Stancil, Christie Anne

STANCIL, CHRISTIE ANNE. Pilot Study of Improving the Performance of Collegiate Baseball Players Through the Use of Visual Learning Techniques.(Under the direction of Dr. Carolyn S. Love).College baseball is a highly competitive sport. Schools have to win in order to gain the attention of the top prospects. For a team to be successful, players have to excel in every part of the game. The pitchers must not allow runs to score, and hitters must score runs. However, hitting is one of the hardest ski...

Rubilar, Rafael Alejandro

Upper Coastal Plain forest sites are characterized by highly weathered soils and intensive agricultural use. These conditions may predispose intensively managed sites to second rotation declines if managed carelessly. This study compared aboveground biomass and nutrient content changes between successive rotations of loblolly pine on the same site in the Upper Coastal Plain of Alabama and examined what first rotation factors were important in the biomass and nutrient accumulation in the second r...

Im, Jung-Sun

Aerosols influence Earth s heat budget both directly by scattering and absorbing sunlight, and indirectly by acting as nuclei for cloud droplets. To reduce the uncertainties of current estimates of aerosol climate forcing, aerosol optical properties relevant to the computation of direct radiative forcing were measured at a regionally representative site near Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. On the basis of these measurements and model calculations, we have studied (1) the effects of relative humi...

SanClements, Michael Dante

ABSTRACTSANCLEMENTS, MICHAEL DANTE. Effects of Shading by Bridges on Estuarine Wetlands. (Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Broome.)Salt and brackish water marshes are integral parts of the coastal ecosystem, performing important nutrient cycling and hydrologic functions as well as providing habitat and breeding grounds for many coastal species. Despite their many benefits estuarine marshes have faced continued degradation in the past, which has led to a no net loss policy of these areas. As co...

SHAVER, KAY A.

<p>SHAVER, KAY ALBRIGHT. Activity-based Evaluation of Operations Management within Service Operations Organization. (Under the direction of John Dutton.) The purpose of this study is to use historical cross-sectional data including order characteristics to predict the time requirements of the indirect activity of managing. The subject of the study is the Operations Manager, who manages the supervision of engineering and installation of orders. Predictions of time estimates for the ...

MORISETTE, JEFFREY THOMAS

<p>MORISETTE, JEFFREY THOMAS. Using Generalized Linear Models to Enhance Satellite Based Land Cover Change Detection. (Under the direction of Siamak Khorram.)<p>A popular satellite based land cover change detection technique is to compare the spectral information for each pixel, from two images acquired at different dates. For each pixel, if there is a big enough difference between the reflectance values from the two images, the area represented by that pixel is consi...

Simpson, Matthew Drennan

ABSTRACTSimpson, Matthew D. Observational Analysis and Modeling of the Land Ocean Atmosphere Interaction During INDOEX (1999). (Under the direction of Dr. Sethu Raman)Observations from aircraft, an island station, and two research vessels are used to investigate the development of an elevated mixed layer or land plume over the Arabian sea during the Indian Ocean Experiment Intensive Field Phase 1999 (INDOEX) through air mass modification. Much of the transport of aerosols and gases occur in this...

Grissom, James Edwin

Effects of root and shoot genotypes on productivity and physiology of loblolly pine(Pinus taeda) seedlings were evaluated in contrasting nutrient regimes.<BR>Twelve-week-old seedlings from contrasting provenances were grafted reciprocally to facilitate distinction of rootstock and scion effects. Five open-pollinated families each from a mesic region (Atlantic Coastal Plain) and from a xeric region (Lost Pines Texas) were planted in a split-plot design on a nutrient-poor site in the...

Gainey, Kevin Wayne

<p>The objective of this project was to develop an optimization model for wetland mitigation site selection using a geographic information system for rating wetlands and traditional operations research methodologies. This project was conducted using a GIS based wetland assessment procedure entitled North Carolina Coastal Region Evaluation of Wetland Significance (NC-CREWS) developed by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Resources Division of Coastal Management (DCM). NC...

Green, Elaine Weslee

<p> This thesis investigates the extent to which localized contact situations figure in the early development of African-American speech. Because many African American varieties of English have their roots in the rural Southern United States, evidence from the longstanding, bi-racial insular contact situation in Hyde County, North Carolina, provides a valuable opportunity to shed light on the earlier development of African-American speech. This thesis focuses on the morphosyntactic...

ESSIC, JEFFERSON FORREST

<P>ESSIC, JEFFERSON FORREST. Applications of Geographic InformationSystems for Growth Management Planning and Water Quality Protection inthe Coastal Region of North Carolina. (Under the direction of Hugh A. Devine.)<P>Research efforts conducted in coastal areas of North Carolina andother regions have documented numerous examples of negative impacts toestuarine water quality as a result of unplanned and unmanaged development.However, new construction is continuing at a...

Allen, DeeDee Ann

Concept Advancement through Chemistry Laboratory-Lecture, or cAcL<sub>2</sub>, was developed to establish an active learning environment in introductory chemistry courses. The program has incorporated elements believed to positively influence student performance and attitudes, namely, cooperative learning, hands-on activities, real-world applications, and engaging technology. A full year of curriculum materials was developed and pilot-tested in the classroom in order ...

Brooks, Elizabeth N.

<p>Multi-site Leslie matrices for sub-divided populations are explored with respect to optimization of management goals and transient dynamics associated with implementing actions to achieve those goals. The management goals explored were minimizing the cost associated with controlling a pest species (Yellow Legged Herring gull, Larus cachinnans), and maximizing the yield from a commercially valuable species (Artco-Norwegian cod, Gadus morhua). Transient dynamics were evaluated for...

Shriner, Susan Ann

<p>We assessed the utility of developing predictive models of species distribution within a large contiguous forest based solely on GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data. We conducted more than 7000 point count surveys of breeding birds at approximately 4000 locations throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). We combined these empirical data with habitat, topographic, and location variables to develop logistic regression models for 20 breeding bird species. The me...

Amacher, Andrew James

<p>I evaluated the suitability of 100-meter-wide loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation corridors as breeding habitat for landbirds. The study was located within the Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina on land owned by Westvaco Timber Corporation. The typical rotation-age within the landscape was 20 years. Work was conducted within post-rotation-age (24-31 years) corridors (100-meter-wide linear loblolly pine plantation stands) and patches (typical Westvaco stands). Work was also...

Gilliam, Robert Chad

<p>Boundary layer processes are the dominating factors in the diffusion and transport of pollutants. Air pollution dispersion is known to be controlled by several boundary layer factors. Eddy diffusion, described by the amount of turbulent kinetic energy, is the main influence on how quickly a parcel of polluted air expands and boundary layer depth determines the extent of vertical mixing potential. This thesis explores the influence that mesoscale surface related features have on ...

Cook, Michael J.

<p>ABSTRACTCook, Michael J., The Use of Constructed Wetlands to Remove Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Pumped Shallow Groundwater. (Under the direction of Robert O. Evans).Non-point pollution has received significant attention nationwide with seepage from lagoons one potential source. The research presented here discusses the hydrology and shallow groundwater quality associated with leakage from an old, unlined lagoon located in the Middle Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Ammonium-N c...

Hudson-Curtis, Buffy L.

<p>Monte Carlo importance sampling is a useful numerical integration technique, particularly in Bayesian analysis. A successful importance sampler will mimic the behavior of the posterior distribution, not only in the center, where most of the mass lies, but also in the tails (Geweke, 1989). Typically, the Hessian of the importance sampler is set equal to the Hessian of the posterior distribution evaluated at the mode. Since the importance sampling estimates are weighted averages, ...

Handest, Joshua A.

<p>Handest, Joshua A. Effects of Nutrient Amendments and Genotype on Stand Productivity andCrown Characteristics in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) (Under the direction of H. Lee Allen andSteven E. McKeand).Two provenances of loblolly pine, with five open-pollinated families from each were analyzed fordifferences in height, volume, leaf area, and various crown characteristics. Families from theNorth Carolina and South Carolina Coastal Plain (ACP) and from the Lost-Pines area of Texa...

Gray, Janet Bracey

<p>GRAY, JANET BRACEY. Rare vascular flora of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem: temporal responses to fire frequency and population size. (Under the direction of Dr. Thomas R. Wentworth) We examined factors likely to be important in the management of rare flora occurring in the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem on Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall Military Reservations in North Carolina. Thirty-six rare plant species, comprising 1,268 records, were documented during the course of tw...

Carver, Adina Motz

<p>A male-focused size-selective fishing pressure has the potential to reduce the average size of the males in the population, reduce the density of males in the population, and/or raise the sex ratio of females to males. All of these may affect the mating dynamics of the population by reducing the amount of sperm that males provide to females and decreasing the number of males available for copulation. I used three different approaches to investigate the effect of the fishery on t...

Sanders, Keith

Sanders, Keith Aaron. Electronically Towed Micro Vehicles. (Under the direction of Dr. M.K. Ramasubramanian)In recent years, tremendous advancements have been made in the area of intelligent vehicle systems, autonomous vehicles, and remote navigation. Applications of such advancements vary from highway transportation systems, to military convoys, to unmanned exploration of dangerous environments. The evident benefits of these intelligent vehicle systems include more efficient travel, transportat...

Ewing, Justin M.

Carolina bays are oval shaped depressions, located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, that are wetlands. Many of these bays have been drained and used for agriculture. Drained Carolina bays have the potential to be excellent sites for wetland restoration. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the soils in a drained Carolina bay wetland, called Juniper Bay, to determine the potential for a successful restoration of wetland hydrology and vegetation. Juniper Bay is typical of most Carolina bays....

Casstevens, Randy Mark

CASSTEVENS, RANDY MARK. Explorations in Three-Dimensional User Interfaces For Learning Environments. (Under the direction of James C. Lester.)Computerized learning environments have the potential to dramatically improve the pedagogical effectiveness of the educational process. The computer will not replace the teacher in the classroom, but it could play a significant role in the students education. The computerized learning environment could provide each student an interactive, custom lesson. Th...

LI, HUA

Fusiform rust, a disease caused by Cronartium quercuum f.sp. fusiforme , is the most economically important disease for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the southern U.S. Identification and breeding of loblolly pines that are genetically resistant to fusiform rust are important for successful establishment of commercial plantations. This research developed a new analytical approach to detect major genes for rust resistance using complex segregation analysis in a diallel progeny population. Mole...

Herring, Garth

The current decline of the continental population of scaup coincides with a decline in body condition of birds arriving on the breeding grounds. The Spring Condition Hypothesis is one of the leading explanations for the current decline, and states that lesser scaup are arriving in poor body condition on the breeding grounds, which has the potential to impair their reproductive capabilities. However, it is not known if this decline in body condition is related to habitat on the wintering or stagi...

Semunegus, Hilawe

Globally, domestic animal waste contributes nearly half of the total tropospheric ammonia (NH3) emitted into the atmosphere. In North Carolina, swine waste from agricultural operations represents 47% of the total ammonia emissions and 21% of the states nitrogen budget. Due to the short residence time of NH3 (1-5 days) in the atmosphere, deposition occurs close to emission sources. Ammonia that does not deposit quickly combines with acidic species such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and hydrochlo...

Thurman, James Arnold

THURMAN, JAMES ARNOLD. Numerical Studies of Synoptic and Mesoscale Environments Conducive to Heavy Rainfall in Tropical and Extratropical Systems. (Under the direction of Yuh-Lang Lin.)The purpose of this research was to examine the environments conducive to heavy rainfall production, specifically a landfalling hurricane, Hurricane Floyd (September 1999) and an Alpine event, MAP IOP-2B (September 1999). In addition to studying the two events independently, a third study examined the link between...

Bright, Jr., Robert James

Cases of unexpected rapid intensity changes of tropical cyclones (TCs) close to the coast of the United States (U.S.) such as Opal (1995), Bertha (1996), and Lili (2002) have prompted more research into the factors that affect TC strength. It is well known that along with large-scale environmental and storm-scale internal influences, TC intensity is also influenced by interactions with the underlying ocean. In particular, warm ocean currents such as the Loop Current (LC) in the Gulf of Mexico an...

Kimball, Matthew Eric

KIMBALL, MATTHEW ERIC. Using Temperature Tolerance to Predict Distribution and Overwintering Success of Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) on the East Coast of the United States. (Under the direction of Dr. John M. Miller)<br><br>Lionfish have been observed at multiple locations along the east coast of the United States, with the majority found between Miami, Florida and North Carolina. The occurrence of lionfish represents one of the first documented invasions...

Udomkusonsri, Pareeya

UDOMKUSONSRI, PAREEYA. Pathogenesis of the Acute Ulceration Response (AUR) in Fish. (Under the direction of Dr. Edward J. Noga and Dr. Nancy A. Monteiro-Riviere.)We demonstrated that rapidly confined hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis male x M. chrysops female) developed a syndrome characterized by the immediate and dramatic loss of their skin, which named as the Acute Ulceration Response (AUR). AUR is characterized by the rapid onset of severe epidermal erosion, ulceration and degeneration o...

Robinson, KeAndra R.

The terebellid polychaete marine worm Amphitrite ornata contains an enzyme known as dehaloperoxidase (DHP). Dehaloperoxidase has unique characteristics that permit Amphitrite ornata to cohabit with other marine worms that secrete toxic haloaromatic compounds. Dehaloperoxidase has the capability to break down such compounds in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. For example, trihalophenols can be oxidized to dihaloquinones. Prior studies have described the structure, function, and mechanistic beha...

Barrett, Thomas Boone

ABSTRACTBARRETT, THOMAS BOONE. Soil Boron in Loblolly Pine Plantations of the Southeastern United States. (Under the direction of D. L. Kelting.)Boron (B) is not well understood in intensively managed pine plantations across the Southeastern United States. Forest fertilizer research has focused primarily on N and P applications, with essentially no research being conducted on micronutrients such as B. The objectives of this study were to quantify soil B fractions and to identify relationships th...

McClintock, Nathan C.

MCCLINTOCK, NATHAN CRANE. Production and Use of Compost and Vermicompost in Sustainable Farming Systems. (Under the direction of Noah Nathan Ranells.)<br><br>Compost use in agriculture has gained popularity in recent decades as public concern over the environmental impact of synthetic inputs in agriculture has increased. Compost application has been associated with improvements to soil physical and chemical properties. Thesis research focused on compost production and...

Arnold, Laura Ann

A two-part study (a field study and a modeling study) was undertaken to investigate the effect of shallow subsurface drains on nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) losses in drainage effluent relative to deep subsurface drains. The field study was conducted in the Lower Coastal Plain of North Carolina over a two year period between May 12, 2001 and April 30, 2003. Crops grown on the site were corn in 2001 followed by wheat and soybean in 2001/2002. The field was nearly flat and the soils were Portsmouth san...

Thaxton, Christopher S

<strong>ABSTRACT</strong><p>THAXTON, CHRISTOPHER S., Investigations of grain size dependent sediment transportphenomena on multiple scales (under the direction of Dr. Lubos Mitas)<p>Sediment transport in coastal and fluvial environments resulting from shorttime-scale processes of disturbance such as urbanization, mining, agricultureand military operations have significant impact on channel network and shorelinemorphology, downstream water q...

Parrow, Matthew W.

Dinoflagellates are an ancient, adaptively diverse group of protists that are important primary producers and/or consumers in many aquatic habitats. Most species are known only from drawings, photographs, or written descriptions. Comparatively few have been cultured for experimentation because of unknown nutritional requirements. Thus, studies on the behavior and reproduction of most dinoflagellates are still at the level of observational science.Pfiesteria spp. and cryptoperidiniopsoids are clo...

Bertone, Matthew Alan

Dung beetles in the families Scarabaeidae (subfamilies Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae and Coprinae) and Geotrupidae (Geotrupinae) aid in the decomposition of dung, providing many benefits to pasture and animal health. They compete with pestiferous flies and parasitic nematodes for dung resources, enrich the soil by burying large quantities of nutritious dung and effectively mix and aerate soil through tunneling. Very little is known about the composition of dung beetle species existing in North Caroli...

Bartlett, Jeffrey Alan

The Sandy Site is a multispecific terrestrial deposit in the fluvial sediments of the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation. It captures a diversity of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs and other vertebrates. Over three thousand bones represent at least fifty genera of birds, pterosaurs, terrestrial and aquatic tetrapods, and fish. Ten of the eleven dinosaur families found throughout the formation have been recognized at this quarry.Detailed taphonomic observations included abrasion, bone completeness, ...

Huang, Sue-Jean

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Ma, Guo-Ding

The research focuses on the application of siteselection for cage aquaculture in Taiwan bydeveloping the site evaluation DSS (DecisionSupport System). The modeling aspect of thesystem belongs to the domain of multi-criteriadecision theories, which AHP (Analytic HierarchyProcess) and Fuzzy Set theory were used. Two casestudies based on real world and hypothetical datawere conducted to verify the integrity of thesystem.According to the literature review and theinterview with several domain experts...

Kan, Chia-Hsin

Almost all dyestuffs used for textile processing impose heavy colors on effluents such that they can¡¦t meet effluent regulations. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has long been used for effluent decoloration by most textile plants. However, despite by the operators¡¦ experience, there is still no scientific method for controlling the dosing rate of sodium hypochlorite. An insufficient dosage may result in an aesthetically and legally unacceptable effluent. Whereas...

Chen, Cheau-Ju

AbstractThe primary objective for this study is to determine the variations of germanium (Ge) to silicon (Si) ratios in diatom shells from down core sediments off the southwestern coast of the Africa. Because Ge behaves like Si in the ocean and the major source of these two elements is rivers, Ge/Si ratios of the diatom are thus expected to record the intensity of weathering on continents. Two sediment cores (Site 1081 and 1084) were collected during the ODP Leg 175 in August, October 1997 and w...

Lin, Ching-Fen

AbstractIn this study, we have analyzed systematically the oxygen isotopic compositions of South China Sea (SCS) and Luzon Strait (LS) seawater so that a comprehensive interpretation of their temporary and spatial variability can be delineated. The oxygen isotopic compositions of the samples collected in the two areas were determined using the Epstein-Mayeda technique, and the overall precision of the d18OSMOW measurements is +0.1 ?. Our data suggest that LS seawater is a mixture of SCS and Kuro...

Huang, Chen-Yi

This study investigated the basic biology as well as vital statistics of the Sakura shrimp, Sergia lucens in the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The research includes length-weight relationship, spawning season, sex ratio and Von Bertalanffy equation. All sample had found partly grown eggs. The greatest spawn in January and July. It is possible that one population in the fishing area. Analysis of Covariance(ANCOVA) on the relationship between length and weight shows that male and female has the si...

Chung, Kendy

AbstractThe research was conducted as a part of the phase III of the KEEP(Kuroshio Edge Exchange Processes)program. Two strings of sediment traps were deployed simultaneously: one near the outlet of North Mien-Hua Canyon (T15), and the other at the south rim of the South Okinawa Trough (T16). The purposes are to collect settling particulates at various depths for the studies of temporal and spatial variations of the particulate flux, 210Pb activity, 210Pb flux and size distribution. The particul...

Chang, Cheng-Fang

Three series of studies were conducted to quantify the effectiveness of dietary incorporation of b-1,3-glucan (BG) from Schizophyllum commune in enhancing the immunity and resistance of grass prawn Penaeus monodon to vibriosis and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infections.In the first series of studies, three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary b-1,3-glucan on shrimp growth and resistance to vibriosis. Weight gain, survival and feed efficiency of juvenile shrimp...

Yeh, Jeng-Chyang

Presently, most bacterial diseases of eel (Anguilla japonica) are controlled by antibiotics. However, antibiotics not only kill the bacterial pathogens but also kill those bacteria which might be beneficial to eels. In the meantime, application of antibiotics may result in spreading and accumulation of the resistance genes which may in turn lower the efficacy the antibiotics in the future and may threat public health. The recent trend to such problems is to screen non-pathogenic bacteria which a...

Chang, Yu-Ga

In order to better understand the flow dynamics of the Kaoping Submarine Canyon (KSC), this study conducted a series of field experiments to monitor the current, temperature, salinity and tide near the KSC by using shipboard ADCP, CTD and moorings of RCM-8 and workhorse ADCP. Three cruises of Sb-ADCP and CTD have been carried out in September and December of 1999 and May 2000, each lasting two days, while mooring experiment was conducted in June and July, 2000. Least-square fit was applied to th...

Chieh, Wang-Chao

At present, enterprises adopt global production and marketing strategy to reinforce their competitive advantages. In addition, they tend to search suitable places for establishing global logistic distribution centers. An international harbor with good geography, cost advantage, and complete facilities, will be attractive for those enterprises to set global logistic distribution centers.The Kaohsiung Harbor is the third largest container transport in the world. However, the global logistics is op...