For Whom the Bell Tolls: Democracy and Development in South Asia

This paper suggests that there are many contrary pulls, some old, and others new, operating on socioeconomic development in the South Asian region. It argues that September 11th, 2001 has been a defining and defiling moment for the region, since the consequences of the terrorist attacks on the US will weaken democracy in the subcontinent. Consequently, the region will lose its historical advantage of not being militarised by outside poles, or interests, and this will undermine democratic mechanisms that facilitate alleviation of poverty and inequality. This paper investigates the disjunction between mainstream and grassroots perceptions of India's poverty, arguing that localised democratic government, attention to the institutional architecture of countries, and enabling participation of the poor and the discriminated offer the only way to deal with economic and social inequality.     

The recruitment and selection of visible minorities in Canadian police organizations, 1985 to 1987

Abstract: This study is an update of the 1985 survey. The main object of the study was to review existing police recruitment and selection policies across Canada between 1985 and 1987; identify systemic barriers, if any, faced by visible minorities in entering police forces; and to make recommendations in order to increase the representation of such minority persons in Canadian police departments. Fourteen police departments, representing all regions of Canada including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Quebec Police Force (QPF) and others were included in the study. The findings indicated that (a) there has been some improvement in the hiring of visible minority police officers since the 1985 study; (b) policy makers in pertinent jurisdictions need to amend police legislation to bring the statutes in compliance with the Charter of Rights and the human rights laws with respect to police uniform requirements, age and height standards; (c) police organizations need to review their selection policies with regard to job interviews, psychological tests and the like in order to avoid possible adverse impact on minorities; and (d) police organizations not collecting data on visible minorities should be required to do so. Sommaire: Constituant une mise à jour d'une enquête effectuée en 1985, cette étude a pour but principal de réviser les politiques qui ont été appliquées au Canada entre 1985 et 1987 pour recruter et sélectionner des policiers. L'objectif poursuivi est de voir si les minorités visibles se heurtent systématiquement à des barrières lorsqu'elles veulent entrer dans la police et de formuler des recommandations pour que ces dernières soient mieux représentées dans les services de la police au Canada. Cette étude a touché quatorze corps de la police, représentant toutes les régions du Canada, dont la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), la Police provinciale de l'Ontario (OPP) et la Sûreté du Québec (SQ). Les conclusions de l'étude sont les suivantes: a) depuis 1985, un léger progrès a été accompli en ce qui concerne l'embauche d'officiers de police venant des minorités visibles; b) les décideurs dans chacune des juridictions sous étude doivent modifier les règlements en vigueur en ce qui concerne les uniformes, l'âge et la taille des policiers de façon à les rendre compatibles avec la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés et les diverses chartes provinciales; c) les corps de police doivent réviser leurs règles de sélection, en ce qui concerne les entrevues et les tests psychologiques, ou autres, pour éviter tout effet pervers sur les minorités; et d) les corps de police qui ne rassemblent pas de données sur les minorités visibles devraient être tenus de le faire.     

Classification of Porcine Cranial Fracture Patterns Using a Fracture Printing Interface,,

Distinguishing between accidental and abusive head trauma in children can be difficult, as there is a lack of baseline data for pediatric cranial fracture patterns. A porcine head model has recently been developed and utilized in a series of studies to investigate the effects of impact energy level, surface type, and constraint condition on cranial fracture patterns. In the current study, an automated pattern recognition method, or a fracture printing interface (FPI), was developed to classify cranial fracture patterns that were associated with different impact scenarios documented in previous experiments. The FPI accurately predicted the energy level when the impact surface type was rigid. Additionally, the FPI was exceedingly successful in determining fractures caused by skulls being dropped with a high‐level energy (97% accuracy). The FPI, currently developed on the porcine data, may in the future be transformed to the task of cranial fracture pattern classification for human infant skulls.     

Estimation of stature from foot and shoe measurements by multiplication factors: A revised attempt

Estimation of stature from foot and shoe measurements using multiplication factors is well known. It is a simple method and it is used very frequently as a ready reckoner in forensic anthropology. However the individual error is quite large. In the present work an attempt has been made to evolve revised multiplication factors to reduce this error so that this method (multiplication factor) can be used more effectively with smaller error.     

Government as Catalyst: Can It Work Again with Wireless Internet Access?

As the Internet becomes an indispensable component of the global economy, Internet access is an increasingly important prerequisite to exploiting social, economic and educational opportunities. Municipal wireless networks (MWNs), which are wireless Internet access networks created with active local leadership and involvement, are seen as a potential solution. In this case study we describe the development of the Philadelphia MWN including goals, stakeholder expectations, policy, applications, technology, management models, funding, and implementation. The case provides insights on how communities can act as catalysts and use information technology to promote social and economic change. We found that MWNs involve competing private and public sector stakeholders, and it is important to clearly identify the main application of the MWN. We also found that focusing on the digital divide affords both opportunities and risks, and there are powerful external forces that impact MWNs and the underlying technology.