identifier: Glebov, Anastasia  (2011) Using the Experimental Evolution of Long-Lived Yeast Species for Testing Evolutionary Theories of Aging.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Using the Experimental Evolution of Long-Lived Yeast Species for Testing Evolutionary Theories of Aging

Anastasia Glebov, M.Sc.

Aging of multicellular and unicellular eukaryotic organisms is a highly complex biological phenomenon that has various causes and affects numerous processes within cells. As a model organism for elucidating the basic biology and molecular mechanisms of cellular aging in multicellular eukaryotes, we use the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The employment of this budding yeast as an advantageous model organism in aging research during the past decade has convincingly demonstrated that longevity signaling pathways and mechanisms of their modulation by dietary and pharmacological interventions are conserved across phyla.

Recently, we designed a chemical genetic screen for small molecules that increase the chronological lifespan (CLS) of yeast under caloric restriction (CR) conditions by targeting lipid metabolism and modulating housekeeping longevity pathways that regulate longevity irrespective of the number of available calories. Our high-throughput screen identified a bile acid called lithocholic acid (LCA) as one of such molecules. The results of our pharmacophore modeling of the anti-aging potential of various species of bile acids imply that the maintenance of the minimal polarity of both the hydrophilic (concave) and hydrophobic (convex) sides of the steroid nucleus - by avoiding the presence of polar substituents at the positions 6, 7 and 12 - is mandatory for the extreme life-extending efficacy of LCA under CR conditions. Such stringent structural requirements are consistent with a target specificity of LCA action as an anti-aging small molecule. We found that the life-extending efficacy of LCA under CR exceeds that under non-CR conditions, being inversely proportional to the concentration of glucose in growth medium and thus in correlation with the extent of calorie supply limitation.

Yeast do not synthesize LCA or any other bile acids produced by mammals. Therefore, we propose that bile acids released into the environment by mammals may act as interspecies chemical signals providing longevity benefits to yeast and, perhaps, other species within an ecosystem. We hypothesize that, because bile acids are known to be mildly toxic compounds, they may create selective pressure for the evolution of yeast species that can respond to the bile acids-induced mild cellular damage by developing the most efficient stress protective mechanisms. It is likely that such mechanisms may provide effective protection of yeast against molecular and cellular damage accumulated with age. Thus, we propose that yeast species that have been selected for the most effective mechanisms providing protection against bile acids may evolve the most effective anti-aging mechanisms that are sensitive to regulation by bile acids. We analyzed how small anti-aging molecules other than LCA (including resveratrol, caffeine and rapamycin) synthesized and released into the environment by one species of the organisms composing an ecosystem extend longevity of many other species within this ecosystem. Based on such analysis, we extended our initial hypothesis on how bile acids govern longevity regulation and drive longevity evolution by suggesting a unified hypothesis of the xenohormetic, hormetic and cytostatic selective forces that impel the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms at the ecosystemic level.

To test the validity of our hypothesis, we carried out the LCA-driven experimental evolution of long-lived yeast species. Our serial-batch-transfer type of selection yielded three laboratory-evolved yeast strains with greatly extended lifespan. All these strains were able to maintain their prolonged lifespan following storage at -80oC and multiple successive passages in medium without LCA. We demonstrated that in the absence of LCA a mutant allele or alleles selected during the LCA-driven multistep selection process of long-lived yeast species extend longevity and alter the age-dependent dynamics of mitochondrial respiration under both CR and non-CR conditions. We therefore concluded that, consistent with its sought-after effect on longevity regulation pathways, our LCA-driven multistep selection process under laboratory conditions yielded long-lived yeast species whose greatly delayed chronological aging was caused by the selection of a mutant allele or alleles that activate housekeeping longevity assurance pathways. As we recently demonstrated, these housekeeping longevity assurance pathways modulate longevity irrespective of the number of available calories and do not overlap with the adaptable longevity pathways that are under the stringent control of calorie availability [167].

We also revealed that under CR conditions in the absence of LCA a mutant allele or alleles selected during the LCA-driven multistep selection process of long-lived yeast species: 1) enhance the resistance of yeast to chronic oxidative, thermal and osmotic stresses; 2) suppress mitochondria-controlled apoptotic cell death triggered by exogenously added hydrogen peroxide; and 3) attenuate lipid-induced necrotic cell death induced by exogenously added palmitoleic acid. All these processes are known to be governed by the housekeeping longevity assurance pathways that modulate longevity irrespective of the number of available calories [167].

Moreover, the experiments described in this Master’s thesis revealed that the addition of LCA to the laboratory-selected long-lived yeast species cultured under CR conditions 1) further extends their CLS, although to a lesser degree than that of wild-type (WT) strain; 2) causes further changes in the age-dependent dynamics of mitochondrial respiration, although not as dramatic as those seen in WT; 3) further enhances the resistance of yeast to chronic oxidative, thermal and osmotic stresses, although to a lesser extent than those observed in WT; 4) further suppresses mitochondria-controlled apoptotic cell death triggered by exogenously added hydrogen peroxide, although to a lesser degree than those seen in WT; and 5) further attenuates lipid-induced necrotic cell death induced by exogenously added palmitoleic acid, although to a lesser extent than those observed in WT. These findings imply that, although a mutant allele or alleles selected during the LCA-driven multistep selection process of long-lived yeast species greatly impact a compendium of the LCA-sensing housekeeping longevity assurance processes, this allele or alleles do not activate such processes sufficiently enough to attain the maximal CLS achievable under life-extending CR conditions in the presence of LCA.

Altogether, these findings provide the comprehensive evidence of our hypothesis in which the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms within an ecosystem can be driven by the xenohormetic, hormetic and cytostatic selective forces created by a lasting exposure of an organism to an anti-aging natural compound released by other organisms composing this ecosystem.


identifier: Azimi, Hossein  (2011) Development of VBI Models with Vehicle Acceleration for Bridge-Vehicle Dynamic Response.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
There has been a growing interest to model and analyze the Vehicle-Bridge Interaction (VBI) of intricate vehicles on bridges. VBI analysis is used if the dynamic response of the vehicle in addition to that of the bridge is required. This is particularly sound in case of high-speed trains where the vehicle acceleration is a design criterion for passenger comfort and needs to be well predicted.
 The main objective of this research is to establish efficient numerical procedures within the framework of finite element methods to solve the dynamic response of the VBI systems for vehicles moving with constant velocity or with acceleration. For vehicles with constant velocity, the dynamic condensation method is applied to reduce the vehicle DOFs to the VBI element. A new formulation is proposed for the mass, damping, and stiffness of the VBI element considering new formulation for the contact points.
For vehicles experiencing acceleration or deceleration, external forces resulting from vehicle horizontal acceleration are numerically formulated in a matrix form as the function of vertical contact forces. By defining a new variable called acceleration parameter, the contact force formula is reformulated. Consequently, a new formulation for the VBI element containing the effect of vehicle acceleration is developed.
The effect of shear deformation and consistent mass on the vehicle and bridge responses is investigated. The Timoshenko beam element is used to simulate the effect of shear deformation with consistent mass including the effect of rotary mass. Results generally imply that all bridge responses are affected, particularly mid-span acceleration.
A comprehensive parametric study is conducted on the model variables and their effects on the dynamic response of the bridge and the vehicle. The studied parameters include vehicle and bridge damping, frequency parameter, system mass parameter, and a new parameter called vehicle mass parameter. The new VBI element for vehicles experiencing acceleration is studied for three types of vehicle models. Results demonstrate the capability of the developed VBI elements in capturing several dynamic effects when compared to the available models, particularly for high speed vehicles. The new VBI models showed better predictions for the vertical contact forces, vehicle vertical acceleration, and the bridge mid-span deflection.


identifier: Dietz, Jon Eric  (2011) Sistahs African American Vernacular English Translation of Les Belles-Soeurs A Foreignization Approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, in addition to translating the entire play into African American English, I review the history of Black English, its use in American Literature and its translation into French. I discuss the foreignization and domestication approaches used in the translation as defined by Schleiermacher and Venuti. I also compare Tremblay’s original play with Burek and Glassco’s Standard English translation and my AAVE translation by using Antoine Berman’s deforming tendencies as a theoretical and analytical framework to demonstrate how my translation avoids many of the deforming tendencies found in the Standard English translation.


identifier: Pougnet, Erin  (2011) Socioeconomically disadvantaged fathers’ presence and parenting and the trajectories of their children’s social, cognitive, and behavioural development.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Previous investigations of the developmental outcomes of fathering have primarily focused on English-speaking families and utilized cross-sectional methodologies. The present studies used intergenerational and longitudinal methods to illustrate the roles that high risk Francophone fathers play in their children’s social, cognitive, and behavioural development. Three key questions were examined: (1) What were the direct and indirect pathways between fathers’ absence in one generation and fathers’ absence in the next generation? (2) To what extent did fathers’ presence and parenting predict children’s later cognitive and behavioural functioning? (3) To what extent did fathers’ presence and parenting differentially affect the development of sons and daughters? Data from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project were employed to address these questions. Results indicated that there was a direct pathway from fathers’ absence in one generation to fathers’ absence in the next generation for both males and females that was not reduced by taking socioeconomic and mental health factors into consideration. Fathers’ presence in middle childhood predicted fewer internalizing problems in pre-adolescence, especially for girls, and fathers’ parenting, specifically positive parental control, predicted higher Performance IQ scores and fewer internalizing problems over six years later. Gender differences were illustrated in the current data. Specifically, males and females demonstrated different indirect pathways between fathers’ absence in two generations through childhood aggression, neighborhood risk, educational attainment, and substance abuse. Moreover, fathers’ presence predicted fewer internalizing problems for girls only. Together, these findings add to the increasing body of literature suggesting that fathers make important contributions to their children’s development, and highlight the advantages of developing policies and affordable programs that promote positive fathering and encourage socioeconomically disadvantaged fathers to spend time with their children.


identifier: Pelland, M.-E.  (2011) Spirales narratives et blancs textuels dans L’écriture ou la vie de Jorge Semprun.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
RÉSUMÉ

Spirales narratives et blancs textuels
dans L’écriture ou la vie de Jorge Semprun

Marie-Eve Pelland

Après la libération des camps de concentration en 1945, les survivants font face à un triple constat : l’expérience extrême qu’ils viennent de vivre est difficile à transmettre par un simple témoignage, elle est donc souvent tue, mais elle peut tout de même être racontée. Trois attitudes sont dès lors possibles : se taire, témoigner ou romancer. Jorge Semprun emprunte successivement ces trois attitudes : après un long silence de plus de dix-huit ans, il entreprend de raconter son expérience à Buchenwald dans une œuvre de fiction. À partir de ce moment, il tente dans presque tous ses récits de trouver une forme idéale afin d’écrire l’ineffable horreur dont il a été témoin. Ce mémoire cherche à montrer comment, dans L’écriture ou la vie, son quatrième récit-témoignage, Semprun parvient à une nouvelle forme de récit qui tente de transcender l’indicible par le biais de blancs textuels et de digressions. On y défend l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’auteur reproduit ses silences dans un discours qui révèle l’essentiel de cette expérience tout en étant représentatif de la tension inhérente à l’écriture de tout récit concentrationnaire, soit la tension entre l’impossibilité et la nécessité de raconter.

ABSTRACT

Spirales narratives et blancs textuels
dans L’écriture ou la vie de Jorge Semprun

Marie-Eve Pelland

When liberated from the concentration camps in 1945, the survivors are faced with three facts: the extreme experience they have just lived is hard to share as a simple testimony, it is therefore often left unsaid, but can nevertheless be told. Three attitudes are thus possible: to stay silent, to testify or to novelize. Jorge Semprun has successively adopted these three attitudes: after a silence of more than 18 years, he began to share his experience of Buchenwald in a work of fiction. From this moment on, in almost all of his writings, he has tried to find the ideal form to describe the horror he witnessed. This thesis aims to show how, in his fourth testimonial narrative, L’écriture ou la vie, Semprun achieves a new form of narrative capable of expressing the unspeakable through blanks and digressions. Our hypothesis is that the author replicates his silence in a discourse that reveals the essential of this experience, all the while signifying the tension inherent to the writing of a concentration camp narrative, or, in other words, the tension between the impossibility and the necessity to tell the story.


identifier: Zhou, Huabo  (2011) Effects of impression management on performance ratings and customer perceptions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Abu-Osbeh, Muhanad  (2011) Integrated Forensic Delay Analysis Framework for Construction Projects –Time and Cost Perspectives.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Claims resulting from delays and acceleration on construction projects are inevitable. To prepare a delay/acceleration claim, a forensic schedule analysis needs to be performed. In this analysis, the impacts of different delays/accelerations are assessed and the responsibility of each party is calculated. The analysis usually involves CPM schedule calculations using a number of methods adopted by the industry. Although some of these methods are more accurate than others, they usually produce different results depending on the available data and the user’s point of view.
There is a need for an integrated framework that enhances the documentation of progress data, and that performs forensic schedule analysis and damage quantification in a more timely, accurate, and cost effective manner. There is also a need to integrate the forensic schedule analysis function with the more routinely performed scheduling and monitoring functions. From this perspective, the present research introduces an integrated framework for progress data documentation, forensic schedule analysis, and damage quantification.
The main objectives of this research are to: i) Identify delays/accelerations and document their related information as they emerge; ii) Determine the impact of delays/accelerations on the project duration and determine responsibilities; iii) Quantify damages for contractors and owners; and iv) Integrate and automate the process of schedule analysis and damage quantification to help minimize time, cost and errors. The methodology adopted for this research includes a review of the literature, the design and implementation of a delay/acceleration and cost database, a schedule analysis module, a direct cost module, an impact cost module, an overhead cost module, and a liquidated cost module.
The event identity concept (EIC) and the equal liability method (ELM) were introduced to document delays and apportion concurrency entitlements, respectively. An Isolated Daily Window Analysis Technique (IDWAT) was also introduced and used as part of the framework. The framework assists in the creation of the as-built, as-planned, and of any adjusted schedule at any day of a project’s life.  It also facilitates forensic schedule analysis using essentially any analysis technique.
MS Project, Access, and VBA were used to implement the framework; MS project was used as both a scheduling tool and as an interface for the user, while Access was used to create the database. Using MS Project as an interface made the forensic schedule analysis function totally integrated with the more routinely performed scheduling and monitoring functions. The VBA was used to implement the schedule analysis and cost calculation modules as well as to integrate the different components of the framework.
The framework was tested using manually calculated cases and by comparing its results with those of previous studies. The results of the framework were reasonable and always resulted in a total delay equal to the sum of the parties’ shares of the delay.


identifier: Trewartha, Kevin  (2011) Conflict Monitoring and Motor Control During Pre-Potent Response Suppression in Aging: A Behavioural, Kinematic, and Electrophysiological Investigation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current thesis investigated the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to age-related declines in pre-potent response suppression, and the interaction between those mechanisms and motor control processes that support response production. To achieve this goal, participants were visually cued to perform repeated pairs of key presses that established a pre-potent response. This was contrasted with responses that conflicted with the pre-potent pair. Cognitive and motor processes were delineated through kinematic analyses that decomposed reaction time into movement planning and execution phases. The goal of Study 1 was to explore whether there are age differences in conflict adaptation effects during pre-potent response suppression. In this study, conflicts were presented once, twice, or three times in each sequence. Older adults performed the first conflicting response in a series as well as young adults, but at a cost to pre-potent response performance. Younger adults improved performance with increased conflict frequency, whereas older adults did not. Older adults spent less time planning, but more time executing their conflicting responses compared to younger adults. This study revealed that conflict adaptation effects are diminished in the elderly, and that flexible adjustments in motor control by younger adults contribute to age-related differences in pre-potent response suppression. In Study 2, the neurophysiological correlates of conflict monitoring, and their relation to adjustments in motor control were investigated with concurrent acquisition of motion capture and event-related potential (ERP) data. Context effects were also explored through manipulation of the proportion of conflicting responses across conditions. The movement patterns, and ERP data revealed larger conflict-related interference effects for both groups when the proportion of conflicting responses was low. This context effect was exaggerated in the elderly. Moreover, only younger adults showed a robust conflict-related N2 component over fronto-central electrode sites. The magnitude of this N2 was related to shorter execution time in the younger, but not older participants, indicating that conflict detection facilitated within-trial adjustments in movement control. These findings are discussed in terms of current models of cognitive control and aging. These data contribute to current knowledge about the mechanisms by which conflict monitoring and cognitive control processes influence motor performance.


identifier: Farnia, Nima  (2011) Seismic Rehabilitation of Reinforced Masonry Columns Using CFRP and GFRP Wraps.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
SEISMIC REHABILITATION OF REINFORCED MASONRY COLUMNS USING CFRP AND GFRP WRAPS

NIMA FARNIA - Ph.D.
Concordia University 2011

Compared to reinforced concrete, there are relatively fewer experimental and analytical studies that address the behaviour of masonry columns under combined axial load and cyclic flexure. There exist reinforced concrete masonry (RCM) columns that are part of the moment resisting system of masonry structures that are in need for seismic upgrade. Wrapping such susceptible RCM columns with carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) or glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites is expected to enhance the seismic behaviour of reinforced masonry columns considerably. This study focuses on assessing the seismic performance of RCM columns wrapped with CFRP or GFRP composites.

In the experimental phase of this study, nine 1.4 m reinforced masonry columns were constructed and tested when subjected to constant axial force and cyclic lateral excitations. The columns have a cross-section of 390mm×390mm and were constructed using bull-nosed concrete units. The first column had no FRP wraps and was used as a control specimen while the other eight columns were wrapped using different number of layers of CFRP (or GFRP) sheets or different wrapping schemes. From the tests, the effect of FRP wraps on improving the ductile behaviour, strength and energy dissipation capacity of RCM columns were quantified.

Furthermore, the experimental program extended to develop a stress-strain model for grouted concrete masonry strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Twelve five-block high prisms were constructed using bull-nose concrete blocks. As the study focuses on evaluating the contribution of FRP wraps in enhancing concrete masonry behaviour, the test variable was set to be the volumetric ratio of FRP material, and via detailed instrumentation, tests were conducted to measure the confining effect of the FRP material.

Finally, a macro model that is capable of simulating the cyclic lateral load-deformation response of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete masonry (RCM) columns is proposed. The data obtained from experimental results and the proposed strain-stress model were used for developing the nonlinear macro model, and it is shown that there is a good correlation between the experimental results and the predictions of the proposed model be it the load-deformation backbone curve or the full load-deformation hysteretic response of FRP-strengthened RCM columns.


identifier: M'Hamdi, Mohamed Amine  (2011) Scheduling Reputation Maintenance in Agent-based Communities Using Game Theory.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In agent-based systems, agents can be organized within groups, called communities, where mem-bers are providing similar or complementary services. An example of such systems is agent-based communities of web services, where web services are abstracted as rational agents and empowered with decision making capabilities and can interact with each other. Managing reputation of each agent and of the whole community is a key issue towards securing this type of systems, where a con-troller agent is designed to observe and check the behavior of each member to update and maintain
the system’s reputation. Scheduling the check (i.e. maintenance) by deciding about the moments where the check has to be done is still an open problem. Because it is highly expensive, maintenance cannot be done every moment or based on small history of agents’ behaviors. We propose in this thesis a scheduling algorithm that helps the controller agent improve the quality of the reputation mechanism, which increases the trust value of users toward the community. The proposed algorithm is based on a class of games called Bayesian Stackelberg. Our Bayesian Stackelberg game is designed between the controller agent and community members. We simulate and compare the efficiency of our algorithm with other stochastic techniques, namely uniform, normal and Poisson distributions. This research draws the lines for future work in the subject of optimizing reputation mechanisms through maintenance in different time intervals.


identifier: Rueggeberg, Rebecca  (2011) The Influence of Behavioral and Cognitive Self-Regulation on Older Adults’ Psychological, Biological, and Physical Health.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
As individuals age, they are at increased risk of experiencing health threats and loss of resources (Baltes et al., 1997; Heckhausen, Wrosch, & Schulz, 2010). Such age-related challenges can contribute to the experience of psychological distress and biological dysregulations, which in turn may instigate further deterioration of individuals’ physical health (Schulz, Martire, Beach, & Scheier, 2000; Wrosch, Schulz, & Heckhausen, 2004). However, theory and research also suggest that normative losses in older adults’ psychological, biological, and physical health can be circumvented if a person engages in adaptive self-regulation to address such age-related challenges (e.g., Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Carstensen et al., 1999; Hall, Chipperfield, Heckhausen, & Perry, 2010; Hamilton, Catley, & Karlson, 2007; Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995).
	Using ideas from the Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development (Heckhausen & Schulz, 1995; Heckhausen, Wrosch, & Schulz, 2010), the three longitudinal studies of this dissertation extend prior lines of research by investigating whether the appropriate use of specific behavioral and cognitive self-regulation strategies can ameliorate age-associated losses among the elderly in general, and especially among “at-risk” individuals who confront adverse conditions (i.e., elevated stress or feelings of loneliness). The different studies are all based on the same multi-dimensional and multi-wave longitudinal dataset. While they address independent research questions, the nature of this dissertation creates some overlap in the reported procedures across studies.
	Study 1 investigates the different roles of stress in the association between physical activity engagement and physical health among 157 older adults over four years of data collection. Results demonstrated that older adults’ physical health symptoms increased across time. In addition, older adults’ engagement in physical activity predicted a reduction of stress perceptions over two years and fewer physical health problems over four years among participants who perceived high levels of stress at baseline, but to a lesser extent among their counterparts who perceived low levels of stress at baseline. Finally, the long-term physical health benefits among highly stressed individuals were statistically mediated by a reduction of stress perceptions over two years. These findings suggest that physical activity has the potential to ameliorate chronically high perceptions of stress and thereby produce long-term benefits on older adults’ physical health.
	Study 2 examines the long-term associations between reports of sleep duration and diurnal cortisol secretion over four years among 157 older adults. The study’s findings demonstrate that older adults experienced increases in diurnal cortisol secretion over time, and that this effect was forecasted by individual differences in sleep duration. Results from growth curve and cross-lagged panel analyses demonstrated that higher levels of and increases in sleep duration buffered long-term elevations of diurnal cortisol secretion. By contrast, lower levels of and declines in sleep duration predicted a steep increase in cortisol secretion over time. Reversed analyses indicated that diurnal cortisol secretion did not contribute to changes in sleep duration over time. These findings suggest that longer sleep exerts restorative functions and protects older adults from experiencing maladaptive increases in diurnal cortisol secretion over time.
	Study 3 investigates in a sample of 122 older adults whether health-related self-protection (e.g., avoiding self-blame for health problems or seeing the silver lining) can predict psychological and biological benefits among lonely (as compared to non-lonely) participants. Results demonstrated that baseline self-protection predicted a reduction of psychological stress and diurnal cortisol volume over two years, and lower CRP after 6 years, but only among lonely participants. In addition, mediation analyses demonstrated that the observed short-term reduction of cortisol secretion mediated the effects of self-protective control on lower long-term levels of systematic inflammation. These findings suggest that lonely older adults may ameliorate stress-related psychological and biological disturbances if they engage in self-protection to cope with emerging health threats.
	Overall, these findings contribute to our knowledge about pathways to healthy aging. The results are discussed in light of life-span theories of successful aging and general psychological models of health and disease. In addition, implications for clinical practice and future research are addressed.


identifier: Campisi, Lisa  (2011) Pathways of Linguistic Success: a 30-year longitudinal investigation in a High-Risk French-Canadian Sample.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Few intergenerational studies have investigated the role of language ability in the transmission of risk for cognitive, linguistic, academic and social difficulties from mother to child within at-risk populations.  Existing studies have mainly involved short time spans and have exclusively focused on English-speaking samples. The present studies utilized prospective, intergenerational and longitudinal methods, spanning a 30-year period, to examine the role of language in a social and economically disadvantaged French-speaking population. The three questions that were examined were: (1) What are the direct and indirect pathways between mothers’ childhood histories of problematic behaviour and the quality of their child-directed speech? (2) Do the second-generation children’s language skills continue to exert an influence on development in the elementary years? (3) To what extent do specific dimensions of children’s language skills differentially affect academic abilities?
Data from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project were used to answer these questions.  Results from these studies revealed direct and indirect pathways operating from maternal histories of childhood maladaptive behaviour to maternal language. The results also revealed that socio-emotional functioning mediated the well-known relationship between socio-economic status and maternal language. Regarding the second-generation children, findings revealed that early elementary-aged children’s language skills, associated with narrative macrostructure predicted academic success in late elementary. Children’s narrative macrostructure predicted overall report card scores and scores in all language-based subjects. Together, findings support an intergenerational transfer of risk from mother to child operating through language. Further the studies highlight the continued risk status of these second-generation children extending up until late adolescence. The studies also underscore the role of language assessment as a possibly cost-effective and easy to use diagnostic tool, which may become part of a comprehensive intervention strategy within at-risk populations.


identifier: Toobaie, Asra  (2011) Effect of food abundance on aggressiveness and territory size of juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Territoriality is thought to be an important mechanism of population regulation in stream-dwelling salmonids. Since territory size can limit salmonid abundance, describing the exact relationship between territory size and important environmental variables, such as food abundance, is crucial to understanding the role that territoriality plays in regulating population size.  The threshold model of feeding territoriality predicts that: (1) territories will occur between a lower and upper threshold of food abundance, and (2) the frequency of territorial aggression peaks at intermediate levels of food abundance. Optimal territory size models predict that territory size should decrease with an increase in food abundance. While this prediction has now been supported by a limited number of studies in salmonids too few levels of food abundance were used to describe the quantitative relationship between territory size and food abundance. Hence, I manipulated food abundance over a broad range of values (0.62, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20% of the fish wet body weight per day) in artificial stream channels (1.92 x 0.77m) and monitored the  territorial  behaviour of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). First, I tested the prediction of the threshold model of territoriality: a dome-shaped relationship between territorial aggression and food abundance. Second, I quantified the relationship between territory size and food abundance over a 32-fold increase in food abundance by testing the following predictions: with increasing food abundance, territory size (1) does not change; (2) decreases with a slope of -1.0; or (3) decreases with a slope that is shallower than -1.0. Consistent with the prediction of the threshold model of feeding territoriality, the number of aggressive individuals peaked at the intermediate levels of food abundance. For the fish that were aggressive, there was a dome-shaped relationship between the frequency of territorial aggression and food abundance. As predicted by the models of optimal territory size, the aggressive radius of rainbow trout decreased with increasing food abundance but with a shallower slope than  – 1.0, suggesting that territory size changed less than one would expect if fish were maintaining a constant amount food in their territory. The results of my study suggest that an increase in food abundance would have a relatively small effect on territory size and thus on the density of juvenile salmonids.


identifier: Naseri, Arash  (2011) Interface Pressure and Vibration Comfort Evaluations of an Air-Cushion Suspension Seat.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Keshavarz-Motamed, Zahra  (2011) Flow Dynamics in Human Aorta with Coexisting Models of Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis and Coarctation of the Aorta.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Coarctation of the aorta (COA) is an obstruction of the aorta and is usually associated with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve stenosis (AS). The main objective of this work is to understand the hemodynamic of COA from different perspectives. This was performed using a global approach including: numerical simulations, mathematical lumped parameter modeling and experimental measurements.
Numerous investigations pointed to a relationship between the genesis and the progression of cardiovascular disease and the locally irregular flow occurring at the diseased zone. Therefore, to examine the relationship between arterial disease and hemodynamics conditions, a joint experimental and numerical investigation was performed to understand physics of fluid flow of COA.
When COA coexists with AS, the left ventricle faces a double hemodynamic load: a valvular load plus a vascular load. First, a formulation describing the instantaneous net pressure gradient through COA was introduced and the predictions compared to in vitro results. The model was then used to determine left ventricular work induced by coexisting aortic stenosis and coarctation with different severities. The suggested model can be used to guide the choice of optimal operative procedure (aortic valve replacement and/or coarctation repaired surgery) and to predict the potential outcome for such patients.
Early detection and accurate estimation of COA severity is the most important predictor of successful long-term outcome. However, current clinical parameters used for the evaluation of the severity of COA have several limitations. In this study, first, we evaluated the limitations of current existing parameters (Catheter trans-COA pressure gradients and Doppler echocardiographic trans-COA pressure gradients) for the evaluation of the severity of COA. Then, we suggested a new approach based on COA Doppler velocity index and COA effective orifice area capable of predicting more accurately the severity of COA. An original in-vitro study was performed using a mock flow circulation model with different COA severities and various aortic valve conditions under different flow rates.
In conclusion, this study investigated the flow dynamics of COA and development of a lumped parameter model, based on non-invasive measurements, capable of accurately investigating the impact of coexisting AS and COA on left ventricular workload. In addition, this study proposed two innovative approaches to evaluate the severity of COA correctly.


identifier: Roofigari-Esfahan, Nazila  (2011) Project Schedule Compression Considering Multi-objective Decision Environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This research aims to present a new method to circumvent the limitations of current schedule compression methods, which reduce schedule crashing to the traditional time-cost trade-off analysis, where only cost is considered. In this research the schedule compression process is modeled as a multi-attributed decision making problem in which different factors contribute to priority setting for activity crashing. For this purpose, a modified format of the Multiple Binary Decision Method (MBDM) and an iterative crashing process are utilized. The developed method is implemented in Visual Basic 2010 environment, with a dynamic link to MS-Project to facilitate the needed iterative rescheduling of project activities. To demonstrate the use of the developed method and to highlight its capabilities, 3 case examples drawn from literature were analyzed. When considering cost only, the generated results were in good agreement with those generated using the Harmony Search method, Genetic Algorithms and iterative crashing process used in original examples, particularly in capturing the project least-cost duration. However, when other factors in addition to cost were considered, as expected, different project least-cost and associated durations were obtained.
The novelty of the developed method lies in its capacity to allow for the consideration of a number of factors in addition to cost. Also through its allowance for possible variations in the relative importance of these factors at the individual activity level, it provides contractors with a number of compression execution plans and assists them in identifying the most suitable plan.  Accordingly, it enables the integration of contractors’ judgment and experience in the crashing process and permits consideration of different project environments and constraints.


identifier: Parent, Marcel  (2011) Comparison and Domination: Towards a Genealogical Hermeneutics in Comparative Philosophy and Comparative Religion.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation argues for a genealogical hermeneutics that can account for the challenge of feminist and postcolonial insights on the interest-laden nature of knowledge production when applied to Comparative Philosophy and Comparative Religion. Genealogical hermeneutics integrates Michel Foucault’s genealogy and Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics and contributes to new scholarship that explores a complementary approach between the two thinkers. In the process, it elaborates on the hermeneutic structure of comparison. It traces the history of Comparative Philosophy and finds that contemporary comparison retains elements or features from problematic discourses of the nineteenth-century. Exploring some contemporary issues facing Comparative Philosophy and Religion (for example, the problem of multiculturalism, the indeterminacy of the categories of religion and philosophy, and Eurocentrism in comparison) reveals the necessity of taking feminism and postcolonialism seriously as resources for understanding how comparative knowledge is connected to power relations. It addresses the issue of the complicity of knowledge and power in comparison by connecting genealogical hermeneutics to social justice and intersectionality—and in the process opens a space for new ways of comparing. It concludes by providing possibilities for new directions for Comparative Philosophy and Comparative Religion.


identifier: Harbour, Valerie  (2011) Comprehensive Mapping of PERIOD2 Expression Patterns in the Rat Forebrain Across the 24-hr Day.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In mammals, a light-entrainable circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) regulates circadian behavioural and physiological rhythms by synchronizing oscillators throughout the brain and body. Synchrony between these multiple oscillators is believed to be essential for normal daily functions, and disruptions of the phase relationships between them are associated with several disorders and disease. Importantly, the nature of the relationship between the master SCN clock and subordinate oscillators in the rest of the brain is not well defined. We performed an unparalleled high temporal resolution analysis of potential extra-SCN brain oscillators by analyzing the expression of the clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2) throughout the forebrain of the inbred Lewis (LEW/Crl) rat. In addition, we analyzed the transcript levels of two core clock genes, Per2 and Bmal1, and a clock-controlled gene, Dbp, in the SCN and two limbic forebrain regions. Eighty-four LEW/Crl male rats were individually housed in cages equipped with running wheels and were entrained to a regular 12-hr:12-hr light/dark cycle. After 3-4 weeks on this schedule, rats were perfused every 30 min across the 24-hr day, giving a total of 48 time-points (n=1-4/time-point). In this thesis, I report the presence of circadian rhythms in clock gene expression in brain areas important for locomotion, stress, emotion, motivation, and learning and memory, and further explore the relationship between these rhythms. Twenty-two brain areas showed PER2 expression including the SCN, bed nucleus, and several regions of the amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and cortex. Of these, 20 structures displayed circadian rhythms in PER2 expression. Remarkably, none of the PER2 rhythms in any of the regions analyzed were in phase with the SCN. Instead, an intricate network of brain oscillators with clock gene expression peaking at different times throughout the day was revealed. Furthermore, Per2, Bmal1, and Dbp were rhythmic in the SCN, CEAl, and DG, albeit to different degrees, consistent with the presence of a functional circadian clock in these regions. The data demonstrate the presence of complex and previously unappreciated associations of clock phases throughout the mammalian brain. This comprehensive atlas of clock gene rhythms in the normal rat brain will provide a sound baseline for studies of circadian clock function in animal models of disease.


identifier: Storks, Maike  (2011) German Migrants in Montreal:Uses and Meanings of an Ethnic Category.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis will describe and analyze the uses and meanings of a German categorical identity among German migrants in Montreal. Rather than limiting itself to a mere description of an ethnic group, it questions its very existence by exploring when and if, how and by whom a German categorical identity is ascribed and enacted. More precisely, it will examine if being German is at all relevant for German migrants in Montreal and, if so, in which periods of time, locations and social contexts it has relevance. Different interpretations and experiences of the category by various individuals who might be labeled “German” will be explored and their impacts on the mobilization, circumvention or rejection of the category or particular versions of it analyzed. These similarities and differences in meanings and practices will be investigated in their relationship to other forms of identification such as linguistic, national, regional, and generational forms of affiliation and German migrants’ local and transnational ties, practices and attitudes. This thesis establishes that the mobilization of a German categorical identity is considerably limited by obstacles and barriers arising from important variations in its use and meaning among German migrants in Montreal.


identifier: Zhang, Jun  (2011) An EBD Approach to Embedded Product Design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In contrast to general-purpose computers, an embedded system has a special function for a special purpose. Nowadays, embedded products play an important role in daily life, and they are widely used almost everywhere, such as in GPS, mobile phones, digital TV, transportation systems, computer systems in aircraft, computer systems in vehicles.
Despite its popularity, the development process for embedded products is usually very complicated and thus very often results in over time (development time), or in over-budget (cost) or a lack of expected product specifications. Therefore, it is necessary to use an appropriate prescriptive method or design methodology to guide a designer in the design process.
The objective of the present thesis is to introduce a new approach to embedded system engineering to implement a new embedded product design.  A rich working experience in industry suggests that there is a need for such work. Compared to the traditional approach, which uses product-based or process-based design analysis, the proposed approach uses environment-based design (EBD) methodology for the whole embedded system development life cycle, which may be a systematic procedure aimed to help designers during embedded product development. To better illustrate the application of the proposed design approach to embedded system engineering, an original example of an embedded ARM Linux system is used as a case study in the present thesis.


identifier: Anthony, Tony  (2011) Design of a microfluidic chip for three dimensional hydrodynamic focusing in cell cytometry applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The Focusing of cells is an important part of cytometry applications and can be achieved by different techniques. 3D hydrodynamic focusing has generated considerable interest over the last few years, owing to its simplicity and its independence from an electric potential for focusing. Current 3D hydrodynamic focusing devices require multilayer structures necessitating complex fabrication. Moreover, the existing designs show poor efficiencies in focusing. In the present work, three novel 3D hydrodynamic focusing designs consisting of a main channel for sample fluid flow and three pairs of side channels for focusing are proposed and modelled. A novel three dimensional hydrodynamic focusing design is proposed and simulated. In order to develop the numerical model for three dimensional focusing designs, a theoretical review of parameters affecting the fluid flow in microfluidic structure has been performed.
Simulation was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics with diluted glycerol as the sample fluid and DI water as sheath flow fluid. The effects of fluid velocities in the channels were studied. In Design III, the overall efficiency is less than that in the first two designs, but the advantage of this design lies in the possibility of a simpler fabrication. Subsequently, parameters such as velocity and viscosity were studied in the case of Design III, and the ideal velocity condition was identified as 150 m/sec for the sample flow, 350µm/sec for the first sheath flow, and 550µm/sec for the second sheath. Simulations were carried out with sample and sheath flow fluids that have different viscosities. It was concluded that the effect of focusing is primarily dependent on the velocity rather than on the viscosity of the fluid.


identifier: Ibeid, Sharif  (2011) Enhancement of the submerged membrane electro-bioreactor (SMEBR) for nutrient removal and membrane fouling control.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Enhancement of the submerged membrane electro-bioreactor (SMEBR) for nutrient removal and membrane fouling control
Sharif Ibeid, Ph.D.
Concordia University, 2011
A submerged membrane electro bioreactor (SMEBR) to enhance effluent quality and to reduce membrane fouling was patented by Elektorowicz et al (2009). In this system, activated sludge biological treatment, membrane filtration and electrokinetics are working together in one hybrid unit. The first objective of this research aimed to remove the major unwanted nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) in addition to the carbon in one single electro-bioreactor unit. The second objective was to investigate the relationship between the electrical input parameters (voltage gradient, current density and exposure mode) on sludge characteristics and therefore membrane fouling. This study consists of three phases: Phase 1 (batch tests), Phase 2 (lab-scale continuous flow) and Phase 3 (pilot-scale continuous flow). The results showed that the direct current (DC) field of medium current density (15 to 25 A/m2) has the potential to substantially improve sludge characteristics in terms of better dewaterability and high removal of soluble microbial products (SMP) and organic colloids. However, the electrical inputs should be selected based on the concentration of the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS).  Subsequently, a high reduction of membrane fouling was obtained. The degree of membrane fouling reduction was ranging between 1 to 5 times based on the concentration of soluble microbial products (SMP) and the volatile suspended solids (VSS). This study demonstrated substantial removal efficiencies of nutrients up to more than 95% for carbon, 99% for phosphorus and 97% for nitrogen. However, the removal efficiency of nitrogen was found to be highly influenced by the temperature and the C/N ratio. High temperature (> 18º C) and high concentration of carbon in the influent wastewater led to a better removal efficiency of nitrogen. SMEBR showed outstanding results that make it a promising technology that can reduce fouling and remove all major macro nutrients at high efficiency in one single reactor.


identifier: Eslami, Hamidreza  (2011) Effect of collaboration network structure on knowledge and innovation productivity: The case of biotechnology in Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Filippiadis, Eleftherios  (2011) Three essays on the environment with strategic interactions.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Ravensbergen, Frances  (2010) Claiming their space: Rethinking the role of local community organizations in social justice work.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Local community organizations can contribute to social justice work. They provide an entry point for citizens’ activism in community life. They develop relationships with citizens that endure over time. They can document both quantitatively and anecdotally the impact of unjust government policies and business practices on people’s lives. They provide an ongoing space for citizens to congregate and from which to organize.
	A case study was undertaken to better understand the specific roles local organizations can take on to contribute to social justice work. Two organizations working in English in Montreal were studied. Primary data was collected from interviews with 13 current and former staff and senior volunteers.
	The study highlights the challenges and opportunities for local organizations to contribute to social justice work within the existing neoliberal context. It concludes that while local organizations may not be at the centre of progressive social change, they can and need to claim, and re-claim, their space in this work by clearly stating their intent and organizing their programs and services to work for collective justice. They can shift their empowerment work to reach beyond the individual and the local to collaborate with like-minded organizations. By implementing alternative structures they can more fully reflect social justice principles and put them into practice.
	Claiming space in social justice work requires an articulated analysis of what social justice is and how it can be worked on within the existing neoliberal context. This includes being prepared to work with conflict when confronting power. Community organizations need to claim their space more fully in the work for social justice.


identifier: Dolinsek, Ivan J  (2011) The ecology of fish movement in six Lake Ontario tributaries.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Despite a rich literature on the ecology of freshwater fishes, the movement behaviour of many stream fish remains poorly understood, yet is expected to be important for key ecological and micro-evolutionary processes. The main purpose of my thesis was to improve our understanding of fish movements by evaluating the movement of multiple species across multiple streams and entire watersheds. I undertook three steps to achieve this: 1) a comparative study addressing whether information in natural history accounts provide reliable information for predicting the behaviour of other populations of stream fishes (Chapter 1); 2) adapted, tested and extended existing theory on sex-biased arrival by conducting a broad test of four hypotheses on stream fishes at spawning sites (Chapter 2); and 3) to extend and contribute to a management concern of broad interest regarding invasive species control by examining the degree to which fishes move between adjacent streams (Chapter 3). Comparisons between my data and those from the literature demonstrated a strong correlation regarding key biological indices, suggesting that natural history information is a reliable source of information and can be used in most management decisions regarding freshwater stream fishes. My detailed data set also revealed novel findings unknown to the natural history literature: juveniles moved into the streams along with spawning adults; and species with known "anadromous-like" life histories spend more time in the streams than previously thought. Secondly, my data suggested that the most common form of sex-biased timing is males arriving before females, consistent with hypotheses that males are better able to cope with the prevailing conditions at the spawning sites, as well as to increase their reproductive success by encountering more females. However, there was considerable variation within and among species of fishes. Finally, my thesis suggested that the fish assemblages in these Lake Ontario catchments are dynamic, exchanging individuals at rates and spatial extents likely to be important for metapopulation dynamics and gene flow. Understanding the movement behaviour of fishes, a critical aspect of their life histories, will be important in developing proper conservation plans. Knowledge gained from this study will serve to improve our understanding of how concepts such as metapopulations, habitat fragmentation, and movement apply to stream fishes and to efforts to control invasive fish species.


identifier: Wahbeh, Mamoun  (2011) Discrete-Dipole-Approximation (DDA) study of the plasmon resonance in single and coupled spherical silver nanoparticles in various configurations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Using the Discrete-Dipole-Approximation (DDA) the influence of the substrate on the dipole and multipolar plasmon resonances in spherical and sphere-like silver nanoparticles has been studied in depth. The effects of the contact area, the substrate material, the substrate thickness, the surrounding environment and the particle size on the plasmon resonance bands have been examined.
    We studied in particular the validity of extending the so-called “universal scaling law”, derived for a pair of particles in previous works, to a linear chain of any size consisting of silver nanospheres. Details of the variation of the dipole plasmon resonance parameters with component particle size, interparticle separation and host medium, under parallel and perpendicular polarization directions of the incident light, have been studied in a systematic way. In a two-dimensional array of silver nanospheres, the interparticle separation dependency of the maximum absorption cross-section is presented. The variation of the absorption efficiency has been also investigated as a function of the component particle size and the surrounding medium. The effect of the host medium on the absorption cross-section has been found to be dependent on the component particle size. The sensitivity of the longitudinal dipole plasmon resonance wavelength to the refractive index of the host medium and the component sphere radius has been also expressed as a function of the interparticle separation.
    Finally, the effect of the direct neighboring particles on the optical responses has been studied for various ensemble configurations, which can be arranged in two-dimensional or three-dimensional arrays.


identifier: Dalal-Bachi, Moustafa  (2012) Economic dispatch and demand side management in diesel hybrid mini-grids.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Remote communities are frequently supplied by diesel power plants with multiple generator sets. The load profile of these communities is characterized by a large peak to
average load ratio. This variation of the load makes the choice of the amount of power that each generator should provide, for optimal operation, more difficult. A generator set should not operate below 30% of its rated capacity, and a new generator set is added to the system when the diesel power plant operates at around 85% of the rated capacity.
Besides, a generator set should not be constantly cycling on and off, since it increases the maintenance cost and fuel consumption. The usage of renewable energy sources such as
wind and photovoltaic (PV) presents great potential for reducing the cost and fuel consumption of remote power systems. However, it further complicates the sizing and the
control of the diesel power plant due to its intermittent, fluctuating and stochastic nature.The objective of this thesis is to investigate the potential of Demand Side Management (DSM) based on Electric Water Heater (EWH) controlled by frequency to mitigate the difficulties created by the renewable energy sources and enhance the economical
operation of diesel hybrid power systems. In this research, the characteristics of the diesel generator set, PV, and the electric water heater are studied. In addition, multi gensets working in parallel with economic dispatch based on secant method are presented. The mini-grid benchmark, the fuel cost for each III generator  set, EWH model and economic dispatch algorithm are all  simulated using
Matlab/Simulink. The performance of the proposed system under various levels of PV power 0%, 25% and 50% are also investigated. The simulation results indicate that using  a DSM in multigenset  hybrid  mini grid  enhances system performance  considering  fuel  consumption, efficiency, the number of hours generator set work per day and cycling of the generator sets.


identifier: Rachel, Natalie  (2011) Active Site Studies of Arogenate Dehydrogenase & the Purification of its Substrate.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Arogenate dehydrogenase (AD) from the cyanobacterium Synechocystsis sp. PCC6803 is one enzyme within the family of TyrA proteins dedicated to the biosynthesis of L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) and catalyzes the NADP+-dependant oxidative decarboxylation of L-arogenate to L-Tyr. To circumvent some of the difficulties in obtaining L-arogenate using current methodology, we developed an improved methodology to synthesize L-arogenate enzymatically using the recently annotated prephenate aminotransferase from Petunia hybrida. L-arogenate was then purified from major contaminants by high performance liquid chromatography. Guided by sequence alignments and the crystal structure of AD, residues were targeted for the first mutagenesis experiments on this enzyme; the variant proteins were characterized by kinetic, biophysical and computational methods. We identified that His112, a highly conserved residue, is the catalytic hydrogen bond acceptor and is critical for enzyme function, whereas electrostatic interactions afforded by Asp171 appear critical for the overall stability of the enzyme. Both Arg213 and Arg217, a highly conserved residue, appear to play a role in enzyme function, which contradicts the conclusion inferred from the crystal structure. His170, was also identified to be an important active site residue, and likely maintains His112 in a catalytically competent conformation via hydrogen bonding. Ser178, His179, T117 and Gly221 were all also found to be important for enzyme function. Even though the exact roles of these residues require further clarification, our studies have provided valuable insight into how arogenate dehydrogenase functions.


identifier: Amirjabbari, Bahareh  (2011) An Application of a Cost Minimization Model in Determining Safety Stock Level and Location.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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identifier: Amini-Baziani, Ghobad  (2011) Instability of Elliptic Liquid Jets.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Instability of Elliptic Liquid Jets

abstract: The motion of liquid jets ejected from elliptical orifices is studied theoretically and experimentally. In the theoretical part of the study, the linear evolution of initially small disturbances on the inviscid jets is investigated using a three-dimensional analysis. In addition, to study the viscous free-surface flows, an approach based on the Cosserat theory (also called directed theory) is used. Temporal and spatial analyses are performed and the dispersion equations of waves on the jet column are derived to show the growth rate of disturbances for different modes under various conditions. An equation for the jet profile is suggested which describes the axis-switching phenomenon and breakup for various conditions. The equations are approximated for small and large ellipticities, and well-known dispersion relations of circular and planar jets are retrieved. It is shown that in the capillary dominant regimes, the effect of ellipticity is increasing the growth rate and range of unstable wavenumbers. In this case only modes symmetric to both major and minor axes are unstable. At higher Weber numbers, as the aerodynamic forces become dominant, by increasing the ellipticity, growth rate is decreased. In these Weber numbers, as the ellipticity increases, the growth rates of the modes that are symmetric with respect to the major axis are larger than those of antisymmetric with respect to the major axis. Increasing the gas to liquid density ratio increases the disturbances growth rate, while increasing the liquid viscosity dampens the growth rate and shifts the maximum growth rate toward longer waves. Experiments are performed to validate the linear results and to investigate the jet velocity profile. Several nozzles with different ellipticities and length to diameter ratios are designed and their behaviors are examined under free (natural) and excited (forced) perturbations. The spatial evolution of the jet shape is captured using a high speed camera. In the forced breakup case, the stimulations are performed by modulating the jet velocity with a piezoelectric actuator through given sinusoidal perturbations. The measured data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions except at high ellipticities where nonlinear effects are strong.


identifier: Leyva, Juan Francisco  (2011) Characterization of AtST10, a sulfotransferase in Arabidopsis thaliana.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The relatively short life cycle and small size of Arabidopsis thaliana makes this plant a suitable model organism for biochemical and molecular biology studies. In our laboratory, we undertook the characterization of the 18 sulfotransferase-coding genes of this small flowering plant. This thesis describes the results of the biochemical and functional characterization of AtST10, one of these genes.

Probably the most interesting features of AtST10 are its expression (restricted to the siliques, the plant’s fruit) and the possibility of a miRNA regulating its expression in an indirect manner. We also demonstrate that the overexpression of AtSt10 leads to a reduction in seed production to altered size compared with wild type plants suggesting that the AtST10 substrate or product plays a role in seed development. Alternatively, AtST10 might participate in the metabolism of another jasmonate which is involved in seed development. Using a combination of different purification methods and mass spectrometry we identified the putative reaction product of the AtST10-catalyzed reaction. This molecule has a m/z of 307 Da in positive mode [M+H] and generates fragments similar to the ones observed with 12- hydroxyjasmonate. Based on these results, we propose that the product of the reaction is the reduced form of 12-hydroxyjasmonate sulfate. This is the first report of the natural occurrence of this molecule in plants. Further experiments will be required to define the role of this metabolite or of its sulfonated product in seed development.


identifier: Cote-Marcil, Marc-Antoine  (2011) Contextual Typologies: Gambling Practices among University Students.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In recent decades, research on gambling has largely focused on the description of gambling behaviours and problems, and on the psychological determinants of excessive behaviours (Aasved, 2003b). It is our contention that these conceptual orientations have ignored the role of the proximal social context as a significant determinant of gambling patterns and problems. In response to this limitation, we suggest conceptualizing gambling behaviours as social practices that are expressed and empirically observed in proximal contexts through a triad of dimensions including the type of activity, the relationship to gambling partners and the location. Given the scarcity of research on the social context of gambling, however, this contextual study of gambling is exploratory in nature. It aims primarily at identifying groups of gambling practices among university students and examining the association between the identified groups and related problems. These problems namely include gambling problems, alcohol and illicit drug use and psychological distress. The sample (N=861) was drawn from the University Student Gambling Habit Survey 2008 (ENHJEU), conducted among a representative sample of undergraduate students in three universities and three affiliated schools in Montreal, Canada. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to generate groups of gambling patterns based on the combination of three characteristics of the gambling context including the activity, the gambling locations and the partners. The analysis revealed three groupings of activities and eight distinct groups of contexts. Three groups were found to be associated with problem gambling while none of the other risk-behaviours had any association. The discussion brings about the role of contexts in shaping gambling as collective social practices and the association between specific constellations of contextual factors and gambling problems. It concludes with a broader reflection on new approaches to comprehend gambling in the context of modernity.


identifier: Johnston, William David (Jhave)  (2011) Aesthetic Animism: Digital Poetry as Ontological Probe.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is about the poetic edge of language and technology. It inter-relates both computational creation and poetic reception by analysing typographic animation softwares and meditating (speculatively) on a future malleable language that possesses the quality of being (and is implicitly perceived as) alive. As such it is a composite document: a philosophical and practice-based exploration of how computers are transforming literature, an ontological meditation on life and language, and a contribution to software studies. Digital poetry introduces animation, dimensionality and metadata into literary discourse. This necessitates new terminology; an acronym for Textual Audio-Visual Interactivity is proposed: Tavit. Tavits (malleable digital text) are tactile and responsive in ways that emulate living entities. They can possess dimensionality, memory, flocking, kinematics, surface reflectivity, collision detection, and responsiveness to touch, etc…. Life-like tactile tavits involve information that is not only semantic or syntactic, but also audible, imagistic and interactive. Reading mediated language-art requires an expanded set of critical, practical and discourse tools, and an awareness of the historical continuum that anticipates this expansion. The ontological and temporal design implications of tavits are supported with case-studies of two commercial typographic-animation softwares and one custom software (Mr Softie created at OBX Labs, Concordia) used during a research-creation process.


identifier: Aslan, Ofra  (2011) The Impact of Direct Instruction and Cooperative Retelling using a Collaborative Podcasting tool on the Narrative Writing Skills of Upper Elementary School Children in the Inclusive Classroom.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
To address the writing challenges experienced by many Normally Achieving students (NA) and students with learning disabilities (LD) in the inclusive classroom, this quasi-experiment study examined the outcomes of two technology-supported instructional interventions and an untreated control group with pretest and posttests, and posttest only, aimed at improving the narrative writing skills of cycle 3 (Grades 5 and 6) students. The first intervention was focused on the development of oral retelling skills using a direct instruction and a cooperative retelling (CR) method. The second intervention employed a direct instruction (DI) method. Embedded within each intervention was an additional weekly remediation session given to the LD students. Both interventions required participants to listen to podcasts of folktales hosted on the Internet site VoiceThread. The same site was used by the CR group to facilitate the cooperative retelling process.
	A total of 131 students, 57 Grade 5 and 74 Grade 6 students participated in the study, which lasted 5 months. While the treatments differed in their theoretical foundations and instructional interventions, both involved four cycles of folktale retelling written production. To measure the impact of the treatments, participants’ pre- and posttest written narratives were analyzed at both the microstructure level (story length and grammatical complexity as measured by the total number of T-units and syntax) and the macrostructure level (total number of episodes in the story as well as overall story coherence).
	Two-way ANOVAs conducted on gain score data indicated that students in the CR conditions at both the Grade 5 and Grade 6 levels outperformed students in the DI and the Control groups on most microstructure and macrostructure dependent variables. The impact of the CR intervention was evident for both normally achieving and students with learning disabilities. With the exception of the original story measure for the Grade 6 group, the DI intervention did not have a significant impact on participants’ narrative writing skills. The results highlight the importance of oral language skills to narrative writing and demonstrate how cooperative learning instructional methods with feedback and review, supported by technologies, facilitate the development of written narrative competencies.


identifier: Davis, Brian  (2011) The One Around the Corner.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The One Around the Corner


identifier: Frenkiel-Fishman, Sarah  (2011) Typically Developing and Autistic Children’s Understanding Across Both Naïve Psychology and Naïve Biology.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Li, Haoming  (2011) The Counter-Rotating Vortex Pair in Film-Cooling Flow and its Effect on Cooling Effectiveness.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A fundamental investigation on a key vortical structure in film cooling flow, which is called counter-rotating vortex pair (CRVP), has been performed. Traditionally, the coolant’s momentum flux ratio is thought as the most critical parameter on film cooling effectiveness, which is the index of film cooling performance, and this performance is also influenced notably by CRVP. About the sources of CRVP, the in-tube vortex, the in-tube boundary layer vorticity, the jet/mainstream interaction effect, alone or combined, are proposed as the main source in the literature.  A numerical approach was applied in present study. By simulating a general inclined cylindrical cooling hole on a flat plate (the baseline case), the CRVP was visualized as well as the in-tube vortex.  Another case, which is identical with the baseline except the boundary condition of the in-tube wall was set as free-slip to isolate its boundary layer effect, was simulated for comparing. Their comparisons have clarified that the jet/mainstream interaction is the only essential source of CRVP. Through further analyzing its mechanism, CRVP was found to be a pair of x direction (mainstream wise direction) vortices. Hence, the velocity gradients -v/z and w/y were the promoters of CRVP. Applying this mechanism, a new scheme named nozzle scheme was designed to control the CRVP intensity and isolate the overall momentum flux ratio Iov, a parameter used in literature. Analysis of the effects of CRVP intensity and momentum flux ratio on film cooling effectiveness has demonstrated that the CRVP intensity, instead of the momentum flux ratio, was the most critical factor governing the film cooling performance.


identifier: Hamel, Geneviève  (2011) Mediaesthetica. Images d’une (r)évolution beckettienne.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ce mémoire de maîtrise cerne la particularité, l’importance et l’évolution de l’image dans l’œuvre de Samuel Beckett. Ce faisant, nous constatons que l’image est au centre de l’esthétique de l’auteur, participant incontestablement à une façon précise d’investir chaque forme ou chaque médium. Par un travail que certains qualifieraient d’archéologie littéraire, nous examinons d’abord les prémisses et les inspirations à l’origine de cette esthétique : l’art abstrait, la philosophie d’Henri Bergson, les théories cinématographiques de Sergueï Eisenstein (qui elles-mêmes nous ramènent au haïku japonais). Ainsi se dégage une définition plus précise du processus que constitue l’image beckettienne, que nous étudions ensuite à même l’œuvre de l’auteur, en traversant la littérature et le théâtre, mais aussi la radio, le cinéma et la télévision, sans omettre d’examiner les adaptations qui permettent le passage d’un médium à un autre. Cette démarche vient non seulement souligner l’évolution que suit l’esthétique de Beckett, mais vient aussi dévoiler le rôle indéniable qu’y jouent les médias. Conséquemment, nous espérons mieux situer la place qu’occupaient les adaptations au sein de la vision esthétique de l’auteur, afin de proposer un regard plus éclairé et plus productif sur les adaptations filmiques actuelles.


identifier: Salehizadeh, Mohammad  (2011) Robust Control Design for Laser Cavity Squeezing in Quantum Optical Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Quantum control theory is a rapidly evolving research field, which has developed over the last three decades. Quantum optics has practical importance in quantum technology and provides a promising means of implementing quantum information and computing device.
In quantum control, it is difficult to acquire information about quantum states without destroying them since microscopic quantum systems have many unique characteristics such as entanglement and coherence which do not occur in classical mechanical system. Therefore,
the Lyapunov-based control methodology is used to first construct an artificial closed-loop controller and then an open-loop law is derived by simulation of the artificial closed-loop system.

This work considers the stabilization of laser cavity as the main integral part of quantum optical systems through squeezing the output beam of the cavity. As a comprehensive example of this type of system, quantum optomechanical sensors are investigated. To this end, a nonlinear model
of quantum optomechanical sensors is first extended incorporating various noises. Then, linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control method is used to tackle the problem of mode-squeezing in optomechanical sensors.
Coherent feedback quantum control is synthesized by incorporating both shot noise and back-action noise to attenuate the output noise well below the shot noise level (Two waves are said to be coherent if they have a constant relative phase). In the second phase of this work, due to entanglement of the system with critical uncertainties and technical limitations such as laser noise and detector imprecision, robust H [infinity] method is employed for the robust stabilization and robust performance of the system in practice. In H [infinity] methods, a control designer expresses the control problem as a mathematical optimization problem and then finds the controller that solves this. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy in squeezing the cavity output beam is demonstrated by simulation.


identifier: Xie, Shuangxi  (2012) An Accurate Approach to Modeling the Genuine Tooth Surfaces of the Face-Milled Spiral Bevel and Hypoid Gears.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Ashtaputre, Pranav  (2012) Dynamic behavior of microcantilevers subjected to fluid-structure interaction using mode-summation method.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

Dynamic behavior of microcantilevers subjected to fluid-structure interaction using Mode Summation method

Pranav Ashtaputre

Several Microsystems exhibit interaction of flexible structures such as beams, plates, membranes with fluid. Some of these systems are micropumps, flow sensors and micro valves. It is crucial to consider the effects of fluid parameters such as density, viscosity, velocity and pressure loading while designing these systems. The design of these systems demand a numerical model to understand the dynamic behavior of various elements involved in these systems. Microcantilever is an important structure which exhibits interaction with fluids in various microsystems. The present thesis focuses on the numerical modeling of dynamics of a microcantilever vibrating under the action of fluid loading. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of cantilever are obtained using characteristic orthogonal polynomials in the Rayleigh Ritz method. Numerical model is formed by solving Euler Bernoulli Equation of beam using mode summation method with normal modes of cantilever. The excitation frequency and fluid pressures are obtained from experimental results are explored for modeling and verification purposes. The results are obtained for the tip deflection of the beam. The results are validated with the results obtained in earlier experiments. The deflection amplitudes from the numerical model and those from experiment are found to be in agreement with each other. A parametric study is also presented with different sizes of microcantilever. The effect of different lengths and widths of microcantilever on the deflection amplitudes is presented. However, the effect of structural deformation due to the changes in fluid pressure is not considered. The model can be further extended to explore the dynamics of microplate used in micropumps with the help of precise fluid pressure data for a particular dynamic system and mode shapes obtained in free vibration analysis. The model provides the first step towards finding a solution to the problems involving fluid loading on microsystems.


identifier: García, Magdalena  (2011) Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples in Chile.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract

Political strategies undertaken by nation-states to conserve biodiversity, particularly through the creation of protected areas (PAs), have had deleterious impacts on many local and indigenous groups worldwide. Increasing recognition of these impacts has led to calls for more democratic conservation strategies and indigenous rights recognition in PAs. Addressing this legacy requires an understanding of the complexity and diversity of past experiences as well as an appreciation of the factors that might support the establishment of more democratic arrangements within contemporary PA contexts. Focusing on the experience of Chile, where twenty-nine percent of state-designated PAs are established on indigenous territories, separate lines of inquiry are explored in each of two manuscripts that comprise the core of this thesis. The first examines the history of Chilean state engagement with PAs in relation to an analysis of the state’s evolving rationalities for the creation and expansion of PAs on and into indigenous territories and the resulting impact of state-led strategies of territorialization on indigenous peoples. The second investigates recent and emerging relations between the State and indigenous peoples as outcomes of particular instances of resistance, accommodation and negotiation in PA contexts. Particular attention is given to the factors that support the meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in the governance of PAs. The research is written from my vantage point as a Chilean geographer with a professional background in PA policy and is based on literature and document analysis, as well as interviews with representatives from Chilean state government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and indigenous organizations.


identifier: Perreault, Louis  (2012) Sur la trace du renard : récit d’une exploration photographique du site des anciennes Canadian Steel Foundries.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Ce mémoire est le récit de la production d’un projet photographique intitulé Sur la trace du renard, réalisé sur le site des anciennes Canadian Steel Foundries, à l’est du quartier Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, à Montréal. Alors que les projets de modernisation de la rue Notre-Dame prévoient la réaffectation de ce terrain en un site commercial stratégique (sa position entre le centre-ville et l’accès au Tunnel Louis-Hyppolite-Lafontaine fait de ce terrain un site convoité par le milieu immobilier et commercial) celui-ci vit actuellement une occupation discrète où une foule d’acteurs marginaux cohabitent d’une manière surprenante. Ces occupants participent à l’élaboration d’un site urbain où les humains et non-humains offrent une alternative à l’idée que le site ne soit qu’un simple résidu postindustriel en attente d’un sort meilleur.

Alors que la végétation qui foisonne sur le site pourrait être qualifiée de « mauvaises herbes », que les humains qui parcourent ce territoire font partie d’une marge sociale ostracisée (il s’agit souvent d’itinérants) et que les animaux, tel le renard, sont perçus en ville comme une présence à contrôler, mon projet s’intéresse à l’interaction entre ces espèces. La vigne de rivage, par exemple, lorsque mise en relation au vinaigrier, crée de grands amas denses à l’intérieur desquels les itinérants trouve la tranquillité et la discrétion, loin des regards d’autorité. Cette interaction entre espèces (la vigne est une « condition de possibilité » de l’installation humaine) demeure présente sous l’ensemble des images, en tant que réflexion sur la nature hétérogène des relations présentes sur le site. Ce mémoire explore ces relations plus en profondeur, rendant l’ensemble (le texte et les images) indissociable.

La série d’images et le texte de ce mémoire suivent le processus de la production. Sans en faire un système strict et absolu, j’ai voulu rendre visible la durée même de mon exploration. Dans les images du projet, cette durée est non seulement observable dans les signes du changement des saisons, mais aussi dans la récurrence de certains motifs thématiques et formels (les chaises, les entrelacements des végétaux, etc.) et dans la répétition d’images quasi identiques que j’ai réalisées au cours des saisons. À l’intérieur du texte de ce mémoire, mon parcours devient une occasion de réfléchir aux présences de sites et de manifestations urbaines venant complexifier l’ordre établi. Ce mémoire est le récit de mon exploration du site de la CSF et cherche à explorer les implications méthodologiques, philosophiques et sociales de mon projet photographique. L’interdisciplinarité du projet se manifeste dans ces explorations parallèles et complémentaires qui reconnaissent la production d’images et la réflexion théorique comme des méthodes de recherche d’égale importance.

Finalement, ce projet s’inscrit dans une démarche intéressée à la relation qu’entretiennent nature et culture en milieu urbain. Au lieu de voir ces deux modes d’existence comme des pôles opposés, je préfère chercher les points de rencontre où la relation complexe peut déployer son réseau d’infiltration, de coexistence et de dépendance mutuelle.


identifier: Liu, Ruilei  (2012) The development of second language productive vocabulary in an intensive ESL classroom.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate how second language (L2) productive vocabulary develops over time by targeting multiple dimensions of word knowledge. The research questions addressed were: a) How does the productive vocabulary of 11-12 year-old L2 learners in an intensive ESL program in Quebec develop over time with regard to vocabulary size, lexical richness, and lexical depth? and b) What similarities or differences can be observed between written vocabulary development and spoken vocabulary development? The study drew on a 58,000-word written corpus and a 28,000-word spoken corpus produced by 108 beginner-level francophone learners of English (11-12-year-olds). Data analyses were based on several measures which included counts of word families, percentages of 1K, 2K, and 3K+ words, types-per-family ratios, and counts of 2-word lexical bundles, all analyzed using the tools available at www.lextutor.ca. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with modality (written, oral) and time (T1, T2) as between-participants factor were used to compare the four learner corpora (written and oral at T1 and T2). Findings indicate that learners’ written vocabulary developed in all three dimensions (vocabulary size, lexical richness, and lexical depth), and that their spoken vocabulary improved only in lexical richness but showed no significant growth in size and lexical depth. The results suggest that overall learners performed better in written than in spoken modality, which could be attributed to a) task-specific effects, b) differences between spoken and written language access, and c) differences in the nature of spoken and written vocabulary used.


identifier: Carmichael, Laura  (2012) Public Ephemera: A case study investigation into individual learning experiences at Nocturne: Art at Night.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Temporary public art events modelled after the Nuit Blanche concept attract thousands of people to city centres in search of contemporary art. As a result, these mass cultural events may be dramatically changing how people interact with contemporary art. This qualitative research project utilizes Nocturne: Art at Night, a city wide, night time art event in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a case study to determine the kinds of learning experiences everyday people have when they engage with art in the context of a temporary public art festival. This research identified factors that influence participants’ understanding and appreciation of contemporary art.
Eleven participants without a Fine Arts background were interviewed before and after attending the event. Findings suggest that participants benefit greatly from being able to select which works to engage with and from having numerous and diverse projects to view. Artworks that build on participants’ past experiences and knowledge of specific installation sites also positively impacted learning. The atmosphere and social aspects of participants’ experiences such as interactions with peers and artists were seen as beneficial to participants’ learning experiences. Short viewing times and lack of adequate signage or contextual information were found to be detrimental to participants’ learning, leading to superficial experiences with art. This study determined that cultural events such as Nocturne provide attendees with a preliminary introduction to contemporary art. However, without additional resources, participants could formulate misconceptions about art that affect their understanding of particular artworks.


identifier: Dwight, Victoria  (2012) Regular Past Tense Acquisition in L2 English: The Roles of Perceptual Salience and Readiness.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The goal of the present study was to investigate two factors that might play a role in the
acquisition of a challenging feature of English for second language learners: the regular simple
past (-ed, as in walked, learned). The first was whether learners benefited more from instruction
providing practice perceiving the past in running speech once they had demonstrated some
emergent knowledge of the form (the learner readiness issue, Pienemann, 1989). The second was
whether the greater sonority of the regular past tense allomorph /d/ (learned) compared with the
lower sonority of /t/ (walked) would result in the /d/ allomorph being acquired earlier than the /t/
allomorph (the perceptual salience issue, Goldschneider & DeKeyser, 2001). It was predicted
that, following the instruction, ready learners would be superior to unready in both regular past
tense written and perception accuracy, and that the /d/ allomorph would be acquired earlier than
the /t/ allomorph. The participants were 11-12 year old (n = 35) intensive ESL students in
Quebec. The study followed a pre-test/post-test/delayed-post tense design, and took place over 10
weeks. The learners’ ability to produce and perceive the regular past was assessed through
contextualized listening and writing tasks. A mixed ANOVA compared performance of ready and
unready learners, as well as perception accuracy of /d/ and /t/ allomorphs in the perceptual
training tasks over time. Independent samples t tests compared gain scores of ready and unready
learners in picture-prompted written tasks prior to and following the perceptual training. Findings
showed that all learners’ perception of simple past improved over time, with the more salient
allomorph /d/ being perceived more accurately than /t/, thus supporting the hypothesis that
salience plays a role in acquisition not only in the order of grammatical morphemes in general,
but also within allomorphs of the same morpheme. Results regarding readiness showed that ready
learners did not demonstrate greater rates of acquisition in perception or in production compared
to unready learners, suggesting that readiness might not be applicable to the acquisition of the
regular past tense form. The discussion will consider the pedagogical implications of these
findings, such as (a) whether instruction of the regular past might benefit from addressing the
allomorphs separately by attending to the more salient allomorph prior to the more difficult
allomorph, and (b) whether the quality of the practice might be more beneficial than readiness in
terms of rate of acquisition given that all learners demonstrated great improvement in the skill
that was practiced (i.e., perception).


identifier: Paré-Julien, Jérémie  (2012) Facades of Jean Omer Marchand’s buildings for the Notre-Dame Congregation in Montreal: Influence and Collective Memory in Architecture.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Facades of Jean Omer Marchand’s buildings for the Notre-Dame Congregation in Montreal: Influence and Collective Memory in Architecture
Jérémie Paré-Julien
The Beaux-Art architectural style has provided some of the most recognised buildings in the greater Montreal landscape. Architect Jean Omer Marchand designed many such buildings for the Notre-Dame Congregation at the turn of the twentieth century. Facades of Beaux-Art buildings are an eclectic collection of architectural references to the past. Buildings such as the Notre-Dame Congregation’s Mother-House, the École Normale, and the Institut Pedagogique, all three by Marchand, are prime examples of this historicism.
This thesis looks at the following questions: Why do we preserve and protect such facades, but not the interior of the buildings? What compels us to attach patrimonial values to these buildings? Can Maurice Halbwach’s concepts of Collective Memory account for this behaviour?
Furthermore, Marchand’s works deserve to be written about so as to give the architect a place in Québec’s architectural history. Due to various circumstances, Jean Omer Marchand has not been the subject of many books or research papers, and there is no official biography of the architect. My main motivation for writing this thesis is to shine some light on the work of Marchand, as well as give some information about my great grandfather, as I am the descendent of Jean Omer Marchand; my grandmother was his only child.


identifier: Berger, Joseph Isaac  (2012) Federalism for a New Millennium: A Case Study of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was created by the Government of Canada to provide ten years’ worth of student aid in celebration of the new millennium. While often cited as an example of the federal ability to spend in areas of provincial jurisdiction, the CMSF relied on provincial government direction to establish the parameters of its program and administer its scholarships. Using a case study approach, the thesis demonstrates how the CMSF’s approach to policymaking, through a method known as collaborative federalism, ensured positive outcomes for the students who benefited from its program.


identifier: Tajaddod Alizadeh, Dorsa  (2012) The Role of Individuals in Innovation Networks: A Simulation Approach in Canadian Biotechnology Network.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.