Taiwan's Presidential and Legislative Elections

Taiwan's newly-elected president, Ma Ying-jeou, is determined to relax the tension that has gripped the Taiwan Strait for more than a decade. His positions during the election campaign were calculated to reassure both the Beijing government and the Taiwanese people. On the one hand, he made it clear that he would remove barriers to improved relations and reach out to the Chinese leadership. At the same time, he was equally clear in his commitment to protecting Taiwan's interests. Ma's positions strike a balance between preserving Taiwan's de facto political independence and moving toward a more constructive relationship with the mainland. This approach enjoys widespread popular support in Taiwan. Still, the devil is in the details, and implementing Ma's ideas will require cooperation from Beijing, and from other political actors within Taiwan itself.     

A new technique for three-dimensional ultrasound scanning of facial tissues

We report the development of an ultrasonic facial scanning technique that allows for the visualization of continuous contours without deforming surface tissues. Adhesive markers are placed on the face to enable measurement of facial tissue thicknesses at specific landmarks. The subject immerses the face in a clear plastic box filled with water for about 20 seconds while the researcher moves the transducer along the bottom of the box, guiding transducer movement by watching the facial image in a mirror placed below. 3D Echotech software (1) builds the images from sequentially acquired 2D frames. Reliability of repeat measurements at landmarks is good, and individual tissues (skin, subcutaneous, muscle) can be distinguished. The method is simple, reliable, less expensive and less time consuming than alternatives such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is applicable in both research and clinical contexts.     

Patriarchal designs: The genetic engineering of human embryos

This paper describes medical research pertaining to the future potential for genetic engineering of human embryos, and considers some of the consequences that this technology may have for women's lives. It points to both the religious right and the medical profession as groups that could potentially benefit from human genetic engineering and emphasizes the need for feminists to monitor and respond to emerging reproductive technologies.