McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par T

La relation personnel infirmier-patient a été un élément important du discours en sciences infirmières, particulièrement dans la documentation et la pratique du personnel infirmier en psychiatrie-santé mentale. Les infirmières/infirmiers en psychiatrie-santé mentale rencontrent des difficultés à se concentrer sur leur travail relationnel face à la nécessité de fournir des soins efficaces, technologiques et biomédicaux, particulièrement en milieu hospitalier. L'objectif de cette enquête était d'explorer les expériences relationnelles des patients atteints de maladies mentales aiguës et de leurs infirmières/infirmiers en milieu hospitalier psychiatrique. La chercheuse a engagé des conversations avec dix infirmières/infirmiers psychiatriques et six patientes/patients hospitalisés dans des unités de …  Lire la suite

The development of reflective thinking in student teachers has been gaining greater attention in the teacher education literature. Nevertheless, some of the multiple factors involved in this process have not yet been examined. This study focused on the perceptions that student teachers have of their relationship with their cooperating teachers in the context of a practicum. More specifically, it attempted to determine if and how cooperating teachers trigger student teachers' reflective thinking. Seventeen student teachers, who made up the first cohort to experience the four-year undergraduate program in teaching English as a second language, participated in this exploratory study. Three …  Lire la suite

Le processus par lequel une espèce devient plusieurs (spéciation) était considéré par Darwin comme le mystère des mystères. La spéciation n'est plus un mystère complet, mais nous avons encore beaucoup à expliquer à propos de ses mécanismes. En particulier, comment l'isolement reproductif peut évoluer en tant que sous-produit de l'adaptation locale. Ce processus est connu sous le nom de spéciation écologique. La spéciation écologique est intéressante pour les théoriciens qui peuvent étudier les conditions dans lesquelles l'adaptation locale peut évoluer face au flux génique. Les biologistes de terrain s'intéressent aussi à la spéciation écologique, car ils peuvent l'étudier pendant qu'elle …  Lire la suite

Raisonner au sujet des programmes et données d’ordre fini est bien compris de nos jours. Par opposition, la représentation et le raisonnement de processus interactifs ou à exécution constante dont le comportement s’apparente à des structures infinies ne sont pas aussi bien compris. Cette thèse vise à améliorer notre compréhension en proposant un langage permettant la représentation et le raisonnement de données à la fois finies et infinies. Ce langage bâti sur le concept de comotifs, un élément syntactique permettant la représentation de programmes infinis à travers un processus d’observations. Cette thèse offre une version des comotifs adaptée au systèmes …  Lire la suite

Les structures infinies font partie intégrante de l'informatique puisqu'elles permettent la représentation de concepts tels que des processus ou appareils à exécution continue ou de flux de données servant à la communication entre différents appareils. En raison de leur importance, il est crucial que les langages de programmation soient capables d'adéquatement définir les structures infinies. Ce mémoire étudie le concept de comotifs qui permettent de représenter les structures infinies d'une façon duale aux définitions usuelles de données finies. Ce concept est intégré dans une extension du langage d'appel par valeur empilée de Levy. Nous présentons un algorithme de couverture pour …  Lire la suite

The physical properties of oxide melts are complex functions of temperature and composition. Both the molar volume and electrical conductivity of liquid oxides are strongly dependent on changes in its structure. Two semi-empirical models (molar volume and electrical conductivity) are proposed to reproduce the available experimental data for these physical properties, each as a function of changes in structure. Changes in molten oxide structure are calculated from the Modified Quasichemical Model (MQM) implemented in FactSage using the FToxid database. The molar volume model can reproduce the available experimental data with a high degree of accuracy over all composition and temperature …  Lire la suite

The bandwidth bottleneck present in the access level of optical networks stimulated research, leading to novel topologies, including passive optical networks. In parallel, the increasing processing power of digital systems led to a similar bottleneck in chip-to-chip and board-to-board communications. Guided-wave optical interconnection on printed-circuit boards is viewed as a potential solution. This thesis outlines the design, implementation, and testing of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-based optical transmitter in 0.18mum CMOS usable for both applications. Optical transmitter architectures are reviewed and a suitable topology is proposed. The implementation includes an original dual power-rail layout for reduced power consumption. A detailed …  Lire la suite

This thesis contributes to the field of instrument augmentation, with a focus on trumpet augmentation. Augmented instruments are acoustic instruments onto which electronics (such as sensors) have been mounted for the purpose of controlling digital sounds. Trumpets make ideal candidates for augmentation. They have both spare performer "bandwidth", conducive to interaction, and spare physical space, affording augmentation.The underlying concepts of augmented instrument design are explored, followed by a review and discussion of existing augmented trumpets. There are common aspects to many of these examples, such as the use of buttons placed at or near the left-hand playing position and the …  Lire la suite

High dose rate brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy where a radioactive source is temporarily placed via catheters into or near the tumor. This close contact with the area to be treated allows a very efficient dose delivery. However, radiation sources used in conventional brachytherapy provide rotationally symmetric dose distributions, which often does not permit good tumor conformity. This can result in dose spillage to the surrounding radiation-sensitive organs, which increases the risk of negative side effects. By incorporating dynamically-rotating metallic shields around the brachytherapy source, intensity-modulated brachytherapy opens the possibility to deliver more conformal dose distributions.Worldwide, colorectal cancer is …  Lire la suite

The diophantine equation sp2 + y sp3 = z sp5 eqno(1) as an infinite number of integer solutions with gcd(x,y,z) = 1. Call (F, G, H) a parametrised solutions of (1) if F, G, and H are non-trivial homogeneous polynomials in Q (s, t) with gcd(F, G, H) = 1 and $F(s, t) sp2 + G(s, t) sp3 = H(s, t) sp5$ for all s, t $ in$ Z. The integer solutions of (1) may be written as a disjoint union of parametrised solutions. A theorem of Beukers states that the number N of such parametrised solutions is finite. However, …  Lire la suite

This study seeks to explain the relationship between civic associations and attitudinal social capital---norms of trust and reciprocity---within the context of an authoritarian state. In contrast to many post-industrial nations, Nigeria boasts a vibrant civil society but seems to possess little attitudinal social capital. A deeper understanding of this relationship is offered by considering how an association's structure influences members' attitudes and how this relationship is impacted by a repressive regime. These relationships are tested using both statistical data and a qualitative study of three associations. The findings support the hypothesis that certain structural characteristics are more conducive to the …  Lire la suite

Le codage audio moderne exploite les propriétés du système auditif humain de manière à coder efficacement la parole et la musique. Le codage en domaine perceptuel est une branche du codage audio dans lequel le signal est enregistré et transmis sous forme d'un ensemble de paramètres provenant directement d'un modèle du système auditif humain. La représentation perceptuelle est souvent conçue pour que la reconstruction puisse être réalisée avec des ressources limitées, mais cela requiert généralement l'inclusion de certaines informations perceptuellement non pertinentes. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions le codage perceptuel en utilisant une représentation destinée à ne contenir que l'information …  Lire la suite

The process of suppressing acoustic noise in audio signals, and speech signals in particular, can be improved by exploiting the masking properties of the human hearing system. These masking properties, where strong sounds make weaker sounds inaudible, are calculated using auditory models. This thesis examines both traditional noise suppression algorithms and ones that incorporate an auditory model to achieve better performance. The different auditory models used by these algorithms are examined. A novel approach, based on a method to remove a specific type of noise from audio signals, is presented using a standardized auditory model. The proposed method is evaluated …  Lire la suite

Surgical revascularization by either natural or synthetic grafts, as well as less invasive percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), with or without stent implantation, is currently used in the treatment of vascular diseases. Despite its less invasive nature, stent implantation remains limited by in-stent restenosis within the stent struts. Although systemic administration of therapeutic drugs has shown disappointing results, the local delivery or presentation of therapeutic molecules/drugs/genetic material is a promising area for development. The work that forms the basis of this thesis attempts to develop new devices or new strategies to achieve more efficient delivery of therapeutic biomacromolecules to the vascular …  Lire la suite

The Shasta Ag-Au deposit, located in the Toodoggone River area of north-central British Columbia, has many characteristics of the low sulphidation, adularia-sericite class of epithermal deposit. It consists of quartz-calcite stockworks and breccias, associated with potassic (K-feldspar + sericite) alteration of dacitic tuff host rocks. Ore grade mineralization occurs mainly in Bonanza-style breccias which host acanthite, electrum and native silver, associated with pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, chlorite and hematite. However, Shasta lacks vein-hosted adularia, and the highest grades of ore are associated with calcite-rich breccias, which are features atypical of the adularia-sericite class. Hydrothermal breccias, chalcedonic quartz and abundant vapour …  Lire la suite

In North America, research on the issues surrounding first language (L1) literacy, English literacy, and computer literacy has tended to focus on the learning needs of either adult literacy learners whose L1 is English or ESL learners who are literate in their L1. ESL Literacy adults, who have limited or no L1 or English (L2) literacy, have fallen in the gap created by language policy and the resulting language programs and services provided at the federal, state/provincial, and local levels. This study explores what ESL Literacy adults believe their needs are in relation to L1, English, and computer literacy. The …  Lire la suite

Proteus Syndrome is a rare overgrowth syndrome in which tumors are a prominent feature. Proteus syndrome comprises an association of asymmetrical gigantism, verrucous epidermal naevi, vascular malformations, hamartomas and hyperostosis. There is no known molecular basis for this overgrowth syndrome but several reports have suggested abnormalities of chromosome 1 could play a role and the abnormal regulation of growth factors could also be important. We obtained paired and unpaired DNA samples from seven cases of Proteus syndrome from Montreal and Greenwood Genetics Center, South Carolina. In all analyses, we compared simultaneously DNA from affected and unaffected areas from these children. …  Lire la suite

Poirier, Judes (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Concern-Oriented Reuse (CORE) est une approche de développement de logiciel axée sur la réutilisation qui se fonde sur des disciplines de l'ingénierie dirigée par les modèles, les lignes de produits logiciels et des techniques orientées aspect. CORE définit des larges unités de réutilisation appelées des préoccupations où les modèles de fonctions y jouent un rôle central. Ils représentent la variabilité encapsulé dans une préoccupation. Ils sont utilisés comme base pour le calcul de l'impact sur les qualités et les propriétés non-fonctionnelles de configurations spécifiques. Ils établissent aussi un lien vers les modèles de réalisation qui mettent en œuvre la fonctionnalité …  Lire la suite

Conspecific brood parasitism is a reproductive strategy wherein a female (parasite) lays her eggs in the nest of a second female (host) of the same species. Brood parasitism is generally perceived as an easy way to gain fitness because the host incubates the eggs and rears the young. Natural selection should favour tactics that will give parasites the highest potential for reproductive success. This thesis examines host traits and nest-site characteristics which act as cues used for nest selection by brood parasitic Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator) at Tern Islands in Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick. In Chapter 2, we used …  Lire la suite

The E4orf4 protein of adenovirus type 5 has been shown to induce p53-independent apoptosis. The only known function of E4orf4 is to bind to the Balpha subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). A series of experiments were performed with both wild-type and mutant forms of E4orf4 to examine Balpha subunit binding and cell killing following introduction into p53-deficient cells. Deletion mutant analysis indicated residues 12--18 and 103--114 were not required for cell killing. Point mutant analysis indicated that residues required for Balpha binding and cell killing are dispersed throughout the E4orf4 sequence. Analysis of these results showed that binding to …  Lire la suite

Le cancer de la prostate (CaP) est une cause majeure de décès en Amérique duNord. Or, les mécanismes de progression demeurent obscurs. Le laboratoire d'accueil arapporté la surexpression de la tyrosine kinase FER dans le CaP comparativement à laprostate bénigne, et son accumulation dans le noyau des cellules tumorales de haut grade.In vitro, FER contribue à la survie et la croissance des cellules du CaP. La recherche despartenaires de FER a conduit à la découverte de l'actine et de sa phosphorylation surtyrosine (pY), une première chez les cellules de mammifères. Dans cette étude, nousdémontrons que les niveaux de pY-actine corrèlent …  Lire la suite

L'intérêt de la caractérisation du régime permanent associé à l'équation du mouvement d'un système est connu depuis longtemps dans la littérature. De nombreuses méthodes numériques et analytiques ont été développées dans le but d'obtenir une solution proche de la solution exacte tout en minimisant les temps de calculs. En s'appuyant sur la méthode de résolution de Galerkin, ce mémoire présente une méthode dite de double intégration par parties (ou méthode DIBP de l'anglais double integration by parts) ayant pour but d'obtenir une approximation de la solution permanente de systèmes mécaniques en général et en particulier de ceux comportant des nonlinéarités …  Lire la suite

The purpose of the study was to develop an illustrated linear programmed text of badminton skills for grade nine girls and to evaluate whether this programme was more or less effective than the conventional teacher-directed method. The subjects were enrolled in the Mount Royal High School. One grade nine class of twenty subjects used the programmed text while another grade nine class of twenty-three followed traditional teacher-directed method. Both classes were pre-tested using two tests of badminton skills, the Miller Wall Volley and the Short Serve Tests. At the conclusion of fourteen instructional periods the two tests were repeated. Independent …  Lire la suite

Ce projet de recherche qualitative a eu pour but d'étudier différentes difficultés rencontrées par un groupe d'étudiants internationaux dans une université de langue anglaise à Montréal, Québec, Canada, ainsi que les facteurs qui, selon ces étudiants, les ont aidés ou pourraient les aider à avoir une meilleure expérience. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été effectuées avec chacun des participants. Parmi les expériences rapportées par les participants sont des difficultés liées à la langue, des difficultés liées aux études et au milieu universitaire, des difficultés d'ordre personnel et social, ainsi que des difficultés d'ordre culturel. Ces types de difficultés figurent également dans …  Lire la suite

Knowledge-based Cascade-correlation is a neural network algorithm that combines inductive learning and knowledge transfer (Shultz & Rivest, 2001). In the present thesis, this algorithm is tested on several real-world and artificial problems, and extended in several ways. The first extension consists in the incorporation of the Knowledge-based Artificial Neural Network (KBANN; Shavlik, 1994) technique for generating rule-based (RBCC) networks. The second extension consists of the adaptation of the Optimal Brain Damage (OBD; LeCun, Denker, & Solla, 1990) pruning technique to remove superfluous connection weights. Finally, the third extension consists in a new objective function based on information theory for controlling …  Lire la suite

Ce mémoire explore les dimensions spatiale et linguistique de l'œuvre récente de France Daigle, à partir des théories de la frontière élaborées depuis la fin des années 1990. Les études théoriques sur lesquelles s'appuie l'analyse (celles de Youri Lotman, de Sandro Mezzadra et Brett Neilson, de Martin Pâquet et Stéphane Savard) traduisent un même refus : celui de la clôture et de la fermeture immanentes à maintes conceptions de la frontière. Les théoriciens choisis statuent que la frontière a peu à voir avec la définition qui lui est communément attribuée, c'est-à-dire l'idée de limite, voire celle de fermeture. Ils la …  Lire la suite

Interactions between plant and virus proteins play pivotal roles in many processes during the viral infection cycle. Analysis of protein-protein interactions is crucial for understanding virus and host protein functions and the molecular mechanisms underlying viral infection. Several interactions between virus-encoded proteins have been reported. However, few interactions between viral and plant proteins have been identified so far. To examine interactions between Turnip mosaic potyvirus (TuMV) proteins and plant proteins, recombinant proteins were produced and used in ELISA-type assays and in in vitro co-immunoprecipitation experiments. An interaction between TuMV P1 proteinase and wheat poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) was identified. An interaction …  Lire la suite

Jabaji, Suha (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Milne, Simon (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Reinforcement Learning is a widely used framework for sequential decision making in many domains such as robotics and video games. However, its use in the real-world remains limited due, in part, to the high variance of value function estimates, leading to poor sample complexity. Regularization is a cornerstone tool of modern Machine Learning designed to reduce variance of the target estimates by adding inductive bias to the model. Temporal Regularization induces the following inductive bias: temporally close data points should have similar predictions.In this thesis, we introduce and analyze the concept of Temporal Regularization in Reinforcement Learning. First, we demonstrate …  Lire la suite

This dissertation tries to study the reign of al-Qadir billah, the `Abbasid caliph who assumed power in 381/991. It deals with political, economic and religious aspects of his reign in an attempt to give a balanced description of his achievement. When al-Qadir was appointed caliph the `Abbasid caliphate had already declined politically and economically. The political decline was caused mainly by the soldiers' intervention in politics since the reign of al-Mutawakkil (232/847--247/851) onwards and the take over of the state administration and military control by the amir al-umara. The economic decline resulted from two important factors: first, it was caused …  Lire la suite

This study addresses the question of the nature of indigenous people's connection to the land, and the implications of this for articulating these connections in legal arenas where questions of Aboriginal title and land claims are at issue. The idea of 'place' is developed, based in a phenomenology of dwelling which takes profound attachments to home places as shaping and being shaped by ontological orientation and social organization. In this theory of the 'senses of place', the author emphasizes the relationships between meaning and power experienced and embodied in place, and the social systems of property and territory that forms …  Lire la suite

This thesis is devoted to branching rules for Lie algebras, that is the description of decompositions of algebra representations upon restriction to a subalgebra, and consists of three major parts. In the first part the Weyl orbit-orbit branching rules are calculated for all classical simple Lie algebra - maximal regular reductive subalgebra pairs: Cm+n⊃Cm⊕C n, Dm+n⊃Dm⊕D n, Bm+n⊃Dm⊕B n, Am+n+1⊃Am⊕An⊕ u1, Bm+1⊃Bm⊕u1 , Cm+1⊃Am⊕u1 , Dm+1⊃Dm⊕u1 , Dm+1⊃Am⊕u1 . The branching rules are given in terms of integrity bases and compatibility rules. In the second part we use results from the first part to derive the complete branching rules (i.e. …  Lire la suite

Cumming, Julie Emelyn (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Fujinaga, Ichiro (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite

L'association nationale regroupant les professionnels en ergothérapie du Canada s'attend à ce que les diplômés et les cliniciens fassent preuve des connaissances, des compétences et des attitudes requises pour exercer une pratique basée sur des données probantes (PBDP). Une telle pratique repose sur une démarche décisionnelle associant expertise, et expérience clinique aux données scientifiques à la disposition des cliniciens et aux choix de chaque client. Même si les programmes universitaires sont orientés vers la rédaction de cursus favorisant l'acquisition de compétences associées à une PBDP, il n'existe à l'heure actuelle aucune directive pour guider le personnel enseignant dans l'élaboration d'un …  Lire la suite

Sharifi, Mehdi (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

In recognition of the fact that communications commonly are considered to be essential to effective disaster preparedness and response, the present study addresses several related themes concerning the role of communications infrastructures--i.e., equipment facilities on the one hand, and established patterns of interpersonal relationships among government decision-makers and industry representatives on the other--in peacetime emergency communications planning and response processes. Its investigative tasks include the choice to apply the implicit guiding model in North American emergency management, namely, the "command-and-control" theoretical model, to a specific single-country peacetime disaster context: the Canadian case. That choice rests upon a recognition of the …  Lire la suite

There is currently a glaring absence of critical discourse surrounding the integration of information communications technologies in schools. Despite a growing body of literature showing that technology has both advantages and disadvantages, schools are incorporating ICT as if it were a panacea for educational and societal ills. This deification of ICT is based on utilitarian concerns and spiritual yearnings. The first chapter situates the author and outlines how the larger technology metanarrative has a mythic status. Chapter two situates the appeal to utilitarian and spiritual values in the wider culture. The final chapter examines how these issues are played out …  Lire la suite

St. Augustine believed that we are created to aspire to a perfection that aligns our relationships in such a way that we function out of a sense of respect for ourselves and the universe in which we live. In so doing we explore the possibilities of creativity and happiness. His thinking moved from the context of classical Greek thought into a Christian one. By living and recording the dilemma of being unable to act as his intellect mandated, he developed an innovative concept of will. He believed that we are motivated to act through our loves but we have a …  Lire la suite

Using a dog model, two experimental groups were defined. In group 1, the common peroneal nerve of the right hind limb was cut and repaired microsurgically 12 cm from the tibialis anterior muscle (fast muscle). Electrodes (applied to the muscle) and an Itrel pulse generator were implanted, and electrical stimulation (ES) was delivered at 85 Hz,.45 msec pulse duration, 10.5 V, 1.5 sec every 24 sec (n = 4). Group 2 was similar except there was no ES (n = 5). Comparing the experimental side to the normal contralateral muscle, ES versus no ES resulted in a preservation of muscle …  Lire la suite

This thesis traces the evolution of Arab nationalism in Syria from 1908 to 1920. It attempts to determine when Arab nationalism was accepted as the primary focus of political 1oya1ty by the Syrian Arabs during this period and what reasons prompted the Syrian Arabs to support Arab nationa1ism. It was found that during the years from 1908 to 1918 Arab nationa1sim as a po1itica1 force came into being in Syria and was embraced by a few Syrian Arabs. At this time, however, the majority of Syrian Arabs of all classes rejected Arab nationalism and maintained their po1itica1 allegiance to the …  Lire la suite

One of the more important processes of Middle Eastern history is that of the transformation of the Ottoman Empire into the Turkish national state. The present dissertation demonstrates how Yusuf Akçura, a significant figure in this process, recognized in 1904 the forces making for the emergence of a Turkish nation and was the first to call for the political reconstruction of the Ottoman Empire on the basis of Turkish nationalism.  Lire la suite

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disabilities in children. It is a broad term that describes a set of conditions that is associated with major physical impairments and other developmental deficits and arises in the early stages of brain development. Children and youth with CP often experience limitations in everyday activities in different life situations.Participation in leisure activities is an important aspect of health, as described by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Engagement in leisure activities is essential for the development of a series of crucial competencies for a healthy development. Recently, …  Lire la suite

This dissertation advances a model which assumes extreme openness characterised by the absence of nontradables. The pivotal relative price is the real wage which is of central importance in the analysis of devaluation. The model incorporates a simple supply function on the basis that the supply response to a devaluation cannot be taken for granted because of structural factors and unstable expectations characteristic of the transitional period following a devaluation. The effects of devaluation depend on a combination of factors among which are highlighted capitalists' expectations of future stability and the constraints on disabsorption. Our analysis underlines the need for …  Lire la suite

Meta-analyses (MA) based on individual patient data (IPD) are regarded as the gold standard and are becoming increasingly common, having several advantages over MA of summary statistics. These analyses are being undertaken in an increasing diversity of settings, often having a binary outcome. Parameter estimation of generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), which are frequently used to perform inference on binary outcomes, is convoluted by intractable integrals in the marginal likelihood. Penalized quasi-likelihood (PQL) and adaptive Gauss-Hermite quadrature (AGHQ) are estimation methods commonly used in practice. However, few comparisons for the assessment of the performances of these estimation methods have been …  Lire la suite