Panel discussion

Risk assessment is part of the risk analysis process as it is used in veterinary medicine to estimate risks related to international trade and food safety. Data from monitoring and surveillance systems (MO&;SS) are used throughout the risk assessment process for hazard identification, release assessment, exposure assessment and consequence assessment. As the quality of risk assessments depends to a large extent on the availability and quality of input data, there is a close relationship between MO&;SS and risk assessment. In order to improve the quality of risk assessments, MO&;SS should be designed according to minimum quality standards. Second, recent scientific developments on state-of-the-art design and analysis of surveys need to be translated into field applications and legislation. Finally, knowledge about the risk assessment process among MO&;SS planners and managers should be promoted in order to assure high-quality data.

     

Wisconsin Twin Panel.

The Wisconsin Twin Panel was initiated in 1994 to serve a study of the development of childhood mood and behavioral disorders. Families who give birth to twins within the state of Wisconsin are recruited within 6 months of the birth. The panel currently supports three ongoing, longitudinal research projects. Research foci include studying epigenetic contributions to emotional, physical, cognitive, and motoric development of infant and toddler twins; physiological concomitants of childhood temperament; and early risk and resiliency factors related to child psychopathology. All three studies include videotaped observational assessments and biological measures.     

Indian Siddis: African descendants with Indian admixture

The Siddis (Afro-Indians) are a tribal population whose members live in coastal Karnataka, Gujarat, and in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. Historical records indicate that the Portuguese brought the Siddis to India from Africa about 300-500 years ago; however, there is little information about their more precise ancestral origins. Here, we perform a genome-wide survey to understand the population history of the Siddis. Using hundreds of thousands of autosomal markers, we show that they have inherited ancestry from Africans, Indians, and possibly Europeans (Portuguese). Additionally, analyses of the uniparental (Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA) markers indicate that the Siddis trace their ancestry to Bantu speakers from sub-Saharan Africa. We estimate that the admixture between the African ancestors of the Siddis and neighboring South Asian groups probably occurred in the past eight generations (～200 years ago), consistent with historical records.