identifier: Wu, Liwen  (2003) Analysis of hydro-pneumatic interconnected suspension struts in the roll plane vehicle model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A four-degrees-of-freedom roll plane model of a heavy highway vehicle is developed to investigate the ride and anti-roll properties of two different hydropneumatic strut designs, unconnected and interconnected in the roll plane. Three different interconnections, involving flows across different chambers of the right- and left-compact struts, are realized for the analyses. The analytical models are solved to derive the static and dynamic properties of various unconnected and interconnected configurations in terms of vertical spring rate, effective vertical mode damping, effective roll stiffness and roll mode damping. From the results it is concluded that roll plane interconnection of the suspension struts offers considerably potential for enhancing the anti-roll properties, with insignificant influence on the vertical ride properties.  The analytical models are further analyzed under deterministic and random vertical road and roll moment arising from directional maneuvers. The relative performance potentials of interconnected suspensions are presented in terms of vertical and roll acceleration transmissibility under a harmonic excitation transient vertical and roll responses under a transient road bump and roll moment excitations, and power spectral densities and RMS values of the sprung mass responses to random road excitation


identifier: Wang, Shengmei  (2003) Design and developmental studies on a six-degree of freedom endoscopic force/torque sensor.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: The project focuses on designing a new type of six-degree freedom force/torque sensor and developmental study on it.  The proposed sensor can independently detect six components of force and moment on a test platform. The response characteristics are linear, close to the design values, and high enough to measure the forces and moments expected to act on the sensor in a Cartesian coordinate system. The sensor frame consists of four symmetric beams and a horizontal cross-beam designed to be monolithic. The sensor design is quite simple and has negligible cross sensitivity in the measurements. These properties, combined with its hollow cylindrical shape and small size, make this sensor an ideal choice for endoscopic applications.  This thesis presents the design of a six-degree freedom force/torque sensor with micro-strain gauges. The design is carried out using strength of material type of approach. It is validated using the finite element analysis method. Some problems of calibration are discussed. An experimental set-up is made in order to test the prototype sensor. Experimental data validate the basic design ideas, and the sensor can be very useful tool to monitor and control the force applied by the surgeon in endoscopic operations.


identifier: Kaltsoudas, Constantinos  (2003) Taking stock of ethnic group identity in a town in Greek Macedonia.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The question addressed in this thesis is whether the local identity of a group of individuals who define themselves as Dopii Makedones (a subgroup of Greek Macedonians) living in the region of Greek Macedonia in northern Greece, constitute an ethnic group. Dopii are not considered an ethnic group by Greek society or by officials of the Greek state. The recognition of their ethnic group status by Greek society is complicated by their role in the Macedonian Question. According to the anthropological literature, the development of Dopian identity was influenced by the Greek state's nation-building process in the region during the 19 th and 20 th centuries. It was also reinforced by their economic and societal marginalization by state representatives and by wider society. It has been observed that in addition to their local ethnic identity, a small fraction of this group have adopted a Macedonian national identity rather than a Greek one. A number of factors have been defined as being conducive to the maintenance of Dopian identity, such as lack of upward mobility, personal experiences with society and the state, and local interethnic relations. In the town of Pentalofos, the ethnic group identity of Dopii was largely symbolic. Intermarriage was singled out as the factor that had supplanted ethnic group stratification and relations. Their group identity was based on their notion of shared ethnic origins, their ability to speak the dialect of Dopika, and their collective historical experience. The transmission of their dialect is on the wane, as young adults do not speak it.


identifier: Majdalani, Naji  (2003) On-board cost effective recording system for enhanced road safety.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A low cost monitoring system based on Smart Card technology is designed and developed to monitor the entire duration of driving, duration of pause, average driving speed as well as peak speeds over a preset period of time. The system is recording the information on a 8KB smart card of an encrypted manner to avoid any interaction of the driver or the enforcing authority with the information. The encryption permits continuous records as long as 30 days and could accommodate the information collected from the on-board computer of the car as well as of the external sensors. The system is using a microcontroller with serial and parallel interfaces to collect data. The system has been conceived as expandable to a larger number of sensors as well as to a larger capacity smart card system. In addition, an investigation on the capability of the system to record other information related to the driver's driving habits or dangerous manoeuvres has been carried out. The system has also been conceived to be capable of reading information from remote sensors through telemetry and record vehicle conditions that may lead to future accidents.


identifier: Gupta, Devender Mohan  (2003) Mixed integer programming models for supply chain integrated planning.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is intended to highlight the methodology of integrated planning for coordinating the supply chain in order to improve a system's overall performance. For that, a typical system is considered in which several products must be produced and distributed over several time periods. This work is done on a particular system that includes several suppliers, raw material processing plants, finishing plants and customers. Two main models have been developed based on different approaches, and they have been implemented in two different contexts. Various processes such as raw material procurement, capacity utilization, inventory, and distribution are integrated and optimized. More specifically, the following stages are considered: supply of raw material; production, at raw material processing plants, of product families; production, at finishing plants, of finished goods; and distribution of finished goods to customers. The finished goods are grouped into product families; setups are incurred at the raw material processing plants for product families, and at the finishing plants for individual products. Mixed Integer Program (MIP) formulations are utilized for optimizing the system. Test cases include both small sized and large sized problems. Analysis is done to gain insights into the workings of the models and systems like these in general. In the end, we have successfully demonstrated the utility of managing the supply chain effectively by integrating various processes along with the power and utility of MIP for representing such systems.


identifier: Franchini, Anthony  (2003) "Now I'm a Mandow" : Cree students adaptation to studying in the south.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The rate of secondary school success in Chisasibi is low. In the 2000-2001 school year, only six students out of approximately sixty 1 graduated from the Chisasibi high school (excluding mature student graduation). The previous school years have yielded similar amounts of high-school graduates. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) reported in 1996 that only fifteen percent of Chisasibi residents have a high-school diploma (see Table 10 on page 69). Despite this low number of high-school graduates every year, one would assume that those who graduate high-school in Chisasibi and decide to study in southern post-secondary institutions would be well adjusted and succeed at the post-secondary level. This is not the case for Chisasibi students and Cree students in general. Many Cree students registered in post-secondary institutions have difficulty completing their post-secondary studies. This also seems to be a trend across most Native communities in Canada (see Figures A4-A9 in Appendix).  This thesis attempts to answer the following question: "Why do so few Cree students stay the amount of time necessary or pass the required amount of courses to graduate from the post-secondary programs in which they are enrolled?"  1 Approximately sixty students were of graduation age. The exact number of people of Grade 12 age is not available. The method I used to determine this number was by looking at the population chart (Table A2, p. 97) and dividing the number given by 5. 295 people were aged between 14 and 19. Thus, approximately 60 were of graduation age.


identifier: Katatbeh, Qutaibeh D  (2003) Spectral bounds and comparison theorems for Schrödinger operators.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: One of the most important problems in quantum physics is to find the energy eigenvalues for Schrödinger's equation. This equation is exactly solvable only for a small class of potentials. For one-particle problems numerical solutions can always be obtained, but in the absence of exact solutions, the next best thing is an analytical formula for an approximation, such as energy bound. In this thesis we use geometrical techniques such as the envelope method to obtain analytical spectral bounds for Schrödinger's equation for wide classes of potential. Our geometrical approach leans heavily on the comparison theorem, to the effect that V 1 < V 2 [implies] E 1 < E 2 . For the bottom of an angular-momentum subspace it is possible to generalize the comparison theorem by allowing the comparison potentials V 1 and V 2 to cross over in a controlled way and still imply spectral ordering E 1 < E 2 . We prove and use these theorems to sharper some earlier upper and lower bounds obtained using the 'envelope method'. In chapter two we introduce the envelope method that is used in the subsequent chapters. In chapter three we study the Hellmann potential in quantum physics: we prove that discrete eigenvalues exist and we obtain formulae for upper and lower bounds to them. In chapter four, we prove the existence of a discrete spectrum for the cutoff-Coulomb potential, and we obtain upper and lower-bound formulae. In chapter five we prove the monotonicity of the wave function |( r ) for the ground state in the case of attractive central potentials in N N spatial dimensions. By using this result we establish some generalized comparison theorems in which the comparison potentials intersect. We use these theorems, together with the sum approximation, to improve the upper and the lower bounds obtained earlier with the aid of the envelope method. In chapter six, we study the representation P ( q ) for the eigenvalues E ( q ) of the operator H = -x + sgn(q)r q defined by E ( q ) = [Special characters omitted.] . It had earlier been proved that P ( q ) is monotone increasing. We strengthen this result for the ground state (and the bottom of each angular-momentum subspace) by using the generalized comparison theorems to prove that a new function Q ( q ) = Z ( q ) P ( q ) is monotone increasing, where the factor Z ( q ) is monotone decreasing. Thus we know that P ( q ) cannot increase too slowly: this in turn allows us to obtain same improved bounds for the eigenvalues E ( q ) in N dimensions. In the last chapter we analyse bounds for the Coulomb plus power-law potentials obtained by variational methods and the sum approximation.


identifier: Zhang, Zhengliang  (2003) Adaptive resource assignment along with overload control for the GSM/EGPRS networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Enhanced General Packet Radio Services (EGPRS) is one of the proposals for third-generation (3G) wireless services. EGPRS is also the evolutionary path for GSM and IS-136 standards towards their next-generation wireless systems. The 3G services are categorized into the background, conversational, interactive and streaming services. Therefore, GSM towards 3G is staged into two phases. The phase one of EGPRS to provide Internet access services is known as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The phase two of EGPRS to provide 3G services integrates with the Enhanced Data rates for the GSM Evolution (EDGE).  To provide the various 3G services and to achieve more efficient utilization of the frequency spectrum, our work is to focus on, the evolution of the system capacity and performance for the GSM/EGPRS networks. Therefore, an Adaptive Resource Assignment along with Overload Control (ARAOC) algorithm has been developed while integrating adaptive channel allocation, call admission control, frequency hopping and new congestion control schemes. Our simulation results show that this algorithm can greatly improve the system capacity and performance as well as the QoS for users. The influence of the variable parameters of user data rates, channel buffer size, and channel assignment parameter to the system capacity and performance, will be investigated.


identifier: Aro, Judoth  (2003) Gone to the dogs : an ethnography of breeding and rearing registered dogs within the Montreal area.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is an ethnographic study of registered dog breeding within the Montreal area. It takes as a departure point that dog breeding is a social process that is embedded in the everyday life of the breeders. The objective of the thesis is to understand and explain the origin and development of dog breeding as a social activity. Starting with a historical chapter that shows the links between humans and dogs in the Western hemisphere, the thesis continues with a description of the institutional organization of dog breeding in Canada. It moves to an analysis of the 'sport' of dog showing and of the criteria of definition of the 'standard'. The final focus is on the breeders themselves, their motivation and their goals. Using an interpretive and semiotic approach, the thesis aims at decoding dog breeding as a system of social signs that can be decoded, learned and transmitted.


identifier: Salmaso, Natalina  (2003) Differential effects of reproductive and hormonal state on bFGF and GFAP immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus and cingulate cortex of the female rat.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In experiment 1, we compared the effect of hormonal and reproductive state on astrocytic basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in various hypothalamic nucleii and the cingulate cortex (CC), area 2. The results of this study showed differential patterns of bFGF and GFAP immunoreactivity across regions examined. Furthermore, a dramatic increase in both bFGF and GFAP within CC in lactating rats on Day 16 postpartum compared to cycling late pregnant and ovariectomized (OVX) rats. In experiment 2a, the dependence of the changes in expression of these proteins in CC on the lactational stage was examined. Six groups of females were included in the study; OVX, cycling and lactating females on Days 4, 10, 16, and 24 postpartum. Brains were processed for bFGF and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity. The results of this study showed that all groups of lactating rats showed higher levels of both bFGF and GFAP immunoreactivity than cycling females. Consistent with our earlier study females on Day 16 and 24 postpartum also had higher levels of these proteins than OVX females. Furthermore, Experiment 2b showed that pup removal either on Day 1 or Day 16 postpartum had no effect on GFAP expression in females examined on Day 4 or Day 24, respectively. Together, these data suggest that bFGF and GFAP within the CC is elevated across all stages of lactation. Furthermore, these changes do not correlate simply with hormonal state or the presence of suckling young.


identifier: Aumont, Roch  (2002) DNA shuffling of biphenyl dioxygenase genes, bphAE or bphE, from Comamonas testosteroni B-356 and Burkholderia cepacia LB400.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Bacterial degradation of biphenyl and some polychlorinated biphenyls is initiated by and dependent on the ability of biphenyl 2,3-dioxygenase to dihydroxylate substrate. Biphenyl 2,3-dioxygenase is a multi-component enzyme requiring reductase (BphG) and ferredoxin (BphF) components that transport electrons from NADH to the terminal dioxygenase.  DNA shuffling of bphAE , using various techniques to create random fragments, resulted either in a very low yield of reassembled product and a high level of non-specific recombination, or in reassembly of wild type enzymes. Sequencing of parts of 13 randomly chosen active (8) or inactive (5) shuffled bphAE genes revealed only two recombination events. Inability to shuffle both subunits Ì and Ý together may be caused by the highly variable inter-genic region, which may not allow homologous recombination to occur between DNA templates.  A second strategy was DNA shuffling of the Ý-subunit alone, as this subunit has been shown to affect enzyme specificity


identifier: Sumner, Lisa  (2002) Building connections, building forums : understanding the empowerment strategies of temporary workers.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is an analysis of the temporary help industry in America, and the empowerment strategies used by temporary workers to overcome the barriers and limitations of their employment. Network-building and the use of web technologies are analyzed as strategies to improve the conditions of temping. Websites and zines are understood as creating spaces for dialogue, dissent, and organizing, which may overcome the spatial separation and surveillance of temps in the workplace; a feature which discourages traditional modes of organizing. Network-building is analyzed in terms of it's efficacy in integrating the emerging temporary worker's movement into the broader social struggles of postructuralism, and anti-globalization. Web communication and technology are examined to determine how the inherent fluidity and fragmenation of this medium, can enhance or impede collective efforts to improve the conditions of temporary work.


identifier: Rahim, Mir Munir Ahmed  (2003) The molecular architecture of translational regulatory elements within the 5' untranslated region of the chloroplast psbC mRNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Translation of specific mRNAs of the semiautonomous genetic systems of mitochondria and plastids is controlled by the products of nuclear genes. Previous studies have characterized a particularly complex example of this control pertaining to translation of the chloroplast psbC mRNA in the unicellular eukaryotic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . psbC translation is controlled by interactions between its 547 nucleotides 5 ' untranslated region and the product of the nuclear loci TBC1, TBC2 and TBC3.  This thesis extends our understanding of psbC translational control from the genetic level to the biochemical level. RNA structures involved in translation and its control by the nuclear gene products were identified using chemical and enzymatic probing experiments, oligonucleotide hybridization probing experiments, circular dichroism, and reverse transcription inhibition experiments. Results strongly support a large stem-loop secondary structure that was proposed over 13 years ago. Additional evidence indicates this structure forms a pseudoknot structure by hybridization of its apical loop with a proximal sequence. A mutation that removes two bulges from the stem of this structure drastically alters its structure. Evidence supporting 6 smaller stem-loop structures was obtained.  Sequence elements and RNA structures in the psbC 5 ' untranslated region that interact with factors encoded or controlled by TBC1, TBC2 and TBC3 were identified by in vivo dimethyl sulfate protection analysis. Control by TBC1 and TBC3 is mediated by specific sequences that are dispersed throughout the 5 ' untranslated region. The TBC2 mutant has a DMS protection within the coding sequence. Models of translational control based on these findings are proposed


identifier: Lebowitz, Rachel  (2003) Hannus.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Hannus

abstract: This work centres around the life of my great-grandmother, Ida Hannus, a suffragist who left Finland in 1902 for Sointula, a Finnish utopian commune on Malcolm Island, British Columbia. After the commune dissolved, she and her husband moved to Vancouver, where she ultimately brought up her four children alone (three others having died in infancy). She worked a variety of jobs--housekeeper, maid in a skid row hotel, seamstress, landlady--and was active in the Finnish socialist hall in Vancouver. She died in 1953, when she was struck by a car.  Her story is divided into three main sections. The first concentrates on the events and her experiences in the commune, the second examines her life as a wife and mother during the years 1905-1927, and the third focuses on her political involvement during the 30s and 40s. The work uses a number of different styles--interviews, quotes, lyric poems, dramatic monologues, official records, photographs--and is told in three main perspectives--Ida's, mine (as descendant and researcher) and my mother's. These many perspectives and sources redefine and complicate the narrative, and ultimately raise questions about the reliability of history and biography.


identifier: Yao, Ying  (2003) Sound transmission through panels using element free Galerkin technique.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sound transmission through flexible panels is investigated using Element Free Galerkin (EFG) method. In contrast to Finite Element Method (FEM), EFG method uses a set of nodes scattered within the problem domain and its boundaries to model the structure. These sets of nodes do not form a mesh, and hence information on the relationship between the nodes is not required for field variable interpolation.  Moving Least Square (MLS) approach is employed to generate the displacement functions in EFG method for vibration analysis of elastic structures. Subdivisions similar to finite elements are used to provide a background mesh for numerical integration. The essential boundary conditions are enforced by Lagrange multipliers for static problems. For analysis of free vibration and forced vibrations, the essential boundary conditions are imposed using orthogonal transform techniques. To demonstrate the validity and versatility of the method, modal analysis of beams and thin plates with different boundaries have been carried out. In addition, the response of these structures under dynamic excitation has been analyzed. The results obtained are in good agreement with those obtained by other methods. Sound transmission loss through panels with all edges clamped is investigated and the results are presented and discussed. Results are compared with those obtained from simple application of mass law and the agreement is quite good.


identifier: Shen, Biao  (2003) Cell penetration of supramolecular sunscreen components and the effects of these components on UVA-irradiation of cells.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sunburn, pigmentation, hyperplasia, immunosuppression, and vitamin D synthesis represent acute responses of the skin to solar ultraviolet radiation, whereas photoaging and photocarcinogenesis constitute chronic effects. Sunscreens are known to protect against sunlight-induced erythema and sunburn. However, a number of studies demonstrated that UV-irradiated sunscreen components such as PABA and TiO 2 , when in contact with skin cells, cause biological damage ( e.g. , to DNA or enzymes) through facilitating generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Therefore, novel supramolecular sunscreens are under development based on zeolites (porous material) as hosts with sunscreen components as guests. Encapsulation should alleviate adverse side effects by preventing direct contact of the sunscreen guests with skin cells.  Supramolecular sunscreens involving the use of supramolecular composites based on zeolite hosts may reduce or even eliminate biomolecular damage by sunscreen components such as titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). The focus of this research is to examine the penetration, if any, of zeolite particles into cells (rat keratinocytes and human skin fibroblasts). Zeolites modified with fluorophores were used to obtain a distribution profile within cells using confocal microscopy. Fluorescent probes that can be taken up by viable cells were further used to examine the release of guests from the zeolite hosts. The protective effect of zeolites against the production of harmful ROS caused by UV-irradiation was examined by observing H 2 O 2 generation in cells using confocal microscopy. The results revealed that zeolites do not penetrate cells and they reduce the amount of ROS produced by UV-irradiation of cells. The data presented here will help in the design of supramolecular sunscreens.


identifier: Wenning, Mario  (2003) Justification in critical theory.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Justification in critical theory

abstract: This study is a critical examination of the role of justification in Critical Theory. In particular I will raise the question in what way Critical Theory can be confirmed or disconfirmed, which is important in order for Critical Theory to be more than a moralizing theory without any objective basis. Special emphasis is placed on Jürgen Habermas's attempt to ground normative social criticism in terms of a theory of communicative action. I show that his argument concerning an ideal speech situation is circular and that his foundationalist assumption of speech as being oriented towards consensus faces serious difficulties. By comparing Habermas's defence of deliberative democracy to that of John Rawls's construction of a just society, I challenge the view that democratic liberalism, a position that both Rawls and Habermas share, can be seen as a "freestanding" or "autonomous" conception. Given the importance of problems concerning value pluralism and growing nihilism in modern societies, I argue that Critical Theory should adopt a concern for meaning complementing its concern for justice. Radical self-reflective normative theory, as we paradigmatically find it in the work of Theodor W. Adorno, I conclude, have to take an ambivalent stance towards the possibility of justifying a conception of justice in positive terms.


identifier: Dudeck, Marcie Rochelle  (2003) Young adults' attachment and recall of stressful interpersonal situations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current study investigated how activation of young adults' attachment schemas influence their social information processing, cognitive attributions, and feelings relating to stressful interpersonal situations with their mothers, fathers, best-friends, and romantic partners. Participants (N = 132, mean age = 24) completed a measure of anxious and avoidant attachment (Brennan et al., 1998), made attributions about self and others in response to stressful interpersonal vignettes, and then were given a recall task. Hypotheses were guided by two models: (1) Schema-Consistent Processing (i.e., attachment style should facilitate recall by assimilating belief-congruent information); and (2) Processing Limits (i.e., attachment-related memories should interfere with information processing resources upon activation of similar memories). Consistent with the Schema-Consistent Processing model, those who had higher attachment anxiety recalled themselves more negatively. Three other findings were not consistent with either processing model: (a) females who were lower on attachment avoidance recalled more feelings; (b) participants who were more avoidant tended to recall a greater number and more emotionally intense thoughts about self; and (c) the higher the level of attachment anxiety, the less likely one was to recall a combination of positive and negative thoughts about others. The overall pattern of results suggests the need for several processes to explain how internal working models of attachment influence interpretation of negative interpersonal situations.


identifier: Zhu, Kang  (2003) Thermorheology of long chain branched metallocene polyethylene.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this study, it was found that the activation energy spectrum could be calculated from the relaxation modulus and we demonstrated that the activation energy spectrum is a characteristic material function. Therefore by combining it with the relaxation spectrum at the reference temperature, viscoelastic properties at different temperatures can be predicted.  The thermorheological complexity of long chain branched polymers is caused by a particular relaxation mechanism called arm retraction. An equivalent relaxation mechanism is exhibited by linear polymers at short time scales. According to this theory, linear polymers should be thermorheologically complex in the time range that this mechanism is active, however this has never been observed experimentally. The primary reason for the lack of experimental proof of that theory is the difficulty in accessing experimentally the necessary time scales. In order to make it possible to observe this behavior within the experimental window, a very high molecular weight, monodisperse linear polyethylene was studied


identifier: Thirulogasanthar, Kengatharam  (2003) Vector coherent states with matrices.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Vector coherent states with matrices

abstract: In this thesis we develop vector coherent states (VCS) in the form [Special characters omitted.] where [Special characters omitted.] , the n dimensional complex space and [Special characters omitted.] is an n x n matrix. By imposing some conditions on the matrix [Special characters omitted.] we develop a general procedure to obtain VCS. We develop VCS on the complex plane and on the unit disc by replacing the matrix [Special characters omitted.] by quaternions. We also build VCS with several other classes of matrices. Further, we develop VCS on general Clifford algebras. At last, we build VCS with a class of symmetric matrices with an unbounded frame operator.


identifier: Hill, Kevin  (2003) The role of inquiry and monitoring in the development of psychological contract congruence.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study uses cross-sectional survey data gathered from supervisor-employee dyads to examine the role of employee-initiated information seeking behaviour in the development of dyad members' beliefs. Specifically, employees' use of inquiries directed at their supervisors is contrasted with their use of monitoring the workplace environment in the development of beliefs regarding employment obligations that represent the psychological contract. Whether agreement between dyad members concerning the psychological contract is the result of greater use of the information-seeking strategies is the main emphasis of the study, although one consequence of agreement is explored briefly. The distinction between obligations that are transactional and those that are relational is also examined. Findings relate solely to the role of inquiry in the development of employees' beliefs and did not conform to hypotheses. The conclusions suggest the need for future research in order to clarify both the role of information seeking in the development of the psychological contract, as well the nature of the contract itself.


identifier: Morin, Marie-Claude  (2003) Pre-IPO firm performance and corporate governance of U.S. IPO firms : does venture capitalists backing matter?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines differences between venture-backed and non venture-backed IPO firms in three aspects. First, operating performance and firm growth are examined in the pre-IPO period and in the IPO year. Second, differences in the corporate governance mechanisms in place at the time of the IPO are considered. In order to do so, board structure and directors' ownership and voting power are considered. Third, differences in the degree of IPO underpricing between the two groups are tested. Possible relationships of IPO underpricing with firm performance and corporate governance are also explored. We find venture-backed firms experience poorer operating performance in the IPO year as well as in the four years preceding it. On the other hand, they show higher growth in operating performance and revenues compared to non venture-backed firms. Board size is positively related to the number of VCs involved, but negatively related to VCs' ownership in the firm. Venture-backed firms have more outside directors but fewer independent directors on their board compared to non venture-backed firms. In addition, CEO duality is less common in venture-backed firms. Finally, IPO underpricing is larger for venture-backed firms, except for firms in the smallest size quartile. We also find underpricing not to be significantly related to firm performance and corporate governance mechanisms.


identifier: Li, Hang  (2003) The correlation between FDI and knowledge transfer, & their effect on domestic innovation : evidence from China.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study attempts to explore the correlation between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and foreign knowledge transfer in China. More specifically, the study empirically investigates the feedback effect of foreign knowledge transfer from multinational corporations (MNCs) on FDI in the Chinese context. Also, the relationship between international knowledge transfer through FDI and indigenous firms' innovation is examined. Furthermore, in order to fill the gap in the literature, the study probes the impacts of WTO accession on FDI inflows to China and on domestic innovation development.  Using different methodologies, this paper conducts a longitudinal study based on a unique, country-level dataset (patent data) from China. The empirical evidence supports the view of FDI as a vehicle of foreign advanced technology inflowing to China. The more technologies transferred to China, the more investments MNCs make, which spurs the domestic firms to promote their own R&D activities. Accordingly, the improvement of domestic innovative capacity will attract more advanced technology and FDI inflows to China. Also, the WTO accession seems to have had positive effects on drawing FDI inflows and foreign knowledge transfer to China.


identifier: Branch, Timothy  (2003) The influence of consumers' pre-consumption mood on experiential responses to different musical genres.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The aim of the present thesis is to conduct an investigation into which responses of the music consumption experience contribute to the enjoyment of and intention to purchase music by consumers across musical genres, and how these responses may be influenced by consumers' pre-consumption mood. Literature in psychology and music education suggested that there are four general categories of hedonic responses that consumers experience while listening to music and are related to their enjoyment and purchase intentions: sensorial, emotional, imaginal and analytical responses. These responses may contribute differently to the overall enjoyment of music, where their impact on consumers' enjoyment may depend on the musical genre of the stimulus and their pre-consumption mood. Two separate but complementary studies were conducted to investigate consumers' responses to music across musical genres and the effect of their pre-consumption mood on their enjoyment of the listening experience and subsequent behavioral intentions. The results of these studies indicated that consumers' enjoyment of the music consumption experience is related to different responses depending on whether they are in a positive or negative pre-consumption mood and the musical genre heard.


identifier: Braiden, Michelle Katherine  (2002) Immanuel Kant, John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas on the problem of the possibility of perpetual peace.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The following is a critical analysis of John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas's contemporary reformulations of Immanuel Kant's Perpetual Peace , and focuses on their respective interpretations of Kant's arguments in favour of the 'negative surrogate' of a foedus pacificum (league of peace) and against the 'positive idea' of world government. It is argued that, however problematic, Habermas's World Parliamentary Democracy, based on the constitution of a reformed United Nations, is superior to Rawls's Society of Peoples--the contemporary ideal of peace must not subordinate the interests of individual persons to the peoples to which they belong, it must be in accordance with the development of a post-Westphalian order, and it must allow for the further development of Kant's idea of a law of world citizenship. It is further argued that Habermas's proposal is the one that is most likely to result in a 'soulless despotism,' as it is not clear that the ideal of peace must necessarily seek the further nullification of state sovereignty and thereby affirm a single, unified, global system of law and litigation. Kant was correct to suggest that a lasting global peace must on the rejection in principle of the threat of use or force among states, including that of a world state.


identifier: Bissoonauth, Brinda  (2002) Virtual project work : investigating critical success factors of virtual project performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is an exploration into the critical success factors of virtual project work to determine the effects on virtual project performance. The challenge of management today is developing strategically flexible organizations in response to high technological pressures and increasingly competitive marketplaces One of the widely adopted team-based designs by many organizations today is the technology-mediated group, or often referred to as the virtual team. As the shift to virtual environments becomes more prevalent in organizations, it would be extremely valuable to explore some of the factors that contribute to this successful shift. The aim of this research is to investigate some organizational and technological critical success factors of virtual project work and determine their impact on virtual project performance.  The organizations targeted to participate in this study, were located in all provinces across Canada. The results indicate that (1) affective commitment, (2) perceived organizational support, (3) management support, (4) technological support and (5) perceived benefits are established critical success factors of virtual project performance among virtual teams. Managerial as well as theoretical implications are discussed and future avenues for research in this field are also provided based on the results obtained in this study


identifier: Chang, Sandra  (2003) Children's pretend play with television and film-scripted character toys.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Children's cultural environments have been inundated with television and film-based character toys: replica models of characters seen in children's popular television and film. This study examined whether "scripted" toys had a restrictive influence on children's imaginations, by investigating how children used play to emulate or transform the materials, identities, and narratives they were provided through these toys.  The effects of toy type (scripted versus unscripted) and gender (boys versus girls) on the pretend play, roles, and themes engaged in by children were examined. Twenty-eight 5-year-olds (14 boys, 14 girls) were observed in play sessions under two conditions: (a) with a set of television or film-scripted toys, and (b) with a set of toys unrelated to mass media. The children's pretend play, roles, and themes were measured.  Results revealed that scripted toys elicited pretend enactment with fictive roles and themes, whereas unscripted toys encouraged high-level negotiation (especially with girls) and archetypical or reality-based roles and themes. These findings tentatively suggest that television and film-scripted toys promote imitative pretend play, whereas unscripted toys encourage more creative pretense behavior in the children. The results also confirmed that the inclusion of an "archetypical" category was necessary to describe the children's pretend roles and themes. As well, girls were found to engage in more pretend negotiation behaviors than boys


identifier: Alhassan, Amin Mohammed  (2003) The postcolonial state and nation in the articulation of development and communication policy in Ghana.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The dissertation focuses on the articulation of communication policy and development within the postcolonial nation-state. Taking Ghana as a case, I interrogate policy practices on telecommunications and broadcasting around the axis of commodification as the requirements of globalization as against the extension of citizens' access to communication conduit as a requirement of nation-building. Historically, the postcolonial state appropriated for itself the mandate of development planning to put in place a new regime of production as part of the project to turn subjects into citizens. Such a task of community building underscores the central significance of the communicative infrastructure as the framework for the nation that is in the process of coming into being.  The discussion is based on interviews and observations during research in Ghana from March to July 2002 and policy documents from the World Bank, the IMF and the Ghanaian state. Using commodification as a conceptual device and articulation as a method, I discuss the contemporary predilection of the Ghanaian state towards market led development. This enables me to tease out the implication of the new language of policy that privileges the exchange value over the use value of communication services. I also trace the gradual re-articulation of communication as information as part of the logic of digital capitalism. A bifurcated nation, so to speak, is in the making. The urban landscape, especially, the capital city of Accra is characterized by a burgeoning community of digital consumption with internet cafés, telecenters and mobile telephony, springing up to augment the already media rich environment of multiple channels of electronic media and press. The rest of the country remains largely unserved by the market, bringing back to the table, the question of nation building and commodification of communication as incongruent admixture for development and democratization of access. The promised national community of citizens based on a principle of inclusion is gradually turning out to be an exclusive economy of digital consumers in the urban centers and a disconnected constituent of non-city dwellers all in an increasingly unimaginable polity.


identifier: Gilbert, Gregory  (2003) Moments under water.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Moments under water

abstract: This manuscript is a collection of short stories that are linked thematically and through the use of recurring metaphors and imagery. The collection has nine stories and one vignette that locate themselves geographically around Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Ottawa, Ontario. They explore themes of departure and reunion, both in metaphorical and literal terms. The manuscript is fictitious.


identifier: Collins, Michael  (2001) The dialogue journal-sketchbook in art education : developing creative abilities in art students through mutually self-reflective dialogues between teacher and student.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: My thesis elucidates an attempt to make mutually reflective creative dialogues about art making, between student participants and their instructor(s), a more conscious practice in art-education studio classrooms. It builds its conclusions through the methodology of dialogue journal research, ethnographic case construction and narrative inquiry.  Art educators have been interested in the role that reflective thinking plays in creativity. My study confirms that role and suggests that models of creative thinking and reflective thinking run on parallel lines. It proposes that reflective thinking and creative art making are functions of the "personal narrative" of the participant. My thesis suggests that Art Education research in these areas needs to expand its approach to incorporate narrative inquiry methods if it wishes to further open up the creative possibilities for the student and the teacher to employ reflective practice in the studio classroom.


identifier: Gosselin, Guillaume  (2003) New evidence on market impact of convertible bond issues on United States firms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines the market impact of recent convertible bonds new issues of United States listed firms. The thesis focus mainly on the market reaction surrounding the announcement dates and the issue dates of convertible bonds. The evidence suggests that firms experience negative abnormal returns around the announcement of new issues of convertible bonds. The determinants of these abnormal returns are the total market value of firms, their price-to-book ratio, the period 2000-2001 and the outstanding amount of the issues. A simulation made using convertible arbitrage strategies suggests that investor could take advantage of these negative abnormal returns by going long on the firm's convertible bond and short on the firm's stock at the issue date.


identifier: Abdelgawad, Mohamed Omar  (2003) Numerical simulation of transient performance of viscous micropumps.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current trend in today's technology is the miniaturization of the mechanical components to the extent that they are about to compete with the electronics used to control their performance. In the present study, the transient performance of viscous micropumps will be investigated numerically. The viscous micropump operation depends mainly on viscous forces, and can operate in any situation where viscous forces are dominant. It consists of a cylinder placed eccentrically inside a microchannel with its axis perpendicular to the channel axis. When the cylinder rotates, a net force is transferred to the fluid due to the unequal shear stresses on the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder, thus causing the fluid to displace.  The effect of the microchannel height, rotor eccentricity, Reynolds number, and pump load on the transient performance of the viscous micropump has been studied in detail. The rotor eccentricity was determined to be the parameter that affected the transient performance of the micropump the most significantly. Multi rotor configurations were also examined and proved to enhance the micropump performance. The steady state performance was compared with the available experimental data and was found to be in a very good agreement. This work provides a foundation for future research on the subject of fluid phenomena in viscous micropumps.


identifier: Slako, France  (2002) The role of frontal lobes in hypnotizability and episodic memory.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The results of recent neurophysiological studies support a strong involvement of frontal lobes in hypnotizability and episodic memory (Crawford et al., 1998; Gruzelier; 1998; Tulving & Lepage, 2000). The present study investigated the relation between individual differences in frontal tasks' performance and episodic memory as well as hypnotizability. In experiment 1, ninety subjects were assessed on a variety of frontal and non-frontal tasks. Frontal lobe processing was measured using a battery of neuropsychological tasks: the Stroop, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Target Detection Test (D2), the Trail Making Tests, the FAS Verbal Fluency Test, the Self-Ordered Pointing Test (SOPT) and the Continuous Performance Test. Episodic memory performance was measured using a Remember/Know (R/K) paradigm following the presentation of a study list under full and divided attention conditions. Hypnotizability correlated positively with frontal tests (WCST, Stroop, and SOPT). Highly hypnotizable subjects displayed faster processing across several frontal tasks. Hypnotizability was also related to a higher number of remember responses on a recognition task using the R/K paradigm, and to greater vulnerability to memory distortions in a divided attention condition. Ten High Hypnotizable (HH) and 10 Low Hypnotizable (LH) subjects selected from the same sample were asked to participate in a second experiment. Episodic memories formulated in response to cue-words in and out of hypnosis were rated for cognitive effort and content. Results did not support an effect of increased cognitive effort and response time due to the weakening of the executive system in hypnosis as predicted by the Dissociated-Control Theory of hypnosis (Woody & Bowers, 1994). Low and High hypnotizable subjects formulated equally vivid memories however, HH included more self-reference statements in their episodic memories. The results of both studies suggested that the phenomenological experience of hypnosis is goal-directed and that responsiveness and non-volition may be better explained in terms of experiences of autonoetic consciousness and executive control, rather than the activation of automatic responses resulting from a weakening of executive functions.


identifier: Halford, Teresa Anne  (2003) Alberta bound.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Alberta bound

abstract: This thesis is a novella whose protagonist--an erstwhile sideshow performer and habitual runaway--is involved in an exploration of discovery, in essence, a journey from becoming-to-being. The story begins at the protagonist's death, as she "relives" moments before she finally dies. The protagonist is followed by her guardian angel who traces his charge's steps in reverse: finding her, then determining where she's been. The protagonist encounters both adversaries and helpers, both causing her to deviate more than once from her path. The journey ends as the protagonist rebirths herself and returns to the site of her first voyage--this time making a decision to stay on that path, rather than return "home".  The story is told in several voices including that of the protagonist herself; but more often, her facilitators are the narrators, each of whom, like the protagonist, are doomed to repeat history until they "get it right." The narration is mostly reported dialogue or epistolary excerpts each containing little description in order to portray a series of oral recountings or musings. Interspersed are excerpts from various chapters of a sideshow instructional manual. The form, ultimately, is more cerebral or ethereal, which serves as a mirror to the physicality of the content.


identifier: Rudnitsky, Melanie  (2003) Motivated mentors : an examination of the construct of motivation to mentor, its antecedents and its consequences.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Increasingly, organizations are becoming aware of the value that is associated with employee mentorship programs, where senior individuals with advanced knowledge and experience (mentors) provide support for, and assist the career progression of junior employees (protégés). Mentors can help new employees adjust to their new organization by providing them the guidance and support they need. They can then continue to act as a mentor by helping their protégés grow and develop within the organization. The present study is one that examined the construct of motivation to mentor, its antecedents and its consequences. Surveys were mailed to MBA Alumni of a large Canadian university, calling for those with mentoring experience to take part. Using theories of motivation, motivation to mentor was examined. Individual personality characteristics of altruism, positive affectivity and locus of control are proposed as independent variables affecting one's motivation to mentor. Job satisfaction was the outcome of motivation that was explored in this study. Findings indicate that the individual personality characteristics discussed are significantly related to motivation to mentor and that job satisfaction with pay and promotion opportunities as well as satisfaction with the nature of the work are two salient outcomes reported by mentors. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.


identifier: Marchionni, Caroline  (2003) Informal feedback giving : development of a scale and elaboration of its nomological network.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Informal feedback giving behavior has been largely ignored in the management science literature despite the important role it plays in improving individual and organizational performance. This two-part study was designed to elucidate the construct of informal feedback giving behavior and to develop a scale to measure the behavior. A model of informal feedback giving, originally developed by Larson (1984), was extended with the addition of Dweck's (2000) implicit theories of human abilities to predict informal feedback giving by supervisors. Employee tenure and supervisor-employee task dependence were hypothesized to moderate the relationship between the supervisors' implicit theory and their informal feedback giving.  The results of the scale development and validation revealed that there are four factors underlying feedback giving. These factors include two dimensions of the feedback valence (positive and negative) and two communication methods (verbal and non-verbal) that were combined into four subscales (positive verbal, positive non-verbal, negative verbal and negative non-verbal). These factors were extracted in both the employee and the supervisor samples, suggesting a robust structure.  The extension of Larson's model produced mixed results and the original hypotheses were not clearly supported. Implicit theories of human abilities predicted certain types of informal feedback giving although there was limited concordance between the employee and the supervisor reports. The moderators, employee tenure and task dependence, did have an effect on the relationship between the supervisors' implicit theory and their tendency to provide specific types of feedback. The implications of these findings were discussed with an emphasis on the construct of informal feedback giving and the effects of implicit theories on the behavior.


identifier: Devanathan, Gopal  (2003) The design of substrates for Cathepsin X.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Cysteine proteases constitute an important group of enzymes involved in a number of physiological processes. As these enzymes have been linked to diseases such as arthritis, Alzheimer's, and cancer, they are attractive targets for inhibitor design. Cathepsin X is a cysteine protease that was only recently discovered. The primary structure of cathepsin X contains several unique features that clearly distinguish it from the other human cysteine proteases. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic study on the S2, S1, and S1 ' subsites of the cathepsin X active site and to gain a detailed understanding of the enzyme's substrate specificity.  Three libraries of compounds have been synthesized based on the parent compound 2-Abz-Phe-Arg-Phe(4NO 2 ). In each library, the 20 natural amino acids were substituted into P2, P1, and P1 ' sites respectively, while keeping the other positions fixed. In reference to the parent compound, P2 is occupied by Phe, P1 by Arg, and P1 ' by Phe(NO 2 ). All 59 compounds were purified and analyzed using RP-HPLC and MS. The catalytic efficiency values for P2 and P1 variants were assessed kinetically by analyzing progress curves using a fluorescent substrate analogue while P1 ' variants were analyzed by discontinuous assay using RP-HPLC. Molecular modeling studies were also performed by docking 2-Abz-Phe-Arg-Phe(4NO 2 ) and analogues to the cathepsin X active site in order to gain a detailed understanding of factors underlying substrate specificity. Knowledge obtained from this study will aid in the development of specific inhibitors useful as research tools to investigate the physiological and potential pathological roles of this novel enzyme


identifier: Basi, Mandip  (2003) The logic of biomedicine in rural Punjab.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores the processes by which biomedicine and pharmaceuticals have entered the standard repertoire of treatment options in rural Punjab, India. The author conducted participant-observation and interviews with various medical practitioners and patients in Punjab for three months in Autumn 2001. It was found while biomedicine is a global phenomenon; many of its users approach it using their reality as agriculturalists as a starting point. More specifically, the Punjabis integrate their use of biomedical pharmaceuticals with their understanding of Green Revolution agrarian practices, constitution of the body, and diet. This thesis argues that their use of biomedicine allows them to maintain functional health and accommodate the compromising working and living conditions brought about from reliance upon chemically-based substances such as pesticides and cleansers which are customary in the everyday lives of rural Punjabis.


identifier: Panasian, Christine  (2003) The impact of the 1995 TSE corporate governance guidelines on the performance of Canadian companies : a simultaneous equation approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is aimed at testing the impact of the 1995 Corporate Governance Guidelines adopted by the TSE on the performance of Canadian firms. This is accomplished by modeling the joint determination of three alternative internal agency control mechanisms: board composition, ownership structure and debt, together with firm performance in a simultaneous equation framework employing three-stage least-squares methodology. We find that the balance of forces has shifted in the post guidelines period to an increasing monitoring role attributed to boards of directors as both their composition and size become significant determinants of firm performance (as measured by Tobin's Q).  Furthermore, the test performed on a 5-year pooled sample, three years from the pre-guidelines period and two years from the post-guidelines period, shows that the proposals in the Corporate Governance Guidelines adopted by the TSE in 1995 had a positive impact on the performance of these firms. Incorporating a dummy variable in the board composition equation that takes on a value of one after the adoption of the guidelines and zero before, the results from a 3SLS system confirm that the adoption in 1995 of the Corporate Governance Guidelines is associated with an increase in outside representation on the boards. An interaction variable between the above mentioned dummy and the percentage of outsiders in the firm performance equation confirms that TSE regulation prompted a rise in outsiders on boards, which consequently led to a significant improvement in their role as corporate monitors.


identifier: Narula, Bindu  (2003) The image of refugeeness and the realities of the refugee experience in a Canadian city.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This is an ethnographic account of refugee resettlement as it occurs in a Reception House for government sponsored refugees. This thesis explores issues of agency and negotiation for those defined as refugees in an environment that can be complex, bureaucratic and controlled. Since Canada Immigration privatized the area of refugee resettlement, immigrant serving agencies are funded by the government to facilitate the refugee resettlement process. The contradictions of a system developed to assist refugees are explored at the local level. This thesis attempts to challenge the notion of forced migration, the image of refugeeness and homogenizing the people of the refugee category.  While there is vast literature that deals with asylum seekers or refugee claimants, very little has specifically been written about government sponsored refugees. Although these refugees are accepted to Canada as permanent residents, they are still subjected to many of the same stereotypes as other refugees without permanent status.


identifier: Huang, Yu  (2003) An engineering approximation of material characteristics for input to heat, air and moisture transport model simulations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: While many heat, air and moisture (HAM) transport models have recently been developed, a state-of-the-art review shows that their application is limited by lack of the reliable material data. Towards this end, an alternative approach to material characterization, called an Engineering Model of material characteristics is examined in this thesis.  Series of moisture transport experiments were carried out on two building materials: aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC) and Portland cement plaster (exterior stucco). The experiments were to measure material characteristics, and to provide benchmark for the HAM model calculation. Furthermore, a ruggedness study was conducted on the factors that may have influence on the water absorption coefficient test.  This thesis introduces the concept of a platform with a minimum number of measured points for the input to heat, air and moisture transport models.  This thesis also presents results of parametric study conducted on the wetting and drying behavior of AAC, with respect to parameter variations and their interaction effects, including such parameters as capillary saturation, capillary liquid conductivity, water absorption coefficient, and moisture storage factor.


identifier: Basevitz, Paul  (2003) Worry in late adulthood : developmental perspectives on content, frequency, and worry proneness.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The goals of this research were to generate a better understanding of worry themes that may be common in late adulthood, to determine the extent to which older adults experience worry and related processes, and to better understand factors associated with worry proneness among seniors. In Study 1, a sample of community dwelling older adults were asked to monitor and to record their worry themes in a seven-day worry diary. Study 2 investigated the hypothesis that older adults would show age-related reductions in worry via both retrospective reports of changes in worrying during adulthood and through cross-sectional age comparisons with a sample of younger adults. This study also sought to determine whether age differences would be evident in processes related to worry including: intolerance of uncertainty, erroneous beliefs in the functional value of worry, a tendency to monitor threat and to interpret ambiguous situations as threatening, and to engage in over-elaborated worry thought sequences. Study 3 investigated the extent to which older adults showing high levels of worry have difficulty adapting their coping efforts when faced with life stressors that are perceived as relatively uncontrollable. The findings showed that health-related worries were the most commonly reported worry themes in late adulthood as evidenced by responses on the worry diary and on a standardized worry checklist. Nonetheless, the worry diary also showed that other commonly reported worries among these older adults were not specifically related to the challenges associated with aging and included concerns about social relationships and everyday activities. Worries about death and loneliness were uncommon. Support was found for the hypothesized age-related reduction in worry frequency in both retrospective reports of the older sample and via cross-sectional age comparisons. Age differences were also observed in worry-related processes including intolerance of uncertainty, erroneous beliefs in the functional value of worrying, and in the tendency to engage in worry thought sequences, each showing reduced frequency among older adults compared with younger adults. Finally, evidence was found that high levels of worry among older adults were associated with difficulty disengaging from problem solving efforts when faced with relatively uncontrollable life stressors. The findings indicate that the developmental course of worry is characterized by both continuities and discontinuities from earlier stages of adult development and suggest a need for more refined research on changes and stability in worry-related processes throughout adulthood.


identifier: Trapalis, Fotini  (2003) Cross-border transfer of organizational knowledge : a two country comparison.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Organizational knowledge is considered an essential competency for multinational corporations wanting to efficiently transfer their experience and practices to subsidiaries. Knowledge transfer has traditionally been examined through the transmission of routines, rules, and procedures--but when transferring knowledge from one country to the other, cultural characteristics also need to be taken into consideration. This paper uses a multiple case study to investigate how the transfer of know-how is influenced by three factors: level of individualism, the degree of subsidiary autonomy, and time. The sample consisted of seven Canadian and Greek parent companies and eight subsidiaries, with qualitative data triangulated from twenty-seven interviews, as well as documentation and observation. The findings confirm the majority of the hypothesized constructs, indicating that cultural characteristics influence cross-border knowledge transfer.


identifier: Krstich, Vesna  (2003) Installation art and viewer participation : a video based study of The dark pool by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This qualitative video study documents how physical experience within contemporary installation art aids or confounds the interpretation of meaning. For this thesis, I use Lachapelle's (Informant Made Video) method to study how three adult participants with different levels of art expertise respond to the multimedia sound installation by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller entitled: The Dark Pool . Installation art differs from traditional art forms and art viewing experiences because of the physical and multi-sensory relationship between the viewer and the work. Viewers must become active participants . However, museum visitors mayor may not acknowledge or understand the additional responsibilities required of them once inside an installation. By examining how active participation within installation art unfolds within a museum setting, I illuminate how participants behave and interact within the work.


identifier: Sotiropoulos, Veneta  (2003) Luxury fashion brands : the impact of embodied imagery on brand responses.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Brand imagery is composed of user and usage imagery. User imagery describes the user of the brand with personality traits while usage imagery describes the context in which to use the brand. The traditional use of personality traits to portray the brand user has been with imagery that has a static quality. However, imagery can also have an embodied quality. It is this embodied quality in imagery that leads an individual to form images of their self-concept that is more experiential. The current focus of this thesis is (1) to identify which type of user imagery--embodied or static--leads the consumer to greater hedonic and behavioral responses and (2) whether usage imagery intensifies this relationship. Study 1 served as an exploratory study of luxury fashion consumption. Study 2 served as an experimental study that addresses the current focus of this thesis. Methodologically, participants were required to answers a series of questions relating to their mental imagery experience, hedonic responses and behavioral intentions after being exposed stimuli scenarios. Results indicated that when presented independently of each other, embodied user imagery and usage imagery can enhance consumers' hedonic impressions but is more likely to affect purchase intentions. When presented together, such combinations of brand imagery as embodied user imagery and usage imagery as well as static user imagery and usage imagery brought the consumer to greater hedonic impressions and purchase intentions. What continues to be unclear is whether the relationship between brand imagery and consumer responses is due to high or low congruity between the consumer's ideal-self-concept and the product's brand image.


identifier: Popeski, Naomi  (2003) Nitric oxide in pregnancy and lactation : hormonal regulation and fuctional significance.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In female rats, the capacity for nitric oxide (NO) production within the hypothalamus is regulated by reproductive state and by the ovarian and peptidergic hormonal pattern that simulates late pregnancy. The first series of experiments described in this thesis examined the interaction of prolactin and oxytocin in upregulating nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and oxytocin gene expression within the hypothalamus in steroid-primed rats. Prolactin was found to upregulate NOS and this effect was mediated by oxytocin receptor activation. In addition, increased prolactin was associated with an increase in oxytocin mRNA within both the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei. The second set of experiments explored the inhibitory role of NO within the hypothalamic neurohypophysial system. The results demonstrated that NO modulated the activity of neurons in discrete nuclei in the hypothalamus and that this modulation was stimulus specific and varied with reproductive state. Central oxytocin administration induced more Fos expression within the SON and PVN in lactating than in nonlactating rat; but the opposite effect was seen following urethane administration. Inhibiting NO production increased Fos induction following central oxytocin administration in lactating rats whereas in nonlactating rats NOS inhibition decreased Fos-lir following both types of stimulation. The third series of experiments investigated a role for NO in milk ejections and the regulation of established maternal behavior. Data from these studies revealed that central inhibition of NO production disrupted pup retrieval and maternal aggression on both Day 4 and Day 10 of lactation. Together the experiments described in this thesis show that prolactin and oxytocin interact to upregulate NOS within the PVN and SON. Moreover, the increase in capacity to produce NO during lactation has a restraining effect on the activation of oxytocin neurons by oxytocin. Finally, NO has also been shown to play an important role in maternal retrieval and aggression.


identifier: Caruana, Douglas A  (2003) Parasubicular efferents to layer II of the entorhinal cortex : modulation of responses to piriform cortex inputs in vivo.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Although a major output of the hippocampal formation is from the subiculum to the deep layers of the entorhinal cortex, the parasubiculum projects to the superficial layers of the entorhinal cortex, and may therefore modulate how the entorhinal cortex responds to sensory inputs from other cortical regions. Recordings at multiple depths in the entorhinal cortex were first used to characterize field potentials evoked by stimulation of the parasubiculum in urethane-anesthetized rats. Current source density analysis showed that a prominent surface-negative field potential component is generated by synaptic activation in layer II. The surface-negative field potential was also observed in rats with chronically implanted electrodes. The response was maintained during short stimulation trains of up to 125 Hz, suggesting that it is generated by activation of monosynaptic inputs to the entorhinal cortex. The piriform cortex also projects to layer II of the entorhinal cortex, and interactions between parasubicular and piriform cortex inputs were investigated using double-site stimulation tests. Simultaneous activation of parasubicular and piriform cortex inputs with high-intensity pulses resulted in smaller synaptic potentials than were expected on the basis of summing the individual responses, consistent with the termination of both pathways onto a common population of neurons. Paired-pulse tests were then used to assess the effect of parasubicular stimulation on responses to piriform cortex stimulation. Responses of the entorhinal cortex to piriform cortex inputs were inhibited when the parasubiculum was stimulated 5 ms earlier, and were enhanced when the parasubiculum was stimulated 20 to 150 ms earlier. These results indicate that excitatory inputs to the entorhinal cortex from the parasubiculum may enhance the propagation of neuronal activation patterns into the hippocampal circuit by increasing the responsiveness of the entorhinal cortex to appropriately timed inputs.


identifier: Zhong, Yi  (2003) Intangibility and its influence on consumer behavior : from the brand and the generic product category perspectives.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Intangibility has been a well-recognized research topic especially in service marketing. However, recently, as virtual products or information products have emerged in consumer markets, the role of intangibility has shifted from a service-exclusive term to a product-related one. This is because that many products are intangible in some degrees to consumers.  Lately, academic research shows that intangibility, is a three-dimensional construct that includes: physical intangibility, mental intangibility, and generality. This finding has advanced the understandings on intangibility of virtual products. However, little has been done in relating to branding strategy and its influence on consumer behavior under this topic.  Thus, the focus of this research is to study whether the branding strategy, as compared to the generic category strategy, is an efficient risk and evaluation difficulty reducer when the branded product/service is perceived to be intangible. Moreover, this research also concentrates on how the branding strategy will assist the consumer decision process by reducing perceived risk, evaluation difficulty and perceived intangibility.  Data were collected among university students. The result of the data analysis shows that brand is a major intangibility-reducer especially for services. It also reduces consumer perceived evaluation difficulty and purchase-related risk.


identifier: Parsons, Amy  (2003) Superhero materials and boys' physically active and imaginative play.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study examined the effects of superhero materials on boys' physically active and imaginative play in a group of middle-class preschool children. Research findings have indicated that media related play, more specifically superhero and rough and tumble may be associated with aggressive and violent behaviour, as well as limited activity with regards to role play. Fifty-eight boys between the ages of 4 and 5 years ( M = 54.95 mos., SD = 5.28 mos.) from middle SES backgrounds who attended day care full-time participated in the study. Eighteen preschool educators, as well as fifty-eight parents participated in the study. The participants (male dyads) were observed for the frequency and quality of roles, themes, level of physical activity in their play, as well as aggression. Each dyad participated in two play sessions, one including superhero materials (media related) one nonsuperhero (non-media related). The parents and educators were asked to respond to questionnaires pertaining to boy's play choices and behaviours. Each dyad's ( n = 29) play behaviour was coded for the type and number of pretend play roles, themes, amount of physical activity, as well as aggression in both toy conditions. It was found that the male dyads engaged in more character/fictive (media related) roles in the superhero condition than the nonsuperhero condition. Finally, dyads were found to be more physically active in the nonsuperhero condition than the superhero condition and no aggression or violence was associated with the play.


identifier: Otmar, Louise  (2003) The biotech and pharmaceutical industries and indigenous medicine : conquest or complementarity?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores the relationship between the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and indigenous medicine, with specific focus on the appropriation of traditional knowledge and the prospecting of plant materials and human cell lines. The exploitation of indigenous peoples is based in an ethos of conquest and supported by an increasingly entrenched system of international law that imposes Western intellectual property rights on Native communities and the developing world. Recognizing the inherent complementarity of Western and indigenous cultures would lead to a more harmonious coexistence between the two forms of medical knowledge. The notion of cultural complementarity implies a relationship between equals, suggesting the kind of mutuality that precludes the domination of one culture by the other. Given a situation in which power is unevenly shared, its actualization will require fully recognizing the wisdom and long-term benefits of transforming the current situation into one based in cooperation and respect.


identifier: Bronstetter, Timothy John  (2003) On Wittgenstein, meaning, and methodology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a description, and assimilation, of the ideas in the works of the later Wittgenstein. Specifically, it deals with the link between Wittgenstein's conception of meaning and his methodologies for philosophy. In order to highlight the crucial points in the later Wittgenstein's work, I have contrasted it with his work from the Tractatus and the works of other Early Analytic thinkers. The primary goal of this thesis is to demonstrate that changes in Wittgenstein's understanding of meaning are closely linked to his changes in his approach to philosophy. The rigidity and obsession with form that present themselves in the Tractatus can be seen as an excellent contrast to the loose and amorphous concepts that are found in the Philosophical Investigations or On Certainty


identifier: McKim, Joel  (2003) Filling in the voids : Berlin's "Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis takes Peter Eisenman's soon to be built Holocaust memorial as a focal point for considerations of contemporary memory practices that test the limits of representation. It begins by situating the memorial within the spatial and discursive landscape of contemporary Berlin, one that is dominated by the mythology of former chancellor Helmut Kohl. The intended function of Eisenman's monument is then questioned through an examination of its relation to several central figures of deconstruction and trauma theory, such as the chora , the uncanny, and the witness. This thesis ultimately argues that the Eisenman memorial problematically presents the Holocaust as a sanctified event that is beyond even partial comprehension. By positioning the traumatic events of the past as impenetrable voids that lie beyond the limits of representation, the monument assumes the ethical burden of remembering, rather than dispersing this ethical call amongst its audience. The emerging aesthetic tradition of the counter-monument is looked to for examples of self-critical contemporary memorials that initiate an active process of remembering within specific communities.


identifier: Thomo, Alex-Imir  (2003) Query optimization using views in semistructured databases.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A wealth of query languages for semistructured graph data has emerged, and what almost all of these languages have in common is a graph navigation mechanism, which is not usually found in their relational predecessors. However, the navigation is very expensive since it typically involves many database or network accesses. As a consequence, the optimization of the navigational part of the queries is essential for having commercially attractive query, processors similar to those for relational data.  One of the most well known ways for optimizing a query in general, is to use available information in precomputed or materialized views. At the heart of our approaches is the leverage of the concept of query rewritings using views. The query rewriting is a well known problem, which has been solved and deeply investigated for (non-recursive) queries over relational data. However, for navigational queries, which are a subset of the bigger family of the recursive datalog queries, the problem of rewriting is more complex and challenging.  In this thesis we study the problem in two realistic scenarios. The first one is related to information integration systems such as the Information Manifold, in which the data sources are modeled as sound views over a global schema. In such cases the "real" database is not available and what we try to compute for a query is its "certain answer according to the views." The second scenario, is query optimization using views when the real database is available, but the views are cheaper to access. In such a case we can use the database to answer parts of the query for which there are no relevant views. We propose algebraic rewritings that focus on extracting as much information as possible from the views for optimizing navigational queries


identifier: Chung, Wai Men Noel  (2003) A language-specific form of attention that underlies second language proficiency.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research investigated the role of a specific form of attention that may be implicated in the acquisition of second language (L2) proficiency, based on cognitive linguistic considerations. It was hypothesized that L2 proficiency would be positively correlated with efficiency of attention control for L2 grammaticized elements (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and verb forms), after controlling for effects attributable to attention control bilingual undergraduates (L1 = English; L2 = French) performed a proficiency task (operationalized as efficiency of accessing word meaning in a lexical living or nonliving categorization task) and an attention task (operationalized as efficiency of attention shift judgments in a nonmatching-to-sample task For both the proficiency and attention tasks, coefficient of variation (CV) of reaction time was the measure of processing efficiency. L2-specific measures were obtained by partialling out L1 from L2 CVs. The baseline for attention performance (i.e., no attention shift) was measured using a matching-to-sample task. Attention control indices were computed by partialling out match CVs from non-match CVs. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses (Step 1 = CONC & ABST; Step 2 = GRAM) revealed that efficiency of attention control for L2 grammaticized elements accounted for a significant amount of unique variance of L2 proficiency whereas attention control for nongrammaticized elements did not. Because all L2 measures had been residualized against L1, the results could be interpreted as reflecting a language specific form of attention and not general processing abilities.


identifier: Constantinescu, Ioana R  (2003) The role of verb-transitivity preference in sentence processing by reading disabled adolescents.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The influence of verb-transitivity preference in sentence processing was investigated in two self-paced reading experiments with normal and reading disabled readers. Experiment 1 compared reading times of Learning Disabled (LD) adolescents diagnosed with reading disabilities with those of normal college students. Experiment 2 compared another group of LD adolescents with reading disabilities with age-matched normal readers. Preferred-transitive (e.g., visit ) and preferred-intransitive (e.g., walked ) verbs were inserted into transitive (e.g., The child visited/walked his dog ) and intransitive (e.g., The child visited/walked with his friends ) syntactic frames. The results from the normal control groups showed an interaction between verb preference and sentence type and a significant difference between verb preferences in transitive frames. The results from the LD groups showed only a significant difference between verb preference in the transitive contexts in Experiment 1 but no difference between verb types in Experiment 2. The pattern of results from the normal readers supports a version of the lexicalist approach in parsing. According to this approach, sentence parsing is primarily determined by the nature of verb-syntactic frames. The pattern of results from the LD groups suggests a tendency for a verb-syntactic deficit in reading disability.


identifier: Coburn, Joel  (2003) The effects of selective cutting and liming on mushroom formation and mycorrhizal colonization of mature yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) in a deciduous forest within the Réserve faunique de Portneuf, south central Québec.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To test the effects of liming (V500 kg/hectare) and the cutting of V1000 m 2 gaps on the formation of mushrooms in a yellow birch/sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.) forest, all mushrooms were collected and quantified from twelve 49 m 2 plots. The liming had a neutral or positive affect on the fruiting of most species, for example, certain Hygrophorus species. Ectomycorrhizal taxa (eg. Entoloma salmoneus, Lactarius rufus ) generally had decreased fruiting in the gaps whereas many non-mycorrhizal taxa were unaffected by the cuts. Species of Hebeloma and Laccaria however did not show any response to the treatments. The ectomycorrhizae on mature yellow birch were quantified using morphological and molecular analyses. Ectomycorrhizal abundance was compared to mushroom abundance and confirmed the lack of correlation between fruiting and mycorrhizal colonisation of yellow birch roots. The proportion of ectomycorrhizal ITS RFLPs matching mushroom RFLPs (34%) agreed with other studies. The matches included species of Cortinarius, Hebeloma, Laccaria and Russula . The data from seedlings from the same site showed that fungal taxa colonizing mature yellow birch had a higher diversity, due to a more even distribution. Some species of Hebeloma and Laccaria appeared to be more abundant on seedlings while species in the Russulaceae appeared to be more abundant on mature trees. These differences may reflect the importance of the fungal partners for the establishment and survival of yellow birch.


identifier: Bataille, Alain R  (2003) Genome wide search for glycine metabolism genes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae uses glycine for the synthesis of activated one-carbon units and nitrogen metabolism. The homozygous diploid set of deletion strains includes strains deleted from all the S. cerevisiae non-essential genes (about 4700). This deletion set was screened for strains exhibiting a growth phenotype when glycine was used as the sole nitrogen source (Gmin medium). This screen identified a total of 321 strains. Within the 321 strains, 250 showed a growth defect on Gmin (G- phenotype) whereas 71 exhibited better growth on Gmin (G+ phenotype). Further high-density colony-array analyses established the growth profile for each of the 321 strains on ten different media. These growth profiling experiments identified genes important for various aspects of glycine metabolism. For example vesicular transport from the plasma membrane to the multivesicular body compartment was important for growth in media containing high concentrations of glycine. This suggests that the general amino acid permease (Gap1p) must be targeted to the vacuole for degradation to prevent glycine toxicity. Growth profiling also confirmed the importance of the mitochondrial compartment for glycine metabolism and defined the functional role of CEM1 and YJL046W for lipoate metabolism. This study therefore validated the use of growth profiling data generated using high density colony assays for the study of eukaryotic gene function.


identifier: Leduc, Antoine  (2003) Detection of conspecific alarm cues by juvenile salmonids under neutral and weakly acidic conditions : laboratory and field tests.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A variety of fishes possess damage-released chemical alarm signals, that play a critical role in the detection and avoidance of potential predation threats. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the ability of fathead minnows ( Pimephales promelas ) and finescale dace ( Phoxinus neogaeus ) to detect and respond to conspecific alarm signals is significantly reduced under weakly acidic conditions (pH 6.0). Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and brook charr ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) possess an analogous alarm signaling system. It is unknown, however if the trout alarm signaling system is likewise affected by relatively small changes in pH. I conducted laboratory and field trials to examine the potential effects of acute exposure to weakly acidic (pH 6.0) conditions on the detection and response of conspecific alarm signals by juvenile trout. My laboratory results demonstrate that while juvenile rainbow trout exhibit significant increases in antipredator behaviour under normal pH conditions (pH 7.0-7.2), they do not respond to the presence of conspecific chemical alarm signals (i.e. response is not different from controls) under weakly acidic conditions. Similarly, natural population of brook charr failed to detect conspecific alarm cues in a weakly acidic stream (mean pH 6.11) while they responded to these cues in a neutral stream (mean pH of 6.88). These data suggest significant, sub-lethal effects of acid precipitation on the ability of prey fishes to detect and respond to conspecific alarm cues in natural waterways.


identifier: Mitchell, Bonnie  (2003) Using critical pedagogy and narrative in alternative programs to redirect the at risk learner's educational experience.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine various systemic frameworks which define the at risk learner. Critical pedagogy is then analyzed indicating how critical educational pedagogical practices contribute to successful alternative education projects for at risk learners. The application of this pedagogy is culminated with the creation of narrative to demonstrate that the educational experience in alternative settings for at risk learners can be transformed from one of marginalization to conscious criticism and successful accomplishments in the Quebec high school curriculum. Finally, a case study of an alternative school program which services at risk learners and which is situated within the larger school complex is presented. The conclusion shows that the use of both critical pedagogy and narrative merge in alternative programming to heighten the opportunity for personal change and improve the educational success of at risk learners. Suggestions for further research are made to help understand and improve the educational experience for the at risk learner in high school.


identifier: Deckers, Aline Marie Stella Henriette  (2003) The fostering of political knowledge in Quebec students : an exploratory study.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Most young people are unaware that by learning about politics through the mass media they practice virtual politics. Political identity, however, is at the core of the developing youth; it is the root of how adolescents react to the outside world and how the outside world reacts to them. This identity is fostered in schools, among other places, and schools are the backbone of our political system. You cannot have a democracy without public education.  This study is an enquiry into the political knowledge of senior high school students in Quebec and the influence of the high school curriculum on this knowledge. Sixteen to seventeen year old Quebec students, senior high school teachers, media producers and government agents were interviewed.  The conclusions of this exploratory study point towards a new phase in which society demands that schools deliver active, critical citizens. At the same time, curricula, pedagogy and the relationship between the two is being redefined in education systems worldwide. In this study, it is clear that the Quebec Ministry of Education has, in the past, fallen short of fostering the type of Quebec citizens needed for today's democratic and pluralistic society. However, a new system-wide reform under way in the Quebec educational system has placed citizenship education at the core of its programs.


identifier: Mzali, Ines  (2003) Approaching the real through magic realism : magic realism in contemporary Indian literature in English.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis I examine the workings of magic realism in the novels of three Indian novelists writing in English: R. K. Narayan, Salman Rushdie, and Arundhati Roy. I start with a review of the literature on magic realism. In Chapter I, I propose to read Narayan as a magic realist writer. His style helps understand the mode as an attitude to reality preexisting the theorization on the mode. In the following two chapters, I contend with the major reservations critics have expressed about the trend. In Chapter II, the focus will be on the issue of escapism which is undermined by the political and social dimension of some of Rushdie's novels. Chapter III deals with the way Roy's work subverts the claim that the mode is necessarily exoticizing as she subverts the exotic potential while continuing to deploy magic realism.


identifier: Wright, Leanne  (2003) Man and myth : (short stories).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Man and myth : (short stories)

abstract: This collection of five short stories is arranged around the theme of failed relationships, both familial and romantic. Though its point-of-view characters are exclusively female, the collection is an attempt to explore the dynamics of interdependence in both male and female experience, and is concerned with the ways in which an individual is inevitably located in a social construct even as he or she struggles to maintain an individual space within it. Distance is an important preoccupation in each of the stories, so that the narrative voice attempts to reflect the distance each character maintains from the people in her life, as well as the difficulties of knowing, or being known by, another. In all cases, the stories are concerned with life's very small lessons--the things we learn through exchanges that are almost unnoticeable events in the course of a day or a life. Although no character achieves unqualified fulfillment by the end of her story, each comes away with some small new piece of understanding--of insight--that better prepares her for the future.


identifier: Frigon, Martin  (2003) La fonction historique de la figure du patriote dans le cycle abitibien de Pierre Perrault.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Between 1976 and 1980, filmmaker Pierre Perrault released four films shot in Northern Quebec that formed an ensemble called ±the Abitibian Cycle». These films deal with the uncertain future of the agriculture in the area. Although they are today acknowledged as masterworks, they were rather considered passé and antiquated at the time of their release at the end of the ±Quiet Revolution». This is a misleading perception since the Abitibian Cycle is not at all concerned with a backward medievalism but instead with the ravages created by the transformation of an agrarian economy (based on colonization) into a capitalist one. This study will demonstrate that a ±Patriot» figure stands out in the Cycle and that it is a powerful witness to this social phenomenon.  Rooted in Quebec history, the Patriot is much more than a figure of political resistance. It partakes in a symbolic reclaiming of a past rejected by most Quebecers as an ±injurious atavism». In the following analysis, the Patriot figure incorporates several social traits forming a bridge between the 19 th Century Lower-Canada and the 20 th Century Quiet Revolution in Quebec: sudden abolition of the feudal peasantry, proletarianazation of the masses, modernization of the economic means, and so on. The Rebellions of the 19 th Century were crucial in creating the national ideal in Quebec since they gave birth to the Patriot figure which is fundamental in understanding its Great National Narrative. As this study will show, the emergence of the Patriot figure also generates some interpretative problems whether we approach it from its popular or elitist aspect. Those dimensions will actually reveal two historical functions of the figure: the revolutionary and the reactionary.