A latent ability to persist: differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii

A critical factor in the transmission and pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii is the ability to convert from an acute disease-causing, proliferative stage (tachyzoite), to a chronic, dormant stage (bradyzoite). The conversion of the tachyzoite-containing parasitophorous vacuole membrane into the less permeable bradyzoite cyst wall allows the parasite to persist for years within the host to maximize transmissibility to both primary (felids) and secondary (virtually all other warm-blooded vertebrates) hosts. This review presents our current understanding of the latent stage, including the factors that are important in bradyzoite induction and maintenance. Also discussed are the recent studies that have begun to unravel the mechanisms behind stage switching

Bird Strikes at USU

According to the American Bird Conservancy, up to one billion birds are killed in the United States every year by window collisions

Searching for Dark Photons with Maverick Top Partners

In this paper, we present a model in which an up-type vector-like quark (VLQ) is charged under a new $U(1)_d$ gauge force which kinetically mixes with the SM hypercharge. The gauge boson of the $U(1)_d$ is the dark photon, $\gamma_d$. Traditional searches for VLQs rely on decays into Standard Model electroweak bosons $W,Z$ or Higgs. However, since no evidence for VLQs has been found at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), it is imperative to search for other novel signatures of VLQs beyond their traditional decays. As we will show, if the dark photon is much less massive than the Standard Model electroweak sector, $M_{\gamma_d}\ll M_Z$, for the large majority of the allowed parameter space the VLQ predominately decays into the dark photon and the dark Higgs that breaks the $U(1)_d$ . That is, this VLQ is a `maverick top partner' with nontraditional decays. One of the appeals of this scenario is that pair production of the VLQ at the LHC occurs through the strong force and the rate is determined by the gauge structure. Hence, the production of the dark photon at the LHC only depends on the strong force and is largely independent of the small kinetic mixing with hypercharge. This scenario provides a robust framework to search for a light dark sector via searches for heavy colored particles at the LHC.Comment: 40 pages and 11 figure

NMR Investigation of the Low Temperature Dynamics of solid 4He doped with 3He impurities

The lattice dynamics of solid 4He has been explored using pulsed NMR methods to study the motion of 3He impurities in the temperature range where experiments have revealed anomalies attributed to superflow or unexpected viscoelastic properties of the solid 4He lattice. We report the results of measurements of the nuclear spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times that measure the fluctuation spectrum at high and low frequencies, respectively, of the 3He motion that results from quantum tunneling in the 4He matrix. The measurements were made for 3He concentrations 16<x_3<2000 ppm. For 3He concentrations x_3 = 16 ppm and 24 ppm, large changes are observed for both the spin-lattice relaxation time T_1 and the spin-spin relaxation time T_2 at temperatures close to those for which the anomalies are observed in measurements of torsional oscillator responses and the shear modulus. These changes in the NMR relaxation rates were not observed for higher 3He concentrations.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figure

Small molecule tandem organic photovoltaic cells incorporating an α-NPD optical spacer layer

We report an improvement in power conversion efficiency in a small molecule tandem organic photovoltaic (OPV) device by the optimisation of current balancing of the sub-cells using an optical spacer layer. A co-deposited layer of N,N’-bis(1-naphthyl)-N,N′-diphenyl-1,1’-biphenyl-4,4’-diamine (α-NPD) and molybdenum oxide was used as the optical spacer layer and provided a highly transparent and conductive layer. Optical simulations showed the addition of the optical spacer in a boron subphthalocyanine (SubPc)/C60 based tandem OPV device increased the SubPc absorption in the front sub-cell and resulted in current balancing through the device. Fabricated tandem OPV devices showed similar trends, with the power conversion efficiency increasing from 2.3% to 4.2% with the addition of an optimised optical spacer thickness. External quantum efficiency and total absorption efficiency measurements back up the optical model data which attribute the increased performance to improved SubPc absorption in the front sub-cell, balancing the photocurrents of the two sub-cells

Internship at Zootah at Willow Park

Project: Creation of a quick and cost effective feed system for the animals. Reason: Regular feed is expensive ($5-$10 per 50lbs) About $80 -$160 per month for one type of feed (I.E. Wheat)

Where Did The Birds Go?

Birds on campus have had an extremely high death rate near University Inn in past years. The trees on the west side of the building are within the kill zone. The kill zone is 15-30 feet away from the building

Arts At Large Handbook Pt. 1 - The Arts @ Large Program

The Arts @ Large model is based on a simple mission: consistently advocate for the connection of arts to academics by building sustainable partnerships between the arts community, K-12 educators and students, public policy makers, and institutes of higher education. With this mission in mind, Arts @ Large strives to meet goals that make arts education accessible for ALL students.Arts @ Large:Provides ongoing, quality arts experiences for students that builds an arts-rich school climate, which encourages the inclusion of art and music specialists in school staffing plans.Forges sustainable partnerships with artists, arts and community organizations to enhance in-classroom and after school learning, and motivate ALL students to higher academic achievement.Provides arts education experiences in an inclusiveenvironment designed to motivate students with diverse learning and physical abilities.Helps teachers build skills to integrate performing, visual, and literary arts into all subjects in a manner sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population.The arts are essential because they:Are a unique languagethat all people use to communicate regardless of age, ability,ethnicity or gender.They allow people to move beyond individual differences such as race, society, culture, education and economic level.Are symbol systems like letters and numbers and are equally important to a person's development.Allow every child to learn.Connect the learning of both content and process.Develop independence and collaboration.Provide opportunities for self expression,creative problem solving and critical thinking.Improve student achievement -enhancing test scores, attitudes and social skills.Provide authentic assessment opportunities.Create a bridge between motivation, instruction, assessment and application - leading to deeper understanding.Integrate mind, body and spirit thereby addressing the whole child.Provide immediate feedback and opportunities for reflection.Exercise and develop higher order thinking skills including analysis, synthesis, and problem solving.Address the multiple intelligences and various learning styles