The trilingual Luxembourgish school system in historical perspective: progress or regress?

in Language, Culture and Curriculum (2012), 25(1), 3-15

New rights for internet users in the EU's data protection framework (data portability and the right to be forgotten and to erasure) -- legal challenges and technical limits

Scientific Conference (2012)

The Relative Informational Efficiency of Stocks, Options and Credit Default Swaps

Scientific Conference (2012)

Improving ancient DNA read mapping against modern reference genomes.

in BMC genomics (2012), 13

BACKGROUND: Next-Generation Sequencing has revolutionized our approach to ancient DNA (aDNA) research, by providing complete genomic sequences of ancient individuals and extinct species. However, the ... [more ▼]

BACKGROUND: Next-Generation Sequencing has revolutionized our approach to ancient DNA (aDNA) research, by providing complete genomic sequences of ancient individuals and extinct species. However, the recovery of genetic material from long-dead organisms is still complicated by a number of issues, including post-mortem DNA damage and high levels of environmental contamination. Together with error profiles specific to the type of sequencing platforms used, these specificities could limit our ability to map sequencing reads against modern reference genomes and therefore limit our ability to identify endogenous ancient reads, reducing the efficiency of shotgun sequencing aDNA. RESULTS: In this study, we compare different computational methods for improving the accuracy and sensitivity of aDNA sequence identification, based on shotgun sequencing reads recovered from Pleistocene horse extracts using Illumina GAIIx and Helicos Heliscope platforms. We show that the performance of the Burrows Wheeler Aligner (BWA), that has been developed for mapping of undamaged sequencing reads using platforms with low rates of indel-types of sequencing errors, can be employed at acceptable run-times by modifying default parameters in a platform-specific manner. We also examine if trimming likely damaged positions at read ends can increase the recovery of genuine aDNA fragments and if accurate identification of human contamination can be achieved using a strategy previously suggested based on best hit filtering. We show that combining our different mapping and filtering approaches can increase the number of high-quality endogenous hits recovered by up to 33%. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that Illumina and Helicos sequences recovered from aDNA extracts could not be aligned to modern reference genomes with the same efficiency unless mapping parameters are optimized for the specific types of errors generated by these platforms and by post-mortem DNA damage. Our findings have important implications for future aDNA research, as we define mapping guidelines that improve our ability to identify genuine aDNA sequences, which in turn could improve the genotyping accuracy of ancient specimens. Our framework provides a significant improvement to the standard procedures used for characterizing ancient genomes, which is challenged by contamination and often low amounts of DNA material. [less ▲]

Compte rendu de l'ouvrage \textquotedblRelire Madeleine Bourdouxhe. Regards croisés sur son œuvre littéraire\textquotedbl

in Textyles : Revue des Lettres Belges de Langue Française (2012), 42

Fluctuations and response from a Hatano and Sasa approach

in Physica Scripta (2012), 86(5), 058505

In this commentary paper, we present some of the main ideas on deriving a modified fluctuation-dissipation theorem off equilibrium, which in the end can all be related to an approach based on a ... [more ▼]

In this commentary paper, we present some of the main ideas on deriving a modified fluctuation-dissipation theorem off equilibrium, which in the end can all be related to an approach based on a generalized Hatano-Sasa relation. This generalized Hatano?Sasa relation also contains an interesting inequality, which can be viewed as a generalization of the second law of thermodynamics to transitions between non-equilibrium states. [less ▲]

Pervasive Gaming as a Potential Solution to Traffic Congestion: New Challenges Regarding Ethics, Privacy and Trust

in Entertainment Computing - ICEC 2012 (2012)

The following paper presents a review of the ethical, privacy and trust aspects relating to pervasive gaming in particular within the domain of traffic congestion. The paper deals explicitly with the ... [more ▼]

The following paper presents a review of the ethical, privacy and trust aspects relating to pervasive gaming in particular within the domain of traffic congestion. The paper deals explicitly with the challenges involved that fall between the gaps standard ethical practice and scientific research when studies comprise of those in the lab (where collection and use is heavily controlled) and those which take place in the wild where there is the requirement to share data possibly with external parties. Also where the nature of such work is at the borders of the concept of traditional study and a commercial running prototype. [less ▲]

Sahara, terre féconde (1933) A Missionary Film Directed by White Father Félix Dufays

in Kmec, Sonja; Thill, Viviane (Eds.) Tourists and Nomads. Amateur Images of Migration (2012)

Eine Kurzskala zur Messung von Impulsivität nach dem UPPS-Ansatz: Die Skala Impulsives-Verhalten-8 (I-8)

Report (2012)

Kurzskala zur Messung des zwischenmenschlichen Vertrauens: Die Kurzskala Interpersonales Vertrauen (KUSIV3)

Report (2012)