Adolescent marijuana use: the role of the physician

Adolescent marijuana use is an issue of concern to the community at large. Physicians now have the technology to identify marijuana use and thus are in a unique position to deal with the issue. This article addresses the moral issues related to screening and surveillance of adolescent marijuana use and postulates the justification for active physician intervention.     

Adolescent health care in Brazil

The period of youth and adolescence has been shown to have continuous demographic growth in the developing world. Young nations thus have to contend with the specific health needs of teenagers and young adults. This is illustrated by an analysis of the health-care needs of Brazilian adolescents. The issues highlighted here are adolescent morbidity and mortality, current delivery of adolescent health care, and future directions of adolescent programs in Brazil.     

When the poor give more than the rich: The role of resource evaluability on relative giving

Five experiments examined the role of resource evaluability on giving. We systematically varied participants' resources they and another potential donor received and whether they could donate to a recipient either by themselves or with the other donor. Participants in the relative advantage condition received more resources than the other donor, and those in the relative disadvantage condition received fewer resources than the other donor. The presence of the other donor made participants' resources evaluable and shaped giving: Relatively disadvantaged participants were proportionally more generous than advantaged participants but only when they could evaluate their resources. Neither the mere presence of others nor reputational concerns could explain the results. Exploratory mediation and moderation analyses further showed that relatively disadvantaged participants give proportionally more the higher and the more equal they perceive their status to the advantaged donor. This shows that the generosity of those who have less does depend on how they evaluate their status compared to other donors. Our results provide insights into the question of why and when resource asymmetries between donors result in prosocial giving and can influence fundraising strategies of charitable organizations.     

A novel automatic procedure for measuring ocular counterrolling: A computeranalytical method to determine the eye’s roll angle while subjects work on perceptual tasks

In investigations of the perception of space, the consideration of ocular counterrolling-the movement of the eye around its visual axis in response to body movement-is crucially important. The angle of this movement must be known in order for one to determine the precise retinal coordinates of a distal object. Following transformation, this stimulus serves as a reliable cue for visual direction. The otolith organs provide information about body tilt and are responsible for ocular counterrolling. A novel, noninvasive method to measure ocular counterrolling, based on the cross-correlation of digitized video pictures of the eyes, is presented. The resolution attained was ≤ 0.1°. The computer analysis is fully automatic and fast, and it can be performed while subjects work on perceptual tasks. No direct access to the eyeballs is required. Data from 4 subjects showing the counterrolling profile in various body positions are presented.     

A teaching framework for cross-cultural genetic counseling

The increasing diversity of American society has brought growing recognition of the need to bridge cultures in the delivery of genetic counseling services. New immigrants and members of diverse ethnic groups face multiple barriers to genetic counseling services. The need to train genetic counselors to deal with cultural diversity is especially crucial in the new genetic era, given the rapid expansion of available technology, with the resulting social and ethical ramifications. A framework for teaching cross-cultural issues in genetic counseling training programs is presented that can be implemented in step-wise fashion, consistent with available resources. Cross-cultural issues can be incorporated into existing teaching and training modalities by expanding the orientation from monocultural to multicultural. Relevant clinical experience, exploration of students' preconceptions and biases, reading materials, and lectures by invited speakers can all enhance students' knowledge and sensitivity. It is critically important that training programs furnish students with the basic tools necessary for the ongoing process of learning about cultural diversity.     

Abortion: A Jewish view

A practicing physician reviews the contribution of Jewish ethics, as it relates to the structure of Jewish law, to the issue of abortion. The topics approached include the status of the fetus, the relationship of fetus to mother, abortion and murder, therapeutic abortion, and the rights of the mother. The discussion describes rabbinic answers to abortion requests and is followed by a summary of the Jewish attitudes toward termination of fetal life. An appendix is provided, dealing with central aspects of Jewish ethics, the structure of Jewish law, their relationship, and a note on abortion legislation in Israel.