This project is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture at Ball State University. It involves the creation of a Concept Master Plan for a 16-acre parcel of privately owned land located in the northern Hoosier National Forest (the "Project Site"). The Project Site includes about eight acres of wooded hills and approximately eight acres of gently sloping cleared area, which had been previously farmed, two creeks and a one-acre pond.The Concept Plan presented in this paper attempts to achieve the clients' program, i.e., enhancing the aesthetics of the Project Site and enriching the environmental complexity of its ecosystem through an integrated set of interventions that have as their focus maintaining a clearing in the woods.The design process includes a historical and contextual analysis of the Project Site and the region; identifying strong points, opportunities for enhancement and problems to be solved. Various alternatives to address issues are evaluated; and specific projects are then integrated into the Concept Plan.The two key dualities of the Project Site from which all else flows are: (i) hills/valley and (ii) clearing/forest. Enhancing and articulating these two pairs of complementary elements are the core opportunities at the Project Site. All other problems and opportunities are subordinate to these two unifying elements. Among the key near-term problems to be solved are: (1) stabilizing the pond; (2) minimizing the presence of alien invasives and opportunistic native species; (3) introducing appropriate native plant species which encourage a more varied fauna; (4) enhancing the functionality and aesthetics of wetlands; (5) developing naturalistic vistas based on existing topography; and (6) providing for an enriched diverse environment that requires a minimum of ongoing maintenance and intervention.The Concept Plan is composed of two elements:1.Description of specific "capital" projects which were selected during the evaluation process described above; and2.Management/maintenance plan, which is programmatic in nature and deals with ongoing activities such as monitoring, managing the growth of alien invasives and opportunistic natives, replacement and augmenting planting, etc.Measures proposed in the Concept Plan will arrest succession at the savanna stage to maintain a continuous, layered forest edge. New native plant species will be introduced, generating a more diverse landscape than would otherwise exist. Man-made elements such as a shelter and bridge will meet the clients' functional needs and serve as focal points and aesthetic elements. / Department of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-160).

The aim of the thesis was to evaluate productivity of the final hybrids laying type of hens Isa Brown and Bovans Brown in different housing systems on the basis of data provided by the International Poultry Testing Station in Ústrašice. Monitoring performance of the final hybrid laying type hens consisted of rearing pullets until the age of 126 days and the laying period to 518 days of age. Hatching eggs of Isa Brown hybrid for keeping in cages had significantly higher weight and fertilization, but lower hatchability of fertilized eggs than for keeping on litter. Hybrid Bovans Brown eggs for hatching intended for keeping in cages had lower weight and lower fertilization and hatching rate of fertilized eggs than eggs for keeping on litter. At the end of 18th week of rearing of pullets Isa Brown and Bovans Brown reared in cages had significantly lower body weight compared to pullets reared on litter. In pullets housed in cages feed consumption in 126 days was significantly higher compared with pullets reared on litter. During the rearing of pullets mortality was not recorded. Hybrid Isa Brown showed a higher body weight if kept in cages while hybrid Bovans Brown on litter. Both hybrids in battery cages had lower feed consumption per 1 egg and 1 feeding day. For the observed period was found higher mortality in chickens kept in cages than on litter. Hens housed in cages had lower egg production at the initial state. Both hybrids housed in cages had significantly lower intensity of laying during the first period than the laying hens housed on litter. Differences in the 2nd laying period were slight. Hens housed in battery cages achieved the highest egg weight in the mid-laying cycle, i.e. in the 7th the laying period. Conversely hen housed on litter achieved the highest egg weight at the end of the laying cycle, and 13th, respectively 14th the laying period. Shell strength gradually decreased with age in both housing systems.

A otimização do metabolismo e a maximização do desempenho das aves dependem de adequada nutrição. Dentre os nutrientes essenciais a essa nutrição estão o aminoácido lisina e zinco, objetos desta avaliação, sobre a produção, qualidade, composição dos ovos e morfologia intestinal. Setecentos e vinte poedeiras foram submetidas em dois períodos de avaliação. Cada período correspondeu a 12 semanas, sendo a Fase-I de 24 a 36 e a Fase-II de 48 a 60 semanas de idade. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, dispostos em esquema fatorial (5 x 3) aplicados em seis repetições e a unidade experimental foi composta de oito aves/parcela. Os níveis de lisina digestível foram: 0,482; 0,527; 0,582; 0,644 e 0,732% e de zinco: 137, 309 e 655 ppm na forma de quelato. Na Fase-I, houve interação de lisina digestível e zinco nas variáveis: consumo de ração médio diário, conversão alimentar, porcentagem de postura e na massa de ovo. Na Fase-II a interação foi evidenciada no consumo de ração médio diário, peso da casca, composição química e taxas de deposição protéica, lipídica e mineral do ovo. Na maior concentração dietética de zinco o acréscimo de lisina digestível coincidiu com aumento linear no peso da casca. Por outro lado, o acréscimo de zinco independentemente do nível de lisina na dieta, culminou com a redução do peso do ovo e da porcentagem da matéria mineral na gema limitando a eficiência de deposição mineral nessa fração do ovo. Resultado inverso ocorreu no albúmen, quando houve aumento na porcentagem de matéria mineral. Em ambas as fases, a menor concentração de zinco (173ppm) atendeu as necessidades de produção e qualidade das aves. O valor médio estimado de lisina digestível foi de 0,662% ± 0,03 para a Fase-I e de 0,609 ± 0,004 para a Fase-II. / The optimization of the metabolism and poultry performance maximization depend of adequate nutrition. Among the essential nutrients there are lysine and zinc, subjects this evaluation, on egg production, quality, composition and intestinal morphology. Seven hundred and twenty laying were submitted into two study periods. Each period corresponded to 12 weeks, being 24 to 36 Phase I and 48 to 60 weeks of age Phase II. The treatments were allotted to a completely randomly, disposed randomized design under factorial scheme (5 x 3) with six replications and eight bird per experimental unit. The lysine levels were: 0.482; 0.527; 0.582; 0.644 e 0.732% and zinc: 173, 309 and 655 ppm in chelate form. At Phase I, there was interaction of digestible lysine and zinc in variables: average feed intake, feed: gain, laying percentage and egg mass. At Phase II the interaction was evidenced at the average feed intake, shell weight, chemical composition, proteic, lipidic and mineral depositionn rates egg. In the higher dietetic zinc concentration the digestible lysine accretion coincide with linear increase in shell weight. On the other hand, the zinc increase, of independently from diet lysine level, coincide with egg weight and yolk mineral percentage decrease, however limiting the mineral accretion efficiency in this egg fraction. In both Phases, the smallest zinc concentration (173ppm) attended the poultry production and quality needs. The estimate value of digestible lysine was 0.662% ± 0.03 for Phase I and 0.609% ± 0.004 for Phase II.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:38:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_naiana_einhardt_manzke.pdf: 1022535 bytes, checksum: 8ae25ed7f2a3003faebdc1b84780eed3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-28 / Animals under heat stress conditions exhibit excessive urinary excretion of minerals and this might change their nutritional requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of mineral supplementation of chromium (Cr) and selenium (Se) in organic form, on the performance, egg quality and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H / L) of laying hens housed under natural heat stress. One hundred and ninety-two layers (Hisex Brown, 62 weeks old) were divided into four treatments with three cages containing sixteen birds each. The treatments were: T1) basal diet (corn and soybean meal with no organic minerals), T2) basal diet + additional supplementation of organic Se (0.3 ppm), T3) basal diet + additional supplementation of organic Cr (400 ppm), T4) basal diet + additional supplementation of organic Se (0.3 ppm) and organic Cr (400 ppm). The birds were distributed in randomized blocks, with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement over four consecutive experimental periods of 28 days each. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS GLM tool (2008). When necessary, covariates of interest were added to the model. The interaction between the factors occurred only in the feed conversion ratio per mass (p=0.07) and per dozen (p=0.008), however, the simultaneous use of organic Cr and Se did not produce better results than single supplementation of trace minerals. Organic Cr improved feed conversion per mass (p=0.03) and per dozen (p=0.10), the percentage of egg production (p=0.01) while decreases egg weight (p=0.03). Organic Se increased the weight (p=0.004) and shell thickness (p=0.06), and increases yolk color (p=0.02). It can be concluded that organic chromium (Cr) supplementation improves egg mass, feed conversion by egg mass and egg production in hens housed under heat stress. Organic Selenium showed to improve shell quality, egg mass and yolk color. / Animais submetidos a situações de estresse por calor apresentam excessiva excreção urinária de minerais, o que pode alterar suas exigências nutricionais. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da suplementação dos minerais cromo (Cr) e selênio (Se) na forma orgânica, sobre o desempenho produtivo, qualidade externa e interna de ovos e relação heterófilo/linfócito (H/L) de poedeiras semipesadas alojadas em ambientes com temperaturas elevadas. Cento e noventa e duas poedeiras (Hisex Brown, com 62 semanas de idade) foram divididas em quatro tratamentos contendo dezesseis gaiolas com três aves cada. As dietas estudadas foram: basal (milho e farelo de soja, sem minerais orgânicos); dieta basal + suplementação adicional de Se orgânico (0,3 ppm); dieta basal + suplementação adicional de Cr orgânico (400 ppm) e dieta basal + suplementação adicional de Se orgânico (0,3 ppm) e Cr orgânico (400 ppm). As aves foram distribuídas de acordo com um delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com um arranjo fatorial 2 x 2 ao longo de quatro períodos experimentais consecutivos de 28 dias, cada. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, com o uso da ferramenta GLM do SAS (2008). Eventualmente, covariáveis de interesse foram acrescidas ao modelo. A interação entre os fatores ocorreu apenas nas variáveis conversão alimentar por massa (p=0,07) e por dúzia (p=0,008), porém a utilização simultânea de Cr e Se orgânicos, não produziu resultados melhores que a suplementação isolada dos microminerais. O Cr orgânico melhorou a conversão alimentar por massa (p=0,03) e por dúzia (p=0,10), a porcentagem de produção de ovos (p=0,01), além de diminuir o peso dos ovos (p=0,03). O Se orgânico aumentou o peso (p=0,004) e a espessura da casca (p=0,06), além de aumentar a cor da gema (p=0,02). Conclui-se que o uso de Cr orgânico melhora o desempenho produtivo e diminui o peso dos ovos, sem alterar a relação H/L. Já, o Se orgânico não afetou o desempenho produtivo nem a relação H/L, porém melhorou a qualidade da casca, além de aumentar a cor da gema de ovos provenientes de poedeiras semipesadas alojadas em ambientes com temperaturas elevadas.

The aim of this thesis is to use a cross-match between WISE, 2MASS and SDSS to identify a large sample of M dwarfs. Through the careful characterisation and quality control of these M dwarfs I aim to identify rare systems (i.e. unresolved UCD companions, young M dwarfs, late M dwarfs and M dwarfs with common proper motion companions). Locating ultracool companions to M dwarfs is important for constraining low-mass formation models, the measurement of substellar dynamical masses and radii, and for testing ultracool evolutionary models. This is done by using an optimised method for identifying M dwarfs which may have unresolved ultracool companions. To do this I construct a catalogue of 440 694 M dwarf candidates, from WISE, 2MASS and SDSS, based on optical- and near-infrared colours and reduced proper motion. With strict reddening, photometric and quality constraints I isolate a sub-sample of 36 898 M dwarfs and search for possible mid-infrared M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates by comparing M dwarfs which have similar optical/near-infrared colours (chosen for their sensitivity to effective temperature and metallicity). I present 1 082 M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates for follow-up. Using simulated ultracool dwarf companions to M dwarfs, I estimate that the occurrence of unresolved ultracool companions amongst my M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates should be at least four times the average for my full M dwarf catalogue. I discuss yields of candidates based on my simulations. The possible contamination and bias from misidentified M dwarfs is then discussed, from chance alignments with other M dwarfs and UCDs, from chance alignments with giant stars, from chance alignments with galaxies, and from blended systems (via visual inspection). I then use optical spectra from LAMOST to spectral type a subset of my M dwarf + ultracool dwarf candidates. These candidates need confirming as true M dwarf + ultracool dwarf systems thus I present a new method I developed to use low resolution near-infrared spectra which relies on two colour similar objects (one an excess candidate, one not) having very similar spectra. A spectral difference of these two colour similar objects should leave the signature of a UCD in the residual of their differences, which I look for using the difference in two spectral bands designed to identify UCD spectral features. I then present the methods used to identify other rare systems from my full M dwarf catalogue. Young M dwarfs were identified by measuring equivalent widths of Hα from the LAMOST spectra, and by measuring rotation periods from Kepler 2 light curves. I identify late M dwarfs photometrically (using reduced proper motion and colour cuts) and spectroscopically (using the LAMOST spectra with spectral indices from the literature). Also I present common proper motion analysis aimed at finding Tycho-2 primaries for my M dwarfs and look for physically separated M dwarf + M dwarf pairs (internally within my full M dwarf catalogue).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2008. / Title from file title page. Philo Hutcheson, committee chair; Joel Meyers, Deron Boyles, Linda Buchanan, committee members. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 10, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-288).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 E52 / Master of Science

Brown algae are important primary producers and habitat formers in coastal environments and are believed to have evolved multicellularity independently of the other eukaryotes. The phaeoviruses that infect them form a stable lysogenic relationship with their host via genome integration, but have only been extensively studied in two genera: Ectocarpus and Feldmannia. In this study I aim to improve our understanding of the genetic diversity, host range and distribution of phaeoviruses. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of amplified fragments of three core phaeoviral genes (encoding major capsid protein (MCP), DNA polymerase and superfamily III helicase) of phaeovirus infected algae confirmed the suspected phaeoviral identity of viruses infecting E. fasciculatus, F. simplex, Pilayella littoralis, Myriotrichia clavaeformis and Hincksia hincksiae. Furthermore, this approach revealed multiple virus sequence variants within individual strains, and moreover that the variants formed two distinct subgroups. Subgroup A was highly conserved and observed in multiple algal genera, whereas subgroup B was much more diverse, but only found in Feldmannia species. Transcriptome sequencing of an actively infected F. irregularis strain revealed polymorphisms within key viral genes, suggesting that multiple variants were indeed active within this strain. High resolution melt curve (HRM) technology was used to develop a high throughput screening method for detecting phaeoviral MCP as a proxy for detection of phaeoviruses. This technique was also able to assign 88% of those detected to one of the subgroups, based on their differing melting temperature distributions. This was then applied to 1034 Ectocarpus isolates collected from around Europe and South America, and in accordance with previous studies of phaeoviral infection, 43-79% of strains contain virus sequence (depending on species). 17% of the isolates tested even contained sequence from both subgroups. 82 Laminariales strains, close relatives of the Ectocarpales, were also screened because they comprise commercially important kelp species but are not known to be infected by viruses. 10-17% of these tested positive for phaeoviral MCP, which when sequenced formed a separate group within the phaeoviruses. This finding could have a major impact on the kelp farming industry if the viruses are found to affect reproduction as happens in the Ectocarpales. The discovery of two subgroups is contrary to current beliefs that the phaeoviruses are a single monophyletic group, and that each species of alga has its own phaeovirus, casting doubt on the usefulness of the current convention of naming each phaeovirus after its host. It appears that the subgroup B viruses have begun to evolve away from the stable, K-selected subgroup A viruses towards a more r- type strategy with higher mutation and diversification. This study has identified potential mechanisms that may influence this shift, including mutations in a region of the DNA polymerase known to negatively affect DNA replication fidelity, combined with an active integrase and lack of a proofreading exonuclease, along with the observed infection of individuals with both phaeovirusal subgroups. The resulting mutations and recombinations could lead to the diversity observed here, and may provide a suitable model for the study of other emergent virus infections.

Obesity is a grave disease that is increasing in global prevalence. Aberrant neuronal DNA methylation patterns have been implicated in the promotion of obesity development, but the role of neuronal DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts; enzymes that catalyze DNA methylation) in energy balance remains poorly understood. We investigated the role of neuronal Dnmt1 in normal energy regulation and obesity development using a novel Dnmt1 knockout mouse model, Dnmt1fl/fl Synapsin1Cre (ND1KO), which specifically deletes Dnmt1 in neurons. ND1KO and fl/fl control littermates were fedeither a standard chow diet or a high fat diet (HFD). We conducted a deep analysis to characterize both peripheral and central aspects of the ND1KO phenotype. We found that neuronal Dnmt1 deficiency reduced adiposity in chow-fed mice and attenuated obesity in HFD-fed male mice. ND1KO male mice had reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure on the HFD. Furthermore, these mice had improved insulin sensitivity as measured by an insulin tolerance test. HFD-fed ND1KO mice had smaller fat pads and an upregulation of thermogenic genes in brown adipose tissue. These data suggest that neuronal Dnmt1 deletion increased diet-induced thermogenesis, which may explain the lean phenotype in HFD-fed ND1KO mice. Interestingly, we found that ND1KO male mice had elevated estrogen receptor-α gene expression in the hypothalamus, which previously has been shown to control body weight. Immunohistochemistry experiments revealed that estrogen receptor-α (ERα) protein expression was upregulated in the dorsomedial region of the VMH (VMHdm), a region which may mediate the central effect of leptin. Finally, we tested whether ND1KO mice had reduced methylation of the ERα gene promoter, which might explain the ERα upregulation. Neuronal Dnmt1 deficiency decreased methylation at two CpG sites on Exon A in chow-fed mice. Collectively, these data suggest that neuronal Dnmt1 regulates energy homeostasis through pathways controlling food intake and energy expenditure, and that ERα in the VMHdm may mediate these effects.