Loblolly pine growth increments were divided into five fractions; two earlywood a transition and two latewood growth zones. Each growth zone was analyzed for lignin, extractives, and carbohydrate content. Each fraction was digested to four different time schedules using kraft pulping process. All other cooking variables were held constant. A total of twenty pulps were prepared. Significant differences were observed in pulp yields between intra-incremental growth zones. For the longer digestion times, fraction 1, the early springwood, produced pulp yields greater than the remaining four growth zones. For the shorter digestion periods, fractions 1, 4 and 5 showed comparable pulp yields. For a given cooking time, fraction 2 produced the lowest pulp yield. Pulp yields were shown to be dependent on cellulosic material found in the whole wood. The unusually high pulp yields for fraction 1 were explained on the basis of high level of resistance of carbohydrates to chemical degradation in that zone. Responses to refining and papermaking properties were investigated from the partitioned growth zones. For the four digestion series, fraction 2 refined the slowest followed by fractions 1 and 3 and then fractions 4 and 5. Differences in refining characteristics were defined in terms of Canadian standard freeness and explained on the basis of differences in fiber morphology and residual lignin content in the pulps. Significant differences were observed in the physical and mechanical properties of paper produced from the twenty pulps. The results showed that for a given digestion series, fraction 2, the late springwood zone, produced paper with superior tensile strength but with inferior bulk and tear properties. The opposite trends were observed for fractions 4 and 5, the latewood zones. Fractions 1 and 3 showed intermediate sheet properties as compared to the other growth zones. Differences in sheet properties were explained on the basis of difference in fiber properties for the intra-increment growth zones. Sheet properties were shown to be dependent on digestion time or residual lignin content remaining in the pulps. For all intra-increment pulps, tensile properties increased whereas bulk and tear properties decreased as digestion time increased. Carbohydrate removal influenced sheet properties due to its apparent influence on fiber flexibility. Insignificant differences in sheet properties were observed when compared at identical sheet densities. Differences in tensile strength properties were related to inherent characteristics of individual fibers. It was shown that the number of fibers per unit volume of paper is the most important attribute to strength. Of secondary importance is the strength of the individual fiber-to-fiber bonds which is influenced by residual lignin in the pulp. Using tensile energy values, the number of hydrogen bonds active in resisting tensile forces was estimated. This number was also related to the number of fibers per unit volume as well as to the residual lignin. All the above variables could be explained on the basis of intra-increment chemical and anatomical properties of wood. / Ph. D.

The study falls in the area of random equations; in particular properties of random matrices have been studied. The dissertation makes precise some statistical theories of spectra developed in recent years by a number of physicists. Two basic results have been achieved. The first result is a characterization of the distribution of a symmetric random matrix. Assuming independence of the diagonal and super-diagonal random variables of the symmetric random matrix the following theorem is proved: the distribution of the matrix is invariant under orthogonal similarity transforms if and only if the diagonal random variables are normally distributed with mean μ, and variance 2a², and the off-diagonal elements are normally distributed with mean O and variance a², :for some constants μ, and a² > O. The proof is achieved by solving a functional equation in characteristic functions. This seems to have been first proved in this context by Porter and Rosenzweig (Ann. Acad. Sci. Fennicae. AVI, No. 44, 1960) by a different method and under more restrictive conditions than those given here. The second result deals with the asymptotic distribution of eigenvalues of a synnnetric random matrix as the dimension approaches infinity. Let A_n be an appropriately normalized n ⨉ n symmetric random matrix and let W_n(x) denote the empirical distribution function of the eigenvalues of A<sub>n</sub. Under suitable conditions on the random variables of the matrix it is proved that W_n(x)⟶W(x) as n∞, where W is the absolutely continuous distribution function with a semi-circle density, W(x) = { ⎧ 2/π (1-x²)^1/2, |x| ≤ 1 ⎨ ⎩ 0 , |x| > 1. The proof is achieved by an intricate combinatorial analysis in conjunction with the method of moments. This result extends a conjecture made by E. P. Wigner ("On the Distribution of the Roots of Certain Symmmetric Matrices," Ann. Math. 67, 1958, 325). / Ph. D.

Because of the allegorical nature of much of Hawthorne’s work, it is appropriate to discover symbolism in the author's selection of given names and surnames for his characters. Name symbolism includes both sound and meaning of names or parts of names. Symbolic naming is defined as that technique through which a character's name, straightforwardly or ironically, reveals his inner nature and his relationship to other characters. This revelation, in turn, serves to underscore thematic points in the works. In Hawthorne’s five finished novels, there are at least four distinct sources for the symbolic names of characters; there are actual historical names, Biblical, classic, or literary names, common foreign or provincial names, and names probably original with Hawthorne. There are, of course, frequent combinations of these sources. In this investigation into Hawthorne’s use of name symbolism in the five finished novels, it will be noted that the technique is closely related to the degree of development of a character. The closer a character comes to being a purely symbolic character, the more obvious is the name; conversely, the more individualized the character, the more subtle and ambiguous is the name. This thesis analyzes the names of all the characters in <i>Fanshawe</i>, <i>The Scarlet Letter</i>, <i>The House of the Seven Gables</i>, <i>The Blithedale Romance</i>, and <i>The Marble Faun</i>, in that order, and attempts to show that an understanding of the symbolic meaning of characters’ names can be helpful in leading the reader to a more thorough comprehension of Hawthorne's characters and themes. / M.A.

The objectives of the present investigation were: (1) to explore an area, root exudation of peanuts, in which no previous work has been reported; (2) to study the effects of O₂ and CO₂ tensions, both individually and combined, on peanut root exudation; and (3) to determine quantitatively the sugars exuded from the roots of peanut plants grown under gnotobiotic conditions. Seed from the peanut plant, Arachis hypogaea, L. var. NC-2 was used, Peanut embryos, with the cotyledons removed, were surface sterilized; placed aseptically into sterile plexiglass isolator chambers; and planted in vermiculite saturated with Hoagland and Arnon nutrient solution contained within transplanting tubes. Because of slow embryo and seedling growth without the cotyledons, plants were not transplanted into 500 ml flasks until after 90 days. Three separate experiments were conducted. In all three, N₂ gas was metered to the roots of six plants in each of two isolator chambers. In addition, in the first study, roots of six plants in each of two isolator chambers received a gas mixture composed of 21% O₂, 10% CO₂, and 69% N₂; in the second study, they received a gas mixture composed of 21% O₂ and 79% N₂; and in the third study, they received a gas mixture composed of 10% CO₂ and 90% N₂. Duration of each experiment was 6 wks. Samples consisting of nutrient solution containing peanut root exudates from three plants were collected every 2 wks. Peanut plants were harvested and fresh weights, dry weights, and lengths of both shoots and roots (separate) were obtained. Root exudate analysis consisted of filtration to remove insoluble materials, flash evaporation to reduce the volume, salt removal by cation and anion exchange resins, freeze-drying, thin-layer chromatography to separate and identify the various sugars, and densitometry to obtain the quantity of each sugar. Analysis of variance showed for all adjusted harvest valves no significant difference as a result of treatment or replication at the 5% level. For all measured growth parameters, Duncan's multiple range test showed no significant differences within replicates caused by treatment. Five sugars, galactose; mannose; xylose; ribose; and dihydroxyacetone, were identified in peanut root exudates. Galactose was present in all 72 root exudate samples, dihydroxyacetone in 69, ribose in 33, mannose in 8, and xylose in 5. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference at the 20% level in the total amount of galactose exuded as a result of treatment and a significant difference at the 25% level in the amount of galactose exuded as a result of plant age. These results are indicative of consistent trends which need further investigation. Duncan's multiple range test showed an interaction between treatment and time which was significant at the 5% level. Young plants (2 wks old) showed a significantly greater amount of galactose exuded under aerobic conditions. As the plants matured (4 and 6 wks old) there was a trend toward greater amounts of galactose exuded under anaerobic conditions than under aerobic. Analysis of variance showed no significant differences at the 25% level in the total amounts of dihydroxyacetone exuded as a result of treatment and no significant difference at the 25% level in the amounts of dihydroxyacetone exuded as a result of plant age. These results are indicative of consistent trends which need further investigation. Duncan's multiple range test showed in young plants (2 wks old) a Significantly greater amount of dihydroxyacetone exuded under aerobic conditions at the 5% level. As the plants matured (4 and 6 wks old) there was a trend toward greater amounts of dihydroxyacetone exuded under anaerobic than under aerobic conditions. / Ph. D.

In order to develop further a comprehensive characterization of spirilla and to devise a more satisfactory classification of the species, the type strains of 20 marine and fresh-water species of the genus Spirillum, plus additional strains of S. gracile, S. itersonii, S. serpens, and S. volutans, and 6 un-named strains of spirilla, were subjected to over 90 physiological tests and also various morphological tests using standardized inocula, media, incubation times, and testing methods. Determination of DNA base compositions was also performed. All strains of spirilla grew aerobically except S, volutans which was an obligate microaerophile; S. giesbergeri and S. gracile appeared to be possible facultative rnicroacrophiles, S. lunatum and S, itersonii were the only species to. grow anaerobically in the presence of nitrate, The optimum temperature was 30 C for all strains examined. The cell diameters for all strains formed an almost continuous spectrum, ranging from 0.25 to 1.7 microns. All spirilla were actively motile and a number of the strains possessed flagellar tufts visible with living cells by dark field microscopy and in the case of S. volutans also by phase contrast. Coccoid bodies were present in 4 week cultures in the case of most marine strains; only 3 fresh-water species exhibited these forms, Several physiological characteristics were found to be uniformly or nearly uniformly positive (oxidase, deaminase activity with peptone, catalase, phosphatase, HzS from cysteine, growth in 1% bile) or negative (indol; amylase; sulfatase; hydrolysis of gelatin, casein, aesculin, and hippurate; urease; alkaline reaction in litmus milk; acid reaction from carbohydrates) for all or nearly all of the strains, In the few cases where acid was produced from carbohydrates, a reduced peptone concentration was necessary. Several physiological characteristics yielded varied reactions among the spirilla (reduction of selenite and nitrate; growth on EMB, MacConkey, TSI, and Seller's agars and in MRVP broth; RNAase and DNAase activity; and tolerance to 1% glycine}. Water-soluble pigments were produced by a few strains growing on aromatic amino acids. Three percent NaCl inhibited all fresh-water strains, while the marine strains could all grow in the presence of 9. 75% (w/v) NaCl. The DNA base compositions of the spirilla, determined from their Tm values, gave a broad range of values from 38 to 65 moles % G + C. The limits of genus and species variation, the usefulness of standardized conditions in characterizing strains of spirilla, discrepancies arising from a comparison of the present data with earlier results, the division of the genus Spirillum on the basis of single, highly-weighted characters, and the division of genus Spirillum on the basis of correlated characters, were discussed. A modified description of the genus Spirillum (Ehrenberg, 1830) based on the present study was presented. Various physiological tests important for species differentiation were indicated. A modified classification scheme for the species of genus Spirillum was devised, and a temporary diagnostic key was also presented. / Ph. D.

The method known in the literature as dynamical finite element analysis is investigated and applied to wave propagation problems occurring in membranes and thin shells of revolution. Both semi-infinite and finite versions of cylindrical and conical membrane shells are studied and a finite membrane shell having a meridional curve which is parabolic is solved. A thin cylindrical shell is also considered in order to determine the effect of including shear and rotary inertia. The source excitation is generally considered to be the constant velocity motion of one end, but the results for a stress pulse input to one end of a semi-infinite cylindrical membrane shell are also given. The thin cylindrical shell is considered as an initial value problem. The difference in the solutions resulting from prescribing an axial or tangential velocity excitation at the end of a semi-infinite conical membrane shell is presented. The method itself requires a careful ordering of the calculations and the principles for determining the correct order are discussed. The rules for handling the boundary conditions for finite shells are shown to follow logically from this ordering of the calculations. An energy balance check on the computations is shown to be an effective independent check on the correctness and stability of the solution, and a discussion of the conditions used to verify that the numerical results are the solutions is included. The results for the finite problems are new results and the semi-infinite problems are discussed with respect to previously published results. / Ph. D.

The capabilities of a biological waste treatment system designed to utilize filamentous microorganisms were defined in this study. Various chemical and physical tests such as pH, suspended solids, COD, BOD, sludge production, and oxygen utilization were used to determine the effects of parameters like flow rate, support media area, organic loading, pH, and the BOD-to-nitrogen ratio. Findings of the study indicated that the removal rate, suspended solids concentration in the effluent, and percent COD remaining in the final growth cell of the growth chamber increase as the dilution rate or flow rate increase. The study also showed that an organic waste can be effectively treated by a filamentous system over an influent pH range of 2.65 to 7.45 with an oxygen requirement similar to that found in other biological treatment systems. An increase in organic loading caused an increase in the suspended solids of the effluent with a decrease in COD removal efficiency. The removal rate was found to be directly proportional in influent COD concentration from a concentration of approximately zero to a concentration equal to 1200 milligrams per liter. A nitrogen deficient waste at both neutral and acid pH's was treated effectively by this system. For a pH range of 2.65 to 2.85, the critical BOD:N ratio was found to be greater than 45:1. A BOD:N ratio in excess of 90:1 was found to be critical for a waste with a pH range of 6. 6 to 7. 45. Recirculation of biological solids was not needed to retain sufficient culture in the growth chamber for efficient treatment of the waste. Sludge production values were found to be close to values for the activated sludge process treating organic wastes. The average value for "a" on a COD and total solids basis was found to equal 0.48 for most of the conditions studied. However, a tendency for sludge to build up for a period of time and then slough off was noted. The average value for "a" decreased significantly to 0.18 when the pH was lowered to a pH of 2.60 and increased significantly for BOD:N ratios above the critical ratios. / Ph. D.

A bitopological space (X,τ,μ) is a set X with two topologies. The study of bitopological spaces was initiated by J. C. Kelly. In this thesis, we study pairwise-separation axioms as defined by J. C. Kelly, C. W. Patty, and F. P. Lane. In addition, definitions for semi-compactness, semi-paracompactness, and bicontinuous functions are proposed and are related to the definitions of pairwise-separated spaces. Finally, quasi-pseudo-metric spaces are defined, and a number of quasi-pseudo-metrization theorems are summarized. / Master of Science

In an analysis of supply, Joan Robinson in her book, The Economics of Imperfect Competition, digresses first on the concept of rent to a heterogeneous resource, and secondly on the four cost curves of an industry. This study re-examines these digressions and seeks to provide the student of economics with a clearer understanding and appreciation of the tools Robinson uses, but at the same time it expands the analysis into additional situations faced by competitive firms. In the digression on rent, recognizing the use of marginal analysis in the application of a variable resource with a variable heterogeneous resource in the production of a product, this study finds that the price per efficiency unit of a quality is not limited by the price per efficiency unit of other qualities of the resource. It is the relative supply and demand for a quality that determines the price per efficiency unit of the quality and, therefore, the quality economic rent. In the digression on four cost curves, the cost curves of industries under conditions of scarcity and/or economies of large-scale industry are examined. Of the four cost curves the industry faces (i.e., average cost excluding rent, marginal cost excluding rent, average cost including rent, and marginal cost including rent), it is the long-run average cost including rent, as Robinson proposed, that represents the competitive industry's long-run supply curve. Economies and scarcity only serve to change the shape of this supply curve. / Master of Science

In this thesis we investigate the properties of M-spaces and M*-spaces, which are generalized metric spaces. Chapter II is devoted to preliminary results, and in Chapter III we prove the characterization for M-spaces theorem of K. Morita [12]. This theorem states that a space X is an M-space if and only if there exists a quasi-perfect map from X onto a metrizable space T. Chapter IV is concerned with the relationships between M-spaces and M*-spaces. We first prove an M-space is an expandable, M*'-space and then show that every normal, expandable, M*-space is an M-space. Using Katetov's Theorem, we show that in a collectionwise normal space, X is an M-space if and only if it is an M*-space. We conclude by generalizing this to the following. In a normal space X, X is an M-space if and only if it is an M*-space. Chapter V is concerned with the study of M-spaces and M*-spaces under quasi-perfect maps. We also prove the Closed Subspace Theorem for M-spaces and M*-spaces and establish the Locally Finite Sum Theorem for M-spaces and M*-spaces. In Chapter VI, we give an example of a T₂, locally compact M-space X, which is not normal and therefore not metrizable. We also give an example of a T₂, locally compact M*-space Y, which is not an M-space, but is however the image of X under a quasi-perfect mapping. / Master of Science