McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par I

This thesis reports on two studies which examined possible inhibitory deficits in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the children's response to reinforcement contingencies. In the first study, a go/no-go discrimination learning task developed by Newman, Widom, and Nathan (1985) was used to investigate the effects of reward and response costs on the ability of ADHD and normal children to learn to respond to some stimuli and inhibit responding to others. Children were tested on four conditions involving different combinations of rewards and response costs. ADHD children showed poorer inhibitory control compared to control children across the four …  Lire la suite

The ecological impacts of alien species vary over space and time under the influence of abiotic and biotic conditions; consequently, some invasions appear innocuous, whereas others pose significant threats to native biodiversity and food webs. This context dependency impedes a predictive understanding of what causes species to colonize a novel habitat successfully and to have a significant impact – information required for effective prioritization of invasion threats. My research develops and tests two novel hypotheses to explain the context-dependence of impact. I show that the consumptive impact of an invader attenuates as habitat conditions move further from its physiological optimum …  Lire la suite

Single plate shear tab connections are commonly used due to their relatively simple design, ease of fabrication and safe erection on-site. They are fillet welded to a supporting column or girder, and then bolted to a supported beam. Extended shear tabs can either frame into the web, a flexible support, or the flange, a rigid support, of a column. The shear tab connection is assumed to function as a pin in the analysis of the overall structure. However, testing has shown that it must withstand shear and moment associated with the eccentricity applied to the shear tab, relative to the …  Lire la suite

Positioning students as competent learners has been shown to be a crucial approach in fostering student learning in mathematics, and has been especially effective in supporting students who express mathematically incorrect understandings (Gresalfi, Martin, Hand, & Greeno, 2009; Kazemi & Hintz, 2014; Lampert, 2003). Few studies have aimed to support pre-service teachers (PSTs) in learning to notice interactions that can deepen their understanding of positioning students competently (PSC). During this qualitative design-based research study, four pre-service teachers from an eastern Canadian university participated in three one-on-one video analysis sessions where they were asked to watch videos and use a framework …  Lire la suite

A decision feedback (DFB) equalizer is used to correct for the effects of inter-symbol interference in digital communications systems. The order of the DFB filter is reduced to a bare minimum and studied when it is insufficient to equalize the channel, i.e., when the filter does not have enough poles to cancel all the zeroes of the channel. The error surfaces produced by the DFB filter in the symbol-by-symbol, frame-by-frame, and aggregate sense are investigated. A genetic algorithm is then applied to the problem of adapting the DFB filter coefficients. The performance of the genetic algorithm is compared to that …  Lire la suite

Education is the area most conducive to fostering the dispositions that are intrinsic or instrumental to liberal democracy, structuring relations both between citizens and with the state. Indeed, citizenship theory has become increasingly concerned with the normative force attributed to political sociology. Such theories attempt to reconcile individual autonomy with the promotion and flourishing of collective identities, as expressions of popular sovereignty and as legitimating principles for liberal frameworks. The study introduces multinational democracies as a challenge to liberal justificatory frameworks; and as associations that more easily lend themselves to case-specific, historical and contextual analysis. Through the normative lens of …  Lire la suite

A result of high-throughput experimentation is the demand to summarize and profile results in a meaningful and comparative form. Such experimentation often includes the production of a set of distinguished genes. For example, this distinguished set may correspond to a cluster of co-expressed genes over many conditions or a set of genes from a large scale yeast two-hybrid study. Understanding the biological relevance of this set will encompass annotation of the genes followed by investigation of shared properties found among these annotations. While the set of distinguished genes might have hundreds of annotations associated with them, only a portion of …  Lire la suite

Like many other authors of the experimental genre, Pizzuto believed that the conceptual framework imposed upon reality by literary tradition was too restrictive and illusory. In taking up the challenge of reality in a contemporary context which also demanded deference to a sophisticated modern audience, the author presents a composite image of the whole which cannot be captured except in its multiplicity through mimicry, satire, parody, lyricism and elements of the fantastic. Pizzuto's refreshing and unique style may be seen in four major areas: the presentation of reality, the depiction of time, character portrayal and lastly, word technique. The simultaneous …  Lire la suite

A solid-state DE-E telescope beta spectrometer has been built and used to study beta-minus spectra. The system consists of a 15 mm x 500 mm$ sp2$ hyperpure germanium (HPGe) E-detector and a 300 $ mu$m x 200 mm$ sp2$ Si DE-detector with a special "keyhole" design. The response function of the system has been determined experimentally using mono-energetic electron beams with incident energies ranging from 1 to 12 MeV. The beta endpoint energies of 25 nuclei, namely, $ sp{32}$P, $ sp{88}$Rb, $ sp{91-99}$Rb, $ sp{91-96}$Sr, $ sp{99-100}$Sr, $ sp{92-96}$Y and $ sp{100}$Y have been measured. The Q-beta values and mass …  Lire la suite

Ventilation is frequently used in the treatment of cardiogenic and increased permeability pulmonary edema. The effects of ventilation on the computed tomography (CT) density distribution of pulmonary edema are unclear. We hypothesized that ventilation might open up previously collapsed alveoli with consequent reduced lung density, and that some movement of the alveolar edema fluid might also occur from the alveoli to the interstitium. To address this problem, pulmonary edema was induced in 16 supine dogs by airways instillation of a protein solution similar to serum in each lower lung lobe through a double lumen tracheal tube. The dogs were ventilated …  Lire la suite

This thesis reflects on the limits of the frame of communication, adopted by posthumanist thinkers like Bruno Latour and Jane Bennett, for addressing the challenge of a more-than-human politics. It explores how Hannah Arendt’s political thought, brought into dialogue with feminist and artistic meditations on care, can suggest a more productive approach to this question. While taking as its point of departure posthumanism’s intuition that ecology compels us to rethink the political itself, the thesis argues that to bring this promise to full fruition requires taking a deeper look at the human and the political as sites of transformative practice. …  Lire la suite

Introduction: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prevalent neurobehavioural childhood disorder, demonstrate a persistent pattern of inattention and hyperactive and/or impulsive behavior that is more severe than their typically developing peers. The current literature has examined issues of clinical diagnosis and pharmacological management of ADHD. There is a need to better understand the associated functional limitations and participation restrictions in ADHD. Occupational therapists are uniquely suited to address this perspective. Objectives: Grounded in implementation science, the first part of this project aimed to examine the available literature describing occupational therapy (OT) assessment and treatment interventions with children/youth with …  Lire la suite

Introduction: Au Québec, la participation des enfants ayant des besoins éducatifs particuliers dans les écoles ordinaires peut être restreinte. Bien que des services de réadaptation tels que l'ergothérapie soient disponibles dans les écoles inclusives, ils sont souvent limités. La collaboration interprofessionnelle est largement reconnue comme une approche efficace pour la prise de décision partagée et le partenariat afin de soutenir les élèves. Cependant, les enseignants et les ergothérapeutes se heurtent à des obstacles qui les empêchent de travailler ensemble, notamment des divergences d'opinion sur leurs rôles respectifs, une charge de travail importante, une mauvaise communication et un manque de temps. …  Lire la suite

Ayant une structure similaire au nanotube de carbone (CNT), les nanotubes de nitrure de bore (BNNTs) possèdent des propriétés impressionnantes. La capacité semi-conductrice à large bande, la résistance mécanique élevée ainsi que la stabilité thermique et chimique ne sont que certaines des nombreuses propriétés commercialement exploitables des BNNTs. Toutefois, afin de rendre les BNNTs adéquats pour l’exploitation commerciale, ceux-ci requièrent une fonctionnalisation en surface. Malheureusement, les procédés de fonctionnalisation de surface actuels requièrent des techniques chimiques présentant plusieurs désavantages tels que l’impact environnemental associé à l’utilisation de grandes quantités de solvants. Cette étude vise donc le développement d’une méthode de …  Lire la suite

Plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) have been shown to be inhibited by amiloride and its derivatives. Studies have demonstrated that these antagonists act on the transporter by interacting with amino acid residues within certain transmembrane domains (TM4 and 9). Experiments in our laboratory have identified three novel sites involved in inhibitor interactions (PP157--8, E350, and G356). The general focus of this thesis was to study the structure-function relationship of NHE1. One of the aims of this thesis was to assess whether mutations at these novel sites also affected transport kinetics (i.e., Na+ and H+ affinity). The results showed that neither …  Lire la suite

A forced choice reaction time (RT) task was used to examine the relations between covert orienting (shifts in attention independent of eye movement) and filtering (the inhibition of processing of irrelevant stimuli) components of attention in persons with autism (n = 12) and developmentally disabled persons without autism (n = 20). Conditions varied with regard to the validity of the cue (related to covert orienting) and presence of distractors (related to filtering). ?'he RT/p(correct) scores of both groups were longer in the distractor-present conditions and in conditions when a cue provided incorrect information regarding the location of the subsequent target …  Lire la suite

This study focused on specific conceptual, methodological and developmental issues pertinent to investigating the role of attention in global-local processing among high-functioning children with autism (average verbal mental age (MA) of 89 months and nonverbal MA of 116 months) as compared to their verbal and nonverbal MA matched peers. Two experiments were conducted to assess separately basic processing; focal attention that is drawn by the physical properties of the stimuli and higher-order processing associated with strategically directing attention in accordance with the observer's priorities within a given task. These components of attention are implicated in the typical development of global-local …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes the creation of a three dimensional graphics tool that helps a user design, understand and visualize motion of articulated bodies. The linkages that can be considered are closed chains of links or open chains of links having zero to two fixed joints. An open linkage can be viewed as a robot arm, where vertical connecting edges of the linkage are analogous to joints connecting segments of a robot arm. A closed linkage can be viewed as two arms cooperating to move a single point. The visualization tool is an application which animates the linkages moving from an …  Lire la suite

The hydraulic behavior and mixing processes in wastewater basins are studied experimentally in a laboratory scale model. The laboratory basin is modeled after a full scale aerated lagoon system operating in Saint-Julie, Quebec. Three experimental techniques are used to reach the objectives: (i) video flow visualization, (ii) tracer studies and (iii) two-dimensional flow measurements using hot-film anemometry. Experiments are conducted on non-aerated basins, as well as on artificially aerated basins. The flow visualization and flow measurements show that the hydraulic behavior of non-aerated wastewater basins is very complex, due to the formation of flow patterns such as stagnant zones and …  Lire la suite

La maladie coronarienne athérosclérotique (MCAS) est la principale cause de mortalité et de morbidité à l'échelle mondiale. Un niveau bas des lipoprotéines de cholestérol de haute densité (HDL-C) représente un facteur de risque majeur pour la MCAS et est influencé par une combinaison des facteurs génétiques et environnementaux. Dans cette thèse, nous avons abordé la régulation génétique des HDL-C grâce à l'identification et la caractérisation de nouveaux gènes candidats, et de mécanismes moléculaires liés à la biogenèse des HDL, dans l'espoir de mieux élucider la complexité du métabolisme des HDL.En premier, nous avons examiné si la variation au niveau du …  Lire la suite

Low plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a well-established risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 5 (PC5/PCSK5) is known to inactivate endothelial lipase, enzyme critical in modulating HDL-C levels. In this study, we investigated the role of human PCSK5 genetic variants on HDL-C. We examined haplotypes at the PCSK5 locus in 9 multigenerational families with HDL-C<10th percentile and discovered segregation with low HDL-C in one family. We genotyped novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) found through sequencing and tagSNPs from the HapMap Project (n=182 total) in 457 individuals with CAD and identified 9 SNPs associated with …  Lire la suite

This thesis tackles the question of minorities within minorities (or “internal minorities”): how can we protect the rights of minority groups (in particular religious minorities) without infringing the rights of minoritized individuals within these groups (in particular women)? In a preliminary chapter, I ask whether this issue can be raised in a context of widespread and growing intolerance towards religious minorities and, if so, whether I can raise it, notwithstanding my position as a “White Western Feminist,” a member of the liberal, secular majority and the holder of numerous privileges attached to these titles. Relying on Kimberlé W. Crenshaw’s definition …  Lire la suite

This thesis analyzes the views about Law conveyed during the debate about reasonable accommodation that took place in Québec between 2006 and 2013. More particularly, it focuses on the language of Bill 60 (commonly referred to as the “Charter of values”), as an example of the rhetoric used then to understand and criticize law’s nature and action. In Bill 60, this rhetoric was embedded and put forward through two goals or claims: to provide a framework for accommodation requests, and to define Québec’s identity. This thesis argues that when put to the test, this rhetoric appears penetrated by a number …  Lire la suite

This dissertation focuses on an idea which seems today to be on everyone’s lips, and that is echoed not only in civil society, but also within the legal community’s inner circle. The idea is the following: to put the citizen at the heart of the justice system. The author asks what is the meaning of this proposition, which she labels the “re-centring idea”. To answer this question, she undertakes a thematic analysis of 127 documents in which this idea is put forward. This qualitative study is supplemented by a lexical and syntactic analysis of the same sample. In the first …  Lire la suite

The objective of this research was to further understand the behavior of the soil under the action of a tillage tool, with the purpose of finding a relation between the tool geometry and the resultant soil seed bed. Thus the problem consisted of understanding the mechanics of producing soil break up and to find a logical method of analyzing it. The problem was solved using fundamental principles of soil mechanics and force equilibrium analyzis. As a result, a mathematical model was developed which describes three failure zones within the cut soil volume. The model can be programmed into a computer …  Lire la suite

Field experiments were conducted in 1996, to evaluate the need of supplemental irrigation of maize on some sandy soils in Eastern Ontario. Field and laboratory measurements of soil properties were conducted. Plow layer and deficit irrigation management approaches were evaluated. Irrigation requirements using rain and evaporation data of the humid 1996 summer, as well as data from the drier 1974 summer, were evaluated. The results show that using a root zone depth less than 300 mm led to more water losses by drainage, more irrigation water requirements and more frequent irrigation applications, as compared to using a 400 mm root …  Lire la suite

Tyrosine phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications used by cells to respond to external stimuli. Two different sets of enzymes control the tyrosine phosphorylation levels of proteins: the protein tyrosine kinases and the protein tyrosine phosphatases. The identification of the cellular function of these enzymes is a key step in the understanding of many biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. We used a mouse model deficient in the protein tyrosine phosphatase TC-PTP to identify its biological and biochemical functions. Analysis of the phenotype of murine embryonic fibroblasts from TC-PTP-/- embryos revealed that TC-PTP-/- cells have …  Lire la suite

Division of labour is one of the major factors contributing to the outstanding ecological success of ant societies. Ant colonies are functionally single entities com- posed of thousands of individuals that perform a collection of tasks all directed to the survival of the superorganism. Worker ants perform tasks that include brood care, foraging, nest maintenance, and colony defence. Existing division of labour models assume that the behaviour of individuals is dictated by either factors intrinsic to the individual such as their morphological caste, age, physiological status or by external factors such as spatial location or social interactions. However existing models …  Lire la suite

In large part for fear that it will foster and maintain manufacturers' or retailers' cartels, resale price maintenance is strictly forbidden in a number of countries. Moreover economic theory has allowed for a better understanding of the motivations and outcomes of this practice and has made possible a revision of the strict prohibition. This thesis first outlines the theories explaining the use of resale price maintenance. What emerges from these theories is that resale price maintenance is far from being an unequivocably deleterious form of conduct. Indeed, a manufacturer may seek to reach some results that are pro-competitive. Having outlined …  Lire la suite

Metals are extensively used materials in orthopaedics and oral implants and several research studies have reported that coating the surface improves the osteoconduction and bone bonding ability of the metal. Low temperature aqueous precipitation techniques are advantageous over other coating processes as they allow the incorporation of thermally unstable compounds. Although some magnesium phosphates have been shown to be well tolerated in bone tissue [Zimmermann 2006], they are relatively unstudied as bioceramics. The first part of this research project was to determine the precipitation conditions at which different magnesium phosphate phases form. Ultimately, the primarily goal of this study was …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse débute par une revue complète des approches numériques et des définitions propres à la modélisation microscopique des systèmes eau-sol. En plus de fournir une revue de la littérature pertinente au sujet de cette thèse, le chapitre en question est motivé par le désir de résumer de façon claire et concise les innovations dans le domaine de la modélisation entreprises dans d’autres disciplines telles que le génie chimique qui sont directement utilisables en génie géotechnique. Dans le troisième chapitre, le modèle à deux fluides est étudié dans le contexte de l’érosion interne causée par des fuites dans des tuyaux …  Lire la suite

Aulls, Mark Wesley (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

The Caregiver Skills Training Program (CST) is a caregiver-mediated intervention developed by the World Health Organization and Autism Speaks to offer an open access and relatively low dose package for use by trained non-specialists. To allow for its scalability and cost effectiveness, CST uses a cascade training and supervision model beginning with the training of Master Trainers (MTs) by CST experts. Master Trainers then train Facilitators, who in turn deliver the intervention with caregivers. Significant barriers to training on this model among others have been introduced with the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting in-person professional activities resulting in the development of the …  Lire la suite

Zhao, Yaoyao Fiona (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

No-signalling (NOSIG) correlations, that are stronger than those allowed by quantum entanglement yet do not violate relativistic causality, are a valuable resource for understanding information processing systems. Such correlations can be achieved between non-communicating players in games when the players use what is called non-local strategies, and can give the players better odds at winning in these games. We propose definitions for non-local strategies in relativistic multi-player non-local games. We prove a conjecture by Crépeau stating that any non-local strategy that can be simultaneously produced by any pi-signalling strategy in a multi-player non-local game, has to be a NOSIG strategy. …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse examine la pensée de Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (m. 1210) telle que déployée dans ses deux œuvres philosophiques majeures, al-Mabāḥith al-Mashriqiyya et al-Mulakhkhaṣ fī al-Ḥikma. J'y avance l'idée que Rāzī entend développer un programme philosophique offrant une alternative à la théorie aristotélicienne de la connaissance scientifique. Elle s'articule en deux parties. La première restitue les composantes centrales du système de logique de Rāzī, y compris sa théorie des universaux, ses positions sur le rôle et la nature des définitions dans l'analyse philosophique ainsi que sa propre théorie de la prédication qui se propose de remplacer son équivalent aristotélicien. Cette …  Lire la suite

The thesis examines the origins and function of legal theory ( usul al-fiqh) within the context of the development of early Islamic law. I argue against the depiction of the development of law as a series of compromises between traditionalism and rationalism. Rather, by evading the demands of traditionalism, law evolved into a complex doctrinal entity rooted in the social structures of third-century Abbasid society. This revision of the development of law provides a context to evaluate early works of legal theory. Moreover, in context of my analysis of the development of law, I attempt to explain the emergence of …  Lire la suite

A major environmental concern throughout the tropics is deforestation. While many forests are in a state of crisis, such an encompassing narrative can obscure significant instances where forest-cover expands. This research investigates the geography of forest regeneration in rural Costa Rica from a social and institutional perspective. Attracted to the Pacific coast, foreigners purchase farms, change the patterns of land ownership, and extensively promote secondary forest growth. Environmental change and a declining agriculture sector have forced peasants to sell or abandon land and diversify their livelihoods. Two conservation NGOs collaborate at an institutional level to promote reforestation and consolidate protected …  Lire la suite

'Honour', an undefined notion in a patriarchal society like Pakistan, is used as a tool to justify the crime of murder. Violence in the name of honour is not a new phenomenon. Historically, it has been justified in the name of culture but the scope of this tradition has broadened with time and there is an enormous increase in the number of its victims. This cultural notion is interpreted in a way to control women's sexuality and to keep women subordinate to men. Honour killing is not legally sanctioned but the judiciary, the administration and the society often condone it …  Lire la suite

Bartlett-Esquilant, Gillian (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Ce mémoire consiste en une étude de la formation intellectuelle et de la pensée de Muḥammad Muḥsin ibn Murtaḍā ibn Maḥmūd al-Fayḍ al-Kāshānī (1007/1598–1091/1680), philosophe chiite duodécimain, théologien, traditionaliste (muḥaddith), exégèse (mufassir), juriste et poète de l’Iran safavide (907/1501–1135/1722). J’y examine la généalogie intellectuelle d’al-Fayḍ (c’est-à-dire ses professeurs et ses étudiants), sa formation académique, ses voyages intellectuels et ses relations avec les plus grands savants de son temps. J’y situe al-Fayḍ dans le contexte historique religieux et socio-politique de l’Iran safavide et j’examine son affiliation avec les écoles juridiques, philosophiques et mystiques. Étant donné qu’al-Fayḍ était une figure imminente au …  Lire la suite

Zeitouni, Anthony G (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Les machines ´electriques d’aujourd’hui se trouvent dans de nouveaux environnements o`u lesdemandes exigent un niveau sonore abaiss´e, particuli`erement dans les v´ehicules ´electriques.Il est donc imp´eratif que les demandes sonores soient satisfaites pendant la conception.Autrefois, les machines exp´erimentales ´etaient construites tˆot dans le processus ded´eveloppement pour ´evaluer leurs caract´eristiques acoustiques. Ce processus pouvait ˆetred´esagr´eable pour les concepteurs, car les modifications requises demandaient souvent deschangements substantiels aux prototypes. Ces prototypes sont souvent dispendieux, et leschangements faits sur une machine existante sont difficiles. Pour ces raisons, l’utilisationde logiciels d’analyses acoustique et des vibrations a attir´e beaucoup d’attention au coursdes derni`eres ann´ees.Cette th`ese utilise …  Lire la suite

INTRODUCTION: Beaucoup de cliniciens n'ont pas de formation officielle en tant qu'éducateurs et les stagiaires en chirurgie déclarent souvent ne pas recevoir d'enseignement et de rétroaction adéquats. Étant donné l'importance de faire usage de chaque rencontre chirurgicale, il est nécessaire d'adopter une approche plus délibérée de l'enseignement des habiletés chirurgicales. Nous avons développé une rubrique d'enseignement (N.O.D.O.F.F.), qui décrit pour l'instructeur l'utilisation des besoins, des objectifs, de la démonstration, de l'observation et de la rétroaction pour des qualifications techniques. Nous avons émis l'hypothèse que N.O.D.O.F.F. Permettra d'améliorer l'enseignement et l'apprentissage et, par conséquent, d'améliorer l'acquisition des compétences chirurgicales de base …  Lire la suite

This study looks at art education as an essential component of education and the place of values education within it. My observations in a Grade 5/6 art class within an elementary school in a working class district of Montreal attempt to identify some of the factors that contribute to value awareness. I observed children at work over a period of seven weeks, and use the data to present a picture of the ways in which art activities influence value awareness in the classroom. General discussions on some theories on values and art education initiate my study. The finding is that …  Lire la suite

While most studies of Islam in West Africa have focused on the spread and nature of Sufi Islam, there has been a recent dramatic transformation in the political and social influence of Sufi Islam long-believed to characterize "African Islam." The forces of globalization and social and economic changes in West Africa and beyond have resulted in parallel transformations across the Islamic world. In northern Ghana, where Sufi Islam has long been the dominant form of religious practice and politics, the advent of a new, more orthodox, form of Islamicization has taken place that has not yet been adequately studied. One …  Lire la suite

The thesis explores the historical background, activities and organization of the Tijaniyya ṣufi order in the Tamale District of Ghana. After a survey of the history of Islam's penetration of sub-Saharan Africa, and the role of ṣufi orders in this process generally, the thesis looks at the founder of the Tijaniyya, Aḥmad al-Tijani (d. 1815 A.D.), his beliefs and the spread of these beliefs in the Dagbon area and, ultimately, the Tamale District. This is followed by an overview of the order's salient doctrines, and especially those teachings that are more or less unique to the Tamale region and that …  Lire la suite

This dissertation offers an analysis of the exegetical treatment of the Qur'anic evidence for the prophecy of women. Specifically, it tries to answer contentious questions whether or not there were women prophets according to the Qur'an, and whether or not women were regarded as eligible for this office. Scholars are sharply divided in their opinions on these issues, and the majority rejects both possibilities. This study will show that even though their conclusions happen to coincide with that of the Qur'an, their arguments lack genuine Qur'anic support. For they failed to consider the fact that, one has to identify, first …  Lire la suite