Diversity Of Local Populations Research Articles

The intersection of big data and healthcare innovation: millennial perspectives on precision medicine technology

Precision medicine (PM) is an approach to healthcare that customizes treatment and prevention strategies based on individual characteristics such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle. By utilizing detailed data from diverse populations, precision medicine aims to provide accurate and effective medical care tailored to each person’s unique profile. This approach relies on the diversity of local populations which is increasingly captured through large-scale data sets, often referred to as Big Data. Due to the underrepresentation of non-European individuals in human genetic studies, many countries with diverse and underrepresented populations must build their own reference database due to a lack of holistic global perspective. This research investigated a population sub-group to better understand the factors shaping their attitudes of PM adoption in an Asian developed context. This research was based on the millennial generation in Singapore (born between 1981 and 1996). The study employed a quantitative online survey, based on the TAM theoretical framework. A total of 377 valid responses were received and the results were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. Results showed that perceived data security, subjective technical knowledge, trust in government, subjective norm and perceived usefulness influenced the attitude of millennials towards precision medicine and provided relevant insights for the successful implementation of PM approach in the future.

Correction: Genetic variation in local populations of Aegilops tauschii Coss. helps to elucidate the evolutionary history of the species

Correction: Genetic variation in local populations of Aegilops tauschii Coss. helps to elucidate the evolutionary history of the species

Genetic variation in local populations of Aegilops tauschii Coss. helps to elucidate the evolutionary history of the species

Genetic variation in local populations of Aegilops tauschii Coss. helps to elucidate the evolutionary history of the species

Molecular and Phytochemical Variability of Endemic Juniperus sabina var. balkanensis from Its Natural Range

Juniperus sabina L. var. balkanensis R.P. Adams & Tashev is a recently described endemic variety from the Balkan Peninsula. Its strong sprouting ability and fast vegetative propagation, on one hand, and fragmented distribution, on the other, can lead to lower genetic diversity in local populations and to the differentiation of populations. As there has been no detailed investigation of this variety, we studied Balkan natural populations using phytochemical and molecular markers. Leaf essential oils (EOs) were chosen based on their proven usability in the population studies of Juniperus taxa, while ISSRs (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) have been used due to their high resolution. In addition, since this variety is best described using molecular markers, the chloroplast trnS-trnG region was amplified from individuals from different populations having different chemotypes. Based on the essential oil profile, three chemotypes could be identified with a difference in their distribution. The analysis of molecular variance showed moderate differentiation of populations and regions, attesting to the start of the separation of three regions in the Balkans: west, east and south. The bioclimatic and environmental parameters and sex of the individual did not influence the EO profile, although some of the compounds present in low-to-medium concentrations showed strong correlation with several bioclimatic parameters.

Phylogeny and Ecology of Trebouxia Photobionts From Bolivian Lichens.

In the past few years, new phylogenetic lineages in Trebouxia were detected as a result of molecular approaches. These studies included symbiont selectivity in lichen communities, transects along altitudinal gradients at local and global scales and the photobiont diversity in local populations of lichen-forming fungal species. In most of these studies, phylogenetic and haplotype analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) locus have continuously allowed the recognition of new monophyletic lineages, which suggests that still numerous undiscovered Trebouxia lineages can be hidden in lichens from unexplored areas, especially in the tropics. Here, we estimated the biodiversity of photobionts in Bolivian Andean vegetation and assessed their specificity. About 403 lichen samples representing 42 genera, e.g., Haematomma, Heterodermia, Hypotrachyna, Lecanora, Lepra, Leucodermia, Parmotrema, Pertusaria, Polyblastidium, and Usnea, containing Trebouxia photobionts, were analyzed. ITS ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and rbcL markers were used. We obtained Trebouxia sequences from Bolivian samples belonging to already described clades A, C, I, and S. Thirty-nine Trebouxia lineages were distinguished within these clades, while 16 were new. To reveal the structure of the community of Bolivian photobionts and their relationships with mycobionts, the comparative effects of climate, altitude, geographical distances, substrate, and habitat type, as well as functional traits of lichens such as growth forms, propagation mode and secondary metabolites, were analyzed. Furthermore, new Bolivian records were included in analysis on a global scale. In our study, the mycobiont genus or even species are the most important factors correlated with photobiont identity. Moreover, we revealed that the community of Bolivian photobionts is shaped by altitude.

Оценка генофонда темной лесной пчелы Apis mellifera mellifera в биосферном резервате «Башкирский Урал»

The gene pool of the native population of the dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera is gradually being lost due to spontaneous introgressive hybridization with bees of the southern subspecies, which are imported into the forest and forest-steppe zones for commercial beekeeping. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of preserving the gene pool of the dark forest bee A. m. mellifera in the biosphere reserve "Bashkir Urals" using genetic markers. It has been shown that the Q variant of the mtDNA of the COI-COII locus, which characterizes the southern subspecies of bees, occurs with an insignificant frequency in bee colonies on the territory of the Bashkir Urals Biosphere Reserve. The PQQ variant of the locus COI-COII mtDNA occurs with a high frequency in bees nesting in natural and artificial nest in tree trunks. The proportion of the Q mitotype is significantly higher in apiaries, as well as in natural and artificial nest in tree trunks in areas of the reserve without a strict protection regime. When using nine microsatellite loci, a tendency to an increase in allelic diversity in local populations with a higher occurrence of the Q mitotype was revealed. Based on the identified patterns, strategies are proposed to improve measures to preserve the gene pool of the population of the dark forest bee A. m. mellifera.

DYNAMICS OF CERTAIN CHEMICAL COMPONENTS IN TOMATO FRUIT (LYCOPERSICON ECULENTUM MILL.) MAINTAINED AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES AFTER HARVEST

Traditional tomato varieties are of particular importance for vegetable cultivation, by capitalizing on the diversity of local populations and increasing the number of crops. The study of local populations of cultivated tomatoes determines the accumulation of additional knowledge on how the shape, size and taste of fruits evolve, helping to identify new varieties with a role in improving the productivity, quality and nutritional value of tomatoes. In this paper, 2 local varieties from the Cluj County area were studied, from the point of view of the dynamics of certain chemical components when, after harvest, the tomatoes are stored at different stages of maturity. The lowest water loss, of 7.5%, was presented by the pink variety, stored for 7 days at a temperature of 8 °C. Vitamin C was better preserved in the case of the red variety, presenting after 7 days of storage at 8 °C, values of 27.23% at green maturity and 46.58% at consumption maturity. The pectic substances, in the case of the studied varieties, do not show significant variations depending on the maturity phase or the storage method, these registering values between 0.11 and 0.27%.

Inferring potential barriers to gene flow in tropical populations of Avicennia germinans

Genetic variation within- and divergence among-populations is essential for conservation and management efforts. In plants that are dispersed mainly by ocean currents, physical features of the landscape may influence rates of gene flow among populations by preventing or facilitating dispersal of buoyant propagules. The complex landscape and the pattern of superficial currents acting along the wide latitudinal range of the coasts of Mexico offer an ideal opportunity to evaluate the relevance of oceanographic factors to the genetic diversity of a mangrove species. Here, we infer the role of some oceanic features as potential barriers to gene flow among populations of Avicennia germinans. We used eight nuclear microsatellite markers to estimate recent migration rates and geographic barriers among populations of A. germinans along Mexico’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Along the Pacific, we identified potential barriers to gene flow related to the circulation pattern at the mouth of the Gulf of California and Gulf of Tehuantepec in the Pacific. On the Atlantic, population genetic variation coincides with the trends of major ocean currents around the Yucatan Peninsula. Our results suggest that ocean currents and a physical barrier (Baja California Peninsula) have maintained and generated genetic discontinuities along the coasts of Mexico. We find compelling evidence that suggests that northern and southern populations evolve as independent units. Genetic drift has had an important role in determining distribution of genetic diversity in local populations of A. germinans. We strongly recommend the conservation of northern and southern mangrove communities of Mexico; we also suggest use individuals from adjacent populations as genetic source for restoration programs.

Patterns of genetic differentiation in Colorado potato beetle correlate with contemporary, not historic, potato land cover.

Changing landscape heterogeneity can influence connectivity and alter genetic variation in local populations, but there can be a lag between ecological change and evolutionary responses. Temporal lag effects might be acute in agroecosystems, where land cover has changed substantially in the last two centuries. Here, we evaluate how patterns of an insect pest’s genetic differentiation are related to past and present agricultural land cover change over a 150‐year period. We quantified change in the amount of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., land cover since 1850 using county‐level agricultural census reports, obtained allele frequency data from 7,408 single‐nucleotide polymorphism loci, and compared effects of historic and contemporary landscape connectivity on genetic differentiation of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, in two agricultural landscapes in the United States. We found that potato land cover peaked in Wisconsin in the early 1900s, followed by rapid decline and spatial concentration, whereas it increased in amount and extent in the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington beginning in the 1960s. In both landscapes, we found small effect sizes of landscape resistance on genetic differentiation, but a 20× to 1,000× larger effect of contemporary relative to historic landscape resistances. Demographic analyses suggest population size trajectories were largely consistent among regions and therefore are not likely to have differentially impacted the observed patterns of population structure in each region. Weak landscape genetic associations might instead be related to the coarse resolution of our historical land cover data. Despite rapid changes in agricultural landscapes over the last two centuries, genetic differentiation among L. decemlineata populations appears to reflect ongoing landscape change. The historical landscape genetic framework employed in this study is broadly applicable to other agricultural pests and might reveal general responses of pests to agricultural land‐use change.

Disparities in the provision of public parks in neighbourhoods with varied Latino composition in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

ABSTRACTThis article examines the provision of public parks in Latino and non-Latino neighbourhoods in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Though previous research has examined the socio-spatial distribution of urban parks, few have analysed both accessibility and variations in park features associated with the Latino composition of neighbourhoods. In this study, geographical information systems were employed to assess the availability and accessibility of neighbourhood parks, and Google Earth was used to audit their natural and built environmental features. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Games-Howell post hoc test was applied to examine the hypothesis that park resources are not equitably distributed across neighbourhoods, and that Latino places are disproportionally affected by a suboptimal provision of park space and services. The analysis points to invariance across neighbourhoods in terms of quantity and features of public parks, so the expected systemic pattern of inequality affecting Latino neighbourhoods in Phoenix Metro was not found. The study suggests, however, some areas wherein cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area could act to improve the allocation of public park resources and engage the diversity of local populations.

Characterization of the village goat production systems in the rural communities of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and North West Provinces of South Africa.

Expansion of goat improvement programs requires exploration of the factors that influence the production system and breeding initiatives. Characterization of goat breeds or populations is crucial in providing information on prevalent goat types and their attributes and may suffice as a guideline on conservation, development, and selection for improved productivity. This study investigated the existing village goat production system and phenotypic diversity of the different village populations from four South African provinces. The study further investigated the use of phenotypic attributes to classify goats to breeds or populations. Data was collected from 142 households in 26 villages of the Eastern Cape (n = 2 villages), KwaZulu-Natal (n = 6 villages), Limpopo (n = 13 villages), and North West (n = 5 villages) provinces through a survey. Individual interviews and focus group discussions revealed that the mean goat herd size per household was least in Limpopo at 13.2 ± 12.40 and highest in Eastern Cape (34.18 ± 28.36). Flocks had more (p < 0.05) adults than kids, and the distribution of breeding animals was biased towards does and less bucks. Goats were kept mainly for meat, for selling, and for ritual ceremonies. The goat production system was mainly scavenging. Goat health was a major challenge across households and villages. Qualitative traits such coat, horn, ears, and wattle characteristics were recorded for populations of village goats (n = 319) and a feral Tankwa breed (n = 50). The dominant coat pattern was plain (74.53%) with black as the most common coat color (31.98%). Across breeds, a majority (88.08%) of the goats had horns, and 7.59% had wattles while 56.64% had beard. Adult goats (<3years; n = 398) were further analyzed for five quantitative traits of chest girth, height, length, and pin bone and there were significant (p < 0.05) breed differences in all. A stepwise discriminatory procedure was used to rank the quantitative traits according to their discriminatory power to separate breeds or populations. Significant traits were then subjected to canonical discriminant analysis for principle component analysis. Based on the quantitative traits, the Tankwa, Xhosa, and Tswana goats formed their own cluster separated from commercial meat type breeds and the Venda and Zulu ecotypes. The discriminant function analysis correctly classified 90.41% of the Zulu goats and 82.93% of the Xhosa village populations. None of the Savanna goats were correctly classified. The study demonstrated diversity in village goat populations and production systems, which would allow for within population selection in genetic improvement programs. The heterogeneity in the phenotypic traits in the village goats is reflective of the role of village production systems in the maintenance of animal diversity in local populations.

Dilemmas of difference: Indigenous women and the limits of postcolonial development policy

In Dilemmas of Difference Sarah A. Radcliffe explores the relationship of rural indigenous women in Ecuador to the development policies and actors that are ostensibly there to help ameliorate social and economic inequality. Radcliffe finds that development policies’s inability to recognize and reckon with the legacies of colonialism reinforces long-standing social hierarchies, thereby reproducing the very poverty and disempowerment they are there to solve. This ineffectiveness results from failures to acknowledge the local population's diversity and a lack of accounting for the complex intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class, and geography. As a result, projects often fail to match beneficiaries' needs, certain groups are made invisible, and indigenous women become excluded from positions of authority. Drawing from a mix of ethnographic fieldwork and postcolonial and social theory, Radcliffe centers the perspectives of indigenous women to show how they craft practices and epistemologies that critique ineffective development methods, inform their political agendas, and shape their strategic interventions in public policy debates.

Effects of habitat structure and land-use intensity on the genetic structure of the grasshopper species Chorthippus parallelus.

Land-use intensity (LUI) is assumed to impact the genetic structure of organisms. While effects of landscape structure on the genetics of local populations have frequently been analysed, potential effects of variation in LUI on the genetic diversity of local populations have mostly been neglected. In this study, we used six polymorphic microsatellites to analyse the genetic effects of variation in land use in the highly abundant grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus. We sampled a total of 610 individuals at 22 heterogeneous grassland sites in the Hainich-Dün region of Central Germany. For each of these grassland sites we assessed habitat size, LUI (combined index of mowing, grazing and fertilization), and the proportion of grassland adjoining the sampling site and the landscape heterogeneity (the latter two factors within a 500 m buffer zone surrounding each focal site). We found only marginal genetic differentiation among all local populations and no correlation between geographical and genetic distance. Habitat size, LUI and landscape characteristics had only weak effects on most of the parameters of genetic diversity of C. parallelus; only expected heterozygosity and the grasshopper abundances were affected by interacting effects of LUI, habitat size and landscape characteristics. The lack of any strong relationships between LUI, abundance and the genetic structure might be due to large local populations of the species in the landscape, counteracting local differentiation and potential genetic drift effects.

Phenotypic Characterization and Strategies for Genetic Improvement of WAD Goats under Backyard Systems

West African Dwarf (WAD) goats represent one of the predominant small ruminant breeds raised by resource-limited households in southern Nigeria as well as in the humid west and central Africa. This breed of goats is renowned for its adaptation to hot and humid environments, high fertility and prolificacy under backyard systems where they are raised almost with zero investment. On account of its contributions to household income and food security in southern Nigeria, there is the need for a detailed phenotypic and genetic characterization as well as the design of breeding strategies for its conservation through sustainable utilization. A critical challenge, however, is that there are no national breeding policies in most of the countries where WAD goats are raised. The objectives of this paper are: to review literature reports on trait-level information and estimates of genetic parameters for some economic characters of WAD goats; and to discuss a communal breeding scheme for its conservation through sustainable utilization. The presentation shows that WAD goats represent a highly diverse population, with particular reference to qualitative and performance-related traits, reflecting the role of traditional institutions in the maintenance of animal diversity in local populations. A genetic improvement programme involving dispersed open nucleus breeding scheme was discussed. The scheme involves backyard WAD goat units in villages as base population and dispersed communally managed schemes that maintain a population of bucks only, as nucleus units. Critical issues such as the definition of breeding goals by farmers, as well as communal project ownership, are emphasized. The ultimate goal of the breeding programme is to create opportunities for community-based management of WAD goat genetic resources for the benefit of backyard goat farmers in the region.

Pathotypes of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of wheat powdery mildew from some regions of Iran

Wheat powdery mildew is controlled mainly by race-specific resistance. To be effective, breeding wheat for resistance to powdery mildew requires knowledge of virulence diversity in local populations of the pathogen. Isolates of Blumeria graminis, collected in 2009 and 2010 from three areas of Iranian production, were analysed for virulence using a host differential series comprised of 16 known genes conferring resistance to powdery mildew. The results showed that high-virulence frequencies to genes Pm1, Pm2, Pm4a, Pm5, Pm6, Pm7, Pm8 and Pm9 were found over both years and across all three areas. Virulence frequencies for Pm3a and Pm3b were intermediate, while virulence frequencies for Pm3a, Pm3c, Pm4a and Pm2, 6 were low. Genes Pm1, 2, 9 and Pm2, 4b, 8 were highly resistant in all regions. Virulence to Pm8 increased to high levels, while virulence to Pm4a decreased across the area surveyed from 2009 to 2010.

Genetic diversity in the Jatropha genus and its potential application.

Abstract Jatropha curcas L., a drought tolerant, monoecious perennial shrub, has gained attention in the tropics and sub-tropics during the past decade as a potential biodiesel crop. Adequate genetic diversity for key agronomic traits is of fundamental importance in crop improvement programmes particularly for crops such as J. curcas , which are in the early stages of domestication. In J. curcas , genetic diversity in local populations and worldwide collections has been estimated using both dominant and co-dominant molecular markers systems such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs), sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), etc. Assessment of genetic variation using molecular markers unequivocally established the existence of rich genetic diversity in the germplasm from Central and South American regions and narrow genetic base in populations from Asia and Africa. Establishment of phylogenetic relationships among Jatropha species using molecular markers has been limited to species naturalized and distributed in India. Research expansion over the past decade has indicated the availability of considerable genetic variation in the genus Jatropha for vegetative and floral traits linked to productivity, seed oil content, fatty acid profiles, toxicity (phorbol esters, curcin), etc. The diverse genetic sources identified in J. curcas germplasm and the compatible wild species need to be exploited for genetic improvement of the crop through conventional breeding and interspecific gene transfer, which could be further accelerated through marker-aided selection.

Immigration and the Economic Health of Canadian Cities

This research explores relationships between diversity of local populations and economic well-being: specifically, the connections between foreign-born populations, other measures of community diversity, and local economic health. Using data from the population of mid-sized Canadian cities, I conclude that there is a significant relationship between immigration and health. Several other aspects of diversity—language, visible minority status, and religion—are also related to economic health, but only the correlation with foreign born remains significant in multiple regression. The extent that population growth is dependent on immigration and the clear dispersion of immigrants to mid-sized communities in Canada is an argument for greater attention to public policies that facilitate settlement both on humanitarian grounds and to foster local economic development.

Strong decline of gene diversity in local populations of the highly endangered Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) in the western part of its European range

The Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) has declined by more than 99% in the westernmost part of its range in Belgium, the Netherlands and the adjacent German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (BNN region) during recent decades. Various conservation schemes are ongoing to support the remaining populations, including restoration of the habitat, captive breeding and reintroductions. One of the factors determining the success of conservation actions is the genetic constitution of the remaining populations. We therefore measured the genetic variation in current BNN hamster populations and compared the outcome with the genetic variation in museum samples from the historical, non-fragmented, population. Most of the current populations have lost the majority of their rare alleles and individual animals have become nearly homozygous. Since different alleles became fixed in different populations, this has resulted in strong genetic differentiation between current populations and reflects the strength of drift and inbreeding processes in small and isolated populations. Despite this differentiation, the total gene diversity of these small populations combined is not much less than that of the historical population. Hence, the main genetic difference between historical and present is not in terms of total genetic variation or number of alleles in the BNN region, but in the distribution of this variation over the populations.

Spatial‐temporal stratifications in natural populations and how they affect understanding and estimation of effective population size

The concept of effective population size (N(e) ) is based on an elegantly simple idea which, however, rapidly becomes very complex when applied to most real-world situations. In natural populations, spatial and temporal stratifications create different classes of individuals with different vital rates, and this in turn affects (generally reduces) N(e) in complex ways. I consider how these natural stratifications influence our understanding of effective size and how to estimate it, and what the consequences are for conservation and management of natural populations. Important points that emerge include the following: 1 The relative influences of local vs metapopulation N(e) depend on a variety of factors, including the time frame of interest. 2 Levels of diversity in local populations are strongly influenced by even low levels of migration, so these measures are not reliable indicators of local N(e) . 3 For long-term effective size, obtaining a reliable estimate of mutation rate is the most important consideration; unless this is accomplished, estimates can be biased by orders of magnitude. 4 At least some estimators of contemporary N(e) appear to be robust to relatively high (approximately 10%) equilibrium levels of migration, so under many realistic scenarios they might yield reliable estimates of local N(e) . 5 Age structure probably has little effect on long-term estimators of N(e) but can strongly influence contemporary estimates. 6 More research is needed in several key areas: (i) to disentangle effects of selection and drift in metapopulations connected by intermediate levels of migration; (ii) to elucidate the relationship between N(b) (effective number of breeders per year) and N(e) per generation in age-structured populations; (iii) to perform rigorous sensitivity analyses of new likelihood and coalescent-based methods for estimating demographic and evolutionary histories.

Evolution: Spatial Scaling of Microbial Interactions

Intraspecific incompatibility in the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus demonstrates that the social life of microbes is antagonistic on local and global scales. Antagonistic interactions and non-self recognition are likely to promote microbial diversity in local populations.