This pilot study was conducted to determine if an Electron Magnetics Oxygen and Hydrogen (EMOH) device can increase the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of a residential surface water. By using EMOH, DO concentration will increase and allow bacteria to remove the substrate that creates blue-green algae for which the City of Boynton Beach (City) receives complaints. Those complaints center on odors and the visual appearance of the ponds. The study was conducted in-situ at the INCA Pond system in the City of Boynton Beach, Florida with data collection taking place bi-weekly, using surface aeration techniques. Water sampling was conducted in the INCA Pond system via a handheld water sensor. Primary variable monitored included: water temperature, barometric pressure, DO concentration, and DO saturation (DOSAT). Biomass of dead algae at the bottom of the pond was also monitored to determine if increased DO concentration aided the biological digestion of the organic matter. Data analysis shows that exposure to EMOH treatment allowed the relationship between DO and temperature to change from a negative correlation (the expected relationship) to a positive trend. Furthermore, pressure and DOSAT became less correlated after exposure to EMOH effluent. In all, EMOH was shown to be an effective means of treating hypoxic pond water. The optimal EMOH effluent discharge is determined to be deep in the subject pond. Backed by research on the surface-air water and bubble-water oxygen transfer coefficients, DO concentration in the subject pond was 110% higher when effluent was directed down toward the floor of the pond. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) are an indispensable component of beer, with the essential oil responsible for imparting distinctive odour and aroma characteristics to beer. However, not all character-impact odorants in hop essential oil have been identified and hop aroma in beer is still not completely understood. The composition of hop essential oil is very complex with 485 compounds currently identified in the literature, and recent research suggests that up to 1000 compounds may actually be present. Only a certain number will be present at concentrations above threshold and make a direct contribution to the odour of the oil. In addition, many important odorants are only present at trace concentrations. Gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) using human assessors is the best way to locate potent odorants and facilitate their identification. A novel methodology was developed to identify the character-impact odorants in hop essential oil samples using hyphenated techniques in gas chromatography. GC-O was used to locate odour active compounds and determine relative importance using CharmAnalysis[TM] according to the odour potency principle. Due to the chemical complexity of the samples, considerable co-elution of peaks occurs during single column gas chromatography (1DGC), making the detection and identification of character-impact odorants challenging. Therefore, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) was used to resolve and identify compounds eluting in the odour active regions. The methodology was developed in a case study on coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and wild coriander (Eryngium foetidum) leaf essential oils. During GC-O analysis of these samples it was recognised that odour active regions frequently coincide with several co-eluting compounds. To address this, a heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry (MDGC-O) instrument was developed to resolve these 'co-eluting odour clusters' and determine the compound(s) responsible for the odour perception. The 'spicy' character of hops is considered to be a desirable attribute in beer associated with 'noble hop aroma'. However, the compounds responsible have yet to be adequately elucidated. This character was investigated using a commercial 'Spicy' fraction of hop essential oil, selectively enriched for monoterpene and sesquiterpene alcohols. The odour active compounds in (i) the spicy fractions and (ii) the whole essential oils of four different hop varieties were compared using the presented methodology. A compound with an intense 'woody, cedarwood' odour was determined to be a potent, character-impact odorant in all samples. This odour coincided with a complex region of the chromatogram where up to thirteen compounds were co-eluting. The peak responsible for this odour was determined by (i) correlation of peak areas with odour potency (Charm) values and (ii) MDGC-O. The compound was tentatively identified by GCxGC-TOFMS as 14-hydroxy-β-caryophyllene, which has not previously been reported as an odorant in hop essential oil. It was concluded that this compound and other 'woody, cedarwood' odorants contributed to the 'spicy' character of the investigated hop samples. Compounds previously associated with noble hop aroma, notably caryophyllene oxide, humulene epoxides I and II, and humulenol II, did not contribute to the odour character of the hop samples. Other potent odorants that were identified in the whole essential oil and spicy fractions of hops were: geraniol, linalool, β-ionone, eugenol, isovaleric acid, and β-damascenone. While myrcene was a moderately potent odorant in the whole hop essential oil samples, the abundant sesquiterpene hydrocarbons α-humulene, β-caryophyllene and β-farnesene did not significantly contribute to the odour character.

<p>In this study I assessed the effect of objects and odors as environmental enrichment for two captive snow leopards (Uncia uncia) at Kolmården Wildlife Park. Five odors (lavender, lemon balm, cumin, cinnamon and catnip) were used to impregnate four different types of enrichment objects (boomer balls®, tennis balls, ropes, logs). During test sessions, one odorized and one non-odorized enrichment object of the same type were introduced in the snow leopards’ outdoor enclosure. The behavior, activity and location of the snow leopards were recorded and compared to their behavior during baseline sessions. During the test sessions I recorded the number and types of interactions with the enrichment objects. Both snow leopards interacted more often with odorized than with non-odorized enrichment objects. The number of interactions differed markedly between the types of enrichment objects and between the different odors. Both snow leopards interacted most often with boomer balls® and least often with logs. They interacted most often with cinnamon and least often with lemon balm (Brahma) and catnip (Binu). The results suggest that both the type of object and the odor play a role in capturing the interest of the snow leopards. The snow leopards behavioral diversity increased during the study and they could increase their performance of species-specific behavior. I did not see any indications of habituation during the testing period. The results indicate that enrichment objects impregnated with odors can be an effective environmental enrichment for captive snow leopards.</p>

<p>Odor discrimination ability was tested in four female South African fur seals (<em>Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus</em>) using a food-rewarded two-choice instrumental conditioning paradigm. The seals’ ability to distinguish between members of homologous series of aliphatic ketones (2-butanone to 2-heptanone) and alcohols (1-butanol to 1-heptanol) was assessed. The results showed that three out of four seals successfully discriminated between all of their stimulus combinations in both classes of odorants. One seal succeeded to reach the discrimination criterion with all 2-ketones but failed with all 1-alcohols.</p><p>No significant correlation between odor discrimination performance and structural similarity of the odorants in terms of differences in carbon chain length was found in either of the two chemical classes. Furthermore, it was found that the 2-ketones were significantly better discriminated than the 1-alcohols. The fact that both classes of odorants are known to be present in the natural environment of seals provides a possible explanation as to why most of the seals were able to successfully discriminate between them. The results of the present study support the notion that the sense of smell may play an important role in behavioral contexts such as social communication, foraging and reproductive behavior of fur seals.</p>

Constituents of the wine matrix, including ethanol, affect adsorption of sulfur volatiles on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers, which can impact sensitivity and accuracy of volatile sulfur analysis in wine. Several common wine sulfur volatiles, including hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (MeSH), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), diethyl disulfide (DEDS), methyl thioacetate (MeSOAc), and ethyl thioacetate (EtSOAc), have been analyzed with multiple internal standards using SPME-GC equipped with pulsed-flame photometric detection (PFPD) at various concentrations of ethanol, volatile-, and non-volatile-matrix components in synthetic wine samples. All compounds exhibit a stark decrease in detectability with the addition of ethanol, especially between 0.0 and 0.5%v/v, but the ratio of standard to internal standard was more stable when alcohol concentration was greater than 1%. Addition of volatile matrix components yields a similar decrease but the standard-to-internal-standard ratio was consistent, suggesting the volatile matrix did not affect the quantification of volatile sulfur compounds in wine. Non-volatile wine matrix appears to have negligible effect on sensitivity. Based on analyte:internal standard ratios, DMS can be accurately measured against ethyl methyl sulfide (EMS), the thioacetates and DMDS with diethyl sulfide (DES), and H₂S, MeSH, DEDS, and DMTS with diisopropyl disulfide (DIDS) in wine with proper dilution. The developed method was then used to quantify sulfur compounds in 21 various California wines. H₂S and MeSH were found in higher concentrations in white varietals, while DMS was slightly higher in red varietals, particularly cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Trace amounts of DEDS and MeSOAc were found in almost all wines. DMS and DMTS were found in all wines, in some instances above reported thresholds. / Graduation date: 2012

This research investigated the effects of Pediococcus spp. on Oregon Pinot noir wines. Pediococcus (P. parvulus (7), P. damnosus (1), P. inopinatus (1)) isolated from Oregon and Washington state wines demonstrated differences in their susceptibility to SO��� with some isolates growing well in model media at 0.4 mg/L molecular SO���. All isolates were all able to degrade p-coumaric acid to 4-vinyl phenol. The conversion of p-coumaric acid to 4-VP by pediococci resulted in accelerated production of 4-EP by B. bruxellensis in a model system. Growth of the pediococci isolates in Pinot noir wine resulted in a number of chemical and sensory changes occurring compared to the control. Very low concentrations of biogenic amines were measured in the wines with only wine inoculated with P. inopinatus OW-8 having greater than 5 mg/L. D-lactic acid production varied between isolates with OW-7 producing the highest concentration (264 mg/L). Diacetyl content of the wines also varied greatly. Some wines contained very low levels of diacetyl (< 0.5 mg/L) while others contained very high concentrations (> 15 mg/L) that were well above sensory threshold. Despite suggestions to the contrary in the literature, glycerol was not degraded by any of the isolates in this study. Color and polymeric pigment content of the wines also varied with wine inoculated with OW-7 containing 30% less polymeric pigment than the control. This may be related to acetaldehyde as a number of Pediococcus isolates, including OW-7, reduced the acetaldehyde content of the wine. Sensory analysis revealed differences in the aroma and mouthfeel of the wines compared to each other and to the control. In particular growth of some isolates produced wines with higher intensities of butter, plastic, and vegetal aromas while other also had lower perceived astringency. / Graduation date: 2013

In this study I assessed the effect of objects and odors as environmental enrichment for two captive snow leopards (Uncia uncia) at Kolmården Wildlife Park. Five odors (lavender, lemon balm, cumin, cinnamon and catnip) were used to impregnate four different types of enrichment objects (boomer balls®, tennis balls, ropes, logs). During test sessions, one odorized and one non-odorized enrichment object of the same type were introduced in the snow leopards’ outdoor enclosure. The behavior, activity and location of the snow leopards were recorded and compared to their behavior during baseline sessions. During the test sessions I recorded the number and types of interactions with the enrichment objects. Both snow leopards interacted more often with odorized than with non-odorized enrichment objects. The number of interactions differed markedly between the types of enrichment objects and between the different odors. Both snow leopards interacted most often with boomer balls® and least often with logs. They interacted most often with cinnamon and least often with lemon balm (Brahma) and catnip (Binu). The results suggest that both the type of object and the odor play a role in capturing the interest of the snow leopards. The snow leopards behavioral diversity increased during the study and they could increase their performance of species-specific behavior. I did not see any indications of habituation during the testing period. The results indicate that enrichment objects impregnated with odors can be an effective environmental enrichment for captive snow leopards.

Odor discrimination ability was tested in four female South African fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) using a food-rewarded two-choice instrumental conditioning paradigm. The seals’ ability to distinguish between members of homologous series of aliphatic ketones (2-butanone to 2-heptanone) and alcohols (1-butanol to 1-heptanol) was assessed. The results showed that three out of four seals successfully discriminated between all of their stimulus combinations in both classes of odorants. One seal succeeded to reach the discrimination criterion with all 2-ketones but failed with all 1-alcohols. No significant correlation between odor discrimination performance and structural similarity of the odorants in terms of differences in carbon chain length was found in either of the two chemical classes. Furthermore, it was found that the 2-ketones were significantly better discriminated than the 1-alcohols. The fact that both classes of odorants are known to be present in the natural environment of seals provides a possible explanation as to why most of the seals were able to successfully discriminate between them. The results of the present study support the notion that the sense of smell may play an important role in behavioral contexts such as social communication, foraging and reproductive behavior of fur seals.

Adaptive reproductive behavior requires the ability to recognize and approach possible mating partners in the environment. Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) provide a useful animal model by which to study the neural processing of sexual signals, as mate recognition in this species relies almost exclusively on the perception of social odors. In the laboratory, male hamsters prefer to investigate female odors compared to male odors, and this opposite-sex odor preference provides a sensitive measure of the underlying neural processing of sexual stimuli. In addition to chemosensory cues, reproductive behavior in hamsters also requires sufficient levels of circulating gonadal steroid hormones, which reflect the reproductive state of the animal. These chemosensory and hormone signals are processed within an interconnected network of ventral forebrain nuclei, and within this network, the posteromedial cortical amygdala (PMCo) and medial amygdala (MA) are the only nuclei that both receive substantial chemosensory input and are also highly sensitive to steroid hormones. Although a large body of evidence suggests that the MA is critical for generating attraction to sexual odors, the specific role of the PMCo in regulating odor-guided aspects of male reproductive behavior has never been directly tested. Furthermore, detailed analyses of the MA suggest that separate, but interconnected sub-regions within this nucleus process odors differently. Specifically, the anterior MA (MeA) receives the majority of chemosensory input and responds to a variety of social odors, whereas the posterodorsal MA (MePD) receives less chemosensory input but contains the vast majority of steroid receptors. In order to further elucidate how the PMCo and/or MA process sexual odors, this dissertation addressed the following research questions: (1) Is the PMCo required for the expression of either opposite-sex odor preferences or male copulatory behavior? (2) Are functional interactions between MeA and MePD required for the expression of opposite-sex odor preferences? (3) How do MeA and MePD regulate odor responses within the MePD and MeA, respectively? (4) Are odor and/or hormone cues conveyed directly between MeA and MePD? Together, these experiments provide a comprehensive analysis of the functional and neuroanatomical substrates by which the brain processes sexual odors and generates appropriate behavioral responses to these stimuli.

In many species, including Syrian hamsters, male reproductive behavior depends on the perception of odor cues from conspecifics in the environment. Volatile odor cues are processed primarily by the main olfactory system, whereas non-volatile cues are processed primarily by the accessory olfactory system. Together, these two chemosensory systems mediate appetitive reproductive behaviors, such as attraction to female odors, and consummatory reproductive behaviors, such as copulation, in male Syrian hamsters. Main and accessory olfactory information are first integrated in the medial amygdala (MA), a limbic nucleus that is critical for the expression of reproductive behaviors. MA is densely interconnected with other ventral forebrain nuclei that receive chemosensory information and are sensitive to steroid hormones. Specifically, several lines of evidence suggest that MA may generate behavioral responses to socio-sexual odors via functional connections with the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial preoptic area (MPOA). It is unknown, however, how these three nuclei act as functional circuit to adaptively regulate appetitive and consummatory reproductive behaviors. Therefore, the overarching goal of this dissertation was to determine how BNST and MPOA function, both uniquely and as a circuit with MA, to generate attraction to female odors and copulatory behaviors in male Syrian hamsters. We found that BNST is required for attraction to female odors, but not for copulation, in sexually-naïve males. In contrast, MPOA is required for both attraction to female odors and for copulation in sexually-naïve males. Surprisingly, prior sexual experience mitigated the requirement of BNST and MPOA for these behaviors. Next, we found that MA preferentially transmits female odor information to BNST and to MPOA, whereas BNST relays female and male odor information equivalently to MPOA. Finally, we found that the functional connections between MA and BNST are required for attraction to female odors but not for copulation, whereas the functional connections between MA and MPOA are required for copulation but not for attraction to female odors. Ultimately, these data may uncover a fundamental mechanism by which this ventral forebrain circuit regulates appetitive and consummatory reproductive behaviors across many species and modalities.