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SEXING THE HUMAN SKULL THROUGH THE MASTOID PROCESS

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance for sex determination of the measurement of the area formed by the xerographic projection of 3 craniometric points related to the mastoid process: the porion, asterion, and mastoidale points. METHOD Sixty skulls, 30 male and 30 female, were analyzed. A xerographic copy of each side of the skull was obtained. On each xerographic copy, the craniometric points were marked to demarcate a triangle. The area (mm ) of the demarcated triangle for each side of the skull (right (D) and left (E) sides) was determined, and the total value of these measures (T) was calculated. RESULTS Concerning the right area of the male and female skulls, 60% of the values overlapped; for the left area, 51.67% overlapped, and for the total area, 36.67% overlapped. The analysis of the differences between the sexes in the areas studied was significant for the 3 areas. Regarding the total area, which is the preferred measurement because of the asymmetry between the sides of the skull, the value of the mean was 1505.32 mm for male skulls, which was greater than the maximum value obtained in the female skulls. The value of the mean for female skulls was 1221.24 mm , less than the minimum value obtained for the male skulls. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a significant result in the 3 studied areas, (D), (E), and (T). The total area values show less overlapping of values between the sexes, and therefore can be used for sexing human skulls. For the population studied, values of the total area that were greater than or equal to 1447.40 mm belonged to male crania (95% confidence). Values for this area that were less than or equal to 1260.36 mm belonged to female crania (95% confidence).

Genética, biologia molecular e ética: as relações trabalho e saúde

O artigo discute o impacto dos avancos da genetica e da biologia molecular sobre a pratica em saude ocupacional. O conhecimento atual sobre o genoma humano permite, em certas circunstâncias, identificar fatores individuais de suscetibilidade a doencas em situacoes de exposicao a substâncias quimicas ou fisicas, ou ainda, a doencas geneticas de manifestacao tardia. Estudos epidemiologicos incorporando elementos da genetica e da biologia molecular tem sido desenhados para avaliar a interacao de variantes metabolicas e exposicoes ambientais no risco de ocorrencia de diferentes doencas. Apesar desta perspectiva, considera-se que as pesquisas nesta area sao ainda incipientes. A estrategia para a reducao dos danos causados a saude do trabalhador deve continuar a ter como base, prioritariamente, a modificacao e a adequacao dos ambientes de trabalho e nao a especificacao genetica da forca de trabalho. Introduzir a discussao sobre a necessidade de definir principios de responsabilidade social no uso de informacoes geneticas e que possam reger acoes eticas em saude do trabalhador e uma das propostas principais deste artigo.

Bioethics, Intellectual Property and Genomics

RHCFAP/3043SEGRE M et al. - Bioethics, Intellectual Property and Genomics. Rev. Hosp. Clin. Fac. Med. S. Paulo 56(4):97-102, 2001.Scientific and technological advances will never be anti-ethical. For mankind, “a search for new ways ” means better conditionsfor achieving autonomy. Everything that has been discovered in the last few decades, from how to control the birth rate, to the recentprobability of being able to clone human beings, and, within these latest discoveries, the extraordinary possibility of manipul atingthe human gene itself, empowers us to assume control of what until now was unknown, and thus we will be able to attain a betterquality of life.With respect to the ideal , it is unquestionable that the knowledge that could substantially change our lives on this planet shouldbe within reach of the world society; society itself should be responsible for monitoring the applications of this knowledge.The present article discusses the ethics and the patenting of the human genome, arguments for and against gene patenting,patents and research into human embryos, legal aspects, and intellectual property in the field of the human genome.DESCRIPTORS: Bioethics. Genomics. Human Rights. Patenting. Intellectual Property.Scientific and technological ad-vances will never be anti-ethical. Formankind, “a search for new ways”means better conditions for achievingautonomy. Everything that has beendiscovered in the last few decades,from how to control the birth rate, tothe recent probability of being able toclone human beings, and, within theselatest discoveries, the extraordinarypossibility of manipulating the humangene itself, empowers us to assumecontrol of what until now, was un-known, and thus we will be able to at-tain a better quality of life.The fear, which is understandable,regarding what is going to happen themoment we modify our habitat andourselves is founded on the fear of theunknown. We live with tragedies, suchas wars, oppressions, inequalities ofevery type, affronts to human dignityat all levels, diseases, etc., but the mo-ment we are told “Man is playing ofGod”, many of us belittle ourselveswithout debating the issue. We forgetthat man has played this game for allof recorded history, and that if it werenot for this game, we would not havewon the battle against so many dis-eases— a victory that has prolongedlife expectation for decades, reducedinfant mortality, etc .What could be frightening is theway in which we apply the new knowl-edge, which could be used for dis-crimination, oppression, and extermi-nation, as so many other advances inknowledge have been used. It could besaid to those who condemn and abhorthe discovery of nuclear energy that,considered on its own merit, this ad-vancement in knowledge was an enor-mous success for science; what wecondemn was its use in killing millionsof human beings. We must rememberthat a treaty of non-proliferation ofnuclear weapons was drawn up andsigned and that, up to the present time,it has been respected; therefore, it isclear that we are (or, if not, should be),capable of responsibly administeringthe application of new techniques withthe intent of applying them in waysthat are compatible to our sense of eth-ics. Therefore, since we accept thatknowledge will never be ethical oranti-ethical a priori, we will not raise