McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1962

The results of model footing tests on a remoulded clay are described. For the clay used in these tests, the observed deformations and bearing capacities were not in agreement with those expected from the conventional bearing theories. The observed bearing capacity was about 25 percent less than that given by the latter theories, due to a punching or local shear failure. An approximate theory developed by Bishop et al (1945), to determine the load required to force a punch into a semi-infinite cohesive mass, was examined. The bearing capacity determined from this theory was in reasonable agreement with the results …  Lire la suite

The introduction into an animal of a foreign substance, usually a natural macromolecule such as a protein, a polysaccharide or a conjugated lipid induces the production of globular serum proteins which possess the unique property of combining specifically with the foreign substance (1). These serum proteins are known as antibodies and the foreign substances responsible for their production are known as antigens. An animal or individual in whom antibodies have been formed is said to be immunized. These antibodies are produced either by natural exposure or injection of the antigen.  Lire la suite

Investigations into the effects of aerobic bacteria, belonging to the cereus group, on insects are very numerous and important advances in this field have been made during the last decade. Workers have shown that strains of crystalliferous bacteria, known under the names of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner and Bacillus entomocidus Heimpel and Angus, are highly virulent and specific to Lepidopterous larvae. Several workers have reported that Galleria mellonella L. has a variable susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner.  Lire la suite

In this discussion of the Ukraino-Polish border problem, we have to take into consideration two distinct aspects of the problem. On the one hand, we have to analyse the problem as a problem of development and growth of the constitution; on the other band, the problem is seen as an aspect of diplomacy. The border problem cannot be separated from the general constitutional questions. The border, in fact, becomes delineated in the process of formation of a state. The border is the limit of claim of sovereignty, and of its effective exercise by a state. Hence, in our discussion of …  Lire la suite

The work of Wearn (1933) describing the myocardial circulation, with its myocardial sinusoids and arterio-luminal vessels, was confirmed by Vineberg in 1945. He reported implanting the left internal mammary artery into the wall of the left ventricle. The intercostal branches were open and bled freely into the myocardial tunnel through which the internal mammary artery had been drawn. In no single instance, in either animal or human heart, was there a myocardial hematoma. The implanted arteries not only remained open, but sent out branches which anastomosed with those of the surrounding coronary vessels.  Lire la suite

The composition and structural features of feldspars from the rocks of Mounts Royal, Bruno, Johnson, St. Hilaire, Rougemont, Yamaska, Shefford and Brome have been studied by optical and x-ray diffraction methods. Extensive diffraction work did not disclose the presence of highly disordered feldspars (high comparative forms). However, the plagioclases of these rocks belong to a distinct series whose order-disorder relations are in agreement with the geological setting of the intrusives and would classify the rocks as hypabyssal rocks (shallow seated rocks). The alkali feldspars of the Monteregian rocks belong to the low-albite--orthoclase series. The presence of this series of alkali …  Lire la suite

All contracts of air carriage nowadays contain provisions limiting or excluding the liability of the carrier in the event of the negligence or otherwise of himself or his servants and agents. Since, in the vast majority of cases, the carrier employs servants and agents for the purpose of carrying out his obligations under his contracts to carry, the injury or damage complained of will invariably be the result of the acts of these servants or agents. The injured party will then have a choice of actions. He may sue the carrier whose vicarious liability is limited by the contract or …  Lire la suite

A number of nematode species can be found in almost any sample of agricultural soil taken at random. Some of these have long been recognized as the causative organisms of certain diseases in plants and as causing crop losses of economic significance. Recently there has been increased recognition of the importance of this group of parasites. Farmers as well as research workers are coming to realize that reduced yield and diseased conditions may often be laid at the door of the “eelworm”. Intensive and extensive study of phytonematology is therefore in order. Visible evidence can be found in the numerous …  Lire la suite

The writer has developed an assay for estimation of optimal hexokinase activity in stroma-free hemolyzate, and shown that hexokinase remains stable and active for at least 30 days in human erythrocytes preserved in CD or ACD at 4 °C. Addition of ADP or DPN to the assay medium could increase the enzyme 1s activity; nicotinamide or alloxan depressed it. It is suggested that failure of glycolytic activity during preservation is not therefore due to the formerly supposed lability of hexokinase, but to inhibition of hexokinase attributable to falling pH and ATP, and conditions favouring glucose-6-P accumulation such as decrease of …  Lire la suite

Acetylcholine (ACh) is widely accepted as a neurotransmitter substance. The marked physiological activity of this substance could have been suspected from the early pharmacologic studies of Hunt and Taveau who demonstrated its intense depressor activity. Later, Ewins isolated it from specimens of ergot which had depressor action on organs supplied by autonomic nerves. Dale then found that this depressor activity was similar to that of muscarine-like substances and that this effect could be abolished by atropine. The same author also showed that ACh could easily be inactivated by an esterase present in tissue.  Lire la suite

The growth of the animal body, or any of its constituent organs and tissues is observable to all as a gradual increase in size. It is possible to study growth at several levels. It may be measured at the level of the organism proper; at the level of the tissues or organs; at the level of the cells and now, by chemical methods, even at the level of molecules. However, a growth is analyzed into its constituent parts, the problems of expressing the process have become manifold. Indeed, as Weiss (1949) staged, “It (growth) is not even a scientific term …  Lire la suite

Sachse and Mohr (1) were the first theoreticians to recognize that the cyclohexane ring can exist in chair and boat conformations. At room temperature the kinetic energy of the molecule is sufficient to supply the activation energy for ring interconversion, therefore no pure conformation can be isolated although the more stable chair form is the predominant one. Hassel and Ottar (2) pointed out the different nature of the cyclohexane substituents which are now called equatorial and axial. They also realized the greater thermodynamic stability of equatorially substituted cyclohexanes as compared to axially substituted ones.  Lire la suite

The subject of this study is social mobility as presented in one sector of the Canadian economy - in the home-building industry. The research was centered upon intra-generational change within the lower end of the stratification scale, particularly upon mobility of wage-earning labourers who became self employed workers and small businessmen. A sample of contractors engaged in the home-building industry was investigated and detailed information concerning individual career histories was sought with the view to answering the following questions.  Lire la suite

Nuclear reactions, in which a highly energetic particle (or photon) bits a nucleus and knocks out one or more nucleons or clusters of nucleons, are called ‘spallation’ reactions. The study of spallation reactions, in particular the study of 'excitation functions’ - variation of production cross section with incident energy - is a simple and often very useful means of investigating the mechanism of nuclear reactions. As discussed later, excitation functions for spallation reactions may be divided roughly into two classes, those for which the threshold is in the region where the Bohr compound nucleus mechanism is said to be applicable …  Lire la suite

Notwithstanding extensive studies carried out by numerous investigators in this field, the exact mechanism of fat metabolism still remains unknown. However, it would be uncorrect to state that no significant advances have been made in recent years. As a matter of fact, the new methods available have enabled biochemists, pathologists and clinical investigators not only to re-search, (quoting Dr. Skoryna), some of the older findings, but also to throw some light on the intricate processes in fat absorption which were unapproachable by older methods.  Lire la suite

Over the past decade, the ability of the engineer or scientist to solve problems requiring mathematical analysis has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of electronic calculating machines. The abilities and promise of these machines cover such a wide scope, that probably no other technological development in this decade, if in any decade, holds as much promise for human betterment. Many problems that once had to be left unsolved because of the limited abilities of classical mathematics, can now be answered. More important than the absolute limit of man's capabilities are the numerous problem solutions that these machines have brought …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this investigation is to use an adiabatic approximation in considering two distortions of the triton core in the hypernucleus ^H4. Firstly, the core is allowed a uniform radial expansion and contraction due to the presence of the ^ particle. Secondly, the core can assume an ellipsoidal shape from its original spherically symmetrical form, the volume remaining constant, to first order. The results indicate that both distortions are significant. The maximum reduction of the r. m. s. radius of the core is 24.2%, with a consequent reduction of 12.6% for the mean value of the well depth for …  Lire la suite

Barbados has the distinction of a one crop economy, that crop being sugar cane. This situation has existed for over 500 years, and during the latter part of this period, particularly since 1924, the cane breeding section of the Department of Agriculture has carried on extensive work in developing high yielding varieties of sugar cane especially suited to the island. The nature of investigation has, however, being virtually confined to this one direction, and study of the other important growth factors such as edaphic and especially climatic control has lagged far behind. Fortunately in 1959 a microclimatic station was set …  Lire la suite

Tests on four concrete beams with transverse-longitudinal steel ratio varying from zero to 1.86 are reported. The strength of the rectangular reinforced concrete beams, all of which fail due to direct shear and torsion, agree favourably with the tensile strength of concrete determined from indirect tension tests. Initial cracks occurred in all the beams at a load corresponding to a combined shear stress of 346 psi in an unreinforced section under combined bending, shear and torsion. Results indicate that the shear reinforcement ceases to be fully effective as the Pt/p+p' ratio approaches and exceeds unity. Moreover the concept of a …  Lire la suite

In 1875 the Nonconformist churches were numerically the strongest religious group in England and Wales: out of a total population of approximately 20 million, just over 1.5 million were members (as opposed to adherents) of the various Nonconformist denominations. The greater part of their membership came from the middle and upper-labouring classes; the Congregational Church - the largest of the Dissenting groups - had become, on its own admission, an almost exclusively middleclass institution. Of the various sects within the Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodists (150,000 members) and the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists (93,000 members) were most closely in touch with …  Lire la suite

The object of the investigation described in this report was to determine the effects of different diluent gases on the recombination of nitrogen dioxide to nitrogen tetroxide in a supersonic nozzle. The diluent gases chosen for the investigation were helium, nitrogen and carbon dioxide because of their widely different molecular weights. A test facility was constructed to supply a measured mixture of heated diluent gas and nitrogen dioxide to a two-dimensional, glass sided, Mach 2 nozzle. The distribution of the concentration of nitrogen dioxide along the centre-line of the nozzle was determined by an optical means, the results being interpreted …  Lire la suite

A Dutch aircraft, on its way from Geneva to London, has an accident in Belgium. One of the victims, a Frenchman domiciled in Denmark, had purchased his ticket in Stockholm. Which law applies to the claims of the passenger's widow against the carrier: Dutch, Swiss, English, Belgian, French, Danish, or Swedish law? Of this kind of hypothetic cases, frequently presented in writings on air law, McNAIR says: "Far-fetched though these examples may appear at first sight, they are by no means beyond the realms of possibility."  Lire la suite

Bonds are broken and formed in all chemical reactions. A knowledge of the dissociation energies of the relevant bonds helps one to predict the ease by which a given reaction may take place. It is obvious, therefore, that such information is useful in deciding which reactions should be included in the overall mechanism of a complex system. The dissociation energy of the bond R1-R2 in the molecule R1R2 is defined as the endothermicity of the reaction in which the bond R1-R2 is ruptured with the formation of two free radicals R1 and R2.  Lire la suite

De tous les artifices techniques employés par Balzac pour donner à La Comédie Humaine le mouvement et la variété de la vie, l'utilisation des lettres est l'un des plus remarquables. Balzac en effet se complaît à rédiger des missives de toutes sortes, depuis la lettre d'affaires truffée de chiffres jusqu'au billet-doux le plus galant. Il accompagne fort souvent ces compositions de commentaires qui attestent du plaisir que lui a procuré leur rédaction et montrent amplement que le romancier les a insérées volontairement dans un but précis: peindre un caractère, nouer une situation, renseigner le lecteur, surprendre l'attention, inspirer la crainte, …  Lire la suite

A new calculation is performed of the force between nucleons due to their participation in an exchange of π mesons. The approach is semi field theoretical, but one reduces the essentially relativistic scheme to the situation where one can place a potential function V in the two nucleon Schrödinger equation. In an adiabatic approximation one calculates the change in energy in the system due to the meson exchange activity between the two nucleons a fixed distance apart. When one allows the quasi-static nucleons to move by including Laplacian operators for them in the total Hamiltonian, a spin orbit potential emerges. …  Lire la suite

Determination of the energy fluxes resulting from incident solar radiation is fundamental to an understanding of the physical conditions pre- vailing at any point on the earth's surface. Comprehensive work on the balance of thermal energy in temperate regions has been performed and reported, particularly by Thornthwaite and Halstead, (TH54). However, results of similar completeness are lacking for oceanic regions, a fact illustrated by the omission of detail for these areas in Budyko's world atlas of heat balance, (Bu55). The determination of the energy budget is particularly interesting in the Arctic, where an immense latent heat is involved in the …  Lire la suite

The critic facing Andrew Marvell's ‘Miscellaneous Poems’ is beset by a number of problems. Although it is but a small collection, its range of subject-matter, of style, and of quality is enormous. It is difficult to see how the lyric perfection of some of the more famous poems can have come from the same pen as the shapeless inanities of ‘A Dialogue between Thyrsis and Dorinda’, or how the delicacy of feeling and sensitivity of expression of ‘On a drop of Dew’ and ‘The Nymph complaining for the death of her Faun’ can have been born out of the mind …  Lire la suite

Noradrenaline is present in postsynaptic sympathetic neurones, being located both in the adrenergic nerve fibers and in the ganglia from which these fibers originate. More recently noradrenaline was also shown to be present in mammalian brain (Rabb, 1943A, 1943B; von Euler, 1946). That noradrenaline is the chemical transmitter substance liberated by postsynaptic sympathetic neurones is now generally accepted. Whether or not noradrenaline has a functional role at synaptic levels is still unknown.  Lire la suite

Soil animals, of which micro-arthropods constitute a very high proportion, do not merely play a subsidiary role in the formation of different humus forms, but a most decisive one (Kubiëna, 1955). In order to know more about this role, however, it is necessary to understand something of the biology of these animals. Now, the Collembola are among the most abundant soil arthropods both as regards numbers of species and numbers of individuals, but although some published information on the biology and life-histories of some species exists, it is surprising how little is in fact known.  Lire la suite

Since the time of its discovery (Fontana, 1781; cited by Montgomery, 1898), the nucleolus has been the subject of numerous investigations. The morphology and chemistry of nucleoli, as well as the origin of nucleolar material, have been ably reviewed by Vincent (1955) and by Stich (1956). Although the literature is very extensive, little quantitative data is available regarding the absolute numbers and sizes of nucleoli. Historically, Lebert (1851; cited by Hoffman, 1953) was the first to attempt an assessment of nuclear and nucleolar diameters in animal cells. His measurements of cancer cell nuclei and nucleoli are, however, of little consequence …  Lire la suite

Before the Second World War, from 1934 to the outbreak of the War, trade between Japan and Canada consisted almost entirely of Canadian experts. Japan imported 4.7 times as much from Canada as she exported to that country. The average value of Canadian imports from Japan in the 1935 to 1939 period was $4,649,000 (Canadian dollars) annually, which accounted for only 0.67 per cent of the average annual value of Canadian imports from the world at this period, (see Table 1.1). After the War, formal Japanese-Canadian trade relations were resumed and by 1951 Japan had a substantial trade deficit with …  Lire la suite

Tumour tissues in vitro show an incorporation of glucose carbon into glycine, alanine, glutamate and aspartate. The incorporation into glutamate and aspartate is lower than that observed in normal rat brain cortex slices or chick embryo. This may be due to a lower rate of operation of the citric acid cycle compared with that of glycolysis in tumours. When normal rat brain cortex slices are incubated with tumour tissues in vitro, in a medium containing 5 mM 14 glucose-U-C14, there is a decrease in the amount of glutamine found in the brain cortex slices, with a concomitant increase in the …  Lire la suite

Early in 1961 it was brought to my attention that rabbits on a cholesterol diet were said to become anaemic. It was suggested that I perform haemograms on some cholesterol-fed and some normal animals to determine if the anaemia actually occurred. The results of this pilot experiment, recorded in the appendix, showed a significant degree of anaemia in six cholesterol- and fat-fed rabbits as compared with normal blood values in ten rabbits on a diet of unadulterated commercial chow. The animals on the atherogenic diet also showed leucocytesis and a quite marked reticulocytosis. The findings prompted a review of the …  Lire la suite

The purposes of the present study may be stated as follows : i. To present a logical chronological account of the physiographic development of Melville Peninsula. ii. To trace the major events of the Pleistocene glaciation and deglaciation in Melville peninsula. iii. To discuss the geomorphic processes which are active today in modifying the present surface configuration ofMelville Peninsula. iv. On the basis of the above discussion, to divide the peninsula into physiographic regions and to describe them systematically.  Lire la suite

Melville Peninsula is the largest and most easterly of several peninsulas which extend northward from the eastern mainland portion of the Northwest Territories in the Canadian Arctic. It has a maximum. north-south length of approximately 250 miles (66° 10’N. to 69°52'N.) and a. maximum width at its widest point of approximately 140 miles (81°15’W. to 86°36’W.). The peninsula, itself within the District of Franklin, is joined to the northeastern corner of the District of Keewatin by Rae Isthmus. It forms the western shore of Foxe Basin (map 1) and is separated from Baffin Island to the north by Fury and …  Lire la suite

Finance and administration are not merely interwoven, but finance is an integral part of administration itself. In the words of Durell, “the administrator is always working with both factors, he is cutting a coat according to his cloth, and the quantity of cloth is just as vital a factor as the pattern of the future coat in his mind”. Canada's financial administration, like that of Great Britain, is based on a budgetary rather than a non-budgetary system. The distinction between these two systems has been described by Villard and Willoughby in the following words.  Lire la suite

Disagreement among teachers on major and minor issues saps the strength of the educational system; undermines and enfeebles the purpose of the school; and destroys the unity of thought and action needed to realize great achievements in public education. All teachers cannot be expected to accept one specified code of beliefs. The pruning of superfluous ideas, and the effecting of greater unanimity, however, is sure to create a more fruitful theory of education. The tenacity with which most teachers hold to their beliefs based on a fragmentary knowledge of popular philosophies prevents agreement on the answers to many problems. Their …  Lire la suite

The phenomenon of selective permeation of certain substances across tissue membranes and into cells has long been recognized as a function of fundamental and essential importance. The composition of the intracellular fluid is, under normal physiological conditions, quite different from that of the extracellular fluid and it is the role of the external membrane surrounding the cytoplasm of each cell to maintain this state. The mechanisms which come into play in this process are still far from completely understood, although a great deal of work has been devoted to their study.  Lire la suite

The structure and reactivity of aza-aromatic nitramines has been under study in this laboratory for several years. Since the chemical properties of phenazine place it between aromatic hydrocarbons and strongly electron-deficient aza-aromatics, the compound is especially interesting from the point of view of the behaviour of its nitramine derivatives. An investigation of the latter would bridge the gap between nitramines of the two groups of compounds. 2-Nitraminophenazine was prepared and was found to behave similarly to the known aza-aromatic compounds of this type. 1-Nitraminophenazine could not be isolated under the reaction conditions.  Lire la suite

Composite concrete-steel beams are widely used for highway bridge structures and to a lesser extent for building floors. These structures are made from steel beams which support a concrete slab. The concrete slab serves a dual purpose: It provides a deck or working surface and it acts as the top flange of the supporting beam. The compressive forces are resisted by the concrete slab; the tensile forces are resisted by the steel beam; and the horizontal shear between these two elements is resisted by shear connectors which are welded to the steel beam and embedded in the concrete slab. The …  Lire la suite

In this study we shall deal with the great affirmation of the Bible that the purpose of God which is manifested in the history of Israel is the same purpose on which the entire creation is founded. Being a redemptive purpose, it is conceived not as an abstract, immovable design, but as effective in itself, identical with the creator's word striving for fulfillment in the world. Jesus fulfills this all-inclusive purpose as the Messiah of Israel, bringing the chosen people of God, and in principle the entire cosmos, to a final crisis wherein divine judgment is enacted on human sin …  Lire la suite

Attention has been drawn to the complex problem of the neurogenic bladder by the increased incidence of spinal cord trauma in civilian and war casualties. Improvement in the immediate care of the injuries has resulted in a greater initial salvage rate. The increased population of patients with neurogenic bladders suggests a need for re-evaluating the fundamental aspects of this problem. The physiology and pathology of the normal and neurogenic bladder have been studied. The utilization of substitute bladders in these cases has not been fully explored.  Lire la suite

Penicillium cyaneo-fulvum, which was found growing as a contaminant on a Lowenstein slope in the Clinical Laboratories of the Department of Bacteriology, McGill University, by Denton (1947), has been shown to produce at least three distinct substances. The mould produces an antibiotic, probably penicillin, a toxin neutralizing substance, noxiversin (Diena, 1954, 1956; Murray, Denton, Stevenson and Diena, 1958) and an antiviral factor (Diena, 1956; Cooke, 1958, 1960). Noxiversin, studied in some detail by Diena and others (Ajemian, 1957; Diena, 1954, 1956; Murray et al., 1958; Tanner, 1956, 1957), was found to possess, in addition to its antitoxic properties, some activity …  Lire la suite

Alicyclic spiranes, like spiro [5.5] undecane, and azaspiranes, like 3-azaspiro [5.5] undecane, the alternate name “piperidine-4-spirocyclohexane”; formula and 1-azaspiro [5.5] undecane, the alternate name "piperidine-2-spirocycohexane"; formula are representatives of an unusual combination of ring structures and they involve several important sterochemical – configurational and conformational-problems. It is not true, as is often stated, that the two alicyclic six-membered rings in these spiranes lie in planes perpendicular to each other.  Lire la suite

In the early period of microbiology, little attention was paid to marine microorganisms. In spite of the knowledge that life originated in the sea which covers the greater part of the earth's surface, little or no attempt was made to study the nature and activity of bacteria in the oceans. It was the end of the 19th century when Ehrenberg, Certes, Fischer and Russel, pioneer workers of marine bacteriology, published their studies in this field. Although marine bacteriology received more and more attention following the days of the pioneers, the research was mostly limited to general observations such as taxonomy, …  Lire la suite

Chemical changes involve the breaking of bonds in the reacting molecules and the formation of bonds in the products; they are usually accompanied by energy changes. Although the stability of a molecule or a radical, as expressed in terms of bond strengths, and its reactivity do not necessarily go hand in hand, a knowledge of the former is essential for the full understanding of the other factors which influence the source of chemical processes. In consequence, it is evident that the magnitudes of bond dissociation energies are of fundamental importance for both chemical kinetics and chemical equilibria.  Lire la suite

Petroleum is a hydrocarbon known in its liquid state as oil and in its gaseous state as natural gas. It is usually found in the sedimentary basins which make up about one-third of the earth's land surface. Well over a century ago, it came into increasingly general use as a lubricant, and through one of its many derivitives, kerosene, as an energy source. This latter use has since been enhanced powerfully by the rapid industrialization of the western world, the invention of the combustion engine, the decline of coal, and numerous other developments that have characterized the twentieth century.  Lire la suite

Measurements on the swelling pressure of oriented samples of Na-montmorillonite at dialysate concentrations of 10^-4 and 10^-2 M NaCl were made at temperatures ranging from 0°C to 25°0 in a specially designed temperature - swelling apparatus. The results indicate that at a dialysate concentration of 10^-4 M NaCl, the swelling pressure predicted from the combined Poisson-Boltzmann equation agreed closely with the measured pressures at the temperatures considered – swelling pressure decreased with decreasing temperature as predicted from the equation. Measured pressures were in all cases slightly smaller than the predicted pressures.  Lire la suite

The hippocampal formation is interesting because of the wide range of functions that have been attributed to it. The older anatomists, impressed by its close relation to the pre-pyriform or entorhinal cortex, attributed to it a role in olfaction. Comparative anatomists have noticed, however, that in anosmic animals such as the porpoise, which have no peripheral olfactory apparatus, the hippocampal cortex is well differentiated. Furthermore, Swann (1934) and Allen (1940, 1941) have shown that ablation of the hippocampus and fornix does not interfere with the retention of conditioned responses to olfactory stimuli, or olfactory discrimination performance.  Lire la suite

Some copper sulphide minerals recrystallized when heated in a temperature gradient in an argon-sulphur atmosphere, and acicular and lenticular crystals grew down gradient. The crystal composition was determined by the composition of the starting material, temperature, and the sulphur vapour pressure. The purpose of these experiments was to determine: (i) what effect the texture of the surface over which the copper sulphide migrated had upon the diffusing mineral, (ii) what relationship existed between temperature and the weight of the mineral transferred under a constant temperature gradient, (iii) what were the critical factors causing the migration, and, (iv) whether chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) …  Lire la suite