Conduct disorder (CD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are common childhood externalizing disorders that frequently co-occur. However, the causes of their comorbidity are not well understood. To address that question, we analyzed data from >600 Finnish twin pairs, who completed standardized…

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is caused by a micro deletion of chromosome 22q11 and associated with multiple system abnormalities. There is an increasing recognition of associations with psychiatric disorders. Neurological and brain abnormalities have been reported but to date no association with generalized epilepsy has been reported in…

For many years, mitochondrial phosphate-to-oxygen ratios were believed to be integral values: 3 for ATP/NADH and 2 for ATP/FADH[subscript 2]. The chemiosmotic theory has demonstrated that this need not be the case because coupling sites do not directly synthesize ATP. Coupling between coupling site redox reactions and ATP synthesis occurs via…

PCR, genomic DNA isolation, and agarose gel electrophoresis are common molecular biology techniques with a wide range of applications. Therefore, we have developed a series of exercises employing these techniques for an intermediate level undergraduate molecular biology laboratory course. In these exercises, students isolate genomic DNA from the…

The genetic endowment underlying giftedness may operate in a far more complex manner than often expressed in most theoretical accounts of the phenomenon. First, an endowment may be emergenic. That is, a gift may consist of multiple traits (multidimensional) that are inherited in a multiplicative (configurational), rather than an additive (simple)…

This paper examines the links between childhood conduct disorder problems and schooling and labour market outcomes net of genetic and environmental effects. The results show that individuals who experienced conduct disorder problems are more likely to leave school early, have poorer employment prospects and lower earnings. These findings are shown…

The purpose of this study is to meta-analyze the published studies that measure the performance differences in mental chronometric tasks using a behavioral genetic research design. Because chronometric tasks are so simple, individual differences in the time it takes to complete them are largely due to underlying biological and physiological…

One of the major changes in developmental psychology during the past 50 years has been the acceptance of the important role of nature (genetics) as well as nurture (environment). Past research consisting of twin and adoption studies has shown that genetic influence is substantial for most domains of developmental psychology. Present research…

Environment and Genes are often found in the titles of my articles, but this is the first and most likely the last of my titles to include SSSR. This article is based on my presidential address at the 10th annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) in Boulder, Colorado (2003), so I begin with some reflection on the…

Howard Garner's book Multiple Intelligences was important in psychology because it sought to relate a neuropsychological theory of common mental processes with a view of individual differences implicit in the term intelligences. New developments in imaging and genetics may make these connections more realistic.

Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) are the bridge between the police and forensic science specialists. Their job is to recover physical evidence from the scene of a crime, and try to make sense of it to interpret and explain what probably happened--which is just what scientists also do. They recover many things: objects, photographs of the crime…

Johns Hopkins researchers at the Wilmer Eye Institute have discovered what appears to be the first human gene mutation that causes extreme farsightedness. The researchers report that nanophthalmos, Greek for "dwarf eye," is a rare, potentially blinding disorder caused by an alteration in a gene called MFRP that helps control eye growth and…

Have humans been cloned? Is it possible? Immediate interest is sparked when students are asked these questions. In response to their curiosity, the clone factory activity was developed to help them understand the process of cloning. In this activity, students reenact the cloning process, in a very simplified simulation. After completing the…

It is widely accepted that protein synthesis, including local protein synthesis at synapses, is required for several forms of synaptic plasticity. Local protein synthesis enables synapses to control synaptic strength independent of the cell body via rapid protein production from pre-existing mRNA. Therefore, regulation of translation initiation is…

Precautionary principles have been proposed as a fundamental element of sound risk management. Their advocates see them as guiding action in the face of uncertainty, encouraging the adoption of measures that reduce serious risks to health, safety, and the environment. Their opponents may reject the very idea of precautionary principles, find…