No território brasileiro existe uma grande quantidade de plantas frutíferas com potencial de comercialização, por causa de suas propriedades medicinais, como elevados teores de vitamina C e suas propriedades adstringentes. Frutíferas como as da família mirtácea: cabeludinha (Plinia glomerata Berg.), grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lam.), surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) and camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K.) McVaugh), e também a lichia (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) da família sapindácea, são candidatas a se tornarem uma cultura economicamente importante, porém é necessário melhorar as condições para o desenvolvimento destas plantas. O aumento no uso do substrato, incluindo uma ampla variedade de materiais em sua formulação, favorecem as condições físicas, biológicas e químicas do meio , para um ótimo desenvolvimento. Dessa maneira, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de diferentes misturas do substrato de casca de pínus, no desenvolvimento de mudas de plantas frutíferas. Utilizou-se o delineamento estatístico em blocos inteiramente ao acaso, com medidas repetidas no tempo, onde cada bloco (localização das bandejas de poliestireno expandido na estufa) era composto de 72 células, com 06 tratamentos (T1 = 100% material original (casca de pínus); T2 = 100% casca de pínus ≤0,1mm (partículas pequenas); T3 = 75% casca de pínus ≤0,1mm + 25% casca de pínus 0,1 - 4,0mm (partículas grandes); T4 = 50% casca de pínus ≤0,1mm + 50% casca de pínus 0,1 - 4,0mm; T5 = 25% casca de pínus ≤0,1mm + 75% casca de pínus 0,1 - 4,0mm; T6 = 100% casca de pínus 0,1-0,4mm) e 12 sementes em cada unidade experimental e com 5 repetições, perfazendo um total de 360 plantas, para cada espécie. Foram realizadas 3 avaliações para cada espécie utilizada, sendo a primeira realizada após três meses da semeadura, seguidas de duas avaliações mensais. Os dados obtidos foram analisados pelo programa estatístico SAS (2003). O aumento na proporção de partículas pequenas nos tratamentos diminui a taxa de germinação das sementes, pois a textura dessa classe granulométrica de substrato dificulta a absorção de água nos primeiros dias após a semeadura e prejudica a aeração para as raízes, após a quebra da tensão superficial. Este experimento mostrou que os substratos influem diretamente no desenvolvimento de mudas de plantas frutíferas. / In the Brazilian territory there are a great amount of fruti plants with commercialization potential because of their properties for use as medicinal plants, presenting high vitamin C content and astringent properties. Fruit plants such as those from myrtaceae family: cabeludinha (Plinia glomerata Berg.), grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lam.), surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess) and camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K.) McVaugh), and also the lichia (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) from sapindaceae family, are candidates to become economically important cultures, however, there is need for development of optimal conditions for development of those plants. An increment of the substrate usage, including a wide variety of materials in its formulation, has resulted in conditions that favor physical, chemical and biological means for optimal plant development. Therefore, the objective of this study was evaluate, the influence of the different mixture of the substrate made of pinus peel, in the development of seedlings of fruit plants. It was used the completely randomized blocks design, with repeated measures in the time, where each block (location of trays of expanded polystyrene in the greenhouse) was composed of 72 cells, with 06 treatments (T1 = 100% original material of pinus peel); T2 = 100% pinus peel ≤0,1mm (small particles)); T3 = 75% pinus peel ≤0,1mm + 25% pinus peel 0,1 - 4,0mm (big particles); T4 = 50% pinus peel ≤0,1mm + 50% pinus peel 0,1 - 4,0mm; T5 = 25% pinus peel ≤0,1mm + 75% pinus peel 0,1 - 4,0mm; T6 = 100% pinus peel 0,1- 0,4mm) and 12 seeds in each experimental unit, with 5 repetitions, doing a total of 360 plants, of each species. Three evaluations were accomplished for each species, being the first accomplished being after three months of the sowing, followed by two monthly evaluations thereafter. The obtained data were analyzed by the SAS statistical program (2003). The increase in the proportion of small particles into the substrate reduces the germination rate, because the fine texture of pinus peel hinders root water absorption and aeration in the initial days after sowing, after the breakage of the superficial tension. This experiment showed that the substrate influence directly on the developing of seedlings of the fruit plants.

Sustainable landscaping includes utilization of plants requiring few inputs. We chose four species showing potential for use in arid landscapes: Purshia mexicana, Shepherdia argentea, Shepherdia rotundifolia, and Alnus maritima. We sowed seeds of S. rotundifolia, S. argentea and P. mexicana in three substrates with various water-holding properties due to differing amounts of organic matter (OM). S. rotundifolia germination was maximized in a calcined clay (66.2%) containing no OM and had low germination (12.7 - 21.8%) in the other substrates. S. argentea germination (42.3 to 53.7%) was similar in all substrates. Poor seed quality of P. mexicana resulted in inconclusive results. Our results suggest that germination of some species is enhanced by substrates with excellent drainage properties. We also investigated effects of different rates of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) on symbiotic nodule formation in seaside alder. We found that lower than prescribed rates of CRF enhanced nodulation without compromising nitrogen status.

An investigation was made into the isolation and screening of highly cellulolytic anaerobic fungi and their production of cellulolytic enzymes using immobilised rhizomycelia. A total of 46 anaerobic fungi were isolated on cellulosic substrates from ruminant and non-ruminant herbivores. Primary screening of these isolates was performed using dye release from cellulose-azure which qualitatively detected cellulolytic activity. Twelve isolates were chosen on the basis of their maximum solubilisation rates of the labelled cellulose and then subjected to secondary screening which involved the quantification of enzyme activity. The enzyme mixtures were characterised by carboxymethylcellulase, xylanase, B-glucosidase, B-xylosidase and cellobiase assays, measured by the production of either reducing sugars, p-nitrophenol or glucose. All strains produced a number of enzymes that allowed them to hydrolyse straw and highest enzyme activity was measured in static cultures grown on 0.5% straw. A monocentric isolate, Piromyces strain KSX1 from a red kangaroo, and a cattle polycentric isolate, Orpinomyces strain 478P1, were selected for study of cellulolytic enzyme production on the basis of high fibre digestion capability and amenability toward encapsulation. The immobilised polycentric strain proved to be operationally superior to strain KSX1 as strain 478P1 did not produce any viable growth in the culture liquor. Studies into single batch cultures of free cells of strains KSX1 and 478P1 revealed that the maximum specific rate of B-glucosidase production occurred concomitantly with maximum specific growth rate suggesting that the immobilised fungus must grow for continuous enzyme production to occur. Although the physiology of cellulase synthesis in strains KSX1 and 478P1 was found to be growth-associated, immobilisation of the fungus offered the advantage of the repeat-batch use of cells with the accumulation of extracellular enzymes after each batch. Thus, operational gains were the key issues in assessing the potential application of immobilised anaerobic fungi in the production of cellulolytic enzymes. The repeat-batch system was operationally more efficient than the free cell batch cultures because immobilisation removed the need of reculturing the cells for every single batch. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This is a practice-led research project that seeks to explore the cross-cultural aesthetics and conceptual ideas of an art project. I position myself as an art practitioner who intends to apply the Western modes of technological advancement of digital imaging and ink jet technologies to the substrates used by traditional Chinese artists for ink painting and calligraphy, usually called Xuan Zhi [宣紙]. Through this process, the aesthetics and conceptual ideas of both cultures will be explored, examined, analysed and interrogated for the potential development of a new aesthetics in the context of digital art. There are three major components in this research project; a creative document in the form of a collection of artwork, an exegesis and a collection of documentation. The creative document will be a body of visual image-based artwork that includes a series of collateral works from the ongoing research and practice of the project. It is the negotiated output of a potentially new aesthetics in digital art, specifically in the context of digital still imaging and digital printmaking. The exegesis is an analytical and critical commentary that places the creative document in relevant theoretical, philosophical, cultural and historical contexts. The documentation is a collection of the ongoing empirical practice of ink jet technology on Xuan Zhi. The visual physical form of both the exegesis and the documentation are also included as part of the creative document. These three components together form a unity and are presented as artefacts to represent the main focus of the research - the Poetics of Making.

In this study SBA-15 mesoporous silica template was synthesized and used as a sacrificial template in the preparation of ordered mesoporous carbon material. A chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique using LPG or alternatively sucrose, pyrolyzed upon a mesoporous Si matrix were used to produce nanostructured ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) with graphitic character after removing the Si template. The sucrose method was found to be a suitable route for preparing OMC. The OMC was used as a conductive three dimensional porous support for depositing catalytic nanophase Pt metal. Deposition of Pt nanoparticles on OMC was accomplished using a CVD method with Pt(acac)2 as a precursor. The synthesized nano-composite materials were characterized by several techniques such as, HRTEM, HRSEM, EDS, XRD, BET, TGA, FT-IR and CV.

An essential element of the reclamation strategy proposed by the oil sands mining industry in northern Alberta, Canada, includes the creation of wetlands for the bioremediation of mining waste materials. The mining process used to extract oil from these deposits results in the production of large volumes of process-affected water (OSPW) and sediments (OSPS), which must be incorporated into wetlands as a component of the reclaimed landscapes. Wood frogs (<i>Rana sylvatica</i>) are an abundant native species that might be expected to inhabit these reclaimed wetlands. The objective of this study was to determine potential detrimental effects of OSPW and OSPS on the growth and development of wood frogs. Several morphological (weight, length, condition factor) and biochemical (whole body tadpole thyroid hormone and triglyceride concentrations and metamorph hepatic glycogen concentration) endpoints were assessed in conjunction with hatchability and survivability of wood frog eggs and tadpoles exposed to process-affected materials (OSPM) under field and laboratory conditions.<p> As part of this study, assay techniques were optimized to enable simultaneous measurement of whole body 3,5,3-triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in wood frog tadpoles. These assays were used to monitor changes in T3, T4 and TG in wood frog tadpoles during development from hatching to metamorphosis (Gosner stages 19-46), to establish baseline levels for subsequent application of the assays to evaluate contaminant effects. The results indicated peak T3 and T4 concentrations occurred during metamorphic climax (Gosner stages 40-46) and prometamorphosis (Gosner stages 31-40), respectively. Maximal TG concentrations were also observed during prometamorphosis. These assays were further employed to assess body condition and development in wood frogs during a field study in 2005, and the following laboratory studies in 2006 and 2007.<p> In summer 2005, 29 reclaimed and five unimpacted wetlands were monitored for use by native amphibians, and tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed wood frogs were collected from a subset of sites as a preliminary assessment of contaminant effects. Endpoints such as metamorph hepatic glycogen and whole body tadpole T3, T4 and triglyceride concentrations were compared among six impacted and three reference wetlands. The surveys indicated 60% of OSPW-impacted wetlands were used by breeding adult amphibians, while wood frog tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed frogs were observed in 37 and 30% of OSPW wetlands, respectively. In general, lower whole body tadpole T3 and triglyceride concentrations were observed in wood frogs from wetlands containing OSPM. In contrast, hepatic glycogen concentrations in newly-metamorphosed frogs and whole body tadpole T4 and T3/T4 concentrations were comparable among the reference and impacted wetlands. In addition, the differences observed in total body weight and length of tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed wood frogs among OSPM and reference sites were likely due to minor differences in developmental stages of the animals collected from the various wetlands, rather than any contaminant effect.<p> In 2006 and 2007, wood frog eggs and tadpoles were exposed to several sources of OSPW and OSPS collected from reclaimed Suncor and Syncrude wetlands under controlled laboratory conditions. Hatchability was reduced in eggs exposed to water from only one of the OSPW sites, compared with the other process-affected ponds and the control water (P<0.05). In contrast, survivability of tadpoles was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in all the impacted sites in both years, with nearly all OSPW sites having <10% survival. The exposure study evaluated the toxicity of five types of OSPS. Results indicated no impact of OSPS exposure on survivability of tadpoles, but showed reduced whole body weight (in three OSPS treatments), length (in two OSPS treatments) and body condition (in one OSPS) of tadpoles exposed to process-affected substrates tested (P<0.05). Whole body T3 and T4 concentrations in tadpoles from OSPS treatments were not different from the control treatment, but tadpole TG concentration was reduced in groups exposed to two impacted substrates (P<0.05). Water quality measurements, including determination of dissolved metals were conducted in an initial attempt to relate any potential toxic effect on wood frog growth and development to specific contaminants.<p> Results of the laboratory studies strongly suggest that exposure to OSPW and OSPS may adversely affect wood frog growth and survival. However, these findings were not entirely consistent with field observations and results of concurrent mesocosm studies. Further research is therefore needed to fully evaluate the suitability of reclaimed oil sands wetlands to support indigenous amphibian population. Future work should focus on the cumulative effects of water and substrates, as well as the effect of OSPM ageing on acute and chronic toxicity.

Experiments on the colonization of artificial substrates by stream benthos were conducted in upper Chingmei Stream, Taiwan. The artificial substrates were colonized by stream benthos for periods of 3, 6 12, 21, 30 and 42 days.The two experiments were designed for different purposes. Experiment I from December 15, 1990 to January 29, 1991 investigated the colonization patterns of stream benthos at two sites: a polluted site caused by coal mining activities (Site 1) and a recovery site further downstream of the polluted site (Site 2). Experiment II from March 14, 1991 to April 28, 1991 tested the effect of two different sizes of substrate (cobble and gravel) on the colonization patterns of stream benthos at Site 2. In Experiment I, the total number of individuals and taxa were significantly affected by exposure period of experimental substrates and sites which indicate the occurrence of succession and the detrimental effect of coal mining activities on the benthic community. At Site 1, only Caenis sp., Euphaea sp. and Chironomidae occurred on all sampling dates and were abundant. The other taxa may just continue to drift away from the site. The chironomid larvae were most abundant. They accounted for over 90% of the colonizing individuals from day 12 to day 42. At Site 2, Baetis spA and Chironomidae were most abundant. They accounted for over 80% during the experiment, except on day 21. The relative abundance shifted from Baetis sp.A to Chironomidae with an increase in colonization time. Association analysis was performed on the abundance of taxa pairs within the same functional feeding group at Site 2. The results suggest that filter-feeders and predators have concordant colonization patterns. The relationship between taxa and abundance at the two sites also was tested by lognormal distribution to determine the degree of equilibrium of the community. In Experiment II, the substratum types influenced only the total number of individuals colonizing baskets. The gravel substrate provides more surface area for stream benthos and supports more individuals. Baetis sp.A and chironomid larvae were abundant; they accounted for over 84% of the individuals from day 6 to 42 on both gravel and cobble. The chironomid larvae comprised 36% of the fauna on the gravel substrate and 35 - 79% of the fauna on the cobble substrate. The results of association analysis on the abundance of taxa pairs within the same functional feeding group showed that there were more taxa pairs with significant associations on cobble than on gravel. The negatively significant associations also occurred more on the cobble substrate. This indicates that biological interactions may be important in determining the development of community on the cobble substrate. Disturbance caused by floods influenced the colonization patterns, especially on the gravel substrate. It reset the artificial substrates back to earlier conditions. This study only suggests that competition may occur in the subtropical Taiwanese stream and further experimentation is needed to demonstrate whether competition occurs. / Graduation date: 1992

Simulating wave propagation in microstrip lines with Gyrotropic magnetic substrate is considered in this thesis. Since the static internal field distribution has an important effect on the device behavior, accurate determination of the internal fields are considered as well. To avoid the losses at microwave frequencies it is assumed that the magnetic substrate is saturated in the direction of local internal field. An iterative method to obtain the magnetization distribution has been developed. It is applied to a variety of nonlinear nonuniform magnetic material configurations that one may encounter in the design stage, subject to a nonuniform applied field. One of the main characteristics of the proposed iterative method to obtain the static internal field is that the results are supported by a uniqueness theorem in magnetostatics. The series of solutions Mn,Hn, where n is the iteration number, minimize the free Gibbs energy G(M) in sequence. They also satisfy the constitutive equation M = χH at the end of each iteration better than the previous one. Therefore based on the given uniqueness theorem, the unique stable equilibrium state M is determined. To simulate wave propagation in the Gyrotropic magnetic media a new FDTD formulation is proposed. The proposed formulation considers the static part of the electromagnetic field, obtained by using the iterative approach, as parameters and updates the dynamic parts in time. It solves the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in consistency with Maxwell’s equations in time domain. The stability of the initial static field distribution ensures that the superposition of the time varying parts due to the propagating wave will not destabilize the code. Resonances in a cavity filled with YIG are obtained. Wave propagation through a microstrip line with YIG substrate is simulated. Magnetization oscillations around local internal field are visualized. It is proved that the excitation of magnetization precession which is accompanied by the excitation of magnetostatic waves is responsible for the gap in the scattering parameter S12. Key characteristics of the wide microstrip lines are verified in a full wave FDTD simulation. These characteristics are utilized in a variety of nonreciprocal devices like edgemode isolators and phase shifters.

Simulating wave propagation in microstrip lines with Gyrotropic magnetic substrate is considered in this thesis. Since the static internal field distribution has an important effect on the device behavior, accurate determination of the internal fields are considered as well. To avoid the losses at microwave frequencies it is assumed that the magnetic substrate is saturated in the direction of local internal field. An iterative method to obtain the magnetization distribution has been developed. It is applied to a variety of nonlinear nonuniform magnetic material configurations that one may encounter in the design stage, subject to a nonuniform applied field. One of the main characteristics of the proposed iterative method to obtain the static internal field is that the results are supported by a uniqueness theorem in magnetostatics. The series of solutions Mn,Hn, where n is the iteration number, minimize the free Gibbs energy G(M) in sequence. They also satisfy the constitutive equation M = χH at the end of each iteration better than the previous one. Therefore based on the given uniqueness theorem, the unique stable equilibrium state M is determined. To simulate wave propagation in the Gyrotropic magnetic media a new FDTD formulation is proposed. The proposed formulation considers the static part of the electromagnetic field, obtained by using the iterative approach, as parameters and updates the dynamic parts in time. It solves the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in consistency with Maxwell’s equations in time domain. The stability of the initial static field distribution ensures that the superposition of the time varying parts due to the propagating wave will not destabilize the code. Resonances in a cavity filled with YIG are obtained. Wave propagation through a microstrip line with YIG substrate is simulated. Magnetization oscillations around local internal field are visualized. It is proved that the excitation of magnetization precession which is accompanied by the excitation of magnetostatic waves is responsible for the gap in the scattering parameter S12. Key characteristics of the wide microstrip lines are verified in a full wave FDTD simulation. These characteristics are utilized in a variety of nonreciprocal devices like edgemode isolators and phase shifters.

An essential element of the reclamation strategy proposed by the oil sands mining industry in northern Alberta, Canada, includes the creation of wetlands for the bioremediation of mining waste materials. The mining process used to extract oil from these deposits results in the production of large volumes of process-affected water (OSPW) and sediments (OSPS), which must be incorporated into wetlands as a component of the reclaimed landscapes. Wood frogs (<i>Rana sylvatica</i>) are an abundant native species that might be expected to inhabit these reclaimed wetlands. The objective of this study was to determine potential detrimental effects of OSPW and OSPS on the growth and development of wood frogs. Several morphological (weight, length, condition factor) and biochemical (whole body tadpole thyroid hormone and triglyceride concentrations and metamorph hepatic glycogen concentration) endpoints were assessed in conjunction with hatchability and survivability of wood frog eggs and tadpoles exposed to process-affected materials (OSPM) under field and laboratory conditions.<p> As part of this study, assay techniques were optimized to enable simultaneous measurement of whole body 3,5,3-triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in wood frog tadpoles. These assays were used to monitor changes in T3, T4 and TG in wood frog tadpoles during development from hatching to metamorphosis (Gosner stages 19-46), to establish baseline levels for subsequent application of the assays to evaluate contaminant effects. The results indicated peak T3 and T4 concentrations occurred during metamorphic climax (Gosner stages 40-46) and prometamorphosis (Gosner stages 31-40), respectively. Maximal TG concentrations were also observed during prometamorphosis. These assays were further employed to assess body condition and development in wood frogs during a field study in 2005, and the following laboratory studies in 2006 and 2007.<p> In summer 2005, 29 reclaimed and five unimpacted wetlands were monitored for use by native amphibians, and tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed wood frogs were collected from a subset of sites as a preliminary assessment of contaminant effects. Endpoints such as metamorph hepatic glycogen and whole body tadpole T3, T4 and triglyceride concentrations were compared among six impacted and three reference wetlands. The surveys indicated 60% of OSPW-impacted wetlands were used by breeding adult amphibians, while wood frog tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed frogs were observed in 37 and 30% of OSPW wetlands, respectively. In general, lower whole body tadpole T3 and triglyceride concentrations were observed in wood frogs from wetlands containing OSPM. In contrast, hepatic glycogen concentrations in newly-metamorphosed frogs and whole body tadpole T4 and T3/T4 concentrations were comparable among the reference and impacted wetlands. In addition, the differences observed in total body weight and length of tadpoles and newly-metamorphosed wood frogs among OSPM and reference sites were likely due to minor differences in developmental stages of the animals collected from the various wetlands, rather than any contaminant effect.<p> In 2006 and 2007, wood frog eggs and tadpoles were exposed to several sources of OSPW and OSPS collected from reclaimed Suncor and Syncrude wetlands under controlled laboratory conditions. Hatchability was reduced in eggs exposed to water from only one of the OSPW sites, compared with the other process-affected ponds and the control water (P<0.05). In contrast, survivability of tadpoles was significantly reduced (P<0.05) in all the impacted sites in both years, with nearly all OSPW sites having <10% survival. The exposure study evaluated the toxicity of five types of OSPS. Results indicated no impact of OSPS exposure on survivability of tadpoles, but showed reduced whole body weight (in three OSPS treatments), length (in two OSPS treatments) and body condition (in one OSPS) of tadpoles exposed to process-affected substrates tested (P<0.05). Whole body T3 and T4 concentrations in tadpoles from OSPS treatments were not different from the control treatment, but tadpole TG concentration was reduced in groups exposed to two impacted substrates (P<0.05). Water quality measurements, including determination of dissolved metals were conducted in an initial attempt to relate any potential toxic effect on wood frog growth and development to specific contaminants.<p> Results of the laboratory studies strongly suggest that exposure to OSPW and OSPS may adversely affect wood frog growth and survival. However, these findings were not entirely consistent with field observations and results of concurrent mesocosm studies. Further research is therefore needed to fully evaluate the suitability of reclaimed oil sands wetlands to support indigenous amphibian population. Future work should focus on the cumulative effects of water and substrates, as well as the effect of OSPM ageing on acute and chronic toxicity.