Master’s thesis deals with the issue of electronic filtering circuits with arbitrary frequency characteristics. First part of the thesis describes theoretical basis. Second part explores the possibilities of design procedures for filters with arbitrary frequency characteristics. Design procedures are demonstrated on examples accordingly to the presented methods, including their circuit implementation and computer simulation to verify the correctness of theoretical assumptions. Thesis also explores the possibilities of tuning circuit structures and electronic setting for characteristics using controllable active elements.

Im Jahr 2013 ist es dem IceCube-Experiment gelungen, einen Fluss von Neutrinos extraterrestrischen Ursprungs nachzuweisen, und damit das Neutrino als weiteres kosmisches Botenteilchen zu etablieren. Die Frage nach dem Ursprung der Neutrinos, die einen komplementären Blick auf die Quellen bieten, kann möglicherweise die alte Frage nach dem Ursprung der kosmischen Strahlung lösen. Zeitunabhängige Suchen nach Neutrinoquellen konnten bisher keine einzelnen Kandidaten isolieren. Zeitlich veränderliche Quellen kommen daher als Ursprung in Betracht. IceCube ermöglicht es, kontinuierlich den gesamten Himmel nach aufflackernden Neutrinoquellen abzusuchen und die astronomische Gemeinschaft schnellstmöglich zu benachrichtigen. In dieser Arbeit wird die Echtzeitidentifikation und -rekonstruktion von Myonneutrinokandidaten mit IceCube verbessert. Die erreichte Sensitivität ist mit etablierten nicht-Echtzeit Analysen vergleichbar. Kontinuierlich vom Experiment am Südpol übermittelte Informationen werden sofort auf bemerkenswerte Ereignisse hin analysiert. Bekannte astrophysikalische Quellen von Gammastrahlung werden auf Neutrinoemission hin beobachtet. Eine verallgemeinerte Methode erlaubt die Suche nach Signalen überall, unbeeinflusst von vorher bekannten Quellen. Weiterhin werden die hochenergetischsten Neutrinokandidaten, die wahrscheinlich astrophysikalischen Ursprungs sind, sofort identifiziert und global bekannt gemacht. Abschließend werden die Suchalgorithmen am Beispiel zweier Blazare demonstiert, 1ES 1959+650 und TXS 0506+56. In letzterem Fall wurden erstmals Anzeichen für eine Quelle hochenergetischer, kosmischer Neutrinos gefunden. Die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit entwickelte Infrastruktur erlaubt es, die astronomische Gemeinschaft auf signifikante Neutrinoereignisse, oder sich entwickelnde Neutrinocluster hinzuweisen. Auch die zügige Suche nach Neutrinos in Reaktion auf interessante astrophysikalische Ereignisse, wie z.B. Gravitationswellen, ist möglich. / The discovery of an flux of neutrinos of astrophysical origin with the IceCube experiment in 2013 has broadened our understanding of cosmic messengers and opened a new window on the universe. By addressing the newly pertinent question about their sources, neutrinos can provide a complementary view on cosmic accelerators and may help solving the long-standing puzzle of the origin of the cosmic rays. As traditional time-integrated searches for sources of neutrinos have not been able to isolate individual candidates, variable and transient sources shift into focus. IceCube's design allows to continuously search the entire sky for neutrino flares, and alert the community with the lowest possible latency in the case of a detection. This thesis improves the identification and reconstruction of muon neutrino candidates with IceCube in real-time, achieving a sensitivity comparable to dedicated offline analyses. The stream of neutrino candidates is analyzed for interesting events in order to alert partner experiments and inspire follow-up observations. First, known gamma-ray emitters are monitored for time-variable neutrino emission. Second, a generalization of this method monitors the entire sky for neutrino flares, regardless of pre-defined source lists. Third, the most-energetic neutrino candidates with the highest chance to be of astrophysical origin are selected for alerts. Eventually, the search methods are applied to the blazars 1ES 1959+650 and TXS 0506+056. In the latter case, evidence for source of high-energetic, astrophysical neutrinos was found for the first time. The infrastructure built in this work allows to notify the community whenever significant neutrino events are recorded, or significant flares develop on time-scales from days to weeks. It also allows to quickly perform neutrino follow-up searches in response to interesting astrophysical events, such as the observation of gravitational waves.

In the environmental impact assessment (EIA) field, much attention is paid to the process leading up to the granting of an environmental authorization, but very little is given to what happens after the consent decision is granted. This study aimed to address this lack through the implementation of an EIA follow-up procedure in a region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Follow-up focused on assessing the amount of non-compliance with EIA consent conditions as well as the overall impact that projects had had on the environment. The results of this follow-up process were then used to develop a risk screening tool that could be used to screen out new EIA applications that were likely to require follow-up to control default or impact. Projects that showed the greatest amount of default were those submitted by local municipal proponents for basic infrastructure type activities such as sewage treatment works and low-income housing developments. Private companies that compete in the open market presented the lowest default risk. Default with consent conditions ranged between 0% and 100% with an average rate of default of 49%. The overall environmental impact for the majority (58%) of projects followed-up on was low (on a 5 point scale of low to high), with only 1% of projects scoring high on impact. The study found a moderate positive correlation between default and impact (rs = 0.48) although a significant percentage (39%) of projects scored high on default but low on impact. Follow-up appears to have had a positive effect on reducing the average amounts of default and to a lesser extent the degree of impact. The risk screening tool developed is promising with statistically significant matches between predicted and actual default and impact scores for three out of the four test samples. / Geography / D. Phil. (Geography)

A death in research exacerbates the lack of knowledge and information in respect of the needs and life view of the aged. Two studies were conducted in this population group with specific reference to the 'once-off interview'. Information was gathered using interview schedules focusing on therapeutic skills of social workers working within the system which cares for the aged. Results of a pilot study and an expanded study were compared in order to establish the inter-relationship between the. needs of the elderly, their elemental experiences in line with Bloom's theory (1984), and the role of the social worker. Findings revealed that the majority of "discontinuances" after the first interview were because the needs of the elderly clients had in fact been met. The need for day care services, transport and the expansion of the 'home help' facility was highlighted to enable the elderly to retain their independence in the community / Social Science / M.A. (Social Science: Mental Health)

The aim of the study is to determine the nature and utilisation of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in a white-collar work environment, and, more specifically, in a South African context. Information about the research topic was obtained from accumulate records of the Standard Bank's Employee Well-being Programme (EWP), structured interviews which were conducted with eleven EWP practitioners and a union representative, and from self-administered questionnaires which were completed by a sample of 153 of the bank's employees. The study includes an in-depth literature review on EAPs in general and issues such as the nature and scope of the bank's EWP, the extent to which the EWP addresses employees' needs, the nature and extent of the marketing of the EWP, and the extent to which the workforce is utilising the programme, were explored and described. The main findings are that the EWP shows evidence of acceptance by employees as well as a degree of utilisation that compares favourably with local and international trends. It also shows an incongruence between marketing and employee orientation and training initiatives and reveals that programme evaluation efforts are insufficient and could be significantly improved. Accordingly, recommendations have been made pertaining to the needs of employees, employee and union involvement, a multi-disciplinary approach to case management, marketing, training and evaluation with regard to the EWP, an EWP database, and a post-treatment follow-up. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

This study was conducted to determine retention rate and factors associated with loss to follow-up (LTFU) of adult pre-ART patients in St. Luke hospital, Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study with quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques was used. Review of patient records, focus group discussions and review of program guidelines was conducted to determine level of adherence among pre-ART patients. In addition, pre-ART service quality and perceived reasons for discontinuation was explored. The study revealed that only 38.2% of the 335 patients enrolled in the pre-ART care were retained after 12 months of follow-up in the program. More than half (55.6%), of the LTFU occurred during the first 6 months of follow-up. Fear of discrimination, high transportation cost and mistrust in the pre-ART service were perceived reasons for LTFU. Absences of clear pre-ART service package and implementation guideline were also identified as important factors that may be related to LTFU. The findings call for improved quality of care and a better pre-ART service packaging that will address the gaps identified in order to increase patient retention. / Health Studies / MA (Public Health)

再保險之目的，在於提供保險人保險保障。其方式乃再保險人就原保險人在原保險契約中所負之給付責任，予以部份或全部的補償。再保險契約就再保險人之再保險給付責任所為之約定，最常見者為「同一命運原則」之約定。依「同一命運條款」之字面解釋，此條款係指再保險人須與原保險人「同一命運」，於原保險人對被保險人為保險給付後，補償原保險人因對被保險人為保險給付所生之損害。 依據損害補償原則，須保險人之保險給付在保險契約及再保險契約之承保範圍內，再保險人始負再保險給付之責任。為了避免嚴格依據損害補償原則解釋再保險人之責任，造成保險人無法取得再保險保障之結果，並提高對於保險人之保障，再保險契約雙方乃藉由同一命運條款的相關約定，約定保險人只須證明其已向被保險人為補償給付且其給付係依「誠信」所為，再保險人即須同其命運，向保險人為補償給付。再保險人此一契約義務，乃再保險契約雙方當事人基於契約自由，於再保險契約中特別加入同一命運條款的結果。 保險人之「誠信」乃同一命運原則適用之基石，此為法院所共同肯認。然而，對於同一命運原則於個案中之具體適用，法院之看法似乎並無足夠的一致性。究竟，決定再保險契約雙方當事人權利義務的同一命運原則，法院如何解釋其適用上發生之爭議？又，法院對於抽象的誠信原則如何解釋？在同一命運原則的背景下，再保險人是否可以提出何種抗辯以免除其保險給付責任？最後，是否這些問題的解答可以有某程度的預測可能性，以供日後再保險契約雙方草擬同一命運條款之參考？ 針對保險人對被保險人所應為之補償，再保險人與原保險人可能有不同解釋，前者認為再保險人與保險人同一命運之範圍，應以原保險及再保險約定之範圍為限；後者則認為凡保險人所給付與被保險人者，再保險人皆須與其同一命運，負擔給付責任。縱使再保險契約雙方皆主張其以再保險契約之約定為給付責任範圍之界定基礎，然基於利益彼此對立之立場，雙方對於「契約約定」往往有不同詮釋。再保險契約雙方間之爭議，實務上常見者如，原保險人對被保險人所給付之通融賠款（Ex-gratia payment）、懲罰性賠償（Punitive damages）等，是否屬於再保險人與保險人同一命運之範圍？將此類爭議一般化，須探究者為，同一命運條款何種程度限制了再保險人對原保險人之給付表示異議的權利？ 另外，倘若再保險契約中沒有同一命運條款的約定，是否可認為此條款為再保險契約所「默示」（Implied）？此問題涉及同一命運原則的歷史背景，與再保險市場的運作實務息息相關，對於契約的解釋方法也有重要啟示。 同一命運原則為再保險交易發展史上，最常受到爭議的問題之一。現今之再保險交易環境已然愈趨複雜，不僅是所保危險之價額日趨提高，投入再保險交易之保險人數增加且交易類型複雜化，皆使得再保險交易雙方之風險分配及責任分擔，不再可以全然依賴保險人對於誠信原則之遵守。反之，應同時強調再保險與保險之不同，亦即，前者係由專業之保險人為交易雙方而進行之交易，故再保險人應可依其專業，對所保危險主動向保險人提出詢問，此亦顯示了保險人及再保險人間彼此合作愈趨重要，為再保險人負擔再保險給付責任之正當性基礎。本文嘗試處理以上提出的爭議問題，並對可能之解決提出建議。 / The reinsurance loss settlement clause, which appears in a variety of forms of wordings, historically has been one of the most difficult aspects of reinsurance law and practice. In recent days, more and more litigation has arisen as a result of such clauses. This study centers upon the interesting and oftentimes confusing issue of the scope and effect of such clauses, and how they define both the reinsured’s and the reinsurers’ liability. The purpose of reinsurance is to provide insurance protection by the reinsurer for the reinsured, namely, the insurer. At the beginning of reinsurance history when there were only a small number of insurers operating in the insurance market, insurers were fairly familiar with one another, and that resulted in a minimum of formality in doing business. In terms of reinsurance, reinsurers, when asked to pay by their reinsured, normally did not go out of their way to initiate a de novo review or assessment of the risk insured. The main reasons for such practice were, for one, insurers were so familiar with their business partners that they did not see the need for such re-assessment of the risk, and for another, in the past, the nature of the risks insured was not as complicated as those we are faced with nowadays. With a view to enhancing business efficiency and providing better protection for insurers, the parties that engaged in a reinsurance agreement oftentimes would insert into the agreement a “follow the fortunes” or “follow the settlements” clause. Such clauses bound the reinsurers to follow the fortunes/settlements of their reinsured without the reinsured’s liability having been proved, and restrained the reinsurers from refusing to indemnify the reinsured on the ground that liability did not exist under the original policy, provided that the reinsured had acted in a bona fide and businesslike way. In a word, the existence of the loss settlement clause was a logical consequence of the purpose of reinsurance, and the reinsurers’ obligation under such clauses was conditioned on the reinsured’s good faith. Reinsurance loss settlement clauses have been interpreted by the court rather favorably for the reinsured. Courts would normally find coverage for the reinsured, once they decided that the reinsured had acted in good faith in settling with the insured, even if they held that the reinsured had not been legally liable. This fact highlights the importance of the reinsured’s duty of utmost good faith in reinsurance law and practice. However, what exactly is good faith, and what are the reinsured’s obligations under the good faith requirement? Is there a general rule that the courts have developed to justify their finding of the reinsured’s good faith? If good faith, being abstract in itself and susceptible to courts’ subjective discretion, serves as the “standard” to evaluate or define the liability of the parties to a reinsurance agreement, how does it usually function? Does it at times seem so abstract and variable that the reinsurance agreement parties have a hard time predicting their liability under such a standard? Also, in this study, the questions of the implication of loss settlement clauses and the scope or effect of such clauses are explored. The former question asks, where the reinsurance contracts do not contain any “follow the fortunes or settlements” provisions, does the law, custom or practice read into the contracts any obligation on the reinsurer to follow its reinsured’s fortunes or settlements? This question is important in that it deals with the applicability of loss settlement clauses, and thus has a fundamental impact on how reinsurance contracts are interpreted. The latter question aims at clarifying how loss settlement clauses are applied to pertinent areas such as ex gratia payments, punitive damages, reinsurers’ liability caps, payments related to the Wellington Agreement and claims cooperation clauses. Specific examples are given here in order to better understand how loss settlements clauses are put to practical use. Discussion concerned with this question also demonstrates how a loosely worded loss settlement clause could give rise to disputes between the parties. To better define the parties’ rights and obligations under a reinsurance agreement, a more detailed review of how the reinsurance environment as a whole is functioning and how the courts interpret reinsurance loss settlement clauses is required. This issue will be even more worth pondering now that we are seeing a more complex reinsurance market where the parties’ interests are potentially conflicting, which is per se a challenge to the general view that the reinsurers should follow the fortunes or settlements of the reinsured.

La perte au suivi diminue grandement l’efficacité des interventions de prévention de la transmission mère-enfant du VIH en Afrique subsaharienne. Devrait-on donc choisir des traitements courts ou longs de pTME? Nous avons mené une revue systématique des études sur l’efficacité de traitements avec et sans composante anténatale et évalué l’impact de la perte au suivi sur leur efficacité. Nous avons trouvé qu’après ajustement pour la perte au suivi, les traitements avec composante anténatale ont encore une efficacité plus élevée à prévenir la TME. Les intervenants ne devraient pas craindre l’utilisation de traitements plus longs auprès de populations à risque de perte au suivi. Plus d’études sont nécessaires pour déterminer comment les interventions peuvent être adaptées au virage dans la pTME. / Loss to follow-up greatly decreases efficiency of MTCT interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Should we therefore choose shorter pMTCT treatments over longer ones? We conducted a systematic review of studies on the efficiency of pMTCT treatments with or without an antenatal component. We found that after adjustment, treatments with an antenatal component still had a higher efficiency at decreasing MTCT despite loss to follow-up. Healthcare providers shouldn’t fear using longer treatments amongst populations at high risk of loss to follow-up. More studies are needed to determine how current interventions can be better adapted to the turnaround in pMTCT interventions.

Suite aux notifications de cas de comportements suicidaires associés aux antidépresseurs (ADs) chez les jeunes, une mise en garde réglementaire a été émise en mai 2004 au Canada, et deux guides de pratique clinique ont été publiés dans la littérature en novembre 2007. L'objectif de ce mémoire fut d'évaluer l’association entre ces interventions de communication et le suivi médical de la population pédiatrique traitée par ADs au Québec. Une étude de cohorte rétrospective (1998-2008) a été menée chez 4 576 enfants (10-14 ans) et 12 419 adolescents (15-19 ans) membres du régime public d’assurance médicaments du Québec, ayant débuté un traitement par AD. Le suivi médical dans les trois premiers mois de traitement a été mesuré par l’occurrence et la fréquence de visites médicales retrouvées dans les banques de données de la RAMQ. Les facteurs associés à un suivi conforme aux recommandations ont été évalués à partir de modèles de régression logistique multivariés. Seuls 20% des enfants ou adolescents ont eu au moins une visite de suivi à chaque mois, en conformité avec les recommandations. La probabilité de recevoir un suivi médical conforme était plus élevée lorsque le prescripteur initial était un psychiatre. L’occurrence et la fréquence des visites n’ont pas changé après la publication de la mise en garde ou des recommandations. De ce mémoire on conclut que d'autres interventions visant à optimiser le suivi médical devraient être envisagées. / Following reports of a potential association between antidepressants (ADs) and suicidal behaviour in youth, a regulatory warning was issued in Canada in May 2004, and clinical practice guidelines on recommended medical follow-up were published in the literature in November 2007. This Master's thesis aimed at assessing the association between these communication interventions and medical follow-up practices. A retrospective cohort study (1998-2008) was conducted among 4,576 children (10-14 years) and 12,419 adolescents (15-19 years) members of the Quebec public drug plan. Medical follow-up was ascertained through patterns of physician billing practices found in the RAMQ medical services databases. Study outcomes consisted of occurrence and frequency of visits in the first three months of AD treatment. Factors associated with follow-up consistent with recommendations were identified through multivariate logistic regression models. The main independent variable was exposure to each of the communication interventions. Covariates included: gender, class of AD, number of concomitant chronic diseases, psychiatric conditions, prescriber’s specialty, and potential exposure to each intervention. Only 20% of children or adolescents received at least one visit each month. The probability of receiving adequate follow-up was greater when treatment was initiated by a psychiatrist. Occurrence and frequency of visits did not change after the warning nor the publication of the recommendations. From this thesis, one may conclude that further interventions to optimize medical follow-up practices should be envisaged.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.