identifier: Rossi, Amanda  (2008) Interaction of nitric oxide and muscle contraction in adenosine-induced muscle vasodilation in humans.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Adenosine (ADO) is one of several endogenous substances known to mediate muscle vasodilation during exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the role of nitric oxide (NO) in ADO-mediated vasodilation; (2) the magnitude of muscle blood flow (MBF) responses to ADO infusion during exercise; and (3) the influence of ADO in regulating heterogeneous MBF distribution. In healthy, young participants (N=14), local MBF was measured using near-infared spectroscopy and indocyanine green (ICG) dye at two locations on the vastus lateralis (VL). Cardiac output was quantified using a dye-dilution technique with ICG dye. Participants were tested at rest and during 1-leg knee extension exercise (25W) under different conditions: control, ADO infusion (150mg·kg body mass -1 ·min -1 ) and ADO+NO blockade (L-NMMA; 1mg·kg body mass -1 ·min -1 ). At rest and exercise, we found that mean VLBF increased from control to ADO and decreased significantly from ADO to ADO+L-NMMA infusion; exercising BF values were always significantly higher than at rest. Additionally, with ADO infusion, a peak increase in oxy-hemoglobin concentration (O 2 Hb) was reached within 2 minutes of initiating infusion; however the magnitude differed between muscle regions, indirectly indicating ADO-induced metabolic heterogeneity. O 2 Hb subsequently decreased over time, reaching a stable level at 5 min. Also, we observed that when MBF is elevated through ADO infusion, usual exercise-mediated vasodilator signals are not subsequently down-regulated during contraction demonstrating a lack of autoregulation. We conclude that NO does playa role in mediating ADO-induced vasodilation and there is a lack of autoregulatory feedback when ADO is infused during exercise.


identifier: Dai, Xiaoniu  (2008) Cell search algorithms for WCDMA systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system uses orthogonal channelization codes to distinguish physical channels in a base station, while base stations are identified by different downlink scrambling codes. User equipments (UEs) must achieve synchronization to the downlink scrambling code before decoding any messages from base stations. The process of searching for a base station and synchronization to the downlink scrambling code is often referred to as cell search. The performance of cell search has a significant impact on a UE's switch-on delay, and thus it is very important to UE design.  The goal of designing a cell search algorithm is to achieve a balance between speed, accuracy and complexity. A basic three-stage cell search procedure has been defined by 3GPP. It employs synchronization channels and the common pilot channel to facilitate a fast cell search. This cell search scheme only works well if there is no frequency offset between a base station's transmitter and a UE's receiver and if sampling timing is perfect on a UE. In practice, however, imperfection of oscillator in a UE may cause a big frequency error as well as clock error. It usually results in phase rotations and sampling timing drifts, which may degrade cell search performance significantly. Some advanced cell search algorithms have been proposed for mitigating impacts of frequency error or clock error. However, there is no much discussion on comprehensive solutions that can deal with the two negative impacts at the same time.  In this thesis, we propose an algorithm that considers both frequency error and clock error. A fast and accurate cell search with a relatively low level of complexity is achieved. The algorithms are based on a combination of four existing enhanced cell search algorithms that are designed for a toleration of either frequency error or clock error. We first introduce the 3GPP-defined cell search algorithm as a basis. Then the four existing enhanced algorithms, PSD (partial symbol de-spreading), DDCC (differential detection with coherent combining), STS-1 (serial test in stage-1) and RSPT (random sampling per trial) are presented. Next, we propose four possible combinations of the existing algorithms: PSD+STS-1, PSD+RSPT, DDCC+STS-1 and DDCC+RSPT. Through extensive computer simulations, we find the DDCC+RSPT algorithm to be the best one. It is superior to other combinations and also outperforms any existing algorithm in terms of acquisition time, detection probability and complexity. Therefore, it is highly recommended for practical uses.


identifier: Mourad, Azzam  (2008) An aspect-oriented framework for systematic security hardening of software.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we address the problems related to the security hardening of open source software. Accordingly, we first propose an aspect-oriented and pattern-based approach for systematic security hardening. It is based on the full separation between the roles and duties of the security experts and the developers performing the hardening. Such proposition constitutes a bridge that allows the security experts to provide the best solutions to particular security problems with the details on why, how and where to apply them. Moreover, it allows the developers to use these solutions to harden open source software without the need to have high security expertise. We realize the proposed approach by elaborating a programming independent and aspect-oriented based language for security hardening called SHL, developing its corresponding parser, compiler and facilities and integrating all of them into a framework for software security hardening. We also illustrate the feasibility of the elaborated framework by developing several security hardening case studies that deal with known security requirements and vulnerabilities and applying them on large scale software. Second, we enrich SHL and the aspect-oriented languages with new pointcut and primitive constructs ( GAFlow, GDFlow, ExportParameter and ImportParameter ) that provide features missing in the current AOP proposals and needed for systematic security hardening concerns. We also explore the viability of the proposed pointcuts and primitives by elaborating and implementing their algorithms and presenting the result of explanatory case studies. Finally, we improve the proposed framework by proposing a new approach for applying security hardening on the Gimple representation of software and elaborating formal syntax for SHL and Gimple together with an operational semantics for SHL weaving based on Gimple. We realize our proposition by integrating into the GCC compiler few features described in the SHL weaving semantics and developing a demonstrative case study


identifier: Arthur, Jason  (2009) The role of arginine 244 in Candida glabrata tRNA nucleotidyltransferase.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The enzyme ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase is essential in eukaryotes to allow tRNAs to participate in protein synthesis. It adds a specific cytidine-cytidine-adenosine (CCA) sequence to generate positions 74, 75, and 76 at the 3' ends of tRNAs in a nucleic acid template-independent manner. Considerable effort has gone into exploring the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme and several bacterial forms, as well as the human enzyme, have been crystallized either in the presence or absence of substrates. Here, we will discuss the role of an essential conserved arginine in a novel attempt to link in vitro enzyme activity to a measurable in vivo phenotype. We found that changing arginine 244 in Candida glabrata tRNA nucleotidyltransferase to alanine, lysine, or methionine resulted in cell death, even though the variant enzymes showed 50-70% activity as compared to the wild-type enzyme under standard in vitro assay conditions using a mixed population of tRNAs as substrate. More specific assays monitoring the incorporation of nucleotides into tRNA with known 3' ends demonstrated a loss of nucleotide addition at position 74, a reduction of nucleotide specificity at position 75, and an increase in nucleotide specificity at position 76 as compared to the native enzyme. These results suggest that arginine 244 in C. glabrata tRNA nucleotidyltransferase plays a role not only in binding and orienting the substrates (nucleotide triphosphates and tRNA) for catalysis but also in excluding ATP from the active site prior to nucleotide addition to positions 74 and 75.


identifier: Magnier, Laurent  (2008) Multiobjective optimization of building design using artificial neural network and multiobjective evolutionary algorithms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Building design is a very complex task, involving many parameters and conflicting objectives. In order to maximise the comfort and minimize the environmental impact, multiobjective optimization should be used. While some tools such as Genetic Algorithms (GA) exist, they are very seldom used in the industry, due to the large computational time they require.  This thesis focuses on a specific approach called GAINN (Genetic Algorithm Integrating Neural Network), which combines the rapidity of evaluation of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) with the optimization power of GAs. The thesis concentrates on a better handling of multiple objectives, in order to efficiently exploit the methodology and increase its accessibility for the non-expert. First, a Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA), NSGA-II, has been selected and programmed in MATLAB. Then, two new MOEAs were developed, specifically designed to take advantage of GAINN fast evaluations. These two MOEAs have proven to be more efficient than NSGA-II on benchmark test functions, for a comparison based on a maximum runtime.  In a second part of this thesis, developed MOEAs were used inside GAINN methodology to optimize the energy consumption and the thermal comfort in a residential building. This optimization was successful, and enabled significant improvements in terms of energy consumption and thermal comfort. It also enabled to illustrate very clearly the relation between these two objectives. This optimization however highlighted two limitations regarding the ANN, the number of training cases and the accuracy in the vicinity of optimal solutions. Finally, the developed algorithms were applied on a past optimization study, in order to highlight the improvements added to GAINN methodology by the use of MOEA.


identifier: Aman, Zeenat  (2008) Surfactant enhanced removal of Zn(II), Cu(II) and HOCs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Al kayed, Mustafa  (2008) Charactristics [sic] of hydrocyclone flows.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The hydrocyclone is a very useful tool which utilizes high centrifugal forces to separate solids from liquids. Its success is primarily due to the simplicity of construction and operation, versatility in application, and relative insensitivity to changes in design.  In the present study, the Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) has been deployed to measure the mean velocities in the 6" hydrocyclone. Traditionally, a flat surface box or jacket is used to encase the hydrocyclone in an auxiliary box to minimize the refraction effects of laser beams which is caused by the curved solid wall of the hydrocyclone and the refractive index of the test medium. A new procedure is developed to reorient the laser beams that permit one to measure two velocity components at a single point. In this new procedure, the probe is tilted by 45° (called the transform position) to force the four laser beams of the LDA to intersect at the same point. Therefore, the tangential and axial velocities yet fully characterized and measured. The measured axial velocity profiles in the transform position were all corrected for index of refraction effects. This gives approximately the same results for this velocity in the traditional optical probe position (called the regular position). The conclusion developed from these experiments enables one to use the LDA directly in the hydrocyclone wall without recourse to auxiliary attachments such as an enclosing box. Further, the new procedure permits the determination of the turbulent intensity as the fluctuations of two velocity components can be measured at the same point.  Flow visualization by droplet dye injection shows five different kinds of flow field patterns inside the hydrocyclone. The features of the flow field in the hydrocyclone, as seen in the dye tests, were confirmed by the flow patterns derived from LDA experimental data. The number of turns associated with the flow in the hydrocyclone was also determined.  Prediction of flow field characteristic was also achieved by a very short study related to Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modeling. A 3-D turbulence model that uses the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) was adopted to simulate the flow field patterns. RSM predicted the velocity field in the hydrocyclone very well. The predicted velocities agree well with the experimental results by LDA and flow visualization study.


identifier: Motamedi, Ramak  (2008) Crack detection in silicon wafers using shearography.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Defects in silicon wafers affect their mechanical stability considerably during their processing and handling. In the new generation of thin silicon wafers, in addition to subsurface defects, cracks are also one of the most important defects that need to be evaluated. A comprehensive review of literature suggests the use of different techniques for non destructive evaluation (NDE) of silicon wafers. Among the few NDE techniques that can be used for both sub-surface and crack detection, Shearography has the advantage of being a whole field technique that can be utilized as a non-contact method for online inspection.  Although, recently shearography has been used for sub-surface defect detection in silicon wafers, the capability of this technique to identify and detect cracks has not been investigated yet. In this work, a shearography system has been developed for nondestructive evaluation of silicon wafers. The optical set-up was arranged and several experiments were carried out to optimize its performance. Batch of perfect wafers, wafers with sub-surface defects and cracked wafers of 500om thickness were qualitatively evaluated using the developed system. Two different loading mechanisms were used to stress the silicon wafer and the advantage of uniform thermal loading over concentrated force loading for crack and sub-surface defect detection has been discussed. In addition to crack detection, the unique potential of the developed system for detection of crack propagation has been discussed.


identifier: Dhot, Tarundeep Singh  (2009) GPIS: genetic programming based image segmentation with applications to biomedical object detection.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Image segmentation plays a critical role in many image analysis applications. However, it is ill-defined in nature and remains one of the most intractable problems in image processing. In this thesis, we propose a genetic programming based algorithm for image segmentation (GPIS). Typically, genetic programming is a Darwinian-evolution inspired program discovery method and in the past it has been successfully used as an automatic programming tool. We make use of this property of GP to evolve efficient and accurate image segmentation programs from a pool of basic image analysis operators. In addition, we provide no a priori information about that nature of the images to the GP.  The algorithm was tested on two separate medical image databases and results show the proposed GP's ability to adapt and produce short and accurate segmentation algorithms, irrespective of the database in use. We compared our results with a popular GA based image segmentation/classification system, GENIE Pro. We found that our proposed algorithm produced accurate image segmentations performed consistently on both databases and could possibly be extended to other image databases as a general-purpose image segmentation tool.


identifier: Fida, Farah  (2008) Biosensing based on localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanostructures fabricated by a novel nanosphere lithography technique.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: New gold nanostructures were prepared through a modified nanosphere lithography method. The structures, obtained by self-assembly of polystyrene microspheres and gold colloids in multilayers and subsequent removal of polystyrene, consist of nanohole/nanorings, distributed uniformly among gold nanoparticles on a silanized glass substrate. The size of the hole corresponds to the footprint of the polystyrene microspheres that were in contact with the glass substrate before dissolution. Sensing is based on the spectral measurement (in transmission mode) of the position of the Au localized surface plasmon resonance band in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrum. Experiments were conducted with small molecules as well as with proteins (fibrinogen, Amyloid Ý-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs), and AT5G07010.1, a plant protein from Arabidopsis thaliana) incubated on a functionalized substrate and have shown a higher sensitivity for platforms with 100 and 200 nm holes, compared to those having larger (500 and 700 nm) holes; for example, by using a platform with 100 nm holes, a concentration as low as 4.3x10 -7 M of the plant protein (AT5G07010.1) could be detected. The biorecognition of the plant protein and the corresponding antibody has been shown by the broadening of the localized surface plasmon resonance band and the presence of a new band around 600-620 nm. It is believed that this band originates in interparticle localized surface plasmon resonance coupling, when biorecognition forces the functionalized particles into close proximity.


identifier: Qiao, Ming  (2009) Automatic quality of service adaptation for composite web services.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Quality of Services (QoS) management has become an important issue for Web services. Indeed, QoS is becoming a crucial and a distinguishing criterion among functionally equivalent Web services. QoS Management consists of two complementary tasks: monitoring and adaptation. Both are very challenging because of the unpredictable and dynamic nature of Web service composition. We are motivated to solve the QoS problem by taking advantage of some characteristics of composite Web services, such as their similarity to traditional workflows.  In this thesis, we propose a broker based architecture that enables dynamic QoS monitoring and adaptation for composite Web services. Our approach consists of dynamically changing the execution paths of composed Web services by instrumenting the BPEL process. A new construct flexPath is introduced for supporting alternate execution paths definition in BPEL. We developed a BPEL compiler allowing automatic instrumentation for BPEL definition files. The BPEL process is deployed using the instrumented definition files in order to interact with the QoS broker during execution. The QoS broker is a key component in our architecture and is responsible of monitoring the QoS and managing the adaptation. We propose a broker that enables runtime monitoring of QoS, prediction of potential QoS violation, and the selection of the best execution path of the process in order to improve QoS when needed.  We developed a prototype to evaluate our proposed architecture. A case study is also presented through an example BPEL process and a number of partner Web services. The performance of the QoS adaptation has been analyzed and the results showed that the QoS of the BPEL process has been considerably adapted and improved comparing to the original one. In addition, we analyzed the major factors that affect the performance of our prototype tool.


identifier: Spitsina, Svetlana  (2009) Design and experimentation of composite packages for optical sensor to measure strain in mechanical structures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In non-destructive health monitoring of composite materials optical sensors have been shown many advantages compared to the piezoelectrical transducers and electrical strain gauges. Some of their properties include light weight, tiny structures, remote sensing, electro-magnetic interference, and more importantly they are immune to any hazardous environment, particularly they can withstand a high temperatures up to over 1000° C, and they are immune to electro-magnetic interference. They can be easily embedded inside the materials like composites with minimum effect on their original structure.  The light weight of composite materials makes optical sensors embedded in composite package very suitable for many applications including airspace industry. The composite packages can be tailored to achieve desired mechanical characteristics. Moreover, they can be applied as extra protection for embedded fiber optics.  In this work, phase-modulated sensor, Michelson interferometer, was fabricated and embedded in composite package. Then the package was glued on an aluminum substrate. The resultant structure was used to measure strain in the aluminum substrate.  The comprehensive study was performed in evaluating different lay-ups of the composite package in order to find the best match between the composite materials and the substrate in term of stiffness. ANSYS simulations were performed to study the influence of the resin pocket on the strain transmission to the optical sensor, dependence of the thickness of the adhesive layer on the strain readings on the composite package and on the optical sensor. The results of the simulations showed that optical sensor within resin pocket created by the resin and carbon fiber will give small alteration in strain readings between composite material and optical fiber. Static tensile tests were investigated on different lay-ups of the laminate, adhesives, composite materials, and thickness of the adhesive layers. Difference in strain readings between aluminum and optical sensor were smaller due to good transmission of the strain through epoxy adhesive layer with thickness a 100 om. The most successful lay-ups for composite package were [90/90/F(0)/90/90] for CYCOM5276-1 and for NCT301- [ 90/90/F(0)/90/90] and [-60/60/F(0)/60/-60]. The results showed that composite packages with less stiffness in x direction demonstrated better performance.


identifier: Sinnig, Daniel  (2008) Use case and task models : formal unification and integrated development methodology.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Use case models are the specification medium of choice for functional requirements, while task models are employed to capture User Interface (UI) requirements and design information. In current practice, both entities are treated independently and are often developed by different teams, which have their own philosophies and lifecycles. This lack of integration is problematic and often results in inconsistent functional and UI design specifications causing duplication of effort while increasing the maintenance overhead.  To address this shortcoming, we propose an integrated development methodology for use case and task models. Our methodology serves as a blueprint for practitioners to derive an iterative and incremental development process according to which the two artifacts are successively enhanced in a stepwise and integrated manner. With each step, it is verified that the resulting model is a valid refinement of its source model. For this purpose we define a suite of refinement relations for use case and/or task models and provide automated tool support.  The integrated development methodology is based on a formal framework, which defines a two-step mapping from a particular use case or task model notation to a common semantic domain. This two-step mapping results in a semantic framework that can be more easily validated, reused and extended. The intermediate semantic domains have been carefully chosen by taking into consideration the intrinsic characteristics of use case and task models. We selected sets of partially ordered sets (posets) and nondeterministic finite state machines (nFSMs) as semantic domains, supporting a true concurrent and interleaving model of concurrency, respectively.  During the course of our research, we also defined DSRG-style use case models and Extended CIT task models as improvements to their respective state-of-the-art counterparts. Each improvement has been carefully selected to ensure that the intent and nature of each model is preserved. In order to show that the set of posets semantics and the nFSM semantics coincide, we established a formal correspondence between the two semantics and prove that they are trace equivalent


identifier: Bouyoucef, Kamal  (2008) Resource allocation and congestion control strategies for networked unmanned systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is generally agreed that communication is a critical technological factor in designing networked unmanned systems (NUS) that consist of a large number of heterogeneous assets/nodes that may be configured in ad-hoc fashion and that incorporate intricate architectures. In order to successfully carry out the NUS missions, communication among assets need to be accomplished efficiently.  In contrast with conventional networks, NUSs have specific features that may render communication more complex. The main distinct characteristics of NUS are as follows: (a) heterogeneity of assets in terms of resources, (b) multiple topologies that can be fully-connected, (c) real-time requirements imposed by delivery timeliness of messages under evolving and uncertain environments, (d) unknown and random time-delays that may degrade the closed-loop dynamics performance, (e) bandwidth constraints reflecting differences in assets behavior and dynamics, and (f) protocol limitations for complying with the wireless features of these networks.  The NUS system consists of clusters each having three nodes, namely, a sensor, a decision-maker, and an actuator. Inspired by networked control systems (NCS), we introduced a generic framework for NUSs. Using the fluid flow model (FFM), the overall dynamical model of our network cluster is derived as a time-delay dependent system.  The following three main issues are investigated in this thesis, bandwidth allocation, an integrated bandwidth allocation and flow rate control, and congestion control.  To demonstrate the difficulty of addressing the bandwidth allocation control problem, a standard PID is implemented for our network cluster. It is shown that in presence of feedback loops and time-delays in the network, this controller induces flow oscillations and consequently, in the worst-case scenario, network instability. To address this problem, nonlinear control strategies are proposed instead. These strategies are evaluated subject to presence of unknown delays and measurable/estimated input traffic. For different network configurations, the error dynamics of the entire controlled cluster is derived and sufficient stability conditions are obtained. In addition, our proposed bandwidth allocation control strategy is evaluated when the NUS assets are assumed to be mobile. The bandwidth allocation problem is often studied in an integrated fashion with the flow rate control and the connection admission control (CAC). In fact, due to importance of interaction of various components, design of the entire control system is often more promising than optimization of individual components. In this thesis, several robust integrated bandwidth allocation and flow rate control strategies are proposed.  The third issue that is investigated in this thesis is the congestion control for differentiated-services (DiffServ) networks. In our proposed congestion control strategies, the buffer queue length is used as a feedback information to control locally the queue length of each buffer by acting on the bandwidth and simultaneously a feedback signaling notifies the ordinary sources regarding the allowed maximum rate. Using sliding mode generalized variable structure control techniques (SM-GVSC), two congestion control approaches are proposed, namely, the non degenerate and degenerate GVS control approaches. By adopting decentralized end-to-end, semi-decentralized end-to-end, and distributed hop-by-hop control approaches, our proposed congestion control strategies are investigated for a DiffServ loopless mesh network (Internet) and a DiffServ fully-connected NUS. Contrary to the semi-decentralized end-to-end congestion control strategy, in the distributed hop-by-hop congestion control strategy, each output port controller communicates the maximum allowed flow rate only to its immediate upstream node(s) and/or source(s). This approach reduces the required amount of information in the flow control when Compared to other approaches in which the allowed flow rate is sent to all the upstream sources communicating through an output port.


identifier: Cameron, Sara  (2008) Recall differences in the reconstitution of a tour through a virtual environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A rapidly expanding area of human geography is the study of spatial knowledge. This growth can be partly attributed to the recent emergence of user-friendly and affordable technology that allows more researchers (notably students) to design, build and use virtual environments in spatial knowledge research.   The purpose of this thesis project is to explore recall differences in the reconstitution of spatial knowledge acquired by means of a tour through a virtual environment. The motivation behind this area of inquiry is the apparent assumption that the order of spatial knowledge tasks may have some effect on acquisition or recall, which is evidenced in some current research methodologies.   The results show that there is no significant difference between two groups of participants with respect to the order of recall tasks; however, one group of participants performed better in almost every task, suggesting that the first recall task appears to be influencing the succeeding recall task. This study contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the recall of spatial knowledge and introduces issues of concern regarding methodological design


identifier: He, Yan  (2008) An evaluation of proposed light rail transit impacts on land use in Nanning, China.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines how urban land-uses could support a planned Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in Nanning, China. Current and planned land-use is examined at two different scales: small-scale (overall network) and large-scale (four typical stations). The aim is to identify land-use characteristics around twenty proposed stations and their potential impact on the LRT line through analysis of land use intensity, land-use mixing and building densities. The study found that in general the current and planned future conditions are characterized by dense and mixed use development with extensive pedestrian infrastructure: an factors which are supportive of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) ideal. Even though future land use change is generally consistent with TOD goals, less dense development around outer stations might not be supportive for rapid transit. In addition, much of the built environment planned to surround future stations could be described as "'transit-adjacent" rather than "transit-oriented". Recommendations for how the planned LRT line, as well as other planned rapid transit lines in Nanning City, could be best integrated with land use are proposed, based on experience worldwide as wen as analysis of the Nanning case


identifier: Huang, Liang  (2009) A cross-cultural study of humor-based advertisements : differences among China, North America and France.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines, through content analysis, the use of humorous advertisements in three countries with quite different cultures, namely China, US and France. The study consists of two stages. Stage one collects roughly 1,000 print ads from each country, extracts those humorous ones, and determines the percentage of humorous ads in each country's sampled ads. Stage two analyzes these humorous ads in detail. It determines the frequencies of various culture-related advertising appeals in each country's humorous ads, and compares these frequencies across the three countries.  Stage one confirms that the frequency of humorous ads greatly differs across countries, with US significantly higher than France and China. Through the comparisons with previous studies' findings, it demonstrates that US advertisers' tendency to employ humor is increasing, while that of their French counterparts' is decreasing. Also, as is expected, Chinese advertisers use significantly less humor in their advertisements.  Stage two shows that the three countries' differences in the use of various advertising appeals are in accordance with their cultural differences in terms of Hofstede's cultural dimensions: the advertising appeals consistent with a country's cultural values are more prevalent in that country than in the other countries. Since prevalence is deemed to be an indicator of effectiveness, this study demonstrates to the advertising researchers and practitioners the importance of appeal - culture congruence.  This study also clarifies some methodological issues in cross-cultural advertising research, and provides guidelines to cross-cultural advertising practitioners.


identifier: Chen, YuXiang  (2009) Modeling and design of a solar house with focus on a ventilated concrete slab coupled with a building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Hugo, Alexandre  (2008) Computer simulation and life cycle analysis of a seasonal thermal storage system in a residential building.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The residential sector represents 17% of Canada's secondary energy use, with more than 78% of this contribution due to space and domestic hot water heating. In that perspective, systems that do not require any auxiliary energy are of a certain interest. Such objective is not easy to accomplish, especially in cold climates, but yet can be reached by both upgrading the buildings overall thermal performance and using efficient renewable energy sources.  An integrated building model is developed into the TRNSYS 16 simulation environment. First, a typical one-storey detached house, located in Montreal is considered as a base case. Conventional electric baseboard heaters and an electric domestic hot water storage tank provide the space heating and domestic hot water requirements. A life cycle performance of the house is performed and results of the life cycle energy use, environmental impacts and life cycle cost are presented.  Second, several design alternatives are proposed to improve the life cycle performance of the base case house. The solution that minimizes the energy demand is finally chosen as a reference building for the study of long-term thermal storage.  Third, the computer simulation of a solar heating system with solar thermal collectors and long-term thermal storage capacity is presented. The system is designed to supply hot water for the radiant floor heating system and domestic hot water. Simulation results show that the system is able to cover a whole year of energy requirements using a minimum of auxiliary energy. A sensitivity analysis is performed to improve the overall performance. The life cycle energy use and life cycle cost of the system are investigated and results presented in the thesis.


identifier: Justus, Benjamin  (2008) On the moments of central values of modular L-functions.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The thesis studies the integer-power moments of the central values of families of modular L -functions. The two families under consideration in the thesis are those quadratic twists of a L -function associated with a cusp form and L -functions of a Hecke-basis of the space of cusp forms. Appropriate moment estimates are derived for each family. Applications of the derived estimates are given.


identifier: Liu, Sining  (2008) Image-based visual servoing using improved image moments in 6-DOF robot systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Visual servoing has played an important role in automated robotic manufacturing systems. This thesis will focus on this issue and proposes an improved method which includes an ameliorative image pre-processing (IP) algorithm and an amendatory IBVS algorithm  As the first contribution, an improved IP algorithm based on the morphological theory has been discussed for the purpose of removing the unexpected speckles and balancing the illumination during the image processing. After this enhancing process, the useful information in the image becomes prominent and can be utilized to extract the accurate image features. Then, an improved IBVS algorithm is therefore further introduced for an eye-in-hand system as the second contribution. This eye-in-hand system includes a 6 Degree of Freedom (DOF) robot and a camera. The improved IBVS algorithm utilizes the image moment as the image features instead of detecting the special points for feature extraction in traditional IBVS. Comparing with traditional IBVS, choosing image moment as the image features can increase the stability of the system and extend the applied range of objects. The obtained image features will then be used to generate the control signals for the robot to track the target object. The Jacobian matrix describing the relationship between the motion of camera and velocity of image features is also discussed, where a new simple method has been proposed for the estimation of depth involved in the Jacobian matrix. In order to decouple the obtained Jacobian matrix for controlling the motion of camera with individual image features, a four stages sequence control has also been introduced to improve the control performance.


identifier: Liu, Wen Ming  (2008) On applications of simulated annealing to cryptology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Boolean functions are critical building blocks of symmetric-key ciphers. In most cases, the security of a cipher against a particular kind of attacks can be explained by the existence of certain properties of its underpinning Boolean functions. Therefore, the design of appropriate functions has received significant attention from researchers for several decades. Heuristic methods have become very powerful tools for designing such functions.  In this thesis, we apply simulated annealing methods to construct Boolean functions with particular properties. Our results meet or exceed the best results of available theoretical constructions and/or heuristic searches in the literature, including a 10-variable balanced Boolean function with resiliency degree 2, algebraic degree 7, and nonlinearity 488 for the first time. This construction affirmatively answers the open problem about the existence of such functions.  This thesis also includes results of cryptanalysis for symmetric ciphers, such as Geffe cipher and TREYFER cipher.


identifier: Kadiwal, Arif  (2008) Presence-based integration of wireless sensor network and IP multimedia subsystem : architecture implementation and case studies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Services are the main driving forces of the Telecommunication industry. In old days the traditional networks e.g. PSTN and mobile cellular networks provide basic services to customers such as voice call, SMS. Unlike mobile cellular networks, Internet provides wide variety of services that allow users to communicate in different ways for example E-mail, WWW, VoIP, and Instant Messaging. To benefit from these Internet (IP) based services and to support new value-added services in mobile cellular networks, the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is defined. It aims at convergence of Internet and the cellular world. IMS introduced an architectural framework envisioned by telecom experts for providing wide variety of multimedia services for example Presence, Context-based applications, Conferencing, Video-on-Demand, Instant Messaging to name just a few. The main ingredients of these services are data which can be either provided by users or derived from external sources (other networks). In recent years, Wireless Sensor Networks have emerged as networks of tiny devices, sensor nodes. WSNs are characteristically different from existing networks. In general, a WSN is a data oriented network in which sensors sense physical environment and produce data to deliver it to interested applications. These applications are usually external to WSN and reside in an external network (e.g. IMS). The applications or services use this physical data to deliver enhanced services such as context-based services to mobile users. The challenge is to integrate WSN with IMS so that the WSN data can be accessible to IMS services or applications. This thesis exploits a presence-based approach for the integration of WSN and IMS network. A standard interface for data exchange between WSN and IMS has been devised in the Telecommunication Service Engineering group. The data exchange between WSN and IMS services/applications is realized as a publish-subscribe mechanism. In publish-subscribe mechanism the applications subscribe to WSN services (data) and get notified when sensors report any data while the WSN is acting as publisher to publish sensor data to IMS. The presence-based WSN -- IMS architecture provides an abstraction to services and applications for accessing variety of sensed data from different WSNs. The presence based WSN-IMS architecture realizes two main architectural entities, the integrated WSN-IMS gateway and an IMS extended presence server. These two architectural entities play a key role in interworking of WSN and IMS network. The overall architecture has been implemented and tested with prototype applications as well as a performance evaluation has been done to see the efficiency and applicability of the integrated architecture


identifier: Zhang, Xiao  (2009) Loss of its three L-Serine deaminases causes major changes in metabolism of Escherichia coli K-12.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Escherichia coli genome codes for three highly homologous enzymes which use a 4Fe-4S mediated catalysis to deaminate L-serine and generate pyruvate and ammonia. The three enzymes are encoded by the genes sdaA, sdaB and tdcG . Enzymes of this type are found in many prokaryotes, and are not found in any eukaryotes. Despite the fact that the first E. coli L-serine deaminase (L-SD) was identified in 1955, and the regulation of its expression has been extensively studied, the physiological function of this delicately regulated enzyme is still unknown.  In part one of this work, the impact of L-SD on the metabolism of E. coli K-12 was studied by creating a strain from which all three genes were deleted. This strain has serious growth problems. While the triple mutant grows well in glucose minimal medium even with L-serine, it forms long filaments on subculture into Luria Broth (LB). On subculture into minimal medium with glucose and casamino acids (CAA), it forms very large, abnormally shaped cells, many of which are osmotically sensitive and lyse. The processes of DNA replication and cell division are both abnormal in the triple mutant cell grown with CAA. Further study indicated that the triple mutant is unable to maintain sufficient production of one-carbon (C1) units. Provision of an exogenous supply of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) restores cell division in LB, and repairs much of the difficulty in growth in medium with CAA. Whereas cells grown with CAA in the absence of SAM show abnormal FtsI production and localization within filaments, the addition of SAM produces filaments and normal recruitment of FtsI into the division septum.  In part two, a mutant MEW128 which had been shown to be deficient in post-translational activation of L-SD was investigated. The mutation in that strain was located in ygfZ , a gene of unknown function. Neither MEW128 nor a strain known to carry a ygfZ deletion produces an active L-SD.  Very little is known about the function of YgfZ, though it has been crystallized and shown by Teplyakov et al. to bind folates. The possibility that it is involved in assembly of the iron sulfur cluster (Fe-S) is considered.


identifier: Zeng, Chuan  (2009) The impact of railway station redevelopment on station areas : the case of Wuchang railway station.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The impact of railway station redevelopment in the urban cores of China's cities is an important and worthy research question in the present context because of a China-wide program of station replacement and system upgrading. Following European and Japanese precedents, Chinese railway station redevelopment will provide a catalyst for revitalizing the station area and extending the impact of the station into the surrounding area. Until now, station redevelopment has largely concerned the railway facilities themselves, along with intermodal facilities. This investigation explores the current extent of the Wuchang railway station on the surrounding area, and projects its future extent based on an analysis of the completed transport hub. Wuchang railway station was chosen as my case study because it is a super-large station and located in the city center. Thus, Wuchang station redevelopment was more likely to have a local revitalization impact in the city than the other local railway stations. Also, Wuchang railway station is one of six main hubs of the high-speed railway network. The study found that the effect of Wuchang railway station redevelopment is larger than what has been planned, the connection between Wuchang station's two sites is not really addressed, and an integrated city-based public transportation system has not yet been fully established. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered for policymakers and administrators.


identifier: Yang, Hui  (2008) A hybrid packet loss recovery technique in wireless ad hoc networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: TCP utilization in wireless networks poses certain problems due to its inability to distinguish packet losses caused by congestion from those caused by frequent wireless errors, leading to degraded network performance. To avoid these problems and to minimize the effect of intensive channel contention in wireless networks, this work presents a new Hybrid ARQ technique for reliable and efficient packets transfer in static wireless ad hoc network. It is a combination of recent FEC based Raptor coding technique with ARQ based selective retransmission method, which outperforms purely ARQ based method. In contrast to most Hybrid ARQ techniques, which usually employ a byte level FEC, we mostly use packet level FEC in our simulations for the data transfer, on top of less frequent ARQ to recover the residual errors. Existing packet level FEC methods are mostly based on simple parity check codes or Reed Solomon codes with erasure decoding; in this work we use the recent raptor codes. We also introduce the notion of adaptive redundancy which helps to achieve better average network performance and to further improve the redundancy efficiency.


identifier: Al-Solihat, Mohammed Khair  (2008) Ride and handling analysis of an urban bus with variable tires pressure.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The ride, handling and dynamic pavement loading properties of road vehicles are strongly influenced by the tire pressure. Although the central tire inflation systems (CTIS) have been implemented in many road and off-road vehicles, the assessments of variable tire pressure have been limited to field measurements in the context of ride and dynamic tire loads transmitted to the pavement. This dissertation research explored the role of variable tire pressure on the ride, pavement loading and handling dynamic characteristics through development and analysis of comprehensive three-dimensional models of an urban bus. The ride dynamic model was formulated based on nonlinear component models derived from the laboratory measured data, including the two-degrees-of-freedom driver-seat-suspension model. Considering that the passengers' load in an urban bus could vary from nearly none to the full passenger load, a tire pressure scheme in accordance with the passenger load was formulated and integrated in the model. The ride and dynamic pavement load properties of the vehicle were evaluated under random road roughness excitations corresponding to different tire pressures and passengers' loads. The influences of forward speed and road roughness conditions were also investigated. The results suggest that the use of nominal tire pressure under light passengers load would be detrimental to the ride vibration transmitted to the driver and the passengers, dynamic forces transmitted to the pavement and the forces transmitted to the chassis structure. A variable tire pressure in accordance with the load would thus be highly beneficial, provided that the tire deflection is controlled to reduce the tire wear and heat buildup.  The limited available tire data on the cornering properties as a function of the pressure were analyzed to propose a regression-based tire cornering force model in conjunction with the widely used Magic tire formula. Two- and three-dimensional handling dynamic models of the vehicle were developed and analyzed to investigate the influence of tire pressure on steady-state and transient directional performance of the vehicle. The responses of the two models revealed reasonably good agreements in the steady-state handling, while the three-dimensional model accounted for the vehicle roll motion, which was observed to be considerably larger under lower tire pressures. The directional responses attained under different steering inputs and forward speeds suggested that a lower tire pressure increased the vehicle roll motions slightly due to reduced effective roll stiffness, while the high inflation pressure revealed greater oversteer tendency at higher tire pressures.


identifier: Liang, Hai Qing  (2008) An integrated KD-Tree cutter size determination method for 3-Axis finish machining of sculptured surface parts.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this research, an integrated KD-Tree cutter size search model is proposed to quickly determine the largest cutters and their accessible surface regions for 3-axis finish machining, without gouging and interference. By using these cutters, the highest material removal rate can be achieved, while maintaining the quality of the machined part. To overcome the problems of existing methods, such as long computational time and low accuracy, this model integrates the vertex KD-tree method with local gouging detection method. In this work, an imaginary cutter model is used to define a cutter, given a cutter contact point (CC point) and a testing point. All the testing points needed are derived from the part STL model. A simple and efficient algorithm is suggested to get rid of the redundant vertices in the STL file of the part. The local gouging detection method identifies the maximum local gouging-free cutter for a CC point as the initial cutter, and this cutter is used to determine the area of the cutter shadow. The cutter shadow is used to define a search range of the testing points to avoid any unnecessary search. Then the vertices covered by the shadow are quickly located by the KD-Tree algorithm from all the vertices, and used as test points to determine the final gouging and interference-free cutter size. The proposed model is tested with a hairdryer mould example. The results show that the model is not only computationally efficient, but also highly accurate. In addition, the model is suitable for any types of milling cutters, and ready to implement in the CAD/CAM software.  Keywords: STL File, CATIA, Cutter Size Selection, KD-Tree search, Boundary, Gouging, Interference, Accuracy, and Computational Time.


identifier: Li, Lian Zhong  (2008) Dynamic modeling, intelligent control and diagnostics of hot water heating systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems have been extensively used to provide desired indoor environment in buildings. It is well acknowledged that 25-35% of the total energy use is consumed by buildings, and space heating systems account for 50-60% of the building energy consumption. Furthermore, roughly half of the energy consumed goes to operation of heating systems. In the past few years the energy use has shown rapid growth. Therefore, it is necessary to design and operate HVAC systems to reduce energy consumption and improve occupant comfort. To improve energy efficiency, HVAC systems should be optimally controlled and operated.  This study focuses on developing advanced control strategies and fault tolerant control (FTC) using information from fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) for hot water heating (HWH) systems. To begin with, HWH system dynamic models are developed based on mass, momentum and energy balance principles. Then, embedded intelligent control strategies: fuzzy logic control and fuzzy logic adaptive control are designed for the overall system to achieve better performance and energy efficiency. Moreover, in designing the advanced control strategies, the parameter uncertainty and noise from measurement and process are taken into account. The extended Kalman filter (EKF) technique is utilized to handle system uncertainty and measurement noise, and to improve system control performance. After that, a supervisory control strategy for the HWH system is designed and simulated to achieve optimal operation. Finally, model-based FDD methods were developed by using fuzzy logic to detect and isolate measurement and process faults occurring in HWH systems. The FDD information was employed to design model-based FTC systems for various faults and to extend the operating range under failure situations.  The contributions of this study include the development of a large scale dynamic model of a HWH system for a high-rise building; design of fuzzy logic adaptive control strategies to improve energy efficiency of heating systems and design of model-based FTC systems by using FDD information.


identifier: Leckner, Mitchell  (2008) Life cycle energy and cost analysis of a net zero energy house (NZEH) using solar combisystem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, two main house models have been developed for the Montreal, QC climate using the TRNSYS simulation software. The first is the Base Case House model which is a typical 1994 Quebec house construction that is used as a baseline for comparison. The second is the Net Zero Energy House (NZEH) model which is an energy efficient, modified version of the Base Case House containing solar technologies that capture energy (solar collectors) and produce electricity (photovoltaics). The main heating system is also modified from electric baseboard heaters to radiant floors fed by a solar combisystem. Extensive sensitivity analyses are performed on the models in order to determine the best selections for the NZEH in terms of the envelope, energy efficient technologies and solar technologies. Cost and embodied energy analyses are performed on various solar technology combinations (evacuated tube solar collector with PV and flat plate collectors with PV) in order to determine the best mix of these systems when constructing an environmentally friendly and cost effective house.  In terms of annual energy use, the Base Case House requires 25,615 kWh/yr compared to the NZEH which uses 14,061 kWh/yr (before adding any solar collectors or PV modules). The most cost effective combination of solar collectors and PV modules to add to this improved house and make it truly `net-zero' is 4 flat plate solar collectors and 35.8 PV modules. A detailed cost analysis of the NZEH shows that due to the high cost of the solar technologies and the low cost of electricity in Montreal, financial payback is never achieved. However, looking at the house improvements before the solar technologies are added results in a payback of 39.3 years, and the potential to reduce that further, to 6.1 years, with some modifications to the design. In terms of the life cycle energy use, which considers the operating and embodied energy of the houses, the complete NZEH uses 63% less energy than the Base Case House and has an energy payback of 8.4 years.


identifier: Wan, Feng  (2009) Signal-perturbation-free semi-blind channel estimation for MIMO-OFDM systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) has been considered as a strong candidate for the beyond 3G (B3G) wireless communication systems, due to its high data-rate wireless transmission performance. It is well known that the advantages promised by MIMO-OFDM systems rely on the precise knowledge of the channel state information (CSI). In real wireless environments, however, the channel condition is unknown. Therefore, channel estimation is of crucial importance in MIMO-OFDM systems.  Semi-blind channel estimation as a combination of the training-based or pilot-assisted method and the pure blind approach is considered to be a feasible solution for practical wireless systems due to its better estimation accuracy as well as spectral efficiency. In this thesis, we address the semi-blind channel estimation issue of MIMO-OFDM systems with an objective to develop very efficient channel estimation approaches.  In the first part of the dissertation, several nulling-based semi-blind approaches are presented for the estimation of time-domain MIMO-OFDM channels. By incorporating a blind constraint that is derived from MIMO linear prediction (LP) into a training-based least-square method, a semi-blind solution for the time-domain channel estimation is first obtained. It is revealed through a perturbation analysis that the semi-blind solution is not subject to signal perturbation and therefore is superior to pure blind estimation methods. The LP-based semi-blind method is then extended for the channel estimation of MIMO-OFDM systems with pulse-shaping. By exploiting the pulse-shaping filter in the transmitter and the matched filter in the receiver, a very efficient semi-blind approach is developed for the estimation of sampling duration based multipath channels. A frequency-domain correlation matrix estimation algorithm is also presented to facilitate the computation of time-domain second-order statistics required in the LP-based method. The nulling-based semi-blind estimation issue of sparse MIMO-OFDM channels is also addressed. By disclosing and using a relationship between the positions of the most significant taps (MST) of the sparse channel and the lags of nonzero correlation matrices of the received signal, a novel estimation approach consisting of the MST detection and the sparse channel estimation, both in a semi-blind fashion, is developed. An intensive simulation study of all the proposed nulling-based methods with comparison to some existing techniques is conducted, showing a significant superiority of the new methodologies.  The second part of the dissertation is dedicated to the development of two signal-perturbation-free (SPF) semi-blind channel estimation algorithms based on a novel transmit scheme that bears partial information of the second-order statistics of the transmitted signal to receiver. It is proved that the new transmit scheme can completely cancel the signal perturbation error in the noise-free case, thereby improving largely the estimation accuracy of correlation matrix for channel estimation in noisy conditions. It is also shown that the overhead caused by the transmission of the 8PF data is negligible as compared to that of regular pilot signals. By using the proposed transmit scheme, a whitening rotation (WR)-based algorithm is first developed for frequency-domain MIMO-OFDM channel estimation. It is shown through both theoretical analysis and simulation study that the new WR-based algorithm significantly outperforms the conventional WR-based method and the nulling-based semi-blind method. By using MIMO linear prediction, the new WR-based algorithm utilizing the 8PF transmit scheme is then extended for time-domain MIMO-OFDM channel estimation. Computer simulations show that the proposed signal-perturbation-free LP-based semi-blind solution performs much better than the LP semi-blind method without using the proposed transmit scheme, the LS method as well as the nulling-based semi-blind method in terms of the MSE of the channel estimate.


identifier: Ramamurthy, Raja  (2008) Aerodynamic inverse design of airfoils in two dimensional viscous flows.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: An aerodynamic inverse design method for viscous flow over airfoils is presented. In this approach, pressure distribution on the airfoil surfaces are prescribed as design target and the airfoil geometry is modified so as to reach the desired shape. In the design method, the walls are assumed to be moving with a virtual wall velocity that would balance the current momentum flux with the target pressure distribution; this virtual wall velocity drives the airfoil geometry to the shape that would produce the target pressure distribution where it would asymptotically vanish. This method was extended to address multi-point design and multi-element airfoils, and to use the pressure distribution of the airfoil suction surface as design variable. The approach is consistent with the viscous flow assumption and is incorporated into the governing equations which are expressed in an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian form, and are solved in a time accurate fashion. A cell-vertex finite volume scheme of the Jameson type is used for spacial discretization and time integration is performed by dual time stepping. Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model is used for turbulence closure. The validation of this approach is carried out for NACA 4-digit and 5-digit airfoils and RAE 2822 airfoil in transonic flow regime. The redesign cases include NACA 5-digit and 4-digit airfoils, the latter design experiencing large separation, RAE 2822 airfoil in transonic regime, multi-element airfoil and a dual-point design case.


identifier: Sookdeo, Steven  (2008) Experimental investigation of the thermofluid behaviour within a flat-plate solar collector.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Flat-plate solar collectors are used in solar water heating systems to transfer solar energy to water in the form of heat. The research on solar water heating systems is mainly focused on the design and optimization of the overall system with little attention given to study the thermofluid behaviour inside the collector. The collector is a very crucial part of the system as it is where the actual energy conversion talks place. In the present research, the thermofluid behaviour within the tube of a flat-plate solar collector for a forced circulation solar water heating system is experimentally investigated. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure the velocity field within the collector tube, while thermocouples were used for temperature measurements. The experiments were performed for six flow rates under one unheated and two heated conditions.  The mean velocity profiles for heated and unheated conditions show that the flow behaviour within the collector tube is significantly modified by the heating. With the heat addition, the location of the maximum velocity is in the lower half of the tube, and the magnitudes of mean and turbulent velocities increased with the heat flux. The temperature data indicated the formation of stably stratified layer of water in the upper region of the tube, which reduces the heat transfer rate. The heat transfer analysis showed that free convection is the dominant mode of heat transfer within the flat-plate solar collector.


identifier: Vassev, Emil Iordanov  (2008) Towards a framework for specification and code generation of autonomic systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Shah, Ankur  (2008) Interference assisted laser induced forward transfer for line patterning.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Biomedical and microelectronic devices such as microinjectors and interconnects require line patterns to be fabricated on their surface. The process to pattern such surfaces should consider the requirements such as chemical inertness and biocompatibility. Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) is a simple direct write technique which offers the ability to pattern a substrate by localized deposition of material. In LIFT, a laser beam is focused through donor substrate (DS) coated with thin film to deposit on the acceptor substrate (AS) to be patterned. In this research project, a new laser based micropatterning method combining LIFT and laser interferometry for depositing periodic line patterns on a substrate has been proposed. Considering biocompatibility, glass has been selected as the acceptor substrate where a laser beam was focused on a gold film to get deposited on it.  Theoretical modeling has been done to predict the laser and optical parameters on the dimensions of the gold line patterns. Also the effect of refractive index and thickness of the DS on the patterned dimensions has been analyzed. Experiments were done to deposit patterns of widths ranging from 4 to 10 o m with the pitch between 8 and 20 o m . Experiments were also done by varying the feed rate and dwell time of scanning to achieve continuity in deposition and up to 700 o m length i.e. three times the focused spot size have been deposited. With the proposed method, pattern dimensions on the substrate can be easily modified by making simple changes to the optical setup


identifier: Susanto, Dendi  (2009) Optimization of iron analyses using ESI-MS : detection of iron oxide in pharmaceuticals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Detection of iron oxide in pharmaceutical formulations using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) following iron complexation with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen), 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN), and 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) was evaluated. Complexation of Fe III with PAR was found to produce a distinctive and sensitive mass spectral signal when compared to the other ligands. In selected ion monitoring (SIM) scan mode, the signal at m/z 484 arising from the iron-PAR complex gave a limit of detection of 2 oM for total iron using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The range of the calibration curve was determined to be 2 - 43 oM total iron. Trace iron interferences from the labware and instrumentation were minimized considerably by selection of an optimized cleaning protocol and instrument replumbing using PEEK ® tubing. Figures of merit for total iron analysis (specificity, linearity, precision and accuracy, robustness, and stability) were within the acceptance criteria of the US FDA validation guidelines for the pharmaceutical industry. Recovery of 93% of the added iron indicated a satisfactory extraction procedure for tablets containing iron oxide pigment. There was no statistical difference between the results obtained by ESI-MS and a conventional method such as inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The proposed ESI-MS method was found to be specific, sensitive, and relatively inexpensive since it can be performed on a mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI source, which is standard instrumentation in the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, the method validated here provides an alternative to laboratories that do not have specialized and dedicated instrumentation for elemental analysis.


identifier: Athow, Jacques Laurent  (2008) Efficient algorithm and architecture for implementation of multiplier circuits in modern EPGAs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: High speed multiplication in Field Programmable Gate Arrays is often performed either using logic cells or with built-in DSP blocks. The latter provides the highest performance for arithmetic operations while being also optimized in terms of power and area utilization. Scalability of input operands is limited to that of a single DSP block and the current CAD tools provide little help when the designer needs to build larger arithmetic blocks. The present thesis proposes an effective approach to the problem of building large integer multipliers out of smaller ones by giving two algorithms to the system designer, for a given FPGA technology. Large word length is required in applications such as cryptography and video processing. The first proposed algorithm partitions large input multipliers into an architecture-aware design. The second algorithm then places the generated design in an optimal layout minimizing interconnect delay. The thesis concludes with simulation and hardware generated data to support the proposed algorithms.


identifier: Ahmed, Hasnet Eftakher Uddin  (2008) Free and forced vibrations of tapered composite beams including the effects of axial force and damping.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Tapered composite beams formed by terminating or dropping-off some of the plies from primary structure are being used in various engineering applications since the mid-1980s. Because of their structural tailoring capabilities, damage tolerance and potential for creating significant weight savings in engineering applications such as helicopter yoke, robot arms and turbine blades, tapered composite beams have received much attention from engineers and researchers. Design of mechanical components using tapered composite beams requires a better understanding of their behavior on free and forced vibrations. In the present thesis, free and forced vibration analysis including the effects of axial force and damping of tapered composite beams is conducted using conventional, and higher-order finite elements and the Rayleigh-Ritz method. Composite beam samples are manufactured and tested for the determination of mechanical properties and damping loss factor. Conventional and higher- order finite element formulations are established based on classical laminate theory. Since conventional finite element has limitation in obtaining accurate results with fewer elements, higher-order finite element formulation is developed considering four degrees of freedom per node (deflection, rotation, curvature and gradient of curvature) to overcome that problem. Rayleigh-Ritz method is used to obtain solutions for different boundary conditions to validate the results obtained by finite element methods. A detailed parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of boundary conditions, laminate configurations, taper configurations, taper angle, the ratio of the length of the thick section to the length of thin section, axial force, and damping. The NCT-301 graphite-epoxy composite material is used in the experimental work, analysis, and in the parametric study.


identifier: Albasheir, Suliman Kahled  (2008) Modeling of radio access application protocols for mobile network traffic generation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Telecommunication applications have become some of the most important aspects of our daily life, especially with the Internet-based applications that are available even on cell phones. One of the challenges faced by telecom companies is to provide robust and powerful servers that are capable to handle the great increase of the number of subscribers and to accomplish the heavy Internet-based applications that generate a tremendous traffic load. Telecom companies evaluate their products' performance before releasing them to the market by applying a large amount of generated traffic to the telecom servers in order to measure their capability under traffic load. To do this, powerful solutions are needed, which generate traffic by modeling different telecom protocols. In this thesis, we propose a new technique of modeling a traffic generator solution to load the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) for the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). This traffic generator is modeled to load the MSC through various mobile call scenarios such as location update, mobile call originating, mobile call terminating, and call clearing. Based on that, we model the Radio Access Network Application Part protocol' procedures to generate the radio access messages that carry and handle the mobile messages. These mobile messages will be represented through the Mobility Management and the Call Control protocols' models. To achieve the above goals, we utilize the UML Use Case Model to describe the functional behaviors of the traffic generator, also we present the UML Analysis Model that provides the logical implementation of the functional behaviors of the proposed traffic generator.


identifier: Rahman, Sk. Wasiur  (2008) Thermodynamic modeling of the (Mg, Al)-Ca-Zn systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Critical assessment of the experimental data and re-optimization of the binary Mg-Zn, Ca-Zn, Al-Zn, Al-Ca systems and the Laves phase in the Mg-Ca system have been performed. A Comprehensive thermodynamic database of the Mg-Ca-Zn and Al-Ca-Zn ternary systems is presented from the constituent binary systems using suitable extrapolation methods. All available as well as reliable experimental data both for the thermodynamic properties and phase boundaries are reproduced within experimental error limits.  In the present assessment, the Modified Quasichemical Model in the pair approximation is used for the liquid phase to account for the presence of the short-range ordering properly. The intermediate solid solutions are modeled using the compound energy formalism. Since the literature included contradicting information regarding the ternary compounds in both ternary systems, thermodynamic modeling of phase equilibria is used to determine the most likely description of the two ternary systems and to exclude the self-contradicting experimental observations.  The constructed database is used to calculate both the integral and partial thermodynamic properties of the constituent binary systems. Moreover, the liquidus projections, isothermal sections and vertical sections of the ternary systems are also calculated and the invariant reaction points are predicted using the constructed database.


identifier: Sun, Chi  (2008) The nature and performance of reverse mergers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: I compare a sample of reverse mergers between 1995 and 2006 with comparable mergers of public firms and acquisitions of public targets by private firms. I find that reverse merger and going private transactions target firms with different characteristics. The short horizon stock price performance upon announcement of reverse mergers is correlated with the termination fee and time to effectuate the transaction. Finally, consistent with prior research, reverse mergers result in long-run stock price underperformance. However, the magnitude of this underperformance is small and it is not accompanied by significant operating underperformance.


identifier: Shen, Chen  (2009) Investigating measurement richness effect on the relationship between information technology use and individual performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Whether Information Technology (IT) use leads to better individual performance has always been an intriguing topic in IS field. However, not many studies examined the Information Technology use/individual performance relationship given the significance of the topic. Researchers and practitioners simply assumed that more IT use lead to better individual performance. A review of the literature presented a different, rather conflicting, picture than the conventional wisdom. The current study thus aims at investigating IT use/individual performance relationship by focusing on the measurement issue i.e. how different richness level measurement of IT use and individual performance affects the use/individual performance relationship. A questionnaire was used to collect data to test the hypotheses. A total number of 261 account managers from two Canadian banks completed the survey regarding their use of new system at the bank. Our results show that, for the most part, use is significantly and positively related to individual performance. However, depending on the measures used, IT use is sometimes significantly but negatively related to individual performance, or there is no significant relationship between the two. Our results are presented in a matrix putting IT use and individual performance in relationship based on different richness level of use and performance measures. Our results helps validate and integrate previous research by providing a comprehensive map in terms of measurement issue. This research helps interpret and compare prior research on use/performance relationship. Results are also of great use to practitioners to assess and examine the benefits of implementing new IT. ii


identifier: Aebtarm, Surath  (2008) Defects control charts for high-quality processes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The traditional C-chart by Shewhart has been widely applied for monitoring count data in industrial and nonindustrial processes. However, using C-chart always experiences an excessive amount of false alarms, since control limits of traditional C-chart are defined by impractical normal assumption. Specially, when we monitor two or more correlated characteristics of defects, C-chart becomes unsuitable. Thus, monitoring a process by traditional C-chart leads to the increase of unnecessary costs of inspection.  There are many works that have attempted to improve C-charts. In this thesis, 11 selected improved versions of C-chart are presented. The performances of improved C-charts are evaluated in term of numerical results to demonstrate the sensitivity of the charts and costs of inspections.  We also propose an optimal bivariate Poisson field chart to monitor two correlated characteristics of defects. Our chart is based on the optimization of bivariate Poisson confidence interval and projection of bivariate Poisson data in Poisson field. The detailed description of our proposed algorithm is presented by numerical data. The experimental results demonstrate improved performances regarding user-friendly visualization and false alarm rate  Furthermore, we propose an optimal diagonal inflated bivariate Poisson field chart to monitor two over/under dispersed correlated count data. The detailed description of our chart will be presented. The experimental results demonstrate improved performances according to loss function and false alarm rate compared to other methods.


identifier: Gregg, Christopher  (2009) The role of Acyl-CoA oxidase in peroxisome division and longevity in yeast.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Acyl-CoA oxidase (Aox) is an enzyme that carries out the first step of Ý-oxidation of free fatty acids in peroxisomes. Here I describe a novel role for Aox in peroxisome biogenesis. I found that the peroxisome becomes competent for division only after it acquires the complete set of matrix proteins involved in lipid metabolism. Overloading the peroxisome with matrix proteins promotes the relocation of Aox from the matrix to the membrane. The binding of Aox to Pex16p, a membrane-associated peroxin required for peroxisome biogenesis, initiates the biosynthesis of phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol (DAG) in the membrane. The formation of these two lipids and the subsequent transbilayer movement of DAG initiate the assembly of a complex between the peroxins Pex10p and Pex19p, the dynamin-like GTPase Vps1p, and several actin cytoskeletal proteins on the peroxisomal surface. This protein team promotes membrane fission, thereby executing the terminal step of peroxisome division.  One of my objectives was to understand what role (if any) Aox and other peroxisomal enzymes of fatty acid oxidation may play in regulating yeast longevity. I found that Aox is an essential component of the protein network controlling the chronological lifespan of yeast placed on a low-calorie diet called calorie restriction (CR). My findings lead to the conlusion that fatty acid oxidation in peroxisomes controls longevity by modulating the rate of ATP synthesis in mitochondria, but not by generating the ROS hydrogen peroxide.  Recent studies in Dr. Titorenko's laboratory identified novel small molecules that greatly increase the chronological lifespan of yeast. My experiments with one of these novel anti-aging drugs, a commercially available compound further referred to as "LA", revealed that it extends yeast longevity under CR conditions. My studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which LA increases yeast lifespan revealed that . lack of Aox or any other enzyme of peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation does not impair the anti-aging effect of LA. My findings demonstrated that LA extends yeast longevity by: (1) reducing the damaging effect of ROS on cellular macromolecules; and (2) amplifying the so-called "hormetic" effect of ROS through the activation of stress-protecting and other anti-aging proteins.


identifier: Wozney, Lori Mae  (2009) A systematic review of instructional interventions to improve school completion: mapping the evidence.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This review of research on dropout prevention programs in Canada between 1990 and 2006 was conducted with the goal of increasing awareness and knowledge of (a) current research on high school dropout prevention and intervention in Canada; (b) instructional design and implementation of successful programs; (c) context-related factors that moderate program effectiveness and (d) selecting and/or designing programs that take into consideration current research evidence.  The identification of studies to be used in this review was conducted through a comprehensive search of publicly available literature (i.e., research databases, contacting researchers and program administrators, contacting local and provincial education agencies, etc.). Of the 240 documents retrieved 38 met all of the inclusion criteria. An additional 30 studies from outside of Canada were also analyzed.  Underreporting and missing data presented significant challenges in terms of analyzing instructional practices and impacts. Results showed that the most frequent type of dropout prevention programs were pull-out support, specialized courses and workshops or alternative schools. Most programs incorporated multiple forms of support (i.e., combinations of health services, life-skills, career preparation, academic support, cultural/spiritual enrichment, etc.). Instructional strategies varied across findings with the most common being tutoring, work-based learning and mentoring. Almost three quarters of the findings presented evidence of positive program outcomes with another 13% reporting strong positive program impacts.  Future research might focus on linking outcome impacts (e.g., enrolment status/dropout rates) with the program performance context to look beyond ''the learner" as the site of dropout prevention. Application for stakeholders and practitioners includes, among others, recommendations for revisiting existing practices and policies to determine if mainstream classroom practices support the school/work connection and redefining instruction using best-practices in teaching to accommodate self-direction, flexibility in course delivery and responsiveness to the needs of at-risk learners.


identifier: Polychronis, Maria  (2008) Seduction and power: dynamics between servers and customers in bars.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The bar provides an important site for hyper-performativity in which to observe interactions in North American society. This research examines how dynamics between actors in a bar (bartenders, servers, customers, managers and coworkers) produce, reproduce and contest gender and status differences through techniques of seduction and power. My methods of research include drawing on insight from my personal experience working in bars, participant observation and in-depth interviews with 17 male and female workers. I examine the costs and benefits of emotional management in the workplace, the reproduction of gender performances through sexual division of labor, emotional management and alcoholic beverages, as well as the ways in which power is produced and exercised between individuals of varying status. A workers level of integration of self into their work role is a significant factor in determining their job satisfaction level as well as possible psychological implications of the work process. Workers with high levels of autonomy possessed the greatest levels of job satisfaction. Men and women exercise power in different ways, and therefore, power is also gendered but is not restricted to the asymmetrical limitations explicit in gender and status differences. Although the micro-politics of resistance do not elicit major and immediate changes on a macro-scale, it is important to acknowledge moments of resistance between individuals as essential sites of analysis of both men and women as active participants in the cycle of production, reproduction and contestation of existing societal values related to gender and status differences.


identifier: St-Jacques, Marie-Douce  (2008) L'attente est un piège : La bête lumineuse de Pierre Perrault, de l'image aux viscères.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The master's thesis interprets the delicate passage that links reality and fiction in Pierre Perrault's film The Shimmering Beast . Literary and philosophical modes of investigation are used to decode the principal traps of this "reality" hunting, interlaced with words and images.  What exists beyond the horizon, beyond the threshold that sends us adrift towards the imaginary? Imagination fills the void in the wait, and becomes more difficult to understand than the beast itself. In the act of waiting that transpires in the scene where the novice hunters of the Shimmering Beast attempt to lure the animal towards them, reality transforms itself, and becomes charged with nervousness and apprehension. The edge of the woods, a natural frontier, becomes through analogy, the screen that separates man from animal, fiction from life. Fantasized by man, the coveted animal metamorphoses into an "image of possibility" into a seemingly divine apparition, yet remains invisible to the eye. Lying low in a cramped space, kneeling in the wet grasses in the heart of the forest, silence reigns; the hunter waits. In this space of waiting, the manifolds of silence are proportionally in correlation with the fear and the desire sensed by the hunters. The layout of these scenes resonates with the fictitious constructs of film, which projects its most enticing lures.


identifier: Glaude, Anne-Marie  (2008) Analyse sémiologique du discours racial en traduction : traduire le Nègre de Dany Laferrière.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores racial discourse in translation; using a semiotic approach, it demonstrates how racial discourse, characterized by a specific language, is subject to a "slippage of meaning" when translated into a target language. The example considered is a novel by Haitian writer Dany Laferrière, and its English translation by David Homel. Considering the widespread yet historically and scientifically discredited concept of "race", we will explore the impacts of translational displacements of meaning on Black identity. The "slippage of meaning", an unconscious "deformation" according to Berman's theory of ethnocentric and hypertextual translation, bears traces of a discourse, of an understanding of the world that can differ from the author's: "transformed" by the translator, "discourse" will be analysed in relation to Teun A. van Dijk's Critical Discourse Analysis. The works by Judith Lavoie and Hélène Buzelin will also be evoked in this research: their analyses of identity in the translation of vernaculars are of great relevance here.


identifier: Hu, Yu Bing  (2008) Quality management of drainage system monitoring process: design perspective.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Drainage Services branch of the City of Edmonton is responsible for planning, building, operating and maintaining over $8.1 billion of the drainage infrastructure. The environmental monitoring group within the Drainage Services branch has the responsibility of understanding the hydraulic performance of the sewerage and drainage facilities, and assessing how that performance measures up to the goals and objectives of Drainage Services. The Monitoring Group provides monitoring data and reports to the clients. The overall product quality consists of data quality and service quality, which relies on the performance of three major components: staff, device and program. Achieving data retrieval proficiency from monitoring sites and providing an acceptable level of service are of critical importance for the success of the Environmental Monitoring group in Drainage Services Branch.  The objective of this thesis is to develop a framework for the environmental monitoring group of the City of Edmonton to establish a Total Quality Management System. It is hoped that, with the implementation of this TQM system, the monitoring group can improve the quality of services, especially in the data integrity, correctness, and completeness. The development of the framework for TQM of the drainage monitoring system is accomplished by applying the methodology of environment-based design (EBD). EBD is the theoretical background for the whole project. It helps to present Recursive Object Model (ROM) diagram and elicit the complete requirements of ideal monitoring system, and then design the quality management system based on the product requirements.  In this thesis, the current monitoring process and practices are analyzed, including detailed discussion of the business processes, functional activities, and Operating processes of the Environmental Monitoring Group. Then the ideal process requirement analysis is performed by applying the Environmental Based Design (EBD) model in general and discusses the advantage of this method, presents ROM and the completed requirements. Next, the quality evaluation system is accomplished by setting up the quality standard or performance requirement for each segment of the management of the monitoring process, which helps to evaluate the group performance. Furthermore, the gap analysis is conducted, which presents the gap between the as-is and the to-be status of the monitoring group's quality management performance. Finally, the improvement recommendation is made and the future studies are proposed at the end of the present thesis.


identifier: Rahman, Md. Hamidur  (2008) Numerical analysis of blade tip leakage flow and shroud heat transfer in gas turbine engines.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: One of the most critical components of gas turbine engines, rotor blade tip and casing, is exposed to high thermal load. It is a significant challenge to the designer to protect the turbine material from this severe situation. Leakage flow over the blade tip is also one of the important issues to improve the turbine performance. To understand the detailed phenomena and natures of the heat transfer on the turbine blade tip and casing in association with the tip leakage flow under actual turbine operating conditions, both steady and unsteady simulations have been conducted.  A single stage gas turbine engine was modeled and simulated using commercial CFD solver ANSYS CFX R.11. The modeled turbine stage has 30 vanes and 60 blades with a pressure ratio of 3.2 and a rotational speed of 9500 rpm. The predicted isentropic Mach number and adiabatic wall temperature on the casing showed good agreement with available experimental data under the close operating condition.  Through the steady simulations, the typical tip leakage flow structures and heat transfer rate distributions were analyzed. The tip leakage flow separates and recirculates just around the pressure side edge of the blade tip. This coverage of the recirculating flow results in low heat transfer rates on the tip surface. The leakage flow then reattaches on the tip surface beyond the flow separation zone. This flow reattachment has shown enhanced heat transfer rates on the tip. The leakage flow interaction with the reverse cross flow, induced by relative casing motion, is found to have significant effect on the casing heat transfer rate distribution. Critical region of high heat transfer rate on the casing exists near the blade tip leading edge and along the pressure side edge. Whereas near the suction side the heat transfer rates are relatively low due to the coverage of the reverse cross flow. The effects of the tip clearance heights and rotor rotating speeds were also investigated. The region of recirculating flow increases with the increase of clearance heights. The flow incidence changes and the casing relative motion is enhanced with higher rotation speeds. As a result, the high heat transfer rate regions have been changed with these two parameters.  Unsteady simulations have been performed to investigate time dependent behaviors of the leakage flow structures and heat transfer on the rotor casing and blade tip. The effects of different time steps, number of sub iteration and number of rotor vane passing were firstly examined. The periodicity of the tip leakage flow and heat transfer rate distribution is observed for each vane passing. The relative change in the position of the vane and the vane trailing edge shock alters the inlet flow conditions of the rotor part. It results in the periodic variations of the leakage flow structures and heat transfer rate distributions. The higher heat transfer rates were observed at the region where the trailing edge shock reached. The maximum amplitude of the pressure fluctuation in the tip region is about 20% of the averaged rotor inlet pressure. The maximum amplitude of the heat transfer rate fluctuation on the blade tip, caused by the unsteady leakage flow variations, reaches up to about 25% of the mean heat transfer rate. The effects of tip clearance heights and rotor speeds have also been analyzed and compared one with respect to others. Same typical patterns of leakage flow structures and heat transfer rate distribution can be obtained in both steady and unsteady simulations. However, steady simulation underpredicted the highest heat transfer rate. Because it couldn't capture the critical local high heat transfer phenomena caused by the unsteady stator-rotor interactions


identifier: Mann, Jasjit Singh  (2008) Numerical and experimental analysis of dual focus laser for high aspect ratio microdrilling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Laser drilling is the most efficient noncontact material removal process. In this research project, a simplified approach using "dual focus" has been proposed to improve the aspect ratio of the drilling. Dual focus drilling not only changes the kerf angle but also increases the depth of drilling due to redistribution of the intensity in the overlapping focusing region. The dual focus is achieved by focusing two wavelengths at two different foci along the optical axis, using a single lens. A theoretical study of dual beam propagation along the optical axis was done for the selection of the radius of curvature of the lens to achieve continuity within the two focusing regions to increase the aspect ratio. Modeling has been done with numerical approach to understand the impact of intensity distribution and optical parameters on the efficiency of dual wavelength drilling.  Objective of the research work is to optimize the laser as well as optical parameters theoretically as well as experimentally with respect to dual wavelength drilling for obtaining high aspect ratio drilled holes with minimum power. The microdrilling station was setup with second harmonic generation to achieve dual wavelength with maximum conversion efficiency of 20%. Experiments were done individually with laser wavelengths of 532nm and 1064nm and with focusing both these wavelengths using a single lens at different pulse energies, on 500om thick silicon wafers. SEM observation of results proved that dual frequency drilling is more efficient compared to conventional drilling and results show excellent agreement with the results from the theoretical model.


identifier: Nofar, Mohammadreza  (2008) Failure detection and monitoring in polymer matrix composites subjected to static and dynamic loads using carbon nanotube networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this work, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used as a network of sensors to predict the failure region and to monitor the degradation of mechanical properties in laminated composites subjected to tensile and cyclic fatigue loadings. This is achieved by measuring the electrical resistance change in the semi-conductive MWCNT-fiber glass-epoxy polymer matrix composites. By partitioning the tensile and fatigue samples with electrically conductive probes, it has been shown that with both increasing tensile load and number of cycles, different resistance changes are detected in different regions and failure happens in the part in which higher resistance change was detected. In cyclic loading, in which the maximum load is higher than the elastic limit of the laminate, a sharp increase in resistance occurs within the first several cycles. There is also a change in resistance during long term cyclic loading. In cyclic loading, when compared to strain gauge readings, resistance change measurements show more sensitivity in identifying the crack initiation site, which gives this technique a good potential for monitoring strength degradation during fatigue.  Keywords: composites; Carbon nanotubes; Electrical properties; Sensors.