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<p> An investigation as to the appropriateness of the wavelet transform for surface electromyography (EMG) M-wave pattern recognition is described. The M-waves are obtained by stimulating the median nerve at the wrist to activate the motor units. Surface electrodes and a graded stimulus amplitude are used. The resulting M-waves are classified using both wavelet vectors and the traditional power spectral coefficients as features sets in the pattern recognition scheme. A novel system was developed to obtain M-wave collections from subjects in the laboratory and to perform both real-time and offline analysis.</p> <p> The results obtained from the left and right thenar muscles of 4 healthy females and 2 healthy males are presented. These results are further analyzed offline to determine the effects of a changing discriminatory threshold for both wavelet and power spectral pattern recognition techniques. In addition, intra-class and inter-class Euclidean distances are shown for the set of unique M-waves derived from using the different feature sets. A time-invariant wavelet transform is implemented to improve classification by eliminating errors due to latency shifts.</p> <p> The results show that the number of unique M-waves obtained usmg wavelet features is less sensitive to a variation in discriminatory threshold. It may be concluded that a wavelet based feature set shows slight improvement in M-wave pattern classification. The time-invariant wavelet offers further accuracy.</p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Over the past thirty years, extensive research has been conducted with the objective of reducing wind damage to structures. Wind tunnel simulations of wind loads have been the major source of building codes. However, a simple comparison of pressure coefficients measured in wind tunnel simulations with full-scale measurements show that the simulations, in general, underpredict extreme negative pressure coefficients. One obvious reason is the lack of consensus on wind tunnel simulation parameters. The wind in the atmospheric surface layer is highly turbulent. In simulating wind loads on structures, one needs to simulate the turbulent character besides satisfying geometric and dynamic similitudes. Some turbulence parameters that have been considered in many simulations include, turbulence intensities, integral length scales, surface roughness, and frequency spectrum. One problem with these parameters is that they are time varying in the atmospheric boundary layer and their averaged value, usually considered in the wind tunnel simulations, cannot be used to simulate pressure peaks. In this work, we show how wavelet analysis and time-scale representation can be used to establish an intermittency factor that characterizes energetic turbulence events in the atmospheric flows. Moreover, we relate these events to the occurrence of extreme negative peak pressures. / Ph. D.

Yes / We have set out an equation for partition of 87 neutral molecules from water to o-nitrophenyl octyl ether, NPOE, an equation for partition of the 87 neutral molecules and 21 ionic species from water to NPOE, and an equation for partition of 87 neutral molecules from the gas phase to NPOE. Comparison with equations for partition into other solvents shows that, as regards partition of neutral (nonelectrolyte) compounds, NPOE would be a good model for 1,2-dichloroethane and for nitrobenzene. In terms of partition of ions and ionic species, NPOE is quite similar to 1,2-dichloroethane and not far away from other aprotic solvents such as nitrobenzene.

Sputtered thin films have the capability of producing a very random distribution of alloying elements within a host element. This study demonstrates the ability of the SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Undulating Interference Device) to measure the Curie temperature of thin films of Pd(1-x)Fe(x). The Curie temperatures of these films were found to be significantly less than bulk samples having the same iron concentration. The Curie temperature, furthermore, showed a systematic shift to higher values as the thickness of the film increased. Magnetic structure below the Curie temperature is revealed in magnetization and a.c. susceptibility curves for x=. 078. For other samples susceptibility data exhibited more sensitivity than magnetization in revealing magnetic detail below the Curie temperature. We attribute some of this magnetic detail to cluster glass behavior. / Ph. D.

Les éléments volatils libérés de la plaque plongeante lors de la subduction jouent un rôle fondamental durant la formation des magmas d'arc dans le coin mantellique. Depuis quelques années, les développements des techniques d'analyse par sonde ionique ont permis l'analyse de ces éléments, en particulier F et Cl, dans les magmas d'arc, et notamment dans les magmas d'arc primaires grâce aux avancées des études sur les inclusions magmatiques. Une récente étude des inclusions magmatiques du Mont Shasta (E. U.) (Le Voyer et al., 2010) a montré que le fractionnement du F et du Cl apportait des informations sur la genèse des magmas d'arc. Afin de caractériser la source de ces magmas, j'ai étudié les coefficients de partage du fluor et du chlore. Dans cette étude, je présente les premiers coefficients de partage du F et du Cl, entre des liquides de fusions silicatés anhydres et hydratés et des minéraux mantelliques tels que olivine, orthopyroxène, clinopyroxène, plagioclase, grenat ainsi que pargasite et phlogopite. Les valeurs sont issues de 300 mesures dans 24 expériences de fusion, réalisées entre 8 et 25 kbars et, 1180 et 1430˚C. Les faibles concentrations en F et Cl dans les minéraux ont été analysées par la sonde ionique Cameca IMF 1280 de WHOI en utilisant le mode d'ions secondaires négatifs. Les résultats montrent que DOpx/meltF varient de 0.123 à 0.021 et DCpx/meltF de 0.153 à 0.083, tandis que DOpx/meltCl varient de 0.002 à 0.069 et DCpx/meltCl de 0.008 à 0.015. De plus, DOl/meltF de 0.116 à 0.005 et DOl/meltCl de 0.001 à 0.004 ; DGrt/meltF de 0.012 à 0.166 et DGrt/meltCl de 0.003 à 0.087 avec l'augmentation de la teneur en eau et la diminution de la température dans les expériences. Je montre aussi que le F est compatible dans la phlogopite (DPhl/meltF >1.2) alors qu'il est incompatible dans la pargasite (DAmp/meltF de 0.36 à 0.63). A l'inverse, Cl est plus incompatible dans la phlogopite (DPhl/meltCl en moyenne 0.09±0.02), que dans la pargasite (DAmp/meltCl de 0.12 à 0.38). Cette étude démontre que F et Cl sont substitués dans des sites spécifiques de l'oxygène, ce qui les rend plus sensibles que les éléments traces aux variations de chimie des cristaux et de la quantité d'eau, et donc aux conditions de fusion. En utilisant ces nouveaux coefficients de partage, j'ai modélisé la fusion de lithologies potentielles du manteau sub-arc permettant de 1) déterminer la quantité de fluide aqueux impliqué dans la fusion, 2) distinguer la fusion induite par apport de fluides de la fusion d'une source à minéraux hydratés et 3) la fusion d'une lithologie à pargasite de celle à phlogopite, et montre que la source de certains magmas primaires d'arc, par exemple d'Italie, contient de la pargasite et de la phlogopite, tandis d'autres magmas primaires d'arc résultent d'une fusion par apport de fluides. / Volatile elements released from the subducting slab play a fundamental role during the formation of arc magmas in the mantle wedge. Advances of melt inclusion studies enlarged the data on volatile abundance in arc magmas, and it is now possible to characterize some volatile contents in arc primary magmas, in particular F and Cl. A recent study of Mt Shasta melt inclusions (LeVoyer et al., 2010) shows that fractionation of F and Cl potentially contains information about arc magma genesis. In order to trace the source of arc magmas, fluorine and chlorine partitioning was investigated. Here, I present new experimental determinations of Cl and F partition coefficients between dry and hydrous silicate melts and mantle minerals: olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, garnet and also pargasite and phlogopite. The values were compiled from more than 300 measurements in 24 melting experiments, conducted between 8 and 25 kbars and between 1180 and 1430˚C. The low abundance F, Cl measurements in minerals were done by Cameca IMF 1280 at WHOI using the negative secondary ion mode. The results show that DOpx/meltF ranges from 0.123 to 0.021 and DCpx/meltF ranges from 0.153 to 0.083, while Cl partition coefficient varies from DOpx/meltCl from 0.002 to 0.069 and DCpx/meltCfrom 0.008 to 0.015, as well. Furthermore, DOl/meltF ranges from 0.116 to 0.005 and DOl/meltCl from 0.001 to 0.004; DGrt/meltF ranges from 0.012 to 0.166 and DGrt/meltCl from 0.003 to 0.087 with the increasing water amount and decreasing temperature. I also show that F is compatible in phlogopite DPhl/meltF > 1.2) while DAmp/meltF is incompatible in pargasite DAmp/meltF from 0.36 to 0.63). On the contrary, Cl is more incompatible in phlogopite (DPhl/meltCl > 1.2 on average 0.09 ± 0.02), than in pargasite (DPhl/meltCl from 0.12 to 0.38). This study demonstrates that F and Cl are substituted in specific oxygen site in minerals that lead then to be more sensitive than trace elements to crystal chemistry and water amount variations thus melting conditions. Using those new partition coefficients, I modelled melting of potential sub-arc lithologies with variable quantity aqueous-fluid. This model is able to decipher 1) amount of aqueous-fluid involved in melting, 2) melting induced by fluid or melting of an hydrous mineral-bearing source and 3) melting of either pargasite-bearing lithology or phlogopite-bearing lithology and shows that sources of some primitive melts, for instance from Italy, bear pargasite and phlogopite, while some primitve melts seem to be the results of fluid-induced melts.

Afin d'étudier la diffusion et la libération de molécules de tailles inférieures dans un gel polymère, les coefficients d'auto-diffusion d'une série de polymères en étoile avec un noyau d'acide cholique et quatre branches de poly(éthylène glycol) (PEG) ont été déterminés par spectroscopie RMN à gradient de champ pulsé dans des solutions aqueuses et des gels de poly(alcool vinylique). Les coefficients de diffusion obtenus ont été comparés avec ceux des PEGs linéaires et dendritiques pour étudier l'effet de l'architecture des polymères. Les polymères en étoile amphiphiles ont des profils de diffusion en fonction de la concentration similaires à leurs homologues linéaires dans le régime dilué. Ils diffusent plus lentement dans le régime semi-dilué en raison de leur noyau hydrophobe. Leurs conformations en solution ont été étudiées par des mesures de temps de relaxation spin-réseau T1 du noyau et des branches. L'imagerie RMN a été utilisée pour étudier le gonflement des comprimés polymères et la diffusion dans la matrice polymère. Les comprimés étaient constitués d'amidon à haute teneur en amylose et chargés avec de l'acétaminophène (de 10 à 40% en poids). Le gonflement des comprimés, ainsi que l'absorption et la diffusion de l'eau, augmentent avec la teneur en médicament, tandis que le pourcentage de libération du médicament est similaire pour tous les comprimés. Le gonflement in vitro des comprimés d'un complexe polyélectrolyte à base d'amidon carboxyméthylé et de chitosane a également été étudié par imagerie RMN. Ces comprimés sont sensibles au pH : ils gonflent beaucoup plus dans les milieux acides que dans les milieux neutres en raison de la dissociation des deux composants et de la protonation des chaînes du chitosane. La comparaison des résultats avec ceux d'amidon à haute teneur en amylose indique que les deux matrices ont des gonflements et des profils de libération du médicament semblables dans les milieux neutres, alors que les comprimés complexes gonflent plus dans les milieux acides en raison de la dissociation du chitosane et de l'amidon. / In an effort to study the diffusion and release of small molecules in a polymeric system, the self-diffusion coefficients of a series of star polymers with a cholic acid core bearing four poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) arms in aqueous solutions and gels of poly(vinyl alcohol) were determined by pulsed gradient spin-echo NMR techniques. The results have been compared with those of linear and dendritic PEGs to elucidate the effect of the architecture of the polymers. The amphiphilic star polymers show similar concentration-dependent diffusion behaviors in the dilute regime to their linear homologues. They diffuse more slowly in the semi-dilute regime than the linear PEGs due to the presence of the hydrophobic core. The conformation of the star polymers in the solutions was studied by measuring the T1 values of the core and the arms of the diffusants. NMR imaging was used to study the swelling of polymeric tablets and diffusion in the polymer matrix. The tablets investigated were made of cross-linked high amylose starch (CHAS) and loaded with acetaminophen (10, 20 and 40 wt%). The swelling, water uptake and diffusion in the CHAS network are faster at higher drug loading levels, while the drug release rates are similar among all the tablets. The in vitro swelling of the tablets made of a polyelectrolyte complex based on chitosan and carboxymethylated starch has also been studied by NMR imaging. These tablets showed pH-sensitive behavior. They swelled much more in acidic media than in neutral media due to dissociation of the two components and the protonation of the amino groups in the chitosan residues. The comparison of the results with those obtained with the CHAS tablets indicates that the two matrices have similar swelling and drug release profile in neutral media, while the complex tablets showed a greater extent of swelling in acidic media due the dissociation of the chitosan from the complex.