Search Results (187)

Carcass traits, which reflect growth performance and muscle development, are economically important in beef cattle, yet their genetic determinants remain poorly characterized. Both single-population Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) methods, such as BLINK, and cross-population meta-analysis approaches are widely used to identify genetic variants, yet their comparative performance in genomic prediction for complex traits in structured populations remains underexplored. Few studies have directly compared these methods in genomic prediction. To address this gap, this study aims to (i) identify positional candidate genes associated with carcass traits and (ii) evaluate the context-dependent advantages of Covariate Adjustment (CA) and meta in genomic prediction. In this study, we analyzed carcass weight (CW), live weight (LW), and dressing percentage (DP) in 279 crossbred Angus cattle genotyped with the PHR0105_Bt140K_v1.0 SNP chip. GWAS was performed on the full population using BLINK, and results from three subpopulations were combined via meta-analysis, with significance thresholds for both approaches determined by a shuffle-based method. Candidate genes located within ±10 kb of significant SNPs were associated with different carcass traits, including STRIT1, SEL1L3, NOC4L and ANK1 for DP; SNCA and DNAH5 for CW; and GYPC, GPR158, and GUCY1A1 for LW. Prediction accuracy under MAS and MABLUP showed meta slightly outperformed BLINK in MAS, while BLINK was better with covariate adjustment; after incorporating kinship in MABLUP, meta achieved higher accuracy and population partitioning was negligible. Overall, MABLUP yielded the highest accuracy (0.52–0.79) versus MAS (0.37–0.54) in all traits. These findings provide a methodological basis for selecting appropriate GWAS strategies in structured populations and highlight candidate genes. Full article

The available evidence on partner bereavement in LGBTIQ+ populations, which is predominantly based on lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants in Western settings, suggests that such bereavement cannot be understood solely as an individual response to death, but must also be analyzed in relation to relational legitimacy, visibility, recognition, and access to support. This article presents a critical narrative review of the literature on grief and bereavement following the death of a partner across LGBTIQ+ populations, while recognizing that the underlying evidence is concentrated in lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants, same-sex partnerships, and Western or Anglophone contexts. In this review, queer bereavement is used as a critical interpretive category referring to bereavement experiences shaped by heteronormative and cisnormative structures, whereas the terminology used for individual studies reflects the specific populations and relationship configurations represented in each source. Rather than treating partner bereavement as a simple identity-based variation in a universal process, the review argues that it is shaped by the interaction of heteronormative social norms, institutional recognition, visibility management, kinship arrangements, and structural inequalities. The analysis identifies minority stress, disenfranchised grief, relational legitimacy, and chosen family as the field’s main conceptual axes. Taken together, the reviewed findings suggest that what is unequally distributed is not only the affective burden of loss, but also the social conditions that allow the relationship to be named, validated, and publicly sustained after death. The review also highlights important limitations in the available evidence, particularly its concentration in Anglophone, Western, and relatively visible populations, which underscores the need for more intersectional and contextually diverse research. Full article

To address the coordination between social and spatial relationships within villages in the loess gully region, this study developed a joint Geospatial–Social Network analytical approach. Taking Caojian Village in Zizhou County, Shaanxi Province as the study case, geospatial and social network models were constructed, respectively, with time cost and social interaction frequency as measurement indicators. The two network models were analyzed using cohesive subgroups and node centrality, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed the dominant role of spatial relationships in shaping social relationships, as well as the reinforcing effect of kinship on cross-geographical connections. Furthermore, the joint analysis of the two networks was used to identify village spatial hierarchies and core areas. On this basis, targeted strategies were proposed for public space allocation, public service facility layout, and site selection for relocated dwellings. Ultimately, this research aims to provide quantitative analysis tools and decision-making support for optimizing the spatial structure of villages in the loess gully region. Full article

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major cereal in Kazakhstan, where diverse breeding material supports crop improvement. We characterized 86 two-row spring barley accessions from six breeding organizations using the Illumina Infinium 50K Barley SNP Array. Analysis of 29,920 high-quality SNPs revealed moderate diversity (H_e = 0.346, PIC = 0.278, Shannon = 0.752), with 80.84% of molecular variation occurring within and 19.16% among breeding organizations. A minor allele frequency-free (MAF-free) analysis showed that 95.61% of marker–allele combinations at polymorphic loci were shared by at least two organizations. Although PCA, kinship, and neighbor-joining analyses indicated extensive overlap, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) cluster membership was significantly associated with breeding origin (χ² = 106.38, Monte Carlo p = 1 × 10^–5; bias-corrected Cramér’s V = 0.513), demonstrating substantial but incomplete differentiation among breeding programs. Phenotypic differentiation was evaluated using environment-adjusted genotype BLUPs. All seven traits differed significantly among five DAPC clusters. In a reduced six-trait linear discriminant analysis (LDA) excluding vegetation period, LD1 was associated most strongly with number of kernels per spike, followed by heading time, spike length, and heading-to-maturity time. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) accuracy was 36.47%, exceeding the permutation mean of 19.83% but indicating considerable phenotypic overlap. The examined materials therefore constitute a diverse, interconnected breeding panel that may support germplasm management and parent selection and provide a genomic and phenotypic framework for future GWAS, genomic selection, and targeted validation of molecular markers within the represented collections. Full article

Growth and body conformation traits are key determinants of meat production efficiency and economic performance in sheep. However, the genetic architecture underlying these complex traits remains incompletely understood, particularly across multi-breed populations. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for seven growth and developmental traits in a combined population of 401 sheep, including Qira Black, Kyrgyz, Dorset × Hu crossbred, and Suffolk × Karakul crossbred sheep. After genotype harmonization and quality control, 47,674 autosomal SNPs were retained for analysis. Population structure was assessed using principal component analysis, and association testing was conducted using a mixed linear model incorporating breed, principal components, and a kinship matrix. A total of 44 independent loci were detected at a nominal significance threshold, encompassing 112 candidate genes. The strongest association was identified for cannon bone circumference near RPS6KA5 (Chr7; p = 1.40 × 10⁻⁷). Several biologically relevant genes involved in osteogenesis, cartilage development, and metabolic regulation were detected, including STEAP3, SLC26A2, PPARGC1B, COL11A1, CALN1, and CITED2. Two genomic regions exhibited pleiotropic effects, which were identified as being associated with multiple traits, suggesting shared genetic regulation of correlated skeletal characteristics. These findings are consistent with a polygenic architecture underlying growth trait in sheep and highlight candidate genomic regions potentially involved in skeletal development and body conformation. Although further validation is required, the identified loci provide preliminary evidence for regions that may influence growth-related phenotypes and offer a reference for future molecular breeding efforts in indigenous and crossbred sheep populations. Full article

Forensic genetics is moving from locus-based DNA profiling toward genome-wide inference enabled by high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. While short tandem repeats remain central to routine human identification, SNP-based technologies and massively parallel sequencing have expanded the analysis of distant kinship through detection of identity-by-descent (IBD) segments and shared autosomal DNA. This narrative review synthesizes the biological basis of SNP-based distant kinship inference, the statistical and computational frameworks used to model genomic relatedness, and the operational transition from relatedness detection to forensic genetic genealogy (FGG). It distinguishes genetic genealogy database matching from formal forensic kinship testing, targeted SNP panels, SNP capture, low-coverage sequencing, Bayesian and machine-learning approaches, and independent forensic confirmation. Applications in criminal investigations, unidentified human remains, historical identifications, and broader relationship-inference contexts are discussed. The review also examines limitations related to recombination, stochastic inheritance, marker density, genotype quality, degraded or mixed forensic samples, population structure, endogamy, database composition, and genealogical record availability. Ethical and regulatory issues involving consent, privacy, database governance, law-enforcement access, data retention, and non-consenting relatives are considered. Overall, SNP-based forensic genomics can generate powerful investigative leads, but its outputs must be interpreted within method-specific analytical and evidentiary boundaries. Full article

Bedouin society in the Negev/Naqab has experienced rapid social, spatial, and economic transformation, including expanded access to higher education and paid employment alongside enduring kinship obligations and gendered expectations. Guided by an ecological perspective on family life, this qualitative descriptive study examined how married, educated, and employed Bedouin women and men described their experiences at the intersection of social change, family relationships, parenting, gendered work, and place. Twenty-four participants (12 women and 12 men), aged 28–60, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Four interconnected patterns were identified: (1) negotiating household-level autonomy within extended-family belonging; (2) pursuing marital partnership while unequal care and public authority persisted; (3) treating children’s education as both an intergenerational resource and a present-day strain; and (4) experiencing locality and planning status as conditions that shaped family security and everyday coordination. Rather than presenting a linear movement from “tradition” to “modernity”, participants’ accounts suggest that family change is an ecological process: everyday marital and parental arrangements are negotiated within kin networks, work demands, community expectations, and their location’s material conditions. The study contributes to family science by showing how dual-earner family processes in a collectivist, Indigenous-minority context are shaped not only by household-level role negotiation, but also by spatial governance and collective belonging. Full article

Indigenous languages in Southern Thailand are increasingly affected by modernization, digital communication, and language contact, yet the relationship between kinship terminology, social organization, and linguistic sustainability among Indigenous Austroasiatic-speaking communities remains insufficiently explored. This study addresses three research questions: (1) how Tan’ean and Jaahaai kinship systems differ in their semantic structures and classificatory patterns; (2) how kinship terms reflect cultural worldviews, social organization, and relational values of the Manni and Mueng’ra communities; and (3) what challenges influence the transmission and sustainability of kinship-related linguistic knowledge. This study aims to comparatively analyze consanguineal and affinal kinship terminology in the Tan’ean language of the Manni ethnic group and the Jaahaai language of the Mueng’ra ethnic group, focusing on how kinship systems encode cultural worldviews, social relations, and adaptive strategies under contemporary change. Guided by Componential Analysis and Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory, this study employed a qualitative ethnolinguistic approach. Data were collected through genealogical elicitation, in-depth interviews, and participant observation with 40 key informants from Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces. The data were analyzed through semantic feature identification and comparative interpretation of kinship structures. The findings demonstrate that, despite shared Austroasiatic heritage, Tan’ean and Jaahaai exhibit distinct kinship systems reflecting different cultural logics. In response to the first research question, the findings reveal that the Manni system resembles the Hawaiian type, emphasizing egalitarian relations, generational categories, and inclusive incorporation of affinal relatives, whereas the Mueng’ra system shows Crow–Omaha characteristics, including generational skewing, gender-specific markers, hierarchical classification, and stronger influence from dominant regional languages. Regarding the second research question, the findings demonstrate that kinship terminology functions as a cultural mechanism for organizing social relationships, identity, and intergenerational obligations, reflecting different models of Indigenous social organization. For the third research question, the study identifies language contact, changing social conditions, and reduced intergenerational transmission as challenges affecting the continuity of Indigenous kinship knowledge. Therefore, the study recommends community-based orthographies, participatory digital learning platforms, and policies supporting Indigenous linguistic rights to strengthen language revitalization, cultural continuity, and Indigenous communities’ capacity to adapt to social transformation. Full article

Names and naming are some of the ways by which Igbo families and communities of Southeastern Nigeria construe and express ideation about their origins, kinship, intergroup relations, social and spiritual roles, and identity. The names that most Igbo families and communities bear provide information about their ancestry, historical ties, and the experiences and circumstances that define their existence as a distinct people. Among the Igbo, names are not merely a means of identification; they are perceived as carriers of history and social experiences. Igbo communities and families use names to identify the descendants (umu—children) of a particular progenitor, indicate the specific number of in-group members that share common ancestry or social bond (name + number marker), indicate the spatial location of a community, and indicate the spiritual roles of a community or family. Igbo families in particular use the names they bear to frame the social experiences and situations that surround the birth of a child (nwa), peculiar professions associated with a family, and peculiar social, economic or spiritual roles associated with some families, among other uses. Thus, based on the tenets of anthropological/cultural linguistics, this study will examine the social and cultural–cognitive factors that shape how the Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria derive community and family names. While insights from anthropological linguistics provide the framework for the study of the names in the social and cultural contexts, the cognitive dimensions of this study derive from the framework of Cultural Linguistics (CL). This ensures that the cognitive aspects of the names are integrated into the analysis. Many of the existing studies on Igbo names and naming practices have centred chiefly on personal names, while only a handful have focused on community and family names among the Igbo. This study, which draws chiefly from anthropological linguistics (AL) and Cultural Linguistics (CL), aims to address this lacuna. Full article

Marriage remains a central social institution among the Vatsonga, functioning not merely as a union between individuals but as a cultural institution through which gender identities, kinship relations, ritual obligations, and communal belonging are constructed and transmitted across generations. While scholarship has extensively explored marriage and gender in African societies, limited attention has been paid to the genealogical processes through which Vatsonga marriage rituals have historically shaped gender identities within changing social, political, and religious contexts. This article examines marriage as a site of gender construction by analysing the relationship between ritual practices, identity formation, and social belonging among the Vatsonga of Southern Africa. Using the genealogical approach of Michel Foucault and the theories of African feminists and decolonials, this study employs interpretive qualitative methodology, which entails the analysis of interdisciplinary literature in African philosophy, anthropology, gender studies, theology, and ritual studies. As a result of this analysis, it becomes evident that marriage rituals continue to play a great role in constructing masculinity and femininity, as well as kinship and community. At the same time, however, these rituals are dynamic and have undergone changes in light of colonialism, Christianity, urbanization, migrations, constitutional democracy, and modern concerns regarding gender equality. This article does not present marriage rituals of Vatsonga as static and monolithic practices, but rather shows their historical contingency, cultural dynamism, and continuous negotiation amid social change. Therefore, this study calls for critical engagement with marriage rituals in order to protect culture as well as to ensure gender equality and the dignity of all parties involved. With regard to the application of genealogy to marriage practices of Vatsonga, this article brings new perspectives to current debates on ritual, gender construction, African epistemologies and the decolonisation of marriage studies. Full article

This paper assessed the genetic diversity, structure, and distance of Bamei pigs, a traditional Chinese indigenous breed, to conserve their genetic resources and facilitate comprehensive production planning. Using a 50K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip, we genotyped 64 individuals from a Bamei pig conservation farm. Based on these data, we calculated genetic diversity parameters, constructed family structures, and identified runs of homozygosity (ROH) for each individual to obtain corresponding inbreeding coefficients. The results showed that the Bamei pig conservation population had an average genetic distance of 0.2707. The population maintained relatively rich genetic diversity, as indicated by a polymorphic marker proportion of 88.28% and observed (0.351) and expected (0.340) heterozygosity values that were very close. The inbreeding coefficient calculated based on ROH was at a medium level. The average inbreeding coefficient was 0.1302. Substantial inter-individual variation was observed, with some individuals showing relatively high inbreeding coefficients. Kinship analyses further confirmed the presence of close genetic relationships among certain individuals within the population and potential inbreeding risks. Family-structure analysis classified the boars into six families, with an uneven distribution of boars and sows both across and within these families. In order to ensure the continuous protection of the breed, it is urgent to optimize the breeding program. In the process of offspring retention, individuals with distant genetic relationships with boars and sows should be selected as much as possible, the inbreeding coefficient of the population should be gradually reduced, the number of families should be paid attention to, and the proportion and structural balance of each family should be paid attention to. Full article

Background: The Maya Chortí are a Mesoamerican Indigenous group of approximately 33,256 individuals in Copán and Ocotepeque, western Honduras, historically, linguistically, and culturally linked to the Classic Maya tradition of Copán. No population-specific autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) reference dataset had previously been available, requiring forensic calculations to use non-representative databases. Methods: Allele frequencies for 23 autosomal STR loci were estimated in 100 unrelated Maya Chortí individuals from Copán and Ocotepeque. DNA from blood on FTA cards was amplified with the PowerPlex Fusion 6C System. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD), diversity indices, forensic parameters, inter-population FST, and random match probabilities with and without NRC-II θ-correction (θ = 0.01 and 0.03) were calculated using Genepop, Arlequin, and STRAF. Results: A total of 212 alleles were detected. Expected heterozygosity was high across the panel. After Bonferroni correction, no locus departed from HWE, and no locus pair showed significant LD. The combined random match probability was 1.17 × 10⁻²³, very low, and remained highly discriminating under NRC-II θ-correction; the combined chance of exclusion exceeded 99.99%. Conclusions: This study provides the first autosomal STR reference database for the Maya Chortí of Honduras, enabling population-specific likelihood ratio estimation in forensic identification, paternity testing, and kinship analysis, while expanding the genetic characterization of Mesoamerican Indigenous populations under CODIS/ESS standards. Full article

Background: Effective communication with relatives is an essential component of family-centered intensive care. This study evaluated preferences for receiving information in intensive care units (ICUs) and examined factors associated with communication expectations and perceived adequacy of information. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 401 participants completed a 25-item questionnaire developed from the literature, reviewed by experts, and pilot-tested. Communication preferences and perceptions were analyzed according to age, sex, education, marital status, geographic region, employment status, healthcare background, degree of kinship, duration of ICU stay, and previous ICU experience. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with considering telephone-based communication sufficient. Results: Most participants (89.8%) preferred face-to-face communication. Overall, 62.8% considered telephone-based information insufficient, and face-to-face communication was more frequently perceived as promoting trust and understanding. Communication preferences varied according to demographic, educational, regional, and experiential characteristics. Women placed greater importance on direct interpersonal communication, whereas men favored more practical information delivery. Participants with higher educational attainment reported greater expectations regarding the structure and content of information. In multivariable analysis, male sex (OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.40–4.93; p = 0.003), residence outside the city where the hospital was located (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.49–5.46; equivalent to OR = 0.35 for residence within the hospital city; p = 0.002), and having a relative hospitalized in the ICU for 21–31 days (OR = 3.74, 95% CI: 1.42–9.86; p = 0.008) were independently associated with considering telephone-based communication sufficient. Conclusions: Face-to-face communication was the preferred method of information delivery for most relatives. Communication preferences and the perceived adequacy of telephone-based information varied according to demographic, regional, and clinical characteristics. These findings support adopting individualized communication strategies rather than a uniform approach when communicating with relatives of intensive care patients. Full article

Sustainable rural tourism governance in the Global South faces a persistent challenge: enabling genuine community participation in destination management while protecting environmental assets and cultural heritage. This study examines participatory governance practices at Kampung Senyum Homestay, Cibeusi Village, West Java, Indonesia, a community-based tourism (CBT) initiative that has sustained operations for over eight years, despite a 60% failure rate among comparable initiatives. A qualitative case study design was employed, with data collected over six months (November 2022–May 2023) through participant observation (12 days), in-depth interviews with 14 stakeholders, and document analysis. Data were analyzed using Miles et al.’s interactive model and critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal three interrelated participation layers shaping tourism governance outcomes: interpersonal engagement fostering horizontal host–guest relationships (89% of tourists report kinship-based experiences); deliberative governance through musyawarah desa enabling community-led environmental stewardship, including the collective rejection of a proposal to bring 100 tourists monthly to protect waterfall ecosystems; and digital storytelling by youth extending local heritage narratives globally (150 posts, 7.2% engagement rate). The study proposes a ‘layered participation’ model demonstrating that tourism sustainability depends on participatory governance mechanisms that build social trust, integrate traditional ecological knowledge, and balance economic development with environmental conservation and cultural heritage management. The study also critically examines structural inequalities, including gender asymmetries, unequal benefit distribution, and linguistic barriers, that persist within participatory governance structures, offering a contextually grounded governance framework for rural tourism destinations in the Global South. Full article

Background/Objectives: The expansion of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has generated civilian genomic databases containing tens of millions of profiles, some of which may be available, under specific conditions, for criminal investigations. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping forensic genetics through applications such as kinship inference, DNA mixture deconvolution, probabilistic phenotyping, and the prioritization of investigative leads. This review examines the scientific, legal, and ethical implications of the convergence between DTC genetic databases, forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG), and AI-assisted forensic analysis. Methods: This article presents a multidisciplinary narrative review at the intersection of forensic genomics, FIGG, artificial intelligence, genomic data governance, and bioethics, with particular attention to French, European, and international regulatory frameworks. Results: Six major dimensions structure the field: (i) the current state of forensic genomic technologies, including STRs, SNPs, and next-generation sequencing; (ii) the contribution of AI to forensic genetics and FIGG; (iii) the governance of large-scale genomic data; (iv) regulatory fragmentation across jurisdictions; (v) the principal bioethical tensions raised by the forensic use of DTC genetic databases; and (vi) future governance needs and operational recommendations. Across these dimensions, three findings emerge. First, genealogical matches and AI-supported outputs should be understood primarily as investigative leads rather than autonomous judicial evidence. Second, the relational nature of genomic data exposes non-consenting relatives to potential forensic scrutiny, thereby challenging traditional models of individual consent and privacy. Third, the absence of harmonized standards for validation, transparency, and oversight remains a major obstacle to legal certainty, judicial admissibility, and public legitimacy. Conclusions: The forensic use of DTC genetic databases should not be understood as a purely technical extension of conventional DNA profiling. It reflects a broader transformation in the relationship between genomic knowledge, criminal investigation, and fundamental rights. Its long-term legitimacy and operational viability will depend on the combined strength of scientific reliability, legal proportionality, ethical safeguards, and meaningful democratic oversight. Full article