This work was successful in demonstrating the feasibility, accuracy, and importance of including the effects of total pressure gradients in evaluating propulsion nozzle performance. In fact, in the cases considered here inlet flow nonuniformities produced effects greater than those which resulted from a consideration of just the two-dimensionality of the flow. For the hyperbolic nozzle and the turbofan bypass nozzle, two-dimensional effects were found to produce a reduction in discharge coefficient of only 0.1 to 0.6%. Whereas, nonuniform inlet flow effects produced an additional decrease in the discharge coefficient of about 1%. Agreement with the solutions of Oswatitsch and Rothstein (18) and Wehofer and Moger (6) is good. However, available experimental data does not provide conclusive proof of the program's accuracy. It is expected that more test data will soon be available from tests conducted by Wehofer and Matz at the Arnold Engineering Development Center. Also, more experimental data is available for nozzles with subsonic exhausts and for convergent nozzles (2). When, as recommended in the next section, the capability of handling subsonic exit flow and convergent nozzles is incorporated into the program, further comparison to experimental data will be possible. / Master of Science

Les stilbénoïdes, sont des composés phénoliques majoritairement issus du règne végétal. La Vigne par l’intermédiaire du vin et du raisin est la principale source alimentaire de stilbènes. La mise en évidence de leur rôle dans les mécanismes de défense des plantes et leurs activités biologiques, y compris sur l’Homme, en font un sujet d’étude en plein essor. L’un des objectifs de cette thèse a été de développer un ensemble de stratégies à la fois analytiques et préparatives utilisant la Chromatographie de Partage Centrifuge (CPC) pour l’étude et l’obtention de ces molécules. Dans un premier temps, nous avons développé une approche de couplage entre cette technique et un spectromètre à Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire (RMN) par l’intermédiaire d’un système d’Extraction sur Phase Solide automatisé (EPS). Dans un second temps, nous avons mis au point un ensemble de méthodes et d’approches séparatives permettant d’obtenir ces composés. Nous avons, grâce au développement d’une méthodologie de dosage de solvants par spectrométrie RMN, étudié une gamme dérivée d’une gamme très utilisée en CPC, l’ARIZONA. Nous avons montré que ces systèmes dérivés, peuvent être utilisés au travers de stratégies d’élution telles que des pas et des gradients afin d’optimiser les séparations. L’une des finalités de notre travail est d’offrir des méthodes permettant d’obtenir ces composés dans des quantités et des qualités suffisantes pour pouvoir constituer une chimiothèque interne au laboratoire pouvant prétendre à s’intégrer dans la Chimiothèque Nationale. Une dernière partie fait état du développement d’outils informatiques, dont la création d’une base de donnée Libre pour les chercheurs en Substances Naturelles. / Stilbenoids are phenolic compounds mostly found in the vegetable kingdom. Vine through wine and grape is the main source of stilbenes in the human diet. The involvement of these compounds in plants resistance mechanisms and their diverse biological activities, including on the human health are continuously highlighted. Making this topic a fast-growing one. One of the objectives of this thesis has been to develop a whole set of analytical and preparative strategies using Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) in order to study and obtain these molecules. Over a first phase, we developed a hyphenated approach between this technique and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) through an automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) system. Then, we developed a set of separative methods and approaches with the aim of obtaining these compounds. Then, we carried out the development of a solvent quantifications methodology using NMR spectrometry. This allowed us to study a spin-off scale of a widely-used solvent systems collection called ARIZONA. We showed that these systems are good candidates for different elution strategies using steps and gradients with the aim to optimize separations. One of our purpose was to provide methods for effective and efficient purification of these compounds. This would allow, together with a lab-scale compounds library, their integration into the Chimiothèque Nationale, a nationwide chemical library. Last part accounts for computer tools development, including the creation of a Free database system for Natural Substances researcher.

A multitude of biophysical signals, including chemical, mechanical, and contact guidance cues, are embedded within the extracellular matrix (ECM) to dictate cell behavior and determine cell fate. To understand the complexity of the cell-matrix interaction and how changes to the ECM contribute to the development of tissues or diseases, three-dimensional (3D), culture systems that can decouple the effects of these cues on cell behavior are required. This dissertation describes the development and characterization of approaches based on multiphoton excitation (MPE) to control the chemical, mechanical, and topographical presentation of micro-3D-printed (μ-3DP) protein hydrogels independently. Protein hydrogels were chemically functionalized via the MPE-induced conjugation of benzophenone-biotin without altering the physical properties of the matrix. Complex, immobilized patterns and chemical gradients were generated within protein hydrogels with a high degree of spatial resolution in all axes. Hydrogel surfaces were also labeled with adhesive moieties to promote localized Schwann cell adhesion and polarization. Laser shrinking, a method based on MPE to manipulate the topographical and mechanical presentation of protein hydrogels after fabrication, is also presented. Topographical features on an originally flat substrate are created with depths approaching 6 μm. The Young’s modulus of protein hydrogels can also be increased by 6-fold (~15 – ~90 kPa) using laser shrinking, and parameters can be adjusted to create continuous gradient profiles for studying durotaxis. At determined scan conditions, the two properties can be adjusted independently of each other. Most importantly, the physical properties of the hydrogels can be manipulated in situ to study the effects of dynamic changes to the substrates on cells. As a potential tool to monitor cellular responses to presented cues, fluorescent probes that detect nitric oxide are characterized. Collectively, these technologies represent a key advance in hydrogel tunability, as the platforms presented offer independent, dynamic, and spatiotemporal control of the chemical, mechanical, and topographical features of protein hydrogels. The introduced technologies expand the possibilities of protein hydrogels to clarify underlying factors of cell-matrix interactions that drive morphogenesis and pathogenesis, and are broadly applicable to a multitude of physiological systems. / text

In this work I present a constructive method for finding critical points of the Ginzburg-Landau energy functional using the method of Sobolev gradients. I give a description of the construction of the Sobolev gradient and obtain convergence results for continuous steepest descent with this gradient. I study the Ginzburg-Landau functional with magnetic field and the Ginzburg-Landau functional without magnetic field. I then present the numerical results I obtained by using steepest descent with the discretized Sobolev gradient.

Les sprays réactifs peuvent être trouvés dans de nombreuses applications industrielles. La caractérisation de l'état transitoire pour des gouttes est un défi, elle nécessite la mesure de la température et / ou des gradients de composition dans des gouttes. Dans cette thèse, la technique d'arc en ciel globale est étendue pour pouvoir quantifier l'évolution des gradients. Après l'étude numérique des caractéristiques de l'arc-en-ciel diffusé par goutte à gradient d'indice de réfraction radial, une étude expérimentale est réalisée pour le cas particulier de la capture du CO2 par des gouttes de MEA. Il a été démontré que des gradients de concentration peuvent être quantifiés lors des premiers instants de la mise en contact des gouttes avec le dioxyde de carbone. Après un temps de contact suffisamment long, l'analyse de la mesure d'arc en ciel globale basée sur des gouttes avec ou sans gradients révèle un comportement identique. / Reactive sprays can be found in numerous industries. The characterization of transient state for such droplets is a challenge, asks for the measurement of temperature and/or composition gradients inside the droplets. In this thesis, Global Rainbow Technique (GRT) is extended to be able to quantify the behavior of gradients. After the numerically studied on the characteristics of rainbow scattered by droplet with radial refractive index gradients, an experimental study is carried out for the particular case of CO2 capture by MEA droplets. According to the investigation, it is demonstrated that the gradients can be quantified during the first moments of injection. The analysis of GRT measurement based on the droplet with or without gradients indicates the identical behavior when the reacting time is long enough.

No description available.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Student Number : 9807515F - MSc Dissertation - School of Computational and Applied Mathematics - Faculty of Science / Statistical and algebraic techniques of subspace tracking were tested for filtering the earth’s response from airborne magnetic field gradients in order to discriminate the relatively small response (dipole) of objects on the earth’s surface, such as UXO. Filtering the data was not very effective with these methods but a subspace was found in the data for the magnitude of the magnetic moment of the dipole. This subspace is easily obtained using the singular value decomposition and can be used for an approximate location, without depth estimation, as well as the relative size of the dipole.

The primary research aim in this thesis is to demonstrate the versatility of porous silicon based nanomaterials for biomaterial and photonic applications. In chapter 2 of this thesis, the suitability of porous silicon as a biomaterial was investigated by performing different surface modifications on the porous silicon films and evaluating biocompatibility of these surfaces in vitro. The porous silicon surfaces were characteriszed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT) and interferometric reflectance spectroscopy (IRS). Cell attachment and growth was studied using fluorescence microscopy and cell viability assays. Both fabrication of the porous silicon films and subsequent surface modifications were demonstrated. Polyethylene glycol functionalised porous silicon prevented cell attachment, whilst collagen or fetal bovine serum coating encouraged cell attachment. Surface modifications were also performed on porous silicon films with different pore sizes and the influence of pore size and surface modification on primary hepatocyte growth was recorded over a course of 2 weeks by means of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), toxicity and metabolic assays. On collagen-coated surfaces with average pore sizes of 30 nm, multilayer cells stacks were formed. This stacking behaviour was not observed on samples with smaller pore sizes (10 nm), or in the absence of collagen. Hepatocytes remained viable and functional (judging by a metabolic assay) for 6 days, after which they generally underwent apoptosis. Collagen-coated porous silicon films showed later onset of apoptosis than porous silicon films not coated with collagen or collagen-coated flat silicon.. In chapter 3 of this thesis, the nitrogen laser of a laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometer was used to selectively ablate regions on porous silicon films that had been functionalised with a non-fouling polyethylene oxide layer, affording a microscale patterning of the surface. Surface characterization was performed by means of AFM, SEM, LDI mass spectrometry, DRIFT and IRS. This approach allowed the confinement of mammalian cell attachment exclusively on the laser-ablated regions. By using the more intense and focussed laser of a microdissection microscope, trenches in a porous silicon film were produced of up to 50 micron depth, which allowed the construction of cell multilayers within these trenches, mimicking the organization of liver cords in vivo. Fluorescent staining and LSCM was used to study cell multilayer organization. To gain a better understanding of how surface topography influences cell attachment and behaviour, porous silicon films were fabricated containing a gradient of pore sizes by means of asymmetric anodisation (chapter 4). These gradients allowed the investigation of the effect of subtle changes of pore size on cell behaviour on a single sample. Analysis by means of LSCM and SEM showed that pore size can dictate cell size and area as well as cell density. In addition, a region of pore size where cell attachment and proliferation was strongly discouraged was also identified. This information can prove to be useful for designing non-biofouling surface topographies. Using the same asymmetric anodisation setup, photonic mirrors gradients were produced and overlaid over one another to produce multidirectional lateral photonic mirror gradients that display a series of roving spectral features (photonic stop-bands) from each gradient layer (chapter 4). These multidirectional photonic gradients have the potential to serve as optical barcodes or contributing to the development of graded refractive index devices such as lenses for high quality image relay and graded-index optical fibers.

This thesis investigated aspects of plant recruitment across an altitudinal gradient of mountain tops in the Victorian Alps, Australia, and provides a baseline for the patterns and processes of alpine plant recruitment in the absence of large-scale disturbance. The patterns in alpine vegetation across the study sites were described in relation to abiotic environmental factors. Temperatures were lower and precipitation was higher at the high altitude sites. The vegetation did not differ significantly between the sites, although sites at low altitudes were shrubbier than those at high altitudes. Analysis of the soil seed bank revealed high mean densities of germinable seed (80 to 1400 seeds m-2) across the gradient of sites. The similarity between the seed bank samples and the standing vegetation was low (qualitative similarity: 0.08 to 0.2; quantitative similarity: 0.03 to 0.19). In laboratory germination experiments, I found rapid and substantial germination. Final percent germination was above 90% for most species. One species, Aciphylla glacialis, showed evidence of dormancy mechanisms. In subsequent experiments, I found that innate primary seed dormancy in this species could be broken with cold-wet stratification. There were no significant patterns in natural seedling recruitment across the altitudinal gradient. Similarities between the seedling flora and the standing vegetation were low (qualitative similarity: 0.18 to 0.45: quantitative similarity 0.04 to 0.09). Mean seedling density was best predicted by a combination of soil wilting point, altitude and plant litter. In some cases, seedling density was greater than 80 seedlings m-2. The relative importance of either negative (competitive) or positive (facilitative) interactions between seedlings with adjacent vegetation were investigated in relation to seed germination, seedling growth and seedling survival. Facilitative interactions were common at the higher altitude sites. At lower altitudes, facilitative and competitive interactions were common. Without close neighbours at high altitudes, seedlings were unlikely to survive into their second year. An understanding of plant recruitment can provide a useful basis for predicting species responses to large-scale disturbance and climate change.