Ribonucleoprotein infrastructure regulating the flow of genetic information between the genome and the proteome

Following transcription and splicing, each mRNA of a mammalian cell passes into the cytoplasm where its fate is in the hands of a complex network of ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs). The success or failure of a gene to be expressed depends on the performance of this mRNP infrastructure. The entry, gating, processing, and transit of each mRNA through an mRNP network helps determine the composition of a cell's proteome. The machinery that regulates storage, turnover, and translational activation of mRNAs is not well understood, in part, because of the heterogeneous nature of mRNPs. Recently, subsets of cellular mRNAs clustered as members of mRNP complexes have been identified by using antibodies reactive with RNA-binding proteins, including ELAV/Hu, eIF-4E, and poly(A)-binding proteins. Cytoplasmic ELAV/Hu proteins are involved in the stability and translation of early response gene (ERG) transcripts and are expressed predominately in neurons. mRNAs recovered from ELAV/Hu mRNP complexes were found to have similar sequence elements, suggesting a common structural linkage among them. This approach opens the possibility of identifying transcripts physically clustered in vivo that may have similar fates or functions. Moreover, the proteins encoded by physically organized mRNAs may participate in the same biological process or structural outcome, not unlike operons and their polycistronic mRNAs do in prokaryotic organisms. Our goal is to understand the organization and flow of genetic information on an integrative systems level by analyzing the collective properties of proteins and mRNAs associated with mRNPs in vivo.

Considerações sobre os métodos de dimensionamento estrutural de pavimentos com camadas recicladas a frio com espuma de asfalto.

A reciclagem profunda com espuma de asfalto tem sido uma alternativa de sucesso para a restauração de pavimentos degradados. Em relação às soluções tradicionais de reabilitação, como os recapeamentos, tem a vantagem de proporcionar a correção de defeitos em camadas inferiores, com a manutenção ou pequena elevação do greide da pista, além de ganhos ambientais, como um menor consumo de materiais virgens da natureza e redução do volume de material descartado. Entretanto, no Brasil não há método para dimensionamento estrutural para esta tecnologia, o que dificulta seu emprego. Para o desenvolvimento de um procedimento de dimensionamento que contemple este tipo de solução, foram estudados métodos presentes na bibliografia internacional: guia da AASHTO de 1993 e Caltrans, dos EUA, TRL386 e TRL611, da Inglaterra, as duas versões do guia sul-africano TG2 e os métodos oriundos do Austroads, tanto o procedimento interino de 2011 como adaptações de órgãos da Austrália e Nova Zelândia. Observou-se divergência de opiniões quanto ao comportamento do material reciclado com espuma de asfalto. Alguns órgãos e autores consideram o comportamento do mesmo mais próximo às misturas asfálticas, sendo o mecanismo de falha o trincamento, e outros o definem como semelhante a um material granular modificado com alta coesão e ruptura devido às deformações permanentes. Correlaciona-se tal associação ao teor de espuma usualmente utilizado nas obras rodoviárias. Outros aspectos que se destacam para este tipo de base são o ganho de resistência ao longo do tempo devido à cura, mesmo com início da operação da rodovia e a importância da infraestrutura remanescente no dimensionamento. Tais fatos foram corroborados pelos estudos de caso e resultados do trecho experimental construído na Rodovia Ayrton Senna - SP 070, monitorado por meio de ensaios deflectométricos com FWD durante um ano. Como resultado do trabalho, foi proposto um procedimento para o dimensionamento estrutural de pavimentos com camadas recicladas a frio com espuma de asfalto utilizando dados deflectométricos que atende o método do Manual de Pavimentação do Departamento Nacional de Infraestrutura de Transportes (DNIT) e incorpora diferentes aspectos na análise mecanicista. Outras conclusões são a viabilidade técnica a longo prazo da solução mencionada e a importância do controle tecnológico, com ênfase para o monitoramento deflectométrico nos primeiros meses de operação do pavimento para averiguar a evolução da cura do material.

Improving Colorado Mountain Highway Culvert Stream Crossings for Trout Passage

Highways can be effective barriers to animal migration. Where highways cross over streams, a passageway, typically a culvert, not designed for fish access can cut off an organism from miles of habitat. Traditional methods of culvert design, to convey floodwaters, reduced access to aquatic and riparian range. The Colorado Department of Transportation likely has numerous culverts that restrict aquatic passage. This paper provides guidance to CDOT for assessment of stream geomorphic conditions affecting culvert performance for fish passage, understanding aquatic organism habitat requirements, and incorporating ecological parameters into culvert designs that benefit fish and other organisms. A case study illustrates culvert problems in a difficult geomorphic setting including a fish passage assessment to evaluate stream stability for long-term culvert reliability.

PCDD/F Emissions from Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles Operated under Highway Conditions and a Diesel-Engine Based Power Generator

PCDD/F emissions from three light-duty diesel vehicles–two vans and a passenger car–have been measured in on-road conditions. We propose a new methodology for small vehicles: a sample of exhaust gas is collected by means of equipment based on United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) method 23A for stationary stack emissions. The concentrations of O2, CO, CO2, NO, NO2 and SO2 have also been measured. Six tests were carried out at 90-100 km/h on a route 100 km long. Two additional tests were done during the first 10 minutes and the following 60 minutes of the run to assess the effect of the engine temperature on PCDD/F emissions. The emission factors obtained for the vans varied from 1800 to 8400 pg I-TEQ/Nm3 for a 2004 model year van and 490-580 pg I-TEQ/Nm3 for a 2006 model year van. Regarding the passenger car, one run was done in the presence of a catalyst and another without, obtaining emission factors (330-880 pg I-TEQ/Nm3) comparable to those of the modern van. Two other tests were carried out on a power generator leading to emission factors ranging from 31 to 78 pg I-TEQ/Nm3. All the results are discussed and compared with literature.

Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts, railway and highway map, 1883 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Railway and highway map of the famous Berkshire Hills region, showing also villages and points of interest, by Walter Watson, C.E. for the Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of Pittsfield, Mass., 1883. Scale [1:134,376]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (in Feet) (Fipszone 2001). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as main roads, railroads and railroad stations, drainage, mountains, schools, churches, cemeteries, town boundaries and more. Relief is shown by hachures and spot heights. Includes text and illustrations. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of Massachusetts from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates (1755-1922), scales, and purposes. The digitized selection includes maps of: the state, Massachusetts counties, town surveys, coastal features, real property, parks, cemeteries, railroads, roads, public works projects, etc.

Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts, railway and highway map, 1896 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Railway and highway map of the famous Berkshire Hills region : showing also villages and points of interest, by Walter Watson, C.E. for the Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of Pittsfield, Mass., 1883, corrected to 1896. Scale [1:134,376]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (in Feet) (Fipszone 2001). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as main roads, railroads and railroad stations, drainage, mountains, schools, churches, cemeteries, town boundaries and more. Relief is shown by hachures and spot heights. Includes text and illustrations. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of Massachusetts from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates (1755-1922), scales, and purposes. The digitized selection includes maps of: the state, Massachusetts counties, town surveys, coastal features, real property, parks, cemeteries, railroads, roads, public works projects, etc.

Electricity infrastructure: more border crossings or a borderless Europe? Bruegel Policy Contribution 2013/05, February 2013

Being able to transport electricity seamlessly across borders is essential for achieving three major European Union energy policy goals: (1) enabling competition between national energy companies, (2) cost-effective roll-out of renewables,and (3) security of supply. However, neither the market design nor the framework for infrastructure investment proposed by the European Commission is adequate for enabling free flows of electricity within the EU.