Canada and Israel: Cultivating Fairness of Use

Despite global trends to expand the ambit of copyright, Canada and Israel both show promise in cultivating the principal of fairness when exercising exceptions to copyright. Their journeys were led by their highest courts; each sought to shift the dialogue of exceptions from stringent allowance to robust application. Both countries began from the rigidity of fair dealing and considered expansion into the realm of fair use. This exploration is intriguing given that both countries show an uncanny similarity in terms of the manner by which their nation states came into being, their ensuing diversity of population, the mixture of common and civil law within their copyright regimes, their position in terms of the WIPO Internet Treaties (1996), and their relations vis-à-vis the United States. At the time of this writing, the two countries are set to diverge in law but not necessarily in practice

Canada and Israel: Cultivating Fairness of Use

Despite global trends to expand the ambit of copyright, Canada and Israel both show promise in cultivating the principal of fairness when exercising exceptions to copyright. Their journeys were led by their highest courts; each sought to shift the dialogue of exceptions from stringent allowance to robust application. Both countries began from the rigidity of fair dealing and considered expansion into the realm of fair use. This exploration is intriguing given that both countries show an uncanny similarity in terms of the manner by which their nation states came into being, their ensuing diversity of population, the mixture of common and civil law within their copyright regimes, their position in terms of the WIPO Internet Treaties (1996), and their relations vis-à-vis the United States. At the time of this writing, the two countries are set to diverge in law but not necessarily in practice

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF MEMBRANE LOCALIZED UGT80B1 ENCODING FOR UDP-GLUCOSE: STEROL GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE IN PLANT DEVELOPMENT

Sterols have been identified as major components of membrane lipids that are part of specialized membrane domains necessary for organizing events such as polar protein targeting and signal transduction in plants, fungi and animals. However a common modification of sterols is the addition of sugar moieties via glycosylation abundantly found in plants. An exact physiological role for such diversification of sterols in plants is still unknown. Using reverse genetics and transcriptomics we show that UDP-glucose: sterol glucosyltransferase encoded by UGT80B1 is necessary for correct epidermal patterning in Arabidopsis root. Patterning of hair cells (trichoblasts) and non-hair cells (atrichoblasts) in the epidermis of the Arabidopsis root involves signaling through SCRAMBLED (SCM), a plasma membrane localized LRR-RL kinase. Feedback regulation via the transcriptional regulatory complex containing R2R3-MYB transcription factor WEREWOLF (WER) represses SCM and activates the homeodomain-leucine-zipper protein GLABRA2 (GL2) in atrichoblasts. Evidence suggests symplastic connections between cells, known as plasmodesmata, establish passage ways for single-repeat R3-MYB transcription factors to activate SCM expression in trichoblasts. Mutations in UGT80B1 cause atypical localization patterns of GL2, WER, and SCM in the root epidermis. The ugt80B1 formed fewer trichoblasts in comparison to wild-type. A translational fusion of UGT80B1 to GFP localizes to the ER, plasma membrane and to sites that appear to be plasmodesmata-associated desmotubules. Ultrastructural analysis revealed abnormalities in plasmodesmata formation and morphology in ugt80B1 mutants. Steryl glucoside profiling indicated deficiencies in specific glycosylated sterol compounds in roots. This study identifies UGT80B1 as a novel membrane component that is critical for plasmodesmata morphogenesis and cell-fate determination in the root epidermis. A model is proposed in which UGT80B1 activity provides spatially discreet sterol and steryl glucoside architecture within the plasma membrane to anchor the SCM receptor and within plasmosdesmata to facilitate intercellular movement of R3-MYB regulatory proteins underlying proper differentiation of trichoblasts versus atrichoblasts. Moreover, evidence from reverse genetics, proteomics and live cell imaging point to a actin dependent localization of UGT80B1 at the vesicle rich zone of root hair tip. This localization actively supports root hair elongation via tip growth, possibly by membrane modifications required for vesicle trafficking

Macrophages in wound healing: activation and plasticity.

Macrophages are critically involved in wound healing, from dampening inflammation to clearing cell debris and coordinating tissue repair. Within the wound, the complexity of macrophage function is increasingly recognized, with adverse outcomes when macrophages are inappropriately activated, such as in fibrosis or chronic non-healing wounds. Recent advances in in vivo and translational wound models, macrophage-specific deletions and new technologies to distinguish macrophage subsets, have uncovered the vast spectrum of macrophage activation and effector functions. Here, we summarize the main players in wound-healing macrophage activation and function, including cytokines, apoptotic cells, nucleotides and mechanical stimuli. We highlight recent studies demonstrating cooperation between these factors for optimal wound healing. Next, we describe recent technologies such as cell tracking and single-cell RNA-seq, which have uncovered remarkable plasticity and heterogeneity in blood-derived or tissue-resident macrophages and discuss the implications for wound healing. Lastly, we evaluate macrophage dysfunction in aberrant wound healing that occurs in aging, diabetes and fibrosis. A better understanding of the longevity and plasticity of wound-healing macrophages, and identification of unique macrophage subsets or specific effector molecules in wound healing, would shed light on the therapeutic potential of manipulating macrophage function for optimal wound healing

The Copyright Act of Canada: A Reflection of All Founding Nations

Copyright is accepted without question as a right; fair dealing has been acknowledged as having that same stature through our highest court’s designation of fair dealing as a user’s right. Yet begrudging token acceptance, or continued dismissal, is a still-too-frequent reaction to the dialogue of user rights. The impediment to unreserved recognition of user rights appears to be the uncomfortable realization that by extending rights to include fair dealing, copyright loses its supremacy. A reaction that might feel eerily familiar to every minority group which has sought to: (i) be granted the same stature as that of the ruling majority; and (ii) be treated with equal respect thereafter. As an academic exercise, this author probed the connection between Canada’s particular history of equality rights and fair dealing to unexpected discovery: the Copyright Act is trijural. While currents of common law and civil law are statutorily evident, Indigenous legal traditions underpin the system of copyright itself. Such tradition appears through two vital characteristics: (i) the public domain, the very premise upon which copyright obtains its legitimacy, is a living practice among aboriginal communities; and (ii) the practice of creativity shows more affinity to the community-minded ethos of Indigenous cultures, than to the presumption of solitary genius espoused by the Romantics. Quite apart from the challenges regarding the ambit of copyright and the application of exceptions, much as we acknowledge that physical ground beneath our feet is Indigenous territory, we ought also to acknowledge the Indigenous foundation of copyright law. Meera Nair is the Copyright Officer for the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. She received a doctorate in communication in 2009; her research interest lies in systems of copyright. In 2012 she was awarded an Azrieli international postdoctoral fellowship for a comparative study between Canadian and Israeli copyright law. Meera also authors the blog Fair Duty (https://fairduty.wordpress.com/); further details regarding her research and fair dealing advocacy can be found there

Fixed confidence community mode estimation

Our aim is to estimate the largest community (a.k.a., mode) in a population composed of multiple disjoint communities. This estimation is performed in a fixed confidence setting via sequential sampling of individuals with replacement. We consider two sampling models: (i) an identityless model, wherein only the community of each sampled individual is revealed, and (ii) an identity-based model, wherein the learner is able to discern whether or not each sampled individual has been sampled before, in addition to the community of that individual. The former model corresponds to the classical problem of identifying the mode of a discrete distribution, whereas the latter seeks to capture the utility of identity information in mode estimation. For each of these models, we establish information theoretic lower bounds on the expected number of samples needed to meet the prescribed confidence level, and propose sound algorithms with a sample complexity that is provably asymptotically optimal. Our analysis highlights that identity information can indeed be utilized to improve the efficiency of community mode estimation.Comment: To appear in Performance Evaluatio

The Involvement of J-protein AtDjC17 in Root Development in \u3cem\u3eArabidopsis\u3c/em\u3e

In a screen for root hair morphogenesis mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana L. we identified a T-DNA insertion within a type III J-protein AtDjC17 caused altered root hair development and reduced hair length. Root hairs were observed to develop from trichoblast and atrichoblast cell files in both Atdjc17 and 35S::AtDJC17. Localization of gene expression in the root using transgenic plants expressing proAtDjC17::GUS revealed constitutive expression in stele cells. No AtDJC17 expression was observed in epidermal, endodermal, or cortical layers. To explore the contrast between gene expression in the stele and epidermal phenotype, hand cut transverse sections of Atdjc17 roots were examined showing that the endodermal and cortical cell layers displayed increased anticlinal cell divisions. Aberrant cortical cell division in Atdjc17 is proposed as causal in ectopic root hair formation via the positional cue requirement that exists between cortical and epidermal cell in hair cell fate determination. Results indicate a requirement for AtDJC17 in position-dependent cell fate determination and illustrate an intriguing requirement for molecular co-chaperone activity during root development

Perception of medical students regarding E-learning during lockdown in COVID–19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in a medical college, North Kerala

Background: The digital learning in this pandemic era of COVID-19 evolved out in a perplexed environment as a viable alternative to offline or traditional classes. The e-learning carries its own merits as well as demerits, but however, this happened to be the only possible solution in this dreaded situation. With respect to medicos, as they are prone to be exposed to environments connected with Covid infected patients, additional care including online classes turned to be the better option. Aim and Objective: To determine the perception of medical students regarding e-learning during lockdown in COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students of all the batches in a private medical College, Kozhikode. Methods and Material: Primary data were collected using structured Google questionnaire. Stratified sampling method has been adopted and the sample size was 400. Statistical analysis used: Data analysed using SPSS 18 software. Results: Majority of the participants used Zoom as modality of learning and half of the total participants got adapted to the system over time. During e-learning sessions, most of the medicos expressed their concerns regarding lack of clinical exposure, in addition to their losses in social communication skills. Factors such as the legitimate requirements of clinical phase students, issues of poor internet connectivity and health problems were inclined to demand traditional learning, which were statistically significant. Conclusion: Even though they were subjected to both online and offline methods of education, majority of respondents preferred traditional learning

Bronchopulmonary malinosculation: a case report

Pulmonary malinosculation, which include a broad spectrum of disorders that involve abnormalities in one or more of the three main components of the lung, namely, the airways and lung parenchyma, arteries and veins. A case of bronchopulmonary malinosculation was presented due to its rarity