McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par A

The hypothesis that aquatic biomass is uniformly distributed over logarithmic size classes was evaluated with samples from epilimnetic plankton communities. Although the hypothesis is true for oligotrophic lakes, biomass increases between successive size classes in mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes. The abundance of organisms in logarithmic size intervals is strongly negatively correlated with size. The relationship between organism size and physiological performance in mixed communities was examined by testing the hypothesis that limnoplankton respiration rates are predictable functions of mean body size. The equation governing this relationship was found to be similar to those obtained with laboratory cultures. The total epilimnetic …  Lire la suite

An 1 out of 2 Oblivious Transfer (( 21 )-OT) is a two-party computation in which a sender A owning two secret bits b0, b 1 can transfer one to them, bc, to receiver Bob who chooses c. This is done in such a way that Alice does not learn anything about c and Bob does not learn anything other than bit bc. Security specifications for ( 21 )-OT are defined in terms of privacy and correctness. Privacy constraint enforces that B gets the bit of his choice and gains no knowledge about the other input bit of A , …  Lire la suite

Entre 1211 et 1236, le sultan Îltutmish présida à l'émergence du premier grand empire musulman en Asie du Sud, le Sultanat de Delhi. En tant qu'ancien esclave militaire aux confins géographiques du monde Islamique, son règne fut aussi inédit que dénué de légitimité. Beaucoup d'études antérieures ont cherché une explication évidente et politisée derrière le succès d'Îltutmish, s'appuyant sur des analyses positivistes de sources primaires qui glorifièrent invariablement le sultan. Cette thèse examine les liens personnels entre le sultan et l'important Soufi Suhrawardī Bahā’ al-Dīn Zakariyā de Multan pour révéler un autre élément Soufi de l'environnement religieux du sultanat. Les …  Lire la suite

Precup, Doina (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Precup, Doina (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Dufour, Jean-Marie (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Ce travail contribue au domaine d'études transnationales et de la diaspora en apportant une analyse qualitative de la construction d'identité postcoloniale des bangladeshis canadiens, dans le contexte de leurs expériences dans la diaspora.La recherche se concentre sur un genre spécifique de la parole bengali, connu sous le nom d'Adda et porte sur les pratiques sociales des communautés d'immigrants bangladais vivant dans la région du Grand Toronto.J'utilise l'Adda pour mettre en évidence les voix et les pratiques sociales de cette diaspora parlant bengali, pour élargir le champ de la recherche d'identité des immigrants, grâce à l'utilisation de méthodes intégrées culturellement.La recherche …  Lire la suite

This study examined the interaction of religion and politics in Bangladesh in light of the hypothesis that the nature of the particular process of Islamization of the state of Bangladesh, leading to its present semi-Islamic status, has been a function of three independent variables: the specific nature of Islam in the society; the configuration of political interests; and the international environment. The study found that the semi-Islamic status of the state in Bangladesh achieved under military rule is a consequence more of the manipulation of Islam by the military for the sake of legitimacy and of the influence of the …  Lire la suite

We study the equilibrium and efficiency of sequential multiunit auctions with complete information, both under no constraints on buyers' bidding strategies and when buyers are constrained to not bid above their valuation for an additional item in each individual auction. When buyers may not overbid we give a complete characterisation of the equilibrium of the auction when only two buyers are present and show that efficiency of an outcome allocation is at least (1-1/e) with respect to welfare. When buyers may overbid and two buyers are present we restore the (1-1/e) efficiency result of (Bae et al. 2008, 2009). We …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, mechanisms of immunoregulation by CD4$ sp+$ T cells during blood-stage P. chabaudi AS infection in C57BL/6 mice were studied. The kinetics of in vitro production of the Th1-derived cytokine, IFN-$ gamma$, versus the Th2-derived cyokines, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10, by spleen cells as well as of polyclonal and malaria-specific antibodies in the sera were examined during infection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Upon antigenic stimulation, spleen cells were found to produce high levels of IFN-$ gamma$ several days prior to peak parasitemia, while high levels of IL-10 production occurred at the time of peak parasitemia followed by IL-4 …  Lire la suite

Solid-state and solution NMR technique, were used in order to study the transformation of various functional groups present in lignin and cellulose when wood is exposed to a wide range of pH's and pulping reagents. Solid-state proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T1H) allowed the determination of the molecular mobilities of carbohydrates and lignin as a function of PH for black spruce softwood. Similar measurements on isolated cellulose and cuoxam lignin were also conducted. These studies showed that the mobilities of the polymeric constituents of wood are affected by ionization processes occurring on the various functional groups present in lignin and cellulose. …  Lire la suite

Paul Brassard (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Derome, Jacques F (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

This research concentrates on the problems incarcerated females and their children face in Ghana. Researchers and human rights activists have identified some primary concerns about the infringement of rights of incarcerated women across the globe including Ghana. Their challenges include sexual abuse, childcare, gynaecological problems, food insecurity, sex trade by vulnerable groups for protection, violence, sleepless night, transmission of tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus, and poor healthcare. Children of incarcerated women also encounter severe problems like poor academic performance; victimization, trauma, teasing, and stigmatization from peers; high drop-out rates; exhibition of internalizing and externalizing behaviors; somatic problems; and juvenile delinquency …  Lire la suite

Adewale, Peter (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

The effect of one day and five day antibiotic administration for prophylaxis in orthognathic surgical procedures was compared. A randomized double-blind clinical trial using placebo was conducted. Thirty patients were equally distributed between two groups. Each group received Penicillin G two million units intravenously pre-operatively, and one million units I.V. every three hours intraoperatively and three hours post-operatively. Group one then received Penicillin G, one million units I.V. every six hours for eight doses, then Penicillin V suspension 300 mg orally every six hours for eight doses. Group two received placebo in a similar dosing schedule. The wounds were inspected …  Lire la suite

The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that communication involves more than just language. Culture is central in the process and must be taken into account in order for effective communication to be achieved. The emphasis is on translation and how it is actually a form of intercultural communication. A host of examples are provided to show how translation is severely limited and at times nonsensical when cultural factors are ignored. Intercultural communications is also discussed in detail to shed light on what is involved. The resulting arguments pertaining to the limitations inherent in translation and intercultural communication are …  Lire la suite

Current battery technologies must be improved if they are to be used as the energy storage solution that enables the transition to renewable global energy production. The study of batteries, in particular, lithium ion batteries, requires new or previously unutilized techniques that can provide fundamental understanding of the phenomena that affect performance. Among these phenomena, a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) develops on the surface of the battery electrodes that can result in reduced energy storage capacity and power delivery, and increased degradation. Understanding the SEI requires a dynamic understanding of its chemistry and structure, and how those affect battery performance.Combined …  Lire la suite

Property ownership and occupational change are used to understand the social and economic organization of the Chinese community in Montreal. These data can be understood with a model of the lineage mode of production, situated within an ethnically defined dual economy. Original immigration data show distinct patterns for Eastern Canada, and the independence of migration from Canadian legislation. The history of Chinese property ownership reveals encapsulated, long term tenure with transfers related to life cycle crises rather than market conditions. Chinese occupations are highly concentrated in service sector specialities which support domestic production units. The Chinese community is present throughout …  Lire la suite

The thesis indicates how central Canadian Methodists came to terms with Christian perfection in the years 1828-1884. It demonstrates that the concept was a matter of constant and considerable concern, and that the primary force in determining how it was attended to was the influence of John Wesley. The main elements of the concept are set out--an experience possible through momentary faith and resulting in cleansing from sin and the ability to love God with pure love. Influences upon Canadian Methodism are probed and, in particular, the thought of John Wesley on the subject is investigated. Lines of influence from …  Lire la suite

La disponibilité et la qualité des ressources diffèrent à travers le gradient spatial vertical d'une forêt. On prédit que les communautés d'arthropodes se distribuent suivant ces ressources tout en évitant les prédateurs. J'ai investigué la distribution verticale à petite échelle des araignées et des coléoptères dans la canopée d'une érablière à sucre (Acer saccharum Marsh.). En comparant quatre strate d'élévation (de la strate arbustive à la haute canopée), j'ai documenté les gradients de densité et de diversité ainsi que la composition en espèce, incluant une plus forte réponse au gradient vertical de la part des assemblages d'araignées. J'ai employé le …  Lire la suite

The polymerization of alkylbutadienes has a long history, dating from Grenville William's experiments with isoprene, obtained from the destructive distillation of natural rubber (l). However no large scale production of polymers of butadienes was attempted until World War I, when the Germans manufactured over 2300 tons of polydimethylbutadiene. Until then the natural sources of rubber yielded adequate supplies for world needs. Some research was continued in the field of synthetic rubber andby 1939 the Germans, and later the Western Allies, were able to produce large quantities of synthetic elastomers (the name given to high polymers that possess rubber-like properties). A …  Lire la suite

A major limitation to the success of islet cell transplantation as a therapy for type I diabetes is the cell loss induced by the islet isolation procedure. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate signal transduction events and related intracellular activities that are implicated in islet cell survival/death following islet isolation in order to develop therapeutic interventions to promote islet survival. The isolation of pancreatic islets imposes considerable stress on these cells, resulting in significant levels of cell death following isolation which was associated with activation of the stress-activated c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). However, within 24 hours in culture, …  Lire la suite

The current study was designed to examine preschool girls' physical and verbal assertion in the presence of varying numbers of boys. Two girls from each of 12 classes were asked to play in three play groups: One that contained six girls (all girls playgroup), one that contained four girls and two boys (majority girls playgroup), and one that contained two girls and four boys (minority girls playgroup). The frequency of episodes of physical and verbal assertion were analyzed across the three playgroups. Unexpectedly, there was no significant difference in the frequency of physical and verbal assertion between the three playgroups. …  Lire la suite

Farthing, J. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

The phenomenon of incoherent light scattering with a changed frequency was first predicted by Smekal(1) In 1923. It was not until 1928, however, that the effect was observed experimentally by Prof. Sir C.V.Raman(2) in Calcutta. Monochromatic light was allowed to fall on a liquid, the scattered light being analysed by means of a spectograph and lines being found on the photographic plate which were due to frequencies not present in the primary or incident light. These lines are now known as "Raman lines" and the phenomenon itself as the "Raman Effect." [...]  Lire la suite

Women’s employment has been discussed from many different points of view. Economists stress the reasons for hiring women and the economic consequences of such an act. Their books show; the relation of women’s employment to the profit motive,stress the significance of women as a vast potential labour supply, indicate such problems as arise because of the unorganized state of the female labour market,and discuss the incidence of their entrance into industry upon male employment. Other books have been written from a humanitarian standpoint. These attempt to show certain working conditions experienced by women which call for a remedy. They discuss …  Lire la suite

Four studies were designed to examine the effects of stimulus novelty on looking time, preference, and processing efficiency in hyperactive children. Two control groups were selected; normal children and nonhyperactive poor readers. According to underarousal theories of hyperactivity, the hyperactives should show a unique, heightened attraction to novel stimuli. Novelty was defined in two ways, as incongruity and as unfamiliarity. The responses of all three groups varied systematically as a function of the changes in novelty. There was limited evidence that the hyperactives were unusually attracted to the novel materials. Although they initially spent more time viewing the incongruous stimuli, …  Lire la suite

This thesis is the first full-scale historical treatment of Canadian ornithology from 1860 to 1950. Ornithology is one of the most important branches of modern biology, and ornithologists were pioneer researchers in the areas of evolution, systematics, animal behaviour, zoogeography, migration, population biology and ecology. The institutional development of ornithology in Canada was much retarded by the prevailing utilitarian attitude towards science with its lack of funding for fundamental research. It was not until the second decade of the twentieth century that ornithology became part of the scientific establishment of the Canadian government. Despite this, Canadian ornithologists, in face of …  Lire la suite

Agriculture, the ‘backbone’ of the Kenyan economy, is dominated by smallholder farmers who account for 65 per cent of total agricultural production and 51 per cent of labour force in the sector. However, with 80 per cent of land classified as arid or semi-arid land (ASAL), smallholding in Kenya exists against a backdrop of poor agro-ecological conditions. In ASALs, 86 per cent of women and children in households are classified as ‘food insecure’. Climate change, characterised by increased frequency and intensity of drought in the region, inserts new layers of urgency and complexity into this already-great crisis. Responding to these …  Lire la suite

The study is a comparative analysis of the development of two networks of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Jalisco and their contribution to the strengthening of the political capacities of NGOs. A new view of civil society is introduced that emphasizes its multiple functions and forms the basis for disaggregating capacity into three dimensions: defensive, propositional and infrastructural. A political process approach draws from social movement theory for understanding the emergence and activities of NGO networks. The development of NGOs in Mexico from the 1960s through the 1990s is analyzed as the result of mobilization …  Lire la suite

Complex datasets necessitate a thorough understanding of the research question and substantive area, and in some cases may require analyses that take into account the many features of the population of interest. Consider the Scottish Early Rheumatoid Arthritis or SERA study, which followed people in Scotland with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over time, starting with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and then every six months thereafter. Outcomes of interest are often discrete and perhaps a binomial variable (such as if the patient has entered remission) or a count (such as the number of swollen joints). Clinicians are aware that treatments for …  Lire la suite

The HPV E6-p53 interaction is well-understood, but not for all high-risk HPV types. In addition, HPV E6 p53-independent functions are gaining recognition for their importance in cellular transformation but require clarification. Thus, the aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to gain insight into the p53-E6 interaction for high-risk HPV-33 and, (2) to explore how high-risk HPV E6 proteins targets cellular MAGI-3 for degradation. In vivo and in vitro results indicated that E6 from HPV types 18 and 33 interacted similarly with p53 although, variants of the HPV-33 E6 prototype demonstrated interesting disparities. Of note was HPV-33 E6 variant 2, …  Lire la suite

It is recognised that oestrogen action plays a central role in the physiology and biochemistry of avian reproduction. Exogenous oestrogen has been shown to bring about striking changes in immature pullets, both in the morphology of the secondary sex organs, particularly the oviduct, and in the composition of blood and other tissues; the more obvious changes taking place in the latter include the involvement of the bony skeleton in the metabolism and transport of the materials of the egg yolk and egg shell and the production of yolk material by the liver. These matters have been the subject of reviews …  Lire la suite

It is recognised that oestrogenic action plays a central role in the physiology and biochemistry of avian reproduction. The hypertrophy and functions of the oviduct, the production of yolk material by the liver, and the involvement of the bony skeleton in the metabolism and transport of the materials of the egg yolk and egg shell are among the more obvious of the functions involved. These matters have been the subject of reviews by Lorenz (1954), Sturkie (1958), Urist (1959) and van Tienhoven (1959). They have also been the subject of various studies in this laboratory in the course of the …  Lire la suite

Par rapport aux personnes en bonne santé, les patients atteints de la Fibrose Kystique (FK) subissent des exacerbations pulmonaires fréquentes et sont affectés par un volume expiratoire réduit de 1 seconde (FEV1), qui est la principale mesure pronostique de la fonction pulmonaire. Il a été démontré que l'activité physique atténue le taux de déclin de FEV1 chez les patients FK. Malgré le fait que les patients atteints de FK aient montré de l'activité physique d'intensité légère semblable à celle de leurs homologues en bonne santé, il a été démontré qu'ils passaient moins de temps à pratiquer de l'activité physique d'intensité …  Lire la suite

Stansfield, A. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

Dans l'éducation, 'le genre' est systématiquement mobilisé comme un corps de connaissance 'de sens commun' qui peut être librement invoquée. Ce projet appelle de telles pratiques de connaissance comme les objets de privilège 'gender-normative' et lie la connaissance 'comment faire' par rapport au genre transmise par les programmes d'éducation d'enseignant (TEP) à la normalisation de genre dans les écoles. Cette étude transformationnelle de méthodes mélangées de 'contenu du genre' dans le programme d'études du TEP à l'Université McGill a incorporé analyses tant quantitatives que qualitatives de données cueillies de tous les plans de cours disponibles entre 2001 et 2008. Les …  Lire la suite

In this dissertation we study compression and robust transmission of images over wireless channels. Due to the problems associated with wireless channels, image communication over these channels requires error-resilient coding schemes that must offer good compression and low complexity. We propose an analysis-by-synthesis coding technique called Variable Block-size two-dimensional Code Excited Linear Predictive (VB 2D-CELP) coding that implements block-adaptive prediction and variable block-size coding. The method can be used for still picture coding or for periodic intra-frame coding required in time-varying image coding. The scheme demonstrates its merits over the DCT-based JPEG standard by reducing the block effects of the …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we study the rate of convergence of eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator on $n$-dimensional at tori. After stating some well known results about the convergence of the eigenfunctions and their Fourier expansion due to Bourgain, Jakobson, and Mockenhaupt, we prove Jakobson's conjecture, which states that the Fourier expansion of the square of eigenfunctions on $n$-dimensional tori are in $l^n$. The proof is given by a geometric lemma that uses the convexity of $S^n$  Lire la suite

Peter Bartello (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Different explicit filtering strategies for the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) were implemented and analyzed using the open source solver Palabos and the solver Mathematica. A von Neumann analysis performed by Ricot et al. showed that instabilities occuring for the the single relaxation time (BGK) formulation of the LBM are caused by the interaction of acoustic modes with other modes in the simulations. Moreover, the BGK-VLES (very large eddy simulation) formulation, which uses a turbulence model, causes high numerical dissipation in the flow field solution. One alternative called the LBM-Multi-Relaxation Times (LBM-MRT) is to perform collision on moments of the distribution …  Lire la suite

Traditionnellement, la chimiothérapie utilisée pour le traitement du cancer du sein comptait sur des combinaisons qui contiennent 5-Flurouracile (5-FU). Récemment, pour améliorer l'index thérapeutique de 5-FU et sa disponibilité par voie orale, un nouveau promédicament nommé capécitabine (Xeloda ®) a été développé. Capécitabine nécessite l'activation enzymatique par l'enzyme hépatique carboxylestérase (CES), pour générer 5'-DFCR, puis 5'-DFUR, ce dernier à son tour est métabolisé par thymidine phosphorylase (TP) en 5-FU. La bonne tolérance de capécitabine a inspiré la recherche d'agents avec lesquels ce médicament peut avoir une synergie. De nombreuses combinaisons de deux médicaments à base de capecitabine ont été proposées …  Lire la suite

Walsh, D. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

La lumière et le bruit dans l’unité néonatale peuvent être particulièrement stressants pour les prématurés. Les buts de cette étude étaient d’évaluer chez des prématurés de 28 à 32 semaines d’âge gestationnel: a) leur stabilité physiologique (rythme cardiaque, variabilité du rythme cardiaque et saturation d’oxygène) lorsqu’ils portent des lunettes et des couvre-oreilles pendant une période de 4 heures, et b) leur réponse à la douleur lors d’une prise de sang au talon (rythme cardiaque et variabilité du rythme cardiaque) après la période de 4 heures où ils ont porté les lunettes et les couvre-oreilles. Les prématurés ont été recrutés dans …  Lire la suite

Harvey, Edward (Supervisor3)  Lire la suite

Primary silanes of the type RSiH$ sb3$, where R = phenyl (Ph), benzyl (Bz) and n -hexyl, undergo catalytic dehydrogenative polymerisation in the presence of catalytic amounts of Cp$ sb2$TiMe$ sb2$ (Cp = $ eta sp5$-C$ sb5$H$ sb5)$ to give linear oligomers consisting of about 10 silicon atoms, regardless of the reaction conditions. When the amount of Cp$ sb2$TiMe$ sb2$ was increased, novel organometallic complexes of the type $ {$(Cp$ sb2$Ti)$ sb2( mu$-H)$( mu$-HSiRH)$ }$ and $ {$Cp$ sb2$Ti$( mu$-HSiRH)$ } sb2$ were isolated and characterised. X-ray crystal structural characterisation has confirmed the first Ti-H-Si-Ti bridged systems. Other titanocenes (Cp$ …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse explore les similitudes et les différences entre la protestation dans l'Allemagne de l'Ouest et de la dissidence tchécoslovaque entre les années 1960 et 1970. Il soutient que la conception de Jonathan Bolton de la dissidence tchécoslovaque comme un «monde» ou de plusieurs différents «mondes» d'expériences, peut être utilisé pour examiner dans un façon productive les mouvements de protestation plus ou moins contemporains de l'autre côté du Rideau de Fer pendant la période d'Après-Guerre. En appel à la description de Bolton des «mondes de la dissidence» en Tchécoslovaquie, cette thèse introduit l'idée des «mondes» de protestation en Allemagne de …  Lire la suite