A Pair of Birds

Raja found it finally, buried in the debris, lodged between the fallen rubble. He picked it up carefully, wiping it gently with his palm. Without its blue backdrop wall, against which it had been hanging for as long as he could remember, it had lost its colour. The flying white birds had lost their vibrance, they looked washed out, their fluid motion as they flew into the sky, did not seem quite life-like now. The picture was dirtied anyway. He was tired, washed out, like the pair of birds in the picture. He would sit down a moment. The air was full of human ashes and screams and cries. And lonely and silent

Strategies to Increase Vegetable Intake in the Early Years

Vegetables consumed regularly and in variety as part of a balanced diet are known to protect against non-communicable diseases. However, children across Europe fail to meet recommended intakes. Therefore, effective interventions for encouraging vegetable intake are needed for preschool children. The present thesis adopted a mixed methods design to investigate strategies to increase vegetable intake in children aged 2-5 years, who are at the peak of food fussiness. A systematic review synthesised evidence from the existing literature using meta-analyses and found that repeated taste exposure was the most effective strategy for promoting vegetable intake compared to other interventions. Study 1 investigated effects of taste exposure and nutrition education delivered separately or in combination, which showed that taste exposure significantly increased intake of an unfamiliar vegetable. Study 2 tested the effects of reading a storybook about vegetables and sensory play on intake of a novel vegetable, finding that learning and play are essential for recognition and intake, with sensory play also promoting willingness to taste. Study 3 used semi-structured interviews to explore parental perspectives on vegetable strategies. This indicated that parents use a range of strategies with children, yet their success varies. This study raised concerns of ecological validity in methods tested by scientific studies in comparison to how they are implemented in homes. The present thesis provides evidence for implementing strategies which increase familiarity and learned safety with vegetables, in particular taste exposure. Repeated multisensory learning, including tasting should be incorporated into nutrition education programmes to enhance vegetable consumption. Encouraging preschool children to eat more vegetables in balance with other foods provides protective health benefits for a lifetime. By making a commitment to prioritise greater vegetable intakes, parents and caregivers can apply known, successful strategies, suited to their specific child, to increase familiarity and intake of vegetables in the child’s diet

Locating Mutagen-sensitivity Gene mus109 in the Drosophila melanogaster Genome Using Deficiency Mapping

The complex processes involved in repairing damaged DNA are still being elucidated. Some genes that are known to have roles in the DNA repair process have been identified, such as the mutagen-sensitivity genes, or mus genes, in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the precise genomic location of some mus genes is still unknown, including mus109. It is known that mutations in mus109 cause chromosomal aberrations resulting in larval death, and previous research has mapped mus109 to a region of the X chromosome consisting of over 520,000 nucleotides and 41 genes. Therefore, this study aimed to locate mus109 using deficiency mapping. The mus109D2 male flies were crossed to four deficiencies covering the 8F10-9B1 region of the genome producing four possible classes of offspring. Brood 1 larvae and Brood 2 larvae were treated with H2O and 0.05% MMS, respectively. Offspring were scored for sex and eye phenotype, and this data was used in complementation analysis to narrow the probable genomic location of mus109 to 12% of the original

Spliceosomal Prp24 Unwinds A Minimal U2/u6 Complex From Yeast

Splicing plays a major role in eukaryotic gene expression by processing pre-mRNA to form mature mRNA. Pre-mRNAs undergo splicing to remove introns, non–protein coding regions, and religate exons, protein coding regions. This process is catalyzed by the spliceosome, which consists of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs: U1, U2, U4, U5 and U6) and numerous protein factors. Proper assembly of spliceosomal components is critical for function, and thus, defects in assembly can be lethal. Several spliceosomal proteins facilitate structural rearrangements important for spliceosomal assembly and function. Prp24 is an essential factor in U6 snRNP assembly, and it has been proposed to assist in U4/U6 formation and unwinding. Here, we address the question whether Prp24 affects the U2/U6 complex dynamics. Using single-molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET), we have previously shown that a minimal U2/U6 complex from yeast can adopt at least three distinct conformations in dynamic equilibrium. Our new single molecule data show that Prp24 unwinds U2 from U2/U6 complex and stabilizes U6 in a low FRET conformation. We also show that the RNA Recognition Motifs of Prp24 affect the binding affinity of Prp24 for U6 and unwinding activity. We propose that Prp24 plays an important role in U2 and U6 snRNP recycling by dissociating the U2/U6 complex

Watching dynamics and assembly of spliceosomal complexes at single molecule resolution

Splicing plays a major role in eukaryotic gene expression by processing pre-mRNA to form mature mRNA. Splicing is catalysed by the spliceosome; a ribonucleoprotein complex consisting of five small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and over 100 proteins. Proper assembly of spliceosomal components is critical for its function, and thus assembly defects can be lethal. Several diseases have been associated with splicing defects, such as cancer (breast cancer, leukaemia), cystic fibrosis, duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and taybi-linder syndrome (TALS). Studying the structural dynamics and distinct functions of snRNA complexes and the factors that affect the stability of those complexes provides an overall idea regarding the structure and function of the spliceosome, which can guide us to discover novel therapeutics for splicing related diseases. Hence, the aim of this study is employing smFRET technique to monitor the structural dynamics and assembly of snRNA complexes and the effect of protein factors on those dynamics with single molecule resolution. Three specific aims have been addressed in this thesis work to achieve the main goal. The first part of this study is focused on understanding how spliceosomal components are recycled. This work shows that binding of Prp24; U6 snRNP specific protein unwinds U2 from U2/U6 complex and stabilizes U6 at a low FRET conformation, suggesting a novel role for Prp24 as a recycling factor. The second part of this study is focused on understanding the assembly of sub-spliceosomal complexes and their global structure. This work shows that although the binding of individual proteins slightly changes the conformation of U4/U6 duplex; overall it maintains a rigid structure. This suggests that the U4/U6 adopts a preformed conformation and act as a scaffold for protein binding, while preventing U6 from premature activation. The third part of this study is focused on understanding structural and functional similarities between minor and major spliceosomal complexes. This work shows that minor spliceosomal U12/U6atac complex adopts a conformation similar to the three-helix junction structure of major spliceosomal U2/U6.Open Acces

Computational studies of carbon nanocluster solidification

“A subset of micron-size meteoritic carbon particles formed in red giant atmospheres show a core-rim structure, likely condensed from a vapor phase into super-cooled carbon droplets that nucleated graphene sheets (~40Å) on randomly oriented 5-atom loops during solidification, followed by coating with a graphite rim. Similar particles form during slow cooling of carbon vapor in the lab. Here we investigate the nucleation and growth of carbon rings and graphene sheets using density functional theory (DFT). Our objectives: (1). explore different computational techniques in DFT-VASP for various carbon structures and compare the results with literature, (2). investigate the nucleation and growth of carbon rings and graphene sheets at the experimental 1.8 g/cc density estimate, by supercell relaxation of randomized liquidlike carbon atom clusters, and (3). Compare carbon cluster energies for combinations of DFT-VASP and long-range carbon bond order potential (LCBOP) relaxations. Observations show: (a) that 29 atom diamond clusters relax into the C28 fullerene with a central carbon atom, (b) new evidence for the instability of an Fm3m carbon phase with the diamond unit cell, and (c) that pent-loop formation is energetically favored over hex-loop formation in a relaxed melt. Literature work on the effectiveness of pent-loops as nucleation seed for graphene structures, plus the fact that each pent-loop can give rise to 5 differently oriented sheets, helps explain electron-microscope data on graphene-sheet number densities and provides guidance for nucleation/growth models being developed”--Abstract, page iii

Basis Weight Gain Tuning Using Different Types of Conventional Controllers

Paper making is a vast, multidisciplinary technology that has expanded tremendously in recent years approaching to reach 20 million tons by 2020. As per demand implementation of necessary tools to optimize papermaking process and to increase the control precision, the precondition for stable operation and quality production is necessary. In the present work, an effort has been made to analyse gain tuning of Basis Weight output relative to the changing values of basis weight valve opening with step and variable input. The effects of the three constants KP, KD and KI for different types of conventional controllers as P, PD and PID controller are examined by adding a disturbance to the control system. The effects of various scaling gains are studied on the output of the system and are tuned to get the optimum output both for the step input as well as the varying input. Simulation results show that P, PD and PID controllers provide automatic tuning to preserve good performance for various operating conditions. An analysis of practical performance indices is presented by comparing results of three different conventional controllers. The system developed can be used to serve as platform for Control engineering techniques used in industries

Entrepreneurship Through Start-ups in Hill Areas Using Photovoltaic Systems

There is large potential for generating solar power in Uttarakhand (India) endowed with natural resources. The extensive use of solar energy through solar PV panels in Distributed and Renewable Electricity Generation is significant to utilize multi climatic zones of hilly areas. In this regard, UREDA (Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency) targets to achieve a huge boost of solar PV battery backup with approved subsidy budget of INR 6 billion to 50 billion by 2019/20 under JNNSM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission). This investment will increase productivity, enhance employment opportunities and improve quality of education. However, maximization of power output from panels used for same is achieved through use of MPPT (Maximum Power Point Trackers). The commercially installed solar power systems can be made to accomplish higher efficiency by implementing MPPT systems in start ups. In this paper, the effort is made to use MPPT system designed by intelligent controller for implementation in PV based utility systems. The regulated voltage output from MPPT system is obtained irrespective of fluctuations in environment. These variations are tested for changing temperature and irradiance due to shading or partial unavailability of sun. The results of same have been optimized through MATLAB/SIMULINK. The model designed is intended to be a beneficial source for PV engineers and researchers to provide high efficiency with the use of MPPT

Comparison of MPPT Systems in Error Optimization using PID, Fuzzy and Hybrid Fuzzy in Multivariable Environment

Recent surveys conducted in the field of Power Control and Engineering show that photovoltaic (PV) systems are currently being discussed worldwide and research on the same is being carried globally. It is necessary to optimize the expanding use of photovoltaic systems through error detection in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) systems. Through this paper, an attempt is made to develop an efficient photovoltaic MPPT system using hybrid fuzzy technique to extract maximum power under a multivariable environment (changing temperature and irradiance). The MPPT system using Hybrid Controller (combining PID & FLC) has an increased efficiency and optimized output in comparison to the MPPT system using PID and Fuzzy individually. The system has explored a concept of computing academic performance indices with three MPPT models for future research based on global MPP calculation. Citation: Sharma, C., and Jain, A. (2018). Comparison of MPPT Systems in Error Optimization using PID, Fuzzy and Hybrid Fuzzy in Multivariable Environment. Trends in Renewable Energy, 4, 8-21. DOI: 10.17737/tre.2018.4.3.004