McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par R

This study examines institutional change in forest management in Tlalmanalco, Mexico, over the period 1877--1999 based on qualitative methods. The level of analysis is the domain of forest management, a level of analysis intermediary between macro/national policy and micro/local organizations and groups. I examine the domain composed of local organizations stakeholders in forest management in Tlalmanalco. The dual research methods include (1) a contextualist approach revealing long institutional cycles over the long run (1877--1996) while (2) grounded theory procedures reveal micro-processus of institutional change in the transition period 1996--1999. At the macro level, I have identified three institutional cycles of …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse étudie les multiples facettes de la figure du cavalier dans la littérature de l’Ancien Régime à partir d’une étude des traités d’équitation rédigés en français entre 1593 et 1733 qui constituent un genre propre au sein de la littérature didactique. La figure mythologique de Chiron qui accompagne ces traités dans leur texte et leur péritexte permet de dégager les caractéristiques de ce «centaure moderne» qu’est le cavalier de l’Ancien Régime. La première partie de cette thèse permet d’envisager les aspects pédagogiques des traités qui participent à l’établissement de l’équitation comme discipline (1593-1658). Ceux-ci offrent une éthique du cavalier, …  Lire la suite

The introductory poem placed in the beginning of the Comptes amoureux de Jeanne Flore seems to refer to a second poem. Which one is situated in the margins of another text written in Lyon a few years earlier : La Deplourable fin de Flamete, a traduction by Maurice Scève of the work of Juan de Flores, Grimalte y Gradissa. This echo goes past the simple repetition and inverts the amorous conception taking place in Scève's text. Thereby, it reveals the parodic dimension inherent to Jeanne Flore's tale collection.This thesis aims to examine the parodic perspective in the Comptes amoureux, regarding …  Lire la suite

This dissertation investigates the early twentieth century work of Irish-born interior designer and architect, Eileen Gray. While the existing literature has tended to read Gray and her work primarily in relation to major male modernist movements and figures, this dissertation contends that considering her engagement with the alternative modernisms developed by other women artists and writers at the time will enrich our understanding of the wider social, cultural and historical implications of her work. In order to make sense of what scholars have long recognised as Gray's critically different architecture and design I analyse her work in relation to three …  Lire la suite

Many single-phase hydrogels offer limited cell-material interaction due to their lack of focal adhesion sites. Single-phase hydrogels generally cannot mimic the heterogeneous structure and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in an entirely different cell mechanobiological behavior in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture. Furthermore, single-phase hydrogels may lack sufficient mechanical properties to resemble the stiffness of the target organs. Composite hydrogels, which are made of a mixture of single-phase hydrogel and various additives, can address the above shortcomings. With this aim, the composition of single-phase glycol chitosan (GC) hydrogel was modified by introducing carbon nanotube (CNT) as an additive. The …  Lire la suite

“Histochemistry deals with the chemistry of tissues." Or, "histochemistry deals with the chemical characterization of substances in their natural locations within cells and tissues." These definitions furnish the introductory statement to two excellent reviews on the subject by Gersh (1941) and Dempsey and Wislocki (1946). Histochemistry is a relatively young science. As evidence for this, one may cite the very recent publication of the first textbook of Histochemistry (Pearse, A.G.E.: Histochemistry, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1953), and the establishment of the first journal devoted to publications within this field (Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, The Histochemical Society, 1953).  Lire la suite

Pour certaines personnes âgées qui ont peur d'être marginalisées, la vieillesse cause un sentiment d'insécurité et du stress. Le manuscrit présenté dans cette thèse a examiné la relation entre l'insécurité liée au vieillissement et l'adoption de modèles attentionnels sélectifs mal adaptés chez les personnes âgées. Nous proposons que les personnes âgées qui basent leur estime de soi sur l'âge seront plus sensibles aux signes de rejet, et ce, particulièrement lorsque le concept de la vieillesse est évoqué. En d'autres termes, les signaux qui rappellent le vieillissement peuvent créer l'anticipation d'être rejeté socialement, qui à son tour, peut influencer le traitement …  Lire la suite

La variabilité de la cognition sociale implicite, incluant les biais attentionnels et les préjugés implicites, a souvent été considérée comme problématique. Dans cette thèse, je propose que certaines fluctuations dans la cognition sociale implicite puissent être basées sur des changements importants dans le contexte social. Étant donné le besoin fondamental d'appartenance, les caractéristiques contextuelles précises qui pourraient contribuer aux fluctuations de la cognition implicite sont celles qui indiquent la valeur sociale d'une personne ou d'un groupe. Dans le Manuscrit 1, j'ai développé une version modifiée de la tâche de l’invite visuelle (dot probe task) pour étudier la variabilité du biais …  Lire la suite

Le glioblastome multiforme (GBM) est la forme la plus courante et la plus avancée d’astrocytome primaire cérébrale malin chez l’adulte. Le pronostic reste mauvais, malgré un traitement agressif par chirurgie, radiothérapie et chimiothérapie avec un agent alkylant, le Témozolomide (TMZ). La protéine de réparation de l'ADN, l'O6-méthylguanine-ADN-méthyltransférase (MGMT), interfère avec la cytotoxicité du TMZ. Des mutations faux-sens à haute fréquence du gène suppresseur de tumeur TP53 confèrent des activités mutantes oncogéniques (mut) p53, telles que la résistance à la chimioradiothérapie. Une étude précedente de notre laboratoire a démontré les effets cytotoxiques de PRIMA-1MET (APR-246), une petite molécule conçue pour restaurer …  Lire la suite

Microwave-convective and conventional hot air drying of flax fibre and straw was compared at three drying temperatures (40°C, 60°C and 80°C). Microwave-convective drying ensured a 30% to 70 % reduction in drying time compared to hot air drying. Microwave-convective drying at 80°C was found to be most suitable method in terms of drying time. Drying curve fitting with different mathematical models was carried out. The colour change of the flax fibre and straw upon drying was measured and the brightness and colour change increased with an increase in drying temperature. For both drying processes, the tensile strength and modulus of …  Lire la suite

Les fibres naturelles à base de plantes sont extraites de différentes parties de la plante comme les feuilles, l'écorce interne et les fruits/graines. Les tiges du lin (Linum usitatissimum) et du chanvre (Cannabis sativa) furent sélectionnées pour cette recherche parce que le lin et le chanvre sont disponibles au Canada ainsi qu'ailleurs dans le monde. Les objectifs principaux de cette étude étaient: 1) de développer une nouvelle méthode de rouissage pour la transformation des tiges de lin et de chanvre pré-trempées par l'usage d'énergie micro-ondes sur le mélange de lin et d'eau pour écourter la durée; 2) d’évaluer l'efficacité du …  Lire la suite

The centre of this dissertation is an attempt to define and assess the dramatic works of Canadian playwright Patricia Joudry. This compilation of the author's prodigious output between 1940 and 1981 will make all the dramas for radio, television, and the stage accessible to the public for the first time. The study discusses the author's approach to writing, her thematic and philosophical preoccupations, and investigates the influence of her personal life on her dramas. A detailed biographical study, based on an examination of Joudry's published and unpublished works, private papers, letters, and interviews is included. The dramas are presented chronologically, …  Lire la suite

In Hebrew, as in English, the masculine form takes precedence over the feminine, and consequently many masculine terms can serve both generic and sex-specific functions. Almost all biblical laws, whether formulated in the imperative or in the third person, appear in singular or plural masculine form, and therefore present a major difficulty in terms of gender interpretation. The position of women in the legal covenant is thus rendered highly ambiguous. The tannaitic sages, Jewish biblical exegetes of the first post-Christian centuries, were acutely aware of the problem and wrote numerous midrashim which interpreted ambiguous terms of gender in the biblical …  Lire la suite

This thesis examines Rabbinic traditions regarding midrashic techniques, the authority of midrashic teachings and the purpose of midrashic activities. These traditions are investigated through an exhaustive analysis of Rabbinic exegesis of Deuteronomy 32:47. The Rabbis interpreted the initial clause of this verse ("for it is no empty thing for you") as referring to midrash and employed the verse to support a wide range of assertions about midrashic procedures. The techniques validated by the verse are interpretation of particles according to the hermeneutical principle of limitation and extension and narrative expansions that embellish biblical events. The idea of the Sinaitic authority …  Lire la suite

The eIF2α kinases PERK and PKR are well characterized regulators of protein synthesis. When they are activated in response to various cellular stresses, they inhibit translation initiation by phosphorylating eIF2α on a key residue. Recently, PKR has been shown to regulate the expression of specific proteins independent of its ability to inhibit protein synthesis, and we wished to identify additional targets of this particular function. The cellular levels of cyclin D1, a cell cycle control protein that regulates progression through G1, decrease under conditions that activate various eIF2α kinases. We demonstrate that this is not due to the inhibition of …  Lire la suite

Natural polymers such as polysaccharides have been used as self-assembled matrices for drug delivery. Modified high amylose starch tablets swell to a limit when submerged in water, yielding a hydrogel with quasi-reversible viscoelastic properties. Such tablets display slow-release properties with a near zero-order drug delivery kinetics. Mechanical properties, electron microscopy imaging and swelling behavior have been investigated. Results from the foregoing investigations and from 13C CP/MAS NMR studies, which showed a clear transition from amorphous to crystalline organization upon wetting, were used to propose a model. The latter proposes that the viscoelastic hydrogel is formed due to the propensity of …  Lire la suite

Anomaly A of the Clarence Stream gold deposits contains mineralized structures that bear geometrical relationships to regional folding events. Structural mapping at the regional scale reflects at least four deformational events, three of which appear to control the folded geometry of Anomaly A (D2, D3, and D4). F2 and F3 folds are in a coaxial relationship and are refolded into a dome and basin geometry by F4 folds. Structural analysis of a mineralization zone exposed at the surface indicates that gold mineralization is present within a quartz vein system that contains veins generated during both D2 and D3. Three-dimensional representation …  Lire la suite

The enhanced potential vorticity gradients along the polar jet serve as a wave guide for trapped Rossby waves. These tropopause level, synoptic scale Rossby waves are of primary importance for weather development at the surface. In particular, extreme weather events have been linked to the existence of overlying upper level meridionally elongated filaments of stratospheric (high potential vorticity) air which form during the breaking of these waves. Motivated by the desire to understand the conditions under which these waves are formed and to improve their predictability, the current thesis discusses one excitation mechanism---the potential vorticity anomaly associated with a hurricane …  Lire la suite

A kernel-based batch approach to trajectory estimation of nonlinear dynamical systems based on measured system output is presented. The model is assumed unknown, while a local surrogate model is hypothesized instead that evolves in time while adapting itself to best fit the observed output data stream. The local model is assumed to be a multivariate LTI system whose adaptation isachieved in terms of repetitive solution of a local ridge regression problem. The latter is rendered dynamic by introducing an additional penalty which effectively allows to identify the underlying autoregressive trend in the parameters of the surrogate model. The idea bears …  Lire la suite

Les transitoires d’afflux peuvent avoir des effets hautement indésirables sur les transformateurs de distribution et sont dues à l'asymétrie du flux noyau pendant l'excitation. Ces courants d'afflux peuvent être de très grande ampleur, peut être riche en harmonique, peut nuire le transformateur lui-même et bouleverser l'opération de protection de l'appareil. Plusieurs méthodes sont utilisées pour réduire l'ampleur telle que des résistances de fermeture, la réduction des amplitudes de flux résiduel, et la commutation contrôlée. La sélection de l'une de ces méthodes est une décision qui doit tenir compte du coût-efficacité et de la facilité de mise en œuvre. Au cours …  Lire la suite

La présence d'allergènes dans les aliments est un grave problème de sécurité qui affecte non seulement l'utilisation efficace des aliments, mais conduit également à nuire à la santé des consommateurs. Le soja et les produits à base de soja figurent parmi les huit principaux allergènes alimentaires au monde causés par plus de 30 protéines provoquant des allergènes. Les graines de soja contiennent environ 36 à 50 % de protéines en poids dont 70 % sont des protéines de stockage (b-Conglycinine et Glycinine) présentant des réactions allergènes importantes en population sensible. Le traitement thermique est considéré comme la meilleure méthode pour …  Lire la suite

Nadeau, Lucie (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Le traitement thermique est une méthode essentielle pour garantir la sécurité et la durée de conservation prolongée des aliments peu acides. Cependant, les méthodes de traitement statiques traditionnelles entraînent souvent des temps de chauffage prolongés et une qualité de produit réduite en raison d'une répartition inégale de la chaleur. Pour relever ces défis, des techniques avancées de traitement thermique par agitation ont été développées pour améliorer l’efficacité du transfert de chaleur et la qualité des produits. Cette recherche se concentre sur l'évaluation des effets du traitement thermique par agitation réciproque (RATP) et de l'agitation End-over-End (EOE) en mode continu et …  Lire la suite

Woven carbon fiber composites are being extensively used in aerospace, automotive and civil applications, owing to their high specific strength, higher fracture toughness, and drapeability as compared to unidirectional composites. The processing phase of composite manufacturing has a high added value to the processed laminate, so any damage during machining has a significant economical impact. However, the characteristic attributes like non-homogeneous structure, anisotropy and high abrasiveness of fibers coupled with non-optimized cutting parameters and tool wear can result in damage to the laminate. This experimental research involves quantifying the effect of processing parameters i.e. spindle speed, feed, and tool wear …  Lire la suite

Wireless network planning requires accurate, site-specific urban and indoor radio propagation models. Traditionally, such models have been developed using approximate asymptotic methods. This thesis examines rigorous solution methods for radio propagation in electrically large environments. The high-order locally corrected Nystrom (LCN) method is applied to the combined field integral equation (CFIE) for scattering from perfect electrical conductors (PEC) in two dimensions. The direct solution of the resulting linear system of equations requires O(N2) time per iteration of an iterative solver. Application of the multi-level fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) reduces iteration time to O(Nlog N). The MLFMA employs an approximation however, …  Lire la suite

The subject of this study is social mobility as presented in one sector of the Canadian economy - in the home-building industry. The research was centered upon intra-generational change within the lower end of the stratification scale, particularly upon mobility of wage-earning labourers who became self employed workers and small businessmen. A sample of contractors engaged in the home-building industry was investigated and detailed information concerning individual career histories was sought with the view to answering the following questions.  Lire la suite

A study was made of the effects of stimulation, and of section on cells of the eat's submaxillary gland. Sympathetic and adrenalin stimulation caused discharge activity in demilune cells. Parasympathetic stimulation acted similarly on alveolar cells but not on demilunes. Both types of stimulation caused changes in striated ducts but the implicationa are not clear. A true augmented secretion was demonstrated. Histological results showed it to be mainly an increased sympathetic-demilune activity. Section of chorda tympani caused marked changes in striated ducts; alveolar cells were largely inactive; demilunes were in continued activity. Section of cervical sympathetic and extirpation of superior …  Lire la suite

The early history of scientific description of the salivary gland is obscure. No doubt the intensive use of mercurial medicines and the consequent salivation induced had early directed the attention of the anatomist toward these glands in regard to their anatomy and relationships in gross. The landmarks of eponymic terminology record only the duct of Wharton (1610 - 73) - the submaxillary duct, the duct of Stenson (1638 - 1686) - the parotid duct, and the nerve of Jacobson (1783 - 1843). The investigation of the histology of the glands is much more recent and followed upon the physiological advances …  Lire la suite

This thesis analyzes the effect of trade liberalization on horizontal mergers. It consists of two parts. The first part contains two essays, where the merger pattern is exogenously given within a static setting. The second part contains one essay, where the merger process is endogenized within a dynamic setting. The first and second essays analyze the effects of bilateral tariff reductions in a two-country world on the profitability and desirability, respectively, of a given cost-reducing merger within a Cournot oligopoly. Both essays show that for a given level of cost-savings, the impact of marginal trade liberalization may not reliably predict …  Lire la suite

The movement in India to abolish indentured emigration to tropical colonies (particularly Fiji, Trinidad, British Guiana and Natal) had its origins in the "Moderate" era of Indian nationalism and the politics of G. K. Gokhale. It began with the concern of the Indian middle class that their status in the British Empire was denigrated by that of their "coolie" compatriots. However, as the details of the indenture system were brought to light, the anti-indenture movement came to encompass almost every group in India, from village to metropolitan centre, from the conservative, orthodox Marwaris of Calcutta to the westernized Parsi elite …  Lire la suite

Isac, Mihaiela (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Physical and mathematical modelling of fluid flow phenomena play an important role in studies of steel quality associated with the various steps in steelmaking and steel processing operations. In the continuous casting process, the tundish not only serves as an intermediate buffer, but with increasing demands for high quality steel, it has also evolved into a useful reactor for liquid steel refining. It is now a proven fact that a modern tundish is designed to carry out different metallurgical operations such as inclusion separation and floatation, alloy trimming, superheat control, calcium doped inclusion modification, thermal and particulate homogenization. To carry …  Lire la suite

The decays of Br^75 and Br^74 to Se^75 and Se^74 respectively.  Lire la suite

In recent years, due to growing environmental awareness regarding global warming, green cars, such as hybrid electric vehicles, have gained a lot of importance. With the decreasing cost of rare earth magnets, brushless permanent magnet motors, such as the Interior Permanent Magnet Motor, have found usage as part of the traction drive system in these types of vehicles. As a design issue, building a motor with a performance curve that suits both city and highway driving has been treated in this thesis as a multi-objective problem; matching specific points of the torque-speed curve to the desired performance output. Conventionally, this …  Lire la suite

As solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations, the Kerr-Newman-de Sitter geometries are spacetimes that model the outer geometry of a charged, rotating black hole. We re-derive, using a lemma of Brandon Carter, first-order conserved quantities for the motion of zero rest mass and massive test particles in the Kerr-Newman-de Sitter spacetimes. The Liouville-Arnol'd integrability theory allows us to use first integral equations in place of second-order equations in the dynamical analysis. In examining the effects of first integral data on the equations, we expose some differences between particle dynamics in the electrically-neutral, asymptotically-flat Kerr geometries and those in the charged, …  Lire la suite

Les enchères simultanées et les enchères séquentielles sont des types d’enchères fréquemment utilisés et bien étudié. Il y a de nombreux résultats sur l’efficacité de l’équilibre dans ces jeux. L’équilibre de ces enchères est généralement dur à calculer donc on ne peut pas s’attendre à l’atteindre. À la place, on définit et envisage une notion naturelle de rentabilité sans risque dans ces enchères. Dans le cas des enchères séquentielles, nous présentons une stratégie simple qui est optimale pour l’offrant avec une évaluation XOS. Nous démontrons aussi une stratégie qui est presque optimale pour un offrant avec une évaluation sous-additive avec …  Lire la suite

In recent years, staff development has received general recognition as a valuable method for improving the quality of education. Teacher centres constitute a significant forum for facilitating staff development. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine one such teacher centre in Montreal. Examination of the literature on effective staff development and teacher centres resulted in an analytical framework comprising: (1) Context; (2) Organizational Structure; (3) Planning; (4) Process; and, (5) Content. This was used to organize data collected from observation, interviews, documents and a client survey. The case study provided insight into the philosophy, purpose and organization …  Lire la suite

Qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative x-ray spectrometric and optical spectrographic data are given for pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite, and qualitative and semi-quantitative data for sphalerite, from the properties in Dore lake area in the Chibougamau district, Quebec. [...]  Lire la suite

Ghoshal, Subhasis (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

In Tanzania’s Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem (TME), ethnic frictions between Kisongo Maasai pastoralists and Arusha (Maasai) cultivators complicate the politics of conservation areas. These two Maa-speaking groups are drawn together by shared sociocultural institutions, clan-based processes of assimilation, and intermarriage. However, economic differences between the groups are ethnographically visible, with the Arusha preferring a cultivation-based economy supplemented by livestock, and the Kisongo considering themselves ‘people of cattle,’ despite increasing diversification (including crop cultivation) in recent years. A series of colonial and post-independence policies have facilitated the migration of Arusha from the fertile highland slopes of Mount Meru to the lowlands of Monduli …  Lire la suite

Crude mannoproteins (MP) from several different industrial yeast sources were obtained by heating (3 h at 121$ sp circ$C) cells suspended in citrate buffer (pH 7.0) followed by ultrafiltration and washing. Crude mannoproteins and their ammonium sulfate fractions exhibited varying degrees of emulsifying activities, i.e., ease and extent of emulsification. Not all of the oil and water emulsions were stable for three weeks, whereas all of the oil and vinegar emulsions remained stable for up to three months. Addition of NaCl increased both emulsifying activity and emulsion stability. Emulsions with an acidic pH were the most stable. With pH emulsion …  Lire la suite

This thesis is concerned with the tension between unity and difference in contemporary political theory. It argues that this tension can be resolved by understanding unity and difference in their political and institutional context rather than in isolated abstraction. The first section examines some existing responses to the challenge of diversity, and suggests that the incompatibility of unity and difference is grounded in a misconception of how we should approach and understand each of the concepts. The second section seeks to ground the compatibility of unity and difference in a diverse and inclusive communicative public sphere. Unity, conceived as the …  Lire la suite

Le gène her2 soit amplifié dans 25-30% des cas de cancer du sein, et aucune mutation ne semble accompagner cette amplification génomique. Il existe un variant naturel d'épissage du gène Her2 présentant une délétion au niveau de son d'exon 16 (Her2?Ex16) qui conduit à l'expression d'un récepteur constitutivement actif. Il est possible que l'amplification génomique d'her2 pourrait augmenter l'expression d'Her2?Ex16 et favoriser ainsi la carcinogenèse. Her2wt et Her2-delta-Ex16 étaient exprimés de manière hétérologue dans des cellules normales de glandes mammaires de souris (NMuMG). Premièrement, la structure tertiaire des régions proximales et distales au domaine codé par l'exon 16 différait entre …  Lire la suite

Les codes polaires constituent une nouvelle classe de codes correcteurs d'erreurs sans voie de retour (forward error correction) découverte récemment par Arıkan. Ce sont les premiers codes ayant une construction explicite à atteindre la capacité du canal, une limite théorique s'appliquant à l'envoi d'information sur un canal en présence de bruit, et ce pour de nombreux types de canaux. La construction très régulière des codes polaires simplifie la conception de décodeurs matériels. Ce mémoire présente deux générations de décodeurs matériels pour les codes polaires basés sur l'algorithme d'annulation successive. À l'aide d'une architecture partiellement parallèle s'appuyant sur des mémoires SRAM, …  Lire la suite

Agricultural land use is analysed in an area of northwestern New Brunswick which includes nearly all cleared land in Carleton, Victoria, arid Madawaska counties. Of the major physiographic regions which comprise the area, the intervals and terraces along the St. John and its larger tributaries, the uplands of western Carleton county, and the area centering on Grand Falls are the beat suited agriculturally, and have favoured potato specialization since the early 1900’s. Elsewhere, mixed farming pertains, often at subsistence or part-time levels.  Lire la suite

Grenier, Amanda Marie (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite