Sharks are an objectively diverse group of animals; ranging in maximum size from 2,000cm (whale shark) to 17cm (dwarf lantern shark); occupying habitats that are periodically terrestrial (epaulette shark) to the deepest parts of the ocean (frilled shark); relying on a diversity of diets from plankton to marine mammals; with vast amounts of morphology diversity such as the laterally expanded heads of hammerhead species, the elongate caudal fins of thresher species, and the tooth embedded rostrum of saw shark species representing some of the anatomical extremes. Yet despite these obvious differences in morphology, physiology, and ecology, the challenges associated with studying hard to access, large bodied, pelagic animals have limited our comparative understanding of form and function as it relates to swimming within this group. The majority of shark swimming studies examine species that succeed in captivity, which are usually benthic associated sharks that spend time resting on the substrate. These studies have also been limited by the use of flumes, in which the unidirectional flow and small working area precludes the analysis of larger animals, volitional swimming, and maneuvering. The few existing volitional kinematics studies on sharks quantify two-dimensional kinematics which are unable to capture movements not observable in the plane of reference. With this study, we quantified the volitional swimming kinematics of sharks in relation to morphological, physiological, and ecological variation among species. We developed a technique to analyze three-dimensional (3D) kinematics in a semi-natural, large volume environment, which, to our knowledge, provides the first3D analysis of volitional maneuvering in sharks. We demonstrated that Pacific spiny dogfish and bonnethead sharks rotate the pectoral fins substantially during yaw (horizontal) maneuvering and is correlated with turning performance. We proposed that ecomorphological differences correlate with the varied maneuvering strategies we observed between the two species. We also found that there is some mechanical constraint on shark pectoral fin shape that is explained by phylogenetic relationships but describe a continuum of morphological variables within that range. We propose standardized terminology and methodology for the future assessment of shark pectoral fin morphology and function. As with previous studies, the ease of access to species was a challenge in this study and future studies should continue to assess the functional ecomorphology of shark pectoral fins among species. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (PhD (Biology))--University of Limpopo, 2010. / Digenean parasites are known to be a large and diverse group of parasites. Some of these parasites are free-living, a few are ecto-parasitic, while the majority are endo-parasitic in most invertebrates and vertebrates. Digenean parasites have always been known to be host specific. However, the degree to which these parasites are host specific, is determined by the number of hosts they are able to utilise and the parasitic stages they would currently be at. Morphologically the link between the cercarial and other parasitic stages such as metacercarial and adult stages, were found to be very difficult to establish, since different developmental stages utilise different types of hosts. For instance, cercariae may use the same or different hosts for their metacercarial stages. An example of this is in the case of freshwater snails where the cercariae re-penetrate the same snail and encyst as metacercariae, and then the snail hosts serve also as second intermediate hosts. Adult digenean parasites on the other hand utilise vertebrate hosts different from those serving as second intermediate hosts, as final or definitive hosts. Digenean trematodes like any other helminth parasites have been well researched for decades due to their widespread health-related diseases that they cause and their economic impact globally, especially in third world countries. Research in this field included aspects of species diversity, morphology, distribution, epidemiology and immunology. Despite all of these aspects, these parasites continue to thrive in the face of numerous strategies aimed at their control. Lately polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques have been employed to assist with parasite biology and identification, especially with regards to round- and flatworms. Several genome projects like the Schistosoma Genome Project (SGP) initiated in 1992, was established in an attempt to create gene banks and to allow researchers to utilise technology for genomic analysis in the study of organisms relevant to public health in developing countries. ABSTRACT________________________________________ The methods of gene discovery and their functional discovery have been accelerated significantly and are being progressively applied in numerous organisms of medical and veterinary importance. On the other hand parasitic helminths lag behind parasitic protozoa in the sense that in vitro cultivation systems have not been developed to support the entire life cycle of these helminth parasites, genomic databases are far from being complete and lastly there are no established methods for the highly efficient manipulation of endogenous genes within living worms. The present study was aimed at supplying morphological descriptions and additional information through PCR techniques to enable us later to complete the life cycles of the lesser known parasites experimentally. The study was achieved by collecting materials from six localities, namely Boekenhoutskloof farm dam, Supersand dam, Rietvlei dam, Kiewiet farm dam and Northern farm dam. All these five localities were located in the Gauteng Province, proximal to Tshwane. The sixth locality was Metsi-pepa in the North-West Province that was selected due to the unique eye source that feeds the Mooi River. The collected materials were then studied employing standard light and scanning electron microscopy techniques, as well as applying PCR techniques in order to identify and classify the digenean parasites collected during the study. Life cycle studies were also attempted through experimental infections of potential definitive hosts. Seven different types of snail species were collected during the research study, namely Bulinus africanus, Bulinus tropicus, Lymnaea natalensis, Gyraulus connollyi, Burnupia mooiensis, Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Ferrissia fontinalis. Of these, Lymnaea natalensis was found to be the most abundant snail of the entire snail species collected over a period of four years. Of the above-mentioned snail species only four types were found to be infected with various types of cercariae. ABSTRACT________________________________________ Lymnaea natalensis produced three different cercarial types: a) strigeid cercaria B with its characteristic three pairs of linear penetration glands and a very large sinous intestinal caeca, b) a xiphidio cercaria with three pairs of penetration glands, and c) an avian schistosome cercaria. Bulinus tropicus was found to produce two cercarial types: a) an echinostome cercaria with a collar consisting of 27-spines and b) strigeid cercaria A. The third infected snail species was B. africanus, found to be infected with only one type of cercaria, namely xiphidio cercaria B with its characteristic clustered penetration glands. The fourth infected snail species, G. connollyi, housed two types of monostome cercariae: a) monostome cercaria A possessing 3 pairs of linear penetration glands and b) a clinostomatid cercaria with its characteristic head membrane. Nine metacercarial types were collected from various second intermediate hosts. 27-spined echinostomatid metacercaria A and 43-spined metacercaria B were found encysted on the gills of the following fish hosts: Pseudocrenilabrus philander and Tilapia sparrmanii, as well as in the mantle of the snail hosts, L. natalensis and B. africanus. Two strigeid metacercarial types, a) strigeid metacercaria A encysted within a green cyst and b) strigeid metacercaria B with distinct fore- and hindbodies, were collected from the fish hosts, P. philander. Strigeid metacercaria A was sporadically also found in T. sparrmanii. Two diplostomatid metacercariae were collected from their fish hosts, a) diplostomatid metacercaria A from the cranial cavity of Clarias gariepinus and b) diplostomatid metacercaria B from the vitreous chamber of T. sparrmanii and P. philander. Two metacercarial types of the family Clinostomatidae, a) a clinostomatid metacercaria and b) an Euclinostomatid metacercaria, were collected from the buccal cavity and the muscle tissue of T. sparrmanii, respectively. The last metacercarial stages, namely xiphidio metacercariae, were collected from various hosts such as freshwater shrimps (branchial region), T. sparrmanii (gill filaments) and L. natalensis (mantle). This parasite was found to have developed sexually more in freshwater shrimps compared to the same stage in other infected second intermediate hosts. ABSTRACT________________________________________ Three adult parasites were also identified and described. They include an amphistome fluke of the genus Cotylophoron and the liver fluke, Fasciola gigantica. These two parasites were collected from the rumen and the hepatic ducts of a heifer at the Northern farm, respectively. The third fluke, Echinoparyphium elegans, was obtained from experimentally infected kittens. It was, however, difficult to link the different stages within the same family using only morphological characteristics. The morphological characterization of digenean parasites, especially the adult stages, has been well-documented over the past few decades worldwide. This has, however, not been the case with larval stages. Recent studies have shown that there were many attempts by researchers pertaining to molecular studies using PCR techniques. In most cases the studies were achieved by using matured (adult) stages of digenean parasites. These include the studies done on digenean parasites at species level, family level, superfamily level, suborder level and on general digeneans. Most of these phylogenetic studies were only conducted on medically and veterinary important digeneans. The present study focused more on the amplification of parasites at family level. The universal primers were used to target ITS-1, ITS-2 and LSU regions. Not all the specimens yielded desired amplicons. Only certain stages of the following four families; a) Clinostomatidae, b) Schistosomatidae, c) Echinostomatidae and d) Strigeidae were able to be amplified and sequenced. From this study, it is evident that in future, specific primers for specific digenean parasites need to be designed and used in order for us to achieve our desired goals (i.e. being able to amplify as many digenean specimens as possible including the lesser known trematodes). ABSTRACT________________________________________ The recent study also demonstrated that much more work needs to be done in order for us to understand parasite-host relationships in the localities studied. Experimental life cycle studies are therefore imperative in order to solve most of our cercaria, metacercaria and adult trematode questions raised during the present study.

No description available.

Electron irradiation may be a useful method for treating inorganic cosmetic powders such as talc for undesirable microorganisms if it can be established that no loss of quality or efficacy results as a consequence of the technique. A commercial electron accelerator was used to prepare bulk samples by exposure to electron irradiation under different conditions. A morphological characterisation of the control talc was carried out using microscopy techniques and focused on the particle size, shape and surface features of individual particles. Asperity dimensions vs. Roughness values were compared. Assessment of the bulk properties of the powders as a function of absorbed dose showed no serious impact on the quality or efficacy of the powder for cosmetic applications. The particle size and the level of dust expelled during impact were maintained. Changes to the surface chemistry of the irradiated powders were apparent from an increase in pH and water retention with increasing dose. Improvements to the fragrance retention occurred for both irradiated powders tested. Importantly a satisfactory microorganism level was achieved with the lowest absorbed dose level tested i.e. 5 kGy. Analysis of the crystallography did not show the development of a new phase. Mechanical testing using a slip-peel tester found an increase in the stick-slip behaviour occurred for the powder exposed to the highest absorbed dose only. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) testing of the lift-off force showed an increase in adhesion with increasing dose. Surface roughness increased with dose, while no change in elastic properties was found using nanoindentation suggesting the differentiating factor is due to surface features. Microstructural analysis used the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Voids were observed, which decrease in size, yet increase in number with increasing voltage. Prior to void development a loss of crystalinity is seen using electron diffraction. Explorative data analysis using factor analysis and Independent Component Analysis was performed on the void development data to discover the controlling mechanisms. Two distinct normally distributed populations were identified, each driven by 2-3 critical mechanisms. The distinct behaviour differences of the mechanisms may be utilised for characterisation of more complex properties of crystal microstructures.

Copies of author's previously published works inserted. Bibliography: leaves 189-212.

This thesis takes as its starting point proposals to model inflectional paradigms as geometrical structures, wherein systematic homonymies are constrained to occupy contiguous regions. It defines a precise criterion for assessing systematicity and shows, for a range of largely Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic data, that such models are observationally adequate in modelling systematic homonymies within a single inflectional dimension, and to a lesser extent, between different inflectional dimensions. This is taken to indicate that widely assumed characterizations of inflectional categories in terms of cross-classifying binary features are incorrect, inasmuch as such characterizations fail to predict the linearizability of natural classes of properties belonging to those categories. The same inadequacy besets attempts to account for systematic homonymies by means of rules that convert or 'refer' one morpho-syntactic representation to another. Rather it is argued that the linearizability of natural classes of properties suggests that inflectional categories are structured as a sub-classification of those properties, but that a phenomenon of 're-marking' serves to define, under strict constraints, additional natural classes beyond those defined by the sub-classification itself. The specific sub- classifications indicated by observed patterns of homonymy are language-specific. In addition, the properties so sub-classified under a single node may in certain cases be drawn from separate morpho-syntactic categories. This is taken to indicate that the terminal nodes of a morphological sub-classification are not morpho-syntactic feature complexes but purely morphological functions performing a discontinuous mapping between morpho-syntactic and morpho-phonological representations. The systematicity of homonymy patterns, then, is shown to be evidence for a linguistic level of 'pure morphology'.

Copies of author's previously published works inserted. / Bibliography: leaves 189-212. / xxii, 212 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Soil and Water, 2001

Spike morphology characteristics and the free-threshing habit of wheat have been extensively investigated because of their evolutionary significance and practical importance. Several genetic systems that govern these traits have been reported. Some studies suggest polygenic inheritance while others have identified major genes. This study was conducted to identify and locate quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting the free-threshing habit and spike morphology characteristics in the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI) recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population. The ITMI population was planted in three environments in 1999 and 2000. The ITMI RILs were evaluated for threshability and spike morphology characters. QTL analyses were performed using simple and composite interval mapping procedures. Two QTLs, one on chromosome lB and one on 4A, affecting spike length were identified. The QTL on chromosome 1B has not been described previously. One QTL controlling spikelet number was also detected on chromosome 4A. This QTL coincided in location with the QTL on chromosome 4A that affected spike length. One QTL controlling rachis internode length, a measure of spike compactness, was detected on chromosome 6A. The location of QTLs that affected spike length, spikelet number, and spike compactness did not coincide with the location of major genes (Q, C, S1, Ppd1, and Ppd2) known to affect these traits. Two QTLs, one on chromosome 2D and one on 4D, affecting threshability were identified. The QTL on chromosome 4D has not been described previously. A QTL that affected glume tenacity was also detected on chromosome 2D. Coincident QTLs on chromosome 2D that affected both threshability and glume tenacity are believed to correspond to Tg, a gene for tenacious glumes. In addition, an amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker (XorstP3747207) that was putatively associated with Tg was identified using bulked segregant analysis. A QTL on chromosome 5A affecting glume tenacity was also identified. The QTL on chromosome 5A is believed to represent Q, a gene known to affect rachis fragility and glume tenacity. Information on the number, position, and effect of QTLs determining these traits and their associated molecular markers may facilitate their manipulation for wheat improvement purposes. / Graduation date: 2002

A study was conducted to investigate if morphometric facial measurements could be utilized to differentiate five categorical performance types of Quarter Horses. The five categories being Western, Halter, English, Reining, and Cutting. The measurements were collected from 323 registered Quarter Horses representing animals who ranged in age from one year to 30 years of age and one of three gender (Stallion, Gelding, and Mare) categories. Eight facial measurements were obtained from two geographic areas, Florida and Oregon. A correlation was performed and resulted in a reduction of the data from eight to five facial measurements, due to the presence of facial symmetry. The reduced data was subsequently analyzed by Multivariate Analysis, using the Wilks Lambda Analysis of Variance. The Main effects, age, gender, and categorical performance type were all significant (p<0.0001 to 0.001). Of the two-way interactions only age:gender was not significant (p>0.05) and the three-way interaction age:gender:type was also not significant (p>0.05) Based upon the not significant (p>0.05) Based upon the results, the five original performance categories could be reduced to four (English, Halter, Cutting, and Western/Reining). This indicates that there are a number of similarities in facial measurements between the Western and Reining horses. Findings of this thesis indicate that selected facial morphometric traits exist and are characterized in the different performance categories. / Graduation date: 2003

Investigations of morphological impairment in aphasia have revealed that patients may retain knowledge of a words morphological status even when they cannot access that word (Delazer & Semenza, 1998). In addition, aphasiological investigations have shown that more errors are produced with multimorphemic words than with monomorphemic words (e.g., Nasti & Marangolo, 2005). This points to the fact that even though individuals with aphasia seem to have retained sensitivity to morphological status and morphological structure of words, they are unable to process morphologically complex words with ease. The goal of this thesis was to investigate whether a therapy that focuses on morphology, the Morphological Therapy Protocol (MTP), will improve the processing of multimorphemic words in these patients. The MTP provides morphological training with four tasks administered sequentially in intense one-hour treatments over a period of only twelve days. Therapy effectiveness was measured by analyzing pre-therapy and post-therapy reading-aloud accuracy scores. The analyses of four patients accuracy scores show significant reading-aloud improvement with therapy across trained and untrained words (trained words: p < 0.0001, control words: p < 0.04, new words: p <0.0001). In addition, the therapy effect was maintained over a three-month post-therapy maintenance period. The results of the MTP administration confirm that the notion of morphological constituents is important and that these constituents are involved in the processing of morphologically complex words.