Impact of the Asian crisis on Latin America

Twenty-seventh session. Oranjestad, Aruba, 11 to 16 may 1998

Genetic relationships among native americans based on beta-globin gene cluster haplotype frequencies

The distribution of b-globin gene haplotypes was studied in 209 Amerindians from eight tribes of the Brazilian Amazon: Asurini from Xingú, Awá-Guajá, Parakanã, Urubú-Kaapór, Zoé, Kayapó (Xikrin from the Bacajá village), Katuena, and Tiriyó. Nine different haplotypes were found, two of which (n. 11 and 13) had not been previously identified in Brazilian indigenous populations. Haplotype 2 (+ - - - -) was the most common in all groups studied, with frequencies varying from 70% to 100%, followed by haplotype 6 (- + + - +), with frequencies between 7% and 18%. The frequency distribution of the b-globin gene haplotypes in the eighteen Brazilian Amerindian populations studied to date is characterized by a reduced number of haplotypes (average of 3.5) and low levels of heterozygosity and intrapopulational differentiation, with a single clearly predominant haplotype in most tribes (haplotype 2). The Parakanã, Urubú-Kaapór, Tiriyó and Xavante tribes constitute exceptions, presenting at least four haplotypes with relatively high frequencies. The closest genetic relationships were observed between the Brazilian and the Colombian Amerindians (Wayuu, Kamsa and Inga), and, to a lesser extent, with the Huichol of Mexico. North-American Amerindians are more differentiated and clearly separated from all other tribes, except the Xavante, from Brazil, and the Mapuche, from Argentina. A restricted pool of ancestral haplotypes may explain the low diversity observed among most present-day Brazilian and Colombian Amerindian groups, while interethnic admixture could be the most important factor to explain the high number of haplotypes and high levels of diversity observed in some South-American and most North-American tribes.

ASIAN SOYBEAN RUST INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL: DISEASE SEVERITY, PLANT DEVELOPMENT AND YIELD COMPONENTS, CULTIVAR MG/BR-46 (CONQUISTA)

Soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow & P. Sydow is one of the major diseases of the soybean crop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sowing dates, plant populations and reduced doses of fungicides on soybean rust severity and its effects on plant development and yield, cultivar MG/BR46 (Conquista). Field experiments were conducted in the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 harvests, under natural rust infestation of soybean rust. As from the appearance of the first disease symptoms, also began the fungicide spraying and the disease severity assessments. To understand the nature and extent of the effects of different treatments, a multivariate analysis of factors was applied. For the majority of the agronomic characters and factors, one-third to two-thirds of their variability can be explained by changes in plant populations or by differences in the fungicide treatments, and the remainder, was explained by sowing date variations. The fungicide treatments and sowing dates are determinants in disease severity and its interference on crop productivity. The characters of plant growth are more dependent on plant population variations. Treatments with azoxystrobina + ciproconazol promoted smaller disease severities, reflecting in productivity increase. The plant populations can be reduced up to 160.000 plants ha(-1) without losses in the disease control and the soybean yield. In general, the earliest sowings provided increase in the plant development, although the rust control was less efficient.

Relationship between race and clinical characteristics, extent of disease, and response to chemotherapy in patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

Objective. To evaluate the potential effects of race on clinical characteristics, extent of disease, and response to chemotherapy in women with postmolar low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).Methods. This non-concurrent cohort study was undertaken including patients with FIGO-defined postmolar low-risk GTN treated with comparable doses and schedules of chemotherapy at the New England Trophoblastic Disease Center (NETDC) between 1973 and 2012. Racial groups investigated included whites, African American and Asians. Information on patient characteristics and response to chemotherapy (need for second line chemotherapy, reason for changing to an alternative chemotherapy, number of cycles/regimens, need for combination chemotherapy, and time to hCG remission) was obtained.Results. Of 316 women, 274 (86.7%) were white, 19 (6%) African American, and 23 (7.3%) Asian. African Americans were significantly younger than white and Asian women (p = 0.008). Disease presentation, and extent of disease, including antecedent molar histology, median time to persistence, median hCG level at persistence, rate of D&C at persistence, presence of metastatic disease, and FIGO stage and risk score were similar among races. Need for second line chemotherapy (p = 0.023), and median number of regimens (p = 0.035) were greater in Asian women than in other races.Conclusions. Low-risk GTN was more aggressive in Asian women, who were significantly more likely to need second line chemotherapy and a higher number of chemotherapy regimens to achieve complete remission than women of African American and Asian descent. Further studies involving racial differences related to clinical, biological and environmental characteristics are needed. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Controlling Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) with Bacillus spp. and coffee oil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Review of Native Americans in the School System: Family, Community, and Academic Achievement by Carol J. Ward

The title of this volume promises more than the content delivers. The heart of the book is information from Ward's 1992 University of Chicago doctoral dissertation, which focused on the social and cultural reasons leading to students dropping out of school. Her first two chapters provide a good review of research on dropouts and Indian education; the following six focus on the results of her 1987-1989 study of 698 Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and white high school students attending the Colstrip Public, St. Labre Catholic, and Busby Tribal Schools in Montana. Fifty-two percent of the students in this study were Indian, with a dropout rate of 45% .

"BREAKING THROUGH THE SOFT SPOKEN STEREOTYPE: THE VOICES OF ASIAN WOMEN IN DOCTORAL PROGRAMS"

This panel session explores how the dynamics of race and gender within university settings influence Asian women’s experiences in graduate psychology programs.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in elderly Japanese-Brazilians

Background: Prevalence of individuals with a high cardiovascular risk is elevated in elderly populations. Although metabolic syndrome (MS) increases cardiovascular risk, information is scarce on the prevalence of MS in the elderly. In this study we assessed MS prevalence in a population of elderly Japanese-Brazilians using different MS definitions according to waist circumference cutoff values. Material/Methods: We studied 339 elderly subjects, 44.8% males, aged between 60 to 88 years (70.1 +/- 6.8). MS was defined according to criteria proposed by the Joint Interim Statement in 2009. As waist circumference cutoff point values remain controversial for Asian and Japanese populations, we employed 3 different cutoffs that are commonly used in Japanese epidemiological studies: 1) >90 cm for men and >80 cm for women; 2) >85 cm for men and >90 cm for women; 3) >85 cm for men and >80 cm for women. Results: MS prevalence ranged from 59.9% to 65.8% according to the different definitions. We observed 90% concordance and no statistical difference (p>0.05) in MS prevalence between the 3 definitions. MS diagnosis according to all 3 cutoff values was found in 55.8% of our population, while in only 34.2% was MS discarded by all cutoffs. The prevalence of altered MS components was as follows: arterial blood pressure 82%, fasting glycemia 65.8%, triglyceride 43.4%, and HDL-C levels 36.9%. Conclusions: Elderly Japanese-Brazilians present high metabolic syndrome prevalence independent of waist circumference cutoff values. Concordance between the 3 definitions is high, suggesting that all 3 cutoff values yield similar metabolic syndrome prevalence values in this population.

Genome-Wide Analysis in Brazilian Xavante Indians Reveals Low Degree of Admixture

Characterization of population genetic variation and structure can be used as tools for research in human genetics and population isolates are of great interest. The aim of the present study was to characterize the genetic structure of Xavante Indians and compare it with other populations. The Xavante, an indigenous population living in Brazilian Central Plateau, is one of the largest native groups in Brazil. A subset of 53 unrelated subjects was selected from the initial sample of 300 Xavante Indians. Using 86,197 markers, Xavante were compared with all populations of HapMap Phase III and HGDP-CEPH projects and with a Southeast Brazilian population sample to establish its population structure. Principal Components Analysis showed that the Xavante Indians are concentrated in the Amerindian axis near other populations of known Amerindian ancestry such as Karitiana, Pima, Surui and Maya and a low degree of genetic admixture was observed. This is consistent with the historical records of bottlenecks experience and cultural isolation. By calculating pair-wise F-st statistics we characterized the genetic differentiation between Xavante Indians and representative populations of the HapMap and from HGDP-CEPH project. We found that the genetic differentiation between Xavante Indians and populations of Ameridian, Asian, European, and African ancestry increased progressively. Our results indicate that the Xavante is a population that remained genetically isolated over the past decades and can offer advantages for genome-wide mapping studies of inherited disorders.

Morphological description of the mouthparts of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

Scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy were used to elucidate the morphology of the rostrum, as well as the mandibular and maxillary stylets of the psyllid Diaphorina cirri, vector of phloem-inhabiting bacteria associated with citrus huanglongbing (HLB) disease. D. cirri has a cone-shaped rostrum that extends behind the pair of prothoracic coxae. The stylet bundle comprises a pair of mandibular (Md) and maxillary (Mx) stylets with a mean length of 513.3 mu m; when retracted, their proximal portions form a loop and are stored in the crumena (Cr). Serial cross-sections of the rostrum revealed that the mandibles are always projected in front of the maxillary stylets. The two maxillary stylets form the food and salivary canals, with diameters of 0.9 mu m and 0.4 mu m respectively. These two canals merge at the end of the stylets forming a common duct with a length of 4.3 mu m and a mean diameter of 0.9 mu m. The acrostyle, a distinct anatomical structure present in the common duct of aphid maxillary stylets, was not observed by TEM in the ultrathin cross-sections of the common duct (CD) of D. citri. This study provides new information on D. citri mouthparts that may help to understand the behaviour of this important vector of HLB-associated bacteria. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An interdisciplinary analysis of obesity: theory and empirical evidence

The dissertation is structured in three parts. The first part compares US and EU agricultural policies since the end of WWII. There is not enough evidence for claiming that agricultural support has a negative impact on obesity trends. I discuss the possibility of an exchange in best practices to fight obesity. There are relevant economic, societal and legal differences between the US and the EU. However, partnerships against obesity are welcomed. The second part presents a socio-ecological model of the determinants of obesity. I employ an interdisciplinary model because it captures the simultaneous influence of several variables. Obesity is an interaction of pre-birth, primary and secondary socialization factors. To test the significance of each factor, I use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health. I compare the average body mass index across different populations. Differences in means are statistically significant. In the last part I use the National Survey of Children Health. I analyze the effect that family characteristics, built environment, cultural norms and individual factors have on the body mass index (BMI). I use Ordered Probit models and I calculate the marginal effects. I use State and ethnicity fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity. I find that southern US States tend have on average a higher probability of being obese. On the ethnicity side, White Americans have a lower BMI respect to Black Americans, Hispanics and American Indians Native Islanders; being Asian is associated with a lower probability of being obese. In neighborhoods where trust level and safety perception are higher, children are less overweight and obese. Similar results are shown for higher level of parental income and education. Breastfeeding has a negative impact. Higher values of measures of behavioral disorders have a positive and significant impact on obesity, as predicted by the theory.

Systematics and biogeography of Southeast Asian Senecioneae (Asteraceae): Revision of Cissampelopsis and Gynura and hybridisation in the introduced Crassocephalum

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die vorgelegte Dissertation enthält zwei Teile. Der erste beinhaltet eine Einführung in die Flora Südostasiens und die Untersuchungsgruppe Asteraceae-Senecioneae Cass. mit den Gattungen Cissampelopsis (DC.) Miq., Gynura Cass. und Crassocephalum Moench (Kapitel 1). Der zweite Teil besteht aus drei Manuskripten, die auf originalen Forschungsergebnissen basieren (Kapitel 2-4). In Kapitel 2 wird eine Revision der asiatischen Gattung Cissampelopsis vorgelegt. Die folgenden zwei Sektionen mit zehn Arten und zwei Varietäten werden anerkannt: sect. Buimalia C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen mit C. buimalia (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen, C. erythrochaeta C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen und C. calcadensis (Ramasw.) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen sowie sect. Cissampelopsis mit C. glandulosa C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen, C. walkeri (Arn.) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen mit var. walkeri und var. floccosa Vanijajiva & Kadereit (var. nov.), C. corifolia C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen, C. volubilis (Bl.) Miq, C. ansteadii (Tadul. & Jacob) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen, C. spelaeicola (Van.) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen und C. corymbosa (Wall. ex DC.) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen. Schlüssel, Artbeschreibungen, Fotographien von Blütenmerkmalen und Verbreitungskarten werden präsentiert. Kapitel 3 beinhaltet die Revision der paläotropischen Gattung Gynura. Vierundvierzig Arten werden anerkannt, darunter die folgenden drei Neubeschreibungen: G. davisii Vanijajiva & Kadereit, G. siamensis Vanijajiva & Kadereit und G. villosus Vanijajiva & Kadereit. Gynura dissecta (F. G. Davies) Vanijajiva & Kadereit, G. annua (F. G. Davies) Vanijajiva & Kadereit und G. aurantiaca (Bl) DC. subsp. parviflora (F. G. Davies) Vanijajiva & Kadereit sind Neukombinationen. Ein Schlüssel, Artbeschreibungen und Verbreitungskarten werden vorgelegt. In Kapitel 4 wird eine Analyse von Crassocephalum in Asien, einer aus Afrika eingeschleppten Gattung, präsentiert. Diese Untersuchung basiert auf umfangreicher Feldarbeit, Herbarstudien, Analysen der Pollen- und Samenfertilität, Chromosomenzählungen sowie ITS- und trnL-F-Sequenzen. Die Studie ergab, dass Crassocephalum in Asien mit zwei Arten und deren Hybrid vertreten ist. Die zwei Arten sind C. crepidioides (Benth.) S. Moore und C. rubens (Juss. ex Jacq.) S. Moore, wobei letztere einen Neufund für Asien darstellt. Der Hybrid aus diesen beiden Arten resultiert aus einer Kreuzung von C. crepidioides (2n=40) als weiblichem und C. rubens (2n=40) als männlichem Elter.

Neoproterozoic to middle Palaeozoic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in south-central Mongolia: chronological and geochemical perspectives

Mongolia occupies a central position within the eastern branch of the large accretionary Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) or Altaids. The present work aims to outline the geodynamic environment and possible evolution of this part of the eastern CAOB, predominantly from the Cambrian to the middle Palaeozoic. The investigation primarily focussed on zircon geochronology as well as whole-rock geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic analyses for a variety of metaigneous rocks from the southern Hangay and Gobi-Altai regions in south-central Mongolia. The southern slope of the Hangay Mountains in central Mongolia exposes a large NWSE-trending middle Neoproterozoic ophiolitic complex (c. 650 Ma), which is tectonically integrated within an accretionary complex developed between the Precambrian Baydrag and Hangay crustal blocks. Formation of the entire accretionary system along the north-eastern margin of the Baydrag block mainly occurred during the early Cambrian, but convergence within this orogenic zone continued until the early Ordovician, because of on-going southward subduction-accretion of the Baydrag block. An important discovery is the identification of a late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic belt within the northern Gobi-Altai that was reworked during the late Cambrian and throughout the late Ordovician/Devonian. Early Silurian low-grade mafic and felsic metavolcanic rocks from the northern Gobi-Altai display subduction-related geochemical features and highly heterogeneous Nd isotopic compositions, which suggest an origin at a mature active continental margin. Early Devonian protoliths of granodioritic and mafic gneisses from the southern Gobi-Altai display geochemical and Nd isotopic compositions compatible with derivation and evolution from predominantly juvenile crustal and mantel sources and these rocks may have been emplaced within the outboard portion of the late Ordovician/early Silurian active continental margin. Moreover, middle Devonian low-grade metavolcanic rocks from the southwestern Gobi-Altai yielded geochemical and Nd isotopic data consistent with emplacement in a transitional arc-backarc setting. The combined U–Pb zircon ages and geochemical data obtained from the Gobi-Altai region suggest that magmatism across an active continental margin migrated oceanwards through time by way of subduction zone retreat throughout the Devonian. Progressive extension of the continental margin was associated with the opening of a backarc basin and culminated in the late Devonian with the formation of a Japan-type arc front facing a southward open oceanic realm (present-day coordinates).