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The Hydrology Of A Major Valley Wetland At Goss Moor, Cornwall, Carl Alexander Lugemalila Ishemo

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis aims to fiimish an understanding of the water fluxes and storages occurring at the subcatchment scale in Goss Moor, a large lowland wetland in Cornwall, UK. Goss Moor constitutes approximately 5 km^ of poor fen and similar wetland areas sited on clayey alluvial and periglacial deposits in the base of a broad/shallow headwater valley. The bedrock is kaolinised granite and pelite. The hydrological characterisation was achieved using variables measured directly on site, using spectrally derived stream flow components and using flows output from a caUbrated numerical model of transient groundwater flow beneath the wetland. The study demonstrated the …

The Autecology Of The Meadow Thistle (Cirsium Dissectum L. Hill) On Devon Rhos Pastures, With Particular Reference To The Effect Of Major Environmental Variables On The Population Dynamics, John Ross

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Semi-natural wet grassland communities are rapidly disappearing from the farmed landscape. Protection of remaining areas and restoration of degraded areas has become a priority with organisations concerned with the conservation of biodiversity in the U.K. The research described in this thesis provides an insight into the community dynamics of one particularly rare plant community, the Cirsio-Molinietum fen meadow (NVC M24). This was achieved by examining the autecology of Cirsium dissectum, one of the key indicator species of this community. The habitat environment where C. dissectum is present was characterised at eight Devon M24 locations and ten non-M24 locations. This revealed …

Remote Sensing Observations Of Winter Phytoplankton Blooms Southwest Of The Luzon Strait In The South China Sea, Dan-Ling Tang, I-Hsun Ni, Dana R. Kester, Frank E. Müller-Karger

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Luzon Strait is a channel between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. This area is traditionally classified as an oligotrophic zone with low primary productivity. Even so, high concentrations of pigment were detected 100 km southwest of the Strait through analysis of historical Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data that the Nimbus-7 satellite collected during the winters of 1979 to 1986. These blooms were observed in December 1979, February 1983, February 1985, and January 1986, when sea surface temperatures measured with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAAs) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) were 23 to …

Characterisation Of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms In Patients With Acute Pancreatitis, Kevin Sargen

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Background and Aims Acute Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder of varied aetiology and outcome. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-10 are important mediators of disease pathogenesis. To investigate if the TNF and IL-10 gene loci influence susceptibility to and severity of acute pancreatitis, 135 patients with acute pancreatitis, ethnically matched normal controls, and alcoholics without pancreatic disease were studied. Methods Aetiology was classified as being secondary to alcohol, gallstones, or idiopathic. Patients were stratified into groups according to disease severity by assigning an organ failure score. Three TNF microsatellite loci (TNFa, TNFb, and TNFc), the -308 polymorphism within the TNF …

Rules, Responsibility And Commitment To Children: The New Language Of Morality In Family Law, Jane C. Murphy

All Faculty Scholarship

Part One of this Article explores the meaning of morality by briefly reviewing a variety of attempts to explore the meaning of moral conduct. This Section draws on a variety of contemporary moral philosophers who have built on the classical tradition to develop a broader definition of moral behavior. This discussion provides a context for the current debate about the meaning of morality in family law and moral discourse in the no-fault era. Part One also reviews the historical debate about how law should strike a balance between promoting communitarian values and respecting autonomy and individual rights. The Article argues …

Potential Use Of Protease Enzymes In Liquid Diets For Pigs, Jane Davina Beal

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

A programme of study was undertaken to assess the effect of pretreating raw soya bean and processed full fat soyabean meals with protease enzymes prior to use in liquid feed for grower and finisher pigs. A series of laboratory studies was undertaken to examine the efficacy of three microbial proteases (P2, P3 and P4) in partially hydrolysing soya protein and in reducing the levels of trypsin inhibitors in raw soyabean. Pretreatment consisted of steeping ground soyabean for 24 h at 20° C in the absence (control) or presence of 20 000 units gˉ¹ N of P2, P3 or P4. Pretreating …

The Effects Of Aerobic And Resistance Training On Mood State And Self-Esteem In Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cyndee M. Lee

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training, aerobic and a combination of aerobic and resistance, on mood state and selfesteem in a sample of cardiac rehabilitation patients. A secondary purpose was to examine the influence of activity level on the psychological benefits received from the training programs. This study was conducted in a pretest/post-test format over an eight week period. Ten phase III participants (male = 9 and female = 1) volunteered from four cardiac rehabilitation centers in Georgia for participation in this study. Each participant read and signed an informed consent form …

Detection Of Ehrlichia Chaffeensis In Ticks Of The Georgia Coast And Barrier Islands Using Polymerase Chain Reaction, John Edward Whitlock

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is an emerging, zoonosis transmitted to mammals by ixodid ticks. Prevalence of infected ticks and distribution of infection foci indicate relative risk of human exposure to ehrlichiosis and may be influenced by factors such as geographic isolation and human disturbance. To test this, individual and pooled lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), collected from 3 populations from the coast and barrier islands of Georgia were screened for Ehrlichia chaffeensis Anderson, Dawson, Jone, and Wilson, the agent of HME. A species-specific, nested polymerase chain reaction (PGR) assay was used to amplify a 572 base pair fragment of …

Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection For The Determination Of Iron In Surface Atlantic Waters, Andrew Ross Bowie

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis describes the design, optimisation and shipboard deployment of a flow injection - chemiluminescence (FI-CL) technique for the determination of iron (Fe) in seawater. Chapter One presents an overview of the marine biogeochemistry of Fe, including its speciation, sources and sinks, abundance and limitation for phytoplankton growth in the Wodd*s oceans. Current analytical methods for the determination of Fe in natural waters are also reviewed. Chapter Two reports the instrumental development of the FI - CL method. Each component is described and its suitability to the flow manifold discussed. Different CL detection systems are evaluated and a charge coupled …

Meta-Stability Of Interacting Adaptive Agents, Steve Hill

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The adaptive process can be considered as being driven by two fundamental forces: exploitation and exploration. While the explorative process may be deterministic, the resultant effect may be stochastic. Stochastic effects may also exist in the expoitative process. This thesis considers the effects of stochastic fluctuations inherent in the adaptive process on the behavioural dynamics of a population of interacting agents. It is hypothesied that in such systems, one or more attractors in the population space exist; and that transitions between these attractors can occur; either as a result of internal shocks (sampling fluctuations) or external shocks (environmental changes). It …

Georgia's Globally-Minded Principals: Backgrounds, Attitudes, And Perceptions, Catherine Cummings Wooddy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

This study sought to provide information concerning the high school principal's global-mindedness and whether that global-mindedness had an effect on globally focused teaching and programming within that school. The study also attempted to identity demographic and background factors, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that have an association with the global-mindedness of the person. Underlying the study was the premise that today's students need to be prepared for the globalized world in which they will live, that their preparation will come primarily from school and home, that educators must understand the globalized world if they are to prepare students, and that the …

Gender Differences In Importance Of Stroke Health Beliefs In Timing Of Seeking Treatment For Acute Stroke Symptoms, Brenda S. Nyenhuis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe gender differences in importance of stroke health beliefs in timing of seeking treatment for acute stroke symptoms. The data came from a larger study titled ‘Discovering Factors Related to the Timing of Seeking Health Care for Acute Stroke Symptoms” (ODonnell, Roberts, Ruhlandt, & Baer, 1999). The current study included 51 subjects who were asked to rate the importance of 13 belief statements on their decision to seek treatment. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was the conceptual framework for this study.

Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and Mann-Whitney U. There were no …

Modelling The Fisheries Of Lake Manzala, Egypt, Using Parametric And Non-Parametric Statistical Methods, Medhat Mohamed Ahmed Abdelaal

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Much attention has been given to the economic aspects of the fisheries in Egypt, while building a statistical or mathematical model for fish production has received little attention. This study is devoted to a comprehensive assessment of Lake Manzala fisheries; past, present and future. Lake Manzala is one of the main fisheries resources in Egypt, and there is evidence that the fisheries have been over-exploited in recent years. The study objectives were to determine the factors that affect fish catches by individual vessels, to compare between parametric and non-parametric models of the fish catches, and to produce a mathematical model …

An Investigation Of Evolutionary Computing In Systems Identification For Preliminary Design, Andrew Harry Watson

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This research investigates the integration of evolutionary techniques for symbolic regression. In particular the genetic programming paradigm is used together with other evolutionary computational techniques to develop novel approaches to the improvement of areas of simple preliminary design software using empirical data sets. It is shown that within this problem domain, conventional genetic programming suffers from several limitations, which are overcome by the introduction of an improved genetic programming strategy based on node complexity values, and utilising a steady state algorithm with subpopulations. A further extension to the new technique is introduced which incorporates a genetic algorithm to aid the …

Reducing The Computational Effort Associated With Evolutionary Optimisation In Single Component Design, Harish Dhanji Vekeria

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The dissertation presents innovative Evolutionary Search (ES) methods for the reduction in computational expense associated with the optimisation of highly dimensional design spaces. The objective is to develop a semi-automated system which successfully negotiates complex search spaces. Such a system would be highly desirable to a human designer by providing optimised design solutions in realistic time. The design domain represents a real-world industrial problem concerning the optimal material distribution on the underside of a flat roof tile with varying load and support conditions. The designs utilise a large number of design variables (circa 400). Due to the high computational expense …

Upogebia Deltaura (Crustacea: Thalassinidea) In Clyde Sea Maerl Beds, Scotland, J. M. Hall-Spencer, R. J.A. Atkinson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Observations And Possible Function Of The Striking Anterior Coloration Pattern Of Galathea Intermedia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura), J. M. Hall-Spencer, P. G. Moore, L. U. Sneddon

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Rapido Trawling For Scallops, Pecten Jacobaeus (L.), On The Benthos Of The Gulf Of Venice, J. M. Hall-Spencer, C. Froglia, R. J.A. Atkinson, P. G. Moore

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Submersible Battery-Powered Flow Injection (Fi) Sensor For The Determination Of Nitrate In Estuarine And Coastal Waters., Anthony R.J. David, Trevor Mccormack, Paul J. Worsfold

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The design, construction and performance of a remotely deployed submersible flow injection-based nutrient (total oxidized nitrogen) sensor are described. The sensor featured a custom-built microcomputer and a solid-state, flow-through spectrophotometric detector, and the derivatization chemistry was based on in-line copper-cadmium reduction of nitrate to nitrite, and diazotization with N1NED and sulphanilamide. The limit of detection was 0.0014 mg l(-1) NO3-N and the linear range was 0.0014- 0.77 mg l(-1) with a 260 microl sample volume and a 20 mm path length flow cell. Results from submersed deployments in the Tamar estuary and North Sea are also reported.

Post-Natal Depression In First Time Fatherhood, Emma Victoria Worwood

School of Psychology Theses

It is gradually becoming acknowledged that fathers do suffer from post-natal depression, but very little is known about their experience or how many fathers are actually affected. The factors that may increase a father's susceptibility to post-natal depression, or those that might indeed protect him, have also been given little consideration in research to date. This study examined the prevalence and comorbidity of post-natal depression in 100 first time parents, using the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EPDS). The psychological factors of infant temperament, perception of own parenting and social support were investigated in a smaller sample of 30 fathers subsequently …

B.R. Wells Rice Research Studies 1997, R. J. Norman, T. H. Johnston

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Field Methods To Enhance Degradation Of Nitrate In Surficial Soils, Urko Atxotegi Alegria

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An environmental field study was conducted from April to October 1998 in the Black Hawk County, Iowa. The main goal of the study was to find an appropriate field method to enhance degradation of nitrates in the surficial soil. Seven different methods were developed in the study to compare between four variables. The variables that were investigated were the source of nitrates, the moisture content of the soil, the uptake by plants and the total carbon content of the soil. The investigation has also been conducted to find out the specific influence of each parameter on landuse. A weather station …

Effects Of Sludge Application On Prairie Establishment, Brenda Joan Durbahn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Native prairie in Iowa has all but disappeared since the development of agricultural land by European settlers over the past 165 years. Reconstructing prairie is one way to replace some of the acreage that was lost. A byproduct of settling an area is the generation of garbage and other wastes. Currently there is a surplus of sludge, the waste product of waste water treatment facilities. This material is usually disposed of in landfills, used on agricultural land or reclamation projects.

A small area of prairie was reconstructed on the top of a closed portion of the Black Hawk County Solid …

The Use Of Rapd To Detect Genetic Variation In Populations Of Liatris Aspera Michx., Duane Joseph Kitchen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The tall grass prairie is one of the most degraded and fragmented ecosystems on earth. Interest in conserving, restoring, and reconstructing tallgrass prairie began early in the 1900s, and has increased dramatically since the 1960s. Early restoration and reconstruction efforts relied primarily on seed collected from prairie remnants near the planting site, but with the increase in prairie planting efforts came a greater demand for large quantities of affordable, viable seed of native prairie species. Following an increase in the use of cultivated varieties (cultivars) of seed, concerns over the loss of genetic integrity of local populations and low genetic …

Ichthyophthirius Multifiliis Fouquet: Development And Assessment Of In Vitro Systems For Long Term Maintenance, Louise Margaret Hurley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Twelve isolates of lchthyophthirius multifiliis were successfully established and maintained by serial passage through naive carp, for a maximum of 39 laboratory cycles. The management system employed was such that large numbers of the parasite were available for all investigations. The ability to induce exit of immature trophonts through media incubation was used to confirm events in the initial stages of host colonisation. The normal course of primary infection was also established providing useful criteria for assessing success of the in vitro systems tested. Survival of both theronts and tomonts within selected monophasic media was investigated. Theronts in Eagles Minimum …

A Revision Of The World Health Organisation Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule, Daniel Rock

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The burden schizophrenia places on the individual, on the family and on society in general is determined more by the associated disability rather than the manifest symptoms. Therefore, measurement of disability provides a baseline for evaluating change and directing treatment. This research has two main aims. The primary purpose of this study was to develop and validate a contemporary revision of the World Health Organisation-Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule (1988). Data used was based on data from the WHO Collaborative Study on Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders (Sartorius et al., 1986). The second aim of this study was to …

Effects Of Physical Appearance On Year 7 Students' Perceptions Of The Intellectual And Social Competence Of Their Peers, Helen Walmsley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study was designed to investigate the effects of (a) the presence of an obvious disability, (b) physical attractiveness, and (c) the sex of peers on children's attitudes towards accepting a peer. A 2 X 2 x 2 factorial design was used in which the three between-subject variables were (a) whether or not the subject had a disability, {b) whether the subject was attractive or unattractive, and (c) the sex of the respondent. A sample of 200 Year 7 students was divided into four groups containing 25 girls and 25 boys. The students were given background information, and shown a …

Patriarchy, Authority And Exclusion From Full Participation Of Women In The Orthodox Church, Leonie B. Liveris

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

From 1948, when the Orthodox churches became members of the World Council of Churches, the "woman question" has been debated and researched through various assemblies, consultations and programmes. The general attitude of Orthodox Church hierarchs on the debate of the 'woman question' is that it is an imposition from the West and therefore any changes for the Church to be active in improving the status of women are not under serious consideration. The question of changing roles in the ministry of women is one of the most contentious issues in the ecumenical movement for the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox member …

Aliens, Bodies And Conspiracies: Regimes Of Truth In The X-Files, Leanne Mcrae

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The X-Files is a television program that first screened on Australian television in 1993. This thesis will investigate the role of The X-Files as a cultural text. The X-Files is a significant program, and has contributed to a shift in the way in which television texts represent ideas about society, knowledge and truth. This thesis argues that The X-Files presents ‘knowledge’ in particular ways, and makes it possible to think about the relationship between the body, knowledge, and society in ways which have not previously been so visible.

Meiosis: The Analysis Of Using A Modified Teaching Approach, Christine Marie Graf

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is well documented that to successfully learn genetics an understanding of meiosis is often thought necessary, and to effectively learn meiosis, knowledge ofDNA structure is also thought to be necessary. Based on student misconception research, recommendations for teaching meiosis suggests several modifications of the teaching approach. This study investigated whether the concept of meiosis could be learned successfully by the use of a modified teaching approach based specifically on research recommendations. Modifications included (a) using student generated diagrams, (b) reducing the amount of vocabulary, ( c) clarifying and differentiating the terms used, ( d) using the cell cycle to …