McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par Y

New insulin mimetic peroxovanadium compounds were prepared as polyguanidinium, ammonium and polyammonium salts, and their cation-anion interactions were characterized by UV-Vis, 51V NMR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The X-ray structures of four complexes [((NH2) 3 CCH2CH2)2][mpV(nta)], [(NH2NH) 2C(NH2)][mpV(2,6-pdc)], [((NH2)2 C(NH) (CH2)3)2(N2C4H 8)][bpV(pic)]·2H2O, and [(NH3 CH2 CH2)2][bpV(bipy]·H2O, were determined and are discussed. [Et4N][bpV(phen)]·2H2O was prepared and its ability to act as a guest to second sphere coordinating polyurea hosts, in chlorofoml/DMSO, was studied using NOESY, 51V NMR and 1H NMR; extraction, titration and VT experiments. The relative stability of 6 complexes in DMEM media, assessed using 51V NMR, is discussed with …  Lire la suite

The chemisorption, organization and dynamics of fatty acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were investigated. Three types of fatty acid SAMs were studied: (i) alkane phosphonates, (ii) alkanoic acids and (iii) hydroxy carboxylates. The samples were produced by adsorbing the surfactants on the metal oxides and were characterized primarily by solid-state NMR techniques. Mixed monolayers were produced by co-adsorbing two different types of fatty acids, one of which was perdeuterated. The degree of miscibility was assessed by 1H-2H cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning (CP/MAS) experiments. Whereas phase separation in bulk fatty acid mixtures could be qualitatively detected, chain end intercalation in the case of mixed …  Lire la suite

Children's deceptive strategies and cues remains an important issue for researchers to examine given the potential consequences of young witness' dishonest claims in legal settings. Despite the relevance of this issue, few studies have been conducted on older children's lie-telling tendencies and tactics. The current study was the first of its kind to investigate older children's actual and perceived non-verbal behaviors while committing various types of lies in a simulated court context. Children's strategies to appear convincing were also explored. The findings revealed only one significant difference in liars and truth-tellers non-verbal expressions. Liars displayed relatively fewer signs of positive …  Lire la suite

While academic dishonesty has been a topic of inquiry since the late 1920’s, research in this area has largely focused on the perpetrators of cheating and understanding why they cheat. Relatively little consideration has been given to understanding the reactions of those who witness cheating and identifying the factors that influence student observers’ decisions to either report or withhold information about this kind of transgression. The current study investigated university students’ reactions to an observed act of cheating in an experimental paradigm. Participants witnessed a confederate cheat during an exam and were subsequently questioned. The results suggest that while the …  Lire la suite

L'oxydation de Baeyer-Villiger (OBV) est une réaction chimique utile qui permet la conversion des cétones en esters ou des cétones cycliques en lactones. Pour les applications industrielles et en laboratoire, les peracides sont généralement utilisés comme agent oxydant. Les mono-oxygénases de Baeyer-Villiger (MOBV) sont un groupe de flavoprotéines bactériennes qui ont suscité un grand intérêt ces dernières années comme biocatalyseurs industriels potentiels, car ils peuvent remplacer les réactifs peracides dangereux par de l'oxygène moléculaire et du NADPH. Des études d'enzymologie approfondies ont été réalisées sur ces enzymes, révélant un mécanisme de réaction complexe et hautement ordonnée qui comprend un intermédiaire …  Lire la suite

This thesis explores the education of women in the pre-modern Middle East, particularly in legal matters. The goal of the work is to show that women in the pre-modern Middle East not only had access to education but were also learned in jurisprudence (fiqh). The work begins with a detailed discussion of the pre-modern system of learning. The first chapter explores not only the educational institutions and methods of instruction, but also the avenues and opportunities for education available to and utilized by women. The second chapter concentrates on the lives of two female jurists (faqihat). The purpose of this …  Lire la suite

GM$ sb2$ ganglioside hydrolysis requires the formation of a ternary complex consisting of substrate, enzyme ($ beta$-N-acetylhexosaminidase A = Hex A), and the GM$ sb2$ activator protein. In order to study the interaction between Hex A and GM$ sb2$ activator, the human GM$ sb2$ activator cDNA was cloned into the p-FLAG vector. The fusion protein (FLAG-AP) was expressed in E. coli, and purified to homogeneity using immunoaffinity chromatography. A retardation assay was designed using the immunoaffinity column to detect transient interactions between FLAG-AP and Hex A. Hex A and Hex S are retarded by the column, but not Hex B …  Lire la suite

Norma Ybarra (Supervisor3)  Lire la suite

An apparatus of original design based on scattering of light by smoke was constructed to measure the penetration of smoke filters. Methods of obtaining a suitable testing cloud for use tn the e.pparatus were investigated. Various carbon smokes were investigated and the effects of several factors, involved in the production of these smokes, on the penetretion of' the filters were determined. An oleic acid smoke generator was constructed which yielded smokes of homogeneous particle size. The stabilty of various filters to this smoke was investigated. The optimum conditions for the Manufacture of rayon-asbestos filters were determined.  Lire la suite

Detailed modeling and experiments were conducted in order to elucidate the nature of photo-induced surface patterning in azobenzene materials. Using a cellular automaton simulation, it was established that both the absolute temperature rise, and the thermal gradient, in a film during patterning are negligibly small. These results, confirmed experimentally by patterning samples on substrates of differing thermal conductivity, eliminate purely thermal mechanisms as candidate explanations for mass transport. The length-scale of patterning was probed by monitoring the formation and thermal erasure of gratings as a function of film thickness. In both cases, film dynamics deviate from bulk behavior when film …  Lire la suite

This thesis explores issues of literacy and identity through a social constructionist perspective by discussing the concept of a linguistic and national home for an Armenian-Canadian. Through autoethnography, I connect my personal experiences to my culture, and construct a sense of 'home' by writing from both sides of a border: Armenian and Canadian. Autobiographical approaches make use of the self to construct meanings that illuminate larger themes and bear implications for wider audiences (Cole & Knowles, 2000; Kamanos-Gamelin, 2001; Mitchell & Weber, 1999; O'Reilly-Scanlon, 2000). Thus, as I describe the outcomes of my experiences of literacy and identity, I consider …  Lire la suite

A fundamental goal of the brain is to anticipate future outcomes [Bar, 2007, Friston and Kiebel, 2009, Friston et al., 2006, Keller and Mrsic-Flogel, 2018, Schultz et al., 1997, Spratling, 2017]. This is well documented in the case of food or reward; for example, in the Ventral Tegmental Area, neurons initially encode reward and then gradually become tuned to pre-reward periods, such as cues that predict reward [Fraser et al., 2023, Glimcher, 2011, Matsumoto and Hikosaka, 2009, Pan et al., 2005, Schultz, 1998, Schultz et al., 1997, Steinberg et al., 2013, Waelti et al., 2001]. Similarly, studies have shown that …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, I attempt to quantify the effect of density on toad dispersal in a series of steps that coincide with the amphibian’s notable life stages, which are outlined by the five chapters of my thesis. Chapter 2 examines the direct effect of density on tadpole survival, growth and size at metamorphosis using a unique technique of density manipulation. I discuss potential downfalls of the traditional method of tadpole density-manipulations whereby raising them in crowded conditions might confound results as tadpoles are known to respond differently to chemical cues left in the water by conspecifics. My method of manipulating …  Lire la suite

The Panamanian Bayano dam, completed in 1976, led to the relocation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and to detrimental environmental changes. While the region has been studied, no explicit Relational Values perspective has been applied. Relational Values focus on relationships, particularly between humans and nonhuman nature, and to the goal of a Good Life, namely one of fulfillment and thriving. Such relationships are key to the Bayano region, as the Indigenous communities have many close relationships with the natural environment. This often includes seeing all beings as part of a community, with reciprocal responsibilities between entities. A Stakeholder Table is …  Lire la suite

This thesis studies in a comparative framework the impact of colonial experience on the religious and social thought of two modernists, Ahmad Kh an of India and Ahmad Hassan of Indonesia. At the religious level, both modernists were much concerned with the purification of Islam. They called upon the Muslims to return to the Qur' an and hadith, abandon taqlid and to undertake ijtihad. Ahmad Kh an, influenced by the natural sciences and rationalism of the West, was also inclined to interpret Islam in a naturalistic and rational manner. Ahmad Hassan, on the other hand, was very much preoccupied with …  Lire la suite

Roussos G Dimitrakopoulos (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Les applications prometteuses des analogues d’acides nucléiques chimiquement modifiés, dont le nombre est en constante progression, couvrent un large champ s’étirant des thérapies à oligonucléotides aux nanotechnologies d’ADN et outils de diagnostic, à la génomique fonctionnelle et à la validation de cible. Parmi les très nombreuses variétés d’acides nucléiques modifiés qui ont été développées, et plus encore parmi celles dont le sucre central n’est pas naturel, l’acide arabinonucléique (ANA) et son dérivé fluoré en position 2' (2'F-ANA) nous sont particulièrement importants. La présente thèse se focalise en premier lieu sur la compréhension et l’élucidation des causes structurelles à l’origine des …  Lire la suite

La figure du centre blanc a été assez emblématique chez Nicole Brossard pour donner le titre non seulement à son recueil formaliste de 1970, mais également à une rétrospective de son œuvre poétique de 1965 à 1975. Le recueil du Centre blanc voit un sujet féminin énoncer cette figure utopique inspirée par le neutre blanchotien. Le centre tentera d'effacer toutes les dimensions du poème – temps, espace, parole – pour n'en garder qu'une pure textualité. L'utopie d'un texte vide n'éconduira cependant pas complètement le sujet féminin qui sera le témoin central des phénomènes cycliques du texte et qui performera sa …  Lire la suite

Over the past several decades, the S. cerevisiae replication system provided excellent tools to study the initiation of DNA replication, and has built basic models to understand this process in higher eukaryotes. Therefore, identification and characterization of budding yeast replication initiation proteins, and their associations with replication origins, have significantly advanced our knowledge of eukaryotic DNA replication. Taking advantage of this tool, I studied the role of the cruciform binding protein CBP/14-3-3 in the regulation of the initiation of DNA replication in the budding yeast. CBP/14-3-3 was previously identified as an origin binding protein, and both its cruciform and origin …  Lire la suite

Multiplayer Online Games (MOGs) are an extremely popular online technology, one that produces billions of dollars in revenues. Yet, providing scalable, fast, and cheat-resistant games is challenging. In this thesis we propose solutions to some of these challenges.The underlying architecture plays a crucial role in enabling the games to meet the scalability, response time, and low cost requirements that are of utmost importance in designing a successful massively multiplayer online game. Peer-to-peer architectures where the game runs exclusively on client machines, and hybrid approaches, where some tasks run on the clients while a central server controls other aspects, have, due …  Lire la suite

Life signal detection is an old concept with contemporary applications, including predicting cardiac arrhythmia from heart signals, and helping in the search for lost survivors. The underlying principle of the microwave heart monitoring is based on detecting the changes in the reflected microwaves caused by the movement of the chest wall in response to respiration and ventricular activities. This thesis seeks to analyze the induced current distribution and specific-absorption rate (SAR) using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method on an accurate two-dimensional thoracic model provided by the Visual Human Project (VHP). Additional test cases are analyzed which model the two-dimensional heart …  Lire la suite

La messe de Requiem occupe depuis longtemps une place à la fois essentielle et multiforme dans la tradition catholique. Elle constitue un rite religieux, célébré pour le salut des âmes au purgatoire par le biais d’indulgences et de prières d’intercession. Je m’intéresse plus particulièrement aux messes de Requiem polyphoniques probablement composées et interprétées à l’occasion des funérailles de Charles VIII (r. 1483-1498), de Louis XII (r. 1498-1515) et d’Anne de Bretagne (r. 1491-1498 ; 1499-1514). Ces messes étaient de véritables spectacles où les familles royales affichaient leur pouvoir et leur richesse, tenant lieu d’outils politiques destinés à affirmer une légitimité …  Lire la suite

Previous research has shown that perceptions of injustice might interfere with recovery following musculoskeletal injury. This program of research addressed the role of perceived injustice in the prediction of post-surgical outcomes in individuals treated for severe osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Demonstrating that a psychological variable increases the risk of problematic post-surgical outcomes may provide an empirical basis for the development of interventions aimed at promoting a more positive recovery following joint replacement surgery. In addition, demonstrating that perceptions of injustice can arise in the absence of an eliciting event (i.e., injury) and a salient source for blame, may contribute …  Lire la suite

Field experiments were conducted during the 1989 dry season (July to December) at the Manggoapi Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Cenderawasih University in Manokwari, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The objectives of the experiments were to determine the effects of four sweet potato cropping systems on the population density of sweet potato weevils (SPW) and on the diversity of other insects within these agroecosystems. Fewer SPW were found in intercropped sweet potato + corn (2 weevils per kg infected tubers), sweet potato + soybean (21 weevils), sweet potato + corn + soybean (8 weevils) than in monoculture sweet potato (37 weevils); …  Lire la suite

Female infertility is a highly complex and heterogeneous condition. Despite its growing global prevalence, the current knowledge around the genetic contributors to its etiology is lacking. In this research project, patients experiencing recurrent reproductive loss were investigated for potential genetic dispositions. Genomic DNA isolated from patients’ blood samples were sent for whole exome sequencing. The exome data were filtered for damaging rare biallelic variants in genes with potential roles in reproduction. This led to the identification of the novel homozygous likely pathogenic variant, c.626G>A, p.Trp209*, in the TERB1 gene of a patient diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency. In addition, a …  Lire la suite

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Hume's philosophical -writings received little attention, except in Scottish circles, and it was not until the present century that Hume came to be generally regarded as one of the greatest British philosophers. At the time when I began this thesis, there was still relatively little published criticism of his ethical thought, for reasons which are discussed elsewhere. Interest has largely been confined to his epistemology, and his ethics have been neglected or treated as subsidiary to his theory of knowledge. It was never suggested, I think, until Professor Kemp Smith's Philosophy of David Hume …  Lire la suite

This study was designed to characterize postcesarean pain and examine its relationship with surgical anesthesia. Pain intensity was measured using a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to measure quality. The most common pain types reported were movement-associated and constant incisional pain (100% of subjects), gas pain (88.1%), and uterine contraction pain (83.3%). Each pain type differed in its intensity, duration and quality. Movement-associated incisional pain was the most intense and long-lasting pain type reported. On postoperative days 2 to 4, mothers who received complete epidural anesthesia during surgery reported less intense movement-associated …  Lire la suite

The primary objective of this dissertation is to present and analyze Marx's theory of technological unemployment. Chapter I is a brief evaluation of the modern perspectives on this question. The levels of analysis in Marx are also identified. Chapter II considers Marx's short term model on technological unemployment when no net accumulation occurs. It includes a discussion of different measures and types of technological change. Chapter III complements the previous chapter. A theoretical definition of compensation is advanced, and the different forms of compensation in Marx are evaluated. This chapter also includes a broader discussion of the compensation controversy. Chapter …  Lire la suite

A new route to molecular self-assembly using a simple acid-base hydrolytic approach on silica based surfaces, is reported in this thesis. Based on this methodology, a number of compounds containing terminal groups with acidic protons, such as alcohols, thiols, carboxylic acids, and terminal alkynes, can be easily deposited on silica surfaces. The quality of the thin films was monitored by contact angle goniometry, ellipsometry, XPS, FTIR-ATR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopies. The deposition conditions were optimized to produce ordered and densely packed mono- and multilayers. Using the two-step process, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a variety of long chain alcohols containing terminal …  Lire la suite

Lactococcus lactis est une bactérie Gram-positive non-pathogène et non-colonisante fréquemment utilisée dans l'industrie laitière. Etant donné ses caractéristiques probiotiques, notre premier objectif fut d'étudier les effets de L. lactis sur le système immunitaire. Nous avons comparé les effets inflammatoires innés de L. lactis avec deux souches de bactéries attenuées Gram-négatives: Escherichia coli et Salmonella typhi, cette dernière étant déjà largement utilisée dans la formulation de vaccins vivants bactériens. Nous avons étudié le profil d'expression des chémokines induites par les trois souches bactériennes in vitro à partir d'une lignée de cellules de macrophages et in vivo au niveau des cellules recrutées …  Lire la suite

Mask and Shadow for large orchestra explores the aesthetic concept of "imperfection" in musical composition. The dissertation consists of two volumes: the analysis and the full score. The original method through which this concept was realized in the compositional work entails two main components: first, it breaks down the concept of imperfection into ramifications, or sub-categories and assigns them to different musical parameters. Second, it defines perfection for each one of these parameters and presents them as a term of contrast in order to highlight the following, altered, state of imperfection.More specifically, I selected four ramifications of the aesthetic concept …  Lire la suite

We say that a restriction theorem holds for a curve (gamma) (t) in (//R)('n) if for all f(epsilon) ((//R)('n)) and for some p and q, there is a constant C(,p,q) such that (VBAR)(VBAR) f (VBAR) (,(gamma)) (VBAR)(VBAR) (,L('q)(du)) (LESSTHEQ) C(,p,q) (VBAR)(VBAR) f (VBAR)(VBAR) (,L('P)((//R)('n))). In Chapter 1, we prove restriction theorems for non-compact plane curves with non-negative affine curvature when 1 (LESSTHEQ) p < 4/3 and (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE SEE DAI) There is an analogous result for space curves in the same chapter. The Hilbert transform along the curve (gamma) is defined by (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE …  Lire la suite

Lencucha, Raphael (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Murty, Ram (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Palter, Jaime (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Bourqui, Michel (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Imai, Hiroshi (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Quand le bras en mouvement tient un objet, la force de préhension (FdP) augmente en début de mouvement (contrôle anticipatoire; CA). Après un accident vasculaire cérébral (AVC), les personnes conservent le CA dans quelques tâches mais peu d'entre elles sont écologiques. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que l'AVC entraîne des problèmes de CA lors de tâches fonctionnelles. Les sujets ont levé un capteur de force de 63,5g (lever) avec le pouce et l'index et l'ont tenu (maintien) tout en fléchissant ou allongeant le coude (transport). La FdP, l'activité EMG des muscles du coude et du pouce ainsi que l'accélération de l'avant-bras …  Lire la suite

X is a composition for a chamber orchestra with a duration of approximately 13'30′. The title X (read as "cross") refers to a cross-weave pattern created by superimposing the trills and written-out tremolos in the piece. While the trills and tremolos are used throughout the piece to create a sense of textural variety, they have an important function in controlling the formal structure of the piece. The texture, which is one of the important features of the composition, makes the overall form apparent.  Lire la suite

Efficient and accurate numerical simulation methods for the damage tolerance analysis and fatigue life prediction of fibre reinforced polymers are in high demand in industry. Problems arise in the development of such a simulation method due to the limitations from numerical methods, i.e., delamination modelling, and understanding of damage mechanism of woven fabric composites. In order to provide effective and accurate delamination modelling, a new crack modelling method by using the finite element method is proposed in this study. The proposed method does not require additional degrees-of-freedom in order to model newly created crack/delamination surfaces. The accuracy of delamination growth …  Lire la suite

PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), une protéine kinase de type sér/thr exprimée à la membrane du réticulum endoplasmique (RE), est une composante importante de la réponse au stress causé par l'accumulation de protéines mal conformées dans le RE, connue sous le nom de UPR (unfolded protein response). Plusieurs études ont démontré que PERK joue un rôle régulateur important dans la fonction et l'homéostasie des cellules β du pancréas. En condition de stress, PERK phosphoryle la sous-unité α du facteur d'initiation eIF2 sur la Ser51, ce qui réprime la traduction. Précédemment, nous avons montré que la protéine adaptatrice Nck1 module la traduction …  Lire la suite

Cobalamin must be metabolized intracellularly in order to bind two enzymes: methionine synthase in cytoplasm and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase in mitochondria. Defects in this process cause different inborn errors of cobalamin metabolism (cblA-cblG and mut). A previous study described a cobalamin-binding protein, in addition to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, in crude mitochondrial fractions. The amount of [57Co]cobalamin bound to this protein was increased in cblB, mut and cblD variant2 cell lines, compared to control cell lines. In the present study, this protein was identified as transcobalamin (TC). Mitochondrial fractions from a cblB cell line were incubated with anti-TC antibodies, which precipitated the cobalamin-bound …  Lire la suite

Particle behaviour during the downwards, pneumatic injection of powder into an aqueous medium (water) has been investigated by means of a new method which involves direct measurement by making use of an Aqueous Particle Sensor (APS) unit. Through this method, phenomena and parameters related to injection processes, such as gas-particle jet penetration distance, jet diameter, jet cone angle, particle dispersion and distribution within the liquid have been investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively. Flow observations comprised part of the experimental program for the purpose of confirming the characteristics of the "gas-only" and "gas-powder" injection regimes reported by previous workers. The effect …  Lire la suite

The cover of the ericaceous shrub Kalmia angustifolia L. (sheep's laurel or lamb's kill) expands rapidly on many clear-cut sites through central Newfoundland and northern Quebec. Previous laboratory and greenhouse studies on the effect of Kalmia on black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) germinants and seedlings have demonstrated that extracts of Kalmia leaves and soil can reduce the germination rate and early root and shoot growth of black spruce. Observations in the field have suggested that Kalmia leaves and soil can reduce the germination rate and early rot and shoot growth of black spruce. Observations in the field have suggested …  Lire la suite