Concordia University

About: Concordia University is a education organization based out in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Control theory. The organization has 13565 authors who have published 31084 publications receiving 783525 citations. The organization is also known as: Sir George Williams University & Loyola College, Montreal.

Sex Work Research: Methodological and Ethical Challenges

Abstract: The challenges involved in the design of ethical, nonexploitative research projects with sex workers or any other marginalized population are significant. First, the size and boundaries of the population are unknown, making it extremely difficult to get a representative sample. Second, because membership in hidden populations often involves stigmatized or illegal behavior, concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality are paramount and difficult to resolve. In addition, they often result in challenges to the validity of the data. Third, in spite of evidence to the contrary, associations between sex work and victimization are still strong, dichotomies remain prevalent, and sex workers are often represented as a homogeneous population. Drawing on three research projects in which the author has been involved—all grounded in a sex-as-work approach—as well as the work of others, this article provides several strategies for overcoming these challenges. Clear guidelines for ethical, nonexploitive methodologies are embedded in the solutions provided.

Beyond assertions: advanced specification and verification with JML and ESC/Java2

Abstract: Many state-based specification languages, including the Java Modeling Language (JML), contain at their core specification constructs familiar to most undergraduates: e.g., assertions, pre- and postconditions, and invariants. Unfortunately, these constructs are not sufficiently expressive to permit formal modular verification of programs written in modern object-oriented languages like Java. The necessary extra constructs for specifying an object-oriented module include (perhaps the less familiar) frame properties, datagroups, and ghost and model fields. These constructs help specifiers deal with potential problems related to, for example, unexpected side effects, aliasing, class invariants, inheritance, and lack of information hiding. This tutorial paper focuses on JML's realization of these constructs, explaining their meaning while illustrating how they can be used to address the stated problems.

The Language Contact Profile.

Abstract: Efforts to gather data of various sorts—demographics, language-learning history, contact with native speakers, use of the language in the field—as they relate to participants in SLA research studies are inherent to understanding more about language acquisition and use. Scholars frequently develop questionnaires of their own, which are rarely shared widely in the profession. Consequently, much time and effort is invested in reinventing the process of gathering the types of data that are commonly needed. This research was funded in part by a grant to Barbara F. Freed from the Council for International Educational Exchange (New York), in part by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to Norman Segalowitz, and in part by a grant from the Dean's Office, Faculty of Arts and Science, at Concordia University to Segalowitz.

An improved perturbation and observation maximum power point tracking algorithm for PV arrays

Abstract: This paper discusses a new implementation of a perturbation and observation (P&O) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm that can mitigate/reduce the main drawbacks commonly related to the P&O method. This is achieved with peak current control, small perturbation values and sampling of instantaneous values, instead of averaged, to speed up the system response and reduce the oscillations around the maximum power point (MPP). The number of samples per switching cycle, type (synchronized/ unsynchronized) and ideal instant for sampling (maximum or minimum current) are investigated in order to obtain fast calculation of the direction of the next perturbation. Experimental results with the proposed control scheme implemented in a DSP are presented.