identifier: Chui, Patrick  (2005) Graph model for object oriented programming languages.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Object-oriented programming lacks a simple theoretical foundation. This is manifested by the abundance of formal models for this programming paradigm. In its simplest form, an object can be viewed as an internal state plus a set of operations on objects. We use directed labelled graph, called state graph, to model the run-time behaviour of objects, with nodes as objects and edges as references to other objects. The graph model, based on conventional operational semantics, is natural and simple. We are then able to formulate an axiomatic semantics for reasoning about object-oriented programs. The axiomatic semantics is proved to be sound and complete with respect to the operational semantics. Our work suggests that graph is an good candidate for capturing the characteristic features of object-oriented programming languages.


identifier: Foster, Fiona  (2006) Half life.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Half life

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: "Half Life," a novel in progress, includes three main settings and storylines: a fictional family's experience in Ukraine at the time of the Chernobyl disaster; Ontario's Ottawa Valley and the author's family from 1976 to 1989; and the life of Gilbert Labine, a prospector and mining executive in Canada during the first half of the twentieth century. "Half Life" posits uranium as the nexus between these apparently discrete fields: Labine discovered the mineral on Canadian soil in 1929 and built a refinery at Port Hope that continues to have political, environmental and health consequences. Canadian uranium went into the first atom bombs and, along with the domestic nuclear industry that grew, in part, out of Labine's discovery, remains one of the country's major exports. Radioactive waste from Port Hope, the nearby Chalk River facility of Atomic Energy and Control Limited, and high concentrations of naturally occurring uranium inscribed and effected the life of the author's family in the Ottawa Valley, where, coincidentally, Labine himself was also raised. And in Chernobyl, as well as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (which will form yet another field in the finished novel), is found the most public and dramatic expression of uranium's divided nature as both promise and threat. "Half Life" takes this duality as both thematic and formal inspiration and uses the idea of mutation, perhaps uranium's most frightening potential, to connect characters, places and events and to put pressure on the division between fiction and non-fiction.


identifier: Zhang, Chunhua  (2005) A distributed algorithm for a back-bone planar subnetwork selection in a MANET to improve the efficiency of face routing algorithm.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis proposes a new method of using face routing [2] in an ad hoc, position-based, network that aims to lower the hop count of routes. In our method, we first establish a back-bone subnetwork of a given mobile ad hoc network (MANET). This back-bone subnetwork includes only some nodes of the MANET, but any node of the MANET is at most one hop away from a node in the subnetwork. Furthermore, the backbone subnetwork is connected whenever the original MANET forms a connected network. The algorithm for the back-bone subnetwork extraction is fully distributed. In our proposal, the routing in a MANET is done by first sending the message to a neighboring node of the back-bone subnetwork, then the routing continues in the back-bone subnetwork using the face routing on the Gabriel Graph of the back-bone subnetwork until a neighbor of the destination need is reached. An empirical evaluation of the new approach is done.


identifier: Pasdermajian, Penny  (2005) Rationalization, legitimation, and domination in modern industrial societies : the alternative perspectives of Max Weber and Jürgen Habermas.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The suggestions which Max Weber and Jurgen Habermas offer to ameliorate the moral, ethical and practical problems which society faces in modernity are quite different, but they nevertheless complement each other to some extent.  This thesis will explore their differing approaches, and attempt to evaluate and critique both Habermas's evolutionary model of social change and Weber's "open-ended" view of modernity.  The cornerstone of Habermas's project is the assumption that as individuals learn, so do societies. In his view, learning involves a growing ability to reflect, to analyze, and to enter into the life-worlds of others. By engaging in discursive argumentation, participants subject their most cherished beliefs to close scrutiny, which Habermas hopes will result in new, intersubjectively constituted values which may provide a catalyst for change and liberation.  In contrast, Weber's project forcefully rejects evolutionary models of social change. As Weber sees it, reality is infinitely complex, fluid and unpredictable. The constant conflict between competing "value-spheres" as well makes it impossible to specify the direction of social change. Weber would also point out that Habermas's theory is crippled by the "ontogenetic fallacy" embedded in even the most sophisticated evolutionary schemes. I will thus argue (following Weber) that Habermas's guiding assumption--that as individuals learn, societies "learn"--cannot be empirically demonstrated. Weber would remind us that any recognition of the complexity of reality renders such a position untenable.  Weber offers no specific program designed to accomplish the goal of structural change and emancipation in modernity. However, in his view the plebiscitarian leader may offer a partial antidote to the often repressive forces of rationalization. Weber is also alive to the possibility that as instrumental rationality advances, it may be counterbalanced by value-rationality in various forms--for example, embodied in new social movements, or even a personal commitment to values on the part of individuals.


identifier: Sanders, John Nick  (2005) Towards a model policy for implementing ecoregional conservation in the Northern Appalachian/Acadian forest ecoregion.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Using the conceptual framework of ecoregional conservation, this thesis provides an assessment of the current conservation frameworks operating within the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Forest ecoregion. The ecoregion, which covers three provinces, four states and two countries, stretches from the Adirondack Plateau in New York, through northern New England, the Eastern Townships and the Gaspé Peninsula of Québec, and includes all of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Much of the ecoregion was severely deforested and exploited in the first 400 years of European settlement and has now reached another crossroads in its evolution as the landscape is subjected to a further surge of human-induced stressors and habitat destruction. The impacts range from urban and rural sprawl, unsustainable resource extraction, and habitat fragmentation related to road construction and development. A policy analysis, combined with interviews with conservation practitioners, is used to identify strengths and weaknesses within the existing policy regime and to develop an alternative model policy for ecoregional conservation. This Model Policy addresses the impacts of land use conversion, unsustainable resource extraction, and facilitates cooperation across borders by defining the baseline biodiversity conditions of the ecoregion, regulating land use and development, assessing cumulative impacts, and designating a connected network of protected areas.


identifier: Saber, Ziad  (2005) Analysis and design of some cryptographic Boolean functions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Boolean functions are vital components of symmetric-key ciphers such as block ciphers, stream ciphers and hash functions. When used in cipher systems, Boolean functions should satisfy several cryptographic properties such as balance, high nonlinearity, resiliency and high algebraic degree.  Bent functions achieve the maximum possible nonlinearity and hence they provide optimal resistance to several cryptographic attacks such as linear and differential cryptanalysis.  We present some simple constructions for binary bent functions of length 2 2 k using a known bent function of length 2 2 k -2 .  Adams and Tavares introduced two classes of bent functions: bent-based bent functions and linear-based bent functions. In this thesis we explore different bent-based constructions. In particular, we show that all nonlinear resilient functions with maximum order resiliency are either bent-based or linear-based. We provide an explicit count for the number of such resilient functions that belong to both classes. We also provide a simple proof that all symmetric functions that achieve the maximum possible nonlinearity are bent-based. In particular, for n even, we have 4 bent-based bent functions. For n odd, we also have 4 bent-based functions. We also prove that there is no bent-based homogeneous functions with algebraic degree >2.  Almost all cryptographic properties of Boolean functions can be determined efficiently from its Walsh transform. In this thesis, we present some restrictions on the partial sum of the Walsh transform of binary functions.  In several parts of the thesis, we extend the obtained results to functions defined over GF(p)


identifier: Sandoval, Mariana  (2005) Chemoreception of sucrose and amino acids in second and fourth instars of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electrophysiological responses from various chemosensilla on the maxillae of second instar spruce budworm larvae were obtained using sucrose and 1-amino acids as stimuli. Complementary tests stimulating the L1 on the maxillary palp and the lateral styloconic sensilla (LST) on the galea of fourth instars were also performed. The results from both second and fourth instars were then compared with earlier electrophysiological work done on older sixth instars. Sensitivity of responses from the sugar-sensitive cell of the L1 and the LST to sucrose for second, fourth and sixth instars revealed that the mean firing frequency of this cell remains unchanged in the L1 sensillum during larval development. However, for the LST an age-related sensitivity to sucrose was noted with increases in larval age.  The LST and the L2 sensilla of second instars were stimulated with thirteen amino acids; however, only three (l-leucine, l-aspartic acid and l-valine) evoked a response in the former sensillum. No responses were obtained from the L2 sensillum to any of the amino acids, confirming that this sensillum does not possess an amino-acid sensitive cell, but instead has a water-sensitive cell, which is inhibited by higher concentrations of KCl. Further analysis of responses from the 1-proline-sensitive cell of the medial styloconic sensillum (MST) revealed that the second instar larvae are less sensitive to stimulations with 1-proline than are fourth and sixth instars. These results are discussed in relation to the changes in feeding preferences of larvae as they age


identifier: Zhang, Hui  (2005) Lumped fiber Raman amplifiers with highly nonlinear fiber.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Fiber Raman amplifiers (FRAs) can provide broadband and low-noise-figure amplification, and the gain can be achieved at any wavelength. It has been proved that FRA is a useful technique to extend the span lengths and capacity of fiber-optic transmission systems.  In particular, lumped fiber Raman amplifiers (LRAs), based on dispersion compensating fibers, have been considered in long-haul WDM transmission systems. However, noise can limit the performance of LRAs having a gain of more than 15 dB. Noise degrades the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) resulting in receiver sensitivity penalty and thus the amplifier gain is limited to some extent for a single LRA.  Highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) is a fiber with high nonlinearity to generate Raman gain efficiently and can be used as a gain medium for lumped Raman amplifiers. In this thesis, we will investigate Raman gain and noise characteristics of LRAs using HNLFs as a gain medium. It is shown that both the signal and the amplified spontaneous emission induced multiple-path interferences are suppressed in LRAs with HNLF, thus for the same Raman gain a better noise performance can be achieved independently of co-, counter- and bi- directional pumping methods, compared to LRAs with DCF gain medium. Moreover, the effect of Rayleigh scattering coefficient on LRA's noise performance improvement is also investigated.  To achieve an accurate modeling, a theoretical model, which includes effects of multiple-path interference (MPI), anti-Stokes, and Rayleigh scattering, is used, and a new Raman gain coefficient scaling method is also employed in this modeling.


identifier: Zheng, Ke Wei  (2006) An efficient A/D converter using electronic neurons.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Analog to digital converter (ADC) is an important building block for modern electronic design. There exist different type of ADC, such as Integrating ADC; Successive approximation ADC; Flash ADC and so on. Each of them usually focuses on one or more design consideration. For example Flash ADC has high working frequency but it consume more power than other type of ADCs.  We are also aware of that human brain works by receiving minute electrical information signals produced by nerve cells known as neurons. A neuron 'fires' (i.e., turns on) when it receives a stimulus of sufficient strength, and emits a number of narrow pulses known as 'action potentials'. The number of such pulses is proportional to the strength of the stimulus. Inspired by this physiological nature of functioning of a neuron, i.e., production of a bundle of actions potentials proportional to the level of a stimulus, an ADC with the architecture of 'electronic neuron cell plus counter' is implemented using transistors in a standard CMOS integrated circuit technology. The approach is simple and the result is a low voltage low power unipolar A/D converter working in middle frequency range. The converter is very competitive with other known converters in terms of 'energy per sample'. Furthermore, by using a new calibration method, our ADC affords to very good linearity performance


identifier: Cai, Hua  (2005) Incorporating quantified mental workload in modeling of driver's handling behavior /cHua Cai.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Driver's mental workload (MWL) influences the driver's performance. A mental workload that is either too high or too low may endanger driving safety. Few previous studies have discussed how to quantify the mental workload in an objective way and whether or not it is possible to discover the driver's mental workload over-reduction. Furthermore, the influence of driver mental workload has not yet been considered in driver models.  In this study, an ECG features-based driver mental workload estimation method was proposed. This measure is based on clustering analysis and Learning Vector Quantization neural networks. Furthermore, a fuzzy space model of the dangerous zone for a moving vehicle and the estimation method of driving risk level were proposed. Finally, two neural network based driver models with the input of driver mental workload were built up. The experiments and simulations show that the MWL estimation results are consistent with the evaluation of the Rating Scale of Mental Effort (RSME). The Driving risk level has potential to indicate the driver MWL over-reduction. In the driver steering performance simulation, Elman recurrent network based driver models show superiority than those based on multilayer perceptrons (MLP), and the MWL variance does have positive impacts on the performance of neural network based driver models.  This study is limited to the available data source. Future work could be done on following aspects: more psychological signals indicating MWL variance should be included to make the quantification results more reliable. Besides, the influence of instant driving risk level to the driver's performance in the scenario of MWL over-reduction could also be studied.


identifier: Cai, Wei  (2005) A generic, geometric approach to accurate machining-error predictions for 3-axis CNC milling of sulptured surface parts.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The goal of computer numerical control (CNC) machining for sculptured part finishing is to ensure the required-surface quality while maintaining maximum machining efficiency. This work addresses these challenging and conflicting tasks that demand more research.  In CNC machining, machining errors are usually caused by some of the sources such as cutting tool deflection, cutting tool wear, machine tool vibration, improper coolant, improper lubrication, and negative thermal effect.  In this thesis research work, a generic, geometric approach to predicting accurate machining errors caused by the tool-surface mismatch is proposed for 3-axis sculptured surface milling. To implement this new approach, a cutter contact (CC) point optimization system is also proposed for optimizing CC points along tool paths to ensure adequate surface quality without surface gouging. A semi-cylindrical part and a Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surface part are used to illustrate this approach and to demonstrate its superiority


identifier: Durack, Cindy Maureen  (2006) (Re)mapping 'woman' and 'nature' : an ecofeminist reading of Away and Afterimage.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Focusing on Jane Urquhart's novel Away and Helen Humphreys's novel Afterimage , and relying primarily on ecofeminist theory, this thesis considers each author's approach to the woman/nature analogy, a metaphoric framework that aligns 'woman' with a debased nature and nonhuman nature with a devalued femininity. Prior to analyzing the novels, a brief overview of the origins, history, methodology, and debates relating to the ecofeminist framework provides the parameters and perspectives for the ensuing discussion. Of central concern is the manner in which the writer negotiates the dualisms shaping the various relevant categories, and an examination of language, desire, knowledge, and power in the novels exposes and highlights the cultural construction of nature. Key areas of interest include: modes of representation, reconceptualizations, disruptions and destabilizations to dualistic structures informing conceptual systems, and alternatives to traditional concepts of culture, nature, species, gender, epistemology, and subjectivity. Finally, the conclusion of this thesis will discuss the overall impact of each author's strategy for dealing with dualisms, and will consider the usefulness of ecofeminist methodology for analyzing texts and for confronting and transforming various representations of 'woman' and 'nature'


identifier: Mottillo, Maria  (2006) Investigation of an adsorption system for the seasonal storage of heat applied to residential buildings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Residential fuel cell cogeneration systems are being targeted as energy-efficient alternatives to conventional power plants to heat and power our homes. However, when a fuel cell is controlled to meet a house's electrical load, there may be an excess amount of heat that is available in the summer when a house's thermal requirements are minimal. The objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility of coupling an adsorption system to a residential fuel cell cogeneration system for the seasonal storage of the fuel cell's surplus thermal output. A mathematical model of an adsorption storage system is developed, by applying first principles, and implemented into the ESP-r building energy simulation program. The model is validated using published data and verified using a sensitivity analysis technique. Finally, the predicted annual energy performance of a house served by a fuel cell cogeneration system coupled to an adsorption storage system is compared to the predicted annual energy performance of two alternate heating systems using ESP-r, taking into account the dynamic nature of the house's electrical and thermal loads. For the set of operating conditions considered in the study, the adsorption storage unit is able to improve the overall energy performance of the residential fuel cell cogeneration system in the winter but not in the summer. Simulation results show that factors such as the utility grid's generation source and the capacity of the adsorption storage unit influence whether the energy performance of the residential fuel cell cogeneration system surpasses the energy performance of a conventional heating system


identifier: Fournier, Claudia  (2006) Revisioning body image as experienced by five women artists and in my own art practice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This is a qualitative inquiry into my journey of learning as an artist and a future art educator. I conducted an art-based research informed by Grame Sullivan's visual arts model of research. I created a body of paintings and (re)visioned four themes: the media and consumerism, beauty, the self and vulnerability, that I have found in other women's artwork. Through my journal entries and the paintings created for this study, I examined the influences of Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Tracey Emin, Karen Kilimnik and Orlan on my work. I place my art into a larger context and I attempt to answer my research question:" What are the implication of body image in my artworks?" The goal of this research was to understand my art making and myself better, to expand my visual vocabulary and to become a more informed art educator.


identifier: Al Barqawi, Hassan Ahmad  (2006) Condition rating models for underground infrastructure : sustainable water mains.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), in a study to assess the status of municipal water distribution system, reported that $12.5 billion would have to be invested over 15-year (1997--2012) period to replace the existing deteriorated water mains and construct new mains to cope with the projected population growth. Consequently, Canadian municipalities face a great challenge of managing these replacement and new installation projects efficiently. One of these challenges is how to assess the condition rating of buried water mains. This is because water mains are typically underground, operated under pressure, and usually inaccessible. Condition rating is a mandatory process to establish and employ management strategies for an asset. To assess the condition of water mains, current research considers physical, environmental, and operational factors and their effect on different types of mains (i.e. Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, and Asbestos). A condition rating scale and its associated rehabilitation actions are proposed. This scale is divided into 6 categories, which numerically range from "0" to "10" and linguistically from "critical" to "Excellent"


identifier: Abdullah, Abu Nasser Mohammed  (2006) Formal analysis and verification of an OFDM modem design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: this thesis we formally specify and verify an implementation of the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Physical Layer using theorem proving techniques based on the HOL (Higher Order Logic) system. The thesis is meant to follow a framework, developed at Concordia University, incorporating formal methods in the design flow of digital signal processing systems in a rigorous way. The design under verification is a prototype of IEEE 802.11 Physical Layer implemented using standard Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design flow, starting from a floating-point model to the fixed-point and then synthesized and implemented in Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. The models were verified in HOL against the IEEE 802.11 specification ratified by the IEEE standardization body and implemented by almost all major wireless industry in the world. The versatile expressive power of HOL helped model the original design at all abstraction levels without affecting its integrity.


identifier: Anwar, Ifthekhar  (2005) Automotive collision detection system utilizing distributed polyvinylidene fluoride sensors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Vehicular bumper is a structure mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle to absorb the first impact and is designed to minimize its effect on the vehicle structure and its occupants. Although vehicle collision is an unavoidable fact, there are no reported attempts to date in exploring the feasibility of detection system utilizing sensors. For this investigation, PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) sensor for its sensitivity and dynamic range is selected for application to bumpers. A prototype bumper with PVDF sensors is fabricated to carry out tests under low level forces. A prototype bumper represented by a Plexiglass beam is mounted with a series of PVDF sensors across the length, while the bumper is mounted on a rigid structure through set of mounts. Each sensor is calibrated for various loads on and away from the sensor and tested to predict the magnitude of the force and corresponding position. Several configurations for the bumper with and without cover over the sensor surface are experimented to determine the collision detection capability of the bumper in terms of magnitude, duration and location of the impact. The time history response of each sensor and its characteristics are utilized to develop layouts for bumper systems with sensors. Two designs were fabricated and tested in the laboratory to establish methodology for establishing relationships between sensor responses with magnitude and location of collision. Based on the investigation, a final design is proposed for implementation of collision detection in automotive bumpers.


identifier: Liu, Shujun  (2005) Enzymatic function of active site loop in enolase : preparation and characterization of G37A and G41A mutant yeast enolases.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Enolase catalyzes the reversible dehydration of 2-phosphoglyceric acid (2-PGA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) near the end of the glycolytic pathway. During enolase catalysis, three major loops undergo a large position change upon substrate and metal ion binding, especially in the active site loop (Pro35-Ala45). The hinge sites in the active site loop are Gly residues at positions 37 and 41. To gain some information about the function of active site loop movement in catalysis and subunit interactions, the Gly residues at position 37 and 41 in yeast enolase have been mutated to Ala.  These observations confirm the active site loop movement is not only essential for correctly positioning Ser39 for coordination of the catalytic metal ion, but also plays some crucial function in maintaining the proper linkage with other loops. In turn, these precise loop conformations are essential in maintaining the correct active site structure and proper subunit interactions


identifier: Siddiquee, Shoukat Hayat  (2005) Timed test case execution for distributed real-time systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A real-time system is a system that is required to react to stimuli from the environment (including the passage of physical time) within time intervals dictated by the environment. In real-time applications, the timing requirements are the main constraints and their mastering is the predominant factor for assessing the quality of service.  We proposed two methods for timed test case execution for distributed real time systems modeled as TIOA.  Ensuring the correctness of real time systems before the development and guaranteeing that it functions correctly within the specified time constraints are very critical to avoid catastrophic consequences. A number of design issues affect the testing strategies and the testability of the system. Existing methods of distributed test systems still have some drawbacks. Firstly, there is lack of coordination among local testers in a distributed system. Secondly, the centralized test method may result in performance problems, due to the fact that all TS-IUT interactions are achieved through the network. With an aim to alleviate the shortcomings, we developed a Synchronizer in centralized test system, which would control and coordinate the local testers in the test environment. We implemented these methods and tested them with a benchmark of real life automata model by using CORBA distributed architecture. As a result, the performance problem has been reduced in both methodologies. We distinguished between two methodologies and compare their performances in terms of functionalities, based on our implementation and illustrate their approaches using Train-Gate-Controller case study


identifier: Khan, M. Zamin  (2005) Some design techniques for low power low noise CMOS amplifier with noise optimization for wireless application in GHz frequencies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In recent years, there have been growing demands for bandwidth, for both voice and data communications. The Radio Frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and wireless market has suddenly expanded to unimaginable dimensions.  Historically, RFIC's are implemented in III-V compounded semiconductors or in bipolar technologies. The DSP circuits, on the other hand, require small feature sizes to guarantee high speed of operation with low power consumption, hence the use of Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies.  The challenges are not only to design RF transceivers in CMOS processes, but also to establish design methodologies for their building blocks. This thesis is concerned with one of the main building blocks, namely the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA). Several low Voltage LNA's have been successfully implemented in a standard 0.18 um CMOS technology, operating in the 2.4-5 GHz frequency band. A new and very simple low voltage common source-common gate topology is suggested for low power consumption. The simulated results show the proposed topology is to be the choice in today's low power design with good performance in all aspects, when compared to other topologies


identifier: Wittich, Walter  (2006) Visual function in patients with macular hole.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Individuals with Macular Hole (MH) experience visual distortions and a drop in visual acuity. Surgical intervention can restore the retina structurally, but restoration of function remains to be investigated in more detail. The present study examined the rate of acuity recovery over time, using growth-curve analyses with Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), as well as perceptual distortions before and after MH surgery. Pre-operative MH diameter, visual acuity (Snellen, ETDRS and Landolt-C) and perception of a vertical line were recorded in 25 eyes of 24 patients. Participants' perceptual reports of distortions were measured by classification of the line as solid, bent right/left, thinned at the center, or broken. Pre-operative MH diameter predicted pre-operative acuity but not rate of recovery; the latter depended on the patients' lens status instead. Participants with natural lenses and consequent cataract formation had slower recovery when compared to patients with already implanted infra-ocular lenses. The majority of patients (81%) reported symmetrical distortions of the line pre-operatively. After surgery, participants with larger MHs were more likely to retain residual distortions. The use of HLM provides insight into the functional recovery process after MH surgery. The perceptual reports indicate that the majority of MH patients fixate along the vertical axis, resulting in symmetrical perception of the line. Of particular interest is the group reporting thinning of the line preoperatively, as the center should be perceptually missing. Patients seem to fill in the information cortically, resulting in perception of a thinner line at the center.


identifier: Venkataiahgari, Anil Kumar  (2005) Secure e-commerce transactions for multicast services.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With the advent of an increasing number of multicast services such as audio/video streaming, news broadcast and software distribution, accounting for the resources consumed by subscribers becomes essential. However, multicast environments are inherently more susceptible to attacks because there is as yet no proper foundation for securing multicast networks. However, any e-commerce operational environment requires support for the security properties such as authentication, authorization, data confidentiality, and non-repudiation. As secured multicast services gain popularity in the Internet, at one point there would be a significant response from the service providers to support e-commerce through multicast networks. In this thesis, a Multicast Security Protection Profile (MSPP) has been presented to identify and secure the operating environment of multicast sessions. Although e-commerce protocols such as SSL, TLS, and SET protocols offer some forms of security in e-transactions, they cannot be directly extended to provide security for e-commerce sessions in the multicast (point-to-multipoint) environment. Therefore, we have designed an architectural framework, called the Secure E-Commerce Transactions for Multicast Services (SETMS), to secure e-commerce sessions for multicast environments. The SETMS framework provides authentication of host through the HIP protocol, authorization of subscriber and his e-payments through a variant of the 2KP protocol, a procedure to account for the subscriber's resource consumption, and support for non-repudiation of principal parties through PKI. The SETMS framework has been evaluated using the Common Criteria based MSPP security specification and formally validated using the AVISPA tool


identifier: Kong, Lan  (2005) User interface for computer-aided product conceptual design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A major objective of this research is to develop a natural sketching interface for designers in conceptual design.  Based on the literature review on the sketch-based cognitive process, solutions are developed in this thesis to address two major problems that prevent designers from using computer-aided design tools. First , because the lack of a detailed description of a designer's cognitive model, designers have never been put in the centre of consideration in the development of a CAD tool. This thesis proposes a new approach for the exploration of the designer's cognitive model by applying the axiomatic theory of design modeling. Second , the user mental model underlying the existing CAD tools do not match the actual designer's mental model. To eliminate the gap between two mental models, this thesis develops a prototype of natural interface based on PUI (Perceptual User Interface) theory. This natural interface uses gesture commands to replace menu and button. ANN (Artificial Neural Network) is adopted to recognize the designer's gesture commands


identifier: Zheng, Xin  (2006) Exergy analysis of water loop heat pump system in an office building.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: HVAC systems have a significant contribution to the building energy demand and greenhouse gases emissions. The use of effective evaluation indicators and accurate analysis method are very important for improving the energy performance of HVAC systems. The second law of thermodynamics analysis is an appropriate approach to evaluate HVAC system performance.  This thesis presents the second law of thermodynamics analysis of a Water Loop Heat Pump (WLHP) system, applied to a commercial building located in Montreal. This system allows for the heat recovered in the core zone to be used partially in the winter for heating the perimeter zones. The analysis covers both peak design and annual operating conditions. The following equipment is included in the analysis: the water-to-air heat pumps, the boiler, the water circulating pumps, the fan and the heat ejector (e.g., cooling tower). Primary and secondary energy sources are considered, for instance in the case of the generation of electricity. Mathematical models developed in this study are implemented in the Engineering Equations Solver (EES) environment. The performance of the WLHP system is evaluated using indicators such as: the energy and exergy efficiency, the energy and exergy demand, the exergy lost, and the equivalent CO 2 emissions due to the system operation.  The results show that the exergy efficiency of the WLHP system has an annual average value of 2.8%. The annual average value of the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the WLHP system is evaluated at 1.68. The major exergy destruction components of the WLHP system are the boiler, the heat pumps in core zone and the cooling tower


identifier: Côté, Beth  (2005) Near here.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Near here

abstract: Near Here is a collection of narrative and lyric poems that probe the speakers' familial relationships. In the poems of the first section, the speakers range from reflective to desperate in their attempts to reconcile the past with the present. These poems give way to the narrative long poem that chronicles a young woman's effort to grapple with the death of a past lover. A short series of dream poems echoes the sense of uneasiness in the previous two sections and prefaces the profound sadness that the speaker of the final long poem, "Near north", faces. The speaker in this final long poem is confronted with the harsh and mesmerizing setting of Saskatchewan's north; she is compelled to project her own sense of futility and anxiety onto the daunting natural landscape of her new, temporary home. Through the changing seasons of this foreign environment, this final poem recognizes the renewal that could not be gleaned from the details of memory.


identifier: Zhang, Li  (2005) Solving railway routing and scheduling problems in an intermodal freight transportation system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The railway line haul is the terminal-to-terminal segment of a door-to-door intermodal transportation system. This research concentrates on the routing and scheduling of the railway line haul. Routing and scheduling is the most important portions of the planning activities performed by railway companies. In this research, we developed an integer programming model to determine optimal operations in minimizing the most significant cost figures involved in such operations. Although the intermodal transportation system combines several transportation modes, our model concentrates on rail segment operations because improving the on-time performance of the rail segment can increase the timeliness of the entire intermodal route. Given container demands differentiated by origin, destination, arrival date at origin, and due date, the objective is to determine a train schedule and container routing scheme to minimize operational costs while meeting on-time delivery requirements of the shipments. The model was extensively tested by example problems of practical backgrounds, derived from those available in literature.


identifier: Gaudreau, Nicolas  (2005) La couleur de la ruine et la salpêtre de la Bastille Topographie de la patine architecturale au siècle des Lumières.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The place of patina, or weathering, in the architecture of the Enlightenment has been somehow neglected by historians of architecture. This study aims at showing that patina became an important issue of architecture in England and France during the second half of the eighteenth century. First, this thesis looks at the patina of painting and sculpture, which was already a topic of interest in the artistic world. The patina of architecture only grew in importance during the eighteenth century. It was then that it became more and more present in architectural representations, especially in the numerous views of Antique ruins. Patina also became increasingly popular and discussed among garden architects and theoreticians, who appreciated its contribution to landscape harmony. At the same time, the theoreticians of the Picturesque mentioned patina as a central characteristic of rustic and vernacular architecture. While patina was adopted in the garden and incorporated into the aesthetics of the Picturesque, it did not raise the same enthusiasm in the city. On the contrary, at a time of hygiene reform, patina was considered filthy and seen as a symptom of contamination. As a result, weathered and dirty surfaces were frenetically cleaned and whitewashed. Architects were no longer ready to accept the forming of patina on their work. Such a reaction was no surprise since classical architecture had always considered as its task to conceive an abstract idea of a building. The physical relation of architecture to its environment was not an important concern, and it was left to technical innovation to guarantee immutability. Finally, patina also raises the question of time in architecture. Resistance to patina occurred in places where relation to time was problematic. Such was the case in eighteenth-century European culture.


identifier: Bertelsen, Christian Allan  (2005) On Hollow Terms : a genealogy of Integration and its use in Quebec's immigration discourses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research offers a genealogical analysis of the concept of integration as it exists---and has existed over the last 36 years---within the Quebec government's immigration discourse. Methodologically, this analysis generally restricts itself to exacting a conceptual critique of integration and identifying the problems surrounding and embedded within the term at that level. This investigation adopts a two-pronged approach, it first outlines the nuances and complexities that constitute l'identitaire québécois' state of play and the relationship it shares with the concept, ethic and goal of integration . Second, this genealogy assesses the discursive body of integration as it has emerged, mutated and persisted in Quebec's immigration discourse. Of particular interest is locating how and where integration fits into Quebec's salient antinomy with respect to its cultural identity: namely the negotiation between a preservation of identity(s) and an openness to difference. By dint of a thorough Foucauldian genealogy of integration's emergence ( Entstehung ) along with its descent ( Herkunft ) within the Annual Reports issued (by various immigration ministries) between 1968-2004, this work deconstructs and problematizes integration as both an ethical and formative approach to immigration practice. After having thoroughly curated the concept of integration via its limitations and complications, this research posits that integration is not the most apposite of concepts. In fact, I argue that Quebec's immigration practice and services might be better served by working under an ethic of coordination.


identifier: Popowich, Jamie  (2005) The Big Show.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: The Big Show

abstract: The Big Show with Tommy Le Van. Tommy is on the run. From his parents. Crazed babies. An over-excited Lamaze coach. A man on stilts. A nearly retired game show host. Police. Talking storks. A mover with a panty fetish. A bus driver named The Tip. And while they're all chasing him, he's running after his ex-girlfriend, trying to get her back in the hopes that everyone else will go away.  Around and around they go. And if Tommy stops he won't be able to say no. If he stops moving he'll have to settle down. Get a real job. Buy a house. Get a bank loan to pay off renovations on a deck. Have a kid, raise it, and watch the whole process begin again.  The cast of characters wants to make sure this happens. Tommy's a disruption to their ordered lives. He has to be assimilated back into the system before anyone else begins to question their role. They must get Tommy.  So Tommy has to keep moving. He stumbles through conversations. Falls on his face. Gets lost. But still he keeps moving. Stuck in a surrealist world that is a modern day city, however chalk full of over-the-top citizens.  The chase is on.


identifier: Quintieri, Marcello  (2005) Measuring rater consistency : an investigation into the effects of two testing instruments on raters' scores.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigates the effects of preselected model compositions and a multiple weighted trait scale on the consistency of raters' scores in a direct ESL writing assessment context. Twenty experienced ESL teachers at the institution where this study took place were divided into two equal groups. One group used model compositions and the weighted multiple trait scale to grade a set of sixteen authentic ESL exam papers. The second group graded the same set of compositions using the trait scale alone. Ratings were analyzed using traditional statistical techniques, such as a t -test analysis, as well as Minifac Facets software, a student version of the multi-faceted Rasch analysis program FACETS. Findings from the t-test showed more significant score variance among the teachers who used the trait scale alone to grade the compositions than those who used model compositions in addition to the trait scale. This difference between the two groups was supported in the Rasch analysis, which identified a greater spread in the over-all severity measures for the group of teachers who graded with the trait scale alone


identifier: Lefebvre, Patrick  (2006) Infusion of technology in the classroom : implementing an instructional technology matrix to help teachers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Teachers have become acquainted with integrating technology (IT) and embedding it in lesson plans. However, the workshops given have typically focussed on hardware and software functions, rather than lesson planning. This research examined the use of an instructional technology matrix (ITM) to create lesson plans by applying Jonassen and Tessmer's constructivist taxonomy and ASSURE model with the hypothesis that an ITM would enhance teachers' abilities to use and create IT lessons. A workshop was given to undergraduate students in Education who were enrolled in an ITC summer class. A pre and post-questionnaire measuring their IT use and perceptions were given. As an end product of the workshop, the participants were invited to produce a lesson plan integrating the ITM. Further, two independent evaluators were asked to evaluate if the ITM was suited to teachers' needs in most educational reform plans. The research deals with two questions: (a) Is there a difference between the teacher's approach and the reform's project-oriented approach? (b) Could the elaboration of an instructional technology matrix for teachers (ITM), demonstrating the use of different level of cognitive learning, become an influential factor in IT lesson planning? Comments regarding the results of the ITM workshop as well as suggestions for further research are discussed. The research concludes that not enough classes and workshops are given to train efficient and effective teachers to use ITC in an educational environment and the ITM did not have a significant impact on their attitudes toward lesson planning.


identifier: Arsenault, Deborah Anne  (2006) Visual imagery of the Saint Lawrence River : landscape as an historical discourse.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The history of Quebec art is intimately linked with the history of the province. As a defining feature with iconographical importance, this study explores the Saint Lawrence River as a dominant theme in landscape painting contingent with the construction of the identity of the province. The discourse reflects the relationship between a river and time, through the historical, the cultural and the mythical. The particular time frame of this discussion, from the last decades of the nineteenth century until the end of World War I, encompasses comprehensive changes in Quebec society. Through imagery, the chronology of the thesis illustrates the river's instrumental position as Quebec transformed from a region struggling with cultural identity under colonial rule, to part of an emerging nation under the legitimacy of Confederation within a more urbanized society. These years also bookmark a period when Quebec painting underwent significant changes in both form and content, from the prevailing style of the European picturesque to an engagement with a modernist aesthetic. The visual arts of Quebec contain an extensive number of representations of its most significant river and reflect a prevailing theme from the early topographers to the modern era. This thesis investigates questions surrounding the Saint Lawrence River as an historical, social and political site concerned with visual imagery, as well as cultural material and travel literature.


identifier: Habib, Md. Ahsan  (2006) Numerical analysis of pile groups in multi-layered soil subjected to negative skin friction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Several linear elastic and nonlinear slip models are reported in the literature for predicting negative skin friction on piles and pile groups in consolidating soils. They often produce significantly different results. Moreover, these models are either complex and unfeasible in practice or not capable of taking soil stratification into account, especially in pile groups. These make it difficult for practicing engineers to select appropriate method for predicting negative skin friction.  In this thesis, after critically reviewing the existing methods of analysis and examining the inherent mechanisms involved in pile-soil interaction process, a numerical method is proposed for analysis of the negative skin friction on piles and pile groups. The soil response along the depth of the pile is represented by a number of hyperbolic load transfer relationships, each of which relates the load mobilized to the pile at a particular depth and the corresponding relative soil displacement. The method uses conventional laboratory soil test data as input and incorporates nonlinear load transfer mechanism into an iterative finite element framework. A computer program is developed in " Mathematica " programming code to perform this analysis, based on the flowchart developed herein.  The results obtained by the proposed procedure compare well with the recent studies and available field data. It is concluded that an iterative finite element approach, coupled with the nonlinear load transfer model, provides a simplified and practical procedure which is capable of predicting the dragload on single or group piles with reasonable accuracy


identifier: Li, Qing  (2005) Wizuse : a web-based wizard for supporting usability testing processes and practices.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Even if usability is becoming a hot topic both in industry and academic research, very little work has been done on the modeling and formalizing of empirical studies, in particular on usability testing processes. Process modeling is fundamental, not only for process maturity, standardization, and customization to different types of empirical studies, but also for the automation and integration of usability testing in the mainstream of software development lifecycle. Moreover, there is a big gap between usability testing practices and usability tools. Most of current tools used in usability testing cover only a few steps and activities of the testing process. We lack integrated toolsets that can support the whole usability testing process.  Within this context, we reviewed the existing usability testing process models while highlighting their limitations. We then proposed a ten-step, well-defined and structured process that combines all strengths and overcomes the drawbacks of current processes. We also demonstrated how such a well-defined process can be embedded into a web-based wizard, WizUse, to assist usability professionals managing, customizing, and conducting usability tests. To validate our approach, we also conducted a series of tests to demonstrate that the proposed process model and WizUse are a suitable approach to bridge the gap between current usability practices and tools


identifier: Bissonnette, Leo Adolphe  (2006) Teaching and learning at Concordia University : meeting the evolving education needs of faculty in providing access for university students with disabilities.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Computing and communications technologies are becoming increasingly central to the way faculty at universities carry out their educational mission. Little is known about how faculty are taking into account the needs of their students with disabilities when integrating technology into their courses. A survey (Fichten, Asuncion, Barile, Fossey & DeSimone, 2000) of a small number of faculty found that professors generally do not know what to do to ensure that students with disabilities have full access to electronic course material or how access problems can be solved.  The sample for this exploratory study consisted of 344 full-time and part-time Concordia University faculty, identified as having students with disabilities enrolled in their courses during the 2003-2004 academic year. Two intricately related components composed this study: a faculty survey (with a return rate of 34.3%), and follow-up semi-structured interviews with 30 faculty. The present study further explored training over internet, listservs, e-mail, or CD-ROM that can be provided in various self-paced formats.  Findings of interest included: 81 out of 101 respondents (80.2%) reported that they had not considered the needs of these students, while 12 respondents (11.8%) indicated that they had partially taken into account the needs of their students with disabilities. A small group of 8 faculty (7.9%) definitely took into account the needs of their students with disabilities. However, the present study also revealed that there is a willingness by faculty to be trained in this area.  When questioned about their preferred medium for interactive training, most respondents chose more than one. The most popular category chosen by 98 out of 114 respondents was a website (85.0%) followed by printed material selected by 94 respondents (82.2%) and CD-Rom chosen by 93 instructors (81.6%). 91 respondents (79.8%) indicated a combination of the three mentioned above. For those who chose other and gave examples, a common specification by them was a trainer. Practical strategic implications for those involved in providing support to faculty adopting educational technology are outlined and discussed  Recommendations for future research are provided


identifier: Hossain, Sk Amjad  (2006) Analysis of simply-supported single cell prismatic box sections.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research extends Maisel's (1982) methodology, the generalization of Vlasov's, simple beam theory, and its extension to evaluate torsional, distortional and shear lag effects in simply-supported girder consisting of a single cell uniform box section. The computer program developed can analyse simply supported box sections with trapezoidal and rectangular sections, any material properties, for a unit eccentric loading at midspan, formulate the bending, shear, torsion, distortion and warping stress at different locations of the section. Two separate computer programs have been developed, the first dealing with shear flow, shear stresses, combined shearing stress, torsional warping stress, distortional warping stress, maximum transverse bending stress, etc. The second program includes shear lag only. Torsional warping is treated using the method of Kollbrunner and Hajdin and Heilig (1966), while Sedlacek's (1971) method is used to account for the distortional effects


identifier: Ma, Yue  (2006) A real-time simulation tool for fault detection and diagnosis of HVAC systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Faults tend to degrade the performance of HVAC systems by causing occupants' discomfort, increased energy consumption, and shorter life of equipment. Accordingly, it is very important to develop fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) tools for HVAC systems.  In this thesis, in consideration of the fact that many faults could be traced back to oversized/undersized equipment, an interactive design tool is first developed to simulate the steady-state performance of a multi-zone variable-air-volume terminal reheat (VAV-TRH) HVAC system. This program is used for verifying HVAC system parameters to ensure that HVAC components are correctly sized. Then, a software program is developed to simulate the dynamic performance of a two-zone variable-air-volume terminal reheat (VAV-TRH) HVAC system. This program runs in two modes: off-line and on-line. Using this program, two control strategies---an optimal control strategy and a reheat control strategy, are studied. Simulation results show that the optimal control strategy leads to more energy savings than the reheat control strategy and is valid most of the operation time. The program is also useful for on-line fault detection and diagnosis for the HVAC system. In order to achieve this goal, an expert rule set for on-line FDD is established using knowledge-based approach. The expert rule set, in which IF-THEN clauses are applied, consists of simple rules that can successfully identify some fairly obvious problems that are often overlooked. The simulation experiments are performed to examine the performance of expert rules using data from real-time simulations. Simulation results show that expert rules are efficient in on-line detection and diagnosis of HVAC faults.


identifier: Hewitt, Jacqueline  (2006) Specification-level change impact analysis with use case maps.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this research, we present a lightweight approach to identify the impact of requirement changes at the specification level. We use specification information included in Use Case Maps to analyze the potential impact of requirement changes on a system. We propose dependency definitions and algorithms to identify Use Case Map scenario and component relationships. Also, techniques for ripple effect analysis at the scenario, component and element levels of abstraction are presented. Further, we present our tool that implements the proposed approaches showing the possibility of automation. A simple case study makes use of this tool to analyze an existing Use Case Map to show the information that is returned by our approach and its applicability in change impact analysis.


identifier: Decelle, Barbara  (2006) Cloning, functional expression and characterization of three Phanerochaete chrysosporium endo-1,4-beta-xylanases.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Three Phanerochaete chrysosporium endo-1,4-β-xylanase genes were cloned and expressed in Aspergillus niger . Two of these genes, xynA and xynC , encode family 10 glycoside hydrolases, while the third, xynB , codes for a family 11 glycoside hydrolase. All three xylanases possess a type I carbohydrate-binding domain connected to the catalytic domain by a linker region. The three xylanases were purified to homogeneity by weak anion or Avicell column chromatography and subsequently characterized. The XynA, XynB and XynC enzymes have molecular masses of 52, 30 and 50 kDa, respectively. Optimal activity was obtained at pH 4.5 and 70 degrees C with the family 10 xylanases and pH 4.5 and 60 degrees C with the family 11 xylanase. The measured Km when using birchwood xylan as the substrate was 3.71 +/- 0.69 mg/ml for XynA and XynC and was 9.96 +/- 1.45 mg/ml for XynB. Substrate specificity studies and the products released during the degradation of birchwood xylan suggest differences in catalytic properties between the two family 10 xylanases and the family 11 xylanase.


identifier: Dow, Shannon Audrey  (2006) Beyond sweet blood : perceptions of type 2 diabetes in Kahnawake.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research explores perceptions of type 2 diabetes among Kahnawakero:non through insight provided by the subjective narratives of those living with the disease. Subjective narratives are considered within the theoretical framework of critical medical anthropology with regards to biomedicine, as well as in relation to biomedical diagnostic procedures for classifying diabetes and its treatment strategies. I extend existing anthropological research into diabetes by highlighting how subjective narratives reveal both a critique of and movement beyond the clinical and diagnostic encounter. I therefore suggest that subjective narratives of type 2 diabetes can be seen as a political discourse, in that they simultaneously provide insight into the place of individuals and populations within society, while revealing that---however real the physical complications associated with type 2 diabetes may be---not everyone agrees on the ways in which type 2 diabetes actually constitutes a "health problem." In the case of Kahnawake, perceptions of type 2 diabetes reveal that the health problem of the disease is not limited to sweet blood per se, but rather lies outside of the clinic and the body, and within broader social and political relations, and specifically, a community history.


identifier: Subbanna, Gurudath B  (2005) Generation of program synchronization skeletons using declarative descriptions of interaction protocols.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Interaction Protocols capture the interactions between agents that communicate with each other to achieve specific goals. These protocols specify the conversation of agents in a Multi Agent System. Many attempts have been made to capture the semantics of Agent Interaction Protocols through the deployment of different tools and formalisms.  This report describes the execution of Interaction Protocols through the use of Agent Unified Modeling Language (AUML), an extension of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) developed specifically for agent interactions. The report describes generation of synchronization skeletons for any user-defined Interaction Protocol based on a metamodel for AUML and the Eclipse Modeling Framework. Validation of the model and scope of extensibility of the model are also discussed. This mainly provides for developers to quickly input any agent conversation protocol and successfully converts the same into code for further development over an agent platform.


identifier: Song, Hai Hong  (2006) Coarse-grained dynamic predicate slicing for message passing programs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Comprehending distributed systems is a challenging task because of interdependency and non-determinability that exist in distributed systems. Program slicing, as a well-know decomposition and reduction technique, has been extended to assist during the comprehension of distributed application source code. Dynamic predicate slicing is a relatively new slicing technique that adopts the notion of global predicates as slicing criteria for distributed message passing programs. Dynamic predicate slicing focuses on identifying all these states during an execution of a message passing program, in which a particular predicate might be changed. In this research, a Coarse-Grained dynamic predicate slicing algorithm is implemented by using instrumentation techniques to insert extra instructions into applications for collecting and analyzing run-time information during executions. Dynamic predicated slicing is accomplished by multi-thread parallel computation utilizing both static information and dynamic information. An initial case study is presented to validate the applicability of the approach and to explore the overhead associated with collecting the dynamic information and the slice computation.


identifier: Narasimhadevara, Ajay  (2006) Iterative design and evaluation of a software system for nursing applications in healthcare.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The need to promote the application of computers in the healthcare industry, particularly through the adoption in Clinical Information Systems (CIS), is more important now than ever before. As the healthcare industry faces a big deficiency in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications, we believe that system developers have to follow appropriate methodologies so that the resulting software product in this application domain could be considered easy, both to learn and use, by direct end-users while remaining acceptable to all involved stakeholders and their dynamic needs. With this in mind, in this thesis, we have combined the use of workflow modeling, agile software development through eXtreme Programming (XP) and the principles and practices from User-Centered Design (UCD) to develop a component of CIS; namely, a nurses' module. The workflow model of the various processes in the organ transplant ward of a typical large hospital was acquired. From this, the Nursing Process was developed as an application exercise.


identifier: Zhou, Cong  (2005) CNDROBOT : a robot for the CINDI digital library system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Web robots or crawlers are an essential component of all search engines. Major search engines such as Google and AltaVista use their own robots (GoogleBot and Mercator) to crawl and index billions of Web pages over the Internet. Web robots are also increasingly adopted by digital libraries to collect data and on-line documents. The crawling process requires massive amounts of hardware and network resources as well as time. However, when only information about a predefined topic set is desired, the use of traditional crawling strategy becomes inefficient and cost ineffective.  This thesis presents issues in developing a focused crawler - CNDROBOT, which only explores well-selected domain sites and collects potential on-topic documents for the CINDI digital library. The research was concerned with the studies on various search engines, types of Web robots, and crawling strategies. The research primarily involved the design and implementation of the CNDROBOT as well as the integration of the Document Filtering Subsystem. Finally, a Web application for the CNDROT was developed and an extensive test was conducted for various components and functions of this system. This thesis demonstrates that the CNDROBOT is capable of effectively and efficiently discovering large amounts of desired documents and supplying them for the CINDI digital library


identifier: Banham, Kathryn J  (2006) The architecture and painting collection of the Mount Royal Club Montreal 1899-1920.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Men's clubs played an important role in the cultural and social life of Montreal's elite during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. This thesis looks at the architecture and collection of paintings of the Mount Royal Club, Montreal, between the years 1899-1920, a time of prosperity and growth in Montreal. Since the Mount Royal Club's history is closely tied to the social, economic and cultural development of the city at the turn of the century, the architecture and art of this Club will therefore be examined within a variety of interrelated contexts. These will range from the Club's inception in 1899, to the biographies of the founders and the cultural and social forces that played an important role in the selection of American architects, McKim, Mead and White to design the new clubhouse in 1904-1906, as well as the painting collection of the Club during this period in Montreal's history. Pierre Bourdieu's theories on social, cultural and symbolic capital will be used to frame this discussion


identifier: Gagné, Michel Jacques  (2005) The Harp, the Hammer and the Plough : the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement and the World Beyond, 1963-1969.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The existing historical literature dealing with the period that immediately precedes the Northern Ireland 'Troubles' (1969-1998) does not fully appreciate the extent to which international events influenced the Northern Ireland civil rights movement. Traditional approaches (i.e.: Nationalist, Unionist and Marxist) focus almost exclusively on the domestic causes of the movement and little on the impact of foreign events. This thesis takes an international approach to Northern Ireland history to suggest that while the civil rights movement was composed in large part of Catholics with a nationalist or republican slant, the civil rights movement was, in essence, a coalition of moderate and radical socialists spurred on by the international context of the late sixties.  The speeches, pamphlets, and memoirs generated by former leaders of the Northern Ireland civil rights movement demonstrate how deeply influenced this movement was by the struggle for human rights and socialism taking place simultaneously in the world beyond Irish shores. These sources also reveal profound ideological and methodological cleavages that divided the movement's leadership into three major ideological factions. These factions are identified here as constitutional nationalists, institutional Marxist republicans (or 'red republicans'), and unaligned revolutionary socialists (or 'New Leftists'). Because of this ideological diversity, the movement was unable to congeal into a united front and rapidly disintegrated into its component parts in the face of rising sectarian violence.


identifier: Ascher, Claudine  (2005) The poetics of art and education from the Oneiric Place : Bachelard, studio practice and I.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, I present the idea that the acquisition of self-knowledge is especially important for artists as they are called upon to expose personal truth as a means to express collective truth. For this reason, I engage in a dialogue with phenomenologist Gaston Bachelard through my own, qualitative, in-studio practice as it relates to his imaging and creation theories of 'poetic reverie' and 'the oneiric house'. I focus on my 'reveries' about how my life experience inspires my art, and how my actions as an art student, a teacher and a gallery curator frame my work. Following Bachelard's example as he responds to poetry which resonates philosophically for him, I also conduct a 'poetic exploration' of works by artists Lucien Freud, Paula Rego, David Hockney, Alice Neel, Joe Fafard, William Kentridge and Xenia Hausner as examples of self-informed practices. My purpose is to consider the implications of this research for my teaching practice


identifier: Sidenko, Svetlana  (2006) Information technology project management : project management maturity and its effect on project success.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With the widely publicized project failure rates and related cost overruns, more companies today are turning to the various corporate approaches that may help them improve their project management practices (Judgev & Thomas, 2002). Given the latter trends in the corporate project management practice, several project management maturity models (PMMMs) were designed by industry practitioners to provide a framework emphasizing that an organization needs to purposefully and progressively develop its capabilities to deliver projects with consistent success. This popular industry movement however has not been supported to date by empirical research.  To breach the gap between academia and practice, this thesis investigated, through a survey of over 100 IT industry Project Management Professionals, the existence and specifics the relationship between project management maturity and project success. The sustained IT project management success appears to be attained by developing standard organizational project management practices, tools and techniques across several project management knowledge areas; in other words by increasing organizational project management maturity. Moreover, this research explores and highlights the relevance of different project success dimensions proposed in the theoretical literature. This study finds that out of four commonly named dimensions of project success---project efficiency, business benefits, preparing for the future and impact to the customer---the first two are the most relevant.


identifier: Lou, Viviana  (2006) The impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on US insurers' use of derivatives.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we examine the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the risk management of insurance companies, and investigate whether these companies are more likely to use derivatives to hedge their market risk after the attack. We test whether insurer's market risk exposures are lower after 2001. We then study how the companies' market risk exposures and their use of derivatives are affected by different firm characteristics. We also survey privately owned insurers to determine the importance of derivatives in their risk management, and how they responded to the terrorist attacks.  By looking at insurers' quarterly and annual market risk exposures, it is found that there is no discernible difference between property/casualty and life/health insurers during the period studied, and that the fluctuations and trend of their risk exposures are very similar. Our examination of quarterly market risk exposures shows that except for equity risk exposure which is found to be increasing, we do not have strong evidence to show that insurers' market risk exposures are lower after 2001. Although the survey results show that some users of derivatives increase their use of these hedging tools, results from a regression analysis do not show strong support for the hypothesis that insurers are more likely to hedge with derivatives after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. We conclude that the terrorist attacks have prompted changes in risk management and operation strategies of some insurers, but have not increased the likelihood that insurers will use derivatives in risk management.


identifier: Liscio, Sinella  (2005) Long term value creation of top US R&D spenders : the effects of R&D alliances.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study empirically tests the long-term security price performance of research and development (R&D) alliance announcements, across industries, among the top US R&D spenders. Using a sample of 73 of the top US R&D spenders, listed on a major US exchange, 792 R&D alliance announcements were identified over the period from 1994 to 1998. There are four main issues addressed in this paper: (1) do R&D partnership announcements create value in the long-run; (2) to what extent does the type of partner chosen influence the potential value created in the long-run; (3) is level of experience in partnering a factor affecting long term results; and (4) do industry considerations result in different findings regarding long term performance of R&D alliances. The chosen method of estimating long run abnormal returns was the calendar-time portfolio approach. Given that the main difficulty with long term studies is its reliance on a model of asset pricing, both unadjusted and adjusted results are reported and compared in order to determine the robustness of the findings. Additionally, the mean calendar-time abnormal returns are also reported.


identifier: Wang, Yuzhi  (2005) Ungerpricing [sic] and long-run performance of Chinese IPOs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines the underpricing and long-term performance of A-share initial public offerings (IPOs) issued in China between January 1996 and December 2004. The sample is divided into State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and non-State Owned Enterprises (non-SOEs) to investigate the difference in IPO underpricing and long-term performance between these two groups. I find that non-SOEs are significantly less underpriced than SOEs. In addition, I find that the changes in government policies do have an impact on IPO underpricing. My study confirms the results of previous studies that the long-term stock returns of Chinese IPOs is positive using a market index as a benchmark, while the long-term operating performance of these IPO firms exhibits negative changes. However, the SOE and non-SOE sub-samples do not show any significant differences in either long-term stock returns or operating performance when size- and book-to-market-matched portfolios are used as benchmarks. Finally, my findings are also consistent with the signaling theory of IPOs.


identifier: Gutierrez, Christopher M  (2006) Bodies of terror/terrorizing bodies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Bodies of terror/terrorizing bodies

abstract: Bodies of Terror/Terrorizing Bodies is an examination of the biopolitical manifestations of the global military and security operations that have taken place under the conditions set forth by the War on Terror. By tracing the discursive movements that place the body at the locus of the ongoing War on Terror, this project aims to uncover the alignment of several power operations directed at the flesh of those individuals at the center of, and on the peripheries of, this war. Through a reading of several historical sites and present day occurrences from within the discourse of the War on Terror, including images available from popular culture, the torture photographs from Abu Ghraib, and political arguments presented within the popular press, this thesis aims to answer four simple questions. Firstly, how did the body become the central site of power operations within the War on Terror? Secondly, to what extent are the biopolitics of the War on Terror related to other discourses of the body, and even more particularly, how are dominant notions of masculine, white heterosexuality revealed within the War on Terror? Thirdly, what are the implications of the actualization of these biopolitics on the lives of individuals who may, or may not be, the targets of the War on Terror? And finally, what avenues for resistance, and what new assemblages, are opened up to bodies and individuals through the corporeal discourse of the War on Terror?


identifier: Ntalianis, Filotheos  (2006) Employer-employee relationships in small firms : the role of personality and psychological contracts.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examined the exchange relationship of small business owners and their employees. The primary purpose of this research was to consider how small business owners' personality and motivation, as seen through the Big Five model and self concordance theory respectively, affect their promises and commitments made to employees as well as their work attitudes. Data were collected from 50 small business owners and 253 of their employees in small organizations in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. To minimize common method bias, owners' promises to employees were assessed via self and employee reports. Overall, the results indicated that among the Big Five personality traits, Agreeableness was the best predictor of psychological contract orientations and owner attitudes, while Neuroticism and Extraversion were unrelated to any dimension of the psychological contract. On the other hand, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience partly explained small business owners' contract orientations and work attitudes. Self-concordant goals were unrelated to both psychological contracts and small business owner attitudes. These findings suggest that small business owners should recognize the importance of their personality characteristics and their impact on establishing vital exchange relationships with their employees. Limitations are discussed in light of the unique context of the small business in which this study was conducted and directions for future research are provided.


identifier: Kelly, Catherine  (2005) Corporate governance mechanisms and small-cap firm performance : evidence for Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Identifying corporate governance mechanisms to improve firm performance has been at the forefront of policy discussion and research in recent years. Existing research in this area focuses on U.S. based large capitalisation firms. Although some work has been performed on U.S. small caps, little work has been done in the area of governance of small-caps for other countries. Small-caps merit investigation not merely because of alleged performance attributes as first demonstrated by Banz (1981) but also because they represent the largest contingent of firms listed on the exchange. This study extends the international evidence on small-cap governance to Canada, where unlike the U.S., 'best practice' guidelines are provided, but not mandated, there are two legal systems, and multiple class voting structures, which have been suggested to be inimical to performance, are common.  We test for the optimal deployment of four governance mechanisms by estimating a simultaneous equation system linking these mechanisms to firm performance, using recent data. The results confirm the interdependence of governance mechanisms and firm performance. CEO ownership and shareholder rights are shown to determine board independence while CEO ownership is shown to depend on the extent of shareholder rights and whether she is also chairperson of the board. When taking endogeneity into account, we find Canadian small-cap firms appear to over utilise debt as a control mechanism. No robustly significant discount is observed for Quebec firms, or for those with multiple voting class shares; we do, however, note a premium for U.S. cross-listing


identifier: Roger, Elisabeth  (2006) The impact of emotions and cognition on approach behaviors, shopping value and store personality.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study demonstrates the applicability of an extended version of the Mehabian-Russell model in a women's apparel retail context. The model proposes that emotion and cognition affect consumers' behaviors and perceptions through product evaluations. In addition, the model suggests a direct relationship between perceptions and behaviors. The rationale for positioning emotions as antecedents of product evaluations is based on the "affect as information" theory, which had rarely been tested in a real retail context. The emotions measured in this study are pleasure and arousal; the cognitive variable studied is evaluation of the store environment; the behaviors of interest are word-of-mouth and repatronage intentions; and finally the perceptions evaluated were store image, shopping value and store personality. This thesis contributes to the literature in marketing and retailing by demonstrating the applicability of the "affect as information" theory and by specifying the mechanism by which emotions and cognition affect not only behaviors but also perceptions. It is also the first study to present the antecedents and consequences of store personality. Both emotions and cognition affected some dimensions of store personality; their effect was mediated by product evaluation


identifier: Defersha, Fantahun Melaku  (2006) An integrated approach in the design of cellular manufacturing systems for dynamic production requirements.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Due to increasing international competition, shorter product life-cycles, variable demand, diverse customer needs and customized products, manufacturers are forced from mass production to the production of large product mixes. In order to adapt to such changes, firms are required to make their manufacturing systems efficient and flexible. Traditional manufacturing systems, such as job shops and flow lines, cannot provide the required efficiently coupled with flexibility to handle these changes. Cellular manufacturing (CM), which incorporates the flexibility of job shops and the high production rate of flow lines, has emerged as a promising alternative. Although CM provides great benefits, its design process is complex for real-life problems. The design process should pass through a number of steps involving several structural and operational aspects. The first important critical step is the formation of part families and machine cells. The effectiveness of this design step heavily depends on the proper consideration of several relevant factors. To this end, a model that incorporates various pragmatic issues is essential. This research is aimed at the development of comprehensive mathematical models to serve in the design of cellular manufacturing systems for dynamic production requirements. In this work, two different mathematical models have been proposed and efficient solution procedures are developed to solve these models.The first mathematical model addresses the design of a dynamic cellular manufacturing system. In this model, the product mix is assumed to vary from period to period where the production quantity of each product during each period is a given data. System reconfiguration is considered to respond to the changing product mix variation. In addition to dynamic system reconfiguration, the model incorporates several pragmatic issues such as alternative routings, lot splitting, sequence of operations, multiple units of identical machines, machine capacity, workload balancing among cells, operation cost, cost of subcontracting part processing, tool consumption cost, setup cost and other practical constraints.The second mathematical model addresses an integrated approach to the design of dynamic cellular manufacturing systems and production planning in MRP environment. The major difference of second model from first one is that in the second model the production lot size of each product during each period is a decision variable but not a given data. The cell formation model is formulated to account for either philosophy allowing the model user to select his/her preference. In order to solve this integrated cell formation and production planning model, two search heuristics, one based on genetic algorithm and the other based on simulated annealing, have been developed.


identifier: Tcherniavski, Iouri  (2006) Space-based high-resolution optical-electronic systems with distributed apertures : optimization of design and operating parameters.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The optical systems with distributed/sparse apertures have a number of distinctive features in comparison with the systems with monolithic ones. Among them the possible existence of zero-value regions of the optical transfer function (OTF) and the existence of a beam combination system which forms a combined image in a common focal plane. Using the fast-convergent gradient methods for nonlinear constrained optimization, the first feature can result in a suspension of a calculation process if an intermediate solution falls into a zero-value region of the OTF. The second feature gives rise to introducing of some optical errors influencing the quality of the combined image due to the limited accuracy of a beam combination control system. In this thesis, the possibility of applying a gradient optimization method to optimize the distributed/sparse optical aperture configuration is shown. An appropriate approach based on approximation of the step pupil functions with zero-value regions by continuously differentiable functions with non zero-value regions is proposed. This method is demonstrated using examples of circular and annular subapertures. Further, the influence of the residual random image alignment (IA) and optical path difference (OPD) errors of the beam combination system on the OTF is investigated. On the basis of the Fraunhofer approach to the Kirchhoff diffraction theory, an analytical expression showing the dependence of an instantaneous OTF on the IA and OPD errors is derived. Using the Gaussian probability distributions for the random errors, an analytical expression determining an average OTF (AOTF) depending on statistical parameters of the errors is obtained. The calculation results permit to produce the necessary requirements to the accuracy of the beam combination control system. Finally, possible optimization variants utilizing the step pupil function approximation and the AOTF conception are presented. They use a gradient constrained optimization method with objective functions depending on a signal-to-noise ratio which is expressed in terms of the optimized parameters, in particular, the parameters of the aperture configuration, the effective focal length, and the geometrical parameters of a charge coupled device. Presented results show optimal solutions of the considered optimization problems for the distributed apertures consisting of two and three annular subapertures.


identifier: Sabongui, Amir Georges  (2006) Diamonds or dust : personality and social predictors of adaptation to the military.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study sought to investigate the factors that facilitate or hinder adaptation during important life transitions. A sample of 611 older adolescents and young adults (mean age 21, sd 4) newly recruited into the Canadian military were followed longitudinally over the course of their 10-week basic training course. Ecological theory posits that adaptation during transitions across contexts can be facilitated by the availability of organismic resources internal to the individual consisting, among other factors, of personality traits (measured by the Big-five) and contextual resources external to the individual consisting of social relationships (measured by sociometric status and friendship qualities). The predictive validity of these resources was evaluated along three ecologically valid outcome dimensions: training completion, training performance, and psychosocial adjustment. Hierarchical linear modelling showed that personality traits accounted for only 2% of the variance whereas friendship qualities accounted for 22% suggesting that social factors far outweigh individual factors in predicting performance. Moreover, social status indicators such as popularity and perceived network embeddedness also emerged as important predictors of performance and adjustment. Finally, these resources are not static factors in predicting outcomes, as initial personality scores were less predictive of performance than were changes in personality over the course of training, suggesting the importance of intraindividual growth and adaptability. Results are discussed in terms of modifying personnel selection strategies to include measures of social and emotional competence, especially in fields such as the military that require interdependence and teamwork for instrumental success.


identifier: Wang, Xiaoguang  (2006) Numerical simulation of wind-induced dispersion of emissions from rooftop stacks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The precise prediction of plume concentration distribution on or near buildings is very important for building engineers to design proper exhaust stacks and set proper air intakes to avoid adverse air quality impacts. The present study simulates the dispersion of emissions from stacks in the neutrally stable atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) by FLUENT 6.1, a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Three case studies have been conducted. The first case involves a simulation of plume dispersion from one isolated stack. The second case is concerned with a simulation of plume dispersion from a flush stack located at the roof center of a cubic building. The third case involves a simulation of plume dispersion from a short stack located on the rooftop of a rectangular building with some rooftop structures. Numerical results are compared with some empirical formulae, such as the Gaussian model and ASHRAE model, and validated with some experimental data. The effects of the momentum ratio, the stack height, and the turbulent characteristics caused by the building on the plume behavior are discussed. Some numerical parametric studies have been carried out.


identifier: Gong, Fei  (2006) Fault detection and isolation of two time-scaled singularly perturbed systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Singular perturbations technique is a means of taking into account neglected high-frequency and parasitic phenomena into modeling systems by decoupling the representation into separate slow and fast time-scales. The practical advantages of a singular perturbation in model order are significant, since the order of every real dynamical system is higher than that of the model used to represent the system.  This thesis focus is emphasized on the fault diagnosis of two time-scaled singularly perturbed systems. By decoupling the original full-order system into higher-order slow and fast subsystem models, our goal is to design a composite diagnoser based on diagnosers designed for the two subsystems to detect and isolate the faults in the original full-order system. Based on a power series expansion of the exact slow manifold associated with the original model around [varepsilon] = 0 , higher-order corrections of the manifold are obtained. Conditions are formulated for which a composite diagnoser can be designed for the original full-order system. Satisfying the conditions of a geometric approach, this composite diagnoser is used to diagnose the faults in the original full-order system. The illustrated methodology is applied to a two time-scale aircraft longitudinal dynamical model as well as the four degree of freedom gyroscope.


identifier: Yang, Yue  (2005) Embedded supervisory control of discrete-event systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this work we propose to implement supervisory control by embedding control in the plant Finite State Machine (FSM). Supervisory control is introduced by extending the plant with boolean variables, guard formulas and updating functions. Boolean variables are used to encode the supervisor's states. Event observation is captured by a set of boolean functions that update the values of boolean variables, and control is introduced by guarding events with boolean formulas. The resulting Extended Finite State Machine (EFSM) implements the supervisory control map in the sense that the languages closed and marked by the EFSM are equal to those of the supervised system. After studying embedded supervisory control under partial observation, centralized and decentralized control architectures are analyzed. It is shown that the coobservability condition remains necessary and sufficient for the existence of decentralized supervisors. An application of our approach in the synthesis of communication protocols is presented.


identifier: Jin, Shuang  (2005) A fast method in simulations of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, general nonlinear Schrödinger equation is solved in very detailed numerical process by using Symmetrized Split-Step Fourier Method (S-SSFM), Higher-Order Symmetrized Split-Step Fourier Method (HO-S-SSFM) and Predictor-Corrector Symmetrized Split-Step Fourier Method (PC-S-SSFM). We simulated the SC generations in the PCF by using HO-S-SSFM and PC-S-SSFM respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first time the PC-S-SSFM is used in simulations of SC generation. Typical physical parameters of a PCF are chosen in our simulations. Based on the same condition, the simulation results of the HO-S-SSFM and the PC-S-SSFM are compared with the results from a published paper, and the comparison proves that our simulations are correct and accurate. Then, the time used by the HO-S-SSFM and the PC-S-SSFM in our simulations are compared at different points of propagation along the PCF and at the end of the PCF with different step sizes. The comparison results show that the PC-S-SSFM can save almost one third time used by the HO-S-SSFM under the same accuracy.


identifier: He, Hua Sheng  (2005) IFC-based framework for evaluating building envelope performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Building envelope is a subsystem in a housing system, but it is not a separate part of a house. Its performance and construction details should be taken into consideration with the house concurrently.  Computer simulation is one of the most significant methods to evaluate the performance of the building envelope. However, simulation programs are good for evaluating separate functions but do not address the global performance requirements for a building envelope system. Moreover, data input in some of these applications is complicated and time-consuming, and people who run the applications need advanced computer skills and professional experience. Furthermore, some of these applications cannot read the geometry data from CAD drawings, and this results in low efficiency and data input errors.  The objectives of the research study aims to develop an IFC ( Industry Foundation Classes )-based framework to meet the requirements of evaluating building envelope performance by integrating evaluation applications and criteria with IT (Information Technology) and IFC. It investigates and compares applications and criteria, and then develops a conceptual framework for integrating tools to evaluate building envelope performance and compare this performance against sets of criteria.  The framework extracts geometry and material layer data of a house from CAD drawings in IFC model, links to performance evaluation applications, such as HOT2000 and MOIST3.0, and compares evaluation results against a set of criteria. A prototype system has been developed including a preprocessor, an application integrator, and a postprocessor. Finally, a case study, which aims to validate this prototype system, is discussed.