Science Collected Works - Theses

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Type: Masters Research thesis ×

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 125
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    Geological investigations in the Murray Basin in New South Wales
    Pels, Simon. (University of Melbourne, 1962)
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    Partition chromatography and its applications
    Overell, B. T. (University of Melbourne, 1949)
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    Some physico-chemical aspects of naturally occurring pigments
    Scutt, Philip Buckley (University of Melbourne, 1948)
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    Bases of mathematical theories of plasticity
    Robson, R. A. (University of Melbourne, 1951)
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    Activation, inactivation and inhibition of enzymes
    Doig, Jean Grant (University of Melbourne, 1946)
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    Silurian trilobites of central Victoria
    Sandford, Andrew. (University of Melbourne, 1996)
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    The importance of Tetrarrhena juncea R. Br. in the ecology of Eucalyptus regnans stands in Sherbrooke Forest Park
    Ashwell, David A. (University of Melbourne, 1985)
    The native, climbing grass Tetrarrhena juncea (forest wiregrass) exhibits unusually prolific growth in Sherbrooke Forest Park. The distribution and abundance of this species within stands of Eucalyptus regnans and related forest types was investigated in relation to the range of vegetation in order to elucidate factors responsible for this prolific growth. Computer based techniques of pattern analysis were used to describe and compare the range of variation in vegetation floristics and structure, and in environmental features within the E. regnans and related forest types, for an area of approximately 290 ha located in the western section of the park. The major themes of variation in the vegetation parallel a suite of environmental changes. These are the maturity of the E. regnans over storey, an underlying topographical moisture gradient and the levels of light which are likely to penetrate to the forest floor. The fire history of the area is such that the majority of sites may be arranged along a multivariate environmental gradient. Mature forests, with dense small tree strata generally occur in the wetter sites, while younger (spar) forests with less dense small tree strata occur in drier areas. However, a small proportion of spar stands are associated with riparian environments. Changes in the abundance of T. juncea parallel the multivariate environmental gradient; this species is least abundant in moist sites dominated by mature E. regnans and most abundant in the drier sites where spar-aged stands predominate. Whilst the environmental pattern present is characterised by a suite of characters, the majority of the variation (91%) in the cover of T. juncea within the study area may be accounted for in terms of the level of light which penetrates the combined cover of the small tree stratum and the ground fern Polystichum proliferum. The activity of lyrebirds and wombats was investigated in relation to the cover of T. juncea. Dense cover of T. juncea excludes lyrebirds from feeding in certain areas, but provides an important food source for a small population of wombats. Field trials showed that grazing by wombats has potentially damaging effects upon the structure and regenerative capacity of dense swards, suggesting that recurrent grazing is likely to limit sward formation. However, the wombat population was shown to be small and the effects of their grazing to be localised. The development of the dense swards in Sherbrooke Forest Park is discussed in relation to the likely effects of grazing upon the post-wildfire development of vegetation in even-aged stands of E. regnans and the increasing pressures of urbanisation of the Dandenong Ranges during the post-war period.
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    Identification and characterization of a style specific glycoprotein from Nicotiana alata Link et Otto
    Ayers, Karen. (University of Melbourne, 1988)
    Monoclonal antibodies were raised to an extract from Nicotiana alata Link et Otto (genotype S1S3) styles. The cell lines which produced antibodies that bound to N. alata style extracts but which did not recognize AGPs were partially characterized and one cell line was chosen for further study. This cell line (cell line 58 (766)) secreted an antibody which specifically bound to a major style glycoprotein (120 kD). The antibody was directed to the carbohydrate moiety of the glycoprotein; binding between the antibody and style extract was preferentially inhibited by ?-D- Galp-(l?6)-D-Gal. The N. alata style component that bound the monoclonal antibody 58 (766) is style specific, but does not segregate with self-incompatibility genotype. It is localized in the extracellular matrix of the style and is concentrated in the top section of the style. The concentration of the 120 kD component is developmentally regulated, increasing with maturation of the style. A polyclonal antiserum raised to a commercial preparation of Solanum tuberosum (potato) tuber, lectin also binds to the 120 kD component and the possibility that the 120 kD component is a lectin was investigated. Although style extracts contained no haemagglutinating activity and the 120 kD component did not bind to either fetuin or chitin oligomers, the strong cross-reactivity between the anti-potato lectin antibody and the 120 kD component indicates at least partial structural homology. Approaches were also made to purify the 120 kD component. This component can be substantially purified using a combination of (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, and hydroxylapatite and immunoaffinity chromatography. The final preparation does not contain contaminating proteins or AGPs. However, the yield using this procedure is low and hence, other purification techniques were also investigated. Preliminary amino acid data has been obtained from material which was electroeluted from a SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The 120 kD component has a relatively high concentration of glycine, alanine, 1/2-cysteine and methionine, and a low amount of hydroxyproline and the basic amino acids, lysine, arginine and histidine. Finally, an algal biliprotein from the cryptomonad, Proteomonas sulcata was isolated and partially characterized. The purified pigment has a single absorption peak at 549 nm with a slight shoulder at 555 nm and a single fluorescent emission peak at 583 nm. It has two subunits with the apparent molecular weights of 11 kD and 19 kD on SDS-PAGE. This pigment is potentially useful as a fluorescent marker in immunocytochemistry.