An Erroneous Exclusion of Paternity in a Chinese Family Exhibiting the Rare MNSs Gene Complexes Mk and MsIII

Abstract. Because of an apparent exclusion of paternity of the type father M/child N, and of the father's insistent denial of this exclusion, a thorough investigation of the MNSs groups of a Chinese family was carried out. The 'exclusion' was proved false by the demonstration of M ^k in the persons involved. It is the first time that this rare gene comes to notice through disputed paternity, and this is the first example of M^k in Chinese. The family also had several members possessing Ms ^III, a gene complex which produces M, s, and the antigens characteristic of Cell Class III in the Miltenberger sub-system. Three sibs of the propo situs had the very rare genotype Ms ^III /M ^k . The medico-legal and serological aspects of the case adiscussed.     

Care for technology dependent children and their relationship with the health care systems

OBJECTIVE:

to understand the experience of care delivery to technology dependent children based on the mothers'' experience.

METHOD:

exploratory study with qualitative approach, based on the theoretical framework of medical anthropology and the narrative method. Twelve mothers participated and, as the technique to obtain the narratives, open interviews were held at the participants'' homes.

RESULTS:

the narratives were organized into three thematic categories: the family system, identifying the care forms, the association between popular and scientific knowledge and the participation of the social network; the professional system, which discusses the relations between professionals and family, the hegemony of the biomedical model and the role of nursing; and the popular system, presenting popular care practices like spirituality and religiosity.

CONCLUSION:

the study provided support for a health care project that takes into account the families'' moral and symbolic values and beliefs in view of the illness of a technology-dependent child. The results found can contribute towards changes in the health work process, so that its foundation is guided not only by the biomedical model, allowing the integration of the sociocultural dimensions into the health care movement.     

Deficit or creativity: Cesare Lombroso,Robert Hertz,and the meanings of left-handedness

In the first decade of the twentieth century two influential researchers attempted to explain the origin and impact of left-handedness in human history. The first, the Turin physician Cesare Lombroso, often referred to as the father of modern criminology, was nearing the end of his long distinguished career. Lombroso tied left-handedness to criminality, insanity, and feeble mindedness. According to Lombroso, these groups shared biological regressions to primitive mentalities that could not be reversed by education or training. The second, French sociologist Robert Hertz, was at the beginning of a career cut short by his death in combat during the First World War. Hertz challenged Lombroso's claims, insisting that the predominance of right-handedness, whatever its biological substrate, was ultimately a cultural artefact driven by a primitive human urge to make sense of the world by dividing it into binary oppositions in which the right was viewed as sacred and the left as profane. Ending discrimination against left-handedness would, according to Hertz, unleash access to both hands and thus both hemispheres. The results, he insisted, would allow repressed talents and creativity to flourish. The conflicting views of Lombroso and Hertz have informed investigations of the causes and consequences of left-handedness until today. While the language of the debate has been reframed in current scientific discourses, left-handedness continues to be portrayed in the contradictory ways first elaborated by Lombroso and Hertz more than a century ago as either the cause of a variety of learning disabilities or as the key that can unlock creativity and talent. The debate also exposed the extent to which other cultural concerns, particularly anti-Semitism, informed theories of handedness.     

Cultural experiences of immigrant nurses at two hospitals in Chile

Objective

to explore the cultural experiences of nurses who immigrated to Chile. The study''s theoretical framework was the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence.

Method

Leininger''s Observation-Participation-Reflection method was developed at two hospitals in the city of Santiago, and ethnographic interviews were held with 15 immigrant nurses.

Results

among Purnell''s 12 domains, the following were identified: Overview/heritage, Communication, Workforce issues, Family roles and organization, Biocultural ecology and Health-care practices. The difficulties were related to the language and its semantic meaning, the new responsibilities and the difficult relationship with colleagues. "In search of better horizons - the decision to immigrate", "Gaining confidence and establishing a support network - employability and professional performance" and "Seeking for people''s acceptance - professional adaptation in a new cultural scenario" are cultural themes that represent their experiences.

Conclusions

the competence to offer cultural care demands the development of public policies and continuing education programs at health institutions, specifically focused on immigrant nurses.     

颈围预测成人肥胖的可行性分析

目的 通过对颈围与肥胖关系的分析,探讨颈围对肥胖预测的可行性,进而为早期预防肥胖及相关疾病提供参考。 方法 选取临高人、黎族、羌族、白马人4个族群共1859名成人（男性911名,女性948名）作为研究对象,分别将其颈围与身体质量指数（BMI）、体脂率、内脏脂肪等级、腰围、腰臀比、身体肥胖指数 6项国内外公认的肥胖指标进行相关性分析、u 检验及受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析和 Kappa 一致性检验。 结果 颈围与其他几种肥胖指标均具有显著正相关性,与身体肥胖指数和腰臀比相关性最小,与腰围、内脏脂肪等级、体脂率相关性较大,与BMI相关性最大。不同肥胖指标判断的肥胖组颈围均值都大于正常组,且差异具有统计学意义。ROC曲线分析和 Kappa 一致性检验表明,颈围与各项肥胖指标的曲线下面积（AUC）均>0.7,且颈围与BMI和腰围在判断肥胖时一致性最好。 结论 当男性颈围值>临界切点值364.5时,女性颈围值>319.5时,可预测为BMI值达到超重或肥胖;而男性颈围值>370.5,女性颈围值>319.5时,可以预测腰围超标,中心性肥胖的危险性增大。     

Sexual dimorphism of the human mandible: demonstration by elliptical Fourier analysis

A new quantitative approach of the mandibular sexual dimorphism, based on computer-aided image analysis and elliptical Fourier analysis of the mandibular outline in lateral view is presented. This method was applied to a series of 117 dentulous mandibles from 69 male and 48 female individuals native of Rhenish countries. Statistical discriminant analysis of the elliptical Fourier harmonics allowed the demonstration of a significant sexual dimorphism in 97.1% of males and 91.7% of females, i.e. in a higher proportion than in previous studies using classical metrical approaches. This original method opens interesting perspectives for increasing the accuracy of sex identification in current anthropological practice and in forensic procedures.     

Anthropological Considerations Relevant to the Maturation of the Immune Response in Humans

PROBLEM : The reason for the postnatal maturation of the immune response in humans was explored from the anthropological standpoint in order to gain some insight into how development in modern humans evolved and how it might have affected the immune system. METHOD : The estimation of the length of gestation in modern humans if it had followed the same developmental pattern as in the other hominids and the higher primates was calculated by extrapolation from the lengths of gestation and the physical characteristics of these other primates compared to those of modern humans. RESULTS : These calculations show that the gestation time of modern humans would be 3–18 months longer than the 9 months that it is if modern humans had followed a linear evolutionary development comparable to that of the other primates. The key difference between modern humans and the other primates is the rapid and extensive development of the brain that occurs in utero and in the first 12–18 months postnatally in modern humans. CONCLUSION : The first 12–18 months postnatally in humans follows the embryonic/fetal pattern of development, whereas that of other primates does not. The maturation of the immune response in humans occurs during both the intrauterine and extrauterine phases of the embryonic/fetal pattern of development.     

对四川省红原县境内安多藏族男女青壮年体质特征的调查研究

对安多藏族青壮年体质特征进行研究,见身高中等,体型为中间型偏狭长;腿型以中腿型为多;以头指数以及头宽高指数划分头型均以中头型多见,按头长高指数划分80％以上属高头型;面狭、鼻窄。两性体质特征相近,无显著差异。各年龄组间差异无显著意义。     

Blood,perceptions, resource and ownership: When transfusion illustrates the complexity

Blood is apart from the rest of the tissues as this fluid is overseen by basic and applied life and humanistic sciences. Blood is the essence of human functioning. It is the object of one of the most commonly known cancers, leukemia. It is life-saving in transfusion – a property that also gives blood a special credit and questions blood as a valuable merchandise or as no ones’ property but common good. But blood is also scandalous after the tainted blood affair in the 1980s and 1990s. Blood is further inseparable from most religious practices, both forefront and hidden (magic cults). It is frightening as it is versed in legitimate and illegitimate combats; it is poured to compensate offenses or debts in many civilizations. Any time blood comes forefront, rationale science leaves it to irrational digressions. Even the very same life-saving transfusion, is beaten by groups of opponents on religious grounds. Further, at a time blood cells and molecules are scrutinized, no one can claim having a complete understanding of what blood is, off the vasculature, as – to study it – one has to alter it. The study of blood is fascinating for all colleges of an academy and not many topics can share this property: chemists, physicists, geneticists, physiologists, medical doctors, philosophers, ethicists, theologians, artists, historicists, anthropologists, sociologists, etc. have all contributed to depict different, specific, aspects of blood. The present review aims at merging different aspects of blood to give pathophysiologists a platform to better understand fears and hopes related to this special tissue, when dealing with patients of theirs.     

The presence of humanities in the curricula of medical students in Italy and Spain

Introduction

There is an increasing interest in the usefulness of humanities to improve the training of medical students. In this article, an analysis is made of the presence of humanities subjects in medical curricula of Italy and Spain.