Mutilation of the uvula among Bedouins of the South Sinai.

Mutilation of the uvula, as practiced by various tribes of Bedouins in the South Sinai, was discovered while carrying out anthropological studies in the area. Partial or total amputation of the uvula is performed on both boys and girls during the first or second year of life, as a ritual custom. Anatomical changes in the soft palate due to the uvulectomy in 115 subjects are described.

Lewis blood group and ABH secretor systems in some Jewish populations of Israel.

The Lewis blood groups, the secretion of ABH antigens and the frequencies of the related genes were determined in some Israeli Jewish populations of different origins. In total 834 individuals were investigated for ABH antigen secretion and of these, 452 for the Lewis antigens. The frequencies of the le gene in the East European, Central European, North African and Middle Eastern groups were 0.

Jewish populations of the world: genetic likeness and differences.

In six Jewish populations from Eastern, Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Yemen, the frequencies of 30 genes from 13 loci were determined. The calculation of genetic distances between these populations as well as a cluster analysis were done. The gene frequencies of these six populations were computed together with those of 19 other Jewish populations of diverse countries described in the literature.

Duffy, Kell and P blood group systems in some Jewish populations of Israel.

Duffy, Kell and P blood group systems were investigated in 977 Israeli Jews. Six groups deriving from Eastern, Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Yemen were compared. The greatest differences between the groups occurred with regard to the Duffy blood group system, where the Fy gene was found at great frequency (0.