identifier: Brash, Ronald J.  (2017) Managing the Transition from SNMP to NETCONF: Comparing Dual-Stack and Protocol Gateway Hybrid Approaches.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
As industries become increasingly automated and stressed to seek business advantages, they often have operational constraints that make modernization and security more challenging.  Constraints exist such as low operating budgets, long operational lifetimes and infeasible network/device upgrade/modification paths.  In order to bypass these constraints with minimal risk of disruption and perform ``no harm'', network administrators have come to rely on using dual-stack approaches, which allow legacy protocols to co-exist with modern ones.  For example, if SNMP is required for managing legacy devices, and a newer protocol (NETCONF) is required for modern devices, then administrators simply modify firewall Access Control Lists (ACLs) to allow passage of both protocols.  In today's networks, firewalls are ubiquitous, relatively inexpensive, and able to support multiple protocols (hence dual-stack) while providing network security.

    While investigating securing legacy devices in heterogeneous networks, it was determined that dual-stack firewall approaches do not provide adequate protection beyond layer three filtering of the IP stack.  Therefore, the NETCONF/SNMP Protocol Gateway hybrid (NSPG) was developed as an alternative in environments where security is necessary, but legacy devices are infeasible to upgrade, replace, and modify.  The NSPG allows network administrators to utilize only a single modern protocol (NETCONF) instead of both NETCONF and SNMP, and enforce additional security controls without modifying existing deployments.  It has been demonstrated that legacy devices can be securely managed in a protocol-agnostic manner using low-cost commodity hardware (e.g., the RaspberryPi platform) with administrator-derived XML-based configuration policies.


identifier: Tezer, Ali  (2017) Social Responsibility Effects on Consumption.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: This dissertation consists of two essays that examine the role of socially responsible brand behaviour (e.g., cause-related marketing, environmentally friendly products) on consumer evaluations at the brand and the product level. The first essay investigates when and how the expectancy of a CSR (corporate social responsibility) activity—the extent to which the CSR activity deviates from consumers’ mental schema regarding brands’ CSR activities—influences brand evaluations. Results from four experiments show that unexpected CSR activities improve brand evaluations when there is a brand-based link between the CSR activity and the brand (high CSR fit), but hurt brand evaluations when there is no clear link between the brand and the CSR activity (low CSR fit). These results are driven by the favourability of the elaborations regarding the brand’s CSR activity. Furthermore, unexpected CSR activities with high brand-CSR fit are more effective in improving brand evaluations of low-involvement consumers. This essay demonstrates the distinct role of CSR expectancy in influencing brand evaluations. The second essay focuses on socially responsible brand behaviour at the product level and explores how using environmentally friendly products (e.g., a pen or a pair of headphones) influences consumers’ enjoyment of accompanying consumption experiences (e.g., writing a letter or listening to music), even if they have not chosen or purchased the product. A series of five experiments in actual consumption settings suggest that using environmentally friendly (vs. conventional) products enhances the enjoyment of accompanying consumption experience and that feelings of warm glow drive this effect. For those consumers who believe that environmental attributes come at the expense of functional product attributes or are futile in helping the environment, the benefits on consumption experience disappears. This essay advances our understanding of how environmentally friendly products influence the actual consumption experience and yields important implications for managers.


identifier: Finlay, Caitlin, Weladji, Robert B. and Paré, Patrick  (2017) Using behavior and social associations to assess the welfare of a captive flock of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

creator:
Finlay, Caitlin
Weladji, Robert B.
Paré, Patrick

abstract: While the four main roles of zoos are education, research, conservation, and entertainment, the most important goal of zoos is to ensure good animal welfare.  Animal welfare is generally assessed by observing the animals for indicators of poor welfare in three categories: health, physiological condition, and behavior. A common indicator of poor welfare is decreased reproduction, which is a problem in many captive flamingo flocks. We assessed the welfare of the flamingo flock at Zoo de Granby using behavior patterns, environmental effects, visitor effects, and social associations. Our results suggest that the behavior patterns differ between a wild population and the Zoo de Granby flock. We found an increased frequency of preening during periods of high humidity, and increased aggressive behaviors during periods of increased heat and humidity. Visitor variables had an effect on most behaviors but did not affect vigilance frequency. Contrary to previous literature, several of the Zoo de Granby pairings were not maintained over time. Association strengths were not different from their previous pairings, or between the nonbreeding and breeding season. Our findings suggest that flamingo behavior is affected by captivity although we do not believe it is a negative effect. We recommend that Zoo de Granby investigate the effect of animal keeper presence and the effect of wing clipping on copulation. Our association findings allow us to provide Zoo de Granby with information regarding strongly associated pairings who should not be separated in the event of a transaction between institutions.


identifier: Schuurman, Matthew  (2017) Matching Relative Clauses with Numerals and Quantifiers in Mi'gmaq.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis explores the syntactic structure of Mi'gmaq (Algonquian) restricted relative clauses. Mi'gmaq relative clauses have a unique construction where numerals and quantifiers (N/Qs) modifying the relative head may be displaced from the relative head. There are three distributional patterns where a N/Q may appear: (i) with the head noun; (ii) in a phrase-final position; (iii) one N/Q with the head noun and one N/Q in a phrase-final position, however, the two N/Qs must be identical. Evidence from semantic identity and quantifier scope ambiguities demonstrates that the displaced NAQs are internal to the relative clause.

I argue that the raising structures (Kayne 1994, Bianchi 2000, Bhatt 2002) are unable to account for the Mi'gmaq data. Therefore, a movement-alone based account is rejected as a viable structure for Mi'gmaq relative clauses. To that end I adopt the matching structures as proposed in Sauerland (1998), Hulsey and Sauerland (2006). However, the matching structure, where the external and internal head must match in semantic identity, makes the wrong predictions. I propose a matching structure that require the lexical matching analysis, where the external and internal head must match in lexical identity in structurally identical chunks, rather then in semantic identity. The lexical matching analysis is extended to Mi'gmaq under several assumptions on the syntax of the Mi'gmaq nominal domain.


identifier: Callahan, Megan  (2017) The Sound of Silence: Translating the Auditory Landscape of the North.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Quebec literature, the North has often been portrayed as a mythical, sacred, and elusive territory. Recent studies have suggested that literary representations of the North are not simply descriptions of a geographic location, but imagined spaces coloured by aesthetic, political, and ideological values. The present thesis examines my translation of twelve poems by three contemporary francophone authors from Quebec whose work explores the landscape of northern Quebec: Jean Morisset, Maude Smith Gagnon, and Natasha Kanapé Fontaine. In light of contemporary literary and multidisciplinary studies on the North, I will consider the difficulties encountered during translation. In particular, I will focus on how poetic representations of northern Quebec are problematic for writers and translators because poetry is fundamentally auditory, and the northern landscape is primarily associated with silence. Furthermore, I will discuss how the North is an imagined space that varies according to the authors’ culture, gender, and individual experiences. Drawing from research on the poetics of translation, I will strive to preserve each author’s auditory landscape, and thus maintain their varying and distinct perceptions of sound and silence in northern Quebec.


identifier: Longman, Madelaine Caritas  (2017) Ordinary Disturbances : A Collection of Poetry.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For my thesis I have crafted a collection of poetry exploring concepts of selfhood. The poems use various lenses to present diverse perspectives on this concept, such as psychology, psychoanalysis, and religious theories regarding the difference between thought and action. I also draw upon biographical information about the poet Fernando Pessoa and the visual artist Yayoi Kusama and their respective selflessness and narcissism, and explore how these perspectives influence the relationship between their art and their lives. The collection is held together by a loose first-person narrative, ranging from lyrical to experimental in style, about a young woman unsure how to balance an individual identity with the desire to be close to others.


identifier: Idemudia, Osatohanmwen Joan  (2017) Post-colonial African literatures in translation: A case study of L’Ivrogne dans la brousse (1953) by Raymond Queneau and La Flèche de Dieu (1978) by Irène Assiba d’Almeida/Olga Mahougbé Simpson.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

In a hierarchized global community, literary activities intrinsic to minority societies differ to a certain extent from what obtains in the more developed nations. This thesis analyzes the translation practices of Raymond Queneau and Irène Assiba d’Almeida in collaboration with Olga Mahougbé Simpson, translators of two different books written by authors from minority societies in the global community. The translations are entitled L’Ivrogne dans la brousse, first published by Éditions Gallimard in 1953, and La Flèche de Dieu, published by Présence Africaine in 1978. The original books: The Palm-Wine Drinkard and his Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Deads’ Town by Amos Tutuola (1952) and Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe (1964) tell of the sociological and educational backgrounds of the authors and also reveal the societal influences that impact their novels and eventually the translations of these novels.
This thesis also surveys the familiarity of both translators with the customs and beliefs inherent in African texts through an analysis of their translations of culturally inflected statements and the peculiar language use of the authors. It concludes with the collation and analysis of previous research carried out on such thematic elements as hybridity and agency in Translation Studies as they relate to African postcolonial literature.


identifier: Kaur, Rupinder  (2017) Bibliometric Analysis for the field of City Logistics: Study of Procedia -Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010-2016.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study profiles the bibliometric analysis of the papers published in the field of City Logistics in Procedia - Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences for the years 2010 to 2016. Key aspects examined are analysis of Network of Keywords and Paper, Network of Keywords and Procedia, Network of Keywords and Keywords used in a paper, Citation Network of Authors and Collaboration Network of Authors. These five networks were examined statistically and graphically. The analysis resulted in identifying the significant clusters formed in these networks. The results from different perspectives converge at one point in recognizing the most popular cited authors, major collaborators, prevalent keywords used by authors and major keywords used in Procedia for last 7 years in the field of study. Citation, collaboration and keyword patterns were found in the networks with respect to the trends in the data. Novel practitioners in the field can use the results of the study to seek the authors for citation and collaboration as well as emerging fields in this area. Exploring these networks indicated how “City Logistics” has evolved over time and delineated research areas in the field.


identifier: Beaudin-Judd, Julie  (2017) The impact of the open and closed exhibit designs on captive Bennett's wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) behaviour and visitor experience.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Zoo research on exhibit designs has made notable progress in the past decades. A great challenge zoo exhibit designers are faced with today is finding exhibit designs that optimize both animal welfare and visitor experience. In the present research, the impacts of exhibit design on Bennett’s wallaby behaviour and on visitor experience were studied. Data collected from two open design exhibits, allowing physical interaction between visitors and animals, were compared to observations from two closed exhibit designs, where no physical human-animal interaction was possible. Wallaby behavioural data were collected using the focal sampling method for activity budget observations and the scan sampling method for spatial distribution observations.  Moreover, visitor experience data were collected using survey-type questionnaires that were randomly distributed to zoo visitors. Our study revealed that, when compared to more traditional closed designs, open exhibit designs increase overall visitor experience and positively benefit visitor perception. Additionally, our results showed that feeding and interactive behaviours were significantly higher in closed exhibit designs but functional use of space was similar in both exhibit design types. Although some behaviours did significantly differ between habitat designs, they did not provide sufficient evidence for major exhibit design impacts on wallaby welfare. However, possible visitor effects on Bennett’s wallaby activity budgets and space use was discussed. Our results suggest that the open exhibit design is a good option for optimizing visitor experience without affecting animal welfare, but we recommend continued research to more fully understand the impacts of different exhibit designs on the behaviour and welfare of captive Bennett’s wallabies.


identifier: Orzel, Charlotte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7588-7943 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7588-7943>  (2017) Coming Soon, Thinking Back: Cineplex Entertainment and Exhibition Practice in Transition.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the 2010s, the North American film exhibition industry is undergoing a significant transformation as exhibitors introduce several new initiatives, including technologically and service-based enhancements to theatre experiences, offered in branded packages and available at a premium price. Behind the scenes, consolidation of theatre chains, diversification of exhibitor assets and other shifts in exhibitor business strategy are restructuring the industry in dramatic ways. This thesis seeks to examine these developments and the way exhibitors have framed them discursively both within the film industry and to the public. It takes the Cineplex Entertainment theatre chain as a key example in this moment of reconfiguration, examining the exhibitor’s implication in historical forces in the film industry and its investments in emerging exhibition practices in the present. Drawing from theoretical perspectives in cultural studies and scholarship on film exhibition and media industries, it examines trade publications, branding materials, press releases, and news sources to analyze the way contemporary movie theatres are being reconstituted through the formation and circulation of a new industry common sense about the cultural practice of cinemagoing. It interrogates how exhibitors imagine cinemagoing and cinemagoers and argues that, as they do so, they create cinema spaces and commodities organized around the perceived desires of the bourgeois audience.


identifier: Sacre, Lauralicia  (2017) Repair of modified O4-alkyl-pyrimidines by O6-Alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferases.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: O4-Alkyl lesions are a form of DNA damage that occurs due to exposure to some alkylating agents, which can be repaired by O6-Alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferases (AGTs). AGTs from different species differ in their substrate specificity and proficiency towards repair of these lesions. O4-alkyl-pyrimidines with C5-modifications were prepared by using a combination of small molecule and solid phase synthesis in order to investigate their repair by different AGT homologues such as human AGT (hAGT), E. coli OGT and Ada-C and a hAGT/OGT chimera (hOGT). Studies have shown that hAGT is less efficient at removing O4 lesions than the E. coli variants. Previous work from our group revealed that replacing the C5-methyl group with hydrogen results in an increase in the proficiency of repair of O4-alkyl lesions observed by the human homologue. It was observed that the presence of a C5-fluorine atom resulted in a futher increase in repair of a O4-methyl lesion, particularly by hAGT and the chimera. Repair of the O4-methyl lesion increased about 20-fold after 1 min with 5 equivalents of AGT when fluorine rather than hydrogen was at the C5-position. Repair of larger lesions at the O4 position such as ethyl, benzyl, 4-hydroxybutyl and 7-hydroxyheptyl were also evaluated for analogs with fluorine at the C5 position. Interestingly, all substrates were repaired efficiently. Ada-C was able to repair larger adducts such as O4-benzyl and O4-4-hydroxybutyl. Human AGT showed a preference for the benzyl adduct, as observed previously in the literature. Smaller adducts (such as O4-ethyl) were repaired faster than the larger ones by the various AGTs with O4-7-hydroxyheptyl repair observed to occur more efficiently relative to its 4 carbon analogue presumably due to a more flexible chain allowing for a more optimal accommodation for the removal of the lesion. Other halogens such as chlorine and bromine at the C5 position were also analyzed to observed their influence relative to fluorine. Repair of O4-methyl lesions with chlorine at the C5-position occurred faster relative to bromine. The larger C5-bromine did influence repair with a maximum of 55% removal of the O4-methyl lesion by the AGTs observed. The presence of chlorine at the C5-position had a positive influence on removal of the O4-methyl group by human AGT with slightly faster repair observed compared to the C5-fluorine analog. Overall, the presence of the C5-fluorine group was shown to have a positive influence on O4-methyl repair by AGT, distinct from the influence of chlorine or bromine at the C5-position. These studies have expanded our knowledge of the range of substrates that can be repaired by AGTs and may be useful in guiding the design of hAGT inhibitors as therapeutics against uncontrolled cellular proliferation seen in cancer.


identifier: Yi, Seonjeong  (2017) "Blooming Their Hopes with You": A Public Pedagogy through Arts-based Learning about "Comfort Women".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research started from a personal realization of how the stories of “Comfort Women” are rarely discussed in society or shared internationally. This led to me to considering my role as a woman, educator and researcher who is studying at an international institute outside of Korea in relation to this issue. I contemplated how I could best contribute to the field, and then I became involved with the Heeum Museum of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. This Museum exemplifies public participation and social activism at a grassroots level. Meeting with staff at the Heeum Museum shifted my research to become a case study and participatory action research to create a sustainable education program for the Museum, integrating art education theory and practice. I approached the Heeum Museum to enhance how it could operate in ways that contribute to a broader pedagogic understanding by: (a) developing a workshop program to engage the general public and raise awareness about this historical tragedy; (b) adopting a strategic approach to provoke empathic learning; (c) cultivating an educational approach that takes into account the realities of this history in ways that contemporary audiences can make meaningful; and (d) shifting the parameters of art education towards history and social justice education due to the unique and sensitive nature of this collection. Fostering a learning environment with strategic empathy through arts-based experience as a pivot of the workshop, this research: (a) brought a focus on caring and hope towards “Comfort Women;” (b) suggested an educational approach towards the “Comfort Women” issue; (c) demonstrated an example of arts-based experience for museum education as public pedagogy; and (d) provided an interactive cooperation model through PAR. In this project, I applied an art education approach to a community in South Korea and brought the stories of the “Comfort Women” and its social activism to Canada.


identifier: Liem, Maria Teresa (Tess)  (2017) Obits.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Obits

abstract:
Obits explores themes of mourning, memorial, and identity. It is a collection of intertextual prose poems in which a speaker attempts and fails to write obituaries for women and others whose obituaries or memorials are missing, or only represented as statistics. The speaker also discusses what she sees as a failure to mourn her aunt, a woman who she knows less about than any of the people she researches; and finally she tries to give an account of herself as a lyric poet in mourning. That is, she asks, what does it mean to be an “I” mourning a “you” when both of us have been ‘othered’ and the act of writing might be an act of othering in itself?
Ultimately the speaker notes a pattern in the failures to mourn certain identities publicly and the political consequences of this failure for a group as small as a family or as large as a nation or as various as an academic discipline. With respect to the collection being intertextual it means that much of the research is directly quoted in the work. The main texts guiding and influencing this collection include but are not limited to Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee; Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely; Sina Queyras' MxT; Judith Butler’s Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence, and Giving an Account of Oneself; Jill Stauffer’s Ethical Loneliness; and Sigmund Freud’s Mourning and Melancholia. My approach is meant to connect the work of mourning and memorial to elegy and the lyric poet by focussing on where there is an absence or lack of acknowledgement of certain losses and certain bodies.


identifier: Doiron, Gabrielle  (2017) Play on Display: Tracing Encounters with Cornelia Hahn Oberlander’s Expo 67 Playground.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In mid-century North America, increasing interest in the designed environment, widespread acceptance of child-centered pedagogy, and a growing generation of baby boomers resulted in a dynamic period of material production for children, as well as a changing landscape of public playspaces. This was evident at Expo 67 in Montreal, where the Canadian government put a playground and the visiting children within it on display. Designed by landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, this playground was meant to serve as a model for playspaces in Canada. Drawing from the adventure playground model popular in postwar Denmark and the U.K., as well as her training in modern landscape architecture, Hahn Oberlander designed a natural environment with loose parts as an antidote to the “concrete and asphalt jungle effect” of the city child’s living environment. This thesis traces the design and conceptual development of the playground, clarifying Hahn Oberlander’s vision. It also considers the implications of the playground’s role as an exhibition by discussing its reception. It concludes by comparing the intended use and reception of the playground with its actual use, featuring first-hand accounts of playground supervisors and children who played there. Describing how gender factored into the experiences of children in the playground, as well as how children’s play was framed by journalists, this thesis demonstrates that, despite efforts to make it such, the playground was not a gender-neutral space.


identifier: Whynacht, Ardath J.  (2017) 'Citizens of Nowhere': Diffractive Engagements with Borderline Personality Disorder.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines lived experiences with Borderline Personality Disorder through arts-based qualitative research and 'friendship as method'. Rather than treat social experience as distinct from material, or biological realities, the thesis builds on a feminist, new materialist position that resists a division between matter and meaning. A diffractive approach is used to work through problems of representation that divide vision into self/other and to facilitate the emergence of stories along different patterns of relating. Intra-action implies the emergence of experience through and within our entanglements, rather than inter-action, which presupposes the object prior to its relations. Given that women with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (or those with the same grouping of symptoms) are incarcerated at a disproportionately higher rate than those who do not, the thesis also works to move beyond some of the limitations of prison abolitionism and mad studies scholarship, whose social constructionist frame marginalizes emotional experience and fails to reflect the needs or lived experiences of women with the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. By diffractively working through the lived experiences of collaborators, the author presents three 'friendship' stories with fictional characters that represent contributions from all participants in the project. These stories help us to imagine ways in which prison abolitionism and mental health advocacy movements can dismantle harmful institutions without relying on discursive structures that marginalize those who are most vulnerable. This thesis seeks to expand abolitionist theorizing, by holding space for critical attention to suffering that emerges intra-actively between and within us.


identifier: LeFranc, Ghislaine  (2017) Lust in Language: The Reading, Writing and Translating of Erotic Literature.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sexuality and language are two fundamental characteristics of human culture, and the relationship between both shows the role language has in expressing such inexpressible feelings as lust, desire and passion. Humans have long been preoccupied with the mysteries of sex, and language has been the vehicle through which to express such curiosities. Erotic literature has become a genre with such distinct characteristics that translating such texts requires a methodology and approach different from traditional translation tactics. By discussing aspects of both French and English language which influence erotic writing as well as applying existing theories of translation to a translator’s approach, this thesis aims to ultimately show how the role of the reader as a consumer and the translator as a creative agent influences both the translation and reception of an erotic text. I draw comparisons between Anaïs Nin’s erotic short stories, entitled Delta of Venus, and Emma Becker’s erotic novel, Mr., and analyze their subsequent translations to illustrate the absolute importance of interpretation and sensation over linguistic loyalty when approaching an erotic translation.


identifier: Wisnoski, Barbara  (2017) An Aesthetics of Everything Else: Flat Ontologies and the Everyday.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis considers everyday experience as the defining condition of craft that has largely escaped scholarly attention. Critically responding to craft’s theoretical stance as the ‘other’ of art and industry, I turn to philosophy to examine how non-Kantian strands of aesthetic theory might enable art historical study of craft to encompass the experience of ordinary making. Through an examination of flat ontological frameworks put forth by New Materialism and its older iterations in John Dewey and Indigenous thought, I argue that aesthetic frameworks deriving from flat ontologies, or what I call “flat aesthetics,” provide a way to return to a less fragmented creative landscape in which craft is the ground for all creative practice.
Drawing inspiration from art historical examinations of the counterculture and neo-avant garde movement Fluxus, I focus on how flat ontologies provide the philosophical basis for an everyday aesthetics that recognizes the ordinary experience of making in relational terms, as part of a dynamic network of agential forces. I conclude by speculating that understanding everyday craft in this way holds potential to renew its relevance and pertinence to the ethical pursuit of “the good life,” pointing to new directions for further work to be done in this area.


identifier: Nesbitt, Sarah  (2017) En/countering the Colonial: Aiako’nikonhraién:ta’ne and You Are On A Mohawk Land. Two Case Studies on Art, Refusal and Recognition in Montréal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
At a panel discussion in 2014, the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) artist, activist and community leader Ellen Gabriel drew attention to the absence of visual signifiers that Montréal is Mohawk territory. Gabriel identified this elision as an example of neocolonial dispossession. This thesis responds to Gabriel’s provocation by asking what it might mean to remediate this visual absence and activate Indigenous visibility/assert Indigenous sovereignty in urban space, particularly that of Montréal. Framed by recognition theory and the problems of state-based recognition addressed by Glen Coulthard and Audra Simpson, this thesis looks at Aiako’nikonhraién:ta’ne (2015) by Lindsay Katsitsakatste Delaronde, and You are on A Mohawk Land (2015) by Marie-Andrée Poulin as site specific artworks that exemplify strategies for countering the naturalization of settlement in the city of Montréal/Tiotià:ke.

Grounded in a long and rich history of artists responding to the complexity of Indigenous representation in urban spaces, I draw on texts by spatial theorists and Indigenous scholars that illustrate the challenging conditions under which these responses occur. These include disparate views towards land, the prevalence of settler co-optation of Indigenous art, and the deployment of formal recognition as a pacification or co-optation tactic. I argue that the specificities of site, material, context, and ephemeral quality of both Aiako’nikonhraién:ta’ne and You Are On A Mohawk Land work together to create space for meaningful and transformative acts of recognition that assert Mohawk sovereign relation to the contemporary urban space of Tiotià:ke or Montréal.


identifier: Funk, Alisan  (2017) Circus Education In Québec: Balancing Academic And Kinaesthetic Learning Objectives Through an Artistic Lens.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With this research, I investigate the coexistence of academic and kinaesthetic curricular goals in post-secondary circus education in Quebec, Canada, specifically exploring how students, circus instructors, academic teachers and administrators value curricular elements within the context of their perceptions of their institution’s program objectives.  The interdisciplinarity of circus studies invites analysis through methodologies and theories borrowed from other disciplines. From Sport Psychology I draw on models for assessing the kinaesthetic technical knowledge related to preparing an athletic body for elite performance (Bloom & Sosniak, 1985). The field of Curriculum Studies offers a lens through which to understand both the curricular models of each school and to assess the academic motivation of the students. The theoretical frameworks of hidden, null, implicit and explicit curricula provide a strong platform for investigating how circus schools communicate institutional values of subjects, student behaviour and career preparation (Apple & King, 1983; Eisner, 2002). In both post-secondary Quebec professionalizing circus programs, discussion groups of students, circus instructors, academic teachers and administrators were asked to define their institution’s program objectives and reflect upon the curricular content in light of those objectives. After reflection and analysis, it is apparent that the Quebec post-secondary circus education community has a common understanding of the learning objectives surrounding physical, artistic and vocational content, but disparate understandings of how academic content relates to the program objectives.


identifier: Rice, Dillon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8885-7142 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8885-7142>  (2017) The Myth of the Soviet Soldier: Envisioning the “Other” in Late-Cold War American Military Training Materials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To date, there has been an astonishing dearth of analysis on the ways in which enlisted personnel within the United States are presented with concepts of the outside world, and even less so on how this drastically differs from an American cultural zeitgeist. As Cold War ramifications continue to guide our modern contexts, this investigation looks into the split between American civilian and military representations of an ephemeral Soviet identity. This contrasting application of ethnography allows a new opportunity to examine how the United States military – an entity typically thought of as monolithic and unwieldy – navigated complex issues of identity politics and national antagonisms through internal educational publications. Embodied in their training materials, the Department of the Army demonstrates itself as surprisingly complex, agile, and measured in its portrayal of the Soviet and Russian opponent – especially when contrasted against certain exaggerations and stereotypes present in twentieth-century cultural products.


identifier: Gerber, Corinne  (2017) What You Claim, You Are: Black Vernacular, Regimes of Visibility, and the Reproduction of We in "The Queen’s English" by Martine Syms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a close reading of a body of work entitled "The Queen’s English," 2014, by Martine Syms. The Queen’s English is an exhibition and reading room inspired by the distribution of information within Black feminist communities in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. Produced in cooperation with photographer Cat Roif and designer Jeff Cain, "The Queen’s English" was on view at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena’s Mezzanine Gallery between July 13 and August 31, 2014. This thesis traces the inquiry into individual and collective Black embodiment that this work undertakes, understood as the layout of a methodology which repeats itself throughout Martine Syms’ work. Methodologically, it follows Syms’ introduction of the work as an intergenerational “dialogue about language and representation,”  interweaving the two strings of visual analysis and theories of language to understand "The Queen’s English" as a body of work in the literal sense. The thesis examines this body in its double existence as a body of (epistemological, statistical, digital, biometrical) data and as a material body. It argues that thereby, Black Vernacular as used by the figure of the Bibliographer allows Syms to envision and enact reproduction as a form of reciprocal production, rather than as a replication of the same.


identifier: Sheibany, Nooshin  (2017) Hydroxylamine-Containing Ligands: Synthesis and Reactions with Copper Ions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Organic hydroxylamine (C-NHOH) and nitroso (C-NO) species are reactive compounds that find application in organic synthesis, for example in C–N or C–O bond formation. These groups are redox active, interconverting via reduction or oxidation amidst the series of organic nitrogen substituents: NH2, NHOH, NO, and NO2. In order to expand the synthetic potential of hydroxylamine and nitroso species, an understanding their reactivity in the presence of a metal-based catalyst is required. In this thesis, we are studying how copper ions influence the reactivity of a NHOH group tethered to a coordinating ligand. This tethering strategy allows for controlled reaction and a precise characterization of the reaction products.
Chapter 1 introduces the redox chemistry of nitrogen groups, current organic applications of nitroso compounds, as well as current methods to convert a nitro group into a hydroxylamine moiety.
Chapter 2 covers design and synthesis of different ligands with a pendant NO2 group to provide a NHOH moiety by partial hydrogenation. The optimization of reduction reactions using zinc and ammonium formate helped us to obtain several NHOH-containing ligands in high yields.
Chapter 3 studies the interaction of the ligands with copper(II) ions. Spectroscopic titrations provided insight into the stoichiometry of complexation. In particular, reaction of a NHOH-containing ligand with copper(II) acetate yielded a neutral complex with a C-NO moiety that is N-bonded to Cu. The complex was analyzed by crystallography, NMR, magnetic measurements, electrochemistry and DFT calculations. The electronic structure is consistent with a strongly antiferromagnetically coupled Cu(II)-(nitrosyl anion) formulation. Therefore, copper(II) has transformed a NHOH group into a 1e– reduced NO moiety, C-(NO–), adding to redox versatility of the organic NO linkage.


identifier: Panagiotakakos, Georgios  (2017) A Novel Formulation for Steady and Decaying Turbulent Line Vortices.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Based on the n-family of laminar vortex formulation, a new generalized model applicable to the turbulent kind is presented. The self-similarity of the phenomenon allows, through the application of Vatistas and Aboelkassem (2006) simple variable transformation, to simulate its decay phase.
For the steady-state case, given the Vatistas et al. (1991) exponent n, the value of the turbulent intensity parameter  , intrinsic in the azimuthal velocity formula, is found by fitting the analytical tangential velocity to various experimental profiles with different effective Reynolds numbers using the Least Square Error (LSE) method. Alike to the laminar n-family, n = 2 gives the smallest error and thus the best approximation. Also taking  to be constant or varying with the radius produces insignificant differences in the velocity profile. Thus, in order to close the system, the tangential velocity with n = 2 and a constant  that minimizes the error is inducted into the analysis. When  is plotted against the effective Reynolds number, a coherent relationship amongst the two emerges. An empirical equation, which connects the two properties, is then constructed. This gives the ability to researchers to approximate the velocity (tangential, axial and radial components) using only three parameters: the effective Reynolds number, the core radius, and the maximum tangential velocity.
Application of the abovementioned variable transformation to the steady turbulent vortex yields its corresponding decaying version. The validity of the model is tested for several laminar and turbulent cases. The tangential velocity decay of fixed wing aircraft wake, and rotating helicopter blade tip turbulent vortices, approximated using the new model provides more realistic results than the traditional circulation approach. The profiles of the last property, that is routinely used in aviation to define the hazard threshold in order to provide a safe aircraft separation distance in large airports, is found to be lacking in representing the real cases of diminishing vortices. The previous lies on the fact that the assumed flattening of the circulation curve at large radii, applicable to laminar cases it is not true when the vortex is turbulent. Consequently, the prescribed value of the radius (e.g. 7 times the core radius) to represent the circulation at “infinity” proposed by Squire (1965) and Iversen (1976), implemented also in numerous other models like Burnham and Hallock (1982) and Proctor (2000), must be reconsidered. Future work should focus on the definition of the hazard threshold based on the tangential velocity instead of its circulation signature.


identifier: Mailet, Madeleine  (2016) Bad Jokes for Women Who Want To Be Good.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Bad Jokes for Women Who Want To Be Good

abstract:
This collection of twelve stories was written between 2012-2016. The stories explore the theme of women’s identity and anxiety in the face of it. In order to make the anxiety attending these typically female experiences come alive for the reader as subjectively as possible these stories were all re-written in the first person.

With this collection I seek to trouble the conventional distance between the author, reader and narrator of realistic fiction. The title character of the title story shares the author’s name. Championed by queer and feminist modernist writers Jean Genet and Marguerite Duras in France and postmodernists Kathy Acker and Chris Kraus in America, autofiction has long been a means of populating narrative with subjectivities and experiences normally excluded from it. This shift into autofiction in the final story of the collection is an effort to cement referentiality (meaning and subject) as the aim of the text, supplanting the formalist concerns that define literary merit. Thus, encouraging the reader to see this short story collection as a work of outsider art. The stories preceding the title story are immersive and plot driven in order to provide the reader characters in whom they can provisionally believe, so that they can experience the moral and imaginative pleasure of experiencing the inner worlds of fictional others. This traditional reading experience is disrupted in the collection’s title story in order to dramatize subversive reflection and affirm its power, once the meaning and value of the world these marginal female characters inhabit have been assumed by the reader on the character’s behalf.


identifier: Hatch, Benjamin  (2017) Sleep Spindles Predict Response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) is a common and effective method for treating chronic insomnia, although patient responses to it are not uniform and research on predicting treatment response has mostly focused on psychological factors. Here, it is investigated whether brain oscillations during sleep at baseline, particularly sleep spindles, are predictive of treatment response. Twenty-four participants with chronic primary insomnia took part in a 6-week CBT-I performed in groups of 4 to 6 participants. Treatment response to CBT-I was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) measured at pre- and post-treatment. Secondary outcome measures included sleep diary (over seven days) and polysomnography (PSG) sleep efficiency (%) measured at pre- and post-treatment. Spindle density (as well as secondary measures of duration, amplitude, power, frequency, and spectral power in the sigma band) during stages N2-N3 sleep were extracted from the PSG recording at pre-treatment. Multiple regression assessed whether sleep spindle activity predicted treatment response to CBT-I. After controlling for baseline measures, age, sex, education level, treatment compliance, time in N2, and the location of the sleep recording, lower spindle density and sigma power at pre-treatment predicted poorer CBT-I response at post-treatment, as reflected by lower  PSQI scores.


identifier: Tang, Weijie  (2017) Envelope-Assisted RF Digital Predistortion for Broadband Radio-over-Fiber Systems with RF Power Amplifiers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Wireless communications play an extremely important role in our daily life. The ubiquitous cellphones and smartphones can provide not only voice service but also data service when they are connected to cellular network. With the enormous amount of mobile applications available to smartphones, people can listen to music, watch movies, check emails, update and share information on social media anytime and anywhere on their smartphones. All of these activities are possible because of the fast development of the wireless communication technology. Nowadays many people are enjoying the entertainments brought by 4G technology. In the meantime, companies and engineers in telecommunication industry have already been developing the 5G technology.
To support the high data transmission rate of 4G or 5G technology, a complex and robust infrastructure is essential. Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) technology is a good solution to build such an infrastructure. RoF transmission can provide extremely high capacity with very low attenuation. Besides, RoF transmission system is much cheaper compared to the traditional way of transmission such as microwave coaxial cable or digital optical fiber transmission. However, like other analog systems, RoF system suffers from signal distortion induced by nonlinearities.
RF power amplifier is needed to transmit the signal from a base station to the handsets because the attenuation of RF signal in the air is very high. Although many new types of RF power amplifiers have been designed to improve the power efficiency and the linearity, nonlinearity is still a big problem.
To reduce the distortion of an RoF system, as well as that induced by an RF power amplifier, a new digital predistortion (DPD) technique, envelope-assisted RF digital predistortion, is presented in this thesis. This DPD model is evolved from the memory polynomial, and composed of an RF memory polynomial and a baseband memory polynomial. Therefore, this model takes both the RF signal and the baseband envelope as inputs to realize the digital predistortion. The RF polynomial is aimed to suppress the in-band nonlinearity, out-of-band nonlinearity and short-term memory effect, while the baseband polynomial is aimed to weaken the in-band nonlinearity and long-term memory effect. The indirect learning architecture is adopted and the least squares method is used to calculate the coefficients of the model.
The validity of the proposed DPD has been proved by simulation and experiment. In the simulation system, an RoF model is built which can induce both short-term and long-term memory effects, as well as the in-band and out-of-band nonlinearities. The optimal RF and baseband memory depths of the proposed DPD adopted in the simulation system have been found in terms of error vector magnitude (EVM) improvement and complexity. After the establishment of the memory depths, three simulation cases have been run to evaluate the performance of the proposed DPD. The first case is a normal two-band test, where two 20 MHz LTE signals are located at 800 MHz and 900 MHz. Simulation results show that EVM is improved by 14.6 dB, adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) is suppressed by 13.5 dB, and third order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) is weakened by 19.5 dB. In the second case, two LTE signals are closely located at 800 MHz and 840 MHz. Simulation results show that EVM is improved by 16.3 dB, ACPR is suppressed by 15.5 dB, and IMD3 is weakened by 27.5 dB. In the third case, three LTE signals are located at 800 MHz, 850 MHz and 900 MHz. EVM is improved by 15.7 dB, ACPR is suppressed by 15.2 dB and IMD3 is weakened by 14.1 dB. The performance of the proposed DPD has also been compared to that of a baseband 2D DPD. Comparison results show that 2D DPD is only better at improving the EVM and ACPR in the first case, and the proposed DPD is superior to the 2D DPD on all the other aspects. Especially, the proposed DPD is not limited by the number of signal bands, while the 2D DPD is limited to two-band scenarios.
Experimentation has been conducted to further prove the effectiveness of the proposed DPD in a real RoF system. A similar test flow is adopted as in the simulation work. Firstly the optimal RF and baseband memory depths have been found. Then three test cases have been done. In the first case, EVM is improved by 6.9 dB, ACPR is suppressed by 14.8 dB, and IMD3 is weakened by 12.2 dB. In the second case, EVM is improved by 4.8 dB, ACPR is suppressed by 8.6 dB, and IMD3 is weakened by 9.5 dB. In the third case, EVM is improved by 8.9 dB, ACPR is suppressed by 16 dB, and IMD3 is weakened by 13.6 dB. Comparison with the 2D DPD shows the same result as in the simulation that the 2D DPD is only better at improving the EVM and ACPR in the first case. Influence of input power on EVM improvement has been studied. Experiment results show that the EVM improvement can be optimized at specific input power level. Sampling bandwidth has been reduced by down-converting the RF signal and sampling it at an intermediate frequency. Therefore, the implementation cost of the proposed DPD could be greatly reduced. In the two-band test, experiment results show that the performance of the proposed DPD with down conversion is even better than that of without down conversion. Influence of sampling bandwidth on EVM improvement has also been studied and the experiment results show that after down conversion, higher sampling bandwidth does not lead to significant EVM improvement.


identifier: Aljuneidi, Tariq  (2017) Design Methodologies Towards a Sustainable Manufacturing Enterprise.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a crucial concern in many aspects of life. Even though, there is a relatively growing interest from both academic researchers and practitioners in various design aspects of sustainability, one can see that design issues of sustainable manufacturing systems have not received adequate attention. Through an extensive literature review on design for sustainability and sustainability issues, it is observed that, attaining sustainability in manufacturing needs a huge amount of effort and needs to take into consideration many aspects from different perspectives. These include considering the sustainability in both the closed loop supply chain (CLSC) and the manufacturing system levels simultaneously, considering Cellular Manufacturing Systems (CMSs), considering reconfigurability for the production systems, considering Hybrid Manufacturing-Remanufacturing Systems as well as considering the recovery options such as recycling and remanufacturing. This research presents a simultaneous investigation of Reconfigurable Cellular Manufacturing Systems and Hybrid Manufacturing-Remanufacturing Systems (HMRSs), and proposes an integrated approach in design optimization, analysis, and process planning aspects as an attempt to address to a large number of design issues for Sustainable Manufacturing Systems, while the options of remanufacturing, recycling, and disposing are introduced. Four mathematical model have been developed.
Third part cellular remanufacturing systems design are considered within the first model, which is initially formulated as a mixed integer non-linear program that incorporates multi-period production planning, dynamic system reconfiguration, and workforce management with deterministic production requirements. It consists the costs of machines maintenance and overhead, relocation costs for machines installation and removal, part holding cost, workers’ costs of salary, hiring, and firing, part intercellular movement cost, machine procurement cost, internal production cost, machine operating cost, the cost of acquiring the returned products, setup cost for disassembly operations, disassembly cost, the inventory cost of the returned products, parts disposal cost. Linearization procedures are proposed to convert it into a linearized mixed integer programming formulation. This linearized mixed integer program is solved using an exact solution (ES) procedure through the simplex-based branch and cut procedure of CPLEX software.
The second model considered the design of cellular hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system, where manufacturing new products using an outsourced parts and remanufacturing using returned products are performed in the same facility by using shared resources.  The overall objective of the model is to minimize the total cost of the three main categories of costs; 1) Machine cost: maintenance and overhead costs, relocation costs of installation and removal of machines, machine procurement costs, and machine operating costs, 2) Costs associated with manufacturing and remanufacturing: production costs for both new and remanufactured components, holding cost for new components, holding cost for remanufactured components, setup cost for new components, setup cost for remanufactured components, 3) Costs associated with returned products for remanufacturing: cost of acquiring the returned products, setup cost for disassembly operations, disassembly cost, and inventory cost of the returned products. Computational results and sensitivity analysis for an important design features are also reported.
The third model addresses the same attributes as the second one but an important extension is the introduction of recycling (for the end-of-life parts) and disposing of the parts with no further use. In addition, the new parts production in the third model are totally depends on the recycled parts coming from the recycling center, wherein the second model it depends on the raw material purchasing from outsourcing.
As the third model is the most comprehensive one, which considers a closed loop supply chain starts from a cellular hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system and ends with the customer zone, through the introducing of different centers like, collection, disassembly, and recycling centers, and in order to have one more step toward the design of sustainable closed loop supply chain, the fourth model are formulated. The fourth model is designed to minimize the carbon foot prints and the total cost which contains the opening costs for different centers and the transportation costs between these centers
Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable manufacturing system, cellular manufacturing systems design, Reconfigurable manufacturing system, mixed integer programming, Hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system, Closed loop supply chain, Reverse logistics, Carbon footprints, Facility location.


identifier: Wong Kee Yan, Nathalie  (2017) Chemotherapy Outpatient Scheduling at the Segal Cancer Center Using Mixed Integer Programming Models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Appointment scheduling in an outpatient oncology clinic is a daunting task due to the stochastic and dynamic nature of the appointment requests. Each patient has a different trajectory and varying requirements of appointment length time that differ from one another. It is not possible to predict the amount of time required nor the amount of patients that will be treated in a day. Due to the oncologist's prescribed regimen, there is almost no flexibility to choose an appointment date because of the strict resting period required between treatments to achieve the best curative outcome.

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the benefit of using integer programming to model and to solve some of the challenges faced by the Segal Cancer Center of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, when designing appointment schedules. We study two scheduling problems.

The chemotherapy outpatient scheduling problem determines the allocation of patient appointment to days and the determination of appointment start time on those days for a planning horizon of four weeks. The objectives are to maximize the adherence to protocol, maximize the proper assignment of primary nurses to patients and minimize the completion date of treatments. With this model, the clinic can schedule appointment requests as they arise.

When taking an integrated approach to solve the oncology clinic multi-stage scheduling problem, it is possible to coordinate the clinic's departments and determine the start time of each activity required by patients no matter their trajectory through the system. Due to the minimization of patient wait time and the completion time of their visit, there will be a better coordination within the clinic, reduction of staff idle time and a balance of resource utilization. Most importantly, it will ensure the completion of tasks within a single day, eliminating the current two-days scheduling policy of the Segal Cancer Center.

The findings of this thesis will facilitate decision making in healthcare scheduling, improve the service level of oncology clinics and serve as a workforce management tool.


identifier: Atighehchian, Parmida  (2017) Coin Wear Estimation and Automatic Coin Grading.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In numismatic studies, coin grading is referred to as the set of detailed experiments on a coin in order to estimate its quality, which is the most important factor to estimate the coin's value. Usually, the task is done by three expert numismatists to minimize personal biases. Each numismatist tests the coin's wear, coloration, and toning under different lighting conditions. Coin grading is a sensitive task to be done by humans. There are different parameters that can define the coin's value, however, dependent on the numismatist expert conducting the test, some parameters are neglected and some are given a heavier weight, which makes the procedure very subjective. A computer-aided algorithm for coin grading is considered an asset to help conduct more objective coin grading experiments.

We propose a coin wear estimation algorithm, which is fully based on features extracted from the digital images of coins. Apart from coin grading, the proposed algorithm is useful to find and dismiss the heavily worn out currency from the market. As online trading is getting more and more popular among coin collectors, it has become easier for individuals to sell a low-quality coin instead of a high-quality one or foist fake copies instead of real coins. This study is concentrated on the feasibility of having a computer-aided program to conduct coin grading. The required specifications for the dataset are fully investigated and the final dataset is collected after lots of experiments. In our proposed method, SIFT key points are used to distinguish the amount of wear on the coins. These key points are known for their high accuracy in shape detection problems. Our approach in using these descriptors to estimate the amount of wear on the coins attains a high accuracy of 93%.


identifier: Chuard, Pierre  (2017) Competition in Trinidadian guppies, Poecilia reticulata: Effects of competitor-to-resource ratio, sex, resource type, and tempo of predation risk.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The monopolization of key resources via intraspecific competition is essential for survival and achieving reproductive success. The best predictor of the patterns of competition for mates is likely the operational sex ratio (OSR), defined as the number of competitors of one sex to the number of ready-to-mate members of the opposite sex, which predicts an increase in intrasexual competition as the availability of mates decreases. OSR theory has been generalized to other resources (e.g. food) under the term competitor-to-resource ratio (CRR), defined as the ratio of individual competitors to the number of resource units available, which predicts the same relationship between competition and resource availability for any type of resource. However, selection pressures are likely to act differently on each sex. Due to their higher reproductive rates, males are usually the most competitive sex in terms of reproduction, whereas females tend to be more aggressive than males for food. In addition, the cost of predation forces prey individuals to trade-off fitness-related activities for antipredator behaviour. As imminent predation risk increases, individuals should invest more energy into avoiding predation at the cost of foraging and mating opportunities. This trade-off is shaped by ambient predation risk as suggested by the risk-allocation model. When imminent predation risk is low, individuals experienced with high ambient predation risk should perform more fitness-related activities to compensate for lost opportunities during period of higher imminent predation risk. Conversely, low ambient predation-risk individuals should respond to imminent risks with an ‘all-or-nothing’ response at the cost of short-term benefits.
These various factors influencing intraspecific competition have been studied, but in isolation from one another in most cases. The aim of this thesis was to explore the potential interactions of these factors in a single species using Trinidadian guppies. To test the above predictions, we observed wild-caught individuals from two populations (i.e. high versus low ambient predation pressures) under different CRRs and imminent risk (i.e. conspecific alarm cue) levels. Surprisingly, there was no difference in aggression rates between sexes overall, independent of the type of resource. The availability of mates had the largest effect on aggression rates with an increase in intrasexual competition as the number of mates decreased. Food was more defendable than mates in our experiment, likely because prospective mates are mobile and can be choosy about their sexual partners. Finally, due to the cost of predation, individuals exposed to high ambient predation risk tended to be less aggressive and more cooperative. This work highlights the complexity of competitive interactions in natural prey populations, and the various selective pressures affecting wild populations.


identifier: Hossein, Tariq  (2017) Polar bear wildlife viewing in Eeyou Istchee: An assessment of different perspectives and considerations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Wildlife tourism has been proposed as an alternative economic development opportunity for Indigenous communities in the Canadian north. Potential benefits include the employment of community members in land-based activities that enhance cultural identity, contribute to social well-being, support inter-generational knowledge transmission, and promote cross-cultural exchange. The extent to which wildlife tourism delivers on its promise is not well documented and tends to privilege the perspective of external experts over those of community members. Furthermore, a fuller appreciation of community expectations, concerns, and (mis)understandings is often lacking at the outset of a project with implications for its long-term success and acceptance. This thesis examines a polar bear viewing project proposed for the James Bay Cree community of Wemindji. It responds to an invitation from the Wemindji leadership to contribute information on the proposal by addressing two different aspects of the project. Firstly, it avails of geospatial technology to provide a preliminary population survey of the polar bears that can inform an assessment of the economic viability and likely wildlife impact of the project. Secondly, it uses semi-structured interviews with community members to document local perspectives on the project, including local assessments of potential benefits but also local concerns. The results of the population survey show that while geospatial technologies can provide a useful snapshot of polar bear population numbers and location, there are limitations to the accuracy and viability of these methods. The results of the community consultation affirm the value of local insights and the need to take full account of local perspectives before proceeding with a final decision on whether this project should proceed.


identifier: Chakrapani Rangarajan, Pradheba  (2017) Design and Deployment of AMF Configurations in the Cloud.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the ever growing popularity of cloud computing, the trend of deploying applications in the cloud is increasing more than ever. Cloud offers computing resources that can be provisioned as required and scaled according to the workload demand. This feature attracts service providers to deploy their applications in the cloud. As users continue to rely more on the services provided by these applications, it is essential to keep the applications running with minimal service outage. Service Availability Forum (SA Forum) has defined a framework called Availability Management Framework (AMF) which can be used to manage service availability. AMF is agnostic to the services provided by the applications. However, it manages the service availability of applications by orchestrating the redundant entities through a configuration called AMF configuration. The design of AMF configurations for a physical cluster based on the functional and non-functional requirements, such as minimum level of service availability, has been proposed in the literature. In these solutions, the number of physical hosts required to deploy an application is given as input and the resource utilization is not taken into consideration. However, for deploying applications in the cloud the number of physical hosts is not fixed and should vary depending on the workload. Therefore, the issue of minimizing the number of physical hosts while meeting the requested level of service availability arises. In particular, the service availability depends not only on the entities involved in providing the service but also on the interferences caused by the collocation of entities. To minimize these interferences, the collocated entities can be grouped into fault isolation units such as VMs. This in turn may increase the number of resources required.
In this thesis, an approach to generate AMF configuration for the cloud is proposed. In this approach, a novel method is used to calculate the number of AMF entities that meets the availability and resource utilization requirements.  In addition, a method to estimate service availability is proposed. It aims to predict the availability of service by considering the potential factors that affect availability, including the interferences due to collocation. Furthermore, an approach to deploy AMF applications in the cloud is proposed. As a proof of concept, a prototype that demonstrates the generation and deployment of AMF configurations in an OpenStack cloud has been developed. This prototype includes the existing Monitoring and Elasticity Engine, previously developed in the MAGIC project.


identifier: Sorrentino, Olivier  (2017) Remix Dialectics and the Material Conditions of Immaterial Art.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Remix Dialectics and the Material Conditions of Immaterial Art proposes the art of remixing as both a dialectical approach and creative tool for understanding immaterial art, and by extension, the immaterial economy. Artworks defined as ‘immaterial’ are not limited to digital domains, but instead describe objects that reduce their concrete presence to incorporate more communicative means of artistic expression. A work’s inherent concepts and narrative anecdotes, the status of its author, its provenance from known collections as much as its process of fabrication and links to a particular history or geographic location, all contribute to its value as immaterial art. Having said that, such objects are not altogether ethereal and often generate artefacts that are reviewed as material culture, promote socio-political structures that one may analyse under historical materialism, and reflect the financial interests of immaterial economies which thrive on monetizing service, knowledge, and cultural industries. As a remix artist, I transform and combine such immaterial features, and utilize these processes as the subject matter of my artistic production.

To organize my discussions around the theoretical concepts, studio creations, and case studies to come, I devised a framework first inspired by the dialectical methods attributed to Hegel, to position ‘subjects’ and ‘objects’ as opposite categories of beings, then ‘index’ humanity’s experience of reality in the gaps between such opposites. From this layout, my chapters focus on issues of authorship, objecthood, and indexicality to explore the praxis of remixing in current contexts of globally networked societies. I then problematize the resistance of certain mass- oriented cultural industries to fully convert to network-oriented processes, which results in generating a crisis of representation. My studio works address this crisis via creative strategies of negation, withdrawal, and destruction. With No More Heroes, I remix Hollywood films by deleting every frame in which the main character is seen or heard. Video Pistoletto is inspired by the gestures of Michelangelo Pistoletto, where I damage LCD video monitors. In Fontana Mashup, I simulate the slashing of priceless paintings to contrast the inflated value of the original masterpieces against their deflated value when copied.


identifier: Hassanpour, Amir  (2017) Controlled Hydrothermal Growth of ZnO Nanorod Arrays: Selective Growth and Cation Doping.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a well-studied wide band gap (~3.37 eV) n-type semiconductor material with significant properties such as large exciton binding energy (60 meV). Recently, 1-dimensional ZnO nanostructures have attracted a lot of attention owing to their dimensionality-dependent chemical, physical, electrical, and magnetic properties. In this project, we have grown patterned low-aspect-ratio, well-separated single ZnO nanorods using a hydrothermal method on two different substrates with dissimilar crystal orientations. ZnO nuclei have been used as a seed layer to compensate the crystal mismatch between the substrates and nanorods. Based on XRD results, in order to have highly oriented nanorods, the seed layer must be annealed over 300 ̊ C. Micro-Raman spectra show that our patterned nanorods have a wurtzite crystal structure, with most nanorods presenting vertical orientation relative to the substrate. Room-temperature micro-photoluminescence spectra from the nanorods show sharp band edge emission at 385 nm and a common broadband defect emission in the visible range. This method is a significant step towards an economical controlled synthesis of 1-dimensional ZnO for application in mass-production advanced devices. In the second part, undoped and C-doped (C: Mg, Ni, Mn, Co, Cu, Cr, Na) ZnO nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method at temperatures as low as 60  ̊C. The effect of doping on morphology of the ZnO nanorods was visualized by taking their cross section and top SEM images. The crystallinity change of the ZnO nanorods due to each cationic dopant was thoroughly investigated according to their XRD patterns. The optical Raman active modes of undoped and cation-doped nanorods were measured with a micro-Raman set up at room temperature. The surface chemistry of undoped and doped ZnO nanorods were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the band gap shift and defect emission of undoped and doped nanorods were measured by a photoluminescence set up at room temperature. Our results can be used as a comprehensive reference regarding the engineering of the morphological, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanorods by using a low temperature doping synthesis as an economical mass production approach.


identifier: Ortiz Astorquiza, Camilo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-7786 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5540-7786>  (2017) Multi-level facility location problems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Multi-level facility location problems

abstract: We study of a class of discrete facility location problems, called multi-level facility location problems, that has received major attention in the last decade. These problems arise in several applications such as in production-distribution systems, telecommunication networks, freight transportation, and health care, among others. Moreover, they generalize well-known facility location problems which have been shown to lie at the heart of operations research due to their applicability and mathematical structure. We first present a comprehensive review of multi-level facility location problems where we formally define and categorize them based on the types of decisions involved. We also point out some gaps in the literature and present overviews of related applications, models and algorithms. We then concentrate our efforts on the development of solution methods for a general multi-level uncapacitated facility location problem. In particular, based on an alternative combinatorial representation of the problem whose objective function satisfies the submodularity property, we propose a mixed integer linear programming formulation. Using that same representation, we present approximation algorithms with constant performance guarantees for the problem and analyze some special cases where these worst-case bounds are sharper. Finally, we develop an exact algorithm based on Benders decomposition for a slightly more general problem where the activation of links between level of facilities is also considered part of the decision process. Extensive computational experiments are presented to assess the performance of the various models and algorithms studied. We show that the multi-level extension of some fundamental problems in operations research maintain certain structure that allows us to develop more efficient algorithms in practice.


identifier: Naiel, Mohamed  (2017) Techniques for Detection and Tracking of Multiple Objects.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
During the past decade, object detection and object tracking in videos have received a great deal of attention from the research community in view of their many applications, such as human activity recognition, human computer interaction, crowd scene analysis, video surveillance, sports video analysis, autonomous vehicle navigation, driver assistance systems, and traffic management. Object detection and object tracking face a number of challenges such as variation in scale, appearance, view of the objects, as well as occlusion, and changes in illumination and environmental conditions. Object tracking has some other challenges such as similar appearance among multiple targets and long-term occlusion, which may cause failure in tracking. Detection-based tracking techniques use an object detector for guiding the tracking process. However, existing object detectors usually suffer from detection errors, which may mislead the trackers, if used for tracking. Thus, improving the performance of the existing detection schemes will consequently enhance the performance of detection-based trackers. The objective of this research is two fold: (a) to investigate the use of 2D discrete Fourier and cosine transforms for vehicle detection, and (b) to develop a detection-based online multi-object tracking technique.

The first part of the thesis deals with the use of 2D discrete Fourier and cosine transforms for vehicle detection. For this purpose, we introduce the transform-domain two-dimensional histogram of oriented gradients (TD2DHOG) features, as a truncated version of 2DHOG in the 2DDFT or 2DDCT domain. It is shown that these TD2DHOG features obtained from an image at the original resolution and a downsampled version from the same image are approximately the same within a multiplicative factor. This property is then utilized in developing a scheme for the detection of vehicles of various resolutions using a single classifier rather than multiple resolution-specific classifiers. Extensive experiments are conducted, which show that the use of the single classifier in the proposed detection scheme reduces drastically the training and storage cost over the use of a classifier pyramid, yet providing a detection accuracy similar to that obtained using TD2DHOG features with a classifier pyramid. Furthermore, the proposed method provides a detection accuracy that is similar or even better than that provided by the state-of-the-art techniques.

In the second part of the thesis, a robust collaborative model, which enhances the interaction between a pre-trained object detector and a number of particle filter-based single-object online trackers, is proposed. The proposed scheme is based on associating a detection with a tracker for each frame. For each tracker, a motion model that incorporates the associated detections with the object dynamics, and a likelihood function that provides different weights for the propagated particles and the newly created ones from the associated detections are introduced, with a view to reduce the effect of detection errors on the tracking process. Finally, a new image sample selection scheme is introduced in order to update the appearance model of a given tracker. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in enhancing the multi-object tracking performance.


identifier: Geng, Li Kai  (2017) A GIS-Based Water Quality Assessment and Pollution Control Planning Approach for Lake Management (WQAPCP).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Many lakes are receiving large volumes of contaminants from agricultural discharges, industrial emissions and municipal wastewater, which causes significant surface water pollution. The adverse environmental and health effects of lake contamination are a primary concern in environmental management. Water quality assessment methods and pollution control planning models are useful tools for researchers and decision-makers to protect ecological environments and develop local economies. Also spatial information technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) make it possible to manage water bodies with more detailed location-based information.
The goal of this thesis is to develop a GIS-based water quality assessment and pollution control planning approach for lake management (WQAPCP), which includes the following components: (1) evaluation of water quality based on four index methods with inter-comparisons; (2) pollution control planning for a lake system based on an integration of pollutant distribution simulation and optimization models along with water quality index measures; (3) GIS technology to help implementing water quality assessment and lake contamination control optimization by creating displayed maps of the study results to provide spatial support for decisions.
Several water quality evaluation methods are first presented in this thesis within the GIS framework to examine water quality index models, including the US Oregon water quality index (OWQI), the Canadian water quality index (CWQI), the Chinese single-factor water quality index (CNWQI-S) and the Chinese comprehensive water quality index (CNWQI-C) methods. These index methods are applied to assess the water quality of a real case. The assessment results are presented in the form of GIS maps containing the spatial distribution of the water quality levels and their ranking. Through an example of sensitivity analysis and comparison of four sets of water quality assessment results, the parameters with the most significant influence on lake water quality are identified and the most suitable method of water quality evaluation is put forward to support future lake management.
Subsequently, this thesis develops a simulation-optimization approach by integrating lake water quality simulation and lake pollution control optimization. A contaminant dispersion simulation is first conducted to provide input for the optimization study. Particularly, a single-objective programming (SOP) model and a multi-objective programming (MOP) model are developed, applied, and compared to support effective lake water contamination control planning under different lake management scenarios. Three periods and a set of significant levels are considered in the real case study to provide a comprehensive dynamic modeling and optimization analysis of lake pollution control through the simulation-optimization approach. Based on the developed optimization method and the case study results, the OWQI and CNWQI-C methods are utilized to help formulating the effective measures for lake water quality management.
GIS technology is employed in this study to link the water quality assessment approaches and the lake pollution control optimization. By integrating the relevant data and creating visualized maps of the study results, GIS plays an important role in extending the modeling and assessment results for the lake water quality management with spatial geo-references.


identifier: Perez-Cruz, Angel  (2017) Development of paper-based hygro-mechanical systems for liquid characterization.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Over the past few years, paper-based microfluidics systems have been extensively applied to perform different analytical tasks including detection and quantification of the specific analyte. Few works have reported the use of paper as a structural element to develop both sensors and actuators. These devices are extremely useful as they are inexpensive, easy to fabricate, disposable and portable. However, other features of paper that can be applied to develop new sensing principles have not been explored. Paper is a hygroscopic material that enables the generation of motion by hygromorphism.
In this work, paper-based hygro-mechanical systems (PB-HMS) for liquid characterization are developed. The configuration of the developed PB-HMS is formed by the interaction of a paper-based cantilever beam and a liquid droplet. The paper-based cantilever beam acts as a hygroscopic sensitive element, while the liquid droplet triggers the bending response of the PB-HMS. These systems do not require any external source of energy to stimulate the sensing element (i.e. electric or magnetic field) as their interaction with the liquid droplet activates the motion.
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In addition, different gaps in the knowledge found in the literature were addressed to develop the PB-HMS. They are described as follows. First, an imbibition model based on Richards’ equation is developed in this thesis to predict liquid imbibition in complex paper-based networks. Second, a dimensionless stress-imbibition model including three main nonlinearities (imbibition, swelling and softening) is developed in this work. Third, the influences of such nonlinearities on the characteristic hygro-mechanical bending response of paper-based beams are studied. Fourth, the design of the PB-HMS is performed in order to extract information from the systems using their dynamic response. Finally, a method to quantify the dynamic performance of the PB-HMS in order to characterize liquid is developed.


identifier: Shokouhfar, Shahram ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7519-5514 <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7519-5514>  (2017) A Virtual Test Platform for Analyses of Rolling Tyres on Rigid and Deformable Terrains.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

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abstract:
Dynamic performance characteristics of wheeled vehicles highly rely on the forces/moments arising from interactions between the pneumatic tyres and the terrains. Reliable models are thus needed to estimate these forces/moments to be used in vehicle simulations for design and developments. The empirical and semi-empirical tyre models developed for vehicle dynamics simulations invariably require extensive experimental data, and may not be applicable under many practical conditions. The structural tyre models, on the other hand, are not suited for vehicle dynamics simulations due to excessive computational demands. Moreover, the tyre modeling on deformable terrains has been addressed in relatively fewer studies due to challenges associated with complex behaviors of soils under moving vehicular loads. Although the Finite Element (FE) tyre models provide accurate estimations of forces/moments on rigid surfaces, the mesh-based nature of FE models of the soils yield poor performance in modeling the soil flow beneath a rolling tyre. Alternatively, mesh-less methods such as the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) have been proposed to account for large deformations and fragmentations of the soil.

This dissertation research aims at development of a virtual testing environment for analyses of rolling tyre interactions on rigid and soft terrains using the FE and SPH analysis methods. The virtual platform is used for parametrization and evaluation of the terramechanics-based models as an alternative to actual experiments. A 3-D finite element model of a rolling truck tyre is developed using LS-DYNA to predict its dynamic responses at speeds up to 100 km/h. The model takes into account the complex multi-layered structures of the tyre carcass and belts. A customized pre-processing algorithm is developed to facilitate model reformulations for efficient parametric analyses. The validity of the model is demonstrated by comparing the predicted responses with the experimental data.

The verified tyre model is subsequently employed to study the influences of various operating parameters on the tyre vertical and cornering properties. The modal properties of the rolling tyre are also analyzed under varying inflation pressure and vertical load, using the large-deformation finite element theory. The eigenvalues are extracted during an explicit dynamic simulation at instants when the tyre stresses reach steady state under a given loading condition. It is shown that some of the eigen-frequencies of a free tyre diverge into two distinct frequencies in the presence of ground contact of the rolling tyre.

A computationally efficient model of the truck tyre is further formulated using the Part-Composite approach in LS-DYNA, where the layers of the rubber matrix and reinforcements are simplified by a single layer of shell elements with layered configuration. The validity of the simplified model is demonstrated through comparisons with the comprehensive tyre model as well as with the experimental data. It is shown that the proposed simplification substantially reduces the total number of elements and thereby enhances the computational efficiency.

A computational soil model is developed using the FE and SPH methods in conjunction with a contact pressure-dependent material model based on the available test data. The soil model is initially validated in terms of volumetric deformation behavior using the experimental data. The relative merits and limitations of the FE and SPH analysis methods are illustrated to justify the use of the SPH soil model for parametrization of the terramechanics formulations characterizing the normal and shear behavior of soil. The effectiveness of parameters identification method is demonstrated via comparisons with reported data obtained from classical bevameter and triaxial force measurement devices. The soil model is subsequently integrated to the simplified pneumatic tyre and rigid wheel models for analyses of tyre forces developed while traversing different deformable terrains. The simulation results obtained for the rolling and steered tyre showed good agreements with the analytically estimated contact force/moment responses.


identifier: Baril, Andre-Marcel  (2017) Assessing a restoration project for lake sturgeon spawning habitat: use of habitat suitability and numerical models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The loss of spawning habitat has been identified as a limiting factor for population growth of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, a species that is endangered or threatened throughout its range. Hence, the restoration of spawning habitat has become a common practice, with at least 17 projects completed in the last 20 years. One project on the Ouareau River in Quebec entailed the installation of three artificial spawning reefs and two sills to address a landslide, headward erosion and dam activity. Our study adopted an adaptive management framework that incorporated 3D hydrodynamic modeling and a habitat suitability index to assess the performance of the sills and the success of the restoration project. We first compiled data from 48 sites across the range of the species to produce univariate habitat suitability indices to describe the spawning niche. Peak suitability occurred at depth-averaged velocities of 0.6 m·s-1, depths of 0.55 – 0.85 m in small rivers (<100 m3·s-1 annual average discharge) and 0.75 – 5.25 m in large rivers (>100 m3·s-1), over cobble substrates (64 – 256 mm) and water temperatures of 13.8 – 14.3 °C. To assess the quantity of suitable habitat, univariate habitat suitability results were compiled into a multivariate suitability index using a fuzzy weighted linear combination, and applied to the 3D hydrodynamic model of the Ouareau spawning area. Our model indicated an abundance of suitable habitat and that the artificial spawning sites were placed in poor locations (velocity at sites > spawning requirements). By simulating river conditions prior to sill construction using the 3D hydrodynamic model, we found that the sills only have a minimal effect on the site, including no significant effect on the water surface longitudinal profile or depth averaged current velocity. Using the adaptive management framework, we identified flaws in the restoration project, related to the pre-assessment process, restoration design and evaluation, and hypothesis development.  These results fill a knowledge gap by quantifying the reproductive niche of lake sturgeon, and identifying the need for multi-disciplinary insight in habitat restoration projects


identifier: Liu, Lixin  (2017) Investigation into Neurological Foundation of Synthesis and Evaluation Activities in Conceptual Design.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to use principal component analysis (PCA) to explore the relationship between neurological brain power and activities in conceptual design. This thesis provides an objective method to measure and understand designer’s activities with respect to brain signal patterns. Understanding designer’s activities may help us develop powerful tools to improve designer’s performance. This thesis is based on the cognitive experiments consisting of 6 design tasks conducted at the Concordia Design Lab (Nguyen & Zeng, 2016).
First, we observed the electroencephalogram (EEG) data of closed eyes rest states and design activities (synthesis and evaluation) using statistical methods. We found that the 7 bands of subjects’ EEG power are normally distributed. Then we averaged the 32 subjects’ relative EEG band power, we found that alpha band power negatively correlated to the other band powers.
Second, we applied PCA to the data. We found that there are three principal components (PCs) that account for most of the variance (97%) of the EEG band power. With respect to the results of 3 PCs, we found that the rest segments are significantly different from the design activity segments, synthesis segments have greater variance than evaluating solution segments, and they are not significantly related. From the results of 3PC, we may observe the EEG data as the baseline of design activities.
Third, by comparing the differences of the subjects on the PCs, we might infer or evaluate the subject’s design behavior. By optimizing the model, ultimately it may help us improve the performance of design.


identifier: Lamontagne, Valérie  (2017) Performative Wearables: Bodies, Fashion and Technology.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis argues that wearables are inextricably performative. By this I mean that performance—human and nonhuman performance such as those encountered both on and off stage, as well as social performance and the performance of fashion and technology—contribute to the creation and meaning of wearables. With this aim in view, the thesis explores performance from four research angles: a framing of the birth of wearables in a performative context; a theoretical analysis of wearables as somatically, aesthetically, and technologically constituted via the performative; a historical back-dating of pre-computational wearables stemming from Modernist performative fields; and the in-situ case studies of contemporary wearables creations. It is my goal to demonstrate that wearables are performative across transversal timelines, materials, styles, fabrication processes, and body expressions.

Using references from the art-research labs currently involved in developing fashion-tech and wearables—as an important counterbalance to industry’s contributions to wearables—I ask this central question: how can concepts of performance elucidate wearables? I look toward performance as a key thread that follows wearables’ beginnings to the current, contemporary technological culture embedded in media arts and experimental contributions to the field. Why? Because wearables are more than the sum of the technologies they incorporate, they are the result of their admixtures of fashion, bodies, display, and transformation (in both human and technological form). In short, wearables are active, (a)live, and hence both the objects themselves and the individuals wearing them participate in the co-creation of their performance. Performance is complex—striding as it does across disciplines from the technological and engineering; to the human and unscripted—and for this reason it is richly suited to the challenges encountered when describing wearables. Performance is the key pathway, in my opinion, through which we can gain stronger insight into the stakes, meanings, messiness, desires, and technological innovations that are being developed in wearables in artistic labs past, present and future.


identifier: Pesant-Johnson, Maude  (2017) From Fashion Show to Exhibition: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The exhibition format, as both space and medium, has developed as a site for pragmatic, interdisciplinary experiments of the performative. The North-American fashion exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2011 and 2015) proved to be a significant case study of this cultural phenomenon materializing through curatorial and exhibition-making practices. At the intersection of a legacy of theatrical aesthetic and new museological and technological possibilities taking shape in the 2010s, the multi-layered blockbuster emerges from the tensions raised by its investment in the materiality of performance, its deep entrenchment in consumer culture, and its memento mori scheme. As a substantial entry point to the study of a museology of the performative, Savage Beauty is analysed throughout this thesis for its relation to the experience, as both subject matter, displayed “object” and product of consumption. I discuss the translation of one medium into another taking shape through the retrospective: the way in which the institution transposes the fashion show into the format of an exhibition. At once a response to the history of fashion curating, this thesis intends to examine the issues conveyed by the politics of embodiment in the fashion exhibition system via a focus on the specificities of Savage Beauty, observed through the lenses of the experiential, performativity, and theatricality.


identifier: Kharma, Myriam  (2017) GRUEL: An EL Reasoner Using General Purpose Computing on a Graphical Processing Unit.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract

GRUEL: AN EL REASONER USING GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTING ON A GRAPHICAL PROCESSING UNIT

Myriam Kharma

The third installment of the worldwide web (Web 3.0) relies on an infrastructure of efficient reasoners, able to quickly infer new knowledge from existing data. We have created a reasoner using general purpose computing on a graphical processing unit (GPU) for the “Existential Language” description language, denoted with EL, that exploits the processing power of a GPU while attempting to solve a logic-based artificial intelligence problem.
To classify small ontologies, our system is nearly 70% faster than other reasoners we have compared it with. Currently far from perfect, GRUEL is planned to improve and expand, yet for the moment proves that better performance is achievable, and that general purpose computing on a GPU is a methodology worth exploring while developing the semantic web.