Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Anoxic zones'

In Australia, significant effort goes into reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering inland waters from point sources. However, little is known of the extent to which riparian organic matter may act as a source of these nutrients. Also, whilst the relationships between the nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon cycles are broadly known, there is little quantitative data regarding the release of these elements from Australian riparian organic matter and their subsequent microbial mineralisation within aquatic environments. In particular, comparatively little is known of their comparative role in nutrient and organic matter cycling within anoxic zones, and the influence that different riparian organic matter may have on stream water quality. This lack of such data presently hampers the ability of water managers to make educated decisions regarding the management of riparian zones in Australia. In order to improve understanding in this area, a combination of laboratory and in situ experiments were carried out in order to compare the abiotic release and aerobic/ anaerobic mineralisation of leaf derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved nitrate/nitrite (NOx) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) under different environmental conditions. Four plants common to Australian riparian zones were investigated: two native species, Eucalyptus camaldulensis (gum) and Phragmites australis (common reed), and two exotic species, Salix babylonica (willow) and Lolium multiflorum (rye grass). After 30 days, formaldehyde inhibited 1g willow and rye grass extracts contained the most SRP (0.7 mg/L), whilst gum extracts contained 0.3 mg/L and common reed 0.1 mg/L of SRP.Willow and rye grass abiotically released twice as much NOx than gum and common reed, although concentrations were only between 0.05-0.1 mg/L. Gum and common reed released the most DOC per gram of leaf matter (14 and 12 mmol/g of leaf matter respectively), but based on the initial carbon content of each leaf type, the largest percentage contributor of DOC under abiotic conditions was common reed and rye grass (both 38% mass/mass), with gum (33% mass/mass) and willow (30% mass/mass) being smaller contributors. The most bioavailable DOC was released by rye grass and common reed, with between 83 and 94% of this DOC microbially mineralised after 30 days in oxic conditions. When conditions were not inhibited, microbial growth was evident almost immediately in willow, rye grass and common reed leaf extracts. However, microbial growth was suppressed for the first 48 hours in gum leaf extracts. After this suppression period, the rate of DOC mineralisation was equal in willow and gum leaf extracts (0.1 day-1). Under anoxic conditions, the rate and extent of DOC mineralisation of willow and gum leaves depended on the type of electron acceptor provided. Added nitrate and iron III enhanced the mineralisation of both willow and gum leaves relative to no terminal electron acceptors (from zero to 0.01-0.04 and 0.002- 0.004 moles/day respectively), but added sulphate only enhanced the mineralisation of gum leaves (0.04 moles/day). When no additional electron acceptors were provided, particulate leaf mineralisation was more extensive under oxic than anoxic conditions. However, the mineralisation of leaf derived DOC were the same regardless of oxygen availability, and after 35 days in either condition the percentage of leaf DOC mineralised for each leaf type was of the order common reed > rye grass > willow > gum. All the leaf types tested were able to sustain the caddis fly larvae Triplectides australis under controlled laboratory conditions, and survival rates were high using all four leaf types as a food source. Triplectides australis did not significantly increase the amount of DOC released from each type of leaf matter, but they did consistently increase the proportion of simple carbohydrates present within the DOC fraction. The results of these experiments suggest that changes to riparian vegetation, particularly from the native to exotic species used in this study, will inherently alter in-stream concentrations of dissolved carbon and nutrients (particularly SRP). This potentially will affect in-stream, hyporheic and subsurface processes, particularly in areas where surface water flow is low and riparian leaf inputs are high.

Bench and pilot scale determinations of the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, K_La, were performed on an improved A²/O biological nutrient removal (BNR) pilot plant. Effluent from a full scale primary clarifier, used as pilot plant influent, was found to have an alpha (ratio of process to clean water K_La) of 0.71 as determined in a 21 liter bench scale reactor and an alpha of 0.332 as determined in a 0.45 m³ aeration basin of the 2.4 m³ pilot plant. Alpha of a 1:1 mixture of primary clarifier effluent with pilot plant return activated sludge was determined to be 0.94 at bench scale and 0.71 at pilot scale. An assay of alphas through the initial non aerated treatment zones of the pilot plant using the bench scale reactor indicated that alphas peaked in the effluent of the first anaerobic zone (alpha equal to 1.01) and were lower in the second anaerobic zone and first anoxic zone. An assay of alphas in the three pilot plant series sideline aeration basins indicated that alpha was maximum in the first aeration basin (alpha equal to 0.905) and were lower in the second and third aeration basins (0.716 and 0.661 respectively). A consistent increase in average surface tension was noted from the first to second to third aeration basins, however the differences were not statistically significant. A comparison of pilot plant alphas determined in the first aeration basin following anaerobic nominal hydraulic retention times of 0.0, 0.21, 0.43, and 0.64 hours yielded alpha values of 0.71, 0.94, 0.64, and 0.74 respectively. Like the assay using the bench scale reactor, the alpha values at pilot scale peaked following treatment in only one anaerobic zone (nominal HRT of 0.21 hours). The study concludes that short exposures in an initial anaerobic reactor as required for biological phosphorus removal may benefit oxygen transfer efficiency through increased alphas, however the benefits of long periods of anaerobic reaction time (over 0.43 hours) are uncertain.
Master of Science

This study explored the effects of seasonal variability on the geochemistry of sinking pthesiss and on the nitrogen cycle of the Cariaco Basin. Pthesis fluxes were measured at the base of the euphotic zone (the depth of 1% of photosynthetically active radiation - PAR) with drifting sediment traps during months of upwelling and non-upwelling regimes from March 2007 to November 2009. Flux estimates were analyzed in the context of seasonal variations in sea surface temperature, primary productivity, and chlorophyll a concentrations using data generated by the CARIACO Time-series Program as well as satellite data. Additionally, nine years (1996-2000 and 2004-2007) of nutrients, phytoplankton taxonomy and δ15N of sinking pthesis data within the twilight zone (225 m) from the CARIACO Time-series Program were examined. Results showed that the flux of organic matter responded to changes in surface chlorophyll a but not to primary production. Sinking organic matter decreased by an order of magnitude from the base of the euphotic zone to the oxic-anoxic interface; most of the organic matter produced in surface waters was remineralized before leaving the upper 50-100 m. Lithogenic material often represented a large fraction of the flux. Isotopic analyses showed that 13C/12C ratios of sinking organic carbon were enriched (~-19‰) during the upwelling period and depleted during relaxation (~-23‰). This reflects seasonal changes in inorganic carbon utilization by phytoplankton and suggests that the δ13C of organic carbon in Cariaco sediments can be used as a proxy for carbon fixation by primary producers. The δ15N of the settling flux was influenced by the strength of the upwelling and the presence of the nitrogen fixer Trichodesmium thiebautii in the basin in different seasons; the 15N/14N ratio of sinking nitrogen reflects both imported and local nitrogen fixation signals. This result argues against previous interpretations of the δ15N from the basin's sedimentary record, which suggested that the nitrogen isotopic composition of flux is influenced by denitrification at the oxic-anoxic interface. Dissolved gas samples from the Cariaco eastern and western sub-basins from September 2008 (non-upwelling) and March 2009 (upwelling) were studied to assess the production of biogenic nitrogen gas through mass spectrometric N2/Ar ratiometry. Excess nitrogen gas indicated that upwelling affects the intensity of denitrification at the oxic-anoxic interface. In four of the six stations the concentration of biogenic nitrogen gas at the oxic-anoxic interface was 2.7-6.1 µM N higher during the upwelling period than during the relaxation season (p< 0.001), implying that denitrification in the basin was stimulated by the vertical flux of organic matter and/or the ventilation of the oxic-anoxic interface by oxygenated and nutrient-rich intermediate Caribbean waters.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2013.
In title on title page, "[delta]" appears as lower case Greek letters. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
The stable isotopes, [delta]¹⁵N and [delta]¹⁸O, of nitrite and nitrate can be powerful tools used to interpret nitrogen cycling in the ocean. They are particularly useful in regions of the ocean where there are multiple sources and sinks of nitrogenous nutrients, which concentration profiles alone cannot distinguish. Examples of such regions are "oxygen deficient zones" (ODZ). They are of particular interest because they are also important hot spots of fixed N loss and production of N₂O, a potent greenhouse gas. In order to interpret these isotope profiles, the isotope systematics of each process involved must be known so that we can distinguish the isotopic signature of each process. One of the important processes to consider here is nitrification, the process by which ammonium is oxidized nitrite and then to nitrate. This thesis describes numerous experiments using both cultures of nitrifying organisms as well as natural seawater samples to determine the oxygen isotope systematics of nitrification. These experimental incubations show that the accumulation of nitrite has a large effect on the resulting [delta]¹⁸ONO3. In experiments where nitrite does not accumulate, [delta]¹⁸ONO3 produced from nitrification is between -1 to l%o. These values will be applicable for the majority of the ocean, but the nitrite isotopic exchange will be important in the regions of the ocean where nitrite accumulates, such as the base of the euphotic zone and oxygen deficient zones. [delta]¹⁸ONO2 was developed as a unique tracer in this thesis because it undergoes abiotic equilibration with water [delta]¹⁸O at a predictable rate based on pH, temperature and salinity. This rate, its dependencies, and how the [delta]¹⁸ONO2 values can be used as not only biological source indicators but also indicators of age are described. This method was applied to samples from the primary nitrite maximum in the Arabian Sea, revealing that the dominant source and sinks of nitrite are ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation with an average age of 37 days. Finally, using the isotope systematics of nitrification as well as the properties of nitrite oxygen isotope exchange described in this thesis, the final chapter interprets multiisotope nitrate and nitrite profiles in the Costa Rica Upwelling Dome using a simple ID model. The nitrite isotopes showed that there were multiple sources of nitrite in the primary nitrite maximum including (1) decoupling of ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation, (2) nitrate reduction during assimilation and leakage of nitrite by phytoplankton. In the oxygen deficient zone and secondary nitrite maximum, there were equal contributions of nitrite removal from nitrite oxidation and nitrite reduction. This recycling of nitrite to nitrate through oxidation indicates that the percentage of reduced nitrate fully consumed to N2 gas is actually smaller than previous estimates. Overall, this thesis describes new nitrogen and oxygen isotopic tracers and uses them to elucidate the complicated nitrogen biogeochemistry in oxygen deficient zones.
by Carolyn Buchwald.
Ph.D.

Les études présentées dans ce manuscrit traitent de la diversité et de l'écologie des communautés procaryotiques des zones anoxiques pélagiques de deux écosystèmes lacustres : le lac d'Aydat, typiquement eutrophe, qui présente en période de stratification thermique un hypolimnion anoxique ; et le lac Pavin, unique lac méromictique de France, exhibant une zone anoxique permanente. Les analyses de la structure, de la diversité, et de la dynamique spatiale et- /ou temporelle du bacterioplancton des strates anoxiques de ces deux lacs par des approches moléculaires ont révélé une forte diversité microbienne accentuée par une stratification spatiale du bacterioplancton. Les investigations complémentaires sur les relations phylogénétiques et sur l'étude de métabolismes microbiens ont été focalisées sur les communautés de la zone anoxique du Lac Pavin en raison de son caractère original. Les banques de clones construites à partir d'échantillons d'eau anoxique prélevés à différentes strates dans le monimolimnion ont révélé que les communautés bactériennes sont dominées par des espèces affiliées aux δ-Proteobacteria, aux Verrucomicrobia, aux Bacteroidetes et à la division candidate OP11. Les séquences ARNr16S des Archaea sont principalement affiliées au groupe des Méthanosarcinales, observation confirmée par hybridation in situ. Les études in vitro de la réduction dissimilatrice du Fe (III), dans des cultures d'enrichissements, ont confirmé que les concentrations élevées en fer ferreux observées dans la sub-chémocline du Lac Pavin résultaient pour partie de l'activité de microorganismes. Dans ces enrichissements, les microorganismes couplent la réduction du Fe (III) avec l'oxydation préférentielle du fumarate, de l'H2, du CH4 et du lactate. Aucune accumulation de Fe (II) n'a été notée dans les enrichissements supplémentés en acétate comme donneur d'électrons. Cette observation suggère que ce métabolite pourrait être principalement utilisé dans le processus de méthanogénèse, et pourrait être produit pour partie par l'activité de bactéries Gram-positives homoacétogènes. L'hétérogénéité des profils TTGE réalisés à partir des différentes conditions d'enrichissements de BFR suggère que ces dernières peuvent occuper des niches écologiques très diverses dans le monimolimnion du Lac Pavin. Aucune séquence n'a été affiliée à des BFR* obligatoires identifiées dans d'autres écosystèmes. L'affiliation de séquences à des espèces appartenant au genre Desulfovibrio suggère que certaines BSR† utilisent cet accepteur d'électron. Des activités significatives de réduction du Fe (III) ont également été mises en évidence chez des souches fermentatives isolées de la zone anoxique de ce lac. L'étude plus particulière de la souche BS2 a révélé que cette voie métabolique pouvait lui conférer un avantage énergétique et donc écologique. L'ensemble du travail qui se situe dans les domaine de l'écologie microbienne et de l'environnement ouvre un large champ d'investigations tant au niveau cognitif qu'appliqué. Les perspectives prévoient d'affiner la compréhension du rôle des microorganismes anaérobies des systèmes lacustres dans les cycles biogéochimiques et plus généralement dans la compréhension du rôle de la biodiversité microbienne afin de répondre de façon raisonnée à une demande sociétale forte dans ces domaines.

Les écosystèmes côtiers sont des milieux complexes au sein desquels les communautés microbiennes, jouant un rôle majeur dans leur fonctionnement et leur maintien, s’adaptent et sont tolérantes à des conditions environnementales fluctuantes. En effet, au rythme des marées et de l'activité de la macrofaune, des oscillations oxie/anoxie influencent la composition et la dynamique des communautés microbiennes et par conséquent leur implication métabolique. Afin d’appréhender le devenir du pétrole dans ces écosystèmes, il est donc indispensable d’apporter des connaissances sur l’écologie des microorganismes intervenant dans son élimination, notamment dans des conditions oscillantes anoxie/oxie. Ainsi, ce travail de thèse a eu pour objectif de décrypter l’assemblage de communautés microbiennes hydrocarbonoclastesde sédiments intertidaux soumises à des oscillations anoxie/oxie en présence de pétrole lors d’une expérience en bioréacteurs. Les réponses écologiques des communautés bactériennes globales et de micro-organismes sulfato-réducteurs en conditions oscillantes ont pu être décrites en comparaison avec celles obtenues en conditions d’oxie ou d’anoxie permanentes, par l’analyse des données obtenues par séquençage haut-débit des gènes de l’ARN 16S et dsrB au niveau transcriptionnel. Ces études comparatives ont mis en évidence des profils écologiques en réponseaux conditions oscillantes, pouvant être répandus dans différents environnements marins côtiers. En réponse à ces conditions particulières, de nombreux microorganismes semblent avoir le potentiel à tolérer et/ou s’adapter aux différentes conditions d'oxygénation. Cette capacité d’acclimatation rapide des communautés bactériennes aux conditions oscillantes se sont accompagnées de capacités de dégradation équivalentes ou supérieures dans ces conditions par rapport à la condition d’oxie permanente montrant l’influence des oscillations anoxie/oxie sur le devenir du polluant dans les environnements pollués soumis à ces conditions
Coastal ecosystems are complex environments in which microbial communities, playing a major role in their functioning and maintain, are tolerant and adapt to changing environmental conditions. Indeed, the tides and the macrofauna’s activity generate oxic/anoxic oscillations which influence the composition and dynamics of microbial communities and consequently their metabolic in volvement. To understand the fate of oil in these ecosystems, it is essential to provide knowledge on the ecology of microorganisms involved in these systems, taking into account anoxic/oxicoscillating conditions. Thus, this thesis aimed to decipher the organization of hydrocarbonoclastic microbial communities inhabiting intertidal sediments, when they are subjected to anoxic/oxic oscillations in an experiment in bioreactors with oil addition. Ecological responses of bacterial communities and sulfate-reducing microorganisms in oscillating conditions have been described comparing with those obtained with permanent oxic or anoxic conditions, using high-throughputsequencing analyses of the 16S rRNA and dsrB genes at the transcriptional level. These comparatives studies have highlighted ecological profiles in response to the oscillating conditions, which can be prevalent in different coastal marine environments. In response to these particular conditions, many organisms seem to have the potential to tolerate and / or adapt to the different conditions of oxygenation. This rapid acclimation capacity of bacterial communities tothese changing conditions have been accompanied by equivalent or greater degradation capacity under these conditions compared to the permanent oxic condition, showing the influence of the anoxic/oxic oscillations on the fate of pollutant in environments subjected tothese conditions

Includes bibliography.
Filamentous bulking, which causes deterioration in sludge settleability has been shown, in two nation-wide surveys to be a problem of considerable proportions. Poor sludge settleability in the secondary clarifier limits the daily flow and load that can be treated in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants. Controlling sludge settleability to relatively low levels i.e. Diluted Sludge Volume Index (DSVI < 100 rnl/g) by controlling filamentous organism proliferation would allow increased daily flow and loads by up to 100 on existing activated sludge wastewater treatment plants. From the two surveys, Blackbeard et al. (1986,1988) found that mainly six filamentous organisms tended to dominate in activated sludges in N and N&P removal plants i.e. types 0092, 0041, 0675, 1851, 0914 and Microthrix parvicella. Four of these six filaments are classified by Jenkins et al (1984) as low Food/Micro-organism (low F/M) filaments. At the University of Cape Town and in a 4 year research programme (1986 to 1989) Gabb et al (1989a) investigated specific methods to control low F /M filament proliferation. Traditionally the promoted specific bulking control method was inclusion of either an anoxic or aerobic selector at the head of the wastewater treatment plant. Gabb et al (1989a) found that selectors did not control low F/M filament proliferation but that continuous aeration did. They concluded that the presence of anoxic and aerobic zones in a treatment plant was an important factor in low F/M filament proliferation. In 1989 a second research programme was initiated at the University of Cape Town to identify the factors that influence low F/M filament proliferation. Completed research thus far has established inter alia that fully anoxic and fully aerobic conditions successfully control low F/M filament proliferation but that alternating anoxic-aerobic conditions in single reactor intermittent aeration systems promoted proliferation. The research presented in this thesis focuses on the interchange between anoxic and aerobic conditions in nitrogen removal systems and its effect on low F/M filament proliferation.

L’objectif de ce travail était d’étudier les mécanismes de corrosion-cicatrisation d’aciers revêtus par des alliages d’aluminium, sur tranche et en zone confinée. Sur la tranche, les techniques de mesures locales ont été utilisées pour étudier le comportement de deux types de revêtements sacrificiels : l’un étant constitué d’un alliage d’aluminium à 55% en masse et de Zn (Aluzinc) et d’un alliage d’aluminium contenant environ 11% silicium (Alusi). L’ensemble des résultats montre que les revêtements à base alliages d’aluminium ont un comportement sacrificiel qui dépend fortement de leur composition selon le type d’environnement concerné. Si le milieu corrosif contient des chlorures il est plus facile d’amorcer et/ou de stabiliser le comportement sacrificiel. Cela est par exemple parfaitement illustré par le comportement du revêtement Alusi qui reste passif dans le milieu sulfate et donc ne permet aucune protection à l’acier. Par contre pour les revêtements 55%Al-Zn, on a pu constater un effet sacrificiel très stable en milieu chloruré (l’acier est protégé cathodiquement) qui se confirme en milieu sulfate mais seulement pour de courtes périodes d'immersion (t < 1 h). L’étude du comportement de ces mêmes traitements de surface en situation de corrosion perforante a permis de proposer un dispositif d’étude représentatif ayant une géométrie assez proche de celles des éprouvettes qui ont fait l’objet d’une normalisation. On a mis l’accent sur la possibilité de mesurer l’évolution du pH en positionnant de manière précise une microélectrode de pH à membrane liquide sélective dans une cavité modèle. Par des simulations numériques basées sur des modèles de transport et de réaction on a montré que l’on pouvait calculer les gradients chimiques et électriques dans la cavité testée en utilisant la résolution des équations de transport (Nernst-Planck) par la méthode des éléments finis
The objective of this work was to study the self healing mechanisms of aluminium based alloy coated steels on cut-edge specimens in confined condition. In situ chemical and electrochemical probe techniques have been used to study the behaviour of two types of sacrificial coatings: one is consisting on an Al alloy containing 55% of Zn (Aluzinc) and the other one contains about 11% of Silicon (Alusi). The results showed that the aluminium based coatings have a sacrificial behaviour which depends strongly on their composition and on the environment concerned. In a corrosive environment containing chlorides it is easier to initiate and / or stabilize the sacrificial behaviour. This is clearly illustrated by the behaviour of the Alusi coating which remains passive in a neutral sulphate solution and therefore does not protect the steel. On the opposite, for 55% Al-Zn coatings, a very stable sacrificial effect has been demonstrated in chloride medium (steel is cathodically protected) which is confirmed in sulphate medium but only for short periods of immersion (t <1 h). An experimental setup allowing pH measurements inside a confined volume representing a lapped joint was designed. The pH evolution over steel and galvanized steel surfaces in confined conditions was monitored. This experimental pH was compared with that calculated using a two-dimensional transport-reaction model only in the case of a confined iron surface. The difference between the experimental and calculated pH in the steady state was attributed to the limitation of the modelling approach, more especially concerning solid phases precipitation inside the cavity

L'hypoxie périnatale entraîne une dégénérescence et un délai de maturation des oligodendrocytes et des neurones corticaux du cortex cerebral. Mon projet de thèse a d'abord consisté à étudier la contribution des cellules souche neurales de la zone sous-ventriculaire dorsale (dSVZ) à la tentative de régénération spontanée observée après la lésion. Dans un second temps, j'ai étudié la capacité de ces cellules souches à être manipulée en utilisant une approche pharmacologique.Mes résultats mettent en évidence une réponse spontanée et dynamique de la dSVZ qui produit des neurones et des oligodendrocytes corticaux en réponse à l'hypoxie. L'administration par voie intranasale d'un inhibiteur de Gsk3b, qui active la voie Wnt/b-caténine, petite molécule identifiée à l'aide d'une étude bio-informatique comme « dorsalisante », juste après la période d'hypoxie, potentialise cette réponse spontanée. En effet, mes résultats montrent que certains neurones corticaux issus de la dSVZ survivent avec le traitement alors qu'aucun ne semblent persister après 1 mois suivant l'hypoxie. De plus, le traitement accélère la maturation des oligodendrocytes corticaux et augmentent leur production et intégration à long terme. Enfin, le traitement a un effet à long terme sur les cellules souches de la dSVZ en augmentant la proportion de ces cellules qui sont actives. Pour conclure, la dSVZ participe à la récupération corticale spontanée qui suit l'hypoxie périnatale et cette réponse peut être potentialisée par l'administration d'une petite molécule identifiée par notre analyse bio-informatique, un inhibiteur de GSK3b
Perinatal hypoxia leads to degeneration and delayed maturation of oligodendrocytes and cortical glutamatergic neurons. My PhD project consists in assessing the contribution of neural stem cells (NSCs) of the dorsal subventricular zone (dSVZ, i.e. the largest germinal zone of the postnatal brain) to the spontaneous regenerative attempt observed following such injury as well as its amenability to pharmacological manipulation.The results I have obtained highlight a dynamic and lineage-specific response of NSCs of the dSVZ to hypoxia that results in de novo oligodendrogenesis and cortical neurogenesis. Newborn cortical neurons express appropriate cortical layer markers, supporting their appropriate specification. A pharmacogenomics analysis allowed us to identify small molecules boosting specificly dSVZ NSCs. Pharmacological activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signalling by intranasal GSK3ß inhibitor administration during the recovery period following hypoxia indeed potentiates dorsal SVZ participation to post-hypoxia repair. Gsk3b inhibitor CHIR99021 seems to promote survival of cortical neurons from the dSVZ produced in response to hypoxia. More interestingly, CHIR99021 promotes oligodendrocyte maturation and long term integration in the cortex as well as a long term increased activity of dSVZ NSCs.Altogether, my results highlighted a dynamic and lineage-specific response of dorsal NSCs cells to hypoxia and identify the early postnatal dorsal SVZ as a malleable source of stem cells for cortical repair following trauma that occur early in life. CHIR99021 (a Gsk3b inhibitor) intranasal administration promotes this cortical cellular repair with a long term activation of dSVZ NSCs which increased their production of oligodendrocytes migrating to the cortex and a short term improvement of their maturation, and might allow the integration of cortical neurons they produce

A eletroforese capilar (CE) é uma técnica de separação eficiente, que tem merecido grande atenção nas últimas duas décadas, e que oferece soluções analíticas alternativas ou complementares à cromatografia líquida num número crescente campos de aplicação, incluindo análises de fármacos, compostos biológicos e biogênicos, dentre outros. Entre as vantagens comparativas da técnica figuram separações mais rápidas com pequeno dispêndio de amostras, solução tampão (e solvente orgânico, se usado), baixo custo de operação e manutenção. Todavia, a exigüidade de amostra no capilar tem como reflexo, via de regra, limites de detecção menos favoráveis que os da HPLC, uma limitação significativa na análise de traços, suplantável por técnicas e procedimentos de extração/acumulação prévia dos analitos. Nesta tese concebeu-se e implementou-se a combinação inédita entre a CE e a préconcentração eletroquímica de metais. Novos dispositivos para extração líquido/gás/líquido mediada por membranas microporosas também foram propostos e aplicados à analise de aminas voláteis, sempre utilizando detector de condutância medida sem contato direto com a solução (C4D, contactless capacitively coupled conductivity detection). Primeiramente, sem recorrer à preconcentração, definiu-se condições de análise para 16 aminas (metilamina, dimetilamina, trimetilamina, propilamina, n-butilamina, s-butilamina, t-butilamina, hexilamina, DMAE, etanolamina, dietanolamina, trietanolamina, 1,3-diaminopropano, 1,4-diaminobutano, 1,5-diaminopentano e 1,6-diaminohexano) juntamente com íon amônio, e, para análise de 9 metais (TI++, Cd2+, Pb2+,Cr3+, Zn2+, Ag+, Cu2+, Co2+ e Ni2+). Um método completo para análise de dimetilaminoetanol em formulações cosméticas por CE-C4D foi desenvolvido e validado. Os estudos de extração e pré-concentração líquido/gás/líquido foram realizados utilizando filamento oco de Oxyphan preenchido com solução coletora. Foi construída cela para extração gasosa constituída de recipiente fechado no qual se introduz amostra com analitos voláteis, ou volatilizáveis pela adição de reagente e/ou aquecimento (pervaporação). A bobina coletora de filamento oco preenchido com solução coletora foi montada na parte interna da tampa da cela. Testes realizados com amostras de tecidos de peixe demonstraram o funcionamento do sistema, que poderá ser aperfeiçoado e aplicado, por exemplo, à análise de aminas biogênicas primárias de baixo peso molecular, indicadoras de decomposição de certos alimentos. Criou-se também extrator microvolumétrico em que o filamento de Oxyphan é montado concentricamente no interior de um capilar de sílica fundida, para realização de estudos de extração líquido/gás/líquido em fluxo. Um sistema em fluxo compreendendo válvulas e microbombas foi montado e colocado sob controle de um programa de computador (Labview), que, entre outras funções, controla o deslocamento da solução coletora exposta no filamento oco (13 µL) até o ponto exato da interface em que se dá a injeção no capilar da CE. Pela primeira vez recorreu-se à acumulação eletroquímica (ECPC) de analitos num sistema FIA-CE-C4D - uma configuração baseada inteiramente na eletroquímica -, visando expandir os limites de detecção das determinações e eliminar interferência de matriz por troca de meio. Implementou-se a pré-concentração catódica seguida de redissolução anódica com uma célula eletroquímica especial, em que o capilar da eletroforese é posicionado junto ao eletrodo de trabalho, feito de ouro obtido a partir de CD\'s graváveis. Uma célula microfluídica ECPC-FIA-CE-C4D também foi construída. Tomando íons Cu2+ como sistema modelo, demonstrou-se o aumento do sinal referente aos íons cobre(lI) no eletroferograma para tempos crescentes de acumulação eletroquímica. Para a solução de alto teor salino contendo mistura dos íons Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(lI) e Cu(II), comprovou-se a eliminação da interferência da matriz por troca de meio antes da redissolução anódica. Os testes iniciais indicam que os novos dispositivos e sistemas propostos nesta tese para uso em conjunto com a CE têm potencialidade para desencadear novas pesquisas, desenvolvimento de métodos e aplicações, sendo passíveis também de miniaturização e automação.
Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an efficient separation technique that evolved rapidly in the last couple of decades, now offering complementary or alternative analytical solutions to liquid chromatography for an expanding number of application fields including drugs, biological and biogenic compounds. Some comparative advantages of CE are faster separation, very low consumption of buffer solutions and samples (and organic solvents, if any), lower maintenance and operational costs. However, the quantification of a few nanoliters of analyte in a capillary, as a rule, compromises the detection limits attainable by HPLC, a shortcomming in trace analysis, suplantable by extraction/preconcentration of the analytes from the sample. The combination of electrochemical preconcentration (ECPC) with CE is first proposed in this thesis and tested with metal ions. New devices for liquid/gas/liquid extraction based on microporous filaments filled with a collector solution were proposed and applied to the analysis of volatile amines, The detector of choice was the C4D (capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection) and CE-C4D working conditions were defined for the separation and determination of: i) 16 amines (methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, propylamine, n-butylamine, s-butylamine, t-butylamine, hexilamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, DMAE, 1,3-diaminopropane, 1,4- diaminobutane, 1,5-diaminopentane and 1,6-diaminohexane) plus ammonium, ii) nine metallic ions (Tl+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Cr3+ Zn2+, Ag+, Cu2+, Co2+ e Ni2+). A complete method of analysis for Dimethyl-amino-ethanol (DMAE) in cosmetic formulations was established and validated. Liquid/gas/liquid extraction studies were based on the use of a polypropylene microporous filment (Oxyphan® ) filled with the collection solution. A closed cell was devised in which an Oxyphan® coil is installed beneath the cap and volatilization of sample components can be promoted by heating (pervaporation) or addition of a reactant. The device was successfully tested with fish samples by the detection of primary low molecular weight biogenic amines, a procedure of special interest in fast checking of fish or other foods for decomposition. A microvolumetric version of the liquid/gas/liquid extractor was created with an Oxyphan® hollow fiber mounted concentrically inside a silica capillary. A flow system comprising the micropumps, solenoid valves and the microextrator was designed, automatically operated under software control (Labview). This FIA-CE system was tested by the extraction/enrichment of volatile amines in the collecting solution (13 µL) followed by accurate displacement to the interface with the CE capillary by the micropumps. Pioneering work with ECPC-FIA-CE-C4D an all-electrochemical system was conducted in this thesis aiming expanded detection limits and matrix effect reduction. An electrochemical cell for the interface with FIA-CE system was built in acrylic using gold electrodes made from gold-sputtered CD-Rs. A microfluidic version of the cell interfaced with the CE capillary was also conceived. The full system was evaluated by using Cu2+ as a model specie; an increase in analytical signal was observed as a function of the cathodic deposition time before stripping. For a mixture of Cd2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+ in a high saline media, elimination of the matrix interference by medium exchange before stripping was demonstrated. Initial favorable evaluations show that the devices and systems proposed in 12 the thesis have the potential to engender further research of methods and applications as well as miniaturization and automation of procedures.

A biological front at the mouth of Saanich Inlet results in higher rates of primary productivity at the inlet mouth relative to the head creating a gradient that could influence zooplankton distribution. A shallow sill (75m) at the inlet mouth restricts circulation below sill depth, isolating the deep basin for much of the year. Anoxia develops in the isolated basin and the depth of the anoxic layer changes during the year. During the day, pelagic zooplankton form a deep scattering layer. Between April 2005 and March 2006. I conducted monthly 200kHz acoustic surveys between the mouth and head of Saanich Inlet to test the hypothesis that zooplankton density was greater near the mouth relative to the head. I was also interested in how changing anoxic layer depth affected the distribution of the deep scattering layer. I found that zooplankton density followed a headward gradient in the spring and summer. with the highest densities near the mouth. Zooplankton density was higher near the mouth or the mid-inlet relative to the head in 75% of transects. I did not observe a zooplankton density gradient during the winter. Zooplankton distribution was affected by dissolved oxygen concentration. Deep scattering layer depth was significantly correlated with the depth of the anoxic layer and vertical compression of the deep scattering layer increased as the anoxic layer moved upwards. When the depth of the anoxic layer was less than 90 meters. zooplankton were nearly absent. Vertical migration of the deep scattering layer to surface waters at night has been well documented. but zooplankton migration patterns in the shallow waters of Saanich Inlet have not been described. I used 200kHz acoustic data collected by the VENUS observatory (96m) and an autonomous acoustic system deployed at a shallow site (62m) in Patricia Bay to study zooplankton migration patterns. Horizontal movement of the deep scattering layer over shallow depths following vertical migration was infrequent. Over 41 days of observation at the shallow site. I only observed deep scattering layer zooplankton on 12 days. At the shallow site. night-time volume backscatter was dominated by the emergence of benthic zooplankton. The movement of these scatterers into the water column at night resulted in a 14-fold increase in volume backscatter over daytime values. I observed this emergence pattern at both sites. which represents an important component of benthic-pelagic coupling in Saanich Inlet. In contrast to the deer scattering layer. which migrated to the surface each night, emergent zooplankton remained within 30-40 meters of the seafloor and did not ascend into surface waters.

The high productivity of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystems (EBUE), some of the most productive ecosystems in the globe, is attributed to the nutrient rich waters brought up through upwelling. Climate change scenarios for coastal upwelling systems, predict an intensification of coastal upwelling winds. Associated with intensification in upwelling are biogeochemical changes such as ocean hypoxia and ocean acidification. In recent years, the California Current System (CCS) has experienced the occurrence of nearshore hypoxia and the novel rise of anoxia. This has been attributed to changes in the intensity of upwelling wind stress. The effects of some of the more severe hypoxia and anoxia events in the CCS have been mass mortality of fish and benthic invertebrates. However, the impacts on zooplankton in this system are not known. Meroplankton, those organisms which have a planktonic stage for only part of their life cycle, are an important component of zooplankton communities. The larval stage of benthic invertebrates forms an important link between benthic adult communities and planktonic communities. Larvae serve to disperse individuals to new locations and to link populations. They are also food for fish and planktonic invertebrates. This important life stage can spend long periods in the plankton (from days to months) where environmental conditions can affect larval health, subsequent settlement and recruitment success, and juvenile health. This research assesses the role of hypoxia and larval survivorship, and the relationship between individual abundance and community structure of larvae to environmental factors in the field. In laboratory experiments (Chapter 2), a suite of 10 rocky intertidal invertebrate species from four phyla were exposed to low oxygen conditions representative of the nearshore environment of the Oregon coast. Results revealed a wide range in tolerances from species with little tolerance (e.g. the shore crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis) to species with high tolerance (e.g. the California mussel Mytilus californianus). The differential responses across larvae to chronic hypoxia and anoxia potentially could affect their recruitment success and consequently, the structure and species composition of intertidal communities. Field studies (Chapter 3 & 4) explore the relationship between environmental variables and larval abundance and community structure. Chapter 3 focuses on broad taxonomic groups, while Chapter 4 focuses on larval decapods in particular. Fine focus was devoted to decapod larvae, due to laboratory findings of heightened sensitivity to hypoxia of decapod crabs. A finding that is also supported in the literature. The goal of field studies was to identify the environmental parameters that structure meroplankton and larval decapod communities and identify which of these parameters play a significant role in influencing larval abundance. A number of environmental variables contributed to meroplankton assemblage structure and larval decapod assemblage structure. These included distance from shore, depth, date, upwelling intensity, dissolved oxygen, and cumulative wind stress. Some of these factors occurred frequently in larval abundance models. In Chapter 3, individual abundance across broad taxonomic groups was most commonly explained by upwelling intensity while in Chapter 4, individual abundance of different decapod species was explained by cumulative wind stress, which is a proxy for upwelling intensity. The prominent role of upwelling related factors in explaining individual abundance is important considering climate change projections of an increased intensification of upwelling winds in EBUE.
Graduation date: 2012
Access restricted to the OSU Community at author's request from Jan. 6, 2012 - Jan. 6, 2013

Continental shelves located along eastern boundary currents occupy relatively small volumes of the world’s oceans, yet are responsible for a large proportion of global primary production. The Oregon coast is among these ecosystems. Recent analyses of dissolved oxygen at shallow depths in the water column has suggested increasing episodes of hypoxia and anoxia, events that are detrimental to larger macro-faunal species. Microbial communities, however, are metabolically diverse, capable of utilizing alternative electron donors and acceptors, and can withstand transient periods of low dissolved oxygen. Understanding the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of microorganisms in these environments is important for assessing the impact hypoxic events have on local and global biogeochemistry. Several molecular ecology tools were used to answer questions about the distribution patterns and activities of microorganisms residing along the coast of Oregon in this dissertation. Ribosomal rRNA fingerprinting and sequence analyses of samples collected during 2007-2008 suggested that bacterial community structure was not substantially influenced by changes in dissolved oxygen. However, substantial depth dependent changes were observed, with samples collected in the bottom boundary layer (BBL) displaying significant differences from those collected in the surface layer. Phylogenetic analyses of bacterial rRNA genes revealed novel phylotypes associated with this area of the water column, including groups with close evolutionary relationships to putative or characterized sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB). Analysis of metagenomes and metatranscriptomes collected during 2009 suggested increasing abundances of chemolithoautrophic organisms and their activities in the BBL. Thaumarchaea displayed significant depth dependent increases during the summer, and were detected at maximal frequencies during periods of hypoxia, suggesting that nitrification maybe influenced by local changes in dissolved oxygen. Metagenomic analysis of samples collected from 2010 revealed substantial variability in the metabolic potential of the microbial communities from different water masses. Samples collected during the spring, prior to upwelling clustered independently of those collected during the summer, during a period of upwelling, and did not display any clear stratification. Samples collected during the summer did cluster based on depth, consistent with previous observations, and increases in the relative abundances of chemolithotrophic gene suites were observed in the BBL during stratified conditions, suggesting that the metabolic potential for these processes is a repeatable feature along the Oregon coast. Overall, these observations suggest that depth impacts microbial community diversity, metabolic potential, and transcriptional activity in shallow areas of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The increase in lithotrophic genes and transcripts in the BBL suggests that this microbial community includes many organisms that are able to use inorganic electron donors for respiration. We speculate that the dissolved organic material in the BBL is semi-labile and not available for immediate oxidation, favoring the growth for microorganisms that are able to use alternative electron donors.
Graduation date: 2012

碩士
龍華科技大學
化工與材料工程系碩士班
106
Ammonia nitrogen refers to the compound in the form of free ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen ion (NH4+). When excess ammonia nitrogen is discharged into the water body, the water body will be eutrophicated and the ornamental value of the water body will be reduced. The ammonia nitrogen will dissolve dissolved oxygen in the water during the nitrification process. In addition to the deterioration of water quality, the formation of nitrates and nitrites can also affect the growth of aquatic organisms and even human health. This study is aimed at the wastewater from an industrial wastewater treatment plant, using AO: Anoxic/Oxic method to remove ammonia nitrogen from wastewater, data collection, water quality testing, field operation observation and adjustment analysis, etc. , comprehensively explore the processing effect of the AO system. From this study, it is known that there is no significant correlation between ammonia and nitrogen removal efficiency when pH is between 6 and 9. Dissolved oxygen (DO) has a highly positive correlation with total nitrogen/ammonia nitrogen removal rate, and wastewater water temperature is in the range of 10 to 35 °C. Does not directly affect the total nitrogen / ammonia nitrogen removal rate. After analyzing the data of pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), etc., it can be used as a wastewater treatment plant efficiency evaluation. The basic parameters and the improvement of the failure assessment of the sampling points are based on the improvement of the ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency of the AO treatment program under normal conditions by more than 90%.

In natural waters, high concentrations of ammonia are toxic to fish, and the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate (NO₃-) consumes large quantities of dissolved oxygen. The influent to municipal wastewater treatment plants in the United States typically contains approximately 40 mg/L of ammonia nitrogen (NH₃₋ N). Almost all of this ammonia must be removed in a wastewater treatment process before the effluent is discharged to the natural environment. This dramatic decrease is accomplished by the aerobic biological process of nitrification, in which ammonia is oxidized to nitrate Biological denitrification is an anoxic biological process in which nitrate (NO₃-) is reduced to nitrogen gas (N₂). Denitrification can increase the alkalinity in activated sludge aeration basins and decrease the concentration of filamentous organisms. The staff at the City of Austin Water Utility decided to implement a denitrification system at Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to control filamentous organisms and increase the alkalinity within the aeration basins. The denitrification configuration that the staff implemented was unconventional because no structural changes were made to the aeration basins to encourage denitrification. However, the system functioned well and allowed operators to turn off one of the two air blowers, which saves the plant a significant amount of energy. The current operation has occasional problems, where the alkalinity in the aeration basin decreases or the effluent ammonia increases. When the alkalinity decreases to the point where the pH drops to near 6.0, operators are forced to add chemicals to increase the alkalinity. When the effluent ammonia increases to near the permitted concentration (2.0 mg NH₃-N/L),operators are forced to turn back on the second blower which eliminates the anoxic zone. These problems occur most often during the winter, when the wastewater is the coldest. The wastewater temperature at Walnut Creek varies from a high of 30°C during the summer to a low of 18°C during the winter. The goal of this research was the identification of ways to make the operation more robust which would prevent the need for chemical addition and minimize the use of the second blower. Laboratory-scale reactors were operated to assess possible improvements that could be made to the operation and configuration of the denitrification system at Walnut Creek. The data observed in the laboratory scale experiments showed that the population of denitrifying bacteria limits denitrification and is especially important during the winter. Increasing the solids retention time to 20 days appeared to be the best way to increase the population of denitrifying bacteria and improve denitrification. Improvements can also be made by increasing the volume of the anoxic zone. Increasing the volume of wastewater and biomass recycled will most likely not benefit denitrification until other improvements have been made. Recommendations to the City of Austin Water Utility include the following: 1) increase the solids retention time at Walnut Creek, 2) Increase the volume of the anoxic zone, 3) Separate the anoxic zone from the aerobic section of each aeration basin, 4) During the winter, operate the flow equalization basins to reduce the dissolved oxygen entering the anoxic zone, 5) Continually mix some of the effluent from the aeration basins with the primary effluent in the flow equalization basins.
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