identifier: Mosleh, Fadi  (2014) Fuzzy-based Condition Assessment Model for Offshore Gas Pipelines in Qatar.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Condition assessment of offshore gas pipelines is a key player in pipeline operations and maintenance. They are used to ensure better decisions for repair and/or replacement and reduce failure possibilities. Information obtained from pipelines assessments are regularly used for scheduling upcoming maintenance and inspection activities. Therefore, it is valuable to have effective condition assessment of pipelines because failure incidents could lead to catastrophic economical and environmental consequences. Furthermore, current practices of assessing gas pipelines condition are considered too primitive and simplified. They mainly depend on experts' opinions in interpreting inspection data where the process is influenced by the human subjectivity and reasoning uncertainty. In another way, they need the detailed knowledge on translation of raw inspection data into valuable information. This will surely lead to decisions lacking thorough and extensive review of the most influential aspects on pipelines condition.

To redress the weaknesses of the current practices and promote the performance of assessing offshore gas pipelines condition, this research proposes a new fuzzy-based methodology that utilizes hierarchical evidential reasoning (HER) for meticulous condition evaluation under subjectivity and uncertainty. The principle behind the posed structure is to establish an enhanced mechanism for the aggregation of different evidence bodies at multiple hierarchical levels in order to attain a reliable and exhaustive pipeline condition assessment. The essential characteristics of the proposed methodology are recapped in the following points. Firstly, the new approach suggests a more comprehensive hierarchy of the most influential factors affecting pipeline condition under three categories: physical, external, and operational. Secondly, this methodology is designed to consider the relative importance weights of all assessment factors in the hierarchy and to account for interdependencies among compared attributes. Thirdly, a hierarchical belief structure that utilizes evidential reasoning and fuzzy set theory is applied to grasp the uncertainty in pipeline evaluation. A model that utilizes HER can help combine different bodies of evidence at different hierarchical levels using Dempster-Shafer (D-S) rule of combination to obtain a detailed pipeline assessment. Fourthly, a condition assessment scale associated with rehabilitation actions is introduced as a framework for professionals to plan for future inspection and rehabilitation works. Finally, an automated, user-friendly, tool is developed for the propounded model to assess pipeline condition. Multiple sources of data were reached to provide a reliable assessment of pipe condition through the use of a structured questionnaire distributed among professionals in oil and gas industry in the studied region. This proposed model is compared and validated with historical inspection reports that were obtained from a local pipeline operator in Qatar. It is found that this model delivers satisfactory outcomes and forecasts offshore gas pipeline condition with an Average Validity Percent (AVP) of 97.6%.

The developed fuzzy-based methodology is believed to offer a reliable condition assessment that optimizes data interpretation and usage of structured algorithms. Additionally, the introduced model and tool are compatible to researchers and practitioners such as pipeline engineers and consultants in order to prioritize inspection and rehabilitation for existing offshore gas pipelines. This immensely pictures the essence of infrastructure management to ameliorate cost and time optimization.


identifier: Roussy, Jean-Sebastien  (2014) Supermarkets and the Illusion of Food Access: Navigating the Foodscape with Social Assistance Recipients in HoMa, Montreal.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Food access researchers define “food deserts” as impoverished neighbourhoods that lack close physical proximity to a food retailer. Residents of these neighbourhoods are forced to travel greater distances for food or be faced with purchasing lower-quality food at higher prices. However, most research takes a wholly quantitative approach to identifying these so-called “food deserts”, and leaves out the experiences of marginalized individuals. Through a qualitative analysis of social assistance recipients’ experiences with food procurement we can identify potential barriers to food access. Two major barriers emerged from the constant comparison: (1) lower-quality specials on Check Week and (2) higher food prices on Check Week. To verify the validity of participant claims empirical evidence was collected. Metro and Super C circulars were collected over 31 weeks. Through statistical analysis it was found that the items marketed on the front pages of these circulars were of lower-quality and higher cost at Metro, while Super C showed more parity. The second method involved collecting weekly prices over 13 weeks at both stores. The analysis of the weekly prices showed higher prices at both stores during Check Week. The empirical evidence legitimizes the experiences of social assistance recipients in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The contradiction of social assistance recipients paying more for the same foods that middle-class individuals can wait to buy on special has a consequence on the spatial patterning of food access. Social assistance recipients’ navigate through a “foodscape” that cycle between “food oasis” and “food mirage” within a single month.


identifier: Zilberman, David  (2014) Learning to become a champion-acquiring expertise in sport: A reading of the autobiographies of Agassi and Sampras.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Learning to become a champion-acquiring expertise in sport: A reading of the autobiographies

of Agassi and Sampras

David Zilberman

	The popular belief about top performing athletes is that they were born with some "god given" natural ability.  This becomes a part of the athletes’ and coaches’ mindset.  If talent and natural ability are not what set the best athletes apart from their peers than what are some of the contributing factors that propel athletes into superstardom?  What are the reasons that some athletes reach the pinnacle of their sport?  How do they acquire such expertise as evidenced in their winning international titles in competitions?
	An examination of the literature revealed that there are some important factors in achieving expert status:  the 10 year or 10,000 hours of practice (to attain a level of automaticity); deliberate practice under the guidance of skilled teachers and well planned design as well as “goal orientedness”.  The individual differences on the road to achieving expertise are also related to physiological, technical, cognitive and emotional elements and preparedness in the education and training of the expert athletes.
	The thesis presents illustrations for this framework, culled from the literature review, by examining the autobiographies of two expert athletes:  Andre Agassi and Peter Sampras.


identifier: Pelletier, Dominique  (2014) La terminologie de l'attelage de chevaux selon une approche sociohistorique.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Notre mémoire étudie la terminologie de l'attelage de chevaux selon une approche socio-historique. Du XVIe siècle à la Première Guerre mondiale, l'attelage occupait une place centrale dans le développement de la société, notamment dans le transport et l'agriculture. Depuis le remplacement des voitures attelées par l'automobile, l'attelage occupe une place plutôt périphérique dans le monde occidental, dans le loisir et la compétition. Nous avons choisi d'étudier l'attelage, car nous tablons sur notre expérience de cochère professionnelle à Montréal pendant plus de dix ans, et car l'attelage est une discipline à forte teneur historique dont l'évolution des termes est influencée par divers facteurs sociaux et géographiques. Comme il n'existait aucune approche en terminologie pour réaliser une telle étude diachronique et contextuelle, nous avons élaboré l'approche socio-historique en terminologie, qui vise à intégrer des données diachroniques aux fiches terminologiques pour préserver la connaissance liée à l'évolution des termes. Notre approche propose également d'intégrer aux fiches des contextes provenant de la littérature pour comparer les usages de termes en contexte littéraire et spécialisé. Ainsi, notre étude terminologique comprend un historique contextuel sur l'attelage, un exemplier de quinze fiches terminologiques, et une analyse des différentes variations conceptuelles, morphologiques, historiques et géographiques que nous avons répertoriées dans nos fiches.


identifier: Wang, Ming Zheng  (2014) Seismic Fragility Assessment of Pre- and Post-Retrofit 1980s Concentrically Braced Frame Office Buildings in Moderate Seismic Zones.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Seismic Fragility Assessment of Pre- and Post-Retrofit 1980s Concentrically Braced Frame Office Buildings in Moderate Seismic Zones
Ming Zheng Wang
In the past decades, concentrically braced frames (CBFs) have been frequently employed as earthquake resistant systems due to their high stiffness and straightforward design. Over a time line ended in 2000, the existing office building stock designed in the interval 1980-1989 in Quebec is about 25% of non-residential buildings. Among these buildings, more than 50% are low- and middle-rise steel structures with a CBF system. Since 1980, both the National Building code of Canada (NBCC) and Steel design standard (CSA/S16) have continually evolved, while lower interest was allocated in the development of guidelines for seismic assessment and retrofit of existing buildings located in seismic zones.
This study focuses on the seismic fragility assessment of pre- and post-retrofit fictitious low-rise (3-storey) and middle-rise (6-storey) CBFs office buildings located in Montreal (Qc.) and designed according to the NBCC 1980 and CSA/S16.1-78 standard provisions. Using the performance based design approach and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA), the IDA curves computed as pairs of earthquake intensity measure parameter (e.g. S(Ta)g) versus the engineering demand parameter (e.g. peak interstorey drift) were obtained. The analytical fragility curves of studied buildings have a lognormal distribution and are defined as a function of spectral acceleration (Sa). Both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties were considered.
The seismic force resisting system of the studied fictitious office buildings consists of four chevron CBFs in the E-W direction and two times two adjacent CBFs with diagonal tension/compression braces in the N-S direction. Each brace-to-frame connection consists of a gusset plate welded to the slotted end part of the HSS brace. First, the seismic assessment of these buildings was conducted through equivalent static force procedure, as well as linear dynamic analysis and it was concluded that the ratio between the demanded factored base shear Vf-10 (NBCC 2010) and Vf-80 (NBCC 1980) is 2.2 for the low-rise buildings and 1.5 for the middle-rise buildings. In addition, it was found that several brace-to-frame connections, several beams and especially the middle column of CBFs with tension/compression diagonal braces do not possess sufficient strength and the retrofit action is required.
According to ASCE/SEI 41-13 the Rehabilitation objective is a combination of a Target building performance level, an Earthquake hazard level and an assigned Objective rehabilitation class which is Basic Safety (BSO) for office buildings, while the target building performance levels (PL) are Life Safety and Collapse Prevention. To reach the BSO, a conventional retrofit strategy implying the replacement of brace-to-frame connections, strengthening of CBFs beams and column cross-sections especially at lower floors was applied. In this light, three building performance levels: Immediate Occupancy, Life Safety and Collapse Prevention, with the associated earthquake intensity level (50%/50 yrs., 10%/50 yrs. and 2%/50 yrs) and three damage states (Light, Moderate, and Severe) were considered. The aforementioned performance levels were defined on each IDA curve resulted from nonlinear time-history analysis using OpenSees. The recorded engineering demand parameters were the interstorey drift and the residual interstorey drift, while the intensity measure parameter was Sa(T1)g. In this study, the light damage is associated with the elastic response of the building, the moderate damage with the attainment of 0.5%hs residual interstorey drift and severe damage when the building reaches a maximum interstorey drift of 2%hs.
Because the existing building structures are non-ductile and brittle failure of brace-to-frame connections is expected due to shearing of welds, there is no a gradual transition between damage states. In this regard, the Severe damage state occurs suddenly after the structure response exceeds the elastic limit characterized by Light damage. For the post-retrofit buildings, the probabilities for Light damage are relatively larger compared with those for Moderate and Severe damage. In addition, the probability for all retrofitted buildings (E-W) to sustain Severe damage is 20% for the 3-storey and 30% for the 6-storey. A similar probability of Severe damage was obtained for the CBF with diagonal braces located in the N-S direction.


identifier: Layton-Cartier, Geneviève  (2014) Facilitating Mechanisms in Support of Emerging Collaborative Governance of MPAs in Québec.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Marine protected area (MPA) creation is widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for marine conservation, a recognition reiterated at the eleventh Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in India (Oct. 2012). However, most countries have made limited progress in this area, including Canada, which has protected just over 1% of its Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The purpose of this study was to conduct an evaluation of four MPA cases in Québec – two designated MPAs (the Parc marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent (PMSSL) and the Réserve aquatique projetée de Manicouagan (RAPM)) and two proposed MPAs (the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and a project initiated by the Cree Nation of Wemindji (Tawich)) – focused on facilitating mechanisms availed of during the pre-establishment stages that support emerging collaborative governance (co-governance) arrangements. In Québec, these arrangements include both federal and provincial government involvement. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of key stakeholders identified at Québec’s first MPA Symposium (June 2010) and then coded with the qualitative data analysis software (QDAS), NVivo 10. Facilitating mechanisms were identified, including the need for: aboriginal and local community engagement; bridging organizations and leadership; traditional and local ecological knowledge (TEK and LEK); public education-awareness; and transparent communications. These are consistent with findings in the literature on collaborative management (co-management) of natural resources as well as the limited literature on MPA governance. The research is intended to support the establishment of MPAs by providing insights from a diversity of stakeholder perspectives based on past experiences and current circumstances.


identifier: Nijher, Harshjot Singh  (2014) Exploring Critical Success Factors of ERP Implementation in United Nations Types of Organizations: Relationship between factors impacting user experience.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The present study entails the literature in critical success factors (Daniel, 1961;
Rockart, 1979; Thierauf, 1982; Pinto & Slevin, 1987; Wijn et.al, 1996) namely for
ERP implementation (Sarkar et.al, 2003; Jaideep et.al, 2005, Koh et.al, 2011) and
the components of user satisfaction (Doll & Torkzadeh, 1988). The primary
purpose of this research is to explain the critical factors for successful ERP
implementation in United Nations type of organization and set up a grounded
research approach that aims to identify and investigate the relationship between
the components of user satisfaction with the goal to propose a model that explains
the success factors and relevant relationships between information technology
usage, information characteristics and business processes.
A three dimension (triangulation) approach consisting of grounded research, a
quantitative survey methodology and qualitative semi-structured interviews was
used to collect information and data from a United Nations agency in Montreal,
Canada. The data for the research was taken over a period of 6 months, studying
documents of project implementation, discussions, meetings, observations, a
survey with 101 responses and interviewing 10 senior management officials.
Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to identify the relevant factors
critical to the success of ERP implementation. A correlation analysis was done to
understand the relationship between the components of user satisfaction.
Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was then used to extract a model
that explains ERP implementation. Finally, qualitative information were examined
in light of the findings to complete our investigation loop.
The findings along with the theoretical and practical significance of the research
are discussed.


identifier: Javadian, Roshan  (2014) The journey to work: exploring commuter mood and stress among cyclists, drivers, and public transport users.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Commuting times and distances between home and work continue to increase in many North American cities with negative impacts to the environment as well as adverse health consequences for the commuters, because of stress from the commuting trip. There are very few empirical studies, however, on the differences between various modes of commute on commuters stress and mood. This study provides a comparison of drivers, public transport users and cyclists  in terms of stress and mood elicited by each commute mode. On a sunny day in June 2013, 123 employees of a company rated their mood and stress immediately after they arrived at work. As was expected, those 25 employees who cycled to work on that day arrived at work less stressed than their counterparts who arrived by car. However, there was no difference in mood among the three mode users.


identifier: Imperiale, Alexandra  (2014) Students with Exceptionalities Learning a Second Language: A Case Study of Three Children’s Experiences in Quebec’s Intensive ESL Course.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study explores the learning experiences of three francophone students with diagnosed disabilities who participated in a 5-month intensive English course in Quebec. Each student exhibited a unique exceptionality: Dysphasia and Dyslexia, Attention defecit hyperactivity disorder and developmental delay and finally Tourette syndrome and high anxiety. The aim of the study was to provide a better understanding of how students with exceptionalities experience learning a second language (L2) in an intensive setting. The three main research questions were: a) How does the three students’ L2 English develop over the course of the IEC, with respect to: listening, speaking, writing, and vocabulary?; b) What are the students’ perceptions of their ability to learn English and their attitudes towards the language at the outset of the intensive course and do these perceptions change over time?; and c) What factors associated with the intensive experience enhance or challenge learning for these students?
Students completed a number of English language measures and participated in one-on-one interviews and classroom observations. This is the first longitudinal study in intensive to document students’ perceptions on their own learning over time. A teacher interview was also conducted. All three students made learning gains and demonstrated confidence in their ability to learn a second language.  For students with exceptionalities, key factors enhancing learning in the intensive experience included: intensity, student-teacher relationship, oral interaction, explicit learning, classroom involvement, the communicative classroom and English considered as an “academic” subject.


identifier: Hosseini, Mirata  (2014) Cool Roofs Savings and Penalties in Cold Climates: the Effect of Snow Accumulation on roof.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Utilizing a cool roof is an efficient way to reduce a building’s usage of cooling energy, although it may increase the usage of heating energy in winter. In cold climates, during the winter, the sun angle is low, days are short, the sky is often cloudy, and most heating occurs during early morning or evening hours when the solar intensity is low. In addition, the roof may be covered with snow for most of the heating season. All these factors lead to wintertime heating penalties for cool roofs that are lower than what is commonly thought.
We used   DOE-2.1E to simulate energy consumption in several prototype office and retail buildings in four cold-climate cities in North America: Anchorage (AK), Milwaukee (WI), Montreal (QC), and Toronto (ON). The effects of sun angle, clouds, daytime duration, and heating schedules can be modeled with the existing capabilities of DOE-2. Snow on the roof provides an additional layer of insulation and increases the solar reflectance of the roof. To simulate four different types of snow on the roof, we defined a function consisting of the U-value and absorptivity of the roof on a daily basis. We used an average based on six years of meteorological data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environment Canada to estimate the snow thickness on the roof.
In the very cold climate of Anchorage, AK, the simulated annual heating energy consumptions of the prototype old retail building with a dark (warm) versus a cool roof (without considering the snow) are 123548 and 125848 MJ/100 m2, respectively (showing a 2300 MJ/100 m2 penalty for the cool roof). These numbers reduce slightly to 123216 and 124409 MJ/100 m2, respectively (showing 1193 MJ/100 m2 penalty for the cool roof), when “late-winter packed” snow is considered. In this way, for an old retail building in Montreal, a cool roof can save up to $62/100 m2. For a new, medium-sized office building with electric cooling and natural gas as heating fuel, a cool roof would save $4/100 m2 in Montreal, $14/100 m2 in Milwaukee and Anchorage, and $10/100 m2 in Toronto. Cool roof also saves maximum of 37$/100 m2 for a retail store building in Toronto.
Cool roofs for the simulated buildings resulted in annual energy expenditure savings in all cold climate regions.
A cool roof also reduces the electricity peak demand of the building during the cooling season; this effect is considered to be a practical method to improve the reliability of grids and plants or to prevent unwanted electricity shutdown on hot summer days. Cool roofs can reduce the peak electric demand of the retail buildings up to 1.9 and 5.4 W/m2 in Toronto and Montreal, respectively.
Most HVAC systems are designed based on the peak summer cooling load. A cool roof can reduce the summer cooling load, which would lead to downsizing of HVAC systems. A downsized HVAC system can operate more efficiently throughout the year, including during the heating season.


identifier: Phalak, Kiran  (2014) High Gain Planar Antenna Structures for Ka-band Applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Antennas are an essential part of a communication system as they control a coverage area of the signal. The millimeter wave band has the potential to offer numerous radio applications which require the large bandwidth channels. Due to the current cellular subscribers’ demand of higher data rates, even cellular communication is expected to move in millimeter wave communications at Ka band of 26.5 GHz to 40 GHz. However, millimeter waves are sensitive to the high degree of atmospheric and oxygen absorption losses. This challenge of the millimeter wave communication can be tackled by employing high gain antennas. In addition, modern electronic products require compact handheld devices to offer the user-friendly system as well as capture the market. Therefore, planar antenna structures are apt for these communication systems.
In this thesis, two antenna structures are presented at the Ka band for millimeter wave communications. Initially, four element patch antenna is presented for high gain in the broadside direction. Patch elements are excited using an aperture coupling from 50Ω microstrip line. Air-gap cavity is used to improve the impedance bandwidth of the design. This structure obtains a relatively moderate impedance bandwidth of 4.6%. The proposed four-element patch antenna exhibits a flat gain over an operating band with 13.8 dB gain at the design frequency. The antenna achieves a wide beamwidth of 700 in H plane. In addition, side lobe levels in E and H planes are -14.5 dB and 23 dB respectively. For the second prototype, an Antipodal Fermi-Linear Tapered Slot Antenna (AFLTSA) is presented to achieve the wide impedance bandwidth with high flat gain for endfire radiation. Substrate Integrated waveguide (SIW) technique is utilized to feed the AFLTSA which reduces insertion losses of the structure. Fermi-Dirac distributed curve in conjunction with a linear curve for a tapered slot increases the coupling of the electric field from a substrate integrated waveguide to the tapered slot. Knife edge rectangular corrugation profile is used at edges of AFLTSA in order to reduce the side lobes and cross polarization levels of radiation pattern. The proposed structure achieves the wide impedance bandwidth to support requirements for high data rate channels. Measurement results from a fabricated prototype exhibit a flat gain over an entire operating frequency band with 16.4 dB gain at 28 GHz. The wide impedance bandwidth is achieved with return loss below 15 dB. Proposed structure has low side lobe levels of -13.9 dB in H plane and -19.5 dB in E plane. In addition, it offers a low cross polarization level of -22 dB.


identifier: Balhara, Vinod  (2014) Mechanism of Interaction of Human Parotid Secretory Protein - Derived Antimicrobial Peptides: A Biophysical Insight.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Despite the success in conventional antibiotic development, antibiotic resistance and development of superbugs has become a global public health problem with much deeper impact on our society and economy. Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an organism's built-in defense that combat microbial infections in healthy individuals. AMPs and their synthetic analogs have attracted attention worldwide as potential therapeutics against multi-drug resistant bacterial strains. Human parotid secretory protein (hPSP) is a major salivary protein expressed in the oral cavity of humans. GL13K, GL13NH2 and GL13D/N are short thirteen amino acid long cationic AMPs derived from the hPSP and found to exhibit antimicrobial and/or anti-inflammatory effects. It is essential to identify the membrane and peptide properties that allow GL13 peptides identify and target bacterial membranes over eukaryotic membranes, to reveal the mechanistic details for the mechanism of action of GL13 peptides.
Liposomes and supported lipid bilayers comprised of 1, 2-dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and 1, 2-dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol were used as models for eukaryotic and bacterial membranes respectively to study the effect of electrostatic forces. Membranes containing cholesterol were used to study the effect of membrane packing density. A research methodology was adopted in which we first investigated the peptide binding and secondary structure transformation upon interaction with membrane using isothermal titration calorimetry and circular dichroism. Later we identified the impact of this interaction on the membrane integrity, whether it causes membrane fusion and/or membrane lysis using carboxyfluorescein leakage assays, dynamic light scattering, dual polarization interferometry and atomic force microscopy.
The activity and selectivity of GL13 peptides are due to a fine balance between their cationic and amphipathic nature. Increased amphipathicity or structuring of the peptide is found to be associated with a loss of specificity. Cholesterol was found to significantly attenuate the membrane lytic activity and enhance the selectivity towards bacterial model membranes. GL13K and GL13NH2 were found to act by the carpet mechanism where GL13K caused localized micellization accompanied by the loss of lipid molecules and GL13NH2 acted mainly by causing transient destabilization of the membrane without loss of lipid molecules from the membrane. GL13D/N seemed to act by a combination of various mechanisms such as the carpet and toroidal pore mechanisms. GL13K is proposed to be the best candidate for therapeutic applications as antimicrobial.


identifier: Supko, Cathryn  (2014) On a Generalization of the de Bruijn-Erdos Theorem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The de Bruijn-Erdos Theorem from combinatorial geometry states that every set of $n$ noncollinear points in the plane determine at least $n$ distinct lines.  Chen and Chvatal conjecture that this theorem can be generalized from the Euclidean metric to all finite metric spaces with appropriately defined lines.  The purpose of this document is to survey the evidence given thus far in support of the Chen-Chvatal Conjecture.  In particular, it will include recent work which provides an $\Omega (\sqrt{n})$ lower bound on the number of distinct lines in all metric spaces without a universal line.


identifier: Ireland, Kierla  (2014) Do Musical Training and Cognitive Abilities Predict Rhythm Synchronization and Melody Discrimination Performance in Children?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A sensitive period for musical training has been proposed. Adult musicians who began lessons prior to age 7 have been found to have superior rhythm synchronization and enhancements in brain structures when compared to musicians who started later in life. These differences exist even when early-trained (ET) and late-trained (LT) groups are matched for musical training, formal lessons, and current practice. Moreover, duration of musical training is associated with better performance on measures of rhythm and melody discrimination. Finally, musical training has been shown to directly improve scores on IQ tests and is highly correlated with measures of auditory working memory and nonverbal reasoning skills. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether sensitive-period effects can be observed in childhood. A secondary aim is to investigate the contributions of age-of-start, duration of lessons, and cognitive abilities to performance on musically relevant tasks. Fifty-one children enrolled in music lessons were tested on measures of rhythm synchronization and melody discrimination. Working memory and nonverbal reasoning abilities were also measured. A subsample of 14 children was compared to age-matched controls with no musical training on a measure of rhythm synchronization. No early-training effect was observed in the matched subsample, while older children (regardless of training) performed significantly better on the rhythm synchronization task. In the full sample, duration of musical training and working memory abilities predicted rhythm synchronization performance. By contrast, the interaction of musical training and age of start, but not working memory, predicted melody discrimination performance.


identifier: Solomon, Rebecca Brana  (2014) The Psychophysics of Reward: Empirical Studies and Modeling of Performance for Medial Forebrain Electrical Stimulation in the Rat.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Brain stimulation reward (BSR), the effect of electrical stimulation that animals seek to reinitiate, is a useful tool to investigate reward-seeking behaviour and its neural underpinnings. The experiments in this thesis pursue this approach by applying the "reward-mountain" model of performance for BSR. This model provides a framework for describing the computational processes that link the induced neural activity to reward- seeking behaviour. The data to which the model is fit are obtained by measuring operant performance for BSR (time spent pressing a lever) as a function of subjective intensity of the stimulation (controlled by pulse frequency) and opportunity cost (work time required to earn a reward). Determining the stage of neural circuitry responsible for the behavioural impact of physiological manipulations is among the principal goals of this strategy.
At the core of the model is the subject’s computation of “payoff” via the integration of reward intensity and costs. An important initial stage, often overlooked in neuroscientific studies of decision-making, is the transformation of the objective into subjective variables. The formal relationship between these variables (termed psychophysical functions) is often non-linear: what is experienced is not necessarily a direct reflection of the external world. An analysis of these transformations is important for the full understanding of cost-benefit decision-making. A central goal of the
experiments in this thesis is to estimate the psychophysical functions of reward-seeking variables.
Chapter 1 reviews the BSR literature and describes the reward-mountain model. The experiment described in Chapter 2 concerns the valuation of time: the translation of the experimenter-set opportunity cost (the objective price) into the equivalent subjective domain (subjective price). The experiment described in Chapter 3 estimates the frequency-response function of the directly stimulated neurons subserving the rewarding effect. This function translates the experimenter-set pulse frequency (the inducing stimulus) into the firing frequency of the neuron (the induced physiological response). Chapter 4 describes a proof-of-principle study: the ability of the reward-mountain paradigm to detect the effect of a lesion challenge on pursuit of BSR and to link this effect to one or more stages of processing. Chapter 5 concludes with a general discussion.


identifier: Simard, Melissa R  (2013) Friend or Foe: Early Adolescent Emotion Regulation and Adjustment within the Context of Friendship.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Youth experience various physiological and psychosocial changes as they enter early adolescence, which are compounded by significant changes in the experience and expression of emotion (Rosenblum & Lewis, 2003).  Difficulty learning to modulate and manage emotional experiences is believed to underlie many emotional and behavioural difficulties (Thompson & Goodman, 2010).  Indeed, emotion dysregulation has been associated to a host of psychosocial difficulties, while adaptive emotion regulation (ER) has been linked to well-being and social functioning (e.g., Silk, Steinberg, & Morris, 2003).  Gottman and Mettetal (1986) proposed that early adolescents develop their ER skills as they explore and analyze their emotions in conversations with close friends, relationships that grow increasing important in early adolescence (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006).  The intimate nature of early adolescent friendships likely stimulates frequent emotion-laden discussion and friends’ responses in these discussions can help or hinder the development of ER skills. This work explored the developmental course of ER in early adolescence, how emotion socialization experiences with best friends impacted ER, and how such translated to adjustment.  This longitudinal study followed 253 5th and 6th graders for one academic year.  Adolescent self-reports on the ER skills used when angry or sad/anxious, perceptions of how best friends responded to emotional displays, depressed affect and anxiety as well as peer reports about aggressive and prosocial behaviour were collected.   Growth curve and path analytic methods were used to model initial levels and changes in latent ER constructs over time as well as predictors and outcomes of regulatory skills.  Results showed that early adolescents’ use of ER skills was reflective of the emotional turmoil marking this developmental period; relative to the few significant decreases in the use of maladaptive ER skills, youth showed many more decreases in the use of functional skills.  The ways in which close friends directly socialized emotion and supported ER’s positive development were similar to relationships observed in the parental emotion socialization childhood literature.  Finally, many more stable predictions from ER to internalizing forms of adjustment were apparent relative to those with aggression.  This study was the first to outline the influential role that best friends have on early adolescent ER.


identifier: Nijjar, Rami  (2014) Psychosocial risk factors and health outcomes in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder in adolescence and young adulthood: A 10-year longitudinal study.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is well known that the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD) are at heightened risk of developing mental disorders, particularly the affective disorders. However, we have much less information about deleterious non-psychiatric outcomes, such a health-risk behaviors, and the family-environmental risk factors associated with negative outcomes in the OBD. It has been proposed that the OBD, through genetic mechanisms and early family interactions, develop a heightened sensitivity to stress, maladaptive coping, and dysregulated behavior, which ultimately increases the risk for affective disorders. The current dissertation was designed to test parts of this model by conducting a comprehensive assessment of social risk factors, personality, and mental health in the OBD, and to examine putative antecedents of negative outcomes in the OBD using 10-year longitudinal data. The first study within this dissertation assessed different psychosocial and health-related outcomes in the OBD, including mental health, personality, coping style, smoking, suicidality, high-risk sexual behaviors, criminality, and mental health. These factors were compared across affected and unaffected offspring in order to differentiate potential prodromal markers from correlates of mood episodes. It was found that unaffected OBD engaged in less task-oriented and more avoidant coping strategies than controls. Furthermore, after controlling for current affective disorders, the OBD were more likely than controls to engage in sexual risk behaviors (SRBs). In the second study, parents’ personality, specifically high neuroticism, was assessed to determine whether it predicted SRBs among the offspring 10 years later, and whether the relationship between parents’ personality and offspring SRBs was mediated by behavioral problems in middle childhood. High neuroticism, low agreeableness, and low extraversion in the parents predicted SRBs in their offspring in late adolescence-early adulthood. The offspring’s externalizing problems in middle childhood partly mediated the association between parents’ personality and offspring SRBs. The findings highlight a risk profile in the OBD characterized by poor stress coping and engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Furthermore, SRBs were related to a developmental trajectory that included markers of family stress and early externalizing problems. Together, these studies highlight the importance of behavior problems as markers of vulnerability in the OBD. Importantly, this pattern of results emphasizes the need for targeted, early interventions aimed at increasing familial stability and stress management before the development of behavioral problems.


identifier: Barrett, Shawnna G.  (2014) Modulatory Effects of Acetylcholine and Dopamine on Evoked Synaptic Responses in the Entorhinal Cortex.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The entorhinal cortex connects neocortical areas with the hippocampal formation and other parahippocamal brain areas, and also receives cholinergic projections from the medial septum and dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area. Dopamine and acetylcholine both may contribute to the processing of sensory information in the entorhinal cortex and in other areas of the brain. In Chapter 1, the application of the cholinergic agonist carbachol to entorhinal cortex slices suppressed synaptic transmission in vitro, and experiments determined that the effect was due primarily to activation of M1 muscarinic receptors. Activation of cholinergic receptors also causes a relative facilitation of later responses during theta- and gamma-frequency trains, and because dopamine may modulate gamma and theta oscillations in the entorhinal cortex, Chapter 2 investigated the effect of amphetamine on the amplitudes of synaptic responses during trains of gamma- and theta-frequency stimulation in awake animals. A subset of animals that showed a facilitation of the response to the first pulse of theta-frequency trains due to amphetamine also expressed a synaptic suppression during mobility compared with immobility that was likely due to cholinergic receptor activation. These animals also showed a relative suppression of subsequent responses that was blocked by the D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 and the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride. Because previous work in our lab has shown bidirectional effects of differing concentrations of dopamine, Chapter 3 investigated the role of both 10 and 50 μM dopamine in the entorhinal cortex during gamma- and theta-frequency stimulation in vitro. Ten μM dopamine facilitated responses during trains of both frequencies. In contrast, 50 μM dopamine induced a D2 receptor-dependent suppression the first responses and induced a relative facilitation of later responses during the trains, an effect that was only significant for gamma-frequency trains. In general, then, low concentrations of dopamine may enhance repetitive synaptic transmission, while higher concentrations of dopamine may suppress repetitive synaptic transmission within the entorhinal cortex. Because dopamine may modulate learning- related synaptic strengthening, Chapter 4 investigated the effect of 10 μM dopamine on induction of long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) in entorhinal cortex slices; although dopamine facilitated synaptic responses, it blocked the induction of LTP, suggesting that it may impede learning-related synaptic plasticity. Overall, results indicate that both dopamine and acetylcholine have strong modulatory influences on processes that may affect synaptic integration and plasticity within the entorhinal cortex.


identifier: Tansey, Sabrina J.  (2014) Ask Me About It: The Role of Inferencing Questions in Fostering Students' Reading Comprehension.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Children’s reading comprehension has primarily been measured through scores on literal and inferential questions of texts. However, few studies have assessed whether the process of answering questions influences children’s level of comprehension. Moreover, no studies have explored the impact of ‘embedded’ inference questions, which are questions that contain inferences themselves. Here, a sample of 25 fifth and sixth grade students (10-12 years old) were given one short story to be read independently in class, each week, over the course of one month. After each story, students were asked six questions from one of four conditions: literal detail questions, causal inference questions, embedded inference questions, or were given no questions. After a one-day delay, students were then asked to retell the story. Performance on the questions and retell accuracy were measured. Children scored significantly higher on questions asking about literal details compared to the two inferencing conditions. However, in the retell task, children recalled an equal amount of story propositions in the literal detail and causal inference question conditions. The lowest retell scores were observed when students were either asked embedded inference questions or no questions at all. Furthermore, only literal detail questions were found to predict variance in students’ retell scores. Directions for future research and educational implications are discussed.


identifier: Gervais, Nicole  (2014) Modulatory mechanisms of object-recognition memory in the perirhinal cortex.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The present thesis examined whether acetylcholine (ACh) and 17-β estradiol (E2) modulate object-recognition memory (ORM) and perirhinal cortex (PRh) function. ORM was assessed using the Novel-Object Preference (NOP) test or the delayed non-match-to-sample (DNMS) task. The first goal was to investigate whether acetylcholine (ACh) acts via muscarinic receptors (mAChR) in the PRh to modulate novelty preference and novelty-related neuronal activation. Male rats received intra-PRh infusions of a mAChR antagonist or vehicle in the PRh before or after the familiarization phase of the NOP test, then tested 4- or 24-hr later. These infusions were also given before novel- or familiar-object exploration. The antagonist prevented novelty preference regardless of retention delay and timing of infusion. While novel-object exploration resulted in increased PRh activation, this increase was prevented by mAChR antagonism. These results are consistent with the idea that ACh (via mAChR in the PRh) modulates novelty preference and neuronal activation following novel-object exploration.
A second goal was to determine whether intra-PRh modulates ORM and PRh-mediated synaptic plasticity in ovariectomized rats. Intra-PRh infusions of E2 or vehicle were given immediately before, immediately after, or two hours following the familiarization phase of the NOP test. Intra-PRh infusions of E2 or vehicle were also given before the DNMS task. Enhanced novelty preference was observed on a 72-hr retention test when E2 was administered immediately before or after familiarization. Intra-PRh E2 reduced accuracy scores on the DNMS task following a 3-min retention delay. A subsequent study examined whether E2 modulates ORM via estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). Intra-PRh infusions of a selective ERβ agonist enhanced novelty preference following a 4- and 72-hr retention delay, but had no effect on accuracy on the DNMS task. The final study compared synaptic density of PRh neurons following proestrous and estrous, and following high E2 replacement or no replacement in ovariectomized rats. High levels of E2 were associated with reduced synaptic density. These results support the idea that while E2 (via ERβ) enhances novelty preference, it impairs ORM (independent of ERβ). The modulatory effect of E2 on synaptic density in the PRh is a potential mechanism through which E2 influences ORM.


identifier: Mandrona, April R  (2014) "What can we make with this?" Creating relevant art education practices in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: My doctoral dissertation, “What can we make with this? Creating relevant art education practices in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa” explores the possibilities and limitations of art education with a focus on young people in after-school and community settings. Using a postcolonial feminist framework and invoking methods of community art education and critical ethnography, “What can we make with this?” also investigates theories and practices of rural development, research in the Global South, and the challenges of working in a context deeply affected by poverty, structural racism, anti-child bias, systemic violence, and HIV and AIDS. Using an asset-based approach to build relevant and meaningful art practices, the project focuses on identifying and using resources (materials, tools, techniques) that are accessible to participants within their surrounding environments. This includes recycled/repurposed materials, naturally occurring substances such as clay, and locally donated goods such as fabric. In my analysis of these creative activities, I highlight the relational complexities of engaging in localized art making as well as the political genealogy of material production and art education in these rural communities. Central to this investigation is self-reflexivity and ethical self-inquiry as I explore my capacities to attend, to listen and respond to the realities and experiences of others. This ethical navigation is linked to the practice of building transnational solidarity with these groups of young people. My research shows that within the context of significant personal and socio-economic challenges, young people are capable of remarkable agency and innovation as well as making significant contributions to the dialogue around issues of concern in their lives.


identifier: Jiao, Zhejing  (2014) Investigation of Single-Section InAs/InP Quantum Dot Mode-Locked Lasers.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The study of mode-locking in generating short pulses began in the 1960s. Since then, the advances have been remarkable over almost 50 years and some of the mode-locked lasers (MLLs) have been commercialized. Short pulses from sub-picoseconds to femtoseconds have been successfully demonstrated from crystal and fiber based lasers. The diverse applications of MLLs have been pushing the development of MLLs in high bit rate transmission, optical time division multiplexed transmission, optical clock recovery, ultrafast signal processing and frequency comb, etc. Semiconductor lasers have advantages of simplicity, compactness and high efficiency. They have attracted interests in the application of optical communications. Until now, semiconductor MLLs are mainly based on bulk and quantum well (QW) structures. More recently, quantum dot (QD) based MLLs have attracted more and more attentions. The main characteristic of QD is the delta-function-like density of states with electrons confined in all three dimensions. It is promising in ultrashort and ultrafast pulse generations as a result of inhomogeneous gain broadening, broad gain bandwidth and fast carrier dynamics. In passive mode-locking, a two-section structure is usually used. A saturable absorber section is essential in the lasing cavity to initiate and shape pulses, which is also the case in almost all QD MLLs. However, without the absorber, passive mode-locking can also be achieved in single-section QD cavity, which has not been well studied yet. This thesis focuses on investigating single-section InAs/InP QD MLLs. It aims at improving the laser performance by both experimental and theoretical analyses. The following works have been done in this thesis.
Firstly, as an important parameter of all semiconductor lasers, the linewidth enhancement factor is measured using two methods: the Hakki-Pauli method that is used for a laser below threshold and injection-locking technique for a laser above threshold. The results from the two methods agree with each other, and it is found that the linewidth enhancement factor of our QD lasers is much smaller than that of QW based lasers.
Secondly, the time-domain travelling-wave model is used to investigate the single-section QD MLLs. By introducing an equivalent saturable absorber, the pulse generation and evolution are successfully simulated. Furthermore, this model is improved by including the effects of group-velocity dispersion (GVD) and self-phase modulation. It is found that the GVD effect plays an important role in the pulse width evolution of our mode-locked lasers. The improved model can be widely extended to other types of semiconductor lasers and amplifiers.
Thirdly, high-repetition-rate pulse trains of up to 1 THz are generated from a QD laser combined with fiber-Bragg-grating (FBG) external cavities. The QD laser is used for multi-mode gain and several specific modes are selected by the FBGs. The pulse train is measured by using the time-domain autocorrelator, and the repetition rate is in agreement with the frequency spacing of the FBGs. Finally, tunable terahertz beat waves of up to 2.1 THz are generated also using FBG external cavities. This method may find applications for generating microwave, millimeter wave and terahertz wave.


identifier: Gauthier, Jennyfer  (2014) L’horizon du corps suivi de Au seuil de l’intimisme et de la sensation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This research-creation thesis presents an intimist poetry collection and a phenomenological reflection in connection with the theme of the horizon. The poetic approach articulates an existential and ontological quest, which is part of a landscape discovery dynamic, associated with a metaphysical reflection on the sense of Being-in-the-world.

Poems are composed in free verse and marry the movement of a lyrical subject in his march toward the horizon. Designed into four sections, the collection proposes a path from death, figuratively, to the horizon of being and meaning, which emerges in the light of the dawn.

The essay discusses the poetic and intimist experience of the lyrical subject, which is manifested as a presence-absence through the self-renunciation, objectification and silence, withdrew from reality in solitude. The non-being condition, combined with death, allows the subject to listen to the poetic voice and approach the radical otherness, represented by the themes of the voice, the other and the horizon. The mode of habitat associated to the intimism poet, embodied into the landscape, is modulated in an in-between, which oscillates from self-expression and unobtrusiveness or silent distance, emotion and intelligibility, here and elsewhere, in order to fulfill the ontological quest.


identifier: Gao, Yuling  (2014) Parametric Study on the Seismic Performance of Typical Highway Bridges in Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Earthquakes are one of the main natural hazards that have caused devastations to bridges around the world. Given the observations from past earthquakes, substantial analytical and experimental research work related to bridges has been undertaken in Canada and other countries. The analytical research is focussed primarily on the prediction of the seismic performance of existing bridges. It includes bridge-specific investigations which are mainly conducted using deterministic approach, and investigations of bridge portfolios which are based on probabilistic approach. In both cases, nonlinear time-history analyses are extensively used. To conduct analysis on a given bridge, analytical (i.e., computational) model of the bridge is required. It is known that the seismic response predictions depend greatly on the accuracy of the input of the modeling parameters (or components) considered in the bridge model.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of the uncertainties of a number of modeling parameters on the seismic response of typical highway bridges. The parameters considered include the superstructure mass, concrete compressive strength, yield strength of the reinforcing steel, yield displacement of the bearing, post-yield stiffness of the bearing, plastic hinge length, and damping. For the purpose of examination, two typical reinforced concrete highway bridges located in Montreal were selected. Three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear model the bridge was developed using SAP2000. The effects of the uncertainty of each parameter mentioned above were investigated by conducting time-history analyses on the bridge model.  In total, 15 records from the earthquakes around the world were used in the time-history analysis. The response of the deck displacement, bearing displacement, column displacement, column curvature ductility, and moment at the base of the column was considered to assess the effect of the uncertainty of the modeling parameter on the seismic response of the bridge. Recommendations were made for the use of these modeling parameters on the evaluation of the seismic performance of bridges.


identifier: Duarte Arenas, Patricia  (2014) Quality costs analysis in the service sector: an empirical study of the Colombian banking system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Since almost a century ago, quality has been a key factor of any business, and managers are
continuously taking decisions to reach the adequate level of quality in order to be competitive.
Therefore, measuring Cost of Quality (COQ) is a critical but challenging task. According to both
academicians and practitioners, the COQ approach seems to be much more used and explored among
manufacturing companies rather than among service organizations. One of the main reasons is the
existence of a tangible product in manufacturing, which makes the measurement of defects, rework,
and scraps, and the standardization of one single model for different companies relatively easy, while
defining similar cost categories is quite challenging in service company settings. Even though the
literature suggests a possible applicability of the COQ model to services under the concept of both
product and process performance, no practical examples of measuring COQ from the product
performance perspective in service companies could be found (with an exception of software
companies which present some similarities with manufacturing). Therefore, this thesis explores the
possibility of the application of the COQ model under the concept of product performance to a
service company, and develops a case study in three Colombian banks. As a result, this research
proposes an adapted model of COQ for the banking system that could stand as an operational index
offering a practical insight about quality costs to managers. The model integrated the classical PAF
(Prevention-Appraisal-Failure) method with significant exogenous and endogenous variables that
affect quality in banks. Furthermore, some statistical analyses were performed in order to validate the
used data, to correlate operational indices and quality costs, and to identify the factors that have the
highest impact on these costs in banks.


identifier: Ehdaeivand, Mohammad-Reza  (2014) Characterization of RD20 as a potential regulator of Heterotrimeric G protein signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Heterotrimeric G proteins are known to be important components of regulatory pathways in animals and fungi and the elucidation of G protein signaling in plants is an emerging area of investigation. The study of signaling and regulatory control of plants responses to environmental stress at the molecular level is an area of wide interest and the plant growth regulator abscisic acid is known to play a major role in the plant response to environmental stress.  This work reports on the characterization of the stress induced caleosin gene RD20/CLO3.  Here the interaction of the caleosin protein Responsive to Dehydration 20, RD20/CLO3 with the alpha subunit (GPA1) of the heterotrimeric G protein complex in Arabidopsis was investigated at protein level and the N-terminal domain of RD20 protein was found to interact with GPA1.
 Characterization of the effect of RD20/Clo3 on plant stomatal density and index indicate that the gene is necessary for the ABA mediated reduction of stomatal proliferation.   In addition, methods to improve the level of protein expression in E. coli and the subsequent purification of RD20 and GPA1 were developed.  The purified protein will be used in future studies to investigate the role of RD20 as a potential GTPase Accelerating Protein for GPA1.


identifier: Aljanaideh, Omar  (2013) Modeling and Compensation of Rate-Dependent Asymmetric Hysteresis Nonlinearities of Magnetostrictive Actuators.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Smart material actuators are increasingly being explored for various micropositioning applications. Magnetostrictive actuators, in particular, are considered attractive for micro/nano positioning and high speed precision machining due to their high energy density, resolution and force capacity. The magnetostrictive actuators, similar to other smart material actuators, however, exhibit considerable hysteresis and output saturation nonlinearities that tend to become far more significant under high rates of input. Such nonlinearities cause response oscillations and errors in the positioning tasks. Reliable compensation of such nonlinearities is thus highly desirable to enhance micro/nano positioning performance of the actuator over a wide range of operating conditions.
This dissertation research is concerned with characterization of output-input nonlinearities of a magnetostrictive actuator and control of hysteresis nonlinearities under a wide range of inputs. A comprehensive experimental study was performed to characterize output-input characteristics of a magnetostrictive actuator under a wide range of excitation conditions include amplitude, frequency, and bias of the input and the mechanical loading of the actuator. The measured data were analyzed to characterize output-input properties and to formulate a hysteresis model, to describe the hysteresis properties of these actuators. A Prandtl-Ishlinskii model was considered due to its continuous nature and thereby the invertability to seek hysteresis compensation. A rate-dependent threshold function was proposed to describe hysteresis properties of the actuator over a wide range of input frequencies. The inverse of the proposed rate-dependent hysteresis model was subsequently formulated for compensation of rate-dependent symmetric hysteresis nonlinearities. The effectiveness of the inverse model was investigated through simulations and hardware-in-the-loop test methods considering a 100 μm magnetostrictive actuator acquired from Etrema Inc. The results clearly illustrated effective compensation of symmetric hysteresis nonlinearities under low magnitude excitation currents over the entire frequency range. The method, however, revealed substantial errors under medium to high amplitude excitation, which was attributed to output saturation and asymmetry. The concept of a stop-operator based Prandtl-Ishlinskii model was proposed to achieve compensation of hysteresis nonlinearities described by the play-operator based hysteresis model on the basis of the initial loading curve, it was shown that the complementary properties of stop operators can be effectively applied for compensation of actuator hysteresis described by the Prandtl-Ishlinskii model.
The inverse rate-dependent Prandtl-Ishlinskii model and the stop-operator based Prandtl-Ishlinskii model, however, are applicable only for compensation rate-dependent symmetric hysteresis and rate-independent hysteresis nonlinearities, respectively. The proposed rate-Prandtl-Ishlinskii model was refined to describe the rate-dependent asymmetric hysteresis nonlinearities together with output saturation by integrating a memoryless function to the rate-dependent Prandtl-Ishlinskii model. The resulting integrated model could accurately describe the asymmetric hysteresis nonlinearities and output saturation of the magnetostrictive actuator. The inverse of the integrated model was obtained by integrating the inverse of the rate-dependent Prandtl-Ishlinskii model with that of the memoryless function. The effectiveness of the integrated inverse model in compensating for hysteresis nonlinearities was investigated through simulations and experimentally using hardware-in-the-loop test method. The results suggested that the proposed integrated model and its inverse could effectively characterize and compensate for rate-dependent asymmetric hysteresis nonlinearities of magnetostrictive actuator. Both the experimental and simulation results showed that the peak hysteresis observed under high magnitude excitation could be reduced from 49.1 % to 3.7 % in the 1-250 Hz range when the integrated model inverse is applied.


title: Modeling and Compensation of Rate-Dependent Asymmetric Hysteresis Nonlinearities of Magnetostrictive Actuators


identifier: Kehyayan, Christine Houry  (2014) Using Synteny in Phylogenomics Algorithms to Cluster Protein Sequences.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the rapid development of genome sequencing technologies, complete genomes are becoming more available and the need for computational methods for protein functional annotation is becoming more pressing. A long-standing problem in protein functional annotation is to distinguish orthologs from paralogs. Several academic efforts have recently emerged to automatically cluster proteins based on the premise that proteins in the same cluster are likely to have similar functions -- or are orthologs. The effectiveness of these protein clustering algorithms is fundamental for building accurate functional annotation pipelines.

This dissertation first presents a study of the effectiveness of the similarity graph-based Markov CLuster algorithm (MCL) in detecting protein families and subfamilies when using it to cluster experimentally characterized enzymes from fungal genomes in the mycoCLAP database. Our study shows that the MCL algorithm successfully clusters proteins such that proteins in the same cluster always happen to be from the same family. However, in most cases, the MCL algorithm does not separate subfamilies. We evaluate the clusters with several cluster quality metrics, and show that these metrics can be used to spot outliers.

This dissertation then introduces SynAPhy, a novel graph-based approach for clustering proteins by leveraging the global context of complete genomes for predicting functional similarity. SynAPhy integrates genomic neighborhood information into sequence similarity for better prediction of functionally similar protein clusters. It computes the ``syntenic reciprocal best hits" of proteins across genomes and uses this information to produce modified edge weight protein sequence similarity graphs. The similarity graphs are used as an input to the MCL algorithm to determine orthologous clusters across genomes. The results of applying SynAPhy on eight fungal genomes show that SynAPhy successfully generates clusters with more similar members than the MCL algorithm. However, there is no gold standard genome scale dataset to evaluate the capability of SynAPhy in generating orthologous clusters.

We introduce SynAVal, an evaluation framework that can be applied on an orthology prediction technique. SynAVal first detects paralogs within each input genome, and then detects conserved connections between genomes that are highly likely orthologs using the synteny knowledge of SynAPhy. It uses these data to identify and report confusions raised by paralogs. The results of applying SynAVal on eight fungal genomes show that SynAVal with synteny resolution can successfully resolve potential confusions raised by 9.1\% of all the proteins of the eight fungal genomes, and 23.33\% of the subset of the proteins of the eight fungal genomes that are likely to raise confusions.


identifier: Mozaffari, Elaheh  (2014) Modeling Complex High Level Interactions in the Process of Visual Mining.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Visual Mining refers to the human analytical process that uses visual representations of raw data and makes suitable inferences. During this analytical process, users are engaged in complex cognitive activities such as decision making, problem solving, analytical reasoning and learning.  Now a days, users typically use interactive visualization tools, which we call as visual mining support tools (VMSTs), to mediate their interactions with the information present in visual representations of raw data and also to support their complex cognitive activities when performing visual mining.
VMSTs have two main components: visual representation and interaction.  Even though, these two components are fundamental aspects of VMSTs, the research on visual representation has received the most attention. It is still unclear how to design interactions which can properly support users in performing complex cognitive activities during the visual mining process. Although some fundamental concepts and techniques regarding interaction design have been in place for a while, many established researchers are of the opinion that we do not yet have a generalized, principled, and systematic understanding of interaction components of these VMSTs, and how interactions should be analyzed, designed, and integrated to support complex cognitive activities. Many researchers have recommended that one way to address this problem is through appropriate characterization of interactions in the visual mining process. Models that provide classifications of interactions have indeed been proposed in the visualization research community. While these models are important contributions for the visualization research community, they often characterize interactions at lower levels of human information interaction and high level interactions are not well addressed. In addition, some of these models are not designed to model user activity; rather they are most applicable for representing a system’s response to user activity and not the user activity itself.
In this thesis, we address this problem through characterization of the interaction space of visual mining at the appropriate level. Our main contribution in this research is the discovery of a small set of classification criteria which can comprehensively characterize the interaction space of visual mining involving interactions with VMSTs for performing complex cognitive activities. These complex cognitive activities are modeled through visual mining episodes, a coherent set of activities consisting of visual mining strategies (VMSs).  Using the classification criteria, VMSs are simply described as combinations of different values of these criteria. By considering all combinations, we can comprehensively cover the interaction space of visual mining. Our VMS interaction space model is unique in identifying the activity tier, a granularity of interactions (high level) which supports performance of complex cognitive activities through interactions with visual information using VMSTs.
As further demonstration of the utility of this VMS interaction space model, we describe the formulation of an inspection framework which can provide quantitative measures for the support provided by VMSTs for complex cognitive activities in visual mining. This inspection framework, which has enabled us to produce a new simpler evaluation method for VMSTs in comparison to existing evaluation methods, is based soundly on existing theories and models. Both the VMS interaction space model and the inspection framework present many interesting avenues for further research.


identifier: Trudel, Geneviève  (2014) "Suddenly It Seems Like You Might Know Him, You Might Go Over There": AIDS & the NYC Façades of John Miller's Clubs for America and Ira Sachs' Last Address.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Drawing on personal interviews with the artists, this thesis looks at two formally similar artworks about HIV and urban space, made almost twenty years apart: John Miller’s photographic series Clubs for America (1992) and Ira Sachs’ short film Last Address (2010). Both categorized as New York streetscapes, the works focus on the individual façades of several buildings of understated relevance to the history of AIDS crisis in the city. Miller’s Clubs photographs the exteriors of ten shut-down gay sex clubs; Sachs documents the last apartments (and one house) of 28 artists who died of AIDS-related causes. Represented mediations of absence and loss therein form the crux interest of this thesis. This research critically positions the works within the cultural archive of HIV and AIDS. An overview of the production and reception of the works is provided. The troubled relationship of bodies to representation within the context of the AIDS crisis is considered for how it opens up a conversation around buildings as substitute for the absent body. The tension between interiors and exteriors is examined in relation to expression of intimacy and embodied experience. The thesis moves into an analysis of the presence of the body of the artist as witness to loss. The works are then situated in relation to a queer tradition of mapping of erotic city sites and considered for their different approaches to their subjects. Ultimately, this thesis speculates about emancipatory possibilities for healing presented within built environment by opening up the cultural archive of HIV and AIDS to the street.


identifier: Zhu, Hui Rong  (2014) On Imputation Techniques in Survey Sampling.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Some nonparametric imputation techniques, including two categories: single imputation and multiple imputation, are in- troduced and studied. Some properties of the estimators such as the bias, the variance, and the mean squared error are pre- sented. Finally, some imputation techniques are applied to a real case. These methods are compared in order to assess their advantages, disadvantages, and applicabilities.


identifier: Dinh, Kien  (2014) Condition Assessment of Concrete Bridge Decks using Ground Penetrating Radar.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Highway bridge structures play a critical role in transportation system. While one-third of Canada’s 75,000 highway bridges have structural or functional deficiencies and a short remaining service life; in the United States (US), as  of  December 2013,  more than 100 million m2 of the total 360 million m2 of concrete bridge decks is either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. To eliminate that deficient backlog in US by 2028, it is estimated that an annual investment of $20.5 billion would be needed and the largest portion of this expenditure would be for bridge decks.
Condition assessment of concrete bridge decks provides required inputs for programming deck maintenance activities. In both Canada and the United States, the main approach to evaluate condition of bridge decks, as for other bridge elements, is based on visual inspection. Although this approach may be effective in finding external flaws such as cracks, scaling and spalls; it cannot detect subsurface defects such as voids, internal cracks, delaminations, or rebar corrosion. To overcome such limitation of visual inspection, this research aims at developing a condition assessment system for concrete bridge decks based on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology. In order to achieve that goal, three research objectives were identified: (1) study and select the most appropriate NDE technology; (2) study methods for interpreting data of selected NDE technique; and (3) develop bridge deck corrosiveness index (BDCI) from NDE output.
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) was found to be one of the most appropriate technologies for inspecting concrete bridge decks subjected to corrosion-induced deterioration. As for GPR data interpretation, two analysis methods are proposed in this research. The first one is an integrated technique between the amplitude method and visual interpretation with threshold calibration based on K-means clustering. The second approach is a technique for analyzing time-series GPR data. Based on correlation coefficient between A-scans, this technique assesses concrete deterioration by studying the change of GPR signals over time. Expert opinions, through a structured questionnaire survey, were used to develop and interpret bridge deck corrosiveness index (BDCI) based on GPR output. After being validated by several case studies, an automated software has been developed to facilitate the implementation of the entire methodology. The developed system and models will help transportation agencies to identify critical deficiencies and focus limited funding on most deserving bridge decks.


identifier: Jeffries, Dru Harvey  (2014) The Comic Book Film as Palimpsest.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: The Comic Book Film as Palimpsest

abstract:
In this dissertation, I argue that the comic book film can be productively conceptualized along the same theoretical lines used by Gérard Genette in his literary study Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree: that is, as a genre whose individual works are constructed of multiple textual layers. In this case, these layers consist of different media—film and comics—both of which
remain uniquely visible in the final product, and whose combination results in unique articulations of cinematic style. I argue that the full import of these stylistic interventions is lost or overlooked when using an adaptation studies approach to the genre; therefore I employ a version of Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin’s theory of remediation filtered through Mikhail Bakhtin’s theory of literary dialogism and heteroglossia. Chapter One articulates the limitations
of adaptation theory and presents remediation as a productive alternative. Chapter Two develops a Genette-inspired six-tiered schema that details the categories into which the various strategies of remediation fit. The following two chapters draw upon this framework to explore particular formal differences between comics and film and the stylistic means through which various film
texts have addressed them: namely, the difference between the film frame and the comic book panel (Chapter Three) and cinematic movement versus comic book stasis (Chapter Four). In Chapter Five, I explode the established paradigm by considering two case studies that remediate comic books amongst a broader variety of media, which present comics as one medium in the vast contemporary digital media ecology. In the final chapter, I address the superhero film in particular, exploring the question of celluloid versus digital cinema at length and how Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy (Batman Begins; The Dark Knight; The Dark Knight Rises) uses its narrative to allegorically advocate for cinematic specificity, thus articulating a counter-example to the framework established in the previous chapters.


identifier: Yaghi, Salam  (2014) Integrated Remote Sensing Technologies for Condition Assessment of Concrete Bridges.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Government reports and published research have flagged and brought to public attention the deteriorating condition of a large percentage of bridges in Canada and the United States. Inspection and rehabilitation programs are being implemented to monitor and maintain deteriorated bridge infrastructure.  Current practices of bridge inspection and condition assessment rely heavily on visual inspection, limited basic testing such as hammer sounding and chain dragging, and the use of Non-Destructive Testing on ad-hoc basis. These methods suffer from several limitations including subjectivity and uncertainty of visual inspection process, as well as traffic disruption resulting from lane closure during inspection. This research aimed to study, evaluate, and experiment with the use of remote sensing technologies in bridge inspection to minimize drawbacks of current practice. To achieve this objective, two models are developed in this research. The first is a comparative study of remote sensing technologies for concrete bridge condition assessment that provides a systematic approach of selecting most suitable technologies for use in condition assessment. Seven remote sensing technologies are examined in this model. It recommends technologies to be implemented based on a set of flexible multi-attributed criteria. The model provides flexibility to select specific set of these criteria and to define their weights based on user preferences and project objectives.  The second model proposes a hybrid system of remote sensing technologies to augment current practice in bridge inspection and eliminate some limitations such as minimizing traffic disruption while performing bridge inspection and enhancing inspection data analysis and visualization. The hybrid system integrates the use of thermal Infrared (IR) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).  These technologies have the ability of acquiring data from a distance which minimizes traffic disruption.  Results obtained from IR and GPR are in the form of maps of the detected defects on the concrete bridge deck. These maps are used as input in ArcGIS for better representation, visualization, and reporting of the defects and their extents. The hybrid system was examined in a case study of a concrete bridge deck in the city of Laval, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The results are compared to those obtained using hammer sound test for validation.


identifier: Cochrane, Linda  (2014) Of One Mind: Proposal for a Non-Cartesian Cognitive Architecture.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Intellectually, we may reject Cartesian Dualism, but dualism often dominates our everyday thinking: we talk of “mental” illness as though it were non-physical; we tend to blame people for the symptoms of brain malfunctions in a way that differs from how we treat other illnesses. An examination of current theories of mind will reveal that some form of dualism is not always limited to the non-scientific realm. While very few, if any, cognitive scientists support mind-body dualism, those who support the view of the mind as a symbol-manipulator are often constrained to postulate more than one cognitive system in response to the failure of the symbol-system model to account for all aspects of human cognition.

In this dissertation, I argue for an empiricist, rather than a realist, theory of perception, for an internalist semantics, and for a model of cognitive architecture which combines a connectionist approach with highly-specialized, symbolic, computational component which  includes functions that provide input to a a causally-inert conscious mind. I reject the symbol-system hypothesis and propose a cognitive architecture which, I contend, is biologically-plausible and more consistent with the results of recent neuroscientific studies. This hybrid model can accommodate the processes commonly discussed by dual-process theorists and can also accommodate the processes which have proved to be so problematic for models based on the symbol-system hypothesis.


identifier: Dupuis, Daniel  (2014) Three Essays on Short Sales.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Three Essays on Short Sales

abstract:
This thesis consists of three essays. The first essay (thesis chapter two) examines the relationship between short sales and governance. A contribution is made to the literature on short sales by providing evidence that the level of shorting is reversely linked to the overall quality of the corporate governance of a firm and that sellers react contemporaneously to changes in such governance. Short traders may also be able to forecast changes in corporate governance and adjust their portfolios asymmetrically prior to the said changes, with a pronounced increase in short positions for actual and anticipated negative events and a more subdued repurchase of shorted stock for positive expectations.
The second essay (thesis chapter three) introduces a new taxonomy that classifies short-sales constraints into tangible and intangible categories. It includes the development of a theoretical framework relating overpricing and implementation drag to empirically estimate the four tangible constraints. The literature underestimates these constraints with taxes representing the largest drag on short-selling, followed by direct trading costs, the lending fee and dividend repayments. The commonly used lending fee is a poor proxy for short-selling constraints both in magnitude and variance. Overpricing generally exceeds the implementation drag from tangible short-sales constraints except during periods of rapid price contraction.
The third essay (thesis chapter four) extends the overvaluation model based on heterogeneous expectations and short-sales constraints.  Seven intangible restrictions are identified and their effect is empirically assessed using two measures of mispricing; absolute and relative. The recall risk, search frictions and investor sentiment increase mispricing while institutional ownership and the existence of options reduce it. Firm-based restrictive tactics initially increase overpricing but signal to the market that the stock is under selling pressure. Since such tactics are rarely effective, firm-bullying becomes negatively related to mispricing. Short-sellers should limit their holding period to a minimum as the monthly-equivalent short returns decline with longer trades and they would benefit by concentrating on firms that are smaller in size, relatively poorly managed with lower institutional ownership, higher systematic risk, no options, higher price-earnings multiples and lower market-to-book ratios.


identifier: Prajapati, Nitin  (2014) A Security Framework for Routing Protocols.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the rise in internet traffic surveillance and monitoring activities, the routing infrastructure has become an obvious target of attack as compromised routers can be used to stage large scale attacks. Routing protocols are also subjected to various threats such as capture and replay of packets that disclose the network information, forged routing control messages that may compromise a connection by deception, disruption of an on-going connection causing DoS attacks and spreading of unauthentic routing information in the network. Presently, strong cryptographic suites and key management mechanisms (IPsec and IKE) are available to secure host-to-host data communication but none of them focus on securing routing protocols. Today's routing protocols use a shared secret to perform mutual authentication and authorization, and depend on manual keying methods. For message integrity, they either rely on some built-in or external security feature that uses the same shared secret.

The KARP working group of the IETF identified that the work is required to tighten the security of the routing protocols and demonstrated that automated key management solutions are needed for increasing security. Towards this goal we propose the RPsec framework. RPsec provides a common baseline for development of KMPs for the routing protocols, supports both automated and manual key management, and overcomes the weakness of existing manual key methods.


identifier: Prince, Thomas  (2014) Success Stories to re-cast Gulu Uganda: Confronting Narratives of Dependency and Inability through Ethnographic Collaboration in a post-conflict region.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: After the end of civil war in Northern Uganda, Gulu District and Gulu municipality are no longer sites of war, displacement or human misery.  This acknowledgement is over-due for delivery to, and necessary for, the residents of Northern Uganda and the global community alike, in order to understand the successes and on-going recovery in this post-conflict region.  Unfortunately many media sound-bites, NGO reports and academic studies remain focused and tied to the earlier decades of war between the rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan armed forces.  Their attention to war and suffering in Northern Uganda is not unique, but rather a symptom of a much larger approach and positioning of Africa as marginal, unable, and in need of salvation.  To counter the negative stereotypes of African violence and inability, Gulu provides a case study for post-conflict recovery, where creative and inclusive alternatives to large scale development and international solutions for Africa are based within the community and utilize local solutions and populations instead of external frames of reference and priorities.  The stories of a small savings and loan associations and a locally-based NGO that are achieving a great deal of success in Gulu and help people re-build their lives after the war contrast and challenge global opinions and attitudes that Africa is unable to solve its own problems.


identifier: Hejazi, Amir Hossein  (2014) Lean engineering performance measurement model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Today, the application of lean principles is not limited to the shop floor: it is extended to the entire enterprise. Knowledge-based activities, in particular, product development, can significantly benefit from the application of lean principles. R&D intensive organizations such as aerospace have started to implement lean in their product development processes, however, the performance measurement systems that are in place are obsolete and do not promote lean goals and principles. These methods are not capable of measuring the benefits of adopting lean initiatives in the product development process. In this research, a lean engineering performance measurement (LEPM) model is developed that takes into account key lean principles and performance indicators and measures the performance of the engineering process from a lean perspective. This model was implemented in the engineering process of a case company to measure and promote lean initiatives.


identifier: Huard, Michel-Olivier  (2014) Estimation of Air-Pressure Drop in Inclined Penstocks during an Emergency Closure of Intake Gates.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Hydroelectric power is an important source of energy. This is particularly true for Quebec and some other provinces in Canada. In the event of a combination of power trip and wicket gate blockage, as an emergency response, it is necessary to close the intake gates in order to stop water flow through the penstock to the unit. Such emergency closure can cause air pressure inside the penstock chamber to drop so significantly that the safety risks to the power station structures and facilities become unacceptable. The purpose of this study is to develop analysis methods for the assessment of air pressure drop in emergency closure. The scope of this research work covers the determination of the following time-dependent quantities: water discharge beneath a sluice gate, dry air flow through air vents leading to the penstock chamber, amount of air entrained by turbulent water motions through the penstock, and the resultant changes of air pressure in the penstock chamber. The analyses are based on the energy principle and take into account a large number of variables including the upstream and downstream water levels, the geometry of the hydraulic passage, the time rate of gate closing, and features of downstream control structures. The analysis methods are applied to two cases of emergency closure of power generating stations in Quebec. The results of calculated air demand and pressure drop are in good comparison with field measurements. Emergency closure is shown to produce two significant impacts on penstocks and air vents: 1) intensified water jet in the first half of the time period it takes to close the gate; and 2) pressure drop in the last one third of the time period. Air entrainment by high-velocity flowing water is an important cause of pressure drop in emergency closure, and can be modeled using hydraulic jump entrainment equations. The values of air pressure drop calculated for the Isle-Maligne and La Tuque stations are below one third of the standard atmospheric pressure. However, there are significant air pressure fluctuations. This study has contributed to the development of quantitative framework and calculation procedures that can easily be extended for applications to other sites. The development is of engineering relevance to upgrade of existing air vents and the design of new air vents and to safe operations of emergency closure.


identifier: Jariwala, Dhruv  (2014) Identification of Malicious Android Applications using Kernel Level System Calls.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
With the advancement of technology, smartphones are gaining popularity by increasing their computational power and incorporating a large variety of new sensors and features that can be utilized by application developers in order to improve the user experience. On the other hand, this widespread use of smartphones and their increased capabilities have also attracted the attention of malware writers who shifted their focus from the desktop environment and started creating malware applications dedicated to smartphones. With about 1.5 million Android device activations per day and billions of application installation from the official Android market (Google Play), Android is becoming one of the most widely used operating systems for smartphones and tablets. Most of the threats for Android come from applications installed from third-party markets which lack proper mechanisms to detect malicious applications that can leak users' private information, send SMS to premium numbers, or get root access to the system.

	In this thesis, our work is divided into two main components. In the first one, we provide a framework to perform off-line analysis of Android applications using static and dynamic analysis approaches. In the static analysis phase, we perform de-compilation of the analyzed application and extract the permissions from its ‘AndroidManifest’ file. Whereas in dynamic analysis, we execute the target application on an Android emulator where the ‘starce’ tool is used to hook the system calls on the ‘zygote’ process and record all the calls invoked by the application. The extracted features from both the static and dynamic analysis modules are then used to classify the tested applications using a variety of classification algorithms.

	In the second part, our aim is to provide real time monitoring for the behavior of Android application and alert users to these applications that violate a predefined security policy by trying to access private information such as GPS locations and SMS related information.  In order to achieve this, we use a loadable kernel module for tracking the kernel level system calls.

	The effectiveness of the developed prototypes is confirmed by testing them on popular applications collected from F-Droid, and malware samples obtained from third party and the Android Malware Genome Project dataset.