McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par F

Gauge theories and their BRST invariance are reviewed. Gauge-invariant (color) subamplitudes for non-Abelian gauge theories are discussed. BRST transformations of non-Abelian vertices are derived, and are used to obtain the gauge transformation of any Feynman diagram. From this minimal set of gauge-invariant subamplitudes in perturbation theory can be found. This knowledge is useful in the application of the spinor helicity technique, and is indispensible for future developments of non-Abelian perturbation theories.  Lire la suite

Les composés organophosphorés ont démontré leur potentiel à la fois pour ajuster les réactions chimiques et affecter les activités biologiques (certains présentent une neurotoxicité aiguë, souvent en inhibant l'acétylcholinestérase). Les composés α-aminophosphorés, y compris les acides α-amino phosphoniques et les phosphines, ont été largement utilisés dans la découverte de nouveaux ingrédients pharmaceutiques actifs et la synthèse stéréosélective de composés organiques. Les synthèses de composés contenant un centre phosphore racémique sont explorées depuis de nombreuses décennies. En revanche, les molécules avec un centre phosphore chiral (P-stéréogénique), et dans une moindre mesure, les molécules avec un carbone chiral en Cα par rapport …  Lire la suite

The modularity of elliptic curves is a concept which percolates through much of modern number theory. Simply put, an elliptic curve is said to be modular if there exists a transfer of its number theoretic data, through sufficiently nice channels, to other rich but disparate objects such as modular forms and automorphic representations. In this way, problems of number theoretic interest make themselves open to be tackled using a wide array of tools from algebra and analysis. A famous application of the modularity of elliptic curves over the rational numbers is the resolution by Andrew Wiles in 1994 of Fermat's …  Lire la suite

Recherche approfondie indique que l'hormone de la grossesse et de la lactation prolactine (PRL) et sa voie de signalisation en aval Jak2/Stat5a sont nécessaires à la croissance et à la morphogenèse lobulo-alvéolaire de la glande mammaire ainsi qu'à la différentiation finale des cellules épithéliales mammaires. Le rôle de la PRL dans le développement et la progression du cancer du sein n'est pas encore parfaitement connu. Bien que certaines études indiquent que la PRL pourrait améliorer la viabilité des cellules du cancer du sein, cet effet ne pourrait suffisamment décrire le rôle de la PRL dans la carcinogenèse du sein. De …  Lire la suite

Coherent X-ray diffraction and X-ray Intensity Fluctuation Spectroscopy (XIFS) are ideal methods and techniques to perform measurements on the dynamics of fluctuations in condensed matter materials. To investigate more systems and faster fluctuations by being able to tune the coherence length, we use a zone plate to change the coherence length and beam size but keep most of the intensity. Using the zone plate, experiments were carried out to measure the properties of the focused beam. We applied a formalism to calculate the effect of optics on coherence. We tested our results by doing measurement at Advanced Photon Source. We …  Lire la suite

Avec l’augmentation de la demande mondiale pour les produits de volaille, des stratégies efficaces de biocontrôle contre les pathogènes bactériens sont nécessaires pour garantir une production de poulet durable. Les méthodes traditionnelles de gestion des infections, largement basées sur l’utilisation d’antibiotiques, sont progressivement abandonnées en raison de la prolifération rapide de la résistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM). Des alternatives aux antibiotiques, ainsi qu’une meilleure compréhension des troupeaux avicoles en bonne santé, sont essentielles. Les probiotiques représentent une alternative prometteuse pour la prévention des infections, mais la plupart des probiotiques utilisés en aviculture sont composés de bactéries lactiques (BL) et les recherches …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this thesis is to report a theoretical investigation on the current-current correlation and noise in the tmnsient quantum transport regime. In particular, we calculate current correlations when the bias voltage of a LDL quantum device is suddenly turned off. Namely, we consider the situation that when time t < 0 the device is in a steady-state under bias Vb, when t > 0 the bias is turned off to zero. Under such a bias, the transport current l goes from a finite steady-state value 10 at t < 0 to zero at large times. When electronic structure …  Lire la suite

Dans cette thèse, je présente le développement et lesapplications d'un outil de calcul symbolique connu sous le nom de "SymGF" (Symbolic Green's Functions) qui permet d'obtenir des expressionsanalytiques pour le transport quantique et les fonctions de Green de Keldyshpour les systèmes hors équilibre (FGHE). Le transport quantiquesurvient dans les systèmes ouverts constitués d'une régiondiffusante\ couplée à des électrodes externes. Lorsque lesinteractions électrons-électrons sont importantes dans cette région, la dérivation analytique des fonctions de Green peut devenirfastidieuse et propice aux erreurs. Par contre, à l'aide d'un ordinateurpersonnel, la méthode SymGF permet d'obtenir rapidement les formulesanalytiques nécessaires, en utilisant les équations du …  Lire la suite

La confirmation de Robert Bork a été le point de départ d’une contre-révolution conservatrice dans le système judiciaire fédéral et ses progrès négligés ont des conséquences dévastatrices pour les Américains et les tribunaux aux États-Unis. Ma thèse tente de contextualiser le processus de confirmation de Bork dans le climat politique plus large et dans la contre-révolution conservatrice. De plus, ma thèse examine les ramifications en cascade de l’échec de l’administration Reagan sur le processus global de confirmation ainsi que sur la Cour suprême dans son ensemble. Il démontre le ton changeant des décisions de la Cour suprême et examine des …  Lire la suite

Multiple studies have found that refugees significantly underutilize mental health services. Yet, little is known about how refugees who live in contexts of protracted displacement cope with and recover from violence, trauma and chronic stress. The unique experiences of refugees living in Israel, particularly those fleeing the violence of Eritrea, are even less understood. This thesis sought to explore Eritrean refugees' distinctive explanatory models of mental health — their own ideas or theories of what may have caused their predicament, the consequences of their psychological distress, and the type of care they believed they needed to recover. In-depth interviews were …  Lire la suite

The use of a direct method for measuring respiration and transpiration rates may lead to better storage control systems and closer observation of storage losses. A laboratory scale environmental chamber was constructed and provided with a fan and adjustable louver to obtain variable ventilation flow rates. Flow rates were determined using a pressure sensor and fan characteristic curves which were determined experimentally. A regression equation representing the flow rate versus pressure relation was derived and used for estimating the flow rates throughout the study. Respiration and transpiration were simulated using precision heat sources ranging from 15 to 105W in 15W …  Lire la suite

This study investigates respiration rate of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) under real and experimental storage conditions. Real storage conditions were obtained by building a small-scale storage facility equipped with two independent storage bins including all controls. Each bin was filled with 2.5 metric tons of potatoes and these were stored for five months. Temperature, relative humidity, air flowrate and other operational parameters were collected. Also, mass loss and CO2 analyses were performed. A heat and moisture balance was applied to quantify heat and moisture rates produced by potatoes and were converted to respiration rates as CO 2 produced (ml.kg-1.h-1). Evaporation …  Lire la suite

La violence pour laquelle Jusepe de Ribera est connue est sans doute la plus palpable dans son tableau de 1644, le Martyre de Saint-Barthélemy. Cette scène, dans laquelle Barthélemy est écorché vif, acquiert un niveau de violence additionnel grâce à l'utilisation hyperréaliste de la peinture qui ressemble à de la chair. Bien que les historiens de l'art aient examiné cet effet unique et exploré les conséquences de la relation étroite entre la matérialité et le sujet, cette thèse porte son attention sur le rôle du toucher et de la tactilité, une question qui a grandement été négligée jusqu’à présent. Je …  Lire la suite

An article by captain J.A. Newton (1) recently reproduced in the Monthly Bulletin of the ICAO, has set the air navigation authorities, both in Canada and the United States, thinking with respect to the nature and extent of the so-called doctrine or principle generally designated as Res Ipsa Loquitur.  Lire la suite

This thesis is designed to examine the effects of discrimination on its target. It aims to investigate the psychological, physical, perceptual and behavioral responses that individuals exhibit when faced with racist, sexist and heterosexist as well as other types of discriminatory acts. Through meta-analytic procedures, findings from existing studies investigating the impact of discrimination on the target were gathered and their average effect sizes calculated. A total of 50 empirical studies were identified, from which 84 effect sizes were derived. Using homogeneity analysis techniques, the studies' effect sizes were compared and analyzed. The results show significant heterogeneity in the overall …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in mortality, dialysis method survival, hospital admissions and days of hospitalization, between diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated by continuous ambulatory dialysis (CAPD) and those treated by haemodialysis (HD). All diabetic patients (n = 241) treated for newly diagnosed ESRD in four university teaching hospitals, in Montreal, between 1980 and 1993, were studied (n = 112 began with CAPD, n = 129 with HD). The data regarding these patients were analyzed using actuarial methods and Cox's proportional hazards model, controlling for severity of pre-treatment co-morbid conditions. …  Lire la suite

The effects of socio-economic status, ethnicity, religion and racial contact on white attitudes toward the federal government's role in support of school desegregation were investigated using data from the 1964 and 1968 American Election Studies of the Survey Research Center. Crosstabulation found that, outside the South, farmers, Pietistic and Reform Protestants, those living in states more than 5% black, those living in all white neighborhoods and near all-white high schools were the most opposed to school desegregation. In the South, farmers and those raised on a farm, Fundamentalists, and rural whites were the most opposed. The white IIbacklashll was strongest …  Lire la suite

The increasing importance of thiazole derivatives in biochemical, pharmaceutical and also in technical fields makes it highly desirable to know as much as possible about them. The penicillins, produced by a mold, the first antibiotics to be used in medicine, contain the thiazole ring system. Sulfathiazole, that is p-aminobenzene sulfanilamidothiazole, is still very widely used as an effective bactericide.  Lire la suite

La majorité des migrants moins qualifiés du Bangladesh préfèrent se rendre dans les États du Conseil du Golfe. La pauvreté, la violence sexiste, la hausse du chômage, les troubles politiques et l'absence de sécurité sociale ont incité des milliers de Bangladais à occuper des emplois peu ou semi-qualifiés dans la région du Golfe. Le voyage de l'émigrant est imprévisible et, une fois arrivé dans le pays de destination, il se rend compte que les récompenses offertes par l'agence de recrutement sont loin d'être exactes. Le déni flagrant de la liberté de mouvement, de la liberté d'expression, de la liberté d'association, …  Lire la suite

The St. Lawrence River, a critical navigational and ecological artery in North America, plays a dual role in supporting both the economy, through the transport of goods and tourism, and societal well-being with leisure activities. The escalating issue of ships operating at increasing speeds has sparked concerns about the potential for accidents, environmental harm, and adverse socio-economic consequences for local communities in Quebec and Canada. This thesis examines the perceptions of local communities regarding the impacts of marine traffic, including recreational and commercial vessels, along the St. Lawrence River. The study encompasses a wide range of community perspectives gathered through …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse explore la compréhension de la démocratie tchécoslovaque par Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Edvard Beneš et Václav Havel à travers le prisme de leurs philosophies de l'histoire et du rôle de l'individu dans la société. Dans le premier chapitre, j'examine la promotion par Masaryk et Beneš du mythe tchécoslovaque, de la philosophie politique et de la diplomatie afin de mettre en lumière ce qui a façonné leur vision de la démocratie tchécoslovaque. Je soutiens que la conception de la moralité de Beneš était intrinsèquement humaniste et qu'elle a directement influencé son rôle de président tchécoslovaque. Deuxièmement, je soutiens que sa …  Lire la suite

The interest in the problem of the French Canadian habitant who, upon entering industry, comes into conflict with a system of principles and practices so entirely different from his own, was derived from the experience gained through working in the Medical Department of Canadian Industries Limited and of its wartime subsidiary, Defence Industries Limited, where the writer was employed during the course of this study. [...]  Lire la suite

Ce projet visait à étudier l'influence du procédé de fabrication sur la capacité d'un matériau composite à résister au délaminage. Les données en mode mixte ont été mesurées pour un composite avec une résine d'époxy et un tissu de carbone d'armure satin à cinq harnais (5HS carbon/epoxy), fabriqué à l'aide du moulage par transfert de résine (RTM). L'effet du pourcentage volumique de fibre sur la ténacité à la rupture, à l'initiation et à la propagation, a également été déterminé. Des pourcentages volumiques de 57% et 66% ont été considérés en Mode I (tension interlaminaire), en Mode II (cisaillement interlaminaire) et …  Lire la suite

In 1935, when the author entered the Graduate School at McGill, plans for the construction of a cyclotron and the active entry of McGill into the field of nuclear physics, which are only now beginning to take concrete form, were being seriously considered. Conforming with this line of development the author was set the M.Sc. problem of constructing a linear amplifier for the detection of single alpha-particles and protons. After about a year and a half this was completed and the technique of counting alpha-particles had been successfully developed. The cyclotron plans had not progressed; however, the department had obtained …  Lire la suite

In Escherichia coli, FhuA, together with the energy-transducing TonB-ExbB-ExbD complex, mediates the uptake of hydroxamate-type siderophores across the outer membrane. In addition to transporting ferrichrome, FhuA functions as the primary receptor for several bacteriophages, antibiotics, and colicin M. To comprehend how FhuA binds its cognate ligands, and to establish the molecular basis of active transport, the three-dimensional structure must be determined. In pursuit of this goal, an affinity tag was inserted into the fhuA gene at a known surface-exposed location. The recombinant FhuA protein was overexpressed and purified by metal-chelate chromatography. Sparse matrix screening established parameters for the growth of …  Lire la suite

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits that flow from ecosystems to people, contributing to human well-being. The ES concept provides an important framework, or starting place, for quantifying, analyzing, and managing these benefits that flow from ecosystems to humans. Yet the capability to assess provision of these services accurately across large spatial and temporal extents remains limited. Therefore, spatial modelling and regular monitoring approaches of ES are a critical tool for evaluating their state across space and time. Many current ES spatial models rely on representations of land-use and land-cover (LULC), with the assumption that most ecosystem properties within a …  Lire la suite

A most deafening silence is the effect created by the omission of Whiteness from racial discourses. Those within the social work profession, who seek to eradicate racism have for the most part, restricted their analyses to dissecting and defining the racial "Other". This has perhaps unwittingly implied an acceptance of "Whiteness" as an all-powerful, unnamed normality, exempted from the requirement of definition. This examination of White racial identity is an attempt to engage in a discussion of a different sort---exploring racism at its source. Those actively involved in the practice and/or study of Social Work in Montreal (Quebec) were asked …  Lire la suite

As early as 1825, A. Cauchy was able to establish a theorem which, in the course of time, proved to be the foundation of a large number of researches and advances in the theory of complex variables. This theorem, which for some time has borne Cauchy's name, may be stated in its original form as: [...]  Lire la suite

Objective. To examine the impact of wearing a clothing ensemble made of engineered synthetic fabrics (SYN) versus 100% cotton yarn (CTN) on laboratory-based 20-km cycling time trial (20kmCTT) performance of competitive cyclists and triathletes. Hypotheses. We hypothesized that exercise performance would be significantly improved under SYN versus CTN clothing conditions, as evidenced by a decrease in the time needed to complete the 20kmCTT. We further hypothesized that SYN-induced improvements in 20kmCTT performance would be associated with concomitant improvements in detailed thermoregulatory, cardiometabolic, ventilatory and perceptual responses to exercise. Methods. This was a randomized controlled crossover study wherein 15 endurance-trained men …  Lire la suite

The material used in this paper was obtained while carrying out mapping for the Quebec Department of Mines during the summer of 1957. The map area is underlain by gneisses and Labrador "Trough" type rocks. [...]  Lire la suite

Les modifications de la force synaptique induites par la mémoire doivent être activement maintenues afin de persister pendant de longues périodes. Les isoformes de la protéine kinase M (PKM) constitutivement active - les formes tronquées de la protéine kinase C (PKC) - ont été impliquées dans le maintien de modifications à long terme de la force synaptique. Interférer avec l'activité de l'isoforme zêta (ζ) du PKM chez les mammifères par le biais d'une inhibition pharmacologique ou d'une expression négative dominante supprime les mémoires déjà établies. Cependant, la knock-out de PKMζ ne nuit pas à la mémoire. Les preuves suggèrent que …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse explore l'histoire sociale et culturelle relativement inconnu des esclaves et affranchis Africains ainsi que leurs descendants dans la ville d'Izmir. Elle soutient qu'à la fin du XIXe siècle, Izmir avait la deuxième plus forte concentration d'Africains dans la partie nord de l'Empire ottoman (après Istanbul). Ce grand nombre de population africaine était en grande partie due à l'abolition de la traite des esclaves. Importante ville portuaire située sur de nombreuses routes trans-méditerranéennes, Izmir était en effet devenu le site principal où l'Etat ottoman, soutenu par la Grande Bretagne qui fut son partenaire dans ses efforts abolitionistes, a décidé …  Lire la suite

This thesis argues that the development of new transportation and communication networks in and around the Ottoman city of Salonica was largely responsible for its remarkable growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century. The success of these new networks of steamships, telegraphs and railways, hinged upon their ability to overcome the geographical limitations of the region which, as in any pre-industrial society, had made the movement of people and goods both glacially slow and thus costly since time immemorial. The development of these new networks had many serious effects: it served to bring Salonica and the Empire under greater …  Lire la suite

Objectifs: Des niveaux élevés de circulation du facteur de croissance analogue à l'insuline (IGF-I) et des niveaux inférieurs de sa protéine de liaison (IGFBP-3) sont associés à un risque accru de certains cancers épithéliaux, mais leur rôle dans le développement lésions squameuses intraépithéliales cervicales (SIL) demeure incertain. L'association entre les taux circulatoires d'IGF-1 et d'IGFBP-3 et le développement de SIL a été évaluée. Méthodes: Des échantillons de sérum sanguin d'une étude cas-témoins nichée dans une cohorte ont été analysés. Deux sujets du groupe contrôle ont été pairés quand à l'âge et certains facteurs de risque à chaque cas. L'analyse statistique …  Lire la suite

Personal financial records receive limited attention from researchers working in the areas of Personal Information Management, Personal Archiving, and Human-Computer Interaction. Competing definitions and conceptual models of Personal Information do not adequately account for knowledge-production during interactions with personal financial records. This research addresses these gaps by exploring the collections of personal financial data and records of 23 young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 in Montréal and Toronto, Canada. Using guided tours in the homes of participants, research data was collected in the form of audio recordings and photographic examples of financial data, information, knowledge, and wisdom …  Lire la suite

"...music is an art that exists in point of time." Aaron Copland, What to Listen for in Music Few definitions are adequate to describe music, but a "point of time" is a concept with which people are familiar. When musicians give concerts they try to create these points in a context, which allows the audience to observe each moment by itself. Concert practice has developed to define the edges of musical points, guided by cues such as clapping, pauses, and concert program notes. This masters thesis investigates how to analyze concert recordings of Western music and their program notes to …  Lire la suite

This thesis contains two volumes. The first is a written text that describes my compositional techniques in the context of an analysis of my Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. The second volume is the score of this work. Volume one is divided into two parts. Part I describes my compositional techniques and the original contributions of the thesis. These include the incorporation of psychoacoustic models of hearing into the creative process, as implemented by a computer program written by the author. I give detailed descriptions of models for dissonance and pitch commonality, and discuss my use of contour theory. Part …  Lire la suite

Vox Machina, for soprano, chamber ensemble, real-time digital signal processing and digital sounds, deals with the historical relationship between humanity and machines. The text uses excerpts drawn from a variety of sources, all in the public domain, as well as material written especially for the piece by the composer. The instrumental ensemble consists of 8 performers: flute, b-flat clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello, guitar and percussion. A conductor is required, as well as a technician to control a mixing board and the performance of computer-generated sections of music. Digital sounds may be performed directly from computer, or may be played …  Lire la suite

Stereoanalogues of choline (R and S, $ alpha$- or $ beta$-methylcholine), hemicholinium-3 and choline mustard aziridinium ion were used as tools to investigate the structure and function of the high-affinity choline transporter. Three studies are presented. In the first, the methylcholines were used to study the stereoselective properties of the high-affinity choline transporter. The recognition of the methylcholines by the choline carrier was stereoselective, while their transport was stereospecific. This difference was interpreted as indicating that recognition and transport might represent distinct and dissociable components of the choline transporter. In a second study, the methylcholines were used to examine the …  Lire la suite

The expansion of agriculture into the more northerly latitudes brings growers and breeders face to face with the problem of winter hardiness. The economic importance of the subject has given an impetus to investigation along this line and much recent literature has been devoted to it. The problem is not a new one. Greek philosphers were aware of the difference in cold resistance between plants. They reasoned that plants, like animals, develop heat for protection. This idea remained prevalent for such a long time that practically all our knowledge on the subject is comparatively new. [...]  Lire la suite