identifier: Esakki, Balasubramanian  (2011) Modeling and Robust Control of Two Collaborative Robot Manipulators Handling a Flexibile Object.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Robots are often used in industry to handle flexible objects, such as frames, beams, thin plates, rubber tubes, leather goods and composite materials. Moving long flexible objects in a desired path and also precise positioning and orienting the objects need a collaborative action between two robot arms. Most of the earlier studies have dealt with manipulation of rigid objects and only a few have focused on the collaborative manipulators handling flexible objects. Such studies on handling of flexible objects generally used finite element method or assumed mode method for deriving the dynamic model of the flexible objects.
These approximation methods require more number of sensors to feedback the vibration measurements or require an observer. Unlike in the earlier studies, this thesis concerns with development of a dynamic model of the flexible object in partial differential equation (PDE) form and design of a robust control strategy for collaborative manipulation of the flexible objects by two rigid robot arms. Two planar rigid manipulators each with three links and revolute joints handling a flexible object is considered during the model development. Kinematic and dynamic equations of the flexible object are derived without using any approximation techniques. The resulting dynamic equation of the flexible object together with the manipulator dynamic equations form the combined dynamic model of the system. The developed complete system of dynamic equations is described by the PDE’s having rigid as well as flexible parameters coupled together. Such a coupled system must be controlled without using any form
of approximation techniques and this is accomplished using the singular perturbation approach. By utilizing this technique, slow and fast subsystems are identified in two different time scales and controller is designed for each subsystem. The key issue in developing a control algorithm is that, it should be robust against uncertain parameters of the manipulators and the flexible object and it should also achieve the exponential convergence. Hence, for the slow subsystem, sliding mode control algorithm is developed and for the fast subsystem, a simple feedback control algorithm is designed. In general, usage of singular
perturbation technique necessitates exponential stability of the slow and fast subsystems, which is evaluated by satisfying the Tikhnov’s theorem. Hence, the exponential stability analysis for both the subsystems is performed. Simulation results are presented to validate
the composite control scheme. As a further consideration in the improvement of control law for the slow subsystem,
two modified control algorithms are suggested. The first one focused on the avoidance of velocity signal measurement which is useful to eliminate the need of velocity sensors and the second controller aims at avoiding the complex regressor in the control law. The capability of those controllers is illustrated through simulation studies. The extension of earlier analysis has been carried out by developing the complete system of dynamic equations in
joint space.


identifier: Mangarulkar, Kiran  (2010) Experimental and numerical study of the characteristics of side weir flows.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
Side weirs are extensively used in hydraulic engineering, irrigation, and environmental engineering applications which involve flow measurement and regulation. Flows through side
weirs are typical examples of spatially varied flow (SVF) with decreasing discharge.

The flow emerging out from the side weir is three-dimensional (3D) due to variations in the water surface profile. These flow characteristics can be obtained by experimental methods,numerical modeling or by theoretical analysis. The present study is confined to the rectangular
side weir located in a horizontal rectangular channel having zero sill height. Experiments were performed on the rectangular side weir to locate the stagnation zone, the region of separation and the water surface profile. A Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) unit was used to measure
the mean and turbulent velocity components of the flow. Experimental results are analyzed to find the detailed flow characteristics using data related to the velocity  distribution, velocity vectors, separation streamlines, stagnation point and water surface profiles for different weir flow configurations.

The predictions of the 3D numerical turbulence model were validated using the experimental
results. The 3D equations, Reynolds’s averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the twoequation
renormalized relations (RNG k-ε) were verified using experimental results. The
volume of fluid (VOF) scheme was incorporated in the model to find free surface profiles of the
open channel flow configuration denoting the side weir flow. The simulation result provided
iv
detailed analysis of flow patterns, velocity distributions, water surface profiles, flow separation zone, stagnation zone, and separation streamlines. In general, the experimental data validated the predictions of the numerical model. The location of the stagnation point on the near wall
was also determined based on the existing ideal flow analysis of Michell for flow past a rectangular outlet in a 2D conduit and was shown to be close to both test results and model predictions.


identifier: Patil, Ratnalee  (2010) Impact of Climate Change on an R-2000 and a Net Zero Energy Home.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The impact of the predicted climate change on the energy use of a residential building is studied. For this purpose, an R-2000 home built near Montreal, Canada is simulated using TRNSYS environment based on the construction documents. In order to calibrate the model, the simulated total annual electricity use is compared with the actual energy consumption from the utility bills. The simulation results are found in agreement with the actual energy use, with less than 2% difference. The study involves four cases: (i) the R-2000 home, i.e. the Base case, in today’s climate, (ii) the Base case under the predicted climate of 2050, (iii) the Base case converted into a Net Zero Energy Home (NZEH) in today’s climate, and (iv) the NZEH in the predicted climate of 2050.

The projections in terms of monthly data for temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed for 2050 for Montreal are extracted from three different global climate models (CGCM2, ECHAM4, and HadCM3) with two scenarios each, A2 and B2. Hourly data is generated from this monthly data. To convert the R-2000 home into a NZEH, various energy efficiency measures and technologies are used, along with a liquid-based hybrid PV/Thermal combi-system. Finally, a complete life cycle analysis (LCA) of cost, energy, and emissions for both the houses including all their systems and components is conducted.

For the Base case, the heating loads reduce by 11 to 22%, while the cooling loads increase by 25 to 93% by the mid-century. For the NZEH, a change in the PV/T production is observed by -1 to 4% for electrical and by -10 to 1% for thermal energy, due to the climate change. The LCA comparison between the two houses indicates that although it initially costs more, the NZEH becomes cost competitive with the Base case over the life span of 50 years. In spite of 40% higher embodied energy of the NZEH, the life cycle energy for the Base case is 1.5 to almost 3 times higher than the NZEH over the 30-50 year life span. The energy payback time is found to be 9.2 years for the PV, while 7 years for the combined PV/T. The life cycle emissions are found 14.5 and 29% less for the NZEH compared to the Base case over the life spans of 40 and 50 years, respectively.


identifier: Malhame, Caroline  (2011) The Children Of ‘’Liquid Modernity’’Conflicts Of Being And Belonging And The Birth Of The Global Identity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis discusses how people with different backgrounds who have clashing identities and problems of belonging deal with their identity issues and how they find a way to resolve their identity conflicts by finding a new way to define and re-unite their selves as a whole person. When people in my sample were unable to resolve their identity conflicts, they fell into a depression. The thesis escalates from the micro to the macro as individuals learn to describe themselves as global citizens in an attempt to give themselves a sense of belonging and reduce the dissonance that results from identity conflicts. Not much work has been done on globalization from the point of view of Identity. It has been researched more as an economic and political phenomenon so this research bears new ground in terms of understanding the development of the global self. I interviewed a snowball sample of 11 Individuals which ranged from the ages of 24 to 57 with self defined identity crises and identity issues of various sorts. We discussed the types of conflicts, the participants coping mechanisms and their successes and failures at resolving the conflicts and redefining their identity. Erikson, Mead, Cooley, Durkheim, Goffman, and Bauman provided insights and the main theoretical framework. The main conclusion was that respondents re-invented themselves as global citizens to reduce the dissonance they felt and to integrate their fragmented and conflicted identities.


identifier: Gholitabar Omrani, Behnam  (2010) Optimization-Based Control Methodologies with Applications to Autonomous Vehicle.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis includes two main parts. In the first part, the main contribution is to develop nonsingular rigid-body attitude control laws using a convex formulation, and
implement them in an experimental set up. The attitude recovery problem is first parameterized in terms of quaternions, and then two polynomial controllers using an SoS Lyapunov function and an SoS density function are developed. A quaternion-based polynomial controller using backstepping is also designed to make the closed-loop system
asymptotically stable. Moreover, the proposed quaternion-based controllers are implemented in a Quanser helicopter, and compared to the polynomial controllers and a PID
controller experimentally.
The main contribution of the second part of this thesis is to analytically solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation for a class of third order nonlinear optimal control
problems for which the dynamics are affine and the cost is quadratic in the input. One special advantage of this work is that the solution is directly obtained for the control input without the computation of a value function first. The value function can however also be obtained based on the control input. Furthermore, a Lyapunov function can be constructed for a subclass of optimal control problems, yielding a proof certificate for stability. Using
the proposed methodology, experimental results of a path following problem implemented in a Wheeled Mobile Robot (WMR) are then presented to verify the effectiveness of the
proposed methodology.


identifier: Bani Milhim, Alaeddin  (2010) Modeling and Fault Tolerant PID Control Of a Quad-Rotor UAV.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Zhang, Yinan  (2011) Experimental investigation of the Ca-Mg-Zn system via Diffusion Couples and Key Experiments.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Nine diffusion couples and 32 key samples have been used to study the phase diagram of the Ca-Mg-Zn system at 335ºC and crystal structures of ternary intermetallics. Four ternary compounds have been found in this system: Ca3MgxZn15-x (4.6≤x≤12 at 335ºC) (IM1); Ca14.5Mg15.8Zn69.7 (IM2); CaxMgyZnz (x = 8.2-9.1; y = 27.1-31.0; z = 60.8-64.7 at 335ºC) (IM3) and Ca1.5Mg55.3Zn43.2 (IM4). Phase relations and solubility limits have been determined for binary and ternary compounds using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Electron Probe Microanalysis and X-ray Diffraction techniques. Crystal structures of the IM1 and IM3 ternary compounds have been studied by means of XRD, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Back Scattered Diffraction. The refinement of the XRD patterns for IM1 ternary compound has been carried out by Rietveld analysis. XRD data has shown that this solid solution crystallizes in hexagonal structure having P63/mmc (194) space group and Sc3Ni11Si4 prototype. The lattice parameters decrease linearly with decreasing Mg content obeying Vegard’s law. The fractional atomic occupancy of 6h, 4f, 2b and 12k sites of this compound are function of Mg concentration. Focused Ion Beam has been used to lift Transmission Electron Microscopy specimen of the ternary compound and the hexagonal structure has been confirmed by means of Selected Area Electron Diffraction data. Based on the atomic occupancy results and the crystallographic details, a three sublattice (Ca)(Zn)(Mg,Zn)4 model is proposed for this compound.

Three binary compounds are found to have extended solid solubility into the ternary system. CaZn11, CaZn13 and Mg2Ca are forming substitutional solid solutions where Mg substitutes Zn atoms in the first two compounds, and Zn substitutes both Ca and Mg atoms in Mg2Ca. Based on the current experimental results, the isothermal section of Ca-Mg-Zn phase diagram at 335ºC has been constructed. The morphologies of diffusion couples have been studied in the Ca-Mg-Zn system at 335ºC. Depending on the terminal compositions of the diffusion couples, the morphology of the two-phase regions in the diffusion zone has: ‘tooth-like’ morphology or matrix phase with isolated and/or dendritic shape precipitates morphology.


identifier: Paulet-Winton, Catherine  (2011) The Significance of Michael Oakeshott and Michael Polanyi to the Study of Politics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Nbou, Omar  (2010) Detecting and Modeling Polymorphic Shellcode.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Davis, Stephanie  (2010) The Impact of Basket Size on Consumer Purchase Incidence and Purchase Quantity in the Batteries Category.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Vo, Thanh Truc  (2010) Selection Matters: Predicting Intrinsic Motivation and Employee Commitment in small Vietnamese Firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The model in this study measures the effects of selection process and interpersonal communication on many important factors in work environment including supervisor trust, intrinsic motivation and organizational commitment. In literature, SMEs tend to have less formalized selection procedures. The study will expand on past research by investigating the reactions of employees to selection procedures as well as communication satisfaction, important areas of growing interest in recent years. Therefore, levels of formality in selection procedures is expected to positively related to levels of supervisor trust, intrinsic motivation of employees and organizational commitment which involves in employees’ attachment and their intention to stay at the firm.
In addition, interpersonal communication which is based on corporate communication and personal feedback is recently one of the most important factors in SMEs. Consequently, it is expected that high amount of interpersonal communication will lead to a higher level of trust in supervisor, intrinsic motivation and organizational commitment.
Finally, the study makes a contribution by collecting data in a new country, Vietnam. Using data from small and medium firms in Vietnam, the paper reviews the recruitment and selection practices as well as employees’ attitudes in these firms. It incorporated findings from a survey of employees to understand to role of the level of formality of selection procedures and communication satisfaction in SMEs’ work environment and their influence on employees’ attitudes in their jobs.
The sample included 20 Vietnamese SMEs. The actual sample included 188 participants who come from these companies and have full-time job. These SMEs are usually family businesses located in an industrial zone in a Southern province of Vietnam. They are small manufacturers which are in different industries.
The results supported the hypotheses that the use of selection tests is positively related to supervisor trust, intrinsic motivation and organizational commitment. Besides, the formality of interview process is positively related to supervisor trust. This study also found that interpersonal communication is positively related to supervisor trust, and organizational commitment; and personal feedback is positively related to intrinsic motivation. The findings of this study imply that SMEs, especially in Vietnam, need to pay more attention to the formality of selection procedures so that they can successfully run the business.


identifier: Morales Higa, Erika  (2011) The Growing Organic Market: Factors that Influence Consumers' Evaluation and Choice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The growth of organic products has been considerable over the last decade. The annual growth rate of organic food from 1995 to 2007 in the United States has been around 19% (Monier, Hassan, Nichèle, & Simioni, 2009), and in Canada of 20% (Anders & Moeser, 2008); making of this industry a relevant area of study. This research examines whether and to what extent brand and consumer characteristics influence consumers’ attitude toward and choice of organic food products. It considers the impact of brand history (organic versus non-organic brand) and brand credibility (low versus high), as well as the impact of consumer factors, such as scepticism, concern for the environment, price sensitivity, and knowledge. The results of a laboratory study show that the organic brand was better evaluated in terms of quality perceptions than the non-organic brand. This study was also able to demonstrate that, among consumers with high price sensitivity, quality perceptions towards organic products were amplified for the organic brand and diminished for the non-organic brand compared to their low price sensitivity counterparts. Consumer knowledge influences overall evaluation of the brands, being the organic one the best rated; and with respect to concern for environment and scepticism, significant effects were not found. Suggestions for future research and managerial implications are also discussed.


identifier: Ma, Xiaomeng  (2010) Wavelet-based linearization Method in Nonlinear Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Riaz, Sabrina  (2010) A Look at Bilingual Canadian Immigration Terminology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The creation of a bilingual terminological glossary results from a closer consideration of the terminology used in Canadian domestic immigration policy. Bilingual French-English terminological records have been used to record terms and differentiate between some like terms. This glossary has been created to aid translators in their daily task of choosing terms appropriate to the target text, and for language professionals needing a term definition which pays particular attention to detail.
We hope that the following study will foster an interest in Canadian immigration policy terminology as, at the foundation of any written document lays the need for coherent, subject-specific terminology.


identifier: Sivashanmugam, Vadivel Kumaran  (2011) Three dimensional Aero-Structural Shape Optimization of Turbomachinery Blades.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Aero-structural optimization of gas turbine blades is a very challenging task, given e.g. three dimensional nature of the flow, stringent performance requirements, structural and manufacturing considerations, etc. The current research work addresses this challenge by development and implementation of structural shape optimization module and integrating it with an aerodynamic shape optimization module to form an automated aero-structural optimization procedure. The optimizer combines a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA), with a Response Surface Approximation (RSA) of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) type. During the optimization process, each objective function and constraint is approximated by an individual ANN, which is trained and tested using an aerodynamic as well as a structure database composed of a few high fidelity flow simulations (CFD) and structure analysis (CSD) that are obtained using ANSYS Workbench 11.0. Addition of this multiple ANN technique to the optimizer greatly improves the accuracy of the RSA, provides control over handling different design variables and disciplines. The described methodology is then applied to the aero-structural optimization of the E/TU-3 turbine blade row and stage at design conditions to improve the aerodynamic and structural performance of the turbomachinery blades by optimizing the stacking curve. The proposed methodology proved quite successful, flexible and practical with significant increase in stage efficiency and decrease in equivalent stress.


identifier: Rive, Alix C.  (2010) Enhancing natural regeneration of white spruce (Picea glauca) via synchronization of a mast year with site manipulations in Abitibi, Quebec.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Price, Patricia Lorraine  (2011) Towards a Foreign Likeness Bent: Representing Difference in Calixthe Beyala's Les honneurs perdus.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Chato, Susan-Blanche  (2010) How We See Ourselves : The Beauty Makeup of the Black Canadian Woman.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Teixeira, Alexandre  (2011) Development of an Electropolishing Method for Titanium Materials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Megahed, Ayman  (2011) Experimental Investigation and Analytical Modeling of Flow Boiling Characteristics in Silicon Microchannel Arrays.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In recent years, research in the field of flow boiling heat transfer at a microscale level has been constantly increasing due to rapid growth of technology applications that require the transfer of heat at high rates in a relatively small space and volume. The present study focuses on the experimental investigation and analytical modeling of flow boiling characteristics in silicon microchannel heat sinks. Two different designs of microchannel heat sinks were considered, namely, straight and cross-linked. The straight microchannel heat sink was composed of 45 parallel microchannels etched in a silicon wafer, for which each channel had a depth of 300 μm and a width of 242 μm. Three cross-link microchannels of width 500 μm were added to the straight microchannel design to create the cross-linked design. Experiments were carried out using FC-72 as the working fluid. Un-encapsulated Thermochromic Liquid Crystals were used, as full-field surface temperature sensors, to map the quantitative heat sink surface temperature and heat transfer coefficient measurements. In addition, the qualitative flow visualization was also considered to complement the experimental data for better understanding of two-phase flow characteristics.
	In the straight microchannel heat sink, the results from the flow visualization study identified three major flow regimes: bubbly, slug, and annular. The frictional two-phase pressure drop was found to increase with exit quality for a constant mass flux. A new general correlation was developed to predict the two-phase pressure drop in microchannel heat sinks. The new correlation was verified with two extensive data sets from literature in addition to the experimental data presented in this study. The present study provides the first qualitative and quantitative local experimental data on the characteristics of boiling incipience in microchannels, including the effect of mass and heat fluxes. Flow boiling heat transfer measurements showed that the heat transfer coefficient decreases sharply for low exit quality and then remains almost constant as the exit quality increases. Two-phase heat transfer coefficient asymptotic models and correlations in microchannels were found to underpredict the data in the nucleate boiling regime.
	Based on fundamental conservation principles, an analytical model was proposed to predict the flow boiling heat transfer coefficient in the annular flow regime in mini- and microchannel heat sinks. The model was validated against collected data sets from literature produced by different authors under different experimental conditions with a mean absolute error of 10%. The presented analytical model could correctly predict the different trends of the heat transfer coefficient reported in the literature as a function of the vapor exit quality.
	To investigate the effect of cross-link design on flow boiling in microchannel arrays, flow boiling characteristics in a cross-linked microchannel heat sink were experimentally investigated. The flow visualization study indicated that the observed flow regime was primarily slug. Visual observations of flow patterns in cross-links also demonstrated that bubbles nucleate and grow rapidly on the cross-links’ surfaces and in the tangential direction at the microchannels’ entrance due to the effect of circulations generated in those regions. The two-phase pressure drop strongly increased with increasing exit quality as compared with that in the straight microchannel heat sink. Addition of cross-links resulted in a substantial increase in the boiling heat transfer coefficient due to the dominant nucleation boiling mechanism in the cross-link region. The flow boiling heat transfer coefficient showed a different trend in the cross-link design relative to the straight microchannel design. The flow boiling heat transfer coefficient increased with increasing exit quality at a constant mass flux.


identifier: Aryanpour, Ardavan  (2010) A Dynamic Back End of the Line Customization Technique for Yield Improvement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
A Dynamic Back End of the Line Customization Technique for
Yield Improvement
Ardavan Aryanpour, M. Sc
July 2010
As CMOS technology evolves and transistors get smaller, although chip
manufacturers benefit significantly from being able to fit more transistors in a
smaller area and also producing chips with lower power dissipation, they have
to confront newer problems that are directly related to the size of transistors
and the thickness of the deposited layers on a wafer.
Smaller transistors are faster and dissipate less power, but the smaller the
technology becomes, the harder the fabrication process is to control. Thin
silicon, metal and oxide layers must be accurately deposited because any
variation in the thickness will cause unexpected behavior in the device.
These variations affect many parameters in CMOS. Any slight change in
temperature, doping density, deposition timing, etc., can cause a significant
change of characteristics of a CMOS device and the variation caused by these
changes is called Process Variation (PV).
In this thesis, two circuits are taken into study in order to understand how
process variation impacts the electrical specifications of a circuit example.
The first example is a tapered buffer chain and the second example is a senseamplifier
flip flop. The idea is to propose a technique to decrease the loss
percentage (Increase the yield). Basically for one specific design a few variant
circuit layouts with different power-speed specifications are implemented and
based on the results of the mid fabrication measurements on the test circuits
that are deposited throughout the wafer, one of them is chosen with the means
of choosing a proper masking sequence. The electrical characteristics of the
iv


identifier: Tatebe, Nancy  (2011) What's Sex Got To Do With It? Gender and Collaborative Learning in Digital Filmmaking Projects.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This qualitative study explores the factors that influence how mixed-gender groups collaborate on digital filmmaking projects at the CEGEP level.  Prior research indicates that girls are often disadvantaged when working in mixed-sex groups within technology-rich learning environments, where boys have the tendency to choose more publicly acknowledged roles and dominate the equipment.  The present study attempts to shed light on the social negotiations among teammates and the factors that contribute to the choice of production roles taken by girls and boys in mixed-gender collaborative video work.  The study employs an action research design and involves my own final-year film/video production class comprised of 21 students at a CEGEP in the greater Montreal area.  Results suggest that students’ gendered content preferences and classroom reactions to these preferences, the process of negotiating film content as a collective, the level of confidence with the production equipment, academic motivation, as well as gender and identity performances were among the factors that influenced girls and boys to make certain choices regarding the roles they would occupy on a film crew.  The study explores these various factors at play, and attempts to create more equal learning opportunities for girls and boys in the classroom.


identifier: Kabir, Ahmed  (2010) Vibration Damping Property and Flexural Fatigue Behavior of Glass/Epoxy/Nanoclay Composites.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Elsheh, Esam  (2011) Cryptographic Functions and Encryption Schemes for Images and 3D Objects.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Mehdipour, Aidin  (2011) Advanced Carbon Fiber Composite Materials for Shielding and Antenna Applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Due to the low weight, ease of fabrication, low cost, high stiffness, high thermal and electrical conductivity, advanced carbon fiber composite (CFC) material is one of the most desirable materials which have been considered recently in the aerospace, electronic, and infrastructure industry.
This thesis examines the use of CFC materials for electromagnetic field shielding and antenna applications. Using a suitable electromagnetic model of composite materials, we evaluate the shielding effectiveness (SE) and other EM properties of composites paying attention to antenna design. Analytical and simulation results are compared with experimental data. Two kinds of composite materials are investigated, namely reinforced continuous carbon-fiber (RCCF) composites and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites.
For analytical SE analysis of multilayer RCCF composites, the material shows anisotropic behavior along the direction of the fibers, and we employ the transmission matrix method in conjunction with the anisotropic properties of each layer. The shielding performance of composites is also experimentally investigated. In order to enhance the conductivity of an RCCF composite, a small volume fraction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is added to the RCCF material. We investigate the SE of the proposed MWCNT “nanocomposite” over a wide frequency band up to 26.5 GHz. The effect of aspect ratio on shielding performance is addressed as well. The effective conductivity of the nanocomposites was determined over the frequency range of interest.
The use of RCCF and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composite is investigated for building antennas, by replacing the metal with CFC. We use an RCCF composite to build resonant and wideband antennas. The effect of the conductivity tensor of RCCF composite on the antenna performance is addressed. We also study the performance of a microstrip patch antenna with the ground plane made of RCCF composite.
As one of the most highly-conductive composite materials, single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) buckypapers are used to build composite antennas. A new fabrication method is proposed to print arbitrarily-shaped full-composite SWCNT antenna on any type of substrate. Various types of SWCNT antennas are fabricated for different antenna applications, namely UHF-RFID, WLAN, UWB, and mm-wave applications. Good agreement is observed between simulation and experimental results for all the aforementioned composite antennas.
Using the spectral domain method, the Green’s function is obtained for an infinitesimal HED on a dielectric slab over a CFC ground plane. Due to the high conductivity, CFCs are modeled using a surface impedance. The expressions for the electric field components are derived. The numerical integration details particularly dealing with low-converged tail of the integrand for fields at the air-dielectric interface are addressed. Numerical results based on this method compare well with results based on a time-domain finite integration technique. The effect of conductivity and anisotropy of the composite ground plane on electric field is investigated.


identifier: Shang, Hua  (2011) Three Essays on Linear Asset Pricing Models.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This disertation includes three essays on linear asset pricing models.
    The first chapter is concerned with the effects of including a low-variance factor which leads to a small signal-to-noise ratio in an asset pricing model. We rely on local asymptotics and define the low-variance as local-to-zero by being inversely related to the sample size. When a low-variance factor is present, the commonly applied Fama-Macbeth two-pass regression procedure yields misleading results. Local asymptotic analysis and simulation evidence indicate that the beta of the low-variance factor, risk premiums corresponding to all factors and the magnitude of associated variances are all unreliably estimated. Moreover, t- and F- statistics are unable to detect whether risk premiums are significantly different from zero. Additional simulation results also reveal that Kleibergen's statistic has some ability to detect the usefulness of different factors.
    In the second chapter, I investigate the finite sample properties of the two-pass regression, the t-statistic, statistics proposed by Kleibergen (2009) and the specification tests when the first-pass regression slope coefficients --- betas --- are large, small and zero. In particular, I explore the effect of the number of assets on the properties of the statistics. The results reveal that most of the statistics tend to reach a conclusion that the factor should be included in the model or the model is correct more often that it should, especially when betas are small and the number of assets is large. The diagnosis of the results shows that the source of the problem lies in the large bias of the estimated risk premiums and the poor estimation of the variance-covariance matrix of the error terms in the first-pass regression.
    The third chapter explores an economic explanation of commodity prices by considering the macro-economic exposure of commodity returns. Through estimating the stochastic discount factor representation of the linear asset pricing model, I find that investors are compensated for exchange-rate risk. The result is robust to different estimation methods, to different data sets and over longer periods of time.


identifier: AlOtaibi, Bandar  (2011) Fin and Island Isolation of AlGaN/GaN HFETs and Temperature-dependent Modeling of Drain Current Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HFETs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Over the past two decades AlGaN/GaN Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) have been the target of many studies on their suitability for high-power and high-temperature applications. Due to the sizable inherent polarization effects, present in these heterostructure-based devices, the built-in sheet charge density at the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface is remarkably high, which makes these devices fall into the category of the depletion-mode field effect transistors. Despite the suitability of this wide-bandgap material system for switching power applications, the depletion-mode character of these HFETs has been acting as an obstacle against the adoption of AlGaN/GaN HFETs to these applications. As a result, a vibrant research on the development of techniques capable of reliably changing the depletion-mode character of AlGaN/GaN HFETs into an enhancement-mode character is currently being pursued by many investigators. Towards this end, the proposed approach of this thesis has been based on modifying the piezoelectric component of the polarization sheet charge density through studying its correlation with the size of the isolation mesa.
The impact of the size of the isolation-mesa on the sweeping- and pulsed-mode drain current-voltage characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HFETs has been studied. Investigations reveal that while by implementing AlGaN/GaN HFETs on array of islands or mesas of smaller dimensions, rather than one continuous-mesa, same values for the maximum drain current level can be maintained, pinch-off voltage can be made less negative. Also, it is shown that the maximum gate transconductance is improved by island-type isolation.  In addition, it is shown that the proportionally larger surface area available for power dissipation in fin- and island-isolated HFETs can reduce the impact of self-heating on AlGaN/GaN HFETs.
 	Modeling the drain current of AlGaN/GaN HFETs at high-temperature ambient was also another objective of this thesis. A Monte Carlo-based temperature-dependent mobility model, with incorporation of steady-state velocity overshoot, is employed in modeling the drain current-voltage characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HFETs at 300, 400, and 500K. One of the major merits of this model is that it employs a very small set of fitting parameters. The model takes into account the temperature-dependence of the electron transport through the gated-channel of an AlGaN/GaN HFET and also its access regions. This model is validated with regards to the experimentally measured drain current characteristics. Results confirm that the temperature dependency of the drift electron velocity is the cause of the degradation of drain current at elevated temperatures.


identifier: Du, Chun  (2011) CAD of Solid Carbide End-Mills and its Applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Nowadays, carbide end mills are widely utilized in the aluminum, titanium and steel cutting industries, so the more and more high-precision requirements to design of cutters are provided by users.  Meanwhile, in order to finish the simulation and analysis of cutting processing, it is also important to design more free-control geometry model, and then transit into the CAD/CAM systems.  For this purpose, many research works have been successfully conducted on optimizing the geometry model of cutters to get more real and easy controlled geometry; however, another critical factor, there are still more space to optimize the geometry model of cutters.  To finish this task, in this work, first, a method has been established and implemented in the MATLAB to convert mathematic model into a free-form geometry model.  Then, an accurate calculation system of area moment inertial of cutter is built.  Finally, a detailed discussion on the cutting force of end-mills is provided, based on cutting simulation software.  The major contributions of this work include the free-form end-mill modeling, which can render the 3-D geometric model of an end-mill in CATIA system, and a type of calculation of cutter area moment of inertial.  This work can be used, together with an existing cutting force calculation method, to accurately predict cutting force during milling in order to get better geometry model of cutter.  Meanwhile, solid modelling of the helical cutting tool can be carried out with computer graphics programming.  It can also provide more precise 3-D solid models of end-mills for machining simulation by using finite element software.


identifier: Anjan, Md Shahnawaz  (2011) Modeling of Current-voltage Characteristics of thin film Solar cells.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Energy crisis and environmental issue lead us to investigate renewable and green energy sources. Abundant source of green energy is sun light, which can be harvested in many different procedures. Solar panel is proved the most effective method for extracting energy from sun light. The second-generation thin film solar cells are increasingly promising for their cheaper production and better efficiency. Cells based on (i) polycrystalline CdTe, (ii) polycrystalline CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) and (iii) hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) absorbers are the three most potential photoconductors for thin film solar cells because of their excellent efficiency.
A realistic first principle analytical (preferably) model is essential for properly understanding the operating principles of a solar cell and optimizing its overall efficiency. Until now, few models were proposed in the literature but those models are either oversimplified or having too many fitting parameters. In this thesis we have proposed an analytical model to study the current-voltage characteristics of pin/nip structured cell especially CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells by incorporating exponential photon absorption, carrier trapping and carrier drift in the CdTe layer. An analytical expression for the external voltage dependent photocurrent is derived by solving the continuity equation for both electrons and holes. The overall load current is calculated considering the actual solar spectrum. The recombination current in the depletion region dominates over the ideal diode current in CdTe solar cells. The solar cell efficiency depends critically on the transport properties of the carriers that drift towards the back contact. The photon absorption capability over a wide spectrum and good carrier transport properties of the absorber layer are equally important for achieving higher efficiency. The analytical model shows a very good agreement with the published experimental data on various thin film solar cells. The fitting of the model with the published experimental data considering the actual solar spectrum determines the carrier transport properties (mobility-lifetimes), the amount of reflection and scattering losses in various solar cells.


identifier: Langlois, Catherine  (2011) L’adaptabilité des radio-théâtres de Claude Gauvreau Projet en recherche-création autour du radio-théâtre Magruhilne et la vie.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Li, Tong  (2011) Nonlinear and Fault-tolerant Control Techniques for a Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become more and more popular, and how to control them has become crucial. Although there are many different control methods that can be applied to the control of UAVs, nonlinear control techniques are more practical since the nonlinear features of most UAVs. In this thesis, as the first main contribution, three widely used nonlinear control techniques including Feedback Linearization Control (FLC), Sliding Mode Control (SMC), and Backstepping Control (BSC) are discussed, investigated, and designed in details and flight-tested on a unique quadrotor UAV (Qball-X4) test-bed available at the Networked Autonomous Vehicles (NAV) Lab in Concordia University. Each of these three control algorithms has its own features. The advantages and disadvantages are revealed through both simulation and experimental tests. Sliding mode control is well known for its capability of handling uncertainty, and is expected to be a robust controller on Qball-X4 UAV. Feedback linearization control and backstepping control are considered a bit weaker than sliding mode control. A comparison of these three controllers is carried out in both theoretical analysis and experimental results under same fault-free flight conditions. Testing results and comparison show the different features of different control methods, and provide a view on how to choose controller under a specific condition. Besides, safety and reliability of UAVs have been and will always be a critical issue in the aviation industry. Fault-Tolerant Control (FTC) has played an extremely important role towards UAVs’ safety and reliability and the safety of group people if an unexpected crash occurred due to faults/damages of UAVs. Therefore, FTC has been a very active and quickly growing research and development field for UAVs and other safety-critical systems. Based on the use of sliding mode control technique, referred to as Fault-Tolerant SMC (FT-SMC) have been investigated, implemented, flight-tested and compared in the Qball-X4 test-bed and also simulation environment in both passive and active framework of FTC in the presence of different actuator faults/damages, as the second main contribution of this thesis work.


identifier: Goldberg, Alexander A  (2011) Mechanisms of Longevity Regulation and Extension in Yeast and Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Tumor Effect of Lithocholic Acid in Human Neuroblastoma Cells.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Aging of multicellular and unicellular eukaryotic organisms is a multifactorial biological phenomenon that has various causes and affects a plethora of cellular activities. I employ the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model to study the basic biology and molecular mechanisms of cellular aging in multicellular eukaryotes. The use of this budding yeast as an advantageous model organism in aging research greatly contributed to the current understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying longevity regulation in evolutionarily distant eukaryotic organisms, thereby convincingly demonstrating that longevity signaling pathways and mechanisms of their modulation by dietary and pharmacological interventions are conserved across phyla.
            To address the inherent complexity of aging from a systems perspective and to build an integrative spatiotemporal model of aging process, I investigated the effect of caloric restriction (CR), a low-calorie dietary regimen, on the metabolic history of chronologically aging yeast. CR has been shown not only to exhibit a robust longevity-extending effect in evolutionarily distant organisms ranging from yeast to rhesus monkeys, but also to improve health by attenuating age-related pathologies and delaying the onset of age-related diseases across phyla. I examined how CR influences the age-related dynamics of changes in the intracellular levels of numerous proteins and metabolites, carbohydrate metabolism, interorganellar metabolic flow, concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial morphology, essential oxidation-reduction processes in mitochondria, mitochondrial proteome, frequency of mitochondrial DNA mutations, dynamics of mitochondrial nucleoid, susceptibility to mitochondria-controlled apoptosis, and stress resistance.
            Based on my comparison of the metabolic histories of long-lived CR yeast and short-lived non-CR yeast, I concluded that yeast define their long-term viability by designing a diet-specific pattern of metabolism and organelle dynamics prior to reproductive maturation. My data imply that longevity in chronologically aging yeast is programmed by the level of metabolic capacity and organelle organization they developed, in a diet-specific fashion, prior to entry into a non-proliferative state. Therefore, chronological aging in yeast is the final step of a developmental program progressing through a series of checkpoints.
            I designed a chemical genetic screen for small molecules that increase the chronological life span (CLS) of yeast under CR by targeting lipid metabolism and modulating housekeeping longevity pathways that regulate longevity irrespective of the number of available calories. My screen identifies lithocholic acid (LCA) as one of such molecules. My evaluation of the life-extending efficacy of LCA in wild-type (WT) strain on a high- or low-calorie diet revealed that this compound extends yeast CLS irrespective of the number of available calories. I found that the extent to which LCA extends longevity is highest under CR conditions, when the pro-aging processes modulated by the adaptable target of rapamycin (TOR) and cAMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling pathways are suppressed and the anti-aging processes are activated. Furthermore, the life-extending efficacy of LCA in CR yeast significantly exceeded that in yeast on a high-calorie diet, in which the adaptable TOR and cAMP/PKA pathways greatly activate the pro-aging processes and suppress the anti-aging processes. Altogether, my findings suggest that, consistent with its sought-after effect on a longevity signaling network, LCA mostly targets certain housekeeping longevity assurance pathways that do not overlap (or only partially overlap) with the adaptable TOR and cAMP/PKA pathways modulated by calorie availability.
            Consistent with my assumption that LCA extends longevity not by modulating the adaptable TOR pathway, I found that lack of Tor1p does not impair the life-extending efficacy of LCA under CR. I also revealed that, LCA extends longevity of the tor1 mutant strain to a very similar degree under CR and non-CR conditions. Thus, by eliminating a master regulator of this key adaptable pathway that shortens the CLS of yeast on a high-calorie diet, the tor1 mutation abolished the dependence of the anti-aging efficacy of LCA on the number of available calories.
            My findings revealed two mechanisms underlying the life-extending effect of LCA in chronologically aging yeast. One mechanism operates in a calorie availability-independent fashion and involves the LCA-governed modulation of housekeeping longevity assurance pathways that do not overlap with the adaptable TOR and cAMP/PKA pathways. The other mechanism extends yeast longevity under non-CR conditions and consists in LCA-driven unmasking of the previously unknown anti-aging potential of PKA. I provide evidence that LCA modulates housekeeping longevity assurance pathways by 1) attenuating mitochondrial fragmentation, a hallmark event of age-related cell death; 2) altering oxidation-reduction processes in mitochondria, including oxygen consumption, the maintenance of membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species production; 3) enhancing resistance to oxidative and thermal stresses; 4) suppressing mitochondria-controlled apoptosis; and 5) enhancing stability of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.
            Yeast do not synthesize LCA or any other bile acids produced by mammals. Therefore, I propose that bile acids released into the environment by mammals may act as interspecies chemical signals providing longevity benefits to yeast and, perhaps, other species within an ecosystem. I hypothesize that, because bile acids are known to be mildly toxic compounds, they may create selective pressure for the evolution of yeast species that can respond to the bile acids-induced mild cellular damage by developing the most efficient stress protective mechanisms. It is likely that such mechanisms may provide effective protection of yeast against molecular and cellular damage accumulated with age. Thus, I propose that yeast species that have been selected for the most effective mechanisms providing protection against bile acids may evolve the most effective anti-aging mechanisms that are sensitive to regulation by bile acids. I extend my hypothesis on longevity regulation by bile acids by suggesting a hypothesis of the xenohormetic, hormetic and cytostatic selective forces driving the evolution of longevity regulation mechanisms at the ecosystemic level.
            To verify my hypothesis empirically, I carried out the LCA-driven multistep selection of long-lived yeast species under laboratory conditions. I found that a lasting exposure of wild-type yeast to LCA results in selection of yeast species that live longer in the absence of this bile acid than their ancestor. My data enabled to rank different concentrations of LCA with respect to the efficiency with which they cause the appearance of long-lived yeast species.
            Aging is one of the major risk factors in the onset and incidence of cancer, and cancer is considered as one of the numerous age-associated diseases whose onset can be delayed and incidence reduced by anti-aging interventions. The interplay between aging and cancer is intricate as these two complex and dynamic biological phenomena have both convergent and divergent underlying mechanisms. One of the major objectives of my thesis was to examine if LCA, a novel anti-aging compound that I identified in a high-throughput chemical genetic screen, also exhibits an anti-tumor effect in cultured human cancer cells by activating certain anti-cancer processes that may (or may not) play an essential role in cellular aging. As a model system for addressing this important question (and if LCA indeed displays an anti-tumor effect, for establishing the mechanism underlying such effect), I choose several cell lines of the human neuroblastoma (NB) tumor.
            My findings provide strong evidence that LCA exhibits a potent anti-tumor effect in cultured human NB cells by: 1) activating both intrinsic (mitochondrial) and extrinsic (death receptor) pathways of apoptotic death in these cells; 2) sensitizing them to hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptotic death; and 3) preventing growth and proliferation of their neighbouring NB cells in the culture. Importantly, my findings also imply that LCA does not display any of these deleterious effects in human neurons and, therefore, is a selective anti-tumor compound. Moreover, my mass spectrometry-based measurement of intracellular and extracellular levels of exogenously added LCA revealed that this bile acid does not enter cultured NB cells. Thus, LCA prevents proliferation of human NB cells and selectively kills these cancer cells by binding to their surface and then initiating intracellular signaling cascades that not only impair their growth and division, but also cause their apoptotic death. The demonstrated inability of LCA to enter cultured human NB cells suggests that this potent and selective anti-cancer compound is unlikely to display undesirable side effects in non-cancerous human neurons. My findings suggest a mechanism underlying a potent and selective anti-tumor effect of LCA in human NB cancer cells.


identifier: Ouali, Anis  (2011) Delay-Centric Approach for Peer-to-Peer Video Live Streaming.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems are quite attractive due to their ability to deliver large
amounts of data at a reduced deployment cost. They o�er an interesting paradigm
for media streaming applications that can bene�t from the inherent self organization
and resource scalability available in P2P systems.
Recently, some push-pull scheduling strategies have been proposed to replace the
classical pull mechanism in mesh based P2P streaming systems. A push-pull mech-
anism is more e�cient in terms of the overheads and leads to much better playback
delay performance since the pull part is mainly used either at the beginning of the
session or to recover missing content.
In order to exploit such an advantage, we propose to revisit peering strategies
based on the use of a push-pull content retrieval mechanism. Our focus is to minimize
the playback delay experienced by participating nodes. We propose two new peering
strategies that we compare to the state-of-the-art strategies using simulation.
To validate the overlay construction results obtained by simulation, we propose
and solve a linear programming model that proceeds by constructing spanning trees
over the obtained mesh. Such validation leads to the evaluation of the peering strate-
gies independently from the scheduling strategy that is used. The model has a good
scalability and can be extended to re
ect the view of a P2P designer or to �nd the
most ISP-friendly strategy among di�erent overlay construction strategies.
With respect to the content retrieval part, we combine the low scheduling delays
of push scheduling with the resiliency and multi-sender ability of mesh overlays. We
propose a new pure push scheduling strategy, PurePush, where we replace the pull
mechanism by a probabilistic push: Parents of a node push a packet with a relaying
probability to reduce redundancy.
Two variations of PurePush are proposed and compared with respect to playback
delay and redundancy/overhead tra�c to a typical Push-Pull algorithm. PurePush
signi�cantly improves the playback delay experienced by peers in the situation where
there is packet loss.


identifier: Stewart, Scott  (2011) Using the Looking Glass Self Theory to Cultivate Identity Value: A Study of the Apple Brand.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis introduces looking glass identity value as an extension to current identity value theory, arguing that consumers use the brand outgroup as a reflexive entity to reflect back to them their own beliefs and feelings regarding a brand. This brand outgroup consists of individuals who do not consume a given brand, yet are perceived to make assumptions about those who do. The consumers of the brand then use these perceived assumptions, which are in fact manifestations of their own opinions, to determine what the brand communicates to others.
	The study uses in-depth interviews as well as supplementary netnography to research consumers of Apple to better understand their consumption experiences with the brand. It is found that these individuals use a looking glass process to determine the brand’s identity value, while exhibiting traits of a dependent relationship with the brand. The combination of this looking glass identity value and dependent relationship on the brand manifests in identity value management strategies by the consumers, which are used to manipulate their personal evaluations of the brand and avoid abandonment.


identifier: O'Brien, WT  (2011) Development of a Solar House Design Methodology and its Implementation into a Design Tool.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Buildings consume on the order of 40% of energy in Canada and the developed world. It has been demonstrated that buildings can supplement a large fraction (or all) of their energy use by collecting solar energy. In order to design such buildings, an integrated design process should be used, in which they are designed as a system rather than as discrete subsystems. Otherwise, opportunities for cost-savings are missed. Energy-conserving and energy-collecting upgrades should be considered early in the design process when costs can be minimized and disruptions to construction avoided. The optimal solution to solar buildings typically balances energy efficiency measures and energy generation, since they both have diminishing returns.
Houses that offset their energy use with solar energy generation cannot justify the formality of the use of multiple designers because of the associated costs and potential cost savings. Therefore there is a need for a design methodology for solar houses and a corresponding design tool that can be used to support the process. It should enable the energy modeling of all relevant subsystems and provide guidance towards the near-optimal design space. The tool – called Ecos - will focus on early stage design and should enable the design of a near-optimal house within about an hour.
This thesis covers both a solar house design tool and the prerequisite work. There are four major interconnected parts of the work, including; a detailed energy model of a solar house; innovative ways of graphically representing performance data, a detailed design methodology, and finally the design tool itself.
Ecos provides two main types of graphical feedback: 1) visualization of the design space and 2) visualization of key performance metrics during solar design days. One of the methods to support efficient design is to provide quasi real-time feedback to the user. In order to provide real-time feedback to support an efficient design process, a combination of shortened simulation periods and regression models are used.
The final part of this thesis discusses recently built solar house and applies the current model in a re-design study to examine potential further reductions in energy use.


identifier: Mallet, Audrey  (2011) Negotiating, Contesting and Constructing Jewish Space in Postwar Muranów.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: One year after the Germans took control of Poland in September 1939 nearly 500,000 people of Jewish origin were forced to live in what was to become the largest Jewish ghetto in any German-occupied territory: the Warsaw ghetto. The Ghetto Uprising (April-May 1943), to which the Germans quickly put an end, led to the complete destruction of the former Jewish district. Beginning in the late 1940s and continuing throughout the 1950s, a massive new housing estate was built on the rubble of the ghetto, concealing almost every physical trace of the area’s Jewish past. My thesis examines how Jewish memory has been negotiated and spatialized in Muranów, the area of Warsaw’s former Jewish district, from 1945 until today. After underlining some of the key disputes related to the memory of the Jewish past in Poland, particularly in regards to wartime events, I explore how Jewishness has been re-negotiated and re-inscribed in Muranów through non traditional memorial initiatives in post-Communist Poland. By engaging people and involving them in the memorialization process, such initiatives might have the power to create a safe place of dialogue and civic engagement where the very principle of Polish ethno-national identity is called into question. Through the study of interviews I conducted in Muranów in the summer of 2010, I also investigate how current Polish residents relate to the Jewish past of their neighborhood.


identifier: Liu, Jingfang  (2011) Amplifier_Based Tuneable RF Predistortion for Radio-over-Fibre Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Elwakil, Emad  (2011) Knowledge Discovery Based Simulation System in Construction.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Uncertainty is an entrenched characteristic of most construction projects. Typically, probability distributions are utilized to accommodate uncertainty when estimating duration of project’s activities. Distributions are fitted, based on the collected data from construction projects, to estimate activity durations, to assess productivity and cost, and to identify resource bottlenecks using simulation. The subjectivity in selecting these fitted probability distributions is an imprecise process and may significantly affect simulation outputs. Most research works in simulating construction operations has focused predominantly on modeling and has neglected to study the effect of subjective variables on simulation process. Therefore, there is a need for a system, which: (1) handles uncertainty, fuzziness, missing data, and outliers in input data, (2) effectively utilizes historical data, (3) models the effect of qualitative and quantitative variables on the simulation process, (4) enhances simulation modeling capabilities, and (5) optimizes simulation system output(s).
The main objective of this research is to develop a knowledge discovery based simulation system for construction operations, which achieves the abovementioned necessities. This system comprises three stages: (i) a Knowledge Discovery Stage (KDS), (ii) a Simulation Stage (SS), and (iii) an Optimization Stage (OS). In the KDS, raw data are prepared for the SS where patterns, which represent knowledge implicitly stored or captured in large databases, are extracted using Fuzzy K-means technique. During the KDS, the effect of qualitative and quantitative variables on construction operation(s) is modelled using Fuzzy Clustering technique. This stage improves the efficiency of data modeling by 10% closer to real data. The movement of units is modeled in the SS where the interaction between flow units and idle times of resources can be examined to discover any bottlenecks and estimate the operation's productivity and cost.  The OS, using Pareto ranking technique, assists in selecting and ranking feasible productivity-cost solution(s) for diverse resource combinations under different conditions.
An automated general purpose construction simulation language (KEYSTONE) is developed using C#. The developed system is validated and verified using several case studies with sound and satisfactory results, i.e. 4% - 11% digression. The developed research/system benefits both researchers and practitioners because it provides robust simulation modeling tool(s) and optimum resources allocation for construction operations.


identifier: Ben Moussa, Mohamed  (2011) The Use of the Internet by Social Movements in Morocco: Implications for Collective Action and Political Change.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The thesis examines the use of the Internet by social movements in Morocco and the extent to which it has empowered them in various struggles against political and social injustices.  More specifically, it explores whether the Internet has transformed the collective action repertoire and enhanced social movements’ capacity to challenge Morocco’s semi-authoritarian regime and erode the hegemonic social orders in the country.  In so doing, the thesis addresses some key polemical issues and questions germane to the topic, mainly the dialectic between technological and social determinisms and agency, the role of technology in development, and collective action and democratic change in the context of Muslim-majority societies.  The thesis uses a combination of methodological approaches to explore the structural, textual and contextual dimensions of the Internet’s implications and impact.
Through feature analysis, and framing analysis, the research studies 18 websites, collective blogs and wikis belonging to eight key Moroccan social movements.  It equally draws on rich data derived from 37 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with Moroccan social movement activists, journalists and international NGOs’ officials.   It offers insights into the embeddedness of the Internet as a technology and medium, and into the interplay between activists’ and users’ practices and their social environment and physical world.  Moreover, using a multidisciplinary conceptual framework, namely social movement theory, the social study of technology, alternative media studies, radical democracy theory and community informatics, the thesis examines the complex and multilayered interconnections between the Internet and the various social, economic and cultural processes shaping its appropriation and its potential for social change.  It concludes that the Internet plays a significant role in enhancing Moroccan social movements’ collective action capabilities by favouring various forms of mobilization, and facilitating linkages between dispersed constituencies and translocal public spheres.  The thesis argues, however, that the medium does not impact in any radical way the dominant political and social orders inasmuch as its implications and potential remain considerably limited by the various digital divides, and are mediated through the power relations characterizing society.


identifier: Su, ChingWei  (2011) Partial Order Based Runtime Recovery Intended For Highly Available Distributed Applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Crawford, Jason B.  (2011) "Go Forth and Sin Some More!" A Performance Geography of the San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis is a performance geography of the San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.  Founded in 1979, the Order is a group of queer nuns who take vows to “expiate stigmatic guilt, spread universal joy and commit to serve the community.”  The Order now counts thirty-seven chapters around the world, each “house” reflecting the social and cultural context of its locale.  The San Francisco house is considered the “mother house” of the Order and this thesis will focus solely on the mother house.  The Order is recognizable for their whiteface makeup and distinctive wimples and veils.  They employ the traditions of street theatre, clowning and drag to raise money for local community organisations and causes.  Known for their pioneering work in the early 1980s on safer sex campaigns, the Sisters have been at the forefront of AIDS activism in San Francisco and continue to raise people’s consciousness about discrimination and homophobia.

Performance geography is a way of mapping how performances give places meaning and how people make meaning through cultural performances, and the thesis explores several of the Sisters’ rituals and ceremonies in their geographic contexts.  After an Introduction outlining the performance geography approach and a Chapter on the history, organisation and aesthetic styles of the Sisters, I describe the Sisters’ roles as nuns, clowns and activists—Chapters 3, 4, and 5 take up each of these roles specifically.  Each chapter manouevres between a performance-based autoethnographic “voice” to evoke my experiences as an observer/audience member at several of these performances and an academic “voice.” Performances are analysed through the lenses of queer studies, performance, and cultural geography in order to provide an interpretation that: 1.) maps the spaces of queer community in San Francisco through the performances of the Sisters; 2.) sheds light on the constitution of “community” in these performances; and 3.) critically analyses the intersubjective relationship between the Sisters and those who attend their performances.  In the Conclusion, I discuss how queer performance geography contributes to the analysis of cultural practices, point to its limits and address ways in which this approach can be applied to the study of cultural performances in other social dramas.


identifier: Ma, Li  (2011) Generalized Feynman-Kac Transformation and Fukashima's Decomposition for Nearly Symmetric Markov Processes.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this thesis, we study some problems about nearly symmetric Markov processes,which are associated with non-symmetric Dirichlet forms or semi-Dirichlet forms. For a Markov process (Xt, Px) associated with a non-symmetric Dirichlet form (E,D(E)) on L2(E;m), we study the strong continuity of the generalized Feynman- Kac semigroup (Pu
t )t≥0, which is defined by Pu t f(x) := Ex[eNu t f(Xt)], f ≥ 0 and t ≥ 0.Here u ∈ D(E), Nu t is the continuous additive functional of zero energy in the Fukushima’s decomposition. We give two sufficient conditions for (Pu
t )t≥0 to be strongly continuous.The first sufficient condition is that there exists a constant α0 ≥ 0 such that for any f ∈ D(E)b, Qu(f, f) ≥ −α0(f, f)m, where (Qu,D(E)b) is defined by Qu(f, g) := E(f, g) + E(u, fg), f,g∈ D(E)b := D(E) ∩ L∞(E;m). The second sufficient condition is that there exists a constant α0 ≥ 0 such that �Pu
t �2 ≤ eα0t, ∀t > 0. For a Markov process associated with a semi-Dirichlet form, we establish Fukushima’s
decomposition and give a transformation formula for local martingale additive functionals.


identifier: Elias Downey, Martha  (2011) Listening to the Life of Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), best known for her book, Mysticism, was instrumental in popularizing this same topic in her time.  However, it is a disservice to the prolific writer to reduce her to this summarisation.  In the last twenty years of her life, Evelyn Underhill found a vocation as a spiritual director, becoming the first woman to lead retreats in the Church of England and speak to clergy about spiritual life.  Through her personal letters, the testimony of her friends, and studying her notebooks, we become witness to a private spiritual journey which informed her unique ability to render the spiritual realm accessible to people from all walks of life.  What one can learn from the life of Evelyn Underhill is that her efficacy as a writer and spiritual director was directly proportional to her own spiritual transformation.


identifier: Sookraj, Lisa  (2011) A Series of Distractions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: A Series of Distractions

abstract:
ABSTRACT

A Series of Distractions
Lisa Sookraj

	"A Series of Distractions" is a novella that examines the fragmentary nature of the sentence, the story, the photograph and life itself. Montréal writer Gail Scott refers to works created in the middle space, the in between. This is where my writing exists, between genres and between situational states in characters’ lives [stuck between a rock (youth) and a hard place (well-adjusted adults)]. To illustrate the disjointed way thoughts tend to connect under pressure, the prose is interspersed with shorter lines that appear like poetry on the page.
	The narrative follows Julie Watt, a struggling young photographer in Montréal, and focuses on her shifting relationships (to herself, her work and her boyfriend Felix). Julie seeks progress in place of redundancy, but while clinging to stasis. As such, the writing often examines moments of ‘unplot’ – the minute events of daily life accompanied by the inner associations of the protagonist. The writing conveys 'the real' in a charged way, revealing the complexity of situations which seem simple on the surface. A quote from Susan Sontag is fitting: "Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality."
	The notion of time and the speeds at which it moves in differing stages of our lives and psychologies is integral to the story, at the heart of which lies uncertainty and anxiety. Theories on photography (from Sontag and Roland Barthes) offer insight as to how Julie views the various aspects of her life, and often, how the author perceives prose.


identifier: Candanedo Ibarra, José / A.  (2011) A Study of Predictive Control Strategies for Optimally Designed Solar Homes.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis investigates the development of predictive control strategies for optimally or near-optimally designed solar homes. Optimal design refers to the integration of renewable energy technologies (mainly active and passive solar) with a high-quality building envelope as well as efficiency and conservation measures to achieve substantial reductions in energy consumption and peak demand. Effective implementation of these technologies requires an integrated design approach, which considers their interactions with the building and its services. Furthermore, control strategies must be an essential part of the integrated design of a building to improve energy performance and ensure occupant comfort. In optimally designed solar homes, control strategies should incorporate the collection, storage and delivery of solar energy. Weather forecasts along with an understanding of the building’s thermal dynamics (e.g., time delays due to thermal mass) enable predicting and managing loads and solar energy availability.

Design and operation strategies of a case study, the Alstonvale House, are presented. Features of this house include passive solar design, a building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system coupled with a solar-assisted heat pump, a thermal energy storage tank and a radiant floor heating system in a thermally massive concrete slab. Design and control approaches developed for the Alstonvale House provided the basis for generalized control strategies applicable to optimally designed solar homes.

Simplified building models, which can be derived from more detailed models or on-site measurements, can facilitate the implementation of predictive control techniques. In this investigation, model-based predictive control was applied to a radiant floor heating system and the position of roller blinds in a room with high solar gains.

Predictive control can also be applied to optimize the operation of renewable energy systems. In this study, forecasts of heating loads and solar radiation were used in a dynamic programming algorithm to select a near-optimal set-point trajectory for an energy storage tank heated with a heat pump assisted by a BIPV/T system.


identifier: Hampton, Rosalind  (2011) Family Photos: Digital photography as Emancipatory Art Education in Montreal’s Black Community.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis documents a participatory action research project in which I collaborated with a Caribbean-Canadian family of four, to study their experiences of familial art education and photographic practice, and to generate recommendations for Emancipatory Art Education in Montreal’s Black community.  Emancipatory Art Education (EAE) is an emerging approach to Black community art education that I situate among African Diaspora traditions of ‘education for liberation’ and critical multiculturalism discourses in the field of art education.  Family Photos begins a long-term participatory research practice aimed at defining and developing EAE theory and practices for the community from within the community.  An autoethnographic study through which I locate and situate my identities as a Black Montrealer consequently emerges as a critical component of this work.

Through studying and practicing photography as art, family members develop technical skills and inclusive understandings of art, while increasingly expressing their own individual and collective aesthetic identities. All express affirmative feelings about the project and a desire to participate in similar projects in the future, and thus conclude that family art practice can be a positive and engaging practice for other families and members in the Black community.   Our results emphasize photographic practice as a site for exploring issues of identity, race and representation, and tensions between the private and the public.  Recommendations are geared toward EAE and address familial and intergenerational community art education; photography, ethics and boundary control; and participatory action research in community art education.


identifier: Alsarhan, Ayoub  (2011) Machine Learning Approach for Spectrum Sharing in the Next Generation Cognitive Mesh Network.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Nowadays, there is an unexpected explosion in the demand for wireless network resources. This is due to the dramatic increase in the number of the emerging web-based services. For wireless computer network, limited bandwidth along with the transmission quality requirements for users, make quality of service (QoS) provisioning a very challenging problem. To overcome spectrum scarcity problem, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already started working on the concept of spectrum sharing where unlicensed users (secondary users, SUs) can share the spectrum with licensed users (primary users, PUs), provided they respect PUs rights to use spectrum exclusively. Cognitive technology presents a revolutionary wireless communication where users can exploit the spectrum dynamically. The integration of cognitive technology capability into the conventional wireless networks is perhaps the significant promising architectural upgrade in the next generation of wireless network that helps to solve spectrum scarcity problem.
  In this work, we propose integrating cognitive technology with wireless mesh network to serve the maximum number of SUs by utilizing the limited bandwidth efficiently. The architecture for this network is selected first. In particular, we introduce the cluster-based architecture, signaling protocols, spectrum management scheme and detailed algorithms for the cognitive cycle. This new architecture is shown to be promising for the cognitive network. In order to manage the transmission power for the SUs in the cognitive wireless mesh network, a dynamic power management framework is developed based on machine learning to improve spectrum utilization while satisfying users requirements. Reinforcement learning (RL) is used to extract the optimal control policy that allocates spectrum and transmission powers for the SUs dynamically. RL is used to help users to adapt their resources to the changing network conditions. RL model considers the spectrum request arrival rate of the SUs, the interference constraint for the PUs, the physical properties of the channel that is selected for the SUs, PUs activities, and the QoS for SUs.
In our work, PUs trade the unused spectrum to the SUs. For this sharing paradigm, maximizing the revenue is the key objective of the PUs, while that of the SUs is to meet their requirements and obtain service from the rented spectrum. However, PUs have to maintain their QoS when trading their spectrum. These complex conflicting objectives are embedded in our machine learning model. The objective function is defined as the net revenue gained by PUs from renting some of their spectrum. We use a machine learning to help the PUs to make a decision about the optimal size and price of the offered spectrum for trading. The trading model considers the QoS for PUs and SUs, traffic load at the PUs, the changes in the network conditions, and the revenues of the PUs. Finally, we integrate all the mechanisms described above to build a new cognitive network where users can interact intelligently with network conditions.


identifier: Romani, Walid  (2011) Copie Conforme précédé de Onomastique et identité sexuelle : une poétique de l’ambiguïté.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
L’étude que je propose se penchera sur les relations entre l’onomastique et l’identité sexuelle. Elle s’appuiera sur les nouvelles Rose de Guy de Maupassant (1884) et Sarrasine de Honoré de Balzac (1830), deux récits où les chutes consistent en la révélation du « véritable » sexe d’un personnage en contradiction avec son patronyme : par exemple, Rose est en fait un évadé et Zambinella, un castrat. Du même coup, ces révélations sèment le doute sur l’identité sexuelle de tous les autres personnages.
Ma nouvelle, Copie Conforme, explore la relation entre deux personnages aux identités sexuelles troubles : l’écrivain Claude Cyriltochter, arrêté et condamné à mort au Kentucky, après le massacre d’une famille puritaine de Louisville, et le journaliste, Cameron Crow. À la recherche de la réelle identité de l’écrivain incarcéré, il se confie à l’énigmatique Charlie Cooper, serveuse androgyne au passé trouble et de qui il s’entiche.
Les théories Queer (Foucault, Sedgwick, Butler) spéculaient sur ce qui pouvait bien exister hors de l’hétérosexisme, par-delà le féminin et le masculin, sans jamais réellement avoir la capacité du laboratoire littéraire qui, dès le 19e siècle, avait soulevé ces questions au moment même où, sur le plan historique, se forgeait à partir de la médecine légale l’identité sexuelle moderne – traces qu’on retrouve principalement dans Rose et Sarrasine.
Ainsi, mon essai et ma nouvelle proposent d’analyser et d’expérimenter les limites du langage, de découvrir comment certains auteurs s’en sont affranchis, et cela, me semble-t-il, commence dès le Nom propre.


identifier: Liu, Song  (2011) Particle-tracking Methods for Wastewater Dispersion in Coastal Waters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study describes the development of a particle-tracking model which predicts the trajectories of particles that apportion wastewater effluents discharged into coastal waters. The subsequent spreading of the effluents is simulated by a large number of particles evolving as clouds. The evolving cloud patterns are predicted for given time-dependent ambient currents and density stratification. The model allows for advection, non-Fickian horizontal diffusion and Richardson number-dependent vertical diffusion. The model is applied to a discharge of wastewater effluents into Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada, where the ambient currents are tidally-driven and the ambient stratification results from river freshwater inflows. This application uses field measurements of ambient conditions as model input. Vertical profiles of effluent concentration derived from simulated particle distributions compare well with field measurements of effluent concentration. The model has shown advantages in handling large spatial gradients of the concentration field, and serves as a useful water-quality modelling tool.


identifier: Oueida, Elie  (2011) Speculation and Hedging in Corn and Soybean Futures Markets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Sin-Chan, Patrick  (2011) Altered growth-mediated signaling in the hearts of NFATc2 null mice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
An abnormality associated with all forms of cardiovascular diseases is cardiac hypertrophy, which is an overall increase in heart mass without improved contractile function. Prolonged cardiac hypertrophy eventually leads to heart failure, in which the heart can no longer supply adequate amounts of blood to meet the body’s hemodynamic demands, resulting in cardiac dilatation, thinning of the myocardial walls, decrease in contractile effectiveness, organ failure and death.

The Ca2+- dependent phosphatase, calcineurin (Cn) and its downstream target, nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), are major intracellular modulators of cardiac hypertrophy. In young 1-2 month old mice, the NFATc2 transcription factor has been identified as the major NFAT isoform responsible for Cn-mediated cardiac hypertrophy. We observed that adult 6-9 month old NFATc2-/- mice were more prone to sudden death, suggesting that the loss of NFATc2 was detrimental at later stages of life. Using histology, we showed that adult NFATc2-/- mice display left ventricular dilatation and thinning of the ventricular walls, characteristic of failure. Western blot and immunofluorescene results showed that NFATc2-/- mice displayed alterations in the signaling of growth pathways, which predisposed these mice to heart failure. Furthermore, angiotensin II-induced cardiac growth revealed that the hearts of NFATc2-/- mice displayed changes in contractile protein gene expression and an inactivation of both transcriptional and translational mechanisms. Our collective findings propose an uncharacterized role of NFATc2 for normal heart function and biochemical signaling in adult mice, providing further evidence that normal Cn-signaling is crucial in the heart.


identifier: Koraitem, Khalid  (2011) Characterization of Conical and Elliptical Fuel Spray Nozzles using Non-Intrusive Laser Diagnostic Methods.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Spray nozzles and atomizers have several applications in many forms of industry such as aerospace, automotive, combustion, pharmaceutical, and spray coating industries.  These nozzles vary in design and performance depending on the application they are used in.  Nevertheless, the primary objective for all atomizers is to disperse liquids in a controlled and uniformed manner while minimizing the amount of energy needed in the breakup process to achieve high quality atomization.
Air-assist and air-blast atomizers are fuel injector nozzles commonly used in gas turbine engines in the aerospace, and power generation industries.  The flow in these atomizers is considered to be two-phase flow since a portion of air taken from the compressor is also used to assist in the breakup of the fuel inside the combustion chamber.  These nozzles play a critical role in determining the efficiency of gas turbine engines as their ability to disperse liquid fuel into fine droplets allows for better mixture and evaporation rates; therefore, improving engine performance, reducing emissions, and maximizing fuel efficiency.
The objective of this study is to experimentally analyze two gas turbine fuel injector nozzles.  The first nozzle is a standard hollow cone nozzle currently used in gas turbine engines, whereas the other is a hollow elliptical nozzle designed to offer greater control over fuel distribution as well as improve overall atomization.  The nozzles are investigated under varying gas to liquid ratios (GLR) where key spray parameters such as droplet diameter, velocity, volume flux, as well as spray angle are measured to characterize the nozzles using methods such as Shadowgraph, Optical Patternation, Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA), and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).


identifier: Mohammadi Farhangi, Ali  (2011) Congestion Driven Clock Tree Routing with Via Minimization.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Physical routability constraints such as legal location checking and excessive number of vias are usually ignored in most of the clock tree algorithms. These Constraints could make an abstract clock tree difficult to route in practice and cause important manufacturability and reliability challenges. Therefore the final clock tree layout specifications can be seriously deviated from the expected ones. Vias have major impact on circuit reliability and manufacturing yield. The variability in via resistance is becoming an increasing concern in nanotechnologies. In this thesis a practical frame work is proposed to construct the clock tree network under via constraint. We propose an algorithm that minimizes the number of bends that is closely related to the number of vias.  The proposed algorithm is able to construct a zero skew clock tree with at most one bend branch merging. By performing simultaneous wire sizing and clock tree construction, the algorithm effectively reduces the number of bends at the expense of a small increase in capacitance. Furthermore, the number of vias is also controlled by considering a pre-specified pattern to route the internal clock tree edges. The impact of the pattern routing is taken into account in the early clock distribution design phase. We introduce a probabilistic routing demand estimation method to integrate the expected routing demand of the clock net with other clock tree optimization metrics. A new demand driven cost function is exploited in network topology generation as well as branch point embedding stages of a zero skew clock tree algorithm to reduce the number of vias. Our experiments show considerable improvements in the total number of vias.  28% reduction in the number of vias is obtained while the total clock tree wire length is reduced by an average of 8%.  The post-routing induced clock skew is also controlled efficiently.


identifier: Martinez, Brynheld  (2011) Self-disclosure to Siblings and Friends in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Rhoades, Troy  (2011) The Elusive Made Present: Art and the Incipiency of Images.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In The Elusive Made Present: Art and the Incipiency of Images, I offer a new conception of images by exploring the relations between sensation and composition through the prism of new media, film, video, and painting. Examining Paul Sharits’ flicker films, John F. Simon Jr.’s internet art, Wood Vasulka’s metamorphic videos, and the resonate paintings of Piet Mondrian and Robert Irwin, I proposes that all images, regardless of medium, emerge through the shared encounter between viewers and artworks. Acknowledging the significance and influence that Deleuze’s thought has had in the areas of art, cinema and visual studies, The Elusive Made Present works from a “Deleuzian” perspective, arguing that images are not preexisting, static representations or simply a transition from one fixed state of experience to another. Instead, I suggest that images are intimately entangled with experience and undergo a continuous process of emergence and change, which I call the incipiency of images. These changes may not be dramatic or even visible, but, as I contend, they are felt as an intensity that unfolds through the activity of seeing. From this idea of intensity, which is central to the incipiency of images, I develop a concept of compositional force that demonstrates how images do not exist in the materials of artworks or within the minds of viewers; rather, they reside in a dynamic perceptual field that both viewers and artworks experientially share.


identifier: Bergeron-Proulx, Julie  (2011) L’imaginaire national dans le roman pour adolescents en Belgique francophone et au Québec (1995-2005).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Ce mémoire compare la production romanesque adressée aux adolescents au tournant du XXIe siècle en Belgique francophone et au Québec, dans le but de démontrer l’influence de l’institution littéraire sur la construction textuelle d’un imaginaire national. Le premier chapitre consiste en une analyse institutionnelle. Le Québec et la Belgique francophone partagent plusieurs conditions de sociologie externe, notamment le fait d’évoluer dans une langue qui n’est pas majoritaire dans le pays et de présenter une littérature décentrée par rapport à la France. Néanmoins, l’institution littéraire québécoise a développé une autonomie qui n’a pas été atteinte en Belgique. L’analyse quantitative d’un corpus exhaustif composé de l’ensemble de la production romanesque adressée aux adolescents au tournant du XXIe siècle montre que l’ancrage géoculturel national dans les romans est quantitativement beaucoup plus important au Québec qu’en Belgique francophone, ce qui est certainement lié à la posture institutionnelle de la littérature dans ces deux espaces. Le second chapitre propose une analyse textuelle et thématique des romans publiés entre 1995 et 2005 par dix auteurs belges et dix auteurs québécois légitimés au sein de l’institution. L’étude du traitement de différents motifs dans les romans choisis révèle du côté de la Belgique une construction de l’imaginaire national moins profonde et plus problématique qu’au Québec. De l’ensemble, il ressort que si les romans contemporains québécois pour adolescents privilégient un enracinement et un attachement à la terre natale, leurs équivalents belges semblent refuser les discours trop nationaux et préférer une approche soit individuelle, soit mondiale.

The National Imaginery in Novels for Young Adults in French Belgium and Québec (1995-2005)

This thesis compares fiction aimed at teenagers at the turn of the 21st century in Québec and french Belgium with the goal of demonstrating the influence of the literary institution in the textual construction of a national imaginery. The first chapter consists in an institutional analysis. Québec and french Belgium share several external sociological conditions, notably their cultural evolution in a language that is not that of the majority in the country, and their status as decentralized literatures with regard to France. Despite this, the Québec literary institution has developed an autonomy that has not been achieved in Belgium. Quantitative analysis of the entire corpus of fiction aimed at teenagers produced at the turn of the 21st century shows that a national geocultural anchoring in novels is measurably much more prevalent in Québec than in french Belgium, which is certainly linked to the institutional placement of literature in each place. The second chapter contains a textual and thematic analysis of novels published between 1995 and 2005 by ten Québec authors and ten Belgian authors all established within the literary institution. A study of the treatment of different motifs in these novels shows the construction of a national imagination that is less deep and more problematic in Belgium than in Québec. On the whole, it becomes clear that while contemporary Québec novels for teenagers place importance on one's roots in and attachment to the homeland, the Belgian equivalents seem to eschew overly nationalistic discourse and favor either an individual or a global approach.