McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1988

This dissertation considers the history and philosophy of emergent evolution, and in particular the attempt to answer the question of the role of qualitative novelty in the evolutionary process. Chapter one examines the background to the theory of emergent evolution in the work of Charles Darwin. It is argued that Darwin's theory is neither tautologous nor revolutionary, and the application of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolution to the case of Darwinian evolution is criticized. Chapter two analyzes the work of the comparative psychologist Conwy Lloyd Morgan, and his views on qualitative novelty are compared with those of other major …  Lire la suite

A reef-associated zooplankton community was monitored at weekly intervals for 53 weeks. Samples were collected from quadrats of dense coral cover using emergence net traps. The numerical and biomass fluctuations of 15 taxonomic groups, 7 size classes and 5 feeding groups of the community were determined both temporally and spatially. The community was composed of abundant and diverse taxa (81) with cyclopoid copepods being the most important taxon. Larger-sized fauna (e.g. amphipods, decapods, mysids, etc.) were the second most important abundance and biomass contributors. Size class analysis illustrated a bimodal size distribution spectrum. The well developed second mode of the …  Lire la suite

I assessed the relationship between growth of fish in situ, food consumption, prey type and fish community descriptors in 12 perch (Perca flavescens) populations exhibiting a 1.8 to 10-fold range in growth rates. Perch growth rates consistently decreased as fish numerical density increased (r$ sp2$ = 0.60) and increased as feeding levels increased (r$ sp2$ = 0.30). I found no significant relationship between the quantity of food consumed by perch and fish numerical density. Prey quality explained from 50 to 95% of the observed variability in growth but was related to fish numerical density in only one of the 3 …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of the Greek day school Socrates in Montreal and its overall impact on its students vis-a-vis the variables of ethnic identity, socio-personal adjustment and academic achievement. Existing documentation, content analysis of the Greek community press, and participant observation were all used in unfolding the school's historical development. The dependent variables of Greekness, adjustment and achievement were examined via the interviewing of 549 Greek origin individuals, 118 of whom were adults, 255 Socrates students, 158 non-Socrates students, and the rest 18 were Socrates graduates. Although the results obtained did not provide …  Lire la suite

Tenenhouse, Susie (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Prolidase deficiency (MIM 26413), an autosomal recessive phenotype, is caused by rare alleles at a locus on chromosome 19cent.-q13.2. The clinical phenotype is pleiotropic (affecting skin, brain, etc.) and of variable expressivity (benign to early death). I established skin fibroblast cultures from 6 homozygous probands and 6 obligate heterozygotes, purified prolidase (E.C. 3.4.13.9, a homodimer) from normal human fibroblasts, raised a monospecific rabbit antiserum to the subunit, and studied its biosynthesis. Pulse-chase immunoprecipitation experiments showed that the subunit is synthesized in the cytosol as a 58 KDa. polypeptide and not processed further. Homozygous prolidase-deficient cell strains expressed 3 classes of …  Lire la suite

An internal combustion engine was instrumented in view of developing automatic diagnosis methods based on the analysis of PV diagrams. The pressure signal is unstable over successive cycles. Consequently, pressure must be averaged over several consecutive cycles to produce valid data. Due to instrumentation problems the data obtained was insufficient to allow the development of diagnostics. The investigation reported in this work is thus limited to the development of a microprocessor-based system for the acquisition of pressure-volume data on high speed, spark ignition internal combustion engines. Several instrumentation problems were identified and solutions applied or proposed. The information presented here …  Lire la suite

Light emission in marine bacteria is under the control of growth dependent induction. Associated with the induction is the increase in synthesis of the components of the two enzymes which catalyze the light emitting reaction, luciferase and fatty acid reductase. Large DNA fragments from three marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri, Vibrio harveyi and Photobacterium phosphoreum, were isolated from genomic libraries of these strains. Escherichia coli, harboring a recombinant plasmid containing a 16 kbp fragment of V. fischeri DNA, were found to express growth dependent luminescence. E. coli clones harboring analogous sequences of V. harveyi or P. phosphoreum lux DNA only expressed …  Lire la suite

Using a new browse-monitoring technique, short-term changes in the winter foraging behaviour of yarded northern white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were followed over 3 winters. Hypotheses about selective browsing, shifts in foraging strategy, food patch selection, diet quality, and foraging effort were derived from optimal foraging theory. Testing of associated predictions disclosed that deer expanded their diets over the course of the yarding season, showed shifts in proportional representation of browse species in their diet, and exhibited distinct but changing preferences for certain browse types. Partial preferences in diet choices occurred, but important diet items were used in nonrandom runs once …  Lire la suite

Education represents one of Isabelle de Charriere's favourite topics. In her novels, the author has expressed her concerns on the matter, but her comments refer particularly to women's education. The present study will therefore be dedicated to the gathering of these observations, in order to show the author's position regarding the education of women. Afterwards, it should be possible to see whether Madame de Charriere's ideas may be compared to those of her time. In the case of women, moral education is preponderant, but knowledge is also important. In addition to her pedagogical advice, the writer provides some thoughts on …  Lire la suite

Past studies of the Tuareg have been chiefly concerned with nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoral society. This work is an examination of a sedentary community of former vassals or slaves of the Tuareg who reside at Aouderas, a village of the Saharan Air Massif of northern Niger (West Africa). The economy of Aouderas is multi-sectoral, and is composed of: small-scale irrigated agriculture (which has been analytically separated into subsistence and cash crops); stock-raising of camels, small ruminants, and cattle; and a caravan trade based on the exchange of salt and grain. An analysis of more recent economic developments, namely migration to …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse examine un nouveau concept du mécanisme de commande spontanément contractile et étanche qui offre les caractéristiques de fonctionnement mécanique semblables aux celles des organismes vivants et convenables pour les robots hautement versatiles, mobiles, interactifs et autonomes, destines aux taches requérant actuellement, pour une large part, la main-d’oeuvre manuelle. Les données de fonctionnement de ce mécanisme ont été déterminées d'après les propriétés physiques des muscles stries en vue de combiner la puissance, bonne réaction aux contrôles exigeant une dynamique complexe, rendement mécanique et limitations du poids, dans les proportions applicables au corps humain. La construction d’un tel mécanisme aux …  Lire la suite

In mice, the trait of natural resistance and susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis (strain BCG Montreal) infection is controlled by the Bcg gene. The two alleles of the Bcg gene, termed $Bcg sp{ rm r}$ (resistant) and $Bcg sp{ rm s}$ (susceptible), are expressed by host macrophages as an innate ability to restrict the multiplication of BCG bacteria. In the present study, a regulatory effect of the Bcg gene was established on the host immune response to BCG infection. An indirect effect of the Bcg gene on lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was observed in inbred strains expressing $Bcg sp{ rm s}$ …  Lire la suite

Bell, Graham (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The complexity of modern robotic workcells, consisting of many cooperating elements (eg. robots, sensing systems) makes programming applications enormously difficult. Programming such a complex robotic system is a complicated task that requires thorough understanding of each of its elements. Thus far, little has been done in the way of developing a robotic workcell programming environment: this dissertation addresses this very problem. A hierarchical framework is proposed that decomposes the problem into three sub-problems, (i) the Planning sub-problem, addressed by the Strategy level, which determines what has to be done in terms of 'steps' that have to be performed, decides which …  Lire la suite

The animated film in Canada has come of age and may be regarded as a distinct genre in Canadian cinema. Animated films produced in Canada can now be ranked with the works of other artists, including docudrama films. In this study, we show that, during their formative periods, Canadian authors of animated films shared a number of preoccupations with their fellow Quebec literary and pictorial artists, and cinematographers, the most important of which was a commitment to social protest. This study is a detailed analysis of some 250 short animated films produced at the National Film Board between 1950 and …  Lire la suite

Scoble, M. J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

In this thesis I investigate the crucial role played by government in phonology in explaining various processes such as epenthesis, vowel deletion, vowel harmony, consonant assimilation, as well as the syllabification of skeletal points along with their segments into constituents, and the organization of these constituents in the word. It is argued that all these phonological processes are determined by governing relations units contract with each other. Given that government applies in phonology defining the constraints under which it operates is an integral part of such a research program. The aim of this thesis then, is to analyze different phonological …  Lire la suite

This thesis focuses on two issues among the many comprising the broad subject of the relationship between Jews and non-Jews according to Jewish law. The issues are: (1) the prohibition against selling real estate in the land of Israel to non-Jews; and (2) the prohibition against intermarriage. The prohibition against selling real estate in the land of Israel to non-Jews is based upon a Rabbinic interpretation of the phrase "lo Tehanem" from Deut. 7:2. In the period of the "Rishonim" (from Maimonides till Radbaz) the general view was that this prohibition was still in force and applied to contemporary non-Jews. …  Lire la suite

The objective of this research was to determine the nature of hog supply response in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta over the period 1968-1986. Special emphasis was placed on the role of government stabilization programmes. The research examined the development of the North American hog industry and described the various federal and provincial assistance programmes that were available to hog producers over this period. Using an adaptive expectation framework, separate linear equations for each province and three pooled data equations were specified. The equations were estimated using four procedures namely, Hildreth-Lu, instrumental variables, quasi-generalized least squares and augmented least squares. Results …  Lire la suite

When a formant transition (isolated transition) and the remainder (base) of a synthesized syllable are presented to opposite ears most subjects perceive two simultaneous sounds, a syllable and a nonspeech chirp. The isolated transition determines the identity of the syllable at one ear and, at the same time, is perceived as a chirp at the opposite ear. This phenomenon, called duplex perception, has been interpreted as the result of the independent operation of two perceptual modes, the phonetic and the auditory mode. In order to test this hypothesis, the isolated transition was preceded and followed by a series of identical …  Lire la suite