"Research may help, but..." is not a phrase that warms a scientist's heart, but it reflects the true sentiment of many parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who may believe that it is more important to work with what is at hand rather than waiting for research to provide the elusive magic bullet. However, while it…

The relationship between a history of lifetime psychiatric disorders of parents with selective mutism (SM) in their children is examined. The results support earlier findings of a familial relationship between generalized social phobia and SM.

Most students have heard about situations in which the paternity of a child is questioned; in a surprising reversal, in this case study, maternity is in question. Designed for an introductory biology course, the case involves concepts from genetics, inheritance, and the formation of pedigrees. Students develop hypotheses to explain how a mother…

A study aims to examine the genetic contribution if any to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results confirm the hypothesis and the association of dopamine [beta]-hydroxylase and dopamine receptor D2 genes with ADHD.

Horizontal gene transfer, the exchange of genetic material between bacteria, is a potentially important factor in the degradation of synthetic compounds introduced to the environment and in the acquisition of other characteristics including antibiotic resistance. This game-based activity illustrates the role of horizontal gene transfer in the…

Understanding the precursors and early indicators of dyslexia is key to early identification and effective intervention. Now there's a single research volume that brings together the very latest knowledge on the earliest stages of dyslexia and the diverse genetic, neurobiological, and cognitive factors that may contribute to it. Based on findings…

Background: Although distinctive neuropsychological impairments have been delineated in children with chromosome 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), social skills and social cognition remain less well-characterised. Objective: To examine social skills and social cognition and their relationship with neuropsychological function/behaviour and…

This article describes and evaluates an activity designed to demonstrate how biological factors (e.g., genetics), individual-level behaviors (e.g., smoking), and social factors (e.g., socioeconomic status) shape health status and access to health care. Active learning techniques were utilized to introduce the sociological imagination as it…

We conducted a series of summer workshops on bioinformatics to increase educators' knowledge of this new field of inquiry with the assumption that their knowledge will, in turn, impact student achievement. The workshops incorporated experiential learning and self-reflection (Loucks-Horsley et al. 1998). Educators demonstrated significant increases…

Presents examples using biotechnology applications to clarify topics in genetics, such as DNA replication, gene segregation and polar bodies, multiple alleles, and antisense sequences. (MKR)

Background: The importance of understanding which environmental and biological factors are involved in determining individual differences in physiological response to stress is widely recognized, given the impact that stress has on physical and mental health. Methods: The child-mother attachment relationship and some genetic polymorphisms…

Objective: This study examines the potential role of candidate genes in moderating treatment effects of methylphenidate (MPH) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Eighty-two subjects with ADHD aged 6 to 17 years participated in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose, crossover titration trial of…

Social scientists have predicted that individuals who occupy socially privileged positions or who have conservative political orientations are most likely to endorse the idea that genes are the root cause of differences among individuals. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of the US population, this study examines belief in the…

The study presented here tested three theories of racial differences in academic performance among monoracial and multiracial high school students. These theories (status attainment, oppositional culture, and educational attitudes) were developed to explain differences in achievement among monoracial groups, but the study tested how the theories…

Discrete trial instruction (DTI) was used to teach functional skills to three children with Angelman syndrome, a neurogenetic disorder that overlaps with autism and is associated with severe cognitive, speech, and motor impairments. Children received individual DTI teaching sessions 2 to 3 times per week over a 12-month period and displayed…