What’s the Goal? Brazil’s Response to Hosting the World Cup and Olympics

Brazil’s plans to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics have provoked both euphoria and criticism domestically. Some believe that hosting successful games will cement the country’s position as a world power and economic player, but others object to the government’s extravagant spending on lavish stadia while basic social services remain neglected. We must then ask: if Brazil already faced daunting tasks in improving its public programs and increasing development, why did it eagerly vie to take on the additional burdens of hosting the two largest sporting events in the world? I argue that Brazil has justified hosting with three promises: an economic boost, infrastructural impetus, and “feel-good” effect for Brazilians (for example, national pride and unity). In this paper, I evaluate the claim that Brazilians value the abstract benefits of hosting mega-events enough to justify their high price tags. Original survey data and an analysis of views published in a Brazilian newspaper’s letters to the editor support my hypothesis that Brazilians generally do not value hosting the World Cup and Olympics while more pressing social concerns remain unaddressed. Considering the opaque process of bidding for mega-events, it seems plausible that Brazilian boosters overstated the domestic support for hosting, and that Brazil’s taxpayers will subsidize mostly private gains from the games.Honors thesi

Rethinking the American Home: Expandable-Life-cycle Houses in Suburban Context

The range of typical single family houses available in the market today does not respond well to the ever changing size of the family, first expanding then contracting. Ideally, a house should be flexible throughout the household's life cycle and respond to its owners' ever changing needs. A life-cycle-family house could grow and contract with the family and meet any new functional needs, such as accessibility for the elderly. Could a new house type allow each household to stay in residence longer, ease the financial trouble of purchasing new houses as aging precipitates changes in lifestyle? This thesis will explore the possibility of ways to provide a new house type, one that can expand and contract with the needs of a typical family

Translational derepression of Elavl4 isoforms at their alternative 5′ UTRs determines neuronal development

Neurodevelopment requires precise regulation of gene expression, including post-transcriptional regulatory events such as alternative splicing and mRNA translation. However, translational regulation of specific isoforms during neurodevelopment and the mechanisms behind it remain unknown. Using RNA-seq analysis of mouse neocortical polysomes, here we report translationally repressed and derepressed mRNA isoforms during neocortical neurogenesis whose orthologs include risk genes for neurodevelopmental disorders. We demonstrate that the translation of distinct mRNA isoforms of the RNA binding protein (RBP), Elavl4, in radial glia progenitors and early neurons depends on its alternative 5' UTRs. Furthermore, 5' UTR-driven Elavl4 isoform-specific translation depends on upstream control by another RBP, Celf1. Celf1 regulation of Elavl4 translation dictates development of glutamatergic neurons. Our findings reveal a dynamic interplay between distinct RBPs and alternative 5' UTRs in neuronal development and underscore the risk of post-transcriptional dysregulation in co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders

Leveraging Telematics and Weather Data to Study the Productivity of Roadside Mowers

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is responsible for the construction and maintenance of approximately 11,000 centerline miles of state roads, US routes and interstates. Mowing operations along the state rights-of-way to manage vegetation consume considerable resources. Mowing activities are usually reported by daily work orders and it is difficult to obtain quantitative information characterizing the utilization and productivity of the mowing operations. This research uses telematics data from commercial sensors to track the daily activity of seven mowers in the Fort Wayne district. Weather data from NOAA was also captured to estimate the weather related delays. During a one-month period, the mowers collectively covered a total of around 1170 miles and an area of nearly 1800 acres of mowing. Crews worked alternative work schedules with extended hours four days a week. On an average 9.5 hour work day approximately 50% of the time is spent actively mowing. The simple telematics based metrics and visualization graphics proposed in this paper can be used by agencies to evaluate the efficiency of their mowing operations to provide guidance on resource allocation, scheduling, and comparison with alternative contract mowing. The proposed utilization graphics may be of particular interest to agencies as they provide a concise way of communicating to stakeholders the overall efficiency of the mowing operations and can be used to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements

Molecular crowding and RNA synergize to promote phase separation, microtubule interaction, and seeding of Tau condensates

Biomolecular condensation of the neuronal microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) can be induced by coacervation with polyanions like RNA, or by molecular crowding. Tau condensates have been linked to both functional microtubule binding and pathological aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. We find that molecular crowding and coacervation with RNA, two conditions likely coexisting in the cytosol, synergize to enable Tau condensation at physiological buffer conditions and to produce condensates with a strong affinity to charged surfaces. During condensate-mediated microtubule polymerization, their synergy enhances bundling and spatial arrangement of microtubules. We further show that different Tau condensates efficiently induce pathological Tau aggregates in cells, including accumulations at the nuclear envelope that correlate with nucleocytoplasmic transport deficits. Fluorescent lifetime imaging reveals different molecular packing densities of Tau in cellular accumulations and a condensate-like density for nuclear-envelope Tau. These findings suggest that a complex interplay between interaction partners, post-translational modifications, and molecular crowding regulates the formation and function of Tau condensates. Conditions leading to prolonged existence of Tau condensates may induce the formation of seeding-competent Tau and lead to distinct cellular Tau accumulations

Ire1α-Regulated Rate of mRNA Translation is Required for Acquisition of Identity and Polarity in Upper Layer Cortical Neurons

Evolutionary expansion of the neocortex is associated with the increase in upper layer neurons. Here, we present Inositol-Requiring Enzyme 1α, Ire1α, as an essential determinant of upper layer fate, neuronal polarization and cortical lamination. We demonstrate a non-canonical function of Ire1α in the regulation of global translation rates in the developing neocortex through its dynamic interaction with the ribosome and regulation of eIF4A1 and eEF-2 expression. Inactivation of Ire1α engenders lower protein synthesis rates associated with stalled ribosomes and decreased number of translation start sites. We show unique sensitivity of upper layer fate to translation rates. Whereas eEF-2 is required for cortical lamination, eIF4A1 regulates acquisition of upper layer fate downstream of Ire1α in a mechanism of translational control dependent on 5’UTR-embedded structural elements in fate determinant genes. Our data unveil developmental regulation of ribosome dynamics as post-transcriptional mechanisms orchestrating neuronal diversity establishment and assembly of cortical layers

A decade of clinical negligence in ophthalmology

Abstract Background To present an overview of the clinical negligence claims for ophthalmology in the National Health Service (NHS) in England from 1995 to 2006. To compare ophthalmic subspecialties with respect to claim numbers and payments. Methods All the claims on the NHS Litigation Authority database for ophthalmology for the period 1995 to 2006 were analysed. Claims were categorised by ophthalmic subspecialty, and subspecialties were ranked according to numbers of claims, total damages paid, average level of damages and paid:closed ratio (a measure of the likelihood of a claim resulting in payment of damages). Results There were 848 claims, 651 of which were closed. 46% of closed claims resulted in payment of damages. The total cost of damages over the period was £11 million. The mean level of damages was £37,100. Cataract made up the largest share of claims (31%), paediatric ophthalmology had the highest mean damages (£170,000), and claims related to glaucoma were most likely to result in payment of damages (64%). Conclusion Clinical negligence claims in ophthalmology in England are infrequent, but most ophthalmologists will face at least one in their career. Ophthalmic subspecialties show marked differences with regard to their litigation profiles. From a medical protection perspective, these results suggest that indemnity premiums should be tailored according to the subspecialty areas an ophthalmologist is involved in.</p