McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1998

Algorithms for optimization and verification of radiation treatments have been developed. The first one, an active set algorithm for inverse treatment planning employs a conjugate gradient routine for subspace minimization in order to achieve a higher rate of convergence than the widely used constrained steepest descent method at the expense of a negligeable amount of overhead calculations and storage. The active set algorithm is found to be superior to the constrained steepest descent in terms of both its convergence properties and the residual value of the cost functions at termination. The active set approach can significantly accelerate the process of …  Read more

The work presented here addresses the problem of the development of a conformance test suite and an interoperability test suite for the ATM Signaling protocol based on the finite state machine model (FSM). The experimental tools developed at the University of Montreal are used to partially automate the process of test development. Tools use the underlying FSM model. Development of a conformance test suite starts from a complete SDL specification of the Signaling protocol. The specification is developed from the standard document prior to test development. Using the tool chain, the FSM model from the SDL specification is extracted, and, …  Read more

Renal cell carcinoma, which accounts for 85% of all kidney cancers, is among the ten leading malignancies in industrialized countries. To identify occupational risk factors for cancer, a multi-site case-control study was conducted in Montreal; renal cell carcinoma was one of the sites. A total of 142 cases of renal cell cancer and 2,433 controls were interviewed in this study. Complete occupation histories were obtained, and a team of industrial hygienists and chemists estimated each subject's exposure to a list of industrial substances. Statistical analyses were carried out to estimate the association between renal cell cancer and each non-occupational and …  Read more

From the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, the experiences of predominantly male Chinese migrants in Canada, their relationship with each other, and their interactions with Chinese and Canadian society were influenced by each society's patriarchal nature. Each society had a culturally-specific patriarchal system that perpetuated the interests of a few elite men over other groups and cultures, and each portrayed this group as the masculine ideal. Since each viewed events through this lens, racism frequently took on a gendered language. The construction of culturally-specific notions of gender helped maintain each community's culturally-specific patriarchal system. Furthermore, racialized gender constructs …  Read more

The distinct structural properties of heterochromatin accommodate a diverse group of vital chromosome functions, yet we have only rudimentary knowledge about its protein composition. One powerful tool for Drosophila biologists has been a group of genes that reverse the repressive effect of heterochromatin on the expression of a gene placed next to it ectopically. Several of these genes are known to encode proteins enriched in heterochromatin. The best characterized of these is the heterochromatin associated protein, HP1. HP1 has no known DNA-binding activity, hence its incorporation into heterochromatin is likely to be dependent upon other proteins. To examine HP1 interacting …  Read more

My project involves investigating the mechanisms used to selectively package primer tRNALys3 during HIV-1 assembly, place it onto the primer binding site(PBS) on the viral RNA genome, and allow this tRNA to initiate reverse transcription. My basic experimental approach has been to transfect COS7 cells with wild type or mutant HVI-1 proviral DNA and determine the effect of these mutations upon the above processes. I have shown that in the mature virion, there are approximately 8 molecules of tRNALys3, and 12 molecules tRNALys1,2, and that the viral tRNALys3/tRNALys1,2 ratio reflects the cytoplasmic ratio. For example, when COS-7 cells are transfected …  Read more

In the present context of increase and liberalization of commercial exchanges, the traditional involvement of the state in the cultural sector is called into question. The negotiation and implementation of free trade agreements have met with the resistance of a number of countries, preoccupied with the potential consequences that the massive penetration of foreign symbolic products on their territory could have on their cultural identity and anxious to retain their power to regulate trade in cultural goods and services. This Thesis discusses the place of culture within the World Trade Organization, the European Union and in the North American Free …  Read more

A review of immiscibility data in 62 silicate, borate and germanate binaries permits identification of four groups of cations displaying different immiscibility behaviour. The first group consists of network-modifier cations which have ionic radii ≳ 87.2 pm and coordination numbers equal to, or higher than, 5 (e.g. Ca2+, La3+, U4+). The second group involves cations with ionic radii ≲ 87.2 pm. They have at least two coordination numbers: the first one is always 4 and the second is ≥5; for this reason they are called amphoterics (e.g. Li1+, Mg2+, Al3+). The third group contains cations with variable crystal field stabilization …  Read more

Milne, S. S. (Supervisor)  Read more

The Drosophila groucho gene has been implicated in the specification of a number of different cell lineages and is believed to be a component of the Notch signal transduction pathway. Mammalian homologues of Groucho, the TLE proteins, have similarly been implicated in cellular commitment events in higher organisms. As little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the TLEs, I chose to study these proteins utilizing a number of cellular, molecular and biochemical approaches. These investigations have shown that primary cultures of both undifferentiated and differentiated neural cells express TLE proteins. Furthermore, upon neural determination of pluripotential P19 embryonic carcinoma …  Read more

This thesis deals with an influential young Muslim intellectual movement, Jong Islamieten Bond (JIB), which had active towards the end of the Dutch Colonial era in Indonesia. It will first investigate the circumstances under which the JIB was founded. Second, it will go on to survey the development of the organization with respect to its leadership between 1924 to 1942. Finally, this thesis will analyze in some detail the ideology and the activities of the movement. It will attempt to shed a light on the JIB's role in defining Islam as both a religion and an ideology in the struggle …  Read more

The hydraulic behavior and mixing processes in wastewater basins are studied experimentally in a laboratory scale model. The laboratory basin is modeled after a full scale aerated lagoon system operating in Saint-Julie, Quebec. Three experimental techniques are used to reach the objectives: (i) video flow visualization, (ii) tracer studies and (iii) two-dimensional flow measurements using hot-film anemometry. Experiments are conducted on non-aerated basins, as well as on artificially aerated basins. The flow visualization and flow measurements show that the hydraulic behavior of non-aerated wastewater basins is very complex, due to the formation of flow patterns such as stagnant zones and …  Read more

The air transport regime, which was established under Bermuda I-type agreements, has been altered during the last two decades through the liberalization of international air transport. International air transport liberalization was initiated by the domestic deregulation of the US. After that, the US began exporting its liberalization policy to the international air transport market through liberal bilateral agreements. Since the early-1990's, the US has concluded numerous open skies agreements. Corresponding with the US liberalization policy, the EC initiated its regional liberalization and the EU achieved a fully open aviation market within the EU region through three liberalization packages. While liberalization …  Read more

One seldom comes across felicitous love in nineteenth-century French literature. Viewed in an unfavourable light, being looked upon as sheer utopianism, felicitous love never quite made it as a major theme in fiction. But idealized as it is in the works of George Sand, this particular topic never ceases to be true to life: the "weltanschauung" in which it originates is far too focused on the realm of reality for love to be put through senseless poetising. To highlight this singularity, this essay focuses on the love symbolic in three George Sand's novels, Indiana (1832), Le Meunier d'Angibault (1845), and …  Read more

Dudek, Gregory (Advisor)  Read more

Object-Oriented (OO) technology claims faster development and higher quality of software than the procedural paradigm. The quality of the product is the single most important reason that determines its acceptance and success. The basic project management problem is "delivery of a product with targeted quality, within the budget, and on schedule". We propose a state-of-the-art approach that gets closer to the solution by improving the software development process used. An important objective in all software development is to ensure that the delivered product is as fault-free as possible. We proposed three hypotheses that relate the OO design properties---inheritance, cohesion, and …  Read more

Human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the related CEA family member nonspecific cross-reacting antigen (NCA), function in vitro as intercellular adhesion molecules. Changes in the expression pattern of CEA and NCA in a wide variety of cancerous tissues has raised the possibility that they could contribute to neoplastic and malignant transformation by influencing tissue architecture and differentiation. This study revisits the expression pattern of CEA and NCA in colorectal tumorigenesis by emphasizing the accurate quantitation of cell-surface levels in the context of tissue architecture. FACSRTM analysis of highly purified tumor versus normal colonic epithelial cell suspensions, revealed dramatically higher levels of …  Read more

Scott, Marilyn E. (Advisor)  Read more

Battery is a major health care issue that, despite increased recognition, fails to be detected in health care institutions. Without adequate detection, referral to social and community services are less likely to occur, rendering women victims vulnerable to continued risk physically, psychologically and medically. This study seeks to describe actual detection and referral practices in an emergency department at a large teaching hospital in Quebec, as well as explore health care professionals' knowledge about and practices regarding the detection and referral of battered women. Its aim is to better understand the pathways and barriers to detection and referral of abused …  Read more

Krysanowski, Lawrence (Supervisor)  Read more

This study investigated the use of English in Quebec offices; it further examined the knowledge and strategies used by francophones as they perform various business-related tasks in English. A sample of 26 offices located in a primarily francophone community were surveyed regarding what tasks employees were required to perform in English. Results showed that all but one required some level of English proficiency. It is to be noted that 46% of the offices surveyed conducted all of their business within Quebec's borders. These findings led to the conclusion that English is a requirement in the majority of offices and therefore …  Read more

Pseudomonas fragi CRDA 037 was used as source of intracellular esterase, which remained attached to the cell membrane, and characterized. Several mechanical methods of disruption were used including glass beads (MSK), sonication, French press and combinations of these methods. The cellular debris were also treated with detergents such as CHAPS and Triton X-100 in the presence of chelating agent ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA). The esterase activity remained in the cellular debris which was therefore use as a source of enzyme for kinetic studies. In the case of glass beads homogenization, the activity was found to decrease as a function of …  Read more

Collier, Brian (Supervisor)  Read more

In this thesis, I analyze the Germanophone reception of Gustav Meyrink's The Golem (Der Golem) between 1916 and 1996 with respect to its treatment as light fiction (Trivialliteratur). I examine a representative selection of literary criticism concerning the dominant themes and narrative structures of the novel. Since The Golem could not be ascribed to a distinct genre or period within the canon, its reception has been characterized by profound dichotomies. Meyrink's novel can be seen as a blank screen upon which critics have projected their respective ideological agendas. By applying new historicist and genre studies, I contextualize the trends across …  Read more

Since the early 1990s, it has been all but impossible to ignore the media hype prompted by the sudden advent and appeal of the computer-mediated communications context. However, as alarmist tales of alleged online dangers have moved to the fore, legislators in some jurisdictions have called for new regulatory measures to limit its communicative potential. This dissertation undertakes a socio-historical analysis of this phenomenon. Influenced by the historical perspective of Ithiel de Sola Pool (1983), its initial goal is to illuminate how the introduction of print, common carrier and broadcast-based communications technologies has prompted key social actors to advocate, or …  Read more

The contribution of use-dependence to the actions of two novel antiepileptic drugs acting upon the GABA neurotransmitter system was investigated using the rat hippocampal slices preparation. The first study of this thesis demonstrated that tiagabine, a GABA uptake blocker, causes a more pronounced increase of GABAergic responses evoked by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) than of those elicited by a single stimulus. The predominant effect of tiagabine on HFS-evoked responses was to facilitate the generation of GABAA receptor-mediated depolarizations (DRs) which were capable of triggering bursts of action potentials when evoked from the stratum radiatum. Since these results suggested that tiagabine may …  Read more

This thesis is an attempt to analyze and compare the methods of exegesis of `Abduh and Rid&dotbelow;a. The analysis focuses on their works of Qur'anic exegesis, especially their joint project Tafsir al-Manar. Their school of exegesis and principles of exegesis are a reflection of the socio-political setting in which they found themselves. They provide an antithesis to the schools and principles of exegesis favoured by traditional exegetes. `Abduh and Rida accused traditional exegetes of deviating from the guidance of the Qur'an by allowing their exegesis to develop into an intellectual exercise in grammar, theology, jurisprudence or even philosophical dispute. In …  Read more

The intention of this project is to explicate several arguments advanced in the esoteric treatise Al-Risalah al-Aḍḥawiyya fi amr al-Macad, Avicenna's treatise par excellence on the subject of resurrection. This study of Aḍḥawiyya is primarily exegetical and limits itself to ideas which grant Aḍḥawiyya a character of its own. Consequently, the scholastic demonstrations Aḍḥawiyya shares in common with Avicenna's other writings are left aside. Aḍḥawiyya contains a number of arguments, for example those directed against the mutakallimun, which cannot be found elsewhere in Avicenna's writings. It also presents two purely psychological demonstrations for the immateriality---and hence immortality---of the rational soul. …  Read more

Although chemists often exploit the high stereo selectivity of hydrolytic enzymes to produce pure enantiomers, the difficulty in selecting the best hydrolase from hundreds of commercial hydrolases and microorganisms remains a major deterrent to their wider use. Moreover, the emerging ability to create large libraries of recombinant enzymes demands fast and simple selection methods. The current method of selection is time-consuming because it requires carrying out small-scale reactions and measuring enantiomeric purity. This thesis focuses on the development of methods to speed up this selection process. We first report the development of empirical substrate models for Aspergillus niger lipase (ANL) …  Read more

The concentration of extracellular ionized calcium (Ca2+ o) is the primary physiological regulator of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. The parathyroid gland has a special ability to sense extracellular the calcium concentration and the mechanism whereby this is achieved became clearer when a parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) was cloned and characterized. Inactivating mutations in the CASR gene have been identified as a cause of familial hypocalcemia hypercalcemia (FHH) and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT). The goal of this thesis was genetic analysis of several families affected with FHH and NSHPT. Initially, we studied two families from Nova Scotia expressing both FHH and …  Read more

Conceptual urban runoff (CUR) models are commonly used in the Planning and design of urban drainage systems. These models often require a large number of variables and parameters in order to accurately describe, the complex relationships between rainfall, runoff and watershed characteristics. This requirement has often become a barrier to the use of such models, because of the difficulties involved in the estimation of these parameters. Hence, there is a great need to develop a robust and reliable automatic calibration procedure to assist in the identification of the best set of optimal parameters for a CUR model. The present study …  Read more

The semi and climate at the Fordwah Eastern Sadiqia (South) Project, Pakistan, comprised of 105,000 ha of culturable command area, is characterized by large seasonal temperature fluctuations and a monsoon season. The canal system behaves as a recharge source to the regional groundwater and has caused waterlogging and salinity problems. The aquifer of the project area is unconfined and underlain by sediments deposited by the Sutleg-Hakra river system. To quantify the rate of groundwater recharge in the project area, a numerical groundwater model was developed. A network of 125 observation wells was installed and watertable depth data were collected for …  Read more

Dinoflagellates are a diverse group of protists, some of which are photosynthetic. The typical dinoflagellate chloroplast contains two proteins not found in any other photosynthetic eukaryote: peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) and Form II ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Immunoelectron microscopic observations on the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae show that PCP is localized in the chloroplast stroma, not in the thylakoid lumen as previously postulated due to the presence of a putative lumen-targeting sequence. Antisera against Form II Rubisco from bacterial (Rhodospirillum rubrum) and dinoflagellate (Symbiodinium sp.) sources were both shown to label the chloroplast and pyrenoid of A. carterae . Antiserum to Form I …  Read more

Alba-Koch, Beatriz de (Supervisor)  Read more

Bidding for electricity supply, as adopted by the UK electric power system, is One of the best ways to introduce competition among electricity suppliers. This thesis research concentrates mainly on the study of the rules governing the operation of the England and Wales Power Pool, with the objective to explain and justify these rules through rigorous theoretical analysis, and to provide a deeper understanding of the pool operation. In order to provide a broader picture beyond the pool operation, an extensive review of the electricity industry in England and Wales as a whole is also presented. In the theoretical aspects …  Read more

A new approach has been studied for solution-phase oligosaccharide syntheses using low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ethers (MPEG, average Mn = 550 and 750) as oligomer supports. A complex branched mannononaose (Man9) has been synthesized by this method in a very concise way to yield a large quantity of final product. Attempt has been made towards the synthesis of a heptasaccharide phytoalexin elicitor (HPE). Model linear mannotetraose and branched mannopentaose were first tested using the novel HMB low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) linker. The use of this linker as the oligomer support retains the normal advantages of polymer-supported solution …  Read more

Chiral auxiliary 1,2-O-cyclopentylidene-5-deoxy-5-isopropylamino-alpha- D-xylofuranose 51 and its enantiomer 52 were synthesized from D-xylose and L-xylose respectively and treated with PC13 to form cyclic phosphochloridites 58 and 67, and then reacted with 5'-O- t-butyldimethylsilylthymidine to give diastereornerically pure cyclic phosphoramidites 60 and 68. They were coupled with 3'-O-t-butyldimethylsilylthymidine in the presence of 2-bromo-4,5-dicyanoimidazole 46 as catalyst, and then sulfurized with Beaucage's reagent to form protected dithymidine phosphorothioates 62 and 72 stereoselectively. After deprotection, Sp and Rp dithymidine phosphorothioates 65 and 66 were obtained respectively in 98% diastereomeric excess. The mechanism of the coupling reaction which involves only one inversion in the …  Read more

Eskimo peoples residing along the Bering Strait region of western Alaska and Soviet Chukotka were forcibly separated by the closing of the US-USSR border in 1948. As a result, all communications between these peoples ceased for a period of 40 years. Eskimos on each side were divided into separate streams of Soviet and American jurisdiction, and with the further development of both regions following the second world War, these people became the recipients of new broadcast services. These services, conceptualized and developed from completely differing philosophies concerning the nature, function, and operation of the press, brought Eskimos into the information …  Read more

Almost seventy-five percent of India's one billion people live in villages. Until recently, most of the villages were fairly isolated from external media influence. As these villages continued to modernize and gain access to services once thought to be limited to an urban environment, basic human needs began to change. Television, which used to be thought of as a luxury, has in the past 10--15 years become perceived as a necessity. Rural Maharashtrian villages have suddenly been propelled into the electronic information age. These societies that used to be defined by their own oral traditions and stories are now more …  Read more

The dissertation examines how image-making, a common pastime, was made common. It investigates the ways in which the production and consumption of images in the context of the North American family contributed to the development of a distinctly domestic and privatized visual culture, and the transformation of the home into a site for privatized spectatorship. Four cultural forms (No. 1 Kodak, Box Brownie, Cine Kodak and Cine Kodak 8) are specified in this development, all pioneered by the Eastman Kodak Company. The dissertation traces Eastman Kodak's direct involvement in the popularization of image practices. It analyzes strategies used by them …  Read more

Substantial numbers of adolescents suffer from the detrimental effects of internalized shame, however no assessment scale existed specifically for use with youth. Consequently, this study utilized multidimensional scaling, focus groups and questionnaires to develop the Adolescent Internalized Shame Scale. Analyzes revealed some clinicians do not adequately differentiate shame and guilt, adolescents unquestionably comprehend the feelings and ramifications of shame and there are significant gender differences in how youth experience shame. Statements generated by youth during focus groups and on the questionnaires raise considerable concerns regarding the painful experience of shame, and the resultant feelings of self-harm and suicide. In addition, …  Read more

In this dissertation I examine the issues concerning the problematics of historical-textual relations in the wake of the linguistic turn. I begin by showing how the emphasis on the generative rather than the mimetic properties of language has led a number of critics to reject the notion of knowledge as "accurate representation" (Richard Rorty), and then go on to demonstrate how this critical position has undermined the way in which literary and intellectual historians alike have traditionally understood such concepts as causality, human agency and social determination. I show that, in the light afforded by the linguistic turn, there can …  Read more

The present study was designed to investigate the neuropsychological functioning of two groups of children: one evaluated as having borderline psychopathology, and a second with psychiatric disorders such as conduct disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but not BPD. The total sample included 83 subjects, 71 boys and 12 girls, ranging in age from seven-12 years. Borderline psychopathology was assessed using the Child Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (C-DIB-R). Frontal-system functioning was assessed with the Continuous Performance Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Rey Complex Figure Test. IQ was evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third …  Read more

Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity varies temporally, with a peak being observed when this antibiotic is administered during the resting period and a trough when given during the activity period of rats. These variations are modified by fasting and by restricted feeding schedules. In this study, food and water intakes of adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were measured during pre-treatment (days 1 to 5) and during treatment (days 6 to 10) with gentamicin (80 mg/kg/day, i.p.) injected at 1300 h or 0100 h. A significantly higher level of serum creatinine was observed when gentamicin was administered at 1300 h compared to 0100 h, and …  Read more

Rytina, S. (Supervisor)  Read more

The goal of WITS Welding Intelligent Tutoring System is to provide a realistic and safe virtual reality environment to train electrical workers in performing standard alumino-thermal ground welding procedures on equipment in an electrical switching station yard. The WITS training system allows users to practice a variety of welding scenarios which satisfy company practices and provides help, feedback, and a performance evaluation. The Virtual Reality Interface, Expert System, Virtual Environment, and Monitoring modules of WITS are presented. This thesis focuses on the monitoring of human interactions in the WITS Welding Intelligent Tutoring System. The Monitoring module design includes welding task, …  Read more

Many studies have been done of Fakhr al-Dinal-Razi and his system of thought, taking into account his contributions from theology, philosophy, and exegesis. However, works specifically devoted to his exegetical thought have been few. In fact, none of these has dealt with al-Razi's exegetical methodology in the light of his basic assumptions regarding the Qur'an. In view of this fact, the present thesis aims at elucidating Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's methodology in interpreting the Qur'an in his magnum opus, known by the title al-Tafsir al-Kabir or Mafatiḥ al-Ghayb. In order to achieve this purpose, we will focus on his interpretation of …  Read more

This thesis contributes to knowledge in the field of medical anthropology, particularly in Egypt and the Middle East, in two specific ways. First, the thesis demonstrates how a limited focus on kinship and micro social relations precludes a full understanding of the life experiences of people, especially at times of illness. The thesis shows that these conceptual limitations stem from a romanticized view of Egyptian culture---a view that poorly corresponds to the contemporary Egyptian situation. The thesis proposes that social networks And the ground between micro and macro social associations need to be incorporated into future studies of medical anthropology …  Read more

Duquette, Jean-Pierce (Advisor)  Read more

Can states formally recognize cultural diversity and, at the same time, preserve their political and social unity and provide the main public goods of modern citizenship? Is such conciliation feasible? Is it morally desirable? In the current context of unprecedented expression and politicization of cultural identities, especially in democratic countries, such questions are more and more crucial. To answer these questions, the present study considers the contribution of the modern federal tradition. Within this tradition, I analyze four federal responses to the unity-diversity dilemma. The first two---the Belgian and Canadian federations---are practical. Each embodies one of the two dominant contemporary …  Read more