McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1995

We extended Intensity Fluctuation Spectroscopy (IFS) to atomic scale fluctuations using coherent X-rays. Intense beams of coherent X-rays, with diameters of a few J-Lm, are now easily produced by spatial filtering of monochromatic X-rays generated from synchrotron radiation insertion devices. This thesis is the first X-ray IFS measurement on the non-equilibrium dynamics of an order-disorder phase transition in a binary alloy. Speckle patterns of Cu3Au (100) were measured with a two-dimensional Charge-Coupled Device detector. To quantify the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the speckle pattern, the spatial resolution and the noise of this detector were carefully characterized. […]  Lire la suite

Haskel, Barbara (Advisor)  Lire la suite

Transforming growth factor-$ beta$ (TGF-$ beta$) is a multifunctional polypeptide growth factor which is believed to play an important role in the growth and differentiation of uterine cells. Although the expression of TGF-$ beta$ in the uterus has been previously described, the receptors for TGF-$ beta$ in this tissue have not been characterized. In the present study, the cell surface receptors for TGF-$ beta$ were characterized on cultures of stromal cells prepared from human endometrial biopsies, and on a human endometrial epithelial cell line (RL95-2) using affinity labeling techniques. On stromal cells, five TGF-$ beta$ binding proteins were identified. Analysis …  Lire la suite

Three cultivators, Rabewerk, Kongskilde and Hiniker, and three intercrops, soybean, lupin and red clover + rye grass were investigated for their impact on the incidence of ear rot of corn, a common disease of maize in eastern Canada. Wheat was seeded in the corn rows to serve as an additional indicator of cultivation and intercropping effects on the pathogen. An artificial inoculum of F. graminearum that produced perithecia and ascospores was used to mimic natural inoculum. In 1993 and 1994, the infection in the corn was not very severe and there were no differences between the treatments and the controls. …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender associations of musical instruments, conductors, composers and to evaluate possible changes in gender associations of musical instruments from earlier research. My monograph is divided into four main sections luhich are: (a) women composers, vocalists, musicians, music educators, and conductors, (b) a review of previous research on gender associations of musical instruments and conductors, (c) my own research on gender associations of musical instruments and conductors, and (d) compared changes of gender/instrument perceptions between previous research and my own. The results compiled from my survey given to 81students at a junior high …  Lire la suite

Neutrophil potential phagocytic capacity (NPPC), measured on 25 AI Canadian Holstein bulls, was investigated for evidence of association with production and type traits, SCC, and survival in dairy cows. Bulls were ranked based on different degrees of NPPC (Uptakes of 0, 1, 2, and 3 or more latex beads), using the solutions coming from an animal model. A total of 42,103 first lactation records, collected from 1985 through 1993 in 2,919 Quebec dairy herds, were used to obtain EBV's for SCC and for log SCC (LogSCC) for 697 sires. Correlations between NPPC measurements and somatic cell EBV's were null. Canadian …  Lire la suite

The present thesis is a study of one of Motinggo Busye's numerous popular novels, Anna Soen Nio (1984). The key analytical concepts selected here are social discourse, interdiscursivity, and intertextuality. The main argument running throughout the thesis is that Anna Soen Nio is a narrative reworking of contemporaneous debates, pervasive in Indonesian society, on Indonesian identities: Muslimhood, Indonesian-ness (especially Minangkabau-ness), and Chineseness. The introduction contains an overview of the sociocritical approach as well as a preliminary discussion on Indonesian social discourse. Chapter 1 discusses the contemporary position of the Sino-Indonesians as a minority group with a complex status. Chapter 2 …  Lire la suite

This thesis presents a system for automating the design of magnetic devices such as induction motors, transformers, and alternators. The search space of possible designs is parameterized using a universal representation of devices which basically specifies the distribution of material at every point in space. The design specifications are input in the form of a mathematical function, design is performed by optimizing this objective function. Output consists of a set of grey-scale pixel-like images of the distribution of the different materials in the device. From the perspective of artificial intelligence, the system is based on the first principles of magnetic …  Lire la suite

If the insulating layer in a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) device is thin ($<$50A for Al-SiO$ sb2$-Si devices), measurable current will flow. For thinner insulators ($<$30A), currents become large enough to disturb the device from equilibrium conditions. Such devices are dominated by minority carrier flow between the metal and the semiconductor and exhibit properties very similar to p-n junctions, including exponential current-voltage characteristics approaching the ideal diode law of the p-n junction. Owing to simplicity of fabrication and consequent minimization of degradation of bulk semiconductor properties during processing, these devices are particularly suited to applications as direct energy conversion units. This paper …  Lire la suite

This study explores how successful Alvin Plantinga is in his contention that belief in God can be obtained and maintained in a basic way that attains and retains rationality for reflective persons. Plantinga indeed calls into question any confident presumption that theistic belief is epistemically irresponsible. He not only seriously challenges the necessity for propositional evidence to be available for such belief to be justified, he also supplies significant support for the conclusion that it remains legitimate even if it faces a preponderance of contrary considerations. However, Plantinga does not convincingly demonstrate that basic theistic belief merits privileged status by …  Lire la suite

"En 1986, l'inclusion du commerce des services, y compris des senices financiers, dans les negotiations commerciales multilatérales, l' "Uruguay Round", du GATT sur la libéralisation du commerce a représenté la reconnaissance officielle mondiale des services en tant qu'objet du commerce international et de leur importance ::our les économies nationales. Par ailleurs, la mise en place de l'Accorrl Clénéral sur le Commerce des Services (GATS) comme partie intégrante de la nouvelle Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (OMC) est la manifestation au niveau des institutions de l'importance croissante des services industriels dans le commerce international. Parmi la variété des services, les services financiers, …  Lire la suite

To identify predictors of infant-care behaviours among immigrants, women were recruited on hospital postpartum units. Among the 3,484 women screened, 11.8 percent were eligible for enrollment and 77.3 percent agreed to participate. The follow-up rate was 94 per cent. Data on predictor variables were collected during face-to-face interviews in the early postpartum period. Follow-up telephone interviews occurred at three months postpartum to assess infant-care behaviours. Using a chunkwise, hierarchial approach to multiple linear regression modelling, maternal and infant predictors accounted for 24.2 percent of the variance in the 'Infant-care Behaviours' Score. In the second stage of model building, ethnocultural variables …  Lire la suite

In (2), Brian Davey poses the question: "Which finite algebras admit a duality?" The answer to this question has eluded mathematicians for many years and a simple characterization of those algebras which are dualizable (in a reasonable way) seems an unlikely feat. I will consider the question "Which finite (operational) algebras admit a duality which may be expressed in a purely operational form?". This is a substantially less ambitious question, for there are many algebras which are dualizable but not operationally so. However, it does have a clear answer.  Lire la suite

The shear behaviour of unidirectional AS4/3501-6 graphite/epoxy material is fully characterized for both the in-plane and the out-of-plane shear. A comprehensive study of testing methods for in-plane shear is performed and the three-rail shear test is chosen. A two-dimensional finite element analysis is performed in order to analyze and improve the performance of the three-rail shear test specimen. Through finite element analysis, the optimal specimen configuration is determined by inserting slots at the positions where there are stress concentrations. The results are verified by three-rail shear tests performed for both the standard un-notched and the new notched specimens. The notched …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to apply the Post-Modern aesthetic model proposed by Wetzl-Fairchild (1990) and a data collection method (verbal protocol) in order to establish a useful methodology for studying the aesthetic experience of a viewer in an art exhibition. I studied the interaction between a contemporary exhibition and professionals variously familiar with the artworld. I find that Fairchild's model is useful as a theoretical framework in coding the protocols and confirm that the think-aloud protocol can provide accurate data with respect to the cognitive activity of an art viewer. I suggest that the viewers' context became the …  Lire la suite

Clarke, P.B.S. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

In order to reduce the test development cost and guarantee testable designs, it is essential to have synthesis transformations that are testability and test-set preserving. In this thesis, we study testability preservation of transformations that form the basis of existing state-of-the-art logic synthesis and optimization techniques. We show that the concurrent decomposition and factorization transformations, except dual-extraction of multiplexor structures, preserve testablility and test-set under several testing constraints. Furthermore, we provide sufficient conditions for test-set preservation under the algebraic resubstitution with complement transformation that cover a larger class of complementary expressions than was known previously. Experimental results show that dual-extraction …  Lire la suite

Novel amorphous thermoplastic poly(phenylquinoxaline)s (PPQ), poly(aryl ether ketone)s (PAEKs) and poly(aryl ether phthalazine)s have been synthesized. The reaction of an aromatic Schiff's base and a tertiary amine incorporating an activated methylene moiety in the presence of strong base to produce an enamine has been investigated. Hydrolysis of the resulting enamines resulted in deoxybenzoins which were converted to benzils by a mild oxidation reaction. This chemistry was investigated as a possible method for the synthesis of the tetraketone compounds (sometimes called bisbenzils) which serve as monomers for poly(phenylquinoxaline) polymers. Two novel monomers have been prepared, the corresponding polymers with 1,1$ sp …  Lire la suite

The problem of computing closed bounding contours from a visual image is addressed. The approach is motivated by the fact that many important image structures are heterogeneous and therefore cannot be segmented by traditional region-based methods based on homogeneity or smoothness constraints. Both psychophysical and computational aspects of the problem are studied. Psychophysical evidence is presented which shows that properties of bounding contour such as closure act as binding features for the segmentation of 2-D shapes, whereas texture (a region property) does not. These psychological results motivate an investigation of local and global issues in the computation of bounding contours …  Lire la suite

The reliability analysis of telecommunication networks requires an estimate of the probability of failure of antenna-supporting structures. Lacking such estimates, the network planners tend to assume that the probability of failure of towers is negligible. On the other hand, reliability concepts implicit in the codes are not always compatible with those used in reliability analysis of the network, in particular, the implicit probabilities associated with partial load and resistance factors are obtained for idealized structural members and do not address the reliability of the structure as a system. Advances in structural reliability, combined with more extensive climatologic data, can be …  Lire la suite

Acute tryptophan (trp) depletion, which purportedly decreases brain serotonin, lowers mood in normal males with a multigenerational family history of major affective disorder (FH+), but not in male controls. In the present study, the hypothesis that a mood lowering response to acute trp depletion may reflect a susceptibility to depression was investigated further. As both a family history of major affective disorder (MAD) and female sex are considered to be risk factors for depression, the effects of trp depletion on mood were investigated in control and FH+ women. The temporal stability of mood change to trp depletion, when rechallenged at …  Lire la suite

Tolerating and minimizing the overhead of communication/synchronization are crucial for getting good performance on parallel machines. In this thesis we evaluate one of the approaches proposed to achieve this goal. This approach is to provide architectural support, consisting of an extra processor, on every node of a parallel machine. This processor is responsible for communication/synchronization and scheduling threads of computation. As a mean to achieve this, we built a user-level communication/multi-threading package called the Threaded Communication Library (TCL) which provides communication/synchronization primitives for programs running under a multi-threaded program execution model. This library was implemented on the GMD MANNA parallel …  Lire la suite

Modification of the eutectic silicon in Al-Si foundry alloys by adding strontium is accompanied by an increase of porosity in the casting. This effect on porosity is due to an increase in both the pore size and the pore number density. In an attempt to understand the nature of this problem, the effect of strontium on the probable causes for porosity occurrence due to modification has been investigated. Experimental findings indicate that the addition of strontium to Al-Si alloys increases the volumetric shrinkage due to an increase in solid density, and at the same time reduces the surface tension and …  Lire la suite

Davies, David (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

In designing optimizing and parallelizing compilers, it is often simpler and more efficient to deal with programs that have structured control flow. Although most programmers naturally program in a structured fashion, there remain many important programs and benchmarks that include some number of goto statements, thus rendering the entire program unstructured. Such unstructured programs cannot be handled with compilers built with analyses and transformations for structured programs. In this thesis we present a straight-forward algorithm to structure C programs by eliminating all goto statements. The method works directly on a high-level abstract syntax tree (AST) representation of the program and …  Lire la suite

A computational and experimental study was made of the steady developing laminar convective heat transfer to viscous non-Newtonian fluids described by the power law model flowing in straight channels of circular and several non-circular cross-sections. In the numerical study the governing conservation equations in three dimensions subject to suitable boundary conditions were solved after appropriate discretization, using the Galerkin finite element method. Fourteen different cross-sectional geometries were studied numerically. Effects of temperature-dependent apparent viscosity, viscous dissipation as well as Prandtl number were included in the model. The thermal boundary conditions tested were: uniform wall temperature and uniform wall heat flux …  Lire la suite

A general class of manipulators with hybrid kinematic chains is introduced. These manipulators are modular and can readily lead to kinematically redundant structures. Moreover, they may contain serial subchains as well as subchains of parallel modules, acting in parallel and connecting a base to a common end-effector. At the onset, a novel formalism is introduced to study modular kinematic structures. This includes some new concepts and definitions. The proposed formalism provides a systematic way to represent a complex hybrid manipulator through a hierarchy of its constituting modules. Next, a formulation is devised to study the instantaneous kinematics of these manipulators. …  Lire la suite

The net result of the Escherichia coli signal transduction pathway is the modulation of the direction of flagellar rotation, which in turn controls the swimming behaviour of the cell. We investigated the effect of different factors on the rates of CheY phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, utilizing purified proteins and working at appropriate time scales. Furthermore, we defined the kinetics for phospho-transfer from CheA to CheY and for CheY dephosphorylation under a standard set of conditions. Having established these assays we were now in a position to determine how other components of the chemotaxis system, such as receptors, CheW, and CheZ influence …  Lire la suite

While most people would agree that economic development is an important goal, and understanding of exactly what "economic development" implies, and how to achieve it, are considerably more elusive. Specifically, this paper addresses the concern about whether very small-scale "grassroots-style" development projects for producers--especially petty artisans--really have the potential to make a positive impact on an ailing economy. A case study of a textile weavers' project in rural northern Chuquisaca, Bolivia, among the Jalq's (Quechua-speaking) ethnic group, is presented in detail. The local-level organizations, known as "workshops", which administer this project are analysed along with economic data from households, in …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes the development of an automatic generator of backtracking protocol trace analysis tools for single-module specifications written in the formal description language, Estelle. The generated tool automatically checks the validity of any execution trace against the given specification. The approach taken was to modify an Estelle-to-C++ compiler. Discussion about nondeterministic specifications, multiple observation points, and on-line trace analysis follow. Trace analyzers for the protocols LAPD and TP0 have been tested and performance results are evaluated. Issues in the analysis of partial traces are discussed.  Lire la suite

Binocular stereopsis is a biologically motivated approach that uses two slightly different views of a scene to extract information about its three-dimensional properties. The two underlying principles of our approach to stereo vision are local computation of binocular disparities and the use of the resulting disparity map for image segmentation. The cepstrum is used to provide an estimation of binocular disparity between corresponding regions of the stereo image pair. We study the cepstrum and its properties, and suggest improvements to the initial disparity estimation stage. Next a modified median filtering scheme is employed for the refinement of the initial disparities …  Lire la suite

The object of this study was to investigate the scope of cognitive control over vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) performance during rotational vestibular stimulation. Human subjects, with head fixed to the body, were rotated in the dark through 20$ sp circ$ at 40$ sp circ$/s while trying to "look" at an earth-fixed target which was viewed straight ahead just before extinguishing the lights. During this rotation an apparent error of performance was systematically introduced by displacing this target at constant velocity through 12$ sp circ$, either in the same direction as the subject (Diminishing paradigm), or in the opposite direction (Augmenting paradigm). …  Lire la suite

Our laboratory has produced six lines of mice harbouring the polyomavirus Large T-antigen (PVLT) transgene. Mice of all lines express PVLT in testis and three lines develop testicular adenomas. However, mice of a single line, designated MTPVLT-8, express PVLT exclusively in testis and cardiac tissue. These mice develop cardiac hypertrophy and die prematurely. We hypothesize that expression of PVLT in cardiac cells is a consequence of transgene integration near a cardiac specific enhancer element. To support this hypothesis, DNA flanking the transgene was isolated and tested for inclusion or any possible regulatory elements. A restriction map of genomic DNA surrounding …  Lire la suite

Si ra-maghazi, which tells of the life of the Prophet and the early Islamic community, is not a historical genre. A literary mode which has its origins in an oral transmission, it is essentially hagiographic in spirit. The literature carries some unique characteristics. Constituted of numerous individual traditions juxtaposed one next to the other, it is--other than for those key events that have become mythologized--essentially dependent on the compiler and his purpose for its layout. This dissertation explores the genre through a comparative case study of Muhammad and the Jews as narrated in the Kitab si rat rasul Allah of …  Lire la suite

This thesis focuses on the renin-angiotensin system and atrial natriuretic factors (ANF) two hormonal systems which are stimulated and which may exert important antagonizing actions on the regulation of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and body fluid homeostasis during pregnancy. All experiments were conducted in healthy nonpregnant and/or pregnant (gestational age of 105 to 140 days, term = 145 days) mixed breed ewes, using a facility designed for studies of large animals. Findings from the first study with unilateral denervated kidneys provide evidence that renal nerves are a necessary component in the control of renin secretion in both nonpregnant and pregnant …  Lire la suite

Dark House is a creative writing thesis. In the story, Ben Sandler, a twenty-five year old graduate student in English, retreats to his great uncle's home in rural Ontario to write his Master's thesis. The text is presented in alternating chapters. Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 are first person accounts of Ben's experiences. Chapters 2, 4, 6 and 8 are annotated selections from his writings. The required critical afterword is in two parts. The first section deals with innovative and experimental approaches to literary criticism. In the second section, I consider some issues of epistemology, orienting my discussion …  Lire la suite

The necessity of modelling multibody systems with flexible links in high-speed operations and space structures has become apparent. In this thesis, a general formulation for the simulation of multibody systems with multiple kinematic loops and flexible links of arbitrary shapes is developed. Parallel manipulators, space structures, multi-armed manipulators, and cooperating serial manipulators are examples of these systems. Finite element method is used for discretization of the flexible links, while the Lagrange formulation is used to derive the equations of motion of the uncoupled links. The kinematic constraints equations are generated next by using the natural orthogonal complement (NOC) of the …  Lire la suite

Whoriskey, Fred (Advisor)  Lire la suite

Schoenberg's monodrama Erwartung, op.17 (1909), appeared at the dawn of early Expressionism, a movement which profoundly affected the composer's early works. This movement dealt in part with the alienation and isolation of the self in what many artists considered a corrupt and degenerate society. The first part of this thesis examines the possible influences of the Expressionist and Symbolist traditions on Erwartung's text and, to a lesser extent, the early history of psychoanalysis, of which librettist Marie Pappenheim was certainly aware. The impact of the changes made by Schoenberg to Pappenheim's original text, as well as some of his elusive …  Lire la suite

Gap junctions are membrane channels between closely apposed cells that allow for intercellular exchange of small molecules. These channels are formed from a family homologous proteins known as connexins (Cx). In the present study we studied connexin trafficking within the cell with particular emphasis on 1/ the mechanisms of gap junction formation and removal and on 2/ the early events associated with connexin biosynthesis. The mechanisms of gap junction formation and removal were studied by treating Normal Rat Kidney and BICR-MlR$ sb{ rm k}$ rat mammary tumour cells with ilimaquinone (IQ), a novel and reversible inhibitor of protein secretion. The …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in mortality, dialysis method survival, hospital admissions and days of hospitalization, between diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated by continuous ambulatory dialysis (CAPD) and those treated by haemodialysis (HD). All diabetic patients (n = 241) treated for newly diagnosed ESRD in four university teaching hospitals, in Montreal, between 1980 and 1993, were studied (n = 112 began with CAPD, n = 129 with HD). The data regarding these patients were analyzed using actuarial methods and Cox's proportional hazards model, controlling for severity of pre-treatment co-morbid conditions. …  Lire la suite

Scriver, Charles R. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Finch, James A. (Advisor)  Lire la suite

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

This study investigated the relationship between perspective taking and self-esteem in two groups of children between 7 and 12 years of age. Forty-six third graders (mean age = 8.3 years) and 25 sixth graders (means age = 11.4 years) completed a perspective-taking task, a locus of control scale, and a self-perception measure assessing global self-esteem and specific areas of competence. There was little empirical support for the hypotheses associating perspective taking with global self-esteem, locus of control, or competence. Competence domains were intercorrelated and associated with global self-esteem. Locus of control was significantly related to social acceptance and athletic competence. …  Lire la suite

The Federal Government, in the exercise of its exclusive constitutional jurisdiction over aeronautics, has adopted laws and regulations that address the various aspects of the aviation system. These laws and regulations have evolved significantly from the first piece of Federal legislation passed in 1919. Some of those laws and regulations have as their objective achieving and maintaining an adequate level of aviation safety, while others are intended to ensure that Canadians have access to an efficient and reliable national air transportation system. On the safety side, there are laws and regulations that establish standards of quality for the aircraft, standards …  Lire la suite

In this dissertation, we consider some classical problems in source coding theory in general and image sequence coding in particular. Shannon rate-distortion-function (RDF) provides the unbeatable lower bound for a source coder's performance with an arbitrary complexity. In theory, for most cases of interest, the RDF is only achievable in the limit of infinite delay. Practical communication systems impose constraints on the maximum coding delay and complexity. Hence the objective of source coding is to achieve performance closest to the RDF bound for a given delay and complexity. The fact that real-world input sources are usually nonstationary and have memory …  Lire la suite

Kubow, Stan (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The neuregulins (GGF/ARIA/NDF/Heregulin) are pleiotrophic growth factors that are involved in the development of the nervous system. The neuregulin receptors, erbB2, erbB3, erbB4, are members of the erbB/epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Immunoblot analysis with antisera to peptides derived from the carboxy terminus of erbB2, erbB3, erbB4 demonstrate that the three receptors have unique spatial distribution in the brain and have expression patterns which are differentially regulated during development. At a cellular level, erbB2 and erbB4 are expressed by glia and neurons while expression of erbB3 is restricted to glia. We have also found that the …  Lire la suite