Metric forensic anthropology decisions: Reliability and biasability of sectioning-point-based sex estimates

Subjective decisions make human cognitive processes more susceptible to bias and error. Specifically, research indicates that additional context biases forensic anthropologists’ morphological analyses. To address whether metric analyses are also subject to bias, we conducted a pilot study in which 52 experienced osteologists measured a difficult-to-classify human femur, with or without additional contextual information. Using a metric sectioning-point sex-estimation method, participants provided a sex estimate for individual skeletal element(s) and, when given multiple elements, the combined skeletal assemblage. Control group participants (n = 24) measured only the femur. In addition to the femur, bias group participants (n = 28) either measured a female humerus and viewed a female-biasing photograph (n = 14) or measured a male humerus and viewed a male-biasing photograph (n = 14). We explored whether the experts in the different groups would differ in: (1) femoral measurements; (2) femoral sex-estimation conclusions; and (3) final sex-estimation conclusions for the skeletal assemblage. Although the femoral measurements and femoral sex estimates were comparable across groups, the overall sex estimates in the female-biased group were impacted by contextual information—differing from both the control and male-biased groups (p < 0.001). Our results demonstrate that cognitive bias can occur even in metric sex-estimation conclusions. Specifically, this occurred when the metric data and single-element sex estimates were synthesized into an overall estimate. Thus, our results suggest that metric methods are most vulnerable to bias when data are synthesized into an overall conclusion, highlighting the need for bias countermeasures and comprehensive statistical frameworks for synthesizing metric data to mitigate the effects of cognitive bias.     

Lethal small bowel obstruction due to pica

Up to 25% of institutionalized patients with cognitive deficiencies display pica-like behavior, with an estimated annual incidence of small bowel obstruction of 2%. We present a case based on the forensic autopsy of a 41-year-old woman who died as a result of a missed diagnosis of small bowel obstruction after ingesting a foreign body. The case underlines the importance of precaution when treating patients with cognitive deficiency and/or language deficits and gastrointestinal symptoms. In such cases, it is important to employ a liberal threshold for radiological investigations and, if possible, obtain a medical history from a person close to the patient.     

“填精益智”针刺法治疗轻度脑卒中后认知功能障碍的疗效及对血清同型半胱氨酸的影响

目的 探讨“填精益智”针刺法对轻度脑卒中后认知功能障碍(post-stroke cognitive impairment, PSCI)患者认知功能和血清同型半胱氨酸(homocysteine, Hcy)的影响。方法 将116例轻度PSCI患者随机分为对照组(n=58,实际纳入研究55例)、针刺组(n=58,实际纳入研究54例)。两组患者均给予基础干预、康复训练,对照组另口服多奈哌齐5 mg,每晚1次,每周7次,连续治疗8周;针刺组在对照组治疗基础上予以“填精益智”针刺法治疗,每次治疗30 min,每日治疗1次,每周治疗6次,疗程为8周。观察和比较两组患者治疗前后蒙特利尔认知评估(Montreal cognitive assessment, MoCA)量表评分、简易精神状态检查(mini-mental state examination, MMSE)量表评分、Barthel指数(Barthel index, BI)、血清同型半胱氨酸(homocysteine, Hcy)水平,并基于MMSE量表评分进行疗效评价。结果 治疗后两组患者MoCA量表评分、MMSE量表评分、BI均显著增加(P&l...     

艾灸督脉组穴对血管性痴呆大鼠海马p38 MAPK信号通路及细胞凋亡的影响

目的 基于p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase, MAPK)通路探究艾灸督脉组穴对血管性痴呆(vascular dementia, VD)大鼠的脑保护机制。方法 将60只SPF级健康雄性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组(12只)和实验组(48只);实验组大鼠采用双侧颈总动脉永久结扎法复制VD大鼠模型,随后将模型复制成功的大鼠分为模型组、艾灸组、阻滞剂组、艾灸+阻滞剂组,每组12只;艾灸组大鼠取“百会”“大椎”“风府”穴,采用温和灸法治疗,每次30 min,每日1次,治疗6 d,休息1 d,连续治疗4周;阻滞剂组在模型复制前30 min腹腔注射p38 MAPK阻滞剂(10μmol/L SB203580),模型复制成功后隔日注射1次,每次每只大鼠按1 mL/kg注射10μmol/L SB203580,连续注射4周;艾灸+阻滞剂组大鼠在阻滞剂组干预方法基础上进行艾灸治疗。采用Morris水迷宫实验检测大鼠认知功能,TUNEL法检测大鼠海马组织CA1区神经元凋亡率,Western blot法和RT-qPCR法分别检测大鼠海马组织CA1区p38 MA...     

加减薯蓣丸治疗轻中度肾精亏虚证老年期痴呆的磁共振波谱研究

目的 采用氢质子磁共振波谱（1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy,1H MRS）检查结合神经心理学量表的方法,评价加减薯蓣丸对老年期痴呆患者的治疗效果。方法 收集2015年12月至2017年4月湖北省中医院脑病科及老年病科的血管性痴呆（vascular dementia,VD）及阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimers disease,AD）肾精亏虚证患者各20例,另选认知功能正常者20例作为对照组。入选老年期痴呆患者在内科治疗的基础上予以加减薯蓣丸治疗。对老年期痴呆患者治疗前后及对照组受试者进行简易精神状态评价量表（mini mental state examination,MMSE）、日常生活能力量表（activities of daily living,ADL）、痴呆证候分型量表（syndromes differentiation scale for dementia,SDSD）评估及1H MRS检查。结果 加减薯蓣丸显著升高VD及AD患者降低的MMSE评分（P＜0.05）,降低其升高的SDSD评分（P＜0.05）,但对ADL评分的改善作用无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。1H MRS检查表明,加减薯蓣丸显著升高VD和AD患者双侧额叶下降的N 乙酰天门冬氨酸（N aspart acetyl,NAA）/肌酸（creatine,Cr）水平（P＜0.05）,而降低双侧额叶升高的胆碱复合物（choline,Cho）/Cr作用无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。加减薯蓣丸对VD患者和AD患者MMSE、SDSD、ADL评分和双侧额叶NAA/Cr、Cho/Cr的作用差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论 加减薯蓣丸改善轻中度老年期痴呆患者认知功能的机制可能与促进损伤的神经细胞修复有关。     

脑震荡后综合征伤残评定研究进展

由于症状表现的主观性以及当前客观检查方法所能提供证据的匮乏,加之赔偿伴生的症状伪装和夸大等问题,脑震荡后综合征患者的伤残评定鉴定意见一致性不高.在人体损伤赔偿纠纷中,脑震荡后综合征患者的伤残评定成为法医精神病鉴定的争议点和难题.通过对脑震荡及相关术语变化、脑震荡后综合征的发生率、症状表现及诊断标准、脑震荡后综合征客观评...     

腐败心理的内涵、构成及抑制策略

腐败心理是支配腐败行为人实施腐败行为的复杂心理现象的总称。腐败心理不仅是腐败行为发生的内在动因,其构成要素的组合状况和特点还决定了腐败行为的性质、类型和发生频次。因此,抑制腐败心理的生成,需要培育积极的心理动力结构要素、合理的心理认知结构要素和有效的心理自控结构要素,从源头上构筑起预防腐败行为发生的内在防线。     

Body and experiment – reflecting Kawabata Yasunari's counter-aesthetics

Abstract

From his earliest works, Kawabata, known as an explicit aestheticist, deals in his works with flawed and disabled bodies in contrast to beautiful ones, evoking feelings of revulsion, awkwardness, disgust and premonitions of decay and death. The dynamism created out of these tensions and ruptures in the aestheticized world is scrutizined as hidden counter-aesthetics through questions such as: Which kinds of impairments are to be observed? Can they be classified according to grades? Are there gender specificities? How are these tensions and ruptures organized, and which categories (semantic, biological, political, moral) are concerned? Which narratorial and other functions are served through the counter-image of the flawed (impaired) body? And finally, how do the findings from these investigations into the flipside, the ‘Other’ of Kawabata's aesthetic universe, contribute to complementary or alternative ways of reading and understanding his literature? In a final section, Kawabata's treatment of female bodies as a site of experimenting with extreme situations of passivity and agency is highlighted, challenging more conventional readings of this and other works. The works discussed are from a deliberately broad chronological and generic range, including canonical and popular works. They range from the newspaper novels ‘Utsukushii!’ (1927) and ‘Maihime’ (1950/1), the novel ‘Senbazuru’ (1952) to the stories and palm-of-the-hand stories ‘Ningen no ashioto’ (1925),’Izu no odoriko’ (1926), ‘Mekura to shōjo’ (1928), ‘Utsukushiki haka’ (1929) ‘Hokuro no tegami’ (1940), ‘Sasabune’ (1950), and, in the final section, ‘Kataude’ (1963/4) and ‘Nemureru bijo’ (1960/1).     

法与神经科学研究述评——兼论认知科学与法

自上世纪90年代诞生以来,法与神经科学研究以神经科学的理论、方法和手段来研究与法律有关的广泛问题,具体涉及证据、刑法、民法、神经伦理学、法律决策和神经经济学等重叠交叉的应用领域。认知理论和脑成像技术的发展促成该领域的兴盛。从未来的发展看,法学作为与人的行为密切相关的学科,有必要吸收来自于认知科学领域的知识。概念层级理论有助于说明学科及其概念之间的关系：认知科学与法不等于法学与认知科学母学科的直接结合;认知法学的实质是认知路径的跨学科法学研究;法与神经科学的研究是认知科学与法研究这一领域中的子领域。