identifier: Pournazeri, Shaghayegh  (2013) Prediction of turbulent flow and scour around bridge piers: Development of a non-hydrostatic model with non-uniform sediments.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The prevention and control of bridge scour is a challenging element in bridge-pier foundation design. Sediment scour from around the piers has been a main cause of all bridge failures. For the cost-effective and reliable design of pier foundations, one needs accurate prediction of flow-inducing scour. Such prediction can be obtained from numerical modelling, as a good extension of experimental results.  General CFD software packages are incapable to simulate sediment transport (bedload) and bed-level change (scour/deposition). Some numerical models have been developed for bedload and scour simulations, but there are two major limitations: (1) the bed sediments are assumed to have uniform grain size which is not true in natural river channels; (2) the modelling techniques are not computationally efficient for applications at the field scale. Thus, new modelling techniques for scour prediction are needed.
The objectives of this research are: (1) to modify an existing shallow-water hydrodynamics model to allow for non-hydrostatic pressure corrections; (2) to improve the prediction of bed shear stress, a key parameter for bedload prediction; (3) to incorporate a new module for calculating bedload of mixed sediment-grain sizes; (4) to verify the model’s prediction with existing experimental data.
For pressure corrections, a seven-diagonal linear system is added to the model, which is symmetric and positively defined. This system is numerically solved for non-hydrostatic pressure through preconditioned conjugate gradient iterations. Then, corrections to velocity and water surface elevation due to non-hydrostatic pressure are obtained. Fractional bedload calculations are based on a surface-based transport function, which depends on a particle-hiding factor, bed shear stress, and grain size distribution. Bed level change caused by bedload is calculated using the Exner equation added to the model.
    The new model successfully predicts 3-D velocities around a circular pier in a fixed scour-hole and scour development on a mobile bed with uniform and non-uniform sediments. We improve bed shear stress prediction by using near-bottom velocities, as opposed to the widely used bottom-layer velocity, in the wall function method. Velocity and scour depth predictions agree well with experimental data. We show that scour emerges from the lateral sides of a pier, and scour patterns move toward its upstream nose. On the upstream side, relative to the pier’s centre, scour depth increases until the bed slope reaches the angle of repose of sediments. On the downstream side, scour continues until equilibrium is reached. Scour is deeper on the upstream than downstream side. Non-uniformity in grain sizes tends to reduce the magnitude of scour. The presence of the pier causes a strong vortex at its foot on the upstream side, which effectively moves sediments toward downstream. On the upstream side, the scour-hole’s outer shape is almost half a cone, true for both uniform and non-uniform sediments. These findings have implications to foundation design. The modelling techniques presented in this study are computationally efficient and are practical for applications at the field scale, which have been difficult so far.


identifier: Nazim, T. Noah J.  (2013) You Are Not Alone.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: You Are Not Alone

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
The stories collected in You Are Not Alone are each intimately concerned with the jouissance referred to in Lacanian psychoanalysis: the thrill or excitation that lies constantly out of reach of both language and law, such that its pursuit frequently requires that the subject transgress from pleasure and enjoyment (where the jouissance is carefully regulated) to pain and dread (where the jouissance is beyond anyone's control). As the title of the collection suggests, each story revolves around characters grappling with their own isolation and coming to terms with the presence of the Other – the effects of which range from the cathartic to the terrifying.

From a trio of fetishists in “Philia,” to a monstrous encounter in a rural Malaysian village in “Pontianak,” to a political rally on the streets of inner-city Kuala Lumpur in “Bersih,” I explore how jouissance can be, paradoxically, both the great unifier and divider of subjects. We find characters whose personal jouissance, be it in the form of enjoyment or suffering, seems to alienate them from the rest of the world. Only by apprehending the jouissance felt by the Other––a friend, a stranger, or a monster––and by feeling the Other's pain and pleasure as acutely as one's own, can the subject reach beyond the lonely confines of private turmoil towards a point of solidarity and kinship: a jouissance of the Other.


identifier: Pobjoy, Kathryn Amara  (2013) Story Logic.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Story Logic

abstract:
My project is a heterogeneous collection of short fictions whose concerns, methods, or influences are, variously, metafictional, feminist, generic (in the sense of “genre fiction”), theatrical, and realist. Through five stories I explore the relationships between reader and character, author and character, and reader and author. I am interested in the ways in which the individuals in these relationships affect each other, and in turn, how the stories are affected by these relationships.
	Each story in this collection addresses the nebulous quality and logic of storytelling. Some characters in this collection are at the mercy of their own confining narrative structure, as is the case in the fairy tale vignettes in “Cautionary Tales”, while other characters find that they are able to move beyond the limitations that initially restricted them, as we see in “Summer”, a coming of age story about a girl whose passage into adulthood has been hindered by her own tendency to fabricate details about her own life. In other pieces I play with perspective and explore the objectification that can occur through certain skewed points of view, as is the case in “These Foolish Things” and “Dead Letters”. And finally, in “Nomination” I explore the intricate, intimate practice of naming and the author-character relationship it creates between the name giver and the person receiving the name.
	Through this collection I aim to encourage the reader to examine his or her own position and complicity in the fates of the protagonists in these stories. By playing with and twisting familiar narrative shapes, established tropes and the expectations of the reader, I hope to explore how the delicate relationships between author, character and reader affect the shape a story takes and the logic it follows.


identifier: Kuang, Heng  (2013) Towards a Formal Reactive Autonomic Systems Framework using Category Theory.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Software complexity is the main obstacle to further progress in IT industry, as the difficulty of managing complex and massive computing systems goes well beyond IT administrators’ capabilities. One of the remaining options is autonomic computing, which helps to address complexity by using technology to manage technology in terms of hiding and removing low level complexities from end users.
Real-time reactive systems are some of the most complex systems that have become increasingly heterogeneous and intelligent. Thus, we want to add autonomic features to real-time reactive systems by building a formal framework, Reactive Autonomic Systems Framework (RASF), which can leverage specification, modeling and development of Reactive Autonomic Systems (RAS). With autonomic behavior, the real-time reactive systems are more self-managed to themselves and more adaptive to their environment.
Formal methods are proven approaches to ensure the correct operation of complex interacting systems. However, many current formal approaches do not have appropriate mechanisms to specify RAS and have not addressed well on verifying self-management behavior, which is one of the most important features of the RAS. The management of evolving specifications and analysis of changes require a specification structure, which can isolate those changes in a small number of components and analyze the impacts of a change on interconnected components. Category theory has been proposed as a framework to offer that structure; it has a rich body of theory to reason about objects and their relations. Furthermore, category theory adopts a correct by construction approach by which components can be specified, proved and composed in the way of preserving their properties.
In the multi-agent community, agent-based approach is considered as a natural way to model and implement autonomic systems, as the ability of an autonomous agent can be easily mapped to the self-management behaviors in autonomic systems. Thus, many ideas from the Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) community can be adapted to implement the autonomic systems, such as the self-management behavior, automatic group formation, interfacing and evolution.
Therefore, in terms of achieving our research goal, we need to i) build an architecture and corresponding communication mechanism for modeling both reactive and autonomic behavior of the RAS, ii) formally specify the architecture, communication and behavior above using category theory, iii) design and implement the architecture, communication as well as behavior of the RAS model by the MAS approach with its implementation and iv) illustrate our RASF methodology and approach with case studies.


identifier: Badreddine, Amne  (2013) Accessibility of Wheelchair Users To Residential Units Under the National Building Code.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Residential buildings are buildings used for dwelling purposes with two identified types which are Houses and Multi-story buildings. The national disability rate in Canada is 14.65 per cent, with statistics expecting 25 per cent of the population to be 65 years old and more in 2051; the accessibility and usability of residential building for wheelchair users is not guaranteed under the National Building Code (NBC), which means a significant part of the population do not have suitable buildings to live in.
	Universal Design (UD) Concept raises the idea of a different attitude towards design; which is consistent with human needs with all their variety and diversity.
	The present thesis argues that Occupant Accessibility (OA) is one of the objectives of the National Building Code (NBC) in Canada. The analysis of the related articles illustrates that wheelchair users face barriers in their path to residential units. A list of recommendations is proposed to be adopted by NBC to have real Barrier-free requirements without any need for adaptation or segregation, and where occupants, with all their variety and diversity, get a decent habitation.
	The present research also highlights on Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a revolutionary approach in the construction industry that deals with a building's life-cycle phases in a new way of thinking and execution. A proposal for the integration of Universal Design (UD) concept into the Building Information Modelling (BIM) ideology to be part of its database is suggested by creating new universal design (UD) families in Revit software which is a main BIM tool.


identifier: Faraz, Zunaira  (2013) The Information Content of Corporate Governance Ratings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Several corporate governance rating agencies in recent years have introduced quantitative measures of corporate governance rating for publicly traded firms. Firms invest significant resources to be rated by such agencies as they anticipate potential benefits for investors. One potential benefit is the reduction in information asymmetry between firms and investors. We examine the cross-sectional relation between commercial corporate governance ratings of firms and their contemporaneous information asymmetry proxies. We use two leading governance rating agencies; Governance Metrics International (GMI) and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and six information asymmetry proxies and find a significant relation between the ratings and several measures of information asymmetry.  We, however, find no significant impact on information asymmetry level of firms around the first time they get rated.  In addition, contrary to our expectations, we find a negative significant relation between highly rated firms and the cumulative abnormal returns around the announcement date but insignificant relation for low or moderately rated firms.  Overall, our results suggest that governance ratings are related to the information environment surrounding a firm.


identifier: Milliken, Christopher  (2013) In Search of Reciprocity Across a Standards Based Assessment Reform Network in Maine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Maine Arts Assessment Initiative is a network of arts teachers and Maine Department of Education organizers who are fostering leadership in standards based learning and assessment. This study sought to answer the question: What is the reciprocal flow of ideas between a group of students, their teacher and the organizers of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative?  To answer the question a case study employing ethnographic methods borrowed from  Spradley’s ethnographic interview process was used (1972).  Three findings emerged: Standards based instruction and assessment requires that teachers qualify learning rather than quantify it, which requires major changes in classroom practices; the quantities of standards that are being developed at the state and national level are perhaps untenable; and the demands of creating a classroom community require and constrain teachers to employ sufficiency and efficiency that may be an obstacle to implementing standards based instruction.


identifier: Cui, TingTing  (2013) Biogeography of Free-living and Particle-Associated Bacteria in the St. Lawrence Estuary.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) is a productive ecosystem characterized by steep
gradients in salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO). The SLE has been well studied in terms
of physical and chemical properties, however bacterial diversity and community structure
have not been documented in this large estuarine system. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene
surveys to assess the bacterial community structure of both the free-living (FL) and
particle-associated (PA) fractions of the bacterial community. Non-metric
multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordinations and ANOSIM analysis showed that
bacterial communities inhabiting particles were distinct from those found free-living in
the water column, and this structure held true for both surface communities and those
inhabiting the bottom waters. Taxonomic assignment of 16S DNA sequences revealed a
shift in the bacterial community structure along the surface salinity gradient of the SLE.
In general, Proteobacteria were more common in the free-living fraction, while
Bacteroidetes were more commonly associated with particles. Moreover, particleassociated
bacterial communities had an abundance of Alteromonadales in the deep
hypoxic waters and free-living bacteria exhibited a greater abundance of Marine Group A
and Delta-proteobacteria. These findings are shedding light on the diversity of bacterial
taxa inhabiting the SLE and further metagenomic analysis will elucidate the metabolic
contribution of these bacterial communities.


identifier: Serge, Luba  (2013) Benny Farm: The state, the community, and conflict.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The Benny Farm case study is an examination of the urban redevelopment process in a project originally built for veterans of World War II. In 1991, the federal crown corporation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), that owned and managed the project proposed to rehouse the aging tenants on a portion of the site and to demolish the existing buildings and sell the land. These plans were vigorously opposed by local activists as well as heritage preservationists and housing advocates. In 1998 these groups were consolidated into an organization that eventually was incorporated as the Fonds Foncier Communautaire Benny Farm, which sought to preserve the buildings and redevelop the project for social housing. During the same period the property was transferred to another crown corporation, the Canada Lands Company (CLC).
The evolution of the federal role as it moved from the welfare state to neoliberalism is examined. The transition from CMHC to CLC exemplifies the roll-back and roll-out stages of neoliberalism, as redevelopment of Benny Farm went from being primarily driven by the goal of divestment and transferring the property to the private sector to active leadership in defining the process and the outcome of the redevelopment. Through this evolution, changes in dealing with community resistance and opposition are highlighted as are the constraints and ability of community groups to sustain a lengthy process of contestation and opposition. Key to this process has been the role of Canada Lands Company, as a quasi-governmental agency.  In possession of strategically located properties, the federal level is a major determinant in the shape of urban areas.


identifier: Volkova, Anastassia  (2013) Shareholder or Management Rights Plan?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Shareholder or Management Rights Plan?

abstract: This dissertation analyses the market reaction upon the announcement of corporations’ intent to adopt a poison pill, in Canada and in the United States. The two neighbouring countries have different takeover landscapes and dissimilar regulatory requirements faced by targets in light of the defense adoption. Two hypotheses are put forward in this study: the managerial entrenchment and the shareholders’ wealth maximization. Data on all poison pill announcements between January 1st, 1983 and December 31st, 2010 was collected, yielding 672 and 8,862 Canadian and U.S. announcements, respectively. Event study methodology was employed to identify the existence of market reaction around the announcement news. Empirical results support the shareholders’ wealth maximization hypothesis for both the U.S. and the Canadian sample characterized by significantly positive cumulative abnormal returns during the event window, with the Canadian sample demonstrating more positive abnormal returns. Additionally, the U.S. sample of issuing companies is examined further and a transition from a negative market reaction in the early 1980s to significantly positive abnormal returns in 1990s and 2000s is documented. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the proportion of institutional investors in target firms announcing the adoption of poison pills positively benefited the target by being partially responsible for more positive market reaction in light of the announcement news.


identifier: Wardini, Rima  (2013) Compliance to Different Exercise-Training Protocols in Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Rationale: Current guidelines for pulmonary rehabilitation suggest high-intensity exercise training for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, compliance to this type of training is problematic. Alternative approaches, such as training at the ventilatory threshold and interval training, have been proposed as easier to comply with. The objectives of this study were to: 1) compare patient compliance to three exercise-training protocols: continuous training at high-intensity (CTHI), continuous training at the ventilatory threshold (CTVT), and interval training (IT); 2) determine if a relationship exists between exercise compliance and baseline self-efficacy in COPD patients. Methods: Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the protocols and trained on a cycle ergometer three times per week for 12 weeks. Compliance to the training protocol was measured by attendance and compliance rates to the prescribed intensity. Compliance data were obtained through data tracking technology allowing second-by-second recording of exercise-training sessions. Self-efficacy was measured using the Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: Thirty-six subjects with moderate to severe COPD participated in the study. Attendance rates did not differ significantly between groups (Mean  SD: 70 ± 33% for CTHI, 82 ± 17% for CTVT, 63 ± 35% for IT, p = 0.229). Mean compliance rates were 85.6 ± 15.0 % for CTHI, 84.1 ± 15.1 % for CTVT, and 52.0 ± 41.8 % for IT (p=0.07). Self-efficacy did not correlate with mean attendance or mean compliance to the prescribed intensity. Conclusion: The present study suggests that IT may be associated with lower compliance rates than CTHI and CTVT.


identifier: Burstein, Amanda  (2013) Remembering Who We Are in the Post-Holocaust Diaspora: Memory, Imagination, and Identity in the Work of Rafael Goldchain and Angela Grossmann.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The ways in which we remember the Holocaust individually and collectively remains a topic of critical consideration in the current day and age. Issues related to Holocaust memory have been taken up by scholars and artists alike, who question the role of remembering this history and its mediations. Examining the practices of contemporary artists Rafael Goldchain and Angela Grossmann, this thesis explores how imagined realities fit into to the processes of memory, and what their implications are for post-Holocaust art and life. The relationship between memory and the construction of personal identity is also taken up here, with a questioning of how memory (including imaginatively-mediated memory) becomes involved in the processes of personal, familial and cultural identification. This thesis will argue that alternative forms of memory work, with a focus upon imagining as remembering, are a necessary and productive means of working through the ongoing consequences of the events of the Holocaust, among the children and grandchildren of survivors who must negotiate their identities in relation to these personal and collective pasts.


identifier: Lankarany, Milad  (2013) Identification of Dynamics, Parameters and Synaptic Inputs of a Single Neuron using Bayesian Approach.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Revealing dynamical mechanisms of the brain in order to understand how it works and processes information has recently stimulated enormous interest in computational neuroscience. Understanding the behavior of a single neuron, the most important building block of the brain, is of core interest in the brain-related sciences. Application of the advanced statistical signal processing methods, e.g., Bayesian methods, in assessing the hidden dynamics and estimating the unknown parameters of a single neuron has been considered recently as of special interest in neuroscience. This thesis attempts to develop robust and efficient computational techniques based on Bayesian signal processing methods to elucidate the hidden dynamics and estimate the unknown parameters of a single neuron.
In the first part of the thesis, Kalman filtering (KF)-based algorithms are derived for the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuronal model, the most detailed biophysical neuronal model, to identify the hidden dynamics and estimate the intrinsic parameters of a single neuron from a single trace of the recorded membrane potential. The unscented KF (UKF) has already been applied to track the dynamics of the HH neuronal model in the literature. We extend the existing KF technique for the HH neuronal model to another version, namely, extended Kalman filtering (EKF). Two estimation strategies of the KF, dual and joint estimation strategies, are employed in conjunction with the EKF and UKF for simultaneously tracking the hidden dynamics and estimating the unknown parameters of a single neuron, leading to four KF algorithms, namely, joint UKF (JUKF), dual UKF (DUKF), joint EKF (JEKF) and dual EKF (DEKF).
In the second part of this thesis, the problem of inferring excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs that govern activity of neurons and process information in the brain is investigated. The importance of trial-to-trial variations of synaptic inputs has recently been investigated in neuroscience. Such variations are ignored in the most conventional techniques because they are removed when trials are averaged during linear regression techniques. Here, we propose a novel recursive algorithm based on Gaussian mixture Kalman filtering for estimating time-varying excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs from single trials of noisy membrane potential. Unlike other recent algorithms, our algorithm does not assume an a priori distribution from which the synaptic inputs are generated. Instead, the algorithm recursively estimates such a distribution by fitting a Gaussian mixture model. Moreover, a special case of the GMKF when there is only one mixand, the standard KF, is studied for the same problem.
Finally, in the third part of the thesis, inferring the synaptic input of a spiking neuron as well as estimating its dynamics and parameters is considered. The synaptic input underlying a spiking neuron can effectively elucidate the information processing mechanism of a neuron. The concept of blind deconvolution is applied to Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuronal model, for the first time in this thesis, to address the problem of reconstructing the hidden dynamics and synaptic input of a single neuron as well as estimating its intrinsic parameters only from a single trace of noisy membrane potential. The blind deconvolution is accomplished via a novel recursive algorithm based on extended Kalman filtering (EKF). EKF is then followed by the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm which estimates the statistical parameters of the HH neuronal model.
Extensive experiments are performed throughout the thesis to demonstrate the accuracy, effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed algorithms in our investigation. The performance of the proposed algorithms is compared with that of the most recent techniques in the literature. The promising results of the proposed algorithms confirm their robustness and efficiency, and suggest that they can be effectively applied to the challenging problems in neuroscience.


identifier: Nangle, Marlon Delano  (2013) What’s in it for Me? Competitive Strategy, Issue Interpretation and Practice Implementation in the Institutional Context.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

What’s in it for Me?
Competitive Strategy, Issue Interpretation and Practice Implementation in the Institutional Context

Marlon Delano Nangle

While pursuing business objectives, each organization faces the challenge of balancing competitive and institutional demands. However, for some firms the conformance to institutional pressures to adopt and fully implement a practice does not necessarily imply that the most effective and efficient choice is made. The conventional practice diffusion model tends to neglect the stage of implementation, thus in order to fill this void, attention needs to shift to the motivation and cognition surrounding the implementation decision, namely how the practice is interpreted. However, additional work is also needed to understand what factors might predict issue interpretation (Jackson and Dutton, 1988).

	Drawing theoretical insight from institutional theory, organizational agency, competitive strategy and issue interpretation I argue that a firm’s competitive strategy will influence the extent of implementation a practice receives. To conduct this study I examined the implementation patterns of a quality practice that has been introduced to the tourist accommodation industry in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. The competitive factors that lead managers to interpret the practice as an opportunity for gain versus a threat for loss were examined to better understand motivations towards an adopted practice in a competitive environment.

	Results suggest that the competitive environment does indeed influence how an adopted practice is interpreted. Further results demonstrate that there exists a strong association between issue interpretation and practice implementation extent that is arguably decided by top management beliefs regarding the value of the practice. Limitations of the study and potential avenues for future research are discussed followed by practical implications rendered applicable to business and society.


identifier: Clintberg, Mark  (2013) The Artist's Restaurant: Taste and the Performative Still Life.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis examines twentieth and twenty-first century artworks that have taken the form of food service sites of varying scale, menu, clientele, and duration, ¬and it proposes an interpretation of artist’s restaurants as a contemporary extension of the historical still life genre – that they have become performative still lifes. Seventeenth-century Dutch still life images, particularly pronk or opulent still life, and humble breakfast pieces, are addressed as counterparts to the contemporary artist’s restaurant; Ancient Greek and Roman xenia, and sixteenth and seventeenth-century market stall images are also analyzed in relationship to these contemporary artworks. Also foundational for this thesis project are the relationship between aesthetic taste and gustatory taste as taken up in eighteenth-century philosophy, as well as nineteenth-century gastronomy and restaurant practices.
Still life has at times been denigrated in philosophy and art history as a lowly genre tied to bodily impulses of appetite that confuses gustatory taste and aesthetic taste. Still life images have also been investigated for their moral significance, as representations of commodities and social conditions, as rhetorical structures, and as displays of commensality and social relations around food. This thesis investigates these very qualities as motivating factors for contemporary artists who are reinventing the genre through edible, performative still lifes. The core qualities of the institution we today call “the restaurant” are investigated with particular emphasis on their utility in defining social relations around material things. These include proto-restaurants (inns and taverns,) quasi-restaurants (street stalls, cookshops and traiteurs), and the modern restaurant. The ten artist’s restaurants that provide the case studies for this thesis use food, décor, and architecture to present rhetorical structures of seduction and persuasion to their participants. In relation to discourses of public art, these artist’s restaurants mobilize the rhetoric of “the public” to give their projects an air of urgency and they develop economies of generosity to demonstrate an investment in the well being of communities (ATSA, Spurse). Some case studies capitalize on the associations between traditional foods, ethnic and social identity, and commodities: to create forms of auto-ethnography (Rirkrit Tiravanija); to present hybrid identities (Karen Tam); to destabilize binaries of identity and policies of multiculturalism in the wake of colonialism (Carsten Höller, Peter Morin); and to confuse connections between social class and aesthetic taste (Daniel Spoerri, Dean Baldwin). Additionally artist’s restaurants that present ambiguous, difficult to identify foods are discussed in relation to the sublime, which is a form of experience that destabilizes the human subject, and to queer aesthetics, which celebrates ambiguity (Queer Food for Love, elBulli).
Still lifes that include food often describe a cumulative moment when the ingredients for a noble feast or a frugal meal come together on the table. Artists continue to explore the arrested instant before dining commences, as well as its aftermath while this thesis argues that artists’ restaurants also set in motion a new kind of performative still life, where the aesthetic qualities, physical space, social relations, and political context of the restaurant are folded into the very taste of the artwork itself.


identifier: Wu, Bai Rong  (2013) Condition based maintenance optimization using data driven methods.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In condition based maintenance (CBM), maintenance activities are scheduled based on the predicted equipment failure times, and the predictions are performed based on conditon monitoirng data, such as vibration and acoustic data. The reported health condition prediction methods can be roughly classified into model-based, and data-driven, and integrated methods. Our research mainly focuses on CBM optimization using data driven methods, such as proportional hazards model (PHM) and artificial neural network (ANN), which don't require equipment physical models.
In CBM optimization using PHM, the accuracy of parameter estimation for PHM greatly affects the effectiveness of the optimal maintenance policy. Directly using collected condition monitoring data may
iv
introduce noise into the CBM optimization, and thus the optimal maintenance policy obtained based on this model may not be really optimal. Therefore, a data processing method, where the actual measurements are fitted first using the Generalized Weibull-FR function, is proposed to remove the external noise before fitting it into the PHM.
Effective CBM optimization methods utilizing ANN prediction information are currently not available due to two key challenges: (1) ANN prediction models typically only give a single remaining life prediction value, and it is hard to quantify the uncertainty associated with the predicted value; (2) simulation methods are generally used for evaluating the cost of the CBM policies, while more accurate and efficient numerical methods are not available. Therefore, we propose an ANN based CBM optimization approach and a numerical cost evaluation method to address those key challenges.
It is observed that the prediction accuracy often improves with the increase of the age of the component. Therefore, we develop a method to quantify the remaining life prediction uncertainty considering the prediction accuracy improvements by modeling the relationship between the mean value as well as standard deviation of prediction error and the life percentage. An effective CBM optimization approach is also proposed to optimize the maintenance schedule.
The proposed approaches are demonstrated using some simulated degradation data sets as well as some real-world vibration monitoring data set. They contribute to the general knowledge of CBM, and have the potential to greatly benefit various industries.


identifier: Folco, Joseph  (2013) “A Crisis of Masculinity?”: The Intersection of Gender, Illness, and Selfhood in the Narratives of Prostate Cancer Survivors.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis in Socio-Cultural Anthropology explores the way prostate cancer, as an illness experience, influences the masculinity and identity of survivors. It draws on theory from the subfield of Medical Anthropology and Masculinity Studies to demonstrate the complex relationship between gender, illness, and selfhood. Based on data collected during five months of fieldwork in Montréal in summer 2012, this research illustrates highlights the importance and strength of the narrative method in anthropological methodology, particularly when exploring issues related to illness and identity. In addition, it proposes possible future avenues of study in prostate cancer research such as how homosexual men, African-American or Afro-Caribbean men, and the partners and spouses of those diagnosed cope and understand the illness and its side effects. While this thesis focuses on Montréal, it demonstrates how prostate cancer is an individualized and personal experience, which can only be understood if a range of cultural and contextual factors is considered. In particular, understanding how cultural and sexual diversity impacts the illness experience of men differently is imperative for prostate cancer research, support groups and awareness programs, and both healthcare institutions and its practitioners.


identifier: Hosseini, Seyed Babak  (2013) A Lagrangean Relaxation Approach for the Modular Hub Location Problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Hub location problems deal with the location of hub facilities and the allocation of the demand nodes to hub facilities so as to effectively route the demand between origin–destination pairs. Transportation systems such as mail, freight, passenger and even telecommunication systems most often employ hub and spoke networks to provide a strong balance between high service quality and low costs resulting in an economically competitive operation. In this study the Modular Hub Location Problem (Multiple assignments without direct connections) (MHLP-MA) is introduced. A Lagrangean relaxation method is used to approximately solve large scale instances. It relaxes a set of complicating constraints to efficiently obtain lower and upper bounds on the optimal solution of the problem. Computational experiments are performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of the proposed model and solution method.


identifier: Zeng, Wei  (2013) Risk Analysis for Supplier Selection Problem using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the onset of globalization, the proper selection of suppliers is more critical and important than before. An enterprise can generally select the suppliers by setting up the criteria based on pricing, quality, reliability, and knowledge of industry trends. At the same time, the impact of unexpected and unpredicted risks involved in the suppliers’ performance such as cost increase, delivery delay and poor quality cannot be ignored. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a quantitative approach to support decision makers to evaluate and select the best supplier under the risky environment.
To gain the knowledge of risk analysis, supplier selection, Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), a systematical and comprehensive literature research was conducted. Moreover, interviews with purchasing managers were performed at a major chemical product manufacture.
In this work, an FMEA risk analysis methodology was proposed, and it was used to cope with a real case of supplier selection. FMEA evaluation schemes were created for calculating “discounts” for the criteria scores according to the seriousness of the risk situations. The result not only ranking suppliers by risk-discounted scores, but also can inform decision makers that where risks come from, how serious they are and the possibility of detecting and controlling the risks.
This practice indicates that it can be applied to support decision makers consider more issues than just choose the “best” supplier by using numerical tool, which opens important future research directions.


identifier: Gondos, Andrea  (2013) Kabbalah in Print: Literary Strategies of Popular Mysticism in Early Modernity.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation examines the ways in which an early seventeenth century author, Yissachar Baer ben Petahyah Moshe, reorganized and represented Jewish mystical knowledge for popular consumption. Drawing on David Ruderman’s recent work on Early Modern Jewry, the central argument of my dissertation is that Yissachar Baer’s literary strategies of representing Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) were informed by three interconnected factors that defined the early modern Jewish experience: 1) the technological invention of the printing press and its subsequent impact on the social, cultural, and intellectual development of the period; 2) the rise of a secondary elite for whom printing opened up opportunities to access new areas of intellectual inquiry and who became important cultural agents in reorganizing and representing knowledge to new readers; 3) enhanced mobility which resulted in the emergence of intellectual networks that facilitated the exchange of ideas and at times effaced while at other times enforced social and cultural boundaries.
Each of Yissachar Baer’s four extant works, printed in Prague between 1609-1611, constitute a deliberate strategy to promote a new cultural paradigm for the transmission of knowledge. First, in Pithei Yah (Portals of God) the abridgment form enabled him to condense Moses Cordovero’s kabbalisic encyclopedia, the Pardes Rimonim, into a concise guide to the main principles of Kabbalah. Second, in Yesh Sakhar (There is Reward), the fusion of the halakhic statements of the Zohar with the literary framework of the Shulkhan Arukh served to harmonize the legal and mystical dimensions of Judaism and to empower ordinary Jews to enhance their daily performance of the commandments by comprehending the attendant kabbalistic overtones. Third, in composing a lexicon to the Zohar, in Imrei Binah (Words of Understanding) he aimed to ease the user’s access to the Aramaic original, which presented a considerable cognitive barrier to the non-elite reader. Finally, elucidation of the peshat or literal meaning of zoharic words and expressions in his Mekor Hokhmah (The Source of Wisdom) provided a tool for a non-specialist reader to augment one’s weekly reading of the Torah with insights into its deeper, mystical registers.


identifier: Jafroodi, Nima  (2013) COMMUNICATION AND PROTOCOL SATISFACTION IN ERASMUS.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Over the last few years, the major chip manufactures have shifted from single core towards multicore architectures, because they realized the difficulties of increasing the clock speed of processors. The spread of multicore architectures have a pervasive effect on the performance of software. In the past, application programs would effectively speed up by itself over time, but this free ride is over.
With the advent of multicore processors, enhancement in the performance of applications depends upon making effective use of hardware parallelism. As a result, parallel programming has suddenly become relevant for all computer systems.
Unfortunately, parallel programming is very hard. Instead of doing everything in a sequential fashion, programmers need to ensure that their programs are designed in a way that is able to do many tasks simultaneously. As an example, in a computer game, one can’t just put every game character in a separate process, running on different CPUs. What if one processor is a little faster than another, resulting in one game character moving faster than another? Somehow programmers have to ensure that all the elements of their game are synchronized, even if they are running on
different threads, across multiple cores.
Programming languages can make it much easier for developers to write error free parallel programs. But the problem is that most mainstream languages do not provide suitable abstractions for expressing and controlling concurrency. Specifically, object oriented programming languages, the
currently dominant paradigm, which provide concurrency through multi-threading. Object oriented programming languages are already very complex. For instance, Java provides fourteen different ways of controlling access to a variable. Adding concurrency to that makes it even harder for programmers to keep track of all concurrency issues such as shared variables, critical regions control,
data races, and . . . .
The primary parallel programming language with a strong and safe support for concurrency is the Occam that is based on Tony Hoare’s CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes). CSP is a process calculi that fully specifies process synchronization by mathematical notations. Despite
its simple formalism, CSP turned out to be hard to implement efficiently. Several programming
languages based on CSP appeared quickly, but they placed various restrictions on communication
protocols in order to make the implementation efficient.
This thesis contributes to the Erasmus project. A process oriented programming language that
aims at making the CSP paradigm more practical. Erasmus addresses concurrency by providing
processes as the primary abstraction. Processes interact with one another through synchronous
channels. Channels and processes are associated with protocols that specify the interprocess communication
pattern. In this thesis we focus our attention on two problems. First, the efficient implementation
of the CSP generalized alternative construct that allows a process to non-deterministically
choose between several possible communication. Second, the design and implementation of protocol
satisfaction that allows the Erasmus compiler to statically check the safety of interprocess communication,
and hence the safety of a program.


identifier: Ghodoosipoor, Farzad  (2013) Development of Deterioration Models for Bridge Decks Using System Reliability Analysis.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Generally, in the existing Bridge Management Systems(BMS) deterioration is modeled based on the visual inspections where the corresponding condition states are assigned to individual elements. In this case, the limited attention is given to the correlation between bridge elements from structural perspective. In this process, the impact of the history of deterioration on the reliability of a structure is disregarded which may lead to inappropriate conclusions. The Improved estimate of service life of a bridge deck may help decision makers enhance the intervention planning and optimize the bridge life cycle costs. A reliability-based deterioration model can potentially be an appropriate replacement for the existing procedures.
The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the system reliability of conventional bridges designed based on the existing codes. According to the methodology developed in this thesis, the predicted element-level structural conditions for different time intervals are applied in the non-linear Finite Element model of a bridge superstructure and the system reliability indices are estimated for different time intervals. The resulting degradation curve could be calibrated and updated based on the outcomes of the visual inspections. Also, the reliability of innovative bridges that use non-conventional materials or structural forms such as Steel-Free Deck System has been evaluated by applying the newly developed method. The available deterioration models for conventional superstructuresare not applicable for the innovative bridge systems. Since there is no established deterioration model available for these innovative structures, it is difficult to predict the reliability of such bridges at different time intervals. The method developedhere adopts the reliability theory and establishes deterioration models for conventional and innovative bridges based on their failure mechanisms.
This method has been applied in simply-supported traditional reinforced-concrete bridge superstructures designed according to the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC-S6), and in an innovative structure with a Steel-Free Deck System, namely the Crowchild Bridge, in Calgary, Canada, as case studies. As an example to show the application of such developed deterioration curve, the developed model has been adopted in an old superstructure in Montreal. The results obtained from the newly developed model and bridge engineering groups’ estimations are found to be in accordance. Based on the reliability estimates, the conventional bridges designed based on the new code are found to be in a good condition during the initial stages of their service life,but their condition degrades faster once corrosion in steel reinforcements is initiated and spalling of concrete becomes evident. In case of the Steel-Free Deck, there is a low probability of failure at the end of the 75 years of its service life. It is found that the element-level assessment of a concrete deck is a conservative approach, since the interaction between the structural elements results in considerably higher reliability index and lower probability of failure. This thesis demonstrates how the proposed system reliability-based evaluation method can be adopted in determining the structural condition of a bridge which represents an important step forward in Bridge Management Systems. The system reliability deterioration model can be easily integrated to the existing Bridge Management Systems (BMS) by replacing the existing condition index by the reliability index or adding it to the assessing process as an additional parameter.


identifier: Rosciszewska, Joanna  (2013) Predictors and Moderators of the Continuity between Childhood Aggression and Adult Criminality: A 35-year Longitudinal Investigation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The aim of the current project is to examine the extent to which two aspects of adolescents’ social functioning with peers (i.e., aggression and likeability) will predict two forms of adult criminal behavior (property and violent crimes).  A second purpose is to determine whether these predictive associations vary as a function of neighborhood-level factors (socio-ecological disadvantage).
The sample was drawn from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project, first initiated in 1976.  The current sample included 2,497 fourth- and seventh-graders drawn from mixed-sex classrooms in schools located in working class neighborhoods in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Those students were first screened on measures of aggression and likeability via the Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI; Pekarik et al., 1976).  Adult criminality information was obtained from the open access database of arrest and conviction records in Montreal. These measures have been coded according to whether the acts were perpetrated against property (e.g., breaking and entering, theft) or against people (e.g., murder, assault, kidnapping).  A weighted neighborhood score was created based on four school neighborhood conditions (e.g., proportion of unemployed people, number of single parents, number of people with less than grade 9 education, and number of people in the neighborhood earning less than 10K/year).
Main effects of aggression were observed on both property (β = .12, SE = .05, t = 2.50, p = .01) and violence against people (β = .07, SE = .02, t = 2.47, p = .01) outcomes, with stronger effect for boys than for girls.  Also, a negative association was observed between likeability and adult criminal convictions. This finding was moderated by grade, with stronger negative effect for 4th graders than 7th graders.  Moreover, peer status was found to moderate the association between aggression and adult criminality.  That is, aggressive youth with higher peer status were found to commit less adult criminal acts than aggressive youth with low status.  There were no observed neighborhood effects on the association between childhood aggression and adult criminality.


identifier: Mirahadi, Seyedfarid  (2013) Simulation-Based Construction Productivity Improvement Using Neural-Network-Driven Fuzzy Reasoning System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Fuzzy-based models and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based systems have provided effective tools for addressing uncertainties in decision-making. Uncertainty, as an ineradicable part of construction projects, justifies the utilization of such intelligent systems in the construction industry. In the past few years, these systems have been widely applied to develop forecasting models in the construction management area. The estimation of productivity of construction operations, as a basic element of project planning and control, has become a remarkable target for forecasting models. A glimpse into this interdisciplinary field of research exposes the need for a system, which 1) studies the effect of qualitative and quantitative variables on construction productivity, 2) improves the previous models in terms of accuracy of estimation, 3) is able to clearly illustrate the reasoning process, 4) considers the interdependence of input variables; and 5) has the capability of dealing with both crisp and linguistic input variables.
The main objective of this research is to develop a hybrid intelligent system for estimating productivity of construction operations based on several qualitative and quantitative factors. Among all models developed for productivity estimation, those established based on the functional relations and controlled by a specific number of control rules are more compatible with the human reasoning and logic. Neural-Network-Driven Fuzzy Reasoning (NNDFR) structure, as one of such models, displays a great potential for modeling datasets among which clear clusters are recognizable. The lack of compatibility between conventional NNDFR and fuzzy clustering algorithms together with the insufficient attention paid to the optimization of number of clusters in this model, created a potential area for further research. Thus, the main contribution of the proposed model is to develop a modified NNDFR system for modeling construction data. It forms a nonlinear multi-dimensional membership function, which internally combines all fuzzy variables via Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering. An ANN is then trained based on the clustering process to automate this step. While the clustering step constitutes “IF” parts of the rules, “THEN” parts are built by another set of ANNs. In addition, the parameters of the proposed system are optimized by Genetic Algorithm (GA) to fine-tune the system for the highest possible level of accuracy. The model is also capable of dealing with a combination of crisp and linguistic input variables through the use of a Hybrid Modeling Approach, which is based upon the application of alpha-cut technique.
The proposed model is further verified through simulating a construction operation considering qualitative and quantitative factors where a considerable improvement in the estimation accuracy is witnessed. Several models are developed using ANN, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), conventional three-cluster NNDFR and the Genetically Optimized NNDFR. The proposed model showed 83%, 72% and 69% improvement over ANN, ANFIS and conventional NNDFR, respectively, in terms of Mean Squared Error (MSE). The developed model helps researchers and practitioners use historical data to forecast productivity of construction operations with a level of accuracy greater than what could be offered by traditional techniques.


identifier: Jannatpour, Ali  (2013) Instantaneous Harmonic Analysis and its Applications in Automatic Music Transcription.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis presents a novel short-time frequency analysis algorithm, namely Instantaneous Harmonic Analysis (IHA), using a decomposition scheme based on sinusoidals. An estimate for instantaneous amplitude and phase elements of the constituent components of real-valued signals with respect to a set of reference frequencies is provided. In the context of musical audio analysis, the instantaneous amplitude is interpreted as presence of the pitch in time. The thesis examines the potential of improving the automated music analysis process by utilizing the proposed algorithm. For that reason, it targets the following two areas: Multiple Fundamental Frequency Estimation (MFFE), and note on-set/off-set detection.

The IHA algorithm uses constant-Q filtering by employing Windowed Sinc Filters (WSFs) and a novel phasor construct. An implementation of WSFs in the continuous model is used. A new relation between the Constant-Q Transform (CQT) and WSFs is presented. It is demonstrated that CQT can alternatively be implemented by applying a series of logarithmically scaled WSFs while its window function is adjusted, accordingly. The relation between the window functions is provided as well. A comparison of the proposed IHA algorithm with WSFs and CQT demonstrates that the IHA phasor construct delivers better estimates for instantaneous amplitude and phase lags of the signal components.

The thesis also extends the IHA algorithm by employing a generalized kernel function, which in nature, yields a non-orthonormal basis. The kernel function represents the timbral information and is used in the MFFE process. An effective algorithm is proposed to overcome the non-orthonormality issue of the decomposition scheme. To examine the performance improvement of the note on-set/off-set detection process, the proposed algorithm is used in the context of Automatic Music Transcription (AMT). A prototype of an audioto-MIDI system is developed and applied on synthetic and real music signals. The results of the experiments on real and synthetic music signals are reported. Additionally, a multi-dimensional generalization of the IHA algorithm is presented. The IHA phasor construct is extended into the hyper-complex space, in order to deliver the instantaneous amplitude and multiple phase elements for each dimension.


identifier: Horning, Jason  (2013) Gérard Genette’s Conception of Voice and Mood, and an Accompanying Analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Gerard Genette offered a comprehensive, structurally informed theory of narrative in his book Narrative Discourse, An Essay in Method. While the “grammatical” basis of his framework – he identified parts of narrative with parts of speech – is today less in vogue, many of his other concepts and terms remain highly useful in the analysis of a wide range of narrative, be they of literary, cinematic, or of other origin. Useful features of this work are that it drew on various traditions that preceded its publication, but was also discussed and refined in the years that followed. Indeed a number of his propositions seem in need of modification, and these modifications are here summarized and added to.  A further advantage to his method, especially when compared to other modes of critical enquiry, is that they are firmly based in the texture and nature of the object being studied. That said, they also work well with other approaches which are less directly tied to the story. The work of Alfred Hitchcock provides a case study in the illustration of both the descriptive power of Genette’s ideas, and their ability to merge well with other approaches.


identifier: Lewis, Leah B.  (2013) Searching for a Good Grief? Meaning Making Through an ESRD Illness Narrative.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study is an autoethnograhic, Arts Based exploration of the grief of illness.  Making
use of 'I' perspective, subjective methodologies, I have explored my experiences of End Stage
Renal Disease (ESRD), kidney transplant loss and the self-administering of my hemodialysis
treatments in my home.  I present the psychological ESRD-dialysis experience as akin one of
grief. I have made use of Neimeyer's Meaning Reconstruction Model, a narrative meaning-
centered model typically used in bereavement circles.  At the heart of this model is the concept
that it is necessary to apply a coherent perceived meaning to loss experience in order to process
grief well.  This study applies the MRM to the psychology of transplant loss and dialysis, stating
that the psychology of transplant loss and dialysis is, for me, akin to complex grief.  Therefore, it
will not likely be fully assimilated as is the case with anticipated loss.  Rather, illness like ESRD,
for me, is likelier to be accommodated, where complex loss requires locating coherence, points
of change and new plots within lived experience in order to provide new and helpful perceptions
of meaning. I have disseminated outcomes from my own narratives, interviews with family,
friends and other patients who’ve experienced this illness, into two forms; the first, a written
dissertation that presents theory and arts based narratives commenting on that theory.  The
second, Arts Based outcome, is in the form of a short film, entitled Good Grief.


identifier: Jess, Raymond  (2013) Re-centering the Periphery: The Protestant Irish of Montreal and the Birth of Canadian National Identity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis considers the construction of Canadian national identity and the political and economic forces that shaped it through the focused lens of the Irish Protestant community, a changing immigrant milieu in post-Confederation Montreal. The Protestant Irish community was divided by class, and their different reactions to certain social events and identities meant that the boundaries of their community were constantly being pushed and pulled in different directions, as actors tried to impose their own narratives on the changing meta-narrative of the city. Montreal was a contact zone and immigrant centre where cross-cultural exchange occurred on a daily basis and where ethnic and religious communities were both formed and transformed. This research draws on print media to explore the complex process of identity creation in the popular press and in the popular literature of the day. By examining this quest for new national narratives between the time of Confederation and the First World War, this thesis examines the modalities through which old identities were superseded and transformed for the sake of cultural accommodation and economic expediency.


identifier: Nouri, Shahrzad  (2013) Experimental Methods for the Assessment of Single Living Cells:Dielectrophoresis for Cell Electro-Deformations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Many diseases such as cancer are initiated in single cells which modify their functions and amplify certain biological activities of the normal cells. These changes affect and permanently change the mechanical properties of normal cells. The significant difference between mechanical properties of different malignant cell lines could be used as a label free biomarker to distinguish between invasive and non-invasive carcinoma cells whose shapes and sizes are roughly the same. Among recent experimental methods for single cell assessments, dielectrophoresis (DEP) based devices have been introduced as novel techniques to direct deformation measurement of the living cell. In this work the application of microdevices for trapping and stretching of two human breast carcinoma cell lines based on dielectrophoresis phenomena, is presented.
The results of electro-deformation process of two malignant cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (highly metastatic human breast carcinoma cell line) and MCF-7 (weakly metastatic human breast carcinoma cell line) using a positive DEP micro-device is presented in this work. The elastic constants of cells are measured by comparing the results of finite element simulation using COMSOL multiphysics with those of experimental studies. Concurring with the previous works, the results of this study show that highly metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) are much softer than weakly metastatic breast cancer cells (MCF-7), such that they could squeeze easier and migrate into human tissue through capillary blood vessels.
An improved design to trap the suspended living cells in the middle of electrodes is presented and experimentally tested in the thesis. Inducing symmetric elongation on cells could improve the accuracy of calculated elastic constant of cells. Also, as the cells are positioning between electrodes (in the transparent zone) the visibility of captured images and accuracy of calibrated images could be improved.


identifier: Zhang, Zhifeng  (2013) Pricing Catastrophic Mortality Bonds Using State Space Models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Catastrophic mortality bonds are designed to hedge against the mortality risks. The payoff at maturity depends on the realized mortality index over the life of the bond, therefore modeling the mortality index is the main concern in our study. Since mortality shocks are detected using outlier analysis, non-Gaussian state space models with a fat-tailed error term are proposed to fit the mortality index and to handle shocks. By comparing several state space models with different fat-tailed distributions, an ARIMA process for the baseline mortality and the t-distribution for capturing mortality shocks are chosen. We obtain the price of the mortality bond using the proposed model and estimate the market price of risk. It appears that the market price of risk is lower than the ones obtained in the literature, which is consistent with the industrial empirical results from Wang (2004). This implies that our model is capable of handling mortality risks.


identifier: Breton, Yannick-André  (2013) Molar and Molecular Models of Performance for Rewarding Brain Stimulation.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation reports analyses of performance for rewarding brain stimu- lation in a three-part sequential task. A session of self-stimulation was composed of three trial types, during which the strength and opportunity cost of electrical stim- ulation were kept constant. Within a trial, a lever allowed animals to harvest brain stimulation rewards as soon as the lever had been held for a set, cumulative amount of time. When the time spent holding reached this criterion, the lever retracted and a burst of rewarding electrical stimulation was delivered. A flashing house light and 10s inter-trial interval signalled the start of a new trial. Rats were presented with strong/inexpensive/certain stimulation on one trial, a randomly selected strength, cost and risk on the next trial, and weak/inexpensive/certain stimulation on the third trial of a sequence. The sequence then repeated. Rewards during the second trial of this sequence were delivered with cued probabilities ranging from 0.5 to 1.0. The current thesis evaluates the ability of a previously published (molar) model of performance during a trial to accurately detect the effect of risk on payoff but not reward intensity. Although animals were less willing to work for stimulation trains that may not be delivered than those delivered with certainty, risk did not change the relative reward produced by stimulation. We also present evidence on a fine time scale that self-stimulating rats develop a model of their world. The first pause made as a trial began was a function of the payoff the animal had yet to receive, indicat- ing that rats had a model of the triad sequence. Analysis of the conditions under which pauses were uncharacteristic also provides evidence of what this model might be. Analysis of the fine scale of performance provides evidence that animals had a model of the stability of trial conditions. Finally, we present a (molecular) model of performance for brain stimulation rewards in real-time. Our results demonstrate that rats develop a model of the testing paradigm and can adjust to changes in reward contingencies with as few as one exemplar.


identifier: Tajik, Gohar  (2013) Sugarcoating in performance appraisal narrative comments: A function of the performance level and the level of self-monitoring.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The present study combined literature in performance evaluation, MUM sugarcoating and self monitoring to unwind the social/ situational factors and personality characteristics that impact the production of comments in conditions of high versus low performance. The study also investigated the interplay between comments and ratings in conditions of high versus low performance. A total of 91 undergraduate students (female = 55) from a large metropolitan Canadian University participated in the study. Participants were asked to evaluate the performance of an employee based on a performance information package. They also completed a single online measure for MUM sugarcoating, task self efficacy and self monitoring. Based on the results of analysis, it was found that there is a significant positive relationship between the valence of ratings and that of comments. It was also found that the relationship between the valence of ratings and comments was stronger in the high performance condition that the low performance condition. Regression analyses demonstrated that individuals in the low performance condition did not sugarcoat their comments significantly more than their peers in the high performance condition. Finally, regression analyses demonstrated that self-monitoring did not significantly impact the magnitude of the relationship between the performance level and the amount of sugarcoating. These findings are discussed in relation to future research and their practical significance.
Keywords: Performance Evaluation, narrative ratings, numeric comments, MUM sugarcoating, self-monitoring.


identifier: Zeinoun, Gabriel  (2013) Optimization of a Reconfigurable Manipulator with Lockable Cylindrical Joints.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a global optimization methodology to find the optimal Denavit-Hartenbeg parameters of a serial reconfigurable robotic manipulator maximizing a cost function over a pre-specified workspace volume and given lower and upper bounds on the design parameters. Several cost functions are investigated such as the manipulability measure, maximum force/torque capability of the manipulator at its end-effector, and maximum velocity capability of the manipulator, therefore improving the general kinetostatic performance of the manipulator. A modified global and posture-independent parameter of singularity (MPIPS) is presented, and a generic global optimization approach is proposed, using combined genetic algorithm (GA) and sequential quadratic programming (SQP). Different case studies are provided for a 3-DOF and a 6-DOF reconfigurable manipulator. Finally, a weighted objective function that balances between the opposing actions of the end effector velocity and force is proposed. The results are illustrated to demonstrate the performance of the generated manipulators, and are validated. Post-optimality analysis has also been conducted to investigate the sensitivity of the index to the variation in optimal parameters.


identifier: Perrone, Julie  (2013) Constructing a National Hero: Cancer Politics, Masculinity and Canadian Identity in the Terry Fox Story.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Looking at the multitude of honours received by Terry Fox during his short life and bestowed upon him after he passed away, it is undeniable that the marathon runner’s historical significance is tremendous.  Despite the fact that he did not achieve his objective of running across Canada, and even though his life in the public eye only spanned a little over a year, Fox’s legacy and public and official recognition are quite impressive.
But although a nation’s heroes may be their most celebrated characters, they are also often the least examined, at least critically.  Fox has been a tremendously influential figure in Canadian history, not just recently, and he has redefined for many the image of courage, determination, and selflessness.  How did Terry Fox become a hero? How did this particular heroic narrative emerge? How has he been remembered and commemorated over the years? What messages have been disseminated or left out about him, about what he meant to Canadians and what he means to Canadian history?  And, in the end, what does the memory of Terry Fox as a national hero tell us about Canada as a country? These are some of the questions that have remained unexplored until now.
We examine the construction process of Terry Fox as a national hero, which is best illustrated through the framework of hegemonic or dominant discourse. We indeed find that the power to define the meaning of the Fox story belonged to a few and offered them opportunities to reshape the past in order to influence the present.  Among the multiple and tightly intertwined characteristics of this process, we chose to focus on discourses constructed through the media and through commemoration, about cancer politics, masculinity and national identity.


identifier: Pervez, Gul  (2013) Stakeholder Collaboration Modeling for Efficient Supply Chain Management.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In response to current economic downturn coupled with intense global competition, concept of supply chain collaboration has emerged as a possible solution for firms aiming to gain competitive advantage through cost reduction, increased asset utilization and improving service levels.

In this research, we have analytically examined and identified the stages involved in facilitating supply chain collaboration between multiple retailers and/or suppliers in a supply chain network. The study considers three types of collaboration strategies and incorporates a combination of different techniques such as cluster analysis, analytical network process (ANP) and game theory that can help potential partners to plan and implement collaboration initiatives in the supply chains. The solution approach along with illustrative example involving a retailer and a supplier is presented which can serve as a guideline for potential firms contemplating about entering into collaboration. In order to help prospective partners make the decision regarding which type of collaboration will be beneficial for them, a collaboration decision making model is built using C++ language. The collaboration decision making model incorporates concept of Nash equilibrium to ensure each partner is making the best decision while taking into consideration the decisions of others. Pre-qualification screening of potential suppliers and/or retailers for possible collaboration is carried out by utilizing methods such as cluster analysis and analytical network process (ANP) while final partner selection is made through application of game theory. Finally, profit allocation mechanism based on Shapley method is presented which ensures profit is distributed according to the “adding value” each partner brings for the alliance.


identifier: Alsaig, Ammar  (2013) Semantic-Based, Multi-Featured Ranking Algorithm for Services in Service-Oriented Computing.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Service-Oriented Computing has brought great benefits for both service requesters and service providers. The potential of this paradigm cannot be achieved without efficient discovery and selection processes. The rapid-increasing volume of services and the heterogeneity of their
features make the discovery and selection of services challenging. In this thesis we provide a novel vector-based ranking algorithm. The algorithm is both user-centric and semantic-based. It overcomes all restrictions and limitations that exist in previous vector-based ranking algorithms. We introduce fair ranking rules and apply them in our algorithm. The algorithm has been examined thoroughly with respect to its performance, accuracy and algorithmic complexity. We provide experimental results that show the significance and dominance of our solution
over the existing ones.


identifier: Alsaig, Alaa  (2013) Context-Aware Service Registry: Modeling and Implementation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Modern societies have become very dependent on information and services. Technology is adapting to the increasing demands of people and businesses. Context-Aware Systems are becoming ubiquitous. These systems comprise mechanisms to acquire knowledge about the surrounding environment and adapt its behaviour and service provision accordingly. Service oriented computing is the main stream software development methodology. In Service-oriented Applications (SOA), service providers publish the services created by them in service registries. These services are accessed by service requesters during discovery process. For large scale SOA, the registry structure and the type of quires that it can handle are central to efficient service discovery. Moreover, the role of context in determining services and affecting execution is central. This thesis investigates the structure of a context-aware service registry in which context-aware services are stored by service producers and retrieved by service requesters in different contexts. The thesis builds on an existing rich theoretical service model in which contract, functionality, and contexts are bundled together. The thesis investigates generic models and structures for context, context history, and context-aware registry. Also, it studies state of the arts database technologies to analyse its suitability for implementing a registry for rich services. Specifically, the thesis provides a thorough study of the structures, implementation, performance, limitations, and features of Key-Value, Documented Oriented, and Column Oriented databases while considering options for implementing a rich service registry. Database models of contexts and context-aware services are discussed and implemented. The relative performance of the models are discussed after evaluating the test results run on large data sets. Based upon test results a justification for the selected model is given.


identifier: Sarieddine, Mazen  (2013) Effects of Strong-motion Duration on the Response of Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In current practice of the selection of earthquake records for the time-history analysis of structures, the parameters considered are earthquake magnitude, distance from the earthquake source to the site where the record is obtained, soil condition at the site, and type of earthquake.  The strong-motion duration of the record is not considered in this process. A number of studies have been conducted on the investigation of the effects of strong-motion duration on the structural response; however the conclusions from these studies are contradictory. Some studies report significant effects while others report minimal or no effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of strong-motion duration of earthquake records on the seismic response of reinforced concrete frame buildings.
For the purpose of the study, three reinforced concrete frame buildings (4-, 10-, and 16-storey) designed according to the 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada were considered in the analyses. The buildings were located in Vancouver, which is in a high seismic zone in Canada. Nonlinear time-history analyses were conducted on three building models using two sets of accelerograms as seismic excitations. One set consists of simulated accelerograms representative of the ground motions in Vancouver, and the other set consists of real accelerograms recorded from earthquakes in California. The ground motions were scaled to three excitation levels, i.e., 0.5Sa(T1), 1.0Sa(T1), and 2.0Sa(T1) in which Sa(T1) was the spectral acceleration at the dominant period of the building. The four definitions of strong-motion duration considered in the study were uniform duration, bracketed duration, significant duration, and effective duration. The structural responses were represented by interstorey drift, beam curvature ductility, column curvature ductility, roof displacement and base shear.
Based on the results from the study, it was found that the effects of the strong-motion duration on the structural response depended on the dynamic characteristics of the building and the seismic excitation level. They did not depend on the response parameter considered and the type of the record used in the analysis. Moreover, regression functions between the structural response and the strong-motion duration could not be developed with respect to the response parameters and the definitions of the strong-motion duration considered in this study.


identifier: Nikzad, Ali  (2013) OpenSAF and VMware from the Perspective of High Availability.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Cloud is becoming one of the most popular means of delivering computational services to users who demand services with higher availability. Virtualization is one of the key enablers of the cloud infrastructure. Availability of the virtual machines along with the availability of the hosted software components are the fundamental ingredients for achieving highly available services in the cloud. There are some availability solutions developed by virtualization vendors like VMware HA and VMware FT. At the same time the SAForum specifications and OpenSAF as a compliant implementation offer a standard based open solution for service high availability.  Our work aims at comparing virtualization solutions, VMware, with OpenSAF from the high availability perspective, and proposes appropriate combinations to take advantage of the strengths of both solutions. To conduct our evaluations, we established metrics, selected a video streaming application and conducted experiments on different architectures covering OpenSAF in physical and virtual machines, the VMware HA and VMware FT. Based on the analysis of the initial measurements, we proposed other architectures that combine OpenSAF high availability and the virtualization provided by VMware. Our proposal included architectures targeting two types of hypervisors, non-bare-metal and bare-metal. In both of these proposed architectures we used OpenSAF to manage the availability of the VM and the case study application running in the VM. The management of the availability of the VM is slightly different in these architectures because of the types of the hypervisors. In these architectures we used the libraries and the mechanisms which are available in many other hypervisors. Our work compared to other works on high availability in virtual environments has the important advantage of covering the application/service failure.


identifier: Moufti, Sami  (2013) A Defect-Based Approach for Detailed Condition Assessment of Concrete Bridges.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Bridge condition assessment is one of the most essential elements of Bridge Management Systems (BMS). This is owing to the fact that available inputs from assessment reports are constantly interpreted for maintenance decisions and budget allocation to critical bridges within a region’s inventory. Thus, performing effective bridge assessment is vital to ensure safety and sustainability of the bridge infrastructure. In practice, the evaluation of concrete bridges is mostly conducted on the basis of visual inspection, which is associated with considerable subjectivity and uncertainty inherent in human judgments. Additionally, current bridge assessment practices were found to be oversimplified, with conclusions being often drawn in absence of in-depth review and consideration of critical factors.
To remediate the existing shortcomings and ameliorate the bridge assessment process, this study proposes a fuzzy Hierarchical Evidential Reasoning (HER) approach for detailed condition assessment of concrete bridges under uncertainty. The essence of the suggested framework addresses the treatment and aggregation of uncertain measurements of detected bridge defects, in a systematic manner, to establish an enhanced platform for reliable and detailed bridge assessment. The significant features of this methodology can be summarized in the following points. First, the proposed approach utilizes a generic hierarchy that models the several levels of a concrete bridge under assessment; namely: bridge components, elements, and measured defects. Second, the proposed model is set to account for relative importance weights of all assessment factors in the hierarchical breakdown. Third, a novel HER assessment belief structure is employed to grip probabilistic uncertainty (ignorance) in bridge evaluation, whereas fuzzy uncertainty (subjectivity) is processed through a set of collectively exhaustive fuzzy linguistic variables. Forth, Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory is eventually applied under the proposed HER framework for the purpose of accumulating supporting pieces of evidence in a comprehensive manner. The suggested model is implemented to arrive at detailed and informative bridge element condition ratings through data acquired from two case study bridges in Canada. As it benefits from a data oriented and structured algorithm, the developed defect-based model is believed to introduce a great deal of objectivity in an otherwise subjective area of infrastructure assessment. This falls within the ultimate goal of enhancing overall public safety and well-being.


identifier: Alipour, Hanieh  (2013) QoS Enabled Video Telephony with a Virtualized HSS in a 4G EPC Environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Video Telephony is the real time exchange of voice and video between end-users. It is the basis of a wide range of applications (e.g. Multiparty games, distance learning). Quality of service (QoS) enables network performance control for meeting specific applications and/or end-user requirements. It is a differentiating factor for service providers. Evolved Packet Core (EPC) is the new core network for 3GPP 4G networks. Home Subscriber Server (HSS) is the standardized master database of 3GPP next generation networks including video telephony networks and EPC. It contains the subscription related information that is needed to support the network entities when they handle sessions. The constant increase in the number of subscribers is one of the challenges for future mobile networks including video telephony networks and EPC. Virtualization is a technique used to emulate the physical characteristics of resources. It enables efficiency in resource usage and is a key technology for scalability and elasticity.
This thesis proposes an architecture for QoS Enabled video telephony with a Virtualized HSS (VHSS) in a 3GPP 4G environment. It makes two main contributions. Firstly, it proposes a differentiated QoS service delivery platform that relies on EPC. This platform enables the provisioning of a refined differentiated QoS scheme which allows prioritization between different sessions of a same video telephony application running on a same network. This new scheme is a differentiating factor for service providers. Second it proposes a preliminary mechanism for a scalable and elastic HSS in order to cope with the increasing number of subscribers. This is done by decomposing the HSS into three main layers (diameter layer, database computation layer and storage layer). Each of these layers are virtualized and can grow/shrink independently. We have built a proof of concept prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed architecture. Performance measurements have also been made to evaluate viability.


identifier: Bhatia, Manjot Singh  (2013) Assessing the Impact of Quality Management Systems on Business Performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the past few decades, a number of organizations have implemented Quality Management Systems (QMS) to create a culture of continuous quality improvement and improve business performance. Various QMS implemented in organizations are ISO 9000 Standards, Total Quality Management, AS Aerospace Standards, and many more. These standards cover aspects such as management leadership, process management, teamwork, quality improvement, and supplier and customer relations. The implementation of QMS is ultimately expected to improve overall business performance.
In this thesis, we study the overall impact of implementation of QMS on various business performance factors. These performance factors include information quality, operating performance, design performance, environmental performance, product and service quality, supplier and customer relationships and competitive priorities. To study the impact of implementation of QMS on these business performance factors, we proposed a hypothesis model linking these performance factors, showing how improvement in one factor brings improvement in other factor. In this regard, a questionnaire was prepared related to implementation of QMS on business performance factors, and a survey study was conducted with professionals involved in quality management and engineering to collect their
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views on implementation of QMS. The collected data was analyzed with the help of statistical techniques such as Factor analysis, Descriptive statistics and Regression analysis, to study the proposed hypothesized relationships in the model.
The results of our study show that organizations often implement QMS as a catalyst for change and use them in daily practice. Most of the proposed hypotheses are found to have significant positive relationship, whereas not enough significance is found between information quality and environmental performance, between design performance and product quality, and between environmental performance and product quality. It is recommended as future work to collect more data to statistically validate the relationships between design performance and product quality and between environmental performance and product quality.
Keywords: QMS, Information Quality, Product Quality, Service Quality, Business performance.


identifier: XUE, Mei  (2013) Executive Compensation and Corporate acquisitions in China.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This paper examines 259 completed merger and acquisition (M&A) deals undertaken by Chinese firms listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges between 2003 and 2010. Using comprehensive financial and accounting data, augmented by unique data on executive compensation, we attempt to investigate how executive compensation relates to corporate acquisition decisions in acquiring firms in China. We find that the acquiring firms gain significantly positive abnormal returns around the announcement of M&As. We also find that the stock price of acquring firms following acquisition announcements statistically outperformace the average market in a three year period. On the other hand, we obseve that the salary in cash of top-three executives differentials greatly across the acquring firms. The overall level of managerial ownership in the acquiring firms is rather low. There are some observable patterns in the relations between the short-term CARs of the acquiring firms and the executive salary or ownership. while the level of executive ownership has no statistically significant influence on the CARs, executive salary is significantly negatively related to the CARs of the acquiring firms offering to their executives a high level of salary.


identifier: Chellanthara, Alfred  (2013) Evaluating car sharing fleet management strategies using Discrete Event Simulation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Evaluating car sharing fleet management strategies using Discrete Event Simulation
Alfred John Chellanthara
Concordia University
Dynamic fleet management is often faced with the problem of managing real time customer requirements and unforeseen events that affect the performance of transport operations. In a car sharing organization, vehicle availability is considered as a measure of quality of service, which is defined by the availability of a car at the time when the user arrives at the station. This thesis presents a decision support tool in order to test the efficiency of a round trip (return to same station) model as compared to a one way (return to any station) model for fleet management in a car sharing organization. The proposed tool employs a discrete event simulation (DES) model which evaluates rejection rate for each of the individual strategies and recommends the one with least number of rejections. A case study is conducted on the CommunAuto car sharing network of Montreal. The results show that the one way model has a greater request rejection rate with an average rejection rate of 13%, while the round trip model has an average rejection rate of 8%. The utilization rate of the round trip model is much higher with 92% utilization as compared to the one way model which has a utilization rate of 87%. Therefore, the round trip model is recommended to CommunAuto for managing its current fleet operations.


identifier: Bzeih, Wasef  (2013) The Effects of Molecular Weight Variation of Polystyrene on its SFG spectra.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Understanding the behaviour of materials at interfaces is critical for improving manufacturing processes. Interfaces can be the decisive factor in the application of materials. Several properties can be obtained from studying the interfaces such as friction, roughness, heat conductivity, reactivity, corrosion resistance, surface energy and surface tension. A very powerful technique that allows the study of interfaces is Sum Frequency Generation (SFG).
SFG is a second order, nonlinear, optical technique which is specific to interfaces. Its principle is the combination of two incident photons with different frequencies (infrared and visible) into one SFG photon with frequency equal to the sum of the incident frequencies. When the frequency of the IR photon is equal to that of the molecule’s bond vibration, SFG is strongly enhanced, and its intensity increases significantly. The intensities of the collected SFG photons are graphed into a spectrum, and every peak in the spectrum is characterized by three parameters: amplitude, width and frequency center.
In this work, we intend to determine the effect of molecular weight variation of polystyrene (PS) on its SFG spectra. The peak intensities in normalized SFG spectra with respect to the product of intensities of incident IR and visible photons increase with the molecular weight. The parameters generated from fitting the experimental data into the theoretical relationship did not seem to follow the same trend like the intensities due to the complexity of this relationship. Similarly, upon calculating the orientation angle of the phenyl groups in the PS molecules, it did not seem to have any consistent pattern. However, we do not infer that there is
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no relationship between the variation of parameters and orientation angle, and molecular weight. We suggest that the relationship is complicated and beyond the scope of this work.


identifier: Malek, Azita  (2013) Design and Implementation of Piecewise-Affine Observers for Nonlinear Systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis is divided into two main parts. The contribution of the first part is to design a continuous-time Piecewise-Affine (PWA) observer for a class of nonlinear systems. It is shown that the state estimation error is ultimately bounded. The bound on the state estimation error depends on the PWA approximation error. Moreover, it is shown that the state estimation error is still convergent and ultimately bounded when the output of the system is only available at sampling instants. The proof of convergence is presented in two parts: conditions dependent on the sampling time and conditions independent of the sampling time. In addition, ultimate boundedness of the state estimation error is proven in the presence of norm bounded measurement noise. It is shown that the bound on the state estimation error is dependent on the sampling time, PWA approximation error and the bound on the norm of the noise. The proposed approach for observer design leads to a convex optimization which can be solved efficiently using available software packages.

The contribution of the second part is to implement the proposed PWA observer on a real setup of a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) available at the Hybrid Control Systems (HYCONS) Laboratory of Concordia University. Although some researchers have applied different types of observers to experimental applications, practical implementation of PWA observers has not been given much attention by researchers. In this thesis for the first time a PWA observer is applied to the WMR. The WMR is an example of a nonlinear system with a sampled output in the presence of measurement noise. The results of the experimental implementation validate the proposed theoretical results in the first part.