Mediating urban identity : orality, performance and poetry in the work of Koos du Plessis.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.In this article I examine as mediations of urban experience poems written by Koos du Plessis. a contemporary Afrikaans poet. together with their musical rendition by Johannes Kerkorrel. a singer and musician from the Afrikaans altemative music scene and former member of Die Gereformeerde Blues Band. The poetry was initially published with musical arrangements in the volume Kinders van die Wind : En Ander Lirieke (1981) . In order to use this material in an article produced as part of an English study . I have translated the poetry into English . The translation (in linguistic and performative terms) of these poems has the dual effect of rendering them more appropriately for this study, and making them accessible to a wider audience. I am concemed with the way poems written by a poet from an earlier decade (the 1980s) interpret and mediate an urban identity and. further. with the fact that performance not only gives them a new lease of life. but also transforms them into works which have meaning and appeal for a more contemporary, broader audience. The fundamental issues addressed in this poetry , namely a response to and a negotiation of urban (South African) experience. continue to speak compellingly today

Informing the Design of Privacy-Empowering Tools for the Connected Home

Connected devices in the home represent a potentially grave new privacy threat due to their unfettered access to the most personal spaces in people's lives. Prior work has shown that despite concerns about such devices, people often lack sufficient awareness, understanding, or means of taking effective action. To explore the potential for new tools that support such needs directly we developed Aretha, a privacy assistant technology probe that combines a network disaggregator, personal tutor, and firewall, to empower end-users with both the knowledge and mechanisms to control disclosures from their homes. We deployed Aretha in three households over six weeks, with the aim of understanding how this combination of capabilities might enable users to gain awareness of data disclosures by their devices, form educated privacy preferences, and to block unwanted data flows. The probe, with its novel affordances-and its limitations-prompted users to co-adapt, finding new control mechanisms and suggesting new approaches to address the challenge of regaining privacy in the connected home.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '20

Environmental Forcings of Paleogene Southern Ocean Dinoflagellate Biogeography

Despite warm polar climates and low meridional temperature gradients, a number of different high-latitude plankton assemblages were, to varying extents, dominated by endemic species during most of the Paleogene. To better understand the evolution of Paleogene plankton endemism in the high southern latitudes, we investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of the fossil remains of dinoflagellates, i.e., organic-walled cysts (dinocysts), and their response to changes in regional sea surface temperature (SST). We show that Paleocene and early Eocene (∼65–50 Ma) Southern Ocean dinocyst assemblages were largely cosmopolitan in nature but that a distinct switch from cosmopolitan-dominated to endemic-dominated assemblages (the so-called “transantarctic flora”) occurred around the early-middle Eocene boundary (∼50 Ma). The spatial distribution and relative abundance patterns of this transantarctic flora correspond well with surface water circulation patterns as reconstructed through general circulation model experiments throughout the Eocene. We quantitatively compare dinocyst assemblages with previously published TEX86–based SST reconstructions through the early and middle Eocene from a key locality in the southwest Pacific Ocean, ODP Leg 189 Site 1172 on the East Tasman Plateau. We conclude that the middle Eocene onset of the proliferation of the transantarctic flora is not linearly correlated with regional SST records and that only after the transantarctic flora became fully established later in the middle Eocene, possibly triggered by large-scale changes in surface-ocean nutrient availability, were abundances of endemic dinocysts modulated by regional SST variations

Spinal muscular atrophy diagnosis and carrier screening from genome sequencing data.

PURPOSE: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), caused by loss of the SMN1 gene, is a leading cause of early childhood death. Due to the near identical sequences of SMN1 and SMN2, analysis of this region is challenging. Population-wide SMA screening to quantify the SMN1 copy number (CN) is recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. METHODS: We developed a method that accurately identifies the CN of SMN1 and SMN2 using genome sequencing (GS) data by analyzing read depth and eight informative reference genome differences between SMN1/2. RESULTS: We characterized SMN1/2 in 12,747 genomes, identified 1568 samples with SMN1 gains or losses and 6615 samples with SMN2 gains or losses, and calculated a pan-ethnic carrier frequency of 2%, consistent with previous studies. Additionally, 99.8% of our SMN1 and 99.7% of SMN2 CN calls agreed with orthogonal methods, with a recall of 100% for SMA and 97.8% for carriers, and a precision of 100% for both SMA and carriers. CONCLUSION: This SMN copy-number caller can be used to identify both carrier and affected status of SMA, enabling SMA testing to be offered as a comprehensive test in neonatal care and an accurate carrier screening tool in GS sequencing projects

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons. A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons. A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

De l'Interactions Homme-Robot vers l'Interaction Foule-Robot -- Etude des Effets d'un Robot sur le Mouvement d'une Foule

International audienceAbstract How does the presence of a robot affect pedestrians and crowd dynamics, and does this influence vary across robot type? In this paper, we took the first step towards answering this question by performing a crowd-robot gate-crossing experiment. The study involved 28 participants and two distinct robot representatives: A smart wheelchair and a Pepper humanoid robot. Collected data includes: video recordings; robot and participant trajectories; and participants’ responses to post-interaction questionnaires. Quantitative analysis on the trajectories suggests the robot affects crowd dynamics in terms of trajectory regularity and interaction complexity. Qualitative results indicate that pedestrians tend to be more conservative and follow “social rules” while passing a wheelchair compared to a humanoid robot. These insights can be used to design a social navigation strategy that allows more natural interaction by considering the robot effect on the crowd dynamics.Comment la présence d'un robot affecte-t-elle les piétons et la dynamique de la foule, et cette influence varie-t-elle selon le type de robot ? Dans cet article, nous avons fait un premier pas vers la réponse à cette question en réalisant une expérience de franchissement de porte par une foule et un robot. L'étude a impliqué 28 participants et deux représentants distincts de robots : Un fauteuil roulant intelligent et un robot humanoïde Pepper. Les données collectées comprennent : des enregistrements vidéo, les trajectoires du robot et des participants, et les réponses des participants à des questionnaires post-interaction. L'analyse quantitative des trajectoires suggère que le robot affecte la dynamique de la foule en termes de régularité des trajectoires et de complexité des interactions. Les résultats qualitatifs indiquent que les piétons ont tendance à être plus conservateurs et à suivre les "règles sociales" lorsqu'ils dépassent un fauteuil roulant par rapport à un robot humanoïde. Ces résultats peuvent être utilisés pour concevoir une stratégie de navigation sociale qui permet une interaction plus naturelle en tenant compte de l'effet du robot sur la dynamique de la foule

Decreased ovarian reserve, dysregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, and increased lipid peroxidation in female mouse offspring exposed to an obesogenic maternal diet

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology via http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.15-280800Maternal diet during pregnancy influences the later life reproductive potential of female offspring. We investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the depletion of ovarian follicular reserve in young adult females following exposure to obesogenic diet in early life. Furthermore, we explore the interaction between adverse maternal diet and postweaning diet in generating reduced ovarian reserve. Female mice were exposed to either maternal obesogenic (high fat/high sugar) or maternal control diet in utero and during lactation, then weaned onto either obesogenic or control diet. At 12 wk of age, the offspring ovarian reserve was depleted following exposure to maternal obesogenic diet (P < 0.05), but not postweaning obesogenic diet. Maternal obesogenic diet was associated with increased mitochondrial DNA biogenesis (copy number P < 0.05; transcription factor A, mitochondrial expression P < 0.05), increased mitochondrial antioxidant defenses [manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) P < 0.05; copper/zinc superoxide dismutase P < 0.05; glutathione peroxidase 4 P < 0.01] and increased lipoxygenase expression (arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase P < 0.05; arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase P < 0.05) in the ovary. There was also significantly increased expression of the transcriptional regulator NF-?B (P < 0.05). There was no effect of postweaning diet on any measured ovarian parameters. Maternal diet thus plays a central role in determining follicular reserve in adult female offspring. Our observations suggest that lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis are the key intracellular pathways involved in programming of ovarian reserve.?Aiken, C. E., Tarry-Adkins, J. L., Penfold, N. C., Dearden, L., Ozanne, S. E. Decreased ovarian reserve, dysregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, and increased lipid peroxidation in female mouse offspring exposed to an obesogenic maternal diet.This study was funded jointly by grants from the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Addenbrooke?s Charitable Trust, an Isaac Newton Trust/Wellcome Trust ISSF/University of Cambridge Joint Research Grant and the MRC (MRC_MC_UU_12012/4)