Attempts were made to control black root rot of apple with the fungicides, benomyl, captan, thiabendazole and triarimol, and to determine their fungitoxic effects on the causal pathogen Xylaria mali. The pathogen responded differently in various bioassay methods, but all fungicides were inhibitory to its vegetative growth. Disease control was evaluated by applying the fungicides as amendments or as drenches to the soil in which the roots were artificially inoculated. The best therapy was obtained with a captan drench (4,000 ppm), followed by captan (1,000 ppm) and benomyl (300 ppm) drenches, Root growth was suppressed at all higher concentrations except with captan; root development was directly correlated with chemotherapy. Fungitoxicants were recovered from leaves of seedlings treated with all fungicides except triarimol. Higher bioassay activity was observed in plants treated by the soil amendment method. Leaves from benomyl-treated plants exhibited the greatest bioassay activity. / Master of Science

Three strains of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), from the southeastern United States were cultured in cages to select a strain that would attain a marketable size during the relatively short Virginia growing season. The strains were compared in terms of yield, survival, mean weight, food conversion, coefficient of condition, and percent marketable fish. Statistical analysis indicated that the Kansas strain was significantly different from both the Arkansas and North Carolina strains, but the latter two were not significantly different with respect to yield, mean weight, food conversion, and percent marketable fish. A financial analysis, conducted to evaluate the feasibility of culturing channel catfish in cages moored in small farm ponds, showed that the fish would have to be sold for more than $.610 per kg ($.277/lb.) to make the operation profitable. Cage culture of channel catfish is possible in Virginia, but is not generally recommended for small still-water farm ponds. / Master of Science

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a rest period on kindergartners’ performance in a simple reaction time situation. Effects of sex, class, time of measurement and practice on simple reaction time were also factors investigated in the present study. The sample consisted of 32 children ranging in chronological age from 62 months to 74 months. The children were enrolled in kindergarten at Pembroke Elementary School, Giles County, Virginia. Data were collected over 20 days with seven additional days for make-up. An overall analysis of variance was performed to determine any significant differences in reaction time. Males were significantly faster than female subjects in one class but not in the other. The subjects reacted slower in both classes as the day progressed. The subjects in Class One reacted slower between the morning and pre-rest periods. For both classes, subjects reacted slower after a rest than before a rest. Results were discussed in relation to the findings of the study. / Master of Science

The legal socialization of elementary school children from three demographically distinct Virginia localities was investigated. The attitudes of these children toward the law and police were measured by a questionnaire administered by the classroom teachers. The results obtained tended to reinforce the conclusions of previous socialization theorists with respect to the attitudes of young children toward the law and the police. The attitudes of the children were found to differ as a function of their area of residence. Although this area variable influenced the socialization process, another variable, called sophistication, also seemed significant. This variable, sophistication, seemed to be directly related to the relative socio-economic status of the child, as higher socio-economic children tended to demonstrate the variable to a greater extent. Children of greater sophistication differed from their less sophisticated peers in that they tended to demonstrate a more mature attitude toward the law and police. It was concluded that the children's attitudes toward the law and the police were influenced by their area of residence and their relative sophistication. / Master of Arts

The objective of this research was to analyze a pure oxygen activated sludge process and its claimed advantages. The major emphasis of both the claims and this research was the settleability of the sludge and the biological kinetics. An identical conventional air activated sludge unit was also operated as a direct comparison. Settling tests were run in three different cylinders with increasing diameters to collect data on the sidewall effects in addition to the settling rates. The settling velocities were also calculated and the average values for the oxygen and the air sludges were 95.0 ml/min and 104.0 ml/min, respectively. The results indicated there was no significant difference in the settling rates and the mixed liquor solids concentration did not affect these rates. The mass settling rate, a new parameter obtained by multiplying the settling velocity times the mixed liquor solids concentration, indicated the oxygen sludge settled more mass in a given time period than the air sludge and therefore compacted to a greater degree. The substrate utilization rate of the oxygen process was found to be 2.8 times greater than that of the conventional air process. This finding is comparable to other published reports. The oxygen utilization rate for the sludge from the air unit was slightly higher than that of the oxygen sludge. The coefficients of the kinetic formula did indicate that the oxygen system had a greater degree of endogenous stabilization occurring than did the air. The oxygen unit used in this study consistently had better BOD removal efficiencies than did the air. The oxygen unit averaged 94%, while the air unit averaged 85%. This investigation also indicates that an air unit will not operate at the identical parameters utilized in an oxygen process. This is due primarily to hydraulic difficulties encountered. / Master of Science

The vitamin B₆ nutriture of 8- to 10-year old girls living in southwest Virginia was investigated by determination of pyridoxine intake and measurement of serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activity. The 24-hour recall method was used to obtain dietary intakes of energy, protein and vitamin B₆ for 48 subjects. Although protein and caloric intake were not correlated to the subjects' height and weight, the subjects' positions in established height and weight percentile rankings indicated a normal population was represented. For pyridoxine, the mean intake was 1.1±0.4 mg. This is 92% of the RDA for girls age 8 to 10. Transaminase values obtained by colorimetric determinations were reported for 28 of the subjects. Mean values for SGPT and SGOT were 6.7±3.4 and 18.5±6.2 Sigma Frankel Units, respectively. Values obtained for SGOT had a correlation of 0.378 (significant at 0.05 level) to SGPT activity. No significant correlation was found between protein intake and units of SGPT or SGOT. Low negative correlations were observed between vitamin B₆ intake and SGOT and SGPT. Transaminase activity by this method of measurement cannot be used to assess the vitamin B₆ nutriture of children. The necessity of determining actual requirement, or developing a better method of measurement of vitamin B₆ status in children was discussed. More data on vitamin B₆ requirement and measurements of vitamin B₆ status is needed before recommendations for or against vitamin B₆ supplementation can be made. / Master of Science

The Thermo-Systems, Inc., Model 1080D three-dimensional split-film anemometer system was evaluated for use in the measurement of atmospheric turbulence. Calibration constants were obtained and the suggested method of data analysis was evaluated. Changes were made in the second approximation to the T.S.I.-suggested method. A method based on the computation of the sensor yaw angles, θ,from the sensor pitch angles e was developed and evaluated. The methods of analysis were compared and it was found that the latter method was somewhat more accurate but that errors of ±10% are to be expected. Only when the probe is operated with zero angle of attack or when the mean velocity vector is parallel to the probe can a ±3% accuracy be expected using the θ-method (improved TSI method). / Master of Science

There is an increasing need for a methodology which will provide quick and inexpensive forecasts of inputs from a variety of alternative transportation plans. QUADATT II (<u>Qu</u>ick <u>A</u>nd <u>D</u>irty <u>A</u>nalysis <u>T</u>echniques for <u>T</u>ransportation — Version II) is a set of simplified models which has been compiled in order to fulfill this need. The QUADATT II procedure was applied for this analysis to thirty transportation zones in the metropolitan area of Roanoke, Virginia. Five transit configurations were designed as input to QUADATT II, and the resultant impacts were evaluated. Based on the results of this application it was determined that QUADATT II provides reasonable trends in activity distributions and transportation characteristics related to a given set of alternative transportation plans, and does so at a much reduced level of cost and time over that of the typical large scale studies. / Master of Science

A mail questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding the socio-economic characteristics of private landowners pertinent to their views on access control and fee hunting and fishing. A total of 495 questionnaires, 33.0% of the 1,500 mailed to landowners in urban, mixed urban-rural, and rural counties, were returned and found usable. The investigation found that 39.0% of the respondents posted their land, totaling 42,327 acres or 43.2% of the total acreage sampled. Serious restriction of access to private land for hunting and fishing was found, especially in the urban and mixed urban-rural counties. Sixteen socio-economic characteristics were tested as being possible factors related to the accessibility of private land. Chi-square analysis found six factors to be significant when the data were sorted into access control groups (posting vs. nonposting) and attitude groups (agree vs. disagree). The landowners who post their property or display negative attitudes about free public access if permission is first asked: are well educated, often college level; are "new" owners (10 years or less, or nonresidents); own large properties, often greater than 150 acres; have an income yielding use of their land, often farming or leasing; are white-collar workers; and have high incomes, often greater than $15,000. Concerning fee hunting and fishing, the traditional view of open and free hunting and fishing prevails among the majority of private landowners; 9 of 495 are currently receiving income from sportsmen. / Master of Science

Two groups of seven male hooded rats were tested following one and 24 hours of water deprivation under each of four levels of d-Amphetamine sulfate (control, .4, .8, 1.2 mg/kg) at 0900 and 2100 hours EDST. Licks upon a water spout were recorded for two hours after the drug injection. In addition, measures of the latency to begin licking and the amount of food consumed were also taken at each test session. All of the variables examined interacted significantly. Following 24 hours of water deprivation, amphetamine reduced both food and water intake at both times of day. Following one hour of water deprivation, the low dosages of amphetamine produced a significant increase in water intake at both times of day. This increase did not occur for food intake. The results are discussed in terms of an adrenergic mechanism which controls "free-running" water intake in the rat independently of food intake. / Master of Science