McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1998

Increasing numbers of older persons, service provision within the home and shrinking resources have resulted in the need to evaluate service provision. This study examined agency process and client-perceived health in a single point of entry case managed program in a community health centre. The participatory evaluative model involved a dossier review, interviews with workers, and a description of client functioning using the SF-12(TM). Examination of files (N = 100) revealed that objectives were not being obtained: client involvement was low, services were late, and files were poorly completed. Only 14 (9%) of clients were referred for the SF-12(TM); further …  Lire la suite

In the last decades, several numerical methods have been developed for the study of steady and unsteady flows past fixed or oscillating wings. Several studies were also conducted to analyze the structural oscillations of wings subjected to aerodynamic loading and to explore the possibilities of suppressing the aeroelastic oscillations of the wings, for example by using piezoelectric strips. However, it was difficult to use efficiently these numerical methods for the analysis of wing oscillations including the effect of the vibration-suppressing elements. This work presents an analytical method for the analysis of steady and unsteady flows past fixed or oscillating wings, …  Lire la suite

This analysis examines the theme of divine activity as found in the literature of religion and science over the past quarter century. After a brief historical chapter, reflections on divine action from authors in the philosophy of religion are considered. In chapters 2 and 3, concepts such as intervention, deism, master act and subacts, primary and secondary causation, double agency and the causal joint are outlined. Following this, chapters 4 and 5 concentrate on the work of Whitehead. The amount of space devoted to the treatment of process thought in this investigation reflects the attention it has given to the …  Lire la suite

Alarm correlation is becoming one of the most central techniques in managing the high volume of alarm messages in fault management area, since the speed and accuracy of fault management are heavily dependent on it. The alarm correlation approach of this thesis helps operators to filter and condense the incoming alarms to meaningful high-level alarms, and diagnoses them automatically and efficiently. This research includes the comparison among existing alarm correlation approaches, and builds a class level network management system model. In managed system domain, dependency model among related objects for fault propagation is also built. In managing system, the alarm …  Lire la suite

The use of endosseous titanium implants, for the replacement of missing teeth, has become a predictable treatment alternative in restorative dentistry. Success of dental implants appears to be related to the quality of bone. Bone of high quality will ensure better implant stability and, consequently, better conditions for osseointegration. This thesis reviews both and human data related to bone quality in association with endosseous titanium implant placement. Biomechanical pull out testing is one among several methods used to quantitatively assess the forces required to remove an implant from bone. Pull out testing has the advantage of assessing the biomechanical stress …  Lire la suite

This thesis investigated how a third-born female child acquired the deictic meaning of feminine third-person pronouns in English. The child began producing feminine third-person pronouns at 24 months of age and made few production errors. In contrast, she made systematic comprehension errors between 24 and 36 months of age and did not master the correct comprehension until 40 months of age. Analysis of the child's person errors indicated that she held the proper name interpretation that the feminine third-person pronoun her referred to herself. In production, however, the child rarely called herself with feminine third-person pronouns because she had already …  Lire la suite

This thesis is an exploration of the chapters of Francesco Di Giorgio's Trattati di Architettura, Ingegneria e Arte Militare, that pertain to mechanical devices. While it is difficult to imagine actually constructing Di Giorgio's machines from the drawings and descriptions in his treatises, given their apparent inefficiencies and ambiguities, the Aristotelean science and philosophy referenced throughout the Trattati provides a basis for looking at them as demonstrations of concepts beyond their immediate applications for architecture and engineering. By considering these devices in Di Giorgio's own terms, terms suggested by his own experiences, as well as his writings and paintings, strong …  Lire la suite

Morantz, Toby (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Reliability and validity studies are common in epidemiology, especially in the course of the development of measure instruments. Reliability is typically assessed quantitatively, through an appropriate coefficient, such as the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Validity, on the other hand, is assessed more informally through a series of tests and checks: for instance, construct validity may be established by testing the significance of factors that are supposed to influence the measure at hand. In general an ICC is calculated as a ratio of variance components to the total variance. Therefore the first step in the calculation of an ICC is the …  Lire la suite

The last decade has witnessed substantial changes in organizational structure, inter-organizational relations and the nature of competition. In particular, the realization of interdependencies across firm boundaries has brought forth a range of mechanisms for coordination among firms in vertically related stages of production, or among direct competitors in the same industry. Our objective is to study inter-organizational relations in an oligopolistic setting to explore the interactions between efficiency and strategic incentives for organizations to engage in various forms of coordination, vertically or horizontally. Specifically, we employ a game-theoretic approach to analyze organizational structure and coordination incentives in relation to process …  Lire la suite

We have prepared a hybrid organic-inorganic glass composite incorporating an aminosulfone dye via the sol-gel process. The dye was functionalized with alkoxysilane moieties to anchor it covalently into the silicate network. Co-condensation with the organically modified silicon alkoxide methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), gave transparent high-quality films that could be deposited up to 10 microns thick in one step. Corona poling was used during thermal curing to align the chromophores in a noncentrosymmetric fashion for second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) effects. The structure-property relationships of the sol-gel derived glasses were investigated by FT-IR, UV-vis, TGA, DSC and solid state 29Si NMR. From a poled …  Lire la suite

An accurate and efficient method is presented for computing the supply current pulse and delay in a CMOS inverter with an RC load. It is based on the technique presented in [11] for solving this problem for the case of a capacitive load, but any similar method can be used. An iterative procedure computes the effective capacitance that approximates the RC load's driving point impedance. This is done be equating the charge associated with this capacitance to that due to the RC load over the time interval ending when the charging/discharging transistor leaves saturation. The supply current peak and its …  Lire la suite

The relationship between, on the one hand, European Community Law and World Trade Organization Law and, on the other hand, domestic law lies at the heart of this thesis The European Treaty and the World Trade Organization Agreements have far reaching impacts not only on their Member States, but also on individuals. It is of crucial importance for the protection of individual rights and for the effective enforcement of these treaties whether individuals can invoke them before their national courts. After giving an overview of the general theories, which exist in international law with respect to the impact of international …  Lire la suite

Background. Practice guidelines for screening mammography diverge on the recommended age at which systematic screening should begin for women aged 40 to 69 years. 'Routine' guidelines recommend screening starting at 40 years; 'age-selective', at 50 years and only for younger women who have a first-degree family history of breast cancer. Objectives. (1) To estimate and compare recently-licensed family physicians' adherence to 'routine' and 'age-selective' guidelines in women aged 40 to 69 years, (2) To identify intrinsic physician and practice environment factors which predict referral rates for women aged 50 to 69 years as well as age-selective referral. Study Design. A …  Lire la suite

Arid and semi-arid countries are facing the exhaustion of their water resources and are being forced to use saline water (brackish groundwater and drainage water) for irrigated agriculture. The result is often disastrous as extensive productive regions become salinized. Nevertheless, there is potential to expand irrigated agriculture through the increasing use of saline waters for irrigation. This study presents an analysis of the performance of a transient state, model for numerical simulation of water and solute transport, known as LEACHM-C. It is assessed for areas where saline water may be an option for crop production. The model estimates the salt …  Lire la suite

The growing need for integrable test solutions has prompted the creation of various test bus standards. A mixed-signal test core is an ideal complement to these standards. This work presents the design and implementation of an integrable test system. The design consists of two major components: a stimulus generator, and a waveform extractor. A memory-based generator is used to construct the stimulus generation component. Such a circuit repeats a finite portion of an infinite-length PDM sequence in order to produce any arbitrary analog waveform. The circuitry is simple to design---it is comprised of a scan chain, and a 1-bit DAC; …  Lire la suite

This dissertation presents a comparative overview of the philosophical reforms in the study of history at the Universities of Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Padova and Pavia between 1848 and 1855. The study traces; the work of four German and four Italian historians, and highlights the establishment of the history seminar at the University of Vienna (1850). The founding of the Institute of Austrian History in Vienna (1854--1855), marked the beginning of a specialized study of history in the Habsburg Monarchy. The philosophical reforms, launched in 1849 by Count Leopold Thun, were successfully implemented in Austria, but faced defiance in the Lombardy-Venetia, …  Lire la suite

Volunteer literacy tutors are key actors in one-on-one adult learner-tutor relationships, although few studies have examined tutors' role in literacy provision. This study had two objectives: to describe and analyse how McGill Students for Literacy tutors understand literacy and how they behave toward their learners and toward their organization, and to understand why many tutors distance themselves and their match from the organization. 18 McGill Students for Literacy tutors participated in semi-structured interviews with the researcher in this organizational case study. The hypothesis states that tutors choose autonomy from the literacy organization because of certain beliefs related to their attitudes …  Lire la suite

The initial and principal topic of this thesis was hazardous waste destruction by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted post-combustion. As an aside, direct solid sample analysis (DSSA) on powdered sample was to be studied. To perform this double task, an "analytical chamber", described in chapter 2, was designed and made. The project was still at the preliminary studies stage on the usefulness of Swann bands as a probe for the presence of carbon to carbon bonds (Chapter 2), when the lack of funding forced a reorientation on the DSSA project as the main topic for the thesis. Since ICPs are …  Lire la suite

A laboratory sheet former using the twin-wire concept has been designed and constructed. It is capable of simulating a wide range of industrial papermaking conditions and can generate a pressure profile very close to that of an industrial machine. The machine has three components: the headbox section, the drainage section and the sheet pick-up section. All three sections are activated and brought up to operating speeds independently, with the headbox flow being diverted back into a reservoir. Once all systems are running at their operating conditions, the headbox flow is diverted to form a jet and steady-state sheet forming occurs …  Lire la suite

An analytical model for computing the supply current, delay, and power of a submicron CMOS inverter is presented. The effect of the Miller capacitance is also modeled. A modified version of the n-th power law MOSFET model [25] is proposed and used to relate the terminal voltages to the drain current in submicron transistors. By first computing definable reference points on the output voltage waveform and then using linear approximations through these points to find the actual points of interest, the desired speed and accuracy of the inverter model is achieved. The most important part of the analysis is a …  Lire la suite

EBF seismic design conforming to Clause 27 of CSA-S16.1-94 is described and a computer program to carry out the ductility design (EBFSD) was developed for this study. EBF design procedures for different seismic load levels are proposed. Twenty-two EBFs incorporating different link lengths, numbers of storey, and wind-to-earthquake load ratios are designed and analyzed for a moderate seismic zone. The loads controlling member selection in a frame are identified from various load combinations considered in the design phases. The extent of seismic overstrength design for an EBF in a moderate seismic zone is investigated. Enhanced strength of ductile links due …  Lire la suite

This thesis discusses the design and implementation of a database programming language that supports the relational algebra for nested relations with arbitrary but finite levels of nesting, and the domain algebra for nested attributes at any level of the nested hierarchy. Views, including recursive views, are also implemented. Support for nested relations is accomplished by means of four mechanisms. The first is the introduction of new syntax for the declarations of nested attributes and relations, the initialization of nested relations, and for nested updates. The second is the integration of relational expressions into domain expressions so that relational operations can …  Lire la suite

The degree of waste paper recycling has been increasing steadily in North America over the last decade. Today, it is recognized that the flotation deinking process is one of the most important processes in waste paper recycling. This is demonstrated by the numerous variety of industrial flotation cell technologies currently available. Column flotation, developed in the mineral processing industry, is proposed as an alternative to other flotation technologies due to its low capital costs and improved separation performance. The flotation column requires an air sparging device to produce bubbles. Previous experimentation has shown that columns run with internal porous spargers …  Lire la suite

The role of social influences concerning gambling behavior was empirically examined. Children (N = 130) in grades 4 and 6 completed several questionnaires concerning their gambling behavior, risk taking, and locus of control and played a computer-simulated roulette game individually and in groups (same and mixed gender dyads or triads). Results reveal that during individual and group play, males consistently exhibit riskier behavior (higher average wagers) than females and mixed gender groups. However, average wagers of females and mixed gender groupings appear to be most affected by the group condition. All changes resulting from the group condition were generally maintained …  Lire la suite

Devonian Winterburn strata in the Boule and Bosche Ranges of eastern Jasper National Park consist of two unconformity bounded, 45 m thick carbonate dominated depositional sequences, the Arcs Member (Nisku) and the Ronde Member (Calmar/Blue Ridge). Earliest Famennian clastics of the Sassenach Formation directly overlie the Ronde and this contact forms the Frasnian/Famennian boundary. Sampling for conodont biostratigraphy in three sections indicates that the Arcs and Ronde are Upper rhenana in age. Arcs, Ronde, and Sassenach strata were deposited on a gently sloping carbonate ramp to platform ranging from shallow subtidal to peritidal depositional environments. Argillaceous limestones and shales are …  Lire la suite

The long term goal of this research is to overexpress a mutant form of COII and create a dominant negative mutation in COX, transgenic mice containing the dominant negative mutation could be used to investigate the effects of the respiratory chain deficiencies which are characteristic of mitochondrial myopathies on mitochondrial biogenesis and gene expression. This thesis reports an attempt to express rat COII from a nuclear transgene. Using PCR strategies, the mitochondrial matrix targeting sequence from rat ornithine carbamyltransferase, was attached to a version of the rat COII gene which had been recoded into the universal genetic code. The transgene …  Lire la suite

Explanations of sub-state nationalism that draw on the effects of patterns of uneven economic development suffer from two conceptual problems: (1) they fail to explain why state actors are not able to adopt and implement long-term strategies to correct these effects and (2) they fail to account for the range of ideologies that can be used by sub-state actors to mobilize against the state. In this dissertation, I use an institutional analysis to overcome these problems by specifying the structural conditions under which a range of counterhegemonic groups can emerge to challenge state nationalism. The analysis is applied to a …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the relationship of George Villiers, First Duke of Buckingham (1592--1628) to the art and aesthetic ideas of his era. As the intimate and all-powerful favourite of two successive kings, James I and Charles 1, Buckingham profoundly influenced the course of English politics, both at home and abroad, and it is as a political force that he is generally viewed. But, as a major patron of many artists and the builder of one of the largest art collections of the time, his influence in the cultural sphere must have been equally significant. Yet no modern study of this …  Lire la suite

Attentional orienting involves two neuroanatomically and functionally separate components, the reflexive and voluntary attentional sub-systems, which interact to orient attention on the environment. Three experiments, in which a cueing paradigm was used, examined reflexive and voluntary orienting over later childhood development (i.e., 8--14 years old) in order to explore the mechanisms underlying the development of the control of attentional orienting. Experiments 1 and 2 explored whether reflexive and voluntary orienting develop in parallel, and examined the influence of cue predictability on attentional orienting during development. Experiment 3 explored the role of explicit instructions in the influence of cue predictability on …  Lire la suite

Wireless digital data system designers have formidable future design challenges in order to provide the mobile user with a quality of service comparable to that of a wireline system in such metrics as responsiveness, quality, and throughput. The goal of this thesis is to address the throughput component of a mobile wireless digital data communication system with a novel design approach. This thesis explores the incorporation of simple software agents into a mobile wireless digital data communication system. The receiving software agent monitors the quality of the wireless channel and the retransmission statistics of the communication system. Based on these …  Lire la suite

The major aim of this work was to develop a cell culture system in which changes in the rate of synthesis of intervertebral disc (IVD) matrix molecules could be evaluated in cells of animals of different ages. In particular, the synthesis of the large aggregating proteoglycans (PGs) and of decorin (DCN) and biglycan (BGN) were investigated. In addition, the potential use of growth factors to modulate the anabolism of these molecules was also studied. The results of these studies have demonstrated that the age related decline in PG biosynthesis observed in human disc tissue can be reflected in a bovine …  Lire la suite

Hensley, David (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Frequency filtering networks have numerous applications in consumer products. For high-speed and low-voltage systems, continuous-time filters are the preferred choice---these filters have become very popular with the wireless industry. Unfortunately, continuous-time filters have a high production cost since they are not geared toward mass production. This thesis proposes an analog filter structure that can be both mass produced and customized for a particular application. Such a structure is possible through the use of a state-space approach, and log-domain filtering. First, a general state-space formulation is presented; a method of obtaining the state-space coefficients from an equivalent LC ladder network is …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines rock mass characteristics of the Bousquet 2 mine, and reviews ground reinforcement practices applied to tunnel and stope hanging-wall support. The effectiveness and suitability of the installed support elements is examined through numerical modelling techniques and instrumentation. The second part of the thesis examines mechanisms influencing stope hanging-wall stability. Through a case study incorporating hanging-wall instrumentation, numerical modelling, and laser survey of the mined stope profiles, the extent of hanging-wall over-break in both primary and secondary stopes is studied.  Lire la suite

The methods of distribution of air transport services evolved tremendously through the years. Based on the airlines' internal reservation systems, the Computerized Reservation Systems (CRS) became the key element of today's distribution process. Their operation involves different parties: consumers, system vendors, be they air carriers or not, other air carriers and subscribers. CRS operation generated many problems, mainly when they were almost exclusively carrier owned. In my opinion, in the absence of specific regulations, competition law and antitrust laws were likely to address these issues efficiently, particularly through the application of the essential facility doctrine. However that may be, specific …  Lire la suite

Despite its importance in activities of daily living, little research has been done on the recovery of upper extremity (UE) function in acute stroke. The objectives of this prospective study were to quantify the recovery of UE function during the first five weeks post-stroke; to compare the recovery of UE function with the recovery of lower extremity (LE) function; and to identify predictors of recovery of UE function. Fifty-five first-time stroke patients were evaluated using measures of UE and LE function at the first and fifth week post-stroke. Standardized response means were used to compare the recovery of UE and …  Lire la suite

loki was identified in our lab in a screen for novel serine-threonine protein kinases that are specifically expressed in the ovary. loki transcripts are expressed in early embryos and adult ovaries. In the ovaries, loki transcripts accumulate in the oocyte during early oogenesis, and by stage 8, are found to localize anteriorly to the oocyte-nurse cell interface. In order to understand the role of loki in Drosophila development, I created a loki mutant through excision of a P-element that had inserted 700bp upstream of loki. loki mutants display no apparent phenotype. I was also able to identify the transcription unit …  Lire la suite

Randomly constructed networks of N elements governed by piecewise linear differential equations have been proposed as models for neural and genetic networks. In this model an element is labelled "on" if it is above a threshold, and "off" otherwise. The logical state of the network at any time is thus a Boolean vector. For each element, there is a rule (truth table) specified by the values of K input elements that determines whether it will switch its state (from 1 to 0 or from 0 to 1) at some future time. Parameter p biases the output state of each automata …  Lire la suite

In helminths, including the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, serotonin (5-HT) acts as an important neuroactive agent and is associated with carbohydrate metabolism, glucouse utilization, motility, feeding and reproductive behaviour. In mammals and other organisms, 5-HT is synthesized through the action of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). TPH is the rate limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of 5-HT, and as such sets the pace for the formation of 5-HT. TPH is a member of a family of enzymes that hydroxylate aromatic amino acids and have an absolute requirement for the pterin cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). It is unknown if this same enzyme catalyzes the …  Lire la suite

This Thesis deals with the cultural encounter between Islam and Javanese culture as represented by the slametan ritual. The major purposes of this thesis are threefold; (1) to give a brief account of the historical backdrop of the encounter between Islam and the Javanese tradition; (2) to discuss the ongoing dispute among scholars over whether the slametan is animistic, syncretistic or Islamic; and (3) to provide a new perspective on the slametan ritual based upon textual (religious) and contextual (socio-cultural) analysis. The hypothesis underlying this work is that the slametan is a prototype of syncretistic ritual, the representative of Islamic …  Lire la suite

Gleason, James L. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

La question fondamentale de cette étude serait: Quels sont les moyens qui peuvent contribuer à la construction de maisons dotées de structures en bois au Japon et ce, basé sur le sb principes techniques et le design utilisés dans les structures en bois des maisons à prix modiques? Pendant la période de croissance économique allant des années 1970 au milieu des années 1980, la sityation dans le domaine de la construction domiciliaire a énormément changé; c’est-à-dire que plus les acheteurs étaient fortunés plus ceux-ci se tournaient vers un style occidental au détriment du style traditionnel japonais. Le changement s’est effectué …  Lire la suite

I have cloned two putative receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) from Aplysia californica, designated Aror and Aruf. Aror is homologous to RTKs from the Ror subfamily. Furthermore, Aror contains an extracellular immunoglobulin-like domain, cysteine-rich region, and kringle domain. These domains are all characteristic of Ror receptors. Aruf is homologous to members of the Ret and FGF receptor subfamilies of RTKs. However, Aruf does not have the extracellular domains typical of those receptors. Furthermore the degree of identity between Aruf and either the Ret or FGF receptors is closer to that between members of different RTK subfamilies, than between members of the …  Lire la suite

Effects of environmental conditions and the fatuoid character on the naked trait in oat were investigated. Each of three genotypes responded differently to 2,4-D and 2,4-D increased hull content in some genotypes. In field experiments, there was usually a higher hull content in samples grown in a cool year than in a warmer year, but in growth cabinets, there was no consistent response to temperature treatments. Groats of hulled grains were smaller than groats of naked grains. Among field grown samples there was an association between the proportion by weight of hull tissue in grain and the frequency of hulled …  Lire la suite

This dissertation describes both methodological developments in quantitative functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of cerebral oxygen consumption, and the results of experiments using these techniques to elucidate the mechanisms linking focal changes in blood flow and oxygen metabolism. Technical contributions presented include a novel MRI pulse sequence for simultaneously monitoring cerebral blood flow and tissue oxygenation with high signal-to-noise ratio, as well as an experiment automation system permitting complex multiparametric studies to be carried out efficiently in large numbers of subjects. These tools enabled us to make a number of significant neurophysiological discoveries with important implications for the design and …  Lire la suite

Air Transport relations between the European Union and the United States were nonexistent until the European Commission obtained in 1996 from the member states a limited mandate to negotiate an air transport agreement with the US. For the Commission, the achievement of an EU internal market with full competition among European airlines under equal conditions is impeded by individual member states' bilateral relations with the US. It requested a complete mandate to replace the multitude of bilaterals with a Community wide agreement. Member states fear that Community negotiations will not reflect the different needs of their national airlines. They believe …  Lire la suite

The objective of this study was to derive new selection indices for swine production in Quebec. First economic values were derived as change in profit per market pig for a one unit change in a trait while all other traits remain unchanged. Production figures and prices used were taken from Quebec figures. Comparing with the currently used economic values, the responses showed the same range for the sire line with a higher emphasis on age to 100 kg for the new values. The same trait, response in age to 100 kg was much smaller in the maternal line for the …  Lire la suite

The objective of this thesis is to identify alternative building systems for low rise housing, that can be applied to the market of countries of the former Yugoslavia. Six building systems, developed and produced in Canada, have been selected for this purpose. In order to compare them to existing system, the set of criteria for evaluation is developed, based on three major aspects: the technical aspect deals with codes and regulations, implementation, durability and other physical characteristics of building systems; the economic aspect compares costs; and the psychological aspect investigates the level of acceptance from both the builders' and homeowners' …  Lire la suite

This thesis investigates a type of infinitival complement previously analyzed as a relative clause construction. The unique properties of this construction, namely, a Specificity Effect on the logical object of the embedded verb and a semantic restriction on the matrix verb, stem from the syntactic structure of the complement. The complement's T (Tense) node is specified [-Tense]. A T that is specified [-Tense] fails to select an Asp (Aspect) projection. The lack of an AspP projection has significant consequences: The embedded verb cannot assign an external theta role and accusative Case cannot be checked. The distinction of infinitival complements on …  Lire la suite