McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par Ç

Eisenberg, A. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

In this thesis I ask: "What are Nova Scotia women's narratives concerning authority in their education? Does 'shyness' come into play in these educational narratives? What are the ways in which these women accepted and/or resisted authority?" This research grows from my position as an academic initiate, and my experiences of "growing up girl" in Nova Scotia. Using a qualitative feminist methodology, I interviewed three women who moved through the Nova Scotia educational system. Here I situate their stories in relation to scholarly work on authority and the context of class, race, and gender in Nova Scotia, and explore the …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes the design, construction and operation of an apparatus for experimentation with small, cylindrical samples under conditions of high temperature and pressure in the presence of fluids. It is also possible to deform the sample while subjected to these "hydrothermal" conditions by developing a differential which can produce either shearing or tensional phenomena. Both open and closed systems can be employed. [...]  Lire la suite

It has been observed that the class III bacteriophages Mu and D108 and the class II elements, Tn3, Tn1000, IS101 and Tn951, share the characteristics of replicatively transposing to random positions, producing 5 bp target site duplications and of containing the sequence 5$ sp prime$-PUCGAAAPu-3$ sp prime$ at bp 21 from their ends. These shared characteristics led to the hypothesis that these class III and class II elements evolved from a common ancestor transposon. Functional evidence which supports this hypothesis was obtained using the band retardation and in vivo transposition-mating assays. Mu and D108 transposase proteins were shown to mediate …  Lire la suite

Mon travail de thèse se concentre sur la question générale de savoir comment des connexions synaptiques spécifiques sont formées lors du développement du système nerveux. La mise en place de ces liens nécessite la coordination des interactions neurites à neurites (axone-axone, dendrites-dendrites et axons-dendrites). Les mécanismes moléculaires sous-jacents à ces interactions complexes restent mal compris. J'ai choisi d'étudier les facteurs génétiques et moléculaires qui jouent un rôle dans le développement des connectivités neuronales dans le système visuel de la Drosophile. J'ai identifié une nouvelle molécule membranaire de reconnaissance cellulaire de la superfamille des immunoglobulines (IgSF) que j'ai nommé borderless (bdl). …  Lire la suite

Data are herein reported upon the nutritive value of fertilized and unfertilized mixed pasture herbage and certain pure species of grasses as measured by comparative feeding tests and the results of metabolism studies with rabbits. The results obtained would seem to indicate that both the botanical composition of the sward and particular conditions of season are important considerations in determining the nutritive value of herbage resulting from fertilization of pastures. The combined seasonal clippings (fertilized and unfertilized) of immature blue grass, red top and brome grass showed no significant difference in their nutritive value under the conditions of this experiment. …  Lire la suite

Airfare pricing errors pose challenges for both the aviation industry and consumers. Whenan error fare is inadvertently published, it can quickly mount an enormous loss of revenue for airlines. Simultaneously, consumers who purchase such fares may proceed to make ancillary purchases in reliance of the validity of their tickets. Airlines must then make a decision to either honor the fare (thereby losing the opportunity to sell their inventory at their anticipated price), or cancel the purchased tickets and potentially face litigation by passengers for incurred expenses. This paper sets out to probe the phenomenon of error fares and analyze the …  Lire la suite

Synthesis from UDP-($ sp{14}$C) glucose of charged lipid-linked glucosyl compounds by pea membranes was short-lived, and of very limited magnitude compared to the synthesis of 1,4- and 1,3-linked B-glucans. Lipid-linked monophosphoryl glucose was the only charged lipid formed at initial stages, and had properties similar to that of dolichol-monophosphoryl glucose. It exhibited no turnover during pulse-chase experiments. Lipid-linked pyrophosphoryl-glucose or -oligosaccharides were not detected. Coumarin inhibited the synthesis of SDS-soluble products and glucans, but not of the lipid-P-glucose. Transfer of the label from endogeneous lipid-P-($ sp{14}$C) glucose or from dolichol-P-($ sp3$H) glucose into non-lipid products was minimal. It was concluded …  Lire la suite

Characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition remains a major unresolved problem in aquatic ecology. "Tryptophan-like" dissolved organic matter fluorescence (FDOM) was found to be a much better predictor of heterotrophic bacterial metabolism in 28 Quebec lakes than dissolved organic carbon (DOC), describing 52, 44, 51 and 55% of the variability in bacterial production (BP), bacterioplankton respiration (BR), total bacterial carbon consumption (TBCC), and total plankton community respiration (CR), respectively. In addition, the study provides indirect support for the view that FDOM represents a product of bacterial activity, rather than a bioavailable substrate. This is the first field study to show …  Lire la suite

Unlike healthy individuals, patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) experience extended periods of infection and worsened symptoms when infected with Human Rhinovirus (HRV), the leading agent of the common cold. A negative association has been made between HRV and the antiviral cytokine, interferon (IFN)-beta, bringing forth the question of whether stimulation of antiviral defences leading to an augmentation in IFN-beta can help clear HRV from the airways. The intrinsically elevated levels of airway inflammation as well chronic infection with opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas (P.) aeruginosa creates a need to assess the effect of augmentation of IFN-beta by antiviral defence stimulation …  Lire la suite

Mydlarski, Laurent B. (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

clk-1 encodes an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone (UQ), a redox active lipid that is found in all cellular membranes, including in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans clk-1 mutants display slow and deregulated physiological rates, including slow embryonic and post-embryonic development, retarded germline development, slow behaviours, and an increased lifespan. clk-1 slow germline development phenotype was previously linked to clk-1 altered ROS metabolism and its effect on lipid oxidization and the let-60/ras pathway. I have taken a genetic suppressor approach to further investigate the causes of the slow germline development phenotype of the clk-1 …  Lire la suite

Les protéines Hedgehog (Hh) sont des molécules sécrétées à l'origine de signalisations intracellulaire vitale lors du développement des vertébrés et des invertébrés. Le dérèglement de la voie de signalisation Hh est responsable de nombreux cancers et malformations congénitales. Malgré les progrès récents dans l'exploration des mécanismes moléculaires et cellulaires qui définissent la voie Hh, notre compréhension de cette voie reste loin d'être complète. Dans cette thèse, j'ai poursuivis une approche génétique pour comprendre les mécanismes impliqués dans la réception initiale et la transduction du signal Hh, en utilisant la Drosophile comme système modèle. La réception de Hh à la surface …  Lire la suite

Family casework agencies have always been concerned with the impact of life's circumstance on the family as a whole and with what can be done to help families achieve stability or to make changes that will help them to achieve maximum effectiveness in handling both everyday and critical life problems. In family-centred casework, the improvement of the social functioning of the family unit is achieved by direct or indirect treatment of individual family members, so planned, so balanced and controlled, that benefits accrue to the total group.  Lire la suite

In this thesis, I propose a theory of ergativity in which NP arguments are checked for Case by moving to projections of agreement at LF. The Case-marking pattern of an ergative language arises when transitive subjects move to the projection of agreement usually associated with objects (AGR.o), while transitive objects and intransitive subjects move to the projection of subject agreement (AGR.s). While this proposal assigns the same underlying structure to clauses in an ergative language (unlike Marantz, 1984), it does have distinctive syntactic effects. In this it contrasts with a purely morphological approach to ergativity, such as that of Anderson …  Lire la suite

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by behavioral atypicalities alongside psychiatric, gastrointestinal (GI), and metabolic comorbidities, implicating dysregulation of the gut-brain axis. Despite advances in understanding ASD core features, effective treatments for its wide-ranging symptoms remain elusive. Recent research highlights the role of the endocannabinoidome (eCBome) and gut microbiome (GM) in ASD, with both ecosystems critically influencing brain and gut function. This translational study investigates the interplay of the eCBome and GM in ASD, aiming to uncover novel therapeutic targets within the eCBome-GM-brain axis.Using the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (Fmr1-/y) genetic mouse model of ASD, …  Lire la suite

Shrier, Alvin (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Cooper, D. G. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The present study surveyed occupational therapy clinical supervisors working in a number of university affiliated hospitals in the Montreal area, via a mail questionnaire. Therapists were first asked to rate the importance of behaviours in facilitating student learning during clinical instruction. Then they were asked to report their attendance at continuing education courses on clinical instruction. The relationship between attendance at these courses, number of years of clinical experience and rating of behaviours was investigated. Therapists with few years of clinical experience had a low rate of attendance and rated behaviours as important more frequently. Therapists who attended a course …  Lire la suite

$ alpha$1,2-Mannosidases are a family of enzymes with similar amino acid sequences that are required for the formation of complex and hybrid asparagine-linked oligosaccharides in mammalian cells. We have determined the genomic structure of one member of this enzyme family, the murine $ alpha$1,2-mannosidase IB gene. Two BALB/c cosmid genomic clones (Cos.31.1 and Cos.25.1) and three overlapping 129/sv P1 genomic clones were isolated. Analysis of Cos.31.1 and the P1 clones showed that the $ alpha$1,2-mannosidase IB gene spans 180kb of the genome, and consists of 13 exons representing the complete open reading frame of the enzyme. Comparison of the intron/exon …  Lire la suite

The concentration of waste cutting oils by ultrafiltration was studied in a thin channel crossflow unit using regenerated cellulose membranes having molecular weight cutoffs (MWCOs) of 10 000 and 30 000. Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of emulsion concentration (1-5% w/v), transmembrane pressure (0.103-1.241 MPa), and temperature (25-45$ sp circ$C) on the permeation rate of clean water and on the oil content of the water, using a model cutting oil emulsion having a mean droplet size of 2.8 um. The emulsion concentration had no effect on the permeate flux. Increasing temperature or pressure increased the flux. The …  Lire la suite

"Le cortisol libre, non lié à la transcortine, fut déterminé chez la femme enceinte par une méthode de dialyse à 37C, en présence d'albumine. Les taux sanguins furent ensuite déterminés à partir du cortisol total. Le sérum du cordon ombilical et de la mère ainsi que quelques échantillons de liquide amniotique furent étudiés. Les taux d'hormone furent déterminés lors d'accouchements accouchements vaginaux et de césarienne et, en début de grossesse, par hystérotomie. Il fut démontré que les niveaux sont bas en début de grossesse alors qu'ils sont élevés à la fin de la gestation et à ce moment les taux …  Lire la suite

Comparatively few theoretical studies exist on the keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. His music remains largely unexplored. This study investigates formal and functional aspects of the "first halves" in the Venice XIII collection (K 514--K 543) and reveals links to the aesthetics and traditions of his contemporaries. It suggests and examines relationships to the development of the sonata genre. To accomplish this, the study proposes a theoretical base for critical analysis and presents a specialised terminology to examine the features of mid-eighteenth-century sonata forms. The arguments of Michelle Fillion, J. P. Larsen, and Wilhelm Fischer are central to the discussion. …  Lire la suite

Sullivan, C. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

A project was developed to determine the feasibility of using liquid hog manure as a nutrient source (Nitrogen) for the potato crop. A survey of liquid hog manure storage facilities on Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) provided a sampling technique and the range of nutrients found on hog farms. It was concluded from the data that there were large differences between farms and on farm manure sampling was required to determine accurate nutrient applications. An infrastructure was designed, constructed and tested for storage, handling and the application of liquid hog manure at the Harrington Research Farm, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, …  Lire la suite

Recently, musicologists Linda Austern and Suzanne Cusick have examined the socio-cultural implications of gender issues in Renaissance music. Drawing on Cusick's research on gender-based binary oppositions in Italy and Austern's studies of women and music in England, I propose a related set of gender binary oppositions in English society. I apply these oppositions in detail to two specific works from the Elizabethan madrigal and lute song repertoire, then examine the remaining pieces from these collections as a whole and find that an overlap of four particular oppositions better captures the contradictory nature of the music. Examining pieces that fall into …  Lire la suite

La rigidité de la matrice a fait l'objet d'études approfondies en tant que moteur du comportement des cellules et déterminant de leur devenir. Ces études se sont concentrées sur des cellules cultivées sur des substrats élastiques linéaires, mais le micro-environnement cellulaire n'est pas linéairement élastique. Une caractérisation plus précise des tissus est qu'il s'agit d'un matériau viscoélastique où la relation entre la contrainte et la déformation dépend d'un dixième de degré. Les cellules individuelles utilisent les forces de traction pour évaluer leur environnement mécanique local et il a été démontré qu'elles répondent aux changements visqueux de leur environnement indépendamment des …  Lire la suite

Lam, Professor C. S.  Lire la suite

The title of this thesis is a broad one and purposely so, for the problem was first conceived in such general terms. But it soon became obvious, that the role of many electrolytes in many different types of heart disease could not possibly be investigated by one person in a short time. Therefore, in approaching such a study, the problem had immediately to be limited. Because potassium is such an important electrolyte in cellular metabolism and because variations in potassium concentrations have such a marked effect upon the functions of the heart, it was decided that this ion should be …  Lire la suite

La participation des adolescents aux jeux d'argent est un phénomène inquiétant. Des résultats de recherche ont souligné le fait que les adolescents croient que leurs parents ne se préoccupent pas ou se préoccupent peu de leur participation à des jeux d'argent. La présente étude examine les attitudes parentales à l'égard de la participation des mineurs à ces activités, en comparaison avec d'autres problématiques adolescentes, la participation des adultes à des jeux d'argent en compagnie de leurs adolescents, l'éducation des parents et leur sensibilisation aux problèmes liés à la participation aux jeux d'argent.Au moyen de l'Internet, 2 710 parents canadiens d'adolescents …  Lire la suite

Burack, Jacob A. (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Let G be an abstract group generated by a finite set of generators g1, g2, ..., gr and defined by a finite set of relations ... [ equation ] ... 1.2 Method. The method of coset enumeration is as follows. G is defined as above by the r generators gl, ..., gr and the k relations (1.1). [...]  Lire la suite

The widespread use of ordinary differential equation (ODE) models has long been underrepresented in the statistical literature. The most common methods for estimating parameters from ODE models are nonlinear least squares and an MCMC based method. Both of these methods depend on a likelihood involving the numerical solution to the ODE. The challenge faced by these methods is parameter spaces that are difficult to navigate, exacerbated by the wide variety of behaviours that a single ODE model can produce with respect to small changes in parameter values. In this work, two competing methods, generalized profile estimation and Bayesian collocation tempering …  Lire la suite

RHex is a man-packable, six-legged robotic platform capable of traversing highly varied and rugged terrain, as well as running up to five body lengths per second. This thesis describes the development of two gaits for RHex: bounding and stair descent. The procedures involved in the development of these gaits are the analysis of video footage of experimental operation and logged-data analysis. Important elements of the functioning bounding gait are proper touchdown detection and energy storage in the compliant legs. For stair descent, the important element is control of the sliding motion of the robot body on the stair. A description …  Lire la suite

In presenting this paper, by way of introduction it may be of interest to make a brief resume of the historical evolution of the subject of Geology. history of the development of any subject, scientific or otherwise, is but a biographical sketch of the men who are responsible for its growth; so in following from its infancy the progress and development of the subject of geology, I shall select a few of the men who have the honour to be classed as the founders of one of our most modern and instructive sciences, and describe briefly the work they accomplished …  Lire la suite

Les nouveau-nés en unité de soins intensifs néonatals (USIN) ont souvent besoin d’assistance respiratoire en raison d’une immaturité pulmonaire et/ou de complications respiratoires. La ventilation en pression positive continue (PPC) à bulles est une assistance respiratoire très utilisée. Elle fournit de l’air par des pinces nasales ou un masque, la tubulure distale étant immergée dans un réservoir d'eau. L’air circulant à un débit contrôlé dans le système génère des oscillations de pression à haute fréquence, la pression moyenne étant déterminée par la profondeur de la tubulure dans l’eau. Ces oscillations favorisent l’expansion pulmonaire, les échanges gazeux et l’assistance respiratoire globale. …  Lire la suite

In this thesis I examine the 'spiritual disconnect' within contemporary North American society, specifically the frequent lack of integration of soul and spirit within the public education system. Drawing upon both scholarly research and narrative reflections from my own experiences within the public education system, I argue that this void in fostering spiritual development within class and school spaces is problematic, I then explore what it could mean to educate for spirit and soul, identifying key features of this type of curriculum, and explaining the fundamental role of the educator in this context. I conclude by addressing potential challenges facing …  Lire la suite

Schubert, Peter N. (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Foster, J. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a form of irritant-induced asthma (IIA) has been observed in humans following acute chlorine (Cl 2) gas exposure in occupational and domestic settings. Following Cl 2 injury, subepithelial fibrosis, mucous hyperplasia, and non-specific airway hyperresponsiveness have been reported. Based on the disease profile, we hypothesized that pulmonary damage may be oxidative in nature. The aim of this work was to develop a murine model of irritant-induced asthma in order to investigate the pathogenic processes and potential oxidative mechanisms involved in response to Cl2 exposure, with a secondary aim of examining the role of iNOS in …  Lire la suite

For purposes of mechanistic study and structural assignment in organic chemistry it is often of great practical value to possess some knowledge concerning the basic strengths of various functional groups. The present work will concern itself primarily with a study of the basic strength of the carbonyl group as it occurs in two main classes of organic compounds - ketones and amides. [...]  Lire la suite

It will be readily agreed upon by almost any engineer associated with the structural steel fabricating industry, that one of the most convenient and economical types of structural components in use today is the plate girder. Almost every structure built, which has long spans or has heavy loads to be carried, whether it be a building or a bridge, will have one or several of these most practical members. Until recently, specifications gave sufficiently wide scope to the designer to make these girders applicable in almost any case.  Lire la suite