McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par A

Le nucléole est un organite sans membrane proéminent dans le noyau. Il est le principal site deproduction des ribosomes dans les cellules eucaryotes. Les premières observations enmicroscopie électronique des nucléoles ont révélé des sous-compartiments distincts, conduisant àune description statique de la structure nucléolaire. Plus précisément, les nucléoles ont étécatégorisés comme bipartites (contenant deux sous-compartiments) ou tripartites (contenant troissous-compartiments). Plus récemment, avec l’application de protéines fluorescentes, lesnucléoles ont été observés comme ayant une structure plus dynamique qu’une structure bipartiteou tripartite dans plusieurs espèces. De plus, avec les protéines fluorescentes, le nucléole a étéobservé comme s’assemblant via une séparation de phase liquide-liquide …  Read more

Harrison, Sarah (Supervisor2)  Read more

Mieux faire connaître le riche héritage de Hans-Joachim Iwand aux milieux théologiques nord-américains qui, à ce jour, sont fort peu sensibilisés à la contribution de cette figure de proue de la pensée protestante du XX° siècle, tel est le but de cette étude. Celle-ci soulève entre autres le fait que le principe du theologische Existenz avancé par Iwand permet d’envisager la théologie chrétienne dans le contexte de la «contextualité» qui anime en grande partie la pensée théologique contemporaine en Amérique du Nord. [...] La réflexion théologique d’Iwand constitue ainsi une source pertinente pour aider la communauté chrétienne à poursuivre plus …  Read more

The three studies described in this Doctoral Thesis pertain to the neurotransmitter serotonin, the environmental factor light, and their role in the regulation of human mood as well as behavioural and perceptual aspects of daily social interaction. Participants were healthy at the time of the study but considered at risk for mood disorders in the future. In Study 1, the serotonin system was manipulated by administering tryptophan. This resulted in a decrease in quarrelsome behaviours, an increase in agreeable behaviours, and improved mood. Changes in perceptions of others were also seen. In Study 2, acute tryptophan depletion was used in …  Read more

Palliative care provides symptom control, social, psychological and spiritual care for terminally ill patients, and psycho-social support and bereavement care for their families. Ethics is the study of rational processes for determining the best course of action between conflicting values and choices. All medicine is practiced within a defined cultural setting and local beliefs about health and illness may determine particular solutions to ethical problems. Culturo-religious beliefs and practices in Jamaica are linked historically to its people's African ancestry and to the syncretism of Euro-British values during slavery. The resulting socio-cultural and medical pluralism has presented an ethical dilemma concerning …  Read more

Many western societies place great emphasis on doctor-patient communication as an integral part of health care for patients. However, no substantial research has hitherto been done on doctor-patient communication in Jamaica. Such research is invaluable as cultural expectations may influence medical care and communication, and paradigms of doctor-patient communication in western, industrialized countries may not be generalizable to less industrialized countries like Jamaica. My research therefore sought to ascertain what factors affect the quality of doctor-patient communication in government hospitals in Jamaica, why, and how. A quantitative survey was done to gather the required data to ascertain what patients and …  Read more

Parathyroid Hormone-related Protein (PTHrP) was first identified as a tumor-derived product responsible for Malignancy Associated Hypercalcemia. The protein was characterized based on its ability to mimic Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) in kidney and bone. PTHrP is a secretory peptide with limited homology to PTH at the amino-terminus that allows it to bind to the common PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTH1R). Normal secretion of PTHrP has now been demonstrated in a number of tissues where it acts as an autocrine/paracrine mediator of cell growth and differentiation. Much of the documented biological activity of PTHrP is mediated through PTH1R however a body of evidence indicates …  Read more

The offshore oil industry is constantly seeking new and more cost efficient solutions to every aspect of their operations. In the later years, use of polymeric composite materials has proven to reduce cost and enhance reliability in several areas of oil operations. Several independent efforts, notably in Europe and in the US have targeted development of both spoolable and segmented fibre reinforced polymer pipe systems. These composite pipe systems have been designed for high internal pressure applications, with additional loads being both static and dynamic. In this research, the short-term, high strain, cyclic bending fatigue of spoolable glass-fibre reinforced epoxy …  Read more

Marino, Faleh Tamimi (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

La présente recherche a pour objet l'étude des corrélats neuronaux, chez des adultes jeunes et plus âgés, du traitement de signaux prosodiques liés à des groupements syntagmatiques ainsi que de l'influence du contexte visuel sur la perception de la prosodie. Les études sur la perception de la prosodie linguistique chez des adultes âgés montrent que ces individus demeurent sensibles à la prosodie, mais font état de différences subtiles dans le traitement prosodique. Le recours aux potentiels évoqués (PÉs) s'avère être un moyen utile d'investigation sur le traitement prosodique dans la mesure où ceux-ci permettent une analyse du traitement prosodique en …  Read more

Although the presence of phosphorus in phosphoproteins, phospholipids and nucleic acids has long been known, one of the significant advances in biochemistry in the past few decades has been the increasing realization of its central role in the metabolism of living organisms. In particular, it is now recognized that its function in the stepwise degradation reaction through which energy is harnessed and integrated with the synthetic processes, is essential for the maintenance of life.  Read more

Lessard, Larry (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

This study explored the teaching of agriculture in Kenya's primary schools. It sought in particular to determine how the principles of "modern" agriculture may be taught effectively. Previous studies on education and agricultural productivity have ignored the mechanisms through which schooling affects the acquisition of agricultural knowledge and skills. This study attempted to bridge this gap. To do so field work was carried out in four schools and their catchment areas in Kiambu and Kwale districts of Kenya. The data stemmed from field notes, tape recorded lesson transcripts, interviews and questionnaires as well as an exhaustive review of prior studies …  Read more

Les vers de terre (VDT) contribuent dans la dynamique d'azote (N) en agroécosystèmes par la libération directe de N à travers leurs populations, et par leurs effets indirects sur les processus physiques, chimiques et biologiques du sol. Malgré une littérature abondante sur l'écologie des VDT, les études examinant leur rôle sur la dynamique de N selon l'écologie stœchiométrique font défaut. Combler ce manque est d'une grande importance, particulièrement en agroécosystèmes tempérés où les VDT constituent la faune dominante du sol en biomasse. Cette étude a pour objective d'élucider les mécanismes physiologiques régulant la stœchiométrie de N dans le corps des …  Read more

Au cours de la dernière décennie, il a été démontré que les réseaux de neurones artificiels peuvent accomplir des tâches complexes de reconnaissance d'images du fait de leur capacité à distiller mathématiquement, à partir de données brutes, des concepts d'ordre supérieur. Par conséquent, les réseaux de neurones sont de plus en plus appliqués, en sciences naturelles, à l'analyse de données d'imagerie. Appuyés par la technique des réseaux de neurones, nous présentons une méthode d'analyse d'images de diffractions produites par des expériences de spectroscopie de corrélation de photons X (XPCS, pour "X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy"). Dans ces expériences, les photons sont …  Read more

Sensible heat flux, a key component of the surface energy balance, is difficult to estimate in practice. This study was conducted to see if backpropagation neural networks could estimate sensible heat flux by using horizontal wind speed, air temperature, radiometric surface temperature, net radiation, and time as input. Ground measurements from the First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment (FIFE), collected in 1987 and 1989 over a prairie grassland in Kansas, were used for network training and validation. Networks trained on part of the data from a narrow range of space-time coordinates performed well over the other …  Read more

On-chip signal extraction and characterization structures are slowly becoming a necessary component of any complex integrated circuit design. The increased integration of the modern System On a Chip has necessitated the development of these alternate test strategies to address the issue of device node access and signal integrity. The process of extracting a signal in an analog form across a chip boundary can often compromise its true nature, as these new systems stretch performance limits. The aim of this thesis is to introduce two circuits for on-chip sub-nanosecond signal capture. The emphasis is placed on providing gigahertz rate effective sampling …  Read more

Le cannabis (Cannabis sativa) a une longue histoire d'utilisation médicinale et récréative, ses effets étant largement attribués à des cannabinoïdes comme le tétrahydrocannabinol (THC) et le cannabidiol (CBD). Avec la progression de la légalisation mondiale, la demande de produits de cannabis de haute qualité a considérablement augmenté, entraînant un besoin de techniques améliorées pour la pureté des cannabinoïdes. Les trichomes du cannabis, qui produisent et stockent les résines de la plante, sont essentiels pour la synthèse de composés tels que le THC et sa forme acide, le THCA. Le kief, une poudre dérivée de ces trichomes, est collecté par diverses …  Read more

This study is intended to investigate the concept of pleasure as developed by Nasir-i Khusraw, a prominent Isma'ili philosopher and theologian of the fifth century hijrah. This concept seems to be one of the central themes of Nasir's thought system. From Nasir's works, it appears that according to him the concept of pleasure is not simply an ethical problem but a cosmic principle active and functional on all the existential levels. Every being experiences pleasure in its specific way by performing the function assigned to it. Through this function or activity every being perpetuates its existence and preserves its well-being. …  Read more

PURPOSE: The present investigation evaluated the osteoconductive potential of bovine bone (Bio-Oss®) as an onlay grafting material in conjunction with a bioresorbable trimethylene carbonate, L-lactide and polyglycolide barrier, in a rabbit model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In twelve White New Zealand rabbits, the lateral aspect of the mandible was exposed and four monocortical holes were drilled, under copious irrigation, to expose the marrow space. A bioresorbable trimethylene carbonate, L-lactide and polyglycolide chamber filled with Bio-Oss® and autogenous blood was adapted and fixed over the drilled holes, using four bioresorbable tacks. A similar procedure was performed on the opposite side but without …  Read more

Les interférons sont des cytokines antivirales qui provoquent chez l'hôte une réponse immunitaire aux infections virales en régulant à la hausse plus de 300 gènes stimulés par l'interféron (ISGs). Plusieurs de ces gènes sont des effecteurs antiviraux qui confèrent aux cellules une résistance à l'infection virale. Parmi les ISGs les plus hautement induits, on trouve la famille de protéines induites par l'interféron contenant des répétitions tétratricopeptides (IFITs) – un groupe d'effecteurs du système immunitaire inné dont les membres sont IFIT1, IFIT2, IFIT3 et IFIT5. Les effets protecteurs des IFITs étaient initialement attribués à la modulation de processus cellulaires par des …  Read more

The continued combustion of fossil fuels to fulfill global energy demand is being questioned because of the well-known problem of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, which introduces new carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, into the environment causing climate change. However, the inherent advantages of combustion-based engines, e.g., energy and power densities, make it hard for other power systems to compete; hence, a leading strategy is to avoid burning fossil fuels by using alternative renewable fuels, such as hydrogen and renewable biofuels. Adaptability with alternative renewable fuels that have variable compositions is referred to as fuel flexibility, which is an important …  Read more

Introduction: Cisplatin, as one of the most efficient chemotherapeutic agents, is limited in its use by the serious side effect of ototoxicity. In spite of advances in modern preventive treatment, ototoxicity remains an important dose-limiting side effect of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The purpose of the present project was to improve a chinchilla animal model of systemic cisplatin administration, and to design an instrument for transtympanic drug delivery to the round window membrane of the same animal model. Material and Methods: For the first part of the project, a total number of 18 female chinchillas were divided into three groups. The animals …  Read more

The goal of this dissertation is to explore and demonstrate the applications of numerical methods for elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs). The numerical methods presented, as we will see, are applicable in a variety of contexts, ranging from computational geometry to machine learning. The general analytic framework of this dissertation is viscosity solutions for elliptic PDEs. The corresponding numerical framework belongs to Barles and Souganidis, with emphasis on its reinterpretation using elliptic finite difference schemes in lieu of monotone schemes. The first problem considered was building a multi-criteria anomaly detection algorithm that can be applied in a real-time setting. The …  Read more

The Mean Axis of Rotation (MAR) Analysis is an analysis procedure used to diagnose problems in the cervical spine. Researchers have shown that many patient symptoms can be correlated to abnormal MAR placement [1], making MAR analysis an important tool in medical diagnosis. However, the current method of calculating the MAR for a single patient is manual, and very labour intensive, thus rendering it impractical to use MAR Analysis in a general clinical setting. This work presents a computer vision based tool which performs the MAR Analysis in a semi-automatic manner, greatly reducing the effort required by the manual procedure. …  Read more

L'application d'engrais et la gestion de la nappe phréatique sont essentielles pour fournir des nutriments aux cultures et une nappe phréatique optimale dans les sols qui favorisent la croissance des cultures. Toutefois, ces pratiques influencent les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (CO2 et N2O) des sols agricoles et contribuent aux changements climatiques. Des études antérieures ont évalué l’effet d’une seule pratique, sur les émissions de CO2 et N2O, mais les pratiques sont complexes et interdépendantes. La présente recherche s'est concentrée sur l’effet d’une combinaison de pratiques de gestion des engrais et de l’eau ; en tenant compte des …  Read more

Nicolau, Dan (Supervisor2)  Read more

Breast cancer is considered the second most commonly diagnosed type of cancer across the world. The common modes of treatment are limited by severe side-effects that hinder the efficacy of the drugs, compromise the patients' quality of life and often lead to other disorders. One of the main focuses of nanobiotechnology research is to develop novel anti-cancer drug delivery systems that improve the drug efficacy, limit harmful side effects and also allow for the delivery of developing therapeutics that are rapidly degraded in circulation, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA). Nano-carriers are helpful particularly in anti-cancer drug delivery due to …  Read more

La présente recherche s’est penchée sur les impacts des émotions positives comme la joie et la satisfaction, ainsi que les émotions négatives telles l’anxiété et le désenchantement, chez les adultes apprenant l’anglais comme langue seconde (ALS). Le but de cette étude était d’observer l’effet qu’a l’apprentissage d’une langue sur la compréhension des émotions afin de mieux intégrer celles-ci dans le vocabulaire appris.Les méthodes de recherche utilisées comprenaient l’observation des étudiants et la complétion de questionnaires ayant comme thèmes l’occurrence et l’impact des émotions positives et négatives. Il fut constaté que la joie et la satisfaction avaient un impact bénéfique sur …  Read more

L'industrie minière entre dans une nouvelle ère grâce à l'extraction des ressources des astéroïdes. Les pays et les entreprises s'intéressent de plus en plus à l'exploitation des astéroïdes. L'examen direct des météorites et l'étude à distance des astéroïdes révèlent une richesse minérale bien au-delà des dépôts terrestres actuellement exploités. Par conséquent, les entreprises minières d'astéroïde doivent tenir compte des marchés où la rareté des ressources nuit à la croissance de la demande.. Cela évite les chocs potentiels sur le marché et sécurise la chaîne d'approvisionnement finale, ce qui, à son tour, amène des investisseurs et des prix stables. Le mémoire …  Read more

Pour maintenir leur stabilité fonctionnelle face aux perturbations continues, les circuits neuronaux utilisent la plasticité synaptique homéostatique (PSH), un mécanisme de rétrocontrôle négatif qui ajuste la force synaptique en réponse à des modifications chroniques de l’activité. Une forme bien caractérisée de PSH est l’augmentation compensatoire des transmissions excitatrices lors d’une réduction prolongée de l’activité neuronale. Le facteur de nécrose tumorale alpha (TNF), une cytokine libérée par les cellules gliales, joue un rôle central dans ce processus en régulant le trafic des récepteurs AMPA. Toutefois, l’origine cellulaire du TNF dans ce contexte physiologique ainsi que les mécanismes régissant sa production restent …  Read more

Les processus de fertilisation et de développement embryonnaire dépendent de l'acquisition d’une compétence développementale par l'ovocyte. Cette compétence est obtenue lorsque la croissance et la maturation méiotique de l’ovocyte sont achevées. Par conséquent, approfondir notre compréhension de la biologie fondamentale de ces deux événements cruciaux en conditions physiologiques est essentiel. Cela pourrais permettre une meilleure compréhension des anomalies du développement ovocytaire, qui se manifestent directement par l'infertilité. Dans cette thèse, je présente à la fois les événements impliqués dans la croissance des ovocytes, ainsi que ceux impliqués dans la maturation méiotique. Dans mon manuscrit, je me concentre sur le rôle …  Read more

Energy conservation is an important policy for every nation. Exploiting sustainable energy resources has gained ground due to shortages and increasing prices of fossil fuels. Mining represents a significant portion of Canada's resource-based industry sector and consumes a huge amount of energy for operation and post-mining activities. Therefore, any cut in energy consumption lowers costs and increases profits. Underground mines have excellent potential for implementation of geothermal energy systems using one of two methods. In the first, underground mine water that has flowed through warm layers of the ground and found its way to mine openings is pumped to the …  Read more

Bourbeau, Jean (Supervisor1)  Read more

Heat penetration data were obtained for a canned food model (gelatinized waxy maize starch) during processing in an agitating retort under various conditions to evaluate the effect of process variables on the heat penetration parameters (f$ sb{ rm h}$ and j$ sb{ rm ch}$) and resulting process lethality (F$ sb{ rm o}$) and cook value (C$ sb{ rm o}$). Overall heat transfer coefficient (U$ sb{ rm o}$), Hunter L, a and b values were determined. The study indicated that f$ sb{ rm h}$, j$ sb{ rm ch}$, F$ sb{ rm o}$, C$ sb{ rm o}$ and U$ sb{ rm o}$ …  Read more

Spinal adaptive response in the frontal plane was investigated in relationship to pelvic unleveling during gait. Kinematic data were collected from 10 healthy adult subjects (5 male, 5 female) for walking and running on the treadmill at self-selected speeds. Spine and pelvic kinematic patterns and ranges of motion (ROM) were investigated with gender, speed and slope as factors. Speed and slope had the greatest impact on changes in the amplitude of the spine's kinematic patterns. Interaction effects were seen for speed and slope for the ROM, particularly of the greater trochanter (p < .047), PSIS (p < .011) and for …  Read more

Cette thèse évalue le statut des droits des personnes handicapées dans le contexte Africain, en puisant dans des perspectives internationales, régionales et nationales. Elle étudie également l'adéquation et l'efficacité des cadres légaux existants actuellement en Afrique pour établir les pleins droits civils des personnes handicapées.La thèse commence par passer en revue plusieurs modèles théoriques et conceptuels des droits des personnes handicapées et l'émergence de droits antidiscriminatoires et du devoir d'accommodation dans plusieurs juridictions. Elle examine ensuite les développements significatifs dans le droit international de la personne, culminant avec l'entrée en vigueur de la Convention relative aux droits des personnes handicapées. …  Read more

A land tenure system is a set of rules which govern social relations between peoples in respect to land. It defines the property rights in land of individuals or groups in a specific locality or society. The property rights, which are in effect bundles of rights, may include the right to use, lease, mortgage, transfer, and so on. The source of these tenurial rules can be either customs or enacted laws. This thesis examines in detail these aspects of land tenure systems in respect to Eritrea, a country situated in the Horn of East Africa. Accordingly, the indigenous systems of …  Read more

Wind generation has become the most important alternate energy source and has experienced increased growth in Europe during the past decade while more recently, the same trends have been exhibited in North America. Although it has great potential as an alternative to less environmentally friendly energy sources, there are various technical challenges that cause wind to be regarded negatively by many utilities. Others are hesitant to accept its widespread implementation, particularly when the penetration of wind in a given area is high. This work presents the addition of an energy storage system to a wind turbine design. Various advantages are …  Read more

This thesis proposes a methodology for planning, scheduling and on-line control of an energy storage system for the integration of wind energy. Using the case study of a remote wind-diesel system, the different time frames of the design and implementation process are detailed. First, a long-term planning approach for rating of the power and energy capacities of the ESS is presented, based on stochastic optimization. The formulation is then adapted into a hourly scheduling approach and results are compared with the expected cost of energy and energy requirements resulting from the planning study. The optimization results are used as training …  Read more

Bien que le consentement éclairé soit une partie intégrante de la médecine contemporaine, un fossé entre les objectifs éthiques et les connaissances psychologiques demeure présent. En effet, malgré l'accumulation de preuves scientifiques démontrant l'influence du formulaire de consentement sur le comportement humain, les médecins et bioéthiciens considèrent rarement ce dernier comme ayant un impact thérapeutique. Nous explorons ici la possibilité de percevoir cette norme de diligence comme étant à la fois une obligation éthique du milieu clinique et une procédure thérapeutique pouvant, probablement par le biais d'un effet placebo, aider ou nuire à la santé de l'individu.En premier lieu, dans …  Read more

This study focuses on the effects of nominal shocks on the real exchange rate. The model used to determine the effects of a monetary expansion on the real exchange rate assumes instantaneously clearing asset markets and sticky goods prices. A monetary expansion causes the nominal exchange rate to initially overshoot its long run equilibrium value followed by a series of appreciations. The real exchange rate depreciates sharply and then appreciates until its initial value is restored. A simple monetary model, a sticky price monetary model and a random walk model are empirically tested with Canadian/U.S. data over the 1972-1989 time …  Read more

This dissertation reads Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) as a reader of two French moralists--Francois de la Rocbefoucauld (1613-80) and Sebastien Roch Nicolas Chamfort (1741-94). The works of Nietzsche's middle period are studied--Human, All too Human (1879), and Daybreak (1881) and The Gay Science (1882). The study argues that reading Nietzsche as a descendant of and dissenter from the moralist tradition sheds new light on his thought and brings certain concepts into focus. The key concepts and questions explored are: morality, egoism, vanity and self-love, pity and its cognate emotions, friendship, aristocracy, honour, women, marriage and gender relations. Throughout the dissertation the …  Read more

The dose-response relation and tolerance pattern of morphine in the formalin test, an animal model of tonic pain, were shown to be similar to those observed clinically in man. Tolerance was negligible and there was a ceiling to amount of analgesia once the acute depressant effects of morphine abate. In contrast, in the tail-flick test marked tolerance was seen in which the dose-response curve was shifted towards higher doses. These differences suggest that the underlying neural mechanisms involved in morphine analgesia in the formalin and tail-flick tests are different. In confirmation, brainstem lesions in the raphe magnus and the caudal …  Read more