identifier: He, Zhongzhi Lawrence  (2002) Reformulated asset pricing models : theory and tests.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The dissertation consists of three essays that address both the theoretical and empirical aspects of characteristics-based asset pricing models.  In the first essay, we reformulate a characteristics-based model to demonstrate why firm characteristics explain cross-sectional expected returns. The model is based on an economic setting where the fully-rational group of investors adopts contrarian strategies against the quasi-rational group of investors. The key result is a parsimonious cross-sectional equation that is not only specified by the risk-return relationship, but is also determined by both market-wide and firm-specific adjustments. We offer consistent explanations for the behaviors of growth and value stocks, and also for the prominent cross-sectional patterns such as book-to-market, earnings-to-price, and size effects.  In the second essay, we reformulate an asset pricing model where liquidity is an endogenous determinant of expected returns. The key result is that a firm's expected return can be explained by three components: an interest rate term that includes a market-average expected liquidity, a market risk term determined by a weighted average consumption beta, and a firm-specific term determined by a linear deviation of the firm's expected liquidity from that of the market portfolio. We test various empirical implications derived from the theory and find that the expected liquidity effect and the size effect are significant, but the risk-return relationship is flat in the Canadian market.  In the third essay, we propose a characteristics-based asset-pricing model from an ex post perspective. We examine the widely used empirical procedure that groups stocks into portfolios by sorting firm characteristics, showing that the exhibited systematic patterns may be largely due to the way of forming portfolios. We design a new portfolio approach and perform robustness tests for the cross-sectional relationships between risk, liquidity, and returns using Canadian stock market data. We find a strong liquidity-return relationship and a significant risk-return relationship when conditioning on realized returns. Both the risk effect and the liquidity effect are highly robust across different portfolio formations.


identifier: Kunin, Daniel  (2001) Positive reinforcement and conditioned taste aversion induced by self-administered drugs : are they related?  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: The prevalence of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine place these substances among the most widely consumed in the world. Over the years studies have documented a strong positive relationship in the use of these drugs. Increasing attention within both the human and animal literature has been devoted to the study of the potential interactive effects between these recreational substances. The goal of this thesis was to examine the relationship between the positive reinforcing and conditioned taste aversion (CTA)-inducing properties of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, and in so doing, to further elucidate the nature of the relationship between the phenomena of positive reinforcement and conditioned taste aversion.  Experiments 1a-c and 2a-c showed that acetaldehyde, the putative reinforcing metabolite of ethanol may share common stimulus properties with nicotine and may also mediate the previously observed interaction between nicotine and ethanol in the preexposure CTA paradigm. Experiment 3 demonstrated that caffeine and nicotine shared common stimulus properties in the preexposure CTA procedure. Experiment 4 showed that mecamylamine, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, reversed the nicotine-induced attenuation of caffeine CTA and also blocked the formation of a caffeine-induced CTA. Experiments 5a and 5b demonstrated that caffeine facilitated the acquisition and maintenance of ethanol drinking in free feeding ethanol naïve animals. Experiments 5c and 5d revealed that the caffeine-induced elevation in ethanol drinking while unrelated to alteration in blood ethanol, might have been related to an increase in corticosterone. Experiments 6a-c showed that caffeine's facilitation of ethanol drinking might have resulted in an increase in the reinforcing efficacy of ethanol as reflected in CTA. Experiments 7a-c indicated that while locomotion responses to an inescapable novel environment appeared to be differentially related to the development of CTAs to amphetamine and morphine in rats it was unrelated to the expression of a LiCl induced CTA. Finally, the results of experiment 8 demonstrated a positive relationship between the amount of saccharin consumed orally and the expression of c-Fos -like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract suggesting that FLI may be more reactive to positive rather than aversive conditioning effects. Taken together, the studies reported here further shed light on the nature of the relationship between commonly co-used recreational substances and also support the hypothesis that the positively reinforcing and CTA inducing properties of self-administered drugs are indeed related and possibly governed by a shared neurobiological substrate.


identifier: Goodwin, Frances L. W  (2002) The role of taste in ethanol intake : studies on taste preferences and neural systems in several rat strains.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: High and low ethanol-drinking rodents show similar preferences for sweet solutions. Studies have suggested that sweet preference may be a reliable predictor of ethanol consumption in all rodents and, furthermore, that the sweet-ethanol relationship is mediated by a common biological mechanism. The present thesis investigated the role of taste preferences in ethanol intake in rats, to determine whether the relationship between ethanol and sweet intake was universal. Bitter and bittersweet solution intake were also compared with ethanol, based on research that rats find unflavoured ethanol to have a sweet and bitter taste. Fluid intake correlations among rat strains were examined following manipulation of the gabaergic, dopaminergic or opioidergic systems in order to reveal a common neural system mediating ethanol, sweet or bitter solution intake.  Experiments 1 and 2 showed that saccharin and ethanol intake were not related in four rat strains. However, ethanol intake was related to saccharin-quinine intake in those strains. Experiment 3 demonstrated that intake of dilute quinine differentiated Fawn-Hooded, Lewis and Wistar rats in a similar manner to ethanol intake, suggesting that taste preferences for bitter solutions, and not sweet solutions, were a more reliable predictor of ethanol intake.  Neither the GABA A agonist THIP, the dopamine D2/D3 antagonist raclopride nor the opioidergic antagonist naltrexone succeeded in altering ethanol, saccharin and quinine intake in a consistent manner in Experiment 4. Naltrexone was shown to have no effect on the intake of five flavoured fluids during continuous access drinking, but did attenuate all but quinine intake during limited access drinking. It was unclear whether the effects achieved during limited access were due to a change in palatability or some nonspecific drug effect (e.g., attenuation of locomotor activity).  Overall, the findings from the current experiments challenged the notion that sweet solution preference is associated with ethanol intake in all rats, and that the opioid system is mediating this relationship. Results showed that while fluid intake interrelationships varied among the four strains tested, ethanol intake was most closely associated with the intake of a bitter and a sweet-bitter solution. In addition, the fluid intake relationships did not appear to be mediated by the gabaergic, dopaminergic or opioidergic systems.


identifier: Carrière, Claire  (2002) Attentional control mechanisms and the measurement of switch costs : switching TO or switching FROM?  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: When people are required to switch from performing one task to another, response times are typically slower than when they are required to repeat the same task twice in succession. This switch cost remains even when the need to switch is predictable or advanced preparation is possible. The mechanisms underlying such switch costs were the focus of this research. Rogers and Monsell (1995), using the "alternating runs" paradigm which they devised, provided evidence favoring the idea that switch costs are due to mental preparation for the task being switched to , that is, to the task set reconfiguation required by the upcoming task. Wylie & Allport (2000, Experiment 1), using the alternating runs paradigm embedded in a special three stage research design, provided evidence favoring the idea that switch costs are due to the carry over of inhibition present in the task being switched away from , that is, to a form of task set inertia stemming from the trial just completed. These two sets of researchers drew different conclusions as to what underlies switch costs; it is possible, however, that their different outcomes were due to the fact that they used very different stimuli and tasks. In particular, Rogers and Monsell's task set reconfiguration result was obtained when the two tasks involved were very similar to one another in terms of overall difficulty and how automatically they could be executed. On the other hand, Allport and Wylie's task set inertia result was obtained when the two tasks involved were asymmetrical in terms of overall difficulty, and when one task could be executed more automatically than the other. The present research investigated whether such differences underlie these different outcomes. Experiment 1 used the three stage research design advocated by Allport and Wylie for differentiating whether switch costs are due to what one is switching from versus switching to , but with stimuli and tasks of the type used by Rogers and Monsell. Unlike what Allport and Wylie would have predicted, the results supported Rogers and Monsell's task set reconfiguration hypothesis (what matters is what one is switching to ). Experiment 2 repeated the previous experiment with one task being made more difficult than the other by involving an episodic rather than a semantic judgment. Again, support was found for the task set reconfiguration hypothesis. Experiment 3 again repeated the main design of the first experiment, but one task involved more automatic processing than the other. This time, support was found for the task set inertia hypothesis (what matters is what one is switching from ). The results are discussed in terms of how the complex processing attentional and memory demands of switching between tasks can determine whether task set reconfiguration or carryover of inhibition plays a significant role in determining switch costs.


identifier: Bonneville, Lucie  (2002) Depth of processing and the negative priming effect : age differences in inhibitory functioning.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The hypothesis that older adults have more difficulty than younger adults suppressing irrelevant information has been both supported and refuted by past research. The 'gold standard' for measuring inhibitory functioning is the negative priming paradigm. This study examined variables that might help explicate the contradictory findings from past research with this paradigm with the goal of understanding better the age changes in attentional processes. In Experiment 1, 31 young and 31 older adults were tested under three negative priming procedures, considered to require different depths of processing. Older adults did not show inhibition in the low processing procedure but did in the other two procedures while younger adults showed inhibition in all three tasks. The inhibition effect for older adults exceeded that for the young in the task requiring the deepest level of processing. In Experiment 2, 87 older adults, classified as Low, Mid or High in level of Off-target verbosity, believed to be associated with inhibitory deficits, were tested on the same tasks. As in Experiment 1, older adults did not show an inhibition effect in the low processing procedure but did show an effect in the other two procedures. In addition, the inhibition effect for those in the highest group was greater than for the other groups in the deepest processing task. In Experiment 3, 50 young adults and 49 older adults were administered a new negative priming procedure. Level of processing was manipulated in two ways. One manipulation resulted in equal inhibition effects for both age groups and the other resulted in a greater effect for older adults than for younger adults. The results from these experiments support the notion that depth of processing is related to the extent to which older adults will show an inhibitory effect and that requiring greater depths of processing may result in excess inhibition as opposed to a reduction in inhibition. Discussions include an attempt to integrate both the inhibition and the episodic retrieval models. Recommendations include a need for a reevaluation of the negative priming paradigm and for examining the association between different brain functions and different inhibitory functions.


identifier: Arnold, Sharon Lynne  (2002) Maternal tactile-gestural stimulation and infants' nonverbal behaviors during early mother-infant face-to-face interactions : contextual, age, and birth status effects.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The preverbal period of infancy is characterized by the absence of receptive and expressive verbal communication and substantial reliance on nonverbal forms of communication. Although nonverbal behavior is believed to be particularly salient to infants during early infancy, little is known about the nonverbal strategies that mothers employ when attempting to influence their infants' behavior or state of arousal, or about infants' nonverbal behavioral reactions to such stimulation. The two studies comprising this dissertation aimed to examine contextual, developmental, and birth status effects on the expressions of maternal and infant nonverbal behavior. In Study 1, maternal tactile-gestural stimulation and infants' gaze and affect were assessed during four brief interaction periods. Contextual variations to the interaction were introduced by: (a) providing different instructions to mothers on the behavior/state to elicit from their infants, and (b) varying the method by which mothers attempted to accomplish these goals (uni-modal touch only vs. multi-modal). Two within modality comparisons were conducted to evaluate whether the instructions to mothers to modify their infants' behavior/state of arousal actually influenced mothers' tactile-gestural behavior and infants' gaze and affect. A subsequent comparison between the uni-modal and multi-modal groups was then conducted to specifically examine whether, and in what way, mothers' and infants' nonverbal behaviors differed when these identical instructions were attempted in different ways. Within each of these comparisons, developmental differences were assessed by examining infants at 3�$1�


identifier: Abizaid, Alfonso  (2002) Food restriction attenuates the hormonal and neuronal responses to the positive feedback effects of estradiol to prolong lactational diestrus in rats.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Food restriction prolongs lactational infertility in rats. The experiments presented in this thesis were done to investigate the possibility that this effect is due to an attenuated response to the positive feedback effects of estradiol (E2) that stimulate the surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) release. Furthermore, the hypothesis that the hypothalamus is one site affected by food restriction in attenuating E2 induced LH surges was examined. The first series of experiments examined the ability of E2 to induce LH surges in both ad lib fed and food restricted dams at different times of lactation. Results were that on day 20 postpartum (pp) ad lib fed dams showed LH surges after E2 treatment, but food restricted dams did not. Ovariectomy (OVX) or RU486 treatment restored the ability of E2 to induce LH surges in food restricted dams, and chronic progesterone (P) reduced E2-induced LH surges in ad lib fed OVX dams. The second series of experiments showed that food restricted dams had less Fos-like immunoreactive (FOS-ir) cells in the anteroventral preoptic area (AVPV) than ad lib fed dams on day 20 pp. These effects were reflected in a reduced ability of E2 to induce P receptor (PR) immunoreactivity, but not in the number of E2 receptors (ERÌ) in the AVPV. As with the LH surge, the effects of food restriction on E2 induction of PRs were mediated by P. Results suggest that the lactational diestrus is prolonged by a decrease in sensitivity to E2 in the AVPV, and this effect is mediated by the high levels of P in food restricted dams.


identifier: Zhang, Zhongxi  (2002) Electronic correlations in quantum wires subjected to strong magnetic fields : dependence on the filling factor.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Electron-electron interactions and their effects on Landau levels in quantum wires (QWs), subjected to strong perpendicular and parallel magnetic fields, are discussed. For QWs in strong perpendicular magnetic fields, with integral filling factor (p = 1, 2, and 3), the screened Coulomb interactions are assessed by solving the integral equations for the screened potential, both analytically and numerically. Correlation energy strongly smoothens the energy dispersion in the vicinity of the Fermi level. The exchange-correlation contribution [Special characters omitted.] to the Fermi-edge group velocity v g ( k F ) is proved to be nonsingular. The energy dispersion, obtained in the local density approximation (LDA), is in line with the observed strong suppression of the spin splitting (p = 1, 3) and helps in explaining the observed destruction or absence of some quantum Hall states. For QWs in strong parallel magnetic fields, with only the lowest LL occupied, the many-body corrections have a stronger effect on the spin-splitting than in the case of perpendicular magnetic fields.


identifier: Vu, Ngoc-Thanh  (2002) A Monte Carlo study of carbon monoxide layers adsorbed on ionic crystals : structures and phase transition.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The adsorption of CO on NaCl(100) at monolayer, submonolayer and multilayer coverages, and on LiF(100) at monolayer coverage were studied. The Metropolis Monte Carlo method was used to study the structures of the overlayers and to characterize the phase transitions. The simulations were performed in the temperature range from 1K to 75K.  At low temperature and monolayer coverage, both of these systems form ordered phases that become disordered as the temperature is increased. For the CO/NaCl system the estimated transition temperature is between 32K and 35K whereas for CO/LiF a temperature between 40K to 45K is estimated. Below the transition temperatures, both systems have an ordered p(2x1) type structure due to correlated azimuthal orientations. The ordered phases have two molecules per unit cell connected by a glide plane. In the CO/NaCl case the projections of the molecular axes upon the surface are antiparallel. We find that in monolayer of CO/NaCl the molecules are tilted by about 27Å whereas larger tilt angle (k V 44Å) is observed in a monolayer CO/LiF. At high temperatures, both systems undergo a phase transition to an azimuthally disordered p(1x1) phase, i.e. one with no preferred orientation in the surface plane. Yet on average, the molecular axes remain tilted with the surface normal. Evidence for a continuous order-disorder phase transition is found in the form of a characteristic divergence of the heat capacity and susceptibility within the estimated transition temperature range.  Coverages of less than a monolayer of the CO/NaCl system have also been studied. The CO molecules are found to aggregate and form islands with an ordered structure in the middle of the islands. Apparently, these islands also undergo an order-disorder transition but at lower temperatures. At high temperatures, gas-solid coexistence in two dimensions is also observed.  Simulations of adsorption of multilayer systems are found to destabilize the p(2x1) phase of the bottom layer in favour of a p(1x1) structure with the upper layers adopting the correct orientational ordering of the bulk solid Ì-CO. Nonetheless, the molecules fail to form a correct head-to-tail ordering as in the bulk structure. Preliminary results show that the ability to adopt the correct bulk structure depends upon the number of the layers present in the system. The more layers the system has the better chance the system has to adopt the correct head-to-tail ordering.


identifier: Jovanovic, Stefan  (2002) Virtual moments : social and spatial histories re-imagined in a video installation by Stan Douglas.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study focuses on a single work within the oeuvre of the Canadian artist Stan Douglas, the two-channel video installation Win, Place or Show (1998). This piece is constructed as an infinitely-looping counterfactual narrative, set in a modernist social-housing unit in late-1960s Vancouver that was never in fact built. Two dockworkers inhabiting a cramped one-bedroom unit in this imaginary setting repeatedly argue, fight and reconcile, while our view of this action--filmed from twelve different camera angles--is randomized by a computer in real time as the story unfolds and repeats. My study will consider this work within a twofold problematic; firstly, the themes and strategies that form the work's conceptual basis will be examined and situated within an art-historical context, with respect to their correspondences within the whole of Douglas's body of work and the broader context of Vancouver-based photo-conceptual practices over the past several decades. Subsequently, the work will be analyzed within a range of theories respecting the concepts of space, time and their relation to the construction of narrative and visual culture, and by extension, to the production of everyday consciousness.


identifier: Veltman, Heather M  (2002) Alternative art education : a feminist teaching experiment with college students.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is based primarily on a teaching experiment with college students ranging in age between seventeen and twenty three years old. The course, entitled "Women's Perspectives in Drawing: the Self Portrait," was taught in an alternative humanistic program at Dawson College's New School, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Over the fifteen week semester, the students were introduced to women artists, issues related to the representation of women in art history and drawing and painting techniques.  Although the curriculum was carefully designed to create an open learning atmosphere inspired from feminist pedagogy, student resistance was an overarching issue that permeated each class. Resistance to feminism, and resistance in general, were due to student age-group, the 'alternative' culture of the New School, and stereotypical ideas about art being 'an easy credit'. Points of contention were related to power struggles over shared grading, coming to class on-time and outright refusal to do coursework. While the process was disheartening at times, accrued self-confidence in art-making skills allowed students to open up to new information and to feminism. Thus, the initial goal of reconsidering stereotypes about women was achieved.  These challenges led the author to theorize hypotheses about more successful conditions for a course on women in the arts. It appeared that a studio setting (with easels and a sink) in combination with participant's more mature age-group and required knowledge of either art or feminism would create a more conducive atmosphere for discussion and art-making. The operational implications of these suppositions resulted in a second workshop entitled "Women's Body Image Art Workshop." This class was tested out with successful results at Concordia University in March 2002. Each participant discussed stereotypes with enthusiasm, did auto-biographical artwork related to the theme woman/self and expressed a high level of satisfaction in the overall experience.


identifier: Tang, Yihui  (2002) Performance analysis of channel assignment algorithms in cellular networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Efficient allocation of radio spectrum becomes increasingly important as the demand for wireless communication has been growing rapidly over the past two decades. Several channel assignment algorithms for increasing channel utilization have been studied. In Fixed Channel Assignment (FCA), channels are permanently allocated to each cell for its exclusive use, whereas in Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) the channels are put in a shared pool and dynamically assigned upon request. One example of a DCA scheme is the so-called greedy strategy , where all the channels are kept in a central ordered list and every node uses the first channels which are available. In Fixed Preference Assignment (FPA), each cell has a fixed preference list of all channels and the first available channel in the list will be used to serve an incoming call. In this thesis, we show upper bounds and lower bounds for the competitive ratios of the greedy and FPA strategies for different values of reuse distance. The average case performance analysis of these three schemes is also conducted using computer simulation.


identifier: Huo, Yuhua  (2002) A heat exchanger by using MFRD transfer heat from a heat source to a heat sink.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The dimensional and dimensionless model formulating the melting and freezing processes in the melting and freezing rotating device (MFRD) are presented. The heat transfer process between the two concentric cylinders with D/r o < 0.01 may be considered as that between two parallel plates with a distance of D between them. The theoretical analysis about solidification or melting of a slab at a constant boundary temperature, which is greater or lower than the melting point, is conducted. The theoretical and numerical analysis of the Quasi-Steady state with the moving phase boundaries of the melting and freezing processes in the dimensionless system are performed. Moreover, the properties in MFRD are analyzed. The use of MFRD in the aerospace is discussed.


identifier: Zheng, Qun  (2002) Simulation of adaptive circular array for CDMA systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we study the performance of adaptive Uniformly Spaced Circular Array (UCA) and Uniformly Spaced Linear Array (ULA) utilized in the base station of CDMA systems. In these systems, the desired signal becomes much stronger than the interference signals after chip correlation by a factor of the processing gain. Further, simple blind algorithms and the real-time implementation can be applied to improve bit error rate in various interference scenario. The performance of several algorithms is compared in AWGN channel, Rayleigh Flat Fading channel, and Frequency Selective Fading channel considering angle spread, phase errors and mobile tracking. In wireless communications, propagation effects of the transmitted signals result in delay spread, angle spread, Doppler spread and multipath in mobile radio channel. Different antenna array geometries may cause different responses to the received signals. Our study shows that the UCA is less sensitive to the angle spread than the ULA does, consequently the UCA exhibits better performance than the ULA in the multipath environment with angle spread, which is almost certainly the case in the uplink of CDMA communication systems.


identifier: Zhang, Hui  (2002) Alternative code acquisition methods for WCDMA systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In a CDMA cellular system, the process of the mobile station searching for a cell and achieving code and time synchronization to its downlink scrambling code is referred to as cell search. In WCDMA, the cell search is divided into five acquisition stages: slot synchronization, frame synchronization and scrambling code group identification, scrambling code identification, frequency acquisition, and cell identification. A pipelined process of the first three stages minimizes the average code and acquisition time. This report presents algorithms and results for serial search and pipeline search. The acquisition times in different cases are compared. We present six policies. A simulation testbed is used to compare the performance of the six algorithms. It is shown from the simulation results that system performance is greatly improved by using modified cell search. Our WCDMA algorithms is shown to outperform the other algorithms in all of the test situations considered (e.g., AWGN channel, four types of fading channels). In addition, our algorithm requires less time to get code acquisition than the other algorithms.


identifier: Wang, Yuan Dong  (2002) The effects of I/Q imbalance of the performances of QPSK in uncoded and coded schemes : imbalance detection and compensation techniques.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Analogue implementations of quadrature modulation circuits are usually imperfect and suffer from several impairments. Among these impairments, the amplitude imbalance and phase imbalance are the major source of signal distortions especially for direct conversion schemes. The imperfection contributes to the distortion of signal constellation and spurious tones at the transmitter, and also affects the steady state lock point at the receiver. The imperfect rendered from such a quadrature modulation scheme inevitably degrades the system performance.  In this thesis, two kinds of mathematic models are proposed. One of them is an equivalent baseband matrix model. Another is a modulated signal mathematic model. Base on our research, a least square estimation method is adapted at the transmitter by means of amplitude of modulated signal, and a compensation method is achieved backward in baseband before the quadrature modulator. At the receiver, maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is used to detect the imbalances from the transmitter and receiver. A compensation method reaches the solution of compensation at the receiver. We also prove the efficient algorithms by the simulation result.  Channel coding technologies can be a general error correction technology. With Viterbi decoder algorithm and Turbo code, the simulations for the imbalance effect on the performance of the system have been done. These simulation results show that Turbo code as well as Viterbi decoding has powerful correction ability to the I/Q imbalances


identifier: Abdou, Jamal  (2002) The design and implementation of a C-band dual-transistor power amplifier.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Power amplifiers are at the heart of any high frequency communications network. Increasing the output power of amplifiers is conventionally carried out through 90-degree hybrids at frequencies above 3GHz and through 180-degree hybrids at lower frequencies. In this thesis, we go through the design, simulation, and prototype building and testing phases of a C-band, 47dBm solid-state microwave power amplifier and investigate its performance using the two types of hybrids. The device used is a Fujitsu device consisting of two independent transistors; each has a 10dB linear gain and a saturated output power of 44dBm. Three simulation packages were used in the design phase, ADS, a product of Hewlett-Packard, Zeland, a product of Zeland Software Inc, and Sonnet b, a product of Sonnet Software Inc. The results of tests revealed that, when a 180-degree hybrid was used, the amplifier exhibited better performance in terms of output power, power-added efficiency, and inter-modulation distortion. However, the amplifier utilizing a 90-degree hybrid exhibited better return loss results. The design, simulation, and testing of the amplifier were carried out at Fujitsu FCSI under the guidance and appreciated help of the applications lab engineering team.


identifier: Wang, Hui  (2002) Response of a PVC lignin blended building material to fungi attack.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) products are susceptible to biological attack. To study this problem, lignin was considered as a material in blend with PVC. Lignin is a renewable, naturally occurring compound and is obtained as a by-product of pulping processes. At present, extensive research has been performed to explore the utilization of lignin. This research studies the feasibility of partially replacing a copolymer of vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate (VC-VAc) by lignin in flooring formulations and evaluates the effects of lignin on the resistance of these formulations to fungi attack. The lignin utilized in the study was an organosolv lignin-Alcell lignin.  To accomplish the objectives, a series of PVC controls and PVC-lignin blends with various plasticizers were inoculated with fungi. After a 28-day incubation, the changes in chemical structure were analyzed by Fourie Transform Infrared (ATR/FTIR) spectroscopy. Optical stereomicroscopy and optical microscopy were employed to observe the changes at the surface.  This research is the original assessment of the resistances of PVC-lignin blends to biodegradation. After a series of experiments, it was found that all fungi species grew on every composite and showed similar abilities of growth. PVC and PVC-lignin blends are susceptive to fungi attack and plasticizers are the main targets of fungi attack; the susceptibility of the plasticizers to biodegradation in descendent order is: Di-ethylene glycol di-benzoate ( Benzoflex 2-45 ) > Alchil sulphonate ( Mesamoll ) > Di-octyl phthalate ( DOP ) > Tricresyl phospate ( Lindol ).  Lindol is the most suitable plasticizer for the formulation of PVC-lignin flooring; Alcell lignin is biodegradable; the presence of Alcell lignin in the complex interactive system PVC-lignin-additives increases the biodegradability of polymeric materials.


identifier: Esmaeily, Ali  (2002) Dewatering, metal removal, pathogen elimination, and organic matter reduction in biosolids using electrokinetic phenomena.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) produce sludge that contains around 5% of solids. Sludge requires further treatment before final disposal, which is limited because of the contents of heavy metals, nutrients, and some pathogens. A solution for more efficient biosolids management is urgent. The main objective of this study is revitalization of biosolids focussing on dewatering, metals and organic matter reduction as well as pathogen destruction to reduce the hazard associated with disposal or reuse. Subsequently a new cost-effective method combining all processes into one technology is investigated. The feasibility of using electrokinetic processes was evaluated out at lab scale. Six cells were filled up with biosolids from the WWTP in Laval (Quebec). Di-ammonium-phosphate was added to two cells. The DC power supply was connected to 5 cells (one cell was left without connection as a control cell) and the desirable potential gradients were set up at 0.5 V/cm, 1.0 V/cm, and 1.5 V/cm in respective cells. During 10 days of experiment, electrical parameters were measured and water was collected from the cathode area. At the end of the experiment, the biosoilds were subjected to physico-chemical analysis. No fecal coliforms were observed in cells with fertilizer. Results showed the capability of dewatering by 95%. The highest solids content was achieved in the cell with the highest voltage in the presence of fertilizer. The removal of organic matter reached 47%. The experiment showed the best removal for lead (below detection limit). The transport of other metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, and Fe) was also observed. For the optimal removal condition, which is in the cell with potential 1.5 V/cm in the presence of fertilizer, the consumption of energy was 220 kW.h/m 3 of biosolids or $6.62/m 3 of biosolids.


identifier: Kassab, Mohamed  (2002) Improving the energy performance of houses in Montreal using the life-cycle analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study presents tools to select the optimum solutions recommended for the design of energy-efficient house in Montreal, Canada. The computer model of the base case house was developed using BLAST program and using on-site measurements such as air leakage based on blower door test, short-term monitoring of indoor air temperature and electricity consumption derived from utility bills. Several design alternatives have been developed using both parametric and non-parametric approaches.  The developed design alternatives included: (i) the modifications of the characteristics of building envelope, (ii) the modifications of the architectural design and (iii) the building operating conditions. The energy performance of selected design alternatives was evaluated using the calibrated model of base case and BLAST program. Results show that although the base case house is already energy efficient, there is still potential to improve its energy performance via developing the design tools of the house.  The concept of energy efficiency includes more than the total energy consumption. The performance of the selected alternatives has been evaluated by using the multi-attribute life-cycle analysis. Three objective functions were used in the life-cycle analysis: (1) the total energy consumption, including the embodied energy and the operating energy; (2) the life-cycle cost, including the initial and the energy operating costs and (3) the environmental impacts, evaluated by using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) index, which is calculated in terms of equivalent CO 2 emissions.  A database of design alternatives and related life-cycle performance has been developed in this study. A Decision Support System based on previous database for evaluating the design alternatives has been established to select the best set of alternatives during the energy-efficient design of low-residential buildings in Canada.


identifier: Jeong, Young-Chae  (2002) Modeling of a hybrid-ventilated building : "Grong school".  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis reports the results of computer simulation of a hybrid-ventilated building using ESP-r (Environmental Systems Performance for research). A newly constructed school building in Norway was used for this simulation study. The research attempted to verify the use of ESP-r for the simulation of a real building that utilizes hybrid ventilation technologies. The simulations and their analysis focus on the building's thermal interactions and ventilation performance.  The model building has been simulated in three different categories of ESP-r: "building thermal simulation", "airflow simulation", and "building + airflow integrated simulation". Measured weather data were used to define the outdoor conditions of the building. It covers a representative heating period and constitutes of time-series of minutely measured values of air temperature, solar radiations, wind speed, and wind direction. In addition, for validation purpose some measured parameters of indoor environment, such as room temperature, were compared to predicted values by ESP-r.  This thesis concludes that modeling of hybrid ventilation systems is now possible by ESP-r's integral approach and the resultant outputs are feasible and practical in terms of both thermal and ventilation point of view, but at the same time limitations do exist when it attempts to model really complicated building systems or to model CO 2 based control systems.


identifier: El-Moslmani, Khalil  (2002) Fleet selection for earthmoving operations using queueing method.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research concentrates on presenting a methodology for equipment fleet selection for earthmoving operations. The methodology is incorporated in a developed computer module " FLSELECTOR ", Fleet SELECTOR, capable of assisting the users in making management decisions required for earthmoving operations, such as determining the size and number of trucks and excavators, haul road lengths and surface conditions, etc.... These decisions are based on the calculated output for all feasible fleets.  Mathematical solutions of queuing models that apply to excavation work were derived and coded using commercially available tools, Microsoft Excel 2000 and Visual Basic for Application (VBA), a subset of the popular application development language, Visual Basic.  Two case studies, an actual project and a hypothetical case, are presented in order to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed model with a comparison of the results with deterministic and simulation methods.


identifier: Kaye, Anne  (2002) Reflections on teaching strategies for integrating technology based activities in art curriculum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study explores the role of technological tools in the art classroom and how they may be integrated into the art curriculum. In order to study both the role of the educator in the integration of technology with traditional media, and the response students have to technology-based art, two computer art projects were developed and implemented with groups of grade six students. The teacher's role is examined by investigating obstacles for the use of technology in the art curriculum and the ways in which the computer's tools can be used by the art educator to promote creative activity. Student class behaviours are studied to assess responses to technology-based art making. Conclusions are based on observations of the participants' actions, an interview with an art educator and the results of the projects.


identifier: Gumpert, Andrea  (2002) Beyond the mask : a contextual model for educational programming with cultural objects in the art museum.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is structured by the reflexive conditions of action-research methodology and constructs an argument that advocates the implementation of a contextual approach to examining cultural objects in the art museum with a view to improving educational practice. A theoretical model intended for practical application is proposed, implemented and assessed in a small education project to offer the reader some practical applications and insight into engaging viewers in education programs with the art and cultural objects they experience in the art museum. What I suggest with this model is that this type of learning engages the viewer's personal experience and enhances her/his ability to contemplate the different aesthetic frameworks from which the objects come. The contextual analysis of works in the museum encourages the viewer to relate this learning to the human situation of which she/he is a part, ultimately fostering tolerance and creativity.


identifier: Goodacre, Gary  (2002) The role of dialogue in facilitating gallery visitors to interpret artworks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study explores how dialogue, guided by an educator, helped gallery visitors to formulate and express their own views, integrate the viewpoints of others and recognize their own role in determining the meanings of artworks. Engaging in naturalistic, qualitative research, the researcher designed a gallery visit, based on a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, was delivered on two separate occasions to two small groups of adults with very little experience visiting art galleries. The participants' verbal responses were recorded and transcribed to create a record of the dialogue in which they engaged. The transcripts were subsequently analysed. Some of the findings were that, as a result of the dialogue in which they engaged, research participants heard and attended to their own thoughts, emotions and questions; as well, research participants spent a significant amount of time responding to the works of art on display and sharing their reactions and viewpoints with each other; sharing through dialogue enabled research participants to fund each other with information from their lived experience which helped group members to construct thoughtful interpretations of the artworks.


identifier: Fang, Li  (2002) Teaching report on the multicultural art education and teaching styles at Camp White Pine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This report describes and analyzes an art educational event that took place in the summer of 2001 at Camp White Pine. This event was a Chinese New Year Festival, along with its related workshops and preparations. My analysis focuses on two themes: (a) how this event is an example of multicultural art education; and (b) how the teaching practices used by myself and other staff exemplify certain theoretical models of art teaching method. From this analysis, I offer my own assessment of the positive and negative aspects of this kind of multicultural art education event, and brought out the question: How can we art educators avoid a shallow and unilateral understanding of Chinese culture? As part of the staff, this experience also offered me the chance to observe the staff practicing various teaching styles and methods by using models of teaching methods from the art education literature.


identifier: Song, Xingguo  (2002) Specification and validation of the common signalling transport protocol in SDL.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The Resource reSerVation Protocol (RSVP) version 1 is the dominant Internet protocol for signaling Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. It has been extended for use in a wide variety of Internet signaling applications, such as traffic engineering and label distribution. However, the multiple features of the extended RSVP increase its complexity, and interactions among the features could cause confusion. In addition, due to the constraints of the original architecture, it is difficult to specify requirements for new Internet applications, such as mobile IP.  The Internet Engineering Task Force has mandated discussion of a new Internet Signaling Protocol Suite (ISPS). One proposal coming from this discussion is the Internet Draft "A Two-level Architecture for Internet Signaling". It proposes a Common Signaling Transport Protocol (CSTP), concentrating on state management and reliable data delivery, coupled with separate Application Layer Signaling Protocols, which implement the features of individual signaling applications.  Starting from the English specification of CSTP in the Internet Draft, a specification of CSTP has been written in the formal specification language SDL, and validated for several scenarios, which were based on the typical operation of RSVP version 1. Several errors have been found in the original specification, and solutions to these problems have been proposed.


identifier: Okwuobi, Azubuike E  (2002) Curve veering and a parametric study of stiction in capacitive microelectromechanical systems subjected to electrostatic and Casimir forces.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Curve veering is a phenomenon in which the plot of eigenvalues of a system against a system parameter sometimes results in curves that abruptly veer away from each other in a rapid but continuous manner at points where they are expected to intersect. For certain modes of vibration, the natural frequencies of rectangular plate structures obtained from an exact analysis are expected to intersect. However, approximate analysis would invariably indicate such curves veering away at those points. Occurrence of curve veering indicates the extent of approximation involved and hence it is important to understand this phenomenon from a design perspective. Any error will introduce errors in the response calculations and will result in poor design. In view of their small dimensions such approximations are critical in the estimation of natural frequencies of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This phenomenon is investigated for such systems subjected to electrostatic forces and assuming the existence of the Casimir forces. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Yin, Bo  (2002) Trellis decoding of 3-D block turbo codes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Forward Error Correction (FEC) technique provides a method to detect and correct errors in transmitted data. It is also a valuable technique to reduce the power requirement, thus have an important role in these systems. This reduction in power requirement is achieved at the expense of an increase in bandwidth requirement. The objective is usually to find error control techniques that give good tradeoff between power and bandwidth requirements. In this thesis, we present results for FEC technique using Turbo Block Codes and Turbo Product Codes. It is shown that these codes, not only in theory but also in hardware implementation, are capable of providing significant performance gains over other error-correction schemes.  This thesis investigates Trellis based iterative decoding techniques applied to concatenated coding schemes, Turbo Block Codes. We use RM( n, k ) to construct 2-D and multi-dimensional Turbo Block Codes. Our objective is to get high code rates and long block sizes for more bandwidth efficiency and improving the performance of the optimised maximum a posterior decoding algorithm


identifier: Girard, Guillaume  (2002) Shielding effectiveness estimation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Shielding effectiveness estimation

abstract: The application of SE estimation methods for small enclosures is the main subject of this thesis. Three Shielding Effectiveness estimation methods are presented; Empirical, Experimental and Numerical Simulation. SE estimates have been compared with SE measurements showing close correlations between the numerical simulation and the experimental results. It has been proved that the SE of an empty enclosure, compared with that of an enclosure containing a printed circuit board, differs due to volume change, herein Q variation. Conclusions are formulated in terms of further works to be accomplished in order to determine better measurement and simulation models for Shielding Effectiveness estimates.


identifier: Elalamy, Moulay-Ziyad  (2002) Modelling of anisotropic etching of silicon in tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide : anomalies due to facet boundary effects.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Anisotropic etching of silicon is one of the fundamental techniques for the fabrication of micromachined structures such as microsensors and microactuators. Although the technique is used extensively in industry, the fundamentals of the atomic etching mechanism are still not well understood.  This work addresses the modelling aspect of anisotropic etching of silicon and begins with an idealized model in which the etch behaviour depends only on the crystal features presented to the etchant. New experiments on Sin and Sid at 25wt.% and 19wt.% TMAH using wagon-wheel etching masks, specially designed for the scope of this thesis, enable the extension of the idealized model by addressing certain anomalies observed in the variation of the resulting structures as a function of etch time (1) As anomalies, it is found that same crystal planes in the same etchant often exhibit different etch rates. Moreover, for certain specific mask-edge positions, these etch rates are found to vary substantially with time, modifying under-etch profiles and surface roughness. (2) As to explain these anomalies, models of interactions at the boundaries between adjacent facets are developed.


identifier: Chen, Dong Hui  (2002) Adaptive FEC/ARQ schemes for stream media multicast over the internet.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A growing number of network applications require the use of a reliable multicast protocol to send stream media from a source to a potentially large number of receivers. This work introduces a new technique that integrates word Interleaving, Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) to increase reliability. Our laboratory work showed the practical feasibility of a software implementation of the hybrid FEC/ARQ and interleaving scheme. We also present a comparative performance analysis of the hybrid FEC/ARQ scheme and the ARQ only scheme and show the influence of varying sending rates, group sizes, and packet loss probabilities. We evaluate the performance of our hybrid FEC/ARQ scheme and adapt redundancy factor to cope with a high loss rate and large-scale receivers. We demonstrate how appropriate amount of redundancy combined with coding decreases the bandwidth overhead, eliminates NAK implosion, reduces the residual error rate, and helps to meet real-time guarantees.


identifier: Yan, Hongwei  (2002) Reduction of air intake contamination in high-rise residential buildings in an urban environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The re-ingestion of toxic or odorous gases exhausted from rooftop stacks of a building may be a cause of indoor air quality problems of the same or an adjacent building. Although many experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the dispersion of exhaust from low-rise buildings, relatively little work has been conducted for high-rise buildings.  The present study examines the dispersion of pollutants from rooftop stacks on high-rise buildings and their effect on adjacent buildings. The water flume of the Building Aerodynamics Laboratory (BAL) has been used to carry out flow visualization experiments to identify building configurations that may produce exhaust re-ingestion. Results from the water flume were verified in the boundary layer wind tunnel of the BAL using the tracer gas technique. General flow patterns are discussed in terms of dilution contours. Thirteen empirical equations of the minimum dilution variation with different building configurations have been derived based on a significant amount of experimental data. The effects of various factors are investigated. The dilution measurement results are compared with prediction from ASHRAE dilution model and those from other recent similar studies.  It was found that the distance of stack to wall inlet and the exhaust momentum ratio affect the exhaust dilution dramatically. However, the stack location does not make any significant difference on dilution within the wake cavity zone with the same stack distance. Higher stack provides higher wall dilution. The gap between emitting and adjacent buildings affects the distribution of dilution, but it does not affect the value of the minimum dilution


identifier: Khalil, Antoine  (2002) Application of sieve methods to factorization and the discrete logarithm problem.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Factoring large numbers and computing discrete logarithms are presumed to be hard problems. No polynomial time solution for those problem has yet been found. Those problems have many significant applications, particularly in cryptography. Several cryptosystems base their security on their supposed difficulty. In this thesis we present some of the algorithms to solve these two problems. We mainly explore sieving as a tool for that purpose. Among other material we describe the Quadratic Sieve and the Number Field Sieve as they apply to factoring. We finally sketch how the Number Field Sieve can be applied to compute discrete logarithms.


identifier: Marszalek, Malgorzata A  (2002) Proximate factors influencing the spatial distribution of a high altitude copepod : Hesperodiaptomus shoshone.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Spatial distribution shapes almost every aspect of the ecology of populations. Even though the importance of spatial distribution to the ecology of zooplankton is established, little is known about the factors that generate and maintain these aggregations (Megard et al . 1997). The role that environmental variables, specifically light intensity, and pond substrate coloration play on the formation and maintenance of aggregations was investigated in the freshwater calanoid Hesperodiaptomus shoshone . The spatial distribution of H. shoshone was determined using traditional methods (i.e. the Morisita's index of dispersion) and spatial methods--trend analyses and autocorrelations--with the aim of clarifying distribution dynamics during a 24hr point interval sampling period. Copepods were found to be aggregated through the day and night with the highest aggregation levels at midday. Spatial patterns were not consistent either between the two ponds studied or between sampling times of the day. Partial regression analyses were used to identify the relative contribution of environmental and spatial factors structuring H. shoshone spatial distributions. Although the results were not consistent between the two ponds, light intensity and proximity to logs were two proximate factors influencing the observed copepod heterogeneity. Furthermore results showed that background colours of pond substrate were found to influence the aggregation behaviour of copepods in the water column.


identifier: Lyness, Lynda Ann  (2002) Ex aequo et bono / In justice and fairness / En équité : gender, international human rights, & Canadian public policy in the third phase.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The main objective of this research is to examine feminist critiques of international human rights law particularly in light of the December 2001 report by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights entitled "Promises to Keep: Implementing Canada's Human Rights Obligations." This report acknowledges the discrepancy between Canada's international human rights commitments and the actual implementation of measures to ensure observance of these obligations and sets the stage for the 'third phase' of human rights. At issue in this 'third phase' is how to actually implement international human rights law in a comprehensive and systematic way that ensures a 'human rights' perspective in public policies, programs and legislation. At issue in international human rights law is the use of 'gender neutral' language and values and assumptions that reinforce gender inequalities. This in effect means that the gendered character of economic, social and political relations from which public policy emerges, is for the most part, not a consideration. In addition, most public servants, policy experts and many parliamentarians, still believe that public policy is 'gender neutral'. This thesis challenges the concept of 'gender-neutrality' and reminds parliamentarians and policy-makers that human rights that do not include women are not human and this should not be forgotten or left unsaid in any future recommendations and actions aimed at effectively implementing both Canada's commitments to international human rights law and the Federal Plan for Gender Equality.


identifier: Jetté, Daniel A  (2002) On the outside looking in : opening the door to indigenous knowledge contributions to Aboriginal governance in Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this study an attempt is made to show how the historical exclusion of Indigenous knowledge (IK) from the policy deliberation process in Canada has had a detrimental impact on Aboriginal peoples in Canada. A definition of the IK paradigm including sources and characteristics is developed, and the nature of the relationship between the marginalized IK paradigm and the dominant European scientific paradigm is examined. A review of the history of Aboriginal peoples in Canada shows how IK came to be marginalized by colonial and Canadian governments, and analyzes how marginalization has contributed to poor social conditions in Aboriginal communities, as well as the deterioration of the governance relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the government of Canada. An argument is developed for the reincorporation of IK into the policy process through the negotiation and implementation of Aboriginal self-government, and evidence is presented showing how self-government would be a more desirable and effective approach to encouraging IK inclusion than reforms to existing consultative and representative institutions.


identifier: Fortin, Robert A. S  (2002) Commonwealth : James Harrington's legacy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis represents an attempt to comprehend what is implied by or included in the idea of commonwealth. The principal authority on this subject is taken to be James Harrington, author of The Commonwealth of Oceana [1656]. But Harrington's political thinking drew upon the political experiences of other times and places: Athens, Rome, and Florence. We will consider the various insights Harrington took from his reading and his travels: civic virtue, an agrarian law, mixed government, checks and balances, tolerance. An attempt will be made to complement Harrington's political ideas by linking them with a theory of political judgment analogous to Aesthetic and Teleological judgment, as elaborated by Immanuel Kant in The Critique of Judgement . And, finally, Harrington's idea of commonwealth is shown to be consistent with a theory of rights, as institutionalized in the English Bill of Rights [1693], the American Declaration of Independence and subsequent amendments to the American Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


identifier: Neumark, Erwin  (2002) Mood and cardiovascular reactivity in response to interpersonal conflict : the effects of acute tryptophan depletion on high and low hostile individuals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study investigated the influence that trait hostility and serotonin may have on individuals' mood and cardiovascular responses to stress. Sixty high and low hostile males and females participated in an either an acute tryptophan depletion, a procedure that lowers brain serotonin levels, or a sham tryptophan depletion, that leaves serotonin levels unchanged, and the four resulting groups (Low Hostile-Non-Depleted, High Hostile-Non-Depleted, Low Hostile-Depleted, High Hostile-Depleted) were subsequently exposed to an interpersonal conflict. High and low hostile participants in the tryptophan depleted group reported increases in hostility-related affect following the 5.5 hour waiting phase, a period of time necessary for the full effects of the tryptophan manipulation to take effect. This finding partially supports previous research reports. There were no mood differences as a function of hostility status during this waiting period. Overall participants, regardless of grouping, exhibited a cardiovascular change pattern that is generally associated with a more relaxed state, a result that is incongruent with the increased negative affect in the tryptophan depleted groups. High hostile individuals showed a slightly less relaxed pattern during this period without any tryptophan-related differences. All participants exhibited heightened cardiovascular responses to the interpersonal conflict, as well as reduced positive affect and increased negative affect, including hostility/anger-related mood changes. Contrary to expectations, there were no differential effects of trait hostility status nor tryptophan condition. Possible reasons for these findings are explored.


identifier: Koerner, Naomi  (2002) The costs associated with generalized anxiety disorder.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study aimed to assess the extent to which individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) report health care use and occupational disability. Twenty-three adults with a primary diagnosis of GAD and 23 adults recruited from the general population were interviewed about their health care utilization and their work performance in the previous three months. Relative to nonclinical participants, individuals with GAD were more likely to report consultations with general practitioners and medical specialists and were more likely to use prescription and alternative medications. Individuals with GAD also reported that anxiety symptoms had interfered with their work productivity. The costs associated with health care use and work impairment were four times greater in the GAD group than in the nonclinical group. The present study confirmed that relative to the general nonclinical population, GAD is associated with excessive use of certain types of health care, and to a lesser extent, functional interference in the workplace.


identifier: Demke, Tamara  (2002) Infants' ability to associate different motion trajectories with animals and vehicles.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Researchers have postulated that infants use motion cues (e.g., line of trajectory) to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects. However, little empirical research has addressed whether infants associate particular motion cues with object kinds.  The present study examined infants' ability to associate jumping over an obstacle with animals, and hitting an obstacle and rebounding with vehicles. An infant-controlled habituation procedure was used. Sixteen- and 20-month-old infants were habituated to two category-congruent motion events: an animal jumping over a wall and a vehicle hitting a wall and rebounding backwards. During the habituation events, a stationary animal or vehicle was placed on one side of the screen to control for novelty effect of the exemplar in the test events (e.g., if an animal was jumping over the wall, then a vehicle was stationary). Subsequently, infants were presented with two test events. In the congruent test event, the stationary animal or vehicle from the habituation events engaged in the expected motion (i.e., animal jumping or vehicle rebounding). In the incongruent event, the stationary animal or vehicle from the habituation events violated the expected motion path (i.e., an animal rebounding or a vehicle jumping).  The results revealed that by 16 months of age, infants can associate different lines of trajectory with different object kinds, and are surprised when this association is violated. The results are discussed in the context of the recent developmental literature, and infants' conceptualization of animates and inanimates.


identifier: Ben-Dat, Dahlia  (2002) Individual differences in cortisol functioning : longitudinal prediction of the relationship between psychosocial and physiological well being in mothers and children.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of an adverse psychological environment on physiological well being of mothers and their young children, within an ongoing inter-generational longitudinal project (Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project). The present research examined individual differences in diurnal cortisol functioning as predicted by a variety of historical and current psychosocial variables. Factors related to increased stress (e.g. maternal hostility, smoking, difficult temperament) were expected to predict deviations from the "normal" diurnal cortisol pattern in both mothers and children, whereas variables hypothesized to serve a protective or supportive function were expected to buffer these adverse effects. Salivary cortisol measurements were collected every two hours across one waking day in a sample of 40 mothers and their children, aged 2-6 years. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) growth curve analyses were used to estimate the intercept (morning cortisol level), and the slope (steepness of decline in cortisol values) for each mother and child's cortisol pattern across the daytime hours. Findings replicated the well-established diurnal cortisol pattern with high morning cortisol values that decline across the waking day. Consistent with the main hypothesis, a number of stress-related psychosocial factors were predictive of dysregulated cortisol functioning, including hostility, and child extraversion in mothers, and maternal withdrawal and smoking in their children. Other factors such as high SES, maternal stimulation, and high child I.Q. appeared to serve a protective function. This longitudinal study illustrates the potential vulnerability associated with children raised in adverse circumstances and highlights the important relationship between psychosocial variables and physiological well being.


identifier: Warrier, Vinu Govind  (2002) "The globe is now officially open for business!" : the advertising of cyberspace : globalization and the politics of cyberculture.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This project is concerned with comprehending the effect of the Internet--a cosmopolitan technology--on marginalized and 'Third World' groups, in light of both the cultural politics it sets in motion such as those of cultural destruction, hybridization and homogenization, political economy and resistance, as well as in the ways it bears upon discourses, and models, of development. Arguing that critical theorizing around the Internet must move beyond the Utopian versus Dystopian debates that largely prevail, I propose it be viewed as technology evolving as a mutation of a certain globally inflected logic that is equally, and simultaneously, economic and cultural. It is economic for it establishes a new global economy impacting every individual, everywhere, irrespective of the degree of access she/he has to it. It is cultural for it evolves from, and transmits, a 'future-envisioning' cocktail of discourses of democracy, freedom, modernity, and of material human progress, among others. The processes/institutions of modern advertising, I further argue, are crucial to both of these formations.  I begin by establishing that the commercial Internet of today is a historical product of deeply interwoven ideological strands, which continue to shape its ongoing evolution--its global architecture, economics, and structures of governance. Subsequently, I examine how advertising bears upon all points of the commercial Internet. Finally, I argue that the inequities characterizing the Internet, whether of access, content, its socio-cultural impact, or within the global economy it enables, necessitate a reformulation of the ways in which its imperializing influence may be resisted.


identifier: Lafrenière, Josée  (2002) Hundred-year storm.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Hundred-year storm

abstract: This novel is set in a traditionally agricultural town in Francophone Northern Ontario. The death of a local woman sets in motion a series of incidents that affect the lives of other villagers, particularly the two female protagonists. As the two women make parallel movements to more independent lives, they discover a series of documents pertaining to the past of some of the town's residents. Their understanding of the town's history and of their place within its social order are brought into question. This story explores issues of shifting roles and notions of belonging in a town whose culture is in flux from the older, traditional French-Canadian culture to a contemporary one, influenced by English Canada and American-style media.


identifier: Pope, Julia  (2002) Abduction and power in late medieval England : petitions to the Court of Chancery, 1389-1515.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines fifty petitions sent to the Court of Chancery between 1389 and 1515 that relate to abduction. Although abduction was a serious problem in late medieval England, there have been few previous studies of the subject, and none have made use of Chancery petitions. This source sheds light on the way victims of abduction, or more often their families, presented their cases to the court. Many victims were young women who had been placed in wardship, suggesting that concerns over money and property, not primarily sexual violence, were paramount in such cases. Some of the other issues addressed include the point of view of the accused abductor, the problem of terminology, and the question of the victim's consent. The position that victims were viewed merely as male-owned property is criticized. The role of the family, and particularly mothers, in abduction cases is also examined. Finally, two cases in which the alleged abduction eventually resulted in the marriage of victim and abductor demonstrate that claims of abduction should not be simply taken at face value by historians. Rather, these petitions demonstrate the shifting claims of power exerted by various parties.


identifier: Devey, Patrick L  (2002) The e-volving practitioner : a heuristic formative evaluation of an online course based on an action research methodology.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Teachers using traditional classroom methodologies have had the option to consult with vast amounts of literature and research, not to mention the diverse and extensive knowledge of their colleagues, when in need of inspiration for their courses. On the other hand, due to the fact that online instruction is still in its infancy, instructors who delve into e-Learning do not have the same luxury. The nominal amount of research in that field usually ends with recommendations and possible remedies to encountered problems, as opposed to practical solutions or "cures" to the identified issues.  This thesis will make use of those limited studies, and combine that knowledge to the experience of practitioners in the field, as well as with the feedback from the participants in the e-Learning environment, in order to devise a set of successful practices for an undergraduate statistics course offered entirely online. In other words, this research aims to successfully implement practical procedures into a Web-based course in order to make it the best possible experience for everyone involved. In accomplishing these goals, this work could then serve as a resource for other practitioners in the field by providing them not just with recommendations for Web-based courses, but also with concrete, proven, and successful interventions in this particular environment.


identifier: Costain, Robert  (2002) The Québec English schools network RÉCIT : a case study in the development of a community of practice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis is a case study examination of the development of the Québec English Schools Network, an educational web site serving the anglophone community in the province of Québec. The early history and efforts to build a community of professional educators on-line are described through personal accounts, interviews and extant data. The original rationale for the development of the Québec English Schools Network is examined in the context of existing literature on computer-mediated communication and communities of practice. Recent data is also presented in the form of an on-line user survey and analysis of web traffic to determine to what extent the site has succeeded not only in building a community of practice but also in sustaining it over time. The examination concludes that while the Network has succeeded in bridging distances and creating a limited professional community, further development and leadership are required to ensure its continued success.


identifier: Deschamps, Lisa Anne  (2002) The effects of popular culture on youth sub-culture and how it plays a role in the school environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study examines the effect that popular culture has on youth sub-culture and how it relates to or plays a role in the school environment. This exploratory study is based on unstructured interviews with high school students from one all female private school, one all male private school, and one public school. This was done so that I would have an equal representation of male to female students as found in the public school.  The focus is on student involvement in three particular popular cultural forms: film, television, and music. The data collected indicates that the extent of student participation in various popular cultural forms merits serious consideration to address this phenomenon in the school curriculum, educational practice, and classroom activities. Suggestions as to how this can occur and further research are discussed.


identifier: Ambach, Michael  (2002) Food for thought : community supported agriculture and learning.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Community Supported Agriculture is considered as a potential site for transformative adult learning. Over a three-year period, the author takes part in various informal activities with three CSA farms, observes the communication dynamic among members, and reflects on his own participation as a farm sharer. Sharers' perceptions of their experience, reasons for participation, and involvement are found to be highly heterogeneous and individualized, and forums for sharing perspectives are largely absent. This complicates an understanding of CSA solely in terms of current theories of transformative and social movement learning. Moreover, farm sharers' participation is characterized as a dialogue within a bioregional system that combines both conceptual and non-conceptual processes. The relation between these processes and the status ascribed to them is discussed. Implications for future research encourage a more critical and inclusive view of what educational research recognizes as learning and how it reproduces its own practice.


identifier: Zervas, Eleni  (2002) Children's block play with their parents : subject to sex differences?  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The present study examined the various constructions parents built with their sons and daughters using a set of LEGO blocks, in order to investigate whether parents encouraged block configurations appropriate to their child's sex. Parents' speech to their children during play was also investigated to examine whether any differences occurred as a result of parents' and children's sex, type of block play or an interaction of any of these three variables. Twenty-four children ranging in age from 60 to 83 months, and their parents participated in this study. Each parent was assigned the same task but was observed separately with their child. Every child was observed playing for 10 minutes with the father and for an additional 10 minutes with the mother. All observations took place in the family's home. Results indicated that (1) fathers, more than mothers made greater distinctions based on a child's sex, (2) children built more gender-typed block constructions with fathers, (3) mothers were significantly more talkative during play sessions than fathers, (4) children were more verbally interactive with mothers than fathers, (5) boys were more verbally interactive with mothers when the type of block play they engaged in together was appropriate to the mother's sex. Findings are discussed in reference to Social Learning Theory.


identifier: Brody, Marie-Hélène  (2002) Can older siblings scaffold? : effects of task difficulty on use of instructional strategies.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Abstract (Summary) Sibling teaching can be theoretically understood within current social cognitive frameworks via concepts of guided participation and scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1978), where the teacher creates supportive situations to help the learner extend current skills and knowledge (Rogoff, 1990). Evidence suggests that young school-aged children adjust their problem-solving strategies according to task requirements and characteristics such as speed and accuracy (Garner & Rogoff, 1990). Moreover, young school-aged sibling teachers demonstrate early signs of scaffolding during teaching (Perez-Granados & Callanan, 1997). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether older siblings would adjust their strategies while teaching their younger siblings a series of block tasks increasing in difficulty. Results indicated that older siblings effectively scaffolded for their younger siblings by providing a greater number of teaching strategies in the more challenging tasks. Also, across all tasks, siblings were more likely to employ a greater number of strategies when learners were younger. Finally, a larger age gap between older and younger siblings was related to use of a greater number of teaching strategies across all tasks. Findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to the knowledge of children's abilities to teach their younger siblings and how these interactions may promote cognitive, social and emotional skills for both teachers and learners. Clearly, teachers took account of developmental differences in their scaffolding strategies and results provide strong support for current social cognitive approaches (Rogoff, 1990)


identifier: Watson, Vivien C  (2002) Facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in second language reading fluency.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research focused on whether the efficiency with which bilinguals inhibit representations of irrelevant or facilitate representations of relevant information is a factor contributing to second language fluency. Participants were tested in their first (L1) (English) and second languages (L2) (French). The tasks implemented were negative and positive priming size selection tasks where participants viewed two stimulus words that named units of time (e.g., minute, day) and were asked to press a button corresponding to the position of the stimulus word expressing the longer unit of time. In Experiment l, participants were tested in separate blocks on positive and negative priming trial-pairs. On a negative priming trial-pair, participants had to respond to a target on a probe trial that appeared as a distractor on the prime trial immediately preceding. On a positive priming trial-pair, participants had to respond to a target on a probe trial that had been presented as a target on the preceding prime trial. It was found that in L1 but not L2 participants were significantly slower to respond on negative priming trials than on neutral trials, indicating evidence of inhibition in L1 but not in L2. It was also found that in both L1 and L2, bilinguals exhibited significant positive priming, indicating efficient facilitation of relevant information in both languages. The second and third experiments investigated the time course of negative and positive priming respectively in relation to L1 and L2 reading. Participants were tested at four different RSIs (response-to-stimulus intervals). In L1, negative priming was found to persist even at the longest RSI whereas in L2 it was found to have dissipated by that time, indicating that bilinguals were able maintain inhibition of irrelevant information for longer periods of time in L1 than in L2. Overall, the research implicates both inhibitory and facilitatory processes in L2 reading fluency.


identifier: Ducharme, Jennifer Lynn  (2002) Associations between parental and sibling family subsystems and adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Family relationships and family functioning have been identified by family systems, social learning, and attachment theories as important influences on child and adolescent development and psychopathology, including the development of internalizing and externalizing problems. Most studies have examined global family constructs in relation to adolescent adjustment, however. The present study investigated links between several family dyads (i.e., mother-adolescent, father-adolescent, sibling-adolescent, and marital dyads), their characteristics (i.e., support, negative interactions/conflict, conflict resolution) and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. The study's specific goals were to investigate the relative importance of each family subsystem for the prediction of adolescent outcomes, including whether the subsystems and their characteristics differentially predict internalizing and externalizing problems.  Using a short-term longitudinal design, adolescents ( M age 13.1 years) initially in grades 7 and 8 were tested twice one year apart. At both Time 1 ( N = 244; 145 girls) and Time 2 ( N = 201; 127 girls), in groups at school, adolescents completed measures of adjustment and family subsystem relationship characteristics. Participating mothers ( N = 80) completed parallel questionnaires, mailed to them at their homes.  Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that for teens from two-parent families, low social support in the adolescent-father dyad was uniquely associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems, while for teens from single-mother families, low social support in the adolescent-sibling dyad was uniquely associated with more of the same types of adjustment problems. Further, for teens from two-parent families, negative dyadic interactions were associated with internalizing problems. In addition, for girls from these families, negative interactions in the mother-adolescent dyad were uniquely associated with externalizing problems, while for boys, negative interactions in the father-adolescent dyad were uniquely associated with externalizing problems. In these same families, parents' infrequent use of collaborative and frequent use of destructive conflict resolution in their own interactions together were associated with more internalizing problems for teens.  These findings highlight the importance of differentiating among adolescent-mother, adolescent-father, adolescent-sibling and marital dyadic relationships in families, as a means of evaluating both the unique and joint contributions of family relationships to adolescent adjustment and psychopathology.


identifier: Saberi, Mohammad Ali  (2002) Development of zeolite based acid catalysts for the hydroisomerization of n-paraffins.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: There are some abundant long chain n -alkanes in refinery stream fuels which have a lower octane number and a higher pour point. It would be thus desirable to convert these normal paraffins to their branched isomers (which have higher octane number). Novel classes of cation incorporated Pt-M-HY (M being cations such as Zn 2+ , Al 3+ , Cd 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cr 3+ and some others) and bifunctional Pt-HY zeolite catalysts have been prepared and tested for hydroisomerization of n -Paraffins ( n -heptane as a model). The modified zeolite catalysts showed superiority to that of the parent bifunctional Pt-HY zeolite catalyst in term of isomerization of n -heptane. This is due to the desorption-transfer promoting behavior of the mentioned cations which cause fast removal of intermediate alkylcarbocation from Brønsted acid sites (decreasing the residence time of these species on acid sites). By decreasing the residence time of the intermediate alkylcarbocations on Brønsted acid sites, these species did not undergo further cracking reactions. As a result the isomerization products increased significantly and cracked products decreased. Such behavior was ascribed to the formation of new desorption-transfer promoting sites.  A triangular "acid/dehydro-hydrogenation/desorption-transfer promoting" site configuration (trifunctional catalyst) was proposed. The data obtained from characterization studies such as BET, XRD, FTIR and NH 3 -TPD show that cationic species do not effect: pore size distribution, surface area, crystallinity, dehydrogenation-hydrogenation (Pt) site, and Brønsted acid site density and strength. No significant ion-exchange was observed upon Zn 2+ , Al 3+ , Cd 2+ , Ni 2+ and Cr 3+ loading at the reaction conditions. These species only create some Lewis acid sites of which the acid character appeared to play an important role in the enhancement of the isomerization activity. Our concept of trifunctional catalyst suggests that Zn 2+ and other ions behave as sorption competitors to the zeolite Brønsted acid sites. As a result, the isomerization activity of zeolite increased where the effect of Zn 2+ was higher than the other cations. In addition the simultaneous incorporation Zn 2+ or the other cations with Pt species gave better results than that of the sequential loading.  With increasing reaction temperature more acid sites were activated and became involved in the reaction, thus, each reaction temperature needed a specific Zn 2+ loading in order to provide the best isomerization activity, and a higher amount of zinc was required at higher reaction temperature where the cracking activity is stronger.  The kinetic studies showed that the behavior of the trifunctional Pt-Zn y -HY was significantly different than that of the bifunctional Pt-HY zeolite catalyst. All kinetic data showed a drastic reduction of cracking (Ý-scission) within the temperature range of 195C̕-240C̕.


identifier: Agar, Nathalie Yvonne Rachel  (2002) Identification of molecular determinants of substrate specificity and activity for biphenyl dioxygenase from Comamonas testosteroni B-356.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The oxygenase component of biphenyl dioxygenase (BPDO) from Comamonas testosteroni B-356 dihydroxylates biphenyl and some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), thereby initiating their degradation. Identification of molecular determinants for BPDO substrate selectivity and activity should allow engineering it to accept a range of chlorinated biphenyls for bioremediation.  Highly active BPDO has been purified, and crystallized under anaerobic conditions. The first crystal structures of BPDO, and its substrate-bound and product-bound binary complexes, have been solved. Steady-state kinetics assays monitoring O 2 consumption demonstrated that BPDO transformed biphenyl and dichlorobiphenyls with the following order of apparent specificities: biphenyl > 3,3 ' - > 2,2 ' - > 4,4 ' -dichlorobiphenyl, but with specificity constants all within a factor of 3. The ability of the enzyme to utilize O 2 depended strongly on the biphenyl substrate, with specificity constants for oxygen over one order of magnitude smaller in the presence of the dichlorinated biphenyls compared to biphenyl. Moreover, the selected dichlorobiphenyls were found to be partial uncouplers of the reaction, reducing O 2 to H 2 O 2 . Based on the high-resolution crystal structure of BPDO and its binary complexes, the roles of some specific residues were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. Moreover, three BPDOs sharing between 70-95% sequence identity were overexpressed, purified in highly active forms, and compared in terms of steady-state kinetic parameters for biphenyls, as well as uncoupling behaviour.  BPDO comprises two metal centers required for enzymatic activity: a catalytic mononuclear iron and a [2Fe-2S] Rieske-type cluster for electron transfer. To overexpress holo-BPDOs, the iron-sulfur cluster ( isc ) assembly genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 were cloned and used for coexpression. The Fe-S cluster of BPDO was shown to be sensitive to reactive oxygen species such as superoxide, but the isc gene products appeared to have the ability to repair damaged clusters in crude extract reconstitution assays.  The experimental approaches and results described in this thesis contribute to the identification of structural features important for substrate selectivity, and ultimately may be useful for construction of modified BPDOs with enhanced activity on chlorinated biphenyls


identifier: Nkosi, Maria Maketsa  (2002) Teaching and learning resources in preschool playrooms in the QwaQwa region of the Free State : ideals and realities.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This research was conducted in the QwaQwa region of the Free State Province of South Africa. The purpose of this study was to investigate the availability of resources in the preschool playrooms and the use made of those resources by teachers. The study also looked at how preschool teachers envisaged the ideal classroom for their pupils.  The results showed that the 24 participating classes were badly under-resourced, and that this under-resourcing had a negative impact on teaching and learning. However, the study also found that preschool teachers did a good job in the face of adversity. They provided learners with as broad a range of activities that they could, partially by managing their classes well and partially by bringing in materials from home. The investigation into the teachers' view of the ideal classroom revealed the teachers to be reasonable and practical people. The teachers gave highest priority to materials that would promote basic language and mathematics skills.


identifier: Mofutsanyana, Makgoarayi Emelina  (2002) The effect of intervention strategies used by teachers on learners who display emotional and behavioral disorders in some schools in the Qwaqwa region of the eastern Free State province of South Africa.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study sought to investigate the extent to which teachers witness any kind of emotional and/or behavioural disorders displayed by learners at the three levels of schooling in QwaQwa, namely junior and senior primary and secondary schools. The focus was on whether the intervention strategies teachers use are effective or not, particularly since corporal punishment was curtailed by law as stated in the South African Schools Act of 1996. The effectiveness of each strategy was investigated at these three levels in 12 schools, where 98 questionnaires were distributed to teachers, and principals were interviewed with the hope of uncovering information that people might more easily provide in conversations than in written form.  The findings revealed that learners do display emotional and emotional behavioural disorders (EBDs), which are sometimes stressful for teachers. Although there were no significant differences in the extent of the occurrences, neverthless it was alarming to discover that senior primary learners were the most problematic of the three levels.


identifier: Maduna, Mamokhele Julia  (2002) An analysis of the use of teaching aids and the implications for teaching and learning mathematics in Qwaqwa phase one schools (South Africa).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Teaching Aids have been a common feature in mathematics classrooms although in some instances they were not appropriately used.  This study was undertaken to explore whether teaching aids have any impact on teaching and learning mathematics, especially in the Foundation Phase classes. It was conducted in two primary schools in QwaQwa, in the Free State Province in South Africa. It was guided by the constructivist approach, which views mathematics learning as the development of ideas, processes and understanding in a social setting rather that the mere passing on of knowledge from teacher to pupil.  Teaching aids, as educational materials, create opportunities which may reveal misconceptions on the part of both teachers and learners. Some teaching aids are quite simple to use and others require training to be able to extract mathematics from them.  The study demonstrated that without strictly classifying them in any preferential groupings, teachers provide varying justifications for using teaching aids in their classrooms. In most cases they incorporate in their mathematics lessons any concrete material that will help pupils to relate mathematics to the real world and provide pupils with hands-on activities that will de-emphasize routine and memorising facts, algorithms, formulas and theorems.  Most importantly the study revealed that teaching aids have a positive effect on teaching mathematics even in less than optimal circumstances, that is, under-resourced, rural, second language classrooms.


identifier: Dewan, Arshi  (2002) Woven textiles as art : an examination of the revival of weaving in the Chittagong Hill tracts.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Weaving, in both its traditional and innovative applications, emerged across the Chittagong hills hundreds of years ago. After several decades of neglect, a traditionally woven fabric is once again commanding recognition: as a cultural artefact and as an art object. My research in a weaving village led me to explore how indigenous communities can foster a greater appreciation for the craft and attempt to push the medium to its creative limits. This thesis locates and identifies the uniqueness of hand weaving by examining the relationship between art and culture. During my field research in Bangladesh, I juxtaposed textile crafts from various indigenous groups to do a comparative analysis and to show their similarities in technique and function. I did participant observation to take a closer look on how the production of textiles reflects broader social, economic and political issues.  Cloth still has a very important significance to indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts but more creative alternatives are needed to preserve and revive the art of weaving. The exhibition of fabric designs using traditionally hand-woven textiles was created to demonstrate the resiliency of cloth in a modern way and to motivate the younger generation of women to rediscover their heritage and weaving knowledge. My research will show how these fabrics can be used as a means of gaining agency and control for the people. The 'Raygula' textile project aimed at awakening indigenous people to the richness of their heritage and enabled them to express their creativity through the art of weaving.