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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Interactions Between Sediment Mechanical Structure And Infaunal Community Structure Following Physical Disturbance, William Cyrus Roger Clemo
Interactions Between Sediment Mechanical Structure And Infaunal Community Structure Following Physical Disturbance, William Cyrus Roger Clemo
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Shallow, river-influenced coastal sediments are important for global carbon storage and nutrient cycling and provide a habitat for diverse communities of invertebrates (infauna). Elevated bed shear stress from extreme storms can resuspend, transport, and deposit sediments, disrupting the cohesive structure of muds, and sorting and depositing sand eroded from beaches. These physical disruptions can also resuspend or smother infauna, decreasing abundances and changing community structure. Infaunal activities such as burrowing, tube construction, and feeding can impact sediment structure and stability. However, little is known about how physical disturbance impacts short and long-term sediment habitat suitability and whether disturbance-tolerant infauna influence …
Evaluating The Impact Of Oyster Reef Breakwaters On Hydrodynamics, Morphodynamics, And Sediment Transport Using Xbeach, Tabassum Islam
Evaluating The Impact Of Oyster Reef Breakwaters On Hydrodynamics, Morphodynamics, And Sediment Transport Using Xbeach, Tabassum Islam
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Alabama Port is a unique marsh and sandy beach shoreline. Since the 1950s, substantial erosion has occurred along this shoreline due to storms, wind-generated waves, and ship wakes. This research focuses on evaluating the effect of oyster reef breakwaters on wave height attenuation and sediment stabilization through numerical modeling (XBeach) under three different synthetic storm scenarios coupled with three unique sea level rise projections near Alabama Port. This has been accomplished by comparing a with and without project condition using XBeach in a two-dimensional (2D) mode by analyzing wave height, velocity, and cumulative bed-level changes at the study site. The …
Cadmium And Salinity Stressor Antagonism On Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Christopher P. Mikolaitis
Cadmium And Salinity Stressor Antagonism On Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Christopher P. Mikolaitis
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Submerged macrophytes form the foundation of freshwater ecosystems. These organisms are sessile and are very susceptible to shifts in their environment. Heavy metals are of particular concern as they can be sequestered indefinitely in sediments and are readily taken up by rooted vegetation. In the presence of saltwater intrusions, these metals can interact with salt ions potentially changing their availability to submerged vegetation. In this study a freshwater macrophyte, Vallisneria neotropicalis, was used as a test species for interactive effects between Cd, a non-essential heavy metal, and salt stress. The metrics used to establish the individual as well as …
Determination Of Cadmium Uptake In Crassostrea Virginica Shell Under Controlled Conditions, Joseph John Pavelites Ii
Determination Of Cadmium Uptake In Crassostrea Virginica Shell Under Controlled Conditions, Joseph John Pavelites Ii
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
The objective of this thesis was to meet growing demand for the development of environmental biomonitors that protect ecosystems and public health. To do this, I determined the potential of oyster shell as a bioindicator of cadmium (Cd) in the environment by determining the mode of Cd uptake and relationships between Cd concentrations in the environment, shell, and soft tissues of juvenile eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin). I performed a review of the literature on the ability of oyster shell to retain metal contaminants and the factors that could affect this process (Chapter 2). I then reared C. virginica …
Seeing The Big Picture: System Architecture Trends In Endoscopy And Led-Based Hyperspectral Subsystem Intergration, Craig M. Browning
Seeing The Big Picture: System Architecture Trends In Endoscopy And Led-Based Hyperspectral Subsystem Intergration, Craig M. Browning
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Early-stage colorectal lesions remain difficult to detect. Early development of neoplasia tends to be small (less than 10 mm) and flat and difficult to distinguish from surrounding mucosa. Additionally, optical diagnosis of neoplasia as benign or malignant is problematic. Low rates of detection of these lesions allow for continued growth in the colorectum and increased risk of cancer formation. Therefore, it is crucial to detect neoplasia and other non-neoplastic lesions to determine risk and guide future treatment. Technology for detection needs to enhance contrast of subtle tissue differences in the colorectum and track multiple biomarkers simultaneously. This work implements one …
Genomic Analysis And Characterization Of Surface Properties Of Naphthalene Degrading Acinetobacter Isolates, Gunn Emilie Berge
Genomic Analysis And Characterization Of Surface Properties Of Naphthalene Degrading Acinetobacter Isolates, Gunn Emilie Berge
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
No abstract provided.
An Examination Of Sex-Differences In Quadriceps Fatigability During High- And Low-Intensity Contractions, Katie G. Kennedy
An Examination Of Sex-Differences In Quadriceps Fatigability During High- And Low-Intensity Contractions, Katie G. Kennedy
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
The purpose of the current study was to compare sex-differences in quadriceps fatigability following both high- and low-intensity repeated, isometric contractions. Twenty-four (12 males, 12 females) participants completed two experimental visits consisting of repeated, isometric contractions of the knee extensors at 30% (LT) and 70% (HT) of maximal voluntary force (MVIC) until failure. Prior to, and immediately following the fatiguing contractions, strength, voluntary activation (VA), and peak twitch torque (PTT) were assessed while measuring surface electromyographic amplitude of the vastus lateralis (VLAMP) and vastus medialis (VMAMP ). Fatiguing bouts were assessed via mean torque (TQMEAN), total repetitions completed, torque coefficient …
Infection And Transmission Determinants Of Flea-Borne Rickettsioses, Hanna J. Laukaitis
Infection And Transmission Determinants Of Flea-Borne Rickettsioses, Hanna J. Laukaitis
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
The genus Rickettsia is comprised of Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacteria that are spread by hematophagous arthropods. Elucidating the factors conferring rickettsial virulence has perplexed investigators for decades, complicated by the lack of efficient genetic tools necessary to uncover rickettsial- and vector-specific factors contributing to persistence. The advent of transposon mutagenesis has enabled the field to make vast developments in uncovering novel rickettsial mechanisms utilized in various host backgrounds. Thus, the aim of this study was to generate Rickettsia felis transposon mutants and characterize novel phenotypes associated with genetic disruption in an arthropod background. Distribution of rickettsiae is reliant on the …
Characterizing Gray Snapper (Lutjanus Griseus) Life History In The Northcentral Gulf Of Mexico: Age And Growth, Mortality, And Reproduction, Edward Kim
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) constitute a significant recreational fishery and minor commercial fishery throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and review of the recent assessment determined that the stock is overfished and has been undergoing overfishing. The absence of regional baseline data in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico, combined with projections of range expansion and subsequent population growth due to climatic warming, highlight the need for the present investigation into the age and growth, mortality, and reproduction of this species in Alabama and Mississippi. Sex-specific growth curves constructed using the von Bertalanffy growth function demonstrated a significantly greater mean asymptotic length …
Site Fidelity Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Using Elemental Analyses And Photo-Identification, Lauren R. Clance
Site Fidelity Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Using Elemental Analyses And Photo-Identification, Lauren R. Clance
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
The objective of this study was to determine if bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Alabama waters acquire location-specific elemental signatures indicative of site fidelity. I measured trace metal concentrations (Chapter II) and stable isotope ratios (Chapter III) in skin from free-ranging dolphins remotely biopsied in Mobile Bay, the northern Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and eastern Mississippi Sound (EMSS). Elemental findings were corroborated with photo-identification data. I found that dolphins acquired some location-specific elements indicative of site fidelity, with the greatest differences at geographic extremes, particularly relative to salinity. For trace metals, highest concentrations were found in winter, consistent with higher …
Coastal Sediment Response To The Diel Oxygen Cycle, Kara Gadeken
Coastal Sediment Response To The Diel Oxygen Cycle, Kara Gadeken
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Shallow coastal sediments are sites of intense respiration and organic matter breakdown. Macroinfauna bioturbate and bioirrigate sediments which supplies microbes with oxygen and newly deposited organic material from surface sediments, facilitating microbial remineralization of organic matter. These processes depend heavily on the concentration of dissolved oxygen in overlying water. Shallow water oxygen patterns often follow a diel cycle as dissolved oxygen decreases at night due to respiration and then increases during the day with photosynthesis, creating recurring suboxic conditions that are potentially stressful to organisms. Sediment oxygen flux is known to depend on ambient dissolved oxygen concentration, but behavioral responses …
Tracking Vibrio: Population Dynamics And Community Ecology In Alabama Estuaries, Blair H. Morrison
Tracking Vibrio: Population Dynamics And Community Ecology In Alabama Estuaries, Blair H. Morrison
<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>
Integral parts of local culture along the Eastern Mississippi Sound System (EMSS)- eating raw oysters and fishing- can involve contact with vectors of pathogenic Vibrio spp. bacteria. High mortality rates from vibrio infections demonstrate the need for improved understanding of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus dynamics in the region. This study assessed: 1) meteorological, 2) hydrographic, and 3) biological correlates of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in the EMSS from April-October 2019. Spearman’s correlations, linear mixed models, and non-metric dimensional scaling identified significant relationships between Vibrio spp., abiotic, and biotic parameters of the ecosystem. Vibrio spp. population dynamics were largely …