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A Quantitative Description Of Migratory Behavior Of The Brown Shrimp (Penaeus Aztecus) With Applications In Fisheries Management, Anne Madolyn Babcock

OES Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative description of the migratory behavior of the brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, was established using the density approach. A theoretical time density was estimated by the proportion of catch and catch per boat hour NOAA-NMFS fisheries statistics collected in Pamlico Sound, the Neuse River, and Core Sound. A clear quantitative description of brown shrimp migratory timing is found in the time densities. The impact of various physical tactors on the progress of the fishery in time and space can be objectively evaluated by using the time density statistics as dependent variables in modeling efforts. The distributions also enable …

Algal Dynamics In A Cypress Stand In The Seasonally Flooded Great Dismal Swamp, Joseph A. Atchue Iii

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The dynamics of epiphytic algae and phytoplankton were studied at a cypress stand in the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia. Mean epiphytic algal biomass was 19.9 g m^-2 and mean planktonic biomass was 3.4 g m^-2.Nutrient concentrations in the epiphytic algae and the litter were determined. The algae had mean concentrations of 1.67% and 0.18%. They were found to immobilize as much as 0.5 g N m^-2 and 0.06 g P m^-2. This suggests that the algae are important as nutrient conservers. The phytoplankton were composed primarily of Bacillariophyceae. They exhibited a more or less …

Decay Rates And Nutrient Dynamics In Confines And Nonconfined Leaf Litter In The Great Dismal Swamp, R. Frederick K. Yates

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to quantitatively compare decay rates and nutrient dynamics by the confined and unconfined litter techniques in a seasonally flooded swamp. In this study both methods indicated the same order of decay rates among sites (cedar>maple-gum>cypress> mixed hardwood), but the unconfined method showed faster decay rates at all sites. As in two years of previous data collection, the stands exhibiting some seasonal flooding showed greater decay rates than the mixed hardwood stand which was not inundated. Nutrient dynamics were not different between litter bag and leaf pack methods.

This study included a preliminary investigation of …

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay For Anatid Herpesvirus, Margaret Anne Lewis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Duck plague virus causes a hemorrhagic disease affecting the family Anatidae, resulting in 60-80% mortality in captive flocks. Plaque and neutralization assays for Anatid herpesvirus (AHV) require 5-10 days for completion and are restricted by the seasonal availability of fertile duck eggs. The enzyme linked innnunosorbent assay (ELISA) is rapid and specific and avoids the use of living cells. The Holland strain of AHV was grown on duck embryo fibroblasts and purified by banding on CsCl gradients. The resulting virus was used to raise antisera in prebled New Zealand white male rabbits. Antibody production was confirmed in double diffusion plates …

The Seasonality Of Occurrence Of Larval And Juvenile Sciaenids In A Virginia Seaside Estuary, James Howard Cowan Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The seasonality of occurrence and relative abundance of larval and juvenile fishes, particularly members of the family Sciaenidae, from a Virginia seaside estuary were determined from ichthyoplankton and trawl collections made from March 1979 to March 1980.

The larvae of 20 species distributed among 15 families were identified from the ichthyoplankton. Larvae of the bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli, and the Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia, dominated the samples and made up 57 and 34%, respectively, of all larvae collected. Peak occurrence began in May and continued through August. Fish larvae were present in the study area all year.

Twenty-eight …

Petroleum-Utilizing Bacteria: The Biological Line Defense Against Oil Pollution, Steven W. Sokolowski

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A silica gel-petroleum (SGP) medium was developed which is reliable, approximately the same cost as that of the corresponding agar-based petroleum medium, and can be made sufficiently firm to use in streaking or the spread-plate technique. Advantages of the medium include: the incorporation of all of the major ions of seawater in accordance with Dittmar's Law (the salinity of which can easily be varied from 0 to 35 parts per thousand); a wide workable pH range (5.5 to 11.6); negligable pH drift(~ 0.2 pH units after 166 days); the elimination of all but negligable amounts of syneresis, the ability to …

Breeding Birds Of Two Atlantic White Cedar Stands In The Great Dismal Swamp, Karen Terwilliger

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Breeding birds were censused during two years in two Atlantic white cedar stands of the Great Dismal Swamp, and a comparison was made with census results of the predominant swamp community, maple-gum. The maple-gum site had a higher bird species diversity than either cedar site but supported only half the density. The century-old cedar site had the highest species richness while the younger cedar site had the highest density.

Cluster analysis placed the avifauna into distinct groups which closely corresponded to the vegetative strata of the stands. Species were ordered along the height gradient using principal coordinate and detrended correspondence …

Lithium Chlorine-Induced Food Aversions In The Toad (Bufo Americanus), Paul R. Vaughan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research established that a strong and persistent food aversion can be produced in the toad (Bufo americanus), using lithium chloride­ prey pairings. No previous study has reported taste-illness aversions in amphibians. The first of three experiments established this aversion learning and also suggested that prior "safe" exposures to a prey had little effect on subsequent aversive conditioning to that food (mealworm). No effect on general eating behavior as measured by response to another prey object (cricket) was observed in the initial study. The second experiment tested the effectiveness of five different dosages of a hypertonic LiCl solution (.5 M …

In Vitro Enzymatic Assay Of Rna Methylation, Pamela Jean Eubanks Gallup

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

An assay procedure for in vitro enzymatic methylation of mannnalian ribosomal RNA has been developed in this study. The assay procedure, utilized for the comparison of normal and neoplastic methylase activities (using mouse liver and Ehrlich ascites cells as sources of enzyme), is a modification of previously published methods (52,53). A 100,000 x g supernatant (SlOO) enzyme preparation was incubated with 28S-5.8S rRNA and tritium-labeled S-adenosyl-L-methionine. The RNA was extracted, applied to DEAE cellulose paper, washed, and the radioactivity counted. The neoplastic cell methylase preparation was more active in methylating both exogenous neoplastic and normal 28S-5.8S rRNA than the normal …

The Use Of Microscopic Vegetative Characteristics And Leaf Characteristics And Leaf Deterioration Rates In The Formulation Of Keys Of Some Wetland Plants, Bruce Foy Williams

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Leaves of Spartina alterniflora, Spartina patens, Spartina cynosuroides, Distichlis spicata, Phragmites communis, Juncus roemerianus, Scirpus robustus, Typha latifolia, Iva frutescens, and Baccharis halimifolia were examined microscopically. Characteristics of each species were then used to develop identification keys. In addition, leaf fragments were buried in the marsh substrate to simulate a dredging and/or filling operation. At weekly intervals during each season of the year, a leaf fragment of each species was processed and examined to see if it could be identified.

Mining The Deep Seabed Implications For International Law And American Foreign Policy, Steven H. Fitzgerald

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Whether or not the United States may someday face a mineral shortage, the need for a coherent, unified minerals policy is critical to national objectives and national security. Deep-sea mining may be the answer to American (and world) mineral needs in the twenty-first century. However, there are numerous problems which must be dealt with and resolved in the near future, in order to enable the U.S. (and the world community) to take advantage of vast undersea resources. Deep-sea mining requires the development of technology, tremendous capital investments, and years of labor before production can begin. U.S. policy makers must decide …

High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis Of Biogenic Amines, Thais Edwina Ahrendt Keegan

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to develop a sensitive method for separation and quantitation of biogenic amines and to apply that procedure by monitoring neurochemical changes resulting from stimuli to the test system.

Primary aromatic amines were derivatized with o-phthalaldehyde-mercaptoethanol prior to chromatography, Separation of the fluorescent adduct was achieved using a μBondapak/ phenyl reversed-phase column and a two-step gradient of methanol:0.08 M acetic acid, pH J.O. Fluorescence was monitored using a J40 nm excitation energy and an emission filter which transmits radiation greater than 400 nm (50% T at 418 nanometers).

Following optimization of the chromatographic conditions, studies …

The Synthesis And Evaluation Of The Biological Activity Of Heterocyclic Analogs Of Phencyclidine, Julian Dew Mckenney Jr.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Using the classical synthetic approach described by Maddox and co-workers⁴³, the decyanation reaction of 1- piperidinocyclohexane carbonitrile (PCC), 5, was attempted using the heterocyclic anions of 2-methyl-5-nitropyridine, 22, 2-amino-5-nitropyridine, 23, and 2-hydroxy-5-nitropyridine, 24; however, the desired pyridine analogs of phencyclidine (PCP), 1, could not be prepared under these conditions. Attempts to prepare the same analogs via addition of these anions to the iminium tosylate and hydrobromide salts also proved unsuccessful.

The failure to observe the desired decyanation reaction has been attributed to the special sterochemical restrictions of the hindered nitrile of PCC in that facile …

Chemistry Of Organic N-Chloramines, Formation Of Arenesulfonamides By Derivatization Of Organic N-Chloramine With Sodium Arenesulfinate, Katherine F. Bowdring

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Organic N-chloramines are recognized by-products of chlorinated water systems. Because of their chemistry, none have been isolated or identified.

This paper discusses a method for the derivatization of the organic N-chloramines based on a nucleophillic substitution mechanism. N-Chloro derivatives of amines of various structures were studied including primary and secondary aliphatic amines, as well as amino acids. The effect of the presence of other functional groups including aromatic and unsaturated systems was investigated.

Derivatization was done by three different methods, one involving derivatization of the pure N-chloramine, and two involving derivatizations of the N-chloramine generated in situ. Seventeen arenesulfonamides have …

Growth And Recruitment Of Two Penaeids In The Bay Of St. Louis, Mississippi During 1979, Teresa C. Heaton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Juvenile brown (Penaeus aztecus, Ives) and white (Penaeus setiferus, Linnaeus) shrimp were collected from two stations of a nursery area in St. Louis Bay Mississippi, during May to October, 1979. Periods of shrimp recruitment and growth were determined to discern whether the concurrent environmental variables of salinity and temperature had an influence on shrimp abundance and yield. Growth estimates were obtained from length frequency measurements of trawl samples taken over a 24-h period per month from each station. An analysis of variance of length versus the variables of sex, month, station, time of day, salinity and …

Fine Structure Of The Nucleus And Cytoplasmic Feulgen-Positive Areas In The Developing Oocyte Of Argus (Persicargas) Radiatus, Bonnie J. Harding

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A transmission electron microscope analysis of the changes that occur in the nuclear chromatin and the Feulgen-positive areas of the oocyte cytoplasm as the female develops, feeds and mates is described. The description includes analysis of oocytes from three types of females: unfed, unmated; fed, unmated; and fed, mated. In all types, dense material passes through the extremely porous nuclear membrane where it accumulates in the cytoplasm.

Nuclei of previtellogenic oocytes appear the same in all females studied. Fibrillar bodies and up to four large nucleoli are seen. No typical chromatin is seen, but structures resembling nucleosomes appear throughout the …

Incorporation Of Carbon-14 Metabolites Into The Sex Pheromon 26-Dichlorophenol Of Dermacentor Andersoni Stiles; And The Disruption Of Pheromone Activity In D. Andersoni And D. Variabilis (Say) By Quinones, Daniel Martin Gainsburg

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, injected with (u-¹⁴c) sodium acetate or DL-(benzene ring-u-¹⁴c) tryptophan for in vivo studies, was found to produce sex pheromone, 2,6-dichlorophenol, containing ¹⁴c activity. Ambiguous results were obtained with L-(u- ¹⁴c) tyrosine, and no incorporation of ¹⁴c label into pheromone was observed with DL-(ring-u- ¹⁴c) phenylalanine or DL-(side chain-3-¹⁴c) tyrosine. Attempts were made to determine the site of synthesis, but in vitro studies proved inconclusive.

Disruption of sex pheromone activity in D. andersoni and the American dog tick, D. variabilis (Say) was achieved …

Continental Shelf Processes Affecting The Oceanography Of The South Atlantic Bight. Progress Report, 1 June 1980-1 June 1981, Larry P. Atkinson

CCPO Publications

(Introduction) In the past year we executed our largest field effort to date, GABEX-1. The vast amount of data gathered has now been reduced to workable form and we report on some of the first results in this report. The GABEX-1 measurements combined with other observations in the last year have greatly increased our understanding of the South Atlantic Bight during the spring transition period when the shelf goes from horizontal to vertical stratification.

This progress report contains selected reprints, drafts, and parts of technical reports that represent our work over the past three years.

Role Of Gulf Stream Frontal Eddies In Forming Phytoplankton Patches On The Outer Southeastern Shelf, James A. Yoder, Larry P. Atkinson, Thomas N. Lee, Hongsuk H. Kim, Charles R. Mcclain

CCPO Publications

Continuous surface mapping of temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll along a 300-km segment of the Gulf Stream cyclonic front defined the spatial scales of a large diatom patch that persisted throughout a 10-day study. The patch was localized in the upwelled cold core of a Gulf Stream frontal eddy centered over the 200-m isobaths off Jacksonville, Florida, in April 1979. The µ g liter^-1 surface chlorophyll isopleth enclosed an area >1,000km² with an alongshore dimension of 130km. Surface chlorophyll exceeded 5µg liter^-1 within the upwelled cold core of the eddy, 10-100X higher than concentrations in Gulf Stream or …

Attributes Of Dispersing Meadow Voles In Open-Grid Populations, Raymond D. Dueser, Marcia L. Wilson, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Dispersal was investigated in two open-grid populations of meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) an central Virginia (U.S.A.) from November 1974 to April 1978. "Dispersal" was defined as immigration onto open, occupied population grids. Dispersers were distinguished from residents by weight at first capture. Individuals first captured at weights <30 g were classified as residents; those first captured at >30 g were classified as dispersers. Three independent lines of evidence support the validity of the 30-g criterion for recognizing dispersers in these vole populations. With frequent trapping and high trappability, particularly of young animals, this open-grid method of study offers two advantages in the study of dispersal. First, dispersers identified …

How Young Children Perceive Their Teachers: A Developmental Study, Mary Meta Lowe

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This is a developmental study of how young children perceive their teachers. The primary aims of the study are: 1) to provide a developmental picture of elementary school children's perceptions of their teachers, and 2) to determine the accuracy of teachers' awareness of the perceptions of the children. Instrumental to these primary aims are two subordinate objectives: 1) to construct a scale of reactions to teacher characteristic behaviors that are understandable for young children and yet meaningful to adults, and 2) to test the utility of the scale for obtaining measures of affect. Within each of two schools, approximately 15 …

An Evaluation Of Small Rodent Populations In Four Dismal Swamp Plant Communities, Fiona Elizabeth Breidling

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Diversity and density of small rodents in the Dismal Swamp are believed to be low. Reasons for this may be excessive predation, heavy interspecific pressure from larger rodents, lack of suitable habitat, low food availability or flooding.

Rodent populations were evaluated using live-traps and pitfall traps in four different Dismal Swamp plant communities. Habitat was compared on the basis of phytomass studies previously reported. Flood levels were recorded during live-trapping sessions. Mast from trees was collected in modified mast collectors, and fed to Peromyscus leucopus in the laboratory. Mast was analyzed for caloric value and nutrient content.

Only two …

Litter Production And Nutrient Content Of Litter In The Seasonally Flooded Dismal Swamp, Marta M. Gomez

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Litter production was studied in four plant communities in the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia, that differ primarily in species composition and flooding regime. Greatest leaf deposition occurred in the more flooded communities, maple-gum (Acer-Nyssa) with 536 g m^-2 yr^-1 and cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard) with 528 g m^-2 yr^-1, followed by the cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) BSP) and mixed hardwood (Quercus-Acer-Nyssa-Liquidambar) communities with 506 g m^-2 yr^-1 and 455 g m^-2 yr^-1, respectively. Litter nutrient concentrations were generally higher in the cypress and maple-gum stands, indicating greater nutrient availability …

Hydrographic Observations In The Georgia Bight (April 1979), S. R. Lansey, L. P. Atkinson

CCPO Publications

During a cruise in the Georgia Bight in April 1979, an onshore-offshore hydrographic section of thirteen stations was repeated thirteen times. Four additional onshore-offshore hydrographic sections were completed north and south of the main section. Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient (N0₃, PO₄, and Si0₂) data were collected.

Two spin off eddies were observed at the Gulf Stream front at the shelfbreak. These eddies resulted in the upwelling of nutrient-enriched North Atlantic Central Water. A period of downwelling was observed between the two upwelling events. The cycling between upwelling and downwelling was relatively rapid. …

The Synthesis And Biochemical Evaluation Of Potential Acetylcholinesterase Reactivators, Andrea Mcdearmid Lunsford

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Objectives of this research were to (1) synthesize, and (2) evaluate new compounds which would be potential reactivators of organophosphate-inhibited acetylcholinesterase.

A series of 1,8-diazafluorenone and 2,2'bipyridylketone oximes and oxime methiodides were synthesized (11, 13, 14, 22, 24). These compounds were developed as structural analogs of 2-PAM (2-Pyridinealdoxime methiodide) and TMB-4 (1,1Trimethylene-Bis(4-formylpyridinium bromide)dioxime), the current drugs of choice for treatment of organophosphorous poisoning.

Acetylcholinesterase from electric eel was inhibited with DFP (diisopropylfluorophosphate), an irreversible-type inhibitor, and the inhibited enzyme was treated with the various reactivator compounds. The reactivation assays were monitored with pH stat apparatus, and the data were evaluated …

The Distribution Of Cesium-137, Copper, Lead And Zinc In Various Sedimentary Environments Of The James River Estuary, Virginia, Colin Stevenson Moy

OES Theses and Dissertations

Ten grab samples and eight cores were obtained within a short stretch of the James River estuary. The distribution of CU, Pb, Zn, Cs-137, organic carbon (TOC) and fine-grained sediments in various depositional environments were examined. Within the past quarter of a century, these measured parameters have been accumulating preferentially in the low energy environment (Burwell Bay). The inventory of Cs-137 in the cores was linearly related to the inventory of heavy metals and TOC. The concentrations of Cs-137 in the surface sediments vary linearly to those of the other parameters suggesting that Cs-137 may be used as a tracer …

Effects Of Sleep Loss On Information-Processing In An Absolute Judgment Task As A Function Of Task Difficulty, Frieda O'Steen Carlton

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effects of 36 hours of sleep loss on information-processing were assessed in an absolute judgment task. Of the 24 subjects employed, 12 served in the sleep-loss (experimental) and control conditions, respectively. All subjects were tested individually for a total of ten sessions; the control group was tested on ten consecutive days, whereas the experimental subjects were tested every four hours over a 36-hour period of sleep loss, and at a recovery session following approximately 12 hours of rest and recovery. The task required subjects to make absolute judgments of the size of two small circles of light and to …

Vocational Interests Of Dental Hygiene Professionals, Renee Johnson

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the vocational interests of dental hygienists according to occupational setting and highest level of education. The Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory was used to measure vocational interests of a random cluster sample of licensed dental hygienists.

An ex post facto 2 x 2 factorial research design was used. Occupational setting and highest level of education completed were the attribute independent variables and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory scores was the dependent variable.

Two-way analysis of variance revealed significant interest differences between private practice dental hygienists and community practice dental hygienists, and between dental hygienists with a certificate or associate degree …

The Analysis Of S-Adenosylmethionine And S-Adenosylhomocysteine In Normal And Neoplastic Cells, Kathryn Elizabeth Godburn

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Altered patterns of methylation have been shown in both ribosomal and transfer RNA isolated from cancer cells. In contrast to the elevated activity of the methyltransferases responsible for this modification, hypomethylation appears as a general characteristic. The endogenous levels of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine are important in relationship to their role as substrate and product of the transmethylation reaction. The levels of S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine were determined using phosphocellulose cation exchange or high pressure liquid chromatography. High voltage paper electrophoresis was used in a modified procedure to directly resolve (³⁵s) labeled S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine in small quantities of cell …

High Resolution Two-Dimensional Electrophoretic Study Of Human Seminal Plasma Proteins, Edward E. Gaunt

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

A comprehensive biochemical screening procedure for the evaluation of seminal plasma constituents is needed which, when used in conjunction with semen analysis, can provide the physician with both qualitative and quantitative information regarding the fertility status of an individual.

High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis is a technique whereby proteins in a complex mixture such as a biological fluid are separated in one dimension by molecular charge and in the second dimension by molecular mass. It has been the purpose of this investigation to adapt and evaluate this technique for the analysis of human seminal plasma.

Our efforts have shown that this …