Healing Fair Dealing?: A Comparative Copyright Analysis of Canadian Fair Dealing to UK Fair Dealing and US Fair Use

As a result of the March 4, 2004 Supreme Court of Canada decision in CCH Canadian Ltd v Law Society of Upper Canada for the first time in Canadian copyright history, the court determined that Canadian law must recognize a user right to carry on exceptions generally and fair dealing in particular. This paper compares the Canadian fair dealing legislation and jurisprudence to that of the UK and the US. It is observed that because of CCH, the Canadian common law fair dealing factors are more flexible than those entrenched in the US. For the UK, certain criteria have emerged from the caselaw consonant to Canada\u27s pre-CCH framework and in many ways there is now a hierarchy of factors with market considerations at the fore. The real differences, however, ultimately lie in the policy preoccupations held by the respective courts, with Canada\u27s top court alone concerned in championing user rights above all other rights. The paper concludes that Canadian fair dealing does not require too much healing but would benefit from some remedies outside (and complementary to) the law and the courts. While doing nothing does not seem to be the appropriate response, legal intervention as many advocate may not be warranted either. Rather than, or at the very least together with, reforming the law, establishing fair dealing best practices is most promising. The parties directly affected in a specific industry can together develop these guidelines to ultimately aid in clearer and ongoing fairer fair dealing decision-making in the courts. It is here that US initiatives can serve as most fruitful to emulate

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha plays a crucial role in behavioral repetition and cognitive flexibility in mice

Acknowledgments We thank Luca Giordano, Giovanni Esposito and Angelo Russo for technical assistance and Dr. Livio Luongo (Second University of Naples–Italy) for critical discussions. This work was supported by a Grant PRIN from Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), Italy, to A.C. and the Wellcome Trust (WT098012) to L.K.H. and BBSRC (BB/K001418/1) to L.K.H. and G.D’A. G.D’A. received partial supports from a “FORGIARE” post-doctoral fellowship cofounded by the Polo delle Scienze e Tecnologie per la Vita, University of Naples Federico II and Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, Turin, Italy (2010–2012).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Expression of Cellular and Extracellular TERRA, TERC and TERT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Non-coding RNAs are transcribed from telomeres and the telomeric repeat-containing RNAs (TERRA) are implicated in telomere homeostasis and in cancer. In this study, we aimed to assess in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) the cellular and extracellular expression of TERRA, the telomerase RNA subunit (TERC) and the telomerase catalytic subunit (TERT). We determined by qPCR the expression level of TERRA 1_2_10_13q, TERRA 15q, TERRA XpYp, TERC and of TERT mRNA in HCC tissues and in the plasma of HCC patients. Further, we profiled the same transcripts in the HCC cell lines, HA22T/VGH and SKHep1C3, and in the extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from their secretomes. We found that the expression of TERRA and TERT mRNA was significantly deregulated in HCC, being TERRA downregulated and TERT mRNA upregulated in HCC tissues vs. the peritumoral (PT) ones, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses revealed a significant ability in discriminating HCC from PT tissue. Further, the determinations of circulating TERRA and TERC showed higher amounts of these transcripts in the plasma of HCC patients vs. controls and ROC analyses gave significant results. The expression characterization of the cultured HCC cells showed their ability to produce and secrete TERRA and TERC into the EVs; the ability to produce TERT mRNA that was not detectable in the EVs; and the ability to respond to sorafenib treatment increasing TERRA expression. Our results highlight that: (i) both cellular and extracellular expressions of TERRA and TERC are dysregulated in HCC as well as the cellular expression of TERT mRNA and (ii) the combined detection of TERRA and TERC in plasma may represent a promising approach for non-invasive diagnostic molecular indicators of HCC

ANALISI E STIMA DEL TRASPORTO SOLIDO FLUVIALE NEI BACINI CALABRESI

Over recent decades, Soil Erosion by Water (WSE) has become a severe issue worldwide, especially in European Mediterranean countries because they are subject to prolonged dry periods followed by heavy erosive rains. All this is very important in the case of river basins characterized by steep slopes and erodible soils. The paper analyzed and quantified river transport in Calabrian basins. Calabria is a region of Southern Italy that represents an interesting case study due to its geomorphological peculiarities for which it is generally subject to WSE. The analysis was carried out by applying the Erosion Potential Method (EPM), particularly reliable for rivers such as most of the Calabrian ones where most of the sediment transport is linked to the WSE and is divided into four main phases: morphometric characterization, estimate of average yearly precipitation and temperature, estimate of EPM coefficient, and estimate of river transport. The main result is that Calabrian rivers are characterized by a high river transport, especially in those with torrential and irregular hydrological regime

Effects of a Lactobacillus paracasei B21060 based synbiotic on steatosis, insulin signaling and toll-like receptor expression in rats fed a high-fat diet.

Insulin resistance (IR) has been identified as crucial pathophysiological factor in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although mounting evidence suggests that perturbation of gut microflora exacerbates the severity of chronic liver diseases, therapeutic approaches using synbiotic has remained overlooked. Here, we show that a synbiotic composed by Lactobacillus paracasei B21060 plus arabinogalactan and fructo-oligosaccharides lessens NAFLD progression in a rat model of high fat feeding. IR and steatosis were induced by administration of high fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks. Steatosis and hepatic inflammation, Toll-like receptor (TLR) pattern, glucose tolerance, insulin signaling and gut permeability were studied. Liver inflammatory markers were down-regulated in rats receiving the synbiotic, along with an increased expression of nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and expression of downstream target genes. The synbiotic improved many aspects of IR, such as fasting response, hormonal homeostasis and glycemic control. Indeed it prevented the impairment of hepatic insulin signaling, reducing the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 in Ser 307 and down-regulating suppressor of cytokine signaling 3. Gene expression analysis revealed that in the liver the synbiotic reduced cytokines synthesis and restored the HFD-dysregulated TLR 2, 4 and 9 mRNAs toward a physiological level of expression. The synbiotic preserved gut barrier integrity and reduced the relative amount of Gram-negative Enterobacteriales and Escherichia coli in colonic mucosa. Overall, our data indicate that the L. paracasei B21060 based synbiotic is effective in reducing the severity of liver injury and IR associated with high fat intake, suggesting its possible therapeutic/preventive clinical utilization

Burden of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Over Time and Arterial Stiffness in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

Background: The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children is increasing, resulting in higher burden of cardiovascular diseases due to diabetes mellitus–related vascular dysfunction. Methods and Results: We examined cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and arterial parameters in 1809 youth with T1DM. Demographics, anthropometrics, blood pressure, and laboratory data were collected at T1DM onset and 5 years later. Pulse wave velocity and augmentation index were collected with tonometry. ANOVA or chi�square tests were used to test for differences in measures of arterial parameters by CVRF. Area under the curve of CVRFs was entered in general linear models to explore determinants of accelerate vascular aging. Participants at the time of arterial measurement were 17.6±4.5 years old, 50% female, 76% non�Hispanic white, and duration of T1DM was 7.8±1.9 years. Glycemic control was poor (glycated hemoglobin, 9.1±1.8%). All arterial parameters were higher in participants with glycated hemoglobin ≥9% and pulse wave velocity was higher with lower insulin sensitivity or longer duration of diabetes mellitus. Differences in arterial parameters were found by sex, age, and presence of obesity, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. In multivariable models, higher glycated hemoglobin, lower insulin sensitivity, body mass index, blood pressure, and lipid areas under the curve were associated with accelerated vascular aging. Conclusions: In young people with T1DM, persistent poor glycemic control and higher levels of traditional CVRFs are independently associated with arterial aging. Improving glycemic control and interventions to lower CVRFs may prevent future cardiovascular events in young individuals with T1DM

RING and ReCal GPS networks: two Italian geodetic infrastructures and their data management, sharing and dissemination

Geographic data sharing and collection are becoming key activities among geological and geophysical studies worldwide, and the recent increase of infrastructures is demanding to scientific and civil community an effort to manage and disseminate their products as efficiently as possible. With this effort in mind, INGV began some years ago to collaborate with civilian and commercial subjects in order to promote the integration and sharing of data from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) networks existing in Italy. Since 2004, INGV deployed a permanent, integrated and real-time monitoring CGPS network (RING, Rete Integrata Nazionale GPS, http://ring.gm.ingv.it), which is now constituted by about 170 stations all over Italy (Selvaggi et al., 2006; Avallone et al, 2010). All stations have high quality GPS monuments (D’Ambrosio, 2007; Minichiello et al., 2010) and most of them are co-located with broadband or very broadband seismometers and strong motion sensors. This scientific network is aimed to monitor crustal deformation in Italy in order to study earthquake deformation processes, from interseismic strain accumulation to rupture processes, and is giving an effective contribute to Italian Civil Protection for seismic hazard monitoring. Moreover, in the last years, local Authorities, nation-wide industries and other scientific institutions started to establish GPS/GNSS networks all over the Italian territory mainly for cartographic and positioning purposes. More than 500 CGPS stations are actually operating in Italy. The INGV acquire and analyze most of these networks, promoting at the same time actions to integrate the RING with the ones managed by regional and national data providers (D’Anastasio et al., 2010). The Regione Calabria in 2009 planned and established a network of 17 CGPS stations for cartographic and civil protection purposes covering the Calabria region (hereafter ReCal network). The CGPS stations are good quality monument connected in real time and, in the next future, will start to furnish to the civil community a positioning service. In order to share the RING and ReCal data and relative products, a synergy between the CNT-INGV (Centro Nazionale Terremoti) and the Regione Calabria started in 2011. An official agreement between the two institutions state the sharing of CGPS data, the collaboration between CNT-INGV and Regione Calabria to test the efficiency and the positioning service of ReCal network, and the contribution of ReCal network to scientific monitoring of Calabria, one of the most seismically active region in Italy. Moreover, this agreement included also the commissioning of the ReCal network and of its positioning services performed by CNT-INGV. Figure 1 shows the GPS and GNSS stations currently operating in Italy. In the inset it could be noticed how the RING and ReCal networks are integrated in order to have the best spatial coverage of the Calabrian territory. We will present the first results of the agreement between INGV-CNT and Regione Calabria, and of the commissioning of ReCal network. Moreover, we will focus on the infrastructure already existing and developed by CNT-INGV to manage data acquisition, storage, distribution and access (Cecere, 2007; Cardinale et al., 2010; Falco, 2006; 2008; Memmolo et al., 2010; Pignone et al., 2009). INGV developed dedicated facilities including new softwares for data acquisition and a web-based collaborative environment for management of data and metadata. These facilities are used to manage data coming from the RING as well as from agreements with ReCal and other CGPS networks in Italy. We believe that this infrastructure represents an important reality in the framework of GNSS data sharing development in Italy