Showing papers by "Queen's University published in 1976"

Studying Public Policy

Abstract: L'auteur evalue et critique les approches les plus recentes utilisees dans l'etude des politiques publiques et formule un cadre de reference pour la conduite future d'une telle etude. Apres avoir demontre les limites inherentes aux etudes de cas ainsi qu'aux approches fondees sur la prise de decision, lesquelles sont surtout axees sur des preoccupations propres soit a l'administration publique, soit a l'analyse des politiques (« policy analysis »), il suggere que l'etude des politiques doit tenir compte d'un eventail plus large de facteurs politiques et institutionnels qu'elle ne l'a fait jusqu'a present, de facon, notamment, a ce que la determination des politiques (« policy-making ») ne refere plus simplement au reglement des problemes (« problem-solving »), mais aussi a la competition et aux conflits qui les ont engendres.Selon l'auteur, l'etude comparative des politiques publiques devrait en premier lieu bien identifier l'etendue de l'action gouvernementale, les moyens dont le gouvernement dispose pour atteindre ses objectifs et la repartition des benefices et des couts resultant de ses activites. Un examen critique des divers modeles utilises pour expliquer ces trois dimensions lui permet de conclure que l'utilite de chacun des modeles est restreinte a des aspects bien particuliers des politiques publiques, si bien qu'aucun d'entre eux ne permet, a lui seul, d'en fournir une explication adequate.

The denotational semantics of programming languages

Abstract: This paper is a tutorial introduction to the theory of programming language semantics developed by D. Scott and C. Strachey. The application of the theory to formal language specification is demonstrated and other applications are surveyed. The first language considered, LOOP, is very elementary and its definition merely introduces the notation and methodology of the approach. Then the semantic concepts of environments, stores, and continuations are introduced to model classes of programming language features and the underlying mathematical theory of computation due to Scott is motivated and outlined. Finally, the paper presents a formal definition of the language GEDANKEN.

Spontaneous human lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity againts tumour target cells. I. The effect of malignant disease.

Abstract: Spontaneous human lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity (SLMC) against tumour-cell targets was examined in a series of patients with localized or malignant disease, both treated and untreated, and patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The level of SLMC was assessed by means of two previously established assay systems; the xenogeneic assay involving the mouse mastocytoma line P815, and the allogeneic assay in which the human chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived line, K562, was used. The assay systems involve the use of Ficoll-Isopaque-separated, iron-plus-magnetism-purified lymphocytes in an overnight 51chromium release assay, and reflect the cytotoxic ability of human non-T, complement receptor-, Fc receptor-positive lymphocytes. In the present paper, lymphocytes from all normal donors tested showed significant activity in the SLMC assay, with some variation from day to day. This variation was markedly reduced when different normal donors were tested on the same day and under identical experimental conditions. In contrast, lymphocytes from many patients with malignant disease had decreased SLM activity, and this decrease was highly significant in patients with treated or untreated metastatic disease, or untreated CLL. This was also the case when the data were expressed relative to the number of cytotoxic cells in the normal control population, or in comparison to the relative SLMC activity of lymphocytes from patients with other conditions. Markedly decreased SLMC was observed in some patients in spite of normal T and B lymphocyte proportions, or the presence of the ability to mount a vigorous delayed hypersensitivity reaction to PPD. A comparison of the xenogeneic and allogeneic assays showed that the same information with respect to whether SLMC was normal or abnormal was obtained with both assays in the majority of cases. The significance of the data is discussed with respect to the possible role of SLMC in vivo and the relevance of SLMC to the assessment of specific cell-mediated cytotoxicity in malignant disease.

Łukasiewicz logic and fuzzy set theory

Abstract: A new form of logic is described, originally developed for the formalization of physical theories, the essential feature being a “fuzzification” of the concept of a proposition A proposition is not regarded as being necessarily true or false; it is defined not via truth conditions but in terms of a definite commitment that is assumed by the speaker In the case of an atomic proposition the commitment amounts to a bet on the outcome of some agreed test; for a compound proposition it leads to a dialogue between the speaker and an opponent The resulting logic corresponds closely to the infinitevalued logic Ł α, of Łukasiewicz In fact, the approach provides a dialogue interpretation of Ł ∞ and leads to a convenient method for establishing logical identities Set theory is then developed, not by taking set as a primitive concept but by assuming each set A is determined by a property P characteristic of its members: A = {x:P(x)} When this is expressed formally the result can be read in two ways according to whether the underlying logic is classical logic or Ł ∞ (with the above interpretation) If the propositions P(x) are classical we get ordinary sets; if they are propositions in the new “fuzzy” sense we get fuzzy sets ( f -sets) The situation is illustrated by a number of definitions and theorems involving simple operations on f -sets Lastly, the notion of a convex f-set is defined, and a simple theorem is stated and proved using Ł ∞ and the dialogue method of proof All statements and proofs are expressed in terms of the new logic In particular, use of the quantitative notion of “grade of membership” in a fuzzy set is entirely avoided

Screening of a proton in an electron gas

Abstract: Calculations are reported of the nonlinear screening of a proton in an electron gas of densities corresponding to rs=1-6. Results for charge densities and total energies are presented from self-consistent Kohn-Sham ground-state calculations. The results differ markedly from the case of linear screening, particularly at low densities. The occurrence of a bound state around the proton for rs>1.9 indicates that hydrogen in jellium is in the form of a screened H- ion. It is also found that at metallic densities the induced polarization around the proton is insensitive to rs, and the screening length is almost constant (0.65) for 2

Labour Supply, Commodity Demand and the Allocation of Time

Abstract: Predictions of the behavioural responses to income and commodity taxes and subsidies have become of increasing interest in recent years. On the one hand, these predictions are important for discussions of the ultimate size of money transfers that will result from the institution of various tax and subsidy proposals.' On the other hand, these predictions are important for discussions of the economic efficiency of income and commodity taxes and subsidies, regardless of whether one measures the " deadweight loss " of a tax or subsidy or whether one directly attempts to determine the " optimum " tax or subsidy.2 In each of these cases empirical estimates of the effects of wage and commodity taxes on the incomecompensated demands for all commodities and on the supply of labour are necessary. At the same time, the extensive empirical work on the estimation of systems of commodity demand functions has continued independently of the rebirth of interest in the empirical estimation of labour supply functions.3 This is especially surprising since the theoretical inspiration for both bodies of empirical work is the classical theory of consumer choice and since the important work by both Becker [7] and Mincer [32] has emphasized that the wage rate plays a role not only as income but as a price in the allocation of non-market time and the demand for commodities. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to summarize the implications of the classical theory of choice as applied to the consumer-worker for the relationships among commodity demand and labour supply functions, and then to explore the usefulness of these implications in the estimation of a complete set of seven aggregate commodity demand functions and an aggregate labour supply (hours of work) function. In the first section of the paper we summarize the general implications of the integrated economic theory of the demand for commodities and the allocation of time. We also set out the conditions under which the labour supply decision and the allocation of income to expenditure on commodities may be separated, as is implicitly assumed in most empirical work on consumer demand.4 The second section of the paper is a discussion of the data used for the empirical work in the third section. The latter includes the estimation of commodity demand and labour supply functions based on explicit direct and indirect utility functions and some approximate tests of the usefulness of the general empirical implications of the theoretical framework, including a test for whether non-market time may be considered separable in utility from commodities. In view of the fact that our results can hardly be considered the last word on the subject we conclude with observations on their limitations and the further research that would be desirable.

The clinical aspects of mesothelioma.

Abstract: Three hundred and twenty-seven cases of mesothelioma accepted by a panel of pathologists have been used to construct a clinical picture of the disease. The cases analysed died between 1 January 1960 and 31 December 1969 and consisted of 267 pleural, 37 peritoneal, and 23 cases which could have arisen in either site. Two hundred and sixty-eight were in men and 59 in women and the disease appeared to be the same in women as in men. The mean age at death was 59·37 (±SD 9·89) years but ranged from 29 to 88 years. The mode of onset was insidious in all but a few cases and the mean interval before reaching the hospital was 3·39 (±SD 4·64) months for pleural and 3·08 (±SD 3·22) for peritoneal cases. Patients usually noticed a dull non pleuritic pain first but suffered some breathlessness, lassitude and weight loss by the time they reached hospital. On examination there was little evidence of disease apart from the signs of pleural effusion or thickening or ascites. Clubbing and signs of asbestosis were rare except in the peritoneal cases who more frequently gave an occupational history of heavy exposure and showed the radiological consequences of this. At the time when these patients were investigated diagnostic procedures were unrewarding and many patients were only diagnosed in retrospect. The prognosis was somewhat better for patients shown to have mainly epithelial cell tumours, 17·89 (±SD 18·26) months, predominantly spindle cell lesions surviving on the average only 7·98 (±SD 8·55) months and mixed tumours 11·3 months. The criteria for the early clinical diagnosis are described with a view to facilitating the search for effective treatment.

The value of household services: a survey of empirical estimates*

Abstract: This paper surveys the various estimates that have been made of the value of household services, summarizing the methods used and comparing the statistical results. It concludes that there is wide variability in the results obtained, much of which can be attributed to the differing methods. The highest values are obtained with methods based upon the opportunity cost of women in paid employment, lower with methods based upon the cost of a single housekeeper, and lowest with methods based upon pricing individual services performed. On the basis of time use studies, three factors are found to affect very strongly the value of services performed: family size, wife's market-work status, and age of youngest child. The value of total household services should include not only the wife's contribution, but also that of the husband and children, which may amount to as much as a third of the total. The increasing burden of more children, however, appears to fall mainly on the wife, with some relief from older children; the amount of time spent by husbands appears relatively invariant to number of children or work status of the wife.

Behavioral Defenses to Brood Parasitism by Potential Hosts of the Brown-Headed Cowbird

Abstract: An understanding of avian brood parasitism requires the investigation of a complicated system of co-evolutionary adaptations and interactions between host and parasite. Selection favors parasites which can best utilize their hosts while at the same time favoring hosts which best avoid parasitism. Brownheaded Cowbird (Molothrus ater) hosts have several behavioral adaptations for decreasing parasite success. Both nest desertion and nest reconstruction in which a cowbird egg and usually a host egg are buried involve the loss of the host's eggs and the energy required to build a new nest (Friedmann 1963). Ejection of a cowbird egg by a host, which requires accurate discrimination between parasite and host eggs, is probably an energetically preferable defense (Rothstein 1970). Yet all of these anti-parasite defenses operate after the parasite egg is laid and consequently do not prevent the loss of host eggs removed by the parasite. Rothstein (1970:133) pointed out that "the most advantageous form of host adaptation is to avoid being parasitized." One way to avoid parasitism is to guard the nest site with aggressive behavior. Host aggression towards brood parasites has been recognized most clearly in the European Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) (Rothschild and Clay 1952) and several African cuckoos (Friedmann 1948). Hosts frequently mob cuckoos and may attack when the nest is approached too closely. Edwards et al. (1949) and Smith and Hosking (1955) conducted field experiments on English songbirds using models of European Cuckoos. In general they found that the models were attacked violently by regular host species but not by birds seldom parasitized. Antagonistic behavior towards the Brownheaded Cowbird has not been investigated previously, and only a few reports of host aggression appear in the literature. Friedmann (1963:33) stated that "On the whole, the majority of American species of passerine birds do not act as if they recognize an enemy in the cowbird." However, in an earlier work (Friedmann 1929:195) he stated "most birds are so vigilant of their nests that often a laying cowbird must be subject to considerable attack, or a least be the witness of many intimidation displays on the part of the victim." Seland r and LaRue (1961) reviewed the li era ure on host aggression to cowbirds. Aggressive host-parasite interactions have been reported for the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) by Nice (1943). She observed a few instances when Song Sparrows actually att cked a female cowbird. The American Red-

Social interaction patterns in driver behavior: an introductory review

Abstract: Despite all apparent anonymity of people who use the streets and roads as vehicle operators or as pedestrians, participation in traffic does not take place in a social vacuum. The individual performs his driving task in the context of the collective of road users, and this context is characterized by the central tendencies of social habits and values, expectations and communications, as well as their patterns of deviation. This paper attempts to bring together the existing points of view, hypotheses, and empirical evidence obtained with respect to the role played by social interaction factors in the behavior of road users.

Juvenile Hormone Control of Vitellogenin Synthesis in Locusta migratoria

Abstract: The action of juvenile hormone (JH) in controlling insect metamorphosis has been difficult to investigate at the molecular level. This is due to the close interactions with ecdysone as well as the lack of identified JH-controlled proteins or other specific cell products related to the morphogenetic actions of the hormone. Although a theoretical model of JH action at the gene level has been constructed (Williams and Kafatos, 1972), and various other suggestions regarding the mode of action have been put forth (see Wyatt, 1972), these have, as yet, little basis in solid biochemical knowledge.

Recognition of transposed melodic sequences

Abstract: Accuracy of recognition for short (three-note) transposed melodic sequences was measured and compared with accuracy predicted by three models of recognition each of which described a different degree of abstraction and synthesis of the musical intervals contained in the sequence. For subjects with musical training, recognition was best described by a model that assumed abstraction and synthesis of the musical intervals between both adjacent and non-adjacent tones of the sequence. For subjects without musical training, recognition was much less accurate but there was some evidence that intervals between adjacent tones were abstracted. Of major theoretical interest, however, was the finding that none of the models provided a comprehensive account of the data. Not merely the size of the intervals contained in a sequence determines accuracy of recognition of the sequence, but also the order or configuration of the intervals. It is suggested that particular interval configurations facilitate the abstraction of...

Theory of the heat of solution of hydrogen in Al and Mg using nonlinear screening

Abstract: A theory of the heat of solution of hydrogen in simple metals is developed and results are presented for the cases of aluminum and magnesium. The electronic contribution to the heat of solution is treated within the framework of local pseudopotential theory and is based on linear screening. For the proton contribution it is necessary to use nonlinear theory for the screening of the proton and a convenient framework for this is the density functional formalism with exchange and correlation corrections included approximately. The calculated value of the heat of solution for aluminum is 0.45 eV which compares favorably with the experimental value of 0.66 eV. The result for magnesium, -0.05 eV, is also in reasonable agreement with the experimental value of 0.25 eV bearing in mind that the hydrogen heat of solution is obtained as the difference of two energies of about 15 eV. The energy has also been investigated as a function of the position of the proton in the lattice. Calculated energy barriers are used to estimate proton diffusion parameters.

Orientation anisotropy: incidence and magnitude in Caucasian and Chinese subjects

Abstract: Cutoff spatial frequencies for sine-wave gratings were measured at four orientations for 100 Caucasian and 24 Chinese subjects, all of whom were raised in carpentered enviornments. For the Caucasian subjects, average acuity for horizontal and vertical gratings was superior to that for obliques by about one-quarter of an octive. However, about 10 percent of subjects showed an anisotropy of about one-eight of an ovtave. The carpentered enviornment explanation of orientation anisotropy cannot, in its present form, account for the wide variety of response patterns obtained, nor the differences between Chinese and Caucasian subjects.

Within and between race distances in population studies based on discrete traits of the human skull.

Abstract: A battery of 24 discrete cranial traits has been tested for its power to discriminate within- and between-race distances for the two principal North American indigenous populations: Indian (7 samples, N = 366) and Eskimo (7 samples, N = 451). One of the Indian samples, Dakota Sioux, has been split according to tribal subdivisions, the intra-tribal mean distance providing a parameter of very close relationship. In addition, two Negro samples provide a parameter of relationship phylogenetically remote from the Amerinds. Separate male-female analysis of the three largest samples indicates that distances for pooled samples are not seriously affected by the sex component. Within-race distances (C. A. B. Smith's Measure of Divergence, MD), are smaller than between-race at the .00001 level of significance (Mann-Whitney U test) for both Indian-Eskimo and Amerind-Negro comparisons. The features most powerful for Indian-Eskimo and Amerind-Negro comparisons. The features most powerful for Indian-Eskimo discrimination are revealed by their percent contribution to the mean of 49 MD's. The African heritage of American Blacks is reflected in a characteristic Negro pattern of trait frequencies different from the Amerind. This battery of features yields valid taxonomical information useful in conjunction with other physical data to reconstruct affinities of extinct populations.

Factor and Commodity Flows in the International Economy of 1870–1914: A Multi-Country View

Abstract: This study focuses primarily on the movements of people and capital between a number of selected European and overseas countries during a phase of mass migration. The data indicate that the international movements of people, capital, and goods were extremely fluid, were adaptable, and took place under highly diverse conditions of population change and economic growth. A number of uniformities emerge, including for example a close relationship between international borrowing, high growth rates, and large flows of immigrants. These and a variety of other general patterns are examined as aspects of the massive demographic shifts of this period.

Relative Contributions of Smooth and Striated Muscles to the Canine Urethral Pressure Profile

Abstract: Summary Canine urethral pressure profiles were analysed using pharmacological and nerve sectioning techniques. The presence of significant sympathetic and somatic neural components was detected and their locations along the proximal urethra were identified. The neural components peaked at different points in the urethra but overlapped. The non-neural component appeared to form an even base along the whole proximal urethra. It was concluded that in the proximal part of the profile the non-neural and the sympathetic components are significant. The sympathetic component becomes larger in the peak pressure zone. More distally and overlapping with the sympathetic component is the contribution of the striated external sphincter.

Effects of surface heterogeneity in adsorption from binary liquid mixtures. I. Adsorption from ideal solutions

Abstract: A theoretical description of adsorption from nonideal binary liquid mixtures on heterogeneous solid surfaces has been proposed. All the theoretical considerations presented here are based on IAP model (ideal adsorbed phase/nonideal bulk phase), which was used previously by Everett, Sircar and Myers, Kiselev and others. Using Everett's theory of adsorption from regular and non-athermal solutions, a method for calculating differential distribution function of equilibrium constant of the phase-exchange reaction has been proposed in terms of the condensation approximation method appropriately modified. Applying this method, the influence of the surface phase thickness and the type of the lattice model of a liquid solution on distribution function has been investigated. Furthermore, using the method of Stieltjes transforms, a new equation has been derived, which describes adsorption from binary solutions on the heterogeneous solid surfaces. On the basis of this equation a number of various model studies were carried out, the results of which confirmed the suggestions put forward by Zettlemoyer, Everett, Hansen and other authors that heterogeneity of solids is the major factor which can control the type, magnitude, and the range of the preferential adsorption from solutions. It was simultaneously shown that energetic heterogeneity of the solid surface play a greater role in adsorption from solutions than the nonideality of the bulk phase.

Assortative mating in lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens).

Abstract: Assortative mating occurs in the dimorphic lesser snow geese in the wild Mixed matings between the blue and white phases are much less frequent than would be expected by chance Evidence from marked birds in field conditions indicated that mate choice was correlated with familial color Birds from white families usually chose white mates, birds from blue families usually chose blue mates, and birds from mixed families chose mates of either color Similar results were obtained under captive conditions when offspring from foster families with particular parental and offspring color combinations were allowed to choose mates Both parental color and sibling color appeared to influence mate choice The bird's own color did not appear to be important in mate choice in either field or experimental conditions, and in those cases where male and female parents differed in color neither parental color was more influential than the other in determining offspring mate choice The results provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that mate selection based on familial appearance operates intraspecifically in the wild

Gamma-glutamyltransferase of rat kidney. Simultaneous assay of the hydrolysis and transfer reactions with (glutamate-14C)glutathione.

Abstract: 1. The hydrolytic and transfer reactions catalysed by rat kidney-gamma-glutamyltransferase (EC 2.3.2.2) were studied in vitro with substrates [U-14C]glutamic acid-labelled glutathione and methionine. Initial-velocity patterns, isotope-exchange and binding studies were consistent with a branched non-sequential mechanism in which a gamma-glutamyl-enzyme intermediate may react either with water (hydrolysis) or with methionine (gamma-glutamyl transfer). 2. The Michaelis constant for glutathione in hydrolysis was 13.9 +/- 1.4 mum, for glutathione in transfer it was 113 +/- 15 muM and for methionine as substrate it was 4.7 +/- 0.7 mM. At substrate concentrations in the ranges of their respective Michaelis constants, the rate of transfer was about ten times higher than that of hydrolysis, but at concentrations of methionine approximating to the physiological (64 muM in rat plasma) the transfer is negligible. 3. The enzyme is reported to lie on the luminal surface of the proximal straight kidney tubule. In this situation, if the kinetic results obtained with the detergent-solubilized enzyme are relevant to the behavior of the enzyme in vivo, it appears likely that the main function of renal gamma-glutamyltransferase is not in amino acid transport, but rather to hydrolyse glutathione in the renal filtrate.

Kinetic Studies of the Thermal Decomposition of 2-Chloroethylphosphonic Acid in Aqueous Solution

Abstract: The decomposition of 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid in aqueous solution has been studied at pH values from 6 to 9 and at temperatures in the 30 to 55 C range. The rate of decomposition is estimated from the rate of formation of ethylene. The rate is proportional to the concentration of the phosphonate dianion and is independent of the hydroxyl ion concentration. The rate constant at 40 C is 1.9 x 10(-4) sec(-1) and the activation energy is 29.8 kcal mol(-1). The rate of reaction is not affected significantly by the presence of potassium iodide or urea (substances which increase the rate of leaf abscission in trees sprayed by 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid). The rate decreases slightly in the presence of low concentrations of magnesium and calcium ions.