McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2002

Derevensky, Jeffrey L. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The purpose of the thesis is to explore to what extent, if any, has the principle of the common heritage of mankind been implemented in the practice of states and in what areas. With that objective in mind, various fields of international law are critically canvassed, including the Antarctic Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty and the U.N. Convention on the law of the Sea, plus such international organizations as the European Space Agency and INMARSAT, all with the view to finding the best model for the application of the principle of the Common Heritage of Mankind to Outer Space. The …  Lire la suite

Although China is removing barriers to the development of electronic commerce, little systematic research has been undertaken on what strategies it should adopt from the perspective of the government. This exploratory study is founded first upon a working framework of the elements of electronic commerce by reviewing the main literature on the subject, thereby surveying the most advanced experiences and the international regime. Based on comparisons in the selected areas, bottlenecks in the development of electronic commerce in China are identified as the following: the backwardness of the IT infrastructure, a fragmentary payment system, an inadequate delivery system, and an …  Lire la suite

The extent to which translation moulded Middle English romance as an emerging genre remains largely unexamined. In this dissertation I identify the principal methodological difficulties that have prevented scholars from giving due attention to this problem, and offer a case study in which I look at how translational procedures shaped the romance of Sir Beves of Hampton, a translation of the Anglo-Norman Boeve de Haumtone . Having outlined the practical difficulties posed by the intricate textual tradition of Boeve and Beves, the multilingualism of medieval England, and the scarcity of concrete evidence regarding the audience for Middle English romance, I …  Lire la suite

A multidisciplinary approach is utilized to assess the organization and use of ancient and medieval Near Eastern textual deposits. An elaborate survey of the published material in ancient Near Eastern studies and library and archival studies indicates a general and pervasive insensitivity to and misuse of key terminological constructs. The indistinct portrayal of the nature of ancient libraries and archives is identified as of particular concern; as well as a widespread disregard for the recognition of textual collections older than the famed Library of Alexandria. This dissertation endeavours to indicate the presence of distinct textual collective units in the ancient …  Lire la suite

This thesis aims at clarifying the situation of supplying to the French colonies of North America, during the 18th century. It attempts to redefine what can be construed as "supplying" and in the process, identifies its various sources. The study of one of these sources, the direct contribution of France, constitutes the second part of the thesis, as seen through the example of Pierre-Jacques Lemoyne, supplier to the colonies from 1734 to 1762. This stance permits to go further than the better-known world of the merchants carrying the King's goods. Suppliers to the colonies are thus revealed to be split …  Lire la suite

The first chapter of this thesis consists in a critical review of the literature on cardiac and cardiac-related autonomic activity, and infant development. Empirical findings are presented on mechanisms of interaction between heart rate and the autonomic nervous system; their relationship with infant development; their genetic and environmental influences; their gender effects; and related quantification issues. This is followed by a study of 322 5-month-old twin pairs that investigated the genetic and environmental influences on sleeping heart rate and cardiac-related autonomic activity, as indexed by spectral analysis of heart rate variability and response to postural change. The postural change elicited …  Lire la suite

Ricard, François (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

In this study, RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and SCAR (Sequence Amplified Characterized Region) markers found within 5 centiMorgans of known disease resistance loci in L. sativa were tested for their potential use in MAS. Out of thirty RAPD and SCAR markers evaluated, ten were found to be reliable predictors of disease resistance or susceptibility across a wide range of commercial and reference cultivars. Direct sequencing of seven selected markers did not reveal any significant similarity with known sequences. Three SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) associated with two markers found in close proximity to corky root (cor) and Lettuce mosaic virus …  Lire la suite

Ductile coupled walls are important elements in resisting seismic loads in tall buildings. Ductile coupling beams must possess excellent energy absorption characteristics and significant ductility. Coupling beams with small span-to-depth ratios typically utilize diagonal bars to resist the shear and flexure. The present method for the confinement of the diagonal reinforcement requires closely spaced seismic hoops. This type of coupling beam is difficult to assemble and has several areas of congested steel bars. To simplify construction and ease the steel congestion, it is proposed that the confinement of the diagonal bars be provided by headed bars. Two full-scale coupling beam …  Lire la suite

Three new species and one new genus of Farreidae are reported. The first, Farrea herdendorfi, is described from nearly undamaged specimens collected by robot submersible from the shipwreck of the S.S. 'Central America', 300km ESE of Charleston, S.C. The second, Farrea seiri , is described from a partial specimen obtained by dredge near the South East Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean. The new genus and species Asceptrula axialis, is described from fragments collected by robot submersible from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, off northern Oregon.  Lire la suite

Blind source separation (BSS) attempts to recover a set of statistically independent sources from a set of mixtures knowing only the structure of the mixing network, and the hypothesized probability distribution function of the sources. The case where the sources are immobile persons speaking in a reverberant room is of particular interest, because it represents a first step toward unlocking the so-called "cocktail party problem". Due to the reverberations, BSS in the time domain is usually expensive in terms of computations, but the number of computations can be significantly decreased if separation is carried out in subbands. An implementation of …  Lire la suite

Masks, actions, words. These three elements provide a starting point for a study of the devil figure as represented in Middle French saint's plays (mysteres hagiographiques). An urban, popular art, mediaeval French theatre addressed a broad public that it was considered useful to both edify---particularly in the case of the mysteres---and divert. The mysteres represented and interpreted the world. In this theatre, the devil figures embody Evil and adversity, but also alterity. Placed in opposition to the saints and the sublime inhabitants of Heaven, they appear grotesque, crude and carnivalesque. Often the mainspring of the action, they are essential to …  Lire la suite

Sadikot, Abbas F. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis explores the foundations of the complex and multifaceted work of Leonardo da Vinci as a whole. What underscores the universality of his research and transcends the artificial divisions of his vast body of work into modern categories of specialization, is the operation of analogy, which is grounded in a mimetic imagination. Leonardo's search is ultimately one of understanding the underlying causes that animate the universe and through analogy, his work and his world hold together. Central to my investigation of the continuity of Leonardo's analogical mode of thinking and making, are questions pertaining to the body, architecture and …  Lire la suite

Suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals may be prepared by hydrolysing wood pulp or cotton filter paper with sulfuric acid. Due to the rod-like shape of the nanocrystals, these aqueous suspensions display liquid crystalline behaviour. This thesis examines these unique suspensions at three different concentration ranges. At low cellulose concentrations the suspensions are disordered, becoming ordered upon reaching a critical concentration, which depends on the aspect ratio of the rods. AFM and TEM were used to characterize particle size and polydispersity. Just beyond the critical concentration for anisotropic phase formation is an intermediate concentration range in which the isotropic and anisotropic phases …  Lire la suite

More than 100 years ago, H. A. Schwarz formulated a method to prove the existence of harmonic functions on irregular domains. This method, the alternating Schwarz method, is based on the decomposition of the domain into subdomains and is the first known domain decomposition method. Modern variants of the Schwarz algorithm, the additive and multiplicative Schwarz methods are studied in this work as domain decomposition methods and as preconditioners for the solution of algebraic equations. Recently, a new variant of the additive Schwarz method was introduced, the restricted additive Schwarz, which was found to converge faster and require less communication …  Lire la suite

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of David Cronenberg's body-horror films in relation to their embodied spectators. In these films, the horror is not only about the vulnerability of the mortal body, but also about the horrific consequences of organizing culture around the philosophical splitting of the mind from the body. To analyze this relationship, I utilize Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of the body, object-relations psychoanalysis, especially D. W. Winnicott's theory of the intermeshed psyche-soma, various pro-feminist approaches to horror films, and a concept of ideology informed by nonverbal communication research. The historical arc of Cronenberg's body-horror films has produced a unique …  Lire la suite

Both major histocompatibility genes (MHC) and infection have been shown to influence urinary odours in mice, and mice may use MHC-associated odours to detect kin for the purpose of choosing communal nesting partners, or to avoid mating with close relatives. Additionally, mice may use infection-related odours to avoid mating with sick individuals or those genetically susceptible to infection. I tested the above theories using urine as the source of odour. In a series of odour preference experiments, employing two MHC-congenic strains of mice (B10 and B10.Q), I tested the proposition that females prefer MHC-similar female odours when choosing female relatives …  Lire la suite

This study draws on previous research (e.g., Labov, 1969; Carranza & Ryan, 1975; Brennan & Brennan, 1981; Alford & Strother, 1990) which has revealed and confirmed the many language stereotypes and biases in existence in the United States The present study differs from earlier investigations in that it specifically addresses the current-day attitudes of American English speakers toward a selection of accents that include both native (U.S. regional) and nonnative (foreign or ethnic) accents of English. The purpose of the present study was to determine the evaluative reactions of an American-born audience toward accented English speech. Fifty-three American college students …  Lire la suite

Five strains (9L, 642A, 714, 5688T and 3384Y) of Histophilus ovis were investigated with respect to iron acquisition. All strains used ovine, bovine and goat, but not porcine or human, transferrins (Tfs) as iron sources for growth. In solid phase binding assays, total membranes from only two (9L and 642A) of the five strains, grown under iron-restricted conditions, were able to bind Tfs (ovine, bovine and goat, but not porcine or human). However, when the organisms were grown under iron-restricted conditions in the presence of bovine Tf, total membranes from all strains exhibited Tf binding (as above); competition experiments demonstrated …  Lire la suite

Azobenzenes can undergo photoisomerization, therefore systems incorporating these chromophores present light-switchable properties. The reversible photoisomerization from the trans to the cis form is accompanied by several changes at the molecular level. Differences in the absorption spectrum, polarity and structure between the two isomers have been used in various systems to fine-tune other properties of these systems with light. The present work reviews physical properties that can be photomodulated in polymers functionalised with azobenzenes. Emphasis is put on electric and magnetic properties, structural changes, surface properties, binding activity, complexation, stereochemistry, ion permeability and enzyme activity. The second part of the thesis …  Lire la suite

The effects of deep fat frying and oven baking on mass transfer (moisture loss and oil uptake), color and textural characteristics of chicken nuggets were studied. Deep fat frying was performed at three oil temperatures, namely 150, 170 and 190°C. The frying times were 1, 2, 3 and 4 min. Oven baking was accomplished at three temperature levels: 200, 220, and 240°C, and the baking times were 10, 15, 20 and 25 min. Moisture content of the breading portion of the fried chicken nuggets decreased following a typical drying curve and ranged from 0.90 to 0.22 g/g (db), while the …  Lire la suite

Climatic loads (wind speed and ice accumulation) are the main factors that govern the planning and design of telecommunication towers and electric transmission lines. Whilst wind loads are covered comprehensively in the literature and in design standards, ice loads and rules for combination of wind speed on ice-covered-structures are still in development. The main difficulty in achieving a design that meets a target reliability level as specified in design codes is the uncertainty in the temporal and spatial variation of ice accretion. Due to the lack of sufficient direct field measurements, empirical models are usually utilized in combination with meteorological …  Lire la suite

Hamel, C. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The task of developing, tuning, and debugging compiler optimizations is a difficult one which can be facilitated by software visualization. There are many characteristics of the code which must be considered when studying the kinds of optimizations which can be performed. These characteristics can include large amounts of data which would be difficult to inspect without the appropriate tools. Both static data collected at compile-time and dynamic runtime data can reveal opportunities for optimization and affect code transformations. In order to expose the behavior of such complex systems, visualizations should include as much information as possible and accommodate the different …  Lire la suite

Carnevale, Franco (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The epididymis is the site for the transport, maturation and storage of spermatozoa. It is well established that epididymal structure and function are dependent on the testis for circulating androgens and factors in luminal fluid. Using cDNA microarrays, our objective is to characterize the expression of genes that are regulated over the first week post-orchidectomy in the epididymis of the adult Brown Norway rat. We describe four patterns of gene expression that are simultaneously activated in the epididymis after orchidectomy. We identify potential androgen-dependent genes including glutathione S-transferases and calcium-binding proteins, as well as potential androgen-repressed genes such as glutathione …  Lire la suite

Synthetic methods were developed for the preparation of several structurally diverse aromatic peptide nucleic acid (APNA) monomers containing all four natural DNA bases. This set of building blocks was useful for the preparation of oligomers designed to evaluate the hybridization properties of novel peptide nucleic acid (PNA) analogues, which incorporate aromatic rings into their backbone. Protocols for the solid-phase synthesis of APNA-PNA chimeras and APNA homopolymers were also developed. Thermal denaturation experiments involving APNA-PNA chimeras demonstrated that APNA backbones comprised of N-(2-aminomethylphenyl) glycine and N-(2-aminobenzyl) glycine as the backbone moiety exhibited good binding affinity for DNA and RNA. Further studies …  Lire la suite

This study investigates the role of substance P and NK-1 receptors in an animal model of neuropathic pain. Unlike naive animals, innocuous peripheral stimulation of neuropathic animals was determined to cause heterosegmental inhibition in the tail-flick test as well as increased plasma extravasation in the paw. These effects were prevented by administration of CP-96,345 before stimulation. Additionally, CP-96,345 or an antisense oligonucleotide against NK-1 receptors significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia in neuropathic animals. Finally, mass spectrum of lumbar spinal cord of neuropathic but not naIve animals showed a significant upregulation of substance P. We conclude that innocuous stimulation of a neuropathic …  Lire la suite

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an adult-onset disorder characterized by progressive eyelid drooping, swallowing difficulties, and proximal limb weakness. The autosomal dominant form of this disease is caused by the expansion of a polyalanine stretch from 10 to 12--17 alanines in the N-terminus of PABPN1. Mutated PABPN1 (mPABPN1) is able to induce the formation of filamentous intranuclear inclusions that are the pathological hallmark of OPMD. PABPN1 is predominantly localized to the nucleus, binds RNA poly(A) tail, forms oliogmers, and is involved in polyadenylation. In this study we first demonstrated that oligomerization of PABPN1 is mediated by two potential oligomerization domains …  Lire la suite

What is meant by configural and holistic processing? The present project attempts to answer this question by formalizing configural and holistic processing as interactive processing of face parts. Four face images were created from one main face by varying the eye distance and nose length of the face to yield a 2x2 feature-complete factorial combination set of stimuli. Participants viewed each version of the face for 100 msecs, and then identified the face they saw. Their responses were subjected to multidimensional signal detection analysis to obtain estimates of different types of perceptual interactions defined by General Recognition Theory (Ashby & …  Lire la suite

This thesis argues that non-argumentational strategies of persuasion in the major-length speeches of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark account for a considerable part of the author's intended persuasive effect. Gospel criticism has typically read these speeches as deposits of possible authentic words of Jesus, as evidence of Christology or as links in the plot of Mark's narrative while rhetorical criticism of the Gospels has focused upon Jesus' shorter utterances as argumentation within episodes. However, the speeches are not consistently logical or argumentational and they stand out in the larger narrative as extended stretches of Jesus' voice. Treating the four …  Lire la suite

This study investigates respiration rate of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) under real and experimental storage conditions. Real storage conditions were obtained by building a small-scale storage facility equipped with two independent storage bins including all controls. Each bin was filled with 2.5 metric tons of potatoes and these were stored for five months. Temperature, relative humidity, air flowrate and other operational parameters were collected. Also, mass loss and CO2 analyses were performed. A heat and moisture balance was applied to quantify heat and moisture rates produced by potatoes and were converted to respiration rates as CO 2 produced (ml.kg-1.h-1). Evaporation …  Lire la suite

This thesis is designed to examine the effects of discrimination on its target. It aims to investigate the psychological, physical, perceptual and behavioral responses that individuals exhibit when faced with racist, sexist and heterosexist as well as other types of discriminatory acts. Through meta-analytic procedures, findings from existing studies investigating the impact of discrimination on the target were gathered and their average effect sizes calculated. A total of 50 empirical studies were identified, from which 84 effect sizes were derived. Using homogeneity analysis techniques, the studies' effect sizes were compared and analyzed. The results show significant heterogeneity in the overall …  Lire la suite

Shapiro, Stan (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis examines and analyzes the controversy around white rapper Eminem to inspect the way in which black and white theories of belonging function within an American context. The assumption behind the racial dichotomy that defines whites and blacks in oppositional positive and negative terms presumes that identity is structured along race stereotypes. This belief is evident in the differing responses to Eminem's affiliation with hip-hop culture and through the extent in which he employs hip-hop cultural forms, styles, and traits into his rap image. Although a popular mainstream artist, Eminem (and his "thug" Slim Shady alter ego) maintains his …  Lire la suite

This thesis is an analysis as to whether or not Subcultural Theory may be utilized to understand how self-identification is configured within a subculture such as rave. Typically, subcultural membership requires various performative rites that express and maintain a group sensibility and identity. Rave, however, is a subculture that involves a relationship to space and technology that changes the nature of group affiliation within the subculture. This thesis focuses on how a body immersed in subcultural practices, and organized around varying technologies, must look toward an analysis of individual and subjective adaptations of those technologies. In essence, rave allows for …  Lire la suite

The passions aroused by the Spanish Civil War have yet to recede. The extensive literature that has been produced and continues to be published testifies to this fact. From the outset of the war in Spain, numerous European countries actively participated in the Spanish conflict. However, Soviet military "aid" to the Republican government "has provoked more questions, mystification and bitter controversy than any other subject in the history of the Spanish Civil War."1 Although the Spanish Civil War took place almost 70 years ago, and the intervention or non-intervention of many countries in Spain is well documented, Soviet involvement remains …  Lire la suite

In this dissertation I examine Isaiah Berlin's view of pluralism. Where some have claimed that Berlin cannot justify his commitment to liberalism given his ideas about moral pluralism---that his views are subjective---I argue that he can justify his commitment to liberalism, and avoid the problems of relativism. The departing point of my study is that unlike many, I do not think it is necessary to explicate Berlin's opinions about history, nationalism, or similar ideas---that what he says about pluralism is logically distinct from his other views. My argument has two basic parts. In the first I argue that Berlin's conception …  Lire la suite

The monumental paintings that Canadian artist Attila Richard Lukacs (b. 1962, Edmonton) created while in Berlin (after 1986) focus on the themes of desire, power, masculinity, and eroticism. This focus, however, is not only a representation of what he sees, but is also an attempt to order things to a political and ethical end. Using the major works of Michel Foucault ( The Order of Things, The History of Sexuality), the thesis demonstrates how Where the Finest Young Men... (1987) and Authentic Decor (1988), may be interpreted as achieving a fundamental ordering and representation of desire. In particular, the thesis …  Lire la suite

The effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis at reducing the incidence of root diseases has received considerable attention. However, information on the role of mycorrhizae in reducing disease incidence of Fusarium root rot of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), caused by the root pathogen Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli, is scarce. A study was undertaken to investigate how the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus intraradices affects disease development and population number of F. solani f. sp. phaseoli in the mycorhizosphere of bean plants growing in an experimental microcosm unit. This newly designed unit facilitated the spatial monitoring and quantification of both the …  Lire la suite

The present work deals with establishing of the exact meaning of the technical terms used by al-Kindi in the longest of his extant philosophical treatises, The Letter on the First Philosophy. On many occasions, however, when the meaning of a term appeared to be obscure in the Letter, the evidence of al-Kindī's usage of such a term has had to be brought forward from his other philosophical works in order to elucidate its meaning as accurately as possible. Much attention has been paid to the original significance of the terms that are al-Kindī's translation of Aristotle's philosophical vocabulary. In some …  Lire la suite

The NMR solution structure of TM0983, a thermostable protein from Thermo-oga Maritima was solved with minimal constraints as part of a large scale structural proteomics project. A putative function for this protein was assigned based on a structural homolgy search using DALI. Measurements of 15N-1H residual dipolar couplings were performed and used to further refine the structure. These restraints decreased the backbone RMSD from 0.9 to 0.683, and helped to identify a cis peptide bond between C36 and P37. Another thermostable protein, MTH1440, from Methanobacter Thermoautotrophicus was purified for the purpose of NMR structural studies. The purification procedure was optimized …  Lire la suite

This study intends to examine a ninth century anti-Christian polemic work written by the great Muslim litterateur al-Jaḥiẓ. The historical background of the treatise is presented within the contexts of the early `Abbasid regime (750-900), the Christian communities of the time, the impact of the translation movement, the rise and development of polemic discourse between Muslims and Christians, and the life and works of al-Jaḥiẓ. The study provides the manuscript background of the letter along with a translation supplemented by the work of Joshua Finkel. The analysis of the work is limited to one section, which reflects al-Jaḥiẓ's most original …  Lire la suite

When the European Commission ultimately blocked the merger between American giant General Electrics and Honeywell in July 2001, this decision triggered a firestorm of criticism. Not only had the Commission just stopped a purely American transaction for the first time since the enactment of European Merger Regulation, but it also contradicted its American Counterpart, the US Department of Justice: The Americans had cleared the deal several months earlier. In spite of constant cooperative efforts during the investigation, the two antitrust agencies could not reach a common position. When scholars and officials tried to find reasons for the divergence between the …  Lire la suite

Time-series data that reflect a periodic pattern are often used in psychology. In personality psychology, Brown and Moskowitz (1998) used spectral analysis to study whether fluctuations in the expression of four interpersonal behaviors show a cyclical pattern. Spline smoothing had also been used in the past to track the non-periodic trend, but no research has yet been done that combines spectral analysis and spline smoothing. The present thesis describes a new model which combines these two techniques to capture both periodic and non-periodic trends in the data. The new model is then applied to Brown and Moskowitz's time-series data to …  Lire la suite

Titman, Rodger D. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The study of flow of water through porous medium is important in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. For determining the in situ hydraulic conductivity characteristics of porous media, one of the most convenient and popular methods is the cased borehole technique. In this method, water is allowed to enter the excavated region of the cased borehole inserted into the ground. The rate of rise of water in the casing is then used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity characteristics of the porous medium in the vicinity of the entry point. When the porous medium has isotropic hydraulic conductivity characteristics, the "intake shape …  Lire la suite

Glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls) are the proposed site of action for macrocyclic lactone anthelminthics, such as IVM, and the milbemycins, such as MOX. The objective of this thesis was to determine whether Haemonchus contortus GluCls are important targets for these anthelminthics. To begin to address this we cloned a full length GluCl alpha-subunit cDNA from H. contortus (HcGluCla). This subunit shares a high homology with GluCl subunits from Caenhorhabditis elegans that have been shown to be important targets for IVM, suggesting that HcGluCla is also an IVM target. However, if HcGluCla is an IVM receptor then it should contain an …  Lire la suite