This thesis is focused around improving soil moisture estimates of spatial variability and mean at the field scale, which are useful for many different applications. The objectives were: (1) examine soil moisture spatial patterns and variability within field scale, and (2) compare field-scale soil moisture determination methods. An observational study was conducted, in which soil moisture was monitored over a 500 m by 500 m area during two and a half growing seasons at a prairie pasture in central Saskatchewan. Analysis of the spatial patterns of root-zone soil moisture revealed two distinct spatial patterns representing wet (spring) and dry (fall) periods. The relationship between spatial variability and mean soil moisture was found to follow an unusual concave trend, where variability was smallest at mid-range moisture contents. These spatial variability characteristics are a result of differences in participation level. Some locations were non-participating having only small moisture changes over the growing season, while others were dynamic having large changes. At the pasture site, these participation differences are a result of high soil heterogeneity, which may be characteristic of Solonetzic soils. In the second part of this thesis, methods to determine mean field-scale root-zone soil moisture were evaluated. The cosmic-ray neutron probe has the most potential for providing field-scale measurements. However, these measurements are only representative of moisture in the top 20 cm of soil, and need to be scaled up in order to represent the entire root-zone (0–110 cm). The three scaling methods applied to obtain lower root-zone soil moisture were: (1) a single time stable location, (2) representative landscape unit, where a single monitoring profile for each vegetation type was used, and (3) modeling by exponential filter. The representative landscape unit approach estimated soil moisture changes well, but not volumetric water content. The time stability method performed the best, followed by the exponential filter. However, the exponential filter has more potential, as the time stability method is difficult to apply to other field sites; particularly those without existing soil moisture instrumentation, due to its calibration requirements. The findings of this thesis make a contribution to the large body of existing literature on soil moisture variability and scaling. Suggestions for future research are provided.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

Spinal root avulsion leads to paralysis and loss of sensory function. Surgical methods can improve motor function and ameliorate pain but sensory recovery in adults is poor. Previous studies have shown that cell transplantation or treatment with trophic factors can improve functional outcome in rodents after dorsal root transection or crush. Here, a dorsal root injury model, more similar to human avulsion injuries, was used. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the behaviour of different stem cells following transplantation to avulsed dorsal roots and asses their potential to serve as possible regenerative therapy. In paper I, different murine stem cell types were transplanted to avulsed dorsal roots in rats. Murine embryonic stem cells remained outside the spinal cord and were surrounded by glutamatergic terminals. Boundary cap neural crest stem cells (bNCSC) formed elongated bands outside the spinal cord and migrated to the spinal cord as single cells. In paper II, transplanted bNCSC were further characterized. bNCSC remaining outside the spinal cord expressed glial markers and were associated with different types of sensory fibres. bNCSC that migrated into the injured spinal cord expressed different neuronal markers. In paper III, effects of bNCSC transplantation on local vasculature and glial scar formation were studied. bNCSC increase angiogenesis in a non dose response manner and participate in boundary glial scar formation. In paper IV, bNCSC spinal migration was analysed using two different injury models - dorsal root transection and dorsal root avulsion. In addition, bNCSC capacity to support sensory regeneration was assessed and the results suggest that bNCSC do not support robust regeneration of avulsed afferents. In paper V, an in vitro stem cell model system was used to assess the possibility of using artificial nanomaterials to deliver differentiation factors. Cells treated with either soluble factors or particle-delivered factors showed similar differentiation patterns. Stem cell transplantation offers several opportunities following dorsal root avulsion, including cell replacement and regenerative support. By elucidating the mechanisms by which stem cells can assist regeneration of avulsed afferents will allow for more targeted or combinatorial approaches, including growth factor treatment.

published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Master / Master of Dental Surgery

Declining infestations and the cyclic appearance of Phymatotrichum root rot of cotton from season to season led to the suggestion that antagonistic microorganisms were the cause of this phenomenon. This study was concerned primarily with Actinomycetes spp., fluorescent Pseudomonads, Trichoderma spp., and other fungi. There was a continuous fluctuation in the population of Actinomycetes spp. and fluorescent Pseudomonads on the surface of strands. Populations of these antagonistic organisms dropped as the viability of strands of P. omnivorum decline. Comparison of the rhizoplane microflora from infected and healthy roots showed no relationship between the populations of Actinomycetes spp. and fluorescent Pseudomonads and the resistance of healthy roots to invasion by P. omnivorum. Similarly, soil samples collected from areas with declining infestations and assayed for populations of Actinomycetes spp. and fluorescent Pseudomonads, revealed no differences in the populations of these antagonistic organisms. This indicates that the absence of the disease in areas with declining infestations is not due to the microorganisms investigated in this study. Higher mortality rates of strands of P. omnivorum occurred when strands were exposed to Actinomycetes spp. and fluorescent Pseudomonads or to their metabolites. The hyphal deformation observed on strands from the field could not be reproduced in vitro. The same antagonistic microorganisms sprayed on cotton roots containing strands failed to reduce strand viability.

Eight "sterol-inhibiting" fungicides were evaluated for in vitro activity against Phymatotrichum omnivorum, and all proved to be very active (EC-50 values ranged from 0.001-0.038 ug/ml). Propiconazol received the major emphasis of this research, which included evaluations of phytotoxicity, soil persistance, resistance development, systemic translocation in cotton, and field evaluations for control of Phymatotrichum Root Rot of cotton. Although propiconazol significantly inhibited mycelial growth of P. omnivorum (in vitro) at concentrations as low as 0.0001 ug/ml within 96 hr, hyphal growth from sclerotia was not affected at 0.1 ug/ml within the same time frame. However, after 168 hr, or if sclerotia were pre-germinated for 120 hr before exposure, growth inhibition was comparable to that of the mycelial cultures. It was speculated that the greater level of sterols in sclerotia masked the inhibition of sterol synthesis by propiconazol until these sterol reserves were depleted. After 5 exposures to propiconazol over a 5 mo period, mycelial growth inhibition was the same as that of mycelium with no previous exposure. This indicated that resistance development should not be an immediate concern. Greenhouse evaluations of phytotoxicity and soil persistance of propiconazol determined that this fungicide can severely stunt cotton if planted into treated soil. Using stunting of seedlings as a bioassy of the persistance of propiconazol in non-sterilized soil, it was found that propiconazol was still active 3-5 mo after the initial soil treatment. Through the application of C-14 labeled propiconazol to the leaves of 5 and 8-wk old cotton plants, it was determined that no more than 0.23% of the applied radioactivity was translocated to the roots. However, based upon these percentages, root weights of the plants, and the amount of propiconazol applied to each plant during a field application, the theoretical concentration in the roots would be 30-700X the in vitro concentration necessary to inhibit mycelial growth of P. omnivorum (EC-50 = 0.003-0.006 ug/ml). Field evaluations of propiconazol were conducted in 1982 and 1983, while etaconazol, triadimefon, triadimenol, imazalil, and XE-779 were evaluated in 1983. These evaluations determined that propiconazol, etaconazol, and triadimenol showed promise for control of this disease, while imazalil, triadimefon, and XE-779 did not. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maxium length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI

Water relations in cotton plants infected with Phymatotrichum omnivorum were studied to determine the mechanism of wilt development. Relationships between leaf water and osmotic potentials, relative water contents, and diffusive resistances of leaves from diseased and waterstressed healthy plants were similar, indicating that wilting was not due to changes in leaf osmotic regulation. Rates of recovery from wilting, measured as increases in relative water content with time in both diseased and waterstressed healthy plants were identical. There was no significant difference in root dry weight of healthy and diseased plants, indicating that wilting is not a consequence of reduced root area. Resistance to water flow in roots and lower stems increased significantly over those of healthy plants as upper leaves of diseased plants began to wilt. However, resistance to water flow in petioles of diseased plants was unchanged. These results show that wilting in cotton plants is probably the consequence of increased resistance to water flow in roots. Results of a preliminary study indicate that a high-molecular-weight substance produced by the fungus in culture may cause blockage of xylem elements in roots and lower stems and contribute to the increased resistance to water flow.

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