Blood rights: the body and information privacy

Genetic and other medical technology makes blood, human tissue and other bodily samples an immediate and accessible source of comprehensive personal and health information about individuals. Yet, unlike medical records, bodily samples are not subject to effective privacy protection or other regulation to ensure that individuals have rights to control the collection, use and transfer of such samples. This article examines the existing coverage of privacy legislation, arguments in favour of baseline protection for bodily samples as sources of information and possible approaches to new regulation protecting individual privacy rights in bodily samples.     

The psychometric properties of the Anger Bodily Sensations Questionnaire (ABSQ)

The Anger Bodily Sensations Questionnaire (ABSQ) is a newly developed self-report instrument for measuring bodily sensations related to anger in interpersonal situations. In this study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the ABSQ in a sample of 70 offenders and a sample of 100 secondary vocational students. Results indicated that the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the instrument were good. An explorative factor analysis carried out on the ABSQ data of the combined sample yielded three factors. Support was found for the concurrent validity of the instrument. In both samples, the total score of the ABSQ showed positive correlations with measures of bodily awareness, social anxiety, anger, and aggression. Altogether, results suggest that the ABSQ appears to be a reliable and valid questionnaire. Further research is needed to examine the psychometric properties of the ABSQ in larger offender and non-clinical samples.     

Alpha-amylase kinetic test in bodily single and mixed stains

Recently, in Italy, a murder and a putative sexual violence was accomplished on a child. A bodily fluids mixture on the child's underwear between the victim (female) and the suspect (male) was ascertained by short tandem repeat (STR) DNA typing and, due to the absence of seminal fluid, saliva from the suspect and urine from the child was hypothesized. In order to investigate the possibility of specifically and rapidly detecting saliva stains both alone and mixed with other bodily fluids, we used a quantitative spectrophotometric technique, named Amylase test, for the detection of alpha-amylases. We determined alpha-amylase activity and reaction kinetic curves in several samples collected from the child's underwear. In order to confirm our intuition, we first tested saliva, perspiration, and urine, singularly and in mixtures; second, several forensic stains including saliva, perspiration, urine stains, saliva/perspiration, and saliva/urine mixture stains were tested. Evaluating alpha-amylase activity values and time-course curves' behavior of alpha-amylase reactions we were able to recognize successfully, in all cases, the presence of saliva and to distinguish it specifically from other bodily fluids containing alpha-amylase. A further confirmation of our result was provided by STR DNA typing on several areas of the underwear: a clear correlation between alpha-amylases activity and male DNA was detected on all the samples evaluated.     

Absolute Pollution: Exclusion Update

This article reviews court decisions from 2001 and 2002 discussing the absolute pollution exclusion in the context of property damage, bodily injury claims, and other types of harm. In recent cases, courts have consistently found the absolute pollution exclusion to be clear and unambiguous, excluding coverage for “environmental” and other types of property damage claims. However, there is a split of authority and inconsistency in how courts analyze and interpret the absolute pollution exclusion when bodily injury claims are at issue. The analysis and court rulings are often determined by the specific policy language as applied to the facts in the cases.     

Australia: Supreme Court of Western Australia orders retrial in case of man convicted of infecting girlfriend with HIV

On 3 October 2002, the District Court convicted an HIV-positive man, Houghton, of unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm to his girlfriend for having unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse with her. Houghton had not told her of his HIV status prior to intercourse. He had been aware of his status for some years before meeting the woman, but testified at his trial that he believed that he could not transmit HIV if he did not ejaculate inside the woman. The woman became HIV-positive as a result of the sexual intercourse. The question put before the jury was twofold: whether there had been bodily injury caused by the applicant to the complainant; and whether that injury was of sufficient severity to constitute grievous bodily harm. The jury found Houghton guilty and in doing so made a finding that the transmission of HIV constitutes grievous bodily harm.     

Enhancement and desire: Japanese qualms about where biotechnology is taking us.

Japan's Buddhists view bodily enhancement neither negatively in terms of sin nor positively as repairing the world. They prefer prudence, however, due to the fact that human desires will be enflamed by proffered new biotechnologies and ironically increase psychosocial dissatisfaction. In spite of great pressures for bodily enhancements within in East Asian societies, bioethicists issue strong cautions.     

Putting Ourselves in Another’s Skin: Using the Plasticity of Self-Perception to Enhance Empathy and Decrease Prejudice

The self is one the most important concepts in social cognition and plays a crucial role in determining questions such as which social groups we view ourselves as belonging to and how we relate to others. In the past decade, the self has also become an important topic within cognitive neuroscience with an explosion in the number of studies seeking to understand how different aspects of the self are represented within the brain. In this paper, we first outline the recent research on the neurocognitive basis of the self and highlight a key distinction between two forms of self-representation. The first is the “bodily” self, which is thought to be the basis of subjective experience and is grounded in the processing of sensorimotor signals. The second is the “conceptual” self, which develops through our interactions of other and is formed of a rich network of associative and semantic information. We then investigate how both the bodily and conceptual self are related to social cognition with an emphasis on how self-representations are involved in the processing and creation of prejudice. We then highlight new research demonstrating that the bodily and conceptual self are both malleable and that this malleability can be harnessed in order to achieve a reduction in social prejudice. In particular, we will outline strong evidence that modulating people’s perceptions of the bodily self can lead to changes in attitudes at the conceptual level. We will highlight a series of studies demonstrating that social attitudes towards various social out-groups (e.g. racial groups) can lead to a reduction in prejudice towards that group. Finally, we seek to place these findings in a broader social context by considering how innovations in virtual reality technology can allow experiences of taking on another’s identity are likely to become both more commonplace and more convincing in the future and the various opportunities and risks associated with using such technology to reduce prejudice.     

The Microbiome Forensics Database UZH

Microbial communities in biological stains can provide valuable information to assist forensic scientists identify the body fluid/tissue present in these. As these microbial communities are characteristic of body habitats, DNA sequencing of microbes can be used to predict bodily origin. Promising predictive results have been obtained with supervised machine learning algorithms trained on bacterial abundance data from human body sites. Importantly, prediction accuracy is dependent on the training dataset, yet compiling a large and comprehensive training reference is a non-trivial issue requiring substantial efforts. Here we present a new online database and associated data-mining platform which is, to our knowledge, the first one customised for forensic scientists investigating body fluids/tissues. Our database features samples originating from ten human body sites, with selection options through an online platform. Users can download bacterial abundance as well as taxonomic data, which can then be used to train predictive models and test their accuracy. Future stages of the development of the platform will include curation of the samples to decrease potential errors in sample labelling, as well as access to an online tool to conduct exploratory analyses.     

Identification of human semenogelin in membrane strip test as an alternative method for the detection of semen

Semenogelin (Sg), a protein originating in the seminal vesicles and a substrate for prostate specific antigen (PSA or p30), is a useful marker for the identification of semen. And detection of Sg has been available commercially in a membrane test recently. PSA is commonly used to detect semen in forensic significant samples taken from sexual assault cases. The strip PSA test has been available commercially from various manufacturers for many years. In this study, we evaluated two immunochromatographic membrane tests, one for Sg and the other for PSA by analyzing human semen, other human bodily fluids/materials including urine, blood, saliva, sweat, breast milk, vaginal secretion and fecal materials, semen from various animals and forensic casework samples. The data demonstrate that both Sg and PSA strip tests provide rapid and sensitive method for identification of seminal plasma. These results show that the immunochromatographic method for Sg detection is useful for the identification of seminal plasma in forensic samples, an alternative to the method for PSA detection.     

Risk factors for potential occupational exposure to HIV: A study of correctional officers

This study examined social determinants that explain correctional officer exposure to blood/bodily fluids. Seasoned officers in five prisons were selected at random to complete an anonymous mail survey regarding situations which may have placed them at risk for exposure to HIV while at work. Institutional variables more strongly predicted officer chances of occupational exposure in a corrections setting than did perceptual and individual level variables, particularly the custody level of inmates supervised, length of time in the corrections career, and being in a position of rank. Years of experience increased the number of exposures to blood and bodily fluid, and increased officer apprehensiveness concerning uses of force with seropositive inmates. Knowledge about HIV and the frequency of use of personal protective equipment was not related to the likelihood of encounters with blood or bodily fluids.     

Personal identification using Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats from bodily fluids mixed with semen

The male-specific, human Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are very useful in forensic analysis. The authors report a sexual crime case in which the direct Y-STR haplotype analysis of several mixtures of various bodily fluids including semen was very effective for identifying the perpetrator of the crime. The typing of three Y-STRs (DYS19, DYS389II, and DYS390) could be detected from the mixed DNA of sperm and female cells in the victim's vagina, vaginal orifice, and anus. These haplotypes originated from one man and matched those of the suspect. Accordingly, the combination of direct extraction of DNA and Y-STR haplotype analysis is considered to be very useful for mixtures of bodily fluids, including semen or other male cells.     

Relationships of depression to child and adult abuse and bodily pain among women who have experienced intimate partner violence

This study investigates whether depression in women who experienced intimate partner violence is associated with having also experienced childhood sexual and physical abuse, psychological abuse by an intimate partner, recent involvement with the abusive partner, and bodily pain. Fifty-seven women who had left a violent relationship with an intimate partner completed measures assessing their demographic characteristics, experiences of abuse in childhood and in their relationship with their intimate partner, and depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis showed that women's depression was significantly greater among those who had experienced childhood physical and sexual abuse, more severe psychological abuse, and greater bodily pain (p<.001), adjusted R(2)=.32. These results suggest characteristics that can help to identify abused women who are most at risk for depression, and they suggest specific issues that may need to be addressed in this population.     

Time since death and decomposition of the human body: variables and observations in case and experimental field studies

Much of the difficulty in determining the time since death stems from the lack of systematic observation and research on the decomposition rate of the human body. Continuing studies conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provide useful information on the impact of carrion insect activity, ambient temperature, rainfall, clothing, burial and depth, carnivores, bodily trauma, body weight, and the surface with which the body is in contact. This paper reports findings and observations accumulated during eight years of research and case studies that may clarify some of the questions concerning bodily decay.     

Minimum velocity necessary for nonconventional projectiles to penetrate the eye: an experimental study using pig eyes

To satisfy the Criminal Code of Canada's definition of a firearm, a barreled weapon must be capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person. Canadian courts have accepted the forensically established criteria of "penetration or rupture of an eye" as serious bodily injury. The minimal velocity of nonconventional ammunition required to penetrate the eye including airsoft projectiles has yet to be established. To establish minimal threshold requirements for eye penetration, empirical tests were conducted using a variety of airsoft projectiles. Using the data obtained from these tests, and previous research using "air gun" projectiles, an "energy density" parameter was calculated for the minimum penetration threshold of an eye. Airsoft guns capable of achieving velocities in excess of 99 m/s (325 ft/s) using conventional 6-mm airsoft ammunition will satisfy the forensically established criteria of "serious bodily injury." The energy density parameter for typical 6-mm plastic airsoft projectiles is 4.3 to 4.8 J/cm2. This calculation also encompasses 4.5-mm steel BBs.     

Suicidal and other self‐harming behaviour in offender women: The role of shame,anger and childhood abuse

Purpose. The main aim of the study was to consider the contributions of childhood physical and sexual abuse (CPA and CSA) and different aspects of shame and anger to self‐harming behaviours in 89 women prisoners. A further aim was to examine the mediating roles of shame and anger in any link between childhood abuse and self‐harm. Method. Standardized shame and anger questionnaires and four items assessing self‐harm modified from an impulsive behaviour questionnaire were verbally administered. Women were interviewed to assess the occurrence of physical and sexual abuse in childhood. Results. Over half (57%) the women reported suicidal and other self‐harming behaviours at some time in their lives, with 50% of these occurring just before or during the current sentence. All shame, anger, and abuse variables were significantly related to self‐harm, but only bodily shame showed an independent relationship when all variables were considered together. Bodily shame was most strongly associated with CSA, and a mediational analysis tested these specific links with self‐harm. Both CSA and bodily shame made significant independent contributions to self‐harm; however, bodily shame demonstrated the strongest effect, partially mediating the effect of CSA. Conclusions. This is the first study to demonstrate a significant statistical relationship between shame and self‐harming behaviours in women. The findings have implications for the assessment of the therapeutic needs of women prisoners. Future research directions are discussed.     

Tattoos, body experience, and body image boundary among violent male offenders

The author compared a measure of body image boundary and medically significant bodily experiences between 21 tattooed and 24 nontattooed men incarcerated for violent crimes. Although the tattooed and nontattooed subjects had no significant differences in their body boundary concepts or most other bodily experiences, the tattooed men were found to have a different distribution of scars on their bodies. Upon more detailed examination, it seemed that these different distributions could be explained by the observation that the tattooed subjects were the only ones with self-inflicted cuts. This finding further supports the notion that tattoos, despite their ostensibly decorative quality, may be a form of self-mutilation.     

Sexual sadism

Definitions of sexual sadism in ICD-10 and DSM-IV will be presented as well as the historical routes of the concept. Today studies on differently selected clinical samples reveal a different distribution of sexual sadism versus masochism with masochism prevailing in general especially outpatient psychiatric facilities, and sadism prevailing in forensic settings, thus corroborating the concept of two separated diagnoses sadism versus masochism. In forensic settings the diagnosis of a sadistic character disorder (sadistic personality disorder [SPD] according DSM-III-R) is found to a much higher degree than in other clinical samples (50-fold). Our own follow-up study on a forensic sample implies that sadism as a paraphilia is of relevance for relapse-rates of sex-offenders. Symptoms of SPD can be combined with sexual sadism, or occur independently. This may corroborate arguments in favor of a dimensional concept of sexual sadism. Symptoms of SPD may then be a sign of generalization of sadistic traits at least in some cases. A concept of two factors contributing to sadistic pleasure is suggested, one taking the aspect of bodily gratification by sexual-aggressive stimuli as decisive, and the other taking inner representation of hostile objects into consideration (stressing the antisocial-anger-rage aspect).     

Bodily memory: Introducing immigrant organizations and the family

This is an article about war survivors who ended up in migration in the aftermath of World War II: former Division soldiers from Poland and former Ostarbeiterinnen from the Soviet Union who settled in Belgium. It analyzes how these migrants dealt in their post-war lives with experiences of harm to their bodies undergone during the war. Often, attempts to ascribe meaning to the physical and/or psychological remnants of this harm were not made through words, but through non-verbal performances. However, such bodily memory could also, consciously or not, become socialized. In this article, I investigate the performance of bodily memory over time within two of the migrants' social entities: immigrant organizations and families, focusing in particular on their interaction.     

Bodily Integrity,Embodiment, and the Regulation of Parental Choice

In this article we develop a new model of bodily integrity that we designate ‘embodied integrity’. We deploy it to argue that non‐therapeutic interventions on children should be considered within a decision‐making framework that prioritizes embodied integrity. This would counter the excessive decision‐making power that law currently accords to parents, protecting the child's immediate and future interests. Focusing on legal responses to genital cutting, we suggest that current legal understandings of bodily integrity are impoverished and problematic. By contrast, adoption of an ‘embodied integrity’ model carves out a space for children's rights, while avoiding these negative consequences. We propose that embodied integrity should trump competing values in any best‐interests assessment where a non‐therapeutic intervention is requested. Drawing on Drucilla Cornell and Joel Feinberg's theories we argue that protecting a child's embodied integrity is essential to guarantee his/her right to make future embodied choices and become a fully individuated person.