Estimation of vehicle queuing lengths at metering roundabouts

© 2017 Periodical Offices of Chang'an University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Owner. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Signalized metering roundabouts are equipped with advanced loop detectors and traffic signals that can reduce vehicle queuing lengths, especially on the dominant approach, when unbalanced traffic flow conditions occur. At a metering roundabout, changeable queuing lengths and the location of detectors determine signal phase times, which in turn affect queuing length on each approach. To date, most studies have focused on performance comparisons between normal and metered roundabouts, but have failed to evaluate the effect of detector locations on queuing formations. In addition, no guidelines have been developed to enable practitioners to select the appropriate detector location that would lead to optimum roundabout performance. This study, therefore, formulated a numerical model for the estimation of queuing length at a metering roundabout. The model consists of advance vehicle detectors on two approaches and one traffic signal. In order to calibrate and verify the model, queuing lengths were recorded using two drones for the Old Belair Road metering roundabout in Adelaide, South Australia. In order to assess the fitness of the model, an R2 test was conducted, and the results showed that the numerical model can predict queuing lengths on the controlling and metered approaches with up to 83% of R2 value. Moreover, the estimated queuing lengths were compared against those predicted by the software AIMSUN for the same location and under the same conditions. It is expected that the model will assist and guide practitioners in determining the best detector locations for metering roundabouts

Structural elucidation of a novel mechanism for the bacteriophage-based inhibition of the RNA degradosome.

In all domains of life, the catalysed degradation of RNA facilitates rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions, while destruction of foreign RNA is an important mechanism to prevent host infection. We have identified a virus-encoded protein termed gp37/Dip, which directly binds and inhibits the RNA degradation machinery of its bacterial host. Encoded by giant phage фKZ, this protein associates with two RNA binding sites of the RNase E component of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa RNA degradosome, occluding them from substrates and resulting in effective inhibition of RNA degradation and processing. The 2.2 Å crystal structure reveals that this novel homo-dimeric protein has no identifiable structural homologues. Our biochemical data indicate that acidic patches on the convex outer surface bind RNase E. Through the activity of Dip, фKZ has evolved a unique mechanism to down regulate a key metabolic process of its host to allow accumulation of viral RNA in infected cells.Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Grant ID: G.0599.11); Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie (Grant ID: SBO 100042); Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Scholarship); Wellcome Trust (Scholarship); Onderzoeksraad, KU Leuven (Grant ID: GOA Bacteriophage Biosystems); Onderzoeksraad, KU Leuven (Grant ID: CREA/09/017)This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from eLife via http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.1641

Impacts of lower speed limits in South Australia

ustralia has recently undergone a change of urban speed limits in most of its jurisdictions. The political and social shift in attitudes required for this change is significant in a country that has a strong reliance on the use of the private motor vehicle. At present five states and one territory have lowered the speed limit in urban areas from 60km/h to 50km/h. Of the remaining two states and territories, one has already implemented lower speed limits (40km/h) in small areas within cities. In the majority of cases, the only criterion for judging the success of such schemes is an observed reduction in both speeds and crash numbers. This paper reports on a more holistic assessment of such schemes taking into account factors in addition to speed and crashes including: traffic volume displacement, physical road network characteristics, environmental factors, community ownership and acceptance, enforcement effort and impact on travel times. The research work has included the analysis of extensive traffic data, community surveys and focus groups, the collection of environmental and travel time data from an instrumented probe vehicle and the computer modelling of road networks. The work reported is based on over 10 years of working with a 40km/h lower urban speed limit area in South Australia. The paper expands the notion of using speed and crash outcomes as the only criteria for measuring the success of lower speed limit schemes. Document type: Articl

Antisense RNA protects mRNA from RNase E degradation by RNA–RNA duplex formation during phage infection

The ecologically important cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus possesses the smallest genome among oxyphototrophs, with a reduced suite of protein regulators and a disproportionately high number of regulatory RNAs. Many of these are asRNAs, raising the question whether they modulate gene expression through the protection of mRNA from RNase E degradation. To address this question, we produced recombinant RNase E from Prochlorococcus sp. MED4, which functions optimally at 12 mM Mg2+, pH 9 and 35°C. RNase E cleavage assays were performed with this recombinant protein to assess enzyme activity in the presence of single- or double-stranded RNA substrates. We found that extraordinarily long asRNAs of 3.5 and 7 kb protect a set of mRNAs from RNase E degradation that accumulate during phage infection. These asRNA–mRNA duplex formations mask single-stranded recognition sites of RNase E, leading to increased stability of the mRNAs. Such interactions directly modulate RNA stability and provide an explanation for enhanced transcript abundance of certain mRNAs during phage infection. Protection from RNase E-triggered RNA decay may constitute a hitherto unknown regulatory function of bacterial cis-asRNAs, impacting gene expression

A mechanism for bacterial transformation of dimethylsulfide to dimethylsulfoxide: a missing link in the marine organic sulfur cycle

The volatile organosulfur compound, dimethylsulfide (DMS), plays an important role in climate regulation and global sulfur biogeochemical cycles. Microbial oxidation of DMS to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) represents a major sink of DMS in surface seawater, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and key microbial taxa involved are not known. Here, we reveal that Ruegeria pomeroyi, a model marine heterotrophic bacterium, can oxidise DMS to DMSO using trimethylamine monooxygenase (Tmm). Purified Tmm oxidises DMS to DMSO at a 1:1 ratio. Mutagenesis of the tmm gene in R. pomeroyi completely abolished DMS oxidation and subsequent DMSO formation. Expression of Tmm and DMS oxidation in R. pomeroyi is methylamine-dependent and regulated at the post-transcriptional level. Considering that Tmm is present in approximately 20% of bacterial cells inhabiting marine surface waters, particularly the marine Roseobacter clade and the SAR11 clade, our observations contribute to a mechanistic understanding of biological DMSO production in surface seawater

Transcriptome dynamics of a broad host-range cyanophage and its hosts

Cyanobacteria are highly abundant in the oceans and are constantly exposed to lytic viruses. The T4-like cyanomyoviruses are abundant in the marine environment and have broad host-ranges relative to other cyanophages. It is currently unknown whether broad host-range phages specifically tailor their infection program for each host, or employ the same program irrespective of the host infected. Also unknown is how different hosts respond to infection by the same phage. Here we used microarray and RNA-seq analyses to investigate the interaction between the Syn9 T4-like cyanophage and three phylogenetically, ecologically and genomically distinct marine Synechococcus strains: WH7803, WH8102 and WH8109. Strikingly, Syn9 led a nearly identical infection and transcriptional program in all three hosts. Different to previous assumptions for T4-like cyanophages, three temporally regulated gene expression classes were observed. Furthermore, a novel regulatory element controlled early-gene transcription, and host-like promoters drove middle gene transcription, different to the regulatory paradigm for T4. Similar results were found for the P-TIM40 phage during infection of Prochlorococcus NATL2A. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic analyses indicate that these regulatory elements are abundant and conserved among T4-like cyanophages. In contrast to the near-identical transcriptional program employed by Syn9, host responses to infection involved host-specific genes primarily located in hypervariable genomic islands, substantiating islands as a major axis of phage-cyanobacteria interactions. Our findings suggest that the ability of broad host-range phages to infect multiple hosts is more likely dependent on the effectiveness of host defense strategies than on differential tailoring of the infection process by the phage

Rätt till literacy i grundsärskolan : ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv på några lärares syn på elevers och egna förutsättningar för literacypraktiker samt på betydelsen av literacy för delaktighet

Alla elever har rätt till literacy och lärare i särskolan förväntas erbjuda literacypraktiker med utgångspunkt i styrdokument och forskning samtidigt som elever med komplexa kommunikationsbehov inte omfattas av befintligt stödmaterial gällande literacy. Syftet med studien är att utifrån ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv få kunskap om och förståelse för några lärares syn på elevers och egna förutsättningar för literacypraktiker i grundsärskolans inriktning ämnesområden och deras syn på betydelsen av literacy för elevernas delaktighet. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ ansats och en kombinerad metod med två fokusgrupper om fyra personer i varje och individuella intervjuer med de åtta lärarna. I linje med internationell forskning visar resultatet av vår studie att lärare i grundsärskolan genom sin utbildning och tillgängligt stöd inte får adekvat kunskap och kompetens om evidensbaserade literacypraktiker och kompensatoriska insatser för att kunna göra elever med komplexa kommunikationsbehov delaktiga, nu och i framtiden. Vår slutsats är att det finns indikationer att forskning som visar att personer med komplexa kommunikationsbehov kan lära sig läsa och skriva har ännu inte omsatts i praktiken och målgruppens rättigheter samt delaktighet fortsätter begränsas av skolsystemet

Rätt till literacy i grundsärskolan : ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv på några lärares syn på elevers och egna förutsättningar för literacypraktiker samt på betydelsen av literacy för delaktighet

Alla elever har rätt till literacy och lärare i särskolan förväntas erbjuda literacypraktiker med utgångspunkt i styrdokument och forskning samtidigt som elever med komplexa kommunikationsbehov inte omfattas av befintligt stödmaterial gällande literacy. Syftet med studien är att utifrån ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv få kunskap om och förståelse för några lärares syn på elevers och egna förutsättningar för literacypraktiker i grundsärskolans inriktning ämnesområden och deras syn på betydelsen av literacy för elevernas delaktighet. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ ansats och en kombinerad metod med två fokusgrupper om fyra personer i varje och individuella intervjuer med de åtta lärarna. I linje med internationell forskning visar resultatet av vår studie att lärare i grundsärskolan genom sin utbildning och tillgängligt stöd inte får adekvat kunskap och kompetens om evidensbaserade literacypraktiker och kompensatoriska insatser för att kunna göra elever med komplexa kommunikationsbehov delaktiga, nu och i framtiden. Vår slutsats är att det finns indikationer att forskning som visar att personer med komplexa kommunikationsbehov kan lära sig läsa och skriva har ännu inte omsatts i praktiken och målgruppens rättigheter samt delaktighet fortsätter begränsas av skolsystemet