A computerized data-analysis and information system, VADMIS (Virginia Deer Management Information System), was developed to summarize and analyze Virginia county, district, region, and state deer harvest data. Published wildlife literature and state wildlife agency progress reports were reviewed to identify and evaluate potential methods of analyzing and presenting deer harvest data. Meetings and correspondence with Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries biologists provided significant information regarding current data analysis techniques and information needs of the Game Commission. Data analysis methodologies and computer programs developed during prior graduate research studies at VPI&SU were also reviewed. An auto-regression system was developed to predict county deer harvests for three season types; bucks-only, either-sex at the beginning or end of a bucks-only season; and either-sex hunting all season. The average accuracy of 1,076 county predictions made between 1962 and 1976, inclusive, was 74.6 percent. The VADMIS system also summarizes changes in recent county, district, region, and state harvests; produces histograms to illustrate county, district, and state harvest trends; summarizes changes in county season regulations and the associated changes in county deer harvests; summarizes harvest data collected at 15 check stations west of the Blue Ridge mountains; determines optimum deer management regions; and produces contour computer maps to illustrate and identify state-wide harvest trends. The VADMIS system was designed to facilitate ease of operation, maintenance (data update), and future improvements, modifications, and extensions. Although the VADMIS system was developed for Virginia, in particular, it may be modified for use by other states. / Master of Science

Arrowarum [Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott and Endl.], waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms], American bulrush [Scirpus americanus (Pers.)], and smooth cordgrass [Spartina alterniflora (Loisel.)] removed Kepone® (dechachloro-octahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta[cd] pentelen-2-one) from water. ¹⁴C-Kepone was translocated from roots and accumulated in small, but significant, quantities in the aerial portions of the plants. Approximately 80% of the ¹⁴C-Kepone was removed from solution within three days by arrowarum, and waterhyacinth, however, very little additional Kepone was accumulated by these species after the initial three day exposure. Kepone uptake by the roots of American bulrush and smooth cordgrass appeared to continue for a seven day period. Translocation to the aerial portions of the plants was slow, with significant quantities reaching the shoot after seven days. Additional ¹⁴C-labelled compounds were detected in shoot and root extracts, indicating possible metabolism of the Kepone molecule by these plants. / Master of Science

A committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP) surveyed family therapists in 1966. Those respondents consisted mostly of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Since that time, the number of therapists from other affiliations has increased. Those professionals had not previously been surveyed as to their theories and practices. A sample of 102 American Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (AAMFC) included clergy, educators, marriage and family counselors, pastoral counselors, and psychiatric nurses as well as psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. The AAMFC members were in agreement as to the theorists who were the most influential in their field, Satir having been the first choice. Although the AAMFC therapists practice an average of only eight hours of family therapy per week, usually in combination with other therapies, they are fairly committed to it as a treatment modality, even to the point of considering it for their own families if an individual member were in distress. Many connected family therapy with problems appearing in children or adolescents and many saw all therapy as family therapy. The respondents were flexible in relation to the number of people seen in and apart from family sessions, in relation to duration of treatment, and in relation to the idea that family therapy can be contraindicated in some cases·. The majority agreed that the interest of the family as a whole is of primary concern to the family therapist. It was recommended by the GAP researchers and the current researcher that a theory of family therapy be developed integrating family and psychodynamic theories, that a definition for family therapy be formulated, and that continued clinical research be done in the area of family therapy. / Master of Science

The primary purpose of this thesis is to investigate stability boundaries, or load interaction curves, of a reticulated dome. An elastic, geometrically nonlinear model with 21 degrees of freedom is considered. The nonlinear response of the model to imposed loads is determined using two separate computer programs as a check on each other. One program is based on the static perturbation technique and the other is based on an energy minimization technique. Program.solutions are compared with each other and with other published solutions. Various characteristics of the two programs are discussed. Five stability boundaries for two independent loads and one for three independent loads are presented. These stability boundaries are all found to exhibit convexity or piecewise convexity toward the origin. Characteristics of points composing the stability boundaries are noted and discussed with emphasis placed on ways that point characteristics affect boundary shape. Three observations are noted: 1. Critical points classified as limit points consistently form smooth boundaries, those classified as bifurcation points do not. 2. It is possible to predict the occurrence of a cusp in the stability boundary in certain load planes. 3. The occurrence of load maxima at cusps in stability boundaries is due to the higher degree of balance achieved in the stress distribution throughout the structure at that critical point. In addition, a method of estimating lower bounds and a theorem dealing with convexity of stability boundaries are briefly discussed. / Master of Science

The service life of furnace refractories could be enhanced by coating them with a thin, dense layer of refractory material which can resist adverse furnace environments. The objective of the present research was to obtain a pure coating of silica, (SiO₂), on the surface of alurnino-silicate refractory bricks. A chemical vapor deposition process utilizing the oxidation of (A) SiCl₄ and (B) SiH₄ was used as a basis of obtaining such a coating. Surface morphology examination, by scanning electron microscopy, of the as-deposited and post fired deposits, showed that firing had the effect of coalescence of the individual spherical particles leading to densification. Slag corrosion tests of the uncoated and coated refractory bricks using Na₂CO₃·H₂O as the corrosive agent revealed that the former were almost twice as much prone to corrosion attack. / Master of Science

A finite element procedure is used for analysis of a number of soil-structure interaction problems. This procedure involves one dimensional beam-column element, two-dimensional (rectangular) plate element, and nonlinear foundation represented by a series of springs. The behavior of the latter is simulated by using a special form of the Ramberg-Osgood Model. The nonlinear analysis is performed by using an incremental iterative scheme. The procedure is used to predict behavior of a number of problems such as beams and plates on elastic and nonlinear foundations, building frame and foundation, and cap-pile-foundation interaction. The predictions are compared with closed form and laboratory observations. In the case of pile-cap-foundation analysis, a parametric study is performed to delineate the effects of the relative stiffness of the cap, pile and nonlinear soil. The comparisons between the predictions and observations has been found to be satisfactory. / Master of Science

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle employs a solid rocket propellant. Combustion of the solid propellant produces hydrogen chloride as one of the major products. In this thesis, the hydrogen chloride/silica system was investigated. Silica was chosen as a model compound to represent ground debris transported into the exhaust cloud as a result of convection. The silica adsorbent was characterized by x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and surface area. Interaction of hydrogen chloride with silica (𝔞-quartz) was studied by various techniques including adsorption/readsorption isotherms, ESCA, and calorimetry. Adsorption of hydrogen chloride at 30°C was found to be dependent on the outgas temperatures and reversibility was dependent on the reoutgas temperatures. ESCA analysis on silica after exposure to HCl. indicated the presence of chloride ion. Angular probe studies showed that the chloride ion resides on the surface of silica rather than in the bulk of the sampling region. Calorimetric work was performed to measure heats of immersion of silica outgassed at various temperatures in different concentration of hydrochloric acid. Heats of immersion were found to increase with increasing outgas temperature and concentration of acid. Similar investigation of the hydrogen chloride/silica system was then extended to ground debris samples from the Kennedy Space Center. These samples were characterized by SEM/EDAX. The amount of HCl adsorption per unit area was more than three times greater than on pure silica. Apparently, HCl has a greater affinity towards some component of the ground debris other than silica. / Master of Science

A study of infant feeding practices and nutrient intake was conducted among 31 infants 10 to 14 months of age in Richmond, Virginia. Data was collected by reviewing the infants' medical records and from an interview schedule, a self-administered questionnaire, and two 24-hour dietary records. The intake of calories and eight nutrients--protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid--was calculated. Intake means were sufficient to meet both the Recommended Dietary Allowances and the First Health and Nutrition Examination Survey standards for all nutrients except iron. The majority of the infants had a mean iron intake below the standard. Calories and most nutrients revealed a wide range of intake with some infants consuming a less than adequate intake. Another contribution of this research was documenting current infant feeding practices. The mean daily total number of feedings was 6.8. The mean daily total number of bottles was 4.4, of which 1.5 were given in the crib. Only six percent of the infants were weaned from the bottle. Approximately one-half of the infants were using cow's milk, and the other one-half were using a commercial infant formula. A variety of commercial infant foods were used by three-fourths of the infants, with infant cereal, vegetables, and fruits being used most frequently. Thirty-nine percent of the infants were receiving vitamin and mineral supplements, but the contribution of the supplements to the group's mean nutrient intake was minimal. Chi-square analysis revealed no significant relationships between feeding frequency and selected nutrient adequacy and between bottle usage and related adequacy. / Master of Science

Vitamin B12 concentrations, measured as combined, uncombined, and total, were determined in Pandapas Pond, Virginia, June through December 1977. Average summer vitamin B12 concentrations (all forms) were higher than during the fall and winter. Mean concentrations of combined, uncombined, and total vitamin B12 were 2.3 ng/l, 3.5 ng/l, and 5.4 ng/l, respectively. Combined vitamin Bl2 usually comprised more than 50% of the total vitamin B12 concentrations. Vertical distribution of vitamin 12 appeared variable, however, positive correlations (p≤0.05) were found between combined vitamin B12, total vitamin B12, and depth. Mean chlorophyll A concentrations were 0.0007 mg/m³ in Pandapas Pond, June through December 1977. The correlations and seasonal trends, high vitamin Bl2 concentrations and low chlorophyll A concentrations, suggested that the phytoplankters (as indicated by chlorophyll A) are primarily utilizers, not producers of vitamin Bl2. Zooplankton were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed during the same period. Rotifers were the most abundant zooplankton, Keratella cochlearis and Polyarthra vulgaris were the predominant rotifers. Seasonal densities of K. cochlearis and P. vulgaris followed uncombined vitamin Bl2 concentrations directly for the former and with a one to two week lag for the later. Positive correlations (p≤0.05) were found between uncombined vitamin Bl2 concentrations P. vulgaris, Trichocerca sp., T. capucina, and T. multicrinis. The population dynamics of the rotifers in Pandapas Pond were, in part, influenced by concentrations of vitamin B12. However, correlation and stepwise regression analyses indicated that other factors, such as pH, temperature, and cations, also affected rotifer populations in the pond. / Master of Science

The aortic ejection click and the first heart sound (S1) are described in the time and frequency domains from computer processed phonocardiogram data obtained from 13 valvar aortic stenosis patients and 6 normal ones. The interactive FOBTRAI program developed was capable of the following: (1) computing averages, aligned averages, power spectra of selected segments, envelograms, and deterministic signals; (2) storing and retrieving intermediate results; and (3) plotting data. The program is listed and its interaction is fully described in this thesis. The following steps were used to analyze the data: (1) the determination of the click onset times; (2) the generation of aligned average cardiocycles for both the click and S1; and (3) the calculation of power spectra for selected segments of the click and S1. The tabulated results typically show 2 frequencies in 51 and 3 in the click, with the click being distinguished by an oscillation between 160 and 230 Hz. Characteristics of the click versus time are also tabulated. / Master of Science