Experimental data in the literature suggests that the upper break frequency of the human otolith organ is about 1.5 rad/sec. This paper presents an analytical technique to show that this value is approximately two orders of magnitude too small. The accepted lumped parameter model of the otolith organ is approximated to be independent of cupular stiffness for small time. Removal of the stiffness leads to a problem which, when subjected to a change in linear velocity, is analogous to Stokes' impulsive plate problem. The displacement of this"elasticity-independent" impulsive plate problem is compared with that predicted by the lumped parameter model when subjected to the same input. The solution of the former is approximated to be in the same exponential form as the latter, from which a value for the short time constant of the system is extracted. This value, the reciprocal of the upper break frequency, is approximately .0067 sec, giving a value for the upper break frequency of 150 rad/sec. This value is shown to be supported by several sources. / Master of Science

A method for finding simple roots of arbitrary polynomials based on divided differences is discussed. Theoretical background is presented for the case of simple roots. Numerical results are presented which show the algorithm finds simple and (usually) multiple zeros to an accuracy limited by the accuracy of polynomial evaluation. The method is designed for an SIMD parallel computer. The algorithm is compared to two other frequently used polynomial root finders, the Jenkins-Traub algorithm and Laguerre’s method. / Master of Science

M.S.

A computer program named Silo Investment Analysis (SILAN) was developed to assist dairymen with selection of silage structures. SILAN consists of a core program which can be supplemented with options to include borrowed money, income tax benefits, inflation, companion equipment, and an evaluation of dimensions. It computes present value of cost, annual cost, and costs per ton of silage. It also provides a cash-flow, and ranks silo alternatives on annual cost, cost per ton, and storage capacity. Trial runs were designed for analysis by the program. With no borrowed money and a 9% minimum attractive rate of return, costs per ton of dry matter recovered ranged from $5.39 to $14.09 for horizontal, $9.60 to $24.92 for conventional upright, and $29.42 to $66.75 for oxygen-limiting silos. Annual costs ranged from $2045 to $4572, $1708 to $4673, and $4901 to $14805 for horizontal, conventional upright, and oxygen-limiting silos. However, horizontal silos were larger than the upright silos. Predictive equations were developed for annual cost and cost per ton of dry matter recovered for each type of silo. Variables included price, minimum attractive rate of return, marginal tax bracket, and their products. Models were selected which contained the fewest terms and possessed R-square values greater than .95. Annual cost models for all silo types were or the same form, varying only by the size of regression coefficients. Formulas for cost per ton were more complex and varied by type of silo. / Master of Science

Rats received access to high or low saccharin concentrations or to distilled water or 2% saline prior to testing for conditioned taste aversion or neophobia. Pre-exposure to high saccharin concentration attenuated neophobia and taste aversion to high and low concentrations. Pre-exposure to the low concentration attenuated neophobia to both concentrations but attenuated taste aversion only to the low concentration. Saline and distilled water pre-exposure did not attenuate neophobia or taste aversion to either concentration. / Master of Science

Megagametophytes of the heterosporous lower vascular plant, Selaginella, were cultured on a variety of types and concentrations of carbon sources (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, and sorbitol), with and without B vitamins, in an attempt to induce apogamy. Without B vitamins growth was enhanced on glucose and trehalose, but not on sucrose. With B vitamins growth was enhanced on all types and concentrations of carbon sources. Enhanced growth involved the production of greater numbers of cells in the tissue. Chlorophyll-a was present in megagametophytes cultured on many of the treatments, including control treatments without supplemental carbon. Apogamy was not induced. / Master of Science

The refractive indices for light vibrating along the a, b, and c cell edges -- symbols na, nb, and nc - were measured for 20 andalusite-kanonaite solid solutions ranging from relatively pure andalusite (Al₂SiO₅) to about 62 mole percent kanonaite (MnAlSi0₅). Of the 20 crystals, 8 contained significant Fe³⁺ in addition to Mn³⁺ and, in the literature, were called viridines. Linear regressions were performed on the data using, successively, na, nb, and nc for 589.3 nm as the dependent variables and, as independent variables, among other choices, the total sum of the weight percents for Mn₂O₃ plus Fe₂O₃. The resultant models na = 1.6444 + 0.00225 (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) r²=0.99 nb = 1.6399 + 0.0036 (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) r²=0.98 nc = 1.6325 + 0.0066 (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) r²=0.98 confirm and explain Wulfing's (1917) observation that, relative to the {110} cleavage, andalusite is length-fast whereas viridine is length-slow. Thus, the equations for na and nc intersect when (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) equals 2.74 weight percent. Consequently for (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) 2.74 the optic orientation is a=Z, b=Y, c=X (as in andalusite) whereas for (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) 2.74 the orientation is a=X, b=Y, c=Z (as for viridines and kanonaites). Andalusites at or near the 2.74 weight percent intersection should likely be isotropic or nearly so. Thus, for wavelength 589.3 nm, their indices would likely be na = nc = 1.6506 and nb=1.6498. Even at wavelengths 486.1 or 656.3 nm their maximum birefringence would be little m0re than 0.0012. To the writer's knowledge, andalusites containing (ca.) 2.74 weight percent (Mn₂O₃ + Fe₂O₃) have yet to be described. Either they are scarce or absent in nature or else they escaped recognition as andalusites because of their near-isotropism. Linear regressions performed on the optical data for andalusite only (viridines and kanonaite excluded) yield equations that indicate that, for pure andalusite for λ = 589.3: α = nc = 1.6325(3); β = nb = 1.6385(3); γ = na = 1.6434(3); 2Vx = 84 degrees. For most andalusites, 2V varies little from 84 degrees but does appear to increase with Mn content. For pure andalusite the cell edges, volume, and density are predicted to be a = 7.7917(7)A, b = 7.8961(2)A, c = 5.5536(6)A, V = 341.68A³, and d = 3.149gm/cc³. / M.S.

Predation by saugers was evaluated from stomach contents of 550 saugers collected by gillnetting in the Gallipolis Pool of the Ohio River during June 1980 - August 1981. Abundance of prey items in the river was assessed from seine samples collected at similar sites during the same period. Gizzard shad were the most abundant prey in sauger stomachs, comprising 42% of all identified prey, followed by emerald shiners (28%), freshwater drum (16%), channel catfish (12%), and mimic shiners (1%). Close correlation between abundance and size of prey in stomachs and in seine samples suggested lack of selection by saugers. Annual food consumption of saugers averaged 1.1% of the body weight per day. Growth and daily ration were high from August to January (maximum in October) and low from March to July. Rapid growth and high food consumption throughout the fall and early winter relate to the extended period of high temperatures and increased availability of gizzard shad. Conversion efficiency estimates during the growing season averaged 20%, similar to reports for other aquatic systems. Annual conversion efficiency averaged 15.7%, indicating a 27% overestimate of annual efficiency levels through the use of only growing season data. Daily feeding activity was continuous for saugers during October - January when light intensity was low and food abundance and daily ration were high. Feeding was also continuous during March - May but was highly variable. Feeding was significantly greater during the daylight hours in June, but was reduced during daylight hours in August. Turbidity levels were much higher in June than in August and may have affected the patterns of feeding periodicity during these months. / Master of Science

This research was conducted to establish a temporal hormone profile in genetically selected populations of roosters differing in sexual activity. Plasma levels of androstenedione (AE), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone (T), total androgens (Total A) and estradiol-17_β (E₂) were measured at 1, 56, 112 and 168 days of age by radioimmunoassay. No significant differences in mean hormone values were found between the lines at any age. Temporal hormonal patterns for each hormone were also similar for the lines. The levels of AE, T and Total A were observed to increase from Day 1 to 56, stabilize at Day 112, and rise again prior to Day 168. Dihydrotestosterone levels were relatively low throughout development but did show increases by Day 168. Estradiol-17_β concentration did not change significantly with age. The percentage of variation attributable to sire family was determined. No consistent differences between sire families within a line were observed. Within line correlation analyses were calculated between each of the hormonal traits. A higher incidence of significant correlations was observed among the high mating line suggesting these animals have a more uniform hormonal state throughout development as opposed to the low mating line. Packed cell volume and body weight measurements were obtained at the termination of the experiment. Significant differences were found between the mating lines for both characteristics; the high mating line exhibited a greater mean packed cell volume and a lesser mean body weight. / Master of Science

This study investigated a method used to determine whether children were using implicit phonology in making a choice between phonologically legal and illegal nonwords. An additional aspect was also investigated, this being the role of association value in making a choice. In Experiment 1, which used the original pairings found in Messer (1967), it was found that adults prefered the legal nonwords over the illegal nonwords. These are the same results which were found by Messer using children as subjects. An additional analysis was done, and it was found that subjects used association values in making a judgment only when the stimuli were phonologically legal. In Experiment 2, when both members of the pair were either legal or illegal and one had a high associative value and one had a low associative value, it was found that subjects used association values in making a judgment only when both members of the pair were legal. In Experiment 3 the legal member of the pair had a low associative value while the illegal member had a high associative value. It was found that there was not a preference for either member of the pair. In Experiment 4, the legal and illegal members of each pair had approximately the same associative value, and the legal member of the pair was prefered over the illegal member. The results of these four experiments were related to the internal lexicon and hypotheses made about it by Rubenstein, Lewis and Rubenstein (1971). / Master of Science