Emulsions constitute a wide range of natural as well as processed products. Pharmaceutical applications of emulsions include oral administration, parenteral delivery, ophthalmic medicine, topical and transdermal creams, and fluorocarbon-in-water emulsions for blood oxygenation. In the foods area many of the products like mayonnaise, margarine, ice-creams are emulsions by nature and some products can also be used for delivery of active ingredients (e.g. nutraceuticals) with potential health benefits. Emulsions are also encountered at many stages of petroleum recovery, transportation, and processing. Typically, emulsions are manufactured in a two-step process. First a coarse emulsion called a premix is made which is passed through a high-pressure homogenizer. Intense energy supplied in the high pressure homogenizer causes breakage of the coarse emulsion to a fine one with a tighter distribution. Population balance equation (PBE) models are useful for emulsions since they allow prediction of the evolution of the drop size distribution on specification of the two rate processes i.e., breakage of drops due to the flow field and coalescence of colliding drops. In our work, we developed a PBE model to describe emulsion breakage in a high pressure homogenizer. The focus of the work was breakage and conditions to keep coalescence to minimum were implemented. Two breakage rates representing two mechanisms i.e., turbulent inertial and turbulent viscous breakage were necessary for reproducing the bimodal nature of the distributions. We used mechanistic functions in the PBE model to develop a predictive model which could be extended to changes in formulation variables as well as process variables. Starting with the assumption of binary breakage, the model was refined to include multiple drop breakage. The developed model was found to be extensible to reasonable changes in oil concentration, surfactant concentration, continuous phase viscosity and constant ratio of oil to surfactant. Anomalies in pressure prediction encountered earlier were also corrected for by including some additional features like heating, maximum stable diameter, and number of daughter drops. A preliminary attempt was also made to use the developed model for designing experiments for making target emulsions with pre-specified properties.

Cephalopods provide forage to a wide range of predators in marine food-webs. Despite their ecological importance, a basic understanding of the mechanisms controlling predation risk and demand is lacking. This is true of one of the most common species of squid found in the northwest Atlantic, the longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii). In this dissertation, I address this shortcoming by investigating the role that size and behavior play in influencing squid’s vulnerability to predation. I used long-term food habits, population survey, and commercial landings data, to quantify size-based patterns of predation respective to 25 species of predators. Additionally, I estimated the amount of overlap between predatory consumption and the fishery catch for squid by size. I found that finfish and elasmobranchs generally consumed juvenile and sub-adult squid, while marine mammals primarily targeted adults. Consequently, marine mammals had the highest overlap with the fishing industry for squid size resources. Although large squid were not common in predator diets, predators did not appear to be gape-limited when feeding on squid. This suggested that other factors, including behavior, were important in shaping size-based patterns of predation. I used a laboratory-based approach to quantify attack and capture behaviors towards squid by two predators representing contrasting foraging tactics. Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) were chosen as cruising and ambush predators, respectively. Patterns in attack rates suggested that sizeselection on squid was constrained by passive processes rather than active choice in both predators. Size-dependent profitability functions were calculated by combining capture success rates, handling times, and relative prey mass, and determined that bluefish was the more efficient predator of squid. Lastly, I evaluated the occurrence and effectiveness of anti-predator responses used by squid in the presence of bluefish and flounder. Squid behavior depended on the type of predator present, and the survival value of primary and secondary defense behaviors differed during interactions with each predator. The results of this project are intended to improve the quality of management of squid and their predators by providing a better understanding of predator-prey interactions in the northwest Atlantic.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第24184号 / 理博第4875号 / 新制||理||1698(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)准教授 半谷 吾郎, 准教授 Huffman Michael Alan, 教授 今井 啓雄 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Body size is one of the most commonly studied traits of an organism, which is largely due to its direct correlation with fitness, life history strategy, and physiology of the organism. Patterns of body size distribution are also often studied. The distribution of body size within species is looked at for suggestions of differential mating strategies or niche variation among ontogenetic development. Patterns are also examined among species to determine the effects of competition, environmental factors, and phylogenetic inertia. Finally, the distribution of body size across the geographic range of a species or group of closely related is looked at for indications of the effects of climate and resource availability on body size at different latitudes and altitudes. In this collection of research, I address the evolution and importance of body size in burying beetles (genus Nicrophorus). Body size is important to several aspects of burying beetle natural history, including competitive ability, fitness, parental care, climate tolerance, and locomotor activity. In Chapter 1, I use a large data set of body size measurements for seventy of the seventy-three Nicrophorus species to make inferences about the distribution of body size within the genus, across its geographic range, and the importance of body size in speciation. I found that the range of body sizes is not normally distributed, with an overrepresentation of small-sized species. I also found that expansion of the burying beetle range has been restricted by their inability to tolerate warm, dry climates, and therefore the majority of burying beetle diversity occurs in the temperature mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Body size also seems to be important in speciation, as almost all sister taxa are significantly different in body size. In Chapter 2 I use common garden experiments to assess the importance of body size for males and females in competition, reproductive output, and starvation resistance. Body size is equally important for both sexes in starvation resistance, but it is more important for males in competitions for carcasses and for females in reproductive output. In Chapter 3 I test for fitness consequences of multigenerational effects of body size in offspring. I found that the larger offspring that are produced by larger mothers and on larger carcasses had higher fitness than small offspring. In Chapter 4 I test for the possibility of brood parasitism in two species of burying beetles, N. guttula and N. marginatus, which co-occur over part of their geographic ranges. I found that both species are able to detect and remove parasitic larvae. Finally, in Chapter 5 I compiled parent and offspring body sizes from seven species of burying beetles and use them to compare the heritability of body size among species using comparative techniques and a meta-analysis. I found that body size heritability is different between species, but is low for the genus as a whole. Together, these projects provide valuable information on the evolutionary significance of body size in Nicrophorus, and indicate compelling questions for future research into the evolution of body size in burying beetles.

This research paper was submitted to the Department of Geography in fulfillment of the requirements of Geography 4C6. / <p>This thesis looks at the effects of accessibility on the economic and social development in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Certain indicators, representative of economic and social development were obtained from the Brazilian National Census and these were plotted against distance from Sao Paulo City for analysis. In this case, distance being used as the measure of accessibility. Visual and regression analysis were then performed on the data to examine the relationship between the development parameters and the effects of distance.</p> <p>During the course of the analysis, it was found that not only distance affected the level of development but town size also had and important role. The town size determined the degree of development that was going to occur, regardless of distance from Sao Paulo.</p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

This research paper was submitted to the Department of Geography in fulfillment of the requirements of Geography 4C6. / This study reports on the relationship between the foreshore slopes, grain size characteristics and the wave height on the Hamilton-Burlington Beach. This beach is a non-tidal, low-energy beach. At five stations along the beach, profiles were taken, sediment samples were collected and the average wave heights determined. The slopes were plotted against the mean grain size, the median grain size and the wave heights. There was no clear relationship between the variables tested. It was determined, however, that there existed three areas along this beach. The first area was he one affected only by the wave energy, the second are was affected by both the wave energy and the grain size characteristics, and the third region was affected by the grain size characteristics. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

<p> New metal-rich Gd5T4 magnetocaloric phases (T - p-element) were designed, synthesized and characterized. These phases exhibit a close relationship between the valence electron count, size effect, crystal structure and physical properties. The targeted cleavage of the interslab T-T dimers was achieved in the Gd5Si4-xPx, Gd5Si4-xSbx and GdsSi4_xBix systems. While in the Gd5Si4-xPx system only a change in the valence electron count was employed for the desired structural transformations, in the Gd5Si4-xSbx and Gd5Si4-xBix systems both the valence electron count and size effect were used to break the interslab dimers. Incorporation of large Bi atoms into the Gd5Si4 phase resulted in the complete cleavage of the interslab T-T bonds and lead to novel slab stacking sequences accompanied by stacking faults. </p> <p> The Gd5Si4_xPx and Gd5Si4-xSbx phases undergo ferromagnetic transitions within a wide temperature range. Values of the corresponding magnetic entropy changes indicate the presence of a conventional magnetocaloric effect. This is likely due to the temperature stability of the structures with the broken dimers which hinders first-order coupled magnetostructural transitions. </p> <p> Metal-rich ferromagnetic phases of the RE5NixT3-x composition with RE = Gd, Dy, Lu, T = Sb, Bi were derived from the parent RE5T3 binaries. Incorporation of nickel stabilizes the orthorhombic Yb5Sb3-type structures at 800 °C. The Gd5Ni0.96Sb2.04, Gd5Ni0.71Bi2.29 and Dy5Ni0.66Bi2.34 phases show relatively low values of magnetocaloric effect. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Pacific salmon has been a staple resource for residents of British Columbia for over seven thousand years. Archaeological evidence obtained from a shell midden at Namu, B.C., provides detailed information about the diets of the First Peoples living at Namu over the past seven thousand years. Pacific salmon was the most prevalent species of fish uncovered within the midden, excluding herring. Pink, chum and sockeye species were consumed in the greatest quantities. Pink was particularly favored because of its ability to store over winter months without spoiling. Evidence from the shell midden also reveals fluctuations within the pink salmon fishery from ~3800 until 1900 cal year BP. The paleoenvironmental conditions within Namu Lake during the time of the pink collapse have never before been explored. There is also little evidence pertaining to what may have contributed to the collapse of the pink fishery. Sediment cores collected from Namu Lake, B.C. provide evidence for paleoenvironmental conditions that may have contributed to fluctuations in the pink salmon population. Particle size analyses of lake sediment cores indicate changes in river discharge as well as erosional intensity within the Namu basin. Particle size, coupled with radiocarbon dating, reveal a transitional period within the basin from ~ 3200 to 2200 cal year BP. A decrease in elemental ratios/Al, particularly Ca, Na, Ba, and Sr, provides evidence for a decline in erosional intensity and a relatively drier period within the basin. The decrease in erosional intensity could be due to consistently drier conditions at Namu. A resulting reduction in the flow of the Namu River would have caused an increase in finer particles within the pink salmon spawning grounds. Average C/N ratios for NC1 are 26.28, indicating that organic matter within the lake is mainly terrestrial in origin. These results, combined with the particle size and trace metal analysis, reveal that river discharge and slope wash had declined during this period causing fine material to remain in the Namu River (outflowing), which is the spawning grounds for the pink salmon, rather than being transported out into the bay. The results of this study reveal that a shift in moisture, towards relatively dry conditions, negatively impacted spawning pink salmon at Namu Lake. This study provides insight into the sensitivity of Pacific salmon to climate and the effects future climate change may have on the species. The ability of environmental data to supplement and enhance archaeological information and interpretations of prehistoric conditions is illustrated throughout this study. The cores collected at Namu Lake also reveal the need for site specific climatic data in order to accurately interpret archaeological contexts and conditions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

E-commerce has grown at a rapid pace over the last years. At the same time, the return rate of purchased products is high, causing unnecessary transportation of goods to the home of the customer and back. In the clothing industry, most of the returns are related to the size of theproduct. Therefore, a growing demand for digital tools that can assist the customer in finding the correct size before ordering the product, thus avoiding a potential size related return. This thesis applies machine learning to the problem to recommend the correct size of the product to the customer before the purchase is made. Especially, focusing on the stakeholder’s three dimensional size system for trousers by evaluating four different machine learning approaches. Results show increased accuracy compared to the benchmark, yet provide no clear indication ofa specific machine learning approach as favorable using the data sets provided by the stakeholder. Several shortcomings of the data sets with regard to increasing the accuracy are proposed and discussed as potential problems causing noise and confusion into the machine learning models.

The objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify levels of genetic intermixing in remnant Illinois eastern woodrat populations augmented with Ozark woodrats, and (2) assess genetic health and population viability in remnant and reintroduced woodrat populations. This dissertation is arranged into 3 chapters. DNA extractions, microsatellite genotyping, and mtDNA haplotype sequencing were conducted for individuals from the western Shawnee National Forest (WSNF) (i.e., LaRue Pine Hills [LPH], Fountain Bluff, Horseshoe Bluff), eastern Arkansas (AR), southern Missouri (MO), and 5 locations in the eastern Shawnee National Forest (ESNF), Illinois. Genetic data provided a strong signal in STRUCTURE which confirmed MO, AR, and LPH were genetically distinct populations prior to the genetic augmentation at LPH. Following augmentation, eastern woodrats in ESNF and WSNF have experienced admixture with introduced populations, increased allelic richness, decreased inbreeding, and increased effective population size, while genetic swamping was not observed. Haplotypes from both introduced populations were observed after augmentation at LPH but neither were detected in adjacent remnant populations. Reintroduced populations in the ESNF are acting as a single population and descendants consist of primarily AR and MO individuals. Admixture was apparent in all ESNF populations and haplotypes from all source populations persisted. Effective population size was largest at Garden of the Gods but all 5 populations had similar allelic richness and heterozygosity. In the ESNF, migration is not supported between study populations and additional habitat management may be needed. Future population monitoring of the ESNF population should focus efforts in the 3 central populations which are likely source populations. Future eastern woodrat management efforts should focus on (1) connectivity between ESNF populations and (2) connectivity in the WSNF amongst remnant populations and between remnant and reintroduced populations in the central Shawnee National Forest. I recommend the establishment of migration corridors by decreasing canopy cover in the forested matrix and the establishment of artificial rock outcrops in the form of boulder piles along migration corridors. My study indicates that genetic augmentations can be a beneficial management action in isolated eastern woodrat populations having experienced loss in gene flow, while reintroductions can benefit woodrats in areas believed to have experienced local extirpation. I also recommend identifying genetic structure of source populations for genetic augmentations and reintroductions beforehand to confirm multiple source populations, genetic variation, and introduction of multiple alleles. As rodents often have short lifespans and individual reintroductions may fail to establish, genetic augmentations and reintroductions should include the relocation of multiple individuals over time via soft release.