identifier: Orlando, Mark Anthony  (2015) The effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on resting state electroencephalography frontal asymmetry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Research suggests that the nonapeptide oxytocin plays an important role in social functioning, and that the intranasal administration of exogenous oxytocin promotes prosocial behaviours. The mechanisms underlying oxytocin’s effects on social cognition and behaviour are not yet well understood. One viable hypothesis is that oxytocin acts upon frontal asymmetry. Relative left frontal neural activation has been consistently associated with approach behaviours and shares a number of other similarities with intranasal oxytocin administration. For the first time, we examined the hypothesis that oxytocin increases relative left frontal neural activation using electroencephalography methodology. In a double-blind within-subject experiment, 48 participants self-administered a 24 I.U. dose of intranasal oxytocin and placebo approximately one week apart. Following drug administration, alpha band power was recorded at frontal and parietal sites during eight 60 second trials. Intranasal oxytocin administration did not produce any significant changes in frontal asymmetry (F(1, 47) = .273, p= .604, partial η2 = .006). This relation did not interact with sex nor measures of depression, which have been shown to moderate the effects of intranasal oxytocin in prior investigations. Oxytocin administration does not appear to increase relative left frontal neural activation. Additional considerations and interpretations are discussed.


identifier: Khodadadi, Arash  (2015) Collection and classification of services and their context.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
SOA provides new means for interoperability of business logic and flexible integration of independent systems by introducing and promoting Web Services. Since its introduction in the previous decade, it has gained a lot of attraction through industry and researchers. However, there are many problems which this novel idea of SOA encounters. One of the initial problems is finding Web Services by the service consumers. Initial design of SOA proposed a service registry between the consumers and providers but in practice, it was not respected and accepted in the industry and service providers are not registering their services. Many SOA researches assume that such registry exists but, a repository of services is preliminary to the research. The Internet is filled with many Web Services which are being published every day by different entities and individuals such as companies, public institutions, universities and private developers. Due to the nature of search engines to support all kinds of information, it is difficult for the service consumers to employ them to find their desired services fast and to restrict search results to Web Services. Vertical search engines which focus on Web Services are proposed to be specialized in searching Web Services. Another solution proposed is to use the notion of Brokerage in order to assist the service consumers to find and choose their desired services. A main requirement in both of these solutions is to have a repository of Web Services. In this thesis we exploit methodologies to find services and to create this repository. We survey and harvest three main type of service descriptions: WSDL, WADL, and Web pages describing RESTful services. In this effort, we extract the data from previous known repositories, we query search engines and we use Web Crawlers to find these descriptions.
In order to increase the effectiveness and speed up the task of finding compatible Web Services in the Brokerage when performing service composition or suggesting Web Services to the requests, high-level functionality of the service needs to be determined. Due to the lack of structured support for specifying such functionality, classification of services into a set of abstract categories is necessary. In this thesis we exploit automatic classification of the Web Service descriptions which we harvest. We employ a wide range of Machine Learning and Signal Processing algorithms and techniques in order to find the highest precision achievable in the scope of this thesis for classification of each type of service description. In addition, we complement our approach by showing the importance and effect of contextual information on the classification of the service descriptions and show that it improves the precision. In order to achieve this goal, we gather and store contextual information related to the service descriptions from the sources to the extent of this thesis. Finally, the result of this effort is a repository of classified service descriptions.


identifier: ZHANG, Yajing  (2015) Effect of corporate governance on default risk in Financial vs Non-financial firms: Canadian Evidence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper investigates the influence of corporate governance structures on the credit risks of Canadian firms from the perspective of bondholders after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Default probabilities calculated from Black-Scholes/ Merton Distance to Default type models are used to measure firms credit risks. Based on these measures, Canadian financial firms actually show higher risk than non-financial firms over the financial crisis. This may be explained by the high exposure of Canadian financial firms to US markets during the period of the crisis. However, in the transition to the post financial crisis period, the risk of financial firms decreases more rapidly than that of industrial firms. With the exception of board size and CEO duality, most governance mechanisms examine, including insider ownership, board independence, institutional ownership, financial transparency and compensation committee independence, have differential impacts on financial vs. non-financial firms. Finally, we find that Canadian firms headquartered in Quebec have higher credit risks than Canadian firms headquartered in other provinces.


identifier: Kirols, Hany  (2015) Water Droplet Erosion: Influencing Parameters, Representation and Comparisons.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Water Droplet Erosion (WDE) is defined as the progressive loss of original material from a solid surface due to continuous impingements of water droplets or jets. In this work, parameters affecting this wear phenomenon are discussed in detail through a literature review. The initial surface roughness as a parameter that may influence WDE process was not given attention in the literature. Therefore, its effect on erosion was studied experimentally. It was concluded that the initial surface roughness has a significant effect on the length of the incubation stage, and may influence the maximum erosion rate.
Another point tackled in this work is the WDE results representation. The traditional method of representing erosion results is through a plot between material loss and time. However, this plot neglects important information about the WDE experiment, for instance, the amount of water which has impacted the sample during the test. Therefore, in this work a new representation method of WDE test results was proposed. This new method represents WDE test results with respect to the applied kinetic energy per unit area. WDE erosion result for tests done on 12% Cr stainless steel were successfully represented and analyzed using this method.
Finally, the WDE found on ex-service steam turbine blades was studied. The progression of erosion on the surface of the blades was illustrated by the aid of SEM micrographs. This work confirmed that the formation of asperities and depressions are considered the main reasons for pit initiation. In addition, it was also confirmed that the twist angle of the turbine blade around its diagonal, is an important parameter that influences its WDE. Twist angle has an effect on: (a) impact angle, (b) erosion appearance, (c) impact speed, (d) affected area. Furthermore, according to the current experimental results, multi-ray rig erosion tests considered the closest simulation to the actual ex-service blade in terms of damage appearance.


identifier: Tu, Qiao  (2015) Corporate Governance and Default Risk in Financial Firms over the Post Financial Crisis Period: International Evidence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper looks at the post financial crisis period, and the relationship between default risk and corporate governance for financial firms outside of North America. Default risk is captured through both credit default swap spreads (CDS) and the Black-Scholes-Merton Distance-to-Default measure (DD). Institutional ownership and board independence negatively relate to DD, while insider holdings, CEO duality, and board size positively relate to DD for the complete sample for firms.  Not all of these relationships hold when using CDS spreads as a risk gauge.  Relationships between board-related variables and risk are found to be continent-specific, which can explain some of the different risk responses to governance variables across risk measures. In particular, for Asian firms, most governance variables are significantly related to default risk. For European firms, on the other hand, only board size and institutional holdings are significant.


identifier: Al-Badri, Maher  (2015) Algorithms for Induction Motor Efficiency Determination.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Induction motors are the most predominant motors used in the industry. They use two-thirds of the total electrical energy generated in the industrialized countries. Motors fail due to many reasons and many are rewound two or more times during their lifetimes. It is generally assumed that a rewound motor is not as efficient as the original motor. Precise estimation of efficiency of a refurbished motor or any existing motor is crucial in industries for energy savings, auditing and management. Full-load and partial load efficiency can be determined by using the dynamometer procedure which is a highly expensive way and available only in well-equipped laboratories. An inexpensive and easily applied procedure for efficiency estimation is therefore a target of researchers and engineers in the field. In this Ph.D. work, two novel methods for estimating repaired, refurbished, or any existing induction motors’ efficiency are proposed. The two methods (named Method A and Method B) require only a DC test (including temperature measurement), nameplate details, and RMS readings of no-load input power, input voltage, and input current. Experimental and field results of testing a total of 196 induction motors by using Method A are presented and the degree of accuracy is shown by comparing the estimated efficiencies to the measured values. Method B was validated by testing 8 induction motors with acceptable accuracy. To provide the necessary credits to the proposed techniques, an error analysis study is conducted to investigate the level of uncertainty through testing three induction motors, and the results of uncertainty of the direct measurements and no-load measurements using the proposed technique are declared.
Derating is a necessary procedure to protect induction motors from overheating which is the main reason of motor failures. The overheating is caused by operating induction motors with unbalanced voltages, over or undervoltage, or harmonics rich power supplies. To derate a machine, its full-load efficiency with balanced undistorted voltages and with unbalanced or distorted voltages must be measured.
In many situations in industry and due to critical processes, it is not allowed to interrupt induction machines operation. Hence, an in situ efficiency estimation technique is most required.
In this thesis, three novel in situ efficiency estimation algorithms are proposed. The first algorithm is to estimate the full-load and partial loads efficiency of induction motors operating with balanced undistorted voltages. The algorithm is validated by testing 30 induction motors with acceptable accuracy.
The second proposed algorithm is for full-load efficiency estimation of induction motors operating with unbalanced voltages. The technique is evaluated by testing 2 induction motors with different levels of voltage unbalance. The results showed an acceptable accuracy.
The third proposed algorithm is for full-load efficiency estimation of induction motors operating with distorted unbalanced voltages where the harmonics effect is added. The technique is evaluated by testing 2 induction motors with different levels of voltage unbalance. The results showed an acceptable accuracy.
The three novel algorithms are designed by using Genetic Algorithm, pre-tested data, and IEEE Method F1 calculations.


identifier: Tasbihi, Eliza  (2015) Ismā‘īl Anqarawī’s Commentary on Book Seven of the Mathnawī: A Seventeenth-Century Ottoman Sufi Controversy.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
It is commonly accepted by Rūmī scholars that Rūmī’s Mathnawī is composed of six volumes. However, a few sources indicate the possibility of an extra volume known as “Book Seven” of the Mathnawī. My study particularly focuses on the unpublished commentary (sharḥ) on Book Seven written by Ismā‘īl Anqarawī (d. 1631), the most important Ottoman commentator on the Mathnawī. It is an addendum to his commentary on the Mathnawī entitled Majmū‘at al-Laṭā’if wa Maṭmūrat al-Ma‘ārif (Collection of Subtleties and Hidden Store of Knowledge). Since the commentary and its publication received major criticism from Sufis belonging to the Mevlevī order, it is the aim of this study to explore the reasons for the composition of the commentary. Why did Anqarawī, a respected Mevlevī shaykh who was in charge of Gālātā Sufi lodge and taught the Mathnawīfor several years, devote his energy to writing a separate commentary on a text widely considered to be spurious?
My study is based primarily on the textual analysis and close examination of 45 Ottoman manuscripts of Anqarawī’s sharḥ, which I consulted in the Süleymāniye library, Konya’s Mevlānā Museum, Bursa’s Inebey Manuscript Library, and Ankara’s Mellī Library. I argue that the debate in which Anqarawī engaged can be divided into two parts: First, that the sharḥ encountered heavy criticism within the Mevlevī circle for its falsification and spurious nature, and second, that the subjects discussed in the sharḥ resulted in strong opposition from orthodox ‘ulamā’ on the grounds that it promoted bid‘a (“innovation” or “heresy”). By examining Anqarawī’s introduction, which presents a detailed account of his debate with Mevlevī Sufis and Shaykhs, I argue that Anqarawī claimed authority as the ultimate commentator and Mathnawī-khān (Mathnawī-reciter) among the Mevlevī Sufis, a claim that was bolstered by his closeness to Sulṭān Murād IV (d. 1640).
Given that Anqarawī scholarship is only recently emerging and his monumental commentary has not been studied properly, the present work contributes to the study of Rūmī and reception of his Mathnawī not only in the Persian speaking regions, but also within Ottoman society. This study will shed light on various aspects of the social and religious debates among the ‘ulamā’ in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire. It will also allow for a better understanding of the intellectual milieu of the empire, the social status and political roles of the ‘ulamā’ and the power wielded by official religious institutions and their affiliated scholars.


identifier: Sciascia, Joanna Marie  (2015) Alcohol-seeking behavior elicited by a discrete Pavlovian alcohol cue is invigorated by an alcohol context and requires AMPA glutamate receptors in the basolateral amygdala.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Environmental cues associated with alcohol consumption can trigger craving and facilitate relapse in abstinent alcoholics. We hypothesized that alcohol-seeking behavior evoked by a discrete cue associated with alcohol, would be influenced by context and require glutamate transmission in the basolateral amygdala.

Male, Long-Evans rats that had previously consumed ethanol (EtOH; 15%; v/v) received Pavlovian conditioning sessions in which a 10-sec auditory stimulus (CS; 15 trials per session) was paired with EtOH (0.2 ml/CS). Entries into a fluid port where EtOH was delivered were measured. Pavlovian conditioning occurred in a specific context (alcohol context) and was alternated with sessions in a different context (non-alcohol context) where neither the CS nor EtOH was presented. At test, the CS was presented without EtOH in either the alcohol context or the non-alcohol context. In a separate study, rats received a bilateral microinfusion (0.3 μl/hemisphere) of 0, 0.3, or 1.0 μg of the AMPA glutamate receptor antagonist NBQX [2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxaline-2,3-dione)] in the BLA. The effect of NBQX administration in the CPu on alcohol-seeking behavior elicited by an alcohol-predictive CS was also tested in a non-alcohol context.

Alcohol-seeking elicited by the CS was invigorated in the alcohol context relative to the non-alcohol context. NBQX in the BLA attenuated CS responding at test in both contexts, but had no effect when infused into the CPu.

These data highlight an important role of context in modulating the vigor of Pavlovian-conditioned alcohol-seeking, and suggest that AMPA receptors within the BLA are required for the expression of this behavior.


identifier: Auger, Jonathan  (2015) Optimizing the built environment for pedestrian safety in an ageing society: Toward an inclusive approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the longstanding overrepresentation of seniors in pedestrian injuries and fatalities, added to the prevalence of North-American ageing population, there is a sense of urgency for public health and transport planners to better understand the conditions surrounding senior injury risk. However, planners and practitioners are still challenged by a North-American built environment often optimized for vehicles rather than active and ageing road users. Researchers, on the other hand, still do not fully understand the nuances between younger and older injury factors, and particularly the effect of senior pedestrian exposure on their injury risk.
The primary research question in this thesis seeks to determine if senior injury factors at signalized intersections differ from those of the younger and to what extent? In a secondary fashion, this thesis explores the definition of an optimal built environment for pedestrian safety in an ageing society. In addition, it explores determining whether or not subpopulation models are more inclusive. Chapter 4 presents an injury regression analysis comparing 479 younger and 107 older pedestrian injuries that occurred at 191 signalized intersections in Montreal, a study deemed “practice ready” that was presented at the 2015 Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting.
Among other results, the center median refuge was found to reduce injury probability in seniors by 70%, implying that it has the potential to be a strong countermeasure in an ageing society. Results of this research revealed nuances between younger and older injury factors, and suggest that the optimal built environment for pedestrian safety of an older society may indeed differ from one optimized for the younger. In addition to being more inclusive, findings suggest that without subpopulation models, safety or health performance indicators of senior pedestrians may be overlooked.


identifier: Hétu, Julie  (2015) Chant diphonique et art pariétal : sur la voie d’une grammaire symbolique.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Dans l’art pariétal, la corrélation entre l’utilisation du chant diphonique et de la graphie symbolique que sont les dessins, peintures, signes et gravures préhistoriques suggère un lien de cause à effet entre l’acoustique et l’emplacement de ces graphies visuelles. Ce lien, voire ce dialogue, entre chant diphonique et art pariétal dans la grotte de Niaux, intimement lié à la réponse acoustique des lieux ornés, nous amène-t-il sur la voie d’une grammaire symbolique où chant et graphie permettraient par le partage d’universaux d’être mieux compris? Ces universaux sont l’harmonie en musique et la syntaxe en écriture. Pour tenter de répondre à cette question dans le cadre de notre recherche empirique en art et en anthropologie, nous avons utilisé le chant diphonique pour localiser les lieux ornés de la grotte de Niaux. Nous avons fait le même constat que d’autres chercheurs avant nous (Reznikoff, Dauvois, Salter, Bouthillon), à savoir que plus les graphies sont nombreuses plus la résonnance et les phénomènes de l’écho sont marqués. En somme, ce type de lien permet de conclure à des « constantes associatives »1 entre l’harmonie en musique et la syntaxe en écriture. Nous soulèverons le fait que ce lien aurait pu servir de vecteur d’universaux langagier pour les Magdaléniens ayant fréquenté la grotte de Niaux (ce qui demanderait des recherches plus poussées pour y conclure), ainsi nous nous en tiendrons, pour cette thèse, à démontrer que l’emplacement des lieux ornés dans la grotte de Niaux magnifie de façon exceptionnelle le chant diphonique. Technique de chant qui partage beaucoup de similitudes avec l’art pariétal qui sert à se localiser dans les grottes, à créer, à communiquer, à reproduire les éléments de la nature, à produire des patterns, à jouer avec la topographie des grottes et ses parois.


identifier: Korotkevich, Yana  (2015) Contribution of Cognitive Processes to Fine Motor Reprogramming and Adaptation Processes and Effects of Musical Expertise on Motor Processes in Advanced Age.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

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abstract: It is known that aging is associated with normative declines in both motor and cognitive processes, specifically, executive functioning. It is also known that these two processes become increasingly interdependent with advanced age. However, due to this increased interdependence between motor and cognitive processes, it remains challenging to disentangle the concurrent contributions of cognitive and motor aging. Numerous aging studies show an association between frequent cognitive stimulation and preserved cognitive abilities (e.g., enhanced executive functioning). What has been less often evaluated is whether specific skills influence cognitive and motor processes in old age. The primary objective of the current dissertation was to explore the contribution of executive functioning and musical experience to fine motor reprogramming and adaptation processes in advanced age. Firstly, we explored the involvement of three aspects of executive functioning: divided attention, response reprogramming/inhibition, and adaptation in fine motor performance of older adults. Secondly, we investigated the prediction that musical experience might provide benefits to cognitive processes involved in motor performance. To address these goals, participants overlearned repeated pairs of key presses to establish a pre-potent motor response. Participants’ performance on the pre-potent responses was compared to conflicting responses. Kinematic analyses were used to disentangle reaction time into broadly cognitive, measured by planning time (PT), and motor, measured by execution time (ET), components. The main goal of Study 1 was to investigate the contribution of cognitive and motor processes involved in fine motor reprogramming of younger and older adults. To this end, a dual-task paradigm was used to simulate the effects of cognitive aging in young adults. With the addition of a cognitive load, the ET of younger adults became more similar to that of older adults and as compared to full attention conditions. In Study 2, the same dual-task paradigm was adapted to investigate the effects of musical expertise on cognitive and motor reprogramming processes of older adults. With increased attentional load, musicians and non-musicians showed no differences in ETs. However, as opposed to musicians, non-musicians slowed down their PTs for well-learned stimuli. These findings suggest that musical experience was more beneficial to cognitive (PT) components rather than the more motor (ET) components of fine motor performance. Study 3 was designed to explore the contribution of musical experience to motor adaptation processes in older adults. In this study, previous exposure to conflict helped older musicians to adapt their motor responses, while older non-musicians failed to show motor adaptation effects with increasing conflict frequency. In conclusion, these findings provide compelling evidence that age-related declines in fine motor response reprogramming may be related to reduced cognitive capacity. These data also provide evidence for a contribution of musical experience to enhanced motor reprogramming and motor adaptation skills in older age. Notably, the observed benefits of musical experience were found in the cognitive aspects of performance and not the motor components. Together, the reported studies advance the current understanding of how cognitive processes play a role in fine motor performance. The work has implications for how to maintain or improve functional independence in late life.


identifier: Ngudjiharto, Elsa  (2015) Field Study of Wind Driven Rain Penetration into Vinyl Sidings and Stucco-Clad Wood-Frame Wall Systems at Window Sill.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: According to the 1996 survey of building envelope failures in the West coast climate of British Columbia (BC), 23% of the failures were related to windows and their interface around the rough openings on the walls. Moreover, rain was found to be a significant moisture source to water penetration through wall assemblies. A study is presented here on the correlation between wind driven rain (WDR) as the moisture source and the relative proportions of water penetration at intended defects (openings) at the interface of windows and walls. In this field investigation, eight full-scale exterior wall panels with vinyl sidings and concealed barrier stucco claddings were built and installed on a field testing station, subjected to real BC climate. From November 1, 2013 – June 19, 2014, rainwater was collected and measured instantaneously from vulnerable detail locations, such as at window sill and at missing sealant defect locations, and then synchronized to the weather data to estimate the potential rain load that may contribute to a leakage into the wood framing assembly. Leakage amounts of approximately 0.5% and 1.5% of WDR were estimated from the sill corner locations of vinyl sidings and stucco-clad test walls, respectively. Although high solar exposures on these South East facing walls facilitated the drying process, the sheathing membranes on the stucco-clad walls were found to experience high amounts of moisture loads. These results are useful for fine-tuning the principal moisture load that is applied in hygrothermal performance assessment and design of exterior wall systems.


identifier: Al-Dulaimi, Mustafa  (2015) A Method to Calibrate Roadway Lighting Warrants and Levels with Crash-History.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Every year hundreds of night time road collisions result in fatalities and injuries in Canada. Roadway lighting is considered as the main countermeasure to prevent nighttime crashes. Provision of lighting follows two industry standards in North America: one for the warrants and the other for minimum recommended levels. The warrant system assigns scores to highway segments based on geometrical, operational and functional characteristics as well as the collision history through a night-to-day crash-ratio. Transportation agencies in North America had manifested their interest in simplifying the warrant system; eliminating elements and/or modifying lighting values, however, there is a need for a method to support lighting decisions over its effectiveness as a countermeasure. This thesis presents a novel method to calibrate lighting warrants and to identify effective levels of lighting in order to reduce the severity and frequency of night-time collisions. This new method uses an evidence-based mechanism to connect lighting warrants with statistical analysis of collisions in order to adjust the scores of the warrant. It also connects the estimation of lighting levels with evidence-based statistical analysis of crash-history in order to identify recommended levels of luminance, illuminance and uniformity variations. The method expands the industry standards by providing the decision maker with two alternate non-exclusive approaches supported over collisions’ frequency and severity criteria.  A large-scale case study for highways in Quebec was used to calibrate the warrants and identified recommended levels of luminance of at least 1.5cd/m2, maximum uniformities of illuminance of 1.5 and of luminance of 8 times to prevent severe and frequent collisions. A case study of Arthabaska region in Quebec found that levels of luminance should be increased for every functional classification of roads that values of uniformity must be reduced, and that levels of illuminance increased to reduce severe collisions. The novel methods developed in this research will provide province/state transportation agencies and municipalities with the capability of not only allocating lighting when is needed and justified, but also of selecting the optimal levels that result in effective reductions in nighttime road collision frequency and severity, signifying safer roads for the society at large.


identifier: Cai, Jing  (2015) An investigation of the relationship and employees'engagement and turnover intention--Emotional intelligence and tenure as moderators.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The paper intends to investigate the impact of two types of leadership style (transformational leadership and transactional leadership) on employees’ engagement as well as employee’s turnover intention. Specifically, it builds link while introduces two moderating variables, emotional intelligence (EI) and employees’ tenure in the
meantime to the investigation of leadership effectiveness. Whether leaders’ EI and employees’ tenure have the impact to strengthen or weaken certain leadership styles on employees’ engagement and turnover intention will be examined in the paper.
The data were collected from one middle-sized enterprise in China, including 325 valid responses. Data results demonstrate that only transactional leadership style influences employee turnover intention and employee’s tenure moderates effect of transactional leadership style on employees’ outcomes but there was no significant effect of EI of leaders on two employee outcomes . Since the data mainly came from China, the paper integrates cross cultural theories and leadership practices in Chinese  enterprises, discussions and implications of the research findings are offered.

Key words: transformational leadership style, transactional leadership style, employee engagement, turnover intention, emotional intelligence, tenure


identifier: Truchon, Marie-Michèle  (2015) Parental Differential Treatment and Sibling Relationship Quality in Families with a Child with a Developmental Disability.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
While raising a typically developing child can involve several challenges for parents, this process may be even more complex for families in which there is a child with a developmental disability (DD). This qualitative study utilized a family systems framework to explore the
experiences of nine families with regards to examining the effect of parental differential treatment on the quality of sibling relationships when one sibling has a DD, and the other sibling does not. Questionnaires and in-depth, semi-structured interviews (45-60 minutes) that consisted
of open-ended questions were used. These methods were designed using a variety of question types to gain insight about parental differential treatment and sibling relationship regarding their interactions and the type of social play in which they engaged. The data were analyzed using In Vivo and Axial coding to ensure that concepts emerging from the interview data set captured the key elements of what the interviewee described. Overall, both parents and the typically developing child report that having a sibling with a DD is related to both positive and negative features of the sibling relationship. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that when present, PDT may be linked with less loving and fullfilling sibling relationships from the perspective of all participants. The findings support the importance of implementing, introducing, and teaching methods to parents so that they can take an active role in fostering a positive relationship
between their children.


identifier: El Fathali, Hassan Ibrahim  (2015) Private Partner Selection and Bankability Assessment of PPP in Infrastructure Projects.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The use of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure projects has garnered much international attention over the past few decades. The inclusion of private investors and operators has expanded and improved the quality of public services. When entering a PPP, the most important decision for governments is the selection of the private partner. The selection process should identify and pre-qualify those prospective partners that have the best potential for the successful development and delivery of the proposed PPP project. A successful partnership should ensure that both partners, i.e. the public sector department and the private corporation, have an effective business relationship. While private partner selection is a critical factor, essential for the successful completion of PPP projects, there is a general lack of decision making tools available to assist governments in the selection process. This research aims to assist governments with such decisions by (1) identifying and studying the criteria for selecting the most appropriate private partners for PPP projects; (2) developing a model to select the best private partner; and (3) developing model(s) and a framework that can assess a project’s risk profile from the financing agencies’ perspective.
This research proposes two integrated models. The first model is developed to select the best private partners for PPP infrastructure projects. The selection process is modeled using a fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to adequately handle the process’s imprecision, vagueness and uncertainty. This model takes into account the possible dependencies among selection criteria as well as between alternatives and selection criteria, providing a more realistic solution than deterministic models which ignore such interdependencies. The second model is developed to improve the credit evaluation procedure for evaluating private partners for PPP projects, wherein their bankability is assessed before accepting their request to borrow funds. Publicly-available financial information is utilized to drive a clear understanding and sound interpretation of a project’s free cash flow and its forecasted future free cash flow. In this model, a set of criteria are defined from a survey conducted with credit experts, and then the TOPSIS method is used to calculate the weights of the criteria. Four criteria are used to assess private partners' financial ability based on the detailed free cash flows in multiple scenarios. The developed framework is applied to six PPP projects in Africa where the private partners of these projects were analyzed, evaluated, and prioritized based on their bankability. The model’s result provides creditors with two benefits; it ranks the private partners according to their overall suitability based on the projects’ characteristics and creditors' requirements, and it calculates the maximum amount a creditor would be willing to pay as a loan to each of the partners.
The developed framework is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge in four main aspects. First, it provides a structured tool for governments and decision makers to use to evaluate potential private partner's ability to achieve their strategic objectives, as well as identifying the partners’ strengths and weaknesses. Second, the decision-making tool accounts for influential factors other than the already widely-considered technical and financial aspects, such as safety, environmental, political and managerial concerns. Third, the bankability assessment model combines risk and credit analysis, which enables creditors to rank projects according to their overall suitability based on a projects’ characteristics and the creditors' requirements. Finally, the developed framework provides credit analysts with a tool to quantify the risks affecting projects, and to calculate the maximum amount a creditor would be willing to pay as a loan to each of the projects.


identifier: Yao, Qian  (2015) The Impact of Firm and Information Production on the Aftermarket Liquidity of IPO Firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigates the relationship between the aftermarket liquidity and underpricing of IPO firms by examining a sample of U.S. IPOs issued during the period 1996-2011. We first explore the relationship between stock liquidity (e.g., turnover and Amihud illiquidity) and underpricing during a one-year period after the IPO. Our results suggest that underpricing indeed boosts aftermarket liquidity and is thus in line with similar findings in the previous literature. Thus, a possible mechanism is likely to link the initial returns of IPO with lasting higher aftermarket liquidity. In this context, we propose and examine that “information production” hypothesis that IPO firms experience more information revelation to realize a “market appetite” for newly issued shares. Our empirical results demonstrate that analyst coverage, measured by the number of analysts following the IPO, and news reports, measured by the number of news mentioning the IPO firm, are two probable sources for information generation after the IPO. With a higher level of underpricing, IPO companies will certainly attract more analysts and more media coverage. Then, we check the link between information generation after the IPO and liquidity post-listing. Consistent with our expectations, there is a positive and significant relationship between the number of analysts and liquidity, and the number of news and liquidity. Based on this finding, we conclude that more information generation possibly induces attention among institutional investors and the public, which in turn causes higher aftermarket liquidity. Our study indicates that the underpricing of IPO firms serves as a possible compensation for underwriters and potential investors to obtain more analyst coverage and media attention, which is positively related to higher aftermarket liquidity.


identifier: Baba, Fuad  (2015) Dynamic Effect of Thermal Bridges on the Energy Performance of Residential Buildings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The existence of thermal bridges in building envelopes affects the energy performance of buildings, their durability and occupants’ thermal comfort. Typically the effect of thermal bridges on the energy performance is taken into account by implementing an equivalent U-value in 1D whole building energy simulation program. This treatment accounts for the effect of thermal bridges on the overall thermal resistance, while their thermal inertia effect is ignored.
This thesis investigates the dynamic effect of thermal bridges on the energy performance of residential buildings, surface temperatures and condensation risk through simulations. Three case studies, with different construction types, insulation levels and under different climatic zones, are used for the investigation. Simulation results show that the equivalent wall method and equivalent U-value method may considerably underestimate the heating load for cold climate and the cooling loads for the hot climate comparing with 3D dynamic modelling method, however, the equivalent wall method performs better than the equivalent U-value method.. With improving building envelope details, such as increasing of insulation level or implementation of thermal break in balcony slab, or with reduction of buildings' thermal mass, i.e. by using the wood construction instead of concrete construction, the significance of 3D dynamic method decreases. The milder of the climate, the greater the 3D dynamic effect is.  In addition the 3D dynamic simulation increase the surface temperatures of junction comparing with that modelled using  3D steady state simulation, and then the condensation risk is lower.


identifier: Shahidi Nejad, Hadi  (2015) The Influences and Interactions between Various Scientific Research and Technological Domains in Case of Canadian Nanotechnology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In today’s world, relationship between domains of science and technology is getting stronger as science contributes to technology in different ways. The interaction between scientific and technological domains is happening in complex innovation processes in which new technological ideas emerge as a result of new discoveries in science. This research aims to investigate interactions between various emerging scientific and technological domains and their influences in the development of both patents and publications in the field of nanotechnology.
The study uses real data of the journal articles and patents in nanotechnology between 1995 and 2008 which we clustered into scientific and technological domains. In clustering phase, terms and phrases were located in each record using singular value decomposition algorithm and then documents were assigned to cluster labels by applying standard vector space model algorithm on them. To achieve our research goals, in next step, we built the network of nanotechnology article-patent citations and investigated various network topological parameters over all nodes. The patent-article network is built on citation links among different nodes of patents and articles, while patent nodes cite a set of NPLs (Non-Patent Literature) and NPLs are also citing another set of articles as their references. Focusing on the role of NPLs, we studied trend of network topological parameters like betweenness centrality and degree centrality while looking at correlation between them. We highlighted leading patents in technology and leading articles in NPLs and their cited articles set which could be seeds of innovation in nanotechnology.
Our main results of this research are focused on the role of NPLs as gate-keeper nodes in bridging ideas from scientific to technological domains. Comparing NPL citation counts to articles and patents, results show higher range of NPLs’ contribution to the development of scientific fields than technological domains in Canadian nanotechnology. We also highlighted most cited and citing NPLs nodes of article-patent citation network as significant nodes in connecting science and technology. Using average of citations per article metric, we calculated the rate in which different technological domains influenced by scientific NPLs and also the impact of NPLs on development of different scientific and technological domains. Regarding the contribution of top cited NPL articles in development of scientific domains, we discovered a positive correlation between citation count and betweenness centrality measure of articles, which indicates the more an article is cited by patents and other articles, the more influence it has on the transfer of ideas from scientific to technological domains. We also observed that citation count value of journals in our citation network has a positive relation with the number of scientific domains it contributes to. In addition, we discovered the positive relation between patent citations count and journal’s impact factor. This is interesting to us since we can see the more articles of a specific journals are cited by patents, the more impact factor the articles of that journal have. In other words, impact factor not only shows the impact of articles on development of scientific domains, it also shows how the articles of a journal have impact on development of technological domains. Regarding the NPL’s contribution to development of technological domains, we found a positive relation between NPL journals’ citations to technological clusters and the number of technological clusters they cover. Results showed the increasing trend of journals’ contribution to different technological domains as citation count value of journals increases.
It is worth to mention that this study is the first to examine the flow of ideas from scientific to technological fields which uses a citation network of both patent and article nodes, and investigating leading articles and patents which play a crucial role in keeping this knowledge flow alive in nanotechnology related sub-fields.


identifier: Neagu, Oana  (2015) WiMAX for Smart Grid Applications and the Influence of Impulsive Noise.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In order to adapt the power grid to today’s level of electricity consumption, growing investments are made in a smart power grid. The employment of this novel architecture brings advantages such as efficiency of energy production and consumption, availability and reliability of the service, scalability, self-healing grid, environment friendly, consumer participation in electricity production with harvested energy through solar panels and wind turbines. The rising power demand curve can be restrained by a smart implementation of the new electrical power grid. The smart grid brings out an additional layer that will interconnect and manage all the generation, transmission and distribution sectors of the power grid. Many other features will be brought by the smart grid that will improve its reliability and efficiency and will lead towards renewable and sustainable energy development. In this thesis, we analyze the performances of a smart grid in which the communication layer is implemented using Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication technology. Parameters such as throughput, network capacity, packet loss, latency are studied by analyzing the traffic model generated by using several applications in the Distribution Area Network (DAN) of the Smart Grid. The applications whose traffic was simulated using OPNET are the following four: metering and pricing, electrical car, video surveillance and voice support for workforce. The capacity of a base station in the distribution area network is obtained for each smart grid application individually as well as for the combined traffic of all applications. Furthermore, this thesis also discusses the effects of the impulsive noise over the communication layer. An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) structure using WiMAX physical layer characteristics was simulated with and without the influence of impulsive noise using MATLAB. The results highlighted the effects of the impulsive noise over performances such as bit error rate, packet error rate, throughput and the overall capacity of the network.  For a better understanding, the outcomes are presented with and without the presence of impulsive noise.


identifier: Saleheen, Md Mesbahus  (2016) Modeling and analysis of voltage-dependent photo and dark current characteristics of Bulk Heterojunction organic solar cells.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Over the past decade, bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells based on blends of conjugated polymers and fullerene derivatives (e.g., P3HT:PCBM blend) have drawn a huge attention in research due to their high conversion efficiency, solution-based easy fabrication, and abundant availability. Although presently BHJ cells show a reasonable power conversion efficiency (almost 10 %), further efficiency improvements/optimizations seem very likely by better understanding the operating principles through accurate physics-based modeling and optimizations.

In this thesis, a physics-based explicit mathematical model for the external voltage-dependent forward dark current in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells is developed by considering Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination and solving the continuity equations for both electrons and holes with proper boundary conditions. An analytical model for the external voltage-dependent photocurrent in BHJ organic solar cells is also proposed by incorporating exponential photon absorption, dissociation efficiency of bound electron-hole pairs (EHPs), carrier trapping, and carrier drift and diffusion in the photon absorption layer. Modified Braun’s model is used to compute the electric field-dependent dissociation efficiency of the bound EHPs. The overall net current is calculated considering the actual solar spectrum. The mathematical models are verifield by comparing the model calculations with various published experimental results. We analyze the effects of the contact properties, blend compositions, charge carrier transport properties (carrier mobility and lifetime), and cell design on the current-voltage characteristics.  The power conversion efficiency of BHJ organic solar cells mostly depends on electron transport properties (both the mobility and lifetime) of the acceptor layer. The results of this paper indicate that improvement of charge carrier transport (both mobility and lifetime) and dissociation of bound EHPs in organic blend are critically important to increase the power conversion efficiency of the BHJ solar cells.


identifier: Parvizsedghy, Laya  (2015) Risk-Based Maintenance Planning Model for Oil and Gas Pipelines.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Oil and gas pipelines are the main means of transporting fossil fuels from the wellheads and processing facilities to the distribution centers. The 2013 US infrastructure report card assigned a grade of D+ to energy pipelines signifying they are in a poor condition. More than 10,000 incidents were reported on oil and gas pipelines during the last two decades, most of which resulted in considerable consequences. Recent failures and ruptures have raised concerns over the risk of failure of such pipes in Canada. The main objective of this research is to develop a risk-based maintenance planning model for oil and gas pipelines. The research develops a probability of failure (POF) and a consequence of failure (COF) prediction model and establishes a risk-based inspection and simulation-based rehabilitation planning models.
The POF model develops a comprehensive index by applying the granular theory of uncertainty and the principles of probability theory to forecast the POF of oil and gas pipes. The neuro-fuzzy technique is employed to develop a model that forecasts the financial consequences of the potential failures of such pipes. An integrated fuzzy risk evaluation model is developed with 25 fuzzy rules to assess a pipeline’s risk index. A fuzzy expert system is developed to select the inspection tools and determine their run-frequency according to the failure risk of a pipeline. Regression analysis is applied to develop a risk growth profile to forecast the maximum failure risk of various inspection scenarios. Scenarios are ranked based on their risk-cost index, which integrates two main indices: 1) maximum risk of failure, and 2) life cycle cost of scenarios, computed by applying the Monte-Carlo simulation. Finally, a comprehensive maintenance model proposes the optimum maintenance plans with the lowest LCC, developing a third-degree risk-based deterioration profile of the pipelines.
The POF model’s sensitivity results highlight that cathodic protection effectiveness and soil resistivity are the leading causes of external corrosion failures, while the depth of cover is an important factor of mechanical damages. The COF model attests that diameter, as well as the location properties are important factors for estimating the financial consequences. The developed risk assessment model is validated using a test dataset that proved the models are accurate with about 80% validity. The developed models are applied on a case study of a 24-inch pipe. The POF and COF of the pipe are computed, and the results suggest that the pipe’s risk index is above medium with an average index of 3.5. The study proposes the application of an inspection tool, which decreases the risk growth by 50% during the service life of the pipeline. The application of the maintenance planning model proposes a combination of recoat, repair, and replacement with a medium size of rehabilitation. The net present value of the proposed scenario of maintenance is estimated to cost around 1.7 million dollars over the life cycle of the pipeline, compared to the last-ranked alternative that costs over three million dollars. This research offers a framework to develop a comprehensive index to predict the failure risk of pipes using historical data that can be extended to the other infrastructure types. It develops a model to plan for the optimal pipeline maintenance, and provides an overall image of its service life. The developed models will help the operators predict the risk of failure and plan appropriately for the life cycle of their oil and gas pipelines.


identifier: Amin, Md Shohel Reza  (2015) Pavement Management Systems: Integration of Transportation Modeling, Land Use, Economy and Indicators of Development.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The physical condition of road infrastructure in Canada is not good and roads are in critically condition in many regions. Canadian transportation agencies still require a comprehensive pavement management system (PMS) to guide and recommend the best practices for their appropriate application and communication. The general objective of this research is to extend PMS by incorporating dynamic states of land use, regional economics, travel modeling, and socio-economic development criteria. The specific objectives at regional scale is to integrate regional economy, transport modeling and community development criteria to simulate freight-traffic distribution between Atlantic Provinces of Canada to improve pavement-deterioration modeling and overall province-wide PMS. The specific objective at urban scale is to develop PMS for the road network of Montreal city incorporating simulated traffic and measurement errors free pavement performance curves. Comparison of current practices and proposed PMS based on simulated truck traffic reveals that incorporation of simulated truck traffic into PMS resulted in a more accurate estimation of required levels of funding for maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R). Socio-economic factors of the communities of Atlantic Provinces of Canada are integrated with regional economy and transportation modeling to support multi-criteria based PMS considering that policy makers are not only guided by the engineering characteristics but also by socio-economic benefits of the communities to allocate M&R budget. With and without scenarios of community development criteria into PMS have different implications on M&R budgets. The Backpropagation Neural Network (BPN) method with Generalized Delta Rule (GDR) learning algorithm is applied to develop pavement performance curves for Montreal road network reducing the measurement errors. Finally, a linear programming of PMS is developed for Montreal city incorporating the simulated traffic and pavement performance curves developed by BPN networks. Lifecycle optimization of PMS estimates that CAD 150 million is the minimum annual budget to achieve most of arterial and local roads are at least in good condition (PCI>70) in Montreal city. This research will provide the transportation agencies with an improved decision-making framework capable of delivering a more balanced M&R budget for the achievement of global objectives, such as cost, condition, service, accessibility, and community benefits.


identifier: Foldes, Daphne  (2015) Using Tag Clouds as a Tool for Patients’ Medical History Visualization and Record Retrieval.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Reading through a patient’s medical history can be challenging at best, let alone when the patient has a lengthy medical record. This can be a challenge when the patient is a relatively healthy person and even more challenging for a patient with a medical condition. Having a tool to quickly view and retrieve the pertinent elements of a person’s medical record can be useful, especially in cases where a healthcare practitioner is treating a new patient. We propose a visualization tool that makes use of a tag cloud that would allow a healthcare practitioner to easily visualize and retrieve the essential elements of a patient’s medical record. A prototype was created to run usability testing of the tag cloud tool and collect feedback from healthcare practitioners on the usefulness of such a tool in their day-to-day interactions with patients. Twelve paramedical practitioners tested and were questioned on the tool. The findings of this usability testing showed that such a visualization tool would be helpful to paramedical practitioners seeing a patient for the first time, as well as when dealing with patients who have a lengthy medical history.


identifier: Fang, Lu  (2015) Development of An Integrated GIS-Based System for Surface Water Quality Assessment and Management (GIS-SWQAM).  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
It is an fact that surface water receives a large volume of pollutants from industrial, agricultural, and municipal sources. The adverse health and environmental effects of surface water pollution have been a major concern in environmental management. Water quality models are useful tools to simulate the complex transport and fate of pollutants in a water body and predict the short-term and long-term effects on water quality variation. The emergence of spatial information technologies, such as Geographic Information System (GIS) make it possible to assess and predict surface water quality with more details with respect to spatial information.
The focuses of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive system named as GIS-SWQAM, which includes: (1) the development of a GIS-based water quality assessment system to assess the water quality and provide spatial distribution of water quality variables; (2) the development of an artificial neural network model to predict the change of water quality variables; (3) the development of a user interface that integrates the above models and functions; furthermore, a comparative analysis of the modeling approach developed in the GIS-SWQAM and the commercial model MIKE 21 was performed through field case studies.
The GIS-based water quality and ecological risk assessment models (MWQ module for marine water quality assessment and LWQ module for lake water quality assessment) are developed by integrating a fuzzy risk assessment model, a eutrophication risk assessment model, a heavy metal risk assessment model, a dynamic database, the ArcGIS Engine, and a graphical user interface (GUI). The assessment results are both spatially and visually presented in the form of contour maps and color-coded maps that indicate risk levels. A large amount of data with both spatial and temporal distributions is managed by the developed system and analyzed by the assessment modules. The developed MWQ and LWQ modules are respectively applied in the Liaodong Bay of China and Lake Champlain. The MWQ and LWQ produce risk maps that depict the spatial distribution of integrated water quality index values, eutrophication risk levels and heavy metal risk levels in the study area. The maps generated can provide a better understanding of the distribution of the water quality and ecological risk levels. The primary factors that affect the water quality are subsequently examined using the visualized results.
An artificial neural network model with the back-propagation algorithm (BPANN) is first developed using Matlab to predict the chlorophyll-a concentration in Lake Champlain. Then, the algorithm of the BPANN model is built using the C# programing language and integrated with GIS and the database to build the ANN module, which is applied to predict the total phosphorus concentration in Lake Champlain. The best performing model is determined among the results of models built with different combination of input variables, which are preliminarily selected by linear correlation analysis and domain knowledge. Subsequently, the performances of the BPANN models are validated by a new set of field data. Similar to the MWQ and LWQ modules, the ANN module also produces the spatial distribution maps of the predicted concentrations; errors made during the prediction are presented in the user interface. The results indicate that the developed BPANN models can provide acceptable prediction results and can be used to provide a quick modeling assessment of water quality variation for managers.
In this thesis, the MIKE 21 FM software is also used to establish a hydrodynamic model coupled with a transport model to simulate the total phosphorus concentration in Lake Champlain. A comparative analysis is performed between the results of the MIKE 21 model and the BPANN model. The results of the MIKE 21 model are acceptable, but not as good as that of the BPANN model. This further verifies that the developed BPANN model is a reliable tool to assess the lake eutrophication and to help managing lake water quality. The developed system can be also applied to surface water management in other area.


identifier: Martinig, April Robin  (2015) Evaluating the effectiveness of wildlife passages for small and medium sized mammals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: While many studies have looked at how large mammals respond to road mitigation measures, few have examined the effects on smaller mammals nor taken a multispecies approach. I investigated the effectiveness of three different types of wildlife passages along Highway 175 in Quebec for small and medium sized mammals (<30 kg) using infrared cameras. Wildlife passages (n=17) were monitored year round from 2012 to 2015. Two research questions were addressed: (1) Does discovery and use differ between passages and if so, why? and (2) Are there differences between species? Global and species-specific models were produced for both discovery and use. A linear mixed-effects model was used for discoveries (log-transformed counts) and a generalized linear mixed model was used for usage (binary response). Species’ responded to the passages differently, with discoveries increasing overall and in particular for marmots (Marmota monax) as latitude increased. Pipe culverts were more likely to be discovered by micromammals and wooden ledge culverts by red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) than other passage types. Older passages were discovered less in general, with the exception of marmots. Marmots were the only species to show a difference in use by passage type, favouring pipe culverts. Passage use was less likely with a median present for all models, except squirrels. More open passages had higher use overall and particularly for marmots and weasels (Mustela sp). In contrast to previous studies, distance to cover and the presence of light were not important predictors. Agencies can engineer increasingly effective wildlife passages by minimizing the barrier effect of the structures themselves and constructing passages better suited to the needs of the species being targeted. To benefit the most species, it is recommended that future projects contain a diversity of open, single segment passages requiring long-term monitoring.


identifier: Speight, Jeremy  (2015) 'Big-Men’ Coalitions and Political Order in Northern Côte d’Ivoire (2002-2013).  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Civil war creates significant opportunities for the contestation of political authority. In Sub-Saharan Africa, rebels commonly use organized violence to challenge the authority of pre-conflict elites. Nonetheless, armed movements also ally with pre-conflict elite actors as a strategy for mobilizing popular support and maintaining political order. Contestation and cooperation between rebels and pre-conflict elites is possible because local communities are often comprised of multiple elite groups. What explains coalitional choices? Why do local leaders of armed movements ally with certain actors and not others? These questions are puzzling because local-level rebel leaders sometimes make counterintuitive coalitional choices that restrict their ability to establish and maintain social control.

To explore the relationship between coalition-building and control, this study focuses on the political crisis and war-to-peace transition in Côte d’Ivoire (2002-2013). It compares three towns – Bouna, Korhogo and Ouangolodougou – that fell under the military control of the principal armed movement involved in the conflict, the Forces Nouvelles (FN). Despite being under the control of the same group, each of these cases demonstrated marked variation in the ability of the FN to politically control local populations.

My argument is advanced in two steps. First, what explains patterns of coalition-building in rebel-held zones? I argue that coalition-building is shaped by pre-conflict brokerage relations. Brokers are those political actors that link local communities to the state. I argue that if elites function as brokers between local communities and the central state in the pre-conflict period, this limits their availability as potential allies for leaders of armed movements. Pre-conflict brokerage relations constrain the choice of potential local partners. Second and relatedly, this study explains levels of control established by armed movements that result from coalition-building. The wartime authority of armed movements can, in some cases, be met with stiff resistance from local actors. In others, the wartime political order imposed by armed movements is underwritten by broad support within local communities. I explain these differences by focusing on what I call ‘hierarchical configurations’. Hierarchical configurations describe the relative levels of social hierarchy of competing elite groups. I argue that the level of wartime control established by armed movements is a function of variation in hierarchical configurations because these differences influence the political clout of rebel allies relative to their broker counterparts (or those elites aligned with the state). In summary, pre-conflict brokerage relations influence the coalition-building strategies of armed groups. These coalition-building strategies shape levels of contestation and rebel control as a result of variation in local-level hierarchical configurations.


identifier: Wu, Kangkang  (2015) INFLUENCE MAXIMIZATION IN SOCIAL NETWORKS.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the social network era, every decision an individual makes, whether it is watching a movie or purchasing a book, is influenced by his or her personal network to a certain degree. This thesis investigates the power of the “word-of-mouth” effect within social networks.
Given a network G = (V, E, t) where t(v) denotes the threshold of node v, we model the spread of influence as follows. Influence propagates deterministically in discrete steps. An influenced node u exerts a fixed amount of influence bu,w on any neighbor w. For any uninfluenced node v, if the total amount of influence it receives from all its already influenced neighbors at time step t− 1 is at least t(v), node v will be influenced in step t.
Given a social network G, we study the problem of introducing an already activated external influencer v into the network, and choosing links from v to nodes in G that can maximize the spread of influence in G. We study two problems: the Minimum Links problem, which is to choose the minimum number of links that can activate the entire network, and the Maximum Influence problem, which is to choose k neighbors that will maximize the size of the influenced set. We prove that the Maximum Influence problem is NP-hard, even for bipartite graphs in which thresholds of all nodes are either one or two. We also study both problems in paths, rings, trees and cliques, and we give polynomial time algorithms that find optimal solutions to both problems for all these topologies.


identifier: Peuckert, Liam  (2015) A Diffusion Approximation of a Three Species Fitness-Dependent Population Model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We introduce a continuous time Markov chain to model the ecological competition in the population of 3 species with fitness governed by a modified Moran process based on environmental resources in a limited niche of constant total population N. We run simulations to observe population behavior under different N and initial conditions. We then propose a model approximation which for large N converges to an ODE over most of the population space, with the population following a deterministic trajectory until it reaches an asymptotically stable line.  We then prove that the approximation converges to a one dimensional diffusion forced onto the stable line until the first extinction occurs. We use the drift and diffusion coefficients of the diffusion to calculate the expected probability of first extinction for specific species, as well as the expected time until first extinction. Finally, we compare these with data obtained via simulations to show that the approximation is a good fit.


identifier: Karajian, Sarine  (2016) Consequences of Fraud and Overcoming Negative Market Reaction.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper investigates firms that have attracted scrutiny from the SEC and that have been found to be involved in fraud. We examine the market reaction for the sample of firms following the announcement of their involvement in fraud, which we refer to as trigger event. We match our sample of firms with others by industry, size, market-to-book and Altman Z-Score to compare our sample of firms with others that have not been involved in fraud at the time of trigger event. We find that the fraud sample attract negative and significant returns following the announcement of fraud, in contrast to the control sample. We also examine tactics that firms may use to regain the market’s confidence, such as changes in executives, auditing firm and company name. We find that the market reacts negatively right after the change in executives, but the negative trend is reversed in the long-term for the firms that make the executive change quickly after the trigger event. Similarly, firms that change their auditing firm quickly are better off. We also find that there is significantly higher information asymmetry during the trigger event, litigation date, as well as changes in CEO, CFO and auditor. We also use accrual models to identify earnings management and find that the non-discretionary accruals Jones and Modified Jones models show a significant difference between the two samples, matched and fraud, at the year of the trigger event. Finally, we investigate whether any accounting variables predict financial distress. We find that profitability ratios as well as changes in CFO and auditor are positively and significantly related to and therefore predict the absence of financial distress, in contrary to high debt, according to our findings, predict financial distress.


identifier: Jilwah, Ravi  (2015) Wanderlust: Young Canadian Professionals’ Movement and Lives Between Canada and Japan.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Wanderlust: Young Canadian Professionals’ Movement and Lives Between Canada and Japan

Ravi Jilwah

This M.A. anthropology thesis investigates the movement and transnational lives of young Canadian professionals who have worked and lived in Japan. I address the problem of linear notions of the life course and essentialist categorizations of mobile agents. This problem is largely in line with concepts such as the ‘middle class’ that are no longer tied solely to notions of wealth and associated forms of prestige. I approach this problem in engaging with particular moments in young people’s lives that inspire and propel them to pursue opportunities beyond the confines of longstanding western notions of the life course. In this study, I carried out ethnographic fieldwork in organizational events pertaining to this movement. I also interviewed 15 young Canadian professionals who have or were intending to move between Canada and Japan to explore their aspirations, career goals, and future plans. I apply concepts of mobility, youth, and the life course to generate scholarly interest into the lives of young westerners and to demonstrate that we need not necessarily look far and beyond our borders to discover aspects of ‘foreignness’. I furthermore attempt to convince readers that it is not solely the experiences of travel that changes sojourners, but the way and the means in which they internalize, process, and voice their travel experiences at different points in their lives.


identifier: Rouhani, Farzad  (2015) Developing a Plastic Hinge Model for RC Beams Prone to Progressive Collapse.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The US General Service Administration (GSA) 2013 Guidelines specify the procedures and the minimum requirements for the design and evaluation of the new and existing buildings against progressive collapse due to an instantaneous removal of vertical load bearing elements (i.e., columns). The objective of this study is to assess the modeling parameters for reinforced concrete (RC) beams specified in the GSA 2013. Three types of RC buildings located in high, moderate and low seismic zones in Canada are designed according to the 2010 edition of the National Building Code of Canada. They were designed to have ductile, moderately ductile, and conventional seismic force resisting system (SFRS). In total, 27 three-dimensional finite element models are developed using ABAQUS by considering the design variables, such as span length, depth of the section, and the reinforcement ratio. Nonlinear pushdown analyses are conducted by increasing the vertical displacement at the location where the column is removed. The bending moment at the critical section of the beams is monitored throughout the analysis. Based on the analysis results, moment-rotation curve for beam for each type of the building is proposed.  In addition, it is found out in the study that the detailing of the seismic design has significant effect on the progressive collapse resistance.


identifier: Loiselle, Mathieu  (2015) Designs with an Intersection Property inspired by the Erdos-Ko-Rado Problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Katona’s proof of the Erdos-Ko-Rado Theorem (EKR) relies on the existence of a family of v k-subsets of a set of size v with no subfamily of k+1 sets that are pairwise 1-intersecting. Herein, we consider a generalization of these families: collections of size λ {v \choose t}/{k \choose t} of k-subsets of a set of size v with no subcollection of λ+1 sets that are pairwise t-intersecting. Katona’s original family corresponds to the case t = 1 and  λ = k. Replacing Katona’s family with such a collection in his proof constitutes a Katona-style proof of EKR for the parameters t, v, and k.
Any Steiner system is such a collection and any such collection is proven to be a t-design. Moreover, the Erdos-Ko-Rado theorem itself can be seen as the statement that for any t and k, and for a sufficiently large value of v, the set of all k-subsets of a set of size v is such a collection with λ ={v-t \choose k-t}. Proofs and analogs of the Erdos-Ko-Rado theorem have been topics of interest since its publication and the t-designs we identify have aspects of both. Each design proves a particular instance of EKR and satisfies a condition analogous to the conclusion of EKR. In honor of Katona’s proof, we have named these collections Katona sieves. The research questions addressed by this thesis are for what values of λ, given t, v, and k, does such a collection exist and which t-designs have this property.
We largely restricted our attention to 2-designs and developed programs for generating 2-(v,k,λ) designs, testing for the additional property that no subfamily of λ+1 subsets is 2-intersecting, that is, testing the condition for being a Katona sieve. For any choice of v, k, and λ, the number of blocks in the design, b, and the number of blocks containing a given element, r, are uniquely determined. Of the 142 case listed in the CRC Handbook for 2-designs with b ≤ 64 and r ≤ 21, existence or non-existence of a Katona sieve is established through theory for 92 cases. Of these the enumeration problem was also settled for by theory for 71 cases and settled by computation for 10 cases. Of the 50 cases for which the existence problem is not settled by theory, we resolve 17 more through computation, fully enumerating 14 of these cases. This leaves 33 cases with b ≤ 64 and r ≤ 21 for which existence is not determined and an additional 14 only partially enumerated.


identifier: Daradkeh, Tariq  (2015) Distributed Shared Memory based Live VM Migration.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Cloud computing is the new trend in computing services and IT industry, this computing paradigm has numerous benefits to utilize IT infrastructure resources and reduce services cost. The key feature of cloud computing depends on mobility and scalability of the computing resources, by managing virtual machines. The virtualization decouples the software from the hardware and manages the software and hardware resources in an easy way without interruption of services. Live virtual machine migration is an essential tool for dynamic resource management in current data centers. Live virtual machine is defined as the process of moving a running virtual machine or application between different physical machines without disconnecting the client or application. Many techniques have been developed to achieve this goal based on several metrics (total migration time, downtime, size of data sent and application performance) that are used to measure the performance of live migration. These metrics measure the quality of the VM services that clients care about, because the main goal of clients is keeping the applications performance with minimum service interruption.
The pre-copy live VM migration is done in four phases: preparation, iterative migration, stop and copy, and resume and commitment. During the preparation phase, the source and destination physical servers are selected, the resources in destination physical server are reserved, and the critical VM is selected to be migrated. The cloud manager responsibility is to make all of these decisions. VM state migration takes place and memory state is transferred to the target node during iterative migration phase. Meanwhile, the migrated VM continues to execute and dirties its memory. In the stop and copy phase, VM virtual CPU is stopped and then the processor and network states are transferred to the destination host. Service downtime results from stopping VM execution and moving the VM CPU and network states. Finally in the resume and commitment phase, the migrated VM is resumed running in the destination physical host, the remaining memory pages are pulled by destination machine from the source machine. The source machine resources are released and eliminated.
In this thesis, pre-copy live VM migration using Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) computing model is proposed. The setup is built using two identical computation nodes to construct all the proposed environment services architecture namely the virtualization infrastructure (Xenserver6.2 hypervisor), the shared storage server (the network file system), and the DSM and High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster. The custom DSM framework is based on a low latency memory update named Grappa. Moreover, HPC cluster is used to parallelize the work load by using CPUs computation nodes. HPC cluster employs OPENMPI and MPI libraries to support parallelization and auto-parallelization. The DSM allows the cluster CPUs to access the same memory space pages resulting in less memory data updates, which reduces the amount of data transferred through the network.
The thesis proposed model achieves a good enhancement of the live VM migration metrics. Downtime is reduced by 50 % in the idle workload of Windows VM and 66.6% in case of Ubuntu Linux idle workload. In general, the proposed model not only reduces the downtime and the total amount of data sent, but also does not degrade other metrics like the total migration time and the applications performance.


identifier: Chicoine, Nikita  (2015) Injured athletes self-report poor sleep, more pain and increased anxiety.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Nikita Chicoine

After injury athletes self-report poor sleep and increased pain and anxiety
There is a reciprocal relationship between pain and sleep but there are only a few studies that measure the direct effect of pain on sleep. In addition, athletes often suffer from painful injuries but there is no information on how their pain affects their sleep and recovery. Finally, in naturally occurring pain conditions, the influence of anxiety is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to measure the influence of pain and anxiety on sleep in athletes. We used a one group, pre-post test design. Eleven collegiate athletes completed both the injured phase and healed phase (6 females and 5 males; height=175.2cm (10.3), mass=81.3kg (23.0) age= 21.0yrs (1.4)). We measured their function, pain, anxiety, subjective sleep measures, and actigraphy measures of sleep at both phases. Our athletes experienced a significant reduction in pain, and a significant improvement in function in the healed phase compared to the injured phase. In addition, anxiety improved from a medium level to a weak level. Moreover, our athletes had significant poorer self-report sleep quality during the injured phase compared to the healed phase. In conclusion, self-reported sleep was worse after suffering an injury compared to sleep during the healed phase but actigraphy measurements were not different between the two phases. It seems evident that our athletes’ sleep hygiene need to be improved to be able to further investigate the pain/sleep relationship in our athlete. Finally, according to our findings anxiety seems to be an important factor in athletes’ sleep but is rarely measured.


identifier: Soroush, Adel  (2015) Development of Antimicrobial Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes by Using Silver Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Membrane filtration has been gaining great attention in water and wastewater treatments processes because of its high-performance efficacy, modular design, and smaller physical footprint.  Thanks to special membrane materials and structure, osmosis processes are widely used in water desalination and water reuse processes. Aside from their high performance of osmosis processes, they inevitably do suffer from membrane fouling and biofouling during treatment processes that significantly decrease water treatment performance and final product quality.
Two different biocidal nanomaterials and their combinations were used in this project for the modification of membrane surfaces and the development of biocidal membranes: silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and graphene oxide nanosheets (GO).
GO/Ag nanocomposite functionalization of TFC FO membranes provides an efficient antimicrobial surface that has more desirable characteristics than those with only GO or Ag NPs. Also, the higher hydrophilicity of the resulting membranes, the low material cost, and the ease of preparation (dip coating method) offer a more efficient approach than other modification methods. In comparison to the formation of AgNPs on pristine TFC FO membranes, the in situ formation of AgNPs on the GO-modified membrane surface resulted in greater silver loading, higher and longer lasting ion-release, and more effective antimicrobial properties.
The regeneration of GO-Ag-modified membranes was also examined. Modified membranes were kept in DI water for seven days to emulate depletion. AgNPs were successfully formed using an in-situ procedure on the surface of the membranes, identical to the initial membrane formation. Results show that membrane hydrophilicity and its antimicrobial ability decreased after the releasing process, however, the regeneration process allowed the membrane to nearly regain the properties seen in the freshly modified membrane. The simple regeneration method developed in this study will allow on-site modification and regeneration of different types of industrial membrane modules (hollow fiber, spiral wound).


identifier: Tziallas, Evangelos  (2015) Between the Gothic and Surveillance: Gay (Male) Identity, Fiction Film, and Pornography (1970-2015).  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this thesis I make the case for rethinking fictional and explicit queer representation as a form of surveillance. I put recent research in surveillance studies, particularly work on informational doubling, in conversation with the concepts of the uncanny and the doppelgänger to reconsider the legacy of screen theory and cinematic discipline in relation to the ongoing ideological struggle between normativity and queerness. I begin my investigation in and around the Stonewall era examining the gothic roots and incarnation of gay identity. I then trace the formation and development of identity through cinematic and pornographic representation taking critical snapshots of four identifiable epochs organized around a seismic socio-political disjuncture: after Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign in the late 70s and early 80s; during the AIDS crisis between the mid-80s and mid-90s; after the AIDS crisis in the late 90s when family politics took centre stage; and in the midst of the “bareback crisis” in the new millennium.
	I argue that in order to understand the crisis in contemporary queer cultural politics heavily influenced by the rupture in uniform safer-sex practices we must trace the lineage of figurative identity through fiction and hard core film back to its post-Stonewall incarnation. It is my ultimate contention that the strategic deployment of homogeneous identity via social, personal, and sexual identification with the image double became a way to control the streets without having to be on the streets. Mainstream(ed) representation became, and remains, a brilliantly insidious form of social engineering and not a path toward liberation and freedom. Homosexuality exists outside the field of the visible, but the gay and queer do not. I argue that through film and porn metaphysical identities were strategically manufactured which queer individuals were and are compelled and convinced to identify with and mimic, culminating in an ideological and representational schism in the twenty-first century whose effect on lived experience has had significant consequences.


identifier: Nieborowska, Victoria  (2015) Age-related hearing loss and gait adaptations: Postural prioritization during concurrent walking and listening tasks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Age-normative hearing loss is linked with reduced cognitive functioning, mobility decline, and increased falls risk in older adults. One explanation, as yet untested experimentally, is that with age, there are increasing demands for limited cognitive capacity required to successfully perform walking and listening. To address this gap, the current study investigated age-related differences in the allocation of cognitive resources between concurrent walking and listening tasks. Seventeen younger and twelve older adults with normal hearing participated. Three sentences (1 target, 2 maskers) were played simultaneously from apparent auditory scene locations (left, center, right) in a virtual reality street crossing scene. Target location probability (100% versus ≤75%) was varied. Participants reported key elements from the target sentences. Gait during self-paced treadmill walking was assessed with a motion capture system using active markers positioned on the head, sternum, waist, and feet. Participants completed five conditions: walking only, listening only 100% probability, listening only ≤75% probability, walking while listening 100% probability, and walking while listening ≤75%. Key dependent measures were listening accuracy, head and trunk position, and gait parameters (e.g., step width, stride length, stride time, stride time variability, velocity, and cadence). Word recognition accuracy was significantly worse in (a) older than younger adults, (b) dual- than single-task, and (c) less predictable location probability. Kinematic analyses revealed reduced average head pitch and stride time variability, but increased variability in cadence from single-task walking to dual-task conditions in older adults. Younger adults did not exhibit a consistent gait pattern. Overall, older adults displayed more dual-task costs in listening performance, but younger adults showed more performance costs in motor function. A closer examination of performance costs revealed that older adults who demonstrated improved posture through reduced head pitch rotation were also better at listening under dual-task conditions. Altogether, listening in a multitalker situation in old age was particularly hampered when concurrently walking and when the signal location was less predictable. Furthermore, under increased cognitive load, older adults displayed reduced gait variability in stride time, and straightened their head alignment. These findings suggest that older adults redistribute cognitive resources toward gait over listening performance, consistent with theories of postural prioritization and cognitive compensation.


identifier: Saleh, Feras A S  (2015) Multi-Tier Supplier Quality Evaluation in Global Supply Chains.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Supplier quality evaluation is a critical part of quality management in global supply chains. Poor supplier quality results in not only monetary losses but also negatively impacts the business potential and future growth of buyer organizations. In this thesis, we propose a multi-tier supplier quality evaluation framework based on total cost of ownership and data envelopment analysis for quality management in global supply chains. The proposed approach comprises of three main steps. Firstly, we group the upstream suppliers based on common attributes using hierarchical cluster analysis. Then, we calculate the total cost of ownership for the grouped suppliers and their sub-suppliers using various qualitative and quantitative factors that are vital for quality management in global supply chains. In the third and the last step, we apply data envelopment analysis to compute the efficiencies of various suppliers to identify the best one (s) and recommend for selection. A numerical application is provided.
The proposed approach is very useful to decision makers in benchmarking supplier quality performances and setting improvement targets for supplier quality development in global supply chains.


identifier: Li, Puzhen  (2015) Studies of catechol-functionalized multidentate block copolymer strategy to stabilize superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents play important roles in diagnosis and clinical applications. Particularly, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SNPs) with appropriate surface modification hold enormous promise as MRI contrast agents owning to their excellent biocompatibility. This thesis describes novel catechol-functionalized multidentate block copolymer (Cat-MDBC) strategy that enables the stabilization of SNPs with diameter ≤3.5 nm as effective MR bright imaging (T1-weighted) contrast agents.
Atom transfer radical polymerization and post-modification methods allow for the synthesis of well-controlled Cat-MDBCs. They enable the stabilization of ultrasmall SNPs with diameter ≈3.5 nm (i.e. USNPs) through a biphasic ligand exchange process. The results from surface characteristics, colloidal stability in physiological properties, relaxivity properties, and in vitro MRI suggest that the USNPs coated with Cat-MDBC (Cat-MDBC/USNPs) can be a promising candidate for T1-MRI application.
Further, extremely small SNPs with diameter ≈2 nm (i.e. ESNPs) coated with Cat-MDBC (Cat-MDBC/ESNPs) have better relaxivity properties as T1-MRI contrast agents, compared with the Cat-MDBC/USNP colloids; and more promisingly, they have the r2/r1 value comparable to clinically-used Gd3+-based contrast agents.


identifier: Ferdous, Abonti  (2015) Design and Validation of a Secured Tunnel in the Automatic Multicast Tunneling (AMT) Environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
IP multicasting is a communication mechanism in which data are communicated from a server to a set of clients who are interested in receiving those data. Any client can dynamically enter or leave the communication. The main problem of this system is that every client that is interested in receiving the multicast data has to be in a multicast enabled network. The Network Working Group at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has come up with a solution to this problem. They have developed a protocol named Automatic Multicast Tunneling (AMT). This protocol offers a mechanism to enable the unicast-only clients to join and receive multicast data from a multicast enabled region through an AMT tunnel, which is formed between the two intermediate participants named Gateway and Relay. However, AMT does not provide any Participant Access Control (PAC).
Malla has designed an architecture for adding PAC at the receiver’s end in the AMT environment. His work is based on the assumption that the AMT tunnel is secure and the tunnel can recognize and pass the additional message types that his design requires. We have designed the solution to secure the AMT tunnel. We also defined the additional message types. Lastly, we validated our work using the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool to ensure that our design is secure.


identifier: Deb Nath, Uzzwal Kumar  (2015) Field Measurements of Wind-Driven Rain on Mid - and High - Rise Buildings in Two Canadian Regions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Wind-driven rain (WDR) is an important boundary condition for the study of the hygrothermal behaviour and durability of building envelopes. Understanding the WDR characteristics is important for establishing designs that minimize the moisture related issues. The objectives of this study are to generate a unique set of measurements to characterize the WDR distribution on mid- and high-rise buildings for different Canadian climatic regions, to provide data for validating CFD models and to evaluate the accuracy of existing semi-empirical methods used for quantifying WDR loads on building façades. Three buildings located in two Canadian cities (i.e., McLeod House in Fredericton; HB and FB Building in Montreal) have been instrumented with equipment to simultaneously record local weather data of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, relative humidity, horizontal rainfall, and WDR loads on building façades.  Onsite data, collected for fourteen months from McLeod House, fifteen months from HB Building, and twelve months from FB Building, has been used for analysis. The historical and onsite wind and rain conditions, spatial distribution of wind-driven rain on façades in terms of catch ratios and wall factors, and comparisons between measured and predicted wind-driven rain using the semi-empirical models are reported for the monitoring periods.

The analysis of field measurements shows that catch ratios vary with rain events with higher values at the corners and edges of the façades. Typically catch ratios are higher at the top of the facades and decrease towards the bottom. The catch ratios are higher for the thirteen story high-rise building compared to the four and seven story mid-rise buildings at the same height below the roofline. Catch ratios are higher when approaching wind is normal to the façade and values increase with the increase of wind speed. Discrepancies between the ISO standard suggested wall factors and wall factors calculated based on measurements are observed for all three test buildings. It is found that the wall factors vary along both the building height and across the building width, while the ISO standard only suggests two values along the building height with no change across the building width. The ISO semi-empirical model overestimates the WDR at all monitored façade locations on McLeod House and HB Building, and 83% of the monitored façade locations on FB Building. The ASHRAE 160 model overestimates the WDR amount largely for most of the monitored façade locations of the test buildings. The discrepancies between measurements and predictions using semi-empirical models are due to the lack of variation of wall factors across building façade suggested in the standards and limited number of building geometries. The errors associated with WDR measurements vary with rain events with the maximum error contributed by adhesion-water-evaporation, however, the total amount of error is small as compared to WDR amount. To improve the semi-empirical models for estimating WDR on façade, wall factors based on field measurements on buildings with a wider range of building geometries and at more façade locations are needed.