Overexpression of RNase H2 increase L1 retrotransposition

Unfortunately, seven weeks is not ample time to fully conduct the studies we hoped to complete.

We have identified specific recommendations regarding the measurement devices we developed, canals requiring further investigation, model analysis, and Venipedia for future projects to reference when conducting hydrodynamic studies in Venice.

7.1 Recommendations on New Measurement Devices

After working with our devices and analyzing their results we have conjured a list of various suggestions for those hoping to continue our studies. There are a few changes that could be made to the implementation of our devices in order to increase their efficiency. The measuring stick should be implemented as a stationary device. By setting them in fixed locations, it will only require one person to take water level measurements and the process will be much quicker. It would also be useful to

implement a smart phone application for people to download. Persons with the app could take pictures with their phone and upload them to a database that will decipher the measuring sticks location, time and water level. Use of the measuring sticks in a crowdsourcing effort requires that the sticks be stationary;

feasibility of their use in this way depends therefore on whether or not securing them to canal walls is possible. It is against the city’s laws to drill or make any other kind of hole in canal walls or bridges, and most poles in the canals are the property of boat owners. If a way is found to lawfully secure the

measuring sticks to canal walls, the measurement increments on the sticks must be readable from a picture taken with the image quality of a typical smartphone camera, possibly requiring alterations to the increment design on the device.

Due to time constraints, we were unable to collect data in all of the locations that we scouted as usable locations for taking measurements with the measuring stick. Figure 71 shows these locations on a QGIS map; the shapefile (SHP) layers for the mapped points are available for use as “Scouted Water Level Locations – Castello.shp”, “Scouted Water Level Locations – Dorsoduro.shp” and “Scouted Water Level Locations – SC.shp.” For more complete analysis of Venice’s canal network, future teams should attempt to measure a wider range of regions, including Dorsoduro and Castello.

Figure 71. Scouted locations for water level data collection with measuring stick

For the floating GPS device, it is highly recommended to obtain a more accurate and reliable GPS device than the phone. The device should also have remote capabilities including a start, stop, waypoint marker, signal strength reading and location reading. This will allow the user to put the device in the water and start the tracks when it is up to speed, mark when it enters another canal, check to make sure it is functioning, find the device at the end of a run and stop it when it reaches the end of a canal. If a

72 device such as this cannot be acquired, this can also be implemented through the use of two smart phones running an app that could link the two phones and have a client and server mode.

7.2 Recommended Locations for Further Investigation

This type of study should be extended into all other regions of Venice that the team was unable to cover. From our analysis of the data that we collected and compared to the data from the 1990’s, we have targeted a few areas that should be looked at more in depth. These canals are highlighted in orange in Figure 73 below:

The first region of significance is in Cannaregio, near the Rio di San Felice (see Figure 73). Two segments of this canal – FELI1 and FELI2 – are separated by another intersecting canal (Rio S. Sofia) that links to network of short canals to the east of Rio di San Felice. The FELI2 segment of the canal moves very quickly and seems to have sped up significantly since 1999; however, FELI1 moves significantly slower than FELI2, and has decreased velocity since the 1999 (in 1999, the velocities of these two segments during outgoing tide were not nearly as different from each other as they are proving to be in 2012). This suggests that the water flowing through the network of short canals and Rio S. Sofia is responsible for this difference between the FELI1 and FELI2 current velocities. We had also recorded interesting data from the GPS that indicated the water flows into the Grand Canal during outgoing tide as opposed to studies done in the 1970’s that indicate water flowing out into the lagoon. For these reasons, we feel it is important to look into the network of canals directly to the east and north of the Rio di San Felice to try and come to some conclusions as to how and why these changes have occurred.

Additionally, we were unable to collect data during incoming tide in Cannaregio due to technical difficulties with the propeller device. To make the study of Cannaregio canal segments more complete, current velocity data should be collected in Cannaregio during incoming tide (in the segments we studied in 2012 as well as segments recommended above).

Figure 72. Recommended canal segments for future studies

73 Another area to consider is located in San Marco (see Figure 74). There are also unexplained differences of velocity in areas around the Grand Canal. The water seems to move quicker into the Grand Canal during incoming tide and out of the Grand Canal quicker during outgoing tide. For these reasons, the following canals warrant further investigation:

7.3 Other Recommendations

The team was able to obtain model results from ISMAR for the day that water levels and current velocities were measured in Cannaregio. If model results could be obtained for the day that the team conducted measurements in San Marco (November 14, 2012), our collected data could be compared to the model and analyzed in the same manner as the data collected in Cannaregio. After receiving model results and validating them, the model should be used to analyze other regions than just where the data was collected. Although conclusions cannot be made from these comparisons, it will give a general idea of other locations to look into.

Figure 73. Recommended canal segments in Cannaregio for further investigation

Figure 74. Recommended canal segments in San Marco for further investigation

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