Anal Examinations in Cases of Alleged Homosexuality

Anal examinations are forcibly conducted in many countries where consensual anal intercourse is considered a criminal act. They are conducted almost exclusively on males in an effort to “prove” that they are “homosexuals” despite the fact that anal intercourse is not a necessary determinant of “homosexual activity.” Forcibly conducted anal examinations are usually initiated at the request of law enforcement officials, the prosecutor, or the court and conducted in the absence of informed consent or in circumstances where individuals are not capable of giving genuine informed consent or where refusal to give consent would be interpreted as self-incrimination. This may be presumed to be the case when examinations are conducted on individuals in detention, subsequent to allegations of criminalised sexual acts by the authorities. The purpose of this medico-legal statement is to provide legal experts, adjudicators, health care professionals, and policymakers, among others, with an understanding of: 1) the validity of forcibly conducted anal examinations as medical and scientific evidence of consensual anal intercourse; 2) the likely physical and psychological consequences of forcibly conducted anal examinations; and 3) whether, based on these effects, forcibly conducted anal examination constitutes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or torture

Statement on Virginity Testing: Independent Forensic Expert Group

Virginity examinations are practiced in many countries, and often forcibly, in a number of contexts, including in detention places; on women who allege rape; on women who are accused by authorities of prostitution; and as part of public or social policies to control sexuality. In other states, the practice is illegal. The purpose of this medico-legal statement is to provide legal experts, adjudicators, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, among others, with an understanding of the physical and psychological effects of forcibly conducting virginity examinations on females and to assess whether, based on these effects, forcibly conducted virginity examinations constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or torture. This medico-legal statement also addresses the medical interpretation and relevance of such examinations and the ethical implications. This opinion considers an examination to be ‘forcibly conducted’ when it is “committed by force, or by threat of force or coercion, such as caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power, against such person incapable of giving genuine consent.”   For full details about the Independent Forensic Expert Group please visit http://www.irct.org/our-support/ medical-and-psychological-case-support/forensic-expertgroup.aspx

FT-MW AND PERMUTATION-INVERSION GROUP THEORETICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MICROWAVE SPECTRUM OF (CH3)3SnCl(CH_{3})_{3}SnCl

Author Institution: Institut f\""{u}r Physikalische Chemie und Elekerochemie, Universit\""{a}t Hannover; Optical Technology Division, National Institute of Standards and TechnologyThe rotational spectrum of the $C_{3v}$-symmetric trimethyl-tin-chloride $(CH_{3})_{3}SnCl$, a molecule with three methyl tops connected to a tin atom, has been studied using a pulsed supersonic jet COBRA Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. The spectrum exhibits rather dense line patterns, which arise from the internal rotation of the three methyl tops, the quadrupole coupling interaction of the chlorine atom, and the large number of isotopic combinations of tin and chlorine. To support a spectroscopic analysis we are exploring the high barrier group-theoretical tunneling-rotational formalism appropriate for the PI group $G_{162}$. We will discuss different tunneling pathways and compare the resulting splitting patterns for rotational levels with the FT-MW results. Stark-effect measurements can be used to between levels of the six different species of $G_{162}$, since the $I_{1}, I_{2}, I_{3}$ and $E_{2}$ levels will exhibit first-order Stark-splittings, while the $A_{1}$ and $I_{4}$ levels will have only a second-order Stark-effect. We suspect that levels of $A_{1}$ and $A_{2}$ species in $G_{162}$ can be fitted to a rigid rotor Hamiltonian. At the time of writing the abstract, a theoretical proof that a rigid rotor fit is indeed possible for these --$_{162}$ species is in progress. We have also recorded the spectrum of $(CH_{3})_{2}SiH - Sn(CH_{3})_{3}$, a molecule with a Si-Sn atom backbone and three inequivalent $G_{162}$ results will be extended to the $G_{486}$ group appropriate for this molecule

ROTATIONAL SPECTRA OF MOLECULES CONTAINING THREE METHYL TOPS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF (CH3_3)3_3GeCl and (CH3_3)3_3SnCl

{K. D. Moller and H. G. Andresen \textit{J. Chem. Phys.{I. Merke, W. Stahl, S. Kassi, D. Petitprez and G. Wlodarczak \textit{J. Mol. Spectr.Author Institution: Optical Technology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA; Universitat Hannover, Institut fur Physikalische Chemie, Callinstr. 3-3a, D-30167 Hannover, GermanyThe rotational spectra of $C_{3v}$--symmetric molecules (CH$_3$)$_3$XCl with X$=$Si, Ge, and Sn are quite complicated exhibiting dense line patterns arising from internal rotation of the three methyl tops, the quadrupole coupling interaction of the chlorine atom, and the large number of isotopes. The MS group of such molecules is $G_{162}$} \underline{\textbf{39}}, 17, 1963.}. A comparative analysis of the three rotational spectra of (CH$_3$)$_3$XCl is especially interesting: While silicon and germanium are known to have very similar chemical and physical properties, tin behaves quite differently because d-orbitals are occupied only for Sn, which is also recognizable by the jump in their covalence radii (1.17 \AA (Si), 1.22 \AA (Ge), and 1.44 \AA (Sn)). The barriers to internal rotation of the methyl tops bound to the central atoms can be expected to progress in an analogous way. In particular the increasing distance between hydrogen atoms of neighboring methyl groups, rising to about 3.8 \AA for (CH$_3$)$_3$SnCl, implies a barrier to internal rotation introduced directly through the chemical bonding rather than from steric repulsion. While the torsion-rotation analysis of (CH$_3$)$_3$SiCl is straight forward} \underline{\textbf{216}}, 437, 2002.} and closely follows local mode theory considering internal rotation of one top at a time, already (CH$_3$)$_3$GeCl displays an altered splitting pattern which becomes severely complicated for (CH$_3$)$_3$SnCl. In addition, we observed a quadrupole splitting pattern and linear Stark-effect behavior for several $K=0$ torsional species of (CH$_3$)$_3$SnCl, which we are hoping to explain with $\Delta K = \pm 1$--mixings. To support the spectroscopic analysis of these spectra we worked out the Hamiltonian matrices for $K=0$ and $K=1$ in the high barrier group-theoretical tunneling-rotation formalism appropriate for the PI group $G_{162}$. For a physical understanding of the interesting tunneling phenomena, we are progressing towards an effective Hamiltonian for the different $G_{162}$ torsional species, explicitly formulating $\Delta K = \pm 1$-coupling terms

Pathological characterization of keel bone fractures in laying hens does not support external trauma as the underlying cause.

Keel bone fractures in laying hens have been described with increasing prevalence from several countries over the last twenty years and are considered one of the greatest welfare problems to the layer industry. In Denmark we have observed fracture prevalence in the range of 53% to 100% in flocks from cage-free systems whereas flock prevalences in birds from enriched cages ranged between 50-98%. Previous research have speculated that the underlying reason for the development of keel bone fractures is trauma in relation to impact of the bird with furniture, other equipment etc. However, little evidence of this theory has been provided. Predisposing factors have also been suggested including genetics of the bird, lack of specific feedstuff components, high egg production, management factors and layer fatigue. This study has addressed the possible pathogenesis of these fractures by pathological characterization of fractures in birds from different production systems. More than 60 keel bones with fractures have been characterized histo-pathologically and by CT scan. This included an assessment of damage to muscles and soft tissues, the bone and the healing process including callus formation. This investigation has shown that high energy collisions cannot be responsible for the majority of fractures, located at the caudal tip of the keel bone, observed in laying birds as markers associated trauma were not observed in the majority of the cases just as few recognized healing processes were observed. These results suggest an alternative pathogenesis to trauma