A genetic analysis of coffee consumption in a sample of Dutch twins

Caffeine is by far the most commonly used psycho-active substance. Caffeine is consumed regularly as an ingredient of coffee. Coffee consumption and coffee preference was explored in a sample of 4,495 twins (including 1,231 pairs) registered with the Netherlands Twin Registry. Twin resemblance was assessed by tetrachoric correlations and the influence of both genetic and environmental factors was explored with model fitting analysis in MX. Results showed moderate genetic influences (39%) on coffee consumption. The remaining variance was explained by shared environmental factors (21%) and unique environmental factors (40%). The variance in coffee preference (defined as the proportion of coffee consumption relative to the consumption of coffee and tea in total) was explained by genetic factors (62%) and unique environmental factors (38%)

Role of Nicotine Dependence in the Association between the Dopamine Receptor Gene DRD3 and Major Depressive Disorder

Peer reviewe

A SNP, Gene, and Polygenic Risk Score Approach of Oxytocin-Vasopressin Genes in Adolescents' Loneliness.

Not much is known regarding underlying biological pathways to adolescents' loneliness. Insight in underlying molecular mechanisms could inform intervention efforts aimed at reducing loneliness. Using latent growth curve modeling, baseline levels and development of loneliness were studied in two longitudinal adolescent samples. Genes (OXTR, OXT, AVPR1A, AVPR1B) were examined using SNP-based, gene-based, and polygenic risk score (PRS) approaches. In both samples, SNP- and gene-based tests showed involvement of the OXTR gene in development of loneliness, though, significance levels did not survive correction for multiple testing. The PRS approach provided no evidence for relations with loneliness. We recommend alternative phenotyping methods, including environmental factors, to consider epigenetic studies, and to examine possible endophenotypes in relation to adolescents' loneliness.status: publishe

Logistic regressions on the associations of the <i>DRD3</i> variant rs2399496 and nicotine dependence (ND) with major depressive disorder (MDD): Models combining the ND (no/yes) and rs2399496 (TT = 0, TA = 1, or AA = 2 minor alleles) status.

a<p>Adjusted for sex, age, and alcohol abuse.</p

Association analyses results (p-values) for <i>DRD3</i> SNPs.

<p>DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4^th edition (APA 1994); MDD, major depressive disorder; ND, nicotine dependence.</p>a<p>, significant p-value (study-specific threshold p<0.00042).</p>b<p>, suggestive p-value (study-specific threshold 0.00042</p

Basic characteristics of the study samples used in (A) genetic association analyses (N = 1428) and (B) logistic regressions (N = 1296).

a<p>, 74 with unconfirmed zygosity; ^b, 34 with unconfirmed zygosity; ^c 44 with unconfirmed zygosity; ^d 23 with unconfirmed zygosity: *, Conditioned for regular smoking.</p><p>MZ, monozygotic; DZ, dizygotic; CPD, cigarettes per day; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4^th edition (APA 1994); MDD, major depressive disorder; ND, nicotine dependence.</p

Genome-wide association study identifies 48 common genetic variants associated with handedness.

Handedness has been extensively studied because of its relationship with language and the over-representation of left-handers in some neurodevelopmental disorders. Using data from the UK Biobank, 23andMe and the International Handedness Consortium, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of handedness (N = 1,766,671). We found 41 loci associated (P < 5 × 10-8) with left-handedness and 7 associated with ambidexterity. Tissue-enrichment analysis implicated the CNS in the aetiology of handedness. Pathways including regulation of microtubules and brain morphology were also highlighted. We found suggestive positive genetic correlations between left-handedness and neuropsychiatric traits, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Furthermore, the genetic correlation between left-handedness and ambidexterity is low (rG = 0.26), which implies that these traits are largely influenced by different genetic mechanisms. Our findings suggest that handedness is highly polygenic and that the genetic variants that predispose to left-handedness may underlie part of the association with some psychiatric disorders

Searching for VHE gamma-ray emission associated with IceCube neutrino alerts using FACT, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS

The realtime follow-up of neutrino events is a promising approach to search for astrophysical neutrino sources. It has so far provided compelling evidence for a neutrino point source: the flaring gamma-ray blazar TXS 0506+056 observed in coincidence with the high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A detected by IceCube. The detection of very-high-energy gamma rays (VHE, E&gt;100GeV E &gt; 100 G e V ) from this source helped establish the coincidence and constrained the modeling of the blazar emission at the time of the IceCube event. The four major imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays (IACTs) - FACT, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS - operate an active follow-up program of target-of-opportunity observations of neutrino alerts sent by IceCube. This program has two main components. One are the observations of known gamma-ray sources around which a cluster of candidate neutrino events has been identified by IceCube (Gamma-ray Follow-Up, GFU). Second one is the follow-up of single high-energy neutrino candidate events of potential astrophysical origin such as IceCube-170922A. GFU has been recently upgraded by IceCube in collaboration with the IACT groups. We present here recent results from the IACT follow-up programs of IceCube neutrino alerts and a description of the upgraded IceCube GFU system