identifier: Connolly-Boutin, Sean Francis ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1005-489X <https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1005-489X>  (2019) Detonation Physics-Based Modelling & Design of a Rotating Detonation Engine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A rotating detonation engine (RDE) is a new, more thermodynamically efficient, propulsion concept that replaces the traditional constant pressure combustion mechanism found in all currently used rockets and power generation devices. The constant pressure combustion is replaced by a detonation wave: a coupled shock-flame complex propagating at speeds of up to 2-3 km/s and generating combustion products at pressures 5-10 times the initial reactant pressure. This pressure gain through the combustion process leads to more compact, simpler devices that no longer require (or depend less upon) initial reactant precompression. Detonation-based cycles also have the added advantage of being theoretically more thermodynamically efficient than their constant pressure combustion counterparts. As such, RDEs have become increasingly popular in the propulsion research community, although there is still a lack of understanding in the underlying physics which govern their operability, though the existence of a minimum mass flow rate limit for stable operation has been observed. To help engineers and researchers design an RDE, a model was developed which combines geometric properties, 1D isentropic flow, and detonation physics to predict the stable operating bounds of an RDE. An engine testing facility was also constructed in collaboration with McGill University to test RDEs and confirm the performance of the prediction model developed.


identifier: Alhammami, Waleed  (2019) Cooperative Spectrum Sensing based on 1-bit Quantization in Cognitive Radio Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
The wireless frequency spectrum is a very valuable resource in the field of communications. Over the years, different bands of the spectrum were licensed to various communications systems and
standards. As a result, most of the easily accessible parts of it ended up being theoretically occupied.
This made it somewhat difficult to accommodate new wireless technologies, especially with the rise of communications concepts such as the Machine to Machine (M2M) communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). It was necessary to find ways to make better use of wireless spectrum.
Cognitive Radio is one concept that came into the light to tackle the problem of spectrum utilization. Various technical reports stated that the spectrum is in fact under-utilized. Many frequency bands are
not heavily used over time, and some bands have low activity. Cognitive Radio (CR) Networks aim to exploit and opportunistically share the already licensed spectrum. The objective is to enable various kinds of communications while preserving the licensed parties' right to access the spectrum without interference.
Cognitive radio networks have more than one approach to spectrum sharing. In interweave spectrum sharing scheme, cognitive radio devices look for opportunities in the spectrum, in frequency and over time. Therefore, and to find these opportunities, they employ what is known as spectrum sensing. In a
spectrum sensing phase, the CR device scans certain parts of the spectrum to find the voids or white spaces in it. After that it exploits these voids to perform its data transmission, thus avoiding any
interference with the licensed users.
Spectrum sensing has various classifications and approaches. In this thesis, we will present a general review of the main spectrum sensing categories. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the techniques employed in each category including their respective advantages and disadvantages, in addition to
some of the research work associated with them.
Our focus will be on cooperative spectrum sensing, which is a popular research topic. In cooperative spectrum sensing, multiple CR devices collaborate in the spectrum sensing operation to enhance the performance in terms of detection accuracy. We will investigate the soft-information decision fusion approach in cooperative sensing. In this approach, the CR devices forward their spectrum sensing data to a central node, commonly known as a Fusion Center. At the fusion center, this data is combined to achieve a higher level of accuracy in determining the occupied parts and the empty parts of the spectrum while considering Rayleigh fading channels. Furthermore, we will address the issue of
high power consumption due to the sampling process of a wide-band of frequencies at the Nyquist rate. We will apply the 1-bit Quantization technique in our work to tackle this issue. The simulation results show that the detection accuracy of a 1-bit quantized system is equivalent to a non-quantized system with only 2 dB less in Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Finally, we will shed some light on multiple antenna spectrum sensing, and compare its performance to the cooperative sensing.


identifier: Aslani, Nazanin  (2019) Acuity-based Performance Evaluation and Tactical Capacity Planning in Primary Care.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Effective primary care requires timely and equitable access to care for patients as well as efficient and balanced utilization of physician time.
Motivated by a family health clinic in Ontario, Canada, this research proposes ways to improve both of these aspects of primary care through tactical capacity planning based on acuity-based performance targets.

First, we propose a new metric based on acuity levels to evaluate timely access to primary care. In Canada, as well as other participant countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the main metric currently used to evaluate access is the proportion of patients who are able to obtain a same- or next-day appointment. However, not all patients in primary care are urgent and require a same- or next-day appointment. Therefore, accurate evaluation of timely access to primary care should consider the urgency of the patient request. To address this need, we define multiple acuity levels and relative access targets in primary care, akin to the CTAS system in emergency care. Furthermore, current access time evaluation in the province is mostly survey-based, while our evaluation is based on appointment data and hence more objective. Thus, we propose a novel, acuity-based, data-driven approach for evaluation of timely access to primary care.

Second, we develop a deterministic tactical capacity planning (TCP) model to balance workload between weeks for each family physician in the specific primary care clinic in this study. Unbalanced workload among weeks may lead to provider overtime for the weeks with high workload and provider idle time for weeks with low workload. In the proposed TCP model, we incorporate the results from access time evaluation in the first study as constraints for access time. The proposed TCP model considers 11 appointment types with multiple access targets for each appointment type. The TCP model takes as input a forecast of demand coming from an ARIMA model. We compare the results of the TCP model based on current access time targets as well as targets resulting from our acuity-based metrics. The use of our proposed acuity-based targets leads to allocation of time slots which is more equitable for patients and also improves physician workload balance.

Third, we also propose a robust TCP model based on the cardinality-constrained method to minimize the highest potential physician peak load between weeks. Therefore, the developed robust TCP model enables protection against uncertainty through providing a feasible allocation of capacity for all realizations of demand. The proposed robust TCP model considers two interdependent appointment types (e.g., new patients and follow ups), multiple access time targets for each appointment type and uncertainty in demand for appointments. We conduct a set of experiments to determine how to set the level of robustness based on extra cost and infeasibility probability of a robust solution.

In summary, this dissertation advocates for the definition and subsequent use of acuity-based access time targets for both performance evaluation and capacity allocation in primary care. The resulting performance metrics provide a more detailed view of primary care and lead to not only more equitable access policies but also have the potential to improve physician workload balance when used as input to capacity planning models.


identifier: Bernicky, Shanice  (2019) (Hair)itage: Using Type 4 Hair to Reconcile Struggles of Race and Identity Through Research-Creation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Black hair is a vast term describing a myriad of textures, lengths, and colours. Mixed-race identity is just as vast with no set definition. This research-creation piece couples the two, harnessing the method of ¬autoethnography to discuss how the author uses her coily hair to connect with her Trinidadian roots. The creation portion is a documentary  comprised of six interviews with family members, hair care specialists, and a friends, discussing the importance of black hair care, the industry, and mixed-race identity. This piece is presented online, in a non-linear format which allows viewers to watch at their own pace. The research component delves into the complexities of race, identity, heritage and pursuing research-creation.


identifier: Jimenez Garcia, John  (2019) Movement Skills Assessment tool: A validation study using a modified Delphi method.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Physical activity is integrated in preventive health programs due to its health-related benefits. Increasing physical activity levels in children and adolescents is a global objective that focuses in cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors. Physical literacy and models of motor development suggest a positive association between movement competence and physical activity. Poor movement competence is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and is a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury.
Promoting physical activity and sports participation is crucial; however, participating in physical activity and sports has been related to increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. Assessments of physical literacy and movement competence are mainly focused on motor development factors, but injury prevention techniques are not considered in these assessments. Our objective was to establish the face and content validity of four movement skills, each with four evaluation criteria, to create a movement skills assessment tool for 8-12-year-old children to fill the gap between movement competence and injury prevention assessments.
We used a modified Delphi method to survey an international expert panel of clinicians, researchers, and practitioners (n=22). Three rounds of surveys were used to achieve consensus on the validity of four movement skills and evaluation criteria. Consensus was achieved when 75% or more of the experts scored “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” using a 5-point Likert scale. In the first and second Delphi-rounds, the expert panel achieved consensus on the validity of eight movement skills and 53 evaluation criteria. In the third round, the experts ranked the movement skills and evaluation criteria to identify the top four movement skills and top four evaluation criteria per movement skill to create the movement skills assessment tool.
This study provided preliminary validity evidence for the movement skills assessment tool. Future research should evaluate other psychometric properties and assess injury outcomes of a movement-oriented intervention. The movement skills assessment tool will be used to screen movement competence and identify movement patterns that present risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in different settings with minimal equipment.


identifier: de Jesus, Desirée  (2019) Precarious Girlhood: Problematizing Tropes of Feminine Development in Post-2009 Recessionary Cinema.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Following the 2008 Global Recession, there was a significant change in the cinematic depiction of at-risk girls and the telos of their girlhood development. Unlike films released between 2000 and 2008, about girls engaging in risky behavior or rendered vulnerable by difficult circumstances, these new representations failed to offer recuperative conclusions showing the protagonists reflecting on lessons learned or disavowing their dangerous involvements. Rather, this new body of films about at-risk girlhood portrayed girls who appeared to be empowered but were unable to overcome their precarious positioning and achieve appropriate adult femininity.

Identifying this trend in post-2009 recessionary festival films from the United States, Canada, France, Peru, and China, this dissertation performs dialogical textual analyses of similarly themed works about precarious girlhood development. This work looks closely at relationships between worsening inequalities under neoliberalism and the ideology’s increased emphases on individual responsibility and the cultivation of resilience and flexibility. At the same time, it examines how this interrelationship reconfigures the significant roles that mother/daughter relationships, domestication, consumption and female best friendship traditionally play in girls’ enculturation into adult femininity onscreen. Using an intersectional feminist phenomenological approach, this project pursues two lines of inquiry investigating the emergence of new feminine subjectivities within late modern and recessionary risk environments: firstly, how these marginalized girls understand and navigate their precarity, and secondly, how the girls’ self-understanding changes as they fail to achieve traditional markers of successful feminine development.

Concentrating on similarities between postfeminism and neoliberal governmentality, each chapter examines how a subset of similarly themed films interrogate the notion that success and failure are solely the results of individual choices and efforts. The first chapter explores the reconfigured mother/daughter relationships in La teta asustada (Claudia Llosa, 2009, Spain/Peru) and Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Jeff Barnaby, 2013, Canada), two films about Indigenous girls whose close involvements with their mothers’ corpses mediate their healing from intergenerational trauma and their subject formation. The second chapter examines the reimagining of the symbolic value of the notion of “home” and the process of domestication in three American independent films about economic and housing precarity: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (Lee Daniels, 2009, USA), Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik, 2010, USA), and Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin, 2012, USA). The third chapter analyzes how the disordered consumption patterns of the lead female characters in Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine, 2012, USA/France), Bande de filles (Céline Sciamma, 2014, France), and Guo chun tian (Bai Xue, 2018, China) reconfigure the roles of best friendship and the makeover in girlhood development. Given the pedagogical function of neoliberal postfeminist media targeted primarily at female audiences, each chapter also argues that this dynamic is entangled with the heuristic purposes of the coming-of-age narrative, thus offering the implied female spectators opportunities to cultivate traits that are related to the films’ reconfiguration of traditional, heteronormative tropes of feminine development.


identifier: Mathieu-Soucy, Sarah  (2019) Becoming a Teacher: An Inquiry Into the Experiences of Novice Teachers of Mathematics in Cegep.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation presents an inquiry into the experiences of novice teachers (under five years of experience) of mathematics in cegep institutions, the first step of postsecondary education in Quebec, Canada. Using Dewey’s theory of learning alongside narrative inquiry’s conceptualization of life as lived narratively, our aim is to contribute to the understanding of the process of becoming a cegep mathematics teacher, the research puzzle of this study. For this purpose, I met five novice mathematics cegep teachers, individually except for one meeting with three of them, each seven times, to talk about mathematics, teaching, and learning and created field texts associated with these meetings. As we realized these novice teachers spoke of who they are and are becoming in terms of their past experiences as students, as teachers, and outside of school, we decided to attend to the ways novice teachers’ stories, stories they live and tell as teachers, are shaped (justified, modified, or affirmed) by these past experiences. Based on the field texts and the notes I took during our meetings, I wrote a booklet of research texts that narrates justifications, modifications, and affirmations of stories. We then analyzed these research texts attending to the ways novice teachers’ stories were shaped according to three emerging strands of analysis: implicit training experiences, explicit training experiences, and experiences in relation to university mathematics. Then, we explore what this analysis tells us about our research puzzle. We end by exploring resonant threads, particular plotlines, and patterns about the process of becoming a teacher of mathematics in cegep, which emerged from the analysis conducted, the booklet of stories and the field texts. We address: bumping stories and tensions that can prevent novice teachers from living stories, novice teachers’ unique journey to teaching, novice teachers’ inclination to strive towards quality teaching, the connection between the process of becoming a teacher and being a university student in mathematics, and a characterization of the valid behaviours novice cegep teachers engaged in as they entered the profession.


identifier: Mehri-Dehnavi, Razieh  (2019) A Machine Learning Approach for Optimizing Heuristic Decision-making in OWL Reasoners.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Description Logics (DLs) are formalisms for representing knowledge bases of application domains. TheWeb Ontology Language (OWL) is a syntactic variant of a very expressive description logic. OWL reasoners can infer implied information from OWL ontologies. The performance of OWL reasoners can be severely affected by situations that require decision-making over many alternatives. Such a non-deterministic behavior is often controlled by heuristics that are based on insufficient information. This thesis proposes a novel OWL reasoning approach that applies machine learning (ML) to implement pragmatic and optimal decision-making strategies in such situations.
Disjunctions occurring in ontologies are one source of non deterministic actions in reasoners. We propose two ML-based approaches to reduce the non-determinism caused by dealing with disjunctions. The first approach is restricted to propositional description logic while the second one can deal with standard description logic.
The first approach builds a logistic regression classifier that chooses a proper branching heuristic for an input ontology. Branching heuristics are first developed to help Propositional Satisfiability (SAT) based solvers with making decisions about which branch to pick in each branching level.
The second approach is the developed version of the first approach. An SVM (Support Vector Machine) classier is designed to select an appropriate expansion-ordering heuristic for an input ontology. The built-in heuristics are designed for expansion ordering of satisfiability testing in OWL reasoners.
They determine the order for branches in search trees.
Both of the above approaches speed up our ML-based reasoner by up to two orders of magnitude in comparison to the non-ML reasoner.
Another source of non-deterministic actions is the order in which tableau rules should be applied. On average, our ML-based approach that is an SVM classifier achieves a speedup of two orders of magnitude when compared to the most expensive rule ordering of the non-ML reasoner.


identifier: Callocchia, Marianna  (2019) The Judicialization of Politics in Canada and the Policy Legacy of the McLachlin Court (2000-2017).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the birth of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, the Supreme Court has been charged with being an extremely activist Court responsible for initiating fundamental policy reform via its remedial powers (s. 24(1)). Relatively few studies exist, however, which attempt to evaluate the truth of these claims. Stated differently, few have studied whether judicial invalidation actually results in fundamental policy change. Utilizing dialogue theory as the framework of analysis, complemented with a modified approach to Matthew Hall’s (2010) theory of final appellate courts as ‘implementer-dependent’ institutions, the study attempts to fill this gap. By conducting six case studies of salient and controversial issues of public policy, and by analyzing the corresponding legislative sequels introduced by federal or provincial governments in response to judicial invalidation, the study attempts to measure the policy impact and legacy of the McLachlin Court, and to understand the conditions under which the Supreme Court behaves as a powerful policymaking institution. The thesis demonstrates that the Court’s policy clout is contingent on whether the federal or provincial legislatures, as the designers and implementers of public policy, create conditions favorable to judicial policymaking and the judicialization of politics. The findings illustrate that, given the right set of circumstances – namely when the Court delivers a decision that proves to be unpopular with the non-judicial actors responsible for enforcing the judicial ruling, and, as a result, when the responsible legislature introduces reply legislation that challenges, or ineffectively implements, the Court’s decision – judicial power will be rather limited.


identifier: Luo, Yisha  (2019) Multi-Criteria Spatial Analysis of Multi-Purpose Utility Tunnels.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Repeated excavations of buried utilities cause road congestion and maintenance conflicts. Besides, the interference of buried utilities in limited underground spaces does not meet the requirement of sustainable urban underground development. Multi-purpose utility tunnels (MUTs) integrate all utilities together in one tunnel and can be accessed by humans. MUTs reduce the excavation needs and costs and avoid the traffic congestion caused by excavations. MUTs also provide easy access for inspection and maintenance of all types of utilities inside the tunnel. MUTs have been in existence since the 19th century. MUTs in Europe and Japan were developed rapidly especially during the period 1961 to 2000. However, the development of new tunnels in recent years is limited and lacks long-term planning. MUT projects in North America are mainly in university campuses. On the other hand, China is making a big progress in MUT planning and construction because the Chinese government is taking MUT construction as an important urban infrastructure development. Focusing on China, the experience of MUT planning, construction and management in China can be very useful for other countries to examine the potential of MUTs as a sustainable option for future municipal asset rehabilitation projects. MUT planning is a key factor of urban underground space planning, which is an important part of urban planning. Previous research focused on MUT technologies; however, few researches focused on MUT planning. Location selection for MUTs is an important phase for MUT planning and it is complicated because it depends on several criteria, such as traffic volume and the density of the utilities. This research provides a general method for MUT location selection at different urban scales (e.g. street, district, borough) using Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is used in this research to select potential MUT locations. The weights of the criteria are calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Several cases studies are used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. The specific objectives of the research are: (1) Review the history and recent development of MUTs in the world; (2) Carry out a cost analysis based on the project information to find out the relationship between cost and MUT cross section dimension, etc.; (3) Provide a general method for MUT location selection based on GIS spatial analysis.
The conclusions of this research are as follows: (1) The experience of MUT planning and construction in Asia especially in China provides an alternative method for underground utilities, and is very useful for other countries to examine the feasibility of applying MUTs for future municipal asset rehabilitation projects. (2) Based on the AHP results, among the eight criteria used in the questionnaire, the most important criteria for MUT location selection are Annual Average Daily Traffic, utility density, expected number of excavations and future underground development projects. (3) The general method to select potential MUT locations using GIS spatial analysis is feasible.


identifier: Phipps, Kelly  (2019) “Look over here, look over there, lesbians are everywhere”: Locating Activist Lesbians in Queer Liberation History.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Body Politic was a seminal lesbian and gay liberation journal that published monthly between 1971-1987. Produced in Toronto, it became a formative voice in the emergent lesbian and gay liberation movement in English Canada. It is a rich body of knowledge that has been thoroughly excavated to explore the lives and experiences of gay men and erotic masculinity during the period. There is a common misperception that queer women were absent from the journal and the movement more broadly. In this dissertation, I argue that they were far from absent, though certainly absented. The grand narrative of the liberation period posits two polarized groups: a gay movement seeking freedom from state regulation of sexuality versus a women’s movement seeking state protections to secure women’s freedom, with the two camps coming to a head over key issues, including intergenerational sex, SM, pornography, and sex work. This dissertation examines women’s contributions to the journal and the larger ArQuives, to reveal a group, whom I term activist lesbians (as opposed to gay liberationists or lesbian feminists), who navigated these seemingly oppositional movements. Throughout, they remained true to the radical liberatory roots of the gay liberation movement because they continued to incorporate and push for an intersectional feminist praxis. This dissertation identifies defining moments that are often overlooked in queer history. The analysis grapples with the legacy of The Body Politic, questioning the progress of queer liberation.


identifier: Stevens, Samantha ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3148-2386 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3148-2386>  (2020) Towards Reconciliation: The White Saviour Trope in Canadian Newspaper coverage of Grassy Narrows First Nation between 1977 and 2019.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The white saviour trope that has been identified in films has yet to extend beyond the scope of cinematic inquiry. However, this trope does exist in Canadian news media as a vestige of colonial ideology passed down from the British empire. Since, reconciliation with First Nations people in Canada was one of the promises made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was elected in 2015, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada finished its investigation into the impact of the residential school system the same year, addressing the white saviour in the news today is important. This thesis reveals the white saviour trope within news discourse through four major registers, privilege, guilt, savagery, and inferiority, in order to help journalists facilitate social change. By using Fairclough’s three dimensional analytical framework, this thesis examines coverage of Grassy Narrows and the mercury contamination there in a case study spanning 1977 to 2019 in three of Canada’s largest newspapers: the Toronto Star, National Post, and Globe and Mail.


identifier: Zhou, Jie  (2019) Political connections, Employees’ Benefits and Firm Performance ：Evidence from the Chinese Private Firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this paper is to study how political connections affect the employees’ benefits and the firm performance of private firms listed in Chinese stock market. I use a sample of 1,583 private firms from15 industries in Chinese A-share market (Shenzhen and Shanghai stock market) from 2008 to 2017. I find that the employees’ benefits in politically connected firms are not as high as generally expected, but the firms with political connections hire more employees in order to show their social responsibility. Common perception is that a politically connected firm will get lots of benefits from the government; however, the results show that the political connections damage the performance of the firm. The results also show that the improvement of employees’ benefits improves the firm performance, and the representative connection plays a more important role in improving the performance of firms when compared with official connection.


identifier: Akbar, Walid  (2019) The Effect of Consumers’ Self-Congruence with Brand Endorsers on Consumer Responses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Self-congruence is the degree to which consumers perceive brands to be similar to themselves. It is measured in terms of either actual self-congruence, where consumers feel the brand is similar to their current self, or ideal self-congruence, where consumers feel the brand represents their personal aspirational values. The objective of this paper is to explore how perceived self-congruence with a brand’s spokespersons or spokes-characters affects consumer responses, measured in terms of emotional brand attachment, purchase intent, and brand recall. Furthermore, this thesis explores the moderating role of implicit self-theory. The results indicate that actual (versus ideal) self-congruence has a more positive significant effect on emotional brand attachment and purchase intent. Actual self-congruence also has a significant and negative relation with recall. Implicit self-theory did not emerge as a significant moderator.


identifier: Grasso, María José  (2019) Development of a Mode I test rig for quantitative measurements of ice adhesion using tensile stress.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Every winter in Canada, ice formation affects airplanes, power lines, telecommunications equipment, windmills, ships and rail transport. Icing in aeronautics augment significant human and monetary costs. From the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Accident Database, during a 19-year period 583 accidents and more than 800 fatalities were caused by airframe icing accidents. Ice accumulation on aerostructures causes a variety of issues — loss of lift, increase in drag, jamming of control surfaces or of mechanical parts, damage of engine blades. Thus, aircraft icing affects the safety of flight and increases fuel consumption. Engineers have developed various techniques for anti-\ and de-icing areas for components of an aircraft that are affected. In laboratory settings, these technologies show promising results. However, they are designed and tested under ‘‘ideal’’ conditions and consequently they often underperform in practical applications. Not all of the technologies make it beyond the conceptual phase, which is also due to the fact that the processes of ice accretion and ice adhesion are not fully understood yet.
The purpose of this thesis is to study the available ice adhesion tests in order to select and develop an easy to use and reproducible testing tool for measuring ice adhesion. The Mode I or tensile was chosen because the analysis of the results is well understood, the test is fully controlled and it can be easily reproduced. Test results will simulate real, in-flight icing conditions. Mode I applies tensile loading at the ice-substrate interface. The CRT icing wind tunnel has the capability of investigating the ice adhesion with a bending cantilever test that measures the ice-substrate interfacial strength based on harmonic excitation with a permanent magnet shaker. This proposed study will help researchers and engineers to develop reliable systems by correlating the complementary ice adhesion results obtained from the Mode I and the bending cantilever tests. The intention is to minimize the risk of failures when conducting full-scale or flight testing. The prevention of ice build-up on aircraft structures or its easy removal will reduce safety hazards, in addition to leading to considerable savings, both financial and environmental. Further advancement in the technology of ice protection systems will contribute to retaining Canada’s position as the leading authority of aerospace, green energy production, and consumer products.


identifier: Safaei Ardakani, Farshad  (2019) Cost comparative analysis of two-tiered and multi-tiered approaches to MRI for multiple sclerosis and prostate cancer.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Every year, a vast amount of money is spent across Canada for healthcare. In fact, Canada healthcare system has been spending more than numerous other countries, yet the outcome is not proportional to the efforts and budget that have been used. A big chunk of the pie of expense surplus comes from over-utilization of resources. Most notably, around 20 % to 50 % of this cost stems from the high-tech imaging modality, especially MRI scanners. This over-utilization in MRI procedures leads to higher costs for the system and patients, longer waiting time, and patients’ dissatisfaction. Researchers have developed methods to improve patient experience and the population’s health while reducing the per capita cost of healthcare. Motivated by the mentioned facts, the primary purpose of this thesis is to compare two-tiered and multi tiered approaches to MRI for the diagnostics of multiple sclerosis (MS) and prostate cancer (PC) diagnosis in a community-based practice in a large metropolitan area in Canada. The goal is to identify the best procedure protocol in terms of cost, efficiency and throughput. In particular, our contributions are two-fold. First, we compare different MRI procedures to MS diagnostics based on referring physician specialization (i.e. neurologists and non neurologists referrals). We further investigate the dependency between the test results and referral pattern via conducting a statistical hypothesis test. Our second contribution revolves around the comparison between two-tiered and multi-tiered MRI procedures for PC diagnostics in terms of cost and efficiency. Through a decision tree analysis, we demonstrate that two-tiered MS MRI approach and two-tiered MpMRI for PC turns out to be the most cost efficient methods with the lowest number of adverse events while improving patients experience through reducing the number of callbacks and venipuncture/contrast complications.


identifier: MOHAMED, ISSA MOHAMED SASI HOWASH ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9456-3466 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9456-3466>  (2019) High Gain Broadband mm-Wave Antenna Arrays for Short-range Wireless Communication Systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Recently, the ever-increasing demand for fifth-generation (5G) wireless applications has turned millimeter-wave (mm-wave) multi-beam array antenna into quite a promising research direction. Besides offering a remarkable bandwidth for high-speed wireless connectivity, the short wavelengths (1 to 10 mm) of mm-wave signals makes the size of the antenna array with beamforming network (BFN) compatible with a transceiver front-end. The high losses associated with mm-wave wireless   links and systems considered the foremost challenge and may restrict the wireless communication range. Therefore, a wideband substrate integrated waveguide (SIW)-based antenna with high gain and beam scanning capabilities would be a solution for these challenges, as it can increase the coverage area of mm-wave wireless systems and mitigate the multipath interference to achieve a high signal to noise (S/N) ratio, and thereby fulfill the link budget requirements.
    This thesis focuses on the analysis and design of single- and multi-beam mm-wave antenna arrays based on SIW technology to fulfill the growing demand for wideband high-gain planar antenna arrays with beam steering capability at V-band. A tapered slot antenna (TSA) and cavity-backed patch antenna are used as the main radiators in these systems to achieve high-gain and high efficiency over a wide range of operating frequencies. Accordingly, numerous design challenges and BFN-related issues have been addressed in this work.
     Firstly, an antipodal Fermi tapered slot antenna (AFTSA) with sine-shaped corrugations is proposed at V-band. The antenna provides a flat measured gain of 20 dB with a return loss better than 22 dB. In addition, A broadband double-layer SIW-to-slotline transition is proposed to feed a planar linearly tapered slot antenna (PLTSA) covering the band 46-72 GHz. This new feeding technique, which addresses the bandwidth limits of regular microstrip-to-slotline transitions and avoids the bond wires and air bridges, is utilized to feed a 1x4 SIW-based PLTSA array.
    Secondly, a new cavity-backed aperture-coupled patch antenna with overlapped 1-dB gain and impedance bandwidth of 43.4 % (56-87 GHz) for |S11| < -10 dB and an average gain of 8.2 dBi is designed. A detailed operating principle is presented. Based on the proposed element, an SIW based 1x8 array is constructed, whose beam-shape is synthesized by amplitude tapering according to Taylor distribution to reduce the sidelobe level. Moreover, a four-layered 4x4 cavity-backed antenna array with a low-loss full-corporate SIW feed network is implemented for gain and aperture efficiency enhancement. The measured results exhibited a bandwidth of 38.4 % (55.2-81.4 GHz) for |S11| < -10 dB and a gain of 20.5 dBi. A single-layer right-angle transition between SIW and air-filled WR15 waveguide along with an equivalent circuit model is introduced and used to measure the performance of both proposed linear and planar arrays.
     Thirdly, two 1-D scanning multi-beam array designs based on SIW technology, at 60 GHz, have been presented. The first design is a compact multi-beam scanning 4x4 slot antenna array with broadside radiation. The BFN is implemented using a dual-layer 4x4 Butler matrix, where the 450 and 00 phase shifters are designed on a separate layer with different permittivity, resulting in a significant size reduction compared to a conventional single layer. A detailed theoretical analysis, principle of operation and the circuit-model of the proposed phase shifter have been discussed, showing less desperation characteristics compared to ordinary phase shifters. The measured results show an azimuthal coverage of 1210. The second design is a wideband high gain multi-beam tapered slot antenna array with end-fire radiation. An SIW Butler matrix with a modified hybrid crossover is used as a BFN. The fabricated prototype exhibits a field of view of 970 in the azimuthal plane, with measured gain ranges from 12.7 to 15.6 dBi.
      Lastly, a novel three-layered SIW-fed cavity-backed linearly polarized (LP) patch antenna element is presented, covering a bandwidth of 36.2 % (53-76.4 GHz) with a flat gain ranging from 7.6 to 8.2 dBi. A compact two-layered beam forming network is designed with a size reduction of 28 % compared to a standard one-layered BFN without affecting its s-parameters. The results show that the impedance bandwidth is 31.1 % (51.5-70.5 GHz) for |S11|<-16 dB with an average insertion loss of 1.3 dB. The proposed antenna element and BFN are employed to form a compact 2x2 multibeam array at 60 GHz for 2-D scanning applications. The array shows a bandwidth better than 27 % with a radiation gain of up to 12.4 dBi and radiation efficiency of 80%. The multi-beam array features four tilted beams at 330 from a boresight direction with 450, 1350, 2250 and 3150 in azimuth directions, i.e., on e beam in each quadrant.


identifier: Ashikuzzaman, Md  (2019) Estimation and Enhancement of Tissue Motion Using Ultrasound Imaging.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
One of the major advantages of ultrasound is its ability to image at very high frame rates, which can be exploited to track tissue motion. In this thesis, we focus on two important applications of motion estimation, namely ultrasound elastography and clutter suppression. In both of these applications, the tracking problem poses several technical challenges and as such is an active field of research. In elastography, tracking motion while a tissue undergoes some deformation reveals the physiological condition of the tissue by mapping its mechanical properties. We process ultrasound Radio-Frequency (RF) frames acquired before and after tissue deformation to estimate tissue displacement and eventually tissue strain. We propose a novel ultrasound elastography method where unlike conventional techniques, three ultrasound RF frames are taken into account to devise a cost function consisting of data term, spatial regularization terms and temporal continuity prior. We find the strain map by taking the spatial derivative of frame to frame displacement field estimated by efficient optimization of the aforementioned cost function. Validation with simulation, phantom and in-vivo liver data shows that the proposed technique substantially outperforms the state-of-the-art ultrasound elastography algorithms in terms of conventional quality metrics such as Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) and Strain Ratio (SR).

In clutter suppression, enhancement of blood flow by suppressing the clutter (i.e. non-moving stationary tissue) components is vital for assessing vascular health. In this thesis, a novel technique for suppressing clutter in ultrasound Color Flow Imaging (CFI) has also been proposed. Since the state-of-the-art Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based technique is highly dependent on the proper selection of the boundaries between different subspaces, it is prone to producing nonoptimal clutter suppressed power Doppler images. In addition, extensive manual intervention typically needed to find the correct subspace ranks makes SVD difficult to be implemented on clinical ultrasound machines. To overcome these limitations, we propose to look at the clutter suppression problem from the standpoint of separating the foreground from the background. Precisely, we adapt the fast Robust Matrix Completion Algorithm (fRMC) where the in-face extended Frank-Wolfe method has been taken into account to decompose the Casorati matrix into low rank clutter and sparse blood components without requiring any manual tuning. We validate the proposed algorithm with simulation, experimental flow phantom, in-vivo animal and human datasets to show that our technique confidently attains the optimal result without requiring any manual intervention.


identifier: Taleb Soghadi, Zahra ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2666-8709 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2666-8709>  (2019) Detection and Recognition of License Plates by Convolutional Neural Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The current advancements in machine intelligence have expedited the process of recognizing vehicles and other objects on the roads. The License Plate Recognition system (LPR) is an open challenge for many researchers to develop a reliable and accurate system for automatic license plate recognition. Several methods including Deep Learning techniques have been proposed recently for LPR, yet those methods are limited to specific regions or privately collected datasets.
In this thesis, we propose an end-to-end Deep Convolutional Neural Network system for license plate recognition that is not limited to a specific region or country. We apply a modified version of YOLO v2 to first recognize the vehicle and then localize the license plate. Moreover, through the convolutional procedures, we improve an Optical Character Recognition network (OCR-Net) to recognize the license plate numbers and letters.
Our method performs well for different vehicle types such as sedans, SUVs, buses, motorbikes, and trucks. The system works reliably on images of the front and rear views of the vehicle, and it also overcomes tilted or distorted license plate images and performs adequately under various illumination conditions, and noisy backgrounds. Several experiments have been carried out on various types of images from privately collected and publicly available datasets including OPEN-ALPR (BR, EU, US) which consists of 115 Brazilian, 108 European, and 222 North American images, CENPARMI includes 440 from Chinese, US, and different provinces of Canada and UFPR-ALPR includes 4500 Brazilian license plate images; images of those datasets have several challenges: i.e. single to multiple vehicles in an image, license plates of different countries, vehicles at different distances, and images taken by several types of cameras including cellphone cameras. Our experimental results show that the proposed system achieves 98.04% accuracy on average for OPEN-ALPR dataset, 88.5% for the more challenging CENPARMI dataset and 97.42% for UFPR-ALPR dataset respectively, outperforming the state-of-the-art commercial and academics.


identifier: Iantorno, Michael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5456-1001 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5456-1001>  (2019) Sub-Versions: Investigating Videogame Hacking Practices and Subcultures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
“Hacking” is an evocative term — one that is mired in tropes that reduce a diverse range of practices into a few stereotypically malicious activities. This thesis aims to explore one hacking practice, videogame hacking, whose practitioners make unauthorized alterations to videogames after their release. Through interviews, game analysis, and reflective writing, this thesis investigates videogame hacking subcultures of production — communities of creative labour that exist in the margins of mediamaking and the fringes of the law.

This thesis begins by reviewing popular media and existing accounts of computer hacker culture, primarily Steven Levy’s Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution and Gabriella Coleman’s Coding Freedom, in order to contextualize videogame hacking in broader histories of computer culture. Using this analysis as a starting point, the author then proposes a reflexive methodological framework for studying videogame hacking subcultures, designed to accommodate the ephemerality of virtual communities and the apprehensions of participants.

The following two chapters refer to participant interviews to pursue two avenues of research. First, drawing upon Michel de Certeau’s writing on strategies versus tactics and Henry Jenkins chronicling of prohibitionist and collaborationist models, this study explores how intellectual property law serves as a site of tension between media companies and videogame fans. Second, the author explores the diverse motivations of videogame hackers who create works that are undistributable through commercial markets and may face the risk of legal action.


identifier: O'Loughlin, Erin  (2019) Contribution of Exergaming Behaviour to Physical Activity: Toward Better Understanding the Role of Motivation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits. Because PA patterns established early in life track into adulthood, it is important that children develop and sustain healthy PA habits. Current guidelines recommend that youth accumulate ≥ 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity PA daily, but many youth do not attain this level. Evaluation of public health interventions that aim to promote PA provide little evidence of sustained positive effects over time. This could relate, at least in part, to interventions lacking a strong conceptual foundation and, in particular, to a lack of underpinnings that recognize the central role of motivation in PA. It is important that effective strategies to increase and sustain healthy PA levels in youth are identified. The Self-Determination Theory is used to explain why people adopt and maintain healthy PA behaviors and posits that sustained PA relates to natural or intrinsic tendencies or motivations to behave in healthy and effective ways. Positive PA experiences in school, at home and in community settings may foster an internal desire or motivation to sustain PA participation simply for its challenges or for enjoyment. Lack of sustained PA among youth could reflect a scarcity of enjoyable PA options that fit with the sophisticated technetronic expectations of youth today. PA interventions must “keep up with the times,” by acknowledging young peoples’ prevailing interests and by incorporating advancements in technology that heighten interest and motivation for PA.
Exergaming, a type of non-sedentary videogame that requires players to be physically active in order to attain a series of incrementally challenging goals, is increasingly viewed as an enjoyable PA option among today’s technology-immersed youth. However, although critical to informing the design, implementation and sustainability of exergaming interventions, evidence on exergaming-related motivation, preferences, intentions and sustainability is lacking.  Research in this domain is needed to ascertain whether exergaming interventions can help youth become and remain physically active, and which facets of exergaming hold the most promise in sustaining positive PA change. More specifically, using “gamified augmented reality” such as exergaming could help youth attain recommended PA levels and promote sustainable healthy behaviour, while at the same time contributing to enjoyment of PA.
The three studies described in this thesis examine motivation and exergaming in-depth using SDT and its tenants as a theoretical guide and a common theme across studies. Thus, the role of motivation and intentions in exergaming behaviour and how they contribute to PA in the general population of youth is a key contribution of this dissertation.
Study 1, a review of reviews on exergaming, provides background for the next two studies, each of which was conducted in population-based (as opposed to clinical or experimental) settings. Twenty-five reviews spanning 2009 to 2016 were retained, each of which incorporated between 5 and 100 articles. A positive relationship between exergaming and energy expenditure (EE) was well-documented, but whether exergaming increases PA or changes body composition was not established. There is however, evidence that exergaming (i.e., as a non-sedentary use of screens) is a healthy alternative to sedentary behaviour, that it improves cognitive function, that it is an interesting and enjoyable pastime in youth, that it shows promise as a PA option by adding variety and alternative PA forms in health and dietary interventions and finally that it is likely more health-promoting than traditional videogames because of higher EE and possibly improved physical fitness, body composition and cognitive health. However, more research and specifically, longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether exergaming can be sustained to obtain these benefits over time.
Study 2 identified correlates of sustained exergaming. We reported that almost 50% of grade 9 students sustained exergaming for 2-3 years. Study results suggest that in non-clinical settings, exergaming may be a practical approach to help adolescents maintain PA during adolescence.
Study 3 examined the psychometric properties of a new scale to assess reasons for exergaming (i.e., the Reasons to Exergame (RTEX) scale). This study also examined whether and how the scale relates to the timing, intensity and duration of past-month exergaming. RTEX items were developed in consultation with PA and exergaming experts and using key exergaming constructs, including PA, general interest in videogames and enjoyment of exergaming. RTEX was found to be a reliable and valid assessment of reasons to exergame. However, further studies should replicate these initial findings in larger, more diverse samples.


identifier: Liu, Jiang Tian  (2019) Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling as An Efficient Synthetic Tool for Thiophene-Based Materials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Conjugated thiophene-based material are highly desired materials in various fields of organic electronic materials. Poly/oligothiophene are among the most common substrate used in many different organic electronic materials. The general synthesis involves cross-coupling reactions such as Migita-Stille, Corriu-Kumada, Negishi, and Suzuki-Miyaura. These reactions are robust methodologies, but often involves organometallic reagents and produce metallic waste. Direct (hetero)arylation has been proposed as a greener approach for constructing conjugate-polymeric materials. However, for the many thiophene-based materials they suffer from regioselectivity issues and unwanted side-reactions. Alternatively, decarboxylative cross- coupling provides excellent regioselectivity through the carboxylic acid functional group, that has been demonstrated as an excellent synthetic tool for bi-aryl and/or tri-aryl targets. We envisioned utilizing this method as an efficient strategy for constructing a library of oligothiophenes, where it would be complementary to existing methodologies, and provides a greener approach for green energy applications. Herein, we developed improved reaction conditions without the need of base to prepare a library of poly/oligothiophene. The modularity of our new approach is demonstrated with a scope of 25 different type of symmetric oligothiophenes with highlights in synthesizing symmetrical oligothiophenes with up to 10 thiophene units. Furthermore, this method was also applied towards the synthesis of regioregular oligothiophene and polythiophene. Decarboxylative cross-coupling has demonstrated complete chemoselectivity for thiophene-based oligomers through this work and proven as a comprehensive greener approach compared to the existing synthetic methodologies.


identifier: Afify, Badr  (2020) Facility Location Planning Under Disruption.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Facility Location Problems (FLPs) such as the Uncapacitated Facility Location (UFL) and the Capacitated Facility Location (CFL) along with the k-Shortest Path Problem (k-SPP) are
important research problems in managing supply chain networks (SCNs) and related operations. In UFL, there is no limit on the facility serving capacity while in CFL such limit is
imposed. FLPs aim to find the best facility locations to meet the customer demands within the available capacity with minimized facility establishment and transportation costs. The objective of the (k-SPP) is to find the k minimal length and partial overlapping paths between two nodes in a transport network graph. In the literature, many approaches are proposed to solve these problems. However, most of these approaches assume totally reliable facilities and do not consider the failure probability of the facilities, which can lead to notably higher cost. In this thesis, we investigate the reliable uncapacitated facility location (RUFL)and the reliable
capacitated facility location (RCFL) problems, and the k-SPP where potential facilities are exposed to disruption then propose corresponding solution approaches to efficiently
handle these problems. An evolutionary learning technique is elaborated to solve RUFL. Then, a non-linear integer programming model is introduced for the RCFL along with a
solution approach involving the linearization of the model and its use as part of an iterative procedure leveraging CPLEX for facility establishment and customer assignment along with a knapsack implementation aiming at deriving the best facility fortification. In RUFL and RCFL, we assume heterogeneous disruption with respect to the facilities, each customer is assigned to primary and backup facilities and a fixed fortification budget allows to make a subset of the facilities totally reliable. Finally, we propose a hybrid approach based on graph partitioning and modified Dijkstra algorithm to find k partial overlapping shortest paths between two nodes on a transport network that is exposed to heterogeneous connected node failures. The approaches are illustrated via individual case studies along with corresponding key insights. The performance of each approach is assessed using benchmark results. For the k-SPP, the effect of preferred establishment locations is analyzed with respect to disruption scenarios, failure probability, computation time, transport costs, network size
and partitioning parameters.


identifier: Shen, Shaobo  (2020) The impact of cash holdings and financial leverage on stock performance in boom and crisis periods.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper explores the effects of cash holdings and financial leverage on firms’ stock performance in contrasting economic periods: booms and crises. We use US listed firms with S&P investment grade ratings as our sample and select four different periods to represent economic expansion and distress. Using an expanded Fama-French model, we conclude that cash holdings and financial leverage exhibit opposite influences during different periods. Rich cash holdings can significantly protect firm stock performance during recession periods, but conversely can damage stock performance during economic growth periods. Moreover, aggressive financial leverage strategies are positively associated with stock performance during expansion periods and negatively associated with stock performance during economic recessions.


identifier: Murphy-Gelderman, Fina  (2020) "Children learn what they live": Foster Parents' Experiences and the Emotional Curriculum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
“Children learn what they live”: Foster Parents' Experiences and the Emotional Curriculum
Fina Murphy-Gelderman

Foster parents play an important role in the lives of foster children. This study elicited the perceptions of six foster parents about their roles as caregivers to foster children. The value of foster parents cannot be overexpressed, as they have a huge potential to be positive influences in their caregiving roles for foster children. This study was guided by two questions: 1) How do foster parents understand their roles as caregivers for their foster children? and 2) How do foster parents understand their roles in providing a learning environment for their foster children? These questions morphed into one central inquiry exploring how the role of a caregiver is intricately connected to providing a learning environment. The data was analyzed through the lens of curriculum studies using open coding, resulting in emergent themes about foster parents’ perceptions about their roles and responsibilities as caregivers as well as challenges that foster parents and foster children experience. Curriculum theorists such as Parker Palmer and John Dewey afford vital insight into the importance of the data, opening up the discussion to notions of emotional curriculum and the need for trauma-informed practices. This study provides rich descriptions of insights from foster parent on the foster care system. Findings suggest that raising awareness of the need to attend to foster children’s emotions and history of trauma may be one way forward to providing the best care for children living in foster care
Keywords: foster care, foster parents, caregivers, emotional curriculum


identifier: Azam, Muhammad  (2019) Bounded Support Finite Mixtures for Multidimensional Data Modeling and Clustering.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Data is ever increasing with today’s many technological advances in terms of both quantity and dimensions. Such inflation has posed various challenges in statistical and data analysis methods and hence requires the development of new powerful models for transforming the data into useful information. Therefore, it was necessary to explore and develop new ideas and techniques to keep pace with challenging learning applications in data analysis, modeling and pattern recognition. Finite mixture models have received considerable attention due to their ability to effectively and efficiently model high dimensional data. In mixtures, choice of distribution is a critical issue and it has been observed that in many real life applications, data exist in a bounded support region, whereas distributions adopted to model the data lie in unbounded support regions. Therefore, it was proposed to define bounded support distributions in mixtures and introduce a modified procedure for parameters estimation by considering the bounded support of underlying distributions. The main goal of this thesis is to introduce bounded support mixtures, their parameters estimation, automatic determination of number of mixture components and application of mixtures in feature extraction techniques to overall improve the learning pipeline. Five different unbounded support distributions are selected for applying the idea of bounded support mixtures and modified parameters estimation using maximum likelihood via Expectation-Maximization (EM). Probability density functions selected for this thesis include Gaussian, Laplace, generalized Gaussian, asymmetric Gaussian and asymmetric generalized Gaussian distributions, which are chosen due to their flexibility and broad applications in speech and image processing. The proposed bounded support mixtures are applied in various speech and images datasets to create leaning applications to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed approach. Mixtures of bounded Gaussian and bounded Laplace are also applied in feature extraction and data representation techniques, which further improves the learning and modeling capability of underlying models. The proposed feature representation via bounded support mixtures is applied in both speech and images datasets to examine its performance. Automatic selection of number of mixture components is very important in clustering and parameter learning is highly dependent on model selection and it is proposed for mixture of bounded Gaussian and bounded asymmetric generalized Gaussian using minimum message length. Proposed model selection criterion and parameter learning are simultaneously applied in speech and images datasets for both models to examine the model selection performance in clustering.


identifier: Housego, Emilie  (2019) Intercohort competition in stream salmonids: effects on behaviour, habitat use and correlates of fitness.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The underlying mechanisms driving population dynamics, such as density-dependence, are not fully understood, but are important for conservationists and fisheries managers. Intercohort competition can play an important role in regulating population size. To investigate the role of intercohort competition, I completed a field experiment and a meta-analysis. In the field experiment, I examined age-class interactions and how they affected the individual growth and survival of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). I manipulated the density of brook trout with three different density treatments in a Newfoundland stream: age 0+ fish only at a density of 4 fish/m2; fish aged 1 year or older (age 1+) only, at a density of 1 fish/m2; and, age 0+ fish at a density of 4 fish/m2 combined with age 1+ at a density of 1 fish/m2. The average daily growth rates and survival for age 0+ fish were lower, but not significantly so, in the presence of age 1+ fish, compared to when alone, likely due to a small sample size and a lack of statistical power. The meta-analysis showed that age 1+ fish had a significantly negative effect on the behaviour, habitat use and fitness correlates of age 0+ fish, but age 0+ fish had no significant effect on age 1+ fish. Differences in the stream habitats used by different cohorts of stream salmonids appear to be the result of intercohort competition, rather than representing different fundamental niches. The findings of the meta-analysis have implications for guiding the management of salmonid populations and their habitats.


identifier: Jolaei, Mohammad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9444-5630 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9444-5630>  (2020) Design, Development and Force Control of a Tendon-driven Steerable Catheter with a Learning-based Approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this research, a learning-based force control schema for tendon-driven steerable catheters with the application in robot-assisted tissue ablation procedures was proposed and validated. To this end, initially a displacement-based model for estimating the contact force between the catheter and tissue was developed. Afterward, a tendon-driven catheter was designed and developed. Next, a software-hardware-integrated robotic system for controlling and monitoring the pose of the catheter was designed and developed. Also, a force control schema was developed based on the developed contact force model as a priori knowledge. Furthermore, the position control of the tip of the catheter was performed using a learning-based inverse kinematic approach. By combining
the position control and the contact model, the force control schema was developed and validated. Validation studies were performed on phantom tissue as well as excised porcine tissue. Results of the validation studies showed that the proposed displacement-based model was 91.5% accurate in contact force prediction. Also, the system was capable of following a set of desired trajectories with an average root-mean-square error of less than 5%. Further validation studies revealed that the system could fairly generate desired static and dynamic force profiles on the phantom tissue. In summary, the proposed force control system did not necessitate the utilization of force sensors and could fairly contribute in automatizing the ablation task for robotic tissue ablation procedures.


identifier: Arel, Gervais  (2019) Competitive effects of US and international acquisitions: examining the abnormal returns to rivals of acquisition targets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the context of interconnected businesses and financial markets, we examine the competitive dynamics and the stock price discovery process of international acquisitions, and we measure its effects on the US market. To achieve this, we analyze a sample of large international and US acquisitions, and we compare its effects on the stock price abnormal returns of US-based rivals. This aims to improve our understanding of the information content of international mergers announcement.

We observe that international and US target acquisitions generate positive abnormal returns to the US-based rivals, but the effect is statistically significant only for US target acquisitions. We also observe that international deals are related to lower abnormal returns to the US rivals during the run-up period. The abnormal returns to the rivals during the run-up period are positively related to the abnormal returns to the targets. Also, we observe that smaller deal values are associated with higher abnormal returns to the rivals during the run-up period. We do not identify statistical differences to the rival’s stock price abnormal returns when targets are publicly listed vs unlisted. We highlight several deal-specific and firm-specific characteristics that are statistically significant to explain the abnormal return to the targets, but that are not significant to explain the abnormal returns to the rivals. These include: the acquirer public status, the proportion of cash in the transaction, the premium paid, the horizontal nature of the deal and the identification of the target as Initial Industry Target.

The abnormal returns to the targets are consistent with previous studies. Targets of US and international acquisitions earn significant positive abnormal returns. US targets earn on average significant higher abnormal returns than international targets. Also, we observe that horizontal mergers are associated with higher abnormal returns to the targets than nonhorizontal mergers. Targets identified as Initial Industry Target realize significant lower abnormal returns. Finally, other deal-specific characteristics appear related to the abnormal returns to the targets, including the deal value, the acquirer public status, the proportion of cash in the transaction and the premium paid.


identifier: Bagheri, Iman  (2019) Evacuation of Equilateral Triangles by Mobile Agents of Limited Communication Range.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
We consider the problem of evacuating $k \geq 2$ mobile agents from  a unit-sided equilateral triangle through an exit located at an unknown location on the perimeter of the triangle. The agents are initially located at the centroid of the triangle.  An agent can move at speed at most one, and  finds the exit only when it reaches the point where the exit is located. The agents can collaborate in the search for the exit. The goal of the {\em evacuation problem} is to minimize the evacuation time, defined as the worst-case time for {\em all} the agents to reach the exit.

Two models of communication between agents have been studied before; {\em non-wireless} or {\em face-to-face communication} model and {\em wireless communication} model. In the former model, agents can exchange information about the location of the exit only if they are at the same point at the same time, whereas in the latter model, the agents can send and receive  information about the exit at any time regardless of their positions in the domain. In this thesis, we propose a new and more realistic communication model: agents can communicate with other agents at distance at most $r$ with $0\leq r \leq 1$.

 We propose and analyze several algorithms for the problem of evacuation by $k \geq 2$   agents in this model; our results indicate that the best strategy to be used varies depending on the values of  $r$ and $k$. For two agents, we give five strategies, the last of which achieves the best performance among all the five strategies for
all sub-ranges of $r$ in  the range $0 < r \leq 1$.
We also show a lower bound on the evacuation time of two agents for any $r < 0.336$. For $k >2$ agents, we study three strategies for evacuation: in the first strategy, called {\sf X3C}, agents explore all three sides of the triangle before connecting to exchange information; in the second strategy,  called {\sf X1C}, agents explore a single side of the triangle before connecting; in the third strategy, called {\sf CXP}, the agents travel to the perimeter to locations in which they are connected, and explore it while always staying connected.  For 3 or 4 agents, we show that X3C works better than X1C for small values of $r$, while X1C works better for larger values of $r$. Finally, we show that for any $r$, evacuation of $k=6 +2\lceil(\frac{1}{r}-1)\rceil$ agents can be done using the CXP strategy  in time $1+\sqrt{3}/3$, which is optimal in terms of time, and asymptotically optimal in terms of the number of agents.


identifier: Karimi, Mohammad  (2019) Cooperative Traffic Control Framework for Mixed Vehicular Flows.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A prompt revolution is foreseen in the transportation sector, when the current conventional human-driven vehicles will be replaced by fully connected and automated vehicles. As a result, there will be a transition period where both types will coexist until the later type is fully adopted in the traffic networks. This new mix of traffic flow on the existing transportation network will require developing a new ecosystem able to accommodate both types of vehicles in traffic network environments of the future. A major challenging issue related to the emerging mixed transportation ecosystem is the lack of an adequate model and control framework. This is especially important for modeling traffic safety and operations at network bottlenecks such as highway merging areas. Therefore, the main goal of this thesis is to develop a microscopic modeling and hierarchical cooperative control framework specifically for mixed traffic at highway on-ramps. In this thesis, a two-level hierarchical traffic control framework is proposed for mixed traffic at highway merging areas. In this regard, for the lower level of the proposed framework, this thesis establishes a set of fundamental trajectory-based cooperative control algorithms for different merging scenarios under mixed traffic conditions. We identify six scenarios, consisting of triplets of vehicles, defined based on the different combinations of CAVs and conventional vehicles. For each triplet, different consecutive movement phases along with corresponding desired distance and velocity set-points are defined. Via the movement phases, the CAVs engaged in each triplet cooperate to calculate their optimal-smooth trajectories aiming at facilitating the merging maneuver while complying with the realistic constraints related to the safety and comfort of vehicle occupants. The vehicles in each triplet are modeled by a distinct system, and a Model Predictive Control scheme is employed to calculate the cooperative optimal control inputs (acceleration values) for CAVs, accounting for conventional vehicles’ uncertainties.
        In the next step of the thesis, for the higher level of the proposed framework, a merging sequence determination and triplets’ formation methodology is developed based on predicting the arrival time of vehicles into the merging area and according to the priority in choosing different triplet types. To model the merging maneuvers when two consecutive triplets share a vehicle, the interactions between triplets of vehicles are also investigated. In order to develop a microscopic traffic simulator, we analytically formulate different vehicles’ driving behaviors under cooperative (i.e., the proposed traffic control framework) and non-cooperative (i.e., normal) operation modes and discuss the switching conditions between these driving modes.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, first, each triplet is simulated in MATLAB and evaluated for different sets of system initial values. Without a need for readjusting the algorithm for different initial values, the simulation results show that the proposed cooperative merging algorithms ensure smooth merging maneuvers while satisfying all the prescribed constraints, e.g., speed limits, safe distances, and comfortable acceleration and jerk values. Moreover, a simulator is developed in MATLAB for the entire framework (including both the higher and lower level of the framework) to evaluate the impact of all the triplets on continuous mixed traffic flow. Different penetration rates of CAVs under different traffic flow conditions are evaluated through the developed simulator. The simulation results show that the proposed cooperative methodology, comparing to the non-cooperative operation, can improve the average travel time of merging vehicles without disturbing the mainstream flow, provide safer merging maneuvers by avoiding the merging vehicles to stop at the end of the acceleration lane, and guarantee smooth motion trajectories for CAVs (i.e., derivable position and speed along with limited changes in acceleration values).
Generally, the results emphasize that the proposed cooperative traffic control framework can improve the mixed traffic conditions in terms of both traffic safety and operations. Moreover, the simulator provides a tool for the transportation community to evaluate their existing infrastructures under different penetration rates of CAVs and examine different traffic control plans for a mixed traffic environment. As the merging maneuver is only one application of gap-acceptance models, other types of maneuvers (e.g., lane changing, vehicle turning, etc.) can be similarly modelled. Thus, we can extend the proposed framework to the multi-lane highways, roundabouts, and urban area intersections. Furthermore, the arrival time prediction of the vehicles can be improved to elevate the performance of the proposed framework during the very congested traffic conditions.


identifier: Rao, Riya  (2020) Social media usage in B2B firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Social media usage in B2B firms

abstract: Digital marketing is defined as a mix of web and social media interactions between different stakeholders. Most of the empirical studies have looked at business-to-customers and customers-to-customers while few have considered its strategic importance in business-to-business and/or organizations-to-organizations. This study aims to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the current use of the Social Media platform, such as Facebook, by Business-to-Business (B2B) organizations in promoting their products and/or services as well as in engaging with key players. Key digital metrics, including SEO rankings and keywords, are looked at through the use of various marketing analytics tools (e.g. SEMrush, Ahrefs). A combination of archival data and netnography have been used to analyse market gaps with regards to social media interactions in B2B contexts. Results of this study indicate that Facebook is an important marketing platform under-utilized by marketing specialists to gain potential customer groups (individuals and organizations). Social media design and its integration using marketing analytics softwares is necessary to explore new market opportunities in B2B contexts. By proper utilization of Facebook as a part of the marketing mix, B2B firms can harness the power of organic advertising to increase customer knowledge and facilitate buyer's information search. However, it is suggested to do so respecting fundamentals of ethics and corporate responsibilities towards societal goods.


identifier: Pollock, Susan Bianca  (2020) Equity vs. Inside Debt Compensation of CEOs and Firm Performance: New Evidence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper provides new evidence on the comparative effects of CEO inside debt and the components of equity compensation on firm valuation as measured by Tobin’s Q. We find empirical evidence for the classic Jensen and Meckling (1976) premise that managers should be granted debt and equity in proportion to the ownership structure of the firm. We disaggregate the compensation structure into two components of inside debt: deferred compensation and accumulated pension. We also consider the four components of equity: including unvested shares, stock awards, estimated value of in-the-money unexercised options, as well as the estimated value of all other option awards. We also consider salary and bonus as short term incentives. We find that the effects of the different components of CEO compensation are dependent on the CEO’s time horizon, as measured by the expected period of employment to retirement.


identifier: Sisto, Anika ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6697-4447 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6697-4447>  (2019) Exploring Innovation as a Determinant to Internationalization in Small Knowledge-Intensive Business Services.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study tests the underlying assumption that innovation is a necessary condition for internationalization in small firms. Specifically, I ask whether a knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) firm’s service innovation influences its propensity and intensity of internationalization. Two sub- questions are posed in relation to this broader question. First, are certain innovation results or combinations thereof associated with internationalization? And second, are certain configurations of innovation inputs and results associated with internationalization?

I use both traditional statistical techniques as well as set-theoretic methods to assess how the results garnered from contrasting methodological approaches differ from one another. The results from the logistic regressions and fractional logistic regressions echo the findings from previous studies: they suggest that there is a positive relationship between service innovation and internationalization. Given the assumptions of linearity and symmetry, results from the traditional statistical analyses support the notion that service innovation is positively related to internationalization; that internationalization is unlikely without service innovation. The results from the QCA lend an alternate view to the one proposed by the traditional statistical analyses, suggesting that there can be internationalization without service innovation. The crisp and fuzzy set QCAs suggest there are multiple pathways of innovation attributes a firm may adopt, but very few paths lead to the consistent result of internationalization. While there are few consistent configurations that explain internationalization propensity or intensity, there are many more that explain remaining in the firm’s domestic market.

Overall, the findings from the study point to the strength of using alternative methodological perspectives to test theoretical models and nuance the current understanding of the role played by innovation as a driver of internationalization. They also point to the importance of allowing for asymmetry in explaining the presence and the absence of internationalization. Improper generalizations may be made when inferring that the absence of innovation implies the absence of internationalization. Moreover, they suggest that the import of a broader definition of innovation, including activities that precede an innovation result as well as external knowledge sourcing, offers insightful additions in understanding the behaviours adopted by firms that have internationalized.


identifier: Zamzami, Nuha E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9328-9218 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9328-9218>  (2019) High-dimensional Sparse Count Data Clustering Using Finite Mixture Models.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Due to the massive amount of available digital data, automating its analysis and modeling for
different purposes and applications has become an urgent need. One of the most challenging tasks
in machine learning is clustering, which is defined as the process of assigning observations sharing
similar characteristics to subgroups. Such a task is significant, especially in implementing complex
algorithms to deal with high-dimensional data. Thus, the advancement of computational power in
statistical-based approaches is increasingly becoming an interesting and attractive research domain.
Among the successful methods, mixture models have been widely acknowledged and successfully
applied in numerous fields as they have been providing a convenient yet flexible formal setting for
unsupervised and semi-supervised learning. An essential problem with these approaches is to develop
a probabilistic model that represents the data well by taking into account its nature. Count
data are widely used in machine learning and computer vision applications where an object, e.g.,
a text document or an image, can be represented by a vector corresponding to the appearance frequencies
of words or visual words, respectively. Thus, they usually suffer from the well-known
curse of dimensionality as objects are represented with high-dimensional and sparse vectors, i.e., a
few thousand dimensions with a sparsity of 95 to 99%, which decline the performance of clustering
algorithms dramatically. Moreover, count data systematically exhibit the burstiness and overdispersion
phenomena, which both cannot be handled with a generic multinomial distribution, typically
used to model count data, due to its dependency assumption.
This thesis is constructed around six related manuscripts, in which we propose several approaches
for high-dimensional sparse count data clustering via various mixture models based on hierarchical Bayesian modeling frameworks that have the ability to model the dependency of repetitive
word occurrences. In such frameworks, a suitable distribution is used to introduce the prior
information into the construction of the statistical model, based on a conjugate distribution to the
multinomial, e.g. the Dirichlet, generalized Dirichlet, and the Beta-Liouville, which has numerous
computational advantages. Thus, we proposed a novel model that we call the Multinomial
Scaled Dirichlet (MSD) based on using the scaled Dirichlet as a prior to the multinomial to allow
more modeling flexibility. Although these frameworks can model burstiness and overdispersion
well, they share similar disadvantages making their estimation procedure is very inefficient when
the collection size is large. To handle high-dimensionality, we considered two approaches. First,
we derived close approximations to the distributions in a hierarchical structure to bring them to
the exponential-family form aiming to combine the flexibility and efficiency of these models with
the desirable statistical and computational properties of the exponential family of distributions, including
sufficiency, which reduce the complexity and computational efforts especially for sparse
and high-dimensional data. Second, we proposed a model-based unsupervised feature selection approach
for count data to overcome several issues that may be caused by the high dimensionality of
the feature space, such as over-fitting, low efficiency, and poor performance.
Furthermore, we handled two significant aspects of mixture based clustering methods, namely,
parameters estimation and performing model selection. We considered the Expectation-Maximization
(EM) algorithm, which is a broadly applicable iterative algorithm for estimating the mixture model
parameters, with incorporating several techniques to avoid its initialization dependency and poor
local maxima. For model selection, we investigated different approaches to find the optimal number
of components based on the Minimum Message Length (MML) philosophy. The effectiveness of
our approaches is evaluated using challenging real-life applications, such as sentiment analysis, hate
speech detection on Twitter, topic novelty detection, human interaction recognition in films and TV
shows, facial expression recognition, face identification, and age estimation.


identifier: White, Meghan  (2020) Seiberg-Witten tau-function on Hurwitz spaces.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We provide a proof of the form taken by the Seiberg-Witten tau-function on the Hurwitz space of N-fold ramified covers of the Riemann sphere by a compact Riemann surface of genus g, a result derived in [10] for a special class of monodromy data. To this end we examine the Riemann-Hilbert problem with N×N quasi-permutation monodromies, whose corresponding isomonodromic tau-function contains the Seiberg-Witten tau-function as one of three factors. We present the solution of the Riemann-Hilbert problem following [11]. Along the way we give elementary proofs of variational formulas on Hurwitz spaces, including the Rauch formulas.


identifier: Arghavani, Boshra  (2019) Two-Stage Dynamic Average Consensus in Asymmetric Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The main focus of this thesis is directed towards distributed control strategies for multi-agent systems. Given an asymmetric network of homogeneous agents with single-integrator dynamics and weighted links, it is desired to design a control rule for each agent using its local information as well as the information it receives from its neighbors to solve the average consensus problem. In other words, the global objective is to drive every agent's state to the average of the initial states of all agents (static average consensus) or the average of the reference inputs (dynamic average consensus). The
main challenge, however, is to achieve these objectives in a general weighted network, i.e., when the graph representing the network is directed and each edge is weighted. To this end, a novel two-stage strategy is proposed, where in the first stage a mirror
model is defined for every agent to compute its final state based on a standard consensus protocol. Then in the second stage, the standard update rule is adjusted for each agent accordingly to account for the discrepancy between the the final state of its mirror model and the desired average consensus state. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies in different scenarios.


identifier: Feldens Ferrari, Jair ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0146-8345 <https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0146-8345>  (2019) A Study of Optimal Search and Rescue Operations Planning Problems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Search and Rescue (SAR) systems are vital to provide the quick response for saving lives in the first moments of natural and man-made calamities. In this dissertation, we present and discuss factors related to SAR operations planning and develop three SAR mathematical problems. In the first part we present an overview of SAR operations, highlighting questions affecting aerial search and rescue operations since it is the main object of our Thesis. In the second part, we consider an aerial fleet planning as a resource allocation problem and propose variations in the objective function of a binary integer programming (BIP) model according to different priorities related to area, time and type of the searching operation in high seas. We then study the problem for planning rescue missions in oceanic areas, modeled as a vehicle routing problem considering a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles and respective displacements during the operation. A BIP model is proposed and routing choices are assisted by probabilistic demands at each location that, when visited, may update previous decisions. In the fifth part, we consider the problem for planning a long-range mass rescue operation, modeled as an aircraft routing problem with pick-up and delivering, weight and endurance limits. A BIP model is proposed to minimize the flying time and feasible routes depend on factors such as aircraft endurance, fuel consumption rate, payload, take-off and landing weights, local demand and airfield capacities to operate different types of aircraft. The dissertation ends with conclusions and identified issues for future research.


identifier: Alavi, Aria  (2019) A Framing Analysis of News Coverage of Iran’s Nuclear Deal with the United Nations Security Council’s Five Permanent Members (the P5+1) in the Islamic Republic News Agency and The New York Times.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Over the last several years, the issue of Iran’s development of nuclear power has caused significant stress among Western democracies. Israel, in particular, has perceived this as an imminent threat to its existence. Iran’s nuclear development has led to severe sanctions imposed by the United States and European countries that have severely crippled Iran’s economy. The effect of these sanctions prompted the Iranian government to start negotiations with the P5+1 to broker a deal that would see the economic sanctions removed in exchange for putting a stop to its nuclear development plan. Iran had cut political and economic relations with the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution, so these nuclear deal negotiations were the first face-to face negotiations with the United States in over three decades.  In order to discover how the nuclear deal was presented by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and the New York Times to their readers, this thesis undertakes a textual and framing analysis of the news coverage during the month of July 2015. It concludes that despite the negotiations that reached a signed deal, the IRNA framed the United States as an “enemy” and the New York Times framed Iran as an “enemy.” This thesis also analyzed the political structure of both countries in relationship to journalistic norms practiced in each country, looking particularly at the notion of objectivity, or fairness and balance.


identifier: Mukherjee, Arka and Chauhan, Satyaveer  (2019) Three Essays on the Effects of Product Recall on Decision Making.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

creator:
Mukherjee, Arka
Chauhan, Satyaveer

abstract:
The effects of product recalls can be utterly disastrous for the firm responsible for the recall. A recalling firm may bear substantial external failure costs along with sales loss due to a tarnished
goodwill. Deciding the pre-recall and post-recall advertising, price and quality are crucial for both the recalling firm and its rivals. Using a differential game theoretic modelling approach, we develop
and analyze theoretical models associated with a product recall and study the effect of the same on supply chain decision making. In our first essay, we analyze a scenario with two manufacturers
under goodwill-advertising competition. Either one firm or both firms can be susceptible to recall a product, and both are aware of the recall likelihood ex-ante. We examine the pre-crisis
and post-crisis equilibrium advertising efforts and effect of recall on firms’ profits when firms are farsighted or “hazard myopic. We show that the variance of advertising in the two periods and the
profits of the firms depend on crisis likelihood and impact. The trade-off between the likelihood of crisis and its impact explains the previous conflicting findings of the literature. In our second
essay, we investigate joint decisions of pricing and advertising for mitigating the harmful effects of a product recall on a firm and the negative spillover effect on a rival firm. We recommend the
equilibrium pricing and advertising policies of the two competing firms under product recalls of different impact and likelihood. We compare the case when the focal firm is a market leader to
the case when both firms are similar. In the third essay, we define two contracts for managing “collateral damage” during a product recall. We show that adopting a cost-sharing contract can
be beneficial for suppliers and manufacturers. We found that cost-sharing decisions, advertising efforts and quality efforts vary under different scenarios. There may be individual motivation for
the firms to move against a contract under different crisis likelihood and impact. Nevertheless, the supply chain profit is always higher under a contract.


identifier: Crawford, Jordan  (2020) 3D Visualization of Hill-Sachs Lesions with Articulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A Hill-Sachs Lesion is a wound to the Humeral Head that can result in shoulder instability and recurrent dislocation. The current standard for diagnosis and treatment is for the patient to undergo a CT or MRI scan of the Glenohumeral joint. The attending physician then visually inspects the image slices to infer the actual damage to the Glenoid and humerus to then recommend a proper surgical procedure to correct it.
The treatment options for a Hill-Sachs Lesion vary in complexity, complication rate, chance of recurrence, and resulting joint mobility for the patient. Surgeons will diverge in their choice of correctional surgeries given the same set of CT/MRI images. This can result in a mismatch between the patient’s actual needs and the chosen surgery. We provide a 3D visualization and joint manipulation pipeline to increase the accuracy of diagnoses made by surgeons for treatment of Hill-Sachs Lesions. We transform 2D Dicom data into 3D space, where it may be posed and manipulated to give the surgeon a better view of the damaged site.
We then introduce several convenience functions that solve for positions that are of interest when assessing the possibility of re-engagement and re-dislocation.
We also present the ability to position the 3D data at solved-for positions, and to make use of a calibrated VR orientation tool named Myo Bracelet to position and animate the humerus as if it were the patient’s arm. We believe these steps allow simple and intuitive manipulation of the data that better represents the scenarios that surgeons visualize when planning their surgery.


identifier: Ye, Lanqing  (2019) The Effect of Brand Design Elements on Brand Age Perceptions and Brand Evaluations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis is the first to develop brand age (i.e., brand youthfulness and brand matureness) as a
brand personality characteristic. It extends research on the effects of brand design elements to an
underdeveloped domain by exploring how brand design elements (logo shape, type font, hue, and
saturation) shape consumers’ brand age perceptions. Findings demonstrate that round logo
shapes and type fonts, and green hue increase perceived brand youthfulness, whereas angular
logo shapes and type fonts, and brown hue enhance perceived brand matureness. This research
further examines the role of brand-product category congruence and finds that congruence in
terms of age perceptions leads to positive brand evaluations. From a managerial perspective, this
research provides guidelines to help marketers modify brand designs for achieving desired brand
age perceptions and subsequent consumer responses.