McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par A

Les titres sont-ils représentatifs du contenu des histoires? Est-ce qu'ils varient de manière systématique du contenu qu'ils illustrent? Cette thèse prend en considération la façon dont les titres portant sur la politique représentent l'offre complète d'information politique disponible pour les citoyens. Les titres sont présentés comme l'équivalent médiatique des heuristiques cognitives. On assume qu'ils résument les nouvelles quotidiennes, et qu'ils fournissent ainsi aux citoyens un raccourci médiatique, leur permettant de se tenir informés des affaires publiques. Ils soulignent aussi le contenu qui les suit et signalent quelles nouvelles sont les plus importantes selon les rédacteurs. Ces fonctions permettent le développement …  Lire la suite

The effects of athletic training during growth have been studied on the same children, over three years, while engaged in swim training. Resting lung volumes and expiratory flow rates as well as cardio-respiratory functions in exercise were measured and comparison made with 83 normal children. In addition, 14 young adults were studied before and after seasonal athletic training. Swim training during growth was found to significantly increase vital capacity and expiratory flow rates. [...]  Lire la suite

In the field of Physical Education, "physical fitness" has a definite meaning though the term has so far defied accurate physiological definition. Since "fitness", in the light of present day definitions is generally considered to result from "physical training", most scientific investigations in this field has been directed towards measuring the effects of "training" on cardiovascular and respiratory parameters or towards comparing these parameters in the trained and untrained subjects. Some of the parameters, in particular those which are easily measured such as pulse rate, ventilation and oxygen uptake, have been well studied and the changes which occur on exercise …  Lire la suite

The Woman's Bible est l'un des premiers exemples d'une interprétation féministe des écritures chrétiennes. Compilé par Elizabeth Cady Stanton, une importante suffragette américaine du dix-neuvième siècle, cet ouvrage continue de soulever la controverse dans le mouvement de la libération des femmes depuis sa première publication en 1895. La littérature féministe contemporaine maintient une relation ambivalente envers The Woman's Bible, d'une part reconnaissant l'importance de ce texte dans l'histoire du féminisme occidental tout en le rejetant comme étant incompatible avec l'agenda féministe actuel. The Woman's Bible est écarté en raison de son essentialisme du genre, lequel ignore la multiplicité et l'interconnectivité …  Lire la suite

Les techniques quantitatives d'imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM), telles que la cartographie du temps de relaxation longitudinale T1, sont utilisées pour sonder la microstructure de la substance blanche dans le cerveau humain. Cependant, ces méthodes ne permettent pas de démêler les caractéristiques microstructurales de différentes populations de fibres nerveuses, également appelées faisceaux, de la substance blanche à l'intérieur d’un voxel. Ceci est un problème important pour l’IRM car 60 à 90 % des voxels dans la substance blanche contiennent des configurations multifibres complexes. Cela nécessite de nouvelles méthodes quantitatives d’IRM capables de démêler les caractéristiques microstructurales des différents faisceaux d'un …  Lire la suite

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, affecting 57 million people worldwide in 2022 and potentially 150 million by 2050. The global economic burden could exceed $2.8 trillion in 2031. Disease-modifying treatments are urgently needed.Despite their recent approvals, the anti-amyloid drugs aducanumab, lecanemab, and donanemab may only modestly slow cognitive decline. Many other agents targeting diverse biological AD mechanisms are in development.New treatments must demonstrate safety and efficacy, typically in Phase 3 trials that often require over 1,000 participants. Recruiting these participants is a major bottleneck in drug development. Recruiters can expect to enroll fewer than one participant …  Lire la suite

This investigation is one of a series which have been carried out in the Division of Industrial and Cellulose Chemistry at McGill University, in order to determine the chemical constituents of white spruce bark. Other investigations are still in progress. At present, bark is a major waste product in the pulp and paper industry. Not only does it possess little commercial value, but it also provides a difficult disposal problem. One object of these researches is to discover whether or not materials of potential value are present in the bark in sufficient amounts to justify their extraction on an industrial …  Lire la suite

Miller, Gregory (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

The role of Labrador-Ungava as one of the main gathering grounds of the Pleistocene ice caps, and one of the final centres of wastage was recognised as long ago as 1896 by the government geologist A. P. Low. In spite of its obvious importance in the glacial history of North America, Labrador-Ungava has received but scant attention from research workers in the field of glacial geomorphology or geology, due mainly to the inaccessibility and uncertain weather of the peninsula.  Lire la suite

Stress is a major health concern of the 21st century. It has been shown to be associated with a host of negative health outcomes, from a spectrum of several psychopathologies to cardiovascular disease. However, the exact mechanisms resulting in these disease states have not yet been identified. There are two main physiological systems solicited during an acute stress response: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Both the SNS and HPA have been hypothesized to interact, but the precise nature of their relationship is still under study. In addition to the biological response, there also is the …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse explore comment le cadre Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) du ministère de l’Éducation de l’Ontario façonne les expériences des apprenant·e·s multilingues ayant une littératie émergente, en particulier les élèves issu·e·s de milieux réfugiés inscrit·e·s dans des programmes de développement de la littératie en anglais (ELD). En m’appuyant sur le paradoxe de l’accès de Hilary Janks (2004) et sur la théorie posthumaniste (Barad, 2007; Pennycook, 2018; Van Viegen, 2020), j’examine STEP comme un artefact matériel et symbolique qui traverse des hiérarchies raciolinguistiques, des structures coloniales de peuplement, et les pratiques quotidiennes de la classe. Par une analyse interprétative des …  Lire la suite

Children’s ability to tell, and reason about lies develops rapidly in early childhood. However, we do not know whether children are able to discern between effective and ineffective strategies to maintain a lie, or whether this differs depending on the type of lie (a lie told to protect one’s self or another) that is being considered. The ability to conceptualize and reason about moral dilemmas involving lying has implications in terms of children’s own lie telling and prosocial behaviour. Therefore, the investigation of children’s understanding of lie maintenance, as well as their moral reasoning about such scenarios, is an important …  Lire la suite

This thesis presents an analysis of pioneer settlement and subsequent rural depopulation and land abandonment during the post 200 years in an unrewarding area of northern New England. Orange County was first settled in 1762; population reached its maximum in 1840 and then declined steadily until the 1930’s (see Figure 1). This county, encompassing seventeen towns in east central Vermont, was selected as an example of a small area with economic problems representative of the problems of rural northern New England (the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). The county unit, as the only source of adequate and continuous …  Lire la suite

Eugène Dabit (1898-1936), peintre et écrivain de l'entre-deux-guerres, consacra ses énergies et son talent à mieux faire connaitre le peuple dont il était né. Elève de Roger Martin du Gard, ami et protégé d'André Gide, i l mourut subitement en Russie avant d'avoir pu donner toute sa mesure. Faussement étiqueté "populiste", Dabit dépasse ses contemporains des années 1930-1936 par le témoignage objectif et frémissant de son œuvre romanesque, Il a subi, depuis vingt ans, un injuste oubli que notre travail a l'ambition de réparer.  Lire la suite

Apatite is an early crystallizing phase in Proterozoic potassic alkaline and shoshonitic magmas, and is used here to model and further the understanding of the source regions, and magmatic and hydrothermal processes of 1.08 Ga potassic plutons in the southwestern Grenville Province, Mont-Laurier area, Quebec. Apatite chemistry and $ sp{87}$Sr/$ sp{86}$Sr ratios were documented in the shoshonitic and potassic alkaline intrusive facies of the Kensington pluton, and in the potassic alkaline series of the Sainte-Veronique pluton; the two plutons are separated by 70 km. Potassic magmas in the belt were derived from separate, although similar mantle regions, while the shoshonitic …  Lire la suite

In this thesis, we start with a review of topics such as Lie derivatives, Killing vectors, and Killing tensors, as well as the generalizations of these objects to their conformal variants. We then introduce the form of the Kerr-NUT-(A)dS metric for an arbitrary number of dimensions, followed by a review and proof of a result by Houri, Oota, and Yasui. The main takeaway from this result is that if a metric of Euclidean signature, satisfying the Einstein equations, admits a rank 2 closed conformal Killing-Yano tensor, then it must be a member of the Kerr-NUT-(A)dS family of metrics. At the …  Lire la suite

Les personnages humains numériques jouent un rôle primordial dans les jeux vidéo, les films et les logiciels d'animation interactifs. La main reste toutefois une partie du corps difficile à animer: positionner une main implique de coordonner plusieurs degrés de liberté, la synthèse d'un mouvement réaliste de préhension requiert un placement minutieux des points de contact, et un rendu photoréaliste comporte des difficultés au niveau des variations de couleur et de texture. Les solutions traditionnelles à ces problèmes demandent l'effort de plusieurs artistes hautement qualifiés. Cela motive les chercheurs en animation le développement d'outils permettant d'animer une main automatiquement. Cette thèse …  Lire la suite

The epigenome, comprised of the chromatin and the DNA methylome, sets up and maintains gene expression patterns. Disruption of the epigenome and its components is a hallmark of cancer, particularly global DNA hypomethylation. The existence of a bona fide DNA demethylase has long been disputed. This thesis focuses on studying methylated DNA-binding protein-2's (MBD2) role in DNA demethylation and cancer. MBD2 was concurrently classified as a DNA demethylase and a transcriptional repressor. The effects of MBD2 overexpression and depletion in normal and cancerous cells on the methylome strongly supports MBD2's role in participating in the DNA demethylation reaction, as do …  Lire la suite

Madagascar - Ambatovy region, AMBATOVY Project - Sherritt International. The Ambatovy Project, a mine for nickel and cobalt ore located in the centre of the country, required the construction of a slurry pipeline to transport the ore 220 km to be processed on the east coast. The pipeline and its maintenance road traverses primary forests, the sensitive Torotorofotsy Wetlands and include 172 stream crossings in sensitive laterite soils. The restoration and rehabilitation of the cut and fill geotechnical works and stream crossings is important technical works within the environmental portfolio and for project cost reductions.The surface water erosion of the …  Lire la suite

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is the main element of the CNS/ATM system elaborated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The US GPS and Russian GLONASS are the two existing systems. Both of them were created by the military. Europe is currently developing a civil navigation satellite system: Galileo. This thesis will present some legal issues of the GNSS discussed in the framework of ICAO: sovereignty of States, universal accessibility, continuity and quality of the service, cost recovery and financing, certification and liability. It will also present some legal issues due to the creation of the European Galileo …  Lire la suite

Daneshmend, Laeeque K. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Juvenile hemochromatosis (JH), anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and various inflammatory conditions such as Hepatitis C and alcoholic steatohepatitis exhibit improper handling of systemic iron. Patients with JH have mutations in either the hemojuvelin (Hjv) or hepcidin genes. Hjv appears to control the levels of hepatic hepcidin, the master hormonal regulator of iron stores. Interestingly, Hjv exists in both a cellular and soluble form that is expressed primarily in the muscle and to a lesser extent in the liver. Cellular Hjv (cHjv), localized in the liver, is a GPI-anchored protein that enhances bone morphogenic protein (BMP) mediated induction of hepcidin. …  Lire la suite

Bilateralism, as implied by the unsuccessful multilateral attempt of the Chicago Conference, is the regulatory framework of international air transport's economic side. Yet, the question arises as to whether this system still constitutes a valid model. The scope of the present essay is then to examine the variant theoretical alternatives in their ability to liberalize such a conservative approach. In the light of the geopolitical cleavages of the end of the century, it seems that this system will survive, in spite of its numerous shortcomings and alleged obsolescence. Hence, it will have to be considered by any liberalizing trend, as …  Lire la suite

Peter Siegel (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

This study was undertaken to characterize the role and pathway for assimilation of the intracellular carbon storage compound, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), in Rhizobium (Sinorhizobium) meliloti. Mutants unable to utilize the degradation intermediates, 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) and/or acetoacetate (AA) were characterized. A mutant unable to utilize HB (Hbu-) while retaining the ability to utilize AA was found to be deficient in 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (Bdh) activity. The bdhA mutant showed no symbiotic defects in association with alfalfa plants. However, when co-inoculated with the wild type, the mutant showed significantly reduced competitiveness. A more severe competition defect was observed for a PHB synthesis mutant (phaC). …  Lire la suite

Over the years the demand for butter in Canada has decreased resulting in a surplus of butter. In 1965 the per capita consumption of butter in Canada was 8.23 Kg which decreased by about 70% to 2.66 Kg in 1994. Previous research indicates that consumers are switching from butter to margarine due to concerns about heart disease and high cholesterol levels in butter. Therefore, a market study was conducted in Montreal to estimate the potential demand for a new product called "modified" butter which would create 50% less cholesterol in the body than regular butter. When the concept of "modified" …  Lire la suite

Les aliments probiotiques non laitiers augmentent en popularité puisqu'ils offrent un choix de consommation pour les problèmes d'intolérance au lactose, les problèmes d'hypercholestérolémie et selon les habitudes ou préférences personnelles. La durée de conservation de ces produits probiotiques doit préserver leur viabilité à plus de 106 – 108 UFC/portion. À cet effet, le séchage par atomisation d'un jus de framboise et de probiotiques a été étudié. Un mélange de probiotiques (Lactobacillus acidophilus NRRL B-4495 et Lactobacillus rhamnosus NRRL B-442) a été choisi afin de produire une haute viabilité et un aliment santé. La maltodextrine a été choisie comme matière d'enrobage …  Lire la suite

RATIONNEL: La ventilation mécanique non-invasive (VMNI) est utilisée comme thérapie complémentaire à la réadaptation pulmonaire. Toutefois, son effet sur la capacité maximale d'exercice n'est pas entièrement compris. En effet, l'impact de la VMNI fourni lors de l'exercice en utilisant un niveau de support ventilatoire ajusté au confort, plutôt qu'un niveau fixe demeure inconnu. L'objectif de la présente étude est d'évaluer l'effet d'un niveau de ventilation de pression de support (VPS) fixe et optimisé individuellement durant un exercice de capacité maximal avec symptômes limités sur bicyclette, le profile respiratoire, les volumes pulmonaires en fin d'expiration, les paramètres métaboliques, les symptômes limitant …  Lire la suite

De nombreux patients admis dans l'unité de soins intensifs voient leur niveau de mobilité diminuer, ce qui peut avoir des effets physiologiques préjudiciables sur plusieurs systèmes corporels. La mobilisation précoce est une intervention qui réduit le niveau d'immobilité pendant une maladie grave. Il a été prouvé que la mobilisation précoce est associée à plus de jours sans ventilateur, des soins intensifs de courte durée ainsi que la durée d'hospitalisation, l'amélioration de l'état fonctionnel et une meilleure qualité de vie après la sortie de l'hôpital. Cependant, la mise en œuvre de la mobilisation précoce n'est pas sans défis. L'objectif global de …  Lire la suite

Ion exchange resin membranes, because of their special electrochemical properties, have been applied to a number of separation processes based on the principles of electrodialysis. In general, transport of constituents through membranes may occur as a result of a number of elementary transfer processes. The prediction of the transfer rate of constituents in this system, where several transport processes occur simultaneously, is of fundamental interest. In the description of the overall transfer process the contribution from each elementary transport process has been considered. The overall transfer rate of components has been represented by the algebraic sum of the rate expressions …  Lire la suite

A standard methodology was developed for performing avoidance-preference tests, using Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) as the test organism. Experiments were conducted in a hydraulic channel, 9.15 m long by 0.30 m wide, partly divided along its length, and at a flow depth of 0.30 m. The design combined steep and shallow gradient characteristics. The toxicants investigated included Cu(II), Cr(III) and Cr(VI). The lowest avoidance threshold values were established at 2.1 $ mu$g/l for Cu(II) and 0.0026 mg/l and 0.026 mg/l for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) respectively while avoidance reactions increased with levels of toxicant in the channel. Similar experiments were performed …  Lire la suite

This thesis is concerned with the study of pollutant effluents discharged from a side channel into rivers or coastal cross currents. Experiments were carried out to study the reattachment of the jet effluent and the entrapment of pollutant in the recirculating eddy immediately downstream of the discharge channel. The flow was simulated in the laboratory by discharging dyed water from a side channel perpendicularly into an open channel crossflow. Geometric characteristics of the reattachment eddy were obtained from flow visualization. The transient variation of dye concentration in the eddy was determined from a series of light absorption probes, which were …  Lire la suite

This thesis explores how musical recordings circulate within various sites of metacultural analysis, such as print music publications, music blogs, community-based campus radio music programmes and music podcasts. Drawing on theories about cultural production, the circulation of cultural objects, and metaculture (circulation of ideas about cultural objects, rather than the objects themselves), the author traces how an independent record label discursively positions musical recordings for movement towards and within these meaning-making spheres. Print music publications and music blogs facilitate recognition and consecration of recordings in different capacities, particularly in relation to music publicity. Community-based campus (c/c) radio and music podcasts …  Lire la suite

"No (person) is an island" (Donne J, 1975, p. 87). The importance of social support in the lives of human beings is evident and for immigrant adolescents the role of social networks is important to facilitate their adjustment within the majority culture and to navigate their identity within spaces of belonging. This study aims to describe how Filipino immigrant adolescents in Cote-des-Neiges, a district in Montreal, organize social support and how this relates to their mental health. This research is a mixed design with a sequential strategy. Firstly, data about social support from an epidemiological survey of Filipino youth are …  Lire la suite

The controversy regarding the cell of origin of white adipose tissue fat cells has not been resolved. It has not as yet been established whether a fat cell represents a modified connective tissue fibroblast which has accumulated lipid (44, 35) or is derived from a specialized perivascular reticular mesenchymal cell (174). The fat cell has been classically described as having a signet ring appearance on histological section due to the peripherally displaced flattened nucleus and the large central vacuole representing the space occupied by fat. A very thin attenuated ring of cytoplasm exists but is not readily apparent by light …  Lire la suite

It is believed that by knowing user characteristics during the pre-design stage, the architect can better satisfy the economic requirements and spatial preferences of the user. The author's goal in this study is to demonstrate the validity of four variables in providing information about prospective home buyers in a particular site in order to define their housing needs during the programming stage. Past studies suggested four variables from which basic design guidelines could eventually be extracted: socio-demographic characteristics, type of household/life cycle stage, economic characteristics and mobility. The validity of these variables were tested by the author in four case …  Lire la suite

Jules-Henri Poincare (1854-1912) is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest scientific minds of the nineteenth century. The development of his genius from childhood precociousness was unusually smooth. By the end of his life he had been accorded virtually every international honour in the field of science.  Lire la suite

Over the years, the richness of human computer interaction has greatly evolved. As a result, it is now possible to command a computer, phone, or watch using natural language. Recently, the idea of having a text-based conversation with a machine became more feasible. This is in particular due to modern developments in Deep Learning, a quickly growing area of research in the field of Artificial Intelligence that has achieved impressive results in various applications such as conversational intelligence.Current dialog systems are able to understand our queries and do simple tasks such as listing the news, obtaining the weather or playing …  Lire la suite

Sushama, Laxmi (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Dans leur interface utilisateur, la plupart des logiciels de production musicale pour écrans tactiles multipoints emploient des métaphores issues des studios de musique professionnels dans leur interface utilisateur (châssis à effets de guitare, tourne-disques, potentiomètres rectilignes, clavier), ou utilisent un doigt qui joue le rôle de souris. Cela nous a amenés à constater que ces logiciels gagneraient à inclure des éléments innovateurs au niveau de l'interface utilisateur et à employer des métaphores inexplorées dans un contexte de contrôle de morceaux de musique pré-enregistrée. Nous partons de l'hypothèse que la conception de logiciel assistée par l'intégration conceptuelle (blending) permettra le développement …  Lire la suite

RésuméPendant le sommeil, l'activité neuronale spontanée dans le système de navigation spatiale récapitule les expériences vécues pendant l'éveil, et ce phénomène est essentiel pour l'apprentissage et la mémoire. En particulier, dans l'hippocampe, les ensembles de cellules de lieu CA1 sont rejoués spontanément en séquences correspondant aux trajectoires de l'animal dans des environnements préalablement visités. En parallèle, les cellules de direction de la tête (HD) du noyau antérodorsal du thalamus (ADn), qui s'activent pour une direction spécifique de la tête de l’animal, restent coordonnées pendant le sommeil. Les cellules de lieu CA1 et les cellules HD de l’ADn sont toutes deux …  Lire la suite

Lymphomas are among the most common cancers in Canada, with a relatively highsurvival rate due to treatment, specifically chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy can causevarious side effects that can affect a patient’s quality of life. These side effects, which includechanges in body composition, reduced physical functioning, cancer-related fatigue, depression,anxiety, and insomnia, may be improved through physical activity. To date, no interventionaiming to increase physical activity using objective monitoring among individuals withlymphoma during the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted, neglecting the potentiallydeleterious effects of quarantine and sedentary behavior in lymphoma patients. This is clinicallymeaningful, as improving adherence to physical activity is crucial in …  Lire la suite