The primary objective of this research was to study the effects of breed, age, season, and their interactions on semen morphological characteristics. The study was done on 329 bulls (271 Friesland and 58 Jersey) aged 12, 24, 36,48, 60, 72, 84, 96 and> 96 months. The collection of semen was carried out using the artificial vagina method in all four seasons of the year. Spermatozoa were screened for the percentages normal sperm, percentage and total major defects such as knobbed acrosome, pyriform, abnormal lose head, dag defects, nuclear vacuole, degenerative heads, mid-piece reflexes, percentages and total minor defects such as normal lose heads, distal droplets, curled end-piece, lose acrosome. Statistical analyses of the data were done using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the Statistical Analyses System (SAS, 1999). The results of the study indicate that breed did not significantly affected the percentage normal sperm and percentage major sperm defects, but significantly affected the percentage minor defects (P = 0.01). The Least square means (LSM±SE) for the percentage normal sperm, major defects and minor defects in Friesland and Jersey bulls were 80.6 ±1.06%; versus 78.9±2.31 %; 14.8±0.90% versus 15.0± 2.62%, 5.1±0.43% versus 7.6±0.94%, respectively. The results obtained show that the prevalence of sperm defects that differed significantly between breeds was higher in Jersey bulls compared to Friesland bulls. The results of the study indicated the percentage of normal sperm to differ (P = 0.01) with season. The percentage of normal sperm during the summer, autumn, winter and spring, were 72.8±1.6%, 79.4±2.2%, 82.5±2.4% and 84.4±2.4% respectively. Season also affected the percentage of major defects (P = 0.01) and percentage of minor defects (P = 0.03). The results demonstrate that even though there was a higher variation in sperm morphology with season, better sperm morphology was recorded in spring and winter than summer and autumn. Results also indicate the percentage of normal sperm (P = 0.05) and major defects (P = 0.01) to be affected significantly by age. On the other hand, the percentage of minor defects did not differ significantly with age. Bulls of 36-48 months of age showed better semen quality than bulls older than 72 months and bulls younger than 36 months. The percentage of major defects, particularly the incidence of major defects such as knobbed acrosomes, pyriforms, dag defects and broken flagella were significantly affected by the interaction between age and breed (P = 0.05) and age and season (P = 0.05). There was an increase in the susceptibility to these sperm defects in Jersey bulls with an increase in age, while no variation was observed in Friesland bulls. With age and season combined, young bulls recorded poor semen morphology during winter, while old bulls showed poor morphology during summer. In conclusion, the study suggested that breed, age and season and their interactions are important sources of variation in sperm morphology. For a successful AI programme, semen collection should be done at the age of 36-48 months for both breeds. It is therefore recommended that age, breed and season should be given urgent attention in any bull management system employed in South Africa in order to obtain the best semen quality. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Animal Production))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

No description available.

The morphology, crystallization and melting behaviors of a series of ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers were investigated as a function of comonomer content, comonomer type and processing conditions, including crystallization temperature and time. This was achieved by using a combination of techniques such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results from the thermal analysis studies clearly indicated the existence of two distinct regions of crystallization, demarcated by a cross-over temperature, 𝑇*. The high temperature region (above 𝑇*) displayed cooling-rate dependence as well as significant hysteresis in crystallinity between cooling and heating processes, similar to that observed in linear polyethylene. This implied that the crystals associated with this region were formed via chain-folded lamellar growth. However, the lower temperature region (below 𝑇*) exhibited reversible changes in crystallinity between cooling and heating, and was found to be independent of the cooling rate. The temporal evolution of secondary crystallization in the copolymers was studied for times ranging from 100-106 min, at different crystallization temperatures (Tx). Two distinct melting endotherms were discerned at crystallization temperatures below 𝑇*. A higher melting endotherm that remained invariant with crystallization time (tx) was associated with lamellar crystals that were formed during primary crystallization. In contrast, both the positions as well as the magnitude of the lower temperature endotherm were found to vary systematically with log (tx). The peak positions of the low endotherm, i.e., the melting temperature of the secondary crystals, were found to consistently extrapolate to the crystallization temperature at very short times. Based on this and other considerations, the secondary crystals were associated with the melting of thin stacks of polymer chains aggregated in the form of "fringed-micelle"-like bundled crystals. The temperature dependence of the kinetic parameters (derived from Avrami and other analyses) above 𝑇* and their invariance below 𝑇*, suggested that the transformation in morphology from lamellar to bundled crystals was gradual and systematic, as the branch content was increased or as the crystallization temperature was lowered. Further verification of this result was obtained via AFM experiments. A systematic variation in morphology from lamellar to spot-like (lamellae were less clearly visible) was clearly discerned on increasing the comonomer content. Furthermore, a second morphological feature represented by bridge-like links between the lamellae, and approximately perpendicular to them, was also observed for some copolymers. This feature was correlated with the bundled crystals discussed above. The presence of an alternate crystal structure, in addition to the usual orthorhombic crystal form expected for linear polyethylene, was also established from the results of the FTIR studies. The relative proportions of the second crystal form in the copolymers as a function of branch content and temperature were modeled and estimated via mathematical deconvolution and curve-fitting processes. Comparing the results to those of the hexagonal rotator phase of n-paraffins, it was proposed that the second crystal structure in the copolymers could be assigned to a hexagonal type unit cell structure. Furthermore, the crystallization and melting behaviors of all three types of copolymers studied - ethylene/1-butene, ethylene/1-pentene and ethylene/1-hexene - were found to be identical to each other, suggesting that the crystallization process examined was independent of branch type for the ethyl, propyl and butyl branches examined. Since the lengthy butyl branch (in the ethylene-hexene copolymers) is not likely to be accommodated in the crystal, it was concluded that all three branch types were predominantly excluded from the crystal structure. Based on the results from these studies, a new model for the crystallization mechanism in these copolymers was proposed and could be further extended to other semicrystalline polymers such as PET, PEEK, PVC, PBT, i-PS and polycarbonate. In this model, the primary and secondary crystallization stages were redefined on the basis of the chain-folded lamellar growth process. According to the model, secondary crystallization involves the generation of the bundled crystals that may be viewed as physical cross-links in the amorphous phase. Therefore, it may provide a means of correlating the temporal evolution of secondary crystallization to the time and temperature dependence of the physical properties of semicrystalline polymers, above their glass transition temperatures. / Ph. D.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the department of AFRICAN LANGUAGES at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2001. / This document consists of five chapters which are as follows: Chapter 1 is an introductory part where the primary concept "pidgin" will be defined. Other basic terms namely survey, target language, lingua franca, mother tongue and others are also defined. It will deal with a survey of pidgins of the world where trends of Fanakalo as a pidgin begin to appear. Chapter 2 will deal with comparison of Fanakalo varieties to the standard form of isiZulu where linguistic aspects such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics will be highlighted. Chapter 3 will focus on the extent to which Fanakalo lexicon can be compared with that of isiZulu. This will necessitate the inclusion of sociolinguistic aspects such as borrowing, adaptation, coinage and interlarding. Chapter 4 is concerned with the perceptions of Fanakalo by members of the community where the results of the interviews conducted will be given and analyzed accordingly. Chapter 5 which is the final chapter will be the conclusion where the viability of Fanakalo in the "New" South Africa as well as general statements about Fanakalo will be given.

Three traverses across the exhumed trace of the Punchbowl fault zone in the 11 Pelona Schist, southern California, were examined at the millimeter to kilometer scales to determine the morphology, deformation mechanisms, and geochemistry of the fault zone in schistose rocks. The Pelona Schist is predominantly a quartz-albite-muscovite-actinolite schist with associated minor metabasalts. The Punchbowl fault zone, which is exhumed 2-4 km, has 44 km of right lateral slip, and is composed of a fault core enveloped by a damaged zone. The fault core is a region of extreme slip localization that records most fault displacement. Deformation in the fault core is dominated by grain-size reduction accompanied by fluid-dominated alteration, in contrast to the damage zone, where deformation is dominated by brittle and semi-brittle fracturing, cataclasis, and slip. Portions of the Punchbowl fault have multiple fault cores, with each fault core less than 10 cm thick. The thickness of a fault depends upon the type of deformation measured and the scale of observation. Mesoscopic fractures begin 50 m from the fault core, whereas the onset of fault-related microfractures occurs at approximately 40 m from the fault core . A geochemical signature based on whole-rock geochemistry suggests a fault thickness of less than 10 m. Grain-size reduction occurs over a 10 m thick region and mineralogic changes occur over a region 20-30 m thick. Reorientation of preexisting foliation occurs over a zone 30 m thick. Fault-core morphology and textures are similar to those in the Punchbowl fault to the northwest, where it displaces sedimentary rocks, and the San Gabriel fault, which formed in crystalline rocks. This suggests that the processes that form foliated, finegrained, cataclasite-dominated fault cores of large displacement faults are similar for diverse lithologies. The composition of the fault core is variable along strike, with little geochemical or mineralogical homogenization. Whereas processes that form fault cores are similar, localized interaction of fluids caused compositional variability within the core. Changes in fault composition and fluid-rock interactions may result in different fault properties and behaviors.

The mineralogy and morphology of a soil with a cambic horizon (Stingal) and a soil with an argillic horizon (Hansel), occurring in northern Utah, were studied. Pedons representing the central concept of each of the soils were sampled by genetic horizon for laboratory analyses. Particle- size distribution, calcium carbonate equivalent, cation-exchange capacity, organic carbon , and the mineralogy of the silt, coarse clay, and fine clay fractions were determined. Thin sections of the soils were examined with a petrographic microscope. Selected peds were observed using a scanning electron microscope, and elemental analyses were made with an x-ray analyzer. The two soils were found to be similar in many respects . The particle-size distribution and mineralogy were essentially the same, indicating the similarities of parent materials and the nature of pedogenic processes. As expected, the argillic horizon contained more. fine and total clay than did the cambic horizon, and the Hansel soil showed signs of more intense weathering. Both factors are related to the greater age of the Hansel soils. The clay increase in both the cambic and the argillic horizons was attributed to a combination of ill situ clay formation and illuviation. This conclusion was based on the lack of depositional discontinuities, greater ratios of fine to total clay in the B horizons, and the electron microscopic observation of discontinuous clay films in pores of the Hansel soil. The lack of visible clay films in thin section is probably the result of soil mixing by cicada and/or the prevention of translocation by carbonates. The scanning electron microscope proved to be useful in the investigation of the two soils. The similarities of the two soils were apparent from laboratory analyses and scanning microscope observations. Evidence of illuviation, which was lacking in thin section, was visible with the scanning electron microscope, thus demonstrating the potential of the microscope in classifying and interpreting soils in future investigations.

Bees are the most important pollinators of flowering plants and are necessary for pollinating both wild plants and many of the crops that produce the food we eat. There are many different species of bees, with about 20,000 species worldwide and 4,000 species in the United States. Even though bees are important pollinators, there is still much we do not know about how many species there are and their biology. In order to better understand the species and their biology, I performed three projects that help fill these gaps by reviewing the species of a poorly known bee group, examining the different ways bees carry pollen, and then reviewing how bees gather pollen from flowers. To better understand bee diversity, I examined a group of species in the subgenus Heteroperdita in the genus Perdita (Andrenidae). I described nine species that were new to science, found the opposite sex of three species, and found that one species was a duplicate of a previously described species. This work increased the number of species in Heteroperdita to 22 and increased the number of species in the genus Perdita to 636. I then explored how pollen is carried back to the nest in two distantly-related bee groups, the genera Perdita and Hesperapis (Melittidae). I found that different species can carry pollen in one of three different ways: moist, dry, or glazed. Interestingly, how the bees carry pollen appears to depend on the shape and stickiness of the pollen grains that the bees prefer. I then reviewed how bees gather pollen from flowers. I combined previous research and my own observations of bees to classify the different pollen gathering behaviors into seven different types. I then examined why bees use different pollen gathering behaviors and provided a set terminology to refer to each behavior. Overall, this dissertation advances our knowledge of the diversity of bees and their relationships with flowers, which will support efforts to understand and conserve these important pollinators.

The organization and morphology of Middle Fork Sheep Creek and South Fork Sheep Creek, two mountain streams in the upper Sheep Creek basin, are controlled by the spatial distribution of glacial moraines. Both channels are organized into a reoccurring sequence of steep-gradient reaches changing downstream to low-gradient reaches. Steep-gradient reaches are located where the channels flow through moraine s. Low-gradient reaches are located in meadows downstream of the steep-gradient reaches and immediately upstream of the next moraine. Knickpoints in the longitudinal profiles of both streams coincide with the location of moraines. Large boulder s, beyond the size transportable by the channel at bankfull discharge, are found within the steep-gradient channels, and are presumed to be glacial lag. Between knickpoints, channel morphology follows the conceptual model of Montgomery and Buffington. Unlike mountain channels elsewhere, landslides, debris flows, and alluvial fans do not influence the morphology or organization of Middle Fork Sheep Creek and South Fork Sheep Creek. Large woody debris loading is less than on channels in Washington and Alaska, with debris dams found mainly in reaches with gradients less than cascade and greater than pool-riffle. Middle Fork Sheep Creek and South Fork Sheep Creek are located in a glaciated basin. At time scales of 103 to 104 years, the channels may be classified as in disequilibrium and the system is not adjusted to present conditions. The presence of large, unmovable boulder s within the steep-gradient channels allows the location of the steep-gradient channels to remain static until the large particles are transported during infrequent large discharges. At time scales of 101 to 102 years, the channels may be thought of as equilibrium systems with channel variables adjusted to the present climate.

This study focuses on the late-Wisconsin Brooks Lake glaciation, lake-level fluctuations, and volcanic deposits in the lliarnna/Naknek/Brooks Lake area on the northern Alaska Peninsula, southwestern Alaska. The Brooks Lake glaciation consists of five stades, from youngest to oldest: Kvichak, Uiarnna, Newhalen, Iliuk, and Ukak. This thesis reassigns the type Mak Hill moraine to a pre-late-Wisconsin glaciation, and considers the moraine enclosing Naknek Lake an early-late-Wisconsin deposit correlative to either the Kvichak stade, lliarnna stade, or both. The presence in the Iliamna Lake valley, and the absence in the Naknek Lake valley of a two-fold earliest-late-Wisconsin Kvichak/Iliamna glacial sequence suggest that the two glacial systems responded differently to climate change, or glacier/bed dynamics due to differing ice sources and glacier configurations. Plant macrofossils dated at 26,155 ± 285 I4C yr BP afford a new maximum-limiting age on the type Kvichak moraine. Slope angles on the type Kvichak and Iliamna moraines are less steep (~11-15°) than on younger Newhalen, lliuk, and Ukak moraines (~18-20° ), indicating that a considerable length of time separated the Iliamna and Newhalen stades. Correlation of this time-stratigraphic marker with other better dated Alaskan glacial sequences suggests that the interstadial occurred -13-14 ka. Following late-Wisconsin de glaciation of the Iliamna and Naknek lake basins, lake levels lowered, creating a flight of wave-cut terraces. Horizontal terraces, formed during latest-Wisconsin/early-Holocene time, at ~40 m above Iliamna Lake, and ~15 and ~30 m above Naknek Lake, suggest that these shorelines are not tilted as a result of glacial isostatic rebound or regional tectonism. The most prominent terraces above both lakes lay about halfway between the highest terrace and present-day lake level. If these terraces are correlative, then this indicates some climate control on lake-level fluctuations. Electron-microprobe analysis of six late-Pleistocene tephra samples allows five samples to be correlated with latest-Pleistocene Lethe tephra, and extends the Lethe ash plume ~125 km westward, and ~150 km northwestward of its presumed source area. Analysis of four early-Holocene black tephras fails to support any correlations, suggesting that there are multiple black tephras in the area. Ash C, a tricolored ash, consists of more than one chemically distinct tephra, and there is little consistency between color zones of the ash at different sites.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the construct validity of a new test, which purports to measure morphology, entitled Test for Examining Expressive Morphology (TEEM) (Shipley, Stone and Sue, 1983). Additional tests of expressive morphology, the Bankson Language Screening Test (BLST) (Bankson, 1977) and the Test of Language Development-Primary (TOLD-P) (Newcomer and Hammill, 1982) were utilized to determine the association of the TEEM with two highly-researched instruments.