20 research outputs found
Do Not Touch My Data: Exploring a Disclosure-Based Framework to Address Data Access
Companies have too much control over peopleâs information. In the data marketplace, companies package and sell individualsâ data, and these individuals have little to no bargaining power over the process. Companies may freely buy and sell peopleâs data in the private sector for targeted marketing and behavior manipulation. In the justice system, an unchecked data marketplace leaves black and brown communities vulnerable to serious data access issues caused by predictive sentencing, for example. Risk assessment algorithms in predictive sentencing rely on data on individuals and run all relevant data points to provide the likelihood that a defendant will recidivate low risk, medium risk, or high risk. These algorithms are flawed and deeply biased because they use factors that correlate with race and socioeconomic status. The law should recognize peopleâs property interests in their data. Recognizing individualsâ property interests in their data sets up a robust disclosure-based solution. The disclosure-based solution gives individuals substantial control over their data. The Note proposes a centralized platformâthe Private Information Reporting Systemâfor individuals to know where their data is used and restrict companies from selling it. This will result in more power for individuals and equity in the justice system
Gene family structure, expression and functional analysis of HD-Zip III genes in angiosperm and gymnosperm forest trees
BACKGROUND: Class III Homeodomain Leucine Zipper (HD-Zip III) proteins have been implicated in the regulation of cambium identity, as well as primary and secondary vascular differentiation and patterning in herbaceous plants. They have been proposed to regulate wood formation but relatively little evidence is available to validate such a role. We characterised and compared HD-Zip III gene family in an angiosperm tree, Populus spp. (poplar), and the gymnosperm Picea glauca (white spruce), representing two highly evolutionarily divergent groups. RESULTS: Full-length cDNA sequences were isolated from poplar and white spruce. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that some of the gymnosperm sequences were derived from lineages that diverged earlier than angiosperm sequences, and seem to have been lost in angiosperm lineages. Transcript accumulation profiles were assessed by RT-qPCR on tissue panels from both species and in poplar trees in response to an inhibitor of polar auxin transport. The overall transcript profiles HD-Zip III complexes in white spruce and poplar exhibited substantial differences, reflecting their evolutionary history. Furthermore, two poplar sequences homologous to HD-Zip III genes involved in xylem development in Arabidopsis and Zinnia were over-expressed in poplar plants. PtaHB1 over-expression produced noticeable effects on petiole and primary shoot fibre development, suggesting that PtaHB1 is involved in primary xylem development. We also obtained evidence indicating that expression of PtaHB1 affected the transcriptome by altering the accumulation of 48 distinct transcripts, many of which are predicted to be involved in growth and cell wall synthesis. Most of them were down-regulated, as was the case for several of the poplar HD-Zip III sequences. No visible physiological effect of over-expression was observed on PtaHB7 transgenic trees, suggesting that PtaHB1 and PtaHB7 likely have distinct roles in tree development, which is in agreement with the functions that have been assigned to close homologs in herbaceous plants. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an overview of HD-zip III genes related to woody plant development and identifies sequences putatively involved in secondary vascular growth in angiosperms and in gymnosperms. These gene sequences are candidate regulators of wood formation and could be a source of molecular markers for tree breeding related to wood properties
The EcoChip : a wireless multi-sensor platform for comprehensive environmental monitoring
This paper presents the EcoChip, a new system
based on state-of-the-art electro-chemical impedance (EIS)
technologies allowing the growth of single strain organisms
isolated from northern habitats. This portable system is a complete
and autonomous wireless platform designed to monitor and
cultivate microorganisms directly sampled from their natural
environment, particularly from harsh northern environments.
Using 96-well plates, the EcoChip can be used in the field for realtime monitoring of bacterial growth. Manufactured with highquality electronic components, this new EIS monitoring system is
designed to function at a low excitation voltage signal to avoid
damaging the cultured cells. The high-precision calibration
network leads to high-precision results, even in the most limiting
contexts. Luminosity, humidity and temperature can also be
monitored with the addition of appropriate sensors. Access to
robust data storage systems and power supplies is an obvious
limitation for northern research. That is why the EcoChip is
equipped with a flash memory that can store data over long
periods of time. To resolve the power issue, a low-power microcontroller and a power management unit control and supply all
electronic building blocks. Data stored in the EcoChipâs flash
memory can be transmitted through a transceiver whenever a
receiver is located within the functional transmission range. In this
paper, we present the measured performance of the system, along
with results from laboratory tests in-vitro and from two field tests.
The EcoChip has been utilized to collect bio-environemental data
in the field from the northern soils and ecosystems of
Kuujjuarapik and Puvirnituq, during two expeditions, in 2017 and
2018, respectively. We show that the EcoChip can effectively carry
out EIS analyses over an excitation frequency ranging from 750
Hz to 10 kHz with an accuracy of 2.35%. The overall power
consumption of the system was 140.4 mW in normal operating
mode and 81 ”W in sleep mode. The proper development of the
isolated bacteria was confirmed through DNA sequencing,
indicating that bacteria thrive in the EcoChipâs culture wells while
the growing conditions are successfully gathered and stored