The Hecate sub-basin is one of two similar sedimentary structures comprising Queen Charlotte Basin, which is located between the British Columbia mainland and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Queen Charlotte Basin was the locale of an active but unsuccessful exploration program, including drill holes, in the 1960's. However, recent studies incorporating modern concepts of plate tectonics have indicated a re-evaluation of the resource potential of the area is warranted. The Hecate sub-basin and its southern counterpart, the Charlotte sub-basin, are filled with Tertiary sediments that are underlain by a thick sequence of Tertiary volcanics. Penetration of the latter unit using the reflection method has been difficult. Thus the thickness of the volcanics and the existence or not of more sediments below them has not been established. To address this problem an airgun/ocean bottom seismograph (OBS) refraction survey was carried out across the Hecate sub-basin in 1983. Data from the airgun shots at approximately 160 m spacings were recorded on four OBSs deployed at 20 km intervals to provide a series of reverse profiles extending over 60 km. The principal interpretation procedure involved calculation of theoretical seismograms and travel-time curves for 2-D velocity structure models and comparisons with observed record sections. The interpreted structure model shows significant lateral variations. Low velocity Pleistocene and Pliocene sediments form an upper layer varying between 0.5 and 1.0 km thick. The principal sedimentary unit is the Tertiary Skonun Formation with interpreted velocities of 2.7 km/s and a gradient averaging 0.4 km/s/km, values that are consistent with well log data. These sediments are generally thicker (approximately 2.5 km) on the western side of the sub-basin although they reach their maximum thickness of 3 km in a depression near the central part of the basin. Toward the eastern side of the basin, the Tertiary sediments thin to about 1 km as the underlying Tertiary volcanics rise toward the mainland. The maximum sediment thickness in the basin is about 4 km. The upper surface of the volcanic unit shows a pronounced topography which is consistent with the erosional nature of this surface. Velocities for the volcanics vary between 4.8 and 5.0 km/s; thickness of the unit ranges from about 0.2 km to 1.8 km. Below the Tertiary volcanics on the eastern 20 km of the model, a low velocity zone less than 1 km thick had to be introduced to satisfy the data. This zone is inferred to contain Upper Cretaceous sediments. A unit with a poorly constrained velocity of 5.9 km/s which underlies the Tertiary volcanics and low velocity zone on the eastern side is interpreted to be the Paleozoic Alexander Terrane. Most of the characteristics of this model are similar to those determined from an earlier study in the Charlotte sub-basin. An additional component of this thesis project was the development of an interactive procedure for the inversion of densely spaced seismic refraction data by wavefield continuation to derive a l-D velocity-depth profile, and its application to data derived from 2-D structures. The procedure consists of two steps: a slant stack followed by a downward continuation. The method was found to yield velocity-depth structures which, when compared with an average velocity-depth structure from the 2-D model, have very similiar gradients and velocity increases. In general the velocity depth curve from the inversion had lower velocities at deeper depths than the averaged 2-D structure. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

Intraspecific phylogeography and the phylogenetic relationships of recently-diverged taxa are best assessed with the use of a genetic marker that coalesces rapidly and thus provides phylogenetically informative characters for closely-related taxa. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fits these criteria and was thereby ideal for analyzing genetic variation within and among the youngest taxonomic members of the Peromyscus maniculatus species group, P. sejugis (restricted to two islands in the Sea of Cortés), P. maniculatus (distributed throughout North and Central America) and P. keeni (a coastal species restricted to the Pacific Northwest of North America). The approach utilized in this research involved sequencing a 1439 base-pair (bp) region of mtDNA for a total of 581 specimens representing 45 different geographic localities from along the west coast of North America. The sequences obtained were used to assess the partitioning of genetic diversity within and among these taxa, address phylogenetic and taxonomic concerns about the western representatives of the P. maniculatus species group and discuss the post-Pleistocene biogeography of the west coast of North America. Analysis of mtDNA sequence variation, considered within the framework of a phylogenetic species concept, revealed the existence of two evolutionarily significant units of P. sejugis as well as a previously unrecognized sibling species nested within the Pacific coastal range of P. maniculatus. Moreover, analysis of intraspecific sequence divergence allowed for the identification of the ice-free refugium thought to harbor P. keeni throughout glaciation during the Pleistocene epoch. This work will establish the foundation for additional examination of cryptic genetic variation in different morphotypes of P. maniculatus and continue the precedent for recognizing P. maniculatus-group taxa that reflect true evolutionary entities.

Intraspecific phylogeography and the phylogenetic relationships of recently-diverged taxa are best assessed with the use of a genetic marker that coalesces rapidly and thus provides phylogenetically informative characters for closely-related taxa. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fits these criteria and was thereby ideal for analyzing genetic variation within and among the youngest taxonomic members of the Peromyscus maniculatus species group, P. sejugis (restricted to two islands in the Sea of Cortés), P. maniculatus (distributed throughout North and Central America) and P. keeni (a coastal species restricted to the Pacific Northwest of North America). The approach utilized in this research involved sequencing a 1439 base-pair (bp) region of mtDNA for a total of 581 specimens representing 45 different geographic localities from along the west coast of North America. The sequences obtained were used to assess the partitioning of genetic diversity within and among these taxa, address phylogenetic and taxonomic concerns about the western representatives of the P. maniculatus species group and discuss the post-Pleistocene biogeography of the west coast of North America. Analysis of mtDNA sequence variation, considered within the framework of a phylogenetic species concept, revealed the existence of two evolutionarily significant units of P. sejugis as well as a previously unrecognized sibling species nested within the Pacific coastal range of P. maniculatus. Moreover, analysis of intraspecific sequence divergence allowed for the identification of the ice-free refugium thought to harbor P. keeni throughout glaciation during the Pleistocene epoch. This work will establish the foundation for additional examination of cryptic genetic variation in different morphotypes of P. maniculatus and continue the precedent for recognizing P. maniculatus-group taxa that reflect true evolutionary entities.

Submitted by PAULO RICARDO DA SILVA SANCHES null (iqsanches@gmail.com) on 2016-04-11T19:36:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertação com folha de assinaturas.pdf: 2659590 bytes, checksum: 657a0f30c115e578e0d87cd1af6f0e8d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-13T13:34:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 sanches_prs_me_araiq_par.pdf: 628629 bytes, checksum: 27fd8ec47279daee3ad899c61e8c67e8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-13T13:34:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 sanches_prs_me_araiq_par.pdf: 628629 bytes, checksum: 27fd8ec47279daee3ad899c61e8c67e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-11 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A síntese de peptídeos em fase sólida mostra-se como uma importante ferramenta para a modelagem de macromoléculas biológicas, sendo algumas de interesse quimioterápico. Desde que foi descrita pela primeira vez, esta técnica tem possibilitado a síntese de inúmeros peptídeos e o estudo aprofundado dessas moléculas. Peptídeos líticos apresentam-se como novas moléculas promissoras contra neoplasias, sendo seu mecanismo de ação ainda obscuro. O câncer é uma doença causada por fatores que provocam o desenvolvimento anormal de células do organismo. Estas células tendem a ser agressivas e incontroláveis, determinando a formação de tumores. O câncer cervical é um dos mais comuns, afetando principalmente regiões pouco desenvolvidas. Infecções pelo vírus HPV, tabagismo, falta de higiene pessoal e relações sexuais sem o uso de preservativos são as principais causas pelo aparecimento da doença. O HPV é um vírus não envelopado, de dupla fita de DNA circular e que promove infecção em células basais em divisão do epitélio. Este trabalho descreve a síntese, purificação e caracterização do peptídeo lítico Hecate (FALALKALKKALKKLKKALKKAL) e do conjugado ácido gálico-Hecate (AG-FALALKALKKALKKLKKALKKAL). Estas moléculas foram utilizadas na busca de novas terapias contra o câncer cervical causado por infecção viral e no entendimento de seu modo de ação. Os resultados mostraram que o peptídeo apresenta alta potencialidade contra o câncer cervical, mas o acoplamento do ácido gálico na sua posição amino terminal, além de diminuir a potencialidade contra o câncer, aumentou sua atividade hemolítica. Estas diferenças estão diretamente relacionadas com a diferença de carga dos dois compostos, a diferente composição lipídica das células e a estrutura secundária dos compostos. / The solid phase peptide synthesis is shown as an important tool for modeling of biological macromolecules, and some chemotherapeutic interest. Since it was first described this technique has made possible the synthesis of numerous peptides and careful study of these molecules. Lytic peptides are presented as promising new molecules against cancer, and the action mechanism is still unclear. Cancer is a disease caused by factors that cause abnormal development of the body's cells. These cells tend to be aggressive and uncontrollable, causing tumor formation. Cervical cancer is the most common, affecting mainly underdeveloped regions. Infection by the HPV virus, smoking, lack of personal hygiene and sex without protection are the main causes for the appearance of the disease. The HPV virus is a non-enveloped virus with circular double-stranded DNA and promotes infection in the dividing basal cells of the epithelium. This work describes the synthesis, purification and characterization of the lytic peptide Hecate (FALALKALKKALKKLKKALKKAL) and conjugate gallic acid-Hecate (GA-FALALKALKKALKKLKKALKKAL). These molecules were used in the search for new therapies against cervical cancer caused by viral infection and understanding of their mode of action. The results showed that the peptide has a high potential against cervical cancer, but the coupling of gallic acid in its amino terminal position reduces the potential of peptide for cancer and increases his hemolytic activity. These differences are directly related to the charge difference of the two compounds, the different lipid composition of cells and the secondary structure of the compounds.

Traditional stock assessment methods do not incorporate remotely sensed ecosystem variables such as seafloor type, relief, and complexity. Incorporation of these and other ecosystem variables allows for targeting of species' optimal habitat during surveys. Recently, acoustic remote sensing methods have allowed us to gain insight into groundfish habitat. In June 2002, a geophysical survey was performed in selected fishing areas of Hecate Strait. While underway, single beam acoustic data were collected along survey lines utilizing a 50 kHz echosounder coupled with Quester-Tangent's QTC VIEW 5; a Huntec seismic system, and a dual frequency sidescan sonar system. Surficial sediment distribution and seabed features were mapped through examination of seismic, sidescan, and bottom grab data and compiled into a GIS. The surficial sediment classes were compared to bottom type classifications obtained from QTC single beam, with results showing the Gravel and Sand class from the surficial sediment data being classified best by the single beam system. Catch data from the groundfish bottom trawl fishery for the areas of interest were made available by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The distribution of groundfish aggregates and individual fish species were compared to surficial sediment classes using correspondence analysis to investigate habitat associations. Results show that the Rock Sole aggregate had a habitat preference of gravel and sand mixture and the Dover Sole and Arrowtooth Flounder aggregates had a habitat preference of sandy mud. Correspondence analysis allows for a 2-dimensional view of multivariate categorical data which are the norm for habitat-based biological studies. Results suggest that the procedures developed in this work can improve stock assessment methodology and indicate that using various acoustic remote sensing techniques can be effective in characterizing seafloor habitats and ecological connections between groundfish species and seafloor types.

The Queen Charlotte Islands are located east of the seismically active Queen Charlotte transform fault zone which separates the Pacific and North American plates. The fault zone is the locus of significant seismic activity and is distinguished bathymetrically by two steep scarps bounding a 15 to 25 km wide terrace. To better define regional seismicity characteristics, 16 portable seismographs and 6 ocean bottom seismographs were operated for 9 weeks and 5 days, respectively, during June to August 1983. Three hundred and seventeen events were detected; 130 events that were recorded on 3 or more stations have been located. Twenty' events were identified as possible blasts. Ninety-two of the located earthquakes lie along the Queen Charlotte transform fault zone, most within the 1949, Ms = 8.1, earthquake rupture zone along the inner scarp of the terrace. However, several earthquakes are located on the terrace and a few are aligned with the outer scarp where no activity has previously been observed. Most of the activity is well constrained to be less than 15 km in depth. Two areas of low seismicity were observed along the fault zone. Only two earthquakes occurred in the documented seismic gap bound on the north by the 1949 rupture zone and on the south by the 1970 M = 7.0 earthquake. They were both at -the southern tip of the gap. A similar region of low activity was observed for the fault along Graham Island. No major seismicity (M > 4.0) has been located in this region since the 1949 earthquake. Composite fault plane mechanism solutions were determined for five clusters of events along the fault zone. Events to the northwest of Graham Island are consistent with strike-slip motion along a fault in the direction of the Queen Charlotte transform fault. The four remaining clusters were located along Moresby Island. The mechanisms for these are dominated by thrust faulting with a component of compressional stress trending north-south. These events are interpreted as the result of oblique convergence between the Pacific and North American plate. Significant seismicity was located east of the main Queen Charlotte transform fault zone. Eighteen earthquakes, the largest ML = 3.8, were located in northeastern Graham Island and adjacent Hecate Strait - Dixon Entrance area. None could be associated with known faults. The focal depth of these events is well constrained within the crust so they could not be associated with a subducted plate. A composite fault plane mechanism solution determined for some of these earthquakes indicates a thrusting mechanism with north-south trending compressional stress. One event with a well constrained solution at a shallow focal depth occurred in southeastern Hecate Strait. This event could be associated with crustally pervasive faults identified in Hecate Strait. A magnitude scale based on the coda length of the earthquake signal was determined. Magnitudes were calculated for 265 of the events recorded during the study. For the complete data set a b-value of 0.55 ± 0.05 was determined. This value is significantly lower than values from other studies in the Canadian Cordillera, indicating that a greater percentage of the total number of earthquakes occurs at the higher magnitudes. However, the short period of recording and large magnitude seismic activity (4 earthquakes with ML > 3.8 in 9 weeks) might have biased the estimate toward a low value. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

Quando pensamos no Hades, o mundo dos mortos grego, duas divindades femininas logo nos vêm à mente: Perséfone, sua rainha, e Hécate, deusa da magia. Essas são as imagens que temos, contemporaneamente, dessas deusas, sobretudo por influência romana e, posteriormente, shakespeariana. No entanto, podemos afirmar que essas foram sempre as imagens associadas às duas deusas? O objetivo deste trabalho foi, portanto, investigar a representação das deusas Perséfone e Hécate na poesia do período arcaico (VIII-V a.C.) com maior enfoque no Hino Homérico a Deméter e na poesia de Hesíodo, mas também passando por outros autores e gêneros poéticos, bem como traçando paralelos com as esferas iconográfica e cultual , de forma a resgatar a figuração primordial e a importância dessas divindades no mundo grego arcaico. / When we think about the Hades, the Greek underworld, two female divinities soon come to mind: Persephone, its queen, and Hecate, goddess of magic. These are the images we associate with them, contemporarily, especially due to Roman, but later, to Shakespearian influence. However, can we affirm with certainty that these were always the images associated with the two goddesses? The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the representation of Persephone and Hecate in the poetry of the archaic period (8th-5th century B.C.) focusing more closely on the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and on Hesiods poetry, but also going through other poets and genres, as well as establishing paralells with the iconographic and cultual spheres , so as to rediscover the primordial figuration and importance of these goddesses in the archaic Greek world.

English, Afrikaans and Zulu summaries / While there is increasing interest in the effect of landscape on ancient imagination, less attention has been paid to the impact of restless karst hydrology on ancient beliefs. By identifying shared themes, this study compares and contrasts the way Hittites and Aegean people in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages reshaped peripheral karst landscapes into physical and imagined transitional zones. Karst geology underpins much of the Aegean and Anatolian landscape, allowing subterranean zones to be visible and accessible above ground via caves, springs, sinking streams, sinkholes and other unusual natural formations. In both cultures, certain dynamic landscapes were considered to be sacred porous points where deities, daemons, heroes and mortals could transit between cosmic realms. Evidence suggests that Hittites and Aegean people interpreted dramatic karst landscapes as liminal thresholds and spaces situated between the world of humans and the world of deities. Part One investigates physical zones of transition via the karst ecosystems of rural sanctuaries. Part Two considers the creative interpretation in myth and iconography of karst phenomena into metaphysical zones of transition. The examples reveal the way in which Hittites and Aegean people built their concept of the sacred on the extraordinary characteristics of karst geology. Numinous karst landscapes provided validity and a familiar reference point for the creation of imagined worlds where mortal and divine could connect. / Vandag is daar toenemende belangstelling in die effek van die landskap op die verbeelding van die mensdom in die oudheid - maar minder aandag word bestee aan die impak van die rustelose karst landskap op die mens se gelowigheid in die oudheid. Deur die identifisering van sekere gemene temas, vergelyk hierdie verhandeling die manier waarop die Hetiete en die Egeïese volkere in die Laat Brons- en vroeë Ystertydperke die omliggende karstlandskap herskep het in fisiese en denkbeeldige oorgangszones. Die Egeïese en Anatoliese landskap bestaan grotendeels uit karst geologie, met tot gevolg dat ondergrondse zones bo die grond sigbaar en toeganklik is in die vorm van grotte, bronne, sinkgate en ander uitsonderlike natuurlike formasies. In beide bogenoemde kulture is sekere landskapstonele beskou as heilige en poreuse punte waar gode, demone, helde en sterwelinge tussen die kosmiese zones kon beweeg. Die getuienis van die tyd suggereer dat die Hetiete en die Egeïese volkere die dramatiese karst landskappe as grense of drempels tussen hulle wêreld en dié van die gode beskou het. Deel Een ondersoek die fisiese oorgangszones deur te kyk na die karst ecostelsels waarin plattelandse heiligdomme hulle bevind het. Deel Twee beskou die kreatiewe gebruik van karst verskynsels as voorstellings van metafisiese oorgangszones in die gekrewe bronne en ikonografie. Die geselekteerde voorbeelde dui aan die manier waarop die Hetiete en Egeïese volke hulle konsepte van heiligdom gebaseer het op die buitengewone verskynsels van karst geologie. Numineuse karst landskappe het hulle idees gestaaf en ‘n bekende verwysingspunt uitgemaak waar die menslike en die goddelike met mekaar in kontak kon kom. / Ngenkathi intshisekelo ekhulayo yethonya lokwakheka komhlaba emcabangweni wasendulo, kunakwe kancane umthelela we-karst hydrology engenazinkolelo ezinkolelweni zasendulo. Ngokukhomba izingqikithi okwabelwana ngazo, lo mqondo uqhathanisa futhi uqhathanise indlela amaHeti nabantu base-Aegean kweLate Bronze kanye ne-Early Iron Ages abuye abuye abumbe kabusha imigwaqo ye-karst yomngcele ibe yizingxenye zesikhashana zomzimba nezicatshangwe. I-Karst geology isekela kakhulu indawo yezwe i-Aegean ne-Anatolian evumela ukuthi izindawo ezingaphansi komhlaba zibonakale futhi zifinyeleleke ngaphezu komhlaba ngemigede, iziphethu, imifudlana ecwilayo, imigodi yokushona nokunye ukwakheka okungokwemvelo okungajwayelekile. Kuwo womabili amasiko izindawo ezithile eziguqukayo zazithathwa njengezindawo ezingcwele zokungena lapho onkulunkulu, amademoni, amaqhawe nabantu abafayo bengadlula phakathi kwezindawo zomhlaba. Ubufakazi bukhombisa ukuthi amaHeti nabantu base-Aegean bahumusha imidwebo emangazayo yekarst njengemikhawulo yemikhawulo nezikhala eziphakathi komhlaba wabantu nezwe lonkulunkulu. Ingxenye yokuqala iphenya izindawo eziguqukayo zomzimba ngokusebenzisa imvelo ye-karst yezindawo ezingcwele zasemakhaya. Ingxenye Yesibili ibheka ukutolikwa kokudala kunganekwane nakwizithonjana zezinto ze-karst kube izingxenye eziguqukayo zenguquko. Izibonelo ziveza indlela abantu abangamaHeti nabantu base- Aegean abawakha ngayo umqondo wabo ongcwele ngezimpawu ezingavamile ze-karst geology. Amathafa amahle we-karst ahlinzeka ngokusebenza kanye nephuzu elijwayelekile lesethenjwa lokwakhiwa kwamazwe acatshangelwe lapho abantu abafayo nabaphezulu bangaxhuma khona. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. A. (Ancient Near Eastern Studies)