identifier: Meyer, Felicia  (2013) Early adolescents’ understanding of different forms of psychopathology and its implications for peer relationships: A mixed-methods approach.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The aim of this project was to extend prior research on youth’s understanding of, and responses to, peers with mental health problems. The two present studies were designed to examine causal beliefs, attitudes and behavioural intentions towards hypothetical peers displaying symptoms of four common forms of childhood psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder) in a sample of 272 early adolescents in Montreal, Quebec. A mixed-methods design was implemented consisting of ratings and open-ended questions in response to behavioural vignettes. Using analysis of variance and factor analysis, results from both studies supported our main hypothesis that beliefs, levels of liking and intended behaviours would vary as a function of the type of problem depicted and show consistent differences between internalizing and externalizing problems. Specifically, results from Study 1 on causal beliefs show that conduct problems were most viewed as within the peer’s control and attributed to lack of effort, in line with previous findings on beliefs about peers’ personal responsibility for aggressive behaviour. As expected, results from Study 2 provide evidence that liking, friendship and helping intentions were higher towards peers with internalizing difficulties (i.e., anxiety and depression) than towards those displaying acting-out behaviours, with the most negative responses observed for the peer with conduct problems. Using content analysis, the open-ended question eliciting ways to help a peer revealed a wide range of help strategies proposed by early adolescents, including peer involvement and professional help, again with variations by problem. Taken together, qualitative findings provide evidence for the ability of 10- to 12-year-olds to offer a range of explanations (internal and external) for mental health problems and to suggest general and problem-specific help strategies, thus enhancing our limited knowledge of mental health literacy in this age group. Overall, results confirm and extend findings on youth’s tendency to stigmatize peers displaying aggressive behaviour, as evidenced by attributions of controllability, negative attitudes and social distance, with implications for peer rejection experienced by such youth. By shedding light on responses to peers with psychological problems in early adolescence, this work informs our understanding of the development of mental health stigma.


identifier: Aponte, Daniel  (2013) A Novel Task for Evaluating Anticipatory Postural Behaviour in Rats.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: A variety of human and animal postural tasks are commonly used to describe the different strategies used to cope with a perturbation of the base of support. Rodent research on posture is generally limited to tasks which test dexterity and coordination more than posture per se.  We designed a novel task in which a conditioning stimulus tone was coupled to a platform drop in order to entrain anticipatory postural behaviour. Rats were conditioned using delay-conditioning, which consisted of a 2 s stimulus tone coupled to the drop of a moveable platform. The platform was fitted with a force plate built with a clear acrylic sheet and 4 load cells. This force plate measured ground reaction forces which were used to calculate center of pressure (CoP), CoP displacement, CoP excursion and CoP variability. Video of the animal behaviour was recorded from underneath the platform and used to calculate the orientation of the animal. It was found that trained rats increased their CoP displacement, CoP excursion and CoP variability in response to the stimulus tone, before the platform drop. Trained animals consistently moved toward the back of the platform upon hearing the tone, indicating acquisition of the desired conditioned response, and understanding of the parameters of the task. There were no training-related changes to orientation variables, but the animals demonstrated a preference for facing the interior of the platform. This is the first step in describing rat behaviour in an anticipatory behaviour paradigm.


identifier: Almuhajri, Mrouj  (2013) Arabic E-Reading: Studies on Legibility and Readability for Personal Digital Assistants.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Electronic reading opens new avenues especially with the advance of modern reading devices. The new generation of Personal Digital Assistants PDAs becomes more popular and more affordable. Therefore, while displays keep shrinking in size, it is needed to re-evaluate typefaces used in these devices as they form a substantial component in the reading field. In this research, a survey was conducted to identify Arab community preferences of 13 selected fonts on PDAs. Also, it inferred the popularity of using these devices for reading. From the participation of 53 subjects in this survey, it was deduced that e-reading using PDAs among Arab communities is increasing dramatically, which necessitates the need of investigation for better fonts used in these devices. Moreover, the results from font evaluation based on people preferences reduced the number of studied fonts to six for further examination.
Three experiments have been conducted to investigate six Arabic fonts on PDAs from the perspective of legibility and readability to come up with the best fonts. In all three experiments, 138 subjects participated doing i3arabi Test over iPad and iPad mini devices. Two experiments were done to evaluate the legibility of the selected fonts. However, due to the nature of Arabic language, it was difficult to apply the same methods used to test Latin fonts. A pilot study was done to understand the problem, and results supported the mentioned difficulty. Therefore, a novel method named M-Short-Exposure method has been proposed to investigate the legibility of isolated Arabic letters and connected letters. The results indicate Geeza Pro and
Uthman SH fonts yielded the best performance in the first and second experiments respectively. Then an integration result has been concluded for legibility experiments confirming Geeza Pro and Uthman SH as the most legible fonts to be used on PDAs.
In readability experiment, reading speed and comprehension questions have been used over running texts of the selected fonts to measure their readability. It has been found that there is no correlation between reading speed and comprehension factors. Though, the results provide Yakout Reg and Uthman SH fonts as the most appropriate fonts to be used on PDAs for e-reading.
Finally, Our findings provide the most legible and/or readable font(s) among the tested set. Moreover, some recommendations have been made on better use of legible and/or readable Arabic fonts for different purposes.


identifier: Ortgies, Dirk  (2013) Development of palladium-catalyzed desulfinative coupling reactions.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A key aspect of organic chemistry is the development of methods to gain an easier and more economical access to a variety of useful molecules. Since the discovery palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions,  transformations that employ an organometallic reagent as a nucleophilic coupling partner together with an aryl halide or pseudo-halide as the electrophile have set the standard for carbon-carbon bond formation. More recently, chemists have become increasingly aware of how their science affects the environment and that it has been strongly dependent on a finite amount of resources. Therefore principles of a greener chemistry have been applied to guide researchers in the development of novel reactions towards a more sustainable, less hazardous and less wasteful chemistry.

Decarboxylative cross-couplings employ aromatic carboxylic acids as replacement for the organometallic reagent and form only carbon dioxide as by-product, but decarboxylations of benzoic acids require a metal co-catalyst. Therefore, desulfinative cross-couplings, which rely on aryl sulfinate salts as the nucleophilic coupling-partner, have also gained attention. Bench-stable sulfinates can undergo metal-assisted desulfination under extrusion of sulfur dioxide in analogy to the decarboxylation of benzoates. This thesis started with the adaptation of conditions from a heteroaromatic decarboxylative cross-coupling towards a desulfinative reaction of aryl sulfinates with aryl bromides. The method gave good results with electron-poor aryl bromides and further studies of the reaction demonstrated that it is indeed a palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling and neither a nucleophilic aromatic substitution nor a radical transformation.

During these studies, a tendency of the aryl sulfinate to undergo C-C homocoupling reactions was noted. We were interested in developing a catalytic reaction to improve access to symmetrical biphenyls. Conditions in aqueous media employing copper(II) dichloride for the reoxidation of the palladium catalyst as well as a reaction catalytic in palladium and TEMPO with molecular oxygen as terminal oxidant were successfully established. Further studies led to the development of a ligand-free desulfinative cross-coupling reaction that demonstrated an excellent reactivity of aryl sulfinates with bromobenzonitriles. Additional work to discover  more sustainable reaction conditions resulted in the development of a method in isopropanol for bromobenzonitriles  and attempts to adapt the reaction for aryl chlorides yielded a desulfinative cross-coupling with chlorobenzonitrile.

In summary, the research presented herein describes novel methods for the preparation of carbon-carbon bonds via palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of aryl sulfinates. It increases the scope of synthetically applicable reactions of aryl sulfinates and enhances the knowledge on their reactivity.


identifier: Zhang, Dongpeng  (2014) Digital Signal Processing of POL-QAM and SP-QAM in Long-Haul Optical Transmission Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Coherent detection employing high modulation formats has become one of the most
attractive technologies for long-haul transmission systems due to the high power and
spectral efficiencies. Appropriate digital signal processing (DSP) is used to equalize and
compensate for distortion caused by laser and fiber characteristics and impairments, such
as polarization mode dispersion (PMD), polarization rotation, laser phase noise and
nonlinear effects. Research on the various DSP algorithms in the coherent optical
communication systems is the most promising investigation.
In this research, two new modulation formats; polarization QAM modulation (POL-QAM)
and set-partitioning QAM (SP-QAM) are investigated due to their high spectral
efficiency and novelty. For PMD and polarization rotation equalization, a new modified
constant modulus algorithm (CMA) is proposed for POL-QAM. We investigate the bit
error rate (BER) performance of the two modulation formats over fiber channel
considering PMD and polarization rotation effects. Furthermore, we investigate the BER
performance of the two modulation formats over long-haul fiber optic transmission
systems. Carrier phase estimation (CPE) algorithms are also investigated, which are used
to mitigate phase noise caused by the transmitter.


identifier: Kazemi, Hamed  (2013) The Capacity of Pulp-and-Paper Wastewater in the Absorption of CO2 and its removal from the gas phase.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, mainly generated by industrial and anthropogenic activities. Numerous investigations have been conducted on the reduction of atmospheric CO2 emission with considerable attention paid to studying the applicability of gas-liquid absorption. The present research studied CO2 absorption by the wastewater of a pulp-and-paper plant in an effort to determine the capacity of wastewater to absorb CO2 as well as CO2 emission reduction. In a series of experiments, the ability of pulp-and-paper wastewater to absorb CO2 from a CO2 - air mixture was studied. The examined wastewater had an average alkalinity of 2700 mg/L and an initial pH of 6.5. The impact of operating conditions including the wastewater temperature, gas composition, and liquid and gas flow rates on CO2 absorption by the wastewater and CO2 removal efficiency was investigated. The results showed that the gas composition had a considerable impact on the final CO2(aq) concentration and removal efficiency of CO2 while temperature and flow rate had less significant effects. Higher CO2(aq) concentrations were achieved at lower temperatures and higher gas-phase CO2 concentrations, as well as lower liquid flow rates. CO2 removal efficiencies were higher at lower temperatures, lower gas-phase CO2 concentrations, and higher liquid flow rates. The gas flow rate showed to mainly affect the absorption rate. The maximum CO2 concentration during continuous mode of operation was 11.9 g/L which was obtained at the liquid flow rate of 200 mL/min and gas flow rate of 2.5 L/min. In terms of CO2 emission reduction, the maximum removal efficiency was found to be 23%. Although the capacity of wastewater in the absorption of CO2 was shown to be lower than that of conventional caustic solutions, wastewater has been proven to be an effective alternative to reducing CO2 emissions.


identifier: Fiset, John  (2014) The Good Shepherd: The Impact of Relational Leadership Interventionary Behaviour on Workplace Ostracism.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis outlines the emergence of the construct of relational leadership interventionary behaviour, defined as a leader’s ability to foster an inclusive workgroup climate and enact effective third-party interpersonal interventions through displays of social awareness, proactivity and positive intentions. Across five studies and using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, three emergent dimensions were confirmed and efforts were taken to create a measure of the construct. Based on the results obtained from 40 in-depth interviews and 739 survey respondents, the relational leadership interventionary behaviour scale (RELIB) possessed convergent and discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity was demonstrated through the scale’s relation with workplace ostracism, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviour, safety climate, well-being and task performance. Additionally, evidence supported the scale’s test-retest validity and predictive validity over and above leader-member exchange and perceived leader emotional intelligence. Overall, the measure was found to be both reliable and valid, with important implications for a variety of individual work attitudes and organizational outcomes.


identifier: Mouradian, Carla  (2014) An Infrastructure for Robotic Applications as Cloud Computing Services.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Robotic applications are becoming ubiquitous. They are widely used in several areas (e.g., healthcare, disaster management, and manufacturing). However, their provisioning still faces several challenges such as cost efficiency. Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm that may aid in tackling these challenges. It has three main facets: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). Virtualization is a technique that allows the abstraction of actual physical computing resources into logical units; it enables efficient usage of resources by multiple users. Its role is a key to resource efficiency. Virtualization can be performed at both node and network level.
This thesis focuses on the IaaS aspects of robotic applications as cloud computing services. It starts by defining a set of requirements on the infrastructure for cost efficient robotic applications provisioning. It then reviews the state of the art. After pinpointing the shortcoming of the state of the art, it proposes an architecture that enables cost efficiency through virtualization and dynamic task delegation to robots, including robots that might belong to other clouds. Overlays and RESTful Web services are used as cornerstones. The virtualization in the IaaS is achieved by providing a coalition formation algorithm, which is the cooperation between several robots to perform a task that either cannot be solved individually or can be solved more efficiently as a group. Forming the effective coalitions is another big challenge. We adapted heuristic-based Multi Objective- Particle Swarm Optimization (MO-PSO) algorithm to solve this specific problem.
As a proof of concept, a prototype is built using LEGO Mindstorms NXT as the robotic platform, and JXTA as the overlay middleware and the prototype architecture is presented along with the implemented scenario (i.e., wildfire suppression). Performance measurements have also been made to evaluate viability. To evaluate the effectiveness of our algorithm, WEBOTS simulation software is used.


identifier: Saini, Harjot Singh  (2014) A LabVIEW based Power Converter design for Time Domain Electromagnetic System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In geophysical survey industry, helicopter time domain electromagnetic systems (HTEM) are used widely due to their better spatial resolution and ability to conduct surveys in difficult geographical areas. However, these systems are limited in terms of the exploration depths achieved due to the constraints on the overall weight of the system that a helicopter can safely tow. There is a scope to develop a compact yet high power system that is light in weight, fast in response and able to control high current pulses to achieve deeper exploration depths. In this thesis, a new LabVIEW based   power converter is proposed and implemented to achieve flexible and faster control of the TEM system. The current control is implemented with hysteresis current control logic and a constant ON-Time current control logic. Proposed topology and current control helps to achieve the targeted fall-time (100 μs) at the end of current pulse. An optimized LabVIEW code and constant ON-Time current control scheme is implemented to achieve sampling times as low as 2 μs. The comparison of experimental results with MATLAB simulation results validates the effectiveness of the control scheme. To reduce the switching power loss in the converter, the same hard switching power converter, working with constant ON-Time current control is modified to simulate a zero current switching scheme by designing the required resonant elements.


identifier: Afroosheh, Mohammadamin  (2014) Large Eddy Simulation of Hydrogen Sonic Jet.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation is investigating the turbulence behavior of highly under expanded hydrogen jet based on a 3D Navier-Stokes parallel solver and an extra transport equation for the hydrogen concentration. The solver uses an implicit conservative scheme on unstructured tetrahedral. The discretization exploits finite volumes and finite element with a second order of accurate flux calculation and time discretization. This work presents the extension of the code to simulate hydrogen jets based on Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model for turbulence while considering the real gas behavior. The developed code is equipped with a dynamic wiggle detector to reduce the contribution of the upwinding part in the flux calculation because upwind methodology adds undesired artificial viscosity to the solution.
For validation, the developed code is used to simulate a subsonic hydrogen jet. Considering similar studies among literature, good agreement is observed. Afterward, this tool is employed to numerically investigate a 70 MPa hydrogen jet release into ambient air. The turbulence effects in the principal and lateral jet direction are studied. During these simulations, the performance and stability of the developed numerical tool for high pressure ratio is reported.


identifier: Al-Dabbagh, Mohammed  (2014) A Low Cost Method to Develop an Initial Pavement Management System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Implementation of a pavement management system requires data collection to estimate system needs, performance modeling to forecast time sensitive changes and decision making to allocate interventions. Many agencies have embarked into the implementation of a pavement management system which eventually after some years render its fruits, however, implementation typically involves expensive equipment, years of data collection and hundreds of hours of workmanship. This all result in a barrier that impedes implementation at small municipalities and governments in developing countries. A low cost solution to estimate road surface roughness condition and to implement an initial pavement management system is proposed in this research. Pavement roughness can be estimated with an accelerometer built-in tablets and smart phones. Vertical accelerations normalized by speed can be used to produce a proxy for International Roughness Index. Testing of the method was done by comparing different tablets, applications, vehicles, speeds and location of the instrument inside the vehicle. Performance models were developed using World Bank’s equation of IRI, road repair strategies were correlated to testing sections in need of maintenance or rehabilitation repairs. This research shows a case study of the town of Saint-Michelle in Quebec. Data was collected for all municipal roads in Saint Michelle and a pavement management system was developed. It was found that $254,418 dollars is required in order to sustain current levels of condition. It is recommended that in the future performance models are based on several years of observations in order to replace the synthetic deterministic curves herein adopted.


identifier: Batista, Roselene  (2014) A Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge Test for French L2 Learners With Academic Reading Goals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recent studies in second language acquisition have confirmed a positive correlation between L2 learners' lexical knowledge and their language abilities. In more specific terms, researchers are increasingly confirming the idea that vocabulary size greatly impacts reading comprehension. In order to estimate English L2 learners' vocabulary size, several kinds of receptive vocabulary tests have been developed. But what about French L2 learners? How is their vocabulary size measured? There appear to be few well designed measures available. This study describes the development and validation of a new measure for French, the Test de la taille du vocabulaire (TTV). The TTV is closely modeled on Nation's (1990) widely used Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and follows the guidelines written by Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham (2001). The TTV draws on recent corpus-based frequency lists for French (Baudot, 1992; Lonsdale & Le Bras, 2009). Initially, a pilot version was trialled with 63 participants, then an improved version was administered to 175 participants at four levels of proficiency. Results attest to the TTV's validity: scores indicate that the higher the group, the larger its vocabulary size. Moreover, the mean scores across the four word sections decrease as the test sections became more difficult. This assessment tool also proved to be reliable as performance on the test confirmed learners' level as determined by the institutional placement test. Post-test interviews with the participants confirmed their knowledge of the test words. Recommendations for improving the TTV, implications for theory and practice, and limitations will be discussed.


identifier: Shahrzad, Nassim  (2014) Characterization of the role of TRAPPC2/Trs20p-related and associated proteins in membrane traffic.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the process of intracellular trafficking, fidelity of delivering proteins and lipids across the secretory pathway is of critical importance. Any failure in this highly regulated event could have severe consequences to the cell. Various human diseases arise from mutations affecting membrane trafficking. In this regard, vesicle tethering complexes serve as key factors for the maintenance of cellular function. The transport protein particle (TRAPP) is one such factor which provides specificity in delivering proteins and lipids. TRAPP is found in three related complexes sharing core subunits, each governing different transport steps. TRAPPC2, a mammalian ortholog of yeast TRS20, is an essential gene that codes for a protein that exists in all forms of the TRAPP complexes. My research has focused on elucidating the cellular function of TRAPPC2 and proteins that associate with it.
Substitution of an aspartic acid residue at position 47 of TRAPPC2 to tyrosine has been shown to cause a skeletal disorder known as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT), a disorder which is believed to be due to a defect in collagen secretion. In Chapter 2 I demonstrate that aspartic acid residue 47 is absolutely invariant across taxa suggesting that this amino acid plays an important role in the function of the TRAPP complex.  Even though TRAPPC2 is ubiquitously expressed the SEDT phenotype is manifested in only in specific tissue. Thus, we rationalised a search for homologs of TRAPPC2/Trs20p, hoping to provide an answer to the tissue-specificity of SEDT. We identified two novel proteins; TRAPPC2L and its yeast counterpart Tca17p.  The position for the novel TRAPPC2L protein is postulated to be opposite to the region where TRAPPC2/Trs20p incorporates into the TRAPP complex.
In Chapter 3 I demonstrate a direct interaction between the TRAPP complex and the SNARE fusion machinery. This binding is lost in the pathogenic TRAPPC2D47Y mutant. Subsequently, we revealed that an SEDT-analogous mutation in Trs20p (trs20D46Y) resulted in deficiency in autophagy rather than defects in endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi trafficking. Chapter 4 describes the discovery of the association between TRAPP and the tethering factor p115. By using the TRAPPC2D47Y mutant I showed that p115 could not efficiently dissociate from membranes, thereby showing that a TRAPP-p115 interaction is critical for p115 membrane recognition. Furthermore, I provide evidence that TRAPP associates with p115 and SNAREs in a Brefeldin A-resistant manner.  I propose placing this association at the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) membranes, a compartment that lacks in lower eukaryotic cells, at the very early stage of the secretory pathway.
Previous work by our laboratory found several novel mammalian TRAPP components including TRAPPC11. Chapter 5 discusses our discoveries into the function of TRAPPC11, a TRAPPC2 protein partner. The genetic component of this work was conducted by our collaborators from Alberta who used homozygosity mapping in combination with exome sequencing in two siblings from a Hutterite family. They found that the candidate gene mutation affects the foie gras domain of TRAPPC11 in these brothers. The deletion mutation accounts for the array of phenotypes including myopathy, ataxia, and intellectual disability (ID) that is observed in these patients. I demonstrated that this mutation disrupts TRAPPC11 binding to multiple TRAPP subunits including TRAPPC2 and compromises the integrity of the Golgi apparatus. I also showed that this mutation causes a dramatic delay in trafficking from the Golgi to the plasma membrane. Moreover, this mutation dramatically affects the localization of lysosomal membrane glycoprotein 1 (LAMP1). This is the first study to investigate the function of the foie gras domain of TRAPPC11 in humans. Finally, in Chapter 6 I discuss the implications of all of the studies performed in the preceding chapters and provide a working model for the function of TRAPPC11 in membrane traffic.


identifier: Ladas, Dimitrios  (2014) Wind Effects on the Performance of Solar Collectors on Roofs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The most common technology available for harnessing solar energy is flat-plate solar collectors and photovoltaics. Among the various parameters affecting the energy performance of solar collectors, convective heat losses depend greatly on the effect of wind and its cooling effects. Knowledge of wind heat transfer coefficient hw, is required for the estimation of upward losses from the outer surface of flat-plate solar collectors. Furthermore, the wind speed at the location of the collector should be known.
A series of velocity measurements have been conducted at the Concordia University Building Aerodynamics Laboratory to assess the optimum location of a flat-plate solar collector on the roof of a building model. Wind velocity measurements were performed at nine different locations above the roof and for three different wind directions (0°, 45°, and 90°). The building was assumed to be on an open country simulated upstream terrain. A series of additional cases with the model surrounded by different adjacent structures of variable height were also tested. The forced convective heat transfer coefficient hw was correlated against the measured local wind speed Vloc and direction. The study found that local velocities on different roof locations can vary up to 62% for the same wind direction.
An analytical approach of a performance simulation model has been used to calculate the efficiency and the useful heat gain of a flat-plate single-glazed collector. The analysis has been conducted for hypothetical days with constant wind velocities and directions but also for an example actual day, typical of random wind velocity values. The wind impact on a flat-plate solar collector’s performance characteristics when placed on different locations of the roof of a building model was assessed. It was estimated that for a typical sunny day, thermal energy gains can be 17% higher on windward than leeward locations.


identifier: Ouimet, Allison J.  (2013) The integration of dual-systems processing and cognitive bias in cognitive vulnerability to anxiety: Investigations of spider fear.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A recent model of cognitive vulnerability to anxiety proposes that discrepant findings related to the time-course of attentional responding to threat in anxious samples may be explained by individual differences in associative and rule-based processing. Specifically, stronger fear-relevant associations and maladaptive rule-based processing are hypothesized to contribute jointly to impaired disengagement from threat. The current program of research was designed as a test of this model within the context of spider fear/phobia. In Study 1, unselected participants completed measures of spider-fear associations (Go/No-go Association Task; GNAT), attention bias (Visual Search Task; VST), and self-reported spider fear and avoidance (Fear of Spiders Questionnaire; FSQ; & Spider Phobia Questionnaire; SPQ). Results demonstrated that participants were slower on disengagement trials of the VST compared to engagement trials. Surprisingly, higher levels of spider fear/avoidance were related to faster engagement with and disengagement from threat; stronger spider-fear associations were related to reduced disengagement accuracy. Moreover, an indirect relationship between spider-fear associations and reported spider fear/avoidance via disengagement accuracy was observed, such that stronger spider-fear associations predicted reduced disengagement accuracy, which subsequently predicted higher scores on the FSQ and SPQ. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 conditions, wherein they either repeatedly negated the threat value of spiders or repeatedly reappraised spider stimuli as safe. As in Study 1, they completed the VST, FSQ, and SPQ. Again, all participants were slower on disengagement trials of the VST than on engagement trials. Attentional responding was unrelated to condition or to reported spider fear/avoidance. Moreover, there was no effect of condition on FSQ/SPQ scores. Exploratory analyses conducted within a restricted subsample of participants who obtained reasonable accuracy rates on the VST demonstrated that assignment to the negate condition predicted increased reported spider fear/avoidance. This relationship, however, was not mediated by attentional bias, contrary to hypotheses. For both studies, methodological limitations were noted, particularly with respect to the use of the VST. The utility of assessing fear with both indirect and direct measures is discussed, as well as theoretical and clinical implications for cognitive models of anxiety disorders and their associated treatments.


identifier: Doramajian, Caroline  (2014) Determinants of bystander behaviour during school bullying: The role of moral disengagement, personality, and friendship.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: School bullying is a prevalent problem in Canadian schools and is associated with multiple negative outcomes. Students are often present during bullying incidents as natural observers, or bystanders, who may take on various participant roles that either aggravate or improve the plight of victims. The overarching objective of the current three-part study was to identify predictors of bystander behaviour during bullying situations in order to guide interventions aimed at recruiting children to defend their victimized peers. This goal was achieved by designing a three-wave longitudinal study that spanned 4 months and that sampled 130 Canadian early adolescents (68 boys, 62 girls; Mean age= 11.36 years) . Participants completed computerized questionnaires assessing self-reported moral disengagement, self- and peer-reported bullying-related behaviours, friendship using a sociometric nomination procedure, and personality operationalized as BIS-BAS sensitivity using a cognitive task. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in MPlus. In the first study, the over-time interplay between moral disengagement and both defending and passive bystanding behaviours was investigated, resulting in an overall pattern that was consistent with Bandura’s (1999) socio-cognitive theory of moral agency. Findings also revealed important sex differences and methodological issues, particularly with regard to the use of peer-report versus self-report tools. Study 2 examined concurrent associations among moral disengagement, personality, and multiple peer-reported bystander behaviours, including defending, passive bystanding, and bully reinforcing. Study 2 provided partial support for the postulates of both Bandura’s (1999) theory and Gray and McNaughton’s (2000) reinforcement sensitivity theory by highlighting the moderating effect of the BIS and the BAS on the association between moral disengagement and bystander behaviours. Study 3 moved beyond the individual in order to investigate the contextual nature of morality and defending behaviour. As expected, the association between moral disengagement and defending became more positive as a function of the victimization level of one’s best friend. Taken as a whole, findings provide support for the role of personality, morality and friendship in influencing bystander behaviours during bullying situations. Several directions for future research are proposed in order to better inform youth-led interventions against school bullying.


identifier: Mihai, Andreea  (2014) Calibration of a Building Energy Model Using Measured Data for a Research Center.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis proposes an evidence-based bottom-up methodology to calibrate a building energy model starting at the zone level, and finishing with the whole building level. The calibration is based as much as possible on measurements taken from the existing Building Automation System (BAS). This study presents the calibration at the zone and air handling unit level.
First a literature review is presented, followed by the evidence-based bottom-up methodology. Next, the case study building is described, along with the extraction and analysis of the monitored data. Then the building model is created and calibrated at the zone level based on the supply air flow rate to each zone. The calibration at the air handling unit level is based on: i) the supply air flow rate leaving the air handling unit; ii) the supply air temperature and iii) the cooling coil load. The evaluation of the calibration quality is proposed to be performed in three stages: i) graphical representation; ii) statistical indices (RMSE, CV-RMSE, NMBE); and iii) paired difference statistical hypothesis testing.
A sensitivity analysis is performed and it is found that the energy model is not sensitive to changes in the building envelope parameters, but rather to variations in internal loads.
Two approaches for representing the schedules of internal loads are compared and the proposed approach, where the internal loads are derived from measured cooling load in each zone, is recommended.


identifier: Farrell, Michael  (2013) Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence From Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study examines the relationship between institutional ownership and firm performance using a sample of 567 Canadian firms  in 2011. The focus on the Canadian firms provides additional insight towards the topic of institutional ownership as a remedial measure towards agency problems, since Canada has shared legal traditions with the United States, but has ownership concentration more comparable to levels in Western Europe and Asia. A distinguishing feature of this study's analysis involves the consideration of institutional investor by type as well as the inclusion of the number of such investors as a measure of ownership.

The effects of institutional ownership on  performance measures Tobin's Q, Industry-Adjusted Tobin's Q, and  Return on Assets are estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) methodology, where the latter is employed to offset the endogeneity bias to which the OLS method is susceptible. Although several relationships emerged between institutional ownership levels and measures of Tobin's Q in the OLS regression, only a negative relationship between both the percentage and the number of insurance company investors, was observed to be significant once estimated simultaneously under the 2 SLS method. For all measures of performance, Hausman tests reveal that OLS results are biased in multiple instances; meaningful interpretation must rely on the 2 SLS results.


identifier: Singh, Maninder  (2014) Multi-Mode Control of the Power Electronic Interface of the Battery Storage Unit in a Diesel-Hybrid Mini-Grid.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A battery energy storage system (BESS) was conceived to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs of diesel-hybrid mini-grids [1]. It operates in 2 different modes. In the genset support mode, it balances the load and maintains a unity PF for genset, and it supplies/absorbs power to force the genset to operate with higher efficiency, less mechanical vibrations and less risk of carbon build-up. In the grid forming mode, it provides a balanced voltage to the highly unbalanced load, common in small autonomous power systems. In this Thesis, this theoretical study is taken to the next level by implementing it in the laboratory to assess its performance.
This system was so far tested theoretically by simulations, probably with ideal conditions. In this Thesis, after carefully studying the system, some modifications are brought into it, considering the real time challenges of test bench. The first modification is the implementation of a phase lock loop (PLL), considering the voltage unbalance issue, which is likely to occur at the point of common coupling (PCC) due to the highly unbalanced loads. The second modification is the implementation of the proposed per-phase synchronizer, which is required to change the mode of operation from one to another, instead of the formerly employed Intelligent Connection Agent (ICA), making the system simpler to implement. The final modification is in the MSTS block (Mode Selection and Transition System) to bring intentional and unintentional change in the mode of operation, additional features.
After applying the above said modifications to the BESS system, it was tested in the laboratory to see if it meets the design specifications, where the control was implemented on a programmable inverter called Triphase® inverter system, and a power supply known as Ametek® (California Instruments) was working as a genset. The battery of the BESS was emulated, a contribution of Thesis, by a diode rectifier connected to Concordia’s grid and a controllable bleeding resistor so that the emulated battery can supply and absorb active power to the AC grid.
Based on the experimental evidences, it is concluded that this BESS system is highly suitable for genset support mode, grid forming mode and while changing the mode from one to another.


identifier: Rahmatian, Arash  (2014) Static and Fatigue Behavior of FRP-Reinforced Concrete Beams and an SHM System with Fiber Optic Sensors under Different Weathering Conditions.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) techniques are often used for detecting damage and diagnosing the structural conditions. Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS) are found to be very accurate and durable for outdoor applications including embedment in reinforced concrete structures. However, there are many issues related to installation and constructability of SHM systems and in-situ installation of FOS on rebars in reinforced concrete (RC) elements, especially when Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars are used as reinforcements.

Here, a solution is provided for installation of a FOS strain sensor by mounting it on a supplementary bar a priori and then attaching it to the main reinforcing bar of interest at the construction site prior to concrete pouring. Such innovative deployment system for FOS is particularly advantageous for developing a practical SHM system for infrastructure. However, the performance of such systems under various loading and climatic conditions is not very well known. The objective of this research is to assess the performance of the said system used in concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars, under normal and adverse environmental conditions.

A set of twelve specimens with and without exposure to various environmental conditions have been tested under static and fatigue loads to determine the effectiveness of the sensing system in these conditions. Apart from measuring the response quantities like strain and deformation, the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique has been used to determine the effect of the adverse environmental conditions on the rebars. In addition, numerical modeling of the beams using the Finite Element Method (FEM) has been applied to carry out a parametric study on the effect of the properties of concrete and the bar sizes on the performance of the above sensing system.

From the present study, it is observed that the proposed system works well in terms of capturing the strain under static and fatigue conditions in normal and adverse environmental conditions. However, the performance of the sensing system degrades in the case of alkaline immersion. The outdoor or wet and dry conditions do not affect the performance of the system.


identifier: Derbier, Maxime  (2014) Monthly Liquidity-Adjusted Value-At-Risk Using Daily Returns.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to apply liquidity proxies from the microstructure literature based on daily data to estimate the liquidity cost within a monthly parametric Value-at-Risk (VaR) model to create a parsimonious yet relevant measure of both market and liquidity risk. The proxies examined in this thesis include the ‘Roll Proxy’ of Roll (1984), Zeros by Lesmond, Ogden and Trzcinka (1999), the Holden, Fong and Trzcinka (2011, FHT henceforth) proxy and the Shane and Schultz (2012) High-Low Spread proxy (HLS henceforth) as they are computationally less onerous, do not necessitate intraday data and were proven to be reliable in the literature. We find that the FHT, Roll and HLS proxies are indeed good estimators of effective costs making them appropriate additions to a VaR model, while the Zero proxy performs very poorly due to its overestimation of effective costs. With high correlations and similar distributional properties relative to the Hasbrouck effective costs, the FHT proxy performs best when back-tested against liquidity-adjusted returns relative to all other proxies.


identifier: Monti, Jessica Juli  (2014) «¿Puedes repetir? »: Acculturative Stress among Honduran Immigrants in the Quebec Classe d’Accueil.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The purpose of this qualitative study is to develop a greater understanding of Honduran youth’s cultural experience upon entering Canada. I have examined the interplay of acculturation, the integration process, and its overall effect on the development of the self and ethnic identity as a newly-arrived immigrant living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Specifically, this study performs an in-depth analysis of the cultural barriers existent when a youth is first enrolled in a classe d’accueil at a French primary or secondary public school.

The classe d’accueil is a preparatory class for newly arrived immigrant students who do not speak French and who have lived in Quebec for less than five years. The function of the class is the dominant educational model for immigrant students, placed under scrutiny within the context of this research. An interview-based methodology has been used to consider the experiences of five Honduran immigrant adults between the ages of 25 and 30. These individuals engage individually and confidentially in a discourse on their acculturation process within the context of both the socio-cultural and the educational realms in which they find themselves. Therefore, their new lives in Montreal, Quebec, Canada act as the basis for this thesis project. Indeed, by engaging in a comprehensive analysis of the responses provided by the interviewees, Quebec’s unique iii
and complex socio-linguistic structure becomes rich grounds for understanding the doubled process of acculturation within an alien cultural milieu for these Honduran immigrants. As such, this project delves into establishing the difficulties Honduran immigrant youths face in adapting to the educational realm within the limitations of the class d’accueil and the acculturative stress that accompanies it.

For each of the limitations of the classe d’accueil, the five participants from this research project experienced instances of acculturative stress that were no doubt directly correlated to their immigration and acculturation process. This study also reveals that these Honduran individuals were unprepared for their immigration and their immersion into a new cultural environment at large. As acculturative stress so commonly occurs throughout the acculturation process it is important that schools address this issue and find ways to alleviate the stressors that are often accompanied with immigration. Therefore, the data from this small study may imply that schools – that is, teachers, counselors, administrators, and even policy makers – should consider the benefits of studying theories of acculturation and acculturative stress. Understanding these theories will allow schools to reinvent the classe d’accueil in such a way that it will prioritize the needs of immigrant students, alleviate academic-related acculturative stress, and correct some of its major limitations.


identifier: Jurcik, Tomas  (2013) Unraveling Perceived Ethnic Density Effects and Recontextualizing Acculturation: The cases of Student and Russian-Speaking Immigrants to Montreal.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Social context has often been neglected in recent social and culturally focused psychology research (Oishi, Keisibir, & Snyder, 2009; Van de Vijver & Leung, 2000). The immigrant acculturation literature is no exception. Research linking acculturation to adjustment has been permeated with inconsistent results, partly due to differences in methodologies, settings, and samples between studies (see Trickett Persky & Espino, 2009). A potential avenue towards resolving these inconsistencies is to study acculturation in ecological context. Ethnic Density (ED), the concentration of immigrants of the same ethnicity residing in an area, is one such ecological variable. ED has generally been associated with better mental health, but again there are paradoxical findings and the mechanisms of the ED effect are rarely addressed (Shaw et al., 2012). Since ED and acculturation phenomena are seldom combined in research (cf. Kwag, Jang, & Chiriboga, 2012) an attempt was made to remedy this situation in the current investigations.
Two studies attempted to unpack the mediating mechanisms of the perceived local area ED effect and contextualize acculturation-adjustment relations in Montreal. The first, utilizing a heterogeneous group of student immigrants (N=146), found that ED protected participants against depression via reduced discrimination. Furthermore, ED moderated  the relation between heritage acculturation and depression, suggesting a person-environment match: immigrants tended to benefit from heritage acculturation living in a high but not low ED context. The second, a community study of Russian-speaking immigrants from the former Soviet Union (N=269), aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A multi-item measure of perceived ED was developed and validated against an objective indicator. Again, an indirect effect of ED was found, but this time for general distress through acquiring social support. Moreover, heritage acculturation was double moderated by perceived ED and length of neighbourhood residence. This interaction indicated an ethnic density-heritage acculturation match but for more recent neighbourhood residents. A different relation emerged for established neighbourhood residents, where low ED was associated with more symptoms, especially for those low on heritage culture affiliation. In neither study did mainstream acculturation interact with ED to predict adjustment. The findings support studying acculturation in ecological context, and suggest that heritage acculturation is relevant to adjustment in Montreal, a unique city with more than one dominant culture. Future research directions as well as clinical and prevention implications are discussed.


identifier: Aleksanian, Samuel  (2014) Study of stimuli-responsive degradation using a disulfide platform in different polymeric biomaterials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Polymers have great potential as building blocks to construct biomaterials for applications in biomedicine, pharmaceutics and biotechnology. Their chemical flexibility leads to the synthesis of materials with diverse physical and mechanical properties. Specifically, stimuli-responsive polymers are engineered to undergo chemical or physical transitions in response to specific external triggers. One such response involves the cleavage or degradation of a dynamic covalent bond within the polymer structure. Particularly, the reduction of disulfide bonds has gained significant attention in the development of complex delivery systems for therapeutics. This thesis describes the development of two different reduction-responsive biomaterials.
Amphiphilic block copolymers (ABPs) self-assemble in aqueous solutions to form core/shell micelles consisting of a hydrophobic core, capable of carrying a variety of hydrophobic therapeutic agents, and a hydrophilic corona, able to improve circulation time and delay immune responses. This unique property, in addition to enhanced colloidal stability and tunable size with narrow size distribution, makes micelles promising candidates for drug delivery systems. Hence, a polyester-based reduction-responsive degradable ABP with disulfide linkages positioned repeatedly on the main chain at regular intervals is synthesized. These well-defined ABPs were synthesized by a combination of polycondensation and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). These ABPs self-assemble in aqueous solution, resulting in spherical micelles with a monomodal distribution. In the presence of a reducing agent, disulfide bonds are cleaved, leading to a destabilization of the micellar core and thus enhanced release of encapsulated model drugs. Demonstrating the potential drug delivery applications of polymeric micellar systems, functionalization with biotin (vitamin H) leads to bioconjugated micelles capable of potential cell-targeting.
Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers that have shown promise as tissue engineering scaffolds. Thermo-responsive hydrogels expel water above their lower critical solution temperature (LCST), becoming more hydrophobic, and hence lose volume. Hydrogels were synthesized by ATRP using biocompatible oligo(ethylene oxide) as a scaffolding material in the presence of a disulfide-labeled dimethacrylate cross-linker. The amount of cross-linker affects thermo-responsive and mechanical properties. Cleavage of disulfide bonds lead to an increased LCST, enhanced deswelling kinetics and a decrease in mechanical properties caused by the generation of hydrophilic dangling chains, increasing the overall hydrophilicity of hydrogels. Combined with these results, as well as enhanced release of encapsulated hydrophilic model drugs and non-toxicity, these hydrogels show promise for biomedical applications.


identifier: Body, Guillaume  (2014) Importance of group dynamics on female mating behaviour in reindeer Rangifer tarandus.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

format: text video video

abstract: The aim of this work is to investigate female mating behaviour in reindeer Rangifer tarandus using a combination of both field and GPS based data. By developing adequate methodology, I was able to remotely estimate individual activity budgets, and to investigate fission-fusion group dynamics in a controlled herd. Variations of the group dynamics revealed an increase in group size at the beginning of the peak rut, resulting from an increase of group cohesiveness. I demonstrated that this increase in cohesiveness resulted from the herding behaviour of males, rather than female mate choice. Harassment avoidance marginally increased the group cohesiveness, as females may have preferred to remain within the group to avoid the costly solitary situation where they were harassed by low quality males during the peak rut. However, forming larger groups appeared to be costly, since increasing group size increased the disturbance level on female activities due to foraging competition. Therefore, I rejected the hypothesis of harassment dilution, which states that females aggregate to decrease the per capita level of harassment. Instead, a trade-off appeared on female mating tactic between foraging competition and harassment avoidance; between a large group dominated by an adult male, and a small group dominated by a young harassing male. By demonstrating that a proximate process (males herding females) was responsible for the pattern at the population level (the increase of the average group size), I validated the self-organization theory on ungulate group dynamics. I also used these semi-experimental conditions to correct and validate a field-based measure of the intensity of the group dynamics.


identifier: Rathee, Shruti  (2014) An Efficient Run-Time System for Concurrent Programming Language.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Our objective is to construct a Run-time System for Erasmus. Software systems
nowadays are becoming very complex, so the last thing a programmer would want to do is to worry about the internal management of communication. We describe a system that provides Erasmus with a well-defined level of abstraction. This run-time system also provides processes with independence, which means that no two processes know each others' location. Erasmus is a process oriented concurrent programming language being developed by Peter Grogono at Concordia University and Brian Shearing at The Software Factory in England. Erasmus is based mainly on cells, processes, and their interactions through message passing. For every cell there will be a manager to initiate the communication and also to route the communication, whether it is local or remote. Programmers should only be deciding which kind of data they want to send and the rest will be taken care by the run-time system. For communication within a cell, channels with local communication methods will be used; for communication over the network or on different processors, a broker with
remote communication methods will complete the communication link. There is also a separate protocol for a manager process to decide between local and remote communication. This thesis discusses in detail the issues related to process independence. It also explains how processes can be separated from the communication protocols. This run-time system will provide software of greater simplicity and fewer irrelevant details.


identifier: Zamzami, Nuha E.  (2014) Evaluating the Dynamics of Knowledge-Based Network Through Simulation: The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Industry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Collaboration is a major factor in the knowledge and innovation creation in emerging science-driven industries, where the technology is rapidly changing and constantly evolving, such as nanotechnology. The scientific collaborations among individuals and organizations form knowledge co-creation network within which information is shared, innovative ideas are exchanged and new knowledge is generated. Although various simulation attempts have been carried out recently to analyze the performance of such networks at the firm level, the individual level has not been much explored in the literature yet.
The objective of this thesis is to investigate the role of individual scientists and their collaborations in enhancing the knowledge flows, and consequently the scientific production within the Canadian nanotechnology scientists. The methodology involves two main phases. First, in order to understand the collaborative behavior of scientists in the real world, the data on all the nanotechnology journal publications in Canada was extracted from the SCOPUS database and the scientists' research performance and partnership history was analyzed using social network analysis. Moreover, the predominant properties that make a scientist sufficiently attractive to be selected as a research partner were determined using data mining and through a questionnaire sent directly to the researchers selected from our database. In the second phase, an agent-based model using Netlogo has been developed to simulate the knowledge-based network where several factors regarding the ratio, existence and absence of various categories of scientists could be controlled.
It was found that scientists in centralized positions in such network have a considerable positive impact on the knowledge flows, while loyalty and cliquishness negatively affected the knowledge transmission. Star scientists appear to play a substitutive role in the network as most famous and trustable partners to be selected when usual collaborators are scarce or missing. Besides, the changes in the performance of some categories in case of the absence of others have been also observed.
The major contribution of this work stems from the fact that the developed simulation model is the first one, which is fully based on the real data and on the observed behavior of the scientists in knowledge-based network.


identifier: Liu, Sarah Y.  (2014) Self-esteem Change and Diurnal Cortisol Secretion in Older Adulthood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Research suggests that self-esteem can decline in older adulthood. This process could remove a buffer that normally protects individuals against distress-related changes in cortisol secretion. We examined this possibility by testing whether change in self- esteem would predict alterations in cortisol secretion, particularly among older adults who reported high levels of depressive symptoms or perceived stress. 147 older adults (Aged 60+) completed three days of diurnal cortisol measurements at three different time points, namely every two years over a total period of four years. Measures of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress were assessed at T1 and T2. Potential demographic and health-related confounds were measured at baseline (partnership status, SES, mortality risk index, and medication). Linear regression models indicated that a decline in self-esteem from T1 to T2 predicted elevated cortisol output (AUCG) from T2 to T3, F (1, 137) = 8.09, ? = -.25, R2 = .05, p = .005. Interaction analyses revealed that this association was particularly strong among participants who experienced higher T1 or T2 levels of depressive symptoms or perceived stress, +1 SD: ?s = -.34 to -.51, ps < .001, but not significant among their counterparts who reported relatively lower levels of depressive symptoms or perceived stress, -1 SD: ?s = .03 to .11, ps > .43. Declines in self-esteem represent a mechanism that contributes to higher levels of diurnal cortisol secretion if older adults experience psychological distress. Increases in self-esteem, by contrast, can ameliorate older adultsï¿½ cortisol regulation in stressful circumstances.


identifier: Lakhdari, Nour-Eddine  (2014) FINGERPRINTING MALICIOUS IP TRAFFIC.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: FINGERPRINTING MALICIOUS IP TRAFFIC

abstract: In the new global economy, cyber-attacks have become a central issue. The detection, mitigation and attribution of such cyber-attacks require efficient and practical techniques to fingerprint malicious IP traffic. By fingerprinting, we refer to: (1) the detection of malicious network flows and, (2) the attribution of the detected flows to malware families that generate them. In this thesis, we firstly address the detection problem and solve it by using a classification technique. The latter uses features that exploit only high-level properties of traffic flows and therefore does not rely on deep packet inspection. As such, our technique is effective even in the presence of encrypted traffic. Secondly, whenever a malicious flow is detected, we propose another technique to attribute such a flow to the malware family that generated it. The attribution technique is built upon k-means clustering, sequence mining and Pushdown Automata (PDAs) to capture the network behaviors of malware family groups. Indeed, the generated PDAs are actually network signatures for malware family groups. Our results show that the proposed malicious detection and attribution techniques achieve high accuracy with low false (positive and negative) alerts.


identifier: MA, YITENG  (2013) Dynamic Modeling and Control of a Hybrid Hydronic Heating System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
A dynamic model of a hybrid hydronic heating system has been developed. Simulations of the control strategies and the model-based energy analysis for the overall system have been presented in this thesis. The hybrid hydronic system is composed of a conventional natural gas fired boiler hot water heating and a ground source heat pump system. The overall system consists of several components such as a boiler, a heat exchanger, a ground loop heat pump, a ground loop heat exchanger, baseboard heaters, and radiant floor hydraulic piping systems. The system model was described by nonlinear differential equations, which were programmed and solved using MATLAB.
Two control strategies for improving the overall system performance were explored: (i) a conventional PI control, and (ii) an adaptive gain control. The simulation results subject to set-point changes showed that the performance of the adaptive controller is better than the fixed gain PI controller in disturbance rejection and stability.
Energy simulations under three different operating strategies were conducted: (i) a conventional fixed set-point PI control, (ii) an outdoor air temperature reset control, and (iii) an optimal set-point PI control. It was shown that the outdoor temperature reset strategy can save 4.5% and 19.9% energy under cold day and mild day conditions compared to the conventional fixed set-point PI control strategy. In addition, the
iv
implementation of the optimal PI control strategy result in higher energy savings 6.6% and 22% as compared to the base case under cold and mild day conditions, respectively.


identifier: Liu, Wen Ming  (2014) Preserving Privacy Against Side-Channel Leaks.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The privacy preserving issues have received significant attentions in various domains. Various models and techniques have been proposed to achieve optimal privacy with minimal costs. However, side-channel leakages (such as, publicly-known algorithms of data publishing, observable traffic information in web application, fine-grained readings in smart metering) further complicate the
process of privacy preservation. In this thesis, we make the first effort on investigating a general framework to model side-channel attacks across different domains and applying the framework to various categories of applications.

In privacy-preserving data publishing with publicly-known algorithms, we first theoretically study a generic strategy independent of data utility measures and syntactic privacy properties. We then propose an efficient approach to preserving diversity.

In privacy-preserving traffic padding in Web applications, we first propose a formal PPTP model to quantify the privacies and costs based on the key observation about the similarity between data publishing and traffic padding. We then introduce randomness into the previous solutions to provide background knowledge-resistant privacy guarantee.

In privacy-preserving smart metering, we propose a light-weight approach to simultaneously preserving privacy on both billing and consumption aggregation based on the key observation about the privacy issue beyond the fine-grained
readings.


identifier: Badwal, Gurpreet Singh  (2014) A Model for Turbulent Compressible Vortices.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this thesis the effects of turbulence are introduced by combining the past turbulent tangential velocity model with the preceding work on the laminar compressible vortices. The radial and axial velocity components are derived from the tangential and mass conservation equations. The temperature is then found numerically from the energy equation. Upon code verification several characteristics of the problem have been examined in detail.
The mysterious temperature separation is known since 1933 from the work of first Ranque and then Hilsch. Although several possibilities for its origin have been suggested no comprehensive theory for its causality has yet reported. The present novel approach is used to show conclusively that the cause of the thermal effect is the product of competition between the heating up of the gas because of friction and cooling due to material element expansion as it moves towards the region of decreasing pressure.
As originally inferred empirically, it is now shown theoretically that stream wise vortices within supersonic flow fields and high Rossby number atmospheric vortices such as tornadoes and waterspouts, display the classical heating/cooling effect. The new information is used to elaborate on several, yet inexplicable instrument recordings related to these natural phenomena.  Finally the new results are used to justify some odd physiological encounters made by several witnesses, trapped inside overpassing tornado’s funnels, and lived to tell their unusual experiences.
The new basic methodology and findings can now be used to improve the design of vortex tubes.
Keywords: Vortex model, compressible vortices, turbulent vortices, temperature separation.


identifier: Zakeryfar, Maryam  (2014) Static Analysis of a Concurrent Programming Language by Abstract Interpretation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Static analysis is an approach to determine information about the program without actually executing it. There has been much research in the static analysis of concurrent programs. However, very little academic research has been done on the formal analysis of message passing or process-oriented languages. We currently miss formal analysis tools and techniques for concurrent process-oriented languages such as Erasmus . In this dissertation, we focus on the problem of static analysis of large Erasmus programs. This can help us toward building more reliable Erasmus software systems.
Reasoning about non-deterministic large Erasmus program using static analyzer is hard. These kinds of programs can quickly exhaust the computational and memory resources of the static analyzer tool. We use Abstract Interpretation to reason about Erasmus programs.
To use the Abstract Interpretation theory, we introduce a lattice for Erasmus communications and an Event Order Predictor algorithm to statically determine the order that events happen in an Erasmus program. By using fixed-point theory of lattice, we compute a safe approximation of reachable states of an Erasmus programs. We also offer a Resettable Event order Vector for Erasmus processes to realistically implement our vector for large Erasmus programs using bounded space. We believe that our formal approach is also applicable to other types of process-oriented programs and MPI programs.


identifier: Kamel, Rami  (2014) Activating an Inclusive Learning Framework for Formal Adult Education Classrooms: Confronting the Challenges and Proposing Solutions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract

Activating an Inclusive Learning Framework for Formal Adult Education Classrooms: Confronting the Challenges and Proposing Solutions

                                                Rami Kamel

            In this thesis I examine the inter-linked contributions that anti-bias theory, student-centered learning theory, transformative learning theory and inclusive education theory may bring to practitioners of adult education and adult students returning to formal educational institutions.  I argue that working from a perspective that is informed by the above theories and their potential applications in the adult education classrooms will benefit adult learners and practitioners alike.  Selecting key elements from each of the four theories examined, I try to activate an inclusive learning framework for formal adult educational classrooms.  I then try to illustrate the classroom applications using each one of these theories with related examples of their potential impact on curriculum, course planning and content choices, as well as methods to facilitate learning in an inclusive and safe environment for all.  The potential benefits for the learning goals of individuals are highlighted as well as the potential for social change and transformation.  The role of administrators and researchers in supporting and advancing this endeavour is also discussed.


identifier: Mosaddeghian Golestani, Youssef  (2014) Electrochromic Properties of Tungsten Oxide Nanoparticles Films Prepared by the Filtration and Transfer Method.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electrochromic tungsten oxide nanostructures were prepared from tungsten oxide nanoparticles for the first time by the filtration and transfer technique. This novel and facile method for film preparation presents many advantages that include the possibility to obtain nanoparticle films with various porosities and compositions. The films obtained in the present work exhibited indeed porous structures and were generally composed of a mixture of nanoparticles. When the amount of the nanoparticles in the suspensions increased, we observed thicker films with higher coverage densities. Films prepared at room temperature exhibited very good electrochromic properties. It was found that annealing at 500oC increases the film stability and life time. Using cyclic voltammetry, fast diffusion behaviour (D of the order of 10-6 cm2s-1) for proton insertion/extraction has been observed. Moreover, fast switching response time (less than a second) during the bleaching process due to the rapid decay of the anodic current during chronoamperometry was also noted. The coloration efficiency for such devices was about 20 cm2C-1. The coloration of the films is associated with the number of color centers and depends on the number of inserted charges. However, we have shown that good optical reversibility does not necessarily need fast electrochemical kinetics. Finally, the effect of high applied potentials on the films was investigated, followed by an analysis of the electronic properties of the films.


identifier: Zantingh, Petra  (2014) Space for drawing: Women, art. love, and fear.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Space for drawing: Women, art, love, and fear

Petra Zantingh

In this arts-based research project, my purpose was to investigate how older women develop their skills as visual artists through the medium of drawing in a small group setting. The social construction of artist identities among the group and my teaching of drawing are the basis for my study of an informal, community-based learning environment. I assessed how learning new creative skills later in life affects the quality of an individual’s sense of self and their perceived value and contribution in relation to society, and how apprehension about learning a new skill touches others in the group. My interest extended to investigating how the skill of drawing influences other areas of life like aesthetic awareness; and to the role of digital media in rendering the research. Arts based research as a method of inquiry allowed the use of alternative representation of results and findings. Because of my background in digital arts, using digital media was a natural way for me to relevantly integrate findings, drawings, text, and images in order to discover meaning and direction.


identifier: Janssen, Shauna  (2014) Urban Occupations Urbaines: Curating the Post-industrial Landscape.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Urban Occupations Urbaines: Curating the Post-industrial Landscape
Shauna Janssen, Ph.D.
Concordia University, 2014
This thesis is a socio-historical and spatial study of Griffintown, Montreal. I use Griffintown, a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood and one of Montreal’s formerly working-class and industrial quarters, as a case study for critiquing the ethics and politics of urban revitalization projects, and affirming the critical and creative role that indeterminacy and interstitial spaces play in the cultural life of post-industrial landscapes.
In 2010, I initiated Urban Occupations Urbaines, a curatorial project and invited artists to critically and creatively engage with Griffintown’s spatial history and imminent transformation. Over the course of one year, Urban Occupations Urbaines became a catalyst for assembling diverse forms agency, as well as uncovering less visible and known forms of agency that have occupied and contributed to the culture of Griffintown’s then post-industrial landscape. In this thesis, I situate curatorial practice as a critical methodology for engaging particular communities, artists, and the public in a broader cultural discourse concerning the spatial politics of urban revitalization. I
illuminate how site-specific art projects have the capacity to mobilize community activism, modes of participation, spatial interventions, the public role of artists, and engender collaborative forms of knowledge production. I identify what latent agencies are made visible and intelligible through the process of curating site-specific art projects in a post-industrial landscape, and under what urban conditions ideas about community,
place, creativity, and public space are being reimagined.
An interdisciplinary project, the thesis builds on critical discourses addressing the politics of curating site-specific, collaborative, participatory and socially-engaged art practices in relation to theories of the city, space, place, performance studies, posthumanist thought, and feminist epistemology. The goals of this dissertation are to broaden the discourse of interdisciplinary research, make an original contribution in its methodology and, more specifically, bring together a spatial, cultural and social analysis
of urban revitalization politics through politically and socially-engaged site-specific art practices. In this aim, I foreground curatorial practice as a method for this kind of research, the many forms that site-specific art projects take, and show how, as social and spatial practices, they carry their own forms of critical urban discourse and cultural pedagogy.


identifier: Gharapurkar, Ajinkya A.  (2014) Robust Semi-active Control of Aircraft Landing Gear System Equipped with Magnetorheological Dampers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Landing is the most critical operational phase of an aircraft since it directly affects the passenger safety and comfort. The factors such as the undesirable wind and ground effects, runway unevenness, excessive sink speeds and approach speeds and pilot errors can deteriorate the landing performance of an aircraft several times during its entire lifetime. When an aircraft lands, large amplitude vibrations get transmitted to the fuselage from the runway thereby causing safety and comfort problems and hence need to be suppressed quickly.
Landing gear is an essential assembly that prevents the aircraft fuselage from the ground loads. A shock absorber which is considered as the heart of the landing gear assembly plays an important role in this process by absorbing the vibrations during landing. The existing Oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers are the most efficient in absorbing the vibrations during each aircraft operation. However, they are unable to provide the continuously variable damping required during the landing phase which might reduce their efficiency. Moreover, to account for the uncertainties during landing, a damper capable of providing the variable damping effect can play a vital role in increasing the passenger safety.
A semi-active control system of a landing gear suspension can solve the problem of excessive vibrations effectively by providing a variable damping during each operational phase. Magnetorheological (MR) dampers are one of the most efficient and attractive solutions that can provide the continuously variable damping required depending on a control command.
This thesis focuses on the concept of the semi-active aircraft suspension system using the MR damper with the implementation of robust control strategy. Initially, the dynamic behavior of the MR damper is studied using the parametric modeling approach. Spencer dynamic model is adopted for simulating the dynamic behavior of the MR damper. This is followed by the analysis of the energy dissipation patterns of the MR damper for different excitation inputs.
A semi-active suspension system is developed for a three degree-of-freedom (3 DOF) aircraft model considering a tri-cycle landing gear configuration. A switching technique is developed in the simulation of the landing procedure which enables the system to switch from the single degree of freedom to three degrees of freedom system in order to simulate the sequential touching of the two wheels of the main landing gears and the nose landing gear wheel with the ground. For developing the semi-active MR suspension system, two different controller approaches, namely, the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and the H∞ control are adopted. The results of the designed controllers are compared for a particular landing scenario for studying the performance of the controllers in reducing the overshoot of the bounce response as well as the bounce rate response. The simulation results confirmed the improved performance of the robust controller compared to the optimal control strategy when the aircraft is subjected to the disturbances during landing. Finally, implementing the robust control approach, the landing performance of an aircraft embedded with the semi-active suspension system is simulated and analyzed for different sink velocities considering the disturbances.


identifier: Shaikh, Kamran  (2014) They Blinded me with Science!: Promoting a Community View of the Nature of Science for Science Education.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The purpose of this dissertation is fourfold: a) to synthesize and analyze literature defining current approaches to science education, its epistemic pedagogical systems (Nature of Science; inquiry, discovery and integrated learning) and to propose a pedagogical lens to focus their instruction; b) to situate the nature and role of science education within the greater realm of educational endeavour and to propose a structure for the development of community views of science through guided collective reflection and introspection; c) to present and critique a system of science conception known as ‘Community Views of Science’ (CVOS) from a pedagogical, epistemological and empirical standpoint; and d) to empirically and theoretically dissect and interpret each interconnected constituent element of CVOS.

To expand upon ‘d)’, a qualitative exploration and analysis of cooperative and individual concept mapping activities with undergraduate pre-service elementary learners (N=55) from Concordia University’s Department of Education will demonstrate that self- actualization of collective views of science can possibly be fostered by instructional strategies embedded in an instructional system designed for the actualization of epistemic belief systems.

This exploratory study of pre-service educators will address the following objectives. First, explore and analyze interpretations of concept maps and concept mapping, as well as the affect of concept mapping analysis on epistemic realization and self-actualization. Second, explore, analyze and test the affect of cooperative concept mapping on epistemic realization, self-actualization and the development of a ‘Community View of Science’. Third, elaborate upon the use of cooperative concept mapping within pre-service elementary science educator classrooms to reflect the methods, processes, approaches, purposes, structures and systems of science as related to science education. Fourth, reflect on and discuss the nature of philosophical and empirical inquiry while ‘breaking methodological boundaries’ as defined by traditional qualitative research.

With tenets from the ‘Nature of Science’ as the eventual goal of ‘Community Views of Science’, results of this exploratory study pinpoint potential uses for and associated outcomes of cooperative concept mapping as a culminating task for the development of epistemic malleability within pre-service elementary science educators (the inherent ability to begin questioning personal views of science so as to develop a healthy scepticism for and criticality towards science as a solution).


identifier: Luu, Khoa  (2014) Advanced Multilinear Data Analysis and Sparse Representation Approaches and Their Applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Multifactor analysis plays an important role in data analysis since most real-world datasets usually exist with a combination of numerous factors. These factors are usually not independent but interdependent together. Thus, it is a mistake if a method only considers one aspect of the input data while ignoring the others. Although widely used, Multilinear PCA (MPCA), one of the leading multilinear analysis methods, still suffers from three major drawbacks. Firstly, it is very sensitive to outliers and noise and unable to cope with missing values. Secondly, since MPCA deals with huge multidimensional datasets, it is usually computationally expensive. Finally, it loses original local geometry structures due to the averaging process. This thesis sheds new light on the tensor decomposition problem via the ideas of fast low-rank approximation in random projection and tensor completion in compressed sensing. We propose a novel approach called Compressed Submanifold Multifactor Analysis (CSMA) to solve the three problems mentioned above. Our approach is able to deal with the problem of missing values and outliers via our proposed novel sparse Higher-order Singular Value Decomposition approach, named HOSVD-L1 decomposition. The Random Projection method is used to obtain the fast low-rank approximation of a given multifactor dataset.
In addition, our method can preserve geometry of the original data.

In the second part of this thesis, we present a novel pattern classification approach named Sparse Class-dependent Feature Analysis (SCFA), to connect the advantages of sparse representation in an overcomplete dictionary, with a powerful nonlinear classifier. The classifier is based on the estimation of class-specific optimal filters, by solving an L1-norm optimization problem using the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers. Our method as well as its Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) version is tolerant to the presence of noise and other variations in an image. Our proposed methods achieve very high classification accuracies in face recognition on two challenging face databases, i.e. the CMU Pose, Illumination and Expression (PIE) database and the Extended YALE-B that exhibit pose and illumination variations; and the AR database that has occluded images. In addition, they also exhibit robustness on other evaluation modalities, such as object classification on the Caltech101 database. Our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods on all these databases and hence they show their applicability to general computer vision and pattern recognition problems.


identifier: Kirtz, Jaime Lee  (2013) We(s)t Coast: Mapping the Road Between the Physical and Digital.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This collection of poems is set along the West Coast in major cities along the I-5 highway: Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. The West Coast is often cited primarily as an environmental space whereas technology is seen as an inimical force that could potentially devastate natural landscapes, therefore the constraint based poetry in this collection examines the tensions between digital and physical representations and the implications these tensions exhibit on social and ecological networks. Further it aims to illustrate the difficulty of archiving such networks through subversive methodology. The poetry uses both technological and personal approaches searching for the intersections between language and lyric poetry. The main question asks whether the competing forces of ecology and technology, language and lyric writing, print and digital result in a collusion of the two forms. The emphasis on form and social structures results from a theoretical grounding in cultural theorists such as Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault and Theodor Adorno, along with media theorists such as Frederich Kittler and Alan Liu. Constraints echo the forms of code used by digital technology as well as print based media like newspapers and thus provide a way to discuss how information is stored and transmitted and how it shapes our perceptions of issues pertaining to the unique environment of the West Coast.


identifier: Gonzalez Bychkova, Nina  (2014) Professional perspectives: The educational experiences of Mexican refugee claimant children in Montreal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is based on the schooling experiences of Mexican elementary school refugee claimant children in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It gathers perspectives from professionals who support them through the refugee determination process, including three teachers, a social worker, and an immigration lawyer. From an educational standpoint, the research questions examine the adaptation process, the cultural and linguistic barriers affecting students’ schooling experience, and the resources available to teachers. I interviewed participants at their workplace, allowing them to express their experiences of working with Mexican refugee claimant families and their children with specific reference to the children’s schooling experiences and performance in school. The research shows that refugee claimant families are subject to severe amounts of stress due to their traumatic past and uncertain future. This affects all family members; children bring this stress to school, evidently affecting their performance and general involvement at school. All respondents suggest that the children’s academic success depends on the family and the importance the family attaches to education. Teachers also believe that the lack of knowledge of the French language poses roadblocks for these children’s learning. The recommendations stemming from this research include the need to create an umbrella organisation that would provide information directly to teachers regarding this specific population and the importance of Canadian professionals building trustworthy relationships with these families. This timely research can provide information to policymakers, teachers, and other professionals involved with the refugee determination process, and future research, thus contributing to a healthier multicultural Quebec society.


identifier: Rizk, Amanda Katy  (2014) Acute Physiological, Symptomatic and Affective Responses to Exercise Training and Relationship with Exercise Adherence in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Study Objectives: i) To describe and compare, in COPD patients, the acute physiological, symptomatic, and affective responses to continuous training at a high intensity (CTHI), continuous training at the ventilatory threshold (CTVT), and interval training (IT); ii) To examine the nature and degree of association between acute measures of intensity and adherence to a 12-week exercise-training program; iii) To investigate whether the relationship between acute responses and adherence is mediated or moderated by affect/vigor.

Methods: Thirty-five COPD patients (FEV1 = 60.2 ± 15.8 % predicted) underwent baseline assessments, were randomly assigned to CTHI, CTVT, or IT, were monitored during a single exercise-training bout, and subsequently took part in a 12-week exercise-training program. Physiological, symptomatic, and affective responses were measured using a portable system, the PANAS and GVA questionnaires, and the Borg scale; respectively. Adherence was defined as the percent time spent within the target heart rate range for attended sessions.

Results: In comparison to CTHI, CTVT was associated with lower levels of RER, HR, and RR, whereas IT was associated with higher levels of VE, VE/MVV, RR, and a greater drop in SpO2. Affective state generally improved from pre- to post-exercise, with increases in positive affect (F=9.74, p<0.001) and decreases in negative affect (F=6.43, p=0.005). The CTVT group experienced a greater dip in global affect mid-exercise compared to CTHI (p=0.04), yet had a higher level of end-exercise alertness compared to CTHI (p=0.01) and IT (p=0.02). The IT group reported the lowest levels of post-exercise alertness (p=0.04 versus CTHI and p=0.02 versus CTVT), and significantly lower 12-week adherence rates (F=6.69, p=0.004). Mean exercise VO2 (r=-0.466, p=0.007) and end-exercise global vigor (r=0.420, p=0.017) were most strongly correlated with adherence. The moderation model was supported, where end-exercise global vigor moderated the relationship between VO2 and adherence (β=2.74, t (32)=2.32, p=0.03).

Conclusion: Compared to CTHI, CTVT was associated with less physiological strain, and greater end-exercise alertness, while IT was associated with slightly more physiological strain, lower post-exercise alertness, and lower 12-week adherence rates. VO2 and end-exercise global vigor were most strongly associated with adherence. Acute end-exercise vigor was found to moderate the relationship between acute VO2 and adherence.


identifier: Ranjbaran, Yalda  (2013) Integrated Computational Model in Support of Value Engineering.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Value Engineering (VE) is frequently applied to construction projects for better recognition of project scope and for elimination of unnecessary cost without impacting the functional requirements of individual components of constructed facilities. A critical phase in the application of value engineering is the multi-attributed evaluation of generated alternatives in the speculative phase. Cost is an essential criterion that plays an important role in the selection of the optimum or near optimum alternative that guarantees best value based on the criteria used in this process.

Limited work has been carried out for automation of this process but yet without adequate visualization for the components being considered. This thesis presents an integrated model for building construction that provides professionals, owners and members of VE teams with automation capabilities to evaluate and compare different design alternatives of project components. A BIM model, allowing 4D presentation of the project alternatives is implemented in the proposed model to automate data extraction for project cost estimating and to facilitate and support the visualization capabilities. The model is expected to assist members of VE teams not only in costing each alternative being considered, but also in ranking competing alternative using multi-attributed criteria in a timely manner.

A prototype model that integrates the project BIM model with RSMeans cost data and AHP has been developed. Cost estimates are generated making use of direct link with RSMeans and the ranking of alternatives is performed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The model has been applied to a case project to demonstrate its use and capabilities. The model evaluates and ranks generated alternatives in its output report.


identifier: Gkountis, Iason  (2014) Infrastructure Performance Assessment of Subway Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Subway networks are the most crucial transit systems of large cities. According to reports, ridership is growing and will continue to do so in the following decade. The 2013 America’s Infrastructure Report Card evaluated transit infrastructure with a grade of D which is translated in poor condition. Large amount of capital investment is required, for instance, the “Société de Transport de Montréal” has assigned around $500 Million for renovation works of its infrastructure. Despite that, transit authorities so far have been relying on empirical management approaches based on engineering judgment and decision makers’ preference. Few models are currently found in which, they either focus on stations solely or examine structural performance only. Taking into account the deterioration severity and the amount of passengers, the duty of proper subway asset management becomes a critical public safety issue. New models are required since they will ensure passenger safety, assist in repair planning and optimize budget allocation.
This research is aiming at developing a model for subway network performance assessment including structural, electrical and mechanical infrastructure. To achieve this objective, a typical breakdown is introduced including network, lines, stations, tunnels and components. The methodology passes through two main phases. First, a condition assessment model for components is developed based on identified defects. Subsequently, the condition index of stations and tunnels is calculated, followed by the rating of subway lines and the entire network. The Analytic Hierarchy and Network Processes, along with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and systems reliability are utilized in the computation procedure. Second, a condition prediction model is developed using Weibull theory, which constructs deterioration curves for all the network levels. In addition, the above two phases are incorporated in a user-friendly computerized application.
Data for the relative importance weights are collected through on-line surveys sent to subway experts. It is concluded that components related to passenger safety and client services, such as emergency lightning and escalators, are the most important of the subway network. The developed methodology is also applied to a sub-network of Athens Metro system. The results show that stations are recording condition indexes of more than 7/10 and the network has satisfactory performance. Repair actions need to be planned for 2020. This research provides a new subway network asset management tool that considers all aspects of infrastructure, measures the condition based on actual defects and offers future condition prediction.  The outcomes of this research are relevant to transit authorities, asset managers, engineers and researchers.