McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par A

Islam was drastically altered in Iran as a result of the 1978/79 Revolution. This thesis looks at the political aspects of contemporary Imami Shi'ism by comparing the ideas of three leading mujtahids of the day: Ayatullah Shari 'atmadari, Ayatullah Khumayni, and Ayatullah Taliqani. This study points out the wide divergences of ideas present within the religious class, ranging in the political spectrum, from conservative to radical. A comparison of these three figures highlights the differences between "Traditionalist" Islam, as put forth by Shari 'atmadari, and "Fundamentalist" Islam, as proposed by Khumayni and Taliqani. Further differences within the fundamentalist "camp" are …  Lire la suite

This thesis endeavours, first of all, to examine the attitude of English and Scottish Protestant reformers towards the problem of poverty as it existed in the sixteenth century, and more particularly between the years 1528 and 1563. This period represents a logical phase in English social history marking at one end the start of the Reformation and at the other what might be referred to as the Elizabethan settlement of 'commonwealth' matters. In Scotland the same period witnessed the beginnings of a national awareness of social problems, together with the steady growth of the reform movement culminating in the Reformation …  Lire la suite

The fate of fertilizer N is of primary concern for both agricultural productivity and environmental quality. Concerns include denitrification, leaching losses, mineralization of organic N as plant available N. Denitrification is an important source of N$ sb2$O, a greenhouse gas but field measurements are difficult. Two methods of measuring denitrification are soil core (SC) incubation and closed chamber (CC) methods. These methods were assessed on soil under monoculture corn, monoculture soybean, and alfalfa in a corn soybean alfalfa rotation. Greater concentrations were found in the CC method than the SC method. Denitrification rates ranged from less than 15 g N …  Lire la suite

La thyroide Auto-immune expérimentale a été induite chez le cobaye par l'injection d'extrait de thyroide et l'adjuvant de Freund. L'incorporation des matières carboniques radioactives dans les lipides seriques a été observée durant l'administration d'une surcharge graisseuse exogene ainsi que durant l'augmentation des lipides seriques endogenes resultant des injections de ttiiodothyronine. Il a été a observé que les cobayes thyroiditiques demontrent une capacite reduite pour la synthese et l'elimination des lipides sanguines meme dans l'état euthyroide. L'incapacite d'elimination des lipides sanguines mene a l'augmentation des taux de cholesterol et triglycerides lorsque l'incapacite d'elimination est accompagnée par une surcharge graisseuse.  Lire la suite

Les sursauts radio rapides (FRB) sont des événements astrophysiques brefs (us - ms) et énergétiques provenant de sources extragalactiques dont l’origine physique est inconnue. L’étude du progéniteur des FRBs peut améliorer notre compréhension de l’évolution stellaire et des taux d’effondrement du cœur des supernovas. De nombreux modèles de progéniteurs prédisent des contreparties rapides à plusieurs longueurs d’onde ou à plusieurs messagers, et un suivi coordonné en temps réel est donc crucial pour confirmer ces modèles. frb-voe est un logiciel accessible au public qui permet aux observatoires radio de diffuser des alertes de sursauts radio rapides (FRB) aux abonnés par le …  Lire la suite

Attia, Mahmoud Helmi (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults born with a complex congenital heart defect (CHD) are at risk for executive function (EF) impairments which contribute to the psychological and everyday burden of CHD. Cortical dysmaturation has been well described in fetuses and neonates with CHD and early evidence suggests that cortical alterations in thickness, surface area, and gyrification index are non-transient and can be observed in adolescents with CHD. However, cortical alterations have yet to be investigated as possible correlates for the EF deficits in youth with CHD. This study aims to use a data-driven approach to identify the cortical correlates of …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this thesis is to study the coding of wideband speech and to improve on previous Code-Excited Linear Prediction (CELP) coders in terms of speech quality and bit rate. To accomplish this task, improved coding techniques are introduced and the operating bit rate is reduced while maintaining and even enhancing the speech quality. the first approach considers the quantization of Liner Predictive Coding (LPC) parameters and uses a three way split vector quantization. Both scalar and vector quantization are initially studied; results show that, with adequate codebook training, the second method generates better results while using a fewer …  Lire la suite

In this research, we introduce a model for a fading multipath channel. The channel impulse response consists of an infinite series of $ delta$-functions whose amplitude has a Ricean probability density function and whose phases are randomly distributed. The arrival times of the various pulses follow a non-homogeneous Poisson process. This model is well structured and quite flexible for characterization of mobile and indoor radio environment. A Bayesian decision approach is employed for the derivation of the optimal receiver for this channel model with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Simplified forms of the receiver are presented under assumption of high …  Lire la suite

Natural ecosystems are dynamic and complex, with many being threatened by human activity. However, humans can also be at the root of a solution to this problem by developing ecosystem engineering which can be used to design, construct, modify, upgrade, repair, remediate, and maintain ecosystems. The aim of this project was to improve virtual ecosystems that can be used to increase the knowledge base for ecological engineering by studying adaptability as a factor for the success of species. This was done by analysing adaptive species in a virtual ecosystem, a computer application with which various configurations can be designed and …  Lire la suite

As digital electronics becomes increasingly popular, the need for efficient data conversion to provide the link to our analog world grows all the more important. To sustain the current rate of technological advancement, the requirements on the data conversion systems are becoming more stringent. Wireless communication systems demand high speed, high performance analog-to-digital conversion front-ends. Furthermore, consumers demand quality electronics at low cost, which precludes the use of expensive analog processes. This thesis investigates the potential of DeltaSigma modulation techniques in addressing both of these issues through the design, implementation and experimentation of several prototype integrated circuits. Delta-Sigma modulation has …  Lire la suite

L'objectif de ce projet est de construire et mettre en œuvre un cadre complète de détection de l'expression du visage par l'utilisation d'un détecteur de visage exclusif (PittPatt) et un nouveau classificateur composé d'un ensemble de 'Random Forests' a accompagné d'un étiqueteur 'support vector machine' ou 'k-nearest neighbour'. Le système doit effectuer au temps réel, dans des conditions sans contrainte, sans aucune intervention humaine intermédiaires. La base de données d'images fixes 'Binghamton University 3D Facial Expressions' était utilisé à des fins de formation. Un nombre de bases de données d'expression d'images fixes et de vidéo ont été utilisés pour l'évaluation. …  Lire la suite

Salvatore, Armando (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

A rodent model was developed to assess the osteogenic potential of continuous capacitive electrical stimulation on bone healing around titanium (Ti) implants. Adult male rats were fitted subcutaneously with electrical leads, that were placed around Ti implants inserted in the tibia. One electrical lead was attached directly to the extraosseous component of the implant, and the other was anchored to the adjacent subcutaneous tissues. Bone healing around the Ti implant was assessed histologically after 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14 and 21 days of continuous capacitive electrical stimulation as compared to controls and sacrificed immediately. Other groups of animals …  Lire la suite

Le repositionnement de médicaments est une stratégie courante utilisée pour identifier de nouvelles cibles pour des médicaments approuvés par la FDA dans un cadre clinique. Cette approche est rentable, moins chronophage et exploite le chevauchement biologique entre les maladies pour utiliser des médicaments existants à des fins multiples. Le repositionnement de médicaments pourrait être une option viable pour développer un traitement de seconde ligne contre le cancer épithélial de l'ovaire (CEO). Le CEO est une maladie gynécologique mortelle avec un taux de survie à 5 ans de 50 %. Il comprend cinq histotypes distincts, parmi lesquels le cancer séreux de …  Lire la suite

Les protéines recombinantes sont des sources de matériaux biocompatibles et leur génétique simple facilite leur manipulation pour différentes applications cliniques. Leur organisation hiérarchique et leur morphologie bien définie en font des modèles appropriés pour la biominéralisation. Plus précisément, le collagène est un échafaudage couramment utilisé pour la minéralisation et la fabrication de biomatériaux, en raison de sa teneur élevée en groupes carboxylate. Les protéines recombinantes de type collagène streptococcique ont été largement utilisées comme source alternative de collagène. En raison de leur forte teneur en proline et en résidus chargés, elles ont une stabilité thermique comparable au collagène de type …  Lire la suite

La respiration des micro-organismes du sol a été proposée ces dernières années comme moyen d'évaluer la santé des sols, dans le but d'évaluer les conditions permettant d'améliorer la gestion agricole, la prise de décision et la durabilité. Cependant, la mesure des concentrations de dioxyde de carbone (CO2) comme moyen d’évaluer la respiration et la santé du sol présente des défis spécifiques qui doivent être relevés. Les méthodologies ex-situ d'évaluation de cette propriété du sol génèrent des conditions perturbées qui ne sont pas en mesure de représenter les conditions in-situ sur le terrain. De plus, la mesure des concentrations de CO2 …  Lire la suite

Different aspects of prostatic carcinoma were studied in the human and in the golden hamster. In human prostatic tissue the LDH isoenzymatic changes were noted to be most reliable for diagnosing malignancy at an LDH V/LDH l ratio of 3.5 and over. The results of the serum studies were of no conclusive diagnostic value. In the golden hamster an SV 40 virus transformed hamster prostatic tumor was noted to possess a controversial resemblance with human prostatic cancer. Progestational agents seem to have interesting therapeutic possibilities and further investigative studies on their role in prostatic cancer is suggested. A transplantable prostatic …  Lire la suite

This thesis presents a deep learning framework that aims to learn and predict microanatomical features from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the rat brain. We obtained different MRI contrasts in an effort to understand the underlying mechanisms of MRI signals and their relationship to microstructural features. Scientists have studied numerous neurological disorders through analysing the brain’s anatomy and functionality. For decades, the gold standard for accurately assessing and quantifying microstructural biomarkers of several pathologies and disorders in the brain remained to be histology. However, since acquiring histological images is only done post-mortem, this results in very limited capacity of diagnostics …  Lire la suite

Kaplan, Lawrence (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Four areas of morphosyntax in Arabic-speaking children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) were investigated: tense, subject-verb agreement, determiners, and prepositions. Spontaneous production data were analyzed for accuracy and error types in using these morphemes. Two groups of typically-developing Arabic-speaking children served as Mean Length Utterance (MLU)-matched and chronological age-matched controls. The results indicate that Arabic-speaking children with SLI were significantly different from the two control groups of children on percentage correct use of tense and subject-verb agreement. Furthermore, when an error in verbal inflection occurred, the substitute form was usually an underspecified/default form, namely the imperative. The findings of the …  Lire la suite

Allison, Paul J. (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

This dissertation discusses medieval and Renaissance clerical and cultural constructions of femininity and female masculinity, and it analyses the complex relationship between such conceptions and the literary representation of the transvestite woman. Medieval theology legitimated female masculinity as transcendence of temporal sexuality. A woman who contained her affective femininity and replaced it with rational and ascetic behaviour was frequently lauded for having become male in all but body. In the middle of the first millennium, hagiographic legends abounded in which women appear to have embodied the patristic equation between spiritual rationality and masculinity. This dissertation proposes a radically different interpretation: …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the positive role of evil in select Old English Poetry, namely The Junius Book, "Guthlac", "Vainglory", "The Whale", "Juliana", "Judith" and "Beowulf". Using a background of Augustan and Boethian thought, each adversarial character is discussed with regard to role and imagery, but specifically in relationship to the protagonist. Evil plays a surprisingly positive role when it offers the protagonist the opportunity to defeat it. The protagonists' honour at the poem's conclusion is necessarily defined by the extent of resisting the antagonists. The hero must fight evil on two levels: the temporal in humans and the metaphysical in …  Lire la suite

Background: Engaging families in care is recognized as an increasingly important and key aspect of health care delivery. Active involvement of family members in the care process has been associated with improved communication, emotional support, and decision-making quality. Despite growing interest and policy support, engagement remains inconsistently implemented, particularly in acute care environments, where logistical, emotional, and structural barriers often limit family participation. Digital tools offer promising solutions to facilitate meaningful and personalized engagement, but evidence regarding their feasibility and impact remains limited.Objectives: The overall aim of this thesis was to review and evaluate the current literature and effectiveness of …  Lire la suite

Marino, Faleh Tamimi (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Cerruti, Marta (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Van De Ven, T. G. M. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Conventional Minimum-Variance (MV) channel estimation is affected by two sources of error, namely the finite number of samples used to estimate the covariance matrix and the asymptotic bias due to interference and additive noise. On the other hand, widely linear (WL) filtering has been shown to improve the estimation of improper complex signals. Researchers have recently demonstrated that the application of WL processing principles can significantly improve the performance of subspace-based channel estimation algorithms. However, in contrast to MV estimation algorithms, subspace-based algorithms assume knowledge of the total number of users in the system, and must be coupled with sophisticated …  Lire la suite

Relay networks constitute one of the key technologies that are being developed for use in next generation wireless systems. In relay networks, the communication between the source and the destination is aided by dedicated nodes (relays) that convey the source's message to the destination. The use of relays improves the coverage, capacity and reliability in the network. Two-way relay networks (TWRNs) have recently been proposed to support bidirectional communication and have attracted the attention of many researchers because of their high spectral efficiency. In particular, TWRNs employing the amplify-and-forward (AF) protocol are appealing because of the minimal processing requirements at …  Lire la suite

Rationale. Despite receiving triple inhalation therapy and undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation,approximately 50-90% of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer frompersistent and disabling breathlessness and exercise intolerance. Therefore, adjunct therapiestargeted to improve exertional breathlessness and exercise tolerance are urgently needed to helpoptimize disease management and health outcomes in COPD. Objective. To evaluate the acuteeffects of abdominal binding (AB), immediate-release oral morphine, and inhaled vaporizedcannabis on exertional breathlessness and exercise endurance in symptomatic adults with advancedCOPD. These three therapies were selected to target different mechanistic pathways within theneurophysiological construct of breathlessness, including [1] the neuromuscular efficiency of thediaphragm (AB); [2] neural …  Lire la suite

A dynamometer for the accurate, automatic determination of induction motor torque-speed characteristics has been developed as part of an investigation into induction motor losses. The speed range of interest is scanned at constant acceleration so as to simplify corrections for inertia torque, the speed being measured by a highly accurate tachogenerator. The torque is measured by a magnetostrictive torque meter mounted between the dynamometer and the machine under test, the linearity and reproducibility being better than ±0.5% of the rated torque. A 12 KW 3-phase power unit, which may be operated in either the constant voltage or constant current mode, …  Lire la suite

Cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes metabolize arachidonic acid to biologically active eicosanoids which act as potent local mediators of various physiological and pathological responses. The production of certain immunoregulatory eicosanoids may help parasites to evade host immune responses and establish chronic infections. Our analysis of arachidonic acid metabolites synthesized by the adult trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni indicated the presence of a soluble, enzymatically active lipoxygenase (LOX) and the absence of any cyclooxygenase (COX) activity. Screening of several S. mansoni cDNA libraries using mammalian LOX sequences resulted in the cloning of the mouse (the parasite host) LOX homologue due to the high …  Lire la suite

Shih, Ishiang (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Souza, Raphael de (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), the main ligand for the endothelial cell (EC)-selective Tie-2 receptors, promotes survival, proliferation, migration and differentiation of these cells. Despite its importance in various aspects of vascular biology, the mechanisms of action of the Ang-1/Tie-2 receptor pathway have not been fully explored. To identify the downstream modulators of Ang-1, we evaluated changes in the transcriptome of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with Ang-1 protein for four hours by employing the oligonucleotide rnicroarray technology. Eighty-six genes were significantly upregulated by this treatment and forty-nine genes were significantly downregulated. These genes are involved in the regulation of cell …  Lire la suite

This thesis studies the relations between media image, online news design, and the framing of identity. It scrutinizes current images of Arab identity and their representation in Aljazeera Net in order to examine how Aljazeera Net constructs the 'reality' of Arabs. The dissertation begins by defining Arabness in terms of ethnic, cultural and postcolonial identities. It proposes and assesses the sources of Arab identity and examines Arab identity as a source of meanings for Arabs. Likewise, it evaluates the sources of Arab identity in the Arab diaspora. Through the lens of a remediation approach, the study explores newly emerging practices …  Lire la suite

The problem of domestic solid wastes buried in landfill sites is viewed from the aspect of leachate contamination and migration in the substrate. Generally, this occurs through the penetration of the contaminant into the liner material. This study assesses the efficiency of natural clay barriers as an expedient economic lining material. Various chemical constituents of the landfill leachate of an actual waste containment site at Lachenaie (35 km east of Montreal) were determined from samples collected from specially designed basins. In companion laboratory tests, these leachate samples were permeated through laboratory columns that contained the natural clay compacted at the …  Lire la suite

This thesis deals with constructivist and English School accounts of humanitarian intervention. Literature from both of these schools contends that a "norm of humanitarian intervention" has emerged, whereby states should intervene to end massive human rights violations within other states. Accordingly, this thesis concerns itself with "norm entrenchment," the extent to which a norm has become sufficiently ingrained as to affect behavior. Specifically, this thesis examines the role played by norm entrenchment in bringing about US intervention and non-intervention in Somalia (1992-1993), Rwanda (1994), and Kosovo (1999). By assessing norm entrenchment at the individual, domestic, and international organization levels, this …  Lire la suite

This is an interpretive study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad as it is artistically depicted in the repertoire (especially the narrative ballads) of fifty-one contemporary Egyptian maddahin (singers of eulogies in honour of the Prophet Muhammad, sing. maddah). The elements of this repertoire, as diverse as narrative ballads, classical odes, Qur'an chanting, and the melodies of the secular songs of well-known Egyptian singers, do not exist as discrete units but rather as a lively tawlifa (blend)--to use a common term in Colloquial Egyptian Arabic (CEA). This study is about blends where discrete units lose their borderlines and leak …  Lire la suite

Prasher, Shiv (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

A phantom-embedded extrapolation chamber (PEEC) made of Solid Water(TM) was used for studying the buildup region of megavoltage radiation beams. We investigated the polarity effect produced in the PEEC and found that radiation induced currents, called the Compton current, were the dominant cause of the polarity effect in the PEEC. In the dose build-up region of megavoltage photon beams, the collecting electrode is the primary Compton current source and the magnitude of the current depends on the measurement depth, field size, and photon beam quality. The connecting cable acts as a secondary Compton current source that produces a very small …  Lire la suite

The aim of external beam radiotherapy is to deliver a prescribed dose to a target volume accurately and uniformly while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. In radiation dosimetry calculations, many functions are employed to achieve this goal, and the Peak Scatter Factor (PSF) is one of the fundamental functions used in dosimetry. A brief background of some of the basic physics employed in external beam radiotherapy is given, illustrating some of the applications of the PSF in dosimetry. Also, the evolution of the definition of the PSF is discussed by presenting the PSF definitions quoted in several dosimetric references. In …  Lire la suite