McGill University Theses and dissertations by author name (F)

Panangaden, Prakash (Supervisor)  Read more

In recent years, various metrics have been developed for measuring the similarity of states in probabilistic transition systems (Desharnais et al., 1999; van Breugel & Worrell, 2001a). In the context of Markov decision processes, we have devised metrics providing a robust quantitative analogue of bisimulation. Most importantly, the metric distances can be used to bound the differences in the optimal value function that is integral to reinforcement learning (Ferns et al. 2004; 2005). More recently, we have discovered an efficient algorithm to calculate distances in the case of finite systems (Ferns et al., 2006). In this thesis, we seek to …  Read more

This thesis is an analysis of convergence results on Fourier series. Convergence of Fourier series is studied in two ways in this thesis. The first way is in the context of Banach spaces, where the set of functions is restricted to a certain Banach space. Then the problem is in determining whether the Fourier series of a function can be represented as an element of that Banach space. The second way is in the context of pointwise convergence. Here, the problem is in determining what conditions need to be placed on an arbitrary function for its Fourier series to converge …  Read more

Marriage is one of the time-honoured customs of human society which appears to have developed out of primeval habits of human mating and assumed the shape of custom, regulated later on by law. The norms of this custom and the details of its institutional set-up have varied from one society to another, according to their level of civilization. Having passed through its multifarious phases of evolution, marriage has grown into a social institution whose significance has been acknowledged almost universally. Celibacy has been condemned in China and Japan, among the Semites and many other peoples.  Read more

Cette thèse portait sur les performances électrocatalytiques de nanoflocons de graphène (GNF) en tant que support d'un catalyseur noble pour la réaction de réduction de l'oxygène (ORR) en milieu acide pour application dans les piles à combustible à membrane électrolytique polymèriques (PEMFC). Le support de nanoflocons de graphène a été généré selon la méthode par plasma thermique développée par Pristavita et al. en 2011. L'addition de platine sur le support carboné à l'aide d'un plasma thermique n'a pas été possible en raison des limitations en particulier liées au point d'ébullition élevé du platine et au coûts élevés d'un tel précurseur …  Read more

The word "museum" is of Greek origin, meaning "the realm of the Muses", of whom Hesiod names nine, daughters of Zeus and the Titaness, Mnemosyne. These divinities presided over song, and ultimately over the liberal arts in general. The name "museum" seeme to have been applied, first, to places where philosophy was studied as a religious duty, for example, to the schools of Pythagoras and Plato. Here men's thoughts were raised above mundane affairs to consider the great ethical problems of human life.  Read more

Translational control is crucial to balancing the cell's protein output and genetic expression. The substrate of the translational machinery---messenger RNA (mRNA)---is itself subject to regulation. The lifetime of an mRNA is limited and therefore mRNA decay is a critical step in the regulation of gene expression. Translation and mRNA decay are intimately related processes as they both handle the cell economy. mRNAs are generally in a balancing act between the translational and the repression/decay machinery, which ultimately decides the fate of an mRNA and its protein expression rate. In fact, translation affects the rate of mRNA decay. For instance, aberrant …  Read more

Macmillan, C. (Supervisors)  Read more

Cells of complex organisms communicate with each other by sending molecular signals. These signals can be classified by their solubility properties. Hydrophilic signals, in the form of peptides or small hydrophilic molecules, interact with extracellular receptors located on the surface of target cells. Binding of ligand to its receptor leads to transduction of an intracellular signal via a second messenger. Lipophilic signals (steroids, vitamin D$ sb3$, thyroid hormone, and retinoids) traverse the plasma membrane and bind to specific intracellular proteins, known collectively as nuclear receptors, rendering them active. These ligand-receptor complexes then regulate the transcription of target genes. In this …  Read more

Psychological mindedness refers to a person's ability to perceive relationships among thoughts, feelings, and action with the goal of learning the meanings and causes of his/her experiences and behavior. Psychological mindedness is clinically important because it influences the patient selection for and the efficacy of psychotherapy. Individuals who have difficulty symbolizing and resolving emotional conflict, and verbally expressing their emotions, are considered to lack psychological mindedness and are sometimes labelled "alexithymic." Culture also influences individual styles of emotional expression and the manner and extent to which feelings are labelled as such. Such cultural differences may be interpreted as differences in …  Read more

Des expériences avec l'ADN et d'autres polymères chargés ont prouvé que la présence des contre-ions induit une attraction entre les chaînes de même charge. Des simulations précédentes étudiant cette attraction de même charge ont modelé les polymères comme surfaces cylindrique rigides ayant une charge uniformément distribuée. Nous avons donc decidé d'effectuér des simulations Brownian pour examiner le potentiel de force moyenne entre deux chaînes comme-chargées infinies du particules discrètes, une fois immergées en solution avec des ions de charge opposée. Nous avons constaté que l'attraction a été reproduite, et que ses caractéristiques generales sont très semblables à ceux trouvés en …  Read more

Polymères chargés sont des éléments essentiels des systèmes biologiques. ADN, F-actine, et bactériophages sont des exemples de polymères fortement chargés. En raison de leur taille, de la complexité et des forces à longue portée impliqués, les simulations informatiques complets ne peuvent être utilisés pour de courtes durées. Même les approches théoriques standards (comme la théorie du champ moyen) prédisent des résultats qualitativement erronées.Nous cherchons à déterminé comment les paires parallèles de polymères comme -chargées flexibles se comportent. Nous utilisons des modèles minimaux pour représenter les polymères, et de déterminer trois comportements particuliers: 1) comment et quand les polymères attirent (attraction …  Read more

Vali, Hojatollah (Supervisor2)  Read more

Athlete satisfaction is often a direct result of coaching behaviours (Iso-Ahola & Hatfield, 1986). Effective coaches adapt to various antecedents such as level of competition, age, gender, and ability of athletes; there is not a 'one size fits all' model of coaching (Cushion, 2010). Although coaching science research has focused on many different levels of competition, one area that has received scant attention is coaches' of masters swimmers. This is important since only 15% of Canadian adults meet the current Canadian exercise guidelines (Stats Canada, 2013) and 75% of seniors are physically inactive (Warburton, Ashe, Miller, Shi, & Marra, 2009). …  Read more

The main tool for the dynamic analysis of continuous structures is today modal analysis, which applies to lightly dampened structures undergoing small amplitude vibrations. Vibration energy in real structures is always partially lost because of internal material dissipation, Coulomb friction, interaction with fluids and even in presence of passive and active dampers. This dissipation is integrated in modal analysis by the use of a modal damping ratio for each normal vibration mode. A linear viscous or equivalent damping model underlies the use of modal damping ratios and preserves mode superposition in the study. The use of modal damping in linear …  Read more

La complexité du circuit du cerveau des mammifères est établie par le guidage axonal et la synaptogenèse. Ces processus de développement sont réglementés par des ligands et leurs récepteurs localisés à la surface cellulaire des neurones. Malheureusement, suite à une lésion, le système nerveux central (SNC) de mammifères adultes restreint sévèrement la croissance des neurites en partie par la présence de ligands et récepteurs inhibiteurs. Le récepteur de Nogo66 (NgR1), exprimé par les neurones matures, inhibe la repousse des neurones du SNC lésés par sa liaison à de multiples ligands inhibiteurs. En outre, NgR1 est fortement exprimé dans les zones …  Read more

L’impression 3D par filament fondu connait présentement une croissance rapide en industrie. Ce mémoire est propulsé par le désir de l’industrie aérospatiale d’adopter la fabrication par filament fondu (FFF) pour produire des pièces d’avion non-critiques à coût concurrentiel. Avant qu’une compagnie puisse produire des pièces structurales à l’aide de cette technique, elle doit d’abord surmonter la barrière de la certification. Afin d’être vendue commercialement, une pièce de qualité aérospatiale doit être démontrée comme étant aussi performante que les pièces témoins testées par le fabricant. Une stratégie prometteuse pour garantir cette équivalence est de mesurer les paramètres de procédé et d’en …  Read more

Abrahamowicz, Michal (Supervisor1)  Read more

Although rodents have been widely used in respiratory research, there are still only limited data comparing respiratory mechanics between different species of small animal. In order to provide further insight into the mechanical behavior of the respiratory systems of different sized small animals, accurate measurements of respiratory impedance (Zrs) were made in four different rodent species and in the developing rat over a broad range of frequencies at various levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). PEEP dependencies of airway and tissue properties were interpreted in terms of physiological phenomena such as airway closure and airway-parenchymal interdependence forces. In adult animals, …  Read more

Formal deductive systems are very common in computer science. They are used to represent logics, programming languages, and security systems. Moreover, writing programs that manipulate them and that reason about them is important and common. Consider proof assistants, language interpreters, compilers and other software that process input described by formal systems. This thesis shows that contextual types can be used to build tools for convenient implementation and reasoning about deductive systems with binders. We discuss three aspects of this: the reconstruction of implicit parameters that makes writing proofs and programs with dependent types easier, the addition of contextual objects to …  Read more

FhuD (266 amino acids; Mr 29,160) is found in the periplasm of Escherichia coli K-12 and it is a binding protein that is involved in the transport of Fe3+-ferrichrome across the bacterial cell envelope (Coulton et al., 1987). FhuD is a component of the ferric hydroxamate uptake (Fhu) system which also includes a high affinity outer membrane receptor (FhuA) and two cytoplasmic membrane-bound proteins (FhuB/FhuC) [Coulton et al., 1987]. FhuD is detected in very low concentrations in the E. coli K-12 periplasm. To generate large amounts of FhuD, the fhuD gene of E. coli was cloned into a plasmid vector …  Read more

Contexte : Les mesures de résultats déclarés par les patients (PRO) et les mesures d'expériencedéclarées par les patients (PREM) sont de plus en plus reconnues comme des indicateursimportants de la qualité des soins de santé. Les PREM mesurent la perception des patients sur lessoins qu'ils ont reçus, ce qui diffère des évaluations de satisfaction, qui mesurent leurs attentes.L'utilisation des PREM en chirurgie pédiatrique est limitée, d'où cette revue systématique pourévaluer leurs caractéristiques et identifier les domaines à améliorer.Méthodes: Une recherche a été menée dans huit bases de données depuis leur création jusqu'au12 janvier 2022 pour identifier les PREM utilisées chez …  Read more

The integration of new technologies in higher education has provoked a strong response over the last decade, not only from administrators and the public but also from academics. It has re-opened basic theoretical questions about the role of universities and that of academic culture. This thesis begins with a critical review of the literature dealing with conceptualizations of academic culture and technology in higher education. Most theorists have come to the conclusion that academic culture is a set of values and norms that serve as guides for action. At root, this conclusion is derived from an organizational perspective prevalent in …  Read more

Enterochromaffin cells were investigated in the jejunum of adult mice using electron microscope radioautography at various times during continuous infusion of 3H-thymidine. Enterochromaffin cells were classified into three types: biconcave granule cells or type I (60%), large spherical granule cells or type II (13%), and small spherical granule cells or type III (24%). Uncommon spherical granule cells accounted for about 3%. Typical enterochromaffin cells do not divide, but undergo renewal by differentiation of unrecognized precursors in the lower half of intestinal crypts. Labeled enterochromaffin cells appear in crypts by 1-1/2 days, and in villi by 3 days after the infusion …  Read more

There have been many commercial, cultural, and literary endeavors which have examined connections between African Americans and the Irish. Irish musicians as diverse as De Dannan, U2, and Van Morrison have all voiced their debt to the African-American traditions of gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Popular mediums, such as newspaper cartoons and columns, as well as a recent spate of Irish films (The Commitments, The Crying Game , and In the Name of the Father) have characterized the experience of the Irish as colonized subjects, wholly parallel with the experience of disenfranchised African Americans. In a literary context, most …  Read more

Introduction. Les blessures de stress osseux sont fréquentes chez les athlètes d’endurance en raison du volume d’entraînement élevé et du volume d'entraînement répété et des exigences énergétiques. Un entraînement d’endurance sans récupération adéquate initie une réponse inflammatoire, ce qui augmente la résorption osseuse pendant plusieurs heures, voire même plusieurs jours. L’objectif de ce mémoire était: 1) de fournir un aperçu des données sur les effets de l’exercice d’endurance et de l’apport en protéines alimentaires sur les ostéokines, le remodelage osseux et les marqueurs inflammatoires chez les athlètes d’endurance; et 2) d’examiner les effets aigus d’une supplémentation en protéines immédiatement après …  Read more

Scheede, Celena (Supervisor1)  Read more

Objectif : La diminution de la sensibilité à l'insuline (IS) et l'hyperglycémie sont des conséquences typiques associées avec le cancer et le traumatisme chirurgical. Ces perturbations métaboliques ont un impact important sur le rétablissement des patients, où le degré de réduction de la IS est fortement associé à un risque accru de complications postopératoires, à une durée d'hospitalisation plus longue et à une augmentation de 18 fois de la mortalité hospitalière. L'exercice s'est révélé être une stratégie efficace pour améliorer la IS dans de nombreuses populations cliniques. Par conséquent, l'objectif est de déterminer si un programme d'exercices préopératoires peut améliorer …  Read more

During the last decade, Mexico City's air quality has deteriorated dramatically. Air pollution management has become a major issue, and a number of policies and campaigns aimed at reducing the volume of harmful emissions released into the atmosphere by vehicles and large-scale industries, have been implemented. Lighting, office equipment, cooking, refrigeration, space heating, space cooling, ventilation, and water heating are the ultimate commercial uses of energy. The goal of this study is to determine if there is a potential market for solar water heaters that could provide hot water for a number of activities in the city, reducing the amount …  Read more

In this dissertation I examine Isaiah Berlin's view of pluralism. Where some have claimed that Berlin cannot justify his commitment to liberalism given his ideas about moral pluralism---that his views are subjective---I argue that he can justify his commitment to liberalism, and avoid the problems of relativism. The departing point of my study is that unlike many, I do not think it is necessary to explicate Berlin's opinions about history, nationalism, or similar ideas---that what he says about pluralism is logically distinct from his other views. My argument has two basic parts. In the first I argue that Berlin's conception …  Read more

Normative ideas of age and stage-based transitions are built into policies and practices related to aging. However, how the issues of loss and depression impact older people's experiences of transition are often less prevalent. This paper discusses the sub-theme of loss identified within data from the Late Life Transitions Project; a SSHRC funded research project. In this thesis, qualitative interviews were analyzed from 30 community-residing seniors from diverse social backgrounds. Focused exploration of the everyday ways in which older people discussed major transitions and turning points revealed a strong subtheme of loss. Findings presented are related to the types of …  Read more

Brotman, Shari (Supervisor1)  Read more

Greer, Charles William (Supervisor2)  Read more

Il n'existe aucun remède pour la maladie de Alzheimer (MA), une condition neurodégénérative dévastatrice, qui attaque plus de 35 millions de personnes dans le monde entier. Lorsque cette maladie est diagnostiquée, le cerveau des patients est déjà gravement endommagé et montre l'accumulation d'enchevêtrements neurofibrillaires intracellulaires et des plaques amyloïdes extracellulaires. Les plaques amyloïdes sont composées d'agrégats insolubles de la protéine beta amyloïde (Abeta) qui est neurotoxique. Il est actuellement admis que, pour obtenir un résultat thérapeutique, il faudrait commencer le traitement pharmacologique dans les premiers stades de la maladie, lors de la période pré-clinique, avant que les dommages neuronaux deviennent …  Read more

Recent research on the sustainability of global value chains (GVCs) and organizational learning suggests that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating as suppliers pursue proactive strategies, independent of what multinational corporations (MNCs) and regulations demand in the context of their supplying relationships. However, SMEs in emerging markets (EM) confront a crucial barrier to implementing such strategies and achieving more sustainability in GVCs. They lack the financial resources to create new organizational capabilities and infrastructure for upgrading. EM SMEs’ strategies require sustainable, long-term funding, which GVCs buyers and commercial banks seldom facilitate.Emergent forms of impact investing aiming at measurable sustainability outcomes …  Read more

La dépression et la démence représentent la première cause de maladie et la principale charge médicale à travers le monde. Ces deux conditions sont associées à un mauvais fonctionnement psychosocial. Il est possible de retarder l'apparition ainsi que la progression de la démence et de la dépression en ciblant les facteurs de risque modifiables, dont plusieurs se déclarent en milieu de vie. Afin de prévenir l’apparition de telles maladies pendant le vieillissement, il est essentiel de chercher à comprendre s’il existe, des comorbidités courantes dans la population qui augmentent le risque de dépression et ont un impact négatif sur la …  Read more

Sepsis is associated with a high rate of mortality due primarily to increased susceptibility to secondary infections as well as immune-mediated vascular injury, a key initiating event in organ injury leading to Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS). The activated neutrophil is central to both of these complications. Neutrophil induced endothelial cell damage is well recognized as a cause of microvascular leakage, and neutrophil delivery to infected sites is diminished in sepsis. To investigate the mechanisms and vascular consequences of neutrophil migratory failure in systemic inflammation, a physiologically relevant murine two-hit model of sepsis was employed (systemic infection - cecal ligation …  Read more

The acyltransferase subunit of the lux-specific fatty acid reductase complex was found to specifically divert myristic acid from fatty acid biosynthesis to the luminescence system. Determination and analysis of the enzyme's primary structure revealed structural similarities with eukaryotic acyl chain terminating enzymes, including the presence of the serine hydrolase consensus sequence G-$X sb1$-S-$X sb2$-G. Chemical modification and determination of kinetic properties of the transferase, as well as site-directed mutagenesis lead to the identification of Ser-79 and His-244 in the active site. Although this is reminiscent of the catalytic triad of serine proteases and lipases, preliminary results indicate the possible involvement …  Read more

Levine, Martin (Supervisor)  Read more

Levine, M. D. (Supervisor)  Read more

This Thesis aims to examine recent efforts of the developing countries, within the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), to increase their participation in space activities and in particular, to develop their own indigenous space capabilities. The Thesis will demonstrate that the United Nations is not, given the present economic and political climate, the best forum within which the developing countries should try to develop space law. Chapter 1 examines the main problems facing the developing countries in the transfer of space technology from the technologically advanced states. Chapter 2 examines …  Read more

Background: Uveal Melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, but despite effective local treatments, outcomes have not improved in decades. Because of this, new methods for monitoring the disease are necessary, as well as new avenues to explore for adjuvant treatments. Liquid biopsy – the analysis of biofluids such as blood, saliva, and urine – has the potential to track tumour features non-invasively, and without the need for a primary tumour to sample.Methods: Genetic and epigenetic data for 80 UM cases from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was analysed using Minfi and Limma in order to determine …  Read more

Il est important pour tout avocat.e de savoir rédiger efficacement car cela peut influer sur l’issue d’une affaire et sur la vie des gens (Freed et Atlas, 2019). En outre, la réussite des avocat.es repose largement sur leur capacité à rédiger (DeJarnatt, 2002). La contribution des enseignant.es en rédaction juridique (RJ) à l’éducation juridique du corps étudiant est primordiale, compte tenu des critiques récurrentes sur les capacités des étudiant.es en RJ (Hanley Kosse et Ritchie, 2003; Madison, 2008). Étant donné les enjeux élevés de la RJ, il importe d’explorer davantage comment les enseignant.es et les étudiant.es soutiennent l’apprentissage du corps …  Read more

La démarche créative dans De Temps à Autre et Espaces Éphémères pour grand orchestrepropose différentes techniques de structuration du temps musical. Ces deux pièces élaborentun langage musical intégrant des représentations sonores de trois conceptions distinctesd’organisation temporelle : un modèle linéaire, impliquant un lien de cause à effet d’unévènement à l’autre; un modèle cyclique, inspiré par des phénomènes naturels comme lesrythmes circadiens, le mouvement des marées, ou la respiration humaine; et un modèlespatial, se manifestant à travers l’illusion auditive d’un espace physique, sans recours à unedistribution spatiale stratégique des sources sonores. Ce que l’auteur appelle le temps spatialest élaboré à travers …  Read more

The physical and physiological condition of larval fishes throughout their development is believed to influence their survival, and ultimately to contribute to recruitment to the adult population. The study of larval condition is therefore central to larval fish ecology. In this thesis I sought to (1) carry out an appraisal of the characteristics and the reliability of condition measures now being used, (2) assess the importance of maternal contribution to the nutritional status of larval fish, (3) evaluate the possibility that diel variability in metabolism could lead to serious biasing of the interpretation of condition measures obtained over time, and …  Read more

Our study pertains to the contractual overridability of copyright by the use of end user licence agreements. Our analysis is divided into three parts: first, we try to solve which legislator is responsible of the contractual overridability of copyright according to Canadian federalism. In the second part, we examine the contractual overridability issue under copyright law and we consider multiple doctrines that can be used to protect the copyright balance and its exceptions. The third part, is devoted to the study of the contractual overridability under provincial private law. Under copyright law, the most important remedies are definitely the copyright …  Read more

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the material found surrounding the cells in a tissue. One component of the ECM is the elastic fiber, which confers the property of elasticity to its environment. Organs such as the lung, skin and major blood vessels have an abundance of elastic fibers so that they are able to expand and recoil. Elastic fibers are composed of two main components; elastin and microfibrils. Microfibrils are composed primarily of fibrillin-1 and provide a scaffold unto which tropoelastin monomers assemble. Elastic fibers interact with many other proteins in the ECM, one of which is fibulin-5. Based on …  Read more