McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1993

The production of contrastive stress was studied in normal-hearing and severely and profoundly hearing-impaired children. A picture description task was used to elicit utterances. Contrastive stress was assigned by changing one element in the second and third pictures in sets of three pictures. Stress production was assessed perceptually and acoustically. The normal-hearing and the severely hearing-impaired children were judged to have consistently stressed the element that was changed in the pictures. Some of the profoundly hearing-impaired subjects were judged to have stressed the changed element more often than chance but some did not perform above chance. Acoustic measurements indicated that …  Lire la suite

Civil aerospace products manufacturers in the EEC may, as in the USA, be called into litigation as co-defendant following an aircraft accident by the victims or their dependents. As opposed to the airlines, their liability is not limited by international conventions. This thesis examines their liability and insurance in case of damage to third parties after the entry into force of EEC Directive 85/374 on liability for defective products. First, a brief description will be given of the evolution of the aerospace industry in Europe and its governmental regulation through certification. In the second part we will examine the evolution …  Lire la suite

This study proposes an in-depth analysis of the concept of imagination in the Essais as it emerges through various occurrences of the words "imagination" and "fantasie" (synonymous in the XVIth century) and their numerous derivatives. By focusing on two fundamental characteristics of this faculty, its "autonomy" and "power of sensory representation", this dissertation argues that Montaigne's idea of imagination, intimately related to man's desire and presumptuousness, is based on an essential ambivalence by which it produces indifferently real or illusory images, representations of truth as well as falsehood. This work explores the actualisation of this paradoxical character of imagination in …  Lire la suite

The literature of disturbance ecology reveals that, under present climatic conditions, non-native plants have little or no role in high arctic tundra revegetation. Rather, it has been suggested that indigenous flora, especially long-lived perennial graminoids, are crucial to recovery. However, few long-term data are available on past impacts within productive sedge-meadows in the High Arctic, and none which consider the non-vascular flora. This thesis combines biogeographical and patch dynamics perspectives to focus on $ geq$21 yr of natural and assisted recovery of vegetation and soils from a wide range of dated anthropogenic surface disturbances at three Canadian Arctic sites. Empirical, …  Lire la suite

RNA b is the most abundant member of a family of autonomously replicating single- and double-stranded RNA plasmids found in mitochondria of several maize races. The extent to which this molecule associates in vivo with proteins was investigated by both rate zonal and CsCl equilibrium density gradient centrifugations of clarified lysate of mitochondria from maize plants with the S-type cytoplasm. A soluble endogenous complex of RNA b, responsible for synthesis of the more abundant (+) RNA b strand in in vitro conditions (in mitochondrial lysate), was identified. The complex had a density of 1.49 g/cm$ sp3$ but a surprisingly low …  Lire la suite

Between 1933 and 1963, many Quebec critics followed with interest--some sporadically, others regularly--the works and career of Alain Grandbois (1900-1975). This thesis analyzes in systematic fashion the content and the evolution of their discourse. In addition to engaging in "dialogue" (via their reviews) with certain publishers, the critics reflected upon the problem of regionalism and universalism in Grandbois' "clear and simple" prose works, although in quite different ways with each new book. The collections of poems, on the other hand, because of their "hermetism", induced commentators to study the question of the intelligible and the unintelligible in poetry, a question …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study is to examine the issues relating to transboundary hazardous waste movements and the most recent efforts to address them at the international, regional and national levels. The transfer of hazardous wastes from the country of origin to other nations raises a number of environmental, ethical and economic concerns, particularly when developing nations are targeted as waste recipients. This work argues that the only appropriate response is the adoption of an ethical and preventive approach to the transboundary movement and management of hazardous waste. At the national level, prevention in the form of waste minimization and …  Lire la suite

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 …  Lire la suite

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 …  Lire la suite

Stewart, Robin K. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The presence of homologues to the signal sequence receptor (SSR) and associated proteins, gp25L and calnexin was evaluated in yeast. Yeast genomic DNA was explored by Southern blotting, genomic DNA and lambda-gt11 libraries were screened with various DNA probes, lambda-gt11 expression libraries were immunoscreened, and degenerate oligonucleotides synthesized from putative conserved peptide regions, were used to prime polymerase chain reactions. These techniques failed to identify yeast genes with significant sequence homology to the mammalian DNA coding regions of SSR-alpha, SSR-beta, and gp25L. However, a 60-kDa protein of yeast microsomal membranes cross-reacted with anticalnexin antiserum. SSR-alpha DNA coding region was cloned …  Lire la suite

The study of cost-saving measures involved in the fit-up of the kitchen is explored, and two strategies of cost-saving are identified: reducing kitchen area; and, simplifying construction materials and assembly techniques. Alternative area requirements, as well as alternative materials and assembly techniques are examined in an effort to reduce cost. The cost of a series of compact kitchen layouts are analysed with respect to alternative construction techniques. A method that assesses the functional requirements of the layouts and costs involved is applied and various cost effective designs are examined.  Lire la suite

The 2-methylbranched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (BCAD) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the third reaction in isoleucine and valine metabolism, the oxidation of 2-methylbutyryl-CoA and isobutyryl-CoA, respectively. BCAD deficiency would result in the accumulation of branched chain acyl-CoAs or their derivatives. Three patients with a putative defect in BCAD have been reported. This study consists of a molecular examination of one such patient as well as the characterization of the BCAD gene. In Northern blot analysis of human fibroblast RNA, the BCAD cDNA hybridized to two RNA species of 2.7 and 6.5 kb. The 2.7 kb band corresponds to the …  Lire la suite

The extraterritorial application of antitrust law has been extensively developped since 1957. In the same way as the United States have tried to apply antitrust laws to Europe, the EC now wishes to apply this kind of legislation to companies outside the EC, using the criteria of jurisdictional competence in conformity with public international law. Three successive theories have been put forward: The "Effect theory" which has been much debated on its concordance with international law. The theory of "Enterprise Unity" has the desadvantaye that it cannot be applied to all foreign undertakings. Finally, the Commission and the Court of …  Lire la suite

Chitin is a polysaccharide found in abundance in the shell of crustaceans. In this study, chitin was first extracted from shrimp waste material previously demineralized, using proteolytic enzymes, i.e., chymotrypsin and papain. The conditions used for the deproteinization were optimized with respect to 3 factors, viz., pH, temperature, and enzyme to waste (E/W) ratio, using response surface methodology (RSM). In a second part of the study, chitosan was prepared from chitin by partial deacetylation and its capacity to preserve whole and headless fresh shrimps was evaluated. The shrimps (Pandalus borealis) were dipped in chitosan (1 and 2% w:v), and stored …  Lire la suite

Chu, Vincent H. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Kubes, G. J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the semi-autobiographical work of Maria Beig in the context of traditional and contemporary regional literature. It attempts to do justice to her work as a whole. The style and content of her work are discussed with reference to topics of literary theory relating to regional literature, such as the village novella, or anti-idyllic elements, to mention only those most discussed. A further emphasis of the thesis is the question of academic reception of regional literature, in relation to the genre generally and to Maria Beig's work--that of a "poeta non docta"--in particular. Finally there is a (short) …  Lire la suite

Two problems in nuclear physics are investigated using microscopic semi-classical models. The first model, developed to study heavy ion collisions, is based on the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck theory and has been extended to include one-body fluctuations. It has been successfully applied at low and intermediate energies and a comparison between simulations and an experiment done at the Michigan State University cyclotron facility has yielded very good agreement. The second is a nuclear structure model based on the Thomas-Fermi theory and describes nuclear rotations. It has been used to calculate nuclear shapes and limiting angular momenta across the periodic table. It has been …  Lire la suite

Soil structure and crop response under annual compactive loads of 10 and 18 t/axle and compaction alleviation treatments were assessed in a continuous corn production system. The alleviation treatments consisted of chemical conditioning with a non-ionic surfactant, and subsoiling with narrow-tined and winged implements. Parameters utilized for determining effects on soil structure were bulk density, water retention characteristics and soil profile characteristics. Significant topsoil and subsoil compaction resulted from both loading levels. Crop yield reductions due to compactive loading ranged from 18 to 27% under optimal weather conditions and were as high as 55 to 86% under adverse weather conditions. …  Lire la suite

Patterson, W. I. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Granular-fluid mixtures flowing down an incline in the grain-inertia regime were studied experimentally and analytically. The equations of motion are based on the kinetic theory for granular flow. The boundary conditions are formulated following two methods. The first is a simple mechanical approach based on the energy exchange at the wall. The other is based on the kinetic theory for granular flow. Solutions for dry granular flow down a chute are studied in order to compare both methods. The extension of the kinetic theory presented here, includes drag forces resulting from the interstitial fluid that cushions interparticle collisions and particle-wall …  Lire la suite

Gehr, R. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The ability of two putative trophic agents, nerve growth factor (NGF) and the monosialoganglioside GM1, to induce neurochemical, morphological and behavioral recovery following injury to the adult rat basalo-cortical cholinergic pathway was studied. Treatment of unilaterally decorticated rats with these agents was shown to: attenuate deficits in holinergic markers of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), prevent shrinkage of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)- and p75$ sp{ rm NGFR}$-immunoreactive (IR) NBM neurons, and stimulate cortical ChAT activity and high affinity choline uptake, in a dose-dependent manner with equal efficacies but different potencies. Quantitative light and electron microscopic studies, assisted by image analysis, showed …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of mood lability on anticipation timing performance. The influence of gender and stimulus speed on timing error was also analysed. Spectral analysis was used to quantify frequency of mood change. The within-subjects standard deviation was calculated as a measure of intensity of mood change. Thirty-eight physical education students (18 men; M = 23.8 yrs, SD = 2.1 and 20 women; M = 20.4 yrs, SD = 1.6) participated in this study. Mood changes were measured along the Pleasantness and Energetic dimensions of the Affect Grid. Performance was assessed using the …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the importance of the length-force relationship and the three-dimensional shape of the diaphragm with regard to its inspiratory function. As well as it reports on the manner in which fatigue and aminophylline affect the length-force properties of the diaphragm. First, I studied the effect of fatigue on diaphragm contractility as a function of sarcomere length using an in vitro rat diaphragm strips. Results indicated that fatigue resulted in disproportionately greater reduction of tetanic force at short sarcomere lengths. Second, I reconstructed the three-dimensional shape of the diaphragm to determine if in vitro results are physiologically relevant in …  Lire la suite

We have examined the factors leading to cell-surface downmodulation of CD4 in HIV-1 infected U-937 cells as a model system for the study of monocytic cells. In contrast to the rapid disappearance of CD4 transcripts in chronically infected T-cell lines, CD4 mRNA levels were unaltered following infection of U-937 cells and two other monocytic cell lines (PLB985 and THP-1) with HIV-III$ sb{ rm B}$. However, infected U-937 cells contained reduced levels of immunoprecipitable CD4 that were complexed intra-cytoplasmically with the HIV-1 envelope precursor, gp160. We next compared CD4 and actin biosynthesis in cellular clones that had been derived by limiting …  Lire la suite

The viscous, incompressible and laminar flow around bluff bodies is analysed via a random vortex method using a hybrid (Eulerian-Lagrangian) scheme. The Navier-Stokes equations, written in the form of vorticity equations, are split into nonlinear convection and linear diffusion parts according to a fractional step method. Vorticity is modelled by discrete point vortices. Vortices are created on the surface to satisfy the zero tangential velocity boundary condition. Random walks are applied to the vortices to simulate the diffusion equation. Vortices are then convected in an inviscid calculation in the Lagrangian scheme to simulate the convection equation. The velocity of each …  Lire la suite

Socio-economic changes and employment decentralization in North America have transformed the traditional centrally-oriented travel pattern into a more complex many-to-many type, resulting in increased traffic congestion. This research quantifies the impact of activity decentralization on road infrastructure requirements by super district and facility type. The Supply Demand Linkage Model or 'SDLM', for a case study, relates the independent variable demand in passenger trips to the dependent variable the mean of traffic density in vehicles per kilometre. It is an aggregate travel demand model developed using a quasi experimental approach. This is accomplished through: (1) Extensive cross sectional analyses. (2) Calibration …  Lire la suite

In recent years, very few Japanese women have entered the fields of science and technology despite the fact that Japan has specialized in these areas. This study attempts to develop a preliminary profile of those women who have despite odds, made careers in science. Generally, these women were found to come from families of high socio-economic status. These families had socialization patterns typical of middle and upper classes which included the teaching of universal, rather than of local, values, little sex-stereotyping, non-arbitrary verbal communication between generations, and field-independent views. Families of respondents valued education and were interested in science. In …  Lire la suite

This thesis explores the ways that Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno's Critical Theory and the ethics of Christian liberation theology mutually inform each other. Horkheimer and Adorno' s theories of the "dialectic of enlightenment" and “negative dialectics" provide a self-critical social analysis that interconnects the domination of humanity by humanity and the domination of nature in a way that strengthens the critique of Christian ethics. Further, Horkheimer and Adorno's "longing for the wholly other" resonates profoundly with Christians who believe in a God of Justice. By the same token, Christian reflection on critical Theory leads to a critique ofHorkheimer and …  Lire la suite

Residential change is a pervasive condition of North American society. In a lifetime, a person may go through many decisive and interrelated changes in occupational status, family situation and dwelling-place. This research tests the relationships among three major processes: residential mobility, social mobility, and family formation in Montreal between 1861 and 1901. Using sample households from three cultural communities: French Canadian, Irish Catholic, and British Protestants, it was determined that the majority of households were highly mobile, yet remained within a compact geographical area. Mobility is seen as a response to a changing set of needs and opportunities, and families …  Lire la suite

Two texts by Nishitani, written ten years apart, reflect a very different position on the nietzschean question of the overcoming of nihilism. Although a student of Heidegger's at Freiburg between 1936 and 1939, Nishitani shows no evidence of a heideggerian influence in The Self-Overcoming of Nihilism. In this period (1949), he considers, contrary to Heidegger, that the affirmative aspects of nietzschean philosophy constitute a radical overcoming of nihilism. It is only in What is Religion? (1961) which appears in 1982 as Religion and Nothingness (English translation) that his view changes, reflecting more closely a heideggerian position. Nietzsche's concept of the …  Lire la suite

Potential difficulties involved in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approaches to the investigation of primary-flow domains linked by multiple orifices are identified. Practices that involve detailed simulation of the complete flow field, including flow through the orifices, are limited by the need for extensive grid refinement near each orifice, and by slow convergence rates. Other approaches, such as modeling of the flow in each domain separately, and linking these flows by one-dimensional flow networks, reduce the accuracy of the solution. In this thesis, an alternative treatment is developed in which finite-volume modeling (FVM) inside the slot is replaced by specified flow …  Lire la suite

There exists an embedded assumption that broadcasting must be employed to strengthen the Canadian national identity. Despite efforts to Canadianize our broadcasting system, however, Canadians are watching more and more American television and have more choice of American programming. This has led to a fear of American television as a threat to Canada's continuance as a separate and independent country. By studying the contemporary Canadian context with respect to Canadian drama, the following questions will be addressed: Are Canadian interests dependent on communication policy? Is Canadian dramatic programming essential to the maintenance and enhancement of national identity and cultural sovereignty? …  Lire la suite

La vision particulariste du droit international prive débouche sur la concrétisation du conflit de lois. Il faut concilier le choix de l'ordre juridique le plus spatialement approprie avec la meilleure solution matérielle. Ce but matériel se traduit parfois par !'imposition d'une délimitation spatiale impérative des compétences législatives par l'ordre public international. Les conditions, les caractères et les effets de trois notions matérialisant ce rattachement substantiel impératif (exception d'ordre public; cristallisation d’ordre public; régie d'application nécessaire) sont examinés façon générale, en droit civil, en common law, puis au Canada. La comparaison de ces trois structures du point de vue du bon …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, a unified formulation for the synthesis of cam mechanisms is presented, which allows the design of spatial, spherical and planar mechanisms within a single theoretical framework. This formulation has led to the design of novel cam mechanisms, as yet unknown. The theory is then extended to the study of four-link cam mechanisms, where an intermediate element, namely, a roller, is placed between the cam and the follower. In general, the surface of the roller is shown to be a hyperboloid, which, for the planar case, becomes a regular cylinder, and, for the spherical case, a regular cone. …  Lire la suite

Classical scholar and historian of philosophy at France's Ecole Normale Superieure, Alfred Fouillee (1838-1912) heralded the science of psychology as philosophers' sole path to social and political relevance in the modern age, and sought for French society the philosophically based morale that her polarized political tradition seemed unable to provide. His theory of idees-forces identified rationality with an irreducible yet conscious will, lent precision philosophical idealism's often vague exaltation of individual freedom, and promoted psychologically informed discussions about the proper ideals for the French Third Republic. Examined here is the evolution of Fouillee's thought from his earliest writings until his …  Lire la suite

Dillon, David (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The CUSO-WID project has been providing credit and training to rural women's groups which perform economic activities in Northern Ghana. Based on the theory of empowerment elaborated by Paulo Freire (and Henry Giroux), this research evaluates the knowledge acquired, and the behavior adopted by women participating in this project. It also identifies the possible internal and external factors which have had an impact upon knowledge acquisition. The analysis is qualitative in approach. However, we have also used a quantitative approach when answers provided by participants were compared with other women's groups. The research results demonstrate that participants of the CUSO-WID …  Lire la suite

Two approaches were taken to investigating constraints on kinship in predicting social behaviour in the vervet monkey Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus in Barbados. in Chapter 1, behavioural interactions between an adult female and an unrelated adopted infant were compared with those between mothers and their natural offspring. The adoptive mother consistently scored higher than mothers with their own offspring in pre-weaning contact-maintaining behaviours, but the difference was not statistically significant. Post-weaning aggression and support interactions between mothers and infants also suggest no difference in parental behaviour and parental costs between adoptive and natural mothers. During post-weaning, the adopted infant was more …  Lire la suite

The prominent role played by the cap structure in ribosome binding is mediated by the cap binding protein complex (eIF-4F). The importance of eIF-4F in the regulation of gene expression has been demonstrated in both mammalian and yeast cells. Nevertheless, the function of the high molecular weight subunit of eIF-4F is unknown. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of yeast eIF-4F (24- and 150-kD) as well as a novel CBP of 96-kD. The yeast gene TIF4631 encoding p150 and a closely related gene, TIF4632 were isolated. TIF4631 and TIF4632 are 53% identical, carry out an essential function, display sequences …  Lire la suite

Dietary fats and animal proteins have been shown to exert different lipidemic responses in many animals, including humans. Oxidative stress has been associated with the development of several diseases including atherosclerosis. The hypotheses of this study were that: (1) the degree and type of dietary fatty acid unsaturation will influence the type of cholesterolemic responses via the induction of differential levels of oxidative stress; and (2) hyperlipidemia induced by casein in a butterfat-based diet is related to increased tissue lipid peroxidation. Male Golden Syrian hamsters were fed diets containing butterfat/casein (BF/CAS), butterfat/egg white (BF/EGG), safflower oil/egg white (SAFF/EGG) or menhaden …  Lire la suite

The objectives were: (1) to determine the pre-ovulatory changes in plasminogen activator (PA) and (PA) inhibitor (PAI) activities in the porcine follicle, and, (2) to determine if changes in the PA/plasmin system associated with ovulation were prostaglandin (PG)-dependent. PA activity (change in absorbance/h/mg wet tissue weight, three gilts per treatment group) was elevated in both granulosa cells (GC) and theca interna cells (TIC) prior to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration (0.582 $ pm$ 0.171 and 0.718 $ pm$ 0.221, respectively) but returned to basal levels in these two compartments (0.023 $ pm$ 0.013 and 0.052 $ pm$ 0.024, respectively) at …  Lire la suite

The development of the French language in Quebec has been the subject of various articles both in the popular press and in professional journals. Our study examines the French identification process in the context of the theoretical framework of social identity. The concept of identification is defined according to the notions of attachment to French language and of open-mindedness to the English language. This study presents some of the factors which influence the linguistic identification process. It also compares this identification between 1978 and 1990 among French Quebec students in high school and college. Most precisely, we examine and compare …  Lire la suite

The captivity narratives have long been recognized as an important literary source. Most recently, scholars have viewed them in terms of their ethnographic value. Few, however, have considered them within the context of the history of New France. This study attempts to draw attention to the richness and diversity of these documents. The chapters, built upon the basis of similarities among the narratives, explore different facets of the French colony during the years 1744-1763. Specifically, they discuss techniques of military interrogation, the Quebec prison for captives (1745-1747), French-Indian relations and how the writers of these tales viewed both the war …  Lire la suite

Onions are highly responsive to endomycorrhizae and improved plant growth is among the benefits associated with this symbiosis, particularly in low phosphorus soils. Although this crop is grown extensively in organic soils, few studies have been conducted on these. Onion plants (Allium cepa L. cv. Norstar) were inoculated with Glomus aggregatum Schenck & Smith, Glomus clarum Nicolson & Schenck, Glomus fasciculatum Gerdemann & Trappe, Glomus intraradix Schenck & Smith and Glomus versiforme (Karst.) Berch and grown in the field and under controlled conditions to evaluate their efficiency in newly reclaimed organic soil of low P fertility. Three species were selected …  Lire la suite

Neural networks have recently regained significant interest in the scientific community for their ability to generalize about large samples of data. In this thesis, the feasibility of applying neural networks in the domain of telephone access network fault identification and localization is explored. Firstly, the access network and the computerized work environment of today's Repair Service Bureaus are described. A survey of past and present automated diagnosis systems used in communications follows. Neural networks are then presented and the back-propagation learning algorithm is given particular attention. Another literature review ensues where neural network based diagnosis systems from a number of …  Lire la suite

This Master's thesis is based on Nathalie Sarraute's book Enfance, published in 1983. One would be tempted to classify this work among other autobiographies ... if the author were not opposed to this idea. Nevertheless, we will attempt to discover what category this book belongs to in our study. In the introduction we give conventional and classical definitions of both the autobiography and the novel. In the first chapter we analyse Enfance as an autobiography, according to the criteria of certain theoreticians such as Jean Starobinski, Elisabeth Bruss and Philippe Lejeune. We shall also compare it with similar genres, such …  Lire la suite

Following the general view of faith provided by Paul Tillich as 'the state of being ultimately concerned,' the present work provides a topography of faith that is designed to reveal the intimate connections between faith and the development of personal identity. As the state of Being-for-one's-ultimate-concern, it is a person's faith which molds and shapes her own unique self, providing depth, direction, and unity to her life. My understanding of faith is that it must be living faith, like living tissue, and this is true in the obvious sense that it is a life lived. Starting from the view that …  Lire la suite