identifier: Chowdhury, Subrata  (2008) Mechanisms of aging and development in the nematode caenorhabditis elegans.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: C. elegans has a strong tradition for being used in genetic approaches to understanding the aging process. However, currently the worms are being used in a variety of other approaches, such as drug screening, disease modeling, and environmental manipulations. Collectively all these approaches are likely to provide a unique insight into the aging process. The objective of this thesis was to define the localization of peroxisomal proteins whose deficiency affects the rate of chronological aging and post-embryonic development of C. elegans in various tissues of this organism. The thesis focused homologs of human Sterol Carrier Protein x (hSCPx) in C. elegans , their roles and sub-cellular localization. P-44, nlt-1 and dhs-28--are all members of SCP-2 sterol transfer family. My data indicate that P-44 plays vital role in the regulation of dauer formation, delayed egg-laying period, smaller body size, increased lipid accumulation and extended life-span. Nlt-1 also shows extended lifespan by 40% compared with wild type. In this thesis, I also report that P-44, nlt-1 and dhs-28 are involved in fatty acid metabolism. All of these are expressed in the intestine and appear to be peroxisomal. Both P-44 and nlt-1 seem to be required for catabolism of cyclopropane containing fatty acids. P-44 deficiency also blocks the catabolism of pristanic acid. dhs-28 (17-Ý-hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase), on the other hand, only blocks (affects) the pristanic acid pathway. The data reported in this thesis support the view that there is no direct link between the amount of lipid deposits in an organism and a lifespan.  This thesis also explored the use of vital lipophilic dye Nile Red (NR) for visualizing fat storage droplets in C. elegans and for elucidating the role of fat regulatory genes in nematode aging. From the data analysis we can conclude that there is no correlation between the levels of triacylglycerols and a specific pattern of NR staining. Thus, NR is not suitable for monitoring body fat in C. elegans . Staining of animals with SBB in combination with the direct assessment of triacylglycerols by TLC is more appropriate for this purpose


identifier: Hayden, Bonnie  (2008) Annual growth rings in dry tropical forest trees.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Tropical dry forests are one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Despite their ecological, commercial and cultural importance, however, we still know little about their population dynamics. In this thesis I focus on dendrochronological problems and possibilities in the dry tropical biome. I begin with an exhaustive compilation of all the tropical tree species that have been shown to produce annual growth rings, for this I include both wet and dry tropical forests. I follow with a study that was conducted in a tropical dry forest in western Mexico to determine the periodicity of radial wood formation in six drought-deciduous tree species. It is suggested that the intense drought that is prevalent in this climate type induces the cessation of cambial activity in these trees; and thus annual ring formation may be assumed for non-riverine drought-deciduous tree species. A third chapter details an experimental study of the effect of rare dry season rains on leafless tree species. In particular, I examined the relationship between one-time water receipt and (1) the degree of bud burst (and, for one species, flowering), and (2) the formation of a false ring. Also, I used long-term records at a nearby meteorological station to determine the frequency of a rain event exceeding a particular intensity. Finally, I end with a broad review of dry tropical forest ecology, the biome known to be most conducive to the formation of annual growth rings in tropical trees.


identifier: Fadaee, Sara  (2008) Impact of population intensification near transit nodes on Montreal traffic assignment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Montreal Master Plan, 2005, proposed population intensification near transit nodes as a measure to reduce the dependency on cars. However, the impact of these policies has not been studied in detail. This research aims to analyze the influence of these policies on the Greater Montreal Area (GMA) traffic using a deterministic user-equilibrium traffic assignment model. Three intensification scenarios were considered to illustrate the volume-capacity ratio changes in GMA's road network under the impact of these scenarios in 2013 considering population increase. In the first scenario, the redistribution of the forecasted new trips among the 104 traffic zones of GMA was applied based on their natural growth rate. In the second scenario, 20% intensification of the GMA population growth was applied in the zones containing subway stations, and a modal shift from cars to subway was assumed for this population based on the modal ratios of the 2003 O-D survey. The third scenario is similar to the second one, but with 50% intensification ratio.  The proposed approach is expected to provide a simplified method that can be applied to investigate intensification policies by assuming certain levels of intensification and modal shift at specific zones. However, the assumptions for this approach have to be used carefully to get meaningful results


identifier: Wang, Jian Han  (2008) Complexity-based classification of software modules.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Software plays a major role in many organizations. Organizational success depends partially on the quality of software used. In recent years, many researchers have recognized that statistical classification techniques are well-suited to develop software quality prediction models. Different statistical software quality models, using complexity metrics as early indicators of software quality, have been proposed in the past. At a high-level the problem of software categorization is to classify software modules into fault prone and non-fault prone. The focus of this thesis is two-fold. One is to study some selected classification techniques including unsupervised and supervised learning algorithms widely used for software categorization. The second emphasis is to explore a new unsupervised learning model, employing Bayesian and deterministic approaches. Besides, we evaluate and compare experimentally these approaches using a real data set. Our experimental results show that different algorithms lead to different statistically significant results.


identifier: Shahabadi, Maziar Bani  (2008) Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial wastewater treatment plants.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The outcome of Kyoto protocol and other National and International agreements influence the design and operation of wastewater treatment facilities by restricting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as one of the larger minor sources of GHG emissions that produce CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O during the treatment processes. The overall on-site and off-site greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by WWTPs of food processing industry were estimated by using an elaborate mathematical model. Three different types of treatment systems were examined in this study which included aerobic, anaerobic, and hybrid anaerobic/aerobic processes. The overall on-site emissions were 1952, 1992, and 2435 kg CO 2 e/d while the off-site emissions were 1313, 4631, and 5205 kg CO 2 e/d for the aerobic, anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems respectively. The on-site biological processes made the highest contribution to GHG emissions in the aerobic treatment system while the highest emissions in anaerobic and hybrid treatment systems were obtained by off-site GHG emissions due to on-site material usage. Biogas recovery and reuse as fuel were shown to cover the total energy needs of the treatment plants for aeration, heating and electricity for all three types of operations, and considerably reduced GHG emissions by 512, 673, and 988 kg CO 2 e/d from a total of 3265, 6623, and 7640 kg CO 2 e/d for aerobic, anaerobic, and hybrid treatment systems, respectively. In the end, recommendations were given on feasible approaches to reduce GHG emissions from WWTPs.


identifier: Pakniat, Parinaz  (2008) Optimizing bridge decks maintenance strategies based on probabilistic performance prediction using genetic algorithm.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Bridges are important structures in transportation networks, and their maintenance is essential to public safety. Therefore, there is a critical need for research about evaluating the condition of existing bridges, investigating rehabilitation methods and organizing a management model for these bridges. Bridge Management Systems offer an effective decision-making tool for prioritizing maintenance, repair and rehabilitation (MR&R) activities taking into consideration such factors as budget constraints, suitability of MR&R methods, type and severity of bridge damages, safety, and user cost.  In this research a multi-objective Genetic Algorithm is proposed to find the optimal long-term MR&R strategies for a set of reinforced concrete bridge decks based on the current status of the bridges, the applicability of several MR&R methods and their recovering effects, safety of the network, and the available budget. In this process, uncertainties associated with performance and safety have been modeled. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study about bridges in Montreal partially based on real data obtained from the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec.


identifier: Yassin, Mohmmad Hany  (2008) Post-earthquake fire performance of building structures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The potential of fire event after a strong earthquake is quite high and the damage caused by this fire could be significantly higher as compared to normal fire not accompanied by an earthquake. Thus it is important to know the behavior of structures under such circumstances. Modern buildings are designed to have adequate resistance against an expected level earthquake, and sufficient fire safety, considering these events to occur separately. However, fire following a seismic excitation is not uncommon. After an earthquake the structure may sustain a considerable damage and the fire resistance of the system will be significantly impaired. In this case, the fire performance of the structure will be significantly reduced, and such condition may pose a serious threat to structural integrity, which is detrimental to the life safety of the occupants and rescue workers. Thus, it is necessary to consider such scenarios in the design of a building constructed in a seismic zone. In this study the performance of two types of structures has been studied. Load bearing wood stud walls and moment resistant steel frames under such condition has been modeled and analyzed. The performance analysis of the wood stud wall in fire has been verified with the results from the NRC fire tests. For the steel frames, the results are validated with different finite element systems such as SAFIR and ANSYS. The analysis includes heat transfer analysis and thermal stress analysis by using numerical model for wood wall and finite element solver for steel frame. Existing numerical model for stability analysis of wood frame walls cannot be applied to cases with fire and earthquake induced fire. Modifications are proposed to the existing methods in order to account for the time dependent changes in strength, stiffness and geometry due to earthquake and fire in order to determine the fire resistance of the structures. Two analytical approaches have been proposed for modeling the damage in the steel structure after earthquake. Fire resistance rates are investigated for both normal and post earthquake fire scenarios. It is observed from the study that the fire followed by an earthquake reduces the fire resistance of a structure in both wood-frame and steel-frame structures. The study presented here forms a preliminary understanding of the PEF phenomenon and its effect on structures. Further studies are needed to enhance the understanding, quantify the parametric changes and formulate design guidelines to account for PEF hazard to structures in seismic zones.  Keywords. post-earthquake fire hazards, conflagration, performance-based design, structural strengthening, monitoring, simulation.


identifier: Alshehri, Abdallah A  (2008) Novel ultra wideband antennas for wireless systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis focuses on Ultra Wideband (UWB) antenna designs and analysis. Studies have been undertaken covering the areas of UWB fundamentals and antenna theory. UWB wireless technology is being considered as the solution to overcome data rate bottlenecks in the wireless communications and applications. UWB is able to achieve high data transmission rates because it transmits data over a very large spectrum of frequencies from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz (7.5 GHz). Consequently, it provides many challenges for design in the communications arena, including antenna design.  The main objective of this thesis is to study, design, analyze and implement novel UWB low profile printed patch antennas that satisfy UWB technology requirements. Several techniques are used for optimal UWB bandwidth performance of the UWB antenna designs in this thesis. The undertaken thesis focuses on planar antennas printed on PCBs. Therefore, this research introduces novel five designs of microstrip-fed, small, low-profile, printed microstrip UWB antennas using different bandwidth-enhancement techniques to satisfy UWB bandwidth. According to their geometrical shapes, they can be classified into two types: the first types are stepped UWB antennas which are namely: a stepped-trapezoidal patch antenna and a trimmed notch-cut patch antenna. The second ones are beveled UWB antennas which are namely: an elliptical patch antenna, a double-beveled patch antenna, and a band-rejected elliptical patch antenna.  It has been demonstrated numerically and experimentally that the proposed antennas are suitable for UWB systems. They can provide satisfactory frequency domain performance, including ultra-wide bandwidth with nearly omni-directional radiation patterns, relatively flat gain and very good radiation efficiency. These features make them very suitable for UWB communications and applications, such as wireless personal area networks (WPANs) applications


identifier: Mendoza, Ivan  (2008) Robustness in risk classification.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Robustness in risk classification

abstract: Risk classification is a process of grouping together individuals with similar risk levels into categories that insurance companies use in order to decide how premium rates should differ in each category. This process is conditioned on the information available about the insured and the contract, which is stored in many variables.  Because of the large number of variables and the fact that many interactions exist between them, multivariate analysis techniques such as Principal Component Analysys (to reduce the dimensionality of data) and Cluster Analysis (to group individuals with similar characteristics), are applied for this purpose. Here we recommend the application of both methods to obtain better results.  Insurance data usually contains information regarding unexpected extreme losses (catastrophes), modeled with heavy tailed distributions, which may be considered as outliers. Therefore, robust methods for both multivariate techniques are applied by using an algorithm that implies the use of several robust estimators existing nowadays. We compare our results with those obtained from a classical approach.


identifier: Ishii, Maiko  (2008) Frobenius structures on orbit spaces of Coxeter groups and Hurwitz spaces.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Here we describe the Frobenius Manifold as a geometric reformulation of the solution space to the WDVV equations. Relations between Frobenius Algebras, Frobenius Manifolds and 2D-Topological Field Theories are shown, and we examine the A n case from the class of polynomial solutions to WDVV as Topological Landau-Ginzburg Models. The A n case is also described from the point of view of singularity theory from which it originated, and we show Dubrovin's constructions for Frobenius manifolds on the orbit spaces of Coxeter groups and Hurwitz spaces with the A n case as the main example.


identifier: Chakfeh, Yazan  (2008) Coherent peak detection algorithms for utra first stage code acquisition.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The first stage of UTRA code acquisition is the most crucial stage of the cell search process because it has to deal with the largest amount of uncertainty. We assume that the cell search starts when the mobile station is turned on with no prior information about the base station(s) that may be in the vicinity of the mobile station. The mobile station must acquire slot boundaries in order to obtain timing information of the detected base station. Therefore, this large amount of uncertainty gives longer mean acquisition time.  In this thesis, we have devised four new peak detection algorithms for first stage code acquisition. We utilize the available base stations with few multipath signals along with the standard oversampling and pipelining utilization. We compare different coherent and non-coherent combining techniques and run simulations for different carrier frequency errors. We have developed simulation software using MATLAB, to simulate the performance of these algorithms. Our simulation results show that coherent combining for some of the new algorithms provide results close if not better than its non-coherent counterpart even at moderate carrier frequency errors especially at low signal to interference ratios


identifier: Li, Xin  (2008) Advanced efficiency solutions for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: As an alternative to conventional vehicles (CVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are touted to be a practically attractive measure to create an energy-wise and sustainable society. By employing electric energy as one of the traction energy sources, HEVs are able to reduce costly fuel consumption as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There are some commercially available HEVs in the market, employing various drive train configurations; however, their drive trains and control strategies are not optimally designed. In this thesis, parametric and power component stage based efficiency analysis methods are introduced to assess the overall drive train efficiencies for different HEV configurations. Hence, it is possible to find the key parameters that significantly affect the overall drive train efficiency. A mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) is modeled in different hybrid configurations within the Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR) software. Simulations are carried out based on the modeled SUV over varied load demands. The thesis also defines regenerative braking efficiency and the term "hybridization factor" for series and parallel HEVs. In addition, a method to analyze and calculate regenerative braking efficiency is also introduced. Finally, the thesis focuses on optimizing system control strategies for series and parallel HEVs, to enhance their regenerative braking efficiency. The optimized fuzzy logic and electric assist control strategies are simulated and tested in ADVISOR, thus providing the data for eventually designing a novel control strategy, to improve the overall drive train efficiency.


identifier: Jeganathan, Jeyadeepan  (2008) Space shift keying modulation for MIMO channels.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we analyze modulation techniques that exploit multiple antennas in wireless communication. We first study the so-called spatial modulation (SM) technique for MIMO channels. Since the original SM detector is based on an ad hoc design, and only functions under some artificial assumptions about the channel, we derive the optimal detector for SM. The new detector performs significantly better than the original ({598} 4 dB gain), and we support our results by deriving a closed form expression for the average bit error probability. As well, we show that SM with the optimal detector achieves better performance gains ({598}1.5 - 3 dB) over popular multiple antenna systems.  We then introduce space shift keying (SSK), a new modulation scheme based on the SM concept. SSK exploits fading in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channels to provide better performance over conventional amplitude/phase modulation (APM) techniques. In SSK, only the antenna indices, and not the symbols themselves, relay information. This absence of symbol information eliminates the transceiver elements necessary for APM transmission and detection (such as coherent detectors). As well, the simplicity involved in modulation reduces detection complexity compared to that of SM, while achieving almost identical performance gains.  Throughout the thesis, we illustrate SSK's strength by studying its interaction with the fading channel, and obtain tight upper bounds on bit error probability. To improve performance, adaptive forms of SSK are also presented, including a symbol design technique, and an antenna selection scheme. We also illustrate SSK's performance under channel estimation error, and spatial correlation. Analytical and simulation results show performance gains over APM systems (3 dB at a bit error rate of 10 -5 ), making SSK an interesting candidate for wireless applications.  We then present SSK coded modulation (SSK-CM) to integrate coding for practical wireless systems. In particular, we present a bit interleaved CM (BICM) system using iterative decoding. We illustrate SSK-CM capacity improvements over APM, and derive upper bounds on SSK-CM's performance. We also analytically present SSK's coded diversity advantage over APM, where significant performance gains are observed (up to 9 dB), motivating SSK-CM's integration in future wireless standards


identifier: Haghighat, Pooyan  (2008) Trickle-based interference cancellation schemes for CDMA systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we introduce a novel approach to interference cancellation for code division multiple access uplink transmission. Several models combining principles of serial and parallel interference cancellation are discussed. The proposed scheme is derived from the analysis of these hybrid models and applies a user configuration algorithm (termed "trickle") in order to provide an improved bit-error-rate performance. The algorithm utilizes an adaptive matrix to compute the required configuration to be used for the subsequent interference cancellation stage. Bit-streaming, pipelined multiuser detection is employed and channel estimates are obtained using sample pilot data known at the receiver. We demonstrate that significant performance improvements can by achieved over various hybrid schemes. A reduced-complexity version of the trickle algorithm is also introduced where the processing delay is greatly reduced while maintaining similar performance. We present several numerical examples through which we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithms relative to existing interference cancellation algorithms.


identifier: Wu, Di  (2008) Fuel cell-hybrid electric vehicle power train system design and control.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recently, due to elevated oil prices and the need for low emissions, the automotive industry has been clamoring for cleaner, more energy-efficient vehicles. Fuel cell-hybrid electric vehicles (FC-HEV) are considered to be one of the most promising alternatives, because of their evident advantages of much higher fuel efficiency and lower (or zero) emissions, without any significant restriction on driving range and vehicle performance. However, a number of severe obstacles need to be overcome to attain widespread commercialization of FC-HEVs. The most critical aspects of fuel cell vehicle research include the development of optimal power management strategies and design of efficient power train architectures.  Firstly, this thesis attempts to solve the critical power management problem through the optimal design, modeling, and testing of innovative power control strategies. Thereafter, the advantages and limitations of the proposed strategies are compared and analyzed in depth. Secondly, the thesis also discusses the selection of suitable power train configurations, followed by the power electronic system design, based on hybridization degree and component characteristics. The circuit-level simulation results indicate that the power electronic control system can precisely implement the overall power control strategy, starting from the high-level supervisory control system. Finally, an attractive short-term future option, in the form of a plug-in fuel cell hybrid vehicle (FC-PHEV), is introduced. A suitable power management strategy is designed for the proposed FC-PHEV, with detailed discussions on critical performance as well as practical issues.


identifier: Manouchehri, Farzin  (2008) Ghosting and its recovery mechanisms in multilayer amorphous Selenium X-ray detectors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: During the last 15 years, many efforts have been directed towards the development of digital detectors for X-ray imaging. Direct conversion stabilized amorphous Selenium (a-Se)-based X-ray image detection with an active matrix array is one of the most widely used approaches which can provide excellent X-ray images, and is commercially available for mammography and general radiography. However, the X-ray sensitivity of a-Se detectors used in these systems changes as a result of previous X-ray exposures. This change in sensitivity which creates ghosting is recoverable by resting the detector for several hours. In this work, the physics of ghosting and its recovery mechanisms in multilayer a-Se detectors are experimentally and theoretically investigated.  A numerical model is developed to study the time and exposure dependent X-ray sensitivity of multilayer a-Se X-ray imaging detectors on repeated X-ray exposures. This model considers accumulated trapped charges and their effects (trap filling, recombination, electric field profile, electric field dependent electron-hole pair creation energy), the carrier transport in the blocking layers, X-ray induced meta-stable deep trap center generations, and the effects of charge injection. The time dependent carrier detrapping and structural relaxation (recovery of meta-stable trap centers) are also considered. The continuity equations for both holes and electrons, trapping rate equations, and the Poisson's equation across the photoconductor for a step X-ray exposure are simultaneously solved by the Backward Euler finite difference method. It is found that the sensitivity in a rested sample is recovered mainly by the carrier detrapping and the recombination of the injected carriers with the existing trapped carriers. The sensitivity is expected to recover almost fully by resting the sample longer than the recovery time constant of the meta-stable trap centers. The theoretical model agrees well with the experimental results


identifier: Najmabadi, Mani  (2008) Signal processing approaches to diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Esophageal Motility Disorders (EGMDs) are a group of abnormalities characterized by the muscular dysfunction of the esophagus in the transportation of food from the oral cavity to the stomach. EGMDs typically cause chronic problems and affect a vast and ever-increasing number of the global population.  The diagnosis of EGMDs mainly relies on a key test presently used to study the esophagus motility, known as esophageal manometry (EGM). EGM involves pressure measurements inside the esophagus, which provide information pertaining to its contractions. The diagnosis process is mainly based on visual inspection of the EGM test results to find certain characteristics of the manometric patterns.  There are several factors that make such inspection tedious. For instance, manometry test results are often contaminated with a considerable amount of noise, (e.g. noise from external environment) and artifacts, (e.g. respiration artifacts) leading to a longer and more complex diagnosis process. As such, the diagnosis based on visual inspection is prone to human error and demands extensive amount of expert's time.  This thesis introduces new signal processing approaches to provide an accurate means for the diagnosis of EGMDs as well as to reduce the amount of time spent on the diagnosis process. Specifically, a new technique known as wavelet decomposition (WD) is applied to the filtering of the EGM data. A nonlinear pulse detection technique (NPDT) is applied to the de-noised data leading to extraction of diagnostically important information i.e. esophageal pulses. Such information is used to generate a model using a statistical pulse modeling (SPM) technique, which can classify the EGM patterns.  The proposed approaches are applied to the EGM data of 20 patients and compared with those from existing techniques. Such comparisons illustrate the advantages of the proposed approaches in terms of accuracy and efficiency.  As part of this thesis, a new circuit-based approach is proposed for the treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), i.e. the most prevalent disease caused by EGMDs. The objective is to provide a framework for further research towards the implementation of the proposed approach for GERD treatment.


identifier: Parra Bernal, Jessica Nathalia  (2008) A model-based fault recovery for the attitude control subsystem of a satellite using magnetic torquers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The interest in small satellites for scientific missions and Earth observations has been increasing steadily in recent years and magnetic torquers have been found attractive as suitable choice of actuators for the purpose of attitude control. Magnetic torquers are commonly used for momentum desaturation of reaction wheels, damping augmentation in gravity gradient stabilized spacecraft. and reorientation of the spin axis in spin-stabilized spacecraft. Furthermore, their use as sole actuators for 3-axis stabilization of satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) has also been proven effective and advantageous when compared to other types of actuators.  The autonomy of complex dynamical systems that are vulnerable to failures has been an important topic of research during the past few years. Particularly, in aerospace applications, where several constraints such as telemetry and hardware redundancy limitations make the management of on-board problems, a difficult task for ground control.  With this in mind, an autonomous recovery from faults in magnetic torquers in LEO satellites constitutes the main focus of the work investigated in this dissertation. A self-recovery mechanism, which extends the capabilities of the attitude control subsystem to operate under the presence of actuator faults is developed. The solution generated takes into account the management of the control authority in the system by taking advantage of the non-faulty actuators. In other words, the recovery mechanism that is proposed in this thesis does not utilize hardware redundancy as the existing actuators are used to perform the required control action.  The effects of the delay in initiating the recovery solution, the presence of noise in the magnetic field measurement, and the responses of the system that is recovered from concurrent faults are also investigated through numerical simulations. These simulations are carried out by using a model that includes relevant environmental disturbances and a realistic model of the geomagnetic field. A reduction in the average steady state error is obtained in response to and due to the application of the proposed recovery mechanism, which is applicable to the system even in the presence of fault detection delays, presence of noise in the magnetic field measurement and concurrent faults


identifier: Ma, Ge  (2008) An efficient MAC protocol based on hybrid superframe for Wireless Sensor Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The usage of wireless channels is based on Media Access Control (MAC) protocols, which allocate wireless resources and control the way that sensors access a shared radio channel to communicate with their neighbors. Designing low energy consumption, high efficiency MAC protocols is one of the most important directions in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). So far, MAC protocols in WSN are usually divided into two categories: contention-based MAC protocols and schedule-based MAC protocols. However, both protocols have their own advantages and disadvantages that sometimes it is hard to decide which one is better than the other one. A hybrid protocol is concerned a lot now in WSN, which is IEEE 802.15.4. It integrates the advantages of both contention-based and schedule-based mechanisms. However, this protocol has some improving spaces as well, which motivated us to further study it and proposed a new contention reserve MAC protocol, named CRMAC, under the inspiration of IEEE 802.15.4's superframe structure. Through a series of theoretical and simulation analysis, we show that CRMAC performs better in energy consumption, system delay and network throughput than IEEE 802.15.4 and LEACH (Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy). CRMAC is especially suitable for short packet transmission under logy traffic networks, which is the main situation in WSN, so this protocol is practical in WSN.


identifier: Bastani, Arash  (2008) Full-scale experimental set-up for evaluating the performance of commercial air cleaners for building applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) is considered an important issue in building science. Applying gaseous air cleaning devices to purify the air is an effective way to reduce the levels of gaseous contaminants and have a positive influence on IAQ. However, there is a lack of an acceptable approach to study the performance of these devices for non-industrial buildings.  In this study, a methodology was developed to evaluate the removal performance of gaseous filters. A full-scale experimental apparatus was set up and a series of experiments were carried out to calibrate the system. These tests quantitatively validated the reliability of experimental set-up. Furthermore, it was applied to study the performance of four sorptive filters; a coconut shell-based and a coal-based virgin granular activated carbon (GAC), an impregnated GAC and a blend of virgin GAC and impregnated activated alumina. These filters were ranked based on their effectiveness for removing toluene. The test showed that the virgin GACs had better performance in removing toluene. The 50% breakthrough time of bituminous coal based virgin GAC was 40% and 50% higher than the impregnated GAC and the mixed GAC with activated alumina, respectively. Also, the results indicated that the coconut shell-based GAC has a better removal performance than the coal-based one.  On the other hand, the resistance of these filters against desorption was characterized by measuring their retentivity. For cross-comparison of the retentivity among the tested filters, a novel analysis method was developed. The coconut shell-based GAC showed the strongest resistance against desorption


identifier: Kierans, Jennifer  (2008) "Blue movie : five films about coming to your senses".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: 1. Blueprint. An insecure teenage model takes control of her sexuality when she switches positions from in front of the camera to behind it. (sight)   2. Blue Whales. A young mother who has lost all desire for sex finds that the solution lies in her fantasies about whales. (sound )  3. Clear Blue. A lesbian comedian's relationship is tested when she goes to outrageous technological lengths to become an egg donor for her cousin. (smell)   4. Bleu Nuit. A mother with grown children whose husband suggests "swinging" to spice up their sex life must decide what to do when she likes it. (taste)   5. Blue Moon. A retiree in her sixties whose husband becomes impotent after having his prostrate removed must learn to masturbate for the first time. (touch)


identifier: Muncey, Kimberley-Blue  (2008) Scire.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Scire

abstract: Scire is a collection of lyrical and narrative poems that explores and applies science into poetry. Various aspects of science work as the bones that structure and inform the poetry and the collection looks at the parallels that exist between human experiences such as sex, death, consciousness, family relationships and scientific laws that explain natural phenomena.  The poems are loosely divided into three sections. The first looks at the mythical side of science, and the poems attempt to retell these myths. The second section moves forward in time, focusing on ancient scientific understandings of the world, but applied to a contemporary setting. Finally, the third section uses current explanations of how the physical world works and the parallels that can be found in human behaviours and interactions with one another.  Scire finds its cohesion theoretically in various underlying scientific histories and ideas and how these explain the human world. These become the catalysts for the poems, which are an exploration of science as the subtle gridwork that underlies human experience


identifier: Newman, Elise  (2008) As the night the day : two one-act plays.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The two one-act plays presented here explore the lengths to which one will go to justify one's worth.  Through acts of emulation, the characters in Virginia and Raven for a Lark attempt to discover their own identity and rationalize their questionable actions. Following in the footsteps of childhood heroes or fictional figures, they cling to unrealistic images. Nevertheless, they push themselves to physical, moral, geographical, and artistic limits in the view of discovering and justifying their place in the world. Through intertextual allusions to Shakespeare, picture books, and travel accounts, these plays explore the sources and forces of inspiration, motivation, and agency.  Loneliness and yearning for connection are expressed through monologue form; the speakers reach out to the audience and to absent characters but are ultimately alone on stage, observed and judged.


identifier: Pinese, Daniele  (2008) A terrorized literature : terror, terrorism and locating identity in three Québec novels.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines three Québec novels: Hubert Aquin's Prochain Épisode (1965), Claude Jasmin's Ethel et le Terroriste (1964), and Michael Basilières' Black Bird (2003). During the 1960s, Québec identity moved away from traditional values--the preservation of religion and the mythology associated with rural life. This change lead to an uncertain literary project which grappled with the view that French-Canadian history was an inadequate base from which to construct a new, authentic, Québécois literary identity. Prochain Épisode and Ethel et le Terroriste are examples of this attempt to construct a new identity. However, both texts are unable separate story and history ( histoire and histoire ). Here, the figure of the terrorist is representative of a new paradoxical state of identity: the terrorist embodies ideas of revolution but is consistently confined by an inability to break free, via narrative, from the constraints of history. Michael Basilières' Black Bird is examined using the gothic mode as well as Charles Taylor's thoughts on G.W.F. Hegel's dialectic relationship between self and other. Though Black Bird employs similar strategies to Prochain Épisode and Ethel et le Terroriste , it acknowledges that both history and literature-- histoire --are inadequate and contradictory; that a constant recognition of this fact best articulates any concept of a future Québec identity.


identifier: Tonkin, Leanne  (2008) "Aqueduct".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: "Aqueduct"

abstract: "Aqueduct" is a long prose poem composed of fragments. The fragments include poetry and prose quotations, a translation of a prose poem, essays, ideas and information borrowed from fiction and non fiction magazines and newspapers, information gathered from speaking with many people informally about water, and drawn from my own personal experience.  The speaker of "Aqueduct" addresses her translation of Octavio Paz's prose poem, My Life with the Wave, and the water-related thoughts that fill her mind.  "Aqueduct" is modeled structurally on Reader's Block by David Markson. The following are some of the authors, artists, and scientists whose work and ideas I have incorporated into my manuscript: Robert Ballard, Charles Baudelaire, Mechilta Behallach, Janine M Benyus, Harold Bloom, Anne Carson, Annie Dillard, Marilyn Dumont, Douglas Haldane, Homer, Ivan Illich, Deepa Mehta, Herman Melville, Roger Reville, Rainer Maria Rilke, Christopher Smart, Harry Standjofski, Marina Tsvetaeva, Walt Whitman, Eliza Azelia Williams, Judith T. Zeitlan.


identifier: Scully, Maureen  (2008) Dismantling universals : literacy within the context of globalization.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The focus of this thesis is literacy but it is also about the veiled urgencies of becoming literate. Fueled by the restructuring of the labour market and profound structural changes in the economy, a social narrative developed warning nations that they were unprepared to meet and possibly benefit from the challenges of globalization. As the neo-liberal goals of accountability and of performativity have begun to reframe both education and literacy, it has become ideologically strategic for governments to quantify and measure literacy. Instruments, such as the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS), have been created in alliance with the OECD, to address the fears that the purported downward spiral of falling standards of education and literacy will result in both the inability to competitively survive within the global marketplace and of being overtaken economically by other countries. This thesis argues that within this global economic framework, a revised hegemonic form of functional literacy has become the latest unquestioned benchmark required by the knowledge workers of new capitalism . Questions asked by the alternate approach of New Literacy Studies (NLS), such as, "whose literacy?", "at what cost?", "for what purpose?" and "in what context?", are not considered by this hegemonic form. A significant way that market ideology is naturalized is through commodified and de-historicized language. This thesis applies aspects of Gee and Fairclough's approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis to explore the language of the ALLS in an attempt to question the consensual perception of both literacy and globalization.


identifier: Shaikh, Kamran  (2008) Exploring the existence of motivational and cognitive variables affecting the perspectives and internalization of instructor-given feedback.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Regardless of instructional approach and educational epistemology, feedback is widely considered an essential facet of information processing and knowledge transfer. The inherent purpose of the following study is to explore the effects that student and teacher perspectives have on the expectations, understanding, processing, prescription and adoption of instructor feedback. Interviews, and focus groups with 32 undergraduates, graduates and instructors in an Education department at Concordia University, depict both intersecting and divergent assumptions and trends regarding feedback. Results are discussed in light of applications of motivation and cognitive theories to student-centered instructional approaches.


identifier: Mousa, Malek  (2008) Quality assessment and improvement on spark assisted chemical engraving gravity feed micro-drilling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents an investigation on the gravity feed micro-drilling spark assisted chemical engraving (GFMD-SACE). The competitive advantage of the GFMD-SACE process is its combined simplicity and low-cost with high aspect ratio and smooth surface finish. As long as these values are well-preserved and intensified, this process will take a share in the market of micro-fabrication.  The main objective of this study is to establish a systematic approach of the improvement in GFMD-SACE by minimizing initially different variabilities in the process. The methodology is to observe in details the process by adapting the six sigma procedures to determine the major error states and their root causes. To this end, the process initial documentations are created such that it keeps the door wide open for continuous improvement. Based on the initial evaluation, an improved process is recommended on the tool electrode thermal and material properties, electrolyte levels and the use of pulse voltage. Compared to the traditional process, the improvement procedure shows less variability and more capability to achieve high quality in micro-drilling


identifier: Wu, Lan  (2008) Real-time parametric surface modeling for conceptual design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Conceptual design is the initial stage of the product design cycle. In this stage, the structural details of the products require less attention than the functionality and style. Designers need an environment where their creative inspiration and imagination can be expressed intuitively and instantaneously without limitations. Paper-pen based traditional tools are still common in the practice. However, pen and paper based methods limit the expression of ideas (conceptual design) in the form of 2D images.  This thesis introduces a free-form 3D sketching technique with an objective to improve the conceptual design stage. Improvement comes from two characteristics: firstly, the designed system enables designers to use 3D digital space to summarize their imaginations; secondly, the toolkit provides an unconstrained environment where designers/artists can demonstrate their imaginations without dealing with details. Ultimate objective of this line of the research work is to develop a free-form sketching tool where users are not familiar with the system; rather they can naturally use the system in order to complete their initial design. In order to have a stereoscopic impression or called intuitive sensor of the designed products in the conceptual design stage, a direct 3D display is essential. Hence, in this research work, we introduce an unconstrained conceptual design environment that enables designers to display their ideas instantaneously and inspirationally without any constraints in computer in the form of 3D objects directly under the support of VR technology. The developed toolkit provides: a virtual space for designers to summarize their imaginations in 3D; a module to enable smooth connection of individual surface patches; finally, a method to give surface thickness to the images. Hence the resulting images are ready to be used within the existing CAD software, for design review purposes and manufacturing planning efforts.


identifier: Ghasemi, Masood  (2008) Lot streaming in hybrid flow shop scheduling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Production planning and scheduling play significant roles in manufacturing system operations and different techniques have been used to enhance their performance. Lot streaming has been studied for decades and is shown to accelerate production flow. This research deals with lot streaming in hybrid flow shops. Multiple products are processed in a multi-stage hybrid flow shop with non-identical machines. Sublots can be constant or consistent and intermingling is not allowed. Setups are attached and sequence independent. The problem is to simultaneously determine product sequence and sublots sizes so that the makespan is minimized. The model presented in this thesis is a mixed integer linear programming formulation for solving this problem. Several variations of the model are presented to incorporate different problem settings such as exploitation of variable sublots in the single product problem. Numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed model and to compare it to similar example problems in the literature. Furthermore, an example of a lot streaming problem in a general multi-stage hybrid flow shop is concerned and discussions and analysis are presented.  Keywords . Production planning; Scheduling; Lot streaming; Hybrid flow shop; Integer programming


identifier: Dadpay, Chakameh  (2008) Theoretical and experimental analysis of strain transfer rate in coated Fiber Bragg Grating strain sensors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have seen significant development in recent years, especially in the aerospace industry for structural health monitoring due to their versatility and measurement capability. Improvement in sensor's reliability and accuracy, however, continue to be two parameters critical to the eventual implementation of this technology in high value targets and can be enhanced by the effect of both mechanical and optical characteristics of the fiber. This thesis presents an evaluation of the strain transfer capability of different coated FBG strain sensors (i.e. Gold, Polyamide and Acrylic) bonded to metallic host structures. A theoretical relationship for the strain transfer rate from the host structure to the fiber core has been developed. This relationship considers the strain transfer loss through the layers of the system based on their material properties and their geometry. In addition, a simulated analysis using finite element modeling has been developed. Parametric analysis of both the analytical and simulation models revealed the impact of coating material selection, coating thickness selection, and bonding condition on the strain transfer loss. Results illustrate that metallic fiber coatings (i.e. Gold) are more suitable for improved strain transfer than their polymeric counterparts. Additionally a set of experiments were conducted using Acrylic coated FBG sensor bonded to an Aluminium sample to validate the results from theory and the simulation. The strain on the FBG sensor was measured and compared with a calibrated strain gauge mounted on the host structure to characterize the strain transfer loss. The experimental results were compared with the results for the same configuration of the sensor and its host structure, from the theory and simulation and were found to be in good agreement.


identifier: Bernard, Daniel  (2008) Listing and enlisting : the rhetoric and social meaning of Tractate Avot.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Mishnah's tractate Avot ( c . 250-300 CE) is very popular in the Jewish tradition, however its origins, as well as its intended purpose, have yet to be specifically identified. Using a "socio-rhetorical" approach, this study aims to relocate the social context for the composition of Avot.  The study begins by analyzing Avot's rhetoric, focusing especially on its rhetoric of "listing," demonstrating that the document's structure is determined by its authors' use of listed or list-like language. This language is observed to be arranged in a transitional manner, moving the reader from the authors' listing of sages--who themselves are shown to favour the use of list-like speech--into, finally, exercises in listing.  Following a comparison of Avot with Mishnah and other Greco-Roman literature, the conclusion emerges that Avot's progressive structure is meant to mirror a social transition between the status of a (non-rabbinic) Jewish scribe, to that of a disciple within the nascent rabbinic guild. Avot was created in order to facilitate the recruitment and initial training of rabbinic neophytes


identifier: Khor, Susan Lay Choo  (2008) Problem structure and evolutionary algorithm difficulty.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study reexamines the Hierarchical-If-And-Only-If (HIFF) problem (of which there are two versions--discrete and continuous) introduced by Watson et al. (1998) to distinguish the evolutionary capability of hill climbers from genetic algorithms. It finds that it is possible to relax some of the conditions stipulated for the structure of the HIFF problem without destroying the ability of the modified problem to distinguish the evolutionary capability of hill climbers from genetic algorithms. In particular, full inter-dependency between problem variables is not necessary, i.e. there need not be an iff constraint between every distinct variable pair.  In addition, by reducing variable-to-variable inter-dependencies, the modified HIFF problem becomes more solvable by upGA, a genetic algorithm which does not explicitly maintain population genetic diversity. This is because the modified HIFF problem (called HIFF-M) permits mutation to be effective in a genetic algorithm. The maintenance of sufficient population genetic diversity through means other than mutation was a key component of genetic algorithm success in Watson's work on the HIFF problem.  The modular structure of the HIFF problem, along with the inter-dependencies between modules, is credited for the ability of the HIFF problem to distinguish the evolutionary capability of hill climbers from genetic algorithms. However, when the genetic algorithm in question is upGA, this study finds that degree distribution type is a better indicator than modularity of when a problem will be easier for a genetic algorithm than a hill climber to solve. In general, problems with real-world type degree distributions were more easily solved by upGA than by the random mutation hill climber or the macro-mutation hill climber. Suggestions are made for further research in this direction.  This study also examines the relationship between hierarchical levels in different HIFF problems. It finds differences in the speed at which levels can optimize relative to one another, the degree of inter-level inter-dependency, and the degree of top-down inter-level conflict. The consequences of these differences for evolutionary algorithm difficulty are discussed.


identifier: Chalmers, Dana Lori  (2008) The influence of theatre and paratheatre on the Holocaust.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Cunningham, Julie  (2008) Contemporary state-aboriginal treaty making : beyond colonizing relations?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: New self-government arrangements are said by government officials to call into question the traditionally colonialist state-aboriginal relationship. Is it the case? Available theories on the matter suggest that existing structures protect the primacy of the white majority's interests over aboriginal peoples' and impede such a change. But is this reading really reflecting reality? The task I am assigning myself is to unpack received conceptions of state-aboriginal relations by analyzing the content of the General agreement in principle between the Canadian, the Quebec government and a number of Innu First Nations. By doing so, I shall provide a description of the diverse dimensions the relationship between the Québec government and the signatory First Nations which that can be expected to emerge. Can this treaty mark the beginning of a more egalitarian relationship or can it only be characterized by the reproduction of a colonizer-colonised rapport?  Providing new material for discussing the rapport between states and aboriginal peoples on the ground of empirical analysis has become increasingly pertinent. This is the case because the domain of aboriginal studies, within the discipline of political science at least, is dominated by a tendency to examine this topic from exclusively theoretical angles. I argue that single case analysis permits to understand singular trajectories in a manner that can help to apprehend other cases. In so-doing I hope to contribute enriching the literature on aboriginal-state relations by highlighting the relevant nuances the analysis of the Innu-Québec government interface sheds light upon


identifier: Nickerson, Sibbyl  (2008) Cultivating an ethos of civility : good manners in Castiglione's Book of the Courtier.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Baldesar Castiglione's Book of the Courtier ventures to give an account of how the well-mannered courtier ought to comport himself upon entering into the company of others. The text has alternately been received as one which presumes to delineate the methods of instantiating an idealized principality; or as one which fatuously lauds the merits of form for form's sake; or as a text that cynically espouses the political merits of deceptively pleasing manners. A great deal of attention has been also paid to the interlocutor's treatment of the relationship between the courtier and his prince. I propose that the text's treatment of good manners is best understood as an ethical and political consideration of the meaning and aims of pleasing behaviour. In this vein, I identify the author's reliance upon Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and refer to this text's treatment of the virtues of "friendliness," "truthfulness" and wit to develop an understanding of the principles which underpin and inform Castiglione's treatment of pleasing words and deeds. Ultimately, I propose that The Book of the Courtier implicitly recognizes the merits of cultivating an ethos of civility at court and suggest that this ethos can fruitfully help guide civil courtiers in their relations with one another as well as their prince.


identifier: Baer, Lawrence  (2008) Movement asymmetry in a sensorimotor synchronization task.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sensorimotor synchronization is the process by which we are able to synchronize a motor response with a sensory stimulus that occurs at predictable intervals over time. A common experimental paradigm for studying this process is finger tapping to a metronome. It has been found that finger trajectory is asymmetric and this asymmetry increases with timing accuracy, suggesting that the relatively high velocity of the finger flexion phase compared to the extension phase may provide proprioceptive feedback that aids in synchronization. In this study, we examined how the kinematics of the motor response varies in relation to changes in the frequency of occurrence of the stimulus and to changes in the degree of sensory feedback during the motor response. Participants were asked to tap on three different surfaces offering varying degrees of tactile feedback while synchronizing to a virtual metronome playing at one of two different rates. Motion capture equipment recorded their finger movement. It was expected that the greater the amount of sensory feedback from the tapping surface, the more symmetric the finger trajectory would become, as dependence on a high velocity phase could decrease and movement could more resemble the symmetric sinusoidal motion that models of motor control would predict for the repetitive to and fro movement of finger tapping in the absence of a synchronization constraint. We provide evidence showing that the degree of tactile feedback from the tapping surface does influence trajectory and velocity.


identifier: Doucet, Amelie  (2008) Screening for generalized anxiety disorder using a self-report questionnaire : validity of the worry and anxiety questionnaire II.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire (WAQ) is an 11-item self-report screening questionnaire developed to measure the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The purpose of this research was to revise the WAQ and conduct a preliminary investigation of the psychometric properties of the modified questionnaire in an English-speaking, non-clinical sample. The modification process included adding a definition for worry, simplifying the Likert scale qualifiers and consulting with experts in the field of anxiety disorders. There was evidence of sensitivity, specificity as well as convergent and discriminant validity; scores on the WAQ-II were more strongly associated with scores on a measure of worry than with scores on measures of other anxiety disorders, depression and hypochondriasis. In addition, there was evidence of test-retest reliability over a three-week period. The WAQ-II's usefulness in research and clinical practice is discussed.


identifier: Cuffaro, Michael Enrico  (2008) A metaphysically neutral theory of singular scientific explanation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Modern philosophical debate on explanation began with Hempel and Oppenheim's 1948 article: Studies in the Logic of Explanation . Hempel and Oppenheim's view: their Deductive-Nomological model of explanation for deterministic phenomena, and the Inductive-Statistical model of explanation for indeterministic phenomena, were for many years the received view on the subject. That view has since fallen out of favour, however, and in its wake, many alternative models have been proposed. Of these, Peter Railton's Deductive-Nomological-Probabilistic model represents an exceptionally promising proposal. In this thesis, I argue that while we should accept the essentials of Railton's account, we should not endorse it in its totality. Railton's account of explanation forces us to ascribe to a hard form of reductionism. It also forces us to accept a propensity interpretation of probability and a causal interpretation of irreducibly indeterministic phenomena. In this thesis I argue that one should not have to engage in these metaphysical debates--that an account of explanation should be neutral with respect to these issues.


identifier: Erkens, Frans  (2008) The spirituality of phenomena : a mystical-philosophical interpretation of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The thesis offers an interpretive analysis of G. W. F. Hegel's best known philosophical work, the Phenomenology of Spirit . The primary aim of the analysis is to clarify the essential role that religion--and in particular a mystically oriented religion--plays in Hegel's arguments, and to challenge the idea that the book can be meaningfully approached from a purely secular perspective.  To this end, four key sections of the text are examined in considerable detail, and the interconnectedness of the themes discussed, as well as their place in the overall message and structure of the text, is emphasized. In the process, particular attention is also given to Hegel's theory of action, his conception of Christianity, and the development and superseding of an ethical worldview.  The general conclusion to be defended is not only that the spiritual elements of Hegel's thought are of key importance and can only be meaningfully interpreted in an explicitly theological light, but also that the fundamental symbiosis between religion and philosophy forms the very heart of Hegel's philosophy


identifier: Stephens, Robert  (2008) How to stop thinking : a massively modular response to the frame problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We commonly turn to the metaphor of the mind as a sort of computer, yet we are incapable of programming a computer to perform even the simplest cognitive tasks that humanity is capable of, and this stark failure speaks to the centrality of the problem of framing. This 'frame problem' is one of determining relevance--of limiting thought regarding an impending action to that (and only that) which falls within the context at hand--in such a way that computationally tractable thought processing can take place. The simple fact is that we do, in fact, do this in day to day cognition, ubiquitously and quite efficiently. Yet it is not at all clear how we manage to do it without entailing a constant and nearly infinite revision of the entire epistemic background, resulting in combinatorial explosion. It is a question of how to stop thinking.   This thesis endeavours to obviate the frame problem with a massively modular model of cognition based largely on the work of Peter Carruthers in his 2006 book The Architecture of the Mind. Where Carruthers' argument is vulnerable, other recent work in psycholinguistics is offered in defense and, ultimately, an account is presented explaining how we frame cognitive tasks in such as way as to adequately account for the inferential and holistic reasoning abilities we take for granted while still maintaining a materialist model that is neither strained by computational intractability, nor necessitates a central executive control mechanism, or 'ghost in the machine.'


identifier: Searle, Suzan  (2008) Living water, sacred space : an outsider's look at contemporary Mikveh practice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Mikveh practice is a Jewish ritual that often appears to be shrouded in mystery and misconception. This study has grown out of a personal desire to explore past and present attitudes towards this ritual, and to look beyond the surface issues surrounding the practice of mikveh amongst contemporary Canadian Jewish women in Montreal, Quebec. Consequently, Chapters 3 and 4 focus on the responses gained through personal interviews with women from different groups within Judaism. Some of these women use the mikveh for the traditional purpose of ritual cleansing, while others have developed more innovative practices. The first part of the study focuses on a brief history of mikveh ritual, its origins and its place in relation to Jewish menstrual laws. The last section includes the interviews, followed by an analysis and a summary of the collected material.  One of the most common and often-voiced perceptions surrounding mikveh practice is that it is an archaic form of patriarchal control and subjugation of women. Added to this is the further observation that the ritual preserves and reinforces the flawed idea that women's bodies are categorically unclean by virtue of the menstrual flow. I intend to address these issues with a view to discovering what role perception plays in the way the ritual is understood or approached by Jewish women themselves


identifier: Mauricio-Cardilli, Riccardo  (2008) "We'll be right back after these ..." : history, narrative, and the (re-)constitution of Canadian identity in television commercials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Canadian history and identity are bounded by an ongoing discussion of the civic difficulties that arise as a consequence of being made to represent a pluralist society. Establishing more widely accepted interpretations of memory and nation-building can positively influence this country's sense of national character and collective identity. This study is a rhetorical examination of the cultural articulations in three commercial advertisements on television: Tim Horton's Proud Fathers , Canadian Tire's A Bike Story and Bell Canada's Dieppe . Aside from the products and brand names these ads are designed to promote, their images of everyday vernacular experiences of Canadian families coupled with ethical tropes (pleasant surprises, thoughtful gestures, kind words) are reminders of the moral values characteristic of Canada's past, present and, hopefully, its future. While each ad involves different representations of memory and Canada's socio-political development, they all seek to constitute and isolate the proper ethical practices of Canadians that transcend all schismatic social categories.


identifier: Schneider, Kristina  (2008) A qualitative study of five authors of five blogs on training and development.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study analyzed what it means to be a blogger in the field of training and development--an edublogger--as well as the credibility of blogs intended for the training community. The specific research questions were posed from the insider's or emit perspective. The objective of this study was to attempt to paint a portrait of an edublogger and uncover areas for further research.  A phenomenological qualitative research design methodology was used in an attempt to observe the connections between edubloggers and their readers, which is in harmony of the spirit of the blogs as well as to understand the essence of experiences in the blogosphere. A grounded theory was constructed from a cross-case analysis--case studies were developed using interview transcripts of the 5 bloggers and artefact analysis of each of their blogs over a 4-month period--with the intention of identifying key phenomena.  Common themes related to the edubloggers' motivations, writing style, community building and other general practices were uncovered as. In addition, a substantial set of emerging questions specifically relating to readership and the qualitative assessment of blog content were noted


identifier: Diduck, Ryan Alexander  (2008) Ideology and rhetoric in the classical Hollywood movie trailer.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Auteurist criticism is among the most enduring methods of film scholarship, and many significant directors including Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford have been exalted, by audiences and academics alike, to the prestigious status of auteur. This thesis aims to investigate how the trailers for their films functioned, in an industry that continually navigates the territory between art and commerce.  Rooted in preceding research on advertising in both film and print, this thesis investigates the development of the trailer form as a parallel text, or paratext, intended to shape audiences' conceptions about the feature film, and the experience of cinema in general. Rhetorical methods of appealing to consumers were honed in print publications beginning in the late 19 th Century, and particularly, in their advertising. These methods crossed over into the trailer, functioning to draw spectators into theatres based on conceptions that the Hollywood industry held of their potential audiences. The textual analysis of Hitchcock's and Ford's classical-era trailers offers insights into those industry conceptions, and affords an opportunity to trace how visual marketing techniques have carried into the present context of media-saturated culture.  This thesis reveals how Hollywood appealed to spectators' assumed desires for quality and prestige through film, and how both Hitchcock and Ford were positioned as exemplary auteurs. It also offers a glimpse of how capitalist ideology was served through the promotion of specific narratives and thematic tropes in classical American cinema


identifier: Jürges, Christina  (2008) Le luxe et le matérialisme au XIXe siècle dans Madame Bovary : esthétisation et critique de la matérialité.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Luxury and materialism are phenomena present throughout all centuries. However, they do not have the same meaning from one period to another. In 19 th century society, they crystallize the relations between the different social classes (such as the bourgeoisie, the aristocracy, and the peasantry), and reveal their status, their conflicts, their ambitions, and their values. They are also literary subjects in several realistic novels, such as Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. In my thesis, I examine luxury and materialism in this novel to show that it is tied to its social, historical and economical context. Amongst other theories, I rely on the sociocriticism, according to which a novel echoes and reformulates the social issues of its time. This integration of social issues is not only found in the topics dealt with in the text, but also in the author's rhetoric. My research also reveals that the characters are emblematic in their relation to materiality, which allows one to discern the place of the individual in a society dominated by the economy. To summarize, this thesis shows that Madame Bovary can be seen as a significant and sometimes critical representation of the era, and that it comments on the economy and on the role of luxury and materialism in the 19 th century.


identifier: Jabouin, Priscilla A  (2008) Self-concept and racial attitudes in children of Haitian origin : an intervention for self-enhancement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to implement a self-enhancement program based on the Quality/Circle Time approach, and explore the relationship between the self-concept and racial attitudes of Black children living in a high risk neighbourhood. Four research questions were answered: (1) How can a self-enhancement program based on Quality/Circle Time increase children's self-concept? (2) How can a self-enhancement program address the negative influences of racial stereotypes in our society and influence participants' racial attitudes? (3) How are Black children's racial attitudes influenced by social representations of racial groups in our society? and (4) Is there a relationship between self-concept and racial attitudes in children of Haitian origin living in a high-risk neighbourhood? Thirteen participants were administered two instruments, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale second edition (Piers & Herzberg, 2002) and the Multi-Response Racial Attitudes Measure (MRA; Doyle & Aboud, 1995). The participants were between the ages of 8 and 11. Both tests were administered twice, once before and once after the implementation of the self-enhancement program. No significant relationship was found between the general self-concept score and racial attitude scores: and, no significant differences were found between the pre- and post-test on the Piers-Harris 2 results. However, MRA scores for White out-group showed a significant difference between the pre- and post-test results. Finally, the importance of friendship as a central theme emerged and was addressed as a way for these children to feel better about themselves.


identifier: Rattray, Michael Frederick  (2008) Mapping the post-colonial landscape project : a critical analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines how "The Post-Colonial Landscape Project" exhibition program contributed to a further understanding of the history of colonialism in Canada. Specifically, it critically engages and analyzes three exhibitions contained within the project: "The Post-Colonial Landscape: A Billboard Exhibition"; "Ruth Cuthand: Location/Dislocation"; and "Christos Dikeakos: Sites & Place Names: Vancouver/Saskatoon." These exhibitions were selected because the works included maintained a visual and theoretical correlation to one another. Discourse analysis is deployed to discuss the theoretical frameworks used by the curators and critics of the exhibitions.  At issue in the thesis is the totalizing goal of the colonial project, which is intrinsically tied to European capitalism and seeks to reintegrate and translate all things to laws of profit. An economic order is supplanted over any and all kinds of differing conceptions of order, to translate all modes of production into an end-goal of naturalization and totalization. The colonial project, tied to capitalism, seeks to naturalize itself so that it appears not as a construction, but a natural function and logical extension of the operations of the earth. However, in the context of the exhibition project discussed, I argue the overlying structure engaged by the select exhibitions discussed is representative of an intervention through artistic practice and institutional activism that destabilizes the dominant order. This thesis thus intends to provide the first critical study on "The Post-Colonial Landscape Project" and elaborate on its significance for furthering assessments on the history of 1990s exhibition practices in Canada.


identifier: Bélanger, Gentiane  (2008) Points of interest at the center for land use interpretation : a tour in the margins of social ecology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: "Dedicated to the increase and diffusion of information about how the nation's lands are apportioned, utilized, and perceived," the Center for Land Use Interpretation (or CLUI, as it has come to be known) is a non-profit research organization that "aims to improve the collective understanding of the human/land dialectic." 1 Centering its gaze on human-altered landscapes, the Center scours, tours, charts and archives the land in search of clues that might elucidate the convoluted and conflicted relationship we have with the environment. This thesis delineates the particularities of CLUI's ecological perspective and demonstrates the extent of its interaction with an equally singular art legacy. While CLUI's polymorphous practice can be situated amidst a broader repertoire of environmental art, the Center's artistic underpinnings--that is, the complex merging of relational aesthetics and conceptualism--also lead to a postmodern form of tourism and a modulated ecological consciousness. Looking at CLUI's practice through the prism of what is sometimes called social ecology, this thesis affiliates the Center's liminal identity to a specific conception of ecology, one that is inclusive of human culture in the broad scheme of natural evolution. In conclusion, CLUI's art-informed criticality is presented as a vector for pushing social ecology toward more pragmatic and self-reflexive ends. In so doing, this thesis implicitly brings to light the critical agency of contemporary art--as exemplified by CLUI--and its potential contribution to the discursive development of ecological thought.


identifier: Clintberg, Mark  (2008) Commodified generosity and relational abductions : the multiples of Felix Gonzales-Torres.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The multiples of Felix Gonzalez-Torres have made a significant contribution to the legacy of Conceptual and Minimal art strategies. His artworks have often been framed as acts of generosity as viewers are entitled to remove singles copies of his multiples from exhibitions as gifts. This interpretation of his work has been further fueled by the writings of key theorists including Nicolas Bourriaud in his text Relational Aesthetics (1998), which suggests that since the 1990s artists increasingly develop projects with utopian objectives that generate and depend on collaboration and response from audiences. This thesis challenges Bourriaud's understanding of Gonzalez-Torres's practice, and other existent literature around his artworks. I argue that his multiples allow for dissenting responses as well as for the audience's alteration or regifting of the object as a form of reciprocity. The aesthetic lineage of these works, and the ideological similarities the multiples share with early Minimalism and Conceptual art practices also present alternative readings of Gonzalez-Torres' multiples. The artist's gift is simultaneously self-serving, benevolent, and antagonistic. These artworks present troubled allegories of democracy, framed by the history of collaborative and social art practices. Finally, the multiples are considered as troubled allegories of democracy. Gonzalez-Torres's practice offers its viewers a participatory experience that illustrates the limitations and possibilities of art as an active force in the operation of society, which struggles with the divide between individual rights and the greater good.


identifier: Liu, Yan  (2008) Design and implementation of a Pomset automaton based runtime verifier for distributed Jade programs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Monitoring and checking the execution of a distributed program incur significant overhead due to the large number of states that need to be considered when using interleaving semantics to model the concurrency. In this thesis, we use partial order semantics in modeling a distributed computation. Specifically, a Pomset automaton model is used to specify all the allowable partial orders of a given design. The distinct aspects of requirement are separately modeled: the ordering requirements among atoms (a set of source code statements that are expected to be performed atomically) and the correctness of each atom. And atomization is introduced into the abstraction to map the correspondence between events in the design layer and events in code space. Therefore, ordering requirements are specified among the so called abstract atoms; then, these atoms in the design space are mapped into the code space using atom variables. The correctness of an atom is specified by using predicates on a state that is reached upon the completion of an atom. In our Pomset model, the ordering is explicit and easily checkable, which is different from the more traditional model checking.  The proposed methodology is mechanized in a runtime verification tool on a multi-agent platform (Jade) to demonstrate its effectiveness. The runtime verifier accepts a user-specified Pomset automaton and the associated atom predicates for a given Jade source program. Implemented in AspectJ, the verifier monitors and checks both ordering requirements and atom requirements on-the-fly, and echoes appropriate results to the user for debugging and testing.


identifier: Luo, Pan  (2008) Optimal provisioning and deployment cost evaluation of array waveguide grating WDM passive optical networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With the increase of interests in passive optical network (PON) networks, numerous studies have been done in this area, including the multicast and multicast routing and wavelength assignment (MC-RWA) problem. However, the mathematical models for MC-RWA problem to build a solid foundation for solving large network provisioning instances are still missing. Under the assumption of a given topology and static traffic, we propose mathematical optimization models for pure Array Waveguide Grating (AWG)-intermediate node Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) PONs to solve the MC-RWA and MC-GRWA (with grooming) problems on both tree and light mesh topologies. With these models, we are able to find the optimal provisioning solution for a given topology and a given traffic set. We implement a simulation system based on those models and analyze the network performances under three different traffic scenarios on different tree topologies. We also examine the deployment cost for pure AWG and pure splitter PON networks, taking into account the attenuation factor, in order to demonstrate the advantage of AWGs over splitters in terms of deployment cost.


identifier: Feng, Liang  (2008) An empirical study of the information content and insider trading around open market share repurchase announcements.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper employs a conditional event study to analyze managers' motives to announce a share repurchase while at the same time exploring the factors that drive a firm's abnormal announcement return. We find that firms that have more free cash flow and less debt are more likely to initiate a repurchase. We also document that the market reacts more positively to announcements made by firms that exhibit poor pre-announcement stock price performance as well as firms that seek to buy back a higher percentage of shares. We do not find any significant positive correlation between managers' private information and unexplained abnormal returns, which suggests that the market's discovery of insiders' private information has already been incorporated into abnormal returns, or that the announcement return may be explained entirely by public information as predicted by the agency hypothesis.  This study also provides complementary evidence on the information content of open market repurchases by analyzing insider trading activities around the repurchase announcements. We show that in general, insiders in repurchasing firms tend to decrease their selling activity and increase their buying activity before repurchase announcements. After the announcement, the differences in insider trading activity between repurchasing firms and non-repurchasing firms are largely insignificant


identifier: Davidson, Jordan  (2008) "What indians are we talking about?" : a discourse analysis of intercultural dialogues in an Ojibway setting.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Based on a phenomenological approach and experiential fieldwork in an Ontario Ojibway community, this thesis records and analyses a set of intercultural dialogues following the method of "sharing and listening." The dialogues are analysed with respect to three themes: humour; food; and, social issues (teen pregnancy, school drop-out rates, drug and alcohol use). The dialogues are interpreted both as counter-discourses that displace dominant discourses on Native peoples in Canadian society and as continuous with Ojibway storytelling and oral traditions. The thesis argues that mainstream media and scholarship reduces contemporary Native experience to a set of "social problems" and stereotypes thereby denying the meaning-making activities, agency and, ultimately, humanity of Native people.


identifier: Kashmeri, Shireen  (2008) Unraveling surrogacy In Ontario, Canada : an ethnographic inquiry of the influence of Canada's Assisted Human Reproduction Act (2004) on surrogacy contracts, parentage laws, and gay fatherhood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the influence of a variety of legal and social factors in surrogacy. I examine the scope and influence of the Canadian federal law known as the Assisted Human Reproduction Act (2004) on assisted human reproduction, which elides commonly held views on commodification and surrogacy. Next I turn to narratives of formal and informal contractual exchanges in surrogacy. I also look at the influence of legal kinship practices on surrogacy alongside multiple conceptions of parentage. Finally, I discuss two cases of gay surrogacy that conform and contest gendered assumptions of parenthood. "Unraveling Surrogacy" is a small-scale and qualitative ethnographic study spotlighting the narratives of six core participants, and based on a range of data sources that include governmental witness testimony, federal reports on assisted human reproduction and legal cases of parentage.


identifier: Desforges, Exan Yuen  (2008) From meritocracy to seniority : shifting masculine aesthetics among blue-collar workers in Montréal Lachine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the workplace culture of young blue-collar males employed by the Department of Green Spaces in the Public Works of the City of Lachine. 2004 marked the beginning of a structural shift that profoundly impacted upon local ideations of work ethics and masculinity. Through extensive participant-observation based field research, I was able to explore how workers interacted with and made sense of their changing world. Following a series of media exposés criticizing the productivity of public workers, les cols bleus are often pre-conceived by citizens and politicians as being "lazy." This stereotype fails to take into consideration the diversity that exists.  By focusing on current aspects of the workplace experience as well as how the organization of labour was configured in the past, I was able to explore an adjustment in masculine aesthetics that prioritized mental labour over manual labour, a product of the current hegemonic regime. Through the position of the raconteur , a model I have developed by drawing upon anthropological analyses of working-class masculinity and symbolic performances, attention is brought to the local importance of discursive language. Ultimately, this thesis demonstrates, through the contested discourses of col bleu members surrounding the complex issues of workplace participation, that if we want to improve our understanding of working-class culture and masculinity, neither can be treated monolithically. The way in which work, life and change are negotiated must be investigated if popular notions of gender and class are to be challenged.


identifier: Enns, Leah  (2008) Emotion behaviours in mothers with childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal and their children : an intergenerational, high-risk study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Aspects of emotional competence, defined as "emotion behaviours," have a profound impact on children's social functioning, particularly on the development of prosocial behaviours. The mother-child relationship provides a significant context in which to understand how emotion behaviours are expressed and regulated. The present study examined the contribution of maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal to the prediction of child emotion behaviours, maternal expressions of emotion, and the development of children's prosocial skills.  Mothers with childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, a longitudinal, intergenerational study, participated with their 9- to 13-year old children. Dyads (N = 49) discussed conflicts rated as problematic in their relationship. Emotion behaviours, measured as cues to emotion, and dimensions of emotion regulation, were coded using the Emotion Behaviour Coding Scheme.  Results partially supported the hypotheses that maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or withdrawal contribute to the prediction of children's emotion behaviours, specifically dimensions of emotion regulation. Furthermore, results suggest that mothers may socialize children's dimensions of emotion regulation via their own emotion behaviours. Finally, children's emotion behaviours predicted specific prosocial skills (empathy, assertiveness, and self-control).  Taken together, findings contribute to the current literature, highlighting the importance of examining emotion behaviours and their impact on children's prosocial skills. The influence of maternal risk status and socialization (via emotional expressions) on children's emotion behaviours is also underscored.


identifier: Wood, Jacquelyn Lee Ann  (2008) The effects of density on territory size and population regulation in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Despite a wealth of research on territoriality and population regulation in stream dwelling salmonids, most studies have focused on manipulations of food abundance alone, or else have simultaneously manipulated space and food abundance, but used population densities far outside the range of natural densities. No experiments have tested the effects of population density on territory size and individual behaviour in salmonids over a range of realistic densities, while keeping all other factors equal. Hence, I manipulated population density of juvenile rainbow trout at five levels (two, four, eight, twelve, and sixteen fish) in artificial stream channels (1 x w = 1.47 m 2 ) while keeping per capita food supply constant. I tested the contrasting predictions that the territory size of dominant fish (1) is not affected by population density; (2) decreases with population density as 1/n; or (3) decreases with population density but towards an asymptotic minimum size. Territories of dominant fish in this experiment decreased with increasing population density before leveling off at the highest densities, and therefore seemed to support the prediction of an asymptotic minimum size, as well as the hypothesis that territoriality can regulate populations of stream salmonids. At low densities dominant fish were despotic and defended most of the available space. However, as fish abundance increased, dominants defended less space, and the social system switched from despotic to a territorial mosaic. My study has helped to clarify the role of territoriality in regulating populations of stream dwelling salmonids which may have important implications for conservation and behavioral ecology.


identifier: Bliek, Desmond Andrew  (2007) Reweaving urban fabrics : Urbanisation, industrialisation and regeneration in Southwest Montréal =.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the pages that follow, this thesis examines the urbanisation, industrialisation, and regeneration processes that have shaped the built landscape along Montréal's Lachine Canal. Adopting an approach that sees urban tissue as more than the simple result of agents' interventions, that is to say as a structuring influence itself, the thesis critically examines the history and geography of urban industrialisation, particularly in relation to Montréal, and takes a look at contemporary redevelopment paradigms.  After putting forward a morphological methodology and offering a short history of the Canal, the thesis presents the results of an in-depth analysis of urban tissues in adjacent industrial sectors. Proposing a typology of industrial complexes and sectors rooted in the degree of differentiation between industrial elements and the surrounding urban tissue, this thesis argues that urbanisation, industrialisation, and regeneration are diffuse, incremental processes that dialectically engage with the landscapes left by the past. The thesis wraps up with a discussion of the historiographical and practical implications of such a perspective.


identifier: Skinner, Suzanne  (2008) Who has autonomy? : the impact of immigration, gender and welfare state policy on the lives of immigrant women.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Immigrants from a variety of backgrounds tend to under-perform in the labour market when compared to their Canadian-born counterparts. Of particular concern is the performance of immigrant women, who report disproportionately lower employment rates and earnings. In a liberal welfare state such as Canada, weak labour market attachments can lead to a reduced capacity for autonomy throughout the life course.  Why do immigrant women lead less autonomous lives than Canadian-born women? Assumptions in public discourse imply that immigrant women are restricted by their more 'traditional' cultures and therefore less likely to work and/or use childcare services. This thesis suggests instead that certain social policies, such as child care and pensions, can reinforce the effects of both gender and immigration on the lives of immigrant women thereby restricting their access to employment, independent earnings, and ultimately, autonomy.


identifier: Radford, Paul  (2008) A statistical analysis of the immigrant and visible minority experience in Canada's cities and smaller communities : understanding the factors that impact social cohesion.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Over the last three decades Canadian society has become increasingly diverse--welcoming immigrant and visible minority populations from around the world. With this, many communities, in particular those found in Canada's three largest cities, have witnessed an incredible demographic and cultural transformation. In response to this phenomenon, the Canadian government has, since 1968, encouraged the establishment of policies and initiatives aimed at recognizing the benefits of diversity and multiculturalism. Nevertheless, in spite of this reality, researchers have found that immigrant and visible minority populations tend to encounter greater hardship, reporting lower incomes and higher perceptions of inequality. Indeed, some such as Jeffrey Reitz and Rupa Banerjee, have gone on to suggest that perceptions and experiences of inequality play a fundamental role in undermining social cohesion within Canadian society at large. This research attempts to further explore this contention, focusing on the perceptions and experiences of immigrant and visible minority respondents according to the communities in which they live. More specifically, we look at economic experience, perceptions of discrimination and discomfort, as well as indicators of social integration as general measures of social cohesion. Results suggest that visible minority populations, regardless of their immigrant or generational status, are more likely to encounter difficulty. Moreover, we find that in cities where there is greater immigrant and visible minority heterogeneity, minority populations are more prone to report negative experiences and face greater hardship. We follow the results with a discussion on heterogeneity within the context of existing governmental policies.


identifier: Smele, Sandra  (2008) Ashkenazi Jews, biomedicine and governmentality : two case studies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Debates about the implications of conducting genetic research on ethno-racial groups have largely revolved around two opposing assumptions. This research is either viewed as problematic because it supports the idea that biological races exist which is considered to have been the root of racist actions and historical tragedies of times now past, or this research is viewed as medically progressive such that not including all ethno-racial groups as subjects of genetic research is regarded as discrimination. This thesis takes a different approach to exploring the relationship between ethno-racial groups and biomedical developments, such as genetics, through conducting a comparative case study of how one particular ethno-racial group, Jews, have negotiated their group identity and broader societal belonging in relation to biomedical developments. Focusing particularly on two contexts in which a liberal governance informed the negotiations of Jewish 'inclusion' in their broader societies, nineteenth and early twentieth century England, and twentieth century and contemporary America, the concept of biomedical citizenship is used to provide a critical analysis of the ways in which this negotiation of Jewish identity was and continues to be shaped by biomedical developments given the norms embedded in the 'healthy behaviours' these developments prescribe. This thesis, therefore, contributes to contemporary debates over the implications of conducting biomedical research on ethno-racial groups by demonstrating the significance of biomedical developments in shaping the 'inclusion' of these groups in liberal societies.