identifier: Ge, Hua  (2002) Study on overall thermal performance of metal curtain walls.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Metal curtain walls are widely used in commercial buildings and offer many advantages including space saving, high quality in manufacturing, light weight, significant aesthetic freedom, and rapid construction. However, their thermal performance is still low due to the fact that metal curtain walls consist of a large portion of glazing, and glass and metal are high heat conductors. In practice, metal curtain walls are referred to as "heat sink" in heating-dominant climate. The relatively low thermal resistance results in low surface temperature in cold winter, and thus may cause condensation and thermal discomfort problems in addition to high energy consumption.  Initially, metal curtain walls grew within metal window industry and the current methodology and standards developed for evaluating window performance are also used for curtain walls. However, metal curtain walls differ from windows in that they have a much larger continuous glazing portion, more complex configuration and heat flow at the joints. Their overall performance depends on the interaction and integration of individual constituents as well as the performance of each component. However, the assessment of curtain wall performance by existing standards is segmented and no study has addressed the overall thermal performance of curtain walls by treating them as integrated systems.  The objective of this study is to evaluate the overall thermal performance of metal curtain walls using a developed holistic approach for the purpose of providing technical information on the improvement of curtain wall design. A comprehensive research program has been designed and implemented to establish the overall performance of curtain walls by experimental testing, analytical and simulation studies.  For the first time, extensive experimental testing has been conducted on full-scale specimen under field conditions reproduced in a large-scale environmental chamber. The two-story full-size specimen (3.8m by 6.7m) includes two commercially available curtain wall systems with different design details. The experimental program includes: (1) full-scale air leakage test, (2) thermal performance test, (3) measurement of local convection film coefficient, and, (4) measurement of local draft induced by curtain wall cold surface. The analytical and simulation studies include: (1) effect of design details on thermal transmittance using the simulation program FRAME, (2) effect of local film coefficients on the condensation resistance prediction using the simulation program FRAME, (3) effect of thermal performance of curtain walls on occupant thermal comfort and on energy consumption.  Results from extensive testing and simulations have revealed the intricate links among the components, the overall wall assembly performance and the impact on the energy use and indoor comfort; and, therefore, provided solid technical information for manufacturers on the productive direction of future R&D and for designers on the selection of curtain wall systems to achieve energy-efficient buildings with healthy and comfort indoor environment. The extensive testing provided a valuable set of experimental data to validate the current and future computer simulation programs.


identifier: Hassanein, Ahmed  (2002) Planning and scheduling highway construction using GIS and dynamic programming.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: This study presents a model to plan, schedule and control the construction of highway projects.  A two-state-variable, N-stage dynamic programming procedure, in conjunction with a set of heuristic rules, is capable of generating schedules to meet a specified budget or duration restraints, and can select the optimum expediting technique to reduce project duration. The proposed model incorporates both typical (equal quantity of work in all units) and non-typical (varying quantities along highway length) repetitive activities in the optimization procedure. The proposed model accounts for the impact of practical factors, such as transverse obstructions, on crew assignment and project duration and cost. The impact of inclement weather on crew productivity is accounted for, as well as the beneficial effects of the learning curve. A relational database model is developed to store: (1) local weather conditions, (2) swell and shrinkage factors for various soil types, and (3) the available resource pool. The model supports tracking and controlling project progress utilising the earned value concept. A flexible and practical methodology is proposed to forecast project time and cost at completion, enabling the assignment of a higher weight to recent crew performance.  A prototype software based on the model is developed, coded in Visual C++ (version 6.0), employing object oriented programming. ArcView ® version 3.1 is employed as the GIS engine, and the 3-D data analysis is carried out employing ArcView ® 3D Analyst. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Huang, Hongyu  (2003) Modeling of volatile organic compounds emissions and sinks from building materials.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitted from building materials have been recognized as major problems affecting human comfort, health and productivity. Building materials not only are main VOC sources but also are main VOC sinks in buildings. Therefore, accurate modeling of building material VOC emissions and sinks is important for predicting contaminant concentrations, occupant exposures and design of mechanical ventilation systems.  This thesis describes three new modeling approaches to predict building material VOC emissions and sinks. First, a numerical and an analytical VOC emission model have been developed to predict VOC emission rates of a single-layer dry building material and VOC concentrations in a well-mixed room. Second, an integrated IAQ model has been developed to predict VOC emission rates of a multi-layer material, VOC sink rates of a material, VOC concentrations in a well mixed room with both VOC source and sink materials. Third, a zonal model has been integrated with air jet and material VOC emission/sink models to predict the transient VOC distribution in a ventilated room. In addition, a systematic parametric study has been carried out to study the impacts of model input parameters and their interactions on VOC emissions from building materials. These three models have been validated with available experimental results and/or CFD simulation results. The comparisons with the experimental results and the predictions of the CFD models indicate that there are generally good agreements between the proposed model predictions, the experimental results and the CFD results.  Moreover, these three models have been applied to analyze building material VOC emission/sink behaviors and to examine ventilation system efficiency. Results show that the developed models can provide useful information for building owners or designers in selecting proper building materials, designing efficient ventilation systems and assessing indoor air quality.


identifier: Qiu, Xiaochuan  (2003) Moisture transport across interfaces between building materials.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents the results from a series of experiments in which moisture is transported across several bonded and natural contact interfaces between two materials, i.e. autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and mortar. All experimental results conclusively show that an assumption of perfect hydraulic contact is an over simplification of the interfacial phenomena. Instead, this thesis recommends "imperfect hydraulic contacts" in all situations, bonded as well as natural contact.  Based on the above recommendation, this thesis introduces a concept of "mismatching resistance" to mathematically describe the imperfect contact. Physically it corresponds to a resistance offered by the interface to moisture transport due to misalignment of the pore structures on either side of the interface. A mathematical model of moisture transport was developed and the mismatching resistance was incorporated in it to account for interfacial phenomena. A numerical model was subsequently used to simulate moisture transport in building assemblies.  The moisture transport experiments conducted with AAC and mortar were simulated with the numerical model. The results from the gamma ray measurements were used to optimize the mismatching resistance for each experimental situation. The mismatching resistance so optimized was found to depend on moisture content and also showed directionality. With one set of optimized mismatching resistances for each experimental situation, excellent agreement was found between the measured and simulated transient moisture distributions in all cases.  This thesis also presents the results of a parametric study to investigate the sensitivity of predictions regarding material properties and interface imperfection. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Saghravani, Sayed Fazlolah  (2002) Turbulence characteristics of counter flowing free jets.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Jets are used in several engineering applications including dilution and mixing. The counter flowing free jet was investigated to find the penetration length and geometry of the expanded jet. The turbulence characteristics of the counter flowing free jets have been determined.  Several jet nozzles with different diameters were used to form the jet located at the center of a closed conduit that had a square cross section. The results show that the penetration length varies linearly with the ratio of the jet velocity to the main flow velocity that is denoted by R.  Axial and radial velocity components were measured simultaneously using a 2-D laser velocity probe. The raw data was processed and several characteristics of the counter flowing free jets such as the decay rate of the jet and the turbulence behavior of the jet along the jet axis are reported.  The turbulent kinetic energy of the counter flowing free jets was studied. Several profiles were chosen and the turbulent kinetic energy was balanced along the radial direction of the jet. The terms including pressure component were used as the closure, since the pressure was not measured.  Another major part of the study was to find the wake mixing characteristics of the counter flowing free jets. Several tests with different R values were performed and for each test, the concentration of the tracer injected by the jet to the main flow was measured at several points at different cross sections in the near wake region of the jet. The results show that the mixing between the tracer and the main flow improves with larger jet diameter and bigger velocity ratios.  A small part of the study was devoted to numerical test using the software code, Phoenics. Three sets of tests using different turbulence models were performed and the results were compared with the measurement. In comparison, for the case of turbulent jets in counter flow, the k-f model gave a better result than k-} and mixing length models.  The results can be applied directly to the control of stream pollution, as the counter flowing free jet is a very effective device to dilute the effluents injected in a stream


identifier: Kennedy, Sara  (2003) Oral peer corrective feedback in an ESL classroom : training Francophone learners in the pronunciation of th-.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: How do ESL learners react to training in oral peer corrective feedback? This quasi-experimental study was an exploration of that question. Over 13 weeks, a treatment group of francophone ESL learners was first observed, then trained in oral peer corrective feedback (i.e. the provision of corrective feedback to one learner by another) on the pronunciation of th - in English. All group activities were audio-recorded. A control group of francophone ESL learners was also observed and recorded. Both groups were pretested and posttested for accuracy of their pronunciation of th -. Additionally, two learners each from the treatment and control groups were followed throughout the study for changes in pronunciation of th -. Although oral peer corrective feedback on th - occurred in the treatment group, no significant differences between groups in accuracy of pronunciation of th - were found. Out of the four learners tracked, one learner from the treatment group and one learner from the control group demonstrated moderate improvement in the pronunciation of th - over the 13-week study. Possible reasons are discussed for the pattern and manner of oral peer corrective feedback provided by the treatment group, and the limitations and implications of the results are considered.


identifier: Kennedy, Anne-Catherine  (2003) Doing the everyday differently : women and politics in a northeastern Brazilian town.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis I explore the gendered nature of community politics in a rural town in Northeast Brazil. Through individual stories, contextualized in local and global power relations I aim to broaden the understanding of the practical experiences of women juggling a participatory democracy and clientelist traditions. The emphasis is on women's experiences of agency and constraints and the implications such experiences have for the politicization of women and the democratization process. Specifically, I explore the experiences of marginal women. I argue that in their rejection of the dominant ideas regarding local community politics and gender norms they challenge the idea that poor women are only concerned with practical needs and material survival.


identifier: Laramée, Guy  (2002) The endless well : an ethnography of creativity and imagination among contemporary artists.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the framework of a thesis in cultural anthropology, the aim of the project is to examine the way contemporary artists enact and give meaning to the concepts of "creativity" (or "creation") and "imagination", and see how these meanings can be further re-interpreted in the light of a model of consciousness developed by a Zen master, Albert Low. The project examines this question from the angle of "Consciousness Studies" and more specifically the anthropology of consciousness. The project is based on a fieldwork that is two fold: (1) an immersion in a graduate program in Fine Arts in Montreal over a period of one year; (2) a survey through interviews of professional artists. Creativity will be examined as a Western concept, but relations will be established with non-Western world views, mostly Eastern (mainly Zen Buddhism). The central issue of this project is to give meaning to the "urge to create", as it is experienced by professional creators.  The rebound effect of this questioning is to bring forward two other issues. The first one is the re-location of the "new" into experience. The project might then manifest itself as a critique of past views of creativity in aesthetics and anthropology, views that have presented the "new" only in term of social appraisal. The second issue is the meaning of trying to put the inexpressible into words, or the tension between discursive and non-discursive cognition, which is also the tension between intuitive and analytical modes of knowledge.


identifier: Silverstone, Rebecca  (2002) Harem Vanuatu : the liminality and communitas of Port Vila and its young people.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Based on 8 months of fieldwork, this thesis attempts to look at the role of anthropological thought and methods in empowering young people in Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu. In Port Vila, a group of young Ni-Vanuatu researchers are using many of anthropology's methodological tools to conduct research on urban and more recently, rural youth. Using qualitative field research; action-oriented advocacy in the form of newsletters, videos, and health workshops, business and post-educational training have been developed to help young people. Towns throughout Melanesia are experiencing some of the most rapid urban growth in the world and during this substantial transformation, youth are in the process of negotiating identities for themselves. Using Victor Turner's notion of 'liminality', and with regards to the concept of 'kastom', this thesis examines why life in town may bring about liminality, which young people seem to be particularly affected. Due to the work done by the Young People's Project, a unifying voice (a sense of 'communitas') for young people has emerged and resolved several of the stereotypes which cast youth in a negative light. This thesis also examines the history of Vanuatu from its ethnographic origins and colonization, in order to document the various tensions that urbanization has caused to personhood and notion of place. Place is a key and defining quality of identity, which has been dramatically altered in urban space. How young people establish a sense of personhood when so many of the major qualities that attach person to place have been marginalized, is a central focus of this research.


identifier: Mekhssian, Kevork  (2003) Structure/function studies on a bifunctional enzyme in tyrosine biosynthesis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Chorismate mutase - prephenate dehydrogenase (CM-PD) is a bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes two sequential reactions in the tyrosine biosynthetic pathway of E. coli .  Three cysteine residues are found within each monomer of dimeric CM-PD. The studies in Chapter 2 help to define their role in the structure of the enzyme, the chemistry of the reactions, and in the relationship between the sites at which the two reactions occur. Site-directed mutagenesis performed on Cys95, Cys169 and Cys215 indicated that only Cys215 is important for the activity of CM-PD and is most important in the binding of prephenate. However, comparative modeling studies indicate that Cys215 may be at the active site of prephenate dehydrogenase and help orient an important catalytic group, His197. Chemical modification of the enzyme with cysteine-specific reagents, iodoacetamide and Ellman's reagent (DTNB), resulted in the loss of both mutase and dehydrogenase activities. Inactivation of wild-type and variant forms of prephenate dehydrogenase suggested that one cysteine (Cys215) is protected against alkylation by NAD + plus tyrosine, prephenate and, surprisingly, an inhibitor that mimics the transition state of the mutase reaction. Comparing the effects of alkylation of wild-type and K37Q by iodoacetamide showed that the protective effects of prephenate and the mutase transition state analog were due to their binding to the mutase site rather than the dehydrogenase site. Time-dependent chemical modification followed by peptide mapping indicated that Cys215 is the most reactive and/or accessible cysteine, followed by Cys95 and Cys 169.  In Chapter 3, ESI-mass spectrometry in conjunction with chemical modification studies were used to determine the reactivity and ionization state of Lys37 of CM-PD.


identifier: Patapas, Joseph  (2002) The photolytic deprotection of aliphatic ketones from tosylhydrazones.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ketones are amongst the most important and versatile groups of chemicals known, with applications in industry as solvents and starting materials, as well as playing an important role in biological and medicinal applications. With their importance for synthetic chemists, the search for means of protecting ketones is ongoing.  Tosylhydrazones have been suggested as such a means because they are easily formed through a simple condensation reaction between the ketone and p-tolysulfonylhydrazine, and they are resistant to many chemical conditions. Despite this, tosylhydrazones have seen little use as a protecting group, largely due to the difficulty of removing them.  This study investigated the deprotection of ketones from tosylhydrazones by irradiating a solution of the tosylhydrazone with visible light, in the presence of chloranil. In addition to ketone, a precipitate byproduct and nitrogen gas was produced. Depending on the experimental procedure, ketone was regenerated quantitatively.  The effect of several factors on the rate of ketone regeneration were investigated, among them were light intensity, solvent, initial concentrations of tosylhydrazone and chloranil and secondary reaction products.  Several factors elucidating to the reaction mechanism were probed. The first was the source of oxygen in the regenerated ketone, with three sources probed (air, water and the tosyl group). The second factor was the participation of a tosylhydrazone radical cation, with investigations into its independent generation and trapping, and computational studies on the tosylhydrazone and its radical cation. The final factor investigated was the nature of the secondary reaction products. A reaction mechanism was proposed based on experimental and computational data.


identifier: Gratton, Jean-François  (2003) The market impact of mergers and acquisitions for TSE-listed firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines the market impact of mergers and acquisitions of TSE-listed firms, and the relationship between market impact and merger partner characteristics, such as method of payment and the intensity of merger activity. The thesis also examines the impact of cross-border transactions on TSE-listed firms. The evidence suggests that cash offers generate consistently higher abnormal returns, higher trading activity, and lower bid-ask spreads around the announcement of takeovers than do stock exchange offers. The difference between cash and stock exchange offers is explained by capital gains tax liabilities and the information asymmetry associated with the method of payment. The intensity of merger activity also impacts the abnormal returns and the bid-ask spreads around the announcement dates. Finally, the evidence suggests that the announcement of cross-border transactions has a strong market impact.


identifier: Salman, Nader  (2002) Networks and innovation : a social network analysis of biotechnology collaboration.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In today's fast-paced economy the innovative capability of a company cannot be studied without considering the external organizational relationships that firms maintain. Within inter-organizational networks, firms can learn from one another and benefit from new knowledge developed by other organizations. The ability to access this knowledge is an effective source of competitive advantage. The present study focused on the relationships between organizations in the biotechnology sector. Using network analysis, the study examined the impact of network position on innovation, speed of innovation, access to complementary knowledge, number of R&D projects, and strategic direction. By examining the pattern of network interactions between firms, this research shows that being located in a central position leads to innovation and access to knowledge advantages. Furthermore, it demonstrates that firms that are regularly equivalent and similar in network roles tend to adopt a similar strategic direction.


identifier: Shu, Jing Ou  (2003) Identifying the factors that affect consumers' willingness to do internet shopping.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electronic commerce, especially conducted via Internet, is growing at a phenomenal rate. Online sales would exceed $72 billion by 2003.  Despite recent successes in electronic commerce, one of the major problems against fully combining the Internet-based electronic commerce with modern business is the lack of Internet consumers' trust in the newly developed marketing machinery. Moving Internet users along to the purchase is proving to be difficult because Internet shopping as a non-store retailing entails higher risk than traditional store.  Previous research on business to consumer (B2C) electronic commerce over the Internet and virtual shopping is often theoretical, ad hoc, and incomplete. The empirical study is relatively rare. This empirical research tries to identify the factors that affect consumers' willingness to do Internet shopping.  The study findings suggest that trust in Internet shopping, perceived usefulness and perceived security directly and positively influences on consumers' willingness to do Internet shopping; perceived security, perceived ease of use, service quality and information quality indirectly and positively affects on consumers' willingness to do Internet shopping.  Future research considerations and limitations of this research are also mentioned.


identifier: Wu, Wei  (2002) Customer relationship management (CRM) technology, market orientation, and organizational performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper investigates the relationship among Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology, organizational market orientation, perceived customer retention improvement, and perceived performance improvement from using CRM technology. Based on theories of business value of information technology and resource-based view of organization, three research questions are examined: first, is CRM technology related to customer retention improvement and performance improvement? Second, is market orientation a facilitator of CRM technology adoption? Finally, is market orientation related to customer retention improvement and performance improvement? The data collected by mail survey from eighty Canadian organizations was analyzed to understand how organizations achieve benefits from investment in CRM technology. The findings suggest that first, the CRM technology, used to enhance organizational capability of serving customer, is positively linked to perceived customer retention improvement and perceived performance improvement; second, companies with higher level of market orientation are more likely to adopt CRM technology; third, there is a positive link between organizational market orientation and perceived customer retention improvement and perceived performance improvement. This study contributes to the MIS discipline by demonstrating the enabling role and business value of information technology in customer relationship management, as well as by underscoring market orientation, the organizational resource that can possibly increase the effect of CRM technology on customer retention and overall performance. The managerial implications are significant. When CRM technology is used to enhance organizational capability of serving customers, it can achieve substantial business value. Directions of increasing market orientation are provided for organizations to attain payoffs from CRM technology investment.


identifier: Baouendi, Rym  (2003) Development of a prototype tool for the evaluation of the sustainability of Canadian houses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Traditionally, the annual energy used for the operation of buildings is estimated and optimized during the design process using one of the many available energy analysis tools. Today, building designers must consider as well minimizing the fossil fuel energy use and emissions of greenhouse gases throughout the buildings life cycle. Data, methods, and tools necessary for this task are available in the literature but are not easily accessible to designers.  Hence, a prototype tool, Energy and Emission Estimator (EEE), was developed within the framework of this research project in order to meet the needs of designers and provide them with a tool that estimates the life cycle energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and cost of Canadian houses. EEE is coupled with an existing energy analysis tool HOT2000, through the collaboration of Natural Resources Canada. The tool uses for its calculations, data and methods selected from the literature for their relevance and applicability to the Canadian context. EEE has a user-friendly interface and is easy-to-use. It is also time and effort effective since it requires little inputs from its users. The tool imports the description of the house envelope and its annual energy consumption and cost directly from the HOT2000 program. Detailed results are generated from the tool and are presented in an Excel file in order to allow flexibility of interpretation to its users.  The EEE tool was applied to study some sustainability indices of a one-storey single-detached house located in Montreal. The life cycle energy use, emissions, and cost of the house were evaluated and the impacts of different design parameters were compared including different levels of insulation of the exterior envelope, different locations, and use of different energy sources for space heating and domestic hot water supply


identifier: Pazera, Marcin  (2003) Laboratory evaluation of moisture performance of weather resistive barriers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The objective of this thesis aimed (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing test methods used in characterizing moisture performance of weather resistive barrier (WRB) products, and (2) to provide a benchmark for assessment of different boundary conditions. The test materials were placed between a layer of water and various types of hygroscopic sinks including vacuum cast gypsum, oriented strand board (OSB), thick adsorbing paper (blotter) and a desiccant (anhydrous calcium chloride). The WRB were either placed directly in contact with the hygroscopic sink or were separated from it by an air gap. These tests indicated that moisture transport was highly dependent on the conditions introduced on the upper and the lower surfaces of the WRB.  This thesis reports the results of a series of experimental studies, which examined moisture transport to characterize WRB for input into material standards. The new test methods developed in the thesis include: modified inverted cup ( MIC ) test for measuring the maximum possible total moisture transmission, moisture flux ( MF ) test for measuring moisture flow to an OSB or plywood substrate, and liquid penetration resistance ( LPR ) test for measuring onset and the rate of the liquid phase transport.  The test methods were used to examine moisture transport through new WRB. The test were also used to evaluate effect of penetrations, outdoor weathering, and contribution of detergent dissolved in the interstitial water. Subsequent to the material testing, an assembly testing provided a comparative evaluation of such effects as penetrations or additives in a stucco layer. Proposed in this thesis are new laboratory test methods and the acceptance criteria to be incorporated in the next edition of North American material standards. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Zhao, Xiaopeng  (2002) Hydrodynamic barriers for effective site remediation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Conventional pump-and-treat (P&T) is an applicable component of many remedial systems. However, such a system will not be appropriate to achieve restoration in portions of many sites due to hydrogeologic and contaminant-related limitations. This includes the presence of significant accumulation of DNAPLs (denser-than-water nonaqueous phase liquids) trapped below the water table. Here chemical enhancements to P&T shows some promise by mobilizing or dissolving the contaminants. However, this will make a portion of the injected chemicals and the contaminant to cross the boundary of the targeted site that causes the loss of chemicals and results in pollution migration to uncontaminated areas.  To confine the flow of the injected chemical to the target site, traditionally one sets up physical barriers around the boundaries of the site. In the present study, simple hydrodynamic principles related to image wells are used to provide hydrodynamic barriers around the site. Simple mathematical model and laboratory experiments were developed to assess the effectiveness of hydrodynamic barriers. The study shows that the degree of leakage of the chemicals injected into the target site can be controlled by the proper choice of the system of image wells set outside the target area. For more realistic systems, further study is needed to define its applicability


identifier: Hunt-Beauchamp, Jennifer Ann  (2003) The community and the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum : the effects of the community on the genesis and the life of a small community museum in eastern Ontario.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the important role of volunteers during the genesis and life of the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, a small community museum. The analysis looks at the history, the administration, and the outreach programming of the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum and compares the results to four other successful living history museums in North America. In addition, it examines the role of loyalty in volunteers and staff in ensuring the commitment of the community towards these five museums. Through this comparison, we see that the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum's strong ties to the community have been of critical importance in providing a basis for its success as a thriving living history museum.


identifier: Vranckx, Peter  (2003) The ethics of semantic shifts in literary translation : a comparative analysis case study of Beauchemin's Le matou and its English and Spanish versions, The alley cat and Gatuperios.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Examining the relevant socio-politico-economic background and using as a framework Susem-Sarajeva's multiple-unit comparative analysis model and incorporating Leuven-Zwart's translation-shift terminology, this case study seeks to demonstrate how the English rendering of Yves Beauchemin's Le Matou exhibits significant oppositional shifts. These shifts see the target text neutralizing potentially offensive source-text elements (with respect to Jewish characters) and transforming narrational neutrality into subjectively coloured renderings (with regard to French Canadians and indépendantistes ). Such shifts, which I view as manifestations of "sanitization" and "reverse xenophobia", respectively, are important to study because they result in a wholly different presentation of two related key elements in the source text. These elements are mistrust--manifested in anti-Semitism--of non-fellow francophone Quebecers seen as helping to thwart the majority's collective aspirations, and a people's will to be autonomous politically and economically. Such textual changes raise serious questions about central translation issues of equivalence, the translator's duty to convey the essence of the author's message to the receiving-culture readership, and the ethics of semantic shifts in a literary translation. I argue that The Alley Cat , compared with Gatuperios, the Spanish translation, cannot be considered--in its entirety--an authentic representation of the original and therefore should be viewed as an adapted version of the source text and labeled accordingly.


identifier: Saltaris, Christina  (2002) The school readiness of high-risk children : a longitudinal investigation of learning competence during the early grades.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present investigation examines the competence of high-risk children as they face the challenges of school transition and the early grades. A comprehensive perspective on children's school functioning is presented, including their academic performance, work-related skills, and behavioral/interpersonal style. Within a group of children considered vulnerable to school difficulties because of their family background and early functioning, several child, family, and contextual factors are studied as predictors of school outcomes over time. The current study, comprised of three sections, involves a subset ( N = 83) of participants from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, a 25-year, prospective, longitudinal investigation of individuals at elevated risk for psychosocial adversity. The focus of Part I is on the links between early child characteristics and abilities and various aspects of school competence. In Part II, the ability of high-risk mothers to foster the learning competence of their school-age offspring is examined. Finally, in Part III, an ecological model of school functioning that emphasizes the additive contribution of child, family, and contextual factors in the development of children's learning competence is tested. The findings from the present investigation provide support for the notion that the roots of academic and social competence in the early grades are established during previous periods in children's development. Specifically, children's cognitive functioning during the toddler and preschool years emerges as one of the most critical markers of school readiness. Children's early social behavior and gender are also found to bear on various aspects of their school adaptation. Finally, within a group of families from moderate to high-risk backgrounds, the quality of parenting is found to represent a strong predictor of children's school functioning. The current findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research, clinical interventions, and social policy.


identifier: Venkatesh, Vivek  (2002) Exploring the development of graduate learners' monitoring proficiencies and task understandings in a complex writing task.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis study presents an exploration of the development of graduate learners' monitoring proficiencies and task understandings in the context of a complex writing task. Participants were seventeen students enrolled in a graduate Learning Theories course, engaged in writing six, weekly learning logs; logs were based on the content being covered in the course. Data was collected primarily using a self-assessment tool, the Task Analyzer and Performance Evaluator, which accompanied each learning log. Measures analysed included instructors' performance assessments, students' predicted performances, students' prediction confidence scores, independently scored performances on the logs, criteria justification scores, and monitoring proficiencies, which included bias and discrimination. Results suggest that learners showed improved monitoring proficiencies as instruction progressed. Findings also reveal that while learners exhibited signs of a general monitoring ability across the six logs, prediction confidence, bias and discrimination abilities were mostly unrelated to one another. While learners showed improved criteria justification scores as instruction progressed, there were no relationships found between this measure of task understanding and monitoring abilities. The findings are discussed in relation to recent research on the domain-generality of monitoring and instructional features that promote self-regulation. Due to the exploratory nature of this study and the small sample size, findings cannot be generalized and must be treated with caution. Further research is needed to better characterize monitoring abilities in adult learners engaged in complex, writing tasks.


identifier: Yan, Jian  (2003) Application of principal component analysis and artificial neural networks in the determination of filler dispersion during polymer extrusion processes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Mineral filler-reinforced polymer is an important family of polymers designed to achieve high mechanical impact strength. The state of mineral filler dispersion in a polymer matrix strongly affects the mechanical properties of the product and is an important information for the extrusion-based fabrication process. In this work, a measurement system consists of two ultrasonic sensors, three pressure sensors, a thermocouple, and an amperometer of the extruder motor drive were used to monitor the extrusion of a calcium carbonate powder-filled polypropylene system. Three principal components, most correlated to the state of filler dispersion, were extracted from the data set collected by the multiple sensors and fed as inputs to an artificial neural network model designed to determine the dispersion state of the filler. By using this approach, one is able to achieve an accuracy of better than 0.05 on the dispersion index. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of combining our multi-sensor monitoring system with principal component analysis and artificial neural networks for on-line determination of mineral-filled dispersion in polymers.


identifier: Leslie, Cassandra  (2003) "Black Oil on My Skin" : black male nudes in the photographs of Michael Chambers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The work of Canadian contemporary photographer Michael Chambers is used in this study as a lens through which the experiences and views of a black, male art producer can be examined in the construction of the black male body in art. The text draws on the primary source of Chambers' black and white photographs, and the imagery constructed around black males from Europe and North America, which isolates the black body within particular stereotypes. A theory concerning the repetition of the "documentary body" is developed throughout the thesis whereby the black body continually functions as a symbol of violence, sexuality and strength in the visual and media arts. This thesis will examine Chambers' efforts to undermine the current cultural dialogue within Western culture that maintains the documentary body by using the very tools and imagery employed to create and sustain that body. Three aspects of the documentary body--savagery, restraint, and violence--within the artist's work are argued as intrinsic to the struggle to reassess and reconstruct the black documentary body within western visual culture.


identifier: Albadawi, Zahir  (2003) A mathematical approach for designing cell formation in cellular manufacturing systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: One of the major steps in designing cellular manufacturing systems is to form cells. This involves identification of machine groups and part families. This thesis presents a new approach for optimally grouping the original set of machines into distinct uncorrelated cells. The approach involves two phases. In the first phase, machine cells are formed by applying factor analysis to the matrix of similarity coefficients. In the second phase, integer programming is used to assign parts to the cells. Because of its mathematical basis, the approach assures an optimal cell formation through the generation of uncorrelated cell clusters and the property of variance maximization. Using data set examples, the approach was found to perform very well in terms of a number of objective criteria. Moreover, the approach compares favorably to well-known existing methods. Other advantages such as efficient computational performance, and flexibility during cell formation make this approach very powerful.


identifier: Wang, Suiling  (2003) Biosurfactant enhanced remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Soil flushing, an in situ process, can be used to remove metals from the soil by water or additives. The use of biosurfactants to enhance remediation of contaminants has recently received increasing interest, though research in this area has been limited.  In this study, column experiments were conducted in three main phases. The first phase was to investigate the main parameters that influence the foam quality and stability. Foam generated by a rhamnolipid solution displayed high qualities from 90% to 99% and stabilities varied from 17 to 41 minutes. The second phase was carried out to study the pressure gradient build-up in the soil column with foam flowing through under different conditions (flow rate, foam quality, biosurfactant solution concentration), which varied from 0.3 kPa/cm to 6.6 kPa/cm. In the third phase, the biosurfactant (JBR425, mixed rhamnolipids) foam enhanced removal of heavy metals (Cd, Ni) from the contaminated soil was investigated. The soil was characterized as a sandy soil contaminated with Cd (1706 ppm) and Ni (2010 ppm). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Conteh, Abu Bakarr  (2003) Dynamic analysis of sandwich beam and frame systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The dynamic analysis of a general class of sandwich beam and frame systems is presented. The beam element employed in the analysis has three degrees of freedom per node, corresponding to the deflection p, the rotation of the beam [straight phi] and the slope Rp/R x . The stiffness and consistent mass matrices of the sandwich beam and frame systems are derived by using the inhomogeneous solution to the fourth order differential equation as the interpolating function between the degrees of freedom of each node in the element. The consistent mass matrix of the sandwich beam element is developed by means of a special shape function consistent with the displacement functions used in the derivation of the stiffness matrix. Superposing the element matrices of the individual elements, the total stiffness and mass matrices of the entire structure can be constructed by a method known as the direct stiffness method which presents the results in a format ideally suited for computer implementation. Static and dynamic problems are included for demonstration of the consistency of the theory; the results are comparable with results published in the literature and the effects of certain important parameters on the frequency results are evaluated. With the introduction of the uniform axial displacement, the element is applicable to frame analysis.


identifier: Chan, Tak Yin  (2003) Ammonia removal in wastewater with anaerobic ammonium oxidation process.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Concentrated wastewaters produced in many agricultural and food industries are treated by anaerobic digestion nowadays. However, ammonium ion is not removed in the digestion process, thereby yielding an effluent containing a high concentration of ammonia and low biodegradable COD. This ammonium-rich effluent is usually treated by another wastewater treatment plant, but it is costly and troublesome. Recently, a novel process named Anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) was discovered in which ammonium ion could be converted to nitrogen gas under anoxic conditions with nitrite as the electron acceptor. This innovative Anammox process, as a result, has made the nitrogen removal treatment more sustainable. Current modeling research with the combination of partial nitrification (Sharon) and Anammox reactors has been examined for the removal of ammonia from concentrated wastewater. It was evaluated that about 50% of ammonium ion was oxidized to nitrite in the Sharon process and more than 80% of the ammonia was converted into nitrogen gas in an Anammox reactor. This study aims at demonstrating the feasibility of ammonia removal by providing nitrite directly to the Anammox process without the preceding nitrification step. Results showed that approximately 60% of ammonium removal efficiency and 80% nitrite removal efficiency were achieved in a batch sequencing reactor. Additionally, more than 50% of COD removal was obtained, hence, successfully proving the potential of this method.


identifier: Granger, Serge  (2002) Québec and China during the first half of the twentieth century.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: China has attracted foreign merchants, intellectuals, diplomats, soldiers, and missionaries. Québec experience in China during the first half of the twentieth century involved a range of people who witnessed the substantial social and political transformation of China. Their comments on China provided Québec with a window on the world and enriched awareness of China in Québec. Québec's China experience challenges the view that Québec was isolated before the so-called Quiet Revolution.  Missionaries were the predominant Québec group that had contact with China in the first half of the twentieth century. Their experience in China was particularly interesting because it impacted on a great majority of Québec students, who were offered an image of China as a nation in need of rejuvenation. Christianity was to provide the morality needed to overcome China's national despair. Chinese governments were traditionally secular and subordinated religion to state power. By encompassing three different stages of Chinese history (imperial, republican and communist), the thesis provides an overview of Québec's experience in China despite significant changes in the Chinese political framework. It also provides a better understanding on how China dealt with foreigners. The Chinese attempt to adopt a modern form of government represents the application of a new state structure to a very large number of people, perhaps the greatest ever.  The study is divided into four parts detailing the stages of Québec involvement in China. The first part examines early encounters between Québec and China and how the republican revolution of 1912 encouraged the arrival of Québec missionaries in China. The second part focuses on the republican period (1912-1937) characterized by warlords and political instability in China. Québec missionaries distrusted the Guomindang and did not see the unification of China under the new political party as feasible. Québec missionaries believed that China's republicans were spiritually impaired and incapable of dealing with democratic reforms. The third part details Québec involvement in wartime China (1937-1949). Québec comments reveal an interesting evaluation of the Chinese government under Japanese control. The final part argues that the communist takeover of China forced Québec to disengage from China for political and religious reasons. Zhou Enlai's (1905-1976) support for the religious Three-Self movement fostered the nationalization of religion with the creation of the Chinese Patriotic Church (1957), seen as schismatic by Québec missionaries. As for impact, Québec Catholic missionaries pressured the Canadian government not to recognize China during the Cold War.  Sources consist mainly of Québec missionary periodicals and archives, which are quite voluminous. Secular sources (governmental, academic, and journalistic) have also been consulted to reconstruct Québec's secular vision of China. Other sources reflect the multi-faceted nature of Québec experience in China and a deep admiration for the Chinese world and its ability to assimilate foreign influence and revive.


identifier: Turcotte, Pascal  (2003) Enzyme inactivation by photoexcited titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and prevention by encapsulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is used in sunscreens because it reflects and scatters UV light. However, TiO 2 can catalyze in vitro oxidative damage to DNA, to cultured human fibroblasts and can also inactivate the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) upon photoexcitation by UV light. The effects of photoexcited TiO 2 on two key enzymes involved in the skin's enzymatic antioxidant defense system, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and catalase, are reported here. Both enzymes are rapidly inactivated upon exposure to photoexcited TiO 2 , and their inactivation mechanisms are described. Hydroxyl radicals (OH · ), generated upon photoexcitation of TiO 2 , attack the active sites of the enzymes, leading to their inactivation. Copper release from CuZnSOD and heme destruction in catalase were observed, which explain the loss of activity. Encapsulation of TiO 2 in faujasite and mordenite, two different types of zeolites, greatly reduced the inactivation of CuZnSOD and catalase upon exposure to UVA light. These results suggest that encapsulation may lead to safer sunscreens based on supramolecular chemistry.


identifier: Patel, Vira  (2003) Microarray analysis of hepatic gene expression during the development of diet-induced obesity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Obesity is known to result in insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and the eventual development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of these diseases are currently unknown. To obtain a better understanding of these molecular pathways, DNA microarray analysis was used to examine gene expression profiles during the development of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in the mouse. Mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) quickly become obese primarily due to fat deposition, resulting in a significant increase in body weight and marked hyperinsulinemia in comparison to chow fed (ND) controls. Hepatic gene expression profiles were examined using trend and correlation analysis in HFD and ND groups at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after high fat feeding. Statistical analysis using ANOVA identified 1947 genes to have a significant diet effect ( P < 0.05). Analysis of the data revealed significant changes in gene expression in genes involved in protective mechanisms in the early weeks of HFD such as those in glycolysis and beta-oxidation. At the later time points there was down regulation of gene expression in pathways of leptin signaling, liver regeneration and protective radical scavengers. In addition, expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis and fat synthesis pathways were also more highly expressed at the later time points. This microarray analysis has identified several novel pathways that are involved in the development of insulin resistance and steatosis in the liver.


identifier: Hamzeh, Mona  (2003) Molecular phylogeny of the tree genus Populus (Salicaceae) based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequence data.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Species of the genus Populus , collectively known as poplars, are widely distributed over the northern hemisphere, and well known for their ecological, economical, and evolutionary importance. The extensive inter-species hybridization and high morphological diversity in this group pose difficulties in identifying taxonomic units for comparative evolutionary studies and systematics. In order to understand the evolutionary relationships among poplars and to provide a framework for biosystematic classification, I reconstructed the phylogeny of the genus Populus based on nucleotide sequences of three non-coding regions of the chloroplast DNA (intron of trnL , and intergenic regions of trnT-trnL and trnL-trnF ) and ITS1 and ITS2 of the nuclear rDNA. The resulting phylogenetic trees showed polyphyletic relationships among species in the sections Tacamahaca and Aigeiros . The chloroplast DNA sequence of P. nigra was similar to that of the species of section Populus , whereas nuclear DNA sequence data suggested a close affinity of P. nigra to species of the section Aigeiros , suggesting a possible hybrid origin for P. nigra . Similarly, the chloroplast DNA sequences of P. tristis and P. szechuanica were similar to that of the species of section Aigeiros , while the nuclear sequences revealed a close affinity to species of the section Tacamahaca , suggesting a hybrid origin for these two Asiatic balsam poplars. The incongruities between nuclear- and chloroplast-DNA based phylogenetic trees suggest reticulate evolution in the genus Populus .


identifier: Tausch, Julia  (2003) Another book about another broken heart.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Another book about another broken heart

abstract: In the novel, Another Book About Another Broken Heart , a young, female protagonist and narrator struggles to come to terms with lost love and to make that process mean something substantial, both to herself and to the ideal reader of her imagination. The first-person narrative voice drives the piece, filtering the action through the perspective of the neurotic, obsessive Katy, whose break-up with her boyfriend of one year is driving her to distraction, to older men and to writing. Due to Katy's tendency to self-consciously comment on the narrative as a template she is constructing for us, the reader is reminded to question the filter through which we are viewing these events. The reader is not alone in this project, for Katy herself is alternately confused, amused and saddened by herself and by her story.  Katy begins the book on a mission to forget about her ex-boyfriend, Brian, but he manages to infiltrate her narrative at almost every turn. He is present as an influence when she forms a bond with her new friend, Janet, or when she encounters a not-so-naively trusted father-figure; his mental entity occupies attention even when she meets Brian himself, and again when she develops a bizarre friendship with a neighbour afflicted by Tourette's Syndrome. While her disillusionment with love forms the underlying drive of the narrative, events take on symbolic, metaphoric and cathartic importance as she makes sense of her life by transforming it into words.


identifier: Bourbon, Isabelle  (2003) Their legacy : the metaphorical use of children in six British novels of the Second World War.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis studies the effects of the Second World War on the portrayal of youth in six British novels published between 1939 and 1946: Graham Greene's The Ministry of Fear , Barbara Noble's Doreen , Henry Green's Caught , Nevil Shute's Pied Piper , James Hanley's No Direction and Evelyn Waugh's Put Out More Flags . It focuses on how the authors tended to use the younger generations as a canvas on which could be painted a possible future in order to bridge the gap between the social and political changes taking place between the Victorian and the World War II eras. It analyses the distinctive metaphorical qualities the writers ascribed to their young characters against a backdrop of war. It not only rectifies the lack of attention by scholars to Second World War British fiction, it also works at understanding the nature of the population's mindset to this unprecedented exposure to violence in the domestic sphere. This study argues that the children in British war texts of the Second World War era are not simply additional characters to the construction of the narrative, but function in part as a metaphor to English society itself.


identifier: Nasrallah, Dimitri  (2003) Blackbodying.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Blackbodying

abstract: This conceptual novel is a meditation on exile and memory. Beginning at a point shortly after the protagonist has left his place of birth, Beirut, the work builds through a passage of various perspectives and locations as it slowly builds into a bildungsroman. Along the way, the reader meets the handful of people who, along with his surroundings, come to shape his life. Of great importance is the idea of how we remember, and how these memories inform our present situation. The narrative concludes with a novella written by the protagonist, a summation, not only of experience, but also of artistry. The principal locations over the course of the twenty-three years encapsulated by the story are Athens, Toronto, and Montreal. Characteristics of traditional narration are circumvented; rather, this novel builds a space that adheres to a complex system of intertwining imagery.


identifier: Thompson, Shelley  (2003) Creating shared understanding through documentation : a case study in the Concordia Observation Nursery.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study investigated the effectiveness of documentation panels in creating a sense of shared understanding and community among parents and teachers in the Concordia Observation Nursery. It is suggested, particularly by the educators of the municipal preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, that documentation informs parents and teachers about children's interests, competencies, and approaches to learning. For this case study five parents, whose preschool children attended the Nursery, were asked to view a series of four documentation panels over the course of four weeks. The parents were videotaped while viewing the panels and completed one questionnaire for each of the panels. Each participant also took part in a focus group and completed a pre- and post-study questionnaire. Some of the parents and the primary researcher also used journals to record their thoughts and comments regarding their experience during the course of the study. All of the data were coded and analysed for evidence of the extent to which documentation panels (a) enhance communication, collaboration and shared understanding among parents and teachers, (b) foster positive relationships between parents with each other and with teachers, and (c) help parents to understand the preschool experience as an interactive endeavour. The findings suggest that documentation panels are effective in promoting a sense of community and conveying to parents the teachers' intentions in guiding their children's learning experiences.


identifier: Archambault, Irise A  (2003) Teaching in Jamaica : my story and interviews with three teachers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This inquiry looks into the human dimension of teaching of three high school educators who teach in Jamaica, and my own experience of teaching art to high school students in Jamaica. The human dimension refers to the emotional and inter-personal side of teaching: the personal identity of a teacher. Teaching style is the blend of both the human and professional dimensions, and influences the dynamics of the classroom. The main task of the thesis is to analyze how our personal identities influence our teaching styles. My discussion places the personal identity of a teacher at the source of class dynamics.  I collected my data by going to Jamaica in April and May, 2002 and interviewing the three teachers about their experiences in their classrooms. I also interviewed four of my former students on their experiences of being in my class. I have selected four to analyze: (1) personal identities in relation to our teaching styles; (2) the environment and its relationship to teachers' personal identities and teaching style; (3) discipline; (4) the relationship between teachers and students. Analyzing other teachers' practices provided me with stronger convictions of the impact we have on the development of our young students. It also contributed to the improvement of my own teaching style


identifier: Houshmand, Hossein  (2003) A reading in religious epistemology : reformed epistemology and objection to it.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: One of the contemporary movements that has inspired the new discussions in religious epistemology is Reformed Epistemology. This movement is associated with Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and William Alston. These philosophers have established some very fundamental challenges to the epistemology of religious belief that has dominated the Western thought since the Enlightenment. In contrast to the evidentialist tradition, Reformed Epistemology emphasizes that belief in God can have rationality, justification or warrant without being based on propositional evidence (argument). Some philosophers, such as Philip Quinn, deny the sufficiency of this justification for well-informed contemporary theists. Quinn argues that there are "defeaters" for the non-inferential justification of theistic belief, particularly the problem of evil, projective explanations of religion, and the problem of religious pluralism. The present research will explore the above issues, it and comes to the conclusion that for rational justification of belief in God for well-informed contemporary theists, additional positive argumentative supports are needed.


identifier: Ryan, Thomas D  (2003) The textual presence of the translator : a comparative analysis of F.R. Scott's and John Glassco's translations of Saint-Denys Garneau.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Considering the stature of the Quebec poet Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau and the English-Canadian poets F. R. Scott and John Glassco, the translations of Garneau by Scott and Glassco are culturally significant events, whose analysis offers us an opportunity to better understand the history of relations between English and French Canada. A descriptive, comparative analysis of the two sets of translations can also shed light on the work of the translators and on their presence within the target texts. The first chapter of my analysis will contextualize the translations by examining the reception and translation of the works of Saint-Denys Gameau. The second will look at F. R. Scott and John Glassco as translators. The third will describe the major systematic differences between the translations, while the fourth will explain these differences by looking at Scott's and Glassco's declared translation strategies, their poetics, and their interpretations of Garneau.


identifier: Zhang, Jian  (2003) Weather resistive barriers in stucco cladding systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recent moisture related building envelope failures in wood frame walls with stucco cladding provided a reason for a question if adjacent components such as wood-based sheathing board or stucco layer could affect the field performance of water resistive barriers (WRB).  This thesis either selected or developed a few experimental techniques for laboratory testing of WRB with the view to their use for evaluating the material performance. In particular, test methods such as air permeance test, modified inverted cup test, and water absorption test were used to examine the effects from WRB surroundings on air and water transmission through the materials.  Theoretically, WRB resistance to water transmission changes when chemicals e.g. surfactants or wood extracts are dissolved in the water. Yet, the measured moisture transmission did not indicate significant effects when wood extracts were dissolved in water or deposited on WRB surfaces. Neither four-month outdoor weathering nor laboratory mechanical stretching showed a significant effect in WRB performance when measured with typical test methods. This is because in most cases vapour transmission is a dominant phase of the transport.  On the other hand, when employing more discrimination test methods, the interaction of bentonite particles with the wood extract deposits was evidently found to alter the water transport rate.  Although this study did not address explicitly the durability of different WRB products, it showed the significance of an interactive weathering mechanism that could affect the long-term performance of some WRB products. By enhanced understanding of the interactions with the adjacent components of the wall, this study will assist in improved design of stucco cladding systems.


identifier: Santos, Clarisse Longo dos  (2003) Implicit and explicit learning of abstract rules.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In everyday life, there is considerable need for rule learning. Behavioral and human brain imaging studies have explored the psychological processes implicit and explicit learning and transfer in a biconditional grammar using three types of training conditions: memorization versus two versions of hypothesis-testing. After training, all participants performed the same three classification tasks: Task 1: categorizing strings made of the same set of letters and rules as in training; Task 2: different set of letters and same rules and Task 3: different set of letters and rules. Results comparing performance on the three tasks showed that participants trained in the new version of the hypothesis-testing condition performed better on all three tasks. On Tasks 1 and 2, participants made use of patterns within the strings that were related to the general rule, called secondary rules. Use of secondary rules explained a large proportion of the variance in all three groups of participants. Only the new Hypothesis-testing group showed the same pattern of endorsement in both Tasks 1 and 2, indicating transfer of learning. Participants were making use of secondary rules in an earlier stage, until they learn the most general rule. If this process is continuum, in the first step, participants recognize and endorse all types of secondary rules; in the second step, they only endorse those that do not violate another type of secondary rule; on the final step, they are able to state the most general rule of the grammar.


identifier: Mailly, Pierre  (2003) Language and ethics : a Wittgensteinian perspective.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Using a Wittgensteinian view of language to provide a novel account of how metaphors function, I argue for the importance of imagination and creativity (as opposed to reason and discovery) in bringing about intellectual and moral change or progress. Those who first extended the use of terms like 'equality' or 'person' to apply to women are seen as being more akin to poets than to logicians. Wittgenstein's notion of family resemblance concepts is shown to be central to his later conception of philosophy, and elements in his later philosophy are revealed as having several parallels with Aristotelian contextualist approaches to ethics. In the process, serious doubt is placed upon Wittgenstein's contention that philosophy leaves everything as it is.


identifier: Kerkhoven, John  (2003) Simone Weil : a study in moral psychology and observations on religious life.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: At the heart of this thesis is the work of Simone Weil; at its centre is a critique of Iris Murdoch's The Sovereignty of Good . Murdoch was greatly inspired by Simone Weil and also wrote in the tradition of Anglo-Saxon philosophy; a thorough critique of her book therefore provides an opportunity to discuss critical concepts in Weil's work in a context meaningful to philosophers in the analytic tradition. I demonstrate the prima facie implausibility of Murdoch's portrayal of a moral agent as a psychologically isolated rather than socially situated human being; I then critique her views by appealing both to psychological evidence and to insights owing to linguistic philosophy. I show, in contrast, that on Well's conception humans are socially and politically situated thinking beings endowed with a faculty of attention and capable of consent. I further show how Weil's view of human relationships acknowledges the harm and isolation that people can experience, and only experience, as social beings, and which are constitutive of the phenomenon that she calls "affliction". As an experience of the lack of a referring context, affliction cannot be either acknowledged or named. The insight of linguistic philosophy that meaning is tied to context proves helpful to understanding this. Finally, I extend the notion of context beyond the social and argue for a four-stage schematism in the thought of Simone Weil; this schematism begins with the individual, passes on to the social world, then to the natural world viewed as necessity, and then to God


identifier: Bergevin, Tanya A  (2003) Approaching rejection sensitivity from a multidimensional perspective : predicting romantic maladjustment, targets of romantic attraction and depression in middle adolescence.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The associations between rejection sensitivity and romantic maladjustment were examined along three lines of inquiry. The first addressed whether the various dimensions of rejection sensitivity (i.e., reactive anxiety, reactive anger, and harboring the expectation of rejection) were differentially associated with the use of physical coercion, verbal/emotional coercion, and compliance in romantic relationships. The second examined whether patterns of assortative romantic attraction were present among rejection-sensitive and other at-risk youth. Finally, the third line of inquiry explored whether the associations between rejection sensitivity and depression were mediated by adolescents' involvement in maladjusted romantic relationships. Three hundred and thirty-two senior high school students (188 girls, mean age = 16.7 years) completed questionnaires assessing (a) attachment style with parents and peers, (b) rejection sensitivity with parents and peers, (c) the use of coercion and compliance in romantic relationships, (d) targets of romantic attraction, and (e) depression. Results indicated that, above and beyond the effects of attachment, angry rejection sensitivity with peers positively predicted the use of physical and verbal/emotional coercion in romantic relationships. On the contrary, anxious rejection sensitivity with peers was found to negatively predict the use of physical and verbal/emotional coercion in romance. The use of compliance in romantic relationships was not associated with rejection sensitivity with either parents or peers. In examining the second series of questions, results revealed that adolescents who expected rejection within the peer domain were increasingly attracted to others who shared similar rejection concerns. Moreover, boys who employed physical coercion in romance were increasingly attracted to girls who employed physical as well as verbal/emotional coercion in romantic relationships. Girls, however, regardless of their own level of maladjustment, did not show a preference for maladjusted boys. Finally, regarding the third line of inquiry, results indicated that the associations between rejection sensitivity and depression were partially mediated by adolescents' involvement in maladjusted romantic relationships. Findings support approaching the construct of rejection sensitivity from a multidimensional perspective to fruitfully predict romantic maladjustment, assortative patterns of romantic attraction among at-risk youth, and the increased likelihood of depressive outcomes in middle adolescence. Results are discussed in terms of a unifying model of socialization across development.


identifier: Nichols, Robert Darcey  (2003) From monuments to cinema : the question of the counter-monument in two works by Mark Lewis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a study of two works by the Canadian artist Mark Lewis; the public sculpture What is to be Done? (1990-91), and his film Two Impossible Films (1995). The first work consists of four 1:6 scale plaster statue replicas of a monumental bronze statue of Lenin toppled at Piata Scinteli in Bucharest, Romania following the removal of the Ceausescu government in 1990. Rescaled from their previous monumentality, Lewis situated these 'anthropomorphic' Lenin statues in public sites in the Western cities of Oxford (England), Quebec City, Montréal and Toronto--each facing existing cultural 'sites' such as monuments and a museum. The second work of my enquiry is Lewis' 26 minute, 35mm, looped colour film comprised of two short film segments: 'The Story of Psychoanalysis' and 'Das Kapital'. Though each work is executed in very different mediums, it is my intention to demonstrate how these two works function as counter-monuments.


identifier: Long, Yuan Yuan  (2003) A test of the market power hypothesis using horizontal mergers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis tests the effects of merger proposal and antitrust complaint announcements on the abnormal performance of acquirers, targets, and their horizontal rivals. The market power hypothesis is examined for a sample of 195 horizontal mergers (152 unchallenged and 43 challenged) and their horizontal rivals. The predictions of the market power and economic efficiency hypotheses are that the bidder and target firms generate positive and negative (or zero) abnormal returns relative to the merger proposal and antitrust complaint announcements, respectively. These hypotheses also predict the sign for the horizontal rivals with regard to both announcements. Our evidence does not support the market power hypothesis since the performance of horizontal rivals exhibit positive abnormal returns over the merger proposal period and zero abnormal returns over the antitrust complaint announcement. Such abnormal returns are consistent with the information model of the economic efficiency hypothesis.


identifier: Vandervort, Jessica L. Brettler  (2003) Faith, family, female education and friendship : retelling Louise Amelia Monk's adolescence in bourgeois Montreal, 1867-1871.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Historians are increasingly using diaries in their research to uncover the largely hidden lives of nineteenth-century women. Diaries provide evidence about the internal lives of individual women and allow scholars to speculate on how women actually experienced Victorian cultural expectations and restraints. In her journals, Louise Amelia Monk (1850-1874), the only daughter of the six children born to Judge Samuel Cornwallis Monk and Caroline Debartzch, describes coming of age in bourgeois Montreal. Louise's particular experience of adolescence was shaped by her class, race, gender, religion, and her unique personality and family circumstances. Louise's introspective diary entries, composed between 1867 and 1871, are dominated by faith, family, female education, and friendship and chart her journey of self-awareness. Her writing shows a young religious, Catholic, bilingual Anglophone woman growing up within a loving and intellectually stimulating family who accepted her female destiny (marriage and motherhood) with little ambivalence. Louise employs her diary as a silent confidant, voicing concern about her future, and as a place to express her spirituality. Louise died at 23 years of age, leaving behind a bereaved family and a compelling historical and literary document.


identifier: Caldicott, Samantha Forbes  (2003) Art, love, museums, and motives : an ethnomethodological market survey of visitor experiences and the blockbuster exhibition.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Although the term "Art Lover" is something that our society uses in everyday language, little is known about what this term means. How do museum visitors characterize the Art Lover? How does an Art Lover's experience of art differ from that of a Non-Art Lover? In answering these two questions, this study seeks to understand a museum visitor's self-identification as an Art Lover and the role that this identification plays in the quality of their museum experience. Using a framework of Ethnomethodology and Marketing Research techniques, a written questionnaire consisting of thirty-five questions was administered. In April 2003, over one-hundred visitors to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art completed the questionnaire. Seven visitors participated in follow-up interviews. It was found that 22% of museum attendees in this study do not consider themselves Art Lovers. Analysis of both questionnaire and interview results revealed that all participants--regardless of their love for art--shared many of the same responses, emotions, and behaviours. However, in comparing the experiences of Art Lovers to Non-Art Lovers, a marked difference was found in the relative intensities and values associated with these motives, emotions, and behaviours. Art Lovers expressed a high level of intensity in their desire to seek out museum experiences and subsequently reported an elevated level of satisfaction with their experience of the exhibition. The results of this study suggest that to consider oneself an Art Lover is directly and positively related to the quality of an individual's museum experience. This study also suggests that a significant proportion of museum visitors are people who do not consider themselves Art Lovers and that museums need to better address this segment of their public.


identifier: Montgomery, Brenda  (2003) Developing a technology integration capability maturity model for K-12 schools.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a five-level hierarchical model used to improve organizational processes by assessing and categorizing practices within a defined and standardized framework, and by providing methods for making a sequential transition to the next level. CMM's including the software CMM (SW-CMM) and the People CMM are used by the software industry and human resources departments to evaluate organizational function and provide a guideline for improvement. This multi-case study of six K-12 schools uses interviews and questionnaires to define a Technology Integration Capability Maturity Model in the context of classroom projects and technology activities. Computers and related technologies in schools are relatively new compared to traditional teaching practices. Many teachers and administrators try to use this technology to enhance their practice and perhaps examine their existing pedagogy. The TI-CMM has been built based on experiences of schools at various stages of technology use. The collected data were analyzed to determine the Key Process Areas and practices that define the five levels. The result is a model that can be used to assist not only in technology planning, but in designing pedagogically effective technology activities. Each level of the TI-CMM is defined by several Key Process areas which are further defined by goals representing concrete actions that can be taken by teachers and administrators. Successful attainment of these goals will assist schools in using technology to enhance its pedagogical effectiveness.


identifier: Yu, Xin  (2003) Design and optimization of a composite rebar for the reinforcement of concrete.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the last decade, the use of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites for reinforcements to concrete members has emerged. In previous works, some design of FRP rebar that reinforced in the concrete has helical winding and some with sand coating on the outside. Different from the case of steel bar, the helical ribs here are wound on top of the bar after the bar has been pultruded. The bond between these ribs and the main bar is made of secondary bonding.  This thesis introduce a new design consists of a regular rod but it also has lobes along the rod that give the rod a wavy configuration. The reinforcement is continuous throughout the rod and the wavy part contains fibers that are part of the main rod (Rather than just bonded in). This mechanical interlock does improve the shear load transfer between the FRP rod and the concrete. The objective of this thesis is to optimize the shape of the FRP bar. Straight FRP bars and bars with circular-shaped lobes, elliptical-shaped lobes will be compared. The computer program ANSYS has been used for the finite element analysis. Optimization of the shape of the FRP bar will be discussed and the optimized shapes of the bar will be introduced.


identifier: Doucette, Mary Ann  (2003) Examining teachers' approaches to teaching in classroom contexts : an exploration of learner-centered classroom designs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teaching approaches used by teachers in classroom contexts, and to explore how their classroom designs and teaching approaches contributed to learner-centered practices. Using a case study approach, this study involved two elementary classroom teachers who shared their own insights and understandings of learner-centered instruction, and the teaching approaches that they used in their classroom designs. The research design incorporated data collection in classroom contexts over a period of five weeks through: (a) the Approaches to Teaching Inventory questionnaire (Trigwell & Prosser, in press), (b) classroom observations based on the running record instrument developed by Perry (1998), and (c) reflective practice interviews about the teachers' use of teaching activities (Wise, Spiegel & Bruning, 1999), their understandings of learner-centered instruction, and what they considered to be facilitators and barriers to adopting learner-centered practices in classrooms.


identifier: Boyd, Natalie Kay  (2003) Anticipatory impression management : evidence of selective self-presentation taken from websites of firms in the U.S. brewing industry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: At the individual level people try to present themselves as possessing socially desirable character traits, because convincing others that you have a certain disposition (e.g., being competent, friendly, trustworthy) is associated with a certain expected outcome (e.g., promotion, an invitation to a party, trust). This thesis generalizes this argument to the organizational level. I argue that organizations proactively manage their projected image in a way that ensures continued resource support from its various stakeholders. It was hypothesized that projected images are selected to appeal to various stakeholders, and appeal to utilitarian and normative values according to the nature of the firm's resource interdependencies. Resource dependency theory was used to predict the organization's allocation of communication to utilitarian or normative aspects of its character. The results showed that both normative and utilitarian aspects of the firm's character were selected to be part of projected image. The firm's characteristics, specifically age, size, ownership, and market concentration were related to the relative frequency of communication dedicated to both the utilitarian and normative aspects of projected image. Content analysis of the websites of 27 firms in the U.S. Brewing industry provided data for this study.


identifier: Soto, Karina Gonzalez  (2003) The socio-economic and cultural discrepancies in the production and consumption of coffee between Guatemala and North America.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There is a dearth of studies concerning the socio-economic and cultural significance of coffee. Focussing on the different historical and global aspects that affect the cultural meaning of coffee for producers and consumers within the international coffee market this study examines the different ways in which coffee producers in Guatemala and consumers in North America have come to experience coffee, as well as their respective function in such an intertwined market and culture. The cultural meaning of coffee is relative to the society in which it is found. In Guatemala, a coffee producing society, the meaning of coffee is associated with the realities of production, and not with any imagined world of consumption which may be produced through advertising, as is the case in the North American Western context. Additionally, this difference in the cultural meaning of coffee within producing and consuming societies creates a disconnection that seems ever more difficult to overcome, due to the uneven cultural flows that affect production and consumption under the auspices of globalization.


identifier: McShane, Kelly  (2003) The new friends vignettes : a new measure for assessing overprotective parenting in parents of anxious preschoolers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Research has demonstrated a link between children's internalizing problems and parental control. More specifically, parental overprotection has been associated with children's anxiety. The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate a new questionnaire measuring parental overprotection, and to compare it with other parenting measures. A second purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of the measure for predicting children's internalizing problems. Mothers and fathers completed the New Friends Vignettes (NFV), a new measure of overprotective parenting thoughts and behaviours, an existing measure of parental protection and an index of family cohesion. Mothers and teachers provided measures of children's internalizing and anxiety problems, and dependence. The NFV demonstrated adequate internal reliability for overprotective parenting, although the reliability was higher for behaviours than for thoughts. Overall, parents' overprotective scores were not related to parental protection or family cohesion. Mothers' overprotective behaviours predicted higher levels of anxiety and dependence in their children. Fathers' overprotective behaviours were not related to children's problem behaviours, although fathers' protection and family cohesion were related to children's internalizing problems. Results show that parenting is not only related to children's behaviour within the home, but to their behaviours at preschool and daycare. Implications for children's interactions outside the home, including their relationships with peers and teachers are discussed.


identifier: Oliveira, Adriana Antunes de  (2003) The reflected image of 'at risk' students : a collaborative art program.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: High School students at risk of dropping out of school have often become disaffected with the institutional environment and learning process. In response to this reality two art educators set up an after-school art program for secondary students at risk of dropping out at La Voie High School in Montreal. This teaching report examines how a collaborative and interpersonal pedagogical approach to visual arts teaching combined with an artistic exploration of identity and self image can engage students in a process of learning. Central to this examination is how the process of creating self-portraits with drawing, photography and video, as well as reflections about art, can effectively allow 'at-risk' students to (re) discover the pleasure of learning and gain the sense of being able to create meaning for themselves and for others.


identifier: Jasiobedzka, Urszula  (2003) The effects of test-oriented behaviour and cortisol reactivity to stress on cognitive test performance in preschool-aged children.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current study examined preschool-aged children's behavioural and cortisol responses to standardized cognitive testing and how these relate to their cognitive scores. Eighty-five Francophone children (45 boys) were administered the French edition of the Stanford-Binet IV (SB IV) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised (EVIP) during two home visits. Two dimensions, Attentiveness/Compliance and Nervous/Anxious, were derived from examiner's ratings to describe behaviour during testing. Salivary cortisol samples were collected prior, during and after the SB IV on the first day of testing from 64 children (34 boys).  The two test behaviour factors were highly negatively correlated. Higher Attentiveness/Compliance and lower Nervous/Anxious scores were associated with higher SB IV and EVIP scores. Children who provided salivary samples performed higher on cognitive tests and showed more adaptive behaviour during testing. Path models showed that the initial cortisol sample was related to better Attentiveness/Compliance, which in turn was related to higher SB IV composite scores and higher age. Once Attentiveness/Compliance was controlled for, older children, particularly boys showed lower SB IV scores. Hierarchical regressions showed that higher initial cortisol was related to higher SB IV performance for girls but lower initial cortisol was related to higher SB IV scores for boys. The implications of children's behaviours and cortisol reactivity during testing on validity of obtained cognitive scores are discussed


identifier: Grunzeweig, Naomi  (2003) Influences of context and age on maternal request strategies and child compliance and noncompliance in a high-risk intergenerational sample.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Compliance and noncompliance with maternal requests represent key milestones in children's social development. The objectives of the present study were to: (1) investigate whether maternal requests, and child compliance and noncompliance vary according to play context, maternal request strategy, child noncompliance strategy, and child age, and (2) examine the contribution of maternal childhood histories of aggression and withdrawal to the prediction of maternal request strategies and child compliance and noncompliance.  Participants were recruited from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, which began in 1977 when children in Grades 1, 4, or 7 from disadvantaged neighbourhoods were classified along dimensions of aggression and social withdrawal. Seventy-four mothers were videotaped in their homes while they interacted with their children (aged 2 to 6 years) during three play contexts: a puzzle task, a free play, and a command task. Maternal request strategies and child compliance and noncompliance were coded using the Request/Compliance Coding Scheme.  In general, the results supported the hypotheses that (1) child compliance and noncompliance are related to maternal request strategies, which vary according to child age and play context, and that (2) maternal childhood histories of social withdrawal contribute to the prediction of request strategies, which serve to predict child compliance and noncompliance. Taken together, these results elucidate the role of play context in the development of compliance with maternal requests, and broaden the current understanding of the pathways towards maladaptive and healthy social development. Furthermore, these results have implications for early interventions and parent training programs


identifier: Savion-Lemieux, Tal  (2003) The effects of practice and delay on motor skill learning and retention.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study assessed the effects of amount of practice and length of delay on the learning and retention of the temporal motor sequence task (TMST). Participants learned to reproduce ten-element visual sequences by tapping in synchrony with the stimulus. Participants were randomly assigned to a varied-practice condition (n = 28) or a varied-delay condition (n = 40). Participants in the varied-practice condition received either 1, 3, or 6 blocks of practice on the TMST, on each of five consecutive days, followed by a fixed 4-week delayed-recall. Participants in the varied-delay condition received 3 blocks of practice on the TMST, on each of five consecutive days, followed by a varied delayed-recall of either 3 days, or 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Learning was assessed by changes in accuracy, response variance, and percent response asynchrony. Results showed that amount of practice had no significant effects on learning and retention of the TMST, suggesting that minimal amounts of practice spread over several days are sufficient to induce long-term memory of a motor skill. Delay appeared to differentially affect retention of the TMST, as length of delay influenced response accuracy, delay affected response synchronization, and neither delay nor length of delay had effects on response variance. These results indicate that different aspects of a motor skill are stored in independent but parallel systems. We propose that level of proficiency, rather than amount of practice or length of delay, is the critical factor affecting motor skill learning and retention.


identifier: Belair, Ann Renée  (2003) Shopping for your self : when marketing becomes a social problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This theoretical study explores the relation between marketing and consumption. This research questions the social ethics of marketing practices from a Kantian ethical perspective. The main argument is that marketing has far more influence on consumers than is commonly admitted due to the way marketers appropriate and deploy symbols and images from our popular culture in order to sell consumer products. In contemporary marketing, things are valued over people and people are treated as means rather than end-in violation of Kantian dictates. In short, marketing overemphasizes material culture. The negative social consequences of today's marketing practices are evidenced by such phenomena as the increasing rate of personal bankruptcies, massive credit card debt, new social ills such as shopping addictions and also social trends encouraging the conspicuous consumption of designer logos and name brands. In conclusion, marketing is argued to be a social problem because not only is it unethical and has negative socio-economic consequences, but also consumerism is found to be adversely affecting our construction of self and our social interactions.


identifier: Panagopoulos, Afroditi  (2003) The visual search task reveals important functions and properties of the spotlight of attention.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Selective attention can be employed to a restricted region in space or to specific objects. Many properties of the spotlight of attention are not well understood. In the present study, the question examined was whether the putative shape of the attentional spotlight can be determined by endogenous cueing within a visual search paradigm. Moreover, the current investigation examined the role of spatial cueing on the detrimental effect of the irrelevant background elements during a visual search task. The results confirmed that attention was confined to the cued area only. In addition, the cueing technique was successful in partially eliminating the background effect. This study shows that top-down processes, just like bottom-up processes, can be manipulated. Most importantly, this study has provided converging evidence for an attentional spotlight whose shape can be adjusted flexibly by appropriate endogenous cueing. The present experiments have shed some light into the roles that attention plays in perception.


identifier: Olineck, Kara M  (2003) Understanding intention and desire in the second year : developmental changes and relations among these abilities.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present experiments investigated the developmental change in infants' concept of intention, and the link between intention and desire understanding in the second year. In Experiment 1, we compared 14- and 18-month-old infants' ability to differentiate between intentional and accidental actions. In Experiment 2, we compared 18-month-olds' ability to infer subjective desires for objects and their performance on the previous task. Also, performance on these theory of mind tasks was correlated with mental lexicon six months later. A developmental progression in infants' understanding of intention was observed. Surprisingly, 18-month-old infants were unable to infer subjective desires for objects. No relationship was found between infants' understanding of intention, desire, and their mental lexicon. These results have methodological and theoretical implications for research exploring theory of mind in infancy.