Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Biological Sciences Department, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Increasing concern over the environmental impact of motor vehicles is driving the need for the development of lighter materials to reduce automobile weight and fuel consumption. Sintered aluminium alloys, with their high strength to weight ratios, have potential applications in the automotive industry, but conventional pressed-and-sintered materials have poor mechanical properties due to the presence of residual porosity in the sintered compact. Residual porosity can be eliminated by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing) or combined sinter-HIPing, but these processes are expensive due to the high gas pressures involved, up to several hundred MPa, and also pose a significant safety hazard. There is a limited amount of evidence in the literature suggesting that applied gas pressures as low as a few MPa may be beneficial to the sintering of aluminium alloys, and it is this idea that the present work explores. Compacts of aluminium alloy 2712 (Al-3.8Cu-1Mg-0.7Si-0.1Sn) were prepared from elemental powders and sintered at 590ºC for up to 60 minutes in a horizontal tube furnace under constant flowing nitrogen or argon at pressures up to 600 kPa. Archimedes’ method was used to measure the density of sintered compacts, and the amount of open and closed porosity. Increasing the nitrogen pressure at the start of the isothermal holding stage to 160 kPa increased the sintering rate compared to standard atmospheric pressure sintering. Increasing the nitrogen pressure further, up to 600 kPa, had no additional benefit. The sintering rate was increased further by applying a 600 kPa nitrogen pressure during both heating and isothermal holding. The elevated nitrogen pressure had a negligible effect on the maximum sintered density achieved, and sintering in argon at elevated pressures had no measurable effect on the sintered density or sintering rate. It was shown that the elevated pressure aids in the closure of pores open to the specimen surface, contrary to HIPing and sinter-HIPing, where the pores must be isolated prior to the application of pressure. It was also shown that at 600 kPa nitrogen pressure, the sintered density was independent of the presence of tin in the alloy. The improvements to sintering seem to be related to the formation of aluminium nitride.

A cruise of the R/V Yaquina off Oregon during June and July of 1968 provided data for a study of the relationships of hydrographic and chemical parameters to estimates of biological activity. The emphasis was on carbon and nitrogen reservoirs. Phytoplankton pigments, nitrogen and C/N ratio were used along with AOU and the nitrate content of the water to estimate the distribution of phytoplankton production. Sigma-t, AOU, and nitrate were used to define the hydrographic and chemical conditions. Upwelling was the major source of nitrate for the surface waters, and, consequently, phytoplankton production was most intense where upwelling was active. The Columbia River plume appeared to support a sizeable amount of phytoplankton production just south of the river mouth. Particulate nitrogen increased and particulate C/N ratio decreased as the water became more biologically productive. Chlorophyll, particulate nitrogen, and C/N ratio showed the effects of upwelling and the Columbia River plume on biological production. A subsurface negative AOU core was clearly defined in areal extent and intensity. Its occurrence was explained by inshore phytoplankton production, oxygen exchange with the atmosphere, and possible in situ phytoplankton production. / Graduation date: 1970

The total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in animal manures, and the proportion of this amount that becomes available as dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus within a month after manures are added to water were examined in the context of fertilization guidelines for pond aquaculture. A literature study was conducted to synthesize information on the dry matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents, and the biochemical oxygen demands of different manures. This information was used to compile a fertilizer database and to examine dry matter-nutrient relationships for different manures. Significantly high correlations between dry matter and total nitrogen, and between dry matter and total phosphorus were observed for poultry manure, and different forms of beef and dairy cattle manures. These relationships can be used to estimate the nutrient contents of manures if the dry matter contents are measured. A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that becomes available as dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) over a five week period when poultry, swine and dairy manures are added to water. Mean DIN and DIP concentrations reached highest levels on the 5th day after manure addition for all the manures. These concentrations corresponded to 60.5, 49.5 and 30.1% of the total nitrogen and 78.4, 77.4 and 58% of the total phosphorus supplied by poultry, swine and dairy manures respectively. DIN and DIP concentrations were significantly different among the three manures on all sampling days. Poultry manure supplied the highest amount of nitrogen and phosphorus, followed by swine and dairy manures. Pond fertilization guidelines based on the nitrogen and phosphorus requirements for algae should consider the available portion and not the total nitrogen and phosphorus contents of manures to calculate fertilizer requirements. Another study was conducted to examine the effects of temperature and repeated manure addition on nutrient release patterns from poultry manure. Different temperatures over a three week period did not have a pronounced impact on DIN and DIP levels. Two phases of DIN build-up were observed, whereas DIP levels showed an increasing pattern throughout the temperature experiment. The overall proportion of the total nitrogen and phosphorus supplied by poultry manure that became available as DIN and DIP for all the experimental units considered together amounted to about 64 and 70% respectively, which is consistent with the earlier study. Repeated manure addition resulted in significantly lower DIN and higher DIP concentrations in the interval following the second manure addition compared to the first interval, although nutrient release patterns appeared to be similar. / Graduation date: 1993

Graduation date: 1999

Graduation date: 1995

In remotely located forest watersheds, monitoring nitrogen (N) in streams often is not feasible because of the high costs and site inaccessibility. Therefore, modelling tools that can predict N in unmonitored watersheds are urgently needed to support management decisions for these watersheds. Recently, remote sensing (RS) has become a cost-efficient way to evaluate watershed characteristics and obtain model input variables. This study was to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) modelling tool relying solely on public domain climate data and satellite data without ground-based measurements. ANN was successfully applied to simulate N compositions in streams at studied watersheds by using easily accessible input variables, relevant time-lagged inputs and inputs reflecting seasonal cycles. This study was the first effort to take the consideration of vegetation dynamics into N modelling by using RS-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) that was capable of describing the differences of vegetation canopy and vegetation dynamics among watersheds. As a further study to demonstrate the applicability of the ANN models to unmonitored watersheds, the calibrated ANN models were used to predict N in other different watersheds (unmonitored watersheds in this perspective) without further calibration. A watershed similarity index was found to show high correlation with the transferability of the models and can potentially guide transferring the trained models into similar unmonitored watersheds. Finally, a framework to incorporate water quantity/quality modelling into forestry management was proposed to demonstrate the application of the developed models to support decision making. The major components of the framework include watershed delineation and classification, database and model development, and scenario-based analysis. The results of scenario analysis can be used to translate vegetation cut into values of EVI that can be fed to the models to predict changes in water quality (e.g. N) in response to harvesting scenarios. The results from this research demonstrated the applicability of ANNs for stream N modelling using easily accessible data, the effectiveness of RS-derived EVI in N model construction, and the transferability of the ANN models. The presented models have high potential to be used to predict N in streams in the real-world and serve forestry management. / Environmental Engineering

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (February 9, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Concerns over water quality have led to required removal of 50 % of dairy manure phosphorus (P) from the impaired Bosque River Watershed. Application of composted dairy manure (CDM) to sod and moving P off the watershed with sod has prompted a study using box lysimeters to determine NO3--N and P leaching from transplanted sod grown with CDM and inorganic fertilizer as well as sprigs top-dressed with CDM. Treatments were applied to lysimeters filled with a silica sand medium. Three leaching events were imposed, leaching 0.07 to 0.09 % of the total P applied and 0.09 to 1.43 % of total N applied. Concentrations of P in leachate averaged 0.04 to 0.25 mg L-1. Top-dressed CDM on sprigs leached statistically greater amounts of NO3--N than both transplanted sod treatments and greater P than the fertilizer grown sod. After the third leaching event, all treatments received an additional application of P, 100 kg ha-1 as CDM for manure-grown sod and sprigs, 50 kg ha-1 as triple superphosphate for fertilizer-grown sod. An additional three leachings were imposed. Top-dressed sprigs and transplanted sod leached similar amounts of P following the additional P application. Applied nutrients appeared to stay mainly in the sod layer and in the sand medium just below the sod layer. Top-dressed CDM appears to exhibit greater leaching losses of NO3--N than transplanted manure-grown sod and greater N and P losses than transplanted fertilizer grown sod.

This research included studies for transplant and field crop management with thepurpose of optimizing stand establishment, crop performance and nutritional quality ofartichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) grown in southwest Texas.Post-transplanting heat (35/20oC vs. 25/10oC, day/night temperatures) or drought[30% Water holding capacity (WHC) vs. 60% WHC] stress alone or in combinationsignificantly reduced shoot or/and root growth of artichoke seedlings. Combined heatand drought stresses strongly affected shoot water status and root growth. Results fromthis study imply that it is desirable to improve stand establishment by either conditioningthe seedlings to improve root growth or by preventing leaf dehydration by these stresses.Therefore, effects of plant growth regulators (PGR) on root growth and shoot waterstatus were examined.Ethylene regulators, including precursors or a releasing compound [DLmethionine(MET), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and ethephone(ETH)], and inhibitors [amino-ethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)] were applied to seedlings to evaluate their effect on root growth and development. ACC and ETH (1-100 M·L-1) enhanced root hair, root area and lateralroots (only with ETH at 30 M·L-1).The effects of film-forming antitranspirants and abscisic acid (ABA, 500-2000mg·L-1) foliar application on physiological responses, water status and hardiness ofartichoke transplants were examined under drought stress. ABA at 1000 mg·L-1enhanced drought tolerance of transplants which was associated with the maintenance ofshoot water status via stomatal closure. Film-forming antitranspirants were not effectiveto mitigate drought stress. These results suggest that ACC and ETH as root enhancers,and ABA as a plant water conditioner, could be useful PGR’s to enhance standestablishment in artichoke seedlings.Field artichoke performance in response to irrigation [50, 75 and 100% cropevapotranspiration (ETc)] and N (0-180 kg·ha-1) rates were investigated during threeseasons at Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Uvalde, TX. Irrigation was more effectivethan N rates to optimize artichoke yield. Yield reduction by 50% ETc was associatedwith a decrease in head number and weight. The highest yield was obtained with 100%ETc and 120 kg·ha-1 N. This study also showed that deficit irrigation significantlyimproved artichoke head quality, such as phenolic content, but with significant yieldlosses.