M. S.

Since the distribution system is often the major investment of a municipal waterworks, it is important that any design satisfy system requirements at a minimum cost. Present design procedures usually employ a trial-and-error process which can be time consuming and lead to non-optimal designs. Although several authors have introduced various mathematical techniques to be used in the solution of this problem, most of the methods are rather limited in their practical application. A general computer program was developed to be used in the optimal design of hydraulic networks. The computer program can be used to optimize three basic system variables; input hydraulic head, pump head, and discrete pipe diameter sizes. Since the basic network equations describing the system are nonlinear, the problem is to optimize a nonlinear objective function subject to linear and nonlinear inequality variable constraints and nonlinear inequality system constraints. A modified Box Complex optimization technique is used to minimize the nonlinear objective function while the linear method of hydraulic analysis is used in the evaluation of the system constraints. The optimization program was applied to three example networks. The general results of this study show that the new method is very efficient and has tendency toward finding the globally optimal solution. / M.S.

M. S.

M. S.

Cognitive development has, the past few years, become one of the most heavily researched areas of human development. The cognitive developmental theory of Jean Piaget (1929, 1930, 1952) has been the major focus of this research. The present study was also an investigation of one of the many aspects of Piaget's theory. The present study focused on Piaget (1929) theory of animism because animistic beliefs were believed, by Piaget, to be the most basic form of thinking. If this is indeed the case then the study of animism should lead to understanding the very basis for an individual's conception of the world. Several personality factors, both those that are inseparatable from the individual (sex, race, and locus of control), those which are primarily in the environment (parents education and family ideology), and those which are to·a great extent under the control of the child (parent/child relationship and school achievement) were investigated in terms of animism. Two hundred sixty five subjects (96 children, 95 mothers, and 74 fathers) from a public school system in northern Alabama volunteered to take part in the study. Each subject completed an .Animism Test and the parents filled out a family ideology questionnaire while the children filled out a locus of control test. The results of the study supported Piaget's (1929) theory of animistic development. However, the results also indicated that language, both the child's and adult model's, may play a significant role in the animistic development of children. / Ph. D.

Several low molecular weight DNA species have been isolated from autonomous parvovirus-infected cells that could·not be demonstrated in mock-infected cells. The DNA species were termed replicative forms and intermediates. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize the replicative forms from bovine parvovirus (BPV)-infected cells. Low molecular weight DNA was isolated from BPV-infected cells by the guanidine hydrochloride method and the Hirt procedure. Heterogeneity was present in DNA samples isolated by both procedures; however the Hirt procedure seemed better suited for studies with BPV-infected cells since some of the heterogeneity could be eliminated by further purification by hydroxyapatite chromatography and sedimentation through neutral sucrose gradients. Characterization of the purified Hirt BPV RF DNA by electron microscopy showed that the RF DNA was linear and had a mean length of 1.69 µm or a mode length of 1.66 µm. Several branches molecules were also observed, however length measurements were not performed due to the small sample size. The molecular weight of the RF DNA based upon the mean length was 3.7 x 10⁶ d and 3.6 x 10⁶ d when based upon the mode length. Molecules approaching dimer and trimer length were also observed. Sedimentaton analysis of the BPV RF DNA showed that the DNA had a bouyant density of 1.689 g/cm³ in neutral CaCl and an estimated sedimentation coefficient of 16S in neutral sucrose gradients. The molecular weight of the RF DNA based upon the sedimentation coefficient was 3.4 x 10⁶ d. Hybridization studies showed that the RF DNA was of viral origin, but contained some cellular DNA contamination. The cellular DNA contamination could be the source of the heterogeneity observed. / Master of Science

A system of beliefs about architecture, as developed through the study of history and the activity of making architecture, is stated. An architectural design project is used to test these beliefs and illustrate their use in the making of architecture. / Master of Architecture

Th.--Sci. nat.--Paris 6, 1976. / Index.

Th.--Lett.--Aix-Marseille 2, 1977.

Th.--Lett.--Bordeaux 3, 1977.