McGill University Theses and dissertations by author name (F)

A central issue for forensic interviewers in children’s eyewitness testimony is assuring that their reports are credible and truthful without increasing false reports. It is important for researchers and the legal community to understand factors that influence children’s abilities to remember and report witnessed events and provide them with an environment that fosters truthful disclosures. Therefore, the current program of research aims to address some of the gaps in our understanding of how social and interpersonal factors may influence children’s willingness to disclose or conceal a theft. Specifically, in both studies in the program of research, children witnessed a transgressor …  Read more

Cette étude avait pour but d'examiner l’influence de l'âge et du sexe des enfants, et du sexe de l’intervieweur sur la volonté des enfants à mentir après avoir été témoin d'un vol, ainsi que la qualité des témoignages de ces derniers, et leur capacité à maintenir leurs mensonges au cours d'une entrevue. Les enfants (N = 153; âgés de 6 à 11 ans) ont vu un expérimentateur (E1) trouver de l'argent dans un portefeuille qu’il ou elle aurait pu ou ne pas avoir pris. E1 a ensuite demandé aux enfants de dire la vérité lors de leur témoignage (condition de …  Read more

Corbett, L. (Supervisors)  Read more

The scientific principle considered in this thesis is the relation at the surface of the earth, of the amplitude, phase and frequency of orthogonal components of the naturally occurring electric and magnetic field fluctuation to the resistivity profile of the subsurface geology. A method of resistivity profiling, known as magnetotellurics, was presented in a paper by Cagniard, (1953) and extended in later papers by Wait, (1954) Tikhonov and Shakhsuvarov (1956), Cantwell and Madden (1960), Smith, Provazek and Bostick, (1961), Price, (1962), Vozoff, Hasegawa and Ellis (1963) and others. Results obtained by these researchers have shown that the basic theory of …  Read more

Foster, J. (Supervisor)  Read more

Though the Marxist theory of imperialism has always found its analytical starting-point in the dialectic between the nation as a discrete formation in the capitalist mode of production and the latter’s inherent international nature, it has equally relied upon the category of national capital as the general will of capitalists of a certain nation and their socio-economic power. This study of the Special Economic Zones, the vanguard of globalization in the late-20th century People’s Republic of China, shows that the Chinese state had an active stake in internationalization and global capital and therefore troubles the category of national capital. In …  Read more

I examined the kinetic properties of macroscopic and single channel currents produced by an isoform of the rat CaV3.1 T-type voltage-gated calcium channel, expressed in HEK-293 cells. Whole cell currents were measured in 2 mM extracellular Ca2+, and single channel activity was recorded from cell-attached patches in 120 mM Ba2+. We found that macroscopic rates of activation, deactivation, inactivation, and recovery from inactivation each have voltage-dependent and voltage-independent components. Single channels opened and closed rapidly in bursts before inactivating, with a mean open time of 1 ms, a mean intra-burst close time of 0.3 ms, and a mean burst duration …  Read more

Music represents both a ubiquitous element in human cultures and a highly complex discipline to which some individuals devote decades of practice. Music is therefore an ideal medium with which to probe human auditory perception over a wide range of skill. Differences in brain structure and function have been reported in musicians (vs. untrained individuals), but because of methodological limitations, the links bringing together behavior, structure and function have remained indirect. This thesis consists of three neuroimaging studies that, together, elucidate some of the functional and anatomical substrates of aspects of melodic perception. Study 1 used functional magnetic resonance imaging …  Read more

This thesis contends that the rationale for moral and religious instruction from 1960 to 1980, as it is given by the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal, is: 1) brief but valid, in the eyes of the Provincial Government, the parents of students in the Board and the major Protestant denominations. 2) incomplete. The Board neglects to completely develop some of the reasons it presents. It also fails to mention all of its reasons. Therefore, in order to understand why the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal offers moral and religious instruction it is necessary to know what the Board …  Read more

A system for the deposition of metallic electrodes on KBr under ultra-high vacuum conditions has been designed and fabricated. Stencil masks and membranes 4-5 mum thick are fabricated on silicon chips have been created using wet etching in tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with a boron etch stop. A holding system for UHV has been designed and built with a modified sample holder for performing electrical measurements on samples. The UHV system contains an AFM, STM, and SEM for surface examination and characterization. The growth of metals on KBr was examined using a separately constructed sample holder under high vacuum. Examination …  Read more

The preparation and characterization of metallic wires on insulating substrates by a variety of mechanisms has been explored. A multi-scale approach utilizing microfabricated silicon stencil masks, feedback controlled electromigration, and field induced metal cluster deposition in a novel geometry has been explored on potassium bromide (KBr), indium phosphide (InP), and silicon oxide substrates in an ultra-high vacuum environment (UHV). The initial deposition of gold, and tantalum wires between one hundred nanometers and micrometers in size was performed using reinforced silicon nanostencils. The stencil fabrication was discussed, and an examination of the deformation of the integrated structures under the deposition of …  Read more

A boundary element model was developed for stress/stability analysis of underground excavations in the vicinity of faults. The boundary element formulation adopts the Fictitious Stress Method for the simulation of excavation boundaries and the Displacement Discontinuity Method for the representation of faults. With the assumption that deformations and stress changes can generally be attributed to the presence of faults rather than to elastoplasticity of the rock mass, the numerical model employed a linear elastic constitutive relation for the rock, and nonlinear behaviour for the fault. This assumption is particularly justified in hard rock environment. Following a comprehensive review of constitutive …  Read more

Joober, Ridha (Supervisor1)  Read more

Chicken strains divergently selected for either abdominal fat deposition, avian leukosis (ALV) resistance or Marek's disease (MD) resistance were analyzed for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in the growth hormone gene (GH). A total of four polymorphisms were identified, one at a SacI restriction site (PS1) and three at MspI restriction sites (PM1-PM3). Restriction mapping indicated that all polymorphisms were in exons and/or introns and not in flanking regions of the gene. Selection for abdominal fat composition significantly affected the frequency of polymorphisms at PM2, but not at the other restriction sites (p $<$ 0.0004). The PM2$ sp{+}$ allele (presence …  Read more

The glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) are a multigene family of enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) with toxic endogenous and xenobiotic compounds including anticancer drugs, as part of detoxification pathways. Our laboratory previously isolated a melphalan resistant rat mammary carcinoma cell-line (MLNr MatB). The in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated increased GST activity, especially elevated GST alpha class in MLNr cells. At the outset of my work, I examined the nature of the increased GST form in MLNr cells. I cloned the GSTA3 cDNA which is overexpressed in MLNr cells and found that it is identical to the previously …  Read more

L'étude des réseaux complexes combine deux niveaux d'analyse théorique étroitement liés;l'un est l'étude des modèles de connections de noeuds et la topologie de la structure sous-jacente des réseaux, et l'autre est l'étude des interactions internodales d'une topologie donnée. Cette dissertation est orientée le long de ces deux dimensions.En première partie, nous étudions des modèles de croissance de réseaux et mettons clairement en relief l'hypothèse d'attachement préférentiel---une famille de modèles générateurs de réseaux que la littérature propose comme imitant les caractéristiques observées empiriquement chez de larges systèmes de réseaux. Il a donc été conventionel jusqu'ici d'étudier ces modèles à l'état stationnaire, …  Read more

Kubow, Stan (Supervisor)  Read more

Background: Drug related cues are potent triggers for relapse in people with cocaine dependence. Dopamine release within a limbic network of striatum, amygdala and hippocampus has been implicated in animal studies, but in humans it has been possible to measure effects in the striatum only. The objective here was to measure dopamine release in the amygdala and hippocampus using high-resolution PET with [18F]fallypride. Methods: Twelve cocaine dependent volunteers (mean age: 39.6±8.0; years of cocaine use: 15.9±7.4) underwent two [18F]fallypride HRRT PET scans, one with exposure to neutral cues and one with cocaine cues. [18F]Fallypride non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) values were …  Read more

Risk assessors are often asked to estimate the concentration of a trace element in the edible part of a plant based on soil properties. More accurate models are needed to better assess the risks associated with the consumption of plants growing in contaminated soils. Although the importance of different soil physico-chemical properties on trace element bioavailability is recognized, the effect of plant physiological processes have received less attention. This thesis reports efforts to integrate soil physico-chemical properties and plant physiological factors in the modeling of trace element uptake by plants and provides a reflection on the assessment of the risks …  Read more

Le récepteur orphelin gamma t lié au récepteur de l'acide rétinoïque (RORγt) est exprimé dans les cellules T helper 17 (Th17) et régule leur activité et la production de cytokines. Le Th17 est impliqué dans de nombreuses maladies auto-immunes et dans le rejet d'allogreffes solides. Les études ont montré que Th17 contribue au rejet médié par les anticorps (RAM) grâce à la promotion du tissu lymphoïde tertiaire et à la production d'anticorps spécifiques du donneur. Les cellules Th17 sécrètent IL17A, IL21, IL22 et d'autres cytokines qui favorisent les réponses immunitaires cellulaires et humorales, la prolifération des lymphocytes B, la production …  Read more

Tchervenkov, Jean I. (Supervisor1)  Read more

Tabrizian, Maryam (Supervisor1)  Read more

Yue, Stephen (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

Modern helicopter operations may require flying in icing conditions for long periods, resulting in performance degradation and exposing the aircraft to severe vibration or damage. Computational icing tools are not only useful in the IPS design of a rotorcraft, but also in icing certification process; however, the rotorcraft icing lags in development over its counterpart, the fixed-wing aircraft icing, since it poses additional significant challenges. One of the main objectives of the current study is to bring the rotorcraft aerodynamics and icing CFD tools to develop and validate high-fidelity multidisciplinary numerical methodologies for the prediction of ice accretion on different …  Read more

The need to prepare and support clinical teaching faculty is identified as a priority by nurse educators. However, there is no framework for understanding the practice of clinical teaching (Benner, Tanner & Chelsa, 1996; Davis, Dearman, Schwab & Kitchens, 1992; Scanlan, 2001; Siler & Kleiner, 2001; Vollman, 1989). There is little nursing research directed to understanding the practice of clinical teaching. It is widely assumed that nurses who are experts in practice are able to make an easy transition to the role of clinical teacher (Scanlan, 2001; Silar & Kleiner, 2001). The clinical practicum is the time when students are …  Read more

Experimental plots were overlaid on commercial fields of broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L. var. Italica) and cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae L. var. botrytis L.) to evaluate legume species as interseedings in vegetable production. White clover (Trifolium repens L.), red clover (T. pratense L.), yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) and crimson clover (T. incarnatum L.) were seeded 4-5 weeks after an early planting of broccoli and a late planting of cauliflower. Crop yields, forage biomass, weed biomass and percent fall ground cover were recorded. A dry year coupled with difficulties in applying the treatments resulted in low …  Read more

Background: After an acute cardiac event or cardiac surgery, frail older adults are at risk of poor quality of life, nonfatal and fatal adverse events. Measuring frailty in acute cardiac care settings can provide valuable prognostic information to guide clinical decision-making and therapeutic interventions. To understand the benefits of screening and intervening on frailty in this setting, the objectives of this thesis were to determine the predictive value of rapid frailty screening tools (handgrip strength) and to design a pragmatic multidimensional intervention to improve functional recovery in frail hospitalized patients. Methods: The first project was a cohort study using data …  Read more

A 1797 bp human EcoRI satellite II DNA sequence was cloned in vectors containing the thymidine kinase gene (HSV-1 tk) and the neomycin resistance gene, and introduced in a cell line deficient for these genes. We have observed that the electroporation efficiency of these plasmids depends on the location and/or the orientation of the satellite sequences within the transfected plasmid. Only one plasmid, pCFD1 containing one satellite fragment close to the neo gene, inhibited the formation of TK$ sp+$/NEO$ sp+$ transfectants. We have also shown that the instability of the TK$ sp+$ phenotype which was observed did not correlate with …  Read more

This thesis re-examines the Non-Aggression Treaty of August 1939 arrived at between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in light of the changes which occurred in Eastern Europe since 1989. It is based on a systematic analysis of primary and secondary source materials. It is demonstrated that, contrary to the popular viewpoint, the Soviet Union played a central role in the events leading up to the treaty and the outbreak of World War Two. Stalin's efforts to draw Germany into an agreement and its consequences are discussed.  Read more

To be fair and equitable are aims inherent in most legal systems, whether domestic or international, but are usually tacitly stated. With respect to foreign direct investment (FDI) they constitute a standard of treatment which lacks a clear definition. Nevertheless, the recurrence of this standard in conventional instruments makes it one of the focal points of this branch of international law. The main goal of this thesis is to explore and understand the standard of fair and equitable treatment. To understand its definition, it is first necessary to undertake a theoretical analysis of the notion. Secondly, having assessed the general …  Read more

The amaNdzundza are a South African abaNtu people. This thesis sets forth to determine the role of their world (in the Heideggerian sense) as it impacts on their Architecture. First the evolutionary process of the amaNdzundza architecture is established. An infinite series of memes (much like genes) that function both on an intra- and inter-cultural level govern this process. Next, the cultural interaction of the amaNdzundza over a period of half a millenium are mapped (and a space-time matrix drawn up: ch.3), as to find the sources of introduction on an intercultural level. Finally, the architecture of the amaNdzundza milieu, …  Read more

This thesis explores the role of governmental subsidies in promoting electric vehicle adoption, and their potential for decarbonizing the Canadian transportation sector. The first chapter studies the impact of subsidies on electric vehicle adoption in Ontario and Quebec. I leverage the fact that Ontario significantly increased electric vehicle subsidies in 2016 to identify the causal effect of subsidies on electric vehicle sales using a difference-in-difference analysis. I find evidence that the increase in subsidies led to an increase in electric vehicle adoption, although the effect occurred with a lag. I find no evidence that the policy change generated a response …  Read more

Following injury in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS), there is no spontaneous regeneration. This differs from the adult peripheral nervous system (PNS) where axons are capable of long distance regeneration. It is known that the cytoskeletal response to injury in the CNS and PNS differs dramatically, and that the CNS response can be altered by modifying the environment of the injured axon. We have examined changes in cytoskeletal gene expression in the CNS following injury, during regeneration, and following the application of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the adult rat visual system where replacement of the injured optic …  Read more

This thesis investigates Western exhibition practices and the problems that arise when they involve cross-cultural encounters. Two exhibitions of Chinese painting in Paris that were co-planned by French curators and Chinese artists will serve as case studies in this regard. The first exhibition is Exposition de la peinture chinoise held at the Musee du Jeu de Paume in 1933. The second show is Quatre artistes chinoises contemporaines held at the Musee Cernuschi in 1977. Using archival material, I will reconstruct the planning of the exhibitions and reveal diverging French and Chinese agendas. An examination of the press reviews of the …  Read more

The St.-Honore alkaline complex is intruded along the Saguenay graben of the lapetan Rift System. Country rocks, in the vicinity, are Pre-Grenvillian syenites belonging to the Central Gneiss Belt of the Grenville Province. The complex has a reniform shape, and consists of a central portion of carbonatitic rocks enclosed in an alkaline syenite. The carbonatite comprises concentric lenses which evolved from calcitite through dolomitite, to a brecciated core of ferrocarbonatite which hosts REE mineralization, mainly as REE flurocarbonates and monazite. This mineralization forms part of the breccia cement, and is associated with hematite, chlorite, ferroan dolomite, minor thorite, ilmenorutile and …  Read more

Ischemic stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are complex disorders which are influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. To identify genetic risk factors to these disease, we conducted two association studies in a population where a significant founder effect has occurred: the French-Canadians. We studied 10 polymorphisms, in the following 9 genes, which have previously been implicated in the development of IHD and/or ischemic stroke: angiotensinogen (M235T), angiotensin-converting enzyme (287 by I/D), angiotensin II type I receptor (A1166C), coagulating factor V (Leiden mutation), platelet glycoprotein IIIa (PLA1/PLA2 alleles), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (4G/5G), apolipoprotein E (E2, E3, and E4 isoforms), …  Read more

Stewart, Robin K. (Supervisor)  Read more

In spite of the fact that pulmonary emphysema has been recognized for one hundred and fifty years or more, it has only been in the last fifteen years that extensive efforts have been made by anatomists, pathologists, physiologists, biochemists and clinicians to correlate its various aspects. Unfortunately these efforts have not been completely successful in clarifying the aetiology and pathogenesis of the disease and in fact until recently there was no universally accepted definition of emphysema. The definition that will be used in this study is the one proposed at the Ciba Guest Symposium (1959): “Emphysema is a condition of …  Read more

The continuing importance of literacy and the emergence of electronic text forms have incited interest in the use of technology in a number of domains, among them writing and multimedia authoring. The expectation is that technology will facilitate the writing process by supporting cognitive processes and align school instruction with real-world tasks by providing more meaningful learning environments. This study tracked middle school students' task representation as they participated in protracted multimedia design and writing tasks. Students were engaged in the creation of a literary magazine over several weeks, with both written and media products linked to a particular theme. …  Read more

This study has taken a problem solving approach in identifying the cognitive processes involved in designing computer-based instruction. The problem space essentially contains considerations of instructional goals and constraints, technological resources, and theoretical considerations. The problem space was augmented by an analysis of the strategic processes relevant in instructional design, in particular planning, and by an analysis of one specific technological resource, HyperCard. Concurrent think-aloud verbal protocols and computer operations protocols (video recordings of the users' interactions with the computer) were gathered from three university students enrolled in an educational technology course on developing courseware. Subjects were using HyperCard to …  Read more

It has been argued that agency and communion define the fundamental dimensions of human existence. Agency represents strivings for expansion and elevation that surface as efforts to pursue social dominance. Communion represents strivings for contact and congregation that surface as efforts to preserve social bonds. From an evolutionary perspective, agency and communion define the problems of group living to which our ancestors were historically required to adapt. From a dyadic-interactional perspective, agency and communion organize the domain of behavior that individuals in contemporary societies are presently able to demonstrate. The purpose of this research was to explore the agentic and …  Read more

Deux conditions sont essentielles pour le déclenchement de la leucémie lymphofde des souris AKR: le virus polytropique et un microenvironnement thymique favorable. Nous démontrons ici que des injections d'une fraction thymique insoluble (ITF) a des souris préleucémiques accélèrent le déclenchement de la leucémie alors que celles d'une fraction thymique soluble (STF) la retardent. Ceci peut être explique par la modulation par ITF et STF des cellules sensibles au virus ou de la réponse immunitaire. Cette dernière hypothèse devient mains attrayante devant l'inactivité de l'ITF et du STF à modifier l'évolution de la leucémie et du mélanome 816. D'autre part, l'augmentation …  Read more

The general purpose of the study was to assess the motivation for a sample of anglophone school teachers using the complete "Job Characteristics Model" designed by Hackman and Oldham (1980). The findings revealed that the schools were very homogeneous. In the core job characteristics, autonomy was the most important motivating factor for teachers, followed by task significance, skill variety, feedback from the job and lastly task identity. In the critical psychological states, experienced meaningful of the work was the highest degree, followed by experienced responsibility for outcomes of the work, and knowledge of results of the work activities. Other dimensions …  Read more

The Ca$ sp{2+}$ binding protein, calmodulin, has been implicated in several Ca$ sp{2+}$ dependent processes during secretion in many different secretory systems. One area where calmodulin is suggested to play a role is the fusion of the secretory granule with the plasma membrane during exocytosis. Calmodulin may mediate the interaction or fusion through specific calmodulin-binding proteins (CMBPs) present in these two membranes. CMBPs present in bovine chromaffin cell granule membranes were characterized using the techniques of calmodulin affinity chromatography and $ sp{125}$I calmodulin overlay. Several CMBPs were detected in these membranes. One of these proteins, of molecular mass 65 kilodaltons …  Read more

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the procedure for the redress of grievances in the Canadian Armed Forces. A comparative study of the parallel system under the American law will be undertaken. The author's wish is to highlight deficiencies in the Canadian grievance procedure and to suggest changes which would improve the procedure. The military context is reviewed in the first two parts of the thesis, it being the view of the author that the grievance procedure evolves in a work environment and as part of an institution which are unique. In the following parts, the thesis will …  Read more

Activation of the Met receptor tyrosine kinase by its ligand, Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), leads to mitogenesis, cell motility, morphogenesis, and angiogenesis. Mutational analysis has demonstrated the requirement of a single tyrosine within the carboxy-terminus (Y1356) of the Met receptor for the recruitment and activation of all Met-dependent signalling pathways and for the transformation of fibroblasts by the Tpr-Met oncogene. The selective abolishment of Grb2 from the Tpr-Met oncoprotein, by generating an asparagine to histidine mutation two amino acids downstream from Y1356 (N1358H), led to a reduction in Tpr-Met-mediated transformation of fibroblasts. Moreover, Met receptor studies demonstrate that while a …  Read more