McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1997

"In the last few years, a growing body of evidence revealed the involvement of the serotonin (5-HT) system in the therapeutic effect of antidepressant treatments. Hence, several investigations have suggested that long-term treatments with various classes of antidepressant drugs lead to an enhanced 5-HT neurotransmission. By using electrophysiological paradigms in the rat, the present research endeavour was undertaken to (1) investigate the role of different factors modulating central 5-HT neurotransmission and to assess interactions between the 5-HT and noradrenergic (NA) systems; (2) to further confirm the presence of an enhanced 5-HT neurotransmission following chronic antidepressant treatments. The study of the …  Read more

A field study was conducted for two years in three semi-arid regions of Syria in order to define, under field conditions, the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield response function to irrigation water salinity and to study the process of soil salt accumulation. The three regions experience similar climatic conditions (semi-arid Mediterranean climate) but have different soil textures, varying from sandy loam to clay. The study involved 74 farms all of which had been irrigating for more than 3 years prior to this study, with well water of different salinity values (0.44 to 14.1 dS/m). All of these farms operated with …  Read more

The binding of eukaryotic ribosomes to mRNA is a complex process that is considered to be rate-limiting in translation initiation, and consequently a key target for translational regulation. Ribosome binding to mRNA is facilitated by the 5' cap structure, m7GpppN (where N is any nucleotide). The initiation factor eIF4F plays a key role in regulating translation rates. eIF4F is a three-subunit complex composed of eIF4E, the cap-binding protein; eIF4A, an RNA helicase; and eIF4G (p220), which bridges eIF4E and eIF4A, and enhances dramatically the interaction of eIF4E with the mRNA 5' cap structure. eIF4F in conjunction with another initiation factor, …  Read more

Quantum Chromodynamics is the underlying theory of hadrons and their interactions. In deriving results from this theory one relies on perturbative calculations. Sometimes indirect methods have been explored to circumvent direct calculation of pure gluonic amplitudes. For example, it has been shown that supersymmetric extension of QCD along with supersymmetric Ward identities can be used to establish relations between amplitudes with the same total number of particles but a different number of gluons. Such relations are used here to connect pure gluonic and pure fermionic amplitudes in the case of 4-pt and 6-pt functions. These relations offer an indirect way …  Read more

Turgay, A. Uner  Read more

The genetic algorithm (GA) is an adaptive search algorithm used in high-dimensional optimization problems where analytical methods are either unavailable or impractical. The GA is stochastic by nature. It requires a well-tuned set of control parameters in order to perform well. The values of the control parameters depend on the nature of the problem. Finding the appropriate set of values for these parameters can be quite difficult. Using computer graphics, alongside theoretical analysis, to visualize the data generated by the GA aids in the study of the behavior of the genetic algorithm and helps in the fine-tuning of the parameters. …  Read more

The process by which foods are browned during baking and roasting is attributed to the Maillard reaction. The interaction of the $ alpha$-hydroxycarbonyl moiety of a reducing sugar with an amino compound can result in a complex series of changes. The identification and isolation of the key intermediates, known as the Amadori rearrangement product (ARP) and Heyns rearrangement product (HRP), can provide a greater understanding of the browning process. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of 1-hydroxyacetane provided qualitative and quantitative information of the behavior of this $ alpha$-hydroxycarbonyl compound in various aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. The carbonyl peaks (in the …  Read more

CD4 is a critical signalling molecule for T cell activation. Independent ligation of CD4 prior to anti-TcRbeta versus anti-CD3epsilon induced activation, precludes alphabetaTcR induced, but not CD3epsilon induced signalling in primary CD4+ T cells. Thus, CD4 pretreatment Prior to activation with these antibodies correlates with an apparently uncoupled antigen receptor complex in primary CD4+ T cells. Moreover, CD4 pretreatment prior to activation with anti-TcRbeta can also activate alphabetaTcR induced programmed cell death in primary CD4+ T cells. These results indicate that CD4 can exert a negative effect on alphabetaTcR induced signalling. We recapitulate these findings in a CD4+, interleukin 2 …  Read more

Reproductive and genetic technologies ("RGTs") raise many complex social, legal and ethical issues. Several jurisdictions have perceived a need for government intervention and regulation of the conduct of RGTs, and consequently have enacted legislation to this end. In three states in Australia (Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia) and in the United Kingdom, legislation has been introduced which imposes a regulatory scheme according to which RGTs must be practised in each jurisdiction. Legislation based on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies is currently before the Canadian parliament. This thesis examines from a comparative perspective the proposed …  Read more

This thesis discusses the design and implementation of nested relations in Relix, a relational database programming language. The purpose of this thesis is to integrate nested relations into Relix. While a flat relation is defined over a set of atomic attributes, a nested relation is defined over attributes which can include non-atomic ones, i.e. a data item itself can be a relation. To show the power of relational database systems, it is desirable to have nested relations in Relix. Our implementation was done using existing relational functionalities of Relix, without any modification of the physical data representation. Instead of focusing …  Read more

Cyclical neutropenia is a disease in humans and grey collie dogs in which the circulating neutrophil numbers regularly oscillate below normal values. CN can be treated using the cytokine G-CSF which decreases the period, increases the mean value, and elevates the amplitude of the oscillations. It has been theorized that this disease is a result of a periodic output of the hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow or a destabilization in a peripheral feedback mechanism controlled by circulating neutrophil number. We use a simple, but physiologically realistic, mathematical model, which incorporates the distribution of maturation times of neutrophils in …  Read more

An understanding of the molecular structure-function relationships of diacyl phospholipids is demanded in fields of study such as drug delivery, therapeutics, metabolism and physiology. Of particular interest are the properties of lipid derivatives where one or both acyl chains contain a polar moiety. Phospholipid analogs of distearolyphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) bearing polar groups (SO2, SO, S and CO) in the acyl chain(s) were synthesized and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DISC) and the Langmuir film-balance technique (LFB). Through the development of a detailed structure-function relationship map we have endeavored to understand the effect of the functional group on lipid conformation, phase, morphology …  Read more

"The production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a key cytokine regulator of an early immune response and a central mediator of the deleterious effects of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, is regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. The 3' -untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TNF-alpha mRNA contains sequences that confer its translational repression in quiescent cells and are responsible for the induction of TNF-alpha production following macrophage contact with bacterial lipopolysaccharide, live bacteria, or viruses. We demonstrate that two distinct regions, located in a part of the 3 '-UTR of murine TNF-alpha mRNA previously shown to play a crucial role …  Read more

Accurate forecasting of hurricane motion is required to prepare for hurricane landfall. The underpredicted acceleration of Hurricane Opal by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction's (NCEP) operational eta model during landfall and over-land passage is investigated using quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity (QGPV) inversion. We identify and explain model errors in the evironmental steering flow using a systematic procedure including removal of Opal's cyclonic circulation that builds upon previous work. The eastern ridge associated with the anticyclonic QGPV was persistently forecasted too weak and too distant from Opal, though the forecast of this feature improved at shorter ranges. The anticyclonic contribution to …  Read more

The goal of this thesis is to analyze and implement a new method to increase the spatial resolution of an image beyond that expected from detector arrays and detector sensitivity. The methods described here are based on the papers (16, 17, 18, 19) by Masry. First, the problem of reconstructing a signal is addressed and solved using some modifications to the method presented in (16). The modified method is faster and more accurate than the one described in (16, 19). The problem of reconstructing an analog signal in the time-domain is then transformed into a problem of reconstructing an image …  Read more

Deslauriers, Marguerite (Supervisor)  Read more

The Sungun porphyry copper deposit is associated with an Andean-type, calc-alkaline diorite/granodiorite to monzonite/quartz-monzonite stock of Miocene age which intruded Eocene volcanosedimentary and Cretaceous carbonate rocks. The intrusive phases are related by fractional crystallization, although surprisingly, the diorite/granodiorite which hosts the mineralization postdates the more evolved quartz monzonite. Copper mineralization was accompanied by both potassic and phyllic alteration. The hydrothermal system involved both magmatic and meteoric waters, and boiled extensively. Molybdenum was concentrated at a very early stage in the evolution of the hydrothermal system and copper later. Early hydrothermal alteration, which was caused by high temperature (340 to >500°C), …  Read more

The Japanese vegetable market is characterized by a general tendency towards the concentration of production by region. Amongst all vegetables, potato production has the highest level of concentration. Eighty-six percent of the total market quantity is accounted for by Hokkaido, the largest production prefecture amongst the 47 prefectures in Japan. The Herfindahl Index for prefectures in the Japanese potato market was 0.74 in 1994, indicating that the fewness of producers was equivalent to a market where total output was shared equally by only 1.35 producers. Under this highly concentrated situation, existence of monopolistic power, or more generally, oligopolistic power, of …  Read more

This is a study of collective identity formation among Montreal gay men before 1970. Using a theoretical framework based on schema theory and discourse analysis, I show that the success of the gay movement after that date was founded on the efforts of men who identified as gay in the decades before gay liberation. In their daily lives, their involvement with gay friendship groups, and their participation in gay social life in the clandestine world of bars and other venues of gay sociability, these men created a complex web of knowledge in gay-specific schemata and discourse forms that provided the …  Read more

Risk assessment of environmental exposure to chronic, trace concentrations of contaminants presents an analytical challenge to interpret data in a biologically meaningful way. Biomarkers are compounds that can provide integrated information concerning the effects of contaminants on biochemical processes. The metal-binding protein, metallothionein (MT), is a biomarker of toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd), since these metals bind to MT in vivo and induce transcription of MT genes with subsequent MT protein synthesis. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-thermospray microatomization-atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method was developed for detecting Cd proteins from two invertebrate models; freshwater mussels (Pyganodon grandis) from …  Read more

Clinical decision making is essential to clinical practice, yet research into the cognitive processes underlying clinical decision making is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cognitive processes utilized by nurses in actual clinical decision making situations. Using a criterion sampling technique, eight experienced medical and surgical nurses from an acute care community hospital were selected as participants for in-depth interviews about clinical decision making in nursing practice. Actual clinical data documented by the eight nurses were obtained from a review of 100 randomly selected hospital records of patients discharged over a one year period. The study …  Read more

This thesis attempts a Buddhist interpretation, commentary and reflection on a lecture by Louis I. Kahn (1901--1974) at Pratt Institute, entitled "1973: Brooklyn, New York." This lecture provides the framework and point of departure for a discussion of Kahn's philosophy. With the aid of Buddhist thought, this investigation argues that the ethical function of architecture begins with the effort of the architect to know his or her self. The juxtaposition of Buddhist philosophy and Kahn's lecture on architecture also seeks to present a way in which Buddhist thought might engage and illuminate the issues of ethical action in architecture. In …  Read more

The Canadian Institute for Telecommunication Research (CITR) has undertaken a five year "Major Project" in Optical Systems and Devices. As part of this project, researchers in the Microelectronics and Computer System (MACS) Laboratory at McGill University are developing a reconfigurable free-space optical backplane architecture capable of supporting terabits per second (Tbps) throughput. The optical backplane can be dynamically reconfigured to support the switching schemes used in both multiprocessor systems and in telecommunication systems. In this thesis, we will consider the performance of the optical backplane when it is configured to support a 160 Gigabit per second (and a 640 Gigabit …  Read more

Jones, Barbara E. (Supervisor)  Read more

In this thesis, the dissolution of the monasteries is treated as an event in the history of patronage relationships between the English crown and local patronage groups. In a comparative approach, the regions of East Anglia and Yorkshire are examined in search of patronage-related differences that help to explain the contrasts in regional political responses to the dissolutions. The first section deals with aspects of patronage in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, exploring through test cases the normal patterns of patronage on monastic estates and the estates of lay landlords and the Crown. Normal durations in tenure, remuneration and …  Read more

Phytosterols play an important role in nature and as synthetic supplements for the modification of cholesterol metabolism in humans. The consensus is that the primary mechanism by which phytosterols modify lipid profiles is through altering the absorption of cholesterol. This thesis examined the effects of phytosterol mixtures on (i) de novo cholesterol synthesis rates and appearance of de novo cholesterol into the cholesterol ester pool through the use of deuterium incorporation, as well as, (ii) plasma lipid and sterol concentrations in normolipidemic humans. The initial investigation of this thesis compared the effects of diets based on either corn oil, olive …  Read more

Familial hypophosphatemic rickets and its murine model, Hyp, are characterized by a specific defect in renal inorganic phosphate reabsorption. In Hyp mice the defect has been localized to the proximal tubule brush border membrane and a constitutively enhanced protein kinase C has been demonstrated. Since the latter is activated through the protein G pathway, we have studied phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate metabolism (PIP$ sb2$) in normal (+/Y) and Hyp primary cultures of proximal tubules. At confluence, ($ sp3$H) -myo-inositol labelled cultures were stimulated with calcitriol or parathyroid hormone (PTH) for one minute. Cells were extracted and the aqueous phase was chromatographed …  Read more

The primary intention of this thesis is to examine open skies policy and its far-reaching impact on the Asia-Pacific region. In order to achieve this, we will describe the historic evolution of economic regulation in civil air transport, which laid the foundation for an open skies regime. Moreover, the scope of an open skies regime on a global scale is addressed. Then, a detailed study of the essential elements of bilateral open skies agreements is undertaken. Afterwards, an analysis of the current economic air transport regulation in Asia-Pacific is conducted. With the emergence of the open skies trend, most Asia-Pacific …  Read more

Susceptibility to infection with Salmonella varies in different chicken lines suggesting the involvement of host genetic factors. Segregation analysis using Salmonella-resistant and Salmonella-susceptible chickens has shown that early resistance to infection is fully dominant, not sex-linked or associated with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In mice, natural resistance to infection with Salmonella typhimurium is controlled by two major loci, Nramp1 and Lps, that exert pleiotropic effects and contribute to cytostatic/cytocidal activities of the macrophage. We have tested the candidacy of the chicken homologs of Nramp1 and Tnc (a locus closely linked to Lps ) in the differential resistance of chicken …  Read more

Brief episodes of ischemia followed by reperfusion render the heart more resistant to injury from a subsequent prolonged ischemia. This endogenous and highly protective phenomenon is known as ischemic preconditioning. Although the phenomenon has been demonstrated virtually in all species tested including nun, the mechanism of ischemic preconditioning is incompletely understood. Early studies showed that both adenosine A1 receptors and K ATP channels appeared to mediate the effects of preconditioning in most species, but not in the rat. Therefore, we first investigated the signal transduction mechanisms involved in ischemic preconditioning against post-ischemic contractile dysfunction in isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. We …  Read more

This thesis examines problems related to particular labor laws currently applied in international air transport. This analysis is framed within the context of scholarly theory and judicial practice arising from various regimes of labor law governing industrial injury, the individual contract of employment, labor-management relations, and fair treatment in the civil aviation industry. A critical survey of labor regulations operating in the international air transport industry is provided through commentary on the principles formulated by judicial decisions and the theories which underlie their reasoning, helping to clarify both substantive and procedural labor laws affecting international air transport. A critical analysis …  Read more

Kamal, M. R. (Supervisor)  Read more

Darling, Graham D. (Supervisor)  Read more

A measurement of the inclusive inelastic J/ y photoproduction cross section using the ZEUS detector at HERA is described. The cross section of the reaction e+ p → e+J/ y X was determined for events with an inelasticity, z, less than 0.9, where z is the ratio of the energy of the outgoing J/ y to the energy of the incoming photon in the proton's rest frame. The measurement was performed in the photon-proton centre of mass energy range 110 < Wgp < 160 GeV using the decay channel J/ y → e+e--. The measurements compare favourably with recent NLO …  Read more

This thesis includes a theoretical development and computer simulations of an improved precise differential positioning algorithm with a tightly coupled integrity algorithm. The algorithms use the carrier signals transmitted by the satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Modern navigation applications such as high-performance aircraft landing demand not only high precision, but also real-time operation on highly dynamic platforms. Unlike the original batch-processing techniques or snap-shot processing, the recursive filter developed in this thesis accomplishes real-time positioning using data as it becomes available from integrated Doppler measurements. The recursive Kalman filter method converges on the least-squares estimate for floating point …  Read more

This thesis reports two studies which compared the effects between a feedforward gait training and a standard exercise protocols on parkinsonian (PD) gait and choice reaction times (CRTs). The feedforward treatment consisted of training PD subjects to walk to preparatory signals, in the form of visual and auditory cues. Firstly, we compared the effects of 45 min of feedforward gait training, administered to 9 randomly selected PD subjects, to those of the exercise program, given to 7 PD subjects. Secondly, the effects of 3 weeks of feedforward gait training (n = 5) were compared to those of the exercises (n …  Read more

The RNA dimer ApA is rapidly cleaved in the presence of lanthanum(III) chloride yielding the products of transesterification and hydrolysis, 2 '-AMP, 3'-AMEP and adenosine. The intermediate 2,3'-cAMP does not accumulate. Under pseudo-first-order conditions (approximately 100-fold excess lanthanum(III) chloride) the half-life for ApA cleavage is only 13 seconds. The potentiometric titration, pH-rate profile and dependence upon lanthanum(IIII) chloride concentration support a penta-mu-hydroxo dilanthanum species as the active species. The kinetic isotope effect of 1.9 and a one-proton inventory indicate that the 2'-hydroxyl deprotonation is not concerted with the nucleophilic attack. It is proposed that a rapid equilibrium proton transfer occurs …  Read more

This study examines Fazlur Rahman's understanding of Islamic philosophy by analyzing his attitude towards the works of Muslim philosophers and his belief in the value of the Qur'an's precepts. It pays specific attention to the relationship between his understanding of philosophy and his method of interpreting the Qur'an, since in Rahman's understanding, this method is the only means to satisfy the changing needs of society. It explores Rahman's definition of Islamic philosophy, which is strongly characterized by three religious terms, iman, islam, and taqwa. The thesis furthermore looks at the reasons why Rahman borrowed certain philosophical expressions of the Muslim …  Read more

Field experiments were conducted in 1996, to evaluate the need of supplemental irrigation of maize on some sandy soils in Eastern Ontario. Field and laboratory measurements of soil properties were conducted. Plow layer and deficit irrigation management approaches were evaluated. Irrigation requirements using rain and evaporation data of the humid 1996 summer, as well as data from the drier 1974 summer, were evaluated. The results show that using a root zone depth less than 300 mm led to more water losses by drainage, more irrigation water requirements and more frequent irrigation applications, as compared to using a 400 mm root …  Read more

This thesis presents an indepth examination of the exegetical treatment of Qur'anic themes and concepts. It explains the process of communication between God and human beings by using communication models. The invisibility of God to human beings, coupled with His difference in nature, make their interaction difficult to conceive but not impossible. This thesis will thus seek to show how that interaction is feasible, making it as comprehensible as possible. Muslim theologians studied exhaustively the subject of God's speech and its nature without actually revealing its process in any detail or in systematic fashion. This thesis concludes that the theological …  Read more

This study examined the efficacy of conjoint behavioural consultation (CBC) with children evidencing conduct problems, the impact of CBC in enhancing parental knowledge of behavioural principles, and whether knowledge of behavioural principles is related to improved parenting skills. An A/B design was used and participants included 5 boys (ages 3, 3, 5, 5, and 6) and their parents. Children evidenced improvements in their target behaviours from baseline to treatment (effect sizes = -0.54 to -2.10). Overall, children's social skills increased (Reliable Change Indices [RCI] = -3.66 to 3.05), problem behaviours decreased, and externalizing difficulties decreased (RCI = -0.24 to -3.74). …  Read more

This study investigated the relationship between flood duration of beaver ponds in eastern Ontario and their productivity for waterfowl. The primary objective was to assess the effect of removing water from a beaver pond for one year had on the subsequent productivity of the wetland. Productivity was estimated by sampling water chemistry, standing crops of aquatic invertebrates, vertebrates, algae and vegetation composition and distribution in naturally occurring and managed beaver ponds of varying ages during 1994 and 1995. Three ponds in each of the following categories were sampled; managed ponds reflooded in 1993, managed ponds reflooded in 1991, naturally occurring …  Read more

We have taken two approaches to evaluate the effects of drug resistant mutations in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT). First, we have expressed and purified histidine-tagged wildtype (wt) and mutant RTs by metal chelate affinity chromatography. The purification of wt RT and RTs containing the mutations M184V, M1841, E89G and E89G/M184V, by the method of Le Grice and Gruninger-Leitch (1990), will be discussed in Chapter 2. These enzymes were produced to evaluate the effects of these mutations on fidelity and processivity in vitro. Second, we have cultured wt and M184V-containing HIV-1 in the presence of a neutralizing …  Read more

Free radicals are thought to be involved in the destructive process of beta cells in Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Studies were performed to test the hypotheses (1) that malondialdehyde (MDA), a by-product of lipid peroxidation, affects $ beta$-cell function and integrity in vitro and (2) that such effects might be prevented in the BB rat (a model of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes) in vivo by administration of $ alpha$-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN), a free radical spin trap. First, islets of Wistar-Furth rats were studied at 12, 24 and 40 hr of culture in either 5.5, 11 or 16.5 mM glucose, and MDA at …  Read more

The use of high N fertilizer in sweet corn (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivium L.) production often results in leaching losses and contamination of ground water. Cover crops planted after harvest of sweet corn and wheat may reduce residual soil NO$ sp- sb3$-N levels by crop N uptake and subsequently minimize NO$ sp- sb3$-N content in gravitational water. Field experiments were conducted on a Ste. Rosalie heavy clay (Humic Gleysol) and a St. Bernard sandy clay loam (Melanic Brunisol) to determine the contribution of the six cover crops to nutrient uptake, subsequent N release, leaching losses, denitrification rates …  Read more

In order to alleviate the throughput bottlenecks being encountered by high speed electronic computing and switching systems, research is turning its attention toward free-space photonics technology. Of particular interest currently is the use of Hybrid/SEED devices implemented as smart pixel arrays to encode the electronic data onto an array of constant power beams of light. This paper presents the design and implementation of a robust, scalable and modular optical power supply spot array generator for a modulator based free-space optical backplane demonstrator. Four arrays of 8 by 4 spots of (1/e$ sp2$ irradiance) 6.47$ mu$m radii pitched at 125$ mu$m …  Read more

This study focused on the reproductive response to elevated CO2 of plants possessing below-ground storage. I tested the hypotheses that under elevated CO2: (1) Plants with greater non-foliar storage capacity win show more reproductive response and (2) The altered foliar physiology of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) use will cause increases in seed number and quality. Carbon dioxide treatments of High (650 muL L-1) and Ambient (360 muL L-1) were used in a controlled environment, simulated growing season, and in a natural pasture community. Hypothesis 1 was tested experimentally using four Raphanus varieties that differed in hypocotyl and leaf sizes. …  Read more

This dissertation aims to study the attempts made by contemporary Iranian religious modernists at reconciling Islam and democracy on the theoretical level. The prevailing theme in earlier studies on contemporary Iran has been that of Islamic resurgence or the socio-political outcome of the 1979 Revolution to the neglect of other significant issues or intellectual challenges faced by religious modernists in both the pre- and post-revolutionary eras, such as that of the problematic of Islam and democracy. The present work therefore, considers the views of certain Iranian religious modernists of the last fifty years on the question of whether Islam is …  Read more

This thesis studies the formation of the basic ideology of the Muh&dotbelow;ammadiyah during the period 1912--1942, analyzing in particular the fundamental aspects of its religious and social beliefs. The words and deeds of its leaders were crucial during the period in forming the Muh&dotbelow;ammadiyah's ideology, for these alone provided the basis for the movement's program. Their religious outlook reflected the movement's philosophical view of this world and the role of reason in understanding religion. This view was marked by openness, tolerance, and pluralism in dealing with other ideas, and a belief in the salutary character of change. What set the …  Read more

Differences in the activity of various components of the endogenous opioid system under basal conditions and following ethanol exposure have been reported between strains and lines of animals showing either a high or low ethanol consumption. The objective of the present studies was to investigate the presence of differences in (a) the density of kappa opioid binding sites, (b) the content of prodynorphin mRNA and (c) the content of dynorphin peptides in distinct brain regions between C57BL/6 (ethanol-preferring) and DBA/2 (ethanol avoiding) mice. Results indicated that the C57BL/6 mice have a higher content of kappa opioid binding sites and of …  Read more