The microbes that inhabit the human body, our microbiota, greatly influence our physiology and propensity for disease. For instance, the gut microbiota metabolizes compounds from our diet to provide important nutrients. Similarly, the microbiota has the potential to impact drug response; directly by metabolizing drugs, or indirectly by providing metabolites to the host. The complexity of the mammalian microbiota, and the limited throughput of such models, prohibit a systematic interrogation of specific interactions between microbes and host drug response. Here, I use C. elegans and its bacterial diet as a suitable model with the scalability and genetic tractability to address these questions. In Chapter II, I describe host-bacteria-drug interactions involving the anti-pyrimidine drugs 5-FU and FUDR. In brief, we identified two main mechanisms by which bacteria affect the C. elegans response to anti-pyrimidines: (1) metabolic conversion into FUMP by uridine phospho-ribosyltransferase (upp) and (2) dietary supplementation of uracil. Chapter III will focus on a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, TAM, with no clear target in bacteria or C. elegans. I will describe my work characterizing a bacteria-dependent response to TAM involving fatty acid metabolism. Lastly, the Appendix will summarize my efforts to expand the sample space of tested host-microbe-drug interactions.

Contexte: La chirurgie de cytoréduction combinée à la chimiothérapie hyperthermique intrapéritonéale (CHIP) à l'oxaliplatine (OX) est un standard de traitement pour certains patients sélectionnés atteints de carcinose péritonéale d'origine colorectale. Puisque le 5-FU potentialise l'action de l'OX lorsqu'administrés en intraveineux (IV), plusieurs groupes combinent empiriquement le 5-FU IV avec la CHIP à l'OX, mais cette pratique n'est pas soutenue par des données précliniques. Chez le rat, nous avons étudié l'impact du 5-FU IV sur la concentration péritonéale de l'OX dans le contexte d'une CHIP. Méthodes: Sous anesthésie générale, 24 rats Sprague-Dawley furent soumis à 4 différentes doses de 5-FU IV (0, 100, 400 et 800 mg/m²) et une dose fixe de CHIP à l'OX (460 mg/m²) perfusée à 40°C pendant 25 minutes. À 25 minutes, des échantillons de différents compartiments furent prélevés (péritoine, veine porte et veine cave) et les concentrations de 5-FU et OX furent mesurées par Chromatographie Liquide à Haute Performance. Résultats: La concentration péritonéale d'OX a augmenté significativement (17.0, 20.1, 34.9 et 38.1 nmol/g, p < 0.0001) avec chaque dose croissante de 5-FU (0, 100, 400 et 800 mg/m², respectivement). La concentration péritonéale d'OX a atteint un plateau entre les doses de 400 et 800 mg/m² de 5-FU IV. Conclusion: Le 5-FU IV potentialise la concentration péritonéale de la CHIP à l'OX. La dose optimale de 5-FU IV à administrer en combinaison avec la CHIP à l'OX semble être 400 mg/m². / Background: Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with oxaliplatin (OX) is a standard of care for selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin. Because 5-FU is mandatory to improve efficacy of OX when used by systemic route, several teams now empirically combine intravenous (IV) 5-FU with HIPEC OX, but this practice has yet to be supported by preclinical data. Using a murine model, we studied the impact of IV 5-FU on peritoneal concentration of HIPEC OX. Methods: Under general anesthesia, 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were submitted to 4 different doses of IV 5-FU (0, 100, 400 and 800 mg/m²) and a fixed dose of HIPEC OX (460 mg/m²) perfused at 40°C during 25 minutes. At 25 minutes, samples in different compartments were harvested (peritoneum, portal vein and systemic blood) and the concentrations of 5-FU and OX were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Peritoneal concentration of OX was significantly higher (17.0, 20.1, 34.9 and 38.1 nmol/g, p < 0.0001) with increasing doses of 5-FU (0, 100, 400 and 800 mg/m², respectively). Peritoneal concentration of OX reached a plateau between 400 and 800 mg/m² of IV 5-FU. Conclusion: IV 5-FU enhances peritoneal concentration of HIPEC OX. The most efficient dose of IV 5-FU to be used in combination with HIPEC OX seems to be 400 mg/m².

No description available.

辭賦在兩漢四百多年間，由於作者身分逐漸轉換，傳播方式的改易，還有文人對五七言句的接受，及政治環境的崩解等因素，導致其語言形式產生明顯變化，有漸趨駢偶、篇幅縮減等傾向。為了說明其語言風格與時俱「變」的軌跡，本文以169篇現存完整的漢賦為觀察對象，具體地描述並比較兩漢賦的種種異同，也嘗試將原本以作者等單「點」研究為主的語言風格學，延伸為一斷代賦史的「線」性觀察，更全面地回應賦學和文學史的研究成果。 本文第一章交代研究動機、方法及範圍，第二章則針對漢賦排比成篇的特徵，討論其句式風格及與五七言詩的關係；第三章進一步分析排比句中的「假平行」現象，並指出其與近體詩「假平行」不同的對仗習慣。第四章從較為宏觀的「篇章架構」著手，一方面呈現西漢著重時空順序的特徵，另方面也說明東漢建安小賦以首句概括全篇的安排。在第五章，筆者敘述漢賦「鋪彩摛文」的設計，包括使用長主語、長賓語以炫耀博學，竭力排比長謂語的種種動態，乃至多採「奔行」等手法；第六章則援引俄國形式主義學者所謂的「陌生化」概念，說明漢賦穿插「零句」和倒置語序，以引起聽眾或讀者新鮮感的安排。最後，第七章結論略述各章梗概，說明本文價值、研究限制和可繼續發展的相關議題。此外，〈附錄一〉〈附錄二〉是第二章的補充資料，分別為各篇句式分析表，以及二三、四三節奏賦句列表。 / Researchers of Han Rhapsody often suggest that, as a dominant literary genre of the Han Dynasty, rhapsody had changed its linguistic style gradually owing to the differences from the changes of authors’ social identities, the growing popularity and development of five and seven syllables(五七言詩), and the decline and fall of the Han empire. However, research that describes the specific and concrete features of this genre during the four hundred years of Han Dynasty is scant. To illustrate how the varying line length, loose parallelism, and extensive themes in Han Rhapsody was built up, interacted with the five and seven syllables(the representative genre of the six dynasty(魏晉六朝)), and influenced other rhythm works for the following millennium, I described, grouped, and integrated all the distinguishing details in Han Rhapsodies with the method which Leo Spitzer had mentioned in his work, Linguistics and Literary History: Essays in Stylistics. By analyzing the syntactic mode(句式), the pseudo parallel(假平行),the discourse- oriented topics, and the strategies the authors took to extend the length of the rhapsody and to unfamiliarize the readers with the incomplete or inverted sentence, this study showed how the complicated expressions, exhaustive details, and magnificent structures had been simplified and shortened, and both the authors and readers paid more attention to the emotions expressed rather than to the exaggerated language adapted step by step. To conclude, this study may be of importance in providing researchers with a better understanding of how the changes within a genre had taken place, as well as enriching the realm of the traditional Chinese literary criticism, which usually explains the literature phenomenon by subjective impression.

本文共分九章，約十六萬字。 第一章，「緒論」：說明本文之研究目的與方法，以及研究概念。 第二章，「時代背景」：敘述清末民初的政治社會動向，新思潮的高漲，以及知識分 子的「激進主義」與「烏托邦思想」。 第三章，「走向激進主義」與第四章、「從事無政府主義活動」；分析劉氏走向無政 府主義的轉變過程，以及「心社」與「晦嗚學舍」之組織及其活動。 第五章與第六章，「〔民聲〕言論的分析（上、下）」，分析「民聲」言論以探討劉 師復的無政府主義的性格。 第七章，「劉師復無政府主義的承襲與特性」；分析「新世紀」與「天義」報以明瞭 劉氏無政府主義的特性。 第八章，「劉師復無政府主義的延續及其影響」；分析五四運動前後的無政府主義運 動，並加以討論無政府主義與共產主義的理論鬥爭。 第九章，「結論」：說明本論文之發現外，並試述無政府主義運動的失敗原因。

西漢賦篇幅閎大，詞藻名物也十分博雜；加以上古音與現代語音迥然不同，遂使讀者難以領受作品爲「朗誦」而設計的音韻之美。因此，本文舉司馬相如賦為例，採取「語言風格學(Stylistics)」的概念，歸納、統計常用的聲母、韻部和聲調，期以具體證據說明西漢賦「極聲貌以窮文」 的音韻特徵，並藉由賦篇音值的構擬，呈現其朗誦時音韻和諧、對比的表現。 西漢賦多為「言語侍從之臣」娛侍君上的作品，相較之下，抒情色彩則較淡薄。在當時最顯明的特色，實為「出乎口」而「快乎耳」。賦篇形式多排偶，可分析其音韻搭配的關係，故本文檢索唐作藩《上古音手冊》，求得各字之聲韻調類，再以李方桂、丁邦新的上古聲母和西漢韻部擬音為標注依據，分別在四章中整理且歸納其聲母、韻部及聲調，乃至「重疊形式(reduplicated form)」 的音韻特徵。 本文第一章交代研究動機、方法及範圍，並整理前人研究成果；第二章就「聲母相諧的排偶句」、「頂真的聲母複沓」兩項，整理相如賦相關的例子數及其比例，接著在第三章根據韻腳的通押關係，歸納「韻部相諧的虛字排比句」「韻部相諧的排偶句」「陽入聲韻搭配的排偶句」的例子；第四章則整理聲調複沓或對比的排偶句，突顯相如賦既相諧又對比的音韻搭配。第五章比較相如賦雙聲、疊韻、疊字三種的音韻特徵，此外亦於各章小結製表比較七篇賦的異同。最後，在結論和〈附錄一〉以具體擬音，呈現其朗誦實況，並指出本文價值、研究限制和可繼續發展的相關議題。 / West-Han Rhapsodies are difficult to read owing to their complicated expressions as well as magnificent structure. Moreover, the archaic pronunciation differs greatly from the modern one, which impedes the readers from comprehending and feeling the phonological beauty particularly designed for recitation. This article aims at explaining the phonological characteristics of Sima Xiangru’s rhapsodies, which were intentionally written in an exaggerative language. The concept of “Linguistic Stylistics” is adopted to categorize their vowel clusters, consonant clusters and tones. Furthermore, by means of a phonetic simulation, the rhapsodies’ phonological harmony and comparison in recitation is presented. West-Han Rhapsodies are works by “Chinese jesters” to amuse the emperors. There fore, they are magnificent in form and exaggerating in rhetoric, which dwarfs the lyrical texture. In fact, rhapsodies at that time were written in the way that is colloquially euphonious to the ear. Parallelism is a prominent characteristic of rhapsodies, which helps analyze the phonological harmony.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

M. Tech. (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Science), Vaal University of Technology| / Pigeon droppings, found in abundance in most cities and towns where pigeons are found, are a source of potential yeast and molds into the environment. Invasive fungal infections are a cause of morbidity and often mortality in immunocompromised individuals. The objective of this study was to the identification of bacterial and mold agents from pigeon droppings. Pigeon droppings samples were collected from three locations during the winter and summer months and studied for the occurrence of bacteria, yeast and molds by utilising culture-independent techniques. Amplification of the 16S rDNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, cloning and ARDRA and DGGE were used for the characterisation of the microbial populations followed by sequencing. Several mold and yeasts, as well as bacteria were found to be present in pigeon droppings, which can spread into the environment and be transmitted to immunocompromised individuals and children. DGGE analysis of the bacterial communities revealed banding patterns that clustered all but one winter samples and all summer samples, showing a high similarity among the microbial members in both seasons and sample locations. Fungal DGGE analysis revealed clusters that grouped summer and winter samples from Johannesburg and Pretoria while VUT samples were clustered on their own. From the identification of fungal and bacterial DNA, Cryptococcus species was the majority of fungi isolated from the dropping samples. Geotrichum, Kazachstania and Fusarium species were isolated from phylotypes obtained from ITS amplicons analysed by ARDRA. Lactobacillus and Enteroccoccus species, organisms usually found in the gastrointestinal tract were the common bacterial members identified. The results showed no difference in microbial communities across all sample locations, while seasonal changes also had no impact in microbial community patterns.

Cette thèse propose une analyse croisée du cinéma et du jeu vidéo sous un angle interdisciplinaire afin de montrer la réappropriation et le remédiatisation des structures narratives et formelles du jeu vidéo dans le cinéma d’effets visuels du tournant du XXIe siècle. Plus spécifiquement, la thèse porte sur l’analyse de trois figures majeures du jeu vidéo et de l’animation dans la trilogie Matrix (Larry et Andy Wachowski, 1999-2003), dans Avalon (Mamoru Oshii, 2001) et dans Kung-Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004). La première section de la thèse consiste en une mise en place théorique par la présentation de certains paramètres esthétiques du cinéma d’effets visuels et du jeu vidéo. Quelques réflexions préliminaires sur l’esthétique du cinéma d’effets visuels sont d’abord esquissées avant de présenter les principales relations transmédiales entre le cinéma et le jeu vidéo. Ensuite, c’est le cinéma transludique qui est défini alors que le terme découle de la synergie singulière entre le cinéma et le jeu vidéo. Puisque le cinéma transludique concerne spécifiquement la récupération de l’esthétique du jeu vidéo dans le cinéma contemporain, les prémisses d’une esthétique du jeu vidéo sont alors établies. Dans la deuxième section, ce sont les figures et sous-figures au cœur de cette réflexion qui sont développées, pour ensuite les appliquer aux films du corpus. La première figure à l’étude est celle de l’exploration, alors que l’analyse de la signification de cette figure dans la conception de jeu vidéo et dans les récits cinématographiques de science-fiction montre l’importance de la navigation comme expérience spatio-temporelle dans les univers virtuels. Ensuite, c’est l’utilisation récurrente de la figure vidéoludique du niveau (level) dans le cinéma hybride contemporain qui est soulignée, figure qui structure autant le récit que la forme représentationnelle des films transludiques. Enfin, la figure de la métamorphose, indissociable du cinéma d’animation, est étudiée afin de souligner l’importance de cette figure dans la création numérique et d’expliquer la transformation de l’image qui affecte le cinéma transludique, image qualifiée d’image-frontière. / This thesis proposes an analysis between cinema and video games from an interdisciplinary standpoint to demonstrate the remediation of video games’ narrative structures and forms in visual effects-driven films of the early twenty-first century. More specifically, the thesis focuses on the analysis of three major figures of video games and animation films in The Matrix trilogy (Larry and Andy Wachowski, 1999-2003), Avalon (Mamoru Oshii, 2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004). The first section of the thesis is a theoretical framework in which the aesthetic parameters of visual effects-driven films and video games are introduced. Some preliminary thoughts on the aesthetics of visual effects-driven films are first outlined before presenting the main transmedial relationships between cinema and video game. Then, it is the transludic cinema which is defined as the term derives from the unique synergy between cinema and video game. Since transludic cinema specifically concerns the remediation of the aesthetics of video games in contemporary cinema, the grounds of an aesthetics of video game are established. In the second section, the figures and subfigures at the heart of this thesis are developed, and then applied to an analysis of the films. The first figure to be discussed is the motif of exploration, where I analyze the significance of this figure in the video game design and science-fiction films narratives, and the meaning of navigation as a spatio-temporal experience in virtual worlds. Then, I demonstrate the use of the recurring figure of the game level in the contemporary hybrid cinema, which structures the narrative as much as the representational image. Finally, the figure of metamorphosis, an essential characteristic of animation, is being studied to highlight the importance of this figure in digital films. I also explain the transformation of the image that affects the transludic film, an image qualified as an “image-frontière”.

University of Macau / Faculty of Arts and Humanities. / Department of Chinese Language and Literature