...Evolutionary Anthropology 21:50–57 (2012) ISSUES The Science Behind Pre-Columbian Evidence of Syphilis in Europe: Research by Documentary GEORGE J. ARMELAGOS, MOLLY K. ZUCKERMAN, AND KRISTIN N. HARPER This article discusses the presentation of scientific findings by documentary, without the process of peer review. We use, as an example, PBS’s ‘‘The Syphilis Enigma,’’ in which researchers presented novel evidence concerning the origin of syphilis that had never been reviewed by other scientists. These ‘‘findings’’ then entered the world of peer-reviewed literature through citations of the documentary itself or material associated with it. Here, we demonstrate that the case for pre-Columbian syphilis in Europe that was made in the documentary does not withstand scientific scrutiny. We also situate this example from paleopathology within a larger trend of ‘‘science by documentary’’ or ‘‘science by press conference,’’ in which researchers seek to bypass the peer review process by presenting unvetted findings directly to the public. George J. Armelagos is Goodrich C. White Professor of Anthropology at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. His research has focused on diet and disease in prehistory. He was the Viking Medal Medalist (Wenner-Gren Foundation) in 2005, received The Franz Boas Award for Exemplary Service to Anthropology from the American Anthropological Association in 2008, and The Charles Darwin Award for Lifetime Achievement to Biological Anthropology...
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...“Insanity” Plea A criminal defendant who is found to have been legally insane in the course of committing a crime is relieved the criminal responsibility by the virtue of suffering from a mental disease (Findlaw, 2015). In some cases, the accused may be sentenced to a less severe sentence or punishment after being found on the wrong side of the law because of the mental impairment. Many nations allow the insanity defense in their legal systems. However, the accused must prove to the court that they were not on their senses or acted upon uncontrolled impulse or some variety of these factors when doing the wrongful doings. The general sense of insanity plea is to provide the alleged perpetrator of the criminal offense a fair trial. The society is even in agreement with this principle in extreme cases. Nonetheless, the major challenge falls on where to draw the line. That is, the circumstances where one can be considered insane and instances when he or she is not. It is worth noting that, no matter how appealing the crime itself is, it doesn’t demonstrate the level of insanity. Today, the legal systems use way too much of the insanity defenses. While there are many questionable defense tactics, insanity plea targets to protect the rights of the accused and further the course of justice. This paper discusses the insanity plea as used in the legal systems in the present times. What is the main purpose of insanity plea? How did it find its way past the corridors of justice to the courtrooms...
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...SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research Journal of Thyroid Research Volume 2011, Article ID 809341, 10 pages doi:10.4061/2011/809341 Review Article Hypothyroidism and Thyroid Substitution: Historical Aspects J. Lindholm and P. Laurberg Department of Endocrinology, Aarhus University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark Correspondence should be addressed to J. Lindholm, j.lindholm@ofir.dk Received 15 January 2011; Accepted 17 March 2011 Academic Editor: Marian Ludgate Copyright © 2011 J. Lindholm and P. Laurberg. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The last part of the 19th century was a period of great achievements in medicine and endocrinology. The thyroid gland evolved from being considered a rudimentary structure to an organ related to specific diseases. The singular importance of iodine became acknowledged. Graves-Basedow’s disease was described. Surgical treatment evolved with extraordinary speed. Theodor Kocher observed that the clinical picture in patients after total thyroidectomy was similar to the one seen in cretinism. In 1850, the first case of hypothyroidism or myxedema was described. Less than 50 years later, effective treatment was introduced. Another 50 years later, autoimmune thyroiditis was ascertained as the most frequent cause of hypothyroidism (in areas with no iodine deficiency). This paper gives a short...
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...High-Risk Family Assessment and Health Promotion Paper Corey Hollmann University of Phoenix NUR/542 6/30/2014 Danielle Patrick High-Risk Family Assessment and Health Promotion-Suicidal Ideation Suicide and ideation to commit this final act, is a grave public health concern that is multifaceted and responsible for significant family risk. Suicide is a behavior that has worldwide resulted in nearly one million fatalities annually. Suicide is commonly an act driven by impulsivity and followed by thoughts of hopelessness and doom. In the United States, firearms, particularly handguns, are the most common means of suicide. Despite extreme notoriety, suicide and suicidal ideation remained stigmatized and hidden behind shadows of shame. Acts of deliberate self-harm and unsuccessful attempts remain largely underreported (Fleischmann et al., 2008; Freedenthal, 2007). Summary of Suicide Risk Health Profile The incidence of suicide has remained a significant health risk across multiple demographics, cultures, and sexes. In between the years 1999 and 2008, the suicide rate increased 10.5% and from 10.5 to 11.6 people per 100,000 population. Male's record rates that are four times greater than females while non-Hispanic whites recorded 14.1 suicides per 100,000 (National Vital Statistics System, 2008). Suicide is a behavior that exudes complexity that is characterized by methods to potentiate intentional termination of one's own life. The World Health Organization (WHO) has...
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...industries, such as the mass transportation, chemical engineering, and nuclear power generation sectors (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). According to the accident causation model developed by Reason in 1990, accidents are caused by many factors that work in concert (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). Such accidents must be prevented by instituting the necessary checks and controls within the system (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). According to Shillito, Arfanis, and Smith (2010), checking behavior can improve the quality and safety of the health care system. Many countries are looking for methods that can be used to measure the safety of their health care systems (McConchie, Shepheard, Waters, McMillan, & Sundararajan, 2009). This paper demonstrates the critical importance of quality and patient safety and how it can influence and impact the...
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...industries, such as the mass transportation, chemical engineering, and nuclear power generation sectors (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). According to the accident causation model developed by Reason in 1990, accidents are caused by many factors that work in concert (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). Such accidents must be prevented by instituting the necessary checks and controls within the system (Shillito, Arfanis, & Smith, 2010). According to Shillito, Arfanis, and Smith (2010), checking behavior can improve the quality and safety of the health care system. Many countries are looking for methods that can be used to measure the safety of their health care systems (McConchie, Shepheard, Waters, McMillan, & Sundararajan, 2009). This paper demonstrates the critical importance of quality and patient safety and how it can influence and impact the...
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...in respect towards the patient and their beliefs if the proper training and knowledge are lacking. INTRODUCTION When the subject of religion and spirituality come up in conversation in the governmental arena most people will argue that they are both on separate planes and should remain that way. But when people were asked if there is a place for religion in the medical field, the majority of those asked will say that they would prefer their physicians inquire about their individual faith and beliefs. In fact, polls indicate that the U.S. Population is highly religious; that most people believe in Heaven and hell. The same people also believe in the healing power of prayer and the capacity of faith to aid in the recovery from disease (N.E.J.O.M. 342). Religion and Spirituality have become an intricate part of patient care in the last 20 plus years. Religion is understood as a set of beliefs, rituals and practices usually embodied within an institution or an organization. Religion is more generalized and all-inclusive. Spirituality is more defined and specific to each individuals Religion. Spirituality is thought of as a search for what is sacred in life, one’s deepest values, along with a relationship with God, or a higher power, that transcends the self (McCormick). Doctors are now including the “spiritual history” in their initial assessment of a patient they are treating. The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Hospital Organizations, who is the...
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...Shimada Southern Illinois University Carbondale Ken-ichi Shinoda National Science Museum, Tokyo Julie Farnum Montclair State University Robert Corruccini Southern Illinois University Carbondale Hirokatsu Watanabe Terra Information Engineering Company Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/anthro_pubs © 2004 by The Wenner‐Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Published in Current Anthropology, Vol. 45, No. 3 ( June 2004) at 10.1086/382249 Recommended Citation Shimada, Izumi; Shinoda, Ken-ichi; Farnum, Julie; Corruccini, Robert; and Watanabe, Hirokatsu, "An Integrated Analysis of PreHispanic Mortuary Practices: A Middle Sicán Case Study" (2004). Publications. Paper 8. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/anthro_pubs/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Anthropology at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact jnabe@lib.siu.edu. C u r r e n t A n t h r o p o l o g y Volume 45, Number 3, June 2004 2004 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved 0011-3204/2004/4503-0004$3.00 An Integrated Analysis of PreHispanic Mortuary Practices A Middle Sican Case Study1 ´ by Izumi Shimada, Ken-ichi Shinoda, Julie Farnum, Robert Corruccini, and Hirokatsu Watanabe Recent debate has raised serious questions about the viability of the social and ideological reconstruction...
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...fuels and rely on renewable resources such as solar energy. Without a defined structure of true sustainability; governments, corporations, businesses, companies and individuals will continue to depreciate the Earth’s natural resources until it is uninhabitable. “All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as a system—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time.”(EurActiv, 2004) Sustainability as referenced in Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma is referring to human sustainability. The use of sustainability in this form has yet to receive a true definition. In order to receive this it needs to be studied scientifically and factually. Once the studies are preformed and a conclusion to the research is established; sustainability can receive a mutually agreed upon definition....
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...THE CHURCH, EUTHANASIA and ASSISTED SUICIDE Euthanasia also known as “mercy killing” and assisted suicide are worldwide controversial issues. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word euthanasia comes from Greek, meaning easy death (eu: easy, thanatos: death). Euthanasia means to end the life of a person who is terminally ill or suffering from severe pain, in a deliberate way. At the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) webpage, in the section Ethics guides, under the title of Forms of Euthanasia, Religions and Death? (2009), different types of euthanasia are described, such as indirect, active, passive, voluntary, involuntary and non voluntary. On the other hand, assisted suicide is usually performed with the help of a health professional; that is why; it is usually called Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS). The main controversy is over the different opinions on whether it is the sick patient’s decision or if it is a legal, ethical or religious issue to be considered by a third party. In order to practice assisted suicide in a country where it is legal, many factors should be present, such as the moral and religious beliefs of the patient and the physician or the patient’s family and the physician, as well as the legislation of the country where it is going to be carried out. At present, in countries where euthanasia is not legalized yet, it is very difficult to obtain legal permission to practice it. As regards the ethical...
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...Introduction This is a critical analysis paper using sociological literature to analyze the movie “Soul Food.” The topics I plan to analyze are coming to terms with death, family values during and after the death of a loved one and the ability to move past the hurt and pain after a death occurs. Soul Food depicts an African American family with many underlying issues for each child in relation to each other and also in relation to themselves individually. Mother Joe is the patriarch of the family who, despite her every effort to maintain peace and harmony, has her hands full with her daughters. Family is the thread of our society. Success for an individual is measured by the way he or she interacts with family. In relation to death and dying, the movie, Soul Food has every element that families encounter when attempting to grasp the concept of a loved one dying. The overall summary of this movie is about a matriarch, Mama Joe, who is adamant about family. She has three daughters, all with differing dramas in their lives, and issues with each other’s lives. Every Sunday, the family would gather at Mama Joe’s for Sunday dinner. There, family conflict would begin, be discussed and most times, end over dinner. Traditions are begun at the table and never forgotten because of Mama Joe. Children With Differing Personalities Dealing With A Major Life Change The daughters in this movie are seen in varying ways. In each of their respective ways, all daughters love their mother...
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...THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: THE POTENTIAL FOR EFFICIENCY GAINS A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Background paper prepared for the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission June 2009 This paper was prepared at the Commission’s request by staff of the secretariat to the Commission. The lead author was Emily Hurley. Ian McRae Ian Bigg Liz Stackhouse Anne-Marie Boxall and Peter Broadhead provided some input and commented on drafts. This is a paper prepared as background for the NHHRC. The views and findings expressed in it should not be taken to be the views of the NHHRC or of the Australian Government. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ....................................................................................................4 International overview of efficiency .............................................................4 Health status – due to more than the health care system ............................7 An Australian focus ......................................................................................8 Summary ......................................................................................................8 A framework for efficiency............................................................................9 Operational Efficiency .................................................................................10 Health sub-sectors .....................................................................................11 Hospitals...........
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...CONTROLLING HEALTH CARE COSTS WHILE PROMOTING THE BEST POSSIBLE HEALTH OUTCOMES American College of Physicians A White Paper 2009 Controlling Health Care Costs While Promoting the Best Possible Health Outcomes Summary of Position Paper Approved by the ACP Board of Regents, September 2009 What are the Major Drivers of Health Care Costs? Major drivers of health care costs include: inappropriate utilization especially of advanced medical technology, lack of patient involvement in decision-making, payment system distortions that encourage over-use, high prices for health care services, a health care workforce that is not aligned with national needs, excessive administrative costs, medical liability and defensive medicine, more Americans with declining health status and chronic disease, and demographic changes including an increase in elderly persons. This paper addresses each of these drivers of health care costs and provides recommendations for controlling them. Why Do We Need to Control Health Care Costs? Improvements in health care have the ability to provide opportunities for all people to live better, healthier lives. However, the rate of increase in U.S. spending on health care continues to exceed economic growth at an unsustainable pace. The rate of growth in health care spending is the single most important factor undermining the nation’s long-term fiscal condition. Why Should Controlling Health Care Costs be Linked to Promoting Good Health Outcomes? Increasing pressure...
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...on the road to world domination; to the Jews who fled from Hitler he was a hero; but to the many Spanish minorities and to his opponents in the Spanish Civil War he was a monster. 3 The answers to the questions posed are addressed in a variety of sources. One of these sources is the book Hitler Stopped by Franco, by Jane and Burt Boyar, who write a relatively straightforward book that explores many positive sides of Franco’s character. An alternative, contemporary view of the dictator, Franco: A Concise Biography written by Gabrielle Hodges focuses on the negative legacy of General Franco. This side of Franco rears its head in many other sources, including Hitler and Spain: The Nazi Role in the Spanish Civil War 936-939, a monograph by Robert H. Whealey. In it he focuses, as the title...
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...The Holocaust: Suggested Reading There is a wealth of information about the Holocaust. So much has been written, in fact, that it can be difficult to determine where to start. This reading list is collected from recommendations from other members of The Holocaust History Project. It is not a complete bibliography but represents our opinion as to what are the most useful starting places for research. Since this list concentrates on works that are easily available and useful to a person unacquainted with the history of the Holocaust, many excellent books which are rare or out of print are not listed. Another class of books that are not included is works that are controversial because of their contents or the unusual theories they propose. Some of these are excellent works, others are not. But we feel that the reader for whom this list was compiled would not have the knowledge needed to evaluate these discussions of the legitimate controversies about the Holocaust. Just as a medical student must learn anatomy before he or she is taught surgery, someone studying the Holocaust must know the factual background before some of the more technical studies can be understood. As well as general works we have included books of specialized interest concerning the matters about which we at The Holocaust History Project are most frequently asked. Many of these books deal with more than one subject, but in the interest of brevity we have not cited a book more than once. General history of the...
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