McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

A method is described that allows one to assess heritability of brain structures using magnetic resonance images (MRI). We have obtained MRI images for a group of identical twins and another group of fraternal twins. Each MRI image was segmented into white and gray matter then smoothed to estimate white and gray matter density at each 3D image element or voxel. At each voxel, we use the intraclass correlations of the two groups in order to compute a 3D image of a measure of heritability, as well as a test statistic for detecting those regions with significant heritability. To our …  Read more

This thesis presents an investigation of semileptonic B meson decays with a narrow P-wave charm meson in the final state. The data sample consists of 3.29 x 106 BB¯ events collected with the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron-positron Storage Ring. The P-wave charm mesons are reconstructed in the chain of decays: D0J→D*+p- ,D*+→D0p+,D 0→K-p+ or D0→K-p+p 0 . Study of the decay B-→D*+p0ℓ -nℓ&d1; reveals useful information about the deficit observed in inclusive charm semileptonic B decays and the effective couplings of the W boson to heavy quark mesons. The results obtained for the exclusive semileptonic product branching …  Read more

As the rate of divorce is increasing, the number of children who have to cope with these stressful situations is also growing. Since these divorces come with many problems for the children involved, they are getting more and more attention. The professionnals who are required by the court to give their opinion on who should get the custody or what will be the right of access, have pointed out a particular phenomenon: parental alienation syndrome. The first person who described this syndrome was Gardner (1989, 1992a). He blamed the court system for the syndrome, where, in its adversarial perspective, one …  Read more

Negative effects of oophorectomy (castration, or removal of the ovaries) on a woman's sexual functioning, mood and body image have been documented in previous studies, but these studies did not measure vaginal blood flow and often did not include a non-surgical control group. Five groups of women aged 35 to 55 years were studied, a non-surgical control group (CTL), a hysterectomy-only group (TAH, at least one ovary intact) and three oophorectomy groups: an untreated group (BSO), women on estrogen-replacement therapy (ERT) and women on androgen-estrogen replacement therapy (HRT). The interview/questionnaire assessed mood, body image and sexual functioning (sexual desire, arousal, …  Read more

A set ${ cal P} = P sb1,P sb2, ...,P sb{k}$ of polygons is called a k-cover of a simple polygon P if $P = cup sbsp{i=1}{k} P sb{i}$. It has been shown that finding k-covers of polygons by subpolygons of a given class is almost always NP-hard, whenever k is allowed to vary. Shermer (She91a) gave a linear time algorithm to determine if P has a two-cover by convex polygons, and to find one if it exists. A polygon P is star-shaped if it has a point which sees all the others, and $L sb{k}$-convex if every pair of …  Read more

Wilkinson, Frances (Supervisor)  Read more

The enteric protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is the etiologic agent of the disease amebiasis which is characterized by colitis or hepatic lesions. Amebae colonize the colon by binding to mucous glycoproteins (mucins). Secretory mucins provide the gel nature to mucus and are a vital component of epithelial barrier function. Mucins prevent contact-dependent cytolysis of colonic cells by E. histolytica. To possibly circumvent this barrier, the parasite secretes a potent yet unidentified mucin secretagogue, which could deplete the stored mucin pool and render the mucous layer less protective. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which …  Read more

Au cours de l'histoire, le rôle exercé par le droit dans les opérations militaires a connu une croissan ce exponentielle. De débuts modestes, où sa fonction se cantonnait à régir l'usage de certaines armes, au point de déterminer l'admissibilité d'une guerre en tant que telle, le droit est devenu lui-même une arme ou un outil de guerre. La « guerre juridique », ou « lawfare » selon le terme consacré par la langue anglaise, revêt une signification importante dans les opérations militaires spatiales, du fait du caractère relativement récent des deux phénomènes. Bien que le droit de la guerre et …  Read more

To date, semiotics has not concerned itself with a systematic theorization of dialogue structures within narrative prose. Per- ceived as microtextual phenomena, deprived, therefore, of their own particular structure and function on the underlying syntactico-semantic structure of narrative logic, the linguistic activities of characters have generally been considered as more or less perfect copies of real speech, responsible for elements of characterization, pittoresque and narrative detente. In this paper, an attempt is made to reinstate narrative dialogue within the problematic relations to which it gives rise, that is, the relations it maintains with real speech and with other narrative components, …  Read more

Cette étude traite du problème de l'estimation du paramètre des rendements dans certaines industries manufacturières au Canada. Dans la première partie nous utilisons deux méthodes qui sont indépendantes de la forme de la fonction de production: la loi des effets proportionnels et la technique du survivant. Il est à souligner que les résultats obtenus à partir de ces méthodes ne servent généralement que comme préliminaire à une étude plus poussée sur les économies d'échelle. Dans la deuxième partie, le paramètre des rendements est estimé à partir d'un modèle économétrique lui-même dérivé d'une fonction de production qui est homogène de degré …  Read more

En tant qu'un des théologiens réformés de l'Angleterre du dix-septième siècle, John Owen a puisé de son héritage riche du seizième siècle pour développer une théologie de l'eucharistie qui adressait les défis uniques de sa génération. La thèse qui suit analyse la contribution d'Owen à la théologie réformée relatifs aux sacrements lors de l'ère de l'orthodoxie réformée en Angleterre. Au lieu de capituler à une théologie de la Sainte Cène hautement subjective et pragmatique, Owen a surpassé plusieurs de ses contemporains puritains dans la réaffirmation de son efficacité objective à unir le croyant avec le Christ et à augmenter la …  Read more

Huit cultures bactériennes d'origine océanique ayant la propriété d'hydrolyser l'extrait polyosidique de 1 'algue rouge Eucheuma spinosum (carraghénane iota) ont été isolées. 11 s'est avéré qu'une seule de ces souches {culture #1) synthétise une enzyme montrant une spécificité marquée pour le carraghénane iota, la carraghénase iota. Les autres souches ont une faible activité de carraghénase iota et dégradent préférentiellement le carraghénane kappa présent dans le polyoside d'E. spinosum, prouvant le caractère hybride de l'extrait polyosidique. La carraghénase iota (souche #l) et la carragnénase kappa synthétisée par Pseudomonas carrageenovora ont été utilisées pour étudier les caractères hybrides de plusieurs extraits d'algues …  Read more

Net ecosystem exchange of CO$ sb2$ (NEE) and CH$ sb4$ flux were measured at five sites within a boreal peatland near Thompson, Manitoba, from June through September, 1994. Sites were chosen to represent the different plant communities present along a productivity gradient where the water table was at or near the peat surface. Methane emissions, water table depth, and peat temperature were measured on weekly basis, while the relationship between photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and net ecosystem exchange of CO$ sb2$ was determined three times during the field season, and then used to develop net ecosystem production (NEP) models at …  Read more

Severe child abuse experienced during the critical period of developmental brain plasticity significantly increases the risk of depression and suicide later in life. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), a condensed form of extracellular matrix (ECM), play a pivotal role in dampening the critical period of plasticity. These nets selectively enwrap specific neurons in the brain through a process that remains inadequately understood. Comprising primarily chondroitin-sulfate (CS) proteoglycans from the lectican family, PNNs consist of CS glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains attached to a core protein. CS disaccharides (CS-d) can manifest in various isoforms with distinct sulfation patterns, influencing the function and labeling of …  Read more

Les multicouches de polyélectrolytes (MPE) sont des surfaces intéressantes pour des expériences utilisant des cellules vivantes en raison de leur biocompatibilité et de leur facilité de fabrication. Les MPE de poly(chlorhydrate d'allylamine) et poly(Disperse Red 1 acide acrylate-co-acrylique), un polymère azoïque, ont été préparées en utilisant un nouveau procédé de déposition goutte-à-goutte qui a été mis au point afin de conserver les matériaux utilisés durant la préparation du film. Les MPE ont été fabriquées en variant les conditions de pH ainsi que le nombre de couches déposées, ce qui permet d'obtenir des surfaces présentant des propriétés différentes. Des cellules cardiaques …  Read more

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a common neurotransmitter in mammals, and the serotonergic system plays an essential role in the regulation of various behaviours such as sleep, perception, and cognitive and autonomic functions in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Previous studies have investigated the distribution pattern of the 5-HT type 3 (5-HT3) receptor in the brain. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that 5-HT3 receptors are expressed in both the substantia nigra (SN) and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Here, we determine the quantitative distribution of 5-HT3 receptors in the SN and DRN of the rat.Six rats were deeply anaesthetised with …  Read more

Compositionally related glasses and ceramics of the Na$ sb2$O$ cdot$CaO$ cdot$Al$ sb2$O$ sb3 cdot$TiO$ sb2 cdot$SiO$ sb2$ system (sphene glass-ceramics) doped with Eu$ sp{3+}$ were examined using site-selective spectroscopic techniques (FLN). In sphene glass-ceramics, Eu$ sp{3+}$ preferentially partitions into the crystalline sphene phase. The partition ratio is concentration dependent, decreasing at higher concentrations, because of the limited solid solubility of Eu$ sp{3+}$ in sphene. The concentration occurs at the time of phase separation; Eu$ sp{3+}$ preferentially enters the more ionic (CaO, TiO$ sb2$)- rich droplet phase which eventually becomes sphene. In sphene, Eu$ sp{3+}$ substitutes for Ca$ sp{2+}$ appearing in …  Read more

Austin, G. L. (Supervisor)  Read more

This project explores Oscar Wilde's work on painting, the art of dress, and home decor, referred to collectively in his lectures as the 'decorative arts.' While it has become commonplace to assert that Wilde's plays and essays subvert the status quo, few scholars have studied Wilde's work on the decorative arts to substantiate his status as a writer arguing for social and political change. Through an analysis of Wilde's North American lecture tour and his editorship of The Woman's World, as well as his approach to painting, clothing, and home decor in his more well-known work, I argue that Wilde …  Read more

Vanhaelen, Engeline (Supervisor1)  Read more

The complete record of the first two years of radiosonde observations from the Polar Basin have been analyzed with respect to thermal inversions. An objective classification system was introduced to permit exact determinations of type, magnitudes of component layers, and frequencies of occurrence, of inversions. The method has general applicability to other portions of the radiosonde ascent. A new unit of inversion intensity was introduced and appears to be an improvement over the use of lapse rate.  Read more

This study consists of evaluating the effects of zidovudine or ribavirin treatment on the humoral response to human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV-1) in a cohort of 36 HIV-1 seropositive patients. Viral neutralization antibodies were demonstrated against HTLV$ sb{ rm IIIb}$ virus while titers of circulating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibodies were measured against the HIV-1 envelope protein, gp120, using the vaccinia virus expression system which has been successfully used to express foreign viral proteins in target cells. Virologic (viral isolation) and immunologic (CD4$ sp+$ cells) parameters were also monitored pre and post antiviral therapy. The results indicate that patients receiving zidovudine …  Read more

Biological and immunological aspects of the host-parasite relationship were examined in mice which are susceptible (A/J) and resistant (B10.A) to Giardia muris. B10.A exhibited a shorter latent period, lower cyst output during the acute phase of the infection and shorter period of cyst release compared to A/J. Characteristics of the infection transmitted from mouse-to-mouse and those induced by oral inoculation with cysts or trophozoites were similar. The infection was longer in male A/J and B10.A mice compared to females. Susceptibility and resistance during both the acute and elimination phases of the infection were under non-H-2-linked multigenic control. A/J and B10.A …  Read more

L'équilibre de phases et la morphologie des hydrates de gaz ont été étudiés. Les conditions d'équilibre à quatre phases (hydrates-liquideaq-liquide-vapeur) et à trois phases (hydrates-liquideaq-vapeur) ont été déterminées pour les systèmes méthane + dioxyde de carbone + neohexane + eau et méthane + dioxyde de carbone + eau, respectivement. On a constate que la fraction molaire du dioxyde de carbone dans la phase vapeur suivait des tendances contraires dans les deux systèmes, quand a la pression d'équilibre, pour une température relativement constante. Il fut aussi observe que l'équilibre des hydrates de structure H se produit a plus basses pressions et …  Read more

In order to establish the viability of using a biological system to decaffeinate coffee, a bacterium (Pseudomonas putida IF-3) capable of living on caffeine as its only source of carbon and nitrogen was studied. Resting cell suspensions and cell-free extracts of P. putida IF-3 were tested to assess their ability to degrade caffeine, and to determine their capacity to retain activity at different temperatures. A method to quantify cell lysis was developed; this method allowed comparison of cell free extract and resting cell caffeine degradation rates. Caffeine degradation rates for cell free extracts were found to be 55 times faster …  Read more

La thèse suivante examine l'importance du jeu dans la poésie de Wallace Stevens et comment il révèle une isométrie structurelle entre sa poétique et l'éthique philosophique d'Immanuel Kant, Hans-Georg Gadamer, et Emmanuel Levinas. Cette comparaison démontre que Stevens n'est pas concernée par les concepts philosophique «le bien» ou «la vérité», mais essai plutôt de déterminer la condition ontologique de la pensée poétique, ce qu'il fait en écrivant de la poésie qui tend vers la fiction dominante de son âge; la Fiction Suprême. Cette thèse est divisée en trois étapes, chacune visant à démontrer l'importance du changement, l'abstraction et le plaisir …  Read more

Le but de cette etude est de découvrir la perception que des professeures de français langue seconde ont de l'education interculturelle.  Read more

Despite great advances in our understanding of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life cycle, the mechanisms that underlie the progression of HIV from cellular entry of the viral core to stable integration of the provirus are poorly understood. Sites of integration of the HIV provirus are distributed along the full length of actively transcribed genes and appear to be determined through protein-protein interactions between the viral integrase and cellular proteins. Two cellular proteins have been proposed to perform integration targeting roles, the chromatin-remodeling factor integrase interactor 1 (INI1/hSNF5/BAF47) and the lens epithelium-derived growth factor/transcriptional co-activator (LEDGF). Here, we report the …  Read more

This thesis describes our advances in the preparation of lipophilic fluorogenic probes for the study of electron transfer reactions and redox processes in lipid membrane systems. The work revolves around the design of two segment receptor-reporter type probes which are able to undergo reversible oxidation/reduction processes, accompanied by a change in fluorescence quantum yield. In this thesis, we focus on vitamin K quinones, a group of related naphthoquinones that differ in their lipophilic tail, as the receptor of the probe, motivated by our ultimate interest to monitor electron transport processes in mitochondria. Notably, recent findings suggest vitamin K naphthoquinones may …  Read more

Brain atrophy has been used as a marker for disease progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). SIENA, an automated tool for measuring brain volume change, was tested to see whether MRI slice thickness and gap presence affect longitudinal atrophy measures. Isotropic global scan-rescan images were used to simulate 3 mm and 5 mm axial slice thicknesses with 1 and 2mm gaps, respectively. SIENA remained accurate and precise with increasing slice thickness and gap presence. Furthermore, symmetric pre-registration was crucial for scans with larger slice-thickness and gaps. SIENA was used to observe atrophy in children who have experienced a Clinically Isolated Syndrome …  Read more

Through an approach termed medial-formalist analysis, this thesis takes the diptych as its central object of investigation and considers it from a visual, a narrative, and a medial-material perspective. Historically, the diptych is a largely overlooked form whose most striking feature lies in its endurance throughout Western culture; as this thesis makes clear, this is a direct result of the form's moveable character that allows it to adapt to a wide range of media and narrative genres. Originating in Antiquity, the diptych, which simultaneously combines openness and closure within its form, began by spurring the birth of the codex before …  Read more

Ce mémoire offre une réflexion sur les conditions qui ont rendu possible la présence du cinéma au musée ; il sera également question des conséquences entraînées par cette présence. Le premier chapitre revient sur plusieurs marqueurs historiques qui témoignent de ce phénomène récent. Le deuxième chapitre se concentre sur les transformations qui ont affecté la fonction de commissaire d'exposition. On peut expliquer ces changements par l'émergence d'un modèle d'organisation des expositions inspiré du cinéma. Une autre explication est à chercher dans le « retour de la fiction » (Christian Zimmer). Enfin le troisième chapitre propose de relire, par le prisme …  Read more

The goal of this study was to explore the use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for a variety of human hair analyses. Optimization of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operating parameters, radiofrequency (RF) power and carrier gas flowrate, for solid sample introduction showed more than one operating condition can (1) produce a statistically similar maximum elemental signal and (2) have statistically similar optimum signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. The use of an internal standard was shown to increase the number of operating conditions with statistically similar optimum S/N ratios, and the value of S/N ratios. The …  Read more

Straub, David N. (Supervisor1)  Read more

Manoukian, Setrag (Supervisor2)  Read more

Motivation : L'épissage alternatif affecte environ 95% des gènes chez les mammifères. C'est l'un des mécanismes les plus importants permettant d'accroître la diversité du transcriptome et du protéome. L'épissage alternatif est un processus complexe impliquant plusieurs niveaux de régulation interdépendants. Selon plusieurs études, les modifications d'histones affectent l'épissage du pre-mARN. Cependant cette évidence repose sur des études qui restreignent leur analyse à des gènes individuels et/ou ne considèrent pas l'influence de l'expression du gène et de la distribution des marques épigénétiques. L'épissage des gènes est un processus qui se déroule parallèlement à la transcription; pour certains gènes, il a été …  Read more

This thesis focuses on the underlying mechanisms of Sciascia's writing, especially on its social destiny and literary scope. Beyond realism, Sciascia's writing comprises important information regarding the author's conception of the intellectual's work in the political and social domains. Sciascia had to develop writing techniques that enable him to efficiently merge his essayist bent and narrative inspiration, his penchant to document facts and his capacity to create them artistically. These are the origins of his unusual narrative technique--an amalgam of the eighteenth century essay and contemporary detective novel, locked in a crossroads of reason and non-reason. Sciascia's cultural background, a …  Read more

Leonardo Sciascia was undoubtedly a prominent figure of Italian public life due to his scathing criticism of the Mafia and of occult power. Unfortunately, most critics have relegated him to the role of mere detractor of Italy's corrupt public and private mores. We cannot deny that he did indeed fulfill this role as well; however the overall literary value of his works by far exceeds that of a statement of charges against organized crime. His literary production can be in fact interpreted as a safe haven for truth against the establishment's drive to obliterate it. This thesis aims at reasserting …  Read more

To seal its territory from unwanted migrants, the European Union (EU) has engaged in practices akin to a “militarization of borders”. The EU has, since the 1990s, extended cooperation on international migration beyond its territory, towards African and Middle Eastern states from which the majority of migrants are believed to begin their journeys or transit to the EU. Transit countries, which are of particular interest to this analysis, have become key actors in the prevention and containment of unwanted migration to the EU. To understand the reasons for and consequences of the term ‘transit country,’ and the larger phenomenon of …  Read more

Ao, Asangla (Supervisor)  Read more

Joober, R. (Supervisor)  Read more

In this dissertation, I investigate the structural representation of mood in a Minimalist framework. This investigation is based on the study of mood particles in Modern Standard Arabic and the way they interact with (i) the verb and (ii) negation. Arabic subjunctive particles are compared to subjunctive Balkan particles. The main suggestion is that Arabic clause structure involves an inflectional projection Modal Phrase (ModP) that hosts the subjunctive particle ?an as well as other mood particles all of which check verbal mood morphology through the operation Agree. The subjunctive particle ?an is compared to Balkan subjunctive particles and is argued …  Read more

Abstract The small Rho GTPase proteins act as molecular switches that regulate diverse cellular processes linked mostly to the actin-cytoskeleton remodeling making them essential regulators of cell adhesion, migration and invasion. Dysregulation of their activities can result in different abnormal phenotypes particularly, tumor progression and metastasis. Hence, regulators of Rho GTPases such as Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) and Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs), are critical for normal cellular responses and are targets for subversion during oncogenic transformation. CdGAP (Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein) is a member of a well-conserved subfamily of RhoGAP proteins and a negative regulator of the small Rho …  Read more

Gawri, Rahul (Supervisor1)  Read more

Cette recherche porte sur l’intégration urbaine des immigrantes maghrébines. À travers une posture féministe postcoloniale et intersectionnelle, elle regarde plus spécifiquement la situation d’immigrantes maghrébines de première génération vivant dans les villes de Marseille en France et de Montréal au Québec. Notre approche méthodologique est qualitative et se base sur des entrevues approfondies effectuées auprès de 24 femmes immigrantes (13 à Marseille et 11 à Montréal) et auprès d’informateurs-clés ayant une expertise sur des aspects politiques et/ou sur l’intervention auprès des immigrant.e.s (9 à Marseille et 9 à Montréal). La posture théorique que nous avons adoptée permet de situer les …  Read more