McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1961

We consider n events A1… An and let p (Ail … Aik ) denote the probability of the joint occurrence of Ail … Aik. Then if p (Ail … Alk) is either equal to zero or to a function 0k of k alone, we call the n events A1 … An "quasi-symmetric events. Kaplansky [4] shows how algebraic symbolism can be applied to find the probabilities of these types of events, by making use of "the symbolic method".  Read more

A composite nose radome, transparent at microwave frequencies, is analyzed for use as an isolated cap High Frequency antenna for the CL-44 aircraft. The theories of asymmetrically-driven antennas are first outlined, and the antenna under investigation is shown to resemble most appropriately an end-fed antenna. The impedance behaviour of the antenna at the lower end of the HF range is explained qualitatively in terms of an equivalent circuit. Each design parameter in this circuit is then evaluated individually, assuming a wire grid type composite nose-cap, and an 'optimum' region of performance is established.  Read more

It is recognised that oestrogenic action plays a central role in the physiology and biochemistry of avian reproduction. The hypertrophy and functions of the oviduct, the production of yolk material by the liver, and the involvement of the bony skeleton in the metabolism and transport of the materials of the egg yolk and egg shell are among the more obvious of the functions involved. These matters have been the subject of reviews by Lorenz (1954), Sturkie (1958), Urist (1959) and van Tienhoven (1959). They have also been the subject of various studies in this laboratory in the course of the …  Read more

Qur'an [= collected revelations in written form], the sacred book of the Muslims, containing the collected revelations of the Prophet Muhammad, is the “core and inspiration” of Muslim religious life. It has been the “sole source of wisdom” to Muslim scholars and has given rise to “a great variety of studies” in Islamic literature. A critical study of the book, therefore, is of paramount importance and basic to Islamic studies, because, as remarked by Goldziher- an undisputed authority on the Qur'an.  Read more

The stability and rheology of enulsions and suspensions are of considerable interest both scientifically and technically. The aggregate (or bulk) properties of multiparticle systems have been studied in detail but relatively little information on the behaviour of individual particles in suspension is available despite the obvious value of such studies in providing an insight into the behaviour of multiparticle systems.  Read more

Progress in the investigation of nucleic acids has been unexpectedly rapid during the past decade. They, like proteins, carbohydrates and fats, have been recognized as indispensable constituents of all living organisms and, indeed, of all tissues. Two, and only two, kinds of nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), have been identified in living tissues. The morphological evidences of nuclear conjugation at fertilization, and the succeeding nuclear divisions led to the belief that the main genetic material is in the nucleus and consists of the nuclear chromatin.  Read more

Public and professional interest in wage determination has, in the past, been occupied with an analysis of the determination of the level of wages, both absolutely and relatively to the rewards of the other factors of production. Consequently any analysis of the wage structure has been given relatively minor attention. But the issue of what the wage structure should be, and how it is determined, is just as important as the larger questions of the determination of the wage level and the distribution of the proceeds of production between the labour and the other factors of production.  Read more

This is a study of certain aspects of the decision making process in the employment interview. Attention is directed primarily to the relation between verbal behavior in the interview and the interviewer’s decision to employ or not to employ the applicant. Studies of the employment interview have not, in general, been concerned with the manner in which the interviewer reaches his decision. Interest has been focused on the reliability of the decision and on its validity as a predictor of job success. The empirical nature of these studies has resulted partly from concern with the immediate applied problems of improving …  Read more

The role of Labrador-Ungava as one of the main gathering grounds of the Pleistocene ice caps, and one of the final centres of wastage was recognised as long ago as 1896 by the government geologist A. P. Low. In spite of its obvious importance in the glacial history of North America, Labrador-Ungava has received but scant attention from research workers in the field of glacial geomorphology or geology, due mainly to the inaccessibility and uncertain weather of the peninsula.  Read more

Jules-Henri Poincare (1854-1912) is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest scientific minds of the nineteenth century. The development of his genius from childhood precociousness was unusually smooth. By the end of his life he had been accorded virtually every international honour in the field of science.  Read more

Whether bilingualism affects intellectual functioning has puzzled psychologists and linguists since as early as the 1920's when Saer (1923) and Smith (1923) reported research on the topic. Numerous studies since then have attempted to determine whether monolingual and bilingual young people differ in intelligence as measured by standard tests. [...]  Read more

In the midst of swirling snow and bitter temperatures, Grand Trunk locomotive engineers and firemen struck work on December 29, 1876. Hundreds of men were involved as this four-day Canadian strike marked the beginning of one of the greatest years of labor unrest in North American history. From the evening of December 29, 1876, to the morning of January 3, 1877, the Grand Trunk men refused to work and tried to persuade others not to take their places. [...]  Read more

Improvements have been made in four aspects of grey scale CAPPI displays for weather radars. In order to improve continuity of the echo patterns across the boundary between adjacent CAPPI elements, the gaps between elements have been reduced. The grey scale equipment is now used in such a way that the no-signal areas of the cathode ray tubes do not produce any luminance. [...]  Read more

Aviation is dynamic. In air transportation progress constantly outstrips the most optimistic predictions, and the great post-World-War II advances in the aeronautical sciences have produced a new dimension in air transportation: the commercial turbo-jet aircraft. In referring to these new aircraft, one writer states, "It is not adequate to simply say that they are just a faster, bigger aircraft. [...]  Read more

The positron lifetimes in the alkali chlorides and sodium halides have been measured. Two lifetimes have been found in each of these materials, with a small fraction (of the order of a few per cent) of the positrons annihilating with the longer lifetime. The lifetimes vary from material to material much more slowly than do the negative ion radii and the average electronic densities. [...]  Read more

In 1716 Montesquieu judged an essay contest on the subject "What is the Use of the Adrenal Glands". Some of the theories advanced were such as "to hold up the stomach, to dilute the urine, to collect the humidities which leak out of the great vessels surrounding them", and so on. Montesquieu decided none of the essays deserved a prize, awarded none.  Read more

When George Moore wrote these words in his preface to the revised 1904 edition of his youthful autobiography, he still had almost thirty years to live. On the other hand, he had passed all the crises of his career, domestic, financial, amorous, and literary, and was firmly on the course he was to follow all his remaining years. [...]  Read more

It is a well established fact that numerous mineral deposits exhibit the phenomenon of spontaneous electrical polarization, commonly referred to as SP. The resulting electromotive force is detected by measuring the values of electrical potential at numerous points over the area in question, with respect to a remote point. The measurements are made with non-polarizing electrodes connected to either a D.C. vacuum tube voltmeter or a potentiometer. [...]  Read more

La période de l'entre deux guerres est frappée du sceau de la révolution. Tout comme le XIXe siècle confirmait l'établissement du libéralisme, la révolution industrielle, les prétentions démocratiques et le nationalisme intransigeant; la période Versailles-Munich marque l'éclatement des cadres posés au siècle dernier. [...]  Read more

The anaphylactoid shock in guinea pigs produced by enzymic casein-hydrolysates, has been determined by in vivo test and by the Schultz-Dale technique. It has been shown that hydrolysates with low transmittances are more prone to produce anaphylactoid reaction than hydrolysates with high transmittances. [...]  Read more

During the 35 years from 1926 to the end of 1959, residential construction comprised from 3.23 to 6.71 per cent of gross national income, from 24.9 to 35.8 per cent of total construction activity, and from 14.7 to 21.1 per cent of total public and private investment in Canada. Despite the size of the residential construction sector, Canadian economists have not given it the attention it deserves. [...]  Read more

Much has been written concerning the origin, diagnosis and treatment of bronchial asthma. Although "asthma has been considered for a long time one of the so-called allergic diseases" it is the "etiological diagnosis of bronchial asthma that presents difficulties."  Read more

The protean findings on patients with adrenocortical tumors and the fact that the adrenal cortex is requisite to life has long been established. Tilesius, in 1803, described obesity, precocious breast development and hirsutism in a girl of four, found to have a tumor of the adrenal cortex. [...]  Read more

A modified method is described for the measurement of transference numbers. The general applicability of the liquid junction technique of Elias and Schiff to equivalent conductance measurements suggested that the use of liquid junctions in the moving boundary method of Lorimer, Graham and Gordon would allow transference numbers to be measured in any electrolyte. [...]  Read more

The presence of circulating antibody long after the injection of antigen, i.e. viruses, toxoids and bacterial polysaccharides, has frequently been observed. Until recently, however, antibodies produced in response to primary immunization with innocuous soluble protein antigens have been detected in the circulation for relatively short periods of time. It is to be noted that the main types of antibody sought for in these experiments have been precipitins. [...]  Read more

In 1922 Tashiro found that on incubation of frog sciatic nerve under aerobic conditions, a gaseous substance in addition to carbon dioxide was produced. He further showed that this other substance was ammonia, and was able to demonstrate that very small amounts of this substance were liberated as an end product of nerve metabolism under the particular experimental conditions.  Read more

The circulation of the stratosphere and its relation to the troposphere is presented for the six-month period October, 1958 to March, 1959. The study is based mainly on circumpolar analyses at five-day intervals at the 500-mb, 100-mb and 25-mb levels, supported by numerous space and time sections. Fourier analysis of the circumpolar charts is used to compute energies and energy exchanges after the manner of Lorenz (1955) and unstable wave characteristics following the linear theory of Fleagle (1957). [...]  Read more

These words speak of the majesty of the steam engine - but one might also be inclined to think of them as a brief eulogy for the beloved "iron horse." With but a few minor exceptions, the use of diesel locomotion is now predominant on North American railways. One of railroading's most cherished traditions is now but a memory.  Read more

Phenylketonuria is an inherited metabolic disorder which was discovered through the association of mental deficiency with the excretion of phenylpyruvic acid. Other names for this condition have ranged from the descriptive but unwieldy "phenylpyruvic oligophrenia" and "imbecillitas phenylpyruvica" to "Folling's disease", after its discoverer. [...]  Read more

In order that acoustical impulse noise may be studied to determine the relationship between the effects of the noise on man and his exposure, a detailed analysis of the noise is required. A technique was developed for obtaining the energy spectrum as a function of time for this type of noise. [...]  Read more

The genus Cinara Curtis comprises approximately 175 described species, all of which feed exclusively on coniferous trees and shrubs. The majority of these species occur in the North Temperate Zone, being found in North America, Europe, Asia, the British Isles, North Africa, Japan, Korea and Formosa. A few species occur in the South Temperate Zone of Soutih Africa and Australia. [...]  Read more

The early days of the French Revolution witnessed a sudden expansion of the popular press under conditions of complete freedom, and as national issues and party controversies developed, newspapers took up the cudgel of partisan strife. Mirabeau, Brissot, and Condorcet brought politics and journalism into the closest union. By October, 1789, three political groups clearly stood out in the National Assembly: the aristocrats, the moderates or "monarchiens", and the so-called patriots. [...]  Read more

When medically important fungi were first studied, some pathogenic fungi which were unicellular in vivo were found to change to a mycelial form when cultured. This change in morphology was misleading as investigators believed they were not isolating the correct pathogenic organisms. The confusion continued until the pathogenic fungi were shown to change their morphology as a result of temperature changes. [...]  Read more

Psychological theory and experimentation have generally been concerned with the relation between simple stimulus events and responses. Typically, however, a response to a stimulus is not an isolated bit of behavior, but one incident in a long series of responses. In behavior such as speech or piano playing, for example, the important factor is not the single response, but the response in its temporal relation to others. [...]  Read more

On the basis of Biblical theology the Church is meant to be a community church. In the Old Testament the Church is the "people of God", Israel, a community of people, chosen by the act of God. The Suffering Servant of the Lord in Deutero-Isaiah represents in his one person the community of those faithful to God, the Remnant, the true Israel. [...]  Read more

It was proposed to make an investigation of the terrestrial heat flow in the area about Montreal using boreholes drilled to explore for gas or oil. A fairly satisfactory D.C. thermistor bridge method of measuring temperatures at depth has been developed and three boreholes have been surveyed.  Read more

The position of Edmund Wilson is unique among critics on the American literary scene. For over three decades he has been considered one of America's leading critics of literature and is doubtless, as Stanley Edgar Hyman observes, "the most widely known of our critics." [...]  Read more

For purposes of mechanistic study and structural assignment in organic chemistry it is often of great practical value to possess some knowledge concerning the basic strengths of various functional groups. The present work will concern itself primarily with a study of the basic strength of the carbonyl group as it occurs in two main classes of organic compounds - ketones and amides. [...]  Read more

Verticillium wilt is often the cause of serious losses in potatoes in Eastern Canada and Northern United States. It is of minor importance in field tomatoes except in California and Utah. The disease is not uncommon in greenhouse tomatoes in North America and in Europe. [...]  Read more

The Nordstrom theory of gravitation is sketched and possible modifications of the field equations are examined under the double requirement that the theory admits an energy-momentum tensor, as well as predicts the proper precession for the orbit of a planet. The possibility of red shift and bending of light rays in such a theory is also mentioned.  Read more

Tessiarsuk, or Salt Water Pond as it is called locally, has been known and intermittently fished for many years by the inhabitants of Nain. Although scant interest is shown in this unique body of water during the summer months when cod become so plentiful in the fjords, periodic expeditions are made overland in winter to jig through the ice for the large, if relatively scarce, Gadus callarias. [...]  Read more

The title of this thesis would suggest a two-fold study, but in reality there is one continuous story. Lower Canada College would never have come into existence without St. John the Evangelist's School as its matrix. As will be shown the birth of one caused the death of the other. [...]  Read more

The physico-chemical changes that take place during the coagulation of milk by the enzyme rennin are not fully understood. Aside from such factors as calcium ion concentration, temperature, and pH, the peculiar constitution of casein is also believed to play a major role in the coagulation process.  Read more

The purpose of the present work is to investigate the growth of authigenic feldspars in sediments, more specifically in shales. Authigenic feldspars have been discussed frequently in the literature, but most of these discussions have been descriptive, and little information as to their probable mode of origin has been published. [...]  Read more

Considerable interest has developed in birdsfoot trefoil as a forage legume in certain areas of North America. The greatest attention has centered on broadleaf birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) although other related species including big or marsh trefoil (L. uliginosus Schkuhr) and narrowleaf trefoil (L. tenuis Wald. et Kit.) have special qualities that make them of interest under some conditions. [...]  Read more

The condensation of superheated vapors is an important process which is encountered frequently in industry. For example, products which are produced by vapor phase reactions often involve a step in which a superheated vapor must be condensed. The ammonia synthesis and oxidation processes are typical examples of this case. [...]  Read more

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the performance, operating characteristics and stability of the vacuum system which has already been built to meet the requirement of the hypersonic wind-tunnel. For relating the operating variables of steam ejectors, a formula is derived for general use. [...]  Read more

The fundamental problem in the nutrition of any organism (animal, plant or microbe), according to Porter (1946), is the construction of a medium, or diet, of known composition which will permit optimum growth and reproduction. With bacteria this problem has led to the development of chemically defined or synthetic media, that is, media composed of known purified chemicals. The advantages of protein free synthetic media for biochemical study were appreciated early in the history of bacteriology.  Read more

As we stubbornly search for beginnings we are forced to content ourselves with the recognition of significant middles. One man's enmity can change the course of history, and in the seventeenth century one man’s humanitarianism changed the outlook of an age. Brahe, Kepler and Gilbert had understood the advances of science better than he, and had known the value of repeated observation. Other dreamers had the idea of a co-operative group of scientists. The push came not directly from science but from social reform and it was Francis Bacon who understood the pessimism of his time and where the stumbling-blocks …  Read more