Environmental factors contributing to incidences of thyroid carcinoma are re-evaluated and emphasized in this study. Thyroid cancers appear to occur independent of endemic goiter, based on epidemiologic and histologic evidence. While environmental factors appear to be important, the specific etiologic agent has not yet been identified or suggested. The number of thyroid cancer incidences available from cancer registries are analyzed in an attempt to identify a specific environmental carcinogenic agent. The presence of active volcanoes that produce abundant lava is found to be the common denominator of Iceland and Hawaii, where the incidence of thyroid cancer is outstandingly high. Comparison with other areas with active volcanoes is made. The presence of a carcinogenic agent in the lava is postulated and its possible mode of action on humans through fish products is hypothesized.

Carcinoma, Papillary↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A biological survey of a Cambridge suburb: assortative marriage for IQ and personality traits.

An account is given of a study, carried out in a Cambridge suburb, which measured the similarity in IQ and some personality traits between spouses. In both sexes mean IQ scores tended to diminish from social class I to V. Lower IQ scores were associated with higher levels of extraversion, neuroticism and inconsistency. Assortative marriage was found for IQ components, Total IQ, extraversion-introversion and inconsistency scores. Both geographical and social stratification were shown to affect the degree of assortative marriage.

England↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A search for association between gene markers and serum cholesterol, triglyceride, urate and blood pressure.

This study was carried out to search for possible association between some polymorphic systems including ABO, MNSs, Rh, Duffy, Kell, Kidd, haptoglobin (Hp) and red cell acid phosphatase (PHs), and the variables serum cholesterol, triglyceride, urate, haemoglobin and blood pressure, in two separate samples of the Australian white population. Allele frequencies of each of the gene marker systems were comparable to those obtained by other workers for Australian whites. There were significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg proportions for red cell acid phosphatase and MNSs systems in one of the samples, and a possible cause for this is discussed. No associations were found between levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, urate and haemoglobin and most of the gene markers in either of the samples. However, a relationship was demonstrated between systolic blood pressure and two polymorphic systems, MNSs and Hp in both populations, and between diastolic blood pressure and red cell acid phosphatase in one of the samples.

Australia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A note on familial relations in IQ.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

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.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Migration and the structure of the Otmoor villages.

Patterns of variation in I.Q., personality and stature are examined in the Otmoor region of Oxfordshire according to village of residence and whether people were born locally or not. It is shown that the locally born do not vary by village in I.Q., but that immigrants do and this is not solely due to social-class associations. Immigrants also have substantially higher I.Qs than those born locally. The findings are discussed in terms of the selectiveness of in-and-out migration.

Body Height↗