identifier: Lavallée-Picard, Virginie  (2014) Integrating Food Sovereignty into Planning: Developing an assessment and action framework for local governments.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: In Canada, the jurisdictional authority of local governments over their food system is currently very limited yet communities are directly faced with the consequences of food system issues. As a service provider, local governments have the power to educate, support local initiatives, and enact policies that can shape food systems. Until recently food system considerations had been largely absent from municipal planning yet the field of food system planning is emerging to integrate food system considerations into community planning processes. In Canada, most efforts to document local-governance food system planning have focused on larger, often urban communities. However, producers who live and produce food in small rural communities conduct the majority of Canada’s agricultural activities. Using case-study research, this thesis documents how the two small rural communities of Saint-Camille (Québec) and Salt Spring Island (British Columbia) engage in food system planning. By investigating the background, key achievements, barriers and best practices of these communities, the case studies inform a comparative analysis of governance planning processes, project development and community led initiatives. Analyzing these findings from the perspective of the Food Sovereignty concept revealed that Food Sovereignty aspirations were present in food system planning activities of Saint-Camille and Salt Spring Island. Based on case study findings, I developed a Food Sovereignty assessment framework that identified indicators, key considerations, resources and examples for the development and implementation of a Food Sovereignty assessment framework and action plan for local governments. This thesis is thus situated in the overlap between food system planning theory and practice, a relatively new concern for local governments, and Food Sovereignty, a radical concept with a growing body of literature. I discern this space as Food Sovereignty Planning, which I define as the integration of Food Sovereignty principles into policies, plans, and programming at all levels of governance.


identifier: Grujicic, Aleksandar  (2014) Carbon Nanotube Quality Impact on Epoxy Composites Thermal Conductivity.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
Composite materials thermal conductivity is a challenging area. This is particularly applicable in the through thickness direction. Obstacles on the path of improvement are numerous. To overcome issue of carbon nanotube distribution within composite a new approach was adopted. This was achieved with employment of new method to obtain a basic building block for the layer-by-layer method. Laminate was prepared from prepreg layers utilising ancillary materials stack-up sequence optimised for thermal conductivity improvement through nanomaterials. Autoclave cured materials were examined for thermal conductivity. The highest value was achieved at 125 deg C. The highest improvement over reference carbon fibre / epoxy composite material was obtained at 25 deg C. Three different carbon nanotube materials were used in the research. Least damaged carbon nanotubes yielded the best results. Simple calculations completed on carbon nanotube / epoxy composites confirmed the least damaged carbon nanotubes –
the carbon nanotubes of the highest quality - as the best heat transport medium.


identifier: Latosh, Fawzi  (2014) Structural Behaviour of Conventional and FRP- Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

    Many structural applications such as pile caps, girders, foundation walls and offshore structures include the use of reinforced concrete deep beams as structural elements. The structural behaviour of deep beams is affected by its span to depth ratio, type of loading, reinforcement ratio in vertical and horizontal directions, concrete strength, and type of cross section. Since the traditional beam theory is not applicable for designing deep beams, the strut and tie model (STM) was developed earlier as a rational method for estimating the capacity of a reinforced concrete deep beam and accepted in the current codes and standards for the design of such beams. While for designing a conventional (i.e. steel reinforced) concrete deep beams STM has been available in different codes and standards, for FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams such provisions are not available in most codes and standards. Only in the recent edition of the relevant Canadian standard (i.e., CAN/CSA S-806-12) which came out much later than the commencement of the present research, an STM approach has been provided, which is primarily based on that of conventional deep beams with some adjustments by using FRP reinforcement’s properties to calculate the tie capacity. One of the reasons for the lack of standards or code provisions for such systems in other codes (e.g., ACI and Eurocode) is perhaps the lack of adequate experimental data available on the performance of such beams. As the use of FRP reinforced concrete structures is increasing, there is a need to the development of a design method for FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams, which could be similar to the existing STM method available for the conventional deep beams, similar to the approach taken by the Canadian standard. But, such provisions must be validated and/or modified appropriately and calibrated with experimental studies.
    The objectives of the present research are to: (1) Identify the critical parameters governing the behaviour of conventional concrete deep beams; (2) Develop a design procedure for FRP reinforced concrete deep beams; (3) Study the critical factors in FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams and evaluate the proposed design procedure using numerical and experimental tests; and (4) Evaluate the STM procedure outlined in the CSA-S806-12[2012] for designing FRP reinforced deep beams. The current design provisions for conventional concrete deep beams as provided in the following three prominent standards that use the strut–and-tie model have been extensively reviewed: ACI 318-08, Eurocode EN 1992-1-1-2004(E) and Canadian code CSA A23-3-04. The influence of different variables on the ultimate strength of deep beam estimated using STM provisions in the codes are studied. A large database of available experimental studies on conventional deep beams has been created. The ultimate load capacity and failure pattern for each sample in the database have been evaluated using the STM models provided in the above three standards, and compared with the experimental results and critical parameters that have been identified. The results of the preliminary study show that the use of Strut and Tie model are generally appropriate method for beams with shear-span to depth ratio less than or equal to two. Also the study confirmed that both the shear span-to-depth ratio and the amount of shear web reinforcement have the most significant effect on the behaviour of deep beams and on the codes predictions of the ultimate strength of deep beams.
    Based on the review of the STM models available for the conventional deep beams as provided in the current standards, a similar model has been developed here to design FRP-reinforced deep beams. Using the proposed method, a set of FRP-reinforced deep beam has been designed and constructed. An experimental program has been carried out to test these beams to study the applicability of the proposed method and effect of the critical design parameters. Nine FRP reinforced concrete deep beams were divided into three groups, based on their shear span-to-depth ratio (a/d), and tested under a single concentrated load to investigate their behaviour and strength. The test variables were the shear span-to-depth ratio and the quantity of web shear reinforcement. The behaviour of deep beams is indicated by their shear strength capacity, mid span deflection, strain at the FRP longitudinal and web reinforcement, crack propagation, and type of failure. A new equation is presented in this study to calculate the contribution of the FRP web reinforcement to the ultimate shear capacity of FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams. As a new version of the CSA standard is available now which provides STM procedure for FRP-reinforced deep beams, the test results have been compared to predictions based on the current CSA design procedure.
   This investigation reveals that the Strut and Tie model procedure in the CSA-S806-12 code provides a conservative and convenient design procedure for FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams. However, there are some areas where the code provisions can be improved and some inconsistencies in the way the strut capacity is determined can be removed. In addition, the shear design procedures of the ACI 440.1R-06 Code and of the modified Strut and Tie model (STM) from Appendix A of the ACI 318-08 Code were compared based on their test results and a modified STM procedure based on ACI 318-08 provision has been proposed for the adoption to ACI 440. This investigation reveals that adopting the procedure in the ACI 318-08 Code and taking into consideration the properties of FRP reinforcement provides a conservative and rational design procedure for FRP reinforced concrete deep beams.


identifier: Wood, Jacquelyn L. A.  (2014) Investigating the conservation genetics small population paradigm using the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis): do small populations have less adaptive potential?  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The conservation genetics small population paradigm predicts reduced quantitative genetic variation and consequently, adaptive potential, for populations which have become small and isolated due to habitat fragmentation. While these expectations are supported by laboratory studies, their generality in wild populations remain unresolved. In actuality, the evolutionary consequences of fragmentation may depend on whether environmental characteristics– and by extension, selective regimes are (1) shifted in a consistent directional manner as is widely assumed (Directional hypothesis), or (2) become more variable as population and fragment size decrease (Variable hypothesis); this latter possibility has so far received little empirical attention.
Implementing field techniques, I explore these two competing hypotheses by relating variability in habitat characteristics to population size in a series of differentially abundant brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations located at Cape Race, Newfoundland. I furthermore use these hypotheses as a foundation to test the assumptions of the conservation genetic small population paradigm by investigating the relationships of population size at Cape Race to additive genetic variation (VA), trait differentiation (QST), and phenotypic plasticity in common garden analyses, and to the extent of natural selection in a meta-analysis using a large number of natural populations and species.
Across two years and in relation to two population size metrics, patterns of habitat characteristics among small versus large Cape Race populations supported the Variable hypothesis. However, small brook trout populations did not significantly differ from large populations in either the magnitude or variability of VA, QST, or phenotypic plasticity. Results of the meta-analysis similarly revealed little support for differences in the strength, direction, and form of selection among wild populations differing in population size. The lack of differences might be explained by long term fluctuating environmental conditions which resulted in fluctuating selective pressures and similar outcomes among small compared to large Cape Race populations, and among the species included in the meta-analysis.
Overall, the results of this research contradict the assumption that small populations generally inhabit marginal environments and also dispute the major tenets of the conservation genetics small population paradigm. Taken together, they suggest that even very small populations of some species may retain the adaptive potential necessary to cope with future environmental change.


identifier: Ekwe, S. Enongene  (2014) Enzyme cocktail development for the conversion of pretreated wood biomass.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: A steady rise in global consumption of fossil-based energy has led to a surge in prices of petroleum-derived fuels, chemicals and materials in recent years. The abundantly available lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable, potential substitute for petroleum that can be biotransformed into biofuels, chemicals and materials. Commercial lignocellulose-degrading enzyme cocktails used in this biotransformation still require improvement. In this thesis, I report the biochemical characterization of 34 plant cell wall degrading proteins from Aspergillus niger expressed in one or more of four host systems (Aspergillus niger, Pichia pastoris, Escherichia coli and Nicotiana benthamiana), in order to identify industrially relevant differences in their catalytic function. The results show that N. benthamiana is as effective a production host as A. niger itself and the recombinant proteins produced in the four host systems show similar biochemical properties. I also report the development of a medium- to high-throughput-adaptable screening method for evaluating the hydrolytic capability of lignocellulolytic enzymes at biomass loadings greater than 15% dry w/v. The results show that the method is suitable for the screening of cell wall degrading enzymes with superior properties and for evaluating biomass hydrolysability. I also report the identification of biomass-liquefying enzymes from the secretome of thermophilic saprotroph, Myceliophthora thermophila grown on various pretreated wood biomass types. Results reveal an arsenal of 47 secreted proteins which concertedly liquefy pretreated wood biomass at 15% dry solids and boost glucose release by a commercial cellulase system. A highly-expressed GH7 cellobiohydrolase, MtCBH7 was found to liquefy 15% black spruce kraft pulp, acting optimally at 55 °C. The overall finding are: (i) N. benthamiana holds potential as a production host for eukaryotic biomass-degrading enzymes; (ii) a screening method for evaluating the hydrolytic potential of enzymes on natural biomass has been developed; and (iii) MtCBH7 is a promising enzyme candidate for application in biorefineries where enhanced liquefaction of lignocellulose is required.


identifier: Guzman Garcia, Elizabeth  (2014) Interoperability between Building Design and Energy Modeling for Building Performance.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Interoperability issues have been well acknowledged as an impediment to improve productivity in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. The current information exchange between building design and energy models has numerous problems, including object parametric information deficiencies, geometric misrepresentations and re-input data confusion. These problems inevitably lead to huge money, time and effort losses. This thesis presents an automated solution that works towards unified information exchange between building design and energy modeling in building performance. First, an Extensible Style-sheet Language Transformation (XSLT) is designed to specify a set of transform instructions. Based on the instructions in the XSLT, building elements and their attributes in the design open schema are matched to the corresponding energy analysis patterns. The contents in the design open schema can then be automatically transformed through meticulous checking and comparison.
 The proposed solution has been implemented with Microsoft Visual C# Studio 2013, through the creation of a Windows form application and a software plug-in component. This method would facilitate the information exchange between existing open standard schemas, gbXML and DOE-2 INP, supported by Autodesk Revit and eQUEST. The effectiveness of the solution has been tested with three real case studies. The results from the proposed solution have demonstrated the overall rectification of the geometric and material misrepresentations inherent to the current software interoperability process.


identifier: Hilali, Asmaa  (2013) The Business of Soul-Mates A Social Network Approach to Assessing a Customer-Company Relationship: The Customer-Company Network Strength Structural Equation Model.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis develops and tests a Measurement Model and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to assess the strength of a customer-company network using an interdisciplinary approach. The research integrates recent principles from Social Network Theory, Service-Dominant Logic and Customer Engagement Theory. The model investigates the impact of three real companies interactions with customers. The overall customer-company relationship is viewed from an interpersonal perspective. Relationship strength is defined by social network characteristics of tie directionality, tie reciprocity norms and network’s actors’ centrality. This framework looks at how the company’s value proposition is directed towards a customer and how this perceived directionality impacts the relationship. Moreover, the model integrates the effect of reciprocal behaviour from both the customer and the company perspective. While company initiated reciprocity is viewed as directed towards both the customer and society as a whole, the customer reciprocity is assessed in terms of their expressed attitudinal loyalty and commitment to the relationship. The model also incorporates the impact of the company centrality in the customer’s private networks (e.g. friends) and of the customer perceived connection to the company’s customer group(s).  From a theoretical perspective, the interactions under investigation do not take into consideration the economic exchange and satisfaction derived from service/product usage. As a result this study breaks away all together from the traditional view of marketing and relationships. Additionally, the inclusion of non-customers in this research also shows that the relationship exists prior to an economic exchange. From a methodological perspective, we develop and assess a scale to capture the customer-company network interactions before evaluating a SEM that measures the impact of all the constructs on the customer Reciprocity towards the Company. The latter is viewed as reflective of the customer-company network strength. We find that Directionality has no direct impact on the customer willingness to reciprocate while Overall Centrality, Reciprocity towards Society and Reciprocity towards the Customer significantly and directly impact the customer-company network strength. The findings will allow companies to identify the network dimensions that matter to each customer or customer group(s). Companies can then dedicate resources to enhance the interactions that matter most.


identifier: Naeini, Hamed  (2013) Conditional Value at Risk Asset Allocation A Copula Based Approach.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: The title of this thesis is Conditional Value at Risk Asset Allocation, A Copula Based Method, and it is written by Hamed Naeini. The thesis supervisor is Professor Thomas J. Walker. Using a non-parametric bootstrapping method, we allocate funds to eleven preselected asset classes based on a series of conditional value at risk and variance criteria. Next, we employ copulas to model the data and build our comparison portfolios. We compare the results of the two methods during both bull and bear markets conditions. We find that model-based asset allocation significantly improves the performance of portfolios during financial crises. Under normal market conditions, the two methods result in comparable performance. We conclude that our optimization procedure provides asset allocation strategies that result in portfolios that perform at least as well as portfolios constructed based on the commonly used bootstrapping method and significantly better during periods of financial turmoil.


identifier: Panamoottil Krishnan, Giri  (2014) Improving the Unification of Software Clones using Tree and Graph Matching Algorithms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Code duplication is common in all kind of software systems and is one of the most troublesome hurdles in software maintenance and evolution activities. Even though these code clones are created for the reuse of some functionality, they usually go through several modifications after their initial introduction. This has a serious negative impact on the maintainability, comprehensibility, and evolution of software systems.

Existing code duplication can be eliminated by extracting the common functionality into a single module. In the past, several techniques have been developed for the detection and management of software clones. However, the unification and refactoring of software clones is still a challenging problem, since the existing tools are mostly focused on clone detection and there is no tool to find particularly refactoring-oriented clones. The programmers need to manually understand the clones returned by the clone detection tools, decide whether they should be refactored, and finally perform their refactoring. This obvious gap between the clone detection tools and the clone analysis tools, makes the refactoring tedious and the programmers reluctant towards refactoring duplicate codes.

In this thesis, an approach for the unification and refactoring of software clones that overcomes the limitations of previous approaches is presented. More specifically, the proposed technique is able to detect and parameterize non-trivial differences between the clones. Moreover, it can find a mapping between the statements of the clones that minimizes the number of differences. We have also defined preconditions in order to determine whether the duplicated code can be safely refactored to preserve the behavior of the existing code. We compared the proposed technique with a competitive clone refactoring tool and concluded that our approach is able to find a significantly
larger number of refactorable clones.


identifier: Ciciola-Izzo, Rosanna  (2014) Mother/Art:A Search Into Selfhood, Motherhood and Art Education through Personal Works.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This study begins with a look at creative blocks in the lives of creative women, and how these contribute to contemporary feminist discourses on maternal art. These discourses consider how real mothers deal with the ambivalence and contradictions of lived motherhood.
     Consequently, I considered from a feminist perspective, how women have traditionally been and are still predisposed to care for others, and how this responsibility both feeds and obstructs one’s creative self.
      Personal issues of identity and social roles within the context of marriage, motherhood and “daughterhood” were explored through studio-based research in the form of personal visual memoirs. Visual memoirs were inspired by photo elicitation and reflective journaling.
      This study concluded with the idea that “peak experiences” during the creative process functioned not only as a form of escapism, but also served to reconnect with one’s selfhood. This study also looked at how emotional bonds are intertwined with one’s lived experience, and how all these combined contribute to personal growth and creativity.
     These findings extend beyond the personal by attesting that reflecting on lived experience through memory work, photo elicitation and visual memoirs can be used as a motivational tool in art education to unblock creativity. This journey also determined that no subject is too personal or too small to not be consideredon a more global scale.


identifier: Zhou, Nan  (2014) Three Essays in Immigrant Post-Migration Human Capital Investment and Heterogeneity.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The following thesis consists of three essays. Each one is a study of the issues of the selection effect of Canadian immigration policy, post-migration human capital investment, and their associated effects on immigrants' labour market performance and economic assimilation. All three papers are explored under the consideration of unobserved heterogeneity. The data are taken from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC).

The first essay examines the determinants of post-migration human capital investment, and the effects of this investment on immigrant realized utility and wage income from Canadian labour market. Post-migration human capital investment includes Canadian formal education and a general definition of training. This essay concludes that pre-migration human capital complements post-migration human capital investment. Furthermore, the investment in post-migration human capital lubricates immigrants' transfer from unemployment to employment.

The second study explores the effects of the 'stock' of human capital that immigrants possess, on their occupational choices in the Canadian labour market. The stock of human capital includes both pre-migration human capital, and the part formed through investing in the destination country. This study confirms that immigrants with more stock of pre-migration human capital are inclined to be employed in white-collar occupations, compared to blue-collar occupations or unemployed and searching for jobs. The findings also indicate that once immigrants complete their first training, they locate at a higher utility level after obtaining employment, either white-, blue-collar occupations or being self-employed.

The third essay employs the existence of asymmetric information and its effect on the Canadian labour market. This study explores three plausible signals that are prevalent on the Canadian labour market; it also studys the influence of these signals on the immigrant economic assimilation in the first years after landing. The signals comprise the relative level of formal education, foreign credential recognition and pre-arranged job before migration. Empirical results from this essay confirm that Canadian immigrants who landed around the period the LSIC was held are heterogeneous. Further more, this heterogeneity leads to a different assimilation path within the first four years after landing.


identifier: Ghadiri Mohghaddam, Danial  (2014) Framework for Integrating Bridge Inspection Data with Bridge Information Model.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

Framework for Integrating Bridge Inspection Data with Bridge Information Model

Danial Ghadiri Moghaddam

The collapse of Silver Bridge, Virginia, U.S. in 1967 was a shock to the public awareness about the danger of deteriorating infrastructures which alerted about the necessity of better inspection programs. In practice, inspection data are being often collected on paper as textual data and this inspection process has various consequences including difficulties in data sharing, errors in communication among various stakeholders involved in the project and information losses. Recently, bridge data sharing and integration became of a significant importance due to the fragmented nature of bridge Operation and Maintenance (O&M) activities. A framework is proposed in this research to extend the usability of Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) into the O&M phase. The framework proposes the improvement of bridge O&M processes with a focus on bridge inspection by improving the processes of documentation, data storage and information visualization. Inspection observations are added to the BrIM by direct interaction of the inspector with the model at the inspection site. Moreover, by adding the time dimension to the BrIM, the 4D visualization of modeled defects enables defect propagation monitoring. The proposed method extends the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard as a communication language among the stakeholders involved in the lifecycle management of a bridge. Various defect-related definitions and properties are identified and added to the IFC. A case study is implemented and tested in order to evaluate the proposed method and explore its technical feasibility.


identifier: Montaser, Ali  (2013) Automated Site Data Acquisition for Effective Project Control.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Tracking and control of construction projects depend primarily on the accuracy,
frequency and time required to collect actual onsite data of construction operations that
characterize the work progress. Earned Value Analysis (EVA) is being used for reporting work
progress and for forecasting project status at completion and at any future time horizon. Critical
to its reliable application is accurate and timely data for quantifying the budgeted cost of work
performed. Automated site data acquisition has received considerable attention in recent years
to circumvent the limitations of manual data collection. The limitations of existing models lie
in their inability to measure the progress of different types of construction activities from
inception to completion in near real-time.
The objective of this research is to study and analyze the characteristics of automated
data acquisition technologies in construction. This thesis is carried out with a focus on
automating the process of data collection and project control. An automated model is developed
that integrates project visualization-information aspects, automated site data acquisition and
earned value analysis. The developed model consists of two main frameworks; one is for data
acquisition and the other for data analysis and processing. Data acquisition is carried out using
the integrated automated data acquisition technologies embedded in the tablet PC used in this
research as well as others, referred to here as independent, automated data acquisition
technologies. The developed model makes full use of 4D BIM to provide visualization and
pertinent information of activities in progress. The developed model embraces the human
factors to augment the visualization-information aspects, localization technologies and
development of progress templates. The developed model demonstrated the significance of
data fusion of a wide range of automated site data acquisition technologies and
visualization-information technologies.
A prime focus is placed on extensive field studies and experimental work. Field studies
on construction jobsite are conducted utilizing a wide range of technologies such as 3D
Scanner, RFID and GPS. Extensive experimental work is conducted to develop deployment
protocols for utilization of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) passive RFID in localization and
material tracking. The field and lab work resulted in a number of observations, findings, and
lessons learned for deployment of passive RFID in construction. The results presented in this
study demonstrate the potential use of short range RFIDs in location estimation and material
tracking in a cost-effective manner for indoor construction operations. The developed method
for location identification and material tracking using RFID technology can be used to obtain
information required for scalable, near-real-time decision-making and timely tracking of
project status.
The developed methods and algorithms are implemented in prototype software. It
consists of two computational frameworks; BIM+ and Control+. BIM+ is Two-Tier software,
which utilizes an object-oriented BIM model. So, it can be used as an advanced tool for data
acquisition through the user’s tablet PC. Control+ is Three-Tier Web-Based software for
processing the captured data from the tablet PC and independent automated data acquisition
technologies. The developed model, methods, algorithms and software constitute a step
ahead of current progress reporting applications and expand upon automated site data
acquisition technologies and visualization-information technologies use in construction.


identifier: Yan, Baiquan  (2013) A Systematic Study of Design Conflict: Modeling, Representation, Resolution, and Application.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT
A Systematic Study of Design Conflict: Modeling, Representation, Resolution, and Application
Baiquan Yan, Ph.D.
Concordia University, 2013

Conflicts drive the development of technical systems and the evolution of design process. Conflict management, which mainly includes conflict identification and resolution, is a crucial part of design activity. This research conducts a systematic study and proposes a formal structure of design conflicts.
The first step of conflict management is to build up a formal model for technical system. Currently, there exist some inconsistences among different design theories because of the lack of a cohesive set of fundamental concepts about technical systems. This lack also causes misunderstanding among researchers and therefore hinders the development of design theories. This thesis presents a formal approach to representing technical systems. Both theoretical derivation and extensive example have shown that this formal representation meets the five requirements: completeness, clarity, independence, flexibility, and adaptability. A set five concepts— purpose, function, structure, behaviour and state— is identified and formally defined as the base set for technical systems.
The second step is to model conflicts based on the formalization of technical system. Current studies are based on heuristics and lack a systematic approach, and therefore fail to detect conflicts that are not predefined. This research puts forward a formal structure of design conflicts based on systematic analysis. This formal structure shows that any conflict is composed of at least three objects: two competing objects and one resource object that the former two contend for. This formal structure can be applied to different design fields and helps designers identify all conflicts existed in different design stages.
Based on the formal structure of conflicts and analysis of relation among the three objects in a conflict, this research also proposes three formal methods for detecting conflicts and   presents a set of general resolution principles, which include modifying resource object, separating conflict relations in time or in space, changing the two competing objects, using optimization methods, and replacing the whole conflict.
An example demonstrates the application of the formal structures, followed with conclusion and suggestions for future research.


identifier: Peschiera, Bernardo  (2014) Design and Implementation of a Fixed-frequency Inductive Power Transfer System.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Inductive power transfer (IPT) technology has gained immense interest for battery charging applications. IPT proves to be particularly efficient and suitable for high-power applications (≈1-20kW). This makes IPT an effective alternative for charging large batteries of electric vehicles (EVs), especially large electric transit vehicles, such as trains, trams, and buses.
Because of the trend that this technology is having, it is important to understand the general characteristics and its applications. Nowadays, it is not a secret that IPT technology is and will continue revolutionizing the industry and our society. The future vision is to change the way electricity has been observed since its discovery: through wires.
The main objective of this thesis is to study in details the fundamentals of IPT technology and analyze two principal stages of the system: the power supply and the resonant circuit, in order to design an IPT system using effective techniques, which will improve its performance. Additionally, the thesis helps identify and suggest a design procedure that can benefit and motivate future work on this technology. Moreover, the thesis presents a prototype setup that was built in the laboratory, in order to validate the theoretical analysis and simulation results.
The thesis is structured into four main parts; the first part reviews the concepts of IPT systems, the different topologies, the explanation of important design considerations, and finally, presents initial simulation results. The second part explains the characteristics of the power supply in IPT systems, the control techniques to regulate the power flow, the explanation of a proposed control strategy, and the simulation results. The third part presents the experimental test setup and related results. Finally, the fourth part presents the conclusions and suggested future work.


identifier: Graham, Peter  (2014) Meaning, Education, & Sustainability: Building connectivity through dissociation.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis addresses current unsustainability and role the education system plays in propagating and perpetuating a collectively acquired and transmitted habitus and praxis of unsustainability. The origins of the contemporary unsustainability are theorized as continually recurring collective traumas having a negative impact on cultural tools at the level of both individual and social mind. These cultural tools in their totality constitute a system of meaning that works to normalize unsustainability as the “right” way of being in the world. This ongoing process works to remove connectivity from the shared meaning system. Remediation is theorized as involving first, recognition that the cultural tools are more the result of historical accident than genetic inheritance and second, a process of dissociation between the self and the dysfunctional cultural tools. It is argued that there are many examples that would suggest this process of dissociation is already underway, such as educational programs intended to overcome mind-body dualities for example. It is suggested that the metric of connectivity can serve as a proxy for the healthiness of the social mind and that unsustainability might productively be conceptualized as a mental illness of the social mind.


identifier: Weadick, Shaun  (2014) Entangled Plants and Property: A Landscape of Gardens and Alleys.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The primacy of private property, and its incumbent rights, structures who has access to space in the city and who can be displaced. This regime of property includes not only theoretical and legal underpinnings of property and space in the city, but also the narratives and normative understandings necessary to support this institution. This thesis looks towards denaturalizing private property as the only conceivable way of organizing space (Macpherson, 1978). The act of gardening has long been linked to claiming property, while domestic gardens have been characterized as both paradoxical spaces (Longhurst, 2013) and liminal zones (Blomley, 2004c). I look at the ways that supposedly rigid boundaries of property are entangled, transgressed, and blurred through everyday interactions between people and plants in the gardens and alleys of the Parc Extension neighbourhood in Montréal.

This study is a personal reflection on gardening practice along the boundaries of public and private. I draw from my own gardening experience, conversations with neighbours, photographs, alley walking, and interactions with plants to make the case that lived experience in gardens is far more complex than normative understandings linked to property suggest. Further, I argue that by exploring the entanglements of property and plants in the landscape of gardens and alleys, we can find lived experiences that contradict harmful assumptions bound up in private property; assumptions that see tenants as incapable of improving property and that link tenancy, migrancy, and disorder.


identifier: Baer, Lawrence H.  (2014) Timing, kinematics, and the cerebellum: Tapping into differences between musicians and non-musicians.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Musical performance relies on basic processes such as timing, and the synchronization of motor responses with environmental stimuli. The study of the effects of musical training on behaviour and the brain provides an opportunity to understand these processes and their neural correlates, particularly in relation to the cerebellum, a brain region implicated in timing.

The first study presented here compared musicians and non-musicians on the standard sensorimotor synchronization task of finger tapping to a metronome, with and without tactile feedback. The results indicated that musicians differed from non-musicians in their use of kinematics and sensory information for synchronization.

The second study focused on how musical training affects event-based and emergent timing in repetitive rhythmic tapping and drawing. Event-based timing has been shown to rely on an internal clock-like process that is independent of the motor response. Conversely, emergent timing establishes regular rhythmic movement by stabilizing kinematic parameters without reference to an explicit internal representation of time intervals. Musical training was associated with improved precision in event-based timing but not in emergent timing. For musicians only, the kinematic parameter of movement jerk was decoupled from timing variability in both event-based and emergent timing. These results support the dissociability of the two timing modes, highlight the limits of musical training, and show that the relationship between kinematics and timing is affected by musical expertise.

The third study examined differences between musicians and non-musicians in a finger-tapping task, and in regional cerebellar volumes measured from magnetic resonance imaging data. Smaller volumes were associated with an earlier age of start of musical training, and with better timing performance. These findings are evidence for a sensitive period, before seven years, for initiation of musical training. Timing variability was associated with the volume of right Lobule VI, indicating localization of event-based timing to this region.

The overall pattern of results suggests that musicians may be using sensory information to maintain timing in a more efficient and parsimonious manner compared to non-musicians. This is interpreted as evidence that musicians are using a top-down approach for many music-related tasks, in contrast to the bottom-up approach of non-musicians.


title: Timing, kinematics, and the cerebellum: Tapping into differences between musicians and non-musicians


identifier: Baker, Joyce  (2014) L'évolution du rapport à la sexualité dans les chansons d'Indochine.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Ce mémoire de maîtrise étudie l’ensemble de l’œuvre du groupe pop-rock français Indochine dans la perspective où la chanson constitue un médium privilégié pour la mise en scène des identités sexuelles. Selon cet angle, nous voyons, en considérant la problématique de la mise en scène de soi comme catalyseur de l’œuvre (laquelle qui, par conséquent, se retrouve ancrée et engagée face au monde qui l’entoure), comment s’articule le rapport entre le canteur et sa propre sexualité. Afin de mener à bien l’étude de cette œuvre intermédiale, où les chansons se retrouvent étroitement liées à leur mise en image par les vidéoclips, nous faisons appel aux études cantologiques, aux gender studies ainsi qu’à différentes études culturelles et sociologiques sur la musique rock. Concrètement, ce mémoire de maîtrise postule que, sur trois périodes prédéfinies, l’évolution poétique de la voix des chansons correspond grosso modo à celle de la maturité d'un être humain face à son identité et sa sexualité : la naïveté (enfance), la prise de conscience (adolescence) et la prise de position (maturité). Nous nous demandons alors si cette évolution et le rapport qu'elle entretient avec la poétique du groupe impliquent une signification précise.


identifier: Dooley, Patrick  (2014) Post-Soviet Neoliberal Governmentality: A Study of International Organization’s Educational Policy in Post-Rose Revolution Republic of Georgia.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: Since the Rose Revolution in 2003, international organizations have been central in the shaping of educational policy in the Republic of Georgia. I look to analyze the educational policy of international organizations working Georgia from the point of view of governmentality. I argue that pervious research had failed to address the issue of education in Georgia beyond a basic concept of power. Through my analysis, I argue that a distinctly post-Soviet neoliberal governmentality emerges that differs from other concepts of governmentality. I argue that a distinctively post-Soviet neoliberal governmentality has emerged that renders Georgian governable for a specific position within the global assembly line.


identifier: Dolan, Andrew  (2014) The Importance of Sustainable Design Practices Within Design Education: An Investigation into Applied Sustainable Design Practices.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
ABSTRACT

In today’s contemporary western society, we are heading down a path of over consumption and unsustainable design practices. We are starting to do irreparable damage to our planet and if these types of practices are not changed, we are looking at a fundamental collapse of our culture as we know it.

Designers need to look at the things they create through a critical approach as well as being aware of the lifecycles of their projects. Making objects without embedding the product life cycle is no longer good enough as designers must now acknowledge that they are part of the problem of environmental damage.

By focusing on four large scale design projects, this thesis represents a reflection of four different approaches broadly based on sustainable design methodologies: physical, cultural, local, and emotional. A project based approach was taken to explore these areas where objects were conceived, constructed and evaluated based on their sustainable merits.
The overall understanding gained from these projects was that design needs to be Experienced. Design is a practice which operates across multiple disciplines and cultures and the potential good and bad that designers can bring to bear is staggering, and it is very important that design is practiced in a meaningful way.

This thesis also addresses the need for Sustainable design to be introduced very early on within design education. Designers can gain knowledge through practice and through this practical approach, gain insight into how their work can affect others.


identifier: Lalonde, Karine  (2014) Intertwining the elemental cycles of iron and carbon: Iron’s influence on the fate and dynamics of organic carbon in the environment.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
From respiration and DNA synthesis to superparamagnetic nanoparticles, magnetotactic bacteria and old rusty cars, iron is everywhere. Our understanding of iron geochemistry is central to the study of carbon and vice versa as it is nearly impossible to find an environment where these two elements are not conjoined. Iron has a profound effect on the carbon that cycles on geological time scales—in sedimentary rocks, in coal and petroleum deposits, the balance between carbon preservation and remineralization is in part modulated by iron. Approximately 20% of the organic carbon buried in sediments is protected by reducible iron phases, well below the oxic-anoxic limit of the sediment where they are no longer thermodynamically stable. Iron represents a globally important sink for sedimentary organic matter (OM), contributing to maintaining the delicate balance of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere.
Iron also impacts the carbon cycling in active oceanic, atmospheric and lithospheric reservoirs, for example by linking continental erosion to carbon deposition in sediments, and iron-rich riverine discharge and dust deposition to phytoplankton blooms in the middle of the ocean. The association of iron and OM also influences the photoreactivity (Zepp, 2003) and bioavailability (Mackay and Zirino, 1994; Raiswell and Canfield, 2012a), of both elements in aquatic systems.
In spite of its significance to high-turnover and refractory carbon, the exact mechanism of interaction between iron and OM is not yet known. We postulate the formation of inner-sphere complexes or coagulates at oxic-anoxic interfaces. We observe preferential sheltering of organic molecules with low C:N atomic ratios and enriched isotopic signatures (δ13C). A novel method, coupling a total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer, was developed to determine the δ13C of the dissolved organic matter that is retained by iron and other minerals. We find that iron phases increase the affinity and adhesion of 13C-enriched dissolved molecules to particulate phases – which has been reported to slow bacterial degradation. Further elucidation of the mechanism of interaction between the 2 elements could be achieved through novel instrumental methods, including TEM microscopy and EXAFS spectroscopy which are used to determine the macrostructural arrangement of iron and OM and the chemical environment surrounding iron atoms in sediments.


identifier: Somasekharan Pillai, Sarath  (2014) Fusion of Images and Videos using Multi-scale Transforms.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis deals with methods for fusion of images as well as videos using multi-scale transforms. First, a novel image fusion algorithm based primarily on an improved multi-scale coefficient decomposition framework is proposed. The proposed framework uses a combination of non-subsampled contourlet and wavelet transforms for the initial multi-scale decompositions. The decomposed multi-scale
coefficients are then fused twice using various local activity measures. Experimental results show that the proposed approach performs better or on par with the existing state-of-the art image fusion algorithms in terms of quantitative and qualitative performance. In addition, the proposed image fusion algorithm can produce high
quality fused images even with a computationally inexpensive two-scale decomposition. Finally, we extend the proposed framework to formulate a novel video fusion algorithm for camouflaged target detection from infrared and visible sensor inputs. The proposed framework consists of a novel target identification method based on conventional thresholding techniques proposed by Otsu and Kapur et al. These thresholding techniques are further extended to formulate novel region-based fusion rules using local statistical measures. The proposed video fusion algorithm, when used in target highlighting mode, can further enhance the hidden target, making it much easier to localize the hidden camouflaged target. Experimental results show
that the proposed video fusion algorithm performs much better than its counterparts in terms of quantitative and qualitative results as well as in terms of time complexity.
The relative low complexity of the proposed video fusion algorithm makes it an ideal candidate for real-time video surveillance applications.


identifier: El Chanati, Hisham  (2014) Performance Assessment of Water Network Infrastructure.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the fifth report of the drinking water infrastructure (2013), the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) had stated that a total of 384.2$ billion is needed in water infrastructure investments in United States over the next 20 years. About 247.5$ billion, which is 64.4% of this investment, is required for the transmission and distribution segments of the water infrastructure. Thus, it is essential that the water infrastructure functions properly to ensure the continuous supply of healthy water with the required pressure. The deterioration of water distribution networks leads to impaired water quality, increased leakage and breakage rate, and reduced hydraulic capacity. The development of inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation plans is crucial to reduce the failure risk of deteriorated infrastructures. The performance indices of water distribution networks and their components help municipalities plan inspection and avoid crises due to pipe failures and breaks.
The main purpose of this research is to assess the performance index of water distribution networks by integrating the performance indices of its components (pipelines and accessories). The water distribution network is divided into three hierarchal levels: components, segments, and distribution network or sub-network. To assess the performance indices of water distribution network components, the critical factors affecting them were identified and studied. Three main groups of factors were identified, namely, physical, environmental and operational.  Each of the three main groups is in turn sub-divided into a list of sub-factors. The Fuzzy Analytical Network Process (FANP) method was used to obtain the relative weights of the identified factors and sub-factors. These weights were used along with the effect values gathered from the experts to assess the performance index of the various components in the network. The performance indices of the segments were then assessed based on the components that make the segment. The performance indices of various segments were aggregated to obtain the sub-network or network performance using reliability analysis. Network performance could be utilized to prioritize the rehabilitation of components and segments and to construct comprehensive intervention plans for the entire network or sub-network. An Excel-Matlab® interface was developed to implement the developed models that perform the above mentioned procedure.
The resulting performance index, which represents the condition of the water distribution network, helps municipalities to minimize the number of scheduled maintenance activities and to predict the performance of the distribution network. This reduces health hazards and maintains the water supply safe, sustainable, and cost-effective.


identifier: Taheri, Flora  (2014) A Cloud Infrastructure for Multimedia Conferencing Applications.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Conferencing enables the conversational exchange of media between several parties. Conferencing applications are among important enterprise applications nowadays. However, fine grained scalability and elasticity remain quite elusive for multimedia conferencing applications, although they are key to efficiency in the resource usage.
    Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm for provisioning network, storage, and computing resources on demand using a pay-per-use model. Cloud-based conferencing services can inherent several benefits such as resource usage efficiency, scalability and easy introduction of different types of conferences.
   This thesis relies on a recently proposed business model for cloud-based conferencing. The model has the following roles: conferencing substrate provider, conferencing infrastructure provider, conferencing platform provider, conferencing service provider, and broker. Conferencing substrates are generally atomic and served as elementary building blocks (e.g. signalling, mixing) of conferencing applications. They can be virtualized and shared among several conferencing applications for resource efficiency purposes. Multiple conferencing substrates provided by different conferencing substrate providers can be combined to build a conferencing service (e.g. a dial-out signalling substrate and an audio mixer substrate can be composed to build a dial-out audio conference service).
   This thesis focuses on the conferencing infrastructure provider and conferencing substrate provider roles. It proposes a virtualized cloud infrastructure for multimedia conferencing applications. This infrastructure relies on fine grained conferencing substrates (e.g. dial-out signalling, dial-in signalling, audio mixer, video mixer, floor control, etc.) and offers several advantages in addition to fine grained scalability and elasticity (e.g. assembling substrates on the fly to build new conferencing applications). An architecture is proposed to realize the roles of conferencing infrastructure provider, conferencing substrate provider and their interactions. A resource allocation mechanism for conferencing substrates is also proposed. We have also built a prototype with Xen as the virtualization platform and validated the architecture. Performance has also been evaluated.


identifier: Abouzeid, Ahmed  (2014) Quality of Experience-Enabled Social Networks.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Social Networks (SNs), such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, have become ubiquitous in our daily life. However, as the number of SN users grows, the SN usage grows and there is higher demand for users’ Quality of Experience (QoE). For instance, some users would prefer to filter some posts, e.g. unwanted friendship requests and certain categories of posts, i.e. sports related posts. Users may also prefer to subscribe to a higher Quality of Service (QoS) level with their SN provider to have, for instance, higher priority on posting/retrieving.
3GPP 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC)-Based systems are all IP network architectures that enable users to connect to mobile networks through their mobile devices and seamlessly change from one access technology to another. EPC systems enable service provisioning with guaranteed and differentiated end-to-end QoS.
This thesis proposes a novel architecture that enables differentiated QoS and information filtering in SNs to improve the users QoE. The SN is deployed on top of 3GPP 4G EPC-Based systems, and it uses EPC services to enable guaranteed and differentiated QoS. The components of the proposed architecture interact through RESTful web services. This architecture allows users to filter posts using their own criteria and have priority over other users in posting and/or retrieving; thereby, improving users’ QoE.
A proof of concept prototype tool has been implemented to illustrate the viability of the proposed architecture and its performance has been partially evaluated.


identifier: Weissman, Eric Paul  (2013) Spaces, Places and States of Mind: a pragmatic ethnography of liminal critique.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Spaces, Places and States of Mind: a pragmatic ethnography of liminal critique.

Eric Paul Weissman PhD.
Concordia University, 2013.

	Intentional homeless communities, such as tent camps and shantytowns are increasingly entering political and academic debates about how to solve homelessness. Dignity Village Oregon, the first city licensed, homeless-built democratically self-governed, non-profit transitional housing community in US history, was the result of activists fighting for their rights to housing. It is central to debates about the role of homeless camps in various cities’ housing strategies.  The village has been criticized from within and by conventionally housed Oregonians for lack of sustainability, a series of impeachments of leadership, failure to transition people into conventional roles and for the drug epidemic that has much of the membership in its grip.  Theorized here as a by-product of the intrinsic logical contradictions of democracy and the exigencies of poverty, villagers’ liminality; their suspension between marginal and conventional statuses has an implicit function in the poverty management strategies of the city by keeping them off the streets and preventing them from organizing further.
	Liminal space and the critical potential of homeless populations are under-theorized.  Employing an interdisciplinary approach open to critical diversity called pragmatic ethnography of critique (PEOC), this dissertation uses video, participant observation and critical and reflexive storytelling from the point of views of participants to understand how residents of such communities establish critical commitments to one another and housing activism.
	Dignity’s twelve-years of struggle are praised by housing activists as evidence of a noble fight for the rights of the poor but critics present it as a lawless, drug infested failure that should be closed. Villagers fear eviction.  A solution is difficult to imagine. It is concluded that the village model is less satisfactory than conventional housing programs, but can have a temporary role in stemming homelessness. The village must engage in housing activism in order to empower itself in city politics.  A hybridized form of self-governing in which village leadership, homeless advocates and city planners contribute to the political structure of the community is suggested as part of the solution.


identifier: Lopez Sanchez, Efraim Josue  (2014) Automatic Generation of Real-Time Aircraft Simulation System Configurations.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Building configurations for real-time aircraft simulation systems is a challenging task. It involves the distribution of the applications among different scheduling processes, bound to different CPU's, in such a way that the applications' priority and expected execution order are taken into account.

In this thesis, we report on a study conducted at CAE Inc., a world leading manufacturer of flight simulation products, in which we have developed an approach to automatically build configurations. Our approach is based on a greedy algorithm that uses heuristics to distribute many applications into different partitions in such a way that inter-partition communication is minimized, the load across partitions is balanced, and each partition is denoted as a binary tree (the data structure used by the scheduler to run the applications). The configuration is also constrained by the priority and execution time of the applications.

When applied to CAE, our approach produces configurations that in most cases outperform or are similar to those generated by a domain expert.


identifier: Shojaalsadati, SeyedMohammad  (2014) Torsional Vibration Attenuation in V-Type Locomotive Diesel Engine Crankshaft using Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
The torque fluctuation due to the intermittent combustion pressure and inertia effect of the reciprocating parts generates torsional excitation on the crankshaft of all internal combustion engines. This excitation imposes considerable amount of torsional vibration on the crankshaft. Therefore the torsional vibration modeling and design of an auxiliary absorbing mechanism are very crucial, especially in locomotive diesel engines where the crankshaft is under excitation with high amplitude coupled with large inertia forces due to generators, compressors or fans.

In this research, the capability of centrifugal pendulum vibration absorbers (CPVA) commonly used in rotating machinery to attenuate the torsional vibration in a Locomotive V-type diesel engine crankshaft is investigated. First, an advanced torsional modeling of the locomotive crankshaft has been carried out. This is followed by the development of an accurate excitation torque of a real locomotive engine to the 8th order. The torsional response of the crankshaft under the derived excitation torque has then been investigated.

Finally, the model of the crankshaft incorporating the CPVA (auxiliary system) has been developed and then capability of CPVA to attenuate the torsional vibration of the crankshaft (main system) at resonance frequencies has been investigated. Moreover, the effect of pendulum parameters such as length and mass on the torsional vibration response of the crankshaft in both time and frequency domains has been studied.


identifier: Mostafa, Ahmad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5625-1106 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5625-1106>  (2014) Experimental Investigation of the Phase Equilibria in the Mg-Mn-{Ce, Nd} and Ce-Mg-Zn Ternary Systems and Diffusivity Measurements of the Mg-{Ce, Nd, Zn} and Zn-{Ce, Nd} Binary Systems.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In this work, the 450°C Mg-Mn-{Ce, Nd} and 300°C Ce-Mg-Zn isothermal sections were established using diffusion couples and key alloys. The phase relationships were determined using XDR, EDS/WDS and metallography. Diffusion couples were also used to measure the interdiffusion coefficients of the Mg-{Ce, Nd, Zn} and Zn-{Ce, Nd} binary systems based on the experimental composition profiles and Boltzmann-Matano method.
No ternary compounds were found in the Mg-Mn-{Ce, Nd} isothermal sections at 450°C. Microstructures of the ternary diffusion couples showed stationary Mn grain morphology in most of the diffusion zones. This was attributed to the affinity of Ce and Nd to Mg atoms, which forming several Mg-{Ce, Nd} binary compounds during the diffusion process. However, some of these binary compounds dissolved Mn. The ternary solubility of (γ-Ce)Mg,Mn, (CeMg), (CeMg3), (CeMg12), (α-Nd)Mg,Mn, (MgNd) and (Mg3Nd) was measured at 450°C to be 3.0, 5.1, 3.2, 1.8, 3.0, 13.0 and 3.7 at.% Mn, respectively. In both systems, the phase boundary lines were pointing towards the Mn-rich corner, except for the (α-Nd)Mg,Mn+Mn17Nd2+(MgNd) phase field.
Eight ternary compounds were observed in the Ce-Mg-Zn isothermal section at 300°C. These are: τ1 (Ce6Mg3Zn19), τ2 (CeMg29Zn25), τ3 (Ce2Mg3Zn3), τ4 (CeMg3Zn5), τ5
iv
(CeMg7Zn12), τ6 (CeMg2.3-xZn12.8+x; 0≤x≤1.1), τ7 (CeMgZn4) and τ8 (Ce(Mg1-yZny)11); 0.096≤y≤0.43). The ternary solubility of Zn in Ce-Mg compounds was found to increase with the decrease in Mg concentration. Accordingly, the ternary solid solubility of Zn in (CeMg12) and (CeMg3) was measured as 5.6 and 28.4 at.% Zn, respectively.
Diffusion couples with Boltzmann-Matano analysis were used to calculate the interdiffusion coefficients of the Mg-{Ce, Nd, Zn} and Zn-{Ce, Nd} systems. A systematic annealing procedure was followed to obtain all expected phases in the studied systems. For the available literature data for some of the compounds in the Mg-{Ce, Nd, Zn} systems, the calculated interdiffusion coefficients are in good agreement. The activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for the growth of the Mg-{Ce, Nd, Zn} compounds were determined using Arrhenius equation. The activation energies of the growth of the Mg-Ce compounds showed relatively higher values than those of Mg-Nd and Mg-Zn compounds.


identifier: Katihar, Ekansh Singh  (2014) Upgrade of lower layers in a High Availability environment.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Various industries such as telecommunication, banking etc. require un-interrupted services throughout the year. The requirement takes into account the system maintenance and the upgrade operations. The Service Availability Forum (SA Forum) solution enables high availability of services even during the maintenance and the upgrade operation. This solution enables portability of application across various platforms.
The SA Forum defined a service - Software Management Framework (SMF) that orchestrates the upgrade of SA Forum managed system. To perform an upgrade SMF requires an upgrade campaign. The solutions proposed in SMF are applicable only for the application layer but not for the lower layers such as Operating Systems and the virtualization facilities which include Virtual Machines and Virtual Machine Managers. On the other hand, the work done previously within the MAGIC project for the automatic generation of an upgrade campaign is limited to application entities only.
The objective of this thesis is to propose solutions in the context of SMF for the upgrade of lower layers as well without impacting the availability of services. To accomplish this objective we proposed three new upgrade steps that properly handle the dependencies between the layers of a machine during the upgrade. We also devised an approach for the automatic generation of an upgrade campaign for lower layers. The extended SMF is capable of executing the generated upgrade campaign for upgrading the virtualization facilities which include VMs capable of live migration as well. The upgrade campaign generation approach has been implemented in a prototype tool as an eclipse plug-in and tested with a case study.


identifier: Ardavan, Mehdi  (2014) EMI Risk Assessment in a Hospital Ward with Roaming Wireless Transmitters.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Between 44,000 and 98,000 patients die each year in US hospitals due to medical errors which may be prevented by providing the medical staff with instant access to patient records using wireless technology. If the electric field intensity of a wireless transmitter is greater than the immunity level of an electronic medical device (EMD), the device may malfunction. The consequences of this electromagnetic interference (EMI) can be as serious as harm to the patient. This thesis presents a quantitative assessment of the risk of exceeding immunity (REI) and an analysis of some EMI control policies by developing methods for fast estimation of the probability distribution of the electromagnetic field strength in indoor environments accounting for the mobility of transmitters.

To determine the REI, ray-tracing, the Sabine method from acoustics, and the Ricean probability density function (pdf) are used. A commercial software is used to show that the presence of some furniture has negligible effect on the pdf of the field strength.

An approximation of the power in higher order reflections in ray-tracing is used to present the modified ray-tracing-Rice method, immensely increasing the computational speed with no loss of accuracy compared to the Ray-tracing-Rice method. The Ricean and Nakagami pdfs are compared. It is shown that determining the Nakagami parameters requires more computation with no improvement in accuracy hence the Nakagami distribution is not recommended in indoor propagation.

The two-wave with diffuse power theory is shown to be unreliable in estimating the pdf of the sum field of two fixed transmitters and reliable in the case of roaming transmitters. The Ricean function is then shown to approximate the pdf of the sum field of two roaming transmitters.

The presence-weighted risk of exceeding immunity (PWREI) is introduced accounting for the mobility of one and two transmitters which can be present at distances close to and far from the EMD. The PWREI is useful for large-scale decision-making processes where both low- and high-risk scenarios are considered, contrary to worst-case analyses where the transmitters are fixed at close distances. The PWREI accounts for a policy where the staff members carrying the transmitters are required to maintain a minimum separation distance (MSD) from the EMD, and a non-compliance possibility. The PWREI is applied to a hospital ward using transmitters radiating 100 mW at 2.45 GHz. With full compliance, any low level of PWREI can be reached by increasing the MSD. Assuming some non-compliance, there exists an optimal MSD at which the PWREI reaches the risk floor and remains constant for greater MSDs, suggesting that larger MSDs are not necessarily safer. The MSD suggested by the International Electrotechnical Committee is too conservative compared to the optimal MSD. A vertical separation between the transmitter and the EMD is useful and recommended for increasing the efficacy of the MSD policy.


identifier: Babalis, Costa  (2014) Logion 7 of the Gospel according to Thomas and the Notion of “Oneness”: A Rhetorical / Structural Analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Abstract
Logion 7 of the Gospel according to Thomas and the Notion of “Oneness”:
                           A Rhetorical / Structural Analysis.
                                        Costa Babalis
The scholarly community, up to the present time, has struggled to find a solution for the
enigma of logion 7 in the Gospel of Thomas. Resolution has been met with difficulty due
to the isolation of the leonine imagery to the logion itself, the significance of
consumption and its relationship with either a blessed or cursed state and finally the
untenable ending to the logion that defies the conventions of a balanced chiastic structure.
Speaking to the last point, many are convinced that what they are confronting is an
apparent homoioteleuton and therefore opt to correct the error by amending the text. The
remaining issues are examined diachronically and inter-textually decided by the influence
of the Platonic school that informed the worldview of the period in which Gos. Thom.
was written. In this thesis, I propose that a synchronic reading complimented with a
rhetorical/structural analysis of logia 7-11 offers an alternative perspective to the
difficulties that may be resolved within the text itself and exposes “oneness” as its central
theme.


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

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


identifier: Yan, Wenxi  (2014) The Hedging Effectiveness of European Style S&P 100 versus S&P 500 Index Options.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract: This thesis examines the hedging effectiveness of European style S&P 100 index options (with the ticker symbol XEO) versus S&P 500 index options (with the ticker symbol SPX). SPX has more than thirty years of trading history. Launched on July 23, 2001, the XEO provides investors an alternative to hedge exposure to market fluctuations, especially in large-cap stocks. In my research, based on data from July 2001 to December 2011, I compare the hedging effectiveness of XEO and SPX options in hedging their underlying assets: the S&P 100 index and the S&P 500 index, respectively. The dynamic hedging strategy and the static hedging strategy are applied to construct the hedging portfolios. Based on different business cycles, I also divide the sample period into bull and bear sub-periods. The results indicate that hedging using the SPX outperforms that using the XEO, especially during the 2008 financial crisis period. This is likely because the lower trading volume in index options during the 2008 crisis period caused the XEO to lose liquidity and resulted in a worse hedging performance. I also find that the dynamic hedging strategy is more effective than the static hedging strategy over all periods. The option trading volume, time to maturity, and the implied volatility are also factors that influence the hedging effectiveness of the XEO and the SPX.


identifier: Chen, Fang  (2014) The Making of “Concubines”: Media, Audience, and Social Change in Contemporary China.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This dissertation examines marriage and sexuality in contemporary China through the lens of media and audience, with a specific focus on audience interpretations of the media discourse of “keeping a second wife” (bao ernai).   The emergence of this discourse, one that can be traced back to socialist condemnation of concubinage in Maoist China, is an awkward and unexpected finding at a time when the state has purportedly retreated from private life, and the media is increasingly globalized.  Even more unexpected, perhaps, is the startling diversity with which this discourse has been deployed, re-appropriated, and resisted by working and middle class women.  The Dissertation draws on discourse analysis, digital ethnography, and individual and focus group interviews to argue that the relationship between the media and audiences in contemporary China is dynamic and mutually transformative. Moreover, the ways of interpretation link to audiences ’social positions and subjectivities that help to conceive individuals’ perceptions of self and society in relation to marriage and sexuality.
The first part of the dissertation draws on content analysis of news accounts to analyze how the media has consistently coded “keeping a second wife” as an instance of “family crisis,” and in so doing re-affirm a Maoist-era idea of marriage and sexuality. The second part of the dissertation draws upon reception analysis to investigate three dominant themes that emerged in the interviews and social media: managing marriage, sexuality, and corruption. The dissertation argues that “managing marriage” is a key phrase deployed by women, with subjectivity breaking down along class lines: indeed, while middle class women employ new discourses to perform gender within the household, working class women understand the management of marriage through Maoist-era vocabulary and ideology. A reception analysis also allows new insight into contemporary practices of sexuality; in contemporary China the transformation of sexual norms is a complex process, in which the dominant, the residual, and the emergent are intertwined to constitute a fuller picture of sexual culture in China. Finally, the dissertation highlights a link between “keeping a second wife” and official corruption through story-telling and instances of “talking back” to the media discourse.  I argue the audience’s own narratives and the ways in which they contest the media’s narrative illustrate that the media discourse of corruption has encountered vigorous resistance.


identifier: Zbarcea, Danut  (2014) Je suis ce que j’interroge L’impact pédagogique des méthodes d’enseignement et d’apprentissage basées sur la déconstruction et la reconstruction de la rhétorique visuelle des nouvelles en ligne.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Développée à l’intersection de l’enseignement des arts, de l’enseignement du français, langue seconde et du domaine de la culture visuelle et ayant à la base un questionnement sur la rhétorique du message visuel des nouvelles publiées dans Internet et sur une imagerie personnelle, cette recherche constitue une investigation phénoménologique de l’impact des méthodes pédagogiques transdisciplinaires sur un milieu scolaire interculturel de niveau postsecondaire. Déroulé en plusieurs étapes, dans un cadre défini par la formule « Je suis ce que j’interroge.», cette étude de cas se concentre sur les moyens que l’étudiant du niveau d’études postsecondaires utilise pour s’auto-interroger et s’identifier par rapport au contexte contemporain (reflété et négocié à travers la rhétorique visuelle des nouvelles en ligne). Le choix du niveau d’enseignement a été déterminé par la prise en considération de deux facteurs principaux. Le premier prend en considération le fait qu’à ce moment de leurs études les étudiants (bénéficiaires de la construction de la connaissance en ligne) ont déjà une longue expérience de fréquentation de l’hypermédia et de participation à sa construction. Relié au premier, le deuxième facteur prend en considération le fait que ce seront les étudiants d’aujourd’hui qui joueront bientôt un rôle actif dans la prise de décisions ayant des implications sociales à long terme sur l’environnement social et naturel.
L’objectif de cette approche artistique, pédagogique et de recherche comporte trois volets:
•	Créer, développer, expérimenter et évaluer un processus pédagogique et de recherche basé sur la transdisciplinarité et sur l’interculturalisme;
•	Faciliter la participation des étudiants du niveau d’études postsecondaires au développement d’un processus pédagogique d’éveil graduel, en étant conscients qu’ils doivent disposer en ce moment d’un fondement théorique et pratique qui leur permet de porter un regard critique, d’avoir suffisamment de maturité et de responsabilité envers l’environnement social et la vie en général ;
•	Attirer l’attention sur la nécessité de développer et de pratiquer des méthodes  interrogatives d’enseignement basées sur la culture visuelle contemporaine et destinées au niveau d’études postsecondaires.
La principale finalité visée par cette étude, basée sur la déconstruction et la reconstruction visuelle, a été d’identifier des questions pédagogiques spécifiques non seulement à l’exploration et à l’exploitation transformative de la rhétorique visuelle des nouvelles en ligne et des images personnelles, mais surtout à un processus pédagogique transdisciplinaire et interculturel dans son ensemble, ciblé à ce niveau d’apprentissage.
En utilisant la rhétorique visuelle comme outil d’analyse critique et d’interprétation des données, cette recherche débouche sur des conclusions qui visent l’impact du processus pédagogique et de recherche proposé sur les participants impliqués.
Les données obtenues ont montré que notre processus pédagogique et de recherche a eu un impact bénéfique. Partis d’une première étape d’orientation, - où on présentait en grande majorité un intérêt presque exclusif pour une connaissance d’errance, d’évasion et de distraction -, passés par les étapes de déconstruction et reconstruction - où ils ont dû construire leurs identités projetées vers un avenir marqué par l’urgence -, et arrivés au final à une étape d’évaluation du processus développé, les étudiants ont confirmé à travers leurs réponses non seulement la capacité transformationnelle positive de ce type d’approche, mais surtout la nécessité de l’instituer et de la pratiquer au niveau post-secondaire et au niveau universitaire destiné à la formation initiale des maîtres. Étant donné les changements dynamiques et multidirectionnelles du monde contemporain, cette validation à travers les données obtenues nous confirme aussi que notre type d’approche nécessite d’être adaptée à chaque fois en fonction du processus critique et éthique qu’on envisage à mettre en place.


identifier: Gregoire, Elizabeth  (2014) Fertility Decision-Making: A Québec-Specific Analysis.  Masters thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
This thesis examines different aspects considered during the fertility decision-making process that unfolds during a woman’s life.  In order to more fully understand how this important decision is taken (or arrived at), it was deemed necessary to investigate both women with children and women with no children, who are often viewed differently and who are not always asked to articulate their decisions to the same extent.  Due to the temporal and ongoing nature of fertility and childbearing decision-making, interviews and self-directed questionnaires were used to obtain fertility histories of 26 women.  Analysis of the collected data was made with regard to facets such as the meaning of motherhood; influences, desires and intentions; partners; decision-making and readiness; and contraceptive choices.  Questions such as when decision-making begins and how it is negotiated with regard to other life objectives are looked at.  Within a Quebec context, the analysis drew on theories from the Second Demographic Transition to frame the question and ongoing decision-making process, and from Symbolic Interactionism to seek detailed information from women themselves and acknowledge the high level of agency they exert in coming to a decision.  As such, the women in this study had/will have fewer children than prior generations, and when they are older in age, and within either married or co-habitational relationships.  Partners and age emerge as the strongest influences, as well as the primary decisional elements of consideration for both groups of women.   The narratives show fluid and sometimes, negotiated, life paths that were not always in line with original intention or expected outcome.

Keywords: fertility; decision-making; childbearing intention; motherhood


identifier: Quon, Elizabeth  (2014) Subjective and Relative Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Health Outcomes.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Social and psychological variables associated with relative position in the socioeconomic hierarchy may influence health over and above the material implications of that position. Subjective socioeconomic status, the perception of one’s position in the socioeconomic structure, may reflect relative status better than traditional measures of socioeconomic status. Income inequality, the scale of income distribution in a society, is linked to the degree of social status differentiation in a society. Although relative status and social comparison may be particularly relevant during adolescence, and adolescence may be a period of relevance for later health outcomes, less research has been conducted on socioeconomic disparities in health during this developmental period. The objective of the current research program is to examine how relative position in the socioeconomic hierarchy is related to adolescent health, across multiple domains of health: self-rated health, mental health, physical health, and health behaviours.
Study 1, a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of the studies that have examined the association between subjective socioeconomic status and adolescent health, demonstrated a significant overall effect of subjective socioeconomic status on adolescent health, and examined the influence of a variety of moderating factors. Using data from the population-based National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, Study 2 found a main effect of province-level income inequality on select individual physical health outcomes and a moderating effect of income inequality on the associations between family socioeconomic status and mental health outcomes in adolescents. Using the Quebec Child and Adolescent Health and Social Survey, Study 3 demonstrated the independent effects of subjective socioeconomic status, individual socioeconomic status relative to community, and income inequality on a range of adolescent health outcomes.
Overall, this research program provided a comprehensive understanding of the influence of subjective socioeconomic status and income inequality, and the broader construct of relative status, on several domains of health during adolescence. It is recommended that future studies use longitudinal data to examine pathways between relative socioeconomic status and health during adolescence and into adulthood. Further examination of cross-level interactions is also warranted. This line of research has implications for health and social policy.


identifier: Bui, Minh  (2014) Resilient virtual topologies in optical networks and clouds.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Optical networks play a crucial role in the development of Internet by providing a high speed infrastructure to cope with the rapid expansion of high bandwidth demand applications such as video, HDTV, teleconferencing, cloud computing, and so on. Network virtualization has been proposed as a key enabler for the next generation networks and the future Internet because it allows diversification the underlying architecture of Internet and lets multiple heterogeneous network architectures coexist.

Physical network failures often come from natural disasters or human errors, and thus cannot be fully avoided. Today, with the increase of network traffic and the popularity of virtualization and cloud computing, due to the sharing nature of network virtualization, one single failure in the underlying physical network can affect thousands of customers and cost millions of dollars in revenue. Providing resilience for virtual network topology over optical network infrastructure thus becomes of prime importance.

This thesis focuses on resilient virtual topologies in optical networks and cloud computing. We aim at finding more scalable models to solve the problem of designing survivable logical topologies for more realistic and meaningful network instances while meeting the requirements on bandwidth, security, as well as other quality of service such as recovery time.

To address the scalability issue, we present a model based on a column generation decomposition. We apply the cutset theorem with a decomposition framework and lazy constraints. We are able to solve for much larger network instances than the ones in literature. We extend the model to address the survivability problem in the context of optical networks where the characteristics of optical networks such as lightpaths and wavelength continuity and traffic grooming are taken into account.

We analyze and compare the bandwidth requirement between the two main approaches in providing resiliency for logical topologies. In the first approach, called optical protection, the resilient mechanism is provided by the optical layer. In the second one, called logical restoration, the resilient mechanism is done at the virtual layer. Next, we extend the survivability problem into the context of cloud computing where the major complexity arises from the anycast principle. We are able to solve the problem for much larger network instances than in the previous studies. Moreover, our model is more comprehensive that takes into account other QoS criteria, such that recovery time and delay requirement.


identifier: Amayri, Ola  (2014) Statistical Analysis of Spherical Data: Clustering, Feature Selection and Applications.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
In the light of interdisciplinary applications, data to be studied and analyzed have witnessed a growth in volume and change in their intrinsic structure and type. In other words, in practice the diversity of resources generating objects have imposed several challenges for decision maker to determine informative data in terms of time, model capability, scalability and knowledge discovery.
Thus, it is highly desirable to be able to extract patterns of interest that support the decision of data management. Clustering, among other machine learning approaches, is an important data engineering technique that empowers the automatic discovery of similar object’s clusters and the
consequent assignment of new unseen objects to appropriate clusters. In this context, the majority of current research does not completely address the true structure and nature of data for particular application at hand. In contrast to most previous research, our proposed work focuses on the modeling and classification of spherical data that are naturally generated in many data mining and knowledge discovery applications. Thus, in this thesis we propose several estimation and feature selection frameworks based on Langevin distribution which are devoted to spherical patterns in offline and online settings.
In this thesis, we first formulate a unified probabilistic framework, where we build probabilistic kernels based on Fisher score and information divergences from finite Langevin mixture for Support Vector Machine. We are motivated by the fact that the blending of generative and discriminative approaches has prevailed by exploring and adopting distinct characteristic of each approach
toward constructing a complementary system combining the best of both.
Due to the high demand to construct compact and accurate statistical models that are automatically adjustable to dynamic changes, next in this thesis, we propose probabilistic frameworks for high-dimensional spherical data modeling based on finite Langevin mixtures that allow simultaneous clustering and feature selection in offline and online settings. To this end, we adopted finite mixture models which have long been heavily relied on deterministic learning approaches such as maximum likelihood estimation. Despite their successful utilization in wide spectrum of areas, these approaches have several drawbacks as we will discuss in this thesis. An alternative approach is the adoption of Bayesian inference that naturally addresses data uncertainty while ensuring good generalization. To address this issue, we also propose a Bayesian approach for finite Langevin mixture model estimation and selection.
When data change dynamically and grow drastically, finite mixture is not always a feasible solution.
In contrast with previous approaches, which suppose an unknown finite number of mixture components, we finally propose a nonparametric Bayesian approach which assumes an infinite
number of components. We further enhance our model by simultaneously detecting informative features in the process of clustering. Through extensive empirical experiments, we demonstrate the merits of the proposed learning frameworks on diverse high dimensional datasets and challenging real-world applications.


identifier: El Ayoubi, Carole  (2014) Three-Dimensional Aero-Thermal Optimization of Film Cooling in a High Pressure Turbine.  PhD thesis, Concordia University.

abstract:
Development of effective discrete film cooling is recognized as an essential task in gas turbine design since it has been shown necessary to ensure an acceptable turbine component life-time. Traditional design of film cooling schemes is driven by a single objective, maximizing the cooling performance. The aerodynamic penalty resulting from the coolant injection is generally neglected. Achieving an aero-thermal design of film cooling is a challenging task as it is based on two competing objectives; attaining a high thermal protection of the airfoil from the hot mainstream gas usually results in deteriorating the aerodynamic efficiency.
The present research addresses this challenge and investigates the complex flow underlying the aero-thermal interaction on a film cooled airfoil. The simultaneous effects of film coolant flow parameters and film hole geometric variables on the aerodynamic loss and the cooling effectiveness are examined. Trends in design variations to minimize the aerodynamic penalty, while maintaining a high cooling performance are established.
The research objective is achieved by implementing an automated optimization procedure that consists of a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm coupled with an artificial neural network. The latter is used to provide prediction of the objective function at every optimization iteration and reduces computation time. It is constructed based on numerical flow simulations where the three dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved.
The optimization methodology is applied on a typical high-pressure turbine with two staggered rows of discrete film cooling on the suction side. The Pareto front of optimal solutions is generated. The thermal, aero-thermal, and aerodynamic optimums are identified and investigated numerically. A subsonic wind-tunnel facility available in Concordia University is used to re-create experimentally the optimum design points. Measured experimental data allowed verification of the CFD model, and substantiated the optimization methodology as a reliable design tool for film cooling in turbomachinery applications.