Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Personal Privacy: A Study To Determine Views On Privacy As It Relates To Technology Acceptance, Keith A. Wuotinen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This descriptive correlation study sought to learn the relationships, if any, between a person’s concern for privacy and their acceptance of technology, in conjunction with the control factors of the Big Five personality factors. The study employed a modified Concern for Information Privacy (CFIP) scale and a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach in conjunction with the Big Five personality factors using a 51-question survey.

The study surveyed students at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who were enrolled in the College of Technology. The results indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between the CFIP and the TAM. …

A Study Of Information Security Awareness Program Effectiveness In Predicting End-User Security Behavior, James Michael Banfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As accessibility to data increases, so does the need to increase security. For organizations of all sizes, information security (IS) has become paramount due to the increased use of the Internet. Corporate data are transmitted ubiquitously over wireless networks and have increased exponentially with cloud computing and growing end-user demand. Both technological and human strategies must be employed in the development of an information security awareness (ISA) program. By creating a positive culture that promotes desired security behavior through appropriate technology, security policies, and an understanding of human motivations, ISA programs have been the norm for organizational end-user risk mitigation …

Synthesis And Structure Activity Relationship Of Novel Small Molecules As Inhibitors Of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1, Karl Michael Upman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) is a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family. PAI-1 is involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis, which is the breakdown of blood clots. PAI-1 inhibits serine proteases tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), which are key factors in fibrinolysis. Excess levels of PAI-1 have also been shown to increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and atherosclerosis, as well as tumor development. Previous attempts at synthesizing a practical drug for the regulation of PAI-1 have not been successful; therefore, it has been the purpose of this study to further advance progress …

Diastereoselective Aza-Cope Rearrangement-Mannich Cyclizations Of Conformationally Mobile Iminium Cations, Joshua Hunt

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

We have developed a Lewis-acid catalyzed, diastereoselective aza-Cope rearrangement— Mannich cyclization (ACM) to form acyl pyrrolidines from conformationally mobile substrates. Earlier studies from our lab have shown that substituted acyl pyrrolidines can be synthesized with diastereoselectivity of 50:1 trans to cis, and that unsubstituted pyrrolidines can be synthesized with 13:1 enantioselectivity. This study attempted to observe the stereochemical outcomes of the ACM for disubstituted pyrrolidine systems using oxazolidine starting materials. A proof of concept dimethyl-substituted oxazolidine was subjected to ACM conditions, producing the pyrrolidine with good yields. However, when methyl-phenyl substituted oxazolidine was subjected to ACM conditions, undesired byproduct …

An Analysis Of Charles Fefferman's Proof Of The Fundamental Theorem Of Algebra, Kyle O. Linford

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Many peoples' first exploration into more rigorous and formalized mathematics is with their early explorations in algebra. Much of their time and effort is dedicated to finding roots of polynomials-a challenge that becomes more increasingly difficult as the degree of the polynomials increases, especially if no real number roots exist. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra is used to show that there exists a root, particularly a complex root, for any nth degree polynomial. After struggling to prove this statement for over 3 centuries, Carl Friedrich Gauss offered the first fairly complete proof of the theorem in 1799. Further proofs of …

Synthesis Of Dmap Tethered Polymer Chains For Reversible Micelle Formation, Richard Arthur Fredricks

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) can act to catalyze numerous organic reactions. To increase its recovery and reuse, it has been tethered to dendrimers and to micellar systems, creating nano-scale catalytic pockets for reactions to proceed. Previously developed systems show diminished reactivity over time as the products of the reaction fill up the nano-scale reactor. Thus, the goal of my research is to use RAFT polymerization methods to synthesize a hydrophobic polymer chain bearing 4-methylaminopyridine units and to attach it to a hydrophilic polymer chain to create a polymer system capable of micelle formation in solution. These functionalized micelles are designed to be …

Construction Of An Optical Fiber Strian Gauge, Najwa Sulaiman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This project is focused on the construction of an optical fiber strain gauge that is based on a strain gauge described by Butter and Hocker. Our gauge is designed to generate an interference pattern from the signals carried on two bare single-mode fibers that are fastened to an aluminum cantilever. When the cantilever experiences flexural stress, the interference pattern should change. By observing this change, it is possible to determine the strain experienced by the cantilever. I describe the design and construction of our optical fiber strain gauge as well as the characterization of different parts of the apparatus.