McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

Criticism on Great War memorialisation typically argues one of two things: that monuments were erected as authentic expressions of grief or that monuments were erected for political purposes. This study attempts to reconcile these diverging views by exploring the effects of Great War propaganda and memorialisation on individual consciousness. This study is particularly concerned with the genesis of the nation—or imagined community—and how traditions, monuments, and cultural symbols construct Englishness during and after the Great War. Ideology transforms individuals into national subjects. The trauma of twentieth-century warfare—millions of men were killed and millions more were physically and psychologically maimed—challenged the …  Read more

The max-k-sat problem asks to find a truth assignment to n Boolean variables that maximizes the total number of satisfied clauses in a conjunctive normal form formula with k variables per clause. We show that, with high probability, a natural local search algorithm finds a locally optimal solution on a randomly weighted formula containing all distinct clauses in time n to the power 5(k+1), thus establishing polynomial smoothed complexity for this variant of max-k-sat. Further analysis improves this bound to n to the power 4k+ sqrt(12k)+2, which also yields a small improvement in the smoothed complexity of the analogous max-cut …  Read more

Dans ce mémoire, l’utilisation des technologies mobiles couplée avec une plateforme en ligne pour la cartographie de crise dans un contexte de développement communautaire est étudiée. La cartographie de crise a été utilisée dans le mouvement des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TICs) au service du développement comme méthode pour connecter et renforcer les capacités des citoyens dans des situations d’urgence. Cette étude a utilisé Crowdmap, la plateforme cartographique « dans un nuage »de Ushahidi est utilisée pour analyser si les citoyens allaient envoyer des textos et envoyer des messages en ligne comme les courriels, les tweets et …  Read more

The role of catchment hydrology and biogeochemistry in the production and transport of methylmercury (MeHg) was studied in a headwater catchment in the low boreal forest zone of the Precambrian Shield. A simple, catchment-scale model found that peatlands were large sources of MeHg, and lakes were large sinks. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the volume of runoff delivered to the peatland by the upland, peatland size, and pore water MeHg concentration in the peatland are important controls on catchment MeHg yield. Contemporary atmospheric deposition of MeHg was found to be insignificant compared to the sources of MeHg within the catchment. Sulfate …  Read more

Decomposition and MeHg concentration were measured for Sphagnum fuscum, Sphagnum angustifolium and Chamaedaphne calyculata in a poor fen in the low boreal forest zone of the Canadian Shield. Litter bags were transplanted reciprocally into hummocks, hollows and lawns and retrieved after 1, 2, 3,11 and 15 months. Mass losses follow the trend: Chamaedaphne calyculata >> S. angustifolium > S. fuscum. Between species differences were far more significant than differences between locations or depths, indicating that litter quality is the major control on decomposition. McHg concentrations generally increased during decomposition, particularly near the water table: for C. calyculata up to 13000%, …  Read more

clk-1 encodes a hydroxylase that is necessary for ubiquinone (UQ) biosynthesis. clk-1 mutants do not synthesize UQ, but instead accumulate the precursor demethoxyubiquinone (DMQ). When fed on bacteria that synthesize UQ the mutants are viable but display slow development, behaviours and aging. However, they arrest development when fed on UQ synthesis-deficient bacteria. I have taken a genetic suppressor approach to investigate the causes of the various phenotypes as well as of the dietary requirements of the clk-1 mutants. We identified two classes of mutants that suppress the defecation phenotypes of clk-1. All of these "dsc" mutants suppress the lengthened cycle …  Read more

A study of the beta-decay of 46 day Hf181 has been made using a thin magnetic lens spectrometer. The beta-spectrum has an apparent end-point of 0.419 ± 0.024 Mev but because of the presence of conversion lines could not be analyzed for complexity. Conversion lines at 64 ± 0.6, 118 ± 1, 269 ± 3, 404 ± 4 and 457 ± 5 Ker are attributed to the internal conversion of gamma-rays of energies 131 ± 1.3, 185 ± 2, 336 ± 4 and 4711 5 Kev. Evidence exists for gamma-rays of energies 231 ± 5 and 248 ± 4 Kev …  Read more

Cette dissertation explore la substitution différentielle des fricatives interdentales par les apprenants de l'anglais langue seconde. La substitution différentielle se produit quand les apprenants dont la langue maternelle (L1) ne contient pas ces sons, substituent ces phonèmes par un autre. Dépendamment de la L1, la substitution se fait avec [t,d], [s,z] ou [f,v]. Au cours des années, plusieurs propositions ont été émises pour expliquer ce phénomène. Ces hypothèses reposent principalement sur les différences structurelles des systèmes phonémiques de diverses langues. Cette thèse examine la substitution de [θ,ð] par des locuteurs de différentes langues ou dialectes, à savoir: le japonais, le …  Read more

Avec leur capacité à hydrolyser les liaisons peptidiques, les protéases sont des éléments essentiels des systèmes biologiques. Les protéases de la membrane externe (ME) bactérienne font partie de l'arsenal de défense à l'interface des interactions hôte-pathogène. Les omptines sont des protéases de la ME impliquées dans la virulence bactérienne. Les omptines se retrouvent principalement chez des pathogènes tels que Escherichia coli (OmpT), Yersinia pestis (Pla), et Citrobacter rodentium (CroP). Les pathotypes d’E. coli entérohémorragiques, entéropathogènes, et uropathogènes (EHEC, EPEC et UPEC) sont d’importants pathogènes qui affectent la santé humaine. Ces bactéries doivent survivre aux peptides antimicrobiens (PAMs) du système immunitaire …  Read more

This thesis provides details on the 109 specimen main testing program as well as a summary of past wood frame and steel frame shear wall research. An extensive review of existing data interpretation methodologies is presented. The equivalent energy elastic-plastic (EEEP) technique is chosen as most suitable for the wall systems under study to deduce key design parameters including the yield wall resistance, elastic stiffness, and system ductility. It is recommended that the EEEP methodology be implemented for all future steel frame/wood panel shear wall data interpretation. The calibration of a resistance factor for use with the limit states design …  Read more

L'émergence d'agents pathogènes bactériens multirésistants (MDR) chez les animaux d'élevage et leur propagation zoonotique constituent une préoccupation tant pour l'agriculture animale que pour la santé publique. Outre la résistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM), les agents pathogènes bactériens des genres Salmonella et Staphylococci se réfugient à l'intérieur des cellules hôtes. Les stratégies d'intervention qui peuvent éliminer les agents pathogènes MDR intracellulaires sont justifiées pour la résilience dans l'élevage des animaux. La recherche de la thèse s'est concentrée sur deux aspects principaux : (1) la détermination de la prévalence de la MDR et des mécanismes de résistance dans les isolats de Salmonella et …  Read more

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heavy metals, high temperature and low temperature are largely responsible for crop yield losses. Plants have adapted various coping mechanisms to overcome these adverse environmental conditions to sustain growth, and reproduction. Stress responses, are predominantly regulated at the transcriptional level. Plants respond to changes in environmental conditions by activating a transcriptional cascade that relies on a set of transcription factors that regulate the transcription of stress responsive genes. Recently, transcription has been shown to be dependent on the chromatin compaction level. As the DNA tightens around the nucleosomes, promoter accessibility to transcription factors decreases. …  Read more

Avec l’augmentation de la population mondiale et la diminution des terres arables, la demande pour des systèmes alimentaires résilients capables de fonctionner dans des environnements difficiles, tels que les habitats spatiaux, les fermes verticales urbaines, ainsi que les régions arctiques, arides ou dégradées de la Terre, ne cesse de croître. L’agriculture en environnement contrôlé (AEC) offre une solution en permettant la production alimentaire dans des conditions optimisées, grâce à la gestion précise de facteurs environnementaux comme la lumière, la température et l’humidité. Bien que les cultures de légumes-feuilles soient généralement prioritaires dans les systèmes AEC, ce mémoire explore le potentiel …  Read more

La cystinose est un défaut héréditaire rare et récessif causé par des mutations dans le gène de la cystinosine (CTNS). Le produit de ce gène est un transporteur de protons transmembranaire qui est responsable de l'efflux de la cystine du lysosome. Les mutations résultent en l'accumulation de la cystine dans les lysosomes de tous les tissues, ce qui induit la formation de cristaux de cystine et éventuellement la mort cellulaire. Le rein en est particulièrement affecté. Le dysfonctionnement du tubule proximal est évident à l'âge de 6 mois et le dysfonctionnement progressif des cellules glomérulaires mène à une insuffisance rénale …  Read more

Viruses are among the ultimate conquerors. Even the exploits of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great seem pale when compared to viral feats. To give but one example, over the last 50 years, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has swept across six continents, now claiming several million lives yearly. Despite sustained intense research efforts, there is still no treatment to eradicate HIV infection. For billions of years, viruses evolved strategies to enter and take control of organisms to generate progeny viruses. Eukaryotic cell viruses developed various means of hijacking the cellular protein synthesis machinery. Understanding these mechanisms opens a unique …  Read more

This dissertation is an attempt to explore the dynamics of the therapeutic process at Nechi House, a community residential centre or halfway house for men of aboriginal ancestry. I explore the construction of an Aboriginal identity among residents at the House as an issue of context, where, as Gregory Bateson (1979) suggested, "It is the context that fixes the meaning". Aboriginal identity among residents at Nechi House, I argue, represents an intersection of imbricated discursive practices and personal narratives of self within a highly problematic and contentious symbolic socializing space. Space as I am using the concept in this dissertation …  Read more

Ce mémoire présente une étude de cas sur la revitalisation des langues autochtones,centrée sur la langue Kanien’kéha (Mohawk). Ancrée dans une approche communautaire, larecherche porte sur la transcription et la traduction d’un récit oral enregistré, partagé par unlocuteur kanien’kéha de langue maternelle. Ce récit, une ancienne histoire Rotinonhsión:ni(Iroquoienne), a servi de point d’ancrage riche pour l’exploration linguistique et culturelle. Grâceau processus de transcription et de traduction, j’ai collaboré avec divers membres de macommunauté, chacun apportant des perspectives uniques sur la langue, les conventions narrativeset les significations culturelles inscrites dans l’histoire. Cette expérience immersive a nonseulement renforcé mes compétences linguistiques, mais …  Read more

Focusing on the entire literary works of Fernand Ouellette, that is to say all the writings published in collections from 1953 to 2000, the present thesis studies the evolution of his poetical writing in comparison with his writing of the essay, from a perspective both philosophical (development and evolution of concepts) and rhetorical (poetics and the form of thought). A chronological approach allows to draw three stages within the evolution of his works: (1) the period of lightning (1955--1973), which is linked to the poetics of revelation; (2) the period of wandering (1974--1986), when the poetics of relation is developed; …  Read more

This thesis is a contribution to the study of the interpretation of the concept of bodhicitta. This concept is a technical term of frequent occurrence in Buddhist Sanskrit literature. Within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, bodhicitta is closely related to the spiritual practices of the Buddhist aspirant to enlightenment. Specifically researched is Santideva's use of this concept in his Bodhicaryavatara, a text known to have been composed around the 8th century. The form of this study is as follows: first, a survey of the various interpretations of the concept of bodhicitta suggested so far; secondly, an analysis of its possible functions …  Read more

Le diabète de type 1 touche plus de 300 000 Canadiens et son incidence continue d'augmenter au Canada et dans le monde. La transplantation d'îlots pancréatiques peut conduire à l'indépendance vis-à-vis de l'insuline et réduit également les risques d’hypoglycémie reliés à l'administration excessive d'insuline. L'accès à cette thérapie est limité par l'approvisionnement en îlots de Langerhans provenant de donneurs d’organes et par l'immunosuppression nécessaire pour éviter le rejet de la greffe. Pour relever ces défis, des sources alternatives de cellules et des dispositifs qui peuvent améliorer l'efficacité de la transplantation et potentiellement protéger les îlots du système immunitaire sont en …  Read more

Godbout, Steve (Supervisor2)  Read more

Using chronic disease registers, a list of physician-diagnosed diabetics was drawn up for the 8 James Bay Cree communities (total population 8840). Medical records were then consulted to ascertain the clinical histories of the patients. The World Health Organization definition of diabetes was applied to diagnosed cases and those not meeting the biochemical criteria were eliminated. A total of 235 persons with diabetes were found, giving a total prevalence of 2.7%. Prevalence of type II was 5.2% in the 20 years and older age group. Prevalence varied from 1.9% in the northernmost village to 9.0% in the southernmost Cree community. …  Read more

The aquatic Gram-negative organism, Caulobacter crescentus, is a member of the alpha (alpha) subclass of the proteobacteria. C. crescentus possesses an unique cell cycle with a complex developmental program in that the bacterium asymmetrically divides to produce a replication competent stalked cell and replication incompetent swarmer cell. Previously, a chromosomal fragment was shown to support autonomous plasmid replication. In addition, sequence analysis of this autonomous replicating sequence (ARS) 500 by fragment, termed Cori, exhibited some shared features characteristic of a typical replication origin. However, as not all identified ARS elements are chromosomal replication origins, it was therefore shown by two-dimensional …  Read more

Medical image guidance for pedicle screw implantation during spinal fusion reduces the complication rate for patients drastically. Preoperative images require image-to-patient registration to provide accurate information and afterwards, accurate guidance. Automatic registration based on tracked intraoperative ultrasound is a promising method but requires a robust and accurate algorithm. This thesis presents the comparison of three different algorithms that could potentially satisfy all clinical requirements in terms of image-to-patient registration: the Iterative Closest Point algorithm, a more robust variant of ICP and the Coherence Point Drift (CPD) algorithm.The accuracy, precision, speed, robustness regarding initial misalignment, and robustness regarding noise were evaluated …  Read more

The goal of this work was to maximize the biodegradation of the commercial chlorinated paraffin Cereclor S52 using an axenic culture of Pseudomonas sp. 273. Tests of the adherence of growing cultures to hydrocarbon substrates showed differences between Cereclor S52 and a readily degradable chlorinated alkane, 1,10-dichlorodecane (DCD). In the bioreactor, Cereclor S52 was degraded by up to 73% by means of multiple additions of DCD. This is indicative of an upper limit for the degradation of Cereclor S52 in this system. The degradative enzymes in Pseudomonas sp. 273 did not appear to be induced by Cereclor itself, by yeast …  Read more

Laberge, J. M. (Supervisor)  Read more

Time-resolved x-ray scattering has been used to study the kinetics of polymorphic crystallization of amorphous metals on time-scales varying from minutes to milliseconds. Using a high flux synchrotron beamline and fast position-sensitive detector system, simultaneous wide and small angle scattering patterns from the transforming material have been acquired in situ, with time-resolution as short as 3ms. A fast pyrometric temperature controller has been developed to change and regulate the sample temperature with microsecond response. Two alloys have been identified in which crystallization proceeds by thermally activated nucleation and growth of a single equilibrium phase at all observable transformation rates. Crystal …  Read more

Jenni, Sylvie (Advisor)  Read more

This thesis presents a set of model studies of climate interactions with terrestrial rock weathering using the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM); several different sets of weathering parameterizations are investigated within the context of two very important periods of Earth's climatic history. Firstly, we examine the importance of the rock weathering feedback mechanism during the last deglacial period (ca. 16,000 – 4,000 BCE) with four box-model parameterizations of terrestrial weathering. The deglacial climate change in the model was driven by changes in orbital parameters, prescribed atmospheric CO2 variability, and prescribed removal of continental ice sheets. Over …  Read more

Palter, Jaime (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

Telomeres and telomerase stand at a junction of cellular processes that govern aging, cancer and disease. Premature aging syndromes and age-related diseases are characterized by short telomeres which compromise cell function and viability, whereas cancer cells are able to reactivate telomerase or alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanisms to maintain their telomeres and become immortal.Telomeres and telomerase represent very attractive targets for the development of anticancer therapies. However, there is concern that these therapies may lead to cell resistance, including the reactivation of telomerase or ALT in telomerase-positive cells. Here we show that telomeric recombination can be promoted by telomere-induced …  Read more

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the principal form of brain injury in preterm neonates. In addition to the vasculopathy associated with hypoxicischemic injury, PVL is characterized by the loss of progenitor oligodendrocytes (OLs). Oxidant stress and lipid peroxidation increase in hypoxic-ischemic injuries, particularly in the immature brain. We hypothesized that the major lipid peroxidation products isoprostanes 15-F2t-IsoP and 15-E2t-IsoP, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) could be implicated in the pathogenesis of PVL by affecting the survival of brain OLs and microvascular endothelial cells (ECs). Cytotoxicity of the lipid peroxidation products was assessed on cultured rat progenitor and mature OLs and piglet cerebromicrovascular …  Read more

Gaudreault-DesBiens, Jean-Francois (Supervisor)  Read more

The goal of this thesis is to examine the way in which economics shape suburban Famous Players megaplexes in Montreal and how they abet a destruction of urban community. I use Jameson and the critique of the Situationiste International to demonstrate the value, in this case, of examining the relationship between the economic and community. Jameson aptly describes an economic disorientation and identity crisis created by postmodern capitalism. The SI brings to light a loss of enchantment resulting from mass produced products and spaces. I describe the way in which the symbolism, architecture, and aesthetics of the megaplex are a …  Read more

Dans cette thèse, j'examine l'utilisation de la perturbation dans les pratiques militantes contemporaines. Suite au travail de Jacques Rancière je soutiens que les moments de rupture, des moments où notre compréhension du sens commun du monde sont jetées dans le désarroi, sont les seuls cas où la vraie politique peut émerger. Perturbation, je dirais, est un outil commun dans des cadres militants, mais les exécutions de perturbation varient largement. Certains activistes présentent de nouvelles informations à perturber les régimes et la compréhension dominants. D'autres adoptent une compréhension plus littérale du terme, en essayant de perturber physiquement les pratiques impliquées. Dans …  Read more

Une oeuvre d'aspect fragmenté bénéficie rarement de la réflexion soutenue qu'on n'hésite pas à accorder à des oeuvres plus systématiques. Ainsi l'effort nécessaire pour retrouver, par-delà le chaos de pensées en apparence disjointes, la signification qui s'en dégage empêchera-t-il sans doute toujours qu'on prête aux écrits de Simone Weil l'attention qu'ils méritent.  Read more

In 1954, when Olds and Milner discovered rewarding areas in the rat brain, it seemed as if the drive reductionists would have to revise their basic theory. Until that time the dogma was that an action would be reinforced if it led to a reduction in drive or drive stimuli. The idea that an increase in stimulation could be rewarding was contrary to the most widely accepted theories, and, in fact, the affect of an increase in stimulation was commonly regarded as punishing. [...]  Read more

During the past few years, the function of the thymus gland has been greatly clarified. It is now known to play an important role in the development of immunological competence. However, less is known about that role, if any, the thymus plays in the maintenance of immune function during adult life. Because of the bearing of immune function on tissue transplantation and because of the possible role of the thymus in immune function, this gland may be of importance in a better understanding of organ and tissue rejection. Similarly, modification or removal of the thymus, with or without other treatment, …  Read more

Younge, Eva R. (Supervisor)  Read more

This thesis provides the first comprehensive account of the Peruvian expropriation of the Tarapaca nitrate industry from its origins in 1870-1875 to its conclusion in 1879. The data on sellers of nitrate plants, holders of production contracts, and quotations of the nitrate bonds furnished in payment for the plants included in this work had been missing from prior, sketchy accounts of the expropriation. The sharp and protracted domestic debate in Peru over the scheme, both prior to and during the operation, presented here in detail, has never been noted or analyzed before. The parallel history of the Antofagasta Company, a …  Read more

During the summer of 1928, the writer was engaged, as a prospector in the interior of Newfoundland and in June visited the Gull Lake copper deposit, where he saw the mineral cordierite for the first time. The rest of the summer was spent in the ftlotre Dame Bay region, to the north-east of Gull Lake, where the geology is similar. The writer1 s knowledge of the Amulet copper deposit has been obtained chiefly from perusal of several papers on the geology of northern Quebec published in Canada during the past few years, particularly those by Dr. H, C. Cooke, of …  Read more

The Long Valley Volcanic Field is best known for the paroxysmal 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff caldera-forming eruption. Postcaldera volcanic activity initially was focused within the caldera complex and along its western and southern margins. Starting at ~60 ka, however, intracaldera volcanism ceased and the focus of activity shifted to the north into the Mono Basin. Frequent eruptions over the past 60,000 years have emplaced the Mono domes and the Mono Lake lavas. The Mono Lake lavas, as well as enclaves present in several of the Mono domes, comprise the only material of intermediate composition (andesite, dacite) erupted in the Mono …  Read more

The Deoxynucleoside triphosphate pools in bath asynchronous and synchronous cultures of mammalian cells were examined. The pools were examined in asynchronous cultures of HeLa, Chinese hamster and mouse L-cells, and it was found that the absolute amounts of the four triphosphates varied between the cell lines, and that the ratios of the amounts of the four triphosphates varied within each cell line. In a highly synchronous population of HeLa cells it was found that the pools of all four aeoxynucleoside triphosphates fluctuated in a similar, cyclic manner. The nature of these fluctuations was determined, and it was shown that in …  Read more