McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2002

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and needs of families during the admission of a child to a paediatric ward in an acute care hospital. Qualitative research methods were used to access the caregivers' and professionals' perceptions of the culture that families experience in a paediatric in-patient setting. For this project, data collection methods included a review of the literature in the area, individual interviews with caregivers, and focus groups with paediatric health care professionals. In the study, both parents and paediatric professionals described a multitude of experiences and needs of families during a child's admission …  Lire la suite

Young, Katherine K. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Photoproduction events in ep collisions with photon virtuality Q2, the negative squared four-momentum of the exchanged photon, less than 1 GeV2, and at least two jets of high transverse energy have been studied in the photon and proton center-of-mass range Wgp of 134 < Wgp < 277 GeV with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The data sample was collected during the 1996 and 1997 running periods with an integrated luminosity of 38.7 pb-1 allowing for a precise measurement of differential cross sections in a kinematic regime unreachable for experiments at current e+e- colliders. For the determination of these differential cross …  Lire la suite

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which is known to modulate biological rhythms in mammals. This study investigated the effect of food access schedule and dietary composition on serum melatonin and pineal NAT activity in adult male Wistar rats. These rats were maintained on a 12:12 h light:dark schedule with lights on at 0800h. The rats were randomly assigned to two dietary groups. A group was simultaneously fed a protein-rich and carbohydrate-rich granulated diet and the other group fed granulated rat chow. Each dietary group was further divided based on dietary feeding schedules. Animals were fed between …  Lire la suite

Nicotine is thought to have an effect on cognitive function through cholinergic and dopaminergic stimulation in the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. Functional MRI was used to assess the effect of nicotine on brain activation during a verbal and visual working memory task. In a group of 10 smokers, nicotine improved performance in the verbal task compared to placebo; increased activation in the ventrolateral pre-frontal cortex and lentiform nucleus, as well as decreased activation in the hippocampus and medial frontal cortex. In the visual task, there were no differences in performance, no additional areas were recruited, and there was no …  Lire la suite

Following the important work on unit roots and cointegration which started in the mid-1980s, a great deal of econometric works has been devoted to the study of the subtleties and varieties of near nonstationarity and persistence that characterize so many economic and financial time series. In recent years research activity has gained importance with outstanding contributions made on estimation and testing of a wide variety of long memory processes, together with many interesting and imaginative applications over a wide variety of different fields of economics and finance. For these reasons, this study provides empirical evidence to an aspect of fractional …  Lire la suite

We propose an analytic center cutting plane algorithm for semidefinite programming (SDP). Reformulation of the dual problem of SDP into an eigenvalue optimization, when the trace of any feasible primal matrix is a positive constant, is well known. We transform the eigenvalue optimization problem into a convex feasibility problem. The problem of interest seeks a feasible point in a bounded convex set, which contains a full dimensional ball with ε(<1) radius and is contained in a compact convex set described by matrix inequalities, known as the set of localization. At each iteration, an approximate analytic center of the set of …  Lire la suite

Mobile applications provide services that can benefit various sectors of the society. It is imperative that the realization of mobile applications be well-planned and based on standards. The interplay of Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based technologies, software engineering principles, and "best practices" formalized as patterns provides such a systematic approach. This thesis formulates a rigorous classification of mobile application patterns into four categories: architecture, process, product, and usage. To express the patterns in a universal manner, an XML-based pattern notation, the Mobile Application Patterns Markup Language (MAPML), is introduced. Based on a requirements analysis and design description, the specification of MAPML …  Lire la suite

The Food Habits of Canadians Survey, conducted in 1997--1998 examined food and nutrient intakes of non-institutionalized adults aged 18--65 years (n = 1543) randomly selected from across Canada using the multi-stage random sampling strategy. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall and a repeat interview was conducted in a sub-sample (n = 446). The overall response rate was 26%. Males, younger age adults (18--34 years), single persons and those with lower education levels were underrepresented in the study sample thus limiting the generalizability of the study results. Examination of the characteristics of the selected areas (n = 63) by response …  Lire la suite

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is defined by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and clinical manifestations. It is unclear why some patients have high levels of aPL, but no clinical symptoms, while others develop APS. Recent studies have demonstrated T cell reactivity to beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) in patients with APS. To understand why a T cell response develops selectively in some individuals the requirements for antigen presentation and T cell reactivity were evaluated in a murine model of aPL induction. aPL were readily induced in immunized mice, and required MHC class II, but not CD1, antigen presentation. In contrast, induction of …  Lire la suite

Alcohol affects many neurochemical processes, causing long-lasting changes in both the adult and developing brain. The Jak-Stat transcriptional activation pathway plays a role in the control of neuronal proliferation, survival and differentiation, but the effects of ethanol on the system have not been fully elucidated. The goal of this project was to define the effects of acute and subchronic ethanol exposure on the expression of proteins in the Jak-Stat pathway, using cultured NG108-15 cells, and in addition, to test the hypothesis that these effects are mediated through the NMDA receptor. I found that ethanol dose-dependently decreased Jak2 and Stat3 following …  Lire la suite

Walsh, Catherine (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Raw milk cheese has unique flavor and textural characteristics not obtainable in cheese from pasteurized milk. Several specialty cheeses made from raw milk are marketed worldwide, especially in Europe. However, because of safety concerns, many countries have imposed stringent restrictions on production and sale of raw milk cheeses. The purpose of this thesis research was to use high pressure (HP) treatment as a novel alternative for conventional pasteurization so that raw milk quality cheese could be produced without compromising food safety. The specific objectives of this research were to evaluate (i) the effect of HP treatment of milk on its …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes the work done in evaluating the capacity of a multi-service third generation (3G) wireless communication system based on the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UNITS). More specifically, the study presented in these pages examines the Time Division Duplex (TDD) paradigm supported by the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP). The goal is to establish the probability that a new connection attempt be successful as a function of the instantaneous load on the network. The sought capacity is evaluated with the help of an analytical model and a simulation tool. Both tools used a so-called system-level approach. The model and the …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the claims of Jeffrey Timm and James Buchanan that the field of Comparative Philosophy is moving in a postmodern direction. I examine their conception of the postmodern and compare to both the most influential views of postmodernism and with my own understanding of postmodernism. To evaluate their claims I examine the journal Philosophy East and West, which I argue is representative of the field of Comparative Philosophy. I analyze the works of the editors of the journal and also do a statistical analysis of the journal to determine whether the field is becoming more postmodern. I conclude …  Lire la suite

Nonoriented electrical steels are mainly used as the core materials in motors and generators. The magnetic properties required for these materials are low core loss, high magnetic induction and high magnetic permeability. These magnetic properties of nonoriented electrical steels are mainly influenced by grain size and crystallographic texture. All research to improve the magnetic properties so far has focused on grain growth through the control of chemical compositions and various processing parameters. However, in the manufacturing techniques of nonoriented electrical steels, the control of grain size is approaching its limit. Since there is still enough room to improve the magnetic …  Lire la suite

This study examines the image of house and home as the reification of our domains as living, dwelling, housed beings in three novels: Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits; Anne-Marie MacDonald's Fall On Your Knees; and Toni Morrison's Beloved. Being human, we form through perception, build through forming, dwell in building, and perceive through dwelling. Through close reading and analysis, this thesis examines questions of: If we are how we dwell, then what happens when the structures and the spaces of our dwellings become haunted? What happens when "home" becomes a facade that suspends necessary elements of dwelling? This …  Lire la suite

Filter-feeding black fly larvae in lake outlet streams convert suspended bacteria and algae into benthic biomass, available to fish. Positive correlations between larval abundance and both bacterioplankton and phytoplankton were significant at the p < 0.10 level among 5 outlet streams of varying trophic status in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, and either food type alone explained ~28% of the variance in larval abundance among streams (Chapter 1), suggesting bacterioplankton and phytoplankton to play similar roles in larval distribution. However, when larvae were removed from 3 of 6 oligotrophic outlet streams examined in the Mauricie region of Quebec, calculated ingestion …  Lire la suite

This study examined the relationship between attachment and adolescent sex abusers through a literature review. Due to the dearth of literature on this subject, separate literature reviews were conducted on attachment theory and on predisposing factors to adolescent sex abusing. The results indicated that a causal relationship between attachment and the development of adolescent sex abusers is unlikely; however, insecure attachment styles were found to be one of many factors related to adolescent sex abusing. Theories related to emotional stress, the developmental stage of adolescence, intergenerational transmission and sibling incest were generated within the theoretical context of attachment. A typology …  Lire la suite

Several dosimetric parameters were measured for three very small radiation fields (1.5, 3, and 5 mm diameter at the machine isocenter) with a small ionization chamber and a new type of radiochromic film. The experiments were carried out on a Clinac-18 linac and the fields were shaped by specially manufactured collimators. When measuring dose profiles, the ionization chamber measurements were first corrected for response variation in off-axis direction, and then deconvolved to eliminate the blur due to the poor resolution of the chamber. The measured data agreed with Monte Carlo simulations within the established statistical uncertainties. Dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery was …  Lire la suite

Laywine, A. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Titman, R. D. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Polyomavirus large T antigen (LTAg) is the main regulatory protein in the life cycle of polyomavirus. It binds to consensus sequences GA/GGGC in sites 1/2, A, B and C, which are found in and around the origin of viral DNA replication. It was shown before that polyomavirus large T antigen binds cooperatively to origin DNA, aiding the protein to stay bound long enough for accumulation of LTAg to form the hexameric complex needed for DNA replication. We set out to find where the domain(s) responsible for this cooperative binding are located within LTAg by using DNAse I footprinting. Domain deletions …  Lire la suite

The following paper will deal with the actantial place of memory and history in the works of Ge Fei, a so-called avant-garde writer in China. Analyzing his three major novels published in the nineteen-nineties, as well as an earlier short story, the paper will discuss how Ge Fei renegotiates the status and place of the literary subject as configured through the act of writing, and its close relationship with the medium of memory and history. Contrary to the prevailing opinion, the avant-garde experiment in Ge Fei's works does not intimate the dissipation of the subject, but rather assists in reconfiguring …  Lire la suite

Van Fenema, Peter (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channel family of receptors are members of the ligand-gated ion channel (LGIC) family. In addition to being essential for physiological and behavioural aspects of an organism, they are also exploited as a target for the drug ivermectin. A novel GluCl subunit in C. elegans, GLC-4, was characterized in order to further understand the diversity of GluCls and their implications in biological and behavioural processes. Sequencing of cDNAs generated by RT-PCR indicate that GLC-4 possesses the typical features of a GluCl subunit. In addition, they also suggest possible alternative splicing of glc-4 resulting in a slightly truncated …  Lire la suite

This thesis has been written to provide the reader with a general understanding of a securitization transaction. It should be considered constructive reading for persons engaged in the practice of Canadian corporate, banking and securities law, the financial services industry as well as corporate officers who wish to expand their knowledge on the topic of structured finance. The following describes the primary participants and basic components involved in a securitization transaction and discusses how each comes together to result in the issuance of asset-backed securities. Further, this thesis provides an analysis of each step and aspect that is necessary to …  Lire la suite

This work considers the distortion created by an unmatched transmission line system at the receiver of a military data radio. The installation requirements for these types of systems are such that manual tuning of the antenna is impracticable. The antenna impedance may not match that of the cable and radio receiver, resulting in electrical reflections in the cable. These reflections create intersymbol interference (ISI), which distorts the received signal and limits the performance of the communication link. It is shown that this distortion can be modelled using only four parameters: the transit time, the amplitude and the angle of the …  Lire la suite

In recent years, although a number of functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated a relationship between activity in the prefrontal cortex and memory retrieval, it has been difficult to relate specific aspects of retrieval processing to specific regions of the prefrontal cortex. The present event-related fMRI study focuses on the role of the mid-ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in active retrieval processes, leading to the dissociation of different aspects of mnemonic information. Thirteen normal volunteers were scanned with a 1.5-T Siemens Vision Scanner. Functional images sensitive to the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal were acquired in an event-related fashion. In the experimental …  Lire la suite

This research investigated the origins and formations of permanent fouling. Four instrumental analyses were employed. They were Sleeve UV Transmittance (SUVT), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis (EDX). It was verified that permanent foulants were trapped initially by the inherent holes and peaks on sleeve surfaces. After long term periodical chemical/mechanical cleaning, the wipers of cleaning systems would damage sleeve surfaces severely, causing scratches or holes with wide surface areas, which may be termed mechanical deterioration of the sleeves. Thus, foulants would be trapped more easily by these …  Lire la suite

International law is not insulated from all external influences: eminently political and conflicting, international relations assume a vertical vision of the relationship between law and power. Therefore, the terrorist attacks of September 11, whether fueled by the desire for a new world order or simply the pursuit of power, necessarily affected the international legal order. To identify these effects, one must consider the very foundations of international law, sovereignty and the equality of the States, as well as the emerging international trends of globalization and unilateralism and the theoretical models, which must be compared to the immediately measures taken in …  Lire la suite

Since the discovery of Dendritic cells (DCs) in 1975, their role as potent antigen presenting cells has been a field of intense interest and research. Candidate DC vaccines take advantage of the role of DCs in one of two ways. The first technique relies on the in vivo isolation of DCs which are then subsequently employed directly as adjuvants. In the second method, hematopoeitic growth factors are added to stimulate the expansion and proliferation of these cells in vivo. Due to the dearth of DCs, research has focused on the addition of growth factors such as FLT3-L (fms-like tyrosine kinase …  Lire la suite

This thesis sets out to show that a philosophical reflection on history is, in the strongest possible way, an essential feature of Hume's project of a science of human nature: a philosophical investigation of human nature, for Hume, cannot be successful independently of an understanding of the relation of human beings to their history. Hume intended to criticize traditional metaphysics by referring all knowledge to experience. But it is almost always assumed that Hume means by "experience" the result of an individual's past sense perception or personal observation. Accordingly, Hume's criticism of traditional metaphysics is taken to lead to an …  Lire la suite

In the last fifteen years, the Supreme Court of Canada operated a substantial move regarding judicial review of administrative action. It abandoned the formal approach which rested upon a jurisdictional/non jurisdictional qualification in order to show more deference towards specialized agencies. The development of a pragmatic and functional analysis has led to the determination of appropriate standards of review for each decision. This thesis is divided in three parts. The first one is dedicated to the study of the fundamental principles underlying judicial review; the second part starts by examining the ultra vires doctrine and then proceeds to describe the …  Lire la suite

Eukaryotic peptide elongation factor-1 alpha (eEF1A) is an abundantly expressed protein involved in the elongation step of protein synthesis. Its protein expression is regulated at the translational level, as its mRNA shifts from ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes to polyribosomes upon growth factor stimulation. The regulation of this shift is mediated by a terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) element in the 5' untranslated region (UTR), of the eEF1A-1 mRNA. This shifting is also involved during differentiation and mammalian development. During development the expression of eEF1A-1 declines and eEF1A-2, a highly conserved homologue, becomes the dominant eEF1A isoform expressed in brain, heart, and skeletal muscle. …  Lire la suite

Bossuet's once-celebrated eloquence is now almost unknown; among those who felt his renown of yesteryear, very few will dare try to explain it. Marked simultaneously by the Council of Trent's resolutions inciting Christian orators to show more sobriety, and by the necessity to rouse an audience not much inclined to evangelical simplicity (the courtesans of Louis XIV), the rhetoric of funeral orations may well result from the skillful integration of rhetoric techniques that were once pagan to the Christian mindset. Bossuet taught a lesson in humility, modesty and piety, in a language that was bound to leave an imprint on …  Lire la suite

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a naturally occurring process essential for development and tissue homeostasis, that needs to be tightly regulated since too much or too little cell death may lead to several human pathologies such as cancer. Therefore, it is critical to identify new effective apoptotic stimuli in order to help in the design of specific therapies. This thesis identifies two novel death-inducing agents, namely monoglycerides and CD45 cross-linking, the latter triggering an alternative death pathway. Derivatives of monoglycerides, which are a family of naturally occurring lipids consisting of a single fatty acid moiety attached to a glycerol …  Lire la suite

Initial challenge studies with spores of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum types A and B (~104 spores/g) showed that while air- and gas-packaged English-style crumpets (aw 0.990) and pizza crust (aw 0.960) were toxic after 42-days storage at ambient temperature (25°C), no neurotoxin was detected in bagels (a w 0.944). Further challenge studies with similarly packaged crumpets inoculated with C. botulinum (~102 spores/g), pre- or post-baking, demonstrated that all crumpets were toxic within 4 to 6 days at 25°C and that toxigenesis preceded spoilage. Furthermore, reformulating crumpets to pH 8.3 and packaging in 100% CO2 had little effect in delaying the growth …  Lire la suite

This thesis addresses the nineteenth-century art collection of Donald Alexander Smith, Lord Strathcona (1820--1914), in relation to intersecting questions of imperialism, colonial relations, and cultural status. Both the formation of the collection and its dispersal are linked to a dialectic of cultural hegemony and national identity in nineteenth-century Canada. Smith came penniless to Montreal from Scotland in 1838, became the wealthiest man in Canada by the end of the century, and is known as Lord Strathcona after being raised to the peerage by Queen Victoria in 1897. My discussion of the rise and fall of Strathcona's collection is informed by …  Lire la suite

Objective. This study was designed to assess the association between cardiovascular disease and the use of antihypertensive drugs in a diabetic population. Design and setting. We conducted a case-control study nested within a cohort of 2499 subjects over 45 years old with diabetes and hypertension in Saskatchewan. Outcomes. The main outcome measure was first hospitalization for cardiovascular disease. Exposure definition. The main exposure of interest was current use of antihypertensive drugs, defined as drug dispensing within 90 days of the index date. Statistical analysis. Relative risks were calculated with 95% confidence intervals using conditional logistic regression models. Full multivariate models, …  Lire la suite

Chertkow, Howard M. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Introduction. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been detected with varying frequency in oral cancers and in normal oral tissues. The main objective of the present study was to examine the association between HPV infection and risk of developing oral cancer. Methodology. This investigation, as a component of an international multi-centre study coordinated by the IARC, followed a hospital-based case-control design. Cases consisted of newly diagnosed patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, including mouth and oropharynx. Controls were frequency matched to cases by sex, age, and hospital. All subjects were interviewed to elicit detail information on known and …  Lire la suite

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) microcircuits are required to meet stringent accuracy specifications in spite of their analog components' inherent nonidealities as well as the accuracy limitations due to fabrication technology. In this thesis, a 3-step Nyquist rate ADC is presented which makes use of bitstream processing to calibrate the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and the residue amplifier, while using the same hardware to calibrate the sub-ADC. The system is designed to provide programmability and calibrate undesired circuit characteristics such as offset, gain error, and nonlinearity. Thus, the DAC can tolerate gain errors much higher than the standard amount, and has the potential …  Lire la suite

Knowing the tissues, cells, and sub-cellular compartments where a protein is expressed can provide important insights about its biological and physiological roles. CDP/Cux is a transcription factor that is proteolytic processed as cells progress from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle. With the aim of investigating CDP/Cux expression in tissues and in tissue culture cells, I characterized a panel of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised against various regions of the protein. I established an immunohistochemistry assay and demonstrated that CDP/Cux is expressed in certain epithelial cells in several tissues. Using the technique of immunofluorescence I studied the localization …  Lire la suite

Quality of life is a key issue in disabling conditions like stroke. Unfortunately, quality of life is often difficult to quantify in a comprehensive measure that can be used in cost analyses. Preference-based health status measures meet this challenge. A health outcome generated by a preference-based measure is assigned one single value that captures and weighs the various losses and gains on the different attributes or domains covered by the measure. Possible scores on a preference-based measure range from 0 (worst possible health state) to 1 (best possible health state). As there is no existing preference-based health status measure specific …  Lire la suite

In the past two decades, significant progress in constructing physical systems of reduced dimensionality has been made. In these systems, quantum effects are observed in the electric current response to an applied bias voltage. Considerable theoretical effort has been made to understand conductance and capacitance which characterize this response. In addition to a fundamental science interest, there has been a significant technological need to build and understand small scale devices in order to maintain the current rate of progress in increasing computer performance. In this thesis, we theoretically investigated the conductance and capacitance of mesoscopic and molecular scale systems. Our …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, the dynamics of quadrupedal running via the bounding gait is studied. To analyse the properties of the passive dynamics of Scout II, a model consisting of a body and two massless spring-loaded prismatic legs is introduced. A return map is derived to study the existence of periodic system motions. Numerical studies of the return map show that passive generation of cyclic motion is possible. Most strikingly, local stability analysis of the return map shows that the dynamics of the open loop passive system alone can confer stability of the motion. Stability improves at higher speeds, a fact …  Lire la suite

This aim of this thesis will be to first address the issue of the direct applicability of the GATT within the national framework, mainly through the use of an analysis of the considerations that such a denial of the direct effect of the GATT is based upon, to understand if there are real obstacles to its implementation, before examining the harmful effects this of denial. The analysis will focus on the situation in both the European Union and the United States, these two countries being two of the most important trade partners in the WTO, before suggesting various solutions that …  Lire la suite

The evaluation of human de novo T cell production is critical for a better understanding of T cell homeostasis and the immune reconstitution processes. The presence of a functional thymus post-puberty has been unsuspected due to the paucity of tools. This thesis provides direct evidence for a functional thymus, which can contribute to the diversity of the immune reconstitution in pathological situations where the immune system is severely destroyed. Through peripheral blood PCR-based quantification of TCR alpha and beta rearrangement excision/deletion circles (TREC), by-products of gene rearrangement events, we demonstrated that a diversified de novo T cell production occurs throughout …  Lire la suite

Friend, family and global social support, peer deviance and gambling frequency were examined as predictors of gambling involvement. Analyses focused on the predictors of gambling involvement with the covariate, drug-use, removed. For the 962 college student (mean age 18.5) participants, global social support, peer deviance and gambling frequency were the best predictors of gambling involvement with drug-use removed. Although males and females both reported diminished perceived supports globally and increased peer deviance as their reported level of gambling involvement increased, females reported less perceived support from all three networks. Males did not perceive less support from friends and family as …  Lire la suite