McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1981

The existing monetary limitations of liability in international private air law are reviewed and compared with limits in other branches of transport law. The reasons submitted to justify monetary limitations of liability in air law are summarized and criticised. A comparison of the level of limits with statistics and the social requirement to provide full recovery of damages lead to the conclusion that the limits are inadequate and unrealistically low. The problem of the unit of account in which limits are expressed (gold, SDR) and the idea of freezing the amount of damages recoverable in conventions without self-regulatory clauses are …  Read more

Soderstrom, Lee  Read more

Neufeld, R. (Supervisor)  Read more

The overall crystallization kinetics of isotactic polystyrene (i-PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and their nucleant-filled composites were examined using differential scanning calorimetry (D.S.C.). The study also included a photomicroscopic analysis of the number of nuclei formed per unit area and the spherulitic growth rate for i-PS and nucleated i-PS. The isothermal crystallization of PET and i-PS showed that in some systems the addition of nucleant caused a slowing down of the crystallization process. This is the first reported observation of the retardation of rate in the presence of particular nucleant. The results are interpreted on the basis that the nucleant is …  Read more

The syntheses of the cephalosporin analogs cis-N-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylacetamido-4-hydroxymethyl-2-azetidinone (37), cis-N-(2'-hydroxy-5'-nitrophenyl)-3-phenylacetamido-4-hydroxymethyl-2-azetidinone (59) and 7-(beta)-phenylacetamido-3'-hydroxybenzo{3,4}-0,2-isocephem (77) are described. Compounds 37 and 59 were devoid of antibacterial activity, while (beta)-lactam 77 showed weak activity against two micoorganisms. Two new ring systems, 2-phenylcarbapenams 146 and 157 have been prepared. These are key intermediates in the syntheses of phosphonic acid carbapenam 148 and the carboxylic acid derivative 158, respectively. The one carbon homologation of (beta)-trimethylsilyl-(alpha),(beta)-unsaturated esters with diazomethane was extended to the corresponding (beta)-trimethylsilyl or (beta)-t-butyldimethylsilyl aldehydes.  Read more

Five tachistoscopic studies were conducted to investigate patterns of hemispheric specialization for different types of word pair comparisons among monolinguals and fluent bilingual adults. Bilinguals were further grouped as "early" or "late" depending on whether their second language was acquired in infancy or in adolescence. All groups were faster at making orthographic comparisons for left visual field input but were faster in the right visual field for phonological and syntactic judgments. Semantic comparisons yielded no visual field asymmetries for monolinguals or late bilinguals but yielded a left visual field superiority for early bilinguals. Group differences in response strategy were also …  Read more

Bradley, Martin A. (Supervisor)  Read more

The genetics and epigenetics of cortisone-induced cleft palate in the mouse have been examined. The SW/Fr strain, in which 6% of newborns have a cleft palate in the absence of treatment, has the greatest reactivity to cortisone of any strain tested so far and closes it palate comparatively late in development. After cortisone treatment, the mean of the distribution on palate closure stage is shifted towards later gestational ages without changing the variance. The genetic basis for the DBA/2-C57BL/6 difference in susceptibility to cortisone-induced cleft palate is relatively simple. One dominant gene on chromosome 5 contributes predominantly to the strain …  Read more

Previous research has concluded that individuals develop relatively invariant problem solving 'styles' which cause them to be more comfortable and effective in certain task environments. This study of management consultants, employing a self descriptive questionnaire, found that fifteen measured attributes clustered onto three factors: a line/staff orientation, a grounded/ungrounded approach to problem conceptualization, and a rational/instinctive approach to conclusion drawing. Attributes were analyzed by functional area, consulting firm, task effectiveness, potential to become a partner, etc. Task performance ratings and personality assessments were provided by supervisors. It was found that many of the attributes studied did not correlate with task …  Read more

A laboratory threshing unit was constructed utilising a standard tangential feed ("conventional") combine cylinder, concave, beater and transition grate. This unit was used to study the phenomenon of corn cob break-up and its effect on the performance of the threshing unit. It was found that the degree of corn cob break-up was affected by cylinder peripheral speed, cylinder-concave clearance and hybrid cultivar. Within the hybrid cultivars used, increased cob break-up was associated with decreased shelling efficiency and concave separation efficiency. The possibility of reducing kernel damage and increasing concave separation efficiency by changing some of the concave design parameters was …  Read more

A method was developed for the isolation of tissue fractions from the middle lamella and secondary wall of black spruce (Picea mariana) tracheids. The concentrations of cellulose and glucomannan were found to be lower in the middle lamella tissue than in the secondary wall tissue, while the reverse was found for galactan and arabian. The content of glucuronoarabinoxylan was essentially the same in both morphological areas. The concentration of phenolic hydroxyl groups in the lignin in the two tissue fractions was determined by turbidimetric spectrophotometry and by pyrolytic gas chromatography. Secondary wall lignin was found to contain more than twice …  Read more

I have measured the magnetic and transport properties of Fe and Co in the variable SDW host, CrMo. Analyzing the behaviour of the Neel temperature shows that Co interacts with the SDW, almost an order of magnitude more strongly than does Fe. Also that it magnetically polarizes the SDW more strongly than Fe. Resistivity measurements show that Co reduces the nesting area of the Fermi surface while Fe increases it. Overall, the Neel temperature is strongly reduced by Fe and much less reduced by Co. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that Fe supports an effective magnetic moment below T(,N) while Co …  Read more

Extensions (1978-80) est écrit pour douze instruments à cordes (six altos, quatre violoncelles et deux contrebasses), quatre trombones et deux percussionnistes (chacun avec cinq tom-tom, deux timbales et un marimba). L’œuvre comprend six sections dont l’ordonnance prend la forme A B C B’ C’ A’. Sa durée est de dix-neuf minutes. […]  Read more

The effects of peanut mottle virus (PMV) infection upon nodulation and nodule function of Early Prolific peanut, inoculated with either effective or ineffective cowpea Rhizobium grown under controlled conditions, were assessed at 4 different growth stages. Virus-infected plants showed differences in symptom expression, magnitude of yield reduction, and nodulation pattern, depending on whether they harbored the effective or ineffective rhizobial strain. In the virus-infected plants with effective Rhizobium, the commencing of nitrogenase (C(,2)H(,2)) activity was delayed and the activity measured per plant basis was reduced but the maximum nodular specific activity was not altered as compared with those of the …  Read more

This thesis analyzes several key works concerned with the transformation of the public as a form of communication in modern society. This involves a discussion of interaction and rationality, and their relationship to communications technology as argued by Harold Innis, James Carey, Raymond Williams and Jurgen Habermas. Following these arguments the thesis attempts to demonstrate that a model of the public must be grounded in an analysis of the actual speaker in what is called "the speech situation; 11 and that this approach is made necessary by the possible uses of communication to manipulate and control human action. […]  Read more

The primary objective of this dissertation is to present and analyze Marx's theory of technological unemployment. Chapter I is a brief evaluation of the modern perspectives on this question. The levels of analysis in Marx are also identified. Chapter II considers Marx's short term model on technological unemployment when no net accumulation occurs. It includes a discussion of different measures and types of technological change. Chapter III complements the previous chapter. A theoretical definition of compensation is advanced, and the different forms of compensation in Marx are evaluated. This chapter also includes a broader discussion of the compensation controversy. Chapter …  Read more

We say that a restriction theorem holds for a curve (gamma) (t) in (//R)('n) if for all f(epsilon) ((//R)('n)) and for some p and q, there is a constant C(,p,q) such that (VBAR)(VBAR) f (VBAR) (,(gamma)) (VBAR)(VBAR) (,L('q)(du)) (LESSTHEQ) C(,p,q) (VBAR)(VBAR) f (VBAR)(VBAR) (,L('P)((//R)('n))). In Chapter 1, we prove restriction theorems for non-compact plane curves with non-negative affine curvature when 1 (LESSTHEQ) p < 4/3 and (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE SEE DAI) There is an analogous result for space curves in the same chapter. The Hilbert transform along the curve (gamma) is defined by (DIAGRAM, TABLE OR GRAPHIC OMITTED...PLEASE …  Read more

Dealy, John M.  Read more

Plant collections, field and herbarium studies were used to evaluate classifications of Impatiens. Accepted interpretations of the perianth are questioned; and a program of developmental studies on several categories of inflorescences proposed. The fruit has been incorrectly described. It is of two types, differing in manner of dehiscence. Chromosome numbers are an inadequate taxonomic character because of parallel cytoevolution. Karyotypes were prepared, but it was found that homologues were not distinguishable. A technique for Hy-banding was developed, and homologues in plants of I. leschenaultii Wall. identified. It is proposed that Hy-banding can identify marker chromosomes which will be a more …  Read more