See Also: Democrats of the Left (DS)(encyclopedia)
Liberal Democrats(dictionary)
Social and Liberal Democrats, the(dictionary)
Divine Providence Health Center Avera Health(health)
Hegg Memorial Health Center Avera Health(health)
Dells Area Health Center Avera Health(health)
left(dictionary)
left(medicine)
left(encyclopedia)
left-handed(dictionary)

Dermatoglyphics (health) and Democrats of the Left (DS) (sh)


Dermatoglyphics (health)


The study of the patterns of ridges on the skin of the fingers, palms, toes, and soles. Dermatoglyphics are of interest in anthropology, criminology, and medicine, including dysmorphology (the study of congenital malformations) and the study of chromosome abnormalities such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).





Democrats of the Left (DS) (sh)




formerly (1921-91) Italian Communist Party (1991-98) Democratic Party of the Left

Major Italian political party.

Founded as the Partito Comunista Italiano (PCI) in 1921 by dissidents of the Italian Socialist Party's left wing, it was outlawed with Other political parties by Benito Mussolini's fascist government in 1926 and went underground. It participated in the Italian Resistance in World War II. After the war it joined in coalition governments and was consistently successful at the polls. In 1956, after the crimes of Joseph Stalin were revealed, Palmiro Togliatti tried to dissociate the PCI from the Soviet Union. Enrico Berlinguer, as party leader from 1972 to 1984, became the leading proponent of Eurocommunism. In order to consolidate left-wing forces and broaden its base, the party changed its name to Democratic Party of the Left in 1991; it became one of Italy's largest political parties and western Europe's largest communist party. In 1998 it renamed itself Democrats of the Left.