Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bis-Phosphine Complexes With Transition Metals, Alicia L. Mcdaniel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Extractants and extraction methodologies play a vital role in many industrial processes, from the concentration of precious metals from ores to the separation of longlived nuclei from radioactive waste as well as the removal of heavy metals from soils and water for remediation. The vast majority of extractants rely on the use of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur or selenium as Lewis base donor atoms to form coordination complexes with the metal ions of interest. These extractants often make use of the chelate effect and/or the macrocyclic effect in order to form stable complexes. Some of the best known types of chelate …

Assessing Organic Matter Breakdown And Associated Macroinvertebrate Community Structure In Headwater Streams: Effects Of Hydrologic Gradients And Upland Timber Harvesting, Miller Scott Jarrell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

I examined the effects of hydrologic gradients and upland timber harvesting with different streamside management zone widths on yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) processing and the associated macroinvertebrate community structure in the Cumberland Plateau ecophysic region, U.S.A. Prior to upland timber harvesting, 5.0 ± 0.1 g yellow-poplar leaf packs were constructed, zip-tied to gutter nails, and placed into 7 perennial and 6 temporary stream reaches with similar physiochemical and geomorphic characteristics. From December 2007 to May 2008, 3–5 leaf packs were collected per reach monthly. I found significant differences in the functional feeding group composition. Temporary reaches contained higher shredder, gathering-collector, predator, …

Agricultural Contaminant Source And Transport In A Karst Groundwater Basin, Patricia Kambesis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Agricultural land use in areas that are located in karst groundwater basins negatively impact groundwater quality because karst terrains provide multiple, direct hydrologic connections from the surface into karst aquifers. The connections and rapid velocities associated with surface and subsurface flow in karst aquifers allow for contaminants to move quickly into and through a groundwater basin. When groundwater returns to the surface via a spring or springs, any contaminants within the water become part of surface streams and rivers. These in turn, impact water quality in areas located downstream of the spring or springs. The purpose of this study was …

Strategies For Reducing Mosquito-Borne Disease Vulnerability In Equine Populations: A Kentucky Case Study, Sara Dalton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined equine management practices that limit or contribute to the spread of West Nile virus and other mosquito-bome disease. I hypothesize that there is a relationship between equine management practices and outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease in horse populations. Improved and appropriate mosquito habitat management may limit the risk of mosquito-borne disease in humans and horses by helping to lower the mosquito populations. The study goals were to recognize equine management practices and mosquito prevention practices that foster outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease. This study used a questionnaire for county level analysis of equine management practices and the relationship to …

Development Of A Gene Transfer System In Clostridium Scindens Vpi 12708, Rashmi Ramasubbaiah

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 (previously known as Eubacterium sp. VPI 12708) is a bile-acid dehydroxylating bacterium originally isolated from the feces of a colon cancer patient. Many genes required for bile acid 7-a dehydroxylation are found on a large bile acid inducible operon (bai) that has been extensively studied. However the bai promoter, which directs expression of the bai operon, has yet to be characterized due, in part, to a lack of a functional genetic transfer system for this strain. A spontaneous rifampinresistant Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 mutant was used as a recipient to determine the efficacy of conjugation as …

The Effects Of Hydrilla Infestation On Selected Wintering Waterfowl: Santee Copper Lake System, South Carolina, William Davis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hydrilla is an exotic aquatic weed that was introduced into Florida in the 1950's. Since that time it has spread rapidly from lake to lake throughout the southeast and beyond. The Santee Cooper lake system in eastern South Carolina was infested with the weed in the early 1980's. Since that time lake managers have sought ways to eliminate the aquatic plant and have succeeded to a great extent through the use of sterile grass carp as a biological control agent. This paper, however, contains evidence to support the view that hydrilla is actually a beneficial habitat for many species on …

Evaluation Of Continuous Flow Constructed Wetlands Treating Swine Waste, Stephanie Rivard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The ability for wetlands to purify contaminated water is not a new concept. Natural wetlands have been cleansing water within our environment for ages. After studying the process of natural wetlands the same concept was applied to municipal waste. It is the success of constructed wetlands treating municipal waste that created the new idea for the application of a wetland system to treat wastewater from livestock facilities. Through proper design and management, constructed wetlands may be useful for reducing the nutrient concentration of waste (Rieck el al., 1996). Taking into consideration the higher nutrient loads of livestock waste, the same …

Evaluation Of Constructed Wetlands For The Waste Management Of A Large Scale Swine Production Unit, Robert Sutton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The effectiveness of using constructed wetlands to remove unwanted nutrients, increase dissolved oxygen while at the same time decreasing the biological oxygen demand, and to reduce the levels of the Fecal Coliform Bacteria from a swine operation was evaluated. The indicator of proper waste purification will be the result of testing for the following: ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, and Fecal Coliform Bacteria. The wetland was divided into nine connected cells that covered approximately 3.8 hectares. Material was loaded from an anaerobic holding lagoon on four separate occasions during …

Thermal Properties Of Some Lipid Components Of Cell Membranes, Lihua Wei

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Phospholipids are the major structural components of the lipid portion of biological membranes. The study of the thermal properties of these phospholipid provides a systematic understanding of the relationships between the chemical structures and functional properties of phospholipid molecules in artificial and biological membranes. This study examined the thermal behavior of phospholipids in the solid state using DSC and TG coupled with FITR. The phospholipids were found to have phase transitions below the melting point. Egg-yolk lecithin had four transitions below its melting point; sphingomyelin had two phase transitions below its melting point. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine had complex phase transitions. …

Patterns Of Sulfur Deposition In The Wood Of Pinus Echinatia Mill. From The Cumberland Plateau In Kentucky, Darrell Ray

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Air pollution and acid precipitation have long had an influence on plant and animal life. In this study, the level of sulfur in the stem tissue of Pinus echinata Mill. was measured in trees from various sites along the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau to determine the presence and pattern of sulfur deposition in this species. Overall, a 40.28% increase in sulfur levels was observed from four sites along the plateau with levels increasing from 0.072 mgS/gdwt in the 1962-66 growth increment to 0.101 mg in the 1982-86 increment. According to a computer generated analysis of variance, the differences …

Physical Properties Of Tar Sand Tailings That Influence Their Ability To Sustain Plant Growth, Timothy Cole

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The mining of bituminous sandstone rock for the purpose of extracting bitumen has created a need for reclamation. One such mine is located in northern Logan County. Their mining operation involves removing large sections of sandstone, which is impregnated with bitumen, and crushing it to sand-sized material. The sand-sized material is then mixed with organic solvents which extract the bitumen. Once separated, the bitumen is stored for future refinement and the spent sand is stockpiled for later disposal.

The spent sands or waste material are referred to as tar sand tailings. These tailings have particular properties which make reclamation efforts …

A Bacteriological And Chemical Analysis Of Nonpoint Source Pollution In A Karst Aquifer Bowling Green, Kentucky, Wayne Green

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Monthly water samples collected from four sites in the Lost River Groundwater Basin, a shallow karst aquifer in the Bowling Green-Warren County area of Kentucky, represented samples from sites receiving conduit and diffuse flow. All sites were severely contaminated with bacteria, and on some occasions the surface water criteria for some heavy metals were exceeded.

Of the total 334 bacterial colonies identified 92.1% were verified as Escherichia coli by the API20E system. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratum accounted for 2.10% of colonies; Citrobacter freundii for 0.30% Klebsiella pneumoniae for 0.90%; Klebsiella oxytoca, 0.90%; Citrobacter amalonaticus 0.30%; Enterobacter cloacae, 1.20%; …

Ecotypic Differentiation Of Andropogon Virginicus L. In Relation To Strip Mine Spoil Banks, Valina Kay Hurt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reciprocal plantings of populations of broomsedge, taken from an abandoned strip mine and from an abandoned farm plot in south central Kentucky, on strip mine spoil and abandoned field soil resulted in patterns of populations differentiation. Clonal plantings of populations from strip mine habitats and old field development appeared equal in height and biomass when grown on old field soils in both field trials and growth chamber studies. Populations when planted in strip mine soils in field trials and controlled growth experiments. Later flowering in strip mine populations may be a key to survival strategy in the harsh microclimates of …

Ultraviolet Radiation Effects On Rotifers, Syed Asim Hussain

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to study ultraviolet radiation effects on rotifers. The rotifer studied was Philodina acuticornis odiosa Milne. Isolation cultures were used to grow the rotifers individually in separate U-plate depressions. The source of ultraviolet radiation consisted of four mercury germicidal lamps used in combination to deliver a uniform flux of 315 uW/cm² over the sample. Five groups of rotifers, one control and four experimental groups of 96 each, were used. The rotifers used were 2-10 hours of age at the beginning of the experiment. The experimental groups were exposed to uv radiation for 3 minutes, …

The Fresh-Water Mussel Industry Of The Lower Tennessee River: Ecology & Future, Randall Grace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The fresh-water mussel industry of the Tennessee River is nearing an end. Overharvesting, habitat alterations, and pollution are the major contributors to the depletion of the mussel resource, upon which the shell industry is based. A history of unconcern by shell harvesters and weak conservation enforcement by governmental agencies, has left the major waterways of the United States nearly void of commercial clams. The lower Tennessee River presently supplies the mussel industry with nearly all the important species of mollusks. If this industry is to be maintained in the United States, ways to preserve and propagate the mussel population must …

A Comparative Pollution Study Of The Domestic Water Supply Of Warren County, Kentucky, Glenn Scott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The domestic water supply of Warren County, outside of the city of Bowling Green, is obtained from deep wells and springs. The county is about evenly divided into a southern section of cavernous limestone and a northern section of mixed sandstone and limestone formations.

The wells of the southern cavernous limestone region receive water from unfiltered underground streams and lakes. Most of the wells of the northern region are drilled in sandstone and the water, in a majority of cases, is filtered through porous sandstone and shale.

The purpose of this study was to make a comparative pollution study of …

The Relation Of The Native Forest Cover To The Physical And Chemical Nature Of The Soils Of The Mammoth Cave National Park Area, Sheppard Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was undertaken for the purpose of determining the relation existing between the native forest cover and the chemical and physical properties of the soils of the Mammoth Cave National Park area. The study was suggested by certain references in the literature to a correlation existing between forest cover and the geological, chemical and physical nature of soils of this area. The recent attempt at reforestation in the Mammoth Cave National Park area renders such a study timely, and it is believed that the results reported in this paper will materially aid the Mammoth Cave National Park Commission and …