McGill University Thèses et mémoires par auteur commençant par T

This study investigated the reproducibility of test results of the Langer Electrodynogram (EDG) foot sensor system which quantifies discrete pressures and temporal episodes at the interface of the foot and appropriate surface. In phase one of the study, the effects of transducer placement errors were evaluated by manipulating sensors. In the single subject studied, results suggested that placement errors of a single transducer within ${ pm1}$ cm from its original location do not significantly affect the temporal components of gait, though errors as low as ${ pm0.5}$ cm from an initial position significantly affected pressures. In phase two, ten healthy …  Lire la suite

L'amélioration de la technologie spatiale couplée avec un intérêt grandissant pour les minéraux contenus dans des corps extraterrestres ont conduit à un regain d'intérêt dans l'exploitation des dites ressources. Ainsi, de nombreuses entreprises privées se déclarent prêtes à se lancer dans cette « ruée vers l'or » extraterrestre. Certains États ont réagi en mettant en place les premiers éléments de législation sur l'exploitation minière dans l'Espace. Ils ont accordé des droits fonciers sur les minéraux extraits soit à des ressortissants de leur pays soit aux entités autorisées par eux dans la mesure où les ressources sont obtenues selon les normes …  Lire la suite

This thesis intends to describe the contemporary self as drawn by literary theory and writing practice. This objective implies defining the human being considering its history as well as studying its representation in narratives. In order to circumscribe today's self, we undoubtedly have to study its historical evolution. Exploring the diametrically opposed conceptions suggested by modernity and postmodernity will lead us to a better understanding of the hybrid composition of the contemporary self, which is characterized by a search for coherence and meaning to a multidimensional and constantly evolving individual. This definition, so far theoretical, will have to be confronted …  Lire la suite

This thesis is concerned with the experimental evaluation of the volumetric deformation of a two-phase medium at the microscopic level. The basic definitions of the significant parameters involved in the mechanical response behaviour of the structured medium are based on the concepts of Probabilistic Micromechanics. A simple phenomenological model and the leading structural parameter $ theta sb{s}$ (Solid phase volume fraction) are discussed briefly. The experimental work makes use of a series of macroscopic tests to attain different states of deformation so that the evolution of the internal microstructural changes can be analyzed. The combined use of ultramicrotomy techniques and …  Lire la suite

The inflammatory response due to chronic smoking in COPD patients has been well characterized with increases in CD3+ T lymphocytes. A murine model was chosen in our laboratory as a good model of human emphysema. The first part of my project was to characterize the lung inflammatory response via immunocytochemistry in each mouse strain exposed to chronic smoke inhalation for a six-month period. Several T lymphocyte subsets (i.e. naive, central memory and effector memory) have been characterized in the immune system both in humans and mice. These subsets have different homing potentials and effector functions, and can be identified with …  Lire la suite

A study of feasibility is performed for the development of a nowcasting method of aircraft icing conditions. The supercooled cloud water content is a key parameter for the determination of hazardous regions. The production of supercooled water in clouds is possible only where sufficiently strong updraft produces supersaturation with respect to water. However, to maintain the presence of supercooled droplets, the generation of moisture excess during the air uplift must exceed the rate of vapor deposition on snow and the rate of snow riming. The "storm of the century" (March 13-14, 1993) has been chosen as a good case of …  Lire la suite

This thesis contains five manuscripts concerning various problems in structural graph theory and graph searching. The problems all concern sparse graphs, either graphs with forbidden minors, with bounded maximum degree, or trees.First, we consider two variants of Hadwiger's conjecture on the chromatic number. Hadwiger's conjecture states that the number of colours required to properly colour the vertices of a graph (that is, adjacent vertices receive different colours) is at most the order of the largest complete graph we can obtain by contracting edges and deleting vertices (we call the obtained graph a minor of the original graph). Our variants are …  Lire la suite

La première partie de ce mémoire consiste en une traduction de l'espagnol au français d'environ la moitié des textes du recueil de nouvelles Las malas juntas, de l'écrivain chileno-canadien José Leandro Urbina. Cette œuvre importante d'un auteur renommé au Chili mais peu connu au Canada, parue pour la première fois en 1978 à Ottawa, n'avait jamais été traduite en français.La seconde partie du mémoire adopte une approche postcoloniale pour examiner dans un premier temps le rôle et la place de la traduction dans la production et la diffusion d'une littérature en espagnol au Québec et au Canada, et la façon …  Lire la suite

Animal studies have shown that duloxetine is a dual inhibitor of norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) reuptake. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of duloxetine on the 5-HT and NE reuptake processes in healthy human volunteers. Twenty-seven healthy young males were randomly assigned to one of four groups, receiving one of the following daily drug regimens: placebo, clomipramine (a potent 5-HT/NE reuptake blocker) 100 mg/day, duloxetine 20 mg/day, or duloxetine 60 mg/day. In order to assess the NE reuptake process, the pressor response to intravenous tyramine was measured. Determination of the whole blood 5-HT content was …  Lire la suite

While studying the unique Nramp1 (Slcl1a1)-independent susceptibility of BXH-2 mice to Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) infection, we noted that these mice develop splenomegaly associated with important infiltration of Mac-1+/GR-1+ (macrophage antigen-1 +/granulocyte differentiation antigen 1+) granulocyte precursors in spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow resembling a myeloproliferative syndrome. This syndrome was subsequently found to be independent of the BCG infection. Segregation analyses revealed that the myeloproliferative syndrome was controlled by a single recessive locus (Myls) mapping to a 9 megabases (Mb) region of chromosome 8. Myls contained one of the two replication-defective proviruses (Emv2) integrated into BXH-2 genome, and thought to …  Lire la suite

O'Donoughue, Louise S. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

Generally, a few days after an animal, or man, is exposed to natural infection or is subjected to active immunization, antibodies possessing the property of combining specifically with the homologous antigen, i.e. antigen responsible for the sensitization, appear in circulation (1). [...]  Lire la suite

The decay properties of the neutron deficient nuclei $ sp{144}$Gd, $ sp{142}$Gd, $ sp{ rm 141g}$Gd, $ sp{ rm 141m}$Gd and $ sp{140}$Gd are investigated in detail for the first time and the new beta decaying isomers $ sp{ rm 141g,m}$Gd, $ sp{141}$Tb(A) and $ sp{140}$Gd are discovered. A gas-jet recoil-transport system and a conversion electron spectrometer are designed and constructed in order to measure the electromagnetic transitions emitted following their decay. Levels schemes are deduced for the daughter nuclei $ sp{144}$Eu, $ sp{142}$Eu, $ sp{141}$Eu, $ sp{140}$Eu, and $ sp{141}$Gd and spin-parity assignments are established for several states. The …  Lire la suite

This study addressed computer-supported collaborative scientific inquiries in Remote Networked Schools. Three dyads of grade 5-6 classrooms from remote locations collaborated using the knowledge-buildng tool Knowledge Forum. Customized scaffold supports embedded in the online tool were used to support student understanding and practice of an authentic inquiry process. The study studied how the use of the scaffolds could help students to understand and put into practice an authentic inquiry process, how the students' collaborative problem solving could translate into a deeper understanding of the phenomena explored and if this could lead to conceptual change. Students created notes and used the …  Lire la suite

Rodriguez, Rosario (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

During reproduction, parents invest time and resources in their offspring. Situations in which a clutch requires a parent to invest too many resources can lead to clutch abandonment. This response can be adaptive or not depending on the relative importance of the clutch compared to the lifetime reproductive output of the parent. We define the relative importance of a clutch as its brood value. In the context of obligate brood parasitism, where a parasite lays their eggs in the nests of other species, some hosts use clutch abandonment as an antiparasitic response. In this thesis, I explore two perspectives that …  Lire la suite

Bipolar disorder is a major psychiatric condition that affects up to 1% of the general population and results in episodes of mania and depression. Genetic epidemiologic studies have consistently shown that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of bipolar disorder, however, the precise mechanisms that increase the susceptibility to this condition are not known. In the past three decades, several studies have been carried out hoping to identify major genes. However, conflicting results between and within studies that do not replicate previous findings have constituted a major problem. It is believed that part of this problem is …  Lire la suite

The genus Mycobacterium is best recognized for its pathogens M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, the etiologic agents of Tuberculosis and Leprosy. Sequencing of their genomes has revealed an evolutionary process of reductive genomics. Another common species, the M. avium complex (MAC), consists of both environmental isolates that can cause opportunistic infection in humans as well as pathogenic isolates that cause disease primarily in birds and livestock. The basis of this variation in disease phenotypes is unknown. Two genome sequences representing a pathogen of cattle, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and an opportunistic isolate from a human (M. avium subsp. hominissuis) …  Lire la suite

Thupten Langri (Internal/Cosupervisor2)  Lire la suite

Shahe Shnorhokian (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

Digestion of titaniferous slag (Sorelslag) with sulphuric acid was studied in an effort to optimise the process and develop a better understanding of its chemistry. Thermodynamic analysis of the digestion reaction was performed using the program F*A*C*T. A laboratory reactor was built to simulate the operation of an industrial slag digestion reactor. Microstructure examinations of digestion samples revealed the main phases present. Statistically designed experiments using the Box-Behnken technique were performed in the laboratory to correlate the responses (digestion yield, maximum temperature, solidification time, degree of Ti$ sb2$O$ sb3$ oxidation, sulphuric acid loss in the gas, active acid/titanium ratio and …  Lire la suite

Les canopées forestières peuvent abriter jusqu'à 50 % de la diversité mondiale et comme la canopée et le sol forestier ont des architectures différentes, la structure des assemblages d'arthropodes peut varier selon la strate. Cela a des répercussions sur l'aménagement forestier puisque les pratiques d'exploitation à long terme peuvent modifier la composition et la structure des forêts du nord-est de l'Amérique du Nord, et les arthropodes sont sensibles à ces différences. Bien que l'échantillonnage du couvert forestier soit de plus en plus courant, l'interaction entre l'aménagement forestier et la stratification verticale dans les forêts tempérées en Amérique du Nord est …  Lire la suite

We propose an approach, together with specific underlying techniques and a system to support these, for eliciting models of software development processes. Software process elicitation involves: gathering process information from the agents involved in a development process, from documents, and through observation; modeling this information; and verifying that the model built is consistent and complete. The elicited models can be used in process assessment and for identifying improvement opportunities, which could lead to improvement in product quality, delivery and costs. Process models can also be used for other purposes, such as measurement of software products and processes; insertion of software …  Lire la suite

La matière organique dissoute (DOM) est composée de particules dissoutes et colloïdales passant au travers un filtre de 0.45 Ilm. L'importance de DOM dans les sols est liée à son rôle dans la pédogenèse, les processus d'altération des minéraux, l'assimilation par les plantes et microbes, ainsi que l'acidification des plans d'eau et des sols.[...]  Lire la suite

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is operationally defined as soluble/colloidal material passing through a 0.45mum filter paper. The importance of DOM in soils relies on its role in soil formation and weathering processes, plant and microbial assimilation and soil and water acidification. However, the scientific community studying DOM still disagrees on whether fresh or humified material is the major source of DOM within the forest floor. One of the factors that could influence the overall importance of DOM production by organic horizons is its potential for biodegradability. In addition, the interaction occurring between the nutrients (i.e. nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) …  Lire la suite

Dans les populations qui sont soumises à une forte mortalité locale, l'immigration à court terme - via la relocalisation du domaine vital - a d'importantes implications pour la dynamique des métapopulations, l'exploitation soutenable des ressources, la lutte contre les espèces introduites et invasives et la conservation. Malgré son importance, il n'existe pas de théorie prédisant l'immigration dans une zone exploitée à partir d'une zone protégée adjacente. Il existe aussi très peu d'information sur les facteurs influençant l'intensité de l'immigration. J'ai développé un modèle d'immigration compensatoire afin de prédire les effets d'une réduction locale de la densité sur l'immigration en utilisant …  Lire la suite

The literature on the Quiet Revolution tends to present this important moment in the history of contemporary Quebec as resulting from the actions of an enlightened class, the new middle class, who wished to make Quebec a modern society. The objective of this thesis is to criticise this elitist and essentialist interpretation of social change. It proposes a conceptual alternative that could take into consideration the profound mutation in state and society relations between 1944 and 1960, a mutation that facilitated the advent of the welfare state in Quebec. Based on a theory of civil society as a sphere of …  Lire la suite

Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked immunoglobulin superfamily, member 1 (IGSF1) gene cause central hypothyroidism. IGSF1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein of unknown function. It is expressed in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) producing thyrotrope cells of the anterior pituitary gland. The protein is co-translationally cleaved into N- and C-terminal domains (NTD and CTD). The CTD is trafficked to the plasma membrane, whereas the NTD is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Most intragenic IGSF1 mutations in patients map to the CTD. To better understand IGSF1 function, we used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to introduce a loss-of-function mutation into the IGSF1-CTD in mice. The modified …  Lire la suite

It is generally recognized that simple harmonic ratios among partials promote their perceptual fusion. However, the influence of parallel gliding in log frequency upon fusion is not understood. The present experiment investigated fusion in relation to different types of parallel and non-parallel log-frequency motion of three concurrent tonal glides. The main hypothesis was that parallel motion on log-frequency-by-time coordinates favors fusion. It was reasoned that a higher degree of fusion of the glides evokes fewer auditory images. Fusion was thus measured by asking eighteen subjects to rate the number of distinct sounds perceived in various gliding stimuli. On test trials, …  Lire la suite

The cross-spectral grouping of complex sounds was investigated with the rhythmic masking release (RMR) paradigm. RMR involves the discrimination of one of two possible rhythms, despite perceptual masking of the rhythm by an irregular sequence of sounds identical to the rhythmic sounds that are interleaved among them. The rhythm can be released from masking by inducing the perceptual fusion of the irregular interfering sounds with concurrent "flanking" sounds situated in different frequency regions. The accuracy of the identified rhythm and its rated clarity in a two-alternative forced-choice procedure measured the degree of cross-spectral fusion of the interfering sounds with the …  Lire la suite

Greenwood, Celia M T (Supervisor1)  Lire la suite

In (HLR86), Harder et al. presented a proof of the Tate conjecture, an important conjecture in the field of arithmetic geometry, for the non-CM part of the cohomology of Hilbert modular surfaces. In this thesis, we present a general strategy for a study of the Tate conjecture for some unitary Shimura varieties. As in the work cited above, we do this by studying the notion of distinction. Distinction on a unitary group is related to distinction on a general linear group through a comparison of relative trace formulas. In the latter setting, work of Jacquet and his collaborators has led …  Lire la suite

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging modality used to acquire functional images. When several images are acquired at different time frames, the scan is considered dynamic, and the result is a movie showing where and how the imaging agents accumulated inside the patient. Dynamic PET is a valuable tool for staging and diagnosing of cancer, cerebral injuries and neurological disorders. To perform quantitative analysis on dynamic images, the imaging agent concentration in the arteries, known as the arterial input function (AIF), is required. The clinical standard to acquire the AIF is through invasive blood sampling. Unfortunately, the …  Lire la suite

Depuis que Brillat-Savarin énnonça l'adage maintenant bien connu «dis moi ce que tu manges et je te dirais ce que tu es,» plusieurs penseurs et critiques se sont penchés sur la relation complexe entre les questions identitaires et les pratiques alimentaires. L'endroit où l'on observe cette coorelation le plus visiblement est sans aucun doute dans les cuisines dites 'nationales.' Cette thèse a pour but d'examiner le processus par lequel la communauté Québécoise en est venue à indentifier certaines pratiques gastronomiques comme étant significatives de son identité nationale et propose une méthode de lecture de ce 'language gastronomique.' Adoptant une approche …  Lire la suite

La maladie de Huntington (MH) est une affection mortelle caractérisée par une expansion polyglutaminique de longueur >35Q à l'extrémité N-terminale du gène de la huntingtine (HTT). Dans la maladie de Huntington, l'augmentation de la longueur des répétitions correspond à une apparition plus précoce et à une sévérité accrue de la neurodégénérescence. La huntingtine (htt) est une protéine de grande taille (350 kDa) qui relie les protéines adaptatrices et motrices aux cargos vésiculaires. La htt et la protéine associée à la huntingtine 1 (HAP1) interagissent pour recruter et réguler des protéines motrices, la kinésine-1 et la dynéine, responsables du transport de …  Lire la suite

L'essai immunoenzymatique de type ELISA est la technique de pointe actuelle pour détecter les protéines peu abondantes qui circulent dans le plasma et les antibiotiques et pour en mesurer la concentration. Bien que l'analyse ELISA fournisse des mesures précises, elle détecte une seule protéine à la fois. Le dosage sandwich multiplex a été développé pour mesurer plusieurs protéines dans un échantillon complexe. L'ACM (Antibody Colocalization Microarray) est une nouvelle méthode de multiplexage qui élimine les risques de réactivité croisée des réactifs provoqués par le mélange. Elle repose sur la colocalisation physique précise d'anticorps de capture et d'anticorps de détection aux …  Lire la suite

Cette thèse présente un fonctionnement de montée par paliers quasi-statique pour PAW (plateforme à roues ambulatoires), qui est un robot à détection minimale, quadrupède, équipé de roues aux extrémités distales de ses jambes. Avant le travail entrepris dans cette thèse, PAW pouvait juste utiliser une manœuvre de saut pour des motifs de franchissement d'obstacles. En développant un fonctionnement de montée par paliers quasi-statique dans cette thèse, les habiletés de négociation d'obstacle du robot ont été augmentées. Dans ce travail, la méthodologie de commande, avec les paramètres correspondants, est déterminé et la machine état de la manœuvre est développé. Dans la …  Lire la suite

The overall objective of this study was to develop a fluorescent chemosensor for cAMP by creating recognition sites for cAMP, that contain a fluorescent molecule, in a polymer matrix by molecular imprinting. Such a fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer may, therefore, serve as both the recognition element and the measuring element for the fluorescent detection of cAMP in aqueous media. Two new fluorescent molecules, known as 4-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)pyridinium salts or dyes, were synthesized as possible fluorescent components of a chemosensor. Upon excitation at 469 run, dye 1, trans-4-( p-N,N-dimethylaminostyryl)-N-vinylbenzyl-pyridinium chloride, displays a dramatic quantum yield enhancement in an emission band centered at …  Lire la suite

This essay analyzes the changing portrayal of Yugoslavia's World War II experience in music, film, and literature. It argues that the disappearance of unifying themes from the cultural sphere opened the doors to the popularization of controversial and divisive subjects. Shifting perceptions of how Yugoslavs fought and survived the Second World War contributed to the destruction of Yugoslavia. The first chapter focuses on World War II in Yugoslavia. The second chapter discusses the early development of Yugoslav culture and its dependence on the Second World War. The third chapter follows the development of Yugoslav culture through the 1960s and 1970s …  Lire la suite

In axial electrofiltration, a DC electric field is imposed between a rotating inner cylinder and a stationary outer cylinder giving rise to four mechanisms which act to minimize solute accumulation at the filter surface: turbulence, centrifugal force, electrophoresis and shear stress which removes solute aggregates. Four dynamic membranes, Zr(IV) oxide, calcium oleate, poly-2-vinylpyridine and cadmium sulfide, were used to filter bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a disodium phosphate solution at pH = 8 and Prussian blue in distilled water. Prussian blue is a particle of 0.01(mu)m diameter with a zeta potential of -41mV while BSA is a macromolecule of 69,000 …  Lire la suite

Turner, Benjamin (Supervisor2)  Lire la suite

Cyr, Daniel G (Internal/Supervisor)  Lire la suite