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Market demand for housing changes over time, in response to the wants and needs of both individuals and society. Changes in socio-demographics highlight the emergence of non-traditional households in Canada and influence the configuration of a house (or product) which meets buyers' individual requirements. In turn, this affects the design approach (or process). At the same time, society today requires sustainability in housing development, since building a house consumes large amounts of energy during construction and after occupancy. / Technology that improves the cost and performance of housing has advanced over time. Although some innovative design and construction systems (or approaches) that attempt to meet societal and individual demands for housing are available in today's market, homebuilders tend not to apply unfamiliar approaches to their housing developments, since their business operation is often based on convention. Another reason, which inhibits a builder's adoption of new housing technology, is the extra cost required for seeking and analysing information. Thus, the homebuilders' decision-making processes for the adoption of 'familiar' and 'unfamiliar' design and construction systems (or housing systems) which affect the configuration of housing need to be well programmed. / Accordingly, this study, composed of four parts, focuses initially on identifying housing market trends and issues in Quebec, as well as introducing the new concept of mass customisation that encourages homebuilders to standardise parts of a house---i.e. the creation of mass custom homes. Then, in consideration of this new concept, as well as a value analysis approach that helps facilitate homebuilders' buying decisions, it proposes a choice model for the design and construction approaches to the delivery of 'lower-cost and higher-performance' housing. Thirdly, to assess its practicality, the proposed decision-making model is demonstrated in collaboration with a selected homebuilder in Quebec. Finally, the results of this study are discussed in depth in order to identify future research opportunities. / In view of the demonstration project conducted in this study, the author concluded that the proposed 'choice model' could function effectively as a practical decision-making support tool (or system) that helps open the door for homebuilders to generate and select alternatives that aid them to produce lower-cost and higher-performance housing. As a consequence of programming the homebuilders' buying decision-making process, the goal identification uncertainty and goal/purchase matching uncertainty, which often hinder their adoption of unfamiliar, innovative housing systems, could be reduced, or eliminated.

The use of plastic mulches in producing red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is relatively new to Quebec and management techniques need to be further developed in terms of nitrogen (N) fertilization as well as insect and disease control. A research project was undertaken in the 1995 and 1996 growing seasons to compare peppers grown on black and on silver mulches, and fertigated using either the conventional method (weekly N-fertigated) or N-fertigated using diagnostic chlorophyll meter readings. Both fertigation treatments resulted in similar yields, although those fertilized according to the chlorophyll meter received 28 to 42 kg N/ha less than the weekly fertilized treatments. The chlorophyll meter was able to detect N deficiencies. Alate aphid populations were significantly reduced by mulches, especially by the silver mulch in both years. However, apterous aphid populations were increased by mulches, most markedly by the black mulch. No significant effect of mulch or N was found on tarnished plant bug or European corn borer populations, or on the percentage of fruit with sunscald or viral symptoms.

The most northeasterly population of wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta ) was studied during 1996 and 1997 in Quebec, Canada. A total of 188 turtles (55 males, 83 females, and 50 immatures) was captured, measured and marked for future identification. The adult sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1. Males were significantly larger than females for measures of carapace length, 214.5 and 201 mm, respectively. Wood turtles from northern populations are larger than those from southern regions. The population density was estimated to be 0.44 turtles/hectare. Courtship occurred in the spring but was more common in the fall. Nesting occurred in mid-June with nesting activity taking place at all times of the day but more frequently in early morning and evening. Females migrated over 3 km to a nesting area and exhibited nest fidelity. Sixty-six percent of turtles nested in 2 consecutive yr and these females were significantly larger than turtles that nested in only 1 yr of the study. There was no mammalian predation but, some arthropods were suspected of being predators. Mean clutch size was 10.1 (range = 5--20) eggs. Comparisons with other populations of C. insculpta are also made.

An evaluation of the impact of the nutritional program "Mangeons en coeur" was conducted with 64 participants in this program. The two study objectives were to measure any changes in the dietary intake of program participants and to evaluate the performance of a food habits questionnaire in evaluating change in fat intake at the individual level. The dietary evaluation by the diet history indicated no change in the total intake of lipids (31% of energy as lipids) over the course of the program. Comparisons of the total lipid intake as measured by the diet history and food habits questionnaire indicated significant correlations at both baseline and at the end of the program.

This dissertation examines the evolution of the urban tissues of Quebec City's "faubourgs." It présents a diachronic morphological analysis of the structuration of the residential tissues of these neighborhoods between 1608 and 2001. It also provides a synchronic analysis of the syntax of the tissues as well as an architectural typology describing the main architectural types in terms of genesis and processes of derivation in successive types. Finally, it examines the practices of different groups of agents and their impacts on morphological change, while stressing the social and economic conditions under which these agents acted. The study is intended as a contribution to the fields of Urban Morphology and Urban History. This case study is among the first to apply in a North American context the theoretical framework and methods developed by the Italian school of process typology. It proposes also to envision morphological transformation through a theory of practice. Drawing heavily on cartographie documentation, urban iconography, and archival material on land development from notarial and religious sources, this urban morphogenetic study posits that the formation of the urban tissue can be better understood as the outeome of a dialectical interplay between purposeful planning practices, everyday "spontaneous" practices, and structurally resilient settlement configurations and urban form inherited from the past.

This thesis contains a study of the legal rules governing the transmission and change of the surname in Quebec civil law. It undertakes to shed light, by means of a psychoanalytical approach, on the regime for the attribution and change of surname, notably on law reform initiatives in the Province since the onset of the 80s. Contemporary norms in Quebec in respect of the name depart from the classical features of the civilian tradition in that the role played by human will appear indeed to be preponderant in Quebec, be it as to assignment or change of name. This characteristic is likely to affect the normal functioning of the naming process by turning it into a battlefield upon which unresolved incestuous and narcissic tendencies are at play. Whilst the naming scene is in process of privatisation, state actors remain however principally as sanction takers toward parents.

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Faunistic composition and population dynamics of chrysopids were investigated in two old fields in Quebec. Nine species were collected; Chrysopa oculata Say and Chrysopa chi Fitch are dominant and resident. / Parasitism due to Chrysopophthorus americanus Mason has little effect on the reproductive potential of C. oculata and C. chi populations. However, embryonic mortality, resulting from autosomal translocations, is a major mortality factor in both species. Their karyotypes are described and developmental studies conducted on them and Chrysopa lineaticornis Fitch are reported. / Inheritance of wing and cephalic characters was investigated in C. oculata. A population genetics study revealed seasonal selection against the allelic gene B (black gradates) and superior fitness of its recessive counterpart b (green gradates). A meiotic drive mechanism also favors the b allele, and the allele A determining "facial band" expression. / Chrysopa chi exhibits obligatory and facultative prepupal diapause. The field population, however, is primarily univoltine. Voltinism is controlled by two independently segregating autosomal genes; the recessive alleles, in the homozygous state, determine obligatory diapause and, consequently, univoltinism. Diapause termination is reported.

The potential of grain amaranth production in southwestern Quebec was studied. Twenty-nine cultivars were evaluated in single row plots, and seven in mechanically managed plots. Yields averaged 27 g plant-1 in single row plots, and 649 kg ha-1 in mechanically managed plots. Another set of experiments evaluated different seeding dates, row spacings, seeding rates and nitrogen fertilization rates. Seeding date and nitrogen fertilization affected grain yield in one environment, and seeding rate and row spacing did not affect yield. Grains in all experiments required drying. These experiments suggest that grain amaranth could be cultivated in southwestern Quebec. Oxalate concentration and form were determined in seeds from the cultivar, seeding date and nitrogen fertilization trials, and the effects of cooking on oxalate were evaluated. Fertilization increased oxalate concentration, seeding date had no effects, and cooking increased soluble oxalate. Grain amaranth is high in oxalate, but its absorbability is probably low.