Social contact,social attitudes,and twin similarity

The nature of the relationship between social contact and attitude similarity between twins was investigated using longitudinal data from a sample of Australian twins. Earlier research has suggested that social attitudes are not explained solely by shared environment; rather there are both genetic and environmental components that explain variance in social attitudes. Using three types of analyses we investigated the magnitude of the relationship and the direction of causation between attitude similarity and social contact. Longitudinal analysis of within-pair variance by level of contact suggests that attitude similarity leads to contact among the females and that similarity is both genetically and environmentally based. Analyses using a crosslag regression model suggest that similarity causes contact among MZ females. Biometrical analyses indicate differences in direction of causation for males and females. Among females, both genetic and shared environmental parameter estimates could be equated across contact groups, suggesting little relationship between contact and similarity. Among males, findings of smaller estimated heritability in the high-contact group suggest that similarity causes contact. However, an increased estimate of the contribution of shared environmental variance in the high-contact males could additionally suggest that contact leads to similarity.     

Effect of Environmental Factors and Gender on the Heritability of Bone Mineral Density and Bone Size

Bone mineral density (BMD), a risk factor for osteoporosis, is believed to be under genetic control. The effect of environmental factors and gender on the heritability of BMD and bone size is ill-defined. In this study, heritability estimates ( h² ) were determined in 3,320 southern Chinese subjects from 1,019 families using the variance components model. The h² for age, weight and height-adjusted BMD was 0.63–0.71 for females, and 0.74–0.79 for males; and for bone size, 0.44–0.64 for females and 0.32–0.86 for males. Adjustment for lifestyle factors including calcium and phytoestrogen intake, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption altered the h² differently in males and females. The proportion of variance in BMD and bone size explained by all covariates varied between skeletal sites, but was consistently greater in females than males. A significant gender difference was observed in the genetic variance of BMD and bone size at the hip but not the spine. In conclusion, a gender difference was observed in the degree of heritability of BMD and bone size at specific skeletal sites. Environmental influences contributed variably at different sites in the two sexes.     

Sex differences in property crime in a Danish adoption cohort

Sex differences in genetic and environmental influences on criminal behavior against property were studied in a birth cohort of 6129 male and 7065 female Danish adoptees and their biological and adoptive parents. Both genetic and environmental factors were found to contribute to variation in liability to property criminality, the relative proportions of variance explained being similar in males and females. Important shared- and nonshared-family environmental factors were present. In separate analyses of average liability toward property criminality, however, convicted females appeared to be more genetically predisposed than convicted males, a conclusion based on the finding that female property offenders were more likely than male offenders to have convicted biological (but adopted-away) offspring. On the other hand, property-offending males and females did not appear to differ in their average shared-family environmental liabilities, since conviction rates did not differ for adoptees of convicted adoptive mothers and fathers. Also, social class in the adopitive parents of convicted sons and daughters were comparable, further indicating that average shared-family environmental liabilities do not differ between the sexes.This work was supported from NIMH Grant 39904-01.     

The Implications of Simultaneous Smoking Initiation for Inferences about the Genetics of Smoking Behavior from Twin Data

We examined early social influences across stages of smoking within the context of a twin study using an environmental exposure specific to smoking: whether twins started smoking at the same time (“simultaneous smoking initiation”: SSI). We expected that SSI would be a good index of shared social influences on smoking initiation. Rates of SSI were indeed significantly higher in MZ twins and in twins who shared peers and classes, as well as in male twins. With the exception of regular smoking in females, we found no significant difference in estimates of genetic and environmental parameters between SSI and non-SSI pairs for any of the smoking measures that we examined (DSM-IV and Fagerstrom HSI measures of nicotine dependence; DSM-IV nicotine withdrawal; heavy smoking; and in males, regular smoking). For regular smoking in females, allowing for additional shared environmental influences associated with SSI only modestly reduced our estimates of additive genetic variance (56% vs. 68%). These results indicate the important social influences that may occur for smoking initiation do not appear to seriously bias estimates of genetic effects on later stages of smoking.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

儿童青少年智力的双生子研究

目的 应用双生子法探讨遗传和环境因素对儿童青少年智力影响.方法 采用中国修订版-韦氏儿童智力量表评定6～16岁333对双生子的智力特点.应用结构方程模型分析遗传和环境因素对智力的影响.结果 6～16岁儿童青少年的总智商(intelligence quotient,IQ)遗传度为0.43,其中言语智商(verbal intelligence quotient,VIQ)遗传度为0.37,而遗传因素对操作智商(performance intelligence quotient,PIQ)影响甚小.10～16岁的青少年智力遗传度大于6～9岁的儿童(IQ:0.82 vs 0.00,VIQ:0.80 vs 0.00,PIQ:0.51 vs 0.00).男性的言语智商(0.47)受遗传影响大于女性(0.05);而在男性和女性中,操作智商均主要受共享环境的影响.结论 在儿童青少年时期,总智商和言语智商有中度的遗传度,而共享环境因素对操作智商的影响更大;但智商总分及言语智商和操作智商分测试分在年龄较大的青少年的遗传度都明显高于年龄较小的儿童.     

A twin study of genetic and environmental influences on tobacco initiation, regular tobacco use and nicotine dependence

BACKGROUND: Numerous twin studies have reported significant genetic contributions to the variability of tobacco initiation (TI), while fewer studies have shown similar results for the persistence of smoking behavior, or nicotine dependence (ND). As the development of ND requires regular tobacco use (RTU) which in turn requires TI, a conditional approach is necessary. METHOD: We used structural equation modeling of multi-step conditional processes to examine the relationship between genetic and environmental risk factors for TI, RTU and ND. The tobacco variables were assessed by personal interview in female, male and opposite-sex twin pairs from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry. RESULTS: The results suggested that the liabilities to TI, RTU and ND were correlated. Over 80 % of the variance in liability to TI and RTU were shared, and a smaller proportion was shared between RTU and ND. The heritabilities were estimated at 75 %, 80 % and 60 % respectively for TI, RTU and ND. The variance specific to liability to RTU was entirely accounted for by additive genetic factors. Only a modest part of the heritability in liability of ND was due to genetic factors specific to ND. Shared environmental factors were not significant. No sex differences were found for the sources of variation or causal paths, but prevalences were significantly greater in males versus females. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed significant overlap in the contribution of genetic factors to individual differences in TI, RTU and ND. Furthermore, there was evidence for significant additional genetic factors specific to RTU and ND.     

No Apparent Indirect Genetic Benefits to Female Red Flour Beetles Preferring Males with Intense Copulatory Courtship

Whether females gain indirect genetic benefits through mate choice is a controversial issue since this requires additive genetic variance in the preferred male traits. Condition dependence could maintain the necessary genetic variance by linking the expression of male traits to the supposedly large number of genes affecting condition. Copulating males of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum rub their legs along the female elytra. Females favor males with vigorous rubbing through cryptic female choice. We measured the repeatability and heritability of this behavior and assessed its potential use as indicator of viability and condition. We found genetic variance in larval to adult survival and in the rate of leg rubbing in males. However, the rate of leg rubbing was not related to offspring survival or condition dependent. The genetic variance in leg rubbing was mostly non-additive with very low narrow sense heritability. Therefore, we failed to document any indirect genetic benefits to choosy females through viability of their offspring or attractiveness of their sons.     

Lung function in an Australian population: contributions of polygenic factors and the Pi locus to individual differences in lung function in a sample of twins

A study of lung function in 203 twin pairs aged 18-34 years living in Sydney detected significant genetic variation in females and males. There was no evidence of family environmental effects in either sex and most of the repeatable variation in females was heritable. However, there was evidence for systematic environmental differences between males affecting lung function so that the heritability was lower in males (about 0.6) than females (about 0.8). An effect of smoking on lung function was detected but accounted for less than 3% of the variance. Lung function in females was greater in the M subtype heterozygotes at the Pi locus than in the M subtype homozygotes or in other Pi phenotypes with low alpha 1-antitrypsin activity. The Pi polymorphism accounted for approximately 9% of the total variance in female lung function. No effect of the Pi locus was found in males.     

Genetic Correlation Between the P300 Event-Related Brain Potential and the EEG Power Spectrum

Previous studies have demonstrated moderate heritability of the P300 component of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and high heritability of background electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum. However, it is unclear whether EEG and ERPs are influenced by common or independent genetic factors. This study examined phenotypic and genetic correlations between EEG spectral power and P300 amplitude using data from 206 Dutch twin pairs, age 16 years. Multivariate genetic models (Cholesky decomposition) were fitted to the observed twin covariances using Mx software. In males, genetic correlations between P300 and EEG power measures were high (0.54–0.74); 30% of the total P300 variance could be explained by genetic factors influencing EEG delta power and 26% by P300-specific genetic factors (total heritability 56%). In females, 45% of P300 variance could be attributed to familial influences that were shared with the EEG. However, it was not possible to distinguish between the genetic versus shared environmental factors, consistent with previous analysis of P300 in this sample (van Beijsterveldt et al., 1998). The results suggest that a substantial proportion of genetic influences on P300 amplitude can be explained by strong heritability of slow EEG rhythms contributing to P300.     

The genetic component of human longevity: analysis of the survival advantage of parents and siblings of Italian nonagenarians

Many epidemiological studies have shown that parents, siblings and offspring of long-lived subjects have a significant survival advantage when compared with the general population. However, how much of this reported advantage is due to common genetic factors or to a shared environment remains to be resolved.We reconstructed 202 families of nonagenarians from a population of southern Italy. To estimate the familiarity of human longevity, we compared survival data of parents and siblings of long-lived subjects to that of appropriate Italian birth cohorts. Then, to estimate the genetic component of longevity while minimizing the variability due to environment factors, we compared the survival functions of nonagenarians' siblings with those of their spouses (intrafamily control group).We found that both parents and siblings of the probands had a significant survival advantage over their Italian birth cohort counterparts. On the other hand, although a substantial survival advantage was observed in male siblings of probands with respect to the male intrafamily control group, female siblings did not show a similar advantage. In addition, we observed that the presence of a male nonagenarians in a family significantly decreased the instant mortality rate throughout lifetime for all the siblings; in the case of a female nonagenarians such an advantage persisted only for her male siblings.The methodological approach used here allowed us to distinguish the effects of environmental and genetic factors on human longevity. Our results suggest that genetic factors in males have a higher impact than in females on attaining longevity.