Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Experiments To Maximize Growth In Captive Florida Pompano (Trachinotus Carolinus), Brian J. Hicks

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) are highly prized food and sport fish indigenous to coastal areas of the southeastern United States. A commercially valuable fishery has historically existed in the Gulf of Mexico and on the South Atlantic seaboard. Efforts to economically culture Florida pompano in a captive environment were only partially successful. Four experiments were performed to explore the physical and environmental requirements of Florida pompano and other closely related species in the Family (Carangidae):

Experiment #1- Semi-natural spawning was induced with newly developed hormonal implants. to initiate and sustain semi-natural spawning in captive Florida pompano. Fish collected from the …

Vegetation Analysis: A Graphical Analysis Of Plant Succession In Desert Communities Affected By Fire, Jeff Lantow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mojave Desert is affected by fire every year. With each fire comes the removal of old growth and, in its place, new growth – consisting primarily of those species which thrive in disturbed areas. The focus of my research is to look at plant communities that have been disturbed by fire, and examine the successional pathway of these disturbed environments. The seven environments I analyzed were burned within the last twenty years and are found in the Coleogyne ramosissima ecotone throughout the Spring Mountain range near Las Vegas, Nevada. The data was collected with randomly chosen circle plots in …

Water Conservation In The Las Vegas Valley, Judith M. Keir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis deals primarily with residential use of water in the Las Vegas Valley, an arid climate located in the Mojave Desert, and whether the education of people living here has any bearing on whether or not they conserve water. Many of the residents of the Las Vegas Valley have moved from other areas of the country, and perhaps are not aware of the fact that there is a limited supply of water available to the Valley. I believe that people are not necessarily wasteful, and that they would want to conserve water, if they were aware that conservation and …

Localization Of Sodium, Potassium-Adenosine Triphosphatase In The Cerebral Cortex Of Developing Rats, Maki Ujiie

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Active transport via Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase plays an important role in establishing and maintaining proper ionic gradient across all mammalian cell membranes. A strict regulation of Na⁺, and K⁺ ion levels is especially important in excitable cells such as neurons and myocytes. Inhibition of the enzyme is associated with several pathological conditions and has serious detrimental effects on cerebral cortical cells. Yet the enzyme appears to be limited in amount and distribution in newborn rats. In this study, Na_⁺, K⁺- ATPase expression and distribution in early postnatal rats were studied …

A Pilot Study Testing A Proprietary Sealant For Plaque Reduction, Jennifer Rowland

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Enamel demineralization due to increased plaque accumulation is a well-recognized problem associated with fixed orthodontic appliances. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a proprietary product to be marketed by 3M Unitek for the reduction of plaque accumulation and thereby reduce enamel demineralization.

Sixty four bovine teeth were divided equally into an untreated control group and a group treated with the proprietary sealant product. Both groups were subsequently immersed in a Streptococcus mutans culture. Plaque deposits from each group were removed, suspended in trypticase soy broth, serially diluted, and plated on trypticase soy agar at 1, …

Air-Water Gas Exchange And The Carbon Cycle Of Green Bay, Lake Michigan, James Waples

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to constrain estimates of the kinetics of gas transfer across the air-water interface as well as quantify the net flux of carbon between southern Green Bay (1635 km²) and the atmosphere.

In 1994 and 1995, over 3500 measurements of surface water CH₄ and CO₂ were made using a continuous sample disk equilibrator. Estimates of CH₄ flux from southern Green Bay to the atmosphere based on air-water concentration gradients, shear corrected wind speeds and the U/K (wind speed/transfer coefficient) relationship of Broecker et al. (1978) agreed to within ~10% of …

Perceived Fairness And Effectiveness Of Rangeland Collaborative Processes, Kimberly J. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Involvement in collaborative partnerships in natural resource management has become a popular method for natural resource management agencies to collect public input, cope with conflicts, and develop ecosystem management plans. This thesis evaluates various collaborative processes, emphasizing multiple-owner partnerships. Qualitative interviews of 46 landowners in Utah were conducted to reveal concerns and suggestions regarding multiple-owner landscape-level collaborative partnerships. Landowners were concerned about private property rights infringement and losing control of their private land. Landowners were primarily concerned about the fairness and effectiveness of any partnership in which they were involved.

However, they were willing to consider participating if certain procedural …

Utilization Of Spatially Distributed Soil Resources By Several Species Common To The Great Basin, Sarah Duke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heterogeneous spatial and temporal distributions of soil resources important to plant growth have been documented in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. There can exist as much variability in soil resources within the root zone of individual plants as exists across an entire field. The objective of this dissertation research was to evaluate how plants respond to, utilize and influence the spatial heterogeneity of soil resources. The three specific sets of questions addressed are outlined in the three main chapters of this dissertation.

My first study addressed how the number and concentration of phosphorus (P) patches in the root zone of an …

Effects Of Oxygen Variation On The Ecology Of Devil's Hole, Death Valley National Park, Norma J. Azad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The inability to rear Devil's Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis Wales, in captivity, when captive propagation has been successful with other species of pupfish, led to the examination of environmental factors which are unique to Devil's Hole. It has been suggested that C. diabolis regularly experience developmental arrest due to hypoxic conditions. This arrest may be reversible in areas of the shallow shelf during periods of photosynthetic activity. Oxygen measurements over the shallow shelf reveal a gradient of oxygen variation with the greatest diel variability over the inner portion of the shelf diminishing to nearly imperceptible diel variation toward the outer …

Modeling Environmental Effects On Msx Prevalence And Intensity In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Populations, Michelle Christine Paraso

OES Theses and Dissertations

An oyster population model coupled with a model for Haplosporidium nelsoni, the causative agent of the oyster disease MSX, was used with salinity time-series constructed from Delaware River flow measurements to study environmentally-induced variations in the annual cycle of this disease. Simulations with this model were designed to investigate the effect of increased or decreased spring freshwater discharge, the timing of high freshwater runoff, the presence or absence of a fall or late spring phytoplankton bloom, and the occurrence of a warm winter on MSX prevalence and intensity in Delaware Bay oyster populations. Model simulations for the lower Bay site …

Reaction-Diffusion Models Of Cancer Dispersion, Kim Yvette Ward

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

The phenomenological modeling of the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of one-dimensional models of cancer dispersion are studied. The models discussed pertain primarily to the transition of a tumor from an initial neoplasm to the dormant avascular state, i.e. just prior to the vascular state, whenever that may occur. Initiating the study is the mathematical analysis of a reaction-diffusion model describing the interaction between cancer cells, normal cells and growth inhibitor. The model leads to several predictions, some of which are supported by experimental data and clinical observations $\lbrack25\rbrack$. We will examine the effects of additional terms on these characteristics. …

Influences Of Acid Mine Drainage On Water Chemistry Of Blackwater River Watershed, Carla C. Morato-Lara

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Acidic mine drainage flow from active and abandoned coal mines has been a major source of water pollution in the Appalachian Mountain region of the eastern USA. Water samples were collected and analyzed from Blackwater River watershed during 2 years (September 1996 - May 1998). The water quality measurements determined that the Beaver Creek and North Fork tributaries were affected by acid mine drainage but not Yellow Creek. Beaver Creek and North Fork stations had high sulfate and manganese markers of acid mine drainage, whereas Yellow Creek was slightly acidic with low sulfate and manganese. North Fork was the primary …

Photoadaptation Rate Of Synechococcus Wh7803 Cultures At Two Iron Concentrations, Jon Daniel Moulton

Dissertations and Theses

The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus WH7803 adapts to changes in light intensity by changing its photosynthetic physiology. This work is a study o f the rate o f photoadaptation of Synechococcus WH7803 in laboratory cultures. Cultures were shifted from constant 8 µEm^-2s^-1 light to constant 80 µEm^-2s^-1 light, from constant 80 µEm^-2s^-1 light to 8 µEm^-2s^-1 light and from different light regimes to a single fluctuating light regime. The response of high iron cultures grown in modified aquil culture medium at 5*10^-6M Fe was compared with the …

The Effects Of Increased Inundation And Wrack Deposition On Photosynthesis And Respiration In A Virginia Salt Marsh, W. David Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Ecosystem Analysis Of Water Column Processes In The York River Estuary, Virginia: Historical Records, Field Studies And Modeling Analysis, Yongsik Sin

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Analyses of EPA long-term datasets (1985--1994) combined with field studies and ecosystem model development were used to investigate phytoplankton and nutrient dynamics in the York River estuary. Analysis of the EPA dataset showed that algal blooms occurred during winter-spring followed by smaller summer blooms. Peak phytoplankton biomass during the winter-spring blooms occurred in the mid reach of the mesohaline zone whereas during the summer bloom it occurred in the tidal fresh-mesolialine transition zone. River discharge appears to be the major factor controlling the location and timing of the winter-spring blooms and the relative degree of potential nitrogen (N) and phosphorus …

Oyster Reef Broodstock Enhancement In The Great Wicomico River, Virginia, Melissa Southworth

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Physical Parameters Affecting Incubating Temperatures In Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Caretta Caretta, In Virginia, William Mason Jones

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Detailed physical profile of eight transplanted loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, nests were obtained from Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and reburied in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR), Virginia Beach, Virginia during the summers of 1987, '88, and '89 to determine if the physical location of the egg within the nest had an affect on sex determination. Transplanted nests were reburied in sandy substrate at a depth of 15-60 em on south facing dunes, and a Campbell Scientific data-logger logged synchronously environmental data. The following data were collected: temperatures at various locations within a nest, net absorbed radiation, ambient …

The Soil Acarine Fauna Of Selected Agroecosystems Within The York Shire, Derek Juan Swarts

Theses : Honours

The practice of broadacre, dryland farming is known to affect the physico-chemical structure of the soil but our knowledge or its impact on the biological structure is rudimentary. The soil acarine (mite) communities which inhabit these soils display a variety of responses to this agricultural practice. With the increasing focus on developing ecologically sustainable agricultural techniques, an understanding of the soil acari becomes increasingly important. This study investigated the impact of two agricultural practices (designated here us Conventional and Non-Conventional) upon the abundance and diversity of the soil acari. Conventional agricultural practice involved broad scale chemical application to weeds and …

Development And Analysis Of A Nutrient Trading Program For The James River Watershed, Jennifer M. Reid

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Tagging And Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus, Richard Thomas Kraus

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Parasite Fauna Of The Wreckfish, Polyprion Americanus, In The North Atlantic Ocean: Application To Host Biology And Stock Identification, Colleen Jill Fennessy

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

The Occurrence Of Pcbs And Chlorinated Pesticide Contaminants In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In A Resident Community: Comparison With Age, Gender And Birth Order, Kathleen M. Kuss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Tissue samples from twenty bottlenose dolphins from a stable, residential community of coastal dolphins in the western Gulf of Mexico were analyzed for toxic PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides. The tissues analyzed (blubber and melon) were from known individuals in a long-term (27⁺ y) study that stranded and were recovered for necropsy. Substantial demographic data were available on these individuals and utilized in the analysis of maternal transfer of organochlorines to young.

The male dolphins in this study were shown to accumulate organochlorine contaminants with age. In female dolphins the organochlorine levels were found to decline with age. These …

Variability In Copepod Hatching Success: Observations On Natural Populations And Experiments On The Role Of Maternal Diet, Carol A. Burkart

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were (1) to survey the percent hatching success of eggs produced by calanoid copepod species from a variety of ecosystems (i.e., polar, temperate, and sub-tropical), (2) to describe the relationship between egg production, hatching success of Acartia tonsa and the physical and food environments of Florida Bay, and (3) to describe the relationships between hatching success and maternal diet. In order to fulfill the first objective, an incubation system was designed to allow the monitoring of eggs at sea for extended periods of time. The second objective was addressed with a series of egg production …

Determination Of Trace Levels Of Lead In Whole Blood By Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Leslie A. Sombers

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Inactivation Of Soybean Peroxidase During Sodium Azide Oxidation: A Comparative Study, Mohamed Yehia Zakaria Aboul Eish

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Azide ion is a mechanism-based inactivator of a number of peroxidases. However, there are often variations in the manner in which inactivation occurs. Soybean Peroxidase (SBP) is found in the plant's seed coat. Unlike many other peroxidases, a single enzyme rather than several isozymes are produced thus making more simple the purification and characterization of the enzyme. In this research it was shown that, as with other peroxidases, SBP is inactivated by azide during turnover. During azide oxidation SBP forms a ferrous-NO intermediate. In this respect, SBP is similar to the lignin peroxidases from Phanerochaete chrysosporium which also form ferrous-NO …

Tidal Freshwater And Oligohaline Benthos: Evaluating The Development Of A Benthic Index Of Biological Integrity For Chesapeake Bay, Robyn C. Draheim

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Comparative Evolution Of Molecular Markers: An Analysis Of Genetic Variation Within The Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans), Vincent Patrick Buonaccorsi

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Blue marlin diversity was assessed at mtDNA, scnDNA, microsatellite DNA, and allozyme molecular markers. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most genetic variation was maintained within populations, with a non-significant fraction attributable to variation among temporal replicates and between locations within oceans. In contrast, inter-ocean divergence was highly significant for a majority of loci within each marker class. Previous studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; n = 104) genetic variation within the blue marlin revealed two distinct clades of haplotypes, one of which was present only in the Atlantic (the 'Atlantic clade'), at a frequency of 40% &(F\sb{lcub}st{rcub}& = …

Caribbean Spiny Lobster And Their Molluscan Prey: Are Top-Down Forces Key In Structuring Prey Assemblages In A Florida Bay Seagrass System, Martha Nizinski

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Relative importance of predator-prey dynamics and several environmental variables in structuring gastropod and bivalve diversity and distribution was investigated in the subtropical seagrass and macroalgal community of Florida Bay, a highly productive system and primary nursery and foraging ground for finfish and invertebrate predators, including the numerically dominant Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. The molluscan assemblage, a primary food source for P. argus in particular, is speciose (75 gastropod and 25 bivalve species) and a significant component of epifaunal and infaunal invertebrate assemblages within Florida Bay. Two experimental areas, located within separate basins and each comprised of two experimental sites, …

Interactive Effects Of Cadmium And Benzo(A)Pyrene In Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Peter Van Den Hurk

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

When animals are exposed to mixtures of environmental pollutants, it is generally assumed that the toxic effects of the individual components are additive. However, examples of synergistic and antagonistic effects have been described. to study the mechanisms of interaction between a metal and a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) were injected with combinations of cadmium (Cd) and benzo (a) pyrene (BP). Measured effect parameters were: mortality, BP-metabolite production in isolated hepatocytes and microsomes, hepatic induction of CYP1A (the BP metabolizing enzyme) and metallothionein (the Cd binding protein), and biliary excretion of BP-metabolites. The mortality data demonstrated that both synergistic …

Biogeography Of Amphi-Atlantic And Amphi-American Fishes: The Scomberomorus Regalis (Scombridae), Strongylura Marina (Belonidae) And Hyporhamphus Unifasciatus (Hemiramphidae) Species Groups, Heidi M. Banford

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Phylogenetic and historical biogeographic hypotheses were explored for three groups of teleost fishes that are hypothesized to share a common biogeographic track. Distributed across the eastern Pacific/eastern Atlantic (EP/EA) biogeographic track of Rosen (1975) are the Scomberomorus regalis (Scombridae), Strongylura marina (Belonidae) and Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Hemiramphidae) species groups comprised of one eastern Atlantic; three, three and four western Atlantic; and two, two and four eastern Pacific species, respectively, for each group. In addition, two species in the Strongylura marina and Hyporhamphus unifasciatus groups, have invaded freshwater drainages of Central and South America. Each of the three species groups were found …