McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par F

Shapiro, Stan (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Dietary carbohydrate during pregnancy is essential but whether this requirement is specific to glucose or if fructose could substitute for glucose in the diet of pregnant rat dams was investigated. It was concluded that the carbohydrate requirement for the rat during pregnancy is not specific to glucose and the level, not the type, of carbohydrate was critical. The potential toxicity of high fructose diets was also investigated. Dams fed high fructose had significantly higher liver weights than dams fed high glucose while other toxic indicators were not affected. A third aspect was the comparison of isocaloric, low carbohydrate diets containing …  Lire la suite

The main purpose of this Paper is to examine Canada's Federal Wartime Labour Relations Regulations to ascertain what changes Order in Council, P.C1003 has made, and how it has been applied in the field of industrial relations. In making this examination it is proposed to give some introductory statement on labour contracts generally, and follow this up with a review of Dominion labour legislation and practice from 1S67-1939 especially in regard to the development in the process of collective bargaining and touching, incidentally, the emergence of State intervention in the settlement of disputes. [...]  Lire la suite

Selenium (Se) is an essential element. Supplementation of Se as yeast-Se in animal and human diets has been proven to have beneficial health effects. The goal of this study was to add a maximum amount of Se in yeast metabolism in order to optimize its incorporation in amino acids. A bakery yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) was studied for its tolerance to Se when the latter was incorporated at different levels. Fermentations were run at 27°C for 8 h and 24 h. The maximum Se incorporation was achieved when 12.6 mmol of Se, as sodium selenite salt, was …  Lire la suite

Bian is a concerto for solo sheng and chamber orchestra that takes the principles of Jingbian, a Chinese Buddhist tradition of transforming Buddhist sūtras into visual art forms and vernacular narratives, as its basic source of inspiration. This dissertation is in two parts consisting of the concerto in full score and an analysis of the work. The analysis begins by discussing the tradition of jingbian and its guiding principles, and situates Bian among other works drawing from the tradition, and ways in which elements from the Medicine Buddha Sūtra are used as a source for musical material in Bian. This …  Lire la suite

The dissertation addresses a question that is at the very heart of democratic representation and the functioning of democracy: what kind of electoral system fosters the correspondence between what the public wants and what the public gets? In light of recurring debates about reform of the electoral system in Canada and abroad, this question remains crucial to address. In the first part of the dissertation, this question is examined thoroughly building on two influential literatures on political representation. On the one hand, we examine whether governments' ideological positions correspond to citizens' positions over the course of government mandates under majoritarian …  Lire la suite

This thesis summarily examines the concepts of moment, momentariness (ksanikavada) and impermanence (anitya) in Indian Buddhism, especially in the influential treatises produced by Vasubandhu (fifth century A.D.) An expose of impermanence and momentariness is at once a fair picture of the religious philosophy that mostly was Indian Buddhism--a religion appropriate on the philosophical level.  Lire la suite

L'utilisation d'une antenne membrane sur les satellites de télédétection est désormais possible par la fabrication de nouveaux matériaux et le développement de nouvelles techniques manufacturières. Une telle antenne permettrait aux organisations possédant de tels satellites d'en réduire le poids et du fait même le coût de lancement par un facteur important. Toutes les causes d'échec, de panne ou d'insuccès reliées à l'utilisation d'une antenne membrane doivent être pleinement étudiées avant qu'elle ne soit lancée. Avec l'émergence de cette nouvelle technologie, une nouvelle problématique s'ajoute: le plissement. Le plissement de la membrane émettrice pourrait affecter l'efficacité del'antenne et réduire ses performances …  Lire la suite

Some business corporations create unacceptable harm to the collectivity in which they evolve. We shall hereafter enumerate several of these "social injuries" to show that they have very serious effects. Depending on their frequency, cumulative impact and pervasiveness, they may indeed be socially ruinous and must be prevented. These are some of the reasons for promoting corporate social responsibility. This thesis contains several proposals aimed at improving corporate social responsibility, including possible amendments to the criminal code, penal statutes and tort liability, targeted specifically on business corporations and of a preventative nature. Our proposals also include wide public disclosures of …  Lire la suite

While the cyclohexane ring can exist in chair and boat conformations, at room temperature no pure conformation can be isolated. However, it is believed that the chair form is predominant (1). When two chair conformations are possible the equatorially substituted conformation is thermodynamically more stable than the axially substituted one (2). [...]  Lire la suite

As part of a general investigation into the effects of changes in the basic carbon skeleton of steroids on their physiological and chemical properties, a number of androstane and cholestane derivatives having an oxygen in place of a carbon at the 4-position have been prepared since 1950. Turner (1) obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of 5-oxo-3,5- seco-A-norcholestane-3-oic acid (lIa) (2), two lactones, m.p. 116-116.5°C and m.p. 109.5-110°C, the latter in large amount. He provisionally assigned to these compounds the structures IXa and VIIIa respectively because of their optical rotations and because hydrogenation of 4- oxacholest-5-en-3-one (IIIa) (3), which should be expected …  Lire la suite

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different feeding systems and of four different energy sources (Grain diet) on lactation characteristics and milk composition of dairy cattle. A total of 8,808,798 test-day records from 566,736 Holstein cows in 5,183 different herds, and 416,883 test-day records from 26,973 Ayrshire cows in 652 different herds covering a period of five years were obtained from the Quebec dairy herd improvement agency (Valacta). In addition to test-day records, information on lactation, animal status, feed composition and feeding systems was also available. For both Ayrshire and Holstein cows the fixed …  Lire la suite

Introduction: Conformément aux principes des soins centrés sur le patient, la récupération postopératoire après une chirurgie colorectale doit être mesurée à l'aide de mesures des résultats rapportés par les patients (PROMs). Le questionnaire PROMIS-29, tiré du Système de mesure des résultats rapportés par les patients du NIH (PROMIS), évalue des aspects généraux de la santé physique et mentale pouvant être liés à la récupération chirurgicale. Cependant, les preuves concernant les propriétés psychométriques du PROMIS-29 dans le contexte de la chirurgie colorectale restent limitées. Le but de cette étude est d'évaluer la validité de contenu, la validité de construction et la …  Lire la suite

This thesis develops a size-structured model for the growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aerobic, glucose limited, continuous culture, and then compares the model's predictions with laboratory data. The evolution of cellular subpopulations was described via the coupling of partial differential equations (PDEs) and ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting system was analytically solved, yielding an almost equivalent system of differential delay equations (DDEs). A final transformation of the DDE system into a system of two integro-differential delay equations (IDDEs) yielded a model equivalent to the original ODEs/PDEs, but much more amenable to analysis. Numerical solutions of the IDDE …  Lire la suite

Introduction: Compromised mitochondrial integrity leads to neuronal cell death in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Cells have several quality control mechanisms in place to counteract dysfunction and preserve a healthy mitochondrial network. Recent studies have implicated the autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease genes, Parkin and Pink1, in a common pathway regulating mitochondrial quality control. Together, Parkin and Pink1 promote isolation and selective degradation of damaged mitochondria, but the mechanisms governing this process are unclear. Methods: The goal of our study was to use a genetically sensitized Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease to identify novel regulators of the Pink1/Parkin pathway. We …  Lire la suite

Pedestrian safety is a topic of growing concern. To better understand pedestrian safety and the variables that affect it, this thesis had four main objectives. The first objective was to build a database to be used for the analysis of pedestrian safety. The database built consisted of 1,875 signalized intersections (75% of all signalized intersections on the island), randomly distributed throughout the island of Montreal. Manual vehicular and pedestrian counts were provided by local authorities for these intersections, but they also needed to be visited individually, so that geometric data could be recorded for each intersection. This is the largest …  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 study concerns the investigation of the mind training method called Lojong, as portrayed by the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The emphasis is placed on the practical application of the philosophical tenets underlying this set of routines. Some of the issues to be addressed are: the use of imagery in the process of emotional healing, the ethical concerns that arise in regards to interpreting key concepts pertaining to the Mahayana Buddhist world view, the importance of individuality and the problem of selflessness in practices that deal with alleviating negative emotions, and the suitability of the specific practices for the …  Lire la suite

Cette étude examine le potentiel d'un système intégré de traitement du purin de pore, incluant une unite de tamisage et un réacteur séquentiel biologique (RSB). Un nouveau procédé mécanique de separation des fractions liquides et solides du purin a été développé. Ce procédé utilise un convoyeur a courroie fait de materiel filtrant continuellement nettoyé par un jet d'air. Les meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus avec un filtre dont les ouvertures avaient 0.1 mm de largeur et avec une charge hydraulique de 35 litres par minute. Pour des boues dont le contenu en matière sèche variait de 2 a 8%, l'efficacité …  Lire la suite

Scriver, Charles R. (Supervisor)  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

Giannacopoulos, Dennis (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Nalbantoglu, Josephine (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Ces travaux de doctorat ont utilisé l'électroencéphalographie (EEG), l'imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) et des mesures comportementales dans un échantillon vaste et bien caractérisé de personnes vieillissants avec le VIH, dans le but de mieux comprendre les mécanismes du cerveau impliqués dans le dysfonctionnement cognitif au sein de cette population. Les participants sont issus de la cohorte « Pour un cerveau en santé », une étude canadienne longitudinale portant sur la santé du cerveau chez les personnes VIH+ traitées avec cART. Cette thèse débute avec une revue systématique et critique de la littérature existante utilisant des méthodes électrophysiologiques chez des …  Lire la suite

L'inflammation pendant la grossesse peut perturber le développement cérébral et conduire à des troubles du développement neurologique tels que les troubles du spectre de l’autisme (TSA). Ces troubles sont essentiellement caractérisés par des connexions neuronales et formation synaptiques anormales. La microglie, cellule immunitaire résidente du cerveau, est essentielle pour l'élagage synaptique ainsi que la formation des connexions entre neurones. Au cours du développement cérébral, cette tâche de modelage implique plusieurs signaux immunitaires de la microglie qui permettent l’élimination des épines synaptiques superflues, notamment le récepteur microglial de la fractalkine (CX3CR1). Considérant les propriétés immunitaires et le rôle dans le développement …  Lire la suite

A hypothetical mechanism for the loss of papermaking and printing potential of recycled paper is the adsorption and entrapment of molecules of low surface energy such as oil and soap, on the wood fibers during recycling. A sensitive technique to quantify the retention of contaminants on the pulp is to follow the dynamics of retention of a concentration pulse generated at the entrance (breakthrough curve, BTC) of a packed bed of fibers. Using this technique, we showed that sodium salts of fatty acids undergo ion-exchange with the calcium present in the pulp. Soap prepared by mixing equimolar amounts of sodium …  Lire la suite

Finch, James A. (Advisor)  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

Few data on the nutritional status of children have been collected in Barbados over the last 30 years and little is known about this topic in present day. The aim of this study was to update the literature on the current nutritional status of children by surveying a cross section of grade five students. A total of 255 boys and 325 girls were weighed and measured. From this group, subsamples of 494 students and 229 parents were interviewed. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (OWOB) was 32% for boys and 37% for girls. OWOB has increased by over 20 percentage …  Lire la suite

Stereotypy is one type of repetitive behavior observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers have found that engaging in stereotypic behaviors can impede opportunities for socialization and skill development (Ashburner et al., 2008; Cunningham & Schreibman, 2008), and can inadvertently cause stress and stigma for families (Farrrugia, 2014; Guralnick, 2005). Luckily, early intervention (EI) has been found to improve certain ASD symptomology, such as deficits in communication and socialization (Cohen et al., 2006; Howard et al., 2005; Lovaas, 1987; Makrygianni & Reed, 2010; Peters-Scheffer et al., 2011). Yet, only five publications to date have examined the effectiveness of …  Lire la suite

Currently, a very large scale negotiation on economic integration involving the entire Western Hemisphere, save Cuba, is taking place. The 1994 Summit of the Americas called for the completion of the negotiation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas no later than 2005. Given the ample recognition that investment codification is an essential complement to rules governing trade flows, the eventual incorporation of a comprehensive set of investment rules within the free trade area agreement, seems unavoidable. The inclusion of such rules within the regional trading system would constitute an extension of the recent practice of incorporating investment norms …  Lire la suite

In recent years, "participatory development" has gained popularity in development circles. It has been recognized that participatory approaches in development programs and projects can help in meeting the conventional development objectives of economic growth and equity as well as more recent concerns of sustainability, good governance and democratisation. This is a qualitative study examines the theory and practice of people's participation in development programs and projects on a micro level. The objective study is to understand community participation structures in Barangay Lumangan, a village on the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) campus in Miagao, Province of Iloilo, …  Lire la suite

"Although this dissertation focusses on identities encountered by Portuguese immigrants living in Montreal, its more general relevance is as a study in the organization of cultural meaning. The essential question posed is: how do ethnic labels communicate significance? In simplest terms, the answer given is: proper names of ethnic groups convey meaning because of their position in a classification system. This work attempts to isolate the social rules for classifying ethnic groups. Isolation of the rules or logic of ethnic classification shows how Portuguese store and convey certain kinds of information, and allows comparison with other conceptual systems. The value …  Lire la suite

While writing in English by Hispanas has been in publication for decades, it is only in the last few years that the writing and its attendant criticism have attracted mainstream attention in the United States. The purpose of this work is to provide an introduction to different facets of Hispana writing. The first section of the work, an essay titled, "Emerging Criticism and Themes in Hispana Literature," provides an up-dated overview of issues within Hispana literary criticism and major themes within the writing itself. The latter part of that essay uses as its framework Tey Diana Rebolledo's 1985 essay, "The …  Lire la suite

Leask, Richard L. (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Over the last years the demand for satellite communication services has been increased. Global and domestic regulatory developments and support, as well as the emerge of new services, have facilitated launcMng capabilities and reduced the costs of manufacturing, launching and operating the satellites. Financing the telecommunication satellite systems is one of the most relevant issues that prospective satellite operators face on these days. Mstitutional lenders require adequate legal advise in order to properly instrument multimillion transactions where securitization is not enough clear and risks are extremely Mgh. TMs work analyzes the most important sources of financing of telecommunication satellites and …  Lire la suite

Article 50 of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, also known as the Montreal Convention of 1999, places an obligation on the States Parties whereby their carriers are required to maintain adequate insurance coverage, but without providing any definition or guidance as to how the term "adequate" should be interpreted or understood. This thesis, then, not only pinpoints the lack of accuracy of the terms contained in Article 50 but also suggests how the provision should be construed. In order to do so, this project studies the origins of aviation insurance as well …  Lire la suite

Antimicrobial activity was discovered in the expressed and concentrated juices of buckwheat, and in the water soluble fractions of hot extracts using organic solvent(s). A phenolic chromogenic substance was found to be responsible for the antibiosis of the extracts. The degradatory products of the anthocyanin pigment from the plant were shown to have somewhat similar toxicities to those of the extracts. The organic acids, citric, malic and oxalic, reported present in appreciable quantities in the plant, were also assayed for antimicrobial properties, and were found to be somewhat more toxic than the phenolic substances. It was not possible to draw …  Lire la suite

Birds nest under electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) generated by transmission liners which may affect their reproductive success and/or melatonin governing their circadian and circannual cycles. Over two years, captive kestrels were used to determine whether EMFs affect their plasma melatonin concentrations and their reproductive success. EMFs were equivalent to that which wild kestrels are exposed to while nesting under 735 kV transmission fines, and daily exposure used in the captive study (88--98% time budget) was potentially equivalent to that of wild kestrels (90% X, 80% X). Captive kestrels were housed in control or EMF conditions to determine short-term (one …  Lire la suite