McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par A

Améliorer l'approvisionnement en eau pour les agriculteurs de façon durable, par exemple à travers des systèmes d'irrigation, est une stratégie clé pour l'adaptation au changement climatique et le développement agricole. Étant donné que des sécheresses plus fréquentes affecteront de plus en plus les agriculteurs dans des pays comme la Tanzanie, ces derniers doivent coopérer pour assurer le fonctionnement de leur système d'irrigation. Cependant, il n'est pas certain que le risque de sécheresse induise une hausse de la coopération ou, au contraire, une hausse de la défection. Des recherches précédentes montrent que les préférences face au risque et les préférences sociales …  Lire la suite

In order to further assess lipid-carbohydrate interactions in familial hyperlipoproteinemia, the acute and chronic effects of glucagon (3 mg i.m.) on plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids and glucose were studied in 24 hospitalized patients with primary hyperlipoproteinemia. Glucagon given over 10 days lowered plasma total cholesterol significantly in types III, V, lIa and lIb but neither in II homozygous nor in IV, as compared with the control period (5 days). Glucagon lowered plasma triglycerides significantly in types III and V but produced only a transient fall followed by a progressive rise in type lIa, lIb and IV. A …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines the character of the unhappy bride in three French novels of the 19th century: Le Lys dans la vallee (1836) by Honore de Balzac, Madame Bovary (1857) by Gustave Flaubert and L'Assommoir (1877) by Emile Zola. It compares the heroines' tragic destinies based on the following points: childhood; education; marriage; the philosophy of love and psychology; and escapism and death. We are shown that it is education that leads to the philosophy of love, which is filled with ideas of platonic love, and that unhappy marriages involve compensation. Research by psychoanalyst Karen Horney is applied to the …  Lire la suite

This work addresses the automatic construction of geometric models of real scenes, from multi-view three-dimensional sensor data. We review range data acquisition, multi-view integration, and solid modeling. We show that knowledge about the data acquisition procedure yields not only the coordinates of the acquired points, but also additional geometrical information. We use that information to draw a geodesic proximity graph with respect to the surface the data points lie on. Such a graph is useful because it provides the connectivity information necessary for subsequent differential-geometric processing, and three-dimensional surface modeling. We say that the graph is a least-commitment boundary representation, …  Lire la suite

Comme pour la plupart des glaciers alpins, les glaciers de la Cordillère Blanche sont en déclin. Pour comprendre les impacts du retrait glaciaires sur l'hydrologie des vallées en aval, il est d'importance de premièrement comprendre les processus qui dirige la fonte glaciaire dans les hautes vallées alpines. Due en partie à leur location éloignée et leur accès difficile, obtenir des données in situ, pour la superficie complète des glaciers, est particulièrement difficile. De nouvelles méthodes et techniques sont nécessaires pour correctement rechercher les contrôles du bilan énergétique et la fonte de ces glaciers. Une nouvelle technique pour étudier les processus …  Lire la suite

Cette étude exploratoire visait à examiner le recours disponible aux locataires montréalais vivant des problèmes de logement touchant leur santé et /ou leur sécurité. Les forces et les faiblesses de la Régie du logement du Québec ainsi que du Service d'inspection de la Ville de Montréal (arrondissements) ont été explorées par le biais d'entrevues avec des acteurs–clé ainsi qu'une analyse brève de statistiques. Les résultats suggèrent que, malgré certaines forces et bien qu'un résultat positif soit possible à la Régie du logement (surtout avec la représentation par avocat-e), il existe un écart important entre les droits accordés aux locataires en …  Lire la suite

The Finite Element and Finite Difference methods are both widely used in estimating magnetic field solutions. Both methods are based on refining an initial estimate oft a solution using an iterative process; unfortunately, this rarely contains knowledge of the most likely correct solution, which has the potential of reducing the iteration time. Feed-forward neural networks may provide the bridge to provide the initial estimate. This thesis reviews the basic framework of feed-forward neural networks, specifically Multi-Layered Perceptron (MLP) networks and Basis Function networks, which are, in turn, subdivided into Radial Basis Function (RBF) networks and Wavelet Basis Function (WBF) networks. …  Lire la suite

The multimedia computer is a relatively new product that is capable of presenting information through a variety of media such as text, animation, video & sound. Commercial developers, researchers and other multimedia advocates have been making claims about the potential for multimedia in promoting learning and, consequently, its beneficial uses as a learning tool within the classroom. This study investigates the conditions under which the organization and coordination of multimedia sources promotes the acquisition of knowledge. Based upon a review of the literature, five hypotheses are generated with respect to the development of instructional software as an effective learning tool. …  Lire la suite

Many climate models predict future rapid sea ice declines in the Arctic. These events are linked with anomalous northward Ocean Heat Transport (OHT). Using the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESM-LE), we find that the partitioning of the poleward OHT between the different gates of the Arctic (Barents Sea Opening (BSO), Fram Strait or Bering Strait) is key to this link with the rapid declines. In total, 64 of the 79 rapid declines in CESM-LE are linked with anomalous OHT. The interaction between OHT and sea ice happens mainly over continental shelves. The Bering Strait OHT is linked to …  Lire la suite

The Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, has been reported in the southern part of the province of Quebec since the summer of 1943. This insect is known to be a serious pest of beans in the eastern United States and damage to the bean crop amounts to many hundred thousand dollars annually. In the province of Quebec, it is now present only in restricted areas along the international border and damage to the bean crop has already begun. The insect will very likely extend its distribution northward and its importance as a destructive pest of beans will grow accordingly. …  Lire la suite

Background: Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) from the food system are projected to exceed global scientific targets for climate change. However, the impact of animal and plant protein foods on a combination of nutrition, health, and climate outcomes in the context of Canadian self-selected diets is not known. The objectives of this dissertation were four-fold: 1) to assess usual protein intake, inadequacy, and the contribution of animal and plant-based sources to nutrient intakes in Canadian diets; 2) to quantify the carbon footprint of Canadian diets and to compare intake of food groups, nutrients, and diet quality between low- and high-GHGE diets; …  Lire la suite

En tant qu'aliment de base et source compact de nutriments, le lait et substituts contribuent à l'adéquation nutritionnelle. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de quantifier la consommation de lait et substituts dans les régimes alimentaires des Canadiens et de déterminer leurs apports en nutriments et en énergie. Les rappels alimentaires de 24 heures de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes – Nutrition de 2015 ont été utilisés pour évaluer les apports alimentaires et nutritionnels au cours d’une journée des adultes canadiens ≥ 19 ans (n = 13 616). Les aliments ont été considérés lait et substituts selon …  Lire la suite

The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) implicates several pathogenic processes, but their relative importance remains a highly debated issue. The purposes of the present studies were (1) to evaluate the implication of the over expression, in transgenic mice, of a mutated form of the amyloid precursor protein (V717FhAPP), or of the cytokine Transforming Growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), on cerebral and hippocampal innervation, and (2) to determine if TGF-beta1 can affect vasomotor responses of cerebral blood vessels. While the mice over-expressing TGF-beta1 did not show cholinergic denervation, the mice over-expressing V717FhAPP showed selective cholinergic deficits in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. …  Lire la suite

Lamarre, Thomas (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

L’essoufflement est un symptôme invalidant chez les personnes atteintes de maladies pulmonaires chroniques comme la MPOC et la MPI, souvent persistant malgré un traitement pharmacologique optimal. Il limite la pratique de l’exercice, réduit l’efficacité de la réadaptation pulmonaire et dégrade la qualité de vie. Le modèle neurophysiologique postule que le découplage entre la commande respiratoire centrale et la réponse mécanique du système respiratoire cause ce symptôme, faisant du système nerveux central une cible thérapeutique potentielle. La thérapie par ventilateur dirigé vers le visage (F2F), intervention simple, peu coûteuse et non pharmacologique, consiste à souffler un flux d’air frais sur le …  Lire la suite

The increasing use of composite materials, namely carbon–fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites, in commercial and military aerospace applications has led to new challenges, amongst which is developing robust composite repair methodologies. Bonded repairs are one of the methods employed by service depots to restore the original strength and stiffness of a composite component. In-service bonded repairs are accomplished by co-bonding a repair patch and adhesive layer onto the damaged structure and curing it by means of a heating blanket. However, composite parts absorb moisture over time as the aircraft is exposed to periods of high temperature and humidity, the effects …  Lire la suite

As water depth increased, fourth instar larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti required progressively more time to reach the pupal stage, more individuals died or were disabled and the resulting adults were significantly smaller. Water depth affected females more severely than males and the developmental time of larvae was affected more than adult mass. Time spent by fourth instar female larvae in the feeding zone during the first five hours predicted the time to subsequent pupation. Thereafter, mean feeding time was a determining factor of subsequent adult mass. With increasing water depth, both the prepupal resting period and mean time …  Lire la suite

Schreiner, John (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation times of protons on polymers, T$ sb{ rm 1p}$ and T$ sb{ rm 2p}$, respectively, have been used to probe the absorbed dose of irradiated polymer solutions in which radiation-induced changes in polymer molecular weight, M$ sb{ rm n}$, occur. The M$ sb{ rm n}$ dependencies of T$ sb{ rm 1p}$ and T$ sb{ rm 2p}$, and of the water proton T$ sb{ rm 1w}$ for solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in D$ sb2$O and H$ sb2$O are presented. T$ sb{ rm 1p}$ and T$ sb{ rm 1w}$ are independent of M$ sb{ rm n},$ …  Lire la suite

This study was undertaken to characterize the oxygen consumption and heart rate responses of subjects during laboratory simulated aerobic dance circuit training sessions. Sixteen female subjects performed six randomly assigned 30-minute aerobic dance circuit training protocols. Oxygen consumption and heart rate responses were monitored in response to changes in three independent variables which were: interval duration, leg involvement and fitness level. Results revealed that the different interval durations generated significantly different oxygen costs. Also, it was found that in relative terms (% of max VO$ sb2$), the low fitness group (max VO$ sb2 $ 45 ml/kg.min). Furthermore, it was found …  Lire la suite

With the institution of the Moroccan Protectorate by the French in 1912, the military command had as its primary intention that of restoring law and order. Under the strong personality of the "resident general", Lyautey, a new era of "soft" political colonization was introduced in Morocco; brutish military conquests were followed by a certain cooptation process of the Moroccan elite. This association policy allowed the perception of real cooperation between the French and the Moroccans but was actually aimed at the tight regulation of the population. The efficiency of this regulation was achieved through its technocratic approach; it showed respect …  Lire la suite

Sakata, Jon (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Lavoie-Tremblay, Melanie (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Ce mémoire essaie de retracer l'histoire intellectuelle de la période Tokugawa (1603-1868) en examinant les intellectuels influents de cette période et intègre les interprétations prévalentes des experts modernes. Le but de cette enquête est de comparer et contraster les différents points de vue sur l'histoire et le concept de l'archaïsme, et de voir comment les langues et les textes classiques ont influencé les intellectuels de la période Tokugawa à percevoir l'archaïsme et comprendre pourquoi ces intellectuels ont idéalisé la période ancienne.  Lire la suite

Lorsqu'une personne se tient entre un projecteur et une surface d'affichage une ombre apparaît. Nous démontrons une méthode pour éliminer les ombres en utilisant la poursuite d'objets par caméras et un modèle tridimensionnel d'une pièce, qui inclut les caméras, les projecteurs et les surfaces plates. Pour la poursuite de personnes, quoique nous utilisons des caméras, d'autres méthodes fonctionneraient. Pour obtenir le modèle, nous avons adapté et utilisons des méthodes de calibration géométrique existantes. Avec l'information sur la poursuite et le modèle, notre algorithme trouve dans l'image d'un projecteur la région qui est occluse par une personne. Un autre projecteur peut …  Lire la suite

Siddiqi, Kaleem (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

L'amygdale, située dans le lobe mésiotemporal, joue un rôle crucial dans les fonctions émotionnelles et sensorielles. Les expériences de neuroimagerie traditionnelles considèrent souvent cette structure comme une entité unique et homogène, mais des preuves abondantes histologiques montrent une hétérogénéité sous-régionale en termes de microstructure et d’ organisation fonctionnelle. Cette étude a exploré le couplage structure-fonction au sein de l'amygdale humaine, en combinant des données histologiques post mortem et des IRM in vivo à très haute résolution. Au cœur de notre recherche se trouve une approche innovante de neuroinformatique utilisant l'analyse de texture multiscalaire et des techniques de réduction dimensionnelle non …  Lire la suite

The theory of affine connections is, roughly speaking, a generalization of certain concepts of parallelism and differentiation defined in plane differential geometry, to the differential geometry of surfaces, and, more generally, to the geometry of differentiable manifolds. It is the purpose of this essay to relate the various stages of this generalization, and to present the essentials of the classical theory of affine connections on a differentiable manifold. [...]  Lire la suite

This project examines contemporary capitalism’s relationship to abundance and uncertainty, via the political economy of electrical infrastructure. Echoing Bataille’s notion of solar economy, in which the primary problem is not scarcity but managing excess, I orient around a case of relative wealth and literal solar energy abundance: California’s electricity grid, especially from the 1990s to the present. Whereas much recent attention to infrastructure has focused on moments of breakdown, I develop the conceptual terrain surrounding positive investments in infrastructural mediation of the human-earth metabolism. In attempting to smooth over the uncertainty and intermittency introduced by renewable energy, electrical infrastructures work …  Lire la suite

La dépression peut se manifester à tout moment au cours de la vie d'un individu. Toutefois, l'adolescence est une période où le risque d'un épisode initial est plus élevé. Puisque la dépression chez l'adolescent est un prédicteur important de la récurrence chez l'adulte, des études examinant différents modèles étiologiques de la dépression durant l'adolescence ont émergé afin de (a) comprendre le développement initial de la dépression et (b) réduire les taux de récurrence durant la période adulte. Jusqu'à présent, les études portant sur la dépression chez les adolescents ont généralement utilisé un devis transversal ou à deux temps de mesure. …  Lire la suite

This thesis is grounded in philosophy and in literature. It is concerned with the recognized human need for self-affirmation and with the consequences of its denial caused by exile. For the victim this means the loss of social interaction and public moral agency within his natural community through which self-affirmation can be actualized. In certain types of exilic literature constructive reactions were found to counteract this loss of freedom of choice of action and place, which entails potential annihilation of the exile's personal integrity. In the exilic text of Dante as my chosen case study, I investigate the use of …  Lire la suite

La formation en gestion de la douleur dans les programmes de physiothérapie (PT) demeure très variable, avec des incohérences dans le contenu, les stratégies pédagogiques et les méthodes d’évaluation. Malgré le rôle essentiel des physiothérapeutes (PTs) en gestion de la douleur, peu de directives existent sur la manière d’intégrer ce contenu dans les cursus d’entrée à la profession de façon cohérente, fondée sur les données probantes et adaptée aux contextes. Il en résulte des écarts dans la préparation des étudiants, une faible utilisation de stratégies efficaces et un manque de confiance chez les nouveaux diplômés. Une réponse coordonnée et appuyée …  Lire la suite

Les relations interpersonnelles occupent une place importante au cœur de nos vies. Cependant, maintenir des relations significatives, satisfaisantes et durables peut s'avérer un réel défi. En effet, nous devons souvent affronter des situations difficiles et faire des sacrifices afin de les maintenir. Or, certaines personnes perçoivent leur relation comme une partie importante de qui elles sont. Cette représentation constitue une force motivationnelle importante qui favorise l'engagement de ces individus envers la relation en situation d'adversité. Malgré son importance, les raisons pour lesquelles les individus viennent à développer un fort sentiment d'identification à l'endroit d'une relation demeurent largement méconnues. Plusieurs théories …  Lire la suite

The work describes the results obtained following the development and testing of a new device used to measure ventilation efficiency for indoor air quality (IAQ) in office buildings. The method uses concentration data obtained by the repeated injection of CO$ sb2$, used as a tracer gas simulating human respiration. The device measures the efficiency of the ventilation in reducing and evacuating pollutants. Ventilation efficiency was measured in a test chamber and was demonstrated in an office building. The method was tested to determine if it responded well to the effect of air flows, air velocities, air temperatures, number of diffusers …  Lire la suite

On pense que la schizophrénie, un trouble psychiatrique grave avec les symptômes qui apparaissent au début de l'âge adulte, résultent de perturbations dans le cours normal du développement neurologique. Un des résultats plus reproductibles en ce qui concerne la schizophrénie est changements dans la fonction du système dopaminergique mesocorticolimbic. À ce titre, fonction perturbée des protéines qui organisent le développement de ce système pourrait être un facteur sous-jacent de l'étiologie de ce trouble. Travaux du laboratoire du Dr Flores ont montré que le récepteur de la nétrine-1, supprimé dans le cancer colorectal (DCC), est fortement exprimé dans les neurones dopaminergique …  Lire la suite

In order to identify plant genes involved in the Rhizobium/legume root nodule symbiosis, host gene expression during soybean nodule development was studied. The hybridization of complementary DNA (cDNA) probes with homologous and heterologous polyadenylated polysomal RNAs showed that most of the 20,000-25,000 RNA sequences expressed were common to uninfected root and nodule tissues. There was a marked increase in the relative concentration of leghaemoglobin and moderately abundant nodule sequences following infection by Rhizobium. A nodule-specific cDNA probe (NS-cDNA), prepared by eliminating common root sequences by cascade hydroxylapatite chromatography, was used to characterize a small population of nodule-specific sequences. Hybridization of …  Lire la suite

The incremental-pragmatic world-view offers an approach to political development in the Third World. The analytical orientation of the approach is determined by an underlying value-system. An empirical investigation of India historically and sociologically contradicts the theoretical analysis of this approach. The latter is apparently unable to produce a meaningful understanding of Indian socio-political forces because underlying values distort empirical evidence. The contemporary Indian liberal-democratic political system represents the practical application of the theoretical analysis. For related and similar reasons the practical dimension of the incremental pragmatic approach is evidently unsuccessful. The revolutionary-dialectic approach offers a theoretical analysis that more accurately …  Lire la suite

Bounding contours of physical objects are often fragmented by other occluding objects. This creates the need for perceptual grouping, or the association of those fragments corresponding to the same object. Perceptual grouping is currently a bottleneck to computer vision, since previous approaches either were heuristic, assumed the object belonged to restricted classes in order to exploit geometric invariants, or hypothesized boundary continuations. I introduce an alternative by invoking the principle that those fragments should be grouped whose fragmentation can be accounted for by a virtual occluder, and introduce the gap skeleton as a representation of this occluder. Properties of gap …  Lire la suite

Children with poor social adjustment are at risk for a number of maladaptive outcomes in adolescence and adulthood, such as psychopathology, conduct problems, and substance abuse. Social information processing (SIP) theory consists of six distinct but interrelated steps through which individuals process and respond to incoming social information. The ability of individuals to accurately process social information at all six steps has been used to predict aspects of social adjustment such as aggression and social skills. Similarly, the ability of individuals to accurately process and recognize facial expressions of emotion has also been used to predict social adjustment. However, despite …  Lire la suite

Microcomputer technology and the provision of alternative data entry devices offers numerous opportunities for physically disabled individuals to integrate into work and school settings. For therapists specializing in adapted access one of the main challenges involves prescribing and customizing suitable input devices since objective procedures to facilitate this process are lacking. The two papers presented in this thesis aimed to respond to this limitation. In the first paper the adapted access process was viewed within the context of a human factors model. A critical review of the literature relating specific human factors criteria (e.g. digit loading) to ergonomic solutions (e.g. …  Lire la suite