The physiology of catechol amines bas been subject to intensive investigations ever since it was recognized or more precisely postulated that differences exist in the nature and actions of Adrenaline and its demetylated precursor the Noradrenaline. There are indeed few subjects in physiology which have been studied and given rise to more controversies. Part of the confusion which arose was probably due to different nomenclature of authors and compounds studied; part of it was undoubtedly due to the multiplicity of actions and variability of effects under different experimental conditions.

In virtual auditory display, sound source motion is typically cued through dynamic variations in two types of localization cues: binaural disparity cues and spectral cues. Generally, both types of cues contribute to the perception of sound source motion. For certain spatial trajectories, however, namely those lying on the surfaces of cones of confusion, binaural disparity cues are constant, and motion must be inferred solely on the basis of spectral cue variation. This thesis tests the effectiveness of these spectral variation cues in eliciting motion percepts. A virtual sound source was synthesized that traversed sections of a cone of confusion on a particular sagittal plane. The spatial extent of the source's trajectory was systematically varied to probe directional discrimination thresholds. / Dans le domaine de la spatialisation, le mouvement de la source sonore est généralement indiqué par des variations dynamiques selon deux types d'indices de localisation : des indices de disparite binaurale et des indices spectraux. En régle rénérale, les deux types d'indices contribuent à la perception du mouvement de la source sonore. Cela dit, dans le cas de certaines trajectoires spatiales, à savoir celles qui reposent sur la surface des cônes de confusion, les indices de disparité binaurale sont constants et le mouvement ne s'induit forcément qu'à partir des variations spectrales. La présente thése sonde l'efficacité de ces indices de variation spectrale en indiquant les perceptions du mouvement. Une source sonore virtuelle a été synthétisée et chemine sur la surface d'un cône de confusion sur un plan sagittal déterminé. L'étendue spatiale de la trajectoire de la source a été ajustée systématiquement afin de sonder les seuils critiques de discrimination de mobilité directionnelle.

Irony abounds in conversation yet little is known about the cognitive processing that enables its comprehension. Two experiments investigated irony compared to literal language comprehension, potential comprehension differences between irony as it is used in negative and positive situations, and whether individual differences in WM or propensity to use sarcastic or indirect language were related to irony comprehension. Results showed that irony was processed slower than literal statements (p < .05) and irony in negative situations received more sensible judgments than irony in positive situations (p < .05). Ironic statements that received nonsensical judgments took longer to reject than their anomalous counterparts. Individual differences were correlated with facilitated irony comprehension and increased difficulty in rejecting ironic statements. These findings suggest that an ironic interpretation is generated slower than a literal interpretation and that even when it is rejected, some activation of the meaning occurs, which is mediated by individual differences. / L'ironie abonde dans les conversations mais la façon dont elle est procédée est encore énigmatique. Deux expériences ont été menées pour comparer l'ironie au langage littérale, pour étudier les différences entre des situations positives et négatives, et pour voir si des caractéristiques individuelles sont liées à un traitement accéléré de l'ironie. Les résultats ont montrés que l'ironie est traitée plus lentement que la langage littérale (p < .05). L'ironie est perçue comme étant plus vraisemblable dans des situations négatives que positives (p < .05). Les déclarations anormales sont moins longues à rejeter que celles ironiques. L'utilisation du sarcasme et la mémoire sont corrélés à une accélération du traitement de l'ironie et une plus grande difficulté à la rejeter. Ces conclusions suggèrent qu'une interprétation ironique est activée plus lentement qu'une interprétation littérale, et que lorsqu'une déclaration est rejetée, une activation de la signification de celle-ci est arbitrée par des différences individuelles.

During the past thirty years the report concerning coronary heart disease have increased almost geometrically. We are still far from solving the problems of this serious disease as is evidenced by the continuous flood of papers. The greatest advance has been on the diagnostic front of myocardial infarction and its allied picture of coronary insufficiency. Practically all the schools of the world have contributed in the clinical study. The names of Parkinson, Bedford in England, Barnes, Whitten, Woolfirth, Wood, White, Levine, Wright, Levy, Master in the U.S.A. are closely associated with this work.

At the present time, with coronary disease in such prominence, it is interesting to glance back briefly over the development of our knowledge from the time Heberden first described angina pectoris in England, in 1768, (120). Many well known men have been active in the development of this knowledge. Such names as Fothergill, Hunter, Hammer, Osler, and many others will be familiar to most readers. Hammer, in 1878, was probably the first to diagnose coronary occlusion clinically, and to confirm this diagnosis at autopsy, (117).

The present work was initiated in an attempt to elucidate further the role of the adrenalcortical hormones in ketoacidosis. Many of the early studies on this problem were done with inadequate analytical methods, and were based on experimental approaches now known to be invalid. In recent years the availability of larger amounts of crystalline adrenal hormones, and of highly purified pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone has led to a renewal of interest in the problem of ketosis; yet the results of recent experiments have often appeared to be just as incompatible as those of earlier studies. [...]

Renewed interest has developed in the status of the pancreatic islets, following the availability of purified growth hormone preparations. In the Fall of 1953 it was observed that the alloxan-diabetic rats receiving purified growth hormone, showed a considerable reduction in blood sugar, as compared with the control animals. This attracted the interest of our Director Dr. D.R. Webster, who envisaged the possibility of investigating the insulotropic effect of growth hormone, and its possible role in the etiology of islet cell tumour. [...]

The laws of physics have played an increasingly important role in the understanding of the aero and hemodynamics of the cardio-respiratory system over the past 15 years. The use of electronic techniques have furthered the translation of physical phenomena into physiological behaviour. Numerous tests of pulmonary function have been refined in this manner so that they now become routine procedures in many diagnostic laboratories. However, the use of various systems in which different physiological variables are monitored to test identical "function" of lung has occasionally resulted in divergent results.

Advances in gastric physiology have followed the accretion of experimental evidence in a pattern largely determined by available experimental techniques. Three major fields may be grossly discerned. The integration of gastric secretion with other events of the digestive process first received the major attention of organ physiology, as exemplified by the work of Pavlov's laboratory. Interest in the alimentary regulation of gastric secretion continues unabated at the present time despite the fact that much is well confirmed. [...]

The concept that medicinal activity exists in animal substances is a very old one. The ancient Egyptians, Arabians and Chinese employed the blood, secretions and excretions as drugs, and every primitive society has used this form of "organotherapy" as part of the religious and mythological doctrine of the group. It derives from the concept of 'totemism' (an anthropological term referrlng to the worship of a species of animal or vegetable) and is an outgrowth of 'animism' (the doctrine that the phenomena of animal life are produced by an immaterial 'anima' or soul. [...]