The early life history dynamics of stocked, fingerling striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were evaluated in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, from 1994-96 and incorporated into an individual-based model to assess various stocking strategies in terms of their largest percent increases in first-year growth, overwinter survival, and recruitment to age 1. Age-0 striped bass exhibited dissimilar patterns of dispersion and size-dependent spatial distribution as a result of differences in habitat availability between stocking sites and water temperature preferences. Although size increased over the growing season, a bimodal length distribution developed by fall during both 1994 and 1995; this distribution consisted of large-mode juveniles (> 180 mm TL) that weighed several times more than small-mode fish (<140 mm TL). Differential growth was attributed primarily to size-dependent differences in food habits and diet quality: small-mode striped bass maintained a mixed, low quality diet of invertebrates and small, age-0 cyprinids, while large-mode juveniles consumed only larger, energetically more profitable age-0 alewives. This disparity in food habits, largely due to the inability of small-mode striped bass to consume distributionally- and morphologically-invulnerable age-0 alewives, resulted in size-dependent differences in physiological well-being as large-mode juveniles had amassed greater absolute energy stores than small-mode fish by the end of the growing season. Spring sampling revealed that the bimodal length distribution had become unimodal and was comprised almost entirely of large-mode juveniles. Because the few surviving small-mode striped bass collected during spring were extremely emaciated, it appears that this size group exhausted their energy stores and, consequently, starved over the winter. Individual-based model simulation results indicated that stocking juvenile striped bass at a median total length of 52 mm on 08 June, while maintaining the current stocking density at 300,000 fingerlings, would result in the largest percent increases in first-year growth, survival, and number of age-1 recruits. This strategy was also less sensitive to perturbations in alewife population parameters and water temperature regime, and was more robust to these variations than the existing stocking scheme (300,000 fingerling striped bass with a median total length = 42 mm introduced on 15 June). / Ph. D.

The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), is an important urban pest due to its ability to invade residential and commercial structures from non-residential reservoirs. Extensive field studies were conducted in a large urban apartment complex, Lincoln Terrace (LT), managed by the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA), in Roanoke, Virginia. Inspection in the RRHA-LT complex corroborated well with other researchers' finding that sewer and storm drainage systems are the principal reservoirs for P. americana population in the temperate urban environn1ent. Investigations provided new evidence that basements of the RRHA-LT apartment buildings served as secondary reservoirs for this pest species. Environmental and ecological parameters that characterize basements as important P. americana population reservoir foci were studied. Understanding how populations function in the urban environment is as important as identifying P. americana population reservoirs. Over two-years of fleld investigations demonstrated that foraging activity of P. americana was seasonal. A study of a simulated population of caged American cockroaches maintained in a basement environment confirmed that their foraging activity was seasonal. Foraging seasonality characterizes the seasonal pest status of this cockroach species in the temperate urban environment. Therefore, seasonally oriented control or management strategies for this pest species are proposed and discussed. Lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins of American cockroach adults were analyzed and quantified on a monthly basis for a year. Seasonal foraging activity was reflected by seasonal changes of metabolic reserves in this species. Low foraging activity in the colder, winter months characterized an overwintering period of P. americana populations in the urban environment. Lipids were the principal metabolic reserve for overwintering cockroaches, and accounted for a 22% of dry body weight loss in females and 18% in males. Proteins accounted for approximately 10% of the dry body weight loss for overwintering females and males. Glycogen concentration per unit dry weight increased 11 % to 15% during the overwintering period. This change suggests that glycogen may function as a cold hardiness substance rather than as a energy reserve during overwintering. Nutrient deficits of post-overwintering individuals in the population explained the underlying physiological driving force for significantly ir~creased foraging activities in the spring. Caged P. americana demonstrated a high reproductive potentia] in the basement environment. High reproductive rate created protein and lipid deficits in adults that required increased foraging for food and increased cannibalism of oothl!cae and young nymphs. Approximately 33% of the oothecae and 28% of nymphs were cannibalized in the caged population. / Ph. D.

Slags are crystalline to vitreous by-product materials generated in many high temperature industrial processes. This study presents a general technique for the identification of the phases present in petroleum coke gasification slags. documents the phase assemblages and textures, and finally determines the dissolution of vanadium from these slags as part of the considerations of potential resource reclamation. The general identification procedure utilizes (1) recognition of separate phases using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy; (2) electron probe microanalysis (EPM) of chemical compositions of individual phases; (3) statistical analysis of the EPM data to eliminate spurious data; (4) estimation of valence states of transition metals using thermodynamic and computational methods; (5) derivation of chemical formulae for the phases using computational methods and chemistry of ionic substitutions; (6) verification of phase identity using X-ray diffraction analysis. More than twenty phases were determined in petroleum coke slags including oxides, silicates. vanadates, sulfate. sulfides and alloys. The reduced slags are rich in V₂>0₃ with silicates and minor amounts of sulfides and native metals whereas the oxidized slags are composed of V₂>0₄, nickel aluminum spinels. various vanadates and glass. Textural analysis provided information on the crystallization process, reaction with gasifier refractory lining materials, sulfide exsolution processes, glass devitrification. and the development of chemical zonation in some spinels. This information offers some perspectives on the potential of resource reclamation. Resource reclamation for petroleum coke slags is best assessed with a knowledge of phases, phase assemblages, textures and dissolution behavior of the material. The dissolution of vanadium. the most significant element. was examined using long term dissolution experiments. These demonstrate that vanadium concentrations are pH dependent ranging from 1500 ppm to 5000 ppm with a minimum concentration near pH 6. Vanadium dissolution rates range from L28xlO⁴ mol m² sec⁻¹ to 3.08xlO^-6 mol m² sec⁻¹. In view of the strategic nature of vanadium and the fact that the concentration of vanadium in slags is almost two orders of magnitude higher than the current mining grades, petroleum coke slags offer significant potential to serve as resources for vanadium. / Ph. D.

The burden of this dissertation is to show that William Sheldon’s somatotype project should be seen as an integral aspect of modernist culture. Sheldon engaged the same problems with modernity and the "Second Industrial Revolution" (urbanization, overpopulation, industrialization, alienation) that confronted modernist poets, novelists, and philosophers. In this I am elaborating Dorothy Ross’s recent metaphor, "modernist impulses in the human sciences" (1994). Both scientists and artists were responding to the social chaos and fragmentation engendered by WWI, by capitalism, and by a science and technology that was often felt to have run amok. Advocacy of eugenics for Anthony Ludovici, William Sheldon, and Aldous Huxley (polemics against "promiscuous breeding", overpopulation, medical and psychological holism, "aristocracy", nobility) was another means of defending conservative values against the onslaught of modernism. The German romantic, holistic, tradition (the "Goethean vision") in the physical and biological sciences that has been treated recently by Ann Harrington (1996) carried reactionary assumptions and priorities that duly influenced British and American constitutionalists. Sheldon’s quest of the somatotype, his attempt to map the human physique scientifically, was, at least in his case, a means of salvaging personality, character, and soul ina way that was consonant with the aims of German holism and hence, to a Significant degree, with the aims of the nazis, who appropriated the tradition for political purposes and propagandized it in their art. Sheldon’s studies in human constitution possessed the same "value-base" (Weingart) as much of German medicine and psychology during the first four decades of this century. Sheldon’s anti-Freudian position was intended to reinculcate a place for moral character and eugenic breeding in psychology. Sheldon insisted that character was a seasoned and hard-won proposition, as opposed to a cheap jettisoning of sexual inhibitions. Sheldon opposed the sexual origin of neurosis and replaced it with a highly disciplined character-building that was consistent with a nineteenth-century masculine ethos. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to detail the history of the formulation of the JLARC studies in 1986 and 1988 on funding the Standards of Quality, background surrounding that formulation, political reaction, and the effect that the reports had regarding changes in the funding methodology for public schools in the Commonwealth as viewed through the recollections of key actors involved in the policy making process. The key actor interview methodology provided the research basis for this qualitative study. Historic events were chronicled through a review of official documents, newspaper accounts, academic publications, and private correspondence. The research framework utilized application of the policy cycle as a reference for the changes in policy. Recollections were validated by triangulation. The history included essential employment of political science, quantitative studies in educational finance, and methods of collection of oral history from participants. The focus of the study attempted to answer several key organizational questions. The findings indicated that a limited number of key actors provided an accurate history of the events, that JLARC operated exclusively as a legislative agency designed to ascertain the efficiency of state government, that legislative members of JLARC had tremendous influence, that Governor Baliles astutely incorporated elements of the JLARC studies into his educational agenda for political purposes, that Governor Baliles was able to effectively manage his proposals through the General Assembly while mitigating public opposition, and that there was no legislative-executive collusion in this change in policy. The study further discovered that within the area of appropriations, JLARC professional staff had a profound impact on funding procedures and that JLARC itself can act as a quasilegislature outside of public view due to the manner in which budgets are passed in the General Assembly. This study reviewed both studies and detailed the effect of the linear estimator as the mandated method of calculating the costs of the Standards of Quality. It also documented the continuing disparity in educational equity in Virginia since the implementation of the changes in 1988. Differing perspectives of the use and impact of the controversial linear estimator were presented and explained. / Ed. D.

The swine whipworm, Trichuris suis, is a parasite present throughout the United States and is of concern to the swine industry worldwide because it is very pathogenic to growing pigs. The economic threat posed by T. suis and other intestinal parasite infections has created a strong interest in the development of parasite vaccines for the swine industry. Use of a vaccine either alone or with anthelmintics should reduce the economic losses. However, before effective parasite vaccines can be created, the swine gastrointestinal immune response to parasite antigens must be understood. In this study, an enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay was developed to measure total and antigen-specific IgG and IgA antibody secreting cells (ASC) from gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) [mesenteric lymph node explants from jejunal region of small intestine (SI-MLN) and cecum in large intestine (C-MLN); and ileocecal Peyer's patches (IC-PP)] and lamina propria from the proximal colon removed from T. suis infected pigs. Tbe local antibody responses were compared to peripheral antibody responses found in the spleen and submandibular lymph nodes. The hypotheses to be tested was that parasite antigen-specific antibody secreting cells would be greatest in lymphoid tissue draining the site of infection compared to peripheral lymphoid tissues and that 19A ASC would predominate over IgG ASC in the lamina propria of T. suis infected pigs. The total IgG and IgA ASC frequencies for the spleen, SI-MLN, and ICPP did not significantly change (P> 0.05) over time. For C-MLN, there was a significant increase (p< 0.05) of total IgG ASC during a primary infection with T. suis. Antigen-specific IgG ASC were greatest at the GALT site closest to the infection, CMLN, whereas, antigen-specific IgA ASC predominated in the proximal colonic: lamina propria. Host protection to T. suis develops after anthelmintic: treatment of a primary exposure to parasite. The ELISPOT assay provided valuable information on the localization and compartmentalization of the swine gastrointestinal immune response to T. suis which resides in the cecum and proximal colon. In the future, this technique may be useful for monitoring gastrointestinal immune parameters of pigs exposed to a T. sllis vaccine. / Ph. D.

The departure of large numbers of students from college before degree completion can have far reaching consequences for the institution, the students, and ultimately, for society. The retention rate of black and other minority students enrolled in predominantly white institutions is significantly lower than it is for majority race students. Further, many of the students who depart do so within the first year of attendance. Colleges have responded with a variety of measures designed to retain their students and to assist them towards degree completion. The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of how students who transitioned into a predominantly white, suburban, community college perceived the transition process from high school; i.e., what and/or who facilitated or impeded their transition into college and in what ways. Five female minority students (four black and one Hispanic student) who had transitioned into the college via a Summer Transition Program (STP) and had persisted at the college participated in the study. A loosely structured interview format was used to gather data from the students regarding their transition experiences. The interviews were transcribed into the Ethnograph format, coded, and analyzed, using the basic premises of Glaser and Strauss' (1967) grounded theory approach. Additionally, five other informants were interviewed or observed for the study. They were either named directly by the students as having an impact on their transition experience, or the informants' positions in the educational system placed them in contact with transitioning students. The informants included a parent of one of the students, a professor who taught the students in the STP, two high school counselors, and a high school teacher. The analysis of their data added depth and knowledge to the investigation. Using data from the students and the informants, the findings: (a) indicated that the high school-to-college transition process is a highly individualized one involving many complex relationships and interactions; (b) helped the researcher to identify people, processes, and roles that affected the transition process; (c) assisted the researcher in seeing how a mechanism (STP) set up to aid in the students' transition was perceived by the students, and (d) affirmed that the students' desire and decision to enroll and stay in college were the major factors in their persistence. / Ed. D.

Scheduling is a valuable but untapped resource for school reform. Nationwide, educators and administrators have focused on the manner in which time is allotted to various subject areas during the school day. One of the school improvement efforts that has influenced secondary scheduling is the block schedule. In Virginia secondary schools, the Alternate Day Block Schedule has become an innovative effort for school improvement. In this scheduling arrangement, students attend six to eight blocks of classes over a two-day period. One-half of the classes meet in double instructional blocks one day, while the remaining classes meet the next day. With so much public scrutiny of teacher effectiveness and student achievement, schools are required to incorporate change. The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze staff development training prior to the implementation of an Alternate Day Block Schedule and to describe how teaching practices changed due to the schedule implementation. The study involved interviewing the teaching staff, administrators, and parents of a case study site which had used the Alternate Day Block Schedule for the past three years. The case study and document reviews were conducted using interviews to gather in-depth information from administrators, teachers, and parents. Information obtained from the interviews were then further studied to find responses that were either similar or extremely different. The majority of the interview responses reflected a consensus of opinion regarding the overall success of the alternate day block schedule. There were, however, two areas of the research that provided differences of opinions regarding the effectiveness of the block schedule: staff development and teaching practices. Responses by teachers and parents to interview questions revealed that schools considering moving to a block schedule model would benefit from in-depth study of the staff development provided and the evaluation of teaching practices gained from the training. / Ed. D.

This study combines the elements of a qualitative and philosophical approach to examine, analyze, and discuss the process currently used to identify students for special education services in a public school setting. By combining a qualitative and philosophical approach, the study is designed to bring theory and practice together. It strives to mark the limits of current practice in special education and enrich the understanding of its theoretical bases. The qualitative portion of this study utilized a multiple-case design for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and discussing data. The study research took place in an elementary school that serves approximately 670 students enrolled in preschool through fifth grade. The transcripts from seven special education eligibility meetings comprise the primary source of data for the qualitative analysis and discussion. Each meeting was considered a single case, or unit of analysis. The data were codified and analyzed using a process suggested by Strauss and Corbin (1990). Memos written in field notes are cited to augment the interpretation of data. The written reports presented during the meetings were also used in the iterative process. Additionally, references to administrative manuals are made to further support the analysis and discussion. Five general themes emerged as the data were analyzed across the seven cases. The data suggest a number of findings which are presented and discussed. Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish (1979) serves as a conceptual framework for extending the qualitative analysis and discussion. While Foucault's theory of power provides a valuable analytic tool for the critique of the special education process, it does not offer a viable alternative to current practices. For this reason, the final portion of the study explores the ethics of care movement and its viability for positive change in administering programs in special education. Six observations are made which are considered essential toward an ethic of care in the administration of special education. Recommendations for further study are provided in the final chapter. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to analyze 10 national corporations represented on the national business/industry advisory board of DECA, a national association of marketing education students. DECA's mission is to enhance the cocurricular education of students with interests in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. DECA's National Advisory Board works directly with the association to influence its educational program that prepares students in career skills and job training. This study was designed to identify major factors, which contribute to successful business partnerships with this national association of marketing students. Upon conducting interviews with representatives of the 10 identified companies, the researcher found that the partnerships existed because each party received something. The companies gained present and future employees as a result of being able to recruit marketing students from DECA. Likewise, through the results of this study, it was determined by the researcher that DECA was able to link school and work through successful integrated education efforts nationwide. This undertaking resulted in building a responsive workforce preparation program. DECA also gained information about its National Advisory Board operations. / Ph. D.