Viral Paratransgenesis in the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae

Paratransgenesis, the genetic manipulation of insect symbiotic microorganisms, is being considered as a potential method to control vector-borne diseases such as malaria. The feasibility of paratransgenic malaria control has been hampered by the lack of candidate symbiotic microorganisms for the major vector Anopheles gambiae. In other systems, densonucleosis viruses (DNVs) are attractive agents for viral paratransgenesis because they infect important vector insects, can be genetically manipulated and are transmitted to subsequent generations. However, An. gambiae has been shown to be refractory to DNV dissemination. We discovered, cloned and characterized the first known DNV (AgDNV) capable of infection and dissemination in An. gambiae. We developed a flexible AgDNV-based expression vector to express any gene of interest in An. gambiae using a two-plasmid helper-transducer system. To demonstrate proof-of-concept of the viral paratransgenesis strategy, we used this system to transduce expression of an exogenous gene (enhanced green fluorescent protein; EGFP) in An. gambiae mosquitoes. Wild-type and EGFP-transducing AgDNV virions were highly infectious to An. gambiae larvae, disseminated to and expressed EGFP in epidemiologically relevant adult tissues such as midgut, fat body and ovaries and were transmitted to subsequent mosquito generations. These proof-of-principle data suggest that AgDNV could be used as part of a paratransgenic malaria control strategy by transduction of anti-Plasmodium peptides or insect-specific toxins in Anopheles mosquitoes. AgDNV will also be extremely valuable as an effective and easy-to-use laboratory tool for transient gene expression or RNAi in An. gambiae

The OPAL Satellite Project: Continuing the Next Generation of Small Satellite Development

The Satellite Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University was created in an effort to promote a new philosophy about building satellites. The main tenets of this philosophy include the design and construction of reliable spacecraft that are smaller, developed within a one year time frame, and employ cheaper off-the-shelf parts. As a result of these criteria, one must take an alternative approach to the engineering project, including rapid prototyping of hardware, careful evaluation of mission requirements, and an overall approach which emphasizes development of the whole system rather than individual subsystems. The result is the Satellite QUick Research Testbed, or SQUIRT class of satellites. These smaller SQUIRTs are limited of course, weighing only 25 pounds and having the size restrictions of a 16 inch diameter by 9 inch high hexagon. However, the range of applications still available to these small wonders has hardly been scratched. These satellites still have the traditional major subsystems, such as power, communications, and data & command processing, which allow them a great deal of flexibility in supporting a wide variety of payloads, both scientific and otherwise. The first satellite being developed in this laboratory is SAPPHIRE, which carries on board specially machined infrared micro sensors, as well as a camera and a voice synthesizer which can broadcast messages over amateur radio frequencies. This paper will discuss the design of the SSDL\u27s second SQUIRT satellite, OPAL (Orbiting Picosatellite Automated Launcher). The main focus of this satellite will be to attempt to demonstrate the feasibility of launching and communicating with a smaller secondary satellite. An introduction to SSDL and this project will be given, followed by a background and short review of the technical aspects of the main payload, the picosatellite module. A brief overview of the remaining system architecture will then be discussed. A few conclusions will describe the near-future plans for this project

Picosat Free Flying Magnetometer Experiment

Individual satellites have been measuring the Earth\u27s magnetic field since 1958. Measurements taken in this way have led to some interesting discoveries about the earth\u27s magnetosphere. However, they have also raised many questions about the magnetosphere\u27s finer texture and dynamic nature. Researchers at JPL have proposed a mission where a single larger satellite ejects several picosatellites in order to simultaneously sample a volume of space. Each picosat is to carry a small, two axis, fluxgate magnetometer, several photo detectors for spin rate detection, a micro processor and a high frequency transmitter. After launch from the main satellite, each picosat will transmit its sensor readings back to the main satellite where the data will be stored for retrieval. Issues addressed in this paper are related to the design, manufacture, and planned flight test of the picosatellite on OPAL, a Stanford University Student Spacecraf

Guess the Data: Data Work to Understand How People Make Sense of and Use Simple Sensor Data from Homes

Simple smart home sensors, e.g. for temperature or light, increasingly collect seemingly inconspicuous data. Prior work has shown that human sensemaking of such sensor data can reveal domestic activities. Such sensemaking presents an opportunity to empower people to understand the implications of simple smart home sensors. To investigate, we developed and field-tested the Guess the Data method, which enabled people to use and make sense of live data from their homes and to collectively interpret and reflect on anonymized data from the homes in our study. Our findings show how participants reconstruct behavior, both individually and collectively, expose the sensitive personal data of others, and use sensor data as evidence and for lateral surveillance within the household. We discuss the potential of our method as a participatory HCI method for investigating design of the IoT and implications created by doing data work on home sensors.</p

Legitimacy, political organization, and communication

This chapter will address the question of public legitimacy in connection to thecommunication of political governed organizations (PGOs). My point of departureis that legitimacy in the public sphere is a central purpose in the communicativeeffort of any political governed organization. Overall, the paper takes aninstitutional approach to the subject and aims to clarify the institutional modesand forms PGOs are embedded in connection to the public sphere, as well as howthese forms and modes transform in the public sphere. I will not only address theinstitutional form and modes but also the agency and strategic ability to influencethe challenge of public legitimacy

Codification, Abstraction, and Firm Differences: A Cognitive Information-based Perspective

knowledge, codification, theory of the firm, firm heterogeneity, resource-based view, information asymmetry, B52, D01, D82, D83, L25,