Digital Commons Network^™

Simulation/Optimization Applications And Software For Optimal Ground-Water And Conjunctive Water Management, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Diverse water management simulation/optimization (S/O) experiences promoted the development of many S/O modeling approaches and models. Several of these are being incorporated within the Simulation/Optimization Modeling System (SOMOS). Non-modeler water scientists or engineers can apply one SOMOS module to optimize field-scale groundwater and conjunctive water management. Experienced groundwater modelers can apply other modules to optimally manage complex heterogeneous aquifer and stream-aquifer systems. SOMOS employs a variety of simulation models and approaches and optimization algorithms to optimize flow and contaminant management. SOMOS or its precursor modules have been well proven in real-world projects. Designed for use by consultants, students, academics, and …

Cavemen In Eden? Bernard Shaw And Mark Twain Offer Radical Revisions Of Genesis, Julie A. Sparks

Faculty Publications, English and Comparative Literature

No abstract provided.

The Tower Clock 2001, Tower Clock

Tower Clock Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Concept Of Human Rights In Africa, Paul J. Magnarella

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of Human Rights in Africa: The Conflict of Implementation by Richard Amoako Baah. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2000. 123pp.

The title of this book is somewhat more expansive than its contents. The author, a native Ghanaian who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee and teaches government at South Texas College, reports on an interesting study of human rights/human dignity conceptualizations among the Akan people of Ghana. The Akan constitute about 60% of Ghana’s 14 million people and consist of five major groups: Fanti, Ashanti, Akim, Brong, and Akwapim. A sizable Akan population also lives …

Patch-Clamp Analysis Of Voltage-Activated And Chemically Activated Currents In The Vomeronasal Organ Of Sternotherus Odoratus (Stinkpot/Musk Turtle), D. A. Fadool, M. Wachowiak, J. H. Brann

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The electrophysiological basis of chemical communication in the specialized olfactory division of the vomeronasal (VN) organ is poorly understood. In total, 198 patch-clamp recordings were made from 42 animals (Sternotherus odoratus, the stinkpot/musk turtle) to study the electrically and chemically activated properties of VN neurons. The introduction of tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated dextran into the VN orifice permitted good visualization of the vomeronasal neural epithelium prior to dissociating it into single neurons. Basic electrical properties of the neurons were measured (resting potential, -54.5 +/- 2.7 mV, N=11; input resistance, 6.7 +/- 1.4 G Omega, N=25; capacitance, 4.2 +/- 0.3 pF, N=22; means +/- …

Mental Health Needs And Resources In Christian Communities Of South Korea, Lisa Graham Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

In an effort to understand the mental health needs and resources of Korean Christians, we collected quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and interviews with Korean pastors and Christian educators. Several mental health concerns were identified: the high level of daily stress faced by many Koreans, marriage and family concerns, conflicts between Korean culture and the teachings of the church, and a tendency to keep emotional discomfort suppressed. Mental health resources include deep spiritual commitment to a life of prayer, high levels of commitment to family and community, cultural values of persistence and patience, and reliance on Christian communities for …

Ethical Aspects Of Prenatal Genetic Diagnostics, Hille Haker

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Starting with some basic distinctions, i.e. the distinction between an ethics of human self-fulfilment ,of individual and social values and of virtues on one hand, and an ethics of individual rights, of obligation and of social justice on the other, this paper explores the manifold scenario of the problems of prenatal diagnosis with respect to these different aspects of ethical analysis. This is followed by a normative evaluation of the status of the human embryo, and by an elaboration of different adressees of responsibility in the field of biomedicine and, especially, of prenatal genetic diagnosis. The author comes to the …

Group Viii Spiroplasma Of Costa Rica, Kimberly M. Stewart

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

Spiroplasma bacteria isolates are classified or identified through a series of serological tests that normally consists of screening, one-way deformation tests, cloning, antisera production, and reciprocal deformation tests. Serological tests on the spiroplasmas are followed by molecular analysis. The standard molecular analysis used for spiroplasmas has been 16S rRNA sequencing. The primary goal ofmy research was to evaluate serologically Group VIII spiroplasmas isolated from tropical Costa Rican tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) and to compare them to the temperate North American Group VIII spiroplasmas. A secondary goal was to evaluate both the temperate and tropical Group VIII strains by sequencing the 16S-23S …

Measurement And Modelling Of Uranium And Thorium In Natural Waters, Ernily Rachel Unsworth

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Uranium and thorium are the only elements in the actinide series which naturally occur in the environment in sufficient amounts for practical extraction. They are both radiotoxic and chemotoxic to humans due to the effects of the ionising radiation produced by their radioactive decay, the decay of their daughter products, and due to the chemical toxicity resulting from absorption into the body. Thus it is important to be able to quantitatively determine the levels of uranium and thorium in the environment. Measurement of low levels of uramum and thorium in the presence of high levels of inorganic and organic matrix …

Appraisal And Validation Of Rapid, Integrated Chemical And Biological Assays Of Environmental Quality, Gilberto Fillmann

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

To assess the significance of pollutants released into the environment it is necessary to determine both the extent of contamination and the biological effects they give rise to. This research is based on a tiered system, which commences with conventional analytical chemistry (gas chromatography), followed by the development, evaluation and application of rapid and simple immunochemical techniques and, finally, the integration of chemical and biological markers to assess pollution. GC-ECD/FID/MS have been used to investigate the status of chemical contamination of the Black Sea by organochlorine residues, hydrocarbons and faecal sterols. Useful information is provided and problems with e.g. HCHs …

Palaeoecology, Palaeoenvironmental Analysis And Their Application To Sequence Stratigraphy: Lower Cretaceous, Lusitanian Basin, Portugal, Gary Stefan Aillud

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Palaeoecological data can provide key information on depositional environments. This may be critical to the interpretation of marine sedimentary cycles and the recognition of ancient cycles and sequences. Although many recent studies have attempted to combine palaeoecology and sequence stratigraphy, the sequence stratigraphic model is commonly used to provide a temporally constrained framework for the evaluation of ecological and evolutionary events. This study shows how palaeoecology can be used as a powerful tool in the development of sequence stratigraphic models. A palaeoecological study of three Lower Cretaceous successions (at Ericeira, Cascais, Cabo Espichel) from the southern part of the Lusitanian …

An Investigation Of Captive Florida Manatee (Trichecus Manatus Latirostris) Behavior And Social Interactions, Jennifer Sadler Young

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

Human impacts such as pollution, habitat alteration, and boating have caused many injuries and deaths of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manutus latirostris. Rehabilitation centers have been established in Florida to help return sick or injured manatees back to the wild. Manatees that are released back to the wild after undergoing rehabilitation in captivity might lose some of their abilities to survive in the wild. A factor that might alter behavior in captive individuals was examined by determining if length of time spent in captivity influenced the behavior of manatees during rehabilitation. Even though all facilities follow similar guidelines, invariable …

Determination Of Co And Mn In Marine Waters Using Flow Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Vincenzo Cannizzaro

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis describes the design, optimisation and shipboard deployment of a flow injection - chemiluminescence (FI-CL) technique for the determination of cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) in seawater. Chapter One presents an overview of the marine environment and the biogeochemistry of Co and Mn. Current analytical methods for the determination of Co and Mn in natural waters are also reviewed. Chapter Two reports reagent clean-up techniques and the synthesis of an 8- hydroxyquinoline resin used for in-line matrix elimination and preconcentration. The resin is also characterised in terms of its chelating ability for the transition metals and the earth alkaline …

Molecular Characterisation Of Fluidised Catalytic Cracker Feedstocks Using Ruthenium Tetroxide Oxidation: A Study Of Model Hydrocarbons, Helen Frances Sturt

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The world's proven reserves of crude oil will be depleted in 42 years at the current rate of consumption. Oil refiners are under considerable economic and environmental pressure to improve the efficiency of refining and the quality and definition of products. Statistical and fundamental models are extensively used to more accurately model the important refinery processes such as Fluidised Catalytic Cracking (FCC). A major problem with the fundamental approach is that FCC feedstocks are by definition heavy petroleum fractions, and as such constitute highly complex mixtures of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis of heavy petroleum fractions reveals …

Catchment Scale Monitoring And Modelling Of Phosphorus Using Flow Injection Analysis And An Export Coefficient Model, Grady Scott Hanrahan

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Acquiring high quality in situ analytical data with good temporal resolution is required for developing models of phosphorus transport and biogeochemical behaviour. Chapter One describes the behaviour of phosphorus in the aquatic environment, its sources, its role in the eutrophication process and legislation to control its release into aquatic systems. It also summarises analytical techniques for the determination of phosphorus in natural waters. An examination of the hypothesis that the export coefficient modelling approach can be used to predict phosphorus loading in the River Frome catchment, Dorset on an armual and seasonal (monthly) basis is presented in Chapter Two. The …

The Development Of A Holistic Expert System For Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Antoni Bruce Moore

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Coastal data and information comprise a massive and complex resource, which is vital to the practice of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), an increasingly important application. ICZM is just as complex, but uses the holistic paradigm to deal with the sophistication. The application domain and its resource require a tool of matching characteristics, which is facilitated by the current wide availability of high performance computing. An object-oriented expert system, COAMES, has been constructed to prove this concept. The application of expert systems to ICZM in particular has been flagged as a viable challenge and yet very few have taken it …

An Evaluation Of The Environmental Fate Of Reactive Dyes, Malcolm John Hetheridge

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Dyestuffs are widely used industrial chemicals, yet surprisingly little is known about their fate in the environment. The potential modes of transformation and removal of reactive dyes in treatment and in the environment are principally through anaerobic and aerobic biodegradation and photodegradation. The research herein describes the use of LC-MS analysis with laboratory simulations to develop a better understanding of the occurrence and fate of reactive dyes and their degradation products in the aquatic environment. One reason for the lack of information on the environmental fate of reactive dyes has been the paucity of robust analytical methods suitable for the …

The Biogeochemical Cycling Of Dissolved Organic Carbon In The Iberian Margin Upwelling System (Ne Atlantic Ocean, Geogina Spyres

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the quantitatively most important organic carbon reservoir in the world's oceans and its determination at ocean margins, where the exchange of terrestrial and oceanic organic matter occurs, is important for estimating cross-slope fluxes to deep waters. With the increased accuracy and precision (-1%) of analytical methodologies, small changes in the DOC pool can be detected (i.e. 1- 2uM-C). This study investigated the biogeochemical cycling of DOC at the Iberian Margin upwelling system (42-43°N, --9-10°W), where contrasting seasonal hydrologic phenomena occur (e.g. summer upwelling, winter poleward current). Spatial and temporal DOC distributions were determined using high …

A Characterization Of The North Atlantic Stmw Layer Climatology Using World Ocean Atlas 1994 Data, Michael A. Alfultis, Peter C. Cornillon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The North Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) layer was identified based on its temperature, large thickness, and small temperature gradient. Comparisons between this method and identifying the STMW layer using a density-based (i.e., potential vorticity) criteria indicate that this method successfully identifies the STMW layer as the remnant of the previous winter's convective mixing. By using this temperature-based characterization of the STMW layer, this method was able to develop a climatology using the large number of expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) deployed between 1968 and 1988, and contained in the World Ocean Atlas 1994 historical hydrographic database. From this climatology, the STMW …

Pfiesteria: Review Of The Science And Identification Of Research Gaps. Report For The National Center For Environmental Health, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Jonathan Samett, Gary S. Bignami, Robert Feldman, William Hawkins, Jerry Neff, Theodore Smayda

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

In connection with the CDC National Conference on Pfiesteria, a multidisciplinary panel evaluated Pfiesteria-related research. The panel set out what was known and what was not known about adverse effects of the organism on estuarine ecology, fish, and human health; assessed the methods used in Pfiesteria research; and offered suggestions to address data gaps. The panel's expertise covered dinoflagellate ecology; fish pathology and toxicology; laboratory measurement of toxins, epidemiology, and neurology. The panel evaluated peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature available through June 2000 in a systematic conceptual framework that moved from the source of exposure, through exposure research and dose, …

Zooplankton Feeding Behavior And Particle Selection In Natural Plankton Assemblages Containing Toxic Alexandrium Spp., Gregory J. Teegarden, Robert G. Campbell, Edward G. Durbin

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Laboratory experiments suggest that toxic Alexandrium spp. cells are unpalatable to zooplankton grazers, and that toxic cells should be selectively avoided by zooplankton when feeding in mixtures of different prey species. Such avoidance, if practised in the wild, might contribute to harmful bloom formation by reducing losses of Alexandrium spp. due to grazing. In the spring of 1998 and 1999, during Œred tide¹ outbreaks in the southwestern Gulf of Maine, weekly experiments were performed using field collected natural water samples with ambient phytoplankton and dominant mesozooplankton grazers. The feeding response of Acartia hudsonica, Semibalanus balanoides nauplii, and Calanus finmarchicus …

Bay Anchovy Anchoa Mitchilli In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. I. Population Structure, Growth And Mortality, Amy E. Lapolla

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Population structure, growth and mortality of Anchoa mitchilli were evaluated in Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA), an estuary near the northern extent of this species¹ broad latitudinal range. The Narragansett Bay population was dominated by young fish (Age 1 and young-of-the-year, YOY); no fish were found to have survived a third winter. Growth rates were rapid, particularly during the first year of life, and annual mortality rates were estimated at >90%. A von Bertalanffy growth model fit to length-at-age data yielded parameters of asymptotic length L_ƒ = 89.97, growth coefficient K = 1.15 and age at zero length t …

Treatment Of Musculoskeletal Pain With The Sting Of The Stinging Nettle: Urtica Dioica, Colin F Randall

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Introduction The author's interest in the therapeutic potential of the sting of nettles began with the presentation of two patients in his general practice surgery who were self-prescribing nettle sting for their arthritis pain. The publication of these two case reports produced responses from four other doctors about similar cases. Historical and contemporary research An extensive literature and database review produced few references from the medical literature but numerous anecdotal references from herbal and folklore sources of worldwide internal and external use of nettle since Roman times. The author has been asked to contribute two chapters on the historical and …

The Idea Of Adoption: An Inquiry Into The History Of Adult Adoptee Access To Birth Records, Elizabeth Samuels

All Faculty Scholarship

There has been in recent years and there continues to be intense debate around the country about whether to open original birth records to adult adoptees. Our understanding of the legal history relevant to the debate has been incomplete and inaccurate. According to this understanding, the state laws that closed court and birth records to the parties to adoptions generally closed these records for all time to all parties; the laws had a primary purpose of insuring lifelong anonymity for birth parents; and the laws became nearly universal by about the middle of the twentieth century. In fact, the history …

The Strange History Of Adult Adoptee Access To Original Birth Records, Elizabeth Samuels

All Faculty Scholarship

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, contemporary accounts reported that most states had sealed adoption court records completely but, typically, had sealed original birth certificates from all persons except adult adoptees. Through the 1950s influential experts recommended that original birth certificates remain available to adult adoptees, while birth and court records otherwise be closed to all persons except upon court order. In 1960 the laws in some 40 percent of the states still permitted adult adoptees to inspect them, but between 1960 and 1990 all but a handful of the rest of the states closed the birth records to …

P-Glycoprotein-Associated Anthracycline Resistance In B-Cll: Potential For Cytokine Modulation, Varinia Graciela Munoz-Ritchie

Other Faculty of Health Theses

The phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells is generally associated with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression and presents an obstacle to successful chemotherapy. Attempts to overcome P-gp-associated MDR using P-gp modulators, such as verapamil, have been hindered by their intrinsic in vivo toxicity. In 1991, however, Scala et al. demonstrated the alteration of P-gp function by interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in vitro at non-toxic in vivo concentrations, suggesting a basis for the use of IFN-α clinically in patients exhibiting P-gp-associated MDR. Drug resistance in B-CLL has been linked to the phenomenon of MDR, however, publications regarding this have been conflicting. The contrasting …

Prophylaxis Of Disease Caused By Bacterial Pathogens Of Man, Richard William Titball

Other Faculty of Health Theses

This thesis reports research undertaken which will lead to improved pretreatments and therapies for disease caused by Clostridium perfringens, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis and Burkholderia pseudomallei. C. perfringens is thought to be the most widely distributed bacterial pathogen and is the most important Clostridial species associated with enteric disease in domesticated animals. During warfare C. perfringens has been a significant causes of mortality. Between 1 and 10% of wounded personnel developed gas gangrene during the 1st and 2nd world wars. The ability of the bacterium to cause a range of diseases is due largely to the differential production of toxins. …

Cytokine Expression In Patients With B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Anna Kaminski

Other Faculty of Health Theses

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) results from a clonal accumulation of CD5+ve B-lymphocytes. This expansion of B-lymphocytes is due to increased proliferation and extended survival secondary to decreased apoptosis. Both proliferation and apoptosis are regulated by a group of soluble proteins, termed cytokines, which are secreted by cells and play a key role in the regulation of immunological responses. In view of this, the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of B-CLL was studied. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is an anti-apoptotic cytokine which up-regulates bcl-2 in malignant B-lymphocytes. Peripheral blood samples, from untreated B-CLL patients were investigated, together with a group …

A Study Of The Role Of Cytokines In Acute Pancreatitis In Man, Alison Marie Smithies

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease with a diverse aetiology and variableclinical course. The IL-l gene cluster has been implicated in this disease.Aims: The aims of the study were to investigate polymorphisms of the genes encoded within the IL-lgene cluster in patients with acute pancreatitis and normal controls and to determine therelationship between the polymorphisms and protein levels.Methods: Genotype and allele frequencies were determined in controls (n=217) and patients withacute pancreatitis (n=137) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by digestion withrestriction endonucleases where applicable. Protein levels were determined using in vitrostimulation of PBMCs followed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent …

Study Of The Effect Of Turbulence On The Properties Of Flocculated Mud, Andrew Manning

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

For the successful management of an estuary, an accurate simulation model predicting sediment transport patterns is a necessity. This requires a knowledge of the vertical mass settling flux (MSF), which is the product of the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and the settling velocity (Ws). However the presence of cohesive sediments (i.e. mud) complicates this description due to the ability of mud particles to flocculate into larger aggregates (floes) which demonstrate faster settling velocities and lower effective densities (pe) than the component cohesive particles. The generation of turbulent shear stress (TSS) within the water column is regarded as having a …