identifier: Mitchell, Jonathan I  (2004) The effects of motivation and work climate on employee acceptance and usage of two new information systems : a study at five partner hospitals in Canada.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Despite tremendous financial investments in information technology (IT), many technological interventions that are initiated in organizational work environments ultimately fail as employees do not fully accept and use the available IT. In an effort to understand the specific conditions that lead to the acceptance of new IT and related work outcomes, this research examined the relationships between work climate, motivation, and the acceptance and usage of new IT, using the motivational framework of Self-Determination Theory. Two studies were conducted. In Study One, 336 clerical and administrative staff, nurses, technicians, and professionals completed questionnaires following the implementation of a patient scheduling and appointment management information system. In Study Two, 64 pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, and managers completed web-surveys following the implementation of a pharmacy information system. Results indicated that perceived organizational support and distributive justice were positively related to employee acceptance of an organizational IT change and employee enjoyment and interest in using IT. In some cases, perceived organizational support and distributive justice were also negatively related to the pressure and tension experienced. Supervisor contingent-reward behaviour and supervisor contingent-punishment behaviour were also related to employee attitudes toward IT. Situational autonomous motivation to use new IT was shown to mediate several of the above-mentioned relationships. Recommendations for health-care organizations are discussed, as are contributions to theory and general organizational practice.


identifier: Liu, Gang  (2004) Timed test suite generation based on test purpose expressed in MSC.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: When testing real time system, Automating timed test suite generation has much advantages over manual test suite generation. Formal models are usually used to describe the complex system behaviours, such as TIOA (Timed Input Output Automaton) and MSC (Message Sequence Charts). Therefore, test suite can be generated from the formal model of the specification. Exhaustive test are preferred to cover all faults in a test, but it is almost impossible. Test purpose represents the partial requirements to be tested.  In this thesis, we present a new method for automatically generating timed test suite based on the test purpose expressed in MSC, and the specification expressed in TIOA. A set of integrated algorithms is provided to process input test purpose and specification to generate timed test suite. In this method, MSC is transformed to TIOA, and the test purpose and the specification are synchronized as one single product. This single product is then sampled to construct a grid automaton. Finally, a traversal algorithm is applied to the grid automaton to generate test suite. We implemented this method and experimented it with different examples. Comparing with other methods, test cases generated by our method have a smaller number, and they are self-evident and can be easily represented by TTCN (Tree and Tabular Combined Notation)


identifier: Martin-Glinel, Caroline  (2004) A study of Canadian corporate obligors : credit quality evolution, return drivers, and volatility components.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis first examines the one-year rating migration behavior of Canadian corporate debt issuers rated by Standard and Poor's between January 1981 and December 2001. Obligors are sorted into three industry groups--financials, industrials and utilities. The studied period is divided between years of expansion and recession. The corresponding conditional rating migration patterns are compared with unconditional estimates in order to assess the reliability of the latter, which are traditionally used to evaluate credit risk. Our unconditional results show that the average credit quality of Canadian corporate obligors has deteriorated over the studied period, in particular during the 1981-1982 and 1990-1992 recession years. On average, issuers in the industrials sector underwent the deepest credit quality deterioration and highest rating activity ratio. Furthermore, we find that industry- and economy-conditioned rating migration dynamics significantly differ from their unconditional estimates. However, the one-year rating transition matrix is weakly influenced by the stage in the business cycle or by the obligor's industry.  Secondly, we compare the performance for Canadian corporate bonds between February 1993 and May 2002. We find that the term structure of interest rates is a major determinant of bond returns regardless of the bond rating class, maturity bucket or industry.  Finally, we show that the total volatility of Canadian corporate bonds has slightly decreased over the 1993 to 2002 period. Following Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel and Xu (2001), we examine the market, industry and firm-specific volatility components of bond returns. We find that the relative and absolute levels of market volatility remain fairly low and steady over the sample period. However, the relative level of firm-specific volatility has sharply increased. Simultaneously, the industry volatility level has decreased. Augmented Dickey-Fuller tests provide no evidence of deterministic trends in these volatility components.


identifier: Chaghouri, Mira  (2004) On the dynamics of securities class action litigation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: We use a unique sample of 1,478 securities class action lawsuits, filed against publicly traded US firms between 1996 and 2002, and a sample of 1,282 class action settlements, announced between 1993 and 2002, to examine the wealth effects of securities class action litigation on defendant firms and individual plaintiffs. To gain an insight into the costs and benefits of securities class actions, the first part of our study examines the cash flows between all parties involved in a lawsuit. In particular, we focus our attention on the wealth effects a securities class action filing has on the "new" and "old" shareholders of the firm, i.e. the current shareholders who bear the costs of the litigation process and the plaintiffs who receive a portion of the eventual settlement.  A second part of our study employs a large sample analysis of the stock market reaction to securities class action lawsuits and settlement announcements.  The last part of our study examines the impact of two recent security law reforms, the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the 1998 Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act, on litigation and settlement activity. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Olsen, Alexandra  (2004) Visual representation in instructional multimedia : a conceptual framework.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Instructional designers make use of visuals in the design of multimedia-based instruction. Literature pertaining to this area spans many different disciplinary boundaries, and as such, lacks much coherence. In order to organize and synthesize insights from the literature, a conceptual framework is needed, in particular one that pinpoints essential concepts from these disparate sources and contextualizes them within a perspective that is relevant and useful to instructional design practice. This thesis aims at developing such a framework based both on the literature and a brief case study, and presenting it as a means of analyzing the various levels of visual representational involved in instructional interface design.


identifier: Liu, Peng  (2004) New peak-to-average power ratio reduction schemes for OFDM systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It is known that the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation is very suitable for high-speed wireless transmission systems due to its bandwidth efficiency and ability in coping with multipath fading. However, the large peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of an OFDM signal limits the application of OFDM to a certain degree.  The research focus of this thesis is on the study of some new PAPR reduction schemes for OFDM systems. In the first part of the thesis, we investigate the peak windowing method, the clipping method, and a combination of the two techniques with an emphasis on the performance assessment of the transmitted OFDM signal using the combination scheme. We start with the review of the two typical signal distortion techniques and point out their advantages and shortcomings. We then propose a combination scheme for the two techniques in order to overcome their drawbacks. In the proposed combination scheme, a weighting function is used to remove instantaneous signal peaks and then a hard-limiting is utilized for the reduction of the overall peak powers. A modified IDFT interpolation is developed and employed in the combination scheme to improve the interpolation precision of the time-domain OFDM signal. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Arsenault, Julie  (2004) Les contes mythologiques de A wonder-book for girls and boys et Tanglewood tales de Nathaniel Hawthorne traduits dans l'espace culturel français pour les jeunes par Léonce Rabillon, Henry Borjane et Pierre Leyris.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The texts analysed are two books for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys and Tanglewood Tales respectively published in 1851 and 1853. There are three French translations of these works: (1)  Le livre des merveilles ±première partie» (1858) and Le livre des merveilles ±deuxième partie» (1858) translated by Léonce Rabillon. (2)  De merveilleuses histoires (1928) and Les contes prodigieux (1939) translated by Henry Borjane. (3)  Le livre des merveilles (1952) translated by Pierre Leyris.  We present the theoretical concepts behind this study, examine the biography of the writer (Hawthorne), analyse the critical reception of the two works in English and French as well as the habitus of the three translators/adapter and present an analysis of the three translations/adaptation. We conclude with a sociological synthesis on the data obtained in this thesis.


identifier: Abu Talib, Manar  (2004) Building a tool for testing real time systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ensuring the correctness of real time systems before the development and ensuring that it functions correctly within the specified time constraints become a very important task to avoid catastrophic consequences. A number of design issues affect the testing strategies and the testability of the system. In this thesis, we have designed and built a tool that generates the timed test cases by implementing the state characterization technique. The tool consists of the following steps: First, the real-time system is modeled as a Timed Input Output Automaton (TIOA). Its description is written in a file to be parsed by the tool using JAVACC. TIOA has locations, clocks and transitions with time constraints. Second, the tool samples the stored TIOA into sub automaton easily testable, called Grid Automaton. Third, the tool is then responsible for transforming this Grid Automaton into a Non-deterministic Timed Finite State Machine (NFSM). Finally, test cases are generated from NFSM, using the Generalized Wp-method. We have applied many examples to the tool and it demonstrates its ability to detect many possible faults. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Deng, Shihong  (2004) A technology portable analytical model for DSM CMOS inverter short-circuit power estimation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, an accurate analytical model for DSM (Deep Sub-Micron) CMOS inverter short-circuit power estimation is presented. Compared with previous works, which always require extracted or fitting parameters, the proposed model depends only on the inverter dimension and SPICE parameters, which are usually provided with the given technology, resulting in the technology portability of this model. To achieve accurate modeling, the effect of the gate-to-drain coupling capacitance and some main DSM effects such as velocity saturation and mobility degradation are taken into account.  The accuracy and portability validations of the proposed model have been performed for UMC 1.2V 0.13om and TSMC 1.8V 0.18om CMOS technologies, and for a wide range of input transition times, output loading capacitances and aspect ratios. The results produced by the proposed model show good agreement with Spectre simulation using BSIM3v3.2 model in TSMC 1.8V 0.18om technologies, indicating its portability. Its accuracy is better than that of latest methods that require extraction. Based on a Maple implementation, the proposed model always offers much less average CPU time than Spectre simulator.


identifier: Draidi, Fady  (2004) Parameterless genetic algorithms : review, comparison and improvement.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation compares the performance of five existing Genetic Algorithms (GAs) that do not require the manual tuning of their parameters, and are thus called Parameterless Genetic Algorithms (pGAs). The five pGAs selected for evaluation span the three most important categories of Parameterless GAs: Deterministic, Adaptive and Self-Adaptive pGAs. The five test functions used to evaluate the performance of the pGAs include unimodal, multimodal and deceptive functions. We assess performance in terms of fitness, diversity, reliability, speed and memory load. Surprisingly , the simplest Parameterless GA tested proves to be the best overall performer. Last, but not least, we describe a new parameterless Genetic Algorithm (nGA), one that is easy to understand and implement, and which bests all five tested pGAs in terms of performance, particularly on hard and deceptive surfaces.


identifier: Gupta, Nikhil  (2004) Denoising and compression of digital images using wavelets.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis concentrates primarily on two problems that concern noise corrupted images and looks to the wavelet domain for the solutions.  Firstly, the issue of noise reduction in digital images is addressed. Most of the popular thresholding techniques are either subband adaptive, i.e., do not adapt spatially according to individual subband coefficients, or rely heavily on subband statistics for adaptation, which makes them computationally expensive. A low-complexity adaptation of the subband-optimal thresholds according to the individual coefficients is presented. The correlation that exists in consecutive subbands in wavelet domain is exploited to adapt the subband optimal thresholds using the magnitude of the corresponding parent coefficients. Using simulated experiments, the ability of the proposed algorithm to preserve the edges and fine details in an image, while successfully reducing the noise from the smooth regions, is demonstrated.  Secondly, the relatively uncharted area of simultaneous denoising and compression of images that are corrupted with noise is explored. A data adaptive subband (wavelet) coder that performs joint denoising and compression of the input image based on both the additive white Gaussian noise level in the image and the compression rate desired is developed. A simple uniform threshold quantizer (UTQ), with centroid reconstruction, is adapted to have a joint noise level (data) and output bitrate adaptive zero-zone and reconstruction. To improve the performance of this variable-rate-coder, a context-based classification scheme that improves the quantization of the fine detail in the image is also proposed.  The joint denoising and compression scheme is further extended for the removal of multiplicative speckle from medical Ultrasound images using homomorphic filtering.


identifier: Charron, Rémi  (2004) One- and two-dimensional modeling of ventilated façades with integrated photovoltaics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ventilated façades with integrated photovoltaic panels can be used to generate electricity, thermal energy, and for daylighting. Developing working models to study their performance for this thesis is the start of a long-term research project at Concordia University that aims to develop a better understanding of these systems.  The research involved developing both a one-dimensional finite-difference model and a two-dimensional control-volume model. An algorithm was developed that determines iteratively the most appropriate convective heat transfer coefficient relationship to use for surfaces inside the cavity, based on system characteristics and temperature distributions. In the case of the 1D model, average, as opposed to local, coefficients are calculated. The 2D model provides a more detailed representation of the radiation heat transfer between surfaces inside the cavity, and includes vertical heat conduction within the system components. The 1D model on the other hand is more robust and faster to use.  Validation was carried out which compared results obtained from the models to results found in literature, and from experiments. In addition, an inter-model comparison was done between the 1D and 2D models. Results show that the models come within the 10 to 21 percent uncertainty levels predicted by other researchers.  After validation, the models were used to optimise the system performance, which showed that combined thermal-electric efficiencies of over 70% could be attained.


identifier: Yao, Shiquan  (2004) Design and implementation of out-of-plane thermal actuators.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The goal of this research is mainly to study the feasibility of using thermal expansion buckle up effect of a microbridge structure to develop a vertical motion, large-force, large-displacement electrical thermal actuator device for micro systems application. Initial results on a prototype system are described in this thesis. The focus of this investigation is to understand the physical properties and performance of an out-of plane deflection microactuator, to develop a preliminary device, and to test the performance of the device including displacement and frequency response.  Five sets of devices with different structural design were fabricated and tested. The functions of devices were characterized both in vacuum and in air ambient. SEM was used to conduct accurate measurement. A device with total length of 500om, and beams with width of 20 om, demonstrated 15.6 om vertical displacement in vacuum ambient when 3.5 mA input current (4.1 V voltage) applied. The observed operational frequency of the devices was less than 103 Hz. A successful application of stiction avoid structure is also documented in this report. It is demonstrated that a 792om * 20om double clamped single layer polysillicon beam was successfully fabricated and released without suffering stick down problem.  The physical properties of these micro actuators are modeled. The temperature distribution throughout the structure, the values and the point of maximum temperature are calculated and reported in this thesis. The devices were fabricated using MUMPS technology supported by CMC, following by a post-processing technique.


identifier: Zhao, Min Zhong  (2004) Simulation of earth-to-air heat exchanger systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Solar energy accumulated in the soil may be utilized with earth-to-air heat exchangers (ETAHEs), which have a single tube or a group of tubes buried into the ground.  The use of such a system requires a complex dimensioning process, which involves optimization of numerous parameters such as the airflow rate, tube length, depth, and diameter; in the meantime, some potentially adverse aspects of the system such as condensation have to be considered.  In this thesis, first a transient control volume model is presented to investigate the transient soil heat rejection around an ETAHE. Then, a 1-D steady-state model is developed by combining a control volume model with an analytical solution for prediction of ETAHE outlet temperature, relative humidity and condensation (if any). The model is validated against two sets of published experimental data. By trying various combinations of different parameters, one may find an optimal dimension for an ETAHE system. Application of this technique in Montreal climate is also analyzed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Alimahmoodi, Mahmood  (2004) CO2 capture and bioconversion to biogas in an anaerobic system using an UASB reactor.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Carbon dioxide is the most dominant component of greenhouse gases and its increasing level in the atmosphere has been of growing concern for many years. There have been many methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the form of CO 2 capture and storage, for example, through its injection into underground waters, saline waters or aquifers in which, CO 2 is transferred from one place to another. However, with these approaches there is always the risk of CO 2 release to the environment.  In this research, a new method for capture and conversion of carbon dioxide in an anaerobic system with an UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactor (1 L working volume) at 35{493}C is developed. Acetic acid and mixed VFAs (Volatile Fatty Acids) were tested as sources of hydrogen. The system performance was evaluated based on CO 2 and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) removals. Values of 68.7%-85.78% were obtained for CO 2 removal and the overall efficiency values were above 50% for loading rates up to 25 gCOD/L.d with a high methane content (>70%) in the biogas. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Zhang, Bowei  (2004) High temperature sensors based on hydrogen loaded fiber Bragg gratings.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The different topics of this thesis include temperature sensors based on the hydrogen-loaded fiber Bragg gratings, and the thermal stability of hydrogen loaded fiber Bragg gratings in the high temperature range.  The aim of this thesis is to investigate a new type of high temperature fiber Bragg grating. We have fabricated the hydrogen loaded fiber Bragg gratings for high temperature sensor applications. These gratings differ from other types of fiber Bragg gratings, because their refractive index structure is attributed to the change in the hydroxyl groups and germanium oxygen-deficient centers. An annealed hydrogen loaded fiber Bragg grating has shown to survive at temperatures in excess of 936{493}C. The gratings of the sensors retained their reflectivity up to 70%, when they were kept at 700{493}C for 90 minutes. The annealed fiber Bragg grating can be stabilized at temperatures in excess 700{493}C for sensor applications.  The main results of this thesis provide a better understanding of the thermal response of the hydrogen-loaded fiber Bragg gratings and their decay behavior at elevated temperatures. It is demonstrated that temperature annealing treatment of these fiber Bragg gratings is able to enhance effectively the grating's thermal stability.  Finally, photosensitivity of pure silica and germanium-doped optical fibers at the presence of hydroxyl groups was also studied.


identifier: Yang, Moyu  (2004) Performance simulation of priority-based CSMA/CA and pseudo-access point routing protocol.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The ad hoc wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) has gained a lot of interest in the research community due to its special properties, such a s deployment flexibility. With current demands, ad hoc WLANs are being developed to provide better quality to users. Firstly, a simulation model is built in C++ programming language with object-oriented method. The software of the WLAN simulator is designed to provide highly detailed and accurate statistical information, and can serve as a general platform for further simulation studies. Secondly, a newly proposed double window algorithm introduces a priority-based window alternative to the standard CSMA/CA. Simulation results demonstrate that networks achieve a better Quality of Service (QoS) by using the new priority-based window. Thirdly, the Pseudo Access Points (PAP) routing protocol is presented to enhance the traditional proactive routing protocols. The simulations confirm that the PAP routing protocol is better than the generic [straight theta] routing protocol under different mobility scenarios. It provides higher throughput, less failed routing, less variance of the hop count, etc, and thus offers a better Quality of Service. The performance evaluation of the PAP routing protocol is also emphasized. The investigation shows that the performance of the PAP routing protocol can be improved through the manipulation of various input parameters.


identifier: Manavi, Farzad  (2004) Implementation of OFDM modem for the physical layer of IEEE 802.11a standard based on Xilinx Virtex-II FPGA.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, a prototype design for the Physical Layer of IEEE 802.11a standard, which is based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique, is presented. Implementation aspects of an OFDM modem on Xilinx Virtex II field programmable gate array (FPGA) are addressed. The system includes a synchronization circuitry used for packet detection and time synchronization.  The design flow starts with floating-point modeling with parameters specified by IEEE 802.11a for the physical layer of indoor Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) modems. After algorithmic exploration and performance simulations, the fixed-point refinement is verified to compromise between sufficient arithmetic precision and high-speed hardware necessary for real-time communication systems. At this step of design, different synchronization schemes are examined and as the result of comparison; a modified algorithm based on the delayed correlation of received preamble symbols is selected for hardware implementation.  Finally, the architecture with lowest power consumption and required speed specified by the standard is achieved. This design is efficiently synthesized on 0.15om/0.12om CMOS 8-layer metal process Virtex II FPGA. The resulting hardware implementation is simulated at the system clock speed of 72MHz and analyzed from timing point of view to verify adequate performance.


identifier: Eshghi, Farshad  (2004) Performance evaluation of multi-hop ad-hoc wireless LANs.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Continuing advances in computing devices and mobile communications and the ever-increasing demand for network services have been fueling the interest in wireless packet services. Mobility, installation speed, simplicity, scalability, and less vulnerability to point-of-break problem, make wireless local area networks (WLAN) a good candidate for providing wireless packet services. Among the introduced WLAN standards, IEEE 802.11 due to its compatibility with the IEEE 802 protocol suite has become the dominating standard.  The need for easy and spontaneous communications between proliferated mobile devices has attracted the attention of researchers and industry toward ad-hoc networks over the past few years. Ad-hoc networks can be used in situations where either there is no wired or wireless infrastructure present or, if present, it can not be used because of security, cost, or safety reasons. Due to the employed random back-off algorithm and system complexity, most of the works toward system performance evaluation resort to simulation. In order to optimally select system parameters to fulfill specific needs, a mathematical description of the system turns to be a lot helpful in observing the trend of any parameter changes made.  In this thesis we mathematically model the distributed coordination function (DCF) mode of operation of IEEE 802.1I WLAN. Our model is based on the presentation of the system with a pair of one-dimensional state diagrams which accommodate variations of many input parameters. The model enables us to make optimum choices for the above parameters in different wireless channel qualities represented by the average bit error rate (BER). System performance is evaluated through three following measures: throughput, delay, and probability of fail to deliver of which the last two are crucial for real-time applications. Following that and aiming at multi-hop WLAN communications, we develop a detailed simulation environment spanning both medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) layers to investigate a greater number of phenomena such as hidden terminal, mobility, channel fading and path loss, etc. Results show that optimal selection of the system parameters can lead to considerable improvement in performance especially for time-sensitive applications.


identifier: Li, Shuanming  (2004) On the time value of ruin for insurance risk models.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis studies ruin probabilities and ruin related quantities, using a unified treatment of analysis through the celebrated Gerber-Shiu (G-S) penalty function. For different insurance risk models, a G-S function discounts a penalty due at ruin, which may depend on the surplus before ruin and the deficit at ruin. These insurance risk models include Sparre Andersen's risk model, both in a continuous and in a discrete time setting, diffusion perturbed Sparre Andersen models, as well as risk models with a constant dividend barrier. All these models are extensions of the classical risk model and of diffusion perturbed classical risk model.  These G-S penalty functions, considered as functions of initial surplus, satisfy certain integral equations or integro-differential equations, which can be solved to yield defective renewal equations. Such defective renewal equations have a natural probabilistic interpretation, which relies heavily on the roots to a generalized Lundberg's fundamental equation that have a positive real part. These generalized Lundberg equations are from an appropriately chosen exponential martingale.  The defective renewal equations (also called recursive formulas in discrete models), that the expected penalty functions satisfy, allow the use of the existing techniques in renewal theory. They can be used to analyze many quantities associated with the time of ruin, such as explicit expressions, bounds, approximations and asymptotic formulas for ruin probabilities, the Laplace transform (or gene-rating function in discrete models) of the time of ruin, the discounted joint and marginal distribution of the surplus immediately before ruin and the deficit at ruin, as well as their moments.  Finally, explicit results for the G-S discounted penalty function can be solved when the initial reserve is zero and when the claim sizes are rationally distributed, i.e., the Laplace transform of the claim size density is a rational function.


identifier: Bahsoun, Wael  (2004) Absolutely continuous invariant measures for random maps.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A random map is a discrete time dynamical system consisting of a collection of transformations which are selected randomly by means of probabilities at each iteration. We prove the existence of absolutely continuous invariant measures for different classes of position dependent random maps under mild conditions. Moreover, we prove that these measures are stable under small stochastic perturbations. We also apply these results to forecasting in financial markets.


identifier: Wang, Guang  (2004) Linking CORAL to MySQL and PostgreSQL.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Linking CORAL to MySQL and PostgreSQL

abstract: A Graph Database System is developed at Concordia University. In this system, CORAL is used as the deductive engine. Since MySQL and PostgreSQL are selected to manage the persistent data, connections between CORAL and MySQL as well as PostgreSQL need to be established.  This thesis mainly proposes a solution for these connections. Firstly, CORAL's architecture is analyzed. Its relational database interface is described. Class diagrams, object diagrams, and interaction diagrams are drawn to illustrate CORAL's rules and to identify the requirements. Then, classes are designed as an extension of CORAL's structure to communicate with MySQL and PostgreSQL. Data type conversion rules are defined based on the characteristics of each database system. Classes and parent classes are described in detail and patterns applied in these classes are discussed for the reusability of the design. Additionally, databases for MySQL and PostgreSQL are created and the extended CORAL system is tested. Finally, a CORAL client process is designed and implemented so as to integrate the TGL translator, which translates from the GraphLog graph database language to CORAL, with client-server mode CORAL and communicate with the underlying relational databases.  The implementation of this solution uses C++ in a UNIX environment.


identifier: Zhong, Ming An  (2004) An R-tree index using the STL style.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: An R-tree index using the STL style

abstract: Indexes are critical for performance of database systems. Trees are effective indexes that handle both single-dimensional and multi-dimensional data. The R-tree is a commonly used multi-dimensional tree index for the spatial data and geographic information system (GIS).  By using design pattern and following the C++ STL style, the R-tree index structure in this thesis is designed and implemented using generic programming techniques. The components are designed to be the STL style containers so that they have a uniform and clear interface and can be used like a standard container.  The R-tree structure can adapt to different data types, user-defined key types, and support user-defined queries.


identifier: Kalant, David  (2004) Identification of the ASP receptor.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

title: Identification of the ASP receptor

abstract: Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP) is a potent stimulator of triglyceride synthesis (TGS) and glucose transport in human skin fibroblasts, muscle cells and, particularly, adipocytes. It is produced through the interaction of three proteins of the alternate complement pathway of the immune system, C3, factor B and adipsin. These three proteins are secreted from adipose tissue, and interact in plasma to produce C3a, which is then desarginated at the C-terminal to form ASP. ASP then acts back on adipose tissue in an autocrine fashion. ASP production is stimulated by dietary fat, in the form of chylomicrons, and thereby increases the efficiency of uptake of dietary fat in much the same manner as insulin increases glucose uptake. Although ASP and C3a differ by only one amino acid, ASP does not bind to the C3a receptor, and is generally thought to be inactive in the immune system. Since initial binding studies indicated the existence of a specific ASP receptor, studies were undertaken to identify the ASP receptor. The results demonstrate that C5L2, originally cloned as an orphan G protein coupled receptor, is a functional ASP receptor. C5L2 binds ASP with high affinity and can mediate the TGS stimulatory function of ASP when transfected into cells that are not normally responsive to ASP. Furthermore, interfering with the expression of C5L2 in normally responsive cells diminishes the ASP effect on TGS in these cells. C5L2 is also expressed to a high degree in adipose tissue. Previous studies in both humans and mice have provided evidence of the physiological importance of ASP in the metabolism of dietary fat. Thus the identification of the ASP receptor furthers our knowledge of a regulatory pathway that may play a role in the development of obesity, and associated cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.


identifier: Chen, Guangyi  (2004) Wavelet and ridgelet transforms for pattern recognition and denoising.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The application of wavelet and ridgelet transforms in pattern recognition is still in its infancy; while their use in denoising has been a very hot topic in recent years. The aim of this thesis is to study these two important problems. In the area of pattern recognition, we develop a handwritten numeral recognition descriptor using multi-wavelets and neural networks. We perform multiwavelet orthonormal shell expansion on the contour to get several resolution levels and the average. Then we use the shell coefficients as features to input into a feed-forward neural network to recognize the handwritten numerals. We also present two novel descriptors for feature extraction by using ridgelets. Fourier spectrum and wavelet cycle-spinning are used to achieve rotational invariance. The descriptors are very robust to noise even when the noise level is high. Experimental results show that the new descriptors are excellent choices for pattern recognition.  In the area of denoising, we first study multiwavelet thresholding by incorporating neighbouring coefficients. Experimental results show that this approach outperforms neighbour single wavelet denoising for some standard test signals and real life images. Then, we propose a wavelet image thresholding scheme by incorporating neighbouring coefficients. Experimental results show that translation invariant (TI) denoising with neighbour dependency is better than VisuShrink and the TI denoising method developed by Yu et al. Finally, we propose to use Simulated Annealing to find both the customized wavelet filters and the customized threshold for the given noisy image at the same time. The results we obtained are promising compared to other results published in the literature.


identifier: Mendelsohn, David  (2004) Angry deities, prayer and the Court of Law : assuming responsibility in Greece and the Near East.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This dissertation examines cultural parallels as found in the literature of Greece, Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Of specific interest is the question of cultural influence exerted by these ancient civilizations on each other. One of the geographic points of intersection common to these cultures was located at Ugarit allowing it to act as a conduit into which Mesopotamian and Anatolian tradition poured, continuing on to Cyprus from where the assimilated material flowed into the rest of Greece and into Greek culture. Myths involving divine anger and punishment are examined for parallels in an effort to establish Anatolian and Ugaritic cultural influence on Greek literature.  The themes of the angry goddess and the abandoning deity in Anatolia, Ugarit and Greece are examined both for the devastating consequences of their anger on mortals and mortal reaction to this punishment.  The parallel paths followed by Hittite prayer and Greek literature are similarly examined for their treatment of mortal reaction to divine anger and punishment. The historical testimony of Hittite suppliants in prayer is compared with dramatized accounts of the Greek tragedians. The wresting of control by mortals from the gods in terms of their right to determine the consequences of blood guilt appears to have been the culmination of generations of resentment and perplexity over conceptions of divine punishment in both societies and is reflected in the historical Telepinu Edict and in Greek literature involving the mythic past of the Greeks.


identifier: Itradat, Awni H  (2004) A fuzzy logic based approach for high-level synthesis of DSP data-flow graphs onto multiprocessor systems.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A fuzzy logic approach for module selection and process allocation of fully static DSP data flow graphs (DFG) onto multiprocessor systems is proposed. Fuzzy rule base systems are used to minimize the area and maximize the utilization of the processors within the constraint of a specified latency. The proposed technique provides the designer with more flexibility to explore the design space by using different types of processor modules for the same task. Both heterogeneous and general-purpose processor units are used during the resource allocation process. It is shown that in most cases, moving from a fully homogenous to a fully heterogeneous architecture results in decreasing the design area. However, a hybrid multiprocessor architecture brings about a trade off between the area and the resource sharing.  In this thesis, the impreciseness in the system components is taken into account by representing the computational time as a fuzzy set and efficiently constructing rate-optimal schedule using fuzzy arithmetic. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Huang, Zheying  (2004) Modeling and testing main IPv6 protocols.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents the modeling and testing of main network layer protocols in IPv6, which are IPv6, ICMPv6, MLD and RIPng protocols. The purpose of this thesis is to formalize these protocols and to automatically generate test suites for conformance and interoperability testing. The protocols are specified using SDL (Specification and Description Language) and the test suites are described with TTCN (Tree and Tabular Combined Notation). The basic approach of formalizing these protocols applies the principle of SDL: different level. The test case suites are generated by test generator-testComposer in ObjectGeode toolset. A brief overview of the four main protocols is given before the general approach. The examples are given following all applied steps.


identifier: Hossain, Mahmud  (2004) Performance improvement of mobile IP-based handoff between WLAN and GPRS networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis presents a handoff technique between the IEEE 802.11 WLAN, which covers a small area, and the GPRS cellular network that overlays the WLAN and covers a larger area. The technique reduces the handoff delay, recovers the lost packets during the handoff transition period with improved overhead, increases the throughput, and also prevents unnecessary handoffs from due to ping-pong effect. It includes an algorithm to be implemented in the handoff decision making process as well as modification of the Mobile IP for handoff signaling management to achieve improved performance in latency, overhead, and throughput. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Youssef, Mina  (2004) QoS evaluation of the WLAN IEEE 802.11e.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: QoS evaluation of the WLAN IEEE 802.11e

abstract: Wireless networks have a variety of advantages making them very popular in various applications. As the use of wireless networks increases, so does the demand for better service in terms of less delay for voice and video traffic. In 1990 the IEEE 802.11 was defined as a wireless network standard, yet this standard lacks traffic differentiation techniques to provide time-efficient service. The Work Group "e" has been working on enhancing the service since end of 2002; currently it defined a draft that will be the future standard to enhance the service. This new standard will enhance the use of wireless networks in time sensitive applications such as videoconferencing and voice over the internet protocol (VoIP).  This study evaluated and suggested enhancements for the service performance of the defined IEEE 802.11 e draft. It is essential to assess the performance of the draft, as it will be the baseline standard for all the IEEE 802.11 wireless network vendors. The results of this work show that legacy networks (networks without the IEEE 802.11e implementation) perform better than the IEEE 802.11e networks under single kind of traffic (either data, voice or video traffic). Considering such conclusions is critical for businesses-when making decisions to upgrade or forgo purchasing costly equipment. Improvement suggestions to the upcoming IEEE 802.11e were made based on simulation results to change the default value of some parameters to achieve better performance under mixed traffic. The simulation results also show that the IEEE 802.11e provides priority to voice and video over data traffic.


identifier: Nijim, Ashraf  (2004) SmartDust : distributed behavior-based mobile agents for thinning segmentation and feature extraction of hand-written Arabic and Chinese words.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

format: other archive archive

abstract: Image processing is generally acknowledged as a computationally demanding task. Distributed mobile agents is a form of parallel processing that is gaining attention as a means of increasing the efficiency of many image processing tasks. In addition, a swarm of highly autonomous agents is more reliable in satisfying a task than one sequential process; the failure of a couple of agents is unlikely to stop the rest of the swarm from achieving the overall task.  This report discusses a specific application of autonomous agents to the problem of pattern pre-processing. Specifically, we design and build a system that uses a number of behaviour-based agents to detect, segment and thin, as well as describe a hand-written patter (character or word). Each agent has a subsumption type architecture that employs a number of behaviors. These behaviors are activated when certain conditions are satisfied. Every agent has a local coordination unit that arbitrates between the various behaviors to decide which one of the behaviors is active at any one time. The system has a whole a global coordination unit that creates and spreads the various agents over the image, then acts as a conduit of (light) communication between the agents, until the overall task is done, and all last agent dies.  In this work we have introduced a number of innovations including a new method of simultaneous thinning and segmentation and a simple but effective development of the classical Fourier descriptor method that works better for open curves. We have tested our system on Arabic characters and Chinese glyphs. The agents were able to find patterns and then work on parallel to extract and segment the centerline in a few seconds. A fixed feature vector of ten descriptors is computed for each segment. The reconstruction process showed that this vector is capable of retrieving the whole shape of the signature.*  *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation)


identifier: Anupoju, Chandra Mouli  (2004) Tracking control of nonholonomic mechanical systems including actuator dynamics.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The control of nonholonomic systems is extremely challenging and stimulates researchers to design controllers for these highly nonlinear and complex systems. The control of these systems is important for the reason that they have numerous engineering applications such as mobile robots, space manipulators, multi-fingered robot, etc. The control techniques proposed for the nonholonomic systems can be divided into two types. The first is the kinematic control, which provides solution only at the pure kinematic level which yields driving speeds. The second is dynamic control, which takes inertia and forces into account and yields physical controls such as driving torques. But both of the above said schemes do not consider the actuator dynamics, which is an inherent part of the complete system and can affect the performance of the control system. In this thesis a strategy for designing a position tracking controller for a class of mechanical systems with nonholonomic velocity constraint is presented. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Said, Mahmoud  (2004) Novel technology for sustainable petroleum oily sludge management : bio-neutralization by indigenous fungal-bacterial co-cultures.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The treatment and disposal of petroleum oily sludges represent major challenges for petroleum industries. The oily sludges consume a high portion of a refiner's budget and pose a serious threat to the environment. Montreal and Kyoto protocols introduced significant restrictions on the disposal of petroleum wastes and reduced the options available for treating this type of hazardous wastes. This research considered the application of bioremediation principles to petroleum oily sludge using a new testing technique. Approximately, 35% of the total petroleum hydrocarbons, and 81% of the aliphatic hydrocarbons in the sludge were degraded using a fungal-bacterial co-culture. To my knowledge, this was the first time fungal-bacterial co-cultures have been used in the treatment of petroleum oily sludge. Prior to treatment with the co-cultures, the sludge was subjected to a special electrokinetic separation technology that reduced its oil and water contents. The cultures were isolated from petroleum oily sludge taken from the bottom of crude oil storage tanks. The fungal and bacterial strains, used in the co-culture, were identified as Paecilomyces variotii and Bacillus cereus , respectively. The cultures were inoculated on 0.22 om filters laid over the sludge. Reduction in aliphatic hydrocarbons was estimated using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) were estimated using solvent extraction. An amphoteric surfactant was used in the studies but it did not improve biodegradation rates. The testing technique gave a comprehensive indication of the efficiency of the process and the toxicity of the sludge for defined cultures of the microorganisms.


identifier: Forsyth, Wendy  (2004) What's gender got to do with it? : a ten-year retrospective case study of a management development for women program.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This 10-year retrospective case study of a Management Development for Women Program uses a theory-driven mixed method holistic design and is jointly sponsored by St. Mary's University and Mt. St. Vincent University in Halifax, N.S. Subjects are the graduates of the MDW Program from 1990 to 2001 (N = 137), divided into three chronological groups based on period of enrolment, (1990-93, 1994-97, and 1998-00). The overall findings of this study indicate that women managers still face unique problems relating to gender in both organizational and educational institutions. The results suggest three distinct factors contributed to the success of the MDW program. First, the formal program content increased the participants' profile in their organization, and increased their effectiveness and self-confidence. Second, the culture and unexpected learning, and third, the single-gender feature. For the most part the results validated the conceptual framework under which the program has operated. The findings of the study show that there are still double standards for promotion, which are gender-based, and there are still issues relating specifically to women in management. Therefore, single gender management development programs, which are designed to address these issues, are still needed.


identifier: Levitin, Anastasia  (2004) The photoperiod dependent sulfonation of 12-hydroxyjasmonate establishes a link between jasmonates and the control of flowering.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: It recently has been shown that 12-hydroxyjasmonate and its sulfonated derivative occur naturally in A. thaliana (Gidda et al. , 2003). The enzyme catalyzing the sulfonation of 12-OHJA is encoded by the AtST2a gene, one of the 18 sulfotransferase (ST)-coding genes present in the A. thaliana genome (Gidda et al. , 2003). We demonstrate that 12-OHJA induces floral evocation in A. thaliana plants growing under inductive photoperiods and that this inducing activity is abolished by sulfonation under non-inductive photoperiods. We also demonstrate that CONSTANS , a putative transcription factor that accelerates flowering in response to long photoperiod, and TERMINAL FLOWER 2, a homolog of Drosophila heterochromatin-associated protein 1, which acts on meristem identity genes to repress the initiation of flowering, promote or repress flowering through the direct or indirect regulation of AtST2a expression. We, therefore, propose that AtST2a is a member of the photoperiod-dependent flower induction pathway downstream from CO and TFL2.  In Nicotiana tabaccum 12-OHJA is found to participate in the determination of flower structures and regulates the expression of NtPLE36 , a flower organ identity gene. The A. thaliana genome contains a sequence ( AtST2b ) that is closely related to AtST2a . The deduced amino acid sequences of the two genes share 85% identity and 92% similarity. Despite this high level of similarity AtST2b did not accept 12-OHJA as substrate. Transgenic plants overexpressing AtST2b in sense or antisense orientation, as well as AtST2b knock out mutant plants did not show a visible phenotype suggesting that the role of AtST2b in Arabidopsis thaliana is different from AtST2a.


identifier: Bablekis, Vasiliki  (2004) A rapid liquid chromatography / tandem mass spectrometry assay for in vivo monitoring of extracellular monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this study, a rapid and selective method using microdialysis liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the in vivo analysis of the catecholamine dopamine, and its metabolites DOPAC and HVA, and the indolamine serotonin, and its metabolite 5-HIAA.  Sampling of the extracellular fluid by microdialysis enables continuous monitoring of intercellular chemical concentrations, which allows for the study of neuronal communications. Liquid chromatography using a Fluophase PFP column (1.0 x 50 mm, 5 om), packed with a fluorinated phase, provided sufficient retention and separation of both monoamine neurotransmitters and their respective acid metabolites. This analytical column allowed for online desalting, which was critical for successful detection, by combining hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and reverse phase chromatography. Mass spectrometric detection was performed using electrospray ionization coupled to an AB/MDS Sciex API3000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in both negative and positive ion modes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


identifier: Masella, Giovanna  (2004) Henry Miller et ses premières traductions françaises dans les années de l'immédiat après-guerre (1945-1954).  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Nous étudierons les traductions françaises de trois oeuvres de Miller: Tropic of Cancer (1934), Max and the White Phagocytes (1938) et The Air-Conditioned Nightmare (1945). Nous avons choisi ces textes pour les raisons suivantes. Tropic of Cancer est son premier roman publié en anglais à Paris en 1934: il lui vaut la reconnaissance littéraire longtemps refusée dans son propre pays. La traduction de Paul Rivert, Tropique du Cancer , est publiée en 1945, aux Éditions Denoël. ±Max», le deuxième texte que nous analyserons, fait partie d'un recueil de nouvelles, Max and the White Phagocytes , traduit par Jean-Claude Lefaure, publié aux Éditions du Chêne en 1947 sous le titre de Max et les phagocytes . Enfin, nous analyserons la traduction de Jean Rosenthal parue chez Gallimard en 1954 du Cauchemar climatisé . The Air-Conditioned Nightmare est né d'un voyage aux États-Unis dans les années 40, voyage qu'il fait après un exil de dix ans. Il trouve l'Amérique très malade et cela donnera le Cauchemar climatisé , critique acerbe de la société américaine. Ces traductions, de traducteurs différents mais tous français, offrent une image d'une des manières de traduire la littérature dans le champ littéraire français (cible) de l'immédiat après-guerre et en particulier la littérature américaine réaliste, celle, toute particulière de Henry Miller. Nous analyserons ces traductions dans la perspective de la sociologie de Pierre Bourdieu revisitée par Jean-Marc Gouanvic. Ainsi, nous utiliserons les notions d'assimilation et de dissimilation, cohérentes avec la théorie des champs de Pierre Bourdieu. Nous verrons comment les traductions des romans réalistes de Henry Miller s'intègrent dans l'espace culturel français des années de l'après-guerre et quels sont les enjeux de la traduction de cet auteur en français.


identifier: Yorke, Christopher  (2004) The mystic and the ineffable : some epistemological, political, and metaphilosophical concerns.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Mysticism has traditionally been the enemy of the sciences, and the closer that philosophy allies itself with the sciences, the greater the philosophical tendency has been to attack mysticism as a possible avenue towards knowledge and/or understanding. Science and (modern) philosophy generally aim for full epistemic disclosure, and, conversely, mysticism either aims at the regulation of esoteric knowledge, or claims such knowledge to be untransferable. Thus the mystic is contemporarily seen by philosophers as a variety of 'private language' speaker, although the plausibility of such a position is seemingly foreclosed by Wittgenstein's work in the Philosophical Investigations . I reexamine Wittgenstein's conclusion on the matter of private language, and argue that so-called 'ineffable' experience, far from being a 'beetle in a box', can play a viable role in our public language-games, via renewed efforts at articulation. I claim, further, that there is nothing which must a priori (conceptually) remain unsaid.


identifier: Araya, Kinga  (2004) Walking in the city : the motif of exile in performances by Krzysztof Wodiczko and Adrian Piper.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates two art performances involving walking in the city that are conceptualized as exilic works of art: Krzysztof Wodiczko's Vehicle performed in 1973 in Warsaw; and Adrian Piper's Catalysis performed from 1970 to 1971 in New York. My contention is that Wodiczko's and Piper's walks in the city can be examined by applying a threefold understanding of exile. First, these important performative artworks made manifest in the form of artistic walks are marginalized within, or exiled from, an institutionalized mainstream art. Second, the artists themselves communicate either personal or metaphorical states of exile. Third, the phenomena of contemporary metropolises, as diverse as the communist Warsaw and the capitalist New York of the 1970s are analyzed as alienating and exilic social dwellings par excellence in which most of the inhabitants do not feel "at home".  This paper also summarizes a much longer and more intense conflation of my personal and professional experience with walking. I, myself, am an exile, who literally walked away from a student trip in Florence, Italy. Since that crucial event, I have developed a very special relationship with walking, this most humble human activity that I no longer take for granted. In order to make my writing more conversational I traveled to Poland and the United States to walk the same streets that Wodiczko and Piper walked during their performances with my photo and video cameras. My visual and textual retracing of the artists' steps form a creative part of this dissertation. Since I wanted to exhaust the richness of these two exilic art works and to connect them to the contemporary urban experience, I employ my personal writing style and juxtapose it with the photographs I took in Warsaw and New York. These creative reflections on walking that enrich the academic form of expression are enclosed in two attachments following the chapters in which I theoretically analyze Wodiczko's and Piper's walking performance artworks


identifier: Boland, Theodora  (2004) Tattoo, stories of the body : transgression or transformation?  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis explores contemporary customized tattoos in urban Montreal, through the creation of a video. The video data collection was based on detailed interviews with a group of nine participants of diverse racial, ethnic, class and gender, undertaken from an ethnographic perspective. This method, driven by the participants, revealed the world through their eyes and relied on interaction, subjectivity and personal history as a form of investigation. I also include observation of my own reflective processes. The emergent themes revealed a number of complex motives for tattoo engagement. The motivation to pursue tattoo involved decisions on life style choices, and the use of visual signifiers as records of a precise time. The images included all manner of daily activities and were embedded in popular culture. The recurring themes of death and devotion and their integration into horror and humorous motifs represented a strategy for dealing with personal trauma. The body's relationship with tattoo was a constant but dynamic relationship with the participants own history. The body's visceral nature indicated how tattoo creation is linked to both the bodies surface and internal workings. Tattoo sometimes reflected a quest for an ideal as the body was used as a site to display beliefs and affections while sometimes functioning as an arena for potential change and resolution. The study of tattoo culture offers a rich possibility for understanding the unique relationship people have with themselves: the body, its history and its ongoing transformation.


identifier: Brock, Lesley L  (2004) Boxing time: landscape, feminism and the archive in selected works by Angela Grauerholz.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis considers selected photographic projects created between 1985 and 1998 by Montreal artist Angela Grauerholz. The four main projects examined are Secrets, a Gothic Tale , Églogue, or Filling the Landscape , Aporia , and Sententia I-LVII . Grauerholz's work includes images of the seemingly inconsequential and momentary: hazy images of people waiting in line, train tracks, a couple packing their car trunk, two men drinking in a bar, empty roads, an unused pool, a vinyl couch in a hall, gardens, windows, and so on. Through her work, Grauerholz confronts themes of memory, absence, framing, access. The photographs are presented in a variety of sizes from 8 x 12.5 cm to 244 x 161.5 cm, and in a variety of cabinets and boxes, in book format and in traditional frames, making generalizations difficult. In this thesis Grauerholz's oeuvre is examined within a thematic construct dividing the paper into three main sections: Landscape, Feminism, and The Archive. The method used to approach the work is a consideration of the visual influences upon her work, examination of theories of photography, selected philosophical writings and feminist analysis.


identifier: Nicoriuk, Susan  (2004) Where the boys aren't : the chilling of the educational system.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis investigates the wide gender gap in education. In Canada in 2000, only 40% of those graduating with undergraduate degrees are male, and 48% of those graduating with Master's degrees are male. And the gap is still widening. Only at the Doctorate level do males outnumber females: 59% to 41%: but this gap has closed from 64% males to 36% females in the two year period from 1998 to 2000. This situation is similar in the United States. This seems to be a massive failure in equity.  I interviewed six teachers at the kindergarten, primary and high school levels. The primary level is where the problem begins. Teachers reported that boys learn differently from girls in various ways, and the education system privileges girls; that male teachers are needed as role models; that more activities are necessary for boys; that gender separated classes sometimes work for boys, without jeopardizing female accomplishments; and more.  Finally, I offered ten recommendations to reform this inequitable education system.


identifier: Bélanger, Esther  (2004) Le mouvement Slow Food à Montréal : reflet d'une nouvelle conscience alimentaire cosmopolite.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ce mémoire propose une réflexion anthropologique sur le cas du mouvement social Slow Food et de son développement à Montréal comme illustration des transformations dans la culture alimentaire québécoise. Que signifie l'émergence de Slow Food à Montréal? Le mouvement global est étudié à l'intérieur du cadre de la modernité alimentaire. Plus spécifiquement, trois concepts liés à la modernité alimentaire sont explorés: la ±délocalisation» de la production et de la distribution, la ±déstructuration» des pratiques alimentaires et le phénomène gastronomique du terroir. La recherche, qui s'est déroulée sur le terrain des activités du mouvement Slow Food Québec à Montréal, examine comment une couche particulière de la population montréalaise interprète les transformations survenues au sein de la culture alimentaire québécoise.


identifier: Pacheco, Jennifer  (2004) A comparison of textual input enhancement and explicit rule presentation in secondary one English as a second language classes.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This quasi-experimental classroom-based study compared the effectiveness of explicit rule-based teaching and textual input enhancement on a linguistic feature known to be problematic for francophone learners of English as a second language (i.e. third person singular possessive determiners his / her ). Over a four-week period, 4 experimental classes of secondary one francophone learners of English were exposed to form-focused instruction in one of the following conditions. The enhancement group (E) students were exposed to texts in which the target features of the study were typographically enhanced. The participants in the rule (R) group were given an explicit explanation of the rule and exposed to the same materials without typographical enhancement. Students in the rule+enhancement (R+) condition were exposed to both of the above-mentioned conditions (i.e. explicit rule explanation and typographical enhancement of the target feature). Finally, the control (C) group was simply exposed to the materials without rule explanation or typographical enhancement. A pretest, immediate, delayed and a long-term delayed posttest design was used for the purpose of this study. Three tasks were employed: a cloze task, a grammaticality judgment task, and a picture elicitation task.  The tendency on all tests and all testing occasions showed that R+ > R > E > C. Showing that the combination of rule presentation coupled with textual input enhancement was most beneficial.


identifier: Pelletier, Louis  (2004) George Ganetakos et la United Amusement Corporation, Limited, 1910-1930 : formation d'une chaîne de cinémas montréalaise.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: L'examen de la formation et du développement de la chaîne de salles de cinéma United Amusement entre 1910 et 1930 offre une excellente étude de cas des processus d'institutionnalisation et de monopolisation de l'industrie cinématographique à Montréal. Dirigée dés sa fondation en 1910 par un immigrant d'origine grecque, George Ganetakos, cette entreprise fait construire en 1912 le premier véritable palace cinématographique montréalais, le Strand. Elle implante ensuite à partir de 1916 ce nouveau concept de salle de spectacle dans les quartiers de la périphérie montréalaise. Au début des années vingt, le succès du réseau de salles de quartier géré par Ganetakos attise la convoitise de la Famous Players Canadian . Dirigée à partir de Toronto par Nathan L. Nathanson, cette compagnie prend rapidement à cette époque le contrôle de l'industrie cinématographique canadienne. Le groupe Ganetakos se trouve ainsi contraint en 1924 de conclure une entente avec la compagnie de Toronto: en retour du transfert d'un nombre important de ses actions à la Famous Players Canadian , la United Amusement obtient la très convoitée exploitation second run des productions montrées en primeur dans les super-palaces du centre-ville contrôlés par Famous Players Canadian . Des recherches menées dans les archives de la United Amusement (conservées à la Cinémathèque québécoise) démontrent toutefois que les dirigeants montréalais de la compagnie parvinrent à maintenir le contrôle de leur entreprise au plan local jusqu'en 1959. Cet accomplissement exceptionnel leur permit de développer une chaîne de salles de cinéma participant pleinement à la vie de leur communauté.


identifier: Nikolakopoulos, Agapi  (2004) The art of faith and faith in art : the relationship between Byzantine iconography and my contemporary art practice.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.


identifier: Habibi, Shiva  (2004) A new electrokinetic technology for revitalization of oily sludge.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Petroleum industries are burdened with the problem of handling large quantities of sludge having properties that depend on the nature of the crude oil, the processing capacity, the down-stream capacities, and the design of effluent treatment plants. Oily sludge is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, water, metals, and suspended fine solids. This composition makes management of the sludge a complicated and costly undertaking. The objective of this research is to develop a technique that would significantly improve the separation of phases so as to allow for their further reuse. This investigation focused on the application of electrokinetic phenomenon for the remediation of oily sludge. To assess the effect of surfactant on the electrokinetic mobilization of organic contaminants in oily sludge, an amphoteric surfactant was used. Tests were performed in a series of electrokinetic cells with different electrical potentials. During 32 days of the experimental, electrical parameters and pH were measured daily, while samples collected at strategic intervals were analyzed by UV/VIS and FTIR methods. This research lies at the forefront of electrokinetic technology and embraces a combination of several processes including electrocoagulation, electrocoalescence, desorption, electrophoresis, and electroosmosis. The results obtained permit an assessment of the thermodynamics of the proposed process and introduce new theories on the behavior of the colloidal component of oily sludge under different electrical potentials. The results demonstrated an excellent separation of phases; these consisted of water, hydrocarbon, and solid phases. The recovered solid phase exhibited high hydrocarbon content, so it could be reused. The separated liquid hydrocarbon could be reused in other processes. Some volatile hydrocarbons were released during the process. Advantageously, these gaseous hydrocarbons may be captured and burned as fuel. The results showed that the separated water had a low concentration of hydrocarbon, suitable for sending to the wastewater treatment plant. The method allows for the recycling of the hydrocarbon residue of a waste stream into a usable refinery product by achieving a 63% reduction in water content, and, thereby, reduces or eliminates the potential liability for environmental contamination arising from the disposal of waste stream products.


identifier: Taslakian, Perouz  (2004) Orderly broadcasting in multidimensional tori.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In this thesis, we describe an ordering of the vertices of a multidimensional torus and study the upper bound on the orderly broadcast time. Along with messy broadcasting, orderly broadcasting is another model where the nodes of the network have limited knowledge about their local neighborhood. However, while messy broadcasting explores the worst-case performance of broadcast schemes, orderly broadcasting, like the classical broadcast model, is concerned with finding an ordering of the vertices of a graph that will minimize the overall broadcast time.


identifier: Tan, Jinna Michelle  (2004) Automatic verification of the outputs of multiple classifiers for unconstrained handwritten numerals.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Recognition of unconstrained handwritten characters has gained considerable attention in different areas due to its many possible applications. Since the late 60's, research in this area has made impressive progress and many systems have been developed. Some of them achieved high recognition rates of 98% to 99%. However, these systems still misrecognize some patterns that are easily recognized by humans, thereby, decreasing the reliability of the system.  For the purpose of satisfying the high demand of reliability in some practical applications such as bank cheque processing, we proposed a verifier based on structural features.  The verifier is a prototype-based system. Different numbers of prototypes have been constructed for each digit according to the complexity of its structure. Prototypes are built using the structural primitives of a numeral and the relations among them. The local differences between some confusing pairs of numerals such as 4-9, 0-6 are also addressed in the prototypes.  Three classifiers: SVM, LeNet5, and MQDF are used in the recognition stage of the proposed system. SVM is the primary classifier. Patterns rejected by the SVM are passed to the parallel combination of the three classifiers. The proposed verifier is then applied to the classification results.  The proposed system yielded a reliability rate of 99.92% and a recognition rate of 96.50% on MNIST Database. The reliability increased from 99.06% to 99.92% after applying the verifier. Hence, we can conclude that the proposed system has successfully achieved high reliability while maintaining a reasonable recognition rate.


identifier: Chen, Weihua  (2004) On-line adaptive control of dynamic systems preceded by hysteresis via neural networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis deals with on-line adaptive control of a class of dynamic systems preceded by backlash-like hysteresis nonlinearities via dynamic neural networks. A three layer recurrent neural network called the diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN) is applied to construct the hysteresis inverse compensator (DRNNC) to remove the effect of hysteresis. An on-line learning algorithm called the dynamic back propagation (DBP) algorithm is developed to train the DRNN. Based on the cancellation of hysteresis effect, an adaptive tracking control architecture, which is constructed through the combination of sliding mode and Gaussian network (GNNC), is then proposed. The diagonal recurrent neural network compensator (DRNN) and Gaussian network controller (GNNC) are trained at the same time since DRNN requires fewer weights, and less training time, and still preserves the dynamic characteristics, which allow the DRNN model to be used for on-line application. The performance of this control structure is illustrated through simulations with example system.


identifier: Zhang, Li  (2004) USB based controller interface board design for the Pendubot.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: On-line multi-player games have become popular in recent years. In this report, we review the techniques developed for improving networking game. We overview the feature of the multip-player game for real-time reactive system in Internet environment. The VPNG (Video Poker Networking Game) system is mainly responsible for multiple players playing game online. This report describers the design and implementation of VPNG system. C++ has been chosen as the implementation platform because is can achieve capability. A Client/Server model is used for this system. The key algorithms used are presented in details as well as the interactions among the underlying objects


identifier: Feng, Ying  (2004) Implementation of 3D snooker simulator.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

title: Implementation of 3D snooker simulator

abstract: The implementation of 3D Snooker Simulator project is one part of the 3D Snooker Simulator project. It mainly focuses on porting the graphic and user interface of the existing 2D Snooker Simulator from 2D to 3D by using OpenGL and ANSI C++. In the report, a brief introduction is given to the current situation of game programming, game programming using OpenGL and the features of the 2D Snooker Simulator. In the last decade, 3D graphic and user interface has become the main stream of computer-based game development and OpenGL is the main graphics-programming library, software interface to graphic hardware, and a "standard" for 3D graphics.  The target of the project is to implement the Snooker Simulator as a platform-independent 3D game with user-friendly, game-like User interface while preserving all the functionalities of the 2D version. The author describes how to reach these goals from designing, 3D object modeling and implementation. Meanwhile, lots of implementation problems and solutions are discussed in the report.  Finally, the author points out that the current 3D Snooker Simulator has achieved most of the design goals, but still has space for improvement.


identifier: Jia, Luding  (2004) Bluetooth scatternet formation in wireless mobile ad hoc networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The problem of Bluetooth scatternet formation is: given N isolated wireless mobile Bluetooth devices, how to form a scatternet to satisfy a set of general guidelines and performance metrics? The scatternet formation protocol is an open issue in the Bluetooth specification [1]. The topology of a scatternet has a great effect on the performance of the network. There are many ways to construct a scatternet with a given set of N Bluetooth devices, but so far there are very few papers that discuss the issues related to scatternet formation.  This major report focuses on the problem of the scatternet formation in Bluetooth mobile ad hoc networks. We critically summarize the current research on scatternet formation and give the advantages and the disadvantages of each scatternet formation protocol. Then, we describe some general guidelines and performance metrics for scatternet formation. Finally, we propose three new topologies for Bluetooth scatternets called DRT, RFCM, and CMT, and compute various performance metrics for them. All three topologies have good scatternet performance.


identifier: Zhang, Li  (2004) Multiplayer network game programming in MFC : a case study of video poker.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: On-line multi-player games have become popular in recent years. In this report, we review the techniques developed for improving networking game. We overview the feature of the multip-player game for real-time reactive system in Internet environment. The VPNG (Video Poker Networking Game) system is mainly responsible for multiple players playing game online. This report describers the design and implementation of VPNG system. C++ has been chosen as the implementation platform because is can achieve capability. A Client/Server model is used for this system. The key algorithms used are presented in details as well as the interactions among the underlying objects.


identifier: Zhou, Jun Ying  (2004) Functional requirements and non-functional requirements : a survey.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Software impacts almost every aspects of modern society. Software development process is a coherent set of activities for software modeling and associated artifacts. Requirements are basis of software systems. As the first phase of the software development process, requirements set reasonable targets to be achieved.  The purpose of this report is to study the role of requirements in software development process, and to survey the methods for specifying functional and non-functional requirements (NFRs). In this report the concepts of functional and non-functional requirements are introduced. The problems of functional and non-functional requirements lay on one of the following aspects: identify, document, validate and verify , so this report presents some answers to these questions through discussion and comparison of many process and methods. We also introduced some NFR frameworks are introduced and overviewed some tools used to support requirements.


identifier: Tauben, Sara Ferdman  (2004) Aspirations and adaptations : immigrant synagogues of Montreal, 1880s-1945.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: "Aspirations and Adaptations" traces the development of the Jewish community of Montreal by tracking the growth, location, and movement of its early synagogues focusing on those established by the Eastern European immigrants from the 1880s until 1945. This is a study of material culture, a study of synagogues and the congregations who created and inhabited them. It is a story which considers these buildings as a reflection of the aspirations of the congregations and their adaptation to a new environment both architecturally and socially.  Organized chronologically and geographically, the paper focuses on four consecutive and adjacent areas of settlement which formed the areas of greatest concentration of the Jewish community of Montreal during the period under study. As immigration intensified in the first decades of the twentieth century, the number of congregations swelled. The plethora of synagogues served not only the needs of a growing population, but also the varying expressions of communal identity.  It was the more veteran immigrant congregations which aspired to obtain larger and more prominent synagogues. As the enterprise of synagogue building in nineteenth century Europe signaled a process of acculturation, so too, the building of larger synagogues by an immigrant community indicated a process of integration. As traditionalists in Europe resisted change and continued to worship in small houses of prayer and study, the more recent immigrants, seeking to remain connected to familiar practices, founded smaller synagogues, which, nevertheless, served not only a religious but also a social function.


identifier: Mousavi, Tahmineh  (2004) Religion and state : in Rawlsian political liberalism and some contemporary Iranian religious reformists.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In the United States, there is a lively debate on the relationship between religion and politics. The separation of Church and State is the assumption of most liberal thinkers. From their perspective, such separation not only protects the State from religion, but also protects religion from the State. The first part of the present research will examine the contemporary liberal debate on religion and politics, which is based on Rawls' version of political liberalism and its critics. The second part will explore three religious discourses: the traditional, ideological and democratic discourses in contemporary Islam (in the case of Iran) with particular emphasis on the democratic discourse. This paper will also demonstrate important similarities that exist between the essential claims and arguments of some contemporary Iranian religious reformists and some liberal thinkers. It comes to the conclusion that Rawlsian political liberalism has no conflict with religious ideas, but provides an ideal environment to flourish religious values in a pluralistic society. Also, it will show that Iranian Islamic reformists, in contrast to their portrayal by some researchers as opposing Western liberal democracy, endorse Rawlsian political liberalism and support it with an Islamic interpretation of life.


identifier: Samsonov, Maxim  (2004) Universal R-matrices for generalized Jordanian r-matrices.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Quantization of classical integrable models by the Quantum Inverse Scattering Method requires transition from classical r -matrices to the quantum ones. The twists are the special elements in the algebra of observables, which help to build new classical and quantum r -matrices. In this thesis we develop an approach to explicit derivation of quasiclassical twists for higher dimensional analogs of Jordanian r -matrices. The twists are obtained as limits of more general quantum twists which allow a simple description. The considered class of r -matrices includes the skew-symmetric Cremmer-Gervais r -matrices as well as the extended Jordanian ones. The quantum analogs for both twists are obtained.


identifier: Deng, Chen Bin  (2004) A study of the effects of the coefficients of generalized bilinear transformations in design of two-dimensional variable recursive digital filters.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Two-dimensional variable recursive digital filters are applied in signal processing and communication systems where the frequency-domain characteristics of digital filters are required to be adjustable.  The main objective of this thesis is to propose a new technique of designing 2-D recursive digital filters with variable characteristics. From a 1-D second order Butterworth low-pass analog ladder structure, 2-D low-pass and high-pass digital filters can be obtained through the application of double generalized bilinear transformations when the coefficients of the transformations are chosen in their specified ranges. And when one or more these coefficients are changing, the resulting 2-D low-pass and high-pass filters possess variable magnitude responses. Another two important types of 2-D digital filters, 2-D band-pass and band-elimination filters, can also be obtained by properly combining a 2-D low-pass filter and a 2-D high-pass filter. When the coefficients used to obtain the 2-D low-pass and high-pass filters are changeable, the resulting 2-D band-pass and band-elimination filters also possess variable magnitude characteristics. The manner how each coefficient of generalized bilinear transformation affects each type of desiring 2-D recursive digital filters is investigated in detail.  Stability is always an important issue in 2-D recursive digital filter design. The stability conditions of generalized bilinear transformation and the stability conditions of the 2-D digital filters having a denominator with single degree of each variable are discussed in detail here.


identifier: Al Hawari, Alaa  (2004) Biosorption of lead, copper, cadmium and nickel by anaerobic biomass.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This study will introduce anaerobic granules as a novel type of biosorbent for the removal of lead, copper, cadmium, and nickel from aqueous solutions. The work investigated the equilibrium, batch dynamics and continuous column operation for the biosorption process. Binding capacity experiments using viable biomass revealed a higher value than those for nonviable biomass. Binding capacity experiments using non-viable biomass treated with Ca revealed a high value of metals uptake. The solution initial value affected metal sorption. Time dependency experiments for the metal ions uptake showed that adsorption equilibrium was reached almost 30 minutes after metal addition. It was found that the q max for Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ and Ni 2+ , were 2.46, 1.74, 1.06 and 0.88 meq/g respectively. The data pertaining to the sorption dependence upon metal ion concentration fitted the Langmiur isotherm model. The kinetics of sorption of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ and Ni 2+ were modelled using a pseudo-second order rate equation.  Column adsorption studies were performed for Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Ni 2+ . The removal of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Ni 2+ ions from the bed was accompanied by the elution of Ca 2+ ions from the packed-bed. Ion exchange was identified to be the dominant mechanism for the biosorption of nickel by the anaerobic biomass. For copper and cadmium 77% and 82% of the total amount adsorbed was attributed to ion exchange respectively. 18% and 15% of the total amount adsorbed of copper and cadmium was attributed to the extent of a complexation process competing with the ion exchange one respectively. For the case of Pb ions it was found out that ion exchange was attributed to be almost 50% of the total uptake mechanism. 30% of the total uptake mechanism was attributed to precipitation mechanism. The remaining 20% was attributed to a complexation process competing with the ion exchange and precipitation.  The affinity order of anaerobic biomass for the four metals under study has been established as: Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. The selectivity of the biomass for Pb over the other three metals was well exhibited by the results obtained using the flow-through column


identifier: Glavinovitch, Alexei  (2004) Wavelet-based segmentation techniques in the detection of microarousals in the sleep EEG.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis proposes an automatic detection procedure to detect the presence of undesirable frequency bursts, called microarousals (MA), within any of the various stages of sleep. Sleep is examined through the acquisition of the electroencephalogram (EEG). Traditionally, a sleep technologist manually inspects the EEG signal to correctly detect the occurrence of MAs. The presence of these MAs causes a medical condition known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).  Since the EEG is a non-stationary signal, the proposed procedure analyzes it in three stages. The first stage involves spectral decomposition using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The DWT is efficient and possesses excellent time-frequency resolution that makes it well suited to exploit the characteristics of a non-stationary signal.  The second stage of the proposed procedure partitions the decomposed signal into stationary segments. Both parametric and nonparametric segmentation techniques are applied. The nonparametric autocorrelation function (ACF) and the nonlinear energy operator (NLEO) methods as well as the parametric generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) method are each applied to the component waveforms of the EEG signal produced by the DWT.  The third stage of the proposed procedure involves evaluating information about each stationary segment's power and spectral content. Once this information is determined, segments satisfying the definition of a MA are detected and scored.  To examine the effectiveness of the overall procedure, long-term EEG records containing MAs that have been marked by a sleep technologist are compared against the proposed procedure's detected MAs. The successful results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed procedure.


identifier: Chang, Wen Tzu  (2004) Confirmation of protein interactions involving tRNA nucleotidyltransferase from yeast two-hybrid data.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A transfer RNA (tRNA) requires the nucleotide sequence cytidine, cytidine, adenosine at its 3 ' terminus to be functional. These nucleotides are added by the enzyme ATP (CTP): tRNA-specific tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (tRNA nucleotidyltransferase). In eukaryotes, this enzyme which is made in the cytosol must be targeted to specific subcellular destinations for tRNA maturation. Directing proteins to defined intracellular locations requires targeting signals on the protein of interest as well as other helper proteins. Previous studies have shown that AraYml079wp and AraGim1p, the products of the Arabidopsis Atlg19130 and Atlg29990 genes, respectively, interact with plant tRNA nucleotidyltransferases containing potential mitochondrial or chloroplast targeting signals. In this study, a heterologous E. coli expression system was developed to produce tRNA nucleotidyltransferase and the interacting proteins. Using these proteins a number of in vitro techniques including far Western blotting, co-elution and cross-linking were used to confirm the yeast two-hybrid data. In vitro results using co-elution and far Western blotting supported the in vivo results for an interaction between lupin tRNA nucleotidyltransferase and AraYml079wp. A number of experiments also were performed using a yeast YML079w deletion strain to try to elucidate a function for Yml079wp.


identifier: Qiu, Mei  (2004) High frequency AC distributed power system for desktop computer applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The continual increasing performance of the desktop personal computer (PC) benefited from the advances in semiconductor technology presents increasing challenges for the power demands, such as higher power density, lower supply voltage with very tight tolerance, and higher supply current with very high slew rate (di/dt).  The existing dc distributed power system (DC DPS) suffers from low efficiency and poor transient response. This thesis introduces a new power architecture--high frequency ac distributed power system (HFAC DPS). In this power architecture, the front-end inverter generates sinusoidal voltage and current distribution for the ac bus; and then on board AC voltage regulator module (AC VRM) converts the intermediate ac voltage to a specific low dc voltage to power the load.  The objective of this thesis is to develop and implement HFAC DPS for the application of desktop computers. To achieve this objective, an asymmetrical pulse-width-modulated (APWM) resonant inverter and a PWM series resonant converter are proposed as the front-end inverter and AC VRM respectively. These two topologies both employ new control schemes to meet the future power requirements. Based on these two proposed topologies, HFAC DPS is implemented for a dual output application.  In this thesis, at both system level and circuit level for each proposed topology, detailed steady-state and dynamic analyses are performed, performance characteristics are presented, and the design procedures are generated. Simulation and experimental results are obtained from the prototype circuits to demonstrate the proof-as-concept.  The results obtained from this thesis present the following features of HFAC DPS: reduced power conversion stages, soft switching in each stage, high voltage and low current distribution, independent and tight voltage regulation at the point of load and excellent response against large transient signals in both dc input voltage and load current.  All these features indicate that HFAC DPS has potentially better power delivery quality and easier thermal management than the existing DC DPS. Therefore, HFAC DPS can be considered as an alternative solution to powering the new generations of desktop personal computers.


identifier: Zheng, Tong  (2004) Validation and refinement of timed MSC specifications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis addresses the validation and the refinement of MSC (Message Sequence Charts) specifications at the requirement and the design phases in a software development process. The validation is necessary to ensure that an MSC specification does not contain semantic errors. The refinement provides a systematic approach to develop MSC specifications. The focus of this thesis is on timed MSC specifications, which may contain absolute and relative time constraints for specifying quantified timing requirements.  To provide a foundation for analysis of MSC specifications, we develop a formal semantics for timed MSCs based on labeled partially ordered sets (lposets). We equip an lposet with two timing functions for expressing absolute and relative time constraints. The semantics of an MSC is represented by a set of lposets. The set can be obtained compositionally from the semantics of constructs contained in the MSC.  Time constraints in an MSC specification may lead to inconsistencies. In such a case, the specification contains semantic errors. We study the time consistency of MSC specifications. We define the time consistency and develop sufficient and necessary conditions for the consistency. According to these conditions, algorithms are designed for checking the consistency. We also study the time consistency of high level MSCs and identify a subset of high level MSCs such that their consistency can be checked efficiently.  We propose a refinement approach where we refine not only behaviors, but also time constraints specified in an MSC specification. Refining time constraints makes constraints on a system stronger, and assumptions on the environment weaker. We define refinement relations and develop algorithms to check the satisfaction of these relations. To reduce the complexity in the case of high level MSCs, we constrain the refinement rules.  At last, as an outcome of our investigation of timed MSCs, we propose a new time construct as an extension of timed MSC in order to specify more timing requirements.  Most of the algorithms presented in this thesis have been implemented and integrated to our set of tools MSC2SDL.


identifier: Loreau, Régis  (2004) Leaving Massey behind : the advent of federal feature film policy.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This is a study on the Canadian federal government's role as financier of feature length films. I argue this policy constitutes a rupture with the spirit of the Report of the 1949-1951 Royal Commission on the National Development of the Letters, Arts and Sciences. Traditionally the federal government abstained from participating in the production of feature length films, because these were deemed unworthy pillars of contemporary Canadian national culture; hence the critical juncture with the 1968 creation of the Canadian Film Development Corporation.  The main objective of this study is to understand why the federal government helped develop a Canadian feature film industry. I am interested in the reason why the government felt that the creation of an institution was the best possible course of action through which to develop a feature film production industry in Canada. This study also seeks to understand whether or not Ottawa's support towards the features production industry in Canada is worthwhile.  A historical analysis of the evolution of federal film policy will demonstrate this. Specifically, analytical tools from the historical variant of neo-institutionalism have been selected and will be applied in order to answer these questions. Hopefully this study will provide understanding of how Canadian cinema is made and in which direction this unique practice is headed.