Hand Clasping Research Articles

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Study of Some Morphogenetic Traits in a Nigerian Population

Background: The Hardy-Weinberg (HW) equilibrium studies the distribution of allelic and genotypic frequencies within a population. It provides a mathematical benchmark for a population that is evolving and not evolving. Aim: This study investigated six morphogenetic traits among families in a Nigerian population using the Hardy-Weinberg principle with the aim of evaluating if the population was in HW equilibrium. Methodology: A total of 45 families comprising a father, mother and at least one offspring were conveniently sampled in Ogbe- Ijoh district in Delta State, Nigeria. Earlobe attachment, Hand clasping, Hitchhiker’s thumb, Leg folding, Morton's toe and Widow's peak were studied for their allelic and genotypic frequencies. The Chi-square test was used to analyse the association between these traits and sex, and conformance to the Mendelian inheritance pattern was evaluated with a Mendelian Chi-square. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium compared the allelic frequencies of parents with those of offspring. Results: Males had higher frequencies for attached earlobes, Morton’s toe and widow's peak (35.1, 51.9, 49.4%), while the females showed a predominance for hitchhiker's thumb, right hand clasping and leg folding (50,72.4,70.7%). There was no association between the traits and gender (p>0.05). From the Mendelian Chi-square, free earlobe, right-hand clasping, right leg folding, Morton's toe (SBt), the recessive phenotype of hitchhiker's thumb as well as widow's peak were the dominant traits in the studied population (X2 < 3.841 ). The H-W equation revealed a deviation of the offspring’s genotype from those of the parents for earlobe, hand clasping, leg folding, Morton’s toe and widow's peak (1:1:2 [1:1; 4]; 2: 1: 3 [1:1:2]; 3:1:3 [1:1:2]; 5: 1: 4 [6:1:5}; 5:1:4 [7: 1:5]). However, parental and offspring alleles were identical for hitchhiker's thumb (5:1:5 [5:1: 5]). The homozygotes for both parents and offspring outnumbered the heterozygotes for all traits (295: 245; 156: 119). Conclusion: The study showed that only the hitchhiker's thumb was in HW equilibrium, suggesting that evolution may not occur at that locus. KEYWORDS: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Mendel, Traits, Nigeria, Population.

ASPECTS OF MORPHOGENETIC TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL COEFFICIENTS RELATED TO INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, AND DIABETES MELLITUS

The vulnerability to develop certain pathophysiological conditions may be linked to the morphogenetic traits of individuals. Hence, this study ascertained the relationship between some morphogenetic traits and physiological coefficients related to incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Morphogenetic traits (height, weight, ABO blood group, Hitchhiker thumb, tongue rolling, and hand clasping) and physiological coefficients; body mass index, blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar (RBS), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were measured during a free medical outreach in an institution in Eastern Nigeria. Seventy individuals participated; age (15–35 years), females: 36 (51.4%), males: 34 (48.6%), pre-obese (28.6%), obese 1 and 2 (2.9%, 2.9%), and BP (52.9% normal and 34.3% hypotensive). Twenty-five (35.7%) assayed FBS showed 1.4% diabetes, 17.1% pre-diabetes, and 17.1% normal, while 45 (64.3%) assayed RBS showed 57.1% normal and 7.2% pre-diabetes. There was significantly increased incidence of pre-diabetes and diabetes among tongue rollers when compared to non-tongue rollers (p<0.05). Incidence of obesity and hypertension was not significantly associated with tongue rolling. There was significant association between weight and incidence of obesity (p<0.05); no significant association with weight and incidence of hypertension and diabetes. There was also no association between height, ABO blood group, Hitchhiker thumb, hand clasping and incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (p<0.05). Conclusively, morphogenetic traits such as tongue rolling and body weight were associated with physiological coefficients related to incidence of diabetes and obesity, respectively, supporting the hypothesis that certain morphogenetic traits can be linked to the proneness of individuals to obesity and diabetes.

Descriptive Study of the Idoma People and Pattern of Hand Clasping

Introduction: There are millions of people in the world but no two humans are exactly alike not even identical twins. Genetic variations in man are caused by several environmental factors acting alongside with selection, gene flow, genetic drift and migration. Studies have been done on morphogenetic traits such as the pattern of hand clasping in some parts of Africa and among some tribes in southern region of Nigeria but there is no available data on the pattern of hand clasping among the Idoma tribe of Benue State. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pattern of hand clasping among the Idoma people of Benue State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was community-based, descriptive, and cross-sectional with a sample size of 401. Data was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire that was administered by an interviewer following an examination of hand clasping pattern. Results and Discussion: The proportion of participants that expressed hand clasping with the left thumb on top was 16.7%, while right thumb on top was 83.3%. There were no significant socio-demographic characteristics among participants (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The study implies that hand clasping with the right thumb on top is a marked characteristic of the people of Idoma and, as such, can be used to identify them amongst other tribes where the identity of the tribes is not known ab initio.

Tongue rolling and hand clasping among various ABO blood groups in a University community in Eastern Nigeria

Morphogenetic traits are physical observable traits that can be inherited either in a single gene or multifactorial pattern. ABO blood group is a codominant inherited trait that has been associated with different anatomical and physiological variations. However, there are limited studies that have linked ABO blood groups with some morphogenetic traits.
 This study was conducted to ascertain the distribution of morphogenetic traits like hand clasping and tongue rolling among ABO blood groups in a University community in Eastern Nigeria.
 A total of 115 volunteers participated in the study. The blood groups of the participants were determined and the expression of the morphogenetic traits was gotten by physical observation. Greater proportion of the participants were males (55.65 %), students (61.74 %) and within ages 15−25 (58.26 %). There was a higher prevalence of blood group O (57.39 %), tongue non-rollers (53.04 %) and right hand clasping (74.78 %) among the participants. The participants with blood groups A and O recorded a higher distribution of tongue non-rollers while those with blood groups B and AB recorded an equal number of both tongue roller and non-rollers. The participants with blood groups A, B and O recorded a higher distribution of right hand clasping while those with blood group AB recorded a significant higher distribution of left hand clasping (P<0.05).
 In conclusion, morphogenetic pattern of tongue rolling could not be associated with ABO blood group, whereas that of left hand clasping was associated with blood group AB suggesting that individuals with blood group AB is likely to exhibit left hand clasping; forming basis for determination of hand clasping using ABO blood group in future advancement of genetics and forensic science

Occurrence and Distribution of 16 Human Morphogenetic Traits in the Maseru District of Lesotho

Background: Morphogenetic traits are used in human identification in forensic investigations and demonstration of basic genetics but without agreement on inheritance patterns in all cases. Method: The distribution of 16 morphogenetic traits among 505 students were analyzed, performed Chi-squared ({\displaystyle \chi ^{2}}χ2) analysis to determine conformity of the traits with the genetic model of one-gene with two-alleles and association between trait and gender; distribution of the traits among 114 offspring of 46, H X H, H X N and N X N parental pairs was analyzed to determine if the traits are monogenic or polygenic and for association between parents and offspring. Results: The dominant phenotype was more prevalent (%) for ear lobe, tongue rolling, tongue folding, bent little finger, index/ring finger, widow's peak, eyebrow shape and handedness but, less prevalent for dimple, cleft chin, hand clasping, arms folding, white forelock, ear pit, longer 2nd toe and gap tooth. No significant association between gender and any trait, χ2 (1, N = 505) < 3.48, p > .05). {\displaystyle \chi ^{2}}χ2 analysis of observed and expected numbers of phenotypes of cheek dimple, cleft chin, hair line, white forelock, ear pit, longer 2nd toe and gap tooth fitted the Hardy-Weinberg assumptions and were considered monogenic traits. Results for 9 traits deviated from the H-W assumptions and were considered polygenic. Analyses of the distribution of the traits among the 114 offspring showed that the heterozygotes (HN) outnumbered the homozygotes (HH or NN) among the dominant phenotypes for 14 traits which suggested that the recessive alleles were protected in the dominant phenotypes. Except for hair line where H X H pair produced only H offspring and white forelock, where N X N pair produced only N offspring, the three different pairs produced both H and N offspring. Association between parents and offspring was observed because, most H x H pairs produced more H than N and most N X N pairs produced more N than H offspring. Conclusion: Production of H offspring by N X N or N offspring by H X H parents suggested that such traits are not monogenic, the parents not homozygotes and/or “paternal discrepancy" and demonstrate the complex inheritance patterns of morphogenetic traits that should be explained when used to demonstrate basic genetics principles.

Phenotypic association of seven observed traits of hand complex

This paper provides an overview of the seven possible hand-related traits, with an idea to estimate the statistical phenotypic association between them. The traits observed in this study were: midphalangeal hair, Hitchhiker’s thumb, extensibility of proximal joint of thumb, digital index, nail shape, crooked fifth finger and hand clasping. The mentioned characteristics were observed in 7431 unrelated subjects, with approximately equal gender distribution. For each case, three groups were formed: total, male and female. The subjects were evenly distributed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina’s various geographical regions, and they properly represent the country’s national and ethnic composition. The Chi-squared test was used to determine the statistical significance of the association between these traits, while Fisher’s exact test was utilized as an extra test to analyze the association between each pair of observed features. Also, Chi-squared test was applied for observing differences in the frequencies of the phenotypic characteristics of the hand between the genders. Following traits were shown to have a statistically significant association: midphalangeal hair-Hitchhiker’s thumb, midphalangeal hair – digital index, midphalangeal hair – nail shape, midphalangeal hair – crooked fifth finger, Hitchhiker’s thumb- extensibility of proximal joint of thumb, digital index – nail shape, digital index -crooked fifth finger, midphalangeal hair – hand clasping, crooked fifth finger – hand clasping. Analysis of differences in the frequencies of the observed phenotypic traits of the hand according to the genders showed statistical significance for D, Dht, Ref and Lf.

Are Footedness and Lateral Postures Better Predictors of Hemispheric Dominance Than Handedness: A Cross-sectional Questionnaire-Based Clinical and Pedigree Study.

Objective Approximately 9 out of 10 individuals show right-hand dominance. The remaining 10% include left-hand dominant and mixed handed/ambidextrous individuals. Laterality, lateral postures or lateral preference is defined by various authors as the most comfortable posture that an individual prefers to assume. The current study aims at finding the distribution of these lateral postures and their correlation with handedness/dominant side. Materials and Methods The study was done in medical and nursing students in the age group 18 to 22 years. The patients were asked to fill a self-assessment questionnaire to determine handedness and footedness. The laterality traits were observed by asking the patients to do by themselves after an untailored demonstration. Statistical Analysis The relationship between study parameters was assessed using Chi-square test. Pearson’s correlation test was done to assess the strength of association between comfort ratings of the various laterality postures. Results In our study, 96.5% were right handed and 79.9% of patients were right footed. Also, 50.8% preferred right-hand clasping, 53.9% preferred left-arm folding, and 60.6% preferred right-leg folding. A statistically significant correlation was seen between foot preference and lateral postures and arm folding and hand clasping (p < 0.05). A significant association was also found between handedness and positive history of retraining. Sidedness did not follow any Mendelian pattern of inheritance. Conclusions Handedness is affected by genetic and environmental factors. Since cultural and traditional practices can affect the lateral postures and handedness, it is important to know the relationship between laterality postures and sidedness and the impact of retraining on them. These postures are measures of cerebral dominance and are clinically important.

Laterality patterns in relation to schizophrenia patients' age at onset

ABSTRACT Based on numerous findings of an abnormal laterality in schizophrenia disorder, we hypothesized that handedness and lateral preferences may affect the age at onset in schizophrenia patients. Two samples of schizophrenia patients, the first a sample of 34 right-handers and 42 left-handers and a replication set of 84 right-handers, were examined with regard to age at onset considering handedness and the four Luria’s signs (arm folding, hand clasping, familial sinistrality and eye dominance) as well as gender. The association between these parameters and age at onset was investigated by means of multiple regression analysis. Our analyses revealed that right-handers with right arm folding and left-handers with left arm folding showed an early age at onset, while in the late age at onset the opposite preferences prevailed. Apart from arm folding, signs of ambilaterality, i.e., left eye dominance in right-handers and familial sinistrality in left-handers were additional predictors for an early age at onset. Remarkably, all observations found in the first right-handed sample were confirmed in the right-handed replication set. We conclude that among the many different factors specific lateral preferences should also be considered in assessing patients who are at risk of psychosis.

Vision-Based Method for Automatic Quantification of Parkinsonian Bradykinesia.

Non-volitional discontinuation of motion, namely bradykinesia, is a common motor symptom among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Evaluating bradykinesia severity is an important part of clinical examinations on PD patients in both diagnosis and monitoring phases. However, subjective evaluations from different clinicians often show low consistency. The research works that explore objective quantification of bradykinesia are mostly based on highly-integrated sensors. Although these sensor-based methods demonstrate applaudable performance, it is unrealistic to promote them for wide use because the special devices they require are far from popularized in daily lives. In this paper, we take advantage of computer vision and machine learning technologies, proposing a vision-based method to automatically and objectively quantify bradykinesia severity. Three bradykinesia-related items are investigated in our study: finger tapping, hand clasping and hand pro/supination. In our method, human pose estimation technology is utilized to extract kinematic characteristics and supervised-learning-based classifiers are employed to generate score ratings. Clinical experiment on 60 patients shows that the scoring accuracy of our method over 360 examination videos is 89.7%, which is competitive with other related works. The devices our method requires are only a camera for instrumentation and a laptop for data processing. Therefore, our method can produce reliable assessment results on Parkinsonian bradykinesia with minimal device requirement, showing great potential of realizing long-term remote monitoring on patients' condition.

I'm so touched! Self-touch increases attitude extremity via self-focused attention

In everyday life, people often engage in behaviors like chin touching, hand clasping, and arm crossing. Such self-touching behaviors have been found to emerge under emotional stress and while performing tasks requiring concentration and focus. In contrast to work examining antecedents of self-touch, the current research experimentally investigates the causal outcomes of self-touch, specifically its influence on evaluative cognitions such as attitudes toward external objects and events. Four studies support the prediction that both instructed and spontaneous self-touch enhance focus on the self, resulting in greater attitude extremity toward evaluated targets. A last study demonstrates that people do not have a fully accurate understanding of the influence of self-touch on consequential outcomes such as self-focus and attitude extremity. Thus, this common behavior may incidentally influence a wide variety of judgments.

&lt;NOTE&gt;Grooming Hand Clasp by Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa Valley, Western Tanzania

&lt;NOTE&gt;Grooming Hand Clasp by Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Issa Valley, Western Tanzania

Is there a relationship between genetic factors and the incidence and severity of H1N1 in Kosova?: A preliminary investigation and pointers for further research.

Host genetic factors may impact susceptibility to infection. A small number of studies have investigated the association between factors such as ABO blood groups and selected phenotypes on the incidence and severity of H1N1 infections with inconclusive results. Using data from the Clinic of Infectious Diseases - University Clinical Centre Prishtina and based on the examination of 125 patients hospitalized with H1N1 in the period 2009-2014, the frequency of blood groups from ABO and Rhesus (Rh) systems as phenotypical markers were evaluated. In addition, other phenotypes such as ear lobe free/ear lobe attached, normal chin/cleft chin, tongue roller/non roller, hand clasping right thumb over/hand clasping left thumb over, right-handed/left-handed, dark eyes/light eyes were also analyzed. The data obtained from the 125 hospitalized patients were compared with the data from the Kosovar population (n=2000) as a reference group. A total of 303 patients with H1N1 were hospitalized in the period 2009-2015. Blood group and phenotype data available from 125 hospitalized H1N1 patients showed significant differences in the frequencies of the blood groups from Rh system as well as in two (out of six) phenotypes of the selected morphological traits compared to reference groups. The findings from this preliminary study indicate that these Rh system and phenotype differences may be linked to H1N1 susceptibility and may guide identification of risk groups and populations.

“Once More, With Feeling”: Using Haptics to Preserve Tactile Memories

The use of haptics as a complement to verbal and visual communication across digital media is becoming well understood. Good arguments have also been made for the adoption of this modality for the communication of emotive, affective information. This article proposes an additional purpose for the consideration of the haptic community: the possibility of storing individually recognizable touch. In this manner, the comforting touch of a loved one could be recorded for access at a distance from the original event, whether that distance is in space or time. This is not the familiar attempt to re-create perfectly the tactile impression of a generic human action such as a hug or a hand clasp. Furthermore, this is far from the attempts to mechanically re-create sexual intimacy. Rather the article proposes the preservation of just enough information about a pattern of touch to make it preattentively recognizable as a “ghost touch” from a loved one who is, temporarily or permanently, beyond one’s reach. The article proposes that current technology should already make it possible to record and replay a single pattern of movement or a series of interrelated movements—where the technology triggers reactions from the user as they would be triggered by their loved one. It is time to consider focusing this developing technology on the purely emotional, entirely human desire to be touched again by a remembered love.

Digit ratio and laterality indices: the Chuvashian study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between digit ratio indices (representing the prenatal androgen and estrogen exposure) and different laterality indices, handedness (HDD), the dominant eye (DE), hand clasping (HCL) and arm folding (ARMF) in a large (N=1,586) Chuvashian population-based sample. HDD showed a significant association with the right phalangeal length ratio, the right and the left metacarpal ratio and the right ray ratio. Subjects with a right dominant hand had lower right phalangeal, right and left metacarpal and right ray ratios than those with a left dominant hand. This is the first study showing a significant association between the eye dominance and the left metacarpal and the left ray ratios. Subjects with a right DE had lower left metacarpal and left ray ratios than those with the left DE. HCL and ARMF showed no association with radiologically measured digit ratios.

The Two Noble Kinsmen by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (review)

Reviewed by: The Two Noble Kinsmen by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Elizabeth Zeman Kolkovich The Two Noble Kinsmen Presented by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. May 2–25, 2014. Directed by Brian Isaac Phillips. Stage management by Justin McCombs. Sound by Douglas J. Borntrager. Fights by Drew Fracher. Set and lighting by Andrew Hungerford. Costumes by Heidi Jo Schiemer. With Sara Clark (Emilia/Nell), Charlie Cromer (Artesius/Wooer), Giles Davies (Theseus), Jim Hopkins (Gaoler), Justin King (Valerius), Matt Lytle (Palamon), Miranda McGee (Gaoler’s Daughter/Queen), Caitlin McWethy (Country Girl/Woman/Queen #2), Kelly Mengelkoch (Hippolyta), Maggie Lou Rader (Country Girl/Doctor/Queen #3), Paul Riopelle (Schoolmaster), Zach Schute (Arcite), Brent Vimtrup (Prithius), and others. With its 2014 production of The Two Noble Kinsmen, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company became one of five American theaters to complete a 38-play canon. Set in ancient Athens with modest costumes and set, this production focused on complicated personal relationships. It foregrounded strong women and presented a group of likeable characters’ comical and devastating attempts to find love. The production began not with the text’s prologue but with a radiant Emilia scattering rose petals and singing about virginity at her sister’s wedding. Theseus and Hippolyta held hands and exchanged loving looks, and with no others present but Prithius (as the name was spelled by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company), the moment seemed intimate and without pomp. It highlighted Emilia’s single state and the widowed queens’ amplified role. The latter entered wearing black shawls and with thick mascara streaks from their eyes to their jaws—a striking contrast to the other characters, who wore light, airy togas. Moving together across the stage, they forced Theseus into a corner, and later they controlled the fates of Palamon and Arcite. During the battle in act one, they stood on a raised platform upstage and directed the action with sweeping gestures. As the battle drew to a close, they painted Palamon and Arcite’s faces with blood. Meanwhile, the actresses playing Emilia and Hippolyta donned armor and marched in the battle, an action that alluded to their Amazonian past. Surrounded and led by these powerful women, Theseus appeared neither harsh nor unwavering, but simply one of many characters trying to navigate a perplexing world. Although we first met Palamon and Arcite in a bathhouse wearing only towels, their interactions exhibited little of the homoeroticism hinted at in the playtext. They stood apart while lamenting their fate in prison, [End Page 503] imbued their lines with irony, and embraced only with the occasional one-armed hug or manly hand clasp. Because the production omitted their most suggestive language, such as Arcite’s line, “We are one another’s wife” (2.2.80), they seemed comforted more by escaping Creon than by each other. Yet the production represented other same-sex encounters as erotically charged. Prithius demonstrated his love for Theseus with devoted looks and strong embraces. The effeminate First Countryman screwed up his face in disgust when mentioning his wife and gaped at Arcite while talking heatedly about his body. Emilia and her maid shared the most erotic moment. The maid stroked Emilia’s hand as she said, “I could lie down, I am sure” (2.2.152). Emilia gently placed a flower between her breasts, and they eagerly ran off together. Emilia had earlier spoken of Flavinia with similar playfulness and joy. The actors playing Palamon and Arcite worked to distinguish them from one another. Both fell for Emilia with the same dumbstruck expression and afterwards spoke with exaggerated anger that made many lines comic, such as Arcite’s “You are mad” and Palamon’s absurdly defiant “I must be” (2.2.204). But Palamon especially appeared as a petulant boy as he whined and flailed his arms, and Emilia preferred Arcite. She flirted at their initial meeting and watched him with bemusement and intrigue. She did not display the same interest in Palamon. When Palamon burst into the scene and declared his love, Theseus turned to Emilia quizzically, and she shook her head, indicating that she did not know him and was puzzled by his behavior. The omission of Emilia’s speech about her slight...

Agency over a phantom limb and electromyographic activity on the stump depend on visuomotor synchrony: a case study.

Most patients, post-amputation, report the experience of a phantom limb. Some even sense voluntary movements when viewing a mirror image of the intact limb superimposed onto the phantom limb. While delayed visual feedback of an action is known to reduce a sense of agency, the effect of delayed visual feedback on phantom motor sensation (i.e., sense of controlling a phantom limb) has not been examined. Using a video-projection system, we examined the effect of delayed visual feedback on phantom motor sensation in an upper-limb amputee (male; left upper-limb amputation). He was instructed to view mirrored video images of his intact hand clasping and unclasping during a phantom limb movement. He then rated the intensity of the phantom motor sensation. Three types of hand movement images were presented as follows: synchronous, asynchronous with a 250-ms delay, and asynchronous with a 500-ms delay. Results showed that phantom motor sensation decreased when the image was delayed by 250 and 500 ms. However, when we instructed the patient to adjust the phase of phantom limb movement to that of the image with a 500-ms delay, phantom motor sensation increased. There was also a positive correlation between intensity of phantom motor sensation and electromyographic (EMG) activity on deltoids at the patient’s stump. These results suggest that phantom motor sensation and EMG activity on the stump depend on visuomotor synchrony and top-down effects.

Lateral preferences for hand clasping and arm folding are associated with handedness in two large-sample latent variable analyses

Hand clasping (HC) and arm folding (AF) are bilateral limb postures which are subject to lateral preferences. Previous research suggested that left HC and left AF are “canonical” among European populations, i.e., generally preferred by right-handers. However, evidence on the associations of handedness with HC and AF to date is sparse and inconsistent, with studies mostly relying on relatively small sample sizes and arbitrary classifications of handedness. Utilizing latent class analysis for handedness classification, we present data from two large and independent middle-European samples, a discovery (n = 7,658) and replication (n = 5,062) sample. Our results indicate that right HC, not left HC, is overall preferred and that right-handedness is associated with right HC/left AF, and left- and mixed-handedness with left HC/right AF. Moreover, lateral preferences increased with age, and men had a higher preference of right HC, independent of handedness. We discuss our findings with regard to the generalizability of previous results.

Accuracy of the Microsoft Kinect sensor for measuring movement in people with Parkinson's disease

BackgroundThe Microsoft Kinect sensor (Kinect) is potentially a low-cost solution for clinical and home-based assessment of movement symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to establish the accuracy of the Kinect in measuring clinically relevant movements in people with PD. MethodsNine people with PD and 10 controls performed a series of movements which were measured concurrently with a Vicon three-dimensional motion analysis system (gold-standard) and the Kinect. The movements included quiet standing, multidirectional reaching and stepping and walking on the spot, and the following items from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale: hand clasping, finger tapping, foot, leg agility, chair rising and hand pronation. Outcomes included mean timing and range of motion across movement repetitions. ResultsThe Kinect measured timing of movement repetitions very accurately (low bias, 95% limits of agreement <10% of the group mean, ICCs >0.9 and Pearson's r>0.9). However, the Kinect had varied success measuring spatial characteristics, ranging from excellent for gross movements such as sit-to-stand (ICC=.989) to very poor for fine movement such as hand clasping (ICC=.012). Despite this, results from the Kinect related strongly to those obtained with the Vicon system (Pearson's r>0.8) for most movements. ConclusionsThe Kinect can accurately measure timing and gross spatial characteristics of clinically relevant movements but not with the same spatial accuracy for smaller movements, such as hand clasping.

Studies on Morphogenetic and Behavioural Traits in Five Endogamous Groups of Haryana

This investigation provides baseline data on the distribution of morphogenetic traits: earlobe attachment, nose tip and chin fissure;and of behavioural traits: hand clasping, arm folding, handedness, leg folding and tongue rolling, among five endogamous groups of Haryana, i.e., Kumhar, Nai, Luhar, Saini and Bania. Among these traits, hand clasping, leg folding and tongue rolling showed homogeneous distribution, whereas earlobe attachment, nose tip, chin fissure, arm folding and handedness showed heterogeneous distribution.

Hand clasping, arm folding, and handedness: Relationships and strengths of preference

We investigated via a survey the relationship between hand clasping, arm folding, and handedness. We aimed to provide new data on degree of preference for each of these lateralities. We also examined the relative importance of thumb position versus interdigitisation of the fingers in determining one's comfort in a hand-clasping position. We explored this in the context of the fact that sensory acuity is greater for the thumb than other fingers, suggesting that preference for how the fingers are intermeshed may be more influenced by thumb than finger position. Lastly we performed an exploratory analysis to determine if self-reported menstrual phase—known to influence turning bias—also influences hand clasping, arm folding or the strength of one's handedness. Our study suggests that lateral preferences for hand clasping, arm folding, and handedness are independent. However, the degrees of lateral preference for hand clasping and arm folding are correlated. Our exploration of the relative importance of thumbs versus fingers to hand clasping revealed some trends that were not statistically significant, but worth future exploration. Our data on menstrual phase showed a reduced strength of preference for arm folding in mid-luteal females versus non-mid-luteal females.