The presence of human pharmaceuticals in the environment has raised concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on non-target aquatic organisms. Pharmaceuticals are designed to target specific molecular pathways in humans in order to produce known pharmacological and physiological responses, before toxicological effects are seen. The “Read-Across Hypothesis” stipulates that pharmaceuticals can produce similar biological effects in fish, as in humans, if the molecular target is conserved, and the internal (blood plasma) concentrations are similar. The read-across hypothesis was tested using ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and the model fish test species, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), to determine if ibuprofen can cause similar target-mediated effects in teleost fish and humans, at comparable blood plasma concentrations. Fathead minnows were exposed, using continuous flow-through systems, for ≤96 hours to a range of ibuprofen water concentrations (100, 270, 370 and 500 µg/L) to determine if plasma concentrations similar to human therapeutic plasma concentrations (HTPCs, or Cmax) could be established in fish blood plasma. The mode of action of ibuprofen was used to identify relevant endpoints (i.e. cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme) in order to examine target-mediated effects following drug exposure. The water and plasma ibuprofen concentrations were determined using LC-MS/MS. The measured ibuprofen plasma concentrations in individual fish were linked to target-mediated effects on COX gene expression, COX enzyme activity and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis (products of COX activity), which were quantified using molecular (QPCR) and biochemical (colourimetric and enzyme immunoassay) assays, and linked with the Cmax of ibuprofen. It was demonstrated that in fish with a mean ibuprofen plasma concentration 1.8-fold below the Cmax, PGE2 concentrations (the most robust endpoint) was significantly inhibited following ibuprofen exposure. However, in fish exposed to an ibuprofen concentration closer to (2 to 3-fold above) environmentally relevant water concentrations (i.e. 9 µg/L), when the mean plasma concentration was 224-fold below the Cmax, fish did not respond to ibuprofen exposure. This study provides qualitative and quantitative evidence for the applicability of the “read-across hypothesis”, and highlights its potential utility for prioritising pharmaceuticals for environmental risk assessment.

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

No description available.

Les catalyseurs à base d’oxyde de rhénium massique ou supporté sont connus pour présenter de bonnes performances dans la conversion directe du méthanol en diméthoxyméthane. Cette réaction élégante requiert un catalyseur bifonctionnel acide-redox et s’inscrit dans la recherche de procédés courts mettant en œuvre des réactifs issues de la biomasse. La structure des phases actives oxorhénates supportées fait débat et semble conditionnée par (i) la désorption rapide des oxydes de rhénium et (ii) les propriétés physico-chimiques du support. Dans cette étude, nous avons, de manière incontestable, mis en évidence l’existence d’entités non équivalentes dont la structure est liée à la teneur en rhénium. Dans le cas de catalyseurs conventionnels, la désorption massive des oxydes de rhénium en conditions réactionnelles rend impossible l’établissement d’une corrélation structure-réactivité. Nous avons mis au point une voie de synthèse alternative et préparé un catalyseur ReOx/SiO2 dont les performances égalent les meilleurs catalyseurs actuels. Grâce à une première étude in situ basée sur les spectroscopies Raman et XAS en conditions operando, il a été possible de proposer, pour cette phase active, une structure originale de type adduit RexOy.nH2O. D’autres particularités, comme la nano-texturation du catalyseur sont évoquées pour expliquer la limitation du phénomène de désorption de rhénium. Pendant la réaction, le couple redox ReVI/ReIV est responsable de l’oxydation ménagée du méthanol en formaldéhyde, tandis que l’espèce ReVII présente une acidité suffisante pour permettre la condensation rapide de deux molécules de méthanol avec le formaldéhyde adsorbé et former le diméthoxyméthane. / Bulk or supported rhenium oxide based catalysts, are known to have good performances in terms of direct conversion of methanol to dimethoxymethane. This refined reaction needs a bifunctional acid-redox catalyst and, is in line with short process research dealing with biomass reagents. The supported oxorhenate active phase structure is still under debate, but seems to be highly dependent of (i) the rhenium oxide fast desorption rate (ii) and the support physical-chemical properties. In this study, we have, without any doubt, shown the presence of several entities which seem to be dependent of the rhenium loading. In the case of conformist catalysts, the massive rhenium oxide desorption during the reaction makes it very difficult to correlate structure and reactivity. So, we developed an alternate synthesis path and prepared a Re/SiO2 catalyst, which performances are among the best up to date. Thanks to an opening in situ study based on Raman spectroscopy and XAS in Operando conditions, it has been possible to suggest, for this active phase, a genuine structure looking like RexOy.nH2O. Other specificities, like the catalyst nano-structure are mentioned to explain the rhenium desorption restriction. During the reaction, the redox couple ReVI/ReIV is responsible of the mild methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, while the ReVII specie possesses enough acidity to rapidly condensate two methanol molecules with the absorbed formaldehyde to form dimethoxymethane.

Cette thèse propose un éclairage sur la réalité de la Fonction analytique, sa physiologie, et les pathologies comportementales qui résultent de son dysfonctionnement. Nous y visitons les travaux de Freud, Jung et Lacan. Par une approche de comparatisme de leurs « écritures respectives », nous découvrons les fondements de la Fonction analytique. Tous trois tiennent leur savoir d’une approche transdisciplinaire (mythologie, alchimie, Taoïsme, linguistique, mathématiques, etc.) Freud précise le rôle indispensable de la pulsion en décrivant ses quatre caractéristiques. Avec son travail sur le «Bloc-notes magique », il énonce les modalités de la gravure psychique. La physiologie analytique comprend deux stades distincts : le premier ou « tronc commun » correspond à la gravure de la trace mnésique (Freud). Ce stade se déroule selon le mode binaire : ça pour Freud, persona pour Jung, imaginaire pour Lacan. Le second, se développe à partir du tronc commun, selon la modalité ternaire : la structure arborescente. C’est le stade du moi de Freud, du moi de Jung, du réel de Lacan. Cette phase, comme celle du brassage inter-chromosomique de la méiose biologique, produit une infinité de combinaisons. Modes binaire et ternaire représentent les phases principales de la Fonction analytique. Mais le mode binaire ne doit pas faire barrage au mode ternaire, en enfermant la psyché dans l’imaginaire (Lacan). La psyché doit se dépasser et faire oeuvre d’artiste. Nous montrons que le déséquilibre de l’archétype anima/animus (Jung) est cause de ces pathologies. Nous y voyons également que « la pensée judéo-chrétienne » joue un rôle de censeur, et fait obstacle à la modélisation ternaire. / The following thesis proposes to shed some light on the reality of Analytical Function, its physiology and the behavioural pathologies that derive from its dysfunction. We revisit the works of Freud, Jung and Lacan. Through a comparativistic approach of their “respective writings”, we discover the very fundamentals of Analytical Function. And all three had gathered their knowledge using a transdisciplinary approach (mythology, alchemy, Taoism, linguistics, mathematics etc…) Freud points out the main role of the drive by describing its four characteristics. In his “Magic Note Pad” he states the modalities of the psychic imprint. Analytical physiology comprises two distinct stages: the first one - “the common trunk”- refers to the imprint or engraving of the mnemonic marking. This stage unfolds according to a binary mode: the “It” for Freud, the “persona” for Jung and the “Imaginary” for Lacan. The second stage stems out of the common trunk on a ternary mode: the arborescent structure. This is the stage of the “I” for Freud, the “Self” for Jung and “the Real” for Lacan. This stage-just like the inter-chromosomal brew of the biological meiosis- produces an infinity of combinations. Binary and ternary modes represent the main phases of Analytical Function. Nevertheless the binary mode must not block out the ternary mode by locking the psyche into Lacan’s “Imaginary”. The psyche must go beyond itself and become its own artist. We show that the disequilibrium of Jung’s anima/animus archetype provokes these pathologies. We also notice that the “Judeo-Christian” way of thinking plays a censorship role and becomes an obstacle for the implementation of the ternary mode.

Cavity flow-acoustic resonances may occur when a fluid stream flows past a recessed cavity in a wall. These resonances may lead to high unsteady pressure levels. The resonance involves a coupling between the instability wave which propagates downstream on the shear-layer that spans the open face of the cavity, and acoustic waves that propagate back upstream inside and outside the cavity. These waves are coupled by the scattering processes at the ends of the cavity. Previous theoretical research considered cavities in a wall that bounds an infinite stream. In many of the experiments on cavity resonances, however, the cavity is placed in a side wall of a wind tunnel. When the surrounding wind tunnel walls are not acoustically treated, the resonances can be very strong. My research is a theoretical investigation of the case of a cavity in a side wall of a wind tunnel. Recently, a mode trapping phenomenon has been proposed as an explanation for the very strong cavity resonances in the wind tunnel case. The mode trapping occurs when the critical frequency of a mode in the tunnel-cavity region is slightly lower than the critical frequency of the corresponding mode in the tunnel region. The region between these two critical frequencies is defined as a frequency window. Experiments show that very high pressure levels are observed in these frequency windows. The goal of my research is to develop a global theory of cavity resonances in the wind tunnel geometry. The global theory couples solutions for the instability wave and the acoustic waves through scattering analyses at the ends of the cavity. Resonance frequencies, spatial mode shapes and linear growth rates are predicted. The theoretical predictions are consistent with experimental measurements and demonstrate that the mode trapping phenomenon explains the experimentally observed behavior.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Physics / Brian R. Washburn / Mode-locked lasers that produce short optical pulses in the mid-infrared wavelength region have been sought out for a wide range of applications such as free space communication, molecular spectroscopy, medical diagnostics, and remote sensing. Here, a thulium and holmium (Tm/Ho) co-doped fiber laser that mode-locks in both the solitonic and stretched-pulse regimes is used to produce ultra-short pulses in the 2 [mu]m region. Nonlinear polarization rotation technique is used where fiber nonlinearity is responsible to mode-lock the laser. The anomalous group velocity dispersion of both the single mode and gain fibers used limit the laser operation in the solitonic regime where spectral bandwidth is 10 nm and hence the pulse duration is limited to 996 fs. In order to increase the spectral bandwidth and hence get the shorter pulses the anomalous dispersion of these fibers has to compensate using normal group velocity dispersion fiber in the laser cavity. High numerical aperture fibers, which have normal group velocity dispersion around 2 [mu]m due to its large and positive waveguide dispersion, can be used to compensate the anomalous dispersion of the gain and single mode fibers. We used a high numerical aperture fiber called UHNA4 in the laser cavity in order to compensate the anomalous dispersion of other fibers and mode-locked the laser in stretched pulse regime. The spectral bandwidth of the laser increased to 31 nm with corresponding pulse duration of 450 fs measured from the interferometric autocorrelation. The laser dynamics of the Tm/Ho co-doped fiber laser is also studied while going from the stretched-pulse to solitonic regime by fiber cut-back measurements of normal dispersion fiber. It was clearly observed that both the spectral bandwidth and the pulse duration changed significantly going from one region to the other.

The influence of underfill material properties on the fatigue life of Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages that are subjected to thermal cycling is investigated in this study. A finite element model is created using Ansys by assuming the existence of an infinite array of solder interconnects, cylindrical in shape, surrounded by underfill material. Axial stresses in the interconnects are determined as a temperature loading is applied. The results show that these normal stresses are on the same order of magnitude as the hydrostatic compressive stresses induced in the solder upon underfill curing. Therefore it is concluded that for the range of underfill properties tested, these Mode I cyclic stresses need to be considered in the development of a fracture-based fatigue life model. In addition, a guideline is provided to aide researchers in designing experiments that will replicate loads on fractured specimens that are consistent with those seen in aerospace applications.

No description available.

by Vincent Wing-Yun Sit. / Thesis submitted in: June 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 1-4 (3rd gp.)). / Abstract also in Chinese. / TABLE OF CONTENTS / LIST OF FIGURES / LIST OF TABLES / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS / ABSTRACT / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- ASYNCHRONOUS DESIGN --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- DESIGN METHODOLOGIES --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2 --- ASYNCHRONOUS MEMORY --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- MOTIVATION --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- DEFINITION --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- PROPOSED MEMORY DESIGN --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- CONTROL INTERFACE --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- OVERVIEW --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- HANDSHAKE CONTROL PROTOCOL --- p.13 / Chapter 2. --- THEORY --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1 --- VARIABLE BIT LINE LOAD --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- DEFINITION --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- ADVANTAGE --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- CURRENT SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- BLOCK DIAGRAM --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- GENERAL LSD CURRENT SENSOR --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- CMOS LSD CURRENT SENSOR --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- DATA READING IN MEMORY CIRCUIT --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- BLOCK DIAGRAM --- p.30 / Chapter 2.4 --- MULTIPLE DELAYS COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.32 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- ADVANTAGE --- p.32 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- BLOCK DIAGRAM --- p.33 / Chapter 3. --- IMPLEMENTATION --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1 --- 1M-BIT SRAM FRAMEWORK --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- FRAMEWORK --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2 --- CONTROL CIRCUIT --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- CONTROL SIGNALS --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1.1 --- EXTERNAL CONTROL SIGNALS --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- INTERNAL CONTROL SIGNALS --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- READ / WRITE STATE TRANSITION GRAPHS --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- IMPLEMENTATION --- p.43 / Chapter 3.3 --- BIT LINE SEGMENTATION --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- FOUR REGIONS SEGMENTATION --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- OPERATION --- p.50 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- MEMORY CELL --- p.51 / Chapter 3.4 --- CURRENT SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.52 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- ONE BIT DATA BUS --- p.53 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- EIGHT BITS DATA BUS --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- ONE BIT DATA BUS --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- EIGHT BITS DATA BUS --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6 --- MULTIPLE DELAYS COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.60 / Chapter 4. --- SIMULATION --- p.63 / Chapter 4.1 --- SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- SIMULATION PARAMETERS --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- MEMORY TIMING SPECIFICATIONS --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- BIT LINE LOAD DETERMINATION --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2 --- BENCHMARK SIMULATION --- p.69 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC --- p.69 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- RESULTS --- p.71 / Chapter 4.3 --- CURRENT SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.73 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC --- p.73 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- SENSE AMPLIFIER CURRENT CHARACTERISTICS --- p.75 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- RESULTS --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- OBSERVATIONS --- p.80 / Chapter 4.4 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- RESULTS --- p.83 / Chapter 4.5 --- MULTIPLE DELAYS COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.89 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC --- p.89 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- RESULTS --- p.90 / Chapter 5. --- TESTING --- p.97 / Chapter 5.1 --- TEST CHIP DESIGN --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- BLOCK DIAGRAM --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- SCHEMATIC --- p.100 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- LAYOUT --- p.102 / Chapter 5.2 --- HSPICE POST-LAYOUT SIMULATION RESULTS --- p.104 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- GRAPHICAL RESULTS --- p.105 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- MULTIPLE DELAYS COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.114 / Chapter 5.3 --- MEASUREMENTS --- p.117 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- LOGIC RESULTS --- p.118 / Chapter 5.3.1.1 --- METHOD --- p.118 / Chapter 5.3.1.2 --- RESULTS --- p.118 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- TIMING RESULTS --- p.119 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- METHOD --- p.119 / Chapter 5.3.2.2 --- GRAPHICAL RESULTS --- p.121 / Chapter 5.3.2.3 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.123 / Chapter 5.3.2.4 --- MULTIPLE DELAYS COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.125 / Chapter 6. --- DISCUSSION --- p.127 / Chapter 6.1 --- CURRENT SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.128 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION --- p.128 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- SUGGESTION --- p.128 / Chapter 6.2 --- VOLTAGE SENSING COMPLETION DETECTION --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- RESULTS COMPARISON --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.1.1 --- GENERAL --- p.129 / Chapter 6.2.1.2 --- BIT LINE LOAD --- p.132 / Chapter 6.2.1.3 --- BIT LINE SEGMENTATION --- p.133 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- RESOURCE CONSUMPTION --- p.133 / Chapter 6.2.2.1 --- AREA --- p.133 / Chapter 6.2.2.2 --- POWER --- p.134 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION --- p.134 / Chapter 6.3 --- MULTIPLE DELAY COMPLETION GENERATION --- p.135 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- RESULTS COMPARISON --- p.135 / Chapter 6.3.1.1 --- GENERAL --- p.135 / Chapter 6.3.1.2 --- BIT LINE LOAD --- p.136 / Chapter 6.3.1.3 --- BIT LINE SEGMENTATION --- p.137 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- RESOURCE CONSUMPTION --- p.138 / Chapter 6.3.2.1 --- AREA --- p.138 / Chapter 6.3.2.2 --- POWER --- p.138 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION --- p.138 / Chapter 6.4 --- GENERAL COMMENTS --- p.139 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- COMPARISON OF THE THREE TECHNIQUES --- p.139 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- BIT LINE SEGMENTATION --- p.141 / Chapter 6.5 --- APPLICATION --- p.142 / Chapter 6.6 --- FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS --- p.144 / Chapter 6.6.1 --- INTERACE WITH TWO-PHASE HCP --- p.144 / Chapter 6.6.2 --- DATA BUS EXPANSION --- p.146 / Chapter 6.6.3 --- SPEED OPTIMIZATION --- p.147 / Chapter 6.6.4 --- MODIFIED WRITE COMPLETION METHOD --- p.150 / Chapter 7. --- CONCLUSION --- p.152 / Chapter 7.1 --- PROBLEM DEFINITION --- p.152 / Chapter 7.2 --- IMPLEMENTATION --- p.152 / Chapter 7.3 --- EVALUATION --- p.153 / Chapter 7.4 --- COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS --- p.155 / Chapter 8. --- REFERENCES --- p.R-l / Chapter 9. --- APPENDIX --- p.A-l / Chapter 9.1 --- HSPICE SIMULATION PARAMETERS --- p.A-l / Chapter 9.1.1 --- TYPICAL SIMULATION CONDITION --- p.A-l / Chapter 9.1.2 --- FAST SIMULATION CONDITION --- p.A-3 / Chapter 9.1.3 --- SLOW SIMULATION CONDITION --- p.A-4 / Chapter 9.2 --- SRAM CELL LAYOUT AND NETLIST --- p.A-5 / Chapter 9.3 --- TEST CHIP SPECIFICATIONS --- p.A-8 / Chapter 9.3.1 --- GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS --- p.A-8 / Chapter 9.3.2 --- PIN ASSIGNMENT --- p.A-9 / Chapter 9.3.3 --- TIMING DIAGRAMS AND SPECIFICATIONS --- p.A-10 / Chapter 9.3.4 --- SCHEMATICS AND LAYOUTS --- p.A-11 / Chapter 9.3.4.1 --- STANDARD MEMORY COMPONENTS --- p.A-12 / Chapter 9.3.4.2 --- DVSCD AND MDCG COMPONENTS --- p.A-20 / Chapter 9.3.5 --- MICROPHOTOGRAPH --- p.A-25