McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par B

The official language policies and their basic concepts, the principle of personality in Canada and the principle of territoriality in Switzerland, are critically analyzed. The two democratic federations are compared as two multination states since 'nation' is defined in cultural terms. Language survival is justified in liberal theory through minority rights. The principle of territoriality that assures the dominance of the linguistic majority over a territory within the federation is in accordance with liberal democracy if fundamental rights are protected. The principle of territoriality contributes thus to political stability within a multination federation. There is no movement in Switzerland that …  Lire la suite

Mathematical models and numerical solution methods for the computer simulation of solid particle trajectories in flows of molten aluminum subjected to steady, uniform, electric and magnetic fields are presented in this thesis. The underlying subject is electromagnetic (EM) filtration of molten metals. Attention is focused on steady, laminar, fully developed flows of molten aluminum inside a straight separation chamber of uniform rectangular cross-section. The walls of this chamber are assumed to be electrically non-conducting. The investigation is limited to solid inclusions (particles) that are electrically non-conducting and have an effective diameter in the range 5 mum to 100 mum. Steady, …  Lire la suite

Les oligodendrocytes (OL) et leurs processus de formation de la myéline sont ciblés et perdus au cours de la sclérose en plaques (SEP). Quand la barrière hémato-encéphalique (BHE) est c dégradée, les cellules immunitaires et les toxines présentes dans le sang ont accès au système nerveux central (SNC). La réparation de la myéline dépend du recrutement et de la différenciation des cellules précurseurs d'oligodendrocytes (OPC), présentes dans le cerveau humain adulte, où le microenvironnement contient des molécules pro-inflammatoires. La base de l'échec de la remyélinisation dans la SEP reste à définir. L'objectif de cette étude est de déterminer l'impact des …  Lire la suite

Since its inception, the contemporary debate between liberals and communitarians has been a dispute mired in misunderstanding. The source of this, I want to argue, is that liberals and communitarians disagree about the appropriate relationship between theory and practice and hence the nature of the political theory itself. To help bring about a more productive debate, then, I suggest that this theme be placed front an centre in the writings of its protaganists.  Lire la suite

A case study of collaborative storyboarding in an animation studio grounded this investigation of visual discourse---discourse about and with visual displays. The focus was on a problem occurring during a 40-minute task between the head storyboard artist and his junior colleague in reviewing a rough, conceptual storyboard. The research investigated the role of different semiotic modalities produced by the artists', i.e., speech, gesture, and drawing, in mediating spatial (frames of reference) and motion (action and path) representations and inferences from the storyboard. One aim was to determine if particular modalities were used to represent particular spatial and motion ideas. Both …  Lire la suite

In recent years, an increasing mass of evidence has accumulated which points to considerable variation in the morphological and physical activities of bacterial species, and more particularly to variations that affect the colony form. These phenomena have gradually attracted the attention of bacteriologists and according to the literature of the past ten years, the tendency seems to be to accept the idea that there exists some orderly mechaniam which causes these variations. Thus a new but definite branch of bacteriological research is developing and is being studied under the name of "Microbic Dissociation". [...]  Lire la suite

[...] Men are divided subjectively by factors such as race, language, religion, and culture - i.e. ethnicity; and objectively by factors of distance, climate, economic situation, etcetera. Despite these differences, some degree of pilitical organisation has proven to be universal. Since the 18th century, modern technology and commerce have made political societies of alrger and larger scale more practicable. Furthermore, in many cases the desire for economic progress has made larger political units necessary. And finally, the formation of one large and stable political society often begets others. [...]  Lire la suite

This thesis represents an attempt to use empirical methods to analyze the campaign period preceeding the general election of 1965 as a way of gaining some factual insights into the basic problems which beset the Canadian federation between 1960 and 1965. Data was collected from three basic sources: public opinion surveys, a sample of election candidates, and the editorial columns of twenty Canadian daily newspapers. It is the contention of the author that the 1965 campaign and certain related events constitute a microcosm of the period 1960-1965 and that this period represents a unique phase in the history of Canadian …  Lire la suite

Purpose. There are reports indicating that diuretics may increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. The study was conducted to verify this hypothesis and to assess whether the risk varies with the different types of diuretics. Methods. Using the Saskatchewan health database, a nested case-control design was used, conducted within a population-based cohort of 47,865 new users of antihypertensive medications in Saskatchewan, from 1980 to 1983, and followed up to mid 1987. 753 subjects hospitalized for gastrointestinal bleeding were identified during this period, each of whom was matched with 10 randomly selected controls from a risk set formed at the index …  Lire la suite

Sleiman, Hanadi (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Amphibians and reptiles comprise an important major segment of the vertebrate fauna of Canada: major in the sense of numbers of individuals; and important in the sense of economic value. The numbers of insects, other invertebrates, small vertebrates and especially rodents that these animals consume during a summer season are astronomical and attests to their economic value to Canadian agriculture and forestry.  Lire la suite

Cette thèse explore l'utilisation de l'euroscepticisme politique dans les réformes de politique intérieure britannique en réponse à des décisions rendues défavorables à la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme. Contrairement à ce que des études antérieures on pu montrer, cette dissertation constate que l'utilisation de l'euroscepticisme par les élites politiques britanniques ne peut être anticipée ou expliquée par la nature du sujet en question, la réalité étant bien plus complexe. De plus, contrairement aux hypothèses inverses avancées, il ne s'agit pas d'un outil exclusivement utilisé par le parti conservateur ; il est parfois utilisé par les hommes politiques du parti …  Lire la suite

The problem of generating long cylindrical electron beams of almost constant diameter has received much attention in recent years. Space charge spreading due to the repulsion of the like charges in the beam must be eliminated by an external focusing field. Sets of widely spaced electrostatic or magnetostatic lenses (15) have been used where charge densities were low, while uniform longitudinal magnetic fields (2, 15) have been used where charge densities were high. J.R. Pierce (5), in a Letter to the Editor of the Journal of Applied Physics, September 1953, suggested that spatially alternating magnetic fields could be used to …  Lire la suite

Without reference to any model of a solid, it has been inferred from experimental work done by Bolshov (8) that the work function approaches a value independent of crystallographic orientation near the melting point. A brief review of Armstrong's (3) calculations of the temperature coefficient of the work function of copper at room temperature has been presented. These calculations assume that the work function does not differ appreciably from the work function at absolute zero. [...]  Lire la suite

Gyakum, John Richard (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

La quantification des variantes de protéines produites dans les cellules cancéreuses est précieuse car elle peut fournir des informations importantes sur les processus à l'origine de la tumorigenèse. La quantification des variantes de protéines à l'aide de la SM ciblée nécessite le développement d'un essai par variante/protéine. La sélection d'un peptide de substitution approprié à partir d'une protéine parentale d'intérêt est une première étape importante dans le développement de l'essai, mais elle est souvent très laborieuse et devient impraticable lorsqu'on tente d'augmenter la production de ces essais. Pour résoudre ce problème, nous avons développé un outil construit en R pour …  Lire la suite

The purpose of the current study was to identify predictors of relative competence for a group of inner-city adolescents with life experiences that are marked by particularly chronic maladjustment. Sixty-seven school-aged males between the ages of 8 and 20 years of age who were enrolled in an extended school year program targeting a group of students most at-risk for academic, emotional and behavioral regression during the summer break participated in the current study. Within the context of significant adversity, and the view that these students generally face severe problems adapting to the demands of school and the communities in which …  Lire la suite

The main objective of this study was to investigate whether parental perceptions of the emotional, behavioral and social skills functioning of children with conduct problems, differed for parents who completed the behavioral consultation process (N = 40) compared to those who prematurely withdrew ( N = 11). A series of between group analyses were conducted to examine whether parental perceptions existed. Parents who prematurely withdrew from the behavioral consultation process reported significantly greater incidences of anxious and depressed behavior in children, than parents who remained in consultation F(1,49) = 4.24, p = .0448. Similarly, using the Wilks' criterion, overall estimates …  Lire la suite

Ce projet vise à répondre à deux questions se rapportant au comportement des élus de la Chambre des Communes à Ottawa. Tout d'abord, quels sont les facteurs qui influencent le travail législatif des élus ? Ensuite, est-ce que ce travail vise spécifiquement une représentation fidèle des électeurs de leurs circonscriptions ? Les parlementaires canadiens doivent négocier avec de fortes contraintes institutionnelles (domination de l'exécutif, discipline de parti) affectant leur champ d'action. Pourtant, certains facteurs, dont notamment le système électoral uninominal à un tour, offrent des incitatifs aux élus pour chercher des gains électoraux dans leurs comtés en allant au-delà de …  Lire la suite

Significant chemical work on the hormones of the adrenal cortex dates from 1930 when Swingle and Pfiffner (l) and Hartman and Brownell (2) prepared the first extracts of cortical tissue which would maintain life in the adrenalectomised animal. In 1934 groups of chemists associated with Kendall and Mason, Wintersteiner and Pfiffner, and Reichstein, began investigations aimed at the isolation and characterization of the cortical hormones. Within a few years twenty-eight crystalline steroids were isolated and all groups of steroid hormones, namely, cortical, progestational, androgenic and estrogenic, were represented (3).  Lire la suite

Bien que la médecine s'intéresse aux modèles biologiques de la maladie depuis bien longtemps, elle a tendance à ignorer les dimensions psychologiques associées à ces modèles. Cette perspective incomplète s'est amplifiée au cours des dernières années avec l'expansion des recherche dans le domaine génétique. Malgré les plus francs efforts des chercheurs et des cliniciens, cependant, certaines maladies considérées comme essentiellement biologiques demeurent difficiles à comprendre et à contrôler. Défendant l'importance des facteurs psychologiques associés à de telles conditions, la présente thèse vise à comprendre le rôle des facteurs psychologiques dans l'intolérance au lactose et l'urticaire spontanée chronique.Les résultats de l'étude …  Lire la suite

Although philanthropy is a traditional pattern of activity in our society, its sociological implications, particularly the institutional and money-raising aspects, have not been greatly explored or investigated. It is this type of activity which the sociologist should investigate since, from common sense observation, it is evident that it is a recurrent feature of our urban life requiring the efforts of numerous individuals, fincially and otherwise.  Lire la suite

[...] The intent of this project is to discover more spécifie answers than have hitherto been recorded as to the use and meaning of family allowances in a small, closely defined group of families. The purpose is also to learn the attitudes and opinions of such families towards family allowances. It was questioned whether there had been any influence on family spending patterns, and if so, how the patterns were affected. The différences, if any, that family allowances hâve made in family consumptionand spending will be studied. The question of whether or not family allowances must be used only to …  Lire la suite

This work arose from the chance observation of a phenomenon which had received almost no attention in the literature. The problem, because it was a new one, required exploration before the definitive experiment could be designed. The results described here are from these exploratory experiments; they do not explain the underlying mechanism of the phenomenon, and indeed they pose more questions than they answer. [...]  Lire la suite

The Deweras Formation between the Umfuli and Umniati Rivers consists of an upper series of arkoses and shales, (Arenaceous Series), a middle sequence of tholeiitic lavas, (Volcanic Series), and a lower discontinuous series of quartzite and conglomerate, (Basal Sedimentary Series). The succession is interpreted as being deposited in a variable shallow water to continental environment, which in this instance is believed to be associated with a step faulted or graben structure. [...]  Lire la suite

The production of long-lasting changes in the conductivity of trans-synaptic cortical pathways by homosynaptic and heterosynaptic conditioning procedures has been investigated. Spike responses of single neurones to repetitive submaximal stimulation were recorded with extracellular microelectrodes in the isolated slab preparation of the cat cerveau isolé. Conductivity was defined as the proportion of test stimuli evoking an action potential from the recorded cell. During homosynaptic conditioning the rate of stimulation of the test pathway was changed; during heterosynaptic conditioning the cell was activated by a second, differently placed electrode. [...]  Lire la suite

This dissertation considers the history and philosophy of emergent evolution, and in particular the attempt to answer the question of the role of qualitative novelty in the evolutionary process. Chapter one examines the background to the theory of emergent evolution in the work of Charles Darwin. It is argued that Darwin's theory is neither tautologous nor revolutionary, and the application of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolution to the case of Darwinian evolution is criticized. Chapter two analyzes the work of the comparative psychologist Conwy Lloyd Morgan, and his views on qualitative novelty are compared with those of other major …  Lire la suite

Hanley, James Anthony (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

The feasibility of producing toluene by the aromatization of paraffins and naphthenes has been reinvestigated. The preparation of chromium oxide-alumina catalysts has been improved and the optimum conditions for the aromatization of pure n-heptane, methylcyclohexane, heptenes, enfi selected fractions of a Turner Valley naphtha have been determined. A simplified catalysis apparatus and a new type of stillhead are described. Data is given for the preparation of isomeric heptenes and heptane from heptanol-2, and for a close fractionation of a Turner Valley naphtha. The Gabriel-Nathanson Rearrangement of benzalmaleide into 2-phenylcyclopentenedione-1, 3, of α, β- diphenyl-γ-benzalcrotonolactone into triphenylcyclopentenedione, and of benzalphthalide into …  Lire la suite

Die "Römischen Elegien" Sind in vieler Beziehung ein außerst interessantes Werk; sie bedeuten etwas wesentlich Neues in Goethes Gesamtschaffen und nehmen innerhalb der klassischen - d.h. genauer der klassizistischen - Dichtung eine Sonderstellung ein. Sie sind Ausgangspunkt und zugleich Höhepunkt einer neuen Richtung bei Goethe, der erste große dichterische Niederschlag einer Synthese wesentlich entgegengesetzter Elemente: Nord und Slid, Moderne und Antike,Romantik und Klassik, Wortkunst und Plastik, Natur und Kunst überhaupt. Dies war nur möglich, weil Goethe diese Synthese selbst lebte. [...]  Lire la suite

Nitrogen and sulfur deposition and water table level fluctuations have the potential to influence the C biogeochemistry in peatlands. Processes in peatland mesocosms were examined under steady state and dynamic conditions at different rates of N and S deposition, and water table levels. Net turnover rates were calculated from diffusive-advective mass-balances of pore water constituents. The limitations of the approach were tested with tracer experiments, which showed that diffusive-advective transport adequately described the flow of dissolved substances in peat columns. Incubation experiments quantified potential CO2, CH4, DOC, H2S and Fe 2+ production rates. The vegetation assimilated most of the deposited …  Lire la suite

Janda, Richard (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Read-aloud editing aims to engage both the reader and the writer to negotiate meaning and negotiate form with the aim to self- and peer-repair. This study was divided into a three-fold focus: (1) examining feedback types, (2) examining categories of repair and (3) examining patterns of dyadic interaction (Storch, 2002). Two read-aloud editing sessions of 15 intermediate-level adult English as a second language learners (ESL) were audio-recorded and transcribed for quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results reveal that reformulations as a feedback type led to more learner repairs, whereas prompts led to more "metatalk" (Swain, 1998). Peer readers initiated and …  Lire la suite