identifier: Daher, Sami  (2015) Defect-based Condition Assessment Model and Protocol of Sewer Pipelines.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Infrastructure serves as the backbone of the city and hence plays a significant role in its urban structure. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to monitor its performance and assure its compliance with the growth in demand. Due to their hidden and passive nature, sewer pipelines are neglected making it essential to assess their conditions and address their associated problems to maintain quality productivity and avoid high social costs. Currently, 30% of the Canadian Infrastructure has been evaluated to be in fair to very poor conditions with a cost of $39 billion for infrastructure repair (Felio et al. 2012).In 2008, it was stated that the capital investment needs in the United States are $15 billion annually for the coming 20 years totaling to $298 billion. Moreover, the pipelines in the U.S represent 3/4th of the total needs marking the largest capital need (ASCE 2013). The current condition assessment protocols are limited to several issues including poor accuracy caused by uncertain human judgments and imprecise assessments due to the consideration of the peak score (worst defect) as the total condition score. Therefore, the development of a sound condition assessment protocol with a unified classification of distress indicators regardless of the inspector’s expertise is needed to ensure safety and quality service to the public.
The objective of this research is to develop a defect-based condition assessment model as well as a protocol for sewer pipelines. This model aims to cover the structural, operational, and installation / rehabilitation defects that are associated with the pipelines, joints, and manholes of each pipe length / segment. This Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation model consists of the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model which covers the interdependencies between the components and their defects in order to deduce their relative importance weights. The second model utilizes the defects’ severities to develop fuzzy membership functions based on a predefined linguistic condition grading scale that would precisely indicate the degree of distress. This model quantifies the distress indicators and encodes their condition linguistically (states) and numerically (scores). Furthermore, a robust aggregation model based on the Hierarchical Evidential Reasoning (HER) and Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory is created to integrate the defects’ conditions and to evaluate the overall condition of the sewer pipeline. Also, the main grading scale in this model was developed using the K-Means clustering technique.  The final condition grade is represented as a crisp value calculated by the weighted average defuzzification method. The data utilized in this research was obtained from sewer condition classification manuals, previous research, and questionnaires distributed to professionals in Qatar and Canada. Also, a sewer protocol was developed, calibrated, and verified by experts’ feedback. The fruit of this fusion was also presented in a user-friendly automated tool (SPCAT). The developed model was implemented in 29 case studies from Montreal and Qatar. The predicted results of 15 inspected pipelines in Montreal, Canada, resulted in mean absolute error values for structural and operational defects of 0.533 and 0.267 respectively with correlation coefficients of 0.846 and 0.934. The second batch of 14 inspected pipe segments in Qatar, resulted in a mean absolute error of 0.643 and a correlation coefficient of 0.60 between the predicted and real values .The results are justified throughout the research body.This model helps in minimizing the inaccuracy of sewer condition assessment through the application of severity, uncertainty mitigation, and robust aggregation. It also benefits asset managers by providing a precise condition overview for maintenance, rehabilitation, and budget allocation purposes.


identifier: Date, Jennifer Anne  (2015) A Study of Impact of Thermal Model Resolution and Zone Set Point Profiles on Peak Heating Load and its Calculation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
This thesis presents an experimental and theoretical study of the dynamic
response of convectively heated buildings and their respective space heating peak
demands for different room temperature set point profiles and thermal mass levels,
with a focus on the impact of thermal model resolution on the peak demand
calculation.
Experiments were conducted at two identical and highly instrumented houses.
One house is modified with different
oor coverings, while the other is kept unchanged
and used for reference. Through experimentation and simulation, peak
power (due to space heating) reduction strategies are investigated.
Twelve equivalent RC thermal network models of varying model resolution
are developed for a north zone of the houses. Modelling approximations including
linearization of the heat transfer, spatial and/or temporal discretization and approximations
for reduction in model complexity are implemented into the models
and their effects are investigated. The focus is on simple and physically meaningful
building thermal models suited for model-based control.
The models are used to study the impact of set point ramping lengths and
\near-optimal" transition curves between two temperatures on peak demand reductions
for a very cold day. Alterations to walls and ceilings in the models
were done to hypothetically modify their properties in the zone and the effects
in combination with ramping profiles were analyzed. This work can inform the
development of new building materials.
A commercial building is also considered and two low order RC thermal network
are compared. The first model excludes the mass of the interior partitions,
while the second model incorporates them. An advantage of the model with interior
partitions is it can be used for retrofit studies.


identifier: Susan-Resiga, Irina  (2015) Maybe It Should Be a Laughing Matter: A Further Exploration of the Persuasive Power of Humorous Threat Appeals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this research is to further explore alternatives to pure fear appeal advertisements. Although found to be effective, fear appeals also have numerous shortcomings, such as elicitation of defensive reactions and lack of persuasiveness in the real-world due to their omnipresent nature. In an effort to overcome these weaknesses, and to help further improve the persuasiveness of fear appeals, previous literature has suggested integrating positive appeals such as humor. As such, the current study explores the comparative effectiveness of humor, fear, and combined humor and fear advertisements. Additionally, the complexity of the recommended response is investigated as a potential moderator of persuasion. Furthermore, the current study builds upon previous work by using an established persuasion model, Witte’s extended parallel process (Witte, 1992), to account for the mediating cognitive processes leading to message acceptance or rejection. Results show that ads generating low fear were equally persuasive regardless if humor was present or absent from the message, and that complexity of the recommendation did not affect persuasion for any of the emotional appeals. Interestingly, it was found that a higher level of fear led to lower levels of message acceptance, and that this effect was more pronounced in the presence of humor. Although no support was found for any of the hypothesized relationships, additional analyses found that all of the ads were successfully persuasive. Future research directions to expand upon the limited literature on the topic are discussed, and actionable insights for marketers regarding the creation of effective persuasive messages are provided.


identifier: Liu, Yu  (2015) Credit Migration of an Internal Rating System for a Canadian SME Loans Portfolio.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the context of Basel II, credit migration matrices have become major components in credit risk management. This thesis is an empirical investigation of various issues that arise in the analysis of credit rating migration. Using the unique and rich internal rating data of a Canadian SME loan portfolio, the thesis investigates credit rating migration from different perspectives. More specifically, the thesis compares and analyzes three multi-state Markov chain  estimation methods of migration matrices to accommodate the special features of the internal rating data. The drivers of differences among the three competing methods are investigated theoretically. The statistical and economical differences are examined through non-parametric bootstrap and credit VaR techniques respectively. The underlying assumptions of the three competing methods, time homogeneous first-order Markov chain, are then examined. In the final chapter, the thesis adopts a one-factor model and applies it to our unique internal rating data to forecast migration matrices conditioning on macroeconomic variables. The forecasts are based on different estimation methods of migration matrices. We illustrate the extent to which a one-factor migration matrix could improve the accuracy of the credit loss distribution. Then hypothetical scenarios are selected to evaluate stressed migration matrices with corresponding stressed economic capital.


identifier: Paor, April  (2015) The Effects of a Lesson on Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge of Inferencing and Ability to Prepare Instructional Material.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The ability to make inferences is an important aspect of reading comprehension. In this sample, 18.9% of participants failed to ask any inference questions when creating instructional material. The sample also demonstrated low explicit knowledge of inferencing with a score less than 50%. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of a lesson of literal and inferential comprehension on preservice teachers’ explicit knowledge of inferences and ability to create comprehension questions. A quasi-experimental design was implemented, with preservice teachers (n = 35) in the experimental group and Education undergrads in the comparison group (n = 18). Results showed that the lesson was not sufficient to deepen preservice teachers’ explicit knowledge of inferencing. However, the lesson may have influenced their ability to create instructional material as there was an increase in the total number, the variety and the number of inference questions generated following the lesson. These results are interpreted within the limitations of a quasi-experimental design.


identifier: Cai, Ya  (2015) The Relationship between Margin Changes and Volatility in Futures Markets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Traders in futures markets are required to deposit initial margin requirements for their open futures positions and maintain minimum margin requirements for these open positions.  Futures exchanges set these margin requirements and require higher margin requirements for more volatile contracts. It has been argued that futures exchanges may use changing margin requirements to control the volatility of futures contracts and this question is still of interest. To address this question, I investigate the relationship between margin changes and futures price volatility for 24 different futures contracts, which include contracts on agricultural commodities, livestock, equity indices, interest rate and foreign currency. I provide evidence using univariate tests that the futures price volatility is significantly reduced following margin increases, while the futures price volatility increases but to a lesser extent following margin decreases. A regression analysis shows that larger margin changes have a greater negative effect on the futures price volatility. This relationship holds for the different futures contracts. Finally, it may be argued that margin requirements and futures price volatility are endogeneous variables. To address the potential presence of endogeneity, I employ the instrumental variables technique along with two stages least squares estimation and find that the inverse relationship between margin changes and volatility still holds.


identifier: Valverde, Raul  (2014) A Supply Chain Financial Management Insurance Model for the Protection of Corporations Against the Bankruptcy of Suppliers by Using the Black-Scholes-Merton Model.  Masters thesis, University of the West of England.

abstract: Many banks provide supply-chain finance solutions that might include insurance services that further mitigate trade risk such as the default of suppliers. This study proposes the development of an insurance model that uses the Black-Scholes-Merton Model (BSM) (1973) for default prediction and risk pooling management techniques as a way to reduce the risk due to supplier bankruptcy and estimate an insurance premium that banks can use to charge this service to their customers. In order to demonstrate the use of the proposed insurance model, a sample of companies is selected from the New York Stock exchange and data for historical stock prices from the CRSP database (Center for Research in Security Prices) is collected in order to calculate the probability of bankruptcy of a sample of suppliers from different industries by using the BSM model. Twelve pools of companies of different sizes are created and a VBA program for Excel is developed in order to calculate probability of bankruptcy tables of companies belonging to the different pools. A Monte Carlo simulation to simulate the impact on risk and expected losses on the number of insurance policies sold is implemented with the use of simulation software. The results show that the simulation is useful to estimate the number of sold policies required in order to reduce the risk to a minimum level and predict with a high level of certainty the losses due to bankruptcy of suppliers. The expected losses for a risk pool can be used by a financial institution in order to price an insurance contract that hedges a company against the risk of default of suppliers.


identifier: Rasekh, Ali-Ahmad  (2015) Agents of the Hidden Imam: Shiite Juristic Authority in Light of the Doctrine of Deputyship.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

format: text text

abstract:
Deputyship deals with the issue of leadership in Twelver Shiism in a situation in which the Imam is believed to be only temporarily absent and still the possessor of ultimate religious and political authority. The jurists were recognized as the deputies of the Imam; this was and still is the source of their legitimacy and authority.  There was, however, no consensus about the areas Deputyship would cover. This was due both to caution about trespassing on the prerogatives of the Imam and the unavailability of power to Shiites. The theoretical constraint changed with the lengthening of the Occultation after 940, and the practical constraint was also loosened due to instances of Shiite political power, principally in Iran.  Change in thought about Deputyship, however, is very slow until the twentieth century, so that it can be detected and evaluated in juristic and theological texts and sometimes also in historical developments only over the long term.  Close to the Occultation, the jurists confined their Deputyship and thus authority to juridical issues and Quranic punishments. In the sixteenth century under the Safavids, they expanded Deputyship to a wider range of religious matters through new interpretations of Shiite jurisprudence. They did not, however, possess or claim actual political authority, and their prominence was due rather to their social, economic and political influence and growth of religious institutions.  It was in nineteenth-century Persia under the Qājārs that an interpretation of deputyship was introduced that would grant the jurists political power and upon which a further, even more political interpretation and actual jurist-led Islamic state was established by Khomeini in the twentieth century.
The dissertation argues, contrary to views in a substantial literature on Shiism and Weber, that the jurists form a third category of charismatic authority after the Prophet and Imams. The chief and essential source of juristic charisma is Deputyship of the Imam, i.e. office charisma.  A second source is personal qualities, which help the office charisma to flourish. Shiite jurists who possess personal in addition to office charisma and act, in the Weberian sense, “exceptionally” gather more followers. The dissertation makes a contribution to Weberian theory by arguing that charisma and charismatic office continue to evolve after the pure charismatic event. The emergence of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is a recent striking instance.


identifier: Mawlana, Mohammed  (2015) Improving Stochastic Simulation-based Optimization for Selecting Construction Method of Precast Box Girder Bridges.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A large amount of reconstruction work is expected on existing highways due to the fact that highway infrastructures in North America are approaching or have surpassed their service life. The literature of construction engineering and management suggest that urban highway construction projects often overrun in budget and time. Bridges are crucial elements of urban highways, therefore, efficient planning of the construction of bridges is deemed necessary. Bridge construction operations are characterized as equipment-intensive, repetitive, have cyclic nature and involve high uncertainties. Without selecting the best construction method and the optimum number of equipment and crews, projects will take longer and cost more than necessary. The main objectives of this research are to: (1) develop a quantitative method that is capable of obtaining near optimum construction scenarios for bridge construction projects; and (2) obtain these optimum scenarios with an accurate estimate of their objective functions, a high confidence in their optimality and within a short period of time.

The ability of stochastic simulation-based optimization to find near optimum solutions is affected mainly by: (1) the number of candidate solutions generated by the optimization algorithm; and (2) the number of simulation replications required for each candidate solution to achieve a desirable statistical estimate. As a result, a compromise between the accuracy of the estimate of the performance measure index of a candidate solution and the optimality of that candidate solution must be made. Moreover, comparing the performance of different candidate solutions based on the mean values is not accurate because the means of the two objectives (i.e., cost and time) are not always the means of the joint distribution of the two objectives. Finally, the resulting near optimum solutions are not necessarily achievable.

In order to achieve the abovementioned objectives, the following research developments were made: (1) a stochastic simulation-based multi-objective optimization model; (2) a method for incorporating variance reduction techniques into the proposed model; (3) a method to execute the proposed model in parallel computing environment on a single multi-core processor; and (4) a method to apply joint probability to the outcome of the proposed model. The proposed methods showed an average of 84% reduction in the computation time and an average of 18% improvement in the hypervolume indicator over the traditional method when variance reduction techniques are used. Combining variance reduction computing with parallel computing resulted in a time saving of 90%. The use of the joint probability method showed an improvement over the traditional method in the accuracy of selecting the project duration (D) and cost (C) combination that satisfies a certain joint probability. For simulation models with high correlation between the outputs, ΔD and ΔC are not as large as in simulation models with moderate or low correlation, which indicates the existence of a negative relationship between correlation and ΔD and ΔC. In addition, the existence of high correlation permits the reduction of the number of simulation replications required to get a sound estimation of a project, which also indicates the existence of a negative relationship between correlation and the number of replications required.


identifier: Rais Esmaili, Mona  (2015) Seismic Performance of Eccentrically Braced Frames Designed According to Canadian Seismic Provisions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Eccentrically braced frames (EBFs) are very effective lateral load resisting systems against earthquakes because of their hybrid behavior that includes great stiffness corresponding to the bracing actions, and considerable ductility owing to the inelastic activity of a small part of the floor beam called link. Current capacity design approach of EBFs is to confine the inelastic behavior of the frame primarily to the link such that other members remain essentially in elastic range. Limited research works are available in the literature studying the behavior of multi-storey EBFs designed according to the current Canadian seismic provisions. This thesis was aimed to study seismic performance of EBFs through nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) of three 4-, 8- and 14-storey chevron eccentrically braced frames. The selected EBFs were subjected to real and artificial ground motion records scaled to match the response spectrum of Vancouver. All the EBFs, designed according to current capacity design provisions, exhibited excellent seismic performance in terms of stiffness, strength, and ductility. It was observed that the inelastic link rotations of all EBFs were lower than the design limit of 0.08 rad, except for the two upper floors in 14-storey EBF where the link rotation slightly exceeded the limit. Seismic analysis also showed that maximum inelastic link shear forces exceeded the values recommended in design for many earthquake records.
Although NLTHA can precisely estimate structural seismic responses, it requires high computational demands making it impractical for engineering design offices. On the other hand, the conventional pushover analysis does not consider contributions of higher modes to the structural responses and thus it often does not provide good estimation of seismic responses for taller buildings. Capacity-Spectrum Method (CSM) and modal pushover analysis (MPA) are two simple nonlinear static methods that have been proposed and recently used for seismic performance evaluation of few lateral load-resisting systems. This research further studies the application of CSM and MPA as alternatives for rigorous NLTHA to estimate seismic performance parameters of EBFs. The three selected EBFs were analyzed using MPA and CSM and the results were compared with nonlinear seismic analysis results.  It was observed that both CSM and MPA predicted the peak top displacements of EBFs with sufficient accuracy.


identifier: Foote, Jennifer Ann  (2015) Pronunciation Pedagogy and Speech Perception: Three Studies.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation investigates how second language (L2) speakers perceive non-native speech and how language learners can be helped to better perceive differences between their L2 output and target language speech, thus facilitating improvements in pronunciation.

Study 1 investigated which dimensions underlie the perception of L2 speech by L2 listeners. Fifteen L2 listeners (and 10 native English listeners who served as a baseline group) rated 30 L2 audio-recordings from controlled reading and interview tasks for dissimilarity, using pairwise comparisons. Multidimensional scaling analyses revealed that fluency and global aspects of the speakers’ pronunciation explained listener judgments but that there was little agreement across the L2 and native listener groups.

Study 2 investigated the role of language background in comprehensibility judgments. English speakers from Mandarin, French, Hindi, and English language backgrounds (10 per group) rated the speech of 30 L2 speakers from the same language backgrounds for comprehensibility and provided verbal reports about each rating. They then rated the speakers for segmental and word stress errors, intonation, and speech rate. Correlations between the speech measures and comprehensibility ratings for each L2 listener-speaker group and hierarchical regressions carried out for each L2 listener group revealed that different speech measures contributed to comprehensibility for different listener-speaker groups, with language background accounting for an additional six percent of the variance in comprehensibility ratings for the Mandarin listeners after the linguistic variables were taken into account. Analysis of the verbal reports for whether the listeners attributed their ratings to the speakers’ language background showed only a moderate relationship to the quantitative data.

Study 3 investigated the efficacy of shadowing, a common pronunciation practice technique. Sixteen learners practiced shadowing with iPods for eight weeks. Two language tasks (shadowing task, extemporaneous speaking task) were administered as pre-, mid-, and post-tests, and were rated by 21 L1 English listeners. The shadowing task was evaluated for the learners’ ability to imitate a speech model, and the extemporaneous speaking task was rated for comprehensibility, accentedness, and fluency. Results indicated that the learners improved significantly in all speaking measures apart from accentedness and were largely positive about the activities.


identifier: Orang, Mahsa  (2015) Similarity Search and Analysis Techniques for Uncertain Time Series Data.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Emerging applications, such as wireless sensor networks and location-based services, require the ability to analyze large quantities of uncertain time series, where the exact value at each timestamp is unavailable or unknown. Traditional similarity search techniques used for standard time series are not always effective for uncertain time series data analysis. This motivates our work in this dissertation. We investigate new, efficient solution techniques for similarity search and analysis of both uncertain time series models, i.e., PDF-based uncertain time series (having probability density function) and multiset-based uncertain time series (having multiset of observed values) in general, as well as correlation queries in particular. In our research, we first formalize the notion of normalization. This notion is used to introduce the idea of correlation for uncertain time series data. We model uncertain correlation as a random variable that is a basis to develop techniques for similarity search and analysis of uncertain time series. We consider a class of probabilistic, threshold-based correlation queries over such data. Moreover, we propose a few query optimization and query quality improvement techniques. Finally, we demonstrate experimentally how the proposed techniques can improve similarity search in uncertain time series. We believe that our results provide a theoretical baseline for uncertain time series management and analysis tools that will be required to support many existing and emerging applications.


identifier: Das, Haridas Kumar  (2015) Affine Integral Quantization on a Coadjoint Orbit of the Poincaré Group in (1 + 1)-space-time Dimensions and Applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis we study an example of a recently proposed technique of integral quantization by looking at the  Poincaré group in (1+1)-space-time dimensions, denoted P_+^{\uparrow}(1,1),  which contains the affine group of the line as a subgroup. The cotangent bundle of the quotient of P_+^{\uparrow}(1,1) by the affine group has the natural structure of a physical phase space. We do an integral quantization of functions on this phase space, using coherent states coming from a certain representation of P_+^{\uparrow}(1,1). The representation in question corresponds to the "zero-mass'' or "light-cone'' situation, which when restricted to the affine subgroup gives the unique unitary irreducible representation of that group. This representation is also the one naturally associated to the above mentioned coadjoint orbit. The coherent states are labelled by points of the affine group and are obtained using the action of that group on a specially chosen vector in the Hilbert space of the representation. They satisfy a resolution of the identity, which can be computed using either the left or the right Haar measure of the affine group. The integral quantization is done using both choices and we obtain a relationship between the two quantized operators corresponding to the same phase space function.


identifier: Desmarais, Kim  (2015) Examining the Types of Problem Solving Strategies Used by Children with Intellectual Disabilities During Modified Schema Based Instruction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: he current study examined the problem solving strategies used by children with intellectual disabilities (ID group) before and after a modified Schema Based Instruction (MSBI) intervention, and compared the strategies to those of children who were (a) struggling with mathematics (SM group) and (b) of average mathematics ability (AM group). The potential impact of MSBI on children’s ability to use appropriate strategies, to use more than one strategy to solve a given problem, and to identify the problem structure was also assessed. All three groups received three hours of MSBI on how to solve a specific type of addition and subtraction word problems. Results demonstrated marked differences in strategy types across groups, with children in the ID group favoring strategies unrelated to the mathematical action or context, and children in the AM and SM groups using standard algorithms during the pretest. Following the MSBI intervention, children in the ID group began to use Direct Modeling strategies. In both the SM and AM groups, most students continued to use the standard algorithm. In the SM group, however, there was more variability with some students using some Direct Modeling strategies. All children showed improvement on appropriateness of strategies and identification of word problem structure following instruction, with the biggest gains observed for children in the ID and SM groups, respectively. The results of this study show promise for the use of MSBI in inclusive classrooms to help students with different abilities learn to successfully solve word problems.


identifier: Amozegar, Mahdiyeh  (2015) Aircraft Jet Engine Health Monitoring Through System Identification Using Ensemble Neural Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this thesis a new approach for jet engine Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) is proposed using ensemble neural networks. Ensemble methods combine various model predictions to reduce the modeling error and increase the prediction accuracy. By combining individual models, more robust and accurate representations are almost always achievable without the need of ad-hoc fine tunings that are required for single model-based solutions.

For the purpose of jet engine health monitoring, the model of the jet engine dynamics is represented using three different stand-alone or individual neural network learning algorithms. Specifically, a dynamic multi-layer perceptron (MLP), a dynamic radial-basis function (RBF) neural network, and a dynamic support vector machine (SVM) are trained to individually model the jet engine dynamics. The accuracy of each stand-alone model in identification of the jet engine dynamics is evaluated. Next, three ensemble-based techniques are employed to represent jet engine dynamics. Namely, two heterogenous ensemble models (an ensemble model is heterogeneous when different learning algorithms (neural networks) are used for training its members) and a homogeneous ensemble model (all the  models are generated using the same learning algorithm (neural network)). It is concluded that the ensemble models improve the modeling accuracy when compared to stand-alone solutions. The best selected stand-alone model (i.e the dynamic radial-basis function neural network in this application) and the best selected ensemble model (i.e. a heterogenous ensemble) in term of the jet engine modeling accuracy are selected for performing the FDI study.

Engine residual signals are generated using both single model-based and ensemble-based solutions under various engine health conditions. The obtained residuals are evaluated in order to detect engine faults. Our simulation results demonstrate that the fault detection task using residuals that are obtained from the ensemble model results in more accurate performance. The fault isolation task is performed by evaluating variations in residual signals (before and after a fault detection flag) using a neural network classifier. As in the fault detection results, it is observed that the ensemble-based fault isolation task results in a more promising performance.


identifier: Sun, Ke  (2015) Detection of Counterfeit Coins and Assessment of Coin Qualities.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Due to the proliferation of fake money these days, detection of counterfeit coins with high accuracy is in strong demand, yet not much research has been conducted in this field. The objective of this thesis is to introduce modern computer vision techniques and machine intelligence to differentiate real coins and fake ones with high precision, based on visual aspects.
To that end, a high-resolution scanning device – IBIX Trax is deployed to sample the coin images. On top of that, three visual aspects are thoroughly inspected, namely lettering, images and texture.
Six features are extracted from letterings, i.e. stroke width, contour smoothness, lettering height, lettering width, relative angle, and relative distance. As for classification, a hierarchical clustering – max spacing K-clustering—is adopted. Our experimental results show that the fake coins and real ones are totally separable based on these features.
As for images, we propose a novel shape feature— angle-distance. After images are segmented, a vector of size 360*1 is deployed to represent each shape. For classification, a dissimilarity measurement is used to quantize the difference between two shapes. The results show it can recognize the fake coins successfully.
As for texture, a cutting-edge feature maximum stable extremal region is adopted to automatically detect the holes and indents on the coin surface. Parameters associated with this feature are adjusted in the experiments. The detection results show this feature can be used as an indicator for assessing the qualities of coins.


identifier: Sharif Askari, Mohammad  (2015) Copper-Mediated Oxygenation and Amination of Phenols.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Phenols are abundant feedstock chemicals and their functionalization constitutes an attractive method for the synthesis of fine chemicals and materials. In biological systems, the copper-containing enzyme tyrosinase catalyzes the ortho-oxygenation of tyrosine into L-dopaquinone in the first step of the melanogenesis process. The copper centres in the enzyme activate O2 through the formation of μ-η2:η2-peroxodicopper(II) (SP) and subsequent electrophilic aromatic substitution on tyrosine provides L-dopaquinone. Despite many efforts for the past 50 years to develop a synthetic mimic for the aerobic oxygenation of phenols, a truly catalytic system for the selective ortho-oxygenation of phenols was only recently reported. The copper(I) complex of N,N’-di-tert-butylethylenediamine (DBED) is used as the precatalyst that activates oxygen and catalyzes the ortho-oxygenation of phenols. Investigating the mechanism of this catalytic process is the first objective of this research, whereby spectroscopic techniques are used to identify intermediates in this reaction and perform kinetic studies. The second objective of the research is the development of analogous phenol ortho-amination using nitrosoarenes as substitutes for oxygen.
	The mechanistic studies were performed by spectroscopic characterization of intermediates and comparison with independently prepared complexes or literature spectra. In situ UV-vis spectroscopy of the reaction at 25 ºC demonstrated the formation of a copper(II)-semiquinone complex that persists during the oxygenation process. In order to identify the preceding intermediates, UV-vis spectroscopy at temperatures as low as -120 ºC was used, and the intermediates were characterized spectroscopically through comparison with similar reported species. Based on the observed intermediates a mechanism is proposed whereby the copper complex activates oxygen to forming SP; an oxygen atom is then transferred to a bound phenolate through electrophilic aromatic substitution. Kinetic studies using low-temperature stopped-flow techniques provides evidence for a binuclear mechanism of O2 activation and that the reaction rate is independent on phenol concentration. The mechanistic investigation suggests that oxygen activation and phenol functionalization proceed through the same pathway as the one observed with tyrosinase, thus substantiating the bio-mimetic nature of this catalytic reaction.
	Nitrosoarenes (ArNO) are isoelectronic with singlet oxygen, therefore copper-ArNO complexes are structural and electronic mimics of copper-O2 complexes, and are expected to react in a similar way with external substrates. The redox lability of nitrosoarenes was proved by preparing and characterizing a copper(II)-nitrosoarene radical-anion complex. Structural and computational investigation confirmed its similarity to end-on copper(II)-superoxo species. Two-electron reduction of nitrosoarene was performed using the copper(I) complex of diamine ligand, and results in a complex that mimics the side-on copper(II)-peroxo (SP) structure. This complex undergoes stoichiometric reaction with phenolates to form aminophenols after reductive work-up, thus demonstrating similar reactivity to tyrosinase models.


identifier: Mulvihill, Kathryn  (2015) The role of general causality orientations in the development of goal engagement and adjustment capacities in emerging adulthood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A longitudinal study examined individual differences that affect the development of adaptive goal regulation capacities in emerging adulthood. Self-determination theory was used to derive hierarchical linear models in which autonomous, controlled, and impersonal causality orientations differentially predicted baseline levels and rates of yearlong change in three adaptive goal regulation outcomes – goal engagement (operationalized as persistence in goal striving), goal disengagement capacities, and goal reengagement capacities. University enrolled emerging adults reported their levels of the three causality orientations and completed measures of persistence, disengagement, and reengagement at the start of the fall term. Goal regulation outcomes were assessed again at the start and end of the winter term. Results showed that self-determination theory is a relevant framework for understanding not only goal engagement, but also goal adjustment processes in emerging adulthood. Interestingly, the autonomy orientation, which is typically associated with benefits for striving, was negatively related to adaptive goal disengagement capacities. Implications for future research on the associations between motivational style and goal regulation in emerging adulthood are discussed.


identifier: Xu, Xinkai  (2015) Two-sided matching algorithms for dynamic labor markets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Temporary recruitment is a fast growing labor market with candidates, usually professionals, looking for contract positions in today’s fast evolving and dynamic economy. While two-sided matching algorithms have been applied to some labor markets during the past decades, they usually assume a static environment in which the strategic interactions between candidates and employers are designed without considering dynamic changes in market participants. In recent years, the advance of Internet and mobile technologies has enabled the implementation of large scale online labor markets which can capture the dynamics of the participants in a near real time manner.

In this thesis, I study how to improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of recruitment processes in the context of temporary labor markets. The key challenge is how to design two-sided matching algorithms to accommodate dynamic changes in market participants. To have a better understanding of the challenge and possible solutions, I first analyzed the problem using the Environment-Based Design (EBD) methodology. The analyzing results show that two aspects need to by improved in the proposed two sided matching algorithm: the efficiency, which is the responsiveness of the algorithm, and the effectiveness, which is measured by the consistency of solutions generated by the algorithm when dynamics are introduced.

Based on the results derived from EBD analysis, I designed two algorithms to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness. For the efficiency, I designed a request-accumulated deferred acceptance algorithm, which is a modification of the classical deferred acceptance algorithm. In addition, I designed a repair-based two-sided matching algorithm to improve solution consistency when changes are introduced to the market. The performance of the proposed algorithms are evaluated through a computational study. The results show that the efficiency and the effectiveness design requirements are satisfied.


identifier: Pourang, Kourosh  (2015) Effect of Substrate on In-flight Particle Characteristics in Suspension Plasma Spraying.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Thermal spray technology is a widely used technique in industry in which surfaces of materials are coated by spraying a wide range of metals or ceramics. Considering the growing interest in building nanostructured coatings due to their significant characteristics a new technique called suspension plasma spraying is developed. In this method, a coating is formed by injecting a suspension of nano or sub-micron sized particles into a plasma flame. Obtaining a uniform coating on mechanical parts is one of the industrial challenges in suspension plasma spraying. Through a three dimensional numerical analysis, this study is aimed at providing a better understanding of the effect of substrate position and curvature on in-flight particle temperature, velocity and trajectory. The high temperature and high velocity plasma flow is simulated inside the plasma torch using a uniform volumetric heat source in the energy equation. The suspension of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles is used here due to its vast applications in forming thermal barrier coatings. Suspension is molded in this study as a multicomponent droplet while catastrophic breakup regime is considered for simulating the secondary break-up when the suspension interacts with the plasma flow. A two-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach along with a stochastic discrete model was used to track the particle trajectory. Particle size distribution in the vicinity of the substrate at different standoff distances has been investigated. Then the effect of substrate curvature on in-flight particle characteristics is discussed. The results show that sub-micron particles obtain higher velocity and temperature compared to the larger particles. However, due to the small Stokes number associated with sub-micron particles, they are more sensitive to the change of the gas flow streamlines in the vicinity of the substrate.


identifier: Kalbassi, Roya  (2015) Lean and Green Parallel Implementation Impact on Outcomes of Supply Chain in Canadian Aerospace Industry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Organizational performance improvement is one of the main concerns of companies in the competitive market nowadays. Recently, lean and green production practices have been introduced as the essential elements of performance improvement. Among the most common practices in the lean concept, just-in-time, continues flow, and value stream mapping are selected to be analyzed in this research. Green standards, recycle/reuse, and energy consumption reduction are also the practices considered for green concept. However, parallel implementation of lean and green supply chain management strategies and its impact on supply chain outcomes are rarely studied in the previous works. In this research the effect of this phenomenon on the production quality, customer satisfaction, and overall performance of different tiers of supply chain is investigated. A large scale survey has been performed on the Canadian aerospace industry due to its importance and contribution in the Canadian economy and the collected data was processed. Statistical analysis including both descriptive and inferential analysis is conducted in order to interpret the collected data and verify the hypotheses of the research. In this way, factor analysis has been performed to categorize the gathered data in the required sectors of lean or green or both practitioners. The study provides an empirical insight into the advantages of having a hybrid supply chain management system which consists of both lean and green methods. By means of Kruskal-Wallis and correlation analysis it is proven that performing the lean and green strategies has considerable positive impact on the outcomes of supply chain. Employing the survey as a reliable research instrument resulted in significant conclusions demonstrating that this method can be used for the future research works in similar field.


identifier: Zeng, Yijing  (2015) Redesign of a journal editorial workflow management system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents the redesign and the implementation of an online journal editorial workflow management system. The previous version of the journal management system has the following problems: 1. It only supported the submission and review processes which are not enough to cover a complete editorial workflow for a journal; 2. It is neither adequate for user requirements nor it provides enough functions. Hence we are proving a new journal management system with the following features: 1. Complete the entire editorial workflow with the paper proofreading and publication processes; 2. Functions to help journal editors to manage the processes of academic journal. Our new design is based on Environment Based Design (EBD), an innovative design methodology. We used EBD to analyze the problems of the system and clarify the editorial workflow and user requirements, and to generate appropriate solutions. Our results show significant improvements based on user studies. The new system has already been used as an online submission system of an international scientific journal. We can continue to evolve the system with new feature like automated management easily because of the flexibility of the design.


identifier: Chaloner, Laura  (2015) Biomimetic Oxygenation Reactions in Metal Cryptates.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Oxygenase metallo-enzymes are an inspiration for the development of one-step C-H bond hydroxylations reactions. Presented here are two synthetic models (cryptands LTEA and LTTA), that are inspired by the second-coordination sphere features of such enzymes. The reactivity of copper(II)- and iron(III)-hydroperoxo species with these cryptands were studied, as they are key intermediates proposed in the catalytic cycles of C-H bond hydroxylation performed by oxygenases. Ultimately, this work was developed to further our understanding of oxygenation reactions by guiding the reactivity of copper(II)- and iron(III)-hydroperoxo intermediates with second coordination sphere features.
The structure and the reactivity of copper(II) complexes of LTEA was influenced by the second coordination sphere. Reaction of the complexes with basic hydrogen peroxide in methanol led to the formation of copper(II)-hydroperoxo intermediates. The mechanism of the reaction was studied by low-temperature mass spectrometry, electron paramagnetic resonance and stopped-flow ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy. Both the starting complexes and intermediates were constrained by the cryptand to square-based geometries. The decomposition of the intermediates via self-oxidation was probed by deuterating select positions on the cryptand. A small kinetic isotope effect of 1.5, in conjunction with the analysis of the demetallated organic products, reveals that the cryptand steers the reactivity towards a direct oxygen-atom transfer to a tertiary amine on the cryptand, forming an N-oxide.
A novel cryptand, LTTA, was designed and synthesized in high-yields and was shown to be ditopic through X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. The reaction of iron(II)-triflate complexes of LTTA with hydrogen peroxide or iodosylbenzene led to an intramolecular aromatic C-H bond hydroxylation, to afford an iron(III)-phenolate species, which was characterized by mass spectrometry, electron paramagnetic resonance and stopped-flow ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy. The kinetic analysis from the reaction of the iron(II) complex with hydrogen peroxide led to the identification of an iron(III)-hydroperoxo intermediate, formed prior to the iron(III)-phenolate. The iron(III)-hydroperoxo is proposed to first undergo heterolytic cleavage to form a high-valent Fe(V)-oxo-hydroxo, a mechanism comparable to C-H bond activation in Rieske dioxygenases.


identifier: Bajramovic, Mark  (2015) Activation of Group Attachment, Perceived Group Diversity & Conflict Attribution.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The main goal of this thesis is to apply attachment theory as a predictor of individual-level experiences in organizational work groups. Individuals with different group attachment styles (e.g., secure, preoccupied, dismissive avoidant, and fearful avoidant) were studied with respect to activation of the group attachment system, as well as their task and relationship conflict attributions in groups that were (or were perceived to be) homogeneous and heterogeneous. The participants of Study 1 were 129 students at the John Molson School of Business.  The participants of Study 2 were 87 employees at an international Hi-Technology firm.  Results indicate that the perceived and/or actual presence of diversity is correlated with the activation of the group attachment system in work groups.  Activation of the attachment system is known to inhibit the exploration of, and learning about, other group members’ thoughts and emotions (Rom & Mikulincer, 2003). Findings also indicate that group attachment anxiety and avoidance are positively correlated to reported attributions of relationship and task conflict, and that people with different attachment styles report attributing different amounts of task and relationship conflict.  Finally, when comparing individuals’ reported experiences in groups that are perceived to be homogeneous to those that are (or are perceived to be) heterogeneous, differences in task and relationship conflict attributions seem to depend on group attachment styles.  An important practical implication of this research is that activation of the attachment system by group diversity may be a significant liability in jobs where exploration and learning are required for group performance and outcomes. Further, it could be that inhibiting the activation of the group attachment system may reduce the negative effects of diversity and conflict attributions in groups.  In applying my findings to the workplace, they are consistent with the notion that if managers can maintain employees’ group attachment systems in a deactivated state, then they may be able to better harness the value in work group diversity.


identifier: Hooshangi, Hamid Reza  (2015) Energy Performance Modeling of Buildings with Directional Reflective Roofs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Solar reflectance of most diffused flat surfaces is fairly constant for all daylight hours expect early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Hence, most standards rate and label the reflectance of roofing surfaces with a single value. However, some newly developed roofing materials, called directional reflective materials (DRMs), are designed to have dependent reflectance on incident sunlight angle.
The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) has investigated several approaches to label DRMs and have selected a single reflectance. However, the performance of the labelling approaches to estimate HVAC energy consumption of buildings has not been investigated yet.
In this study, an algorithm to simulate the mean hourly reflectance of DRM roof is developed using DOE-2.1E program. Afterwards, the HVAC energy consumption of building is simulated based on the calculated hourly solar reflectance. In addition, DOE-2 simulations were performed using the reflectance calculated by several labeling approaches, and their effects in predicting cooling, heating and total HVAC energy consumption of a building with DRM roof is assessed.
The results indicated that the selected approach by CRRC (M2) is the most accurate model to represent the reflectance of DRMs. It has the most accuracy in estimating annual space cooling energy by an estimation difference of 1.7% (0.92 kWh/m2) in Houston, 1.1% (0.32 kWh/m2) in Sacramento and 1.8% (0.2 kWh/m2) in Montréal. M2 overestimates the space heating energy by overestimating reflectance of DRMs during winter. It tends to overestimate the annual space heating energy by as much as 1.8% (0.12 kWh/m2) in Houston, 0.5% (0.1 kWh/m2) in Sacramento and 0.3% (0.38 kWh/m2) in Montréal.


identifier: Dam, Vi  (2015) Effect of Early-onset Obesity versus Late-onset Obesity on Immune Cells in Regional Adipose Tissue Depots: A Pilot Study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Obesity is associated with obesity-related chronic inflammation of adipose tissue. Current research has investigated what occurs in visceral (VAT) versus subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) from an immunological perspective. To date, no studies have examined immunological differences in upper body vs. lower body SAT but research suggests that these regions differ in metabolic activity. It is hypothesized that 1) adipocyte size and number, and 2) the quantity and type of immune cells will differ in upper and lower body subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese adults and that these differences will be distinct in early-onset obesity (childhood weight gain) compared to late-onset obesity (adult weight gain). It is also hypothesized that immune cells will be associated with blood lipid concentrations. Thirteen subjects who had early-onset or late-onset obesity were recruited. Visits included fasting blood draws for lipid levels, dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and computed tomography (CT) scans for body composition, and SAT biopsies of the abdominal and femoral regions. Biopsy tissue samples were digested and stained with antibody markers for CD3, CD4 and CD8 for T-cells, as well as CD68 and CD206 for macrophages and were analyzed using flow cytometry. For both groups as a whole, % of CD4+ T-cells was associated (ρ=0.83; P=0.042) with cholesterol in the abdominal but not in the femoral region and HDL cholesterol concentrations were inversely correlated (ρ= -0.83; P=0.04) with abdominal CD3+CD8+ T-cells but not in the femoral region. These correlations indicate an association between cardiac health risk factors and the presence of T-cells in obesity-induced inflammation.  There were no significant differences detected between early- and late-onset groups for body composition, blood chemistry, or between regional depots. However, trends reported indicate that early-onset subjects had more upper than lower body SAT. Fat cell size was higher in the late-onset group while cell number was higher in the early-onset group. As well, T-cells and macrophages were more numerous in the femoral versus abdominal regions. The continuation of this study deserves merit, as early results seem to indicate the potential for interesting findings in the future.


identifier: Aria, Hatef  (2015) A systematic approach of integrated building control for optimization of energy and cost.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
More efficient building energy management leads to lower energy consumption and cost, higher occupancy comfort and less detrimental effects on the environment. Improving building energy management with advanced integrated building control provides a tool to coordinate and optimize control of multiple indoor parameters by considering their interconnected effects on building energy consumption and comfort.
A building integrated optimization requires an approach to calculate building energy consumption, operate in real time, optimize building control parameters, and be able to modify systems operations or schedules in response to environmental or demand response signals inputs. The integrated optimization has significant effects on reductions in energy use and energy costs, reductions in peak load, and improvement of indoor environment quality without replacing the existing equipment. Most of previous research in integrated building control just focused on optimization of specific zone or some of the possible parameters. They also applied their optimization for the current hour without considering its effect on future-hours.
The main goal of this research is to develop an advanced building operation optimization tool for integrated control of lighting, shade, ventilation and heating and cooling systems for whole buildings to reduce building energy consumption, operation cost, and peak load while satisfying occupancy comfort. Also, this optimization tool is capable of coordinating integrated control and demand response by real-time modification of time-of-use prices that are received from utilities. In addition, it applies multi-hour optimization by optimizing several hours simultaneously and considering effects of current hour control parameters on future hour energy consumption.
As a first step, integrated optimization is investigated based on a developed and validated RC-network model of a typical small office building. Nonlinear optimization is applied to the RC-network model that is created in MATLAB. The optimization results show energy savings up to 35% more than the scheduled control. In addition, multi-hour optimization saved up to 4% of energy cost compare to optimization based on the current hour.
For more accurate building energy and cost calculation, using building simulation software is essential. In this research DOE-2 is chosen as an open source building energy use analysis tool and modified based on integrated optimization requirements by adding functions to DOE-2 source code. DOE-2 requires modifications to accept the control parameters’ online and hourly bases. Accomplished modification is validated by simulating nighttime ventilation strategy. Also, the daylighting and window energy calculation algorithm is modified to operate based on shade position instead of just open or closed shade.
A building-integrated optimization tool is developed by integrating the genetic algorithm optimization method in MATLAB with building energy and cost calculation software (DOE-2). This integrated optimization tool simulates and optimizes building control parameters such as indoor temperatures, shade position, artificial light power, and outdoor air ventilation rates for an entire building. This optimization tool can be easy applied to any type of building and system when their models are available in DOE-2. Moreover, different strategies are proposed for increasing speed of optimization. First, a rule-based decision-making tool is used before integrated optimization that modifies the control parameters optimization domain. Decision-making rules are developed based on sample integrated optimization results. Second, the neural network is trained for energy consumption prediction of building based on energy consumption results from DOE-2 for random control parameters. This trained neural network is connected to a genetic algorithm and replaces DOE-2 for the energy consumption calculation.  Finally, a local optimization method is used after the genetic algorithm to search around genetic algorithm results of control parameters for new control parameters with lower building energy consumption.
The integrated MATLAB and DOE-2 optimization tool is initially evaluated by investigating nighttime ventilation and shade position optimization. The results for nighttime ventilation optimization show total energy savings up to 8% and cooling energy consumption reduction up to 23%. Higher savings occurred on days with high diurnal temperature range and average outdoor temperature near 17 ˚C. The results for shade position optimization indicate that in hot days shades stay nearly closed since the effect of solar heat gain, which increases cooling energy consumption in addition to the detrimental effect of conduction heat transfer, is more effective and important than lighting energy reduction from daylighting. Also, in transient seasons when the building is in heating mode, shades mostly stay open since heat gain and illuminance transmission from windows reduce both heating and lighting energy consumption. In addition, using thick shades and a lower illuminance set-point give optimization more flexibility for energy savings.
Finally the integrated MATLAB and DOE-2 optimization tool for whole building energy optimization is applied to a typical office building in Montreal. The results show energy savings between 10% and 30%; also higher energy savings potential could be expected during transient seasons compared to very hot or very cold seasons. The results also show peak load savings up to 40%.
Keywords: building model, energy consumption, integrated control, optimization, DOE-2


identifier: Kulkarni, Anirudha Ravindra  (2015) QoS based Route Management in Cognitive Radio Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Cognitive radio has become a revolutionary technology that enables the functionalities of dynamic spectrum access. These are the radios that can be programmed and configured dynamically and aims at enhancing the efficiency of spectrum usage by allowing unlicensed users to access/share the licensed spectrum. Cognitive radio networks, a network of cognitive radios, are smart networks that automatically sense the channel and adjust the network
parameters accordingly. Therefore, cognitive radio networks raise many challenges such as power management, spectrum management, route management, environment awareness, path robustness, and security issues.

As Cognitive Radio (CR) enables dynamic spectrum access which causes adverse effects on network performance because routing protocols that exists were designed considering fixed frequency band. Also, effective routing in CRNs needs local and continual knowledge of its environment. If licensed user (primary user) requests for its channel which is currently used by unlicensed user (secondary user) then unlicensed user has to return the channel to licensed user. However, unlicensed user has to search for another channel and accordingly it needs to seek for route discovery. So, all these important factors need to be accounted for while performing route management.

In this thesis, QoS based route management technique is proposed. Proposed model makes use of functionalities of profile exchange mechanism and location services. The proposed QoS routing algorithm contains following elements: (a) each licensed user prepares channel property table which lists all the properties of the channel, whereas all the unlicensed users in the network due to cognitive functionality sense the environment and prepare a table which contains identification information of neighbor node and channel present between them. All unlicensed users share their table with central entity. (b) Central entity with the help of received information and location services prepares routing table for all the nodes in the network. (c) Various Quality of Service (QoS) metrics are considered to improve the performance of the network. The metrics include
power transmission, probability of channel availability, probability of PU presence, and Expected Transmission Count. Central entity provides a route to destination based on the QoS level requested by unlicensed users.

Proposed model provides a route with minimum end-to-end transmission power, high probability of channel availability, low probability of PU presence and low value of expected transmission count, to increase life span of users in the network, to decrease the delay, to stabilize wireless
connectivity and to increase the throughput of the communication, respectively, based on the QoS level requested by a secondary user.

Performance of the network is examined by simulating the network in NS2 under simulation environment with the help of end to end delay, throughput, packet delivery ratio, and % packet loss. Proposed model performs better than two other reference models mentioned in the thesis and is shown in the simulation results.


identifier: Vallières, William  (2015) My Life is Good.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: My Life is Good

abstract: The 34 original poems in this collection are concerned with how to live in the world. These poems oscillate between innocence and cynicism, sincerity and irony, believing and unbelieving, sometimes all within the same poem. These things coexist to form poems that offer no comfort, grace, or promise of immortality. My Life is Good staggers somewhere between the title’s blunt assertion and its nagging need to be asserted.


identifier: Siddiquee, Sinchita  (2015) Modeling of Transient Photocurrent and Lag Signal in X-ray Imaging Detectors: Application to amorphous selenium.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Flat-panel detectors (FPDs) are digital detectors that are widely utilised in medical applications such as general radiography and mammography. They are exposed to electromagnetic excitation to produce digital images of internal body organs. The electromagnetic radiation (optical or X-rays) creates electrons and holes in the photoconductor layer. These photogenerated electrons and holes drift under the influence of the applied electric field and constitute a photocurrent. Apart from the photocurrent, there is an undesirable current known as the lag signal detected in the devices after the removal of the excitation. The lag signal causes image artifacts in the digital image output that can lead to inaccurate or misleading medical diagnosis. Generally, the photocurrent and lag signals in FPDs are analyzed through experimental means. To the best of our knowledge, a complete mathematical model does not exist in literature to represent the entire current profile, which includes the photocurrent and the lag signal, for exponential carrier generation in FPDs.
This thesis is concerned with developing a mathematical model for transient photocurrent and lag signal in FPDs for X-ray and optical excitation by considering charge carrier trapping and detrapping in the energy distributed defect states under exponentially distributed carrier generation across the photoconductor. The model for the transient and steady-state carrier distributions and hence the photocurrent has been developed by solving the carrier continuity equation for both holes and electrons. The lag signal is modeled by solving the trapping rate equations considering the thermal release and trap filling effects. The model is applied to amorphous selenium (a-Se) detectors for both chest radiography and mammography. The dependence of the lag signal on various factors such as X-ray exposure, applied electric field, and temperature is analyzed. The lag signal is found to be more prominent in chest radiographic detector than in mammographic detectors. Moreover, the transient rise and decay of the photocurrent profile as a function of time is studied. The quick rise and decay parts, and then the slow rise and decay parts of the photocurrent profile are due to the hole and electron transports, respectively. The model calculations are compared with the published experimental data and show a good agreement within the limits of experimental error. The satisfactory fittings of the experimental data with the model reveals the origin of the residual signal in the detector, which could be helpful for predicting the lag signal and designing the readout circuit and finding the ways to reduce lag.


identifier: Sadreddin, Arman  (2015) The Impact of Applying Open Innovation Practices on Performance of Firms in Nanotechnology Industry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A distributed innovation process based on purposively managed knowledge flows across organization boundaries, using pecuniary and non-pecuniary mechanism in line with each organization’s business model is called Open Innovation according to Chesbrough. This thesis has two main objectives. First is to investigate the application of Open Innovation business model in nanotechnology sector both in Canada and worldwide and to compare it from different aspects. The second objective involves finding a causal relation between applying different Open Innovation practices and having better performance of firms. The thesis’ methodology involves an extensive online survey run in several countries whose results were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Moreover, based on the gathered data a simulation model was created and several scenarios tested. The findings revealed that it is mostly large companies which implement Open Innovation practices, while the level of implementation is much lower among the small and medium enterprises. In Canada, these types of practices are more common in Quebec than in other provinces. European countries are known to be pioneers in Open Innovation business model, the results revealed a higher frequency of applying Open Innovation practices in European firms than Canadian firms mostly in collaborating with universities. The results of inferential statistical analysis suggest that applying both Outside-In, which is opening up company’s own innovation to other companies for any kinds of contribution, and Inside-Out, which is unused and unutilized ideas and technologies to be used by other firms and companies for their businesses, pecuniary Open Innovation practices together has a significant effect on the performance of firms in terms of an increase in technological and scientific outcomes (measured by the number of patents and articles). However, if only one type of pecuniary Open Innovation practice (either Outside-In or Inside-Out type) is applied then there is no such positive impact detected. The simulation model built in Vensim has considered four different scenarios and confirmed these findings as well and predicted the close future of the firms in this industry by applying the proposed scenarios.  It is thus suggested to embrace the Open Innovation model in its entirety instead of focusing on the implementation of isolated practices.


identifier: Archambault, Philippe  (2015) Computational investigation of weak-bonding interactions in substituted borane-ketone complexes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
One of the largely unexplored areas of computational organic chemistry is the source of facial selectivity from prochiral ketones. Most of the available literature provides reaction pathways highlighting the lowest activation barrier, but this approach leaves the origin of the enantioselectivity unaddressed at the molecular level. Instead, the interactions that enable energetic differentiation in the transition states must be investigated for any useful information to be acquired for predictive purposes. The focus of this work is on the enantioselective CBS (Corey-Bakshi-Shibata) reduction as it has been extensively studied experimentally.
This work aims, first, to evaluate the complexation of substituted boranes with a prochiral ketone, acetophenone, for better understanding the modes of complexation during a reduction reaction, and second, to assess the source of facial selectivity of the enantioselective reduction of a different ketone, t-butyl methyl ketone, with borane using an oxazaborolidine catalyst. A systematic investigation of weak-bonding interactions in the complexes and their transition states is carried out computationally using electronic structure theory. A quantitative relationship between the electron demand on boron and the complexation energy is established from electron density analyses providing a binding cut-off of 0.19 e·Å^–3. In the CBS reduction of t-butyl methyl ketone, the calculated enantiomeric excess is 99 % or greater in favour of the R-configured product by transition state theory. The source of facial selectivity is uncovered through changes in features of the geometries and the electron densities as the responsible complexes as well as their transition states for hydride transfer are compared.


identifier: Korotkevich, Yana  (2015) Contribution of Cognitive Processes to Fine Motor Reprogramming and Adaptation Processes and Effects of Musical Expertise on Motor Processes in Advanced Age.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is known that aging is associated with normative declines in both motor and cognitive processes, specifically, executive functioning. It is also known that these two processes become increasingly interdependent with advanced age. However, due to this increased interdependence between motor and cognitive processes, it remains challenging to disentangle the concurrent contributions of cognitive and motor aging. Numerous aging studies show an association between frequent cognitive stimulation and preserved cognitive abilities (e.g., enhanced executive functioning). What has been less often evaluated is whether specific skills influence cognitive and motor processes in old age. The primary objective of the current dissertation was to explore the contribution of executive functioning and musical experience to fine motor reprogramming and adaptation processes in advanced age. Firstly, we explored the involvement of three aspects of executive functioning: divided attention, response reprogramming/inhibition, and adaptation in fine motor performance of older adults. Secondly, we investigated the prediction that musical experience might provide benefits to cognitive processes involved in motor performance. To address these goals, participants overlearned repeated pairs of key presses to establish a pre-potent motor response. Participants’ performance on the pre-potent responses was compared to conflicting responses. Kinematic analyses were used to disentangle reaction time into broadly cognitive, measured by planning time (PT), and motor, measured by execution time (ET), components. The main goal of Study 1 was to investigate the contribution of cognitive and motor processes involved in fine motor reprogramming of younger and older adults. To this end, a dual-task paradigm was used to simulate the effects of cognitive aging in young adults. With the addition of a cognitive load, the ET of younger adults became more similar to that of older adults and as compared to full attention conditions. In Study 2, the same dual-task paradigm was adapted to investigate the effects of musical expertise on cognitive and motor reprogramming processes of older adults. With increased attentional load, musicians and non-musicians showed no differences in ETs. However, as opposed to musicians, non-musicians slowed down their PTs for well-learned stimuli. These findings suggest that musical experience was more beneficial to cognitive (PT) components rather than the more motor (ET) components of fine motor performance. Study 3 was designed to explore the contribution of musical experience to motor adaptation processes in older adults. In this study, previous exposure to conflict helped older musicians to adapt their motor responses, while older non-musicians failed to show motor adaptation effects with increasing conflict frequency. In conclusion, these findings provide compelling evidence that age-related declines in fine motor response reprogramming may be related to reduced cognitive capacity. These data also provide evidence for a contribution of musical experience to enhanced motor reprogramming and motor adaptation skills in older age. Notably, the observed benefits of musical experience were found in the cognitive aspects of performance and not the motor components. Together, the reported studies advance the current understanding of how cognitive processes play a role in fine motor performance. The work has implications for how to maintain or improve functional independence in late life.


identifier: MacNeill, Rachel  (2015) Northern Aboriginal Girls and Their Mediated Worlds.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores how northern Aboriginal girls use media in their daily lives and identity negotiations. Using participatory action research methodologies, namely Photovoice, I examine how a group of Tłįchǫ girls in the isolated community of Behchokö, Northwest Territories engage with and discuss media, particularly as it relates to their conceptions of themselves and their community. This research demonstrates that participants are deeply engaged with media and the global discourses it transmits. Drawing on critical scholarship in girlhood studies, critical indigenous studies, rurality, resilience and identity studies, I argue that these youth have a tendency to see their traditional culture as inconsistent or incompatible with this media and dominant culture, resulting in a fractured sense of identity. To aid in dealing with this conflicted identity and bolster their self-concepts as strong, resilient people, I argue, participants draw narratives of strength out of the many different types of media they encounter. These narratives of strength contribute to an emergent sense of injustice that relates to global discourses on marginalization, structural racism, and the past, present and future experiences of Aboriginal peoples.


identifier: Feldman, Rachel Clare  (2015) Chronological Aging of the Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Is Linked to a Differentiation Program Converting Quiescent Cells into Non-Quiescent Cells.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A diet known as caloric restriction is known to extend longevity of chronologically aging yeast. In studies described in this thesis, I elucidated how this longevity-extending dietary regimen influences differentiation of a population of chronologically aging yeast cells into subpopulations of quiescent and non-quiescent cells. My studies have identified two differentiation programs that define longevity of chronologically aging yeast. One of these differentiation programs progresses in yeast cultured under caloric restriction conditions, whereas another program functions in yeast not limited in calorie supply. My findings imply that each of the two differentiation programs defines longevity of chronologically aging yeast by linking cellular aging to cell cycle regulation, maintenance of a quiescent state, and entry into and progression through a non-quiescent state. I also investigated how lithocholic acid (a potent natural anti-aging compound), the pro-aging Ras family GTPase/cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway (one of the key regulators linking carbon source availability to cell growth and metabolism) and trehalose (a non-reducing disaccharide) regulate the two longevity-defining differentiation programs that I have discovered in studies described here. Based on my findings, here I propose a model of how lithocholic acid, the Ras family GTPase/cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway and trehalose define longevity of chronologically aging yeast by regulating various stages of the two differentiation programs linking cellular aging to cell cycle regulation, maintenance of a quiescent state, and entry into and progression through a non-quiescent state.


identifier: Dona, Daniele  (2015) On lacunary polynomials and a generalization of Schinzel’s conjecture.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Some interesting questions can be posed regarding the maximum number of terms of a polynomial when dealing with particular operations: for example, Rényi and Erdős asked whether there is a bound on the number of terms of h(x) depending only on the number of terms of h(x)^2. In the last decade, positive answers have been found for very general situations: a conjecture by Schinzel on the case of g(h(x)) having few terms for some complex polynomial g has been proven in [8], and an even more general case where h(x) satisfies F(x,h(x))=0 for some complex polynomial F in two variables has been proven in [2]; moreover, the bounds obtained are dependent very poorly on g and F.
We are exposing here the proof of Schinzel’s conjecture contained in [8] and of its aforementioned generalized form contained in [2]; we also give explicit formulas and procedures to calculate the bounds themselves, which were lacking in the original papers.


identifier: Stenson, Edmund  (2015) À la recherche de L'Île perdue.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: À la recherche de L'Île perdue

abstract: Raul Ruiz famously referred to his 1985 adaptation of Robert Louis-Stevenson’s Treasure Island as a “trailer or user’s manual” for his entire cinema. Given that the film involved two years of pre-production, a three-month shoot, and then a tortuous six year post-production process in which both major financiers—Paulo Branco’s Les films du passage and 80s B-movie powerhouse Cannon Films—experienced bankruptcy, it would seem somewhat strange to the outsider, though not entirely uncharacteristic to the initiated that he would do so. This thesis addresses Ruiz’s self-assessment by doing two things: firstly, it attends to the relationship between theory and practice in the director’s cinema, using his writings as the foundation for a production history of the film (focusing, in particular, on Cannon’s attempts to legitimize and “civilize” its cinematic output, and the manner in which Ruiz’s emphasis upon the aleatory is reflected in the aesthetic scars of the film). Secondly, it uses this history—as well as the literary reading theory of Québec scholar Gilles Thérien—as a foundation for its central argument: Treasure Island is an allegory of the Ruizian reading process itself. Understanding the film in such a way opens the door for further academic work on the director’s adaptation process, an under-theorized area within the field of Ruiz study.


identifier: salimi, saba  (2015) Cooperation between two suppliers and a common retailer.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Over past few years, supply chain coordination has been widely studied and numerous practitioners and researchers proposed many models on this field.
Although many previous studies addressed channel competition considering a scenario with an exclusive retailer with only one producer’s brand, in real world the retailers sell various products with different brands. This study was to analyze the relation between two suppliers and a common retailer by taking various degree of product sustainability into account. The market is considered to be duopoly. This thesis describes modifying and implementation of a supply chain coordinator tool in order to enhance the profit earned by any of the parties involved in this supply chain.
In this thesis we present a cooperation and collaboration model in a supply chain consisting of two suppliers with a common retailer. We establish the conditions for cooperation in such scenario with popular supply chain contracts. Even though other methods have been reviewed under various scenarios, we confine our interest to apply a coordinating contract and analyse the results.
The type of the contract that can coordinate the supply chain is debatable and it needs to be analyzed depending on the limitations. The methodological approach taken in this study is modifying a contract in order to coordinate the supply chain and leads to better off for all parties.

First we consider the classical model then the whole sale price contract is applied. Later in order to enable the supply chain coordination, facility sharing contract and franchise contract have been modified and implemented. Finally by illustrating the results of implementing each contract, a framework is presented. In this study the linear demand function is used because of tractability in providing analytical results while in real case the nonlinear demand function is widely used.


identifier: Manikis, Fani  (2015) New Solutions for Two-Cell Vortices.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: New Solutions for Two-Cell Vortices

abstract:
Two celled incompressible vortices are known from the work of Sullivan (1959). This dissertation first extends the previously derived wider latitude, incompressible, steady two-cell vortex of Vatistas (1998) to account for the effects of time as it decays. Then, it is also broadened to simulate steady vortices where the density variation is included.
Based on the conservation of mass and momentum equations, a new method to analytically characterize two-cell decaying vortices is presented. The study shows that the core radius increases linearly with time, while the maximum velocity reduces hyperbolically. In comparison to Lamb (1932) - Oseen (1912) one-cell vortex, the dominant tangential velocity in the two-celled type is shown to decline considerably faster. Both effects are attributed to the increased viscous dissipation. Based on theoretical grounds, it is argued that the cause of the previously discovered vortex strength reduction in wing tip vortices with an externally imposed central jet is due to the switch of the one cell tip vortex into a two-cell, and not due to the added turbulence caused by the jet.
Because Sullivan’s vortex assumes an unbounded radial velocity in the radial direction, its extension to compressible kind, taking into account the convective heat transfer in the energy equation, is not possible without some very drastic simplifications concerning the problem. In this dissertation an alternate approach to the problem is offered where the previous weakness is absent. The earlier contribution of Vatistas (1998) vis-à-vis incompressible two-cell vortices is now generalized to account for density variation. The conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy are abridged assuming intense vortex conditions. The system of equations, describing the thermal side of the problem is brought into a closure via the inclusion of the equation of state for a calorically perfect gas. The temperature, density and pressure are then calculated using straightforward, readily available, numerical integration software.
It is found that along the converging flow direction, the temperature first decreases (in the outer cell), increases within the inner cell, and then flattens close to the vortex center. The cause of this effect is identified to be due to the interplay of dilation-contraction and mechanical dissipation in the infinitesimal fluid element. Density and pressure near the axis, where the whirl is cold, are shown to be under sub ambient conditions, i.e. the gas density is thinner and the pressure is under vacuum conditions. All these properties depend strongly on the vortex Mach number.


identifier: Alzahrani, Manal  (2015) The Distribution of Points on Hyperelliptic Curves Over F_q of Genus g in Finite Extensions of F_q.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For a fixed q and any n ≥ 1, the number of F_{q^n} -points on a hyperelliptic curve over F_q of genus g can be written as a q^n +1+S, where S is a certain character sum. We show that S behaves as a sum of q^n + 1 independent random variables as g → ∞, with values depending on the parity of n. We get our result by generalizing the result of Kurlberg and Rudnick [1] for the distribution of the affine F_q-points to any finite extension F_{q^n} of F_q, and using the techniques of Bucur, David, Feigon, and Lalin [2] to also consider the points at infinity over the full space of of hyperelliptic curves of genus g.


identifier: Salah, Ahmad  (2015) Fuzzy Set-based Risk Management for Construction Projects.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Efficient and comprehensive risk management is critical for successful delivery of engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) projects. Complexity of construction projects is on the rise, which makes it necessary to model uncertainties and to manage risk items related to this class of projects. For decades, researchers and construction practitioners worked together to introduce methods for risk identification and assessment. Considerably less effort was directed towards the development of methods for mitigation, monitoring, and control. The respective individual limitations of these methods prevent the development of comprehensive model which satisfies the needs of practitioners. In this research a comprehensive risk management model “CRMM” is developed to address the limitations of existing methods and to fill the gap between research and practice. The developed model implements a micro system approach to introduce a novel risk identification methodology that provides a systematic procedure to identify risk associated with construction projects. The identification procedure implements root cause analysis and brainstorming technique to identify risk items, consequences, and root causes. The developed CRMM also introduces new method for determination of risk ownership utilizing fuzzy set theory and “One Risk – One Owner” concept.  The ownership determination method allocates risk to the owner with highest ability, effectiveness, and capacity to deal with that risk. It also introduces a new qualitative and quantitative evaluation process that utilizes fuzzy set theory and fuzzy probability theory, as well as a new risk mapping procedure which allows for the determination of risk level associated with any project component (e.g., category). The quantitative assessment methodology allows for the use of linguistic and numeric fuzzy evaluations. Fuzzy Linguistic-Numeric Conversion Scheme (FLNCS) is introduced to convert the linguistic evaluations into numeric. The quantitative assessment methodology also introduces the pre-mitigation contingency that represents the contingency fund required for a risk in case no mitigation strategy is implemented. In this respect a novel risk mitigation framework is developed to generate and evaluate possible mitigation strategies for each risk being considered. It also provides a selection procedure which allows users to select the most effective mitigation strategy; making use of fuzzy set theory. The mitigation methodology introduces the post-mitigation contingency that quantifies the contingency required for the selected mitigation strategy. Performance of selected mitigation strategy is monitored using a newly developed risk monitoring method that compares the actually depleted contingency to the post mitigation contingency. The developed monitoring method provides an early warning that alerts users of detected possible failure of selected mitigation strategy. It also determines the correct time for initiation of control process based on a set of qualitative factors. Once risk control process is initiated, the developed control method identifies, evaluates, and selects the most effective control action(s) to support the selected mitigation strategy. In cases where the selected control action fails, the developed control method notifies the user to revise the risk management plan. These notifications allows user to avoid potential failures of similar risk items which are expected to occur in the future. The developed CRMM was coded using VB.Net under Microsoft® windows and .NET framework environment to facilitate its application. A set of case studies are collected from literature and analysed to validate the developed methods within CRMM and to illustrate their essential features. Also, a numerical example elucidates the complete computational processes of the developed comprehensive model.


identifier: Hyde, Madeleine  (2015) Employability in the Second Language: Recruiting Anglophone Legal Stagiaires in Montreal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study addresses if and how non-native accentedness can impact evaluational judgements of on-paper qualifications in an employment process. This study examines the judgements recruiters make when evaluating job candidates with different types of native and non-native accents. Anglophones who attend university in the officially French-speaking city of Montreal may wish to stay and work after their studies. McGill University’s Faculty of Law hosts a bilingual program which is unique in enabling students to work as lawyers in any province of Canada, including Quebec where the language of practice is predominantly French. In this study, highly specialized human resources specialists (Montreal legal recruiters) are asked to evaluate McGill Law students (putatively Anglophone and Francophone) for a particular recruiting process (Course aux stages, Montreal’s annual “articling” recruitment). The materials in this study simulate, in a controlled environment, a first encounter a recruiter may have with a stagiaire candidate. The recruiters are presented with candidates’ curriculum vitae (CVs) in conjunction with French-language voice samples from English-accented and French-accented speakers. The voice samples and CVs are counterbalanced, and both quantitative and qualitative evaluational judgements are elicited from the legal recruiter participants. Collection of the data, implications of the results, sharing of qualitative judgements and suggestions for further research are discussed.


identifier: Krishnan, Abilash  (2015) CFD Based Design and Analysis of Building Mounted Wind Turbine with Diffuser Shaped Shroud.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The production of sustainable energy is one of the biggest challenges facing us today. Wind and solar technologies are the leaders for clean energies. Wind energy is in relatively plentiful supply, can be used efficiently and is a nonpolluting power production method. Within this paradigm, building-integrated micro wind turbines are promising low cost renewable energy devices, but are fraught with challenges like low wind speeds and high turbulence intensity. In this thesis, a comprehensive study of increased performance of a wind turbine design inside a diffuser shaped shroud on building roofs is conducted. A commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model is used to simulate unsteady 3D flows inside the diffuser and around the turbine. The meshing strategy and model used is verified using a grid refinement study. The geometric modifications and various non-dimensional parametric studies conducted are also described in detail, along with the relevant discussion of results obtained. Furthermore, the coefficient of power of the turbine is improved from 0.135 to 0.394, representing an improvement of almost 300%. This improvement can largely be attributed to the flanged diffuser shroud design, as well as the modifications made to the blades of the turbine.


identifier: Hall, Chris  (2015) The Motivational Aspects and Transformational Impacts of International Travel by Teachers Working in a Quebec CEGEP.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis is a qualitative study based on interviews with seven teachers who traveled internationally for a Quebec CEGEP over a period of five years for different types of trips including travel as chaperone or for personal and professional reasons and projects.  The study examines the ways international travel transformed teachers and whether this transformation was felt in the classroom.  The impact of travel on teachers is discussed through the lens of transformational learning theory.

Through the seven narratives we learn that the participating teachers who travelled internationally experienced transformational learning to different degrees.  The degree of the transformation depends on whether the teacher had prior travel experience, the intensity of the trip, and whether the teacher was chaperoning students or not.  Teachers who experienced the greatest transformation while traveling, had the greatest desire to make changes back at the College (although they may or may not have succeeded in making those changes happen for a variety of reasons) and these changes were usually related to furthering international perspectives in the classroom or encouraging travel. A hearty disagreement emerged, through the narratives of participants, about whether it is possible to re-create the same degree of transformational learning in the local classroom and further study is warranted on this finding.


identifier: Beaton, Alyssa  (2015) New Wave Godard, Sound Practice and Conceptions of Noise.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The work of Modernist iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard is endlessly examined by scholars but rarely from a sound-centred perspective. However, the last thirty years has seen the growth of sound-centered research in cinema and media studies, challenging the authority of the visual in what is overwhelmingly an audio-visual medium. This thesis evaluates a selection of films with- in Godard’s New Wave corpus, spanning the years 1959-1967, to demonstrate that Godard’s treatment of sound challenges the spectator's understanding of film sound conventions in what becomes, over time, an explicitly political project. Understood chronologically, Godard’s work during this period is representative of a distinct transition from a place respecting conventional sound practices (including those favoured within nonfiction) to one reflecting a more analytical, politically inflected, anti-modernist position. This thesis highlights the ways in which Godard makes audible the materiality of the production process by way of unconventional editing tech- niques and the use of disparate recording styles. The result of these innovative approaches is an opening up of the cinematic soundscape to the sonic environments of Others and ‘othered sounds’ — sounds generally relegated to the background in a conventional film soundtrack, cate- gorized as disruptions and noise (or suppressed altogether) yet revelatory in terms of their power to give voice to the socio-cultural and political contexts of Godard’s work.