McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par É

More than 100 years ago, H. A. Schwarz formulated a method to prove the existence of harmonic functions on irregular domains. This method, the alternating Schwarz method, is based on the decomposition of the domain into subdomains and is the first known domain decomposition method. Modern variants of the Schwarz algorithm, the additive and multiplicative Schwarz methods are studied in this work as domain decomposition methods and as preconditioners for the solution of algebraic equations. Recently, a new variant of the additive Schwarz method was introduced, the restricted additive Schwarz, which was found to converge faster and require less communication …  Read more

Dans cette thèse, je me propose de traiter du sentiment de Dieu et de la nature dans les oeuvres de Francis Jammes. Au premier chapitre, j’essayerai d’expliquer la relation qu’il y a entre les événements de la vie de l’auteur et la publication de ses oeuvres. En prenant chaque ouvrage, en ordre chronologique, je jetterai un coup d’oeil sur chacun en résumant les idées principales. Le chapitre qui suit sera consacré en entier aux oeuvres qui s’intéressent tout particulièrement a la nature et à Dieu. J’étudierai les oeuvres dont les critiques ont traité spécialement. Dans le troisième chapitre, je traiterai …  Read more

Use of benzodiazepines outside of recommended guidelines for older adults is associated with adverse outcomes. Such "less than optimal use" includes use of long-acting benzodiazepines, use of high daily doses and long-term continuous use. Most previous research on factors associated with these types of use has been carried out using administrative databases containing limited patient information. The objectives of this study were to assess the extent of these less than optimal uses among Quebec seniors and to evaluate the effects of patient and prescriber factors through examination of a research data base containing patient characteristics linked to an administrative data …  Read more

This is a study of the economic and social adjustment of a group of mentally deficient young people. All the subjects of this study were declared in Juvenile Court at various dates to be children who were neglected by their parents. On this account their legal guardianship was transferred by court order to a child welfare agency. Through this Agency they were placed in carefully selected foster homes where they remained for different periods.  Read more

Quelles sont les fonctions et les contextes de prestation des motets du XVIe siècle ? Les fonctions possibles sont les suivantes : une fonction liturgique, qui implique le remplacement d'un texte liturgique parlé ou chanté ou d'une mélodie de chant par une polyphonie ; une fonction paraliturgique, chantée pendant un service, mais sans remplacer un texte ou une mélodie liturgique ; un usage privé dans les foyers ; ou un divertissement ou une célébration lors d'un événement public. Ces fonctions proposées ne s'excluent pas mutuellement et la flexibilité du motet en tant que genre permet leur coexistence.Les questions relatives à …  Read more

The properties and mechanisms of the dehydrohalogenation of haloalkanes on atomically clean surfaces of the first row transition metals have been investigated. To compare the properties of these metals, haloalkanes were selected from the catalytic (HX and olefin generated) and non-catalytic (all chlorine retained by surface) classes previously detected on titanium. The former reactions were similar on halided surfaces of all the metals. Kinetics and activation parameters were determined. Although all the chloride was retained during each reaction in the latter category, surface deactivation occurred rapidly for all the metals except titanium and manganese. Where possible, reaction order and activation …  Read more

The thesis is about the re-incorporation of women, on feminist terms, in corporate law and structure. Working from the idea of feminism as a theory about exclusion, the thesis endeavours to include women's voices in how the dominant discourse shapes corporations and the securities markets. Moreover, it attempts to capture the feminist continuum and use it as a critique of the existence of the separate entity of the corporation and limited liability. The thesis also joins the corporate governance debate on feminist terms, reshaping its scope to include feminist aspirations. The market for securities and insider trading are also subject …  Read more

Pour investiguer le mécanisme de résistance des raccordements dalle-poteau avec une disposition irrégulière d’armature pour l’intégrité structurale, deux spécimens ont été conçus, construits et puis testés. Le but du programme de recherche est de déterminer si les provisions inclues dans le code CSA A23.3-04 présentement sont appropriées. Celles-ci supposent que la résistance post-poinçonnement est déterminée en fonction de l’aire totale de l’armature placé dans le bas de la dalle. Le premier spécimen a subi un penchement significatif ce qui aurais pu réduire sa résistance. En revanche, le deuxième spécimen a réussi à résister la charge prévue par l’obligation indiquée dans …  Read more

Bennewitz, Roland (Internal/Supervisor)  Read more

The use of crop growth simulation models such asthose incorporated into Decision Support Systems for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) are useful tools for assessing the impacts of various management practices on crop productivity. The maize growth model of DSSAT is CERES-maize. To evaluate its predictive capability under western Quebec conditions, data on corn (Zea mays L.) yield and above-ground biomass were collected from a field-scale water table management experiment conducted during the 1996 and 1997 growing seasons at St. Emmanuel, Soulanges County, Quebec. The model was calibrated using various crop growth and development data observed during the 1996 growing season. Cultivar-specific …  Read more

La présence d'antécédents d'insatisfaction de l'image corporelle chez la femme peut mener à des troubles émotifs qui perdurent tout au long de sa vie. Au cours d'une vie, l'environnement social de la femme peut la protéger des perturbations de l'image corporelle ou, au contraire, peut les exacerber. Il existe peu d'études au sujet de l'insatisfaction de l'image à long terme chez la femme plus âgée. C'est pourquoi cette étude phénoménologique avait pour but d'explorer et de comprendre les expériences d'insatisfaction de l'image corporelle chez la femme. Plus spécifiquement, les objectifs ciblent les déclencheurs personnels de l'insatisfaction et les conséquences de …  Read more

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of David Cronenberg's body-horror films in relation to their embodied spectators. In these films, the horror is not only about the vulnerability of the mortal body, but also about the horrific consequences of organizing culture around the philosophical splitting of the mind from the body. To analyze this relationship, I utilize Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of the body, object-relations psychoanalysis, especially D. W. Winnicott's theory of the intermeshed psyche-soma, various pro-feminist approaches to horror films, and a concept of ideology informed by nonverbal communication research. The historical arc of Cronenberg's body-horror films has produced a unique …  Read more

The aims of this project were to: (1) successfully design two models of reconstructive tissue transplants in the primate, one with a purely sensory nerve supply, the other a mixed sensory and motor supply and (2) achieve long enough survival for reinnervation to have occurred, assuming it can take place in the presence of the immunosuppressants. A neurovascular free flap comprised of the entire soft tissue coverage of the second digit and a hand transplant model were successfully designed in the baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis). Seven transplanted neurovascular free flaps and four hand transplants were undertaken. High dose Cyclosporin A …  Read more

In (2), Brian Davey poses the question: "Which finite algebras admit a duality?" The answer to this question has eluded mathematicians for many years and a simple characterization of those algebras which are dualizable (in a reasonable way) seems an unlikely feat. I will consider the question "Which finite (operational) algebras admit a duality which may be expressed in a purely operational form?". This is a substantially less ambitious question, for there are many algebras which are dualizable but not operationally so. However, it does have a clear answer.  Read more

L’univers et les créations des fans s’inspirant des médias contemporains ont un impact considérable sur les habitudes de lecture et de critique de millions de fans à travers le monde. Les communautés des fans sont uniques dans leurs pratiques d’adaptations et de formes de création communautaire. Les systèmes de valeurs et motivations des fans-créateurs sont différents de ceux des grands médias publics : ces fans créent, pour eux-mêmes et leurs communautés, des médias d’évasion, qui dépeignent simultanément leurs vies uniques et un monde imaginaire ou utopique leur offrant un sentiment de bien-être, de libération, et une catharsis. En tant qu’initié …  Read more

Raghavan, G. S. Vijaya (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Read more

The synthesis and chemistry of some new cyclic diesters were investigated. The first part of the thesis is concerned with the study of new cyclic diesters derived from thiosulfurous acid, namely cyclic dialkoxy disulfides and their structural thionosulfite isomers. The second part focuses on the development of a new methodology for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates (carbonic acid diesters). The synthesis of new cyclic dialkoxy-disulfides is described in Chapter 3. Five new molecules have been synthesized and fully characterized. An X-ray structure was obtained for the 2,3-furandimethylene dialkoxy disulfide. The substrates were prepared in an attempt to rationalize some of …  Read more

Lumiere de nuit (Creative Works). The five short stories selected in Lumiere de nuit are linked by a central theme that can be described as a venturesome and initiatory quest in the larger story of Reality. The glorification of both the flesh and the spirit is recurrent and validated by the experience of existence. A disturbed atmosphere is imprinted in the inmost being of the characters who are compelled to undergo extremes experiences. The world that is given to them, or that they depict, is divided, the rhythm of life is syncopated as in jazz melodies. Their neurosis translates to …  Read more

Frissen, Ilja (Supervisor2)  Read more

Constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) provide a unified framework for studying a wide variety of computational problems naturally arising in combinatorics, artificial intelligence and database theory. To any finite domain D and any constraint language Γ (a finite set of relations over D), we associate the constraint satisfaction problem CSP(Γ): an instance of CSP(Γ) consists of a list of variables x1, x2,..., x n and a list of constraints of the form "(x 7, x2,..., x5) ∈ R" for some relation R in Γ. The goal is to determine whether the variables can be assigned values in D such that all …  Read more

Constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) provide a unified framework for studying a wide variety of computational problems naturally arising in combinatorics, artificial intelligence and database theory. To any finite domain D and any constraint language Γ (a finite set of relations over D), we associate the constraint satisfaction problem CSP(Γ): an instance of CSP(Γ) consists of a list of variables x1,x2,...,xn and a list of constraints of the form "(x7,x2,...,x5) ∈ R" for some relation R in Γ. The goal is to determine whether the variables can be assigned values in D such that all constraints are simultaneously satisfied. The computational …  Read more

The Enriched English as a Second Language (EESL) program is relatively new in the province of Quebec. The Ministry has provided guidelines and set outcomes that must be reached by the end of secondary 5 yet there are very few resources for teachers at this level. This thesis explores the research on best practices in teaching advanced English to Second Language students and blends practices used in English as a Second Language and English Language Arts classes. It examines this research in relation to the EESL textbook I co-authored entitled Raising The Bar 5. The literature review encompasses research on …  Read more

Background. Tuberculin skin testing is an important tool for diagnosis and control of tuberculosis. The role of host genetics in responsiveness of pediatric tuberculosis patients to purified protein derivatives (PPD) has rarely been investigated. Objective. To determine the impact of the candidate genes - Natural Resistance Associated Macrophage Protein 1 (NRAMP1), Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and Interleukin 4 Receptor (IL4R) with other covariates on PPD reaction size in pediatric tuberculosis patients. Methods. A family-based association study was conducted using eighty-three parent-child trios from a database of tuberculosis patients and their families from Texas, USA. Results. Marker IL4Rrs1805010_GA was in linkage …  Read more

Contexte Les effets indésirables des médicaments (EIM) sont une cause importante de mortalité. Les méthodes actuelles de pharmacovigilance sous-estiment l'incidence des EIM et sont inefficientes. De plus, les médecins prescrivent souvent des médicaments pour des indications pour lesquelles ils n'ont pas été approuvés (usage non indiqué), une pratique associée à des EIM hautement médiatisés. Il y a donc un urgent besoin de développer de nouvelles méthodes de pharmacovigilance. À cette fin, les dossiers de santé électroniques (DSE) pourraient être utiles, notamment si l'indication de traitement et la raison justifiant l'arrêt d'un médicament y sont documentées.Objectifs1) Déterminer l'exactitude d'un DSE à …  Read more

Consider the following fundamental geometric problem: given a family of convex sets in the plane, does there exist a line that intersects every member of the family? Such a line is known as a line transversal for the family. The problem has been considered for many different families of objects. In general, $ Omega(n log n)$ time is required to compute a line transversal of a family of n objects. In this thesis, it is shown that several line transversal problems can be solved in $O(n)$ time. The problem of computing a shortest line segment that intersects every member of …  Read more

Lehner, Bernhard (Supervisor1)  Read more

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) demonstrates a remarkable affinity for surrealist poetry in his numerous settings of leading modernist French poets from the first half of the twentieth century. The poetry of Max Jacob (1876-1944), a once unduly marginalized writer who is now regarded as an influential initiator of surrealism, provided the inspiration for one of Poulenc's most significant works, the chamber cantata Le Bal masque (1932). This thesis seeks to shed light on Poulenc's largely neglected artistic interaction with Jacob by exploring musical counterparts to the poet's unique surrealist aesthetic in Le Bal masque. Chapter one examines Poulenc's artistic milieu surrounding …  Read more

Both major histocompatibility genes (MHC) and infection have been shown to influence urinary odours in mice, and mice may use MHC-associated odours to detect kin for the purpose of choosing communal nesting partners, or to avoid mating with close relatives. Additionally, mice may use infection-related odours to avoid mating with sick individuals or those genetically susceptible to infection. I tested the above theories using urine as the source of odour. In a series of odour preference experiments, employing two MHC-congenic strains of mice (B10 and B10.Q), I tested the proposition that females prefer MHC-similar female odours when choosing female relatives …  Read more

Background. Carotid stenosis is an important cause of stroke. Carotid endarterectomy is a means of reducing the burden of stroke but is of marginal benefit in individuals with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The identification of factors associated with increased risk of cerebral ischemic events would help select individuals who may obtain a greater benefit. Methods. A comprehensive search was performed to identify studies examining risk factors for cerebral ischemic events in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Inclusion criteria were defined a priori. Relevant studies were reviewed, assessed for quality, and data were extracted. Results. Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. There …  Read more

Mohr is generally credited with having published the first clinical report (in 1840) of pathological obesity in man resulting from a tumor at the base of the brain (cited by Brobeck, 1946). Thereafter, although similar cases appeared in the literature from time to time, no particular interest was shown in localizing the effective lesion until the early nineteen hundreds when a heated dispute arose as to whether damage to the pituitary or to the hypothalamus was responsible.  Read more

In 1943, Hull (8) proposed a theoretical model of learning phenomena, which he labeled "the primary laws of molar behavior." The four dependent variables in his model were latency and amplitude of response, probability of reaction evocation, and number of unreinforced responses to extinction; these are related to a number of "major symbolic constructs" or intervening variables (e.g. habit strength, reaction potential), and to various antecedent events and manipulable conditions (e.g., reinforcement, deprivation). [...]  Read more

Shortly following Berger’s (1929) rediscovery of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and development of the basic techniques involved, several investigators subjected the electric phenomena to the test of conditionability (Durup & Fessard, 1935; Jasper & Shagass, 1941; Knott & Henry, 1941; Loomis, Harvey & Hobart, 1936; Travis & Egan, 1938). Aside from their intrinsic worth as experimental contributions, there are two additional reasons why these pioneering studies are of importance. On the one hand it is interesting to note that the technical developments took place in the heyday of post-Watsonian behaviourism, at a time when Guthrie (1930; 1935) and Hull (1934; 1943) …  Read more

Yap/Taz is a mechano-sensitive transcription factor that controls organ development, stem cell differentiation, and cancer progression through a process termed mechanotransduction, which is a vital property of all living cells. Active and passive mechanical inputs regulate the localization of Yap/Taz to the nucleus, where it is active, and the cytoplasm, where it is inactive. Very few studies have investigated the time-scales of this dynamic process. Here we co-transfect murine embryonic Eibroblasts with Eluorescent Yap/Taz and Histone fusion-proteins, and conduct live cell time-lapse imaging of cells plated on substrates of varying stiffness (passive inputs) in combination with various magnitudes of osmotic …  Read more

A major factor complicating the cleanup at many sites is co-contamination by both organic compounds and heavy metals. Whereas much research has focused on the removal of either organic compounds or metals, relatively few studies have investigated simultaneous removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from soil. The studies reported in this thesis have evaluated a novel technique for the simultaneous mobilization of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds and heavy metals (HMs) from a field contaminated soil. Soil extraction with washing aids {surfactants/cyclodextrin in combination with chelating reagent(s)} was optimized for mobilization efficiency, recovery/recycle of washing additives, and in parallel detoxification of …  Read more

The scope of these studies was two-fold: to evaluate high pressure homogenized slurries as a rapid means of screening wood pulps for their Cu, Mn and Fe content and to evaluate the high pressure homogenization in combination with chelating agents or enzymatic digestion for the liberation/extraction of metal ions from this matrix. Cu, Mn and Fe were determined successfully in pulp samples using high-pressure homogenization prior to slurry introduction-GF-AAS. The analysis time of the method from sample acquisition to determination was of the order of a few minutes per sample. Different cellulose swelling/dissolution agents were evaluated for the generation of …  Read more

The reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is an RNA- and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase that also exhibits RNase H activity. The polymerase and RNase H active sites of RT are structurally linked through the connection domain. RT is a major antiretroviral target but the development of viral resistance often leads to therapy failure. Genotyping protocols detect mutations in the polymerase active site that confer resistance to nucleoside analogue RT inhibitors such as zidovudine (AZT). It has been shown however, that mutations outside of this region, such as the N348I substitution in the connection domain, also confer …  Read more

Due to the tremendous popularity of the Internet in recent years and the growing market for bandwidth intensive applications, such as video on demand, high definition television and remote collaboration, there is an enormous demand for advanced broadband access technologies. Among the available broadband solutions for fixed users, the dominant one is Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology where the last mile connection is provided through the twisted-pair telephone lines. In a full-duplex DSL transmission, one of the technical challenges is to overcome the deteriorating effect of the echo, which is the interference of the transmitted signal into the collocated receiver. …  Read more

In this thesis, we present a strongly coupled data fusion architecture within a Bayesian framework for modeling the bi-directional influences between the scene and object classification mechanisms. A number of psychophysical studies provide experimental evidence that the object and the scene perception mechanisms are not functionally separate in the human visual system. Object recognition facilitates the recognition of the scene background and also knowledge of the scene context facilitates the recognition of the individual objects in the scene. The evidence indicating a bi-directional exchange between the two processes has motivated us to build a computational model where object and scene …  Read more

This research focused on developing an optimized porous concrete substrate for plant growth, specifically investigating the roles of binder material (alkali-activated geopolymers), aggregate size, and hydrogel incorporation. Key factors like void content, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) were also controlled. The goal was a substrate with appropriate physical and chemical properties to support robust growth, targeting a pH below 9 to avoid plant inhibition.Aggregate Size and Binder PerformanceInitial trials established that aggregate sizes above 2 mm are critical for root access to the interconnected capillary network within the substrate. The proposed design utilized a ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) …  Read more