Genes trump environment as the primary reason that some adolescents are more likely than others to be victimized by crime, according to groundbreaking research led by distinguished criminologist Kevin M. Beaver of The Florida State University.

The study is believed to be the first to probe the genetic basis of victimization.

"Victimization can appear to be a purely environmental phenomenon, in which people are randomly victimized for reasons that have nothing to do with their genes," said Beaver, an assistant professor in FSU's nationally top-10-ranked College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. "However, because we know that genetically influenced traits such as low self control affect delinquent behavior, and delinquents, particularly violent ones, tend to associate with antisocial peers, I had reasons to suspect that genetic factors could influence the odds of someone becoming a victim of crime, and these formed the basis of our study."

Beaver analyzed a sample of identical and same-sex fraternal twins drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of male and female adolescents interviewed in 1994 and 1995 for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. "Add Health" interviewers had gathered data on participants that included details on family life, social life, romantic relationships, extracurricular activities, drug and alcohol use, and personal victimization.

The data convinced Beaver that genetic factors explained a surprisingly significant 40 to 45 percent of the variance in adolescent victimization among the twins, while non-shared environments (those environments that are not the same between siblings) explained the remaining variance. But among adolescents who were victimized repeatedly, the effect of genetic factors accounted for a whopping 64 percent of the variance.

"It stands to reason that, if genetics are part of the reason why some young people are victimized in the first place, and genetics don't change, there's a good chance these individuals will experience repeat victimization," Beaver said.

Findings from the study are described in a paper to be published in a July 2009 special issue of the journal Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice dealing with biosocial criminology. Beaver served as lead author of the paper, "The Biosocial Underpinnings to Adolescent Victimization," ­which currently can be accessed on the journal's Web site. His co-authors are criminology graduate students Brian Boutwell and J.C. Barnes of Florida State and Jonathon A. Cooper of Arizona State University.

"It is possible that we detected this genetic effect on victimization because it is operating indirectly through behaviors," Beaver said. "The same genetic factors that promote antisocial behavior may also promote victimization, because adolescents who engage in acts of delinquency tend to have delinquent peers who are more likely to victimize them. In turn, these victims are more likely to be repeatedly victimized, and to victimize others."

Thus, write Beaver and his colleagues, victims of crime are not always innocent bystanders targeted at random, but instead, sometimes actively participate in the construction of their victimization experiences.

Practicing certain tongue and pharyngeal exercises may reduce symptoms of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to new research being published in the second issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Although CPAP is the gold standard treatment for severe OSA, the vast majority of subjects from epidemiological studies have mild or moderate OSA. The compliance to CPAP among mild to moderate OSA is variable, and there are only a few forms of alternative treatments for this large number of subjects and patients.

"It was commonly thought among doctors that strengthening and toning oropharyngeal muscles would have no benefit to the patient during sleep, but a recent study showed that didgeridoo playing helped decrease snoring and OSA," said Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, M.D., Ph.D. "This was a change of paradigm, and indicated that not everything you do during the day is lost during sleep."

Dr. Lorenzi-Filho and colleagues investigated the effects of exercises on the symptoms of OSA in the first randomized, controlled study to do so. They recruited a group of 31 recently-diagnosed patients, who were evaluated for OSA severity using polysomnography. Snoring frequency and intensity, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality were assessed using self-reports and validated questionnaires. The subjects were the randomized to two groups - the exercise group and the control group. Each of the 16 individuals in the exercise group underwent a daily and weekly regimen of tongue and pharyngeal exercises. The 15 individuals in the control group underwent a sham treatment regimen involving deep breathing and nasal lavage with a saline solution.

After three months, there were no significant changes to OSA symptoms in the control group. However, the treatment group showed significant improvements in lowest oxygen saturation levels in blood, subjective sleepiness, snoring symptoms and quality of sleep scores.

Additionally, while there were no changes in abdominal circumference in either group, neck circumference decreased significantly in the treatment group with no concomitant changes in body mass index.

"These data suggest that the exercises were able to promote remodeling of the upper airways," Said Dr. Lorenzi-Filho.

Overall, the treatment groups showed a 40 percent decrease in OSA severity. Ten of the 16 patients in the treatment group who had originally been classified as having moderate OSA based on their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score were reclassified as having either mild (eight) or no OSA (two). "This was nearly two thirds of the treatment group, whereas none of the control group were reclassified with a milder disease," said Dr. Lorenzi-Filho. "This indicates to us that these exercises have significant potential to improve symptoms in sufferers of OSA."

"The muscles of the upper airways are extremely complex and the mechanisms leading to OSA are far from being well understood," said Dr. Lorenzi-Filho. "A strong muscle may be working on the wrong direction and not necessarily helping to open the airways. The overall set of exercises we tested target the correct physiology of the upper airway and should promote remodeling of the upper airways."

This was the first rigorous study of the subject, and the evidence supports that certain exercises do, in fact, aid in remodeling the upper airways in such a way as to reduce OSA symptoms.

New Delhi: A 23-year-old man, who arrived at Hyderabad airport from the US, has been found to be infected with influenza A (H1N1). This is the first case of swine flu in India, the health ministry said Saturday.

The passenger travelled by Emirates Airline from New York to Hyderabad via Dubai. He reached India Wednesday morning and was quarantined after he was found to be suffering from fever.

"He was shifted to the identified isolation facility under strict infection control. His samples have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1)," a health ministry statement issued here said.

The person, who has not been identified, was being treated with anti-influenza drugs Oseltamivir and Afebrile.

All the passengers who came in contact with the infected person are also being monitored.

"The office of the concerned airlines has been contacted to provide the list of passengers who travelled with him in close proximity. Information of such passengers would be provided to the WHO (World Health Organisation) and respective countries through the external affairs ministry," it said.

The passengers are being advised to remain under home quarantine for a period of seven days and monitor themselves for symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.

They are also being asked to provide their contact details to Indian authorities

SANE Australia is pleased to announce the 2009 SANE Book of the Year is Back From The Brink Too: Supporting Your Loved One In Overcoming Depression by Graeme Cowan.

The SANE Book of the Year Award recognises outstanding Australian non-fiction titles which promote understanding of mental illness and its effect in the community. Previous winners include Anne Deveson AO for Tell Me I'm Here and Craig Hamilton for Broken Open.

Drawing on Australian and overseas research, as well as the author's own experience, Back from the Brink Too offers a step-by-step approach to the support family and friends of people with depression need, and provides guidance on how carers can look after their own mental and physical health too.

SANE Australia Executive Director Barbara Hocking says family members of people with mental illness play an enormous role in providing care and support for people living with depression, as well as other forms of mental illness.

'Not only does Back >From The Brink Too provide much-needed practical guidance for family carers and raise awareness of the key role they play in helping to manage mental illness, but it also works to reduce the isolation many families experience,' Ms Hocking said.

'We are delighted to present the SANE Book of the Year Award to Mr Cowan for his contribution to helping the community better understand the experience of mental illness and its impact on families and friends'

Graeme Cowan says of the Award, 'I am honoured and humbled that SANE Australia has recognised my book. Only after recovering from my own depression did I come to understand the tremendous toll that my illness caused my family. I would like to dedicate this award to my loved ones and the two million other Australians that support those living with depression and anxiety.'

A new University of Illinois study of families adopting from foster care revealed significant declines in professional services and social support over the first three years of adoptive family life, even though parents indicated that they need continued assistance.

"Children who have been in foster care can have a host of medical issues and a history of multiple placements so parenting them can be a challenging task for adoptive parents," said Laurie Kramer, a U of I associate dean and professor of applied family studies.

If these children are to thrive, their families need continued access to an array of professionals, including therapists, school staff, adoption specialists, and trained child-care providers who have experience working with children who have social, emotional, and developmental challenges. These experts can teach parents how to help a child who's been in a neglectful or abusive home environment, she said.

"Families who adopt from foster care also need informal support networks, such as family, friends, and clergy. Peer support from other foster and adoptive parents who have experienced the challenges of parenting a previously traumatized child is also important," said Doris M. Houston, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the School of Social Work/Center for Adoption Studies at Illinois State University.

The three-year longitudinal study assessed the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of 34 families who were adopting a child out of foster care over a three-year period.

"We started working with 49 families when they began parenting their child. And we wanted to know how these parents were doing three years down the road. Nine of the adoptions hadn't been finalized, and we thought that was telling," said Houston.

Parents in the 34 families who followed through with the planned adoption and retained custody of their adoptive child were asked to complete a questionnaire that assessed current child well-being, the quality of family life, and the family's use of supportive services. Parents who no longer had custody of the child they adopted or had planned to adopt were asked to participate in an interview to shed light on the factors that contributed to the disruption.

"Families were more likely to be able to follow through and maintain the adoption when they had more contact with adoption agency staff during the pre-adoption period," said Kramer.

Part of the reason was that caseworkers were able to relay information about the child's history that parents needed to parent the child effectively, she said.

But the survey also showed that contact with all types of support had significantly decreased over the first three years of adoptive family life, she said.

That loss of contact with adoption professionals hadn't occurred because the parents believed they no longer needed it. "Even though their needs may be different now, our data show that parents would still like more support from adoption caseworkers and other specialists as they raise the children they've adopted from foster care," she said.

Houston emphasized that continued contact can be beneficial even if the child doesn't have complicated issues. "Adoption professionals can help prepare parents for the developmental stages that adopted children may go through as they come to terms with separation and loss," she said.

"And, if families do need more help, professionals can link them with community resources. They can help families decide if there's a need for adoption-specific counseling services so they can address concerns before they reach a point of crisis," she added.

Why the decline in post-adoption services? "Adoption professionals are skilled at helping adoptive families face the initial challenges they encounter - helping families get the legal assistance they need, doing the case study, and shepherding them through the adoption process, but they may not have the resources to maintain an investment with these families down the road," said Houston.

She noted that infant adoptions have historically been shrouded in secrecy, and adoptive families often try to handle problems independently to avoid being singled out or appearing dysfunctional.