identifier: Lin, Bingxiong  (2005) Optimal tank geometry and braking and steering response analysis of a tank vehicle.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Heavy vehicles exhibit limited directional performance and stability limits due to their large dimensions and weights. The liquid tankers are among the freight vehicles with relatively lower stability limits due to the special condition of their cargo that tends to shift in the longitudinal and lateral planes under braking/acceleration and turning maneuvers, when partly-filled. The objective of the present work is to derive an optimal geometry of the cargo tank to enhance the direction performance of the partly-filled vehicle combination during braking/acceleration and turning maneuvers. An optimal longitudinal section of the tank is identified to reduce the fore-aft load shift encountered during braking maneuvers. The identified geometry is coupled with an optimal lateral section, reported in the literature, to synthesize the tank that would yield reduced load shifts in the lateral as well as longitudinal planes


identifier: Alkhawaldeh, Salim Abdelkareem  (2005) New MIMO transmission schemes with flexible diversity : multiplexing tradeoff for wireless communications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: The use of multiple transmit and receive antennas can lead to significant improvement of both the reliability and bandwidth efficiency in wireless communication systems. This has spurred a notable recent thrust area of research and development, namely, the so-called Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology, that is aimed at making better use of multiple antennas in wireless communications. One of the important discoveries in MIMO communications is the existence of an optimal tradeoff curve between data rate (bandwidth efficiency) and performance (reliability). This and the growing diversification in data rates and quality of services of wireless communications call for MIMO transmission schemes that can provide various rate-performance tradeoffs. This dissertation is aimed at developing new MIMO transmission schemes with flexible rate-performance tradeoff. For flat fading channels, a formal approach for the design of a class of general space-time block codes, i.e., linear dispersion codes, is developed. This results in a new multi-layered linear coding scheme. With a common encoding structure, various rate-performance tradeoffs can be achieved simply by choosing the number of data layers that enter the encoder. Once the data rate is chosen, phase shifts among input symbols can be applied to optimize the performance without loss of mutual information. For frequency-selective MIMO channels, a new space-time orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme is introduced to avoid the complicated code design. This is a significant departure from the conventional MIMO OFDM design. The benefit is that a large number of existing codes optimized for single-input fading channels are also optimal for MIMO channels. In addition, it allows an easy spatial multiplexing scheme to support multiple data layers and hence various data rates. Last, a pilot-symbol-aided channel estimator is developed for the proposed MIMO OFDM transmission scheme. It is shown that, in terms of performance, the proposed scheme is equivalent to the conventional MMSE channel estimator but with much reduced computational complexity


identifier: Lee, Lucas W.B  (2005) Implicit cube-distance fault modeling for verification and functional testing applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With device manufacturing entering the sub-micron technology while complexity of the circuits continues to grow, the different types of design errors and manufacturing errors also spread in variety. It remains important to have a fault model that properly emulates the large classes of problems which are most likely to occur throughout the design cycle. The implicit cube error replacement modeling is proposed to satisfy modeling of design errors, while maintaining a comparable or shorter fault list to current methods, such as explicit gate replacement and gate replacements with MIGSE modules. The proposed error modeling is also applied to functional testing of FPGAs, where the look-up table (LUT) based logic may contain an even larger variety of functional errors which the implicit cube error replacement modeling is used to check. Simulation techniques with random or upper-lattice layer vectors will be looked at, as well as incorporating satisfiability (SAT)-based automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) algorithms from the s-a-v model into the new model. A prototype implementation of the design-verification-testing flow of FPGA is also examined.


identifier: Li, Zhongqi  (2005) Fault detection and isolation in reaction wheels by using neural network observers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There are many schemes suitable for fault detection and isolation (FDI) such as observer-based methods, parity space and parameter estimation techniques. This thesis presents a neural network observer-based scheme for the actuator fault detection and isolation in the spacecraft attitude control. The features of neural network, such as its intrinsic nonlinearity property, its ability to learn, generalize and parallel processing make it suitable to model a non-linear dynamic system, such as the reaction wheel in our problem. We introduce three Elman recurrent networks and each of them is specific for modeling the dynamics of the wheel on each axis separately and independently. After each network has been trained approximately, it can give accurate estimation of the reaction torque generated by the wheel on each axis. Through some post-processing of the error signal between the actual and estimated output, we can get three residual curves for the FDI purpose. By comparing with a linear observer-based FDI scheme, the neural network observer-based scheme developed in this thesis does show advantages as demonstrated in the simulation results


identifier: Zahirazami, Shauheen  (2005) Switching control using generalized sampled-data hold functions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, switching control of linear time-invariant systems using generalized sampled-data hold functions (GSHF) is investigated. It is assumed that the plant model belongs to a finite set of known plants. The output of the system is periodically sampled and a control signal is being generated by using a suitable hold function from a set of GSHFs which solve the robust servomechanism problem for the family of plant models and a set of simultaneous stabilizing GSHFs for certain subsets of plant models. It is shown that by using the above sets of hold functions and choosing a proper switching sequence, one can minimize the number of switchings to destabilizing GSHFs. This can significantly improve the transient response of the system, which is one of the common weak points in most switching control schemes. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in improving the transient response. It is also desirable to achieve a digital control law that reduces the complexity of online computations


identifier: Campini, Clairalice  (2005) Attachment style stability, life events, and adjustment across adolescence : a longitudinal study.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Extensive research has revealed that insecure attachment is associated with emotional and behavioural problems in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In addition, recent research on stability and instability of attachment styles has shown that both stable insecurity and attachment instability are associated with vulnerability factors such as early personal and family dysfunction, and personality disturbance. In this study, stable attachment insecurity and attachment style instability were considered vulnerability factors, and it was hypothesized that these vulnerabilities would be associated with more internalizing (dysphoria) and externalizing (delinquency, drug use) problems. A diathesis-stress model of adjustment was also investigated whereby attachment insecurity and instability put adolescents at increased risk for deviant behaviours and psychological distress in the context of negative life events. Adolescents (n=149) completed self-report measures of delinquency, drug use, dysphoria, and attachment style to mother four times, once when they were in grades 7 or 8 (Time 1), and again every year for the following three years. Results revealed that adolescents who reported more negative life events were less securely attached to mother, engaged in a wider variety of delinquent activities, and used a wider variety of substances. Findings also showed that insecurely-attached teens were more delinquent. Moreover, adolescents with higher variability in security tended to be more dysphoric. Findings also revealed that the combination of attachment insecurity and high negative life events rendered adolescents more vulnerable to engagement in delinquent activities.


identifier: Hasanuzzaman, Md  (2005) Blind separation of convolved sources using the independent component analysis and information maximization approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is very closely related to the method called blind source separation (BSS) or blind signal separation. In Independent Component Analysis (ICA) components are assumed statistically independent which we call independent source signal. In our thesis we have considered only noiseless ICA case. In a number of real-world signal processing applications, signals from various independent sources may get distorted by environmental factors that can be represented as convolutive mixtures of original signals received at the sensors. In this thesis, the effects of environmental factors and modeling assumptions on the performance capabilities of independent component analysis-based techniques are investigated. The so-called blind source separation feedback network architecture that is capable of coping with convolutive mixtures of sources is derived using Bell and Sejnowski's information maximization principle.


identifier: Lamont, Elaine Waddington  (2005) Subordinate circadian oscillators of the limbic forebrain : synchronization by motivational and metabolic state.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is responsible for circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior. However, putative clock cells are found in nearly every mammalian tissue, suggesting that circadian rhythms are regulated both globally by the SCN and locally at the tissue level, downstream from the master clock. Immunocytochemistry for the clock gene protein Period2 (PER2), reveals two synchronized, opposite patterns of PER2 expression in the limbic forebrain of Wistar rats: the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST-OV) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) are synchronized and in phase with the SCN; the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus are synchronized but 180{493} out of phase with the SCN. SCN lesions abolish rhythmic expression of PER2 in the limbic forebrain. The BNST-OV and CEA also require adrenal hormones for the rhythmic expression of PER2, as adrenalectomy causes a loss of PER2 rhythm in these two regions, leaving the SCN, BLA, and DG unaffected. In addition, a schedule of restricted feeding (RF) that limits food access to three hours during the day causes behavioral anticipation prior to food availability, and shifts the time of peak PER2 expression. Thus, compared to ad libitum (AL) fed animals, in the RF group the BNST-OV, CEA, BLA and DG all show peak PER2 expression about 12 hours after food access, but the SCN is unaffected. In constant light (LL), AL fed rats show no circadian rhythm of behavior or PER2 expression in the SCN or limbic forebrain. In contrast, RF in LL results in behavioral anticipation of the food access time, and restoration of rhythmic PER2 expression, peaking 12 hours after feeding time, in the BNST-OV, CEA, DG, and surprisingly, the SCN. Limited daily access to nutritive or non-nutritive treats does not produce significant behavioral anticipation or changes in the phase of PER2 expression in the limbic forebrain, whereas sodium deprived animals given limited daily access to saline showed a reduction in PER2 expression in the BLA around the time of saline access, but there was no behavioral effect, suggesting both reward and negative energy balance are necessary to alter the phase of PER2 expression in the limbic forebrain. These results indicate the presence of subordinate circadian oscillators in the limbic forebrain responsible for the integration of emotional, motivational, and behavioral state with circadian rhythms


identifier: Al-Zyoud, Iz Al-Dein  (2005) Neural network-based actuator fault detection and isolation for the attitude control subsystem of a satelite.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Surani, Moez  (2005) The legend of Baraffo.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The legend of Baraffo

abstract: The key development was the replacement of the metaphor of the poem as imitation, a 'mirror of nature,' by that of the poem as heterocosm, 'a second nature,' created by the poet---M.H. Abrams, The Mirror and the Lamp Occupying the space between prose and poetry, The Legend of Baraffo fuses magically real elements, often associated with Post-Colonial prose fiction, with Imagist techniques associated with Modernist poetry. The plot centres on the relationship between an orphaned boy, Mazzu, who the Mayor adopts, and a prisoner, Nikita Babello, who is held in a cell in the basement of the Mayor's home. Through evening conversations, the two form a friendship that disrupts and redirects each of their lives. In the chapter 'Myth and Archetype', Wimsatt and Brooks show a relationship between language, mythology and emotional charge: But as logic and discursive thought develop, language loses its emotional charge; its quality of concreteness is attenuated; and it approaches the state of the language of science. The process on the whole is one of deprivation: language is reduced to a 'bare skeleton.' There remains one area, however, in which, even for sophisticated modern man, language 'recovers the fullness of life.' That is the realm of 'artistic expression,' where the original creative power of language is not only 'preserved' but 'renewed'. Through concrete language, The Legend of Baraffo aspires to be a vivid and emotionally visceral imaginative sphere


identifier: Mavrikakis, Nicolas  (2005) Entre le texte et l'image : le réel inventé par la représentation? Le réel mis à l'épreuve dans les systèmes de représentation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: La chose serait entendue: nous serions à l'ère de l'image. Autant sous la plume des journalistes dans les médias grand public que dans la pensée plus réfléchie des théoriciens de l'image et même des philosophes des idées (pensons à Paul Virilio), nous pouvons retrouver la même idée: l'image aurait supplanté le texte, l'écrit, et en fait---c'est le vrai reproche caché---le monde des idées et de la pensée. Photographies, revues et journaux remplis d'images, puis télévisions, vidéos, webcams, ont envahi nos vies et auraient changé la donne des rapports que nous entretenons aux images et à la vie. Le rapport de force entre le texte et l'image aurait ainsi changé notre capacité à véritablement prendre du recul par rapport à l'immédiateté que propose le monde visuel. L'idée que nous sommes à l'ère de l'image est devenue un lieu commun rarement remis en question. Cette maîtrise interroge ce cliché de notre culture contemporaine et l'histoire socio-culturelle des liens entre texte et image. Nous suivrons les diverses interprétations des représentations, par le texte et par l'image, de Platon à Derrida en passant par les grammairiens du 18e siècle et les théoriciens des nouvelles technologies. Nous verrons aussi comment les artistes travaillent ces notions. Des oeuvres d'Hervé Guibert et de Sophie Calle, écrivains-photographes contemporains, nous permettront de d'analyser les plus récents développements dans l'utilisation sociale du texte et de l'image.


identifier: Austin, Nancy  (2005) The phase behaviour of hydrogenated phosphatidylinositol in monolayers at the air-water interface.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It has been suggested that phosphatidylinositol (PI), a precursor for a messengers, forms lipid rafts in the membrane which are regulated by protein kinases and/or by the biophysical properties of this phospholipid. To better understand this raft formation, a simplified system comprising hydrogenated derivatives of soy PI was investigated. Analytical analysis using GC-FID and ESI-MS confirms that commercial PIH still contained 15% unsaturation. The effect of this unsaturation played a role in the phase behaviour, where a richer polymorphism for PIH compared to that of natural PI was observed. PIH phase separated at high pressures and all temperatures, which was confirmed by Brewster Angle Microscopy (BAM) at the air-water interface and AFM on Langmuir-Blodgett films deposited on mica. We report, for the first time, the presence of a condensed phase monolayer which was supported by the crystallographic data (GIXD) obtained for PIH. It was observed that phase separation of the monolayer becomes more apparent at all surface pressures as temperature increased.


identifier: Nguyen, Tao-Nhân V  (2005) Theoretical studies of solvation and catalysis : clusters as chemical nano-reactors.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this work, computational studies of clusters were performed to understand solvent effects on chemical reactivity (Part A), and assess their potential use as micro-reactors to catalyze reactions not usually possible (Part B). In Part A, a comparative investigation of the structural and energetic properties of ions and ion pairs in polar solvent clusters of acetonitrile, ammonia and water is undertaken by means of Monte Carlo simulations with custom-built model potentials. Quantum chemistry calculations demonstrate the presence of nonlinear hydrogen-bonded I-(CH3CN)2 isomers, which leads to a reinterpretation of previous experimental work. In addition, our work has some implications for the strong solvent selectivity observed experimentally for the NaI photoionization in polar clusters. Equilibrium constant calculations of the NaI ion pair in clusters suggest that the lack of large ionized product fragments observed experimentally in acetonitrile is not due to solvent-induced charge separation (as suggested previously in analogy with water clusters), but could be attributed either to differential solvation effects or to solvent evaporation on the ionized state. On the other hand, the lack of large product signal in NaI(NH3)n multi-photon ionization experiments might be connected to the low evaporation temperature of ammonia, which may prevent production of large parent ground-state NaI(NH3)n clusters, and result in massive solvent evaporation on the excited states. In Part B, the dynamics of energy transfer in (O2)n cluster-surface scattering is characterized by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations, providing insights for several experiments, such as the cluster-catalyzed oxidation of a silicon surface. Simulations of the cluster scattering process reveals that the oxidation mechanism cannot occur through molecular dissociation nor by direct molecular reaction. Molecular dynamics simulations of (O2)n cluster-surface scattering, along with high-level quantum chemistry calculations of the (O2) 2 cluster model, suggested a novel 'ladder climbing' mechanism, involving curve-crossing and spin orbit coupling, for the efficient mechanically-induced formation of highly reactive singlet O2 molecules. Such a process may also be responsible for the presence of a 'dark channel' in the enhanced vibrational relaxation of highly excited O2 molecules, and shows that the Born-Oppenheimer approximation breaks down in the 'chemistry with a hammer'


identifier: Luo, Xiaoming  (2005) Inventory data warehouse system with lineage tracing for small retail chain.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A data warehouse is one of the best solutions to integrate information from distributed, heterogeneous data sources. Different sized companies have different types of information management systems. The data warehouses, which can integrate these data sources together to provide summary views, are critical for the business managers to make operation management decisions. Besides the data views of the data warehouses, sometimes, the managers also need lineage trace functions to get original data sources that contribute to the data views. Currently, more than 80% of retail companies are small sized businesses or business chains that consist of small sized companies. They need a data warehouse that integrates all kinds of data sources with lineage trace functions to improve their operations management. Based on the analysis of the requirements of small businesses business chains, we use the data warehouse [1, 2, 5, 7] and lineage trace [6, 9, 10] approaches to propose an information management data warehouse solution for the operation management of the small businesses/business chains. In the same time, we develop an 'Inventory data warehouse management system with lineage trace for small business chains' demo system. In this thesis we mainly focus on the implementation and demonstrating how to develop a local information management component, how to integrate remote heterogeneous data sources to a data warehouse, how to develop a data warehouse management system with the latest Java data engine technologies and the best performance/cost rate database technologies, and also show how lineage tracing is used in the data warehouse and how to implement it as well.


identifier: Aldien, Yasser Saed  (2005) A study of hand-handle interactions and hand-arm biodynamic response to vibration.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is the term often used for the symptoms associated with prolonged occupational exposure to hand-arm vibration arising from hand-held power tools. The human hand and arm response to vibration has been widely investigated in terms of force-motion relationships at the hand-handle interface. Owing to the complex nature of the biological system, the reported data suggest inconsistent contributions due to various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Furthermore, the injury risk posed by exposure to hand-tool vibration is strongly related to the hand-handle contact force. This dissertation research concerns with the study of hand-handle interactions under static and dynamic grasping of different handles, and characterization of hand-arm biodynamic response to vibration. The hand-handle interactions in static grasping task were characterized for various hand force combinations through measurement of interface pressure distributions using a flexible capacitive pressure sensing grid. The pressure peaks were assessed in view of known pressure discomfort threshold and sustained pressure values. The results suggest that pressure developed in the thenar eminence, when grasping a large size handle, could exceed the discomfort threshold. The hand-forces were defined in terms of independent grip and push forces, and hand-handle coupling and contact forces. The measured data were used to propose regression models for estimating contact force and interface peak pressure from directly measurable grip and push forces as a function of the handle size. The biodynamic responses of the human hand-arm system exposed to xh- and zh-axes vibration were characterized in terms of driving-point mechanical impedance and dissipated power. The experiments were designed to study the influences of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, namely handle geometry, posture, magnitude and direction of vibration and hand forces. Both biodynamic responses were found to be better correlated with the coupling force below 200 Hz, and with the contact force at higher frequencies under zh-axis of vibration. Apart from the experimental observations, the high significance of majority of the main factors was supported by multi-factor ANOVA. The effects of handle size, and push and grip forces on the biodynamic responses of the human hand-arm exposed to vibration were observed to be more significant for the extended forearm posture than that for the bent-elbow posture. The effects were far more significant for the extended arm posture, which revealed considerably higher coupling with the vibrating handle.


identifier: Sabry, Mohab  (2005) Insitu stresses and capacity of driven piles in sand.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Pile foundations are used extensively around the world to support both inland and offshore structures, including important structures such as nuclear plants and oil drilling platforms. Pile foundations are known to resist higher compression and uplift loading as compared to shallow foundations. The common factor in resisting the compression and the tensile loading is the friction, which takes place between the pile and the soil.  Pile foundations can be categorized as bored and driven piles. Bored piles installed in sand are known to provide relatively low capacity as compared to driven piles under the same condition. This is due the effect of the pile driving process.  The estimation of the shaft resistance of driven piles remains empirical at best. The changes in the in situ stress levels as a result of pile installation are quite often overestimated/underestimated leading to unsafe/uneconomic design of the foundations. The objective of this study is to examine the changes in the in situ stresses during the pile driving process, and accordingly to predict the pile capacity. In order to achieve these objectives, numerical model is developed to simulate the process of pile installation and link the cavity expansion to the pile installation and pile diameter. During this research program the changes in the soil mass due to pile installation will be recorded. Furthermore, the changes of the OCR around the pile will be examined and its effects on the earth pressure acting on the pile's shaft will be evaluated. Based on the results of the present investigation, design theory is proposed to account for the effect of pile diameter during installation in dry sand.  In order to achieve these objectives, a numerical model utilizing the finite element method of analysis combined with the theory of cavity expansion is developed. This model is capable of predicting the magnitude and the distribution of the coefficient earth pressure acting on the pile's shaft and accordingly the overconsolidation ratio. Based on the result obtained from the numerical model, an analytical model was developed to incorporate the findings observed from the numerical model. The analytical model will be then presented in the form of design procedure and design charts for practical use. The theories developed herein compared well with the available laboratory and field experimental data


identifier: Mandapuram, Santosh Chary  (2005) Role of seat design factors and biodynamic characterization of seated occupants under horizontal vibration.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Occupational vehicle drivers are exposed to vibration environment which is known to cause discomfort, annoyance, and health and safety risks. The seated occupant responses to whole-body vibration have been widely investigated along the vertical axis alone. Owing to the comparable magnitudes of vibrations observed in heavy road and off-road vehicles along horizontal axes, there exists a need to investigate the occupant responses to horizontal vibration. Only a few studies have reported seated occupant responses to horizontal vibration, which consider either back unsupported posture or vertical back support. The applicability of the reported data for sitting postures adopted in typical vehicles is thus questionable. Moreover, the influence of the seat height has not yet been addressed. This dissertation research concerns with biodynamic response characterization of the seated human subjects exposed to horizontal vibration through measurements of dynamic interactions between the seated body and the seat pan, and the upper body and the seat backrest in terms of apparent mass and absorbed power.


identifier: Loya, Virendra  (2005) The effect of microstructure on the permeability of metal foams.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Metal foam (MF) is a superior material with complex structure made from different kinds of materials manufactured using novel technology. Due to its several unique properties with high porosity and high surface area, it finds use in wide area of engineering, such as energy absorbers, filters, heat exchangers etc. The structures of metal foam are very intricate and irregular and it is very difficult to accurately predict the impact of microstructure on pressure drop. Most of the recent literature studied permeability at low velocity range. Thus the present study was carried out to have better understanding of permeability for greater velocity range to suit industrial applications. The necessary equipment was designed and built for this purpose


identifier: Sandhu, Amandeep Singh  (2005) A robust production system design using robust engineering methodology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Traditional production system design approaches have concentrated on feasibility, meeting volume requirements, and minimizing cost. In the competitive environment of today's industries, effective and robust production systems are required. In order to be responsive to changing external requirements and internal disturbances, productions systems must be robust and design approaches must involve more than meeting volume requirements and minimizing cost. A robust production system can handle planned as well as unplanned changes. It is well understood that the robustness can be achieved during the design process more easily and with lower costs, than during the operation phase when most system parameters are already set. There is a need to improve strategies to develop production systems which are designed from the standpoint of robustness and quality. The system robustness should be made during the design phase and not during operation when most system parameters cannot be changed with ease. Also, there has been limited research in the area of robustness and quality for production system design in the literature. The objective of this research is to demonstrate a method for the design of robust production systems with the aid of computer simulation and to optimize a production process through simulation to make the system robust to noise factors. It has been emphasized in this research to use robust design techniques, also known as Taguchi's methods to achieve robust production systems.


identifier: Ren, Zhi Qian  (2005) A dynamic simplex approach for optimization of real-time distributed multi-body simulations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a new approach for dynamic optimization of real-time distributed multi-body simulations. It continuously optimizes network communication for a given model partitioning. The optimization problem proposed is to minimize a network performance cost function using the recently developed dynamic simplex method (DSM). This iterative minimization approach requires a small number of function evaluations, no derivatives, and it can track a moving optimum in a stable manner. Furthermore, evidence indicates that the approach converges close to the optimal solution provided it doesn't vary too rapidly. Experimental investigations are performed on a time division multiple access (TDMA) computational network to validate the new approach.


identifier: Sexton, Kathryn A  (2005) An investigation of cognitive avoidance in worry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: These studies considered the nature of cognitive avoidance, a maintaining factor in worry and generalized anxiety disorder (Borkovec, Ray, & Stöber, 1998; Dugas, Gagnon, Ladouceur, & Freeston, 1998). First, the psychometric properties of the English translation of Gosselin et al.'s (2002) Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) were examined. The CAQ assesses five cognitive avoidance strategies: Thought Substitution, the Transformation of Images into Thoughts, Distraction, Avoidance of Threatening Stimuli, and Thought Suppression. The CAQ was administered to 456 students at Concordia University in Montreal. The CAQ total scale and subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-subscale structure, though the model's goodness-of-fit was lower than expected. Finally, the CAQ showed convergent validity with measures of worry, thought suppression, information-avoidant coping in controllable situations, and information-seeking coping in uncontrollable situations. The CAQ also demonstrated divergent validity, showing negative correlations with information-seeking in controllable situations. Subsequently, Study 2 examined whether two worry-related processes, negative beliefs about worry and the fear of anxiety, may be contributing to cognitive avoidance in worry. A total of 259 students participated in this study. In hierarchical multiple regression analyses, negative beliefs about worry and the fear of somatic symptoms of anxiety, rather than the fear of losing control over anxiety, were found to predict cognitive avoidance. All process measures were significantly correlated with worry. Negative beliefs about intrusive thoughts, the fear of the anxiety symptoms, and cognitive avoidance showed stronger relationships with catastrophic worry than with generalized worry.


identifier: Perez Rojas, Madiane  (2005) Emotional expressiveness and parenting behaviors in mothers with histories of aggression and social withdrawal : an intergenerational study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study was designed to investigate maternal emotional expressiveness and parenting behaviors in a high-risk population where mothers had childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal. Two main objectives were addressed: (1) to examine the predictive relationship between maternal childhood levels of aggression and social withdrawal, child age, maternal education and maternal emotional expressiveness, and (2) to investigate the predictive relationship among maternal childhood levels of aggression and social withdrawal, child age and maternal education and parenting practices. Participants were recruited from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, which began in 1977 by classifying children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods along the dimensions of aggression and withdrawal. One hundred and seven mothers who were original participants of the Concordia Study were videotaped in their homes while they interacted with their children (aged 1 to 6 years) during a puzzle task. Verbal and nonverbal expressions of maternal emotions (i.e., positive and negative) and parenting behaviors (i.e., teaching, attitude towards error, and limit setting) were coded from the videorecords.


identifier: Qu, Junying  (2005) Three-dimensional turbulence modeling for free surface flows.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In engineering practice, some of the hydraulic structures encountered are used for distribution or collection of flows, measurement of flow rates or regulation of flows. It is very important to know the flow characteristics such as the mean flow pattern, the velocity distributions, and the pressure distribution in closed conduits or the water surface profiles in open channels. These flow characteristics can be obtained using experimental methods, exact theoretical methods or numerical methods. Existing commercial codes have some limitations. For instance, the memory requirements and execution time are often excessive for solving hydraulic engineering problems. The boundary conditions to be used are rigidly specified in the software. The CFD software is also very expensive. It is beneficial to develop and validate a new numerical model that can speedily solve the specific problems in hydraulic engineering as mentioned earlier. The present study develops and validates an efficient and accurate numerical turbulence model to simulate common hydraulic problems. The three-dimensional governing equations include the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the two-equation turbulence models such as the k-} model and the k-ϵ model. The Volume of fluid (VOF) scheme is also incorporated to capture the free surface profiles in open channel flows. For solving typical problems, the model developed presently needs much shorter execution time and requires less memory than the commercial code. For instance, to simulate open channel junction flows, the general-purpose commercial code (FLUENT) program required 30 days on the PC to reach the solution. The present model required about 4 days of execution time to solve the same problem. To begin with, dividing and combining flows in rectangular closed conduits are simulated, as these flows are simpler than their counterparts in open channel flows. These simulations are later extended to two and three-dimensional flows that have free surfaces. The simulation results provide pressure distributions in closed conduits and water surface profiles in open channels besides velocity distributions and flow patterns. The results also yield zones of flow separations in expanding flows and stagnation zones in dividing and combining flows. The predictions of the simulations are validated using existing test data. Especially, for three-dimensional dividing flows in open channels, new test data are also obtained for the present model validation. For the lateral weir flows, the nonlinear partial least square method is used to obtain the functional relationship among the principle weir flow parameters.


identifier: Millette, Valerie  (2005) Designing volunteers' tasks to maximize motivation, satisfaction and performance ; The impact of job characteristics on the outcomes of volunteer involvement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the applicability of the Job Characteristics Model in volunteer organizations and to assess the potential of redesigning certain types of volunteer tasks. The second goal of this project was to understand whether the way volunteers perceive the design of their volunteer work has an impact on their motivation, satisfaction and performance. Motivation was assessed using self-determination theory's concept of autonomous motivation. The link between these variables was assessed with data gathered in two questionnaires. First, 143 volunteers reported their motivation, satisfaction and intent to leave the organization. Volunteers were also asked about their perception of the characteristics of the tasks they perform. Second, the supervisors of respondents were asked to rate their performance and their organizational citizenship behaviours, so that a preliminary definition of the concept of volunteer performance was tested. Results showed that job design can be a useful tool in increasing volunteers' autonomous motivation, satisfaction and in-role performance. In fact, support was found for the hypothesis that job characteristics influence these outcomes, and that autonomous motivation influences satisfaction. In addition, it was shown that autonomous motivation is a mediator in the relationship between job characteristics and satisfaction. Finally, contradictory findings make it currently impossible to validate the proposed theory of volunteer performance without further research. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


identifier: Casey-Campbell, Mildred Ruby  (2005) Temporal aspects of the group cohesion-group performance relationship in an experiential computerized business simulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Research on group cohesion has generated conflicting findings. The present study was designed to examine the temporal aspects of the reciprocal relationship between group cohesiveness and group performance. A computerized business simulation was used to examine the longitudinal aspects of this relationship, as well as the impact of a group formation method. Participants were 412 undergraduate students enrolled in a third-year business strategy class. Students formed groups to participate in a semester-long computerized business strategy simulation game. Results indicate there is a significant cyclical relationship between group cohesion and group performance. In investigating the directionality of the relationship between both constructs, the 'group performance leads to group cohesion' relationship was stronger than the inverse 'group cohesion leads to group performance' relationship. Furthermore, the group formation method was found to influence levels of group cohesion. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.


identifier: Tkach, David  (2005) Decisionism at the intersection of ontology and politics : a study in the thought of Martin Heidegger and Carl Schmitt.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Martin Heidegger and Carl Schmitt are two of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. They also were members of the most reprehensible political movement of that century. From this historical point and a basis in certain aspects of Platonic thought, this thesis argues that the ontological decisionism of Heidegger, in Being and Time, finds a complementary political decisionism in Schmitt's Political Theology and The Concept of the Political. First, an examination of Being and Time is undertaken. This examination concludes that Dasein, Heidegger's term for the being which human beings are, makes its decisions entirely free from principles which could be called normative, correct, or justified. Second, Schmitt's political theory as expressed in Political Theology and The Concept of the Political is examined, and, similar to the examination of Heidegger, this section concludes that Schmitt presents a political decisionism in those books. The third and final section attempts to present those two theories as complementary. In this way, Heidegger and Schmitt are taken together as presenting an onto-political decisionism, one not found in either of the two thinkers' works taken by themselves. Finally, this onto-political decisionism is shown as a response to the Platonic assumption under which the thesis as a whole is carried out.


identifier: Dionne, Geralyne Bernadette  (2005) Locating indigenous knowledge at the interfaces of modernity : observations based on fieldwork in Nepal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Through two decades of use, the term indigenous knowledge has been explored and debated as a legitimate category and analytic device in anthropology. The term has evolved from a mainly empirical reference to signifying an ideological position that highlights the role of knowledge in power relations. Generating epistemological challenges and reaching beyond structural and cognitive domains that have to this point mediated our analyses of non-Western lifeworlds, indigenous knowledge stresses the power of agency and place, where realities are defined in practice through daily habitus, rather than pre-established social structures. If knowledge is not an 'essence' and can be revealed only in its usage and exchange, then the question that preoccupies those working with indigenous knowledge remains: Ethnographically, where can one find manifestations of indigenous knowledge? Long's notion of 'knowledge interfaces' provides a possible framework in which to glean the multiple interactions of local and not-so-local knowledge occurring in interfaces (contexts in which different actors and institutions negotiate knowledge repertoires) in order to gain insight into struggles for identity, space and power. Placing the actors at the centre of analysis and focusing on the relational nature, the field comes to be a field of relationships. Fieldwork undertaken in Nepal in the spring of 2004 explored three contexts in which actors and institutions concerned with protecting indigenous knowledge and lifeways interact. Can focusing on 'interfaces' reveal how cultural and knowledge repertoires are being contested, mobilized, and reshaped within these various arena?


identifier: Cockburn, Jenny Ceridwen  (2005) 'Getting enough stamps for the pogey' and other strategies for surviving Cape Breton's deindustrialization.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: An investigation of the socio-economic impact of deindustrialization on the lived experience of Cape Bretoners, as they make sense of their changing world and attempt to improve the future of their communities, cannot be removed from its larger historical context, or from the larger political atmosphere that shapes Canadian policy. The framework within which the people of Sydney Mines and Florence conceptualize their predicament is informed by hegemonic neoliberal ideology which aims to reduce the role of the state and place more emphasis on the individual. This thesis is an ethnographic exploration of the experience of displacement, contingent work and unemployment in the lives of men and women in Sydney Mines and Florence. This is approached through a focus on three areas: labour migration, call centre employment, and finally, unemployed community members' participation in an experiment aimed at finding an alternative to the Employment Insurance (a.k.a. Pogey) system, called the Community Employment Innovation Project. This thesis demonstrates, through the contested discourses of community members around issues of workforce participation and unemployment and their implications for the future, the double bind in which community members find themselves caught. They are both encouraged to take part in community development, and condemned by the rhetoric for staying rather than migrating in search of work. This dilemma is most apparent with respect to the participants in the CEIP who are directly involved in building community capital but also bear the brunt of the stigma of unemployment.


identifier: Bussières, Véronique  (2005) Towards a culturally-appropriate locally-managed protected area for the James Bay Cree community of Wemindji, Northern Québec.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The role of local communities in protected area (PA) management has generated heated theoretical and praxis debates in recent years. The research conducted for this thesis contributes to these debates through the examination of early stages in the establishment of a culturally-appropriate locally-managed PA in the traditional territory of the James Bay Cree community of Wemindji, Northern Quebec. The motivation for this initiative is based on the aspirations of Wemindji Crees for an enhanced and officially recognised role in the management and protection of the watershed of Paakumshumwaau , an area of particular significance to the local subsistence economy as well as of historical and cultural importance. Concerns about the longer-teen protection of this area, related to potential impacts of hydro-development and an increase in outsider intrusion, have increased local will to strengthen the customary management regime. While there is opposition to conventional top-down management approaches that would conflict with local practices and customs, the Wemindji Crees have expressed interest in more culturally appropriate bottom-up initiatives that have been emerging in some parts of the Canadian Arctic and other parts of the world. Through ethnographic research, supplemented by mapping and field survey, this research documents the significance of the targeted area to the Wemindji Crees, and explores local aspirations and concerns with respect to the establishment of the PA as well as concepts, methodologies and precedents from PA experience elsewhere that could inform this project. It concludes by looking at some of the challenges and opportunities to the establishment of this PA


identifier: Thomson, Julia  (2005) Roe v. Morgentaler : comparative abortion policy development in the United States and Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Canadian and American abortion policy took suddenly divergent paths after their respective Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality of abortion; Roe v. Wade and Morgentaler v. the Queen. The question guiding this research is therefore why, with similar interest groups and policy legacies, has abortion policy diverged in Canada and the United States since Morgentaler and Roe? The thesis seeks to uncover the institutional access and veto points in order to explain these recently divergent abortion policies. This thesis uses historical institutionalism to seek explanations for this policy divergence. This thesis uses the comparative method to flesh out institutional similarities and differences that account for divergent abortion policy development in Canada and the United States since the 1970s. The comparative method used here involves the detailed analysis of Canadian and American abortion policy over time and the institutions influencing its development. The dependent variable is therefore abortion policy, while the independent variables are the institutional structures of the two states. The thesis concludes that because of the policy legacy created through Roe, and the permeability of the Republican Party by anti-abortion forces, the American abortion debate centers on judicial nominations and fierce Supreme Court battles. Conversely, the Canadian abortion debate continues along the same path, that of deference to the medical profession, as it did prior to Morgentaler. These institutional access and veto points therefore explain the divergent policy paths taken by the United States and Canada after Roe and Morgentaler


identifier: Perrin, Jennifer S  (2005) The effects of gonadal hormones on the expression of the clock protein PER2 in the central extended amygdala.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Most biological processes exhibit circadian rhythms that are synchronized by the master clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Recently, cells in the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (OV-BNST), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG), have been shown to rhythmically express Period 2 (PER2), a clock protein. It is known that gonadal hormones have an effect on circadian rhythms. However, yet to be determined is what influence they might have on brain circadian oscillators outside of the SCN. The purpose of this series of experiments is to examine PER2 expression; firstly, in intact females over the course of the estrous cycle and, secondly, in gonadectomized females, males, and intact males. Results obtained from the intact females suggest that the pattern of PER2 expression in the OV-BNST and the CEA changes as a function of stage of the estrous cycle. In ovariectomized females peak PER2 expression in the OV-BNST and CEA is at ZT13, the same was also found in gonadectomized and intact males. Together, the data from these studies suggest that gonadal hormones may influence the circadian functioning of these two brain regions.


identifier: Hood, Suzanne  (2005) Studies of the motivational effects of chronic buprenorphine treatment using sucrose pellet reward.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Buprenorphine (BUP), a mixed opioid agonist-antagonist, is currently used as a treatment for opioid addiction. Previous research has shown that chronic BUP treatment decreases self-administration of drugs such as heroin and cocaine and drug-seeking behaviour in monkeys, rats, and humans. Furthermore, BUP attenuates the increase in nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine (DA) levels in response to an acute injection of heroin in naïve rats, whereas BUP potentiates the DA response to acute cocaine. To establish whether the suppression of drug seeking by BUP stems from an effect on motivated behaviour in general, four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of chronic BUP (3.0mg/kg/day) on responding for sucrose pellet reward. Chronic exposure to BUP was achieved with the use of subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 showed that rats exposed to chronic BUP took fewer sucrose pellets and reduced their active lever responding on a fixed ratio (FR) 1 schedule of self-administration; however, no such effect of BUP was observed on FR5 or progressive ratio (PR) schedules. In Experiment 3, chronic BUP slightly reduced sucrose seeking during extinction of self-administration and suppressed reinstatement of responding after sucrose priming. In Experiment 4, it was found using in vivo microdialysis that chronic BUP had no effect on the sucrose- or lab chow-induced rise in NAc DA, but did significantly increase basal DA tone. Overall, these results indicate that chronic BUP decreases motivation induced by sucrose reward and suggest that BUP reduces drug seeking and drug taking by blunting motivation in general.


identifier: Azarnoush, Hamed  (2005) Fault diagnosis in spacecraft attitude control system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a method for fault diagnosis in spacecraft attitude control system. The focus of this diagnosis problem will be on the actuator components. The considered actuator is assumed to be a reaction wheel. Since the attitude model of the spacecraft to be used is a coupled three-axis, three reaction wheels are required to provide actuation signals in this system. A high-fidelity model of the reaction wheel is considered which incorporates the effect of most disturbances involved in practice. A controller is designed to guarantee the stability of the signals in the system. This controller is designed according to nearly ideal model of the reaction wheel in a single axis system. The performance of this controller is validated for the three-axis nonlinear model of the spacecraft attitude control system using nonlinear model of the reaction wheel


identifier: Giahi, Vahid Mohammad  (2005) An iterative concatenated multiuser detector for coded CDMA systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Multiuser detection deals with demodulation of mutually interfering digital streams in digital communications. Multiple Access Interference (MAI) presents a major obstacle to reliable communications in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems. This fact results in a user capacity limit for CDMA systems in the sense that there exists a maximum number of users that can simultaneously communicate over the channel for specified level of performance. Over the years, researchers explored different methods of Multiuser Detection (MUD) to overcome the channel capacity limitation. In this thesis, we have investigated through various techniques of Iterative (Turbo) MUD that employ channel encoder/decoders, with different performance/complexity trade-off. We have developed the idea of concatenating two effective techniques, which are Partial Parallel Interference Cancellation (PPIC) and updated Decorrelating Detector (DD). By deriving appropriate formulas, we have been able to achieve a better performance/complexity trade-off in comparison to the other competing methods such as Serial Interference Cancellation (SIC), Parallel interference Cancellation (PIC), and single DD. Our proposed algorithm uses tentative soft-decisions at both of the multiple PPIC stages and input of the updated DD, to produce the most reliably estimated received data for the MAI cancellation and data detection. Simulation results are given for a multitude of different situations to demonstrate the performance of our proposed algorithm over the other traditional methods. Moreover, at medium to high Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), the destructive effects of MAI can almost be overcome by iterative processing, and single-user performance can be achieved for the channels with medium cross-correlation.


identifier: Afrakhteh, Vahid  (2005) Analysis of TCP and UDP performance over static wireless multi-hop ad-hoc LANs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ad-hoc Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are becoming very attractive and useful in many kinds of communication and networking applications. This is due to their efficiency, simplicity (in installation and use), relatively low cost, and availability. Unfortunately, Internet application performance over wireless links is disappointing due to wireless impairments that adversely affect higher layers, specifically TCP and UDP which are the de facto standards for connection oriented and connectionless transport layer protocol, respectively. This work analyzes how TCP and UDP (individually and together) perform in an IEEE 802.11 WLAN consisting of several non-mobile nodes. The focus is on performance evaluation in terms of throughput, delay, jitter, and packet loss ratio at the transport layer. Based on the obtained results, suggestions and recommendations are made which can help improve the performance in such scenarios. These include packet size optimization, effect of RTS/CTS scheme, TCP versions, effect of loading the network with UDP traffic, and MAC buffer size optimization, among other things. File transfer and Constant Bit Rate (CBR) applications are simulated, and the simulations are done using the Network Simulator Version 2 software.


identifier: Feng, Run Huan  (2005) Epidemiological models in actuarial mathematics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The emergence of the worldwide SARS epidemic in 2003 led to a revived interest in the study of infectious diseases. Mathematical models have become important tools in analyzing transmission dynamics and measuring effectiveness of controlling strategies. In hope of further applying them to design insurance coverage against infectious diseases, the author makes an attempt to build a bridge between epidemiological modelling and actuarial mathematics.  Based on classical compartment models of ordinary differential equation systems, the first part of this thesis is devoted to developing insurance policies among susceptible and infected participants and then formulating their financial obligations using actuarial notation. For the purpose of practical applications, the thesis employs a variety of parameter estimation techniques and numerical methods of calculating premiums and reserves. The theory is later demonstrated to design insurance products for the Great Plague in Eyam and the SARS Epidemic in Hong Kong.  In the second part, the thesis also investigates a stochastic model by incorporating the theory of comonotonicity and copulas. The idea of approximating a random vector indicating infectivity levels is developed by two approaches. While one is to find its closest conditional random vector in stochastic orders, the other examines the dependency structure of its component variables through copulas and then constructs a new random vector by transforming uniform random variables


identifier: Escartín Ortiz, Claudia Ivette  (2005) The development of sC onset clusters in Spanish English.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the variable phonology that characterizes the grammar of learner speech (interlanguage) in the context of data produced by native speakers of Spanish in a classroom environment. Specifically, the study follows the development of English /s/ plus consonant clusters (sC henceforth) across three levels of proficiency: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Because these clusters are absent in Spanish, learners syllabify these constituents with a preceding epenthetic [e] ([e]-epenthesis); as seen in the word 'snake' / sn ejk/ [arrow right] [e[barbelow]s.nejk]. The production of sC onset clusters is a variable interlanguage phenomenon influenced not only by the L1 interference, as implied above, but also by linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The results of the GoldVarb 2001 statistical analysis indicate that sC clusters occur more frequently in the following contexts: (1) when the preceding segment is a vowel; (2) in /s/ plus nasal sequences; (3) in more formal stylistic environments; and (4) in higher proficiency levels. The analysis of the variable data is couched within a stochastic version of the framework of Optimality Theory (Boersma's 1998 Gradual Learning Algorithm) because it allows the encoding of variability and its frequency effects within a language by means of a single grammar. Moreover, this study promotes a multidisciplinary and integrative approach that combines theoretical and methodological tools from three linguistic disciplines: sociolinguistics, second language acquisition and formal phonology, in an attempt to develop a "socially realistic linguistics" (Wilson & Henry, 1998)


identifier: Utendale, William T  (2005) Cardiovascular reactivity during stress induction differentiates ADHD subtypes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most pervasive childhood mental health problems in Canada. Research examining how autonomic physiological systems are associated with ADHD has been inconclusive, often yielding contradictory results. One confounding issue may be the very high prevalence of comorbid problems in children with ADHD. Another issue may be the heterogeneity of symptom sets exhibited by children with ADHD. Children's ability to self-regulate their physiological arousal under conditions of challenge or stress is likely to be influenced by comorbid problems and ADHD subtype. In this investigation, 142 elementary school-aged children with ADHD wore cardiac monitors while undergoing a stress-inducing event: having their blood drawn in a hospital clinic. Continuously recorded cardiac inter-beat intervals were used to assess heart rate (arousal), vagal tone (parasympathetic regulation), and SNS Index (sympathetic regulation). Parental reports of comorbid problems were assessed using the CPRS-R and the DISC-IV. Comorbid disruptive behavior disorders and anxiety disorders did not strongly predict cardiac reactivity. Significant variability in cardiovascular reactivity distinguished between ADHD subtypes; in particular, children with hyperactive-impulsive problems showed strongly atypical vagal and SNS reactivity. These results have implications for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD


identifier: Ennis, AnneMarie  (2005) Graphic design practice : impersonation, invocation and multiple audiences.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a study of the multiple stages of interpretation through which textual meanings take public cultural form. It takes the form of an ethnographic study and focuses on the structures and interpretive frameworks through which graphic designers work, and on the routines of practice they employ. Using observations collected over the course of an intensive week spent within a large design/branding studio, and transcripts from a later series of interviews conducted with graphic designers from other environments, I describe some of the key structural and social forces at work within this field of cultural production, and the effect of these forces on the practice of creative producers. The specific purpose of this study is to describe some of the working practices of graphic designers, and to discover how specific routines of practice reinforce conceptions of audience during the design process. While considering this central problematic, I address several sub-questions. While considering this central problematic, I addressed several sub questions. First, how do routines of practice impact the cultural productions of graphic designers? Second, how do graphic designers reference, and in referencing construct, their various audience groups? And third, how do designers use these projections/presumptions within their encoding practice?


identifier: Balan, Neil  (2005) Apprehending the visible : logistical histories of war and the aerial reconnaissance archive.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Images of war have an amplified efficacy in cultural contexts that privilege the power of the image and the hegemony of vision. This project animates and explores the recent virtual re-publication and political and cultural positioning of the Aerial Reconnaissance Archive (TARA), a collection of five million WWII Allied aerial reconnaissance photographs. Explicating the ethical tension inherent of the exhibition of photographic images and the problematic hinge between the constellations of aesthetics and politics, this research interrogates the concept of the archive to consider embedded and emerging communicative and technological practices that constitute the discursive articulation and cultural transmission of bodies of political and historical knowledge regarding the Second World War. The archive enables a logistics of perception , revealing the tension inherent in the collection: its visible and intended cultural value as a safe, sanitized object for public historical commemoration in a deregulated cultural economy; and its former function as an assembly of miniature, clinical operational diagrams designed for the application of war-time force and destruction. Following this tension, the collection activates a photographic aesthetic of affect, astonishment, and awe. This aesthetic activates dominant historical and memorial versions of war-time heritage and the contribution of aerial reconnaissance photography, which obfuscates and effaces the real terms of visceral, messy war-time devastation and destruction.


identifier: Shortliffe, Thomas  (2004) The relevance of gender in the profession and practice of art therapy : a male perspective.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The following research focuses on the relevance of gender in the profession and practice of art therapy. Women make up more than 80% of professionals in the field and this has prompted the question: "Why are so few men art therapists?" The issue of men's absence is investigated within a qualitative framework in part by asking: "What is the experience of a male art therapy intern like?"  A heuristic approach outlined by Douglass and Moustakas, (1985) began with an "internal search to know" the meaning of my experience as the only male in an otherwise all female group of 11 art therapy interns. A review of the literature demonstrates that the social construction of gender is an important consideration in diagnosis and treatment considerations as well as the in professional history and present of art therapy. A survey comprised of 6 questions was designed to sample the perceptions of 17 professional and interning art therapists regarding the relevance of gender in their professional and practical experiences. The question: "why are there so few men art therapists?' was examined. The constant comparative procedure (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994) was used to make meaning of the data. Responses suggest that the socialization of gender is perceived to be an important factor involved in the absence of men from professional art therapy and that male and female respondents may perceive the relevance of gender in art therapy from distinct perspectives. Finally, 5 paintings were produced towards a creative synthesis of the data. The creative process and product in the final component of this study are discussed for their tacit, nonverbal rendering of the subject area towards a creative synthesis of the findings.


identifier: Al-Shaban, Amer S  (2005) Using semantic web technologies for matchmaking software agents representing web service description.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The recent growth of using agents in representing web services is causing difficulties in finding specific types of services. This problem usually arises because matchmaking techniques for services are often based on string comparison and service providers might neglect to provide enough or appropriate keywords for the matchmaking process. In this thesis, we report on an approach that makes use of formal ontologies and automated reasoning services in order to improve the matchmaking process. The suggested approach is based on the Ontology Web Language (OWL), the OWL reasoner RACER, and the agent framework DECAF. The use of OWL ontologies is twofold. First, ontologies were used in order to express the particular knowledge of agents. These ontologies are grounded by referring to a so-called common upper ontology providing the necessary glue between the different agent domains. Second, with the help of OWL-S, a standard OWL ontology designed for specifying service descriptions, agents describe formally their offered web services. Our approach depends on a middle-ware agent called matchmaker, which will be in charge of matching required services to proper provider agents. Due to the use of OWL ontologies, the matchmaking process can be reduced to query processing and ontology reasoning implemented by the RACER system. The suggested approach has been demonstrated using a bioinformatics scenario, where several agents will take care of representing several web services. These agents will be providing composite services that the biology scientists might need. The communication protocol is based on OWL-S and allows seeker agents to adapt smoothly to dynamically changed web service descriptions of provider agents.


identifier: Vassev, Emil Iordanov  (2005) General architecture for demand migration in the GIPSY demand-driven execution engine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: During the conceptual design stage of a building, the design team often has to make critical decisions with significant impact on energy performance and indoor comfort conditions. The design and selection of fenestration systems and their control plays a key role in determining building performance, especially for perimeter spaces of commercial buildings. The domains of heating, cooling and lighting are closely related. An integrated thermal and daylighting approach is required for investigating the interactions between the different building systems. Advanced building simulation software can be used to evaluate overall building performance for specific fenestration schemes. However, these tools cannot provide information on how to select near-optimal design solutions from a large set of alternatives, since they require detailed input data which are not yet available at the early design stage. Therefore the selection of final design solutions concerning fenestration often involves many subjective factors. In this Thesis, a general and systematic simulation-based methodology for integrated daylighting and thermal analysis of facades and perimeter spaces of commercial buildings during the early design stage is presented. Using a systems integration approach, major dynamic links between thermal and daylighting performance are identified and used as design variables in a coupled thermal and daylighting simulation program. Integrated performance-based indices, generated from the continuous interaction between daylighting and thermal simulation, are calculated as a function of key linking parameters for investigating the balance between daylighting benefits and energy performance. The variation of these measures allows extraction of critical information for selection of window-to-wall ratio, shading device properties and control plus electric lighting control strategies. Maximization of daylight utilization, reduction in peak loads and energy demand for heating, cooling and lighting are used as criteria. The methodology is general and can be applied to any type of façade, location, orientation, glazing type and shading options. Results presented for perimeter offices in Montreal provide guidelines for selecting window-to-wall ratio for unobstructed façades, as well as recommendations for choosing shading device properties and control in conjunction with electric lighting operation


identifier: Romanov, Volodymyr  (2005) Elemental periodic solutions of the circular restricted 3-body problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, the continuation and bifurcation software AUTO is used to investigate elemental periodic orbits, certain secondary bifurcating orbit families, and homoclinic orbits, associated with the libration points of the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem, for values of the mass ratio between 0 and 0.5. Periodic solution families for representative values of the mass ratio, and corresponding bifurcation diagrams, are studied in detail. To understand the solution structure of the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem better, a new data visualization package, DR Orbits, has been developed. It reads AUTO data files and creates solution diagrams. The package may be useful for space mission design. This new graphics package has good rendering speed, flexibility, and display quality. A user-friendly interface makes DR Orbits easy to use


identifier: Laberge-Lebel, Louis  (2005) Manufacturing of braided thermoplastic composites with commingled fibers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Through this work, an investigation on thermoplastic composites manufactured with braided commingled fibers is performed. Thermoplastic composites have the potential for complex shape part manufacturing with a cost-effective perspective. However they present a manufacturing challenge because of the high melt viscosity of their matrices. Among the many solutions to this problem commingled yarns present a promising avenue. The commingled yarn studied here is a carbon/nylon yarn from Schappes Techniques France. Braiding is used to manufacture preforms from this yarn. Bi-axial braiding is described with the mathematical relations regulating the process. The machine available in the lab has been calibrated and seven fabrics have been produced with seven different braiding conditions to explore the preforming method. The fabrics have been consolidated using compression molding. A model to predict the final thickness of the consolidated braid is proposed. The evaluation of the quality of the consolidation was performed using a constituent content method and a qualitative observation by microscopy. Both methods were developed in the scope of this work. Flexural and tensile mechanical properties of the consolidated laminates are tested. The tensile modulus data are compared to a mathematical model using the classical lamination theory.


identifier: Fu, Tianjun  (2005) Speed-sensorless torque control of induction motors for hybrid electric vehicles.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are exciting new additions to the car markets since they combine the best features of conventional and electric cars to improve environmental performance and reduce fuel consumption. HEVs get their driving power from both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. Many researches have demonstrated the induction motor is one of the right electric motor candidates for the most HEVs due to its low cost, robustness and low maintenance. The objective of this research work is to develop a new speed-sensorless control method for induction motors to optimize torque response and improve robustness in order to meet the requirement of HEV applications. The proposed new control method is based on Sliding-Mode Control (SMC) combined with Space Vector Modulation (SVM) technique. The SMC contributes to the robustness of induction motor drives, and the SVM improves the torque, flux, and current steady-state performance by reducing the ripple. The Lyapunov direct method is used to ensure the reaching and sustaining of sliding-mode and stability of the control system. A sliding-mode observer is proposed to estimate the rotor flux and speed. Computer simulation results show that the proposed control scheme owns very good dynamic characteristics, high accuracy in torque tracking to various reference signals and strong robustness to external load disturbances


identifier: Akhlaque-E-Rasul, Shaikh Mohammad  (2005) Buckling analysis of tapered composite plates using ritz method based on classical and higher order theories.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Tapered composite plates are being used in various engineering applications such as helicopter yoke, robot arms and turbine blade in which the structure needs to be stiff at one location and flexible at another location.  In the present thesis, the buckling of different types of tapered composite plates are analyzed based on classical laminated plate theory, first-order shear deformation theory and third-order shear deformation theory. The developed formulation is applied to the analysis of various types of tapered composite plates. The efficiency and accuracy of the developed formulation are established in comparison with available solutions, where applicable. A detailed parametric study has been conducted on various types of tapered composite plates, all made of NCT/301 graphite-epoxy, in order to investigate the effects of boundary conditions, laminate configuration, taper angle and the thickness ratio


identifier: Di Nardo, Julia C  (2005) Eye movements as a function of spoken sentence comprehension and scene perception.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine how linguistic and visual processes interact, and to determine the locus of this interaction. Three studies were conducted to this aim. The first, a normative study, asked participants to list the objects they saw after viewing 17 naturalistic scenes for a short time in order to establish which objects were most salient. The second and third studies used an eye-tracking methodology to record participants' eye movements as they looked at static and dynamic scenes (the same as those in the Normative Study) and listened to related sentences. The sentences differed with respect to the class of their main verbs (causative vs. perception/psychological verbs), and the scenes differed according to the positioning and motion (or apparent motion in the static scenes) of the human agent (towards, away, or neutral) relative to the object referent of the verb's direct object (the target object). Results indicate that the direction of apparent motion of the agents in the scenes did affect how frequently the target object was listed by participants in the Normative Study. For the two experiments, the only consistent finding was that motion context had a significant main effect on how quickly eye movements were launched towards the target object after the verb was uttered. The effect of verb type was found to be less consistently significant, depending on the statistical procedure employed, which fails to support the notion that verb-specific information can guide eye movements towards the target object


identifier: Bennett, Paula  (2005) The object of my desire : infants' ability to infer desire from object-directed behaviors exhibited by a human and a non-human agent.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of the present four experiments was to examine the proposal that joint attention behaviors reflect an understanding of people as intentional agents. An object-request interactive paradigm was designed to document infant's understanding of the referential cues and of the agent (i.e., a person or a humanoid robot). The two-phase paradigm examined infant's ability to follow and to infer desires from three different referential cues: (1) gaze direction (i.e., head and eyes); (2) gesture (i.e., a grasping towards the target toy); and (3) positive vocal affect. After infants' attention was directed towards the adult, the agent focused her (its) attention towards one of two objects by displaying one of the following: a one-cue combination (gaze or gesture), a two-cue combination (i.e., gaze and gesture, gaze and positive vocal affect, gesture and positive vocal affect) or a three-cue combination (gaze, gesture, and positive vocal affect). Following cue presentation, a female experimenter requested that the infant give a toy. The first experiment examined 14-, 18-, and 24-month-olds' ability to infer desires from a human agent's prior display of object-directed behaviors. Although all infants could follow the cues to the target toy, only the 18- and 24-month-old were able to use these cues to infer a person's desire. In Experiment 2, the position of the two toys was switched following cue presentation for 18- and 24-month-olds. This switch resulted in infants' poorer performance. The findings from Experiment 3 indicated that while 14-, 18-, and 24-month-olds could follow the cues of a humanoid robot they did not attribute desires to this agent at any age. Moreover, Experiment 4 demonstrated that these latter findings were not due to the robot's inability to request the target toy on its own behalf.


identifier: Mayman, Shari Beth  (2005) Social competence in context : the moderating effects of culture and SES on the correlates of competent functioning with peers in Canadian and Colombian school children.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The goal of this research was to assess the processes that underlie children's social competence in different cultural and social contexts. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the effects of culture, SES, and sex on the relationships between (a) the predictors and indices of social competence, and (b) social competence and depressed affect, in high- and low-SES children (n=1067) in grades 4, 5, and 6 in Colombia and Canada. Findings indicated that the strength of the associations between the individual characteristics of social avoidance, athleticism, aggression, and caring, and the social competence indices of friendship and liking varied across culture, SES, and sex in unique ways. Specifically, social avoidance was a stronger negative predictor of social competence among high-SES than among low-SES individuals, especially among Colombian children. There was an overall positive relationship between athletic competence and peer competence, but this association was strongest among low-SES boys. Aggression was a stronger negative predictor of social competence among boys than among girls, especially among Canadian children. There was an overall positive relationship between caring and social competence indices, but this relationship was stronger for low-SES individuals than for high-SES children. The relationship between social competence and depressed affect was moderated by a three-way interaction between culture, SES, and sex; the strongest association between these variables occurred among high-SES Colombian girls. These findings highlight the importance of considering within-culture differences in conjunction with between-culture differences, and are discussed in relation to the distinguishing dimensions of individualism and collectivism


identifier: Wood, Wendy-Jo  (2005) The role of emotion in the functions of autobiographical memory.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Prior research indicates that people call on autobiographical memories to serve social, self-related, and directive functions (Bluck, 2003). The first goal of the current study was to examine whether the emotions associated with memories influence the functions those memories serve at recall. In Study 1, participants recalled nine memories, each associated with a distinct emotion (i.e., guilt and happiness). For each memory, they reported one time they recalled the event and rated the functions that were served. As expected, certain types of emotional memories were associated with certain autobiographical functions. The second goal was to more closely consider the emotions associated with memories that serve to define the self. Studies 2 and 3 examined the impact people feel self-defining memories events have had on them (and how this subjective impact relates to meaning making), and the pattern of current and recalled emotions for these self-defining memories (Singer & Moffitt, 1991-1992). In Study 2, subjective impact was shown to be a good marker for meaning making with respect to self-defining events. In Study 3, participants recalled five self-defining memories, reported ten current and recalled emotions for each event, and rated the subjective impact of each event. A pattern of benefaction (i.e., less current negative and more current positive emotion) emerged for self-defining memories, which was accounted for by subjective impact.


identifier: Malhas, Tamara  (2005) Teachers' perceptions and awareness of multicultural education : a case study of a homogeneous elementary school in Jordan.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In private schools in Jordan many teachers attempt to expose students to various cultures, however the question is how do they do so, and is the teacher's approach effective? In homogeneous environments students do not have the opportunity to interact with other students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, it is important to address this situation of how to introduce and expose students to the various cultures of the world. Another question is how can multiculturalism be implemented in such classrooms, and how can teachers become more aware of what multiculturalism entails in order to constructively convey it to the students. This study is centered on a homogeneous private school in Amman, the capital city of Jordan, in the Middle East. This school is considered one of the most liberal, innovative, and educationally advanced schools in Amman. The intent of the study is to explore teachers' perceptions of multiculturalism, and to focus on the following questions: what is the meaning of multiculturalism based on a literature review, how do teachers at this private school define multiculturalism, and what do teachers consider to be discriminative attitudes in this private school? Finally, a proposal for a developmental program for improving multicultural awareness for teachers to transmit to their students is presented.


identifier: Aurelio., Domínguez-González  (2005) Design optimization and vibration control of adaptive structures.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the present research work the optimization of structures and the vibration suppression are studied. First, a methodology to find the simultaneous size, geometry and topology design optimization of structures using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is proposed. The methodology considers that the large structures are constructed from the duplication of some basic structures called bays. In order to have realistic optimal designs, the cross-sectional areas are extracted from the standard profiles and the optimization process is performed considered the AISC design standards. The second part of the work is concerned with the suppression of the vibration in structural systems. A methodology to find the characteristic parameters of the Bouc-Wen model in the attempt to better characterize the hysteresis phenomenon of MR dampers has been proposed. The methodology takes into consideration the effect of each individual term of the Bouc-Wen model over the hysteretic loop to estimate the appropriate values of the parameters. Considering the relationships of the characteristic parameters, a new model based on the Bouc-Wen model is proposed in which the current, the frequency and the amplitude excitation are incorporated as variables. Based on the proposed hysteresis model, a Finite Element Model (FEM) for the MR damper is developed and then integrated to the FEM of the entire structure. Subsequently, an efficient vibration suppression strategy using MR damper was proposed to improve the vibration performance index of the structure. Finally, the same hysteresis model is employed to investigate the application of MR dampers as translational actuator.


identifier: Reyes, Rodrigo  (2005) Studies on a strain of Escherichia coli K-12 dependent on an exogenous supply of S-adenosylmethionine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a universal metabolite formed from methionine and ATP. SAM has a highly reactive sulfonium group and is used as methyl donor in a large number of methylations. The metK gene, coding for the enzyme which synthesizes SAM, SAM synthetase, is an essential gene in E. coli. However the study of the importance of SAM has been hindered by the inability of the cells to incorporate this compound directly from the medium. A plasmid carrying the SAM transporter from the intracellular parasitic bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii was used to construct an E. coli strain lacking a functional copy of metK. The resulting strain requires a supply of exogenous SAM for growth, demonstrating that SAM is the only essential product of SAM synthetase. The use of the transporter in strain MetK84 confirmed that the filamenting phenotype observed in the strain is explained by its low intracellular concentration of SAM. Studies on the relation of SAM concentration and production of biomass in a strain carrying the SAM transporter showed a linear relation at low SAM concentrations, but suggested that SAM is wasted at high concentrations.


identifier: Deodhar, Aniket  (2005) Ride dynamic response of commercial vehicles subjected to wheel unbalance and non-uniformity effects.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Self-exciting sources of vibration wheel unbalance and wheel non-uniformities are known to contribute to ride vibration environment of road vehicles and also to potential road damage in addition to excitations arising from terrain undulations. The present study investigates vehicle vibrations induced by non-uniformities and unbalance of the tire-wheel assembly in conjunction with terrain irregularities. A four degrees-of-freedom pitch plane model of a truck is developed to analyze ride and tire load variations under measured random road excitations. The nonlinear vehicle model comprising the adaptive foot-print tire model is analyzed under excitations arising from a range of mass unbalance and wheel non-uniformity, and phase differences in the defects of the front and rear wheels. A comprehensive parametric sensitivity analysis is carried out to study the vehicle response subjected to all the excitations. The response characteristics are evaluated in terms of measures relevant to ride quality and road damage potential, namely the overall unweighted and frequency-weighted vertical and pitch rms accelerations of the sprung mass and dynamic load coefficient (DLC), respectively.


identifier: Keenlyside, Emily  (2004) Making the links : investigating a social inclusion framework for adult learning in art museums.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis project examines the role of community adult educators as critical liaisons for art museums. Focusing my study on personal interviews with five adult educators, I present these keyworkers' perceptions about art and art museums, the links that exist between art museum education and the teaching they do within their respective milieus, and the possibilities for transformative adult learning that may lie in community partnerships. Discussing these responses using a social inclusion model, I highlight the need for inclusive approaches to adult education that are rooted in dialogue, empowerment and participation.  My discussion draws on reflections from my own practice as I identify strategies for improving it. I highlight interview responses that support my assertion that attempts to make art museums more accessible and relevant depend on equitable partnerships with keyworkers. In concluding, I identify areas for further research into the ways in which art museums can better serve adult learners whilst supporting increased pedagogical consciousness in the management and realization of museum-wide activities. My recommendations implicate existing and potential keyworkers, learners, and other art museum workers in working towards more inclusive perspectives and approaches.


identifier: Wang, Jiaoyue  (2005) Large ABox Store (LAS) : database support for TBox queries.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Large ABox Store (LAS) extends the DL reasoner Racer with a database. LAS stores the given information about a TBox, a taxonomy, and ABox in a database, and answers most TBox and ABox queries by combining SQL queries with DL reasoning. The main feature of our system is that it can deal with ABox role assertions. Acting as a filter for Racer, LAS speeds up the TBox and ABox queries. The main techniques exploited in LAS are the pseudo model merging test technique, and the transitive closure algorithm implemented by Oracle 9i. This thesis presents the design, theories and implementation of the LAS system, and it mainly addresses the database support for TBox queries in LAS. A user-friendly interface is designed to facilitate users to implement many kinds of queries. More complex querying functions can be integrated into this system in the future


identifier: El Aghoury, Amr  (2005) Development of environmentally-friendly plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) - based flooring formulations.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The research aim is to develop alternative cost-effective poly (vinyl chloride) PVC formulation that possesses good mechanical properties, resistant to microbial attack, with low volatile organic compounds (VOC's) emission, as well as to explore a market for lignin, an abundant natural polymer, obtained as a by-product of paper making. One of the main applications of plasticized PVC for building industry is the production of flooring. Normally in the manufacture industry of the PVC flooring di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate (DEHP), commercially known as DOP is used as a plasticizer to facilitate the processing of PVC. DOP is environmental pollutant due to its biodegradability that consequently releases VOC's; considering this hazard, the introduction of other biopolymers and other additives in PVC formulation could contribute to a safer and healthier environment. DOP has been used in this research for comparative purpose only. Series of plasticized PVC formulations were prepared with different types of plasticizers namely: Di-octyl phthalate (DOP), Diethylene glycol dibenzoate (Benzoflex 2-45), Tricresyl phosphate (Lindol) and Alkyl sulfonic acid phenyl ester (Mesamoll). Meanwhile, the role of lignin within the mixtures was evaluated, as part of the PVC was replaced with different lignins namely Organosolv, Indulin and Tomlinite (20 phr of PVC). The new proposed alternative flooring material was prepared by melt mixing and compression molding, and tested to evaluate its processibility, thermal properties, mechanical properties (i.e., Young's modulus, tensile strength at break and yield, elongation at break) as well as its morphology. In addition, the different formulations resistance to fungi attack was studied as a function of the samples weight loss, and their fungal growth was evaluated visually. Also, the impact of this growth on the mechanical and thermal properties of the different presented formulations was studied to evaluate their bio-deterioration. Moreover, considering the introduction of new formulations, their ageing behavior due to inherent instability of the amorphous glassy state, known as volume recovery or structural relaxation is studied. Finally, the primary emissions (i.e., free non-bound VOC's, which generally have low molecular weight) of VOC's are identified and quantified


identifier: Wu, Shihua  (2005) A 3-D plotting tool for Internet based on client-server computer model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We describe the specification, design, deployment, and implementation of a three-dimensional plotting utility based on a client-server distributed computing model. This plotter provides a World Wide Web environment enabling the user to get 3-D colored curves from mathematical expressions. The utility provides an intuitive look-and-feel user interface. Users do not have to acquire extra knowledge to use it. The utility is reliable, portable and extensible. In this report, we discuss the project motivation. We compare three popular Java middleware technologies to show why we chose Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) technology. Java Native Interface (JNI) technology and Java 3 Dimension Application Interface (3-D API) is also described. We discuss the advantage of the reuse component model, and demonstrate how to reuse an object-oriented model (C++ parser model) in a Java program. Finally, we provide a short conclusion and discuss the future perspective and improvement of this utility.


identifier: Bhoopalam, Kruthi  (2005) Fire : a description logic based rule engine for OWL ontolgies with SWRL-like rules.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present decade has seen significant progress towards realizing the vision of the Semantic Web. This progress has most often been seen in the levels of maturity reached by each layer in the architectural layers representing the Semantic Web vision. The ontology layer reached a substantial level of maturity with the OWL Web Ontology Language (OWL) being recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as the standard for representing ontologies on the Web. This move has triggered several other standardizations and led to interesting research results that have further strengthened the ontology layer. This has motivated the Semantic Web community to venture further towards the rules layer in the vision. One of the interesting lines of research in this context is to extend OWL with rules both syntactically and semantically and providing a sound, complete and terminating reasoning support for the extension. Our present work corresponds to this line of research.