Multiple muon measurements with MACRO

The MACRO experiment at Gran Sasso provides means for detailed studies of multiple coincident penetrating cosmic ray muons. In this paper we concentrate on the studies of the ultrahigh energy primary cosmic ray composition using muon bundle multiplicities, muon pair lateral and angular separation distributions.Othe

Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey 2011-12(Preliminary Results)

Preliminary results (tables only) for the malaria indicators and selected HIV indicators. The results were released by the National Bureau of Statistics on 11 October 2012. Full results of the survey are still being compiled and will be included in the final report

Stem Water Potential in Desert Willow Grown in Clinoptilolite Zeolite and In-Situ Riparian Soil

Reestablishing native vegetation in riparian areas of southwestern United States is difficult because of the reduction of natural floods by channelization practices, timing of rainfall, and competition against saltcedar. A previous study demonstrated that clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) could be used as a wicking material to raise sufficient moisture from shallow groundwater ( \u3c 3 m deep) to sustain plant establishment and growth. However, no studies have explored the effects that CZ has on water stress in established vegetation. This study evaluated the stem water potential (\Jfstem), which increases when plant water stress increases, of desert willow ( Chilopsis linearis) grown in CZ cores or in-situ riparian soil (RS) as part of a riparian zone restoration study in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Root zone volumetric moisture content (0v), plant \j/stem, and leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) for three to four randomly selected specimens in each substrate treatment within different depth to groundwater (DGW) zones were undertaken from June 7 to July 7, 2016. Results from the study showed that in a DGW zone of2 m, plants grown in CZ had significantly lower \j/stem (less water stress) than plants in RS, but in the 1.4 m DGW zone, the RS treatment had significantly higher soil moisture and less water stress. This demonstrated that the effectiveness of CZ in reducing water stress is a function ofDGW. Root zone 0v was negatively correlated with \j/stem, but this relationship was weaker for CZ treatments. Most treatment 8v and LCC averages decreased while \Jfstem increased over the course of the study. This was related to low precipitation and the consistent increase in mean temperatures, with daily maxima reaching as high as 41 °C and during the study period. These results can be used to determine the appropriate groundwater conditions where CZ could be used in future urban riparian restoration projects

Analysis of Extracellular Proteins Expressed by Host, Crassostrea Virginica and Pathogen, Roseovarius Crassostreae in Roseovarius Oyster Disease

Roseovarius Oyster Disease (ROD) involves the colonization of the inner shell of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) by the marine alpha-proteobacterium Roseovarius crassostreae. The ensuing disease can result in upwards of 90% mortality in hatchery-raised juvenile (\u3c 25 mm shell length) oysters. Symptoms of ROD include heavy, brown ring deposits of conchiolin on the surface of the shell, as well as uneven valve growth and shell curvature. Although the bacterium does not invade oyster tissue or digestive tract, fluorescent localization of an R. crassostreae biofilm on the inner shells of ROD-affected oysters, and toxic effects of R. crassotreae extracellular products on hemocytes and larval oysters suggest that a chemical warfare takes place between the R. crassostreae biofilm and the oyster host. In this thesis, I cultured R. crassostreae under laboratory conditions and analyzed the affects of physical growth condition, temperature, culture volume, and iron limitation on bacterial growth and bacterial extracellular protein (ECP) production. Culture growth rate increased with increasing temperature. Iron limitation resulted in slower growth but had no affect on maximum culture density. Iron limited cells produced a greater volume of ECPs, especially at low cell density. ECPs from liquid and solid-phase cultures were analyzed by LC-tandem mass spectrometry. The resulting protein sequences had high similarity to proteins in other bacterial species that act as virulence factors in other hosts, including metal transporters (2), proteases (2) and a surface-associated GroEL chaperonin. I also exposed live oysters to ECPs of live R. crassostreae cells by embedding a filter capsule into the oyster shell. I sampled extrapallial fluid from oysters pre-exposure and post-exposure and analyzed the relative expression of the oyster defense protein dominin in addition to the extent of brown shell deposition as a function of bacterial presence. The injury response due to capsule embedment masked any potential response by oysters to R. crassostreae ECPs

Conserved and Novel Properties of Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis in Dictyostelium Discoideum

The protein clathrin mediates one of the major pathways of endocytosis from the extracellular milieu and plasma membrane. Clathrin functions with a network of interacting accessory proteins, one of which is the adaptor complex AP-2, to co-ordinate vesicle formation. Disruption of genes involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis causes embryonic lethality in multicellular animals suggesting that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a fundamental cellular process. However, loss of clathrin-mediated endocytosis genes in single cell eukaryotes, such as S.cerevisiae (yeast), does not cause lethality, suggesting that clathrin may convey specific advantages for multicellularity. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal dynamics and requirements for individual components of the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway differ between yeast and mammals. I therefore sought to study the components of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in another unicellular system, the organism Dictyostelium, which diverged early from the lineage leading to yeast and mammals. Dictyostelium offers a unique advantage as upon starvation it transitions from a unicellular to multicellular state. In this thesis I studied clathrin-mediated endocytosis in the unicellular growth phase of Dictyostelium and identified a heterotetrameric AP-2 complex in Dictyostelium that is homologous to that present in mammalian cells. Analysis of this pathway at a high spatial and temporal resolution shows the high degree of similarity in the kinetics of internalization of individual clathrin-coated vesicles between Dictyostelium and mammalian cells. These similarities support the conclusion that the formation of clathrin-coated vesicles is homologous between Dictyostelium and mammals and, thus, these features likely evolved early. I also found a role for clathrin-mediated endocytosis in maintenance and biogenesis of the contractile vacuole in Dictyostelium. Contractile vacuoles are specialized organelles found in some single celled organisms that allow cells to osmoregulate by collecting and removing excess water from the cytoplasm; they are not found in yeast or animals. I found that that the contractile vacuole protein, dajumin-GFP, is trafficked via the cell membrane and is a cargo that is internalized by clathrin-mediated endocytosis in Dictyostelium. Internalization of dajumin-GFP is via a clathrin-dependent, AP-2 independent mechanism and is distinct from other endocytic mechanisms. These results suggest the role of clathrin in protein sorting also evolved early, while dependence on specific components of the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway, may have evolved later, as demonstrated by internalization independent of AP-2 function. In Dictyostelium, clathrin is known to be required for the formation of multicellular structures. Since it is possible to visualize the transition from a unicellular state to multicellularity, Dictyostelium is now uniquely positioned to study the dynamics of clathrin-mediated endocytosis during multicellular development