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.

Markets, Hierarchies, and Families: Toward a Transaction Cost Theory of the Family Firm

Abstract: Why do family businesses exist? What factors explain their versatility, limitations, and success within and across different industrial and geographic contexts? We develop a transaction cost framework that addresses these questions. In doing so, we identify a class of assets we term generic nontradeables (GNTs), that are firm specific, but generic in application. While many types of firms may possess such assets, we reason that family firm governance provides relative advantages in developing, sustaining, and appropriating value from GNTs through combinations with other types of assets. We propose that these advantages, as well as some concomitant disadvantages, explain the versatility, limitations, and success of family business enterprise.

Handgrip strength predicts survival and is associated with markers of clinical and functional outcomes in advanced cancer patients

Abstract: Handgrip strength (HGS) has been shown to predict survival and is associated with changes in body composition, nutritional status, inflammation, and functional ability in several chronic disease conditions. Whether similar relationships exist between HGS and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced cancer are currently unknown. We evaluated the association between HGS and survival as well as several key markers of body composition (e.g., sarcopenia), subjective performance measures (e.g., quality of life), and muscle strength (e.g., isokinetic torque of the quadriceps) in patients with advanced forms of non-small cell lung and gastrointestinal cancers. A consecutive cohort of 203 patients with advanced cancer was enrolled and categorized into three HGS percentiles (e.g., ≥50th, 25th, and ≤10th) according to published normative values. Multivariate regression analyses were used to test for independent associations between HGS and survival, sarcopenia, quality of life (QoL), and lower extremity muscle strength as well as key biological markers (e.g., hemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein) while controlling for age, gender, cancer diagnosis, treatment (chemotherapy/radiotherapy), medications, and time from diagnosis to assessment. When compared to HGS ≥50th, patients in the HGS ≤10th percentile had lower BMI (B, −2.5 kg/m2; 95% CI, −4.5 to −0.45), shorter survival (hazard ratio, 3.2; 2.0–5.1), lower hemoglobin (−19.70 g/L; −27.28 to −12.13) and albumin (−4.99 g/L; −7.85 to −2.13), greater occurrence of sarcopenia (odds ratio, 9.53; 1.95–46.55), lower isokinetic torque of the quadriceps at both 60°/s (−30.6 Nm; −57.9 to −3.3) and 120°/s (−25.1 Nm; −46.4 to −3.7), lower QoL (−1.6 on McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire scale; −2.5 to −0.6), higher levels of fatigue (18.8 on Brief Fatigue Inventory scale; 4.7 –32.9), poorer performance status (0.75 on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status scale; 0.34–1.15), lower fat mass (−7.4 kg; −14.4 to −0.5), and lower lean body mass (−6.5 kg; −10.3 to −2.8). HGS is independently associated with survival and important biological, functional, and quality of life characteristics in advanced cancer patients. Patients presenting with very low percentiles with respect to their handgrip assessment may require timely referral to supportive and/or palliative care services.

Periodic Leaky-Wave Antenna for Millimeter Wave Applications Based on Substrate Integrated Waveguide

Abstract: Substrate integrated waveguides (SIW) are built up of periodically arranged metallic via-holes or via-slots The leakage loss of SIW structures increases with the distance between the via-holes or via-slots An open periodic waveguide with a large via distance supports the propagation of leaky-wave modes and can thus be used for the design of a leaky-wave antenna In this paper, this leakage loss is studied in detail and used to design a periodic leaky-wave antenna The proposed concept represents an excellent choice for applications in the millimeter-wave band Due to its versatility, the finite difference frequency domain method for periodic guided-wave or leaky-wave structures is used to analyze the characteristics of the proposed periodic leaky-wave antenna Two modes (TE10 and TE20) are investigated and their different leaky-wave properties are analyzed Based on the proposed leaky-mode analysis method, a novel periodic leaky-wave antenna at 28-34 GHz is designed and fabricated

Missing and Murdered Women: Reproducing Marginality in News Discourse

Abstract: While current mainstream media stories oscillate between Canadian troops in Afghanistan attempting to restore safety and democracy and the imminent threat of a war on terror on domestic soil, a sorely neglected story concerns the continued war on women in Canada In this paper, we look at one site of this war—the case of missing and murdered women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Employing a frame analysis, we analyze 128 articles from The Vancouver Sun published between 2001 and 2006 We argue that prevailing and historically entrenched stereotypes about women, Aboriginality, and sex-trade work continue to demarcate the boundaries of ‘respectability’ and degeneracy, interlocking in ways that situate these women’s lives, even after death, in the margins Resume : Les reportages qui font la une presentent soit les troupes canadiennes postees en Afghanistan tentant de retablir la securite et la decromatie, soit la menace imminente d’une guerre contre la terreur en sol domestique Il est pourtant une histoire deliberement occultee : la guerre sans fin que subissent les femmes au Canada Cet article explore une facette de cette guerre—celle des femmes disparues et assassinees du Downtown Eastside de Vancouver Conduite a partir d’une methodologie analytique, cette etude compile 128 articles tires du Vancouver Sun entre 2001 et 2006 Notre enquete revele que les stereotypes historiquement ancres prevalant aux sujets des femmes, Autochtones et travailleuses du sexe ne cessent de demarquer les limites entre « respectabilite » et depravation, de maniere telle que mime decedees la vie de ces femmes se situe en marge