identifier: Silver, Erin  (2009) No "Gestures of return"? : querying queer aesthetics in North American art.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Queer art holds a troubled, and troubling, position in art and aesthetic discourse. The task of defining an authoritative queer aesthetics is complicated by the nature of queer theory, a framework liable to shifts in definition, and founded on a commitment to sociohistorical, sexual, and gender transgression. The range of artworks considered queer is both broad and ahistorical. Certain exhibitions have taken on the task of surveying or representing queer art; using different categorical guidelines, they have naturally achieved very different results. The thesis wants to 'out' the queer aesthetic dilemma by asking how the radically pliant, uncontainable nature of queer theory can be represented in queer art?  Four queer artists--Kim Kielhofner, Robert Rauschenberg, Emily Roysdon, and David Wojnarowicz--and one queer arts community--Toronto's present-day Queen Street West arts community--are considered. Their production is evaluated in terms of its contributions to a theory of queer aesthetics based on divergence, or, as queer theorist Sara Ahmed puts it, "fail[ure] to make ... gestures of return." Identifying strategies of relationality, intergenerational transmission, cultural coding, alternative autobiography, and queer world-making as notable aspects of queer cultural production, this thesis shows how queer artists both resist and appropriate cultural hegemony in order to preserve queer legacies. It is through this engagement and disassociation that queer art and queer aesthetics come to be defined.


identifier: Mannani, Amin  (2009) Synthesis of communicating decentralized supervisors for discrete-event systems with application to communication protocol synthesis.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: A Discrete-Event Systems (DES) may be viewed as a dynamic system with a discrete state space and a discrete state-transition structure with an event-driven nature, which makes it different from the systems described by differential or difference equations. Given the desired behavior of a DES as a specification, decentralized supervisory control theory seeks to design for a (distributed) DES, consisting of a number of (geographically distant) sites, a set of supervisors, one for each site, such that the behavior of the DES always remains within the specification. If the specification is not coobservable, these supervisors need to communicate amongst each other.  This thesis proposes a mathematical framework to formally model and synthesize such communicating decentralized supervisors. The framework provides a decentralized representation of the DES's centralized supervisor and captures its observational and control-related information as mappings, which are called updating and guard functions, respectively. This leads to a polynomial dynamical system, which serves to model the required communication and synthesize its rules. The systematic synthesis, obtained through this approach, characterizes the class of distributed control problems which are solvable only with communication, comes up with a finer partition of it, and addresses practical issues. The thesis ends with the application of the theoretical results to the modeling and synthesis of a communication protocol


identifier: Zhu, Qin  (2009) Doppler shift estimation of MIMO-OFDM systems based on auto-correlation function of channel estimate.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques have been considered as a strong candidate for the next-generation - wireless communication systems, due to their well-known advantages in high data-rate wireless transmission as well as high frequency spectrum efficiency. In the mean time, channel state information (CSI) is required for precise detection and recovery of signals. Therefore, channel estimation plays a significant role in MIMO-OFDM systems. On the other hand, due to the high mobility of wireless terminals, Doppler shift (DS) can be one of the major side-effects of utilizing MIMO-OFDM techniques, which may lead to severe performance loss. Many schemes on DS estimation have been developed for broadband single-input single-output (SISO) systems. A commonly used method is to exploit the auto-correlation property of the channel impulse response (CIR) estimated by well-developed channel estimation approaches, which not only has high accuracy but also moderate computational complexity. Hence, we first investigate an efficient channel estimation method in this thesis. We will then focus on Jakes' model based DS estimation schemes, and further extend to independently identically distributed (i.i.d.) MIMO-OFDM fading channels with both Rayleigh and Rician distributions.  In the first part of the thesis, a training-sequence (TS) based least square (LS) channel estimation scheme is presented for MIMO-OFDM systems along with plenty of computer simulations and corresponding analyses. Experimental study shows that the CIR estimates obtained by the LS method are reliable under moderate channel conditions, and can efficiently be utilized for DS estimation.  The second part of the thesis first studies the auto-correlation function (ACF) based DS estimation schemes for SISO-OFOM systems in Rayleigh fading channels, and then extends it to Rician fading channels by developing a new approach along with the analysis of its accuracy and complexity. Thereafter, we apply those approaches to MIMO-OFOM systems and present a few enhanced methods by using non-linear interpolation under certain circumstances. Detailed computer simulations and comparisons are performed, confirming that the proposed ACF based schemes give satisfactory estimation performance over i.i.d. Rayleigh or Rician fading channels with various channel conditions.


identifier: Arsenault, Jessica L  (2009) Facilitating the process of becoming an art therapist : a heuristic inquiry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This heuristic inquiry examines how the author's process of creating artwork has enhanced and accompanied her on-going development toward becoming an art therapist. Creative practice is both the subject matter of the research and part of the method of inquiry. Moustakas's stages of heuristic research are discussed, along with the use of art making as a useful means of exploring those stages. Theory and literature related to the use of art making as a part of art therapy education is presented along with art making for professional self-processing. Winnicott's theory of potential space is applied to the author's concept of creating a personal, sacred and reflective space through individual art making. Overall, this research project is about a process of self-discovery and of gaining a deeper understanding of the potential art making has as a vehicle for transformation.


identifier: Bresba, Paola  (2009) Telling stories, making meaning : art therapy as a process for refugee children to make sense of their experiences.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Children who come to Canada as refugees are at risk of having lived through traumas. These traumatic experiences can profoundly affect their global meaning system - foundational to their way of understanding themselves and their place in the world. Narrative is a way in which people organise, process and understand their experiences. When trauma violates refugee children's global meaning system narrative is a way for them to work through the discordant information and find a way to incorporate difficult experiences into their overall life stories.  Through the use of instrumental case study methodology, I examine refugee children's process of meaning-making, in response to trauma, through the observation and analysis of one child's narratives in art therapy. The findings show that, over time, the client's narratives illustrate a change in his perspective of himself, his world concept and his relationship to the world, suggesting a transformation in the child's global meaning system. The findings unexpectedly reveal the presence of parallel narratives, which are not authored by the child but have the potential to influence the child's view of himself and the world. This case study demonstrates how art therapy can help refugee children repair and adjust their global meaning system. It also highlights the importance of being aware of the presence and influence of parallel narratives.


identifier: Hart, Laurel Marie  (2009) Life as they know it : teaching photography to teens for cross-cultural understanding and identity development within community art education.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis provides an account of my action research project, teaching photography to teens within an upstart, Montreal-based, cross-cultural community art education program. Narrative is employed to illuminate emergent findings through my telling of key events.  Within this project, my role includes organizing the new media art component, while I also maintain a responsibility for mentoring and teaching the photography focus group--wherein my primary research focus lies. In the dual role of mentor and teacher, I collaborate with the participants to co-create a series of ever-adapting weekly sessions following a modified action-research model.  Together, the youth of Crossing Cultures and I discuss the meaning of culture. The youth are then encouraged to create artwork responding to these discussions or representing stories from cross-cultural interviews. The teens are free to choose whether to follow the suggested outline or to pursue their own ideas in this focused, but non-restrictive environment. The resulting images, dialogue, and actions raise questions about where teens' artistic interests lie, and what sort of culture first and second generation Canadian teens (and recent immigrants) identify with, and why. Photography provides the teens with a place to capture their experience, but are they willing to use it to investigate their family heritage and the cultures of others?  The analysis includes: "Culture. What does it mean, and to whom?" "Art education for identity formation," "Teaching meaningful photography," "Collaborative teaching and learning: a community-classroom mentorship model," and "Organization, partnerships, and relationships in crossing cultures and community art education."


identifier: Gutierrez, Liliana  (2009) Environmental concern and environmental action in Canada, a cross-time analysis of the Canadian Environmental Monitor (1987-2007).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Environmental policy has recently taken on greater salience in Canadian politics. However we know very little about Canadians' concern for the environment. Exactly, how concerned are Canadians about the environment? And more importantly what specifically are they concerned about? Has the degree of Canadians' environmental concern shifted over time? And where do concerns about climate change and green house gas emissions rank among Canadians various attitudes on the environment? In this thesis, I will use cross-time data from the Canadian Environmental Monitor (1987-2007) to conduct a systematic analysis of Canadians' concern for the environment and explore the ways in which is rationalized. For instance, has concern about climate change and green house gas emissions actually grow? And what accounts for Canadians' environmental concerns? Do concerns over climate change have implications for Canadians' willingness to protect the natural environment? If so, what is the nature of this association?


identifier: Baker, Jennifer  (2009) "Why I haven't written/and why I write" : class, Tory progressivism, and feminism activism in rural Ontario literature.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Canadian Modernism and modernity have had profound effects on how Canadian literary scholars approach rural Ontario literature, rural class systems and rural Ontario feminist practices. In fact few rural Ontario writers are widely studied in a regional context. Instead, the focus for writers like Nellie McClung and Emily Ferguson remains rooted in explorations of their achievements for suffrage in the West, while study of Ontario's Christian Social Activist writers like Ralph Connor and Marian Keith have largely fallen out of favour because their religious convictions seem antiquated in a modern context. However, these authors are still important in terms of establishing cultural continuity with more contemporary rural Ontario writers like Alice Munro, Al Purdy, Phil Hall, and the undeservingly neglected George Elliott. These more contemporary works are concerned with the tangible effects of modernist thought and modernity on rural Ontarians' understanding of their own subjectivities. Instead of evolving a culture that is coherent with their transatlantic and settler histories, they have been forced to deal with the cultural void left by the emergence of Canadian modernism by adopting symbolic stereotypes of rural culture imposed by urban instruments of marketing and mass cultural production. These products of the "symbolic rural" lift the cultural implications of the rural from its specific ties to place and history, constructing false generalizations about class and gender identities that can fit cleanly into the predominantly urban context of modernist ideologies.


identifier: Bailey, Jennifer Anne  (2009) Rhythm synchronization performance and auditory working memory in early and late-trained musicians.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Previous work from our laboratory has shown that adult musicians who began training before the age of 7 (Early-Trained; ET) performed better on a visual-motor tapping task than Chose who began after the age of 7 (Late-Trained; LT), even when matched on total years of musical training and experience. This supports the idea of a "sensitive" period in childhood development during which musical training results in long-lasting benefits for sensorimotor integration. Two questions were raised regarding the findings from this experiment. Firstly, would this group performance difference be observed using a more familiar, musically relevant task such as auditory rhythms? Secondly, how would cognitive abilities contribute to task performance? To address these questions, ET and LT musicians, matched on years of musical training, hours of current practice and experience, were tested on an auditory rhythm synchronization task. The task consisted of six woodblock rhythms of varying levels of metrical complexity. In addition, participants were tested on cognitive subtests measuring vocabulary, working memory, and pattern recognition. The two groups of musicians differed in their task performance, such that the ET musicians were better at reproducing the temporal structure of the rhythms. There were no group differences on the cognitive measures. However, across both groups, individual task performance correlated with auditory working memory abilities and years of formal training. These results support the idea of a sensitive period during the early years of childhood for developing sensorimotor synchronization abilities.


identifier: Chen, Fuzhi  (2009) Visual representation of a customizable software maintenance process model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Managing the evolution of complex and large software systems involves many different types of resources and knowledge such as software artefacts, user expertise, tools and techniques, etc. Variations and interrelationships among these types of resources and knowledge create well-known challenges for maintainers. Current research mainly focuses on establishing comprehension model, and developing tools to tackle a specific aspect of maintenance problems. Little research has been conducted to study how resources and knowledge work collaboratively together to provide guidance to maintainers to complete specific maintenance tasks in a given context.  In this research, we introduce a customizable maintenance process model, which extends an existing IEEE standard process model, to allow visually link various resources (e.g. tools, artifacts, maintainers etc.) and knowledge to relevant maintenance process elements. A visual metaphor has been created to graphically represent the process model. Finally, a tool environment has been developed to provide utilities for maintainers to create, customize and apply our maintenance process to provide guidance for maintainers for their maintenance tasks.


identifier: St. Onge, Jeffrey  (2009) Bentham in love : skeptical philosophy in Arthur Hugh Clough's Amours de Voyage.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Amours de Voyage, Arthur Hugh Clough responds to his dissatisfactions with his position as an unmarried Lecturer and Head at University College in London by modeling the poem's antihero, Claude, on law reformer and founder of utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham. Drawing primarily from John Stuart Mill's portrayal of Bentham as an epistemological skeptic, Clough, through his poem, investigates the consequences of reliance on particular, as opposed to general, forms of knowledge in relation to language and love, in order to approach irresolvable questions about the grounds of truth and how to enter into a marriage that is corporeally and spiritually satisfying. Thus Claude, a conflicted Benthamite figure, is incapable of communicating his experience of the first War of Italian Independence, and resists abstract love as the sort of vague generality that Mill's Bentham deplored. As part of its largely satirical method, Amours de Voyage links its criticisms of Benthamite epistemology to Jeremy Bentham's status as a preserved corpse, referred to in Bentham's writings as his Auto-Icon, which arrived at University College at roughly the same time as Clough. By providing evidence for Clough's interactions with Benthamite philosophy, I aim also to revise our contemporary views of Clough as a primarily autobiographical poet, and to better appreciate his creative method that allows him to handle themes central to mid-nineteenth century intellectual culture in engrossing and compelling ways.


identifier: Van Volkenburg, Sara Jane  (2009) Towards integrating transformative pedagogies to generate social justice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Current debates and heated public dialogue about multicultural issues and minority rights underline the social importance of how to best understand, conceptualize and approach multiculturalism within an educational context. Recent research suggests that teacher educators lack the necessary information and academic curricular support to adequately deal with multicultural issues; thus, if a central aim of education is to create a more democratic and inclusive society, we must reflect on establishing a sound multicultural teacher education curriculum. This thesis examines and explores varying understandings, differing perspectives, and contrasting foundational approaches to both multiculturalism and anti-racism, and identifies common criteria in these theoretical and pedagogical approaches which support a social justice agenda and facilitate social change. Through summary and discussion of conservative and liberal multicultural approaches, the problematic aspects inherent in these approaches are identified which effectively limit, and, in some cases, even undermine the possibility of generating social justice. An in-depth examination and critique of critical multicultural, anti-racist, critical, black feminist, and women of color theory and pedagogy serves to identify the important shared fundamental principles upon which all of these theories/pedagogies are founded, which include addressing and challenging institutionalized racism and structural inequalities, and addressing white racism and whiteness as an invisible normative force. The practical extensions, implications and challenges involved in the implementation of these theories within teacher education programs are discussed, and recommendations for future research are presented.


identifier: Raftlova, Linda  (2009) Fields of light: a son remembers his heroic father de Joseph Hurka : traduire un genre litteraire hybride.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Malgré l'appellation de ± mémoires », étiquette accolée par la critique américaine à l'oeuvre de Joseph Hurka, Fields of Light se présente comme étant un mélange de genres littéraires. Le présent mémoire examine cette oeuvre dont la particularité est qu'elle ne se conforme pas à un seul genre et par conséquent pose des problèmes de classification. Ayant gagné le Prix Pushcart, bien qu'il n'ait pas été reconnu d'une catégorie publiable, nous présentons Fields of Light comme une oeuvre hybride laissant au lecteur une impression de ± désordre ».  Afin de mieux saisir cette dynamique nous avons situé notre mémoire dans le cadre théorique du postmodernisme qui, au plan littéraire, se caractérise, entres autres, par l'absence des règles et la perméabilité des frontières génériques. Prenant en compte cette problématique, nous réfléchissons ici non seulement à ce que nous traduisons, mais également à ce que les traducteurs peuvent se permettre face à cet éclatement. Finalement, pour ajouter une touche personnelle à notre mémoire, nous y ajoutons l'entretien avec l'auteur.


identifier: Cox, Amanda Leigh  (2009) Articulating resistance : translating Acadie & Ireland as post-colonial and subaltern.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis addresses the comparison of Subaltern Acadie and Ireland and the resistance in translation that they manifest to counter colonialism and Empire.  Though separated temporally, Ireland and Acadie share key characteristics: a basis in orality, post-colonial history, and Subaltern status. These qualities provide a common grouond for the comparative analysis of how both societies access discourses of power - an effort manifested through translation. The corpus consists of: Acadie - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Évangéline and its French Canadian translation by Pamphile LeMay; Ireland - Tain Bo Cualgne and its English translations by Lady Augusta Gregory ( Cuchulàin of Muirthemne ) and Joseph Dunn ( The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tàin Bo Cualgne, The Cualgne Cattle Raid ). The Acadien text manifests passive resistance by repeating historical inaccuracies, emphasizing Orientalizing practices and essentialism, and the insertion of LeMay's political ideology into the translated text. The Irish texts manifest active resistance through Irish nationalist-oriented translations that can be twinned with temporality and key political events, and widely variant translations that demonstrate Ireland's long translation history and tradition.  In terms of methodology, this thesis draws upon research and theories from: Post-Colonial Studies, Translation Studies, as well as Acadien and Irish political and cultural history.


identifier: Barghi, Saman  (2009) Connecting vehicular networks to the internet : a life time-based routing protocol.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Inter-Vehicle Communications have recently attracted the attention of researchers in academia and industry. In such networks, vehicles should be able to communicate among each other (V2V) as well as with roadside Infrastructure units (V2I). Vehicular networks try to provide safety on the roads by disseminating critical messages among vehicles. Infrastructure units provide some services such as driver information systems and Internet access. Because of the high speed and high mobility of vehicles, establishing and maintaining a connection to these units is very challenging. We introduce a new protocol that uses the characteristics of vehicle movements to predict the vehicle behavior and select a route with the longest life-time to connect to the wired network. It aims at spreading the advertisement messages through multi-hops without flooding the network, do seamless hand-overs and select the most stable routes to these units. We performed some simulations and compared the performance of our work with some well-known protocols.


identifier: Nassif, Eva  (2009) Terminologie de la langue de la protéomique.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Being a brand-new domain, proteomics has never been the subject of any terminological work yet. This study aims to remedy the actual situation by presenting the results of a highly specialized thematic research on the vocabulary currently used by specialists.  These results are presented within a bilingual English-French and a unilingual English terminological files. We hope that this study on proteomics will be the first of many others to come.


identifier: Ahmed, Tanbir  (2009) An implementation of the DPLL algorithm.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: An implementation of the DPLL algorithm

abstract: The satisfiability problem (or SAT for short) is a central problem in several fields of computer science, including theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, hardware design, and formal verification. Because of its inherent difficulty and widespread applications, this problem has been intensely being studied by mathematicians and computer scientists for the past few decades. For more than forty years, the Davis-Putnam-Logemann-Loveland (DPLL) backtrack-search algorithm has been immensely popular as a complete (it finds a solution if one exists; otherwise correctly says that no solution exists) and efficient procedure to solve the satisfiability problem. We have implemented an efficient variant of the DPLL algorithm. In this thesis, we discuss the details of our implementation of the DPLL algorithm as well as a mathematical application of our solver.  We have proposed an improved variant of the DPLL algorithm and designed an efficient data structure for it. We have come up with an idea to make the unit-propagation faster than the known SAT solvers and to maintain the stack of changes efficiently. Our implementation performs well on most instances of the DIMACS benchmarks and it performs better than other SAT-solvers on a certain class of instances. We have implemented the solver in the C programming language and we discuss almost every detail of our implementation in the thesis.  An interesting mathematical application of our solver is finding van der Waerden numbers, which are known to be very difficult to compute. Our solver performs the best on the class of instances corresponding to van der Waerden numbers. We have computed thirty of these numbers, which were previously unknown, using our solver.


identifier: Sharifzadeh, Bita  (2009) The impact of anxiety on subjective and physiological sexual arousal.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Current findings on the impact of anxiety on sexual arousal are controversial and do not provide a clear picture of how anxiety is related to sexual arousal. Some studies report that anxiety inhibits sexual arousal and others report that anxiety actually facilitates sexual arousal. However, there is mounting evidence that suggest that these controversies might be due to the existing methodological limitations such as incomplete use of the concept anxiety. Two studies were conducted to examine the impact of anxiety on sexual arousal in healthy men and women. In both studies, participants completed questionnaires to measure anxiety and/or sexual arousal before and after watching anxiety provoking and/or sexually explicit film clips. In both studies, objective physiological measures were taken as the participants were watching the films using, a heart rate monitor. The first study examined the validity of a 10-minute anxiety/fear-provoking film clip in inducing anxiety and arousal in a non-clinical sample of 15 men and 15 women. In this study, anxiety was assessed as a multidimensional construct and as such subjective and objective anxiety were measured. Participants watched a neutral and an anxiety-provoking film in a counterbalanced order. Results of this study showed that a 10-minute anxiety film is long enough to adequately induce anxiety in a sample of non-clinical undergraduate students. A main effect of gender was found, with women exhibiting greater anxiety then men; as well, women demonstrated greater anxiety than physiological arousal during the anxiety film. This study was an important step in validating the fear/anxiety-provoking film clip and its success in inducing anxiety and physiological arousal, permitting future studies using the film clip to examine the effect of anxiety on a variety of human experiences and functioning such as decision making and sexual functioning. The second study examined the impact of various components of anxiety on sexual arousal in healthy women ( n =44) and men ( n =47). In this study, participants watched either a neutral film followed by an erotic film clip or the anxiety provoking film followed by an erotic film clip. The results of this study showed that physiological and cognitive components of state anxiety have an enhancing effect on objective and subjective sexual arousal in both men and women, regardless of individual's sensitivity to anxiety. Furthermore, anxiety seems to favorably impact objective sexual arousal via increases in sympathetic nervous system, while it did not interfere with the subjective sexual arousal. In addition, sexual arousal seems to positively influence anxiety and successfully diminish it, at least for a short period. Implications of our understanding of the impact of anxiety on sexual arousal are discussed in relation to the importance of considering the different dimensions of anxiety.


identifier: Leiba, Elka  (2009) Maternal nonverbal and verbal scaffolding of infant attention during toy-centered play : influences of toy-type, age and birth status.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of the current thesis which consists of a three-part study was to investigate the nonverbal and verbal attention-scaffolding behaviours mothers employ during toy play with their infants, and to evaluate changes in these behaviours and infant gaze according to infant age, birth status and toy-type. Toy-types included books and toys with functional and/or social properties. Two groups of mother-infant dyads were investigated at 5�$1�


identifier: Casselman, Scott  (2009) A new methodology for obtaining piecewise affine models using a set of linearisation points and voronoi partitions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To understand complex dynamical systems, approximations are often made by a linearisation about an operating point of interest. The drawback of this linear approximation is that it only describes the system locally, around the operating point. One possible solution to overcome this drawback is to approximate the complex nonlinear dynamical system with a piecewise affine (PWA) system. Approximating nonlinear dynamical systems is very important in system theory where one is interested in simplifying its analysis and numerical simulation. PWA modelling is a very powerful tool to represent nonlinear systems as a collection of a finite number of linear systems. In the literature of PWA, a uniform grid (UG) approximation is the current method being used to approximate a nonlinear system as a PWA system. The drawback of this method is the potential large amount of regions required to obtain a desired accuracy, which is most evident for systems with more than one variable in the domain of the nonlinearity. In order to reduce the number of regions, the proposed research will develop a new methodology for obtaining PWA models using a set of linearisation points (SLP) and the Voronoi partition. First, in order to generate a partition based on a SLP, the curvature of the nonlinearity is used as a tool for selecting appropriate locations for the linearisation points. Next, an algorithm is proposed to automate the SLP approximation for both curves and surfaces. The SLP and UG approximation methods are then compared over several simple examples. Finally, the newly proposed approximation methodology is applied to three case studies: modelling of a nonlinear mechanical system and modelling and control of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a micro air vehicle (MAV)


identifier: Sinai, Marco  (2009) Task switching ability in mild cognitive impairment.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There is growing evidence of executive function deficits in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and task switching ability has been shown to predict MCI transition to Alzheimer's disease. We tested task switching ability using a cued task switching paradigm in 27 MCI patients. Sixteen patients could perfume the task (MCI-able) and 11 could not (MCI-unable). Neuropsychological, electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, genetic, demographic, health-related data are presented for the MCI sub-groups and normal controls. The most significant finding of this study is that task-switching ability can be a powerful tool in characterizing this heterogeneous population. We found that most MCI patients exhibit some form of task-switching deficits, but to vastly different degrees. On the one hand there are individuals closer to the normal aging end of the cognitive spectrum; these individuals may present with memory deficits relative to their normal age peers but can compensate these with quasi-intact executive functions and have a high probability of remaining dementia free as long as their executive functions remain adequate. On the other side of the spectrum, there are individuals who perfume poorly on executive tasks as well as having significant episodic memory deficits. These individuals appear to have a high probability of developing AD or dying within four years. iii


identifier: Zhou, Qing-Li  (2009) Reconfigurable control allocation design with applications to unmanned aerial vehicle and aircraft.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The main objective of this thesis is to design and evaluate reconfigurable flight control system against control surfaces faults in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and aircraft without modifying the baseline controller/control law by using control re-allocation technique. The faults are introduced in the form of partial loss and stuck at unknown positions of control surfaces on the UAV and aircraft. Four control reallocation algorithms with applications to UAV and fixed-wing aircraft were investigated, which include a pseudo-inverse, a fixed-point algorithm, a direct control allocation algorithm and a weighted least squares method. The thesis work is evaluated by a nonlinear UAV model ALTAV (Almost-Light-Than-Air-Vehicles), developed by Quanser Inc., and a nonlinear aircraft model ADMIRE (Aero-Data-Model-in-Research-Environment), developed by the Group of Aeronautical Research and Technology in Europe (GARTEUR). Different faults have been introduced in control surfaces with different commanded inputs. Gaussian noise was introduced in the ALTAV model. Different faults have been introduced in control surfaces with different command inputs. Comparisons were made under normal situation, fault conditions without control re-allocation, and with control reallocation. Simulation results show the satisfactory reconfigurable flight control system performance using control re-allocation methods for ALTAV UAV model and ADMIRE aircraft model.


identifier: Platon, Radu  (2009) Soft sensor development using artificial intelligence and statistical multivariate methods.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The lack of real-time measurement of certain critical product and process characteristics is a major problem in the manufacturing industry, and it can lead to an out of specification production. A soft sensor is a predictive model that uses readily available process measurements to infer variables that are impossible or difficult to obtain in real-time.  In this work, historical process data related to the black liquor recovery circuit from a Canadian kraft pulp and paper mill is used to develop soft sensor models for the black liquor solid content at the concentrator feed. Prior to modeling, irrelevant variables and observations not representative of a normal operating regime are eliminated from the dataset. For practical reasons related to modeling restrictions and soft sensor industrial implementation, is proposed that a limited number of variables be used as model inputs. Two Partial Least Squares-based selection criteria are used to select the most relevant predictors. Two different sets of ten variables are obtained and used to develop Sugeno-type fuzzy logic, neural network and Partial Least Regression models. Their predictive performance is compared in order to determine the best model configuration and input selection method. iii  Currently, the black liquor solid content at the concentrator feed is measured once every eight hours, by performing a laboratory analysis. The proposed soft sensor model can be used to provide a real-time value of the solid content, allowing operators to monitor the process and act timely if corrective actions are required.


identifier: Moszkowski, Robin  (2008) Infant touching behaviours during mother-infant face-to-face interactions : effects of changes in maternal emotional and physical availability in normative and at-risk populations.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Mother-infant interactions are fundamental to infant socio-emotional development. Through mutually regulated exchanges in the first year of life, infants develop critical communicative and regulatory skills. Infant touch is a central channel through which infants communicate their underlying affective states, regulate their emotions, and explore their surroundings. Yet despite its importance, there is a paucity of research examining infant touch. The current dissertation was designed to investigate infants' touching behaviours during mother-infant face-to-face interactions.  A series of two studies investigating infant touch in the context of infants' other communicative modalities during interactions with variations in maternal availability was conducted. Study 1 examined how touch co-occurs with distal modalities (i.e. gaze, affect), and investigated the functions of touch (i.e. communicative, regulatory, exploratory). Findings revealed that touch is organized with gaze and affect into meaningful affective displays, and that infants use touch to self-regulate and explore when mothers are emotionally unavailable. The impact of the quality of the relationship (i.e. maternal emotional availability indicators, such as sensitivity and hostility) on infants' touching behaviours was also examined. Findings demonstrated greater engagement through touch in infants with more sensitive mothers.  Study 2 investigated infants' touching behaviours in an at-risk sample of depressed and non-depressed mothers exhibiting poor relationship indicators (i.e. sub-optimal emotional availability). Touch was compared during periods of emotional versus physical unavailability, revealing greater reactive types of touch during physical unavailability. Findings also highlighted the impact of maternal risk on infants' touching behaviours: infants of depressed mothers exhibited more reactive types of touch compared to infants of non-depressed mothers, and negative relationship indicators (e.g. maternal hostility, intrusiveness) predicted regulatory tactile behaviours.  Taken together, the present findings contribute to current knowledge on touch during early socio-emotional development. Results underscore that infants are active participants during their social exchanges and that they vary their tactile behaviours as a function of maternal availability. The findings clarify how infants use touch (i.e. to regulate, explore) when mothers are unavailable, and imply that touch serves a communicative role during pre-verbal development. Finally, this research offers insight into the impact of maternal risk on infants' regulatory abilities and the dyadic processes of co-regulation


identifier: Changizi, Ahmad  (2009) Effect of substrate material and roughness on the properties of Mg AZ31-B alloy cast on horizontal single belt casting simulator.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Strips of magnesium alloy AZ31-B were cast on a single belt casting simulator with moving-mold system. A mixture of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) gases was used as a protective gas during melting and casting of the magnesium alloy. The castability of the magnesium alloy strips was investigated for different types of substrates: smooth low carbon steel substrate, copper with six different roughnesses, graphite-coated smooth steel and graphite-coated copper with different roughnesses. Moreover, the effect of strip thickness on the casting properties were investigated. The heat flux through the copper substrate was higher than that through the steel substrate, while coated substrates showed lower heat fluxes than the uncoated substrates. The highest heat flux was recorded for the grooved (rough) substrate with 0.15 mm depth, while further increasing the surface roughness (depth) resulted in a decrease in the heat flux. Decreasing the heat flux reduced the quality of the top surface of the strips. However, as the thickness of the strip decreased, although the heat flux decreased, the quality of the top surface increased. As the heat flux increased, the grain sizes of the strips were reduced while the secondary arm spacing (SDAS) decreased. The mechanical properties, TS, YS and HV increased when the heat flux increased. Although magnesium oxide normally appears in white, the black color of the outer MgO layer of the strips formed under unprotected conditions is due to the presence of sub-micron MgO particles.


identifier: Quinlan, Matthew  (2009) Effects of estradiol on central dopamine function and dopamine-mediated behaviors in female rats.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Estrogen plays an important role in the modulation of cognitive performance in both women and female rodents. These effects may be attributed to the estrogenic modulation of neuroanatomical structures and neurotransmitter systems in the brain, including dopamine. Here, the influence of estrogen on dopamine-mediated behaviors as well as dopamine release and synaptic plasticity were examined.  Study 1 showed that latent inhibition is exhibited by females in proestrus, a time of high estrogen, but not by females in estrus or metestrus, periods of low estrogen. Study 2 examined the effects of chronic estradiol (E2) in ovariectomized rats on cognitive strategy. Rats with high levels ofE2 predominantly use a place strategy while rats with low levels of E2 predominantly use a response strategy. Systemic administration of dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonists caused a switch of strategy use in low E2 rats. To determine where in the brain this effect was occurring, Study 3 utilized intracranial infusions of D1Rand D2R antagonists in the dorsal striatum (DS) or ventral striatum. D1R, but not D2R, antagonists in the DS caused a switch in strategy use by low E2 females. This suggests that strategy use in low E2 rats is altered by D2R antagonism in another brain region. To this end, in Study 4 D1R and D2R antagonists were infused into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Both D1R and D2R antagonism resulted in a switch of strategy use by low E2 rats.  In Study 5, in vivo microdialysis was utilized in anaesthetized rats to demonstrate that local infusion of E2 into the DS rapidly increases dopamine transmission. Dual-probe in vivo microdialysis was also used in Study 6 to investigate the effects ofE2 on dopamine transmission in the mPFC. Additionally, Western immunoblotting was conducted to evaluate the effects of E2 on synaptic protein levels. Study 7 examined the role of E2 on performance in a mPFC-mediated working memory task. Together, these studies suggest that estrogen influences cognitive performance in the female rat and that this effect is mediated, in part, by its action in the DS and mPFC.


identifier: Krause, Rachel Joy  (2009) Combined effects of parasitism and pollution on the antipredator behaviour of Etheostoma nigrum (Percidae: Etheostomatinae).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Pollution can have significant effects on the parasite communities and behaviour of freshwater fish. This study compares the helminth communities and predator avoidance behaviour of johnny darters ( Etheostoma nigrum ) collected from two reference localities and three polluted localities in the St. Lawrence River in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Both reference localities and one locality impacted with industrial and agricultural contaminants were located upstream of Montreal; two sites impacted with municipal sewage and urban effluent were located downstream of the city. Overall, darters were infected with 24 species of helminths, 16 of which were larval stages. Fish from the upstream polluted locality (industrial and agricultural) had a higher mean species richness than the two reference localities, which had higher richness than the two downstream localities (sewage). Fish from the upstream and reference localities had higher total parasite numbers than the two downstream localities. A non-parametric, permutational multivariate ANOVA (PERMANOVA) using Bray-Curtis dissimilarities between communities of individual fish revealed that the parasite communities differed by locality, pollution status of locality and type of pollution (upstream versus downstream). A capture time experiment and a flight distance experiment were performed, to test the effects of parasitism and pollution on susceptibility to predation. A PERMANOVA demonstrated that abundance of a brain-encysting parasite, Ornithodiplostomum sp. and locality explained capture time, but failed to detect a relationship between pollution status and antipredator behaviour. Fish with high intensity infections of the brain encysting parasite, Ornithodiplostomum sp., were more difficult to capture, reflecting increased activity of infected individuals. Abundances of Ornithodiplsotomum sp. metacercariae were greater at reference localities than at impacted ones, possibly reflecting sensitivity to pollution of transmission stages or snail hosts of this parasite. Pollution may have an indirect effect on johnny darter antipredator behaviour, by decreasing abundance of a behaviour-modifying parasite at polluted localities.


identifier: Zbeeb, Ahmad  (2009) A new microcontroller-based MPPT algorithm for photovoltaic applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this work, a new and improved microcontroller-based maximum power point tacking (MPPT) algorithm for photovoltaic (PV) applications is proposed and implemented. The algorithm incorporates new ideas for overcoming the challenges associated with rapidly changing insolation levels and the effect of partial shading. It is simple with ( i.e. no complex computations) and can be implemented on commercial micro-controllers.  The proposed algorithm enhances the steady-state and dynamic responses by introducing an improved adaptive step-size for updating the PV module's reference variable ( i.e. voltage, current or duty cycle). This new adaptive step-size approach exploits the first derivative of power as a function of duty cycle ( dP/dD ) and the sign of the second derivative for dividing the panel's operating range into four different regions. Consequently, the PV module's operating point can be tracked more precisely, thereby leading to more accurate step-size update compared to traditional step-size update.  The instability issue, under rapidly changing insolation levels, is addressed by incorporating a current measurement I null at the end of each sampling period. The measured I null is used to estimate power dP 2 caused by the insolation change during the sampling period, which is compared to power change dP 1 caused by MPPT update.  The algorithm also considers the issue of partial shading, where multiple peaks appear in the power function of the PV modules. The proposed algorithm exploits the relation between the maximum power current I MP and the global maximum power P m ( i.e. P m = Ü I mp ) to estimate the global maximum. Based on this relation, periodic interrupt routines are invoked to estimate the expected global maximum power P m of the present operating current I pv using ( P m = Ü I pv ). This power P m is then compared with the actual output power P o to ensure that the module is operating at the global maximum.  The proposed MPPT system is modeled in SIMULINK with the theoretical models of a PV module and a buck converter. Simulation results are presented to validate the algorithm performance under different irradiation schemes, and are then compared to the results of several conventional algorithms ( e.g. P&O, adaptive ICM). In addition, a hardware prototype is implemented where the experimental results are presented and compared to a conventional algorithm.


identifier: Pan, Wumo  (2009) Pattern detection and recognition using over-complete and sparse representations.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recent research in harmonic analysis and mammalian vision systems has revealed that over-complete and sparse representations play an important role in visual information processing. The research on applying such representations to pattern recognition and detection problems has become an interesting field of study. The main contribution of this thesis is to propose two feature extraction strategies - the global strategy and the local strategy - to make use of these representations.  In the global strategy, over-complete and sparse transformations are applied to the input pattern as a whole and features are extracted in the transformed domain. This strategy has been applied to the problems of rotation invariant texture classification and script identification, using the Ridgelet transform. Experimental results have shown that better performance has been achieved when compared with Gabor multi-channel filtering method and Wavelet based methods.  The local strategy is divided into two stages. The first one is to analyze the local over-complete and sparse structure, where the input 2-D patterns are divided into patches and the local over-complete and sparse structure is learned from these patches using sparse approximation techniques.  The second stage concerns the application of the local over-complete and sparse structure. For an object detection problem, we propose a sparsity testing technique, where a local over-complete and sparse structure is built to give sparse representations to the text patterns and non-sparse representations to other patterns. Object detection is achieved by identifying patterns that can be sparsely represented by the learned. structure. This technique has been applied. to detect texts in scene images with a recall rate of 75.23% (about 6% improvement compared with other works) and a precision rate of 67.64% (about 12% improvement).  For applications like character or shape recognition, the learned over-complete and sparse structure is combined. with a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). A second text detection method is proposed based on such a combination to further improve (about 11% higher compared with our first method based on sparsity testing) the accuracy of text detection in scene images. Finally, this method has been applied to handwritten Farsi numeral recognition, which has obtained a 99.22% recognition rate on the CENPARMI Database and a 99.5% recognition rate on the HODA Database. Meanwhile, a SVM with gradient features achieves recognition rates of 98.98% and 99.22% on these databases respectively


identifier: Kassab, Mohamad  (2009) Formal and quantitative approach to non-functional requirements modeling and assessment in software engineering.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the software market place, in which functionally equivalent products compete for the same customer, Non Functional Requirements (NFRs) become more important in distinguishing between the competing products. However, in practice, NFRs receive little attention relative to Functional Requirements (FRs). This is mainly because of the nature of these requirements which poses a challenge when taking the choice of treating them earlier in the software development. NFRs are subjective, relative and they become scattered among multiple modules when they are mapped from the requirements domain to the solution space. Furthermore, NFRs can often interact, in the sense that attempts to achieve one NFR can help or hinder the achievement of other NFRs at particular software functionality. Such an interaction creates an extensive network of interdependencies and tradeoffs among NFRs which is not easy to trace or estimate.  This thesis contributes towards achieving the goal of managing the attainable scope and the changes of NFRs. The thesis proposes and empirically evaluates a formal and quantitative approach to modeling and assessing NFRs. Central to such an approach is the implementation of the proposed NFRs Ontology for capturing and structuring the knowledge on the software requirements (FRs and NFRs), their refinements, and their interdependencies.  In this thesis, we also propose a change management mechanism for tracing the impact of NFRs on the other constructs in the ontology and vice-versa. We provide a traceability mechanism using Datalog expressions to implement queries on the relational model-based representation for the ontology. An alternative implementation view using XML and XQuery is provided as well. In addition, we propose a novel approach for the early requirements-based effort estimation, based on NFRs Ontology. The effort estimation approach complementarily uses one standard functional size measurement model, namely COSMIC, and a linear regression technique


identifier: Carli, Giampaolo  (2009) Photovoltaic based electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle battery charging infrastructure using a modified z-converter topology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There currently exist numerous uncertainties about the future of energy consumption in the industrialized world. It is safe to claim with confidence that fossil fuel reserves are proving to be inadequate, highly difficult to extract and refine, and less attractive to the community, given their environmental and socio-political impact. More recently, this has lead to the natural conclusion that renewable energy technologies should be preferred over more traditional ones. Replacing carbon as an economic engine can be achieved in numerous ways. However, it is still not clear, as to which renewable options will be more successful. On the other hand, it is quite safe to expect that the trend towards distributed and local power generation, using wind and photovoltaic sources will continue. At the same time, the enormous transportation sector will rely more heavily on electricity and related infrastructure needed for storage and distribution. All the above issues point towards the realization of public and private facilities to generate electricity locally, to recharge electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.  In this thesis, a photovoltaic (PV) source is proposed for electric/plug-in hybrid electric vehicle battery charging, due to the fact that solar panels can be conveniently placed above the vehicle parking space and can double as a shade provider. In fact, such a feature is so desirable that indeed, several installations exist today, that use a carport PV array to generate power for purposes other than EV recharging. Determining the technical goals for such facilities and discussing some relevant solutions is, broadly, the scope of this thesis. More particularly, the thesis aims at establishing application oriented technical differences between regular PV-grid-tied systems and PV systems that are specifically adapted to public or semi-public EV charging, noting that the former arrangement has enjoyed much attention in literature. This goal will be accomplished by presenting the design process for one such system, starting with the definition of technical specifications that take into account all the real constraints dictated by the state of the art in PV and battery technologies, grid interface requirements, safety standards, and market demands. The second part of this thesis focuses on the power converter topology, with strong emphasis on the analysis of the Z-loaded/sourced converter, as a fairly suitable and practical topology. At the same time, other possible topologies will also be considered for comparison purposes, especially with regards to reliability, efficiency, and cost.


identifier: Vera Araya, Sergio  (2009) Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings : an integrated experimental and numerical study.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the current design and operation of residential houses, indoor humidity is often left unregulated because, unlike temperature, it is more difficult to sense, quantify, and control. High indoor RH may increase the risk of respiratory problems such as rhinitis and asthma, reduce perceived air quality, propitiate mold growth, and cause building damages. Low indoor RH may cause discomfort due to dryness of nose, eyes and skin.  Indoor humidity in each room of multizone buildings depends on the moisture generation by sources, moisture transport by air leakage and ventilation, moisture buffering by indoor finishing materials and furniture, moisture transport through the envelope, and moisture transport between rooms due to interzonal airflows. Most of these aspects have been extensively studied, but the moisture transport due to interzonal airflows through doorways or staircase openings has received less attention.  The aim of this investigation is to study the interzonal air and moisture transport through a large horizontal opening in a full-scale two-story test-hut involving buoyancy-driven flows (due to temperature differences only) and combined buoyancy and forced airflows (due to mechanical ventilation). To accomplish this objective, experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed. The main parameters tested are the temperature difference between the lower and the upper rooms, ventilation strategies, ventilation rates and locations of the moisture source.  Interzonal moisture exchange and interzonal airflows are analyzed based on two quantities that represent both phenomena, the difference between the average humidity ratios of the two rooms and the interzonal mass airflows, respectively. Experimental and CFD simulation results show that higher interzonal mass airflows and moisture exchanges through the horizontal opening are found when the upper room is colder than the lower room, while lower interzonal mass airflows and moisture exchanges occur when the upper room is warmer. Also, it is shown that the mechanical ventilation significantly restricts interzonal mass airflows in comparison with cases without ventilation. Based on CFD results, empirical equations representing the upward mass airflow through the horizontal opening are developed at different ventilation rates and ventilation strategies


identifier: Vescio, Dina  (2009) Surveillance and spectacle in webcam-based artworks : Eyes of Laura by Janet Cardiff and Homecammers--Women by Cheryl Sourkes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates two webcam-based artworks by Canadian artists Janet Cardiff (b. 1957) and Cheryl Sourkes (b. 1945), arguing that these new media artworks bring forward a consideration of the ways in which Michel Foucault's notion of the `surveillance society' and Guy Debord's concept of the `society of the spectacle' co-exist within digital society. Drawing from surveillance, media and feminist studies, the thesis briefly outlines the history of webcam use in contemporary art and provides reasons which support digital society's appeal toward webcam imagery. It then discusses Cardiff's Eyes of Laura (2002-2004) in connection with notions of public space spectatorship and theories of film noir, the 'flâneur(euse)' and the Panopticon. This is followed by an examination of Sourkes' Homecammers -- Women (2006) in relation to notions of private space spectatorship and theories of the 'cam girl' and the Synopticon. I argue in both analyses, and through their comparison, how each instigates an institutional critique in their own way at the same time that they call upon spectators to consider the co-existence of surveillance and spectacle in digital society.


identifier: Abumazwed, Ahmed  (2009) Broadband dielectric resonator antennas for WLAN applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Today's communications systems require use of broadband antennas to meet high capacity requirements. Furthermore, some applications require smaller antenna sizes. In this work, a broadband Dielectric Resonator Antenna (DRA) for WLAN applications is presented. The antennas presented are compact in size, have the broadside radiation patterns and high radiation efficiency. The bandwidth of the DRA depends on the dielectric material, its shape, as well as the excitation technique used to feed the antenna.  The three antennas presented in this thesis are of half cylindrical shape, mounted on ground planes and excited by aperture coupling slot. A parasitic U slot is part of the feeding network for more coupling and bandwidth enhancement. The antennas have good radiation characteristics and operate over a wide band of frequencies. Ansoft HFSS is used for the antenna simulation. CST Microwave studio is also used to compare the accuracy of time domain and frequency domain analysis of the DRAs. The DR material is Rogers RO3010 (TM) with [varepsilon] r = 10.2, and a dielectric loss tangent of 0.0035. The substrate material is Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 (TM) with [varepsilon] s =2.2, a loss tangent of 0.0009, and 0.767 mm thickness.  The half-cylindrical DRA is used to have the TEo13 mode excited. The radiation patterns of the three antennas are similar to that of a magnetic monopole which has the broadside radiation pattern. Parasitic U-shaped slots are used with the three presented antennas to enhance the bandwidth by exciting a dual resonant frequency in the TE 01e mode. These slots have similar radiation characteristics to those of the half cylindrical DRAs so the overall radiation patterns of these antennas are not deteriorated.  For the fabricated antennas, they have broadside radiation characteristics in H and E planes. As for the impedance bandwidth, the half cylindrical ORA has 24 % fractional bandwidth. For the half cylindrical ORA backed with a rectangular dielectric resonator, 32% bandwidth is achieved. A bandwidth of29% is achieved in the case of half volume Elliptical ORA. The gain of the three antennas slightly changes around 5 dBi which is good for the WLAN applications.


identifier: Régimbal, Christopher  (2009) Institutions of culture and urban planning : the relationship between art museums and culture-led urban planning initiatives in two small Ontario cities.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Apsey, Katie  (2009) Embodied sovereignty : dialogues with contemporary aboriginal dance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Within Aboriginal communities, dance has a long history of embodying knowledge--operating as a way of psychologically infusing spaces with new energies, passing on knowledge systems and histories, and enlivening voice. The power of dance is evidenced by the way that colonial powers and hegemonic popular culture have simultaneously suppressed and (mis)appropriated dances originating in Native communities. By examining performance practice in relation to these traditions and histories, this thesis discusses Contemporary Aboriginal dance through a de-colonizing lens in order to demonstrate the capability performance has to create sovereign spaces for artists while considering dance within an Aboriginal context - as expressive visual culture with inseparable links to visual art, music, theater, and oral histories. Foregrounded by Indigenous epistemologies and world views, Western theories of contemporary performance from academic discourses accompany writings by performers and artists of color to illustrate how such theories merely abstract concepts Aboriginal dancers have been enacting for millennia. Dialogues with dancers Sandra Laronde, Gaétan Gingras, Jerry Longboat, and Michael Greyeyes, as well as narrative experiences of specific dance works make up a significant portion of the work and express common themes within the movements such as: embodiment rather than performance; the creation of sovereign, sacred, and alternative spaces; working through trauma and healing with the body; combating stereotypes and expectations; access to Blood Memory; experiential learning; and dance as knowledge and history.


identifier: Helayel, Sandra  (2009) Responding to constraints : foreign policy behavior in the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the primary constraints on the conduct of foreign policy in the Middle East. The region has been of primary importance in the international system throughout history. However, contemporary international relations debates have been unable to explain adequately the causes of certain foreign policy behaviors in the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East. By investigating an international systemic theory, the power-bargaining approach, against subaltern realism, a theory created specifically to explain the foreign policies of developing states by looking into their domestic environments, this study attempts to establish a link between different types of constraints and foreign policy behavior. By testing each respective theory against two relevant case-studies, Egypt and Jordan, the investigation concludes that the Middle East is a unique region within the international system; consequently, in order to understand the foreign policy behaviors of its states, one must create a regionally-specific approach which takes into account the distinct characteristics of the Middle East and of the regimes in power. Finally, in most circumstances, international systemic constraints will play a constant role in the decision-making process in these regimes, while the effects of domestic constraints may vary throughout different time periods.


identifier: Killoran-Quill, Patricia  (2009) Literary excavations : the text-based art of Brigitte Radecki.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Brigitte Radecki (1940- ) is a German-born Montréal artist whose installations explore the interface between text and visual art by juxtaposing abstract paintings with citations from classic, but largely forgotten, twentieth-century literature. As an artist and a feminist, Radecki takes an archeological approach to exploring the human condition--excavating the past and incorporating references to mythology, literature, painting and historical events that have shaped today's culture. I study Radecki's oeuvre through an analysis of two installations: Miss Lonelyhearts (1998) based on the eponymous 1933 ironic novel by American writer Nathanael West (1903-1940), and The Black Notebooks based on By Grand Central I Sat Down and Wept (1945), Canadian writer Elizabeth Smart's (1913-1986) lightly-veiled autobiographical novel.  Stylistically Radecki is an abstractionist. She has a personal affinity for abstract expressionism; however she labels herself a postmodernist, and seeks to rupture the insularity of abstract expressionism and open it up to context and wider social concerns--the most important of which, to Radecki, is the status of women in contemporary society.  Methodologically, Radecki's discourse combines difficult-to-interpret literary citations and iconography. Her philosophy is to create synergies redolent of myriad subtleties questioning human interconnectedness and complexity--to study the past in order to understand the present.


identifier: Kerekes, Ana-Maria  (2009) Poder y belleza de la palabra : análisis de la traducción martiana de la novela Ramona de Helen Hunt Jackson.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Over the past century, many studies have been written on Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona , as well as José Marti's creative writing, but very little attention has been paid to the Cuban writer's translation activity; therefore, this thesis is dedicated to analyzing his translation of the above mentioned novel. It studies the translator's historical background and some aspects of his ideology in order to better understand the underlying causes of some of the transformations the source text underwent during the translation process. The analysis of this process from the postcolonial perspective demonstrates that Marti's ideology highly influenced his way of translating and determined the translation strategies and methods. Furthermore, Antoine Berman's article "Translation and the Trials of the Foreign" is used for the second part of this analysis to determine the type of Marti's translation. In addition, the latter part the thesis is a comparative stylistic analysis of both the English and Spanish texts. Thus, it discusses the reasons Why the novel, the way Jackson had written it, failed to meet the objective set by the author. It also highlights the strong and weak points of both its versions and discusses the stylistic changes and their effect on the text.


identifier: Lovitt, Sean  (2009) The book, the mirror, and the living dead : necromancy and the early modern period.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In early modem England, necromancy was a general term applied to the practice of black magic. Manuals for summoning demons, the dead, and other reprobate apparitions were available to the practitioners of this art, and descriptions of necromancy appeared in other genres ranging from theory to fiction. What the necromancer practiced in secret became a popular narrative made up of elements gleaned from the writings of supporters and detractors of magic. Orthodox Christians, Occultists, and skeptics all denounced the activities of necromancers by publishing descriptive accounts. These divergent bodies of literature inadvertently diffused a legend of the necromancer into public discourse. This thesis explores the curiosity and wonder that these narratives of necromancy provoked as they were staged in the theater. I examine Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus as the culmination of public concepts of necromancy and, in turn, I elucidate what this play has to say about the necromantic characteristics--specifically, taboo interests and excessive accumulation--of the surrounding culture. Likewise, I investigate the presence of necromancy in William Shakespeare's Hamlet in order to analyze the fantastic characteristics of the Ghost and its influence on Hamlet's actions in the play. The fantasy of necromancy--of delving into taboo subjects and bringing forth aberrant apparitions--materializes in drama, articulating curiosity and wonder as affects rather than as the technical instruments of epistemology.


identifier: Lee-Popham, Anna  (2009) From exclusion to impact : influencing course content towards educational justice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores ways to work towards educational justice at a small alternative educational program working alongside 18-25 year old Black youth who are returning to school. Intentionally and integrally framed by the interests of the coordinators at this educational program and structured to benefit the research participants, I began this research to determine how the needs, interests, and cultural backgrounds of students could be included in the courses available to them. To better understand the context of this question and guided by theories of social justice, I explored the role of schooling in perpetuating marginalization, approaches to educational justice, and ways in which people who have been marginalized by school systems can influence course development in Quebec. I discovered the possibility of students and community members co-developing an accredited Black history course as a 'local course'. This process of co-developing a course that is clearly connected to the telling of stories by and about a community of people puts students in control, creates course content that is better suited to students, and is an effective way of working on issues of educational inequity. This research is one aspect of a necessary process of larger educational change, whereby people who are marginalized within education are influencing all aspects of education.


identifier: Tsimiklis, Vasilios  (2009) The connection between commodity prices and the consumer price index in Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines the relationship between changes in commodity prices and changes in inflation in Canada between 1983 and 2008 by looking at the ability of the Bank of Canada Commodity Price Indices to predict changes in the Consumer Price Index. It is found that indices with energy components lead changes in inflation but only for the latter half of the sample period, 1996-2008. Other suspected leading indicators of inflation, such as the money supply, the foreign exchange rate, the housing index, interest rates, and the price of gold, do not change the relationship or its strength. The positive correlation between commodity prices and inflation is further supported by a decomposition of the mean real returns on portfolios into months in which a four-month moving average of the Bank of Canada Commodity Price Index signals a rising price level and those which do not, the mean real return being substantially higher in the signal-on months.


identifier: Jabbour, Khalil  (2009) The effect of the interview structure on the physical attractiveness bias.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigated interview structure as a moderator of the relationship between the physical attractiveness of job candidates and two interview outcomes (suitability ratings and hiring recommendations). The sample for this study was composed of 32 Concordia University students. Each participant interviewed the same two job candidates. 16 participants performed face-to-face structured interviews and 16 participants performed face-to-face unstructured interviews. Interview structure was manipulated by randomly providing participants with either the structured interview handout (which included the employment interview with eight questions, a job description, the scoring criteria with possible answers, benchmark responses and the candidate rating scale) or the unstructured interview handout (which included the six topics to be covered, a job description and the candidate rating scale). The physical attractiveness of both candidates was based on perceptions of participants, with respect to to facial features, body proportions and weight, posture and general appearance. The findings did show an interaction between physical attractiveness and interview structure. The more attractive candidate was perceived as more suitable in the unstructured interview condition than in the structured interview. However, the less physically attractive candidate was perceived as equally suitable in the structured and the unstructured interview. On the other hand, no relations were found for hiring recommendations. Also, more job relevant information was provided by both candidates in the structured interview. The study's contributions and limitations, along with directions for future research, are discussed


identifier: Généreux, Chantal  (2009) Lever le voile : étude d'un lot de bannières produites par les soeurs Adoratrices du Précieux-Sang de Joliette.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Phénomène à la fois artistique et liturgique des cérémonies de la religion catholique, la confection des bannières est considérée comme un art mineur. Cette classification explique, en partie, qu'elles aient été souvent négligées par les historiens de l'art et les conservateurs. Ce mémoire propose une analyse systématique d'un lot de bannières donné au Musée des Mares et Artisans du Québec. De fabrication artisanale, les bannières ont vraisemblablement été produites au milieu du XXe siècle. Elles proviennent du Monastère Note-Dame-dè-la-Paix. Ce monastère, situé à Joliette, abritait une communauté de soeurs Adoratrices du Précieux-Sang. Fondée en 1907, la communauté passa à l'Ordre de Saint-Benoît, en 1973.  Précédant la description formelle et iconographique du lot qui comprend plus de cent bannières, ce mémoire examine la vie de femmes qui, comme Aurélie Caouette, fondatrice de l'Ordre du Précieux-Sang, sont entrées au cloître pour y mener une vie de prière et de pénitence.  La troisième partie établit un lien entre la confection des bannières, la vie des religieuses adoratrices du Précieux-Sang et leur aspiration spirituelle. Une réponse qui pourrait se trouver dans les célébrations fastueuses des cérémonies de la liturgie catholique


identifier: Edwards, Elizabeth  (2009) New Feet.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: New Feet

abstract: This collection explores, in the words of Australian writer Beverley Farmer, "the experience of being foreign". And whilst the majority of stories are rooted in some kind of travel experience, each sees its characters negotiating times of isolation or dislocation in their lives for which 'the voyage'--physical, emotional or psychological--is often a catalyst for entering into yet another 'new' space.  In the title story, "New feet", Mrs Butler seeks a self-imposed isolation from her native cultural milieu, literally erasing her own footprints in her attempt to construct a new life for herself; whilst in "Kill the old red rooster when she comes," two `intrepid women travellers' in India complacently repeat the mistakes of their forebears until a natural event disorients them completely. For others, displacement, at least initially, occurs closer to home. The first-person narrator of "Dectomy" negotiates her way through a brief, disastrous, international marriage; and the children, Christopher ("Bubble-and-Squeak"), Mazie ("What any dog wants to hear") and Eddie ("What the sea wants") experience moments of foreignness that are disturbingly alienating.  As an overall concept, New Feet attempts to investigate characters who step into being strange and who rarely, within the scope of each story, 'return'. In this sense, being foreign is not foreign in itself, but something which, like the skin of one's feet, the characters across the collection must continually grow into and out of.


identifier: Longchamps, Denis  (2009) Elizabeth Simcoe (1762-1850) : une amateure et intellectuelle anglaise dans les Canadas ; son oeuvre écrite et dessinée, et le projet colonial.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim Simcoe était en voyage officiel dans les Canadas de 1791 à 1796. Elle accompagna son mari, John Graves Simcoe qui prenait le poste de lieutenant-gouverneur de la province du Haut-Canada récemment créé. Tout au long de ce voyage, elle rédigea un journal qu'elle envoyait par section à la famille et aux amis en Angleterre. Le journal était illustré d'esquisses prises in situ dont elle se servait pour peindre des aquarelles.  Les études publiées à ce jour sont surtout axées sur les écrits de Madame Simcoe, utilisant sa production artistique comme illustration. Récemment, quelques recherches se sont intéressées à son oeuvre peinte, mais de façon très restreinte, n'examinant qu'un petit nombre d'oeuvres à la fois généralement dans le but de situer son oeuvre dans un discours sur le pittoresque. De plus, les auteurs ont abordé leur sujet d'un point de vue canadien; cependant, Elizabeth Simcoe était anglaise.  La présente dissertation analyse l'oeuvre d'Elizabeth Simcoe, un corpus de plus de sept cents aquarelles, cartes, esquisses et dessins, en considérant d'abord et avant tout son patrimoine culturel et politique anglais, lequel a formé son regard. Appuyés par des études qui critiquent les approches coloniales traditionnelles, nous avons pu donner à Madame Simcoe la place qui lui revient, celle d'une amateure et artiste engagée. Tout en appuyant le projet colonial de son mari, Elizabeth Simcoe fit aussi, parfois publiquement, la promotion de l'Empire britannique.


identifier: Gilkes, Kathryn C  (2009) Teaching machines : examining and re-imagining the use of film in the classroom.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the use of film (both celluloid and video) in the classroom from 1920 to the present day in an effort to locate the gaps in our teaching approaches and to reinitiate dialogue among art educators regarding a unique tool for fostering cognitive and social development. Historically, films have been used as instructional aids that were relied upon to explicate everything from manners to Communism, in some cases, doing the teaching for teachers. Teaching machines were mechanical devices used for presenting a program of instructional material, ostensibly designed to lighten the teacher's load. Playing with the idea of the 'teacher-less' classroom, the installation presented here utilizes these (arguably) obsolete celluloid, slide, and filmstrip projectors to show a collection of instructional films and slides in continuous loops. In showcasing these machines and the absence of teachers, I aim to re-initiate a dialogue regarding the current lack of critical attention paid to the moving image. I believe it is imperative in an age of informal interaction with our tools of communication, that art educators consider the historical place of film in the classroom and reconsider the ways we teach with, and often underestimate film. This thesis concludes with strategies to aid our students in becoming truly critical with regards to new media


identifier: Mandrona, April R  (2009) Into the third dimension : an exploration of children's human figure sculptures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The effect of four different instructional sets on children's clay sculpture was investigated. The sets focused on the human figure and included making a person, a person wearing a backpack, a person playing catch with a ball and a parent bending down to pick up a child. The participants constituted three age groups: 4-5 years, 7-8 years and 11-12 years. Results indicated significant task and age effects on measures of three-dimensionality. Sex differences were found in the care and attention the children exhibited when modeling the figures. Patterns for sex and age emerged for the qualitative measures related to modeling style and the sequence of sculpture construction. Age-related trends were found for the type of representational model employed (one-, two- or three-dimensional figures). The findings support the position that three-dimensional concepts are present even in young children and that the use of such tactics increases with age. However, the particular developmental stage as exemplified by a given sculpture is largely determined by the task demands. Specific instructional support can encourage the use of the problem-solving techniques needed for modeling the human form in the round.


identifier: Oliver, Kathryn Nicole  (2009) Reconsidering Rawls : the duty of assistance : an evaluation of its robustness and sufficiency.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In his work The Law of Peoples , John Rawls is commonly criticized by his cosmopolitan opponents for leaving out an international difference principle. Much concern has been voiced in regards to Rawls's rejection of a global principle of distributive justice despite his argumentation for a distributive principle in his domestic theory. Instead, the only principle that bears any resemblance to an international difference principle and relates directly to economic redistribution between peoples is what Rawls calls a duty of assistance.  In this Thesis, I will argue that many critiques of Rawls are not sufficiently charitable toward Rawls's international duty of assistance and do not fully appreciate the potential demands that this duty, if actualized, may require. I argue that once one evaluates the demands that the duty of assistance places upon members in Rawls's Society of Peoples , one can reasonably conclude that the duty of assistance is robust and furthermore reasonably sufficient. Given that the cut-off point of the duty of assistance demands that members in the Society of Peoples must aid a burdened people until (a) the basic needs of the individuals within the burdened society are met; and (b) the once burdened people can be considered a reasonably well-ordered and equal standing member in the Society of Peoples that is politically autonomous, self-sufficient, and self-determining, I will argue that the duty of assistance is a demand that is not to be underestimated and has the potential to be both robust and sufficient.


identifier: Hoque, Md. Azizul  (2009) Hydraulic analysis of ice-covered river flow.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For a substantial portion of the year many Canadian rivers are frozen. River ice is known to have an important impact on the water cycle and hydraulic engineering infrastructures. From the hydraulics perspective, the formation of an ice cover on the river surface causes an increase in resistance to flow and therefore a decrease in discharge to downstream.  In the subject area of ice covered river hydraulics, there have been limited studies. In this study we have quantified the differences in flow velocity, discharge and flow energy distributions between conditions with and without the ice cover. We have also estimated the roughness of the ice cover underside using the boundary layer theory. Based on our flow analysis of a larger number of ice-covered rivers in Canada, the boundary layer profiles beneath the ice cover and above the channel bed are rarely symmetric, i.e. the dynamic effect of the ice cover and that of the channel bed differ. Many of the observed velocity profiles are too complicated to be described using simple analytical functions.  The presence of the ice cover can reduce the hydraulic radius of a cross section by as much as 46% and flow discharge by 60%, in comparisons to the corresponding values associated with open channel conditions. Under ice covered conditions the flow is very sensitive to the friction parameter. For a given river cross section, the difference in flow velocities with and without an ice cover is between 39% and 60%


identifier: Bourdage, Carl J. A  (2009) Age-dependent memory impairments following transient global ischemia : relationship to hippocampal pathology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Most human stroke victims are part of an older population while most animal models of ischemia employ young adult rodents. To add generalizability to rodent models of global ischemia, and its associated neuropathology and memory impairments, to the human stroke population, this thesis examines the effect of a IS-minute global ischemia via four vessel occlusion (4VO) in rats that were 8-weeks, 20-weeks, and SO-weeks of age. Rats were tested for object-location memory, using a 24-hour retention delay and object-recognition memory, using IS-minute and 24-hour delays. Rats with sham-ischemia in all age groups showed a preference for the moved object during the novel-object-in-place (NOIP) test of spatial memory, and for the novel object during the IS-minute novel-object- preference (NOP) test and with the exception of the 20-week group, during the 24-hour NOP test. However, rats that received ischemia displayed impairments in all age groups in the NOIP, in the 20-week group during the IS-minute NOP test, and in the 20and SO-week groups in the 24-hour NOP test of object recognition. Ischemic rats in all age groups had significantly fewer cells in the CA1, CA2, and hilus subfields of the hippocampus, than did sham-ischemia controls. Only the SO-week ischemia group had significant damage in CA3 and the dentate gyrus. Performance in the NOIP test was correlated with cell counts in CA1, CA2, and the dentate gyrus, and with CA1 and CA2 in the IS-minute NOP test. These findings indicate that the severity of memory impairments and neuropathology due to ischemia are influenced by the age of the brain.


identifier: Guo, Shen  (2009) Three essays on expectation driven business cycles.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis studies business cycles driven by agents' expectation of future technology changes.  The first chapter explores the effects which nominal rigidities and monetary policies have on the generation of Pigou cycles. The optimal response of the central bank is analyzed under circumstances when agents receive a signal indicating the technology change in the future. To achieve these objectives, I introduce nominal rigidities and monetary policy into a standard two-sector model with non-durable and durable goods. The optimal reaction of the central bank is found by solving the Ramsey optimization problem. I find that nominal rigidities tend to amplify the responses to the expectation and monetary policies affect the expectation driven business cycles by affecting the real interest rate and user cost of durable goods. Another interesting result is that a simple policy rule reacting to the inflation rates in both non-durable and durable sector with appropriate weights can closely mimic the performance of the Ramsey policy.  The second chapter estimates a sticky price two-sector model with home production and capital adjustment costs to assess the significance of the news shocks in generating aggregate fluctuations. The analysis suggests that news shocks account for about 34% of the fluctuations in the aggregate output, 25% of the fluctuations in consumption-sector output and 38% of the fluctuations in investment-sector output.  The third chapter explores the booms and busts induced by news shocks in a model economy with financial market frictions. With the presence of financial market frictions, firms have to pay an external finance premium which depends inversely on their net values. This provides firms with an incentive to build up capital stocks now to lower the external finance premium in the future. When firms receive news indicating a future technology improvement, they anticipate the need for more capital and so more external finance in the future; they could lower their future external finance costs by building up their capital and net values now. By adding financial market frictions into an otherwise standard RBC model, the model in chapter 3 succeeds in generating a boom when a news shock hits the economy


identifier: Herzig, Alyssa Jennifer Marion  (2009) Dispositional coping and personal control : a sex-based study predicting depression in recent retirees.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Research reports indicate that approximately one third of retirees have difficulties adjusting to retirement. Depression is one possible consequence of adjustment difficulty. The present study was aimed at determining the general and sex-specific effects for how dispositional coping strategies and the two components of personal control predict depression in recent retirees. Hierarchical regressions were run separately for each sex while controlling for the effects of subjective stress and demographic variables. The research participants were 188 women and 159 men who had been retired for a maximum of four years alter at least 20 years of full time employment. Results showed that both variables of control were negatively associated with depression scores in both sexes; however, in the hierarchical regressions, mastery did not predict statistically significant variance in men's depression scores beyond the variance explained by demographics and stress. For the women low emotion-focused coping and high avoidance significantly predicted higher depression scores. Only high avoidance predicted the men's depression scores. When the interactions between coping and control factors were entered in the last step, they did not explain statistically significant additional variance for either sex, but the results suggested sex-specific interactions which may guide future research. Results also suggest how coping strategy effectiveness may be interpreted in the context of personal control to account for men's and women's individual differences in resilience during the retirement transition.


identifier: Zaghtiti, Dima  (2009) Adsorption of phosphorus on sediments from Lake Caron and Huron river.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sediments play an important role in the overall equilibrium conditions in eutrophic surface water, which is determined by the nutrient concentration mainly Phosphorus (P). Sorption tests were performed for sediments from Lake Caron and Huron River. By taking the originally sorbed P ( S 0 ) into consideration, the experimental data were fit to the modified Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The modified Langmuir isotherm was used to obtain the maximum sorption capacity ( S max ) as its values varied between 100 to 5000 mg-P/kg. Sediments might act as a source or sink of P. The equilibrium concentration at zero sorption ( EPC 0 ) between the water column and sediments was calculated, for the sediments from Lake Caron showed a wide range from 0.043-0.31 mgP/L, and the sediments might act as potential source of Pinto the water, except for CS3 which might act as a sink. For the Huron River EPC 0 values are in the range of 0.15-0.18 mg-P/L. The adsorption kinetics were studied and modeled as the power function, and the half life time of P by the sediments was determined. Soluble reactive phosphorus ( SRP ) concentration changes in the water by resuspension was observed over a period of 4 days. More analysis for SRP changes was performed, to included the effect of sediments to solution ratio, resuspension and the background electrolyte. The effect of particle size fraction on the sorption models for CS3 was evaluated and S max was 5800 mg-P/kg for a particle size less than 38om and 910 mg-P/kg for the particle size of 75 om -2mm, which indicates the smaller the particles size the more the ability to adsorb P.


identifier: Kabiljo, Lea  (2009) Shoot from the hip: exploring visual culture through a personal lens.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This arts based research aims to facilitate the understanding of visual culture for secondary school students. This research uses a snapshot approach to photography, known as Lomography, as a means to collect primary data. As artist, I engaged in a creative act through editing of images taken at different times and at various locations. This resulted in the creation of visual narratives that reflected my personal experience. Through my artistic process I became aware of the intention of creative process, questioned the issue of power between the artist, the image and the viewer, and examined the significance of the invisible - three important concerns present in critical study of visual culture. Relating these concerns to a subjective experience enhanced my ability to recognize and reflect on their presence in global visual culture.  Consequently, I involved my students in the same artistic process, and witnessed how this process enabled the students to engage in critical inquiry and respond to the visual culture that shapes their everyday existence. This thesis demonstrates that in order to successfully engage students in critical inquiry of visual culture, teachers must first help them to become aware of how they, as individuals, relate to, participate in and create visual messages that shape their culture.


identifier: Jeleń, Łukasz  (2009) Computerized cancer malignancy grading of fine needle aspirates.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is a leading cause of death among middle-aged women. Precise diagnosis and correct treatment significantly reduces the high number of deaths caused by breast cancer. Being successful in the treatment strictly relies on the diagnosis. Specifically, the accuracy of the diagnosis and the stage at which a cancer was diagnosed. Precise and early diagnosis has a major impact on the survival rate, which indicates how many patients will live after the treatment.  For many years researchers in medical and computer science fields have been working together to find the approach for precise diagnosis. For this thesis, precise diagnosis means finding a cancer at as early a stage as possible by developing new computer aided diagnostic tools. These tools differ depending on the type of cancer and the type of the examination that is used for diagnosis. This work concentrates on cytological images of breast cancer that are produced during fine needle aspiration biopsy examination. This kind of examination allows pathologists to estimate the malignancy of the cancer with very high accuracy. Malignancy estimation is very important when assessing a patients survival rate and the type of treatment.  To achieve precise malignancy estimation, a classification framework is presented. This framework is able to classify breast cancer malignancy into two malignancy classes and is based on features calculated according to the Bloom-Richardson grading scheme. This scheme is commonly used by pathologists when grading breast cancer tissue. In Bloom-Richardson scheme two types of features are assessed depending on the magnification. Low magnification images are used for examining the dispersion of the cells in the image while the high magnification images are used for precise analysis of the cells' nuclear features. In this thesis, different types of segmentation algorithms were compared to estimate the algorithm that allows for relatively fast and accurate nuclear segmentation. Based on that segmentation a set of 34 features was extracted for further malignancy classification. For classification purposes 6 different classifiers were compared. From all of the tests a set of the best preforming features were chosen.  The presented system is able to classify images of fine needle aspiration biopsy slides with high accuracy