Semi-automated ultrasound facial soft tissue depth registration: method and validation

A mobile and fast, semi-automatic ultrasound (US) system was developed for facial soft tissue depth registration. The system consists of an A-Scan ultrasound device connected to a portable PC with interfacing and controlling software. For 52 cephalometric landmarks, the system was tested for repeatability and accuracy by evaluating intra-observer agreement and comparing ultrasound and CT-scan results on 12 subjects planned for craniofacial surgery, respectively. A paired t-test evaluating repeatability of the ultrasound measurements showed 5.7% (n = 3) of the landmarks being significantly different (p < 0.01). US and CT-scan results showed significant differences (p < 0.01) using a Wilcoxon signed rank test analysis for 11.5% (n = 6) of the landmarks. This is attributed to a difference in the volunteer's head position between lying (CT) and sitting (US). Based on these tests, we conclude that the proposed registration system and measurement protocol allows relatively fast (52 landmarks/20 min), non-invasive, repeatable and accurate acquisition of facial soft tissue depth measurements.     

Desperately seeking donors: the 'saviour sibling' decision in Quintavalle v Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (UK)

The recent House of Lords decision in Quintavalle v Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has raised difficult and complex issues regarding the extent to which embryo selection and reproductive technology can be used as a means of rectifying genetic disorders and treating critically ill children. This comment outlines the facts of Quintavalle and explores how the House of Lords approached the legal, ethical and policy issues that arose out of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's (UK) decision to allow reproductive and embryo technology to be used to produce a 'saviour sibling' whose tissue could be used to save the life of a critically ill child. Particular attention will be given to the implications of the decision in Quintavalle for Australian family and medical law and policy. As part of this focus, the comment explores the current Australian legislative and policy framework regarding the use of genetic and reproductive technology as a mechanism through which to assist critically ill siblings. It is argued that the present Australian framework would appear to impose significant limits on the medical uses of genetic technology and, in this context, would seem to reflect many of the principles that were articulated by the House of Lords in Quintavalle.     

La gouverne dans la tempête de verglas: Le volet politico-administratif d'un sinistre

Sommaire: L'analyse détaillée des rapports d'autorité entre les acteurs de l'arène politique qui impliquent les différentes instances décisionnelles a contribuéà la compréhension des stratégies et des objectifs poursuivis par chacun des acteurs en présence. En outre, la gestion de la crise du verglas a permis de rendre compte de diverses stratégies, notamment celles qui ont conduit les autorités municipales à exercer davantage leur rôle de porte-parole. Des dew rôles du décideur politique, soit dirigeant et porte-parole, celui de porte-parole est le plus manifestement politique car il participe directement au processus de la médiation et de la régulation. En cela, il contribue à une fonction de repréntation de la collectivité. Cette fonction de porteparole des décideurs municipaux a été soutenue, voire favorisée par la centralisation déisionnelle de la gestion de la crise au niveau national, parfois au détriment du rôle de dirigeant des autorités municipales. Le cas de la crise de verglas participe à une tendance générale du système de régulation des rapports entre les élus des différentes instances décisionnelles et il s'inscrit comme mode de contrôle et d'intervention du pouvoir national sur les pouvoirs qui lui sont subordonnés. L'appropriation des opérations par les acteurs politiques de la gouverne nationale s'est réalisée par l'implantation d'un dispositif organisationnel visant la substitution du modèle fonctionnel par un modèlead hoc centralisé. Le modèlead hoc a permis d'intégrer les liens d'autorité habituels et a conduit par la suite à l'établissement de ce que nous avons désigné le modèle effectif.Le bon fonctionnement du modèle effectif exige l'absence d'acteurs potentiellement en situation d'opposition. Les relations entre les acteurs engagés dans les opérations associées à la gestion du sinistre ont dés lors été soumises aux règles et intérêts des acteurs politiques de la gouveme nationale. Abstract: The detailed analysis of the authority relationships between players in the policy arena and the various decision-makers contributed to understanding the strategies and objectives of each player. Moreover, management of the ice storm crisis highlighted various strategies, including those that led municipal authorities to expand their spokesperson role. The role of the spokesperson is more clearly political because it plays a direct part in the mediation and regulatory process, thus contributing to a community representation function. This spokesperson function of municipal decision-makers was supported and even fostered by the centralization of decisions while managing the crisis at the national level (i.e., Quebec), sometimes to the detriment of the leadership role of municipal authorities. The ice storm case is part of an overall trend within the system for regulating the relationships between elected representatives at the various decision-making levels, and it is also a means of national control and intervention over the powers subordinated to the national authority. National policy-makers operated by implementing an organizational system substituting a centralized, ad hoc model for the functional model. Using the ad hoc model, the usual authority linkages were integrated, subsequently leading to the setup of the effective model. For smooth operation, the effective model requires that there be no players holding diametrically opposite positions. The relationships between the players in crisis management operations were thus governed by the rules and interests of national policy-makers.     

A Purposive Interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act

This article uses a purposive method of interpretation to suggest solutions to various questions raised in the application of the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA). The article first considers the goals of minimum wage laws (and the NMWA in particular) by putting forward the justifications for such laws and addressing critiques. It is argued that the minimum wage is best understood as a mechanism for redistribution of resources and ensuring respect for the human dignity of workers. Building on this articulation of goals, the article then proceeds to consider which group of workers are included within the scope of the NMWA (interpreting terms such as 'worker', 'voluntary workers', apprentices and trainees); what are considered working hours for the purpose of the Act (focusing on cases of work/sleep combinations); and what constitutes part of the wage (focusing on tips, attendance allowances and deductions for accommodations).     

WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GAYS IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER: MAKING HOMELESS YOUTH HOUSING SAFER FOR LESBIAN,GAY, BISEXUAL,AND TRANSGENDER YOUTH

Across the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are grossly overrepresented in the homeless youth population. These youth are at an increased risk of being victims of violence in homeless youth housing facilities. This Note examines the causes of the overrepresentation of LGBT youth in the homeless youth population. Additionally, this Note suggests the following changes to the regulation of homeless youth housing programs to make them safer for these youth: (1) placing low maximum limits on the occupancy capacity at which these programs may operate, (2) requiring that all showering facilities provide individual privacy, (3) prohibiting anti‐LGBT discrimination in the provision of services, (4) requiring nondiscrimination and sensitivity training, and (5) promoting the creation of LGBT‐specific homeless youth housing programs.     

Horizontalité et gouvernance décentralisée: les conditions de collaboration dans le contexte de l'action communautaire

Sommaire: Cet article s'interroge sur les formes de gouvernance qui caractérisent le secteur communautaire en s'appuyant sur l'étude de deux cas de partenariats locaux initiés par l'organisme Québec en forme (QEF) dans les régions de l'Outaouais et de la Mauricie. La participation croissante des organismes communautaires à la prestation des services publics met en relief l'importance de la collaboration et du partenariat interorganisationnels dans le cadre d'une gouvernance plus horizontale. L'article présente certaines difficultés posées par la construction d'une telle gouvernance dans le secteur communautaire. Le poids des structures de pouvoir traditionnelles, de même que les innovations proposées dans la littérature sur la gouvernance et l'horizontalité (élargissement des partenariats, développement de nouveaux objectifs partagés, etc.), ont beaucoup de difficultéà prendre assise dans la pratique communautaire. Abstract: This article examines the forms of governance that characterize the community sector, referring to two case studies of local partnerships initiated by the group “Québec en forme” (QEF) in the Outaouais and Mauricie regions. The increasing participation of community organizations in the delivery of public services highlights the importance of cross‐jurisdictional cooperation and partnerships within the framework of a more horizontal governance. The article presents some of the challenges surrounding governance construction in the community sector. The weight of traditional power structures, as well as the innovations proposed in the literature on governance and the implementation of a horizontal approach (securing broader partnerships, developing new shared objectives, etc.), are not easily adopted in community practice.