identifier: Msefer, Salma  (2015) The Strategic Responses of the Subsidiaries of Multinational Enterprises During Institutional Upheaval.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Every market has a set of institutions that govern the ways that societal interactions take place, including business transactions. Multinational enterprises are global entities that have operations in many different countries in the world and have to adapt their processes and strategies to local institutions, which are often very different from those in their home countries, particularly in emerging and developing economies.
This research employs the concept of institutional work to investigate the strategic responses of the subsidiaries of multinational enterprises operating in Morocco to local institutional pressures during stable periods as well as periods characterized by institutional upheaval, as was the case following the Arab Spring events in the Middle East. The study found that the subsidiaries of multinational enterprises are able to respond strategically and proactively in their host environments, through their everyday actions such as interactions with local actors or though highly visible actions such as the introduction of a new norm, standard or practice. Furthermore, the research suggests that during institutional change, the subsidiaries of multinational enterprises have a greater opportunity to act strategically and to capitalize on the transitions occurring to bring about further change to gain a more favorable business environment.


identifier: Pages, Lucile  (2015) Contemporary South African Art in New York: A Group Exhibition Case Study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
This thesis looks at the critical position of the 2004 New York exhibition “Personal Affects: Power and Poetics in Contemporary African Art” within the history of South African exhibitions locally and internationally. I argue that the exhibition’s restricted selection of artists excluded craft and traditional practices, and thus overlooked the cultural diversity of the country and failed to engage with the multiple South African identities embodied in non-Western based practices.
Following the theoretical framework of world art studies, I begin by asserting the need to think about contemporary art as a temporal framework and to broaden its definition so as to include all kind of significant practices. I then look at the South African exhibitions of the 1980s and early 1990s when hope for the end of apartheid united South African curators and artists in the quest for a more representative and inclusive artistic canon characterizing the new ‘rainbow nation’ gave raise to exhibitions that displayed crafts and traditional arts as contemporary art. After the second Johannesburg Biennale of 1997, the national desire to re-enter the international art scene in collaboration with international curators and institutions promulgated a contemporary South African art understood in Western terms, changing the path opened by previous national exhibitions. Examining in more detail the artworks of “Personal Affects” in the last section, I aim to demonstrate that the exhibition is inscribed in the dominant discourse on contemporary art imposed by the international art scene by restricting the notion of South African identity to mostly university-trained and urban–based artists, whose works resonated with the American context of the Museum for African Art.


identifier: Fleming, Arwen Jean  (2015) David Marvin’s Griffintown: An archival exploration of a ghosted neighbourhood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores an archive of photographs by Montreal-based photographer David Wallace Marvin and its potential for reimagining Griffintown, an historically working class neighbourhood and industrial district located near Montreal’s downtown waterfront. Drawing upon sociologist Avery Gordon’s “haunting-as-method,” I examine how David Marvin’s photographs bear traces of a community left out of the histories of Montreal currently in circulation, revealing the imaginative and geographical displacements brought about by more than two centuries of municipal neglect and isolation, eviction, and gentrification.


identifier: Marin, Kia  (2015) A multidisciplinary approach to investigating population differentiation of lake trout in Québec’s largest lake.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Maintaining population diversity is important for species survival and fisheries productivity. Research on several large lakes has documented the presence of multiple genetically- and morphologically-distinct populations within harvested fish species but less is known of population structuring in pristine lakes. I characterized population structuring of lake trout throughout Mistassini Lake, Quebec (2,335km2), using data from nineteen microsatellite DNA loci, spatial habitat use, morphology and local Cree traditional knowledge. I found that the lake is home to a minimum of five populations. These exhibit low to modest levels of genetic differentiation, partial spatial segregation by depth and basin, indiscriminate body and head morphologies, but remarkable within-population variation in morphology. The relationship between genetic and ecological differentiation was inconsistent across ecological metrics assessed, and traditional knowledge recognized attributes of some, but not all of the demarcated populations. Adopting the conceptual framework of ecological speciation as a continuum, I contend that the higher apparent level of within-population phenotypic variation in lake trout relative to other previously studied fish species may explain their lower level of population differentiation, despite their use of numerous distinct habitat niches. I discuss how identifying and recognizing multiple forms in such a pristine boreal lake system, both with western and traditional knowledge, has implications for a better understanding of population diversity and conservation in lake trout and related species elsewhere.


identifier: Lu, Ming  (2015) ConfSys3.5: A Kaizen Conference Management System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: After over a decade and half of the development and improvement based on real experience, the third generation of ConfSys (ConfSys3) not only possesses features such as user-group management, daemon and multi-track academic meetings, but also is able to support multi-series academic conference. The experience with these previous versions of ConfSys pointed to the need for better usability and additional features for system management. This thesis presents the design and implementation of ConfSys3.5, a kaizen conference management system, with continuous improvements and new features to assist academics to manage the processes of their events, and to provide related services for author and conference participants. ConfSys3.5 uses the same Tomcat - Java Servlet/JSP - MySQL platform as previous versions of ConfSys, but has introduced Struts 2 in Java web application, improved database and user interfaces to address user’s requirements. Both user friendliness and efficiency in ConfSys3.5 have been improved thanks to the lessons learned from developing and using earlier versions of ConfSys. ConfSys3.5 not only improves usability, but also introduces new concepts, such as Auto Session Management and Program Generation to reduce repetitive work and make management work more flexible. Furthermore, the improved software framework and database provides clear structure and flexibility, thus making the maintenance and expansion of the software system easier.


identifier: Dumouchel, Eleanor Yuri  (2015) Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle's Boschian 'Haywain' Tapestry: From Reformation to World Renunciation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis addresses the changes and additions to the Haywain triptych that resulted in the Haywain tapestry, as well as how this work would have appealed to Catholic humanists and ecumenical reformers such as Cardinal Granvelle in the period 1530-1566.  Following an exposition of the historical context of Catholic reformism in the Netherlands, this thesis will consider the circular composition of the Haywain tapestry – notably, the globus that circumscribes the image – and its affiliation with circular formats found in late medieval devotional manuals meant for solitary moral self-reflection. The thesis will also reflect on references in the tapestry to the subjects of Reformation-era debates such as Merit, Grace, and the Sacraments, as well as how the work’s composition—borrowed from modern devotional graphics and concepts—trained the viewer’s contemplation towards these topical issues.

What will emerge from this study is an object that, in its recognition of the theological and political turmoil of the sixteenth-century, functions as a prompt for humanist reflections on ideological controversy and unending conflict. These reflections will be divided into two distinctly humanist responses vis-à-vis the tapestry: the stoic response, in the form of struggle for reform and conciliation, which takes place within the space inside of the globus, and an attitude of world renunciation, associated with the seascape with the clear horizon. Finally, the meaning of the tapestry’s seascape shall be interrogated as a reflection of the humanist perception of the ‘New World’ as utopic alternative to a strife-ridden Europe.


identifier: Bobos-Kristof, Georgeana  (2015) Teaching fractions through a Measurement Approach to prospective elementary teachers: A design experiment in a Math Methods course.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this study we give an account of a teaching experiment on fractions to prospective elementary teachers, which took place in winter 2014 in a Teaching Mathematics course in an Elementary Education undergraduate program at a North-American university. The experiment was an adaptation for teacher education of the “Measurement Approach” to teaching fractions developed by the psychologist V.V. Davydov for the elementary mathematics curriculum (Davydov & Tsvetkovich, 1991).
The research had the characteristics of a design experiment, with a phase of reflection on the sources of meaning of fractions appropriate for the elementary school, as well as preliminary trials with one year before (winter 2013) preceding the implementation of the experiment in a “mature form.” We had two overarching goals in the design conception: fostering future teachers’ quantitative reasoning and cultivating a positioning relative to the course institution that is more conducive to accepting the approach – that of university students acquiring theoretical knowledge. In the description and the retrospective analysis of the teaching intervention we follow the realization of these goals at three levels: the overall organization of the material and tasks in the course by the instructor, the classroom interactions between the instructor and the students in lectures, and individual reasoning without mediation by the instructor.
We found that the Measurement Approach encouraged a culture of systemic justification in the classroom with some students adopting flexibly and creatively the proposed models of reasoning within a given theory. However, the risk of students’ imitating only certain aspects of these models – such as words, sentence structures, or procedures – ran high, with many students using the theory only as “decoration”, without adequate understanding. Furthermore, although spontaneous engagement with quantitative reasoning for establishing validity of statements about fractions or for explaining realistic problems was rare, it was present in several students, in encouraging forms. Very few students adopted such reasoning, but those who did, exhibited sophisticated and varied strategies for solving problems, which demonstrated robust understanding of the fraction of quantity theory.


identifier: Ghadiry, Walaaeldin  (2015) Optimal Control of Two-Wheeled Mobile Robots for Patrolling Operations.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Optimal Control of Two-Wheeled Mobile Robots for Patrolling Operations
Walaaeldin Ahmed Ghadiry,
Concordia University, 2015
This work studies the use of the two-wheeled mobile robots in patrolling operations, and provides the most distance-e�cient as well as time-e�cient trajectories to patrol a given area. Novel formulations in the context of constrained optimization are introduced which can be solved using existing software. The main concept of the
problem is directly related to the well-known Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and its variants, where a salesman starts from a base city and visits a number of
other cities with minimum travel distance while satisfying the constraint that each city has to be visited only once. Finally, the salesman returns back to the starting base city after completing the mission. Two di�erent patrolling con�gurations that are related to the TSP and its variants, namely the Single Depot multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (mTSP) and the Multidepot multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (MmTSP) are investigated. Novel algorithms are introduced for the trajectory planning of multiple two-wheeled mobile robots, either with two di�erential motors (which can turn on the spot) or with Dubins-like vehicles. The output trajectories for both types of wheeled robots are investigated by using a model predictive control scheme to ensure their kinematic feasibility for the best monitoring performance. The proposed formulations and algorithms are veri�ed by a series of simulations using e�cient programming and optimization software as well as experimental tests in the lab environment.


identifier: Rossi, Amanda  (2015) The impact of physical activity and blood pressure on cardiovascular events and mortality.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Hypertension is the leading risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for preventing hypertension and decreases risk of mortality and CVD. The purpose of this thesis was to study the relationships between PA, blood pressure (BP), and how they act to impact mortality and CVD development.
A systematic review examined the impact of PA on mortality in patients with high BP. Six articles evaluating over 90,000 participantswere identified. Cand all-cause mortality were shown to be inversely related to PA in all studies. Individuals with high BP who participated in any level of PA had a reduced risk of CVD mortality, and greater than two-fold increased risk of mortality was noted for inactive individuals.
The second study specifically examined the main and interaction effects of different levels of PA and BP on both fatal and non-fatal CVD events, and mortality in the Scottish Health Survey. We found a significant interaction effect between PA and BP on CVDsuch that doing any level of activity for the BP groups <160 mmHg reduced risk of CVD; in those with systolic BP ≥160 mmHg, there was no change in risk.
The third study evaluated the causal relationships between PA, BP, and mortality and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) using the Honolulu Heart Program. Advanced statistical models (i.e., Marginal structural models) were used to estimate the separate causal relationships of PA and BP on mortality/MACE, and the causal relationship of PA on BP. Being active was associated with reduced risk of mortality and MACE. BP was shown to have a dose-dependent relationship with all-cause mortality and MACE (increased BP increased risk of events). Active participants showed a reduced BP (~2.5 mmHg). Being physically active is associated with better outcomes and that BP may be a mediator of this relationship.
The findings from this thesis suggest a causal relationship between greater PA and lower BP, and that high PA acts with low BP in reducing the risk of mortality and cardiovascular events. Thisoutcome supports engagement in physical activity for longevity and maintenance of healthy blood pressure.


identifier: Hamer, Felicity Tsering Chödron  (2015) The Role of Women in Victorian-era Spirit Photography: A New Narrative.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Borne by the same ideas that founded Spiritualism in the nineteenth century, spirit photographs are joint-portraits achieved posthumously, without use of a corpse, wherein the bereaved are visually united with the deceased. These enchanted mementos are said to have been ‘invented’ in 1861, in Boston, Massachusetts, by William H. Mumler. Spirit photographers typically worked with individuals who claimed mediumistic qualities in order to enable the appearance of the magical ‘extras’ of the deceased. The majority of mediums were women and it is not surprising that the contributions of women to the production of spirit photography have been limited almost exclusively to such enabling activities. I will argue for a more foundational placement of women within the narrative of this innovative development within personal mourning rituals, shaped largely by women’s expertise and practice. Not only is the readiness to dismiss women as active participants in the invention illogical, but Mumler’s position as sole inventor has been maintained notwithstanding inconsistencies, and outright contradictions. My investigation of his involvement with this genre of photography is fueled by the acknowledged proximity of two women – Helen F. Stuart and Hannah Frances Green (later Mumler) – to the invention. With Stuart generally presented as owner of the studio in which Mumler stumbled upon his invention and Green as a secretary and medium in the same studio, scholars tend to  refuse these women any larger roles, pushing them rather quickly to the periphery. This text establishes the viability of a new narrative that addresses these concerns, making the heretical suggestion that these women were in fact one in the same, and proposing that this woman was in fact the ‘author’ if not ‘co-author’ of spirit photography.


identifier: Ghayoor Karimiani, Hossein  (2015) Analysis of Residual Stresses in Thermoplastic Composites Manufactured by Automated Fiber Placement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Process-induced stresses can play a major role in degradation of a part or structure made of composite materials. The new Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) manufacturing method of composites allows manufacturers and designers to potentially manufacture composite parts with greater precision and speed. However, for the case of thermoplastic composites because of extreme manufacturing environment such as high temperature these advantages could be jeopardized by process-induced residual stresses. In this work we looked into process-induced stresses caused by interaction of mold and composites considering temperature dependency and time dependency behavior of composite materials and proposed a new numerical step-by-step scheme to take into account mechanisms of stress generation and stress relaxation. Also, an in situ strain measurement using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is proposed to measure strains of the composite tape during manufacturing.


identifier: Al-Shatnawi, Mufleh Saleh  (2015) Prediction of Indel Flanking Regions and Its Application in the Alignment of Multiple Protein Sequences.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Proteins are the most important molecules in living organism, and they are involved in every function of the cells, such as signal transmission, metabolic regulation, transportation of molecules, and defense mechanism. As new protein sequences are discovered on an everyday basis and protein databases continue to grow exponentially with time, analysis of protein families, understanding their evolutionary trends and detection of remote homologues have become extremely important. The traditional laboratory techniques of studying these proteins are very slow and time consuming. Therefore, biologists have turned to automated methods that are fast and capable of analyzing large amounts of data and determining relationships between proteins that would be difficult, if not impossible, for humans to identify through the traditional techniques.

Insertion/deletion (indel) and substitution of an amino acid are two common events that lead to the evolution of and variations in protein sequences. Further, many of the human diseases and functional divergence between homologous proteins are related more to the indel mutations than to the substitution mutations, even though the former occurs less often than the latter. A reliable detection of indels and their flanking regions is a major challenge in research related to protein evolution, structures and functions.

The first and most important step in studying a newly discovered protein sequence is to search protein databases for proteins that are similar or closely-related to the new protein, and then to align the new protein sequence to these proteins. Thus, the alignment of multiple protein sequences  is one of the most commonly performed tasks in bioinformatics analyses, and has been used in many applications, including sequence annotation, phylogenetic tree estimation, evolutionary analysis, secondary structure prediction and protein database search. In spite of considerable research and efforts that have been recently deployed for improving the performance of multiple sequence alignment (MSA) algorithms, finding a highly accurate alignment between multiple protein sequences still remains a challenging problem.

The objectives of this thesis are to develop a novel scheme to predict indel flanking regions (IndelFRs) in a protein sequence and to develop an efficient algorithm for the alignment of multiple protein sequences incorporating the information on the predicted IndelFRs.

In the first part of the thesis, a variable-order Markov model-based scheme to predict indel flanking regions in a protein sequence for a given protein fold is proposed. In this scheme, two predictors, referred to as the PPM IndelFR and PST IndelFR predictors, are designed based on prediction by partial match and probabilistic suffix tree, respectively. The performance of the proposed IndelFR predictors is evaluated in terms of the commonly used metrics, namely, accuracy of prediction and F1-measure. It is shown through extensive performance evaluation that the proposed predictors are able to predict IndelFRs in the protein sequences with high values of accuracy and F1-measure. It is also shown that if one is interested only in predicting IndelFRs in protein sequences, it would be preferable to use the proposed predictors instead of HMMER 3.0 in view of the substantially superior performance of the former.

In the second part of the thesis, a novel and efficient algorithm incorporating the information on the predicted IndelFRs for the alignment of multiple protein sequences is proposed. A new variable gap penalty function is introduced, which makes the gap placement in protein sequences more accurate for the protein alignment. The performance of the proposed alignment algorithm, named as MSAIndelFR algorithm, is evaluated in terms of the so called metrics, sum-of-pairs (SP) and total columns (TC). It is shown through extensive performance evaluation using four popular benchmarks, BAliBASE 3.0, OXBENCH, PREFAB 4.0, and SABmark 1.65, that the performance of MSAIndelFR is superior to that of the six most-widely used alignment algorithms, namely, Clustal W2, Clustal Omega, MSAProbs, Kalign2, MAFFT and MUSCLE.

Through the study undertaken in this thesis it is shown that a reliable detection of indels and their flanking regions can be achieved by using the proposed IndelFR predictors, and a substantial improvement in the protein alignment accuracy can be achieved by using the proposed variable gap penalty function.  Thus, it is anticipated that this investigation will not only facilitate future studies on the modeling of indel mutations and protein sequence alignment, but will also open up new avenues for research concerning protein evolution, structures, and  functions as well as for research concerning protein sequence alignment.


identifier: Corrigan, James S.  (2015) Investigating the Use of RFID Technology in the Reverse Logistics of End-of-Service-Life Helicopters: A Hybrid Approach Based On Design for Six Sigma and Discrete-event Simulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Investigating the Use of RFID Technology in the Reverse Logistics of End-of-Service-Life Helicopters: A Hybrid Approach Based On Design for Six Sigma and Discrete-event Simulation

James S. Corrigan

Concordia University and Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd embarked upon a study to investigate the potential for using RFID technology in the reverse logistics of aircraft components, specifically those of end-of-service-life commercial helicopters.  This study necessitated the consideration of the way in which contemporary commercial aircraft components (specifically those of helicopters) are handled during the reverse logistics process and the consideration of the peculiarities of the value proposition of end-of-service-life commercial helicopters that differentiate them in certain key respects from their fixed-wing counterparts.

The research presented in this thesis presents a proposed implementation framework for the use of RFID technology in the reverse logistics of end-of-service-life helicopters and provides a quantitative assessment (using discrete event simulation modelling) of the role which RFID technology can play in the ‘leaning out’ that reverse logistics process.  The research uses a real-life case study of an actual helicopter commercial remanufacturing operation as a basis for the simulation modelling framework.  The simulation modelling considers various, and increasingly complex, means of RFID implementation as part of a Return-On-Investment (ROI) analysis.  One of the means of RFID implementation makes use of a novel RFID process for aircraft part identification which has been developed as part of this study: this innovative process makes use of a form of low-cost/low-weight RFID labels for identifying the component parts.  This thesis also presents the results of the actual laboratory testing of these novel RFID labels which has been carried out as part of this study to assess the feasibility of implementing this innovative RFID process technology on helicopter structural components.


identifier: Drury, Kate-Mills  (2015) Through a different lens: Adolescent sexual health in the context of gender, the body, close relationships and well-being.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Psychological research on adolescent sexuality has been typified by a focus on risk, biology and female experience. The overarching objective of the current two-part study was to incorporate an analysis of gender and embodiment into our knowledge of adolescent sexuality. This goal was achieved by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 170 Canadian adolescents (81 boys, 89 girls; Mean age= 15.82 years). Participants completed computerized questionnaires assessing self-reported gender role expectations, sexual attitudes, body-esteem, sexual subjectivity, well-being and experiences in close relationships. A subset of the sample (n = 40; 20 girls and 20 boys) was randomly chosen for participation in semi-structured interviews about sexuality, sexual relationships and sexual norms within the school culture. The quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in MPlus; the interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. In the first study, we examined how the interplay of heterosexuality and gender produces differences in socially constructed experiences of sexuality. In particular, we examined associations between gender role expectations, sexual attitudes, sexual subjectivity and emotional/social well-being. We also analyzed adolescents’ descriptions of gendered norms for sexual behaviour in their school. Overall, results provided support for the gender similarities hypothesis (Hyde, 2005), however, gender differences in attitudes toward sexual permissiveness impacted many aspects of adolescent personal and interpersonal well-being. In Study 2 explored how sexuality becomes woven into personal and interpersonal experiences of embodiment; specifically, we examined associations between sexual attitudes, body esteem, sexual subjectivity and close relationships. We also analyzed adolescents’ narratives about sexual attraction, desire and pleasure. Results revealed gendered processes of sexual embodiment, namely sexual objectification and subjectification and gender differences in the relationships between sexual permissiveness and body esteem. Taken as a whole, findings provide important new knowledge toward the development of holistic sexuality development programs.


identifier: Hassan, Mohamed A. Moharram  (2015) Investigation and Design of Different Antennas in Solar Cells' Environments with Their Needed Tools.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the spread use of solar cells as a renewable energy source and the wide use of wireless communications, it is interesting to use the solar cell panels as an energy source for rural wireless communications for security and safety. For compactness, it is proposed to embed antennas in the solar cell panels. Therefore, it is proposed to investigate the antenna characteristics within this environment. As such, the characteristics of the solar cells in the radio frequency region should be studied for proper design of the antennas in such an environment. Therefore, a rigorous design approach for antennas in the solar cells' environment is proposed through this work. A practical model of the solar cells in the microwave frequency range is presented using anisotropic surface impedance boundaries. Two different surface impedance  measurement setups are exploited to accurately model solar cells. Moreover, measurements of antennas' radiation efficiency are invoked in this work using the Wheeler cap concept in a contactless fashion to  perform measurements within solar cells' environments. A novel measurement technique has been proposed  extending conventional Wheeler cap capabilities to measure wide band antennas. The technique promotes a straightforward processing procedure and convenient measurement setup.

In addition, a simple, fast, and efficient numerical solution for the electromagnetic scattering arbitrary problems is proposed. Based on the uniqueness theorem and the use of novel equivalent problems with Random Auxiliary Sources (\emph{RAS}), more degrees of freedom are added resulting in significantly faster solutions. The proposed technique is expected to provide a significant reduction in the execution time and memory requirements compared to the surface equivalent based Method of Moments (MoM) as the inherent properties of this procedure are used. Various verification and result cases are presented to assess the introduced technique, which is incorporated into different analysis and design problems in this work. Moreover, the RAS method is extended to model antennas in their radiating and scattering modes, which, in turns, is adopted in the reflectarray antenna analysis and design procedures.

The introduced solar cells models along with the developed computations and measurement tools are used to develop a design procedure for antennas suited for the solar cells environment. An optically transparent reflectarray antenna integrated with solar cells is proposed as an application of interest that suits satellite communication purposes. Material choice, feed antenna tailored design and rigorous design procedures are presented to enhance the achievable performance of the antenna/solar cells integrated device.


identifier: Zullo, William  (2015) “Do You Think I Look Like an ‘F’ Anymore?”: Trans Identities, Biopolitics and Navigating State and Medical Spaces in Québec, Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Canada, trans persons seeking to transition face legal and medical regulation. In British Columbia and Ontario, sexual reassignment surgeries (SRS) are no longer required to legally change an individual’s gender designation. In Québec, however, trans people are still required to demonstrate proof of SRS. This thesis argues that there are two key spatial spheres that trans people must negotiate in their transition process which have received little attention in geographic work: state and medical spaces. State space will be examined by focusing on the Directeur de l’etat civil (DEC), the principle governing body of civil affairs in the province. This government agency plays a pivotal role in determining whether a person has met the legal requirements to warrant a change of gender designation. Medical space, defined as the hospitals, clinics, and psychotherapeutic offices where trans people seek guidance and support for their transition is also central to this study. This project employs a Foucauldian biopolitical framework to help structure the analysis of the embedded power relations between state and medical authorities and individuals. The population studied is trans-masculine persons living in Québec who were undergoing or who had planned to undergo transition-related medical interventions. Participants were recruited through university LGBTQ centers, as well as through trans organizations located in Montréal. The participants were interviewed following oral history interview principles. The findings of this study demonstrate that due to the restrictive regulations imposed by the Government of Québec that in legal spaces, trans persons are limited in terms of their self-determination, as they must conform to established biopolitical norms. Additionally, in medical spaces, not only do medical professionals lack awareness of trans-specific needs, but trans identities are also regulated through the documentation requirements. Overall, trans persons in Québec continue to face both legislative and medical hurdles when attempting to transition in-province.


identifier: Selladurai, Sahana L.  (2015) Airborne Pollutants and Lung Surfactant: Biophysical Impacts of Surface Oxidation Reactions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Lung surfactant comprises a lipid-protein film that coats the alveolar surface and serves to prevent alveolar collapse upon repeated breathing cycles. Exposure of lung surfactant to high concentrations of airborne pollutants, for example tropospheric ozone, can chemically modify the lipid and protein components. These chemical changes can impact the film functionality by decreasing the film's collapse pressure (minimum surface tension attainable), altering its mechanical and flow (rheology) properties and modifying lipid reservoir formation essential for re-spreading of the film during the inhalation process. In this research, we use Langmuir monolayers spread at the air-water interface as model membranes where the compression and expansion of the film mimics the breathing cycle. The impact of ozone exposure on model lung surfactant films is measured using a Langmuir film balance, Brewster angle microscopy and a pendant drop tensiometer as a function of film and subphase composition. Oxidation is shown to lower squeeze-out pressure, sometimes alter line tension (and film morphology) and in some cases visibly reduce the viscoelastic properties of the film when compared to controls. These reductions in functionality of the films are highly dependent on film and subphase composition, where for example, the use of a physiologically relevant buffer makes these films more fluid and sometimes more susceptible to oxidation. These findings can lead to a better understanding on the impact of continuous exposure to high levels of ozone on the mechanical process of breathing, as well as understanding the roles of certain lung surfactant components in this process.


identifier: Strong, Justin S.  (2015) Investigation of personality in subdominant male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and its relation to somatic cost and reproductive success.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Animal personalities are individual behavioural tendencies that are consistent across time and context. The presence of personality has yet to be assessed in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), a species where subdominant males may attempt to gain access to females within a harem while risking physical confrontation with a dominant male. I investigated bold-shy personality in subdominant male reindeer based on individual subdominant male propensity to penetrate into a mating group and flight initiation distance. I also investigated how boldness related to somatic cost and reproductive success, respectively. Data was collected at the Kutuharju Reindeer Research Station in Kaamanen, Finland, where measures of personality were generated using field observation data based on the relative frequency of dominant male-subdominant male agonistic interactions over four years and subdominant male flight initiation distance measured over one year. Individual propensity to penetrate a mating group was not significantly repeatable and therefore not a personality trait, but instead decreased with subdominant male weight and group sex ratio, and was best described by a quadratic relationship with day of the mating season. There was no relationship between propensity and relative weight loss or reproductive success. Subject to no discernable fitness consequences related to propensity to penetrate a mating group, individuals do not adopt personalities and may instead base decisions on proximate factors. Flight initiation distance increased with starting distance and was negatively related to trial number. Individual flight initiation distance was significantly repeatable and therefore indicated personality differences along the bold-shy axis.


identifier: Johnson, Adrienne R.  (2015) Through African Canadian Eyes: Landscape Painting by Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century African Canadians.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis focuses on landscape as artistic genre and site in relation to African Canadian cultural belonging and agency as fine artists and Canadian citizens at the turn of the twentieth century. Attending to aspects of racialization in Canadian art in which landscape is considered both as geopolitical territory and as the hallmark subject matter, it specifically examines how African Canadian artists navigated racialized spaces – landscapes of psychic and lived Black violence – when African Canadians were systematically positioned outside the imagined and physical constructs of the nation. The period covered is from 1760 until 1910 when a shift occurred artistically and ideologically in Black culture, underscored by a desire for African Unity and greater access and participation in North American economic, cultural, and political society. Historical records have long relegated African Canadians to an underclass, representing them as non-actors or non-participants in Canadian art history. This thesis compares and contrasts the lives and work of two African Canadian landscape artists, George Henry McCarthy (1860-1906; Shelburne, NS) and Edith Hester McDonald-Brown (ca.1880-1954; Africville, Halifax, NS) to examine and document their artistic contributions to early Canadian art history. Section One provides a historiography of Canadian landscape as art and territory between 1760 and 1900, focusing on its psychic and physical aspects. It situates the lived experiences of African Canadians within the geographical territory known as Canada, exploring how land (and freedom) was wielded as a weapon of disenfranchisement against African Canadians. Section Two presents the first of the two case studies: the life and work of George Henry McCarthy. This section examines how, if at all, McCarthy’s African and White mixed race heritage influenced his art making and lived experience in Canada. Section Three presents the second case study on the life and work of Edith Hester McDonald (later Brown) to provide a historical point-of-departure to examine Black women’s access to professionalization in the visual arts in early Canada. I propose McCarthy as the earliest known African Canadian male artist, and McDonald as the first known African Canadian woman artist in art history.


identifier: Mansuri, Erum  (2015) Surface Behavior of Boronic Acid-Terminated Silicones.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There is interest in developing responsive, surface-active species that can be used to confer functionality and sensing capabilities to surfaces. Controlling structure, organization and material properties of thin film coatings requires an understanding of the nature of intermolecular interactions taking place at the air-water and air-solid interfaces.  With the objective of combining differential diol (sugar) binding capabilities of boronic acids with surface activity of silicones,  a series of boronic acid-derived bola amphiphiles (silicone boronic acid, SiBA) have been characterized at the air-water interface as a function of silicone chain length and subphase composition. Isotherms of SiBA show similar phase transitions as poly(dimethyl)siloxane but display a sharp increase in pressure before film collapse, indicating strong tethering of boronic acid headgroups to the subphase.  For comparison, hydride and amine-terminated silicones were studied. Boronic acids occupy a relatively larger molecular area at the interface than other polar headgroups, suggesting they adopt a planar orientation on the subphase possibly forming boronic acid-boronic acid complexes rather than being submerged into the subphase. SiBA showed low sensitivity for sugars in the subphase at pH 5.5 which appears to be improved by addition of amines. Testing if amines alone are responsible for the observed shifts, a series of amines in the absence of diols were added to the subphase. The addition of amines in the subphase led to isotherm shifts to higher molecular areas and decreased film stability. While generally small molecule crosslinkers in the subphase increase film stability, for SiBA, they may be disrupting the boronic acid self-complexations, making the film less resistant to collapse.


title:
Teaching fractions through a Measurement Approach to prospective elementary teachers:
A design experiment in a Math Methods course


identifier: Zhou, Yuansheng  (2015) Five-axis Flank Milling and Modeling the Spiral Bevel Gear with a Ruled Tooth Surface Design.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Spiral bevel gears usually are cut by the machine tools which are specifically made for manufacturing spiral bevel gear. For some practical applications, such as repair, prototype, and small batch, there are only several spiral bevel gears need to be machined. It seems not wise to buy a gear manufacturing machine tool for cutting those several gears. Consequently, some other manufacturing methods are introduced to cope with this situation. Recent advances in computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine tools make
it possible to manufacture good quality spiral bevel gears. Moreover, CNC milling machine tools are usually cheaper than the specific gear manufacturing machine tools. Even more, they are not only cut gears but also other parts. Therefore, computer numerical control (CNC) milling is introduced in industry to cut spiral bevel gears.

End milling and flank milling are two modes of CNC milling. Compared to end milling, flank milling has been highlighted in quality enhancement, manufacturing time and cost reduction. Theoretically, the result of flank milling a developable ruled surface does not contain geometric deviations. Hence, flank milling has been widely used to machine the parts with ruled surface or the surface close to ruled surface, such as turbines and blades. Due to the fact that the tooth surfaces of spiral bevel gears are close to ruled surface (the tooth surface of Format-cut spiral bevel is part of a cone), flank milling can also be used to cut spiral bevel gears.

However, there is no literature about flank milling spiral bevel gears. Moreover, the current existing tooth surface models (except the tooth surface of Format-cut spiral bevel gear) are implicit, which makes further calculation inefficient and difficult. To address these two problems, a new ruled tooth surface design is proposed to spiral bevel gears design. Subsequently, the design model is used to be machined with five-axis flank milling by introducing a new tool path planning approach. To obtain the simulate machined tooth surface, a new geometric envelope approach is proposed to calculate the cutter envelope surface as a closed-form representation. Then the result of geometric deviations, which are obtained by comparing the design tooth surface and the simulate machined tooth surface, shows the flank milling is appropriate to cut spiral bevel gears. Furthermore, the conventional face-milled model is also used as the design model for flank milling, and another result of geometric deviations is obtained. Subsequently, both results are compared, and the comparison shows that the proposed design reduces the geometric deviations effectively. Moreover, the closed-form simulate machined tooth surface can only be obtained by using the proposed design.


identifier: Kathiresan, Meena  (2015) Biochemical and mass spectrometric analysis of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase in vitro and in vivo gives insights into its biological functions as a H2O2 sensor and heme donor protein.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The stress response to exogenous H2O2 has provided significant insight into thiol-based cytosolic H2O2 sensors such as OxyR in Escherichia coli and its eukaryotic counterpart Gpx3/Yap1 in Saccharomyce cerevisiae. However, sensing of endogenously generated H2O2 in mitochondria, the main sites of H2O2 production in respiring yeast, is poorly documented. We have recently demonstrated that cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) acts as a mitochondrial H2O2 sensor to balance reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by regulating catalase A (Cta1) activity and attenuating the H2O2 stress response during aging. Since Ccp1 is the first heme-based H2O2 sensor to be identified, its mechanism of action at the molecular level is of much interest. This thesis reports on how H2O2 signals through Ccp1. Activity assays reveal the accumulation of catalytically inactive and heme-free Ccp1 outside mitochondria in respiring cells, when catalase activity starts to increase. Importantly, the burst in H2O2 generation during the switch from fermentation to respiration triggers heme-mediated oxidation by H2O2 of the proximal Fe ligand, H175. Formation of oxo-H175 weakens the heme-ligand interaction and labilizes the heme group, which is transferred either directly or via unidentified intermediate(s) to apoCta1. The nascent Cta1 activity detoxifies H2O2, and apoCcp1 which has conformational lability, undergoes reverse translocation to the vacuole and nucleus. Mass spectrometric characterization of heme-mediated H2O2-induced chemical and post-translational modifications in recombinant Ccp1 and Ccp1 isolated from yeast cells, respectively, has allowed us to identify the residues oxidized as well as to evaluate radical-transfer pathways in Ccp1 in response to both exogenous and endogenous H2O2. Importantly, the mass spectrometry-based approach described here provides a way to fully evaluate the oxidation profile of a protein. Although Cta1 was not found as a binding partner of GST-Ccp1 in GST pull-down assays, the antioxidant proteins, manganese superoxide dismutase (Sod2), thioredoxin peroxidase (Tsa1), the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), the putative heme transporter Pet9 and heat shock proteins 70 and 90 were reproducibly found as Ccp1 binding partners. Combined, the results presented provide insights into the mechanism of H2O2 signaling in cells involving heme-mediated redox changes in contrast to the redox chemistry of thiols.


identifier: Blom, Marleah  (2015) Reflections on Learning and Teaching Through Play: Faculty Voices Within Early Childhood Teacher Education in Canada.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Play has been documented to be present throughout the lifespan. Play and learning are commonly associated with childhood yet their place within formal post-secondary settings has been overlooked.  Considering the role of play in human development and the important role post-secondary early childhood teacher education programs (ECTE) have in preparing preservice teachers to create positive quality experiences for young children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, ECTE is a fertile context for inquiry on play and learning with adult learners. This study highlights the voices of 19 faculty members working in 13 recognized post-secondary Diploma and Certificate ECTE programs across six provinces and territories in Canada.  It is a qualitative study that integrates various methods within a four-stage model to explore teacher beliefs and practices.  Images, narratives and semi-structured interviews are used to provoke reflection while shedding light on (a) who faculty are, (b) their beliefs on play and learning for children and adult learners, (b) their related self-reported teaching practices, (c) perceived influential factors, and (d) recommendations for faculty professional development.  Data were triangulated and analyzed through three steps.  Faculty valued play and learning in both ECEC and ECTE settings and provided examples of how they put their beliefs into practice in ECTE programs.  Insights reveal ways in which the relationship between play and learning in education shifts from children’s spontaneous free play towards a structured and goal-oriented play in adulthood, including influential factors that may contribute to the change.  Findings are discussed based on features of an existing ECTE professional development system model (Hyson et al., 2012), along with additional questions that are raised.  A proposed model of a relationship between faculty’s beliefs and practices is also presented, along with reported mediating factors operating at different levels.  The study contributes to gaps within the literature and comes at a time when pressures for standardization and school readiness are putting the place of free play at risk in early childhood settings.  The study’s strengths and limitations are discussed.  Recommendations and future directions for research, ECTE programs, and ECTE faculty are provided.


identifier: Aviram-Singer, Tal  (2015) Two Sides to the Same Coin? The Positive and Negative Consequences of Severe Life Regrets in Younger versus Older Adulthood.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
As we aim to accomplish desirable goals, challenges, and hurdles are omnipresent. These point to a discrepancy between current and hoped-for states, produce negative emotions and are aversive. Regret relates to one such discrepancy. Developmental theories postulate that opportunity to overcome these effects is plentiful in young adulthood. The main aim of this dissertation was to ascertain the emotional and motivational processes inherent in the regret experience across time in young adults. An additional focus lay in understanding the benefits of continued engagement in overcoming regret, despite pessimism in one’s odds. Finally, these analyses were replicated in an older adult sample to assess their specificity to young adulthood.
Study 1 assessed the associations between intense negative emotions, regret engagement, implementation intentions, progress, and well-being measures over time among 121 young adults. Results indicated that regret intensity predicted increases in well-being and reduced intensity over time, through increases in regret-related progress. Additionally, increased engagement at onset and increased in implementation intentions over time mediated the increases in regret progress. This illustrates that emotional intensity can positively affect regret-related progress, and thereby well-being and distress over time, through its motivational effects.
Study 2 followed 121 pessimistic young adults to assess the benefits of continued regret engagement, despite reservations. Results showed that pessimistic participants who continued engaging in their regret displayed well-being improvements, which were mediated by improvements in their outcome expectancies over time. This points to the importance of continued pursuit in overcoming regret on well-being in pessimistic young adults.
Study 3 replicated these analyses in an older adult sample of 136 community dwelling recent retirees. Results showed that the experience of regret intensity was linked with increased intensity over time, but not with other variables. Additionally, pessimistic older adults who continued to engage in overcoming their regrets did not display expectancy or well-being improvements over time. This suggests that regret-related benefits are specific to young adulthood.
This research contributes to the literature on adaptive development across the lifespan. Findings on differing adaptive responses to the regret experience are explained with the use of developmental and motivational theories.


identifier: Cameron, Ede  (2015) Parallelizing the ALSA Modular Audio Synthesizer.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Digital audio synthesizers are frameworks for generating digital audio, and are the backbone for creating synthesized digital music. Some of the existing audio synthesizer engines are quite popular due to the following reasons: economy, flexibility and convenience for the user in synthesizing music/audio, compatibility with commodity hardware and software platforms. One such audio synthesis engine is the ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) Modular Synthesizer, which is an emulation of an analogue modular synthesizer. Until recently, audio programming software has been inherently sequential. There have been some attempts to parallelize a few of these engines with mixed results. The goal of parallelization is not only to obtain speedup but also to increase throughput so that more complex synthesizers can be built to enhance quality and/or complexity of the sound generated. By design, audio synthesizers have soft real-time requirements. This can mean that many of the techniques that are normally used to parallelize a program can in certain situations be too expensive to offer any real performance gain. As a consequence, a naïve parallelization technique for an audio synthesizer can in fact be too expensive due to added overheads, and hence is of no benefit. This paper discusses our methodologies and experiences on parallelizing the ALSA Modular Synthesizer on a multicore environment, and elaborates the experimental results highlighting the advantages of parallelization.


identifier: Barbhuiya, Atiqur Rahman  (2015) Evolutionary genetics and conservation of Citrus genetic resources in home gardens in Northeast India.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The genus Citrus L. is a major source of commercial fruits, cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Many Citrus species and cultivars are commonly found in home gardens and play an important role in supporting the livelihood of local inhabitants in northeast India. This study includes the phylogenetic relationship among Citrus species, population genetics of a medicinally important and native Citrus species (C. medica) and plant diversity in the home gardens in northeast India. The phylogenetic relationships of 24 species of Citrus based on nucleotide sequences of three chloroplasts (trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG and rps16) and one nuclear (ITS2) DNA regions were inferred through three major phylogeny reconstruction methods. The analyses grouped morphologically distinct 24 Citrus species into five phylogenetically defined groups with presence of a true species (C. medica, C. reticulata and C. grandis) and their probable hybrids in three groups. Furthermore, this study revealed two additional groups with two wild, endemic and endangered species (C. indica and C. assamensis). The species of acid and Papeda groups are polyphyletic.
The genetic diversity and structure of 219 Citrus medica individuals collected from 8 domestic and 4 wild populations were assessed using 5 polymorphic microsatellite markers. In total 67 alleles were detected with an average of 13.4 alleles per locus. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged between 0.220 - 0.540 and 0.438 - 0.733 respectively among the wild and domestic populations. Domestic populations showed close genetic relationships as compared to wild populations and pairwise Nei’s genetic distance ranged from 0.062 to 2.091. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results showed higher genetic diversity among- than within-populations. The analysis of population structure revealed five groups, partly corresponding to geographical location of populations. The admixture of individuals among wild and domestic populations revealed their introgression in populations by natural or farmer mediated agricultural practices. Citrus medica populations in the region are genetically diverse.
The eastern Himalayan region of northeast India is well known for its traditional home gardens, which play important role in the maintenance of livelihoods of indigenous communities and conservation of biological diversity. This study determined the plant diversity and their importance in conservation of plant genetic resources. This study was conducted in 90 home gardens located in 6 villages in two different districts in Mizoram and data collected through direct observations and thorough discussions with the farmers. The size of home gardens ranged between 0.10 – 0.60 ha and showed significant (P<0.001) positive correlation between the garden size and plant species diversity. A total of 333 plant species (133 trees, 92 shrubs and 108 herbs) belonging to 122 families with an average of 78 species per home garden were recorded. The species diversity indices for trees, shrubs and herbs were 4.76, 4.39 and 4.58 respectively. The species similarity within each life-form was high with 50% for trees, 38% for shrubs and 49% for herbs. Plant species in the home gardens could be grouped into 11 major use categories and majority of plants were of medicinal or multiple use categories. These home gardens are reservoirs of plant genetic resources and play a vital role in sustaining the livelihood of local inhabitants.


identifier: Meng, Zhongyao  (2015) Short Production Run Control Charts to Monitor Process Variances.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Control chart is one of the most commonly used statistical tools for quality control and improvement. If the process mean and standard deviation are not given or unknown, most Shewhart control charts require sufficient sample data before the control chart can be established. However, in certain industries or processes, it may not be practical to collect adequate amount of data at the beginning of the manufacturing process to build the trial control chart in Phase I. For quality improvement in such or similar processes, some authors developed self-starting control charts for short-run production, e.g. t chart, Q chart, EWMA t chart/Q chart, CUSUM t chart/Q chart. This thesis studies the performance of some short run control charts for monitoring process variances. Numerical simulations are using in this study. The results of the numerical experiments are extensively tested for different combinations of process lengths and starting points of process shifts.


identifier: Asadi, Zahra  (2015) A Unified Framework for Evaluating Algebraic Queries over Annotated Relations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
We study concepts and techniques for modeling and processing uncertain relations. Intuitively a piece of data is uncertain if its truth is not established definitely. Similarly, a relation is uncertain when its true state is not ascertained. A major source of difficulties is the semantics of uncertain relations defined based on the notion of possible worlds, which is a set of standard relations one of which represents the true state of the real world data but we don't know which one. This has posed serious challenges for over two decades in database and AI research, however, the topic has gained revived attention in database community again due to some emerging applications such as sensor networks, surveys and imputation techniques, and privacy-preserving data mining applications that require storing and processing such data effectively. Our work is motivated by and concerned with practical issues affected by the exponential number of the possible worlds.
We study existing models and techniques and consider the semiring model, a representation model of annotated relations, to represent uncertain relations in our work. Our choice of model is justified for being equipped with an algebra for evaluating queries over annotated relations. We illustrate how the model lends itself to a framework to study models and algorithms for both uncertain relations and probabilistic relations in a unified manner. The ideas and solutions provide a basis for development of a system for annotated data management.


identifier: Kokgil, Erdem  (2015) Using Helium as Hydrogen Surrogate for Safety Analysis Related to Hydrogen Leaks from Residential Fuel Cell.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
One of the most critical barrier against residential hydrogen fuel cell systems is the unintended release of hydrogen in an enclosure that causes fires and explosions, especially when the gas concentration level exceeds certain amount in the ambient air. Scientists are using helium as a surrogate to investigate and observe the dispersion behaviour of hydrogen in case of a leak. However, it has been found that there are differences between hydrogen and helium concentrations before the plumes become stable, during the initial stages of the gas release. At present, the similarity of the hydrogen and helium plumes depend only on experimental results and observations. This thesis proposes a theoretical model of a point source light gas plume and developed a new theoretical model for the similarity of hydrogen and helium plumes.

In order to better understand the dispersion behavior of the hydrogen gas in an enclosure, experiments were conducted in a 1/4 sub-scale residential garage model. Helium gas was released inside the model with various experimental configurations. Helium concentrations were measured by thermal conductivity sensors to observe the effects of natural and mechanical ventilation. For natural ventilation cases, it is found that volumetric flow rate, injector height, release direction and release times had significant effects on helium concentration levels inside the enclosure.  For the mechanical ventilation case, high fluctuations of concentration levels were observed at the sensors inside the plume and the maximum concentration level did not have a significant difference inside the plume compared to the same case with natural ventilation. On the other hand, the maximum concentration level outside the plume had vital differences, forced ventilation caused maximum concentration level to stay below the lower hydrogen explosion limit.


identifier: Rodriguez, Cesar  (2015) System Analysis Using Simulation for Manufacturing Gauge R&R Study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Manufacturing environment relies on fulfillment of product specifications and customer satisfaction. Quality characteristics of products are measured for assessing its accordance to requirements, but measurement error might mask true process performance. Measurement system variability must be small with respect to product specifications as well to process variation. Total variation in a manufacturing process is a combination of part-to-part variation and measurement variation. Prior to endeavor in process analysis and enhancement it is highly recommended to perform a measurement system capability study. The analysis of the measurement system has to take into account three basic components, appraiser, equipment and product. Measurement system analysis (MSA) relies on statistical tools, such as Gauge R&R study, to ensure that the measurement system is in acceptable conditions to monitor the manufacturing process. Main objective of the thesis is to analyze how sensitive are the confidence intervals of variability components and capability criteria to the design of a Gauge R&R study. We conducted extensive numerical experiments using simulation. Findings will be of help as guidance to practitioners when dealing with parameter allocation decisions in a Gauge R&R study.


identifier: sparapani, samantha  (2015) Characterization of a putative separase Esp1p and a novel interacting protein in regulating mitosis in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: C. albicans is an important fungal pathogen of humans, and an understanding of the regulation of its cell cycle may reveal new targets for anti-fungal therapies. We previously characterized the C. albicans Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome regulatory co-factors Cdc20p and Cdh1p, and showed that they are important for the metaphase-to-anaphase transition and mitotic exit. In order to determine the mechanisms of action of Cdc20p, we searched the genome for factors that bind it in other systems, and found that C. albicans lacks the conserved Cdc20p target, securin. Securins bind and prevent separase from cleaving cohesin, and must be targeted for degradation by Cdc20p for separase-dependent sister chromatid separation. We hypothesized that C. albicans contains a divergent securin, which may be uncovered by identifying proteins that bind separase. We demonstrated that the C. albicans separase homologue, ESP1, is required for chromosome segregation. We then identified Esp1p-interacting factors using affinity purification and mass spectrometry, and uncovered Orf19.955p, a protein of unknown function with homologues only in Candida species. Orf19.955p contains Destruction and a KEN box, like other securins. While not essential, depletion impairs cell growth and phenotype. Chromosomes could segregate; unlike in Esp1p-depleted cells, but chromosome organization and microtubules were adversely affected. In contrast, depletion of securin Pds1p in S. cerevisiae prevented chromosome separation and phenocopied absence of Esp1p. Future experiments will clarify if Orf19.955p is a securin. Collectively our results provide new insights on factors involved in the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, and thus cell proliferation in C. albicans, including a novel fungal-specific protein.


identifier: Smoak, Harry  (2015) Meaning as Response: Experience, Behavior, and Interactive Environment Design.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis proposes a novel theory of meaning-as-response inspired by the pragmatist and cultural historian Morse Peckham (1914-1993) and presented for consideration of specifically how artistic behavior can make an immediate difference for affecting technical culture and innovating technical practices. Throughout, the author draws on his own extensive experience and practice of making computational responsive environments conceived of as material experiments for the generation of new forms of thought and feeling. An introduction to Peckham’s original thought is supplied as an entry point for practitioners and theorists alike who are unfamiliar with the most crucial work of this significant “ecological” thinker of the arts. Next, selected aspects of Peckham’s thorough-going behavioral aesthetics are discussed and analyzed in order to contextualize his most important ideas along with their historical and intellectual connections. A primer of Peckham’s “language” of signs is included as supplemental aid for those working along Peckhamian lines. Continuing from the notion of a learning process, next consideration of presuppositions relevant for ongoing practice is taken up. Attention is given in particular to important relevancies during early stages of learning something new or for the first time— from initial interest, to selection and development of working materials, to preparation for wanted further competencies. This research aims to revive interest in this provocative thinker by placing it in a new setting, thereby contributing a fresh angle to recent critical debates on agency, materiality, and embodiment in contemporary art and technology practices. Proposed are strategies that implicate the interests of artist-researchers themselves and bear on efforts to take experimental work outside the insulated spaces of university studio-labs and galleries to put it in connection with a wider array of day-to-day activities. This thesis is concerned with a single problem, namely the possibility of a genuinely new idea emerging from within practice. The relevancy of this problem lies in the fundamental importance of the possibility for all makers, in every place and every time. The question asked is: How can a philosophy of “experience” be applied to the practice and reflection of art-as-research?


identifier: Rayner, Vanessa  (2015) Developing Preservice Teachers’ Professional Noticing of Students’ Learning.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examined the effects of an intervention included in a mathematics methods course on preservice teachers’ (N = 29) ability to specify learning goals of a lesson (Skill 1), collect evidence of student learning (Skill 2), generate hypotheses about the effect of teaching on student learning (Skill 3), and use the analysis to propose alternative teaching strategies to improve the lesson (Skill 4; Hiebert et al., 2007).  I examined the effect of direct instruction on Skill 1 on the development of the other three skills.  Also, the study examined the nature of specifying learning goals (Skill 1) following instruction that did and did not address this skill.  A two-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used to compare the effect of two conditions (Students Learning and Learning Goals) on skill development.  Both conditions received classroom instruction on Skills 2, 3, and 4, but only the Learning Goals condition received instruction on Skill 1.  The instruction included skill-based instruction and video analysis using an observation framework that was designed by the participants in the study.  Four topics related to the development of children’s algebraic reasoning were used for instruction, practice, and assessment of all four skills.  A subsample of preservice teachers from both conditions (n = 8) were individually interviewed to examine the nature of Skill 1.  The results revealed significant improvement on Skills 2, 3, and 4 following instruction, however the instruction provided to each groups had the same effect on the development of these three skills.  The results demonstrated no difference on mean Skill 1 performance on the post-assessment.  The interview data revealed qualitative differences in the nature of Skill 1.  Specifically, compared to the preservice teachers in the Learning Goals group, those without Skill 1 training (Student Learning group) showed a greater tendency to focus on students’ behaviors to identify learning goals, and this limited their ability to specify learning goals across different teaching contexts.  Overall, the results indicated that Skills 2, 3, and 4 do not develop naturally and are learned.  As such, the results lend support for teacher training programs to incorporate instruction on these three skills.


identifier: Koketso, Lesego  (2015) STEM education in Botswana: understanding the gender disparity in enrolment and graduation in post-secondary education.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Widespread education for all children was approved as part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. In 1990, the World Summit for Children acknowledged girls’ education as a development tool, and gender parity in education is integral to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as it is the third of the eight goals.
This qualitative study sought to gain a better understanding of the factors driving gender disparities in enrolment in and graduation from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) post secondary education programmes in Botswana, in the context of closing the gender gap in education at all levels. The methodology included analysing official documents, published reports, and research findings of studies conducted elsewhere in the field of STEM education.
Research findings suggest that low graduation of girls in post secondary institutions arises from a wide range of issues such as the rigid patriarchal systems of social groups and other socio-cultural practices found within Botswana society. My study has also found out that the school curriculum is one of the institutionalized forms of creating disparity in the education of boys and girls. I have argued that the some of academic subjects in Botswana’s secondary schools are gender-biased and this ultimately lead to the gender disparities in enrolment and graduation in STEM disciplines. I provide plausible recommendations that Botswana can adopt to drive toward gender parity in STEM education.


identifier: Mahmoud, Mohamed Yousri  (2015) Formal Analysis of Quantum Optics.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Formal Analysis of Quantum Optics

abstract:
At the beginning of the last century, the theory of quantum optics arose and led to a revolution in physics, since it allowed the interpretation of many unknown phenomena and the development of numerous powerful, cutting edge engineering applications,
such as high precision laser technology. The analysis and verification of such applications and systems, however, are very complicated. Moreover, traditional analysis tools, e.g., simulation, numerical methods, computer algebra systems, and paper-and-pencil approaches are not well suited for quantum systems. In the last decade, a new emerging verification  technique, called formal methods, became common among engineering domains, and has proven to be effective as an analysis tool. Formal methods
consist in the development of mathematical models of the system subject for analysis, and deriving computer-aided mathematical proofs. In this thesis, we propose a framework for the analysis of quantum optics based on formal methods, in particular theorem proving. The framework aims at implementing necessary quantum mechanics and optics concepts and theorems that facilitate the modelling of quantum optical devices and circuits, and then reason about them formally. To this end, the framework
consists of three major libraries: 1) Mathematical foundations, which mainly contain the theory of complex-valued-function linear spaces, 2) Quantum mechanics, which develops the general rules of quantum physics, and 3) Quantum Optics, which
specializes these rules for light beams and implements all related concepts, e.g., light coherence which is typically emitted by laser sources. On top of these theoretical foundations, we build a library of formal models of a number of optical devices commonly
used in quantum circuits, including, beam splitters, light displacers, and light phase shifters. Using the proposed framework, we have been able to formally verify common quantum optical computing circuits, namely the Flip gate, CNOT gate, and Mach-Zehnder interferometer.


identifier: Grincheva, Natalia  (2015) Cultural Diplomacy of a Different Kind: A Case Study of the Global Guggenheim.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis explores the online dimension of non-state cultural diplomacy, as a new form of contemporary cross-cultural communication in a highly globalized and multilateral environment of contemporary international politics. By looking at the Guggenheim museum, this thesis investigates how this powerful cultural institution with a world recognized global brand engages international audiences and exerts strong cultural impacts. Focusing on one of the Guggenheim’s online global communication activities, the YouTube Play project, implemented in cooperation with Google in 2010, this thesis analyzes a new form of cultural diplomacy exercised in an online environment through social media channels.
Understanding the Guggenheim as a non-state actor in the international arena and its YouTube Play project as an example of digital diplomacy, the research demonstrates that the new epoch of neoliberal globalization and digital forms of human interactions have given birth to a completely new phenomenon in the field of cross-cultural communication. This type of communication, unlike governmental forms of cultural diplomacy between nation states, projects cosmopolitan messages and values, going beyond a traditional promotion of national cultures and traditions. Furthermore, this new form of cultural diplomacy has a strong economic component. On one hand, this component ensures the autonomous character of the international activity, distancing it from the direct control of the government.  On the other hand, the economic component brings new corporate politics into play. However, like state forms of diplomacy, online manifestation of contemporary cultural diplomacy has two dimensions: cultural projection and public relations. On the level of cultural projection, the YouTube Play exerts a powerful influence upon international audiences, pushing forward global forces of cultural and linguistic homogenization. On the level of cultural relations, the project brings together people from different countries for productive cross-cultural exchanges with strong educational impacts leading to better understanding and respect between participants.


identifier: Daie, Pooya  (2015) Hierarchical Clustering Approach for Product Variety Management.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Continually evolving customer’s needs has contributed to an increase in demand for product variety over the recent decades. Proliferation of product variants affects different aspects of product life cycle which increases the complexity of managing product variety. In this context, the notion of grouping and classification based on similarity within a family of product is the key in managing product variety. This research proposes hierarchical clustering as solution approach that is intuitively relevant and it focuses on progressively grouping the elements that share high similarity with each other.
In this research, three types of product variety-related problems are investigated. The first problem concerns with designing product architecture in a way to support product variety. Design Structure Matrix (DSM) is used to visualize product architecture and to develop a new matrix-based clustering approach based on hierarchical cluster analysis. The challenge is that there are numerous possible product architectures even for a product with few components. One unique advantage of the proposed method lies in supporting “overlapping components” which is not directly addressed by the conventional techniques in cluster analysis.
The second problem focuses on structuring supply chain network in case of product variety that indicates the precedence orders of suppliers and sub-assemblers. The challenge is that the number of possible structures of supply chain network grows dramatically with the increase in the number of product variants. The solution approach is based on hierarchical clustering, in which the tree structure is applied to construct the supply chain network. The core technique is to investigate the coupling values between the module variants and characterizing the grouping condition in the structuring process.
The third problem is to develop semi-finished products to reduce production costs. The challenge is that the possible solution space can increase exponentially with increase in the number of elements (e.g. components) in the problems. In the solution approach, the basic information of product variety is captured in a matrix format, specifying the component requirements for each product variant. Then, hierarchical clustering is applied over the components with the consideration of demands. The key stage is similarity analysis, in which problem-specific information can be incorporated in the clustering process.
In summary, the proposed method can be a practical tool for tackling product variety-related problems. It yields good quality results in a limited time. Thus, it can be used to obtain better results than other algorithms when the amount of time available to perform the task is limited.


identifier: Grewal, Harinderpal Singh  (2015) Characterization of Interply Shear Behaviour of Out-of-Autoclave Thermosetting Prepreg Composites.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Thermoforming of composite materials includes deforming the flat sheets of prepreg laminates into complex shaped composite parts. This deformation of flat laminates into complex shapes can cause wrinkles in the final part. External processing conditions of forming process must be chosen in a way to minimize wrinkles. This dissertation describes the experimental technique to measure friction between two plies of thermoset prepreg. A test rig was designed and constructed which can provide different temperatures and different normal pressures to the prepreg sample. This test rig was installed on a tensile testing machine which can provide different pulling rates and measure the frictional resistance between prepreg layers. It was observed that a yield shear stress level associated with each set of external processing conditions exists which has to be overcome to begin the layer slippage. Further continuing the slippage requires less force than the initial yield shear force. The results show that the temperature is the most influencing external processing parameter as the coefficient of friction decreases significantly with increase in temperature. This is due to the resin viscosity reduction. Forming rate which was simulated by pulling velocity in experimental set up has less effect on the interply friction. Larger friction coefficient was found at higher pulling velocities and vice versa. With the increase in normal pressure, the coefficient of friction decreases. By comparing the 8HS, 5HS and UD prepregs, frictional resistance was found to be the largest in unidirectional composites, followed by 8-harness and 5-harness composites respectively.  It was observed that change in the fabric (fiber) orientation of the prepreg plies has effect on interply friction. Interestingly, experimental results show that friction mechanism between prepreg plies is mixed friction i.e. it is dominated by coulomb friction as well as hydrodynamic friction. To draw Stribeck curves, Hersey number was calculated and plotted against the coefficient of friction. A friction model was developed based on the linear relationship between friction coefficient and Hersey number. By deriving the relationship between angle θ and the two variables from linear equations, a general equation was developed which could be used to predict coefficient of friction for any set of processing conditions at any fabric (fiber) orientation. A design of experiments technique, Taguchi method, was adopted to find the optimum processing parameters in thermoforming of composites. Analysis of Variance was used to find the contribution of each parameter.


identifier: Sehizadeh, Ali  (2015) Impact of future climate change on the building performance of a typical Canadian single-family house retrofitted to the PassiveHaus.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
As a response to the global warming, building sector aims to be more energy efficient. The adoption of some energy efficient measures may have potential negative impacts on the building performance under a changing future climate. This study investigates the impact of future climate changes on the building performance of a typical Canadian single-family house built in compliance with current Quebec Energy Code (QEC) and retrofitted to the Passivehaus standard (PH). The building performance is evaluated in terms of energy consumption, thermal comfort, and durability over the current year, 2020, 2050, and 2080. For the energy consumption and the thermal comfort five shading device scenarios are proposed. The thermal comfort is evaluated using an adaptive model for naturally ventilated houses. Durability is also evaluated in terms of the freeze thaw risk on brick and the biochemical risk on plywood. Durability analysis is carried out on two types of above-grade wall assemblies that meet the QEC standards and retrofitted options to the PH. The future weather files are generated using General Circulation Models (GCM) HadCM3 with the IPCC’s A2 emission scenario.
Simulation results showed that by upgrading the current typical houses in Canada to the PH standard, compared to the current climate, the overall thermal performance of the PH in terms of the energy consumption and the thermal comfort would decrease by 2080. This study concludes that upgrading the current wall assemblies to the PH standard would increase the freeze thaw risk of the brick veneer, however, compared to the current climate this risk would decrease under 2080 climate. While the biochemical risk of the plywood sheathing defined by the moisture content criteria would decrease, the risk defined by RHT criteria would increase over future climates. The mold growth risk on the plywood sheathing would likely decrease under the future climates.


identifier: Hassan, Mohamed  (2015) Fluid Dynamic Assessment of Sensor Geometry For Micro System Applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this work, the fluid dynamic behaviour around a proposed micro-sensor geometry is assessed. The sensor is intended for use in micro devices and is represented by two cubes (or elements) set in tandem. The flow is described by the Navier-Stokes equations and is solved by Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) using ANSYS-CFX. Flow visualization using an existing experimental setup is carried out to visualize the flow pattern around the sensor using the soap film technique, where the flow is considered to be two-dimensional incompressible. This visualization is intended to verify the DNS that is carried out for the same cases. Results for the flow pattern and the vortex shedding frequency that are obtained from both numerical simulations and experimental investigations compare favorably, for three different values of Reynolds number, which verifies the numerical approach.
A parametric study on the effect of geometry in the limit of 2D incompressible flow of water is carried out. This study shows that the inter-element spacing strongly affects the flow in the inter-element cavity; it also shows that the thickness of the downstream element affects the downstream shear layer. Both of these geometric parameters control the vortex shedding in the wake and the drag coefficient particularly on the downstream element. This parametric study also suggests that a ‘general’ linear correlation between Strouhal and Reynolds numbers (modified to include geometric parameters) is valid for all variables investigated in this work.
The DNS of air in the limit of 2D and 3D flow is considered at three subsonic inflow Mach numbers. The flow simulation results are verified against basic flow physics, available experimental data and interpretations of vortex shedding behaviour particularly in 3D flow. For air flow in the 2D limit, the vortex shedding frequency expressed in terms of Roshko number (rather than Strouhal number) correlates well with Reynolds number at all Mach numbers. For both 2D and 3D flows, the vortex shedding frequency, flow behavior and drag coefficient compare reasonably well with available experimental data.
The drag coefficient and Strouhal number computed from DNS will serve as a first step towards inferring the flow pressure and velocity, when the proposed sensor is built. Hence achieving one of the main goals of this work.


identifier: Madani Hosseini, Mahsa  (2015) Acidification of In-Storage Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestion (ISPAD) Content to Reduce Ammonia Volatilization.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In-storage-psychrophilic-anaerobic-digestion (ISPAD) is a treatment system applicable to wastewaters stored for a period of over 100 days, such as livestock wastes and municipal sludge. The ISPAD system consists of a storage tank covered by an airtight geo-membrane, filled as a sequentially batch fed system and emptied when full except for a 0.3 m depth to inoculate the next batch. Thus, ISPAD operates at a temperature fluctuating with ambient, and its microbial community is acclimated to low temperatures. Taking advantage of existing structures and requiring little technical supervision because of its low operating temperatures, ISPAD is an anaerobic digestion (AD) system feasibly accessible to operations producing limited amount of organic wastewaters. Since ISPAD operates under conditions which are totally different as compared to conventional AD reactors, optimal management practices need to be developed through microbial kinetic estimation and process modelling.
The first objective was to evaluate the microbial behaviour of the ISPAD system by estimating its kinetic coefficients. The second and third objectives were to develop and validate a mathematical model to simulate the ISPAD process, such as the volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and pH of its content and its CH4 production, based on its specific microbial kinetics. The final project objective was to predict and experimentally test conditions which lead to ISPAD content acidification to limit ammonia (NH3) volatilization from the digestate.
The first part of the project consisted of determining microbial kinetic values by fitting the Monod model to results obtained from laboratory substrate activity test (SAT) using ISPAD inoculum and for temperatures of 8, 18 and 35 ºC. The fitting process consisted of: applying the decomposition principle to prioritize the determination of kinetic parameters, and then using the statistical least square error procedure to minimize the sum of squared errors between the measured ISPAD experimental data and the Monod model results. The results produce microbial kinetic values specific to the ISPAD system and associated with two groups of microbial population, one acclimated to cold and another to the mesophilic conditions.
The second part of the project consisted of developing a mathematical model based on that of Keshtkar et al. (2001). Simulation of ISPAD was achieved using the Simulink/Matlab software to predict glucose, VFAs degradation, pH and CH4 production. To predict the pH of the ISPAD content, a function was introduced based on optimized dissociation constants () for the major ions found in organic wastewaters under AD. Finally, a temperature function was added for most kinetic values to simulate the ISPAD process for temperatures ranging from 4 to 35 ºC. For this purpose, the Arrhenius and Square-Root Equations were compared. For the maximum microbial growth rate (), the Square Root Equation better represented acidogens and propionate degrading acetogens, while the Arrhenius Equation better represented the methanogens and butyrate degrading acetogens. The model was calibrated using experimental data, where ISPAD content and glucose was used as inoculum and substrate, respectively. The proposed model showed good agreement with the experimental data in predicting biogas generation, substrate consumption and pH at a temperature range of 4 to 35 ºC. Although microbial activity at 4 °C was much less than that at 18 and 35 ºC, it showed acclimation to lower temperature.
The third part of the project validated the ISPAD model using condition, which differed from those used for calibration, such as a different concentration of substrate. The model accuracy was checked mathematically by determining the coefficient of determination. The ISPAD model was able to predict glucose degradation, VFAs, pH, and methane. However, the model weakly predicts CO2 production for the first 2 days likely because of its water solubility.
The final portion of the method dealt with ISPAD content acidification, to reduce NH3 volatilization from the digestate upon removal from the system. Acidification was based on quickly increasing the sequential organic load (OL), under specific temperatures to favour acidogen growth and VFA accumulation. A mathematical equation was applied to the ISPAD model to optimize different OL strategies, where glucose was fed to simulate the hydrolysis of sugar rich wastes. By comparing with laboratory experiments, ISPAD model prediction was found adequate in selecting optimal acidification OL strategies, but did not predict accumulation of intermediate substrates, which produced a lag in pH drop, and generates a pH drop below 6.0, because of set values for its pH inhibition function. Nevertheless, sequentially feeding 13 kg glucose/m3 of ISPAD content over 4 days was found to drop the pH of the ISPAD content to 6.0 by day 7. Such OL competes favorably against present acidification techniques such as that using concentrated sulfuric acid.
	The contribution to knowledge of this work was introducing the decomposition method to determine AD microbial kinetics; for ISPAD, establishing microbial kinetics, ion dissociation constants for pH prediction, and parameter variation with temperature producing an accurate model to predict and optimize the ISPAD process, and determination of sequential OL strategies to feasibly acidify the ISPAD content to lower NH3 volatilization from its digestate upon system removal.


identifier: Lemaire, Marie-Hélène  (2015) Penser en mouvement : une étude collaborative de l'animation comme pédagogie alternative pour la visite de groupe dans l'exposition d'art contemporain.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Mon travail de thèse analyse la manière dont l'équipe d'éducateurs muséaux de DHC/ART Fondation pour l'art contemporain développe de manière collaborative la perspective de l'animation en tant que pédagogie alternative pour la visite de groupe dans l'exposition d'art contemporain. Moi-même éducatrice dans cette équipe, je théorise la figure de l'animatrice muséale (R. Barthes, 1977) afin de repenser le rôle potentiel de celle-ci. Selon cette perspective, toutes les participantes à la visite interprètent les œuvres via une pensée en mouvement, où l'expérience esthétique engage tout particulièrement les sensations des corps en mouvement dans l'espace. Cette méthodologie somatique féministe met au défi la pédagogie muséale patriarcale qui est magistrale, distanciée, objective, divisant le corps et l'esprit. Pour élaborer celle-ci, je puise aux concepts de corporéité (E. Grosz, 1994) et de mouvement (M. Sheets-Johnstone, 2011), à la méthodologie des concepts migratoires (M. Bal, 2002), ainsi qu'à la réflexivité somaesthétique (R. Shusterman, 2009).

L'épistémologie du mouvement conceptualise la visite de groupe comme un espace fluide de devenir-autre où les participantes développent une ontologie féministe de l'impermanence, de l'indétermination et de l'ambiguïté au sujet de l'art (G. Deleuze et C. Parnet, 1996). Cet espace se pose en alternative à l'ontologie patriarcale de la fixité, de l'ordre, de la certitude et de la solidité. Toutefois, bien que fertile, cette perspective de l'animation fragmente et déstructure les corps, les objets et l'exposition, ce qui risque d'entraîner la désorientation des visiteuses. Ainsi, contrairement à Sheets-Johnstone, qui prône uniquement la mise en œuvre d'un corps résonant en mouvement hors langage pour l'interprétation de l'exposition, j'affirme qu'il n'est pas souhaitable de mettre de côté le corps langagier et analytique. À mon avis, les voix improvisées qui entrent en dialogue pendant la visite, en relation avec les concepts migratoires que l'animatrice met en jeu, constituent un mouvement vers la restructuration et la réorientation. Ensuite, l'écriture créative et analytique de l'éducatrice, qui interprète l'animation de l'art, représente une cristallisation fructueuse des matérialités des espaces lisses de visites. L'écrit-cristal ainsi formé permet au corps-sujet de celle-ci de dévoiler son identité en relation avec ses communautés dans un mouvement liminal de transformation.


identifier: Chen, Zhefan  (2015) Personality Congruence Effect in Marketing Communication: Theory and Implication.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The research examines whether the congruence of various forms of personality – consumer personality, brand personality and media personality – will increase consumers’ positive attitude towards a brand in the context of marketing communications (e.g., advertisement). The article uses the SEM approach to introduce an overall model, which reveals and explains the mechanism of how various types of personality can form a synergy and therefore determine consumers’ attitudes towards a brand. The results have clear economic significance and suggest that brand managers should view brand personality in a more comprehensive way and increase the congruence of various types of personality in brands’ advertisement campaigns.