identifier: Mayer, Esther R.  (2018) Yosse ben Yosse's Avodah Liturgy: A Political Reading.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this dissertation, I examine the 15 piyyutim attributed to Yosse ben Yosse that have reached us from the fifth century CE. Few written Jewish historic records from late antiquity have survived the vicissitudes of time. The underlying assumption in this study is that piyyutic texts contain historically relevant information and can thus partially address this historiographic lacuna and disclose aspects of the diversity of Jewish practices in late antiquity. In Appendix A of this dissertation, I present a fully annotated translation of the Yosse ben Yosse piyyutim, considered here as literary works as well as historically significant texts.
Four of Yosse ben Yosse’s piyyutim deal with the Avodah, the scripted review of the sacrificial ritual that took place on Yom Kippur in the temple. The Avodah ritual was and remains ontologically central and spiritually imperative for Jewish practitioners as they beseech God for atonement. Whereas the destruction of the Second Temple made the bloody sacrificial ritual impossible, the ritual was transformed into a recitation and study of texts that, the sages assured, were as efficacious as the actual sacrifices. I dispute the attribution of one Avodah to Yosse ben Yosse, based on a morphological examination of his oeuvre.
The Avodah piyyutim attributed to Yosse ben Yosse are generally assumed, by scholars, to restate and mirror the rabbinic Avodah narrative in Mishnah Yoma. In this dissertation, I offer a different reading of Yosse ben Yosse as a priestly narrative that contested rabbinic claims to authority. In Appendix B of this dissertation, I present a full comparison of the two narratives. Employing a methodology of comparative discourse theory, applied to both Yosse ben Yosse’s poems and to Mishnah Yoma, has led me to identify the similarities and differences between the two narratives, to describe the socio-political power relations between the priestly caste and the rabbis, and to glean some information regarding the rise of rabbinic Judaism. Rabbinic texts pertaining to the Avodah re-imagined the temple as a site for the political validation of rabbinic authority over the priestly caste, seeking to cement rabbinic claims to henceforth be the uncontested authority in Jewish life. Yosse ben Yosse’s narrative on the other hand, focused on the re-enactment of Temple Avodah, with an eye to the restoration of the priestly authority over Jewish practice in the post-destruction era.
The power contest between the revolutionary rabbinic movement and the conservative priestly caste discloses new aspects of the cultural and religious diversity of Jewish responses to the destruction of the Second Temple, when Jews were redefining their political allegiances and religious loyalties in late antiquity. The study thus contributes to our understanding of Jewish religious and political developments that took place in late antique Palestine.


identifier: Desautels, Éric  (2018) La sécularisation des missions catholiques canadiennes-françaises en Afrique aux XXe et XXIe siècles : entre prosélytisme et adaptation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
À la fin du XIXe siècle, l’activité missionnaire canadienne se concentre principalement en Amérique du Nord avec la conversion des peuples autochtones. Suivant les volontés de Rome et coïncidant avec l’émergence de figures emblématiques comme John Forbes et Délia Tétreault, l’Église catholique canadienne-française s’ouvre à l’Asie, l’Afrique et l’Amérique latine au tournant du XXe siècle. L’activité apostolique s’organise alors rapidement, avant de prendre une expansion considérable dans l’entre-deux-guerres. Le missionnariat canadien-français atteint son apogée dans les années 1960, devenant un chef de file de la coopération internationale. Dans la seconde partie du siècle, les missions connaissent de profondes remises en question avant d’amorcer un déclin à partir des années 1980, reflétant la transformation du rapport au religieux dans la société québécoise.
La présente thèse s’intéresse plus particulièrement aux missionnaires actifs dans la région des Grands Lacs africains. En contact avec d’autres cultures, ils représentent un cas idéal pour étudier les dynamiques séculières et religieuses, autant dans la société québécoise que dans les sociétés africaines. Dès les années 1940, les missions ont d’ailleurs incorporé de larges cohortes de laïcs qui ont collaboré au travail apostolique selon une évolution menant à la mise en place d’organisations autonomes, laïques et coopératives dans les années 1970. À partir de documents d’archives et de témoignages de missionnaires canadiens-français, il s’agit de retracer le passage d’une forme d’engagement moral et religieux à une action coopérative ou humanitaire fondée sur une éthique universelle.
Par leur regard à la fois proche et distant, les missionnaires canadiens-français apportent un nouvel éclairage sur le processus de sécularisation de la société québécoise et de l’Église catholique canadienne-française. Ce processus représente un phénomène protéiforme qui dépend d’une multitude de facteurs exogènes et endogènes. Pour l’étudier, une conceptualisation renouvelée de la sécularisation est proposée, s’articulant sur les plans individuel, organisationnel et sociétal et selon diverses sous-dynamiques qui prennent des formes et des intensités variées à travers l’histoire : déconfessionnalisation, décléricalisation, désacralisation, laïcisation, exculturation. Par des approches transnationale et diachronique qui s’attardent aux motifs de l’action, aux logiques intrinsèques et à l’évolution sociohistorique du missionnariat canadien-français, une meilleure compréhension du processus de sécularisation émerge.


identifier: Serravalle, Lisa  (2019) A comprehensive assessment of personality traits and psychosocial functioning in parents with bipolar disorder and their intimate partners.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Objectives. Little is known about the intimate partners of adults with bipolar disorder (BD). Such knowledge is needed to inform both couple and family interventions. Methods. Participants were parents whose children were enrolled in a prospective study: 55 with BD and their partners, and 47 healthy control couples. All completed diagnostic interviews, and questionnaires describing personality traits, negative life events, coping skills, social support, marital adjustment and inter-partner verbal aggression. Parents with BD and healthy control parents were compared, as were the intimate partners. A series of analyses focused on the average measures within couples, with and without BD, and took account of comorbid substance use and personality disorders among those with BD and major depression among their partners.  Results. Intimate partners of adults with BD, relative to healthy control partners, presented with more mental disorders, higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, more emotion-focused coping, smaller social networks, less satisfaction with their social networks, and little, satisfying social contact. Additionally, they reported less consensus and satisfaction in their marital relationships, and engaged in more verbal aggression towards their partners. Participants with BD showed similar, more extreme, characteristics. Marital distress and verbal aggression were greatest among couples with an adult having BD and a comorbid condition or a partner with major depression. Conclusions. Mental disorders, personality traits, ineffective coping skills and low social support may limit the support intimate partners provide to their mates with BD and promote chaotic family environments.


identifier: Zhang, Xin  (2019) Dimensional Analysis and Sub-scaling of Building Thermal Airflow Dynamics Based on Simple Analytical Models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sub-scale model experiments are widely used in the design of natural/hybrid ventilation systems and the thermal mass of buildings to calibrate and validate simulation models, collect data, and guide preliminary designs. Defining a scaling law to relate a sub-scale model experiment to a full-size building is a good method to determine fabrication design and operation strategy. As a result, many previous studies have focused on airflow similarity between a sub-scale model and a full-size building in a steady state using dimensional analysis. These studies, however, lack integrated consideration of both airflow and heat transfer in a transient-state model. The purpose of this thesis is to build an analytical model for dimensional analysis in a simplified model and to define dimensionless numbers to consider integrated similarity. The thesis also discusses whether those dimensionless numbers can be applied to a complicated high-rise building. Both sub-scale and full-size simulation models are calibrated and validated using results of sub-scale model experiments. Subsequently, dimensionless results from both the sub-scale and full-size models are compared to verify the dimensionless numbers derived from the analytical model. Finally, counterpart results for a full-size model are calculated by the scaling law from sub-scale experiments for thermal mass application.


identifier: Ma, Yunlong  (2019) SdcNet: A Computation-Efficient CNN for Object Recognition.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In many computer-vision systems, object recognition is one of the most commonly-used operations. The challenging task in this operation is to extract sufficient critical features related to the targets from diverse backgrounds. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be used to meet this challenge, which, however, often requires a large amount of computation resources.

In this thesis, a computation-efficient CNN architecture for object recognition is proposed. It aims at using the lowest computation volume to achieve a good processing quality. This is achieved by applying image filtering knowledge in the design of the CNN architecture. This work is composed of two parts, the design of a CNN module for feature extraction, and an end-to-end CNN architecture. In the module, in order to extract the maximum amount of high-density feature information from a given set of 2-D maps, successive depthwise convolutions are applied to the same group of data to produce feature elements of various filtering orders. Moreover, a particular pre-and-post-convolution data control method is used to optimize the successive convolutions. The pre-convolution data control is to organize the data to be convolved according to their nature. The post-convolution data control is to combine the critical feature elements of various filtering orders to enhance the quality of the convolved results. The CNN architecture is mainly composed of the cascaded modules. The hyper-parameters in the architecture can be adjusted easily so that each module is tuned to suit the signals in order to optimize the processing quality. The simulation results demonstrated that the architecture gives a better processing quality using a significantly lower computation volume, compared with existing CNNs of the similar kind. The results also confirm the computation efficiency of the proposed module, which enables more object recognition applications on embedded devices.


identifier: Abou Jaoude, Joe ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9135-6210 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9135-6210>  (2019) Blockchain Characteristics and Acceptance.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Originally conceived as a mechanism to enable a trust-less cryptocurrency – Bitcoin, blockchain has since unbound itself from its original purpose as an increasing number of industries and stakeholders eye the technology as an attractive alternative to solve today’s complex business problems as well as disrupt mature industries. This dissertation explores the uses and application of blockchain in different domains and investigates empirically a theoretical model for its acceptance as the underlying technology for current and future information systems. The research is in three parts/essays: (1) a systematic literature review of blockchain technology to assess the body of research knowledge while also highlighting the major fields of study and areas of its application;  (2) exploration of the relevant factors pertaining to blockchain-based information systems Acceptance in order to identify and develop their appropriate measurements; and (3)validation of a theoretical model from consumer decision making which includes trust, and risk but also includes important blockchain related antecedents in order to provide the needed insights for the blockchain consumer adoption/acceptance process. Findings suggest that the exploration of blockchain domains has only begun with Internet of Things, Energy, Finance, Healthcare, and Government as the most promising areas of implementation. Furthermore, perceived usefulness, risk, reputation, intention to transact, familiarity, comfortability, trust, perceived security as well as perceived privacy were identified as critical factors characterising blockchain, and measurements were developed, validated and modeled using a theoretical model. It was found that trust and perceived risk play a major role in driving consumer decisions regarding intention to transact. Furthermore, we find that perceived privacy protection, perceived security protection, reputation, and familiarity strongly influence consumer’s trust and perceived risk in blockchain technology.


identifier: Abusamra, Soliman  (2018) Coordination and Multi-Objective Optimization Framework for Managing Municipal Infrastructure Under Performance-Based Contracts.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
One-third of Canada’s municipal infrastructure is in fair, poor and failing condition states. Aging infrastructure systems are placing tremendous pressure on governments through steeply growing budget deficits and an urgent need for replacement. Municipalities are experiencing high inefficiency and financial burden imposed by their under-performing infrastructure, which in return increases the risk of service disruption and leaves decision-makers with no choice but undertake immediate interventions. The estimate of Canada’s infrastructure deficit is ranging between $110 billion to $270 billion. The massive number of infrastructure intervention activities occurring in cities leads to detrimental social, environmental, and economic impacts on the community. Thus, coordinating the interventions of the co-located assets (i.e. roads, water, and sewer) is progressively becoming of importance to cope with those tough challenges. It will decrease the number of service disruptions and reduce the rehabilitation costs by integrating the joint activities shared among the co-located assets. Numerous attempts have been made by previous scholars to enhance the infrastructure performance within the limited budgets. Yet, most of their efforts were geared towards short-term intervention planning for a single asset, without accounting for the potential coordination savings (i.e. cost, disruption time, consumed space, amount of service disruption, and end users’ inconvenience).
In the lights of those issues, this research proposes a coordination and multi-objective optimization framework for managing the municipal infrastructure under performance-based contracts. The framework proposes an integrated contractual and asset management solution to aid decision-makers in both the pre-contract and post-contract phases. In the pre-contract phase, the system will find a near-optimal set of key performance indicators thresholds’ as well as their associated penalties and incentives that meet the end users’ expectations without having an escalated contingency at the contractual price. In the post-contract phase, it will provide a near-optimum coordinated interventions’ schedule/plan for the municipal infrastructure. To build the framework, the research went through three main phases: (1) literature review that thoroughly studied and analyzed the municipal contractual practices, optimization, and integrated asset management; (2) contractual scheme, coordination, and multi-objective optimization asset management system where a novel contractual scheme was introduced and a coordination and optimization-based asset management system was developed; and (3) system integration and model implementation where the contractual scheme was integrated with the coordination and optimization-based asset management system to aid decision-makers in taking informed pre-contract and post-contract decisions. The coordination and optimization systems were built to quantify and evaluate the potential savings of coordinating the maintenance, whether partially or fully, as opposed to the conventional approach. It revolves through three core models: (1) central database that contains detailed asset inventory for the infrastructure systems, (2) multi-dimensional performance assessment computational models that assess the potential coordination savings for the three coordination scenarios based on eight indicators (time, space, cost, risk, resilience preparedness, condition, efficiency, and effectiveness); and (3) two multi-objective optimization models: (a) multi-objective hierarchical goal optimization that relies on a set of meta-heuristic rules and genetic algorithms optimization engine; (b) multi-objective linear programming optimization that reaches an exact solution using MOSEK software.
To demonstrate the system’s functionality, it was applied to the roads’, water and sewer networks of two case studies namely: (1) city of Montreal; and (2) town of Kindersley. Both displayed huge savings in favor of the coordinated approach as opposed to the conventional one. For the city of Montreal, the system was developed on sophisticated spreadsheets combined with a genetic algorithms’-based optimization engine (Evolver) and was applied to both pre-contract and post-contract phases. The pre-contract optimization was able to obtain a near-optimal set of key performance indicators’ thresholds and their associated penalties and incentives. The post-contract optimization displayed an overall improvement of 15% across 25 years planning horizon as a result of coordinating the interventions as opposed to the conventional scenario. The 15% improvement was broken down to 12%, 16%, 18%, 30%, 26%, 10%, 10% for the time, space, cost, efficiency, effectiveness, condition, and risk respectively. For the town of Kindersley, the system was developed on REMSOFT software integrated with MOSEK optimization engine. The results displayed an overall improvement of 29% across 25 years planning horizon because of coordinating the interventions as opposed to conventional ones. The 29% improvement was broken down to 72%, 63%, 48%, 67%, 9%, 1%, 14%, and 5% for the time, space, cost, efficiency, effectiveness, condition, resilience preparedness and risk respectively. Furthermore, the coordinated intervention program resulted in 67% fewer interventions as opposed to the conventional approach, saving an overall of 374 interventions across the 25 years, equivalent to 15 interventions annually, which drastically reduces the public disruption. In conclusion, this research proposes an integrated coordination, optimization, and contractual solution for the municipalities and maintenance contractors to enhance their expenditures’ utilization, minimize the service disruptions, and improve their assets’ performance under tough budgetary constraints.


identifier: Shalhoub, Omar  (2019) The Effects of Board Diversity on Firm Risk.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study aims to determine the combined effects of board diversity in terms of board member age, gender and educational level on firm risk. Composite diversity indices, constructed from a combination of Blau (1977) and Shannon (1948) heterogeneity measures respectively, reflecting each board’s composition with respect to the three aspects, are employed for a sample of 3,513 US non-financial and non-utility firms for the years between 2000 and 2017.

The results indicate that both gender and educational diversity amongst board members reduce firm systematic and total risk, measured as a firm’s beta and annualized stock return volatility respectively. However, age heterogeneity does not significantly affect firm risk. Additionally, the combined effect of all three diversity aspects as a whole, estimated by the composite diversity indices, is found to be negatively related to firm risk suggesting that a firm’s risk tends to decrease as a function of the overall diversity of its board members. Moreover, in high financial volatility periods, larger dissimilarity levels amongst board members reduce firm risk at a lower rate than that noticed under normal market conditions. Therefore, the net effect of board diversity is found to be significantly lower during more volatile market conditions. This suggests that boards fail to accommodate their risk decisions to fluctuating market conditions. This could also be an indication of an increase in inter-member conflicts and disagreements, making it more difficult for boards to agree on business decisions thus reducing the level of risk taken on by firms under normal market conditions.


identifier: Patel, Nikhalesh  (2019) UTAUT-QiU: Technology Acceptance Evaluation Model with Integrated Quality-in-use for Mobile User Interfaces adapted for Low- and Post-literate users.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Mobile technology evolution has greatly affected our lives, in terms of performing our daily tasks more efficiently and effectively.  It includes recent advances in voice-enabled technology empowered by artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing. Then again, technology evolution has created a problem for low and post-literate population in terms of understanding and using mobile devices with complex functionality. Low- and post-literate individuals are the ones who have difficulties either reading a text or understanding a new technology.

We propose a new technology acceptance evaluation model UTAUT-QiU with the aim of assessing both user acceptance of text free mobile applications’ user interface (MUI) and MUI’s quality-in-use.  We intend to increase the quality-in-use of MUI for low- and post-literate users by applying text-free approach combined with voice as a service. UTAUT-QiU is inspired by UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) and integrates it with Quality-In-Use model for Mobile Applications.  The UTAUT-QiU model is used to investigate empirically the effect of text free UI approach on low- and post-literate users in performing their daily tasks with the help of mobile applications.


identifier: Sun, Lida  (2019) Factors influencing the relationship of materialism to purchase intentions of counterfeit luxury products: A cross-cultural examination.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In recent years, the counterfeiting goods industry is a rapid growth market, especially the luxury counterfeits market. Because of the value of the luxury market is growing, many famous and popular luxury brands have become targets for counterfeit producers, and an increasing number of consumers prefer to purchase fakes instead of the genuine items, which has led to a worldwide crisis. Unfortunately, this massive phenomenon is threatening companies' efforts to establish and develop successful brands, and causing economic disaster. Therefore, the counterfeiting has become widespread and has developed into an economic issue of international significance. Previous research shows that materialists have more willingness to purchase luxury counterfeits. Therefore, the current study proposes a framework to investigate the factors that influence materialistic consumers' willingness to buy counterfeit luxury brands. Three factors are chosen from these three different domains separately, which are value-consciousness (personal influence), status consumption (social motivation), and perceived risk (product related feature). In addition, fewer scholars paid attention to study the materialist’s purchase intentions toward luxury counterfeit products under different cultural situations. The current paper also covers this research gap by examining the moderating effects of cultural values.


identifier: Kruglov, Olesia  (2018) Design Methodology and Experimental Investigation of a Multiple-Inlet BIPV/T System in a Curtain Wall Facade Assembly and Roof Application.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technologies are becoming a competitive alternative to traditional claddings as the building industry looks toward renewables for local energy sources. An advancement of the BIPV is the building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system, which harvests excess heat produced by the photovoltaic panels and transfers it to a medium for useful energy. For application on large scale facades, air-based BIPV/T systems can be used in low temperature applications. However, due to a lack of installation and maintenance guidelines as well as insufficient performance standardization, both technologies have yet to experience widespread implementation. Additionally, tools for determining potential energy generation during the early design phase are complex and not readily available.
This thesis provides a discussion, analysis and comparison of recent advancements in BIPV and BIPV/T systems in order to assess architectural and energy performance considerations for full facade integration. A BIPV/T design methodology was developed based on the investigation of three novel case studies involving both roof and facade applications. Issues of constructability, building envelope requirements, material compatibility, and maintenance were addressed. Subsequently, guidelines for a BIPV/T performance standard were suggested.
Linking this research to the established criteria of current building practices, a BIPV/T prototype was constructed, adopting a conventional curtain wall frame. Base characterization testing was conducted at the Solar Simulator and Environmental Chamber (SSEC) testing facility at Concordia University to assess the prototype’s electrical and thermal performance. Three different flow rates, the use of single or multiple inlets, and two different transparencies of photovoltaic modules were investigated for their effect on system performance. Results from the preliminary testing showed that the use of multiple inlets may increase the thermal output by up to 18%, decrease the peak photovoltaic (PV) temperatures by up to 3°C, and marginally increase the electrical output. While the experiments were a first step in confirming prototype functionality and for model verification purposes, there is a need to further explore the optimization of this design and its application on building typologies through simulation.


identifier: luo, yiwei  (2019) Constitutive modeling the elasto-viscoplastic behavior of Regina clay soil under the drained stress path condition.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The stress–strain behavior of soft clay soil is dependent on the applied strain rate and such time dependency behavior should be considered in geotechnical engineering projects such as the bearing capacity analysis for a foundation. Most previous studies focus on elastic-viscoplastic behavior of clay soil under an undrained stress path condition. The developed constitutive models cannot simulate the strong time-dependent stress-strain relation of soft clay under the drained stress path condition. In the long-term bearing capacity analysis for a shallow foundation, the neglect of the time-dependent stress-strain relation of soft clay may result in inaccurate result.
In this study, the strain-rate-dependent soil behavior is modeled using the Drucker-Prager/Cap model with the consideration of soil creep behavior. Both consolidation creep and shear creep mechanisms are considered in the modeling. A simplified approach is proposed to derive creep parameters from stress relaxation test results. The constitutive modeling is validated against experimental measurements on strain-rate-dependent behavior of Regina clay soil under the drained stress path condition. Finite element modeling on the long-term bearing capacity of a shallow foundation on soft clay is also performed. The result shows that the considering of viscoplastic behavior of clay soils does not affect the ultimate bearing capacity. However, it yields the lower bound of developed shear stress of a shallow foundation at a given vertical displacement, which is to be conservative from the engineering point of view.


identifier: George Mathew, Prince  (2019) Model-Based System Engineering Methodology for Implementing Networked Aircraft Control System on Integrated Modular Avionics - Environmental Control System Case Study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture host multiple federated avionics applications into a single platform and provides benefits in terms of Size, Weight and Power (SWaP), nonetheless brings a high level of complexity to aircraft control systems. The thesis presents Model-Based System Engineering a novel, structured development methodology to cope efficiently with increased complexity due to IMA. Using ARCADIA methodology and the open source Capella tool, the developed methodology is implemented for a complete design cycle: starting with capturing requirements from the aircraft level to streamlining the development, integration of avionics application in an ARINC 653 platform. The proposed methodology provides effective traceability and management of specification artifacts from aircraft to system to item-level adhering to SAE ARP4754A guideline. Further, the thesis
presents the capability of the MBSE framework to effectively  address a few technological variants through the proposed methodology. To illustrate the efficiency of the methodology
and MBSE approach an Environmental Control System (ECS) case study is presented. The case study focuses on implementing ECS in an IMA architecture using MBSE framework and proposed methodology. However, the derived methodology is also applicable to other systems. Further, the case study also presents a demonstration of integrating Cabin Pressure Control Sub-system (CPCS) into a real-time IMA platform for validation of MBSE approach. In addition, the thesis provides important insights in challenges and advantages of the MBSE process in contrast to the traditional paper-based specification process.


identifier: Emamifar, Ali  (2019) Modeling Productivity losses Due to Change Orders.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Change orders are an integral part of construction projects regardless of project size or complexity. Changes may cause interruption to the unchanged scope of work and working conditions and, if poorly managed, may be detrimental to project success. Many studies have been carried out to quantify the impact of change orders on construction labour productivity, with varying degrees of accuracy and variables considered. These studies reveal that quantifying loss of productivity due to change orders is not an easy task and requires a comprehensive and holistic method.
There are several methods for quantifying loss of productivity, such as measured mile analysis (MMA) and the total cost method (TCM). Although measured mile analysis (MMA) is a well-known and widely accepted method for quantifying the cumulative impact of change orders on labour productivity, it is not readily applicable to many cases. In this research two models were developed to quantify losses arising from change orders. The first model does not account for the timing of change orders, but the second model considers the timing of change orders on labour productivity. Two models were developed and tested utilizing artificial neural networks and two sets of data collected by others in that field.
The two datasets were statistically analyzed and preprocessed in order to transfer the data to normal distribution form and eliminate insignificant variables considered in their development. Using best subset regression, a total of seventeen variables were reduced to nine variables accordingly. Also, the study datasets were categorized into three types of timing periods; early change, normal change and late change to create the timing model.  This was implemented to enable a comparison with models developed by others.
Three types of artificial neural network techniques were experimented with and evaluated for possible use in the developed models. These three types are Feed Forward Neural Network, Cascade Neural Network, and Generalized Regression Neural Network. Candidate techniques were evaluated and analyzed by neural network parameters and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to select the most efficient type of neural networks, and subsequently using it to develop two models; one considers timing and the second does not. The analysis performed led to the selection of the cascade neural network for the development of the two models productivity losses due to change orders.
The developed models were tested and validated utilizing several actual cases reported by others. The models were applied to a number of cases and the results were compared to those generated by frequently cited models to demonstrate their accuracy. The comparison outcome showed that the developed models can generate more accurate and satisfactory results than those of reported in previous studies.


identifier: Napylov, Alexander  (2019) Development of analytical methodology for analysis of oxylipins in brain tissue and plasma.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Oxylipins are bioactive oxygenated products of long chain (18-22 carbons) polyunsaturated fatty acids. They play an important role in different physiological processes acting as local hormones, so they may be used as biomarkers of these processes. In addition, the pathways and exact biological functions of many members of this family are not clear and need further investigation. To enable such investigations, it is important to have reliable and accurate analytical methods for oxylipin measurements in biospecimens such as blood and tissue.
	The analysis of oxylipins in biological matrices is challenging due to their low concentrations and the existence of many oxylipin isomers. So, the first objective of this thesis was to develop a sensitive LC-HRMS method for the quantitative analysis of oxylipins, that provides separation of isomers and works in a scan mode in order to enable comprehensive oxylipin profiling and further investigation of unknown oxylipins in real samples. To achieve this goal, different LC stationary phases were assessed to obtain maximum separation of oxylipin isomers and a C-18 UHPLC column was determined as the best choice for this separation. Also, different mobile phase additives were assessed, and it was found that 0.02% (v/v) acetic acid in mobile phase gives maximum sensitivity by increasing ionization efficiency. After LC optimization, three pairs of oxylipins among 65-standard mixture were still unresolved chromatographically. MS/MS fragmentation of these oxylipins was developed to resolve these three pairs. Thus, the final LC-MS method allows for a measurement of 62 oxylipins and seven deuterated standards in 40 min and with LLOQ 0.1-0.8 ng/ml.
	Another challenge for oxylipin analysis in plasma and brain is the complexity of the biological matrix that can affect the sensitivity and accurate quantitation of the method due to possible matrix effects. Thus, the second objective of this thesis was to develop and optimize sample preparation methodology to decrease a possible matrix effect and achieve the best limits of detection in biological matrices. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was chosen for method development. During development, the following parameters were optimized: SPE sorbent type, elution solvent composition, elution solvent volume and sample treatment before loading. Due to the low abundance of oxylipins in biological matrices sample preparation requires preconcentration step following the extraction. This step was found to be critical for method reproducibility and was systematically optimized to decrease possible losses of analytes during this step. The final developed and optimized sample preparation method in combination with LC-MS was then applied to plasma and brain tissue samples. The average recovery was 70-97% and the matrix effect was 27-105%. High inter-individual variabilities and a wide range (0.26-681 ng/ml) of oxylipin concentrations in human plasma samples were found. Some high concentrations of oxylipins such as 408±35 ng/ml for 9-HETE were reported at first time. To accommodate this wide linear dynamic range, two injections were required, one with dilution for the accurate measurement of high abundance oxylipins and one with pre-concentration factor to enable the measurement of low abundance oxylipins.  In general, the developed method allowed to detect 38 oxylipins in pooled plasma and accurately quantitated 25 of them.
	In rat brain tissue samples, the concentration range of oxylipins was narrower than in plasma 0.14-13.1 pg/mg of wet tissue and in general, 43 oxylipins were detected, among which 41 were accurately quantitated. The main issue with post-mortem analysis of oxylipins in brain tissue is the possibility of post-mortem formation of oxylipins, which can result in a 50-500x increase in oxylipin concentrations. Also, in vitro methods for the analysis of oxylipins in brain tissue do not allow multiple measurements to be performed with the same experimental animal over a period of time. This poses a critical limitation during the investigation of biochemical pathways in response to particular stimulus. In vivo solid-phase microextraction (SPME) could help solve these problems. In vivo SPME was performed in moving awake rats (n=15) in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the resulting extracts were analysed by LC-MS. Twenty (20) oxylipins were identified using authentic standards. In addition, 32 unknown peaks corresponding to expected oxylipin m/z were detected. Among these, 18 were unique to in vivo SPME while the rest were also detected in post-mortem SPE samples. Six (6) out of 32 unknowns were subsequently identified as oxylipins. Further characterization and identification of other unknowns will be performed in future. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest oxylipin panel ever detected in vivo from the brain tissue of living animals and provides an important new tool in neuroscience.


identifier: Zhang, Mingyue  (2019) The Effect of Hedge Fund Managers' Facial Characteristics on Investment Behavior and Performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This paper investigates what affects hedge fund performance and risk-taking in a behavioral finance context. Links between physical characteristics and behavioral traits have been well established. However previous studies have relied on small size samples in
controlled conditions. In this paper, we explore the relationship between facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), a face structure metric identified by previous research to be associated with a cluster of behavioral traits in men, and investment behaviors in real financial markets using a sample of 178 hedge funds from 1994 to 2016. We find that risk-taking of hedge funds correlates positively with fWHR of their managers, while there is no significant evidence proving the association between fWHR and hedge fund performance. Although
this is a study of association, the results may shed light on biological determinants of hedge fund investment behaviors.


identifier: Filion, Charles-Gabriel  (2019) Equity Return Forecasting Using Risk-Neutral Option-Implied Moments.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Using OptionMetrics implied volatility surfaces for a sample of S&P 100 constituent stocks as of April 29, 2016, with historical data spanning from January 1996 to April 2016, this research provides additional empirical data regarding the informational content of option implied risk-neutral distributions. Two different methodologies are used to compute option-implied moments for the years 1996-2016: the first is based on Breeden-Litzenberger (1978) and the other on Bakshi, Kapadia and Madan (2003).


identifier: Xu, Chengcheng  (2019) Long-Term Seepage Assessment Using Numerical Modeling for Upstream-Type Tailings Dams.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A tailings dam, as part of a tailings storage facility, is typically constructed using waste rock or mine tailings, which are the waste created during extraction of ore from mining or by-products from mineral beneficiation and manufacturing. These dams are often raised continuously, as the tailings facility is expanding. The holding capacity of these facilities is needed to accommodate large volumes of tailings with the increasing demand placed on the mining industry. Thus, the topic of focus in this thesis is to investigate the seepage conditions that can ensure that the embankment can be safely constructed and operated during the raising stage and that it remains safe afterwards, beyond closure of the mine. However, according to statistics, a tailings dam must be protected against failures caused by various reasons even during its construction stage. Structural stability is the most important aspect and it should to be considered when addressing the problem of "safety" for tailings dams, which are threatened by seismic liquefaction, slope instability, overtopping and seepage. The seepage conditions of upstream-type tailings dams are the main topic of this research, which is associated with knowing the position of phreatic surface. The amount of pore water below the phreatic surface affects the stability of a tailings dam by reducing the shear strength of soil. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a seepage analysis model using a numerical modeling technique and to investigate potential means of phreatic surface control. Parameters like beach width, permeability anisotropy, raising rate of embankment and slope inclination will be investigated to identify factors that may have a significant influence on the long-term evolution of phreatic surface within the tailings dam during the mine’s life. This research will develop an uncoupled hydro-mechanical model using finite elements in which the whole process of construction is simulated in stages of embankment raising and filling of the tailings pond. The finite element model will be built using RS2, which is a comprehensive two-dimensional finite element program for soil and rock applications. It can model a wide range of engineering projects including excavation design, slope stability analysis, groundwater seepage, probabilistic analysis, and dynamic analysis. RS2 is able to carry out a finite element groundwater seepage analysis, with due consideration of both saturated and unsaturated soil states, in both steady-state and transient groundwater seepage formulations through both homogeneous and heterogeneous dams, dikes and other embankment types. However, basic finite element analysis principles will also be presented in this thesis, to aid the comprehension of the models developed. Based on the results of modeling, each identified parameter was assessed and guidelines were given regarding its contribution in the development of seepage face breakout on the downstream face of tailings embankment dams. These guidelines can serve practicing engineers in their design and evaluation of tailings dams to ensure safe and economical operation of tailings facilities.


identifier: Tuel, Brenna E.  (2019) Symbols of Blood and Soil: Identity Construction and the Hex Signs of the Pennsylvania Germans.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis analyzes the hex signs of the Pennsylvania Germans as an evolving, settler-colonial folk practice that continues to play a role in the construction and manipulation of shifting identities and craft in the United States. Examining the influence of hex signs on rural tourism and growing cultural movements, it responds to ideas of nationalism and the ways in which these craft-oriented objects represent and aid in the formation of communities in colonial and contemporary Pennsylvania. Questioning the role of hex signs as symbols and souvenirs, the essay considers the impact of political movements and the tourist industry on individual and communal identities as well as on material objects. Through a case study of Kristin Farr and Hunter Yoder, two working hex sign artists whose signs contrast in both representation and use, this text seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the meaning and purpose of hex signs as bearers of identity and memory for the Pennsylvania German community and those who align themselves with a German settler heritage. This thesis does not take a stance on the symbolic or decorative meanings of the objects under analysis, but instead considers how meaning and function shift with the individuals creating and consuming hex signs. Identifying as a practicing Heathen, Hunter Yoder’s hexology incorporates symbols important to his Germanic heritage and religion. In doing so, he associates his work with certain histories and movements connected to those symbols. Kristin Farr’s murals and collaborative projects seek to reimagine hex signs in urban spaces, galleries, and commodities, thus complicating the ideals of authenticity and tradition that remain bound to the practice. Examining the work of these hexologists and their involvement in various cultural industries and practices, this thesis concludes that hex signs continue to function as an example of craft’s influential capabilities of manipulation in the processes of identity construction.


identifier: Lecours, BJ  (2019) Drawing club as a participatory exploration of public engagement with art.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis combines heuristic and visual methodologies to investigate how sketching artworks at a public art festival impacted participant engagement with these works. Through a series of drop-in ‘drawing club’ sessions, the public was invited to draw temporary art installations at the 2018 Works International Visual Arts Festival, in Edmonton, Alberta. Throughout 12 daily sessions, 68 participants contributed to four communal sketchbooks, as well as many conversations about art and the experience of drawing.

The public drawing clubs addressed the questions: How does drawing affect an individual’s engagement with art? How does drawing with others (the drawing club) affect an individual’s engagement with art? And, how do I as researcher elicit shared meaning?

This investigation considers implications for the use of observation drawing as a research method. It is connected to, and influenced by, a burgeoning interest in drawing across disciplines as a research method and a distinct way of knowing. Findings underline the multiplicity of ‘ways of knowing’ embedded in observation drawing, including: Affective engagement, sensory engagement, ‘flow’ as engagement, formal engagement, symbolic engagement, and creative engagement. The heuristic research method generates reflections to inform my development as researcher, artist and educator.

This research is undertaken in a public pedagogy framework and is interconnected with themes integral to the design of the drawing club intervention, such as: art interpretation and museum education; the practices of observation drawing and copying in art education; ‘I can’t draw’ attitudes; participation as an audience engagement strategy; as well as public art, public opinions toward art, and the politics surrounding art festival production.


identifier: Penev, Gabriella  (2019) The Politics of Pairing Gender Identity and Artistic Profession in Moscow’s Constructivist Circle.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Through a comparative analysis of two artists working in Moscow's Constructivist movement in the early 1920's this paper assesses how the framework of gender shapes the ways in which they have been portrayed by scholars. By utilizing primary art works, personal writings, and scholarly materials this work considers how gender identity is woven in and out of Liubov Popova and Aleksandr Rodchenko's professional lives to construct current historical narratives about them. In tandem, by breaking down the decades-long cultivation and reification of the term 'woman artist' into three historical moments, this research seeks to determine whether it is a fitting primary descriptor of an artist working at the fore of one of the most experimental, and multi-disciplinary artistic movements in the early 20th century. My research suggests a redistributive lens is needed to include other aspects of identity in the categorical linguistic framing of Popova, so as to allow for alternative, yet equally relevant pairings, such as between her profession and her shifting class status. In conclusion this work hopes to reveal how both Popova and Rodchenko adhered to, and occasionally circumvented traditional class and gender specific forms of art practice through their Constructivist projects. Their navigations can be read as a subtle effort to destabilize definitions of high and low art, as well as the dichotomous relationship between feminine and masculine domains of art practice.


identifier: Oeffinger, Marlene H  (2019) Apō ptosis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Apō ptosis

abstract: Apō ptosis is a book of poetry that questions the fragmentation and alienation between the different levels of the human self: the micromolecular and the macromolecular, the biological and the metaphysical, the mythological and scientific. Resisting nihilistic principles of rationalizing humanness, the poems explore human embodiment by re-connecting the self with its micro- and macromolecular surroundings by blending and juxtaposing all levels of human existence, invisible and visible, and setting up a conversation between them. The work is divided in two sections. In the first section, a long-form poem, a female speaker considers what constitutes her ‘self’. Engaging with the story of Helen of Troy, she encounters the phenomena of the undiscovered, the submerged, and the dissimulated that form the self beyond what is physically embodied in the moment; a self just slightly out of time and space, and possibility. The second section is a set of lyrical poems in which the speaker remembers, encounters, and grieves over lost, discovered and never possible parts of her ‘self’ that emerge through encounters with memory, others, and the environment – the macro- and the micromolecular. Grounded in Heidegger's notion of defamiliarizing the familiar and drawing attention to the invisible, the poems create a cohesion between the disparate levels of self in a space where an unfragmented self may exist unrecognized, an in-between space of convergence.


identifier: Tang, Lihua  (2018) Women’s Participation in Adult Education in Rural Areas of China: An Exploratory Study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This is an exploratory case study of adult education for women in a specific western rural locality in China, Qianjiang, based on interviews with four women. China has established a lifelong learning system and prioritized education in the process of social development. Adult education accounts for a significant part of the lifelong learning system and programs such as “Lifelong Learning Week” and “One Hundred Lifelong Learning Models” have been established.  However, regardless of the achievements of gender equality in access to education reached in China in general, women in rural areas are still hindered by many factors for actively and effectively participating in the process of adult education and lifelong learning approaches according to the literature review. The following two main questions were examined: 1) In what ways factors including educational policies, health problems, traditional mindset, and economic situations, block women’s participation in education in rural areas of China?  2) How can distance learning and technology innovations benefit women’s education in rural areas?
The results indicate that despite the different purposes of adult education, the purpose of developing economy is gradually becoming the most important and only goal of adult education.  Surprisingly, unlike what was found in the literature review, the educational opportunities for women in rural areas in Qianjiang do not seem to be limited by the traditional understanding of gender roles, as shown in the literature review.  Since information technologies such as laptops and smart phones are becoming more and more popular in rural China, well developed distance education programs may widen and facilitate women’s access to adult education in rural areas.


identifier: Simard, Alexandre  (2019) A Framework for Interoperability Across Heterogeneous Service Description Models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Automated Web service processing, composition and execution is a research area that has yielded different service description models that can be implemented using a wide array of standards and technologies. Due to the diversity of their underlying service description models and the specific operational standards and platforms they are using, it has been difficult to fairly compare various research solutions pertaining to Web service processing, composition and execution. All solutions require a Web service description repository, for example, to automatically compose and execute composite services. Different research endeavors have provided original and diverse solutions to these Web service processing problems, many of them being extensions to existing solutions using standard service description models. We propose a highly modular Web service description framework that can allow the user to import, export, search, modify, and enable the composition and execution of services described using different
service description models and/or standards. Our service description framework uses a simple and flexible interface to test and compare Web service processing, composition and execution models and algorithms. We evaluate our framework by creating specific instances of our framework to achieve concrete motivation
scenarios, which we do successfully, achieving all of our goals.


identifier: Gu, Hangyu  (2019) The Moderating Role of Need for Cognition in Consumers’ Responses to Ads with Varied Claims.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The research focuses on how need for cognition impacts the relationship between ad claim variations and consumer attitudinal and behavioral reactions. The ad claims vary, in this study, in ad format (direct vs. indirect comparative) and message framing (one vs. two sided). What has been investigated is the main and interaction effects of the two constructs that vary ads on consumers’ responses under high and low need for cognition conditions. As most research that discusses ad formats’ effects focuses on the differences between non comparative and comparative ones, this research can fill the gap by exploring how direct and indirect comparative ad formats together with message framing differ in affecting consumers’ responses. Furthermore, the research also investigates how high and low need for cognition consumers process advertising information to make their evaluations by observing the mediating role of their information processing mode in need for cognition levels and attitude certainty, which also impacts their behavioral consequences such as purchase intentions.
	The research findings show that message framing has main effects on participants’ responses whereas ad format does not. There are no interaction effects of need for cognition and ad format/message framing on participants’ responses, and information processing mode plays a very important role in their attitudinal and conative reactions. Its’ importance is evidenced by the proposed mediation effect in which it acts a mediator and its relationship with attitude certainty and purchase intentions. These findings reinforce some past relevant studies. Some major managerial implications include a reminder of valuing how consumers process information for ad design and of considering some other factors (e.g. willingness to try a new brand) that may affect consumers’ attitude more than need for cognition and ad format.
Keywords: need for cognition, ad format, message framing, information processing mode, attitude certainty, ad and brand attitude, purchase intention


identifier: Harake, Emma  (2019) Arabic Speaking Objects: A Collaborative Research-Creation Project Exploring Recent Immigrants’ Narratives of Displacement and Settlement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A collaborative creation project, this thesis uses research-creation and oral history to explore Arabic-speaking newcomers’ experiences of displacement and settlement as told through personal objects.  It is centered on the involvement of five participants, including myself, who guided the creation of a collaborative art exhibition that combined oral narratives in the form of sound recordings, photography, text, and artifacts.
Using the framework of cultural studies and critical pedagogies, Arabic Speaking Objects employed reflexive approaches and focused on fostering an ethical researcher-participant relationship based on compassion, empathy and agency to examine the pedagogical impact of collaborative art practices on new immigrants’ sense of identity and belonging, with specific reference to Montreal’s diverse Arabic-speaking communities.
Overall, the project resulted in engaging a myriad of discourses around the notion of objects as conceptual entities carrying with them the affective memory of the migration experience. These discourses were then re-constructed and disseminated through a collaborative process/exhibition that re-conceptualized conventional ideas of researcher/artist as main author.
A coffeepot, orthodox icon, identity card, rescue tools, spices, comic books, earring, family photographs, bracelet, Keffiyeh, clothes, soap bar, food and travel souvenirs became the plinths on which five participants shared their stories and journey from their homelands to Montreal.


identifier: Saglier, Viviane  (2019) Paradoxical Economies: A Time for Palestinian Cinema.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
As scholarship on hegemonic media industries thrives in the Global North, how can we understand the emerging film economies in the South without perpetuating the discourse that they are simply “catching up”? This dissertation follows scholars of critical media industries studies, transnational cinema, and postcolonial studies to examine industry as a process in constant formation – grounded in cultural, socio-economic, and political history. In other words, industry constitutes an epistemic system that produces value, legitimacy, and modes of organization. This research analyzes a range of transnational funding streams, film festivals in Palestine, and Palestinian films produced since the Second Intifada onwards. It investigates the infrastructural and material conditions of possibility as well as the imaginaries that sustain the project of a transnational Palestinian film industry. Such a project takes root in the Palestinian civil society, in the paradoxical contexts of development under colonization in the proto-state of Palestine and the multicultural settler state of Israel. This dissertation uncovers the paradoxical present of cultural and political negotiations, attempts, and uncertainties involved in developing Palestinian film practices that are “not-yet” industries.

Each chapter investigates the temporalities that specific developmental economies produce and how Palestinian film practitioners respond to it. The emerging Palestinian film economy is enmeshed in the peace process’ ideal of stability enforced through counterinsurgency (Chapter Two); the imperative of sustainability that drives human development economies (Chapter Three); the emergency that structures humanitarian economies (Chapter Four); and the promise of recognition by liberal and settler multiculturalism (Chapter Five). Palestinians adapt to these contexts by devising strategies that draw from global imaginaries, militant histories, regional human rights networks and international anticolonial struggles. By focusing on temporality to explain transnational, colonial, and postcolonial power relations, each chapter asks how political histories shape media economies, and how media economies forge political futures. This dissertation contributes to interdisciplinary conversations around media and development by bridging media industries studies, postcolonial studies, postdevelopment theory, and critical media infrastructure studies.


identifier: Cai, Xiangyu  (2019) Dynamic modeling, control and energy simulation of a solar-assisted hydronic space heating system in a multi-function building.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A dynamic model of a solar-assisted hydronic space heating system for a multi-function building has been developed. The system performance under different control strategies and the model-based energy simulations studies have been conducted. The system consists of several components including a boiler, heat exchangers, flat-plate solar collectors, a water storage tank, baseboard heaters and a radiant floor heating system. The model consists of nonlinear differential equations which were programmed and solved using the MATLAB software. Two control strategies have been explored to compare the system performance: (i) a conventional PI control and (ii) a gain-scheduling adaptive (GSA) PI control. The simulation results indicate that the system performance under GSA PI control is better than the conventional PI control with respect to disturbance rejection and stability. An optimization problem was formulated and solved to study the energy performance of the system. Preliminary simulation results with assumed outdoor temperature profiles showed that the optimized set-point operating strategy contributes 7% and 14.87% to boiler energy saving in mild and warm day conditions compared with constant set-point strategy. One week energy simulations under actual weather conditions based on typical meteorological year (TMY) data have been conducted to investigate the percent contribution of solar energy to space heating. The simulation results show that the solar system contributes less energy during cold winter conditions such as in the month of December. However, it can reduce 16.94% of boiler energy supplied to the radiant floor heating system in the month of March. Besides, the implementation of the optimal GSA PI control strategy can result in higher solar fractions of 5.71% and 30.36% as compared to the base case PI control under cold (December) and mild (March) weather conditions, respectively.


identifier: Kang, Huaqiang ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4210-1825 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4210-1825>  (2019) A Framework for Spatio-Temporal Trajectory Data Segmentation and Query.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Trajectory segmentation is a technique of dividing sequential trajectory data into segments. These segments are building blocks to various applications for big trajectory data. Hence a system framework is essential to support trajectory segment indexing, storage, and query. When the size of segments is beyond the computing capacity of a single processing node, a distributed solution is proposed. In this thesis, a distributed trajectory segmentation framework that includes a greedy-split segmentation method is created. This framework consists of distributed in-memory processing and a cluster of graph storage respectively. For fast trajectory queries, distributed spatial R-tree index of trajectory segments is applied. Using the trajectory indexes, this framework builds queries of segments from in-memory processing and from the graph storage. Based on this segmentation framework, two metrics to measure trajectory similarity and chance of collision are defined. These two metrics are further applied to identify moving groups of trajectories. This study quantitatively evaluates the effects of data partition, parallelism, and data size on the system. The study identifies the bottleneck factors at the data partition stage, and validate two mitigation solutions. The evaluation demonstrates the distributed segmentation method and the system framework scale as the growth of the workload and the size of the parallel cluster.


identifier: Zhang, Cheng  (2019) Particle Image Velocimetry for Building Thermal Airflow Analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
It is crucial to quantify the airflow field in and around a building, as this can provide information for creating a healthy and comfortable thermal environment for people. Over the last decade, particle image velocimetry (PIV) has gradually become the most popular measurement technique for measuring building environment airflow fields.
The objective of this thesis is to provide an overview of the typical two-dimensional PIV technique used in the building environment. The measurement principle and procedures are discussed based on the existing literature and previous research experiences. Four problems are investigated to show different applications of the PIV technique in measuring airflow fields, combined with other assessment models: the analytical model, the empirical model, the multizone model and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The performance of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in a single-zone sub-scale model is studied using different experimental technologies. The behavior of single jet flow interaction with wind is investigated through experimental and numerical methods. The hybrid ventilation flow field and temperature distribution is measured by PIV and thermocouple experiments. PIV, combined with empirical models, is used to predict localized mechanical ventilation system performance in a warehouse model. The results show that the quantitative and detailed flow information obtained by PIV can be used for flow pattern visualization, flow structure analysis, numerical model validation, and empirical model correlation. The limitations of the PIV technique in sub-scale model measurements is also discussed.


identifier: Hamidfar, Tabassom  (2018) Surface Nanoscale Axial Photonics (SNAP) for Optofluidics.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Sensing with optical whispering gallery modes (WGMs) is a rapidly developing detection method in modern microfluidics research. This method explores the perturbations of spectra of WGMs propagating along the wall of an optical microresonator to characterize the liquid medium inside it. Out of the many available types of WGM microresonators, the surface nanoscale axial photonics (SNAP) platform enables fabrication of resonant ultralow loss photonics structures at the surface of an optical fiber with unprecedented precision currently approaching 0.1 angstroms.
In this work, first we explore a new technique for the creation of SNAPs, by using a regular hydrogen-oxygen torch, which requires less equipment than current techniques. The transmission spectra shows that light can be fully localized by pulling a fiber, with very low loss resonant modes. We then present the first demonstration of a platform with potential for microfluidic sensing based on SNAP microresonators fabricated in silica capillary fiber with ultra-thin walls by local annealing with a focused CO2 laser and internal etching with hydrofluoric acid. This demonstration paves the groundwork for advanced microfluidic sensing with SNAP microresonators.
Finally, we show that light circulating in a silica microcapillary can be fully localized by evanescent coupling to a water droplet forming a high Q-factor microresonator. The discovered phenomenon suggests a novel method for microfluidics sensing and a new type of tunable resonant microfluidic-based photonic devices.


identifier: Tran, Vinh Son  (2018) Ultrafast, broadband light polarization properties of vanadium dioxide thin films on insulating and metallic substrates.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The refractive indices of vanadium dioxide (VO2) abruptly change when its phase transition temperature of 68oC is reached, the point at which it goes from an insulating state to a metallic state. Modifications of complex-valued refractive indices in VO2 have been shown to produce optical phase shifts that are unequal for the s- and p-components of polarization, thereby causing a relative phase shift Δ between the two. Under certain conditions of Δ, a linearly polarized light can rotate its polarization 90 degrees or transforms between linear and circular. In this thesis, we will demonstrate all possibilities of using a VO2 thin film to change the polarized light states of reflected or transmitted light on the nanosecond and potentially shorter timescales. Possible applications for high-contrast optical modulation over a wide spectral range are discussed.


identifier: Powell, Eric  (2019) Hearing Motion in the Moment: New Approaches to Sound-based Mapping.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation frames and describes my research-creation project, which involved building three interactive sound-based mapping interfaces that challenge how we listen to and make meaning from urban sounds. Old Montreal’s Acoustic Labyrinth is a marble-maze game that allows listeners to explore a simultaneous recording of the Basilica Notre Dame’s bells from six different locations. Street Ears, a GPS-enabled smartphone app, gives listeners the opportunity to navigate the acoustic environments of two Montreal neighbourhoods—from anywhere in the world. Finally, 168 Hours is a large clock-like interface that encourages listeners to remix time by playing with snippets of a continuous, week-long recording from a single location in Montreal’s Milton Park. Each of these interfaces draws listeners’ ears to a different aspect of the aural environment: how sound is shaped by architecture, how space creates points of sonic transition, and how durational listening reveals unexpected patterns and textures that give new meaning to familiar sounds.
My project makes contributions to theories of mobility, space, and place by developing an approach to listening that challenges presumed hierarchies surrounding “good” and “bad” sounds. I interrogate institutional representations of urban sound as they relate to questions of power and authority, advocating for more grassroots approaches to sound-based mapping. The introductory sections to this document establish the theoretical and methodological frameworks for the project as a whole; the three main chapters detail the conceptual and practical aspirations of each mapping interface. In the conclusion, I consider the relationship between maps and stories and  encourage my readers/listeners to embrace a new approach to urban sound. Drawing from the fields of Sound Studies, Cultural Studies, and Critical Cartography, this dissertation refigures the role sound has in shaping our sense of place and demonstrates how the acoustic environment structures our daily lives.


identifier: Roy, Mathieu  (2019) Getting rid of the boss for building postcapitalist futures: How non-hierarchical work practices of two Quebec-based initiatives impact livelihoods.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the aftermaths of the 2008 economic crisis, with rising inequalities and environmental destruction, many people are looking for alternatives to the capitalist economy to nourish sustainable futures. Getting rid of hierarchy in the workplace is an idea that has been defended for over a century in many places to challenge the capitalist economy and its exploitation of human beings and nature. Using participant observations and descriptions based on the diverse economy framework developed by JK Gibson-Graham (2006; Gibson-Graham, Cameron & Healy. 2013), interesting non-hierarchical work practices taking place in two Quebec-based economic initiatives are unveiled and analyzed, exposing how these can impact livelihoods in a perspective of building just and sustainable postcapitalist futures. Without falling into the defence of a rigid model of transformation of the economy for a revolutionary agenda, the analysis exposes how non-hierarchical work practices are part of a plurality of practices, framed by organizational principles, that are negotiated amongst workers in the pursuit of their general well-being and the quality of their livelihoods. The impacts are presented and analyzed in relations to the sense of work, working conditions and inequalities and their articulations in the construction and negotiation of individual livelihoods. With this approach, we go beyond theoretical descriptions of workplace democracy and offer insights and reflections for further work on the actual enactment of the dismantlement of hierarchy at work.


identifier: Nelson, Jessica  (2019) The Twin Towers in Popular Film: The Changing Meanings of an Iconic Image.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Studies of memory and film have touched upon the implication of watching productions from different time periods. However, little scholarship has investigated how memory can draw attention to certain powerful images rather than others. This thesis explores how audiences respond to films in light of the passage of time and the public’s changing memories. The thesis focuses on the Twin Towers of New York City’s World Trade Center (W.T.C.), images that have obtained new meanings when they appear intact in pre-9/11 films. The writing of Stuart Hall, John Fiske, and Roland Barthes assist with theories of the mutability of meaning. Maurice Halbwachs, George Lipsitz, Marita Sturken and José van Dijck provide understanding of popular memory. The impact of representations of major historical events, such as 9/11, is elucidated with the research of Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, and Barbie Zelizer. A case study focuses on the W.T.C. in popular pre-9/11 films and examines how viewers encounter that image today. The results demonstrate that the appearance of the W.T.C. impacts the viewers’ historical understanding by situating them in time and place, and therefore, giving them a sense of present to compare to the past.


identifier: Fillmore-Handlon, Charlotte Jane  (2018) Our Famous Blue Raincoat: The Phenomenon of Leonard Cohen and the Changing Discourses of Celebrity in Canada.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The history of Leonard Cohen’s career over the last sixty years is also a reflection of the development of contemporary celebrity culture in Canada. One of the main conditions that allowed this culture to emerge is the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences (1949-51). As a result, the Canadian government strengthened cultural policy and developed the Canada Council for the Arts to support cultural production. In 1958, Cohen was a recipient of the new Canada Council Junior Arts Fellowships. Using the celebrity phenomenon of Cohen as my object of research, this dissertation asks: How is the discourse of celebrity constructed in Canada from the mid-twentieth century to the early decades of the twenty-first century? Developing a discursive analysis, I illuminate how we talk about celebrity in Canada at certain socio-historical moments and portray Canada as a nation ambivalent about celebrity. Within the early industrial production of Cohen’s poetic celebrity, discourses of literary celebrity, Canadian celebrity, and cultural nationalism discursively manage his biographical production as a popular and accessible poet. In turn, discourses of intimacy connect Cohen with his fans, as fans seek to discover the “real” Cohen through his poetry and music. However, these feelings of intimacy are disparaged through a discourse of the obsessive and emotional fan perpetuated in the media coverage of Montreal 2000: The Leonard Cohen Event. After Cohen’s death, I discover a shift away from this discourse. The media coverage of Cohen’s death circulates an affective atmosphere of grief and mourning, presents the emotionality of fans as appropriate, and offers socially normative ways of coping with this loss. I explore my own complex emotional reaction to Cohen’s death as a fan and academic through an autoethnographic approach, seeking to depathologize the emotional experiences of academia and fandom. One of the most significant changes in discourses of Canadian celebrity that I identify is a potentially seismic shift from willful avoidance to zero tolerance regarding problematic celebrity behaviour. In conclusion, I build on this discourse by exploring the things we do not talk about when we talk about Leonard Cohen.


identifier: Li, Bolin  (2019) Forecasting the Impact of Product-Harm Events on Firm Value by Leveraging Negative Word of Mouth.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Product-harm events are always a nightmare for all stakeholders. Analysts believe that defective items may not only provide risks to the general population, but can likewise cause critical monetary and reputational harm to the firms. Since ignoring a problem does not lead to having it go away, more research is needed to shed new light on the way crisis and risk communication should take place once necessary. Prior study has suggested the complexities of consumer word of mouth effects and how to accurately forecast the impacts of product-harm events on firm value as important subjects. This study extracts the sentiments of consumer complaints in the context of product defects and examines if including consumer sentiment in time series models can improve forecasting performance. Authors make an empirical comparison between two multivariate time series forecasting methods: VAR (vector autoregressive model), and deep learning LSTM (long short-term memory model). Unique datasets, containing five-year data of all automobile nameplates for three major manufacturers in the U.S. are analyzed. The one-step rolling forecast approach is applied to validate time series forecasting values. The results of mean RMSE suggest that LSTM outperforms VAR predictive ability of firm value, and on average obtains 59.02% reduction in error rates when compared with error rates of VAR. It is also noticed that adding consumer sentiment in modeling can improve the predictive performance of both LSTM and VAR models; however, VAR-based models make greater progress in predictive error reduction with consumer sentiment. Implications for marketing research and managerial contributions are discussed.


identifier: Kouhestani, Sobhan  (2019) Integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Process Mining for Design Authoring Processes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Building Information Modelling (BIM) corresponds to the generation and management of the digital representation for building products by wrapping building elements and their information in a unique source file. Open BIM, relying on platform-independent standards, such as IFC (Industry Foundation Classes), is supposed to increase the interoperability in the BIM environment. BIM, as a shared work platform in AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry, can be upgraded to act as an Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) system and support data mining for the management of design and construction processes. ERM systems rely on transaction data, also known as “event logs”. eXtensibile Event Stream (XES) is an XML (Extensible Markup Language) schema aiming to provide a format for supporting the interchange of event logs. XES-based Event logs commonly include some semantics (called extensions) regarding events.
This work aims to enable BIM to act as an ERM system. To realize this goal, four research objectives were defined and achieved. First, an ‘IFC archiver algorithm’ was developed to take snapshots, on a regular basis, from different stages of building modeling process (performed in Autodesk Revit), throughout the design phase from start to the end. Second, an ‘IFC logger algorithm’ was created to consecutively compare archived IFC files, detect design activities and save them in the CSV format event log. Then, XESame module is used to map the CSV format event log to the appropriate data format for Process Mining (i.e., XES format event logs). The activities were categorized in five classes: Addition, Removal, Rotation, Relocation of elements (e.g., a wall), and changes in their properties (e.g., the size, type or family of an element). Five attributes for each activity were stored in the database. Those included: Element ID, Designer, Element Name (Name of the Activity), Start and End time of each activity. Third, Process Mining techniques were used to detect the as-happened processes. Last but not least, Process Mining helped to derive different types of design process information (analytics) such as social networks of actors, bottlenecks of processes and process deviations.
Two case studies were performed to validate and verify the research methodology. Around 300 and 30,000 events were captured respectively, during the design phase of our first and second case studies. Then, the activity log was fed to a Process Mining tool to mine the as-happened design processes. Two levels of process maps were discovered: As-happened level 2 and “level 3” BIM maps. As-happened maps were derived and represented in Petri net and process tree formats. Moreover, different types of animations of the as-happened design processes were derived for level 2 and “level 3” BIM maps from replaying the event logs on top of the captured processes. Those animations showed project paths, activities queue lengths and service times.
In a nutshell, the study successfully applied Process Mining on the foundation of BIM (as an ERM system) and accordingly made discovery, monitoring and optimizing BIM processes possible. The present study aims to assist BIM and project managers by enabling BIM as a management tool for design processes. These processes are important, because the design phase is at the early stage of every construction project.


identifier: Shakeri, Behnoush  (2019) Location of Real Estate Crowdfunding Properties.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The emergence of real estate crowdfunding (RECF) in recent years has provided an appealing opportunity for investors to contribute to a real estate investment with a small amount of money. In response, this study focuses on two major issues. First, it is examined whether sponsors select the location of RECF properties prudently. The differences between neighborhoods containing RECF properties and the adjacent neighborhoods in the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) are compared. Second, the relation between the attractiveness of the selected counties and the sponsor’s distance from the RECF property is examined. Since some RECF sponsors select properties that are at a considerable distance from their headquarters, they do not have thorough information about the target market, and so need to compensate for the information asymmetry and monitoring costs by selecting properties in more attractive locations. A set of RECF properties was manually gathered from seven leading U.S. real estate crowdfunding platforms, while market information and socio-economic data about the properties were extracted from CoStar and the U.S. Census Bureau, respectively. The empirical results demonstrate that RECF properties are found in neighborhoods that are more attractive than the average neighborhood in the same MSA. The results also support the argument that sponsors’ increased distance from their RECF properties lead to their selection of more attractive counties with the better socio-economic conditions than the average county in the MSA. This causes sponsors to benefit from the potential price appreciation of RECF properties provided by an attractive real estate investment location.


identifier: Zabihi Yeganeh, Ali  (2019) A Numerical Study of Gas and Particle Flows in the Aerosol Deposition Process.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Aerosol deposition is an emerging coating process for solid state deposition of ceramic particles at room temperature. The industrial applications for aerosol deposition method are MEMS, fuel cells, optical devices and RF components. During deposition, various parameters play influential roles such as nozzle geometry, powder size and material, pressure inside the deposition chamber and carrier gas pressure. Two different drag expressions for the particle phase modeling are proposed and compared in order to capture the physics governing the fluid-particle flow in partial vacuum conditions. Then, the main focus is dedicated to the effect of three-dimensional analysis, gas flow rate and substrate location on the gas flow and particle condition upon impact on the substrate. Numerical study is performed using a two-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian model for a slit sonic nozzle with various gas flow rates and standoff distances. Locations of the predicted shocks for the free jet case are validated against the theoretical and experimental studies in the literature. By placing a substrate in the computational domain at various standoff distances, the characteristics of gas flow, bow shock and importantly particle trajectories and conditions upon impact have been examined rigorously. Accordingly, the optimized model to predict particles velocity are proposed and the effect of different parameters on particles velocity during the spray and upon impact are discussed.


identifier: He, Lan  (2019) Luxury or a brand: What Chinese Millennials have to say?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
China's luxury retail market is undergoing a transformational shift from an artificial level of demand driven by gift-giving to a more sustainable level driven by personal consumption (Pwc total retail, 2017). The middle-class, Chinese Millennials aged from 19 to 35, is one of the driving forces for luxury brands. Luxury brands concentrate their efforts on apparel (shoes, jewelry, and handbags), the three fastest-growing product categories which account for the bulk of the market. Choices made by young people are closely bound to their self-concept, and are used both as a means of self-expression and as a way of judging people and situations (Piacentini & Mailer, 2004).
Born during the “One-Child Policy" period, the Chinese Millennials benefited significantly from the economic reforms, and became a privileged generation, a dominant force and an influential customer segment in the retail market. Thus, this study aims to investigate the influencing factors (public self-consciousness, brand consciousness, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, brand consciousness, peer communication through social media and culture values) that affect Chinese Millennials towards the purchase intention for luxury fashion goods.
The research findings show that susceptibility to interpersonal influence mediates the relationship between public self-consciousness and brand consciousness, and brand consciousness mediates the relationship between public self-consciousness and purchase intentions. In addition, results indicate that cultural values (Collectivism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long-term orientation, Indulgence) positively influence the effect of public self-consciousness on purchase intentions of luxury fashion goods. In terms of the managerial implications, the result of the relationship between public self-consciousness, susceptibility to interpersonal influence and brand consciousness provides some insights into marketing strategies to position luxury brands in China, and communicate with millennial consumers.
Brand managers, in the field of luxury fashion goods, would benefit on their strategies by: strengthening brand equity, focusing on shared values among social members and paying attention to cultural characteristics (collectivism, masculinity, long-term orientation, indulgence, and uncertainty avoidance) in order to better attract the millennial consumers in China.
Keywords: Luxury fashion goods; Chinese Millennials; Public self-consciousness; Cultural values.


identifier: Lambo, Lesley  (2019) "We're Not Victims": Women's Use of Violence in Their Intimate Relationships.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This doctoral research examines women who engage in or initiate violence in their intimate relationships. Through qualitative in-depth interviews with twenty-five women who were mandated to undergo treatment for intimate partner violence and participant observation of the support groups, I examined the reasons and justifications used by women to explain why they resort to violence as a strategy in conflict with their intimate partners. An integral part of this study was also the manner in which women reflect on, and shape their gendered identities, specifically as female perpetrators of intimate partner violence. The subsequent comprehensive analysis of the participant’s narratives, depicts their experiences of IPV, illustrates how these women view their world and how violence mediates the manner in which they construct and shape their gendered identities. The narratives also highlight the limited discourse within which female perpetrators of intimate partner violence use to frame their behaviour.

This study situates itself within a body of literature that is polemical in nature and ideologically divided with respect to women’s use of violence in their intimate relationships. On the one hand, intimate partner violence is understood to be heavily gendered and asymmetrical. This paradigm argues that a patriarchal and male-dominated society and culture sustains male violence against women and when women resort to violence toward a male partner, it is either reactive or in self-defence. On the other hand, proponents of gender symmetry consider intimate partner violence to be gender neutral where women are as likely as men to perpetrate violence. Gender is not considered a significant factor and when women commit acts of violence, they use similar motivations and justifications to men. This study situates itself somewhere in between these two perspectives, i.e. that women are as likely as men to perpetrate intimate partner violence but suggest that gender is a mediating factor.

The findings from this study reveal that women are capable of a significant level of violence and coercive control in their relations with their non-violent intimate partners. In contrast, self-defence or retaliation was not a causal factor in the participant’s justification for resorting to violence. The narratives of the women in this study provide an essential insight into their subjective experiences of intimate partner violence, the manner in which women construct their gendered identity as perpetrators rather than victims of IPV, and the processes that result in their use of violence and aggressive behaviour. Therefore, although intimate partner violence is a human issue, a gendered response in the form of treatment, intervention, policy and protocol is required. This study provides evidence-based and empirical research that can serve to inform gender appropriate protocols for female perpetrators of IPV.


identifier: Dei-Sharpe, Jamilah  (2019) Rap and Modern Love: The Expression of Intimate Masculinity in Mainstream Rap.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To enliven inquiry into the intimate lives of black men I conducted a qualitative, thematic analysis of the non-hypermasculine expressions of black men toward women in mainstream rap songs. The hypermasculine black man, often construed as hypersexual, aggressive, violent and misogynistic, fuels the multibillion-dollar hip-hop industry (Boyd 2002, 2004; Jeffries 2011), leading some scholars to disparage hip-hop for demeaning black men and inciting youth deviance (Forman 2013; Malton 2010). Informed by a critical reading of Hip-Hop Studies, the Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities (CSMM) and Modern Love Studies, I argue that the association of black men with hypermasculinity has its roots in longstanding race and gender prejudices (hooks 1992, 2004; Wallace 1978). In addition, I argue that this prejudice is actively – albeit inadvertently - maintained in the CSMM, much of which employs Raewyn Connell’s (1987, 1995, 2005) hegemonic masculinity theory (HMT) and which represents black men as inherently marginalized as they strive to attain the social status of powerful white men. To broaden the scope of these representations, I conducted a thematic analysis of mainstream rap songs (N=22) by black male rappers to explore the question: How do black male rap artists use non-hypermasculine expressive strategies to articulate their relationships with women? The directed and derived analysis results show that 60% of the songs displayed non-hypermasculine expressions including, admiration, heartbreak, infatuation, love, suicidal ideations and vulnerabilities. Considering my findings, I coined the concept of Intimate Masculinity that I argue, can serve as a working framework to investigate and signify the emotional diversity of black men.


identifier: Shi, Chengcheng  (2019) Tactical Bodies and Appropriated Styles: The Fashion Scene of the Dagongmei in Post-Socialist China.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores how the Dagongmei (young, single rural women who migrate to large cities for lowly paid work), a specifically Chinese subaltern, are “making do” with fashion as a discourse imposed by the dominant socio-economic order. My point of departure is to interrogate how fashion is used by the Dagongmei as a means of survival, as a tactic of social mobility, and as a tool for self-fulfillment. To do this, I track the origin and history of Chinese fashion as well as Chinese peasant’s subject position from the 19th century to the present, analyse the construction of the Dagong worker and the Dagongmei in post-socialist Chinese urban discourse, and briefly describe the relationship between the Dagongmei and the urban-dominated discourse of fashion. I examine representations of the Dagongmei in official discourse and popular media, as well as the lived experience of the Dagongmei and their relationship to fashion. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the signifying practices that the Dagongmei adopt within the dominant discourse of fashion in order to adapt it to their own interpretations of subjectivity, modernity, and self-development.


identifier: McCreanor, Kyle  (2019) Ireland and the Basque Country: Nationalisms in Contact, 1895-1939.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis examines the relationships between Irish and Basque nationalists and nationalisms from 1895 to 1939—a period of rapid, drastic change in both contexts. In the Basque Country, 1895 marked the birth of the Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Basque Nationalist Party), concurrent with the development of the cultural nationalist movement known as the ‘Gaelic revival’ in pre-revolutionary Ireland. In 1939, the Spanish Civil War ended with the destruction of the Spanish Second Republic, plunging Basque nationalism into decades of intense persecution. Conversely, at this same time, Irish nationalist aspirations were realized to an unprecedented degree during the ‘republicanization’ of the Irish Free State under Irish leader Éamon de Valera.

Contrary to romantic visions of natural solidarity between these two nationalist movements, this research offers a more nuanced account of the relationship. Ireland was an important source of inspiration for Basque nationalists throughout this period, particularly those of a more radical separatist tendency. However, there were moments when the mainstream Basque nationalist movement expressed little sympathy for Irish independence. Likewise, Ireland was not always sympathetic to the plight of Basque nationalists, particularly during the Spanish Civil War.

Through an analysis of primary sources on both sides, ranging from Basque nationalist periodicals to Irish diplomatic documents, this thesis pieces together a detailed account of Basque-Irish relations during the period in question. The broader picture shows numerous contradictions and ironies in the relationship(s) in this period, demonstrating the evolving and multi-faceted nature of these nationalisms—the interaction between which cannot be characterized simply.


identifier: Amsden, Ryan  (2019) Event Studies with Crypto-Asset Returns.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Event Studies with Crypto-Asset Returns

abstract: This paper provides the first empirical evidence of how the unique properties of crypto-asset returns impact event-study test performance. Employing a simulation approach with actual price data from 1877 unique crypto-assets over the period of January 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2018 reveals that both parametric procedures and non-parametric procedures often result in significant statistical errors. In the presence of event-day clustering, only the Generalized Rank T-Test is both powerful and well specified. To estimate abnormal returns, the market-model with a value-weighted index produces test statistics with distributions closest to expectation. The empirical evidence provided by the simulation then used in the first ever crypto-asset based event-study. Specifically, the event study investigated allegations of insider trading by the worlds largest crypto-asset exchange Binance.com. A total of 44 unique listing announcements during the period of September 2017 to June 2018. produce a statistically significant two day return of 13.6% (CAR(0,1)). However, the GRANK-T test fails to reject the null hypothesis of no insider trading during the three days preceding the announcements. Guidance and future applications of event-studies with crypto-asset returns are discussed.