McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1998

Cairns, R. D. (Supervisor)  Read more

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of case-based instruction and lecture-discussions in enhancing students' multicultural social work competence and their reflective self-regulation to learn multicultural social work. The sample consisted of undergraduate social work students enrolled in a multicultural social work practice course which was composed of two classes, the Special Bachelor of Social Work (SBSW) and the Regular Bachelor of Social Work (RBSW). The students in the SBSW had higher levels of education, mean age, and mean GPA than the students in the RBSW class. Each of these classes was divided into two sections. …  Read more

Des etudes anterieures ont ete incapbles de determiner quels facteurs sous-tendent l'identite sociale. A l'aide de plusieurs innovations methodologiques (une mesure permettant d'exprimer librement les facteurs relies a l'identite sociale, le fait de choisir l'endogroupe et l'exogroupe et une conceptualisation de l'identite sociale comme etant composee de l'attirance envers l'endogroupe et du rejet par l'exogroupe), cette etude avait pour but d'etudier l'influence des trois facteurs postules par Tajfel (cognition, emotions et evaluation) et les croyances symboliques (coutumes, valeurs et normes) sur l'identite sociale. Les resultats de cette etude indiquent qu'une evaluation positive de l'endogroupe, les emotions positives envers l'endogroupe et …  Read more

System identification techniques were used to obtain a parametric description of the mechanical stiffness of the ankle, which was then used to assess the effect of four weeks of stretching the ankle flexors and extensors. The ankle musculo-articular system was described in terms of elastic stiffness, viscosity and inertia. This description of the mechanical behaviour of the ankle joint provided an objective basis for evaluating the effects of a long-term stretching program that utilized proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). PNF, preceded by a warm-up, was performed daily on the soleus, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius of six healthy subjects, for four weeks. …  Read more

Field studies of a population of Arisaema triphyllum affected by the systemic rust Uromyces ari-triphylli were conducted to examine dynamics of disease transmission and to identify factors influencing plant susceptibility to rust infection. Of undiseased plants that developed foliar infections during the growing season, 55% possessed active resistance to the rust disease, and were able to prevent the foliar infection from becoming a systemic one. Flowering increased the susceptibility of plants to both Mar and systemic infections. A phenotypic selection study was carried out to estimate selection on five plant traits and to determine the role of foliar infections of …  Read more

Although Expressed Emotion (EE) predicts relapse in Psychiatric Populations' the mechanisms through which people may be affected by high EE remain unknown. Our Objective was to test a model hypothesizing that reaction of young adults to critical comments (CCs) and emotional acceptance and perceived frequency of CCs and EOI. Path-analytical model were tested for 68 normal young adults living with their parents. Well-fitting models were found for reactions to Parental CCs but not for reactions to EOI. Results show that parental criticisms have only an indirect effect on young adults' reaction to criticisms: the effect is mediated by individuals' perception …  Read more

Around the world, scholars and politicians are engaged in a passionate debate concerning the universality of Human Rights. The problem of inequality between men and women concerning property rights is also part of this dispute. The transposition of human rights in another cultural context may create conflicts with new fundamental values. In a cultural context that differs from the western one, those rights don't always have their place or they may be reinterpreted accordingly with different cultural visions of what is a just society. In order to get a better understanding of this problem, this research is proposing an analysis …  Read more

Linear predictive coding (LPC) is employed in many low bit rate speech coders. LPC models the short-term spectral information for a block of speech using an all-pole response. Line spectral frequencies (LSF) have been found to be an effective parametric representation for the all-pole response. Vector quantization (VQ) is often used to code the coefficients of the response. VQ performs poorly whenever it is coding coefficient vectors which are not well matched to the distribution of its codebooks. A shift in the distribution can be caused by filtering (microphones, filters in communication equipment, etc.), speaker or environmental variability (male, female, …  Read more

This study explores the literary representations of the post-colonial margin, and develops this site as a place of possibility to transform self identity and acquire power. This exploration of Caribbean-Canadian literature, from writers born in the Caribbean who emigrated to Canada indicates the potential for power in the margins without idealizing this space. Close readings of fiction by Neil Bissoondath, Dionne Brand and Marlene Nourbese Philip illustrate various struggles within the margin based on race, gender, economics, and education. Despite vast ideological differences regarding identity, all three authors concur in their characterizations of the margin. In each work, the margin …  Read more

La synthese endogene du cholesterol (CH) a ete etudie chez 81 nouveau-nes, ages de 4 mois (BRAS 1) ou de 11 a 12 mois (BRAS2), afin d'evaluer les effets a long terme d'un supplement de CH sur l'homeostasie du CH. BRAS 1 etait compose de 32 nouveau-nes recevant soit du lait humain (HUM) (6M, 7F), une formule a base de lait de vache (VAC) (6M, 3F) contenant 3.5 mg CH/dl, ou une formule a base de lait de vache modifiee (VACM) (6M, 7F) contenant 13.5 mg CH/dl, afin d'evaluer l'effet du supplement sur les taux de synthese du CH. BRAS2 …  Read more

This thesis is about the development and evaluation of a standardized method to measure the crural diaphragm electromyogram (EMG) in humans, with an esophageal electrode. In order for the diaphragm EMG to be physiologically relevant, its measurement and analysis require objective control of the disturbances and filter effects which can influence the sigma. One issue of importance is the maintenance of diaphragm-to-electrode positioning throughout the inspiration. In the present work, we describe a cross-correlation algorithm by which the position of the diaphragm along a multiple army esophageal electrode can be determined at any instant during a breath, and a second …  Read more

This analysis addresses the relationship between pre-political cultural identity and political outcomes. It posits that the political mobilization of sub-national groups cannot be understood without an examination of the cultural processes of identity formation. The analysis engages cultural discourse and its organization as an explanatory factor in the examination of the variation in ethnic political outcomes. Hence, important questions about ethnonational conflict can be answered by engaging the levels at which identity is constructed and reshaped through cultural discourse. It shifts the arena of analysis from the state to the ethnic groups themselves. The two empirical cases analyzed are that …  Read more

To improve the existing methods based on phenotype and/or genotype a new genotyping method was investigated to identify Lactobacillus species. The method used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify specific sequences of aminopeptidase (pepN) genes. The primers for the PCR reactions derived from a pepN sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus S93. PepN amplification products of 387 bp were obtained from forty three Lactobacillus strains and from some strains of Lactococcus (3), Streptococcus (2) and Bifidobactertium (5). Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and single-strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCP) methods were used to detect polymorphisms among amplified aminopeptidase DNA fragments from the different …  Read more

In order to address problems caused by widespread squatting, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has recently introduced legislation which grants a leasehold title to squatters on State lands, subject to certain conditions. The adoption of such regularization measures rests on the belief that granting squatters legal title to the land they occupy, and thus providing them with security of tenure, will create an incentive for squatters to invest in their dwellings and in their community, and will facilitate access to credit. This thesis critically examines these assumptions, bringing to bear on this reflection the results of a survey conducted …  Read more

Le lactoserum est un sous-produit hautement polluant lors de la fabrication fromagere. Une levure lactique. Kluyveromyces marxianus, est capable d' hydrolyser Ie lactose. Dans la presente recherche cette levure a ete mise it profit afin de reduire Ie potential polluant de ce derive et de produire des bioingredients it haute valeur ajoutee, teis que: oligonucleotides (ON), oligosaccharides (OS) et oligopeptides (OP). Lorsqu' ajoutes aux produits alimentaires, ces composes (i) rehaussent la saveur; (ii) stabilisent les emulsions; (iii) stimulent Ie systeme immunitaire; (iv) abaissent Ie taux de lipoproteines de basse densite (un facteur de risque qui peut provoquer des maladies cardiovasculaires) …  Read more

The nutritional and sociocultural significance of Canada Goose was documented through field research in Wemindji, Quebec and laboratory analyses (proximate composition, trace elements, fatty acids and heavy metals) at McGill University. Consumption of different parts varies by age/gender groups. Cooked flesh samples contained 25.04--36.46 g/100g protein, 6 19--26.35 g/100g fat, 5.58--11.68 mg/100g iron, 2.77--4.81 mg/100g zinc, 4.91--27.59 mg/100g calcium and 0.22--0.75 mg/100g copper. Lung and liver samples contained high amounts of iron (44.24 and 49.18 mg/100g, respectively). Canada goose provides lower amounts of saturated fatty acids and higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids as compared to lard. Heavy …  Read more

This work explores the interreligious paradigms proposed by Sri Lankan theologian Aloysius Pieris from a liberationist methodological standpoint. Pieris' paradigms uncover the exclusivist tendencies of some liberation theology toward 'religion' and the anti-liberative tendencies of the inculturationist school of interreligious dialogue. The Christ-against-Religion paradigm delineates how some Latin American liberation theology constructs a sharp dichotomy between "liberative faith" and "popular religion." The Christ-of-Religion paradigm of the Brahminic Ashram movement in India is focused on personal liberation without regard for systemic poverty and oppression. Pieris has endeavoured to bridge the dichotomy between liberation and inculturation through what I have labelled a …  Read more

As the rate of divorce is increasing, the number of children who have to cope with these stressful situations is also growing. Since these divorces come with many problems for the children involved, they are getting more and more attention. The professionnals who are required by the court to give their opinion on who should get the custody or what will be the right of access, have pointed out a particular phenomenon: parental alienation syndrome. The first person who described this syndrome was Gardner (1989, 1992a). He blamed the court system for the syndrome, where, in its adversarial perspective, one …  Read more

The introduction of a single inhaler comprising a beta2-agonist and ipratropiurn (CombiventRTM) in the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) should enhance compliance, improve patient outcomes and result in lower medication costs. Using the Saskatchewan Health databases, a cohort of subjects initiating treatment with CombiventRTM was identified and followed up to one year. A reference cohort was formed from all subjects who were dispensed, for the first time, two canisters, one of ipratropium and one of inhaled beta 2-agonist, on the same day. CombiventRTM users presented lower costs associated with inhaled bronchodilators (RR = 0.83; 95% Cl: 0.76 -- …  Read more

The relationships among intra-individual vulnerability, stress, and adjustment were assessed within a sample of 621 young adolescents from a predominantly affluent suburban area. Also considered was the extent to which gender and family structure influenced the prevalence of these three conditions. Vulnerable teenagers were distinguished from their peers based on their inability to effectively manage the developmental task of individuation. The components of the individuation process considered included ego and cognitive autonomy, and parent and peer relatedness. Stress was measured based on self-reported exposure to conditions of threat, demand, or structural constraint. Indices of depression, problem behaviors, school performance, school …  Read more

This observational study compared the value of physician-administered Advanced Life Support (MD-ALS) to Basic Life Support (BLS) in the treatment of penetra1mg trauma in an urban setting. Patients were identified in Montreal and Quebec City between 1993 to 1997 Prehospital care is provided exclusively by Urgences Sante in Montreal. Patients in Montreal are randomly allocated to either ALS or BLS due to an insufficient number of MD-ALS units. The south shore of Montreal and Quebec City are serviced by a separate emergency medical system (EMS) which provides only BLS. Differences were not statistically significant in terms of age and ISS …  Read more

This thesis discusses the historical development of the Japanese comic performance genre of manzai, and its contemporary manifestations. The first chapter examines manzai's ritual origins in the Heian court and its subsequent expansion throughout Japan as an established performance style. The chapter also describes the genre of 'classical manzai' and discusses its present status. The second chapter examines how 'stage manzai' emerged in Osaka from a panoply of popular entertainment forms, and particularly from niwaka stage comedy. The third chapter describes the emergence of the genre of 'modern manzai,' details its adaptation to radio and discusses the impact of the …  Read more

Vulvar vestibulitis is a highly prevalent and underinvestigated pain syndrome that is considered the most common subtype of dyspareunia, or painful intercourse, in pre-menopausal women. The first chapter of this thesis consists of a critical review of the vulvar vestibulitis literature, covering descriptive, diagnostic, etiologic, and treatment aspects. This is followed by a retrospective study of 38 women, investigating the success of vestibulectomy, a frequently recommended medical treatment for vulvar vestibulitis. Results from structured telephone interviews pertaining to dyspareunia and sexual function show that 63.2% of participants experienced a significant improvement or a complete cure while 36.8% reported moderate to …  Read more

Three experiments investigated the hypothesis that high doses of methylphenidate (MPH) are particularly effective in enabling boys with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to regulate the allocafion of effort and persistence under high information processing demands. In Experiment 1, the performance of boys with ADHD, ages 7 to 13, was investigated on placebo and three dosages of MPH, on a visual-memory search (VMS) task across a wide range of processing loads. Accuracy increased with dosage in a linear fashion. Findings on reaction times (RTs) revealed, however, that MPH dosage had a differential effect depending on processing load. All doses of MPH …  Read more

Although biological data concerning the North Atlantic fin whale ( Balaenoptera physalus) have been collected since the beginning of this century, much is still unknown regarding their biology and evolution. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge of the evolution, population structure and molecular ecology of this species using modern molecular techniques. Fin whale samples were collected in six feeding areas from the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Cortez (North Pacific Ocean). To facilitate the molecular analyses, two new sexing techniques were developed, and several hyper-variable microsatellite loci were isolated from humpback …  Read more

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) stimulate signal transduction in target cells by binding to the same G protein-linked receptor (PTHR). The PTHR mediates PTH signaling in kidney and bone, and PTHrP binding to the receptor has been shown to be essential for normal endochondral bone formation in humans and mice. Expression of the murine PTHR gene is controlled by two promoters that are regulated differently. Whereas the activity of the upstream promoter (P1) is mainly restricted to the kidney, where it provides the bulk of the gene transcription, the downstream promoter (P2) is more widely active. We characterized …  Read more

Williams, David (Supervisor)  Read more

In Germany, the role of shareholders in the structure of corporate governance has recently been the object of extensive discussion. Shareholder value has become a fashionable concept in the last few years, and some voices have demanded a stronger orientation of German corporations towards the consideration of shareholder value. Also, factual changes in the environment of the German corporate system have taken place. Germany faces major changes of the social security system that could encourage the emergence of private pension funds and modify the structure of share ownership. The capital market is gaining importance. A comparison of the historical development …  Read more

Partially purified lipoxygenase (LOX) extracts were obtained from Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium proliferalum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Chlorella pyrenoidosa by precipitation with ammonium sulfate. The enzymatic extracts from F. oxysporum and S. cerevisiae both exhibited two optimal activities at pH 8.0 and 10.0 while those from F. proliferatum and C. pyrenoidosa showed one optimal pH at 6.0 and 4.5, respectively. The enzymatic extract from F. proliferalum showed the highest LOX activity. The lowest LOX activity was exhibited in the C. pyrenoidosa extract. At pH 8.0, LOX activity from F. oxysporum and S. cerevisiae was inhibited by potassium cyanide (KCN), exhibiting a non-competitive …  Read more

Orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) was performed on hot twisted polycrystalline 304 stainless steel specimens in order to study the characteristics of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in low stacking fault energy FCC metals. Microtexture analyses were carried out and the misorientation statistics of the recrystallized areas were derived. The results revealed that multiple twinning controls the formation of new orientations. DRX macrotextures were also measured in torsion and compression. These textures are highly sensitive to the deformation (Zener-Hollomon) parameter Z. High Z values lead to overall textures controlled by nucleation, whereas, at low Z values, selective growth is more predominant. A deformation …  Read more

Pour la constitution de ce sujet, je suis partie du contexte de l'etude plutot que de son objet. L'Afrique m'est apparue comme un choix logique pour deux raisons principales. La premiere, d'ordre personnel, est que les personnes qui me sont les plus cheres sont, chacunes a leur maniere, proches du continent africain. Sous leur influence, j'ai developpe un interet certain pour les cultures et les problemes de l'Afrique noire. Ce penchant s'est transforme en conviction lorsque, dans les aleas de leur carriere professionnelle, mes parents ont ete mute au Mali il y a deux ans. Ce demenagement m'a permis de …  Read more

Titman, Rodger D. (Advisor)  Read more

An analytical approach is obviously practical only when we want to study nonlinear systems of low complexity. An alternative for more complex processes that has raised a lot of interest in recent years relies on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). In this work we will explore an alternative avenue to the problems of control and identification, where Cellular Automata (CAs) will be considered in place of ANNs. CAs not only share ANNs' most valuable characteristics but they also have interesting characteristics of their own, for a structurally simpler architecture. CAs applications so far have been mainly restrained to simulating natural phenomena …  Read more

Instrumentation: 1*(1.=picc.)-1-2*(2.-Bb+bass cl.)-1 / 1-1-1-0 / 2 perc., 1 keyb. (piano+celesta) / 1-1-1-1-1 The work is approximately 14 minutes long, and consists of six movements which make up a series of musical tableaux, placing greater emphasis on their contrasting characters instead of on gradual and continuous development of material. These movements take their inspiration from activities or situations encountered in everyday life, thus revisiting the old tradition of "character pieces" as encountered, for example, in the music of many composers such as Schumann, Grieg or Mussorgsky. It is followed by an analysis which examines the harmonic syntax and the language …  Read more

During lactation, control of the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is adjusted in that tonically elevated glucocorticoid secretion is observed concurrently with blunted ACTH secretion following exposure to various stressors. Although a decline in the level of CRF mRNA has been reported in neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) known to control ACTH secretion, the mechanisms underlying stress hyporesponsiveness during lactation are still largely unknown, In these studies we tested the hypothesis that pituitary responsiveness to secretagogues was altered and that central noradrenergic (NA) inputs to hypothalamic CRF neurons were modified during lactation in the rat. First, at the …  Read more

The diversity and zoogeography of Diptera (Brachycera) of disjunct xeric grasslands in the southern Yukon were studied. Over 20,000 flies were collected representing 32 families and 213 species. In terms of abundance, the predacious guild dominated (54% of total specimens) due mostly to the family Chamaemyiidae which represented 45% of all specimens. In terms of diversity, the phytophagous and parasitoid guilds were dominant (25.5% of total species each). The most diverse families were Agromyzidae (32 species), Chloropidae (31 species), Tachinidae (23 species) and Pipunculidae (20 species). Thirty-four undescribed species were collected and 58 species were recorded for the first time …  Read more

Much water pollution is due to the disposal of liquid waste from industrial and municipal outfalls. The disposed effluent from the outfalls, located on the banks of streams and rivers, affects the pollutant concentration levels along the coast. The effluent in the form of a jet mixes with the crossflow on the upstream side and forms a recirculation region immediately downstream of the discharge. The objective of this thesis, therefore, is to study the behaviour of such polluting effluents with emphasis on its impact along the coast. The study consisted of experiments conducted in a laboratory whereby a dye was …  Read more

Objectives. Explore and describe the impact of premature life-threatening illness, stigma, multiple loss of significant others, decreased vocational choice and mobility and decreased financial security among young gay men living with AIDS. It was hypothesized that young gay men with AIDS and the elderly experience similar physical, social, and psychological changes, but the cognitive adaptation to these changes are hindered by the non-normative timing of these events. Methods. Thirty-two self-identified gay men with AIDS between the ages of 22 to 44 years were recruited from an out-patient clinic in Montreal. These participants were asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire, which …  Read more

This thesis presents an approach to the automated construction of visual maps, in the form of walk-throughs, of an unknown environment. Our approach is based on the selection of informative viewpoints within the environment. These viewpoints are locations in the environment which correspond to views containing maximal visual interest. This approach to environment representation is analogous to image compression. Our goal is to obtain a set of selections resembling those made by a human observer given the same task. Our computational procedure is inspired by models of human visual attention outlined in the literature on human psychophysics. We make use …  Read more

Functional consequences of the combination of an N-terminal deletion of the rat Na, K-ATPase alpha1 subunit (alpha1M32) and a Glu233 → Lys substitution (E233K) in the M2-M3 loop provide evidence for mutual interactions of these cytoplasmic regions. The steady-state conformational equilibrium of the double mutant (alpha1M32E233K) is shifted towards E 1, which was evidenced by kinetic changes including (1) a 15-fold reduction in catalytic turnover (Vmax/EPmax), (2) an increase in apparent affinity for ATP, (3) a decrease in vanadate sensitivity, (4) a marked (≈10-fold) K+-activation of Na-ATPase activity, and (5) altered cation affinities. The decrease in catalytic turnover effected by …  Read more

This study looks broadly at the composition of the Scottish peerage in James VI's reign, and specifically at a subset, of the Scottish aristocracy who bore the titles of viscount or better between the years 1587 and 1625. Eighty-five subjects are identified, and classified according to the age of their titles, their religious leanings and the geographical regions from which their titles and powers were drawn, to form anumber of distinct groups---the established nobility, new peers, Protestants, Catholics (both overt and conforming), peers from the highlands and isles, peers from central Scotland, and peers from the Anglo-Scottish border region. A …  Read more

Plasmodium falciparum is the most important causative agent of human malaria. The present study focuses on the identification and characterization of pfgcn20, a novel-member of the ATP-binding cassette protein gene family in P. falciparum. In a PCR-based cloning strategy, I employed redundant oligonucleotides directed against sequences encoding the highly conserved Walker motifs within the ATP-binding cassette, and the resulting amplified DNA fragments were used for library screening and gene walking experiments that resulted in the molecular isolation of the pfgcn20 gem. The pfgcn20 gene spans 2448 nucleotides and was predicted to encode a 95.5 kilo-daltons hydrophilic protein, PFGCN20, with two …  Read more

Autosomal dominant oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an adult-onset disease which is particularly frequent in the French Canadian population. It usually presents in the sixth decade with progressive swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), eye lid drooping (ptosis) and proximal limb weakness. Unique nuclear filament inclusions in skeletal muscle fibers are its pathological hallmark. This thesis charts the successful positional cloning of the gene responsible for OPMD, from its chromosomal localization by linkage to the identification of its causal mutations. A genome search using 166 polymorphic markers on a large French Canadian family established linkage to chromosome 14q11.2 - q13. Linkage analysis on …  Read more

This paper is an exploration of the theme of pilgrimage in the following three works: Gaṇḍvyuha, Journey to the West and The Life of Marpa the Translator. Through an examination of the narrative structure of the texts, I derive a pattern which is consistent throughout these three Mahayana works. This pattern is then compared to the Mahayana doctrine of Two Truths, which is shown to be expressed by the literary pilgrimage. Finally, by exploring the ways in which these texts 'work' on the reader---both by seeing the protagonist go through the stages of Buddhist practice and through the reader's interaction …  Read more

The purpose of this study is to advance existing Media Education theory by looking at similarities in English Language Arts (ELA) theory and Media Education theory. The study explores similarities and differences between the two areas of study creating a broader understanding of literacy, English Language Arts, Media Education and pedagogy. In order to clarify the co-relation between English Language Arts theory and Media Education theory, I interviewed experts in both fields to shed light on how these two areas of study complement one another and where the points of difference lie. The information points to the development in theory …  Read more

The Lyndon's Group FZx is of great interest to algebraists due to its unique properties. Using Van Kampen diagrams and results already proven for conjugate elements in FZx by Myasnikov and Remeslennikov, this thesis proves that the conjugacy problem in the Lyndon's group is solvable. The concept of being conjugately residually free is introduced and it is shown that a single free extension of a centralizer of a free group is conjugately residually free.  Read more

The morphological and cellular changes observed during embryonic development are mainly caused by a reorganisation of gene expression programmes at the cellular level. These reorganisations are a consequence of extracellular and intracellular signals that converge in the nucleus to alter gene expression and thus give rise to cells with entirely novel properties. The mechanisms governing the regulation of gene expression in a given cell type during embryonic development are still ill-defined. In order to understand more how the cardiac genetic programme is governed, we undertook to clone the rat cDNA of theGATA-6 transcription factor. The GATA family of transcription factors …  Read more

A novel method has been developed to prepare magnetic carriers for metal ion removal from dilute solutions. In this work, magnetic carriers were prepared by coating an organic surfactant on magnetic particles. The coating was deposited by molecular self-assembly. Two coatings were tested, using two similar bolaamphiphiles* of different chain lengths, HS-(CH2)11-COOH and HS-(CH 2)15-COOH. The magnetic particles were nanosized maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3). The surfactants were synthesized and characterized. Magnetic carriers were prepared, characterized, and tested for metal ion loading. Molecular orientation, density, and stability of the surfactant coatings were characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy …  Read more

Cette thèse examine l'épidémiologie de l'infarctus aigu du myocarde. En particulier les trois sujets ci-dessous sont étudiés en détail.1. Un examen des données nationales suggère un déclin important dans la morbidité et la mortalité de l'infarctus du myocarde dans la population canadienne. Une banque de donnée provinciale du Québec nous a permis de confimer qu'une grande proportion de ce déclin de mortalité est secondaire Ii une amélioration dans les soins cardiologiques avec une diminution des taux de léthalité hospitalière. [...]  Read more

Bristol, Michael D. (Supervisor)  Read more