Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T19:25:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nathalie.pdf: 1872403 bytes, checksum: 066688e7a8c000417cf984dd2ee4421c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-20 / This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic and environmental aspects as results from the continuing application of swine wastewater and mineral fertilizer in corn, black oats and soybeans. The experimental area has a history of swine wastewater application with trials that have been carried out since 2006, whose cycles under management are the seventh, eighth and ninth ones. Four doses of swine wastewater associated with the presence and absence of mineral fertilizer consisted on eight treatments applied to experimental plots. The agronomic and nutritional indices were determined in the three studied crops. The compounds of leachate collected at the beginning and end of each cycle were also recorded as well as soil characteristics at the beginning and end of each crop. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, under a 4x 2 factorial scheme with three replications. The results were submitted to ANOVA and means compared by Tukey test at 5% significance level. In maize crop, after a swine wastewater application, treated in digester, it could be observed that it could be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since P and Mn+2 were supplemented with specific fertilization. A special management should be given to the accumulation of Fe+2, Cu+2 and Zn+2 in soil. Attention should be paid also to the levels of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2 in leachate material. In black oats crop, after two applications of swine wastewater treated in digester, it was concluded that swine wastewater can be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since N, P and S could be supplied. Some attention should be taken with Cu+2 and Zn+2 accumulation in soil and some special care should also be given to the leaching of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2. In soybean crop, after three applications of wastewater treated in digester, the remaining wastewater could be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since N, P, K+ and S were supplied by specific fertilization. There must have extra attention to the accumulation of Fe+2, Cu+2 and Zn+2 in soil as well as to percolation of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2 According to leachate. / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os aspectos ambientais e agronômicos decorrentes da aplicação continuada de água residuária da suinocultura e adubação mineral, nas culturas de milho, aveia e soja. A área experimental possui histórico de aplicação de água residuária da suinocultura, com experimentos conduzidos desde 2006, os quais são o sétimo, oitavo e nono ciclos conduzidos na área. Quatro doses de água residuária da suinocultura, associadas à ausência e presença de adubação mineral, consistiram em oito tratamentos aplicados às parcelas experimentais. Foram determinados índices agronômicos e nutricionais nas três culturas, avaliadas as composições dos lixiviados coletados no início e final de cada ciclo, bem como as características químicas do solo ao início e final de cada cultura. O delineamento experimental consistiu de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial (4x2) com três repetições. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. Na cultura do milho, após uma aplicação de água residuária da suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, verifica-se que a água residuária da suinocultura pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o P e Mn+2 sejam complementados com adubação específica. Cuidado especial deve ser dado ao acúmulo de Fe+2, Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo. Devem-se atentar também para os níveis de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2 no material percolado. Na cultura da aveia, após duas aplicações de água residuária de suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, conclui-se que essa pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o N, P e S sejam complementados. Deve-se ter atenção com o acúmulo de Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo, e com a lixiviação de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2. Na cultura da soja, após três aplicações de água residuária de suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, constata-se que a mesma pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o N, P, K+ e S sejam complementados com adubação específica. Deve-se ter atenção com o acúmulo de Fe+2, Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo. Deve ser dada maior atenção à percolação de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2 de acordo com o lixiviado

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jonathan Dieter.pdf: 502134 bytes, checksum: 0715591952d78facfe1347c37dd131d8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-11-10 / The western region of Paraná is characterized as a wetland, where the average monthly rainfall exceeded 100 mm. In this region the pig is a very intense activity which causes environmental and public health due to the significant volume of waste generated. Most of the properties is common to allocate the liquid and solid wastes to the soil in the period between harvests as a fertilizer and water reuse in agriculture. However, this practice associated with the humid climate of the region enhances the diffuse pollution in order to impact, particularly surface water depending on the process of runoff, leading to eutrophication of water bodies and lower layer of fertile soil in the region. Thus, it is necessary to study the nutrient losses in runoff water and sediments carried by considering the application of different rates of pig manure in the soil and also with different intensities of rain with characteristic erosive. The results showed that the concentration of available soil phosphorus in the soil Erdöd is dependent on the application rate of swine wastewater and that during the flow is greater superfical transferecia soluble phosphorus to water early in the runoff. / A região oeste do Paraná caracteriza-se como uma região úmida, onde as precipitações médias mensais ultrapassam 100 mm. Nessa região a suinocultura é uma atividade bastante intensa o que provoca preocupações ambientais e de saúde pública em decorrência do volume significativo de dejetos gerados. Na maior parte das propriedades é comum destinar os dejetos líquidos e sólidos ao solo no período entre-safra como forma de adubação e reúso de água na agricultura. Porém, esta prática associada ao clima úmido da região potencializa a poluição difusa de modo a impactar, principalmente as águas superficiais em função do processo de escoamento superficial, propiciando a eutrofização dos corpos d´água e à diminuição da camada fértil dos solos da região. Deste modo, faz-se necessário estudar as perdas de nutrientes na água de escoamento superficial e nos sedimentos carreados, considerando a aplicação de diferentes taxas de dejetos suínos no solo e também de diferentes intensidades de chuva com característica erosiva. Os resultados demostraram que a concentração de fósforo disponível do solo como no solo erdodido é dependente da dose de aplicação de água residuária da suinocultura e, que durante o escoamento superfical ocorre uma maior transferecia de fósforo solúvel para o meio aquático no inicio do escoamento superficial.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nathalie.pdf: 1872403 bytes, checksum: 066688e7a8c000417cf984dd2ee4421c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-20 / This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic and environmental aspects as results from the continuing application of swine wastewater and mineral fertilizer in corn, black oats and soybeans. The experimental area has a history of swine wastewater application with trials that have been carried out since 2006, whose cycles under management are the seventh, eighth and ninth ones. Four doses of swine wastewater associated with the presence and absence of mineral fertilizer consisted on eight treatments applied to experimental plots. The agronomic and nutritional indices were determined in the three studied crops. The compounds of leachate collected at the beginning and end of each cycle were also recorded as well as soil characteristics at the beginning and end of each crop. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, under a 4x 2 factorial scheme with three replications. The results were submitted to ANOVA and means compared by Tukey test at 5% significance level. In maize crop, after a swine wastewater application, treated in digester, it could be observed that it could be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since P and Mn+2 were supplemented with specific fertilization. A special management should be given to the accumulation of Fe+2, Cu+2 and Zn+2 in soil. Attention should be paid also to the levels of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2 in leachate material. In black oats crop, after two applications of swine wastewater treated in digester, it was concluded that swine wastewater can be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since N, P and S could be supplied. Some attention should be taken with Cu+2 and Zn+2 accumulation in soil and some special care should also be given to the leaching of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2. In soybean crop, after three applications of wastewater treated in digester, the remaining wastewater could be partially used as an alternative fertilizer, since N, P, K+ and S were supplied by specific fertilization. There must have extra attention to the accumulation of Fe+2, Cu+2 and Zn+2 in soil as well as to percolation of Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ and Zn+2 According to leachate. / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os aspectos ambientais e agronômicos decorrentes da aplicação continuada de água residuária da suinocultura e adubação mineral, nas culturas de milho, aveia e soja. A área experimental possui histórico de aplicação de água residuária da suinocultura, com experimentos conduzidos desde 2006, os quais são o sétimo, oitavo e nono ciclos conduzidos na área. Quatro doses de água residuária da suinocultura, associadas à ausência e presença de adubação mineral, consistiram em oito tratamentos aplicados às parcelas experimentais. Foram determinados índices agronômicos e nutricionais nas três culturas, avaliadas as composições dos lixiviados coletados no início e final de cada ciclo, bem como as características químicas do solo ao início e final de cada cultura. O delineamento experimental consistiu de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial (4x2) com três repetições. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. Na cultura do milho, após uma aplicação de água residuária da suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, verifica-se que a água residuária da suinocultura pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o P e Mn+2 sejam complementados com adubação específica. Cuidado especial deve ser dado ao acúmulo de Fe+2, Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo. Devem-se atentar também para os níveis de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2 no material percolado. Na cultura da aveia, após duas aplicações de água residuária de suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, conclui-se que essa pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o N, P e S sejam complementados. Deve-se ter atenção com o acúmulo de Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo, e com a lixiviação de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2. Na cultura da soja, após três aplicações de água residuária de suinocultura tratada em biodigestor, constata-se que a mesma pode ser parcialmente utilizada como fertilizante alternativo, desde que o N, P, K+ e S sejam complementados com adubação específica. Deve-se ter atenção com o acúmulo de Fe+2, Cu+2 e Zn+2 no solo. Deve ser dada maior atenção à percolação de Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, NO3-+NO2-, Na+ e Zn+2 de acordo com o lixiviado

A simple high pressure liquid chromatography procedure was used to determine 2,4-D and pronamide exposure in spraymen and their dermal absorption and excretion in guinea pigs. Results of dermal application of these herbicides to guinea pigs demonstrated a strong correlation between the applied dermal dose and the urinary residue excretion over the dosage range tested. As the dosage was increased, the urinary excretion of residues was also increased. However, the excretion of 2,4-D amine mixture following dermal treatment of guinea pigs was prolonged as compared to that of pronamide. Residue levels of these compounds were also determined to estimate skin contamination after sampling by filter pads attached to the clothing and arms of agricultural spraymen. Residues in the workers' urine before and after exposure were also determined. Average exposure values of 44.93 mg/hr/man for 2,40D and 0.83 mg/hr/man for pronamide were extrapolated from residue values obtained from analyzing the pads. Little correlation was found between the measured residues from exposed subjects and residues quantified in their urine samples.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a lethal autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CFTR transports anions at the apical surface of epithelial membranes and functions in many areas of the body. However in CF, loss of CFTR function in the lungs is the major source of morbidity and mortality. Replacing the defective CFTR in the lungs through gene therapy has the potential to cure the disease. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) is an effective gene transfer vector and has been used extensively to deliver genes to cells in culture. A number of clinical trials using AAV have been attempted for a variety of diseases, including CF, albeit with limited success. Poor vector transduction efficiency prevents effective gene therapy. We have previously used a technique to greatly increase the transduction efficiency of AAV in human lung tissues by selecting from a library of AAVs using a directed evolution technique. However, this evolution was performed in cultured cells and did not fully represent the in vivo environment in which the AAV would be used. In 2008, a CF pig model was developed to develop a further understanding of the mechanisms of CF and CFTR function. We hypothesized that we could use directed evolution to select for a vector in vivo using the pig, allowing gene therapy studies to be conducted in a physiologically relevant model of CF. We selected a novel AAV variant, called AAV2H22, which is closely related to AAV2 but with greatly increased transduction efficiency in pig airway epithelia. AAV2H22 displayed specific tropism for pig airway epithelia and saturated cell surface receptors, indicating specific binding in those cells. We found that AAV2H22-mediated gene transfer corrected chloride and bicarbonate transport defects both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, bicarbonate transport was sufficient to normalize pH in the airway surface liquid, resulting in increased bacterial killing likely due to increased activity of antimicrobial peptides. To investigate the mechanics of the increased transduction of AAV2H22, capsid mutants were assayed for transduction efficiency. Two of the five amino acid differences between AAV2 and AAV2H22 lie at the surface and are predicted to alter capsid binding. This is consistent with the results showing specific binding in cultured airway epithelia. This research has important implications for gene therapy and investigations using AAV2H22 will increase our understanding of the biology needed to successfully treat CF.

Dietary protein quality depends on two key measures: true ileal protein digestibility and the metabolic utilization of absorbed amino acids (AA). The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of two dietary factors (antinutritional factors and peptides) on ileal endogenous protein flows; to validate the intubation technique used in humans for ileal digesta sampling; to determine the postprandial metabolic utilization of dietary AA depending on their delivery form and to assess the validity of the growing pig for predicting true ileal protein digestibility in the adult human. Investigations were undertaken in the growing rat, growing pig and adult human. Ileal digesta were collected from euthanised rats, post valve T-caecum cannulated pigs, and naso-ileal intubated conscious adult humans. Ileal endogenous nitrogen (N) and AA were measured using a protein-free (PF) diet, diets containing 15N-labelled casein in the intact (C) or hydrolysed (HC) form, or a diet based on free AA (diet A), for which some dispensable AA were omitted to allow a direct determination of their endogenous flows. Digesta centrifugation and ultrafiltration (diet HC) allowed for the determination of ileal endogenous protein flows and the extent of tracer (15N) recycling. Antinutritional factors from a crude extract of kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), when given at amounts commonly ingested in practice, enhanced ileal endogenous protein flows (rats, PF diet). After adaptation to the diet, body N balance per se did not influence ileal endogenous protein flows (rats, diets PF and A) but dietary peptides led to greater ileal endogenous AA and N flows compared with a protein-free diet. Dietary peptides (HC), compared with peptides naturally released in the gut during protein digestion (C), did not enhance ileal endogenous protein flows (rats, pigs, and humans). The extent of tracer recycling, however, was maximal in frequently-fed rats, lower in meal-fed pigs and minimal in meal-fed humans (65, 21, and 11% of 15N-labelled ileal endogenous proteins, respectively). Naso-ileal intubation for ileal digesta sampling in humans was shown to be an accurate method and evidence was obtained supporting the growing pig as a valid model for predicting true ileal protein digestibility in the adult human. Finally, the form of delivery of dietary AA (from HC or C) influenced the postprandial metabolic fate of dietary AA, especially in terms of AA catabolism kinetics. However, the overall nutritional value of C and HC were similar.

Much of what we know about temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles stems from constant temperature incubation studies in the laboratory. In recent years, as TSD studies moved into the field it became evident that TSD was much more complex than previously thought. The present study attempted to reveal the complexity of TSD, as it relates to other features of the species' biology and physical characteristics tractable only in the field, such as fluctuations in incubation temperature and reproductive life history. To this end I studied the ecology of the turtle Carettochelys insculpta, a TSD species inhabiting the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia from 1996 to 1998. I tested hypotheses associated with movements, activity, behaviour, reproduction, nest site choice, nest temperatures, embryonic survival, embryonic aestivation, hatch-ling sex ratios, and emergence in the species. Each of these was also considered in the context of the influence of the wet-dry tropics. Compared to other turtles inhabiting lotic habitats, C. insculpta occupied considerably larger home ranges, covering up to 10 km of river. Of previously published factors influencing home range size, low productivity of the (micro) habitat may best explain the extensive home ranges in C. insculpta. Patchiness and low nutrient value of the chief food (aquatic vegetation) of C. insculpta may force turtles to cover large expanses of river to acquire sufficient energy for growth and reproduction. Females were more active, moved farther, and occupied larger home ranges than males. Home ranges of females comprised 1-4 activity centres, many of which were associated with thermal springs. I suggest that females may exhibit increased activity and movements relative to males because of sexual inequality in parental investment, where food is particularly limiting (e.g., in species with biennial reproduction). Biennial reproduction in the population allowed the examination of the influence of reproductive condition on home range size, movements, and activity. Reproductive condition did not influence home range or activity, but gravid turtles moved father between successive sightings than non-gravid females. Individual data corroborate these findings, with females moving farther between successive sightings while gravid compared to while spent. Contrary to previous reports, turtles did not appear to move into estuarine areas or lowland flood plains during the wet season, but moved into the riparian forest and possibly into wetlands adjacent to the main channel in the vicinity of their dry season home ranges. During the study I documented the turtles' use of small, localized thermal springs discharging from the river bottom. Dataloggers attached to the carapace to monitor ambient water temperatures recorded the frequency and duration of thermal spring use by individuals. Turtles used the thermal springs frequently during the winter (4-6 months) when river temperatures were lower than that of the thermal springs (8 = 29 � 0.52� C). Turtles often utilized thermal springs for several consecutive hours, leaving the springs only to surface for air. Thermal springs may be derived from ground water (which maintains a temperature equivalent to the annual mean air temperature), rather than from a specific geothermal heat source. Nine of 19 radio-telemetered adult females were seen to use thermal springs, of which seven were gravid and two non-gravid. Thus, gravid turtles may seek thermal springs more than non-gravid turtles. Frequency, duration, and timing of usage collectively suggest active thermoregulation as the primary function of thermal spring use. Utilization of thermal springs probably permits turtles to be more active in cooler months, which may enhance growth rates and accumulation of energy for reproduction. Onset of nesting along river stretches with thermal springs preceded nesting in a stretch not known to have thermal springs by 24 days. Thus, I speculate that by warming themselves on thermal springs in the months prior to nesting, turtles may have accelerated follicular development and nested earlier. Female C. insculpta matured at ca. 6 kg body mass (38.0 cm carapace length, 30.5 cm plastron length). Turtles produced egg sizes and clutch sizes similar to that of other turtle species of similar size. Turtles reproduced every second year, but produced two clutches in each breeding year, ca. 40 days apart. Thus, it appeared that females were energy limited, possibly due to the low available energy content of the dry season diet (aquatic vegetation). Life history theory predicts that if some costly behaviour is associated with reproduction, skipping years could reduce that cost and allow savings to be directed into future reproduction. The present study revealed no obvious accessory behaviour in the population. Within years, clutch mass did not differ between early (first) and late (second) clutches. However, earlier clutches tended to have more and smaller eggs per clutch but than later clutches, a new finding for turtles that has been demonstrated in lizards and other animals. Because the study spanned both years with 'big' and 'small' wet seasons, I was able to examine how the magnitude of the wet season influenced reproductive characteristics. Following big wet seasons turtles produced larger, heavier, and more eggs per clutch than they did after small wet seasons. Relationships among body size, egg size, and clutch size were evident after two big wet seasons but not apparent after two small wet seasons. Collectively, annual variation in reproductive characteristics and current life history theory suggest that a big wet season is a plentiful time for the turtles. I investigated beach selection of nesting pig-nosed turtles (Carettochelys insculpta) along a 63 km stretch of river in 1997 and 1998. I used three classes of beaches to examine beach choice: beaches with nests, beaches with only crawls, andbeaches without nests or crawls. Across these beach types I compared aspect, solar exposure, temperature, substrate moisture, height, water depth at approach, and the height of cohesive sand. I located 82 nesting beaches with 221 nests, and identified 171 potential nesting beaches based on previously published criteria. Beaches with nests had a greater substrate moisture content and corresponding higher cohesive sand line (hereafter CSL) than beaches without nests. Beaches with nests also had a higher CSL than beaches with only crawls. Apparently, turtles could not excavate a nest chamber above the CSL due to loose substrate consistency causing sand to fall in on itself. Turtles could only nest at low elevations below the CSL on beaches with lower substrate moisture. Turtles apparently avoided nesting on these beaches due to the higher probability of nest flooding, as corroborated by a concurrent study. Beach temperatures increased with a seasonal increase in air temperatures, and were influenced by aspect and total angle of solar exposure. Temperatures did not differ among beaches with nests, beaches with only crawls, and beaches without crawls or nests. Therefore, there was no indication that turtles were manipulating offspring sex through choice of nesting beach. However, turtles may be manipulating sex by nesting in areas with particular thermal characteristics within beaches. Two related aspects of hatchling emergence were studied. Using emergence phenology data, nest temperatures, historical weather data, and a developmental model, I tested the hypothesis that delayed hatching occurred in C. insculpta, and that such a delay would allow hatchlings to time their emergence to match the onset of the wet season. Hatchling C. insculpta emerged, on average, 17 days later than dates predicted from a developmental model. Combined with observations of hatchlings remaining in eggs until emergence, these results confirmed delayed hatching in nature. This delay was synchronized with initial river rises associated with the onsetof wet season rains, and is consistent with published criteria for embryonic aestivation. On a diel scale, I generated predictions of two potentially competing models for nocturnal emergence in hatchling turtles, based on the knowledge that air temperatures decrease with season during the emergence period. A test of those predictions for C. insculpta produced ambiguous results. However, further analysis indicated that C. insculpta, and probably other nocturnally emerging turtle species, respond to a decline in diel temperature rather than an absolute temperature. The former would ensure nocturnal emergence, while the latter is experienced during the day as well as at night. Nocturnal emergence may be associated with nesting in open microhabitats. The 'decision' of when and where to nest can influence both offspring survival and hatchling sex ratios in animals with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Knowledge of how these maternal attributes influence the incubation environment is an important first step in hypothesizing why TSD evolved in a particular species. 1 studied the influence of nest site choice and timing of nesting on embryonic survival and hatchling sex ratios. Predation and flooding were the major sources of embryonic mortality. Embryonic survival was influenced by both lay date and nest site choice: In one year when nesting began later, nests laid later and at lower elevations were destroyed by early wet season river rises. In other years early nesting precluded flood mortality. However, turtles did not nest at the highest available elevations. I hypothesized that turtles were unable to nest at higher elevations because the sand was dry and not cohesive. A field experiment demonstrated that turtles were constrained to nest at lower elevations where they could construct a nest chamber. A mathematical model predicting hatchling sex from fluctuating temperatures was applied to temperature data from 102 natural nests. Resultsconfirmed a type la pattern of TSD, whereby males are produced from cooler temperatures and females from warmer temperatures. The principal determinant of hatchling sex was lay date. Clutches laid earlier in the season produced mainly males, while later clutches yielded mostly females, due to seasonal ramping of air and sand temperatures. However, nest site choice also exerted an influence on hatchling sex. Female-producing clutches were deposited at higher elevations than male-producing clutches. The onset of nesting was not influenced by water temperatures, but may have been related to the magnitude of the previous wet season(s). Turtles nested earlier after two 'big' wet seasons and later following two 'small' wet seasons. This pattern indicates that the wet season is a plentiful time for the turtles. Adaptive 'differential fitness' models for the evolution of TSD have recently been reviewed and clarified. The differential fitness model that best fits C. insculpta is the 'timematching' model, whereby one sex benefits more than the other from early hatching. Male C. insculpta hatched 2-3 weeks earlier then females, on average. Benefit to early hatching males and, therefore, the ultimate selective mechanism (e.g., growth, time to mature) is unknown. Obtaining such data will likely prove difficult in such a long-lived species. A recent adaptive explanation for the evolution and maintenance of temperaturedependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles rests upon the assumption that mothers can predict or manipulate offspring sex. I postulated that four physiological and behavioural criteria must be met in order for this assumption to be valid: (1) a strong correlation must exist between substrate temperatures during nest site choice and nest temperatures during the period of development when sex is determined in the egg (thermosensitive period = TSP). (2) Assuming that (1) is possible, mothers would need to be capable of correcting for temporal factors obscuring the predictable thermalcharacteristics of nest sites. This could be accomplished in two ways. By contracting nesting times mothers could assess the relative temperatures of alternate nest sites with some accuracy. A protracted distribution of nesting times could greatly reduce a mother's ability to distinguish between, for example, a cooler nest site at a warmer time and a warmer nest site at a cooler time. Alternatively, mothers would need to be able to incorporate temporal changes in nest site temperatures. (3) Sufficient variation in thermal profiles among nest sites, relative to the breadth of temperatures producing both sexes (pivotal temperatures), would be necessary. For example, if most nests produced both sexes, then depth of the eggs would be the deciding factor determining sex, leaving little opportunity for nest site choice to produce one sex or the other. (4) Mothers would need access to nest sites spanning a range of thermal profiles in order to produce either offspring sex. To this end, home range size relative to the number and location of nesting beaches should be important. I tested these four predictions in Carettochelys insculpta, a beach nesting turtle with TSD, using three years of field data on nest site choice, nesting times, thermal characteristics of nests, hatchling sex ratios, and movements of nesting turtles. A strong positive correlation existed between assessable substrate temperatures at nest site choice and mean daily TSP temperatures in all three years. However, the proportion of explained variation was highly variable among years, and low in 1998. Accordingly, the proportion of nests in which substrate temperatures at nest site choice predicted offspring sex correctly was low in 1998 (48- 62 %, depending on treatment of the data). Nesting times were normally distributed, and combined with diel changes in nest site temperatures greatly reduce a turtle's ability to distinguish between sites that would produce different sexes. Considerable among-clutch variation in thermal profiles to produce variable sex ratios existed, agreeing with other studies on turtles. Radiotelemetry indicated that home rangesencompassed several nesting beaches with differing thermal profiles, indicating scope for producing the desired sex. However, the seasonal increase in air temperatures resulted in an overriding effect of mostly males being produced in early (first) clutches and mainly females being produced in late (second) clutches. Collectively, the results suggest that C. insculpta mothers would find it difficult to predict, and therefore, manipulate hatchling sex, supporting the conventional notion that TSD mothers have little or no control over offspring sex.

This thesis investigates the prehistoric diet of humans and two of their key commensals on Aitutaki using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. This technique gives us new insight into the diet of these three groups and results are considered in the context of the development of agricultural systems on Aitutaki, as well as in light of the wider context of cultural developments and environmental change in the Cook Islands and Polynesia as a whole. Ultimately, it allows us to more fully understand the complex interactions between humans and the two largest commensals in order to evaluate the utility of these animals as proxies for humans in dietary analyses. The results indicate that the prehistoric human diet on Aitutaki can be characterised as mixed, dominated by terrestrial plants and marine protein with lesser amounts of terrestrial protein. While the amount of protein eaten by the individuals was very similar, they varied in how much marine or terrestrial protein they ate. The pigs had a slightly more terrestrial diet, with a greater emphasis on plant foods. Their protein intake was more variable and terrestrial in nature than the humans’. Dogs had a higher trophic level, more marine-oriented, diet than either humans or pigs. Like the humans, their diet contained more variation in the source of their protein. Overall, however, the diets of all three groups were very similar. While the overall nature of the human, pig and dog diets, and their relationships to one another, remained relatively constant over time, beginning in the 14th century they show a decline in the amount of fish consumed and had a more terrestrial diet overall. This confirms trends seen in the archaeofaunal assemblages, and throws light on the relationship between environmental change and human subsistence practices in East Polynesia. The similarity of the pig and dog diets to human diet, and the fact that the relationship remained constant over time, demonstrates the usefulness of the Aitutaki commensal animals as proxies for humans in stable isotope analysis. However, the specifics of that relationship vary by species and by place. While the individual dietary variability provides us with new ways of looking at dietary change within populations, it also demonstrates the importance of obtaining as large an assemblage for analysis as possible in order to ensure that samples are representative of the population as a whole.

<p>Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an abundant neurotransmitter in the nervous system and forms a family of evolutionarily related peptides together with peptide YY (PYY), pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and polypeptide Y (PY). These peptides are ligands to a family of receptors that mediate a wide range of physiological effects including stimulation of appetite. This work describes the molecular cloning of four novel NPY receptors.</p><p>In rat a receptor called PP1, later renamed Y₄, was cloned and characterized. It displays the highest amino acid sequence identity to the Y₁ receptor. Rat Y₄ differs extensively from human Y₄, cloned subsequently, in both pharmacological properties, tissue distribution, and amino acid sequence with only 75% identity. Rat and human Y₄are the most diverged orthologues in the NPY receptor family.</p><p>In guinea pig, the y₆ receptor gene was found to be a pseudogene with several frameshift mutations. The gene is a pseudogene in human and pig too, but seems to give rise to a functional receptor in mouse and rabbit. This unusual evolutionary situa- tion may be due to inactivation of the gene in a mammalian ancestor and then restoration of expression in mouse and rabbit, but perhaps more likely due to independent inactivations in guinea pig, human and pig.</p><p>In zebrafish, two new intronless receptor genes were cloned. Sequence comparisons suggest that both receptors are distinct from the mammalian receptors Y₁, Y₄ and y₆, hence they were named Ya and Yb. Chromosomal localization provides further support that Ya and Yb may be distinct subtypes. </p><p>The discoveries of the rat Y₄ and zebrafish Ya and Yb receptors were unexpected and show that the NPY receptor family is larger than previously thought.</p>

<p>Hampshire crosses of different genotype and sex were used to investigate the effects of rearing system, feed and handling on sensory quality, consumer preference and cooking loss. A selected and trained panel carried out descriptive tests. Two preference tests were carrieout by, in each case, 200 consumers.</p><p> The genotype had a major effect on sensory quality in all four studies irrespective of rearing system, feed and sex. In three of the four studies pork from RN¯ carriers scored higher for juicines, tenderness, acidulous taste and meat taste intensity. </p><p> Sex showed contradictory effects on sensory quality, while rearing system and feed had minor effects on sensory properties of pork. </p><p> Hams (<i>M. biceps femoris</i>) from pigs reared outdoors scored lower for juiciness and acidulous taste than hams from pigs reared indoors. Loins from pigs organically reared (KRAV) scored lower for juiciness and higher for crumbliness than ones from pigs conventionallreared.</p><p> Loins (<i>M. longissimus dorsi</i>) aged four days from conventionally fed pigs were juicier than ones from silage-fed pigs. When loins were aged eight days there was no difference in juicines while acidulous taste became weaker and tenderness and meat taste intensity increased.</p><p> In the case of loins stored frozen one year, those from silage-fed pigs scored higher for acidulous taste and off-flavour than those from conventionally fed pigs.</p><p>Cooking, thawing and total loss data showed minor and contradictory differences between genotypes, sexes, rearing systems and feeding regimes. </p><p> Organically and conventionally produced loins were equally liked and loins from RN¯ carrier pigs were preferred to loins from non-carriers.</p>