Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Ethical Dilemmas in Promoting Transparency and Community Input in Public Service Work

A fundamental principle of democracy is that the public has a right to information produced by and for government. However, like other rights, this one is not absolute. There are many instances in which public sector information should not be disseminated to the citizens. Deciding what information to release to whom is one of the most pressing ethical problems of governance. Releasing information inappropriately can visit harm and injustice upon innocent people. By contrast, unnecessary government secrecy is often a tool used for abusing power. The purpose of this session is to explore the ethical terrain involved releasing and withholding public information

Organizational Change, Environmental Uncertainty, and Managerial Control in a Large Post-Reform American Prison System

This work by Dr. Gorton demonstrates how organizational restructuring centralized control over the managerial process and also provides an in-depth analysis of how a large prison system was restructured in response to rapid growth and increased pressure from outside the organization by civil rights activists practitioners, scholars, and the federal courts. Preface; Many people are fascinated by the dangerous and mysterious world of American prisons. This is not surprising, for contemporary prisons are truly remarkable organizations. Confronted by constantly changing political, cultural and demographic forces, modern prisons are complex organizations that often pursue disjointed goals. On one hand, they administer punitive sanctions against large aggregates of social misfits, many of whom actively resist coercive social control. Making matters more difficult is the requirement that the punitive enterprise comply with ever-changing legal standards that define permissible forms of punishment. On the other hand, most prisons are required to provide services that seek to promote inmates\u27 personal growth. Visit most large prisons and you will discover programs focusing on substance abuse treatment, vocational training, secondary and post-secondary education, domestic violence counseling, psychological treatment, faith-based counseling, and so on. The conflicting goals of treatment and control are complicated by the necessity to safeguard the security of inmates, staff, visitors and the facility itself. Moreover, much of this work is performed by correctional officers whose jobs earn them low salaries and little prestige. Given these complex mandates, it is understandable that social scientists and others have long been interested in prisons. However, even a basic familiarity with the research literature reveals that the most intense focus of this attention has been on prison subcultures. Surprisingly, few scholars have conducted in-depth analyses of prisons as bureaucracies. -- Provided by publisherhttps://scholarworks.uni.edu/facbook/1063/thumbnail.jp