identifier: Xiao, Xiao hui  (2009) Trending and forecasting in construction operations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research aims to understand the process of progress reporting and forecasting project status of different future targeted dates. The study focuses mainly on trending and time/Cost control of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project. A field study of the practices of the industrial collaborator (SNC-Lavalin), along with related materials from the literature, is conducted and documented.  This research presents a model for improving trending and forecasting of time and cost in construction operations. The proposed model has 3 main functions: (1) trend estimate accuracy, (2) project progress integrated control and forecasting, and (3) progress visualization database. @Risk 5.0 for excel, Windows SharePoint Server and visual basic for application (VBA) are used to develop 3 add on tools implementing the above 3 functions. This model, with 3 developed add on tools, is designed to work together with industrial collaborator's project management system, PM+. The 1 st add on tool applies probabilistic forecasting to provide trend estimate results utilizing estimate range. Engineering completion percentage and self adjustment algorithm are both utilized to provide accuracy range reference. The 2 nd add on tool implements earned value method in project progress monitoring and forecasting. Numerous progress measurement templates for engineering, procurement and construction work are utilized for plan definition and earned measurement. The 3 rd add on tool provides a multimedia capability and an integration of scheduling tools and progress reports via relational database. Numerical examples based on a set of data from a training project provided by SNC are presented to illustrate and validate the essential features of the developed methodology and model.


identifier: Khan, Mohammad Asgar  (2009) Thermodynamic modeling of the Mg-Mn-(Al, Zn) systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: A self-consistent thermodynamic model of the Mg-Mn, Al-Mn, Mn-Zn binary systems as well as the Mg-Al-Mn and Mg-Mn-Zn ternary systems has been developed. The major difference between this work and the already existing assessments of these systems is the application of the modified quasichemical model for the liquid phase in each system while most of the existing descriptions use the random mixing model. Further, this model is also used to describe one intermediate solid solution phase in the Mn-Zn system. In the absence of key experimental data for the Mg-Mn system, the calculated thermodynamic quantities from the model have been found comparable with other similar systems. The critical temperature of the Mg-Mn liquid miscibility gap has been estimated with the available empirical equation and found to be in acceptable agreement with the calculated value. A comparison between the current work and the most recent work on the Al-Mn system that uses the same model for the liquid phase reveals that better agreement with the experimental data with less number of model parameters has been achieved in the current work. The Mn-Zn system has been modeled for the entire compositon range and wide temperature range starting from room temperature. The accepted experimental data are well reproduced with the current description of the Mn-Zn system. Kohler symmetric extrapolation model has been used to calculate both Mg-Al-Mn and Mg-Mn-Zn systems. The thermodynamic description of the Mg-Al-Mn system has been verified by extensive comparison with the available experimental data from numerous independent experiments. However, the calculated Mg-Mn-Zn system could not be thoroughly verified due to the lack of experimental data. The model can satisfactorily reproduce all the invariant points and the key phase diagram and thermodynamic features of the Mg-Al-Mn, Mg-Mn-Zn ternary systems and the binary sub-systems.


identifier: el-Khechen, Dania  (2009) Decomposing and packing polygons / Dania el-Khechen.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we study three different problems in the field of computational geometry: the partitioning of a simple polygon into two congruent components, the partitioning of squares and rectangles into equal area components while minimizing the perimeter of the cuts, and the packing of the maximum number of squares in an orthogonal polygon.  To solve the first problem, we present three polynomial time algorithms which given a simple polygon P partitions it, if possible, into two congruent and possibly nonsimple components P 1 and P 2 : an O ( n 2 log n ) time algorithm for properly congruent components and an O ( n 3 ) time algorithm for mirror congruent components.  In our analysis of the second problem, we experimentally find new bounds on the optimal partitions of squares and rectangles into equal area components. The visualization of the best determined solutions allows us to conjecture some characteristics of a class of optimal solutions.  Finally, for the third problem, we present three linear time algorithms for packing the maximum number of unit squares in three subclasses of orthogonal polygons: the staircase polygons, the pyramids and Manhattan skyline polygons. We also study a special case of the problem where the given orthogonal polygon has vertices with integer coordinates and the squares to pack are (2 {604} 2) squares. We model the latter problem with a binary integer program and we develop a system that produces and visualizes optimal solutions. The observation of such solutions aided us in proving some characteristics of a class of optimal solutions.


identifier: Tucci, Sabrina  (2009) Lonergan and Maslow : two ways of development.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Bernard Lonergan's understanding of the developing subject is conceived concretely in terms of the broadening horizon of the subject towards a real apprehension of the human good, from particular good to the notion of value. I will argue that Lonergan's understanding of the developing subject is a complex phenomenon rooted in the self-transcending existential subject's freedom and apprehension of value, which precedes decision-making and which orients the course of one's personal development.   An analysis of Bernard Lonergan's understanding of the development of the subject reveals that he drew heavily from the psychologist Abraham Maslow. My main purpose is to retrieve Lonergan's insights on personal development by comparing to what extent his thinking is similar to and different from that of Maslow's. I will argue that although there are similarities in their thought, the perspectives they offer regarding human nature are reached from within very different horizons, and therefore their understanding of personal development, although complimentary, is foundationally different.   In the final chapter I offer suggestions for merging the two thinkers' thought in order to provide a more complete understanding of personal development which takes seriously considerations from both psychology and theology.


identifier: Abbondanza, Mona  (2009) On becoming Christian : a dialogue between social psychology and theology on Christian identity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, to examine what it means to Become Christian from the perspective of doctrinally based catechetical teachings, biblical foundations, and historical reception of the Roman Catholic Faith Community.s second, from a systematic theological perspective, to bring together social psychology and theology to bear on this question. We first examined recent theoretical developments in the field of social psychology in the study of the self, including the influential Tripartite Model of the Self. We then used doctrinally based catechetical teachings, biblical foundations, and historical reception to examine, from a theological perspective, what it means to become Christian. Bringing together Social Psychology and Theology, we then explored the facts, both theological and psychological, relating them to each other and articulating jointly an understanding of what it means to become Christian. We have found that when one becomes Christian, one is understood to partake in the divine nature of God, develop a familial bond with God through Christ and become part of the entire people of God. We have argued that becoming Christian is a transformation of one's identity and can be understood, through the Tripartite Model of the Self, as a transformation of the individual self, the relational self, and the collective self. We have further argued that the Kaleidoscopic Tripartite model of the Christian self gives us the tools to further understand the relationship between the different Christian selves, the controversies regarding their relationships, their transformation through key events and how they are linked to priestly, prophetic, and kingly (an. allusion to 1 Peter 2,9) behaviour.


identifier: Fiset, John  (2009) Cleared for liftoff : an evaluation of ambidexterity and team performance in the aerospace industry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With the advent of globalization, shortened product life cycles and higher levels of competition (Li, Lin and Chu, 2008) firms have been forced to react faster to changes than ever before. In the context of aerospace product development, designers must master latest technological developments while continuing to rely on tried and true design practices. Furthermore, design teams must collaborate closely with new risk-sharing partners around the world as well as focus on schedule and budget targets. This study uses the concept of contextual ambidexterity defined as defined as behavioral capacity of an individual to simultaneously demonstrate alignment and adaptability (Gibson and Birkinshaw, 2004) to examine the extent to which individual project teams are able to leverage skills and capabilities built up over time and also adapt to the latest technological developments. It is suggested that project team contexts that are typified by a combination of stretch, discipline and support, trust as well as organizational slack enable contextual ambidexterity and, in turn, improved schedule adherence. The ambidextrous solutions identified during this research lead to a number of recommendations for successful aerospace product design.


identifier: Kilambi, Archana  (2009) Constitutive marketing : the formation of brand communities in the marketing communications process.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis theoretically and conceptually examines the formation of brand communities through the mechanism of constitutive rhetoric. Forwarded by Muniz and O'Guinn (2001) a brand community is a "specialized, non-geographical bound community, based on a structure set of social relations among admirers of a brand" (p. 412). Although research has demonstrated the conceptual tenants of brand communities, the mechanisms through which brand communities are formed and established remain largely understudied. This thesis addresses this limitation through the application of communications theory to the brand community model, and the examination of what are believed to be of the most notable and prominent brand communities- Apple, Nike and Harley Davidson.  The model forwarded in this present research represents and important avenue in understanding brand community. Understanding the antecedents of brand community, practitioners can set forth to direct and maintain their brand communities through relationship marketing initiatives, and in doing so, strengthen their brand equity. The proposed model outlines the notion that brand communities are established through persuasion and the rhetorical action of branding, and an interplay between the brand, its message and the consumer.


identifier: Hallab, Ranim  (2009) Acculturation to the global consumer culture and ethnic identity : an empirical study in Lebanon.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Today's world is affected in all its aspects, including consumers' behaviors and attitudes, by the activities representing globalization. With respect to global media, technology, and traveling activities, the whole world is becoming one single market, containing diverse cultures, with similar consumer needs. A wide body of research has demonstrated that culture significantly affects consumer behavior. Thus it is important for marketing managers to examine the effects of global consumer culture on today's consumers' consumption patterns. This helps them know when and where to standardize or localize their marketing strategies and plans of actions regarding consumer behavior, communication, and retailing, and when, where, and how to blend both standardization and adaptation.  With fast developing economies, international business activities have been growing very fast recently in the Middle-East in general; therefore, in order to extend the research boundaries and break the North American bias in the literature, Lebanon is the focus of the present's study to connect acculturation to global consumer culture (AGCC) and ethnic identity (EID) to consumer behavior. In addition, the present study links AGCC and EID to other constructs such as ethnocentrism (CET), materialism (MAT), religiosity (REL), demographics, and Schwartz's Value Dimensions (SVD). It turns out that the Lebanese population is slightly acculturated above average score to the global consumer culture, yet still very attached to their traditions. Moreover, AGCC and EID are negatively related, where the former construct positively affects global food and consumption, while the latter influences (a) positively local food and clothing consumption and (b) negatively luxury good consumption. In addition, AGCC shows a (1) negative relationship with CET and a positive relationship with MAT respectively, while EID shows positive relationships with each of CET, MAT, and REL. As to SVD, AGCC is found to be positively related to openness to change, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement, while EID is found to be positively related to conservation, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement. The study concludes that marketing managers should adapt their strategies for culture-bound products and standardize their strategies for culture-free products (except for luxury goods) in Lebanon. Limitations and directions for future research are highlighted as well.


identifier: Snook, Kathryn  (2009) The mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism and western psychotherapy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Several Western psychotherapeutic practices have incorporated the use of the mandala into their diagnostic and healing practices. Often, references to the Tibetan Buddhist mandala as being a sort of mandala prototype are found in the writing of Jungian psychoanalysts, art therapists and self-help instructors. This is especially intriguing given that Jungian psychotherapy is based upon the idea of a "Self" and the achievement of self-realization, whereas the inherent existence of any such "Self" is denied in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, with the mandala being employed to aid in this realization. Ultimately, this thesis brings together Tibetan Buddhist and Western psychotherapeutic scholarship regarding the mandala in an effort to determine how these two contexts conflict and/or conform to one another, and to shed light on how they may be reconciled despite their differences.


identifier: Schabram, Kira  (2009) To thine own self be true : authentic leadership and managerial training.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Authentic Leadership (AL), a second generation member of the neocharismatic leadership paradigms, has re-emerged in the last six years in response to corporate managerial corruption. Early empirical work has demonstrated the promising effects of AL on performance, motivation, and well-being. Naturally, the question arises of whether AL can be influenced by a formal training protocol; similarly, with the increasing cost of training programs, identifying candidates most likely to benefit from such interventions would be critical. Through a longitudinal design comprised of a three week training intervention, and pre- and post-intervention surveys, this study tested the effect of a transformational leadership (TFL) training protocol, and pre-training TFL self-ratings, on manager post-training self-ratings of AL and its four subconstructs ( self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency). Results suggested that AL perception did change over time but that this change was not related to the training intervention. Instead, I speculate that the historic economic recession may have constituted one of the 'life events' touted in the literature as influential on authentic leadership change. Support for this argument, implications for future research and practical application, as well as study limitations are discussed.


identifier: Cao, Yu  (2009) Shareholder approbation of board and performance of public traded corporations : evidence from the Canadian market.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study empirically tests the hypothesis that boards with higher shareholder confidence level can significantly improve corporate financial performance. The hypothesis is tested by examining the relationship between operating earnings in excess of the cost of capital (Excess Return) for a sample of 196 large publicly traded Canadian firms from 2002-2006. A notable and significant positive relationship exists between Excess Return and the shareholders' evaluation of board performance. High shareholder confidence of the board serves to foster improved corporate financial performance for firms.


identifier: Tremblay-Boire, Joannie  (2009) INGOs, Inc. : the effects of INGO adoption of "Best Corporate Practices" on funding received.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the late 1980s, the exponential growth of the nonprofit sector, large amounts of funding devoted to it, occurrence of major scandals in the corporate and nonprofit realms, and fear that international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) are vulnerable to misuse of funds for terrorist purposes have contributed to creating a more demanding environment for INGOs through new calls for accountability from within and outside the sector. Many solutions proposed by INGOs and others seem to emanate from corporate sector practices. How well have norms of accountability traveled from the corporate to the nonprofit sector? Using interviews and archival data, I examine the cases of Greenpeace USA and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in order to examine the relationship between INGO adoption of corporate norms and INGOs financial performance. I argue that adopting corporate norms is likely to improve INGO financial performance. INGOs that copy corporate norms are likely to improve more financially than INGOs that adapt them because the former can respond more directly and rapidly to varied donor demands. However, INGOs which copy corporate norms are more likely to experience lower mission performance than INGOs which adapt them because copied corporate norms can conflict with the greater purpose of the organization or lead to goal displacement. If it is the case that INGOs which perform better financially are less likely to succeed in their mission, it could put into question the current collaborative relationships between INGOs and corporations as corporate norms may be incompatible, and even detrimental to INGOs purposes.


identifier: Mashhour, Ibrahim  (2009) Negative skin friction on single piles in collapsible soil.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Collapsible soil is known as problematic soil, which possesses considerable strength when it is dry and loses its strength and experience excessive settlement when inundated. Geotechnical engineers face a great challenge when they build on/in collapsible soil. Inundation of collapsible soil may take place due to surface running water or raising the groundwater level. In case of surface water, the amount of settlement varies, depending on the extent of the wetting zone and the degree of saturation in the soil. The case of rising groundwater will produce full saturation in the ground and accordingly, the maximum settlement of the foundations.   In the literature, there is lack of sufficient and reliable methods for predicting drag force on piles embedded in collapsible soils. These difficulties stem from the fact modeling collapsible soil analytically is difficult at best, while collapsible soil is governed by the collapse potential of the soil and method of inundation.   In this thesis, the results of an experimental investigation on a single end-bearing pile embedded in collapsible soil will be presented. The objective of this experimental investigation was to measure the soil collapse and the associated settlement and accordingly the negative skin friction on the pile's shaft for a given soil and pile conditions due to soil inundation. Empirical formula is presented to estimate the negative skin friction on these piles for a given soil/pile condition.


identifier: Shen, Wenyuan  (2009) Modeling of resolution of x-ray imaging detectors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A flat-panel detector based on a photoconductive detector with an active matrix array provides superior x-ray images. Amorphous selenium (a-Se) is currently the best choice of photoconductor for clinical x-ray image detectors.   Spatial resolution in terms of modulation transfer function (MTF) is an important metric to examine the image quality of a detector. Based on current understanding for diagnostic energy x-rays, the dominant mechanisms responsible for the loss of resolution are: charge carrier trapping, range of primary photoelectrons, and reabsorption of K-fluorescent x-ray photons. Any trapped carrier in the photoconductor layer induces charges not only on the corresponding pixel but also on the neighbouring pixels, and consequently there is a lateral spread of the signal. The absorption of x-ray in the photoconductor first creates a high energy photoelectron that creates hundreds of electron-hole pairs (EHP) along its arbitrary path. This creates an EHP cloud within a volume and destroys image resolution. Some of the K-fluorescent x-ray photons may be reabsorbed at different points within the detector which creates the loss of resolution.   In this thesis, a semi-analytical model for calculating MTF due to the reabsorption of K-fluorescent x-ray photons is proposed. A complete MTF model is proposed and it is evaluated as a function of material properties (carrier lifetime), detector thickness, x-ray photon energy and operating field applied. The analytical MTF model is compared with the published experimental data on various x-ray detectors and shows very good agreement. The overall MTF model can be applied to other direct-conversion detectors such as HgI 2 , PbO and CdZnTe x-ray image detectors as well


identifier: Bilodeau, Isabelle  (2009) Le rôle des traducteurs dans l'introduction de Margaret Atwood au Japon.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper deals with the translation and publication of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood's works in Japan. Between 1989 and 2008, fifteen of Atwood's novels, essays, and collections of short stories and poetry were published in Japanese translation; however, few of these works found a wide readership. Through interviews and data analyses, this research seeks to ascertain the publishing processes of these translations and understand the positions of the translators and editors bringing Atwood's works to the Japanese public. As agents of production, Atwood's translators and editors were involved in creating what Bourdieu calls symbolic value in the Japanese field of literary production. In particular, the translators' unique position in the field allows them to participate actively in creating symbolic value, notably through selecting works and writing afterwords.


identifier: Ogonoski, Matthew  (2009) The brand behind the mask : Batman in the age of convergence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The contemporary Hollywood industry is increasing its modes of production and advertising strategies that aspire to replicate the types of consumer dynamics that sustain prolonged engagements with textual commodities, such as those relationships between fan communities and popular properties.   As a popular, presold property, Batman has had an extensive production history with a plethora of intertextual variations that engage consumers in a variety of ways. This study analyzes how this property maintains a quality engagement with fans and allows successful filmic adaptations such as Tim Burton's Batman (1989), and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008), to serve as historical markers of Hollywood production. The recognizability of the property is examined to expose those qualities that enable the proliferation of the adapted property throughout its many channels of delivery. The study shows a consistent structural component of adaptation that permits the variety of Batman intertexts to both register with the diversity of consumers while simultaneously remaining identifiable as a coherent brand: tone.   The branded qualities of Batman are then analyzed in relation to extra-narrative production concerns, such as advertisement and third-party tie-ins, to determine how non-narrative based renditions of the character can maintain factors of recognizability, regardless of aesthetic variation. Finally, new advertising technologies that enable and increase fan communities will be discussed in relation to the sustainability and reinforcement of brand identification. This thesis demonstrates that tone - as a consistent structural component of adaptation - can maintain these branding interests across media forms


identifier: Casey, Sharon  (2009) The new literacies of mobile learning.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The new literacies of mobile learning

abstract: This study, which is based on a comprehensive literature review, brings together several strands of research to examine the literacy implications of mobile learning. It begins with an overview that provides popular definitions and examples, a history of the development of mobile learning, and a brief examination of its major claims and challenges. This is followed by a review of emerging theories of mobile learning, with an emphasis on how it can be distinguished from elearning and on how it relates to other forms of learning. The literacy discussion begins with an introduction to the socio-cultural model of literacy, followed by an analysis of research that demonstrates the social, cultural and epistemological challenges of digitally based learning and, by extension, mobile learning. The review concludes with research on readiness for mobile learning, attempting to balance its potential for enriching and empowering some learners with the risk that it will alienate and disable others


identifier: Wang, Zhe Jun  (2009) The interaction between the G[alpha] subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein complex with calcium binding proteins, AtClo3/RD20, and AtClo7 from Arabidopsis and TaClo3 from wheat, Triticum aestivum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The alpha subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins and calcium binding proteins play important roles in signal transduction and cellular regulation in plants. However, the molecular function of GÜ proteins in plants is still poorly understood. In order to understand the role of GÜ proteins in signaling pathways, the downstream effectors and upstream regulators need to be investigated. Here we report the first study of interactions between a canonical GÜ subunit, GPA1, and calcium binding proteins in plants. Two of these proteins in Arabidopsis are caleosins, RD20/AtClo3 and AtClo7, which are small Ca 2+ binding proteins with single EF hand domains. Interactions between the two calcium binding proteins and On were studied using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) in vivo . RD20/AtClo3 and AtClo7 localized to the ER and tonoplast, however interactions between RD20/Clo3 and Clo7 with GÜ were detected in the ER and PM respectively. A similar approach was used to determine the interaction between TaClo3, a homolog of the caleosins, and TaGA3, a GÜ from wheat. Similar to Arabidopsis caleosins, the TaClo3 protein also localized to the ER and tonoplast. Interactions between TaClo3 and TaGA3 were detected by BiFC in Nicotiana benthamiana , though their localization is not clear.   Wheat is hexaploid and is expected to contain more than one GÜ. The detection of the five GÜ genes, some of which contain small insertions in the coding region, suggests a diversity of functions among GÜ wheat homologs. The role of proteins is discussed as a basis for future studies.


identifier: Naghavi, Mahsa  (2009) Folate metabolism and curli synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The genes folA and thyA have a key role in cell growth, as they are involved in the biosynthesis of folate cofactors directly and/or indirectly. The study of the relationship between these two genes will improve our understanding of cell growth.   The effects of folA and thyA on the growth of Escherichia coli cells were studied and the results showed that the absence of the folA gene affects the growth of cell. WithoutfolA cells are not able to grow or grow very poorly; however, folA has no effect on phenotype of strains harboring thyA + or thy - mutation. Also, different thyA alleles ( thyA - and thy ts ) do not affect the growth of EfolA::Kan3 strains.   In addition, thin aggregative fimbriae (curli) protein by some of our E. coli K-12 lab strains resulted in improved growth in minimal medium compared to their parent. I developed assay for the presence of the CsgA subunit of curli protein in these strains via a rapid purification method (Collinson et al, 1992) and SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis (Horsten, 2003; Bagriantsev et al. 2006). This is a very fast and affective method to detect the presence of curli protein compared to other time consuming methods, such as western blotting and SDS-PAGE, and protein binding assays. Using this "rapid curli assay" I was able to detect the curli protein in the wells of SDS-agarose gels and identify the CsgA protein band of the recovered materials from this gel in a SDS-PAGE gel


identifier: Musgrave, Sarah  (2009) Taste of place, place of taste : mapping alimentary authenticity through Marché Jean-Talon.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores the discourse currently linking geography and food in the contemporary marketplace. Through a qualitative analysis of the notion of authenticity as it is reimagined and redefined in the context of the recent rise of place-based food purchasing, I contend that place has become the marker of the authentic for consumers. Drawing on communication studies, food studies and cultural geography, I articulate how the players and processes behind this narrative of authenticity operate through one particular place and one particular food. I investigate the reification and commodification of foodstuffs at the local level through Marché Jean-Talon, Montreal's largest farmers market, and at the global level through the case of Greek feta cheese, recently awarded supranational designation of origin protection. In probing the tensions between 'local' and 'global' visions of alimentary authenticity, I question the ways in which this authenticity - and these places - may be real or imagined


identifier: Bisson, Michèle  (2009) Crossroads : the ties that bind intercultural, anti-racist and global citizenship education.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Coming to terms with the ethnic diversity of my student population, I find myself arguing for the recognition of the responsibility that befalls on teachers' shoulders of actively and positively exposing their students to issues relating to cultural diversity. Different options are open to those who chose to accept this responsibility: intercultural education, anti-racist education, and global citizenship education. However, which one is the best educational philosophy to apply to teachers' and students' day to day classroom realities? This is what this thesis attempts to discover. For indeed, there is a need to recognize that the ties that bind multiethnic diversity and education in the context of everyday classroom interactions are powerful, and I firmly believe those ties need to be addressed in order to instill in our student population a strong sense of cultural awareness. Ultimately, the objective is to empower students so they can be moved to become influential actors in the creation of an equitable and ethical social order for all citizens. This is an issue that is no longer an educational imperative we teachers can afford to neglect.


identifier: Wright, Alicia  (2009) Effects of aerobic exercise on asthma quality of life : a pilot study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Quality of life (QOL) in chronic disease populations is becoming increasingly important. Exercise is beneficial in many chronic disease populations and improves QOL. A paucity of studies has evaluated the impact of aerobic exercise in adults with asthma. This pilot study examined the efficacy of a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention on quality of life in sedentary adults with asthma. Four adults with asthma were recruited into this pilot study and completed the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) prior to and after completing the exercise intervention. Repeated measure analyses of variance (ANOVA)-type models using general linear models were conducted using SAS. Following the exercise intervention, participants demonstrated clinically significant improvements in total AQLQ (4.27 ± 0.72 to 5.49 ± 0.96), but these changes were not statistically significant (F=4.63, p=.120). However, participants did demonstrate statistically significant improvements in the symptom domain of the AQLQ (3.75 ± 0.59 to 5.31 ± 1.09; F=10.96, p=.045), as well as in levels of asthma control as assessed by the Asthma Control Questionnaire (2.54 ± 0.74 to 0.82 ± 0.52; F=36.03, p=.009) and the Asthma Control Test (13.25 ± 3.30 to 21 ± 1.83; F=23.44, p=.017). Results suggest that exercise may play an important role in asthma care and should be considered in addition to traditional asthma treatment due to the impact it has on asthma control and asthma quality of life. Further larger efficacy studies are needed, and potential mechanisms of this relationship should be explored


identifier: Selvanayagam, Jeyatharsan  (2009) Initial stage of transition process by modal-spectral element method.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The initial stage of transition phenomena is investigated by numerically solving the complete Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible temporally evolving boundary layer flows on a flat plate. To force transition, the present investigation uses sufficiently small amplitude periodic perturbations at the inflow boundary and asymptotically decaying perturbation velocities and never-ending open boundary conditions at the far-field and outflow boundaries respectively. An initial steady state solution of the Navier-Stokes equation is assumed throughout the computational domain followed by the introduction of disturbances into the flow field. The reaction of this flow to such disturbances is studied by directly solving the Navier-Stokes equations using a highly accurate modal spectral element scheme developed by Niewiadomski [36]. The numerical scheme is recast to simulate our problem by incorporating various numerical algorithms. Furthermore, the computational results are discussed for a test case and several other simulation cases are considered to justify the initial stage of transition process. Finally, a demonstration of the suitability of the three dimensional aspect of the numerical method for the investigation of the temporal development of the two dimensional perturbations in the downstream locations is presented where the results are in fairly close agreement with the known numerical results of Fasel [05]


identifier: Islam, Mohammad Sajjadul  (2009) Application of statistical pattern recognition techniques in structural health monitoring.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), various sensors are installed in the critical locations of a structure. The signals from sensors are either continuously or periodically analyzed to determine the state and performance of the structure. The objective of this thesis is to apply statistical pattern recognition techniques to determine the relation among signals or engineering data from various sensors installed on a structure. An objective comparison of the sensor data at different time ranges is essential for assessing the structural condition, detect any malfunction of sensors, or excessive load experienced by the structure which leads to potential damage in the structure. The objectives of the current research are to establish a relationship between the data from various sensors to estimate the reliability of the data, and to determine defective sensor using the statistical pattern matching techniques. In order to achieve these goals, new methodologies based on statistical pattern recognition techniques have been developed and implemented using the MATLAB environment. The proposed methodologies have been developed and validated using sensor data obtained from an instrumented bridge and road test data from industry. The statistical pattern matching techniques are quite new in SHM data interpretation and current research demonstrate that it has high potential in assessing structural conditions, especially when the data is noisy and susceptible to environmental disturbances.


identifier: Williams, Julie  (2009) Social issues in the secondary art classroom : attitudes and practices of four teachers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a qualitative research study which investigates the current attitudes and practices of four Quebec secondary art educators while addressing social issues in the secondary art curriculum. Using narrative inquiry, three art educators were interviewed in regard to their personal and professional experiences of addressing social issues in the art classroom, along with a self-interview to capture my own attitudes and practices. Interview questions were built around four major themes that I selected because they relate to my own art teaching experience of addressing social issues in the art classroom. The data is comprised of transcripts of interviews wherein the participants relate values, preferences, concerns and practices in the art classroom, when specifically addressing social issues. The analysis consists of compiling and summarizing all of the responses according to each interview theme to identify similarities and differences among the four participants' attitudes and practices.   The findings of this analysis of the interviews, along with connections to related professional and research literature, contribute to my professional knowledge; the outcomes of the research confirm and expand my understanding of an issues-based approach to art education. As a practicing art educator, this inquiry is valuable to me because I was able to learn from the experiences of other art educators, and to identify several practical recommendations to offer art teachers who want to address social issues in the secondary art classroom


identifier: Rajabi, Negar  (2009) Droplet actuation on various electrode shapes in electrowetting-based microfluidics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electrowetting has been widely used in digital microfluidics as a reliable actuation method due to its considerable advantages such as the absence of heat generation, rapid switching response, flexibility, and low power consumption. Research on the improvement of this method has turned into one of the attractive fields in the design of fluid handling micro devices. This work presents a combined numerical and experimental study to investigate the effect of electrode shape in electrowetting-based microsystems. A new crescent-shaped electrode is proposed which provides a uniform actuation force at the contact line as well as overlap between the adjacent electrodes. The onset of actuation and droplet mobility on electrode arrays have been investigated. The numerical method is based on the Volume of Fluid technique to track the 3-D interface along with the Laplace equation solver to calculate the electric field in the domain. Furthermore, the dynamic behaviour of tri-phase contact line is modeled using the molecular-kinetic theory. Validation experiments were carried out to characterize the droplet actuation on various electrode shapes. The superior performance of the new electrode shape is demonstrated by comparing the droplet velocity and deformation, as well as contact angle distribution with those of a simple flat electrode. Using crescent electrode, the droplet actuation occurs with less deformation and higher velocities. The velocities obtained by using the crescent electrode are up to 4 times at the onset of the actuation and 2 times at the steady state motion of those on the flat electrode. The novel crescent shape can even actuate the droplets which are not placed on the electrode


identifier: Zhang, Da Yong  (2009) Modeling and evaluating information leakage caused by inferences in supply chains.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: While information sharing can benefit supply chains significantly, it may also have a "side effect", namely, information leakage. A limitation common to many existing solutions for preventing information leakage in supply chains is that they rely, either implicitly or explicitly, upon two unrealistic assumptions. First, what information is confidential is well known. Second, confidential information will not be revealed, if only it is not shared, regardless of how much other information is being shared. As it shall be shown in this thesis, those assumptions are not always true due to potential information leakage caused by inferences. Specifically, a conceptual model of such information leakage is proposed in this thesis. The model will enable companies in a supply chain to better understand how their confidential information may be leaked through inferences. On the basis of the proposed conceptual model, a quantitative approach is devised to evaluate the risk of information leakage caused by inferences when a given amount of information is shared. The quantitative approach will allow companies in a supply chain to measure and consequently to mitigate the risk of information leakage. Finally, a case study is discussed to illustrate how the proposed approaches work in practice.


identifier: Peng, Qian  (2009) Modeling and daylighting design of a new window with integrated controllable louver system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Highly glazed building façades are increasingly popular in contemporary architecture, and as a result, new solar control technologies incorporated into advanced fenestration products are moving towards improved daylighting performance and more effective control of solar heat gain. Integrating advanced fenestration products into a building's façade design is considered as an effective way to conserve energy in commercial buildings.  An advanced fenestration product, known as VisionControl®, integrates controllable aluminum louvers between two panes of glass, and is currently available on the market. This study starts by redesigning the VisionControl® window to reduce its overall thickness in order to enable its applications in commercial curtain walls and retrofit projects. The three-section façade concept is widely used in the commercial curtain wall industry as it provides view and daylight while controlling solar heat gain. This thesis presents a mathematical daylighting model developed based on a three-section curtain wall façade with the newly designed VisionControl® window installed on both the top and middle sections. The model represents separately the two window sections so that the middle and top section louvers can be independently controlled to maximize daylight transmission in the room while avoiding glare. This model is capable of estimating the workplane illuminance with the consideration of several important design parameters, such as building location, façade orientation, control strategy and window materials.  Two experiments were conducted for this study. The visible transmittance of the newly designed VisionControl® window was measured in the first experiment. A custom-built testing device was designed to obtain accurate visible transmittance results with the consideration of different solar profile angles and louver tilt angles. Another experiment was conducted with a small scale office model to validate the mathematical daylighting model. Experimental results were compared with model-calculated results under three representative sky conditions. This comparison confirmed that the daylighting model can be utilized to estimate workplane illuminance with the newly designed VisionControl window with reasonable accuracy.


identifier: Dhawale, Nandkishor Motiram  (2009) Investigation of machining forces during constant velocity drilling in SACE : (spark assisted chemical engraving) technology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: S park A ssisted C hemical E ngraving ( SACE ) is anon conventional technology used for micro machining and drilling in non-conductive materials like glass, quartz and ceramics. The drilling can be done by penetrating the tool in work-piece. The penetrating strategies could be gravity feed drilling, constant velocity drilling and feedback based drilling. To optimize the material removal rate, without damaging the drill-hole quality, all of these strategies are investigated for practical applications, out of which gravity feed is found well characterized by now.  Investigation and characterization of constant velocity drilling , still remains one of the underdeveloped areas in SACE . It is certainly presumed that investigation on forces acting at the tool-work piece contact point can be a potential tool in characterizing a constant velocity drilling process for SACE . It is also understood that studying such forces exerted on the tool during constant velocity drilling , can help in identifying and implementing the finest feedback control strategies for SACE drilling technology.  This thesis report presents the outcome on investigated real-time forces, acting at the tool-work piece contact point during various constant velocity drilling experiments for SACE Technology.


identifier: Qu, Guang  (2009) Online adaptive and intelligent control strategies for multizone VAV systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Nearly one half of the total energy used in buildings is consumed by HVAC systems. With escalating cost of energy, several energy efficiency strategies have been implemented in buildings. Among these, the use of VAV systems, and improved method of controlling such systems have received greater attention.  This thesis is devoted to design and development of online adaptive control strategies which will be augmented with optimal and intelligent-control algorithms. The considered VAV system consists of zone air temperature control, discharge air temperature control, water temperature control and air pressure control loops. Online adaptive control strategies are developed for these control loops.  In order to design reliable online controls a robust RLS identification algorithm for estimating the parameters of the modeled processes is developed. It is shown that this algorithm avoids wrong estimation and requires fewer variables compared with classical RLS techniques. Three different online control strategies were designed. These are: a robust optimal control algorithm (ROCA), a simplified optimal adaptive control (SOAC) for FOPDT systems, and a two-loop adaptive control strategy which improves both temperature and airflow regulations in VAV systems. ROCA is an on-line optimal proportional-integral plus feedforward controller tuning algorithm for SISO thermal processes in HVAC systems. It was optimized by combining the H {592} based PI tuning It is shown that the two-loop adaptive control strategy has both stronger robustness to time-varying thermal loads and lower sensitivity to airflow rate changes into other zones. The developed control strategies were tested by simulation and experiments in a VAV laboratory test facility which uses existing energy management control systems used in commercial buildings.  Also, an adaptive neural network controller is developed. The proposed controller was constructed by augmenting the PID control structure with a neural network control algorithm and an adaptive balance parameter. Simulation results show that the proposed controller has stronger robustness, improved regulation and tracking functions for FOPDT type plants compared to classical PID controllers. Experiments were conducted to verify the characteristics of the developed controller on the DAS in a two-zone VAV test facility.  Applications of the developed control strategies to different control loops in VAV system were demonstrated by conducting several experimental tests under realistic operating conditions


identifier: Izadi, Hojjat A  (2009) Decentralized receding horizon control of cooperative vehicles with communication delays.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the decentralized receding horizon control (DRHC) for a network of cooperative vehicles where each vehicle in the group plans its future trajectory over a finite prediction horizon time. The vehicles exchange their predicted paths with the neighbouring vehicles through a communication channel in order to maintain the cooperation objectives. In this framework, more frequent communication provides improved performance and stability properties. The main focus of this thesis is on situations where large inter-vehicle communication delays are present. Such large delays may occur due to fault conditions with the communication devices or limited communication bandwidth. Large communication delays can potentially lead to poor performance, unsafe behaviour and even instability for the existing DRHC methods.  The main objective of this thesis is to develop new DRHC methods that provide improved performance and stability properties in the presence of large communication delays. Fault conditions are defined and diagnosis algorithms are developed for situations with large communication delays. A fault tolerant DRHC architecture is then proposed which is capable of effectively using the delayed information. The main idea with the proposed approach is to estimate the path of the neighbouring faulty vehicles, when they are unavailable due to large delays, by adding extra decision variables to the cost function. It is demonstrated that this approach can result in significant improvements in performance and stability. Furthermore, the concept of the tube DRHC is proposed to provide the safety of the fleet against collisions during faulty conditions. In this approach, a tube shaped trajectory is assumed in the region around the delayed trajectory of the faulty vehicle instead of a line shaped trajectory. The neighbouring vehicles calculate the tube and are not allowed to enter that region. Feasibility, stability, and performance of the proposed fault tolerant DRHC are also investigated. Finally, a bandwidth allocation algorithm is proposed in order to optimize the communication periods so that the overall teaming performance is optimized. Together, these results form a new and effective framework for decentralized receding horizon control with communication faults and large communication delays.


identifier: Babics, Frank  (2009) Interim city : seven stories.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Interim city : seven stories

abstract: The stories contained in this collection revolve around a group of characters living in a nearly abandoned city. As the world around them becomes increasingly barren, they awaken from their mental stupor and attempt to enforce changes in their lives. Yet having been in a stupor they lack the tools for proper introspection and their attempts at change, though sincere, are largely superficial. As the world around them continues to dwindle they become almost ghost-like, and memory has become fragmented and unreliable. Lacking a cohesive past they are unable to gain a proper understanding of their selves, and are unable to free themselves from their physical environment. Like the city, they too are in the process of withering away.


identifier: Gibson, Andrew  (2009) The machine in the garden.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The machine in the garden

abstract: In this study the current conflict over traffic on the Island of Montreal is found to originate in the tension between a belief in nature as an ideal home environment and a belief in technology as an ideal means to resolve social problems. These ideals emerge in the nineteenth century industrial city in response to anxieties over urban life felt by the upper classes. Concerns over health, safety and propriety led to the acceptance of moral instructions that normalized the countryside as the location for family life and generated support for unprecedented investments and developments in transportation technologies to allow people live on the urban fringe. These factors have lead to a situation where a large proportion of society reside in a thickly populated countryside and have adopted mass automobile usage. Current concerns over health, safety and the environment pose challenges to this lifestyle. Conflicts over vehicular access to central neighbourhood streets, the opposition to urban highways, and the drafting of the Montreal Transportation Plan (2007-8) all indicate support for a reduction in automotive traffic and the development of a natural urban environment. This support is indicative of a value system that recognizes tranquillity as a natural attribute of home life. Reducing traffic and producing tranquillity are linked to earlier moral instructions and direct the re-invention of the city and society's continued expansion into the countryside


identifier: Ghorab, Mohamed Gaber  (2009) Experimental investigation of advanced film cooling schemes for a gas turbine blade.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Advanced cooling techniques are essential for further improvement in the efficiency and the power output of gas turbines. Turbine inlet temperatures of 1900 K are typical of current gas turbines, and there is an interest in increasing the temperatures for the next generation of gas turbine engines. Over the past decades, significant effort has been devoted to increase the turbine efficiency and to develop effective cooling strategies to maintain the blade temperature below the melting point of the alloys used to construct the airfoils. As a result, various cooling strategies have been developed such as film, impingement, and muti-pass cooling for the blades, and evaporative cooling for the inlet air.  In this work, a state-of-the-art thermal turbomachinery test rig was designed and constructed to investigate the film-cooling performance of advanced film cooling schemes over a flat plate. Designing and constructing mechanical parts, as well developing software codes (Labview and image processing) for transient film cooling measurement was the foremost part of the current experimental work. The thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) technique was used to measure wall surface temperature. A circular film hole was used to validate the current experimental technique and methodology. The validation results showed that the current experimental technique and methodology were deemed reliable.  Subsequently, the film cooling performance of the louver and new hybrid schemes were investigated, experimentally. The louver scheme was proposed by Pratt and Whitney Canada (PWC) to allow the cooling flow to pass through a bend and to encroach an airfoil material (impingement effect), then exit to the outer surface of the airfoil through a designed film hole. Immarigeon and Hassan (2006) then Zhang and Hassan (2006) numerically investigated the film cooling effectiveness performance of the louver scheme. The hybrid scheme was proposed in the current study, which includes two consecutive film hole configurations with interior bending. The cooling performances for the two advanced schemes have been analyzed experimentally over a flat plate across blowing ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 at a density ratio of 0.94. The results showed that the louver and the hybrid schemes enhanced the local and the average film cooling performance in terms of film cooling effectiveness, and the net heat flux reductions are better than other published film hole configurations. In addition, both schemes provided an extensively wide spray of 'secondary flow over the outer surface, and thus enhanced the lateral film cooling performance over the downstream surface area. Moreover, the two schemes produced an average heat transfer coefficient ratio near unity at low and high blowing ratios. As a result, the louver and the hybrid schemes are expected to reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the gas turbine airfoil and to provide superior cooling performance, which increases airfoil lifetime.  In addition, the adiabatic film cooling performance and flow characteristics for the hybrid scheme were investigated numerically. The numerical investigation was analyzed across blowing ratio, of 0.5, 1, and 2. The flow structures of the hybrid scheme are presented at different blowing ratios to provide a better physical understanding. The results showed that the hybrid scheme directed the secondary flow in the horizontal direction and reduced the jet liftoff at different blowing ratios. Finally, conjugate heat transfer (CHT) and film-cooling analyses were performed to investigate the hybrid scheme performance with different flow configurations. Different geometries of parallel flow and jet impingement with different gap heights as well as the adiabatic case study were investigated at blowing ratios of 0.5 and 1.0. The results showed that the adiabatic case provided downstream centerline superlative cooling performance near the hybrid film hole exit compared to other conjugate geometries studied. At the downstream location, the impingement configuration with a large gap height provided the highest downstream performance at blowing ratio of 0.5 and 1.0 with respect to other cases studied. Moreover, the downstream film cooling performance was enhanced far along the spanwise direction for the CHT cases studied and it has the highest value near the scheme exit for parallel configuration. In addition, the impingement configuration enhanced the upper stream cooling performance compared to parallel flow and it was further enhanced for large gap heights.  Keywords: film cooling effectiveness, heat transfer coefficient ratio, louver, hybrid, TLC, NHFR, CHT


identifier: Conway, Justin W  (2009) The surface activity and rheological changes induced in lung surfactant resulting from ozone exposure.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Lung surfactant is a complex mixture of phospholipids and membrane proteins that is located on the surface of alveoli within our lungs. Lung surfactant reduces the work associated with respiration and prevents the collapse of the alveoli sacs during , breathing. The function of lung surfactant depends on lipid and membrane protein biophysical interactions which may be affected by the quality of air an individual inhales. Presently there exists extensive data concerning the chemical changes ozone, a major oxidant in photochemical smog, induces within exposed lung surfactant components. There is however little research focused on the biophysical impacts of lung surfactant oxidation. This research examines the surface activity, film morphology and rheological changes induced in model lung surfactant films by ozone exposure. These experiments will use monolayers as a model system to investigate film oxidation changes. The results of this research show that both unsaturated lipids and membrane proteins are ozone sensitive. The ozonolysis of films comprised of pure lipids and lipid-protein mixtures exhibit changes to surface activity, film organization and rheology. However, when membrane proteins are present the changes to film rheology after ozone exposure are not measurable. This thesis examines the molecular interactions that lead to these film property changes and relates them to lung surfactant physiological behavior.


identifier: Li, Sanjun  (2009) NMR Studies on N-Sulfinylanilines: solvent effects and complexation with pyridine.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: N-sulfinyl compounds RNSO show a wide range of reactivities to water with a change of the substituent R. For several N-sulfinylamines, Mironova and Konoplva proposed that the reaction of a pyridine-H 2 O complex with the N-sulfinylamine is the rate-determining step in its hydrolysis. And later, Cerioni et al. observed complexes of N-sulfinylamines with pyridine by 13 C and 17 O NMR spectroscopies and proposed an equilibrium between "free" and "complexed" N-sulfinylamines. Muchall proposed an anti-hydrogen bond, C-H...0, in N-sulfinylamines through an analysis of the calculated electron density. We are interested in whether the C-H...O interaction has an effect on the reactivity of the sulfur atom in RNSO compounds, especially in N-sulfinylanilines. Using 1 H and 17 O NMR spectroscopies we have obtained experimental evidence for the C-H...O interaction. The 17 O chemical shifts are more sensitive to the polarity or polarizability of a solvent rather than to its H-bonding capabilities, which support the fact that the oxygen atom is involved in an intramolecular C--H...O interaction. The small dependence of the 17 O chemical shift of all N-sulfinylanilines on the H-donating ability of a solvent supports the idea of planar molecules with intramolecular C--H...O bonds. The strength of the C--H...O interaction is dependent on the strength of the S...N interaction in the complexes of N-sulfinylanilines with pyridine. Temperature studies show an increasingly deshielded (shielded) 17 O ( 1 H) nucleus upon an increase in temperature, and ortho 1 H nuclei are deshielded as the pyridine concentration is increased. These changes can be interpreted to demonstrate a strengthening of the C--H...O interaction upon S...N complexation. Equilibrium constants show that an electron donating substituent leads to a weaker complex. It is also shown that a weaker complex possesses a stronger C--H...0 interaction based on substituent effects on the temperature dependence of the 17 O nucleus in a complex. It is deduced that a "strong" C--H...0 interaction could inhibit complexation, and maybe lead to a reduced reactivity of a N-sulfinylaniline.


identifier: Sadeghi, Pouriya  (2009) Transmission control algorithms in power-controlled wireless ad hoc networks.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Wireless networks have become an indispensable component of almost any communication systems. In particular, there has been a growing interest in wireless ad hoc networks, where no centralized management is required and therefore, they can be set up and become operational in almost no time. Due to the shared nature of the wireless channels and the existence of high co-channel interference in wireless ad hoc networks, the role of the transmission control algorithms such as power control and admission control schemes becomes extremely important. Power control algorithms manage the power allocation process and admission control algorithms grant network access to a new link while protecting the transmission quality of other links. Because of the distributed nature of ad hoc networks, the transmission control algorithms have to be also distributed and should not rely on any information to be provided at the network level.  In this work, new transmission control algorithms for power-controlled ad hoc networks are investigated where each algorithm is designed to achieve a specific performance objective. In particular, an autonomous power control algorithm is proposed to achieve the maximum uniform signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) of the network. Moreover, an asynchronous power control with active link protection is introduced which allows the links to update their powers asynchronously and at the same time, guarantees the target SIR of the existing links when a new link enters the network. Furthermore, a novel distributed admission control algorithm is proposed which can be used as an add-on module to most of the asynchronous power control algorithms and delivers an ideal admission decision. Finally, the feasible SIR region is investigated which can be considered as the upper bound for the achievable rates of any transmission control algorithm.


identifier: Tooher, Patrick  (2009) Variable time-fraction collaborative communications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In order to improve the performance of the wireless channel, collaborative communications has recently been proposed. In such a scenario, a source wishing to transmit a signal to a destination can be aided by an otherwise idle transmitter (labeled a relay). Due to the half duplex constraint, the relay node cannot transmit and receive at the same time. It has been shown that having a variable amount of time for which the relay will receive data, can provide further gains in collaborative communications. In this thesis we develop and study methods to implement the use of a variable time-fraction in collaborative communications. We study our proposed method under different channel state information scenarios.  We design channel codes that allow for a relay to collaborate with a finite set of time-fractions. Through analysis, we provide design criteria that allow variable time-fraction collaborative codes to optimize their error rate performance. Our variable time-fraction collaborative codes are shown to approach the outage probability of collaborative channels. Furthermore, through the use of an upper bound on the error rate, we show the robustness of variable time-fraction collaboration over all relay locations when compared to traditional fixed time-fraction collaboration.  Next we study the effect of imperfect channel state information at the receivers. It is shown that the effect of estimation errors is twofold in collaborative communications. Firstly the relay will have diminished collaborative capabilities and secondly, the destination suffers performance degradation.  Assuming full and perfect channel state information at the transmitters, we design and study the use of power allocation algorithms ( PAA ). Our proposed optimal PAA ( OPAA ) optimizes the error rate performance of variable time-fraction collaborative communications. We also provide a more robust suboptimal PAA ( SPAA ) whose results suffer slight degradation compared to the OPAA .  Lastly, we study the effect of imperfect channel state information at both the transmitters and the receivers. Our analysis shows the independence of the optimal number of pilot symbols to the location of the relay.


identifier: Yuan, Jing  (2009) Development of an extended environmental multimedia modeling system (EEMMS).  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: All pollutant contamination problems have both short and long term impacts on ambient air, water, and soil environments. Previous environmental pollution control programmes mainly focused on a single environmental medium (e.g., groundwater). Traditional environmental multimedia models (EMM) usually simulate pollutants' fate and transport in separate zones, based on one-dimensional, first-order mechanisms. This may lead to biased results and simulation errors.  In this study, firstly, a new extended environmental multimedia model system (EEMMS) was set up, which includes four sub-modules (sources, air quality, unsaturated zone, groundwater) on a regional spatial-temporal scale. Three different approaches were evaluated for solving multi-dimensional coupled pollutants equations using experimental data from the literature: a) EEMMS/FEM (numerical finite element method); b) EEMMS /FDM (numerical finite difference method); and, c) EEMMS /analytical method. Furthermore, three validations related to the three approaches are conducted. First, experimental results from a pilot scale landfill were used to verify the spatial temporal accuracy of predicted emission fluxes and concentrations in both numerical spatial and temporal scale. Further systematic model validations were implemented and tested comparing with the dual domain mass transfer model and 2-D analytical model. Complicated 3-D real site validation was conducted through the Trail Road Sanitary Landfill site. 3-D reasonable results have been obtained through the comparisons of analytical and numerical solutions (FDM and FEM) in non-uniform and unsteady conditions. Implementing the EEMMS/FEM solution in the above three validations was found to be better than that of EEMMS/FDM, and EEMMS /analytical solutions. EEMMS/FEM solution also provided more stabilization technique, a better mesh that minimizes the error or even a faster solution. In addition, given a large amount of uncertainties associated with EMMS practices, sensitivity analyses approach such as retardation factor, Peclet number (Pe), hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, porosity, were embedded into the developed EEMMS. Lastly, the new EEMMS model containing both new environmental multimedia system (EMS) and Monte Carlo Method (MCM) was developed to an integrated tool for the risk assessment of contaminants.  The new EEMMS would serve as a risk assessment tool to address the fate and transport of the pollutants in complex, multimedia environments and subsequently to help in the management of the resulting environmental impacts.


identifier: Imbriglio, Amanda  (2009) Hélène Cixous' écriture féminine : a new approach to feminist pedagogy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Drawing on Hélène Cixous' "The Laugh of the Medusa," this thesis asks what would happen if one were to use Cixous' alternative vision of a feminist society to inform an alternative vision of education. In order to answer this question, the educational implications of one element of Cixous' work, écriture féminine, are explored. This thesis makes an important link between issues raised in critical and feminist pedagogies and meaningful ways of addressing them through the use of écriture féminine. It argues that a theory of education based on Cixous' écriture féminine results in a liberatory pedagogy, one that uses language to address issues of difference and that is therefore crucial in engaging feminist concerns. In order to articulate this, the thesis will explain the theories and concepts that provide the foundation of écriture féminine, refute some of the criticisms that have been associated with it, and discuss the reasons why a new approach to pedagogy is necessary. Finally; it will provide practical pedagogical approaches that reflect the spirit of écriture féminine and that will help teachers to meet the goals of a transformative education that values difference, specifically surrounding the themes of imagination, emotion, and multiplicity.


identifier: Vu, Anna Nhung  (2009) Vietnamese sociology in socio-political context : historical sociology, content and textual analyses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The aim of this thesis is to provide a bird-eye's view of Vietnamese sociology since its formation in the early 1980's. This thesis traces the genesis of Vietnamese sociology by examining the transformation of the culture of learning and the intellectual class within the context of social change through various epochs of Vietnamese history. A working model of historical sociology, namely "epochal synthesis" is then used to study the relationship between historical processes and the culture of learning to identify the main traits of Vietnamese sociology at the moment of its conception.   Another aspect of this thesis is to identify the changing pattern of Vietnamese sociology following the implementation of Doi Moi in the mid 1980's by examining the sociological writings of Vietnamese sociologists. Results of content and textual analyses confirm the softening though not the complete abandonment of the core values of Marxist-Leninist doctrine. This is indicative of a new direction of moving away from nomothetic and deterministic theorizing, a broadening of perspectives, and the application of multiple sociological frameworks for social research


identifier: Zbikowski, Kristen  (2009) Adapting to the challenges of UN peacekeeping : protection of civilians and the use of force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the end of the Cold War, the United Nations (UN) has been assigned a growing number of tasks in its peacekeeping missions with which the international organization (10) has had little or no previous experience. Among the most controversial components of contemporary multidimensional peacekeeping mandates are protection of civilians (POC) and the use of force (UOF), and yet they have been added to the agenda of UN peacekeeping tasks with increasing frequency over the past decade. In this thesis, I investigate whether the UN has learned from its ten years of experience in applying the protection of civilians concept in the field. I then examine the influence of norms on this learning process.  Using the ongoing United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) as a case study, I analyze what the mission has learned from its experience in the field and explore how shared understandings and standards of appropriate behavior have impacted the process of learning. Applying Lise Morjé. Howard's descriptive model of organizational learning, the study seeks to contribute to the burgeoning research on organizational learning in peace operations. Drawing on primary data from more than 30 interviews with UN officials and MONUC staff, I trace the evolution of the POC mandate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2000 to 2009 and find that norms are an important factor in improving learning within peace operations. Considering the lack of clarity and consensus regarding the POC concept and UOF at the international level as well as the numerous actors on the ground coming from diverse cultural backgrounds and holding diverging beliefs, this thesis suggests that shared norms playa unifying role in clarifying the grey areas of POC and UOF and as such promote learning within peacekeeping missions.


identifier: Theriault, Derek  (2009) The use of pictures in L2 vocabulary learning : measuring the processing of forms and meanings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: How can beginners acquire vocabulary from context (e.g., through reading) if they do not know enough words? A common technique for teaching new words to beginners is through pictures. Although there is some research in this area, it is unclear how well beginners internalize words taught through pictures. This study's objective was to examine the effectiveness of pictures in word learning by using measures of form and meaning processing.   Eighteen English true beginners of Spanish and 18 native Spanish speakers first studied 26 novel Spanish concrete nouns briefly presented three times with pictures, and then performed two reaction-timed tasks. In episodic recognition (form processing), they saw the 24 target words (and 24 foils) and indicated which words they had seen during study. In translation recognition (meaning processing), they saw the target 24 words paired with either correct, semantically associated, or incorrect English translations, and indicated whether the translation was correct or not.   In the episodic recognition task, the beginners and the native speakers were equally fast in recognizing recently studied words. In the translation task, beginners learned the 24 words to a high degree of accuracy (86% correct), and both groups were slower in responding to semantically associated translations than to incorrect translations. These results show that the learners could access both the forms and the meanings of novel words, and suggest that the use of pictures is a quick and efficient technique for committing words to memory.


identifier: Klochko, Yuliya  (2009) Genus one compact polyhedral surfaces, spaces of quadratic differentials on tori and determinants of Laplacians.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Yuan, Chen  (2009) ACO-based routing algorithms for wireless mesh networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The popularity of Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) is growing exponentially in recent years, due to their flexible deployment and compatible communication features. As a key technology for next-generation wireless networking, WMNs promise an attractive future to both academic and industrial world. However, current WMNs are short in optimal routing protocols. Instead, many WMNs use the routing algorithms from ad hoc networks, which have different network features. Thus, routing becomes the most urgent issue that needs to be solved.  In this thesis, routing problems in WMNs are discussed in different aspects, and then several proposed solutions in state-of-the-art are introduced with their advantages and disadvantages. Ant-In-Mesh routing protocol and the enhanced version are proposed for WMNs, inspired by traditional Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm, to deal with new challenging characters of WMNs. Periodical Mesh update is performed between neighbors, to keep the network alive. With these updated information at all the hosts, various Ants can collect the fresh routing data while they are launched for different purposes, also, the per-hop and end-to-end routing metrics can be calculated. Upon new connection requests, route discovery is carried out. After the routes are set up, proactive route maintenance is performed on each route. Several popular routing protocols and our algorithms are simulated. and compared using Qualnet. The simulation results show that our algorithms outperform the others, in terms of packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay, as the mobility and network size increase.


identifier: Kholafaei, Hamid  (2009) Indoor air contaminant removal : full-scale testing of in-duct filters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Buildings occupants are exposed to several hundreds of pollutants in indoor environments. The utilization of in-duct ventilation filters is a promising technology in reducing the level of pollutants from indoor air. As of today, the removal performance of these filters is not clearly known. The major goal of this study is to develop an experimental method to measure the performance and service-life of full-scale in-duct Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) ventilation filters for the removal of multiple Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  In this study, two sets of experiments were carried out. In the first set, the removal performance of four full-scale GAC filters with various media bed depths was measured for toluene removal. From obtained data, the applicability of the Wheeler-Jonas model in predicting the service life of full-scale GAC filters was studied and limitations were discussed.  In the second set of experiments, a 5cm-filter was tested with a mixture of representative VOCs consisting of toluene, p-xylene, n-hexane and 2-butanone. The objective was to improve understanding of the behavior of full-scale GAC filters in the adsorption of multiple VOCs. The results showed the removal performance is influenced by the physical properties of VOCs. The filter showed the highest performance in removing the p-xylene followed by toluene, n-hexane and 2-butanone. This ranking is positively correlated to the molecular weight of VOCs. VOCs competed for adsorption on the carbon surface where lighter VOCs were displaced by heavier compounds. The results showed due to the competitive adsorption, the breakthrough time of toluene in the mixture gas test had significantly decreased in comparison to the toluene breakthrough time in the single gas test.


identifier: Fan, Yan Feng  (2009) Experimental and numerical investigations of novel passive micromixers using u-IF.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Micromixers are indispensable components in Lab-on-a-Chip and micro total analysis systems (o-TAS). Typical micromixer applications include the mixing of reagents prior to chemical or biological reactions, drug delivery, medical diagnostics through biological sampling, and DNA sequencing or synthesis. The objective of the present investigation is to develop novel passive microfluidic mixers, which integrate mixing mechanisms of lamination and chaotic advection, through planar channel designs. Lamination is incorporated through repeated separation and combination of the mixing streams, while chaotic advection is implemented through serpentine mixing channels and barriers in the flow. The design includes three innovative in-plane on-chip functional micromixers, of channels ranging in width from 0.05 to 0.2 mm, a constant depth of 0.2 mm, and an overall mixer length of 5 mm. An experimental analysis was carried out to evaluate the mixing performance of the designed mixers. The working fluid is distilled water, with one stream mixed with commercial fluorescence dye. Micro Induced Fluorescence (o-IF) is used to quantitatively measure instant whole-field concentration distribution in the channels. Images along the axial length of the micromixers were recorded to quantify the mixing performance, over a Reynolds range of 1 to 100, a Péclet range from 10 3 to 105 , at a Schmidt number in the vicinity of 103 . The mixing performance shows patterns similar to the Taylor dispersion, which consists of both diffusion and convection. Compared to the designs available in literature, the present micromixers have achieved better mixing efficiency up to 95% with a pressure drop of 20 kPa in a mixing length of 5 mm at 1 {601} Re {601} 100. The experimental mixing performance is compared with the simulated results, as well as existing experimental data for different designs within the working Reynolds range. The experimental results show a reasonably good correlation with the simulated results


identifier: Morrison, Andrew Robert Thomas  (2009) Quantifying and reducing variability in spark assisted chemical engraving gravity feed drilling in glass.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a study of the variability in spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE) gravity feed drilling in glass. SACE gravity feed drilling is a novel micromachining technology for use on non-conducting materials that has yet to move beyond academic investigation. However, SACE is a promising technology. It can be used to create high quality structures, at low cost, using a machine that could be installed into any laboratory. One problem SACE faces is it has issues with reproducibility. This is why the variability of the process is studied here.   The goal of this thesis is to quantify and reduce the variability in SACE gravity feed drilling. This goal is accomplished through three steps. First, the process is modeled to provide an efficient way to quantify variability. Two new stochastic models are presented that relate the depth evolution of SACE gravity feed drilling to the voltage. Statistical tests are used to validate the models. Second, experimental studies of the variability of the depth evolution are discussed. The effect on the variability of having poorly regulated bulk electrolyte temperature and level is studied. Finally, experimental results from two feedback controllers that are capable of reducing the variability in SACE gravity feed drilling are discussed. The results from these controllers are compared with the predictions of one of the models developed.


identifier: Saini, Rakesh  (2009) Data protection of RFID-Based distributed storage.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been emerged as one of the most promising technologies used as an automatic data collection and information storage technology in vast number of applications. One of the biggest hindrances in the wide adoption of this technology is the challenge in security. There have been extensive studies on RFID security, in particular authentication and privacy issues. In most protocols, the discussions focus on scenarios that RFID tags are used mainly for tracing or identification, and the access to data stored on RFID is enforced through authentication. Recently, there is a rise in interests of using RFID tags as distributed storage, e.g., storing floor plans which can be used by fire fighters during emergencies. In this new type of applications, quite often, XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is employed since it has been considered as a de-facto standard to store and exchange information on the Internet and through other means. This research proposes to securely and efficiently store data on RFID tags in XML format. We introduce a framework using cryptography that ensures data confidentiality and integrity; we employ multi-level encryption together with role-based access control on the data stored on an RFID tag. In the given framework, a user is assigned with a certain role and can only access the part of data that she is authorized according to her role and the Access Control Policy (ACP). In addition, a more profound and accurate definition of simple and complex XACL (XML Access Control Policies) is given and a workable cryptographic solution is provided to handle complex policies. Furthermore, two different encryption methods are introduced to minimize the size of a file encrypted using XML encryption specifications. The research also extends the current technique of populating RFID tag memory with BIM (Building Information Model) database information in Facilities Management System (FMS) applications, by adding roles and different security levels. To explore the technical feasibility of the proposed approach, a case study in facilities management with different roles and security permissions has been implemented and tested at Concordia University. In this case study, we apply the proposed framework and encryption scheme to provide fine-grained access to data stored on RFID tags. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first work that addresses security issues in this new type of RFID-based distributed storage applications


identifier: Elguebaly, Tarek  (2009) Bayesian methods for non-gaussian data modeling and applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Finite mixture models are among the most useful machine learning techniques and are receiving considerable attention in various applications. The use of finite mixture models in image and signal processing has proved to be of considerable interest in terms of both theoretical development and in their usefulness in several applications. In most of the applications, the Gaussian density is used in the mixture modeling of data. Although a Gaussian mixture may provide a reasonable approximation to many real-world distributions, it is certainly not always the best approximation especially in image and signal processing applications where we often deal with non-Gaussian data.  In this thesis, we propose two novel approaches that may be used in modeling non-Gaussian data. These approaches use two highly flexible distributions, the generalized Gaussian distribution (GGD) and the general Beta distribution, in order to model the data. We are motivated by the fact that these distributions are able to fit many distributional shapes and then can be considered as a useful class of flexible models to address several problems and applications involving measurements and features having well-known marked deviation from the Gaussian shape. For the mixture estimation and selection problem, researchers have demonstrated that Bayesian approaches are fully optimal. The Bayesian learning allows the incorporation of prior knowledge in a formal coherent way that avoids overfitting problems. For this reason, we adopt different Bayesian approaches in order to learn our models parameters.  First, we present a fully Bayesian approach to analyze finite generalized Gaussian mixture models which incorporate several standard mixtures, such as Laplace and Gaussian. This approach evaluates the posterior distribution and Bayes estimators using a Gibbs sampling algorithm, and selects the number of components in the mixture using the integrated likelihood. We also propose a fully Bayesian approach for finite Beta mixtures learning using a Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) technique which simultaneously allows cluster assignments, parameters estimation, and the selection of the optimal number of clusters. We then validate the proposed methods by applying them to different image processing applications.


identifier: Du, Lin  (2009) Air infiltration through revolving doors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For large public buildings, conventional swing or sliding doors provide openings on the ground floor causing significant amount of energy losses through doorway. The configuration of revolving doors keeps the entrance closed at all times while allowing large number of people to pass through. Therefore, revolving doors are widely used as a solution to reduce the undesired air infiltration caused by the entrance and minimize the energy needs for heating and cooling.  A 1/10 reduced-scale model was designed for the laboratory measurements of the air infiltration caused by the movement of revolving doors. The revolving door was installed on a well-insulated airtight box, placed in a climatic chamber in which the winter outdoor conditions were controlled. A heater was installed inside the box to maintain the indoor environment at a constant temperature. Experiments were performed at different rotation speeds of the revolving door. The air infiltration rates due to the door rotation at different indoor-outdoor temperature differences were calculated based on the energy balance equation of the air inside the box. The experimental results were compared with those from very limited previous studies.  Correlation-based models of the volumetric air flow rate expressed by the rotation speed and dimensionless temperature indexes around the door were obtained at different seal conditions. The models established on the base of the experimental data provide an easy in prototype. The energy loss due to the rotation of door, based on the new experiments, was also compared with those based on previous data.


identifier: Deblois, Jean-Philippe  (2009) Analytical and experimental investigation of overtesting during assembly-level shock testing Jean-Philippe Deblois.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Mechanical shocks induced by the detonation of pyrotechnics ordnances are known to be highly detrimental to the integrity of spacecraft components. As a result, it is desirable to qualify these components as early as possible to prevent failures during launch. Assembly-level shock tests are usually performed on these components. However, these tests are suspected to be the cause of several failures that would not occur during flight. The knowledge acquired in vibration testing suggests that the overtesting is mainly due to the rigidity of the mounting interface between the component and the testing device. Consequently, the test configuration lacks the dynamic absorber effect which should naturally occur in flight configuration. While the Force Limited Vibration (FLV) technique has been developed to reduce the overtesting occurring in vibration testing, no systematic methodology have been proposed to measure and to reduce the shock overtesting to this date.  The objective of this study is to conduct systematic analytical and experimental sensitivity investigation on the overtesting occurring in the assembly-level shock testing. A reconfigurable prototype of an electronic box and a mounting structure have been designed and modeled using the finite element method. The prototype is then fabricated and tested to demonstrate the occurrence of overtesting experimentally. The vibration overtesting and the C 2 coefficients of the semi-empirical method are evaluated using FLV technique. The shock overtesting is evaluated similarly using an acceleration excitation generated for the shaker test. The results show that no significant correlation between the vibration and the shock overtesting exist. Finally, a method to reduce the shock overtesting is proposed in which the shock specification is notched at the main frequencies to limit the response of the structure.


identifier: Fang, Qing  (2009) Optical fiber coupled low power micro-PIV measurement of flow in microchambers : modeling, fabrication, testing and validation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Microfluidic chip is one of the important tools for modem analytical sciences. It is an important and fast developing component for applications in life science. environment science, medicine and chemistry.  While its development is spread over tens of years, the basic research on flow mechanism in microfluidics is far behind its application research. This study applies flow visualization techniques to measure the parameters of flow in microchambers for comparing their performance. Geometrical influence of microchambers on flow behavior is found through experimental and theoretical investigations. In order to quantify the effect of geometry, many microfluidic chips were designed with microchambers of different shapes and experimentally tested for various flow rates. As a result, it was identified that symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes have varying effects on the performance of microfluidic chips.  In the experiment, the microfluidic chips based on glass platform were fabricated by CMC. This study discusses the main differences and other key factors among many visual observation techniques. This thesis applies micro-particle image velocimetry (oPIV) technique to measure the flow fields in microchambers using de-ionized water. Low power and optical fiber coupled micro PIV experimental system was developed and implemented in-house. This system utilizes an epi-f1uorescent microscope, seed particles, high speed CCD camera, green pulsed laser and optical fiber components to record the particle-image fields. The implemented platform is able to capture the fluid behavior in microchambers.  Oblique illumination method was developed for illuminating the flow in microchambers. The oblique illumination method provides a low-cost platform enabling low power studies. Different packaging and interconnection techniques were developed for leak proof sealing of microfluidic ports. Both numerical and experimental investigations have been carried out for different geometries of microchambers under varying Reynolds numbers. Commercial Finite Element Analysis software COMSOL was used to solve the required differential equations. The comparison of simulation results shows a close agreement with experimental results.


identifier: Khan, Mohammad Nazmul  (2009) Solidification study of commercial magnesium alloys.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, the solidification behaviors of AZ9ID, AM60B and AE44 commercial magnesium alloys have been studied experimentally by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and optical microscopy. The effect of different cooling rates on the transition temperatures and microstructures were analyzed. It was found that the effect of cooling rate on the solidus temperature is more significant than on the liquidus. The solidus temperature decreases clearly with increasing cooling rates, but for the liquidus temperature there is slightly increasing trend. The latent heat of solidification was also calculated and found that it increases when the cooling rate increases. Thermodynamic calculations were made using FactSage along with VLGM database and were compared with the experimental findings as well as with the literature data. Thermodynamic calculations were also utilized to understand the microstructures as well as the phase distribution. The microstructural details of as-cast and post-DSC samples have also been investigated using optical microscope. Finally, relationships between cooling rate and transition temperature as well as between cooling rate and latent heat of solidification have been established based on the general power law. Using these relationships it is possible to predict the transition temperatures and latent heat of solidification of these alloys at high cooling rates