Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2003. Graduate Programme in Biology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-45). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ99381

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With the development of transgenic crops resistant to auxin herbicides will come an increase in the use of these herbicides for weed control. This new technology will greatly aid growers that have glyphosate-resistant weeds such as Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats) in their fields. A challenge will be with farmers that choose not to use this new technology and have susceptible crops on their farm or adjoining farms. Auxin herbicides such as 2, 4-D and dicamba are well-documented as being very injurious to susceptible crops, even at low doses. It is for this reason that research is being conducted to compare the differences in the amount of particle drift with hooded boom sprayers compared to open boom sprayers. Along with this research, various droplet sizes will also be analyzed and compared between the two sprayers.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 1998. Graduate Programme in Biology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-40). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL:http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ27371.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2006. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Health Sciences. Bibliography: p. 198-222.

Animals with one of septal, medial thalamic or tegmental reticular formation lesions were compared on three measures of spontaneous activity (a brief test in a novel maze and seven-day tests in running wheels or photocells cages) and on active avoidance learning. Wheel running was depressed by all the lesions (especially septal and tegmental lesions) while locomotion in the maze and photocell cages was unaffected. Avoidance learning was depressed by septal and thalamic lesions but not by tegmental lesions. These results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis that these brain structures form part of systems which facilitate or inhibit somatomotor activity. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Interactions between nesting birds and invertebrates are a common, yet poorly understood ecological phenomenon. Many of these types of interactions are close and prolonged, and therefore potentially critical to one or both of the species involved in the interaction. However it is unusual for the nature of the interaction to be evaluated in a manner that reveals the impact of the relationship on both parties to the interaction. This study examines two relationships between nesting birds and invertebrates, both of which involve the hooded parrot (Psephotus dissimilis), a small grass parrot that inhabits the tropical savannas of northern Australia. ¶ The field-work for this project was conducted over two parrot breeding seasons in 2006 and 2007 near Katherine, Northern Territory, in the Australian dry tropics. In chapter II, I present data on the breeding biology of the hooded parrot as background for the study that follows. Nest building commenced in January, with peak activity in February and the last chicks fledged in April. Fifty three active nests were located. The mean number of eggs laid per nest was 4.5 (s.d. ± 0.9), of which 3.0 (± 1.79) hatched and 2.0 (± 2.0) fledged. Clutches were laid asynchronously over a period of a week and chicks remained in eggs for 18.6 (± 1.95 days). Chicks were 29.2 (± 2.9) days old when they fledged from the nest. These data are typical for Australian parrots. ¶ In chapter III, the unusual nature of the parrot’s nest site is examined. Many species of bird nest in natural cavities or those they excavate. Whilst cavity nesters as a whole experience increased nesting success, the greatest success is experienced by species that can excavate their own nests. Certain arboreal cavity nesters, such as woodpeckers, require extensive morphological adaptation for this behaviour, but this has not occurred in Australia, despite competition among birds and a suite of arboreal mammals for naturally occurring cavities. Some species, however, have adapted their behaviour to make use of substrates that are not as hard as wood. Hooded parrots excavate nests in terrestrial termitaria, releasing them from competition for limited arboreal cavities. However, I show that only termitaria with a high level of termite activity, and which are more than two metres tall, are suitable, and that the parrots exhibit a strong preference for the cathedral mounds of Nasutitermes triodiae. Nests placed in highly active mounds had a significantly higher success rate than those in mounds where activity was somewhat lower, suggesting that the behaviour is adaptive. ¶ The thesis then shifts focus from the parrot to its nest symbiont, first describing the species involved in the interaction in chapter IV, and then its behaviour in the nests of hooded parrots in chapter V. Trisyntopa neossophila sp. n. (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) was reared from the nest of the hooded parrot and described using morphological characters. Aspects of its biology are reported and similarities to the biology of Trisyntopa scatophaga found in the nests of the golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) are discussed. The possibility that a moth was associated with the extinct paradise parrot (Psephotus pulcherrimus) is considered in the light of the phylogenetic relationships between the parrots. ¶ Trisyntopa neossophila is an unusual moth whose breeding cycle is shown to be closely synchronised with the hooded parrot. T. neossophila is one of three coprophagous, nest dwelling moths in the genus Trisyntopa. True coprophagy is rare in the Lepidoptera, although some species occasionally consume faeces to gain rare nutrients. T. neossophila lays its eggs in the nest of hooded parrots so that larvae hatch in synchrony with the hatching of the parrot’s eggs. The larvae spend their larval period in the nest and exclusively consume the excrement of the nestling parrots. When the parrot chicks fledge, the larvae move to the walls of the nest cavity to pupate, emerging the following wet season to repeat the process during the next parrot breeding season. ¶ With a description of the ecology of both species involved in the nesting symbiosis, chapter VI reviews the literature surrounding other interactions between nesting birds and invertebrates. A large number of birds are shown to nest in, or in close proximity to, structures made by invertebrates and avian nesting material provides a reliable shelter for many invertebrate species. However, the nature of such relationships has rarely been experimentally demonstrated. I propose that in order to understand the nature of these relationships they need to be explored within the theoretical framework of community ecology. Putative commensal and parasitic relationships have all been documented in the bird/invertebrate nesting literature, yet researchers, with few exceptions, repeatedly overlook the impact that these relationships are having on the invertebrate, at best assuming the nature of its impact, but more often ignoring its impact entirely. Here I present a framework for formulating hypotheses to ensure that the nature of the relationship can be identified. Only by explicitly stating the level of organisation at which the experiment is to occur (individual or population), identifying the net cost or benefit of the interaction, the range of conditions under which such costs or benefits would apply and the spatial and temporal context in which they apply, can an investigator expect to recognise and describe the often complex nature of these relationships. ¶ While parasitic and commensal relationships between nesting birds and invertebrates are commonly reported, mutualisms between birds and invertebrates have not been reported. Despite this, candidates for this type of relationship exist. Chapter VII uses the framework outlined in the literature review (chapter VI) to experimentally examine the relationship between the hooded parrot and Trisyntopa neossophila. By manipulating the populations of moth larvae in a sample of hooded parrot nests, we sought to establish the impact of the relationship on each species. The moth depends on the parrot for provision of shelter and a reliable food source. The parrot however, was neither benefited nor harmed by the interaction in terms of short term reproductive output or chick growth, although differences between the experimental and control nests were noted. The relationship between the hooded parrot and T. neossophila, at least during the study period, is therefore concluded to be commensal. ¶ Collectively, the chapters of this thesis explore the complicated interactions between species. The dependence of the moth on the parrot and the parrot on the termite, demonstrate the importance of understanding interactions between species in a manner that reveals the impacts of the interactions, the range of conditions under which they would apply and the level of organisation at which they apply, as outlined in chapter VI. The dependence of the animals in this study on each other makes them more vulnerable to extinction than previously thought. Whilst this may not be immediately significant for the hooded parrot/T. neossophila system, which is thought to be secure, the ecologically similar system on the Cape York Peninsula, involving the golden-shouldered parrot and its nest attendant moth Trysintopa scatophaga, is vulnerable to extinction and subject to intensive management to ensure its persistence. This study brings new information to the management of the golden-shouldered parrots and urgently recommends increased protection for Trysintopa scatophaga.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating and costly mental illness. Many patients do not respond well to currently available treatments, and adverse side effects are common. Cannabidiol (CBD), a natural component of the Cannabis Sativa plant, has been shown to have a number of therapeutic qualities, including potential as a new antipsychotic. Although CBD has been used in several different models of schizophrenia, previous research has failed to consider possible sex differences in responsiveness to the compound. The present research therefore used both male and female rats in the widely used ketamine model of schizophrenia. PVG/C Hooded rats were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: a saline only control group (saline injection followed by second saline injection; N = 6M, 6F); ketamine only group (ketamine injection followed by saline injection; N = 6M, 6F); cannabidiol low dose group (ketamine injection followed by a cannabidiol injection of 10mg/kg; N = 6M, 6F); and a cannabidiol high dose group (ketamine injection followed by a cannabidiol injection of 20mg/kg; N = 6M, 6F). Behavioural testing occurred in a Y-maze and open-field, where both normal and stereotyped behaviours were recorded, as well as locomotor activity and spatial memory. Ketamine successfully induced stereotypy but failed to induce hyperlocomotion. Findings support the potential antipsychotic effects of CBD, particularly for reducing stereotypic behaviour in females. Results found data trends that suggest sex differences in responsiveness to CBD when administered with ketamine, although further research is needed due to lack of statistical significance.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 85 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Clearing of old growth forests resulted in a substantial loss of nesting habitat for cavity-nesting waterfowl during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, many hardwood forests have matured into size classes capable of producing cavities suitable for nesting ducks. To quantify changes in cavity availability in U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3, which contains most of the midwestern U.S., I examined current cavity availability at 4 sites where cavity availability had been estimated in the past; Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Missouri, Shiawassee NWR in Michigan, Mead Wildlife Area (WA) in Wisconsin, and Muscatatuck NWR in Indiana. I found densities of 1.8 ± 0.4, 1.4 ± 0.3, 0.9 ± 0.4, and 1.8 ± 0.4 suitable cavities per hectare at each of these sites, respectively. Suitable cavities per hectare increased at Mingo NWR (433%) since 1966 and Shiawassee NWR (1400%) since 1974, but remained similar at Mead WA and Muscatatuck NWR since the mid-1980's, after accounting for differences in past, study-specific criteria for cavity suitability. Differences among sites were likely due to variation in species composition, stage of forest maturation, timber management, and time elapsed since the previous studies. Comparison of size-class distributions for all trees and for trees with cavities indicated that cavities occur in the largest trees and that forests have yet to mature into the most prolific cavity-producing size classes. This conclusion was corroborated by forest growth modeling results from Forest Vegetation Simulator, a forest growth-modeling program from the USDA Forest Service. I used Forest Inventory and Analysis data to model growth from 2008 to 2058 at 10-year intervals for Region 3. Cavity per tree estimates from the 4 study sites were applied to modeling outputs, and cavity availability was projected to almost double over the entire region by 2058. Thus, the observed and further expected increases in cavity density in the region justify re-examination of nest box programs and possibly a reduction of artificial nest boxes in some areas of the region where sufficient natural cavities exist. Because current and future estimates indicate sufficient nest sites for cavity-nesting waterfowl, efforts should be spent protecting and restoring brood-rearing wetlands, which are known to be declining in many areas of Region 3.