identifier: Rahman, S. M. Mahbubur  (2009) Probabilistic modeling of wavelet coefficients for processing of image and video signals.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Statistical estimation and detection techniques are widely used in signal processing including wavelet-based image and video processing. The probability density function (PDF) of the wavelet coefficients of image and video signals plays a key role in the development of techniques for such a processing. Due to the fixed number of parameters, the conventional PDFs for the estimators and detectors usually ignore higher-order moments. Consequently, estimators and detectors designed using such PDFs do not provide a satisfactory performance.  This thesis is concerned with first developing a probabilistic model that is capable of incorporating an appropriate number of parameters that depend on higher-order moments of the wavelet coefficients. This model is then used as the prior to propose certain estimation and detection techniques for denoising and watermarking of image and video signals.  Towards developing the probabilistic model, the Gauss-Hermite series expansion is chosen, since the wavelet coefficients have non-compact support and their empirical density function shows a resemblance to the standard Gaussian function. A modification is introduced in the series expansion so that only a finite number of terms can be used for modeling the wavelet coefficients with rendering the resulting PDF to become negative. The parameters of the resulting PDF, called the modified Gauss-Hermite (NIGH) PDF, are evaluated in terms of the higher-order sample-moments. It is shown that the MGH PDF fits the empirical density function better than the existing PDFs that use a limited number of parameters do.  The proposed MGH PDF is used as the prior of image and video signals in designing maximum a posteriori and minimum mean squared error-based estimators for denoising of image and video signals and log-likelihood ratio-based detector for watermarking of image signals. The performance of the estimation and detection techniques are then evaluated in terms of the commonly used metrics. It is shown through extensive experimentations that the estimation and detection techniques developed utilizing the proposed MGH PDF perform substantially better than those that utilize the conventional PDFs. These results confirm that the superior fit of the MGH PDF to the empirical density function resulting from the flexibility of the MGH PDF in choosing the number of parameters, which are functions of higher-order moments of data, leads to the better performance. Thus, the proposed MGH PDF should play a significant role in wavelet-based image and video signal processing


identifier: Gheryani, Mabruk  (2009) A new approach to the design of adaptive MIMO wireless communication systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Since the capabilities of MIMO systems were discovered, much research effort has been invested in this field. However, in most applications, the channel state information (CSI) is assumed to be known to the receiver only. To further improve the performance, the transmission rate will adapt to the levels of CSI fed back from the receiver.  The capacity and performance of linear dispersion code (LDC) are studied. An analytical expression of the ergodic capacity and a tight upper bound of the pairwise error probability of full-rate LDC are derived. The tight upper bound demonstrates the relationship between the pairwise error probability, the constellation size and the space-time (ST) symbol rate, which will be a guideline for the adaptation.  The probability density function of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR) of a MIMO transceiver using LDC and linear minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) receiver is then derived, over a Rayleigh fading channel. With these theoretical results as a guideline, we study the design of adaptive systems with discrete selection modes. An adaptive algorithm for the selection-mode adaptation is proposed. Based on the proposed algorithm, two adaptation techniques are presented, using constellation size and ST symbol rate, respectively. To improve the average transmission rate, a new adaptation design is developed, which is based on joint constellation size and ST symbol rate adaptation.  Next, we propose a novel scheme called "beam-nulling" for MIMO adaptation. In the beam-nulling scheme, the eigenvector of the weakest subchannel is fed back and then signals are sent over a generated subspace orthogonal to the weakest subchannel. Theoretical analysis and numerical results show that the capacity of beam-nulling is close to the optimal water-filling scheme at medium SNR. Additionally, the SINR of an MMSE receiver is derived for beam-nulling, followed by a presentation of the associated numerical average bit-error rate (BER) of beam-nulling.  Finally, to further improve the performance, beam-nulling is concatenated with LDC. Simulation results show that the concatenated beam-nulling schemes outperform the beamforming scheme at higher rate. Additionally, the existing beamforming and new proposed beam-nulling schemes can be extended if more than one eigenvector is available at the transmitter. Theoretical analysis and simulation results are also provided to evaluate the new extended schemes.


identifier: Hartman, Kasper  (2009) Feast.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Feast

abstract: Feast is a story about consumption in the new world - primarily from the perspective of a second-generation Canadian for whom the new world means the exciting, and sometimes debaucherous, world of early adulthood, but also from the perspective of his father for whom it means the new country.  This project is the culmination of three years of work. Feast began as a novel, turned into a series of short-stories, a long poem, a book of short-poems, a play, and finally into a combination of these things. The work is meant to be both formally and tonally vibrant. Though the different voices are mediated and arranged by a single narrator, there is no clearly discernible authorial presence and, as a result, no easy judgment of the characters and events in the story. Jake's sensual lifestyle is both overindulgent and a source of exuberance and poetic energy; Stanislav's ascetic choices are both desperate and the source of genuine self-recovery. In their various affirmations and denials, the characters in Feast all seek intimacy and happiness while acting within (or against) a culture built on the promise of consumable bliss. This cultural promise is, like everything else in the work, an object of critique, humour, and celebration.


identifier: Masella, Biagio  (2009) Techniques for nonlinear distortion suppression in radio over fiber communication systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Radio over fiber (RoF) is a promising technology that will indisputably compete as a viable solution for future wireless, cellular and broadband networks. RoF, when combined with dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), such as SONET/SDH, it can become a complete flexible and cost effective solution to the global telecommunication network, where asynchronous and synchronous communications may be efficiently supported.  Subcarrier modulation (SCM) is utilized to modulate a RF signal on light, which in turn will be transmitted by fiber. Unfortunately, the transmission in most cases may become corrupted by nonlinear distortion that is induced by the nonlinear response of the optical transmitter, optical receiver and chromatic dispersion of the single mode fiber (SMF). The nonlinear distortion degrades the receiver sensitivity, which leads to a poor bit error rate (BER) and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR). Ultimately, this will increase RoF system costs and render it impractical.  The objective of this thesis is to develop linearization methods that reduce the nonlinear distortion, increase receiver sensitivity and increase SFDR. The designs should also address the entire RoF system by combating the optical power fading issue that will be discussed in Chapter 2 without significantly adding great expense and complexity to the RoF system.  Four optical linearization methods are proposed and shown through extensive simulation and/or experimentation to outperform similar existing linearization systems described in literature. The proposed single wavelength balanced system is shown to improve the suppression of 2nd order distortion over the dual wavelength balanced system, thereby leading to greater improvement in receiver sensitivity and BER. Furthermore, the design also suppresses relative intensity noise (RIN). The proposed tunable fiber Bragg grating (FBG) balanced system is capable of suppressing both 2 nd and 3 rd order distortions despite which RF carrier that is used. Furthermore, it was shown to outperform the conventional RoF system in terms of receiver sensitivity and BER. The proposed asymmetric Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) has been shown to generate optical single sideband (OSSB) transmissions and outperform the dual-parallel modulator, by improving 3rd order intermodulation distortion (3IMD) suppression and increasing SFDR. The final proposed linearization method is the mixed-polarization MZM, where OSSB is also generated and outperforms the conventional OSSB RoF system in terms of 3IMD suppression and SFDR. Furthermore, close form expressions for SFDR are developed for the final two designs, which is crucial in study of their stability and performance.


identifier: Hejazi, Seyed Mahmood  (2009) Analysis of Windows memory for forensic investigations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Containing most recently accessed data and information about the status of a computer system, physical memory is one of the best sources of digital evidence. This thesis presents new methods to analyze Windows physical memory of compromised computers for cyber forensics. The thesis includes three distinct contributions to cyber forensics investigation. Firstly, by digging into details of Windows memory management, forensically important information and data structures are identified. Secondly, we proposed different methods to find files and extract them out of memory in order to rebuild executable and data files. This helps investigators obtain valuable information available in executable or data files that have been in use at incident time. Thirdly, we presented two methods for extraction of forensically sensitive information such as usernames or passwords from memory. The first method is based on fingerprints of applications in memory. In the second method, we have been able to locate and extract arguments used in function calls. This method, leads to the acquisition of important and forensically sensitive information from the memory stack. Finally, to bring these contributions to application level, a framework for cyber forensics investigations has been developed that helps finding sensitive information


identifier: Boudaoud, Malek  (2008) The variable development of /s/ + consonant onset clusters in Farsi-English interlanguage.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the variable production of English /s/ + consonant onset clusters in the speech of 30 adult native Farsi speakers learning English as a second language (L2). In particular, the study examines the development of the homorganic /st/, /sn/ and /sl/ sequences (sC clusters), which are realized variably either via e-epenthesis (e.g., [e[barbelow]st]op) or via its target L2 pronunciation (e.g., [st]op) The sentence reading task as well as the picture-based interview utilized in this investigation followed standard sociolinguistic procedures for data collection and analyses, and included a set of linguistic (e.g., preceding phonological environment, sonority profile of the cluster) and extra-linguistic factors (e.g., level of formality, proficiency in English) whose effects were measured statistically via GoldVarb X.  The results reveal that: (1) the proportion of [e]-epenthesis is higher after a word-final consonant or pause than after a vowel (in which case the sC cluster is resyllabified as two separate syllables, i.e. [V s.C V]); (2) over time (hence with increased L2 proficiency) and in formal situations, the amount of epenthesis decreases, conforming with Major's (2001) Ontogeny Phylogeny Model; and (3) as observed in several studies of L1 acquisition, markedness on continuancy - rather than markedness on sonority - is better able to capture the variable patterns of e-epenthesis in the Farsi-English interlanguage data (i.e., the more marked structures /st/ and /sn/, in which the continuancy feature varies (from [+continuant] /s/ to [-continuant] /t/ and /n/ ) are more likely to trigger the phenomenon of [e]-epenthesis than the less marked nonnative cluster /sl/, in which continuancy is maintained constant (from [+continuant] /s/ to [+continuant] /l/). Based on these results, I analyze the data within a stochastic version of Optimality Theory, and discuss their implications and pedagogical applications for the teaching of pronunciation.


identifier: Sasanian, Navid  (2009) Out-of-plane flexural performance of GFRP-reinforced concrete masonry walls.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The objective of this thesis is to assess the out-of-plane flexural performance of single-wythe concrete masonry walls that are reinforced with Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) rods, as an alternative for steel rebars. Eight Imx3m full-scale walls were constructed using hollow concrete masonry units and tested in four-point bending with an effective span of 2.4 m between the supports. The walls were tested when subjected to increasing monotonic loads up to failure. The applied loads would represent out-of-plane loads arising from wind, soil pressure, or inertia force during earthquakes.  One wall is unreinforced, another wall is reinforced with customary steel rebars and the other six walls are reinforced with different amounts of GFRP reinforcement. Two of the GFRP-reinforced walls were grouted only in the cells where the rods were placed in order to investigate the effect of the extent of grouting on the performance of the walls. The force-deformation relationship of the walls and the associated strains in the reinforcement were monitored throughout the tests. The relative performance of different walls is assessed in order to quantify the effect of different design variables. The range of GFRP reinforcement ratios covered in the experiments was used to propose a capacity diagram for design of FRP-reinforced masonry walls similar to that of reinforced concrete elements.  A comprehensive analytical study on the behaviour of the tested walls accompanies the experimental program, so that the outcome of the experiments could be quantified and theoretically predictable. Flexural capacity and out-of-plane lateral deflection of the walls are the major aspects that are tried to be evaluated using available models and methods of analysis. Furthermore, efforts are made to obtain finer predictions closer to results of the tested walls using new methods. Since the analyses carried out in this study showed pleasing agreements with the wall tests, a capacity diagram is developed based on the analyses and proposed to be used in designing concrete masonry walls reinforced with GFRP bars. Lastly, the ductility of the GFRP-reinforced walls has been inspected through different methods, the outcomes of which ensure that the GFRP-reinforced walls have exhibited sufficient deformability prior to failure.


identifier: Moslemizadeh, Ehsan  (2009) The use of geotextiles for the treatment of surface water.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Various substances have been discharged into water areas from the shore and rivers through human activity. Suspended solids (SS) are examples of such substances. SS have the potential to adsorb various substances such as heavy metals and nutrients. In addition, SS which exist in the water as contaminated SS, form contaminated sediments by sedimentation. These contaminated sediments will influence human health through the food chain. Eutrophication is also one of the biggest environmental problems caused by organic matter and nutrients residing in enclosed water areas. Therefore, removal of the substances such as SS, and decreasing the amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) present in the water and organic matter play an important role in environmental treatment.  In this study, laboratory filtration tests were performed to develop a technique for water treatment. A non-woven filter was used as the filter medium. The pore size and the thickness of the filter are 150 om and 0.2 cm, respectively. The results showed that SS were removed to levels of 2 mg/L or less by filtration. A SS removal efficiency of 84.3% was obtained. By filtration, COD was also removed. The results revealed that there is a linear relationship with the regression coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.6 to 0.9 between the elimination of SS and COD. In addition, dissolved COD results also showed a decreasing trend through the filtration process. Therefore, SS removal improved the quality of water in terms of COD.


identifier: Lehrer, Joanne S  (2009) Out of school play of grade one students : child and parent perceptions and their relation to academic outcomes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is frequently claimed that play is crucia1 to young children's development (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997; Ginsburg, 2007; Ranco, 1996; Tsao, 2002) and that how children spend their out of school time has a significant impact on their social and academic achievement at school (Hofferth & Jankuniene, 2001; Miller, O'Connor & Sirignano, 1995). However very little research has been conducted on the out of school play activities of five- to eight-year-olds, and on whether these activities are related to developmental outcomes. This mixed methods study examined children's play outside of school; their academic, social, emotional, and creativity outcomes in school; and parent and child beliefs about play at this age level. Sixty-nine children attending public schools in the suburban regions outside of Montreal, and their parents and teachers, participated in the study. Findings indicated that children spent between one and two hours playing after school each day, and that the most common form of play was active physical play. The most common social arrangement during play was play with siblings. Free time in the morning and total choice in the afternoon, watching others play, and play with commercial toys were predictive of report card grades, behaviour scores, and creativity scores. Parents reported valuing play at this age level, but restricting certain activities, while encouraging others. Children reported enjoying many types of play, and play partners, including play with their pets.


identifier: Marques, Sylvia Galley  (2008) The funny pages in black and not-quite-white : race, class and imperialism in American comic strips, 1924-1929.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: From 1924-1929, Moon Mullins, The Gumps and Gasoline Alley reinforced the boundaries of dominant whiteness by essentializing poor whiteness. Poor white characters in these comic strips were singled out and marked as inherently different in two ways: first, through comparisons with non-white characters and second, through references to cultural myths associated with imperialism. These comic strips performed important work in conceptualizing whiteness for reasons directly tied to the comic strip form. Comic strips during this period strove to be highly accessible and had an extraordinarily large and broadly-based readership. The medium aimed to create a sense of community among readers and these readers engaged and identified with comic strips to a significant degree. This is evidenced most strikingly in comic strip readers' reactions to affective events within a strip's narrative arc and reader response to direct appeals from the comic strip on a more formal level. In turn, comic strip creators were particularly attentive to their audiences, as 1920s newspapers relied on comic strips to sell papers. For these reasons, comic strips provide a unique perspective on tastes and values of mainstream America. The ways in which Moon Mullins, Gasoline Alley and The Gumps articulated and reinforced the racial, behavioural and classed limits of whiteness reflected and reinforced the ways in which mainstream America conceptualized dominant whiteness.


identifier: Li, Xujun  (2009) Surfactant enhanced removal of petroleum products from a contaminated soil with sand and clay components.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The growing energy demand leads to the increasing use of petroleum products. Contaminations caused by uncontrolled release of oil bring risks to the environment. In this study, SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), AOT (sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate) and Brij 35 (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether) are the surfactants selected as washing solutions to remove engine oil from an artificially contaminated soil. The soil was formed using clean sand and montmorillonite clay with different ratios. Contaminated soil samples were formed by contaminating the artificial soil with engine oil which was the chosen petroleum product.  Both batch and column tests were conducted to investigate the desorption behavior of engine oil from the contaminated soil. The effects of surfactant type, surfactant concentration, soil composition and pH on desorption efficiency of engine oil were examined in batch experiments. The influences of washing volume and flow rate on oil removal efficiency were investigated in column tests. Distilled water was used as the control. The test results indicate that engine oil solubilization increases with the concentration of surfactants above CMC. In the engine oil removal process, surfactant Brij 35 is more effective than surfactants SDS and AOT. Desorption efficiency of the residual engine oil by 0.6% Brij 35 is almost 20 times higher than that by distilled water. With the same washing volume, lower flow rate appears to be more desirable for oil removal from the contaminated soil.


identifier: Williams, Neiliane  (2009) Arbitrageur activity and market anticipation in predicting takeover success.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: For decades, merger arbitrageurs have enjoyed significantly higher returns than those enjoyed by targets, on average. However, these returns are only enjoyed if the merger or acquisition ultimately occurs. An arbitrageur estimates several critical and interrelated factors before assuming any position. These factors are transaction risks, potential reward and the probability of event occurrence. The literature, thus far, has failed to establish a successful takeover success prediction model, which by definition, would use publicly available information at the time of the announcement.  In this paper, we use a simple logistic model to test the ability of our four proposed takeover success prediction models. Our sample consists of the targets associated with the first or initial bids for corporate control in bidding contests between 1993 and 2005. We introduce two new variables! turnover and run-up as indicators of arbitrageur activity and market anticipation, respectively. Consistent with theory, turnover, when high enough to facilitate arbitrageur influence on deal outcomes without the dilution of their information advantage, is significant in predicting deal success. This relationship is strongest for seller-initiated turnover. In addition, we find that market anticipation is positively and significantly related to the probability of deal success.


identifier: Briand, Mélanie  (2009) The relationship between authentic leadership, psychological need satisfaction and motivation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigated authentic leadership (and its four components: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information and relational transparency) as an antecedent of subordinates' satisfaction of their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, and in turn, subordinates' autonomous and controlled motivation. A web-based questionnaire was completed by managers and employees of the research and department team of a high-tech firm resulting in 24 manager-employee matches.  The findings revealed that authentic leadership, and one of its component, self-awareness, were inversely related with controlled motivation, but contrary to expectations, authentic leadership did not yield any effects on need satisfaction, nor autonomous motivation. Although need satisfaction was found to contribute to autonomous motivation, it was interesting to find that employees had marginal agreement regarding their need satisfaction but in terms of their motivation, their agreement was low. This study's contributions to the extant literature, its implications, limitations, as well as future directions for research are discussed.


identifier: Battle, Shevaughn  (2009) "The Beginning After the End" : independent music, Canadian cultural policy and the Montreal indie music scene.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a political economic analysis of the structures of the global music industry and the place of the independent music industry within it. The objective of this study is to map out and explore some of the changes that are currently transforming these industries. I focus particularly on those issues facing emerging, independent musical artists in a globalized context; including the reasons for the dominance of the industry by the "Big Four" multinational record labels; technological advancements that have led to a reduction of entry barriers for independent labels and artists; the roles cultural policies have played to help counter the dominance of the multinational record labels and the importance of musical "scenes" to the development of independent music. This study is approached from a Canadian perspective and includes a case study of the rise and international explosion of the Montreal indie music scene in 2005. Through this case study, I explore the impact of technological innovation on this scene and the ways in which Canadian cultural policies have helped support and promote independent Canadian artists, as well as examine the current relevance of these policies. Ultimately, I hope to draw broader conclusions about the shifting structures of the music industry and how independent artists can represent, maintain and grow their culture within the US-dominated global popular music industry.


identifier: Haque, AKM Enamul  (2009) Some characteristics of open channel transition flow.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Flow separation is a common phenomenon in decelerated subcritical flows as in open channel expansions. A highly distorted velocity and shear stress distribution due to flow separation can lead to a continuous reduction of energy and trigger an adverse pressure gradient resulting in flow separation. This causes loss of energy and hydraulic efficiency of the systems. An experimental investigation was conducted with the use of a gradual rising hump on the bed of an expansion in a rectangular open channel. Besides the hump, split vanes in the flow field were also used to reduce the expansion angle and in turn reduce the adverse effect of flow separation. These modifications resulted in a relatively more uniform velocity and shear stress distribution in the transition and in the channel downstream of the expansion.  A laboratory model of rectangular open channel transition expanding was constructed with Plexiglas plates. It facilitated the measurement of the flow velocity and turbulence characteristics with the aid of Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA). The total divergent angle of the transition was 19.78 degrees. Velocities were measured along the x, y and z directions, positioning the LDA from both the bottom and the side of the channel.  Two humps with gradual linear rises of 12.5 mm and 25 mm were used. A second device included the use of a single vane and a three vane splitter plates system formed with thin Plexiglas plates.  Mainly velocity distributions, with and without humps and the splitter vanes were the results sought. The variations of energy and momentum coefficients were analyzed to find the effectiveness of the devices used in the transition to control flow separation.  As a small addition to the study, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the flow characteristics of open channel was also undertaken. Due to their lower time demand and lower cost, these numerical methods are preferred to experimental methods after they are properly validated. In the present study, the CFD solution is validated by experimental results. A limited number of CFD simulations were completed using the commercial Software ANSYS-CFX. In particular, mean velocity distributions for the rectangular open channel transitions were used for model validation. To this end, the three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the two equations k-[varepsilon] models were used. The validation of the model using test data was reasonable.


identifier: Guo, Yuan  (2009) Rhamnolipid-enhanced remediation of styrene-contaminated soil followd by anaerobic biodegradation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Styrene has been used widely in the manufacture of polystyrene, plastics, resins and copolymers. Styrene is classified in the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) as a carcinogen. Batch and column adsorption experiments were performed to study the adsorbability of styrene onto soil. Soil type 1(10.2% silt and clay, 5.3% organic matter content) presented the highest styrene adsorbability 1190 mg/kg and bentonite presented the lowest adsorbability 385 mg/kg in batch adsorption tests. The sorption capacity is found to be strongly dependent on the amount of organic matter and clay ratio present in the soil.  Batch and continuous flow washing experiments were used to evaluate the feasibility of using surfactants for the removal of styrene from contaminated soil. Higher styrene removal was achieved from batch experiments compared to column experiments. The highest styrene removal (98.4%) was achieved at 1% rhamnolipid in the batch test. Maximum styrene removal occurred at the highest rhamnolipid concentration in both batch and continuous washing tests. After rhamnolipid adsorption to soil, the two mechanisms of surfactant-aided soil washing are mobilization and solubilisation. The mobilization mechanism occurs at a rhamnolipid concentration below critical micelle concentration (CMC). In this situation, rhamnolipid reduce the surface and interfacial tension between air/water, oil/water, and oil/soil systems. When rhamnolipid concentration is above CMC, the solubility of styrene increased dramatically due to the aggregation of surfactant micelles.  Leachate from soil washing experiments was biodegraded in an DASH reactor before release to the environment. The comparison between the results from batch and continuous experiments led to the conclusion that anaerobic biomass could biodegrade styrene and styrene in rhamnolipid under anaerobic conditions. More than 96% of styrene (co-metabolite with acetic acid, styrene initial concentration was 75 mg/L, 150 mg/L and 250 mg/L) was biodegraded with the 16 hour retention time in the DASH reactor with COD removal up to 82%.  Rhamnolipid has proven its ability as a washing agent in styrene removal from soil. Anaerobic biodegradation of styrene with rhamnolipid achieved high styrene removal but low biogas production. More research is required to improve the performance of the rhamnolipid and styrene biodegradation before scale-up.


identifier: Kandasamy, Thileepan  (2008) Analysis of baffles design for limiting fluid slosh in partly filled vehicle tanks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The liquid motion within a partly-filled tank has been associated with reduced overturning limits and braking performance of highway tank trucks. The magnitude of maneuver-induced fluid slosh in a partly-filled tank is strongly dependent upon baffles geometry and baffles layout, apart from many other factors. The conventional lateral baffles can effectively suppress longitudinal fluid slosh induced by a braking or acceleration maneuvers, while their effect on lateral slosh in the roll plane is negligible. Both the overturning limits and braking properties of a partly-filled tank truck could be enhanced through alternate baffles geometry and layout. This dissertation research focuses on the analysis of fluid slosh behavior in a partly-filled tank coupled with different designs of anti slosh baffles. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics slosh model is developed for the partly-filled cleanbore, and different designs and layouts of baffled tanks on the basis of the Navier-Stokes equations incorporating the VOF technique. The slosh models are formulated to investigate steady-state as well as transient forces and moments imposed on the container under longitudinal, lateral and combined longitudinal and lateral acceleration fields. A quasi-static model of the partly-filled cleanbore tank is also formulated to examine validity of the dynamic fluid slosh model in terms of steady-state responses. The fluid slosh characteristics are analyzed under different fill volumes corresponding to varying cargo load and subjected to external excitations representing steady-turning, straight-line braking and braking-in-turn maneuvers. The fluid slosh analyses are also carried out to explore the anti-slosh effectiveness of baffles and to evaluate the effects of baffles design factors, such as baffle curvature, orifice size and shape of the orifice.  Alternate design concepts and orientations of baffles are also explored with goals of limiting both the longitudinal and lateral slosh. Concepts in obliquely placed baffle, partial baffles, and partial baffles arranged in an alternating pattern are proposed and analyzed for their effectiveness in limiting the fluid slosh. The results of the study suggest that obliquely placed baffles could help to limit lateral as well as longitudinal fluid slosh under lateral as well as combined lateral and longitudinal acceleration excitations.


identifier: Arredondo, Isabel  (2009) "I am a Mother First" : Mexican women filmmakers of the 1980s and 1990s and the representation of motherhood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines images of mothers in classical and contemporary Mexican cinema. The purpose is to contrast the portrayals of mothers in melodramas produced during the 'Golden Age' of Mexican cinema (1940s to 1950s), a model continued until the 1970s, and in films made by the so-called 'third-wave' generation of Mexican women filmmakers (directors who made their first feature films after 1985). The main argument is that the films directed by third-wave directors propound a non-narcissistic type of feminine idealization and propose women characters who see themselves as individuals.  This thesis uses psychoanalytic theory and particularly the psychoanalytic discussions of motherhood developed within feminist theory and feminist approaches to film to examine the representation of motherhood. Kaja Silverman's notion of narcissistic idealization and Kelly Oliver's analysis of mothers' depression are fundamental to differentiate classical and third-wave representations of mothers in Mexican cinema, especially from the point of view of Mexican women filmmakers who value their own identity as mothers.  The Introduction lays out the thesis' form and focus. Chapter One contextualizes the professional and ideological position of Mexican women filmmakers of the new generation. Chapter Two examines representations of mothers in classical Mexican melodramas. Chapter Three concentrates on discussing representations of mothers in films directed by third-wave filmmakers.  The main argument is that third-wave Mexican women filmmakers, while moving away from the maternal ideals predominant in classical Mexican films, do not discard feminine idealization altogether. Instead, they view idealization as a strategy of identity formation set outside of the dichotomy Virgin/Whore which informs traditional representations of motherhood in Mexican cinema.


identifier: Ghazi-Hesami, Sam  (2009) Cost effective emissions and minor species predictions via coupling of computational fluid dynamics and chemical reactor network analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The progress in recent years and the advent of new powerful computers have allowed experts to simulate combustion-turbulence interaction reasonably well and predict temperature and velocity fields with acceptable accuracy. However, the current technology and available computer power do not suffice in predicting the concentration of minor species such as NO x and CO. As the reduction of these pollutants requires expensive experimentation, much attention has been directed towards more cost effective ways of simulating pollution emission via numerical methods. This research project has been conducted in order to obtain a universal cost effective method for predicting emissions via a system of Chemical Reactor Networks (CRN). This was achieved via coupling of CFD-CRN. While CFD provided temperatures, residence time and major species' concentrations, CRN was able to accurately tackle the complex chemical kinetics for prediction of minor species on a personal computer; A task which would have taken months via CFD on a computer cluster. RANS and LES simulations of an industrial Rolls Royce RB211 combustor were performed with and without Discrete Phase Modeling. CRNs were then extracted from the CFD field based on temperature, composition and geographical location via an efficient coded algorithm. It is demonstrated that the chemical kinetic computation based on the extracted CRNs from CFD provides reasonable results compared with experimental data on some of the CO predictions. It is strongly believed that higher resolutions of reactors will at least provide reasonable trends upon boundary condition variations. The algorithm developed in this study leads to a more universal approach for cost effective prediction (quantitatively or qualitatively) of combustion emissions, which contribute to cardiovascular and respiratory ailments.


identifier: Mouriki, Eleni  (2009) Solar-assisted hybrid ventilation in an institutional building.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Natural and mixed mode ventilation systems are now often incorporated in the sustainable design of buildings in order to meet the increasingly stringent energy performance standards. An area of significant interest is the integration of these systems with atria as their large glazed spaces--a widespread feature in modern building design--have an untapped potential to enhance natural/hybrid ventilation.  This study presents experimental and complementary simulation results based on the long-term monitoring performed in an institutional building. The objective is to evaluate the performance of the building's natural ventilation system, examine its impact on the indoor conditions and assess its night cooling potential.  Long-term monitoring consisted of temperature and airflow measurements at the top atrium of the building, along with pressure difference and airflow measurements at the exterior air inlet grilles in the upper building levels. Experiments also included night-time ventilation rates and slab temperature measurements at lower building levels. A mathematical model was developed to estimate the cooling storage capacity of the slab.  The natural ventilation system at its present operation is able to cover only part of the building's cooling requirements. The application of modified ventilation strategies at night, making use of the building's thermal mass and cool outdoor air, holds a significant cooling potential. In order to achieve optimal performance and to avoid occupants' discomfort due to overcooling, a predictive control strategy should be implemented in the building. These operating strategies can be generalized for similar hybrid ventilation systems in buildings with high thermal mass.


identifier: Mohammad, Mubarak Sami  (2009) A formal component-based software engineering approach for developing trustworthy systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Software systems are increasingly becoming ubiquitous, affecting the way we experience the world. Embedded software systems, especially those used in smart devices, have become an essential constituent of the technological infrastructure of modem societies. Such systems, in order to be trusted in society, must be proved to be trustworthy. Trustworthiness is a composite non-functional property that implies safety, timeliness, security, availability, and reliability. This thesis is a contribution to a rigorous development of systems in which trustworthiness property can be specified and formally verified.  Developing trustworthy software systems that are complex and used by a large heterogenous population of users is a challenging task. The component-based software engineering (CBSE) paradigm can provide an effective solution to address these challenges. However, none of the current component-based approaches can be used as is, because all of them lack the essential requirements for constructing trustworthy systems. The three contributions made in this thesis are intended to add to the expressive power needed to raise CBSE practices to a rigorous level for constructing formally verifiable trustworthy systems.  The first contribution of the thesis is a formal definition of the trustworthy component model. The trustworthiness quality attributes are introduced as first class structural elements. The behavior of a component is automatically generated as an extended timed automata. A model checking technique is used to verify the properties of trustworthiness. A composition theory that preserves the properties of trustworthiness in a composition is presented.  Conventional software engineering development processes are not suitable either for developing component-based systems or for developing trustworthy systems. In order to develop a component-based trustworthy system, the development process must be reuse-oriented, component-oriented, and must integrate formal languages and rigorous methods in all phases of system life-cycle. The second contribution of the thesis is a software engineering process model that consists of several parallel tracks of activities including component development, component assessment, component reuse, and component-based system development. The central concern in all activities of this process is ensuring trustworthiness.  The third and final contribution of the thesis is a development framework with a comprehensive set of tools supporting the spectrum of formal development activity from modeling to deployment.  The proposed approach has been applied to several case studies in the domains of component-based development and safety-critical systems. The experience from the case studies confirms that the approach is suitable for developing large and complex trustworthy systems.


identifier: Hu, Bao Jin  (2009) Quality of spatial information for municipal infrastructure management.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Management of municipal infrastructure involves many processes such as planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of various assets. Municipal infrastructure management systems require gathering and combining a large amount of data from different sources. These data consist of spatial and non-spatial data for describing the process information about each facility. In recent years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are widely used in municipal infrastructure management to spatially locate the elements of roads, sewers and water networks. However, the data used in these systems are collected from different sources using different methods with little information about the quality of the data. Problems regarding spatial data quality can affect all fields that use geographic data. Furthermore, the aging of municipal infrastructure assets combined with limited maintenance budgets presents unprecedented challenges to municipalities and public work agencies. A new integrated Municipal Infrastructure Management System (MIMS) is required to perform better quality performance for optimizing maintenance, repair and replacement activities. In this research, first a literature review is conducted about the existing MIMS software solutions, various spatial technologies are introduced, and data standards and quality concepts are discussed. Then, a new framework for MIMS spatial data quality assurance process is proposed. This framework is developed to cover all aspects of data quality and several practical methods for achieving spatial data quality assurance. One case study with four implementations is used to demonstrate the applications of the proposed approach.


identifier: Saneinejad, Saba  (2009) Inwards vapor diffusion due to high temperature gradient in wall assemblies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Moisture is the main source of deterioration of building envelope systems. One source of moisture that has not been studied to a great extent is inwards vapor flows, due to high temperature gradients. Such flows occur, for example, when exterior claddings like brick are wetted by rain and then exposed to solar radiation. This thesis investigates this phenomenon, which can bring large amount of undue moisture within in the envelope assembly.  This thesis presents in detail the experimental work performed on large-scale wall assembly specimens to document their hygrothermal performance under conditions leading to inwards moisture flow. A large-scale experimental facility was utilized for the purpose of this work which consisted of weighing apparatuses to monitor the change of mass of the cladding and back-wall parts of wall specimens, a spraying array, a radiation array, and a test hut to provide controlled interior conditions. Five insulated wood-framed walls were monitored, four of which were brick cladded and one stucco cladded. Constructions of the backwalls varied by the material utilized for the exterior sheathing and the interior finish and also by presence or lack of an air cavity. The walls and the environment were equipped for electronic monitoring, complemented with manual weighing of gravimetric samples. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the presence of vapor tight interior finishes result in the accumulation of moisture in the interior gypsum board. Furthermore, it is shown that even a vapor tight sheathing does not reduce sufficiently vapor flow to prevent moisture accumulation in the wood studs and the interior gypsum board. The highly positive effect of air space, and its ventilation, in reducing the magnitude of the inward vapor flow is shown.  During the process of studying the vapor diffusion through various wall assemblies, a vertical temperature and moisture content gradient was observed along the gypsum board-insulation interfaces. This phenomenon was also further investigated and studied both experimentally and numerically using CFD. The work indicated that stratification of humidity occurs within the insulation cavity of the wall.  This thesis demonstrates the mechanism of inward diffusion: under high thermal gradients, large amounts of vapor are transported, inducing high relative humidity against low-permeable layers in assemblies. By sorption, materials exposed to high relative humidity display high moisture content.


identifier: Sbaihi, Nadia  (2009) Emerging landscapes of consumption in China : independent retail, urban form and urban life in post-reform Beijing.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Through a case-study in the district of Haidian in Beijing, this thesis investigates the effects of the development of independent retail in neighbourhood streets at the periphery of walled housing estates in post-reform China. A theoretical framework that combines retailing geography, the study of the urban form, and the study of everyday practices is proposed. The research posits that the development of a street's retail landscape is an important expression of an emerging culture of mass consumption and leisure; through this research I seek to better understand how such a new reality impacts the daily routine of the residents of Beijing who use the local commercial streets. Drawing on abundant data derived from varied empirical procedures, this study documents and interprets the physical and social manifestations pertaining to seven local commercial streets. The social practices and perceptions of groups of users are investigated through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. I discuss how, through their daily interactions with the built environment, lay urban dwellers create space , while collectively conferring meaning to otherwise inert artefacts. The study sheds light on the cultural significance of a new retail environment that reshapes urban China. Situated at the intersection of the privatisation of land use rights, the development of mass consumption, and the disbanding of old communitarian living arrangements, the new landscapes of consumption are in many regards the embodiment of a post-communism Chinese ethos


identifier: Sischy, Jacqueline  (2009) The ethics of rememberance: the S-21 photographs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Almost thirty years after the tragic crusade, which killed 1.4 million people - one-sixth of Cambodia's population - five Khmer Rouge leaders may finally be prosecuted by a United Nations special tribunal. In 1979, when the Vietnamese conquered the Khmer Rouge, they stumbled upon the important faculty, S-21, also referred to as the Tuol Sleng prison, where an estimated 14,000 people had been killed between 1975 and 1979. During that period, prisoners accused of treason, were systematically photographed in the form of a mug shot on arrival, just prior to their extermination. These photographs have become visual symbols of the Khmer Rouge cruelty. They now line the walls of the Toul Sleng Museum, and have appeared in controversial exhibitions, notably the exhibition at the Museum of Modem Art, New York, (MoMA) Photographs from S-21: 1975-1979, presented in 1997, and the touring exhibition Facing Death, which appeared at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa (CMCP) in 2000. The research for this thesis included interviews with Susan Kismaric, curator of photography at the department at MoMA, and Carol Payne, former assistant curator at CMCP who proposed and coordinated the exhibition of Facing Death at the museum. In discussion with the curators, questions of institutional ethics, audience reception, and photographic historicism were analyzed with the benefit of hindsight and new information. This thesis critically assesses the archival techniques, exhibition practices, and the ethical quandaries surrounding the S-21 photographs. In doing so, it explores how museums and archival institutions have utilized the S-21 photographs to help structure historical memory.


identifier: Powell, Grace  (2008) Challenging the status quo: Prudence Heward's portrayals of Canadian women from the 1920s to the 1940s.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis analyzes a number of paintings of Canadian women by Prudence Heward (1896 - 1947) and traces the ways in which her art production was an important indicator of a shift in gender relations as she commented on the socio-political position of women within the historical context of Canadian nationalism and the rural to urban population shift from the 1920s to the 1940s. At the same time, Heward's paintings are analyzed to trace proposed relationships between these concerns and the formal changes she incorporated into her works during the years covered by this thesis. The paintings' backgrounds, which had been no more than colour backdrops to the figures in her early years, became increasingly important as she challenged the status quo in which white women were confined and naturalized in their motherhood and care-giver roles and black women were "othered" because of their race. The thesis accomplishes this by comparing Heward's paintings to the Group of Seven, as well as to that by other artists from North America and Europe.


identifier: Knot, Michaela  (2009) Fasin Laef : urban women migrant experiences in Honiara, Solomon Islands.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the Solomon Islands, migration to Honiara from the rural areas is pervasive. The urban world shapes and complicates gender stereotypes and identity, particularly in regards to the rural/urban dichotomy. Focusing on migrant women, and their experiences of Honiara, this thesis will discuss how urban temporality reconfigures gender. Since some migrants will enter Honiara for only short durations and others for longer periods, identity becomes performed through different language practices and enacted through personal relationships. Identity is inherently shaped by age, social positioning and class. However, competing tensions in the urban setting creates ambivalence amongst migrant women in regards to their life in Honiara.


identifier: Crane, Murielle  (2009) A case study of the influence of learning their history on a small group of people of African descent, in Guadeloupe.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Guadeloupe, today, thanks to such people as Mitchel Clarac, the manager of the federation Amon-Ra, there are people of African descent who are learning their own history.  A qualitative case study was conducted at Amon-Ra to explore how the learning of their history influences a small group of African West-Indians' 1) awareness of their African identity, 2) interest in seeking their history, 3) image of their people, and 4) choice of their motherland. The manager plus six adult student-teachers who are learning their history at l'Arbre à Palabre (the ancestral treasure of Amon-Ra) were interviewed in order to seek answers to the following two questions: 1) "In what ways does the learning of their history influence African West-Indians? 2) How is learning about the history of their people an effective tool to enable people of African descent to overcome their malaise with their identity?"  The findings show that with the learning of their history participants have not only become aware of their African identity, but they are as well interested in seeking their history. Besides, participants have developed a positive view of their people and have connected to Africa as the motherland. These findings reveal too that learning their history is an effective tool to help African West-Indians overcome their malaise with their identity. Implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.


identifier: Barlow, John Matthew  (2009) "The House of the Irish" : Irishness, history, and memory in Griffintown, Montréal, 1868-2009.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation examines the arc of Irish-Catholic identity in Griffintown, a working-class neighbourhood of Montreal, over the course of the "long" twentieth century, from 1868 to 2009. Griffintown is significant as it was both the first and last Irish-Catholic neighbourhood of the city. Situating the working-class Irish-Catholics of Griffintown within a postcolonial framework, this dissertation examines the development and functioning of a diasporic Irish culture in Montréal. We see how that culture operated in Griffintown, at times shielding the residents of the neighbourhood from goings on in the wider city and nation, and at other times allowing for the forging of common cause across class lines within the Irish-Catholic community of Montréal. In the years following World War II, Irish-Catholic Griffintown disappeared from the landscape, owing to depopulation and the physical destruction of the neighbourhood. We then see how Irish-Catholic identity in Montréal as a whole broke down, as the Irish made common cause with the Anglo-Protestants of the city to forge a new alliance: Anglo-Montréal. Thus situated, the Anglophone population of the city girded itself in a defensive posture for the linguistic, cultural, economic, and constitutional strife that dominated life in Montréal over the second half of the twentieth century. In the years since the second referendum on Quebec sovereignty in 1995, Irish identity has undergone a renaissance of sorts in Montréal, due to both developments locally and the reinvigoration of the Irish diaspora globally since the 1980s. In this process, we see the intersection of history and memory as Griffintown has become the site of Irish memory and remembrance on Montréal's cultural landscape. The Irish of Montréal, then, have used Griffintown as a means of claiming their space on the cultural landscape of the city and to demonstrate their long-standing connection to Montréal. In effect, Griffintown has allowed the Irish in Montréal to re-claim their stake as one of Montréal's "founding nations."


identifier: Darwish, Linda  (2009) Texts of tension, spaces of empowerment : migrant Muslims and the limits of Shi'ite legal discourse.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation examines fatwas (expert legal opinions) produced by the Shi'ite legal establishment ( marji'iyah ) for Shi'ites in the West, looking at the construction, support, and communication of minority Muslim identity in the Western cultural context. Its significance lies in examining how law is socially relevant to the construction of identity in relation to the religious or cultural other, how it may be used to negotiate tensions, to compensate for feelings of otherness and powerlessness, and to strengthen group solidarity.  Shi'ite legal methodology makes a strong claim to a dynamic method of legal reasoning ( ijtihad ), continually responding to changing social conditions. Contemporary migration provides a case study by which to observe and evaluate its exercise in meeting practical, ethical, and moral challenges. Is migration a place for unprecedented innovation in lega1'interpretation? Does the law open up to the possibility of change in the Western context? What social, rhetorical, or ideological factors might propel or restrain ijtihad ? Moreover, the fatwa genre of law is not restricted to experts but brings the recipients of the law into dialogue with the law-givers. It is this "interpretive relation" between scholar, layperson, and social context that generates the conclusions of my study.  Laypersons appear to be highly optimistic regarding the law's possibilities for legitimizing cultural adaptation and see its flexibility as essential to supporting a "selective engagement" model of minority identity. In contrast, by adhering largely to the classical Qur'anic model of hijrah and to an ideological conception of Muslim-other relations that posits a strong differentiation of the non-Muslim "other," scholars are able to largely avoid high-risk ijtihad , while promoting a "resistance model" of minority identity. Scholars exhibit the perception that religious safety depends on the construction of Muslim spaces bounded by normatively enjoined words, symbols and practices.  However, in place of the power of force, which nearly always accompanied hijrah in the classical model, scholars uphold what they describe as Islamic morality, not simply as a legal imperative, but as an instrument of empowerment and influence. It is this positioning of piety and morality as a means of empowerment that makes the contemporary legal discourse socially relevant.


identifier: Gallant, Genevieve M  (2009) An interorganizational collaboration to implement educational technology innovation : decision-maker perspectives.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Gauthier, Mélissa  (2009) The fayuca hormiga of used clothing and the fabric of the Mexico-U.S. border.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the border's economic underworld. It details the lives of ordinary people who live along state borders. With particular reference to the border between Mexico and the United States, this thesis explores how cross-border small-scale traders experience the nation and the state in their everyday economic activities at international borders. Along the Mexico-U.S. border, there is a lively trade of American second-hand clothing introduced clandestinely into Mexico where its import for resale is prohibited. Second-hand clothing is retailed in stores and warehouses along the American side of the border and brought into Mexico through an impressive system of smuggling from the United States called fayuca hormiga . This thesis is an ethnographic study of used clothing fayuqueros or "ant traders" in the Mexico/United States borderland whose livelihoods depend upon crossing state lines and exploiting differential economic opportunities on either side. This anthropological research investigates how small-scale cross-border traders involved in the illicit flow of second-hand clothing across the Mexico-United States border interact with the structures of state power. By documenting the history, trading culture, and contemporary refashioning of secondhand clothing in the Mexico-United States borderlands, this thesis sheds light on the various processes of appropriation, transformation and redefinition that second-hand clothes undergo by crossing borders. This thesis shows how the border plays a part in the economic processes through which the value of used clothing emerges and how the unruly flow of these material goods shapes the social "fabric" of the Mexico-U.S. borderlands.


identifier: Salerno, Frank  (2009) Risk processes implicated in the development of depression and anxiety-spectrum disorders.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine risk processes linking il1dividual differences in personal resources to symptoms of anxiety and depression. The construct of personal resources was defined as a higher order factor subsuming the traits of self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism, locus of control, and anxiety. Hypotheses related to three models of psychiatric risk were assessed: (1) the direct-link model, which posits that deficiencies in personal resources are directly associated with elevated risk for clinical anxiety and depression; (2) the stress-moderation model, which places emphasis on the interaction of personal resources with responses to stressors in ways that either increase or decrease the risk for anxiety disorders and depression; and (3) the stress-generation model, which links the risk for anxiety disorders and depression with a propensity to generate stress related to deficiencies in personal resources.  One-hundred-thirty-one university students took part in two testing sessions. The first session included a mock job interview whereby participants were challenged by the stress-inducing task of preparing and delivering a speech before a panel of two' staff members' acting as personnel managers. Three indices of stress reactivity were used: affective state, heart rate variability (HRV), and selective attention to threat words. Participants also completed a stress questionnaire designed to assess the degree of stress they experienced in situations of normative challenge (e.g., having a paper to write), self-generated or dependent stress (e.g., time management issues), and in response to independent events (e.g., death of a family member). Approximately six months after the first testing session participants completed measures of clinical anxiety and depression. Results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Hierarchical Regression analyses pointed to risk processes common to depression and anxiety, and others specific to each. Low personal resources and stress generation were associated with a vulnerability to both types of disorder. However, these mechanisms of risk were more closely linked to depression than anxiety. Low-resource individuals appear to magnify relatively minor life stresses, thereby increasing their vulnerability to depression. Independent stress, however, was a stronger predictor of vulnerability to anxiety than was level of personal resources, dependent stress, or normative challenge. In addition, independent stress was the primary feature of an interaction with dependent stress that placed low-resource individuals at risk for anxiety-spectrum disorders. Thus, it appears that the risk for depression is more closely associated with the negative perceptions that are characteristic of those low in personal resources, whereas the risk of an anxiety-spectrum disorder is more closely associated with exposure to negative independent life events.


identifier: Zhang, Jian  (2009) Investigation of airflow and heat transfer in earth-to-air heat exchnagers.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: An Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger (ETAHE) uses the massive thermal storage capacity of the ground to dampen ambient air temperature oscillations by delivering outdoor air to the indoors through a horizontally buried duct. Owing to their low airflow resistance, large cross-sectional area ETAHEs have been found more energy efficient than the conventional small duct ETAHEs, especially when integrated in hybrid ventilated buildings. However, the lack of available methods for determining the surface heat convection has made accurate energy simulation and design difficult.  A field investigation in a large ETAHE was carried out at beginning of this research. Detailed airflow and heat transfer data were collected to analyze the heat convection process and to verify computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In the CFD model, a two-layer turbulence model was used to ensure accuracy in resolving flow information in the near-wall region. The modeling method was verified by comparing its results with measured data. The results indicated that the entrance and buoyancy effects in ETAHEs caused surface heat convection distribution to be highly non-uniform, and its intensity is significantly higher than that in conventional small duct ETAHEs. Using the CFD model, sensitivity of heat convection intensity to various design parameters was analyzed, and six parameters were identified as being influential. A large number of CFD simulations were then performed to find mathematical relations between the design parameters and local heat convection rate. Based on these cases, an Artificial Neural Network based Heat Convection (ANN-HC) algorithm was developed. It predicts local Nusselt numbers on ETAHE surfaces, and the results are in good agreement with CFD predictions. A thermal simulation model of ETAHEs was developed to solve three-dimensional unsteady conductive heat transfer in the ground surrounding ETAHEs, and the ANN-HC algorithm is coupled with the model to provide local heat convection boundary conditions at duct surfaces. A case study showed that the new model can properly simulate the interactions between an ETAHE and its environment, and the results are more accurate than the existing simulation models. It will be a useful tool for designers to predict and analyze ETAHE performance in order to obtain optimal design solutions.


identifier: Li, Qinru  (2008) Development of a hygrothermal simulation tooil (HAM-BE) for building envelope study.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To prevent the building envelope from moisture-related damages, it is essential to predict the building envelope's hygrothermal performance through a scientific approach, and further to improve the design and construction. In this thesis, an advanced numerical tool (HAM-BE) was developed to simulate the combined heat, air and moisture (HAM) transport in the building envelope. The state of the art knowledge of heat and mass transfer in building materials was applied. The major features of HAM-BE are: multi-dimensional and transient coupling of heat and moisture transport; air convection integrated in hygrothermal simulation through Darcy-Boussinesq approximation; heat transfer mechanisms of conduction and convection of sensible and latent heat; moisture transport mechanisms of vapor diffusion, capillary suction and air convection; material database of common building materials in North America; experimental settings or hourly weather data as boundary conditions; and setting moisture loading inside the materials or along the surfaces of the building envelope's hidden or exposed components to simulate the wetting process. A commercial finite element solver was chosen to solve the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) of hygrothermal transport. This approach provided building science researchers the flexibility to build, modify, and maintain their modeling work efficiently. Validation of HAM-BE included inter-model comparison with benchmarking cases of the HAMSTAD project and comparison between numerical simulation with data of the Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) project measured by fellow students under the supervision of Drs Fazio and Rao. Through validation work, HAM-BE was proven to have great potential as an accurate and reliable research tool for the building envelope study.  As the extension of the CRD investigation, parametric study was carried out to estimate the drying performance of wood-frame walls under the climatic conditions of Montreal and Vancouver. It is demonstrated that the climate condition has the most significant influence to the drying process of the wet components in wall assemblies. The drying process occurs mainly in the summer season, and is largely restrained in the winter season. To improve outward drying, the cladding materials should have high vapor permeance, especially the sheathing membrane. The sheathing board with higher vapor permeance also facilitates drying. Under the investigated climates, the polyethylene vapor barrier at the warm side of the wall is not beneficial, rather restricts the possibility of inward drying.


identifier: Al-Habian, Ghaleb  (2009) Controlling error propagation in cooperative communication networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In cooperative communications, error propagation at the relay nodes degrades the diversity order of the system. To combat that effect, we present a novel technique to control error propagation at the relays, which is implemented in the context of a distributed turbo code. In the presented technique, the relay calculates the log- likelihood ratio (LLR) values for the bits sent from the source. These values are subjected to a threshold to distinguish reliable decoded bits. The relay then forwards bits that are deemed reliable and discards bits that are not, resulting in less errors propagating to the destination. We develop upper bounds on the end-to-end bit error rate, enabling us to optimize the threshold in terms of the minimum end-to-end bit error rate. We compare our technique with existing techniques to control error propagation, including using only a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) check at the relay, forwarding analog LLR values, and with employing no error control at the relay at all. We demonstrate, via several numerical examples, that the performance of our proposed scheme is superior to all existing techniques.  We investigate the application of this technique to a network-coded two-way relay channel where the relay is assisting two sources simultaneously. We propose two modes of thresholding: at individual bits and at combined bits. We analyze the bit-error rates of both thresholding modes and optimize the threshold for both. We show significant gains using thresholding over an unthresholded network-coded system. Based on system simulations, we conclude that utilizing


identifier: Deshmukh, Sasmit S  (2009) Light-induced conformational changes in the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The photosynthetic reaction center (RC) from purple photosynthetic bacteria is a membrane-bound protein-pigment complex that serves as an excellent model for studying biological energy conversion. This energy conversion takes place by electron transfer reactions, which occur within the protein and are often coupled to conformational changes. In order to study these conformational changes, recovery of the oxidized bacteriochlorophyll dimer, from the RC of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides , to its original state was measured by light-minus-dark optical difference spectroscopy. Laser flash excitation generated an electron transfer that takes place across the membrane; creating the primary charge-separated state with a lifetime of 100 ms. Prolonged illumination induced subsequent conformational rearrangements in the RC protein complex which result in lifetimes of the same charge-separated state that are significantly different from that measured after flash excitation. The structural details of the conformational rearrangements on the molecular level will be discussed. The conformational changes were sensitive to duration and wavelength of illumination, pH, temperature, hydrophobic environment (liposome or detergent), head-group charge of the detergent, and presence of a bound metal ion. By systematically varying these parameters, we were able to extend the lifetime of the charge-separated state up to 21 mins. Based on these results, our goal is to utilize the bacterial RC protein complex as a biocapacitor, since the positive and negative charges are separated by a hydrophobic core of the protein with a low dielectric constant. This biocapacitor can be discharged rapidly by inducing pH jump.


identifier: Dong, Peng  (2009) Design and FPGA implementation of a SISO and a MIMO wireless system for software defined radio.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: MIMO (Multiple-input Multiple-output) technology combined with space time coding techniques provides significant increase in performance and capacity over an equivalent SISO (Single-input Single-output) system while maintaining the same bandwidth and transmission power. MIMO has emerged as the major breakthrough in recent communication technologies. To migrate from SISO to MIMO system, multiple RF (Radio Frequency) front ends and additional signal processing are required. Software defined radio (SDR) allows MIMO and other evolving techniques to be added to current systems through software update instead of hardware replacement. SDR provides a flexible and economic solution to the system upgrade and migration.  In this thesis, an SDR based SISO system using QPSK modulation scheme is implemented on FPGA. The system produces signal with an intermediate frequency of 25 MHz and throughput of 12.5 Mbps. One carrier recovery and two symbol timing recovery algorithms (Gardner and Maximum Likelihood) are investigated and implemented. A 2x1 MIMO system using Alamouti scheme and CORDIC based carrier recovery is designed as well. The SDR based SISO system can be easily incorporated to the MIMO design. Throughout this thesis, detailed design information is presented along with both computer simulation results and real hardware performance. The comparisons of different algorithms and component structures are also provided. Based on these comparisons, the suitable algorithm or structure according to specific implementation considerations and system requirement can be selected.  The design and implementation are processed based on a system-level design flow. System modeling and simulation are performed using Xilinx's System Generator for DSP and Simulink. After it is mapped to HDL (Hardware Description Language) netlist, the design is synthesized and implemented by Xilinx's ISE tool. The generated bit-stream is then downloaded to target FPGA to program the device. The hardware performance is measured by BER (Bit Error Rate) tester, oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer.  This thesis is an initial project for future work of Wireless Design Laboratory at Concordia University. The system realized in this project can be viewed as a base of future MIMO implementation with different number of antennas and advanced signal processing techniques.


identifier: Koraginjala, Ganesh  (2009) Fault recovery in discrete-event systems with intermittent and permanent failures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: As systems grow more complex to cater to demanding operational requirements, they tend to suffer from increasing component failures. It is important to minimize the effect of these failures on the overall performance of these systems. In this thesis, fault recovery using discrete event systems theory is studied.  It is assumed that the plant can be modeled as a finite state automaton, and that is prone to failures. For this study all events are assumed observable and the extension to the case of partial observation is left for future research. The problem of the synthesis of fault recovery procedures is studied. In particular, the cases are studied in which the plant may return to normal operation. This could be either because the failures are intermittent or because the plant has the capacity to repair or reset. Both of the above cases are studied in this thesis.  It turns out that the problem is an instance of the problem of robust nonblocking supervisory control for countably infinite number of plants. The objective of the thesis is to obtain maximally permissive solution for the above problem. It is shown that the desired supervisor can be obtained as the maximally permissive solution of a robust control problem involving a bounded number of plants. Furthermore, an iterative procedure is provided to solve the original problem involving an infinite number of plants. The procedure is guaranteed to converge in a bounded number of steps. Several examples are provided to illustrate the proposed procedures


identifier: Khoshneviss, Hesam  (2008) Collaborative techniques for achieving spatial diversity in wireless networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recently, there has been lots of interest in techniques that achieve spatial diversity to improve the reliability and/or the rate of the transmission in wireless networks. To achieve spatial diversity the transmitters need to be equipped with more than one antenna. To obtain maximum diversity gain, the fading among these antennas should be uncorrelated and hence the antennas should be well separated. This is usually not possible due to the cost and the small size of the wireless devices. In this case, the only way to achieve spatial diversity is a new technique which is known as cooperative diversity. In this technique, diversity is achieved through collaboration between the transmitting nodes in the network  In this thesis, we develop a collaboration protocol and a practical coding strategy for the collaborative communication in a three node network with no knowledge of channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter side. Unlike most other works, we have used a variable time-fraction scheme as the basis of our protocol and will show that this protocol achieves full diversity while providing a noticeable coding gain. Then, assuming the availability of the channel state information at the transmitters via a simple feedback from the destination to the relay or to both the source and the relay, we collaboration protocols for both feedback scenarios. The performance of all of these protocols has been obtained using Monte Carlo simulations and has been compared with the outage probability of a single transmitter scenario. We have also obtained constant gain contours that demonstrate the loci of the relay that guarantees a minimum gain for all three scenarios.


identifier: Shah, Abhaykumar Babulal  (2009) EMTP-RV investigation of a Mho relay model for protection of 500 kV series compensated transmission lines.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission lines are designed to transfer large amounts of electrical power from one place to another. The lines being left open to the environment (wind and bad weather) constitute a major reason for incidence of faults on the lines. The stability of the entire power system is influenced by the occurrence of faults on the high voltage transmission lines. Once a fault occurs on such a system, a delay in clearing the fault is usually not allowable; therefore, protective relays are installed to protect the lines. On the other hand, many methods have been investigated to increase the power transfer capability of existing transmission line systems. Due to the cost and environmental concerns, a number of series compensated lines and parallel lines are being employed in power system. Series compensation has been widely used for upgrading existing power systems to compensate for the inductive reactance of long transmission lines. Adding series capacitors makes sense because they are relatively inexpensive, simple and could be installed for 20% to 30% of the total cost of the installation of a new transmission line. They can also provide the advantages of better voltage regulation, increased system capability and reduced system losses.  This thesis presents the detailed development of a Mho distance relay model and the residual current compensation in EMTP-RV. The Mho distance relay model is tested for the protection of two parallel 500 kV, 280 km long transmission lines which are 40% compensated by fixed series capacitors installed at their remote end. A current compensation technique is used to compensate for the error and detects correct fault location under earth fault conditions. The relay model detects faults by measuring and comparing phase angles between two input (voltage and current) signals through a phase comparator, using four specially shaped characteristics (three forward zones and one reverse zone) and applying appropriate logic functions. This thesis presents the simulation results of improving the measuring accuracy of distance protection under various fault types, fault locations, fault resistances (R f ) and MOV reference voltages (V ref ). The proposed techniques provide protection at high speed and discriminate between internal and external faults. The fault location based Mho distance relay works satisfactorily in most cases.  Index terms: Series compensated line, distance algorithm, transmission line protection, EMTP-RV, simulation, current compensation


identifier: Denman, William  (2009) Towards the automated modelling and formal verification of analog designs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The verification of analog circuits remains a very time consuming and expensive part of the design process. Complete simulation of the state space is not possible; a line is drawn by the designer when it is deemed that enough sets of inputs and outputs have been covered and therefore the circuit is "verified". Unfortunately, bugs could still exist and for safety critical applications this is not acceptable. As well, a bug in the design could lead to costly recalls and a loss of revenue. Formal methods, which use mathematical logic to prove correctness of a design have been developed. However, available techniques for the formal verification of analog circuits are plagued by inaccuracies and a high level of user effort and interaction. We propose in this thesis a complete methodology for the modelling and formal verification of analog circuits. Bond graphs, which are based on the flow of power, are used to automatically extract the circuit's system of Ordinary Differential Equations. Subsequently, two formal verification methods, one based on automated theorem proving with MetiTarski, the other on predicate abstraction based model checking with HybridSal, are then used to verify functional properties on the extracted models. The methodology proposed is mechanical in nature and can be made completely automated. We apply this modelling and verification methodology on a set of analog designs that exhibit complex non-linear behaviour.


identifier: Walker, Nicholas  (2009) The development and feasibility of a speech recognition-enabled virtual patient for training francophone nurses to conduct medical history interviews in English.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Low language proficiency remains a significant barrier to healthcare access for many patients throughout the world. Training healthcare professionals in the language of their minority language patients, therefore, should lead to greater healthcare access, lowered costs, better health outcomes, and improved patient satisfaction (Zambrana, Molnar, Munoz, & Lopez, 2004). One important aspect of language training involves the development of accessible, appropriate, and pedagogically sound language training materials. The first goal of this thesis is to describe the development of the "Virtual Language Patient," a computer-based language training module based on the Virtual Dialogue Method (Harless, Zier, & Duncan, 1999). The prototype system under consideration employs automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology, using video clips of a simulated medical history interview with a minority language patient. The second goal of this thesis is to report the findings of a proof-of-concept feasibility study where the ease of operability and fitness of purpose of this prototype system were explored. Five nursing-students at a French language nursing college in Quebec reported the system to be easy to operate and fit for their anticipated language learning needs in terms of target language, choice of interlocutor, mode of interaction, task type, and corrective feedback. Training effects on participants' pronunciation scores, speech rate, and sense of preparedness for real life medical interviews suggest that the system can be effective in language training for healthcare professionals. Implications for the improvement of this and future virtual dialogue systems are also discussed.


identifier: Mirshafii, Leila  (2009) Rethinking interfaith pedagogy : a snapshot of one Middle Eastern country's public school interfaith education.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Students in the Middle East are being educated to believe that adherents of other religions are malevolent, evil and their enemy. These misconceptions or the `psycho politics of fear' influence their outlook towards the world and once this prejudiced attitude is formed, it can become resilient to change. The negative effects of such beliefs could in practice translate into destructive results both in their own destiny and that of the human community at large.  This paper looks at the process by which such indoctrination takes place at the schools of one Middle Eastern country. In order to do so, the middle school level (grades 6-8) Islamic Culture and Religious Studies textbooks were researched and examined for different types, themes and methods of indoctrination. The study then strives to shed some light on the fear that underlies a prejudiced education. Finally, this paper recommends exploring different models of an `interfaith education' that aim to be free from prejudice and bias: a "critical interfaith education" which embraces diversity of human community and is based on the themes forwarded by the UNESCO 1974 Recommendation.


identifier: Lamarche, Janet  (2009) The meaning of genesis 14:11-24 : a syntactical and redactional analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: As stated in the title, the purpose of this thesis is to determine the meaning of Genesis 14 in its canonical context. This perspective has been lacking in scholarship. While scholars past and present have focused on the understanding of shalem as Jerusalem and thus on the Melchizedek episode; this study, however, intends to demonstrate that the meaning is, in fact, connected to chapter 13. In light if this, an analyses of both the unity within the chapter as well as within the Genesis corpus will be examined. Additionally, the word shalem will be examined in order to determine whether an association with Jerusalem is certain. Finally, an alternative interpretation will be presented with the aim of opening up new avenues of thought.


identifier: Brogan, Brendan M  (2008) Vietnam/ese/ness in translation : a micro-cosmopolitan approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper addresses issues of modern-day Vietnamese identity, through the lens of "micro-cosmopolitan" translation theory. Proposed by Michael Cronin in 2006, micro-cosmopolitanism was particularly well suited to the languages observed in this study: Vietnamese, English, and French. Translations from Vietnamese to English and French are presented along with the work of prominent Vietnam scholars from a variety of disciplines. These are observed through a theoretical framework that looks to undermine conventional wisdom, engage in "intercultural fractal traveling", and seeks to further complexify translation phenomena it encounters. The approach also allows for a broad range of topics to be explored, thereby providing translation studies a comprehensive introduction to a language and identity the field has yet to explore in any depth. This study looks at areas familiar to translation scholars in chapters on language, poetry, literature, the media, and internet. Substantial historical background is included in order to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary Vietnamese identity as expressed in translation. Along the way, research has revealed much about the practice of translation in contemporary Vietnam, as well as the prominent role translation has played throughout this ancient nation's history. The innovative tools offered by micro-cosmopolitanism have helped create a study that would be of interest to anyone interested in translation, Vietnam, and the current status of an identity crafted via translation.


identifier: Kim, Gi Hyun  (2008) Shantytown formation as an anti-systemic historical process : a world-system study on Peruvian social transformation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Shantytown formation in Peru has widely been understood as a simple informal housing formation by the urban poor in Peru. Most studies have tried to determine the cause of shantytown formation and concluded that it is caused by extreme rural poverty and expanding inequalities between the rural and urban areas resulting in the migration of the impoverished to the cities. Yet, they did not provide more comprehensive and historical analysis in terms of how such social process begun and evolved. The purpose of this research is to offer a comprehensive interpretation by identifying a long-durée historical trajectory that led shantytown formation in Lima. By tracing back to the time when Lima was established as the capital city of Peru in 1532, this research situates this process in the longer and larger context of Peruvian social transformation beyond the twentieth century and the Peruvian society. Using the method of historical sociology, this study pays attention to crucial historical events and transformation by proposing five different time periods starting from 1532 to the present. This study found out that there are the underlying historical processes and structures of the capitalist world-system which led to the shantytown formation in Lima, and it is possible to interpret that shantytown formation is a part of a long-durée anti-systemic process against the exploitive capitalist world-system. Moreover, the shantytowns have served crucial social functions in contemporary Peru and the inhabitants have become crucial agents of social change by providing a new path for Peruvian social transformation.


identifier: Renahan, Andrew  (2009) Towards a transcendent good : Charles Taylor and the challenge of articulating a postmodern moral identity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The theory presented by Charles Taylor in Sources of the Self, his tome on modem identity, constitutes what I consider to be an original and necessary contribution to the field of moral philosophy. I contend that Taylorian theory usurps the dominant paradigm of post-Enlightenment, modem "naturalist" philosophy wherein meaning is limited to subjectivity. In Taylorian theory moral agency depends upon making contact with the plurality of "moral sources" that populate reality, influencing the development of substantive moral identities through "engaged" rational reflection and "articulation" of these "goods".  My thesis argues that in going beyond the modern paradigm of "disengaged" reason and "radical subjectivity" Taylor enters the context of postmodern philosophy identified most strongly by the work of French philosophers Jacques Derrida and Jean-Francois Lyotard. Taylor's theory shares core postmodern concerns for difference, pluralism and the experience of non-subjective reality. Further, I assert that Taylor presents a framework wherein the idea of a postmodern identity does not intuit a post- moral identity and that religious agents, those who orient their sense of the "good" towards a transcendent, completely other "moral source", are uniquely well equipped to illustrate what a postmodern moral identity can consist of, and finally that Taylor himself "articulates" just such a radical account.


identifier: Mckay-Dubois, Joëlle  (2009) La figure du père dans le roman québécois contemporain : Un homme plain d'envance de Gilles Archambault et Le Siècle de Jeanne d'Yvon Rivard.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Quebec, the father's role has suffered a great deal of transformations, and this, mostly across the last century. Since the 1980's, more and more research studies the concept of paternity. Moreover, paternity has found itself in many Quebec novels since 1850. Gilles Archambault's Un homme plein d'enfance, and Yvon Rivard's Le Siècle de Jeanne, in which the protagonists are Claude and Alexandre, present the stories of two men of the same generation who are similar in several respects. They are both in their fifties and live separated from the mother of their daughter who is an adult herself at the time the story is told. One is a photographer, the other is a writer; however, both have spent much more time working than spending time or caring for their daughter. They are now tormented by remorse, realizing they have been absent during an important period of their daughter's life: childhood. The obvious marked difference between the two characters is the valuable relationship which Alexandre shares with his granddaughter, Jeanne. In their quest to rectify the abandoned childhood of their daughter, Claude, by coming closer to his daughter, and Alexandre, by building a link with his granddaughter Jeanne, will both become able to exonerate the errors of the past. However, Alexandre's grand-parenting will make him victorious in the end. Indeed, while the great In Quebec, the father's role has suffered a great deal of transformations, and this, mostly across the last century. Since the 1980's, more and more research studies the concept of paternity. Moreover, paternity has found itself in many Quebec novels since 1850. Gilles Archambault's Un homme plein d'enfance, and Yvon Rivard's Le Siècle de Jeanne, in which the protagonists are Claude and Alexandre, present the stories of two men of the same generation who are similar in several respects. They are both in their fifties and live separated from the mother of their daughter who is an adult herself at the time the story is told. One is a photographer, the other is a writer; however, both have spent much more time working than spending time or caring for their daughter. They are now tormented by remorse, realizing they have been absent during an important period of their daughter's life: childhood. The obvious marked difference between the two characters is the valuable relationship which Alexandre shares with his granddaughter, Jeanne. In their quest to rectify the abandoned childhood of their daughter, Claude, by coming closer to his daughter, and Alexandre, by building a link with his granddaughter Jeanne, will both become able to exonerate the errors of the past. However, Alexandre's grand-parenting will make him victorious in the end. Indeed, while the great majority of novels published since 1995 offer a distressing image of the father's role, Le Siècle de Jeanne lets us hope that the figure of the father will further evolve positively.


identifier: Craven, Ryan John  (2009) Mainstreaming the perception and practice of ethical fashion in Montreal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A growing body of literature in geography has been problematizing an emerging trend in contemporary economics characterized as 'alternative'. Most of this literature has focused on the food sector, and the turn to 'quality' within this sector as a means of differentiation from the 'mainstream'. Whereas the mainstream sector is characterized by the large, global scale and corporate context, the alternative food sector is associated with the small, local scale and the independent context. This thesis takes the exploration of alternative economics to the realm of fashion, with an investigation of the ethical fashion industry in Montreal, Canada. This investigation takes the form of a case study, based on 38 semi-structured interviews with designers, retailers and intermediaries of the Montreal industry. The results of this case study explore the dynamic and evolving relations implicated in the promotional strategies of Montreal's ethical fashion industry. My findings highlight the limits to the alternative/mainstream dichotomy. Strategic tactics on the part of ethical fashion producers and retailers, whereby both 'ethical' and 'non-ethical' imagery and products are deployed, suggest that alternative economic processes are more likely to be situated along an alternative-mainstream continuum and that the points of alternative/mainstream convergence merit further investigation from a theoretical and policy standpoint.