Data Ownership

The rapid expansion of the data economy raises serious questions about who “owns” data and what data “ownership” entails. In most jurisdictions, data that are kept confidential can be protected as confidential information. However, such data are vulnerable to exposure through hacking or leaking by third parties. In many instances, significant stores of data cannot be kept confidential, and protection must be sought elsewhere. Copyright law has long treated facts as being in the public domain, but will provide protection for compilations of facts that meet the threshold for “originality.” Such protection is considered to be “thin,” as it does not extend to the underlying facts, applying only to their original selection or arrangement. In the European Union, database rights offer a more robust protection for compilations of data, but they also fall short when it comes to protecting the facts that make up such compilations

Effect of antibiotics against Mycoplasma sp. on human embryonic stem cells undifferentiated status, pluripotency, cell viability and growth

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are self-renewing pluripotent cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and hold great promise as models for human development and disease studies, cell-replacement therapies, drug discovery and in vitro cytotoxicity tests. The culture and differentiation of these cells are both complex and expensive, so it is essential to extreme aseptic conditions. hESCs are susceptible to Mycoplasma sp. infection, which is hard to detect and alters stem cell-associated properties. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficacy and cytotoxic effect of PlasmocinTM and ciprofloxacin (specific antibiotics used for Mycoplasma sp. eradication) on hESCs. Mycoplasma sp. infected HUES-5 884 (H5 884, stable hESCs H5-brachyury promoter-GFP line) cells were effectively cured with a 14 days PlasmocinTM 25 µg/ml treatment (curative treatment) while maintaining stemness characteristic features. Furthermore, cured H5 884 cells exhibit the same karyotype as the parental H5 line and expressed GFP, through up-regulation of brachyury promoter, at day 4 of differentiation onset. Moreover, H5 cells treated with ciprofloxacin 10 µg/ml for 14 days (mimic of curative treatment) and H5 and WA09 (H9) hESCs treated with PlasmocinTM 5 µg/ml (prophylactic treatment) for 5 passages retained hESCs features, as judged by the expression of stemness-related genes (TRA1-60, TRA1-81, SSEA-4, Oct-4, Nanog) at mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the presence of specific markers of the three germ layers (brachyury, Nkx2.5 and cTnT: mesoderm; AFP: endoderm; nestin and Pax-6: ectoderm) was verified in in vitro differentiated antibiotic-treated hESCs. In conclusion, we found that PlasmocinTM and ciprofloxacin do not affect hESCs stemness and pluripotency nor cell viability. However, curative treatments slightly diminished cell growth rate. This cytotoxic effect was reversible as cells regained normal growth rate upon antibiotic withdrawal.Fil: Romorini, Leonardo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Riva, Diego Ariel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bluguermann, Carolina. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Videla Guillermo, Richardson. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; ArgentinaFil: Scassa, Maria Elida. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Miriuka, Santiago Gabriel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia. Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Specific Preferences in Lineage Choice and Phenotypic Plasticity of Glioma Stem Cells Under BMP4 and Noggin Influence

Although BMP4-induced differentiation of glioma stem cells (GSCs) is well recognized, details of the cellular responses triggered by this morphogen are still poorly defined. In this study, we established several GSC-enriched cell lines (GSC-ECLs) from high-grade gliomas. The expansion of these cells as adherent monolayers, and not as floating neurospheres, enabled a thorough study of the phenotypic changes that occurred during their differentiation. Herein, we evaluated GSC-ECLs' behavior toward differentiating conditions by depriving them of growth factors and/or by adding BMP4 at different concentrations. After analyzing cellular morphology, proliferation and lineage marker expression, we determined that GSC-ECLs have distinct preferences in lineage choice, where some of them showed an astrocyte fate commitment and others a neuronal one. We found that this election seems to be dictated by the expression pattern of BMP signaling components present in each GSC-ECL. Additionally, treatment of GSC-ECLs with the BMP antagonist, Noggin, also led to evident phenotypic changes. Interestingly, under certain conditions, some GSC-ECLs adopted an unexpected smooth muscle-like phenotype. As a whole, our findings illustrate the wide differentiation potential of GSCs, highlighting their molecular complexity and paving a way to facilitate personalized differentiating therapies.Fil: Videla Richardson, Guillermo Agustín. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Carolina Paola. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Roisman, Alejandro. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Slavutsky, Irma Rosa. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Espinosa, Damian Dario. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Romorini, Leonardo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Miriuka, Santiago Gabriel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Arakaki, Naomi. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Martinetto, Horacio Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Scassa, Maria Elida. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Sevlever, Gustavo Emilio. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentin

αSynuclein control of mitochondrial homeostasis in human-derived neurons is disrupted by mutations associated with Parkinson’s disease

The etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) converges on a common pathogenic pathway of mitochondrial defects in which α-Synuclein (αSyn) is thought to play a role. However, the mechanisms by which αSyn and its disease-associated allelic variants cause mitochondrial dysfunction remain unknown. Here, we analyzed mitochondrial axonal transport and morphology in human-derived neurons overexpressing wild-type (WT) αSyn or the mutated variants A30P or A53T, which are known to have differential lipid affinities. A53T αSyn was enriched in mitochondrial fractions, inducing significant mitochondrial transport defects and fragmentation, while milder defects were elicited by WT and A30P. We found that αSyn-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation was linked to expression levels in WT and A53T variants. Targeted delivery of WT and A53T αSyn to the outer mitochondrial membrane further increased fragmentation, whereas A30P did not. Genomic editing to disrupt the N-terminal domain of αSyn, which is important for membrane association, resulted in mitochondrial elongation without changes in fusion-fission protein levels, suggesting that αSyn plays a direct physiological role in mitochondrial size maintenance. Thus, we demonstrate that the association of αSyn with the mitochondria, which is modulated by protein mutation and dosage, influences mitochondrial transport and morphology, highlighting its relevance in a common pathway impaired in PD.Fil: Pozo Devoto, Victorio Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Dimopoulos, Nicolás. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alloatti, Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Pardi, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Saez, Trinidad María de Los Milagros. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Cromberg, Lucas Eneas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Marin Burgin, Antonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Scassa, Maria Elida. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Stokin, Gorazd B.. Anne’s University Hospital; República ChecaFil: Schinder, Alejandro Fabián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Falzone, Tomas Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; Argentin

Moving on From the Ombuds Model for Data Protection in Canada

Both the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Privacy Act adopt an ombuds model when it comes to addressing complaints by members of the public. This model is also present in other data protection laws, including public sector data protection laws at the provincial level, as well as personal health information protection legislation. The focus of this short paper is the model adopted in PIPEDA and its ongoing suitability. PIPEDA was designed to apply across the full range of private sector actors and is increasingly under strain in the big data society. These factors may make it less well suited to the ombuds model than public sector and health sector data protection laws. This paper argues that it is time to move on from the ombuds model for data protection in Canada. This will not simply require the addition of new enforcement powers for the Privacy Commissioner, but will also entail a more substantial reform of PIPEDA

Recalibrating Copyright Law?: A Comment on the Supreme Court of Canada\u27s Decision in CCH Canadian Limited et al. v. Law Society of Upper Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous decision in CCH Canadian Ltd. et. al. v. Law Society of Upper Canada marks a second recent decision by the Court that has major implications for the development of copyright law in Canada. In Théberge v. Galerie D’Art du Petit Champlain, the majority of the Court provided a significant articulation of the balance to be struck between the rights of creators and the rights of users of copyright-protected works. In doing so, it embraced an approach to copyright typical of U.S. copyright law in its heyday. The unanimous Court in CCH Canadian makes it clear that Théberge was not an isolated case; in an area of law where Parliament has been strongly lobbied to restrict users’ rights, the Court seems poised to take an interpretive approach that places limits on the scope of the rights of owners of copyright. In CCH Canadian, the Court does this on a number of fronts. The decision sets a new standard for originality in Canadian copyright law, reigns in the scope of certain acts of infringement in the technological context, and signals an open and expansive approach to interpreting the fair dealing defences

Information Privacy in Public Space: Location Data, Data Protection and the Reasonable Expectation of Privacy

This article considers whether the permissive disclosure provisions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and its substantially similar counterparts mean that law enforcement agents have ready access to information about our movements and activities, or whether s. 8 of the Charter plays a role in limiting the circumstances in which disclosure without notice or consent may take place

Privacy and Publicly Available Personal Information

This article begins with a review of the structure of PIPEDA in order to situate the exception within its statutory context. This is followed by a detailed consideration of the exception for publicly available information. The article then offers a discussion of whether the scope of this exception should be expanded, and offers an alternative

The Best Things in Law are Free?: Towards Quality Free Public Access to Primary Legal Materials in Canada

In this article the author explores the move in several jurisdictions towards providing primary legal materials online without charge. In Canada the federal government, most provincial governments and many courts currently provide some form of online access to primary legal materials. However, this is not done in a unified, comprehensive or systematic manner. The author evaluates the legal information institute model as it has emerged in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and considers whether such a model would be useful or workable in Canada. In the course of this assessment, the author canvasses such issues as the public fo r primary legal materials, the meaning of access to such materials, the problems of Crown copyright, information monopolies and the normative implications of freeing the law