McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1996

This dissertation interprets Brecht's Mutter Courage through its protagonist. Most interpreters have derived Courage's meaning from only one term of the contradiction of merchant and mother that constitutes her, either blaming the inhuman, war-mongering merchant for her participation in war, or defending the vital, productive, and nurturing mother for that same (unavoidable) participation. Some have stressed instead the unity formed by Courage's contradiction, without being able to elucidate its meaning. The present interpretation, proceeding from a clue given in scene 7 to the meaning of the text, draws parallels between the drama and Brecht's view of the world, and shows …  Read more

This thesis approaches the work of Frederick Viesler as an attempt to resolve many of the issues resulting from the technological circumstances of the late twentieth century. It concerns the problematic caused by the gap existing between the senses and imagination, which causes a break between perceiving the world and the human act of creation. This fact reflects the way that nowadays reality has been "instrumentalized", locating man in a realm in which the human body does not interact according to its inherent capacities. Kiesler, through his theory of "Correalism", searched for underlying continuity, and proposed that man inhabit his …  Read more

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) was examined during cold acclimation of seedlings of the freezing-tolerant cultivar (Medicago sativa ssp falcata cv Anik) and the relatively freezing-sensitive cultivar (Medicago sativa cv Trek) of alfalfa. With four days of cold acclimation, PEPC activity increased to 3.5-fold and 2-fold the control levels in Anik and Trek, respectively. This was associated with an increase in the level of a 110 kD PEPC protein and a decrease in the amount of a 120 kD PEPC polypeptide in both cultivars. The role of reversible phosphorylation in regulating PEPC activity was demonstrated by in vitro phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which …  Read more

In current discussion among feminists in general and feminist theologians in particular the status of theory, especially concerning essentialism and foundationalism, is a critical question. This study examines the issues pertaining to this question through reference to Nancy Fraser and Linda Nicholson, Susan Thistlethwaite, Sheila Davaney, Rebecca Chopp, and Morny Joy. In order to situate this critical question and its implications for feminist theology, the work of the Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo (1936-$ ...)$ is explored. Vattimo's work is analyzed in relation to three central aspects of his thought: Vattimo's genuine interpretation of the relation of Martin Heidegger to Friedrich …  Read more

Strom-Olsen, John O. (Supervisor)  Read more

Evgenii Zamiatin's Islanders (Ostrovitiane 1917) is a novella that has largely been ignored, overshadowed by the writer's best known dystopian novel We (My 1920-21). Yet the novella reveals a wealth of themes, stylistic and linguistic innovations, that were to reach full fruition in We. Thus, it appears to be appropriate and profitable for a broadening of Zamiatin research to conduct a chronotopic analysis of Islanders, which enables a comprehensive investigation, incorporating thematic, stylistic, and linguistic facets of the novella. Chapter One reviews Zamiatin's opposition between the urban and the natural worlds, based on M. Bakhtin's concept of the chronotope, supplemented …  Read more

The privatization of an economy which has been socialized during seven decades may have seemed unachievable, particularly concerning such a great industrial power as former Soviet Russia. Nevertheless the work performed under Presidents Gorbatchev and Eltsine, who were prompted by a reformist political will, has led to the privatization of the great majority of enterprises. Since 1992, it has made necessary the build-up of a new governmental and administrative structure and of an impressive legislative and regulatory framework. Though the methods of privatization were often similar to those used in the West, Russia has distinguished itself by setting up a …  Read more

The basic goal of the Adaptive Optical Music Recognition system presented herein is to create an adaptive software for the recognition of musical notation. The focus of this research has been to create a robust framework upon which a practical optical music recognizer can be built. The strength of this system is its ability to learn new music symbols and handwritten notations. It also continually improves its accuracy in recognizing these objects by adjusting internal parameters. Given the wide range of music notation styles, these are essential characteristics of a music recognizer. The implementation of the adaptive system is based …  Read more

Hasegawa, Sumi (Supervisor)  Read more

The purpose of this study is to describe and provide a critical review of a program called peer mediation currently adapted by a Montreal Area Anglophone School Board or MAASB. This program was implemented to address the growing incidence of violence and conflict within MAASB high schools. This study focuses on the objectives that the MAASB established in addressing the problem of violence in their high schools and the peer mediation programs' ability to meet these objectives based on the claims it purports to. Described and examined in this study is the setting in which peer mediation becomes a suitable …  Read more

We investigated the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), and related intracellular second messengers, in the development of morphine tolerance and dependence. The mGluRs are divided into three groups: group I mGluRs are positively coupled to phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis, while group II and III mGluRs are negatively coupled to cyclic adensoine-3$ sp prime$,5$ sp prime$-monophosphate (cAMP) production. Opioid receptors are also coupled to these same systems, and have been shown to elicit changes in these messenger systems during chronic treatment. We showed that chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of selective group II and III mGluR antagonists concurrently with subcutaneous (s.c.) morphine …  Read more

The unique stylistic particularity of the novel as a literary form is that it is the presentation of the speaking human and his words (Bakhtine, 1978). The speaker in a novel is an exponent of a specific ideology and his words serve to express this ideology. For all its ideological components, the novel's dialogues form the characteristic feature of the narrative gender. The characters fill concrete social roles and they speak from within the limits of those roles, their speech emerging from different social languages. Prosper Merimee's short story, Arsene Guillot (1927: 85-145), offers an ensemble of character's constrained voices, …  Read more

The evidence for an increase in resting vagal tone to explain the lower heart rate of endurance athletes remains controversial. This study used spectral analysis of heart rate (HRV) and blood pressure (BPV) variability to examine the vagal and sympathovagal influences on the sinus node in 12 endurance-trained athletes (A) and 10 age and sex-matched control subjects (C) (age: 26(1.2) yrs; VO2max: A: 68.2(2.1) vs C: 41.4(2.0) ml/kg/min; p $<$ 0.05). Continuous ECG and BP recordings were obtained during supine rest, sitting, controlled respiration (12 breaths/min), standing, exercise at heart rates of 100 and 130 beats/min, and after 5 and …  Read more

Corn (Zea mays L.) production under monoculture and conventional tillage systems may land to soil degradation and nitrate (NO$ sb3 sp-$) pollution of surface and groundwater. This study evaluated the impact of no-till and conventional tillage, monoculture corn and soybean, corn-soybean rotations and corn-soybean-alfalfa rotations, and three fertilizer N rates applied to monoculture corn or soybean, and corn in rotation, on soil NO$ sb3$-N and NH$ sb4$-N levels. Experimental sites were a Ste-Rosalie clay (Humic Gleysol) and an Ormstown silty clay loam (Humic Gleysol). Results obtained from fall 1992 to spring 1995 showed that tillage had no effect on soil …  Read more

The purpose of this work is to use the spinor helicity technique in conjunction with supersymmetry to generate tree-level supersymmetric Ward identities for component fields in the pure gauge sector of a supersymmetric non-Abelian vector field. Using the operator formalism with supersymmetric transformations, relations are found among processes containing different numbers of gluinos. Explicit calculations are made for the four-point functions as a demonstration of this approach. To further separate these relations, off-shell calculations are made from which a diagrammatic algorithm is derived. This algorithm is shown to reproduce the standard relations among processes. Explicit calculations using the algorithm are …  Read more

Dyson, Ben P. (Supervisor)  Read more

Egg predation may be the most important mortality factor for North American turtles. This predation can destroy 50-90% of nests in an area. The major predators are striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Despite differences in their habits and diet, these species appear equally efficient in turtle egg predation, even though these eggs represent a very small portion of their annual food intake. Sight, olfaction, touch and hearing could be used by these predators to find the nests. The aim of this study was to document intra and inter-specific differences in the perception of possible nest-cues used by …  Read more

This research is conducted as a R&D work for the PHENIX experiment of the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), in an effort to develop a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) using a new pixel cathode pad readout method. The pads are formed by linking the pixels in a special pattern and the image charge signals on the pads are read by highly integrated CMOS digital electronic chips with chip-on-board (COB) technology. Two prototype pixel pad chambers, PC1 and PC3, were designed and constructed. The chambers were tested with high energy particle beams at BNL. This work …  Read more

High-speed guided-wave $LiNbO sb3$ electrooptical modulators are important components for future broadband optical fiber communications. Various types of high speed modulators have been reported; among them the Mach-Zehnder interferometric modulators using Y-branches is one of the most widely used structures for broadband modulation because of its simplicity and easy fabrication. Traveling-wave integrated optical modulators fabricated in substrate materials for which the optical and microwave velocities are equal offer the potential of very broad modulation bandwidth. In order to achieve broadband electrooptic intensity modulators, design optimization is very important. A thorough understanding of the characteristics of the electrode structure permits parameter …  Read more

The myelin protein CNP $(2 sp prime,3 sp prime$-Cyclic Nucleotide 3$ sp prime$-Phosphodiesterase) is thio-palmitoylated. Since acylation plays an important role in the protein-membrane interaction, CNP palmitoylation was further investigated. Seven cysteine residues in CNP were individually converted into serines and the palmitoylation was analyzed in either COS-7 cells or an in vitro acylation reaction. No single Cys to Ser mutation could reduce substantially the level of palmitoylation, which may indicate that the turnover of palmitate on CNP is high and that there are multiple palmitoylation sites. Immunostaining and subcellular fractionation showed that isoprenylation is the major factor to control …  Read more

This thesis presents results of a case-control study investigating the excess risk of ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma associated with the use of oral, inhaled and nasal glucocorticoids. Data on 9,793 cases and 38,325 control subjects were obtained from the computerized administrative health databases of the province of Quebec, Canada. For oral glucocorticoids, a 40% increase in the risk of ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma was observed. The risk increased with higher daily doses and increasing duration of treatment. Exposure to inhaled glucocorticoids was not associated with an elevated risk, except when they were administered in high doses over extended …  Read more

This thesis explores the "Closed Housing Project" (CHP), a building type found in the Colombian capital of Bogota. Responding to Bogota's problem of insecurity, CHPs are groups of dwellings that are organised around, or within, outdoor communal grounds closed to the public and surveyed by an armed guard. The CHP, however, is much more than gates and guns. Due to its enclosure, it is isolated from Bogota's troubled urban setting. As a result, the CHP has become a marketing phenomena packaged and promoted by developers as an escape from many of the social problems of living in Bogota. The consuming …  Read more

We derive fully covariant expressions for all two-point scattering amplitudes of two massless closed strings from a Dirichlet p-brane. This construction relies on the observation that there is a simple relation between these D-brane amplitudes in type II superstring theory and four-point scattering amplitudes for type I open superstrings. From the two-point amplitudes, we derive the long range background fields for the D-branes, and verify that as expected they correspond to those of extremally charged p-brane solutions of the low energy effective action.  Read more

My aim in this thesis is to explain how a non-reductionist metaphysics can accommodate the causal relevance of the psychological and of the special sciences generally. According to physicalism, all behavior is caused by brain-states; given "folk-psychology", behavior (such as the waving of my hand) is caused by some psychological state. If psychological states are distinct from brain states (event dualism), then our behavior is overdetermined and this, it is claimed, is unacceptable. I argue that this consequence is not unacceptable. I claim that our explanatory practice should guide our ontological commitment. If we can offer true explanations that appeal …  Read more

This thesis examines the issues behind the Mexican government's decision to privatize television in the 1950s. It will be argued that a private system was thought to respond best to Mexico's economic, social, political and cultural conditions. The president's personal interest in this industry together with his power to do his will strongly influenced his decision to encourage a commercial system. There were other factors that accelerated this process: the structure of the radio industry, which was (and still is) characterized by its commercial tone and the fact that it was highly monopolized and centralized; the government's encouragement of private …  Read more

The c-met proto-oncogene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. Losses of c-met alleles have been documented in human carcinomas. In breast carcinoma c-met has been suggested to be a potential inactivated tumour suppressor gene (TSG). In non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) a general reduction of c-met expression in squamous cell carcinomas (SQCCs), as well as overexpression in adenocarcinomas (ADCs) have been revealed. Furthermore, many SQCCs and ADCs had undetectable c-met mRNA and protein. These results prompted us to explore c-met allelic alterations in NSCLC. Our main goal was to address the possible involvement of inactivated c-met …  Read more

Iron deficiency anaemia is associated with several ill-health effects. Its treatment and/or control with iron preparations in malaria endemic areas has, however, been implicated to increase host susceptibility to malaria infection. Scientific evidence accumulated to date remains equivocal about the presence of this increased susceptibility. The present work was planned to address the existing controversy by assessing the effect of oral iron supplementation on host susceptibility to malaria infection. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial of oral ferrous sulphate supplementation in schoolchildren 5 to 14 years of age was carried out in northwest Ethiopia where transmission of malaria is high. …  Read more

Exercise-induced hypoxemia is a common observation in endurance-trained athletes. The present study examined the kinetics of oxyhemoglobin saturation during upright (UP) maximal cycling exercise in 84 healthy, untrained subjects between 8 and 26 years old. The prevalence of oxyhemoglobin desaturation (DS: SaO$ sb2 $ 0.05). A subgroup of children (n = 6) repeated the maximal exercise protocol in the supine (SU) position. In NDS values of SaO$ sb2$ were not affected by posture (UP: 95.3 $ pm$ 2.3 vs SU: 94.1 $ pm$ 0.9) for similar VO$ sb{ rm 2max}$ (UP: 3.7 $ pm$ 0.36 vs SU: 3.43 $ pm$ …  Read more

A prospective, randomized, experimental study was performed to assess the treatment of mandibular continuity defects by distraction osteogenesis, using the rabbit model. This method of treatment was compared to a control group, which had treatment by traditional means, using a fixation plate. Eight animals were randomized into one of the two groups. The treatment methods were assessed by clinical, radiographic, and histologic examinations. Clinically, the experimental specimens had greater dimensions of bone formation in the defects than their matched controls. Radiographically, there was a higher percentage of radiopacity in the defects of the experimental group compared to the controls, although …  Read more

Semantic knowledge was investigated in patients diagnosed with Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT) by means of an off-line probe question battery and an on-line measurement of semantic priming in a lexical decision task (LDT) that varied the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). The patients' performance on the detailed probe questions showed that their semantic deficit was confined primarily to animate concepts, characterized by visual descriptive features. In the primed LDT, demented patients demonstrated increased semantic priming compared to age-matched controls. A trend was also found indicating that for both normal controls and DAT subjects the priming magnitude decreased as the …  Read more

A new system has been developed for in-flight capture of continuous high energy mass separated radioactive ion beams of the ISOLDE type. To test the system, a precision high voltage ion gun based on surface ionization of cesium has also been developed. This gun delivers stable currents to 300 nA at energies to 65 keV with emittances at 50 keV of 1.3 $ pi$-mm-mrad. The ion collection system is a high-field dc decelerator leading into a very large Paul trap at an elevated potential and employing buffer gas ion cooling. The ring electrode is of internal diameter 120 mm, the …  Read more

Patterns of proliferation and changes in total cell number in the optic nerve, tract and tectum of goldfish have been examined following optic nerve crush or optic enucleation, using bromodeoxyuridine to label the proliferating cells. In general, an increase in proliferation and total cell number in all parts of the visual system was observed peaking between 7 and 14 days and resolving itself to normal or near normal levels by 32 days postoperative. Enucleation resulted in elevated proliferation values as compared to animals with an optic nerve crush, at least one early timepoint in each part of the visual system, …  Read more

Accurate alias analysis is critical for optimizing/parallelizing compilers that support languages with pointers. Efficient techniques have been developed to calculate aliases introduced by pointers to named memory locations (typically on the stack). However, practical and effective techniques for detection of aliases induced by heap-based dynamic data structures, have yet to be developed. In this thesis, we present a new and practical approach for analyzing the alias properties of heap data structures. The important features of our approach include: (i) we analyze heap-directed pointers after resolving the points-to relationships of stack-directed pointers, (ii) we use a storeless model and estimate the …  Read more

A finite-element model of the cat middle ear was modified to include a shell representation of the incudostapedial joint. A low-frequency, uniform sound pressure was applied to the eardrum. Joint stiffness was varied from very low to very high. The resulting displacements of the stapedial footplate, incudostapedial joint, manubrium and eardrum were examined. The footplate tilts both anteroposteriorly and inferosuperiorly for almost all Young's modulus values. The in-plane rotation of the footplate is greatest when the incudostapedial joint is effectively rigid. The joint compresses most when it is extremely flexible and less as the joint becomes less flexible. The joint …  Read more

Effective inhibition of starch digestion in vivo may diminish glucose formation and absorption by the small intestine and increase the amount of undigested starch reaching the colon. The enzyme involved in the digestion of starch, alpha-amylase, has been identified and crystallized several years ago. Controversy exists as to whether effective inhibition can decrease starch digestion sufficiently to result in weight loss. The objective of this project is (a) to isolate and characterize alpha-amylase inhibitors from Phaseolus species (b) to synthesize and characterize known inhibitors in an effort to understand their mechanism of action. The supernatant from ground beans was subjected …  Read more

An aggregate agricultural production function (a pooled covariance model) based on the metaproduction approach, was estimated using cross section, time series data for 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) covering the 1970-1993 period to evaluate the effect of foreign aid on agricultural production. The Almon lag structure of the foreign aid (Official Development Assistance) variable was specified to account for the effect of foreign aid over time. The results support the hypothesis that the aggregate effect of aid on agricultural production in SSA is positive. The marginal effect of foreign aid in SSA is calculated to be $0.14 which can …  Read more

The thesis undertakes a historical evolution of thought and ideology about the child in Western society with the final aim of contextualizing current images of the child in advertising. Throughout this evolution, ideologies of "innocence" and "experience" are articulated over the child in varying ways, defining the child as Nature, original sin, salvation, etc. The parent-child relation is analyzed according to the determining components of narcissism, the Oedipal wish and the incest taboo. The taboo's role in social organization is studied to determine how it has evolved in a consumerist society. Evolution of child imagery begins with manifestations of the …  Read more

The morphology of C3, a motoneuron mediating the tentacle withdrawal reflex, was investigated in the snail Helix aspersa by intracellular injections of the tracers Neurobiotin and biocytin. Axonal projections were identified in the optic nerve, the olfactory nerve, the internal peritentacular nerve, the external peritentacular nerve, the cerebral-pedal connective and the cerebral commissure. A rare characteristic of the cell was the multibranching of axons in the neuropil and the exiting of this bundle of fibres into the cerebral-pedal connective. Dendritic arborizations were observed branching from the cell body, the axon hillock and the dorsal main axon. In addition, tufts of …  Read more

Building a home is a process, not an event. It is a continuous and dynamic relationship between dwellers and their dwellings. Using houses as cultural artifacts, this thesis examines the morphogenesis of a French-Canadian neighbourhood in Montreal. Cite-Jardin du Tricentenaire was a wartime effort of a small group of entrepreneurs who had dreams of building an "ideal", French-Canadian community. Its high rate of persistence over the past fifty years--one in five households are original settlers--makes it a convenient laboratory for the study of community development. The research revolves around several themes: the planning behind the original housing; the physical evolution …  Read more

The situation of the male characters in Anne Hebert's novels evolves, from Les Chambres de bois to L'Enfant charge de songes. The position of the male characters in relation to the female characters changes, as does their position in relation to physical and psychological space. The male characters gradually acquire greater liberty in the course of this evolution. Concretely, this means that the male characters free themselves, step by step, from the conflictual situation that determines their relations to the female characters and that they free themselves, at the same time, from a restrictive physical and psychological space. We will …  Read more

Based on an analysis of the causes of non-convergence in the effective heat capacity methods a new conservative effective heat capacity method is developed for general phase change heat transfer problems. Numerical experiments verified the accuracy and efficiency of the new method. A multi-layer phase change material (PCM) heat transfer module is proposed for latent heat energy storage. Cyclic heat transfer in the module was modelled using the finite element technique. A parametric study was performed to investigate the energy charge/discharge rates for the new design. A second-law thermodynamic analysis was carried out for thermal energy storage using multiple PCMs. …  Read more

In this thesis, we study the problem of large wrench application using robotic systems with limited force or torque actuators. It is shown that such systems may be able to apply a wrench in some configurations only; therefore their useful Force Workspace is limited, and may be smaller than their reachable workspace. To improve the force capabilities of a system, base mobility or redundancy can be employed. A planning algorithm is proposed which results in proper base positioning relative to large-force quasi-static tasks. Similarly, the Force Workspace can be used to position such tasks relative to a robotic system. An …  Read more

This work attempts to trace back the models for the various Berenice stories in French literature. Two different trends seem to emerge. The first one is related to the unhappy relationship between Titus and Berenice, the Judaic queen of the first century A.D. The other goes back to the events of the Ptolemaic period when a series of queens also bear the name of Berenice. Present day literature tends thus to show a return to the facts that originally gave birth to the myth.  Read more

The age related decline in cardiorespiratory function is well known. However, less is known about the cardiorespiratory health of the elderly stroke survivor or of how stroke related impairment, disability and handicap relate to it. In order to determine the relationships between measures of impairment, disability, handicap and indicators of cardiorespiratory health, in elderly community-dwelling persons with stroke, a cross-sectional study involving forty-six elderly stroke survivors living in the city of Montreal, was conducted. Subjects were assessed on several indicators of cardiorespiratory health and measures of impairment, disability and handicap (disablement). All assessments were done in the subjects' homes by …  Read more

This thesis examines the role of Canadian women as presented in English language novels of the 1930s written by women authors. Within the context of the Great Depression it focuses on issues that are central to women's daily lives such as work, love, marriage and motherhood. It also isolates recurring themes in the novels and attempts to understand the authors' messages within their social context. Social reform, politics and gender relationships are among the subjects explored.  Read more

The purpose of this study was to describe the physical fitness of middle-aged adults with an intellectual disability and how their state of fitness has changed over time. Thirty-two adults with an intellectual disability served as participants: 14 were female and 18 were male. Participants had an age range from 34 to 57 years. All worked at a readaptation center in Montreal and were participants in a study of physical fitness in 1983. Using the "Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness", the participants were evaluated on tests of Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition. All participants were …  Read more

Lieblein, Leanore (Supervisor)  Read more

Coming to terms with breast loss and its effect on body image, femininity and self-esteem are major issues confronting women who have lost a breast to cancer. Furthermore, messages from the media, cosmetic industry and health care profession perpetuate the 'beauty myth' affecting the self-esteem of breast cancer patients. This emphasis on the aesthetic often takes precedence the grief associated with losing a body part that for many women is strongly linked to their self-concept. Based on interviews with nine breast cancer survivors in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Montreal, Quebec, three issues will be addressed: first how the cultural influences that …  Read more

Reversed cyclic loading tests were carried out on a number of specimens including five half-scale reinforced concrete bridge columns with one and two-way hinges at the column-footing connection, a half-scale column with lap-spliced dowels at its base and a quarter-scale outrigger beam-column-joint. The test specimens had details typical of bridges designed and built in Montreal in the 1960's. These tests highlighted the design and detailing deficiencies and demonstrated the poor seismic performance of the "as-built" structural elements. Procedures and guidelines for retrofitting were developed for moderate seismic regions and were applied to the test specimens. The reversed cyclic loading responses …  Read more

The relationship between hopelessness and depression in a non-clinical sample of children (mean age = 10.75 years) was examined. A systematic comparison of three models of the role of hopelessness and global self-worth in childhood depression was conducted. The Children's Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1983), the Self-Perception Profile for Students with Learning Disabilities (Renick & Harter, 1988), and the Hopelessness Scale for Children (Kazdin, French, Unis, Esveldt-Dawson, & Sherick, 1983) were administered. Results suggest that depressed children are hopeless but that hopeless children are not necessarily depressed; global self-worth and hopelessness are highly overlapping constructs; and no gender differences are present …  Read more