McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par T

In the context of economic globalisation, the unequal distribution of wealth among nations often leads to infringe fundamental workers' rights, so that it has become a major concern for politicians, scholars, jurists and NGOs. Therefore the question is how the social market can be regulated today. The ILO is the first international organisation that has dealt with workers' rights, especially fundamental rights, its goal being to protect workers universally. If its legitimacy had been unquestioned for years, it is shattered by external economic factors today: state's loss of power in regulating social relations, the emergence of new political counterbalances on …  Read more

This thesis is concerned with the investigation, in vitro, of the mechanical properties of the intact and injured human lumbar spine under general loading conditions, by both experimentation and use of a numerical simulation. For the experimental investigation, a three dimensional loading apparatus and displacement transducer were constructed. In order to standardize the experiment, the influence of several secondary variables was investigated. The load deflection properties of intact and injured joints were then studied. Eight states of injury were considered. As well, the effect of various types of preloading upon joint response was determined. Using the data generated by the …  Read more

Jessica, Lin, (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

One of the most important phenomena in nature is the passage of material through semi-permeable membranes. In many cases, such as the passage of gases in the lungs, it is probably a physical process, but one can visualize the existence of special transfer processes in certain tissues. The transfer of material through the wall of the small intestine, or the reabsorption of material in the renal tubules, could conceivably be due to the existence of a special process. Van Slyke and Meyer (1), in 1912, were the first to suggest that such a process exists in all tissues.  Read more

N. crassa exonuclease and endonuclease degraded denatured reovirus RNA rapidly but did not release acid-soluble material from native viral RNA. The exonuclease was optimally active with rRNA at pH 8.3 in 10^-3 M MgCl2; the endonuclease was optimally active at pH 8.5 in the absence of MgCl2. The relative rates of degradation of poly rU, poly rI, poly rA and poly rC were 100:94:57:30 for the exonuclease and 100:163:54:15 for the endonuclease, respectively. The mononucleotide fraction from an early exonuclease digest of rRNA was 62% UMP, 20% GMP, 9% AMP and 9% CMP. The 5'-phosphoryl ends of the products of …  Read more

When an animal receives one or more parenteral injection of certain foreign materials - proteins, red blood cells, tissue extracts from another species, bacteria or bacterial products - there generally appears in the serum, within a few days, a substance which possesses the unique property of reacting with the material injected (1). This serum component is termed antibody and the material which stimulated its production is called antigen. The animal which has formed antibodies is said (by convention) to be immunized. The presence of antibodies in the serum of immunized animals may be recognized by the occurrence of certain characteristic …  Read more

The goal of this thesis was to elucidate the physicochemical and metabolic bases of Hyperapobetalipoproteinemia (HyperapoB). This disorder, which is likely the commonest metabolic abnormality associated with premature coronary artery disease, was defined as a combination of a normal, or near-normal, LDL cholesterol in the face of an elevated LDL apoB. LDL, even in normals, is heterogeneous. The experimental findings herein confirm this. They also extend this concept to indicate that familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and HyperapoB each imprint LDL in different and characteristic ways, each an exaggeration of the typical relations between LDL composition and size in normals. At one …  Read more

The formalin model of inflammatory pain assesses the behavioural response to an injection of dilute formalin into the paw of a rodent. In adult rats, the behavioural response is related to the log of the formalin concentration. Very brief pain responses can be produced by injection of inflammatory mediators, and combination of 5-HT with other mediators produces a synergistic increase in the response. The present study has two aims: (1) to determine the behavioural indices that best measure formalin-induced pain in 3 and 15 day old rat pups, and (2) to examine the behavioural response of infant rats to intraplantar …  Read more

Les systèmes de microscopie électronique à balayage couplé à la spectroscopie à dispersion d’énergie (MEB/EDS) sont couramment utilisés pour la microanalyse par rayons X en raison de leur fonctionnement simple et rapide. Les systèmes récents, qui utilisent des sources d’émission de champ à froid et des détecteurs à dérive au silicium (SDD), sont des outils d’imagerie par rayons X et de microanalyses quantitatives extrêmement performantes. Cependant, l’efficacité analytique et la précision du MEB/EDS peuvent encore être améliorées. Lors d’une acquisition d’une cartographie d’éléments par rayons X, la principale préoccupation est de récolter un nombre suffisant de rayons X. Malheureusement, des …  Read more

Les terres rares sont au centre de la fabrication de produits technologique de pointe, tel que des batteries, turbines, et autres appareils électriques. Le gisement de terres rares Nechalago est une importante source pour l'approvisionnement mondial de ces éléments, ce qui en fait un candidat idéal pour l'étude de l'évolution géologique de tels gisements de minéraux de terres rares. Décrire la composition et la texture cristallographique de ces minéraux de façons qualitative et quantitative est nécessaire à l'optimisation du procéder d'extraction métallurgique. Cependant, la plupart des techniques de caractérisation actuellement employé en contexte industriel sont limités en termes de résolution …  Read more

Methods of structural optimization have been studied and developed over the last three decades. An important aspect of structural optimization pertains to the conditions under which the loads are applied. Problems in which the applied load is single and deterministic are well documented in the literature, whereas those in which the load is deterministic but varying, stochastic, or uncertain have been less studied. Although methods of structural optimization under single-loading conditions can be extended to multiple-loading cases, the computational burden imposed by these methods is often extremely high, to the point of becoming inapplicable. In this thesis, a novel approach …  Read more

This thesis studies how structure and energetics influence complex food web dynamics. In Chapter 1, I approach the question by studying a simple food web model that can be modified to include different structural and energetic features. In Chapter 2, I study stability and food web properties in assembled webs that are structured by body-size restrictions and a generalist-specialist tradeoff. The results of both chapters suggest that structure and energetics must be considered to understand food web dynamics. In Chapter 1, I find that food web structure can be modified by weak and strong energetic flows and stabilize dynamics through …  Read more

Stroke creates a substantial economic burden on the patients and society. With more emphasis being placed on community-based services, it has been advocated that more importance should be placed on early supported discharge for stroke patients. Studies have shown that early supported discharge is as effective as conventional care. However, very few of these studies have associated costs. The purpose of this study was to estimate the cost effectiveness of prompt discharge with home rehabilitation compared with usual post acute care for stroke patients. A cost effectiveness analysis was performed on data originating from a prior randomized controlled trial designed …  Read more

Le cancer de l’ovaire représente le cancer gynécologique le plus mortel chez les femmes aujourd’hui. Le carcinome séreux ovarien de haut grade (CSHG) correspond au cancer ovarien le plus commun et le plus mortel et est fréquemment diagnostiqué à un stade avancé lorsque la présence de métastases est déjà observée. Malgré son nom, l’origine du CSHG reste controversée. En effet, plusieurs études ont montré que le CSHG provenait de la surface épithéliale ovarienne (SEO) alors que d’autres études ont montré que sont origine se trouvait au niveau de l’épithélium des trompes de Fallope (ETF).Environ 70% des patientes atteintes de CSHG …  Read more

Mayo, Nancy (Supervisor1)  Read more

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) nucleates two complexes, namely mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2, which are implicated in cell growth, survival, metabolism and cancer. The phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF2 at serine 51 (eIF2αP) is a key regulator of mRNA translation and an important mechanism of adaptation of cells to various forms of environmental stress frequently associated with cancer formation. eIF2αP can act either as a promoter of cell survival or as an inducer of cell death in response to different forms of stress. Increased eIF2αP is mediated by a family of …  Read more

Ngadi, Michael O. (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

While a considerable number of scientists have investigated pollution problems in relation to sea water, oysters, mussels, and other shellfish, a review of the literature reveals a decided paucity of information regarding the bacterial flora of the soft shell clam, Mya arenaria. The importance of the soft shell clam fishing industry in the Atlantic Maritime Provinces of Canada is considerable, and a comprehensive assessment of the bacterial flora of Mya arenaria on the Canadian Atlantic seaboard was therefore deemed essential before possible public health hazards connected with the industry could be properly evaluated, and control measures and significant bacteriological Standards …  Read more

The need for sanitary control of molluscan shellfish resulted from the use of rivers, streams, and the sea for the disposal of sewage. Sewage discharged into the sea is rapidly and enormously diluted, but many shellfish beds of commercial importance are situated within long inlets or estuaries where dilution is less effective. In such places molluscs, by virture of their mode of feeding, can become polluted to an extent which make them unsafe to eat uncooked.  Read more

The total synthesis of the biologically active, dextrorotatory enantiomer of 3-methyl-7(beta)-phenylacetamido-(DELTA)('3)-O-2-isocephem-4-carboxylic acid was accomplished. The key step involved the asymmetric cycloaddition of azidoacetyl chloride to the cinnamylidene Schiff base of protected D-threonine to generate the desired monocyclic cis (beta)-lactam diastereomer (9:1). The absolute configuration of the final product was confirmed by comparing its antimicrobial activity with that of the corresponding racemate. The influence of (a) the (beta)-chiral center in the starting (alpha)-amino acid, (b) the bulk of the carboxylic acid and (c) the distribution of bulk throughout the imine on the stereochemical outcome of the reaction was studied. The absence …  Read more

Cette thèse explore les concepts de l'engagement codé en relation avec le rôle de la capacité des citoyens à participer aux villes intelligentes. L'engagement codé est défini comme la perspective du citoyen- capteur dans la ville intelligente, dans un monde où capteurs interconnectés et grandes données sont omniprésents. En raison des difficultés perçues dans l'exploitation de la participation publique et des promesses hyperboliques associées aux villes intelligentes, l'engagement codé est un mode d'engagement entre les gouvernements locaux et les citoyens en développement. Le principal mode d'engagement consiste souvent à recueillir des données à partir des médias sociaux, des caméras ou …  Read more

Virus infection represents an intracellular invasion of host cells for the sole purpose of multiplication. Successful virus replication requires entry into tropic cells, usurping of the cellular machinery, and the production of progeny virions to initiate further rounds of infection. Establishment of the antiviral state in response to virus begins at the site of infection and requires the initiation of a preexisting signaling network designed to inhibit virus replication and aid in the establishment of this coordinated immune response. Integral components of this network include the IRF-3 and IRF-7 transcription factors that play essential roles in the cellular response to …  Read more

The Canadian urban landscape is filled with single-detached houses built in the post-World War II period. Whether one-storey, one-and-a-half-storey, two-storey or split-level, they were built by families across the country from efficient plans featuring minimal square footage. Many plans were designed by Canadian architects and included in catalogues published by the Central (now Canada) Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) during the first two decades after the Second World War. In setting up a Small House Design Scheme for the particular purpose of urbanizing communities smaller than those in the big cities, the corporation acted as mediator between architects and homeowners …  Read more

A new prototype of multiwire proportional chamber (MWPC) with pixel configurated pad cathode was built as a joint effort by McGill University, Lund University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the development of the tracking system of the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). This thesis first describes the implementation of a new readout electronics for the pad chambers. In this electronics, the charge of the pads is digitized using a preamplifier/shaper/discriminator integrated CMOS chip with adjustable threshold. All chips and components are mounted on specially designed 48-channel readout cards using chip-on-board (COB) technology. Using …  Read more

In the present thesis, the properties of hadrons in a dense medium are studied. The collective excitations related to the propagation of scalar and vector mesons in dense nuclear matter are discussed in a relativistic mean field model. Finite temperature effects on the meson properties in nuclear matter are also considered. One of the main concerns of the present thesis is the evaluation of symmetry-breaking effects induced by the dense matter. Special emphasis is put on the study of scalar-vector meson mixing effect, a pure density-dependent effect forbidden in vacuum on account of the Lorentz symmetry. In this direction, a …  Read more

The E1A gene of human adenoviruses induces DNA synthesis but is only able to transform primary rodent cells abortively. Stable transformation is induced by E1A in combination with the E1B gene or another oncogene such as activated Ras. E1B encodes two major proteins, 55K and 19K that are each able to transform cells in cooperation with E1A but with greater efficiency when both are present. The E1B-19K protein is believed to function in a manner homologous to the Bcl-2 proto-oncogene by preventing apoptosis which is induced by the E1A proteins. The E1B-55K protein binds to the p53 tumour suppressor and …  Read more

Li, Chao-Jun (Supervisor2)  Read more

L'obésité, la faiblesse musculaire des quadriceps et les lésions articulaires jouent un rôle dans la pathogenèse de l'arthrose du genou en créant un environnement de charge anormal au niveau du genou. Une meilleure compréhension peut combler les lacunes dans les connaissances et éclairer les stratégies de traitement. De plus, les recommandations en matière d'activité physique (AP) et de pratique sportive (PS) après une arthroplastie unicompartimentale (AUG) et une arthroplastie totale du genou (ATG) sont basées sur un consensus d'experts. Un aperçu de la littérature sur le sujet est nécessaire. Enfin, la sensibilité à l'activité physique (SAP) est une approche pour …  Read more

This work deals with the existence of a wide body of ballads in Italy during the romantic era. It disproves Giovanni Berchet's contention in his "Lettera semiseria", the manifesto of Italian Romanticism. He argued that Italy did not have popular literature and, being unaware of an existing tradition, he translated and proposed two of Burger's ballads as examples to be followed. The first two chapters of this thesis concentrate on the origins of the popular ballad and its first occurrence in Italy. The third chapter examines the major ballad writers in Italy. Particular attention is given to Luigi Carrer and …  Read more

The literature in education is conspicuously lacking in any meaningful or sustained discussion of the body's role in education. This thesis suggests that body and mind do not mutually exclude one another but rather, they are the two aspects that, together, form the whole person. Paradox is a key concept here because it offers a vision of reality that brings together "apparent opposites" into a tensed relationship thereby creating a framework that allows for the integration of body and mind into a cohesive whole. This thesis argues that myth is an expression of humankind's paradoxical nature, and that the hero …  Read more

One of the advantages of intercropping has been the increase in yield over the monocultures. Intercrop yield can be improved by selecting for compatible cultivars and by efficient spacing arrangements of the component crops. A field experiment was conducted in the 1990 growing season to compare two spacing arrangements for the pepper/bean intercrop, to observe the effects of three bean cultivars on the system, and to examine whether there is any interaction between cropping system and bean cultivar. Three bean cultivars (Frenchie, Earliserve, and E-Z Pick), differing in their morphology and time to maturity, and one pepper cultivar (Hybrid Bell …  Read more

Divided into six chapters, our thesis examines the translation of Evgenyi Onegin, a novel in verse by Aleksandr Pushkin, in France and Japan in the 20th century. In Chapter 1, we introduce our methodological approach, including the eight elements of our translation analysis: the by-who, the who, the what, the for-who, the when, the why, the where, and the how. In Chapter 2, after a brief biography of the Russian poet, we examine his central work Evgenyi Onegin, and its unique structuro-phono-semantic synthesis. The first French mention of Pushkin was in the 19th century, and the 'transfer-related discourse' of that …  Read more

This Master's Thesis presents and analyses the problems involved in the transfer1 of the name and the works of Alexandre Pushkin in nineteenth century France. Pushkin, Russia's national poet and its most revered author, is little known in France, where his works are often considered untranslatable. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in the first non-translational transfers of Pushkin, followed by the first attempts of translational transfers that came only to raise the existing stereotypes into dogmas, which were reinforced by the theoretical thoughts on the art of translation developed by the translating subjects of the time. The present study …  Read more

This thesis investigates the nature and architecture of space governance and how it evolved and can and will evolve further, given the absence of a global government or supreme authority. The thesis demonstrates that after an initial period of successful development of space governance featuring institutions building and the adoption of space law treaties, from the early days in the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, space governance, as developed by those institutions, has largely been stagnated. The consequence is that even the most important issues, e.g., space debris, militarization, and utilization of space natural resources, are left insufficiently addressed. The …  Read more

Research on the etiological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease has yielded inconsistent results. It is suggested that this may be due to the unidirectional focus on biomedical attributes, and the failure to consider psychosocial factors in combination with the biomedical characteristics. A biopsychosocial model of Alzheimer's disease, which integrates the biomedical dimension with psychosocial stressors and social support is proposed and tested in a sample of 172 geriatric patients using polychotomous logistic regression. Results find support for the implication of stress in the disease process, but fail to find a relationship between social support and Alzheimer's disease. It is concluded that …  Read more

Le microbiome intestinal est un écosystème de micro-organismes qui est susceptible de changer en présence d’une perturbation, par exemple la maladie inflammatoire intestinale telle que la colite ulcéreuse. Grâce aux études longitudinales, nous pouvons comprendre l’influence de l’effet d’une perturbation sur le microbiome et l’évolution des niveaux de bactéries et leur physiologie. Puisque les physiologies bactériennes peuvent être mesurées comme des proportions ou des comptes standardisés, les modèles linéaires généralisés peuvent être utilisés. Cependant en gardant plusieurs souris dans la même cage et les mesures répétées sont prises pour chaque souris, la conception expérimentale entraîne une dépendance naturelle. Ainsi nous …  Read more

Joober, Ridha (Supervisor2)  Read more

Objective. To examine the profile of executive function (EF) performance in children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as function of their subtypes and comorbid disorders. Methods. Two hundred and eighteen, 6-12 year old children clinically diagnosed with ADHD were characterised according to their clinical profile. Various EF domains were assessed while children were not on medication. General cognitive performance was assessed using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Results. 54.1% of children were diagnosed with combined subtype, 34.9% with inattentive subtype and 11% with hyperactive subtype. Significant age difference was found in ADHD subtype distribution and significant age and …  Read more

This thesis examines the concepts of history and tradition in modern Japan, with an emphasis on the writings of Sei'ichi Shirai (1905--1983). Although Shirai has been considered as one of the most important architects of 20th century Japan, he has also been treated as an obscure figure, no doubt partly because of the enigmatic quality of his writings. A major element that contributed to his obscure status and set him apart from his contemporaries was his understanding of history and tradition. The introductory essay examines the concept of tradition prevalent around Shirai's time: how it was constructed by an a …  Read more

Strip casting is a new process, which can produce cast strips with thicknesses of only 2--5mm and eliminate hot rolling. Cold rolled strips produced by strip casting have low mechanical anisotropy, which is related to the texture of the strip; however, this link has not yet been investigated. Texture development from strip casting through to cold rolling and subsequent annealing was therefore studied. Cast strips of two types were produced by solidification into the dual (delta ferrite + gamma austenite) phase and single (delta ferrite) phase domains. The {001}⟨uvw⟩ delta ferrite texture is converted into the {001}⟨uvw⟩ gamma final texture …  Read more

This inquiry is a critical, reflexive autoethnographic analysis of my personal experiences organizing, facilitating and participating in a non-formal cooking program at an alternative school in an urban Canadian context. Through the use of narrative vignettes, I examine my evolving understanding of the facilitator role in an after-school cooking program with the aim of highlighting the power dynamics at play. Informed by a discussion of youth and non-formal education, I draw on my experiences organizing non-formal learning surrounding food to analyze food literacies—by which I mean ways of knowing, understanding, practicing and critiquing food—and to consider the possibilities, challenges and …  Read more

"The Book and the Veil" is an experimental ethnographic study that presents a feminist critique of Orientalist discourse as it relates to Istanbul at the turn of the twentieth century. The Preface reviews relevant anthropological literature in order to construct the theoretical context of the thesis. The Introduction then elaborates on the various voices embodied in the text, each of which expresses different types of cultural and critical information. Part 1 (Chapters 1-4), comments on Grace Ellison's stay in Istanbul harems in 1914, as described in An Englishwoman in a Turkish Harem. Part 2 (Chapters 5-7), engages in a dialogue …  Read more