Homicide-suicide cases in Switzerland and their impact on the Swiss Weapon Law.

Homicide followed by the suicide of the offender is a well-known phenomenon. In most cases, it takes place in the context of the so-called "family tragedies." A recent series of such family tragedies in Switzerland prompted an intensive debate in the media and the Swiss government concerning the Swiss Weapon Law, in particular the requirement to keep personal army weapons at home. The present study of Homicide-Suicide cases in Switzerland, thus focuses on the role played by guns, especially military weapons, in such crimes. We investigated retrospectively 75 cases of Homicide-Suicide, comprising 172 individuals and spanning a period of 23 years in western and central Switzerland. Our results show that if guns were used in 76% of the cases, army weapons were the cause of death in 25% of the total. In 28% of the deaths caused by a gunshot, the exact type of the gun and its origin could not be determined. Thus, the majority of Homicide-Suicide cases in Switzerland involve the use of guns. The exact percentage of cases were military weapons were involved could not be defined. In our opinion, a stricter weapons law, restricting access to firearms, would be a factor of prevention of Homicide- Suicide cases in Switzerland.

EGASP: the human ENCODE Genome Annotation Assessment Project

Background: Non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons have contributed to shaping the structure and function of genomes. In silico and experimental approaches have been used to identify the non-LTR elements of the urochordate Ciona intestinalis. Knowledge of the types and abundance of non-LTR elements in urochordates is a key step in understanding their contribution to the structure and function of vertebrate genomes. Results: Consensus elements phylogenetically related to the I, LINE1, LINE2, LOA and R2 elements of the 14 eukaryotic non-LTR clades are described from C. intestinalis. The ascidian elements showed conservation of both the reverse transcriptase coding sequence and the overall structural organization seen in each clade. The apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and nucleic-acid-binding domains encoded upstream of the reverse transcriptase, and the RNase H and the restriction enzyme-like endonuclease motifs encoded downstream of the reverse transcriptase were identified in the corresponding Ciona families. Conclusions: The genome of C. intestinalis harbors representatives of at least five clades of non-LTR retrotransposons. The copy number per haploid genome of each element is low, less than 100, far below the values reported for vertebrate counterparts but within the range for protostomes. Genomic and sequence analysis shows that the ascidian non-LTR elements are unmethylated and flanked by genomic segments with a gene density lower than average for the genome. The analysis provides valuable data for understanding the evolution of early chordate genomes and enlarges the view on the distribution of the non-LTR retrotransposons in eukaryotes.

Orientações pedagógicas das "casas de asilo da infância desvalida" (1834-1840)

Este estudo sobre os primeiros anos de atividades da Sociedade das Casas de Asilo da Infância Desvalida firmou-se na exploração do arquivo da instituição, denominada desde há poucos anos Fundação D. Pedro IV. Ela orientou-se pela filantropia, seguindo as tendências manifestadas pelas classes hegemônicas européias, sobretudo em França, tendo à sua frente o ex-Imperador do Brasil, que regressou a Lisboa após a derrota dos absolutistas. As Casas de Asilo tinham uma fisionomia própria que se distinguia das salles d'asile. No intuito de acharem um rumo ajustado às necessidades da sociedade portuguesa, os animadores da iniciativa começaram por criar uma "escola de ensino". Colhidos os primeiros frutos da experiência, o movimento das Casas de Asilo começou a difundir-se pelo país e a diversificar as suas intervenções. Embora destinadas a um público de crianças provenientes de famílias muito pobres ou indigentes, em idade pré-escolar, essas instituições configuravam as escolas de Primeiras Letras, mas incluíam no currículo atividades educativas, manuais ou artísticas, e de educação social, visando à integração de seu público. Apesar disso, essa experiência de educação infantil não logrou desprender-se da tradição escolarizante que a marcava.

Genetic vulnerability factor for schizophrenia: association with glutamate cysteine ligase modifier gene and abnormal enzyme activity

Background: We previously reported in schizophrenia patients a decreased level of glutathione ([GSH]), the principal non-protein antioxidant and redox regulator, both in cerebrospinal-fluid and prefrontal cortex. To identify possible genetic causation, we studied genes involved in GSH metabolism. Methods: Genotyping: mass spectrometry analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified DNA fragments purified from peripheral blood. Gene expression: real-time PCR of total RNA isolated from fibroblast cultures derived from skin of patients (DSM-IV) and healthy controls (DIGS). Results: Case-control association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from the GSH key synthesizing enzyme glutamate-cysteine-ligase (GCL) modifier subunit (GCLM) was performed in two populations: Swiss (patients/controls: 40/31) and Danish (349/348). We found a strong association of SNP rs2301022 in GCLM gene (Danish: c2=3.2; P=0.001 after correction for multiple testing). Evidence for GCLM as a risk factor was confirmed in linkage study of NIMH families. Moreover, we observed a decrease in GCLM mRNA levels in patient fibroblasts, consistently with the association study. Interestingly, Dalton and collaborators reported in GCLM knock-out mice an increased feedback inhibition of GCL activity, resulting in 60% decrease of brain [GSH], a situation analogous to patients. These mice also exhibited an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. Similarly, under oxidative stress conditions, GCL enzymatic activity was also decreased in patient fibroblasts. Conclusions: These results at the genetic and functional levels, combined with observations that GSH deficient models reveal morphological, electrophysiological, and behavioral anomalies analogous to those observed in patients, suggest that GCLM allelic variant is a vulnerability factor for schizophrenia.

Grilles, séries, pixels. Le protocole Becher comme mécanisme proto-numérique chez Jörg Sasse, Thomas Ruff et Andreas Gursky

Sitôt inventée, la photographie fut exploitée comme outil d'observation et d'archivage des monuments, des paysages, des types humains ou encore des oeuvres d'art. Dans ce cadre, furent fréquemment adoptées des procédures de prise de vue strictes, paraissant à même d'assurer le caractère fiable et exploitable des représentations obtenues. À la période contemporaine, de façon récurrente, la photographie se trouve encore associée à des protocoles fixés au préalable ; ceux-ci sont établis à des fins variées et selon des modalités diversifiées. On peut parler de « protocole » dès lors que le photographe choisit consciemment d'observer lors de la prise de vue un certain nombre de règles (découlant ou non de la technique photographique) dont il fait explicitement un mode opératoire. Cet ouvrage tente d'explorer les causes et les enjeux de cette combinaison récurrente de la photographie avec une procédure préétablie.

Martin Lindhart (Ed.), Practicing the Faith. The Ritual Life of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians, Berghahn Books, Oxford, 2011, 344 p.

This edited volume examines, from a ritual perspective, Pentecostal-Charismatic groups that are the fastest growing religious movements in the world today. The authors, who are anthropologists, ethnologists or sociologists (with one theologian) collected rich and diverse material on healing, deliverance, personal devotion, public engagement. Their work covers several regions such as Chile, South California, Fiji, Kenya, and Sweden. After an introduction by the editor, eleven chapters examine various issues relevant to the field. Overcoming the diversity of subjects, the unity of the volume is provided by the general ritual perspective and by the methodological implications of employing such a perspective.