McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par F

The "essai crepusculaire" was one of the most popular literary genres during the 1980's and 1990's in France. Among those, the essays warning of the impending end of French literature offer a view of the world which idealises the past while condemning a shameful present in order to justify the return of lost values. Our project consists of an analysis of the argumentative rhetoric contained in the four essays of our corpus, which together form the Discourse on the death of French literature. We studied how the authors set up an argumentative construct likely to convince the reader that French …  Lire la suite

Our laboratory has produced six lines of mice harbouring the polyomavirus Large T-antigen (PVLT) transgene. Mice of all lines express PVLT in testis and three lines develop testicular adenomas. However, mice of a single line, designated MTPVLT-8, express PVLT exclusively in testis and cardiac tissue. These mice develop cardiac hypertrophy and die prematurely. We hypothesize that expression of PVLT in cardiac cells is a consequence of transgene integration near a cardiac specific enhancer element. To support this hypothesis, DNA flanking the transgene was isolated and tested for inclusion or any possible regulatory elements. A restriction map of genomic DNA surrounding …  Lire la suite

International lawyers and jurists have been employing terms varying from secession, partition, disintegration, and dissolution and referring to rights such as self-determination, minority rights, peoples rights and so on. However, there is not always a crystal clarity behind the terminological distinctions and legal issues. The resolution of various legal issues in separatist conflicts is often a complex matter. For instance, it is not possible to respond fully to separatism without understanding the implications of various underlying institutions and what appear frequently to be conflicting rights. (What is self-determination and how does it relate to separatism? What is the difference between …  Lire la suite

Stenting is becoming the major interventional cardiology procedure worldwide. However restenosis remains a major limitation to the effectiveness of stents. Alterations to the local hemodynamics in the stented segment of the artery is a potential factor in the development of in-stent restenosis. The characterization of wall shear stress and of blood flow patterns in a stented artery is therefore necessary for a good understanding of the phenomenon. We have used a time-dependent 3D numerical model of a stented coronary artery to study the characteristics of the blood flow and the shear stress distribution. Our results show that the presence of …  Lire la suite

Evidence on comparative quality of life and housing of Italians at origin, and emigrants in two destinations was gathered from field research, and from three surveys: one, of residents of the town of origin (n = 153), Larino, in the province of Campobasso, and the other two, of residents of major destinations of Larinesi emigrants--Montreal (n = 118), and Milano (n = 73). The main working hypothesis was tested that the best quality of life is found among emigrants living in Montreal. The research also explicated the historical connection between policies of migration and housing concerns in Canada and in …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationships between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), obesity, executive function (EF) and physical fitness in the childhood population. Physical fitness, body composition and executive function were assessed in eight boys, with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD, who were using stimulant medication. The 20m Shuttle Run Test, Hand-Grip Test, iDXA scanner and a battery of six executive functioning tests were used to asses physical fitness, body composition and executive function, respectively. Body fat percentages of our ADHD group were lower than age- and gender-matched normative values. Aerobic capacity and muscular strength …  Lire la suite

Le mélanome uvéal (UM) est la tumeur intraoculaire primitive la plus fréquente chez les adultes. Par conséquent, nous avons commencé à la recherche de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques dans l'UM, tels que les protéines de choc thermique 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 est une protéine chaperon indispensable à l'activation et la régulation d'un ensemble important de protéines de la signalisation et de la régulation cellulaire. L'utilisation d'inhibiteur spécifique de Hsp90 entraîne une baisse de l'activité des protéines clientes. L'objectif de cette étude était d'examiner le profil des Hsp90 et son association avec les caractéristiques pronostiques dans mélanome de l'uvée. En outre, nous avons …  Lire la suite

The serotonin transporter has long been implicated as a key modulator of mood, with deficits of central nervous system serotonin implicated in many psychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, alcoholism, etc.). The serotonin transporter is responsible for the high-affinity reuptake of serotonin from the synapse, effectively terminating the potentiation of the serotonergic signal. The objectives of this work were to sequence the serotonin transporter promoter region in the vervet monkey (C. aethiops), identify polymorphisms and determine whether they were associated with any of the previously characterized behavioural dimensions of the vervet. 2.8kB of previously unknown sequence was obtained and one novel polymorphism …  Lire la suite

Background: The use of involuntary hospitalization and treatment in psychiatry remains a controversial issue. While some have argued for their importance in prevention of harm, others have cited the inconclusive evidence for their effectiveness as highly problematic. Youth with first-episode psychosis (FEP) represent a group whose engagement in services is particularly important as it is often their first time encountering mental health care. The use of coercive measures such as involuntary hospitalization and treatment has been largely under-studied in this population. Since these measures continue to be used in this population, it is important to ensure their proper use. Objectives: …  Lire la suite

Some congenital defects are known to have a genetic etiology while others are caused by environmental influences impinging directly upon the developing embryo, or indirectly by interferring with normal maternal-fetal relationships. Still others depend on an interplay of both environmental and genetic factors, since the same agent, administered to groups of animals of different genetic constitutions, can cause congenitally malformed young in one group while normal offspring result in another. [...]  Lire la suite

Viner, J. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

La prévalence croissante du surpoids et l’obésité parmi les enfants dans les caraïbes est un problème majeur de la santé publique et une préoccupation de politique parce que les enfants obèses sont plus à risque pour le développement des maladies non transmissible (MNT) plus tard dans la vie. Une mauvaise alimentation parmi les enfants, y compris la faible consommation de fruits et de légumes, à une consommation élevée d’aliments transformé riche en énergie, et les aliments ultra-transformé ont contribué à la prévalence croissante de l’obésité des enfants au sein de la communauté des Caraïbes (CARICOM). Les programmes de repas scolaires …  Lire la suite

Weber, Michael (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

The effect of hydrogen ion concentration in the hydrolysate on the products of extraction in the Dakin butanol fractionation has been studied, using acid hydrolysed casein. Maximum extraction occurred at pH 5. Tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, methionine, and leucine were most easily extracted over the range pH 2-10. [...]  Lire la suite

Chopped alfalfa and chopped whole-plant corn were ensiled and the proteolytic changes which occurred during ensiling were investigated. Proteolysis was measured in terms of end-products of protein degradation and by protein isolation followed by electrophoresis. The effects of formic acid and ammonia, applied at the time of ensiling, on proteolytic changes were investigated. Alfalfa treated with formic acid contained significantly reduced levels of NH$ sb3$-N and NPN compared to control silage; ammonia (NH$ sb3$)-treated alfalfa silage had significantly less NPN (P $<$ 0.05). After 90d of storage, formic acid-treated and NH$ sb3$-treated alfalfa silage contained lower levels of both branched …  Lire la suite

Numerous studies have demonstrated that noncompliance causes increased morbidity and mortality from a wide variety of illnesses. Solutions to the problem require systematic evaluation of the determinants of noncompliance and identification of subgroups of patients who are vulnerable so appropriate interventions can be designed. Population-based research methods are needed to evaluate this problem.  Lire la suite

Laszlo, Sonia (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Understanding the nature of electron transfer (ET) in quantum dots and single molecules can provide insight into both fundamental physical processes and the development of novel electronic and chemical systems. Traditional ET measurement techniques are not ideal as they either require a fixed probe or can only take an average measurement over a large area, obscuring the variety among individual structures. Single-electron electrostatic force microscopy (e-EFM) is an atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique that utilizes a movable, nanoscale probe to both induce charge transfer and measure transport properties. In this thesis, I provide an overview of the relevant of AFM …  Lire la suite

This dissertation reports the syntheses of three classes of aromatic heterocycles having a bridgehead nitrogen namely, the thiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazoles, the imidazo- [2,1-b]benzothiazoles and the imidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles. Although various derivatives of these compounds were known, the parent compound of each series had not been synthesized. Therefore, this investigation was undertaken. [...]  Lire la suite

Participation in Paralympic sport has grown exponentially since the inaugural games in 1960. Despite this rapid increase in participation, the same growth and development of research has not occurred, especially relating to coaches in disability sport (Robbins & Houston, 2010). Moreover, advancing disability sport requires empirical research specific to the selection and training of coaches, the effectiveness of training programs, and coaches' backgrounds (DePauw & Gavron, 2005; Reid & Prupas, 1998). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore Paralympic coaches' perceptions of their learning and educational experiences, and specifically to examine formal and informal learning and mentoring opportunities. …  Lire la suite

Broadside arrays employing tiers of horizontal colinear elements have attained considerable prominence in the short-wave broadcasting field. One may, in fact, cite many of their characteristics as standards by which other radiating systems are judged. As conventionally designed, however, the broadside array is used for single frequency operation only. If consideration be given to the number of frequency bands which must be used to provide optimum broadcast service throughout the cyclical variations in ionospheric density, a very costly set of arrays is indicated.  Lire la suite

Secondary mathematics classrooms are often dominated by teacher-led instruction, leaving limited space for student curiosity, collaboration, and deep exploration. As a novice secondary mathematics teacher, I wanted to challenge this norm by shifting toward more student-centered, inquiry-oriented teaching. This self-study explores how implementing an inquiry approach impacted my teaching practice, professional identity, and classroom interactions over the course of one school year. Drawing on classroom video recordings, reflective journals, and critical friend conversations, I analyzed how my instructional decisions evolved and what benefits and challenges emerged in the process. Findings indicate that moving toward inquiry teaching involved significant changes in …  Lire la suite

Rey, Alejandro D. (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

The human visual system has a remarkable ability to perceive complex 3D shape from a variety of surface types. These surfaces can include ones shaded using the standard Phong model or mirror surfaces which can be rendered using a variety of surrounding environments. This thesis presents four visual perception experiments that examine the perception of local qualitative shape under various conditions. Surfaces were rendered using standard computer graphics models of matte, glossy, and mirror reflectance. For each experiment, the subjects' task was to judge whether a marked point on each surface lay on a local hill or valley. A variety …  Lire la suite

This population-based multi-centered case-control study of incident postmenopausal breast cancer was carried out in Montreal. Case subjects included all incident histologically confirmed breast cancer among postmenopausal women, age 51--75 years, diagnosed in 1996 and 1997 in all major hospitals. Control subjects had other histologically-confirmed sites of cancer from the same hospital, and were approximately frequency-matched by age to the case subjects. Detailed information was obtained on active smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the home before the age of 18 and in the workplace as an adult. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) …  Lire la suite

Evans, N. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

Si ra-maghazi, which tells of the life of the Prophet and the early Islamic community, is not a historical genre. A literary mode which has its origins in an oral transmission, it is essentially hagiographic in spirit. The literature carries some unique characteristics. Constituted of numerous individual traditions juxtaposed one next to the other, it is--other than for those key events that have become mythologized--essentially dependent on the compiler and his purpose for its layout. This dissertation explores the genre through a comparative case study of Muhammad and the Jews as narrated in the Kitab si rat rasul Allah of …  Lire la suite

Les mangroves sont des écosystèmes socio-écologiques très productifs et riches en biodiversité. Ils fournissent des services écosystémiques essentiels à des millions de personnes, notamment à travers le bois, un capital naturel renouvelable, qui est la principale source d'énergie et de matériaux de construction pour plusieurs communautés côtières dans les pays en développement. Pourtant, la perte et la détérioration des mangroves se produisent à un rythme alarmant. Dans certaines régions, l'exploitation non réglementée et non durable du bois de mangrove est ainsi une des causes importantes de la dégradation de cet écosystème. Malgré le fait que la récolte communautaire est une …  Lire la suite

Dene women are leading and directing efforts toward "healing" themselves, their families, and their communities. Employing a modality of montage and storytelling, this thesis explores this enigmatic concept of "healing" among Dene, and its gendered dimensions, in the community of Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. This account challenges the limitations of a resistance-hegemony paradigm often used to describe Aboriginal actions as embedded within colonial relations, and endeavours toward a more nuanced analysis which explores Dene "healing" beyond the colonial space. "Healing" is emerging as a vehicle for the assertion and celebration of Dene identity, Dene tradition and "Dene ways". This …  Lire la suite

Il y a un manque de recherche sur la connection entre le multilinguisme et le fonctionnement socio-affectif. En outre, la recherche qui existe est mixte, et la difficulté de séparer les effets d’acculturation et les effets de multilinguisme rend l’interpretation très difficile. Pour combler l'écart dans la littérature, les deux études dans cette thèse examinent la relation entre le multilinguisme et le fonctionnement des individus. L’étude #1 a comparé des adolescents monolingues et multilingues par des auto-évaluations du stress, d’anxiété, de la dépression et des comportements perturbateurs. Aucune différence n’a été trouvé entre les groupes, mais les participants ont montré …  Lire la suite

This thesis will analyze the role of Shi'i religious symbols employed in the Iranian revolution of 1979. During the revolution, the Shi'i symbolic structure of the Karbala' paradigm or the symbols of Karbala' and of Husayn's martyrdom were extensively employed to mobilize the masses. Regarded as the Imam and as the symbol of the revolution, Khumayni extensively utilized such religious symbols in order to generate mass revolutionary political consciousness against the Shah's tyrannical regime. In other words, throughout the revolution the traditional 'ashura' mourning ceremony--commemorating a tragic historical event the martyrdom of Husayn who was killed on the battlefield of …  Lire la suite

Les humains modifient et perturbent le système terrestre à une vitesse alarmant, incitant les appels à des changements technologiques et comportementaux profonds. Les activités dans lesquelles nous nous engageons et comment du temps est répartitioner entre ces activitiés déterminent, pour une large mesure, les résultats observables sur notre planète et nos sociétés. L’examen de nos activités quotidiennes à travers le perspective de l’utilisation du temps a été appliqué avec les methods approfondie dans nombreuses disciplines des sciences sociales et lié aux émissions de carbone dans la littérature plus récente sur la durabilité. Cependant, il n’existe pas un description complète de …  Lire la suite

This report studies variable-block size motion estimation in time-varying imagery. An image can be partitioned into variable-size blocks where one vector represents the motion of each sample point within a block. The goal is to reduce the number of displacement vectors that can faithfully represent the motion field across an image. The approach builds on established gradient-based methods. The same concepts regarding the temporal consistency of the image information and spatial smoothness of the motion field are used to reach at an image partitioning algorithm and a corresponding formulation of the problem statement. Various aspects of the solution method are …  Lire la suite

Microwave and water blanching of carrots and sweet potatoes were evaluated with respect to peroxidase inactivation, texture degradation and color changes for obtaining stable frozen stored products. Carrot slices and french fry style sweet potatoes were blanched in a 700 W domestic microwave oven as well as in boiling water for different treatment times. Blanched and unblanched samples were packaged in retort pouches and frozen stored at $-$20$ sp circ$C, and evaluated for peroxidase activity, texture and color before and after blanching, and after 3.5 and/or 7 months frozen storage. Kinetics of peroxidase activity and texture softening due to blanching …  Lire la suite

This study addresses the influence of Russian religious thought on the French philosopher and Islamicist Henry Corbin (1903-1978). In the 1930s, Corbin came into contact with religious thinkers of the Russian emigration in Paris, particularly Nikolai Berdyaev (1874-1948), who had an important role in his critical reception of contemporary German philosophy and theology. In 1939, Corbin moved to Istanbul where, parallel to his work on the first critical edition of the writings of the Iranian philosopher Shahab al-Din al-Suhrawardi (1155-1191), he deepened his knowledge of Byzantine theology and translated some of the writings of the Russian theologian Fr. Sergius Bulgakov …  Lire la suite

Di Giovanni, George (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

La télomérase synthétise les séquences télomériques et se compose minimalement d'une sous-unité transcriptase inverse (TERT) et d'un fragment d'ARN (TR). Nous avons reconstitué des complexes hétérologues TERT-TR humains et murins ainsi que des complexes chimériques mTERT-hTERT-hTR in vitro et dans des cellules immortalisées utilisant un mécanisme alternatif d'élongation des télomères (cellules ALT). Nos résultats suggèrent que les déterminants espèce-spécifiques de l'activité, la processivité et la fonction télomérique sont attribués non seulement au composant TR mais aussi au composant TERT de la télomérase. Les complexes hTERT-hTR, mais non les complexes hétérologues TERT-TR ou mTERT-hTERT-hTR ont diminué le pourcentage de chromosomes sans …  Lire la suite

La maladie de Crohn est une maladie inflammatoire chronique intestinale qui peut atteindre une ou plusieurs parties du tube digestif. Les symptômes de cette maladie inflammatoire se manifestent par des vomissements, des diarrhées chroniques et des douleurs abdominales. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier les caractéristiques d'un nouveau mode de prestation pour l'administration orale de la thalidomide dans le traitement de l'inflammation reliée à la maladie de Crohn. Le potentiel des Alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules pour l'administration orale de la thalidomide estd'abord évaluée in-vitro en utilisant un modèle de simulation gastro-intestinal. Lesactivités anti-inflammatoires des microcapsules ont ensuite été examinés en utilisant …  Lire la suite

Sushama, Laxmi (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Nucleic acid therapeutics, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), offer unique potential for gene therapy due to their ability to silence disease-associated genes with high selectivity and efficacy. However, significant challenges have impeded their translation into clinical applications, such as instability in biologically relevant media, off-target effects, poor cellular uptake and in vivo biodistribution. An attractive solution to these challenges is the use of drug delivery systems that protect and deliver nucleic acid therapeutics to their desired target site, such as liposomes or polymeric nanoparticles. However, approval of these systems has been slow due to hurdles …  Lire la suite

"Les thérapies à l’acide nucléique(NA),telles que les petits ARN interférents et oligonucléotides antisenses, offrent un potentiel unique pour la thérapie génique grâce a leur capacité à arrêter l’expression de gènes d’intérêt avec sélectivité et efficacité élevée. Cependant, des défis entravent leur traduction en clinique, tels que leur instabilité dans des milieux biologiques, effets hors cible, faible absorption cellulaire et distribution in vivo. Une solution intéressante est l’utilisation de systèmes d’administration de thérapies tels que les liposomes ou nanoparticules polymères qui protègent et délivrent des NA thérapeutiques aux sites cibles. L’approbation de ces systèmes est lente à cause d’obstacles, tels que …  Lire la suite

L’étude des effets de tunnel interbande est motivée par l’intérêt en basse tension des transistors qui fonctionnent par modulation d’interbande courant à effet tunnel. Jonctions InN/Si sont modélisés avec le programme de simulation numérique, APSYS, et sont caractérisés électriquement avec une configuration de nanosonde construit sur mesure pour enquêter leurs propriétés interbande de tunnels pour la première fois. Les simulations numériques montrent qu’une jonction p-Si/n-InN se comporte comme une diode Esaki typique tunnel, avec un maximumde densité de tunnel courant ~6 kA/cm^2 à de trés faibles tension (~35 mV). InN/Si transistors à effet tunnel sont également conçus et optimisés avec …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we present the large-area graphene based ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) as an attractive candidate for overcoming the challenges in the ion sensing field. We present a signal to noise ratio model for ISFETs outlining the necessity for a Nernstian limited signal, as well as minimizing noise through maximizing the active sensing area, device carrier mobility, and capacitive coupling, in order to improve sensor resolution. While these parameters are key for any ISFET, graphene is optimal because it enables large-area devices with high charge-carrier mobility using a chemical vapor deposition growth technique that is economical in …  Lire la suite

Paradis, Gilles (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite