Transformativeness in the Age of Mass Digitization

(Excerpt) This Note examines and ultimately argues against the expansion of transformativeness in verbatim-copying cases, given the implications it will have as more copyrighted works are digitized. Part I discusses the background and objectives of the Copyright Act, the fair use exception, and the rise of the transformativeness subfactor. Part II provides a summary of some predigitization fair use cases to establish some basic principles about how courts have ruled on transformativeness. Part III examines relevant cases recently decided on the question of transformativeness in the context of mass digitization. Part IV critiques the ways courts have arrived at their holdings, specifically in overemphasizing societal benefits as a measure of transformativeness and overstating the facts of certain cases to find a transformative purpose or character where one may not exist. This section will also offer a more appropriate analysis that courts should follow in determining whether certain cases of verbatim-copying and digitization are transformative. Finally, it will discuss some possible licensing options to abate the judicial expansion of transformativeness

Transformativeness in the Age of Mass Digitization

(Excerpt) This Note examines and ultimately argues against the expansion of transformativeness in verbatim-copying cases, given the implications it will have as more copyrighted works are digitized. Part I discusses the background and objectives of the Copyright Act, the fair use exception, and the rise of the transformativeness subfactor. Part II provides a summary of some predigitization fair use cases to establish some basic principles about how courts have ruled on transformativeness. Part III examines relevant cases recently decided on the question of transformativeness in the context of mass digitization. Part IV critiques the ways courts have arrived at their holdings, specifically in overemphasizing societal benefits as a measure of transformativeness and overstating the facts of certain cases to find a transformative purpose or character where one may not exist. This section will also offer a more appropriate analysis that courts should follow in determining whether certain cases of verbatim-copying and digitization are transformative. Finally, it will discuss some possible licensing options to abate the judicial expansion of transformativeness

L'enseignement de l'évolution dans les manuels scolaires de huit pays riverains de la Méditerranée

The topic Evolution strongly differs among the school textbooks of biology in eight Mediterranean countries. In Algeria and Lebanon, it is not (or no more) present. In Morocco also, but it is just now reintroduced (nevertheless without the human origin). Poorly taught in Tunisia, the topic is more present in Cyprus and Malta, and even more in Italian and French textbooks. When it is present, we identified some implicit values as anthropocentrism, goal-ended evolution, occidentalism and dogmatism.Les manuels scolaires de biologie de huit pays méditerranéens abordent le thème de l'évolution de façon très différente. En Algérie et au Liban, il n'est pas ou plus traité. En Tunisie, le thème est traité en Terminale, mais sans chapitre spécifique à l'évolution humaine. Au Maroc, l'évolution vient d'être réintroduite en Terminale, sans l'évolution humaine. Le thème est plus largement couvert à Chypre et à Malte, et surtout en Italie et en France. Quand il est abordé, on y retrouve des valeurs implicites telles que l'anthropocentrisme, le finalisme, l'occidentalisme, le dogmatism

L'insegnamento dell'evoluzione nei manuali scolastici di otto paesi costieri del Mediterraneo

I manuali scolastici di biologia di otto paesi mediterranei affrontano il tema dell'evoluzione in modi molto differenti. In Algeria e in Libano, l'argomento non viene trattato o non più. In Tunisia, il tema è trattato nella classe terminale (ovvero nell'ultima classe del Liceo n.d.R.), ma senza un capitolo specifico sull'evoluzione umana. In Maroccco, l'evoluzione è stata appena reintrodotta in classe terminale ma senza l'evoluzione umana. Il tema è più ampiamente coperto a Cipro e a Malta, e sopratutto in Italia e in Francia. Quando esso è affrontato, vi si individuano dei valori impliciti come l'antropocentrismo, il finalismo, l'occidentalismo, il dogmatismo

Creationist conceptions of primary and secondary school teachers in nineteen countries

Our work is the first international comparison of teachers' conceptions on Evolution / Creation, using several questions on precise and large samples to identify the importance of creationist ideas in the context of their national, religious, economic, cultural and political backgrounds. This research concerns 19 countries: 13 in Europe, 5 in Africa and one in Middle East: 7050 teachers filled out a questionnaire including several questions on Evolution vs. Creation. Half of them are in-service teachers, the other being at the last year of University before teaching. They are teaching in Primary Schools as well as in Secondary Schools (Biology, or Language). The percentages of teachers' radical creationist conceptions differ more from one country to another (from 2% to 90%) than among religions inside each country. There are some, but not so important, differences between Biology teachers and other teachers. The teachers' conceptions also differ with the level of teacher training: more they are instructed (in any matter), more they are evolutionist.European project FP6 “Biohead-Citizen” CIT2-CT-2004-506015. CIFPEC/CIEC - unidade de investigação 644/317 da FCT.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - CIFPEC/CIEC - unidade de investigação 644/317 da FCT

New insights on the mechanism of quinoline-based DNA methyltransferase inhibitors

Among the epigenetic marks, DNA methylation is one of the most studied. It is highly deregulated in numerous diseases, including cancer. Indeed, it has been shown that hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes promoters is a common feature of cancer cells. Because DNA methylation is reversible, the DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), responsible for this epigenetic mark, are considered promising therapeutic targets. Several molecules have been identified as DNMT inhibitors and, among the non-nucleoside inhibitors, 4-aminoquinoline-based inhibitors, such as SGI-1027 and its analogs, showed potent inhibitory activity. Here we characterized the in vitro mechanism of action of SGI-1027 and two analogs. Enzymatic competition studies with the DNA substrate and the methyl donor cofactor, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet), displayed AdoMet non-competitive and DNA competitive behavior. In addition, deviations from the Michaelis-Menten model in DNA competition experiments suggested an interaction with DNA. Thus their ability to interact with DNA was established; although SGI-1027 was a weak DNA ligand, analog 5, the most potent inhibitor, strongly interacted with DNA. Finally, as 5 interacted with DNMT only when the DNA duplex was present, we hypothesize that this class of chemical compounds inhibit DNMTs by interacting with the DNA substrate