identifier: LePage, Diane E  (1998) Four- and 7-month-old infants' sensitivities to contingency during face-to-face social interactions.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Although infants' abilities to perceive contingencies within perceptual-cognitive contexts have been established, their sensitivities to contingency during social interactions are less well delineated. The present research consisted of three experimental and two control studies. Studies 1 and 2 confirmed that 7- and 4-month-olds could perceive and learn a contingent relationship during social adult-infant interactions. Infants in the contingent condition were reinforced through standardized tactile stimulation for gazing at an experimenter's neutral face. Yoked infants in the noncontingent condition received the same tactile stimulation regardless of their behaviours. Infants in the contingent condition learned the contingency; their level of gazing at the face was higher, and gazing away was lower, relative to infants in the noncontingent condition. Study 3 extended these results into more natural touch-alone interactions with 4- and 7-month-olds and their mothers. Mothers in the contingent condition played naturally with their infants using only touch. Mothers in the noncontingent condition imitated the touching of mothers in the contingent condition. Reliability measures and control studies confirmed that mothers in the noncontingent condition successfully imitated mothers in the contingent condition. Results revealed that 4- and 7-month-olds in the noncontingent condition displayed higher and more variable amounts of gazing away than infants in the contingent condition who exhibited lower, more stable, gazing away. Infants in the noncontingent condition displayed a linear increase in their fretting whereas infants in the contingent condition displayed low, stable amounts of fretting. During the normal period following the contingent or noncontingent interaction period, infants in the noncontingent condition spent more tune fretting than infants in the contingent condition, and they exhibited a decrease in their fretting, indicating slower re-engagement with their mothers. In contrast, infants in the contingent condition displayed low, stable amounts of fretting. These results indicate that by 4 months of age infants are capable of perceiving, and respond differently to, the presence or lack of contingency during social interactions. Further, infants' motivations to engage in subsequent interactions after participating in noncontingent interactions may be compromised. Implications for infants' social awareness and the optimal contexts for their normal socio-emotional development are discussed.


identifier: Shome, Anamitra  (1998) Locus of control and going-concern judgements : the mediating effect of nondiagnostic information and decision aid availability.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: The primary purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the influence of the auditor's locus of control on auditor judgement in the context of a complex auditing task, going concern evaluation. Other objectives involve examining the influence of information type and decision aid availability (and their interaction with each other and with locus of control) on this task. In examining the influence of locus of control on going concern assessment, the study makes a significant original contribution to the extant literature in audit judgement.  Despite the exploratory nature of the study, the findings indicate differences in the decision making behaviour of individuals with an internal locus of control (internals) versus those with an external locus of control (externals), particularly with respect to perceived information relevance. Decision aids were found to influence perceptions of information relevance or task complexity on controlling for locus of control. Internals did not display greater decision accuracy than externals. Evidence of the dilution effect was found on controlling for locus of control. Information type, decision aid availability, and locus of control interacted to influence decision accuracy. Overall, the results indicate that internals, achieve better decision performance than externals if they are unaided, or if they have access to a decision aid in mixed information environments. The results also suggest that auditors' professional judgement is an important factor influencing decision performance.


identifier: Mokhtar, Ahmed H. M  (1998) An information model for managing design changes in a collaborative multi-disciplinary design environment.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The presence of incompatibility errors in construction technical documents is a major problem for the construction industry. An analysis of the production process of these documents reveals that managing design changes constitutes a main source for incompatibilities. More specifically, failure to propagate design changes among the design team is a principal cause of problems. The large amount of design data that is generated within a multi-disciplinary design environment makes this task very complex, especially when considering the fact that the involved design disciplines are, in most cases, separated both spatially and educationally. This thesis presents the development of a model that uses information technology to address the problem. The core concept of the model is a central database that functions as a repository of active building components. Each building component in this database not only carries its design data, but is also capable of recognizing the design disciplines that are affected by any change in these data and automatically send them messages. The active building components are able to perform this task because they are equipped with the necessary linking knowledge. Such knowledge is necessary to propagate the effect of a design change by one discipline on other disciplines involved in the design of the same building. The linking knowledge is acquired from the designers and is implemented in the form of rules. A management database is also developed as part of the model's central database. This management database makes the model easily adaptable to any building configuration, an essential requirement due to the uniqueness of every building project. It also provides the model with the capability for not only tracking past design changes but also planning, and scheduling future design changes as well. The model has been successfully implemented on a client-server network environment and validated using both hypothetical and real design cases.


identifier: Balike, Mahesh  (1998) Enhancement of crashworthiness in car-truck collisions using damped under-ride guard and composite crush elements.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A systematic study is performed to understand the dynamics of collisions involving a modern light weight passenger car and a heavy freight vehicle and to design an improved crash energy management system to reduce the severity of collisions. A concept of an energy dissipating under-ride guard is analytically modeled and the performance potentials are investigated under direct and oblique impacts to enhance the crashworthiness of automobiles involved in collisions with heavy freight vehicles. The under-ride guard is analytically modeled incorporating non-linearities due to asymmetric damping, stiffness, clearance spring and kinematics of linkages, using the principle of conservation of momentum and Lagrangian dynamics. Hardware-in-the-loop tests are performed to evaluate the impact energy dissipated by the damper and to verify the proposed model. The performance benefits of the proposed guard are investigated using a performance criterion based upon the magnitude of intrusion of the car mass, peak car mass acceleration, and dissipated energy. A multi-variable design optimization is performed to minimize the magnitude of intrusion and peak acceleration, and maximize the energy dissipated by the damper.  A lumped parameter model of a lightweight vehicle is further formulated to study the car-to-truck collision and is analyzed under impacts with conventional and damped under ride guards. The dynamic response characteristics of different lumped masses subject to direct impacts at different velocities are analyzed and the guard parameters are optimized to achieve minimum peak acceleration level. A detailed finite element model of the car structure is further developed using DYNA3D and an elastic-plastic analysis of the car-to-under-ride guard is performed. The results obtained using the rigid body, lumped parameter model and the finite element analysis are discussed to illustrate the relative merits of the methods. The crashworthiness of the automobile impacting heavy freight vehicles is further enhanced by incorporating crush elements to absorb the impact energy. Experimental studies are conducted to enhance an understanding of the crash behavior, energy absorption capacity and the strain rate effect on the energy absorption capacity of crush elements made of different composite materials. The advantages of using crash elements made of composite materials to reduce passenger casualty are investigated through analysis of lumped parameter and finite element models. The results of the study show that the severity of a crash involving an automobile and a heavy vehicle can be significantly reduced by the proposed guard


identifier: Hayajneh, Mohammed  (1998) A generalized approach for mechanics of chip formation in steady-state and dynamic orthogonal metal cutting using a new model of shear zone with parallel boundaries and its validation to cutting-forces prediction in self-piloting machining.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study presents a novel approach to the mechanics of chip formation based on a shear zone model with parallel boundaries that has been developed by applying the continuum mechanics to the analysis of the chip formation process. Such a model is formulated without imposing the assumptions commonly made in the single shear or parallel-sided shear zone models.  A steady-state cutting force model has been derived and adapted to orthogonal cutting of a self-piloting drilling. In the formulated model, special attention has been devoted to the thermomechanical state which defines the effect of the temperature on the yield shear stress of the work piece material.  The proposed steady state cutting force model has been extended to formulate a cutting force model to analyze the dynamic behavior of the machining process in orthogonal cutting. The cutting system was modeled using a single degree-of freedom dynamic system where the variations of the cutting forces are represented by their total differentials.  Special attention in this study has been dedicated to experimental verification. The meaningful design, accuracy, precision, and the calibration of the experimental setups are considered in details and several new experimental methodologies are proposed and used.  This study shows the fluctuation of the cutting forces is a result of chip segmentation and not the cause. It also shows the effect of materials and cutting conditions on the cutting signatures that has never been considered as a factor in the known studies on cutting dynamics.  Special attention has been devoted to the chip morphology of the partially and fully deformed chips to verify the proposed model. A quick stop device has been designed to obtain samples of partially formed chip.  A new methodology has been proposed to align the machine such that the misalignment between the tool and the workpiece is near zero to make sure that the measured forces are not affected by any other sources. A low cost laser-camera based system has been built to achieve this goal


identifier: Naji, Malak  (1998) Experimental and theoretical investigation of the curing process of thermosetting composite structures with angle-bend.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The effect of existing cure cycles and processes on the quality of thermoset composite parts with angle-bend is presented. A 2-D finite difference scheme was developed to model the processing of arbitrary shaped composite parts. The formulation includes heat transfer, viscosity, extent of cure, and resin flow submodels. Matrix material properties were allowed to vary with temperature. As a result, various cure parameters such as temperature, degree of cure, viscosity, compaction and fiber volume fraction were examined.  A first set of experiments was done to investigate the effect of different curing cycles on temperature exotherms, thickness variation and fiber volume fraction distribution. Results from both simulation and experiment agree well. They also showed that parts produced using recommended curing cycles from manufacturers were not of good quality in terms of uniform fiber volume fraction and thickness over the cross-section of the part.  Based on these results, an optimal curing process was obtained. An optimal curing process is defined as one which will produce uniform thickness and fiber volume fraction throughout the composite part including straight sections and curved sections. This process was applied to curved laminates consisting of 50 layers graphite/epoxy Hercules AS4/3501-6. Results obtained from simulation and experiment were compared. Good parts were obtained.


identifier: McDonagh, Patrick  (1998) The image of idiocy in nineteenth-century England : a history of cultural representations of intellectual disability.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Over the nineteenth century, the popular and the scientific understanding of idiocy changed in conjunction with shifts in social concerns and the emergence of new discourses. An examination of representations of idiocy over the century foregrounds the manner in which the condition was given shape and meaning. The dissertation traces the history of the idea of intellectual disability in England from the start of the nineteenth century up to the initial articulation of eugenics, and argues that the idea of intellectual disability acquired new significance in the Victorian era, eventually stabilizing somewhat with the notion of the idiot as degenerate. Political, gender, economic, religious, literary and scientific discourses interact to weave a notion of what intellectual disability means and how it should be interpreted. This dissertation examines the ways that idiocy is constructed by these discourses, and to what ideological purpose, by reading critically texts involved in the construction of the notion. These texts include Wordsworth's "The Idiot Boy," Dickens' Barnaby Rudge , Scoff's Waverley, and Gaskell's "Half a Life-time Ago," among other literary works, as well as medical, scientific and sociological writings. The dissertation is organized thematically and, for the most part, chronologically to sketch out a cultural history of the idea of idiocy, with an emphasis on delineating the factors that shaped perceptions (the idiot as holy fool, as innocent, or as degenerate), as well as on the ideological significance of the notion of idiocy. Throughout the dissertation, special emphasis is placed on the relation of intellectual disability to gender notions, and the varying interpretations of the significance of intellectual disability when associated with men or women.


identifier: Lachance, Annie  (1998) L'articulation de l'imagerie foetale au quotidien de la grossesse : une analyse discursive de l'expérience de femmes enceintes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: L'imbrication de l'imagerie foetale au parcours de la grossesse est une metaphore non negligeable pour qualifier le corps des femmes enceintes, comme c'est le cas de l'examen echographique. Cependant, la valeur discursive de l'imagerie foetale n'est pas seulement l'apanage de ceux qui la produisent et la diffusent; les individus aussi negocient les discours visuels pour les ajuster a leurs perspectives et pratiques, selon leurs propres subjectivites et preoccupations. Pour ce, ce memoire explore l'interpretation et le positionnement de l'imagerie foetale par huit montrealaises au cours de leurs grossesses, a partir d'une analyse discursive de leurs recits d'experiences. A l'interieur de l'ethnographie, il sera question de leurs strategies d'identification aux differentes formes et forces discursives que recouvre l'imagerie foetale dans les medias, l'information prenatale et la technologie medicale. La personnification du foetus est un element analytique qui sera continu au fil de l'ethnographie pour faire ressortir les dimensions culturelles et politiques qui soutiennent l'individualisation du foetus. Je vais ainsi mettre en perspective le pouvoir d'interpretation des femmes avec le capital linguistique de la biomedecine de definir les notions d'interpretation du mode de connaissance visuel qu'est l'imagerie foetale.


identifier: Shamash, Valerie  (1998) Being branché : a story of refugee advocacy and networking in Montréal and in cyberspace.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This is an ethnographic study of Montreal's community of refugee advocates who work on behalf of refugees making requests to the Canadian government for asylum. The goal of this thesis is to portray who refugee advocates are, what they do, how they do it, and why. The study reveals that the work of advocacy requires building and maintaining networks through information exchange and that the successes of these networks are dependent upon the individuals in them.  This thesis makes contributions to three areas of literature and research: (1) Refugee studies: Most research in this field has been undertaken within development discourse and conducted in the so-called "Third World". This thesis locates refugee rights as a "First World" issue and makes visible the work of refugee advocacy in one North American urban setting; (2) Advocacy anthropology: This thesis is based on grounded, collaborative, ethnographic fieldwork and responds to the expressed wish of advocates for a qualitative study--previous evaluations tended to be quantitative. This approach helps ensure that the research be done with and for rather than on the community; (3) Cyborg anthropology: The thesis describes and analyzes the use of communications technology for community activism using the ethnographic example of TIM--a local bulletin board system where information on refugee advocacy is exchanged.  Methodologically, the thesis is innovative in that research is conducted both off-line and on-line. Also, life history narratives are recorded which reveal a community that identifies on the basis of conscious coalition, political kinship, or affinity.


identifier: Maheux, Isabelle  (1998) School-age care programs : an identification of factors related to nine-to twelve-year-olds' desire to drop-out and their satisfaction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study was designed to identify factors related to nine- to twelve-year-olds' desire to drop out of after-school programs, as well as to examine the factors related to their satisfaction. While some researchers have demonstrated that older school-age children may prefer to go home alone after school (Cloutier, 1990; Fink, 1986), others have clearly indicated the potential negative consequences associated with self-care (Vandell & Ramanan, 1991; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Long & Long, 1982; Steinberg, 1986). One hundred and eleven children participated in the present study, from thirteen participating school-based child care programs. Children's desire to drop out and their satisfaction was assessed via a questionnaire designed using a compilation approach. Parental satisfaction was also assessed via questionnaires and information on directors and educators was collected. The quality of the school-age care programs was measured using the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Vineberg-Jacobs & Romano-White, 1996). Data pertaining to the children's desire to drop out, the actual drop out rate during the course of the study, as well as the returning rate for the following year were obtained through parental phone interviews. Results indicated that the most important factors related to children's desire to drop out were age and the presence of friends. Gender, materials used at the centre, the reasons why children attended the centre and children's satisfaction were also important factors when examining children's desire to drop out. Quality was a significant factor, but not in the original direction stated in the hypothesis.


identifier: Chapman, Natalie  (1998) The oppression of women with disabilities : can feminist educational theory be a force for change?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study focuses on how the experiences of women with disabilities should be included in critical feminist theory so as to develop a more inclusive theory and practice. In doing so, critical feminist theory offers a way for women with disabilities to acknowledge their unique experiences of oppression in a society dominated by the ideologies of patriarchy and normalcy.  The position is taken that counter-hegemonic forces can be developed by educational interventions. Leaders can assist women with disabilities learn that their experiences are valid and that they have unrecognized strengths. Through methods such as setting up safe spaces, developing narratives, learning to dialogue and pose questions, women with disabilities are enabled to develop both voice and visibility.  Once a critical consciousness has developed, women with disabilities can put their new knowledge to use in rebuilding community through local associations of like-minded people working in connected ways to use the gifts and capacities of individuals who are oppressed.


identifier: Johansson, Anna-Sofia  (1998) Transition, settlement and integration : recommendations for the design and development of a citizenship programme for Francophone immigrants in Quebec.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is an exploration of the juncture of immigration, immigrant integration and adult citizenship education in the Province of Quebec. Some of the issues addressed revolve around the belief that many factors impact on immigrants' ability to integrate into Quebec society and that linguistic proximity is not sufficient to ensure smooth integration and full societal participation. For this reason, this study's emphasis is placed on the transitional learning needs of francophone immigrants integrating into Quebec society. Some of the areas explored are: Canadian and Quebec immigration policies, immigrant integration, theoretical propositions and approaches to immigrant education, and frameworks, practices and forms of adult citizenship education for immigrants. As it is believed that immigrants' transition, settlement and integration can be facilitated by participation in citizenship programmes, recommendations for the design and development of a citizenship programme for francophone immigrants are provided. This includes a discussion of programme objectives and evaluation, recommendations for the selection of a philosophical framework for programme design and delivery, and recommendations for the selection of andragogical practices. Conclusions are provided in the form of recommendations for a citizenship programme for francophone immigrants to Quebec. These recommendations include suggestions for three programme components: Life Skills: Day-to-Day Life; Civics: Rights and Responsibilities, and Critical Reflection. A fourth programme component for the non-immigrant segment of the population is also proposed. Suggestions in terms of adaptable modules for each of these components are provided.


identifier: Willmer, Andrew  (1998) Drama, theatre and multiculturalism : as educational tools do they fit the criteria for multiculturalism, and can they promote classroom diversity?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Berard, Michael  (1998) Production and evaluation of a self-instructional method for teaching jazz guitar.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis equivalent concerns the development and evaluation of a self-instructional method for jazz guitar. The method was designed to teach chords, scales and arpeggios to jazz guitarists enrolled in a university music program. A second purpose in the design was to create a method which focuses on presenting this information in a manner which is oriented towards jazz improvisation. As such, the method incorporates examples and exercises which are primarily rooted in jazz. The method is predominantly text based with numerous musical examples and is accompanied by a cassette which includes recordings of the various musical examples and exercises contained within the method.  The method was evaluated using a single group, pretest, posttest design. The dependent measures were obtained through a pretest administered prior to the trial period and through a posttest and an attitude questionnaire administered at the end of the trial period. The subjects were 14 jazz guitar majors studying at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. The purpose of the evaluation was predominantly formative. As such, the results of the evaluation were used to analyze the effectiveness of each of the objectives. The 14 subjects were divided into small groups and instructed to each use 1 of 4 sections of the instructional method for a period of ten days. Overall, the objectives of the method were successfully met and the subjects indicated positive attitudes towards the instruction. An objective by objective analysis of the dependent measures indicated weaknesses in specific areas of the method. A discussion of the conclusions drawn from the findings follows with recommendations for revisions to the instructional method. It was concluded that revisions should be made and that other forms of evaluation need to be applied.


identifier: Sniderman, Sarah  (1998) Meaning : multiple representations, computation & instruction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The development of a computer program that models human approaches to problem solving, studies of human perceptual processes, an account of the foundations of language and meaning--any of these may inform theories of learning and instruction. Sources for ideas about education are legion; some are complementary, and others conflicting. We can develop models from multiple perspectives, applying a range of concepts to problems in the field. The trick is never to be tied to a single way of seeing and solving problems. Too heavy an anchor can keep our minds from wandering freely to novel ideas and approaches.  Models are developed from metaphors, which are means of creating new representations of the world. These representations are vital sources of information. We cannot know the world as it 'really' is. Rather, we try to access features of the world through representations created and shared with others. The computational model is one such source of representations. It suggests certain ways of thinking about the mind. It emphasizes some aspects, and downplays or even hides others.  No one model can account for all features of a phenomenon, particularly a complex one. One limitation of the computational model is its inability to simulate the creation of multiple representations. These multiple representations, as acknowledged earlier, are essential means of knowing the world. It is a weakness of importance to people interested in the creation and manipulation of knowledge, which includes instructional theorists and researchers. In essence, the computational model must be supplemented with other models, especially ones that can account for the mind's ability to create and value multiple representations


identifier: Cook-Sourice, Catherine  (1998) The glass machinery in Christopher Dewdney's Predators of the adoration.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Within the context of Christopher Dewdney's sociopoetic critique of Western culture, this study examines the recurrent trope of the "glass machinery" in Dewdney's highly symbolic 1983 collection of poetry, prose, and visual art, Predators of the Adoration: Selected Poems 1972-82 . Employing a strategy of repetition, association, and layering, Dewdney explores the workings of "the glass machinery," a complex, all-encompassing, metaphorical symbolic system that imitatively represents the very perceptual paradigm that Dewdney "indignantly" critiques and "shatters." Though a significant trope throughout his work, the glass machinery recurs most comprehensively in Predators ; thus, this study, while focused on Predators , also frequently refers to Dewdney's other "incestuous" books, which illumine and explain one another. Three equally intriguing and interconnected tropes reveal the glass machinery's nature, workings, and purpose, which renders them essential to any discussion of the glass machinery: the Christ archetype, the concretion, and Remote Control. This study thus contains three chapters: one on the glass machinery, one on the Christ archetype, and one on both the concretion mid Remote Control. Given the complexity of Dewdney's work and the shortage of secondary sources, I provide, as a basis for further work, a general overview of each trope within the context of the glass machinery, as well as within the context of Dewdney's critique of what he considers to be the dominant "perceptual paradigm" in Western culture.


identifier: Davidge, Michael  (1998) Stirrings still and the solicitation of value in Samuel Beckett's work.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Samuel Beckett's Stirrings Still, typical of his late work, there is a deliberate poverty of expression. Seen on a continuum, the late work perpetuates while simultaneously condensing the rhetorical excess of the early work, such as the trilogy, which took language almost to the threshold of exhaustion. The economic perspective of the late work thus demands a reevaluation of the previous work and its reception. The deliberate inadequacy of the late work constitutes an aesthetic that works to undermine the tenets of traditional criticism and render them inapplicable. Beckett's late work has often been perceived as the distillation of a vision, despite the fact that it gestures to its position as a residue or remainder of questionable aesthetic--and ethical--value. The absence of an unequivocal relation between the subject and the object produces an art obliged to pursue its own worthlessness. The unstable and unequal relationship between the subject and object is never resolved by Beckett's work, and its value is always shadowed by uncertainty. The challenge of Beckett's late work lies in what value, if any, can be drawn from it.


identifier: Klempa, Mary-Margaret  (1998) Passionate blood, Puritan conscience : an intertextual study of the private and public works of L.M. Montgomery.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The publication of The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery, the first volume of which appeared in 1985, has inspired a surge of critical interest in the life and works of L. M. Montgomery. Although one of the most interesting areas of study resulting from the publication of the journals is the relationship between Montgomery's journals and her fiction, little has been actually written on this subject.  Realizing that her journals might be published after her death, Montgomery herself prepared them for publication. She recopied and revised her journals and gave directives to her descendants regarding their eventual publication, The journals, therefore, cannot be studied only within the genre of the private diary. The literary value of Montgomery's journals must also be considered.  During the 1920s, L. M. Montgomery wrote a trilogy dealing with a young orphan named Emily. These three novels are considered by Montgomery and her critics to be the most autobiographical of Montgomery's fiction. Because of the autobiographical nature of these novels, it is important to study them side by side with Montgomery's journals.  This thesis examines the relationship between Montgomery's journals and the Emily trilogy as well as the relationship between the Emily trilogy and The Blue Castle, a novel written between Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest. In this way, Montgomery's conflicting identities, as revealed in her private and public work, are examined


identifier: Shannon, Patrick  (1998) Metonymy and metaphor in the fiction of John Cheever.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: John Cheever has been categorized by critics as an American realist. This paper challenges that assumption through the use of Roman Jakobsen's distinction between metaphoric and metonymic writing. In Jakobsen's poetics, the metonymic and metaphoric poles are opposed. The former describes discourse in which the objective world is depicted through contiguous phenomena, a mode of writing that Jakobsen ascribes to realism. The metaphoric pole reveals "equivalences" selected by the author to denote how phenomena are similar, not merely contiguous. Cheever's narratives show a gradual evolution away from metonymic writing toward metaphoric. As David Lodge has explained, this evolution can have a muted impact on the realistic text if the author draws his figurative language from the field of contiguities, or context, of a setting; Cheever's fiction illustrates this process. This paper also points out that Cheever's adoption of metaphoric prose occurred more rapidly after publication of his first novel, and that his use of metaphoric strategies allowed him to bring order to, or aestheticize, the narrative predicaments of his characters.


identifier: Welch, Shannon  (1998) Lady Mary Wroth's Pamphilia to Amphilanthus : private space, public performance and torture.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines Lady Mary Wroth's revision of the Petrarchan sonnet form in Pamphilia to Amphilanthus . It examines Wroth's construction of a private textual space through the absence of social and political referents and her emphasis on Pamphilia's inner thoughts and emotion. This construction of a psychic space for Pamphilia allows Wroth to resist the performative aspect of other Petrarchan sequences. Her resistance of performance involves the reinvention of the Diana/Actaeon myth, the reconstitution of the male gaze, and the elimination of the blazon. As well, the thesis examines how Pamphilia to Amphilanthus manifests the power of the court through the figure of torture, in spite of Wroth's attempt to create a textual space removed from courtly influence. It also includes a discussion of Wroth's attempt to appease the actual crown in the Crowne of Sonnets and her inability to sustain this renewed vision of the court and its power.


identifier: Weller, Carol  (1998) How to connect : applying Martha Nussbaum's literary ethical theory to E. M. Forster's Howards end.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ethics in literature, that is, an ethical reading of works of fiction, is seen by some critics today as a valuable supplement to traditional philosophical, analytical discourse on ethics. In examining issues such as correct choice or action in the face of uncontrolled happenings ethical discourse inevitably uses example to illustrate theory. This strategy is especially fruitful when applied to novels. Literary language constructs the form to convey the content to the reader. Form illuminating content may make the fundamental issue of ethics accessible to a larger reading public. This thesis argues the congruence between the philosopher Martha Nussbaum's literary ethical theory and E. M. Forster's Howards End. The language of Howards End is tested against the four components of her theory. The final chapter argues a more generic ethical reading of Howards End in relation to two characters whose treatment within the novel appears to challenge such a reading. The thesis analyses the devices used by Forster in his text to set the writing/reading action in motion. It interrogates how Forster's text makes a case for literature as praxis, a first concern of the ethical literary enterprise.


identifier: Hunter, D. Brian  (1998) A chronicle of dependence : Cuba from the rise of sugar until the failure of the ten million ton Zafra of 1970.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Following a demonstration that the Dependency Theory still has much to offer as a vehicle for explaining underdevelopment and development in the periphery (Third World), this study uses the dependency approach as the theoretical framework in an examination of Cuba's pre-revolutionary condition of underdevelopment and dependency, and the socialist path undertaken in the first decade of revolution. The study concludes with a summation of how the interrelation of external and internal forces in pre-revolutionary Cuba resulted in a classic form of dependency, followed by revolutionary victory, and eventually socialism. Finally, the study offers four observations based on socialist Cuba's development effort of the 1960s and the nation's failure to limit external dependence during this period.


identifier: Tsui, Justina Ka Yee  (1998) Chinese women : active revolutionaries or passive followers? : a history of the All-China Women's Federation, 1949 to 1996.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study centers on the history of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) from 1949 to 1996. The ACWF was the first nation-wide women's organization in the People's Republic of China and has been the official leader of the Chinese women's movement. By reviewing the origins, ideology, structure and functions of the ACWF, this study examines how the Federation has worked to liberate Chinese women from tradition, to involve them in the socialist revolution and to promote their welfare, as well as their social status in China. Emphasis is placed on tracing how the dual roles of the ACWF as government agency and as representative of Chinese women's interests were at times incompatible, and consequently affected the growth of the Chinese women's movement. In conclusion, this study suggests that both the ACWF and the Chinese women's movement entered new stages of development when Chinese society began to undergo fundamental changes as a result of its economic reforms during the 1980s and the 1990s.


identifier: Rice, Chandra  (1998) Sometimes a story is just a story : story collections and the popularization of Buddhism in Japan.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the story collections written in the eighth through twelfth centuries in Japan. The thesis questions the traditional scholarly assumptions concerning who wrote the story collections and why. I question the argument that the story collections were written by the Buddhist clergy to encourage the folk lay population of Japan to listen to Buddhist sermons. The story collections are not limited to Buddhist tales nor are the authors limited to monks or priests. I suggest instead that the story collections were written by a variety of different authors for a variety of different reasons.


identifier: Dancsok, Michael  (1998) Transcending the documentary : the films of Arthur Lipsett.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Arthur Lipsett (1936-1986) was an innovative 'collage' filmmaker who worked at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) from 1958 to 1970. By combining 'found film footage' and sound with images he shot, his work explored the human condition and challenged conventional notions of documentary film and representation. Although he made award-winning films, and his techniques have since been incorporated widely into much film practice, his work has been virtually ignored by film scholars. One reason for this may be the difficulty in positioning his work within a specific film practice. His films are a bridge between avant-garde and documentary, making them difficult to categorize. Another reason could be the apparent ambivalence within film studies towards the avant-garde's contribution to filmmaking, as well as Lipsett's own ambiguous relationship with this aesthetic. Finally the NFB, an institution that has had an evolving interpretation of its mandate, may have determined the ultimate acceptance of Lipsett's films.  Through a multiperspectival analysis this thesis explores the complexity of these issues, and in doing so points to the significance of Arthur Lipsett as a filmmaker. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: De Freitas, Jennifer  (1998) Heritage tourism as secular pilgrimage.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Heritage tourism as secular pilgrimage

abstract: This thesis sets out to improve our understanding of heritage tourism by articulating this type of tourism with what is known about pilgrimage as a social process. A critical discussion of Victor Turner's contribution to the field of pilgrimage studies establishes a theoretical frame for this discussion. The longstanding relationship between pilgrimage and religion is stripped away, redrawing pilgrimage as a multi-levelled social process. The historical and discursive connections between heritage tourism and pilgrimage are established. The exploration of the problematic that heritage tourism is a form of secular pilgrimage ends with an instrumental case study of The Pointe-du-Moulin Historical Park. The spatial and interpretive strategies of the park are discussed as a social drama, using Kenneth Burke's Pentad as an analytical tool.


identifier: D'Amato, Mark  (1998) Francisco Suárez's concept of being.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Francisco Suárez's concept of being

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the fundamental aspects of Suarez's doctrine of being. Specifically, these aspects include: his concept of being and the manner in which he develops his definition of being as 'essence and existence'. This thesis attempts to illustrate the Suarezian position on, and elucidate the distinction he draws between, essence and existence. Further, this thesis demonstrates that his position was the unavoidable result of Suarez's first premise on the nature of being in general. This result is significant with regard to the modification of Aquinas' view and the regnant Thomistic position.


identifier: Luppicini, Rocci  (1998) The role of transcendental arguments in Searle's inclusive theory of meaning.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is the contention of this thesis that the ongoing problems Searle has encountered trying to establish a theory of mental and linguistic meaning come from a failure to properly interpret the relation between his notion of 'Background' and his theory of Intentionality. The present thesis interprets Searle's theory of meaning as naturally following from this relation, the articulation of which relies on the use of transcendental arguments.  The purpose of this thesis is to provide a line of defense for Searle's theory of meaning by demonstrating the applicability of transcendental arguments. This will be accomplished by appealing to a transcendental understanding made intelligible by concentrating on Searle's notion of Background. Once this is done, much of the existing criticisms of Searle's project can be more successfully addressed.  Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is threefold: (1) to provide an overview of Searle's key concepts used in articulating his theory of intentional meaning (i.e. Intentionality, Background, and mental causation), (2) to look at some of the major opposition to Searle's theory and to point out the theory's major shortcomings, (3) to make explicit the transcendental arguments implicit in Searle's project and to apply them to existing criticisms of Searle's theory of meaning. It is not the goal of this thesis to defend the use of transcendental arguments within philosophy of mind, but to demonstrate that the use of transcendental arguments could greatly benefit Searle if such arguments were found to be reliable


identifier: Rochard, Michelle A  (1998) Kant's philosophy of religion : the relationship between Ecclesiastical faith and reasoned religion.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is my contention that Kant makes an apparent contradiction in Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone with respect to the relationship between reason and Scripture. At the outset of Religion Kant states that he aims to discover whether reason can be found to be compatible and at one with Scripture. Kant goes about showing that reason and Scripture are united, however, he also maintains that reason and Scripture are distinct from each other. Hence, he seems to land himself in a contradiction. It is my intention to examine this apparent contradiction to see how and why Kant both unites and distinguishes reason and Scripture, and to see whether this contradiction poses a problem or is necessary to Kant's task.


identifier: Sabelli, Sister. Mary Veronica  (1998) Natural realism : the world and the mind according to Aquinas, Dretske, and Putnam.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: St, Thomas Aquinas' and Fred Dretske's accounts of mind and cognition are explored, compared, and contrasted. Similarities are found in their accounts of the mind's cognitive operation, in that both accounts recognize the presence of representations at the levels of perception and conceptualization, and both begin with external objects and move inward to sense perception, conceptualization, and the mind's knowledge of itself. However, their accounts of what the mind is differ sharply, in that Dretske holds a non-reductionist materialist position while Aquinas maintains that the human being has a composite character. Aquinas is not a dualist, however, in that he takes the mind to be a capacity, not a substance, Hilary Putnam's criticisms of representationalism and what he calls "traditional realism" or "metaphysical realism," as well as his support for a turn in philosophy to what he calls "natural realism," are explored in relation to the accounts of Aquinas and Dretske, neither of whose theories are found to propose either the sort of representationalism nor the sort of metaphysical realism criticized by Putnam. Rather, their accounts are found to be conducive to natural realism.


identifier: Beaulé, Christian  (1998) Photic entrainment and induction of immediate-early genes within the rat circadian system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Immediate-early genes (IEG) are transiently expressed within the rodent circadian system in response to nocturnal light. Immediate-early genes are part of the mechanism by which light induces phase shifts of circadian rhythmicity. The two most studied light-induced IEG within the rodent circadian system are Fos and Jun-B. Molecular expression of these two genes within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) correlates both in magnitude and in the temporal contingency with light-induced behavioral phase shifts. The determination of the role of Fos and Jun-B in circadian clock resetting was previously attempted using light stimuli that induces strong phase shifts. However, the relationship between light-induced IEG in an entrainment context is undocumented in rats. The present study examined the relation between photic induction of Fos and Jun-B in an entrainment context. Male rats, for which the free running period was determined, were entrained for 14 days on a 0.5h:23.5h LD cycle with light onset at dawn. On the fifteenth day, the entraining light pulse was reduced to 10 minutes and brains were processed for IEG immunocytochemistry. Strong Fos induction was observed in the three brain regions investigated: the SCN, intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) and anterior paraventricular thalamus (PVT). Strong Jun-B immunoreactivity was observed only in the SCN. Jun-B labeling was weak in the IGL, and absent in the PVT. Significant correlations were obtained between light-induced IEG in the SCN and the magnitude of the daily phase shift required for entrainment. Further, Fos and Jun-B immunoreactivities correlated in the SCN and in the IGL. These data suggest that the magnitude of Fos and Jun-B induction within the SCN is related to the magnitude of the daily phase shift required for entrainment.


identifier: Bennett, Paula  (1998) Young children's understanding of attentional focus and seeing leads to knowing.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study examined how knowledge of attentional focus and the understanding that seeing=knowing develop between 24- and 30-months of age. Twenty-seven 24-month-old children and twenty-three 30-month-old children participated in two tasks. In each task, children were asked to retrieve a toy with the help of one of two strangers--one who was blindfolded and one who was not. In the first task, children were asked to request a visible toy from a stranger. The 24-month-old children looked significantly longer to the stranger who was not blindfolded than to the one who was blindfolded whereas the 30-month-olds did not. In addition, both age groups touched the hand of the non-blindfolded stranger to retrieve the toy significantly more often than the hand of the blindfolded stranger. In the second task, a screen blocked the child's vision from seeing a toy being hidden under one of three cups. The children were asked to find the hidden toy with the help of one of the strangers; one of whom was blindfolded during the hiding phase. There were no significant differences in looking times at the two strangers in the two age groups. In addition, there were no significant differences in the number of times children chose to find the hidden toy under either of the two strangers cups in the two age groups. These results suggest that 2-year-olds have an understanding of attentional focus. Further, consistent with previous literature, the results of this study indicate that an understanding that seeing=knowing is beyond the grasp of children under three years of age.


identifier: Bergevin, Tanya A  (1998) Relational and physical aggression in late childhood : links to social adjustment in group and dyadic relations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Relational aggression (RA), thought to be more typical of females, is a form of aggression in which relationships are used as vehicles of harm (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). This study investigated sex-differences in the prevalence of RA and physical aggression (PA), as well as the group and friendship relations of relationally and physically aggressive children. It was predicted that (a) girls would be rated as more relationally aggressive than boys when extreme group scores of RA were examined; (b) boys would be rated as more relationally aggressive than girls when continuous measures of RA were used; (c) boys would be higher than girls in PA regardless of the assessment measure; and (d) girls would use more RA than PA, whereas boys would use more PA than RA. It was also predicted that (e) relationally aggressive boys and physically aggressive girls would be at heightened risk for peer rejection; (f) aggressive children would have mutual friendships in spite of their lack of popularity; (g) relationally and physically aggressive children would have similarly aggressive friends; and (h) RA and PA would predict lower-quality friendships.


identifier: Bertone, Armando  (1998) Static and dynamic motion aftereffects of first- and second-order motion in central and peripheral fields of vision.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: After prolonged adaptation to a moving pattern, a subsequently presented static or dynamic test pattern will appear to drift in the opposite direction. This illusory drift is referred to as the motion aftereffect (MAE). It is well accepted that a MAE is not elicited after adaptation to second-order motion if tested with a static test (sMAE), although a clear MAE is perceived if tested with a dynamic pattern (dMAE), which is believed to access higher levels of motion processing. These second-order MAE properties, in part, have led to motion-detection models postulating that first- and second-order motion are processed, at least initially, by separate mechanisms. The purpose of the present study was to define the MAE properties of second-order motion in the periphery in order to evaluate the exclusiveness of the second-order MAE properties to central vision. Observers were adapted to non-scaled second-order patterns at fixation and in the periphery (up to $12\sp\circ)$ and tested with both static and dynamic test patterns. Results showed that for all observers, a same was perceived after second-order adaptation in the periphery, although none was elicited after central adaptation. This suggests the existence of different motion mechanisms operating in central and peripheral visual fields; separate mechanisms sensitive to each motion type in the central visual field and a common, low-level mechanism mediating both first- and second-order processing in the periphery. Additional results obtained from preliminary studies comparing first- and second-order motion sensitivity across eccentricity also provide evidence that first- and second-order motion processing may be mediated by a different mechanism in the periphery than at fixation. The possible effects of spatially scaling the patterns as well as more direct methods to address the underlying peripheral mechanisms are discussed.


identifier: Marcangione, Caterina  (1998) Fos induction within the ventral tegmental area following infusions of phencyclidine, MK-801, and nomifensine into the core and shell subterritories of the nucleus accumbens septi.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Rats learn to lever-press for phencyclidine (PCP; NMDA channel blocker and dopamine uptake inhibitor), MK-801 (NMDA channel blocker), and nomifensine (dopamine uptake inhibitor) infusions directly into the shell but not the core subterritory of the nucleus accumbens septi (NAS). PCP, MK-801 and nomifensine are thought, through different means, to inhibit a final common path: NAS intrinsic GABAergic output neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Independent groups of animals were tested to determine whether infusions of PCP, MK-801, or nomifensine directly into the core or shell subterritory of the NAS would induce Fos expression within the VTA. Each rat received a total of 26 unilateral infusions (over a 60 min period) of PCP, MK-801, nomifensine (12 nmol, 1.2 nmol, or 1.7 nmol respectively, per 120 nl infusion) or vehicle into either the NAS core or shell; each animal's infusions were "yoked" to the rate and pattern of administration of a rat that had previously learned to lever-press for PCP infusions. The rats were sacrificed and their brains were processed for histological analysis of Fos-immunoreactivity 75 min after the first infusion of drug. Each drug induced significantly more Fos-positive cells within the lateral and medial VTA. MK-801 and PCP infused into the NAS shell, each induced more Fos within the medial VTA. Overall, Fos induction within the VTA was differentially expressed within the rostral to caudal levels of the VTA. In sum, the present thesis provides preliminary evidence linking suppression of intrinsic NAS GABAergic neurons, via both NMDA receptor and dopamine reuptake blockade, to the activation of neurons within the VTA.


identifier: Mireault, Maria  (1998) Cumulative lifetime stress variables as predictors of depression and chronic illness in women.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Further progress in understanding the relationship between psychological stress and health may require examination of the cumulative effects of stress experienced across the lifespan. The main objectives of the present research were to learn more about the nature of stress experienced by women during the life course and to examine the relative contribution of cumulative lifetime stress to the prediction of depression and chronic illness. Data acquired from a sample of three hundred and eight women who volunteered for an earlier study examining the impact of changing lifestyles on health were analyzed for this study. Subjects completed a wide variety of psychosocial measures including a retrospective measure of lifetime stress, the Concordia Lifetime Stress Graph (CLSG). A qualitative analysis of the CLSG identified several differences in lifetime stress experienced by the younger and older women. Work-related stress was the most frequently reported stressor by women aged 30-59. In addition, work-related stress, separation and divorce were perceived as being the most stressful events by this age group. Women aged 60 and over reported death of a family member most frequently and also rated it as being the most stressful event experienced. Younger and older women also differed in the variability of lifetime stress experienced, however, they did not differ on mean lifetime stress. Results of the quantitative analyses indicated that cumulative lifetime stress, as measured by the CLSG is not related to depression or chronic physical illness in women. However, methodological problems may have influenced these findings and further research should be conducted before concluding that lifetime stress does not affect women's health.


identifier: Moghrabi, Hana  (1998) The hidden-observer and memory creation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The hidden-observer and memory creation

abstract: The present study sought to investigate the relation between hidden-observer reports and pseudomemory. The study also investigated the rates of hidden-observer responses in age regression. During the screening session subjects were tested on (a) the Tellegen absorption scale (Tellegen, 1980, 1982), (b) The imagery scale of Paivo and Harshman's (1983), Individual Differences Questionnaire, (c) the Autobiographical Memory Questionnaire (Conway, 1994), (d) The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A of Shor and E. Orne (1962). Two experimental groups with different instructions about memory and a control group, participated in a further session to measure their responses to a memory creation item, and to assess the rates of hidden-observer responding. Consistent with previous literature both the phenomenon of memory creation and an increase in confidence in these memories were demonstrated. Memory strength was found not relevant to memory creation. The factors that predicted memory creation were hypnotizability, duality, and cognitive effort. A schema-model was presented to explain the results of this study. Rates of hidden-observer reports by low and medium hypnotizables emphasized the importance of both individual and contextual variables for producing a hidden-observer response. These results were explained as supporting a synergistic model of hypnosis.


identifier: Moroz, Isabella  (1998) The effects of prior exposure to amphetamine on feeding behavior in rats.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The primary objective of this investigation was to explore the effects of prior exposure to amphetamine on subsequent stress-induced and free feeding of regular chow or palatable cereal. After treatment with 5 injections of either d-amphetamine (3 mg/kg IP) or saline, administered on alternate days, animals in Experiments 1 and 3 were permanently moved to computer-controlled test cages, whereas animals in Experiment 2 remained in the colony room and were transported to the test cages for testing only. After 14 drug-free days, animals were either briefly handled or restrained for 20 min, on 10 consecutive days, 6 hours into the light cycle. Consumption of regular chow or palatable cereal was monitored for 1 hour following the return of animals to the cages. Amphetamine preexposure enhanced stress-induced consumption of regular chow (Experiment 1) and, to some extent, of palatable cereal (Experiment 2), despite the stress-induced suppression of palatable food intake. Stress-induced feeding of regular chow increased progressively over initial stress sessions, indicating sensitization of the response to stress. Amphetamine preexposure also enhanced free consumption of palatable cereal, which similarly sensitized over repeated tests. The effects of amphetamine preexposure on stress-induced and free intake of palatable food were more pronounced in females than in males. When testing was conducted in home cage environment (Experiment 3), amphetamine preexposure had no effect on palatable food consumption, however, it enhanced regular chow intake during the light cycle. Thus, prior exposure to sensitizing regimen of amphetamine exerts long-lasting effects on subsequent response of animals to motivationally significant stimuli.


identifier: Potechin, Cindy J  (1998) The influence of second-order motion on the induction of vection.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Optical flow fields composed of spatiotemporal luminance modulations (first-order) versus spatiotemporal contrast modulations (second-order) differ in their ability to induce the illusions of motion aftereffect (MAE) and structure from motion. The inability of second-order (SO) motions to support structure from motion except in response to simple motion stimuli has led to the suggestion that SO motions cannot support computations relating to motion-in-depth. Three experiments were used to determine the ability of first-order (FO) and SO motion stimuli to induce vection, the illusion of 3-D motion induced by image flow. Subjects reported the duration and latency to onset of the MAE and vection illusions in response to stimuli composed of multiplicative combinations of a basic vection signal (radially expanding concentric rings) with three different carriers. The stimulus patterns contained different amounts of FO and SO motion energy (ME). The results indicated that a SO motion signal can induce vection but the vection responses will have slower onsets and shorter durations than those induced by a FO motion signal. As well, the vection response to the SO signal is not the result of contamination by FO artifacts, suggesting that the visual system contains a mechanism specialized for the detection of SO motions and that the activation of these mechanisms is sufficient to induce a sense of self-motion.


identifier: Redila, Van Allan  (1998) An examination of the effects of the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole on ethanol, food and water intake.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The effects of the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT) were examined on ethanol, food and water intakes to determine if it produced a decrease in ethanol consumption through the decrease in catalase produced acetaldehyde or to a general decrease in caloric intake. Experiment 1A demonstrated that a food containing a concentration of 0.6% w/w sodium saccharin was preferred over a neutral-flavoured food while a concentration of 0.15% w/w of quinine sulfate was less preferred. These two concentrations of saccharin and quinine were used in experiment 1B to study the effects of AT on taste reactivity. Results of experiment 1B showed that AT significantly decreased food intake but not ethanol water or total fluid intakes. The saccharin, neutral and quinine food groups decreased their food intakes to the same extent suggesting that AT did not affect taste reactivity. Furthermore, quinine-fed rats significantly increased their ethanol consumption while decreasing their food and water intakes. Experiment 1C tested whether the quinine-induced changes in ethanol, food and water intakes were mediated through the 5-$\rm HT\sb2$ receptor. The 5-$\rm HT\sb2$ antagonist ritanserin failed to attenuate the quinine-induced ethanol consumption or to affect food or water intakes. Experiment 2 showed that AT significantly decreased ethanol consumption but did not significantly affect either food or water intake.  Taken together, the findings of experiments 1B and 2 demonstrated that AT does not produce a general decrease in the caloric requirement of the animal. The failure of AT to decrease ethanol consumption in experiment 1B is contradictory to previous reports regarding the role of catalase produced acetaldehyde and its role in the mediation of ethanol intake. However, the decrease in ethanol intake observed in experiment 2 is consistent with the pattern of catalase inhibition suggesting that acetaldehyde may be involved in the mediation of voluntary ethanol consumption.


identifier: Jennifer A. Volsky, Rushton  (1998) Intimacy, marital satisfaction, and sexuality in mature couples.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study investigated the relationship between intimacy and marital satisfaction, as well as between intimacy and sexuality. Participants were 30 couples, with a mean age of 49. Participants had been involved in a romantic relationship for an average of 20 years. Couples were asked to complete a variety of questionnaires on intimacy, marital, and sexual functioning. Results indicated no sex differences in levels of overall intimacy, or in levels of sexual satisfaction, however the men were experiencing more sexual problems than the women. For men, sexual and emotional intimacy predicted marital satisfaction, whereas for women, recreational and emotional intimacy were the significant predictors. High discrepancies between perceived and desired levels of intimacy were not related to lower marital satisfaction. Few dimensions of intimacy were related to sexual satisfaction and functioning. The finding that different types of intimacy are important to marital satisfaction for men and women has implications for the areas of focus in marital therapy. The finding that large discrepancies between perceived and desired intimacy levels did not decrease marital satisfaction suggests that individuals find ways to compensate for a lack of intimacy in their relationship. Other implications of the present findings, as well as how they relate to past research and theory, are discussed.


identifier: Amani., Abu-Idrees  (1998) Isolation and sequencing of a genomic clone of ESI28 : an early salt-stress induced gene of the salt-tolerant wild wheatgrass Lophopyrum elongatum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A genomic sequence corresponding to a putative actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF) was isolated from a wheat (Lophopyrum elongatum) genomic library. The genomic clone, designated ESI28-G-5, codes for the ESI28 gene (early salt-stress induced). The 5$\sp\prime$-upstream sequence contains a putative TATA box and abscisic acid (ABA) response element (ABRE). The genomic clone contains a long open reading frame (ORF) which encodes a polypeptide of 143 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 15.95 kDa. The protein has two conserved domains identified as actin and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) binding sites which are commonly found in members of the cofilin family. A search of DNA sequence databases indicated that the ESI28 sequence had the highest degree of sequence similarity to the Triticum aestivum low temperature regulated gene (Wcor719) which encodes an actin-binding protein (ABP). The induction of ESI28 by salt, the presence of ABRE in its promoter region, and the significant homology with ABP from different organisms suggest that this gene might be involved in reorganizing the cytoskeleton during water deficit stress. It may also serve as an essential factor in the salt stress signal transduction pathway that is regulated by ABA.


identifier: Charron, Isabelle  (1998) Sexual recruitment of trees following fire in the southern mixedwood boreal forest of Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The establishment following fire of four tree species, Pinus banksiana Lamb., Picea mariana (L.) Mill., Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Populus tremuloides Michx., was studied in the mixedwood boreal forest of Saskatchewan, Canada. The main objective of the study was to estimate the recruitment densities of germinants as a function of seedbed type. Field observations indicate that there are significant differences in seedbed frequencies between sites. The study also demonstrates that all species establish preferentially around tree boles where there is exposed mineral soil and humus. While there is no significant difference between germinant densities on mineral soil and humus, there are, on average two times more germinants on those seedbeds than on organic layer (O$\rm\sb{f}$) seedbeds. In addition, there is evidence for an inverse relationship between germinant survival and organic layer thickness. There is also evidence that moisture in the major factor controlling germinant survival in the field. The study shows that a sequence of stage-specific survival values can be used to accurately estimate recruitment densities. Finally, it demonstrates that there are essentially only three cohorts following a fire; that germinant mortality declines with time; and that survival subsequently approaches one and becomes independent of seedbed type. The result of the study now give investigators a standard for comparison with post-clearcut recruitment densities.


identifier: Kokkotis, Athanasios Tom  (1998) Host-parasite interactions between the cysticercoid larvae of the cestode Microsomacanthus hopkinsi and the amphipod intermediate host Hyalella azteca.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examined host-parasite relations between cysticercoids of Microsomacanthus hopkinsi and the amphipod intermediate host Hyalella azteca throughout the latter's life history. There was a significant positive relationship in oncosphere consumption, parasite loads, and short-term survival in amphipods exposed during Instars 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9. Oncosphere consumption, short-term survival, and intensity of infection were generally similar among older amphipods. No correlation was found between oncosphere consumption and cysticercoid levels in any instar. Infected amphipods moulted less frequently than controls regardless of the instar at exposure. No differences were found in oncosphere consumption, short- or long-term survival, moult frequency, or intensity of infection among males and females. Infection during Instar 4 (i.e. prior to sexual development) had significant negative effects on reproduction. In pairing experiments, uninfected male H. azteca never paired with infected females. Infected male H. azteca paired with uninfected females, but less frequently than uninfected males.  Overall, infections had a significant negative effect on short-term survival of young H. azteca, on the long-term survival of H. azteca infected during Instar 4, and on the number of moults over a 14 day period in H. azteca of all ages. Fecundity was markedly reduced in females infected before sexual maturity and uninfected males did not pair with infected females. The few infected males that paired suggests that they may be at a reproductive disadvantage relative to uninfected males. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Monastiriakos, Stavroula  (1998) Characterization of the meta-cleavage pathway enzymes, 4-Hydroxy-2-ketovalerate aldolase and aldehyde dehydrogenase (acylating), from Pseudomonas sp. strain CF600.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The work presented in this thesis focuses on three aspects of the aldolase-dehydrogenase. First, DmpG was overexpressed and purified in order to address the question of whether this polypeptide alone possesses 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate aldolase activity. While previous work had indicated that DmpF alone can catalyze dehydrogenase activity, thus far no aldolase activity has been detected in preparations of DmpG. Second, steady-state kinetics studies of the individual and coupled reactions were performed in order to address the question of coupling. The data obtained are consistent with channeling of the aldolase product, acetaldehyde, to the dehydrogenase active site. Furthermore, kinetics measurements indicate either a partially or fully ordered terreactant mechanism for the dehydrogenase. Finally, chemical modification of the enzyme by iodoacetate provided evidence for the involvement of a reactive cysteine residue in dehydrogenase, but not aldolase, activity. This result is consistent with postulated mechanisms of other aldehyde dehydrogenases, and will allow creation of a variant that can be used to study the reactions of the aldoase separately from the dehydrogenase partner.


identifier: Rieger, Colin E  (1998) A continuous spectrophotometric assay for phosphate releasing enzymes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A new continuous coupled UV-spectrophotometric assay is described for two phosphate releasing enzymes, aspartate transcarbamylase and ATPase of Herpes Simplex Virus. Phosphate release is coupled to the phosphorolysis of the nucleoside analogue 7-methylinosine catalyzed by purine nucleoside phosphorylase. When this reaction is monitored at 291 nm, the coupled assay can readily detect 10 nmol P$\rm\sb{i}$ released/min. Our method offers advantages over a recently reported continuous assay devised for measuring ATCase activity using the nucleoside analogue methylthioguanosine as the linking substrate. In contrast to MESG, m$\sp7$Ino is easily and inexpensively synthesized and is also commercially available. The spectrophotometric signal at 291 nm, produced by the difference in the extinction coefficients between nucleoside substrate and the base product, is significant over a much wider pH range than the signal difference between MESG and its phosphorolysis product at 360 nm. Saturation curves for aspartate and carbamyl phosphate and pH rate profiles have been reproduced using the PNPase/m$\sp7$Ino coupled assay. Initial velocity patterns constructed over micromolar to millimolar concentrations of aspartate and CbmP yield four kinetic parameters simultaneously. To further illustrate the application of this coupled assay, kinetic parameters were determined for the DNA-dependent ATPase reaction of HSV helicase-primase.


identifier: Sourial, Elizabeth  (1998) Molecular dynamics simulation : an investigation into the short range structure of metaphosphate glasses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: An investigation into the local environment of three metaphosphate glasses using molecular dynamics simulations is presented. The short rage structure of the phosphate and metal networks were determined from pair, cumulative and bond angle distribution functions as well as identifying the types of oxygen ions found within the networks. The short range structure was validated by comparing the results obtained from the simulations to structural properties determined experimentally and found in the literature.  The phosphate network was found to consist of long linear chains of PO$\sb4$ tetrahedral units. This type of structure exists in the three metaphosphate glasses, indicating that the modifier has little effect on the structure of the phosphate backbone.  A study of the metal networks revealed that the modifier's field strength plays a significant role in determining the short range order of the metal ions. Results indicate that the lead network has the highest degree of disorder since the lead ion occupies several different local environments compared to the local environments of the magnesium or zinc ions.  Finally, a three body Born-Mayer-Huggins potential model was used to simulate the structure of P$\sb2$O$\sb5.$ This was achieved by developing the pair potential parameters for the P-O and P-P pair and comparing the structure of the simulated crystal to that of the static P$\sb2$O$\sb5$ crystal. The P$\sb2$O$\sb5$ glass was simulated using both the two body potential model as well as the three body model with the developed potential parameters. Results indicate that the three body model improved the short range order of the phosphorus ions.


identifier: Taghizadeh, Aref  (1998) Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical oxidation of selected organic compounds on TiO2 electrodes and the effect of adsorption on the oxidation potentials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A commercially available TiO$\sb2$ powder (Degussa P-25) has been used to prepare thin particulate films on optically transparent SnO$\sb2$ conducting glass electrodes. The oxidation potentials of Resorcinol (RSRCL), 4-Chlororesorcinol (4-CR), 4,6-Dichlororesorcinol (4,6-DCR), Catechol (CC), 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA), and 1,2,4-benzenetriol (1,2,4-THB) in 0.5M KCl were measured. The effect of adsorption on the oxidation potentials of the above-mentioned compounds on TiO$\sb2$ electrodes, were examined by cyclic voltammetry under various conditions.  The results show different oxidation potentials vs. SCE for adsorbed versus non-adsorbed species. The scan rate dependencies of the peak currents indicate, that the lower oxidation potential may be assigned to adsorbed reactants while the one at higher potential corresponds to diffusion-controlled oxidation of material from solution. This was also confirmed by the dependence of peak current on the concentration for selected compounds. Illumination causes no significant change in the measured oxidation potentials. However, photocurrent was observed under illumination, indicating the photoactivity of TiO$\sb2.$ These studies tend to indicate that associating the oxidation of such compounds to a single oxidation potential does not adequately describe the situation. Depending on the type of working electrode used, an important distinction is to be made between adsorbed and dissolved species.


identifier: Arias, Rodrigo  (1998) The stochastic approach to future shares.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The traditional deterministic definitions of actuarial future values and Ramsay's stochastic definitions are discussed. A modification of Ramsay's definitions is proposed and an application to life insurance reserves is suggested.


identifier: Chan, Venus Pui-lai  (1998) Evaluation of the economic impact of operational tactics at an electronics manufacturer.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Operational tactics of non-value added time, setup time and lot size reduction for reducing manufacturing cycle time at a large electronics manufacturer were evaluated with economic measures. Features of one of the assembly lines were modeled using actual production data. The simulation model developed covers all assembly operations of the line from board preparation to final system assembly and test.  Details of the assembly line modeled are presented. Parameters of the simulation model are described. Experimental design, performance measures, statistical analysis are discussed. The dollar value of both work-in-process (WIP) and finished goods (FG) inventory is used to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative tactics. Managerial implications and recommendations are presented


identifier: Farah, Nada  (1998) Succession events : an empirical study of succession and leadership effects on shareholders expectations of future earnings moderated by the context and content of the event.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Succession and leadership effects are two important elements to the understanding of the impact of CEO succession on the performance of the organization as measured by shareholders' expectations of future earnings. This relationship is moderated by the presuccession performance - a context variable -, successor origin, departure type and CEO compensation--three content variables. This study also investigates whether presuccession performance is an antecedent to origin. The findings in past research have been conflicting but basically supported either one of three theories of succession that the event has either positive, negative or no effect on the organization. This study uses the event study methodology, which allows the measurement of abnormal returns for the stock of companies around the announcement date. A sample of 156 large business organizations that had announced the succession event in the Wall Street Journal for the years 1986-1995 is used, and the compensation data are extracted from the yearly compensation scoreboard of the Business Week. The results show that both effect are important in the full understanding of succession impact, and some of the moderators are also very influential while others less so.


identifier: Hughes, Brent  (1998) Macroeconomic news announcements and the Yen/$US intraday exchange rate.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study provides new evidence on the effects of macroeconomic news announcements and their impact on the yen/US$ exchange rate. Trading days are divided into 4 groups: (1) major US announcement days, (2) minor US announcement days, (3) Japanese announcement days, and (4) Non-announcement days. These groups are examined to determine the effects they have upon the volatility of intraday (five-minute) returns of yen futures contracts. Both Japanese and US announcements are also examined in order to determine which specific announcements have the greatest affect upon the exchange rate.  Both US and Japanese announcements are found to have significant impacts on the volatility of intraday returns of yen futures contracts. Major US announcements were found to have the greatest affect upon the exchange rate, with Japanese announcements having the second largest affect. The increased volatility, due to the release of the announcements continues to affect volatility throughout the day, however the major impact disappears quite rapidly


identifier: Kormas, George  (1998) Daily and intradaily stochastic covariance : value at risk estimates for the foreign exchange market.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The importance of time varying volatility in securities prices (e.g. GARCH) has by now been amply established in the literature, both in terms of the magnitude and pervasiveness of the phenomenon, and in terms of its significance for risk management in institutional portfolios. Less attention has been devoted to multivariate conditional heteroskedasticity, in spite of the fact that securities are typically held in portfolios rather than in isolation. Recently, Kroner and Ng (1995) have introduced a method for nesting the four most commonly used multivariate GARCH models, allowing for comparative tests of the performance of the models. We propose to apply the Kroner and Ng technique to both daily and intradaily returns on foreign exchange rates, to obtain performance estimates. These conditional covariances will then be used to calculate value at risk (VaR) forecasts for foreign currency portfolios. Daily and intradaily VaR forecasts will be evaluated and compared.


identifier: Margellos, Athanasios S  (1998) The conditional CAPM and the cross section of expected returns : evidence for the Canadian market.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this study we test a conditional version of the CAPM, proposed by Jagannathan and Wang (1996), that allows betas (Ý) to vary over time as proxied by the yield spread between three-month Prime Corporate Paper and the three-month T-Bill rate ([Special characters omitted.] ). The model also includes a measure of the sensitivity of human capital to the market Ý as proxied by the lagged return on Total Labor Income ([Special characters omitted.] ), and SIZE (log of share price times number of shares outstanding) as explanatory variables. Our objective is twofold: (a) to test this model's ability to better explain the cross-sectional variation of monthly returns on 25 SIZE - and beta -sorted portfolios of Canadian common stocks over the period from June 1965 to December 1992 (330 months); and (b) to compare the performance of this conditional CAPM with the unconditional CAPM (SLB model). For portfolio formation, we use a methodology similar to Fama and French (1992). For the estimation procedure, we use the two-step approach of Fama and MacBeth (1973) as well as the more powerful GLS time-series cross-sectional estimation approach. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Sheinberg, David  (1998) Shareholder wealth effects of international listings and delistings : evidence for foreign stocks on the Tokyo stock exchange.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study provides new evidence of the effects of international listing and delisting on shareholder wealth for U.S. and non-U.S. companies that have listed and subsequently delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The stock behavior of 81 U.S. and non-U.S. firms between 1973-1997 was examined. Four periods were analyzed: (1) the initial announcement of the listing; (2) the actual listing date; (3) the initial announcement of the delisting and (4) the actual delisting date. Previous research on international listing, specifically the Tokyo Stock Exchange, has shown that it is not associated with positive abnormal stock behavior. However, these prior studies have focused on the actual listing date rather than on the initial announcement of the listing. This study also uses cross-sectional regression analysis to see which variables affect the size of the abnormal returns found.  Significantly positive cumulative abnormal returns were found around the time of the listing announcement and significantly negative cumulative abnormal returns were found around the time of the delisting announcement. This evidence is consistent with the market segmentation and management signaling hypotheses. The size of the firm, first time international listing and whether or not the firm had a Japanese subsidiary in place prior to listing provide some explanatory power at the time of the listing, while foreign exchange provides some explanatory power at the time of the delisting


identifier: Tam, Philomena Him-mui  (1998) The impact of electronic data interchange implementation with business process reengineering.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The employment of electronic data interchange (EDI) is growing increasingly quickly and is expanding internationally, since certain types of benefits are expected from the adoption of EDI. However, it is found that not all companies can obtain all the benefits as expected. Some studies suggested that EDI should be implemented with business process reengineering (BPR) in order to gain the full potential benefits. In view of that, the research is proposed to better understand how the ways of EDI implementation will affect the benefits gained, so as to reduce the risk of EDI adoption. Specifically, this research combines qualitative case analysis methods with process modeling techniques to study the relationship between EDI and BPR. Case analysis is used to examine EDI implementation (e.g., motivation, approach, and level of integration) and its subsequent effects. Process modeling (mapping & simulation), on the other hand, is used to study the potential effects of BPR.


identifier: Nassirirad, Arash  (1998) The effects of corner radii on the local buckling of cold-formed sections.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In steel construction the methods to produce structural members include hot rolling, forming and welding hollow section (HSS) and welding plates to form I's (WWF). Another method, which is less widely known but is growing in acceptance, is cold-forming from steel sheet or strip using roll-forming machines, press and bending brakes, or folding operations. These cold-form steel sections have their own design codes.  The use of cold-formed structures in building constructions goes back to about the 1850s in both the United States and Great Britain but the formal design methods for these sections were developed only since 1940.  Cold-formed sections add aspects to the design procedure which are neglected in codes for hot-rolled shapes, namely local and torsional buckling. The elements of a box or channel section formed from thin sheet may buckle locally, leading to collapse. To calculate the buckling stress the manufacturing process, makes the measurement of the width uncertain. Codes simply adopt the flat width. The objective of this study is to develop a more accurate method to predict the buckling stresses for two major kinds of cold-formed section, namely an open section (channel) and a closed section (box).  A theory has been developed to model the elastic local buckling mode for box and channel sections. This is extended to predict the behavior of the section after buckling and up to the collapse. Comparisons are made with the results of the numeric analysis carried out using the finite element program ABAQUS, and with the code requirements.


identifier: Ramadan, Hamzeh Hussein  (1998) A numerical simulation model for a building with transparent insulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Utilization of a transparent insulation material (TIM) in a solar collector wall has been proven to have a significant potential to reduce heating load in passive solar buildings. Transparent insulation transmits a high proportion of incident solar radiation onto a layer of thermal mass which subsequently slowly releases heat, thus reduces the requirement for heating throughout the day. Due to the high transmittance and convective suppression properties of the transparent material, the thermal resistance of the wall will be improved extensively with minimum losses of transmitted radiation.  This thesis presents a numerical simulation model for a building with one transparently insulated wall. The explicit finite difference method is employed to study the thermal performance of an outdoor test room as a function of energy consumption and thermal comfort. It involves first a simulation for a one dimensional wall model with honeycomb-structured transparent insulation material (TIM). Then, a methodology is developed to simulate a complete room that has one transparently insulated wall. Different control strategies are employed for the shading device and one new strategy is developed to estimate the thermal performance of the transparently insulated room taking into account the incidence angle-dependent transmittance of TIM, and the non-linear convective-radiative behavior of both, exterior insulation system and the room interior surfaces. Simulation results indicate significant savings in energy consumption as a result of TIM utilization.


identifier: Bani-Hani, Manar  (1998) Polyolefin plastomers in composites for flooring applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For flooring applications, calcium carbonate-filled poly(vinyl chloride), PVC, has long been the material of choice for both flexible sheeting and tile products. However, PVC-based formulations must be processed with plasticizers, which have recently raised some concerns from a sustainability point of view.  In the research work reported here, calcium carbonate-filled formulations based on polyolefin plastomers, POP, are prepared in a laboratory-scale mixer, and their mechanical properties are studied for flooring applications. Plastomers are olefin copolymers synthesized using new metallocene catalyst technologies. The POP plastomer used in this research is Affinity 1140 a copolymer of ethylene and octene, and does not require any plasticizers for processing. The key mechanical properties of the calcium carbonate-filled POP, which include tensile strength, elongation and impact strength, are found to compare very favourably to those of PVC formulations at filler loadings of 200 phr. In addition, the filled POP formulations are able to incorporate a significant amount of post-consumer polyethylene(PC-PE) while maintaining adequate physical properties. Two types of PC-PE are tested in this research work: the first one is a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and the second is a high density polyethylene (HDPE). The DSC analysis technique is used to study the difference in behavior between the two recycled resins. Dimensional stability tests are also reported, indicating that POP composites contract slightly more than the PVC-based ones. Overall, this study shows that calcium carbonate-filled POP should be studied further as a more sustainable alternative to filled PVC for flooring applications.


identifier: Choudhury, Asif  (1998) Removal of nickel and lead from natural clay soil through the introduction of EDTA and coupling ion exchange processes with electrokinetic methodology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In clay soils having low initial pH values, electrokinetic transport of heavy metals has proven to be effective. The transport of these metals is predicated on maintaining a low pH throughout the cell, which in turn keeps the metals in the pore water phase, where they are accessible to EK transport. Development of high pH gradients in the cathode region due to the formation of OH$\sp{-}$, from the dissociation of water, produces unfavorable conditions for the transport of heavy metals, namely precipitation. Standard electrokinetic methods have not been employed to a great extent in natural clayey soil. These soils tend to magnify the problems mentioned above and pose several unique problems related to remediation that currently used techniques cannot overcome. Most natural clayey soils have inherently high pH values. The use of EDTA, EK methodology and ion exchange textiles is a new hybrid technique for the enhanced solubilization, transport and localization of Pb and Ni respectively in natural clayey soils. A four-point examination of many of the important system properties related to this hybrid technique, and the effect of the textiles on these properties forms the subject of this thesis. Electrical parameters, system chemistry, enhanced solubilization and transport of EDTA and EK methods only, and the overall localization and removal efficiency of EDTA-EK-Textile experimentation. EDTA-EK methods, without textiles, produced enhanced solubility and transport of lead and nickel. Using all three techniques, solubility was enhanced and the localization and removal achieved was in the range of 90-95% of lead and nickel ions localized within 10% of the cell. This represents a significant improvement over standard EK methods (which typically have been applied only to low pH soil) and represents a viable remediation technique in natural clayey soil.


identifier: Gotti, Edoardo O. L  (1998) A highly efficient low output voltage DC to DC converter.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this work is to develop a 100 V to 3.3 V, 50 W DC to DC converter which achieves the best compromise between low mass and high efficiency. A particular emphasis is put on using components qualified for the aerospace environment. The work was carried out through the following steps: (1) Explore all possible topologies which lend themselves to efficiently convert a raw 100 V input bus to a tightly regulated 3.3 V output, galvanically isolated from the input. (2) Among all these topologies, select the one which leads to the highest efficiency and the lowest mass. (3) Optimize the chosen topology. (4) Develop a small signal moded of the selected topology.  In order to validate the calculations and the mathematical models developed, a prototype of a 100 V to 3.3 V, 50 W converter was built with Space qualified components and tested. With this prototype, conversion efficiencies in excess of 87% (including control circuit consumption) were measured.


identifier: Haghighat, Afshin  (1998) Low-jitter symbol timing recovery for M-ary QAM and PAM signals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis focuses on low-jitter symbol timing recovery schemes applicable to M-ary QAM and PAM signals. Franks and Bubrowski introduced highpass prefiltering and symmetric bandpass post-filtering for jitter-free operation of a symbol timing recovery scheme using a squarer for binary signaling. We show that the same conditions are also applied to M-ary PAM or QAM signals.  In this work, we have investigated the effects of imperfections in both prefiltering and post-filtering on the jitter performance using analysis, simulation and experiments. It is shown that, although a zero-jitter cannot be achieved due to the imperfections, a good selection of pre-filtering can significantly reduce the timing jitter of the recovered clock signal. Jitter performance of the squarer with and without prefiltering for M-ary PAM signals is presented.  We also demonstrated that a perfect prefiltering of the received baseband signal essentially produces an equivalent double-sided band, suppressed-carrier (DSB-SC) passband signal centered at the Nyquist frequency (i.e., $1\over2$ of the symbol clock frequency). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Shah-Heydari, Shahram  (1998) MMPP modeling of ATM multimedia traffic.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: MMPP modeling of ATM multimedia traffic

abstract: Traffic control cannot be done without having a well-fit model to represent the traffic. Therefore traffic modeling is an essential part of any network control research project. Markov-Modulated Poisson Process (MMPP) shows the great flexibility and analytical tractibility which is needed in traffic control. MMPP model is not only capable of capturing the interframe correlation in the traffic, but also can be easily analysed by using well-known Matrix Geometric techniques.  Our research in this project is focused on the study of MMPP for modeling of the traffic in the broadband networks. We first start with the simplest case, a two state MMPP, and study its performance for representing the ATM traffic. Starting with a superposition of voice sources, the performance of various techniques to model the superposed stream by a 2-state MMPP is compared. Then the techniques are generalized for an arbitrary aggregated ATM traffic, characterized only from a sequence of traffic samples. A refined moment-based technique to derive the parameters of a 2-state MMPP model to represent such an arbitrary traffic is proposed.  In order to have a more general model applicable to various types of traffic, we propose a special type of multiple-state MMPP, a superposition of N 2-state MMPP minisources. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)