Is Polyinstantation Morally Blameworthy?

In the area of database/computer security the problem of polyinstantiation is widely recognized. The research on polyinstantiation can be considered morally questionable, since it involves lying. This paper analyses whether the research and practice on the problem of polyinstantiation is morally blameworthy or praiseworthy in a general sense. The morality of polyinstantiation shall be critically analysed from the viewpoint of a moral philosophical framework. The moral philosophical framework used includes 1) Kantian ethics, 2) the impartial universality thesis advocated by Hare, Rawls, Gewirth, Jewish- Christian ethics, and Confucian ethics, 3) utilitarianism, and 4) Theory of Information Ethics (IE) by Floridi. The result of this analysis suggests that polyinstantiation is morally questionable, at least in the light of the chosen moral philosophical theories. The aim of the paper is not, however, to deem polyinstantiation as morally wrong altogether, but to provide researchers and practitioners with tools and insights for analysing the morality of polyinstantiation in different cases. Moreover, this paper sheds new light on the relevance of IE. The results suggest that, as far as polyinstantiation is concerned, traditional theories seem to be at least as adequate as IE

Teaching End-User Ethics: Issues and a Solution Based on Universalizability

The ethical aspects of computing are increasingly being taught and written about in professional information systems education in universities. However, the ever-increasing role and use of computer technology means that computer ethics education related to computing is also necessary for non-professional/non-major computing/information systems students. Owing to the differences between professional and non-professional education, end-users need a different computer ethics program. First, this paper explores some of the issues (goals, challenges and problems to overcome) in end-user ethics teaching. Second, it proposes a solution based on the concept of universalizability. Third, the paper argues that the universalizability thesis is a proper tool for end-user education. Finally it demonstrates, with the help of three cases, how the solution chosen can be used to solve the issues identified and to educate end-users

Collaboration in Software Development: Lesson Learned from Two Large Multinational Organizations

Collaborative software development, through inter-organizational collaboration or outsourcing, has become increasingly attractive for organizations. However, little is known about the problems associated with collaboration. Therefore, organizations engaging in collaboration need to be aware of the potential pitfalls involved. For this purpose, this study explores problems and important factors for successful collaboration in relation to inter-organizational collaboration in software development in Nokia and Philips. The problems in collaborative software development were communication, unclear agreements, security policy issues, inflexibility over changes, adaptation to the environment, team coordination, misunderstanding of the goals, lack of human resources, difficulties monitoring the work, and commitment. The results suggest that the success factors of collaborative software development are effective communication, careful preparation, technical experts, managers and legal experts involved in contract negotiations, a clear understanding of cultural differences, clear specifications, logical architecture, efficient information distribution between the parties, and the right competences

Structure and evolution of the magnetochrome domains: no longer alone

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) can swim along Earth's magnetic field lines, thanks to the alignment of dedicated cytoplasmic organelles. These organelles, termed magnetosomes, are proteolipidic vesicles filled by a 35–120 nm crystal of either magnetite or greigite. The formation and alignment of magnetosomes are mediated by a group of specific genes, the mam genes, encoding the magnetosome-associated proteins. The whole process of magnetosome biogenesis can be divided into four sequential steps; (i) cytoplasmic membrane invagination, (ii) magnetosomes alignment, (iii) iron crystal nucleation and (iv) species-dependent mineral size and shape control. Since both magnetite and greigite are a mix of iron (III) and iron (II), iron redox state management within the magnetosome vesicle is a key issue. Recently, studies have started pointing out the importance of a MTB-specific c-type cytochrome domain found in several magnetosome-associated proteins (MamE, P, T, and X). This magnetochrome (MCR) domain is almost always found in tandem, and this tandem is either found alone (MamT), in combination with a PDZ domain (MamP), a domain of unknown function (MamX) or with a trypsin combined to one or two PDZ domains (MamE). By taking advantage of new genomic data available on MTB and a recent structural study of MamP, which helped define the MCR domain boundaries, we attempt to retrace the evolutionary history within and between the different MCR-containing proteins. We propose that the observed tandem repeat of MCR is the result of a convergent evolution and attempt to explain why this domain is rarely found alone

Bacterial Genes Encoding Resistance Against Antibiotics and Metals in Well-Maintained Drinking Water Distribution Systems in Finland

Information on the co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) among bacterial communities in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) is scarce. This study characterized ARGs and MRGs in five well-maintained DWDSs in Finland. The studied DWDSs had different raw water sources and treatment methods. Two of the waterworks employed artificially recharged groundwater (ARGW) and used no disinfection in the treatment process. The other three waterworks (two surface and one groundwater source) used UV light and chlorine during the treatment process. Ten bulk water samples (two from each DWDS) were collected, and environmental DNA was extracted and then sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform for high-throughput shotgun metagenome sequencing. A total of 430 ARGs were characterized among all samples with the highest diversity of ARGs identified from samples collected from non-disinfected DWDSs. Furthermore, non-disinfected DWDSs contained the highest diversity of bacterial communities. However, samples from DWDSs using disinfectants contained over double the ratio of ARG reads to 16S rRNA gene reads and most of the MRG (namely mercury and arsenic resistance genes). The total reads and types of ARGs conferring genes associated with antibiotic groups namely multidrug resistance, and bacitracin, beta-lactam, and aminoglycoside and mercury resistance genes increased in waterworks treating surface water with disinfection. The findings of this study contribute toward a comprehensive understanding of ARGs and MRGs in DWDSs. The occurrence of bacteria carrying antibiotic or metal resistance genes in drinking water causes direct exposure to people, and thus, more systematic investigation is needed to decipher the potential effect of these resistomes on human health.Peer reviewe

A comparative analysis employing a gene- and genome-centric metagenomic approach reveals changes in composition, function, and activity in waterworks with different treatment processes and source water in Finland

The emergence and development of next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) has made the analysis of the water microbiome in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) more accessible and opened new perspectives in microbial ecology studies. The current study focused on the characterization of the water microbiome employing a gene- and genome-centric metagenomic approach to five waterworks in Finland with different raw water sources, treatment methods, and disinfectant. The microbial communities exhibit a distribution pattern of a few dominant taxa and a large representation of low-abundance bacterial species. Changes in the community structure may correspond to the presence or absence and type of disinfectant residual which indicates that these conditions exert selective pressure on the microbial community. The Archaea domain represented a small fraction (up to 2.5%) and seemed to be effectively controlled by the disinfection of water. Their role particularly in non-disinfected DWDS may be more important than previously considered. In general, non-disinfected DWDSs harbor higher microbial richness and maintaining disinfectant residual is significantly important for ensuring low microbial numbers and diversity. Metagenomic binning recovered 139 (138 bacterial and 1 archaeal) metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that had a >50% completeness andPeer reviewe

Towards a taxonomy of process quality characteristics for assessment

Previous assessment of process quality have focused on process capability (i.e. the ability of a process to meet its stated goals). This paper proposes a taxonomy of alternative process quality characteristics based on intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes. The ultimate goal of this taxonomy is to provide a framework to conduct process assessments using different process quality aspects. Such a framework would considerably broaden process quality perspectives beyond the primary measure of process capability. It would also allow practitioners to identify and evaluate relevant quality characteristics for processes based on specific contexts and implications. For the process assessment model developers, it offers a list of process quality characteristics that could be used to develop relevant process measurement frameworks

Bacterial diversity and predicted enzymatic function in a multipurpose surface water system – from wastewater effluent discharges to drinking water production

Funding Information: The authors would like to express special acknowledgment to the CONPAT research team at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finnish Environment Institute, and VATT Institute for Economic Research. Special thanks go to Tiina Heiskanen and Laura Wessels for extracting the nucleic acids. The Water Protection Association of the River Kokem?enjoki (KVVY) is acknowledged for surface water and wastewater sampling. Funding Information: Academy of Finland (grant number 263451) and Kaute Foundation (grant number 20190366) are acknowledged for providing funds for the project establishment and manuscript writing, respectively. Funding Information: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. This work was in part supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of the agency; therefore, no official endorsement should be inferred. Any mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Background Rivers and lakes are used for multiple purposes such as for drinking water (DW) production, recreation, and as recipients of wastewater from various sources. The deterioration of surface water quality with wastewater is well-known, but less is known about the bacterial community dynamics in the affected surface waters. Understanding the bacterial community characteristics -from the source of contamination, through the watershed to the DW production process-may help safeguard human health and the environment. Results The spatial and seasonal dynamics of bacterial communities, their predicted functions, and potential health-related bacterial (PHRB) reads within the Kokemaenjoki River watershed in southwest Finland were analyzed with the 16S rRNA-gene amplicon sequencing method. Water samples were collected from various sampling points of the watershed, from its major pollution sources (sewage influent and effluent, industrial effluent, mine runoff) and different stages of the DW treatment process (pre-treatment, groundwater observation well, DW production well) by using the river water as raw water with an artificial groundwater recharge (AGR). The beta-diversity analysis revealed that bacterial communities were highly varied among sample groups (R = 0.92, p = 13%) than in other groups (= 13%) than in others (Peer reviewe