McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1996

Burack, Jacob A. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The Particular Baptists of England emerged in the middle of the seventeenth century around the time of the Revolution. The first half of this thesis looks at the history of the first two London Particular Baptist Confessions of Faith written in 1644 and 1689. It examines the history behind the making of both Confessions as well as the sources from which they drew their material. The second half of the thesis is a comparison study. Firstly, the two Baptist Confessions are compared with each other in the areas of the atonement, baptism, the Church, and religious liberty, to see if …  Lire la suite

James, Patrick (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Future high performance digital computing systems will demand extremely high throughput and connection-intensive backplanes. Free-space optical interconnects have the potential to meet these demands. This thesis explores the application of a two-dimensional array of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors in a free-space photonic backplane. In particular, two-dimensional smart pixels are presented as a means of achieving a large communications space-bandwidth product. It is argued that a system based on such devices can overcome several physical limitations experienced by electrical interconnects of current printed circuit board based electronic backplanes. As a means to this end, a review of MSM photodetector technology is then …  Lire la suite

The p16/MTS1 (multiple tumor suppressor 1), p15/MTS2 and H19 genes have been recently proposed as candidate tumor suppressor genes. In this study, we determined the mutation status of these three genes in 82 Wilms' tumors by the polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. The results suggested that p16/MTS1 and p15/MTS2 genes are not involved in Wilms' tumor, and that the H19 gene may be altered at a low frequency in Wilms' tumorigenesis. We also analyzed the involvement of the WT1-3$ sp prime$untranslated region (UTR) in the translational regulation of the WT1 gene expression. The data revealed that …  Lire la suite

Fibrinogen, thrombin receptor and heparin cofactor II are three major thrombin substrates recognized specifically through its exosite, a regulatory binding site. Based on the native protein sequences, four peptides were selected to study the specificity of exosite interactions on structural basis using transferred NOE methods. The binding sequences of all the peptides are identified and possible thrombin binding sites of thrombin receptor and heparin cofactor II peptides are speculated by comparing with known hirudin-thrombin complex structures. A new binding mode may exist in thrombin-fibrinogen contacts according to its exosite binding sequence and interaction patterns. In terms of the binding sequence, …  Lire la suite

Icings are common hydrological phenomena in arctic and subarctic regions. Their bodies are made up of the accumulation of ice layers formed by the freezing of overflow water during the winter season. Icing formation is a process involving a complex system of thermodynamics and hydrodynamics. In this thesis, the formation mechanics of river icings and ground icings are studied in terms of both thermal and hydrological processes. The energy exchange systems during icing layer formation involve two ice water interfaces and some intra-layer water flow. Using energy balance analysis, this research finds that the outgoing energy components can be ranked …  Lire la suite

T cells expressing CD4 recognize antigens presented by class II following the contact of CD4 with non-polymorphic regions of class II. CD4 enhances T cell activation by acting as an adhesion molecule (co-ligand function), or by bringing the CD4 associated p56$ sp{lck}$ to the vicinity of the TCR (co-receptor function). To dissect the molecular interactions which lead to CD4 function(s), wild-type (WT) and mutant CD4 molecules were expressed in the CD4-dependent 3DT52.5.8 T cell hybridomas. Results showed that multiple sites on CD4 encompassing the CDR1, the CDR3 regions of D1 and the FG loop of D2 are involved in class …  Lire la suite

Leplante, A. R. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Although walkers are commonly used by elderly individuals, little is known about their impact on gait characteristics. Effects of four walkers on posture, cadence, walking speed and lower limb weight bearing in twenty elderly subjects of 84 $ pm$ 7.5 years of age were identified using a 4 x 4 balanced cross-over design. Walkers differed in how the legs were tipped: (A) rubber tips; (B) wheels/rubber tips; (C) wheels/skis, and (D) a prototypic posterior walker with wheels/skis. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Walker D was significantly associated with a more erect posture, whereas walkers B and C were …  Lire la suite

This thesis addresses the teleological relationship between national identity and national consciousness in the specific definition of Canada as a northern nation by giving a descriptive account of representative texts in which the north figures as a central theme, including: ethnography, travel writing, autobiography, adventure stories, poetry, and novels. It argues that the collective Canadian identity idealized in the representation of the north is not organic but constructed in terms of such characteristics as self-sufficiency, independence, and endurance; that these characteristics are inflected by ideas of gender and race; and that they are evoked to give the 'deeper justification' of …  Lire la suite

Powerful forces are transforming the air transport industry's structure. Airline deregulation, privatization, competition and globalization are forcing carriers and regulatory authorities to re-examine historically accepted beliefs. These developments are occurring within the broader context of States pursuing political and economic interdependence and free trade. As such, many nations have abandoned policies that protected specific industries from competition. Instead, countries the world over seek to enhance competition and increase consumer welfare through greater reliance on the marketplace. As governments relinquish their economic control over many industries, business's seek opportunities worldwide. Civil aviation regulation is based upon the rule that each and …  Lire la suite

This dissertation responds to a recent zeitgeist and climate of controversy surrounding issues of "virtuality" and "simulation" Such terms are treated as problematic and essentially contested when framed in reference to notions of a fixed observable "reality" rather than considered in terms of socially constructed facts, relationships and identities. The concept of the "virtual stage" advanced in this thesis, refers to the current historical moment in communications technology development as well as to the dramaturgical perspective which informs the theoretical approach and argument. In this dissertation, virtual reality is treated not as a single technology or corpus of machines, but …  Lire la suite

Gyakuin, John (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

A two by six factorial design was used to investigate the effect of zinc and all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on the growth of two human breast cancer cell lines differing in their expression of metallothionein (MT) and of estrogen receptors; MCF7 cells express estrogen receptors, BT-20 cells do not. Cells were treated with zinc to induce MT then treated with six concentrations of RA. Cell proliferation, lipid peroxidation, MT protein, MT mRNA and glutathione concentrations were measured. BT-20 cells expressed higher constitutive MT concentrations than MCF7 cells. MT was significantly induced by zinc treatment in BT-20 cells but not in …  Lire la suite

Vera, J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis reports on two studies which examined possible inhibitory deficits in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the children's response to reinforcement contingencies. In the first study, a go/no-go discrimination learning task developed by Newman, Widom, and Nathan (1985) was used to investigate the effects of reward and response costs on the ability of ADHD and normal children to learn to respond to some stimuli and inhibit responding to others. Children were tested on four conditions involving different combinations of rewards and response costs. ADHD children showed poorer inhibitory control compared to control children across the four …  Lire la suite

This study developed a robust technique for the assessment of morphometric differences among overwintering northern fish populations. Arctic charr were sampled soon before the freeze-up and just after ice break-up at two subarctic Quebec lakes. A homogenous sample of 397 fish was used. Regression analyses of the length-weight relationships and their derived condition indices were insufficient, due to their inherent limitations, to recognize the differences between sampling groups. A series of multivariate analyses (canonical, stepwise and discriminant analysis), based on eleven morphometric characters of the fish, provided a better assessment. The analysis recognized the distinctions between sampling groups, correctly classified …  Lire la suite

Thymidine dimers 16 and 18, connected by amide or N-methylamide linkages, have been prepared. The dimers were incorporated into normal strands of DNA by solid phase synthesis. Thermal denaturation studies, using complementary single-stranded RNA, indicated that these modifications caused no destabilization of the DNA-RNA duplex. The block synthesis of amide-linked homotetramer 30 is described. The synthesis of the corresponding octamer could not be verified because of lack of solubility. One by one homologation was found to be a suitable method for the preparation of N-methylamide analogues. Poly(ethylene glycol), covalently attached to the 3$ sp prime$ or 5$ sp prime$ end …  Lire la suite

Two approaches for solving point-pattern matching problems are compared; namely, a graph-matching algorithm (1) and an SVD-based procedure (2). In both cases, the features that are used in the matching process are point coordinates in Euclidean n-space, ${ rm I !E} sp{n}.$ The patterns being matched are assumed to be related by a combination of two transformations: (1) a permutation of the feature points which establishes the correspondence between the feature points of the different patterns and (2) a global geometric transformation based on rigid motions which aligns the patterns once the point correspondences are known. The problem of finding …  Lire la suite

The present study examined psychosocial variables as predictors of psychological distress and well-being in gay men with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The psychosocial variables investigated included communal and agentic personality variables, social support, as well as social hindrance, and self-determination variables. The total sample comprised 126 gay men. Forty-eight were seropositive for the HIV infection, 40 received a diagnosis of AIDS, and 38 were seronegative for the HIV infection. The participants with HIV and AIDS were recruited from Immunodeficiency clinics and the HIV$-$ participants were friends and acquaintances of the HIV+ and AIDS participants. …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pancreatic ductal epithelium has trophic effects on the islets of Langerhans, and how this intercellular communication might be mediated. Islets and ducts were isolated from hamster pancreata. Islets were purified on a bovine serum albumin gradient. Primary duct cultures were passaged twice for cell purification. Duct-conditioned medium (DCM) was collected from duct cultures passaged twice. The islets were allocated to three experimental groups: (1) 100 islets alone; (2) 100 islets + 80 tertiary ducts and (3) 100 islets in 25% DCM. All tissues were embedded in rat tail collagen for the …  Lire la suite

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to assess the extent to which household characteristics and behaviours exert their effects both directly and indirectly on childhood mortality through the more proximate factors that can be measured within the context of society. A child mortality model, primarily based on Mosley and Chen's framework, is developed by linking individual and societal factors. Then the model is tested with empirical data from the Fars Province of Iran. The survey data were collected in 1991--92 in five counties of Fars. It consisted of 10665 interviews and covered 67 villages 14 towns and one city. …  Lire la suite

The regio- and diastereoselectivity in the coupling of $ gamma$-substituted allylic bromides with aldehydes mediated by indium in water were examined and found to be dependent on the steric effect of the substituents on both the allylic bromides and the aldehydes. Despite the efficiency with which indium mediates carbon-carbon bond formation between allyl halides and aldehydes in an aqueous environment, it is not without short-comings. Nitro-functionalised aldehydes were found to be susceptible to the reductive conditions of this aqueous indium Barbier-Type reaction. In this connection, bismuth was found to chemoselectively mediate the coupling of allyl halides with aldehydes in water …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the social reforms ushered in by the prewar Asquith cabinet. It deals with the progressive intellectual environment and how it related to the budget of 1909 and the National Insurance Act of 1911. The following demonstrates how ideologies contribute to a public policy process riven by political, personal and administrative forces.  Lire la suite

Intercellular junctions within the mammalian testes play an important role during spermatogenesis. The cadherins are a superfamily of integral membrane proteins that mediate calcium-dependent cell adhesion and are involved in the formation of intercellular junctions. The cadherin subtype, known as N-cadherin, mediates the interaction between the germ cells and Sertoli cells of the testis. Previous studies have shown that estrogens are able to modulate N-cadherin mRNA levels in the 7-day-old mouse testis. I have examined the estrogen effects on N-cadherin protein levels in the testes of 21-day-old rats. The rats were injected with either 17$ beta$-estradiol, the anti-estrogens Tamoxifen and …  Lire la suite

International air travel is the chosen means of transportation for hundreds of millions of people around the globe. At the same time, international civil aviation has witnessed a systemic threat from terrorists, who consider aircraft and other aeronautical facilities as surrogate targets. Among others, innocent travellers and passengers dissociated entirely from terrorists' personal or political ambitions are the victims. The Warsaw Convention, and subsequent modifications thereto, devised to regulate the civil liability of the air carrier vis a vis its passengers, falls short of recognizing this particular class of victims and may not be seen as an efficient legal instrument …  Lire la suite

Glucoamylase, a saccharifying enzyme, is applied in the brewing industry to hydrolyse the dextrins of malted barley into simple sugars which can then be fermented by brewer's yeast. In order to establish the potential of glucoamylase from Lactobacillus amylovorus for application in the brewing industry, the main objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the cultural conditions for growth and glucoamylase production, (2) to purify the enzyme to homogeneity using chromatography and electrophoretic techniques, (3) to study biochemical properties of the purified enzyme, and (4) to clone the gene coding for glucoamylase, and characterize the recombinant glucoamylase. The actively …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines public opinion towards the participation opinion of the British Auxiliary Legion in the Spanish Civil War. It is based on an analysis of British newspapers, periodicals and political discussion between 1835 and 1838. It suggests that, although there was some degree of support for the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston in sending the legion to aid liberalism in the Peninsula, yet that support declined rapidly. In spite of Palmerston's eventual claim that intervention in Spain had been worthwhile, public opinion was not to reflect the view that his policy had been a right one, or that the …  Lire la suite

Postwar North America saw a fundamental change in the function, layout, and location of the parents' bedroom and bathroom in the typical middle-class home. This thesis argues that the representations of bedrooms and bathrooms in house plans published by the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in bathroom advertisements which appeared in women's magazines, trade periodicals, and architectural journals, and, in the 1959 film Pillow Talk, point to women's increased power in the immediate postwar years and constitute a foreshadowing of the Women's Liberation Movement of the 1960s. By revisiting the domestic landscape of postwar North America, this thesis provides …  Lire la suite

Climate modelling and high-latitude marine navigation require improved information on sea-ice floe extents and dynamics. New satellite sensors provide raw data of this nature but the volume of information makes human analysis impractical. To address this problem, a software system for automatic tracking of sea-ice floes in satellite imagery has been designed and evaluated. Using a recurrent neural network model, experiments were conducted to discover suitable design parameters. Simulated imagery time-sequences of increasing complexity were produced to train successive models. The networks produced were evaluated based on performance and reliability. A small-scale working system, able to map multiple input features …  Lire la suite

Field experiments were undertaken to predict the yield of 'Earligold' muskmelon grown with plastic mulches, rowcovers and thermal water tubes. Mulches were either black, photoselective or clear. Rowcover systems included a clear perforated polyethylene, a polypropylene agrotextile, or unperforated polyethylenes (standard or infra-red treated) with a water-filled tube. In all tunnel types, the photoselective mulch had an intermediate effect between clear and black mulch on air and soil temperatures, chilling injury and days to flowering. Plants with a clear mulch and an infrared or standard unperforated tunnel with a thermal tube survived chilling temperatures between 1.6-5.8C for seven days, flowered …  Lire la suite

The aviation industry, by its very existence, has a tremendous impact on the global economy. As an integration of economic interests and international prestige, aviation triggers a large number of disputes and disagreements. This dissertation examines the regulatory aspects of international air transport disputes. Chapter one acknowledges the existence and nature of international aviation disputes in its scope and, more importantly, recognizes some of the many causes of conflicts arising from such disputes. The second chapter reviews chronologically dispute resolution attempts and analyses their effectiveness. Further, it examines the international bodies, governing treaties, and the available machinery for the resolution …  Lire la suite

This thesis contains four manuscripts examining the respiratory mechanics of normal and stuttering speech. The first study (J.Appl.Physiol. 75 (2):696-703, 1993) examined lung volume (V scL) during stutterers' relatively fluent speech. We showed that stutterers used the V scL extremes. This suggested that stutterers recruited their respiratory muscles in a different manner than normals to maintain subglottic pressure (Psg). We therefore investigated respiratory muscle recruitment patterns in normals and stutterers. In the second study, (submitted to J.A.P.), we modified the Campbell pressure volume diagram by the addition of abdominal pressure (Pab) and by the use of a surrogate relaxation curve. …  Lire la suite

This thesis investigates Habermas's attempt to establish a credible form of universalism in moral and political philosophy by means of the theoretical approach which he terms "discourse ethics." The central question motivating this study is whether Habermas succeeds in this ambition. Discourse ethics specifies a procedure which purports to enable all agents involved in a conflict of interest in which issues of justice are at stake to come to a rational and cooperative resolution. It proposes a position unique among contemporary approaches to justice in the strength and character of its anti-relativist stance: the plurality of human cultures and the …  Lire la suite

This thesis is situated in the history of British debates over the relationship of technical and vocational schooling to capitalism. It analyses the impact of 'new vocational' policy initiatives on English education from the 1970s, using an approach termed 'historical ethnography.' Using this methodology, it draws on ethnographic studies of the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) between 1985 and 1992. My argument is that TVEI represents the most recent manifestation of a long history of educational policies that have systematically produced and ordered the social relations of class in an educational form. In this vein, I argue that the …  Lire la suite

Due to the importance of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in regulating many physiological and metabolic processes, the IGF-I gene was chosen as a candidate gene to study trait associated polymorphisms in chickens. A PstI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was detected at the 5' region of the gene and mapped to about 7 Kb upstream of the published promoter sequence. Analysis for association of the marker with traits of economic importance in an unselected, random-bred population of 359 White Leghorns revealed a significant association with egg weight (P ≤ 0.05) and specific gravity (P ≤ 0.05). There was also a …  Lire la suite

This study explores selected issues in the legal environment created by domestic and international electronic contracting practices on the Internet within the United States and international jurisdictions: questions regarding the formation of the contract through the Internet, the enforceability of such a contract (contractual writing requirements, legally binding signatures), the contents of the contract, the ways to prove the electronic contract, the applicable law and the competent court, and finally, the best ways to settle disputes arising from electronic contracts are considered. We examine to what extent contract law, and in particular article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), …  Lire la suite

Rhizoctonia solani (AG-3), the causal agent of Rhizoctonia disease of potato, overwinters as sclerotia on potato tubers. To develop a biocontrol strategy based on the prevention of the sclerotial germination, an isolation of microorganisms colonizing sclerotia of infected potato tubers (cultivars Norland, Atlantic and Souris), was conducted. In vitro screening was used to select effective antagonistic fungi against Rhizoctonia solani. Fifty fungal isolates were selected in order to cover all identified genera and potato variety and examined for their ability to inhibit germination of sclerotia which were incubated with the test fungus for 14 days. Twenty-four (24) fungal isolates were …  Lire la suite

This thesis deals with the problems of conflicts of laws with respect to contractual private air law, focusing on those contracts which are of a practical importance. As compared to traditional studies of this legal area, this study applies a very innovative approach to the topic. Due to the vast amount of legal instruments, jurisprudence and legal writings to be handled, it does not appear appropriate to deal with the problems without pointing out common approaches, methods and solutions. In accordance with the economic legal working methods which have been developed by Middle European legal systems, and increasingly can also …  Lire la suite

Haji Agus Salim (1884--1954) was an Indonesian Muslim political figure of the Nationalist Era (1908--1945). He was influential in two important associations; Sarekat Islam (SI-Islamic Union) and the Jong Islamieten Bond (JIB-Young Muslim Union). Salim was born into religious family and had a Western education. In 1915 when he joined the Sarekat Islam it was at the height of its popularity. Salim became so engrossed with its goals, that he devoted most of his life to it. As such, he was soon able to obtain a high-ranking position in it, and to help formulate the movement's strategies. This thesis presents …  Lire la suite

Abenhaim, L. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the medical data management expert system at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Montreal Children's Hospital. The objective of this study is to provide a systematic method to evaluate and, progressively improve the knowledge embedded in the medical expert system. Following a literature survey on evaluation techniques and architecture of existing expert systems, an overview of the Patient Data Management System hardware and software components is presented. The design of the Expert Monitoring System is elaborated. Following its installation in the intensive Care Unit, the performance of the Expert Monitoring System …  Lire la suite

Three approaches, differing in flexibility of self-adjustments of insulin to food intake & exercise, have been identified in intensive management of Type I diabetes mellitus. They involve the exchange system (Protocols A/B) & carbohydrate counting (Protocol C) dietary strategies. The goal of this cross-over study was to determine differences among the approaches in terms of metabolic control (primarily glycated hemoglobin-GHb) and psycho-social adaptation (quality of life (QofL), self-efficacy (SE), stress & perceived complexity) in 15 adults with insulin-dependent diabetes. There were no significant differences in terms of metabolic control, self-efficacy and quality of life. Perceived complexity increased (p $<$ 0.0001) …  Lire la suite

The use of agricultural chemicals, such as nitrogen fertilizers in corn production, often results in water pollution. This research, comprising three parts, was designed to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer application rates, water table management, and corn cropping systems on drainage water quality. The first part was a field study, to investigate the impact of two cropping systems and water table management on nitrate loss through tile drainage. The considered water table treatments were free drainage, and subirrigation with target water table depths at 0.5 m or 0.75 M below the soil surface. Corn (Zea mays L.) monoculture and …  Lire la suite

This is an inquiry into cultural constructions of "Islamic violence" in dominant Northern discourses. Mainstream Canadian journalism's participation in these discourses is analyzed within the context of its cultural and structural integration into global media networks. Media materials are scrutinized using critical discourse, dramatistic, and ritual analysis methodologies. The thesis follows Hamid Mowlana's suggestion that inquiries into international communication flows should move beyond traditional paradigms of inter-national relations (in which nation-states are the primary objects of study) to consider intra- and transnational participants as well. Borrowing from Jacques Ellul, this study examines the importance of myth as a fundamental basis …  Lire la suite

The growing size and complexity of VLSI circuits is creating a need for more efficient design automation tools. As the performance of general-purpose tools reaches practical limitations, specialized solutions are sought to achieve higher performance by targeting classes of circuits and exploring features particular to them. Circuits based on data-path architectures have proliferated due to the widespread use of embedded cores and high-performance computing systems, such as those used for digital signal processing (DSP). Furthermore, the growing acceptance of architectural-level synthesis as an effective design methodology is expected to significantly change the design paradigm for computing circuits. Consequently, an increasing …  Lire la suite

The human androgen receptor (hAR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor, and like other nuclear receptors, consists of a N-terminal modulatory domain, a central DNA-binding domain, and a C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD). Several missense mutations in the LBD cause androgen insensitivity syndrome (AI), a condition in XY individuals with absent or subnormal male primary and secondary sexual characteristics. On the other hand, abnormal expansion of a polyglutamine tract in the N-terminal domain of the hAR causes spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) which also affects males and causes milder forms of AI, in addition to adult-onset motor neuron degeneration and gradual …  Lire la suite

We have identified receptor protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) that are expressed and/or activated during kidney development. mRNA from fetal rat kidneys in late gestation (embryonic day 21), was used to prepare cDNA template for polymerase chain reaction amplification with primers based on conserved regions of PTKs, and products were subcloned and sequenced. Among 346 clones, we identified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr), Tie 2, platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFr)-alpha, PDGFr-beta, Flk-1, Flt-4, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFr)-1, FGFr-3, FGFr-4, Met, and RYK//Nbtk-1. PTK expression was studied by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of kidney membrane proteins with specific antibodies. EGFr, PDGFr-alpha, …  Lire la suite

The interrelationship between trade objectives and environmental concerns lies at the heart of this research. After describing different trade regimes and environmental protection agreements, and offering the general framework of international law in which the trade-environment-development debate takes place, this thesis elaborates on the structures of international institutional authority that have been created through these trade regimes, environmental protection agreements and development organizations. A review of the existing international organizations will show us their strong points, usefulness and weaknesses, and will bring us to the statement of the necessity of new institutional authority in order to more effectively address the …  Lire la suite