Sarah Sahagian (Eds.). Mother of Invention: How Our Mothers Influenced Us as Feminist Academics and Activists. Bradford, Ontario, Canada: Demeter Press." Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 46(3), pp. 435–436

Retained duplicate genes in green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii tend to be stress responsive and experience frequent response gains.

BackgroundGreen algae belong to a group of photosynthetic organisms that occupy diverse habitats, are closely related to land plants, and have been studied as sources of food and biofuel. Although multiple green algal genomes are available, a global comparative study of algal gene families has not been carried out. To investigate how gene families and gene expression have evolved, particularly in the context of stress response that have been shown to correlate with gene family expansion in multiple eukaryotes, we characterized the expansion patterns of gene families in nine green algal species, and examined evolution of stress response among gene duplicates in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.ResultsSubstantial variation in domain family sizes exists among green algal species. Lineage-specific expansion of families occurred throughout the green algal lineage but inferred gene losses occurred more often than gene gains, suggesting a continuous reduction of algal gene repertoire. Retained duplicates tend to be involved in stress response, similar to land plant species. However, stress responsive genes tend to be pseudogenized as well. When comparing ancestral and extant gene stress response state, we found that response gains occur in 13% of duplicate gene branches, much higher than 6% in Arabidopsis thaliana.ConclusionThe frequent gains of stress response among green algal duplicates potentially reflect a high rate of innovation, resulting in a species-specific gene repertoire that contributed to adaptive response to stress. This could be further explored towards deciphering the mechanism of stress response, and identifying suitable green algal species for oil production.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1335-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Studies on African Families: In Hindsight

The family both in Africa generally and in specific African countries remains underresearched. What is evident from this review of studies published in the Journal of Comparative Family Studies for the selected period is that it is a rich resource for topics and themes that affect varied aspects of the family—some of which have not been previously closely considered. Immense possibilities for research in a number branches of science are open in Africa. The institution of the family in Africa is no exception. The review presented here provides an insight into how the family on the continent functions in divergent forms. It highlights how the family has been transforming under the influence of certain key variables, and the contradictions that exist among different ethnic groups on the continent. Additionally, the studies offer opportunities for scholars around the world to (re)examine some of the pertinent issues that would contribute to both theoretical and empirical knowledge about the family.

Robin Wyatt with Nazia Masood. Broken Mirrors: The ‘Dowry Problem’ in India.

"Robin Wyatt with Nazia Masood. Broken Mirrors: The ‘Dowry Problem’ in India.." Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 44(1), pp. 134–135

Anita Ilta Garey and Karen V. Hansen (Eds.). At the Heart of Work and Family: Engaging the Ideas of Arlie Hochschild. Foreword by Barabara Ehrenreich. New Brunswick, New Jersy, and London: Rutgers University Press

"Anita Ilta Garey and Karen V. Hansen (Eds.). At the Heart of Work and Family: Engaging the Ideas of Arlie Hochschild. Foreword by Barabara Ehrenreich. New Brunswick, New Jersy, and London: Rutgers University Press." Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(6), pp. 943–944

"I’m a Modern Bride": On the Relationship between Marital Hegemony, Bridal Fictions, and Postfeminism

"I’m a Modern Bride": On the Relationship between Marital Hegemony, Bridal Fictions, and Postfeminism