identifier: Abdalla, Mohamed Musa  (1999) Automatic generation of SDL specifications from MSCs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Software systems go through different phases during their life cycle. From user requirements to the deployment and maintenance, a software system goes through design, implementation and testing phases. The time for developing software systems is crucial. The goal of software teams is to shorten the development time and guarantee the quality of the end product. Formal Description Techniques (FDTs) has been used in the development cycle to provide clear, correct and unambiguous specifications throughout the phases in order to achieve this goal.  In order to speed up the development cycle and to guarantee the correctness of the design, we devise and implement an approach for generating SDL (Specification and Description Language) design specifications from requirement specifications given as a set of MSCs (Message Sequence Charts) and a target SDL architecture. Our approach handles MSC'96, except the parallel operators.  Our approach bridges the gap between requirements and design and guarantees the quality of the design. The generated SDL design specification is free of any design error, such as deadlocks or unspecified receptions, and conforms to the MSC requirements specification.


identifier: Mangat, Simmi  (1999) A modified asymmetrical pulse-width modulated series resonant DC/DC converter.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Telecommunication and computer systems require power supply topologies that offer high efficiency and high power density at ever-increasing switching frequencies. There are many resonant topologies that can offer this, but the asymmetrical pulse-width modulated (APWM) resonant DC/DC converter is a simple topology that operates at a constant frequency and with near-zero voltage switching losses. However, the range of input voltage where high efficiency is maintained is narrow. After a certain limit, zero voltage switching is lost and the voltage stress on the resonant inductor becomes too high. A modified APWM resonant DC/DC converter topology is proposed that employs an auxiliary network. Steady-state analysis and computer simulations are performed and show how this simple auxiliary network compensates the original topology by improving the efficiency and reducing the resonant inductor voltage stress. A prototype of the modified topology is constructed and experimental analysis supports the theoretical results. Operating curves and a design example help to realize optimum values of the major components. To further improve the performance, the use of MOSFETs as synchronous rectifiers in place of diode rectifiers is proposed. Two examples of synchronous rectifier topologies that are applicable to the converter under study are investigated. Computer simulation shows the feasibility of employing synchronous rectification with the modified APWM series resonant DC/DC converter.


identifier: Sefidcon, Azimeh  (1999) Feature interactions detection in intelligent networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Intelligent Networks (IN) have been introduced for rapid development and deployment of new services. However, these new services may interact with old ones in a negative and unexpected manner. This is known as feature interaction (FI) problem. In this thesis, a new pragmatic approach for feature interaction detection is proposed. A pragmatic method for FI detection is based on the gained experience from the study of the known FIs. In this approach, the causes of FIs given in Bellcore and European benchmarks serve as the starting point. The sufficient information for feature description is derived from these causes. This information is modelled using an object-oriented template. Features are described in terms of necessary resources and actions. Feature participants call model, their triggering constraints and operations describe the behaviour of the feature. The detection method takes these models as input and checks for interactions between features. The method consists of three parts: filtering algorithm, feature instantiation and detection algorithm. Using the filtering algorithm, all the possible interaction-prone scenarios are produced and the actual features are instantiated using the list of topologically different call combinations. The detection algorithm is run on these actual participants of the features in order to detect potential interactions. The approach has been implemented as a tool and applied successfully to the existing feature interaction benchmarks.


identifier: Busby, Cathy J  (1999) Tragedies, transgressions, and transformations : memory, suffering, pain, and recovery culture.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this study of the movement of private pain into public spaces, I have analysed the interests that inform pain discourse and have investigated and documented understandings of pain and how the telling of it has been received.  Pain is felt within the confines of the body. In the process of making sense of pain stories I both walked with people in pain to document first hand accounts and inserted textual analyses of pain mediations. This study of recovery culture is informed by historical and current self-help literature. This enabled me to understand ways pain has been constructed in public discourse.  One site of this analysis is the recent debates of child sexual abuse. Another is the development of the autopathography investigated here as a regularity and a way of reinhabiting the space of pain in public discourse. This thesis proposes expanding public spaces for pain through juxtaposed categories, developed out of my research and experiments in the visual arts.


identifier: Flores, Cecilia  (2000) Role of basic fibroblast growth factor in the development of sensitization to the effects of amphetamine.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Repeated exposure to the stimulant drug, amphetamine, results in long-lasting increases in its effects on locomotor activity, reward and dopaminergic function. The precise mechanisms responsible for this persistent drug-induced sensitization are unknown, but evidence suggests that neuroadaptations initiated in the cell body region of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and dependent on glutamatergic transmission underlie its development. In this thesis, the hypothesis that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a neurotrophic factor produced by astrocytes, plays a crucial role in the development of sensitization was tested. A series of experiments was conducted to assess whether bFGF expression in cell body regions of dopaminergic neurons is altered by repeated administration of amphetamine, whether this effect is dependent on glutamatergic activation, and whether blockade of bFGF actions in midbrain dopaminergic cell body regions prevents the development of sensitization. It was found that repeated administration of amphetamine induces prolonged increases in the expression of astrocytic bFGF in midbrain dopaminergic cell body regions and that this effect depends on glutamatergic activation. Furthermore, it was shown that, in animals that exhibit behavioral sensitization, bFGF expression in midbrain dopaminergic cell body regions is strongly and positively correlated with the magnitude of sensitization that develops. In a final experiment it was found that when amphetamine injections are preceded by infusions of a neutralizing antibody to bFGF into the cell body region of dopaminergic cells, the development of behavioral sensitization is prevented indicating that bFGF plays a critical role in the development of sensitization to amphetamine.  It is argued that repeated exposure to stimulant drugs increases the demands on dopaminergic cell functioning and, thus, stimulates the recruitment of neurotrophic and neuroprotective substances, such as bFGF. The actions of bFGF, in turn, give rise either directly or indirectly to enduring neuronal changes that underlie sensitized responding to further drug exposure. Although, the mechanisms whereby bFGF exerts its effects to induce the kinds of long-lasting neuroadaptations underlying sensitization to the effects of amphetamine remain to be unraveled, the findings from this thesis provide the first evidence that the neurotrophic factor bFGF is critically involved.


identifier: Derome, Dominique  (1999) Moisture occurrence in roof assemblies containing moisture storing insulation and its impact on the durability of building envelope.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Moisture storing insulation such as cellulose has gained a large segment of the residential market, both in new and retrofit construction. Moisture deposited by exfiltration and adsorbed within the envelope reduces the thermal performance of the envelope and favors fungus growth leading to deterioration of the materials and contamination of the indoor air. Roof assemblies thus insulated are particularly vulnerable to the mechanism of moisture accumulation.  The objective of this study is to investigate the pattern of moisture accumulation in single cavity flat roofs fully insulated with cellulose insulation. Through an extensive experimental program using two test huts in an environmental chamber, patterns of moisture movement and accumulation for a full wetting-drying cycle have been developed for the first time. Using these results for validation, a model using the water potential concept as the driving force for moisture movement was developed to simulate the complete wetting and drying of wood components within the envelope.  Within an Environmental Chamber, which allows for testing full scale specimens, a 190-day test with daily cyclic conditions was designed and performed during which moisture transfer was monitored with electronic sensors and gravimetry. The test consisted of eight flat roof assemblies fully insulated with cellulose subjected to one complete, quasi real-time wetting-drying cycle. The research presents a methodology to evaluate the performance of retrofitting energy efficiency measures using moisture storing insulation in residential buildings.  An hygrothermal model using the concept of water potential gradient as the driving force for moisture movement in wood has been developed for flat roofs insulated with cellulose and integrated into an existing finite element computer model. The model includes the geometrical representation of the wood component, moisture content-water potential relationships, effective water conductivity and mass and heat transfer coefficients. The results from the computer model compare favorably with the experimental results and validate the use of the water potential approach in predicting moisture movement through building envelope assemblies.  The experimental and modeling data document the moisture condition of the assemblies. This moisture condition is an indicator of durability in terms of fungus growth. Design guidelines have been derived from this study for flat roof assemblies incorporating moisture storing materials. This information can be used by the designer to evaluate the hygrothermal performance and the durability of his/her design.


identifier: El-Agroudy, Amr Adel  (1999) Investigation of constructed wetlands capability to remove mercury from contaminated waters.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Wetlands have been known as an efficient and low-cost technology in treating wastewater. It was reported that wetlands (natural and constructed) were used to purify (a) municipal; (b) industrial; (c) acidic; and (d) agricultural wastewater. Mercury has been used intensively by wide variety of industries because of its unique properties. Consequently, it was present at various levels in wastewater discharged. The ability of constructed wetlands to serve as a sink of mercury before entering larger aquatic systems has not been investigated. This study focuses on the capability of constructed wetlands (Free Water Surface) to remove mercury from contaminated water/wastewater and reduce the widespread dispersion of the toxic substance to streams, rivers, reservoirs, and oceans. Mercury removal pathways considered in the study are sorption to the solid phase and uptake by plants.  Current design approaches of constructed wetlands lack essential parameters necessary to optimise their capabilities for mercury removal. To evaluate these parameters a combination of experimental and numerical modeling approaches were undertaken.  Experimental investigations were conducted to investigate the ability of Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes )--floating plants--and Reeds ( Phragmites communis )--rooted plants--to remove inorganic mercury compounds from water. Kinetics of mercury removal by floating and rooted plants in the concentration range of 5 to 150 ppb were investigated and the apparent removal rate coefficients were determined for a first order kinetic model.  Numerical modeling investigations were then carried out to: (a) expand the results obtained in the experimental phase by examining the distribution of mercury forms in water including: HgOH +1 , Hg(OH) 3 -1 , Hg +2 , H9Cl +1 , HgCl 2 (aq), HgCl 3 -1 , HgCl 4 -2 , HgClOH (aq) and evaluating the amount of bioavailable mercury for plant uptake; (b) verify the effects of pH, temperature, and chloride concentrations in water on Hg speciation; (c) assess characteristics of mercury adsorption on four different sediment materials (kaolinite, natural soil, glokonite, and bentonite) at three pH values and three different adsorbent medium for five initial mercury concentrations (1E-7 to 1E-3 moles) using a triple layer adsorption model.  The major results suggest that--properly designed--constructed wetlands can remove up to 95% of mercury discharged within short period of 3 days. The removal process occurs at in two phases fast and around 10 times slower thereafter. The uptake of the bioavailable form of mercury (He 2 +2 ) was influenced mainly by the pH of the water discharged. Higher adsorbent mass concentration in sediments and higher pH result in less amount of bioavailable mercury. The amount of bioavailable mercury was proportional to the initial mercury concentrations. It was concluded also that mercury has high affinity to be sorbed on all tested sediment mediums.  The findings of this research could be also applied in preparing environmental risk impact assessments and could be considered as the first nuclei of establishing regulations (codes) governing the design of constructed wetlands to remove mercury from contaminated waters. However, a pilot field study is still necessary to validate the experimental results.


identifier: Faraj, Rajab  (2000) Modeling and analysis of self-similar traffic in ATM networks.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: ATM is considered by the International Consultative Committee for Telephone and Telegraph (CCITT) as the preferred transfer mode for B-ISDN. Both the need for flexible networks and the progress in technology and system concepts led to the definition of the ATM principle. ATM will provide the means to transport, at broadband rates, the traffic generated by a wide range of multimedia services. ATM is suitable for the multimedia traffic environment because it offers a great flexibility and efficiency in the use of available. resources.  In this thesis we generate, model and find performance measures of self-similar traffic, which is frequently encountered in the ATM environment. We study the modeling and performance measures of Ethernet and VBR video data. However, the main emphasis in the dissertation is VBR video data. In addition, we propose a model that can be applied to this kind of correlated traffic. The model is based on multiple type ON-OFF sources. We compare the model with those that are available to correlated traffic. Finally, we apply the proposed model to congestion and admission control.


identifier: Khataie, Manijeh  (1999) Structured vector quantizers in image coding.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Image data compression is concerned with the minimization of the volume of data used to represent an image. In recent years, image compression algorithms using Vector Quantization (VQ) have been receiving considerable attention. Unstructured vector quantizers, i.e., those with no restriction on the geometrical structure of the codebook, suffer from two basic drawbacks, viz., the codebook search complexity and the large storage requirement. This explains the interest in the structured VQ schemes, such as lattice-based VQ and multi-stage VQ.  The objective of this thesis is to devise techniques to reduce the complexity of vector quantizers. In order to reduce the codebook search complexity and memory requirement, a universal Gaussian codebook in a residual VQ or a lattice-based VQ is used. To achieve a better performance, a part of work has been done in the frequency domain. Specifically, in order to retain the high-frequency coefficients in transform coding, two methods are suggested. One is developed for moderate to high rate data compression while the other is effective for low to moderate data rate.  In the first part of this thesis, a residual VQ using a low rate optimal VQ in the first-stage and a Gaussian codebook in the other stages are introduced. From rate distortion theory, for most memoryless sources and many Gaussian sources with memory, the quantization error under MSE criterion, for small distortion, is memoryless and Gaussian. For VQ with a realistic rate, the error signal has a non-Gaussian distribution. It is shown that the distribution of locally normalized error signals, however, becomes close to a Gaussian distribution.  In the second part, a new two-stage quantizer is proposed. The function of the first stage is to encode the more important low-pass components of the image and that of the second is to do the same for the high-frequency components ignored in the first stage. In one scheme, a high-rate lattice-based vector quantizer is used as the quantizer for both stages. In another scheme, the standard JPEG with a low rate is used as the quantizer of the first stage, and a lattice-based VQ is used for the second stage. The resulting bit rate of the two-stage lattice-based VQ in either scheme is found to be considerably better than that of JPEG for moderate to high bit rates.  In the third part of the thesis, a method to retain the high-frequency coefficients is proposed by using a relatively huge codebook obtained by truncating the lattices with a large radius. As a result, a large number of points fall inside the boundary of the codebook, and thus, the images are encoded with high quality and low complexity: To reduce the bit rate, a shorter representation is assigned to the more frequently used lattice points. To index the large number of lattice points which fall inside the boundary, two methods that are based on grouping of the lattice points according to their frequencies of occurrence are proposed. For most of the test images, the proposed methods of retaining high-frequency coefficients is found to outperform JPEG


identifier: Collins, Laura  (1999) Marking time : the acquisition of tense and grammatical aspect by French-speaking learners of English.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The two cross-sectional studies reported on here ( N = 70; N = 91) were designed to explore the relative influences of lexical asp aspect and first language (L1) knowledge on the second language (L2) acquisition of verb morphology. The participants were adult French-speaking learners of English who represented a wide range of proficiency in their knowledge of simple past. The analyses examined the degree to which the learners' appropriate and inappropriate use of tense/aspect markers in past contexts supported the predictions of the aspect hypothesis (Andersen and Shirai, 1994; Bardovi-Harlig, 1994), and the degree to which it showed influence from French, their (L1).  The findings showed that both factors played a role. French-speaking learners were significantly more successful in using past morphology with telics (accomplishments and achievements) and had the most difficulty with statives. Lexical aspect also appeared to influence the forms that competed for simple past: there was greater use of progressive with activities, and simple present with statives. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the aspect hypothesis, and partially consistent with previous research with L2 learners of English from other L1 backgrounds. Francophones also showed evidence of L1 influence in their inappropriate use of perfect (a French-influenced form) with telics, a finding that has not been reported in previous research. The interpretation of the findings takes into account individual variation and developmental constraints. The thesis concludes with some discussion of the potential implications of the findings for second language pedagogy.


identifier: Daubner, Ernestine  (2000) Allegories of nature, culture, gender : dialogues with Marcel Duchamp's Étant donnés-.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation consists of three interrelated dialogues with Marcel Duchamp's provocative installation, Étant donnés: 1 ̕la chute d'eau, 2 ̕le gaz d'éclairage (1946-66). By conducting dialogues with this artist's "givens" from three different positions, I make evident the intersubjective or interactive nature of the art encounter: how the ideological and conceptual positions of the viewer or interlocutor serve to re-write or re-present that object. My first dialogue is from the position of a Duchampian scholar who "strips bare" the artist's philosophical (patatautological) position and dialogic imagination. This stripping reveals the artist as encoder of two allegorical modes. My position as a feminist historian of art and culture informs my other dialogues with Duchamp's allegories of nature, culture and gender. A collision between my givens and those of the artist, the second dialogue exhibits Duchamp's Etant donnés ... as a series of specular games with Western epistemologies and histories that inscribe "woman" as the "other" of culture. In my third dialogue or "allegory of reading," I draw on the blindness and insights of Duchamp's gender games and disclose how they serve to perpetuate readymade givens and thus to undermine his patatautological position. At the same time this deconstructive dialogue is an intervention which brings to the fore an array of obscured histories of women as agents of culture as well as diverse feminist perspectives that create a slippage in the boundaries between female-nature and male-culture.


identifier: Dorozynski, Janet  (2000) Fertility, feminism, and family policy : a study of Québec demographic discourse and government documents, 1970-1997.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation examines the influence of Québec feminist demographic discourse on Québec Government policy documents, specifically a sample produced between 1970 and 1997. It begins with the premise that Québec demographic discourse and Government family policy measures have their basis in epistemologies and methodologies which fail to identify women's experiences as problematic and are incompatible with feminist principles of gender equality and autonomy. In addition, women's reproductive behaviour and declining fertility have been linked to issues of national survival, cultural identity, and linguistic concerns. As such, in order to question and unpack the ideological and patriarchal basis of knowledge, discourse and policy, the first part of the study proposes a framework which combines a feminist standpoint epistemology with a synthesis of the concepts of patriarchy and ideology. A subsequent review of the Québec demographic literature since 1970 reveals the divergence between mainstream and feminist demographic discourse in terms of the types of issues discussed and the way in which they have been theorized. On the basis of these findings, the second part of the dissertation conducts a textual content analysis of a sample of ninety-two Québec Government documents on family policy, fertility and related demographic issues, to determine if and how themes and issues from Québec feminist demographic discourse have influenced the corpus of documents. The investigation concludes that while Québec feminist demographic discourse has been moderately influential on the corpus of government documents, especially those produced by the Conseil du statut de la femme, the pronatalist and nationalist tendencies of Québec mainstream demographic discourse have been incorporated into the corpus to a larger degree. Furthermore, due to the relative absence of family policy measures responsive to the recommendations of the Conseil du statut de la femme, the influence of Québec feminist demographic discourse on Québec Government family policy during the period of study remains inconclusive.


identifier: Letovsky, Robert  (1999) Public policy and the Quebec aerospace sector.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For over 150 years, governments around the world have adopted various types of policy measures to influence not only the level but also the nature of economic activity within their jurisdictions. These measures have commonly been referred to as "industrial policy". Since the end of WW II, governments in most developed and some developing countries have oriented their industrial policy programs to promote the growth of high technology industries within their borders. Such industries are seen to offer benefits which spread throughout the national economy.  Using the Quebec aerospace sector as a case study, and drawing on both secondary research and interviews with firms and government officials active in the sector, the research addresses several questions. First, why do some areas develop successful and ongoing clusters of innovative, high technology industries? Second, what has been the role of public policy, if any, in the inception and ongoing success of these clusters? Third, how has public policy in this area evolved over time, and why?  The research will describe and explain the evolution of industrial policy initiatives as they have been implemented in Quebec towards the aerospace sector. In order to provide a baseline to evaluate the degree of public sector involvement, the research will also examine the province's successful pharmaceutical sector  Drawing on the concept of the multi-firm production network characterized by extensive inter-firm learning, the research will describe the types of industrial clusters which can exist, and the benefits which accrue to participating firms. It will then show that the Quebec aerospace sector is indeed a successful and self-sustaining agglomeration of firms. Further, this research will suggest that public policy initiatives have had a degree of impact, if only indirect, on both the inception of and the ongoing development of the sector. Finally, the research will identify several factors, notably the ascendancy of conservative fiscal policy and the increasing importance of multilateral trade agreements, which have led to the changes in the way the public sector supports and encourages the sector.


identifier: McKercher, Catherine  (2000) From newspaper guild to multimedia union : a study in labour convergence.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the 1960s, the unions representing newspaper workers in North America have confronted two interconnected forms of convergence that have dramatically altered the workplaces and the work of their members. Between them, corporate and technological convergence have transformed newspapers from community-based enterprises into minor holdings of massive empires, hollowed out the labour process and blurred the edges of previously distinct media forms. In response, the unions have undertaken a convergence of their own, transforming themselves through a series of mergers into unions that represent a broad spectrum of communications workers. This study, covering the period from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, focuses on The Newspaper Guild, the union of journalists and white-collar news workers, which merged with the Communications Workers of America in the mid-1990s. This act of convergence was accompanied by a parallel act of divergence/convergence, when a number of Canadian newsworkers' locals chose instead to join the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. Convergence reached new levels within one of those locals, when Pacific Press consolidated its seven bargaining units into one. This study finds that while labour convergence remains a work in progress, the converged unions are in a stronger position to assert their claim as unions for the information age.


identifier: Alix, Yann  (1999) Les enjeux de la distribution géographique des flux conteneurisés canadiens sur l'espace terrestre nord-américain.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The objective of this research is to provide a geographical analysis of Canadian container flows and an assessment of the concept of trade diversion in the context of the North American free trade zone. Data are drawn from a commercial source that allow the competitive structure of the flows to be determined. The geographical dynamics of the traffic are examined from the perspective of the international maritime foreland and the terrestrial hinterland in North America. The intensity of flows between overseas regions and provincial markets are investigated in detail to assess the scope of traffic capture of Canadian containers by the intermodal transport systems of the United States. The research dissects the trend towards massification and specialisation by analysing the opinions of the principal actors in the trade on both East and West Coasts. The persistence of public authorities in the management of national transport systems perpetuates the concept of traffic diversion despite the transnational integration of intermodal networks. The research demonstrates that traffic diversions take place at a number of geographic scales, linking Canadian flow patterns with the global economy.


identifier: Cahyono, Bambang Yudi  (2000) Rhetorical strategies in the English and Indonesian persuasive essays of Indonesian University students.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate rhetorical strategies in the English and Indonesian persuasive essays of Indonesian university students. Comparisons of rhetorical strategies were carried out across university majors, across languages, and across university-year cohorts. The correlation between rhetorical strategies used in English persuasive essays and overall proficiency in English composition were also examined.  Undergraduate students of the State University of Malang, Indonesia, were asked to write persuasive essays on whether violence on TV programs should be restricted. Third-year students majoring in Indonesian wrote essays in Indonesian, fourth-year students majoring in English wrote essays in Indonesian and in English, and first-year students majoring in English wrote essays in English. The rhetorical strategies were examined in terms of Connor and Lauer's (1988) model consisting of three measures: the superstructure of argument, the Toulmin model of informal reasoning, and the persuasive appeals. The overall proficiency in English composition was evaluated using Jacobs et al's (1981) "ESL composition profile".  The fourth-year students' Indonesian and English essays were more like each other than like the Indonesian essays of colleagues who majored in Indonesian. It is suggested that this may be caused by their exposure to English rhetoric. The finding that the fourth-year students were more successful than the first-year students in using rhetorical strategies in English persuasive essays might be attributed to the role of instruction. Overall proficiency in English composition was a good predictor of success in using rhetorical strategies in English persuasive essays.


identifier: Beaumont, Julie  (2000) The relation between parents' and trained observers' ratings of quality of school-age care programs : satisfaction levels and selection criteria.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The main purpose of this study was to examine whether parents assigned higher quality ratings to school-age care centres than trained observers. Parents' and trained observers' measured the global quality of 20 school-age care centres using the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS; Harms, Jacobs, & White, 1996). Comparisons revealed that in the lower quality centres, parents were overestimating quality, however, there was little indication as to which specific areas parents seemed less knowledgeable about. Parents' satisfaction levels were measured showing that overall, parents were highly satisfied with the care their children were receiving. Correlations between parents' satisfaction ratings and trained observers' measures of quality indicated that parents' satisfaction levels were independent of centre quality, that is, whether the quality was low or high, parents' levels of satisfaction were high. When parents were looking for school-age care, location emerged as the most significantly important variable for parents to consider. When parents' search patterns were examined, no significant differences emerged between the school-based and non-school-based groups, however, there was some indication that parents in the school-based group were less likely to visit their chosen program before enrolling their child. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also discussed.


identifier: Gage, Holly M  (2000) An exploratory investigation of middle childhood friendships, quality of care and children's satisfaction with school-age care programs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This exploratory investigation was conducted to address the issue of middle childhood friendships in relation to 8-to-12-year-old children's levels of satisfaction and willingness to return to school-age programs the following year. Various aspects of middle childhood friendships were explored in this study: (1) number of friendships, (2) types of friendships, and (3) children's perceptions of the extent to which school-age program's accommodated their friendship needs. Quality of care as assessed by trained observers using the School-Age Care Environment Scale (SACERS) was also measured in relation to older school-age children's satisfaction and willingness to return to these programs using the Children's Perspectives of School-Age Care Questionnaire. In addition, three particular dimensions of quality (i.e., intermittent supervision, free choice in programming, and leadership opportunities) believed to be important to older children were also examined in relation to children's satisfaction and willingness to return to these programs. Fifty-four children from five different school-based child care programs participated in the present study. The information was gathered from children via questionnaires that were administered individually in a group setting. Results indicated that quality as assessed by trained observers (i.e., SACERS) was negatively related to children's levels of satisfaction with these programs. Programs that were perceived by children to accommodate their friendship needs were related to increased levels of satisfaction, as well as a greater willingness to return to these programs. The nomination of more best friends attending the programs was associated with increased willingness to return to the programs. Children expressed higher levels of satisfaction and willingness to return to these programs when they perceived their programs as providing them with more free choice. However, in relation to the SACERS quality scores, free choice and leadership opportunities were negatively associated.


identifier: Caron, Jeanette  (2000) Virtual insights : the design, development and evaluation of a strategy for online communication in teacher professional development.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis discusses the process of the design, development and evaluation of a strategy for online communication within a model of professional development for teachers and the results of an eight-month pilot project involving two school teams. The pilot project involved two school teams and an online process with a newsgroup, email, and online mentors. The strategy for online communication was designed to support a constructivist-based environment. Considerations for the design and development of an online communication strategy for a model of professional development include: the instructional needs of the learners, the needs of the model for professional development as a self-sustaining system, and support mechanisms for the new media and novice learners. Participatory evaluation methods were used to assess the strategy for online communication. Insight into the integration of participatory evaluation methods into the instructional design process of building an online community suggest that participatory evaluation methods have potential, but require a significant amount of timing, planning and resources.


identifier: Kakkar, Mariam  (2000) Education in places of temporary asylum : the case of Afghan refugees living in Peshawar.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This is an exploratory case study that documents Afghan refugees' educational experiences in Peshawar, Pakistan. The central question of this thesis asks: how Afghans educational needs are met through the educational/training institutions available to them? In the absence of theoretical studies on refugee education, this study used a comparative approach in reviewing the literature for general trends and patterns of various refugee experiences. It appears that the educational needs of Afghans refugees are not being met. This is in large part due to the lack of organisation by many governmental, non-governmental and UN organisations working on behalf of these refugees, lack of employment opportunities in Peshawar and lack of trust and collaboration amongst the refugees. Refugee groups are viewed as unique. Yet there exists some common recurrent patterns in all refugee experiences in places of temporary asylum. Unfortunately, the lessons learned from past refugee situations have not been applied here. Fieldworkers and administrators working with refugees in places of temporary asylum need time to reflect and study past refugee experiences before attempting to implement educational programs. It is only through an examination of past refugee movements that we can prepare proper strategies to serve the needs of the next wave of refugees.


identifier: Lalonde, Lucie  (2000) An examination of science fiction with a view towards improving scientific literacy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Scientific and technological literacy is important in order to have a population that can evaluate new scientific and technological developments. For this, new educational strategies need to be found that promote scientific literacy in science education.  This study examined one aspect of popular culture, science fiction books for children, in an attempt to determine if science fiction would make an effective tool in elementary science education. A content analysis of science fiction books for children was conducted using an evaluation chart created for this purpose. The chart contained five main categories of information. They were: the physical aspects of the book, the science issues the story illustrates, the types and veracity of the science portrayed, the aspects that relate to teacher use of science fiction in the classroom, and the societal issues that surround each story.  This study concluded that science fiction stories aimed at elementary school students contain useful information with regard to their ability to increase scientific literacy. There are several implications of these results. For example, the science curriculum could be developed to include the use of science fiction stories. In addition, pre-service and in-service teacher education could be used to increase teacher awareness of the value of science fiction stories for science education.


identifier: Chiarelli, Lorraine Esther  (2000) A literature review on facilitating on-line collaboration of learning teams : can education learn from business and other disciplines?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The information age has brought about profound social change in the ways we work, learn, and communicate. Within today's business environment the hierarchical work structures of the past are being decentralized creating the need for team-based organizations. This decentralization is slowly finding its way into higher education, as well, and challenging the traditional model of learning and instruction. In both business and education this team-oriented process is being pushed forward by the ever increasing use of technology; specifically computer-mediated communication and the internet.  However, though changes have occurred and are occurring there is research to suggest that many learners are not being prepared to enter the world of teams and technology. Business has been dealing with teamwork issues for sometime, but for instructional organizations this new phenomena poses a challenge since the re are few examples of how to design and organize on-line collaborative learning environments.  As an analysis of the literature this thesis is designed to introduce aspects of business literature, as well as other closely related topic areas such as group dynamics and computer-mediated communication technology, into the educational environment. The focus is on the strategies, suggestions and organizational aids that can be implemented as part of instruction to assist learners in becoming more effective on-line team members. Also included are suggestions regarding how the institutional environment and the technology can be structured and organized to help facilitate team collaboration.


identifier: Hood, Linda Christine  (2000) The formative evaluation of a retirement simulation game.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The design, development and of a formative evaluation of a simulation game RetireWise is described. The simulation game was created to assist with retirement planning. It serves as both an icebreaker and as an advanced organizer to help participants determine what information they need to collect at a retirement seminar by employing a cooperative method. The study was conducted with 4 groups of participants at two companies. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered immediately before and directly after the simulation game. Two facilitators provided input as did organizers at two companies. Four financial planners and the Director of the Dobson Centre evaluated the simulation game. The results showed that the simulation game enabled the participants to take stock of how well prepared they were for retirement. In many cases, participants realized that they were not prepared and were in a better position as a result of the experience to know what information they needed to collect. The participants took ownership for planning their retirement and recommended the experience to family, friends and colleagues. Comments regarding the evaluation of the simulation game as well as suggestions for further research are discussed.


identifier: Lloyd, David  (2000) Improving employee commitment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Improving employee commitment

abstract: An important influence for developing high performance employees is their level of commitment to an organization's success. This study, at a transportation consulting company, used a needs assessment methodology to identify: (1) What commitment means to employees? (2) Whether people are committed? And, (3) if people are not committed, how can their level of commitment be increased? The research found that the majority of the people sampled were classified as highly committed. However, a subgroup of the sample, the training development group, was identified as significantly (p = .016) less committed than others. The reason for these people being less committed to the organization was based on various systemic influences, organizational problems, and perceived poor employee needs satisfaction. The systemic and organizational level issues included the constant downsizing and re-organizations of the department, separation from the main group, the parent company's influence, and poor perceptions of organizational communications and working environment. On an individual level, people were dissatisfied with their level of job enjoyment, personal growth opportunities, sense of control and importance people felt in their jobs, recognition, and the level of personal and job support they received. The study concluded, that in order to increase employee commitment, in those identified as less committed, management will need to focus efforts in two main areas: (1) improving people's perceptions of the organization and its meaningfulness to them; (2) improving people's level of need's satisfaction, in key areas such as recognition, feedback, job enjoyment, and personal growth opportunities.


identifier: Blomgren, Lance  (2000) Walkups : documentaries and commentary : a series of prose poems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Walkups is a series of linked narrative prose poems set in various Montreal apartments. Titled after the outdoor "walkup" staircases typical of Montreal's row-house architecture, these pieces take the reader on a tour of some of the city's apartments, providing glimpses into the ways in which our designed living spaces influence our attitudes and perceptions: the building blocks (indeed, architecture) of our notions of self. Composed as a series of poetic documentaries, Walkups presents detailed, voyeuristic snapshots of the goings-on and mundane dramas that people enact within their private spaces.


identifier: Denesiuk, Marci  (2000) The far away home.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The far away home

abstract: In this collection of short stories, each protagonist is seeking some kind of home, whether it be a physical location or a sense of belonging. By exploring this theme, my writing develops different notions of "home." The stories are also closely linked by their realistic style, colloquial voice, and use of outside references such as fairy tales and song lyrics. While each piece can stand on its own, these stories with complimentary themes and styles can be understood as a whole.


identifier: Green, Michael Douglas  (2000) Social critique in the major novels of John Wyndham : civilization's secrets and nature's truths.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: John Wyndham's four major novels: The Day of the Triffids , The Kraken Wakes , The Chrysalids , and The Midwich Cuckoos . Wyndham has been dismissed by many critics as a writer of "cosy catastrophes", a term coined by Brian Aldiss. This title is meant to suggest that Wyndham's works are critically insignificant, and that, as Nicholas Ruddick suggests, they do not repay serious critical attention. I would argue that not only do Wyndham's works repay critical attention, but that there is consistent social criticism inherent in these works. In the four novels in question, Wyndham seems preoccupied with a number of ideas. He attacks the power of Big Business, Government, and the Military, and what I would characterize as their "Cult of Secrecy". Wyndham also criticizes irrational faith in any ideology, particularly in nationalism, Scientism (or the power of science to solve humanity's problems), and religion. Finally, Wyndham seems specifically concerned with the fate of humankind in light of Darwinian ideas of evolution and survival of the fittest.


identifier: Murphy, Arin  (2000) Reconstructing the past in the academic novel : the concept of nostalgia in Thatcher Britain.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the effects of the British Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher upon the portrayal of the past and the use of nostalgia in academic novels of the period. After situating the economic status of higher education during the early Thatcher era, and examining the academic novel as a genre, attention shifts to a study of Graham Swift's Waterland , A. S. Byatt's Possession , and David Lodge's Nice Work . It is demonstrated that these authors each reacted to the Thatcher environment by addressing such questions as, "Will I still have a job?" and "Will I still be necessary?" in response to the academic and economic environments of the time. By tracing the use of nostalgia within these works, and comparing it to the official Thatcher-endorsed nostalgia, the thesis explores how the humanities' conception of history and the past are revealed as necessary in order to enable the public to forge a sustaining personal connection between the present and the past. Ultimately, it can be shown that only by uniting the economic sphere and the academic humanities can enriching progress occur in either realm, and this is the solution offered by these authors in response to the Thatcherite use of nostalgia for the nineteenth century as incentive for modern economic success.


identifier: Roy, James E  (2000) "Baits for curious tasts" : the Gothic as a heuristic in the poetics of Andrew Marvell.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis proposes that in his efforts to produce iconography for the leaders of mid-seventeenth century England, Marvell foreshadows certain Gothic literary conventions usually associated with eighteenth century prose. Attention is given to similarities between the contemporary logic of casuistry--the means by which individuals adopted their personal beliefs to the demands of political necessity--and methods of forming national identity based upon gothicist historiography. Developments within the respresentational arts, and their influence upon political and religious perceptions are also explored in relation to Marvell's use of deformed visual imagery Two chapters trace the ambiguous combination of praise and blame found in both Marvell's panegyrics and his satires and juxtapose the resulting ambivalence with the poet's interest in the interconnectedness of political and aesthetic issues. Special attention to Marvell's grotesque imagery, his use of emblems, and their correlation to the poet's anonymous style links the two chapters. At the end of each chapter a suggestion is made regarding the influence of Marvell's "Gothic" iconography upon his modern conception of literary history.


identifier: Sircom, Margaret A  (2000) Cutting clear.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Cutting clear

abstract: The short stories in this collection explore the effects of having belonged to the Canadian subculture of treeplanters. Most of the main characters are ex-treeplanters: young, or to their dismay, not so young, middle class women and men who have experienced hard, seasonal labour in the Canadian wilderness. They may have taken up planting in the first place as a means to pay for university or travelling, or to support their music or art, but most of them returned to it year after year, finding in it something more compelling than just the money. Now, they have quit, or are on the brink of quitting planting, in some cases due to the physical injuries caused by the job. They are trying to get a life outside of planting but are crippled by their connections to their past planting experiences.  The protagonists' attempts to grapple with these connections--connections which take the form of relationships, fears (of bears or nine-to-five jobs), environmental or class awareness--are often ambiguous or ineffective. But by the end of the stories their view of planting, whether utopic or dystopic has been tested. They are forced to see how their view affects the people around them and the choices, or lack of choice, it provides.


identifier: Wright, David N  (2000) Machine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Machine

abstract: "This long poem combines a poetic narrative with citations from critical texts to create an environment in which the poem offers a theoretical and interpretive approach to its contents. Structured into eight books, the poem explores the isolation and alienation created in a world which is slowly enveloped by a machine. As well, it examines how the individual and the machine are alike when they must comment on their environment using the language and opinions of a specific culture. While attempting to find new space in the literary tradition, this poem breaks from conventional poetic modes by offering a style of poetics which reflects the automated media of the contemporary world."


identifier: Khoday, Amar  (2000) The Lokamanya and the Sardar : two generations of Congress 'communalism'.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Antagonism among various religious communities and particularly between Hindus and Muslims has become a recurring feature of the public sphere in South Asia. This antagonism fed a steady growth of Muslim separatism in British India which led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the evidence of such communal attitudes within the major movement dedicated to achieving Indian nationhood, the Indian National Congress. From its founding in 1885, the organization espoused secular ideals and a broad vision of Indian nationalism which would be inclusive of all religious communities. Nevertheless, a strong undercurrent of Hindu chauvinism was evident early in its history and contributed to the weakening of political and communal harmony from the early 1890s to the late 1940s. Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920) and Sardar Vallabhbhai J. Patel (1875-1950) were two powerful leaders who helped to nurture this Hindu chauvinism over a period of two generations of political activism. This thesis investigates how Tilak and Patel's demonization of Muslims in the print media and the relegation of Muslims to limited roles within Congress helped to enfeeble the secular goals of Congress, despite the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)


identifier: McNabb, Heather  (1999) Montreal's Scottish community, 1835-65 : a preliminary study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Some of the members of Montreal's Scottish community were among the most powerful and influential men in Canada throughout most of the nineteenth century. The life stories and successes of many of these individuals are well known. Most of the available literature reinforces the popular perception of the Scots in Montreal as a prosperous group of merchants and businessmen. Apart from the successful individuals, however, very little is known about the Scottish community in Montreal. Because there is little information available to the contrary, one might assume by implication that this group of successful Scots was more or less united by common values, religious beliefs, and ideals. This was certainly true of a select group within the community, but does not describe the majority of the population. This is only a beginning to a study of the community. For this reason, it is limited to a brief examination of two major institutions of the Scottish community in nineteenth-century Montreal; the Scottish Presbyterian churches and the Saint Andrew's Society. The study is also limited to the period of thirty years between 1835 and 1865 . These three decades represent a time of great development and change in Montreal, as well as a period of growth and transition for the institutions of the Scottish community. It was in this era that many of Montreal's most renowned nineteenth century Scottish immigrants arrived, obtained, and began to extend their economic power and influence from within this city.


identifier: Josgrilberg, Fabio B  (2000) Retelling Michel de Certeau.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Retelling Michel de Certeau

abstract: This study is a theoretical exploration of Michel de Certeau's theories. The emphasis is placed on his notion of "tactics". Some of the issues to be addressed are: the tension existent in every social organization in terms of controlled "places" and dynamic "spaces", and the theorization of the figure of the "addressee" which, as this study argues, is a central and complementary step to de Certeau's ideas. The conclusion suggests an alternative reading of the notion of "tactics" supported by concepts developed by rhetorical theory.


identifier: Taube-Schiff, Marlene  (1999) Opioid induction of Fos in the female rat brain : modulation by ovarian hormones.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Previous research has shown that opioid drugs have profound effects on female reproduction. It has also been established that ovarian hormones exert control over opioid peptide synthesis and opioid receptor gene expression. The present thesis investigated functional pathways by which opioids affect the sexual behaviour of female rats, by examining the induction of Fos protein. Ovariectomized, sexually experienced Long Evans rats (n = 48) were implanted stereotaxically with guide cannulae aimed at the right lateral ventricle. One group of rats was treated with estradiol benzoate (10 og) 48 hr and progesterone (250 og) 4 hr before testing, another group was treated with EB-alone and a third group was treated with oil. Females were infused with the selective o-receptor agonist, DAMGO, the selective e-receptor agonist, DPDPE, the selective m-receptor agonist, U50-488, or saline. All rats were sacrificed 75 min after the drug infusion. The induction of Fos immunoreactivity was analyzed in the lateral septum, medial preoptic area, ventromedial hypothalamus, medial amygdala, and mesencephalic central gray. The present study found that Fos immunoreactivity was induced differentially by the opioid agonists within the different brain regions, and the hormones either augmented or had no effect on the induction. These data demonstrate that estrogen and progesterone alter the ability of opioid agonists to induce Fos protein within different regions of the female rat brain. These results contribute to the understanding of opioid actions within the female rat brain.


identifier: Crelinsten, Linda  (2000) Public participation in health care decision-making : the Canadian experience.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Public participation in the policy process is being encouraged, is happening more frequently and is more valued. Nowhere is this trend more apparent than in the area of health care. Canadians are becoming more involved in the health care decision-making process. They are taking a more active role in decisions that affect their health and health services that are provided for them. Citizens have been invited by their provincial and federal governments to take part in the health policy process at many decision levels. They have been offered a seat at the decision-making table. This invitation raises an important issue. Is the public really permitted to take all the room that governments claim they are making available at the decision-making table? This thesis reviews the history of public participation in health care policy leading up to the adoption of the National Medical Care Insurance Act (Medicare) in 1968 to the present. It examines participation by citizens as individuals and as members of groups. Public involvement at the regional, provincial and federal levels is reviewed. This thesis identifies the variables, which impact on public participation. It examines and analyzes whether the public is able to participate in developing and implementing health policy in a valued and meaningful way. It demonstrates why public participation in health care decision-making is more successful in some situations than in others.


identifier: Knyszynski, Ronald A  (2000) Revisiting democracy : Canada's quest for a more participatory form of representative government.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This treatise is a political exploration of Canadian legislative and representational institutions and why they are not performing in the way they should be. In an effort to promote a citizen based democracy and avoid the further deterioration in relations between government and the citizens they claim to represent, four institutional and legislative reforms are suggested in an effort to reconcile basic democratic principles with realities of Canadian political life. These reforms are: (1) recall, (2) loosening party discipline and introducing more votes, (3) referendums, and (4) electoral reform. Although it is hypothesized that all four reforms would provide Canadians with a more participatory form of representative government, empirical and qualitative evidence reveals that these hopes are certainly delusive and must be re-examined. Instead, it is concluded that loosening party discipline and introducing more votes coupled with reforming the electoral system have the greatest chance of creating a more vibrant democracy in which governments would still exert necessary leadership on policy issues while citizens would be given necessary opportunities to participate in the political process. Unfortunately, as positive as this form of inclusionary politics sounds, reality dictates that unless both sides adopt different attitudes as to the true meaning of representative democracy, Canada's quest for a more participatory form of representative government will fail.


identifier: LeBrun, Jane  (1999) Prostitute as sex worker : feminist theories contextualized.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Many feminist approaches to prostitution exist, all with the ultimate goal of eliminating gender inequality as a framework for their theories. Using data on street prostitution in Montreal and San Francisco collected by Frances Shaver and Martin Weinberg, the real lived experiences of sex workers are applied to three traditional feminist theories to test their validity. Limitations of the theories are identified by employing seven areas of examination. They are: (1) the history of the regulation of sexuality in western society; (2) the impact of the history of the regulation of prostitution in the West; (3) violence experienced on and off the job; (4) opportunities for other, more legitimate work; (5) whether or not prostitution is seen as a career; (6) sexual pleasure experienced on and off the job; and (7) sexual orientation. Postmodern Feminist Theory suggests a solution to these limitations. This involves an acknowledgment of the impact of the social context on the practice of prostitution as well as attention to the individual voices of sex workers including the voices of men. As a result, a redefinition of prostitution as sex work is proposed.


identifier: Elias, Amira  (2000) The comparative textual study of the "Abraham story" in the Bible and the Quran.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is based on a quest for the unity of faith. The paradigm of unity is derived from a comparative textual study and the correlation between the Bible and the Quran. The cross-referencing of the relevant verses of the 'Abraham story' in two columns is to visually show their shared plot and at the same time the striking differences in their content. The thesis will discuss the common theological themes in each episode while it will examine the differences in the stories in reference to form, structure and style. This will include analysis of the massage in both texts related through the 'Abraham story'. The two scriptures have common prophets and figures, yet Abraham holds a special significance since he is considered, in Christianity, the father of the patriarchs, and in Islam, the founder of a monotheistic community on earth. And since Abraham holds a symbolic implication for both faiths, looking at his story would create a context in which to compare the two scriptures. The ambition of this study is to initiate a first step in starting a future project that will compare both texts fully, with the aim of creating a cooperative and mutually respectful discourse between the two communities. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Kocken, Gabriëlle  (2000) Inner healing : a contemporary and personal paraphrase of Augustine's soul-searching.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Confessions of Augustine was a dual conversation--on the one side, between Augustine and God; on the other between Augustine and his reader. This thesis seeks to make a connection to the inner-struggles openly exposed by St. Augustine in his writing Confessions and the inner-struggles we (and I in particular) face in today's search for inner peace.  In Chapter 1, I introduce Augustine's search for inner peace through his intellectual, emotional, spiritual and authentic analysis of (a) his affiliation with different philosophies and (b) his own conscious and unconscious behaviour in daily upheavals, challenges and struggles. In doing so Augustine challenged me to emulate his search since it has been, and still is, my life long passion to find answers to the questions life presents me with.  In Chapters 2-9 I challenge the reader and myself with topics that were relevant then and are relevant now.  The topics discussed are all open to personal interpretation, never the less intended to make the reader aware of the need for self reflection since ultimately we are all responsible for our own choices and actions (or non-actions).


identifier: Marjerison, Allan  (2000) The fellowship of the Holy Spirit : Second Corinthians 13:13 in the liturgy and for the church.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper discusses the Pauline Blessing (Second Corinthians 13:13) now commonly referred to as "the Grace," with specific reference to the third component, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Part I explores the various interpretations of koinonia in New Testament writings; references to the Pauline Blessing are examined in the writings of the Church Fathers, and incorporation of the formula into early church liturgy, and its continuance to modern times, are discussed.  Part II considers contemporary understandings of koinonia , especially in connection with the ecumenical movement beginning in the early decades of the twentieth century.


identifier: Morgan, Harry  (2000) Ecological insights revealed from the interpretation of Genesis 1:1 - 2:18.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The global ecological crisis of today is a radical challenge for Christians as the physical world faces unprecedented environmental peril. According to the scientific evidence, the fragile chemical and biological complexities of our world are being permanently altered. This study interprets the two creation accounts found within Hebrew Scripture in order to elicit ecological insights for Christians of today. The analysis depends on the three exegetical operations suggested in Chapter 7 of Bernard Lonergan's Method in Theology , on Interpretation: (1) understanding the text, the object, words and author; (2) judging the correctness of the interpretation; (3) relevancy for Christians of today. The ecological insights revealed from the Priestly and Yahwist creation narratives include: goodness of creation, image of God, cultivation and care of the natural world, interdependency and chaos and order.


identifier: Rostig, Grace  (2000) Ambiguity in the Song of Songs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Ambiguity in the Song of Songs

abstract: This thesis will explore the ambiguous nature of the Song of Songs, as it manifests itself in the narrative, the structure, the imagery, and the language of the Song. It will also propose the new interpretative possibilites that this ambiguity leads to, when it is approached asking the question "What does this poem do?" as opposed to "What does it say or mean?"  The Song of Songs, whether through the eyes and minds of ancient or modern commentators, has been seen as portraying a mutual and exclusive love relationship, whether it was a relationship between God and his people, Israel, or Jesus and his Church, as was generally believed to be the case up until the middle of this century, or a relationship between two people, as has most often been the case since. Thus, any questions about the Song have principally centered on who the two main characters in the Song represent, or whether they represent anyone other than themselves. Unasked has been the initial question to be explored in this thesis: is the relationship depicted in the Song really mutual and exclusive or does it contain certain aspects that make it more ambiguous than that? This initial question will lead to an even less traditional one: is the relationship between what has been thought to be one couple in the Song, really multiple relationships between different people? Through the examination of these main questions, on the different levels of the Song, new insight will be gained into the spiritual nature of the Song.


identifier: Shand, Gregory D  (2000) A comparative study of cannibalism in six populations of the calanoid copepod, Diaptomus leptopus (Forbes).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Cannibalism is common in species which have overlapping and discrete life stages. Copepods are a typical example of the type of species which exhibit adult cannibalism of juvenile life stages. The scale of observation typically used in cannibalism studies may allow misinterpretation of the results. I used populations of Diaptomus leptopus from six independent ponds to determine the effects of body lengths of cannibal and prey, length asymmetry, and scale of observation on cannibalism rate. Five adults and 25 one to three day old nauplii were placed together in 50 ml of water for 12 hours. Separate treatments were run for each sex. Cannibalism rates ranged from 0.000 to 0.053 prey · cannibal -1 · hour -1 and were significantly different between sexes and ponds. Length asymmetry was the most accurate predictor of cannibalism rate but most of the predictive power came from adult length. Results from large scale observations, while seemingly robust, did not correspond well with results from small scale observations. The implication of scale of observation on interpretation of cannibalism studies is discussed.


identifier: Deligiannis, Nicholas  (2000) DNA detection system of homo-oligomers by electrochemical impedence measurements and quantification through radiolabeling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A system based on electrical impedance measurements using chemically modified Silicon/Silicon dioxide electrodes with covalently bound single stranded homo-oligonucleotides was developed for DNA detection. Silanating agents (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-glycodoxyethylpropylamine) were used to modify the electrodes and immobilize single stranded DNA. A method based on the electrochemical modification of Si substrates with bromobenzene diazonium was also used to immobilized single stranded DNA. The DNA detection system is able to recognize any electrical changes occurring at the electrode through in-phase and out-of-phase impedance measurements. Hybridization of the complementary strands causes a shift in the flat band potential due to variations in charge accumulating at the modified oxide/electrolyte interface. With these measurements, we were able to make reliable comparisons between the electrical measurements and the quantification of immobilized and hybridized single stranded DNA through radiolabeling.


identifier: Esposito, Christina  (2000) Investigation of the interaction of GdnHCl with poly-L-lysine, horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome c monitored via FTIR, CD and fluorescence spectroscopies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Spectroscopic probes were utilized to study the interaction of GdnHCl with three model systems: poly-L-lysine (PLL), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and cytochrome c. Probing the chemically denatured states of proteins by FTIR is a novel technique, which has only recently been reported. To aid in the interpretation of the FTIR results, fluorescence and CD were employed. The use of deuterated solvents, i.e. Gdn-d 5 -DCl and D 2 O, simplified data processing and is recommended for FTIR studies of protein chemical denaturation. PLL, a random coil, was used to model the interaction between Gdn-d 5 -DCl and random structures. Spectroscopic evidence strongly suggested that Gdnd 5 -DCl associates with PLL, particularly with its lysyl side chains. The analysis of HRP indicated that it was not a suitable model due to complex time-dependent spectral changes. The study of cytochrome c in Gdn-d 5 -DCl revealed that the denaturant preferentially interacted with random structures. The denatured states of horse and tuna c were characterized and subtle differences between the two species were reported. Curvefitting of the FTIR amide I ' mode (1600-1700 cm -1 ) revealed that tuna c contained more residual structure in Gdn-d 5 -DCl than horse c. It was successfully demonstrated that FTIR is a powerful tool for probing the chemically denatured states of model protein systems, with potential applications for other biomolecules.


identifier: Gu, Jun  (2000) Identification of proteins interacting with lupin and Arabidopsis tRNA nucleotidyltransferases.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: ATP (CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase catalyzes the addition of CMP and AMP residues to the 3 ' ends of tRNAs that have an incomplete CCA sequence. In eukaryotic cells, nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes all encode tRNAs. Therefore, although tRNA nucleotidyltransferase is synthesized in the cytosol, it must function in multiple organelles and be targeted to these locations from its site of synthesis. In general, while much is known about the targeting information contained in proteins, less is known about the accessory factors involved in targeting. To identify proteins which could interact with lupin or Arabidopsis tRNA nucleotidyltransferase, the yeast two-hybrid system was employed to screen an Arabidopsis cDNA library. As a result, 11 cDNA clones have been isolated belonging to four different classes of cDNAs. Representatives from each class were sequenced in their entirety. Sequence analysis of these cDNAs revealed a major open reading frame for each cDNA. The predicted amino acid sequence of each cDNA was used to search the GenBank and Arabidopsis databases. One group of clones could encode a 615-amino acid polypeptide showing 54% identity with the Arabidopsis kinesin light chain. Another group could encode a 129-amino acid polypeptide which shows 39% identity with the human KE2 protein. A third group could encode a 180-amino acid polypeptide which shows 58% identity with cucumber raffinose synthase and finally one clone could encode a 188-amino acid polypeptide which shows 37% identity with a hypothetical protein from Synechocystis sp. Mapping of the regions of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase required for interaction demonstrated that the amino-terminal extensions of the tRNA nucleotidyltransferases are required for interaction with all four of these clones.


identifier: Shephard, Tyrone  (1999) The effects of elevated mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide in S. cerevisiae : a physiological role for cytochrome c peroxidase.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The role of cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP), found in yeasts and some bacteria, is not clear. However, it is believed to play a role in H 2 O 2 detoxification. To probe the physiological role of CCP, a yeast strain deficient in the gene encoding CCP (x ccp1 ) was engineered and characterized with respect to growth on various carbon sources, respiratory competence, resistance to H 2 O 2 , activities of various antioxidant enzymes, and levels of glutathione. Mitochondria of x ccp1 yeast were found to undergo time-dependent inactivation and the x ccp1 strain was found to be more susceptible to H 2 O 2 induced stress, as compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, during both its exponential and stationary phases of growth. Despite this increased sensitivity to H 2 O 2 , x ccp1 was still able to adapt to stress. Furthermore, antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione reductase and catalase as well as the antioxidant glutathione, which are all regulated through the transcription factor YAP1, showed reduced activity in the x ccp1 strain compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, possibly explaining the increased sensitivity of x ccp1 cells to H 2 O 2 . The x ccp1 strain also showed decreased phosphatase and increased kinase activities. These results suggest that CCP is involved in protecting mitochondria from H 2 O 2 generated through normal metabolic reactions; as well as from exogenous H 2 O 2 challenges. They also indicate that CCP and/or H 2 O 2 are involved in signal transduction in yeast. The creation of a yeast strain deficient in thioredoxin peroxidase (x tsa1 ), and its possible involvement in redox signaling, is also discussed.


identifier: Zheng, Yun  (2000) Regulation of the GCV3 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The glycine cleavage system (GCS) is a multienzyme complex containing four proteins. The GCS, which is important for the growth and viability of organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, catalyses the oxidative cleavage of glycine into CO 2 and NH 3 . Concomitantly it generates the C1-donor 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate and the electron donor NADH. NH 3 is an important precursor for cellular nitrogen metabolism. The C1-donor 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate is a precursor for the biosynthesis of C1-end products such as adenine, thymidylate, serine and methionine. The goal of my research was to study the regulatory mechanisms controlling GCS activity.  The expression of GCV3 , a yeast gene that codes for one of the four GCS subunits, was analyzed in detail. This revealed that GCV3 expression is regulated by the availability of glycine, and cellular demand for the metabolic products of glycine cleavage. 10 mM glycine in minimal medium (SD) induced GCV3 expression about 4-fold. Supplementing with the C1-metabolic end products repressed GCV3 expression about 3-fold. Both glycine induction and repression by the C1-end products were found to be Bas1p-dependent. The upstream promoter elements required for regulation by Bas1p were localized. Expression of GCV3 is also subject to the general control system in a Gcn4p-dependent fashion. The elements utilized by Gcn4p have been characterized. A GATAA sequence located at -167bp upstream of the start codon is used by the nitrogen regulation system. Gcr1p, a transcription activator for glycolytic genes, is involved in regulating GCV3 in the presence of glucose. Evidences are also presented for an as yet unidentified regulator that represses expression in SD. Additional results presented in this thesis suggest that Rap1p, Nil1p, Ure2p and Deb1p also regulate GCV3


identifier: Bahsoun, Wael  (2000) Invariant measures for inner functions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Invariant measures for inner functions

abstract: This thesis describes the chaotic behavior of inner functions in the unit disk and in the upper half plane. Absolutely continuous invariant, measures for inner functions, ergodicity and exactness will be discussed. Moreover, under some conditions, we prove that the restriction of an inner function to [Special characters omitted.] is ergodic if and only if the Julia set is the real line.


identifier: Ghassel, Ali  (1999) The radon split of radially acting linear integral operators on H2 with uniformly bounded double norms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This M.Sc. thesis treats the feasibility of the Radon Split for solving radial integral equation involving radially acting integral operator on the Hardy-Lebesgue Class [Special characters omitted.] of the half-upper plane [Special characters omitted.] . In this process, we take a scrutinizing look at [Special characters omitted.] by means of the conformal map [Special characters omitted.] taking [Special characters omitted.] . We demonstrate that [Special characters omitted.] -functions f always possess a.e. unique boundary values [Special characters omitted.] [Special characters omitted.] as [Special characters omitted.] from within [Special characters omitted.] . These boundary values are also angular limit functions in the [Special characters omitted.] -sense--i.e. [Special characters omitted.] as [Special characters omitted.] from within [Special characters omitted.] . Concomitantly, the [Special characters omitted.] -parameter family of [Special characters omitted.] -kernels [Special characters omitted.] with uniformly bounded double norms, have unique angular limit [Special characters omitted.] -kernels [Special characters omitted.] in the [Special characters omitted.] -sense--i.e. [Special characters omitted.] = [Special characters omitted.] [arrow right] 0 as [Special characters omitted.] from within [Special characters omitted.] . These properties are consequences of the inverse Mellin-Transform, which transformation originates in Fourier-Plancherel Theorem for [Special characters omitted.] and [Special characters omitted.] . Because of this Mellin-Transform representation of [Special characters omitted.] and [Special characters omitted.] we may regard [Special characters omitted.] as the three entities: [Special characters omitted.] and [Special characters omitted.] , where the first two are Hilbert spaces and the third is a dual system with [Special characters omitted.] Consequently, we look upon [Special characters omitted.] as the Banach algebra [Special characters omitted.] and further as the Hilbert space [Special characters omitted.] . We successfully construct for every radial linear integral operator K of finite rank on [Special characters omitted.] , its transpose K T in [Special characters omitted.] as well as its adjoint K * in [Special characters omitted.] , which leans heavily on the interaction of * and T in [Special characters omitted.] . We prove a necessary and sufficient condition as to when an element of [Special characters omitted.] is radially representable. And finally, we construct Fredholm Resolvents not only finite-dimensional [Special characters omitted.] but also, by means of the Radon Split, the Fredholm Resolvents of any [Special characters omitted.] and that of its transpose K T in terms of [Special characters omitted.] . Herein, the Fredholm Alternatives are induced by the derivations.


identifier: Nozza, Anna  (1999) A study of estimators in linear models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: A study of estimators in linear models

abstract: This thesis is a study of Estimators, particularly in Linear Models. The newest technology of Bootstrap Methodology is employed in the estimation procedure. We present a survey of the Bootstrap Methodology in the beginning and move on to some serious problems in Linear Model estimation procedure. We have worked out the conditions under which the estimators of nonstandard linear models will be best linear unbiased estimators. Furthermore, we have shown that the estimators of other linear models bear a linear relationship with least squares estimators. Finally, we have worked out the finite sample properties of two-stage least-squares using the Bootstrap Methodology.


identifier: Guillon, Sébastien  (2000) Conductance and magnetoconductance of parabolically confined quasi-one-dimensional channels.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electrical conduction is studied along parabolically confined quasi-one dimensional channels in the framework of linear-response theory. In the absence of a magnetic field an expression for the conductance is obtained, that agrees with those in the previous, literature on this subject, as well as with the limit of the conductance in the Born approximation. A similar but new expression is obtained in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the channel. This expression is more general than those contained in previous literature as it accounts explicitly for the Hall field. Some particular cases are also discussed.


identifier: Belanger, Marcel  (2000) Risk arbitrage trading and the characteristics of arbitrage spreads : the Canadian evidence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Using a sample of Canadian mergers data from Securities Data Corporation (SDC) for the 1990-1997 period, and returns data from the TSE Western database, I demonstrate that the average arbitrage spreads of Canadian mergers are significantly higher than those of their American counterparts. The arbitrage spread is defined as the percentage difference between the bid price and market price one day after the initial announcement. I also demonstrate that the cross-sectional variation of these spreads is high, and negative in some instances. Buying the targets of the entire sample and shorting their bidders does not yield abnormal returns. However, smarter trading focused on specific segments of the sample yield short-term abnormal returns. I find that trading strategies based on buying the following three categories of targets offer the highest level of abnormal return. The categories are; target firms in the largest quartile of the relative size ratio; firms subject to both cash offers and firms subject to cash tender offers. Typical of merger studies, we find that target companies experience highly significant abnormal returns on the announcement day, and slightly lower significant abnormal returns on the following day.


identifier: Bogue, Matthew Robert  (2000) Detecting long-run abnormal stock returns : the empirical power and specification of test statistics : the Canadian evidence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study empirically examines the issue of long-horizon security price performance in the Canadian equity market. It analyses the empirical power and specification of test statistics through event studies designed to detect long-run abnormal stock returns. I evaluate the performance of different approaches for developing a benchmark portfolio to calculate abnormal returns. I consider the use of five portfolio approaches, three control firm approaches, as well as two methods for measuring abnormal returns, and three time horizons. I document the empirical power of the various test statistics by inducing an abnormal return in each sample firm. Additionally, a beta shift procedure was performed to test the "goodness" of the match between sample firms and portfolios and between sample firms and control firms. I find that the CAR methods work better than the BHAR methods and that the portfolio and control firm methods return the anticipated result with approximately equal accuracy. I find that adding a constant level of abnormal return ranging from -20% to +20% in 5% increments, shows a lack of power in the t-statistics at these levels of induced abnormal return. Adding a level of abnormal return equal to +/- one to three standard deviations of sample firm's returns to the calculated abnormal return of each sample firm rejects the null hypothesis of no abnormal return. The beta shift procedure confirms that the matches between sample firms and benchmarks are good ones.


identifier: De Baudus, David  (2000) On international monetary environment and stock returns.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Monetary decisions affect firms' cash flows and the level of interest rate which in turn will affect the stock price. There are many articles which analyze the relationship between local monetary policy and stock returns and find that an expansive monetary policy increases stock returns. Some of these articles extend the analysis to the relationship between the international monetary environment and stock returns. However, all of these articles assume the error variance to be constant, i.e., the articles use homoscedastic models instead of more general heteroscedastic models.  This thesis extends the existing literature in several ways. Firstly, the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscadestic models (GARCH) instead of homoscedastic models are used in the analysis of the relationship between the stock returns and monetary variables. Secondly, the analysis is further extended by using more sophiscated models like GARCH-M and GARCH-M with spillover effect. In this study, four countries (France, the U.K., Germany, and Japan) are analyzed. The impact of the US monetary policy is included in the analysis that represents the impact of international monetary environment. Finally, a vector autoregressive (VAR) model is used in order to account for the dynamic relationship among the monetary variables. It is found that, in the case of every country, the excess stock returns are significantly affected by both the local and the U.S. monetary environment, although significance varies according to time period and the specification of variance. The results from the VAR model indicate that stock returns in different countries react differently to the changes in the US monetary


identifier: L'Heureux, Julie  (2000) Canadian market reaction to dividend omission and resumption announcements.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines share price reaction and changes in beta and trading activity surrounding announcements of dividend omissions and resumptions made by Canadian corporations. Significant negative abnormal returns are identified for a three-day announcement period. No significant shift in beta is found. The abnormal returns are not related to corporate size or to the size of the dividend changes. Dividend omission announcements generate changes in trading value. When the dividend omission sample is split into two subgroups according to the subsequent dividend policies of the corporations, the market model CAR are comparable and insignificantly different from each other. Dividend resumption announcements are not followed by significant changes in share price, beta or trading activity. All reported findings are robust to various estimation biases.


identifier: Kastoun, Rony J  (2000) Culture change and the consumption of basic foods : the case of Lebanese-Canadians.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper is concerned with the relationship between culture change and the consumption of basic foods. The literature dealing with acculturation, ethnic identification, and consumption is reviewed and focused on an ethnic group neglected in the consumer research literature: the Lebapese-Canadians. Hypotheses regarding the relative power of acculturation and ethnic identity as two separate yet correlated constructs that predict a variation in the consumption frequencies of various basic food items are drawn and a multidimensional culture change model is built. A survey using a convenience sample of Lebanese-Canadians residing in the Montreal Metropolitan Area is analysed. The results reveal that acculturation and ethnic identification are multidimensional constructs which have some impact on ethnic majority and ethnic minority basic foods, respectively. In addition, evidence is found that Lebanese-Canadian respondents reside in at least a two-culture world. Several consumer lifestyle factors also emerge from the data analysis with differing relationships with culture change. Finally, implications for marketers are discussed along with limitations and directions for future research.


identifier: Sharma, Maya  (1999) An exploratory study of the role of the organization and the repatriate in the repatriation management process.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The area of repatriation management has been a neglected aspect of the international relocation literature. Due to the high turnover rates of repatriates, more attention is being paid to the repatriation dilemma. This exploratory study proposed a theoretical framework for understanding repatriate control behaviour. It examined the types of repatriation assistance that organizations are providing, the shortcomings of these interventions along with other variables were analyzed for their role in instigating individual control behaviours on behalf of the repatriates in order to manage their own repatriation process. Individual and organizational facilitators and hindrances to control initiatives were scrutinized in order to determine their role in assisting and impeding the individual control process.  It was found that work related issues, more precisely, career matters were a serious concern for this sample. The deficiencies in organizational interventions centered mainly in the repatriate career management area. Networking was found to be a handy tool for overcoming the work-related problems associated with repatriate adjustment. Both research and practical implications are discussed.


identifier: Piron, Marie-Christine  (2000) The network characteristics, the dimensions of network ties, the characteristics of network ties and their impact on managerial effectiveness.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigates the impact of network characteristics--size and density--on managerial effectiveness as evaluated by 360-degree performance feedback appraisal. It further examines the mediating impact of network types such as information, advice, friendship, career support and cooperation as well as the impact on the relationships between ties of variables such as rank, frequency of interaction and intimacy.  Data was collected from 254 middle-level managers in various organizations in the United States. Surveys were distributed to managers in order to identify the ties within their network, to gather demographic data on each of the ties mentioned and to determine the true nature of these relationships. Several hypotheses were then tested using regression analyses.  Although this study contributes to a general understanding of some of the important issues with respect to the effect of networks on managerial effectiveness, a link was not established between managerial effectiveness and the number of ties within a network, the density of a network, or the dimensions or the structural characteristics of a network. The implications of these results are discussed.


identifier: Saleh, Katayoun  (2000) An experimental investigation of the effects of perceived co-consumer age on younger consumers' expectations of service quality.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Many services offer their services in the presence of multiple consumers who share the servicescape with each other (i.e., co-consumers). This study examines how co-consumer age, as an element of the servicescape, affects younger consumers' service experience. An experiment was conducted where three service settings (rafting trips, restaurants, classrooms) and three categories of co-consumer age (young, middle-aged, old) were manipulated using a student sample of two hundred and forty-three.  Across the three services studied, younger consumers' expectations of service quality did not vary depending on whether co-consumers were young, middle-aged, or older adults. However, for both the rafting and restaurant settings, younger consumers' attitudes toward co-consumers were more favorable when co-consumers were younger than older adults. In addition, for the classroom setting, younger consumers' patronage intentions were higher when co-consumers were young adults than when they were middle-aged adults. Limitations of the study as well as directions for future research are discussed


identifier: Jrade, Ahmad  (2000) A conceptual cost estimating computer system for building projects.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research presents a methodology to develop a computer system "CSC-Estimate", Computer System for Construction Estimates, that stresses on the early and preliminary stages of estimating the construction costs of any commercial building that also can be used for residential buildings if a reduction factor of 20 to 30 percent is considered. The methodology utilizes tools available between hands, Access 97 the database member of Microsoft Office 97 family and Visual Basic for Application, the child of the Object Oriented Programming Language Visual Basic (6.0).  The methodology introduces a new tool to be used for the construction industry in general and for the Canadian industry in particular. "CSC-Estimate" is designed to generate parametric and preliminary estimates to be used by the owner for feasibility purposes, by the architects and engineers for conceptual estimates or when considering alternatives, as well by the contractor for bidding purposes.  Two cases consist of actual projects are presented in order to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed model.


identifier: Al-Hawari, Alaa  (1999) Modeling of the fate of lead due to the removal of corroded sub-marine cables in aquatic environments.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The processes by which lead is released from corroded cables and dredged material are complex, but have to be taken into consideration when assessing the potential risk of dredging and removal activities. In this research, the effect of various physical factors on the release and dispersion of lead from corroded sub-marine cables and bottom sediments was studied. Among these factors are the hydrological and physical properties of the water body (e.g. flow rates, resuspension and settling), situation and position of cables (e.g. on the surface or at different depths), physico-chemical characteristics (e.g. adsorption, desorption and diffusion rate), transport of toxicant (e.g. advective and dispersive mixing) and dredging activities (e.g. mechanical and hydraulic). In order to show the effect of different factors, a conceptual model called the Model for Fate of Corroded Lead ( MFCL ) was developed. The objective was to predict lead concentration in the water column in dissolved and particulate forms. The MFCL model is a powerful tool for predicting the changes in risk resulting from the implementation of various remedial actions, including the "no action" alternative.