From the editors

ＡｃｔａＡｎｔｈｒｏｐｏｌｏｇｉｃａＳｉｎｉｃａｉｓａｊｏｕｒｎａｌｄｅａｌｉｎｇｗｉｔｈａｎｔｈｒｏｐｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌａｎｄｃｌｏｓｅｌｙｒｅ ｌａｔｅｄｓｃｉｅｎｃｅｓ,ｍａｉｎｌｙｉｎＣｈｉｎｅｓｅｗｉｔｈｓｈｏｒｔＥｎｇｌｉｓｈａｂｓｔｒａｃｔｓ.ＴｈｅｄｅｔａｉｌｅｄｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｐｒｉｎｔｅｄｉｎｉｔｃａｎｎｏｔｂｅｅａｓｉｌｙｕｓｅｄｂｙｃｏｌｌｅａｇｕｅｓｗｈｏａｒｅｎｏｔａｂｌｅｔｏｒｅａｄＣｈｉｎｅｓｅ .ＦｏｒｔｈｅｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｃｅｏｆｔｈｅｓｅｃｏｌｌｅａｇｕｅｓｗｅｍａｄｅｍｏｒｅｄｅｔａｉｌｅｄＥｎｇｌｉｓｈｖｅｒｓｉｏｎｓｆｏｒｓｏｍｅｓｅ ｌｅｃｔｅｄａｒｔｉｃｌｅｓｐｕｂｌｉｓｈｅｄｉｎＶｏｌｕｍｅｓ 1 9ａｎｄ 2 0ｏｆｏｕｒｊｏｕｒｎａｌａｎｄｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｅｄｔｈｅｍｉｎｔｈｉｓｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔａｒｙｖｏｌｕｍｅ .Ｒｅａｄｅｒｓｃａｎｇｅｔａｄｄｉｔｉｏｎａｌｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｆｏｒｅａｃｈｐａｐｅｒｂｙｃｏｎｓｕｌｔ ｉｎｇｔｈｅｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌｏｎｅｐｕｂｌｉｓｈｅｄｉｎｏｒｄｉｎａｒｙｖｏｌｕｍｅｓｏｆｏｕｒｊｏｕｒｎａｌ.Ｗｅａｒｅｇ...     

From the editors

[T]here had been theories that homosexuality might have a genetic basis. In June this year, these theories received a somewhat firmer basis. Researchers at the United States National Cancer Institute reported new evidence which suggests that some gay men may have a genetic predisposition to homosexuality. The research team led by molecular biologist Dean Hamer tested 40 pairs of homosexual brothers and found that 33 of the pairs shared genetic markers on a particular area of the X chromosome (called Xq28), indicating a link between homosexuality and a gene in that area. If followed-up research were to confirm the findings, then, it has been claimed, this would be the first example of a behavioral trait that has been found to have a genetic basis. The study does, however, leave some central questions unanswered. Some revolve around the link between genetics and the nature of sexuality itself. The others concern the ethical and social implications of the research....     

From the editors

Kuhse and Singer, the editors of this special issue of Bioethics, introduce seven articles on conflicting concepts, public policies, and standards for the determination of cardiorespiratory and brain death and the relationship of brain death to the beginning of "brain life" and to organ donation, especially from anencephalic infants. The articles are "Consciousness, the brain and what matters," by Grant Gillett; "Brain death and the anencephalic newborn," by Robert D. Truog and John C. Fletcher; "Brain death and brain life: rethinking the connection," by Jocelyn Downie; "A plea for the heart," by Martyn Evans; "The importance of knowledge and trust in the definition of death," by Bo Andreassen Rix; "Death, democracy and public ethical choice," by Reid Cushman and Soren Holm; and "Misunderstanding death on a respirator," by Tom Tomlinson.