Morphology, testes development and behaviour of unusual triploid males in microchromosome-carrying clones of Poecilia formosa.

In a microchromosome-carrying laboratory stock of the normally all-female Amazon molly Poecilia formosa triploid individuals were obtained, all of which spontaneously developed into males. A comparison of morphology of the external and internal insemination apparatus and the gonads, sperm ploidy and behaviour, to laboratory-bred F(1) hybrids revealed that the triploid P. formosa males, though producing mostly aneuploid sperm, are partly functional males that differ mainly in sperm maturation and sexual motivation from gonochoristic P. formosa males.

EGASP: the human ENCODE Genome Annotation Assessment Project.

BACKGROUND: We present the results of EGASP, a community experiment to assess the state-of-the-art in genome annotation within the ENCODE regions, which span 1% of the human genome sequence. The experiment had two major goals: the assessment of the accuracy of computational methods to predict protein coding genes; and the overall assessment of the completeness of the current human genome annotations as represented in the ENCODE regions. For the computational prediction assessment, eighteen groups contributed gene predictions. We evaluated these submissions against each other based on a 'reference set' of annotations generated as part of the GENCODE project. These annotations were not available to the prediction groups prior to the submission deadline, so that their predictions were blind and an external advisory committee could perform a fair assessment. RESULTS: The best methods had at least one gene transcript correctly predicted for close to 70% of the annotated genes. Nevertheless, the multiple transcript accuracy, taking into account alternative splicing, reached only approximately 40% to 50% accuracy. At the coding nucleotide level, the best programs reached an accuracy of 90% in both sensitivity and specificity. Programs relying on mRNA and protein sequences were the most accurate in reproducing the manually curated annotations. Experimental validation shows that only a very small percentage (3.2%) of the selected 221 computationally predicted exons outside of the existing annotation could be verified. CONCLUSION: This is the first such experiment in human DNA, and we have followed the standards established in a similar experiment, GASP1, in Drosophila melanogaster. We believe the results presented here contribute to the value of ongoing large-scale annotation projects and should guide further experimental methods when being scaled up to the entire human genome sequence.

Report on a review of selected general and application controls for the Iowa Department of Education’s Electronic Access System for Iowa Education Records (EASIER) system for the period April 4 through May 10, 2011

Report on a review of selected general and application controls for the Iowa Department of Education’s Electronic Access System for Iowa Education Records (EASIER) system for the period April 4 through May 10, 2011

Static dipole polarizability of alkali-metal clusters: Electronic exchange and correlation effects

Nonlocal approximations for the electronic exchange and correlation effects are used to compute, within density-functional theory, the polarizability and surface-plasma frequencies of small jelliumlike alkali-metal clusters. The results are compared with those obtained using the local-density approximation and with available experimental data, showing the relevance of these effects in obtaining an accurate description of the surface response of metallic clusters.

Multipole surface-plasmon modes on simple metals

The average multipole surface-plasmon energy for simple metals, as well as that of ordinary surface and bulk plasmons, is obtained using energy-weighted moments of the electronic response to sufficiently general external perturbations. A local approximation of exchange and correlation effects is used within a jellium model. Band-structure effects are incorporated through an effective electronic mass. Taking advantage of the transparency of the method, we analyze under what circumstances such modes might be observable. It is shown that due to an interplay between Coulomb and kinetic energies, the multipole modes become unobservable for increasing values of the transferred momentum (q) parallel to the surface. The value of q at which the multipole mode becomes unobservable is much smaller than the cutoff value for Landau damping. The effect of the electronic surface diffuseness is also analyzed. We compare our results with previous density-functional calculations and with recent experimental data for Na, K, and Cs.

Evaluation of Electronic Speed Limit Signs on US 30, September, 2011

This study documents the speed reduction impacts of two dynamic, electronic school zone speed limit signs at United Community Schools between Ames and Boone, Iowa. The school facility is situated along US Highway 30, a rural four-lane divided expressway. Due to concerns about high speeds in the area, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) decided to replace the original static school zone speed limit signs, which had flashing beacons during school start and dismissal times (Figure 1), with electronic speed signs that only display the reduced school speed limit of 55 mph during school arrival and dismissal times (Figure 2). The Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) at Iowa State University (ISU) conducted a speed evaluation study one week before and 1 month, 7 months, and 14 or 15 months after the new signs were installed. Overall, the new dynamic school zone speed limit signs were more effective in reducing speeds than the original static signs with flashing beacons in the 1 month after period. During the 7 and 14 month after period, speeds increased slightly for the eastbound direction of traffic. However, the increases were consistent with overall speed increases that occurred independent of the signs. The dynamic, electronic signs were effective for the westbound direction of traffic for all time periods and for both start and dismissal times. Even though only modest changes in mean and 85th percentile speeds occurred, with the speed decreases, the number of vehicles exceeding the school speed limit decreased significantly, indicating the signs had a significant impact on high-end speeders.

Electronic structure of few-electron concentric double quantum rings

The ground state structure of few-electron concentric double quantum rings is investigated within the local spin density approximation. Signatures of inter-ring coupling in the addition energy spectrum are identified and discussed. We show that the electronic configurations in these structures can be greatly modulated by the inter-ring distance: At short and long distances the low-lying electron states localize in the inner and outer rings, respectively, and the energy structure is essentially that of an isolated single quantum ring. However, at intermediate distances the electron states localized in the inner and the outer ring become quasidegenerate and a rather entangled, strongly-correlated system is formed.

Review of the Department of Natural Resources Parks Reservation System and the Electronic Licensing System for Iowa for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2011

Review of the Department of Natural Resources Parks Reservation System and the Electronic Licensing System for Iowa for the period July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2011

Relaxation times in a bistable system with parametric, white noise: Theory and experiment

We consider the effects of external, multiplicative white noise on the relaxation time of a general representation of a bistable system from the points of view provided by two, quite different, theoretical approaches: the classical Stratonovich decoupling of correlations and the new method due to Jung and Risken. Experimental results, obtained from a bistable electronic circuit, are compared to the theoretical predictions. We show that the phenomenon of critical slowing down appears as a function of the noise parameters, thereby providing a correct characterization of a noise-induced transition.

External dichotomous noise: The problem of the mean-first-passage time

A retarded backward equation for a non-Markovian process induced by dichotomous noise (the random telegraphic signal) is deduced. The mean-first-passage time of this process is exactly obtained. The Gaussian white noise and the white shot noise limits are studied. Explicit physical results in first approximation are evaluated.

Effects of external noise on the Swift-Hohenberg Equation

The Swift-Hohenberg equation is studied in the presence of a multiplicative noise. This stochastic equation could describe a situation in which a noise has been superimposed on the temperature gradient between the two plates of a Rayleigh-Bnard cell. A linear stability analysis and numerical simulations show that, in constrast to the additive-noise case, convective structures appear in a regime in which a deterministic analysis predicts a homogeneous solution.

Electronic Construction Collaboration System – Phase III, December 2011

This phase of the electronic collaboration project involved two major efforts: 1) implementation of AEC Sync (formerly known as Attolist), a web-based project management system (WPMS), on the Broadway Viaduct Bridge Project and the Iowa Falls Arch Bridge Project and 2) development of a web-based project management system for bridge and highway construction projects with less than $10 million in contract value. During the previous phase of this project (fiscal year 2010), the research team helped with the implementation process for AEC Sync and collected feedback from the Broadway Viaduct project team members before the start of the project. During the 2011 fiscal year, the research team collected the post-project surveys from the Broadway Viaduct project members and compared them to the pre-project survey results. The results of the AEC Sync implementation on the Broadway project were positive. The project members were satisfied with the performance of the AEC Sync software and how it facilitated document management and its transparency. In addition, the research team distributed, collected, and analyzed the pre-project surveys for the Iowa Falls Arch Bridge Project. The implementation of AEC Sync for the Iowa Falls Arch Bridge Project appears to also be positive, based on the pre-project surveys. The fourth phase of this electronic collaboration project involves the identification and implementation of a WPMS solution for smaller bridge and highway projects. The workflow for the shop drawing approval process for sign truss projects was documented and used to identify possible WPMS solutions. After testing and evaluating several WPMS solutions, Microsoft SharePoint Foundation’s site pages were selected to be pilot-tested on sign truss projects. Due to the limitation on the SharePoint license that the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has, a file transfer protocol (FTP) site will be developed alongside this site to allow contractors to upload shop drawings to the Iowa DOT. The SharePoint site pages are expected to be ready for implementation during the 2012 calendar year.

External Fluctuations in Front Propagation

We study the effects of external noise in a one-dimensional model of front propagation. Noise is introduced through the fluctuations of a control parameter leading to a multiplicative stochastic partial differential equation. Analytical and numerical results for the front shape and velocity are presented. The linear-marginal-stability theory is found to increase its range of validity in the presence of external noise. As a consequence noise can stabilize fronts not allowed by the deterministic equation.

Interfacial instability induced by external fluctuations

The dynamics of an interface separating the two coexistent phases of a binary system in the presence of external fluctuations in temperature is studied. An interfacial instability is obtained for an interface that would be stable in the absence of fluctuations or in the presence of internal fluctuations. Analytical stability analysis and numerical simulations are in accordance with an explanation of these effects in terms of a quenchlike instability induced by fluctuations.