title: Developing Scientific Computing Software: Current Processes and Future Directions

contributor:
Smith, Spencer
Computing and Software

subject:
Software Engineering
Software Engineering

abstract:
Considerable emphasis in scientific computing (SC) software development has been placed on the software qualities of performance and correctness. How ever, other software qualities have received less attention, such as the qualities of usability, maintainability, testability and reusability.

Presented in this work is a survey titled "Survey on Developing Scientific Computing Software", which is apparently the first conducted to explore the current approaches to SC software development and to determine which qualities of SC software are in most need of improvement. From the survey we found that systematic development process is frequently not adopted in the SC software community, since 58% of respondents mentioned that their entire development process potentially consists only of coding and debugging. Moreover, semi-formal and formal specification is rarely used when developing SC software, which is suggested by the fact that 70% of respondents indicate that they only use informal specification.

In terms of the problems in SC software development, which are discovered by analyzing the survey results, a solution is proposed to improve the quality of SC software by using SE methodologies, concretely, using a modified Parnas' Rational Design Process (PRDP) and the Unified Software Development Process (USDP). A comparison of the two candidate processes is provided to help SC software practitioners determine which of the two pro cesses fits their particular situation. To clarify the discussion of PRDP and USDP for SC software and to help SC software practitioners better understand how to use PRDP and USDP in SC software, a completely documented one-dimensional numerical integration solver (ONIS) example is presented for both PRDP and USDP.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Pharmacological modulation of allergen-induced airway inflammation

contributor:
O`Byrne, P.M.
Physiology and Pharmacology

subject: physiology pharmacology

abstract: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease which is characterized by reversible bronchoconstriction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. Allergen inhalation by sensitized atopic asthmatics enhances airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, providing a model to study mild asthma exacerbation. Airway inflammation can be measured non-invasively from airway secretions by sputum induction. Prior to starting this thesis, information on allergen-induced inflammation measured from sputum was limited. Furthermore, the pro- or anti-inflammatory effects of asthma therapies had not been investigated using this model of allergen-induced airway inflammation. The aim of this thesis was to first characterize the allergen-induced changes in sputum inflammatory cells and determine the repeatability of measurements of sputum inflammatory cells following allergen inhalation challenge. In addition, this thesis was aimed to investigate the pro- or anti-inflammatory effects of asthma therapies on allergen-induced airway inflammation. Inflammatory cells considered to be important in asthma, such as eosinophils and mast cells, were measured from induced sputum following allergen inhalation challenge. These cells remained significantly elevated in sputum for 7d following inhalation of allergen, compared to diluent control. Cytokines associated with the activation and chemotaxis of eosinophils such as IL-5, eotaxin and RANTES, were also significantly elevated following allergen inhalation challenge. We examined the repeatability of allergen-induced airway inflammation assessed by induced sputum, and calculated the subject sample sizes required to demonstrate significant attenuation of sputum eosinophilia in placebo-controlled crossover studies. Measurement of sputum inflammatory cells, particularily eosinophils, following allergen inhalation challenge were found to reflect the pro- or anti-inflammatory effects of asthma therapies. Inhaled budesonide and PGE 2 are known to protect against allergen-induced early and late asthmatic responses and allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness. We demonstrated that regular treatment with inhaled budesonide, and that inhalation of PGE2 immediately before allergen inhalation challenge attenuated the allergen-induced early and late asthmatic responses, and the allergen-induced increase in airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory cells. In contrast, regular treatment with an inhaled β2 -agonist, an asthma therapy known to enhance the allergen-induced late asthmatic response, also enhanced the allergen-induced increase in sputum eosinophils during the late asthmatic response. These findings indicate that the measurements of airway eosinophils from induced sputum following allergen inhalation challenge reflect the allergen-induced late asthmatic response and airway hyperresponsiveness. Furthermore, allergen-induced sputum eosinophilia is a sensitive indicator of the pro- or anti-inflammatory effects of asthma therapies in mild atopic asthma.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The effect of mesoscopic spatial heterogeneity on the plastic deformation of Al-Cu alloys

contributor:
Wilkinson, David S.
Materials Science and Engineering

subject:
Materials Science and Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: This work concerns the effect of manipulating the mesoscopic spatial arrangement of coarse, hard particles in a ductile metallic matrix on the overall macroscopic deformation behaviour of the bulk solid. The hypothesis that the spatial distribution of the harder phase influences the onset of yielding and strain hardening in a particle hardened ductile solid is examined by way of experiment on a well characterized metallic system containing two phases. Rapidly solidified hypoeutectic binary Al-Cu granules, with nominal Cu compositions of 5%, 10%, 17% and 24% by weight were chosen as a model system. At room temperature, the binary system consists of two terminal equilibrium phases: the intermetallic compound CuAl2 , and the ductile Al solid solution. At room temperature the intermetallic is approximately seven times harder than the matrix and intrinsically brittle. Materials possessing either a uniform spatial distribution or a bimodal spatial distribution of the CuAl 2 particles are generated through a combination of hot-pressing and high temperature forging. Compression tests and complimentary experiments were performed on the materials in order to determine the magnitude and distribution of plasticity and damage in the materials as a function of the local heterogeneity and applied strain. The experimental flow curves were then compared to simulations obtained from two non-linear self-consistent continuum models of particle hardened, power law solids developed from the Eshelby "Equivalent Inclusion" Method. The flow curves obtained experimentally for the spatially uniform materials are in good agreement with a self-consistent method in which the matrix is assumed to uniformly coat the elastic particles to form a continuous network. In contrast, a model which assumes a random disordered morphology of both the particles and the matrix underestimates the plastic compliance of the uniform materials when the concentration of the particles is non-dilute. At small strains, the hardening rate observed experimentally is enhanced by inhomogeneous spatial distribution of the second phase when the contrast between the properties of the hard and soft regions of the microstructure is strong and the volume occupied by the hard regions is high. A simple continuum deformation model which accounts for clustering is in good agreement with the flow curves of the clustered materials.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Room temperature indentation of molybdenum disilicide

contributor:
Weatherly, G.C.
Embury, J.D.
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: The proposed use of molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) in gas turbines can only be properly evaluated when mechanical property information is available for all temperatures that are encompassed in this application. Because molybdenum disilicide is brittle at room temperature special testing techniques are required to obtain deformation information at this temperature. An indentation test is one method of obtaining room temperature deformation information of brittle materials. Indentations were made on two surfaces of molybdenum disilicide single crystals at room temperature. The indentations were made with a range of applied loads and the indenter was aligned in two different orientations on each surface. The deformation and fracture produced by the indentations was studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The results from these analyses are discussed in terms of the micromechanisms of deformation and fracture and related to both the hardness and changes in applied load.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Modelling Sediment Oxygen Demand in Lakes

contributor:
Snodgrass, W.J.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering

abstract:
Field and laboratory investigations were carried out to explore sediment oxygen demand (SOD) and its component parts. An in situ measurement device was built, tested and applied in Hamilton Harbour. Techniques were developed to measure SOD and oxygen uptake by chemical oxidation (CSOD). Sediment samples were taken from Hamilton Harbour and seven other lakes in Northern Ontario and Cape Breton Island. All samples were analyzed for organic content and selected samples were placed in laboratory columns. Experiments were conducted in which oxygen uptake was measured within the columns under controlled conditions. Sediment oxygen demand was fractioned into portions attributable to chemical oxidation, biological respiration and direct macroinvertebrate respiration.

Models were selected to describe the dependence of each portion of SOD on oxygen concentration and temperature. Where possible, mechanistic explanations are presented for the models selected. Results indicate that the chemical portion of SOD is dependent on oxygen concentration in the manner of a first-order reaction and that it responds to temperature change in a manner typical of a mixed bacterial community. At high oxygen concentrations, anaerobic metabolic activity is found to be the limiting factor in CSOD. Bacterial and macroinvertebrate oxygen uptake are dependent on oxygen concentration at low concentrations, following a Monod kinetic form. These fractions respond to temperature in the same fashion as the chemical portion. Macroinvertebrates contribute a large part of the direct respiration as well as having a profound effect on the total community respiration.

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Supply connected location-allocation problem

contributor:
Weslowsky, George O.
Love, Robert F.
Steiner, George
Management Science/Systems

abstract: This study introduces a new model for a location distribution system, which is called the Supply Connected Location Allocation Problem (SCLAP). The problem involves locating p facilities with respect to n demand points and a supply plant. The supply plant originates all material in the system and distributes it to facilities along a route to be determined. Facilities then distribute the material to demand points via direct shipments. The problem minimizes the cost of shipping material from supply plant to all demand points via facilities. A description of the model is given and its subproblems are discussed in relation to well-known models in the literature. The problem is then investigated in three avenues: First, some special cases on which the problem is efficiently solvable are identified. For this, simple structured networks (e.g. a line and a tree) are considered. A dynamic programming solution procedure with polynomial time complexity is developed for the case on a line and it is extended to a special case of tree networks. Second, the problem is considered on general networks and a single assignment branch-and-bound algorithm is proposed to solve it. The algorithm is tested on randomly generated networks for relatively small sizes of problem instances. Discussions on the computational results are given with respect to computation time and the size of the branch and bound tree. Next, local search type heuristics are discussed briefly and two heuristic approaches are developed. Two versions of algorithms are constructed for each of those heuristics and they are tested on randomly generated networks, with respect to computation time and closeness to optimality (when optimal solutions were available) or to closeness to the best solution found. Finally, the study is concluded with recommendations for future research.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Investigation of the Relation Between Remembering and Learning

contributor:
Jacoby, L.
Psychology

subject:
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Psychiatry and Psychology
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

abstract:
Remembering requires an awareness of prior occurrence. In contrast, learning is indicated by savings on performing a task; no awareness of prior occurrence is necessary. Previous research has shown that performance on measures of learning can be functionally and statistically dissociated from performance on remembering tasks. Some investigators have concluded that these dissociations indicate that there are separate memory systems. The experiments performed in this thesis investigate the alternative explanation that dissociations between measures of memory result because of differing retrieval requirements. Whereas previous experiments employed learning and remembering tasks that were mismatched in their reliance on conceptual processes, the present experiments employ a learning task that focuses on the conceptual relations between words.

Meaningfulness of study processing was manipulated by requiring categorization of word pairs as similar or dissimilar. When the same categorization was performed at transfer, learning was of greater magnitude and of longer duration for more meaningfully related words. When repeated words were categorized by different attributes virtually no learning was observed. Therefore, in contrast to other research (e.g., Jacoby & Dallas, 1981), the meaningfulness and context of processing words were important determinants of learning.

The relation between remembering and savings on categorization was investigated by requiring a recognition decision after each categorization at transfer. Effects on recognition paralleled those on categorization. Better recognition performance was observed for more meaningfully related words and for words repeated in the same task context. Discrimination of task context also was better for more meaningfully related words. Therefore, the effect of equating processing requirements between measures was to produce a functional dependence between remembering and learning. A statistical dependence between measures also was obtained. At transfer, faster than average categorizations were associated with "old" recognition decisions in conditions in which subjects based their recognition decision on familiarity only. However, the conclusion of statistical association is tentative because the requirement to recognize after categorization interfered with categorization.

Manipulations of retrieval processes were successful in converting dissociations into associations. Therefore, this investigation supports the differing retrieval requirements explanation of dissociations between measures of memory.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Total Assessment of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Physiotherapists: A Randomized Controlled Trial

contributor:
Sackett, D.L.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract:
Are the outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis patients improved when their family physicians are provided with information gathered by specially trained physiotherapists?

Two physiotherapists were selected and trained in detailed objective techniques of evaluation and problem identification, leading to a clear and succinct report designed to assist the family physician in treatment decisions. From June 1974 to January 1977, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of these reports on the outcomes of women with rheumatoid arthritis treated in the community by their family physicians.

On admission to the trial, patients were randomly allocated to two groups: one experimental group which was assessed according to modern quantitative techniques of evaluation and, following communication of results to family physicians, were treated at home by the trained physiotherapists; and a control group which was assessed according to traditional techniques of evaluation and, following, communication of results to family physicians were treated at home by traditional physiotherapists. All subjects were interviewed initially, at four, and at 12 months by independent assessors who used a standardized prestructured questionnaire designed to measure the level of joint inflammation, functional capacity, compliance and mood.

In association with this triaI, a pooled index was developed converting live separate outcome measures into a single prespecified variable, to measure treatment differences.

The author's unique contribution to this trial related to: development, formulation and execution of the experimental design, and more specifically, the use of independent assessors in rheumatology, allocation strategies, processing of intakes, supervision and control of data gathering procedures and the introduction of modifications in the design following the protest and during the experiment period that made this trial feasible.

This is a "compound" thesis, focussing on the present state of knowledge and rationale for the research, the original design and modifications introduced following the pretest and during the experimental period. The rationale and effects of these modifications will be discussed in detail.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Evaluation of an Industrial Alcoholic Rehabilitation Program

contributor:
Gerson, L.
Epidemiology

subject:
Life Sciences
Life Sciences

abstract:
This thesis is a report of the evaluation of an industrial alcoholic rehabilitation program. The evaluation covered the years 1970 - 1974 inclusive and all those referred to the program were included in the sample.

Since employed problem drinkers are identified by deteriorating job performance, the variables selected for investigation were directly related to job performance. Absenteeism in four categories and visits to the industrial medical clinic were compared for three years; the year before referral, the year of treatment and the year after referral. Number of accidents sustained, both occupational and non-occupational and number of suspensions incurred were compared for the year before referral and the year after referral.

Information was collected on age, marital status, number of years employed in the industry and diagnosis of one or more selected alcohol-related conditions. Data were collected on the number of appointments scheduled and kept to determine compliance and its' relationship to outcome.

Those win refused to enter the program are described by mean age and mean number of years worked in the industry. Those who dropped out of the program before completing one full year post-referral are described by mean age, marital status, number of dependents, mean number or years worked in the industry and the mean number of months between referral and drop-out.

The evaluation demonstrated that the program has a 78.8% success rate. The data obtained led to the formulation of hypotheses suitable for testing in future controlled trials.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Stretch Bend Testing of High Strength Low Alloy Sheet Steels

contributor:
Duncan, J.L.
Production Engineering

subject: Engineering Engineering

abstract:
The stretch bend test has been used to investigate the formability of a series of high strength, low-alloy sheet steels with yield strengths in the range 35 to 90 ksi, varying compositions and inclusion shapes.

The results of the stretch bend tests have been compared with those of tensile, hole expansion and punch stretching tests on the same steels to obtain an indication of the sensitivity of the test to steel quality. In addition sone stretch bend tests have been carried out to investigate the influence of varying the lubrication, specimen width and specimen span in the test.

The results show that the stretch bend is somewhat insensitive to the presence of elongated inclusions at the lower strength levels and inclusion contents but this sensitivity does increase with increasing test span and should be adequate at the larger spans. Local strains at fracture in both tensile and stretch bend tests give a more reliable indication of the presence elongated inclusions. Of the bulk formability measurements the hole expansion limit exhibits the greatest sensitivity to steel quality.

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Strain Distribution Formability in Shallow Parts

contributor:
Duncan, J. L.
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

abstract:
In shallow parts it is important to obtain strain over the face of the part if a satisfactory part is to be produced. The strain distributing formability of materials is an important parameter influencing the amount of face strain in shallow parts. Strain distributing formability is not well defined or measured.

The increased use in automobile components of high strength to weight materials such as dual phase steels requires greater precision in ranking materials for formability if these steels are to replace the conventional low strength steels.

In this work an analytical modelling technique simulating a shallow part was developed. The technique was then used to examine how various parameters (geometric, material, and friction) affect the face strain in a shallow part.

An experimental rig was designed and constructed which simulated a simple shallow part. The strains in the part were measured and used to verify the accuracy of the analytical modelling as well as give some indication of the friction conditions in a pressing operation. The experimental bottom strains are a possible means for ranking material formability in shallow pans. This ranking method and other methods based on tensile test data are discussed.

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Identification and characterization of rabbit hepatic receptors for thrombin-antithrombin complexes

contributor:
Blajchman, Morris A.
Science

subject: science

abstract: Antithrombin (AT)-mediated inhibition of thrombin is important in the maintenance of hemostasis. This importance is emphasised by the fact that people with AT deficiencies are at greater risk of developing thrombophilia. AT inhibits thrombin by forming a covalent 1:1 stoichiometric thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and such formed complexes rapidly are removed from the circulation by hepatic receptors. The main aim of my doctoral thesis project has been to identify and characterize these hepatic receptors. Competitive radioligand binding experiments demonstrated a low-affinity 125 I-TAT binding site on hepatic membranes. Ligand-blotting on rabbit liver plasma membranes was used to identify TAT-binding polypeptide(s). These experiments showed that 125 I-TAT interacted specifically with a 45 kDa protein which was identified as cytokeratin 18 (CK18) by amino acid sequencing. The biological relevance of this unusual interaction was verified by the presence of CK18 on the surface of rat and human hepatoma cells and the ability of anti-CK18 IgG, but not preimmune IgG, to inhibit TAT binding and internalization by these cells. Finally, the increased binding of 131 I-anti-CK18 IgG over 125 I-preimmune IgG to perfused rabbit livers supported the possibility that CK18 is expressed on the surface of hepatocytes in vivo. As a whole, these data indicate a novel biological role for cytokeratins as cellular receptors. The secondary aim of my thesis was to examine the metabolism of TAT when contained in a ternary complex with vitronectin (VN-TAT). Plasma clearance experiments revealed that VN-TAT was removed rapidly from the circulation by hepatic binding sites. Binding to these sites was found to be heparin-sensitive such that either heparin or protamine sulfate extends the VN-TAT clearance time (t½α ) ten to fifteen fold. Similarly, in vitro radioligand binding studies on hepatoma cells indicate that VN-TAT binds to low affinity heparinoid sites. Furthermore, heparin greatly reduced the internalization and degradation of VN-TAT by HepG2 cells. These data demonstrate for the first time that VN-TAT, at least partially, is cleared by hepatic sites which are most likely heparan sulfate in nature.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Treatments for Hyperkinetic Children: A Literature Review and a Design for a Trial of Methylphenidate and Behaviour Modification

contributor:
MacPherson, A.S.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract:
Hyperkinetic children and their treatment are currently the subjects of heated discussions among medical persons, parents, teachers, government officials, the press and a concerned public. The focus of these discussions is often the appropriateness or inappropriateness of stimulant medications for hyperkinetic children.

The first part of this thesis contains a review of a substantial portion of the literature on hyperkinesis including : definitions and diagnosis of hyperkinesis, prevalence of hyperkinetic symptoms and of hyperkinesis, characteristics of children considered hyperkinetic, drug treatments for hyperkinesis, and non-drug treatments for hyperkinesis. The major purpose of the literature review is to examine all available studies of the effectiveness of methylphenidate for hyperkinesis and all available studies of the effectiveness of non-drug treatments for hyperkinesis. This review indicates that methylphenidate is the most effective drug treatment tested and that behaviour modification or operant conditioning is the best tested, effective non-drug treatment for hyperkinesis. The relative effectiveness of methylphenidate and behaviour modification alone or in combination for the treatment of hyperkinesis is not known.

In the literature review, Tables are provided which summarize information gleaned from an extensive selection of publications. These Tables include : A) Estimates of the Prevalence of Hyperkinetic Symptoms and of the Hyperkinetic Disorder in Children; B) Some Characteristics which Distinguish Children Diagnosed as Hyperkinetic from Normal Children; C) Some Characteristics which Distinguish Children Diagnosed as Hyperkinetic from Neurotic or Normal Children; D) A Summary of Studies of Methylphenidate for Hyperkinesis; E) The Effectiveness of Methylphenidate versus Placebo for Hyperkinesis : measures on which M and P have differed significantly in therapeutic effectiveness; F) The Effectiveness of Methylphenidate versus other Active Drugs for Hyperkinesis; G) A Summary of Studies of Non-Drug Treatments for Hyperkinesis; H) Evaluation of Miscellaneous Non-Drug Treatments for Hyperkinesis, and I) The Effectiveness of conditioning in the Treatment of Hyperkinesis.

The second part of this thesis is a research proposal which has been developed on the basis of the current state of knowledge pertaining to the treatment of Hyperkinesis. The proposed research is designed to determine which of three very promising treatments for hyperkinesis has the greatest effectiveness and fewest side-effects: methylphenidate, behaviour modification, or methylphenidate plus behaviour modification. The protocol covers the following areas : Rationale for the study; Selection criteria for hyperkinetlc children; Collection of the sample of children; Sample size required; Pre-treatment assessments; Assignment to treatments; Methylphenidate treatment at .7mg/kg/day; Behaviour modification program including 8 sessions; Methylphenidate and behaviour modification in combination; Post-treatment assessments; Data analysis and budget for the study. This protocol could be adapted for use by other investigators interested in the area.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Reality Orientation in a Socially Constructed Universe

contributor:
Marshall, V.M.
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: This thesis was initially concerned with the theoretical framework and practical application of Reality Orientation--a therapeutic technique currently employed with the mentally impaired aged. On a theoretical level, attention was to be focused upon the manner in which.a number of assumptions, inherent within the formal theory were managed in a Reality Orientation programme. Participation in and observations of a Reality Orientation programme which had been introduced in a geriatric centre commenced in order to fully assess the Reality Orientation programme. However, the programme at the centre deviated significantly from the formal principles of Reality Orientation. Moreover, the programme was subject to much resistance particularly from the nursing and health care staff and was eventually aborted on one of the two wards which employed the programme. We were able to consider the management of the assumptions located within the formal theory, the format of the programme at the centre, and provide possible explanations accounting for the failure of and the resistance to the prgramme at the centre. However, due to the deviations of the programme from the formal theory, a fully comprehensive evaluation of Reality Orientation as a therapeutic approach could not be fully ascertained.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Release of Prostaglandins by Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

contributor:
Epand, R.M.
Biochemistry

subject: Biochemistry Biochemistry

abstract:
The release of prostaglandins from rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from peritoneal exudates was studied. Prostaglandin release by nonphagocytizing cells was stimulated by the presence of exogenous arachidonic acid and dihomo-ϒ-linolenic acid, the prostaglandin precursors. Prostaglandins synthesized from exogenous precursors were not stored intracellularly.

Prostaglandin release was also stimulated during the phagocytosis of bacteria or zymosan particles in the absence of added precursor, although the quantities release were less than when exogenous precursor was present. The release of prostaglandins by phagocytizing cells showed many similarities to release of lysosomal enzymes, particularly those originating in the azurophil granules. Cells rendered incapable of ingesting particles by treatment with cytochalasin B released prostaglandins and lysosomal enzymes when presented with a phagocytic stimulus. Both prostaglandin and β-glucuronidase release from cytochalasin B-treated cells were inhibited by dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate and by colchicine.

Resting cells treated with phorbol myristate acetate released lysozyme but did not release β-glucuronidase or prostaglandins. Both prostaglandins and lysosomal enzymes were released by the divalent cationic ionophore A23187 in the presence of Ca²⁺. Maximum prostaglandin release occurred at 1 μM A23187 whereas lysosomal enzyme release occurred in 2 stages with maxima at 1 μM and 5 μM A23187. In Ca²⁺-free buffer the respiratory burst which normally accompanies phagocytosis could be stimulated independently of prostaglandin and lysosomal enzyme release by the cationic ionophore X537A. The release of prostaglandins during phagocytosis and by A23187 was not due to activation of prostaglandin synthetase, but appeared to be due to increased availability of prostaglandin precursors.

Preincubation of cells with exogenous prostaglandin precursors inhibited β-glucuronidase release when cells were subsequently exposed to a phagocytic stimulus. This effect was not due to prostaglandin biosynthesis but appeared to be a nonspecific fatty acid effect observed with other unsaturated fatty acids as well.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Electrochemical measurements and thermodynamic properties of alkali fullerides

contributor:
Petric, A.
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: The systems Na - C60 , K - C60 and Sr - Al were studied by the Electromotive force (EMF) technique using electrochemical cells which were composed of beta-alumina tubes glass-sealed to α-alumina lids. EMF measurements of Nax C60 at 599 K indicated solid solution regions at 1.7 < x < 3 and 3.3 < x < 12. (A sudden drop in EMF in the range of 3.3 < x < 3.7 allows the possibility of a nearly stoichiometric phase in this range). No compounds were observed in the composition range of 0 < x < 1.7. From EMF measurements, the Gibbs energies of mixing of [Special characters omitted.] Na3 C60 and [Special characters omitted.] Na6 C60 were determined as 85 and 81 kJ/mol, respectively. From EMF measurements of Kx C 60 at 572 K, the Gibbs energies of mixing of [Special characters omitted.] were found to be 83, 117, 120 and 121 kJ/mol, for x = 1, 3, 4 and 6, respectively. The ideal interstitial solution model of the Na - C 60 system indicates that tetrahedral sites are favored by Na. The difference between Nax C60 and Kx C60 seems to be related to the ionic size effects. EMF measurements of the Sr - Al system using a Sr beta-alumina solid electrolyte were unsuccessful. Thermodynamic consideration suggests that Sr beta-alumina is not compatible with pure Al or Sr. A model for the intermolecular interactions between C60 molecules, based on the effective Lennard-Jones interaction centers and local charge distribution, was proposed and tested for the Pa 3¯ structure of pure C60 by both regular solution and cluster variation methods. As the effective Lennard-Jones interaction centers move from carbon atoms to the centers of adjacent double bonds of the same molecule, the Pa 3¯ structure in which the pentagons of a molecule face double bonds of nearest molecules becomes more stable relative to the Pa 3¯ structure in which the hexagons face double bonds. By assigning charges to carbon atoms and to the centers of bonds, we can model the increase in activation energy for the jump between 22 and 82 degree orientations. External vibrational frequencies of simple cubic (sc ) C60 and M3 C60 (M = K, Rb) were computed by the harmonic approximation, using the model for the intermolecular interactions between C60 molecules. The computed frequencies of phonons are quite consistent with experiments. However, for librons there are some differences between computed and observed frequencies, which suggests that the harmonic approximation is not adequate for librons. By using group theory, the external vibrational modes of sc C60 at Γ, Σ, Δ and Λ are labeled and the corresponding symmetry adapted vectors are obtained. Thermodynamic properties of sc C60 were computed using the canonical partition function. The lattice energy and configurational entropy terms are estimated by the regular solution model. The dispersion curves were approximated by the Debye model for acoustic modes and the Einstein model for optical modes. The Debye characteristic temperature and optimum Grüneisen constant were determined as 54.14 K and 7.5, respectively. The contribution of the 82 degree orientation of the molecules to the constant volume heat capacity was found to be significant in the temperature range of 20 to 100 K.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: User interface features: Facilitating information access and decision making

contributor:
Archer, Norman P.
Management Science/Systems

subject: management science/systems

abstract: The human computer interface is a vital component of the computer system, and is often seen as the entire system from the user's perspective. A properly designed interface should allow the user to effortlessly access information, which can also facilitate the decision making process. In this study, we develop a research framework to explore specific links between the decision making, information access and user interface domains. We examine three specific interface Wide Web history mechanisms) and their links within our research framework, which can then provide design implications for usable interfaces. Voice and text output modes were investigated in a multiple alternative decision making task experiment. We were able to conduct a direct comparison between these output modes by presenting the same information for the same length of time for each mode (voice, text, and both voice and text). We found the text mode was the most efficient, resulting in shorter decision times. Both voice and text was preferred to voice alone, but there were no significant differences between text\voice and both\text output mode pairings. A multiple alternative decision making task experiment was also used information structure was not imposed on the user. We found that a top-down search strategy was directly related to a tendency to use a compensatory and alternative-wise decision making strategy. We also found that the propensity to use a top-down strategy became less as the search progressed in favour of a more opportunistic approach. The final interface component investigated was a World Wide Web hypermedia history mechanism. A Memory Extender Mechanism for Online Searching (MEMOS) tool was developed to provide the Web user with intra- and inter-sessional navigation support in parallel with existing browser navigation mechanisms. This tool can be used to navigate among pages within a particular session, or save all or part of a navigation session for future inter-sessional use. Session sites may be saved in a three level user-defined hierarchy, thus making lists more manageable and understandable. We conducted experiments where subjects compared MEMOS with corresponding Netscape 3.0 Web browser history mechanisms. The results of the experiments indicated significant preferences for the MEMOS tool, and significant efficiency and effectiveness measures for MEMOS inter-sessional was also shown to be effective. From our examination of the above interface components we established specific interactive relationships among the derision making, information access and user interface domains. These relationships contribute to a better understanding of interface components that can be used to develop usable systems. Our framework also suggests possible directions for future research.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Processing and creep behaviour of silicon carbide-platelet reinforced alumina

contributor:
Wilkinson, D.S.
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: The creep rates of SiC whisker reinforced Al2 O3 have been found to be one or two orders of magnitude lower than the creep rate of unreinforced alumina. However, whiskers are a serious health hazard due to their asbestos-like geometry, they are expensive (thousands of dollars per kilogram), and they tend to get damaged during processing. Platelets have been proposed as an alternative to whiskers due to their reinforcement potential comparable to that of whiskers, forgiving geometry (with respect to safety), better thermal stability, lower price (hundreds of dollars per kilogram) and ease of processing. Up to now, research in platelet reinforced ceramics has concentrated mainly in room temperature properties and little is known about their high temperature mechanical properties. The aim of this work was to study the way in which different reinforcement network morphologies affect the creep behaviour of SiC-platelet/Al2 O3 composites and to determine the important deformation mechanisms at the studied temperature (1250°C). To this end, composites with different platelet volume fractions (0 to 30%) and orientation distributions were fabricated. The samples were subjected to flexure and compression creep tests and characterized using optical and electron microscopy, dilatometry, and neutron diffraction. The analysis of the creep behaviour was found to be complicated by the differences in impurity content in the samples and the increase in glass content with the platelets volume fraction. However, the results clearly indicate a strong influence of the reinforcement morphology on the creep properties. Special attention was given to an unusual time-dependent transition from high to low creep strain rate in some of the composites. The phenomenon was ascribed to the possible relief of bending strains in the platelets. In addition, some of the possible main mechanisms responsible for the increased creep resistance in SiC-whisker reinforced ceramics were found not be operative in platelet-reinforced ceramics.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Project portfolio selection: A decision support approach

subject: management science/systems

abstract: Selecting projects to develop from the many that are usually possible, or "project portfolio selection " is a crucial decision in many organizations. Many different methods for portfolio selection have been suggested in the literature but no integrated framework has been developed for carrying it out. In this thesis, we suggest a framework that builds on the strengths of existing methods. The proposed framework separates the project portfolio analysis and selection process into distinct stages and allows users to choose the techniques they find the most suitable for each stage. Since finding the optimal solution is the most sophisticated part of the proposed framework, we developed a zero-one linear integer-programming model for this stage that overcomes the shortcomings of existing models and advances previous work in this area. The model we developed considers multiple, conflicting goals, including qualitative objectives, and selects and schedules the optimal set of projects. The solution maximizes benefits according to pre-specified priorities without violating any constraints such as resource limitations, project interdependencies, and portfolio balancing. We implemented the proposed framework in the form of a decision support system (DSS) to facilitate and encourage decision maker involvement throughout the process. For this purpose we developed PASS (Project Analysis and Selection System). PASS is a user-friendly DSS that suits the knowledge level of potential users and allows interaction with the system as well as intervention to make adjustments to the solution it provides. We tested the usefulness, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of PASS in a lab setting and gained significant results in support of the developed hypotheses. We also presented our approach to two high-tech firms who wanted to investigate the feasibility of PASS for project portfolio selection, and received very promising feedback from these companies.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Nietzsche's Critique of Christianity: An Exposition of The Anti-Christ

contributor:
Grant, George P.
Religion

subject: Religion Religion

abstract: This thesis attempts to set forth clearly what Nietzsche says about Christianity in The Anti-Christ. Its goal is the achievement of an adequate understanding of Nietzsche's critique of Christianity; it is not meant to be a critical evaluation of that critique.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Industrial Capitalism and the Birth of Sociology in France: Saint Simon, Comte and Durkheim

contributor:
Smith, Dusky Lee
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: This thesis investigates the socio-historical roots of modern sociology in France. It traces the development of sociology as reflected in the works of Saint Simon, Comte and Durkheim and relates the content of these works to the shifting class structure in France from approximately 1789 to 1900.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Effects of Altering Blood pH on Exercise Performance

contributor:
Jones, N.L.
Medical Sciences

subject:
Medical Sciences
Medical Sciences

abstract:
The energy required for the performance of light exercise is largely supplied by the aerobic oxidation of fat and carbohydrate. As the intensity of exercise increases, the percentage of energy derived from anaerobic processes, predominantly the breakdown of muscle glycogen to lactic acid, is increased proportionally. Evidence suggests that the increase in anaerobic metabolism influences the mobilization of free fatty acids from adipose tissue. Studies have shown that lactate inhibits FFA mobilizltion in dogs. In man, it was found that plasma FFA are reduced during heavy exercise and remain low as long as plasma lactate is increased. However, when lactate is increased under these conditions, the pH is reduced.

To separate the effects of pH and lactate in the blood, subjects performed three identical exercise tests with artificially induced changes in blood pH prior to two of the studies. Ammonium chloride and sodium bicarbonate were ingested over a three hour period prior to exercising to produce an acidosis and alkalosis, respectively. Calcium carbonate was given as a placebo for the control study. In all subjects, the studies were performed in a random order, in a fasted state and were separated by at least 72 hours. Arterialized venous blood was sampled from a vein in the hand.

The maximum power output of each subject was measured by a progressive exercise test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. During the studies, they exercised at 33% and 66% of their maximum power output for 20 minutes each, followed by 90% until exhaustion.

This protocol resulted in a significant separation in both blood pH and exhaustion times at the 90% workload. The mean exhaustion times were 4 min., 2.5 min., and 6.5 min. for the control, acidosis and alkalosis studies, respectively.

The plasma lactate concentrations were also significantly different. The lowest lactate levels were found during acidosis and the highest during alkalosis.

Plasma glycerol and FFA concentrations were similar during the control and alkalosis studies, but significantly lower during acidosis. The lowest levels of glycerol and FFA were found when the pH was lowest, but plasma lactate was also lowest.

These results suggest that changes in pH are more important than changes in lactate, per se, in the inhibition of FFA mobilization during severe exercise. In addition, it appears that acidosis causes either a decreased rate of production of lactic acid, a decreased rate of efflux of lactate from muscle, or an increased utilization of lactate by other tissues.

Although the mechanisms cannot be determined from this study, the results suggest that acidosis inhibits glycolysis as well as FFA mobilization, reducing the anaerobic production of energy. This presents no serious problem during moderate exercise, but seriously impairs performance of heavy work.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: The interactions between human antithrombin and heparin

subject: science

abstract: Antithrombin is a plasma serine proteinase inhibitor functioning physiologically as an anticoagulant. It inactivates thrombin and FXa by forming a 1:1 covalent complex between its P1 Arg and the catalytic serine of the proteinase. Antithrombin is a relatively inefficient inhibitor until it is activated by two specific glycosaminoglycans, heparin and heparan sulphate with the unique pentasaccharide sequence required for high affinity binding to antithrombin. Activation of antithrombin by the pentasaccharide and full-length heparin induces major conformational changes in the antithrombin molecule. The pentasaccharide binding site of antithrombin has been mapped to the D-helix, the A-helix, and the N-terminus of the molecule. Arg47 is located where the base of the A-helix is in close proximity to the amino end of the D-helix. To characterize the role of Arg47 in antithrombin binding to and its activation by the pentasaccharide, antithrombin moieties with substitutions at Arg47 were created and expressed in transfected COS-1 cells. Our data suggest that a positively charged amino acid at position 47 is essential for heparin and the pentasaccharide to bind to AT with high affinity and the pentasaccharide- and heparin-accelerated inactivation of FXa. In addition, an Arg is preferred to Lys for activation by the pentasaccharide with respect to FXa inhibition. Antithrombin interacts with target proteinases primarily through its P1-P1' residues together with flanking binding subsites in the reactive centre loop. Heparin activates antithrombin through inducing a major conformational change in antithrombin which optimizes the presentation of the reactive centre loop to the target proteinases. While the pentasaccharide is sufficient for enhancing the rate of FXa inhibition, it has little effect on thrombin inactivation. Full-length heparin, on the other hand, enhances the rates of antithrombin inhibition of both FXa and thrombin. As demonstrated by the coincident 40% increase in endogenous Trp fluorescence with plasma antithrombin, the pentasaccharide and full-length heparin were reported to induce similar conformational changes in AT. The large rate enhancement of thrombin inhibition by full-length heparin was thus attributed solely to the ability of longer chains to accommodate AT and thrombin simultaneously. Based on the fact that substrate recognition of thrombin and FXa is different, it was hypothesized that the pentasaccharide and full-length heparin induce different reactive centre loop conformations. A Pro397Trp antithrombin moiety thus was generated in transfected CHO cells. We report here, for the first time, that the pentasaccharide and full-length heparin induce different conformational changes in the reactive centre loop. It thus appears that the pentasaccharide-induced reactive centre loop conformation represents a near optimal substrate to FXa, whereas the heparin-induced RCL conformation is apparently required for near optimal interaction with thrombin.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Social Background and Social Character of Bangladesh Nationalism

contributor:
Drass, Robert
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: The emergence of nationalism in the Indian sub-continent was determined and conditioned by the nature of the transformation of the Indian economy under the British Rule. The stability of the Indian social structure, based on the Asiatic mode of production, was disrupted by the capitalist penetration of the British imperialism. This led to the formation of new social classes. The uneven development of the bourgeoisie among the Hindus and Muslims in India resulted in the creation of two states -- India and Pakistan. The same phenomenon -- the underdevelopment of the capitalist class in East Pakistan -- led to the emergence of Bangladesh nationalism.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Diffusion-induced liquid film migration in the aluminum-copper system

contributor:
Purdy, G.R.
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: An investigation of liquid film migration (LFM) in the aluminum-copper system is presented in this thesis. Experimental and numerical modelling results are discussed for the migration of liquid lenses, formed on melting of grain-boundary [straight theta] precipitates in Al-3.4 wt% Cu alloys which had been previously equilibrated at 400°C. Liquid films of comparable thickness, formed upon the melting of intragranular Widmanstätten precipitates were found not to migrate. Volume fraction studies indicate that after the initial liquation of the [straight theta] precipitates, the liquid phase undergoes an isothermal solidification. Three-dimensional reconstructions of LFM events were created using a combined SEM/microindenting/polishing method. The results indicate the difficulty in obtaining reasonable measurements of migration distances from two-dimensional cross-sections; a method was developed to obtain appropriate two-dimensional measurements based upon these results. The modelling studies are based on the hypothesis that the leading and trailing solid-liquid interfaces are each characterized by a constrained local equilibrium, as determined by chemical, coherency and capillary terms, and that the process is driven by the liquid concentration gradient resulting from different equilibrium concentrations at the two interfaces. The model is utilized to explore the sensitivity of the process to variations in physico-chemical parameters, and ultimately as an aid in the understanding of LFM and its subsequent cessation. It is determined that the capillary term has a strong influence on the migration process, even for liquid pool dimensions of several microns. From model simulations and an analysis of coherency loss in the leading solid it is concluded that the migration of liquid films in the Al-Cu system is driven by coherency strain energy in the early stages of the process. As migration continues, the increasing energy due to curvature is sufficient to decrease the overall driving force to a point where the film. slows down and coherency is lost. The liquid films become immobile (no reversal of migration) once loss of coherency occurs.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Millenarian themes in the White Lotus Society

contributor:
Jan, Y.-h.
Religious Studies

subject: Religion Religion

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Subspace identification methods for process dynamic modeling

contributor:
MacGregor, John F.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering

abstract: Subspace Identification Methods (SIMs) are a class of new identification methods that have drawn considerable interest in recent years. The key idea of these methods is to estimate the process states or the extended observability matrix directly from the process input and output data. The best-known SIMs are Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA), Numerical Subspace State-Space System Identification (N4SID) and Multivariable Output Error State space (MOESP). This thesis focuses on both fundamental research and application study of SIMs. The first part of the fundamental research involves the analysis of SIM algorithms from a statistical estimation viewpoint. For this purpose, a multi-step state-space model is set up first to reveal the relationships between the process states and the process data sets. Based on this model, SIM algorithms are analyzed to reveal their basic principles and bias issues. Several new SIM algorithms are proposed and shown to have similar performance as the existing algorithms. Relationships between SIMs and Latent Variable Methods (LVMs) for identification are then explored. It is shown that N4SID can be derived from Reduced-Rank Analysis (RRA) just as CVA is developed based on Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). Insights from this relationship lead to a variety of approaches to improve the performance of N4SID. The similarities and differences between SIMs and LVMs are investigated, with emphases on their causality, data collection and applications. For estimating the states, CCA and RRA are shown to be more efficient than Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). A general statistical framework is proposed to unify SIM algorithms. The framework breaks all SIMs down into three common steps: (1) use of a linear regression method to estimate the predictable subspace, (2) use of a latent variable method to estimate a minimal set of the state variables, and (3) then fitting the estimated process states to the state-space model. Combining the approaches in the first two steps leads to a whole set of new SIM algorithms. Simulation studies show that these new SIM algorithms have similar performance as the existing SIMs. This framework reveals the nature of the computation steps in SIM algorithms and the fundamental ideas behind SIM algorithms. It also discloses the relationships among different SIM algorithms. The applicability of SIMs for closed-loop data is investigated. The original N4SID algorithm and the CVA algorithm based on regressing out the effects of future inputs are shown to give biased results. In general, whether a subspace identification algorithm is applicable for closed-loop data depends on how the effects of future inputs are treated in estimating the predictable subspace (step one of the proposed framework). Based on this analysis, several new N4SID and CVA algorithms are proposed for closed-loop data. Practical issues arising from applications of SIMs are also discussed. SIMs are shown to be able to handle the delays, common dynamics, non-stationary and co-integrating disturbances in the process. The advantages, as well as solutions for possible problems, are also presented. Some general guidelines are provided for applications of SIMs.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Title Effect of Deuteron Structure on Hyperfine Splitting of Deuterium

subject:
Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Physics
Physical Sciences and Mathematics

abstract: The hyperfine splitting (hfs) of deuterium shows a substantial deviation from the prediction based on Fermi's formula. This reflects the effect of the deuteron structure which was not taken account of in Fermi's formula. Following Bohr's original work on the deuteron structure effect, several calculations were done prior to the 1960's, using nucleon-nucleon (NN) potentials which are from today's standard, rather primitive. In this thesis we reexamine this problem by using several modern realistic NN potentials which reproduce the deuteron properties and the NN scattering data very well. In addition to the correction of the type which was examined by Bohr and Low, we examine a number of other corrections. The Bohr-Low correction, which is the most important one, turns out to be remarkably insensitive to the choice of the potential, and this correction significantly over-estimates the experimentally observed anomaly. However, the correction arising through the angular momentum dependent terms in the NN potential is sensitive to the choice of the potential. When this effect is included the theory and experiment can be reconciled for some of the potentials. In this sense the long standing anomaly of the deuterium hfs can be explained.


title: Self-tuning feedback linearization

contributor:
Sinha, Naresh K.
Electrical Engineering

subject:
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: This research investigates the development of a methodology for designing self-tuning feedback linearizing control laws. If the conventional architecture for linear plant self-tuning systems is applied to the feedback linearization case, it is shown that the estimation algorithm gradient vanishes as the parameter estimates approach the true parameter values. Vanishing of the gradient causes the covariance matrix to increase without bound and consequently system failure. A new architecture is presented that eliminates the covariance problem but does not yield a direct estimation of the nonlinear plant parameters. The parameters estimated in the new architecture are composites of the true parameter values of the nonlinear plant and their estimated values. An adaptive law is designed to interpret an error equation formed from the composite parameters and asymptotically converge to the true nonlinear plant parameter values. A stability proof and convergence properties for the adaptive law are given. Sufficient conditions for a nonlinear plant to be capable of self-tuning in the new architecture are specified. The new method is demonstrated with simulations of an arbitrarily chosen nonlinear plant and two plants of practical interest. One plant is a chemical reactor running an exothermic process where reactor temperature is the controlled variable. The other plant is a bioreactor where control of the substrate concentration in an anaerobic digestion process is the objective. In both cases the method developed in this thesis offers performance improvements as compared with previously published results on control of these processes by other methods.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Behavioural Characteristics of Brick Masonry

contributor:
Drysdale, Robert G.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering

abstract: In this project, the behaviour of brick masonry under various states of stress is discussed. These stress states include: axial compression, eccentric compression, flexure and in-plane shear. In addition, the creep and shrinkage characteristics of brickwork and the effect of grouting on the axial capacity of brick masonry assemblages are investigated on a preliminary basis. Comprehensive literature reviews and results of accompanying series of tests are presented and discussed.

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Photochemistry of silylcarbene precursors and mechanisms of metallaene reactivity

contributor:
Leigh, William J.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract: The photochemistry of a series of α-silylcarbene precursors has been studied by steady state and nanosecond laser flash photolysis (NLFP) techniques. Direct irradiation of (trimethylsilyl)ketene and -diazirine in hydrocarbon solution results in the formation of 1,1,2-trimethylsilene. Flash photolysis of (trimethylsilyl)ketene and -diazirine yield singlet trimethylsilylcarbene as the direct precursor to the silene, as illustrated by pyridine trapping experiments. On the other hand, irradiation of (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane results in photoisomerization to the diazirine or silene formation from the excited state of the precursor, depending on the wavelength of irradiation. Photolysis of (pentamethyl)(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane or -ketene in methanolic hexane solution yields four methoxysilane isomers. 1,1-Dimethyl-2,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)silene (11a ) is formed in the highest yield and is accompanied by the formation of three other silenes: E - and Z -1,2-dimethyl-1,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)silene and 1,1,2-trimethyl-2-pentamethyldisilanylsilene. Silene 11a is the most electrophilic silene studied to date and its absolute kinetics with a number of nucleophiles in hexane and THF solution at 24°C were determined. The results were compared with relative rate data for the same silene determined by N. Wiberg in diethyl ether at 100°C. 1,1-Diphenylsilene, and its germanium analogue 1,1-diphenylgermene, were generated by photolysis of the corresponding 1,1-diphenylmetallacyclobutanes in hexane solution. Laser flash photolysis techniques were used to determine the absolute rate constants and Arrhenius parameters for the head-to-tail dimerizations of these species. The dimerizations occur at nearly the diffusion limit and are among the fastest reactions known for these two species under these conditions. The photochemistry of the 1,1,3,3-tetraphenyl-1,3-dimetallacyclobutane dimers has been done in an effort to propose a possible mechanism for the dimerization of metallaenes.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Title Increasing Worker Involvement at the Workplace: A Comparative Case Study of Workplace Democratization Schemes

contributor:
Knight, Graham
Sociology

subject:
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sociology
Work, Economy and Organizations
Social and Behavioral Sciences

abstract:
Workers' participation in management as a structural expression of an alternative form of industrial management has been mushrooming in both developed and developing countries. The increasing popularity of workers' participation has been accompanied by a proliferation of studies most of which have focused on either the extent to which it is associated with favourable outcomes or the extent to which prescribed participation is associated with actual participation. While this is relevant, it has meant that research whose objective is to investigate the conditions under which the form and content of participation vary in organizations in countries without a legal prescription for participatory forms has been neglected.

The study reported here is concerned with: (a) exploring, using a structural contingency framework, why organizations in the same country adopt different participatory structures and (b) the dynamics or employee experience of participation. Empirical research was undertaken in a medium-sized and a small-sized company in Hamilton, Ontario. Data were collected with the aid of questionnaire, open-ended interviews, documentary material and on-site observation, including attendance at meetings.

The analysis shows that choice of participatory structure is influenced by the interaction of a specified set of variables. Foremost amongst them is the nature of the product and technology. These variables, however, only provide structural opportunities and limitations and the eventual choice is shaped by the strategies choice of management. Analysis of respondents' desired involvement in the local-medium (work-related) decisions indicates that respondents do not have any revolutionary zeal to control work-related decisions. The predominant mode of desired involvement at both research sites is joint-consultation.

As expected, employees of the small-sized company, overall, perceived more involvement in the formulation of work-related and organizational level decisions while employees at the medium-sized company, perceived more involvement in such organizational level decisions as wages, dismissals and grievances and working conditions (e.g. fringe benefits). As the latter decisions are formulated through the collective bargaining process, collective bargaining appears to be more effective than other participatory forms in ensuring employee involvement in such decisions. Furthermore, inspite of the fact that at the small-sized company all the distant level decisions are open to participation, both respondent groups did not perceive a market involvement in long term economic decisions like 'Closures and Mergers' and 'Capital Investments.' In the small-sized company, employed are only present at these meetings to discuss these long term economic decisions and obtain information without having the power to block issues they oppose.

It is suggested that alternative decision-making structures at the organizational level only provide employees with greater visibility and formality in decision-making and policy formulation. However, the presence of employees at the meetings serves a commitment mechanism function as indicated by their high organizational commitment compared to the respondents at the medium-sized company. The lack of employee involvement at this level, especially in long term economic decisions, is attributed to employee lack of expertise but more importantly, to the power ownership or formal authority confers on management to decide which issues are open to participation and the extent of employee involvement.

As a direction for future research the study suggests a closer investigation into the nature of the relationship between participatory work experience and blue-collar status/orientation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Properties of magnetic transition metal-bromide graphite intercalation compounds

contributor:
Datars, W.R.
Physics

subject: Physics Physics

abstract: The graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) of CoBr 2 , FeBr2 and NiBr2 have been prepared by intercalation into highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Stages 1 and 2 CoBr2 -GIC, stage-2 FeBr2 -GIC and stages 2, 3 and 5 NiBr2 -GIC have been studied by measuring the dc magnetization, ac susceptibility and heat capacity. A single-crystal sample of stage-3 CoBr2 -GIC was studied using neutron diffraction. The CoBr2 -GICs do not order at any observed temperature (down to 2 K for stages 1 and 2, 5.5K for stage-3). Stage-2 FeBr2 -GIC orders in three stages on cooling, with a transition from a paramagnetic phase to a phase with short-range two-dimensional ordering at 14.5 K, another to a phase with longer-range ordering within individual intercalant domains at 8.5 K and a third to a cluster-glass phase at 3 K. From do magnetization measurements, stages 2, and 3 NiBr2 -GIC order two-dimensionally at 6 K and 7 K, respectively. Stage-5 NiBr2 -GIC is superparamagnetic below 5 K. The Curie-Weiss law, modified to include a temperature-independent Van Vleck paramagnetism, is fit to the high-temperature dc susceptibility data. The need to include the temperature-independent term is also shown in magnetization curves. Simulations using Green's function calculations show that the absence of three-dimensional ordering down to 2 K in the CoBr2 and NiBr2 compounds is reasonable, but somewhat unexpected.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Risk, Panics and Moral Politics in Canada

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: This dissertation offers a reformulation of the concept of 'moral panic' as a form of governance embedded in the spatially specific political temporality of risk and responsibility. Taking as a primary object of contestation Ungar's (2001) argument that developments commonly associated with the risk society thesis have thrown into relief many of the questions motivating traditional moral panic research, I argue that analytic priority rests not with 'changing' but 'converging' sites of social anxiety. Explaining moral panic in the context of a Marxist-inspired critical theory of ideology, I draw from Foucauldian-inspired discourse theory to conceptualize moral panic as a particular kind of moral regulation where technologies of the self intersect with structures of coercion and consent. In this regard, not only am I able to demonstrate how analytic retention of the concept of moral panic remains a fruitful exercise, but additionally why recent contributions have unnecessarily problematized the proliferation of moral panic in an age of the 'postmodern' mass media. Empirical data for the foregoing arguments are derived from two case studies. The first interrogates the anxieties which crystalized in the summer of 2000 concerning the uses and abuses of ecstacy at local raves in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Irrespective of the fact that concerted efforts were made on the part of a host of 'moral entrepreneurs' to extinguish raves held on city-owned property, Toronto's rave communities were able to subvert the moralizing discourse designed to characterize them 'at risk', simultaneously manipulating the same discursive technique to amplify the risks associated with terminating 'legal' raves in the city of Toronto. Conceptually situating the discussion in the sociology of moral regulation, the analysis explicates the fluid character of media discourses and the dynamic interplay of social agents in the social construction, and subversion, of moral panic. However, remaining sensitive to the dangers of over-emphasizing the 'subversive' nature of moral regulation, the second case study draws from news reporting on 599 Fujianese migrants who arrived to Canada's western shores in 1999 in an effort to demonstrate the sheer power of expurgation contained within moralized risk narratives. Illustrating how the migrants' arrivals were 'problematized' and transformed into a 'discursive crisis' centered on the constructs of risk and, more precisely, risk avoidance, it is argued that news reporting on the migrants held broader ideological resonances, extending beyond a unilateral concern about the perceived failures of the Canadian immigration and refugee systems to serve as an index for collective insecurities stemming from social change, racial integration and contested Euro-Canadian hegemony.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: From birchbark talk to digital dreamspeaking: A history of Aboriginal media activism in Canada

contributor:
Warry, Wayne
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: The thesis addresses the interconnectedness of Aboriginal media practices; historically changing government policies; Aboriginal social and political movements; and the local situations of reserve and urban Aboriginal peoples in Canada. It is premised on the idea that in order to understand the cultural transformations associated with the rise of modern Aboriginal society, it is necessary to assess the development of Aboriginal communications media and their impact, and to draw out the ways that colonial processes underwrite contemporary media practices. Focusing on the communicative aspects of Aboriginal agency, it documents colonialism as a form of communication, and tracks Native communicative agency on a broad historical and socao-cultural scale. It attends to the centrality of people and their social relations, rather than to media texts or technology. It offers an analysis of media as a social form and media production as a crucial form of social action. It examines the "cultural mediations" that occur through Aboriginal media production. My principle concern is with Aboriginal strategies of indigenizing, or diminishing the massness of, communications media through narrowcasting . Highlighting media practices and technologies as sites of hybridity and creative adaptation, I assert that the Native mediascape serves as a locus for the production of localizing, nationalizing, and modernizing discourses. The popular version of the narrative of Canadian colonialism conveys the idea that European colonizers made readers of listeners and that agriculture, literacy and more recently, "the media" were imposed on hapless Indian communities by the state. My analysis draws attention to the ways that technologies of literacy, printmaking, radio and television are actively and selectively appropriated, renovated and redeployed by Native peoples themselves. I show that by mobilizing Aboriginal audiences to imagine local communities and to forge social identities that are predicated on Aboriginally-authorized discursive constructs, Indigenous media activists are contributing to the articulation of divergent modernities and a new social order.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A mass spectrometric and computational study of hydrogen transfer reactions in radical cations

contributor:
Terlouw, Johan K.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract: Hydrogen transfer reactions represent elementary chemical reactions of interest to both chemists and biochemists. In the context of the experimental work presented in this thesis, hydrogen transfers involved in both the unassisted and assisted isomerizations of several organic radical cations have been studied. The structure characterization and reactivity of the ionic species were realized using a variety of tandem mass spectrometry based techniques. Not only conventional metastable ion (MI), collision-induced dissociation (CID) and neutralization-reionization (NR) were used but also the novel hybrid techniques CID/CID and NR/CID. The use of deuterium labelled isotopomers and quantum chemical calculations formed an essential component in the interpretation of the results. Hydrogen transfer reactions also form the key pathway to the unimolecular dissociations of ionized dimethyl oxalate (DMO) and a series of ionized pentenyl methyl ethers. Prior to the expulsion of CO, ionized DMO undergoes intramolecular hydrogen bridging and subsequent C-C cleavage to generate the hydrogen bridged radical cation CH2 =O***H***O=C-OCH 3*+ . Using the experimental results of vacuum ultraviolet photoionization and tandem mass spectrometry based experiments it is also shown that the measured appearance energy (AE) for the generation of the methoxycarbonyl cation, CH3 O-C=O+ (10.5 eV), is not compatible with a simple bond cleavage involving the cogeneration of the radical CH3 O-C=O* . Collision-induced dissociative ionization experiments show that a consecutive two-step dissociation of low energy DMO ions into CO2 and CH3* , without the intermediacy of CH3 O-C=O* occurs. The dissociation chemistry of the low-energy C5 H9 OCH 3*+ ions generated from thirteen isomeric pentenyl methyl ethers derived from stable alkenols, was examined using metastable ion mass spectrometry characteristics. The experiments indicate that there is an influence of the position and substitution pattern of the double bond on the chemistry of ionic species. In addition to the involvement of hydrogen transfers in dissociation reactions, additional ionic systems were studied. These studies involved the characterization of a number of H-shift isomers of the hydroxpyridines and pyridine N-oxide, the characterization of the isomeric dicoordinated borinium ions CH3 O-B-H+ and CH3 -B-OH+ and the iminothisulfine ion H-N≡C-S-S*+ . The final component of this work deals with the heat of formation of sulfine, CH2 =S=O. The value -30 ± 6 kJ/mol has been assigned to ΔHf (CH2 =S=O), as determined by calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. The derived value lies midway between two previously calculated values -9 ± 14 and -52 ± 10 kJ/mol. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Surface acoustic wave longitudinally coupled resonators and waveguide coupled resonators

contributor:
Smith, Peter M.
Electrical Engineering

subject:
Electrical and Electronics
Electrical and Electronics

abstract: Surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, longitudinally coupled resonators and waveguide coupled resonators are studied in this thesis. The operation principles of these devices are examined. Standing wave pattern analyses are used in explaining the operation of the longitudinally coupled resonators. The coupling-of-modes (COM) theory is extensively used to characterize these devices. The COM theory is extended to the analysis of the coupled gratings and coupled transducers in which multi-track coupling is involved. The reflection, transduction and attenuation for the gratings and transducers are described in the COM model for these elements. Closed-form solutions of the COM equations for uniform structures are obtained. The matrix expression for these solutions, because of its modular nature, makes it very easy to cascade the different elements in a device and to analyze devices with different structures. The admittance matrix and scattering matrix can be calculated over the frequency range of interest. Efficient and accurate models are developed for these devices. There is good agreement between the simulated results and the experimental ones. The design procedure and optimization of waveguide coupled resonators are discussed and demonstrated. The longitudinal field distribution of the waveguide coupled resonator is calculated at the resonant frequencies of the devices. It is demonstrated that the extended COM theory can be used in the analysis of waveguide coupled resonators with more than two tracks. A four-track waveguide coupled resonator is analyzed using the extended COM theory. Based on the understanding of the waveguide and longitudinally coupled resonators, a four-pole resonator with both longitudinal coupling and waveguide coupling is proposed and analyzed.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Conscripted City: Halifax and the Second World War

contributor:
Weaver, John C.
History

subject: History History

abstract: Halifax, Nova Scotia was arguably the most strategic Allied navel base in North America during the Second World War. This dissertation assesses the impact of wartime social change on Halifax by placing the war within the context of long term urban development. This departs from the prevailing "top-down" perspective informing much of the current historiography on Canada's home front during the Second World War. A housing and population survey conducted by the federal government in 1944 formed the basis for statistical reconstruction of the physical and social structure of wartime Halifax. The findings show that the most serious issue facing Halifax during this period was the shortage of adequate and affordable housing. Public sector initiatives aimed a relieving housing congestion found little political support, due to a well-entrenched rentier class who benefited from wartime conditions, and an unwillingness on the part of lower levels of government to undertake projects without the participation of the federal government. The housing emergency exacerbated social tensions in an urban population already fragmented along racial, socio-economic, and service-civilian lines. These tensions erupted into civil disorder on V-E Day when civilians and service personnel ransacked the central business district. Geographically, Halifax was ill-suited to deal with rapid urban expansion, yet the war forced the city to undergo the difficult transition fro small provincial city to medium-sized metropolis under conditions of extreme duress. The wartime military buildup brought rapid change to Halifax, but the underlying patten of class relations and the pace of urbanization were only temporarily disrupted. The real transformation of Halifax occurred several years after the war, when a more stable economy and population base stimulated sustainable urban growth. Even so, the major developmental issues challenging Halifax in the 1950s were essentially no different from those confronting the city in 1920. The Second World War defeated Hitlerism, but it did not solve the housing problem in Halifax.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Water Level Regimes in a Swamp

contributor:
Woo, Ming-ko
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
This research studies the spatial and temporal variations of the watertable of Beverly Swamp (Southern Ontario), within the context of the hydrology of the area. Fieldwork was conducted from April to November, 1977, and it concentrated on the monitoring of water levels at selected sites in the swamp.

Results indicate that there is a strong interaction between streamflow and subsurface flow, which led to a classification of swamp water level regimes. In general, streams entering the swamp tend to impose their regime on the surrounding aquifer which thus experiences a "periodically effluent" regime, with periods of marked influent flow. The flow of the streams starting at the swamp, instead, depends on the watertable of the surrounding aquifer, which experiences a "predominantly effluent" regime.

The relationship between swamp water levels and outflow is analyzed in detail. At a seasonal scale, this relationship is non-linear, and at a reduced time scale it shows a series of hysteresis loops caused by two factors. The first is related to a translation time lag, and the second to different discharges resulting from a given watertable level.

Stream level, evaporation and rainfall data are then used in a numerical model which synthesizes the water level hydrographs at several sites in the swamp.

Finally, runoff regulation ability of the swamp is examined, and it is concluded that it is of small magnitude, noticeably only in small-volume, flashy inputs to the swamp.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Channel coding for time selective fading channels

contributor:
Taylor, Desmond P.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to design bandwidth efficient codes for use in a time selective fading channel. A time selective fading channel, the correlated Rayleigh fading channel, is analyzed and criteria for the design of bandwidth efficient codes are presented. These criteria are used to design new codes which are inherently resistant to Rayleigh fading. The new codes are analyzed and a decoding algorithm for the codes is presented. Simulations of the performance of the codes and the decoding algorithm are then presented. Simulations of the performance of the codes and the decoding algorithm are then presented. Finally, a channel estimator that generates the necessary information for decoding is presented, analyzed, and simulated.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Hayseed Capitalists: Private Bankers in Ontario

subject: History History

abstract: The structure of the Canadian banking system, and the establishment of strong charter banks at a relatively early stage, have overshadowed banking institutions that operated outside the chartered system. The non-chartered or private banks can be categorized into three groups: the joint stock banks of the 1830s, the urban private bankers who appeared in the 1850s and after, and the small-town private banks of the post-1868 period. All three types of private banks were established to fill perceived niches in the chartered bank system. Those of the 1830s possessed an anti-establishment, hinterland bias. The urban private bankers specialized in savings and foreign exchange transactions, and often branched out into insurance, debentures, and ultimately stocks and bonds. The small town private banks began and prospered when the needs of small hinterland communities outpaced the inclination and ability of chartered banks to provide them with banking facilities. Unlike the urban private bankers, those in small towns offered a full range of banking services, and they often acted as insurance and real estate agencies as well. They appealed strongly to local loyalties, and operated more cheaply than chartered bank branches. In most cases these small-town private banks were supported by the chartered banks with loans, and with access to the cheque clearing system, though chartered banks varied considerably in their attitude to them. Locally, private banks recirculated a community's savings, and deployed the proprietor's capital in local enterprises. Like most industries, private banking displayed easily recognizable phases of rapid (and often reckless) growth, maturity, and decline. At its peak, with more than 150 firms, private banking dominated in non-urban areas of Ontario. Private banks constituted the majority of banking offices in the province in the 1880s and early 1890s, and in aggregate, their volume of business equalled that of a major chartered bank. The demise of private banking resulted from internal efficiencies in the chartered bank system that facilitated the profitable operation of small-town branches, a greater confidence by the public in chartered banks, and a reduced sphere of operation for private banks as an integrated financial system gradually displaced semi-autonomous local economics. In a broad sense, Ontario private banks represent a phase in the establishment of extensive branch systems by the chartered banks. Due to their relationships with chartered banks, to the structure of the Canadian banking system, and to the nature of economic development in the hinterland of the province, Ontario's private banks have no precise parallel elsewhere.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Three essays on the economics of household behaviour in developing countries

contributor:
Osborne, M.J.
Economics / Economic Policy

subject: Economics Economics

abstract: The first two Essays in this thesis deal with the issue of intra-household allocation of resources among children in India. In the first Essay, we present an analysis of gender patterns in consumption within the household, utilizing a unique panel of data on rural households. We find that female children get fewer resources than male children, as reported in the literature, by estimating Engel curves for various goods. We then hypothesize that this may be due to a wealth-effect associated with female children, since in India parents spend a considerable amount of resources on the marriages of their daughters. One more female child in the household increases the marginal utility of wealth in this context, since female children reduce life-time wealth. Invoking the assumption used in modern theories of life-cycle consumption that households seek to equalize the marginal utility of wealth over time, and utilizing the panel nature of our data, we model the (marginal utility of) wealth-effect as an unobserved household-specific fixed effect that stays constant over time. We then estimate our Engel curves with controls for the unobserved fixed effect to find that the bias in favour of male children that we observe in our levels equations vanishes in the fixed-effects version. This result supports our prediction that the bias against female children that we observe in the data is due mainly to the wealth-effect (or high marriage costs of female children). In Essay 2, we formalize the ideas presented in Essay 1 with a simple three-period model of intra-household allocation. We allow for the possibility that parents may have perferences towards male children, as an alternative to the wealth-effect motive outlined above. The model yields many intuitive and testable predictions on changes in household consumption around the birth of children. Based on the same data used in the first Essay, we find that for the wealthy households in our sample the wealth-effect motive dominates parental preferences. These households reduce their total expenditures soon after a female birth, in order to save for the anticipated marriage costs in the future. our analysis of the data from a marriage survey for the same households shows that the savings estimates that our results suggest match up with the marriage costs for female children in these wealthy households. Our results for the poorer households in the sample weakly support the parental preferences hypothesis. The last, self-contained, Essay presents a theory of urban-rural remittances in developing countries. The framework here is similar to one in the literature on the economics of the family: the interaction between the rural family and the (self-interested) migrant is formalized as a simple game. We show that migrants remit only if remittances are used in augmenting the family bequests. it is also shown that they remit only if their incomes fall within a certain interval, given the rural incomes: intuitively, rich and poor migrants do not remit because their behaviour is conditioned by parental bequests. Our comparative static predictions show that remittances are non-monotonically related to the migrant's and rural incomes, and the family's initial stock of bequests.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Patterns of Ethnic Occupational Assimilation and Mobility: A Case Study of Polish Immigrants in Toronto

contributor:
Cuneo, Carl J.
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract:
The purpose of this study is to determine the factors which bring about the occupational assimilation of Polish immigrants in Metro Toronto. As our review of assimilation studies indicated, much of the successful overall integration of immigrants is dependent upon the nature of their occupational penetration into the host society's economic institutional structure. Furthermore, as a number of studies have pointed out, the extent of ethnic affiliation may be of little value in explaining the occupational mobility of ethnic individuals. For these and other reasons, we have attempted to determine the, process of occupational penetration (that is, occupational attainment) of Polish newcomers in terms of the influence exerted by structural and market variables.

The data on which this study is based were collected in Metro Toronto by the Survey Research Centre, York University between 1969 and 1970. Our sample was comprised of 187 Polish immigrants who were selected on the basis of their Polish birth.

Initially, the Blishen occupational score was determined for each respondent. These were then grouped into three occupational standing leveIs: the unskilled and semi-skilled, the skilled, and the white-collar levels. Subsequently, occupational attainment (that is, the occupational performance of the immigrants based upon a comparison between the first entrance status occupation after entry into Canada and the present, occupational standing) was determined on the basis of movement between these three occupational standing levels. As a result, four occupational attainment status groups emerged: the stable white collars, the stable working class, the upwardly mobiles, and the downwardly mobiles.

The focus of our an analysis was an attempt to establish those factors which determine the occupational attainment, that is, the extent of the occupational penetration, of the Toronto Polish-born into the societal economic structure.

Our findings indicated that immigrants with a non-sponsored status, higher education, greater English language fluency, a formerly urban background, and an occupationally beneficial length of stay in entrance status, were more likely to belong to the stable white-collar occupational status group or at least tended to be occupationally upwardly mobile. It is therefore because of the influence of such structural and market variables that these individuals were the most likely to penetrate the societal occupational structure. On the other hand, immigrants characterized by lower education, former small-town or rural background, a lower level of English language fluency, sponsored immigration, and job instability without a corresponding rise in occupational status, tended to fall into the stable working class occupational status group or were downwardly mobile. Again, it was because of the influence exerted by these structural and market variables that these immigrants were least able to penetrate the societal occupational structure.

The analysis indicated therefore that much of the occupational assimilation and life chances of the Polish immigrants (as evidenced by the extent of their occupational attainment since their arrival in Canada) was due to the nature of the influence of these variables rather than whether or not they severed or maintained their ethnic community ties. Moreover, the findings would suggest that the extent of the equality of opportunity of the Polish within the economic structure, and subsequently their position within the country's stratification system ought to be determined more in terms of the influence exerted by structural and market variables than the extent of the ethnic affiliation of members of this cultural group. In turn, this would furthermore suggest that the explanatory value of ethnicity decreases in importance when determining the degree of the occupational assimilation of these Polish immigrants.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Statistical Rank Test For Analysing Biomedical Data

contributor:
Dunnett, Charles W.
Health Sciences

subject:
Medicine and Health Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences

abstract:
In the analysis of biomedical data, a question commonly asked by researchers involves the determination of the "best " or "worst" member of a group of results and an associated measure of the probability that this member is the "best" or "worst". Commonly, analysis of variance is suggested as the test of choice. Unfortunately, this test does not exactly answer the original question and further testing must be done to satisfy the question completely. This thesis presents a non-parametric rank test which directly answers the question of "best" or "worst".

Before applying this test to biomedical problems, the probability tables associated with this test are expanded and the methods used are presented and discussed. An analogous parametric test is then described and compared in performance with the non-parametric test throughout the remainder of the thesis. Power curves for both the nonparametric and parametric test are developed for several population distributions and the results compared. The three areas of application are; chromosome frequencies in the culture of human melanoma tissue; scoring patterns among evaluators of letters of applications to medical school; and the determination of outliers when relating vital capacity to ventilatory response.

It was found that except for cases where the number of objects was less than 10, the parametric test has equal or greater power than the non-parametric test when analysing continuous data, regardless of the population distribution. For less than 10 objects, the non-parametric test had greater power regardless of population distribution. Subsequent to analysis in the three areas cited, it was concluded that the two tests agreed very highly in selecting extreme deviates although the non-parametric, test was consistently more conservative in its probability measure. The problem of ties was found to weaken the power of the non-parametric test as did the ranking procedure itself but its ease of application and superior power with small sample sizes is a distinct advantage. The robustness of the parametric test is obvious throughout the examples. A method of selecting data values which are second or third most extreme was tested and it became obvious that the data must be displayed to show its distributional characteristics before this type of analysis could be carried out or interpreted.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Institutional Manpower Retraining Programs: A Case Study

contributor:
Synge, Jane
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: This is the report of a study of trainees enrolled in an institutional occupational retraining program supported under the Adult Occupational Training Act. Since the early 1960's, institutional job retraining programs have grown to become a major vehicle for absorbing the jobless in times of high unemployment and for supplying employers' increasing demands for inexpensive pools of labor when production is resumed. In particular, this study focuses on the means by which the job training center, as a resocialization organization, prepares individuals for the employee role. We examine retrainees' attitudes toward acquiring job skills and on changes in their levels of assimilation of those worker attributes viewed as desirable by employers. The findings show that such background factors as social class origin, the respondent's prior occupation, formal educational attainment, and sex affect variations in the resocialization experience. While most research on manpower programs has addressed itself to the issue of estimating the economic benefits of training programs, our research on the orientations of trainees investigates an area that has received little attention. This research is an exploratory study. Viewed in the broadest context, it deals with one aspect of the problem, of poverty and its sources in the structure and ideology of present day capitalistic society.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)