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Recent advances in molecular genetics methods have provided new means of determining the genetic bases of human behavioral traits. The impetus for the use of these approaches for specific behaviors depends, in large part, on previous familial studies on inheritance of such traits. In the past, a finding of a genetic basis for a trait was often accompanied with the idea that that trait is unchangeable. We discuss the definition of "genetic trait" and heritability and examine the relationship between these concepts and the malleability of traits for both molecular and nonmolecular approaches to behavioral genetics. We argue that the malleability of traits is as much a social and political question as it is a biological one and that whether or not a trait is genetic has little relevance to questions concerning determinism, free will, and individual responsibility for actions. We conclude by noting that "scientific objectivity" should not be used to conceal the social perspectives that underlie proposals regarding social change.

In recent years, genetic research has ascended the list of national research priorities. From among the many weighty claims on the fisc, Congress has chosen to provide significant federal support for the Human Genome Initiative, a project aimed at mapping the complete set of genetic instructions that form the structure of inherited attributes. Geneticists anticipate that the project will disclose important new in- formation on human development and disease. Some go further. One influential scientist remarked that this work is "the ultimate answer to the commandment 'Know thyself.' "" The decision to fund this Initiative, the largest biology project in the history of science, at a time of significant budgetary constraints suggests its political currency. Scientists have recently developed genetic tests, familiar from the diagnostic technologies used to identify genetic abnormalities in fetuses and newborn infants, to find the markers indicating predisposition to certain single-gene disorders such as Huntington's disease. This success has bred the hope that more complex conditions, such as cancer, drug dependency, and mental illness, will ultimately be predictable and has enhanced the appeal of theories that explain human behavior in biological terms. Expectant parents now demand chromosomal testing of their babies before they are born and infertile couples often put considerable resources into the creation of genetically-related offspring. Institutions, including employers, insurers, and educators, look to biological tests to guide placement and avoid risk.'

Background: Research on attitudes toward genetics and medicine registers skepticism among minority communities, but the reasons for this skepticism are not well known. In the past, studies linked mistrust of the medical system to historical ethics violations involving minority groups and to suspicions about ideological premise and political intent. Methods: To assess public knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding human-genetics research, we surveyed 858 Americans onsite in four community settings or online in a geographically nonspecific manner. Results: Compared to participants as a whole, African Americans were significantly more likely to believe that clinical trials might be dangerous and that the federal government knowingly conducted unethical research, including studies in which risky vaccines were administered to prison populations. However, African Americans were also significantly more likely to believe that the federal government worked to prevent environmental exposure to toxicants harmful to people with genetic vulnerabilities. Conclusions: Our data suggest that most Americans trust government to act ethically in sponsoring and conducting research, including genetics research, but that African Americans are particularly likely to see government as powerfully protective in some settings yet selectively disingenuous in others.

Motivated by earlier work studying the genetic basis of political attitudes (Martin, Eaves, Heath, Jardine, Feingold & Eysenck 1986, Alford, Funk & Hibbing 2005), researchers found that political behaviors such as voter turnout (Fowler, Baker & Dawes 2008), broader participation (Fowler, Baker & Dawes 2008), and partisan attachment (Settle, Dawes & Fowler 2009, Hatemi, Hibbing, Alford, Martin & Eaves 2009) also have a significant heritable component. These findings prompted a great deal of discussion and debate and helped spawn the nascent field of "genopolitics". However, in order to push this area of research forward scholars must identify causal mechanisms linking genes to political behaviors. The goal of this dissertation, which is made up of three distinct chapters, is to explore potential causal pathways my testing potential mediators such as personality traits and cognitive ability as well as identifying new genetic variants that may be associated with political behaviors. The first chapter presents a twin study testing whether the psychological traits cognitive ability, personal control, and extraversion mediate the relationship between genes and political predisposition and acts of participation. The second chapter is a candidate gene association study that tests the hypothesis that extraversion mediates a relationship between a variant of the COMT gene and partisan attachment. The third chapter presents the results from a genome-wide association study of validated voter turnout in the 2010 election. To complete this work I have utilized four novel genetically informative data sets. Two of these data sets were constructed here at UCSD, one at the University of Minnesota, and another with a research team from Sweden. All three studies shed new light on the relationship between genes and these political behaviors. However, the mediation results from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 suggest only a modest amount of the relationship between genes and political behaviors are mediated by personality traits and cognitive ability. In addition, the investigation of over 500,000 genetic variants presented in Chapter 3 did not turn up many new significant associations. However, all three chapters provide a template for how future work in this area should be done as well as highlight the pitfalls in this burgeoning area of research

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and Internet-of-Things technology, the traditional pension service mode has changed, and intelligent pension services have become a new direction of development. Descriptive statistical analysis is conducted on the supply status and demand of intelligent pension services. It is believed that the current intelligent pension services are still in the initial stage of development, and the contradiction between supply and demand is prominent. The demand for intelligent pension of the elderly is high, but the user acceptance and satisfaction are not high. On this basis, variables were selected from individual characteristics, family situation, economic status, education level, living conditions, and other indicators for multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis. It was found that the adoption behavior of intelligent pension service users was most significantly affected by age, number of children, living conditions, service cost, service docking channel, and equipment operation difficulty. Based on the conclusion, this article puts forward some suggestions such as taking the government as the center to realize the multi-governance of intelligent pension services, improving the supply of intelligent pension service-related facilities guided by demand, optimizing the service mode based on the platform to realize dynamic combination, and taking talents as the core to promote the high-quality development of intelligent pension services.

The intramuscular fat (IMF) and oleic acid (OL) content have been favorably related to pork quality and human health. This influences the purchasing behavior of consumers and, therefore, also shifts the attention of breeding companies toward whether these traits are included into the breeding goal of the lines producing for high-valued markets. Because IMF and OL are unfavorably associated with lean content, a key economic trait, the real challenge for the industry is not simply to increase IMF and OL, but rather to come up with the right trade-off between them and lean content. In this paper we review the efforts performed to genetically improve IMF and OL, with particular reference to the research we conducted in a Duroc line aimed at producing high quality fresh and dry-cured pork products. Based on this research, we conclude that there are selection strategies that lead to response scenarios where IMF, OL, and lean content can be simultaneously improved. Such scenarios involve regular recording of IMF and OL, so that developing a cost-efficient phenotyping system for these traits is paramount. With the economic benefits of genomic selection needing further assessment in pigs, selection on a combination of pedigree-connected phenotypes and genotypes from a panel of selected genetic markers is presented as a suitable alternative. Evidence is provided supporting that at least a polymorphism in the leptin receptor and another in the stearoyl-CoA desaturase genes should be in that panel. Selection for IMF and OL results in an opportunity cost on lean growth. The extent to which it is affordable relies on the consumers' willingness to pay for premium products and on the cost to benefit ratio of alternative management strategies, such as specific dietary manipulations. How the genotype can influence the effect of the diet on IMF and OL remains a topic for further research. ; Based on a presentation at the Triennial Growth and Development Symposium titled "New perspectives and insight into intramuscular adipose tissue" following the Joint Annual Meeting, July 19–23, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT, with publication sponsored by the Journal of Animal Science and the American Society of Animal Science. The authors acknowledge Josep Reixach, Selección Batallé, for his cooperation in the results presented here and for valuable discussions. Research funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Union Regional Development Funds (AGL2015–65846-R).

Occupational safety and health is concerned with all aspects of physical, mental and social health and safety of employees. Being a labor-related issue, in every country there are number of legislations that ensure the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work. Therefore, it becomes legal responsibility of the employer to provide a safe workplace for employees. However, without employee's participation the state legislations and employer's efforts can do little to make workplace safe and healthy. Employee's behavior is considered to be the key element to ensure safety at the workplace. Human behavior includes the way an individual acts based on various factors such as genetics, social norm, core faith and attitude. Thus, religion plays vital role in reinforcing safe work behaviors. Islam has strong effect on the lifestyle and behavior of its adherents. In this conceptual paper principles and guidelines offered by Islam related to safety and health are highlighted. The effort has been made to look into the basic sources of Islam to find out principles and guidelines related to safety, health and environment. Behavior based safety in Islamic perspective is concerned with the creation of work environment based on the principles of brotherhood, mutuality, cooperation, mercy, kindness and benevolence. It is observed that Islamic approach to occupational safety and health is not limited to compliance with the organizational safety procedures, but also it is a religious obligation and Divine Calling.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink below ; Genetic advances mean patients at risk of genetic conditions can be helped through testing, clinical screening, and preventive treatment, but they must first be identified to benefit. Ensuring quality of genetic care for patients requires genetic expertise in all health services, including primary care. To address an educational shortfall, a series of e-learning resources was developed in six languages to equip primary care professionals with genetic skills relevant for practice. The purpose of the study was to evaluate these resources using Kirkpatrick's framework for educational outcomes. Mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) were used over four phases of the study. A high level of satisfaction with the resources was reported. Knowledge and skills improved significantly after using the education material. Participants reported changes in confidence and practice behavior, including family history taking, seeking advice from specialists and referring patients. The resources helped users to learn how to explain genetics. Many visited the resources repeatedly and some used them to educate colleagues or students. Gen-Equip modules are effective in improving genetic knowledge, skills, and attitudes for primary care professionals. They provide both continuing professional development and just-in-time learning for a potentially large global audience at a practical level. ; European Union

Introgression lines are valuable germplasm for scientists and breeders, since they ease genetic studies such as QTL interactions and positional cloning as well as the introduction of favorable alleles into elite varieties. We developed a novel introgression line collection in melon using two commercial European varieties with different ripening behavior, the climacteric cantalupensis 'Védrantais' as recurrent parent and the non-climacteric inodorus 'Piel de Sapo' as donor parent. The collection contains 34 introgression lines, covering 99% of the donor genome. The mean introgression size is 18.16 Mb and ~ 3 lines were obtained per chromosome, on average. The high segregation of these lines for multiple fruit quality traits allowed us to identify 27 QTLs that modified sugar content, altered fruit morphology or were involved in climacteric ripening. In addition, we confirmed the genomic location of five major genes previously described, which control mainly fruit appearance, such as mottled rind and external color. Most of the QTLs had been reported before in other populations sharing parental lines, while three QTLs (EAROQP11.3, ECDQP11.2 and FIRQP4.1) were newly detected in our work. These introgression lines would be useful to perform additional genetic studies, as fine mapping and gene pyramiding, especially for important complex traits such as fruit weight and climacteric ripening. ; This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Grants AGL2015-64625-C2-1-R and RTI2018-097665-B-C2, Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D 2016–2010 (SEV-2015-0533) and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya to J.G.-M. L.P., L.V. and M.S.D. were supported by a FPI grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and CM was supported by 2019 FI_B 00124 project from the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya and the co-funding of the European Social Fund (ESF—"ESF is investing in your future") from the European Union. ; Peer reviewed

Persimmon cultivation has significantly grown in the Mediterranean Region in recent years. The production concentrates mainly in three astringent cultivars: Kaki Tipo in Italy, Triumph in Israel, and Rojo Brillante in Spain. Therefore, the varietal range expansion is one of the current challenges for persimmon producers in this area. Moreover, the introduction of nonastringent persimmon cultivars is particularly interesting because they can be commercialized immediately after harvest without applying deastringency treatment before commercialization. This study evaluated the harvest period and the postharvest response of six Japanese nonastringent cultivars (Kanshu, Shinshu, Soshu, Suruga, Youhou, Izu). During two seasons, fruit from each cultivar were harvested at two maturity stages. Fruit quality (external color, firmness, and total soluble solids) was evaluated after harvest and after different commercial scenarios (domestic market: 7 days at 20 8C, market to European Union (EU): 5 days at 5 8C plus 5 days at 20 8C, and market to countries with cold-quarantine treatment requirements: 21 days at 0 8C plus 5 days at 20 8C). Cultivars Kanshu, Shinshu, Soshu, and Izu were identified as early cultivars, and Soshu was the earliest one, which reached commercial maturity at the beginning of September. These four cultivars showed good quality after simulating commercialization on domestic and EU markets. Cultivars Suruga and Youhou overlapped the current harvest window, but their low chilling injury sensitiveness is highlighted, so they are of special interest to be cold-stored at the end of the season to be commercialized in overseas markets.

Among relevant consequences of organizational socialization, a key factor is the promotion of organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals (i.e. OCBI). However, the relation between organizational socialization and OCBI has received little attention. This study tests the validity of a moderated mediation model in which we examine the mediating effect of a decreased interpersonal strain on the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI, and the moderation role of a positive personal resource in reducing interpersonal strain when an unsuccessful socialization subsists. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 765 new recruits of the Guardia di Finanza–a military Police Force reporting to the Italian Minister of Economy. Findings confirm our hypothesis that interpersonal strain mediates the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI. The index of moderated mediation results significant, showing that this effect exists at different levels of positivity. Theoretical and practical implications for promoting pro-organizational behaviors are discussed.

Based on the observational and preliminary data from the Health Department of Boyolali, it is showed that the most non-communicable disease is hypertension with the total amount is 23.586 cases. The hypertension cases in Sawit Health Center is because of the less healthy lifestyle of the society due to the low attitude and behavior toward the prevention of hypertension. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of stress coping and genetic on hypertension status at Sawit Health Center 2018. The present study used cross sectional study design. The sample of the study was 85 respondents that were taken in Sawit Health Center. Questionnaire was used as the instrument of the study in order to obtain the data of stress coping and genetic background of the respondents. The data analysis was done in multiple linear regressions. The results showed that (1) There is the influence of stress on hypertension status with p-value of 0.021<α (0.05). (2) There is the influence of genetic on hypertension status with p-value of 0.000< α (0.05). People are suggested to do healthy life style, the Health Department and Local Government should do some health counseling comprehensively.

Occupational safety and health are concerned with all aspects of employees' physical, mental, and social health and safety. Being a labor-related issue, several legislations in every country ensure the safety, health, and welfare of people engaged in work. Therefore, it becomes the legal responsibility of the employer to provide a safe workplace for employees. However, without employee participation, the state legislations and employers' efforts can do little to make the workplace safe and healthy. Employee behavior is considered the key element to ensure safety at the workplace. Human behavior includes the way an individual acts based on various factors such as genetics, social norm, core faith, and attitude. Thus, religion plays a vital role in reinforcing safe work behaviors. Islam has a strong effect on the lifestyle and behavior of its adherents. In this conceptual paper, principles and guidelines offered by Islam related to safety and health are highlighted. The effort has been made to look into the basic sources of Islam to find out principles and guidelines related to safety, health, and the environment. Behavior-based safety from in Islamic perspective is concerned with creating a work environment based on the principles of brotherhood, mutuality, cooperation, mercy, kindness, and benevolence. It is observed that the Islamic approach to occupational safety and health is not limited to compliance with the organizational safety procedures. Still, also it is a religious obligation and Divine Calling.

Understanding how to "Age Longer and Age Well" is a priority for people personally, for populations and for government policy. Approximately ten percent of nonagenarians reach 90 years and beyond in good condition and seem to have a combination of both age-span and health-span. However, the factors which contribute to human longevity remain challenging. Culture is a shared system of learning ideas, feelings, and survival strategies. It has a strong influence on each person's psychological development, behavior, values and beliefs. Nonagenarians have rich life experiences that can teach us much about aging well; they are rich reservoirs of genetic, lifestyle and psychological information which can help understanding about how to live longer and better. Sibling or trio nonagenarians are important sources of family beliefs and behaviors upon which individual personalities may have been built. Their personal family histories and narratives are powerful tools that help to determine familial traits, beliefs and social behaviors which may help establish factors important in the siblings' longevity. Using purposefully selected subjects, recruited to the Genetics of Healthy Ageing (GeHA) project in four European countries, this research used the simple life story and qualitative research methods to analyze contrasting and distinctive questions about the interface between the psychological and social worlds as presented in the nonagenarian siblings' insights about their longevity. Their stories aimed to give better understanding about which psychological aspects of their common life journey and the degree of emotional support in their sibling relationships may have supported their paths to longevity. The most universal finding in each of the four European countries was that nonagenarians demonstrated high positivity, resilience and coping skills and were supported in social networks. Around this theme, nonagenarians reported "being happy," "always cheerful," "never melancholy" and having a contentment with a "rich life" and family relationships which fits with accumulating evidence that life satisfaction comes from a perceived self-efficacy and optimism. Most sibling relationships in this study, when analyzed according to the Gold classification, fit the "congenial" or "loyal" relationship type – demonstrating a healthy respect for the others' opinion without overt dependence, which may help individual coping and survival mechanisms.

International audience ; Scrapie is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. It is also the earliest known member in the family of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases, which includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease in cervids. The recent revelation of naturally occurring BSE in a goat has brought the issue of TSE in goats to the attention of the public. In contrast to scrapie, BSE presents a proven risk to humans. The risk of goat BSE, however, is difficult to evaluate, as our knowledge of TSE in goats is limited. Natural caprine scrapie has been discovered throughout Europe, with reported cases generally being greatest in countries with the highest goat populations. As with sheep scrapie, susceptibility and incubation period duration of goat scrapie are most likely controlled by the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP). Like the PRNP of sheep, the caprine PRNP shows significantly greater variability than that of cattle and humans. Although PRNP variability in goats differs from that observed in sheep, the two species share several identical alleles. Moreover, while the ARR allele associated with enhancing resistance in sheep is not present in the goat PRNP, there is evidence for the existence of other PrP variants related to resistance. This review presents the current knowledge of the epidemiology of caprine scrapie within the major European goat populations, and compiles the current data on genetic variability of PRNP.