McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par N

The continuing advances in processing technology result in significant decreases in the feature size of integrated circuits. This aggressive transistor scaling enables integration of a large set of functionality inside a single Integrated Circuit (IC). As processing technology scales down, permanent and transient faults have become more frequent in new ICs. Consequently, along with opportunities to integrate a large number of processing elements, fault-tolerant architecture and enhanced debug infrastructure must be incorporated in new products. Network on Chips (NoCs) are poised to address the demands for high communication bandwidth among cores. A comprehensive study on fault-tolerant NoC routers and on-chip …  Lire la suite

Vasseur, Elsa (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Cette thèse de doctorat examine le procédé de chauffage par micro-ondes, et son influence sur les propriétés physiques et la propagation de fractures de roche sous illumination micro-onde (RUI). Pour bien comprendre la fracturation de roche avec assistance d'illumination micro-onde, il est essentiel de se pencher sur différents aspects du procédé. Ceux-ci vont de l'étude électromagnétique (chauffage diélectrique et génération de chaleur), jusqu'aux aspects mécaniques (transfère de chaleur, réduction de la résistance mécanique, mécanique de fracturation), et finalement jusqu'au comportement de fracturation final de la roche sous illumination micro-onde (fractographie). En tout, l'étude est divisée en trois parties :1) Une …  Lire la suite

RésuméLes pathologies des replis vocaux (RV) peuvent altérer la phonation, la déglutition et la protection des voies respiratoires, causant souvent une haute morbidité. Les substances injectables actuellement utilisées n’offrent qu’une solution temporaire, non spécifique à la lésion, et ne parviennent ni à restaurer la fonction vibratoire ni à prévenir la fibrose. La présente thèse propose des thérapies régénératrices et ciblées basées sur des hydrogels injectables et imprimables in situ, adaptés aux exigences mécaniques et biologiques complexes de la réparation des tissus des replis vocaux (RV).Pour satisfaire à ces exigences, un hydrogel efficace doit répondre à plusieurs critères de conception stricts …  Lire la suite

Present knowledge of the fundamental function of the nephron and its role in urine formation and elimination is still incomplete. The nephron bas been subdivided into a standard pattern of segments on the basis of its morphology, and various functions were ascribed to each of the segments through the results of physiological experiments (Richards, 1929). The modern expanded knowledge in the fields of physiology and biochemistry has made it apparent that the conventional segments are further subdivided into zones which divide the labour of urine formation, reabsorption and excretion.  Lire la suite

Mining companies and the market today are advancing toward faster, more efficient and productive continuous excavation within mining and civil applications. Explosives are not used in continuous excavation in hard rock formations; therefore, the interaction between mechanical rock breakage or cutter tools and the natural rock become increasingly important to understand. Rock cutter tools are highly advanced in terms of material quality, but limited in performance when they cut natural hard rocks. Comprehensive and collaborative research between McGill University and Natural Resources Canada on all possible explosive-free rock breakage techniques demonstrated that the use of microwaves in rock breakage techniques …  Lire la suite

This research project explores the effect of long-term caregiving on a female caregiver's sense of self. Participants of this study consisted of six women: three daughters caring for their mothers and three wives caring for their husbands. All the women had been caregiving for a minimum of three years. Seidman's (1991) structure for in-depth phenomenological interviewing was used which involved conducting a series of three semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed and described using the five-step Holistic-Content approach to narrative analysis described by Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and Zilber (1998). The six narratives that emerged from the data present six unique stories …  Lire la suite

Le traumatisme craniocérébral céréléger (TCCL) perturbe la structure et la fonction de plusieurs des barrières cellulaires du système nerveux central tel que la barrière cérébro-vasculaire. Cependant, l’impact du TCCL sur la barrière cérébro-ventriculaire, une barrière a perméabilité partielle entre le cerveau et le liquide céphalo-rachidien et composée de cellules épendymaires, n’est pas bien étudié. Récemment, nous avons démontré qu’à la suite d’un trauma cérébral, les cellules épendymaires expriment le γH2AX, un rapporteur de cassure double brin de l’ADN. Cependant, l’effet de ce changement cellulaire sur la fonction et structure des cellules épendymaires reste à explorer. Dans cette étude, nous avons …  Lire la suite

A study of the economic and commercial aspects of aviation in Canada involves practically the entire field of civil flying in this country and its position in the national economy.The aspects of aviation which may be more strictly classed as "economic and commercial" have naturally been given the most lengthy treatment in this thesis but a brief consideration of certain other aspects at appropriate points is essential to a proper understanding of the major features. [...]  Lire la suite

In the electrolytic production of zinc, cobalt is removed from zinc electrolyte by cementation with zinc dust Prior to electrowinning. Although the thermodynamics for this reaction are favourable, kinetic barriers to cobalt reduction render the method impractical unless activators such as antimony or arsenic in conjunction with copper are used. There is a large body of work studying the effect of these additives, yet the mechanism by which they act is still poorly understood. Moreover, regardless of the beneficial effect of the activators, from time to time the process fails to meet the target level of 0.1 mg/L cobalt in …  Lire la suite

"Bernanos? J'ai essayé de lire deux de ses romans - mais je ne le comprends pas" - me dit un jour une bibliothécaire. "Pour ma part, je le hais, Bernanos", me dit une dame professeur d'université. [...]  Lire la suite

Patterson, W. I. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis presents cross sections for the production of a $W$ boson in association with jets ($W$+jets), measured in proton-proton collisions at a center of mass energy of 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at CERN. Taken for the first time with integrated luminosity of 139.0 inverse femtobarns, this dataset allows for an exploration of a large kinematic range, including measurements with jet transverse momenta up to 1~TeV and jet multiplicities up to ten. The production cross sections are measured in the electron decay channel of the $W$ boson. Several observables are also presented, including measurements of jet kinematics such …  Lire la suite

Toute l’humanité, et en fait tous les êtres vivants, sont reliés par un réseau complexe de relations ancestrales. La proportion de ce pedigree qui est connue, celle qui peut être apprise, et notre capacité à le décrire demeurent des facteurs essentiels pour interpréter la diversité génétique actuelle et découvrir les contributions génétiques à la maladie. Les défis liés à l’utilisation des informations généalogiques sont doubles. Premièrement, dans les populations humaines, les données généalogiques sont souvent incomplètes. Deuxièmement, lorsque de tels ensembles de données sont disponibles, leur utilisation pose d’importants défis informatiques. Dans les deux cas, la réponse a souvent été …  Lire la suite

Macmillan, C. (Supervisors)  Lire la suite

The adipocyte derived hormone, leptin, represents an important link betweenmetabolic status and immune function and may be a contributor to the onset ofinflammatory illness. The current project aimed to understand the role of leptin duringboth chronic and acute inflammatory states, and two mouse models were utilized:Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and an LPS-induced depression-likesyndrome. Here we have demonstrated that circulating leptin levels peak at early stagesof EAE development, corresponding to elevated SOCS-3 expression in brain, suggestingthe importance of leptin during the pathogenesis of this disease. Furthermore, we showfor the first time, that the LPS-induced recruitment of neutrophils into the brain followsthe …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse répond aux efforts continus des universitaires, des États et des organisations non étatiques pour élargir le régime juridique régissant l'espace extra-atmosphérique et les corps célestes. Je ferai référence à ce régime sous le terme « space regime ». Ma principale question de recherche est la suivante : un space regime élargi serait-il efficace pour guider et contrôler les comportements dans l’espace? Dans le 1er chapitre, je décris le space regime et les efforts déployés pour continuer son développement. Dans le 2e chapitre, je décris l’approche internationale et sa pertinence particulière pour le régime spatial. L’approche internationale part du …  Lire la suite

The methods for determining the lysine content of purified proteins are still not entirely satisfactory, notwithstanding the many investigations which have been made since Osborne and Mendel(1) in 1914 first demonstrated its essential role in metabolism. Furthermore, our knowledge of the biochemistry of lysine has been impeded by the lack of reliable methods of analysis. For instance, nutritional studies would be greatly facilitated by the elaboration of a sensitive micromethod for the rapid determination of lysine in crude plant and animal tissues and in biological fluids. Available methods for the determination of lysine may be classified into three groups, (a) …  Lire la suite

Tucker, G. Richard  Lire la suite

The objective of this study was to formulate a management system for improving early Quebec tomato yields through the use of polyethylene row tunnels and the screening of three tomato genotypes for their performance under a tunnel system of growing. Three tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars, Springset (early, cold-tolerant), Celebrity (standard), and Hope No. 1 (early, heat-tolerant), were grown under clear or white perforated polyethylene row tunnels that were either vented ten days prior to anthesis to maintain temperatures below 30$ sp circ$C or nonvented. Controls had no tunnel treatment. Springset had the highest harvest index and subsequent highest early …  Lire la suite

Résumé Cette étude se penche sur les compétences et les opportunités favorables à l'autodétermination présentes au sein d'un groupe de jeunes en difficulté fréquentant un programme scolaire alternatif à Montréal. Des questionnaires administrés aux élèves et à leurs enseignants portaient sur les capacités et les pratiques des élèves en matière d'exercice de choix, de prise de décisions, de résolution de problèmes, d'établissement d'objectifs, et de représentation de leurs propres intérêts. Trente-cinq élèves (de 15 à 18 ans) ont participé à l'étude, tous étant en situation de transition (en fin de secondaire dans un cadre de programme alternatif, vers l'autonomie accompagnant …  Lire la suite

The Ordovician palaeontology and stratigraphy of the Churchill and Nelson Rivers, Manitoba are described. In addition, the unfossiliferous Silurian(?) rocks are divided into formations, but no attempt is made to correlate them.  Lire la suite

Forest, Benjamin (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Contexte : Les maladies non transmissibles (MNT), telles que les maladies cardiovasculaires et le diabète, sont parmi les principales causes de mortalité et sont étroitement liées au surpoids et à l’obésité. Les jeunes adultes (18 à 29 ans) sont particulièrement vulnérables, car ils connaissent une prise de poids rapide, souvent accompagnée d’une diminution de l’activité physique et d’une mauvaise alimentation. Cette période de vie s’accompagne également de transitions majeures, notamment des changements dans les environnements de vie et les réseaux sociaux personnels (RSP), qui peuvent influencer les comportements de santé de manière positive ou négative. L’intérêt pour les réseaux sociaux …  Lire la suite

Compared with the advances of the past twenty years in special branches of insect physiology, and in biology of insects attacking plants and stored products, progress in veterinary entomology has been indeed slow. This is particularly true of the obligate parasites which spend all or a major part of their lives on or in the host animal. [...]  Lire la suite

This dissertation draws from and contributes to many traditions within the (interdisciplinary) discipline of communication studies. Serving the two primary objectives of the examination of the figure of the BMX freestyle cycling Pro and the analysis of the role of the magazines within this particular culture or field in the construction and maintenance of this figure, this project brings together studies of cultural intermediaries, magazine history, advertising history and theory, subcultures, audiences, commodification, cultural industries, celebrity, stars and professional athletes. The culture of BMX freestyle cycling is an interesting and heretofore unexamined phenomenon, and a focused examination allows the exploration …  Lire la suite

During the past twenty-five years the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Nort., has become one of the worst pests of wheat in the prairie provinces. Annual losses in the wheat-growing area of Saskatchewan have been estimated at up to seventeen million busheis (Farstad, 1945). This would seem to indicate inadequate natural control. There are, however, several native parasites of this pest, and of these Microbracon cephi Gahan is the most important. In some areas this parasite has been very effective in reducing severe sawfly infestations.[...]  Lire la suite

A fundamental property of compressible flows is the finite speed of propagation of the disturbance. Any disturbance travels at the local speed of sound. Modelling this could help understand many phenomena in compressible flows. A much studied phenomenon in compressible flows is the transition between Regular Reflection (RR) and Mach Reflection (MR). Perturbation signal tracking is an efficient way to determine the transition between regular and Mach reflections in the shock wave reflection phenomenon. The idea is to deliberately insert a disturbance or a perturbation wave front in a flow field to study the underlying physics of the ongoing phenomena. …  Lire la suite

Western, Tamara (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Multithreaded architectures use the parallelism in programs to tolerate long latencies for communications and synchronizations. On encountering a long latency memory access, the processor in a multithreaded system rapidly switches context to another computation thread, thereby improving the performance. Unlike traditional single threaded execution and multitasking in operating systems, multithreading allows accesses from one or more threads of a user program at a processor to contend for system resources simultaneously. Hence, a performance analysis of multithreading should account for the effect of multiple concurrent accesses on throughput of subsystems. Modeling a real multithreaded system, like McGill's EARTH system, poses several …  Lire la suite

For centuries, scholars have mined the pages of Augustine of Hippo's magnum opus, the City of God, for all manner of theoretical concepts and doctrines ranging from political and just war theories to salvation history and sin. To date, this well-excavated text has not been quarried with a feminist eschatological lens. Despite the sexist legacy attributed to Augustine, this study asks: Do women have a stake in the City of God? If so, to what extent? The recurring theme that runs through Augustine's text speaks to two orders of human society: civitas dei and civitas terrena, the city of God …  Lire la suite

Kirkpatrick, Patricia G. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Chez les tétrapodes, les membres antérieurs et postérieurs émergent du flanc de l’embryon en développement de manière à former des bourgeons de mésenchyme entourés d’ectoderme. Chaque membre est divisé en trois segments se développant séquentiellement le long de l’axe proximal-distal : le stylopode en position proximale, le zeugopode en position intermédiaire ainsi que l’autopode situé de manière plus distale. Ainsi sont retrouvés chez les membres antérieurs humains l’humérus, le radius et le cubitus, et les cinq doigts de la main, correspondant aux segments susmentionnés. Toutefois, les morphologies musculo-squelettiques des membres antérieurs et postérieurs varient selon l’utilité de chaque membre et …  Lire la suite

The synthesis of 5’-monomethoxytrityl-2'-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-3'-levulinylribonucleosides of the four common bases as well as their 2',3' isomeric derivatives was accomplished. These units are suitable for block condensations via the phosphite procedure as demonstrated in the preparation,in good yield, of a hexadecauridylic acid. A novel solid phase synthesis of ribonucleotides featuring the use of the phosphite procedure, along with a derivatized silica gel polymer, was fully investigated. The efficiency of the method is exemplified in the stepwise assembly of a nonadecamer corresponding to the dihydrouridine loop of t-RNAfMet. Several mild reagents capable of hydrolyzing nucleotides from the polymer were introduced. In addition, a …  Lire la suite

Several chemical industries in Canada discharge untreated effluents containing substantial amounts of organic pollutants. Environmental concern regarding the pollution of water bodies has led the authorities to issue stringent regulations with respect to the quality and quantity of wastewater that can be discharged. Chemical characterization and biotreatability of some waste streams generated by a chemical industry in Quebec was therefore undertaken. The study showed that two highly concentrated effluents were amenable to biological treatment. The first effluent, "plastifiant", was generated from the production of plastics, while the second, "colonne", was the product of a resin distillation column. Batch assay tests, …  Lire la suite

Despite implant-supported overdentures' advantages over conventional dentures, edentulous patients often refuse dental implants for reasons that may be related to fear. Objective. The purpose of this study was to uncover and explain the various forms and sources of dental implant-related fear among edentulous patients. Methods. A convenient sample of 8 edentulous/semi-edentulous participants was used. Participants were recruited from a current study at McGill University's Faculty of Dentistry, posting of recruitment flyers, and local homes and community centers for seniors. One-on-one interviews were conducted in Montreal from March 2005 to February 2006, transcribed verbatim, and coded into multiple theme-based sections. Results. …  Lire la suite

Raghavan, G. S. Vijaya (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Le secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) est le lignane le plus important provenant de la graine de lin, et il est le plus important précuseur exogène des lignanes mammifères entérolactone et entérodiol. Le SDG est un ingrédient alimentaire fonctionnel reconnu pouvant offrir plusieurs bénéfices santé; il possède une importante activité antioxydante, des effets cardio-protecteurs, il peut réduire le niveau sanguin de cholestérol à lipoprotéines à basse densité, et réduire le risque de cancers hormonaux. Le SDG est présent dans la graine de lin sous une forme polymérique complexe qui lie son ester au 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl (HMG). Le SDG peut être libéré de la …  Lire la suite

Nous avons enregistré le taux et la variabilité respiratoires, le seuil de conductibilité de la peau et la réponse psychogalvanique (GSR) chez quatre groupes de sujets, avant, pendant et après la présentation d'un stimulus visuel et auditif simple donné en séquences d'intensité croissante, décroissante et maintenue constante. Notre échantillon était composé de sujets schizophrènes non-paranoides, chroniques et en crise aiguë, de sujets névrotiques anxieux-dépressifs et d'un groupe contrale composé de sujets normaux. Nous avons établi la corrélation entre ces données et les scores de comportement social adaptif chez les groupes psychiatriques. Nous avons trouvé des différences significatives entre les groupes …  Lire la suite

“Tout aérostat doit avoir une nationalité“. This phrase, a prophesy at the beginning of aviation, is now the law. Nationality is also symbolic of the role of aircraft in the modern world, in which they are heralds of international goodwill or forerunners of the evil intentions of an aggressor. The preamble of the Chicago Convention states : " International civil aviation can greatly help to create and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and people of the world, yet its abuse can become a threat to the general security. " Is it then absurd that positive law has invested …  Lire la suite

Froth flotation is based on the differences in the physico-chemicalsurface properties of particles of various minerals. It is very seldomthat the mineral to be separated possesses the desirable surface characteristics.Outside intervention is required to alter the natural surface of themineral particles that make up the flotation pulp. The mineral that is tobe floated by attachment to an air bubble must have a hydrophobic surfaceand the rest of the pulp must be hydrophilic or easily wettable. A mineralsurface can be rendered hydrophobic by the attachment of a layer built upof long chain hydrocarbons or of inert organic substances. [...]  Lire la suite

The use of phonological codes in word recognition was examined in hearing and hearing-impaired readers with a semantic categorization task. The word to be categorized was either a member of the category, a homophone of the member (Homophone foil-HF) or orthographically similar to the member (Spelling control-SC). In one condition, the categorization task was presented with no context and in another it was preceded by a sentence context. Hearing readers made more errors on HFs than SCs in both conditions providing evidence for the use of phonology. However this was limited to low frequency items. Good hearing-impaired readers did not …  Lire la suite

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in mammary gland development and function. Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted glycophosphoprotein, with several functional and structural properties of ECM proteins, is expressed at elevated levels during normal and pathologic development of the mammary gland and is present in milk. However, whether it plays any developmental role in the mammary gland is unknown. To investigate this possibility, transgenic AS-OPN mice were generated using a transgene expressing OPN antisense RNA under the control of the MMTV-LTR promoter/enhancer. The mammary glands of AS-OPN mice express low levels of OPN, compared to control littermates, show excessive …  Lire la suite

This thesis articulates the philosophy of The New School of Dawson College, an alternative pre-university Arts programme in a community college in Montreal. The roots of The New School's philosophy are examined and critiqued in the works of: Dewey, the existentialists, popular educational critics of the 1960s, Maslow, Rogers, the humanistic and "Values" educators, Kozol, Freire, Aronowitz, Giroux and feminist educational theorists. The thesis focuses, however, on the dialectical relationship between theory and praxis in the development of educational philosophy. It describes the process by which various elements to be found in the works of these educational philosophers are tested …  Lire la suite