McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

Girard (54) found that rabbits in a state of induced monocytosis produced antisera of higher titre than normal rabbits. He also demonstrated that during active or passive immunization, the antibodies were concentrated in the monocytes. These findings suggest that monocytes may play a part in the production of antibodies or merely store them. Exudates rich in monocytes were obtained from rabbits in a state of artificially induced monocytosis. The monocytosis was induced by injections of MPA (Monocytosis producing agent) which was prepared from an extract of L. monocytogenes. [...]  Read more

Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) has been implicated in exacerbating disease severity in cutaneous leishmaniasis, yet its precise role in Leishmania fitness and host immune modulation remains poorly understood. LRV2 can be transmitted between parasites via extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are key mediators in cell-to-cell communication, transporting DNA, proteins, and metabolites. Previous studies have established that Leishmania EVs are critical mediators of immune evasion and disease progression, enriching virulence factors such as GP63 to modulate macrophage signaling, inhibit microbicidal functions, and influence inflammatory cell recruitment. However, the impact of EVs carrying LRV2 on host immune responses and its contribution to …  Read more

The experiments reported in the present dissertation investigated the contribution of the pyriform cortex and of the basolateral amygdala to three classes of affective behavior: conditioned aversions, conditioned preferences, and neophobia. It was demonstrated that lesions of the pyriform cortex cause an impairment in the acquisition of aversions to olfactory, but not gustatory, stimuli and that this impairment is not secondary to alterations in primary olfactory function. The acquisition of a preference for a particular odor paired with reward was also shown to be impaired by such lesions. These results are discussed in terms of the rich innervation of the …  Read more

The corresponding isoperoxidases from the flax genotrophs L and S have different molecular weights. Since further structural analysis will rely on knowledge of the primary structures of these molecules, the isolation of a molecular clone of this enzyme was attempted. Probing a cDNA library with a synthetic oligonucleotide was not successful, but a partial cDNA sequence was isolated by probing an S genotroph stem $ lambda$gt11 library with polyclonal antibodies raised against anionic plant peroxidases. Its longest reading frame sequence is divergent from those of other peroxidases, but contains some related segments. Genomic Southern analysis of the clone is presented, …  Read more

Previous reports have identified the need of a quality-of-life measure for use with persons with low back pain (LBP) in order to verify treatment efficacy. The Spitzer Quality-of-Life Index (QL-Index) has proven to be valid and reliable in various clinical studies. However, it has shown a lack of responsiveness when used with low back pain patients. In an attempt to improve responsiveness, a disease specific module was developed to complement the QL-Index. Patients, their significant others, and health professionals were interviewed to determine the contents of the LBP-Module, A prospective design was employed in the preliminary psychometric study (n = …  Read more

La présente thèse traite de la cinétique de formation des hydrates de gaz afin d'établir les données et la modélisation nécessaires à l'étude de leur croissance. Un modèle cinétique pour la formation des hydrates de gaz, intégrant des mesures de taille de particules et une force d'entraînement de concentration, a été développé et utilisé pour calculer la constante de vitesse de réaction des hydrates de propane. Des mesures de la fraction molaire du composé gazeux dans la phase liquide, au moment de la formation des hydrates et tout au long de leur croissance, ont été obtenues pour le dioxyde de …  Read more

To fulfill its Paris Agreement commitment, Canada must find a way to substantially reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Given the Canadian political system, where regulation and taxation powers are divided between different levels of government, a nation-wide action plan against climate change calls for a high level of coordination and agreement between provinces. The goal of this research is to propose a way to limit Canada’s GHG emissions without placing an unacceptable burden on the highly emitting provinces. Using a subnational interregional input-output model with interprovincial trade and GHG emissions, the economic impact of an hypothetical carbon pricing policy is …  Read more

Globalization has favoured a new type of business: Multinational Enterprises (MNE). MNE distinguish themselves from national businesses in the sense that they continue to be governed, in their relationship with their employees, by the national law where they operate. This contradictory dualism is the source of great tensions and uncertainties with regard to the future of national and international labour law standards. In a first part of this thesis, we study the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is the international body competent to adopt international standards and apply them. In the second part, we examine the phenomenon of national labour …  Read more

Nunavut has the highest incidence of food insecurity in Canada, where 56% of Inuit households are believed to experience difficulties in obtaining sufficient food. Food insecurity occurs when food systems are stressed such that adequate nutrition is not accessible, available, and/or of insufficient quality. Inuit food systems comprising traditional and store food components are affected by economic, social and cultural transformations, and ecological changes, most notably associated with climate change. Inuit women have been identified to be particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, a condition that can be exacerbated by climate change stresses on their food system. This research identifies and …  Read more

This thesis presents an approach to create topic dependent language models. It is shown that a gain of 5% was reached using speech recognition for news broadcast. First, this document presents the theory, on which language models are based and the problem of sparse data which is one of the biggest problems associated with the creation of adequate language models. Next, general guidelines are presented in regard of the choices and techniques implied in the creation and the adaptation of language models. Finally, experimental results are presented and commented on to sustain the concept of topic dependent language models.  Read more

The aim of this thesis is to describe André du Bouchet’s “linguistic feeling” (sentiment de la langue) towards the French language. By reappropriating a concept present in both (socio)linguistics and literary studies (particularly in the work of novelist Richard Millet), we understand “linguistic feeling” as the relationship a subject has with language. This complex relationship is multifaceted, charged with both emotion and reflexivity. Thus, the poet and translator’s work will be approached in all its diversity. The proposed perspective will focus on peripheral, theoretical, explanatory texts (especially interviews), as well as poems and translations. The first chapter traces the poet's …  Read more

The NF-$ kappa$B/Rel family of transcription factors participates in the activation of genes involved in immune response, growth control and development. NF-$ kappa$B/Rel is retained in the cytoplasm by inhibitory molecules, collectively terms I$ kappa$B. Cell activation leads to the phosphorylation, ubiquitination and proteasome mediated degradation of I$ rm kappa B alpha,$ thus permitting NF-$ kappa$B/Rel translocation to the nucleus and target gene activation. The objective of this research was to understand the mechanisms by which I$ rm kappa B alpha$ regulates NF-$ kappa$B/Rel activity and modulates cell growth. Overexpression of I$ rm kappa B alpha$ antisense RNA in NIH …  Read more

Cette thèse traite de différents aspects de la morphogenèse au niveau l'axe antéro-postérieur de l'embryon. La morphogenèse désigne le processus de formation des différentes structures de l'embryon, parmi lesquelles l'axe antéro-postérieur, qui est une ligne virtuelle joignant la tête, le torse et l'abdomen. Durant le développement embryonnaire, cet axe est segmenté en structures métamériques appelées somites, qui par la suite donnent naissance aux vertèbres, à la cage thoracique ainsi qu'à d'autres parties du corps reliées à la colonne vertébrale. La somitogenèse (la formation des somites) a lieu dans la région postérieure de l'axe. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions deux aspects …  Read more

Quoique méconnue du grand public, l’acidification des océans est une importante conséquence de la croissance de la concentration atmosphérique de dioxyde de carbone. Les océans ont absorbé environ le tiers du dioxyde de carbone émis par les activités humaines depuis l’industrialisation, causant une diminution du pH, de la concentration en ions carbonates et de la saturation de l’eau de mer par rapport aux minéraux de carbonate de calcium, l’aragonite et calcite. L’Océan Arctique est particulièrement vulnérable à ce phénomène dû à la faible capacité de ses eaux froides à tamponner leur pH, relativement aux eaux des autres océans, et à …  Read more

Thailand and Taiwan have indigenous minority populations which central authorities have sought to assimilate into the national mainstream. In both countries public education has served as an important tool of assimilation. This study examines the political ideology of the moral education curricula as applied to state primary schools serving indigenous populations in three localities in each country. The direct and indirect implementation of moral education was observed and interviews were carried out with teachers, students, parents and community leaders. The results show that as the indigenous minority children become more familiar with the national culture and its value system, they …  Read more

Moral education in Japanese and Taiwanese primary schools is an important source of political socialization. An analysis of these two countries' moral education curricula reveals traditions which reinforce national solidarity and central governmental authority. Moreover, political ideology is merged with supporting academic, economic, and cultural values. This study examines the political ideology of the moral education curricula in Japanese and Taiwanese primary schools, the values and behavior promoted by these ideologies, as well as the similarities and differences between the Japanese and Taiwanese systems. It is shown that a distinctive feature of both systems is the emphasis placed on political …  Read more

This master’s thesis is composed of two section, linked together by a third one, an intermediate part. It first proposes a close reading of Je suis vivant et vous êtes morts, the imaginary biography written by the contemporary French writer Emmanuel Carrère on Philip K. Dick, one of the most famous science-fiction writer of all time. By focusing on concepts such as genre, fiction, referentiality, intertextuality, narratology as well as the poetic of Carrère himself, this study tries to decorticate this supposedly non-fiction book in order to better understand its relationship to Carrère’s other non-fiction publications. The second section of …  Read more

The official reaction of the Russian Federation and of the People's Republic of China to the announcement made by the United States in December 2001 to abrogate the almost thirty years old Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty has been remarkably weak, given their sustained and coordinated opposition to the deployment of strategic defences against ballistic missiles (BMD). Because the existing literature, particularly balance of power theory, under-explored this puzzle and fails to provide a satisfactory explanation to it, a neoclassical realist model building on structural and unit-level variables is proposed to supplement this caveat. It is argued that Russia, as a …  Read more

[...] Although the exact nutritive value of spinach is an open question at the present time, much interest is being shown in the crop, particularly since the advent of the frozen food industry. As yet very little experimental work dealing with the proper fertilization of spinach has been recorded. Field experimentation would be the logical means of attacking this problem in order to determine the requirements of the crop in situ. However, recommendations based on such trials are only reliable in the district where the actual tests have been made or in districts where conditions are very similar. Goulden (1937) …  Read more

Kant's rejection of rationalism starts in 1755 with the analysis of Leibniz's two metaphysical principles. Kant's preoccupation in this first essay is the source of necessity. He shows the logical nature of Leibniz first principle and the weaknesses of the second. He finally demonstrates the falsity of the corollaries. This final step directs Kant to a recognition of the over intellectual nature of Leibniz' s method. In 1763, Kant writes Versuch, den Begriff der negativen Grossen in die Weltweisheit einzuffihren and it is there that he finds the source of the necessity that he was seeking. By distinguishing between logical …  Read more

The goal of my project was to determine the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the distribution of forest plants to improve predictions of climate change effects on biodiversity. I made species distribution models of 207 species from eastern North America. These climate-species models indicated large northward displacements for most species. I then test if edaphic variables also contribute to distribution patterns. Model predictive accuracy and variable importance were compared for species' characteristics describing growth form, range boundaries within the study area, and prevalence. Both the climate-only and edaphic-only models performed well. The relative importance of variables varied with …  Read more

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) has experienced diebacks in many parts of its range; these declines have caused researchers to consider the many connected factors governing tree health. Altered availability of base cations due to acidic deposition and climatic extremes (drought, late winter freeze-thaw cycles) have been identified as two main causal stressors. To predict the role of climate on Ca nutrition, I investigated the relationship between the climatic factors of temperature, precipitation, water availability and windstorm on temporal changes to depth of Ca source of sugar maple. I hypothesized that the Ca uptake depth would be deeper after windstorms, …  Read more

The importance of the problem of mixing cold air jets with a hot gas stream is outlined, with particular reference to gas turbine combustion chamber design. Present knowledge of the process of eddy diffusion and mechanical or bulk mixing is reviewed. An apparatus constructed for the study of the particular problem of cold air jets issuing from a flat wall in a direction approximately normal to a hot gas steam described.  Read more

This study aims at a reassessment of Turgenev's article "Hamlet and Don Quixote" in light of the literary sources which might have inspired it, and to analyze its relevance to novels and stories most directly related to it. Thus, the main purpose of the study is to highlight Turgenev's world view as contained in his article and illustrated by his chief male protagonists, some of his heroines and their interrelationship. We also demonstrate the way in which Turgenev's original, avant-garde interpretation of Don Quixote played a key role in his literary career and made an important contribution to the study …  Read more

Hot wire measurements in a two dimensional wake generated by a circular cylinder have been made.The results show close agreement with unpublished data by Champagne and with published data by Thomas. When comparing data, the pressure gradient must be considered. A negative pressure gradient seems to increase the rate of decay of the wake mean velocities end wake turbulence. Cylinder roughness and Reynolds number had little effect on the wake parameters. Free stream turbulence appears to reinforce the wake turbulence at least to some degree.  Read more

Phenotypic characterizations demonstrated that diversity among 19 naturalized North American and 5 commercial Kura clover ( Trifolium ambiguum M.B.) rhizobial strains was limited. Growth chamber and field evaluations indicated the superiority of North American isolates, increasing foliage accumulation by 30% when compared to commercial inoculant strains. Nitrogen fertilization, however, produced greater accumulations in all evaluations. Genetic diversity among 128 isolates from the lower Caucasus was significant. Nodulation specificity of rhizobia from the lower Caucasus was demonstrated to be more complex than what was reported in the literature, as plants of different ploidy levels and even of different species were, in …  Read more

This thesis used novel methodologies in dendrochemistry to observe past nutrient and Al change in relation to incremental stem xylem growth to predict current and future forest health. The methods included (1) sequential digestion of wood tissue to remove the elemental fraction that is mobile across tree rings leaving the structurally intrinsic, residual (or less mobile) ion fraction for analysis and (2) transformation of elemental concentrations into multivariate ratios (compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND)) over a time series. Sampling of trees represented a gradient in acidity resilience using three regions of southern Quebec (St. Lawrence Lowlands; Lower Laurentians; and Appalachian Highlands) …  Read more

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that the "blason corporel" is a useful tool for understanding Paul-Marie Lapointe's poetry. Lapointe himself recognises that the variations of the "blason" that we can find in his poems are not the result of formal experimentation, but of a vision of the universe. The "poete quebecois" is seeking the unchanging: the human body and its place in the cosmos are two of the things that do not change, and thus, they are an important part of Lapointe's poetry. In our introduction, we define the "blason corporel" as it emerged in France, during …  Read more

One of the fundamental goals of evolutionary biology is to understand what Darwin called the “mystery of mysteries”: the emergence of biological diversity. At the core of the theory of ecological speciation is the process of divergent natural selection, which occurs when distinct heritable phenotypes are advantageous in different environments, while intermediate phenotypes are selected against. Since Darwin, significant progress has been made in understanding the processes that can explain or prevent the formation of new species. However, many aspects of ecological speciation are cryptic. In particular, linking genotypes, phenotypes, and fitness of organisms, and uncovering how these connections can …  Read more

Ecological speciation, the formation of new species due to divergent selection, is considered to be a major driver of the production of biodiversity (Wright, 1932; Simpson, 1953; Schluter & Nychka, 1994; Benkman, 2003; Gavrilets, 2004; Svensson & Calsbeek, 2012; Martin, 2016). Fitness landscapes, which visually depict the relationship between trait or genotypic variation and fitness, can help to understand the opposing forces of divergent selection and homogenizing gene flow during population differentiation (Wright, 1932; Simpson, 1953; Schluter & Nychka, 1994; Benkman, 2003; Gavrilets, 2004; Svensson & Calsbeek, 2012; Martin, 2016). However, fitness landscapes are typically generated for single species, which …  Read more

The purpose of this master's thesis is to study the enigmatic figure of Wajdi Mouawad, looking into the dramatic quartet Le Sang des promesses, the interviews the author gave over time, as well as his physic appearance and his public acts. We look to, with the help of the Meizoz's theory, better understand the "posture" of the writer, claimed as here as in France. The first chapter treats, with the metaphoric figure of the looter, the dramatist's propensity to take over other people's words, their speech and even the story of a people for the benefit of his own work. …  Read more

Le nom de Saint François de Sales évoque bien souvent un souvenir un peu ironique: le saint le plus doucereux qui fût, à la langue fleurie plus qu’il n’est raisonnable. Si, un peu curieux, on se réfère aux jugements critiques, que trouve-t-on? Un Sainte-Beuve tout bienveillant et sympathique, résume son opinion: «fadaises séraphiques» ! Huysmans abonde dans le même sens, de même que, tout récemment, Paul Souday: «Trop de confiseries et d’images douceâtres pour dessus de boites à bonbons !» [...] Un «formateur» de conscience, c’est le docteur qui soigne la conscience malade, en redresse les déviations; puis c’est le …  Read more

The project investigates aspects of professional social work which derive from its association with bureaucratic organizations. This enquiry is based upon sociological evidence that the combination of professional and bureaucratic modes of occupational life contains mutually dysfunctional aspects. The published work by Blau and Scott, Formal Organizations, is the point of departure for the study. The data are the perceptions of social workers as obtained by a slightly modified 85 item questionnaire developed by W.R. Scott in his work on a Doctoral dissertation in Sociology at the University of Chicago. The questionnaire was distributed to 12 social work settings in …  Read more

When experimental investigations obtain divergent data it becomes of paramount importance to determine which is correct; especially whenconsiderable theory has been built up on the results of the one favoured as being correct. Furthermore, when an industrial process is involvedthe importance of deciding as to the relative merits of the results previously obtained is enhanced. In the investigation to be described,particular precautions were taken to insure the validity of the experimental data. This thesis describes an investigation of the equilibrium vaporpressures of the system calcium oxide - sulphur dioxide - water* It thus forms a part of a general investigation …  Read more

La prévention du suicide repose sur une meilleure compréhension des savoirs et pratiques culturels, ainsi que des déterminants sociaux de la santé. Lorsque l’on développe des interventions de santé pour les communautés autochtones, il est essentiel de prendre en compte leurs contextes socioculturels spécifiques et les pratiques locales. Cela permet de garantir que les programmes respectent et intègrent les réalités culturelles et sociales propres à chaque communauté. La santé des peuples autochtones est impactée de manière unique par les effets durables de la colonisation, telles que les politiques de suppression culturelle et l’assimilation forcée. La colonisation a créé des disparités …  Read more

Magnesium has limited formability at room temperature due to the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure with an axial (c/a) ratio of 1.6240 which provides only basal slip activation. Other hcp metals with different c/a ratios such as titanium have non-basal slip at room temperature. It can be postulated that changing the c/a can change the balance of deformation mechanisms and influence formability. Solutes are known to change the lattice parameters of a metal if in solid solution and hence affect deformation behavior. The objective of this project was to determine the effects of solute additions on the c/a ratio of magnesium …  Read more

Ehret, Christian (Supervisor2)  Read more

The protein folding problem aims to predict the complete physical and dynamical process that transforms an unfolded sequence into a functional 3D protein structure. This problem consists of two (open) sub-problems: i) the protein structure prediction problem and ii) the protein pathway prediction problem. Computational techniques to face these two sub-problems have been based on the theory of evolution and laws of physics. To-date, classical approaches to obtaining detailed information about protein folding rely on time-consuming methods that are primarily limited to relatively small proteins (i.e., less than 50 amino acids). The overall objective of this thesis is to explore …  Read more

In the Islamo-arabic world, as it is proven in this text, the expression of Insanity was tolerated, free, and was attributed traits of sainthood. We found these three characteristics, in the speech of three muslim immigrants, users of psychiatric services in Montreal. The major themes of their speech were listed. Two therapeutic propositions were given as a conclusion to the text.  Read more

Contexte: Les déficits cognitifs sont hétérogènes chez les schizophrènes. La question reliée à la présence de certains déficits cognitifs disproportionnés par rapport à un déficit généralisé reste non-résolue. L`étude de sous-groupes de patients plus homogènes au niveau de la sévérité des symptômes et du fonctionnement prémorbide pourrait éclairer notre compréhension entourant la nature exacte des déficits disproportionnés. Méthode : Cent-vingt et un patients suivis dans un programme de premier épisode psychotique ont complété une batterie neuropsychologique complète évaluant cinq domaines cognitifs et le QI global. La sévérité des symptômes et le fonctionnement prémorbide ont aussi été évalués. Résultats : Dans …  Read more

This thesis develops an account of how courts should contribute to fulfilling constitutionalized social and economic rights. Pursuing an internal legal perspective, the thesis takes up developments in South Africa, Colombia, and India. It charts different paths by which courts have attempted to realize social rights’ ambitious promises of accessible healthcare, housing, food, water and education. More specifically, the project focusses on constitutional remedies and reforms to private law as distinctive sites of judicial contribution. Drawing on the aspirations of transformative constitutionalism and the law and political economy movement, the thesis then proposes a few general orientations for the judicial …  Read more

Moores-François, Audrey (Supervisor1)  Read more