Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase has been isolated from pig liver mitochondria and purified 208-fold from the initial mitochondrial accectone powder extract in good yield (48%). The enzyme appears homogeneous in sedimentation velocity experiments and has a sedimentation coefficient (s₂₀⁰,w) of 5.21 S. Its molecular weight, determined by sedimentation equilibrium is 73,300. The ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra of the enzyme revealed no characteristic chromophores. The amino acid composition of the enzyme is reported. Fifteen sulfhydryl groups per molecule of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase account for its total half-cystine content. The N-terminal groups of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were found to be glutamic acid and isoleucine by Sanger's method. Substrate binding investigated by equilibrium dialysis indicates that PEP binding by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase requires Mn⁺⁺, white GDP or GTP binding does not require the metal ion. K_s values determined by equilibrium dialysis were 2.3 x 10⁻⁶ M for PEP, and 3.6 x 10⁻⁶ M for GDP and 3.4 x 10⁻⁶ M for GTP. At 30°mitochondrial P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase catalyzes the inosine diphosphate- and Mn⁺⁺ - dependent carboxylation of 664 moles of phosphoenolpyruvate per min per mole of enzyme at pH 7.0 and the ITP- and Mn⁺⁺ - dependent decarboxylation of 4650 moles of oxalacetate per min per mole of enzyme at pH 7.5. The enzyme exhibits a relatively high degree of specificity for inosine and guanosine nucleotides in the carboxylation, decarboxylation and oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange reactions. While purified IDP cannot replace ITP in the oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange reaction, IDP can replace ITP in the decarboxylation reaction. In contrast to ITP-supported decarboxylation, IDP-supported decarboxylation leads to pyruvate rather than P-enolpyruvate formation. The enzyme is inhibited by low concentrations (10⁻⁶ M) of p-chloromercuribenzoate which can be reversed by high concentrations of glutathione. Comparative kinetic studies at pH 6.8, 7.3, and 8.0 reveal that the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-catalyzed inosine triphosphate-dependent oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange is much more rapid than either the overall decarboxylation or carboxylation reactions. At pH 6.8, the relative carboxylation, decarboxylation, and oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange rates are 1.0, 8.3, and 30, respectively. Under conditions which permit rapid P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase-catalyzed oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange, neither GTP-GDP-8-¹⁴C-, nor oxalacetate-P-enolpyruvate-1-¹⁴C-exchange occurs at a significant rate. The inability of carboxykinase to catalyze these exchange reactions renders unlikely (a) the formation of phosphorylenzyme from GTP (or ITP) and enzyme as a step in the oxalacetate-H¹⁴CO₃⁻ exchange reaction or (b) the dissociation of either enzyme-P-enolpyruvate or enzyme-IDP (or GDP) as a rate-limiting step in the over-all decarboxylation reaction. A mechanism compatible with these results and other known characteristics of the reaction is presented. / Ph. D.

M.S.

Problem. To survey the various practices of administration and patterns of organization for implementing the Distributive Education non-cooperative preparatory program. Purposes. The purposes of the study were to determine administrative practices and organizational patterns in states already offering programs; to determine those recommended by the states preparing to offer programs; to develop a comparison between the two; and, to develop suggestions for state and local administrative officials. Method and Scope. A questionnaire was sent to each of forty-seven state and territorial supervisors of Distributive Education and thirty-one, of 66.0 per cent, were returned as usable data. Findings. In most states and territories instruction is directed primarily to eleventh and twelfth grade students; however, the states already offering programs give more attention to tenth graders than the states preparing to offer instruction. Actual enrollment consists of students mostly in the eleventh grade. Most states with established non-cooperative programs do not have a separate project laboratory whereas half of the states preparing to implement programs will schedule a project laboratory. All states with established programs and the majority of states planning program implementation require or encourage the use of training plans. The majority of states have or will have non-cooperative students become active or associate members of Distributive Education Clubs of America on the local level. Many of these students will represent their local chapter at the state leadership conference as delegates, contestants, or observers. Twenty-three different descriptive titles are used to identify the vocational non-cooperative preparatory Distributive Education Program throughout the states. / M.S.

Student evaluation of instruction was investigated using summated ratings obtained from three different types of evaluation instruments: (1) a standardized form developed by Kansas State University (2) a single item form on which the student indicated an overall rating of the instructor and (3) a form on which students constructed their own items and rated the instructor. The study attempted to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent can summated ratings distinguish among instructors? (2) How strongly do summated ratings based on student constructed items correlate with ratings from other evaluation instruments? (3) What item topics identified by students are common to all or nearly all instructors? (4) Do profiles of instructors based on summated ratings provide a basis for distinguishing among instructors on the basis of certain personal characteristics? The study utilized students and faculty from three different types of educational institutions: A community college, a senior college and a state university. Summated scores from individual students were used as a primary basis for analysis. Means of summated scores from the three types of instruments and subsets of items identified from the student constructed items form were analyzed for each instructor using a one-way analysis of variance. Duncan's New Multiple Test was used to isolate groups without significant mean differences for each measure of evaluation. Mean ranks for each instructor were used to obtain correlation coefficients between each measure of evaluation. Kendall's coefficient of concordance was used to determine the degree of agreement between the measures of evaluation. Rankings were used in a pattern analysis (Johnson's MAX procedure) to determine whether rank profiles could be related to personal and professional characteristics of the instructor. Findings from the study indicated that for the vast majority of faculty members, practical differences could not be determined on the basis of summated ratings. An alternative method based on ranks of sub-groups identified by the New Multiple Range Test provides a more practical approach for distinguishing among faculty members. It was concluded, from the moderate to high correlations between the rankings for each measure of evaluation, that the instructor would receive basically the same ranking no matter which instrument was used for evaluation. High values obtained from the Kendall coefficient of concordance indicated a high degree of association between the measures of evaluation. Five item topics were identified from the student constructed items as being common to all or nearly all instructors. These items defined three areas of concern that the student has for instruction: (1) the instructor knows the subject, (2) the subject is presented well, and (3) the instructor relates positively to the student personally and professionally. Instructors in courses in which immediate application of course work is evident will receive higher ratings than instructors in those courses in which content application is difficult to discern, such as English and history. The teaching specialty of the instructor, therefore, does make a difference in the kind of evaluation the instructor receives. / Ph. D.

The stress concentration factors for rectangular slots with semicircular ends with their major axes inclined to the direction of a uniaxial tension field were investigated by photoelastic methods. A major portion of this thesis deals with the problem of loading a circular disk such as to create an approximately uniform tension field. This circular disk was used to investigate the stress concentration factors of the slots which were compared to the known results of a slot perpendicular to a tension field in a rectangular plate. The maximum value for the stress concentration factor occured when the slot was perpendicular to the direction of the tension field. A method of determining the stress concentration was developed which required only the recording of the load at which each fringe appeared on the edge of the slot. This method gave results with 6% of accepted values. / Master of Science

Vertical greenery systems (VGSs) on building walls in cities develop rapidly worldwide in recent years, which is a potentially effective way to mitigate urban heat island (UHI) effect mainly through evapotranspiration and shading. Benefits of using vertical greening applications are of social and environmental origins, such as CO₂ emission reduction, energy saving, air quality improvements and enhanced aesthetic. However, little is known about C sequestration and CO₂ flux of vertical greening, and less attention has been paid on the C balance of vertical greening. In addition, many factors have great influence on C sequestration of vertical greening, including plant species, orientations and fertilizer application. However, limited studies report their impacts on C cycling, mitigation of UHI effect and improvement of urban microclimate of vertical greening. / Firstly, C sequestration of seven common plant species and that of Peperomia claviformis under six fertilizer treatments were studied. The results showed that plant species and fertilizer application had significant effects on shoot and root biomass. In contrast, we investigated C sequestration of Schefflera octophylla in four orientations, and showed that orientation had no significant influence. C sequestration of the seven species in VGSs ranged from 61 to 523 g C m⁻² y⁻¹. Meanwhile, the total C footprint of their maintenance ranged from 196 to 434 g Ce m⁻² y⁻¹, including the C footprint of fertilizer, pesticide and electricity consumption for irrigation. Newly established VGSs with these seven species could become C source from C sinks with large amount of C emissions from the maintenance practices between 2.7 and 43.6 years. / Secondly, the CO₂ fluxes of VGSs were determined by chamber-based measurement. Plant species and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) played a dominant role in CO₂ fluxes. Fertilizer also significantly contributed to CO₂ fluxes of VGSs. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ and respiration rates of VGSs varied with plant species, and most species in VGSs were higher in summer than other seasons. / Thirdly, VGS in the west-facing wall had the best capacity in terms of daily maximum wall temperature on sunny days. In addition, VGSs decreased the indoor air temperature of the thermal test room with VGSs. Solar radiation, total bright sunshine and relative humidity had the greatest significant correlations and relatively stronger coefficients with thermal indicators. / Finally, we compared the electricity consumption for cooling in flats with and without a VGS (8.22m²) in a pubic housing estate, and quantified the environmental benefits and burdens of a commercially available VGS. The daily electricity saving by the VGS in the flats with and without a VGS (8.22m²) in sunny, cloudy and rainy days in summer was 1.30, 0.84 and 0.71 kWh, respectively. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to analyze the environmental burdens of the VGS in its material, transportation, use and end-of-life stages. A comparison of the environmental burdens and benefits gained from cooling showed that the environmental burden of the VGS in regard to abiotic depletion of fossil fuels could be paid back in 20 years. / Overall, vertical greeneries installed on building walls did not only play a significant role on alleviation the problems of global warming and climate change through C sequestration and energy saving, but alse contribute to mitigating the UHI effects and improving urban microclimate due to the thermal performance. / 近年來城市中垂直綠化快速發展，主要通過植物蒸騰和遮陰效應而成為一種減緩城市熱島效應的有途徑。垂直綠化的應用由於其多種社會和環境效益，比如降低二氧化碳排放、節能、提高空氣品質和提升審美效果。然而，我们對於垂直绿化的碳匯和二氧化碳通量所知甚少，并且很少有研究關注垂直绿化的碳收支。並且，許多因素影響垂直綠化的碳匯，包括植物品種、朝向和施肥。但是在垂直綠化的碳循環、減緩城市熱島效應和提升城市微氣候方面研究卻很少。 / 首先，我们研究了七種常见的垂直绿化植物的碳汇和黑叶椒草在六种不同施肥处理下的碳匯。结果显示，植物品種和施肥對茎部和根部生物量有顯著促進作用。相比之下，我們還研究了鵝掌柴在四個朝向的碳匯，結果顯示，朝向對其並沒有顯著影響。七種垂直綠化植物的碳匯範圍為每年每平方米61到253克碳。同時，這些植物的維護包括施肥、噴藥和灌溉用電，造成了每年每平方米196到434克碳排放。因此，由於維護所造成的大量碳排放。所以這七種植物垂直綠化系統在2.7年到43.6年之內將從碳源變成碳匯。 / 第二，我們用二氧化碳分析儀測定了垂直綠化的碳通量。植物品種和光合有效輻射在碳通量上起主導作用。施肥也同樣顯著影響垂直綠化的碳通量。淨生態系統碳交換量和呼吸速率隨植物品種而變化，並且在夏天高於其他季節。 / 第三，在晴天最大牆面溫度上，西向的垂直綠化有佳的植物降效應。並且，垂直綠化降低了測試房間的室內空氣溫度。太陽輻射、總日照和相對濕與熱能指標有最多的顯著關係，並且有更高的相關係數。 / 最後，我們比較了在公共住宅的有垂直綠化(8.22平方米)和無垂直綠化的房間用於降溫的電量消耗，並評估了一個商業化垂直綠化系統的環境效益和環境負荷。在對比已安裝和未安裝垂直綠化的兩個房間後，在晴天、陰天和雨天每日省電量分別為1.30, 0.84 and 0.71千瓦時。我們用生命週期評價來對垂直綠化在材料、運輸、使用和最終階段的環境負荷進行了分析。對比了垂直綠化的環境效益和環境負荷後可知，化石燃料的不可再生資源消耗能夠在20年內償還。 / 總之，建築物外牆的垂直綠化不僅通过其碳匯和节能作用能夠對溫室效應和氣候變化有顯著作用，而且由于其熱性能還能緩解城市熱島效應和提升微氣候。 / Pan, Lan. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2016. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 217-246). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 24, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

The Pallet Design System (PDS) is a widely accepted engineering procedure for comparing the performance of competing pallet designs. As part of a new version of the PDS, the objective of this study was to develop a durability model for pallets with structural panel decking. An accelerated rough material handling test system, "the VPI unit-load material handling FasTrack" , was developed to simulate pallets used in the unit-load material handling environments. 100 pallets representing 14 different designs were tested in the "FasTrack." Damages to these pallets were recorded after each test cycle. A procedure relating damage to repair cost was developed. The effect of panel-deck pallet design on the resistance to damage was evaluated in terms of the total number of damaged parts and average damage cost or repair cost. Test results indicate that panel grade and type, species of related wood parts, size of stringer and deckboards, joints, and pallet configurations affect the resistance of panel deck pallet to damage. The plots of average total damage cost, Cu adjusted for repair as a function of test cycle, U, fit the equation: Ct = aU - 1. The equation provided good fits to all the pallet designs tested. Using the initial purchase prices, the average cost and the economic life were calculated for all the pallet designs. The VPI "FasTrack" was calibrated based on the number of physical handlings and the amortized life. Three typical in-field handling environments were compared with the VPI "FasTrack". It concluded that the 30-cycle test period in the VPI "FasTrack" simulates between 2 to 5 years of field uses depending on the field handling system being simulated. Thirty Canadian Pallet Council (CPC) pallets with known 7 years of amortized life in the field were tested in the VPI "FasTrack". The 30-cycle test in the VPI system simulated 6 years of use in the similar handling environment of the CPC pallet used by the grocery industry in Canada. The average total damage costs for different pallet designs were related to pallet structural characteristics using multivariate regression analysis. The shear resistance through the thickness of the top panel deck, bottom deck flexural strength, pallet flexural strength, fastener withdrawal resistance, and pallet configuration were used to predict the total damage cost. A multiple regression model was developed. The model was verified by comparing the predicted values with the tested values of 12 panel deck pallets representing 2 designs. The results indicated that the model is reliable for the future predictions. / Master of Science

An analysis of how adaptive behavior information is obtained and used by school psychologists with secondary age students was the focus of this investigation. School psychologists are often considered to be important sources of information regarding the initial identification and programming of students placed in special education classes. Because the adaptive behavior instruments developed for public school use have emphasized the initial placement/ identification of elementary age students, it was not known how school psychologists approach the adaptive behavior issue with secondary age students. This question was critical in light of research indicating the poor post secondary transition of many handicapped students and the limited training of school psychologists in providing services for secondary age students. The study was undertaken to examine the dynamics of practicing school psychologists' current use of adaptive behavior information in the psychological assessment of secondary age students. To gather the data needed for the study, a questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of the membership of the National Association of School Psychologists residing in the United States. An 81.4% return rate was obtained. One hundred eighty-seven school psychologists practicing primarily in the schools provided data used in the study. The results of this study indicate that if school psychologists are to adequately address the post secondary needs of secondary age students, they will need to become familiar with newer adaptive behavior instruments which address issues beyond the non-biased assessment of mild mentally retarded students. Reforms in current reevaluation practices are needed to facilitate the use of adaptive behavior instruments that can help facilitate the post secondary transition of secondary age students. Also, training programs need to place greater emphasis in skill development for optimal psychological services with secondary age students. More research is needed regarding the experience/continuing education factor mentioned earlier. Also, test publishers need to encourage the development and marketing of new adaptive behavior instruments which can better help to facilitate the post secondary transition of this population. / Ed. D.

The Precambrian or Canbrian Unicoi Formation in southwestern Virginia consists of at least three litho logically distinct rock sequences which can be distinguished as formations. The Uhicoi therefore should be raised to the rank of group. The lowest rock sequence is named Iron Mountain Formation; the middle sequence, consisting of three basalt flow and inter-layered claatic sedimentary rocks, an the upper sequence of clastic sedimentary rocks are not named. / Ph. D.

Master of Science