McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par T

Cette thèse comporte trois chapitres distincts qui visent à adresser des sujets liés au commerce international et à la structure organisationnelle adoptée par des entreprises internationales. Le premier essai étudie le rôle de l'incertitude dans la structure de l'organisation adoptée par une entreprise. Plus précisément, la décision d'intégrer verticalement ou d'externaliser la production des contributions intermédiaires. Nous proposons un modèle de contrat incomplet et de négociation inégale à la Antras et Helpman (2004), où nous intégrons l'incertitude de la demande en supposant que les entreprises ne connaissent pas la demande de l'industrie avant qu'elles prennent des décisions de production. Nous …  Read more

Dufour, Jean-Marie (Supervisor1)  Read more

Introduction : À ce jour, le monde médical n'a trouvé aucun moyen de guérir la maladie d'Alzheimer (MA). La cascade pathophysiologique de cette maladie débute des décennies avant l'apparition de la démence. De ce fait, les interventions thérapeutiques qui ciblent la MA sont actuellement tournés vers la prévention. Pour cibler un traitement préventif, il est nécessaire d'avoir des indicateurs précoces ou « biomarqueurs », de la maladie d'Alzheimer dans sa phase pré-symptomatique. La fonction auditive centrale (FAC) est affectée chez des patients atteints de la MA et également chez ceux qui présente un trouble neurocognitifs légers. Un dysfonctionnement dans la …  Read more

This East-West comparative study can be looked upon as my attempt to better understand people living in two different worlds and societies---the former Communist Russia and Western countries. It is a chance for me to take the best from the two mentalities and concentrate on what unites Eastern and Western scholars in their interpretation of Vygotskian psychology, his theory on education and his ideas on teaching a second language. Ironically, this became possible far away from Russia, the country where I first heard the name of Vygotsky. I owe my "meeting" Vygotsky in Montreal to my ESL Curriculum Development, Ethnography …  Read more

This thesis seeks to analyse several traditions found in the tafsir works of Ibn Kathir and al-Tabari that relate to Ka'b al-Ahbar and the isra'iliyyat. The purpose of the study is to examine how Ka'b al-Ahbar, an early Jewish convert to Islam, was viewed by his contemporaries, most significantly the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, while considering the complex relationship that exists between Ka'b, the isra'iliyyat and those Companions most famous for narrating them. By examining the relationship between Ka'b and the Companions, including those who were not known to narrate isra'iliyyat, this study will also serve to establish a …  Read more

Pavlasek, Tomas J. F. (Supervisor)  Read more

Wireless networks are strained by an exponential growth in mobile network traffic and new applications, such as the internet-of-things (IoT) paradigm and smart cities, are amplifying the problem as the density of networks increases. At the same time, network providers are faced with increasing infrastructure and service deployment costs which are not being offset by increased revenues. Multi-carrier non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and virtualized wireless networks (VWN) are being positioned as promising techniques to jointly meet the needs of future network users and service providers by promoting the mutualization of network hardware and sharing of spectrum resources. With NOMA, sub-carriers …  Read more

The importance of good production control is increasing with the steady increase in productivity found in Canadian and American industry. (Normally, the United States manages to achieve a yearly gain of 2% in productivity.) In view of this it is insufficient to compare lost time, commonly called waiting time, of say ten years ago, with that of today and assume, because there has not been an increase, that the control system is operating satisfactorily. A much better indication of the effectiveness of the control system is a ratio of waiting time to productive time since the latter will likely have …  Read more

Influential later eighteenth-century critics and philosophers (Stewart, Knight, Alison, Jeffrey, Godwin) argued that poetry's moral and practical benefits derive from "analytical" modes of reading rather than from the poet's instructive intentions. Frequently exploiting the philosophical "language of necessity," Wordsworth's essays and prefaces (1798-1815) protested that poetry directly improves the reader's moral code and ethical conduct. This dissertation discusses Wordsworth's criticism in the context of analytical principles of interpretation current in the 1790s, providing terms for exploring the theme of reading in early mss. of Peter Bell and The Ruined Cottage (1798-1799), the 1798 Lyrical Ballads, and later poems such as …  Read more

Central New Quebec-Labrador represents a virtually virgin field to the geomorphologist and such is the variety of physiographic problem awaiting investigation that there is an almost unlimited choice of research topic. A concentration of activity is essential if worthwhile results are to be forthcoming, largely because of the relative brevity of the (summer) field season, but also on account of the considerable difficulty of traversing much of the terrain. Of the uninvestigated physiographic problems, the present writer chose to undertake a study of the morphology and genesis of hillslopes.  Read more

The Midwest US is prone to receiving heavy precipitation events, including Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs), during the warm season. These MCSs may produce rainfalls, in a 1-2 day period, with amounts well above the monthly climatology. The ability to recognize the patterns and mechanisms that accompany these convective systems is crucial for forecasting their timing and location. Horizontal moisture flux convergence (MFC) is a useful tool in short-term prediction of convection since it contains information on the low-level forcing and the amount of moisture available. However, if there is no support in the upper levels then the likelihood of thunderstorm …  Read more

Blackflies have long been recognized as among the worst bloodsucking insect pests affecting wild and domestic animals and man, in many parts of the world, and the literature contains numerous references to their serious depredations. [...]  Read more

La radiochirurgie stéréotaxique corporelle (RCSC) est une modalité de traitement utilisée sur les lésions extracraniales, tels que les cavités abdominaux et thoraciques, ainsi que les lésions situées à l'intérieure ou l'extérieure de l'épine dorsale. Au Centre Universitaire de Santé de McGill (CUSM), les traitements de la foie par RCSC se basent sur la synchronisation respiratoire qui permet de contrôler le faisceau de photons à l'aide de marqueurs référencés du cycle respiratoire du patient. L'objectif des traitements par synchronisation respiratoire est de limiter le dommage au tissue normal tout en transmettant la dose appropriée à la cible en mouvement. Le système …  Read more

En raison du rapport surface volume élevé des points quantiques, les conditions de leurs surfaces jouent un rôle important dans la détermination des propriétés électroniques et optiques. Dans cette thèse, nous démontrons que la présence d'états de surface modifie les règles de sélection optiques dans les points quantiques et améliore le taux de piégeage des charges sur la surface. Ces effets induits par la surface ont un impact profond sur la mesure de la recombinaison de mutliexcitons et les processus de multiplication de porteurs. Plus précisément, en poursuivant des études d'absorption transitoires, nous démontrons que la présence des états de …  Read more

The Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research (CITR) has undertaken a five year "Major Project" in Photonic Systems and Devices to develop a backplane based on free-space optical technology. One of the main goals of the "Major Project" is to develop an optical backplane architecture capable of interconnecting several electronic printed circuit boards (PCBs) with an aggregate bandwidth on the order of 1 Terabit per second (Tb/s). In this thesis, we will consider the design of an electrical-optical interface for a free-space optical backplane that can support 307.2 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) of aggregate data traffic. The electrical-optical interface is also …  Read more

Les pulsars sont des sources extraterrestres de rayonnements périodiques que l'on pense être constitués d'étoiles à neutrons fortement magnétisées et à rotation rapide. Lorsque l'étoile à neutrons tourne, des faisceaux de rayonnement peuvent devenir visibles à un observateur à différentes phases de rotation, provoquant l'observation d'un signal périodique. Les pulsars sont principalement détectés aux fréquences radio, mais sont également détectés avec la lumière optique, les rayons X et les rayons gamma. L'émission radiative des pulsars n'est actuellement pas bien comprise. Les questions principales dans ce domaine d'étude sont les mécanismes d'émission de rayonnement et l'emplacement des régions d'émission. Ce travail …  Read more

Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT) arrays such as VERITAS are used to perform very high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. This is accomplished by detecting and analyzing the Cherenkov light produced by gamma-ray initiated atmospheric air showers. IACTs also detect the Cherenkov light produced by individual muons. The Cherenkov light produced by muons is well understood, and can be used as a calibrated light source for the telescopes. Muons create characteristic annular patterns in the cameras of IACTs, which may be identified using parametrization algorithms. One such algorithm, the Hough transform, has been used to identify muons in VERITAS data. The details of …  Read more

Most fungous spores are adapted to aerial dissemination and therefore the atmosphere normally contains these organisms in suspension. Aeromycological investigations have been conducted throughout the United States and in some parts of Canada either in the interest of allergy or in studies of the dissemination of the spores of fungi pathogenic to plants. Hitherto no report has been made from the Montreal area. The purpose of this survey was to make a quantitative and qualitative study of the seasonal variation in the fungous spore content of the air over Montreal.  Read more

The ocean currents flowing through the earth's main magnetic field are known to induce secondary magnetic fields. Hence, variations in the ocean circulation induce variations in the net magnetic field. This research is aimed at exploring the potential for using geomagnetic data to study variability in ocean circulation and climate. First, general relativity theory is used to formally establish the proper set of electromagnetic equations to be used for observers in a rotating (accelerating) frame of reference observing a medium (the ocean, in this case) with relative velocity. Extra terms due to rotation are derived and described and a generalized …  Read more

“What I have tried to do in this and in all my writing on the early days of this country is what the artist does when he paints a sketch of a Canadian scene or a Canadian person. I have tried to select something that is beautiful or significant or interesting or essential to an understanding of ourselves. I have tried to tell the stories of personalities, men and women who have by their human qualities, aspirations, and activities, given substance to our history, whose loves and hates and fears and achievements have been woven into the very fabric of …  Read more

Like Mackinder, “I propose to define geography as the science whose main function is to trace the interaction of man in society and so much of his environment as varies locally.” (13:143) To write a 'human geography' of any area as it exists to-day, is inevitably to attempt an appraisal of its potentialities for human development. This is no less true of studies descriptive of times past. And the student who presents a series of such pictures is, perforce, brought face to face with the fact that estimates of worth do change quite radically with the passage of the centuries. …  Read more

Besides the extractives, which in certain species of woods can be very considerable, the three main components of wood are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Cellulose is a linear polymer consisting or B-D-glucopyranose residues linked together by (1 4) glycosidic bonds. In native celluloses, no less than 5,000 such residues are probably present in an average cellulose macromolecule, corresponding to a weight-average degree of polymerization of 10,000 if the ratio between number and weight-average values is assumed to be the usual 1:2.  Read more

Lafleur, P. (Supervisors)  Read more

Geophysical measurements can often be described in terms of multichannel, autoregressive data models from which one can directly derive measures of the harmonic composition of the underlying geophysical process and its inherent self-predictability. We explore methods for and uses of multichannel autoregressive data modelling in a geophysical context. Autoregressive data modelling using the least-squares linear prediction method is generalized to multichannel time series. A recursive algorithm is obtained for the formation of the system of multichannel normal equations which determine the least-squares solution of the multichannel linear prediction problem. Solution of these multichannel normal equations is accomplished by the Cholesky …  Read more

This thesis maintains that the study and practice of European integration is hindered by an unquestioned and all-embracing conceptual foundation, derived from 17th/18th century political thought. By virtue of identity-related assumptions including 'nation-state', 'nationalism', and 'sovereignty', which rest on an exclusive binary distinction between "self" and "other", this foundation is inadequate and anachronistic as a theoretical lens through which to understand the dynamics of contemporary Europe. Chapter 1 reveals the inadequacy of existing theories of European integration, and Chapter 2 traces this inadequacy to the issue of identity, tying it in with a modern identity crisis. It is argued that …  Read more

Using the ARGUS detector at the $e sp+e sp-$ storage ring DORIS II at DESY, a study of the decay $ bar{B} sp0 rightarrow D sp{*+} ell sp- bar{v}$ has been performed by exploiting a partial $D sp{*+}$ reconstruction technique. The branching ratio was determined to be (4.4 $ pm$ 0.3 $ pm$ 0.3)% for this mode, and for the higher excited $D sbsp{(J)}{*}$ states $Br( bar{B} sp0 rightarrow D sbsp{(J)}{*} sp+ ell sp- bar{v})=(2.5 pm 0.6 pm0.5)$%. Furthermore, the inclusive $D sp{*+}$ branching ratio in B decays was measured by fully reconstructing $D sp{*+}$ candidates. Using a tagged subset …  Read more

Dans le cytosol des cellules mammifère le chaperon Hsc70 est impliqué dans le repliement général de protéines et leur importation vers la mitochondrie. Il est principalement régulé par les protéines contenant un domaine J et les facteurs d'échange de nucléotides (NEFs). Les protéines similaires à Hsp40 DJA1, DJA2 et DJA4 sont les principaux partenaires à domaine J fonctionnels de Hsc70. Ces protéines sont impliquées dans l'importation de preproteines vers la mitochondrie, elles activent l'activité d'hydrolyse d'ATP de Hsc70 et DJA2 permet très efficacement à Hsc70 de replier des protéines dénaturées. Les NEFs Bag1, HspBP1 et Hsp110 arrivent tous, en conjonction …  Read more

The purpose of this study was to examine the vertical component of the American College of Sports Medicine (A.C.S.M.) Guidelines equation to predict the oxygen cost of grade running. The A.C.S.M. Guidelines equation is: VO$ sb2$(ml/kg.min) = 3.5 + 0.2 speed(m/min) + 0.9 (speed(m/min) * grade(frac)). Twenty-three female runners (20 to 33 years) participated in (1) a VO$ sb2$max test, (2) five 6 min running economy (RE) tests at 133 m/min, (3) five 6 min RE tests at 160 m/min, and (4) three 6 min RE tests at 186 m/min. The RE tests at 133 and 160 m/min were performed …  Read more

A historic turnover in the teaching profession has begun. There is no doubt that worldwide demand for teachers is on the rise and will continue to increase over the next decade. Yet many new teachers leave the profession, stating reasons such as low salaries, lack of professional opportunities and career advancement, and heavy workloads. The present study examined the concerns (in-school, external and personal) of elementary and secondary school teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine if teachers in Quebec, Canada, have concerns similar to teachers in other countries where studies are more common. This study also examined …  Read more

This study builds an integrative framework to delineate the process of growing entrepreneurial firms in developing countries. Deriving from the existing entrepreneurship literature, this thesis uses two notions to delineate the process of growth of indigenous firms: entrepreneurial intent and entrepreneurial capability. Then, drawing on the literature of economic development, it identifies three key sectors, the state, the market and the social sector, that foster entrepreneurial intent and cultivate entrepreneurial capability. The research setting is the information technology (IT) industries in China and Taiwan, each of which has had impressive performance when compared with their counterparts in other developing countries. …  Read more

The family of proprotein convertases has been recently implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis in animal models. However, these studies have not yet been completely corroborated in human tumors. Here, we show that mRNA, protein expression, and protein cleavage profiles of proprotein convertases 1 and 2 are altered in liver colorectal metastasis, compared to unaffected and normal liver. Active PC1 is overexpressed in tumor, correlating with its mRNA profile. Moreover, the enhanced PC2 processing pattern in tumor correlates with the overexpression of its specific chaperone 7B2, which in turn may represent a target for early diagnosis and treatment. The increased PC2 …  Read more

Cette recherche examine le lien entre le soutien des enseignants et l’engagement des élèves en difficulté scolaire. Basé sur la Théorie de la motivation sociale, le soutien des enseignants a été examiné au niveau des dimensions « structure », « soutien de l’autonomie » et l’ « implication ». Le modèle de Skinner, validé auprès des élèves n'ayant pas de difficultés particulières a été utilisé. L’engagement émotionnel et comportemental des élèves ont été examinés de façon indépendante en lien avec les trois dimensions de soutien des enseignants. Des élèves de 3e à 6e années en difficulté scolaire ainsi que des …  Read more

The present study explores the role of special services and accommodations for the academic success of college students with disabilities. Two students participated, one with mild attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and one with a severe language disorder. Unstructured interviews were used to examine participants' perceptions of the effectiveness of special services and accommodations. Other factors contributing to students' progress in school, such as areas of learning strengths, effort and assistance from teachers, peers and family members, as well as lack of appropriate services and funding, were also discussed by the participants. Participants' personality characteristics and life circumstances appear to influence …  Read more

An abnormal chronotropic response to exercise is a common finding following surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) which has generally been attributed to a putative sympathetic dysfunction. There exists little information on sympathetic function in patients operated for a congenital heart defect to support such a claim. This study used spectral analysis of heart rate (HRV) and blood pressure (BPV) variability to examine sympathovagal influences on the sinus node in 9 adolescents operated for TOF 13.0 +/- 1.12 years previously and in 8 healthy age and sex-matched control (CTRL) subjects. Continuous ECG and BP recordings were obtained under supine …  Read more