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A Floristic And Taxonomic Study Of The Wood-Rotting Aphyllophorales Of The Spruce-Fir Forest Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hack Sung Jung

Doctoral Dissertations

An ecological survey of the wood-rotting Aphyllophorales from the spruce-fir forest of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was accomplished with emphasis on resupinate taxa. A total of 105 species are described within 51 genera of 6 families and discussed in terms of habitats, substrates, wood rot, host trees, elevation, and distribution. Sixteen species were successfully cultured. Analytical keys for genera and species are provided, and microscopic characters are illustrated in an appendix.

Fungi usually occur in naturally disturbed areas with windbreaks and windthrows. Fomitopsis, Ganoderma, Phellinus, and Perenniporia are the most common.decay fungi. Hirschioporus and stereoid fungi play important …

Nutrient Capital Sequestration In Pioneer Plant Communities On Surface-Mine Spoil, Gary Leon Wade

Doctoral Dissertations

Biomass production and nutrient capital sequestration of four pioneer plant communities on a surface-mine spoil were compared. A Chenopodium album-dominated community (Treatment 4) produced the greatest amount of biomass. Next were a community derived from a forest topsoil seed bank spread over mine spoil (Treatment 2), a seed bank community with common reclamation species seeded into it (Treat­ ment 3 ) , and a mix of grasses and Lespedeza commonly used in reclama­tion (Treatment 1).

Treatments 1, 2, and 3 sequestered N in aboveground biomass in an amount approximately equal to that added as fertilizer, but Treat­ment 4 sequestered 237 …

Microencapsulation As An Alternative To Emulsification For Preparing As A For Use In Papermaking, William J. Corriveau

Masters Theses

The sizing chemical ASA is emulsified to make i t compatible with the papermaking process. Unfortunately, emulsified ASA is chemically reactive with water at the elevated temperatures found in papermaking systems. As an alternative, encapsulated ASA was made and investigated for its stability towards water at elevated temperatures.

A handsheet procedure was developed to analyze emulsified and encapsulated ASA. It was concluded that the procedure gave statistically reproducible results. Investigations with the procedure revealed important variables concerning the laboratory and m ill application of ASA. Evidence indicated that retention of ASA was critical to sizing development.

Encapsulated ASA made for …

A Biogeographic Study Of Amphibians In Tennessee, William H. Redmond Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Range maps and descriptive, taxonomic, and habitat information are provided for 20 species of frogs and 41 species of salamanders. The environmental setting of Tennessee is described in terms of geology, physiography, climate, drainages, soils, vegetation, and ecoregions. For the purposes of the analyses, a grid cell pattern containing 122 sampling units is used, and the amphibian fauna is organized into three faunal groups. These groups are frog species, salamander species, and all species grouped together as amphibians. The results of a G-test for the frequency distribution of range limits fitted to a Poisson distribution suggest a clumped dispersion pattern …

The Use Of Motor Coordination Endpoints In The F1 Generation To Evaluate For Effects Of Ethylmethanesulfonate On Pre- And Post-Meiotic Sperm Cells Of Male Mice, Lee Goldner

Masters Theses

Groups of 5 male HA(ICR) mice were injected intraperitoneally with 60, 150, 300, or 600 mg/kg body weight of ethylmethanesulfonate or with a saline control. Each male was mated to two untreated females at two weeks after treatment and then again at five weeks after treatment. The treatment groups were labelled post-meiotic and pre-meiotic relative to the stage of spermatogenesis at time of treatment. Progeny were evaluated by observations of litter size, body weight, negative geotactic response, swimming patterns, limb use, water escape time and open field motor coordination activity. Body weight, geotactic response, limb use and open field motor …

Seasonal Variation In Population Location Of The Galapagos Tortoise, Geochelone Elephantopus Vandenburghi, On Volcan Alcedo, Isabela Island, Galapagos Archipelago, Kent R. Beaman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Twenty tortoises, 10 adult males and 10 adult females, were tagged with radio transmitters. Numbers were painted on each carapace to aid in visual sighting. The tortoises were released, and their movement was monitored over a one year period.

The percent recovery of tagged tortoises along with the numbers of non-tagged tortoises counted in sections of the study area, were used to determine tortoise population movement and location.

Weather data were collected and observations were made concerning the vegetation. These observations were compared with those from previous studies to see what impact seasonal climatic conditions and food availability had on …

Stable Hydrogen And Carbon Isotopic Compositions Of Biogenic Methanes, Roger Allen Burke Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stable hydrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of biogenic methanes collected from the sediments of several deep-sea, nearshore marine-estuarine, and freshwater environments were determined. The isotopic compositions of methane samples from eight different DSDP Sites (mean σD-CH₄ = -185⁰>/∞, std. dev. = 7⁰>/∞, n = 75; mean σ¹³C-CH₄ = -71.3⁰/∞, std. dev. = 6.3⁰/∞, n = 44) are generally typical of methane formed via C0₂ reduction in deep-sea sediments.

Methane collected from several freshwater environments was D-depleted (mean σD-CH₄ = -300⁰>/∞ , std. dev. = …

Cisplatin Ototoxicity In The Guinea Pig: An Electrophysiological, Morphological, And Biochemical Study, Sarah E. Barron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine changes induced by cisplatin on hair cell (HC) morphology, compound action potential (CAP), Preyer reflex (PR), and Na,K-ATPase activity in the cochlear lateral wall. Guinea pigs were treated with either 0.42, 0.83, 1.17, 1.50 mg/kg cisplatin, i.p. or sterile water for 12 consecutive days and tested on day 13. HC condition was visualized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), CAP was initiated with a 1 volt click, and Na,K-ATPase activity was measured by the method of Fiske and SubbaRow. HC damage was linear with dose and occurred throughout the turns of the cochlea …

Isolation And Characterization Of Temperature-Sensitive Protein Synthesis Mutants Of Escherichia Coli By Directed Mutagenesis Of The Defective Bacteriophage Lambda Fus2, Kenton L. Lohman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mutagenesis of the defective transducing bacteriophage lambda fus2 was used to isolate a collection of temperature-sensitive mutants of E. coli in the major ribosomal protein gene cluster. Four mutants were examined in detail. Two of the mutants were resistant to the ribosomal antibiotics neamine and spectinomycin. Another mutant was defective in 50S ribosomal subunit assembly at 42(DEGREES)C. The 30S subunit proteins S17 and S19 were changed in two different mutants. Each protein migrated as a more basic species in two-dimensional gels of ribosomal proteins. Ribosomes from each of the four mutants examined showed a temperature-dependent reduction in translational activity in …

Plasma Carnitine Of The Premature Infant, Rebecca Bryan Smith

Masters Theses

Premature infants have been shown to exhibit fat intolerance with the administration of exogenous lipid, especially intravenous lipid. Carnitine is required for the efficient oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. Since infants have been reported to be unable to synthesize carnitine, the carnitine and lipid status was investigated in a series of premature infants throughout the entire period of hospitalization. At birth, the plasma carnitine of three groups of appropriate for gestational (AGA) premature infants (n=36), was compared with full term infants (n=10), and with maternal and umbilical cord plasma carnitine levels. The plasma concentrations of carnitine, triglyceride, and in some …

An Analysis Of Mercury Accumulation Within The Upper Estuarine Food Chain Of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Jeffrey W. Tingle

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Analysis of the level of mercury contamination within the sediments and fish associated food chain of Lake Charles, Louisiana, an area located within the Calcasieu River system, were assessed. Sediment levels were found to be slightly elevated (0.33µg Hg/g) from natural background levels (0.20 µg Hg/g). Levels found within the fish of the region were also found to be slightly elevated (0.287 µg Hg/g) from natural levels. This is below the hazardous level designated by the Food and Drug Administration (0.50 µg Hg/g). The statistical analysis of the pathway of mercury through a food chain composed of eight different species …

Comparison Of An Improved Plankton Sampler To The Standard Conical Plankton Net, Ronald S. Schmidt

OES Theses and Dissertations

A comparison of field and tank tests between the standard conical plankton net and an improved version of a plankton sampler is presented. The improved sampler was shown to filter larger quantities of water than the standard net without having the filtration efficiency reduced below 85%. The improved sampler was also shown to capture an increased number of plankton per volume sampled, as a result of eliminating increased avoidance activity by zooplankton. It was not shown that. the improved sampler capture either larger maximum sizes of zooplankton or additional species.

Determination Of Total And Unfilterable Plasma Aluminum In Uremic Patients, Theodore R. Delbridge

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Aluminum accumulation in the soft tissues and bone of end stage renal failure patients has been described in the literature. In addition to aluminum normally encountered through ubiquitous sources, these patients are subject to exposures through the dialysate used for hemodialysis and through aluminum-containing phosphate binders. These increased exposures, associated with a decreased ability to excrete aluminum through the kidneys, lead to aluminum accumulation which may result in the onset of an encephalopathy syndrome and/or osteomalacic osteodystrophy. These complications may be very devastating.

Blood serum or plasma aluminum levels do not reflect the total body burden of aluminum. However, they …

Microbial Characteristics Of An Industrial Mixed Liquor After Exposure To Phenolic Compounds, Patricia L. Boyle

Theses

The microbial characteristics of a mixed population from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC) Wastewater Treatment Plant in Newark were examined. This plant handles about 250 million gallons per day of mixed sewerage, with a large industrial component. The microbial species were characterized using standard plating techniques, morphology, microscopic observation, and biochemical tests. These characteristics were determined for the fresh liquor, and after successive batch exposure to phenol (100 ppm) and 2-chlorophenol (20 ppm). Predator/prey, gram positive to gram negative bacteria ratios, and the fungi and protozoan populations were also determined. These results were compared with those previously obtained using …

Field Behavior Comparison Of 8 Species Of California Desert Ants, Jack S. Neal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Replicate colonies were observed at three study sites in southern California. Hourly activity was monitored during winter and spring.

The time outside the nest ranged from strictly diurnal in Pogonomyrmex californicus to bimodal to nocturnal in Pheidole barbata. Four aspects of surface activity, foraging, nest work, patrolling, and convening, also differed among species in hour and/or in relative proportion of such activity. Finally, interesting species differences were seen in climbing ability, running time between stops, and response to air blasts (Messor oergandei and Pheidole barbata were the least aggressive). Solenopsis maniosa was one of the three worst glass climbers, along …

Intraspecific And Interspecific Agonistic Behavior In Chipmunks, Tamias Merriami, T. Obscurus, And T. Speciosus (Rodentia: Sciuridae), Ronald C. Vandervort

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Agonistic behavior in three species of chipmunks, Tamias merriami, T. obscurus, and T. speciosus, was compared at seven locations in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains of southern California. The study was conducted during the post-breeding periods in the summers of 1983 and 1984. Chipmunks were attracted to feeding stations baited with sunflower seeds. Their aggressive interactions were classed as displacement, short chase, long chase, or fight. Over 500 encounters were recorded.

Short chase was the most frequent agonistic mode, followed by displacement, with fewer long chases, and rare fights. Observations were made both at areas where T. merriami …

Assay For Rifampicin Resistant M13 Rf Synthesis, Carol Bauer Wheeler

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

We have developed a rapid assay which can detect the function of the origin of 0X174 complementary strand DNA in Ml3 by virtue of its ability to initiate the synthesis of M13 complementary strands in the presence of the antibiotic rifampicin. A segment of DNA carrying the sequence recognized by the replication protein n' has been isolated from bacteriophage ØX174 and cloned into an Ml3 bacteriophage vector. Protein n' is a component of the bacterial primosome, a multi-protein assembly which initiates the synthesis of primers during DNA replication in the bacterium Escherichia coli. The recognition site for n' on the …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Novel Motility Mutant In Salmonella Typhimurium, David Matthew Chacko

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A new mutant, BT40, isolated from mutagenized cultures of S. typhimurium was deficient in chemotaxis (Che^- phenotype) in tryptone semisoft agar, but had random motility with a tumbling frequency (37%) similar to that of the parental strain, ST23 (39%). In spatial assays accumulation of BT40 cells in capillary tubes containing attractants was decreased by 33%-59% compared to ST23, but BT40 had a normal response to attractants in temporal assays. The methylation level of the chemotactic proteins was decreased in BT40. At room temperature, the mean swimming speed was 11 μm/s for BT40 and 20 μm/s for ST23; more BT40 …

A Rapid Concentration And Identification Technique For Human Malaria Infections Using A Mouse Model, Donald D. Barton

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Red blood cells infected with malaria parasites experience a change in density making them lighter (less dense). This paper reports a new, rapid diagnostic technique using this change in density in the infected red blood cell. It is not only easy to use, but it is also compatible with the technological conditions found where the malaria problem is most acute - in many developing countries of the world. A small sample of blood drawn from a simple finger stick can be concentrated and examined microscopically for malaria parasites within 10 minutes. The thick film slide preparation, presently used, takes a …

Choline Inhibition Of Prothrombinase, Richard D. Leach

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to characterize the inhibitory effects of choline on the terminal enzymatic complex of the blood coagulation cascade. Reports in the literature have indicated that choline lengthens whole plasma clotting time with a likely site of inhibition being the step that converts prothrombin (II) to thrombin (IIa).

In order to quantitate the effects of choline on prothrombinase activity, bovine factor V and human factor II were isolated in this laboratory by established methods, and other prothrombinase components were obtained from commercial sources. The activity of venom-activated bovine factor Xa was assayed in the presence of …

The Relationship Of Vitamins B-6 And B-12 To Plasma Homocysteine Levels In Men At Low- And High-Risk For Coronary Heart Disease, Marlene E. Swift

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is evidence that homocysteine may be a factor in increasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). To explore this relationship further, we assessed the interrelation of dietary vitamins B-6, B-12 and folate, and plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and vitamin B-12 with plasma free and protein-bound homocysteine levels. Fasting blood and three-day dietary records were obtained from nine men low-risk (LR) and five at high-risk (HR) for CHD. The HR mean systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), and TC/cholesterol ratios were significantly higher than LR levels. Groups were comparable by age, weight, height, skinfolds, exercise, and smoking history. No significant difference …

Uptake Of Zn65 And Mn54 Into Body Tissues And Renal Granules By The Southern Quahog, Mercenaria Campechiensis, William Lynn Miller Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to examine the influence of elevated inorganic phosphate and trace metal concentrations on the uptake and distribution of Zn⁶⁵ and Mn⁵⁴ into the body tissue and phosphoritic renal concretions of a subtropical estuarine bivalve, Mercenaria campechiensis. Chronological sampling of gills, mantle, adductor muscle, viscera, kidneys, and renal granules using gamma ray spectrometry allowed examination of both tissue distribution and accumulation patterns over time. The kidney was the principal site of Mn⁵⁴ accumulation whereas Zn⁶⁵ was concentrated in both the gill and the kidney. The gill initially accumulated zn65 three times faster …

Entrained Air In A Beloit Uniflow Cleaner And Its Effect On Removing Neutral Density Contaminants, Mark E. Powell

Paper Engineering Senior Theses

In this study, the Beloit Uniflow Cleaner is evaluated to determine the effects that entrained air has on the removal of neutral density contaminants. Various levels of air are injected at the inlet header. The results of this project are that, at 0% air entrainment, the removal of efficiency is at its maximum. Introducing air causes the removal efficiency to fluctuate between 0% and 0.5%. Results, though, are inconclusive,. Recommendations for further research include exploring particle size and shape, vary stock temperature and consistency, and determine the maximum particle size before cleaning and efficiency is adversely affected.

The Effects Of Stress On The Blood Calcium Level In The Male White Rat (Rattus Norvegicus), Howard Perry Cobb

Master's Theses

THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE BLOOD CALCIUM LEVEL IN THE MALE WHITE RAT (Rattus norvegicus) by Howard Perry Cobb I I I was writ ten as part of the requirements for a Master of Science degree in Biology at the University of Richmond (May, 1985). The present experiment was designed to determine whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) can be considered a "stress" hormone. Parathyroidectomized (PX) male rats (160-200 g) were injected with 10, 20, or 30 USP units of PTH per 100 g body weight and subjected to confinement/UHF stress for a 1.5-h period. Serum calcium levels of these PX …

Atp Defendent Na+ Transport And The Characterization Of Na+ / Nh4+ Exchange In Basolateral Vesicles Of The Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, Gill, Linda Ann Fuhrman

Master's Theses

ATP dependent Na⁺ transport was denonstrated in purified ba.solateral vesicles of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) gill. Active Na⁺ uptake was dependent upon the intravesicular presence of either K⁺ or NH; as a counterion. Final membrane preparations consist of inside-out basolateral vesicles, evidenced by intravesicular ouabain (1 rrM) and extravesicular vanadate (1 rnM) ²²Na ⁺ uptake inhibition. Na⁺/NH₄⁺exchange rates were investigated by detennining the NH; concentration in the recovered extravesicular nedium and by using the kinetic capabilities of a DU7 spectrophotareter. These purified basolateral membranes, rich in Na⁺,K^{+ …}

Anatomy And Systematics Of Penthorum L., Melanie Lynn Haskins

Master's Theses

The genus Penthorum L. consists of two species of perennial herbs, P. sedoides of eastern North America and P. chinense of eastern Asia. Penthorum has long be.en considered intermediate between crassulaceae and Saxifragaceae. An anatomical study of both species was undertaken to contribute to a better understanding of the relationships of these plants. Prominent anatomical features of Penthorum include: an aerenchymatous cortex and closely-spaced collateral vascular bundles of stems; one-trace unilacunar nodes; brochidodromous venation, rosoid teeth bearing hydathodes, and anomocytic stomata of leaves; angular vessel elements with many-barred scalariform perforation plates and alternate to scattered intervascular pits; thin-walled non-septate fiber-tracheids; …

An Electrophoretic Analysis Of The Genetic Relationship Between Etheostoma Nigrum And Etheostoma Olmstedi (Percidae: Etheostomatini) In The James River Drainage Of Virginia, John Stuart Prince Jr.

Master's Theses

Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque 1820, the Johnny darter ranges from Alabama to the Hudson Bay and from Colorado east to the Atlantic slope in the James, Roanoke, Tar and Neuse Rivers. Etheostoma olmstedi Storer 1842, the tesselated darter, is restricted to the east coast in the Atlantic and Lake Ontario drainage. In the James and Roanoke River systems in Virginia E. nigrum occupies the piedmont and montane regions whereas E. olmstedi primarily inhabits the coastal plain. The relationship between the morphologically similar species of darters (subgenus Boleosoma) is controversial and has been investigated by several authors. Stone (1947), using multiple character …

The Trend In Canopy Composition In A Young Mesic Forest, Zhenchang Li

Masters Theses

Brewer Woods, a young disturbed mesic sugar maple-beech (Acer saccharum-Fagus grandifolia) forest in Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, was investigated by point-quarter and transition matrix methods. The results indicate that this forest is dominated by sugar maple in both canopy and understory composition. Beech is the second most important species. Fourteen species were found as canopy trees or replacements. The hypothesis that a young forest is more diverse than comparable climax forests such as Warren Woods and Hueston Woods was supported. Its successional trend is that sugar maple will become more abundant at the expense of the other species. Beech is a …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Campers Toward Black Bears In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pamela A. Petko-Seis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to provide information that would be useful in the management of human-bear interactions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP or Park). One-hundred and fifty backcountry campers and 200 frontcountry campers were interviewed to determine their attitudes, knowledge, camping habits, and experience as related to black bears. In addition, preliminary observations of human-black bear interactions in the backcountry were documented.

Backcountry campers were younger and more educated than frontcountry campers. At least 10% of campers did not realize black bears climb trees or that they are diurnally active. Approximately 25% of campers did not …

Characterization Of A New Freshwater Methanogen, Methanogenium Wolfei Sp. Nov., Theodore B. Moore

Dissertations and Theses

A recently isolated freshwater methanogenium species, Methanogenium wolfei, is characterized. Cells were irregular cocci, measuring 1.5 to 2.0 micrometers in diameter. No motility was observed, but 1 to 2 flagella per cell were observed after staining with Gray's Flagella Stain. Colonies formed by this species were small, shiny, and green-brown in color. Formate or hydrogen plus carbon dioxide served as substrates for growth. The optimal temperature for growth was found to be 45 degrees centigrade with minimal growth below 30 degrees centigrade and above 55 degrees centigrade. The optimal pH for growth was determined to be 6.8. Optimal growth was …