Ball State University LibrariesLibrary services and resources for knowledge buildingMasters ThesesThere is no abstract available for this thesis.

Ball State University LibrariesLibrary services and resources for knowledge buildingMasters ThesesThere is no abstract available for this thesis.

Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) has been in the process of development for over ten years, but the actual usage of the method is still not yet very widespread.The author, however, proposes to use this method to teach COBOL to Business Administration students as an optional course at the College of Arts, Science and Technology in Jamaica and is therefore developing this package for her creative project.The package will require in excess of 4,000 man hours to complete. However, the author will do the necessary research and implement the framework of the software along with some lessons to demonstrate the techniques which will be used throughout the software. A supporting manual is also included in the design of the package.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Ball State University LibrariesLibrary services and resources for knowledge buildingMasters ThesesThere is no abstract available for this thesis.

Selected limnologic characteristics were examined at an east-central Indiana borrow pit lake to determine the role of submerged aquatic plants in water chemistry dynamics. During the summer of 1978 the lake was sampled at approximately weekly intervals in the evening and again the following morning in the shallow macrophyte area and the deeper open water control area void of macrophytes. Alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were evaluated for changes induced by macrophytes and Aufwuchs.Maximum macrophyte dry weight biomass was observed in the middle of July, after which the plants died off quickly. Potamogeton pusillus and P. pectinatus were the dominant species present.Dissolved oxygen levels were found to be higher in the evening and lower in the morning due to photosynthesis and respiration of aquatic plants at the macrophyte siteas compared to the control site. Daily variations in alkalinity at the macrophyte site were more intense than recorded at the control site. During the day, bicarbonate alkalinity was decreased and carbonate alkalinity increased at the macrophyte site. Diurnal fluctuation of hydrogen ion concentration was also greater at the macrophyte site than at the control site. Metabolism by macrophytes and Aufwuchs greatly influenced the water chemistry of Dumpert's Borrow Pit Lake.Laboratory studies have identified fluctuating levels of dissolved oxygen as a stress on fish resulting in reduced growth. A pilot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of macrophyte and Aufwuchs induced diurnal fluctuations of dissolved oxygen on growth, food consumption, and food conversion by adult bluegill fed mealworms ad libitum. Average growth, food consumption, and food conversion were lower for bluegill exposed to macrophyte-induced water quality changes. None of the differences were significant, however, due to variability and the small sample size.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Ball State University LibrariesLibrary services and resources for knowledge buildingMasters ThesesThere is no abstract available for this thesis.

The fish, invertebrate, and macrophyte communities of Dumpert's Lake, a borrow pit located in northwest Delaware County, Indiana were studied in 1979 and 1980. Data obtained from this study were used to evaluate the potential for quality fishing, to identify sport fish production problems, to assess largemouth bass food habits and habitat utilization, and to consider management options.Bluegill dominated the July and September, 1980 fish collections at 69 and 84 percent, respectively. The growth rates for age II and older bluegill indicated mortality rates above 55 percent. Stocklength (3 in., 76 mm) was.attained at annulus 2 and quality-length (6 in., 152 mm) was reached at age III+. The overall average annual growth increment was 48 mm (1.9 in.). Bluegill were in good condition by overall average K at capture (2.05) and at annulus formation (1.91). Corresponding mean Relative Weight (Wr) values were 106 and 107, respectively.Largemouth bass comprised 23 and 14 percent, respectively, of the July and September, 1980 fish collections. Bass attained stock-length (8 in., 200 mm) by age II+ and an additional 1.5-2.0 years (age III+ or older) was required to attain quality-length (12 in., 300 mm). Growth rates and length-frequency distribution verified mortality rates in excess of 60 percent for all age groups of stock-size bass. Average yearly growth was 70 mm (2.8 in.). Condition was poor by overall average K at capture (1.27) and at annulus formation (1.22). The overall mean Wr was 89 for the respective K values.A stock structure index, Proportional Stock Density (PSD), indicated an unbalanced largemouth bass and bluegill population. Bluegill PSD was 78 with largemouth bass PSD at 27.Radio telemetry observations for two largemouth bass monitored from late May to mid-July, 1980 indicated relative inactivity by observed displacement (98 and 366 m) with respective home ranges of 0.01 and 0.12 ha. Extensive use of shoreline cattails was noted at 79 and 84 percent of the respective locations. All observations were over lake depths of 0.5-0.9 m. Two bass tracked from late July to mid-September, 1980 were more active by displacement (1401 and 1429 m) with home ranges of 0.92 ha for both fish, and similar utilization of submergent pondweeds (46 and 50 percent, respectively). One bass was always observed over lake depths of 1.0 m or greater. The other bass was observed in shallow water (0.5-0.9 m) for 50 percent of the observations.Fish occurred more frequently (71 percent) in stomachs of largemouth bass ranging from 195-247 mm than in stomachs (11 percent) of bass 253-347 mm total length. Insects dominated the diet of the larger fish by percent in volume and weight (66 percent) compared to the smaller stock-size bass (21-22 percent). Odonata was the most frequent insect taxa in the diet of the smaller bass at 29 percent and Ephemeroptera was the dominant insect taxa (33 percent) in the diet of the larger fish.Epifaunal macroinvertebrates were more diverse by taxa compared to macroinvertebrates from three benthic habitats which were about equal in diversity by taxa. Zooplankton diversity by taxa was also similar among the benthic habitats. Macroinvertebrate density showed a trend of seasonal increase for the 1979 summer period, while distinct biomodal peaks for zooplankton abundance occurred in early July and late August, 1979 for vegetated and nonvegetated littoral zones.Najas flexilis, Potamogeton nodosus, and P. pusillus dominated the submergent macrophyte community in 1979. The overall mean seasonal dry weight biomass of macrophytes was 110 g/m2 (114 g/m3 ). Macrophyte control was recommended for improving the sport fishery.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

The edaphic and pedologic factors of forest soils and their influence on the naturally occurring climax vegetation in an old-growht forest in east-central Indiana were examined. The northern portion of this woods is a virgin remnant of the presettlement forest that Braun (1950) described as the BeechMaple Forest Region. This remnant is best classified as a sugar maple-American beech-slippery elm association. The undisturbed soils found were the moderately well drained Glynwood soils (Aquic Hapludalfs, fine, illitic, mesic), the somewhat poorly drained Blount soils (Aeric Ochraqualfs, fine, illitic, mesic), the poorly drained Lenawee Variant soils (Typic Haplaquepts, fine, nonacid, mixed,mesic), and the very poorly drained Lenawee (taxajunct) soils (Mollic Haplaquepts, fine-loamy, nonacid, mixed, mesic). The seasonal high water table and internal soil drainage of the soils appear to influence the survival and importance of the dominant tree species. There were 25 tree species sampled.The three most important tree species were sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.), American beech (Fagus qrandifolia Ehrh.), and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra Muhl.)on the Blount, Glynwood, and Lenawee Variant soils. The fourth most important tree species was silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) which was restricted to the lowland-depressional forest type (Lindsey and Schmelz, 1970) inclusion represented by the Lenawee (taxajunct) soils. The distribution of tree species occurring on each of the four soils was statistically examined at the 0.05 level of significance. Sugar maple had a significantly higher mean average basal area on the Glynwood soils; American beech had a significantly higher average number of trees on the Blount soils; and slippery elm had a significantly higher proportion of trees on the Glynwood soils.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of glucose ingestion on glycogen use andresynthesis during moderate exercise in untrained rats. Female Wistar rats (avg. wt.= 262 g) were assigned to either a control (C), control exercise (CE) or experimental exercise (EE) group. To examine glycogen resynthesis during exercise from a carbohydrate feeding, the EE animals were given 1 ml of a 10% glucose solution enriched with U-14C-glucose via stomach tube and run for 1h at 20.6 m/min. To distinguish between glycogen synthesis from endogenous versus exogenous sources, the CE animals were given a 0.1 ml tail-vein injection of U-14C-glucose tracer and run for 1h at 20.6 m/min. The C animals served as resting controls. Immediately after sacrifice, samples of the liver, soleus m., plantaris m., gastrocnemius m. and w. vastus m. were removed and analyzed for glycogen concentration and 14C activity in a glycogen pellet. Muscle and liver glycogen was 4.72 umol/g and 5.16 umol/g, respectively, higher (p<0.05) in the EE animals than in the CE animals. The average 14C activity of the muscle glycogen (mean ± SE) (182.85+ 31.79 cpm/g) was greater (p<0.05) than that of the liver (47.44 + 8.10 cpm/g), indicating a greater exogenous glucose incorporation into muscle glycogen than liver glycogen during exercise. However, this activity represented less than 2% of the remaining glycogen found in each tissue. Thus, it appears that the glycogen sparing observed with the glucose feeding in untrained rats was the result of an increased contribution of blood glucose to muscle metabolism.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Temperature, conductivity, and Aeromonas hydrophila density were determined bimonthly at six sites in the White River drainage system, Delaware County, Indiana, from April, 1984 through December, 1984. Fish were collected from four of the six sites. Fish were identified to species, examined for gross pathology, and their blood collected. Titers against A. hydrophila antigen 157 were determined for all carp (Cyprinus carpio) captured. Certain carp serum samples were also tested against three additional A. hydrophila antigens.Aerononas hydrophila densities appeared to be related to temperature and conductivity, primary producers, and runoff/effluent. Aeromonas hydrophila densities were higher in areas affected by urban runoff/ effluent than in areas affected by rural runoff/effluent. Aeromonas hydrophila densities increased as one progressed through the city of Muncie.Only five percent of all fish captured exhibited signs of gross pathology. Diseased fish typically demonstrated low titers against antigen 157. Several A. hydrophila serotypes were apparently infectious for the carp studied. Thirty-two percent of the carp sampled exhibited a positive titer response against antigen 157. Considerable variation in titer response existed between individuals.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306