Fictitious Photon Mass in Radiative Bhabha Scattering

This thesis consists of four chapters. The first chapter is devoted to introduction. In the second chapter fundamental definitions and results required in the sequal are given. In the third chapter an Opial type inequalities involving fractional derivatives. The later chapter includes Opial type inequalities involving Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives of two functions.Bu tez, dört bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk bölüm giriş kısmına ayrılmıştır. İkinci bölümde çalışmamız için gerekli olan temel kavramlar verilmiştir. Üçüncü bölümde, kesirli türevler içeren Opial tipli eşitsizlikler için bazı sonuçlar verildi. Son bölümde iki değişkenli fonksiyonlar için Riemann-Liouville kesirli türevlerini içeren Opial tipli eşitsizliklerin bazı sonuçları verildi

Dynamic Properties of Fire Sprinkler Systems

Four fire protection systems have been attached to a small building model for testing their dynamic properties. Three of the systems used CPVC (fire rated) plastic pipes while the fourth was made from schedule-40 steel pipe. The building model was securely attached to a three by three foot shake table in one of two orientations and was able to experience base accelerations along both its principle axis (longitudinal, transverse). Test procedures involved sending a sine sweep with a progressively increasing frequency at a constant acceleration value. Various recording locations provided data showing fundamental frequencies with pronounced amplification over the base input accelerations. First the buildings natural frequencies were obtained. Then each sprinkler system was tested for acceleration values at the sprinkler drops. Sprinkler drops were affixed with an accelerometer at the fitting connection and one at the sprinkler head. Comparisons are made between the fundamental frequencies of the building and the fire sprinkler system. An analytical model of the four sprinkler systems was designed on the SAP2000 computer program. The test frequency range providing clean data was from 10 Hz – 25 Hz. In this range the computer analysis identified all of the first observed fundamental frequencies. The SAP2000 Analysis also identified the distinct second fundamental frequencies obtained from testing. Large acceleration amplifications were observed at fundamental frequencies in the building and in the sprinkler systems. The largest amplification was sixty times that of the base input experienced by one of the CPVC drops. The steel sprinkler line also experienced large amplification values of up to 35 times the base level acceleration. The fire systems were filled with water to simulate a wet-system and to indicate potential failures. No failures occurred in any of the four test systems. After testing each sprinkler design multiple times it is concluded that sprinkler systems should remain functional following a seismic event. Sprinkler systems installed to NFPA-13 code (National Fire Protection codebook) standards have been proven to perform in earthquakes as well as the structures they’re attached to. Improper connectors and lack of required pipe clearances are the main factors attributed to researched fire system failures

Association of Heavy Rainfall on Genotypic Diversity in V. cholerae Isolates from an Outbreak in India

The outbreak of waterborne disease cholera has been associated with rainfall and flooding events by contamination of potable water with environmental Vibrio cholerae. The continuation of the epidemic in a region, however, is often due to secondary transmission of the initial outbreak strain through human waste. This paper reports, on the contrary, a rapid shift of genotype from one V. cholerae strain to another one in an epidemic region. V. cholerae isolated from patients during 2005 cholera epidemic in Chennai, India were characterized using PCR identification of toxin genes, antibiogram, and genomic fingerprinting analysis. The results showed that in spite of the similarity of toxin genes and antibiogram, the Vibrio isolates grouped into two different clusters based on the ERIC-PCR fingerprinting. Each cluster corresponded to a distinct peak of cholera outbreak, which occurred after separate heavy rainfall. The results suggest that the rainfall event can bring various genotypes of V. cholerae strains causing multiple outbreaks