No description available.

No description available.

The soil structure stiffness and the index of looseness concepts were developed from the theoretical stress and strain parameters with the aim to establish the tillage mechanics evaluations of the influence of tillage geometry on soil behaviour. / In order to verify these concepts in the field, chisel tines of different blade widths and rake angles were constructed and operated at different depths of tillage in a clay loam and a sandy loam. / Field and laboratory tests were conducted to determine the shear strength parameters, the structural stiffness, the index of looseness, the dry density, the cumulative infiltration, the moisture characteristics, the mean weight diameter and the percentage aggregation developed in the tilled soil. / Polynomial regression equations that related the tillage geometry to the different measured structural behaviours were developed from the test results. / The structural stiffness and the index of looseness were significantly more sensitive than the other measured structural behaviours to the changes in the geometry of a tillage implement.

The thesis is a two-part work examining the mutual influence of different types of economic transactions and social institutions. The first chapter provides an overview of recent economic literature arguing that 'rule of law' is not a prerequisite for economic transactions and that its absence is not expected to negatively impact a country's development outlooks. I then offer a counterargument from classical sociology and criminology emphasizing the importance of formal law and the consequences of so-called 'lawless' contracting. This discussion allows me to present the argument that different types of transactions can be expected to be responsive to different 'rule of law' contexts, and to have different consequences for a country's development outlooks. The second chapter empirically assesses whether transaction types are associated with different institutions. Using cross-national export data covering a 15 year period, I use a recently proposed indicator of asset-specificity to differentiate between transactions and examine whether the prevalence of certain transaction types are associated with a variety of institutional outcomes. I find that high asset specificity transactions are associated with 'developed country' status, with higher per capita income, with membership in international contract enforcement institutions and higher education enrolment. / La présente thèse est un travail en deux parties, proposant d'évaluer l'influence mutuelle de différents types transactionnels économiques et des institutions sociales. Le premier chapitre consiste en une revue d'une littérature économique récente arguant que l'absence de 'loi et ordre' n'est pas problématique en ce qui a trait aux transactions économiques. L'absence de loi n'empêche pas les transactions, et n'est pas considérée comme un obstacle au développement pour un pays donné. Prenant appui sur certains œuvres de sociologie classique et de criminologie, j'offre un contre-argument à cette proposition; je conclu en proposant mon propre argument, soit que différents types de transactions sont différemment affectés par l'absence de 'loi et ordre', et que ces différents types transactionnels ont un impact différent sur les perspectives de développement d'un pays. Le second chapitre propose de vérifier empiriquement le lien entre différent types transactionnels et différentes institutions sociales. Avec l'aide de données internationales d'exportations couvrant une période de 15 ans, et d'une méthode récemment proposée de classification des transactions, j'examine le lien entre la prévalence de certaines transaction et différents résultats institutionnels, et ce, pour la plupart des pays du monde. Les données me permettent de conclure à l'existence d'un lien entre type de transactions et développement, revenu, participation aux institutions internationales de protection de contrat et enrôlement scolaire.

This manuscript-based thesis attempts to scrutinize the current crisis surrounding access to primary health care (PHC) in Quebec, Canada through mixed methods and multiple perspectives. Using logistic regression, the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to PHC was closely examined from the individuals' perspective (i.e. access from 'below'). These results reveal that household income, size of household, region of residence and marital status are all factors which threaten equitable access to family doctors in the province. From a micro perspective in Montreal, Quebec, access from 'above' was then studied through in-depth qualitative interviews with family physicians. Arduous access to PHC in Quebec was thus found to be the possible result of supply-side regulation mechanisms adopted by the provincial government in an attempt to cut healthcare costs. In response to these findings, a series of recommendations was finally made to improve access to PHC in the province, all whilst balancing the sometimes conflicting goals of universal healthcare and curbing costs. / Cette thèse vise à mieux comprendre la crise concernant l'accès aux soins de santé primaires au Québec, en employant de multiples méthodes et perspectives. Avec l'aide de la régression logistique, le lien entre le statut socio-économique et l'accès aux soins primaires a été étudié à partir de la perspective de l'individu (c'est-à-dire, la demande de soins). Ces résultats démontrent que le revenu du ménage, la taille du ménage, la région de résidence et le statut marital sont tous des facteurs qui affectent l'accès équitable aux médecins de famille dans la province. Ensuite, en employant une perspective plus microsociale, l'offre de soins a été étudiée à l'aide d'entrevues avec des médecins de famille à Montréal, Québec. La difficulté d'accès aux soins de santé primaires semble être le résultat d'une série de politiques qui régulent l'offre des soins afin de réduire les coûts associés à la santé. À la lumière de ces résultats, des recommandations sont offertes afin d'à la fois améliorer l'accès aux soins de santé primaires tout en étant conscient du but à long-terme de limiter l'augmentation des coûts de santé.

No description available.

Graduation date: 1997

This thesis investigated the helical structure of core histone octamers to discover interacting surfaces and their relevance to the compaction of nucleosome arrays into the chromating fiber.

No description available.

The research undertaken as the requirements of the degree is an analysis, evaluation and application of the usefulness of the substructures contained in the classic Thriller screenplay. The research identifies tools and techniques that the screenwriter can apply to the construction of a classically structured Thriller. These tools and techniques have been applied to the creation of an original feature length screenplay entitled Magnetic Fields. The substructures explored in this exegesis are those identified by screen theorist Dr Lisa Dethridge as being essential to the screenplay form, irrespective of genre. They are the premise, protagonist, dramatic problem and plot. The research identifies and defines each of these elements and examines for how they operate in the classic Thriller screenplay. Screen theorist and Thriller genre expert Neill D Hicks provides the theoretical structure for the classic Thriller. A case study, Heavenly Creatures (1994) written by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, illustrates the discussion of these substructures. The theories of Dethridge and Hicks are compared and evaluated for their usefulness in the construction of the original screenplay, Magnetic Fields. The story is loosely based on a true crime and the challenge in construction this screenplay was the process of identifying and employing the key conventions and techniques of the Thriller genre. Operating within the conventions of the classic Thriller enables the writer to address the requirements of both industry and audience. The film industry requires that a screenplay adhere to a number of standards relating to its format, length and the organisation of content. The audience, or the reader of the screenplay also has expectations. If a film is labelled a Thriller, the audience expects the story to provoke suspense and fear. They will expect to be thrilled. For the screenwriter to achieve this effect the research aims to prove the benefits of adhering to the structural conventions of the classic Thriller film.