Comparative RNA editing in autistic and neurotypical cerebella

Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is a neurodevelopmentally regulated epigenetic modification shown to modulate complex behavior in animals. Little is known about human A-to-I editing, but it is thought to constitute one of many molecular mechanisms connecting environmental stimuli and behavioral outputs. Thus, comprehensive exploration of A-to-I RNA editing in human brains may shed light on gene–environment interactions underlying complex behavior in health and disease. Synaptic function is a main target of A-to-I editing, which can selectively recode key amino acids in synaptic genes, directly altering synaptic strength and duration in response to environmental signals. Here, we performed a high-resolution survey of synaptic A-to-I RNA editing in a human population, and examined how it varies in autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder in which synaptic abnormalities are a common finding. Using ultra-deep (>1000 × ) sequencing, we quantified the levels of A-to-I editing of 10 synaptic genes in postmortem cerebella from 14 neurotypical and 11 autistic individuals. A high dynamic range of editing levels was detected across individuals and editing sites, from 99.6% to below detection limits. In most sites, the extreme ends of the population editing distributions were individuals with autism. Editing was correlated with isoform usage, clusters of correlated sites were identified, and differential editing patterns examined. Finally, a dysfunctional form of the editing enzyme adenosine deaminase acting on RNA B1 was found more commonly in postmortem cerebella from individuals with autism. These results provide a population-level, high-resolution view of A-to-I RNA editing in human cerebella and suggest that A-to-I editing of synaptic genes may be informative for assessing the epigenetic risk for autism.Nancy Lurie Marks Family FoundationF. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. (Applied Science Sequencing Grant Program)Autism Speaks (Organization)Simons FoundationNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1R01MH085143-01

Development of Flexural Vibration Inspection Techniques to Rapidly Assess the Structural Health of Rural Bridge Systems: Phase II

Current timber bridge inspection procedures used in Minnesota and across the United States are mostly limited to visual inspection of the wood components. Use of advanced techniques like stress wave timing, moisture meters, resistance drills will significantly improve the reliability of the inspections but these inspection techniques are time consuming. The objective of this project was to conduct vibration testing of dowel laminated timber bridge systems to better understand the potential for using vibration testing to assess the structural health and condition of bridges in Minnesota. A second key objective was to improve and automate the vibration testing system that is currently being used. This research showed that the forced vibration system developed is an effective tool for conducting forced vibration tests of timber bridges and that there is a noted increase in frequency during each successive stage of construction. A reliable means for assessing the peak frequencies and an identification of the mode still needs to be developed for this system to use the vibration response to predict the EI product for use in load ratings. Each bridge has a unique set of vibration characteristics that were identified using the automated system. These characteristics showed peaks in amplitude as the frequency of the vibration was increased from 0 - 35 Hz during testing. It is believed that monitoring of the characteristic vibration response for each bridge would be a means of identifying changes in structural health over time due to wood decay, accidents, vandalism, or lack of maintenance.Minnesota Local Road Research BoardBrashaw, Brian K.; Vatalaro, Robert J.; Wang, Xiping; Verreaux, Matthew; Sarvela, Kevin. (2009). Development of Flexural Vibration Inspection Techniques to Rapidly Assess the Structural Health of Rural Bridge Systems: Phase II. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/150976

Development of Flexural Vibration Inspection Techniques to Rapidly Assess the Structural Health of Rural Bridge Systems

Approximately 4,000 vehicle bridges in the State of Minnesota contain structural timber members. Recent research at the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (UMD NRRI) has been conducted on vibration testing of timber bridges as a means of developing rapid in-place testing techniques for assessing the structural health of bridges. The technique involves measuring the frequency characteristics of the bridge superstructure under forced flexural vibration. The peak frequency of vibration was measured and compared to a set of load testing data for each of 9 bridges. Each bridge was also inspected using commercially available advanced inspection equipment to identify any major structural problems with individual bridge components such as timber pilings, pile caps, and girders. Two bridges were identified that needed immediate maintenance attention. The relationship between the load deflection data and the vibration characteristics showed a useful relationship and the results indicate that forced-vibration methods have potential for quickly assessing timber bridge superstructure stiffness. However, improvements must be made to the measurement system to correctly identify the 1st bending mode frequency of the field bridges. This global vibration technique has potential benefits for routine inspections and long-term health monitoring of timber bridge superstructures.Brashaw, Brian K.; Vatalaro, Robert; Wang, Xiping; Sarvela, Kevin; Wacker, James P.. (2008). Development of Flexural Vibration Inspection Techniques to Rapidly Assess the Structural Health of Rural Bridge Systems. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/96712

Seeking Asia literacy beyond and within: Examining the nature of future teachers' learning throughout mobility experiences in higher education

This chapter examines how the development of Asia literacy was configured by teacher educators as a desired learning outcome for Australian pre-service teachers participating in an Outbound Mobility Experience (OME) in Malaysia together with an analysis of the ways in which participants responded to and reflected on their experiential learning. The literature on OMEs indicates that cross-cultural experiences facilitate intercultural knowledge and understanding (Deardorff, 2006) and that engaging in reflective practices is critical for deeper understanding (Vatalaro, Szente & Levin, 2015). While the advantages of experiential learning and reflection for pre-service teachers are documented in educational research, and intercultural communication theory advocates extensive, intensive cultural immersion as a prerequisite for cross-cultural understanding (Holmes & O’Neil, 2012), there is limited research on the ways in which pre-service teachers reflect on their intercultural experiences in terms of their Asia literacy and their perspectives as regional and global citizens. This chapter draws from a small empirical study that applied Nussbaum’s (1996; 2006) notion of cosmopolitan citizenship capabilities as an analytic framework to analyse findings from one iteration of a New Colombo Plan funded OMP for Australian pre-service teachers in Malaysia. Findings indicate that a carefully planned OMP can contribute towards the formation of future teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the transnational and cultural dimensions of Asia literacy together with their awareness of themselves as regional and global citizens. However, findings also reveal that such experiential learning was confronting and challenging for the participants as they grappled with learning in a culture ‘beyond’ their realm of experience and drawing on their strengths ‘within’ to manage those professional and personal challenges they encountered. The discussion contributes to a deeper understanding of study tours as pedagogical strategies for developing future teachers’ knowledge and understanding of Asia literacy