McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par É

This thesis assesses the current legal regime of State Responsibility in the exploration and use of outer space as it concerns space debris prevention. It argues that the proliferation of space debris is attributable to a lack of clarity in the current regime regarding the duty imposed on state and non-state actors for its prevention. It is contended that this concern must be addressed through regulation in order to be meaningful. In support, it interrogates the current status quo of state responsibility for the space activities of non-state entities and how this differs from state responsibility in international environmental law. …  Read more

Identifying environmental factors that enhance the efficacy of best management practices (BMPs) in mitigating cropland nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is crucial for reducing emissions. The research reported in this thesis quantitatively assessed BMPs for their efficacy in reducing emissions by focusing on variations in soil conditions, season, or climate. Practices of water table and nutrient management were investigated through field studies on sandy loam and silty clay soil sites in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Three non-growing season practices including cover crops (CC), nitrification and urease inhibitors (NI + UI) and tillage were investigated using meta-analysis. In addition, the effects of changing …  Read more

A maternal murine infection with an intestinal nematode parasite that induces a Th2/Treg response during pregnancy and lactation was previously reported to alter expression of over 5500 genes in the brain of their 7-day old male pups. To explore evidence that immune- related elements of the pup brain and transport of immune signals across the blood-brain barrier were altered, we mined the gene expression database for genes in relevant KEGG pathways regardless of whether or not the pathway itself was differentially regulated by maternal infection. Although the Th1/Th2 cell differentiation KEGG pathway was not differentially expressed in response to maternal …  Read more

Pierre Gauthier (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

This thesis introduces a new approach to the protection of power transmission systems wherein all the component activities associated with system protection design are gathered together in one integrated environment referred to as the Unified Approach to transmission system protection. These activities consist of automatically generating the most probable abnormal events in the network and analyzing the resulting consequences that arise from these abnormalities. From this analysis, the appropriate characteristics are determined for the relay under study as part of the performance specification of that relay. The proposed Unified approach overcomes the disadvantages that are associated with the current approaches …  Read more

This thesis is a case study of a cultural institution located in Paris, France, namely the Arab World Institute. It strives to identify the various political and ideological discourses that manifest themselves throughout the Institute's history. The Institute's mission is to bridge the two cultures, Arab and European. It is a particularly interesting case study because of its problematic status which lies somewhere between the imperatives of local policies and those inherent to the international arena. The first chapter is a presentation of the institute, its history and its mission. It also dwells upon the local French political scene and …  Read more

Les applications côté client, basées sur le Web, lourdes en calcul telles que l'apprentissage automatique et le traitement visuel sont limitées par les performances relativement faibles offertes par les implémentations JavaScript traditionnelles et l'interface étrange d'accélération GPU. WebAssembly (Wasm) a été proposé comme alternatif de bas niveau, promettant des avantages significatifs en termes de performances et un potentiel facile d'optimisation. Cependant, la plupart des applications sont portées par des machines à partir de langages existants tels que C/C++ ou Rust, limitant les performances à travers des implémentations de bibliothèques standards et des interfaces génériques. Dans cette recherche, nous explorons les …  Read more

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitude of Libyan professional librarians towards their profession. The study also seeks to compare attitudes of Libyan professional librarians from culturally diverse rural and urban communities toward librarianship as a profession. The diversity here refers to the distinctive characteristics of the two communities, which include social life style, values, hierarchies of values and attitude. It is also the purpose of this research to compare the attitudes of Libyan male and female professional librarians towards their profession. Another purpose of this study is to investigate if working in different types of libraries …  Read more

À l'aide du modèle d'évolution hydrodynamique MUSIC (“MUScl for Ion Collisions”) et de conditions initiales provenant du modèle AMPT (“A Multi-Phase Transport model”), nous présentons une étude des collisions relativistes Au+Au à des énergies de √sNN = 200 GeV, telles qu'étudiées au “Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider” (RHIC). L'objectif de ce travail est l'étude de l'effet des fluctuations longitudinales des conditions initiales du modèle hydrodynamique, ainsi que l'étude de l'effet de la présence ou non de viscosité de cisaillement dans l'évolution hydrodynamique. Les observables étudiées sont le spectre, les coefficients d'anisotropie azimutale (v2, v3 et v4) ainsi que le pT-moyen.Une description …  Read more

Introduction: Hypertension and osteoporosis are two age related diseases contributing an important health burdens on our aging society. We set to unveil a potential link between these two pathologies in a human cross-sectional study (CARTaGENE) and in an animal model study (the recombinant inbred strain of rats). Design and methods: CARTaGENE is constituted of 20,007 subjects, aged between 40 and 70 years. Subjects went through a three hour detailed phenotyping session that included peripheral and central blood pressure, height and bone mineral density (BMD), that were analysed in our project. Two additional cohorts were used for confirmation of the height …  Read more

La Lombalgie Chronique (LC) continue de prévaloir en tant que condition pénible en raison de ses répercussions socio-économiques et de ses causes inconnues. Un consensus scientifique est qu'une partie importante du problème est d'origine mécanique, souvent appelée instabilité vertébrale.La littérature suggère que la coactivation et l'engagement des tissus rachidiens ont tendance à maintenir une posture vertébrale droite et à améliorer la stabilité en récupérant la position initiale de la colonne vertébrale suite à une perturbation externe. En tant que tel, la présente recherche cherche à interpréter davantage la stabilité par la coactivation des muscles paraspinaux, l'engagement actif de la pression …  Read more

Metal-catalyzed coupling reactions with carbon monoxide offer one of the most efficient methods for the introduction of a carbonyl-containing functionality into organic products. While many variants of the reaction have been developed, these typically rely upon the use of precious metal catalysts, and in particular palladium catalysts, to mediate the coupling of organic halide electrophiles, carbon monoxide and nucleophiles. This is due in part to the ability of palladium catalysts to undergo well-balanced 2-electron oxidative addition and reductive-elimination steps in the presence of coordinating carbon monoxide. Although earth-abundant metals such as nickel complexes were among the earliest catalysts explored in …  Read more

This Thesis investigates theoretically and experimentally the dynamical behaviour and the stability of a cylindrical shell coaxially located in a rigid cylindrical pipe and subjected to internal or annular flow. In the theoretical study, the shell could be clamped or pinned at both ends and the fluid flow in the inner shell and the annulus is assumed to be viscous and incompressible. The fluid forces consist of two parts: (i) steady viscous forces which determined using turbulent fully-developed theory; (ii) unsteady viscous forces which are derived by means of linearized Navier-Stokes equations. Shell motions are described by Flugge's modified shell …  Read more

The operation and structure of distribution system is changing with the integration of distributed generation, based on alternative energy sources, including renewable energy sources (wind, solar). Among the new issues, there is the question of stability of distribution systems in the presence of a large penetration of distributed generation (DG). With power systems operating near their loadability limits, voltage stability becomes an important issue. Many utilities have implemented long-term solutions to counter this problem, such as adding transmission lines and new power plants in order to improve the reliability of the power system. An alternative solution consists in increase of …  Read more

AbstractIn the decade following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, thousands of Iraqis made their way to neighbouring Jordan, where many spent years living. Unlike other major refugee groups in the region, such as Palestinians or, more recently, Syrians, Iraqis in Jordan during this period were overwhelmingly educated, middle-class professionals. They self-settled throughout Amman and were generally financially better off than many of their Jordanian hosts. While most eventually registered with the UN in the hopes of being resettlement outside of the Middle East, many did so several years after being in Jordan. Based on 18 months of fieldwork …  Read more

The thesis investigates and compares native French and second-generation North African French citizens' perspectives on the 'crisis' surrounding France's North African minority through surveys and interviews. Results indicate that the major point of contention between the two groups is in their views on North African French integration: native French being more likely to believe that North African French neither feel French nor share their same fundamental norms. Interviews with North African French indicate that they feel they are still treated as immigrants and rejected by French society, which consequently has an impact on their overall social cohesion, socioeconomic and political …  Read more

Les métamatériaux mécaniques sont des structures fabriquées artificiellement qui possèdent une architecture et un matériau de base méticuleusement choisis, leur conférant des propriétés mécaniques qui dépassent celles des matériaux solides classiques.Récemment, les progrès de la fabrication additive ont facilité la production de métamatériaux souples et rigides, élargissant ainsi leurs fonctions potentielles. Cependant, dans des scénarios pratiques, leurs architectures fabriquées présentent des écarts de réponse principalement attribués aux défauts de fabrication et aux préchargements non conventionnels, imposant ainsi des limites à leurs applications potentielles.Cette thèse étudie le rôle des imperfections et des préchargements sur le comportement mécanique des métamatériaux mécaniques rigides …  Read more

The SF-36 scale is widely used to evaluate the quality of life among breast cancer patients, but provides an inadequate reflection of their quality of life; therefore, we aimed to set up a new scale, a breast cancer surgery quality of life (BCSQOL) scale and to assess its reliability and validity. The analysis review showed that 75% to 91% of surgically treated patients (59/79) found that the questionnaire items were an accurate reflection of their feelings and were clear. The validity coefficient analysis showed a highly correlated extent of commonality (alpha = 0.778) between BCSQOL and SF-36 and a significant …  Read more

Boulet, Benoit (Supervisor1)  Read more

Les puits de pétrole et de gaz (PGP) dans le monde entier peuvent laisser échapper du méthane (CH4), un puissant gaz à effet de serre, et du sulfure d'hydrogène (H2S), un gaz hautement toxique. Ces fuites peuvent contaminer les eaux souterraines et/ou provoquer des émissions atmosphériques. Les mesures des émissions des PGP à la surface ont été utilisées pour tester et comprendre les fuites associées aux PGP; cependant, les mesures ont été limitées. C'est pourquoi nous avons examiné la littérature afin d'identifier les facteurs liés aux fuites associées aux PGP et avons effectué des mesures sur le terrain afin de …  Read more

Tremblay, Johanne (Supervisor1)  Read more

La poudre de pain rassis (SBP) a été évaluée pour étudier ses capacités potentielles d'épaississement dans des formulations et conceptions alimentaires. Pour cette recherche, les SBP de pain de blé entier et de pain blanc ont été étudiées et comparées aux trois niveaux de concentrations de 5%, 10% et 20% en solution aqueuse. Les propriétés rhéologiques ont été évaluées par des essais d'écoulement et de dynamiques. Les résultats ont montré une augmentation de la viscosité en fonction de la concentration pour les deux types d'échantillons. Cependant, le pain de blé entier présentait un niveau de viscosité légèrement supérieur à celui …  Read more

The concept of chastity has not figured prominently in the discourse on sex education or philosophy in general. If and when it does arise, it is treated cursorily at best and is almost always misrepresented. This thesis undertakes to re-present the concept of chastity by situating it against the context of four contemporary philosophical concerns: the problem of technology; the search for authenticity; the experience of beauty; and the anthropology of violence. Within this context chastity emerges as the anthropological hermeneutic which reveals human sexuality and identity in a manner consistent with the ideal of authenticity and the horizon of …  Read more

Introduction: Le vieillissement s’accompagne d’une diminution progressive de la masse musculaire, de la force, de la densité osseuse et de la capacité cardiovasculaire, aggravée par l’inactivité physique. Le modèle d'alitement -6° (Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest, HDBR) permet de simuler la microgravité et l’immobilisation prolongée, offrant des informations précieuses sur le déconditionnement physiologique chez les adultes âgés. Cette étude visait à examiner l’effet de 14 jours de HDBR sur la composition corporelle, la performance physique, la résistance à l’insuline, les biomarqueurs osseux et l’architecture osseuse.Objectif : Évaluer l’efficacité d’un programme d’exercice multimodal pour limiter les effets délétères du HDBR sur les …  Read more

On considère les zéros d'une fonction propre de Neumann φ_λ d'un domaine analytique ­, solution de l'équation -∆ φ_λ =λ^2 φ_λ. On compte le nombre d'intersectionn (λ;H) de lignes nodales des fonctions propres de Neumann (composantes de l'ensemble nodal) avec une courbe fixe analytique réelle H contenue à l'intérieur du domaine. On identifie explicitement une grande famille de courbes pour lesquelles une borne pour l'intersection nodale n(λ;H) est O(λ). Cette borne est compatible avec la conjecture célèbre de Yau sur la mesure de l'ensemble nodal.  Read more

Azobenzenes can undergo photoisomerization, therefore systems incorporating these chromophores present light-switchable properties. The reversible photoisomerization from the trans to the cis form is accompanied by several changes at the molecular level. Differences in the absorption spectrum, polarity and structure between the two isomers have been used in various systems to fine-tune other properties of these systems with light. The present work reviews physical properties that can be photomodulated in polymers functionalised with azobenzenes. Emphasis is put on electric and magnetic properties, structural changes, surface properties, binding activity, complexation, stereochemistry, ion permeability and enzyme activity. The second part of the thesis …  Read more

Breast screening is the most effective means for detecting the presence of breast cancer at an early stage. The existing modalities cannot be used frequently due to constraints posed by their operating principles. Thus, microwave imaging has been proposed as a viable complimentary technique which can be used for performing frequent and comfortable breast scans. The Breast Cancer Detection Research Group at McGill University has developed a tabletop time-domain system which has undergone early clinical trials. The group intends to develop a device which encompasses its components into a conformal bra. The currently used clock generator and pulse generator are …  Read more

Construire des systèmes capables de prendre des décisions optimales dans l’incertitude estl’un des grands défis intellectuels et techniques de notre temps. Au cours du siècle dernier,deux formulations mathématiques de ce problème ont émergé comme les principales ap-proches à ce problème: l’approche Fréquentiste et l’approche Bayésienne. Dans de nom-breux cas d’intérêt, ces deux approches conduisent naturellement à deux problèmes algorith-miques bien définis: l’optimisation et l’échantillonnage. La croissance de la taille des donnéesces dernières années a mis à l’épreuve les méthodes d’optimisation et d’échantillonnagedéveloppés précédemment, et un nouvel ensemble d’algorithmes a été développé pour s’adapteraux exigences de l’apprentissage automatique et des statistiques …  Read more

Weiler, Hope (Supervisor1)  Read more

During folliculogenesis, the multiple processes that culminate in the ovulation of a mature, developmentally competent egg are governed by an intercellular cooperation regulated by a myriad of factors from within or outside the follicle. This thesis discusses two such factors, the extra-follicular follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is secreted by the pituitary, and the intra-follicular growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9), which is derived from the oocyte. FSH is a glycoprotein hormone whose receptors are located on granulosa cells. FSH drives the late stages of folliculogenesis. Moreover, by upregulating the expression of luteinizing hormone(LH) receptor, FSH indirectly enables the LH-regulated release of …  Read more

In general, tailings dams are expected to seep. Anomalous seepage, especially when induced by internal erosion, is a major concern for owners and operators. The long established techniques for monitoring water seepage provide sparse information which may not be sufficient to detect and map the seepage path. Hence, there exists a great need for non-invasive techniques that would be sensitive to changing seepage conditions. The non-invasive nature of the techniques is particularly important because drilling and other penetrating (invasive) investigation methods are normally avoided. Non-invasive techniques such as self-potential and high-resolution resistivity have been significantly improved in the past decade …  Read more

Ce projet consiste à étudier la réponse embryonnaire au stress oxydatif induit par les dommages à l'ADN produits par un tératogène connu, l'hydroxyurée, au cours de l'organogenèse. Dans les trois heures suivant une injection intrapéritonéale d'hydroxyurée (400 ou 600 mg/kg) chez des souris CD-1 au jour 9 de gestation, plus de 1300 transcrits embryonnaires voient leur expression affectée. L'analyse des voies de signalisation impliquées dans cette réponse prédit une activation marquée de la voie P53 : chez les embryons exposés, les niveaux d'expression de P53 et sa phosphorylation augmentent de façon drastique, et la localisation nucléaire de la forme phosphorylée …  Read more

In regions with increasing penetration of variable-speed wind generators, grid operators are concerned about frequency security as system inertia is decreasing. The partial replacement of conventional plants with modern wind plants may cause system frequency regulation to fall below acceptable levels, especially in isolated power systems. This study investigates the contribution of variable-speed wind generators to short-term frequency support. This contribution is obtained by transiently releasing part of the stored kinetic energy in the turbine blades, namely the inertial response. Some inertial response schemes have been researched to be incorporated as auxiliary loops in the controllers of wind generators. First, …  Read more

La sclérose en plaques (SP) est une maladie chronique, inflammatoire et neurodégénérative du système nerveux central. Le développement de l'incapacité progressive est un facteur déterminant du pronostic dans SP. Bien que l'opinion actuelle soit que les lymphocytes T jouent un rôle dans les exacerbations du système nerveux central dans la maladie en SP cyclique (poussées-rémissions), leur contribution à SP progressive secondaire et au développement de l'incapacité ne sont pas clairs. Des études précédentes dans notre laboratoire ont identifié un biomarqueur putatif dans des lymphocytes T CD4+ naïfs de patients atteints de SP, qui était associée à l'activation des lymphocytes T …  Read more

Prostate cancer (PCa) is among leading causes of cancer related mortalities in the western world. Patient's death is attributed to androgen-refractory tumor cells that survive chemotherapy. Underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The host laboratory reported on the role of the Fer tyrosine kinase in the survival and growth of PCa cells. Fer is over-expressed and localized in the cell nucleus of more aggressive prostate tumors in comparison to normal tissues. The search for Fer's partners among tyrosine (Y) phosphorylated (p) proteins revealed actin. Interestingly, pY-actin plays a role in amoeba cell survival submitted to stress. Fer and pY-actin could …  Read more

Egypt's higher education reform is a sector-wide capacity building initiative that aims at increasing knowledge production and dissemination across various economic sectors. The national initiative is supported by the government to elevate the country's competitiveness. This study uses knowledge theory to explore the change of direction in which higher education policies in Egypt had taken to carry out the reform. The theory highlights how effective use of knowledge resources, in addition to creating a competitive advantage and promoting better quality services, can shape learning policies, contribute to the outcome of the initiative, and reflect the mindset of senior administration. A …  Read more

BackgroundExcessive opioid prescribing after surgery has contributed to the current opioid crisis; however, the value of prescribing opioids at surgical discharge remains uncertain. We aimed to estimate the extent to which opioid prescribing after discharge affects self-reported pain intensity and adverse events in comparison with an opioid-free analgesic regimen.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, AMED, Biosis, and CINAHL from Jan 1, 1990, until July 8, 2021. We included multidose randomized controlled trials comparing opioid versus opioid-free analgesia in patients aged 15 years or older, discharged after undergoing a surgical procedure according to …  Read more

Le réchauffement planétaire est un des phénomènes les plus alarmants des nos jours. Il existe un consensus entre les scientifiques qu'afin de ralentir le réchauffement des océans et de l'atmosphère, les émissions de gaz à effet de serre anthropique (GES) devraient être réglementées. Étant le secteur de l'électricité un grand producteur de GES, ses émissions devraient faire partie de toute initiative globale de réglementation. Dans cette thèse, nous concevons et vérifions deux régimes de réglementation des émissions dans le contexte des marchés de l'électricité, un fondé sur le plafonnement et l'échange (CAT) et l'autre sur la taxe carbone (CTX). En …  Read more

In mixed pool/bilateral electricity markets, participants can sign bilateral contracts several weeks or months in advance of the pool market-clearing. Any uncommitted generator capacity may be sold to the pool and any remaining un-serviced demand is met through the pool, both at the pool spot price. In this thesis, in contrast to financial rights, we consider only physical bilateral contracts, where the generator and load are obliged to produce and consume power levels at least equal to the stipulated bilateral amount. Bilateral contracts have the advantage that they satisfy at least part of the needs of both buyers and sellers …  Read more

La thérapie par combinaison est une des méthodes phares utilisée comme traitement contre le cancer. La combinaison de médicaments démontrant une réaction synergique permet de réduire le risque d’effets secondaires tout en ciblant diverses voies de développement du cancer. Cette méthode de traitement assure donc de meilleurs résultats thérapeutiques. Toutefois, compte tenu du nombre important de combinaisons possibles, la conception de traitements synergiques est un procédé coûteux et long. Cependant, la disponibilité de données obtenues par criblage a permis l’introduction d’outils informatiques permettant d’aiguiller ce processus de conception. Ainsi, les méthodes d’apprentissage des machines ont été utilisées afin de prédire, …  Read more

The field of nucleic acids relies immensely on modified nucleosides for structure elucidation, therapeutic modulation, and nanotechnological innovation. 2′-Fluorinated nucleosides have been at the forefront of our laboratory’s research, owing to the plethora of novel properties that they can confer to a range of canonical and noncanonical nucleic acid structures. In recent years, we have demonstrated that 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroarabinocytidine (araF-C) can be substituted into i-motif structures to stabilize them at physiologically-relevant pH. This finding is timely, given that there is increasing worldwide interest in studying these structures and following lines of evidence suggesting they may form inside cells. In this work, …  Read more

Le diabète de type 1 est une maladie chronique causée par la destruction auto-immune des cellules bêta pancréatiques responsables de la libération de diverses hormones qui régulent le taux de glucose dans le sang. L’un des principaux défis du traitement du diabète de type 1 consiste à atteinte des niveaux glycémiques normaux grâce à l’insulinothérapie, tout en réduisant le risque d’hypoglycémie. Les systèmes à boucle fermée constituent une option thérapeutique prometteuse pour les patients atteints de diabète de type 1, ayant démontré leur capacité à améliorer le contrôle glycémique en augmentant le temps passé dans la plage cible et en …  Read more

Electric arcs operating in the thermo-field mode are used in many industrial processes. They are used in electricity transport and distribution, in metal production industry, and in plasma processing applications like in plasma spraying and as the plasma source in physical vapour deposition (PVD) processes. The electric arc-based systems have the common problem of material degradation at the attachment point of the electric arc on the electrode, mainly the cathode surface. The cathode erosion is particularly severe in higher power devices such as plasma torches and circuit breakers. The cathode erodes while producing the ions needed for the electric discharge …  Read more

This thesis explores the relationship between private industrialists and the state in Egypt since 1974. What is the nature of the local bourgeoisie? How capable is the state and how far does the East-Asian model of benevolent state autonomy apply to the case of Egypt? How has the adoption of economic liberalization affected business state relations? To address these questions, the industrial sector is analyzed as a case study. The approach adopted here is that of political economy and involves a comparison across the last three decades. Based on developments in the industrial policy, the distribution of private investment, the …  Read more

Leung, Shuk On (Supervisor1)  Read more

A theoretical model was developed to predict the air distribution pattern and thus to design perforated ventilation ducts equipped with a fan. The analysis of the air distribution pattern of such systems requires accurate measurement procedures. Several experimental methods were tested and compared. Accordingly, the piezometric flush taps and thermo-anemometer were selected to measure respectively the duct air pressure and the outlet air flow. Based on the equations of energy and momentum conservation, a model was formulated to predict the air flow performance of perforated ventilation ducts and to evaluate the outlet discharge angle and the duct regain coefficients without …  Read more