identifier: Esmaeili, Seyed Ebrahim/S. E.  (2011) Power Reduction Techniques in Clock Distribution Networks with Emphasis on LC Resonant Clocking.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this thesis we propose a set of independent techniques in the overall concept of LC resonant clocking where each technique reduces power consumption and improve system performance.
     Low-power design is becoming a crucial design objective due to the growing demand on portable applications and the increasing difficulties in cooling and heat removal. The clock distribution network delivers the clock signal which acts as a reference to all sequential elements in the synchronous system. The clock distribution network consumes a considerable amount of power in synchronous digital systems. Resonant clocking is an emerging promising technique to reduce the power of the clock network. The inductor used in resonant clocking enables the conversion of the electric energy stored on the clock capacitance to magnetic energy in the inductor and vice versa.
     In this thesis, the concept of the slack in the clock skew has been extended for an LC fully-resonant clock distribution network. This extra slack in comparison to standard clock distribution networks can be used to reduce routing complexity, achieve reduction in wire elongation, total wire length, and power consumption. Simulation results illustrate that by utilizing the proposed approach, an average reduction of 53% in the number of wire elongations and 11% reduction in total wire length can be achieved.
     A dual-edge clocking scheme introduced in the literature to enable the operation of the flip-flop at the rising- and falling edges of the clock has been modified. The interval by which the charging elements in the flip-flop are being switched-on was reduced causing a reduction in power consumption. Simulating the flip-flop in STMicroelectronics 90-nm technology shows correct functionality of the Sense Amplifier flip-flop with a resonant clock signal of 500 MHz and a throughput of 1 GHz under process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations. Modeling the resonant system with the proposed flip-flop illustrates that dual-edge compared to single-edge triggering can achieve up to 58% reduction in power consumption when the clock capacitance is the dominating factor.
     The application of low-swing clocking to LC resonant clock distribution network has been investigated on-chip. The proposed low-swing resonant clocking scheme operates with one voltage supply and does not require an additional supply voltage. The Differential Conditional Capturing flip-flop introduced in the literature was modified to operate with a low-swing sinusoidal clock. Low-swing resonant clocking achieved around 5.8% reduction in total power with 5.7% area overhead.  Modeling the clock network with the proposed flip-flop illustrates that low-swing clocking can achieve up to 58% reduction in the power consumption of the resonant clock.
     An analytical approach was introduced to estimate the required driver strength in the clock generator. Using the proposed approach early in the design stage reduces area and power overhead by eliminating the need for programmable switches in the driving circuit.


identifier: Kiaei, Seyed Mohammad  (2011) Optimization Methods for Optical Long-Haul and Access Networks.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
Optical communications based on fiber optics and the associated technologies have seen remarkable progress over the past two decades. Widespread deployment of optical
fiber has been witnessed in backbone and metro networks as well as access segments connecting to customer premises and homes. Designing and developing a reliable, robust and efficient end-to-end optical communication system have thus
emerged as topics of utmost importance both to researchers and network operators. To fulfill these requirements, various problems have surfaced and received attention,
such as network planning, capacity placement, traffic grooming, traffic scheduling, and bandwidth allocation. The optimal network design aims at addressing (one or more of) these problems based on some optimization objectives. In this thesis, we consider two of the most important problems in optical networks; namely the survivability in optical long-haul networks and the problem of bandwidth allocation and scheduling in optical access networks. For the former, we present efficient and accurate models for availability-aware design and service provisioning in p-cycle based survivable networks. We also derive optimization models for survivable network design based on p-trail, a more general protection structure, and compare its performance with p-cycles. Indeed, major cost savings can be obtained when the optical access and long-haul subnetworks become closer to each other by means of consolidation of access and metro networks. As this distance between long-haul and access networks reduces, and the need and expectations from passive optical access networks (PONs) soar, it becomes crucial to efficiently manage bandwidth in the access while providing the desired level of service availability in the long-haul backbone. We therefore address in this thesis the problem of bandwidth management and scheduling in passive optical networks; we design efficient joint and non-joint scheduling and bandwidth allocation methods for multichannel PON as well as next generation 10Gbps Ethernet PON (10G-EPON) while addressing the problem of coexistence between 10G-EPONs
and multichannel PONs.


identifier: Ghimire, Mukti Nath  (2011) A Statistical Framework for Discrete Visual Features Modeling and Classification.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Multimedia contents are mostly described in discrete forms, so analyzing discrete data becomes an important task in many image processing and computer vision applications. One of the most used approaches for discrete data modeling is the finite mixture of multinomial distributions, considering that the events to model are independent. It, however, fails to capture the true nature in the case of sparse data and leads generally to poor biased estimates. Different smoothing techniques that reflect prior background knowledge are proposed to overcome this issue. Generalized Dirichlet distribution has suitable covariance structure, so it offers flexibility in parameter estimation; therefore, it has become a favorable choice as a prior. This specific choice, however, has its problems mainly in the estimation of the parameters, which appears to be a laborious task and can deteriorate the estimates accuracy when we consider the maximum likelihood (ML) approach.

 In this thesis, we propose an unsupervised statistical approach to learn structures of this kind of data. The central ingredient in our model is the introduction of the generalized Dirichlet distribution mixture as a prior to the multinomial. An estimation algorithm for the parameters based on leave-one-out (LOO) likelihood and empirical Bayesian inference is developed. This estimation algorithm can be viewed as a hybrid expectation-maximization (EM) which alternates EM iterations with Newton-Raphson iterations using the Hessian matrix. We also propose the use of our model as a parametric basis for support vector machines (SVM) within a hybrid  Generative/discriminative framework. Through a series of experiments involving scene modeling and classification using visual words and color texture modeling, we show the efficiency of the proposed approaches.


identifier: Semaan, Nabil  (2011) Structural Performance Model for Subway Networks.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The Transit Federal Administration (FTA) reported that transit use increased by 25% between 1995 and 2005 in North America. Current communities are anticipating a high quality of life where people will be able to move freely with an affordable, reliable and efficient public transit. In 2009, the FTA estimated that 15.8 billion USD is needed annually to maintain and 21.6 billion USD is needed to improve the US transit network to satisfactory conditions. Moreover, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) estimated that 140 Billion CAD are required for maintaining, rehabilitating and replacing the subway infrastructure between 2010 and 2014. It is apparent that subway management planning is of extreme importance in order to maintain the safety of infrastructure.
Subway management plans consist of assessing the structural performance of subway networks, predicting future performance, planning future maintenance and repair policies and optimizing budget allocation. Most transit authorities lack tools/models for assessing the structural performance of subway network. Therefore, the present research assists in developing the SUbway PERformance (SUPER) model, which assesses structural performance of different components in a subway network and develops performance curves of subway components, systems, lines and the entire network.
The developed SUPER model performs the following steps in order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives: (1) identifies and studies network hierarchy, (2) performs structural physical, functional and integrated performance assessment at the component level, and (3) constructs performance curves at the component, line and network levels. The SUPER model uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Multi-Attribute Utility Theory in order to assess the integrated components’ performance. It also utilizes a reliability-based cumulative Weibull function to construct the performance curves of components. In addition, series/parallel system modeling techniques are adopted to evaluate and construct the performance models of the systems, lines and network. Finally, a software application based upon the SUPER model is developed, entitled the ‘SUPER Model Software’.
Data are collected from the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) inspection reports and through questionnaires. The questionnaires target transit authority managers and experienced structural engineers in both Canada and the USA. The developed SUPER model is applied to a network segment of the STM subway network. Results show that system deterioration rates are between 2% and 3% per year. The remaining useful service life are predicted to be until the year 2076 for renovated stations, 2030 for tunnels and between 2024 and 2040 for auxiliary structures. This research is relevant to industry practitioners (managers, engineers and field inspectors) and researchers since it develops structural performance assessment models and curves for subway networks.


identifier: MacEachern, Jessica N  (2011) Musing Aloud In Front of Beautiful Girls.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The following poetry collection features various women, all fragments of a whole figure, whose desired progress from being obscured bodies robbed of agency to being prominent persons successfully engaging in their surrounding environments is constantly interrupted. These interruptions occur as syntactic discord, unexpected emphases, violent or disturbing imagery, and opaque speaking subjects. The reader’s attention is constantly diverted from what may seem the central subject of the poem, the women themselves disappearing even as the command to keep eyes upon them is delivered.  As the city of these poems envelops and overwhelms its subject, the portraits increasingly come to be of stagnancy and frustration, but an underlying desire to move and to be moved accompanies the intimacy and absurdity. The collection, as an entirety, strives to reflect the female’s skewed and changeable perception of herself. Eventually, out of frightening, wounded, and inspiring personae, a self-affirming voice arises.

Within the collection, found poetry interrupts the lyric self. These direct instances of outside text speak in an attempt to locate the female body within their borrowed tonalities. The insertion of found texts—clinical breathing and movement manuals; writing by thinkers and poets; quotations from the Oxford English Dictionary; descriptions produced from photographs; and dialogue taken from films and recordings—produces poems that affect less personalized voices, thus transforming staggered and incomplete experiences into collectively shared histories.


identifier: Esmaeili Salehani, Yaser  (2011) Side Channel Attacks on Symmetric Key Primitives.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Francis, Kylie  (2011) An Exploration of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Memory Bias.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
An Exploration of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Memory Bias
Kylie Francis, Ph.D.

Concordia University, 2011

Research shows that Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is related to excessive worry. Individuals high in IU appear to have information processing biases, which may explain how IU leads to worry. Specifically, high IU individuals appear to have an attentional bias for threat and uncertainty, and interpret uncertain information in a threatening way. While there is some evidence of a memory bias for uncertainty in high IU, findings are limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the relationship between IU and memory biases for threat and uncertainty. Stimuli for use in the research were pilot tested in Study 1; this produced a set of word stimuli that included neutral, uncertain, social threat, physical threat, and positive words. Study 2 evaluated the relationship between IU and explicit memory for threat and uncertainty; the influence of worry, cognitive avoidance, and depression were also explored. Participants performed an incidental learning task and then completed recognition and free recall tests of memory. Results showed no relationship between IU and explicit memory for uncertain and threat words. However, three forms of cognitive avoidance—distraction, avoidance of threatening stimuli, and thought suppression—were related to recall of physical threat words. Study 3 examined the role of IU in implicit memory for threat and uncertainty, and the contribution of cognitive avoidance and stimulus relevance. Participants performed an implicit encoding task, and measures of explicit (recall) and implicit (tachistoscopic identification) memory. The results showed no relationship between IU and memory for threat or uncertainty. However, stimulus relevance was related to implicit memory for physical threat words. Interesting results again emerged for cognitive avoidance: thought substitution, avoidance of threatening stimuli, and thought suppression were related to implicit memory for physical threat words. Findings from the three studies were discussed in relation to the Williams et al. (1997) model, which predicts an implicit but not an explicit memory bias for threat among anxious individuals. Further exploration of stimulus relevance and cognitive avoidance were recommended for future research.


identifier: Fry, Ann  (2011) A Forensic Web Log Analysis Tool: Techniques and Implementation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Methodologies presently in use to perform forensic analysis of web applications are decidedly
lacking. Although the number of log analysis tools available is exceedingly large, most only employ
simple statistical analysis or rudimentary search capabilities. More precisely these tools were not
designed to be forensically capable. The threat of online assault, the ever growing reliance on the
performance of necessary services conducted online, and the lack of efficient forensic methods in this
area provide a background outlining the need for such a tool. The culmination of study emanating
from this thesis not only presents a forensic log analysis framework, but also outlines an innovative
methodology of analyzing log files based on a concept that uses regular expressions, and a variety
of solutions to problems associated with existing tools. The implementation is designed to detect
critical web application security flaws gleaned from event data contained within the access log files
of the underlying Apache Web Service (AWS).
Of utmost importance to a forensic investigator or incident responder is the generation of an event
timeline preceeding the incident under investigation. Regular expressions power the search capability
of our framework by enabling the detection of a variety of injection-based attacks that represent
significant timeline interactions. The knowledge of the underlying event structure of each access log
entry is essential to efficiently parse log files and determine timeline interactions. Another feature
added to our tool includes the ability to modify, remove, or add regular expressions. This feature
addresses the need for investigators to adapt the environment to include investigation specific queries
along with suggested default signatures. The regular expressions are signature definitions used to
detect attacks toward both applications whose functionality requires a web service and the service
itself. The tool provides a variety of default vulnerability signatures to scan for and outputs resulting
detections.


identifier: Ji, Rui  (2011) An Analysis of Mainland Chinese Students’ Decision to Choose Canada as Their Study Destination.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
China has become the largest source country of foreign students in Canada. For Canadian international education, China is a huge potential market. Unfortunately, we know very little about the motivations and perceptions of Mainland Chinese students when they choose Canada to pursue their higher education. Compared to other studies, this study focuses on pre-departure experiences of Mainland Chinese students. This is a small-scale inquiry and eight Mainland Chinese students were interviewed. The participants’ narratives provide rich data to answer the question of why Mainland Chinese students choose to study in Canada. This thesis also examines influential factors that affect Mainland Chinese students’ decision-making processes.
The findings illustrate that there were three main factors that motivated the interviewees to study abroad. First, the participants chose to study abroad because of the lack of opportunity to get a high-quality education in China and the fierce competition for admission into top universities. Second, the participating students and their families believed that the high-quality of education in Western countries could bring competitive career advantages. Finally, parental involvement worked as a key factor. This study also demonstrates that parents and study abroad agencies were two main factors that influenced the participants’ decision to study in Canada over other countries. This study provides useful data and insights for Canadian institutions to gain a deeper understanding of Mainland Chinese students and enhance their recruitment strategies.


identifier: Wang, Tianyu  (2008) Session Management in Multicast.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Session Management in Multicast

abstract: As a new network technique to efficiently distribute information from a small number of senders to large numbers of receivers, multicast encounters many problems in scalability, membership management, security, etc. These problems hinder the deployment of multicast technology in commercial applications. To overcome these problems, a more general solution for multicast technology is needed. In this paper, after studying current multicast technologies, we summarized the technical requirements for multicast, including data delivery, scalability, security, group management, reliability, and deployment. In order to understand and meet the requirements, we define a life cycle model that most multicast sessions should follow. According to the requirements and the life cycle model, we propose and design a general solution that can control each phase of a session and satisfy most requirements for multicast technology. This general solution has three parts: hierarchical topology auto-configuration algorithm, Session Management Mechanism, and techniques supporting different multicast protocols. To verify the feasibility of our solution and compare its performance with other multicast techniques, we simulate our solution and compare it with PIM-SM and ESM.


identifier: Bell, Melanie A.  (2011) Traverse.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Traverse

abstract:
Traverse is a coming of age novel in the künstlerroman tradition, following the coming of age of an artist—in this case Anna Stern, a piano prodigy in rural Prince Edward Island. It is less about art than about the idealization of art and artistic talent, especially as these relate to the Classical-Romantic ideal of a muse; Traverse foregrounds the human tendency to perceive and engage in relationships through this essentializing lens. Musical aspirations are a family legacy for Anna, who moves from emulation to agency, from idealizing another's gifts to being idealized by another, never losing awareness of her own potential and her shortcomings in relation to it.
	Traverse engages with temporality by shifting between time lines over the course of the chapters. The protagonist's mythologization of talent contrasts with the narrative's focus on the mundane, providing a sometimes disillusioning grounding to the novel's cast of dreamers. The real-life artistic process proves more capricious than Anna's ideals, subject to the influence of individual personality and the shifting priorities inherent in the process of growing up. Given Anna's imperfect and malleable nature, failure is portrayed as a sometimes necessary component of an ongoing process of personal and artistic maturation.


identifier: Nirvan, Golzar  (2011) The Impact of Garage – House Interface Leakage on Contaminant Transport.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Many contaminants such as carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene and ethyl benzene in the living area of a house originate from attached garages. As houses are designed and constructed more airtight and energy efficient, these contaminants are retained in indoor air, jeopardizing the occupants' health. In this study a multi-zone model for indoor air quality and contaminant transport analysis, CONTAM, was employed to analyze the impact of garage-house interface on the contaminant transport from attached garages to living area. Parametric studies of two buildings have been carried out based on the experimental data of five normalized Effective Leakage Area (ELA) of the garage-house interface. The parametric study indicates that both natural ventilation (wind direction and speed) and mechanical ventilation system influence the pressure difference in the house and consequently affect the contaminant transport from the garage to the house. For the simulations of wind directions for one of the modeled house, the highest and lowest concentration in the living room occurs with the wind directions of 135˚ and 270˚ respectively, regardless of garage-house ELA. Furthermore, the simulation results of wind speeds demonstrate that as the wind speed increases, the peak contaminant concentration indoors increases. However, as the wind speed increases, the infiltration increases. As a result, the exposure to the contaminant actually decreases. Moreover, seven different exhaust ventilation flow rates in different locations were evaluated. The result shows that the worst case scenario is when implementing 52 L/s exhaust ventilation (master bath (10 L/s), hall bath (10 L/s), bedroom2 (22 L/s), living room (10 L/s)).


identifier: Capurro, Gabriela  (2011) Covering the Two Amigos: Neo-colonial representations of Canada and Mexico in their national press.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis explores the ways in which Mexican and Canadian print journalism reflect, through the use of a neo-colonial discourse, the power imbalances that characterises these countries’ bilateral relationship. Mexico and Canada are partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which also includes the U.S. The alliance has deep asymmetries in economic power and development between signatories, and Canada and Mexico’s lack of common interests limits their diplomatic relationship to economic activities. A symptom of this is the underrepresentation Mexico and Canada have in each other’s national media, with coverage limited mostly to problematic events involving both countries.
I argue that representations in the Canadian and Mexican press about the other nation reflect the power asymmetries of their bilateral relationship and, thus, maintain a neo-colonial discourse, which perpetuates the current power structures by reinforcing racism, xenophobia, otherness and exploitation.
Through quantitative and qualitative analyses of the coverage of three events during 2009 that created moments of tension between Canada and Mexico this study examines how asymmetric international power relations are expressed through a neo-colonial discourse in the media and, thus, advances an explanation of the media’s role in perpetuating otherness and xenophobia, and its impact on the perception of the bilateral relationship between Mexico and Canada.


identifier: Abedinpour Fallah, Mehdi  (2011) Optimal Control and Estimation Strategies for Nonlinear and Switched Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation includes two main parts. In the first part, the main contribution is
to use an inverse optimality approach to analytically solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman
equation of a third order nonlinear optimal control problem for which the dynamics are
affine and the cost is quadratic in the input. One special advantage of this work is that
the solution is directly obtained for the control input without finding a value function
first. However, the value function can be obtained after one solves for the control input
and it is shown to be at least a local Lyapunov function. Furthermore, the developed
controller is combined with a Continuous-Discrete Extended Kalman Filter (CDEKF) as
an approach to deal with noisy measurements and provide an estimate of the states for
feedback. The proposed technique is illustrated by its application to a path following
problem of a Wheeled Mobile Robot (WMR).
The main contribution of the second part of this thesis is the development of two
recursive state estimation algorithms for discrete-time piecewise affine (PWA) singular
systems with simulation evidence that the idea works for both uncorrelated and correlated
process and measurement noise. The proposed algorithms are derived based on successive
QR decompositions and Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation theory. Numerical examples
are presented for the case of a PWA system with an unknown input, transformed to a
PWA singular system.


identifier: Savion-Lemieux, Tal  (2010) The Contributions of Practice Pattern, Musical Training, and Development to Motor Sequence Learning.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Lvina, Elena  (2011) Political Skill in the Team Context: Team Political Skill Composition and Team Effectiveness.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examined the role of "soft skills", namely team political skill, in predicting team effectiveness. My primary goal was to extend the current paradigm of individual political skill (a work context understanding of others applied to influencing their actions to advance one's own or organizational agenda) by developing a model of political skill composition at the team level.  Based on the results obtained from 189 student project teams and 28 business work teams I found team political skill operationalized as a group mean to be a strong predictor of team emergent states. The results also supported the need for additional methods of operationalizing team political skill, specifically dispersion and minimum score. To explain how and when the effects of team political skill on team effectiveness hold, I hypothesized and demonstrated the mediation effect of team emergent states, including group cohesiveness, team trust, and team conflict. I also identified perception of organizational politics and team task interdependence as important moderators of the team political skill and team emergent states relationship. Finally, I explored the impact of team political skill in comparison to the impact of the leader political skill and found that team political skill was an important predictor of team effectiveness beyond leader political skill.  The findings provide important practical guidelines for organizations on employees’ political skill composition in effective teams. The organizational implications extend to recruitment, training, development and team building.


identifier: Bou Harb, Elias  (2011) A Distributed Architecture for Spam Mitigation on 4G Mobile Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The 4G of mobile networks is considered a technology-opportunistic and user-centric system combining the economical and technological advantages of
various transmission technologies. Part of its new architecture dubbed as the System Architecture Evolution, 4G mobile networks will implement an evolved packet core. Although this will provide various critical advantages, it will however expose telecom networks to serious IP-based attacks. One often adopted solution by the industry to mitigate such attacks is based on a centralized security architecture. This centralized approach nonetheless, requires large processing resources to handle huge amount of traffic, which results in a significant over dimensioning problem in the centralized nodes causing this approach to fail from achieving its security task.\\
In this thesis, we primarily contribute by highlighting on two Spam flooding attacks, namely RTP VoIP SPIT and SMTP SPAM and demonstrating, through simulations and comparisons, their feasibility and DoS impact on 4G mobile networks and subsequent effects on mobile network operators. We further contribute by proposing a distributed architecture on the mobile architecture that is secure by mitigating those attacks, efficient by solving the over dimensioning problem and cost-effective by utilizing `off the shelf' low-cost hardware in the distributed nodes. Through additional simulation and analysis, we reveal the viability and effectiveness of our approach.


identifier: Syvänen, Andra L.  (2011) Wemindji Cree Observations and Interpretations of Climate Change: Documenting Vulnerability and Adaptability in the Sub-Arctic.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Pinsonneault, Andrew J  (2011) Millennial Scale Impacts of Marine Biogenic Calcification Changes on Ocean Carbon Cycling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ocean acidification resulting from increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are likely to impact calcification rates in pelagic organisms which may, in turn, lead to changes in the strength of the ocean carbon sink.  However, the responses of pelagic calcifying organisms to acidification driven changes vary widely between species. This leads to a degree of uncertainty in predicting the future fate of anthropogenic CO2 and the resulting climate change. Here, I address this uncertainty by introducing a dependence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) production on calcite saturation state (ΩCaCO3) in the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model, an intermediate complexity coupled carbon-climate model. In a series of model simulations, I examine the changes in global ocean carbon cycling following both “business-as-usual” and “mitigation” CO2 emissions scenarios. By the year 3500, global CaCO3 production rates will have decreased by between 0.003 Pg C y-1 and 0.264 Pg C y-1 relative to the standard model configuration depending on the sensitivity of calcification rates to ΩCaCO3. This, in turn, would result in an atmospheric CO2 drawdown of 0.630 – 59.8 Pg C, a weakening of the vertical ocean alkalinity and DIC gradients, and a change to sediment and ocean carbon pools of 1.00 – 42.0 Pg C and 0.800 to 70.0 Pg C respectively. These results suggest that the response of pelagic calcifying organisms to anthropogenically-driven changes in ocean ΩCaCO3 can have an important influence on marine biological carbon cycling, leading to changes in carbon partitioning between the ocean and atmosphere on millennial timescales.


identifier: Ghasemi, Omidreza  (2012) Analysis and Design of Wideband CMOS Transimpedance Amplifiers Using Inductive Feedback.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Optical receivers have an important role in high data rate wireline data communication systems.  Nowadays, these receivers have data rates of multi Gb/s. To achieve such high data rate in the design of optical receivers, all the amplifiers in the signal path need to be wideband and at the same time have minimum gain variations in the passband. As a rule of thumb, the bandwidth of amplifiers in the optical receivers should be 70% of the data rate.

The first component of the optical receiver is photodiode which converts photons received from optical fiber to current signals. The small current received from the photodiode is amplified using the transimpedance amplifier (TIA) which is one of the main building blocks in the receiver frontend. Due to high data rate of fiber optic communication systems the bandwidth of TIAs should be high and it should satisfy gain requirements.

It has been shown that inductive feedback technique is capable of extending the bandwidth of CMOS TIAs amplifiers effectively. However, no mathematical analysis is available in the literature explaining this phenomenon. The main focus of this thesis is to explain mathematically the mechanism of bandwidth extension of CMOS TIAs with inductive feedback.

In this thesis, it is shown mathematically that the bandwidth extension of inverter based CMOS TIAs with inductive feedback is due to either zero-pole cancellation or change in the characteristics of complex conjugate poles. It is shown that for large photodiode capacitance for example 150fF the phenomenon for the bandwidth extension is zero pole cancellation. In the case of small photodiode capacitance for example 50fF, the bandwidth extension happens due to change in the characteristics of complex conjugate poles.

Finally, the zero pole cancellation using inductive feedback method for common source based transimpednace amplifier with resistive load using different values of photodiode capacitances has been analyzed. In addition to that a new 3-stage common source based transimpedance amplifier using inductive feedback technique is designed. The process of bandwidth extension is shown analytically and is confirmed with simulation results using well-known tools and technologies. To show the system level motivation, an eye diagram simulation is performed for all topologies and it is verified that bandwidth extension does not disturb the performance. Moreover, the concept is verified based on a frequency scaled down discrete implementation.

In this thesis, for inverter based CMOS TIA using photodiode capacitances of 150fF and 50fF bandwidths of 16.7GHz and 29.7GHz are achieved. In the case of common source based TIAs, considering 50fF, 100fF, 150fF photodiode capacitances, -3dB bandwidths of 32.1GHz, 21.8GHz, and 15.8GHz are achieved. A new three-stage TIA is proposed which achieves bandwidths of 42.8GHz, 35.5GHz, and 28.5GHz for 50fF, 100fF, 150fF photodiode capacitances. Based on comparative analysis, it is shown that, inductive feedback is the most effective method to extend the bandwidth of TIAs in terms of number of inductors.


identifier: Nicholson, Luke  (2011) Anthony Blunt and Nicolas Poussin: A Queer Approach.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The art historian Anthony Blunt (1907-1983), a homosexual and famously a Soviet spy, was a leading authority on the French painter Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). In recent years, several scholars have noticed strange affinities between these two figures, affinities that relate to their ideas, to a common interest in secrecy and in covert knowledge, as well as to less definite attitudes that these scholars have had difficulty pinning down. This thesis proposes that these strange affinities may be explained by means of Queer Theory, which has afforded art historical scholarship a language and sets of concepts that allow the more difficult aspects of Blunt’s relationship to Poussin to be carefully anatomized. I argue that Blunt may have found in Poussin’s complex and ambiguous pictorial worlds both an inspiration for and a reflection of his multiple, contradictory identities and commitments. Meanwhile, I investigate what properties in Poussin’s art make possible this relationship, exploring how a kernel of homoerotic sensibility, entering Poussin’s oeuvre from the Arcadian pastoral tradition grows and diversifies to depict what I call queer bodies and to construct what I call queer spaces. Blunt’s art historical account of Poussin, the most influential account of the painter in the twentieth century, turns out to be but one facet of a deep and mutually-constitutive encounter between artist and art historian.


identifier: Mannan, Mohammad Abdul  (2011) Modeling of Thin-Film Solar Cells Incorporating Space Charge Effects.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Barrett, Shawnna  (2011) Muscarinic Suppression of Excitatory Synaptic Responses in Layer II of the Entorhinal Cortex.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: McIsaac, Julie  (2011) Entry Level: A Collection of Short Stories.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ENTRY LEVEL is a short story collection that explores intersections between class and sexuality.  The female characters are tied to their biology through tropes of motherhood, pregnancy and pubescent development, all of which visibly signify gender.  However, the degree to which the individual women in this collection internalize the role of “mother” or “woman” varies.

The relationships of these women to their bodies are mediated by their roles as workers and by their class.  The workplace provides an apt space to explore gender difference, since so often work is coded, either implicitly or explicitly, as belonging to women.  Although these stories do not take place in overtly sexualized environments, sexuality always intervenes in the work the women do.

In many of these stories, women form collectives within their working class environments.  Through humour and camaraderie, these characters reveal and construct joy in their lives.


identifier: Senn, Jessica  (2011) Changes in memory for previously neutral stimuli following the addition of threatening information.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There are a number of aetiological pathways to the development of anxiety disorders, including those associated with stressful triggering situations.  It has been suggested that life events can provide new meaning to past situations, leading to the delayed onset of a disorder.  Whether or not a disorder will emerge is theoretically related to one’s appraisal and memory of prior events, and memory biases are proposed to exist for threat-related information in association with anxiety disorders.  Given that a new event may change the meaning of past events, it is possible that threatening information can change one’s memory for once neutral events.  The current study aimed to examine the effect of threatening information on memory for previously encoded (neutral) stimuli.  Participants were 115 undergraduate students. Each participant learned 30 neutral objects (displayed in two boxes) and completed a recall memory test.  They were then randomly assigned to either receive new threatening or new neutral information about half of the already-learned objects (one of the boxes); a second recall test was subsequently completed. Individuals in the Threat condition showed a greater proportion of memory for items that were manipulated to items that remained neutral than did individuals in the No-Threat condition.  Results are discussed in terms of understanding memory bias and other cognitive features associated with anxiety disorders and of the onset and treatment of anxiety disorders.


identifier: Murillo, Tomas M.  (2011) Routing and Scheduling Using Column Generation in IEEE 802.16j Wireless Relay Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) has become an important standard in wireless telecommunication networks in recent years due to the increasing bandwidth requirements, as well as to customer demand for having ubiquitous access to the network. One of the most recent versions of WiMAX is IEEE 802.16-2009, but in this thesis we work with its 802.16j amendment. This amendment includes the use of relay stations (RS) to improve the network's throughput, with the RSs becoming intermediaries between the base station (BS) and the subscriber stations (SS).

In the literature, there have been several authors claiming to perform joint routing and scheduling in wireless networks using the column generation technique. Nevertheless, these papers are not performing scheduling since they do not specify how time slots are allocated to each transmitting node over time (they only count the time slots it takes to transmit data).

That is why we developed an optimization model (that is solved using column generation) having in mind the fact of performing real scheduling, not only counting time slots but taking into account the allocation of resources over a period of time. The model we developed chooses among a set of possible configurations (a set of transmitting links over a predetermined period of time slots) to calculate the time it takes to transmit data from end to end.

After obtaining some simulation results with our model, we compared them with those of a model that does not perform real scheduling. The results show only minor differences in the total number of time slots that a transmission lasts since we can only assign a small number of time slots per configuration.


identifier: Bohlooli, Saeed  (2013) Analysis on a release history database to assist management of the software maintenance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Software maintenance is the most time consuming activity in the life cycle of software. Software maintenance suffers from missed deadlines and from being over budget. Managers usually pay more attention to development than to maintenance: for example, they prefer to assign senior developers to the development phase tasks and neglect maintenance ones. Managers have difficulty identifying problems, and their causes, in maintenance.
This thesis presents techniques for analysis on the proposed release history database to provide metrics for improvement of the maintenance phase. The proposed release history database is enriched by valuable data that comes from an issue tracking system, code repository, and time entry system. The proposed release history database and the analysis of the data contained there provides metrics which allow maintainers to find risky and time consuming codes, recommending maintenance team and maintenance location and a suggestions for the future of the maintenance. Automation is also provided as a proof of concept through a prototypical tool.


identifier: Mullett, Ada  (2005) Linking changes in performance for brain stimulation reward to stages of neural processing.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis tested a model of how brain reward circuitry operates. The proportion of a subject's time that it is willing to dedicate to performance of an operant task (time allocation) depends on the strength and cost of the reward. Plotting time allocation as a function of pulse frequency and price yields a three-dimensional structure called the "mountain." According to the model tested by the experiment, the mountain reflects processing of information about reward strength and price in a multi-stage network. An initial stage translates impulse flow in the directly activated neurons into a neural signal representing reward intensity. A later stage combines this intensity signal with the subjective mapping of reward price to yield a net payoff, and the final stage translates payoffs into behaviour. To understand how manipulations that alter operant performance produce their effects, it is necessary to determine at which stage(s) of processing they act. The primary goal of this experiment was to test the multistage model by establishing whether a manipulation that acts on the initial stage shifts the mountain along only one of its axes, as predicted. The results support the principal prediction of the mountain model. The demonstration that the mountain can shift along one axis without shifting along the other supports the notion that the integrative model on which the mountain is based can distinguish manipulations that affect the reward system at different stages.


identifier: Chirwa, Neema Tiyowoyechi  (2004) Multicopy suppression of the folA null mutation escherichia coli.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Escherichia coli , Dihydrofolate reductase coded by the folA gene plays a central role. It is required for the de novo synthesis of tetrahydrofolate and the recycling of dihydrofolate produced by cells synthesizing thymidylate. Deletion of the folA gene in E. coli K-12 strains is not lethal but generates auxotrophies when glycine or methionine is omitted from a combination of supplements containing pantothenate, thymidine, adenine and histidine.  We have isolated pSD6P, which contains part of the csgD sequence, as a multicopy suppressor of the glycine auxotrophy. Multicopy suppressors are genes that when overexpressed alleviates one or more growth requirements of a strain. CsgD codes for a transcriptional regulator required for the synthesis of curlin subunits that are used in the synthesis of extracellular matrix important for biofilm formation. Curli fibers are also thought to be important for infection of host cells and confer additional protection against damaging agents or predators in the environment.  We have shown that increasing the expression of the glyA gene can alleviate the glycine auxotrophy of a folA null strain. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), encoded by the glyA gene, is required for the conversion of serine to glycine. We have measured SHMT activity and shown that cells expressing csgD from multicopy plasmid have increased levels of activity. We have also monitored the effect of CsgD on transcription of genes involved in one-carbon metabolism using a lac-based reporter system. We have shown that the presence of CsgD increases the transcription of the glyA and purU genes. PurU codes for a formyltetrahydrofolate hydrolase and is important for balancing the cell's need for one-carbon units and glycine. The role of CsgD is not limited to curli or one-carbon metabolism. Our results suggest that expression of hmp , a gene adjacent to glyA , is slightly induced. Hmp codes for a flavohaemoglobin with denitrification properties. Interestingly, the csgD -mediated induction of the glyA gene but not of hmp requires the known regulators (MetR and PurR) of glyA transcription.


identifier: Zhang, Yunzan  (2004) New tree-based algorithms for network spare capacity design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Survivable network design has become increasingly important due to the need for reliable communication service. One of its important components is the spare capacity design. Its main purpose is to provide cost-efficient spare capacity reservation at certain survivability level in case of predicted failures. In this thesis, we study various kinds of network survivability techniques and the corresponding algorithms. Subsequently; we introduce our two pre-planned path restoration algorithms for spare capacity design in mesh-like networks. They can get higher utilization of spare capacity and reasonable reaction time. First one is a spanning tree based algorithm with backup parents, which needs much less spare capacity than the well known hierarchical tree algorithm while the restorability is slightly higher or lower. The second algorithm is a cycle tree based algorithm with backup parents and some extra cycle edges. Simulation results show that this algorithm works much better on restorability than the other two algorithms. The time complexities of the two new algorithms are: O ( n 4 ), where n is the total number of nodes in the network. The space complexities are the same too: O ( n 3 )


identifier: El Sehemawi, Mohamed  (2004) Risk-adjusted performance of the utilities industry in the United States and Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper examines the risk-adjusted performance of the utilities industry in both the United States and Canada from 1970 to 2001 using five measures of risk-adjusted performance. Risk-adjusted performance is analyzed using the Sharpe ratio, the Jensen Alpha, the M2 , the Fama-French three-factor model, and a conditional CAPM model adjusted on market movements. We analyze the effect of deregulation on the industry and test whether the geographic location or the SIC classification are indicative of superior performance. We also analyze the volatility of the market, subsectors, and firms within the utilities industry to determine the volatility patterns of stock returns in the industry.  The utilities industry in both the US and Canada have outperformed their respective markets on a risk-adjusted basis for the full period. Deregulation had a positive effect on the performance of US utilities, however, deregulation did not affect the performance of Canadian utilities. Geographic location does not provide an indication of superior performance within the US utilities industry, however, according to the SIC classification, gas companies clearly outperform other subsectors in the industry whereas water companies have the lowest performance. In the Canadian market, eastern companies have the highest performance, followed by western companies, then the central companies. According to the SIC classification, the Canadian electricity subsector shows signs of higher performance relative to the gas subsector and the other subsectors of the industry.  Volatility analysis shows no trend in the volatility of the US and Canadian markets. In both countries, subsector volatility is higher than the market volatility, however, firm-level volatility is higher than the market and the subsector volatility. Analysis shows that volatility has increased dramatically since 1998 for both markets.


identifier: Millet, Shawn  (2004) Inclusion or exclusion : the special education dilemma in Quebec public high schools.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For too long Canadian schools have been chasing the notion of a standard "one size fits all" approach known simply as "full inclusion" within our public education system. Education policies towards the intellectually impaired has changed dramatically over the years: from Exclusion and possible private care to Special Education beginning in the 1960's to Mainstreaming and now "Full Inclusion" in the late 1980's. However, my research indicates that it is not working.  This research explores the problems and apparent failure of the full inclusion policy in one high school in Montreal with a high enrollment of "coded" students. 1 interviewed 2 administrators, 2 parents and 10 teachers. To collect data on aspects ranging from participants beliefs about inclusion as a policy in there school board to the financial cost of the inclusion policy.  Following these interview I offer a number of recommendations to implement a policy of partial inclusion, which recognizes the special and unique needs of individual students.


identifier: Park, Kwang-Wook  (2004) An illuminance ratio prediction method for daylighting control of buildings.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Heating, cooling and lighting are the dominant sectors of energy consumption in commercial buildings. Controlling solar radiation through windows will improve the illuminance distribution as well as energy efficiency of buildings. Advanced window systems with motorized shading controlled in conjunction with light dimming constitute a promising approach for improving energy efficiency of buildings. However, the performance of current controlled daylighting systems is neither sufficiently reliable nor accurate, thereby reducing their widespread adoption.  The uncertainty of light dimming control system performance is largely due to prediction of workplane illuminance. This makes the system unreliable and sometimes more complex. To improve the performance of light dimming control systems, the prediction of the workplane illuminance must be considered first. Without thorough understanding of systems, their control may not be achieved efficiently.  A new daylight prediction method, Illuminance Ratio Prediction (IRP) method, is proposed in this thesis for an integrated daylighting control system. The proposed method, which is theoretically developed based on radiosity theory, shows that the illuminance ratio of two arbitrary surfaces in a space in the presence of one initial light source with varying quantity at a fixed location is always constant. The proposed method was experimentally proved. With the IRP method, reliable and accurate predictions of daylighting parameters such as the workplane illuminance, the exterior vertical illuminance and the solar heat gains through the window systems, were obtained as the basis for development of an integrated daylighting control methodology.  The methodology was validated in an outdoor test-room with dimmable electric lighting and a window with built-in motorized blinds. The algorithm was calibrated with a workplane sensor control. Then, an integrated daylighting control system using an interior front wall sensor for prediction was successfully tested. It was found that this system could maintain both the workplane illuminance level and the solar heat gains at the desirable level by simultaneous controls of light dimming and blind tilt angle. With active daylighting control, significant energy savings may be achieved in energy consumption for lighting and cooling. One important asset of the methodology developed is that motorized blinds are optimally tilted so as to admit just enough daylight to satisfy workplane illuminance requirements predicted with IRP method, thus reducing cooling loads due to potential excessive solar gains.


identifier: Shaker, Vahid  (2004) Modelling and simulation of Ethernet based networked mechanical systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Distributed control and simulation based on Ethernet networks has become increasingly common in recent years due to its superior performance and cost over other networking technology. In order to systematically design such distributed systems, which combine Ethernet network components and mechanical systems, a modular modelling and simulation approach for this class of systems is necessary.  In this thesis, an innovative modular modelling and simulation approach is developed to predict the behaviour of distributed mechanical systems based on Ethernet (IEEE 802.3 protocol) networks. The main objective is to predict the overall time delay of transmitted packets and estimate the real-time performance of Ethernet/mechanical systems in different topologies for both normal and abnormal operating conditions. The approach is based on discrete finite state machine (FSM) models developed for the main types of Ethernet network components (NIC, bus, hub, and switch). The FSM models are implemented in C++ and encapsulated using Simulink S-functions. This allows the network models to be easily combined with Simulink mechanical system models that are common in control and simulation applications.  The new approach is tested for a number of case studies to test its capability to predict time delays that arise from network communication. Finally, combined network/mechanical simulations are performed to illustrate the application of the new approach to distributed simulation problems. Together, these results provide a new approach for simulation of Ethernet based mechanical systems that can be used to design distributed control and simulation systems.


identifier: Yang, Jin  (2004) On-line building energy prediction using artificial neural networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A literature survey is provided to summarize the existing approaches to building energy prediction. The survey examines both the theory behind each prediction model and practical issues such as data pre- and post-processing. It also points out the pros and cons of each prediction method.  Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is identified in the survey as the most popular and effective way to predict building energy demand. The ANN theory is thoroughly reviewed in this thesis. In particular, the ANN prediction model is presented as a generalized nonlinear least squares method. In addition to discussing the architecture and training methods employed by an ANN, we also examine implementation issues such as how to select the input to an ANN through day-typing and how to remove data redundancy and reduce the dimension of the input vector space via principal component analysis (PCA).  While most of the existing ANN models for building energy prediction are static in nature, this thesis focuses on developing dynamic ANN models that can evolve over time. The dynamic ANN models developed in this thesis are capable of adapting themselves to unexpected changes in the incoming data. When the dynamic model is combined with an automated data acquisition system, it can be used to provide real-time online building energy prediction.  A number of experiments have been performed to test the effectiveness of the ANN models developed in this thesis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Idghamishi, Abdolrasul Mohammadi  (2004) Fault diagnosis in hierarchical discrete-event system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A framework for on-line passive fault diagnosis in hierarchical discrete-event systems is proposed. In this approach, the system model is broken to simpler substructures called D-holons. A state based diagnoser is constructed for each D-holon. Fault diagnosis is accomplished using the state estimates provided by the D-holon diagnosers. The diagnosers may communicate among each other in order to update their state estimates. At any given time, only a subset of the diagnosers are active, and as a result, instead of the entire model of the system, only the models of the D-holons associated with the active diagnosers are used. Therefore, only part of the system model needs to be stored in computer Random Access Memory (RAM). This reduces RAM requirements and thus, could be useful in complex multi-phase systems.  The concept of D-holon provides a suitable tool to study failure diagnosability in cases where components are active in certain phases of operation and inactive in other phases. This resulted in the introduction of the concept of phase-diagnosability. A set of necessary and sufficient conditions for phase-diagnosability is obtained.  Furthermore, in order to reduce the computational complexity of the diagnosis process, a set of sufficient conditions is provided under which the diagnosis process becomes semi-modular. It is shown that the computational complexity of constructing (time) and storing (space) the transition systems required for diagnosis in the proposed semi-modular approach is polynomial in the number of system components, whereas in the original monolithic approach the computational complexity is exponential.


identifier: Kamel, Yasser  (2004) Using a named entity tagger and a syntactic parser to improve web-based answer extraction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The amount and the quality of the available information on the web make it an interesting resource for seeking quick answers to simple questions. Question answering (QA) systems have proven to be helpful to users because they can provide accurate answers that do not require users to go through a large number of documents for an answer. However, despite the recent advances in QA research, the accuracy of the extracted answer is still an open domain that needs more investigation from the researchers to achieve a high accuracy. In this project, we implemented Named-entity tagging ( Gate-NE ) and Grammar Parsing ( Link parser ) as two different approaches to improve the extracted answer accuracy of an existing web-QA system. TREC-8 (200 questions) was used as a training set and a total of 1693 questions of TREC-9, 10, and 2002 were used for the validation process. Our approach shows a 11% MRR increase, from 0.101 to 0.113, compared to the original system and a 9% increase in the number of correct answers extracted, from 276 to 300. Although the increase is not as high as we had hoped, we believe that our results are encouraging and this work should be considered a base and starting point for future work to achieve more performance enhancements.


identifier: Bernier, Richard J  (2004) The plausibility of substance dualism as an approach to the mind-body problem : a philosophical and theological inquiry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents an argument that would posit a substantial non-physical principle of cognition and consciousness, i.e . a mind or soul, ontologically distinct from the physical brain and its properties. The case consists of, first, a series of arguments that seek to establish the rational foundation for this Cartesian or substance dualism and, second, an attempt to reply to some of the major objections to it. The second component includes a survey of physicalism , the chief alternative to dualism as a solution to the classic mind-body problem. The theological significance of the debate, and particularly of the status one accords to dualism in the debate, is the concern of the final chapter. The latter concludes that the implications of accepting or rejecting substance dualism are far-reaching for theological and ethical affirmations about human immortality and the worth of human beings. Some areas needing further discussion and inquiry, such as the possible relevance of Chalcedonian Christology and the need for further reflection on the precise mechanism of brain-mind interaction, are highlighted in the course of the presentation of the issue.


identifier: Lee, Yong Hwa  (2004) Gregory of Nyssa and John Wesley's theological dialogue on Christian perfection.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The advent of the third millennium calls for a renewed spirituality. New channels for dialogue in all fields have been opened, especially in theology and religion. This phenomenon generates an intellectual quest to discover the relevance of classical spirituality in the postmodern era. Separated by fourteen centuries, we find that Gregory of Nyssa, a fourth century father, and John Wesley, an eighteen century revivalist, share a certain interest in Christian perfection. They teach us that believers seek to participate in the knowledge, grace, love, and goodness of God in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:12-15). The purpose of this thesis is to explore the notion of Christian perfection and an effect of Christology in the thought of Gregory of Nyssa and John Wesley as a central theme of Christian faith. In discovering essential elements of similarity and difference this thesis will propose "an unity in diversity" in theological dialogue between Gregory and Wesley meaningful for our present ecumenical era, and thus find a real place of Wesley in Christian tradition: He synthesizes a dynamic relationship between the eastern and the western theologies, and creates an ecumenical theology in relation to Christian perfection in the Christian tradition.


identifier: Martin, Cynthia Jean  (2004) The psycho-sociological impact to inner city English language schools in Montreal resulting from the faulty implementation of public policies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis follows the historical movement of Quebec's educational and language policies for the purpose of illustrating the antecedents that led up to the emergence of Quebecois nationalism; and to illustrate that prior to the 1960's and the 'Quiet Revolution', anglophone Quebecers enjoyed a majority status mentality, despite being a numerical minority. I argue that due to their prior majority status mentality, their demotion to that of a minority was in fact involuntary. Gibson and Ogbu (1990) demonstrate that involuntary minorities specifically, those from the lower social-economic strata are particularly vulnerable to the negative psychological effects that are partially caused by the restraints placed on their rights. One of the areas most negatively affected is the education system. Studies indicate that students who attend inner city schools are more likely to dropout than those students from more affluent neighbourhoods. There is also a higher ratio of 'at risk' students, more specifically, students with behavioural problems to 'normal' students. When this is compounded with class sizes of between thirty and forty students, the potential for anti-social behaviour is increased. Case studies and interviews with educators demonstrate that it is impossible to effectively implement ministerial directives such as the 'New Curriculum Reform' because policy-makers at the Ministere d education du Quebec (MEQ) did not account for these kinds of environments. I argue that there is a need to create new paradigms for the service and delivery of ministerial policies/directives to inner city English language schools.


identifier: Abassi, Jamila  (2004) It's not easy being green : people, potatoes, and pesticides on Prince Edward Island.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Agricultural pesticides are used in increasing quantities and frequency on potato crops on PEI. In 1995, many Island residents began asking questions about the impacts of these chemicals on their human and environmental health. However, what soon became apparent to Island residents, was that speaking out and presenting counter-perspectives about agricultural practices and the Island's agroeconomy resulted in social and economic marginalisation.  Through the application of two complementary theoretical frameworks, discourse analysis and historical materialism, I reveal how and why pesticides continue to be used in increasing quantities on PEI, despite scientific evidence pointing to their detrimental human and environmental health effects. The methodology pursued--Internet based research--is an attempt to stretch the place setting of anthropological inquiry and to demonstrate that by using the Internet, anthropologists can perform holistic research and make significant contributions to the discipline.


identifier: Boileau, Richard L  (2004) The communication of Franciscan spirituality : appropriating Francis of Assisi's religious insights.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is generally understood that the spirituality of Francis of Assisi is a life-long journey of religious conversion, which begins with an experience of God's love and proceeds through an ongoing commitment to living each day authentically in accordance with gospel values. Through a deliberate and explicit use of Lonergan's transcendental method for enabling theology that is sound and meaningful, this study endeavors to receive the poverello 's own authentic communication of his spirituality by appreciating the historic context in which his messages were conceived, crafted and conveyed. Moreover, it indicates the merit of using this same carefully honed methodological approach to communicate Francis' numerous religious insights to our own contemporary culture in a manner that is both relevant and compelling.


identifier: Raso, Cynthia  (2004) "If the bread goes stale, it's my dad's fault" : the parental alienation syndrome.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Studies on divorce have been well researched, the problem is that the Parental Alienation Syndrome often and perhaps usually accompanies divorce; therefore, the much-discussed negative consequences of divorce on children may well be in fact the consequences of PAS.  PAS is identified when a parent (usually the custodial parent) behaves in such a way to alienate his/her child against the other parent (usually the non-custodial parent). These behaviours include brainwashing, manipulation, and control. With successful programming, the child will inevitably be alienated from the other parent.  The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain a better understanding of PAS, to explain the mechanisms, and discuss consequences that occur in childhood and adulthood. Narrative stories were collected to illustrate PAS and the consequences.  The sample is comprised of eleven participants; four men, and seven women who were self-identified as victims of PAS. The data were collected by semi-structured, open-ended interviews which were conducted face to face or via the telephone.  The findings indicate that the greater the severity of PAS, the more serious the external and internal problems of the individual, and that damage to the child can last for decades. Those affected seemed likely to perpetuate the problem onto their own children. An additional serendipitous discovery was the paradox of the participant's recognition of alienation but also the denial of some, and inability to reconcile. The thesis concludes with several recommendations.


identifier: Wang, Ming Xing  (2004) Power and translation : the Jesuits' translation of the Christian god into Chinese.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a case study of the controversies over the Chinese equivalents of the Christian term "God" during the Jesuits' proselytizing efforts in China. The author of the thesis tries to show, in a contrastive way, how the power relations between China and the Spanish and Portuguese colonials from the sixteenth to early eighteenth centuries had a significant impact on the Catholic mission strategy in China and their translation of the essential Christian term "God" into Chinese. Through a diachronic analysis, the writer attempts to construe how power was exercised and contested for control and dominance by translating differently the Christian term "God" into Chinese discourse. The aim of the thesis is to investigate how a text is conditioned and shaped by power differentials and the significance of this to Translation Studies as a whole.


identifier: Sonnenschein, Bonnie H  (2004) Evaluation of brain stimulation reward in rats : heuristics, exemplars, and context-dependency.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current study examined the cognitive heuristics employed by rats evaluating rewarding brain stimulation. Rats implanted with electrodes aimed at the lateral hypothalamus were trained to self-administer brain stimulation. In Experiment 1, one type of stimulation train was presented at a time: some trains were set at a constant frequency, whereas others were composite-frequency trains in which the frequency at the end of the train was set to be lower than in the preceding component. If the "peak" and "end" reward values were used as exemplars in evaluating the stimulation, the weaker end should degrade the overall reward value of the composite trains. However, the performance curves for all trains were overlapping, suggesting that all trains were equally rewarding. A model in which the "peak" exemplar alone is employed, is sufficient to account for these findings. In Experiment 2, constant- and composite-frequency trains were presented simultaneously. Adding a weaker end had no effect on preference, again suggesting that the simple "peak" alone model was sufficient. Experiment 3 was similar to the first experiment, in that constant- and composite-frequency trains were presented one at a time. However, the duration of the weaker, terminal portion of the composite trains was now greater. The performance curves for all trains were again generally overlapping, indicating no consistent preference for any train type. This result is again consistent with the "peak-only" model. The aim of Experiment 4 was to assess whether the "beginning" exemplar played a role in the evaluation of rewarding stimulation. Preliminary results did not support this hypothesis. Lastly, Experiment 5 examined whether duration could serve as an exemplar when the evaluation context was changed. In an earlier experiment involving trains presented one at a time, rats were indifferent to train duration increases once the stimulation exceeded 2-4 s. In Experiment 5, when comparable train durations were presented simultaneously, the longer train was more effective than the shorter trains in 4 out of 7 subjects. The implications of the study findings and future directions are discussed.


identifier: Iavoschi, Roxana-Ileana  (2004) The Archangel Gabriel in history and tradition : an analysis of his role and function in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Reference to the archangel Gabriel occur in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. At various stages of their histories, the intervention of the archangel Gabriel is associated with a crucial phase of the development of that religion. Emphasis will be placed on the Sacred Scriptures of those religions, as well as extra-biblical documents such as legends, lore, and iconographical representations. This data will be analysed in order to examine why it is the same angel that associated with all the three religions, leading to an examination into the origins of the root of the name Gabriel, in the apocalyptic context of a divine intervention bringing hope and reassurance, and announcing the coming battle between the forces of good and evil.


identifier: Hawwa, Samer  (2004) Floor control for multiparty sessions in 3G networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Value-added services in telecommunication networks may be defined as anything that goes beyond two-party voice calls. This thesis focuses on the floor control issue for multiparty sessions in tomorrow's telecommunication networks. Floor Control enables the control of media streams, e.g., who can be seen and heard when more than one party is exchanging media streams over a network.  Several conferencing scenarios have been studied, leading to a definition of the requirements for a generic floor control mechanism. After defining the requirements, we surveyed the related work in the literature (i.e., SIP and PARLAY) to identify whether they provide (or not) the defined requirements. Based on this evaluation, we have proposed an architecture that benefits from the available technologies and which also provides the missing parts in order to achieve a complete solution.  We have identified that PARLAY as per today's specification does not fulfill all the requirements for floor control. In addition, we have identified the need for a complete solution for floor control integrating APIs with the protocols. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Ettobi, Mustapha, Bowles, Paul and Ben Jelloun, Tahar  (2004) Traduire la culture arabe en anglais et en français : al-Khubz al-Hāfī de Mohamed Choukri traduit par Paul Bowles et Tahar Ben Jelloun.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

creator:
Ettobi, Mustapha
Bowles, Paul
Ben Jelloun, Tahar

abstract: The present study deals with translating Arabic literature into English and French, its main aspects, issues and effects on the representation of Arab culture in the West. It is essentially inspired by Lawrence Venuti's ideas on translation and the "formation of cultural identities". The case being discussed is the translation of Mohamed Choukri's Al-Khubz al-Hafi into English and French by two writer-translators--Paul Bowles and Tahar Ben Jelloun. The comparative analysis of their versions shows the similarities and differences in the ways they render the cultural traits, the social and political critiques as well as the discursive and linguistic aspects of the Arabic text. Examining the historical, social and cultural contexts of these translations gives insight into the translators' ideological positions and allows a better understanding of their choices and motives. This study proves that selecting a literary text and a translation strategy does not occur in a void and is inevitably influenced by various factors both collective--social, cultural and geopolitical--and individual. It also reveals that these writer-translators use Choukri's text, among other things, to express their own ideas and points of view and that their acts can have a considerable effect on the image of (Moroccan) Arab culture constructed in the West.


identifier: Ni, Yi Ling  (2004) Truckin' project : a successful experiment with genetic algorithms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Genetic algorithms use natural selection and reproduction to search for good solutions to a problem from among a great number of possible solutions. Since they were introduced by John Holland in the early seventies, they have been used in a variety of areas to solve complex problems because genetic algorithms are more robust, more efficient and more flexible than conventional artificial intelligence techniques.  Truckin' project uses genetic algorithms to simulate a country where trucks and retailers compete to make profit. The behavior of each truck or retailer is decided by a genome. This thesis does three things on the basis of old Truckin' project. It first enhances trucks' and retailers' performance by adding a new gene to each of them. And then it allows some successful retailers to open new branches to see if other retailers are forced to go bankrupt in the competition. Finally, it analyzes trucks' profit composition and evaluates each gene's performance in the simulation.  The simulation result proves the successful use of genetic algorithms in the Truckin' project.


identifier: Alipui, Emefa  (2004) Analyse polysystémique des sous-titres français du film de Woody Allen : Broadway Danny Rose (1984).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study looks at the different factors involved in the objective analysis of a translated movie. There is an emphasis on the sociocultural features of the American and French societies to show that analyzing a translation is not bound to the linguistic aspects of a language. This is done within the scope the polysystem theory (Itamar Even-Zohar and Gideon Toury) because it takes into account all translation-related institutions and norms, and in the evaluation of a translation, the target culture is in a primary position. However, in the case of subtitled movies, it is impossible to ignore the ever-present source. Therefore, the scope of the polysystem theory is broadened with the domestication and foreignization theory (Lawrence Venuti) since it allows in the study of a translation, the consideration of the socio-cultural facts in the source culture and the context of the target culture. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Xu, Jian  (2004) On refactoring of use case models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: On refactoring of use case models

abstract: Use case models are widely used in software engineering. It is important to improve the understandability and maintainability of use case models. Refactoring is a behavior-preserving transformation. The research shows that refactoring as a concept can be broadened to apply to use case models to improve their understandability, changeability, reusability and traceability. In this thesis a use case metamodel is described for use case modeling in detail. Then some refactoring rules for the use case metamodel are defined and implemented. Based on the Drawlets framework, a prototype tool is implemented for defining the use case models and applying refactorings to the models. A case study is also presented to illustrate the practical use of these refactorings. The experience shows that the tool facilitates the refactoring process greatly.


identifier: Lu, Bo  (2004) Developing the distributed component of a framework for processing intensional programming languages.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Based on a simple non-procedural language with temporal logic operators, Lucid underlies a family of multi-dimensional programming languages based on intensional logic. Intension is a concept rooted in an aspect of natural language called "intensional context", in which the meaning of a statement (extension) depends on the context in which it is uttered (intension). The implicit temporal feature of Lucid makes it suitable for use as a means of describing dynamic systems. In the past, experiments have been performed and real applications have been developed with programs written in Lucid. However, these systems focused mainly on improving the execution performance of one dialect of Lucid and not address the problem of interpreting variants of Lucid. The GIPSY system is designed to not only process current Lucid variants efficiently but also to be modified easily to accept new dialects of Lucid.  In the thesis, we discuss the essence of executing intensional programming languages using the eduction (also called demand-driven or lazy ) execution model; describe experiments with different approaches to interpreting programs written in Lucid; and focuses on execution over a network of processors. We describe the implementation of a prototype for executing Lucid programs in a distributed environment. We also explore the advantages of applying the object concept to distributed systems and describe experiments with these methods. In addition, the thesis includes estimates of the impact of integrating computation functions into the Lucid code and proposes an advanced execution model consisting of self-contained and intelligent clients associated with a meta-level resource management.


identifier: Carr, Angela  (2004) Ropewalk.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Ropewalk

abstract: This work takes, as its overall trajectory, a leap from the heights of "factual" and "authentic" historical writing to the sea of fiction and myth. The first of the long poems, Ropewalk , is a sham biography of the French renaissance poet Louise Labé. To emphasize that much existing biography of Labé arises from interpretation of her lyrical poetry, the work incorporates lines of her sonnets, badly translated so that certain of the French words remain. Just as such translation does not seek to produce an apparition of the original, the poem does not seek to represent Louise Labé's life, but rather that of an unidentified lyrical 'I' belonging to both past and present. The second long poem, Ninth Month , is autobiographical, written from the interior of the final month of pregnancy. It acts as an introduction to the third long poem, Mountance of a Dream , also autobiographical. The spaces here are feminine and interior as well, but the writing self is undone, due to the birth of her daughter; her past is reassessed and in this reassessment changes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Mullin, Kathleen  (2004) The order of things : short stories.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The order of things : short stories

abstract: The four fictional pieces in this thesis are intended to reflect the author's interest in various types of narrative voice. The distance between narrator and character in "Influence" functions as a way of understanding the distance the characters experience between each other and from themselves. The second story, "The Order of Things", explores similar themes of alienation and miscommunication through a more intimate alignment of character and narrative voice. The final two pieces, "Hamowego" and "Ceremony", are told in an autobiographical style by a first-person narrator recounting events of her early teenage years. These two last stories are linked through chronology, narrative voice, and characterization, but are intended as stories complete in themselves. They are part of a longer work currently in progress


identifier: Tooke, Nicholas  (2004) Nostalgia.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Nostalgia

abstract: 'Nostalgia' is a novel about a man, Malcolm Mole, who is forced to confront the memory of his wife's death. A gifted woman, but one who, from an early age had been made aware that her defective heart would claim her life before the age of thirty, Evelyn had lived her life recklessly, and died under mysterious circumstances.  The setting of the novel is fundamental to its meaning. Mole lives in a dilapidated manor house in Victoria, B.C. with his daughter and another man, Edward, who looks after the estate. Mole is as apathetic about the disintegration of his house as he has been about the disintegration of his health. Into this situation wanders a young man in search of himself who, by dint of his naive curiosity, facilitates the reckoning, and healing, that Mole is attempting.  It is most certainly a novel is progress. Originally conceived as the first in a trilogy of novels about Victoria, B.C., beginning in the year 1840 with the colonization of Vancouver Island, and continuing until the present day, it is now my intention to condense that history into one novel, reincarnating the character of Mole three times, in different disguises. In this way, I hope to create not only a complex and enduring character, but very much a novel of place--the Eden, or Victoria, in fact, for which the contemporary Mole feels such nostalgia.


identifier: Bandilla, Dirk  (2004) The use of photopolymers as retaining frits and monoliths for electrochromatography in capillaries or microfluidic devices and some selected applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This work explores the use of two different organic photopolymers for electrochromatography in the capillary format and also demonstrates their incorporation into a microfluidic platform. The first photopolymer studied functioned as a retaining frit for silica-supported, microparticulate stationary phase. After using the photopolymerization procedure in the capillary format the retaining frits were successfully integrated into the microfluidic platform. However, packing the microfluidic device with stationary phase particles could not be accomplished. A second photopolymer possessing C 4 -functionalities was therefore investigated as a porous stationary phase. It could be incorporated as a monolith in capillaries and thereby avoided the packing difficulties associated with individual particles and polymer retaining frits. Six polyaromatic hydrocarbons were baseline-separated within two minutes on this monolithic column. The monolith was also successfully created in the microfluidic format as verified by the separation of two fluorescent dyes. Due to the high cost of microfluidic devices the properties of the monolith were studied primarily in the capillary format. Van Deemter plots revealed the potential to use high mobile phase velocities without sacrificing resolution. Hydrodynamic and electrokinetic flow measurements gave insights into the porosity and tortuosity of the polymer by non-destructive means. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to elucidate the microscopic structure and evaluate the pore size. The dependence of the electroosmotic flow on percentage and type of organic solvent, pH, ionic strength and concentration of sulfonate moieties in the polymer was measured. Various applications were surveyed with an emphasis on the separation of proteins. Their separation also served to evaluate the manufacturing process in terms of inter - and intra -capillary reproducibility. By comparing capillary electrochromatography, capillary electrophoresis and micro-LC it was found that chromatography is not the major contributor to the overall CEC separation of proteins. However, the monolithic columns demonstrated very good reproducibility as could be seen by using serum proteins as probes. Separations of small molecules were shown to be greatly based on a chromatographic separation mechanism. These applications included quality assessment in the synthesis of anthracene-2;3-dialdehyde, the separation of oligonucleotides and the separation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.


identifier: Friedman, Matthew  (2004) Transatlantic : a genealogy of modern American musical theatre from Jonny spielt auf to West Side story.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The motion picture adaptation of West Side Story in 1961 was a singular moment for American musical theatre. Its release normalized a unique trajectory of modernism that had first emerged in Germany after the First World War. At that time, German composers had initiated a radical modernist renovation of the opera. The result was a new definition of opera that subverted traditional categories and sought to express the condition of modernity.  The generation of young American composers who had studied in Europe during the 1920s was deeply influenced by the German project, and they adapted its aims and aesthetic program to construct an American modern operatic tradition. This aesthetic project emerged in the United States in 1937, when Marc Blitzstein's musical play The Cradle Will Rock was first performed on Broadway. This show was a conscious effort to articulate the program of the new German opera in an American context.  Blitzstein had a strong personal and creative influence on Leonard Bernstein, who consciously emulated his mentor and whose compositions for the musical stage in the 1940s and 1950s employed the aesthetic vocabulary of the German and American operatic projects. West Side Story clearly articulated that aesthetic. The genealogy of this process is revealed in the personal papers, articles and lectures of the German and American composers.


identifier: Sakr, Wafa  (2004) Modeling sorption and its impact on perceived indoor air quality.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study aimed to investigate and to quantify the impact of sorption processes on perceived air quality using sensory panels as the measuring device.  The experiments were performed in four similar, adjacent, unfurnished offices. Samples of carpet, painted gypsum board, virgin gypsum board, linoleum and Semia were tested individually and as a combination of two materials. To investigate the interaction between the pollutants emitted from the test building materials and the actual room surfaces, the air polluted by two different building materials was mixed in a separate room without the presence of the building materials. Each experiment lasted between one week (adsorption stage only) to 10 days (adsorption and desorption stages). Untrained panels assessed the air quality at specific time intervals after moving the materials into or out of the rooms, depending on the design of each experiment. The results indicated that sorption affects the perceived air quality significantly. For all performed experiments, the presence of an additional room surface (samples of painted gypsum board) together with samples of carpet or linoleum improved the perceived air quality in that room and in comparison to the air in the room with carpet alone or painted gypsum board alone. The improvement was consistent despite the different kind of building materials used in the experiments, the different panels that performed the sensory assessments and the different environmental conditions for the different experiments. Moreover, adsorption/desorption coefficients for the room surfaces and the painted gypsum board were calculated assuming a Langmuir type of adsorption and when the pollution source was either carpet or linoleum. As anticipated the linear Langmuir model appeared to be suitable for the painted gypsum board and the room surfaces (flat smooth surfaces). In this work, based on sensory data, it was possible to get reasonable values for sorption parameters for painted gypsum board and the room surfaces presumably because the chemicals emitted from the carpet or linoleum used in the experiments were relatively similar in terms of their sorption parameters. The results demonstrated that sensory assessments could be used to derive sorption parameters for common indoor materials interacting with common indoors pollution sources. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Anisef, Jen  (2004) The politics of contemporary craft culture.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: While once considered the domain of grandmothers and school children, crafts have become a trendy cultural practice among North American youth. The popularity of craft among young people has inspired on- and off-line communities in which craft is understood to have important social and political implications. Layering data from my ethnographic investigation of contemporary craft culture with Foucauldian and feminist theory I examine some of the ways in which young people employ craft as a tool of political resistance. After laying down a foundational model of politics rooted in Foucault's theory of power/knowledge I investigate crafters' contestation of dominant discourses connected to consumerism and gender roles. Crafters are producers in a culture of consumption, seeking fulfilling and ethical alternatives to the alienating life modes that surround them. In this thesis I demonstrate that contemporary craft is a meaningful social and political practice and that an analysis of this mode of resistance generates insights into the nature of the present-day political landscape. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Goodyear, Susan  (2004) Schizophrenia as metaphor : 'madness' and the cinematic asylum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Schizophrenia has been described as one of the most severe and enigmatic of mental disorders. It is thus both a disease in bio-medical terms and a trope prevalent within popular culture. This thesis explores schizophrenia as a metaphor in film, examining its historical antecedents, its bio-medical definitions and its idiomatic uses. It is my argument that cultural, theoretical and bio-medical uses of schizophrenia inform our understandings and misunderstandings of this disease. Tuning into schizophrenia's increasing frequency in modern parlance prompted my primary research question: How is schizophrenia deployed metaphorically in film? I discuss the paradoxes implicit in using schizophrenia as metaphor through (a) a discussion of the idea of metaphor, and (b) through a brief recounting of the history of madness, but primarily through (c) an interrogation of three dominant metaphors that my research reveals. These include: schizophrenia as monstrosity, schizophrenia as a way to describe a divided self, and schizophrenia as a divine gift. An exploration of experimental documentaries by Arthur Lipsett reveals an alternative way of expressing the illness, and thinking through the poetic dimensions of communication.


identifier: Rondel, David  (2004) The possibility of irony : Richard Rorty's liberal ironist and the phenomenology of the self.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis attempts to test Richard Rorty's ideal character, the Liberal Ironist, against what Charles Taylor provides as various necessary but insufficient phenomenological conditions that allow for the possibility for self-reflection. In the absence of such conditions, Taylor holds, the very idea of a clear identity, a clear sense of Who one is, becomes either unintelligible or utterly trivial. After arguing that Rorty's ideal figure is likely to suffer from what we may call an identity crisis, I go on to offer some friendly amendments for Rorty. I claim that his ideal figure is one that should be replaced or augmented such that her specific characteristics and traits mesh more closely with the actual phenomenology of our moral experience. In the final chapter, I attempt to bridge what has to that point seemed like an unbridgeable methodological gulf between the descriptive, phenomenological project of Taylor and Rorty's largely prescriptive pragmatism. This reconciliation takes the form of Wittgensteinian and Deweyan reminders that should like to see both projects (Taylor's and Rorty's respectively) as diverse sets of tools. I conclude, in accordance with a meta-philosophical pragmatism that I deduce from the later Wittgenstein, that one set of tools need not trump another in any philosophically deep or a priori manner. My claim, in short, is that both philosophical strategies can be viewed as apt depending only on the philosophical work they are expected to fulfill.


identifier: Huang, Tyng-Shyan  (2004) Partial purification, biochemical characterization, kinetic analysis, and amino acid sequencing information of a flavonol 3-O-methyltransferase from the leaves of Serratula tinctoria.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Serratula tinctoria L. (Dyer's savory, Asteraceae) accumulates small amounts of 3-methylquercetin as an intermediate. 3-Methylquercetin is known as a specific inhibitor of viral RNA replication (Castrillo et al ., 1986; Castrillo and Carrasco, 1987), an anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent (Middleton and Kandaswami, 1993), and a phytoanticipin in tobacco plants in response to wounding and insect herbivory (Roda et al ., 2003). The flavonol 3-O-methyltransferase (3-OMT) was partially purified from Serratula leaf tissues using ammonium sulfate precipitation, Superose 12, Mono Q, and adenosine-affinity columns. Result of the purification showed an increase of 194-folds of enzyme specific activity. It catalyzes the methylation reaction of quercetin at position 3, yielding 3-methylquercetin. This enzyme exhibited substrate specificity towards flavonols, which classifies it as a member of the Group II OMT. It has a pH optimum of 7.6, a pl of 6.0, and an apparent molecular mass of 31 kDa, which is an unusual small protein size in contrast to the 40 to 45 kDa reported for members of this group thus far. Its K m values for quercetin and AdoMet were 12 and 45 oM, respectively. It has no requirement for Mg 2+ , and was severely inhibited by p -chloromercuribenzoate ( p CMB), an indication of SH groups requirement for catalytic activity. Kinetic analyses indicated that the enzyme followed an ordered bi-bi reaction mechanism, with AdoMet as the first binding substrate and AdoHcy being released last. Results of LC-MS/MS of the protein yielded several peptides, which showed sequence homology to a number of Group II plant OMTs in the MASCOT database.