Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Strategy For Distributed Relational Database Design, Ismail Omar Hababeh

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a strategy for the fragmentation and allocation of data in a distributed relational database. The strategy introduces a way to fragment and allocate data to accomplish the benefits of allocating each fragment independently for each site. Some fragments may be allocated to multiple sites in order to achieve some constraints such as availability, consistency, and integrity. The strategy is appropriate for different types of computers at various sites connected to a network, with different costs of retrieval, update, and communication.

To increase the system 1/0 performance, sites having similar communication costs are grouped into clusters to which …

L-Shell Resonant Electron Transfer And Excitation In Cu18-19+ + H2 Collisions, Jeffrey A. Wroblewski

Masters Theses

Measurements of L-shell resonant electron transfer and excitation (RTE) were conducted for 45-72 MeV Cu^18-19+ (Na-like and Ne-like, respectively) ions colliding with H₂ using the Western Michigan University EN tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. The RTE process involves an electron-electron interaction between the projectile and the target where electron capture occurs simultaneously with projectile excitation. In previous measurements involving RTE with subsequent L x-ray relaxation for Nb^q+ (q=28-31) ions, the magnitudes of the RTE cross sections were found to be nearly a factor of two smaller than theory. In the analogous electron-ion process of dielectronic recombination, measurements …

Rapid Method For Determination Of Iodine Numbers Of Vegetable Oils, Ondrej Hendl

Masters Theses

There is a great deal of interest by the public about the total unsaturation of fats and oils used in commercial products as an indication of nutritional value. Dealers in fats and oils are extremely interested in characterizing these products. The unsaturation is a guide to the expected stability of food additives, such as edible oils and foods in which they are used. Unsaturation is typically evaluated as an iodine number (IN), calculated for these additives based on their consumption of iodine through addition across the carbon-carbon double bonds. The classical titration method can typically take 45 minutes.

The investigation …

A Depositional Analysis Of The Wymer Site, Berrien County, Michigan And Its Relationship To Post-Glacial Lake Levels In The Lake Michigan Basin, Kevin A. Kincare

Masters Theses

The Wymer site is an archeological site on the St. Joseph River floodplain 1.5 miles north of Berrien Springs, Michigan. Early and Middle Archaic cultural phases were found at the site. These sites are unusual in that their occurrence corresponds to low lake levels associated with Lake Chippewa and were assumed to occupy the now submerged shoreline areas.

A site evaluation was undertaken to examine the types of sediments and depositional structures. Trenches, grainsize analysis, ¹⁴C samples and valley topography were used to determine that the site was a point bar situated on a terrace above the modern floodplain. …

An Efficient Collective Communication Library For Pvm, Chirapol Mathawaphan

Masters Theses

PVM enables the use of network of workstations for parallel and distributed computation. PVM provides the message-passing primitives which include those for point-to-point communication and collective communications. The current approaches for the collective communication operations in PVM use algorithms that do not exhibit good performance.

In this thesis, we develop new approaches to improve the performance of collective communication operations in PVM by using shared memory with IP broadcasting and IP multicasting mechanism. We have implemented these approaches and have run extensive tests. This report shows the comparison of the time used by current approaches and our approaches.

The Effect Of Chromium Compounds On The Mutagenic Rate Of Benzo[A]Pyrenediolepoxide In Human Fibroblasts, Yordanos Tesfai

Masters Theses

Cancer researchers are interested in identifying the environmental causes and synergistic influences of different chemical carcinogens in order to decrease the risk of cancer. There are numerous studies which have investigated the effect of individual carcinogens but relatively few in which a well defined mixture of chemicals have been used. The present study was performed to examine the effect of chromium compounds on benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide (BPDE) induced cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in human fibroblasts. Cytotoxicity was measured by the ability to fonn colonies while selection of 6-thioguanine resistant mutants were used to study mutagenesis in human fibroblasts.

Our results indicate that …

Side Chain Effect On Micellarly Catalyzed Hydrolysis Of Hydroxamic Acids In Perfluorooctanoic Acid Environment, A.C. Menik Fernando

Masters Theses

The side chain effect on micellar catalysis of hydroxamic acids with perfluorooctanoic acid as the reactive counterion surfactant in aqueous acetonitrile solution has been demonstrated in this thesis.

The rate constant-surfactant concentration profiles were used to estimate the critical micelle concentration and the second order rate constant for hydrolysis in the aqueous bulk phase.

The pseudo-phase ion exchange model satisfactorily explains the surfactant effect. The second order rate constants in the aqueous bulk phase show a direct relationship with steric substituent constants. The major influence of the change in micellar catalysis is the location in the micelle where the substrate …

The Effects Of The Kalamazoo Station No. 4 On The Nearby Kleinstuck Nature Preserve, Robert J. Buechler

Masters Theses

This was a 15 month study that studied the effects of Kalamazoos' Municipal Pumping Station No. 4 on the Kleinstuck Nature Preserve. The preserve is about a quarter of a mile in the up gradient direction of Station No. 4. This study demonstrates that there is a direct correlation between the pumping and the water levels at the preserve. Pumping records show that there is no correlation between precipitation and the water levels at the preserve.

There are other factors which exaggerate this effect. It has been found that the drain field at the Y.M.C.A. parking lot, the breaching of …

Reactions Of Chlorine And Some Of Its Oxygen Derivatives With Phenol, Lizhuo Zhang

Masters Theses

Chlorine is widely used in industry. It is also the most commonly used disinfectant in water treatment plants. Since the amount of chlorine used is increasing each year, environmental and health concerns arise due to its reactivity with various of organic compounds. Many chlorinated organic compounds are toxic and as a result other non-chlorinating compounds, such as chlorine dioxide, might be potential substitutes in the future, especially in water treatment plants.

Previous studies have indicated that chlorinated organic compounds are not formed when chlorine dioxide is used as a disinfectant. Furthermore no reaction occurs between chlorite and phenol in the …

A Hplc Method To Assay Mycotoxins - Fumonisin, Ochratoxin And Zearalenone, Nalini Sadagopan

Masters Theses

A HPLC method to quantitate the mycotoxins Fumonisin B1 (FB1), Ochratoxin A(OA), and Zearalenone (ZON) was developed and validated. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi like Fusarium, Asperigillus and Penicillium that contaminate crops. They have a wide array of chemical structures which facilitate their analytical detection.

The analytical method consists of reverse phase chromatography and fluorescence detection. Sample cleanup was performed using SAX and C18 cartridges prior to analysis on the HPLC.

The method developed for FB1 is unique in that it is more sensitive, accurate, and reproducible than the existing methods. Automation is one of the salient features that …

Spatial And Temporal Variability In The Distribution Of Nitrate In An Agriculturally-Impacted Aquifer, Cass County, Michigan, Caroline Lo Vetere

Masters Theses

Ground-water sampling in a shallow unconfined aquifer within a predominantly agricultural area in southwestern Michigan indicated spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of nitrate. The unconfined aquifer, which is about 40 feet thick, consists of glacially-deposited sand and gravel with interbedded clay lenses and is separated from a lower semi-confined aquifer by a 3-to 26-feet-thick till layer.

The site of the study was a 47-acre agricultural field, characterized by corn and alfalfa hay production, to which hog manure and commercial fertilizers were frequently applied. The shallow water table and relatively permeable glacial sands in the vadose zone combined to …

Is The Universe Expanding?: An Historical And Philosophical Perspective For Cosmologists Starting Anew, David A. Vlosak

Masters Theses

This study addresses the problem of how scientists ought to go about resolving the current crisis in big bang cosmology. Although this problem can be addressed by scientists themselves at the level of their own practice, this study addresses it at the meta-level by using the resources offered by philosophy of science.

There are two ways to resolve the current crisis. Either cosmologists can continue working on big bang theory or they can start anew. For those who choose to start anew, this study argues it would be a mistake for them to assume any new cosmological theory would have …

An Investigation On Nonenzymatic Autoxidation Of Phenolic Compounds In Natural Waters, Lei Jiang

Masters Theses

The nonenzymatic autoxidation of the phenolic compounds chlorogenic acid in aqueous solution was studied. The study demonstrated that the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid was strongly dependent on pH. The higher the pH, the faster the rate of oxidation. The involvement of phenolate ions and radicals in oxidation reactions are two possible reasons for the pH dependency. The presence of a trace amounts of reducible transition metal ions, such as copper(II), dramatically increases the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid. Light also increases the oxidation rate of chlorogenic acid. However, the photochemical reaction was a much slower process.

The TLC and …

A Study Of The Chemical And Physical Interactions Between A Wetland And A Shallow Aquifer In Cass County, Michigan, Lisa Marie Anderson

Masters Theses

A study of the ground-water chemistry and flow direction adjacent to a wetland was performed in a major hog producing area. Nested piezometers, consisting of wells 7 to 18 feet deep, were installed around the wetland to determine the vertical distribution of hydraulic head and water-quality parameters. Piezometer elevations were surveyed to determine precise ground-water elevations to delineate the ground-water flow regime around the wetland. Water samples were taken at three different times to analyze water quality and seasonal variations. Analytical parameters included major ions, redox sensitive parameters (DO, nitrate-N, ammonia, iron, and sulfate), and total organic carbon.

Water level …

An Evaluation Of Methods To Determine The Thickness Of Free Product In A Shallow Water Table Aquifer, Ross B. Wagner

Masters Theses

Estimates of the volume of recoverable free phase petroleum product in soils are frequently based on poorly understood empirical methods. These methods, in the form of field tests and/or equations, require simplifying assumptions and apparent product thickness to calculate the thickness or specific volume of free phase product. The purpose of this study was to compare the available methods against each other to cross validate them.

The field methods evaluated at a well with an apparent product thickness of 1.69 feet were: Yaniga's bailer test, split-spoon soil sampling, a test pit excavation and a new tool developed for direct measurement …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bifunctional Silica Gel Surfaces, Alufelwi Maxwell Tshavhungwe

Masters Theses

Bifunctional silica surfaces consisting of various combinations of the following organofunctional silanes were synthesized and characterized using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy: hexamethyldisilazane, octyldimethylmethoxysilane, phenyldimethylethoxysilane, (3-aminopropyl) -dimethylmethoxysilane, ( 2 - cyanoethyl)triethoxysilane, and trimethylmethoxysilane.

The relative amounts of organosilanes loaded on a silica surface were obtained from band area ratios of IR bands. Ratios of organosilanes bonded to the same silica surface were calculated from normalized band areas of the isolated silanol peak. In reactions in which surface coverage was incomplete, the relative amount of inaccessible silanols was determined from the band area ratio of the silanol peak. Comparisons of organosilane loading …

Customer Feedback Information System For Quality Improvement, Ke Wang

Masters Theses

This research addressed the basic needs for an effective customer feedback information system and the database technology to develop the system. It discussed the system concept and configuration of a typical customer feedback information system, database management technology, programming flow charts, program functions and capabilities. A proposed customer feedback information system consists of customer data inputs, database management system and outputs to various departments in an organization. With a user-friendly interface, database management system serves as an information management tool. It can process the feedback from customers and use the information in decision making. Thus, customer feedback can be promptly …

Mechanistic Studies On Malate Dehydrogenase From Escherichia Coli, S. Kirk Wright

Masters Theses

Kinetic studies and chemical modification studies were performed on malate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli (eMDH). Chemical modification studies using diethylpyrocarbonate and iodoacetic acid, along with log V/K profiles indicate that one ionizing group with a pK_a between 7.9 and 8.5 acts as a general acid/base in the catalytic mechanism. Log V profiles suggest that malate binds to the correctly protonated form of the enzyme. These results imply that a histidine residue is required for catalysis.

A primary deuterium kinetic isotope effect of 1.43 (±0.14) was observed on V/K using malate-2-d, while no isotope effect was measured on V_{max …}

Small Mammal Community Structure In Restored Prairies, Kathleen A. Falout

Masters Theses

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources currently manages approximately 4,000 hectares of natural prairie. High human impacts coupled with small patch size result in challenging management decisions for prairie conservation. The ideal restored prairie would consist of a mosaic of habitats varying in vegetation from forb-grass dominated areas to oak savannas, with concurrent stages of vegetative succession occurring across the habitats. A study was conducted at the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area located in Vermillion County, IL, to analyze small mammal diversity and community composition among three different stages of prairie restoration.

The three treatment categories were: fallow …

Sums Of Powers And The Bernoulli Numbers, Laura Elizabeth S. Coen

Masters Theses

This expository thesis examines the relationship between finite sums of powers and a sequence of numbers known as the Bernoulli numbers. It presents significant historical events tracing the discovery of formulas for finite sums of powers of integers, the discovery of a single formula by Jacob Bernoulli which gives the Bernoulli numbers, and important discoveries related to the Bernoulli numbers. A method of generating the sequence by means of a number theoretic recursive formula is given. Also given is an application of matrix theory to find a relation, first given by Johannes Faulhaber, between finite sums of odd powers and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Use Of Technology In Math And Higher Test Scores, Mary Ann Grooters

Masters Theses

This thesis explored the relationship of a technology enhanced curriculum to higher test scores and higher student motivation. This thesis involved two seventh grade math classes in Kentwood, Michigan. A control class received instruction including lectures, written assignments, and projects. The test group received similar assignments and projects and in addition were given technology supported exercises. A survey given to the test group examined motivation levels, and end of chapter tests compared achievement scores of both groups. The findings indicate that a technology enhanced curriculum does not lead to higher test scores but does impact student motivation to learn math.

Band Structure For Acoustic Waves Propagating In A Periodic Elastic Media And Impurity Modes Arising From Slab Substitutions, Abdur Rahman

Masters Theses

In this thesis I study the band structure for acoustic waves propagating in a one-dimensional elastic array which forms a periodic elastic system in which band gaps are opened in the frequency spectrum. Specifically, I study the single impurity problem in this system. An impurity is introduced in the system by replacing one of the acoustic slabs with a new slab of different acoustic medium or by changing the thickness of impurity slab. I study the very narrow (in frequency) impurity modes in the band gaps which are localized about the impurity sites. Then I study the frequency of impurity …

A Study On The Causes Of Variations In Transmissivity And Storativity During Pump Tests At Asylum Lake, Paul Joseph Pare

Masters Theses

Over a two year period, Western Michigan University ran a number of pump tests in the Asylum Lake Area in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The transmissivities and storativities calculated from these tests differed significantly from well to well in any particular test, and from pump test to pump test. Utilizing the computer programs AQTESOLV 3.0 and Aquifer Parameter Estimator, a number of T and S values were calculated. After analysis of the results, the following conclusion was drawn. The main reason for the deviations in the T and S values arose from the mixing of the results of numerous methods (some of …

Evaluation Of Bail-Down Test Methods For Characterizing Free Product Recoverability From An Aquifer, Laura L. Krol

Masters Theses

Determination of the occurrence and recoverability of free product impacting the subsurface environment has been an on-going challenge in the environmental industry. A simple and relatively inexpensive test to perform in the field is the free product bail-down test. Many authors have proposed various analysis methods using these data for the determination of different free product characteristics.

The purpose of this project was to determine the comparability and possible validity of bail-down test interpretation methods for predicting hydrocarbon hydraulic conductivity/transmissivity and true free product thickness. Bail-down test data collected from two sites were analyzed and interpreted using methods from the …

Regulation Of The Expression Of Lipogenic Enzymes By Insulin-Mimetics, Juiyu Wu

Masters Theses

Many researchers have shown that selenate (SeO₄^2-) and vanadate (VO₄^2-) have insulin-mimetic effects in certain biological processes. These mimetic effects include increasing glucose transport, regulating glycolytic enzymes, normalizing plasma glucose levels and activities of insulin regulated enzymes in diabetic rats. To clarify the functions and roles of these insulin-mimetics in different insulin-regulated metabolic pathways, the expression of the genes for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were investigated. G6PDH is a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway and is also involved in lipogenic metabolism by providing 55-70% of the NADPH utilization …

Effects Of Insulin And Insulin Mimetics On Antioxidant Enzyme Levels: In Vivo And In Vitro, Shikha Varma

Masters Theses

Tissue antioxidation status is considered to be an important factor for elucidating the etiology of diabetes and its physiological complications. This study was aimed to determine the in vivo antioxidant enzyme levels in the altered antioxidant status of diabetic rat liver with the treatment of two potent insulin mimetics, vanadium and selenate. The direct effects of vanadate, selenate, and zinc (another insulin mimetic) on the antioxidant enzyme levels in primary rat hepatocytes in culture was also determined. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and gluthahione peroxidase (GPX) were determined in both model systems.

In the vivo model, insulin treatment …

The Variability Of Carbon Dioxide In The Vadose Zone, John J. Ring

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to observe and attempt to explain the variations of carbon dioxide in the vadose zone of a nature area in southwestern Michigan. Well nests, consisting of discrete soil gas sampling points and temperature probes set at depths ranging from 3 to 53 feet, were constructed in a sandy, glacial outwash plain. Soil samples were collected for analysis of organic carbon content during installation. Soil gas samples were collected periodically from June, 1992 to March, 1993 and analyzed for CO₂ and O₂ concentrations. Occasionally, samples were collected and analyzed for isotopic C^{13 …}

The Effects Of Air Sparging On Aquifer Hydraulic Conductivity, Hans Neve

Masters Theses

Air sparging is a relatively new technology used to remove organic contaminants from aquifers. This remediation technique involves injecting into contaminated portions of water table aquifers. Theoretically air sparging will reduce aquifer hydraulic conductivity. Injected air fills some of the available sediment pores, thus restricting the flow of water to the remaining water-filled pore spaces.

The purpose of this study was to measure the reduction in hydraulic conductivity due to air sparging. This was assessed using both laboratory and field techniques. The hydraulic conductivities of several different sediments were determined in the laboratory using a large constant head permeameter modified …

A Comparison Of Methods To Allocate Tasks On A Multiprocessor System, Kelly Cousineau

Masters Theses

The task scheduling problem is defined as a sequential algorithm, with individual tasks, t₁, t₂, t₃… having associated execution times to be ported to a multiprocessor system. To determine the fastest parallel implementation is known to be an NP-complete problem, therefore heuristic techniques are employed to arrive at the best solution.

Some of the traditional methods used to solve this problem, are the list scheduling algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm. However, evolutionary techniques are now also a consideration with the increased computation power available.

Evolutionary techniques, based on the popular theory of evolution, …

Stratigraphy, Structure, And Environmental Site Assessment Of A Portion Of The Western Blue Ridge, Monroe County, Tennessee, Donald James Geddes

Masters Theses

The western Blue Ridge in southeastern Tennessee is underlain principally by metasedimentary rocks of the Walden Creek and Great Smoky Groups (Ocoee Supergroup). These rocks have traditionally been interpreted as turbiditic synrift sediments deposited along the Late Proterozoic to Early Cambrian southeastern Laurentian margin, which were subsequently metamorphosed and deformed during an early Paleozoic (Taconic) orogeny, then brittlely deformed and thrust westward during a late Paleozoic (Alleghanian) orogeny. More recent hypotheses suggest that at least part of the Walden Creek Group was deposited above the regional Middle Ordovician unconformity in post-Taconic successor basins, and deformed and metamorphosed only during a …