McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2004

A genome sequence can be conceptualized as a 'book' written with four nucleotide 'letters' in oligonucleotide (oligo) 'words'. These words can be used in genomics, bioinformatics and the development of molecular markers. The whole-genome sequence for rice (Oryza sativa L.) is almost finished and has been assembled into pseudomolecules. For barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) expressed sequence tags (ESTs) have been assembled into 21,981 tentative consensus sequences (TCs). The availability of such sequence information provides opportunities to investigate oligo usage within and between genomes. For the first of three studies reported in this thesis, a C++ program was written to …  Lire la suite

The catalytic oxidation of bisphenol A (BPA) by laccase (EC 1.10.3.2) has recently attracted considerable attention because laccase can rapidly transform potentially persistent and toxic pollutants such as bisphenol A in the presence of molecular oxygen. Direct treatment of wastewaters containing bisphenol A would require excessive amounts of laccase if the enzyme is lost with the effluent and, thus, treatment would be cost-prohibitive. Therefore, strategies are desired for retaining the enzyme in the treatment system. It was envisioned that this could be accomplished by extracting pollutants into a non-aqueous phase liquid and then treating them in that phase using enzymatic …  Lire la suite

The discovery of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes has been very significant to the field of nanotechnology by providing an abundance of stable, highly symmetric, non-reactive, and relatively large molecules that can, in principle, be manipulated one at a time. At the present stage, a theoretical effort should be carried out in order to find and understand novel phenomena in molecule-based nanostructures which could serve as a basis for fabricating useful molecular devices. In this thesis we investigate from first-principles the transport properties of molecular devices: fullerene and carbon nanotube systems. We begin with charge transport in carbon nanotubes with oxygen, …  Lire la suite

This historical survey traces the interpretation of Exodus 12:1--2, the Bible's first calendrical commandment, through Jewish and sectarian writings from the biblical verses themselves through the medieval era. It explores both the history of the interpretation of these verses and their application in developing a calendar traced along a historical arc spanning carefully chosen sources. These include the Septuagint and Pseudepigrapha, as well as numerous antique and early medieval Jewish sources---the Tannaim, Amoraim, and Jewish sectarian groups such as the Qumranites, Samaritans, and Karaites. The end point of this survey is the middle of the fifteenth century, prior to the …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of puck mass on shot velocity of female ice hockey players. The contributions of upper body strength and skill level to shot velocity were also examined. Female varsity and recreational players (n = 29, age = 21.3 yr) performed shooting tests on ice. The participants shot 20 light weight (5 oz) and 20 regulation (6 oz) pucks, using 4 different types of shots (standing wrist shot, standing slap shot, skating wrist shot, skating slap shot). The on-ice tests were followed-by 3 musculoskeletal tests; predicted 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) bench …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to describe the profile and outcomes of geriatric trauma care patients treated in level I trauma centers in Quebec. The study also evaluated the quality of care provided to geriatric trauma patients and identified predictors of outcomes which focused on mortality. A total of 4934 trauma patients over the age of 65 were admitted for the treatment of injuries in three level I trauma centers in Quebec. The majority of the patients were injured in falls and had a low injury severity score. Male gender, older age, thoracic and abdominal injuries, burns, …  Lire la suite

Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most toxic form of Hg to wildlife, partly because of its ability to biomagnify through the food chain. Previous studies have shown that river otter (Lutra canadensis) is particularly susceptible to increased exposure and body burdens of MeHg due to the piscivorous nature of its diet. The objectives of this study were to attempt to establish a relationship between MeHg concentrations in otter tissues and DNA fragmentation using single cell electrophoresis (comet assay) as well as evaluate the effectiveness of the comet assay as a tool in genotoxicity assessment in field samples. Results of preliminary experiments …  Lire la suite

This thesis investigates the potential role of historical isolation of ocean basins in promoting diversification among marine organisms in Southeast Asia. It also questions the possible effects of Pleistocene exposure of the Sunda Shelf on present day marine distributions and genetic diversity. Four species of exploited seahorses (genus Hippocampus), with differing ecological parameters, are used to test historical hypotheses. The results (based on cytochrome b DNA sequencing) suggest that significant phylogeographic structure does exist among seahorse populations in Southeast Asia, but that the patterns are only partially concordant across species. Distinct phylogeographic breaks are seen in H. barbouri, H. kuda, …  Lire la suite

Acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) is an essential component of effective hands-free telephony. Conventional AEC systems employ linear adaptive filters; therefore transmission channel nonlinearities caused by nonlinear components (especially the vocoders in digital networks) can severely degrade performance. This dissertation examines the performance of popular conventional AEC algorithms based on adaptive filtering theory in nonlinear channels. In order to study the degradation of the algorithms in nonlinear channels, properties of nonlinear devices such as vocoders and loudspeakers are investigated, and a local linearization model is developed for the analysis of the nonlinear devices. This local linearization model is justified by experiments. …  Lire la suite

The tyrosine kinase receptor HER2/neu (ErbB2) plays fundamental roles in the development, proliferation and differentiation processes. Overexpression of ErbB2 is present in 25%--30% of breast cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Trastuzumab (Herceptin), a humanized anti-ErbB2 antibody used to treat ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer, is often cited as a prototype for rationally-designed anti-neoplastic drugs targeting critical signal transduction pathways. However, development of resistance to trastuzumab is common, and the duration of the clinical response rarely exceeds 12 months. The insulin-like growth-I receptor (IGF-IR) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor activated by binding of the IGF ligands. The IGF-IR signaling provokes …  Lire la suite

The Protestant community is articulated through liturgy, history, and drama. Liturgy teaches communal bonds and scripts their enactment, while narrative and dramatic depictions of the collective past appeal to the imagination of readers and viewers. Liturgy and literature are joined by the participation they invite, which engages parishioners, readers, and audiences with questions of affiliation and collectivity. Lack of attention to the ways Renaissance texts pondered over and produced bonds of commonality has sidetracked us from the communal nature of the period. We need to reevaluate such bonds to better understand how English culture imagined relationships between individual and community, …  Lire la suite

A technique for preparing tips with a radius of a few nanometers from tungsten wire is investigated. The sharp shape is obtained by electrochemical etching; further tip processing and characterization is done in ultra-high vacuum. Tips are cleaned through a high temperature annealing process and their sharpness can be quickly estimated from their field emission behaviour. Sufficiently sharp tips are imaged with a field ion microscope; full atomic characterization of the tip apex can be obtained from an analysis of the resulting images and field evaporation can be used to atomically engineer the tip apex into a desired configuration. Starting …  Lire la suite

Maintaining appropriate patterns of gene expression in the gametes and during early embryogenesis is essential for normal development. DNA methylation is an epigenetic means of regulating gene expression and is an important molecular mark regulating the sex-specific expression of genes subject to genomic imprinting. Imprinted genes are expressed from only one of two inherited chromosomes and are differentially marked during gametogenesis to allow for their parental allele specific expression. These genes affect embryo growth, placental function, behavior after birth and are implicated in the etiology of a number of human diseases. The primary objective of this thesis was to gain …  Lire la suite

The overall objective of this study was the optimization of a model enzymatic system in organic solvent media for the biosynthesis of selected phenolic lipid compounds. The model enzymatic system consisted of cinnamic acid and oleyl alcohol as substrates using commercial immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) from Candida antarctica. The experimental findings showed that an increase in the hydrophobicity of the solvent mixture and a decrease in the aw values of the reaction medium increased the initial enzymatic activity and bioconversion yield; the use of an iso-octane and butanone solvent mixture (85:15, v/v) and an initial aw of 0.05 resulted in …  Lire la suite

Richardson, J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR), a procedure for enhancing myocardial perfusion, is used to treat patients with refractory angina. The mechanism remains elusive. We tested the hypotheses that (a) needle TMR induces nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme, which is potentially capable of causing vasodilatation to augment blood flow; (b) that needle TMR can recruit smooth muscle cells for vessel development (arteriogenesis) in the late phase of TMR; and (c) that needle TMR improves myocardial regional blood flow in the early and late phases of TMR under either rest or stress conditions. We conclude that, both experimentally and clinically, the validity of TMR …  Lire la suite

The study of resilient children has overturned many deficit focused models about the ontogenesis of children raised in adversity. Resilience research has flourished over the last three decades, and emphasis on the development of resilience skills are increasingly being incorporated into prevention programs. This study explores whether youth identified as resilient are as likely as those identified as vulnerable to engage in excessive gambling behaviour, and to examine the impact of several risk and protective factors on gambling severity among adolescents. The sample consisted of 1,273 students aged 12-19. The results suggest that vulnerable youth, low in resilience, are more …  Lire la suite

Adult learning models have emerged that help social work students to make links between their lived experiences, narratives, and their developing identity as practitioners. This educational methodology involves students exploring and co-constructing their own personal and professional narratives through dialogue, sharing them within a reflecting team format. Reflecting teams emerged out of the work of family therapist Tom Andersen, and have been further developed for practitioner education by narrative therapist, Michael White. A detailed description of the learning model is provided, with an overview of the orienting principles and some guidelines for application. The educational practice of reflecting processes is …  Lire la suite

The main challenge for developing accurate and efficient delay metrics has been the prediction of delay to points on the interconnect which are relatively close to the source. Those metrics which are relatively successful in meeting this challenge require two-dimensional look-up tables and algorithm tuning, and are quite challenging to implement. The simpler explicit metrics only work well on so-called far nodes, which are characterized by all-pole frequency responses. In this thesis, we first review an existing delay metric for wires and then try to extend it to arbitrary tree networks. Thorough tests demonstrate it to be accurate and efficient …  Lire la suite

This project was designed to investigate the impact of natural levels of ultraviolet-B radiation on the genomic mutation rate in Arabidopsis thaliana. UV-B radiation is a known mutagen, but plants may have evolved mechanisms to cope with any genomic damage induced by routine exposure to this radiation. In an attempt to determine whether the genomic mutation rate in a plant species is elevated in the presence of UV-B, two eleven generation mutation accumulation studies were preformed. One study incorporated levels of UV-B similar to that encountered on a clear mid-summer's day, while the other was performed in the absence of …  Lire la suite

Understanding the origins of biological diversity is a fundamental goal of evolutionary biology. A large body of theory attributes ecological and genetic diversification to divergent natural selection for resource specialization. This thesis examines adaptive radiation in response to selection for resource specialization in microcosm populations of the asexual bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens. The general protocol for these experiments is to introduce a clonal population of Pseudomonas into a novel environment and to allow evolution to occur through the spontaneous appearance of novel genotypes carrying beneficial mutations. Adaptation can then be quantified through direct comparisons between evolved populations and their clonal ancestors. …  Lire la suite

Lee, B. H. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Montreal is the third largest city in Canada according to the size of its population, and ranks second in terms of seismic vulnerability. In the past decades many studies of the soil deposits of the Montreal Island have taken place without considering the influence of unconsolidated soils. The objective of this thesis is to determine the predominant frequency and amplification of the ground acceleration of the unconsolidated soils, on the Island of Montreal. The methodology consists of applying the widely known Nakamura's technique to obtain the predominant frequency of resonance. The technique consists in calculating the ratio between the horizontal …  Lire la suite

The Neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry of Tyre (ca.232-305 A.D.) wrote Against the Christians, a fifteen-volume treatise targeting Christianity. Porphyry's attack was considered so scandalous that it was twice condemned to flames by Roman emperors. It is thus only in the works of Christian apologists that Against the Christians is extant, i.e. in a fragmentary state. The topic of this study is the twelfth book of Porphyry's treatise, the best known and probably the most challenging to Christians. Indeed, it deals with the Book of Daniel, which underlies a great part of Christianity's foundations as it allegedly foretells both Parousiai. It will …  Lire la suite

In criminal investigations involving glass evidence, refractive index (RI) is the property of glass most commonly used by forensic examiners to determine the association between control samples of glass obtained at the crime scene, and samples of glass found on a suspect. Previous studies have shown that an intrinsic variability of RI exists within a pane of float glass. In this thesis, we attempt to determine whether this variability is spatially determined or random in nature, the conclusion of which plays an important role in the statistical interpretation of glass evidence. We take a Bayesian approach in fitting a spatial …  Lire la suite

Two-way chaining is a novel hashing scheme that uses two independent truly uniform hash functions f and g to insert m keys into a hash table with n chains, where each key x is inserted into the shortest chain among the chains f(x) and g( x), breaking ties randomly. It is known [13, 18] that the worst-case search time of two-way chaining is log2 log n + m/n + O(1), asymptotically almost surely. In this thesis, we study the two-way chaining paradigm under different assumptions. First, we generalize the result to nonuniform hash functions. We analyze two-way chaining in the …  Lire la suite

This thesis is aimed at understanding and fully characterising the association mechanism of an alternating copolymer in water and the effect of the association in solution on the conformation of the polymer chains at the air/water interface. Self-assembly is an elegant and efficient method to obtain well defined and usually defect-free nano-architectures. The association, variety of shapes and properties of block copolymers have been extensively studied. The present study led to a precise understanding of the complex behaviour of large molecules. The polymer studied is an alternating copolymer; poly(styrene- alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA). This polymer has various applications ranging from surface …  Lire la suite

In order to grasp an object, the human nervous system must transform the intended hand displacement into control signals distributed to motor neurons and ultimately to muscles. The aim of this thesis is to describe the nature of the internal representations that the human motor system uses to perform reaching movements. The aim of the first study was to provide a clear and simple way to test whether dynamical information is coded by the nervous system in an extrinsic, Cartesian, versus intrinsic, muscle- or joint-based, system of coordinates. As a means to determine the frame for reference used by the …  Lire la suite

The importance of genes in the etiology of bipolar disorder (BD) has been substantiated through family, twin and adoption studies. The search for susceptibility genes, however, has proved to be an arduous task with disease complexity leading to the non-replication of published results. We have used lithium treatment response as a classification variable, thus providing a phenotypically more homogeneous sample to work with. With this sample we carried out pharmacogenetic studies to identify genes involved in the etiology of BD and/or in the response to Li. The phosphoinositide and cAMP pathway have been shown to be involved in Li's mode …  Lire la suite

The netrins are a family of secreted proteins with a well characterized role in directing migrating cells and axons during embryogenesis. Netrin-1 is also expressed in the adult CNS, although its function in the adult is not known. Characterization of netrin-1 in the adult spinal cord indicated that it is expressed by neurons and oligodendrocytes and that following its secretion, netrin-1 is associated with membranes and extracellular matrix (ECM). Netrin-1 attracts or repels different cell types in the developing CNS. The repertoire of netrin receptors expressed exerts a key influence on the response of a cell to netrin-1. Expression of …  Lire la suite

Koski, K. G. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the process of manipulation of the image of the Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600--1681) during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Intellectuals of all political stripes sought to impose their own agendas by advancing both conservative and reformist convictions as they used the figure of Calderon to their own advantage in the creation of a 'Spanish national identity' for the time. The research conducted here focuses on the writings of various thinkers of the rival ideologies over the two centuries mentioned above. What this demonstrates most cogently is how, …  Lire la suite

The Groucho/Transducin-like Enhancer of split (Gro/TLE) proteins are a family of transcriptional corepressors involved in a variety of cell differentiation mechanisms in both invertebrates and vertebrates. In particular, they act as negative regulators of neuronal development. Gro/TLEs can be recruited to DNA by forming complexes with a number of DNA-binding transcription factors and are thus involved in the regulation of numerous genes. The aim of this study was to characterize a new member of the Gro/TLE family named Groucho-related gene 6 (Grg6). It is reported here that Grg6 is expressed in selected regions of the murine embryonic nervous system in …  Lire la suite

This paper examines Zen Master Dogen's philosophy of shinjin datsuraku, dropping off body and mind, through his dialectical standpoint on sunyata. In our efforts, we shall learn of the philosophical affinities Dogen shares with early Mahayana thinkers, particularly Nagarjuna and his philosophy of emptiness. A demonstration of this connection will in turn open up a new conceptual window for viewing and interpreting various themes and passages within Dogen's writings. Some ideas we will explore in order to frame out a dialectical discussion of shinjin datsuraku are the mind-body problem and its relationship to the problem of time, as well as …  Lire la suite

Uveal melanoma is the most common intraocular tumor in adults. Despite advances in the accuracy of diagnosis, the ten-year mortality rate for patients has remained constant at approximately fifty percent. This indicates that a further understanding of the biological mechanisms behind this malignancy is required. Our laboratory utilizes five human uveal melanoma cell lines (92.1, MKT-BR, OCM-1, SP-6.5, UW-1) that have a previously described metastatic potential from an animal model (MP). We used four methods to characterize the proliferation rate of these five cell lines. We also used a Matrigel invasion assay to assess the invasive ability of the same …  Lire la suite

Current medical genetics research is dominated by a single theory that supports the Human Genome Project rationale. This thesis investigates this and several alternative hypotheses and the ethical context related to their development. Firstly, the hypotheses are discussed in detail followed by a subsection in which research evidence based on each hypothesis is cited. Secondly, these medical genetics hypotheses are situated within the contemporary medical paradigm. To conclude, the thesis examines in depth the ethical and practical implications of medical genetics research. A framework of analysis of scientific responsibility is used to explore these implications. Scientific responsibility, as presented in …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we defend the view of works-as-interaction by developing three independent arguments: the anti-textualist, the actionalist and the ecological arguments. The anti-textualist argument has two parts. First, the uniform category of text does not cover the diversity of types of literary works, as it is shown by oral works, multiple-texts works, visual literary works and numerical literary works. Second, we reject the idea that the text is sufficient to give the identity conditions of the literary work. The latter argument forces us to include the history of production and, in particular, of the generative actions required for the …  Lire la suite

Thomas, David Y. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis considers the application of the principles of distributed signal detection to the uplink of a mobile communication unit engaged in soft handoff, when all base stations involved are equipped with multiple receiving antennas. The system consists of a local detector at each base station and a fusion center at the Mobile Switching Center (MSC). Optimum decision rules are derived for systems without channel coding, as well as for systems using channel coding, over a quasi-static spatially uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channel. Two different cases are considered. In the first case, accurate estimates of the base station channel states are …  Lire la suite

The development of the hematopoietic system occurs in two waves: a first wave of primitive erythropoiesis, which consists in the production of a single lineage, primitive erythrocytes, and a second wave of definitive hematopoiesis, which describes the generation of many specialized blood cell types from common hematopoietic stem cells. Whereas definitive hematopoiesis is fairly well understood, involves signals from the environment and the expression of lineage-specific transcription factors, the molecular mechanisms regulating primitive erythropoiesis remain to be defined. The aim of this thesis was to clarify the roles of the Stem Cell Leukemia (SCL) gene and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor …  Lire la suite

This thesis deals with stage adaptation of Emile Zola's novel L'Assommoir. Adapted for the stage in 1879 by William Busnach, L'Assommoir was a hit, especially with the working class. Despite this, because of its supposed weak aesthetic value, the theatrical adaptation has not been recognized by literary history. Notwithstanding, the analysis of the characters and staging of this adaptation bring some interesting points to light. The representation of people at work, daily life, the clever transposition to stage of some of the novel's more daring passages, the use of slang and the choice of realist costumes and decor are novelties …  Lire la suite

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing protein structure-function relationships. With the use of isotope editing, it can also be employed to elucidate protein-nucleic acid interactions. This technique was used to study the sequence of heat-induced unfolding of the uniformly labeled 13C regulatory subunit (RSU) of E. coli aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase) with its inhibitor CTP. The absorption of CTP in the amide I' region limits our ability to detect protein conformational changes upon binding of CTP. Therefore, by labeling the protein with 13C shifts the amide I' band ~ 40 cm -1 and clearly separates the …  Lire la suite

In this study of 120 early adolescents (59 girls, 61 boys), 81 of whom were identified as gifted, overall psychosocial maturity (or social-perspective coordination) was measured and related to academic ability and adolescents' perceptions of friendship quality and self-concept. Gifted status, sex, and grade significantly* predicted overall psychosocial maturity in multiple regression analyses. Conversely, as a group, overall social-perspective coordination, perceptions of one's ability to make and keep friends (close friendship self-concept), academic ability, sex, and grade level predicted the overall quality of adolescents' friendships. Being a female, seventh grader, or adolescent not identified as gifted, significantly predicted friendship quality. …  Lire la suite

While most micrometeorological measurement techniques are only suitable for windy conditions, the Nocturnal Boundary Layer Technique can be used to measure trace gas flux during calm, clear nights as the nighttime stability enables gas emitted at the ground to accumulate. The difference between two measurements over the whole depth of this layer is believed to integrate emissions from a large area representative of, in this study, an agricultural farm. A tethersonde and infrared gas analyzer attached to a blimp carrying a bag sampling system monitored atmospheric variables for each ascent during two summer field campaigns. A mini-SODAR was installed in …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we explore "detail maps", a technique that is a combination of texture compression and texture synthesis. We decompose a given input texture into its high and low frequency components and, at runtime, recombine these components to generate a visually acceptable reconstruction of the original texture. Detail maps use less memory than the original texture, and they can be implemented in either software or graphics hardware. Our specific contributions are: the elimination of seam artifacts; showing how detail maps can be used for texture transfer and volume textures; and demonstrating how to texture very large spatial areas without …  Lire la suite

This thesis offers a comparative analysis of the Constitutional law mechanism for human rights protection in Canada and Russia. Russia is experiencing a transition from the former soviet regime towards democracy and civil society. Since the beginning of the transition in 1991 Russia has made three major steps in that direction: the adoption of the Declaration of Rights and Freedoms of the Individual and Citizen of 1991, the Constitution of 1993 and the ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights in 1998. However, the existent constitutional law mechanism for human rights protection is not fully effective due to its …  Lire la suite

Population growth and internal migration in parts of the developing world have led to increased conflict over land rights carried out in the context of competing tenure paradigms. In Kenya, violent conflict between 'indigenous' and 'outsider' communities occurring in the midst of a program of democratic liberalization and political change has been variously explained as primarily driven by material or political interests. This thesis examines land rights conflict in the wake of a violent clash at Enoosupukia in 1993, which led to the displacement of up to 30,000 people, and analyzes how changing tenure paradigms, shifting socio-spatial boundaries, ethno-political polarization, …  Lire la suite

Genomic imprinting is the differential expression of genetic material depending on the parent from which it is transmitted. It is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases, especially those involved in development, growth abnormalities and cancer. We examined the extent of and the variability of genomic imprinting amongst individuals in three human diseases, Wilms' tumour, Type 1 diabetes and Silver-Russell syndrome. Wilms' tumour (WT) is a renal embryonal cancer associated with overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). IGF2 is directed to the lysosomes for degradation by the mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor two receptor (M6P/IGF2R) encoded by the IGF2R gene, …  Lire la suite

We use all of our senses to perceive the world around us. One of the most important of these senses is vision. When objects fall on the central part of the retina, the fovea, we are able to see visual sights with great acuity. The oculomotor system is charged with the task of ensuring that the object of interest is brought on to the fovea. […]  Lire la suite

A real-time massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) is a networked computer or video game in which tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of consumers may interact with one another in real-time in a shared environment, even though these users may be separated by vast geographic distances. Game industry analysis highlights trends indicating that online game usage and market penetration will grow significantly over the next five to ten years. As such, game developers and entertainment companies seek to offer subscription based mass-market online games. However, the risks, costs and complexity involved in the successful development and operation of a …  Lire la suite