McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1998

This qualitative study examines alienated parents' perceptions of their own experience of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). The participants were five fathers and one mother. The data were collected via semi-structured, open-ended interview questionnaires. A qualitative analysis of the data was performed for each participant in an attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Are there characteristics (e.g., number of children, number of marriages, etc.) common to alienated families? (2) Are there common themes or issues among the conflicts between couples that contribute to marriage dissolution? (3) From the lost parent's perspective, are there commonalities in the underlying causes of the …  Read more

Real-time ultrasonic imaging systems have been available for more than fifty-five years and are becoming an important tool in the practice of modern medicine. During this time much has occurred to the basic architecture and functions of these clinical systems and their beamformers, which are, in many ways, the most important components of these systems. Throughout most of the 30 years of real time imaging, analog beamformers have been the mainstay of all ultrasonic instruments. But at the present time the industry is undergoing a major shift toward digital beamformation with the introduction of several commercial systems. The thesis will …  Read more

In this thesis entitled Traduction et creation chez l'ecrivain-traducteur, we set out to demonstrate that faithfulness is as much a fundamental experience to the writer-translator in his creative writing task as it is in his translation task. We shall see that the everlasting translation debate opposing faithfulness to betrayal can only find its resolution through a fresh interrogation of the notion of meaning, which is too often viewed as determined and translatable, thereby constraining the literary work. Thus, we found it necessary to return to the experience of reading as a pursuit of a meaning that is multiple and in …  Read more

An all-digital technique for the measurement of the jitter transfer function of charge-pump phase-locked loops is introduced. Input jitter may be generated using one of three methods. They allow trade-offs between test clock frequency, hardware requirements and accuracy. All the methods rely on delta-sigma modulation to shape the unavoidable jitter quantization noise at high frequencies. This jitter noise is filtered by the lowpass characteristic of the device-under-test and has a minimal impact on the test results. For response measurement, the phase of the output signal is compared against a jitter threshold. As the stimulus generation and output analysis circuits are …  Read more

The subject of this thesis is a technology, the motor vehicle, that greatly affected our society. Between 1900 and 1930, motorization progressed rapidly in the Montreal area as the motor vehicle became a dominant mode of urban transportation. But to reach such a status, the new technology needed more than an increasing number of people adopting it. Because the street was already occupied by different users, automobile drivers had to impose the motor car on it. Above all, it was with tramway promoters that they had to "negociate". This negotiation related to both the space available in the street and …  Read more

An unstructured-grid, h-adaptive control-volume finite element method (CVFEM) was formulated, implemented, and tested for the simulation of steady, viscous, incompressible fluid flow and heat transfer in arbitrarily shaped two-dimensional domains. The h-adaptive procedure is based on a posteriori error estimation using a superconvergent recovery or smoothing technique. The CVFEM is based on a co-located, equal-order formulation that deals directly with the primitive variables. A set of sufficient conditions is presented for guaranteeing that the algebraic approximations to the diffusion terms in the integral conservation equations contribute positively to the coefficients in the discretized equations. An additive-correction multigrid method, based on …  Read more

This work was aimed at obtaining high quality dried strawberries using microwaves to assist convection air of 2 m/s at 30--45°C. Preliminary trials with whole strawberries were unsuccessful. Fruits would cook rather than dry at low microwave power levels, and burst at higher powers. This was due to the inhibition of moisture movement by the waxy cuticle. Slice and pureed strawberries dried, but were of lower quality than freeze-dried A treatment consisting of dipping the berries in a solution of ethyl oleate and sodium hydroxide was studied. Such treatments are used in industry to reduce the skin resistance to moisture …  Read more

Thickening is the separation of suspended solid particles from a liquid by gravity settling. As a feed stream enters the thickener, the solids settle to the bottom. Clarified liquid overflows the top and the settled solids (underflow) is removed. Thickeners are widely used in the minerals and metal processing industry. To assist in the monitoring and control of thickeners a conductivity probe has been developed. Test work was carried out on a concentrate thickener at the Copper Cliff, Ontario Division of Inco Limited in Sudbury. The conductivity probe is a multicell arrangement. It exploits the difference in conductivity between liquid, …  Read more

Pietroski, Paul (Supervisor)  Read more

E. A. Burtt's The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science (1924) has been described by H. Floris Cohen, writing on the historiography of the Scientific Revolution in 1994, as the "individual thought of an individual thinker...beyond philosophical or historical currents or fashion." The book is something of a puzzle within the context of American twentieth-century intellectual history and more specifically, of the philosophy and history of science of North America and Europe. Burtt's inter-disciplinary study---as it would be called today---has proved to be both pioneering and prophetic in its rejection of both scientism and positivism. The thesis examines the author's …  Read more

Traditional communities in most Third World countries today are facing the influx of all industrialized economy which is leading to the introduction of new building technologies, infrastructure and modern communications. This has resulted in a change in the built environment of traditional settlements. There are many dynamic factors which help to shape the decisions people make about the physical nature of their built environment. The linking of these decision-making factors to the external forces influencing society is very important to arrive at a clear understanding of how traditional forms give way to new ones. This thesis links global and local …  Read more

The mouse Splotch phenotype is characterized by specific defects in neural tube closure, neural crest cell migration, and skeletal myogenesis, and results from loss-of-function mutations in Pax-3, a transcription factor expressed within a subset of neural and mesodermal lineages. A hypomorphic allele termed Splotch-delayed produces milder neural tube defects and neural crest cell deficiencies than other Splotch locus mutations. We found that this unique phenotype is associated with a glycine to arginine mutation of the ninth amino acid of the Pax-3 paired domain. We also identified and characterized two alternatively spliced Pax-3 isoforms termed Pax-3/Q+ and Pax-3/Q--. These isoforms differ …  Read more

Field and controlled environment experiments were performed to assess the preemergence activity of the fungal pathogen, Phomopsis convolvulus Ormeno to control Convolvulus arvensis L. (field bindweed). A granular barley formulation of the fungal inoculum applied onto the field soil surface resulted in dramatic aboveground biomass reductions of both C. arvensis seedlings (94--100%) and regrowth from established plants (53--98%). Under field conditions, surface applications of the granular formulation resulted in greater biomass reductions (93--100%) compared with soil incorporation of the granules (31--97%). Rate of soil applied granules of P. convolvulus did not affect the level of weed control and 90--100% C. …  Read more

Nakamura and Katakura (1995) suggested that the brainstem neuronal circuitry required for mastication pattern generation is set up in series (ie: one nucleus relaying onto the next nucleus in a chain-like fashion). In their model, the ventral region of the midline reticular formation (RF) formed the first stage. This was driven tonically by contralateral monosynaptic corticobulbar inputs. In their turn, these neurons drove neurons in the more dorsal nucleus gigantocellularis to become phasically active. These were thought to project to pre-motor neurons in the caudal parvocellular RF that then projected to MoV. Our data revealed that cortical information reached both …  Read more

The modulus of deformation is undoubtedly the geomechanical parameter that best represents the mechanical behavior of rock mass. In particular, when it comes to underground excavations, this modulus becomes indispensable---whatever the type of design approach to be developed. A literature review was conducted to explain the use of different types of rock mass classifications, as well as different types of in situ and dilatometer testing techniques for estimating and determining of modulus of deformation in the rock. Series of in situ dilatometer tests were conducted to determine the modulus of deformation of the rock mass and to compare them with …  Read more

Past research has provided conflicting results concerning sex differences in the desire for status. The current study was designed to examine more explicitly sex differences in the desire to attain status. Eighty girls and 80 boys from kindergarten and grade four were placed in groups of four same-sex friends and were observed during a session in which they had to choose a leader, as well as during a drawing task. The children were also interviewed following the tasks using a questionnaire format. Results showed that there were no sex differences in the number of volunteers to be leader, in the …  Read more

The most northeasterly population of wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta ) was studied during 1996 and 1997 in Quebec, Canada. A total of 188 turtles (55 males, 83 females, and 50 immatures) was captured, measured and marked for future identification. The adult sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1. Males were significantly larger than females for measures of carapace length, 214.5 and 201 mm, respectively. Wood turtles from northern populations are larger than those from southern regions. The population density was estimated to be 0.44 turtles/hectare. Courtship occurred in the spring but was more common in the fall. Nesting occurred …  Read more

The notion, which has persisted over many years, of Mary Shelley as the conservative daughter of a radical, proto-feminist mother can be traced to the views of Edward Trelawney, a contemporary and fair-weather friend of Shelley. This study, by exploring female identity, largely in terms of modern feminist psychoanalytic theory, in several of Shelley's lesser-known novels, attempts to contribute to the efforts of those who have challenged such notions and who have strived to render a more accurate portrait of Mary Shelley. Anne Mellor's discussion of female identity in Shelley's sentimental novels, Mathilda, Lodore and Falkner, (in her book Mary …  Read more

The diastereoselective synthesis of phosphorothioates and methylphosphonates has been investigated. It has been found that indole is a good leaving group, and that it can form a stable indolephosphorine and can be stereospecifically substituted by a nucleoside in the presence of DBU. Chiral indole-oxazaphosphorines 31, 39, 44, 56 were synthesized and their reactivities were investigated. The cyano derivative 56 turned out to be a good chiral precursor in the diastereoselective synthesis of a T-T phosphorothioate dimer 65, with a diastereomeric excess larger than 96%. The reaction of cyano, monomer 63 on solid support was investigated. It was found that alkylphosphonate …  Read more

The development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumour cells to a wide range of anticancer drugs has become a major obstacle in the chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer. Molecular characterization of MDR tumour cells has led to the identification of several cell-based genetic alterations including the overexpression of a membrane protein, P-glycoprotein (P-gp). P-gp is a ATP dependent drug efflux pump and P-gp ATPase activity has been demonstrated to be essential in drug transport. In an effort to understand how P-gp ATPase activity is coupled to drug binding and transport, we examined the effects of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a potent inhibitor of …  Read more

An evaluation of the impact of the nutritional program "Mangeons en coeur" was conducted with 64 participants in this program. The two study objectives were to measure any changes in the dietary intake of program participants and to evaluate the performance of a food habits questionnaire in evaluating change in fat intake at the individual level. The dietary evaluation by the diet history indicated no change in the total intake of lipids (31% of energy as lipids) over the course of the program. Comparisons of the total lipid intake as measured by the diet history and food habits questionnaire indicated …  Read more

Weak organic acids and/or their salts were tested as soil washing or flushing agents for the ex- or in-situ remediation of soils polluted by heavy metals. Three soils naturally with heavy metals were used for the tea. The three soils were characterized as a clay loam, loam and sandy clay loam. Their organic matter, pH, saturated hydraulic conductivity, cation exchange capacity, particle density and heavy metal contents were also characterized. The different retention forms of heavy metals in all 3 soils were studied by sequential extraction. The clay loam was contaminated with Cr, Hg, Mn and Pb while the loam …  Read more

Burnett, Ron (Supervisor)  Read more

The thesis reviews the 50 year history of the GATT/WTO trading system in order to assess how far the system has achieved the goals and objectives of its principal founders, with a view to recommending proposals for completing the same in the context of the next major round of WTO negotiations. Emphasis is laid throughout the work on actions which need to be taken to ensure that the world trade system has a set of integrated rules which address the realities of increasing international economic interdependence. The conclusion of this work incorporates various steps that can be taken towards achieving …  Read more

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were designed that incorporated primer pairs for the sex determining region on the Y chromosome, Sry, and one or two control sequences. A triplex and a duplex assay were created involving Sry and Dax, a single copy X chromosome gene which is involved in the female sex determination pathway. The third sequence in the triplex assay was a repetitive Y chromosome sequence, YR. A minimum of 2.5 x 10-3 to 2.5 x 10 -4 m g/ m L of male DNA and 2.5 x 10-5 m g/ m L of female DNA was required …  Read more

Eight experiments were performed to investigate factors affecting the discrimination of two characteristics of very brief tones. The subjects (adults with normal hearing) were asked to rate targets that differed either by amplitude envelope or by a change in frequency. For the majority of the trials, a target was followed (after a brief silent interval) by a pure tone referred to as a "mask". Two factors affecting discrimination within this simple paradigm were examined in detail; the frequency separation and the duration of the silent interval between the target and the mask. For most of the other conditions, a target …  Read more

The AC phase-coherent transport in mesoscopic structures is studied via a scattering approach. A general theory is presented under the guidance of two physical principles: charge and current conservation, gauge invariance. As the AC response is intrinsically a many-body problem, we have to treat the scattering problem and the charge redistribution effects in a self-consistent manner. One quantity of particular interest is the mesoscopic capacitance. In mesoscopic structures where the electric screening length is comparable to the geometric size, the experimentally relevant capacitance is no longer due to geometry alone but to the electro-chemical potential and the capacitance crucially depends …  Read more

Step-ramp targets (Rashbass, 1961) in the horizontal plane were used to characterize gaze and head movement dynamics during head-unrestrained (HU) and head-restrained (HR) pursuit in monkey. We characterized pursuit initiation and found that: (1) initial eye position influenced initial gaze dynamics during both HU and HR pursuit; (2) for similar initial eye positions, initial gaze dynamics during HU and HR pursuit were indistinguishable; (3) head movements consistently lagged gaze movements, such that HU pursuit initiation was mediated by eye movements alone; (4) during HU pursuit, both initial head- and gaze-acceleration increased with target velocity, and (5) head and gaze movements …  Read more

This Master's thesis analyses the connection between the Illuminati ideology and the sociopolitical ideals contained in pre-classical works---contemporary to the existence of the order---of Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. The first chapter examines the creation, the development and the eventual collapse of the Illuminati Secret Society (Geheimbund der Illuminaten) founded in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt in the context of the Enlightenment. The second chapter explores the ideological similarities between the young Goethe and this secret society through the analysis of his works Gotz von Berlichingen (1771--1773), Egmont (1775--1784) and Der Gross Cophta (1791). The third chapter expounds Schiller's ideological …  Read more

Derivative free restricted maximum likelihood (DFREML) was used to calculate variance and covariance components for cumulative milk yield, cumulative fat yield and cumulative protein yield, of Alpine, Toggenburg, Saanen and Nubian dairy goat breeds. First lactation records of 691 Alpine, 641 Toggenburg, 439 Saanen and 433 Nubian goats freshening between 1986 and 1995, and a combined data set of all breeds, were analysed. Two basic models, either including or excluding coefficients for phantom groups, besides the random and fixed effects, were fitted for each trait and breed. Included fixed effects were age at first kidding and flock-year for the single …  Read more

The contagious sound of Congo-Zaire's distinctive popular dance music has made it a kind of 'musica franca' of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the music's influence outside of its country of origin, virtually no research has been done to explore the history, production and meaning of the musical style. In addition to being a privileged feature of Congo-Kinshasa's cultural landscape, this 'musique moderne' also constitutes a valuable source of information of the way that 'modernity' is ordered and understood in an African context. 'Modernity', I want to argue, is driven by 'tradition', and 'audition' pulls 'modernity' back into its sphere of utility, …  Read more

Anticipatory satiety is the ability to reduce meal size when the diet at that meal is consistently followed by a short time interval to the next access to food. This prediction of intake is learnt, i.e. based on the association of a food's sensory characteristics with some consequence(s) of ingesting it. Two pilot studies were conducted using male Sprague-Dawley rats in which (1) the ability of food texture to cue fasting duration was indicated by evidence of anticipatory satiety in the low-fat powder-long/paste-short group and in the high-fat paste-long/powder-short group and (2) the pattern of anticipatory satiety was seen only …  Read more

To test the hypothesis that maternal dietary glucose restriction throughout pregnancy and lactation would perturb glucose transporter (GLUT) protein levels in offspring, isoenergetic diets containing graded levels of glucose (0, 12, 24 and 60%) were fed to pregnant rats and their offspring from gestation day (gd) 0 through postnatal day (pd) 49. Diets were defined as deficient (0%), restricted (12, 24%) or adequate (60%) in glucose. Plasma, small intestine, liver and kidney tissues were collected perinatally (gd20, birth, 12--24hrs postnatal), during lactation (pd7, 15, 21), post-weaning (pd28, 35, 49) and in adult controls. The proximal and distal regions of the …  Read more

In this thesis I investigate the relationship between 'I' as principle of transcendental philosophy and its ordinary use as first-personal pronoun. This relationship is a central issue in the philosophy of J. G. Fichte. Fichte was concerned to secure the gains made by Kant's Critique against what he called the 'dogmatism of the so-called Kantians' as well as against the attack of the skeptics, by grounding philosophy in a first principle which he called 'I'. To say what Fichte means by 'I' is to give an account of his philosophy, for, according to him, nothing is to be assumed outside …  Read more

Methionine synthase (MS) is a vitamin B12(cobalamin;cbl) dependent enzyme that catalyses the methylation of homocysteine to methionine. It uses methyl-cbl as coenzyme and in ethyl tetrahydrofolate as the methyl donor. Methionine sythase reductase (MSR) maintains MS in it active state using S-adenosyl methionine as the methyl donor. Functional MS deficiency may occur as a result of a defect in either enzyme. Patients with this disorder have been classified into two complemetation groups according to which protein is defective: cblG patients are deficient in MS and cblE patients in MSR. A subset of cblG, known as cblG variant, is unique in …  Read more

Guitlon, Daniel (Advisor)  Read more

Cherney, Brian  Read more

Constrained Geometry catalysts make it possible to control independently molecular weight (MW), molecular weight distribution (MWD), homogeneity of short chain branching (SCB), and degree of long chain branching (LCB). This catalyst technology provides us with a unique opportunity to study the effects of molecular structure on the rheological behavior of polyethylene. In particular the effects of low levels of long chain branching (LCB) have never been studied in commercial polyethylenes, because it was impossible to vary the degree of branching while maintaining the backbone molecular weight and molecular weight distribution using traditional polymerization techniques. Nine constrained geometry catalyzed and metallocene …  Read more

The present study examines the distribution of the low density lipoprotein receptor related protein-2 (LRP-2) in the reproductive tracts of male and female rats. LRP-2 has been shown to facilitate the endocytosis, and lysosomal degradation of the glycoprotein SGP-2 in cultured cells. SGP-2 has been found in the male reproductive tract, is thought to be involved in sperm maturation. The apical surfaces of the epithelia of the efferent ducts as well as the intermediate zone, proximal caput, corpus, and cauda regions of the epididymis showed pronounced peroxidase staining for LRP-2. Immunogold labeling representing LRP-2 was observed in endocytic vesicles and …  Read more

Quick-return mechanisms are quite common in manufacturing processes. e.g in pick-and-place operations, metal-cutting, and metal-forming, where dwell is usually required. Dwell is the period where a driven link remains stationary and the tool can be replaced or the workpiece can undergo a machining operation. Unlike lower-pair mechanisms, cam mechanisms can produce dwell exactly. In this thesis, cam-follower systems are used as building modules in the design of quick-return mechanisms. The underlying cam mechanisms are optimized to obtain a compact, quick-return mechanism. A unified method for the optimization of cam mechanisms is proposed. The optimum parameters of the cam mechanism are …  Read more

This thesis addresses the issue of the existence of a causal relationship between the change in the food component of the consumer price index and change in the money supply (money base and M1) by using monthly Canadian data from January 1968 to March 1997. A bivariate vector autoregressive (VAR) model is used to describe the relationship between money supply and food price on the basis of identifying the two conditions that the three series are first difference stationary series and the money stock and price series are not cointegrated. Saunders' lag order selection criterion developed from Akaikes final prediction …  Read more

We present numerical simulations of the effect of the peripheral proteins on physical properties of lipid bilayers. The ten-state Pink model, which is originally proposed to describe the main transition of pure saturated lipid bilayers, is extended in order to examine both one-component lipid bilayers and binary lipid bilayers containing peripheral proteins. The peripheral protein is introduced as a positively charged cylinder which covers seven lipid chains and the protein-lipid interaction is assumed to be mainly electrostatic. Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations are performed to describe the thermodynamic properties of the model including lipid-protein interaction in terms of order parameters and …  Read more

A new gold centrifugal concentrator, the Falcon SuperBowl, was tested both at plant and laboratory scales to assess its ability to recover gold from grinding circuits. The performances of a 21-in SuperBowl (SB21) at Mineral Hill and New Britannia Mines showed that it could recover gravity recoverable gold (GRG) of all sizes, especially below 25 mum at Mineral Hill Mine. Three types (to test the effect of gangue density and size distribution) of synthetic feeds were used to characterize a laboratory 4-in SuperBowl (SB4) as a function of feed rate and fluidization water flow rate. A 20-in Knelson Concentrator and …  Read more

"Urokinase (uPA), a member of the serine protease family, and its cell surface receptor (uPAR) have been implicated in promoting the progression of various human malignancies including hormone dependent malignancies such as breast and prostate cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating uPA production in breast and prostate cancer progression are poorly understood. In the current studies, we have examined the role of uPAR in breast cancer progression by developing a homologous model of uPAR overexpression by a rat breast cancer cell line Mat B III. Overexpression of uPAR resulted in increased breast cancer growth, invasion and metastasis in vitro …  Read more

Bhatt, Vikram (Supervisor)  Read more

New insulin mimetic peroxovanadium compounds were prepared as polyguanidinium, ammonium and polyammonium salts, and their cation-anion interactions were characterized by UV-Vis, 51V NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures of four complexes [((NH2) 3 CCH2CH2)2][mpV(nta)], [(NH2NH) 2C(NH2)][mpV(2,6-pdc)], [((NH2)2 C(NH) (CH2)3)2(N2C4H 8)][bpV(pic)]·2H2O, and [(NH3 CH2 CH2)2][bpV(bipy]·H2O, were determined and are discussed. [Et4N][bpV(phen)]·2H2O was prepared and its ability to act as a guest to second sphere coordinating polyurea hosts, in chlorofoml/DMSO, was studied using NOESY, 51V NMR and 1H NMR; extraction, titration and VT experiments. The relative stability of 6 complexes in DMEM media, assessed using 51V NMR, is discussed with …  Read more

X is a composition for a chamber orchestra with a duration of approximately 13'30′. The title X (read as "cross") refers to a cross-weave pattern created by superimposing the trills and written-out tremolos in the piece. While the trills and tremolos are used throughout the piece to create a sense of textural variety, they have an important function in controlling the formal structure of the piece. The texture, which is one of the important features of the composition, makes the overall form apparent.  Read more

This dissertation is concerned with surveillance, which refers to the monitoring and supervision of populations for specific purposes. Of special interest we the ways in which new technologies are augmenting the power of surveillance in the late twentieth century, and therefore influencing the privacy debate. Three things are noted about this. First, large-scale surveillance by bureaucratic organizations is a product of modernity, not of new technologies. This is evident from Part I of the dissertation, which argues that increased surveillance capacity comes as a result of specific economic and political circumstances that favour the use of technological systems of particular …  Read more

This dissertation consists of three essays: (I) Double Liability, Moral Hazard and Deposit Insurance Schemes, (II) Contract Costs, Lender Identity and Bank Loan Pricing, and (III) Bank Capital Structure and Differential Lending Behaviour. The first essay proposes to add double liability to a deposit insurance scheme to induce insurees (depository financial institutions) to reveal their true risk types. The second essay looks at the differential lending patterns of American banks versus Japanese banks. The third essay discusses the relationship between the characteristics of a lender and those of the borrower.  Read more

Platt, R. (Advisor)  Read more