CONCENTRATION ISSUES IN THE U.S. BEEF SUBSECTOR

Industrial Organization, Livestock Production/Industries,

Qualification of silicon photomultipliers and readout boards for use in protoDUNE photon detectors

2018 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The study of neutrinos is a major component of modern High Energy Physics research. Neutrinos have been shown to have properties not predicted by the Standard Model, such as having non-zero mass. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a project in development which seeks to better understand neutrino physics. Part of the project includes designing a prototype detector for testing at CERN, which has been dubbed protoDUNE. Both DUNE and protoDUNE will consist of liquid argon time projection chambers, and a photon detection system. The photosensors used in the photon detection system will need to be submerged in cryogenic liquid, and will have to undergo thermal cycling as many as 5 times through their lifetime. The design installed in protoDUNE will use SensL C-Series SiPMs as photosensors, which have not been rated to operate below −40°C. This project sought to determine how these devices operate under repeated thermal cycles. Mounting boards were designed to measure the SiPM operation, and a cold test system was built which allows for repeated thermal cycling of these boards and their SiPMs. The data were closely examined to search for any issues arising, in particular searching for any problems consistent with damage to the SiPMs

Semantically Linking In Silico Cancer Models

Multiscale models are commonplace in cancer modeling, where individual models acting on different biological scales are combined within a single, cohesive modeling framework. However, model composition gives rise to challenges in understanding interfaces and interactions between them. Based on specific domain expertise, typically these computational models are developed by separate research groups using different methodologies, programming languages, and parameters. This paper introduces a graph-based model for semantically linking computational cancer models via domain graphs that can help us better understand and explore combinations of models spanning multiple biological scales. We take the data model encoded by TumorML, an XML-based markup language for storing cancer models in online repositories, and transpose its model description elements into a graph-based representation. By taking such an approach, we can link domain models, such as controlled vocabularies, taxonomic schemes, and ontologies, with cancer model descriptions to better understand and explore relationships between models. The union of these graphs creates a connected property graph that links cancer models by categorizations, by computational compatibility, and by semantic interoperability, yielding a framework in which opportunities for exploration and discovery of combinations of models become possible

Subclinical infection of macaques and baboons with a baboon simarterivirus

Simarteriviruses (Arteriviridae: Simarterivirinae) are commonly found at high titers in the blood of African monkeys but do not cause overt disease in these hosts. In contrast, simarteriviruses cause severe disease in Asian macaques upon accidental or experimental transmission. Here, we sought to better understand the host-dependent drivers of simarterivirus pathogenesis by infecting olive baboons (n = 4) and rhesus monkeys (n = 4) with the simarterivirus Southwest baboon virus 1 (SWBV-1). Surprisingly, none of the animals in our study showed signs of disease following SWBV-1 inoculation. Three animals (two rhesus monkeys and one olive baboon) became infected and sustained high levels of SWBV-1 viremia for the duration of the study. The course of SWBV-1 infection was highly predictable: plasma viremia peaked between 1 × 107 and 1 × 108 vRNA copies/mL at 3–10 days post-inoculation, which was followed by a relative nadir and then establishment of a stable set-point between 1 × 106 and 1 × 107 vRNA copies/mL for the remainder of the study (56 days). We characterized cellular and antibody responses to SWBV-1 infection in these animals, demonstrating that macaques and baboons mount similar responses to SWBV-1 infection, yet these responses are ineffective at clearing SWBV-1 infection. SWBV-1 sequencing revealed the accumulation of non-synonymous mutations in a region of the genome that corresponds to an immunodominant epitope in the simarterivirus major envelope glycoprotein GP5, which likely contribute to viral persistence by enabling escape from host antibodies

Root responses to domestication, precipitation and silicification: weeping meadow grass simplifies and alters toughness

Background and aims Plant breeding usually focuses on conspicuous above-ground plant traits, yet roots fundamentally underpin plant fitness. Roots show phenotypic plasticity in response to soil conditions but it is unclear whether domesticated plants respond like their ancestors. We aimed to determine how root traits differed between ancestral and domesticated types of a meadow grass (Microlaena stipoides) under altered regimes of precipitation and soil silicon availability. Methods We subjected the two grass types to three simulated precipitation regimes (ambient, +50%/deluge and −50%/drought) in soil with (Si+) and without (Si−) silicon supplementation and then characterised root biomass, architectural complexity and toughness in addition to shoot traits. Results Domestication increased root tissue density, decreased specific root length (SRL) and decreased root architectural complexity. Domestication also increased root strength under Si− conditions but not Si+ conditions. Fine roots, SRL, architectural complexity and the force required to tear the roots all decreased under deluge. The ancestral and domesticated grasses responded similarly to precipitation, except that the latter had weaker roots (decreased fracture strain) under drought. Conclusions Domestication and increased precipitation caused changes in M. stipoides root traits that could be beneficial against some stresses (e.g. soil compaction, herbivory) but not others (e.g. drought)

Elevate Dental

During a dental procedure, patients are often required to have a bite block placed in their mouths to keep them open for the duration of their procedure. These can be very uncomfortable for patients due to lack of properly-fitting sizes. This project presents an alternative fully adjustable bite block that is affordable, comfortable, and easy to use for dental personnel.The bite block is a two piece side loading design that uses interlocking teeth to supply a range of five sizes