identifier: Madden, Nuala  (2004) Elegy for daughters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Elegy for daughters

abstract: A five-act play, Elegy for Daughters is the story of Margaret Keane, the orphan daughter of an Irish émigrée. Ten years after her mother's drowning, Margaret learns that a theatre troupe in Galway is staging a play that her mother wrote before she left Ireland to go to Canada. Completely disconnected from her roots, and uncertain as to whether or not her mother committed suicide, Margaret flies to Ireland with the hope of obtaining a sense of closure when she hears her mother tell a story, one last time.  In Galway, Margaret stays at The Star of the Sea , a boarding house-cum-bed and breakfast on Nun's Island. There she meets a cast of characters with stories and histories as unlikely as her own; indeed, with stories that shed light on her own mythical lineage. The action takes place in the recently renovated kitchen at The Star of the Sea , where a desk lamp functions as the family hearth, and folk gather 'round for accounts of local history and family legend.  Elegy for Daughters questions chance, the supernatural, and notions of blind faith. As Lugh the lodger remarks in the final act, "There's no harm in looking at things upside down as well as right-side up. Sure none of us knows which way 'round things are meant to be hanging."


identifier: Nemani, LakshmiNarayana Naga  (2005) Vibration analysis of a hand-grinder system under wheel unbalance excitation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Use of hand-held grinding machines can cause excessive vibrations of the hand-arm system. Continued use of these vibrating tools has been found to be connected with various patterns of diseases affecting the blood vessels, nerves, bones, joints and muscles of the hand and forearm. The most severe symptom of prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibrations is the Vibration Induced White Finger (VWF) disease. The development of these disorders depends on the level of acceleration produced by the tool. In this thesis, the tool vibrations transmitted to the operator's hand and arm is investigated. A grinder model is developed and the calculated natural frequencies have been validated through laboratory experiments. Further, a two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) lumped parameter model of the human hand-arm system is developed, along each of the three orthogonal directions in order to identify the parameters of the hand-arm vibration (HAV) models using the reported mechanical impedance data and nonlinear programming based optimization technique.


identifier: Salek, Mohammed Hasan  (2005) Effect of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of Carbon/PEKK thermoplastic composite materials.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This work presents the effects of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of Carbon/PEKK thermoplastic composite laminates. Semi-crystalline PEKK polymer based composites are gaining interest of many researchers due to their higher glass transition temperature (156{493}C), high strength and stiffness, high toughness, low moisture absorption and excellent environmental resistance. The moderate processing temperature of PEKK polymer (330-380{493}C) has enabled its processability to be easier than PEEK. Different processing conditions are applied to fabricate flat laminates from Carbon/PEKK unitape using compression molding. Subsequently, their mechanical properties are determined. The primary properties of interest include tensile strength and tensile modulus for 0{493} and 90{493} laminates. Maximum tensile strengths for 0 and 90 degrees laminates are found to be 2130 MPa and 80 MPa respectively. Their maximum moduli are 161 GPa and 10.5 GPa respectively. The effects of the consolidation parameters on the mechanical properties are examined. Scanning Electron Microscopy is performed to observe the difference in microstructure due to the variable processing conditions. A processing window to obtain optimum properties for the laminates is established. The investigated range of parameters can serve as a guide to consolidate Carbon/PEKK laminates for high performance aerospace applications.


identifier: Sajjadi, Seyed-Abbas  (2005) A computer-aided design tool for analog integrated circuit building blocks realization.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With the advent of submicron CMOS process technologies, application of current-voltage model equation, which is good for long channel devices, is becoming futile. Shortage of analog integrated circuits design automation tools results in relying on engineering experience and time-consuming trial and error simulation runs to design an analog integrated circuit (IC). Many designers are faced with the large design time devoted to the design of analog circuits in comparing with digital counterparts in mixed-signal IC designs.  The research presented in this thesis aims to improve the efficiency of analog IC design process with a new design methodology and computer-aided design program for automating the realization of analog IC building blocks. The new design methodology is based on small-signal analysis, and DC simulation of NMOS and PMOS transistors which is predicted by sophisticated circuit analysis program i.e. HSPICE. The CAD tool is intended to be a design assistant and comprises of a number of modules including setup, single stage amplifier design, current source/mirror design, voltage divider design, differential amplifier design, operational amplifier and operational transconductance amplifier design modules. To demonstrate the usefulness and reliability of the new methodology and the tool, some design examples are presented.  This thesis also studies the analog design automation methods and tools that have been reported in the literature.


identifier: Qu, Hong  (2005) Design and modeling of a completely CMOS compatible RF varactor and a MUMPs varactor.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology has shown its bright future in many different fields, especially in space and radio frequency (RF) systems. In wireless communication systems, passive elements including tunable capacitors and inductors often need a high quality factor and high self-resonant frequency. High-quality tunable capacitors and inductors can lead to improved power or figure of merit in low noise amplifiers, low insertion loss in band-pass filters, and better phase noise and power in voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs).  By using MEMS technology, we can greatly shrink the cost and the footprint of RF circuits since all the off-chip components such as inductors and capacitors can be fabricated and integrated into a whole single chip at one time. Our research is directed by the purpose of developing more powerful RF components.  The goal of this project is to build a completely on-chip IC-compatible, high-Q variable capacitor using vertical electro-thermal actuators. The variable capacitor has been accomplished through building an all-Polysilicon microstructure. The fabrication procedure is fully compatible with a standard IC integration. The research results presented at the figure1 shows an SEM of the top-view of a fabricated capacitor with a nominal capacitance value of 1900 fF.


identifier: Qin, Meiyu  (2005) Performance analysis of WCDMA downlink systems with antenna array.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The work of the thesis begins with a study of the physical layer tasks of WCDMA systems, including some key techniques and channel structures for both downlink and uplink with an emphasis on the downlink common pilot channel and the time-multiplexed pilot symbol structure. Multipath fading effects and Rake receiver techniques are also covered. These techniques and channel configurations are then used for the simulation of the entire WCDMA downlink system.  The second part of this thesis is concerned with antenna array processing techniques and the performance of a two-element antenna that can easily be incorporated into mobile handsets. A simulation study of an antenna array receiver is carried out for various parameters and different combining schemes. The main contribution of the thesis is in the investigation of the downlink performance of a WCDMA system using an adaptive antenna array. Both temporal and spatial diversities are taken into account in the simulation. Based on the WCDMA specification, it is found that the spatial-temporal receiver with n/4 (3.5cm) distance between the antenna elements can provide strong beamforming capability. The diversity gain of a smart antenna system with different combining schemes is also examined. It is shown that when both spatial and temporal signal processing techniques are combined, the multiple access interference and the multipath fading effect can be significantly mitigated or eliminated


identifier: Anwar, Muhammad Faraz  (2005) An agilized roadmap for user-centered requirements and prototype derivation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In interactive software system engineering, the user-interface requirement is a crucial phase. Practitioners are always looking for better guidelines and roadmaps for requirements engineering that not only ensure the usability in future system, but are also easy to master and use. This is one of the major challenges of the current HCI methods for user requirements. Agile methodologies are known for their ease of use, flexibility, and fast, iterative approach. The ideas from agile methodologies along with user-centered requirements engineering practices give a great motivation for a unified approach for user-interface requirements engineering. In this thesis, we propose a roadmap for user-centered requirements engineering that has agile characteristics. This roadmap, we believe, will be helpful in acquiring usability requirements and will be easy to follow. The major artifacts in this roadmap are Scenarios. A Prototype Derivation Process presented in this thesis complements the SUCRE framework, which was developed in our research group for scenario based requirements engineering. This process serves important milestones in the roadmap for quick requirements verification. The prototype thus created is in the form of storyboard and could be used for evaluation by end-users or developers. Therefore, the major contributions of this thesis are an Agilized Roadmap for User-Centered Requirements and process for Prototype Derivation from scenarios that are created as the major artifacts of the roadmap.


identifier: Tran, Trong Khiem  (2005) Extendable and composable units for multi-agent coordination (ECUMAC).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: As multi-agent systems evolve, coordination among agents becomes crucial in the execution of tasks to ensure the correctness of such system. Much effort is spent in ensuring the correctness in the interaction of the agents. Such efforts usually result in very complex designs which increase the maintenance cost or the cost for further development. In this thesis we propose a model to leverage the effort spent in maintenance and extension by promoting modularity of the system for improved understandability and reusability to save effort. The model, called ECUMAC, is based on the concept that a set of coordination requirements can be realized by a set of "small coordination achievement" called the coordination units. A coordination unit is a skeleton description of a coordination pattern which the application developer can further refine to suit the specific nature of the application. ECUMAC defines a model of these coordination units so that they are extendable and composable to support modularity and code reuse. Two types of coordination units have been identified: static coordination unit and dynamic coordination unit. The static coordination unit allows the definition of coordination structures which require a fixed pattern of interaction. On the other hand, the dynamic coordination unit relies on the spontaneous reaction of the agents to occurrence of certain state of the system.


identifier: Lu, Yi  (2005) On periodic and Markovian non-homogeneous Poisson processes and their application in risk theory.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Periodic non-homogeneous Poisson processes and Poisson models under Markovian environments are studied in this thesis. By accounting for periodic seasonal variations and random fluctuations in the underlying risk, these models generalize the classical homogeneous Poison risk model.  Non-homogenous Poisson processes with periodic claim intensity rates are proposed for the claim counting process of risk theory. We introduce a doubly periodic Poisson model with short and long-term trends. Beta-type intensity functions are presented as illustrations.  Doubly periodic Poisson models are appropriate when the seasonality does not repeat the exact same short-term pattern every year, but has a peak intensity that varies over a longer period. This reflects periodic environments like those forming hurricanes, in alternating El Niño/La Niña years. The properties of the model and the statistical inference of the model parameters are discussed. An application of the model to the dataset of Atlantic Hurricanes Affecting the United States (1899-2000) is discussed in detail.  Further we introduce a periodic regime-switching Cox risk model by considering both, seasonal variations and stochastic fluctuations in the claims intensity. The intensity process, governed by a periodic function with a random peak level, is proposed. The periodic intensity function follows a deterministic pattern in each short-term period, and is illustrated by a beta-type function. A finite-state Markov chain defines the level process, explaining the random effect due to different underlying risk years.  The properties of this regime-switching claim counting process are discussed in detail. By properly defining the Lundberg coefficient; Lundberg-type bounds for finite time ruin probabilities in the two-state risk model case are derived. A detailed derivation of the likelihood function and the maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters is also given. Statistical applications of the model to the Atlantic hurricanes affecting the United States dataset are discussed under two different level classifications schemes.  The Markov-modulated risk model is considered to reflect a risk process or insurance business alternating between a finite number of Poisson models. Here we assume that the claim inter-arrivals, claim severities and premiums of the model are influenced by an external Markovian environment. The effect of this external environment may be characterized, at any time, by a state variable, representing for example, certain types of epidemics, a variety of weather conditions or of different states of the economy


identifier: Vetrone, Fiorenzo  (2005) Luminescence spectroscopy of Er³⁺ doped inorganic nanocrystals : an investigation into their upconversion properties.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a detailed investigation into the spectroscopic properties of inorganic nanocrystals doped with trivalent rare earth ions. We focus on their upconversion luminescence, emission of radiation at higher energy than the pump wavelength, and evaluate the fundamental mechanisms of upconversion in the nanocrystal.  We evaluate the spectroscopic properties of sesquioxide nanocrystals doped with trivalent erbium (M 2 O 3 :Er 3+ , where M = Y, Lu, or Sc) prepared by the propellant synthesis technique. Characteristic green, red, and near-infrared Er 3+ emission is observed following excitation with 488 nm in all samples under investigation. The overall luminescence intensity of the sesquioxide nanocrystals is lower compared to the microcrystalline material (bulk) as a result of the presence of high vibrational energies, 1500 and 3350 cm -1 , due to adsorbed CO 3 2- and OH - anions, respectively, which significantly increase the rate of multiphonon relaxation. The garnet (Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 :Er 3+ ) nanocrystals, however, have considerably less surface adsorbed species, which consequently increases the luminescence intensity drastically.  The upconversion of red (n exc = 650 nm) and near-infrared (n exc = 800 or 980 nm) radiation into UV, blue, green, and red emission is studied for Er 3+ ions doped in various sesquioxide (Y 2 O 3 , Lu 2 O 3 , and SC 2 O 3 ) and garnet (Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 ) nanocrystals over a wide range of temperatures and dopant concentration is investigated. We present, for the first time, upconversion in a trivalent rare earth (RE 3+ ) doped nanocrystalline material, specifically Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ . We show that replacing the Y 3+ cation has significant consequences on the upconversion. The upconverted luminescence of Lu 2 O 3 :Er 3+ nanocrystals have intensities that are 100x greater compared to identically doped nanocrystalline Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ . Furthermore, Sc 2 O 3:Er 3+ nanocrystals show an enhanced red emission, which is greater than Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ nanocrystals (with identical Er 3+ concentration) due to the smaller unit cell resulting in increased interaction between Er 3+ ions. The upconversion is observed to be dependent on the method of preparation. We explore nanocrystalline Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ prepared via the propellant synthesis technique and a controlled hydrolysis synthesis (or wet chemical synthesis) where we observed quite diverse upconversion behavior attributed to the vastly different morphological properties of the two different nanocrystalline materials. Additionally, we investigate the effect of Yb 3+ co-doping on the upconversion luminescence of Y 2 O 3 :Er 3+ nanocrystals prepared via the two distinct synthesis routes, and observe a significant change in the mechanisms of upconversion. In the sesquioxides, the upconversion properties of the nanocrystalline material are diverse from the bulk counterpart.  Finally, we attempt to ascertain if any spectroscopic changes occur in nanosized Lu 2 O 3 :Nd 3+ , Y 2 O 3 :Sm 3+ and Y 2 O 3 :Dy 3+ prepared via combustion synthesis. In all cases, the size of the particles affects the luminescence behavior


identifier: Swift, Lynn C  (2005) Calibrating SORTIE's recruitment subroutine for southeastern Québec : verifying the consistency of parameters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In recent years foresters have used inverse modelling as a tool to predict stand dynamics for use in research and management. Several models predicting recruitment density by species have been developed. There has, however, never been a serious attempt to see if the parameter values for a recruitment model are more or less constant from one site to another. I compared the performance of two dispersal functions (Weibull and lognormal) that can be used in the recruitment subroutine of SORTIE to determine which resulted in higher likelihoods, as well as whether there was a tendency toward species-specific parameter values among sites. Specifically, I calibrated the model for seven species in the deciduous forest of southern Québec at four sites located within 200km of each other. My results support the findings of Greene et al. , 2004, that the lognormal function is a better predictor of recruitment than the Weibull function. I also show that the previously suggested value for the parameter converting tree diameter into recruit production is hardly ideal for all species or for a single species across sites. Further, I show that while the estimated mean dispersal distances tended to be species-specific, they were not significantly so as they were swamped by inter-site differences within species. Indeed, it is not at all clear that inverse modelling permits us to characterize the species-specific dispersal parameters for any tree species.


identifier: Gürkan, Semih  (2005) Design and implementation of 2400 MHz - 144 MHz downconverter.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, the theory, design and the implementation of a 2400-2404 MHz input, 144-148 MHz output downconverter is presented. The theory of coupling structures between folded resonators is discussed and the coupling coefficients are calculated. The full theoretical approach to the hairpin filter, rat race coupler mixer, amplifier and frequency multiplier were discussed. The design and the full wave microwave simulations of the coupling structures, hairpin filters and the rat race coupler mixer were carried out using the Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS). Several simulations (conversion loss, gain, S-parameter, harmonic balance) were carried out in order to analyze the behavior of the hairpin filters, rat race hybrid mixer, harmonic generator and the RF amplifier. The full wave simulation results were compared with the RF simulation mode of ADS; the differences between the results were discussed.  The implementation of the designed and simulated components was accomplished. The creation of Gerber files, drill files, buying the parts and having the board manufactured were completed and the each step explained in detail. The differences between the theoretical design, the ADS simulations and the experiments presented and the possible reasons were discussed


identifier: Kakoli, Sarah Tahsin Noor  (2005) Behaviour of sensitive clay under cyclic loading.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sensitive clay is a kind of natural soil known to develop occasional flow slides. Understanding its behaviour becomes a demanding research field due to the rapid development of infrastructures, housing projects, and large-scale land reclamations. The economical implication of constructing foundations built on sensitive clay becomes evident while considering the wide occurrence of this clay in the Eastern Canada and other parts of the world. In order to understand its special features, research studies in the literature are mostly devoted to the exploration of the fundamental properties of sensitive clay, the evaluation of different testing techniques, the appropriate methods of testing, and case studies. Research on the strength of sensitive clay has been lagging, especially when subjected cyclic loading.  Due to the complex behaviour of sensitive clay, developing a unique model, which incorporates many parameters, is practically impossible. This thesis represents a study of parameters, which are believed to influence the strength properties of sensitive clays. The experimental data available at Concordia University and in the literature are used extensively to evaluate the role of each parameter. Based on the results of these analyses, a step-by-step design approach has been developed and tested for designing foundations on sensitive clay. This procedure can also be used to examine the condition of an existing foundation built on sensitive clay


identifier: Saygili, Gokhan  (2005) Liquefaction potential assessment in soil deposits using artificial neural networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the literature, several simplified methods can be found to assess nonlinear liquefaction potential of soil. Derived from several field and laboratory tests, various procedures, also named as conventional methods, have been developed by utilizing case studies and undisturbed soil samples. In order to examine the collective knowledge built up in the conventional liquefaction methods available in the literature, a General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) model is proposed herein, which incorporates the parameters ignored in the past and accordingly will eliminate the shortcomings of the existing design formulae.  Two, separate sets of field data, based on the standard penetration test, SPT, and the cone penetration test, CPT were used to develop the GRNN model.  The proposed GRNN model predicted the occurrence/nonoccurrence of soil liquefaction well in these sites. Furthermore, liquefaction decision supported by SPT test results is incorporated into CPT based soil and seismic data. Therefore, the model supports the data conversion of an SPT-to-CPT throughout the liquefaction potential analysis, which believed to be the primary limitation of the simplified techniques. Thus the proposed model provides a viable tool to geotechnical engineers in assessing seismic condition in sites susceptible to liquefaction


identifier: Parrish, Chris L  (2005) An experimental investigation of reassurance and responsibility.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Repeated reassurance-seeking is a common phenomenon in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This behaviour may exacerbate compulsive urges (e.g., to check, to seek additional reassurance) by undermining confidence (Dar, 2004; Hout & Kindt, 2004), and preventing the disconfirmation of irrational threat-relevant thoughts and beliefs. The current investigation examined the effects of repeated reassurance and perceived responsibility/threat on anxiety, checking behaviour, memory and confidence. Volunteer undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: high responsibility-high reassurance, high responsibility-low reassurance, low responsibility-high reassurance, or low responsibility-low reassurance, and were asked to perform several trials of a sorting task. On two separate occasions (i.e., before and after a critical trial, in which only members of the high reassurance groups received reassurance regarding their performance), participants were asked to rate their current anxiety, their urges to check their performance, their urges to be reassured that they had sorted correctly, and their confidence in the accuracy of their performance. They also completed a test to assess their memory accuracy (i.e., their ability to recall details of the experimental task). Results revealed that higher levels of perceived responsibility were associated with the maintenance of compulsive urges (to check and to seek reassurance) and performance-related doubt. Manipulations of reassurance did not significantly affect participants' ratings of the above-listed variables. The results of this study are discussed in terms of cognitive and behavioural models of OCD, and methodological issues are examined. Directions for future research are also suggested


identifier: Carrier-Moisan, Marie-Eve  (2005) Narratives of Luta : the manoeuvres of migrant women workers in the Brazilian Northeast.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is an ethnographic study of migrant women working in factories in the Brazilian Northeast. It explores the local ramifications of globalization in the everyday lives of migrant women. It is based on six months of fieldwork conducted in the industrializing town of Cascavel, a town reflecting regional and state patterns of rapid industrialization and intrastate migration led primarily by women. This thesis departs from the dominant view of women-as-victims that prevails in most of the scholarly literature on women in the global labour force, in order to present a deeper understanding of migrant women's experience. Thus, in this thesis, I emphasize women's narratives because I consider they provide the ground to reflect on the significance migration and work carry from their standpoint, avoiding any simplistic explanation of their lives. Overall, women's narratives reveal the improvements they have experienced in their lives in the transition from agriculture to factory work, as women have achieved a level of economic independence and decision-making that has no precedent in the history of the region. Yet their narratives also capture their everyday struggle (luta): migrant women make use of different defensive tactics and manoeuvrs to make a living, enhance their social position and achieve personal goals. In spite of their creative attempts, however, their situation remains precarious and they still face class and gender inequality. Thus, I argue that women's struggle ( luta) has paradoxical implications, improving their lives yet positioning them in a persistent state of battle.


identifier: Mercier, Isabelle  (2005) Virtue in client centred care : a philosophical investigation of virtue and nursing in Canadian healthcare.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Part of the mandate of the Canadian Nursing Association is to develop and maintain a 'code of ethics'. Provincial professional nursing associations have largely based their own ethical frameworks on this code. However, as Mitchell and Benner have argued, ethical codes fail to capture some essential elements of the ethical life of nurses. This signals a need for a more accurate and experience based ethical framework for nurses. One such attempt is a document published by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario entitled 'Client Centred Care' that presents an ethical framework that relies on a nurses' practical wisdom and that emphasizes individual experiences of ethical situations based on close relationships with patients. Some traditional ethical frameworks in the philosophical field have come under attack by Neo-Aristotelian Virtue Ethicists for the same reasons. These philosophers, including Wiggins, Maclntyre, Hursthouse, Zagzebski, and MacDowell, have supplemented unsatisfactory, traditional ethical frameworks with one that emphasizes perception of salience, practical wisdom, and practice. Because they are similar in their approaches to ethical life, and in their criticisms of traditional ethical frameworks, 'Client Centred Care' lends itself well to the vocabulary and conceptual structure of Virtue Ethics.  However, for all its merits, 'Client Centred Care' does not provide us with the rigor of a serious ethical text, leaving terms inadequately defined and many questions unanswered. This work is an effort to clarify the ethical claims of this text through the lens of Virtue Ethics. In doing so, I will expose some of the deficiencies of this ethical framework for nurses and propose a curative solution by examining the work of Narrative Ethicists such as Martha Nussbaum.


identifier: Ion, Octavian  (2005) Restructuring Fodor's concepts.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Restructuring Fodor's concepts

abstract: This thesis critically examines Jerry Fodor's account of concepts as outlined in his 1998 book, Concepts: Where Cognitive Science Went Wrong. According to this account, concepts are ordered pairs consisting of mental representations and contents. The relationship between the content of a concept and the mental representation is law-like and functions as follows: The content of the concept is whatever causes its mental representation to be tokened. The issue that I examine is Fodor's claim that it is objects which are picked out by our concepts. I argue that this point of view only arises because he conflates the notion of an object with the notion of its property. Given the mechanisms of perception which underwrite the functioning of our concepts, it is actually properties and not objects that cause our mental representations to be tokened, and therefore Fodor's concepts need to be restructured. I put forward a proposal for how this might be achieved, which requires that properties be added to the structure of concepts. In the rest of the thesis I examine how Fodor deals with two problematic cases from philosophy of language, namely the Frege cases and the Twin-Earth cases. I argue that the proposed account I set forth can provide more efficient solutions for handling the cases than Fodor's original account.


identifier: Grosvenor, Stephanie  (2005) Developmental antecedents of leader-follower relationships and trust.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Previous research has shown that transformational leaders tend to be perceived as trustworthy and trust has been found to relate to many positive outcomes, such as performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and job satisfaction. This study attempts to determine the role of developmental antecedents in explaining leadership style and trust in the leader. This study expands on Mayer, Davis and Schoorman's (1995) model of trust, in conjunction with the developmental theory of attachment, transformational leadership theory and leader-member exchange theory (LMX). The hypotheses were tested in three organizations (N = 121). Questionnaires were distributed in both English and French. Followers rated their immediate supervisor's leadership and attachment styles, as well as their trust in their leader. As expected, findings indicated that transformational leaders were securely attached, had high-quality LMX relationships, and were perceived as benevolent and trustworthy by their followers. As well, LMX fully mediated the relation between secure attachment and follower perceptions of leader benevolence. Implications for leader identification and development are discussed.


identifier: Zheng, Aimin  (2005) Implementing film grammar with 3D graphics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In film conversation shots, there are constraints that specify the players' positions as they are projected on the screen. How to project the two players on the appropriate position on the screen is the main problem focused on this thesis.  Some important rules of film grammar for two players are stated in this paper and an algorithm based on camera control to achieve desired projected position on screen for players are provided. The results of the algorithm for lots of shots in two players conversation satisfy all the constraints related with camera placement for two players in film grammar.  Translating film grammar into mathematic requirement for 3D graphics and building the corresponding equations are showed in this paper. And a creative and effective way to solve these equations is stated. This algorithm provides a feasible way to control the camera in graphics environment. And several cinematographic shots are implemented by this algorithm, and also a sequence of shots is applied into a film scene.


identifier: Dahrazma, Behnaz  (2005) Removal of heavy metals from sediment using rhamnolipid.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The interaction of heavy metals with sediments is complex and means are required to understand this matter more fully. Soil washing is among the methods available to remove heavy metals from sediments. This research was devoted to evaluating the performance of rhamnolipid for the removal of heavy metals, copper, zinc, and nickel, in batch and continuous flow configurations under different conditions, to investigate the mobility and availability of heavy metals by means of selective sequential extraction, and to find the mechanism for removal of heavy metals from the contaminated sediment obtained from the Lachine Canal, Quebec by using a rhamnolipid. The removal of heavy metals from sediments was up to 37% for Cu which was mostly from the organic, 13% of Zn which was mostly from the carbonate, and 27% of Ni which was mostly from oxide and carbonate fractions when rhamnolipid without additives was applied in the continuous flow configuration. By ion exchange experiments, complexation was found to be the major mechanism of removal for all three metals by rhamnolipid. Adding 1% NaOH elevated the role of ion exchange mechanism up to 67.1% for removal of zinc from the sediment. Rhamnolipid adsorbed to the sediment according to the Freundlich isotherm. The zeta potential of the sediment was measured at -24.3 mV for distilled water, -9.5mV for 2%, and -29.5 mV for 0.5% rhamnolipid. Scanning electron microscopy showed that washing with rhamnolipid does not change the texture of the sediment. Augmentation of the wetted surface area of the sediment improved the removal for all three metals (up to 3.5 times for copper), which emphasizes the role of this parameter in the removal process. A theory was established to explain the removal process of the metals, including wetting, contact of rhamnolipid to the surface of the sediment and detachment of the metals from the sediment. Rhamnolipid has proven its ability as a washing agent in heavy metals removal from sediments, but more research is required to improve the performance of the rhamnolipid before scale-up.


identifier: Manberg, Jeffrey Elliot  (2005) Men's Health : the healing of Prometheus.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the state of men's health, which is in silent crisis. The male mortality rate is 60% higher then the female mortality rate in Canada. Furthermore it is higher for all 10 leading causes of death. The difference in life expectancy is over 5 years between men and women. Contributing to their early demise are so-called preventable deaths, homicide, suicide, vehicle accidents and work accidents which are much more prevalent among males than females. In the U.S. from infancy, males die and suffer serious illnesses at greater rates than females. In fact between the age of 15 and 24, male die at a rate more than three times that of females. This constitutes a silent health crisis---silent because it is not acknowledged, it is in fact, ignored. In Canada there are five Centres of Excellence devoted to women's health---yet there are none for men's health, which is far worse. In the U.S., the morbidity and mortality rates are proportionally similar. There are eleven Specialized Centers of Research for Women's Health, and none for men. We will explore in this thesis both the reasons for men's ill health relative to women's, and the paradox of the silence. Three major theoretical perspectives: the bio-medical, the environmental, and lifestyle, are examined extensively, as are gender specific theories concerning the role that masculinity plays in contributing to male health. Lastly, I present recommendations for improving men's health. Not only is there an appalling loss of men's lives and to a lesser extent women's for many reasons, but also it is extremely expensive. The economic costs of male potential years of life lost in 2001 (U.S. data), amounted to $329,836, million dollars per annum. This money would be better invested in preventive care and Centers of Excellence devoted to men's health.


identifier: Rayfield, Sarah Janet  (2005) Profiling the DNA databank : individual identification and power in late modernity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores some features of the relationship between power and knowledge as it is currently taking shape in the discourse and practice of forensic DNA data banking and addresses the limits of the existing theoretical discourse on power in capturing the kind of power effects that are emerging. The first chapter explores the social, political and historical context in which forensic DNA data banking has emerged. The second chapter examines relevant socio-cultural transformations in the nature of power that have been taking place since the Nineteenth Century, bringing together Foucault's concept of surveillance with more recent analysis of surveillance that suggests, that as a technology of power, surveillance is in the process of changing. Risk is considered as a major force in shaping surveillance practice and discourse, specifically its influence on crime control strategies is discussed. Chapter three first contends that modern themes, which were instrumental in legitimating the development of older identification technologies, continue to play a central role in the discourse legitimating the use of DNA data banking. It also reveals that DNA data banking is premised on an ambivalent notion of crime and 'criminality'. Foucault's theory on bio-power and Baudrillard's simulation theory are considered and it is suggested that these theoretical perspectives can elucidate the relationship between DNA data banking and the changing nature of power.


identifier: Mouradian, Maggy  (2005) Using sterol biomarkers in paleoecological studies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Sediments from five contrasting stations in the western Mexican margin (Pacific Ocean) were investigated for sterol distribution and organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts). Sub-samples were taken from depths of 3-6cm and 16-27cm, representing different environmental conditions. In general, the sterol concentrations examined from these sites showed more advanced degradation in the deeper sediments compared to samples near the sediment-water interface. Using a molecular-level gas chromatography (GC) approach, 23 sterols of marine and terrigenous sources were identified in the natural samples. The major sterol components detected in most of these sediments were cholest-5-en-3β-ol (cholesterol), 24-methylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol (brassicasterol or dihydrobrassicasterol) and 24-Ethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol (stigmasterol). This method also enabled the identification of a specific biomarker of a eukaryotic organism, 4{460},23,24-trimethyl-5{460}-cholest-22 E-en-3β-ol (dinosterol), indicating dinoflagellate inputs to marine sedimentary organic matter


identifier: He, Xun  (2005) Lenstra's factoring method with elliptic curves.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Suppose that we want to factorize an integer N. We can use Lenstra's method, which is based on elliptic curves over finite fields, to find the smallest non-trivial prime factor p of N. The success of Lenstra's algorithm depends on the probability to find an elliptic curve over the finite field with p elements such that the number of points on the curve doesn't have large prime factor. One advantage of Lenstra's algorithm is that we can try different curves to increase the success probability. Lenstra's algorithm has sub-exponential running time. In this thesis, we study Lenstra's algorithm and an implementation due to Brent, which has reduced the theoretical running time, under certain circumstances. We state their success conditions, success probabilities and running times, and discuss the relevant proofs. We also use PARI to implement this algorithm with Lenstra's and Brent's methods, do some tests, and collect some data which verify the theoretical results.


identifier: Bisciglia, Alessandra  (2005) "A shift of modality:" : postminimal Montreal sculpture in the 1970s.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the early 1970s, prescribed definitions of traditional ways of making art underwent an intense re-evaluation. This thesis examines the reconsideration of sculpture through analysis of several works of Montreal artists Andrew Dutkewych (b.1944), Jean-Serge Champagne (b.1947), and Claude Mongrain (b.1948). In these works, we see a move towards sculpture that is more conceptual and site-specific. For instance, Dutkewych's architectonic sculptures explore and re-emphasize the relationship between the work and its location in the gallery, while Champagne's sculptures communicate to the viewer previously latent physical phenomena, and Mongrain's 'situations' emphasize their temporal quality. We also see a preference of each artist for using natural, unprocessed materials. This thesis analyzes the work of Dutkewych, Champagne and Mongrain within the modal shift in sculpture that moves away from the production of self-contained art objects towards the use of inexpensive natural materials, the referencing of site and the revelation of process. The study also contextualizes the work within the wider Montreal art milieu through discussing the critical reception it received when shown in pivotal group exhibitions such as Périphéries in 1974 and Québec 75 a year later.


identifier: Bussmann, Christopher  (2005) Awe and wonder : the curious wunderkammer of Djuna Barnes's Nightwood.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Djuna Barnes's novel Nightwood contains characters engaged in the maintenance of 'fantastic museum[s]' (5) that highlight their incongruous relationships to one another and to hegemonic power. These collections are similar in manner and design to the Renaissance Wunderkammer, or Wonder Cabinet. This thesis explores the circus and museum metaphors of Barnes' novel in relation to this Renaissance form of human and object display with emphasis on the personal collections of Nightwood's characters, the impact of these collections on character identity construction, and the subsequent relationship of each character to such hegemonic power structures as the church and aristocracy. An historic synopsis of the Wunderkammer and the ramifications of its human/object display will be given in order to clarify the position that Nightwood itself is a Wunderkammer in which its characters and their collections are perpetually on display.


identifier: Le, Nong  (2005) A new distance-based algorithm for block turbo codes : from concept to implementation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: List-based algorithms for decoding Block Turbo Codes (BTC) have gained popularity due to their low computational complexity. The normal way to calculate the soft outputs involves searching for a decision code word D and a competing codeword B. In addition, a scaling factor {460} and an estimated reliability value β are used. In this thesis, we present a new approach that does not require {460} and β. Soft outputs are generated based on the Euclidean distance property of decision code words. More importantly, such algorithm has very low computational complexity and is very attractive for practical applications. Based on the synthesis result of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) implementations of the new algorithm, significant complexity saving (up to 79%) is achieved compared to commercially available products. In terms of error performance, we observe certain improvement (0.3dB coding gain) for BTCs of large Hamming distance and negligible performance degradation for BTCs of short Hamming distance.


identifier: Zadeh, Seyed Ali Gorji  (2005) An adaptive M-algorithm based convolutional decoder.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Viterbi algorithm is one of the most popular convolutional decoders. This algorithm suffers from the high complexity in the decoding of the long constraint length codes. The M-algorithm is a simplified Viterbi algorithm and it is practical for the decoding of the long constraint length codes but it suffers from catastrophic error caused by the correct path loss in the algorithm. In this thesis we propose two different ways of the correct path recovery based on M-algorithm convolutional decoder. The first method is called Ancestor Based Survivor Decision in M-algorithm Convolutional Decoder. We propose a survivor decision not only based on the path metric but also based on the path ancestor metric. This algorithm has been designed for the systems with an abrupt noise. Simulation results for the Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel will show slightly improved error performance in some cases since the AWGN does not act as abrupt noise. For the AWGN channels we propose another method which is called Adaptive M-algorithm Based Convolutional Decoder. In this method, we suggest using small number of survivors for most of the decoding attempts and we use higher number of survivors only in case of error decoding. The Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) error detection code is used to detect if the frame is an erroneous frame. Monte-Carlo simulation for the AWGN channel shows that in most of the cases the error performance of the proposed algorithm outperforms the Viterbi algorithm or the conventional M-algorithm error performance.


identifier: Shi, Liying  (2005) Model-based seizure detection method using statistically optimal null filters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Long-term EEG monitoring of epileptic patients makes automatic seizure detection necessary, because it is hard for clinicians to interact with the patients or view the recordings continuously. The problem of seizure detection is inherently difficult because seizure EEG activity consists of a variety of morphologies. It is generally difficult to design a single method that can detect all types of seizures in all patients. In most patients however, one or sometimes two or three types of seizures tend to occur repeatedly. In these cases, the electrographic seizures of each type are similar to each other. Based on this observation, we propose our model-based seizure detection method. In this thesis, a model-based seizure detection method using statistically optimal null filters (SONF) is presented. A template seizure from a patient is first selected, and a set of basis functions that model the template seizure is derived using the proposed modeling methods. Subsequent electroencephalogram (EEG) recording is processed by the SONF and the output represents the noise-free estimate of the seizure. The energy ratio between the output and the input of the SONF is calculated and processed, and used as the test statistic for the seizure detection. Simulation result shows that the modeling Method 4 (Sinusoidal wavelet basis functions) has better performance than other modeling methods. Experiments using 100 hours real SEEG recordings from 5 patients show that the model-based seizure detection method using SONF can lower the false detection rate, and it is most effective for long rhythmic seizures with a clear pattern.


identifier: Ferenczi, Natasha-Kim  (2005) Ambivalent resistance and public secrets : contesting "the truth".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores a youth cultural movement in Male', the Capital Island and urban center of the Republic of the Maldives. I will focus on the dialectic between the strict social control over society enforced by penal tactics and the censorship of expression in a social context whereby the imagining potential of youths has broadened, as well as the social frameworks in which young people negotiate identity. I argue that increased education and exposure to alternate ideologies and lifestyles have led to a greater consciousness of human rights discourses and an increased desire to participate with the changes underway among many youths in Male'. The youthful innovations discussed reflect ideological struggles that challenge the government's monopoly over information and dominant social representations. I will show the central role of exposure in these challenges to official 'truth' and the possibilities opened up by wireless communication, digital cameras and the Internet for disseminating information anonymously and with fewer boundaries. The examples of resistance discussed draw attention to the ambivalence of certain forms of agency. They demonstrate that resistance can be self-destructive or intentionally ambiguous by using parody and innuendos. These examples support the argument for broader considerations of resistance independent of assumptions of efficacy or success in altering existing structures, intentionality for emancipation and affirmative action.


identifier: Shen, Hao  (2005) Analysis of the outage probability for wireless communication systems with multiple antennas.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We present in this thesis comprehensive analysis of the outage probability for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems over quasi static fading channels with and without receive antenna selection. We consider two channel models in the analysis: independent Rayleigh fading and correlated Rayleigh fading. For the independent fading case, we assume that (1) for a given M receiver antennas, the receiver selects the best L antennas that maximize the capacity; (2) the channel state information (CSI) is perfectly known at the receiver, but not at the transmitter; and (3) the fading coefficients change very slowly such that averaging with respect to these coefficients is not possible. Under these assumptions, we derive two upper bounds on the outage probability with receive antenna selection. The first bound is used to show that the diversity order is maintained with antenna selection. The second bound is used to quantify the degradation in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to antenna selection. Furthermore, we analyze the asymptotic behavior of the outage probability for MIMO systems as the number of transmit antennas tends to infinity. We extend our asymptotic results to the case with receive antenna selection. For all cases, we derive explicit expressions for the threshold for the outage probability. For spatially correlated fading channels, in addition to the assumptions made for the independent fading case, it is assumed that the spatial correlation is present at both ends of the wireless communications link, and the transmit and receive correlation matrices may or may not be full rank.


identifier: Ji, Fei  (2005) A decision support system for infrequent purchase decisions in E-commerce.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this paper, we propose an approach for supporting e-commerce buyers who do not have clear goals and well-defined preferences regarding the products of purchase. This is particularly the case when the purchase of such products is infrequent, e.g. home theaters and laptop computers. Our method allows customers to express vague preferences and dynamically gives advisory information without limiting customer's opportunity to consider all possible solutions. The system is based on fuzzy logic algorithm, cluster analysis, and the well-known 'divergence/convergence' principle from problem solving research. The results of an experiment with the prototype systems are in favor of our proposed methods compared to traditional catalog method.


identifier: Mehrandish, Mona  (2006) Intrusion detection : a game theoretic approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we consider the problems of detecting intrusions initiated by cooperative malicious nodes and multiple malicious packets initiated by a smart intruder. Detection is accomplished by sampling a subset of the transmitted packets over selected network links or router interfaces. Given a total sampling budget, our framework aims at developing a network packet sampling strategy to effectively reduce the success chances of an intruder. We consider two different scenarios: (1) A well informed intruder divides her attack over multiple packets in order to increase her chances of successfully intruding a target domain. (2) Different cooperating intruders distribute the attack among themselves each sending the attack fragments to the target node. Each of the packets containing a fragment of the attack is transmitted through a different path using multi-path routing, where each path is selected with a different probability. To the best of our knowledge, there has not been any work done for the case where the attack is split over multiple packets or distributed over cooperative intruders using game theory. We formulate the game theoretic problem, and develop optimal sampling schemes.


identifier: Saffar, Abdollah  (2005) Task scheduling using priority-based supervisory control of DES.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: With supervisory control, it is possible to restrict the behavior of a system by disabling a subset of controllable events. Our objective is to develop a well-established formal method for preemptive and non-preemptive task scheduling based on supervisory control. We also examine how formal methods can help address issues such as priority-based scheduling. To achieve these objectives we first introduce a model for each tasks and desired requirements. To address the priority-based scheduling we define a priority relation as a specification, which assigns a priority to each task. The task and specification models are then combined separately into a campsite model. We finally obtain a supervisory control that guaranties all desires requirements are met by using the supervisory control theory.


identifier: Churcher, Kassandra  (2005) Family ties : a case study of a character education program at a local Montreal elementary school.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines a character education program at a local Montreal elementary school. Character education as a necessary component of the classroom, has dominated the field of moral education for many years. The theories of Thomas Lickona, William Damon, and Anne Lockwood, have established different approaches to incorporating character education into the classroom. Although these theories have had a wide influence on the support for character education in today's classroom, the forms these programs have taken has been criticized for being too traditional and not serving the changing needs of today's classroom. Noddings work as an ethicist of care has been critical of these theories for their reliance on an ethic of justice as opposed to an ethic of care. This thesis draws on the model put forth by Lickona for educating for character to demonstrate the practical nature of a character education program. The thesis also incorporates Noddings' ethic of care in determining if the students are engaged in the program and if Lickona's model is being put into action through individual relations between the students.


identifier: Lam, Kevin Chee Loong  (2005) Characterization of O-methyltransferase (OMT)-like cDNA clones from arabidopsis thaliana and serratula tinctoria, and phylogenomic analysis of plant OMTs.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: O-Methylation of plant secondary metabolites, which plays important roles in the biosynthesis of various natural products and function of plants, is catalyzed by a superfamily of S-adenosyl- L-methionine-dependent O-methyltransferases (OMTs). The objectives of the research were to isolate and characterize OMT-like cDNA clones from Arabidopsis thaliana and Serratula tinctoria , and carry out a phylogenomic analysis of well characterized OMTs to develop a framework phylogenetic tree for predicting putative function and substrate specificity of newly identified gene sequences. Two OMT-like cDNA clones of A. thaliana obtained from TAIR (The Arabidopsis Information Resources) were heterologously expressed for molecular and biochemical characterization. The recombinant proteins did not show enzymatic activity with the substrates tested suggesting that these two putative OMTs genes could be pseudogenes. S. tinctoria accumulates small amounts of 3-methylquercetin as an intermediate for the synthesis of 3,3'-dimethyl derivative.


identifier: Sun, Yi  (2005) Organizational strategy and IT outsourcing : a perspective of Miles and Snow's strategic typologies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The current study represents an exploratory research in the area of strategic alignment of information technology. It attempts to explore whether there is a link between an organization's strategic type and its level of information technology (IT) outsourcing. More specifically, it investigates how strategic types in Miles and Snow's typology can be related to the level of IT outsourcing activities deployed by an organization. It also takes a qualitative approach in the measurement of strategy. Secondary data such as annual reports, rather than mailed questionnaires, are used to analyze the strategy. The results indicate that in terms of Miles and Snow's strategic typology, prospectors are the highest user of IT outsourcing. Defenders are more cautious to outsource their IT. Analyzers, having both characteristics of prospectors and defenders, are between the two groups in IT outsourcing activities.


identifier: Saboori, Anooshiravan  (2005) Fault recovery using discrete event models.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we study the synthesis of fault recovery procedures using discrete-event models. It is assumed that the faults are permanent and that a diagnosis system is available that detects and isolates the faults with a bounded delay. Thus, the combination of the plant and the diagnosis system, as the system to be controlled, will have three modes: normal, transient and recovery. Initially, the plant and thus the system to be controlled, are in the normal mode. Once a fault occurs in the plant, the system (to be controlled) enters the transient mode. After the fault is diagnosed by the diagnosis system, the system enters the recovery mode. We study the design of a nonblocking supervisor that enforces the specifications of the system in all three modes. The solution is obtained by first transforming the problem to an equivalent Robust Nonblocking Supervisory Control Problem under Partial Observation (RNSC-PO) and then solving the robust control problem.


identifier: Tarraf, Patrick  (2005) Competitive intelligence and small companies : a study of two industries.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Competitive intelligence is a relatively new field that has been gaining prominence over the past decade, coinciding with a remarkable increase in firms' adoption of information systems. Competitive intelligence's increased prominence has been noticeable, both in the academic literature and in industry. In simple terms, competitive intelligence is meaningful information that allows you to be aware of your competitive environment. Most academic research into the subject has focused on large corporations while overlooking smaller companies. This study focuses on small companies. Based on a multiple case study, it investigates the prevalence of CI activity among small companies, the sophistication of this activity and the attitudes that owners hold towards the subject. It identifies several factors that may account for shaping CI activity, including the industry, the presence of networks of friends among competitors, and general attitudes towards competition.


identifier: Mailhot, Frédéric  (2005) An order-theoretic approach to syntactic structure and transformations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Contemporary generative syntactic theory is recast in terms of the mathematical theory of partial orders and order-preserving mappings. Phrase markers are shown to be sets of syntactic objects partially ordered by set-theoretic containment, and by a formal relation analogous to traditional asymmetric c-command. Complete sentential structures are sets of phrase markers related by merger and movement transformations, both of which are order-preserving mappings. The elaborated framework is used to provide a novel perspective on so-called phrase structure paradoxes. In conjunction with recent substantive insights concerning the nature of syntactic derivation, interpretive binding theory and VP-external merger of prepositions, a simple, unified account of the paradox is provided, avoiding problematic aspects of previous accounts.


identifier: Toffanin, Melissa  (2005) Examining the implications of financing choice for cash acquisitions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this paper, we take a relatively unexplored approach to examining the abnormal returns around cash acquisition announcements by considering the impact of the source of financing in addition to the method of payment. We find the general result that cash acquisitions earn higher abnormal returns than those for stock, but, more importantly, that the source of financing for this cash does indeed matter. We find significant results: acquisitions where the method of payment is cash experience significant positive abnormal returns at announcement, while returns to stock acquisitions are found to be insignificant in the announcement window. Acquisitions paid in cash financed via borrowing and corporate funds each experience significantly positive abnormal returns at announcement, while those financed by stock-issue proceeds earn insignificant abnormal returns. However, these equity-financed transactions show large and highly significant losses over a wider event window. Using a novel dummy variable approach to estimating abnormal returns that incorporates prior-year financing activity results in finding negative and significant abnormal returns upon the announcement of a stock-proceeds-financed acquisition, and insignificant returns at announcements of acquisitions financed by either debt or a mix of debt and equity.


identifier: Singh, Jagmit  (2005) Custom and model based detection of deficiencies related to Java multithreading.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Multithreading (MT) has been extensively used for developing Graphical User Interface (GUI) and server side applications, because of the multiple benefits, both concerning program organization and efficiency, offered by it. On the other hand, multithreaded programming is difficult and error prone. It is easy to make a mistake in programming, which could lead to errors and these errors are difficult to detect. Thus automatic bug detection techniques, such as runtime analysis, static analysis, model checking and theorem proving are applied. Runtime analysis is based on the idea of concluding properties of interest from a single run of the program. We implement and compare two runtime analysis approaches, an ad-hoc custom based approach and model checker based approach to detect common bug patterns. Hyades, a plugin of Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE) supplemented with bytecode instrumentation tool---JTrek is used for trace collection. All the relevant events required for analysis are collected using this trace collection approach. The state-of-art model checker Spin is used for trace verification. The comparison of the approaches is based on experiments we performed on three different Java multithreaded applications, and the results indicate that the custom based approach performs better than the model-based approach.


identifier: Qi, Bin  (2005) Fast and robust global motion estimation in video object segmentation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: To meet the growing requirements of different video applications such as video surveillance or coding, many video processing techniques have been developed to analyze and represent video sequences. Video object segmentation is an object-based video processing technique which aims to detect semantically meaningful components, i.e., objects, in a video sequence. In case the video sequence contains global (camera) motion, global motion estimation is required to compensate the camera motion before segmentation. This thesis studies methods to automatically segment moving objects in the presence of camera motion without user interaction. It proposes a fast and robust global motion estimation method oriented to video object segmentation. In addition, it integrates this method into a modular scheme to segment objects in the presence of camera motion. This video object segmentation scheme consists of three main steps: global motion detection, global motion estimation and compensation, and object segmentation. The object segmentation is based on: change (motion) detection, temporal adaptation, and edge adaptation. Some improvements are proposed in each part of the object segmentation. The proposed methods aim at four goals: automatically adapt to camera motion, robust (insensitive) to noise and artifacts, temporally stable segmented objects and low computational cost. The proposed methods are reliable which was confirmed by experimenting on more than 10 indoor and outdoor video shots both with and without camera motion. Simulation results show that the proposed GME method achieves more satisfactory results than the reference methods. For object segmentation, encouraging results are also achieved.


identifier: Azarnaminy, Siamak Fouladi  (2005) Modeling, design and fabrication of MEMS filters for RF applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Currently, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology has been used in the fabrication and development of several micro devices which cover a broad range of applications. One of these application areas is the telecommunication industry. Current multi-band communication systems depend on off-chip components for frequency selection stages. Since the fabrication of these off-chip components are not compatible with IC fabrication, the electrical connection has to be in the board level, increasing the cost, size and system complexity. Recently MEMS technology has been used in constructing tunable IC components for RF and wireless transceivers, such as resonators, variable capacitors and inductors. These on-chip components can be utilized to implement system on chip (SOC) transceiver architectures with a better performance. This project is focused on modeling, design, and fabrication of band-pass filters for RF applications using MEMS components. The first class of filters is based on MEMS resonators covering a frequency range from 1MHz to 10MHz and the second class of filters use RF MEMS tunable capacitors. The project has two main parts; the first part is dedicated to the behavioral modeling and generating macro models for MEMS resonators that will be used in system level simulation of the final filter, and the second part discusses the design, fabrication, and post processing of both the MEMS resonators and MEMS variable capacitor, besides the experimental results.


identifier: Chateram, Gary N  (2005) Stock market integration in CARICOM member states: a look at the Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago stock exchanges.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Portfolio selection, as proposed by Markowitz, suggests that investors' needs are best satisfied by selecting an efficient portfolio that minimizes risk and maximizes returns. In search of these efficient portfolios, international investors are now looking more towards emerging markets due to the high level of financial integration among the world's developed capital markets. Regional cooperation by bodies such as NAFTA, EU and ASEAN, have lead to an increase in the interdependency of the capital markets in these areas. The regional body in the Caribbean, CARICOM, has also undertaken many of the same policies as NAFTA, EU and ASEAN to aid in the development of the Caribbean. In this paper, we investigate the emerging capital markets of the Caribbean as a potential investment region to aid international investors in attaining an optimal portfolio allocation and to see if regional investors can still adequately diversify their portfolios through local markets. The results show that international investors can effectively diversify their portfolio by allocating capital to all three markets in the Caribbean. Furthermore, there is no evidence of cointegration among the markets of the Caricom region implying that the liberalization measures undertaken in the region have yet to take effect.


identifier: Lister, Suzanne  (2005) Meaning-making in bereaved parents : process and outcome.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The primary purpose of this research was to examine the process of meaning-making in bereaved parents. Through a narrative inquiry I investigated how parents described their process of growth and making meaning. Sixteen parents whose children died from an illness provided descriptions of their bereavement and meaning-making process. Thirteen of those parents participated in a face-to-face interview (11 parents) or responded to the same interview questions in written form (2 parents). The remaining three parents provided written answers to an abbreviated version of the interview only. Meaning-making was defined as a parent's experience of having grown, found benefit or a purpose in life as a result of their child's death. The qualitative interview and written answers to questions explored the parents' bereavement experience and whether they experienced growth, benefit or purpose. The qualitative findings show a clear pattern of meaning-making over time. In the early phase after the death, parents who eventually found some meaning in the death of their child experienced great anguish, sadness, betrayal, and shattered assumptions. Parents tried to make sense of the illness but did not seem to try to make sense after the death. In the early period after the death, parents instead questioned their beliefs. Parents went through a period of trying to find meaning (Attig, 2001) where they were receptive to the environment and any cues that facilitated their existential questioning. After a period of time, the meaning-making parents reported that they needed to change; they reached a cross-roads and had to make a decision how they were going to continue living their lives. Once some of their spiritual beliefs had been reconciled and parents felt validated in their experience through significant others such as a support group, parents made a decision to re-work their priorities, values, commitments, actions, and relationships. The parents who found meaning were committed to creating a legacy for their child through their actions. This helped sustain the relationship with the child and maintained the role of parent. This process of meaning-making was then discussed in relation to the Dual Process Model (Stroebe & Schut, 1999). Some support for the model and differences between the data and the Dual Process Model were noted.


identifier: Fan, Di  (2005) How product intangibility and its moderators affect perceived risk in online shopping setting.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Online shopping has become one of the most rapidly growing forms of shopping. Meanwhile, compared with traditional shopping, consumers perceive it as more risky. Previous studies have found that there is a relation between product intangibility and consumers' perceived risk. Since these studies did not use an experimental method to manipulate product intangibility, they could not reveal a causal relationship between product intangibility and perceived product related risk in an online setting. The primary objective of the present study is to examine the causal relationship of the product intangibility and various types of product risk in an online shopping environment. Online experimental tests based on student samples are designed for this research objective. The study model includes two antecedents: one is product intangibility and the other is shoppers' concern for web security and personal privacy. At the same time, the moderating effect of the concern for web security and personal privacy on the relationship between product intangibility and product related risk is examined. The result of the research indicates that product intangibility and concern for personal privacy both are reasons of producing product related risk in an online setting. Theoretical and practical contributions to the marketing are discussed.


identifier: Kousaie, Shanna  (2005) Bilingualism and aging : electrophysiological and behavioural measures of interlingual priming.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The literature regarding the representation of a bilingual's two languages is inconsistent. Some studies suggest selective bilingual language access (i.e., preferential access to one language), while others find non-selective bilingual language access (i.e., both languages are initially accessed simultaneously). In addition, little is known about such representations in the older bilingual speaker. In monolinguals, an age-related slowing in semantic activation may result from an inhibition deficit, which may limit the ability of older adults to ignore irrelevant information. Consequently, they may rely more heavily on compensatory strategies (e.g., context). This implies that bilingual older adults may rely more heavily on language context than young adults. We examined bilingual language selectivity and processing using both event-related brain potentials (the N400) and response time measures in highly proficient bilingual young (18-35 years of age) and older (65-80 years of age) adults. Participants were presented with triplets of words consisting of a language context cue, an interlingual homograph (IH, i.e., a word with identical orthography but different meanings in two languages, e.g., COIN meaning 'corner' in French and 'money' in English), and a target, in a semantic priming paradigm. Language consistency between the cue and target were varied to investigate the effect of language context on the reading of an IH. Results from 10 young and 10 older participants suggest age-related differences in bilingual language processing.


identifier: Rizvi, Hasnain  (2005) Investigating factors related to individuals' intention to use new information technology : an extension of TAM.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study investigates individuals' intentions towards using a new technology being implemented in their workplace. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), an extended model is proposed incorporating tool functionality, strategy commitment and supervisor support to explain employees' intention to use the new information technology. 81 completed surveys were collected from 3 organizations in the financial, food distribution and hydraulics industries. The surveys were distributed early in the implementation stage when widespread use of the new system had not begun. Using multiple regressions to analyze the data, the results indicate that a significant and positive relationship exists between a tool's functionality and a user's perception of its usefulness and ease of use. The perceived ease of use of a new IT is positively related to its perceived usefulness. In turn, perceived usefulness, IT strategy commitment and supervisor support are significantly related to one's intention to use a new IT. Additionally, supervisor support was also found to be indirectly related to intention to use through IT strategy commitment. The construct of perceived ease of use did not appear significantly related to intention to use in this study. This study's main contribution lies in the identification of new and significant antecedents of intention to use, as well as validated measures of IT strategy commitment and tool functionality when studying technology acceptance. Practical contributions include the possibility of better understanding IT acceptance prior to new IT implementation.


identifier: Gurpur, Ashwin Bhat  (2005) The development of a tool for mapping protein mutations to sequence structures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Related work has been done in the NLP area to extract protein mutation information directly from PubMed papers and storing it in an XML file. This thesis describes a tool that processes this NLP output for the purpose of visualizing the mutations. The tool uses the NLP output file as input and extracts the details of the protein being discussed, along with the mutation information and these details are used to extract the sequence information from the NCBI protein database. Next, for each protein, it extracts the conserved domain information from the NCBI conserved domain database. Each extracted sequence is split into its respective conserved domains and these are placed sequentially. ClustalW and Alistat are used to remove sequences that fall below a particular threshold. For the remaining sequences, a consensus sequence is generated and a structure that best matches it, is selected. Mutations corresponding to the remaining sequences are mapped on to the structure and a reliability score is calculated. All this information is written on to a visualization file. This is the final output of this tool. This file can be uploaded to the PROSAT protein visualization tool and the mutations can be visualized. The results obtained when the tool was tested on three protein families---xylanases, dehalogenases and biphenyl dioxygenase are presented.


identifier: He, Chun Lei  (2005) Error analysis of a hybrid multiple classifier system for recognizing unconstrained handwritten numerals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the early 1990s, many research communities, amongst the pattern recognition and machine learning, have shown a growing interest in Multiple Classifier Systems (MCSs), particularly for the recognition of handwritten words and numerals. This thesis is divided into two parts. First, we construct an effective hybrid MCS (HMCS) of handwritten numeral recognition in order to raise the reliability of the entire system. This HMCS is proposed by integrating the cooperation (serial topology) and combination (parallel topology) of three classifiers: SVM, MQDF, and LeNet-5. In cooperation, patterns rejected from the previous classifier become the input of the next classifier. Based on the principles of different classifiers, effective measurements for the rejection options---First Rank Measurement (FRM), Differential Measurement (DM), and Probability Measurement (PM) are defined. In combination, Weighted Borda Count (WBC) at the rank level, which reflects confidence and preference of different ranks in different classes with different classifiers, is applied. Second, we analyze factors that cause the errors in HMCS. In this process, we focus mainly on the role of size normalization on the recognition of handwritten numerals.


identifier: Guan, Ce  (2005) A java-based DVI file reader.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: A java-based DVI file reader

abstract: PowerPoint is a convenient tool for people who work with other Microsoft software on Windows platforms; it is less useful to those who work with (La)TeX on UNIX systems. University users who tend to produce high quality slides by using (La)TeX prefer files to be displayed by a computer rather than printed on foils. Therefore, the idea behind this practical thesis is to understand the format of DVI files, since more and more DVI files currently available from many ftp sites, and build an application that provides highly stable service, functioning like PowerPoint, to view high quality slides of DVI files on Windows platform. The DVIReader is built on an architecture that separates functionality from concrete document format, is a viewer for (La)TeX's generic output format known as .dvi, and presents the 'pages' of the .dvi file one at a time as a slide show on the Windows platform. Also this thesis presents an object-oriented design methodology that is used to implement this architecture using JAVA application technology, and an implemented tool that supports all of the above functionality and more


identifier: Chen, Cui Ming  (2005) Large abox store (LAS) : database support for abox queries.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The semantic web has drawn the attention from both academic and industry. Description Logics (DLs), a family of formal languages for representing knowledge and supporting reasoning about it, is regarded as a suitable tool that supports the semantic web and enables its data to be both machine readable and machine understandable. Recently, several approaches on how to combine description logics with databases were proposed. In this thesis, we propose techniques for connecting databases with description logic reasoners effectively and completely, and describe the design and implementation of LAS (Large Abox Store), a DL application combining Aboxes reasoning and database query processing to perform efficient reasoning for Aboxes containing role assertions. With the goal to provide a user-friendly, scalable, and complete ontology query processor, we designed our system as an additional layer for the description logic reasoner---RACER.


identifier: Ryan, Tiffany  (2005) Community control of education : how the Mohawk community of Kahnawake is reclaiming their schools.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study is an ethnographic exploration of the measures taken by the Mohawk community of Kahnawake to reclaim the education of their youth and of the role that education plays in achieving their self-determination. Through a combination of fieldwork, interviews with teachers, parents, and school administrators, the research is intended to document the challenges that the community faces and the different strategies adopted to overcome them. The legacy of residential schools and the attempt to obliterate Indigenous cultures and languages, continues to keep education and schooling at the centre of Kahnawake's struggle to maximize self-determination. The Kahnawake community continues to define educational curriculum and content. Members express enthusiasm in providing youth with the necessary tools to protect their culture and autonomy by attempting to seek community consensus on curriculum content. Achieving consensus though, can prove difficult as seen by the demise of the Educational Park project. Nonetheless, by examining the Youth Conference and the Entrepreneurial Workshops, this thesis details how Kahnawake schools have been able to respond to the needs of its students. The community's effort to assume control of their education system has created an opportunity to reclaim their history, traditions, and language through a process of decolonization. Through this process, the community is able to assert responsibility for any developments made, which is an essential part of community control of education.


identifier: Gallant, Jessica  (2005) Conceptualizing a feminine self through post-abortion discourses : an analysis of subjectivity and power relations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The experience of having an abortion has been constructed in a particular way. The literature and narratives surrounding responses to abortion tends to revolve around the emotional aspects, specifically negative emotional aspects, of an abortion experience. These discourses play an important role in shaping or re-shaping the specific, gendered subjectivities of women that experienced an abortion. In this thesis, I examine the representation of an abortion experience as one that is 'traumatic' in a woman's life. Specifically, I analyze the framework that shapes and reflects the way abortion is perceived in our culture. Traditional notions of femininity and the characteristics that constitute a feminine subjectivity are articulated through postabortion discourses. Therefore, I argue that post-abortion discourses engage in a dialogue that perpetuates a particular discursive framework about abortion. Using a social constructionist perspective I argue that experiences of abortion are constructed in such a way that it is perceived as a 'traumatic' experience for a woman to have an abortion. I use three different websites and one book to explicate how idealized notions of femininity shape women's subjectivities. I conduct an in-depth analysis of these websites and the book and relate to power relations, subjectivity and 'truth.' I use Michel Foucault's conceptualization of power and discourse as a basis for setting my arguments and I complement my research by using different feminist theorists to explicate the processes involved in shaping women's experiences in our culture. I conclude by noting the limitations to my research as well as indications for further research.


identifier: Burke, Mark  (2005) Emotional formation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Emotional formation

abstract: Emotional experience has long been ignored or marginalized by the philosophical tradition because of its irrational or unrationalizable character. Ethical formation, a developmental approach to moral philosophy developed by virtue theorist Sabina Lovibond and others, is a rationalizing approach to character formation which does not ignore or marginalize the affective area of human experience. But neither does it develop in significant detail a method to include emotional experience within its main aims. This thesis intends to eliminate this problem by showing how we can sensibly 'rationalize' our emotional experience without, as some more recent approaches have tended to do, over-rationalizing them. In order to do so, I will focus on Ronald de Sousa's account of emotional rationality and illustrate how his notion of 'paradigm scenarios' can help us to include the emotions within ethical formation. Paradigm scenarios enable us to develop emotional intentionality and, thereby, enable us to give our emotional experiences teleology---the minimal elements necessary for any rationality. In order to best illustrate that emotional experience can helpfully be included within the rational project of ethical formation I go on (in chapters two and three) to show how these paradigm scenarios are acquired and applied. In the end, the thesis stresses that neither project (de Sousa's emotional rationality or Lovibond's ethical formation) is complete without supplementation from the other. My specific focus on the emotions requires situation within a wider perspective just as Lovibond's broad perspective requires a finer-grained focus in order to appropriately value emotional experience.


identifier: Ricardo Andres, Garza Wicker  (2005) Manufacturing bodies : a (re)description of the undocumented sweatshop worker in the US.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis analyzes the discursive construction of the undocumented sweatshop worker in the mainstream US media. It is centered on the media coverage of a raid by US authorities on a sweatshop in El Monte, California in August, 1995, in which 72 undocumented workers were found under captivity and extreme working conditions. Based on a social-constructivist epistemology, this study (re)describes how the undocumented sweatshop worker is constituted, through language, as a subject and it analyzes the implications of such a construction in its social and political context. A selection of US newspaper articles---from the New York Times and the Washington Post---and the exhibition Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present, organized by the National Museum of American History, are qualitatively approached through Critical Discourse Analysis. Through such an analysis, this thesis problematizes the mainstream US media by (re)describing the dangers of portraying the immigrant sweatshop worker as an absent, alien and criminal subject; as a passive victim and a redeemed resident, and by not emphasizing the interconnectedness of the sweatshop phenomenon to the structural dynamics of global capitalism.


identifier: Bhowmick, Arun Shankar  (2005) Development of a dynamic shortest path algorithm and a traffic simulation model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Shortest path determination in a dynamic transportation network has been a real challenge where network traffic scenario changes continuously. The shortest path between any two nodes in the network depends not only on the travel time of links that constitutes the path but also on the time spent at the intersection which is a major part of the trip time. Existing algorithms found in the literature consider only the link travel time for the shortest path calculation between two nodes. A new algorithm is introduced in this study that calculates the dynamic minimum trip time path between two nodes by considering both link travel time and intersection turning delay. A macroscopic traffic simulator is developed to simulate vehicles that use the proposed algorithm to calculate the minimum trip time path. The trip time of guided vehicles which determine the travel path based on en-route traffic information is compared to the trip time of unguided vehicles which determine the travel path based on pre-trip traffic information. The guided vehicles are assumed to be a part of a decentralized traffic management system where onboard route guidance system allows the driver to calculate the minimum trip time path each time they cross an intersection. A part of Montréal city road network is also simulated to show the application of proposed path finding algorithm. From the results it is seen that for a long distance trip the amount of trip time savings is higher because the guided vehicles usually choose the path with less number of left turning delays.


identifier: Biswas, Amitava  (2005) A high performance real-time packet capturing architecture for network management systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In a network management system, software sensors (agents) collect system information and notify the central control system utilizing UDP/IP packets. When the network suffers a failure, the packet receiver encounters a flood of messages from a large number of agents. In such a situation, the receiver has to capture all these messages and process them in real-time. The thesis addresses this problem about how to design and develop a receiver that can capture large volume of packets while consuming minimum CPU resources. Linux network stack, contemporary related research work and some high capacity packet capturing solutions like NAPI and PFRING were studied to expose their limitations. Issues that limit the performance of these architectures have been identified and addressed in this thesis. Based on this analysis, a few design principles have been identified which can be applied to design and implement a high capacity, efficient packet capturing solution


identifier: Muslat, Ziyad  (2005) Heavy metals removal from oil sludge using ion exchange textiles.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this research, ion exchange textiles were used for the first time for the removal of heavy metals from oil sludge. The target metals which were tested for their removal are cadmium, vanadium, nickel, copper, zinc, and iron.  Ion exchange textiles were applied directly to oil sludge to assess the performance of ion exchange process in oil sludge without using a pre-treatment stage. Then, two different pre-treatments methods were developed to enhance ion exchange in oil sludge; first pretreatment method included pretreatment of oil sludge with organic solvent. The second pretreatment method used pretreatment with aqueous solution (solvent extraction) before applying ion exchange textiles.  Results showed that all metals responded positively to pre-treatment with acetone. Using this technique, vanadium was removed from oil sludge below detection limit; other metals such as cadmium, zinc, nickel, iron, and copper was removed at 99%, 96%, 94%, 92%, and 89% respectively.  The process developed by this work, provides a new economic technology for the treatment of oil sludge with regard to heavy metals removal


identifier: Bi, Rui  (2005) Squash ball simulation in OpenGL.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Squash ball simulation in OpenGL

abstract: In this thesis, we show how to construct a 3D model of a squash ball, analyze dynamics and impact force, and simulate the deformation of the ball in the real world. The goal of this project is to achieve a realistic behavior of a squash ball using physical calculations. Some algorithms, simulation results, user-interface design and future work are presented in this report.


identifier: Kambar, Sapargali  (2005) Generating synthetic data by morphing transformation for handwritten numeral recognition (with v-SVM).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The amount of training data is one of the critical factors affecting the performance of handwritten numeral recognition system. One way to increase the training data size is adding synthesized data. In this study, synthetic data generation using morphing transformation with convex evolution is investigated. This technique uses a pair of original samples as the source and the target, and generates the synthetic samples by evolving the source towards the target. We aim to balance the data distribution. Normally, the training data has poor distribution due to the data redundancy and sparseness caused by frequent and rare samples, respectively. In terms of data clusters, some clusters are small, some are large and filling the gap between these clusters with synthetic data should smooth the clusters. Using the Support Vector Machines method, the rare samples, also called support vectors, are determined. Then, the number of rare samples is increased using morphing transformation. Using this technique a recognition rate of 99.19% has been achieved, while the initial performance without morphing was 99.07%. Morphing transformation generated more representative synthetic samples, which cannot be obtained by the other data synthesis methods such as affine and elastic distortions.


identifier: Karabotsos, George  (2005) A modern Isabelle-based prover for VDM's logic of partial functions.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Specification and verification tools, often, employ theorem proving technology. This technology encompasses an underlying logic encoded in a theorem prover. VDM-LPF, first developed by Sten Agerholm and Jacob Frost in 1996, encodes VDM's Logic of Partial Functions (LPF) by extending the generic theorem prover Isabelle. Because of Isabelle's powerful syntax facilities, terms in this logic are written using a subset of the VDM-SL specification language. In this thesis we provide the reader with a detailed description of the steps we undertake to revive the VDM-LPF logic by upgrading it to the latest Isabelle version, namely Isabelle2005, and by using its latest Intelligible Semi-Automated Reasoning (Isar) theory syntax. We first provide a description of the Isabelle theorem prover, its generic design, and the unique facilities it provides for extending itself and developing new object-logics. We then explain in detail the original VDM-LPF system as developed for the Isabelle94-8. We describe all the necessary modifications that were needed to perform the upgrade. Finally, a number of proofs are performed, using the upgraded VDM-LPF system, that form a case-study.


identifier: Law, Ka Pong  (2005) Invite : a multi-protocol negotiation platform.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Existing electronic negotiation systems implement a single, fixed negotiation protocol. Therefore, their use is restricted to these types of negotiation problems and these kinds of interactions which had been assumed a priori by designers. Recent research focuses on software which can be configured to suit specific objectives of their designers and/or to match particular styles and approaches of the negotiators. Such software also allows studying the impact of different features of negotiation systems on the negotiation process and outcome. This thesis explores the design and implementation of Invite, a multi-protocol negotiation platform. The platform is a flexible and customizable e-negotiation software platform enabling negotiators to map negotiation activities to components and construct their own protocols by creating sequence of layout programs. It allows for multiple different negotiation protocols being run simultaneously under one system. A negotiation protocol is used to configure Invite resources and construct a negotiation engine. The Invite negotiation platform, two protocols, and two negotiation engines are presented in this document.