Identification of differentially expressed genes from multipotent epithelia at the onset of an asexual development

© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 27357, doi:10.1038/srep27357.Organisms that have evolved alternative modes of reproduction, complementary to the sexual mode, are found across metazoans. The chordate Botryllus schlosseri is an emerging model for asexual development studies. Botryllus can rebuild its entire body from a portion of adult epithelia in a continuous and stereotyped process called blastogenesis. Anatomy and ontogenies of blastogenesis are well described, however molecular signatures triggering this developmental process are entirely unknown. We isolated tissues at the site of blastogenesis onset and from the same epithelia where this process is never triggered. We linearly amplified an ultra-low amount of mRNA (<10ng) and generated three transcriptome datasets. To provide a conservative landscape of transcripts differentially expressed between blastogenic vs. non-blastogenic epithelia we compared three different mapping and analysis strategies with a de novo assembled transcriptome and partially assembled genome as references, additionally a self-mapping strategy on the dataset. A subset of differentially expressed genes were analyzed and validated by in situ hybridization. The comparison of different analyses allowed us to isolate stringent sets of target genes, including transcripts with potential involvement in the onset of a non-embryonic developmental pathway. The results provide a good entry point to approach regenerative event in a basal chordate.This work was supported by AFM Telethon grant (#16611), IRG Marie Curie grant (#276974), ANR (ANR-14-CE02-0019-01) and IDEX Super (INDIBIO). L.R. was supported by an UPMC-EMREGENCE grant and by a FRM grant (#FDT20140931163). A.C. was supported by a FRM grant (ING 20140129231)

A Framework for Constructing Serious Games

Communicating ideas and knowledge through serious games is a trend that is currently gaining in popularity. However, at present, there is a distinct lack of a game development methodology that takes a critical approach to transforming information into gameplay. This thesis presents a framework that can be followed to construct compelling serious games that are effective at transferring knowledge to the player. This is accomplished through an analysis of atomic knowledge items and their relationships to one another, followed by a meaningful and synergetic implementation of these ideas at a foundational mechanics level. This thesis also describes the development of Mythos Unbound, a large-scale online serious game designed to teach students about classical Greek and Roman culture and literature. Offered as part of an online course at the University of Arkansas in the 2013 fall semester, deidentified user feedback suggests the game improved the learning process. The project was developed alongside the gamification framework and serves as the prime real-world application of its principles, and so demonstrates the potential of serious games as a means of meaningful communication

A Dynamic Workflow Management System for Coordination of Cooperative Activities

This paper comes back to the problem of coordination of cooperative activities with a Workflow management system. First, we describe the differences that we have noted between business processes and cooperative processes. Then we present a set of requirements for a Workflow management system that aims to support cooperative workflow, and among these requirements are high flexibility and dynamicity. Then we describe how this has been taken into account in the development of the Bonita workflow management system that proposes to remove the idea of process model to work only with process instances that can be derived from each others or that can be composed

Icarus, or the idea toward efficient, economical, and ethical acquirement of critical governmental information systems

Critical governmental information systems are governmental information systems used by the administration to retain information and provide services that enable and safeguard the lives, well-being and security of citizens. These include public healthcare information systems, electronic voting systems, and border control information systems with biometric registers. As the ongoing digitalisation of our society advances, our dependence on information systems, their functionality and security continues to grow and the quality of work done with them increasingly intertwines with the daily lives of citizens. However, it has long been evident that IT projects in public administration are failing. Governmental information system projects often end up being astronomically expensive, unreasonably ineffective and ethically unsustainable. Therefore, much more attention should be paid to the procurement process for these systems. The reasons for these problems are manifold. Often, simple political motivations and appeal to, among other things, national pride, are a simple way for politicians to attain support. The creation of large-scale system entities favours large-scale private-sector actors specialised on governmental information systems. These companies’ impact on society’s decision-making and operations should not be underrated. However, the lack of understanding of technology and socio-technical problems and the structure of the digitalisation in society are likely to be the biggest problems in procuring these systems. It must be understood that organisational behaviour changes when its information systems are changed - including the ethical basis. To develop efficient, economical and ethical governmental information systems, a holistic approach is required. The ability to make decisions that take into account the needs and requirements of the citizens, employees, system vendors, and society at large in an ethically sustainable way is required. It should be noted that the decision makers, payers, suppliers, and the targets of the use are often different parties with their own desires, goals, and objectives. It is necessary to understand the functioning of the technology and its potential, but also to address the limitations of technology and potential threats created by it. The security required for these systems should not be diminished. This dissertation is framed in the light of Ovid’s telling of the myth of Daedalus and Icarus and through the framework for Aristotle's virtue ethics to examine the responsibility of governmental information system procurement, the role of responsible actors in society, and their required capabilities. The dissertation demonstrates that the current approach in many situations, the Icarian method, whereby persons committed their lives to the virtue of scientific knowledge are dismissed on discussion and decision-making in a way that is economically, effectively and ethically unsustainable. The antithesis for this, the Daedalus effect, represents a desirable state where decision-making is guided by caution, as well as by scientific and ethical inspiration. The dissertation proposes that critical governmental information systems should be guided by a prominent actor cultivated to the virtue of holistic scientific wisdom.Julkishallinnon kriittiset tietojärjestelmät ovat tietojärjestelmiä, joita hallinto käyttää säilyttämään tietoa sekä tuottamaan kansalaisten henkeä, hyvinvointia ja turvallisuutta mahdollistavia palveluita. Näihin järjestelmiin lukeutuvat muun muassa julkisen terveydenhuollon tietojärjestelmät, sähköiset äänestysjärjestelmät sekä rajavalvonnan tietojärjestelmät biometrisine tunnisterekistereineen. Yhteiskunnan digitalisoituessa riippuvuutemme tietojärjestelmistä sekä niiden toimivuudesta ja turvallisuudesta jatkaa kasvamistaan ja näiden järjestelmien avulla suoritetun työn laatu on yhä tiukemmassa vuorovaikutussuhteessa kansalaisten jokapäiväiseen elämään. On kuitenkin ollut ilmiselvää jo pitkään, että julkishallinnon IT-hankkeet epäonnistuvat taajaan. Julkishallinnon tietojärjestelmähankkeet ovat usein tähtitieteellisen kalliita, kohtuuttoman tehottomia ja eettisesti kestämättömiä. Siksi näiden järjestelmien hankintaprosessiin olisi syytä kiinnittää nykyistä selvästi enemmän huomiota. Syyt näihin ongelmiin ovat moninaiset. Usein jo yksinkertaiset poliittiset motivaatiot sekä vetoaminen muun muassa kansalliseen ylpeyteen ovat poliitikolle yksinkertainen keino saavuttaa kannatusta. Suurikokoisten järjestelmäkokonaisuuksien tekeminen suosii julkishallinnon järjestelmähankintoihin keskittyneitä suuryrityksiä, joiden vaikutusta yhteiskunnalliseen päätöksentekoon ja toimintaan ei sovi väheksyä. Kuitenkin ymmärtämättömyys teknologiasta ja sosio-teknisistä ongelmista sekä digitalisoituvan yhteiskunnan rakenteista lienee suurimpia ongelmia järjestelmien hankinnassa. On otettava huomioon, että yhteisön toiminta muuttuu, kun sen tietojärjestelmiä muutetaan – myös eettisen toiminnan osalta. Luodaksemme tehokkaita, taloudellisia ja eettisesti kestäviä tietojärjestelmiä julkishallinnon käyttöön on asiaa lähestyttävä kokonaisvaltaisesti. On osattava tehdä päätöksiä, joissa otetaan huomioon kansalaisten, työntekijöiden, järjestelmien toimittajien sekä yhteiskunnan tarpeet ja vaatimukset eettisesti kestävällä tavalla. On huomattava, että päättäjä, maksaja, toimittaja ja käytön kohde ovat kovin usein eri tahoja omine toiveineen, tavoitteineen ja päämäärineen. On ymmärrettävä teknologian toiminta ja sen luomat mahdollisuudet mutta myös käsitettävä teknologian rajoitukset ja sen luomat uhat. Myöskään tietoturvan tarvetta näiden järjestelmien kohdalla ei sovi vähätellä. Väitöskirjassa käsitellään Ovidiuksen kertoman Daedaluksen ja Ikaroksen myytin kautta Aristoteelisen hyve-etiikan viitekehyksessä julkishallinnon tietojärjestelmätilausten vastuuta sekä vastuuhenkilöitä, vastuuhenkilöiden asemaa yhteiskunnassa ja heiltä vaadittavia kykyjä. Väitöskirjassa osoitetaan, että monessa tilanteessa esiintyvä julkishallinnon toimintatapa, Ikaroslainen metodi, jossa tiedon hyveillä varustautuneet henkilöt sivutetaan keskustelusta ja päätöksenteosta on niin taloudellisesti, tehokkuudellisesti kuin eettisestikin kestämätön toimintatapa. Tämän vastavoima, Daedalus-efekti, taas edustaa tavoitetilaa, jossa päätöksentekoa ohjaavat varovaisuus sekä tieteen ja moraalifilosofian inspiroima toiminta. Väitöskirjassa esitetään, että julkishallinnon tietojärjestelmätoimintaa pitäisi ohjata laaja-alaisen tieteellisen viisauden hyveen kultivoinut näkyvä toimija

Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee Minutes, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2010

Minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee meetings held on October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2010

3D OBJECT RECONSTRUCTION IN A PRE-DIGITAL ERA: CASE STUDY IN THE HISTORY OF RESTORATION

Restoration of the ensemble of parks, palaces and fountains of Peterhof (Petrodvorets) near St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, is one of world-renowned restoration projects of the post - World War II period. However, little has been analysed of this unique restoration experience. This paper presents a specific episode in the history of this restoration project.The Peterhof ensemble is a complex historic site which includes many palaces, structures and fountains covering 18 square km of parks and gardens. The Grand Palace, - the central and the largest building of this ensemble, was built at the edge of a natural terrace, with a view to the sea (the Gulf of Finland) and the Lower Park at the foot of the terrace. This dominant spatial-architectural role of the Grand Palace was emphasized by its highest elements – two cupolas of its eastern and western parts. The cupolas were heavily damaged during World War II and shape reconstruction had to be undertaken for their restoration. The restoration of cupolas was one of the first and important steps in the restoration of the Peterhof ensemble.This paper focuses on the approach, methodology and the selected technological aspects of the restoration of cupolas of the Grand Palace, with a view to their interpretation at the time of restoration of cupolas (1950-s) as well as to modern restoration principles. It shows the process and methods of non-digital reconstruction of the shape of 3D object aided by non-digital models, unique decisions and techniques.</p

A methodology for mapping co-benefits of climate adaptation. Participatory GIS in consultancy

This thesis seeks to broaden the research of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the context of citizen engagement and co-benefit mapping, by bringing forth consultancy perspectives and demands towards the uptake of new methods. The process is anchored in the Action Research methodology, as the empirical material is produced through a collaboration with the Ramboll consultancy. The thesis follows the process of creating a methodology for the spatial delineation of co-benefits within climate adaptation. It investigates how an otherwise analogue methodology can be enhanced by using digital tools based on GIS. The pinnacle of this process is the testing of the method, which could form the basis for co-benefit assessments, in two cases situated in a Western European context. The thesis discusses both the consultancy considerations for the adoption of a new participatory method, as well as the implications of using citizen knowledge in this process. One of the main research findings is the missing link between the concepts of place values, ecosystem services and co-benefits of climate adaptation, which is closely tied to the timing of the assessment, prior to or after climate adaptation measures. Local circumstances and project requirements dictate the introduction of a new digital method that is based on participatory GIS (PGIS), and partly the team’s resources. Integrating citizen knowledge in co-benefit assessments carried out in GIS is strongly related to the main difficulties of co-benefit assessments, such as overlapping and conflicting values. In addition to that, outreach is essential for a successful outcome, but also resource demanding

What remains is the book: The idea of the book in and around electronic space

The purpose of this study is to question the idea of the book in general and how this idea is transforming in electronic space, understood as a space of flows as distinct to a space of places (Castells, 1989, p. 349). In order to question the idea of the book in electronic space we must begin at its ending, or more specifically, at a point in the histories of the book that is widely understood as representing a closing of a parenthesis - that began with the invention of the printing press, up to the end of print—spanning some 500 years, beginning half way through the 15th century in Western Europe

Modern Italy, 1995–2020: the journal's first quarter-century

No abstract available