This study is a two-iteration design-based research project that investigated how youths' science learning and socio-emotional attitudes toward science were influenced by a summer camp with a personal genetics approach. A multidisciplinary team developed a 2-week camp curriculum that included personal DNA tests, family genealogy projects, and…

This study investigated the association between autism and self-reported eating problems and the influence of gender on the association, in a sample of adolescent and adult twins (N = 192). Autistic traits and autism diagnosis were associated with both total and specific eating problems, including selective eating and sensory sensitivity during…

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by delays including a severe expressive language delay, motor concerns, ataxia, epilepsy, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal problems, and characteristic behaviors, including a happy demeanor, hyperactivity, and excitability. The syndrome is one of the first neurodevelopmental…

This study analyzed narratives of male and female adolescents with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The impact of structural language, cognition and autism symptomatology on narrative skills and the association between narratives and literacy were examined. Narratives from 32 adolescents with FXS (24 males, 8 females) were analyzed for macrostructure.…

Background: The present study investigated decision-making in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) using the Soochow Gambling Task (SGT). The objective was to assess whether adults with PWS have impaired hot executive functions and whether the deficit is specific to PWS or linked to intellectual disabilities. Method: The SGT performance of 26…

Learning progressions (LPs) serve as frameworks for understanding the level of complexity of students' ideas within a domain. Multifaceted LPs contain multiple interrelated constructs where increased knowledge in one construct may increase knowledge of a separate construct. While it is challenging to identify and test these contingencies between…

Lack of motivation of students is a major concern for the instructors and administration in universities, and it is in their interest to address these issues in the most effective and efficient way. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed-method study is to examine the predictive power of the learning environment on student academic…

Background: Despite work on the self-identities of people with intellectual disabilities, research has yet to describe the self-perceptions of people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The perspectives of those with PWS are also important for rapidly evolving clinical trials aimed at treating symptoms of PWS. Method: Twenty-one young people with…

Background: Educational attainment is connected to many important life outcomes, and the previous research has already focused on identifying its genetic and environmental components. However, most of these studies used twin data only and did not incorporate information from other family members. Twin studies typically decompose the phenotypic…

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which genetic factors play key roles. Limited research has been conducted on genetic testing of children with autism spectrum disorder in low middle-income countries. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the pediatric neurology clinics of three university hospitals in…

Objective: This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of web-based information on familial hypercholesterolaemia. Design, setting and methods: Internet searches using the terms 'familial hypercholesterolemia', 'hypercholesterolemia', 'inherited high cholesterol', 'hereditary high cholesterol' and 'inherited high LDL' were conducted…

Although biochemistry is fascinating to undergraduates regardless of their major, the complexity involved requires a great deal of effort and leads many to perceive it to be an intense, facts-based course limiting personal creativity. This activity takes the fundamental knowledge associated with inducible promoters and combines it with the…

DNA analysis is a common diagnostic tool in healthcare: ranging from microbial typing (e.g. DNA strands of viral, bacterial and even fungal pathogens), oncological screen (e.g. Breast cancer detection via DNA analysis of any BRCA gene mutations), genetic amniocentesis test (a medical technique used in determining chromosomal conditions such as…

CRISPR (also known as CRISPR-Cas9) is a powerful biotechnology tool that gives scientists unprecedented access to the genetic makeup of all living organisms, including humans. It originally evolved as an adaptive immune system in bacteria to defend against viruses. When artificially harnessed in the laboratory it allows scientists to accurately…

Howard Gardner's longtime interest in the range of human capacities and talents was facilitated by his leadership role in the Bernard Van Leer Foundation "Project on Human Potential" carried out at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1979-1985. In this reflective essay, Gardner describes his early studies of human potential and…