Diagnostic Adjudication in Appellate Courts: The Supreme Court of Canada and the Charter of Rights

Three distinct adjudicatory processes are found in appellate courts: decisional adjudication (applying principles), procedural adjudication (choosing among principles), and diagnostic adjudication (defining and developing principles). The Supreme Court of Canada has traditionally used procedural adjudication, in which the adversary process frames issues and generates supporting material. However, the Court\u27s decreased caseload, its increased discretion to select cases, and the arrival of a new wave of issues under the Charter of Rights has shifted the Court\u27s work to diagnostic adjudication. As judgment becomes less a choice problem and more a creative exercise, both the degree and kind of judicial involvement changes. Thusfar, however, the Court\u27s administrative responses to the pressure of its work have had limited success. To be effective, reforms in the way the Court organizes and processes its work must derive from an analysis of the requirements of diagnostic adjudication. The paper concludes by suggesting an overall approach and making specific proposals

Combination of acoustic trapping and impedance spectroscopy for platelet analysis

A combination of acoustic trapping and impedance spectroscopy for micrometer-sized objects is here presented for the first time. Acoustic trapping has proven to be a well-functioning method for non-contact immobilization and positioning of particles or cells in microfluidic channels. The combination with impedance spectroscopy allows for simultaneous electrical measurements on the trapped objects. Silica (8 μm) and polystyrene particles (3, 7, 10, and 12 μm) in saline solution, as well as human platelets in TAB buffer, have been trapped and measured. Both the saline and buffer solution had a base impedance magnitude of ̴ 500 Ω at the utilized frequency range (100 kHz–5 MHz). The impedance magnitude for the trapped particles was ̴ 30 Ω higher than the base impedance magnitude for the saline solution at 100 kHz–15 MHz. For the platelets, the impedance magnitude was ̴ 60 Ω higher compared to the buffer at 100 kHz. Furthermore, the setup can be used for studies on the reaction of a trapped cluster of objects, for example cells, when the environment is changed. One way of changing the environment would be to introduce drugs in different concentrations into the channel. However, the electrical characteristics of the fluid cannot be changed. An application is presented where the system is used for measurements on platelet activation. Platelets were activated by 20 μM TRAP while trapped, which yielded a reversible impedance magnitude decrease of ̴̴ 15 Ω at 100 kHz. 40 μM TRAP resulted in an initial decrease of ̴ 24 Ω and a sustained decrease of ̴ 15 Ω at 100 kHz. The setup presented shows great potential for being developed to an analysis system for micrometer-sized objects, for example for characterization of platelet activation

The Nudel Protease of Drosophila Is Required for Eggshell Biogenesis in Addition to Embryonic Patterning

AbstractThe dorsoventral axis of the Drosophila embryo is defined by a ventral signal that arises within the perivitelline space, an extracellular compartment between the embryo plasma membrane and the vitelline membrane layer of the eggshell. Production of the ventral signal requires four members of the serine protease family, including a large modular protein with a protease domain encoded by the nudel gene. Here we provide evidence that the Nudel protease has an integral role in eggshell biogenesis. Mutations in nudel that disrupt Nudel protease function produce eggs having vitelline membranes that are abnormally permeable to the dye neutral red. Permeability varies among mutant nudel alleles but correlates with levels of Nudel protease catalytic activity and function in embryonic dorsoventral patterning. These mutations also block cross-linking of vitelline membrane proteins that normally occurs upon egg activation, just prior to fertilization. In addition, Nudel protease autoactivation temporally coincides with vitelline membrane cross-linking and can be triggered in mature eggs in vitro by conditions that lead to egg activation. We discuss how the Nudel protease might be involved in both eggshell biogenesis and embryonic patterning

Physics Exams that Promote Collaborative Learning

The two-stage exam is a relatively simple way to introduce collaborative learning and formative assessment into an exam. Their use is rapidly growing in the physics department at the University of British Columbia, as both students and faculty find them rewarding. In a two-stage exam students first complete and turn in the exam individually, and then, working in small groups, answer the exam questions again. During the second stage, the room is filled with spirited and effective debate with nearly every student participating. This provides students with immediate targeted feedback supplied by discussions with their peers. Furthermore, we see indications that the use of this exam format not only ensures consistency across interactive course components, but it also positively impacts how students approach the other collaborative course components. This is accomplished without losing the summative assessment of individual performance that is the expectation of exams for most instructors. In this paper we describe how to implement two- stage exams and provide arguments why they should be part of physics courses that use interactive engagement and social/collaborative learning methods

Privacy in the Genomic Era

Genome sequencing technology has advanced at a rapid pace and it is now possible to generate highly-detailed genotypes inexpensively. The collection and analysis of such data has the potential to support various applications, including personalized medical services. While the benefits of the genomics revolution are trumpeted by the biomedical community, the increased availability of such data has major implications for personal privacy; notably because the genome has certain essential features, which include (but are not limited to) (i) an association with traits and certain diseases, (ii) identification capability (e.g., forensics), and (iii) revelation of family relationships. Moreover, direct-to-consumer DNA testing increases the likelihood that genome data will be made available in less regulated environments, such as the Internet and for-profit companies. The problem of genome data privacy thus resides at the crossroads of computer science, medicine, and public policy. While the computer scientists have addressed data privacy for various data types, there has been less attention dedicated to genomic data. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide a systematization of knowledge for the computer science community. In doing so, we address some of the (sometimes erroneous) beliefs of this field and we report on a survey we conducted about genome data privacy with biomedical specialists. Then, after characterizing the genome privacy problem, we review the state-of-the-art regarding privacy attacks on genomic data and strategies for mitigating such attacks, as well as contextualizing these attacks from the perspective of medicine and public policy. This paper concludes with an enumeration of the challenges for genome data privacy and presents a framework to systematize the analysis of threats and the design of countermeasures as the field moves forward

Effects of adopting Lean Management within collaborating farms : a qualitative study of Lean Lantbruk in a Swedish context

Higher competition and lower profitability has forced Swedish farm enterprises to adapt new market strategies. A machinery sharing collaboration between farms may increase competitiveness, reduce costs and increase shared knowledge. Since 2010 the multi-dimensional management strategy Lean Management has been adopted within Swedish farm enterprises through the project Lean Lantbruk. Lean Management implies an awareness of goal achievement and practical process tools in order to minimize costs and maximize efficiency. Further, the management strategy encourages development of relationships within the supply chain in order to fully achieve collaborative benefits. According to previous research there is need for further evaluation of the Lean Management theory in an agricultural collaboration context. The focus of this study is Lean Management in a horizontal Supply Chain Collaboration in a Swedish agricultural context with respect to machinery sharing arrangements. This study aims to increase the understanding of business culture within a collaboration between farms in Swedish agriculture where Lean Management has been implemented. A qualitative multiple case study has been conducted through in-depth interviews with three pairs of collaborating farms where Lean Management has been implemented. Interviews have also been conducted with three pairs of reference collaborations that have not implemented Lean Management. The gathered data has been analyzed through the theoretical framework which consists of theories regarding Lean Management and Supply Chain Collaboration. The results indicate a high level of perceived trust and mutuality among all collaborative parties. Hence, Lean Management does not seem to be crucial for a well functioning machinery sharing arrangement. The influence of Lean Management is perceived as low within the collaboration which may be due to a non-holistic implementation of the management strategy within the individual farm, or due to a lack of deeper relation between the collaborating parties. By recognizing the collaborating party as a part of the own business strategy a long-term partnership could be developed, which may enhance the implementation of Lean Management.Högre konkurrens och lägre lönsamhet har tvingat svenska lantbruksföretag att anpassa sig till nya marknadsstrategier. Ett maskinsamarbete mellan gårdar kan ge ökad konkurrenskraft, minskade kostnader och ett ökat kunskapsutbyte. Sedan 2010 har multidimensionella ledningssystemet Lean Management implementerats inom svenska lantbruksföretag genom projektet Lean Lantbruk. Lean Management innebär en medvetenhet om måluppfyllelse och användandet av praktiska processverktyg för att minimera kostnader och för maximerad effektivitet. Strategin uppmuntrar även utvecklingen av relationer inom värdekedjan för att fullt tillgodogöra sig de fördelar ett samarbete kan medföra. Enligt tidigare forskning finns det ett behov av ytterligare utvärdering av Lean Management-teorin i ett jordbruks perspektiv med avseende på samarbete. Fokus i denna studie är Lean Management i en horisontell värdekedja inom svenskts jordbruk vad gäller maskinsamarbeten. Denna studie syftar till att öka förståelsen för företagskulturen inom ett samarbete mellan gårdar inom svenskt jordbruk där Lean Management har implementerats. En kvalitativ multipel fallstudie har genomförts genom djupintervjuer med tre par av samarbetande gårdar där Lean Management har implementerats. Intervjuer har också utförts med tre par av referenssamarbeten som inte har implementerat Lean Management. Det empiriska materialet har analyserats med hjälp av det teoretiska ramverket som består av teorierna Lean Management och Supply Chain Collaboration. Resultaten indikerar en hög upplevd tillit och ömsesidighet inom alla samarbetsparter. Därmed verkar Lean Management inte vara avgörande för ett väl fungerande maskinsamarbete. Inom samarbetet uppfattas graden av Lean Management som låg vilket kan bero på att implementering av managementstrategin inte har skett till sin helhet inom den enskilda gården, eller att det saknas en djupare relation mellan de samarbetande parterna. Genom att se samarbetspartnern som en del av den egna affärsstrategin kan ett långsiktigt partnerskap utvecklas som kan förbättra implementeringen av Lean Management