In the Name of the Father: the Paternal Function, Sexuality, Law and Citizenship

The purpose of this article is to examine the notion of legal paternal responsibility from the perspective of psychoanalytic theory. In psychoanalysis, a privileged place is accorded to the father, both in the emergence of the subject and in the symbolic order itself. This privileged position, however, flows not from the person of the father but from the performance of what Lacan terms the “paternal function”.Taking up this idea, the article considers the recommendations relating to legal paternity contained in the recent New Zealand Law Commission Report New Issues in Legal Parenthood. In particular, the article challenges the proposition that legal paternity should automatically flow from genetic fathering. The article argues that the assumption that there is or should be an inherent and natural link between genetic fathering and the responsibilities of legal parenting is fundamentally misconceived; will often discriminate against women, and, in particular, lesbian parents; and may be in conflict with the best interests of the child

A comprehensive meta-analysis of common genetic variants in autism spectrum conditions.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication alongside repetitive and stereotyped behaviours. ASC are heritable, and common genetic variants contribute substantial phenotypic variability. More than 600 genes have been implicated in ASC to date. However, a comprehensive investigation of candidate gene association studies in ASC is lacking. METHODS: In this study, we systematically reviewed the literature for association studies for 552 genes associated with ASC. We identified 58 common genetic variants in 27 genes that have been investigated in three or more independent cohorts and conducted a meta-analysis for 55 of these variants. We investigated publication bias and sensitivity and performed stratified analyses for a subset of these variants. RESULTS: We identified 15 variants nominally significant for the mean effect size, 8 of which had P values below a threshold of significance of 0.01. Of these 15 variants, 11 were re-investigated for effect sizes and significance in the larger Psychiatric Genomics Consortium dataset, and none of them were significant. Effect direction for 8 of the 11 variants were concordant between both the datasets, although the correlation between the effect sizes from the two datasets was poor and non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to comprehensively examine common variants in candidate genes for ASC through meta-analysis. While for majority of the variants, the total sample size was above 500 cases and 500 controls, the total sample size was not large enough to accurately identify common variants that contribute to the aetiology of ASC.We are grateful to Dr Anitha Ayyappan Pillai, Prof. Elisabetta Trabetti and Dr. Wouter Staal for data-sharing. We thank Florina Uzefovsky for her critical comments and advice. This study was funded by grants from Target Autism Genome, the Autism Research Trust, Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre, and the Medical Research Council UK. VW is funded by the Nehru Trust for Cambridge University, St. John's College, and Cambridge Commonwealth Trusts. This study was submitted for the partial fulfilment of an MSc degree for VJC from Imperial College London, and a PhD degree for VW from the University of Cambridge.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from BioMed Central via http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-015-0041-

The gender equality gaps in Colombia between 2018-2021 and the reparation of women

El problema a investigar es Las brechas de la equidad de género en Colombia entre 2018-2021 y la reparación de las mujeres y los aportes para la disminución de estas mismas, desde las diferentes organizaciones nacionales e internacionales con uso de fuentes secundarias, recolectadas a través de la minería de datos o webmining, para describir el problema determinando el recorte temporal desde el 2018 a 2021. La investigación se apoyará de técnicas cualitativas y cuantitativas que analicen la información recolectada, permitiendo identificar o diagnosticar el objeto de estudio. Por lo que primero se dará una identificación del concepto remitiéndonos a concepciones como la igualdad de género definida como la equivalencia de derechos, responsabilidades y oportunidades de las mujeres y los hombres. Además, conceptos como la equidad de género, que hace referencia a la imparcialidad en el trato que reciben mujeres y hombres de acuerdo con sus necesidades respectivas, la inequidad de género y la interseccionalidad, definiendo así las variables de las brechas de género sociales, económicas y políticas según la ONU que se encuentran en: Violencia basada en género en emergencias humanitarias y conflictos armados, Empoderamiento económico, Participación Política y Mujeres, Paz y Seguridad. Seguidamente se profundizará en casos que son representativos de la inequidad del acceso de posicionamiento de la mujer en el país recalcando que las víctimas buscan un reconocimiento real desde su multiplicidad y no solamente inclusión. Así, se genera finalmente la visibilización de la participación de algunas organizaciones nacionales e internacionales en el trabajo continúo de la disminución de estas brechas.The problem to be investigated is the gender equality gaps in Colombia between 2018-2021 and the reparation of women and the contributions to reduce them, from the different national and international organizations with the use of sources secondary, collected through data mining or webmining, to describe the problem determining the temporary cut from 2018 to 2021. The investigation is will support qualitative and quantitative techniques that analyze the information collected, allowing to identify or diagnose the object of study. Therefore, first, an identification of the concept will be given, referring to conceptions such as gender equality defined as the equivalence of rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men. In addition, concepts such as gender equity, which refers to the impartiality in the treatment that women and men receive according to their respective needs, gender inequality and intersectionality, thus defining the variables of the social, economic gender gaps and policies according to the UN that are found in: Gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies and armed conflicts, Economic Empowerment, Political Participation and Women, Peace and Security. Next, it will delve into cases that are representative of the inequity of women's positioning access in the country, emphasizing that the victims seek real recognition from their multiplicity and not just inclusion. Thus, the visibility of the participation of some national and international organizations in the continuous work of reducing these gaps is finally generated.Pregrad

The Cambridge Sympathy Test: Self-reported sympathy and distress in autism

Abstract Background: Difficulties with aspects of social interaction, including empathy, comprise a core symptom of autism spectrum conditions (autism). Sympathy is a specific form of empathy and involves both cognitive and affective empathy. Data are presented from a new task of self-reported sympathy and personal distress. Methods: Participants with autism (93 males; 161 females) and controls (40 males, 93 females) took part in an online survey via the Autism Research Centre or Cambridge Psychology websites. Participants completed a task where they were asked to rate photographic images that were either of distressing, neutral or happy scenes, according to the amount of sympathy they had for the individual in the photo and the degree of personal distress they felt. All participants also completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ). Results: Significant differences were found between the autism and control groups for both self-reported sympathy and personal distress, with participants with autism giving lower ratings than controls. Control females scored significantly higher than control males in both sympathy and distress. Sympathy and distress ratings in the autism group did not differ significantly by sex. EQ showed positive correlations with sympathy and distress scores. Conclusions: Using a new measure of self-reported sympathy, we found that both males and females with autism gave lower ratings of sympathy when viewing people in distressing scenarios, compared to controls.The research leading to these results has received support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n° 115300, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007 - 2013) and EFPIA companies' in kind contribution. The authors were also supported by Autism Research Trust, the MRC and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Análise do instrumento de cooperação interinstitucional - programa de pesquisadores visitantes em instituições de ensino, pesquisa e/ou extensão

O presente trabalho analisou a cooperação interinstitucional por meio da atuação de pesquisadores visitantes em programas de pós-graduação stricto sensu e em institutos de pesquisa. Tendo em vista a necessidade de selecionar casos em que o tipo de interação, que constituiu objeto de estudo, estivesse ocorrendo, tomou-se como base o Edital de Apoio Financeiro ao Pesquisador Visitante lançado pela Fundação Araucária de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Paraná. Observou-se que o mecanismo de cooperação predominante era o acordo formal com alvo definido, sendo que foram várias as motivações destacadas para a cooperação e para a seleção do pesquisador visitante. Da mesma forma, inúmeros foram os facilitadores e os dificultadores apontados, sendo que a maioria destes estava relacionada a fatores externos à pesquisa como, por exemplo, questões burocráticas e problemas de infraestrutura das instituições receptoras. As atividades dos pesquisadores visitantes envolviam tanto pesquisa e desenvolvimento, como docência e redação de relatórios e artigos. Quanto às contribuições observadas, pode-se destacar a expansão da rede de contatos dos professores; as novas perspectivas de ensino com que os alunos tiveram contato; o estabelecimento de convênios formais de cooperação; a programação de novos intercâmbios de professores e alunos; a disseminação dos conhecimentos gerados na pesquisa por meio de publicações; a consolidação dos programas de pós-graduação mais recentes; as possibilidades potenciais de registro de patentes resultantes de alguns projetos e; as contribuições às comunidades locais onde alguns projetos foram desenvolvidos. Por fim, um modelo de cooperação interinstitucional é proposto contemplando as etapas do processo pesquisado

Subgrouping siblings of people with autism: Identifying the broader autism phenotype.

We investigate the broader autism phenotype (BAP) in siblings of individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Autistic traits were measured in typical controls (n = 2,000), siblings (n = 496), and volunteers with ASC (n = 2,322) using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), both self-report and parent-report versions. Using cluster analysis of AQ subscale scores, two sibling subgroups were identified for both males and females: a cluster of low-scorers and a cluster of high-scorers. Results show that while siblings as a group have intermediate levels of autistic traits compared to control individuals and participants with ASC, when examined on a cluster level, the low-scoring sibling group is more similar to typical controls while the high-scoring group is more similar to the ASC clinical group. Further investigation into the underlying genetic and epigenetic characteristics of these two subgroups will be informative in understanding autistic traits, both within the general population and in relation to those with a clinical diagnosis. Autism Res 2016, 9: 658-665. © 2015 The Authors Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Autism Research.This work was supported by grants from the Autism Research Trust, the MRC, and the Wellcome Trust to SBC. CA was supported by NIHR CLAHRC EoE during the period of this work.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.154

Sex and STEM Occupation Predict Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) Scores in Half a Million People.

This study assesses Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores in a 'big data' sample collected through the UK Channel 4 television website, following the broadcasting of a medical education program. We examine correlations between the AQ and age, sex, occupation, and UK geographic region in 450,394 individuals. We predicted that age and geography would not be correlated with AQ, whilst sex and occupation would have a correlation. Mean AQ for the total sample score was m = 19.83 (SD = 8.71), slightly higher than a previous systematic review of 6,900 individuals in a non-clinical sample (mean of means = 16.94) This likely reflects that this big-data sample includes individuals with autism who in the systematic review score much higher (mean of means = 35.19). As predicted, sex and occupation differences were observed: on average, males (m = 21.55, SD = 8.82) scored higher than females (m = 18.95; SD = 8.52), and individuals working in a STEM career (m = 21.92, SD = 8.92) scored higher than individuals non-STEM careers (m = 18.92, SD = 8.48). Also as predicted, age and geographic region were not meaningfully correlated with AQ. These results support previous findings relating to sex and STEM careers in the largest set of individuals for which AQ scores have been reported and suggest the AQ is a useful self-report measure of autistic traits.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from PLoS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.014122