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Movement of Cichla species (Cichlidae) in a Venezuelan floodplain river
(Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia, 2003) Hoeinghaus, David J.; Layman, Craig A.; Arrington, D. Albrey; Winemiller, Kirk O.
In their native habitats of black- and clear-water Neotropical rivers, large predatory cichlids of the genus Cichla are an important food and recreational resource. Understanding patterns of movement for these species is necessary for effective management and conservation; however, no information is available on movement in natural fluvial populations. Therefore, we initiated a cooperative mark-recapture program with local sport-fishing groups to evaluate movement of Cichla in the Cinaruco River, Venezuela and to promote conservation awareness. Between January 1999 and May 2003, we tagged 2,224 individuals of three species of Cichla (C. temensis, C. orinocensis, and C. intermedia) with uniquely numbered floy tags. Over 52 months, 2.8% of the tagged fishes were recaptured. Most recaptures occurred within 1 km of the tagging location; however, a few large C. temensis moved up to 21 km, demonstrating the potential for longer distance movement in this species. The distance between tagging and recapture locations was not significantly correlated with the time interval between tagging and recapture. Distance moved was significantly related to fish size and period of the annual hydrological cycle. Implications for management and conservation of these species and future research directions are discussed.
The place-names of Greene and Tuscaloosa Counties, Alabama
(University of Alabama Libraries, 1979) Rich, John Stanley
Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of AHUIKE Intervention among Nigerian Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2025) Ezebuihe, Ihuoma; Mumba, Mercy
Type Two Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a deadly and costly disease. An estimated six million Nigerians live with T2DM (Ugwu et al., 2020). Various researchers reported that Nigerian adults between 20 and 79 years of age are the most affected age group and account for 2 to 12 % of T2DM prevalence in Nigeria (Uloko et al., 2021). The purpose of this research study is to determine the feasibility of conducting the AHUIKE intervention in Nigeria. The study used a quantitative one-group pre-and-post test design to conduct this research study.The participants showed a strong understanding that lung disease is not associated with DM complications (50.0%). Overall, participants showed acceptable knowledge of DM (69.6 ± 11.2%). The increase in participants' knowledge of DM, from 19.4 ± 8.4% pre-intervention to 69.6 ± 11.2% post-intervention, was significant (t = 22.039, p < .001). Data showed a statistically significant increase in participants' DM health beliefs following the AHUIKE DM intervention, particularly in perceived susceptibility (t = 4.706, p < .001), severity (t = 6.988, p < .001), and benefit (t = 4.243, p < .001), with the post-intervention scores notably higher than pre-intervention scores. However, perceived barriers showed no significant difference in post-AHUIKE intervention (t = -.656, p = .517). Data showed no association between knowledge of DM and health belief at pre-and post-intervention (Table 6; =p > .050). Data also revealed no significant relationship between the following socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and knowledge of DM: age (r = -.161, p = .379), gender (rpb = .091, p = .620), marital status (rpb = .174, p = .340), educational level (rs = -.098, r = .592), and income (r = -.225, p = .216). Data showed no significant relationship between DM health beliefs and the socio-demographic factors of participants (p > .050). Data from this research showed that the AHUIKE intervention is a pertinent way of improving the Igbo Nigerian ethnic group's DM knowledge and health beliefs of DM and supporting DM knowledge acquisition to assist patients in managing DM appropriately.
Process-Structure-Property Relationship in PLZT Thin Films for UV Sensing: Influence of Film Thickness and Sol-Gel Solution Preparation Routes on Ferroelectric, Optical and Photovoltaic Properties
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2025) Kothapally, Sneha; Kotru, Sushma
Lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) is a ferroelectric material that exhibits excellent electro-optic and photovoltaic properties, making it a suitable candidate for optoelectronic applications. Among thin film deposition techniques, sol-gel method is preferred for its precise stoichiometric control, low processing temperature, cost effectiveness, and scalability. However, achieving repeatable results remains a major challenge. Different sol-gel preparation routes, which vary in solvent evaporation rates, reaction temperatures, and chemical environment, can significantly influence the microstructure and properties of the resulting films. Therefore, understanding the influence of sol-gel preparation routes on ferroelectric, optical, and photovoltaic properties is essential for ensuring reliable device performance. This study investigates the influence of film thickness, annealing temperature, and three sol-gel solution preparation routes: open-beaker (Sol1), reflux (Sol2), and reflux with distillation (Sol3), on ferroelectric, optical, and photovoltaic properties of Pb_0.95 La_0.05 Zr_0.54 Ti_0.46 O_3 thin films. PLZT films were fabricated on platinized silicon substrates by spin coating, and platinum top electrodes were sputtered to form capacitor structures for ferroelectric and photovoltaic measurements. Characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. A strong dependence of crystallite size, strain, capacitance, remnant polarization, leakage current, photocurrent, and free carrier concentration was observed on the film thickness. Films with 135 nm thickness exhibit the most optimized performance with highest remnant polarization, photocurrent, free carrier concentration, and lowest strain and leakage current. The annealing temperature showed minimal effect on optical properties. Comparative studies of the sol-gel routes revealed that Sol3 produced films with enhanced crystallinity, uniform morphology, larger grain size, lower surface roughness, and stoichiometry closest to the target composition. Ferroelectric, optical, and photovoltaic measurements confirmed that Sol3 yielded superior and repeatable properties, including large remnant polarization, high photocurrent, low leakage, strong ultraviolet (UV) absorption, lower optical band gap, higher refractive index and extinction coefficients. Thus, reflux with distillation method is the most reliable and reproducible route for developing high-quality PLZT thin films for optoelectronic devices, particularly UV sensors.