McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the terminal enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, is composed of thirteen structural subunits, and requires the addition of several prosthetic groups including, copper and heme moieties, and magnesium and zinc ions. Deficiencies in the assembly of COX lead to several clinical phenotypes including Leigh syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In this study, RNA interference was used in a human cell line to stably knockdown the expression of COX11, a COX assembly factor thought to be involved in Cu B site metallation. These cells showed a reduction in both COX assembly and activity, which were suppressed by …  Read more

The nerve growth factor family of neurotrophins play multiple roles in both the developing and mature mammalian nervous systems. During development, neurotrophins are typically thought to act as retrogradely-derived signals that mediate the survival of innervating neurons. However, recent studies have highlighted different mechanisms of delivery and multiple functions for certain neurotrophins, extending their scope of biological activity beyond that suggested by the neurotrophic hypothesis. This thesis highlights two novel roles for the neurotrophin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in the mammalian nervous system, and the mechanisms by which these events are mediated. First, we show that BDNF is anterogradely transported …  Read more

L'obésité est une cause importante de mortalité et de morbidité à travers le monde. Bien que l'association entre l'obésité et la mortalité en population générale soit bien connue, quelques auteurs ont rapporté que l'obésité pouvait conférer un avantage en termes de survie auprès des personnes souffrant de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV). Ce phénomène est connu sous le nom de « paradoxe de l'obésité ». Toutefois, ce résultat paradoxal pourrait être du à un biais de sélection et ne pas représenter un réel effet protecteur de l'obésité sur la mortalité auprès des personnes souffrant de MCV. Un niveau supplémentaire de difficulté dans …  Read more

Sabiston, Catherine (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

"L'analyse et la caracterisation de la securite en regime permanent pour un reseau et transmission ont ete etudiees dans le contexte de la theorie des ensembles. L'etude est divisee en trois parties: un examen detaille: des aspects theoriques des regions de securite generale; la formulation et l'analyse de probleme de la caracterisation d'un ensemble de points de fonctionnement par une fonction simple, sous forme explicite, et l'etude de la capacite de charge d'un reseau. Une analyse theorique a permis de deriver des relations approximative generales, exprimant les variables dependantes de l'ecoulement de puissance en terme des injections de noeud. Le …  Read more

The need for high bandwidth is rapidly increasing mainly due to the adoption of data-hungry services such as online streaming of high-definition videos, online gaming, and cloud services. Further, end-users want to access data from anywhere and as fast as possible. This has created a momentum in telecommunication industry to push for higher bandwidth and low latency communication links. So far, this goal has been achieved by expanding data centers infrastructure and increasing the number of components as well as developing high bandwidth optoelectronic circuitry. The advances in downsizing integrated circuits (ICs) is supporting the latter, resulting in the implementation …  Read more

The efficiencies of many rigidly held cis-aquahydroxotetraazacobalt(III) complexes in promoting the hydrolysis of phosphate esters (BDNPP, BNPP, NPP) have been compared. The phosphate diester bond in ((trpn)Co(OH)(BNPP)) $ sp{+}$ is hydrolyzed at about the same rate as BNPP bound to a real enzyme from Enterobacter aerogenes and about 10$ sp{10}$ times more rapidly than free BNPP. The dramatic increase in the activity of the Co(III) complex with change in the tetraamine ligand structure can be explained in terms of a detailed mechanism of the reaction. Co(III) complexes, ((tren)Co(OH$ sb2)$(OH)) $ sp{2+}$ and ((trpn)Co(OH$ sb2)$(OH)) $ sp{2+}$ have been shown to …  Read more

Membrane distillation, a process in which vapor from a liquid feed passes through the pores of a hydrophobic membrane, was investigated as a possible technique for desalination and for the removal of ethanol, acetone and benzene from water. Three different membrane modules were used in the experiments examining the impact of operating variables upon permeate flux and quality. A mathematical model was developed and validated for the membrane distillation process. In the desalination study, two modules with built-in condensing surfaces were used for conducting experiments on flat membrane sheets. The quality of the permeate, quantified by conductivity measurements, and the …  Read more

This study examines the association between immigrant women's self-reported health and their employment status and occupation using data on 859 immigrant women aged 20--64 from the 1994--95 National Population Health Survey. Of this group, 502 were in paid employment, 107 assessed their global health as poor, and 158 reported one or more disability days in the previous two weeks. Distress scores ranged from 0--21 (mean 3.85). Logistic and multiple linear regression showed being employed (vs. not being in paid employment) was associated with better self-assessed global health when age, education, income, marital status, country of birth and time since immigration …  Read more

Introduction. After several years of decline, the prevalence of smoking among Canadian adolescents has stabilized at 18%. A lack of knowledge about the process of smoking cessation among adolescents, about how cessation behaviours should be measured, and about the environmental and social factors that influence cessation, has impeded research that would support the development of cessation programs targeted specifically to adolescent smokers that could further reduce the prevalence of smoking. The objectives of this dissertation were to investigate newly initiated adolescent smokers: (i) to identify measures of cessation relevant to the early stages of smoking onset and nicotine dependence; (ii) …  Read more

Les faisceaux kilovoltage (kV) de rayons x peuvent être calibrés avec la méthode in-phantom en déterminant la dose absorbée dans l’eau à une profondeur de 2 cm dans un fantôme d’eau. Le facteur de correction global de la chambre tient compte des changements dans la réponse de la chambre dus au déplacement de l’eau par la cavité et la paroi de la chambre, à la présence de la tige et au changement de la distribution énergétique et angulaire des photons incidents dans le fantôme par rapport à celle dans l’air. Les effets d’une gaine imperméable (si nécessaire) sont pris en …  Read more

Enger, Shirin Abbasi Nejad (Supervisor1)  Read more

This is a study of adoptions completed through The Children's Service Centre of Montreal, to determine by personal interview with 22 adoptive parents how successful they feel their adoption has been, after having had the 25 children in their homes for ten years or more. Since adoption involves deep emotions, success or failure is dependent upon and reflected in attitudes and feelings in the relationships of family members. Thus, in learning how parents actually feel, the study attempts to test theoretical knowledge underlying current adoption procedure.  Read more

The most southern portion of the area brought within this report is the mouth of Powell Eiver, which enters the Gulf of Georgia nearly opposite the northern end of Texada Island and sixty-five miles north of the eity of Vancouver. From Powell River, geological mapping was carried northward to the entrance of Kingeome Inlet. [...]  Read more

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is commonly used in solution crystallization studies to monitor the crystal formation process. This analysis reflects the molecular vibrations within the solution. A crystallization process that is currently a very popular area of study is hydrate formation due to the possible application of gas hydrate research in the energy sector. A study of molecular vibrations was performed on two types of structure I gas hydrate, methane and carbon dioxide. Experiments were performed with a specialized high pressure sample cell placed inside an FTIR spectrometer. The experimentation was carried out at 253.15 K for both the …  Read more

The signal transduction pathways that mediate metabolic and mitogenic effects in primary rat hepatocytes were investigated. Transcriptional inhibition by insulin of the metabolic gene insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) was P13-kinase-dependent and sensitive to rapamycin, an Inhibitor of p7Os6k activation at the level of mTOR. In hepatocytes, P13-kinase contributes to p70s6k activation. Our results described the first example of an insulin-specific gene, whose regulation is both P13-kinase- and p70s6k-dependent. MAP kinases were not Involved in regulating this nuclear event. DNA synthesis by insulin was not effected by to MAP kinase signalling pathway, but was p13-kinase-dependent and sensitive to rapamycin. …  Read more

Let (En) x1’(t) = f1(t,x1(t),…,xn(t),x1(t-w),…,xn(t-w)) (i=1,…,n), w>0, be a system of n difference-differential equations of the first order on some domain D of (t,x1,…xn,y1,…,yn) space. Our aim is to establish certain conditions which will ensure that the maximum and minimum solutions of the equations (En) passing through certain strips will exist in the extended sense. The majority of the work to appear in this thesis is a generalization or results from the theory or ordinary differential equations.  Read more

En l'absence d'interventions politiques efficaces, on estime qu'un milliard de personnes mourront du tabagisme au cours du 21e siècle. La Convention-cadre de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) pour la lutte antitabac (CCLAT), entrée en vigueur en 2005, est l'un des traités mondiaux les plus largement adaptés en matière de santé. Les évaluations d'impact de la première décennie d'application de la CCLAT de l'OMS ont montré que si le tabagisme a diminué à l'échelle mondiale, les pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire (PRFI) n'étaient pas en mesure de respecter les normes minimales. La région africaine, en particulier, a été ciblée …  Read more

Canada has a long history of immigration and has been and remains to be the new home for millions of people from all over the world. From 2016 to 2021, over 1.3 million immigrants settled permanently in Canada and 218,430 of them were new refugees. Over the past five years, Québec has emerged as one of the leading provinces in Canada in terms of accepting a significant number of refugees and is committed to offering respect, equality, and protection to the people who are displaced, persecuted or in danger including refugee girls and young women. The conditions of refugees in …  Read more

The purpose of this research is to develop a new tool for mechanical design and analysis of single crystal (SC) nickel base superalloys used in gas turbine engine components. The principle of this tool is based on the extension of the predictive models for isotropic material behavior to anisotropic materials such as SC nickel, base superalloys. This objective is achieved by combining the two main approaches used in the literature for SC materials development: the macroscopic approach and the microscopic approach. For that reason, this theory is designated as the "combined approach " (CA). The structure of the CA theory …  Read more

Contexte: La sténose aortique (SA), la forme la plus courante de valvulopathie dans les pays développés, est caractérisée par la calcification ectopique des feuillets de la valve et pourrait partager des mécanismes génétiques communs avec l'ostéoporose. L'identification de voies génétiques communes entre l'ostéoporose et la SA pourrait mener vers de nouvelles thérapies qui freineraient la calcification ectopique, ralentissant ainsi la progression de la SA. Par conséquent, nous avons cherché à déterminer si des variants génétiques qui prédisposent à l'ostéoporose pourraient également être associés avec la SA, individuellement ou lorsque combinés dans un score de risque génétique (genetic risk score, ou …  Read more

Albuquerque, Rubens Ferreira (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

Jane Austen's novels abound with readers "reading" not only texts but also speech, gestures, looks, scenery, events, each other, themselves. Readers in the novels illuminate her assumptions about readers of the novels; unlike eighteenth-century novelists who judged fiction by readers' responses and who tried to manipulate those responses, she accepted that not all readers read alike. Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice explore different styles of reading and suggest some ways are more successful than others. A good reader observes accurately, reflects carefully, and judges candidly, disciplining subjective feelings with "objective" truths of religion and morality; above …  Read more

Les détaillants utilisent de plus en plus les sciences comportementales pour orienter les choix des consommateurs, conciliant ainsi objectifs de rentabilité et promotion de choix sains et responsables. Cette proposition examine comment des stratégies promotionnelles telles que le regroupement de produits, les réductions et l’architecture des choix peuvent encourager des décisions plus saines. En combinant les perspectives de l'économie comportementale, de la gestion des opérations et de l’apprentissage automatique, nous visons à développer un cadre permettant d’informer les pratiques commerciales socialement responsables sans compromettre la rentabilité, garantissant ainsi leur viabilité à long terme. Dans le premier chapitre, nous explorons comment …  Read more

While the concept of medical futility has existed for as long as medicine has been practiced, it remains a controversial issue that has become more clouded as medicine has advanced. This thesis will explore futility in the most technologically rich and emotionally charged of settings, the intensive care unit. The complex interactions of biology, ethics and the law, with their competing and sometimes conflicting interests will be explored. Disputes between patients, families and health care workers over life-sustaining interventions occur most often in the ICU, and the factors that influence this dynamic, such as lack of communication, time constraints, media-driven …  Read more

The objective of this thesis is to isolate the symbolism of ornaments and armaments in the epics and in the rituals of Kannaki and Draupadi A detailed comparison of ornaments and armaments in the Cilappatikaram and in the Mahabharata will be provided, as well as an analysis of the function and meaning of these objects in the ritual traditions of Kannaki and Draupadi A study of the epic and ritual significance of ornaments and armaments will not only contribute tn the understanding of the nature and the role of these symbols, but should also shed light on the interaction between …  Read more

This is a study of the causes of the failure of the Community Development Program in India. The method used is a sample survey of all family heads in twenty-one villages in a rice producing area in West Bengal, combined with extensive qualitative interviewing of informants, government officials, and other relevant personnel. The study shows that a principal cause of the failure of the program is the steep system of stratification--in terms of economic resources, prestige, and power--that characterizes rural society in this area and the high degree of village fragmentation resulting, in part, from the caste system. The conclusion …  Read more

An in-depth study of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record has never been accomplished prior to the events of September 11 th. It is of great importance to distinguish both of these concepts as they entail different legal consequence. API is to be understood as a data transmission that Border Control Authorities possess in advance in order to facilitate the movements of passengers. It is furthermore imperative that harmonization and inter-operability between States be achieved in order for this system to work. Although the obligations seem to appear for air carriers to be extraneous, the positive impact is greater …  Read more

Project finance is a debt finance and risk allocation technique. In Mexico, contracts of this nature mostly arise as a result of a government procurement process. In such projects, there is a limited amount of freedom for the negotiation of the contractual terms and conditions. Contracts for the engineering, procurement and construction of power plants implemented under the project finance structure are subject to the ordinary law of contracts as opposed to the administrative law which may place the government in a stronger bargaining position. Regardless of the application of the private or administrative law the principle of autonomy of …  Read more

Dans cette thèse, la synthèse plasma-chimique de carburants et de produits chimiques à grande valeur ajoutée a été étudiée. Les processus de reformage sont l'épine dorsale de la transformation des huiles lourdes en carburants à grande valeur ajoutée qui soutiennent notre consommation d'énergie. Les procédés conventionnels, tels que le craquage catalytique fluide ou le reformage à la vapeur, génèrent d'énormes quantités de CO2 et sont un contributeur majeur aux émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES). Plusieurs efforts pour lutter contre les changements climatiques et l'accent mis récemment sur les solutions énergétiques durables ont renforcé la nécessité de produire …  Read more

The chemotherapy of solid tumours is hampered by two major obstacles: (1) the lack of selectivity of the current drugs and (2) the reduced sensitivity to tumour drugs. Recent advances in cancer biology have led to the identification of novel molecular targets responsible for aggressive proliferation, drug resistance and invasiveness. Targeting one such factor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has proven an effective strategy to block the progression of solid tumours. However, the potency of the current clinical drugs directed at EGFR is mitigated by their reversible cytostatic activity and reduced cytotoxicity. Here we describe the design and synthesis of …  Read more

Historical evidence has shown that increases in coffee prices, though generating a short term gain in export earnings for producers, also lead to increased plantings of the coffee crop. This in turn leads to overproduction and a subsequent drop in coffee prices. The establishment of the International Coffee Agreements was meant to stabilize this fluctuating behaviour in coffee prices. The purpose of this paper is to present an overall analysis of coffee prices in order to predict the future course of prices under two circumstances. First, when the international coffee market is governed by the mandates of the International Coffee …  Read more

The fundamental skeletal substance of the cell walls of terrestrial plants is cellulose, a linear macromolecule built up of (1-4)-linked X-D-glucopyranose residues. In its native state cellulose may have a weight-average degree of polymerization in the neighborhood of 10,000. In wood, the cellulose bundles are imbedded in an amorphous mass of lignin and a polysaccharide material known as hemicellulose. Lignin is a three-dimensional polymer of phenyl propane units. [...]  Read more

This thesis delineates the context and history of the field of cultural studies, specifically tracing the construction of culture as a site of critical theory. Primarily, it explores the influence of Marxist philosophies in politicizing the culture concept, and subsequently surveys the set of internal debates in progressive theory. Comparing the various strengths and limitations of political economy, American cultural consumption discourse, and British cultural materialism, ultimately the thesis argues in favour of instating the third paradigm as the privileged analytical model of progressive scholarship. Cultural materialism is cited for its methodological excellence and political relevance in the contemporary world.  Read more

This thesis is concerned with an exploratory analysis of case aide practices in five hospital social service departments. Administrative personnel have become increasingly alert to the possibility of separating the more routine duties, which have been traditionally part of the function of a social service department from those services that are professional in order to pass them on to personnel suitably trained at a non-professional or technician level.  Read more

Furness, L. (Supervisors)  Read more

Carruthers, C. (Supervisors)  Read more

Lewis, David (Supervisor)  Read more

Clayards, Meghan (Supervisor1)  Read more

Un signal omniprésent dans nos interactions avec les enfants est le regard référentiel (quand une personne regarde un objet). Le regard référentiel est important parce que nous pouvons apprendre de notre environnement à partir de ce signal subtil. Il est souvent proposé que les enfants considèrent le regard référentiel comme un signal qui traduit l'intention communicative d'un autre, et qu'ainsi, ils sont capables d'apprendre de nouveaux mots ou de prédire les actions d'autrui. Cependant, une autre possibilité est que les enfants traitent simplement le regard référentiel comme un signal pour prêter attention à quelque chose. Il est essentiel de comprendre …  Read more

L'introduction massive d'appareils mobiles, ainsi que la croissance importante des réseaux mobiles, s'avère une des tendances les plus importantes par rapport aux technologies de l'information aujourd'hui. Toutefois, même avec l'importance croissante du médium mobile, il existe un manque en matière de recherches empiriques étudiant les impacts du médium mobile. Cette thèse comprend les résultats de trois études empiriques étudiant les impacts du médium mobile sur utilisateurs de commerce électronique, ainsi que sur le marché traditionnel en ligne, notamment sur commerçants et consommateurs en ligne.Étude 1 se concentre sur les impacts inter-médiums et de performance du médium mobile. Plus précisément, j'identifie …  Read more

In recent years video communication over packet switched networks such as the Internet has become universal and very important. These networks currently provide very limited or no end-to-end Quality of Service. Transmission of compressed video over these networks is thus highly susceptible to errors and packet losses. This problem is severe and leads to a substantial deterioration of received video quality.This dissertation investigates end-to-end distortion estimation techniques and novel prediction schemes for enhancing the error resilience of video transmission over unreliable networks, such as Internet and wireless networks. The major objective is to balance the tradeoff between coding efficiency and …  Read more