An osteometric study of northern Indian populations for sexual dimorphism in craniofacial region

Sex identification is an initial crucial objective in the revelation of the complete identity of the human skeleton as it also renders significantly clearer guidance towards age and stature estimation. Population specific standards are of great practical relevance in the present era of increasing population intermixing. Size differences and robusticity are the two well-elaborated pillars holding most of the dimorphic burdens of the skull. This study is designed to explore dimorphic characteristics of the craniofacial region to establish anthropometric standards for contemporary North Indian populations, which have not been available so far. One hundred and twelve adult crania of known age (23-65 years) and sex (M:F; 82:30) were collected in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Ten standard metric parameters of craniofacial region were measured and subjected to stepwise and direct discriminant function analysis employing SPSS 16.00. Bizygomatic breadth emerged as the single best parameter in stepwise analysis, providing an average accuracy of 85.5%.     

Cyber-squatting: Legal implications and judicial approaches – An Indian perspective

The present legal framework in India fails to keep in pace with the inexorable advancement of the online world. Technological advancement is inevitably faster in comparison to the response of the legal framework, but the latter needs to continuously review and adapt itself in order to provide a suitable regulatory regime. In India, the Information Technology Act 2000 is the product of such review and seeks to provide a modernized regulatory framework for e-commerce with necessary safeguards. However, there are certain loose ends that have not been adequately dealt with by the Act. The contention is that, in the present era of information and communications technology, domain names have become valuable business assets and a Trade mark in the internet world. Despite the amendment to the Information Technology Act 2000, these changes have been silent on the issue of cyber-squatting. The Judiciary has been trying to tackle this issue in the light of the Trade marks Act 1999 but this approach fails to address certain issues. This paper will highlight the issues that need attention at this time and the further legislative action that is required.     

Comparison of HIV Risks among Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual and Heterosexual Homeless Youth

Youth who are homeless and gay, lesbian or bisexual (GLB) are one of the most disenfranchised and marginalized groups in our society. The purpose of this study is to examine and compare HIV in GLB homeless youth with their heterosexual counterparts. Participants for this study included 268 youth involved in treatment outcome studies with substance abusing homeless youth. Results suggest that GLB youth have greater HIV risks and that these risks are greater among bisexual females. In examining the predictors of sexual health risks, survival sex emerged as the most significant. Survival sex was high among females regardless of their sexual orientation and also among gay males. Implications of these findings suggest that a greater emphasis needs to be paid to preventive interventions among this population. Rashmi Gangamma is a Ph.D student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University. She completed her Masters in Social Work at Mangalore University, India, and M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work from the National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India. Her research interests include qualitative research methodology, family therapy process and GLBT issues. Natasha Slesnick, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at the Ohio State University. She received her Ph.D. in 1996 from the University of New Mexico. Her research and clinical focus is on families and adolescents with issues pertaining to homelessness, substance use, childhood abuse, depression and high risk behaviors. Her current research projects concentrate on the development and evaluation of effective interventions for runaway and homeless youth and their families. Paula Toviessi is a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University. She completed her B.S. in Psychology at Norfolk State University and her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Purdue University, Calumet. She is currently conducting research on family health and the health decision-making process. Julianne Serovich, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University. She received her Ph.D. in 1991 from the University of Georgia. Her primary program of research centers on investigating the role of HIV disclosure to family and friends in reducing sexual risk related behaviors in men and mental health outcomes in women. To this end she has conducted 3 major studies investigating HIV disclosure behaviors in gay males, and heterosexual males and females.     

Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in two endogamous tribal populations of Karnataka, India

POPULATION: Approximately 5.0 mL of blood sample was collected from a total of 150 men belonging to two tribal populations of coastal Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, with their informed written consent. Both the populations are endogamous and they belong to the Dravidian linguistic family. Halakki is a tribal group having a population size of c. 3383. They claim that they originally belong to Gujarat and Rajasthan, and migrated through Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka. Kunabhi is also a tribal population, c. 35,214 in number. They were hunters and gatherers but presently they practice agriculture.     

The Mythology of Female Sexuality: Alternative Narratives of Belonging

Gillian Beer, Open Fields: Science in Cultural Encounter, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, £25, £6.99 pbk. (1999). Annie Coombes, Re‐Inventing Africa: Museums, Material Culture and Popular Imagination, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, £40.00.