McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1993

In this thesis, we present FSL, a constraint programming language for numerical computation in booleans, integers and reals. FSL is a functions-with-state language, meaning that in addition to the usual numerical operations, the user can declare and use functions that can have states, much like sequential boolean circuits, or objects in object-oriented programming. Despite this feature, FSL's input is entirely in the form of equations with a minimum of additional syntax. A users' manual for FSL and some examples of the problems it was applied to introduce the language and its uses. The design of the FSL language is discussed, …  Read more

Patterson, W. I. (Supervisor)  Read more

The objectives were to induce and study the effects of adverse climatic conditions on sugar maple. Two different snow removal treatments were applied over the winter period of 1990-91 and a tarpaulin treatment was applied over the summer period of 1991 to a sugar maple stand in the Morgan Arboretum. The complete snow removal and tarpaulin treated trees showed decreased leaf water potential and increased peroxidase activity over the growing season. Foliar Ca was reduced in the two different snow removal treatments early in the growing season while foliar N was reduced in the complete snow removal trees late in …  Read more

This work is based on a study of the personal, family and social meanings associated with the pregnancy of adolescent (teenage) girls. The most immediate goal was to acquire theoretic and methodological tools allowing to progress in the study of the meanings of pregnancy from the point of view of adolescent girls and in the analysis of the underlying semantic network. In particular, the research specifically explores and compares the meanings and the social representations of teenage pregnancy in low-income sectors, in the family and among peers. It also examines how these meanings and representations circulate in a non pregnant …  Read more

Requirements that are well understood by a client and a provider are a major contributor to developing and supporting reliable, quality software on time and within budget. This thesis has two thrusts to facilitate improved interpretation of requirements: (1) a requirements model and (2) a new formalism called LaP, with automated tools, to express and analyze requirements. The new formalism is based on the integration of an algebraic based language, Larch, and an extended finite state machine based language, Promela. Larch comes with a theorem prover (Larch Prover) and Promela comes with a tool (SPIN) to aid in the validation …  Read more

Hox-4.2 is a member of the vertebrate Hox genes. These homeobox genes encode sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that play a role in vertebrate pattern formation. Their complex spatiotemporal expression patterns during embryogenesis are established in response to positional cues. To characterize regulatory regions involved in Hox-4.2 expression, transient expression assays in P19 murine embryonal carcinoma cells with luciferase reporter gene constructs, under the control of 5$ sp prime$ flanking sequences of Hox-4.2, were performed. Cotransfections of such luciferase reporter constructs with an expression vector for the Hox-4.2 product, resulted in the identification of a 217 bp fragment that functioned as an …  Read more

A theoretical analysis of the space-time correlation function for rainfall and its relationship to Taylor's hypothesis is presented. The analysis assumes a homogeneous and stationary random field being advected past a fixed coordinate system with a constant velocity. Within the moving reference frame, the random field is assumed to possess quadrant symmetry. The concept of space-time isotropy is defined relative to a velocity. This is called the intrinsic velocity and represents a kinematic characteristic of the storm system apart from the advection velocity. A radial space-time correlation function is defined over a range of scales where the intrinsic velocity remains …  Read more

Following administration of a phlogistic agent, a low macrophage inflammatory response is observed in mice of the A/J strain, in comparison to mice of the C57BL/6 strain. In addition to a genetic defect in the fifth component of complement (C5) which is characteristic of A/J mice, defect(s) in monocytopoiesis and/or component(s) involved in this process could also lead to a low accumulation of macrophages at the inflammatory site. Defect(s) could exist at the level of (i) the total number of bone marrow (BM) nucleated cells and/or macrophage progenitors, (ii) response of these cells to factor(s), (iii) the production of factor(s), …  Read more

During the 70 years of the Soviet regime the officially approved Soviet literature consistently reflected an exclusively materialistic world view. As a result, there were very few critical works, published in the West, dealing with the Christian theme in Russian literature of the Soviet period. Surprisingly, literature with the Christian theme did exist in the years of militant state atheism. Such literary works raised questions about the purpose of life, about truth, moral courage and the person of Christ. These books were published during the 60-s, the time of the "thaw", and became a focal point of public discussions. Two …  Read more

In this study we have shown that translocation of intestinal LPS into the portal and systemic circulatory systems during graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is predictive of morbidity and mortality. Randomized C57BL/6 x AF1 (B6AF$ sb1$) mice were injected with C57BL/6 (B6) lymphoid cells and sacrificed at predetermined times after transplantation for bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tissue analysis. The liver, the spleen and the sera from some acute GVH reactive mice first tested positive for LPS from day 2, 4 and 16 post transplant, respectively. Total hepatic and splenic LPS in acute GVH reactive mice peaked, and LPS was first detected in the …  Read more

Photopyroelectric spectroscopy (PPES) is a relatively new nondestructive photothermal technique that uses a pyroelectric sensor placed in intimate contact with thin film samples to record the photogenerated thermal waves transmitted by the sample. In this thesis it is demonstrated that photopyroelectric spectroscopy is capable of recovering profiles of optical absorptivity in micron scale thick polymer laminates with submicron depth resolution. The pyroelectric method has also been used to characterize adhesion at polymer/metal interfaces from the photothermal impulse response using both the transmission and inverse detection geometries. The PPES technique can also map the distribution of polyene bands created during photodegradation …  Read more

Symes, James F. (Supervisor)  Read more

Spirochetes are markedly prevalent in periodontal disease but are not included as predominant cultivable organisms because of the inability to quantify them by viable count. A successful method was developed for enumerating viable oral spirochetes in pure culture as colony-forming units (CFU) in new oral spirochete (NOS) medium with 0.7% agarose and using small tissue-culture flasks. Three species of oral spirochetes in log-phase growth in NOS broth were used for evaluation of the method. Reliable, consistent and reproducible viable counts of pure spirochete cultures were obtained. This method was extended to enumerate viable oral spirochetes from periodontal pockets. The antibiotic …  Read more

Scriven, C. R. (Supervisor)  Read more

DNA immobilization was demonstrated using the emulsification/internal gelation technique for calcium alginate bead production. The microspheres formed were recoverable magnetically, resistant to acidic environments, and strong enough to withstand gastrointestinal transit. Purification of DNA from alginate was accomplished sing a Sepharose CL-2B gel column, resulting in decreased alginate interference when quantifying DNA by absorbance. DNA microspheres were studied in vitro for the ability to trap ($ sp{14}$C) methyl iodide and in vivo with ($ sp{14}$C) benzo(a)pyrene. Assay of recovered DNA microspheres involved DNA purification by gel chromatography and liquid scintillation for the detection of bound radiolabel. Methylation resulted in a …  Read more

Methylmalonic aciduria is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, which may be due to a defect in the methylmalonyl CoA mutase (MCM) apoenzyme. The mut$ sp circ$ mutation is characterized by undetectable enzyme activity in cell extracts, and by the low incorporation of ($ sp{14}$C) propionate in the presence of hydroxocobalamin in culture. A mut$ sp circ$ fibroblast cell line, WG 1681, from an African-American male infant was shown to complement another mut$ sp circ$ cell line, WG 1130. Subsequent cloning and sequencing of cDNA from WG 1681 identified two previously described homozygous polymorphisms: H532R and V671I(1). In addition, compound heterozygosity …  Read more

The beginning of the twentieth century in Russia, especially the years around 1905, was a period of deep, severe economical and political crisis. It was heightened by the lost war against Japan in 1904-1905 and the violent social disturbances of 1904-1907. It was also a period of great social, political and ideological upheaval. Efforts were made to save and preserve the economical, social and political system, to reform it, to change it profoundly as well as to overthrow it through revolution. Those years can be described as a turning point in Russia's history, an era of struggle about the future …  Read more

1945 marks the beginning of Soviet occupation in Eastern Germany. This was followed by the gradual implementation of a communist regime and its attendant atheist ideology in a region where over 80% of the population subscribed to protestantism. This thesis examines the policies of the SED towards the Protestant Church in Eastern Germany and attempts to define the various phases, motives, methods, and principles underlying that religious policy from 1945 to 1953. The SED's atheist ideology alone fails to explain all the measures taken with regard to the Church. The religious policy of the SED depended in large part on …  Read more

The process of remastering old recordings comprises two basic stages: the transfer of the material from the source to a modern format, and the subsequent restoration of the transferred material through various forms of signal processing. The transfer stage in particular requires an understanding of issues which are becoming increasingly less familiar to engineers as the science of recording progresses further into the digital era. To a lesser extent, the restoration stage involves the use of certain techniques and forms of processing which are specific to this application. This thesis is intended as a reference for those recording engineers who …  Read more

Since 1991, the Israeli-Palestinian drama has shifted from the tragic course of war and violence, to a framework for peace. Israel's sovereignty is a fait accompli. The geo-political form of Palestinian self-determination is to be shaped by both parties, taking into account regional reality and international law. This study serves as a modest examination of the application of certain international law concepts in settling two conflicting national aspirations within a unique factual context. The main theoretical definitions of self-determination and its legal status in international law are first reviewed, along with the socio-juridical aspect of nationhood. The analysis of those …  Read more

The research used dendro-chemical analysis of ash tree rings and current year leaf litter to track Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, and Sn spread and cycling from a closed garbage dump-toxic waste site. This technique allowed for determination of areal extent, contaminant levels and time period of initial contaminant contact. Only Zn, Sn, and Cu were found in elevated quantities in the xylem wood and Pb in the leaf litter. Elemental concentrations of Pb, Sn and Cd in xylem wood and leaves of ash were positively correlated. Tin was the only element to demonstrate a clear initial contact period …  Read more

Secondary, or AA, amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterized by the extracellular tissue deposition of insoluble, fibrillar amyloid A protein. Aberrant metabolism of serum amyloid A protein by reticuloendothelial cells in the presence of amyloid enhancing factor (AEF) is thought to result in the accumulation of fibrils within the tissue. Treatment of mice with AEF, in conjunction with an inflammatory stimulus, induces amyloid deposition within 48-72 hours. In vivo examination of the effect of AEF on spleen macrophage activation-associated phenotype and functions reveal that AEF has no apparent effect on the ability of spleen and liver macrophages to phagocytose or …  Read more

Progressive development projects are aimed at enforcing the process of dwelling evolution which has been observed in informal settlements by providing conditions that are favourable for housing development. This study suggests that, under these created environments, dwelling evolution presented particular characteristics that differentiated it from similar processes in other contexts. A long-term assessment of the phenomenon of dwelling evolution was conducted at "El Gallo", a progressive development project in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. Dwelling evolution was examined by observing aspects of the process that were relevant to the case study. These included changes in the dwelling area, spatial configuration and functional …  Read more

The magnetic properties of amorphous Fe$ sb{ rm x}$T$ sb{ rm 100-x}$ (T = Zr, Hf, Sc; 89 $ le$ x $ le$ 93) alloys have been systematically studied mainly by Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. Two magnetic transitions have been observed in Fe$ sb{92.5}$Hf$ sb{7.5}$ (the only FeHf alloys studied here) and FeZr alloys with Fe content between 90 and 93 at.%. We have ruled out the cluster models which attribute the second transition either to the ordering of AFM clusters or to the freezing of FM clusters, and confirmed that the second transition is due to the homogeneous …  Read more

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by leukocytic infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS) and demyelination and remission/relapse. It is induced by CD4$ sp{+}$ T cells. We used reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction to analyse T cell and cytokine gene expression in the CNS of SJL/J mice with myelin basic protein-induced EAE. Undetectable in normal CNS and cerebrospinal fluid, the expression of CD3, IL-2, IFN-$ gamma$, and TNF$ alpha$ increased in EAE, correlating with disease severity, then dropped to background levels during remission. IL-2 and IFN-$ gamma$ were produced by CD4$ sp{+}$ CD45RB$ sp{ rm low}$ T …  Read more

The purpose of this study was to identify the best set of variables measured at in-hospital interview to predict perceived pain-related impairment of function at three week follow-up in 361 hospitalized adult patients with pain (173 males, 188 females; mean age 48.3 years). Multiple regression analyses were performed on a subset of data from a large prospective pain prevalence study. Three models were developed to predict perceived overall function, physical function and psychological function on a training sample (n = 252) and tested for reliability on a cross validation sample (n = 109). Independent variables measured at the in-hospital interview …  Read more

To examine factors influencing normal and disordered genesis of the B lymphocyte lineage in mouse bone marrow, precursor B cell dynamics have been analysed in conditions predisposing to B cell neoplasias and deficiencies. Double immunofluorescence labeling and stathmokinetic techniques have been used to quantitate the population size and mitotic activity of pro-B cells before $ mu$ chain expression, pre-B cells expressing cytoplasmic $ mu$ chains, and B lymphocytes expressing surface IgM. Two conditions associated with prolonged macrophage activation and B cell neoplasia, pristane oil-treatment and malaria infection, have been found to stimulate the proliferation of pro-B cells but to produce …  Read more

This thesis deals with the political participation of Muslim women since the colonial period into the New Order period. It is a study of the Indonesian women's movement in its different trends: the roles of women in gaining and defending Indonesian independence as well as in Indonesia's politics in the Liberal Democracy, Guided Democracy, and New Order periods. It investigates the reasons for the relatively limited participation of women in politics. This low level of political participation is indicated by the ratio of women membership in the House of People's Representatives (DPR, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat), in the Consultative Assembly (MPR, …  Read more

The impacts of tariffication on Canadian milk producers were estimated via supply, price and trade flow parameters using a spatial price equilibrium model applied to milk production regions of Canada and the United States. Two price scenarios were put forward because of supply management in Canada. The first incorporated producer prices while the second used shadow prices for Canadian producers, defined as the producer price less a reduction in price which accounts for the value of production quota. The hypothesis that tariffication reduces milk production in Canada to the extent that U.S. producers increase their exports to Canada was partly …  Read more

This thesis looks at two theories of universalizability: Immanuel Kant's deontological one and R. M. Hare's utilitarian one. It also looks at criticisms of both theories by David Wiggins. It concludes that his arguments against Hare are decisive because the moral theory that follows from Hare's version of the claim that moral judgements must be universalizable is incompatible with several basic requirements on moral theories. Wiggins' criticism of Kant, on the other hand, centres on a technical point that is overcome by an interpretation of Kant's tests for the universalizability of maxims that is given by Onora Nell. Finally the …  Read more

The dissertation documents the rise of African Christian theology in anglophone and francophone Africa, exploring the possibility that following the development of the two long-recognized phases of "adaptation" and "incarnation" there has been a "third phase." In the period since 1980 we find an explosion into theological diversity and maturity, marked by serious wrestling with all the social problems facing Africans in contemporary African life. Since 1980 there is a proliferation of new Christological paradigms, and increased inter-religious tensions have brought new urgency to inter-faith dialogue, with a growing number of theological responses. An explosion in the numbers of African …  Read more

Mole drainage is an inexpensive form of drainage particularly suited to clay soils. Mole drainage is approved by Le Conseil des Productions Vegetales du Quebec to drain clay soils with low hydraulic conductivity. A few known trials on this technique of drainage have been done in Ontario and Alberta. In England and New Zealand, this technique is widely used. The large surface of heavy clay soil cultivated in Abitibi-Temiscamingue makes this region an excellent choice for trying this technique. Two sites established on two soil series (Palmarolle, Roquemaure) have been moled in Abitibi-Temiscamingue. These soils represent 21% of the cultivated …  Read more

In Lactuca sativa, the dominant gene Tu confers resistance to infection by turnip mosaic virus (TuMV). Tu and Dm5/8, a gene for resistance to Bremia lactucae, are linked in L. sativa. The area surrounding Dm5/8 on the genetic map of L. sativa contains restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The orientation of Tu relative to Dm5/8 was not known. Locating Tu would indicate which markers are on the map of lettuce close to Tu. To locate Tu on the L. sativa genetic map, F$ sb3$ families from recombinant F$ sb2$ in the Dm5/8 area …  Read more

A simple box model of a a high-latitude two-layer ocean, first developed by Martinson et al., 1981, is applied to four Arctic regions connected together: the Greenland Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Arctic Ocean, and the Greenland Gyre. The latter, in fact, is a small convective region embedded in the northwest corner of the Norwegian Sea region. The model for each region consists of a thermodynamic ice layer that covers two layers of salty water which can, under specific conditions, become statically unstable and hence create a state of active overturning. The system is forced by monthly mean atmospheric temperatures …  Read more

The met protooncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase that is deregulated through overexpression in certain human tumor cell lines and oncogenically activated following a genomic rearrangement which generates the hybrid protein p65tpr-met. Whereas the tpr-met oncogene product efficiently transforms Fischer Rat 3T3 fibroblasts, cDNA clones encoding two met receptor isoforms isolated from tumor cells do not induce cellular transformation. This suggests that tpr sequences may play a role in the oncogenic activation of the met kinase. The molecular mechanisms underlying oncogenic activation of met were elucidated and were shown to involve constitutive dimerization of the met kinase domain mediated by …  Read more

Une première étude a évalué les effets d'un additif alimentaire microbien (probiotique) contenant des bactéries viables productrices d’acide lactique (BAL) sur la sante et les performances zootechniques de veaux soumis ou non à un stress. Quarante-deux veaux naissants ont été utilises dans un dispositif expérimental factoriel 2 X 2. Chaque animal a été assigne a l'un des quatre combinaisons de traitement possibles: 1. -stress, - probiotique; 2. -stress, + probiotique; 3. + stress,- probiotique et 4. + stress, + probiotique. Tous les veaux étaient séparés de leur mère a la naissance. Les animaux soumis au stress ont reçu un seul …  Read more

Courtly love lyrics, like other courtly genres, are dominated by male-voiced texts that privilege male perspectives. In conventional courtly love lyrics, women are silenced and objectified by the male speaker. Still, a handful of women-voiced lyrics--"women's songs"--exist in the courtly love lyrical tradition. This thesis studies women's songs in Middle English and their role in the androcentric courtly love tradition. In the first chapter, I discuss critical perspectives on conventional courtly representations of women. In the second chapter, I locate Middle English women's songs in literary contexts other than courtly love: the Middle English lyrical tradition, the cross-cultural phenomenon of …  Read more

In this study, two courses from the McGill Distance Education program with very different learning goals were examined to investigate the instructional role of two communication technologies (i.e., fax and e-mail) in distance education. The data set included verbatim e-mail and fax transcripts, instructor interviews, course syllabi and course assignments. Triangulation procedures were followed to examine the following within the context of two distance education courses with very different learning goals: (1) the general instructional purposes for which the technologies were used; (2) the levels of learning reflected in the mediated interactions; and (3) the relationship between the use of …  Read more

Computer programs were developed to perform creep tests on three microalloyed steels, with the aim of determining the precipitation kinetics of VN in austenite in one of the steels. This was a commercial 0.01% Ti- 0.12% V- 0.25% Mo steel. The other two were niobium steels with low (0.04% Nb) and high (0.07% Nb) niobium levels, respectively. The Ti-V-Mo steel was tested at various stresses between 30 and 50 MPa in the temperature range 850-900$ sp circ$C. A mathematical equation was fitted to the creep strain vs. time curves and the creep strain was expressed as a function of time. …  Read more

A difficult research problem in the teleoperation of robot hands by hands masters is the development of an accurate method to transform the measured human hand poses to the robot hand. This thesis describes a novel optimized fingertip mapping (OFM) algorithm developed to perform the pose transformations and an accurate modeling method for the human hand. The OFM algorithm has been implemented to teleoperate the Utah/MIT Dextrous Hand (UMDH) by a new hand master: the Utah Dextrous Hand Master (UDHM). The keystone of the algorithm is the mapping of both the human fingertip positions and orientations to the robot finger. …  Read more

Many biological disciplines have benefitted from research involving tissue or cell culture (McKeehan et al., 1990). Animal cell culture is now involved in a large proportion of biological, pharmacological and medical research. Clinical interest lies in the production of cells for uses such as skin grafting in the treatment of burn wounds (Gallico et al., 1984; Sugihara et al., 1991) and gene therapy (Robertson, 1986; Culliton, 1990) or as rich sources of biomolecules for structural and functional characterisation. Vaccine production is the largest industrial application where animal cells are used as hosts for the multiplication of viruses (Clark and Hirtenstein, …  Read more

The nucleotide sequence of the cnjA cDNA (formerly pC1) from the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila was determined. This gene was previously found to be conjugation specific and to peak in expression just prior to or at pachytene in meiotic prophase I. The cnjA message is initiated from four transcription start sites, one minor and three major, and encodes a putative protein (CnjA) of 779 amino acids. The protein has a calculated molecular weight of 89.5 kDa and is mainly hydrophilic with an estimated pI of 9.3. CnjA was found to share no sequence similarities with any known protein to date. …  Read more

Mouse biliary glycoproteins (Bgp) are members of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family, a subfamily of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Nine similar but distinct mouse Bgp cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized. These Bgp isoforms encode polypeptides that contain multiple Ig domains, a single transmembrane domain and a short or long intracytoplasmic domain. Sequence analyses have demonstrated that Bgp isoforms are generated through complex alternative splicing of a single gene and allelic variation. Mouse Bgp proteins are highly expressed in the epithelial cells of the liver and the intestine and are implicated in diverse cellular functions including cell adhesion and bile …  Read more

This thesis applies the consensus paradigm to an important problem in model-based vision, that of primitive extraction. Primitive extraction is the process of finding geometric primitives in geometric data. Such data are obtained directly by active sensors such as laser rangefinders, by processes that operate on passive sensor data to create depth information such as stereo vision, or by simple edge detection and thresholding of intensity images. A geometric primitive is a curve or surface which can be described by an implicit function. We show that the best solution to this problem is at the global optimum of a cost …  Read more

This research has two objectives. First, mental health problems among refugee children were studied in terms of the intensity and the form of the symptomatology, and in terms of school performance. Second, the characteristics of the refugee process which influence the manifestation of these problems were identified as specific stressors stemming from the pre-migratory and post-migratory experiences of the refugees. The research was conducted among 156 refugee children, born in Southeast Asia and Central America. The methodology was based on both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results indicate that the manifestation of emotional problems and the principal risk and protection factors …  Read more

Born in Russia in 1904, Alexandre Marc was very active among the French non-conformist movements of the thirties. He attempted to federate them around the Ordre Nouveau group he founded in 1930; there, under the impulse of Arnaud Dandieu (1897-1933), a philosophy of personalism was elaborated, in a Nietzschean and federalist form, a few years before it was taken up and adapted in a communitarian Catholic version by the review Esprit of Emmanuel Mounier, where the term was made famous. Marc had brought there the idea of personalism, which he had derived from his Russian background and his German philosophical …  Read more

This research wanted to test if the Job Characteristics Model was good to study school principals' motivation in the province of Quebec. To run the study, the Job Diagnostic Survey created by Hackman and Oldham was used to collect school principals data. To this questionnaire, a part was added to collect sociodemographic data. Using these data, one way analysis of variance was used to find out if there were significant differences between the means of school principals. The results obtained indicate that the Job Characteristics Model is not exactly the right means to study school principals' motivation. But the analysis …  Read more

This thesis describes a program of research aimed at examining the social psychological consequences of being a victim of discrimination. An experimental paradigm was developed to determine if, and to what extent, disadvantaged group members perceive the discrimination that confronts them. Women were asked to react to negative feedback after receiving information about the probability that they had been discriminated against. When discrimination was made ambiguous, subjects minimized their personal experience with discrimination and attributed their failure to themselves. A second experiment investigated the role of perceived control as a potential cause of minimization of personal discrimination. The results indicated …  Read more

Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr.) Hughes, a foliar pathogen of velvetleaf, is being developed as a bioherbicide. Formulation of living organisms for use as pest control products presents unique problems. This research has achieved the development of an adequate formulation of the pathogen by using kaolin clay or talcum powder (1:2.79 wt/wt) as the fillers to dry conidia. Formulated C. coccodes conidia stored at 4, 30C, or at room temperature in bags permeable to oxygen remained viable and able to infect velvetleaf plants at least six months in storage. Various reported germination stimulants increased germination of formulated conidia, although not significantly, whereas …  Read more