Our results showed that young people were more likely to report sexual behaviors in culturally specific interactive interviews than in face-to-face interviews. By contrast, ACASIs did not uniformly lead to higher reporting levels than did face-to-face interviews.

Despite restrictive social norms,there is increasing evidence that youth in India engage in premarital romantic and sexual partnerships.However,information on how they initiate and build these relationships is scarce, even though it is vital for addressing the needs of young people. METHODS: Attitudes toward and behavior within romantic partnerships were examined using data collected in 2004 from unmarried youth (583 males and 475 females,aged 15-19) living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Delhi,India.Associations between specific attitudes or behaviors and age,gender and sexual experience were determined using Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of males and 53% of females reported that someone of the opposite sex had expressed an interest in them; 86% of males and 63% of females reported feeling good about it.In addition,67% of males and 47% of females reported that they liked someone from the opposite sex.Compared with females,males were more likely to seek information about the person they were interested in (76% vs.61%),and to engage in heterosexual premarital sex (32% vs.6%).Females were less likely than males to report that it is okay to engage in premarital sex if the male and female love one another (14% vs.33%).For both males and females,television and films were the most popular source of information on issues related to sexual health. CONCLUSIONS: Gender disparities in premarital romantic partnership formation and the experience of sexual relations make a strong case for sexuality education programs tailored to the different experiences and circumstances of young men and women.

Essential oils extracted from 17 higher plants belonging to different families were screened against Botryodiplodia theobromae and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causing stem end rot disease and anthracnose disease in mango respectively. The essential oil of Eupatorium cannabinum was found to be fungitoxic in nature against both the mango-rotting fungi. Eupatorium oil was standardized through physico-chemical and fungitoxic properties. Gas Liquid Chromatography (GLC) analysis of the oil led to the identification of 16 components, which represented 77.97% of the oil. Germacrene D (16.11%) was found to be the major component. The oil showed a broad fungitoxic spectrum and was recorded to be more efficient than some synthetic fungicides. The oil also showed an inhibitory effect on pectinase and cellulase enzymes. The oil enhanced the shelf life of mango fruits by protecting from fungal rotting when tested as a fumigant. The LD 50 of Eupatorium oil was found to be 22.01 ml/kg body weight on mammalian mice.

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The essential oil extracted from the leaves of Amomum subulatum Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) has been evaluated for efficacy in the control of mango fruit rotting due to fungal infections. The essential oil of A. subulatum exhibited absolute antifungal activity against two mango rotting fungi viz. Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz, the common storage fungi causing stem end rot and anthracnose disease of mango fruits. The oil showed its absolute fungitoxicity at the minimum inhibitory concentration of 500 µL/L. Its fungitoxic potency did not alter even on a high inoculum density of the test fungi. The Amomum oil significantly enhanced the shelf life of mango fruits by controlling anthracnose disease as well as stem end rot for an additional five and six days, respectively. The oil also inhibited pectinase and cellulase enzymes secreted by the test fungi during pathogenesis and exhibited a wide range of fungitoxicity against 13 fungal isolates. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of the oil found 1, 8 cineole to be a major component. The LD50 of Amomum oil was found to be 22,070 mg/kg of body weight in mice (Mus musculus L.) when administered for acute oral toxicity. Keeping in view the side effects of synthetic fungicides, A. subulatum oil may be recommended as a botanical fungitoxicant of plant origin to control the rotting of mango fruits and to enhance their shelf life because of its nonmammalian toxicity and in vivo efficacy.

The result of the present investigation explores the efficacy of chemically characterised essential oils (EOs) of Coleus aromaticus, Hyptis suaveolens and Ageratum conyzoides as antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic agent against some storage fungi and the toxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus (Saktiman 3NSt). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of these EOs were also determined against the toxigenic strain of A. flavus (Saktiman 3NSt). The EO from C. aromaticus was found to be most effective exhibiting MIC and MFC at 0.1lL mL )1 . The EOs also completely checked aflatoxin B 1 synthesis in concentration-dependent manner. In addition, fumigation of stored wheat samples with EOs exhibited remarkable protection (>80%) from fungal infestation showing their efficacy during in vivo storage conditions. Based on the results of the present investigation, the EOs of C. aromaticus, H. suaveolens and A. conyzoides may be recommended as novel plant-based antifungal and aflatoxin B 1 suppressor over the synthetic preservatives.