McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2004

This thesis examines a number of natural and anthropogenic disturbances within marine macrophyte habitats of the Caribbean. Understanding the effects of disturbance and the patterns associated with such dynamics is fundamental to ecological studies. Dynamics of interest included: interactions between populations; interactions between life history strategies; successional regimes; and alterations of community structure including loss of trophic heterogeneity and the possibility of "alternate" states. First I explored natural physical disturbance and succession. The dominance of macroalgae in the mid-shore, between areas of seagrass, challenged "classic" succession in such communities. I therefore proposed a model that included chronic "stress" by wave …  Lire la suite

World wide steel consumption as grinding media is estimated at over 600,000 tons per annum. Total steel media wear in a given mill (ball or SAG) grinding process is a product of three recognized wear mechanisms---impact, abrasion, and corrosion of which the contribution of each wear mechanism to total media wear has not been well established. A total media wear model can be defined on the assumption that the effect of each wear mechanism can be independently determined and this effect can be tied to mill charge motion as determined or estimated using a charge motion simulator, which allows for …  Lire la suite

In the past two decades, the prison population has increased considerably in many industrialized countries. In the United States, for example, the prison population has more than quadrupled since 1980. As a response to the considerable incarceration costs, the number of private prisons and the number of prisoners working for private corporations have increased significantly. Proponents of private sector involvement in prison industries argue that inmate labour can reduce the incarceration costs and contribute to rehabilitation of prisoners. The question of private sector involvement in prison facilities raises significant concerns as regards to international labour standards. Opponents of private sector …  Lire la suite

Winter storms produce major problems for society and their varying types of precipitation are often the key factor responsible. The objective of this study is to better understand the formation of winter precipitation types (freezing rain, ice pellets, snow, slush, wet snow and refrozen wet snow) within the varying, and interacting, environmental conditions experienced within many winter storms. A one dimensional cloud model utilizing a double-moment microphysics scheme has been developed to address this issue. Temperature and moisture profiles favorable for the formation of different winter precipitation types were varied in a systematic manner in an environment in which snow …  Lire la suite

"Des études récentes ont démontré que plusieurs motifs de liaison à l'ADN sont conservés entre les procaryotes et les eucaryotes, suggérant un lien important entre leurs structures et leurs fonctions. Une nouvelle famille de protéines bien conservées, qui se lient à l'ADN, inclue les membres suivants: les protéines Ner (negative garly repressor), retrouvées dans les coliphages transposables Mu et 0108, et dans le phage 03112 de Pseudomonas aeruginosa ainsi que dans Haemophilus influenzae; des protéines Nlp (Ner-!ike Qrotein), présentes chez Escherichia coli, Neisseria meningitidis, Salmonella tiphymurium, Photorhabdus luminescence, ainsi que dans d'autres procaryotes, et finalement les protéines TMF (TATA-element modulatory …  Lire la suite

The sustained increase in computing performance over the last decades has brought enough computing power to perform significant audio processing in affordable personal computers. Following this revolution, we have witnessed a series of improvements in sound transformation techniques and the introduction of numerous digital audio effects to modify effectively the time, pitch, and loudness dimensions of audio signals. Due to the complex and multi-dimensional nature of timbre however, it is significantly more difficult to achieve meaningful and convincing qualitative transformations. The tools currently available for timbre modifications (e.g. equalizers) do not operate along perceptually meaningful axes of singing voice timbre …  Lire la suite

Proteus Syndrome is a rare overgrowth syndrome in which tumors are a prominent feature. Proteus syndrome comprises an association of asymmetrical gigantism, verrucous epidermal naevi, vascular malformations, hamartomas and hyperostosis. There is no known molecular basis for this overgrowth syndrome but several reports have suggested abnormalities of chromosome 1 could play a role and the abnormal regulation of growth factors could also be important. We obtained paired and unpaired DNA samples from seven cases of Proteus syndrome from Montreal and Greenwood Genetics Center, South Carolina. In all analyses, we compared simultaneously DNA from affected and unaffected areas from these children. …  Lire la suite

This thesis starts with an overview of the historical record tied to the birth of a new nation studied by Alexis de Tocqueville and Henry Steele Commager. It singles out the works of Henry Nash Smith and Eugene D. Genovese for an understanding, respectively, of the "myth of the frontier" tied to the conquest of the American West and the "plantation myth" that sustained slavery in the American South. Both myths underlie the concept of hybridity or cross-cultural relations in America. This thesis is concerned with the representation or lack of representation of hybridity and the roles played by female …  Lire la suite

The goal of this research is to design, analyze and manufacture a carbon fiber bicycle stem that maximizes the use of carbon fiber composites. The stem is the part of the bicycle that connects the handlebar to the fork. The design is difficult due to the small size and complex geometry of the part, thus not obvious to conceive with a standard composite manufacturing approach. With all the required specifications and the experience of the early prototypes, a general manufacturing plan was devised. Work began with a concurrent design and analysis process. The machining and preparation of the prototyping molds …  Lire la suite

The development of computer algorithms for music instrument identification and parameter extraction in digital audio signals is an active research field. A musician can listen to music and instantly identify different instruments and the timbres produced by various playing techniques. Creating software to allow computers to do the same is much more challenging. This thesis will use digital signal processing and machine learning techniques to differentiate snare drum timbres produced by different stroke positions and stroke techniques.  Lire la suite

Entertainer or agent provocateur? The modern Canadian political cartoonist, historically speaking, possesses a split identity. The Gazette cartoonist Terry Mosher---a.k.a. Aislin---in his experience, career and involvement in the fall 1988 fight against free trade, illustrates the tension inherent in the identity of the modern Canadian political cartoonist. Mosher's experience offers a theory as to what circumstances might compel a cartoonist to break the cartoonist's compromise---an informal promise not to use their powerful platform to advance a coherent, systematic and specific political agenda or aim in exchange for editorial independence, journalistic "status," and proper financial remuneration---a state of affairs modern cartoonists …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we present a general, non-subjective method of selecting informative feature points for the task of image correspondence, the entropy-of-likelihood (EOL). Feature point selection requires identifying the points in one image that can be most reliably identified and matched in a second image. Most feature point selection methods identify points that are interesting according to subjective notions as to which points are best for matching, such as points with a high degree of edge density, nostrils in face images, etc. The EOL method differentiates itself from the majority of feature point selection methods in that points are chosen …  Lire la suite

DNA methylation constitutes an epigenetic modification of DNA that is initiated during gametogenesis and is essential for normal development. Methylation is postulated to be the molecular mark underlying genomic imprinting whereby genes are differentially expressed according to parental origin. The loss of the oocyte-derived DNMT1o maintenance methyltransferase affects the methylation imprints during preimplantation development, producing epigenetic mosaic embryos. Here we show that embryos that develop in the absence of DNMT1o demonstrate profound phenotypic variation in both fetal and extraembryonic tissues, as well as severe pregnancy loss by midgestation. Morphological assessment was complemented with methylation analysis of fetal and extraembryonic tissues …  Lire la suite

Gas dispersion properties of flotation systems, such as: bubble size (db), gas holdup (epsilong) and gas velocity (Jg) are became increasingly relevant in the past 10 years for optimization of flotation systems. Flotation system kinetics have been related to the bubble surface area flux (Sb), which is known to be derived from gas dispersion properties (Jg, db). Modeling of flotation systems and in particular flotation kinetics requires reliable measurements of Jg and to do this, two novel sensors were developed. The sensors collect bubbles by natural buoyancy, and relate gas flow to either accumulation of the gas bubbles (discontinuous technique) …  Lire la suite

Data is sent in packets of bits over the Internet. However, packets may not arrive in order or in time for playout. Packet loss is a frequently encountered problem in Voice-over-IP (VoIP) applications. Modern speech coders use past information to decode current packets in order to reach very low bit-rates. Therefore, when a packet is lost, the effect of this packet loss propagates over several subsequent packets. In this thesis, a new redundancy-based packet-loss-concealment scheme is presented. Many redundancy-based packet-loss-concealment schemes send a fixed amount of extra information about the current packet as part of the subsequent packet, but not …  Lire la suite

Regulators of G-protein coupled signaling (RGS) accelerate GTP hydrolysis and consequently influence signal termination. The RGS-4 gene has recently been reported to be implicated in a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and addictions. In this study, the vervet RGS-4 gene was sequenced on a CEQ 8000 genetic analysis system (Beckman Coulter) and characterized using molecular and bioinformatic tools. The obtained vervet sequence overall showed 95.3% sequence identity with the human RGS4 gene. Thereafter, SNPs in the region encompassing the proximal promoter, exon 1 and the first 450 bp of intron 1 were identified by direct sequencing …  Lire la suite

This dissertation proposes an interdisciplinary approach for the study of the timbre of the classical guitar. We start by identifying the static; control parameters of timbre, relating to the structural components of the guitar and the dynamic control parameters of timbre, relating to the gestures applied by the performer on the instrument. From the plucked string physical model (obtained from the transverse wave equation), we derive a digital signal interpretation of the plucking effect which is a comb filtering. Then we investigate how subjective characteristics of sound, like timbre, are related to gesture parameters. The starting point for exploration is …  Lire la suite

Extensive church building programmes and the relocation of existing churches were important features of Protestant congregational life in industrializing cities across Britain and North America. In Montreal, building booms in the 1860s, 70s, and 80s led many congregations to abandon their old churches in the centre of the city and rebuild on a grander scale 'uptown', closer to the residential neighbourhoods to which their wealthier members were moving. In the early twentieth century, when a new phase of growth engulfed the city, many of the same congregations again faced the dilemma of whether or not to move. Whereas the earlier …  Lire la suite

As sexualities educators, we rarely examine the broader social context our sexualities are shaped within, nor do we often give meaningful instruction to students on how to come to terms with emotions and desire or choosing and being good partners. Some of the ways we 'do' masculinity, femininity and gender in this culture can compromise our ability to fully engage in loving relationships with our selves and others. Teaching sexualities as transformational learning, critical theory challenges us to do better, both as individuals and as a society aware of and resisting oppression. Instead of teaching as though the body and …  Lire la suite

Actin-based changes in filopodia dynamics and spine morphology play an important role in initiating synapse formation and mediating synaptic plasticity. During embryonic development, the guidance cue netrin-1 signals through Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) receptors to modulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics, enhancing the formation and motility of filopodia. We recently reported that netrin-1 and DCC continue to be expressed in the adult spinal cord, but their function remains elusive. Here, we report that netrin-1 and DCC are expressed in adult cortical and hippocampal neurons, where they distribute to synaptic sites. In primary cortical neuron cultures, while netrin-1 is restricted to dendrites, …  Lire la suite

Inspired by the Randall-Sundrum (RS) solution to the weak-scale hierarchy problem we present a new five-dimensional brane-world model. While many cosmological implications of RS-type scenarios have been considered, the question of inflation is still relatively unexplored. In this work we investigate the dynamics induced by fluctuations in the extra dimension and find that the so-called radion can be used for inflation. A class of models are found which simultaneously allow for radius stabilization by utilizing a bulk scalar field with a potential in the bulk and on the branes. The coupled radion-scalar field system is analyzed from the five-dimensional point …  Lire la suite

The study compared competence satisfaction in a ball striking activity, as measured by risk taking and achievement, of individuals with ( N = 16) and without (N = 18) physical disabilities under mastery and performance orientation climates. The students ranged in age from 7-13 years. They were required to strike a ball into nets of three different size-distance combinations. Results supported the first hypothesis of no competence satisfaction differences between the groups under mastery and performance climates. The second hypothesis that the introduction of performance climate would increase risk taking and this would affect achievement accomplishments and competence satisfaction was …  Lire la suite

The performance of a device, for certain design parameters, can be modeled using finite element analysis (FEA); however, this can be computationally complex and time consuming. But because this performance can be modeled as a continuous function over the parameter ranges, it is efficient to combine FEA with interpolation to rapidly estimate the performance for any variables. While there exists many interpolation techniques, FEA can provide sensitivities at little extra cost, so these methods should take advantage of this information. In this thesis, a new adaptive interpolation scheme is proposed which uses radial basis functions (multiquadrics) while making use of …  Lire la suite

The importance of host factors in determining susceptibility to systemic Candida albicans infections is evident in both humans and mice. We have used a mouse model to study the genetic basis of susceptibility, using the inbred strains A/J and C57BL/6J, which are susceptible and resistant to infection, respectively, based on different parameters of response to infection. To identify genes responsible for this differential host response, brain and kidney fungal load were measured in 128 [A/J x C57BL/6J]F 2 mice 48 hours after infection with 5x104 C. albicans blastospores. Segregation analysis in this informative population identified complement component 5 (C5/Hc) as …  Lire la suite

The Quebec Education Program (QEP) provides educators with detailed descriptions of competencies of learning achievement. However, current approaches used by educators to instruct and assess their students do not target the relevant QEP competencies. The goal of this thesis is to document efforts of one teacher to implement digital portfolios in her grade one and two classroom in order to instruct and assess her students according to the relevant QEP competencies. The study documents the kinds of technology and skills that are needed to implement digital portfolios in order to instruct and to assess and communicate student learning to their …  Lire la suite

Here I compare the temporal characteristics and processing of binaural cues for sound localization in the auditory sensory neuron ON 1. I compare the ability to produce cues for sound localization in two field cricket species (Teleogryllus oceanicus and Gryllus texensis) with highly different calling songs. G. texensis has a trilling calling song with a pulse rate of 78 pulses per second. T. oceanicus has a more complex calling song with a behaviourally relevant pulse rate of 16 pulses per second. By using information theory, I found that ON 1 in G. texensis is able to code amplitude modulation frequencies …  Lire la suite

The inflammatory response due to chronic smoking in COPD patients has been well characterized with increases in CD3+ T lymphocytes. A murine model was chosen in our laboratory as a good model of human emphysema. The first part of my project was to characterize the lung inflammatory response via immunocytochemistry in each mouse strain exposed to chronic smoke inhalation for a six-month period. Several T lymphocyte subsets (i.e. naive, central memory and effector memory) have been characterized in the immune system both in humans and mice. These subsets have different homing potentials and effector functions, and can be identified with …  Lire la suite

High latitude areas have been identified in most GCMs as regions where global warming will appear earliest and be the greatest. Since much of Canada's north is underlain by permafrost, a warming of 3-5°C could cause widespread erosion and thermokarst. The Arctic coastal zone is particularly vulnerable, as it lies at the interface between terrestrial systems dominated by permafrost, and marine systems dominated by sea ice and wave action. This study aims at understanding some mechanisms of arctic coastal erosion, such as thermoerosional niches and block failure. The final goal of this research is to identify the areas of Herschel …  Lire la suite

The family of proprotein convertases has been recently implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis in animal models. However, these studies have not yet been completely corroborated in human tumors. Here, we show that mRNA, protein expression, and protein cleavage profiles of proprotein convertases 1 and 2 are altered in liver colorectal metastasis, compared to unaffected and normal liver. Active PC1 is overexpressed in tumor, correlating with its mRNA profile. Moreover, the enhanced PC2 processing pattern in tumor correlates with the overexpression of its specific chaperone 7B2, which in turn may represent a target for early diagnosis and treatment. The increased PC2 …  Lire la suite

More certified-Canadian feature films were shot in Canada in 1979 than in any other year. The height of what has become known as the "tax-shelter boom," 1979 stands as a remarkable moment in the history of the Canadian cinema, with 70 features shot in a year in which Hollywood produced only 99 films. The extant history of the Canadian cinema has largely ignored this moment, and in this thesis I argue that the slim treatment of the period by critics represents a "received wisdom," consistently repeated, but seldom scrutinized, and that this received wisdom is representative of the culturally nationalist …  Lire la suite

The transmission of speech and audio over communication channels has always required speech and audio coders with reasonable search and computational complexity and good performance relative to the corresponding distortion measure. This work introduces a coding scheme which works in a perceptual auditory domain. The input high dimensional frames of audio and speech are transformed to power spectral domain, using either DFT or MDCT. The log spectral vectors are then transformed to the excitation domain. In the quantizer section the vectors are DCT transformed and decorrelated. This operation gives the possibility of using diagonal covariances in modelling the data. Finally, …  Lire la suite

Polka, Linda (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis presents the results of a descriptive and exploratory study conducted with eight student-teachers preparing to teach English as a second language at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes, experience and beliefs of the student-teachers towards diversity (sexual, ethnic, linguistic, economic, religious, etc.). The notion of intercultural education as promoted by the Quebec Ministry of Education and elaborated by Fernand Ouellet (2002) was used as a theoretical framework. Analysis of the qualitative data shows a misunderstanding of the term intercultural education by the student-teachers, but a positive attitude towards diversity. …  Lire la suite

We are witness today, within a context of an increasingly integrated European Union, to the making of a new common legal order which is that of the European Community. This new ius commune Europaeum will have to be based on legal foundations that can be adhered to by all member states. In this perspective, it is indispensable to investigate whether domestic legal systems of the member states are able to adopt legal concepts of other member states without undermining their cohesive natures. Only then will it be possible to build the emerging ius commune on a conceptual legal framework, which …  Lire la suite

This paper explores the reality of a queer individuals life and the reality of a mother of a queer individual, where the author himself and his mother are the subjects. The paper seeks to explore these person's experiences/realities using both an autoethnographic approach and a life history approach. Coming from a postmodern and feminist position the author delves into such issues as power, oppression, social construction, personal voice, and identity. Personal narratives and academic literature within this paper are going to display queer realities and the broad range of oppression (such as heterosexism, homophobia and gendering) that they face (in …  Lire la suite

The following thesis explores the conditions of possibility for remix culture through the work of Paul D. Miller, a.k.a. Dj Spooky that Subliminal Kid. Beginning with the impact and vertigo of Dj Spooky's language and practice, it explores the reciprocal relation of media to language in the construction of the proper (property) and the author (authority). The context of Dj Spooky as a conceptual artist and the material of his book, Rhythm Science , provides the setting and scenario for extended readings of the paradoxes and cultural effects of remix culture, including the relation of writing to djing, practices of …  Lire la suite

Mineral pigments are added to paper with the aim of improving its optical and printing properties. The colloidal behavior of calcium carbonate filler shows a dependence on the quality of water used in suspensions, presence of dissolved and colloidal substances and type of polymer used as a retention aid. The role of the retention aids is to attach colloidal particles, such as fines and mineral pigments, to pulp fibers before or during the paper is made. Two very different single-component retention aids were utilized in calcium carbonate fillers destabilization and deposition on fibers. Cationic polyethylenimine destabilized or facilitated deposition of …  Lire la suite

The debate on power (puissance) remains open. The literature in International Relations (IR) understands this concept as a relation, a resource, a structure, or a social element that changes the behaviour, the position, or the identity of an actor. Power is therefore understood as a "cause". Yet, at the methodological level the causal conception of power is not fruitful. This thesis offers a non-causal conceptualization of power. After reviewing the IR literature on power, it shows that power is a spectacular instant-image that emanates from the "screenal " space. This definition is based upon the under-researched variables of "time" and …  Lire la suite

Downed woody material (fallen logs) offers spiders (Araneae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ideal nesting and foraging sites. In a maple forest of Forillon National Park, I compared spider and ant assemblages on, adjacent to, and away from fallen logs, and on these I tested the effects of log type and decay stage. In a second study, spider and ant assemblages were compared on, adjacent to, and away from fallen logs in different forest types. In the first experiment spiders were highly affected by trap placement, and diversity was highest on the wood surface compared to the forest floor. In contrast, …  Lire la suite

The influence of carbon (C) content, microstructure, crystallography and mechanical properties on the wear behaviour of metal-on-metal (MM) hip implants made from commercially available cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloys designated as American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) grade F1537, F75 and as-cast were studied in this work. The as-received bars of wrought CoCrMo alloys (ASTM F1537 of either about 0.05% or 0.26% C) were each subjected to various heat treatments to develop different microstructures. Pin and plate specimens were fabricated from each bar and were tested against each other using a linear reciprocating pin-on-plate apparatus in 25% by volume bovine serum …  Lire la suite

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which is used to treat depression during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to test if treatment of pregnant guinea pigs with fluoxetine affects serotonin (5-HT) receptors or behaviors modulated by 5-HT in the resulting offspring. The first experiment consisted of injecting pregnant guinea pigs with 7 mg/kg/day of fluoxetine or vehicle through gestation, or delivering no treatment. Hippocampal 5-HT1A receptor densities were measured in male offspring at 2 weeks of age, and 5-HT2A receptor densities were measured in the striatum and frontal cortex of male offspring at 9 weeks of age. …  Lire la suite

Hasan Salah, a 13th-century exponent of the Isma'ili qiyamat doctrine, and Saint Paul the Apostle, the author of much of the New Testament, believed that during their lifetimes, a Messiah had come. The arrival of the Messiah triggered the end time; in this new time of sacredness, both authors believed that it was impossible---and even counterproductive---to gain salvation by following the traditional religious law. This thesis juxtaposes both authors' conceptions of the religious law, highlighting how each author reinterprets scripture to argue that the law simply cannot bring salvation in this new time. It then discusses how, in place of …  Lire la suite

This thesis is dedicated to the study of the relationship between the solitude of the Poet and the multitude of Paris in les Petits poemes en prose by Baudelaire (also known as Le Spleen de Paris ). This study shows how the Poet decided to move closer to mankind, thus sacrificing the solitude that he enjoys so much. We examine a Baudelairian theme that strongly appears in the prose poetry: the artist's prostitution. Our aim was to show that the Poet is always standing by mankind even in his most absolute solitude.  Lire la suite

A sustainable primary prevention strategy for infant iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was implemented and evaluated in a community with at-risk infants in northern Quebec, Canada. Communication strategies were used to promote iron-rich complementary food rather than iron-fortified formula, which can interfere with breastfeeding practice. This food-based approach has been successfully implemented in developing countries, but has not been applied in an industrialized country setting. Mass media (i.e., radio dialogues, key messages, print material, point-of-purchase grocery store display) and interpersonal (i.e., homemade baby food cooking activity) communication strategies were developed in collaboration with community members and implemented in partnership with an …  Lire la suite

Beyond their actual content, the alternative media that have appeared in the last decade also constitute a concrete social practice that presumes and, thus, contributes to the normalisation of a particular view of reality. More precisely, as a practice possessing its own rationality, these media have to promote a specific conception of the political subject. It is this ideal of the subject that we have sought to qualify by interviewing volunteers from different Quebec alternative media. Three main characteristics of this subject have been identified: conceived of in (1) expressivist terms, the individual is an (2) “enterprising self”, but an …  Lire la suite

Objective. To compare psychosocial outcomes in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients receiving the Nucare program with a group of matched control subjects who received no intervention. Methods. A prospective, non-randomized study design was used. Subjects were H&N cancer patients. The Nucare program, a psycho-educational coping strategies intervention, was the test intervention. Control subjects were matched to test subjects by disease stage and time since cancer therapy. Outcomes were quality of life (QL) and depressive symptoms (DS) evaluated at baseline and 3-4 months later. Results. 138 subjects were recruited and outcome data was available on 101. At outcome evaluation, compared …  Lire la suite

This thesis examined the 'recoil' effect of the ice hockey stick shaft during a stationary slap shot. Nine subjects were tested. Four were classified as 'elite' and the remaining five as the 'recreational' group. Their performances were evaluated by simultaneously recording stick movement and bending from high-speed video capture (1000 Hz) and puck acceleration from a triaxial accelerometer positioned inside the puck. Data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA for several dependant variables including final puck velocity, stick shaft bending, blade-puck contact time and stick kinetic energy. The results indicated that: (1) the puck velocity was influenced by skill level, …  Lire la suite

The Na+/H+ exchangers (NHE) mediate the electroneutral exchange of sodium for protons and play integral roles in sodium, acid-base and cell volume homeostasis. Presently, eight isoforms of the NHE (NHE1 to NHE8) have been identified that are targeted to distinct membrane compartments. The focus of this study is to characterize in greater detail the biosynthesis and differential sorting of two closely related organellar NHE isoforms, NHE6 and NHE7. Previous studies have established that NHE7 accumulates in the trans-Golgi network and associated endosomes, whereas the localization of NHE6 remains controversial. In one study, HeLa cells transiently expressing low levels of a …  Lire la suite

Black Figure Floral Ware is an understudied style of pottery which was produced in Boiotia and the nearby regions of Euboia and Phokis during the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.E. Floral Style vases are painted with compositions formed predominantly of palmettes and lotuses rendered in black gloss without the incised details which are typically associated with Black Figure pottery. The corpus of Boiotian Floral Ware is divided into two sub-styles: the Northern Style and the Southern Style. The Northern Style is thought to have been produced in the area North and West of the Kopais while the Southern Style was …  Lire la suite

This study documents dynamic changes in the mean abundance and body size of arthropods in an ephemeral pond over the course of a summer in order to understand the nature of interactions that shape this community, and to assess the risks posed by exposure to cercariae of the entomopathogenic digenean, Plagiorchis elegans, a potential control agent for larval mosquitoes. Chironomids were the most abundant, comprising almost two-thirds of all arthropods collected; they were followed by chaoborids, the most abundant predator. Other arthropods, in decreasing order of abundance, were the ephemerids, isopods, amphipods, odonates, dytiscids, and hemipterans. Infections were found only …  Lire la suite