McGill University Theses and dissertations published in 1989

We extend Kreps and Porteus' (1978, 1979a,b) temporal utility theory to include measures of suspense for gambles that vary in the timing of uncertainty resolution. Our f$ sp t$-modification (of their theory) defines overall utility and suspense in terms of two functions: a standard utility function and an iterative function whose properties determine attitude towards temporal uncertainty resolution. Suspense, which is increasing with time delay to uncertainty resolution, is defined as the "variance" of the standard utilities of the outcome streams taken about our measure of overall utility (rather than about the standard mean utility). We explore the properties of …  Read more

Ultrapotassic, potassic alkaline and shoshonitic magmatism with subduction-related affinity co-existed in a Proterozoic (1089 to 1076 Ma) plutonic environment: the SW Grenville Province. The stocks have silica-saturated and undersaturated, felsic-to-ultramafic units emplaced diapirically in separate, progressively more mafic batches of magma. Most magmas crystallized in situ, and were saturated in apatite, biotite and clinopyroxene. Fractionation of these minerals from a single parental mafic magma is ruled out as the fractionation process prior to emplacement during which Ba, Sr, Nb and Zr were incompatible. Felsic magmas in endoskarns have been contaminated by marble. The paragenesis, the primary LILE, Ca and Al …  Read more

This study was designed to characterize the cardiac output (Q$ sb{ rm c}$) response to progressive submaximal upright (U) exercise in CF patients. Secondly, the Q$ sb{ rm c}$ adjustments were compared to those of similar supine (S) exercise, in an attempt to assess myocardial accommodation to the enhanced ventricular preload in the S posture. Q$ sb{ rm c}$ generally increased with exercise intensity in both U and S positions, although gr.IV plateaued at 50% VO$ sb2$max (S). Maximal stroke volume index (SI) was achieved at 50% VO$ sb2$max (U) in all groups, except gr.IV and at 30% VO$ sb2$max …  Read more

This report examines the mortality of the James Bay Cree of northern Quebec during the period 1982-1986. Life expectancy at birth is higher in this population than among most other North American Indians. Infant mortality remains high, due to high death rates in the postneonatal period. Genetic diseases, infections, and accidents take a heavy toll among Cree infants and children. The Cree continue to experience lower mortality rates than Canada as a whole from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The rate of drownings remains ten times the Canadian rate, but the Cree are still relatively exempt from the high incidence of …  Read more

This series of studies was designed to investigate the residual erectile capacity of paraplegic rats. Results from human studies suggest that erectile capacity in paraplegic men may be maintained following psychogenic, but not reflexogenic, stimulation. Using an animal model to overcome methodological difficulties associated with human studies, reflexogenic stimulation was defined as local stimulation of the genitals, and psychogenic stimulation as stimulation of a key central structure. Results from higher CNS stimulation showed that electrical stimulation of the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus reliably triggers penile responses in rats and elicits penile responses as a post-stimulation effect. Optimal stimulation …  Read more

The purpose of this Thesis is to present a modern critical edition of the Missa Assumpta est Maria (H. 11) and the Elevation a 5, sans dessus de violon (H. 251) of Marc-Antoine Charpentier (c. 1634-1704). The Thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter provides an introductory biography of the composer and a general overview of his works. The second chapter deals specifically with the Missa Assumpta est Maria and the Elevation a 5, offering first an investigation of the historical background to these works. This discussion continues with stylistic analyses and is followed by an examination into …  Read more

Layer thickness measurements are used to investigate polymer adsorption and possible conformations of adsorbed polymer. In a first step, photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) is used to monitor the layer thickness at different ratios of polyethylene oxide (PEO) per polystyrene (PS) latex spheres. Comparison of the polymer concentration at which the equilibrium layer thickness was attained with the concentration where the adsorption isotherm reached its plateau leads to a proposed three step adsorption process. Kinetic studies of the layer thickness build-up also support this mechanism. Polymer polydispersity and the effect of anchored end groups on layer thickness are found to be …  Read more

The purpose of this investigation was to determine, the difference in selected kinematic variables of the shuttle-racquet head interaction for players of different ability levels executing the badminton overhead forehand clear. These variables included, (1) resultant velocity of the racquet head at contact, and (2) time between peak velocity and contact. This study also examined the total horizontal displacement of the shuttle after contact, the angle of deviation of the shuttle, the time of flight of the shuttle, the angle of projection of the shuttle after contact, and the shuttle velocity after contact. Six volunteer male subjects were divided equally …  Read more

The nociceptive component of the flexion reflex (FR) has been observed by several investigators to be a reliable physiological manifestation of pain perception in man. It has thus been used as an index of spinal nociceptive activity to study analgesic mechanisms. Vibration is one analgesic procedure which has been reported to decrease subjective pain report in certain pain conditions. The objective of this study was thus to quantitatively investigate the behavior of the human FR during segmental peripheral conditioning with high-frequency vibration. A first study was undertaken to determine the relationship between pain sensation and the FR under the paradigm …  Read more

During the language debates of the 1960s, Montreal's Italian community found itself in the middle of a conflict between Anglophones and Francophones. Forced to chose, the Italian community aligned itself with Anglophones. The portrait which has been cast by numerous authors evokes the image of an Italian immigrant used as a pawn in a fight which generally was not his and which he could not understand. An examination of the Italian press gives us a different image. St. Leonard represented more than a fight over the language issue. It was as much a dispute over the status of ethnic minorities …  Read more

The current management of malignant gliomas is unsatisfactory compared to other solid tumors. Expected median survival is less than one year with even the best of care. At some point in their illness, most patients with neurological tumors are capable of mounting an immune response to their disease. This study focused on the humoral immune response of brain tumor patients by preparing human-human B cell hybridomas from autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes and a human myeloma-like cell line, designated as TM-H2-SP2. Eighteen fusions were successfully performed, and 15.8% of all microwells screened contained human immunoglobulin with anti-tumor activity. Five hybridomas, designated …  Read more

A prospective study of 116 pregnancies in epileptic women was carried out in order to assess the distribution of newborn growth parameters, and the risk of abnormal outcomes (spontaneous abortions, perinatal deaths, developmental anomalies, deformations or hernias). The putative risk factors associated with these outcomes were assessed by multivariable analyses. Major congenital anomalies were increased and head circumference was decreased relative to the general population. Maternal plasma phenytoin or phenobarbital levels were positively associated with developmental anomalies and total abnormal outcomes. An increase in maternal seizures and/or anticonvulsant drugs, as well as detoxification defects of phenytoin arene oxide metabolites were …  Read more

The effect of spin fluctuations on the resistivities of 14 different $Fe sb{x}Ni sb{1-x}Zr sb2$ metallic glasses were analyzed in the temperature range from 4.2K to 80K. The corrections to the resistivity due to the superconductivity and quantum interference effects at very low temperatures were performed to obtain the spin fluctuation resistivity, $ rho sb{sf}$, as a function of temperature and composition. It is found that, $ rho sb{sf}$ varies as $T sp2$ at very low temperatures, i.e. below around 20K, and as T at higher temperatures. This confirms the predictions of the two-band model of Kaiser and Doniach and …  Read more

The present study investigates the problems of conducting psychological research from the experiential perspective of the Native subject and the Native consumer of research. The Cree of Northern Quebec, who have a long history of independence and a strong central government, have ejected several psychologists from their lands. From the analysis of the psychological research conducted among the Cree it was concluded that ejections generally followed incidents of perceived disrespect for local authority systems. This analysis seemed to show that flexibility and a personal approach were considered by the Native subjects as important assets for a researcher. Other positive attributes …  Read more

To overproduce biologically active polyomavirus (Py) middle tumor (T) antigen in human 293 cells and to efficiently transfer the middle T gene into a variety of other mammalian cells, two helper-independent recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) were constructed. A hybrid transcription unit encoding Py middle T antigen was substituted in either orientation for most of the E1 region of the Ad5 genome. Permissive 293 cells infected with each recombinant virus produced elevated levels of Py-specific transcripts and middle T protein. The functionality of the recombinant virus-encoded middle T was evidenced by its ability to associate with and serve as a substrate for …  Read more

After a general review of Lie algebra theory, the generating function method describing the representations (or characters) of Lie algebras is introduced. The Demazure-Gaskell character formula for calculating a generating function is discussed in detail. Using the concept of the depth of a weight i.e. the number of simple roots that are subtracted from the highest weight of a representation in order to arrive at a particular weight in that representation, the representations of affine Kac-Moody algebras are studied. The Demazure-Gaskell method is then applied to these representations, and the generating functions for the representations to finite depth are calculated. …  Read more

Taurine is an amino acid found in high concentration (20-30 mM) in mammalian heart. Treatment of rats with the transport antagonist guanidinoethyl sulfonate (GES) depletes cardiac taurine ($>$70%). Electrocardiograms were recorded weekly in restrained unanaesthetized rats. GES treatment caused a selective prolongation of the QT interval which was correlated with the degree of myocardial taurine depletion (r$ sp2$ = 0.92, p $<$ 0.001). Ventricular muscle action potential durations (APD$ sb{95}$) from taurine-depleted hearts were significantly prolonged compared to control (88 +/- 8 ms vs. 66 +/- 9 ms; p $<$ 0.001). Taurine supplements given to depleted rats reversed the taurine …  Read more

Sea ice characteristics were studied in relation to nutrient dynamics, biomass and community structure and composition of ice biota from the Gulf of St. Lawrence at landfast and drifting ice stations in the Magdalen Islands area. The instability of the ice substrate was demonstrated with respect to short duration of cover (8 weeks), ice melt and rafting processes. The study of nutrient dynamics in ice and in seawater suggests silicates and nitrogen (NO$ sb2$+NO$ sb3$+NH$ sb4$) limitation at landfast ice stations, as well as in situ regeneration of phosphorus in the bottom ice sections. No correlation was found between microalgal …  Read more

Impatiens walleriana Hook.f. is a popular bedding plant with a variety of flower colours excepting yellow. Transfer of this characteristic could be achieved through somatic hybridization, thus this study was an attempt to establish the basic parameters of tissue and protoplast culture. The condition of the stock plants and surface sterilisation techniques are important for this species. Most tissues responded to trials for callus induction with rhizogenesis. Evaluation of media and plant growth regulator combinations revealed that axillary shoot proliferation was most efficient on MS medium with 3.0 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L IBA. Protoplast isolation was most effective in …  Read more

Since women's entry into the workforce has constituted such a tremendous social change, its political consequences deserve further study. This investigation uses the 1977 Quality of Life Survey to assess the political impact of both objective and subjective features of women's work on political involvement. Results demonstrate that mere employment fails to politicize women, but either higher salaries or professional positions can act as political catalysts. In addition, jobs that are perceived to be "good", or that possess a number of positive qualities, may also be politically beneficial. Manual labor, on the other hand, actually discourages political involvement, and unions …  Read more

Two underground concrete manure reservoirs of 70 m$ sp3$ were tested for their infiltration rate to water as well as to 1% and 3% total solid dairy manure. Positive and negative infiltration were measured for the water test while only negative infiltration was measured with the manure. Positive infiltration is met when the water table into the soil is above the liquid level into the reservoir. In that case, the water is moving from the outside to the inside of the reservoir. An opposite situation is met when the infiltration is negative. From the results, the infiltration rate varied from …  Read more

Abstract relational algebra is used to define the semantics of a simple imperative language. In order to carry out this task, various domains are specified by relational axioms. Some specifications define relations on the basic types of the language (Booleans and natural numbers); their presentation stresses the importance of the concept of point. Other specifications construct the relational domains whose relations are used to denote programs. The programming constructs that are defined include expressions, variable declarations, assignment statements, while-program statements and procedures. A particularity of the semantic definitions is that the relations denoting a program fragment depend only on the …  Read more

This project consists of two parts. The first part is a composition for orchestra of approximately thirteen minutes in duration. The second part, an analysis of the work, describes the music in terms of its form, harmony, rhythm and orchestration. The piece can be considered as a free rondo in the sense that it does not necessarily follow the usual plan of the classical rondo. This particular composition sometimes displays two verses in a row, thus trying to introduce some new ideas into this very old type of musical form. In terms of harmony, the work deals with two basic …  Read more

The 1st of April, 1980 is a landmark date for the peoples of Southern Africa, for the SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION CONFERENCE--SADCC--came into being on that day in Lusaka. At first sight, SADCC would seem to be an organization like others scattered all over the African continent and aiming at common development. However, although it can be compared with others in terms of objectives and organisation, new elements have emerged since its inception: modest short-term objectives, and ambitious long-term ones; a light organizational structure, and a commitment of the Governments involved to achieve the goals. One can ask what the …  Read more

The component processes specific to simultaneous interpreting and common to interpreting and listening were investigated. Experienced conference interpreters and inexperienced bilinguals performed aural-to-oral simultaneous interpreting of a narrative and a procedure from English into French and then gave a free recall of each immediately afterwards. A comparison group of bilinguals performed a simple listening task with the same materials. The texts were on an unfamiliar topic (positron emission tomography) and differed only with respect to frame type. Experience showed a main effect on interpreting measures, (experienced interpreters performed more accurately), and interacted with text-structure variables that indexed proposition generation, but …  Read more

Under intensive farming, soil structure degradation and soil erosion are primarily associated with losses of organic matter. Restoration of soil structure may depend on the amount and nature of the organic amendment added. The effect of the addition of humic and fibric materials, and beeswax, a naturally occurring source of long-chain aliphatics comparable to those present in humic materials, on microbial activity and the structural properties of a waterlogged silty clay low in organic carbon was investigated. The incorporation of the fibric material increased the microbial activity in proportion to the amount of material added, whereas the humic and beeswax …  Read more

Kamal, M. R. (Supervisor)  Read more

The influence of boron distribution on the precipitation of Nb(C,N) and on austenite recrystallization was studied by means of a stress relaxation technique. A plain carbon steel containing 0.026% C, used as the reference material, and three other steels alloyed with 0.003% B, 0.055% Nb and 0.003% B + 0.055% Nb were employed. The microstructural evolution during relaxation was interpreted in terms of the pinning effect of precipitates on mobile dislocations. C-shaped precipitation-time-temperature diagrams were determined for both the Nb + B and Nb steels. The presence of boron accelerates precipitation so that it begins at higher temperatures and after …  Read more

Poole, A. Robin (Supervisor)  Read more

This work furthers the study of "Non-Governmental Organizations" (NGOs). It examines alternative Third World development strategies employed by them and the internal and external variables that may influence the formation or implementation of NGO strategies. A history of the growth and differentiation of NGOs follows an outline of the major channels for development assistance. The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP), a major Religious NGO (RNGO), serves as the focus of this study. Four five-year stages are studied to determine how factors such as government, church, Third World recipients, and staff influenced the evolution of CCODP's development strategy. …  Read more

This documentary study sought to determine the relevance of the James Bay Cree's cultural values and practices to their policy-making process as school committee members. The Cree's formal school system, for which they have full responsibility, is based on the values and practices of non-native society. Using the historical method, both primary and secondary sources were searched for relevant information concerning Cree culture and its distinguishing characteristics. Evidence of a distinct egalitarian society, practicing consensus, reciprocity and communal land use was found. Sources also indicated the continuing existence and adaptability of Cree values and practices despite prolonged interaction with non-native …  Read more