Automated design of ligand responsive RNA devices

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Labeling Studies Clarify the Committed Step in Bacterial Gibberellin Biosynthesis

Bacteria have evolved gibberellin phytohormone biosynthesis independently of plants and fungi. Through 13C-labeling and NMR analysis, the mechanistically unusual “B” ring contraction catalyzed by a cytochrome P450 (CYP114), which is the committed step in gibberellin biosynthesis, was shown to occur via oxidative extrusion of carbon-7 from ent-kaurenoic acid in bacteria. This is identical to the convergently evolved chemical transformation in plants and fungi, suggesting a common semipinacol rearrangement mechanism potentially guided by carbon-4α carboxylate proximity

Trends in global CO2 emissions: 2012 report

Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main cause of global warming – increased by 3% in 2011, reaching an all-time high of 34 billion tonnes in 2011. In 2011, China’s average per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 9% to 7.2 tonnes CO2¬, whereas these emissions in the European Union declined by 4 % to 7.5 tonnes CO2, bringing for the first time Europe’s and China’s CO2 emissions on similar levels. China, the world’s most populous country, is now well within the 6 to 19 tonnes/person range spanned by the major industrialised countries. In comparison, in 2011, the United States was still one of the largest emitters of CO2, with 16.5 tonnes in per capita emissions, after a steep decline mainly caused by the recession in 2008-2009, high oil prices compared to low fuel taxes and an increased share of natural gas. This is one of the main findings of the annual report ‘Trends in global CO2 emissions’, released today by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).JRC.H.2-Air and Climat

Facing pain in infancy and childhood

Pain is a significant part of growing up. It is a powerful stimulus that drives primitive survival behaviour and teaches children to avoid hann and danger. The most common sources of pain in children are the everyday incidents, averaging one incident per child every three hours. Fortunately, few of these incidents result in serious injury and the pain associated with them is typically of short duration. When staying in a hospital, children, especially (premature) neonates, often experience pain as well. In this situation the most common sources of pain, apart from surgical intenrention, are invasive procedures, some for investigation and some for treatment

A computational approach to building gene silencing modules

The past decades pointed out RNA has alot of functions besides being an information carrier (mRNA). Small RNAs (e.g. antisense RNA) form an essential part of different prokaryotic regulatory mechanisms by, for example, blocking the ribosome binding site (RBS). As such sRNA can be used in synthetically constructed biological devices to silence a gene on demand. Tools and know how for model-based design of RNA molecules that efficiently block the RBS of a specific gene are however still underdeveloped. Here we present a method to design silencing modules that can efficiently block the translational process. This approach uses knowledge on antisense RNA to model the physical nature of this biological interaction. The available literature was used to identify potential characteristics of a good silencing sequence. Based on this information a bioinformatics framework was developed to enable a computational characterization of a potential silencing sequence. Herein, several dynamic programming algorithms are used to accurately predict these RNA-RNA interactions. The influence of the different defined features of the candidate sequences, which were semi-rationally generated and send through a preliminary in silico filter, was investigated. The performance of a group of selected candidate sequences are tested in vivo to determine their silencing capacities. As a test case, mRNA containing a red fluorescent protein was constructed using biofab parts. Based on these results the importance of the features is evaluated. Ultimately, this computational approach can be used for the design of tailor made silencing modules with excellent performance

Characterizing and visualizing the direct injection of hydrogen into high-pressure argon and nitrogen environments

Using argon as the working fluid in an internal combustion engine holds the potential of substantially enhancing thermal efficiency because of its high specific heat ratio. Burning hydrogen, not with air but with pure oxygen, in a closed-loop argon power cycle would lead to an emission-free exhaust composition, effectively containing only water and argon, which can be separated by condensation. One of the current challenges is the high-pressure direct injection of both fuel and oxidizer, which directly controls the combustion process. To support the development of such an injection strategy, high-pressure injections of hydrogen into pressurized argon and nitrogen are investigated using high-speed Schlieren and pressure transducers in a non-heated constant-volume chamber at varying conditions. In this work it is shown that hydrogen mass flow increases linearly with injection pressure and that it is unaffected by chamber pressure as expected based on choked flow theory, while jet penetration and cone angle are determined by the pressure ratio between the fuel line and the ambient. A correlation is presented between jet penetration and pressure ratio for argon or nitrogen environments at room temperature

The interrelatedness of organizational ambidexterity, dynamic capabilities and open innovation : a conceptual model towards a competitive advantage

Purpose – Establishing a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic environment involves optimizing an organization’s exploration and exploitation strategy. This paper aims to explore how an open innovation strategy complements the organization’s ambidextrous strategy in attaining a competitive advantage. Organizational ambidexterity and dynamic capability theories are also explored to investigate the impact of open innovation on the organization’s ambidextrous strategy and competitive advantage – especially inbound and outbound open innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a systematic literature review using Boolean search techniques, which was focused on the research fields of the sub-areas of general management, strategy, innovation, organization studies, information management, entrepreneurship, international business, marketing, and economics, supplemented by the snowball technique. Findings – Organizations that combine their ambidextrous strategy with open innovation attributes achieve a competitive advantage through developing their dynamic capabilities by which organizations change their value proposition. This study also shows that an ambidextrous strategy should no longer be viewed as a structural solution implemented by management, but also as a bottom-up intervention. Additionally, the authors found that the organization’s dynamic capabilities establish a feedback loop, which changes the organization’s ambidextrous strategy to resolve the efficiency–agility paradox. Originality/value – Previous research has focused on strategic orientation; however, hardly any research has investigated how the interrelatedness of open innovation, organizational ambidexterity and dynamic capabilities support a competitive advantage. The authors present a conceptual model that inspires new research avenuesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eenvoudige elleboogluxaties in Nederland: Wat doen Nederlandse chirurgen?

Abstract: Er is weinig evidence voor de optimale behandeling van eenvoudige elleboogluxaties. Hoewel er aanwijzingen zijn dat eenvoudige elleboogluxaties niet te lang moeten worden geïmmobiliseerd en functioneel kunnen worden nabehandeld. Om een overzicht te krijgen over hoe eenvoudige elleboogluxaties in Nederland worden behandeld, verrichtten wij een enquête onder leden van de Nederlandse Vereniging van Traumatologie. Alle leden ontvingen een e-mail met het verzoek om een digitale vragenlijst over de behandeling van elleboogluxaties in te vullen. Het response percentage was 17% (n=90). Vijfendertig (39%) chirurgen verbinden geen consequenties aan stabiliteitsonderzoek van de elleboog na repositie. Drieënzestig procent van deze chirurgen behandelt de patiënten met een gipsverband gedurende gemiddeld 3.4 weken. Bij 55 (61%) van de 90 respondenten beïnvloed het stabiliteitsonderzoek wel de vorm van behandeling. Bij een stabiel gewricht wordt in ongeveer 64% van de gevallen een functionele behandeling voorgeschreven en bij een instabiel gewricht behandelen 24% van de respondenten functioneel met een functionele fixateur. De resultaten van de enquête onder Nederlandse chirurgen laat zien, dat de meeste ondervraagden immobilisatie verkiezen boven functionele behandelingAbstract Background: Randomised controlled trials and observational comparative studies show little proof for the optimal form of treatment for simple elbow dislocations. However, there is some evidence that functional treatment in simple elbow dislocations may lead to better functional outcome. To get an overview of how simple elbow dislocations are treated in the Netherlands we performed a survey among Dutch surgeons. Methods: All members of the Dutch Society of Traumatology received an e-mail with the request to fill out an electronic questionnaire. Results: The response rate was 17% (n=90) . Thirty vive (39%) of them stated that stability testing after reposition of the joint did not influence subsequent form of treatment. Sixty three percent of them treated patients with a above the elbow cast for a mean of 3.4 weeks. Fifty five (61%) responders used stability testing as a guide for treatment. joint is stable after reposition. In the case of a stabile joint 64% of these surgeons treat patients with functional treatment. When there is joint instability 24% prefer functional treatment with a hinged external fixator. Conclusion: The results of this inquiry among Dutch surgeons showed that the majority of simple elbow dislocations are treated with immobilisation and that functional treatment is not widespread