McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 2005

Most theoretical and methodological research addressing victimization, social support, and loneliness has focused on early childhood and adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between victimizing behavior and lack of social support that may lead to loneliness in adolescents. A cross sectional survey with 152 students ages 12-16 years from grades 8-10 was conducted in a Montreal public secondary school in September 2004. Three empirically validated tools were used: the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1980), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and the Bullying - Fighting and Victimization Scale …  Read more

The use of a noise-shaping system in oversampled filter banks has been shown to improve the effective resolution of subband coders. Although the filter banks directly determine the noise-shaping coefficients, a comparison between theoretical and simulated results has not been done, while the effect of the selection of the filter banks on the performance of the noise-shaping system has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, an algorithm for the generation of cosine-modulated perfect-reconstruction filter banks is presented, such that the generated filters could be used as a test bed. The optimal noise-shaping coefficients are then derived, and the noise-shaping system is …  Read more

This dissertation describes a series of investigations designed to establish in-vivo analysis of cortical thickness using magnetic resonance images (MRI) as a viable technique in human brain imaging. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction and overview of the relevant background. Chapters 3-6 take the form of manuscripts either published or submitted and describe (i) the validation of the methodology, (ii) its application in pathophysiology research, (iii) its application in clinical diagnosis and (iv) methodology and research application of the concept of "correlated" changes in cortical thickness. The final chapter summarizes the findings and considers the future development of this …  Read more

This paper is a comparison of narrative in Genesis and Midrash Genesis Rabbah, using as a sample each text's version of the story of Cain and Abel. The paper begins with a survey of the study of Bible as literature and Midrash as literature, examining the work of Robert Alter, Meir Sternberg, Wesley A. Kort, Isaak Heinemann, Ofra Meir, David Stern and Jacob Neusner. Following this is a close reading and poetic analysis of the two primary texts, then a summary and comparison of narrative conventions and techniques. Narrative is examined according to the considerations of plot, character, narration and …  Read more

Thus thesis focuses on the roles of social work (on the part of governments and NGOs) in dealing with Indonesia's Ambon conflict (1999 to date). The research seeks to map the roots of the conflict and the interventions made by both level of government and NGOs and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their social work efforts in conflict resolution. Based on an analysis of these efforts of these institutions, this thesis offers some suggestions as to an enhanced role for social work in dealing with future reconciliation in Ambon especially and in Indonesia generally.  Read more

Scalp electroencephalograms (EEGs) constitute a well-established modality in the diagnosis of epilepsy. EEGs are frequently contaminated by artifacts originating from various sources such as scalp muscles, ocular activity, or patient movement. Recently, independent component analysis (ICA) has been applied to separate and remove statistically independent artifactual sources from scalp EEG recorded during seizures. However, this method requires a trained electroencephalographer to visually identify the artifacts among the components extracted by ICA. Proposed is a system to automate this process, using a Bayesian framework to classify the components as either brain activity or artifact. The system identified EEG components with 87.6% …  Read more

HIV-1 genomic RNA trafficking is an important event which remain unclear. Different cellular proteins are involved in this process and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNP A2) is suggested to play a role by its potential implication in ribonucleoprotein complex which is related with the microtubule network. We identified heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNP A2) is involved in this process. To investigate the potential function of hnRNP A2 in the trafficking, protein expression was decreased using small interfering RNA and the impact on RNA localization, protein expression patterns and levels of genomic RNA in new virions was looked at. The …  Read more

In this thesis, I examine how, during the twentieth century, the Lacandons, an ethnic subgroup of the Mayas came to be considered the " purest " of the indigenous groups living in Chiapas, the southeasternmost state of Mexico. As the development of ethnic tourism continues to intensify, a conception of culture that emphasizes timeless traditions and continuity with the past is concurrently increasing. I intend to demonstrate that this essentialization of the lacandon culture imposes constraints within which individuals must operate. However, while the ways in which they define and represent themselves for tourists, anthropologists, and other visiting foreigners reveals …  Read more

A three-colour pyrometer is built and used to record the transient visible radiation emitted by a fireball produced when a condensed explosive is detonated. Measurements of the radiant intensity at several narrow wavelength bands are used to estimate the temperature of the products within the fireball. For conventional oxygen-deficient homogeneous explosives (TNT and nitromethane), the radiant intensity reaches a maximum typically after tens of milliseconds, but the measured fireball temperature remains largely constant for more than 100 ms, at a value of about 2 000 K, consistent with predictions using equilibrium thermodynamics codes. When combustible metal particles such as aluminium, …  Read more

This thesis is an analysis of two film soundtracks, High Fidelity and Rushmore, and how each conforms to, and moves away from, trends in soundtrack production. The analysis begins by examining the relationship between film and music through the progression of key figures and moments leading to the current state of the film soundtrack. The soundtracks of High Fidelity and Rushmore are situated within the contexts of youth and rock culture as a means of illuminating their compilations and prospective audiences. The conclusion of this thesis is that these particular films and their soundtracks are entrenched in a dialogue about …  Read more

A fundamental problem in interprocedural program analyses is the need to represent and manipulate collections of large sets. Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) are a data structure widely used in model checking to compactly encode large state sets. In this dissertation, we develop new techniques and frameworks for applying BDDs to program analysis, and use our BDD-based analyses to gain new insight into factors influencing analysis precision. To make it feasible to express complicated, interrelated analyses using BDDs, we first present the design and implementation of JEDD, a Java language extension which adds relations implemented with BDDs as a datatype, and …  Read more

All-Optical networks have been proposed as a solution to meet growing demand for broadband access. An essential component in these networks will be new Clock and Data Recovery devices which can recover burst-mode traffic. This a significantly different challenge from conventional, continuous-mode CDR. Burst-mode data originates at various sources and arrives at the receiver with different phases, potentially changing by +/-pi Rads. Therefore, new CDR designs are required to adapt to large steps in phase upon each new burst to maintain BER integrity. This must be accomplished on the order of ns if All-Optical networks are to be viable. While …  Read more

Microwave assisted osmotic dehydration (MWOD) under continuous medium flow conditions is a new process with good potential for quality optimization. It combines microwave process with osmotic dehydration and improves the mass transfer rate of osmotic dehydration process and product quality. The thesis describes the design and development of this process. Preliminary studies on osmotic dehydration were carried out in two parts. First, the effects of processing time, temperature and solution concentration on mass transfer under conventional osmotic dehydration process were investigated and suitable ranges of parameters: 40-60°C, 40-60°Brix and 3h, for further osmotic dehydration kinetics study were identified. Then, the …  Read more

With the development of multi-processors, multi-threaded programs and programming languages have become more and more popular. This requires extending the scope of program analysis and compiler optimization from traditional, sequential programs to concurrent programs. Naumovich et al. proposed May Happen in Parallel (MHP) analysis that determines which program statements may be executed concurrently. From this information, compiler optimization improvements, as well as analysis data on potential program problems such as dataraces can be analyzed or discovered. Unfortunately, MHP analysis has some limitations with respect to practical use. In this thesis we present an implementation of MHP analysis for Java that …  Read more

This work is aimed at understanding and modelling the perceptual stability mechanisms of human visual systems, regardless of large changes in the visual sensory input resulting from some visual-related motions. Invariant neuronal representation plays an important role for memory systems to associate and recognize objects. In contrast to the bulk of previous research work on the learning of invariance that focuses on the pure bottom-up visual information, we incorporate visual-related self-action signals such as commands for eye, head or body movements, to actively collect the changing visual information and gate the learning process. This helps neural networks learn certain degrees …  Read more

Grinding in mineral processing is used to liberate valuable minerals from ore and prepare feed for mineral separation. It accounts for up to 50% of a concentrator's energy consumption. Ball mills are usually adopted in grinding processes; however their energy efficiency is low. Consequently, a small improvement can lead to important savings. Population balance models can be used for ball mill optimization, but their use is limited because they are black box models based on incomplete information about the breakage events inside ball mills. Charge motion simulators, based on the discrete element method (DEM), not only provide information about charge …  Read more

Non-ideal behavior of condensed explosives with metal particle additives has been observed experimentally. In general, adding metal particles to a homogeneous explosive leads to a reduction in the detonation velocity and pressure, depending on the charge diameter, the concentration of the additive, and the particle size. To investigate these phenomena, detonation propagation in liquid and aluminized liquid explosives has been studied theoretically by including source terms in the 1-D conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy. To predict the steady state detonation parameters and the detailed structure of the detonation, the generalized C-J condition has been used to obtain a …  Read more

The goal of this research was to investigate the influence of the degree of hydrogenation of frying oil on quality and textural changes in chicken nuggets during deep-fat frying. Thermal stabilities of the frying oils were also studied. The frying oil consisted of blends of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils mixed at different ratios. Physical and textural attributes of the products, as well as the moisture and fat contents, were measured at various frying times. Oil samples were withdrawn at different times and analyzed for colour, free fat acid (FFA) content, viscosity and dielectric properties. Physical and textural properties of chicken …  Read more

Prototypes of replicated database management system have been designed and implemented to improve the reliability and availability. Although these systems are quite robust to failure, a recovery mechanism is still missing to bring a failed site back into the system. This thesis studies two different distributed recovery strategies and presents a hybrid distributed recovery algorithm that, combines the two strategies. These recovery algorithms using different strategies are also integrated into PostgreSQL-RR system. This thesis also compares the cost in term of time associated with recoveries using different strategies, which gives a good foundation to the heuristic used in the hybrid …  Read more

Distributed systems are the main architecture for enterprise applications. To develop a reliable distributed system, replication is necessary. The Adapt SIB replication system [27] provides a feasible solution for a reliable application server system. However, the system can not scale up since there is always only one primary server executing client requests. This thesis presents the LB system which is based on the Adapt SIB system, but with more functions. The LB system may have the same number of server replicas as in the Adapt SIB system, but it can have more than one primary server, each being able to …  Read more

With the increasing popularity of the Internet, computer networking courses are becoming important elements of undergraduate and graduate curricula. Unfortunately, due to the security and cost worries, it is impractical to establish a real network environment for teaching and learning purposes. The GINI toolkit developed by Advanced Networking Research Lab of Mcgill University provides the solution for it. It is an overlay experimentation platform that allows running a virtual micro network on a single host. However, wireless applications are not supported by GINI currently while the explosive growth of the wireless computing calls for a deep understanding of the wireless …  Read more

This dissertation starts by examining the evolution of the Canadian payments system from a historical perspective by reviewing the institutional evolution, as well as the development and adoption of some of the newest payment instruments. Two major trends in recent Canadian payment history are revealed, i.e., cash payments are being replaced by non-cash payments and paper-based payment instruments are being replaced by electronic payment instruments. Next, we adopt a model proposed by Snellman et al. (2000) to conduct a Canadian study of the retail cash payment flows. The estimated results imply that the share of cash, as well as cheques, …  Read more

This thesis examines the visual images of Vimalakirti, an ancient Indian lay Buddhist, painted on the walls of the Buddhist cave complex at Dunhuang, Gansu province, between 581 and 1036. The sixty-nine Vimalakirti, paintings preserved at Dunhuang are a valuable source for the exploration of historical, religious, and artistic dimensions of wall paintings and sutras. These visual images, together with other textual sources such as sutras, commentaries, and inscriptions, suggest a variety of interesting questions: Why was this theme repeatedly represented? Do the images all have the same prototype? Is there a spiritual function contained in the layout of the …  Read more

Zirconium oxide is a barrier against corrosion. The oxidation behavior of zirconium alloys is believed to be related to the properties of the substrate and the zirconium oxide grown on this substrate. Both monoclinic and tetragonal phases of the oxide grown on Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-4 are strongly textured. The volume fraction of tetragonal phase in zirconium oxide was investigated. The tetragonal phase percentage gradually decreases with an increase of the oxide thickness. The oxidation kinetics of Zr-2.5Nb and Zircaloy-4 was investigated and the results demonstrate that the oxidation rate is related to the volume fraction of tetragonal phase. No texture …  Read more

Objectives. Few studies have identified longitudinal predictors of smoking cessation in disadvantaged communities. This study identified predictors of cessation in a 5-year longitudinal cohort of adults aged 18-65 years and living in low-income, inner-city neighborhoods of Montreal, Canada. Methods. Secondary analysis of data from the non-randomized evaluation of Coeur en Sante St. Henri, a community-based intervention program designed to decrease cardiovascular disease risk (CVD) factors. Data on lifestyle behaviors were collected in telephone interviews of a representative sample of residents at baseline and five years later. Independent predictors of cessation were identified among 303 subjects who smoked at baseline, using …  Read more

Through a comparative study of the aviation policies in the principal countries of North America (the United States) and Europe (Germany), this thesis will examine China's aviation policy and its situation in the trend toward liberalization, placing special emphasis on bilateral agreements. This thesis will describe the historic evolution of the economic regulation in civil air transport that laid the foundation for bilateral air transport service agreements and the Open Skies regime. Moreover, the development of bilateral air services agreements, from the Bermuda Agreements to the U.S.'s "Open Skies" Policy, is addressed. Then, a study of the ICAO actions toward …  Read more

In all-photonic networks, both transmission and switching is performed in the optical domain, without optoelectronic conversion for the data traversing the network. An accurate traffic model is critical in an agile all-photonic network (AAPN) which has the ability to dynamically allocate bandwidth to traffic flows as the demand varies. This thesis focuses on traffic modelling and analysis. A novel traffic model is proposed which can capture the traffic behaviours in all-photonic networks. The new model is based on a study of existing traffic modelling literature. It combines the time-varying Poisson model, gravity model and fractional Gaussian noise. This model can …  Read more

A key issue in the Agile All-Photonic Networks is the centralized scheduling method and the coordination between edge nodes and the core switching node. The focus of this thesis is to propose and evaluate efficient scheduling algorithms for time-slot based AAPN. Assuming some buffering at the edge nodes, we use a two-layer network topology design to simulate the network performance. The scheduling schemes proposed in this thesis are aimed at avoiding contention and improving bandwidth utilization. We employ a simple reservation scheme that guarantees time-slot deliveries. In addition, we implement this time-slot scheduling algorithm in the OPNET simulation environment to …  Read more

This dissertation principally addresses nonparametric maximal likelihood (NPML) estimation of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) given multivariate (arbitrarily) censored data (herein abbreviated MCD). The CDF nonparametric maximal likelihood estimate (NPMLE) given MCD has support on the union of all maximal intersections of the data. The CDF NPMLE can be computed numerically using the clique matrix of the intersection graph of the data; these NPMLEs can be nonunique in both a representational and a mixture sense (see Peto 1973, Turnbull 1976, Gentleman & Vandal 2001 and Gentleman & Vandal 2002). The fundamental methodology used in this dissertation consists in applying graph …  Read more

Previous studies (Bhuiyan, 2001; Bhuiyan et al., 2003; Jaafar, 2001) used stochastic computer models to study concurrent engineering (CE) processes. This thesis used the same models, but modified the two main mechanisms used in CE, that is, functional interaction and overlap, in order to better understand how they contribute to process performance, i.e., how they affect product development effort and span time. The present study used more realistic development processes over previous research in addition to using the same uncertainty conditions, rework, learning, and communication techniques. Simulation results of the updated models were discussed in comparison to the baseline models …  Read more

Animated mosaics are a traditional form of stop-motion animation created by arranging and rearranging small objects or tiles from frame to frame. While this animation style is uniquely compelling, the traditional process of manually placing and then moving tiles in each frame is time-consuming and laborious. Recent work has proposed algorithms for static mosaics, but generating temporally coherent mosaic animations has remained open. This thesis presents several contributions to the animated mosaic problem in the context of a larger system for creating mosaic animations. Specifically, this thesis describes contributions for enabling an animator to relatively quickly and easily specify the …  Read more

We report on the long-term phase-coherent timing of two young, energetic pulsars, PSR B1509-58 and PSR B0540-69, using data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the Parkes Radio Telescope and the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope. We present fully phase-coherent timing analyses of both sources, and show that contamination from timing noise can significantly affect measured timing parameters. As a result, we also present, a partially phase-coherent timing analysis which is less sensitive to timing noise. We present an updated measurement of n = 2.839 +/- 0.003 for PSR B1509-58, and we report a measurement of the second braking index, m …  Read more

The numerical solution of partial differential equations and boundary value problems is one of the most important tools of modern science. For various reasons (parellelizing, improving condition numbers, finding good preconditioners, etc...) it is desirable to turn a boundary value problem over a large domain O into a set of boundary value problems over domains O1,...,O n such that ∪kO k; this is the domain decomposition method. The solutions u1,...,un of the local problems rarely glue together into a solution u of the global problem, hence we must use an iteration whereby we repeatedly solve the local problems. Between each …  Read more

The purpose of this study was to examine the three-dimensional movement profile of the blade during a stationary slap shot, as a function of blade construction properties and player skill level. A total of fifteen subjects participated in this study; eight were classified as elite and the remaining seven were recreational. Performances were evaluated by simultaneously recording the movements of the stick's lower shaft and blade with high-speed video (1000 Hz), the time and duration of stick-ground contact with two uniaxial forceplates, and time of blade-puck contact with a uniaxial accelerometer mounted within the puck. Data were analyzed with a …  Read more

The importance of root systems for soil-based resource acquisition by plants has long motivated researchers to quantify the complexity of root system structures. However, most of those studies proceeded from 2-D spatial data, and thus lacked the relevance of a 3-D analysis. In this project, helical CT scanning was applied to study root systems with an unprecedented level of accuracy, using non-destructive and non-invasive 3-D imaging that allowed for a spatio-temporal analysis. The appropriate CT scan parameters and configuration were determined for root systems of maize seedlings grown in sand and loamy sand. It was found that the soil conditions …  Read more

Growing evidence suggests a partial genetic determination of suicide predisposition, with most studies focusing on serotonergic genes. Inconsistent results have characterized the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene, whereas few studies have investigated the recently discovered brain specific tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene. At the same time, most of these studies have not controlled for associated psychopathology, an important confounder. Therefore, association studies were conducted to investigate the role of the 5-HTT and TPH2 genes in suicide susceptibility in the context of major depression and their effect on impulsive-aggressive behaviors (IABs), a possible intermediate phenotype. Finally, suicide predictors were investigated while controlling …  Read more

The sampling and analysis of sulphide mineral processing plants is addressed in this study. A review of the published literature has shown that the foundations of this topic were laid in the 1970's, but typically a single sampling test was performed, and its representativity accepted provided its metallurgical balance closed without excessive adjustments. There was no mention made of quality control or equivalent tests of representativity of the feed material during sampling tests. No recognition of the effect(s) of ore grade on metallurgical performance was given. In this study, a quantitative model, called a statistical benchmark survey, is presented. Multiple …  Read more

Dans notre laboratoire, nous avons démontré que les récepteurs delta opioïde (δORs), ayant une localisation principalement intracellulaire, peuvent être recrutes à la membrane plasmique suite à une stimulation prolongée a la morphine. Le premier objectif de ce travail était d'établir un système in vitro pour L’étude des mécanismes de régulation du trafic de δOR induit par la morphine. Dans les cellules hypophysaires GH3, nous avons trouvé que l'application prolongée de morphine diminue la densité deδORs a la membrane, alors qu'elle induit plutôt leur recrutement vers la membrane plasmique dans les neurones de ganglions spinaux en culture. Ces observations suggèrent donc …  Read more

It has been postulated that stretch reflexes can be modulated in a task dependent manner; however evidence of this is lacking. One reason for this shortcoming is the lack of proper feedback. A novel algorithm was developed which could separate and estimate intrinsic and reflex stiffness in real-time, for use as feedback. Intrinsic stiffness was estimated by finding the cross-correlation between the position, its derivatives, and the torque. Reflex stiffness was estimated by finding the cross-correlation between torque and half-wave rectified velocity. Using simulated data, the real-time estimates were shown to be estimated accurately. Using experimental data, real-time estimates were …  Read more

Fluctuating wind power is due to wind turbulence and is the part which should be filtered out leaving behind the more predictable mean wind power which can be traded in the hourly energy market. The power fluctuations cause the frequency of electric utility to deviate from the 60Hz standard. This thesis is concerned with estimating the maximum fluctuating wind power before the 1% deviation from the 60 Hz standard (required by some utilities) is exceeded. To keep the thesis manageable, the scope is narrowed to thermal power plants with governor speed control but no Automatic Governor Control (AGC). This thesis …  Read more

Normal bone marrow is composed of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells. The later have also been termed stromal cells or mesenchymal cells. These cells were originally thought to provide an appropriate matrix for hematopoietic cell development, but recent examination of these cell populations suggests a much broader spectrum of activity, including the generation of bone, cartilage, tendon, fat and muscles including myocardium. Cellular cardiomyoplasty (CCM) based on adult bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) is a novel means of augmenting cardiomyocyte number and contractile function of the failing heart targeting the basic pathophysiology of heart failure. Chapter I of this thesis briefly …  Read more

Metal particles and ions from hip prostheses have the potential to stimulate macrophages to release various bone-resorbing mediators, leading to periprosthetic loosening and osteolysis around implants. Previous reports have suggested that the imbalance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) activity may contribute to prosthetic loosening. However, the mechanism controlling these enzymes in the periprosthetic environment is unknown. The aim of the present project was to characterize the effect of Co2+ and Cr3+ ions on the expression of genes encoding MMP-1, one of the principal proteinases capable of degrading native fibrillar collagens in the extracellular matrix (ECM), …  Read more

This thesis explores layered imagery in the portraiture of Chuck Close. Portraits that exhibit qualities of layered imagery appear as an integrated whole from a distance, but as the observer approaches the canvas, the figure of the portrait disintegrates into atomic elements that stand on their own. We present a discussion of the perceptual principles that permit the effects of layered imagery, and apply these principles to the creation of systems that emulate Close's blobby and fingerprint styles. We discuss the textural aspects of his portraits that contribute to the effect of layered imagery, and detail methods to reproduce these …  Read more

Due to the prominent role of estrogen in breast tumor growth, antiestrogens have been developed to inactivate its signaling pathway, which is dependent on estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha). Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as Tamoxifen (Tam) and Raloxifene (Ral), are mainly antiestrogenic in mammary tissues but estrogenic in others. However, full antiestrogens such as ICI182,780 inactivate ERalpha in all tissues. Crystallographic structures indicate that the side chains of SERMs displace helix 12 (H12) of ERalpha ligand-binding domain (LBD) into the coactivator-binding groove, while those of full antiestrogens prevent its stable association. To facilitate the development of novel ERalpha inhibitors, …  Read more

The influence of parent-solution chemistry on the precipitation of various Pb-carbonate phases (cerussite, PbCO3(s); hydrocerussite, Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2(s); and phosgenite, Pb2(CO3)Cl2(s)) is studied at 25ºC, 1 bar total pressure in the systems Pb(NO3)2-CO 2-H2O and PbCl2-CO2-H2O. Analysis of both fresh and aged (8 and 16 days), fine-grained Pb-carbonate precipitates resulting from the addition of 0.035 M Pb-bearing (PbCl 2 or Pb(NO3)2) into 0.035 M C-bearing (NaHCO 3 and Na2CO3) reagents (or vice versa ) by powder X-ray diffraction and variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy reveals that: (1) a potential relationship exists between crystal morphology and aqueous speciation (i.e. in the presence of NO3- …  Read more

Children who have grown up with the Internet as a dominant form of cultural production bring to their identity development a complex and unique set of expectations and assumptions about identity fluidity and presentation. In addition, these "cyberchildren" are spending much of their social-interaction time in environments populated and controlled by adults, and yet beyond the purview or authority of the adults in their "real" lives. Understanding the nature of their identity development in virtual spaces and its implications for their real-world behaviors offers new opportunities for interventions that more effectively empower children to navigate and negotiate their experiences in …  Read more

China now is one of the most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI) and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have become an increasingly important mode of FDI entry in China since its accession to the World Trade Organization. M&As in China are expected to play a vital role in the restructuring of its inefficient State-owned enterprises. This thesis characterizes and analyzes the evolving Chinese legal regime governing M&As in the context of the ongoing economic reform. In addition, it identifies the antitrust issues arising from foreign acquisitions of Chinese domestic enterprises, which can result in market dominance and restrictive practices …  Read more

Recent years have witnessed the large number of Chinese immigrants in Canada. With the coming of those immigrants is the large number of school age children. Hence, immigrant families' educational expectations and parental participation in their children's schools become major educational concerns. This study focuses on recent Chinese immigrants' expectations of and concerns about their children's schooling. Drawing from Bourdieu's cultural capital theory and Ogbu's social mobility theory, in this study, I used a qualitative interview methodology to explore the educational expectations and school involvement of five Chinese parents who had recently immigrated to Canada. The educational expectations for their …  Read more

One of the most common industrial cold forging processes is cold heading of steel wire or rod to produce screws, bolts, nuts and rivets. The process is limited by a complicated interplay of many factors. The cold work (pre-drawing) is one of them. Although several investigations into the effects of pre-drawing on the formability of metals during cold heading processes have been conducted, so far no attention has been given to the numerical simulations of this phenomenon. The current work aims at examining effects of pre-drawing on formability during cold heading through numerical simulations. Physical tests in the literature investigating …  Read more

With the wide availability of huge amounts of data and the imminent demands to transform the raw data into useful information and knowledge, data mining has become an important research field both in the database area and the machine learning areas. Data mining is defined as the process to solve problems by analyzing data already present in the database and discovering knowledge in the data. Database systems provide efficient data storage, fast access structures and a wide variety of indexing methods to speed up data retrieval. Machine learning provides theory support for most of the popular data mining algorithms. Weka-DB …  Read more