Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

A new pressure-measurement technique which employs the tools of molecular spectroscopy has recently received considerable attention in the fluid mechanics community. Measurements are made via oxygen-sensitive molecules attached to the surface of interest as a coating, or paint. The pressure-sensitive-paint (PSP) technique is now commonly used in stationary wind-tunnel tests; this thesis presents the extension of the technique to advanced turbomachinery applications. New pressure- and temperature-sensitive paints (TSPs) have been developed for application to a state-of-the-art transonic compressor where pressures up to 2 atm and surface temperatures up to 140° C are expected for the first-stage rotor. PSP and TSP data has been acquired from the suction surface of the first-stage rotor of a transonic compressor operating at its peak-efficiency condition. The shock structure is clearly visible in the pressure image, and visual comparison to the corresponding computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prediction shows qualitative agreement to the PSP data. / Master of Science

This study used OSL dating to examine the chronological relationship between two adjacent archaeological sites at the Hare Hammock complex in northwest Florida. High-resolution vertical sampling was performed at 10cm intervals in profiles, one corresponding to a Swift Creek burial mound, and the other to a Weeden Island ring midden. This was done in order to determine the timing of occupations at the sites and look for patterns in radiation dosimetry. The Swift Creek mound was found to have a mean OSL age of 1835 +/- 68 years, consistent with archaeological expectations of the site and the accepted range of Swift Creek culture. The subsequent Weeden Island occupation was also found to have OSL ages within expectations, with a mean age of 1049 +/- 43 years that overlies a single age of 1511 +/- 372 years, corresponding to the Late and Early Weeden Island periods, respectively. The general coherence with radiocarbon dates and ceramic chronologies affirms the veracity of these OSL ages, which were obtained using a very recently developed dosimetric technique that applies Al2O3:C cylinders as in-situ dosimeters. These dosimeters indicated that the sediments at Hare Hammock contain significant heterogeneity in beta dose rates. This study finds that, under these circumstances, the best age results are obtained when applying the refined dosimetric technique which combines the beta dose rate from NAA/DNC and gamma dose rate from Al2O3:C dosimetry. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

From the analysis of fossils, using the cathodoluminescence technique, it is seen that there is a pattern to the luminescence colours exhibited by dolomite, calcite and quartz, depending on the amount of the trace element Mn2+ present in the structure of the minerals. In the experiment dolomite luminesces turquoise blue, calcite luminesces pale pink & bright red, & quartz luminesces sea blue. The calcite and quartz colours agree well with the observation of both Agrell et al. (1965) and Sippel et al. (1965). However, the dolomite luminescence colour definitely agrees better with the colour described by Agrell et al. than with that observed by Sippel et al. Selective replacement of material occurs in Rugosa corals of the Devonian Onondaga formation of Southern Ontario. Quartz replacing material in the cavities of fossils is common, with the fringe wall of the fossil being of calcite as was previously observed by Middleton (1958). The matrix around the fossils consists mainly of quartz and calcite with minor dolomite. A systematic difference in style of replacement (with respect to the various heights from which the fossils came in the section) occurred when considering replacement of the fossils by quartz. Replacement of calcite by quartz followed by slight dolomitization of the matrix in the Onondaga is suggested by luminescence observation. Also suggested by luminescence observations is: 1) Dolomitization by a downward influx of Mg2+ ions, and 2) Homogenous and heterogenous micritic mud fillings in Rugosa corals' cavities. / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

<p> β- and β"-gallates are analogs of β-Al2O3 family. K-β"-gallate was directly synthesized via solid state reaction with β-Ga2O3 (β-gallia) precursor. When α-Ga2O3 is used as starting material, K-β-gallate forms in spite of incorporation of aliovalent ions, i.e., Li+, Zn2+ and Cd2+. It is suggested that oxygen packing sequence in the Ga2O3 precursor plays an important role on the formation of K-β- or β"- gallates. β-Ga2O3 has the ABCABC oxygen packing sequence, similar to β"-gallate structure, thus β-Ga2O3 leads to form pure K-β"-gallate; α-Ga2O3 has the hexagonal structure with ABAB oxygen packing sequence. K-β-gallate forms around the α-Ga2O3 --> β-Ga2O3 phase transformation (≈700°C). This low reaction temperature negates the aliovalent ions to stabilize β"-structure when α-Ga2O3 precursor is employed.</p> <p> K-β- or β"-gallates show good ionic conductivity. Both can be fully ion-exchanged with Ba2+ and Sr2+. Sr-β-gallate is metastable and transforms to magnetoplumbite structure after annealing at 1200°C. But Ion-exchanged Ba-β-gallate is stable. Zn2+ doped Ba-β-gallate can be directly formed at 1300°C via solid state reaction.</p> <p> Mn2+ ion-exchanged K-β-or β"-gallates exhibit green photo luminescence. Mn2+ can also locate in the spinel block to confer green photo luminescence. Eu3+, Ce3+ and Eu2+ can not be ion-exchanged into the conduction plane of K-β-gallate. There is no luminescence observed for directly synthesized BaZnGa10O17 doped with Eu3+, Ce3+ and Eu2+ due to photoionization effect. When half Ga3+ is substituted by Al3+, directly formed BaZnAl5Ga5O17: Eu3+ shows red emission upon UV excitation (254nm). Blue emission of 485nm wavelength was observed for BaZnAl5Ga5O17: Eu2+.</p> <p> The structure of β- or β"-gallates was refined by Rietveld neutron powder diffraction. Zn2+ was detected on the Ga(2) site in β-K1.64Ga10.36Zn0.64O17. Extra K+ is balanced by Zn2+. K+ is distributed between BR (2(c)) and MO (6(h)) sites. Ba2+ was detected at MO sites, slightly shift from the BR sites in β-BaZnGa10O17. Extra K+ is also compensated by Zn2+ in β"-K1.67Ga10.33Zn0.67O17. In undoped K-β-gallate, VGa(1)Ga(5)i is introduced to balance extra K+. Extra K+ in undoped K-β"-gallate is supposed to be balanced by the formation of Ga+.</p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

<p>The Gram-positive, soil dwelling bacteria of the genus <em>Streptomyces</em> produce greater than 50% of the clinically relevant antibiotics in use today. Thanks to the falling price of DNA sequencing, <em>Streptomyces</em> genomes are revealing that they encode more secondary metabolites (potential antibiotics) than they produce under standard laboratory conditions. By heterologously overexpressing the known pleiotropic regulators of antibiotic expression from <em>Streptomyces coelicolor</em> in several other <em>Streptomyces</em> species it has been shown that the secondary metabolite profile of these species can be influenced. While present-day methods of introducing genes (conjugation) and screening for antibiotics work well on a small scale, the low throughput nature of these protocols stand as a barrier to testing this hypothesis on a larger scale. The focus of the research presented here was to develop high throughput (HTP) methods of engineering and screening <em>Streptomyces</em>. With these two technologies in place, an attempt was to made to introduce three plasmids (pSET152-<em>ermE*</em>p-null, pSET152-<em>ermE</em>*p-<em>atrA</em> and pSET152-<em>ermE</em>*p-<em>lsr2_NTD</em>) into 120 wild-isolate <em>Streptomyces</em> species from the Wright Actinomycete Collection. Exconjugants were successfully obtained for all three plasmids in 48 species of <em>Streptomyces</em> and were screened for increased antimicrobial activity using a HTP, <em>lux</em>-based bioassay. Numerous strains showed increased antimicrobial activity but WAC00206, WAC00230 and WAC00263 with pSET152-<em>ermE</em>*p-<em>lsr2_NTD</em>showed the most promising improvement in antimicrobial activity. These hits have been designated as high priority for future investigation. These results suggest that HTP conjugation and the <em>lux</em>-based bioassay are powerful methods for introducing plasmids into and screening engineered streptomycetes.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)