0_Wizard
I have two aunts who are twins. Apparently the US and europe have similar rates of twin birth - 9 to 16 per 1000 lives.
North America and Europe have intermediate rates of 9 to 16 twin sets per 1,000 live births.
chosen_Twin_0
Twin
chosen_topic_0_Twin
Twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Twins can be either "monozygotic" ("identical"), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos, or "dizygotic" ("fraternal"), meaning that they develop from two different eggs. In fraternal twins, each twin is fertilized by its own sperm cell. In contrast, a fetus that develops alone in the womb is called a "singleton", and the general term for one offspring of a multiple birth is "multiple". Non-related look-alikes whose resemblance parallels that of twins are referred to as doppelgangers. The human twin birth rate in the United States, rose 76% from 1980 through 2009, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births.
Health systems by country
This article provides a brief overview of the health systems of the world, sorted by continent. When Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962, there were only around 300 doctors across the whole country and no proper system of healthcare. Over the next few decades, great progress was made in building up the health sector, with the training of doctors and the creation of many health facilities. Today, Algeria has an established network of hospitals (including university hospitals), clinics, medical centres and small health units or dispensaries. While equipment and medicines may not always be the latest available, staffing levels are high and the country has one of the best healthcare systems in Africa.
Weekend effect
In healthcare, the weekend effect is the finding of a difference in mortality rate for patients admitted to hospital for treatment at the weekend compared to those admitted on a weekday. The effects of the weekend on patient outcomes has been a concern since the late 1970s, and a ‘weekend effect’ is now well documented. Although this is a controversial area, the balance of opinion is that the weekend (and bank holidays) have a deleterious effect on patient care (and specifically increase mortality)—based on the larger studies that have been carried out. Variations in the outcomes for patients treated for many acute and chronic conditions have been studied.
Demographic transition
Demographic transition (DT) refers to the transition from high birth and death rates to lower birth and death rates as a country or region develops from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system. The theory was proposed in 1929 by the American demographer Warren Thompson, who observed changes, or transitions, in birth and death rates in industrialized societies over the previous 200 years. Most developed countries have completed the demographic transition and have low birth rates; most developing countries are in the process of this transition. The major (relative) exceptions are some poor countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and some Middle Eastern countries, which are poor or affected by government policy or civil strife, notably, Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
Prevalence of teenage pregnancy
Industrialized and developing countries have distinctly different rates of teenage pregnancy. In developed regions, such as United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, teen parents tend to be unmarried and adolescent pregnancy is seen as a social issue. By contrast, teenage parents in developing regions such as Africa, West Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands are often married, and their pregnancy may be welcomed by family and society. However, in these societies, early pregnancy may combine with malnutrition and poor health care to cause medical problems. A report by Save the Children found that, annually, 13 million children are born to women under age 20 worldwide.
Fire World
Fire World is the sixth and penultimate novel in "The Last Dragon Chronicles" series by Chris d'Lacey. In an interview with ThirstforFiction on the publication day, Chris d'Lacey stated that "Fire World" would be set in an alternate universe, and that all of the recurring characters from the previous novels would return, but in different guises. It opens on the planet Co:pern:ica with Counsellor Strømberg (an auma counsellor) talking to Professor Harlan Merriman and his wife Eliza, and then their son David walks in. They talk about dreams that David has been having as Strømberg and Harlan watch a video they had recorded while he was sleeping.
Epidemiology of autism
The epidemiology of autism is the study of the incidence and distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A 2012 review of global prevalence estimates of autism spectrum disorders found a median of 62 cases per 10,000 people. There is a lack of evidence from low- and middle-income countries though. ASD averages a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of children known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; it is unclear whether prevalence has actually increased; and as-yet-unidentified environmental risk factors cannot be ruled out.
1_Apprentice
Wow I had no idea the rate was so low, do you know what kind of different twins are possible? I think fraternal is one kind for instance.
0_Wizard
Yes, there are a couple of types. There's identical (they develop from on zygote which splits) and Fraternal, which means they develop from separate eggs. Quite fascinating.
Twins can be either "monozygotic" ("identical"), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos, or "dizygotic" ("fraternal"), meaning that they develop from two different eggs.
self_Twin_1
Twin
self_0_Twin
Twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Twins can be either "monozygotic" ("identical"), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos, or "dizygotic" ("fraternal"), meaning that they develop from two different eggs. In fraternal twins, each twin is fertilized by its own sperm cell. In contrast, a fetus that develops alone in the womb is called a "singleton", and the general term for one offspring of a multiple birth is "multiple". Non-related look-alikes whose resemblance parallels that of twins are referred to as doppelgangers. The human twin birth rate in the United States, rose 76% from 1980 through 2009, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births.
Multiple birth
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother delivers two or more offspring. A term most applicable to placental species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such births are often named according to the number of offspring, as in "twins" and "triplets". In non-humans, the whole group may also be referred to as a "litter", and multiple births may be more common than single births. Multiple births in humans are the exception, and can be exceptionally rare in the largest mammals. Each single fertilized egg (zygote) may produce a single embryo, or it may split into two or more embryos, each carrying the same genetic material.
Chimera (genetics)
A genetic chimerism or chimera (also spelled chimaera) is a single organism composed of cells with distinct genotypes. In animals, this means an individual derived from different zygotes, which can include possessing both female and male sex organs, blood cells of two blood types, or subtle variations in form. Animal chimeras are produced by the merger of multiple fertilized eggs. In plant chimeras, however, the distinct types of tissue may originate from the same zygote, and the difference is often due to mutation during ordinary cell division. Normally, genetic chimerism is not visible on casual inspection; however, it has been detected in the course of proving parentage.
Evolutionary history of plants
The evolution of plants has resulted in widely varying levels of complexity, from the earliest algal mats, through bryophytes, lycopods, and ferns, to the complex gymnosperms and angiosperms of today. While many of the groups which appeared earlier continue to thrive, as exemplified by algal dominance in marine environments, more recently derived groups have also displaced previously ecologically dominant ones, e.g. the ascendance of flowering plants over gymnosperms in terrestrial environments. Evidence for the appearance of the first land plants occurs in the Ordovician, around , in the form of fossil spores.
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is a form of reproduction where two morphologically distinct types of specialized reproductive cells called gametes fuse together, involving a female's large ovum (or egg) and a male's smaller sperm. Each gamete contains half the number of chromosomes of normal cells. They are created by a specialized type of cell division, which only occurs in eukaryotic cells, known as meiosis. The two gametes fuse during fertilization to produce DNA replication and the creation of a single-celled zygote which includes genetic material from both gametes. In a process called genetic recombination, genetic material (DNA) joins up so that homologous chromosome sequences are aligned with each other, and this is followed by exchange of genetic information.
Egg
An egg is the organic vessel containing the zygote in which an animal embryo develops until it can survive on its own; at which point the animal hatches. An egg results from fertilization of an ovum. Most arthropods, vertebrates, and mollusks lay eggs, although some, such as scorpions and most mammals, do not. Reptile eggs, bird eggs, and monotreme eggs are laid out of water, and are surrounded by a protective shell, either flexible or inflexible. Eggs laid on land or in nests are usually kept within a warm and favorable temperature range while the embryo grows. When the embryo is adequately developed it hatches, i.e.
Zygosity
Zygosity is the degree of similarity of the alleles for a trait in an organism. Most eukaryotes have two matching sets of chromosomes; that is, they are diploid. Diploid organisms have the same loci on each of their two sets of homologous chromosomes except that the sequences at these loci may differ between the two chromosomes in a matching pair and that a few chromosomes may be mismatched as part of a chromosomal sex-determination system. If both alleles of a diploid organism are the same, the organism is homozygous at that locus. If they are different, the organism is heterozygous at that locus.
1_Apprentice
That is quite cool, science is so fascinating. Do you know more about twin births?
0_Wizard
In Central Africa there are 18 to 30 sets of twins per 1000 - quite a bit more than we have!
In Central Africa there are 18–30 twin sets (or 36–60 twins) per 1,000 live births.
chosen_Twin_0
Twin
partner_0_Twin
Twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Twins can be either "monozygotic" ("identical"), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos, or "dizygotic" ("fraternal"), meaning that they develop from two different eggs. In fraternal twins, each twin is fertilized by its own sperm cell. In contrast, a fetus that develops alone in the womb is called a "singleton", and the general term for one offspring of a multiple birth is "multiple". Non-related look-alikes whose resemblance parallels that of twins are referred to as doppelgangers. The human twin birth rate in the United States, rose 76% from 1980 through 2009, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births.
China Railways CRH2
The CRH2 is one of the high-speed train models in China. Originally, the CRH2 was based on the E2-1000 Series Shinkansen design from Japan with the license purchased from a consortium formed of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and Hitachi, and represents the second Shinkansen train model to be exported. In 2004, the Ministry of Railway in China purchased an initial 60 sets of the train from Kawasaki Heavy Industries with a maximum speed of . However, the newer versions of the CRH2 are not related to the E2-1000 Series despite having the same exterior shell. On October 20, 2004, the Ministry of Railway in China ordered 60 sets of CRH2A trains from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan.
Radar in World War II
Radar in World War II greatly influenced many important aspects of the conflict. This revolutionary new technology of radio-based detection and tracking was used by both the Allies and Axis powers in World War II, which had evolved independently in a number of nations during the mid 1930s. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, both Great Britain and Germany had functioning radar systems. In Great Britain, it was called RDF, Range and Direction Finding, while in Germany the name "Funkmessgerät" (radio measuring device) was used. By the time of the Battle of Britain in mid-1940, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had fully integrated RDF as part of the national air defence.
Health systems by country
This article provides a brief overview of the health systems of the world, sorted by continent. When Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962, there were only around 300 doctors across the whole country and no proper system of healthcare. Over the next few decades, great progress was made in building up the health sector, with the training of doctors and the creation of many health facilities. Today, Algeria has an established network of hospitals (including university hospitals), clinics, medical centres and small health units or dispensaries. While equipment and medicines may not always be the latest available, staffing levels are high and the country has one of the best healthcare systems in Africa.
British Central Africa Company
The British Central Africa Company Ltd was one of the four largest European-owned companies that operated in colonial Nyasaland, now Malawi. The company was incorporated in 1902 to acquire the business interests that Eugene Sharrer, an early settler and entrepreneur, had developed in the British Central Africa Protectorate. Sharrer became the majority shareholder of the company on its foundation. The company initially had trading and transport interests, but these were sold by the 1930s. For most of the colonial period, its extensive estates produced cotton, tobacco or tea but the British Central Africa Company Ltd developed the reputation of being a harsh and exploitative landlord whose relations with its tenants were poor.
Bryan brothers
The Bryan Brothers are identical twin brothers Robert Charles "Bob" Bryan and Michael Carl "Mike" Bryan, American professional doubles tennis players, and are the most successful duo of all time. They were born on April 29, 1978, with Mike being the elder by two minutes. The Bryans have won multiple Olympic medals, including the gold in 2012 and have won more professional games, matches, tournaments and Grand Slams than any other men's pairing. They have held the World No. 1 doubles ranking jointly for 438 weeks (as of October 25, 2015), which is longer than anyone else in doubles history, and have also enjoyed that world number one ranking together for a record 139 consecutive weeks.
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle is a self-propelled vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trams and used for the transportation of passengers, or passengers and property. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. For legal purposes motor vehicles are often identified within a number of vehicle classes including cars, buses, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, light trucks and regular trucks. These classifications vary according to the legal codes of each country.
1_Apprentice
Wow I wonder why the rate is so much higher, does anyone know why?
0_Wizard
Not sure. The Yoruba people of Nigeria have an even greater incidence of twin births. It is speculated that is because they eat a lot of a specific type of yam which may stimulate the ovaries. Kind of bizarre, but who knows?
The Yoruba peoples have the highest rate of twinning in the world, at 45–50 twin sets (or 90–100 twins) per 1,000 live births, possibly because of high consumption of a specific type of yam containing a natural phytoestrogen which may stimulate the ovaries to release an egg from each side.
chosen_Twin_0
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people (, lit. 'Yoruba lineage'; also known as "Àwon omo Yorùbá", lit. 'Children of Yoruba', or simply as the Yoruba) are an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria, as well as southern and central Benin. Together, these regions are known as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute over 40 million people in total. The majority of this population is from Nigeria, and the Yoruba make up 21% of the country's population, according to the "CIA World Factbook", making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language, which is tonal, and is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native speakers.
Twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Twins can be either "monozygotic" ("identical"), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos, or "dizygotic" ("fraternal"), meaning that they develop from two different eggs. In fraternal twins, each twin is fertilized by its own sperm cell. In contrast, a fetus that develops alone in the womb is called a "singleton", and the general term for one offspring of a multiple birth is "multiple". Non-related look-alikes whose resemblance parallels that of twins are referred to as doppelgangers. The human twin birth rate in the United States, rose 76% from 1980 through 2009, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births.
Yoruba culture
Yoruba culture refers to the cultural norms of Yorubaland and the Yoruba people. The Yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for their magnificent terra cotta works throughout the 12th and 14th century; artists also earnests their capacity in making artwork out of bronze. Esiẹ Museum is a museum in Esiẹ, Irepodun. The museum was the first to be established in Nigeria when it opened in 1945. The museum once housed over one thousand tombstone figures or images representing human beings. It is reputed to have the largest collection of soapstone images in the world. In modern times the Esie museum has been the center of religious activities and hosts a festival in the month of April every year.
Ekiti people
The Ekiti are one of the largest historical subgroups of the larger Yoruba people of West Africa. They are classified as a Central Yoruba group, alongside the Ijesha, Igbomina, Yagba and Ifes. Ekiti State is populated exclusively by Ekiti people; however, it is but a segment of historical territorial domain of Ekiti speaking groups. The name "Ekiti" is a derivation of an earlier term, "Okiti", which means "Hilly" in Yoruba, as characterized by the generally hilly terrain of the areas the Ekiti inhabit. In associating Ekitiland with Ekiti State of Nigeria, it was observed that a good percentage of its people and communities located within the same geographical space of current day Ekiti State (one of the Nigeria’s 36 States) are homogenous.
History of Nigeria
The history of Nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers (Nigerians) living in the area as early as 11000 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is today Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Hausa States during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Lagos was invaded by British forces in 1851 and formally annexed in 1861. Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1901.
Multiple birth
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother delivers two or more offspring. A term most applicable to placental species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such births are often named according to the number of offspring, as in "twins" and "triplets". In non-humans, the whole group may also be referred to as a "litter", and multiple births may be more common than single births. Multiple births in humans are the exception, and can be exceptionally rare in the largest mammals. Each single fertilized egg (zygote) may produce a single embryo, or it may split into two or more embryos, each carrying the same genetic material.
Cousin marriage
Cousin marriage is marriage between cousins (i.e. people with common grandparents or people who share other fairly recent ancestors). Opinions and practice vary widely across the world. In some cultures and communities, cousin marriage is considered ideal and actively encouraged; in others, it is subject to social stigma. Cousin marriage is common in the Middle East, for instance, where it accounts for over half of all marriages in some countries. In some countries outside that region, it is uncommon but still legal. In others, it is seen as incestuous and is legally prohibited: it is banned in China and Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, the Philippines and 24 of the 50 United States.
1_Apprentice
That seems kind of questionable, but it's quite interesting regardless.