22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a rare multisystem genetic disorder with over 200 associated characteristics, occurring in various combinations and severity. Extensive biomedical research has been undertaken on 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, however, there is a dearth of research on families' experiences of managing a family member with this condition.…

Although the last decade has welcomed evidence that individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) can communicate using alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), less is known about effective procedures for teaching various component skills required for expressive communication of individuals with complex communication needs. The purpose of the…

Academic underachievement refers to school performance which falls below expectations. Focusing on the pivotal first stage of education, we explored a quantitative measure of underachievement using genomically predicted achievement delta (GPA[delta]), which reflects the difference between observed and expected achievement predicted by genome-wide…

Children born to parents with fewer years of education are more likely to have depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is unclear to what extent these associations are causal. We estimated the effect of parents' educational attainment on children's depressive, anxiety, and ADHD traits at age 8 years, in a…

Do children think of genetic inheritance as deterministic or probabilistic? In two novel tasks, children viewed the eye colors of animal parents and judged and selected possible phenotypes of offspring. Across three studies (N = 353, 162 girls, 172 boys, 2 non-binary; 17 did not report gender) with predominantly White U.S. participants collected…

In this extensively revised edition, Martha Ann Bell and her contributors synthesize the newest research on how cognitive and emotional processes influence each other in child development. Historically, research in child development has treated cognitive processes as separate and distinct from social-emotional processes. However, many of the…

To explore the curvilinear relationship between early stressful life events and future-oriented coping and whether the "HOMER1" (rs7713917) polymorphism can moderate the relationship between early life stress and two types of future-oriented coping, 14,675 Han Chinese people were surveyed. The relationship between the number of early…

Transcription is the critical first step in expressing a gene, during which an RNA polymerase (RNAP) synthesizes an RNA copy of one strand of the DNA that encodes a gene. Here we describe a laboratory experiment that uses a single assay to probe two important steps in transcription: (1) RNAP binding to DNA, and (2) the transcriptional activity of…

This article presents the integration of Tinkercad, a free online modeling program that allows students to model molecular genetic concepts, into the distance learning process. The students had the opportunity to learn molecular genetics in a fun and more efficient way in spite of the limitations of the COVID-19 lockdown, and, in this respect, it…

Even though genetics has been implemented in biology curricula at secondary schools for decades, reports repeatedly indicate that students still hold various misconceptions about this topic. To successfully target these misconceptions, we need to know their nature and origin. We aimed to investigate these properties in the Czech educational system…

Outreach activities give high school students an opportunity to better understand the techniques and strategies used by researchers. Here is an experience with high school students designed to familiarize them with genetic methodologies. Students have been challenged to discover whether restaurant beef burgers are made with female or male beef.…

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders in which the underlying pathogenesis and etiologic factors are not fully understood. The blood brain barrier (BBB) ??plays a critical role in central nervous system defense by limiting access to circulating solutes, macromolecules, and cells that can negatively…

Commonly used cut-points may misclassify physical activity (PA) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim of this study was to develop and cross-validate condition-specific cut-points in children and adolescents with CF. Thirty-five children and adolescents with CF (15 girls; 11.6 ± 2.8 years) and 28 controls (16 girls; 12.2 ± 2.7 years), had…

Sanger sequencing, also known as dideoxy sequencing, is a widely used method for DNA sequencing, particularly for cloned plasmids and clinical samples. This technique requires a combination of essential biochemistry skills, such as a chain-termination reaction, gel electrophoresis, and fluorescence detection. Unfortunately, there is a lack of…

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, whilst in its infancy, presents significant opportunities and risks, and proactive policy is needed to manage these emerging technologies. Whilst AI continues to have significant and broad impact, its relevance and complexity magnify when integrated with other emerging…