Genetic polymorphisms of blood groups, serum proteins, red cell enzymes, PTC tasting, and cerumen types are reported for five Mongoloid populations of Buryats from the Lake Baikal region of Siberia (Russia). These groups are characterized by relatively high frequencies of alleles ABO*B, RH*D, cerumen D, GC*1F, ACP1*B, ESD*2, and PGD*C. Significant genetic heterogeneity between populations was d...

HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 allele frequencies and their haplotype frequencies in 21,918 Chinese residents living in Liaoning Province, who were registered as volunteer donors of China Marrow Donor Registry, were investigated. They are composed of 93.37% Han Chinese, 5.1% Manchus, 0.57% Mongols, 0.46% Hui persons, 0.29% Koreans and 0.14% Xibe ethnic group. In total eighteen different HLA-A alleles, for...

The prevalence of hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection was assessed in 340 patients and 268 staff in a hospital for the mentally subnormal in Wessex. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, antibody to HBsAg, e antigen (eAg), and antibody to eAg were used as markers of such infection. Forty patients and 10 staff had evidence of recent or current infection, while ...

China has a rich resource of native sheep (Ovis aries) breeds associated with historical movements of several nomadic societies. However, the history of sheep and the associated nomadic societies in ancient China remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the genomic diversity of Chinese sheep using genome-wide SNPs, mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal variations in > 1,000 modern samples. Populat...

EVER since Dr. Langdon Down in 1866 introduced the term " Mongolism," this group of aments has been the subject of numerous investigations. But so far the cause of Mongolism remains obscure and, in spite of a growing amount of literature, it is impossible to say whether there is a single cause for all cases of Mongolism or whether various etiological factors are to be held responsible. Careful ...

In the 19th century, when belief in racial discrimination and superiority could find a response at social even moral levels, claims about humanity as biological species turned into number of pseudoscientific assumptions. This inevitably constituted legitimate ground for Orientalist stereotypes such barbarism, despotism, ignorance, fanaticism backwardness directed towards Eastern societies. Orie...

Geochemical measurements on well-dated sediment cores from Lake Er (Erhai) are used to determine the timing of changes in metal concentrations over 4500 years in Yunnan, a borderland region in southwestern China noted for rich mineral deposits but with inadequately documented metallurgical history. Our findings add new insight into the impacts and environmental legacy of human exploitation of m...

An accurate estimate of the incidence in the general population of mongolism at birth is required for the genetic study of the disease. Penrose (1949) has estimated the frequency of the condition among children of school age in Great Britain from the records of local authorities; the incidence among children aged 10 to 14 is probably about 1 in 2,000. He stresses, however, that the high infant ...