McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2002

Under what conditions did conservative governments of the major industrial countries commit themselves to building domestic institutional frameworks for embedded liberalism as an international economic subsystem? As a way of answering the question, this study looks into informal and formal institutional arrangements for domestic compromise among classes and sectors. During the 1950s, governments in the United States, Britain, France, and West Germany sought to accommodate working-class demands and achieve a stable domestic economy within the institutional limits set by the prior experiences dating back to the interwar years. At the informal level, organized labor and business community in each country …  Lire la suite

In order to obtain some insight into the deformation behavior of the dispersed phase in the various flows and to evaluate the effects of various variables such as concentration of the dispersed phase and viscosity ratio, affine deformation equations were derived for some stratified shear and elongational flows. It was shown by the derived deformation equations that the volume fraction of the dispersed phase is a factor affecting the deformation of the dispersed phase, and the effect depends on viscosity ratio. The results from the stratified simple shear flow model predict that, for viscosity ratio >1, the deformation rate increases …  Lire la suite

Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that early life events serve to define populations at high or low risk for drug abuse during adulthood. It has also been shown in rats that repeated episodes of early maternal separation permanently alters their dopamine (DA) and behavioral responses to stress and psychostimulants. In this study, we investigated how early life events alter intravenous cocaine self-administration. Animals were tested on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement which yields a measure (the break-point or BP) of drug-seeking and drug reinforcement efficacy. On post-natal days 2--14, rat pups were exposed daily to either 3 hr …  Lire la suite

The allergic inflammatory response is orchestrated by Th2 cytokines, particularly IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. Th2 cytokines have therefore become therapeutic targets in the management of allergic disease. Current therapeutic strategies inhibiting individual cytokines have not been proven effective at inhibiting the allergic response, therefore finding a common factor controlling the expression of all Th2 cytokines would provide a more ideal target. A number of gene-specific factors have been identified which regulate the transcription of cytokine genes. Based on in vitro studies and animal models, GATA-3 appears to be necessary for Th2 cytokine gene expression. In this thesis, we provide first …  Lire la suite

Stress is implicated in various diseases such as cancer, ischemia, and inflammatory diseases. Many different forms of stress may result in impaired physiological functions. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which cells compensate and adapt to stress. Defining the changes that occur in nuclear structure and transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm in a cell are of specific interest and will contribute significantly to our understanding of stress response. I have demonstrated that classical nuclear import is inhibited by oxidative stress in living HeLa cells as a result of relocalization and degradation of nuclear factors important for …  Lire la suite

Heterozygous 1Neu mice transmit a single base pair insertion mutation within the paired domain (exon 2) of the PAX2 gene; this mutation is identical to that in humans with Renal-Coloboma Syndrome. In both mice and humans, PAX2 heterozygotes are born with optic colobomas and renal hypoplasia. Previously, we have shown that kidneys of fetal 1Neu mice have increased apoptosis of ureteric bud (UB) cells and reduced UB branching. However, it is unclear whether increased susceptibility to apoptosis is the critical determinant of renal hypoplasia in PAX2 haploinsufficiency. In this study, E13.5 fetal kidney pairs were microdissected from wildtype and heterozygous …  Lire la suite

A long-range research interest of this laboratory is the evolution of the transcriptional control mechanisms of the vertebrate troponin I (TnI) gene family. It is likely that the vertebrate TnI gene family arose from a single TnI gene present in early chordate ancestors. Analysis of transcriptional control mechanisms of the TnI gene of a primitive chordate, such as the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, may therefore provide insight into the regulatory mechanisms of the vertebrate ancestral TnI gene. As an initial step in such a study, I localized transcriptional control regions within 1.5 kb of 5'-flanking DNA of the Ciona TnI gene. …  Lire la suite

This thesis argues that there is an emerging field of international cultural policy in Canada informed by ongoing changes in the pattern of policy making. Caught between old nationalist discourses of a unified Canadian nation, and the rapidly changing global environment, the Canadian cultural policy makers struggle to make Canadian culture survive both at home and abroad. In this research, international cultural policy will refer to cultural policy designed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Moving beyond a simple empirical analysis of policy, this thesis adopts Tony Bennett's definition of the …  Lire la suite

A fully automatic procedure for brain tissue classification from 3D magnetic resonance head images (MRI) is described. The procedure uses feature space proximity measures, and does not make any assumptions about the tissue intensity data distributions. As opposed to existing methods for automatic tissue classification, which are often sensitive to anatomical variability and pathology, the proposed procedure is robust against morphological deviations from the model. A novel method for automatic generation of classifier training samples, using a minimum spanning tree graph-theoretic approach, is proposed in this thesis. Starting from a set of samples generated from prior tissue probability maps (the …  Lire la suite

The solution structure of the C-terminal domain of the yeast Poly(A) Binding Protein (yPABC) was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The tridimensional fold is similar to that previously observed for the human isoform, except for a missing N-terminal alpha helix out of the five helices expected in total. A series of putative binding partners was identified in public databases, based on a consensual interaction motif that we formally defined as being S-X-L-[NS]-X-[ND]-A-X-E-F-X-P. However, no putative binding partner could be found that would match this pattern in S. Cerevisiae. Phylogenetic modeling tends to indicate that such an interacting domain might not be …  Lire la suite

This dissertation traces the presence of installation-based practices among artists of Aboriginal ancestry via selected exhibitions across Canada. It begins with a methodological perspective on Canadian art history, federal law, and human science, as a means of establishing a contextual backdrop for the art under consideration. The rise of an Indian empowerment movement during the twentieth century is then shown to take on an international voice which had cultural ramifications at the 1967 Canadian International and Universal Exhibition. Nascent signs of a multi-mediatic aesthetic are distinguished in selected works in Canadian Indian Art '74, as well as through Native-run visual …  Lire la suite

International film co-productions are sometimes thought of by the Americans as a form of financing providing the U.S. with the ability to sell works to its most important export market, Europe. Europe prefers thinking of it as way to provide its market with works that reflect European culture and ideals. This thesis questions the reality of such a statement, using the examples of the EU, the U.S. and Canada. The author first explains the mechanism of co-production within the framework of a presentation of the methods of film financing. Follows a twofold discussion on the current nature of international co-productions, …  Lire la suite

Glucocorticoid (GC) stimulation of both branching morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation in the developing lung is mediated by the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR). Seventy-five percent of mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of the GR gene (GR hypo) die shortly after birth due to respiratory failure. Surviving GRhypo mice are normal and fertile. We used Differential Display Reverse Transcription PCR (DD-PCR) and then cDNA microarrays to identify differentially expressed genes in GR hypo compared to wildtype mice. The retinoic acid responsive gene, midkine (MK) was up-regulated in GRhypo mice at fetal day 18 and at neonatal day 1 (in both survivors and non-survivors). …  Lire la suite

Situated between the state and civil society, the role of the public sphere is seen to be one of mediating between the two through the circulation of information, ideas, and the subsequent formation and propagation of public opinion. However, there is an ambivalence within conceptions of the public sphere in terms of how it is to best effect this mediation. This sense of ambiguity in the understandings of the public sphere is a reflection of a deeply rooted and unresolved tension about whether democracy should mean some kind of popular power or an aid to decision-making. This dissertation argues that …  Lire la suite

Conceptual rainfall runoff (CRR) models are popular among hydrologists owing to their modest input data requirements, their simple structure and therefore their modest computational requirements. The realisation that CRR model calibration is more akin to a global optimisation problem, not a local optimisation one, was a significant development. The subsequent applications of global optimisation methods (GOM) have solved a major difficulty for estimating model parameters. Further improvement in parameter estimation may follow if constraints that help to limit the number of feasible parameter values can be developed. This study has proposed a methodology for formulating constraints related to the CRR …  Lire la suite

Levitin, Daniel (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis reviews the anthropological approaches to the study of the ethnic minorities in Southwest China. It sets out to demonstrate the limitations engendered by studies focusing on the process of ethnicity and the relative absence of 'ordinary local peasants' (villagers not involved in the dialogue of ethnicity) in anthropological research of villages in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. Furthermore, this paper reveals the need for in-depth local studies in order to understand the impact of ethnic tourism on local identity construction.  Lire la suite

This study examines the role of religion in the nationalist thought of Lionel Groulx (1878-1967). It attempts to demonstrate that Groulx's understanding of the Incarnation constitutes a paradigm whereby he developed a rationale for the synthesis of Catholicism and French-Canadian nationalism. Chapter 1, the Historical Background, precedes an examination of Groulx's thought in the light of his theological and philosophical education.(Chapter 2) Chapters 3 and 4 explain his construct of the Incarnation. Chapter 5 sets forth Groulx's conception of French Canada based on the Hebrew scriptures. Chapters 6 explores the implications of his incarnational thought for his nationalist pursuits. Chapter …  Lire la suite

Brown, Wayne (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The objective of this study is to detect zones of supercooled drizzle using data from a vertically pointing radar (VPR). This radar was used in the AIRS (Alliance Icing Research Study) experiment held at Mirabel Airport from November 1999 to February 2000. For cases where conditions favor the formation of drizzle drops with a diameter sufficiently large, a second mode with a distinct speed and reflectivity can be separated from that received from snow. That the second mode corresponds to supercooled drizzle is verified by comparing reflectivities and speeds with aircraft data taken during AIRS. For cases without bimodality, regions …  Lire la suite

Vernalized celery seedlings (Apium graveolens L. var. Florida 683) were predevernalized under different temperature and light regimes prior to field transplanting. At least 89% of predevernalized plants bolted during both 1999 and 2000 suggesting that the predevernalization treatments were not effective in counteracting the vernalizing stimulus. Predevernalization treatments had no long-term effect on growth and development. Non-vernalized celery seedlings were transplanted on clear polyethylene mulch, thermo-selective polyethylene mulch or no mulch in combination with clear perforated polyethylene mini tunnel, single or double layer of agrotextile mini tunnel or no mini tunnel. Very few plants bolted in 1999. Mulch increased fresh …  Lire la suite

This dissertation assesses whether intense visual stimulation can act as a stressor to migraine sufferers between attacks, and whether subjective and psychophysiological reactions to these stimuli can clarify how migraine attacks may be triggered. The first study assessed thresholds of light-induced discomfort and pain in migraine sufferers and non-migrainous controls during a non-headache period. Two instruction sets were compared to assess whether information presented to participants would affect thresholds. The results showed that migraineurs had significantly lower thresholds for light-induced pain. However, this effect was most apparent in those who had heard the negatively biased instructions reinforcing the need to …  Lire la suite

In this thesis we examine the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the risk of colorectal cancer. Also examined are the effects of oral versus transdermal estrogen replacement therapy, methods of defining estrogen exposure, selection bias, and trends in the use of HRT over the last two decades. A nested case-control study was conducted using records from Saskatchewan Health's administrative databases. Information on covariates not available from the databases was collected during interviews, from a subgroup of subjects. Incidence density sampling was used to age match controls (four per case, N = 12,116) to each of 3,059 cases accrued …  Lire la suite

Recent work in anthropology has speculated on how developments in molecular biology and medicine might bring about new bodies, selves, and forms of sociality. This thesis explores how herbal and pharmaceutical antidepressants differently affect experiences of one's neurochemistry. It does so in two ways. First, it outlines the historical 'social life' of pharmaceutical antidepressants, including their co-production with depression, and the neurochemical body in a particular style of reasoning in biological psychiatry. Second, it presents and analyzes claims made for the efficacy of antidepressants made in vernacular North American books, advertisements, and pamphlets. Although the claims for both herbal and …  Lire la suite

This thesis explores how women's organizations are using communication technologies and strategies for global social change. In 2002, the combination of current feminist theory that highlights issues of cultural specificity and digital communications technology is enabling new possibilities for women's organizations to engage in global feminist practices. Based on feminist theory, communications theory and feminist media literature, this thesis formulates an evaluative framework for assessing the communicative potential of V-Day, a virtual women's organization. The analysis moves beyond this case study to inform the potential global feminist practices of other women's organizations.  Lire la suite

The aim of the work presented here is to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids in three animal models of pain: acute, tonic and chronic. The tail flick test (acute pain) was used to test the effect of the cannabinoid agonist, WIN 55,212--2, on tail withdrawal latency from a noxious radiant heat source. It was also tested on the allodynia induced by either endogenous release or exogenous administration of substance P. WIN 55,212--2 was antinociceptive in this test, and blocked the substance P-induced allodynia, suggesting a post-synaptic site of action. The formalin test (tonic pain) was used to test the effects …  Lire la suite

Coming together to save the Earth. Ten years have passed since the Earth Summit in Rio created such passion and expectations. Whether the Convention on Biological Diversity has met those expectations or not vary from person to person. Evidently, the Convention on Biological Diversity is complex, not only in its language, but also in its attempt to balance between conservation and sustainable use, and between the providers of and benefiters from biological diversity. Subsequent to its conclusion, the Parties have strived to achieve these objectives. This thesis attempts to assist in this process by exploring the means of implementing the …  Lire la suite

DNA is remarkable because of its highly selective molecular recognition properties and self-assembly behavior. Recent attempts in generating biomimetic synthetic polymers have been flawed by a lack of structural control. To overcome this shortcoming, we generated molecular recognition polymers and copolymers containing a regioselective arrangement of thymine/uracil analogs via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP). The ROMP of exo-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2,3-dicarboximide was found to fulfill the criteria for a living polymerization. This gave access to polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution and well-controlled architecture. Furthermore, the living character of the reaction allowed for the facile synthesis of diblock copolymers. We have synthesized diblock copolymers …  Lire la suite

This thesis presents HANP, a network processor architecture designed for high performance Internet protocol processing at layers 2 through 7. The HANP, Highly Adaptive Network Processor, architecture is implemented on FPGA and supports line speeds reaching OC-192. HANP is designed as a platform for the analysis and development of Network Processors. It is intended to serve as a flexible and customizable framework to enable future research on tradeoffs involved in building a Network Processor, including feasibility of FPGA implementation. This thesis outlines the architectural design of the HANP and addresses architectural issues including cache organization, processor optimizations, function distribution and …  Lire la suite

Computer-generated models are increasingly being used in otolaryngology for teaching purposes, pre-operative planning and clinical simulations, especially when dealing with small complex areas such as the middle ear. One technique used to analyse the mechanics of complex models is the finite-element method whereby the system of interest is divided into a large number of small simple elements. The mechanical properties and applied forces are represented by functions defined over each element, and the mechanical response of the whole system can then be computed. A unique three-dimensional finite-element model of the human eardrum and middle ear was devised. This model takes …  Lire la suite

Duquette, Jean-Pierre (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Bibeau, Gilles (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

A series of equilibrium cadmium-binding experiments with raw species of Sargassum was performed in order to extend the database on the biosorption performance of this brown algae. The results indicate that their maximum cadmium uptake ranges from approximately 0.7 to 1.0 mmol Cd/gram biomass. A classical method for the extraction of alginate from brown algae was modified and applied to Sargassum species under high-temperature alkaline conditions (80°C, 2.0% Na2CO3). It yields alginate samples of low viscosity suitable for chemical characterization by direct acquisition of well-resolved NMR spectra. This new method also allowed the identification of an acid-soluble fraction not previously …  Lire la suite

Baldassare Galuppi (1706--85), during the course of his compositional career, composed a number of settings of the Marian antiphon text " Salve Regina," of which only one choral and five solo settings survive. In this thesis Galuppi's compositional career is reviewed and the history of the Venetian ospedali, or orphanages, addressed, especially as it relates to the composer's tenure at the Ospedale di San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti and the Ospedale del Santissimo Salvatore degli Incurabili. Also, the importance of the Marian text itself is discussed in relation to Galuppi's works at the two institutions. The five solo settings for soprano …  Lire la suite

The emergence of language is a phenomenon that lies at the core of higher human cognition and which continues to be the source of controversy and debate. In a series of three studies, the present thesis examined issues pertaining to language acquisition, (i) providing insight into the origins of language by addressing the question of whether the basis of babbling is fundamentally motoric or linguistic, (ii) positing new properties of babbling in order to discriminate between the linguistic and non-linguistic behaviors produced by babies, and (iii) describing the processes underlying babies' transition from babbles to first words. In Manuscript 1, …  Lire la suite

Current advanced engineering composites suffer from high-cost of manufacturing as well as design and processing weaknesses. On the other hand, nature produces high-performance composites under benign conditions using simple constituents. Hence, it seems that imitating nature constitutes the future of material science. This thesis attempts to answer some of the basic questions concerning the formation of biological fibrous composites. Microstructural studies of these materials have revealed that they exhibit a common architecture known as twisted plywood. This architecture results from the passage of the matrix into a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase during the development of the composite. The main objectives …  Lire la suite

Current practices for routine milk composition determination employ commercial infrared systems. The use of SW-NIR and NIR FT-Raman spectra coupled with conductivity and refractive index could lead to more frequent and less costly analysis of fat, lactose and protein in milk. The present study examines the potential of both SW-NIR absorbance spectrophotometry and NIR FT-Raman spectrophotometry to develop a model to estimate fat, lactose, and protein in whole milk of cows. To accomplish this, 79 milk standards, spanning the range of composition seen in practice, were obtained. Acquisition of NIR spectra over the wavelength range of 700 nm to 1018 …  Lire la suite

While Pauline studies today are grappling with the question of the core of Paul's thought, the investigation of the apostle's social world is also gaining interest among scholars. The study of Paul's argumentation offers a fundamental contribution to both endeavours. Enthymemes, defined by the rhetorical tradition as the basic building blocks of deductive argumentation, constitute an important part of Paul's argumentation which until now has been relatively unexploited. Study of the manner in which Paul constructs enthymemes gives us insight into his thought world. The premisses that he uses as argumentative proofs can be viewed as a reflection of the …  Lire la suite

Karaplis, Andrew C. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Now and Forever is a thesis in two parts: a twelve-minute piece for orchestra and a text providing an analysis of the piece. The orchestra consists of two flutes (flute 2 doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns in F, two trumpets in C, two tenor trombones, one bass trombone, two percussion and strings. The work features the use of an original text as the underlying program, the use of golden section proportions as a principal organisational device, a rising semitone motive as the foundation for melodic, harmonic and registral development, and the intermittent appearance …  Lire la suite

We compute the eigenvalues of the first few Hecke operators Tp (N( p ) ≤ 100) for all Hilbert modular forms on Q5 of parallel weight 2 and level of norm less than 500. This is done by exploiting the Jacquet-Langlands correspondence which allows us to transfer such computations to forms on the (totally definite) Hamilton quaternion algebra over Q5 . We use these computations to test numerically a conjecture of Oda on periods of Hilbert modular forms.  Lire la suite

Lime neutralization of acidic drainage is the most common process to produce an environmentally acceptable effluent. The process involves neutralization, precipitation of metal hydroxides, flocculation, settling and storage of the sludge. The sludge is not entirely stable over the long term due to the natural pH decline in the storage area that can re-solubilize metals. The use of activated silica sol could be an alternative to flocculants in the lime neutralization process. The nature of the metal hydroxide---silica bond could make the sludge more stable on short and long term. It was observed that similar settling characteristics can be obtained …  Lire la suite

In this study, we investigate the feasibility of applying advanced control design strategies to the mixing tank process of the plant of Falconbridge Ltd. in Sudbury, Ontario. The mixing tank receives Strathcona slurry, Strathcona filter cakes, dry Raglan powder and water as its inputs. Our objective is to control the Raglan to Strathcona ratio, the mixing tank level and the pulp density of the output mixed slurry to their respective set points so that the effects of all model uncertainties could be reduced. Static optimization is first carried out to investigate the solution set of the existing process. Then linearization …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the downscaling ability of one-way nesting regional climate models (RCM). To do this, a rigorous and well-defined experiment for assessing the reliability of the one-way nesting approach is developed. This experiment, baptised the Big-Brother Experiment (BBE), is used for addressing some important one-way nesting issues. The first part of this work is dedicated to the development of a scale decomposition tool employed for the BBE. This tool involves a new spectral analysing technique suitable for two-dimensional fields on limited-area domains, and is based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT). It is used …  Lire la suite

The changes that affected Iranian women's lives after the coming of Islam in the seventh century were similar to the changes that occurred in their lives after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In both cases these changes were largely wrought by men. Iranian women have been actively involved and have participated fully in diverse religious, political, and social contexts since the eighteenth century, but frequently without due acknowledgment. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the belief that education was a pillar of freedom began to gain popularity among Iranian women. The efforts of women to secure an equal …  Lire la suite

Using a methodology informed by rhetorical and pragmatic concepts, this thesis examines Annie Ernaux's L'evenement with a view to determining how an ethos of authenticity is created in and by the text. We begin by studying how critics of her earlier work helped construct a certain image of the author and by identifying the characteristics of Ernaux writing: all these elements contribute to the creation of an ethos prealable (a prior ethos) which conditions the reading of L'evenement. In the second chapter, we analyze certain stylistic aspects of Ernaux's writing in L'evenement (verb tenses, choice of words, syntax) which indicate …  Lire la suite

This study investigates the constitutive elements of a prototantric scripture, the Mahamayuri Vidya-rajni sutra (MMVR) in its Chinese translations. The Scripture of the Great Peahen, Queen Protectress consists of long lists of indian divinities, most of them non-Buddhist, followed by Sanskrit magical spells (dharaṇi) which were used in ritual to bring rain, conquer enemies, cure sickness, and eliminate a host of other obstacles. The language of the text is hermetic and describes a pantheon of gods and goddesses which were completely alien to the Chinese patrons who sponsored the performance of the rites of the MMVR by Buddhist specialists. Despite …  Lire la suite

We describe here a key-exchange protocol over real quadratic fields. This is accompanied by all the pertinent algebraic background needed for the understanding of the protocol. We also present two quantum algorithms that solve the regulator problem over real quadratic fields and the discrete logarithm problem also known as the principal ideal problem.  Lire la suite

Hematopoietic precursor cells express cell surface receptors for a variety of cytokines and growth factors. These hematopoietic secreted humoral factors can influence the proliferation, differentiation, survival and mobilisation of blood stem cells. Moreover, simultaneous exposure to different combinations of hematopoietic hormones can synergistically affect one or more of these cellular responses. Our laboratory has been involved in studying the role played by insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) in hematopoiesis. IGFs are known to stimulate the expansion of precursor cells from various hematopoietic lineages when administered in vivo. However, difficulties in producing recombinant IGFs with conventional bacterial or yeast expression systems make …  Lire la suite

Context. Exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) that result in acute respiratory failure are a significant health care problem with high morbidity and mortality. Recent reports have shown that preventing intubation with the use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation significantly decreases the morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory failure in this population. Objective. To evaluate whether patients with COPD and acute respiratory failure treated with non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) have improved clinical outcomes after adjusting for potentially confounding covariates when compared to similar patients who were intubated or treated with medical therapy. Design and setting. Comparison of …  Lire la suite