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Biological invasions caused by the introductions of non-native species (NNS) into their non- native ecosystems have long been a global environmental concern. In the Philippines large-scale importation of non-native freshwater fish species for the aquarium and aquaculture industry have been documented as early as 1940s. However, little invasiveness assessment has been done in the past, which resulted to the invasion of some of these exotic species. Thus, in this paper, 25 NNS (Order: Siluriformes) were assessed using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) to determine their potential for becoming invasive in the chosen risk assessment (RA) area, as well as their ecological and socioeconomic potential impacts on the Philippines. Based on the comprehensive ROC Curve, with the use of the Youden-J index, overall threshold values of ≥ 35 for basic risk assessment (BRA) and ≥ 47 for BRA + climate change assessment (CCA) were established to categorize the potential invasiveness of each species as low-, medium-, or high-risk. According to BRA, 10 (40%) NNS were screened as highly invasive, 14 (56%) with medium risk, and one (4%) with low risk. For BRA + CCA, 10 (40%) NNS were categorized as highly invasive, 12 (48%) with medium risk, and three (12%) with low risk. These findings highlight the need for more RAs of the non-native fish species that enter the country through the ornamental industry, as well as improved public educational campaigns and comprehensive regulatory and management policies to prevent their future invasion.

The small intestinal mucosal apical hydrolases are essential to the terminal digestion of enteral nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and phosphates, and non-immune defense. Weaning results in the complete replacement of fetal enterocytes with mature adult-type enterocytes and is typified by mucosal atrophy, crypt hyperplasia and compromised digestive and defensive functions. Given these severe physiological changes, we hypothesize that the major apical small intestinal hydrolases will be differentially expressed, allowing for reprogramming and adaptation, in the early-weaned piglet. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine changes in the digestive capacity, the catalytic kinetics, and abundances of protein and mRNA of the small intestinal hydrolases, including alkaline phosphatase (IAP), lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH), sucrase-isomaltase (SI), maltase-glucoamylase (MGA) and aminopeptidase N (APN), in the early-weaned pigs in comparison with suckling pigs. A total of 20 Yorkshire piglets, 10 suckling (SU) and 10 early-weaned (WN) with an average initial body weight of about 3 kg at the age of 10 d, were used in this study. Weanling piglets were fed a corn and soybean meal-based diet for 12 d. Proximal jejunal samples from both groups were collected. Hydrolase kinetic experiments were conducted using the substrates of lactose (0-75 mM), sucrose (0-75 mM), maltose (0-75 mM), amylose (0-100 mM), p-nitrophenyl phosphate (0-10 mM), and L-alanine-p-nitroanilide hydrochloride (0-16 mM). Abundances of the target gene hydrolase protein and mRNA were analyzed by Western blotting and quantitative real time reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively, using ß-actin as a control. Results from this study demonstrate that early weaning down-regulated (P < 0.05) the digestive capacity and expression of LPH while simultaneously increasing (P < 0.05) the digestive capacity and expression of SI and MGA. Furthermore, weaning decreased (P < 0.05) the digestive capacity and expression of APN and IAP by 35 and 50%, respectively. Thus, the early-weaning process differentially affected the expression of the apical membrane-bound hydrolases of the small intestine. The down-regulation of IAP highlights the reduced microbial detoxifying capacity of the newly weaned piglet and provides some insight into the cascade of immune related events that occur during the post-weaning transition period. The reduced expression of LPH and the simultaneous up-regulation of SI, maltase, and MGA indicate the unique nature of the small intestinal reprogramming that occurs during weaning. These results imply that the early weaning events help the small intestine adapt to the transition to starch digestion. Meanwhile, the down-regulation of the APN expression may be partially responsible for the reduced efficiency of whole body protein utilization, and the pervasive localized immune responses observed in the small intestine of early-weaned piglets. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Discovery Program, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)-the University of Guelph Partnership Research Program.

This thesis is an investigation of the visceral organ growth and threonine (Thr) utilization and requirements in segregated early-weaned (SEW) piglets fed diets in which soybean meal (SBM) and corn provided the only sources of dietary proteins. The feeding of a SBM-based diet stimulated gastric and spleen growth but reduced hepatic growth and adversely affected small intestinal mucosal morphology in the early-weaned piglets. Feeding of the SBM-based diet increased total Thr requirement by 85% in the early-weaned piglet. An optimal dietary supplementation of 0.5% crystalline L-Thr, on as fed basis, improved the average daily gain and feed conversion by 57 and 64%, respectively. This optimal L-Thr supplementation also improved the small intestinal morphology and biosynthetic functions in the SEW piglet fed SBM-based diets.

This study examines the relationship between the surveyed intentions of young men to join the military and their actual enlistment behavior. Of specific concern, is how knowledge of this relationship might benefit the United States Marine Corps in achieving cost-effective management of recruiting resources. A review of selected literature examines the use of an intentions variable in manpower forecasting models as well as some of the major research efforts involving surveyed intentions. The analysis uses a longitudinal data base, created by merging responses from the 1976-83 Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) with Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) cohort files, to examine the connection between an individual's self-stated propensity to enlist and his subsequent behavior. The analysis also attempts to describe selected characteristics of individuals who joined the military -- including demographic variables, quality indicators, and measures of performance -- on the basis of their YATS response. There was no conclusive evidence of major differences in the characteristics of enlistees who were initially positive or negative toward joining the military. However, the results of the study do suggest that different combinations of intentions and demographic characteristics may lead to different patterns of enlistment behavior. Keywords: Marine corps personnel, Theses. (sdw) http://archive.org/details/alongitudinalnal1094523291 U.S. Marine Corps (U.S.M.C.) author. Captain, United States Marine Corps Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

This thesis covers a number of related topics in the foundations of set theory. Section 1 contains an analysis of the paradoxes which suggests a way of looking at the axioms of any formalised set theory as to a certain extent legislating how 'is a member of' and 'set' are to be used. \ud In section 2, two other points of view are examined and rejected. There are doubtless other views which directly contradict the view put forward in section 1, but clearly one cannot examine all the different solutions of the paradoxes in any one thesis. The positions examined in section 2 seem to represent views that are most opposed to the general tendency of this thesis. \ud Section 3 consists of a critical examination of Tarski's \ud work on the semantic conception of truth for a formalised calculus of classes. This section has two aspects. The first is a defence of Tarski against some of his critics; the second an attack on certain of Tarski's conclusions. \ud Section 4 begins where section 3 leaves off. \ud it examines Tarski's conclusions about a definition of truth for set theory. It contains an analysis of Godel's results on the incompleteness of formal systems and is particularly concerned with the transference of certain inferences made from Godel's theorem for a formalised arithmetic to a formalised set theory. The conclusion of section 4 returns to the theme of section 1 and utilises certain metatheorems recently proved about formalised set theories. \ud Throughout the thesis no one axiom system of set theory is presupposed though reference will be made to several. The discussion is of a general nature and can be taken to be about any axiom system of set theory rather than some particular one.

Studies have been made of the extraction from aqueous solution of nitric and hydrofluoric acids, alone and in the presence of each other and, where relevant of hydrochloric acid, into di-(2-ethyl hexyl)phosphate, tri-n-butyl phosphate and tri-n-octylamine. Also, similar studies have been made of the extraction of uranium in the presence of hydrofluoric and nitric acids into the same acidic, neutral and basic organic solvents. In all cases, the practical work has taken the form of equilibrium experiments made under carefully controlled conditions and analysis of the resulting aqueous and organic phases. The organic solvents have been used either alone or as solutions in various inert diluents such as kerosene, benzene or xylene and the aqueous solutions have covered a very wide range of concentrations. From the results of these experiments, deductions have been made regarding the mechanisms of the extraction processes and the nature of the species taken up into the organic media. Equilibrium constants are given and, where sufficient data is available, stability constants have been calculated. The extraction of the mineral acids into di-(2-ethyl hexyl)phosphate and tributyl phosphate is found to be similar. With dilute aquwous solutions, one mole of acid is taken up per mole of extractant and the acid is probably hydrogen bonded to the phosphoryl oxygen. At higher aqueous concentrations, more acid is extracted and possible explanations of this are offered. With tri-octylamine, the acids are extracted as the amine salts R3NH. NO3 or R3NH. HF2 but again more acid than expected is taken up from concentrated aqueous solutions. Uranium is extracted into tributyl phosphate in the presence of nitric or hydrochloric acids but not at all in the presence of hydrofluoric acid and possible explanations are offered for this. With di-(2-ethyl hexyl)phosphate and tri-n-octylamine uranium is extracted in the presence of all acids and it would appear from the results that this is a simple ion exchange process, UO2 2+ exchanging with H+ in the former case and UO2F3 - exchanging with the anion in the latter case.