McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

The role of marine bacteria in the economy of oceanic life is little known, although increasing attention has been devoted to its study since the latter part of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. This increased interest has not resulted in any etailed study of the physiology of marine bacteria as a group, nor has any attempt been made to classify them. No decisive information can be gleaned from the literature as to the probable position that marine bacteria may occupy in the scheme of living oceanic life or in the cycle of the decomposition of its …  Read more

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

The secretion of growth hormone (GH) occurs in a pulsatile manner throughout the day in mammals. Multiple mechanisms must come together to ensure repeated pulses and thus hormonal homeostasis. The hypothalamus serves as a “control center” for this pulsatility via the synthesis and secretion of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SS) that act reciprocally to influence GH secretion from the pituitary gland into the bloodstream. Moreover, it is well known that synaptic transmission in the hypothalamus undergoes cyclical changes in parallel with the circadian and ultradian rhythms of hypothalamic hormone secretion. Our lab and others have shown in the past …  Read more

Writers and poets who wrote in the "language of Venice" are far more numerous than is commonly reported in the history of Italian literature. It is the purpose of this dissertation to present and highlight their works. Since here we mainly deal with writers and poets of the second half of the twentieth century, for which there is no roll call, we deemed it appropriate to research and introduce them, supplying for each of them detailed biobibliographical data. In the course of our work we tried to sketch a subdivision of the matter which keeps in mind what has been …  Read more

In this thesis we have not entered the names of all the authors who wrote in the Venetian language in the course of the XX century, but only the names of those who distinguished themselves. This thesis does not deal exclusively with poetry, but it includes also prose, theatre and journalism. In fact, analyzing so many and such varied works allowed us to formulate working hypotheses on the origins, evolution and various motivations of their respective authors. It also supplied us with some clues as to why they chose to write in a regional language and, sometimes, in one of …  Read more

This project studied the parental self-picture of adopters, processes of adjustment to adoption, assessment of adjustment, and adopters’ attitudes regarding racially mixed adoptions. The adopters had been unable to procreate their families, and in this respect were different from natural parents. Some adopters might be conscious of this difference, while others might- feel that the adoptive family approximates the natural. These feelings of “sameness” or “difference” were thought to affect the adopters’ adaptability to adoption.  Read more

The study of naturally occurring cyclic compounds is one of the most fascinating chapters in Organic Chemistry. The occurrence of a very large number and many types of cyclic compounds in nature, and their seemingly simple relationship with many straight chain compounds has excited the curiosity of many workers. The logical possibility of a common source of simple units for the synthesis of many large and complex compounds has led to all sorts of speculations. We must however admit that we know virtually nothing about the vital synthesis of even the simplest types of compounds. The plant, let alone the …  Read more

The terpenes constitute an important group amongst the naturally occurring organic compounds. They vary greatly in nature and character and a very large number of them are still of unknown constitution. An interesting number of these compounds have been termed terpene aliphatic alcohols. They are comparatively small in number and although non-cyclic in nature, they are closely related to cyclic compounds and prone to cyclize under certain conditions. [...] Their general structure and chemical properties have been fairly thoroughly investigated but the question of their isomeric structures has not yet been definitely settled. A brief historical review of the chemistry …  Read more

A complex physiological system, composed of central and peripheral signals, balances energy intake and expenditure. Among these signals, the enteric and orexigenic hormone ghrelin is a regulator of energy balance with several uncharacterized functions. Although much research has accumulated regarding ghrelin's effects on metabolic parameters, little is known about its other behavioural and cognitive effects. Consequently, this study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, showed that ghrelin administered intravenously to healthy volunteers increased the neural response to food pictures, as well as faces of fear and disgust, in brain areas regulating the hedonic and incentive evaluation of visual stimuli, such as …  Read more

L'oeuvre de Marcel Proust englobe une série d'éléments aussi divers que l'imagination peut les concevoir. ''A la Recherche du Temps Perdu" est à la fois une sorte d'autobiographie, un roman historique,une analyse psychologique,et un -traité philosophique. Tous ces aspects se combinent et se lient inextricablement dans le héros qui représente l'auteur lui-même. La diversité des sujets,l'originalité et la complexité de sa méthode et de son style présentent un problème littéraire extrêmement difficile à analyser. [...]  Read more

This thesis connects the principles of the rhizome as outlined by Gilles Deleuze and FelixGuattari and their application to the musical composition Beneath Trees. Concepts such asheterogeneity, multiplicity, rupture, and cartography are examined throughout the compositionalprocess of this work. I explain how each of these principles can be used in the context of amusical composition. This thesis will also touch briefly on creating and developing material froma single melodic line by means of computer-assisted composition. Through the use of rhizomaticprinciples, I will demonstrate ways in which canons and arithmetic sequences can formconnections between musical materials. Beneath Trees examines both how …  Read more

This study examines modern relationships among salt marsh plant species and their pollen in three salt marshes located on the northwest coast of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. Linear regression analysis of pollen in 35 surface sediment samples and vegetation cover on small (<15 m) and broad (>15 m) scales show that, with the exception of Poaceae and Cheno Am, pollen corresponds well with fine-scale patterns of salt marsh vegetation. Scatter diagrams of paired pollen and cover data illustrate that cover of Triglochin is over-represented by its pollen, Glaux is under-represented, and Poaceae, Cheno Am, and Plantago are inconsistent. …  Read more

Particle graphics simulations are well suited for modeling phenomena such as water, cloth, explosions, fire, smoke, and clouds. They are normally realized in software, as part of an interactive graphics application. Their use in such applications is limited by the computational burden and resource competition they create. This thesis presents the design and implementation of a reconfigurable hardware particle graphics system for accelerating real-time particle graphics effects: The Particle Pipe. We explore the design process, implementation issues, limitations, challenges, and new possibilities of using FPGAs for the acceleration of real-time particle graphics. The Particle Pipe has been synthesized to an …  Read more

Depuis le début de l'épidémie en 1981, la pandémie du virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH) a affecté la vie de quelque 84 millions de personnes dans le monde. 42 ans plus tard, nous luttons ensemble contre la propagation du virus. Aujourd'hui, l'épidémie se concentre sur des populations clés telles que les hommes ayant des rapports sexuels avec des hommes (HSH), les transsexuels, les personnes qui s'injectent des drogues (PWID) et les populations noires et indigènes de couleur (BIPOC), et le fléau de la pandémie est loin d'être terminé. La lutte contre le VIH bénéficie d'options thérapeutiques très efficaces, de médicaments …  Read more

Least squares linear regression is a common tool in ecological research. One of the central assumptions of least squares linear regression is that the independent variable is measured without error. But this variable is measured with error whenever it is a sample mean. The significance of such contraventions is not regularly assessed in ecological studies. A simulation program was made to provide such an assessment. The program requires a hypothetical data set, and using estimates of S$ sp2$ it scatters the hypothetical data to simulate the effect of sampling error. A regression line is drawn through the scattered data, and …  Read more

The independent formation cross-sections of ('84,86)Rb,('116m,117m,117g)In, and ('132,134m,134m+g,136)Cs from ('233)U(p,f) and ('235)U(p,f) reactions, and the independent formation cross-sections of ('72)Ga from ('233)U(p,f) reactions were measured radiochemically in the energy range 35 to 90 MeV. The isotopic distributions of Rb, In, and Cs from ('233)U(p,f) and ('235)U(p,f), and the isotopic distributions of Ga from ('233)U(p,f) were measured in the energy range 40 to 100 MeV using the on-line mass spectrometric technique; their relative yields were normalized to the independent formation cross-sections measured radiochemically. The variations of the FWHM, mean mass numbers, and mean neutron-to-proton ratios of the isotopic distributions were studied. …  Read more

Kojic acid can be produced by a microbiological process from carbohydrates, and therefore it might serve as a very useful outlet for industrial and agricultural carbohydrate wastes. Since the acid has not yet found practical applications, the present research is directed toward making such application more probable by elucidating certain aspects of the chemistry of kojic acid where basic knowledge is at present lacking.  Read more

Acoustical reverberation has been shown to degrade the intelligibility and naturalness of speech. In this thesis, we discuss the application of cepstral methods to the enhancement of acoustically reverberant speech. We first study previously described cepstral techniques for removal of simple echoes from signals. Our results show that these techniques are not directly applicable to the enhancement of speech of indefinite extent. We next recast these techniques specifically for speech. We propose new segmentation and windowing strategies, in combination with cepstral averaging, to accurately identify the acoustical impulse response. We then consider inverse filtering based on an estimated acoustical impulse …  Read more

The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational comparative study was to explore the relationship between selected features of the maternal chronic pain experience and the health of the adolescent family member. Twenty-seven adolescents living with mothers who had persistent chronic pain were matched on age, gender and maternal education with 26 adolescents whose mothers had no chronic illness. The two groups of adolescents completed questionnaires measuring their levels of depression (Beck Depression Inventory), life satisfaction (Cantril Ladder) and perceived level of maternal support (Maternal Support Questionnaire). Mothers completed questionnaires measuring pain intensity (VAS), pain distress (VAS), disability (3 item questionnaire) and …  Read more

Diane Desrosiers (Supervisor1)  Read more

Clinicians and researchers have reported that perceptions of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) have changed over time, while speculation has been generated related to the media portrayal of NSSI and the individuals who engage in this behaviour. However, no study to date has directly examined representations of NSSI in print media longitudinally. This dissertation's objective was to investigate the depiction of NSSI within print-based media over a 20-year period (1988 to 2007) by examining articles published in popular English-speaking magazines. The theoretical framework for the thesis draws from social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) originating in social psychology, and from cultivation theory originating …  Read more

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most important cause of dementia, but the mechanism of pathogenesis remains unknown. The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (apoE) has been confirmed as the most important genetic risk factor for most cases of AD and is associated with Abeta-containing senile plaques, one of the neuropathological hallmarks of AD. We determined the neuronal binding, internalization and degradation of human apoE isoforms apoE3 and apoE4 in the presence and absence of Abeta peptides using primary hippocampal neurons from rat. The findings demonstrate apoE binding and internalization in neurons without endogenous synthesis. Increased apoE3 degradation was observed relative …  Read more

Lowland rice production is expanding throughout South-East Asia necessarily onto soils of poorer nutrient status with a resulting decrease in yields. An understanding of the nutrient status of the rice rhizosphere is essential for the development of appropriate management practices to increase rice yields. Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one aspect of rice nutrition. Increased rice root respiration and P uptake efficiency, and an increase in H$ sp{+}$ released from roots and enhanced solubility of calcium phosphates are two possible mechanisms of tolerance to low P levels. These mechanisms were evaluated but could not be used as single tests to differentiate …  Read more

Younge, E. R. (Supervisor)  Read more

Harris (1) has postulated a neurohumoral theory for the control of ACTH (adrenocortiocotrophin) release in which the hypothalamis elaborates a chemical, a neurohumor. This neurohumor passes down the nerve axons to a capillary bed located in the pituitary stalk. By the blood that the neurohumor reaches the anterior pituitary where it exerts its ACTH-releasing effect. [...]  Read more

L’imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) est largement utilisée en clinique et en recherche. Cependant, les mouvements des participants peuvent dégrader la qualité des images, altérer l’analyse quantitative et nécessiter des réacquisitions coûteuses. La correction des artefacts d’image induits par le mouvement nécessite généralement un suivi continu des mouvements du sujet tout au long de l’examen. Les navigateurs — acquisitions IRM périodiques et échantillonnées de manière éparse au cours d’un protocole d’imagerie — permettent le suivi des mouvements du sujet sans équipement externe, dont la configuration et l’intégration au flux de travail IRM peuvent s’avérer complexes. Cependant, les navigateurs peuvent prolonger …  Read more

This Master’s thesis focuses on the Arsenal 5229 manuscript (A) (1390-1403), which contains what modern editors consider as two distinct “romances” whose origins lead back to the second half of the XIIIIth century: the Prophéties de Merlin in prose, by Richard d’Irlande, and Ségurant ou le Chevalier au Dragon. Since its composition dates from the late XIVth century and it reproduces texts that trace back to a period where most cyclic romances were already written, A is deeply grounded in an aesthetic specific to the late Middle Ages’ texts. Arthurian romances of more than two centuries having almost exhausted their …  Read more

The method of Weyl orbit reduction for obtaining branching rules is extended to affine Kac-Moody algebras. The orbits of affine rank 2 and 3 algebras are obtained analytically and the fundamental orbits are decomposed into irreducible representations (I.R.). Numerical inversion of a triangular matrix then gives the orbit multiplicities in an I.R. Orbit to orbit branching rules are deduced for selected subalgebras and used to produce I.R. to I.R. branching rules.  Read more

An increasing number of applications require high-resolution images in situations where the access to the sensor and the knowledge of its specifications are limited. In this thesis, the problem of blind super-resolution is addressed, here defined as the estimation of a high-resolution image from one or more low-resolution inputs, under the condition that the degradation model parameters are unknown. The assessment of super-resolved results, using objective measures of image quality, is also addressed. Learning-based methods have been successfully applied to the single frame super-resolution problem in the past. However, sensor characteristics such as the Point Spread Function (PSF) must often …  Read more

Il est inutile de refaire la légende "Voltaire" que l'ensemble des jugements critiques des XIXe et XXe siècles a su créer avec parfois autant d'enthousiasme que de fausseté. Par contre, nous croyons qu'il serait précieux de pouvoir se libérer du réseau des idées de Voltaire pour saisir la sensibilité de ce grand écrivain. Le génie de Voltaire consiste à nous montrer, sous des aspects imprévus et inusités, les grands thèmes de la pensée humaine et les mille incidents de la vie quotidienne. Pourtant, deux siècles de critique ne nous permettent pas d'en douter; au XVIIIe siècle, Voltaire est un penseur …  Read more

Roff, Derek (Supervisor)  Read more

The goal of this thesis was to identify genetic loci involved in radiation-induced lung disease in mice. Phenotypic analysis was completed for alveolitis, pulmonary fibrosis, survival time, mast cells/mm2 and cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to assess lung damage. Genome scans and linkage analysis were completed for two backcross cohorts (75%C3H/HeJ-25%C57Bl/6J or 25%C3H/HeJ-75%C57BU6J) using each of the phenotypes measured. Putative susceptibility loci were identified for alveolitis on chromosomes 12 (LOD=3.35), 14 (LOD=2.22) and 19 (LOD=1.7) in the mostly C3H/HeJ backcross cohort and on chromosome 14 (LOD=2.7) in the mostly C57BI/6J backcross cohort. Linkage using the pulmonary fibrosis scores provided …  Read more

The observation that the composition of the extracellular fluid is quite different from that of the intracellular fluid has stimulated much research on the mechanisms by which such differences can be established and maintained. The phenomenon of selective permeabtlity of cells has long been recognized as a question of fundamental importance and, indeed, the 'physiological permeability' of cellular barriers has been distinguished from their passive "physical permeability" by physiologists since early in the century. The early concept that the cell membrane is a static structure has been revised and it is now accepted that the cell membrane is an active …  Read more

Grassino, Alejandro E. (Supervisor)  Read more

Nerve growth factor (NGF) belongs to the neurotrophin family of growth factors. NGF can bind to two transmembrane receptors, TrkA and p75. TrkA is the NGF specific tyrosine kinase receptor; p75 is a receptor which is common to all neurotrophins. NGF is required for the development, maintenance and repair of the nervous system. NGF dependent neuronal populations are affected in many diseases and the use of NGF was proposed. Difficulties associated with therapeutic application of proteins and polypeptides could be overcome by the use of small peptidomimetics. Small molecule that can either mimic or inhibit NGF-TrkA signaling could be useful …  Read more

The yield of short-season hybrids is lower than long-season hybrids, mainly as a result of the low final leaf area developed by the short-season plants. This is due to the smaller plant stature and smaller leaf number and size of short-season adapted hybrids. In addition, in short-season areas the thermal-time available may be insufficient to mature grain of current maize hybrids. Maize hybrids which accumulate leaf area quickly, mature earlier, yield well and tolerate higher population densities better than the currently available hybrids would be more suitable for production in short-season areas. The "Leafy reduced-stature" maize hybrids, which have only …  Read more

The problems associated with short growing seasons has led to the development of leafy-reduced stature (LRS) corn hybrids. These hybrids have more leaf area above the ear, more rapid leaf area development, shorter stature, earlier maturity, and better responses to high plant populations and narrow spacings than conventional hybrids. Plants grown in a reduced light environment are limited in carbon assimilation and this, in turn, results in reductions in growth and development. A way to supplement the availability of photosynthate is injection of sucrose into plant stems. The objective of this thesis was to determine the ability of LRS corn …  Read more

Maintaining the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the liquid metal before it enters the mold of Direct Chill (DC) casting processes is critical from the standpoint of defect formation. The temperature of the liquid phase depends on the flow pattern of the molten metal which is strongly inter-connected to the design characteristics of the metal distributor and the process parameters used for a particular alloy such as, casting speed, melt superheat, mold water flow rate, etc. If the melt distribution system is improperly designed and can't sufficiently reduce the turbulence of the incoming melt in the liquid pool, then …  Read more

Determination of the heat transfer coefficients for natural and mixed convection in horizontal annuli is important for designing double pipe heat exchangers and for energy storage systems. In part one and two of this study, the 2D numerical solution of the laminar natural convection of water in six internally finned horizontal annuli has been obtained. The fins are attached to the external surface of the inner cylinder. Only the symmetrical half of the horizontal annulus with three equally spaced longitudinal divergent solid and porous fins are considered. The parameters of the problem are Rayleigh number, fin height, permeability and porosity …  Read more

The present investigation was an exploratory one. Its main purpose was to determine whether or not acetone was a useful phase in the solvent extraction and the separation of some inorganic compounds. Lee (1) bas pointed out that acetone and a concentrated aqueous solution of calcium chloride constitute an unexplored but very interesting system for solvant extraction. This was the-system chosen for study. The investigation consisted in finding the affect of the concentration of calcium chloride and hydrochloric acid on the distribution ratios of metal chlorides and oxyacids. It is worth noting that the avaiàbility and relatively low cost of …  Read more

L’estimation des émissions est en voie de devenir un indicateur clé à l’évaluation des impacts engendrés par des projets de transport. L'objectif général de cette recherche est de déterminer l'impact des contrôles de la circulation, en particulier les panneaux d'arrêt, sur les émissions des véhicules, comparativement à d’autres contrôles aux intersections. L'objectif du premier projet est de proposer une approche de modélisation microscopique basée sur des outils informatiques pour évaluer l'impact, sur les niveaux d'émission dans un corridor urbain, avant et après la transformation des intersections contrôlées par des panneaux d’arrêt unidirectionnel à celles dotées de panneaux d’arrêt « toutes …  Read more

Methods of isolation of IgD from D-myeloma and normal sera have been explored as has a sensitive method to quantitate low levels of IgD. DEAE-cellulose chromatography of a 30-45% saturated ammonium sulfate fraction of D-myeloma serum, yielded an IgD rich fraction in which IgG contamination did not exceed 20-25%. This was fractionated on G-200 Sephadex and IgD was eluted free of IgG in the ascending half of the first protein peak. Specific antisera to IgD were insolubilized by copolymerization and by coupling to an insoluble carrier and were used to specifically adsorb IgD from normal sera. IgD was eluted from …  Read more