Microgravity’s Effect on the Virulence of Bacteriophage qB on Escherichia coli as a Possible Indicator of the Down-Regulation of Host Factor Hfq

Faculty Research Day 2018: Student Spaceflight Experiments Program FinalistFaculty Research Day 2018: Undergraduate Student Poster 2nd PlaceThe virulence of viruses is a topic of interest for the wellbeing of human health during space travel. Little research has been conducted on differing virulence between bacteriophages in space and on earth. However, prior research suggests evidence that a difference may exist. Hfq is an RNA binding global regulator protein present in E. coli which has been shown to be required for Coliphage qB to infect E. coli.  In a squid-vibrio experiment conducted under simulated microgravity, the hfq protein production was seen to be down-regulated in Vibrio fischeri. Our experiment aims to imitate results found by Grant under a real microgravity situation in Escherichia coli, given that Hfq is highly conserved in bacteria. The experiment will compare the virulence of Coliphage qB on E. coli in space to the virulence on land. The resulting difference in rates of Coliphage qB infection of E. coli may hint at unknown molecular mechanisms that bacteria and/or viruses employ under the effects of microgravity, and may provide evidence to suggest that hfq is also down-regulated in E. coli in microgravity. The implications of the results found by this experiment will be a step into determining the virulence of viruses and other infectious organisms during spaceflight and may lead to effective preventative measures to safeguard the health of humans in space

Cloning of Putative Cobalamin Reductases of Thermosipho melanesiensis

Cobalamin, commonly known as Vitamin B12, is a vitamin that plays an essential role in keeping human nerve and blood cells healthy. It is also a cofactor for the synthesis of enzymes involved in citric acid cycle metabolism, DNA synthesis, and gene regulation. Only certain Bacteria and Archaea possess the required enzymes for Cobalamin biosynthesis. Eukaryotes cannot synthesize Cobalamin de novo, but obtain it in one of two ways: via gut microorganisms that synthesize Cobalamin, or via food sources. Humans use the latter method by consuming animal products. Our aim is to uncover the unknown gene identities of three reductase enzymes in Thermosipho melanesiensis that are suspected to be required for de novo Cobalamin synthesis. Previous research on protein comparison to Salmonella enterica has targeted three DNA sequences as possible reductase genes

ANÁLISIS COMPARATIVO DE LA CALIDAD DEL AGUA EN EL TIEMPO ENTRE EL BARRILITO DE POLIETILENO DE 22 LITROS FRENTE AL BIDÓN DE POLICARBONATO DE 20 LITROS

En este artículo, se compara el estado final del agua de mesa después de estar almacenada durante los días promedio de consumo en un barril de policarbonato y un barril de polietileno con tecnología bag in box, se realiza el análisis del agua utilizando la técnica NMP por tubos múltiples para determinar la presencia de microorganismos, tales como Heterótrofos, escherinchia, coliformes, pseudomonas, colífagos, organismos de vida libre, copepodos. Los análisis demostraron que el envase de barril de polietileno garantiza la inocuidad del agua durante el tiempo de consumo y el bidón de policarbonato por sus características no garantiza la calidad microbiana del agua almacenada en su interio

Clasificación automática de tipos de semilla de quinua a través de descriptores de color

Los agricultores de quinua para obtener cosechas optimas deben seleccionar de manera adecuada sus semillas a cultivar sin que se mezclen con otras variedades. La investigación actual se centra en la clasificación automática de tres tipos de semillas de quinua (Sacaca, Pasankalla y Salcedo) utilizando descriptores de color. Después de la adquisición de imágenes de semilla de quinua, se les asigna el filtro Gaussianblur para corregir y cuantificar el color en las imágenes permitiendo resaltar las diferencias entre las características de cada tipo de semilla de quinua. Las imágenes suavizadas se asignan al proceso de segmentación utilizando el método de Otsu para extraer después las características y realizar el entrenamiento de los clasificadores. Para realizar la clasificación de las semillas de quinua se utilizó SVM mediante el análisis lineal pixel a pixel. Los resultados de ensayo demuestran que el procedimiento de desarrollo tiene una alta precisión

Force–velocity profiles in CrossFit athletes: A cross-sectional study considering sex, age, and training frequency

Introduction: The force–velocity profile has been analysed previously in different sports modalities; nevertheless, it has not been analysed in CrossFit. Objective: The aim of this study was to report neuromuscular characteristics of CrossFit athletes using their individual force-velocity profile, investigating differences according to sex, age, and training frequency. Materials and Meth-ods: 72 males (33.17 ± 6.86 years; BMI: 25.93 ± 3.64 kg/m2) and 18 females (30.11 ± 6.92 years; BMI: 23.53 ± 3.98 kg/m2) participated in this study. The force-velocity profile was calculated using Samo-zino’s method. Furthermore, neuromuscular characterization was completed with a squat jump and three drop jumps (20, 30, and 40 cm). Results: Regarding sex, significant differences in all analysed mechanical variables (p < 0.001) were found except for the theoretical maximal force (p = 0.944). No significant differences were found between age groups. Considering training frequency, athletes who train more than 5 days per week showed higher performance in all analysed mechanical variables (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CrossFit athletes have a force-velocity profile more oriented towards velocity than force. Males and females have different neuromuscular characteristics, also neuromus-cular improvements can be achieved at any age. Moreover, higher neuromuscular performance is developed with a training frequency of 5 days or more per week

Ring attractor bio-inspired neural network for social robot navigation

Introduction: We introduce a bio-inspired navigation system for a robot to guide a social agent to a target location while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. Robot navigation can be accomplished through a model of ring attractor neural networks. This connectivity pattern between neurons enables the generation of stable activity patterns that can represent continuous variables such as heading direction or position. The integration of sensory representation, decision-making, and motor control through ring attractor networks offers a biologically-inspired approach to navigation in complex environments. Methods: The navigation system is divided into perception, planning, and control stages. Our approach is compared to the widely-used Social Force Model and Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Star methods using the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index as metrics in simulated experiments. We created a virtual scenario of a pedestrian area with various obstacles and dynamic agents. Results: The results obtained in our experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this architecture in guiding a social agent while avoiding obstacles, and the metrics used for evaluating the system indicate that our proposal outperforms the widely used Social Force Model. Discussion: Our approach points to improving safety and comfort specifically for human-robot interactions. By integrating the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index, this approach considers both social comfort and collision avoidance features, resulting in better human-robot interactions in a crowded environment

Ring attractor bio-inspired neural network for social robot navigation

Introduction: We introduce a bio-inspired navigation system for a robot to guide a social agent to a target location while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. Robot navigation can be accomplished through a model of ring attractor neural networks. This connectivity pattern between neurons enables the generation of stable activity patterns that can represent continuous variables such as heading direction or position. The integration of sensory representation, decision-making, and motor control through ring attractor networks offers a biologically-inspired approach to navigation in complex environments. Methods: The navigation system is divided into perception, planning, and control stages. Our approach is compared to the widely-used Social Force Model and Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Star methods using the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index as metrics in simulated experiments. We created a virtual scenario of a pedestrian area with various obstacles and dynamic agents. Results: The results obtained in our experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this architecture in guiding a social agent while avoiding obstacles, and the metrics used for evaluating the system indicate that our proposal outperforms the widely used Social Force Model. Discussion: Our approach points to improving safety and comfort specifically for human-robot interactions. By integrating the Social Individual Index and Relative Motion Index, this approach considers both social comfort and collision avoidance features, resulting in better human-robot interactions in a crowded environment

Dogs Detecting COVID-19 From Sweat and Saliva of Positive People : A Field Experience in Mexico

ContextMolecular tests are useful in detecting COVID-19, but they are expensive in developing countries. COVID-19-sniffing dogs are an alternative due to their reported sensitivity (>80%) and specificity (>90%). However, most of the published evidence is experimental, and there is a need to determine the performance of the dogs in field conditions. Hence, we aimed to test the sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19-sniffing dogs in the field. MethodsWe trained four dogs with sweat and three dogs with saliva of COVID-19-positive patients, respectively, for 4.5 months. The samples were obtained from a health center in Hermosillo, Sonora, with the restriction to spend 5 min per patient. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). ResultsTwo sweat-sniffing dogs reached 76 and 80% sensitivity, with the 95% CI not overlapping the random value of 50%, and 75 and 88% specificity, with the 95% CI not overlapping the 50% value. The 95% CI of the sensitivity and specificity of the other two sweat dogs overlapped the 50% value. Two saliva-sniffing dogs had 70 and 78% sensitivity, and the 95% CI of their sensitivity and specificity did not overlap the 50% value. The 95% CI of the third dog's sensitivity and specificity overlapped the 50% value. ConclusionFour of the six dogs were able to detect positive samples of patients with COVID-19, with sensitivity and specificity values significantly different from random in the field. We considered the performance of the dogs promising because it is reasonable to expect that with gauze exposed for a longer time to sweat and saliva of people with COVID-19, their detection capacity would improve. The target is to reach the sensitivity range requested by the World Health Organization for the performance of an antigen test (>= 80% sensitivity, >= 97% specificity). If so, dogs could become important allies for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing countries.Peer reviewe

Flotación de minerales polimetálicos sulfurados de Pb, Cu y Zn

Polymetallic sulfide ores are found in abundance in nature and especially in our country, hence the great importance of studying their behavior in the differential flotation. There are ores that are very amenable to flotation and there are also other complex minerals that have a very complicated flotation because of different factors, the most difficult ones are those with natural activation of sphalerite and iron sulphides due to soluble salts that the mineral can have as a result of the presence of metal ions from different metals, mainly copper. The copper, lead and zinc ore that was studied did not show difficulties during the selective flotation; the quality and the separation efficiency of concentrates can be improved with more time and more stages of flotation cleaning. We defined the theoretical concepts of the selective flotation and made the mineralogical and chemical study of the sample. The bulk flotation tests and the separation reported good results. We can mention that the gold content in the lead-copper concentrate provides an economic value of $380 dollars for TMC.Los minerales sulfurados polimetálicos son muy abundantes en la naturaleza y en especial en nuestro pais, de alli la gran importancia que tiene estudiar su comportamiento frente a la flotación diferencial, existen minerales muy dóciles a la flotación y también otros minerales complejos que presentan una flotación muy complicada por una serie de factores, los mas difíciles son aquellos que presentan activación natural de la esfalerita y sulfuros de fierro debido a las sales solubles que puede tener el mineral como consecuencia de la presencia de iones metálicos de diferentes metales, principalmente cobre. El mineral de cobre, plomo y zinc que se ha estudiado no presenta dificultad durante la flotación selectiva, la calidad y la eficiencia de separación de los concentrados pueden ser mejorados con mayor tiempo de flotación y más etapas de limpieza. Se define los conceptos teóricos de la flotación selectiva, se realizó el estudio mineralógico y químico de la muestra, las pruebas de flotación bulk y la separación, reportan buenos resultados, para mensionar solo el contenido de oro en el concentrado de cobre plomo, aporta un valor económico de$380 dólares por TMC

Synergies and Prospects for Early Resolution of the Neutrino Mass Ordering

The measurement of neutrino Mass Ordering (MO) is a fundamental element for the understanding of leptonic flavour sector of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Its determination relies on the precise measurement of $\Delta m^2_{31}$ and $\Delta m^2_{32}$ using either neutrino vacuum oscillations, such as the ones studied by medium baseline reactor experiments, or matter effect modified oscillations such as those manifesting in long-baseline neutrino beams (LB$\nu$B) or atmospheric neutrino experiments. Despite existing MO indication today, a fully resolved MO measurement ($\geq$5$\sigma$) is most likely to await for the next generation of neutrino experiments: JUNO, whose stand-alone sensitivity is $\sim$3$\sigma$, or LB$\nu$B experiments (DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande). Upcoming atmospheric neutrino experiments are also expected to provide precious information. In this work, we study the possible context for the earliest full MO resolution. A firm resolution is possible even before 2028, exploiting mainly vacuum oscillation, upon the combination of JUNO and the current generation of LB$\nu$B experiments (NOvA and T2K). This opportunity is possible thanks to a powerful synergy boosting the overall sensitivity where the sub-percent precision of $\Delta m^2_{32}$ by LB$\nu$B experiments is found to be the leading order term for the MO earliest discovery. We also found that the comparison between matter and vacuum driven oscillation results enables unique discovery potential for physics beyond the Standard Model.Comment: Entitled in arXiv:2008.11280v1 as "Earliest Resolution to the Neutrino Mass Ordering?