Detection of quasi-periodic processes in complex systems: how do we quantitatively describe their properties?

It has been shown that in reality at least two general scenarios of data structuring are possible: (a) a self-similar (SS) scenario when the measured data form an SS structure and (b) a quasi-periodic (QP) scenario when the repeated (strongly correlated) data form random sequences that are almost periodic with respect to each other. In the second case it becomes possible to describe their behavior and express a part of their randomness quantitatively in terms of the deterministic amplitude–frequency response belonging to the generalized Prony spectrum. This possibility allows us to re-examine the conventional concept of measurements and opens a new way for the description of a wide set of different data. In particular, it concerns different complex systems when the ‘best-fit’ model pretending to be the description of the data measured is absent but the barest necessity of description of these data in terms of the reduced number of quantitative parameters exists. The possibilities of the proposed approach and detection algorithm of the QP processes were demonstrated on actual data: spectroscopic data recorded for pure water and acoustic data for a test hole. The suggested methodology allows revising the accepted classification of different incommensurable and self-affine spatial structures and finding accurate interpretation of the generalized Prony spectroscopy that includes the Fourier spectroscopy as a partial case.

Impact of a cis-associated gene expression SNP on chromosome 20q11.22 on bipolar disorder susceptibility, hippocampal structure and cognitive performance.

BackgroundBipolar disorder is a highly heritable polygenic disorder. Recent enrichment analyses suggest that there may be true risk variants for bipolar disorder in the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) in the brain.AimsWe sought to assess the impact of eQTL variants on bipolar disorder risk by combining data from both bipolar disorder genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and brain eQTL.MethodTo detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence expression levels of genes associated with bipolar disorder, we jointly analysed data from a bipolar disorder GWAS (7481 cases and 9250 controls) and a genome-wide brain (cortical) eQTL (193 healthy controls) using a Bayesian statistical method, with independent follow-up replications. The identified risk SNP was then further tested for association with hippocampal volume (n = 5775) and cognitive performance (n = 342) among healthy individuals.ResultsIntegrative analysis revealed a significant association between a brain eQTL rs6088662 on chromosome 20q11.22 and bipolar disorder (log Bayes factor = 5.48; bipolar disorder P = 5.85×10(-5)). Follow-up studies across multiple independent samples confirmed the association of the risk SNP (rs6088662) with gene expression and bipolar disorder susceptibility (P = 3.54×10(-8)). Further exploratory analysis revealed that rs6088662 is also associated with hippocampal volume and cognitive performance in healthy individuals.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that 20q11.22 is likely a risk region for bipolar disorder; they also highlight the informative value of integrating functional annotation of genetic variants for gene expression in advancing our understanding of the biological basis underlying complex disorders, such as bipolar disorder.

Monetary Policy by Committee:Consensus, Chairman Dominance or Simple Majority?

This paper studies the theoretical and empirical implications of monetary policy making by committee under three different voting protocols. The protocols are a consensus model, where super-majority is required for a policy change; an agenda-setting model, where the chairman controls the agenda; and a simple majority model, where policy is determined by the median member. These protocols give preeminence to different aspects of the actual decision making process and capture the observed heterogeneity in formal procedures across central banks. The models are estimated by Maximum Likehood using interest rate decisions by the committees of five central banks, namely the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Swedish Riksbank, and the U.S. Federal Reserve. For all central banks, results indicate that the consensus model is statically superior to the alternative models. This suggests that despite institutionnal differences, committees share unwritten rules and informal procedures that deliver observationally equivalent policy decisions.

« Tomorrow Belongs To Me » : représentations de la femme dans une ballade suprémaciste blanche

La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal (www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU).

Gender and work identity among Canadian cowboys

L’objectif général de ce mémoire est de comprendre l‘impact du genre sur l’identité de travail des cowboys, dans leur milieu de travail et de vie dans un ranch du Canada. Cette étude vise à contribuer aux études sur le genre en utilisant des théories existantes pour les appliquer à un nouveau champ. Sur la base d’une approche théorique fondée dans le féminisme et les études sur la masculinité, en utilisant aussi l’histoire des cowboys de l’Ouest, cette étude se penche sur la question de l’importance du genre dans la division du travail dans le ranch, celle de l’identité de travail des cowboys et sur la façon dont le genre affecte cette identité. La collecte des données s’est faite par l’observation participante et des entrevues semi-structurées. En utilisant une analyse thématique des données, l’étude conclut que le genre est un principe important dans la division du travail dans le ranch et que l’identité de travail est d’une extrême importance pour les cowboys. En outre, l’étude démontre que le genre jour de différentes façons dans l’identité de travail, l’hétéronormativité et les idéaux du cowboy allant dans le même sens, alors que la féminité s’oppose à cet idéal. Les traditions sont encore importantes pour les cowboys contemporains, mais en même temps, ceux-ci mentionnent la réalité du travail éreintant et sans fin comme contrepoids à l’image romantique de la vie des cowboys. Enfin, il y a des similitudes entre les cowboys de cette étude et les adolescentes suédoises étudies par Ambjörnsonn (2004) dans la façon dont le groupe se crée une identité sur la base du genre.

Adapter l'opéra au cinéma, entre création et reproduction : étude sociologique de "La Flûte enchantée" de Bergman

La version intégrale de ce mémoire est disponible uniquement pour consultation individuelle à la Bibliothèque de musique de l’Université de Montréal www.bib.umontreal.ca/MU).

Vers la fin du modèle suédois? : une étude des réformes des politiques d'éducation et de santé

L’objectif de ce mémoire est d’identifier la nature des changements des politiques sociales adoptés entre 1988 et 1998 en Suède et ainsi de mieux comprendre l’état actuel du modèle suédois, caractérisé dans la littérature par l’institutionnalisation des valeurs d’égalité sociale et d’universalisme. À l’aide d’une grille d’analyse inférée à partir de la typologie des changements de politiques publiques de Peter Hall, l’auteure pose l’hypothèse selon laquelle un changement de paradigme est survenu dans les secteurs de l’éducation obligatoire et de la santé. À l’issue de cette étude, il est démontré que, si le paradigme a effectivement été contesté au cours de la période de réforme étudiée, il est toujours en vigueur à la fin des années 1990. Toutefois, l’effet cumulé des changements d’instruments l’ont miné peu à peu durant les décennies suivantes. Les conséquences de ces changements, devenues des « anomalies », menacent aujourd’hui l’existence du modèle suédois.

Interatomic potential structures in highly ionized scattering systems

The interatomic potential of the ion-atom scattering system I^N+-I at small intermediate internuclear distances is calculated for different charge states N from atomic Dirac-Focker-Slater (DFS) electron densities within a statistical model. The behaviour of the potential structures, due to ionized electronic shells, is studied by calculations of classical elastic differential scattering cross-sections.

Relativistic calculations of atomic structure

A review of relativistic atomic structure calculations is given with a emphasis on the Multiconfigurational-Dirac-Fock method. Its problems and deficiencies are discussed together with the contributions which go beyond the Dirac-Fock procedure.

Analysis of the electronic structure, hyperfine structure, and volume isotope shifts in the low lying states of BA I and BA II

Relativistic multi-configuration Dirac Fock (MCDF) wavefunctions coupled to good angular momentum J have been calculated for low lying states of Ba I and Ba II. These wavefunctions are compared with semiempirical ones derived from experimental atomic energy levels. It is found that significantly better agreement is obtained when close configurations are included in the MCDF wavefunctions. Calculations of the electronic part of the field isotope shift lead to very good agreement with electronic factors derived from experimental data. Furthermore, the slopes of the lines in a King plot analysis of many of the optical lines are predicted accurately by these calculations. However, the MCDF wavefunctions seem not to be of sufficient accuracy to give agreement with the experimental magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine structure constants.

Further investigations on doubly excited four-electron ions: beam-foil experiment and MCDF theory

In continuation of our previous work on the quintet transitions 1s2s2p^2 ^5 P-1s2s2p3d ^5 P^0, ^5 D^0, results on other n = 2 - n' = 3 quintet transitions for elements N, 0 and F are presented. Assignments have been established by comparison with Multi-Configuration Dirac-Fock calculations. High spectral resolution on beam-foil spectroscopy was essential for the identification of most of the lines. For some of the quintet lines decay curves were measured, and the lifetimes extracted were found to be in reasonable agreement with MCDF calculations.

Solution of the Hartree-Fock equations for atoms and diatomic molecules with the finite element method

The finite element method (FEM) is now developed to solve two-dimensional Hartree-Fock (HF) equations for atoms and diatomic molecules. The method and its implementation is described and results are presented for the atoms Be, Ne and Ar as well as the diatomic molecules LiH, BH, N_2 and CO as examples. Total energies and eigenvalues calculated with the FEM on the HF-level are compared with results obtained with the numerical standard methods used for the solution of the one dimensional HF equations for atoms and for diatomic molecules with the traditional LCAO quantum chemical methods and the newly developed finite difference method on the HF-level. In general the accuracy increases from the LCAO - to the finite difference - to the finite element method.

Interchannel interactions and relaxation in the 2p auger spectra of Mg-like ions

Relativistic Auger rates for the 2p spectra of Mg-like ions have been calculated in the atomic range 13 < Z < 36. We used the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock method but beyond a simple frozen-orbital approach we include also relaxation for the bound electrons and the interchannel interaction between the continuum states. Both effects may alter the individual transition rates remarkably. This is analysed for a few selected states within the isoelectronic sequence. Weak transitions within the 2p spectra can be changed by an order of magnitude because of the continuum coupling. The influence of both effects for higher-Z ions is reduced but still remain visible.

First results of experimental and theoretical investigations on sextet states of doubly-excited five-electron ions

In continuation of our previous work on doubly-excited ions with three and four electrons we present the first results on optical transitions in the term system of doubly-excited ions with five electrons. Transitions between such sextet states were identified in beam-foil spectra of the ions nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine. Assignments were first established by comparison with Multi-Configuration Dirac-Fock calculations. Later assignments were aided by Multi-Configuration Hartree-Fock calculations (see the contribution by G. Miecznik et al. in this issue). Decay curves were recorded for all six candidate lines. The lifetime results are compared to theoretical values which confirm most of the assignments qualitatively.

Transitions between quintet states of doubly excited four-electron ions

Following an earlier observation in F VI we identified the line pair 1s2s2p^2 {^5P}-1s2s2p3d {^5P^0} , {^5D^0} for the elements N, O, Mg, and tentatively for A1 and Si in beam-foil spectra. Assignment was established by comparison with Multi-Configuration Dirac-Fock calculations along the isoelectronic sequence. Using this method we also identified some quartet lines of lithium-like ions with Z > 10.