identifier: Fan, Wentao  (2009) Novel approaches for generating video textures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Video texture, a new type of medium, can produce a new video with a continuously varying stream of images from a recorded video. It is synthesized by reordering the input video frames in a way which can be played without any visual discontinuity. However, video texture still experiences few unappealing drawbacks. For instance, video texture techniques can only generate new videos by simply rearranging the order of frames in original videos. Therefore, all the individual frames are the same as before and the result would suffer from "dead-ends" if the current frame could not discover similar frames to make a transition.  In this thesis, we propose several new approaches for synthesizing video textures. These approaches adopt dimensionality reduction and regression techniques to generate video textures. Not only the frames in the resulted video textures are new, but also the "Dead end" problem is avoided. First, we have extended die work of applying principal components analysis (PCA) and autoregressive (AR) process to generate video textures by replacing PCA with five other dimension reduction techniques. Based on our experiments, using these dimensionality reduction techniques has improved the quality of video textures compared with extraction of frame signatures using PCA. The synthesized video textures may contain similar motions as the input video and will never be repeated exactly. All frames synthesized have never appeared before. We also propose a new approach for generating video textures using probabilistic principal components analysis (PPCA) and Gaussian process dynamical model (GPDM). GPDM is a nonparametric model for learning high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical data sets. We adopt PPCA and GPDM on several movie clips to synthesize video textures which contain frames that never appeared before and with similar motions as original videos. Furthermore, we have proposed two ways of generating real-time video textures by applying the incremental Isomap and incremental Spati04emporal Isomap (IST-Isomap). Both approaches can produce good real-time video texture results. In particular, IST-Isomap, that we propose, is more suitable for sparse video data (e.g. cartoon)


identifier: Ashbaugh, Andrea R  (2008) Memory bias for bodily sensations in social anxiety.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Cognitive models of social anxiety suggest that memory and attention towards threat are key factors in the maintenance of social anxiety. There is mounting evidence that individuals with social anxiety are engaged in self-focused attention, however there is little empirical evidence demonstrating that individuals with social anxiety exhibit memory biases for external threat information. Given that people with social anxiety tend to direct their attention towards internal aspects of the self, it may be that memorial biases are for internal cues of threat, such as bodily sensations, rather than external cues of threat. Two studies examined whether social anxiety is associated with a memory bias for cues associated with increased physiological arousal. In both studies, participants completed a performance task while monitoring what they believed was computer feedback about their bodily sensations; they were subsequently given free recall and recognition tests for the computer feedback. Study one examined whether individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD) exhibit a memory bias for their physiological response. Though there were no significant differences in memory for the computer feedback between SAD and control participants, among individuals with SAD only greater fear of bodily sensations was associated with better memory for the computer feedback. Study two extended the findings of study one by examining whether attaching greater importance to the meaning of bodily sensations enhances memory for those sensations. It was found that participants who were led to believe that bodily sensations were important indicators of the quality of their performance showed enhanced memory for the computer feedback compared to participants who were provided with a neutral interpretation of bodily sensations. Furthermore, among participants told that bodily sensations are important in predicting their performance, those reporting high social anxiety remembered more information indicative of increased physiology, whereas those reporting low social anxiety remembered more information indicative of stable or decreasing physiology. Implications for our understanding of memory and anxiety, as well as specific cognitive-behavioural models of social anxiety are discussed in relation to the importance of considering individual differences in beliefs related to social situations.


identifier: Wu, Bai Rong  (2009) Condition based maintenance using proportional hazards model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is an advanced maintenance strategy in which maintenance actions are scheduled based on both the age data and condition monitoring information. Proportional Hazards Model (PHM) is a powerful statistical tool for estimating the equipment failure rate under condition monitoring. Effective CBM using PHM can decrease the overall maintenance costs by reducing unnecessary scheduled preventive maintenance actions.  In CBM using PHM, main optimization objectives including minimizing maintenance costs and maximizing equipment reliability typically conflict to each other. But the reported research only focuses on single-objective. In this thesis, we propose a multiple-objective CBM optimization approach based on physical programming, which can systematically balance the tradeoff between the optimization objectives and find the optimal solution that best represents the decision maker's preference on the objectives.  In CBM using PHM, the accuracy of parameter estimation greatly affects the accuracy of the model in representing and predicting the equipment health condition. Traditional optimization methods such as Newton's methods are inaccurate because they can only find local optimal value in parameter estimation. In this thesis, we develop an approach based on Genetic Algorithms (GA) for PHM parameter estimation and this approach can improve the accuracy of parameter estimation significantly.  To illustrate the proposed approaches, we conduct two case studies using real-world vibration monitoring data, shearing pump bearings in a food processing plant and Gould pump bearings at Canadian Kraft Mill. The proposed approaches contribute to the general knowledge of condition based maintenance, and have the potential to greatly benefit various industries.


identifier: Bayat, Alipasha  (2008) Integrating Capacitated Lot-Sizing and Lot Streaming in Flowshop Schedules with Time Varying Demand.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Any reasonable production planning contains three important decisions on lot size, lead time, and capacity. The common approach in the literature is to divide the planning problem into lot sizing, lot sequencing, and lot splitting sub-problems. Very few studies, to the best of our knowledge, have been conducted on the interdependencies and three- way interaction of lead-time, lot size, and actual capacity usage. A particular lot size calculated by the sub-problem method, however, will likely yield an infeasible solution or at least result in schedule instability (nervousness). This is just because in most capacitated lot sizing models, the capacity constraints in the model only take into consideration the available time on each work station, ignoring the sequencing of lots, sublot sizes, and their effect on makespan and lead times. In this thesis we bridge the gap between lot sizing and scheduling in flowshops, and examine the use of the lot splitting and sequencing techniques to reduce schedule instability. A mixed integer programming formulation is presented, which enables us to simultaneously find the optimal lot sizes as well as the corresponding sublot sizes and sequence of jobs. With this model, small size problems can be solved within a reasonable time. The computational results confirm that this model can be advantageous in dampening the scheduling nervousness. For larger size instances, a Genetic algorithm is proposed.


identifier: He, Baohua  (2009) Smoothing Parameter Selection For A New Regression Estimator For Non-Negative Data.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, the CV selection technique is applied into Chaubey, Laib and Sen (2008)'s estimator, which is a new regression estimation for nonnegative random variables. The estimator is based on a generalization of Hille's lemma and a perturbation idea. The first and second order MSE are derived. The ISE criteria for the optimal value of smoothing parameter is discussed and also calculated. The simulation results and the Graphical illustrations on the new estimator, comparing with Fan (1992, 2003)'s local kernel regression estimators are provided.


identifier: Rahman, Mahabubur  (2009) Application of Neural Network and Wavelet Transform Techniques in Structural Health Monitoring.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has recently emerged as a useful tool for tracking the performance parameters of a structure such as strain, deflection, and acceleration through a series of sensors installed on them. The signals produced from these sensors are the main performance indicator of the structure. In assessing the condition of the structure, the proper analysis and the evaluation of changes in pattern of signals are the most important tasks in SHM. Another important aspect of SHM is the detection of the defective sensors. And it is very difficult to identify it manually from a series of sensors. Although it is an important task in SHM but no straightforward method exists currently to carry out this task. In this study, the sensor data from a Canadian bridge have been utilized here to develop Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Wavelet Transform (WT) based methods for tracking the changes in sensor data pattern and detecting the defective sensors in SHM. The ANN structures are constructed with input nodes accepting data from selected strain gauges and a target selected from the remaining strain gauges. The data collected at different time periods are de-noised by WT and tested against the trained network to find the pattern of differences between the input and output data series. The proposed methods have been validated with the available data and are found to be effective in tracking the data patterns and detecting defective sensors.


identifier: Bell, Brandi L  (2009) Youth socio-political participation in a context of change : media representations of the young active citizen in Canada, 1960s to 2000s.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is currently a common belief in Canada that for a democracy to be effective its population must be engaged and active in the processes of politics and governance. In this context, the participation of youth has become a concern for Canadian decision-makers and the general public. Complaints and worries regarding young Canadians' disinterest in, or apathy towards, politics and low levels of young voter turnout in elections are common. The government and society at large are increasingly calling upon youth to act in their role as citizens: To participate in the social and political realms of Canadian society. But how are youth being asked to participate? Who is invited and under what circumstances?  The encouragement of particular forms of youth social and political participation has consequences for youth as Canadian citizens. Through a contextualized examination of representations of youth social and political participation found in selected National Film Board of Canada films and Canadian websites I present, in this thesis, an exploration of the forms of citizen identity and power relations promoted and presumed by the discourses circulating about youth participation in society.  Over the past four decades, from the late-1960s until the present, the place of youth in society has changed, as have perceptions of youth and youth socio-political participation. Focusing on these changes and the impact they may have on the situating of young Canadians as participatory citizens, I explore the conflicting perspectives, tensions, and compromises that have marked representations of youth citizen participation over the years, ranging from children's rights discourses and youth media to consumerism and an enduring belief in generational difference


identifier: Caron, Caroline  (2009) Vues, mais non entendues : les adolescentes québécoises francophones et l'hypersexualisation de la mode et des médias.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Quebec, as in many Western countries, the fashion for provocative clothing worn by teenage and preteen girls has sparked concern and strong reactions since the turn of the 21 st century. In the fields of education, social work and public policy and within the feminist movement, this has led to a call to arms against the precocious sexualization of young girls and the hypersexualization promoted by fashion and the media. However, the viewpoint of those most closely concerned has not been really been taken into account in public debates and dress code reforms adopted to counteract the phenomenon in schools.  The present thesis breaks this silence by giving voice to 28 French-speaking Quebec teenage girls (aged 11 to 18) interviewed individually and in focus groups in 2007. The "methodology of sensitivity" developed by the author is based on a poststructuralist feminist theoretical framework and documentation relating to the intersection of cultural studies and girls' studies. Centred on listening, involvement and an ethic of representation, this inductive approach allows conversations to be established with participants and lets their preoccupations influence the research agenda. The results of this study raise questions about the hegemonic conceptualization of the issue in public and media discourse (2000-2006) and reveal its normalizing effects in the daily life of adolescent girls.  The analysis of mediated discourses and the participants' perspectives show that the question of hypersexualization has stirred a deeply emotional controversy rather than a debate; that education and psychosexology are the main sources of knowledge in public and scholarly discussion; that the controversy has led to increased regulation of adolescent girls' bodies and sexuality; that school uniforms do not represent as consensual and effective a response as school authorities have claimed; that clothing styles have different, shifting meanings for teenage girls and that the fashion for sexy clothing gives rise to othering micro-practices based on gender, class, sexuality and a heteronorrnative culture.  On the whole, the results of this study raise the issue of the legitimacy of desire and sexual expression among adolescent girls, while also questioning the conditions under which young people are allowed to participate in institutions and in democracy as sexual political subjects.


identifier: Gomez Rodriguez, Gabriela  (2008) The construction of social imaginaries on terrorism in newspapers from Montreal and Guadalajara : a comparative study among three cultural groups.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since September 11, 2001, the social imaginaries on terrorism have changed. We propose that from 9/11 onwards, the discussion about terrorism has evolved considerably. In this investigation, we shall try to discover the social imaginaries on terrorism that ushered in the 21 st Century from 9/11 to March 11 th , 2004 (the attacks in Madrid); that's to say, how the discussion about terrorism changed from 11 th September, 2001 to 11 th March, 2004, and what strategies and discourses the media has constructed in order to make terrorism feel in some way like a domestic topic or, at least, closer to the community. The role of the mass media is relevant in the way in which it can determine what we understand about terrorism since the media itself proposes ways of reading and interpreting social realities. We consider that the social imaginary facilitates an exploration of the cultural appropriations of terrorism in societies such as the Quebecois and Mexican ones, and the relationship that these societies have established with their own people, in particular the kind of representations they have about themselves with respect to terrorism and the "others". By analyzing the discursive structures (frames and interpretive repertoires) in newspapers we seek to ascertain the social imaginaries that mass media (newspapers) construct on terrorism in Montreal and Guadalajara in an era that as we can see, the new world order is defined around the war against terrorism.


identifier: Whitney, Ryan  (2009) The role of streetscape factors in pedestrian path choices in Shinjuku, Tokyo.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research evaluates the impact of streetscape variables on pedestrian path choices in a walking environment. Emphasis is increasingly being placed on pedestrianoriented urban design in an attempt to mitigate the negative consequences associated with automobile-based development. However, little research exists on the actual impact o individual streetscape variables on the distribution ofpedestrians within a pre-defined street network. Information regarding pedestrian choice and distribution can be extracted through studying highly-visited streets in existing walking environments (i.e., areas that give priority to pedestrians by restricting vehicular traffic). The focus of this research is the highly-visited walking environment of Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan. The goal is to identify whether specific streetscape variables (e.g., path maintenance, street width, number of street-level retail outlets, space syntax) impact the distribution of pedestrians within the district. Streetscape variables were assessed using a streetscape evaluation rubric and pedestrian behaviour was recorded through a "tracking" exercise. In addition, pedestrian distribution data collected in 2006 by another researcher working in the same area was analyzed. Findings highlight that retail, trees, path maintenance, paving material, and path width are positively correlated with high pedestrian distribution on street segments. The tracking data highlights the importance ofretail in shaping pedestrian path choices and the number of stops made en route from origin to destination in a walking environment.


identifier: Barki, Simla  (2009) Brand social responsibility : construct and scale developemnt [sic].  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been a widely researched topic, no universally accepted scale exists that adequately measures consumers' perceptions of CSR, or accounts for the possible differences between a parent brand's SR and its subsidiary's SR. Existing CSR scales are also based on a managerial versus marketing perspective and have weak psychometric properties. This study aims to (1) introduce a new construct, Brand Social Responsibility, which defines SR pertaining to brands from a consumer standpoint, and (2) develop a scale with predictive and discriminant validity to measure BSR.


identifier: Sur, Sujit  (2009) For whom the firm toils : a thesis investigating the ownership, board and performance linkages.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is articulates and empirically testing the effect of ownership on board composition and ultimately on firm performance. As per extant literature, ownership is subsumed into corporate governance and studies build on agency theory's premise of dispersed shareholders as the owners of the firm. Governance literature also accept Board of Directors as representatives of the dispersed shareholders, mandated to discharge the investor-owners' fiduciary responsibility. The composition of the board is usually seen as a reflection of its effectiveness however the determination of board composition is not fully understood. Overall, governance is generally viewed in terms of mitigating the agency costs, which should lead to a homogeneous performance objective of firm value maximization. However recent meta-analyses do not find support for any direct relationship between any of the agency theory driven governance mechanisms. In addition, some recent studies also point towards concentrated ownership being the norm worldwide. Furthermore, there seems to be other types of owners apart from the dispersed investors as shareholders in a firm.  Building on these findings, this thesis proposes an alternative ownership framework, wherein ownership is analyzed in terms of the different types of shareholders within a firm - unlike previous focus on 'inside' managers and 'outside' dispersed investors. The basic premise of the thesis is to examine the possibility that neither the firm's ownership, nor its board composition, nor its performance objectives are homogeneous. Utilizing a multi-theoretic framework, this thesis examines and empirically tests ownership-board composition and ownership-performance relationships respectively. The conceptualization of ownership is as an aggregation, defined as combining the different types of owners and their respective ownership concentrations. The research setting is all US public firms for which ownership and board data is available, and the data is collated and analyzed by utilizing EQS software. I find empirical support for the multi-theoretic framework as well as general support for most of the proposed hypotheses.  In conclusion, this thesis contributes to the growing awareness that corporate governance is not a 'one size fits all' mechanism and offers an alternative multi-theoretical framework that might help resolve the mixed findings in governance and ownership literature.


identifier: Li, Bo  (2009) The Determinants of Security Issuance Choice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Publicly listed companies have a wide range of possibilities when they seek new sources of financing. When doing so, they face a fundamental decision, namely what type of security to issue among a variety of securities including equity, debt, and hybrid securities such as convertible bonds, and warrants, etc. This study examines what drives US firms during the period of 1997-2007 to choose among convertible debt, debt, and equity based on their firm characteristics and macro-economic conditions through both binary and multi-nominal logistic regressions.  My results suggest that, first; there are significant differences in the characteristics of debt-like and equity-like convertible security issuers. These differences are particularly apparent in the following characteristics which, from the perspective of debt-like security issuers, tend to be as follows: tax Shields (higher), profitability (higher), firm size (larger) and firm age (older). Second, the issuers of debt-like convertibles tend to differ significantly from straight debt issuers in the following dimensions: leverage (higher), firm risk (higher), profitability (higher), growth opportunities (fewer), issue amounts (smaller), pre-announcement performance (better), industry (more high-tech firms), and higher issuing activity when the economic environment reflects a high financing cost for both debt and equity. Third, equity-like convertible issuers tend to differ from equity issuers in the following dimensions: firm size (larger), industry (more non-tech firms), profitability (lower) and pre-announcement stock performance (worse). Similar differences can be found when I consider models in which I examine all three security choices at the same time. Lastly, in a separate investigation, I find that high-tech firms and non-tech firms demonstrate considerable differences with respect to the determinants of their security issue choice. These findings provide strong support for Green's (1984) sweetened debt hypothesis and partial support for Stein (1992) delayed equity hypothesis.


identifier: Zhang, Dai  (2009) Understanding the experience of instructional design with course management systems in higher education.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study takes a qualitative approach to investigate the design and development of online learning environments in various contexts. It employs a multiple case study strategy and Activity Theory as a research framework. The thick descriptions of three cases suggest that:  First, while dealing with ill-structured problems, the instructional designers articulated solution ideas early in the process without conducting a thorough analysis and defining problems. They tended to adhere to the early solutions and to explore alternatives within their original plans. The early solutions addressed some key issues of online teaching and learning. They were used to guide the design and the development while being revised.  Second, although the Course Management Systems facilitated constructivist learning to various extents, their capacity of creating an intuitive learning experience was weak. Such weakness resulted in additional work for the designers. To create an effective online learning environment, the designers needed to have the knowledge and skills for the pedagogical use of technologies. Such knowledge and skills help them link pedagogy with technology while envisioning the course delivery and generating early solutions. Therefore, current CMSs were considered a tool for experienced designers. As a design tool, they acted as a shared workplace to construct shared objects and understanding in collaborative instructional design.  Third, in addition to the use of CMS, online delivery policies and the choice of a course development model (how to collaborate with faculty) shaped the design decision-making. By using a CMS, the designers may unconsciously take a technology-driven approach in their design, the impact of which requires more exploration.  Fourth, Activity Theory is a valuable framework to examine the complexity of instructional design in a systematic manner. Although the framework is far from perfect and too sophisticated for a novice, it contains various tools to map the activity of instructional design and illustrate the transformation of an online learning environment. Using the principles of Activity Theory, scaffolding can be erected to understand how various tools and rules mediate the design decision-making and the collaborative practice of design.


identifier: Jiang, Haibo  (2009) Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice Futures Prices, the Quality Option and Temperature.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Previous research on the effect of fundamental factors upon FCOJ futures prices focused on the effect of decreases in temperature below freezing. However, a large proportion of FCOJ futures price variability remains unexplained. We recognize that the FCOJ futures contract provides an implicit quality option to the seller, by allowing delivery of the cheaper of FCOJ from Florida and FCOJ from Brazil. We value this option and show that it is a substantial percentage (14.7%) of FCOJ futures prices, on average. Our regression of FCOJ futures returns upon changes in the value of the option indicates that futures returns are significantly related to the option value in winter and in spring. Our results also show that the quality option provides substantial incremental (7-10%) explanatory power over that provided by decreases in temperature below freezing. Our research supports the view that futures prices are largely responsive to fundamental factors.


identifier: MacMillan, Stuart James  (2009) Development of writing for research purposes : an ecological exploration of writing process in a linguistically and culturally diverse class.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For graduate level students, achieving academic success at university requires learning to communicate results of research in complex written forms. Yet faculty members are consistently forced to counter the deficits in research writing abilities of a sizable percentage of their students. Challenges have been exacerbated in recent years by an influx of students for whom English is not a native language. With the aim of providing insights to improve the design of learning environments that support novice research writing, this study employs an ecological systems framework to explore how graduate level students from a range of cultural and language backgrounds regulate the research writing process in order to produce a common genre of scholarly interaction, specifically a proposal for a research project. By relying on qualitative research methodology comprising 1) classroom observation, 2) analysis of student writing, and 3) personal interviews about the writing process, it traces the influence of specific resources and tools on writing produced by eight students in a master's level research methodology course, and investigates how learner beliefs, past experience and affective factors have enabled and constrained the use of tools and resources in the service of research writing.  Results show that despite explicit guidance provided throughout the course, some students made non-conventional moves from a genre perspective in their proposal drafts. Significant challenges for study participants related to precision in research focus, conceptual challenges, and the organisation of content. Difficulties also emerged for students planning qualitative studies who had come from disciplines that have traditionally encouraged forms of writing more conventional in the experimental sciences. For non-native English speakers, additional, but limited challenges related to uncertainties about lexicogrammatical form and word choice.  The study concludes with a discussion of how conditions and task demands may be altered such that effective use of intrapersonal resources is encouraged. It also suggests ways the affordances of external resources and tools might be made more apparent to students. Finally, novice research writing as activity within a broader social system is discussed, including suggestions on how bridges between methodology courses and research Communities of Practice might be established.


identifier: Francis, Xavier  (2009) Optimizing Network Access Selection in Wireless Heterogeneous Networks using Velocity, Location, Policy and Qos Details.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: As the interest in 4G communication systems continues to grow, both academia and industry agree that a symbiotic relationship between various wireless systems is required to provide continuous broadband coverage to mobile users. It is generally accepted that a single wireless access technology alone will be incapable of meeting the various requirements of mobility, data rate and coverage in the future. Future wireless systems are envisioned as being heterogeneous in that they will include a combination of various wireless access technologies such as 3G, WLAN, and WiMAX and will have a common IP core.  To fully utilize the various resources and maintain seamless connectivity in the future heterogeneous wireless environment, intelligent handoff schemes that are flexible, scalable and proactive are essential. Therefore, a new handoff decision method, one that works in a novel business model--Heterogeneous Wireless Service Provider (HWSP)--was developed with an aim to improve the mobile user's user experience. More effort was spent to achieve a good level of user satisfaction, by making the entire selection process automatic, and the user oblivious of the underlying network selection intricacies. The algorithm is able to make the final network decision, based on any particular user's speed, location, QoS demands and preference policies. This allows the algorithm to prevent unwanted handoffs and reduce the cost associated with connecting to suboptimal networks.


identifier: Al-Hussaeni, Khalil  (2009) Preserving Data Privacy and Information Usefulness for RFID Data Publishing.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) is an emerging technology that employs radio waves to identify, locate, and track objects. RFID technology has wide applications in many areas including manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation. However, the manipulation of uniquely identifiable objects gives rise to privacy concerns for the individuals carrying these objects. Most previous works on privacy-preserving RFID technology, such as EPC re-encryption and killing tags, have focused on the threats caused by the physical RFID tags in the data collection phase, but these techniques cannot address privacy threats in the data publishing phase, when a large volume of RFID data is released to a third party. We explore the privacy threats in RFID data publishing. We illustrate that even though explicit identifying information, such as phone numbers and SSNs, is removed from the published RFID data, an attacker may still be able to perform privacy attacks by utilizing background knowledge about a target victim's visited locations and timestamps. Privacy attacks include identifying a target victim's record and/or inferring their sensitive information. High-dimensionality is an inherent characteristic in RFID data; therefore, applying traditional anonymity models, such as K -anonymity, to RFID data would significantly reduce data utility. We propose a new privacy model, devise an anonymization algorithm to address the special challenges of RFID data, and experimentally evaluate the performance of our method. Experiments suggest that applying our model significantly improves the data utility when compared to applying the traditional K -anonymity model.


identifier: Brook, Glenn Leonard  (2009) Picturing an experience of the past : the case of Canada : a people's history.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Visual media dominate our daily experience. Still and moving images provide news, entertainment, and the means by which we shape our identity and then display that self-image to others. These acts of visual broadcasting leave a network of traces that allow us to remember what has happened, where we have been, and how we are. The malleability of the archival record also allows the past to be reworked in the service of the present. This dissertation examines how archival and contemporary visual materials are used both to stimulate and to structure memory.  My subject is the English version of the 2000-0 I Canadian Broadcasting Corporation televised documentary on the history of Canada, entitled Canada: A People's History ( C:APH ). The series comprises seventeen episodes, begins with North American pre-history, and finishes with the early 1990s. C:APH uses journals, diaries, and letters to present history from the perspective of those who lived it. Reenactments, paintings, sketches, photographs, and archival film and video footage support the textual material.  Canada: A People's History emerged when Canada faced increasing social diversification, political unrest, and communication technologies that introduced an increasing level of foreign cultural content. These issues contributed to the fear that a shared sense of Canadian identity was at risk. The hypothesis of this dissertation is that with C:APH , an idealized recreation of historical national progress mitigates the anxiety of a modern Canada for its future. Canada: A People's History does this by reflecting the lives of contemporary global migrants in a story of Canada as a nation built by dispossessed peoples struggling to find a renewed sense of home and belonging. C:APH emphasizes the sense of belonging and attachment in its picture of Canada by utilizing a personal and a familial point of view.  The first chapter details the context and content of C:APH . Chapter Two explains why images can attract our imagination and how the series expresses "Canadian-ness." Chapter Three elucidates the personal and familial nature of this visual history. Chapter Four shows how Canada: A People's History depicts the experience of traveling through history to a utopian national future.


identifier: Jalaleddini, Seyed Kian  (2009) Rate Assignment in Wireless Networks: Stability Analysis and Controller Design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, the problem of resource allocation in IS-856 is studied. The problem is first formulated in an interference model framework on reverse channel (uplink). A simple controller is then designed for the system and the closed-loop stability is analyzed using the Lyapunov technique. The possible oscillation in the network output caused by the limit cycles associated with the nonlinear elements in the control loop is analyzed in the framework of describing functions. A dynamic control strategy is developed subsequently for efficient rate assignment in the network. This is carried out in two steps: in the first step, the controller is designed for a simple case when the number of users in the network is fixed and known, and all users are full-buffered. The asymptotic stability property of the proposed controller is verified. Then, the designed controller is further developed for a dynamic network, where the number of active users is subject to change but is known to the users by means of the communication link between the base station and users. In this step, the activation/deactivation of users at different time instants is formulated as a switched system, and sufficient conditions on the speed of activation and deactivation of users are obtained in the control theoretic framework to achieve stability and the desired performance. In the next step, the obtained controller is adjusted properly for the case when the information about the number of active users is not communicated to the users (in order to allocate more bandwidth for data transmission). A controller is also designed to guarantee network stability and performance in the presence of time-delay in the feedback loop. Finally, the long-term fairness in rate allocation is studied. Simulation results are also provided throughout the thesis to elucidate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


identifier: Li, Bing  (2009) An antioxidant metabolon at the red blood cell membrane.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Red blood cells (RBCs) transport oxygen and carbon dioxide as their main function and repeatedly circulate through the lung and capillaries during their 120 day life spans. RBCs concentrate large amounts of oxygen and are exposed continuously to intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from autoxidation of oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb).  Limiting the potential damage caused by these ROS is important in the RBC. Therefore, the antioxidant enzymes, CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and its substrate glutathione (GSH) are found in red blood cells. The localization of these antioxidants under physiological and oxidative stress conditions was examined. Our results showed that most CuZnSOD and catalase were concentrated at the RBC membrane and less in the cytosol, while GPx localized at the membrane under physiological conditions. After prolonged exposure of RBCs to air (1 h), CuZnSOD and catalase migrated to the membrane and they both associated with the cytoplamic domain of band 3 (CDB3). No association at the membrane of the three proteins was observed when RBCs were deaerated. Small amount of catalase and GPx localized to the membrane while CuZnSOD and GSH remained evenly distributed in the cytosol under two types (H 2 O 2 and O 2 - ) of ROS stress. In summary, CuZnSOD and catalase form a complex with CDB3 at the membrane, and the association of these proteins is mediated by the oxygenation state of the RBC. It is speculated that GPx cooperates with catalase to protect the whole RBC (membrane and cytoplasm) from ROS damage


identifier: Wilson, Lindsay  (2009) "Lolaland " by Lola Montez, Comtesse de Landsfelt and Lindsay Wilson.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Is an accurate representation of self possible in biographical theatre? Lola Montez (1821-1861) was a historical figure known for being the worst actress and dancer of her generation. However, Montez stated, after her rise to political infamy in Bavaria, that "she no longer recognize[d] herself as Lola Montez." In an act of reinvention, after being chased out of Bavaria, she expressed the desire to create "Lolaland" an independent state with her as leader--an outrageous goal which she never achieved. "Lolaland" transposes Plato's "Theory of Forms" utilizing the idea that there are two distinct levels of reality: the world of sights and sounds which we inhabit and the intelligible world of forms that stands above the visible world and gives it being. This, in turn, reflects a modern preoccupation with fame and celebrity. Celebrity reflects a type of mythology that encourages people to aspire to a different class through a constant performance or mimicry of what they believe makes someone celebrated. The coterie of Montez followers that populate this play fight for their place, and vie to ascend their position in the Republic, in order to become celebrated including the author who places herself as an imagined self in the imagined myth of Lola Montez.  "Keen and unremitting in his love, he will go on till he touches the nature of each thing which is by itself with that part of his soul which is suited to grasp it. But it is suited to what it is akin. Drawing near it and having intercourse with what is really real, begetting thought and truth, he knows and truly lives and is nourished, and thus, but not before, ceases from his travail." -- Plato, "The Republic"  "Tyranny is not a matter of minor theft and violence, but of wholesale plunder, sacred and profane, private or public." -- Plato, "The Republic"


identifier: Wang, Zhiwei  (2009) Runtime Verification of Analog and Mixed Signal Designs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Analog and mixed signal (AMS) circuits play an important role in system on chip designs. They pose, however, many challenges in the verification of the overall system due to their complex behaviors and expensive consumption of simulation resources. Besides functionality, AMS systems also suffer from stochastic processes such as random noise which exhibits statistical properties. Among many developed verification techniques, runtime verification has been shown to be effective by experimenting finite executions instead of going through the whole state space. In this thesis, we propose a methodology for the verification of AMS designs using functional and statistical runtime verification. Functional runtime verification is used to check the functional behavior of the AMS design. A system of recurrence equation (SRE) is used to model the AMS design and construct a functional property monitor. This functional runtime verification is carried out in an online fashion. Statistical runtime verification is used to verify the statistical properties of the AMS design. Hypothesis test, which is a method to make statistical decisions about rejecting or accepting some statement about the information of a sample, is used to verify the statistical properties. We use Monte Carlo simulation for the hypothesis test and for evaluating its performance. The proposed methodology is applied to a phase lock loop based frequency synthesizer where several functional properties and stochastic noise properties are verified.


identifier: Moradi, Arash  (2009) Temperature Compensation in OTA-C integrators using a Resistive Bridge.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, a new technique for temperature compensation of G m -C filters is presented. An Operational Transconductance Amplifier (OTA) as well as the output buffers is implemented in STMicroelectronics 9O-nm technology with 1.2 V supply voltage. Variation of a gate-capacitance implemented by an NMOS transistor with respect to temperature is investigated. Using negative feedback the G m -cells' transconductance is locked to the reciprocal of a resistance array. Temperature behaviour of the G m -C filter is examined by the behaviour of a G m -C integrator without receiving an external frequency reference. Temperature dependency of the G m /C ratio, which determines the unity-gain frequency of the integrator. is minimized by arranging the temperature dependency of the resistors. Unique properties of a proposed resistive bridge allow for the synthesis of temperature coefficients beyond the range of coefficients of constituent elements. With a set of practical elements a variation of only 0.66% in G m /C has been achieved over -40°C to 120°C.


identifier: Lin, Wei  (2009) Design and optimization of porous polymer enzymatic digestors for proteomics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Effective protein characterization and identification is a demanding and time-consuming operation in proteomics because of long protein purification/separation procedures and even longer enzymatic digestions. In this work, polymer-based monolithic enzyme reactors were fabricated in fused-silica capillaries, and performance was characterized through protein digestion and identification by MALDI-MS and ESI-MS. Trypsin and Staphylococcus aureus V-8 protease (Glu-C) were used to produce three types of reactors: trypsin-based, Glu-C based and tandem trypsin Glu-C. Reactors were prepared by synthesizing a porous methacrylate base monolith followed by photografting with glycidyl methacrylate, and immobilization of the enzyme(s) with carbonyldiimidazole. Protein digestions, performed by perfusing protein solutions through the reactor under pressure, were evaluated based on the peptide map generated when directly coupled to an ESI mass spectrometer. Excellent digestion efficiencies were observed over a flow rate range from 0.2 to 1 oL min -1 , which corresponds to reactor residence times of 1.4 to 0.24 min. As a proof of principle application of a complete proteomics analysis, chromatographic separation of model proteins followed by digestion of specific fractions using these proteolytic enzyme reactors and ESI-MS is demonstrated.


identifier: Tam, Edith  (2009) Disputed post-industrial landscapes : an enquiry into the "loft-living" cultural model in Montréal's Saint-Henri.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The working-class neighbourhood of Saint-Henri in Montreal experiences social, economic and material transformations that see former sites of production changed into residential environments. The urban "revitalization" efforts have often translated into social discomfort, as projects intended to inject vitality into a fractured landscape have truncated and disrupted long-established spatial and social patterns. This thesis posits that the built environment is a material and cultural substance that mediates relationships between social and economic agents. The study employs a three-pronged analytical approach that Includes: firstly, a reading into the built environment itself; secondly, an analysis of the real-estate marketing discourse; and thirdly, through in-depth interviews, a documentation of the perceptions of newcomers and long-term residents, in order to delve into the cultural impacts of new development practices. Relying on Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and capital, and Henri Lefebvre's notions of space, this study explores the status of a "loft-living" cultural model in the wider field of gentrification. More specifically, it examines how the social and economic determinants of redevelopment strategies influence the spatial and social 'disputes' taking place in the former industrial landscapes of Montréal' Saint-Henri.


identifier: Janssen, Shauna  (2009) Reclaiming the Darling Foundry: From Post-Industrial Landscape to Quartier Ephemere.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In 2000, Quartier Éphémère, a contemporary arts organization, reclaimed the ruins of the Darling Foundry, a nineteenth-century metalworks factory located in Griffintown, Montreal's historic industrial district. Like many deindustrialized landscapes, Griffintown is a reservoir of social, cultural and architectural history that remains a part of the urban palimpsest. It is in a constant state of transition. Some changes keep its past alive while other changes, such as private redevelopment schemes, have eradicated the past. Using the Darling Foundry as a case study, this thesis examines the adaptive reuse of post-industrial architecture for cultural purposes, the relationship between contemporary art practice and architecture, and the notion of place making. The reuse and rehabilitation of industrial ruins is necessarily related to their cultural meaning, questions of urban preservation and memory. This thesis asks, how does the artistic reclamation and reuse of abandoned and ruined spaces become an act of place making that contributes to the urban imaginary and cultural landscape of the city?  A critical interdisciplinary reading of the Darling Foundry's transformation, as well as the exhibitions and interventions in relation to the sites in which they occur, shows how contemporary, site-specific art projects and performances enact historical resonances that describe the mutual relationship between the sites and interventions. Using architectural history, cultural anthropology and methods specific to oral history practice, this thesis demonstrates how Quartier Éphémère 's initiatives create conditions for rethinking the mutuality between historical architecture and communities in relation to their spatial narratives and cultural meaning.


identifier: Huang, Min  (2009) CONFSYS2: a redesigned web-based multi-conference management system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents the design and implementation of ConfSys2, an advanced redesign of ConfSys system, with additional features to help conference/journal organizers to manage the processes of academic conferences/journal, and to provide related services for author and conference participants. The ConfSys2 uses the same Tomcat - Java Servlet/JSP - MySQL platform as ConfSys, but redesigned database structure, software framework, and user interfaces. The features of ConfSys have been retained and improved both in user friendliness and efficiency in ConfSys2, and the lessons learnt from developing and using ConfSys have been incorporated. ConfSys2 not only implements better user interface for ConfSys's useful functions, such as automatically/manually allocating paper to reviewers, debating and rating paper, but also introduces new concepts, such as conference/journal series management, user-group-function management, and smart daemon in conference management to improve data sharing, reduce repetitive work and make management work more flexible. Furthermore, the redesign of databases and software framework provides clear structure and flexibility, thus making the maintenance and expanding of the software system easier.


identifier: Jenicek, Ainsley  (2009) Worshipping the Enterprising Self: The Oprah Empire's Brand of Spiritual Self-Governance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Oprah Winfrey, currently one of the most popular American cultural and moral leaders, frames her empire of media products with the slogan "Live Your Best Life." Oprah uses this slogan to urge audience members to govern their choices, thoughts, and feelings in such a way that they might emulate her American Dream-like success. According to Oprah, the first step toward one's "Best Life" is to work to perfect one's spirit. The spiritual practices and products she endorses, then, become entry points into the fundamental aspects of the Oprah Empire's subjective ideal. This thesis examines Oprah's recent promotion of two explicitly spiritual books: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and A New Earth by Eckhart Toile. Specifically, this thesis uses Critical Discourse Analysis to examine five episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2007 and 2008 that focus on one of these two books. Because the intended messages and ideological frameworks embedded in cultural products do not disclose what audiences make of them, the second part of this analysis studies the dominant messages of one online class used to promote A New Earth in dialogue with a sampling of related audience discussion posts on Oprah.com. Together, these two sections of analysis reveal how Oprah, as part of the contemporary historic bloc, works to align audience members' interests with an "enterprising" subjective ideal that benefits neoliberal, postfordist governance.


identifier: Khalil, Hala  (2009) Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C interaction with G-proteins in relation to the environmental stress response in wheat (Triticum aestivum).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Tolerance to environmental stress in plants is controlled by several internal factors and environmental signals. In this study, we have focused on phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (TaPI-PLC) and phosphoglycerol-specific phospholipase C (TaPG-PLC) in wheat, Triticum aestivum . Three homologs of TaPG-PLCs were identified as cDNA with high sequence similarity to rice and Arabidopsis PG-PLC1. TaPG-PLC3 was mapped on the distal part of the long arm of chromosome 5A, whereas TaPG-PLC1 and TaPG-PLC2 like genes appear to be duplicated in two of hexploid wheat 3 three genomes. A TaPG-PLC1::Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fusion was localized on endoplasmic reticulum (ER), golgi and plasma membrane (PM). Important protein-protein interactions were found for wheat PI-PLCs. The PI-PLCI::GFP fusion was localized on ER-and PM. In vivo interactions between TaPI-PLC1 and two classes of G-proteins, the heterotrimeric G protein subunit TaGa and a non-canonicat G-protein J822, were detected using Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation (BiFC). The interactions were detected in both the ER and PM. In contrast, TaPI-PLC2::GFP fusion was localized only on PM and was not found to interact with TaGÜ or J822 . Since both TaPI-PLC 1 and J822 are up-regulated by cold stress and it is possible that they play an important role in signaling during cold acclimation


identifier: Zamparo, Lee  (2009) Two methods to estimate protein copy number from drosophila embryo image data.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Experiments using microscopy which measure gene expression data usually do so indirectly, by recording the intensity of messenger RNA or proteins tagged with fluorescent agents, to produce semi-quantitative data measured by fluorescent intensity. However, quantitative measurements of mRNA or protein concentrations are imperative for developing predictive models of gene regulation networks. In the absence of experimental procedures designed to calibrate the conversion from intensity to concentration, a statistical model of the intensity values may be used to estimate this relationship. In this thesis, two different estimators are developed to estimate the relationship between intensity and protein copy number. The methods were applied to a data set of time-lapse protein expression data taken from embryos of Drosophila melanogaster . Both methods assume a linear relationship between intensity and concentration. When restricted to a specific protein, the methods produce very consistent results, and are in general agreement with other methods applied to similar data. The software used to generate the estimates is implemented as a series of scripts in R. The data is all drawn from FlyEx.


identifier: Boukh-Viner, Tatiana  (2009) Molecular and cellular mechanisms of peroxisomal fusion and aging in yeast.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Peroxisomes are organelles best known for their essential roles in lipid metabolism and hydrogen peroxide detoxification. Peroxisomal biogenesis in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is a multi-step process of temporally ordered sequential conversion of five distinct peroxisomal subforms, termed P1 to P5, into a mature peroxisomal subform P6 carrying the complete set of matrix and membrane proteins.  In the first part of my thesis, I investigate the effect of lateral heterogeneity of the peroxisomal membrane bilayer on the efficiency of the fusion between P1 and P2 in the yeast Y. lipolytica. My findings provide a unique view of the multistep remodeling of the protein repertoire of ergosterol- and ceramide-rich (ECR) domains found in the peroxisomal membrane during fusion of P1 and P2, and define the hierarchy of individual steps during the spatial and temporal reorganization of the peroxisome fusion machinery that only transiently associates with ECR domains.  In the second part of my thesis, I described the use of mass spectrometry-based proteomics for examining the contribution of peroxisomal proteins to longevity regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown under calorie restriction (CR) conditions. My proteomic analysis and experimental results from Dr. Titorenko's laboratory show that CR yeast are able to meet their metabolic requirements by remodeling their carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which relies on functional lipid metabolic pathways in the peroxisome. These findings suggest that peroxisomal Ý-oxidation of fatty acids significantly affects the rate of chronological aging in CR yeast by defining the rate of ATP production in their mitochondria but not by making ROS. I also present my research findings on longevity regulation in S. cerevisiae by a novel anti-aging molecule "LA" identified recently in Dr. Titorenko's laboratory. Comprehensive analysis of the proteome remodeling in yeast placed on a CR diet and exposed to LA, along with experimental data obtained through various metabolomic and functional studies in Dr. Titorenko's laboratory, demonstrate that LA extends yeast chronological lifespan by maintaining the mitochondrial production of ROS at an optimal level that does not excessively damage cellular macromolecules but triggers a potent cellular stress response


identifier: Danilevich, Ann  (2009) Playing the cultural field : the role of outsourcing and cultural intermediaries in art museum development.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores the role of outsourcing in current museum developments through the case studies of the multinational companies Acoustiguide (a subsidiary of the Espro Acoustiguide Group) and Lord Cultural Resources in their chosen field of operation--museums, galleries and other cultural and heritage organizations. It examines their business operations against the backdrop of global museum transformations through an analysis of each company's economic, industrial, and discursive formations, and points to global flows of cultural exchange, as defined by Appadurai (1996), in an international field of cultural production. Bourdieu's concept of cultural intermediaries and field theory are central to this analysis. To meet the demands of the 20 century's increasingly global and technologically advanced world museums must balance traditional and contemporary roles. As a result, they have adopted and adapted certain organizational restructuring practices from the corporate sector. The relationship between these companies and museums is an exchange, with each ultimately influencing the development of the other.  Keywords: cultural production; cultural intermediaries; museum; non-profit; outsourcing; globalization; technology; audio guide; Acoustiguide; Espro Aucoustiguide Group, Lord Cultural Resources, global consultancy; interpretation.


identifier: James, Perry Roland  (2009) Enhancements to jml and its extended static checking technology.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Formal methods are useful for developing high-quality software, but to make use of them, easy-to-use tools must be available. This thesis presents our work on the Java Modeling Language (JML) and its static verification tools.  A main contribution is Offline User-Assisted Extended Static Checking (OUA-ESC), which is positioned between the traditional, fully automatic ESC and interactive Full Static Program Verification (FSPV). With OUA-ESC, automated theorem provers are used to discharge as many Verification Conditions (VCs) as possible, then users are allowed to provide Isabelle/HOL proofs for the sub-VCs that cannot be discharged automatically. Thus, users are able to take advantage of the full power of Isabelle/HOL to manually prove the system correct, if they so choose. Exploring unproven sub-VCs with Isabelle's ProofGeneral has also proven very useful for debugging code and their specifications.  We also present syntax and semantics for monotonic non-null references, a common category that has not been previously identified. This monotonic non-null modifier allows some fields previously declared as nullable to be treated like local variables for nullity flow analysis.  To support this work, we developed JML4, an Eclipse-based Integration Verification Environment (IVE) for the Java Modeling Language. JML4 provides integration of JML into all of the phases of the Eclipse JDT's Java compiler, makes use of external API specifications, and provides native error reporting. The verification techniques initially supported include a Non-Null Type System (NNTS), Runtime Assertion Checking (RAC), and Extended Static Checking (ESC); and verification tools to be developed by other researchers can be incorporated. JML4 was adopted by the JML4 community as the platform for their combined research efforts.  ESC4, JML4's ESC component, provides other novel features not found before in ESC tools. Multiple provers are used automatically, which provides a greater coverage of language constructs that can be verified. Multi-threaded generation and distributed discharging of VCs, as well as a proof-status caching strategy, greatly speed up this CPU-intensive verification technique. VC caches are known to be fragile, and we developed a simple way to remove some of that fragility.  These features combine to form the first IVE for JML, which will hopefully bring the improved quality promised by formal methods to Java developers


identifier: Parrish, Chris L  (2009) An investigation of excessive reassurance seeking in OCD.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Excessive reassurance-seeking (ERS) is a common problem among individuals dealing with emotional and/or psychological difficulties. Prior research on ERS has focused almost exclusively on the potential consequences of this behaviour in the contexts of Depression and Hypochondriasis, and this research has shown that ERS contributes to interpersonal difficulties and emotional distress. Despite anecdotal evidence that ERS is a hallmark feature of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), comparatively few studies have examined OCD-related ERS. The goal of the present research was to examine various cognitive, behavioural and affective processes that may be involved in the perpetuation of ERS, specifically within the contexts of OCD and Depression. Given the purported functional equivalence between OCD-related reassurance seeking and compulsive checking (Rachman, 2002), the current investigations also aimed to compare ERS and repeated checking activity across a number of important domains (i.e., content, precipitating factors, function and termination criteria). Toward these goals, Study I employed a semi-structured interview with clinical (OCD and Depression) and non-clinical individuals to examine factors involved in the onset, maintenance and termination of ERS and repeated checking. Results revealed that individuals with OCD tend to seek reassurance about perceived general threats (e.g., fire, theft), whereas ERS tends to be focused on perceived social threats (e.g., abandonment, loss of support) among depressed individuals. Clinical participants reported greater anxiety, sadness and perceived threat in association with ERS and repeated checking than healthy control participants. Study 2 examined how manipulations of threat, responsibility, and ambiguity of feedback impacted upon non-clinical participants' anxiety and compulsive urges (to seek reassurance and to check) in a series of experimental vignettes. Consistent with hypotheses, higher levels of perceived threat, responsibility and ambiguity of feedback were associated with greater anxiety and compulsive urges. Results also suggested that perceived threat and responsibility partially mediated the effects of ambiguity of feedback on anxiety, urges to check, and (for threat) urges to seek reassurance. The collective results of these studies are discussed in terms of cognitive and behavioural models of OCD, and directions for future research are suggested.


identifier: Fu, Jun  (2009) On the adaptive controls of nonlinear systems with different hysteresis model representations.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The hysteresis phenomenon occurs in diverse disciplines ranging from physics to biology, from material science to mechanics, and from electronics to economics. When the hysteresis nonlinearity precedes a controlled system, the nonlinearity usually causes the overall closed-loop system to exhibit inaccuracies or oscillations, even leading to instability. Control techniques to mitigate the unwanted effects of hysteresis have been studied for decades and have recently once again attracted significant attention. In this thesis, several adaptive control strategies are developed for systems with different hysteresis model representations to guarantee the basic stability requirement of the closed-loop systems and to track a desired trajectory with a certain precision.  These proposed strategies to mitigate the effects of hysteresis are as follows: i). With the classical Duhem model, an observer-based adaptive control scheme for a piezoelectric actuator system is proposed. Due to the unavailability of the hysteresis output, an observer-based adaptive controller incorporating a pre-inversion neural network compensator is developed for the purpose of mitigating the hysteretic effects; ii). With the Prandtl-Ishlinskii model, an adaptive tracking control approach is developed for a class of nonlinear systems in p-normal form by using the technique of adding a power integrator to address the challenge of how to fuse this hysteresis model with the control techniques to mitigate hysteresis, without necessarily constructing a hysteresis inverse; iii). With a newly proposed hysteresis model using play-like operators, two control strategies are proposed for a class of nonlinear systems: one with sliding mode control and the other with backstepping techniques


identifier: Zhao, Fengbin  (2009) Gaining instructional design expertise through self-designing, using, and evaluationg a performance support system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In order to gain instructional design (ID) expertise, the author self-designs and uses an instructional design performance support system (IDPSS). The recursive, dynamical, and systematic process of designing, using, and evaluating the IDPSS has effectively engaged the author in learning ID knowledge and skills.  Three tools are designed and used: the consilience of learning theory tool, the ID competency tool, and the design-based research (DBR) tool. The media format includes not only computer software, such as Excel and OneNote, but also traditional pen and paper. The author evaluates and synthesizes relevant ID knowledge, and creates specific models guiding her practice. She tries to create her own instructional theory model through systematically drawing useful implications from various learning theories. This learning process is characterized by five modes of thinking: enactive, iconic, story-telling, mathematical-thinking, and formal academic writing. The author self-reflects on her learning experience by discussing a few misconceptions she has encountered, and how she has tried to correct the misconceptions.  The author designs a framework for her proposed approach to gain ID expertise, and hopes that it can be applicable to other instructional designers. Two other instructional designers have tried this approach in a small scope, and have contributed to building the framework. As the current project tries to initiate a DBR project, a real DBR project will rely on the efforts of many instructional designers who can try this approach over a long period of time. The author discusses the potential for creating a standard DBR documenting instrument.


identifier: Bellefontaine, Nicole  (2009) The potential role of neuropeptide Y Y5 receptor activation in the prolongation of lactational infertility induced by food restriction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Food restricted lactating rats show a prolonged period of lactational infertility. Previous studies suggest that at least part of this effect is due to prolonged suppression of pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone (LH) that results from the combined effects of high circulating levels of progesterone and some, as yet unidentified, neurohormone. There is converging evidence to suggest that Neuropeptide Y (NPY) acting through its Y5 receptor subtype inhibits the reproductive axis. The hypothesis that Y5 receptor activation prolongs lactational infertility was tested in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, the combined effects of Y5 receptor inactivation and administration of the progesterone receptor blocker RU486 were investigated. In both experiments production of the Y5 receptor was blocked by administration of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) targeted to the Y5 receptor from days 13-20 postpartum to food restricted (FR) dams. Vehicle-, scrambled ODN- treated FR and ad libitum (AL) fed dams served as controls. In Experiment 2, Y5 antisense and scrambled ODNs were co-administered with RU486 (5mg/kg). Length of lactational diestrous was significantly shorter in FR dams treated with Y5 antisense ODNs than any other FR groups. Maternal weight gain and pup growth was also reduced in Y5 antisense ODN treated dams. All females treated with RU486 displayed a length of lactational infertility similar to that seen in AL dams. Together these results suggest that both progesterone and Y5 receptor inactivation is effective in reducing the length of lactational anovulation, although whether they have direct effects on LH secretion remains to be determined.


identifier: Zhou, Rong  (2009) Using AMD-like simulated scotomata in young and old healthy adults : effects on eye movement patterns and fixation efficiency.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of legal blindness, causes irreversible visual impairment within a central scotoma (blind spot). Patients with AMD therefore use extrafoveal (not in the center of vision) locations for fixation, with a cost of increased fixation instability and reduced viewing efficiency. The clinical symptoms of AMD are varied. To investigate the degree to which observers with different types of AMD could retain residual visual functioning but without pathological complications, we studied eye movement (EM) patterns with a shape identification task with 4 types of simulated central scotoma (Relative, Absolute, Distorted, Warped) with young normal observers in Experiment 1. Results showed that the Relative scotoma (reduced contrast) was the least disruptive form. A complete loss or a distortion of central visual input (Absolute, Distorted, Warped) led to greater reduction of response efficiency and more severely altered EM patterns. There was a preferential horizontal fixation shift away from the targets toward the right visual field, with little shift along the vertical. Generally, there was a marked improvement with practice. Larger scotomata always led to larger changes, except for the Relative type. Since AMD affects mostly older people, we compared young and old healthy adults in Experiment 2. The results showed that old adults were less efficient than young adults, tended to have larger fixation shifts along the x- and Y-axes, but with a smaller angular change, and were slower to adapt. Large scotomata were especially disruptive. Our results suggest that when using simulated scotomata, one needs to adjust the properties of the scotoma to the kind of AMD studied. It is also preferable to use old adults, since their response appears to be different in many ways from that of young adults. This novel perspective might suggest new requirements for low vision training.


identifier: Barrieau, Lindsey E  (2009) The influence of mother-child communication and relationship factors in promoting healthy development in high-risk children.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Parent-child communication is essential in middle childhood as changes in self-disclosure, shared experiences, and autonomy take place. Investigating communication is crucial in understanding adaptive development, particularly in high-risk families where the likelihood of negative outcomes is high. The present study was designed to examine the contribution of maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal to the prediction of mother-child communication and to children's relationships (quality of parent-child relationship, peer likeability and social competence). In addition, the association between parent-child communication and marital communication was investigated.   Mothers with childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, a longitudinal, intergenerational study, participated with their 9-13 year-old children. Dyads (n=63) discussed conflicts rated as problematic in their relationship. Communication quality was coded using the Communication Coding Scheme (CCS).   Results partially supported the hypotheses that maternal childhood histories of risk contribute to the prediction of mother-child communication quality. Furthermore, results suggested that mother-child communication was related to relationship factors including emotional availability, likeability, and social skills associated with the development of adaptive relationships in middle childhood. Finally, marital communication was positively associated with mother-child communication.   The present findings contribute to the current literature, highlighting the importance of examining parent-child communication and relationship factors in high-risk families and their impact on children's relationships and development.


identifier: Della Porta, Sandra  (2009) Identifying mothers' and children's use and perceptions of power in their relationship.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigated attributes of power in the parent-child relationship. This concept was examined in three domains of conflict: personal, conventional, and prudential. Forty-one children (20 boys, 21 girls) ranging from seven to 12 years ( M = 10.12, SD = 1.42) and their mothers from a middle-class background participated in this study. This research assessed parents and children's perceptions of the types and level of power (French & Raven, 1959) through an interview consisting of 12 conflict-provoking situations. The dyad completed the Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (PCRQ; Furman & Giberson, 1995) and mothers completed the Parental Authority Questionnaire-Revised (PAQ-R; Reitman et. al., 2002), Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004), and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SD; Strahan & Gerbasi, 1972). Results show that in the personal domain, children were rated as having more power, and in both the conventional and prudential domains, mothers were rated as having more power. Children of mothers with an authoritarian parenting style rated the mother as having more power in the personal, conventional, and prudential domains, while mothers rated themselves as having more power in the prudential domain. Permissive parenting was related to children rating themselves as having more power in the prudential domain. For types of power, mothers used more coercive and information power than their children, whereas children used more legitimate and sneaky power. This research may aid in parents' understanding that use of power could differ across domains.


identifier: Tada, Kanae  (2009) Aboriginal entrepreneurs in the market economy : an exploration of alternative Aboriginal development.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis analyzes the influence of Aboriginal traditional values on Aboriginal economic activities and explores the possibilities of an alternative development of Canadian Aboriginal society. It argues that alternative Aboriginal development is possible in a way that emphasizes various social relations.  Arguing that the development of Aboriginal society should follow Western society's path, researchers have hardly discussed alternative tradition-based Aboriginal development until the 1990s.The newer discussion for alternative Aboriginal development with respect for their tradition is still in its infancy. In order to identify if and how Aboriginal traditions can be included in their economy and in their society's development, this study conducted interviews with Aboriginal individual entrepreneurs in Quebec and Ontario.  This thesis identifies that traditional values such as collectivity, reciprocity, being ecological, non-competitiveness, and respect or concern for different generations influence their business in the form of facilitating formation of social behaviors including: contributions to a First Nation community; close and collective relationship building among workers; providing ecological services or products; modest marketing; and operation takes into consideration influence on elders and the youth. The relatively distinct business activities of Aboriginal entrepreneurs suggest that Aboriginal peoples are involved in the mainstream market economy but in a distinct and more social way. The interviewed Aboriginal entrepreneurs are maintaining social activities while managing their businesses in the market economy. Therefore, Aboriginal development that reflects their traditions is possible with an emphasis on social relations over economic relations.


identifier: Reid, Nathalie  (2009) Subjectivities and truths in emotion-based discourse : the Case of Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Chamberlain v. Surrey School District No. 36 is a complex case within Canada's legal history. The issues at stake were wide-ranged from concerns of equality rights for same-sex parents, parental rights on the education of their children, to concerns about the best interest of children and the impacts of sensitive materials on them. Throughout the case's history, these concerns were discussed provincially and nationally within newspaper editorials, columns, and letters to the editor. The censorship issues that surround the Chamberlain case provide a site to explore how respondents actively create this case's truths and produce emotion effects in the audience through their discourse  In this thesis I argue that the discourses of respondents speaking about the Chamberlain case produce 'truth claims' that can be aligned with social imperatives of subjectivity formation in autonomy-based liberal and neoliberal societies. These truths are generated by relying on cultural representations of children and equality rights and through the use of various narrative and rhetorical strategies.


identifier: Eid, Amr Mohamed  (2009) Cooperative diversity in CDMA networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Cooperative diversity in CDMA networks

abstract: Spatial diversity is one of the well known diversity methods used in combating fading channels. Recently, cooperative diversity has been widely studied in literature as a spatial diversity technique. Different from multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, each user in the cooperative network is employed with a single transmit/receive antenna. In this thesis, we propose a cooperative diversity technique for asynchronous direct sequence code division multiple access (D8-CDMA) over frequency selective slow fading environment. First we assume the single cooperation relay case, where the bit-error-rate performance of the system is studied for both cases of perfect and imperfect inter-user channel (user-relay link). In order to mitigate the multi-access interference (MAI), decorrelator multiuser detectors are introduced at both relay and base station sides. Its effect on performance is studied and compared to the performance of the conventional matched filter receiver. Additionally, the performance of the system is studied and compared for different multi-path diversity scenarios in the inter-user and uplink channel. Furthermore, a coded multi-relay cooperation technique is proposed, where channel coding is introduced to minimize errors over the inter-user channel. All users are embedded with convolutional encoder and a Viterbi decoder. We study the performance of the coded system for different number of cooperating relays and over different multi-path diversity scenarios. Both simulation and analytical results are compared. Finally, we conclude that for a communication network to benefit from the cooperation diversity technique, a reliable communication link between active users and the cooperating relays should be secured (inter-user channel). We show that for an active user cooperating with V relays over a P -path frequency-selective fading channel, the expected diversity degree is P ( V +1)


identifier: Roux, Jonathan  (2009) Telling lives, making place : the narratives of three Haitian refugees in Montreal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Tang, Yao  (2009) Evaluation of mental stress during cognitive activities through HRV data and kinesics study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Many studies have been conducted to test and improve existing design methods, which can be used for engineering production and development. In order to improve the usability of design methods, the present thesis proposes a new approach to quantify the human mental stresses during the design activities. Two sets of experiments are implemented for this study. Kinesics analysis is used to quantify the designer's mental stresses during the design activities. Meanwhile, heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has been performed to verify the results from kinesics study.  The present thesis initiates the research that employs the kinesics study in the quantification of the mental stresses.


identifier: Kapsis, Konstantinos  (2009) Modeling, control and performance evaluation of bottom-up motorized shade.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Integration of daylighting into buildings using motorized interior shades is challenging. If it is done properly, reduction of energy for artificial lighting and eventually building cooling demand can be achieved, while providing an improved visual and thermal office environment, beneficial for the occupants' health and performance. If it is poorly done, it can lead to increased cooling demand due to overheating, thermal discomfort and glare problems.   In this study, the daylighting and thermal performance of "bottom-up" shades was presented. The bottom-up is a motorized roller shade that operates in reverse of a conventional roller shade (opens from top to bottom), so as to cover the bottom part of the window, providing privacy to the occupants, while allowing daylight to enter from the top section.   A daylighting simulation model, validated with experimental results, was developed in order to establish correlations between the shade position, outdoor illuminance and work plane illuminance for different outdoor conditions as well as to allow a sensitivity analysis of the impact of shade optical properties on the results. Moreover, the model was used to compare "bottom-up" shades with conventional roller shades. The results showed that the Daylight Autonomy (DA) for the bottom-up is 8%-58% higher than the DA for a conventional roller shade, with a difference of 46% at the back part of the room, away from the façade, where the use of artificial lighting is usually more needed, proving the advantage of bottom-up shade versus conventional roller shades, by allowing the natural light to enter from the top section of the façade deep into the room.   Thermal experiments were conducted to examine the possible advantages of the use of a bottom-up shade's "sealed" cavity, showing increase of the effective thermal resistance of the fenestration, compared with no shades and with conventional roller shades.   Finally, a methodology is proposed for the development of a control algorithm for a bottom-up shade, applicable for any location and orientation.


identifier: Lowerison, Gretchen Wentzell  (2009) Using wikis to support learning in post-secondary economics.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Wikis are part of what is known as Web 2.0, or the read-write web, describing technology that have the potential to provide learners with tools that promote knowledge building through collaboration, social negotiation, and the reviewing and revising of ideas. When building a wiki, learners engage in a process of forethought, performance, and reflection, requiring that they be cognitively active with the learning material and carefully evaluate the accuracy of their understanding.  This study examined the effects of contributing to a wiki combined with varying levels of pedagogical support using a 2 x 2 factorial design: Wiki (no-wiki / wiki) x Pedagogical Support (low / high). The sample consisted of 98 students in 4 sections of an introductory macroeconomics course at a large urban technical college in western Canada. While there is still much to understand regarding the impact of using wikis to support and foster meaningful learning the results of this study produced several important findings and practical implications. The results found that while there was no significant difference between wiki-users and the control group for achievement and overall perceived course effectiveness, there were advantages ascribed to the wiki groups. With respect to motivation, the results found that wiki-users coupled with higher levels of pedagogical support rated intrinsic goal orientation, task value, and self-efficacy significantly higher than the control group. When comparing the two wiki conditions it was found that learners in the wiki high pedagogical support condition rated task value significantly higher than those in the wiki low pedagogical support condition though with small effect sizes. Finally, preliminary descriptive data yielded profound differences between the two wiki groups with regard to their primary intention: collaboration. High levels of support appeared to stifle dialogue. Differences in how learners approached the task of building the wiki under different levels of pedagogical support were observed suggesting that even in a flexible, learner controlled environment, the instructor's suggested structure will have a large impact on how the tool is used. Implications for practice and future research are discussed


identifier: Anber, S. Alexandra  (2009) Louise Bourgeois's provisional stitches : an examination of Bourgeois's production of subjectivity, materialized.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In recent years, artist Louise Bourgeois has begun incorporating her garments, and those of friends and family, as well as household textiles into her artworks. Anchored in poststructuralist thought, this thesis, written from a feminist perspective, examines Bourgeois's material use as the production of her subjectivity, materialized. Deconstructing existing presuppositions of the essentiality of subjectivity, Bourgeois's latest fabric is explored as the metaphoric ocillatory movement between self and other, mirroring the process of the subject in the making. Based on the premise that the work of art is not a reflection of the artist's experience but the site of experience itself, Bourgeois's material is examined as the site of the process and perpetual transformation of her subject position. Situating the significance of Bourgeois's works outside of the restrictive interpretive framework of the biographical details of her life, this thesis instead situates the meaning of her works within the dialogistic encounter between viewer and artwork. In exploring Bourgeois's subjectivity in relation to her latest material, her age is also considered, for she has reached the extreme old age of ninety-seven. The issue of ageism is therefore also considered in order to better understand this artist and the production of her work and self.


identifier: Khan, Sohail Akbar  (2009) Improved mathematical model for sheet reheat phase in thermoforming process.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Thermoforming is widely used industrial manufacturing process in which tub-shaped components are manufactured by heating a plastic sheet in the oven and formed to the desired shape through vacuum or pressure. Heating of the sheet is the most important phase which determines product quality and process efficiency. In order to automate the process to improve the product quality and process efficiency, the development of a mathematical model of heat propagation to the sheet and inside the sheet is imperative. Heat transfer takes place through the combination of convection, conduction and radiation energy, which conducts and absorbed inside the sheet and greatly depends on material properties, oven air temperature and velocity and sheet color. A mathematical model based on variable material properties including density, specific heat and thermal conductivity is developed and validated against experimental data. The effect of both oven air temperature and velocity is studied by simulating the already developed and validated variable properties mathematical model for different values of oven air velocity and temperature. The sheet color effect is also studied by considering two extreme cases of black color sheet and white color sheet and validated by simulating the models and comparing the results against experimental data. The sheet heating model based on exact solution to conduction equation with constant material properties and convection heat as boundary condition is also developed and validated against experimental data.


identifier: Matveev, Alex  (2009) Evaluating the land use change carbon flux and its impact on climate.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Carbon emissions from Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) are currently about 30% of total anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. However, our ability to estimate the net effect of LULCC on atmospheric CO 2 concentrations is limited by uncertainties associated with carbon fluxes from land conversion. The current generation of climate-carbon models does not generally include LULCC dynamically in the simulations and as a result, carbon emissions from LULCC have typically been specified externally rather than simulated interactively by model. In addition, the extent of LULCC in model simulations has usually been limited to the extent of crops. In order to address these uncertainties, this research develops the land component of an intermediate-complexity coupled climate-carbon model - the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM v.2.8). For that (1) the area of the agricultural land used to drive the model simulations was extended to include the pasture area, and (2) a dynamic 'bookkeeping' carbon accounting scheme was integrated into the UVic ESCM terrestrial component. The new scheme interactively allocates vegetation carbon displaced as a result of a specified LULCC to direct CO 2 emissions, as well as to short- and long-lived pools with varying decay timescales. This allows running transient simulations of the CO 2 emissions due to historical patterns of LULCC as well as, combined with use of the newest global datasets of crops and pastures, provides improved estimates of the net contribution of land use changes to climate.


identifier: McDonald, Heather  (2009) Proximity and distance : an investigation on interiority in video art.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines how interiority is constructed in video art. Interiority is understood here to be an aspect of subjectivity that refers to self-reflection or self-regard. I argue that interiority is constructed as a psychological, spatial, and temporal phenomenon. The first chapter questions the theoretical links between narcissism and interiority and considers two videos in detail: Kate Craig's Delicate Issue (1979) and Rodrigue Jean's La mémoire de l'eau (1996). I look at how Craig and Jean construct interiority in their video practices as a psychological characteristic, and I draw on Sigmund Freud's theory of narcissism and Leo Bersani's views on interiority in my interpretation. Chapter Two addresses the notion of bodily space in video practice through a phenomenological perspective. In my analysis of Charlemagne Palestine's Island Song (1976) and Mona Hatoum's So Much I Want to Say (1983) in this chapter, I look at videographic space and bodily space through the lens of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's conception of space as something that one actively inhabits. In the third and final chapter of this thesis, I argue that interiority is informed by our conception of temporality. I examine the representation and manipulation of temporality in video by analyzing Gary Hill's Why Do Things Get in a Muddle (Come on Petunia) (1984) and Douglas Gordon's 24 Hour Psycho (1993)


identifier: Alimahmoodi, Mahmood  (2009) Treatment of Aqueous waste streams contaminated with carbon dioxide and crude oil from an enhanced oil recovery process, Mahmood Alimahmoodi.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the process of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), carbon dioxide and water are used excessively (8000 ft 3 of CO 2 and 10 bbl of water per 1 bbl oil extracted) to increase the oil production and as a result, a large stream of waste water is generated. The main contaminants of this waste are dissolved gases mainly CO 2 and dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons (referred to as TPH). CO 2 which forms about 70% of the greenhouse gases. is the major cause of global warming and its atmospheric concentration (currently 385 ppm) has been rapidly increasing since the past decades.  In a series of batch experiments, the application of several electron donors such as simple volatile fatty acids and mono and disaccharides were investigated to remove CO 2 and TPH from a synthetic waste stream (containing about 200 mg COD/L of TPH and dissolved CO 2 at the saturation level). About 95% of CO 2 and 76% of TPH were removed using formate (2 g/L) and sucrose (2.5 g/L) respectively at a mesophilic range of temperature (about 35°C). In the second phase of this study, a two-step reactor system was used to treat this waste and the system operation was optimized using the method of evolutionary operation (EVOP) factorial design. For the first reactor with CO 2 reduction and CH 4 production as the target parameters, values of pH, temperature and organic loading rate of 2.5, 38°C and 6240 mg COD/L were obtained. The corresponding values for the second reactor were 6.5, 39.5°C and 394 mg COD/L for the TPH removal.  The energy balance for the system resulted in the calculated net energy ratio (NER) of 3.7 which showed a sustainable biogas production. The kinetic study of the system showed that degradation of formate and sucrose in both reactors is affected by the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons probably due to their inhibitory effects. Also, it was shown that the original differential equations for the substrate concentration and microbial growth can better predict the kinetic behavior of the system than the simplified models.  As the overall conclusion of this study, this method is less complex compared to other competitive methods and it can be easily applied. Moreover, besides its low energy requirements, it can generate CH 4 from CO 2 as a clean source of energy.


identifier: Abram, Zachary  (2009) Acquiescence and salvation : Colin McDougall's Execution and existential postwar Canadian literature.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since winning the 1958 Governor General's award, Colin McDougall's only novel, Execution, has been critically neglected despite the richness of a text that provides ample critical avenues into postwar Canadian literature. This thesis, "Acquiescence and Salvation," will revitalize critical interest in McDougall, an overlooked but deserving Montreal writer, and place his work into the larger context of postwar Canadian literature. In addition, this thesis will examine the complicated relationship the novel has to existentialism, especially as it relates to trauma and how one makes meaning out of experience. McDougall's characterization and explicit allusions to existential writers like Franz Kafka indicate that Execution is an existential meditation as well as a war novel. However, this interpretation of Execution is complicated by the Christian allegory at its end, which seems out of place in an existential text. The thesis will explore the themes of sacrifice, responsibility, experience and existentialism in the primary text in concert with the writings of Sartre, Conrad, Camus, and Kafka in order to understand the postwar existential context inhabited by McDougall. Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling will be especially important to the thesis since Execution synthesizes its distinct Christian existentialism into novel form.