Kinetic Efficiency Determination of Mutant Enzyme Bgl B (Y118F)

This experiment\u27s purpose was to characterize the Bgl B mutant (Y118F) by its enzyme kinetics. The wild-type Bgl B and the Y118F mutant were compared in Foldit, a chemical structure modeling software, and it was determined that our mutation would see a decrease in catalytic efficiency, substrate binding ability, and overall effectiveness. The experiment was completed with the goal of gathering data to submit to Design2Data a protein modeling algorithm. The experimentation entailed preparing the plasmid, expressing and purifying the mutant protein, analyzing the mutant using a kinetics assay and SDS-PAGE, and then interpreting and visualizing the results. The results of the SDS-PAGE did not provide much use due to little visible banding present, indicating that there are low concentrations of the mutant present. The kinetic assay results support the Kcat decreasing for the mutant but results were vague and inconclusive for the Km

Monitoring and Optimization of Mobile Robots Movement

Práce se zabývá návrhem a implementací aplikace pro sledování a optimalizaci pohybu mobilního robotu. Aplikace komunikuje s mobilním robotem MiR 100 prostřednictvím rozhraní REST API a sleduje spotřebu energie, ujetou vzdálenost a dobu provozu pro různé rychlosti a hmotnosti. Byla provedena řada experimentů s cílem shromáždit data a analyzovat výkon mobilního robotu za různých podmínek. Na základě výsledků experimentů byla doporučena optimalizační opatření pro provoz mobilního robotu.This thesis deals with the design and implementation of an application for tracking and optimizing the movement of a mobile robot. The application communicates with the MiR 100 mobile robot via a REST API and tracks energy consumption, distance traveled and operating time for different speeds and weights. A series of experiments were conducted to collect data and analyze the performance of the mobile robot under different conditions. Based on the results of the experiments, optimization measures for the operation of the mobile robot were recommended.450 - Katedra kybernetiky a biomedicínského inženýrstvívýborn

Design and Implementation of Virtual and Remote Laboratories Designed for Education of Automatic Control

Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá návrhem a realizací virtuální a vzdálené laboratoře pro výuku automatického řízení. Fyzikální model magnetické levitace MagnetoShield je popsán soustavou diferenciálních rovnic. Soustava diferenciálních rovnic a regulátor jsou namodelovány v prostředí Matlab. Ve virtuální laboratoři probíhá řízení modelu magnetické levitace a jeho vizualizace v Rexygen studio. Fyzikální model magnetické levitace MagnetoShield je ovládán ve vzdálené laboratoři v Rexygen Studio. Vizualizace je doplněna o kameru pro vzdálené sledování.This bachelor thesis deals with design and implementation of virtual and remote laboratories designed for education of automatic control. The physical model of magnetic levitation MagnetoShield is described by a set of differential equations. The system and controller are modeled in Matlab. In the virtual laboratory the magnetic levitation model is controlled and visualized in the Rexygen Studio. The physical model of magnetic levitation MagnetoShield is controlled in remote laboratory in Rexygen Studio. The visualization is complemented by the camera for remote monitoring.450 - Katedra kybernetiky a biomedicínského inženýrstvívýborn

Public health nutrition and food policy

C/O PUBLISHING DIVISION, WALLINGFORD, ENGLAND, OXON, OX10 8D

Household dietary practices and family nutritional status in rural Ghana

A cross-sectional study involving 400 mothers was conducted in the Manya Krobo district of Ghana with the objective of studying household dietary practices, quality of diets and family nutritional status of rural Ghana. A combination of methods, including structured interviews using questionnaire, dietary assessments and anthropometry was used to collect data for the study. The data obtained was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 10 in Windows. Means and standard deviations were generated for continuous variables and frequency distribution for categorical variables. Most women consumed meals three times a day but only a few (12.5%) cooked all three meals at home. Breakfast and lunch were the two main meals purchased from food vendors. The most frequently consumed food items on daily basis were the starchy staples, maize, fish, pepper, onion, tomato and palm fruits. The nutritional qualities of diets were poor in terms of calcium and the B-vitamins. A significant proportion of the women were nutritionally at risk of being either underweight (12%), overweight (17%) or obese (5%). For adequate nutrition in this population, nutrition education intervention programs aimed at improving nutrient intake through improved diet diversity and increased use of local foods rich in calcium and the B-vitamins needs to be undertaken. There is also the need to intensify education on excessive weight gain and its attendant health problems in the area

Documenting Hydrological Benefits of Traditional Acequia Irrigation Systems: Collaborative Research in New Mexico, USA

[EN] In New Mexico, USA, acequia-based agriculture is under threat as pressures rise to transfer water and land out of agriculture. The amount and cash value of agricultural production coming out of acequia-irrigated valleys is not great when compared to many production areas – yet, the overall value of acequia agricultural systems may go beyond food and fiber production in ways not apparent to the general public. Research on the hydrology of acequias has been carried out in collaboration with acequia associations, irrigators, and other community residents in north-central New Mexico. This research indicates these acequia irrigation systems provide important hydrologic benefits including aquifer recharge and groundwater return flow. In our water budget study, of water diverted into the Acequia de Alcalde, on average only 7% was consumed by crop evapotranspiration, 59% returned to the river as surface return flow, and 33% returned to the river as shallow groundwater return flow. In effect, the acequia irrigation system stores spring snowmelt runoff in the valley alluvial aquifer and releases it to the river later when river flows are normally low. If acequia agriculture decreases significantly, these key hydrologic functions could be lost and fall and winter river flows could diminish, particularly during drought, causing negative effects on downstream water users as well as river ecology.Guldan, SJ.; Fernald, AG.; Ochoa, CG. (2015). Documenting Hydrological Benefits of Traditional Acequia Irrigation Systems: Collaborative Research in New Mexico, USA. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 738-750. https://doi.org/10.4995/ISL2014.2014.188OCS73875

Connectivity of Coupled Hydrologic and Human Systems as the Basis of Resilience in Traditional Irrigation Communities in New Mexico

[EN] Changes in land use and water availability are impacting the integrity of traditional irrigation systems and their associated communities worldwide. We designed a study to quantify the components of resilience within coupled hydrologic and human systems in New Mexico USA. We worked collaboratively with three communities in the northern Rio Grande basin to characterize hydrologic, ecological, socio-cultural, land use, and economic system components of linked water and human social systems. Building on component models and quantified resilience examples, we crafted graphical representations of connectivity and resilience. We added data points from around the world gleaned from a research workshop. We found there was more hydrological connectivity with flow paths from irrigation system to irrigated field to groundwater and river; the most important nexus was shallow groundwater recharge. There was more human connectivity with strong connections to land and community involvement; an important nexus was mutualism/social capital. Within the northern New Mexico communities, it appears that hydrological connectivity is associated with higher water availability and even if disconnected due to water scarcity can be restored with renewed water availability. Community connectivity, on the other hand, seems susceptible to long term disruption that self-perpetuates long after the initial stresses are imposed. We compared resilience of the hydrologic and human systems on axes of climate (arid to sub-humid), hydrologic connectivity (between surface water and groundwater and between watershed and river), and community connectedness (between water users and water infrastructure and between community members and water management organizations) including communities from northern New Mexico, Bali, Spain, Morocco, central Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, and southern New Mexico. Hydrologic connectivity was most related to local water availability and climate. Community connectivity seemed to be a function of other variables such as mutualism and local control of governance. Changes in water availability and land use affected communities disproportionately. There appears to be a combination of characteristics that has particularly high resilience: medium aridity allows enough water for hydrologic connectivity yet has enough water scarcity to engender collective community action. Promoting connectivity may be a way to enhance resilience of traditional irrigation communities.Fernald, A.; Rivera, J.; Rodríquez, S.; Tidwell, V.; Ochoa, C.; Ortiz, Q.; Guldan, S. (2015). Connectivity of Coupled Hydrologic and Human Systems as the Basis of Resilience in Traditional Irrigation Communities in New Mexico. En Irrigation, Society and Landscape. Tribute to Tom F. Glick. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 418-428. https://doi.org/10.4995/ISL2014.2014.172OCS41842

HONGHUA EXTRACT MEDIATED POTENT INHIBITION OF COVID‑19 HOST CELL PATHWAYS

Honghua (Carthami flos) and Xihonghua (Croci stigma) have been used in anti-COVID-19 as Traditional Chinese Medicine, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we applied network pharmacology by analysis of active compounds and compound-targets networks, enzyme kinetics assay, signaling pathway analysis and investigated the potential mechanisms of anti-COVID-19. We found that both herbs act on signaling including kinases, response to inflammation and virus. Moreover, crocin likely has an antiviral effect due to its high affinity towards the human ACE2 receptor by simulation. The extract of Honghua and Xihonghua exhibited nanozyme/herbzyme activity of alkaline phosphatase, with distinct fluorescence. Thus, our data suggest the great potential of Honghua in the development of anti-COVID-19 agents

Ecohydrologic Connections in Semiarid Watershed Systems of Central Oregon USA

An improved understanding of ecohydrologic connections is critical for improving land management decisions in water-scarce regions of the western United States. For this study, conducted in a semiarid (358 mm) rangeland location in central Oregon, we evaluated precipitation-interception-soil moisture dynamics at the plot scale and characterized surface water and groundwater relations across the landscape including areas with and without western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). Results from this study show that juniper woodlands intercepted up to 46% of total precipitation, altering soil moisture distribution under the canopy and in the interspace. Results indicate that precipitation reaching the ground can rapidly percolate through the soil profile and into the shallow aquifer, and that strong hydrologic connections between surface and groundwater components exist during winter precipitation and snowmelt runoff seasons. Greater streamflow and springflow rates were observed in the treated watershed when compared to the untreated. Streamflow rates up to 1020 L min(-1) and springflow rates peaking 190 L min(-1) were observed in the watershed where juniper was removed 13 years ago. In the untreated watershed, streamflow rates peaked at 687 L min(-1) and springflow rates peaked at 110 L min(-1). Results contribute to improved natural resource management through a better understanding of the biophysical connections occurring in rangeland ecosystems and the role that woody vegetation encroachment may have on altering the hydrology of the site