McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

The structure, preparation and properties ot the Cellulose Ethers have recently became an increasingly important subject for technical and theoretical research. Previous to the last decade these interesting derivatives of cellulose constituted a practically unexplored field. The only ethers which had been at all thoroughly investigated were the methyl and ethyl celluloses, and only theoretical importance was attached to them. They have served to provide, however, in the capable hands ot Irvine, Haworth, and other workers, a most efficient tool for the investigation of the structure of carbohydrates and polysaccharides. [...]  Read more

A climate controlled, dynamic chamber was used to measure carbon dioxide (CO$ sb2$) and methane (CH$ sb4$) exchange on an ombrotrophic peatland. The study periods were July to early November 1995, and early May to July 1996. Five sample sites, showing ecological and hydrological contrast, were investigated. Measurements of Net Ecosystem Exchange showed peak photosynthetic capacity (GP$ sb{ max})$ ranging from 0.52 $ pm$ 0.04 mg C m$ sp{-2}$ s$ sp{-1}$ (June 1996) to 0.03 $ pm$ 0.02 mg C m$ sp{-2}$ s$ sp{-1}$ (early November 1995). Dark respiration measurements ranged from $-$0.21 $ pm$.02 mg C m$ sp{-2}$ s$ …  Read more

It was of interest to prepare and study thesimplest member of the series, Y-benzoylbutyronitrile (I) and to learn what connection, if any, there was between the degree of substitution and the course of the reaction. Nitrites A and D, for example, on bromination gave either bromopyridines (six membered rings) or open chain substitution products that readily lost the elements of hydrogen bromide to yield cyclopropanes (three membered rings). [...]  Read more

We characterized the structural, functional and molecular aberrations occurring in the peri/postnatal ovaries of Follitropin Receptor Knockout (FORKO) females. Immature FORKOs have 40-50% smaller reproductive organs. Estradiol is undetectable but testosterone and LH levels are elevated. Developmental markers (Mullerian Inhibiting Substance, GATA-4, estrogen receptor p\ and androgen receptor) are differentially expressed in granulosa cells (GC). Bi-directional communication between oocyte and GCs is inferred as altered in the FORKOs as demonstrated by absence of connexin 43, a gap junction protein, from the ovaries of FORKOs, and by up regulation of connexin 31.1, a mediator of atresia. We conclude that intercellular communication …  Read more

It is strange that in a country of Canada's dimensions and regional diversities, the study of areal differentiation has advanced so little. Manufacturing is directly responsible for the means of livelihood of one-quarter of the population, and its development is popularly regarded as a barometer of economic maturity and nationhood. A long-awaited Seaway is now being constructed and speculation on area benefits and handicaps is rife. Yet the existing pattern of manufacturing, which forms the basis of future developments, remains uncharted. It is a purpose of this study to survey and present an initial differentiation of the manufacturing belt in …  Read more

The urban environment is frequently regarded as the highest expression of man’s advance within his physical environment and the ability to live together and act in concert with fellow men. To brace the development of these two factors is more than describing a panorama of bricks, steel, and asphalt against a background of dates and statistics. In any large community a heritage arises from the interplay of ethnic and religious forces with the cultural approaches to the environment. The forms that this heritage takes in early communal life are expressed in the urban environment in visual and less tangible structures …  Read more

The aim of this Thesis has been triple: first, to study the 'high-church' theology of the Church of England under Charles 1 and its relations with Puritanism and Catholicism; secondly, to see to what extent this theology was put into practical effect; and, finally, to estimate the influence, in all this, of Archbishop Laud. Inasmuch as it was in and through the latter that this theology achieved materialization, our study has been largely limited to the years between 1625 and 1640. Many apparently startling omissions have been made, such as any discussion of the relations of the English Churchm with …  Read more

Machelle Wilchesky (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

Over the past decades, Australia's refugee policy has been increasingly carried out outside its territory, with many services to detained asylum seekers being outsourced to private contractors. The so-called Offshore Processing Centres of Nauru and Manus Island operate in uncertain areas of international human rights law, where the classic rules of attribution and remedies for human rights violations are challenged by the extraterritorial and outsourced nature of the policy. Recent investigations have shed light on systemic human rights abuses being committed in detention centres, without a clear scheme of accountability under international law.This thesis seeks to reveal the critical limits …  Read more

Gastric secretion has been studied by many investigators since the pioneer days of Pavlov. The control and regulation of gastric secretiob has been the subject of intense study. The results of previous work have shown that the gastric glands are controlled by a variety of regulating mechanisms. The main features being the nervous control by parasympathetic nervous system, the mechanical and hormonal factors in the stomach itself. [...]  Read more

RésuméLe monde a change de nombreuses manières dans les temps modernes, et la technologie a été un élément clé dans ce changement. La loi applicable aux utilisations militarires du cyberespace dans l’espace est en pleine mutation. Les jours beaucoup plus simples de l’ARPA Internet sont révolus. L’Internet, ou cyberespace, tel qu’il est couramment désigné par l’armée américaine, est une vulnérabilité stratégique. Le cyberespace est également défini comme un domaine analogue à un espace physique. Alors que les États cherchent des moyens de protéger leurs secteurs d’infrastructure nationaux, la communauté international se bat pour faire face aux défis juridiques aux associés …  Read more

This thesis explores the concept of "Sanctity of Life" from the perspective of what "life," in particular human life, means today. With the rapid advances in science and modern medical practice, the concept of life has undergone many changes, shaking the foundations of what before made us view life as sacred. Modern thought has brought new forms of understanding to the concept of life. I question the goals of modern medicine and biotechnology, and criticize the reductionist view of life. And finally, I highlight a new ethical approach that could bridge science and moral convictions about the concept of life. …  Read more

Human filarial nematode infections caused by Wucheria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori can lead to lymphatic filariasis (LF), and those due to Onchocerca volvulus can lead to onchocerciasis or river blindness, affecting millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Brugia malayi has been an excellent model to study human filarial diseases, in particular by employing culture systems, the impact of which on the parasites is unknown. One of our objectives was to evaluate changes in gene expression due to in vitro cultivation of Brugia malayi, as an index of adaptation to removal from the host. We examined the …  Read more

As women's literature emerged in late nineteenth-century Italy, female authors encountered many obstacles. Foremost among them was the near-total absence of Italian female literary role models. Female writers often expressed ambivalence towards the writing of other women, which was considered inferior to male writing. However, their reverence for male writers revealed how conflictive their identities as writers were, and it was an impediment to the establishment of a serious women's literary tradition. In addition to such personal conflicts, these writers also faced the challenge of gaining acceptance by the male-dominated literary community and by their readers. These two groups expected …  Read more

This cross-sectional inquiry examines first-, third-, and eighth-grade dual immersion students' use of Spanish and English when interacting with their teachers and peers in a U.S. school. Findings are based on classroom interactions, student and teacher interviews, and student questionnaires intended to determine when students diverged from using the language of instruction and whether their age or language background affected their language use. In addition, teachers' impact on student language use is examined, and other factors affecting language use—such as the length of a students' stay in the United States—are discussed. An overall preference for English was found among first …  Read more

This dissertation is based on a 7-week classroom intervention in two French immersion classes (Grades 3and 3/4) in two schools that enroll both English- and French-dominant students near Montreal, Quebec. The intervention aimed to bridge the students' first and second languages (L2) through a 'biliteracy' project that linked English and French language arts content and through the instruction of reciprocal language learning strategies designed to help students make language-learning connections with other students.For the biliteracy project, students' English and French teachers read to them from the English and French versions of three picture books. Following each reading, student pairs consisting …  Read more

Glass, Leon (Supervisor)  Read more

Nandini, Dendukuri, (Supervisor2)  Read more

Doré, Bruce (Supervisor1)  Read more

Experiments were conducted in controlled and field conditions to determine the effect of seed size, a fungal pathogen (Colletotrichum coccodes), and soybean interspecific competition on the population dynamics of Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf). Seed size differences among ten individual A. theophrasti plants significantly (P < 0.001) affected seed germination and dormancy. Higher seed viability (98%) was observed among seeds having a weight above 6.0 mg. The response of A. theophrasti plants that originated from two extreme seed size groups (small <7mg and large >12mg) to the pathogen, C. coccodes, did not change over generations, and the most vigorous plants produced heavier …  Read more

Eliopoulos, Nicoletta (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

Efforts to resolve environmental planning and decision-making conflicts usually focus on participant involvement, mutual understanding of the problem situation, evaluation criteria identification, data availability, and potential alternative solutions. However, as the alternatives become less distinct and participant values more diverse, intensified negotiations and more data are usually required for meaningful planning and decision-making. Consequently, questions such as "What collaborative spatial decision making design is best for a given context?" "How can the values and needs of stakeholders be integrated into the planning process?" and "How can we learn from decision making experiences and understanding of the past?" are crucial considerations. …  Read more

This thesis focuses on the effects of temporary block of glycolysis by the competitive antimetabolite 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) on neuronal activity in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. The overall aim was to investigate how synaptic transmission is suppressed when metabolism is greatly reduced by the replacement of glucose by 2-DG to provide some insight into the cellular mechanisms underlying these depressant effects. Experiments were carried out on hippocampal slices kept submerged and constantly superfused with oxygenated saline at 33--34°C. Block of glycolysis was induced by replacement of glucose by equimolar concentrations of 2-DG. Changes in synaptic efficacy and postsynaptic …  Read more

The unit operation of spray drying has been in use for over half a century. It is widely employed in the chemical and allied industries to dry thermo-sensitive materials because the temperature of the drying particles remains relatively low and the residence time ls short. Because of the high transfer rates which can be obtained and because a granular dry product is frequently very desirable, spray drying is being used to process an ever increasing list of materials, not all of them being thermo-sensitive. [...]  Read more

East African papyrus swamps and their connected streams are characterized by a very steep gradient of dissolved oxygen (DO) ranging from extremely hypoxic swamp waters to well-oxygenated stream habitats. These connected ecotypes host morphologically and physiologically distinct phenotypes of the cyprinid fish Barbus neumayeri. Notably, low-DO populations are characterized by much larger gills and higher hematocrit that are likely to facilitate oxygen uptake in hypoxic waters. Metrics of genetic structure in this species indicate higher gene flow within than between DO regimes, suggesting that migrants crossing the oxygen gradient have reduced fitness. Despite this evidence for local adaptation in divergent …  Read more

International lawyers are increasingly interested in studying NGOs ("NGOs") and their influence on state behavior, but few have studied the impact that domestic NGOs can have on transforming and generating international norms. This paper explores the links between Latin American NGOs and their aim of changing international norms into more effective instruments against systematic violations of human rights by states. I will aim to articulate the stages of the processes that NGOs go through to change state behavior. I decided to write about NGOs and changes to human rights norms because I have dedicated most of my life to trying …  Read more

Malignant gliomas represent over 50% of the tumours which originate within the central nervous system. Current treatment modalities are in large part unsuccessful, and less than 10% of patients with high grade glioblastomas survive beyond 2 years. Understanding the cause of the rapid growth rate of malignant gliomas would be useful in devising new therapeutic strategies to treat this disorder. Previous work from this laboratory suggested that the enzyme protein kinase C (PKC) was a critical regulator of the hyperproliferative state of glioma cells. The results presented in this thesis demonstrate that (1) PKC activity was differentially increased in glioma …  Read more

Suissa, Samy (Supervisor)  Read more

PKR has been shown to play an essential role against VSV infection by phosphorylating eIF2alpha leading to the inhibition of protein synthesis. Through this capacity PKR is thought to be a mediator of the anti-viral and anti-proliferative actions of IFNs. In addition to translational control, PKR has been shown to modulate the transcriptional activities of NF-kappaB, Stats and p53. However, experiments with two different PKR-/- mouse models have failed to verify many of the biological functions attributed to PKR. Here, we show that the two PKR-/- MEFs express different PKR truncated proteins suggesting that both PKR-/- models are incomplete knockouts. …  Read more

Feldman, Liane S (Supervisor2)  Read more

Background. Childhood externalizing disorders are associated with later severe maladjustments and are one of the most common reasons for the elementary-age children’s referral to mental health facilities. Although day treatment programs have been used to treat children with severe externalizing disorders who cannot function in their community schools, there is limited literature regarding their effectiveness, with even fewer studies examining the predictors of outcome. Objective. In this study, I examined the effectiveness of a day treatment program in improving externalizing problems in elementary-age children. Moreover, I examined whether family functioning, severity and comorbid disorders can predict children’s treatment outcomes while …  Read more

Les services d’intégration inadéquats offerts aux réfugiés demandant le droit d’exil suscitent un perpétuel débat. Toutefois, peu de recherches ont été effectuées sur la contribution de ces services en général et sur les services d’hébergement.Cette étude vise à examiner la façon dont contribuent les services d’urgence et temporaires offerts par les centres d’hébergement à l’autonomie des demandeurs d’asiles à Montréal. Une approche qualitative a été utilisée pour recueillir les données provenant de dix participants qui étaient soit des fournisseurs de services, soit des anciens usagers des maisons d’hébergement de Montréal. La principale contribution des services d’hébergement de Montréal a été …  Read more

This thesis describes an experiment using technology to develop conceptual understanding of functions through graphical representations. It examines the effects of including dynamic representations in a conceptual approach to the teaching of functions. The study was implemented over a 5-day period in a Grade 9 class in a small, generally working class, rural school in Eastern Massachusetts. Participating students were observed during class discussions and video analysis, and their written responses and created functions were analyzed. The procedure used in the experiment was based on the Theory of Didactic Situations and used the Didactic Engineering methodology. The structure and sequencing …  Read more

This thesis is an examination of sex in D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover and Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness as it relates to the social, linguistic and political elements of literary modernism. Both novels "think sex," allowing specific concepts of sex to act as methods of communication between artists and readers. By writing sex, Hall and Lawrence address the modern reader, providing a script for ideal readerly and writerly approaches to the novel. The first chapter examines contemporary cultural and gender theory's understanding of the relationship between sex and discourse and relates this to political and literary considerations …  Read more

The main result of this thesis is a proof of the failure of the finitely generated intersection property of ascending HNN extensions of non-cyclic finite rank free groups. This class of group consists of free-by-cyclic groups and properly ascending HNN extensions of free groups. We also give a sufficient condition for the failure of the FGIP in the context of relative hyperbolicity, we apply this to the free-by-cyclic groups of exponential growth  Read more

A review of the models of religious education reveals their weaknesses and limitations. The tension among the models and the leading theorists arises from the divergent understanding of the relationship of religion to education as well as the concept of personhood. The transcendent nature of persons is argued from both a psychological and philosophical perspective. The nature of the religious experience as well as religious development is examined in both adults and adolescents. Given the transcendent dimension of human nature, as witnessed through the religious response, it is argued that the first order activity of religious education should be the …  Read more

Gobbi, Gabriella (Supervisor1)  Read more

ABSTRACT M.Sc.Amanda D. BambrickNatural Resource Sciences Tree-based intercropping (TBI) is an agroforestry system where a crop, generally an annual, is planted between established tree rows. TBI systems have a greater potential for carbon storage than conventional cropping systems because carbon is stored in the biomass of growing trees and trees provide additional carbon inputs (leaves, roots) that contribute to the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. Differences in the litter quality and amount of litter deposited in the tree row versus the intercropped space are expected to generate spatial heterogeneity in the SOC pool. The objectives of this work were to …  Read more

The fossil-rich deposits of the latest Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation (66Ma) of Saskatchewan, Canada, contain a complete, continuous record of terrestrial vertebrate diversity in the last half-million years prior to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. The objective of these studies was to recover biodiversity patterns at the level of the ecological community, and to explore the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic variables that influenced these patterns. The primary study locality for this research was the East Block of Grasslands National Park (GNP) in southern Saskatchewan. The first chapter of this thesis is review of paleoecology: what it is, why it is important, and how …  Read more