Carboxyl terminus structural requirements for glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor addition to cell surface proteins.

Glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins contain in their COOH-terminal region a peptide segment that is thought to direct glycolipid addition. This signal has been shown to require a pair of small amino acids positioned 10-12 residues upstream of an hydrophobic C-terminal domain. We analysed the contribution of the region separating the anchor acceptor site and the C-terminal hydrophobic segment by introducing amino acid deletions and substitutions in the spacer element of the GPI-anchored Thy-1 glycoprotein. Deletions of 7 amino acids in this region, as well as the introduction of 2 charged residues, prevented the glycolipid addition to Thy-1, suggesting that the length and the primary sequence of the spacer domain are important determinants in the signal directing GPI anchor transfer onto a newly synthesized polypeptide. Furthermore, we tested these rules by creating a truncated form of the normally transmembranous Herpes simplex virus I glycoprotein D (gDI) and demonstrating that when its C-terminal region displays all the features of a GPI-anchored protein, it is able to direct glycolipid addition onto another cell surface molecule.

2009 Iowa’s Rail System Background Prepared by the Office of Systems Planning December 2010

Iowa’s Rail Environment Iowa’s rail transportation system provides both freight and passenger service. Rail serves a variety of trips, including those within Iowa and those to other states as well as to foreign markets. While rail competes with other modes, it also cooperates with those modes to provide intermodal services to Iowans. In 2009 Iowa’s rail transportation system could be described as follows: Freight Iowa’s 130,000-mile freight transportation system includes an extensive railroad network, a well-developed highway system, two bordering navigable waterways, and a pipeline network as well as air cargo facilities. While rail accounts for only 3 percent of the freight network, it carries 43 percent of Iowa’s freight tonnage. A great variety of commodities ranging from fresh fish to textiles to optical products are moved by rail. However, most of the Iowa rail shipments consist of bulk commodities, including grain, grain products, coal, ethanol, and fertilizers. The railroad network performs an important role in moving bulk commodities produced and consumed in the state to local processors, livestock feeders, river terminals and ports for foreign export. The railroad’s ability to haul large volumes, long distances at low costs will continue to be a major factor in moving freight and improving the economy of Iowa. Key 2008 Facts • 3,945 miles of track • 18 railroads • 49.5 million tons shipped • 39.7 million tons received • 2 Amtrak routes • 6 Amtrak stations • 66,286 rail passenger rides Key Rail Trends • slightly fewer miles being operated; • railroads serving Iowa has remained the same; • more rail freight traffic; • more tons hauled per car; • higher average rail rates per ton-mile since 2002; • more car and tons hauled per locomotive; and • more ton miles per gallon of fuel consumed. Iowa’s rail system and service has been evolving over time relative to its size, financial conditions, and competition from other modes.

Reclaimed Fly Ash as Select Fill Under PCC Pavement, November 1999

With the support of the Iowa Fly Ash Affiliates, research on reclaimed fly ash for use as a construction material has been ongoing since 1991. The material exhibits engineering properties similar to those of soft limestone or sandstone and a lightweight aggregate. It is unique in that it is rich in calcium, silica, and aluminum and exhibits pozzolanic properties (i.e. gains strength over time) when used untreated or when a calcium activator is added. Reclaimed Class C fly ashes have been successfully used as a base material on a variety of construction projects in southern and western Iowa. A pavement design guide has been developed with the support of the Iowa Fly Ash Affiliates. Soils in Iowa generally rate fair to poor as subgrade soils for paving projects. This is especially true in the southern quarter of the state and for many areas of eastern and western Iowa. Many of the soil types encountered for highway projects are unsuitable soils under the current Iowa DOT specifications. The bulk of the remaining soils are Class 10 soils. Select soils for use directly under the pavement are often difficult to find on a project, and in many instances are economically unavailable. This was the case for a 4.43-mile grading (STP-S- 90(22)-SE-90) and paving project in Wapello County. The project begins at the Alliant Utilities generating station in Chillicothe, Iowa, and runs west to the Monroe-Wapello county line. This road carries a significant amount of truck traffic hauling coal from the generating station to the Cargill corn processing plant in Eddyville, Iowa. The proposed 10-inch Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement was for construction directly on a Class 10 soil subgrade, which is not a desirable condition if other alternatives are available. Wapello County Engineer Wendell Folkerts supported the use of reclaimed fly ash for a portion of the project. Construction of about three miles of the project was accomplished using 10 inches of reclaimed fly ash as a select fill beneath the PCC slab. The remaining mile was constructed according to the original design to be used as a control section for performance monitoring. The project was graded during the summers of 1998 and 1999. Paving was completed in the fall of 1999. This report presents the results of design considerations and laboratory and field testing results during construction. Recommendations for use of reclaimed fly ash as a select fill are also presented.