Objective: To assess beliefs about the role of diet in cancer prevention among individuals considering genetic testing for Lynch Syndrome. Design: Family-centered, cascade recruitment; baseline assessment of a longitudinal study. Setting: Clinical research setting. Participants: Participants were 390 persons, ages 18 and older, including persons…

This study measured use and cost of health sector and related services in Rett syndrome and effects of socio-demographic, clinical severity and genetic factors on costs. The study population consisted of individuals with Rett syndrome registered with the Australian Rett Syndrome Database in 2004. Descriptive analysis was used to examine patterns…

Each year in the United States, an average of one to two children per 10,000 develop cancer. The etiology of most childhood cancer remains largely unknown but is likely attributable to random or induced genetic aberrations in somatic tissue. However, a subset of children develops cancer in the setting of an underlying inheritable condition…

Background: Some behavioral features of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are associated with the major genetic subtypes of this disorder. While most agree that those with maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) have a distinctive cognitive and psychiatric profile, findings are more controversial regarding possible differences among persons who vary in…

Mouse models are a standard tool in the study of many human diseases, providing insights into the normal functions of a gene, how these are altered in disease and how they contribute to a disease process, as well as information on drug action, efficacy and side effects. Our knowledge of human genes, their genetics, functions, interactions and…

Methanogens are strictly anaerobic Archaea that derive their energy for growth by reducing a limited number of substrates to methane. "Methanosarcina" spp. utilize the methylotrophic pathway to grow on methanol, methylamines and methylsulfides. These compounds enter the methylotrophic pathway as methyl-coenzyme M, the synthesis of which is…

Understanding the function of every gene in the genome is a central goal in the biological sciences. This includes full characterization of a genes phenotypic effects, molecular interactions, the evolutionary forces that shape its function(s), and how these functions interrelate. Despite a long history and considerable effort to understand all…

The micronucleus test is widely employed in environmental health research. It can also be an excellent tool for learning important concepts in environmental health. In this article we present an inquiry-based laboratory exercise where students explore several theoretical and practical aspects of environmental mutagenesis employing the micronucleus…

The purpose of this study is to analyze variations in how the gene concept is used and conceived in different sub-disciplines in biology. An examination of the development of subject matter and the use of the gene concept in a common college biology textbook shows that the gene concept is far from presented in a consistent way. The study describes…

The purpose of this project was to provide innovative and cutting edge genetics materials for 14-17 year olds (Year 10-12) in Australian schools, which aimed to engage students and encourage evidence based decision-making. In 2008, an Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) project called "Genetics…

The present research was conducted with the aim of examining the foreign language learning needs of graduate and postgraduate students of Genetics in Iran in order to help students to meet the growing present and emerging future language demands. The study was designed on a qualitative-quantitative survey basis using interviews and questionnaires…

The National Union of Students (NUS) National Student Experience Report identified examination feedback as an area where students had particular concerns. This finding was echoed in the authors' institution and triggered an action research project to investigate ways of improving students' perceptions of pre- and post-exam feedback. We report the…

Obesity and type 2 diabetes is becoming a major health problem affecting children and adolescents in the United States. This article reviews the current literature examining the association between the presence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) and risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in obese children and adolescents. Ethnicity, family…

This paper presents a normative pragmatics analysis of students' use of science content in eight socioscientific group discussions about human gene therapy. The specific focus of the paper is on the argumentative role that invocations of science had in the dialectics of the discussions. The analysis suggests that science content occasionally…

Graduate programs have placed an increasing emphasis on the importance of interdisciplinary education, but barriers to interdisciplinary training still remain. We present a new model for interdisciplinary, cross-institution graduate teaching that combines the best of local teaching, distance learning, and experiential learning to provide students…