identifier: Dorani, Faramarz <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dorani=3AFaramarz=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Ensemble learning for detecting gene-gene interactions in colorectal cancer.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The fundamental task of human genetics is to detect genetic variations that primarily
contribute to a disease phenotype. The most popular method for understanding
etiology of human inheritable diseases (e.g., cancer) is to utilize genome-wide
association studies (GWAS). Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cause of deaths
in developed countries; specifically, it has a high incidence rate in the province of Newfoundland
and Labrador. Therefore, finding the affecting genetic factors associated
with CRC can help better understand the disease in order to more effectively treat
and prevent it. This study seeks to identify genetic variations associated with CRC
using machine learning including feature selection and ensemble learning algorithms.
In this study, we analyze a GWAS dataset on CRC collected from Newfoundland population.
First, we perform quality control steps on the raw genetic data and prepare it
for the machine learning methods. Second, we investigate six feature selection methods
through a comparative study by applying them to a simulated dataset and CRC
GWAS data. The best feature selection method, in terms of gene-gene interactions,
is then used to choose a subset of more relevant features for the next step analysis.
Subsequently, two ensemble algorithms, Random Forests and Gradient Boosting
machine, are applied to the reduced data to identify significant interacting genetic
markers associated with CRC. Last, the findings from machine learning methods are
biologically validated using online databases and enrichment analysis tools. From
the results of the ensemble algorithms, 44 significant genetic markers are detected
in which 29 of them have corresponding genes in DNA. Among them, genes DCC,
ALK and ITGA1 are previously found to be associated with CRC. In addition, there are genes E2F3 and NID2, which have the potential of having association with CRC,
because of their already known associations with other types of cancer. Moreover,
the biological interpretations of these genes reveal biological pathways that may help
predict the risk of the disease and better understand the etiology of the disease.


identifier: Musa, Zaynab <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Musa=3AZaynab=3A=3A.html>   (2018) A fog computing framework for scalable RFID systems in global supply chain management.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
With the rapid proliferation of RFID systems in global supply chain management,
tracking every object at the individual item level has led to the generation of enormous
amount of data that will have to be stored and accessed quickly to make real time
decisions. This is especially critical for perishable goods supply chain such as fruits
and pharmaceuticals which have enormous value tied up in assets and may become
worthless if they are not kept in precisely controlled and cool environments. While
Cloud-based RFID solutions are deployed to monitor and track the products from
manufacturer to retailer, we argue that Fog Computing is needed to bring efficiency
and reduce the wastage experienced in the perishable produce supply chain.
This paper investigates in-depth: (i) the application of Fog Computing in perishable
produce supply chain management using blackberry fruit as a case study; (ii)
the data, computations and storage requirements for the fog nodes at each stage of
the supply chain; (iii) the adaptation of the architecture to the general perishable
goods supply chain; and (iv) the benefits of the proposed fog nodes with respect to
monitoring and actuation in the blackberry supply chain.


identifier: Manchoju, Amarender <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Manchoju=3AAmarender=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Stereoselective synthesis of functionalized quaternary stereocenters, naturally occurring tetronic acids and (-)-(R,R)-L-factor.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The enantioselective synthesis of functionalized, acyclic, quaternary stereocenter- containing building blocks was achieved from diastereomerically pure alkylidenemorpholinones by employing Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and Prins reactions as the key steps. In a separate approach, the enantioselective conjugate addition of a variety of 3-alkyl-and/or 3-aryl tetronic acids or 3-alkyl-and/or 3-aryl tetramic acids to α,β-unsaturated systems catalyzed by chiral aminothioureas, aminosquaramides and cinchona alkaloids was examined. These studies provided the quaternary stereocenter-containing furan-2,4-diones and pyrrolidine-2,4-diones with moderate enantiomeric excess.
A variety of 3-aryl tetronic acids were synthesized by employing an undirected, intermolecular C−H functionalization reaction of arenes with 3-diazofuran-2,4-dione as the key step. This method was applied in the synthesis of a series of biologically active, naturally occurring 3-aryl-5-arylidene tetronic acid derivatives such as pulvinic acids and pulvinones.
A concise synthesis of (-)-(R,R)-L-factor was achieved in four steps by using an organocatalytic asymmetric direct vinylogous aldol reaction of -crotonolactone and hexanal as the key step.


identifier: Carmanico, Laura <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Carmanico=3ALaura=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Infection levels of two ascaridoid nematodes (Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens) in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) off Newfoundland and Labrador, and on the Flemish Cap.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Parasitic nematodes infecting the flesh of commercially important fish species pose an aesthetic and economic problem for the fishing industry. They also have potential health implications as they may cause disease in humans. The musculature of 811 Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from five cod stocks in the Northwest Atlantic off Newfoundland and Labrador, and on the Flemish Cap, were examined for two ascaridoid nematodes, Anisakis simplex sensu lato and Pseudoterranova decipiens sensu lato. I evaluated the distribution of these nematodes within the musculature of Atlantic cod, and investigated whether prevalence, abundance, or density varied among cod stocks or in relation to fish length. I used similar examination techniques to previous studies conducted during the 1940-50s and the 1980s, and compared infection levels to these studies. In all areas, prevalence and abundance of A. simplex s.l. increased substantially relative to historical studies. The highest infection levels of A. simplex s.l. were observed in fish from Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3M. The results are consistent with a possible increase in abundance of some cetaceans, the definitive hosts of A. simplex s.l.; although population trends of most cetaceans are not well known. In most areas, infection levels of P. decipiens s.l. also increased since the 1980s. The area with the highest abundance of P. decipiens s.l. was the west coast of Newfoundland (Divisions 3Pn4R). Greater abundances could be related to an increase in abundance of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) that serve as definitive hosts. Major changes in marine food webs following the collapse of groundfish stocks in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as


identifier: Owusu, Bernard <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Owusu=3ABernard=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Understanding the conflict between the oil and gas industries and small-scale fisheries in the Western region of Ghana.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Ghana is a relatively new producer of oil and gas in the sub-Saharan African region.
Commercial oil and gas production and their expansion have the potential to enhance
economic and social development. However, the enclosure of the Gulf of Guinea for oil
and gas commodification has led to conflicts over ocean space once used for small-scale
food fisheries. Fishing has been banned within a 500m radius of all offshore oil rigs and
other infrastructure while the bright lights of the oil rigs attract fish into the ‘no-go’ zones
creating a network of de facto Marine Protected Areas (MPA). Fishing around the oil rigs
is illegal leading to conflicts and growing resistance from small-scale fishers. The
literature argues that where conflict has occurred in states endowed with natural resources
in sub-Saharan Africa, the resource curse theory gives the best explanation for why
conflicts around natural resources occur. The conflict between small-scale fisheries and
the oil and gas industry in Ghana, is considered an example of the resource curse. The
thesis reveals resource curse tendencies such as corruption and the mismanagement of oil
rents and growing inequality and poverty. However, the resource curse argument has
been critiqued as uncritical, reductionist and above all ahistorical. The study therefore
suggests that as an alternative way to understand the conflict, analysis must move beyond
the resource curse narratives to the historical geography of resource grabs tied to the
creation of enclaves and commodity frontiers. The study uses the changing toponymy of
maps of the region, analyzes texts, and images to understand how ocean space in the
Western region of Ghana is understood, represented and transformed over time by
different resource actors. It concludes that despite the heavily commodified resource extraction along the Western region’s coast since the fifteenth century, oil and gas
exploitation is the first commodity frontier to directly appropriate ocean space from
fisheries. This has resulted in the enclosure and depletion of a nationally important food
source. The oil and gas exploitation has therefore resulted in a decline in food security
and sovereignty in a country that has a very high per capita fish consumption rate.


identifier: Heath, John J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Heath=3AJohn_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Inflammation and CMV-associated lymphocyte senescence in chronic HIV infection.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
While acute inflammation is important in immune responses to infection, chronic
systemic inflammation intrinsically underlies age-associated pathologies. Lifelong
cellular turnover equates biological age with long term accumulation of senescent cells,
characterized by cell-cycle arrest and a pro-inflammatory senescence-associated secretory
phenotype (SASP). Currently, the exact contributions of lymphocytes to the inflammatory
landscape seen during aging remains understudied.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
creates an inflated, potentially senescent, CD8⁺ T lymphocyte population, often
exaggerated in age and in particular, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Many living with long-term HIV infection often suffer “premature” age-related illnesses.
Frequent rounds of antigen-driven expansion of CMV-specific lymphocytes could
introduce a telomere-dependent SASP and a role in suspected age-related pathology.
Using a 4-parameter flowFISH assay to quantify telomere length in peripheral blood
lymphocytes, we show
in HIV-infected CMV-seropositive individuals (n=32) that
CD57⁺CD8⁺ T cells responding to CMV had the shortest telomere lengths compared to
CD57⁺CD8⁺, global CD8⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells responding to HIV (p < 0.001, 0.001, 0.04,
respectively). CMV-seropositive HIV-infected study groups (n=97) show higher
circulating pro-inflammatory cytokine levels than those not infected with CMV (n=19),
further linking CMV immunity, immune senescence and inflammation.
Our data support
consideration that CMV infection associated expansion of CD8⁺ T cells compound the
effects of natural aging on chronic inflammation.


identifier: Miles, Lara Lynne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Miles=3ALara_Lynne=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Cold-water coral distributions and surficial geology on the Flemish Cap, Northwest Atlantic.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis investigates possible geological preferences of cold-water coral species over varying spatial scales. Cold-water species and surficial geology were identified from geo-referenced video imagery covering 15.09 km of seabed, at four sites on the flanks of the Flemish Cap in the Northwestern Atlantic. Species distribution and abundance were compared to the surficial geology and lithology described at five spatial scales. A total of 30,310 individual corals were enumerated comprising 27 species on 8 different geological facies. Hard substrate inhabiting species did not show a preference for attachment substrate grain size or lithology type. The most abundant species Anthomastus spp. (soft coral) was the only species found on all grain sizes and both lithology types. Surficial geological facies were statistically distinct when described at finer spatial scales (10 m, 50 m, 100 m) but, not at broader scales (500 m and 1000 m). Species distributions were primarily driven by depth and secondarily by substrate type. While other environmental variables described at coarse spatial scales (thousands of km) are suitable for predicting cold-water coral distributions; surficial geology is a more suitable surrogate at finer spatial scales. These observations highlight the importance of describing substrate and surficial geology at spatial scales less than 100 m.


identifier: Teye-Kau, Mabel Abladede <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Teye-Kau=3AMabel_Abladede=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Revisiting the housing-health relationship for HIV positive persons: some qualitative evidence from the Lower Manya Krobo municipality - Ghana.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The relationship between housing and HIV is bi-causal and complex. On the one hand, poor housing arrangements may expose Persons Living with HIV/AIDs (PLWHAs) to opportunistic infections and increase their morbidity and mortality risks. On the other hand, PLWHAs may be more likely to live in sub-standard homes, mainly because of their health conditions, lack of employment and HIV-related stigma. While previous research found support for the former argument, there is a dearth of research for the latter. More importantly, the majority of studies examining the housing and health nexus relied on survey methods with limited focus on context and the experiences of PLWHAs.
This thesis revisited the housing and health debate by filling these important research gaps. The thesis used qualitative in-depth interviews collected from 38 PLWHAs attending Voluntary Counseling services at the Atua Government and St. Martin’s de Pores hospitals in the Lower Manya Krobo District (LMKD) of the Eastern region of Ghana.
Results from the study showed that the majority of PLWHAs lived in homes that lacked basic amenities, were overcrowded, had structural deficiencies, were noisy, dirty etc. PLWHAs lived in poor housing conditions mainly because of their HIV serostatus; living with HIV affected their employability and ability to finance adequate homes. HIV-related stigma often led to the forceful eviction from both family and rented homes. In some cases, PLWHAs were forced to change and relocate from relatively adequate homes to inadequate and deficient homes mainly due to self-perceived stigma. There was also evidence to demonstrate that living in these homes affected the health of PLWHAs negatively. The findings are relevant for both researchers and policy makers. It is important for researchers to continue exploring relationships between housing and health for PLWHAs given the dearth of research in sub-Saharan Africa. Policy makers should consider housing as relevant to improving the health of PLWHAs.


identifier: Sundly, Amit <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sundly=3AAmit=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Perceptions of the social and economic factors influencing engineering and applied science students' choice of degree program.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A career in science or engineering is not among the top choices of Canadian students. Although there is no current imbalance in demand and supply of engineers and scientists in Canada, it is also true that the global need for these skills is currently at its peak with substantial future growth opportunities. With competition from emerging economies like India and China, it is essential for government, schools and universities, and other agencies in the Canadian education system to understand the factors influencing Canadian students’ participation in post-secondary degree in engineering. Review of the literature shows that there has been limited investigation of this phenomenon. Using a cross-sectional survey design, this study, set in the Newfoundland Labrador context, examines certain demographic, family, high school, societal, economic, and personal factors that play a role in students’ academic decisions to pursue an undergraduate engineering degree. The findings show that participation in undergraduate engineering programs at Memorial University is associated with student’s family background and gender. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and women are underrepresented in undergraduate engineering education in Newfoundland and Labrador. The results also reveal that engineering student represent their decisions to pursue engineering as influenced primarily by personal factors and only marginally by school-level factors. The study points to a number of implications for policy and practice. Among the policy actions that could increase the number of engineering students from underrepresented groups is reexamining and, where necessary substantially improving support programs for underrepresented populations – both at the secondary and post-secondary levels. At the school level, this might involve greater attention to engaging students in STEM-based experiential activities and programs, explicitly exposing students to information on careers in engineering and the applied sciences, and professional development for teachers and counselors. At the post-secondary level, financial support to students from underrepresented groups and continued research in the area of engineering education may increase participation in engineering and help create equitable educational opportunities in the field of engineering for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.


identifier: Dorbeck, Anderson <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dorbeck=3AAnderson=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An investigation of the impact of a workshop teaching advanced skills for working with eating disorders.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Eating disorders are a serious mental health issue which affect children and youth disproportionately. Those affected by eating disorders often fail to present for treatment and when they do they may be misdiagnosed and/or ineffectively treated. Some of the factors contributing to ineffective service provision are inadequate knowledge, confidence, and skills related to eating disorder assessment and treatment among health care professionals. Continuing education is an important way to improve health professionals’ capacity for managing eating disorders. This study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Umble et al.’s (2000) behaviour change model to guide the evaluation of a two-day advanced workshop designed to teach Emotion-Focused Therapy and Family-Based Therapy skills to health professionals across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The intervention was evaluated with a pre/post/12-month follow-up design to examine the impact of the workshop on attendees’ knowledge (self-rated and tested), confidence, attitudes, motivation to change, and behaviour related to treatment of eating disorders. Results indicated that participants (N = 78) had significantly increased confidence and self-rated and tested knowledge from pre- to post-workshop, and these improvements were maintained at follow-up. Motivation to change behaviour (to use workshop skills and practice more interprofessionally) and attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration did not significantly change. Participants reported significantly increased use of techniques taught in the workshop at follow-up compared to pre-workshop. In summary, this workshop was effective at changing knowledge, confidence, and behaviour, but did not change collaborative attitudes or motivation to change behaviour. Strengths of this research include the mixed methods of investigation used, and the high pre- and post-workshop participation rate. Limitations include its quasi-experimental design, and participant drop-out at follow-up. Future research could examine the impact of continuing education for eating disorders on patient outcomes, the impact of a higher dose of continuing education sessions on behaviour change, and the impact of education for patients and families upon rates of health care services accessed for eating disorders.


identifier: Meintzer, Phillip <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Meintzer=3APhillip=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Promoting conservation through the improvement of cod pots - a low impact fishing gear and alternative harvesting strategy for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Pots are baited fishing gears that are growing in use as a tool for harvesting
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
To study how cod behaviours affect pot efficiency, I used underwater video
cameras to assess two models of pot deployed in the Fogo Island fishery. Cod made few
entry attempts relative to the number of approaches, and only 22% of entry attempts were
successful. The majority of approaches, entry attempts, and successful entrances occurred
from the down-current direction, and 25% of cod were able to escape following capture.
Following video analysis, I made modifications to existing pots, and created a
new design. I then collected catch and length data, across five models of pot, over two
years, to determine the optimal design for a re-emergent cod fishery in NL. All five pots
caught cod effectively, but the new and modified pots caught the most per deployment,
and increasing mesh size was effective at reducing the number of undersized fish caught.
This thesis demonstrates that modifications can have a substantial impact on catch
rates, that potting gear is fundamentally sound, and fishermen can select a pot that is most
appropriate to their needs.


identifier: Shayanfar, Hamid <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shayanfar=3AHamid=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An experimental investigation on the strength and failure behavior of freshwater ice rubble.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Ice ridges are common features in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. They are large accumulations (typically 5-30m) of ice rubble formed due to compressive or shear forces in ice cover. Understanding the deformation behavior and strength of ice rubble is key to estimating ice ridge loads on offshore structures. Medium-scale punch tests were conducted at C-CORE’s Cold Room facility to measure and observe the strength and failure behavior of freshwater ice rubble. A custom-built punch box measuring 3.05m in length and 0.94m in width and height was used to perform the tests. The box walls were made from Plexiglas so that failure mechanisms could be observed. Ice rubble beams of nominal thickness 50cm were produced by placing randomly sized ice pieces into the punch box, filled with water at its freezing temperature. After a specified consolidation time and rubble confinement, the ice rubble beam was deformed by pushing a platen vertically downwards though the center of the beam until failure. In this study the effects of consolidation time, pressure confinement, sintering process and small ice block dimensions on the strength and failure behavior of freshwater ice rubble beam were investigated. Results showed that the failure behavior of the ice rubble beam is controlled by the degree of freeze bonding between the blocks.


identifier: Rahman, Arifur <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rahman=3AArifur=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Development of scaling criteria and numerical simulation study of steam flooding process.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Canada contains reserves of oil sand and heavy oil resources considered to be the largest amount
of unconventional hydrocarbons deposited in unfavorable conditions. It needs more efforts and
technological advancement to recover oil from such reserves. Steam flooding enhanced oil
recovery technique is applied for more than 70% of heavy oil reservoirs to extract the oil. Threedimensional
(3D) displacement model can represent an appropriate approach and model for the
steam flooding process. However, their physical limitations make it impossible to duplicate the
real behavior of a reservoir in larger scale. So, it is important to develop scaling criteria for
depicting the actual fluid behavior for unconventional reservoirs.
Scaled physical models have the unique advantage of capturing all physical phenomena occurring
in a particular process by transforming the parameters into dimensionless numbers. This concept
is applicable to fluid flow through porous media, where continuous alteration of rock and fluid
properties can be characterized by various dimensionless numbers. In this study a set of
dimensionless groups were developed using both inspectional and dimensional analyses. The new
groups of dimensionless numbers can be used to characterize the reservoir rock and fluid properties
for better explanation of complex rock/fluid phenomena for the steam flooding process. It should
be noted that the complete set of scaling criteria is very difficult to satisfy. Therefore, some of the
similarity groups must be relaxed in order to satisfy the most important parameters of the specific
reservoir activities. The choice of which requirements to relax depends on the particular process
being modeled. Scaling of the phenomena considered to be least important to a particular process
might be relaxed without significantly affecting the major features of the process. The choice of
an approach depends on the importance of the phenomena that are not scaled by that approach.
Major scaling groups were found by applying different elimination techniques. The effect of those
dominant dimensionless groups on recovery was evaluated through the study of process
controlling parameters. A new group which is called Dykstra-Parsons coefficient is introduced to
incorporate the reservoir heterogeneity. A combined dimensionless group was proposed to
characterize and evaluate the performance and found to have the largest effect on oil recovery.
Sensitivity analysis of scaling numbers is performed to find out the relative effect of each
dimensionless numbers on oil recovery. Finally, a numerical simulation study is performed to
quantify the effect of steam quality and permeability variations for different reservoirs. This research work leads to the development of a procedure that can be applied to design a steam
flooding EOR process. This process allows the assessment of different parameters to aid in the
selection of optimum additive concentration to account for the uncertainties due to reservoir
heterogeneity. The process is flexible; it can be applied to wide range of reservoir types as there
exists a physical commonality between laboratory and field scale.


identifier: Kyzym, Igor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kyzym=3AIgor=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Cuttings analysis in drilling performance evaluation and formation identification.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This investigation describes multiple methods for drilling cuttings collection in laboratory
and field conditions. The methodology for cuttings sample preparation and its following
analysis is also suggested. The analysis mainly focuses on cuttings size, ways of its
graphical and numerical representation and its relationship with drilling parameters.
Research shows that such parameter as a coarseness index can be easily calculated and can
be used as a reliable indicator of the cuttings size. The relationship between rate of
penetration, weight on bit, flow rate, bottom hole pressure, torque on bit, mechanical
specific energy and cuttings size have been established in this research. Also, the overall
effect of these parameters on drilling efficiency have been evaluated. Both, field and
laboratory, data shows good correlation between the above-mentioned parameters and
coarseness index. Research also shows that cuttings can be used for formation
identification and construction of geological cross-sections. Analysis of the field and
laboratory data indicates that type and strength of the formation affect drilling parameters.
It also affects size distribution of generated cuttings and its relationship with drilling
parameters. This shows that cuttings can be used as a valuable source of information in
evaluation of drilling performance, drilled formation and can greatly help with better
understanding of the drilling mechanism.


identifier: Pilote, Jean-Luc <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pilote=3AJean-Luc=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Geology, structure, petrogenesis, and hydrothermal alteration reconstruction of the Ming volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit, Baie Verte Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Cambro-Ordovician Ming volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit, Newfoundland Appalachians consists of stratiform and elongated semimassive to massive sulphide lenses (1807, 1806, Ming North, and Ming South zones) enriched in Cu, Zn, Ag, and Au that are underlain by a discordant Cu-rich stockwork zone (Lower Footwall zone). The host successions consist of highly fractionated FI-/FII-type rhyodacitic coherent to volcaniclastic rocks, which were deposited within a synvolcanic fault-controlled nested basin. The disposition of the sulphide lenses and the stockwork zone were controlled by the same synvolcanic faults. Deformation and greenschist metamorphic overprint have remobilized (≤20 m) less competent sulphide assemblages locally, but original stratigraphic relationships are preserved. Enclosed precious metal-rich sulphide clasts in a mafic polymictic breccia, which immediately overlies the deposit, support a syngenetic introduction of Au and associated tellurides at the Ming deposit. From regional geology and geochemical affinities, the felsic host successions are likely derived from direct partial melting of an island arc tholeiite at depths exceeding garnet stability zones (≥30 km). These types of magmas share many affinities to modern adakites formed in juvenile environments and may be more conducive to Au transport than previously thought. Ten distinct alteration assemblages are associated with the ore-forming hydrothermal fluids, grouped as chlorite-, sericite-, and (Mn-)carbonate-rich facies. The distribution and chemistry of the alteration assemblages are strongly controlled by the hosting lithologies. Most mass changes are restricted to the upper ~100 m of the stratigraphy, within the permeable volcaniclastic lithofacies. The Cu-rich stockwork is hosted by a chlorite-rich assemblage, reflecting high temperature fluids (≥300°C) that mixed with seawater at the coherent-fragmental interface, decreasing Cu solubility and resulting in the precipitation of chalcopyrite. Gold, Ag, sulfosalts and other magmatophile elements are enriched in sulphide zones that are immediately underlain by coherent rocks. The less diffusive potential of the coherent rocks may have increased the efficiency of metal precipitation in these zones and could explain the heterogeneity of metal grades at Ming. The paragenetic evolution indicates that the introduction of precious metals is spatially and temporally associated with the quartz-sericite-sulphides assemblage, which is considered to reflect the overprint of acidic and low temperature (≤250°C) fluids in the waning stage of the hydrothermal system.


identifier: Carroll, Larina A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Carroll=3ALarina_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Functional genomics studies of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) development, and sac fry responses to chronic incremental hyperthermia.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Functional genomics techniques, including the 32K cGRASP microarray and
real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR), were used to study gene
expression in a single Atlantic salmon cohort: 1) during embryonic and early sac fry
development; and 2) after sac fry were exposed to chronic incremental hyperthermia
(water temperature increased by 1°C every 24 hours, from 7.4 to 21.4°C). The first
study focused on the transcript expression of four microarray-identified paralogous
γM-crystallin genes as well as four paralogous α-sHSP genes. The four α-sHSPs, as
well as cryGM4-like and cryGM3-like, were shown by QPCR as higher expressed at
hatch or post-hatch stage relative to eye-up stage (although the degree of induction
varied between paralogues). This research provides possible evidence of divergent
transcript expression (i.e., regulation) of duplicated genes, suggesting that some of
the paralogues studied may have diverged functionally. These results provide insight
into the evolutionary relationships between these genes, and may provide evidence of
neofunctionalization following GD events. The second study focused on four
microarray-identified genes of interest (trypsin-1 precursor, chymotrypsin b, ferritin
middle subunit, and ubiquitin) as well as the four paralogous α-sHSP genes. The
transcripts encoding trypsin-1 precursor, ferritin middle subunit, and ubiquitin, as
well as α-sHSPs 1, 3 and 4, were shown by QPCR as responsive to the incremental
hyperthermia conditions. This study identified molecular biomarkers that may be
useful for studying adaptation of early life stage salmon under potentially stressful
conditions (e.g., warming climate).


identifier: Le Morzadec, Kevin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Le_Morzadec=3AKevin=3A=3A.html>   (2016) Scaling issues in glaciology: addressing subgrid topography.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Ice sheets are a key component of the earth system and disturbances of their state
affects various aspects of human activity (e.g. due to sea level rise). Glaciological
studies take advantage of paleo-data to improve our knowledge about ice sheet processes.
To investigate ice sheet evolution over the timescale of a glacial cycle, 3-D ice sheet
models (ISM) are typically run at grid resolutions of five to tens of kilometres. This
introduces to-date unquantified errors in sub-grid (SG) ice transport and surface mass
balance (SMB, the difference between ice surface accumulation and ablation). Here,
I document the impact of ISM resolution on SMB and ice flux in regions of rough
topography and develop parametrizations to reduce the associated ISM grid resolution
dependency.
For inland regions, I develop a new flow line SG model which uses hypsometric
curves, a statistical summary of the topography, to describe the variability of SMB. The
1-D mass transport for the SG model is computed with the shallow ice approximation.
I test this model against high resolution simulations from the 3-D ISSM model over
regions of 30km by 60 km. Using SG topographic information improves the SMB and
flux representation, however, depending on the regional topographic characteristics,
the new SG model simulates ice volumes 45% lower to 15% higher than simulated by
the ISSM. An ensemble of last glacial cycle simulations for the North American ice
complex shows increases of up to 35m eustatic sea level equivalent in ice volume with
inclusion of the SG model.
For coastal regions, glacial valley geometry and density impact ice drainage. Decreasing
the model resolution from 1km to 5, 10 and 25km overestimates the ice
drainage and creates some lags in the timing of ice growth and decay. Modifying ice
flow parameters reduces the excess of drainage on the order of 20% at 5 and 10 km
resolution and by 5% at 25 km resolution. Simulations at 25km resolution still have a
lag of one to three thousand years in growing ice after an interstadial period.


identifier: Fang, Scott Xiang <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Fang=3AScott_Xiang=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Risk-based supervisory guidance for detect and avoid involving small unmanned aircraft systems.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
A formidable barrier for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to be integrated
into civil airspace is that small UAS currently lack the ability to Detect and Avoid
(DAA) other aircraft during
ight operations; however, this ability is an essential part
of regulations governing the general operation of aircraft in civil airspace. In this way,
the research described is focused on achieving an equivalent level of safety for small
UAS as manned aircraft in civil airspace.
A small UAS DAA system was proposed to guide small UAS to detect nearby
traffic, identify hazards, assess collision risks, perform mitigation analyses, and choose
appropriate maneuvers to avoid potential collisions in mid-air encounters. To facilitate
system development and performance evaluation, the proposed DAA system was
designed and implemented on a fast-time simulation-based analysis platform, on which
a set of quantifiable analysis metrics were designed for small UAS to improve situation
awareness in hazard identification and collision risk assessment; and a learning-based
Smart Decision Tree Method (SDTM) was developed to provide real-time supervisory
DAA guidance for small UAS to avoid potential collisions in mitigation analysis.
The theoretical research achieved was also integrated into an effort to implement
an Automatic Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) to verify the short range DAA
performance for small UAS in the visual-line-of-sight
ight tests performed at the
RAVEN test site in Argentia, NL.


identifier: Dias, Kriselle <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dias=3AKriselle=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Experimental imaging of a vertical vein using controlled-source seismic interferometry.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Seismic methods are desirably implemented in the imaging of economically viable hard
rock mineral deposits, due to the technique's intrinsic higher resolution in comparison to tra-
ditionally used geophysical methods. Conventional surface seismic methods are inadequate in
the imaging of steeply dipping targets, due to unfavourable geometrical relationships between
the surface sources, surface receivers, and the target. There is poor recovery of data when
geological features have a dip approximately equal to, or greater than 65°, as the reflected
wave propagates at an angle that reaches the surface outside the aperture of the receiver
array, or does not reach the surface at all. Steep dips also cause the overall travel path to be
much longer than the depth of the target, causing a loss of energy and associated amplitude
and high frequency attenuation which results in a low signal to noise ratio and associated
processing issues.
This study investigates the viability of using a Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) in com-
bination with seismic interferometry as a new method of imaging thin and nearly-vertical
veins, and develops techniques for the same, and for which a thin, nearly vertical barite vein
at the Collier Point Barite property serves as a well constrained target for study. Seismic
interferometry is a technique in which, a signal pair is cross-correlated to reproduce a vir-
tual source-receiver pair and reconstruct the impulse response of a given medium. In using
these methods, a source is virtually moved into a downhole location, which avoids issues
associated with surface-seismic methods. The parameters of the experiment are optimized
using ray-tracing analysis, finite-difference modelling and a study of the physical properties
to ensure reflection detectability. The unprocessed dataset is highly contaminated by tube-
waves which are removed using spiking deconvolution and F-K filtering. The pre-processed
dataset is then subjected to seismic interferometry methods which theoretically results in the
source and receiver placed in the same location, and is hence processed using standard CMP
processing flows. It is noted that the seismic response to the barite target varies significantly
through the profile. A 1-D synthetic seismogram modelling program is used to study the
variations in the seismic response, and propose a geological interpretation for the same. The
final processed image of the target is consistent with descriptions in prior geological reports.
This thesis has demonstrated that with the appropriate experiment optimization and
processing parameters, VSPs in combination with the seismic interferometry procedure has
proven to be an appropriate tool towards detecting and imaging vertical to near-vertical
subsurface bodies of economic importance which may otherwise not be imaged appropriately
using surface-seismic methods.


identifier: Tang, Zhong <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tang=3AZhong=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Influence of clay colloids, humic acid and water chemistry on the stability, aggregation and deposition of nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO₂).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Fate and transport of engineered nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO₂) have received
much attention during the past decade. The stability, concurrent aggregation and deposition
of nTiO₂ in water with complicated components, however, have not been fully examined.
The objective of this thesis was to determine the individual and synergistic effect of pH,
cation valence, humic acid, Fe/Al oxyhydroxide coatings and clay colloids on nTiO₂
stability, aggregation and deposition, and elucidate the related mechanisms. We conducted
systematic laboratory experiments to determine nTiO2 stability, aggregation and deposition
onto a quartz sand in NaCl and MgCl₂ solutions, both in the absence and presence of humic
acid and clay colloids. Results showed that nTiO₂ formed hetero-aggregates and the heteroaggregates
may either deposit or remain suspended depending on their interactions with
quartz sand and Fe/Al oxyhydroxide coatings. Humic acid was found to make nTiO₂ stable
to prevent nTiO₂ aggregation and deposition under most conditions.


identifier: Noseworthy, Andrea D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Noseworthy=3AAndrea_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) On closest isotropic tensors and their norms.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Theoretical seismology, which is the subject of the thesis, could be viewed as a
subject of continuum mechanics, whose mathematical structure relies on tensors. For
instance, Hooke’s Law, which underlies the theory of elasticity—a branch of continuum
mechanics—is a tensorial equation. A generally anisotropic tensor, obtained
from physical measurements, can be approximated by another tensor belonging to a
particular material-symmetry class. This tensor is referred to as the effective tensor;
among all tensors in a particular symmetry class, it is the closest to the given anisotropic
tensor. This ‘closeness’ that we refer to, draws upon the notion of a norm.
In this thesis, we compare the effective tensors belonging to the isotropic symmetry
class obtained using three different norms—the Frobenius-36, the Frobenius-21, and
the operator norms. Furthermore, we utilize another method—a ‘L₂ slowness-curve
fit’ method—and compare the results herein. Finally, we explore the associated errors
and analyze the relationship between the mathematical and physical models.


identifier: Adebayo, Adeboye <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Adebayo=3AAdeboye=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The interplay of footwear and exercise-induced fatigue on substrate partitioning and energy cost of running during steady-state running exercise.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the interplay of footwear and exercise-induced fatigue (EIF) on substrate partitioning and energy cost of running during steady-state running exercise.
Ten trained male distance runners partook first in an incremental test 7 days prior to the experimental session. Participants performed three 8 min treadmill runs in randomized order in minimalist and shod footwear prior to and immediately after an EIF protocol. Cardiorespiratory parameters, substrate partitioning, RPE and blood lactate were measured throughout the experimental sessions.
No significant difference was observed pre- to post-EIF on VO₂ during Cr, although VCO₂ production showed a trend towards significance (p = 0.063). Furthermore, there was no significant effect of footwear but there was significant main effect of time (pre- vs. post-EIF) on CHO (p = 0.003) and lipid (p =0.004) oxidation. The caloric cost of running showed no significant difference from pre- to post-EIF (0.98±0.14, 1.00±0.14). Ultimately alteration in substrate contribution to energy production plausibly stems from muscle glycogen depletion. Although not measured muscle glycogen has certainly greatly contributed to maintain running performance during EIF. This is supported by indirect markers of fatigue such as lactate production, RPE score and peak HR.


identifier: Araujo, Erin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Araujo=3AErin=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Community inter-changes: creating an inclusive moneyless economy in San Cristobal De Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This dissertation examines the theory and praxis of creating a decolonial anarchist
moneyless economy in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. El Cambalache (The
Swap in English) is a community economies research project that explores what kinds of
socio-technical networks arise through the use of consensus decision-making as a method
and non-hierarchical relationships as a methodology for generative justice. The project
has created its own practices of exchange value called ‘inter-change value’ in which
anything that might be exchanged is deemed to be of equivalent value, either because it
would normally be discarded or because it constitutes something someone wishes to
share. What is exchanged via inter-change may include things one no longer needs or
would normally discard (used clothing, cookware, laptops) and/or knowledge (workshops
on skills such as herbal medicine or parenting), abilities (consultations with doctors and
lawyers) or mutual aid (collective gardening, construction, or candle making) that people
would like to share. El Cambalache is a project that focuses on participants as being
resource-full though they might not have much access to money. The project strives to
embrace non-capitalist economic relationships that support the well-being of the
community that participates in it. This dissertation includes a collection of three
published manuscripts. These manuscripts are accompanied by a literature review,
historical context and the theory of inter-change value which are included in order to
situate the published works.


identifier: Johnson-Henke, Anita <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Johnson-Henke=3AAnita=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Testing the waters: intertidal zone archaeology at the Beaches site (DeAk-01).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Beaches (DeAk-01) is a multicomponent archaeological site that is situated in southwestern Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. The site preserves evidence of the Maritime Archaic who were the first inhabitants on the Island of Newfoundland. Earlier excavations discovered that the anthropogenic horizon which holds information of their settlement and lifeways is under a blanket of peat. However, the Maritime Archaic archaeological evidence is compromised because of erosion due to rising sea levels, and it is frequented by collectors.
This project examined the intertidal zone to re-assess the Maritime Archaic and peat horizons using three different survey techniques: core sampling, test pitting and the use of a cofferdam. Anthropogenic and peat horizons were identified, however the integrity and extent of the peat, and in-situ Maritime Archaic archaeological deposits were demonstrated to be at risk of destruction. It is recommended here that the Maritime Archaic component at the Beaches site be revisited before all cultural and geographic context is lost.


identifier: Ahmed, Ibrahim Masaud <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ahmed=3AIbrahim_Masaud=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Modeling and development of insulation materials in subsea pipelines.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Flow assurance is a major issue in subsea pipelines that transport crude oil and gas. Thermal insulation is crucial in preventing and controlling the formation of hydrates, asphalt or wax that can block flowlines. Heavy components of crude oil begin to form as hydrates, asphalt and wax at low flow temperature. In addition, high pressure and low temperature start the formation of hydrates, asphalt and wax in gas pipelines. When the temperature of crude oil decreases due to increase in its viscosity in a flowline, this causes an increase in pump power consumption. This research includes analysis of heat loss, temperature profiles in steady state flows, and temperature profiles in transient flows of the startup mode for transporting crude oil in deep water pipelines. The research focuses on temperature profiles that use several thicknesses of materials. The methodology used is a Matlab program. Firstly, the program validates the results for the unchanging geometry and thermal properties of the materials, to investigate temperature profiles during the start-up of crude oil along the length of the pipeline. The calculation has achieved approximate results. Then the model uses new insulation materials, crude oil, temperature, inner diameter and outer diameter for the same length of the pipeline. Moreover, this research has investigated the cool down time for flow shutdown of crude oil in pipelines, which is a primary issue in the production of offshore oil and gas. Cool down time is considered for two cases, which are exposed insulation pipelines in seawater and insulated pipeline buried under seawater. The research uses ANSYS Fluent CFD for sample runs of the models to validate the Matlab program output. The ANSYS Fluent focuses on steady state and transient flow temperature profiles during crude oil start-up, and examines the effects of several insulation thicknesses and the low thermal conductivity of materials.


identifier: Lin, Tzuemn-Renn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lin=3ATzuemn-Renn=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Two-phase outcome-dependent sampling designs for sequential survival time analysis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In some observational studies, the covariates of interest might be expensive to measure
although the outcome variable could easily be obtained. In this situation, a costefficient
two-phase outcome-dependent sampling design could be employed to measure
the expensive covariate for more informative subjects. In phase one, all members of a
random sample from a population or a cohort are measured for the outcome variable
and inexpensive covariates. In phase two, a subset of the cohort is selected based on
the outcome variable, and the expensive covariate is measured only for the selected
individuals. Case-cohort design is a commonly used outcome-dependent sampling design
in time-to-event analyses. In generalized case-cohort design, in which the selection
probability depends only on the event indicator, a random subsample of individuals
who experienced the event are selected, along with a random subsample of those with
censored event times. It was previously shown that when the selection probability
at phase two depends on observed event time and censoring time in addition to the
event indicator, the efficiency of the design might increase. Efficient design has a
lower variance of the coefficient estimate of the expensive covariate in the regression
model. In this study, we consider bivariate sequential time-to-event data, which consists
of gap times between two events observed in sequence, as the outcome variables.
The objective of this study is to investigate efficient two-phase sampling designs for
a predetermined phase two sample size. We consider sampling designs depending on
the event indicators and gap times. A likelihood-based method is used to estimate
the associations between the expensive covariate and the two gap times. We show
that when the selection probability at phase two depends on the two observed gap
times and censoring times in addition to their event indicators, the efficiency of the
design might improve.


identifier: Penney, Cindy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Penney=3ACindy=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Investigation of the genetic cause of hearing loss in Newfoundland families.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic cause of hearing loss in a seven-generation Newfoundland family. Twenty-nine family members were recruited segregating autosomal dominant hearing loss. Genome-wide SNP genotyping and linkage analysis showed significant linkage (LOD=4.77) to chromosome 13q34. The region contained 26 genes and a known deafness locus (DFNA33). Exome sequencing identified 13 variants of interest within the linked region, but only 3 co-segregated with hearing loss: F10 c.865+26C>T, ADPRHL1 c.380-17C>A and c.380-16T>G. All three were absent from 81 population controls, yet the ADPRHL1 c.380-17C>A and c.380-16T>G were identified in two other probands with hearing loss. All three were predicted to affect splicing of nearby exons, however cDNA analysis of ADPRHL1 showed no effect.
F10 c.865+26C>T, ADPRHL1 c.380-17C>A and c.380-16T>G are rare, co-segregate with hearing loss, and are possibly pathogenic. Conversely, they may help form a disease haplotype and exist in linkage disequilibrium with the causal mutation. However, the putative ADPRHL1 variants have been found in multiple families with hearing loss and further investigations are necessary to elucidate their effect.


identifier: Saydam, Vahit <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Saydam=3AVahit=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Thermal energy storage using paraffin wax and stability study of the phase change material containing nanoparticles.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis has two main parts. In the first part, the performance of a helical coil heat exchanger was investigated with paraffin wax as the phase change material (PCM) for a latent heat thermal energy storage system (LHTESS). The effects of heat transfer fluid (HTF) inlet temperature, HTF flow rate and flow direction were experimentally examined by measuring PCM temperature changes in the charging and discharging processes. The experimental results showed that HTF inlet temperature has the greatest influence on the charging/discharging processes. The flow direction of HTF had only an insignificant effect on discharging time. Higher heat recovery efficiency was achieved at high flow rates during discharging. Overall, it was seen that the low thermal conductivity of paraffin wax led to poor heat transfer performance, specifically causing much longer discharging times compared to charging times.
In the second part of the thesis, nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCMs) were proposed as a heat transfer enhancement method. Various highly conductive nanoparticles were dispersed into paraffin wax to improve the thermal conductivity of the PCM. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles were selected as enhancers. Nanoparticles were dispersed into paraffin wax using mechanical dispersion methods (sonication, stirring) with and without surfactants at varying mass fractions (0.1, 0.5, 1 and, 2 wt.%). The stability of nanoparticles was investigated after consecutive melting/solidification cycles were performed in an environmental chamber. Significant deposition and coagulation were seen over thermal cycles regardless of the nanoparticle type, nanoparticle content and dispersion method. The presence of nanoparticles did not lead to the desired thermal conductivity enhancement due to particle deposition and stability issues. The highest thermal conductivity enhancement was achieved by 13% for a 2 wt.% MWCNT-wax sample at 35°C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements also showed an insignificant change in latent heat capacity. In conclusion, NEPCMs could be an alternative storage material for LHTESS to improve overall heat transfer performance only if the issues associated with particle stability are resolved. Therefore, further study regarding the stability of NEPCMs with a multidisciplinary approach is needed to solve this problem.


identifier: Bodaghkhani, Armin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bodaghkhani=3AArmin=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Simulation of wave spray cloud.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Simulation of wave spray cloud

abstract: Wave impacts on vessels and offshore structures can induce significant spray. This process leads to topside icing in sufficiently cold and windy conditions. This study establishes the current state of the art understanding of the physical behavior of wave impact and the process of spray cloud formation upstream of a ship or marine structure. The process of spray formation is related to several complicated phenomena including wave slamming, jet formation after impact, sheet and droplet breakup, and production of the spray cloud on the top surface of the ship bow. The process of spray-cloud production and flow kinematics arising from breaking wave impact on a lab-scaled model is investigated using the Bubble Image Velocimetry (BIV) method to measure the wave run-up velocity. In addition to the BIV method, spray characteristics were examined using the Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) method. Measurements of droplet size, and velocity, as well as wave run-up velocity, were major elements of this study. Progress has been made in modeling wave spray phenomena, including numerical methods for modeling the free surface, and consideration of slamming, air entrainment, and water breakup. Further, the interaction of single nonlinear wave with a solid vertical surface was numerically simulated in three dimensions. Complex behavior of the wave impact as well as the resulting water sheet and high-speed jet were captured in the numerical model. The maximum wave run-up velocity, instant wave run-up velocity in front of the vertical surface, the break-up length of the water sheet, and the maximum impact pressure were all computed for several input wave characteristics. In addition to the experimental and numerical work, conservation constraints that govern the flow behavior, which is important in the process of spray cloud formation resulting from wave impact, were developed. The size and velocity distribution of spray droplets arising from the maximization of the entropy is subject to these constraints. The prediction is based on a statistical tool called the Maximum Entropy Principle (MEP), and the resulting droplet size distribution is in agreement with the general empirical distributions. The prediction distribution applied to both one- and two-dimensional cases. Finally, four stages of wave spray production are added together to produce a more comprehensive analytical model for predicting the final average droplet diameter from the information related to the inlet wave conditions. These mathematical stages are; 1) the formulation of wave impact velocities based on the input wave characteristics, 2) the formulation of air entrapment at the moment of impact based on the Bagnold-Mitsuyasu scaling law, which calculates the maximum impact pressure, 3) a mathematical relationship between the maximum wave impact pressure and the maximum wave run-up velocities, and finally, 4) the breakup phenomena.


identifier: Harvey, Brendan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Harvey=3ABrendan=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Signal processing methods for the detection & localization of acoustic sources.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis provides an in-depth examination of utilizing acoustic sensing to form the basis of a non-cooperative collision avoidance system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Technical challenges associated with the development of such a system in the areas of acoustics, kinematics, statistics, and digital signal processing are clearly identified, along with the requirements of such a system to be commercially viable. Theoretical developments in the areas of adaptive filtering, signal enhancement, signal detection, and source localization are proposed to overcome current limitations of the technology and ultimately establish a practical and viable sensing system. Each of the proposed methods were also evaluated using both computer generated and experimental data.
A number of techniques to adaptively filter harmonic narrowband noise without using any reference signal or producing any phase distortions are proposed. These included: 1) A distortionless FIR notch filtering method via the use of a second-order IIR notch filter prototype, 2) A distortionless notch filtering method via the use of FIR Comb filters, and 3) Multichannel adaptive filtering methods for systems containing multiple harmonic noise sources.
Several signal processing techniques to enhance the detection of continuous harmonic narrowband signals are proposed. These methods included: 1) A generalized spectral transform to exploit the periodic peak nature of harmonic signals in the frequency domain, 2) A series of processors which exploit the phase acceleration properties of continuous periodic signals, and 3) Modifications to the generalized coherence function for multichannel systems to include phase acceleration information. In addition to the proposed signal enhancement processors, Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) detection relationships for unknown signals residing in noise with fixed bandwidth regions and unknown properties are also provided. These include: 1) The establishment of distribution-free CFAR relationships for non-independent testing scenarios, 2) Development of a distribution-free CFAR detector through frequency tracking of consecutive windowed spectra, 3) Development of a Robust Binary Integration scheme to better facilitate the detection of non-stationary signals, 4) A CFAR-Enhanced Spectral Whitening technique to facilitate the accurate use of distribution-free CFAR detectors with non-identically distributed noise. An examination of the statistical and kinematic requirements to establish a reliable UAV collision avoidance system is also provided. This includes a brief analysis to determine minimum required detection probability rates, and the development of an analytical model to approximate minimum required detection distances.
A beamforming method is proposed to enhance the localization accuracy of harmonic continuous source signals via the Steered Response Power (SRP) method. In addition, algorithms are developed to reduce computational loads associated with the SRP localization technique. These include a Crisscross Regional Contraction method, and an adaptive approach which utilizes the steepest ascent gradient search. In addition, it was also shown that by performing signal detection prior to beamforming, greatly reduced computational loads and increased localization accuracy can be obtained.
Finally, a number of experiments were conducted to establish the overall viability of an acoustic-based collision avoidance system and verify the performance of the proposed signal processing techniques. These included: 1) The detection of a continuous ground-based stationary source from a moving fixed-wing UAV, 2) The detection and localization of a moving unmanned aircraft from a moving fixed-wing UAV, and 3) The detection and localization of a moving manned aircraft via a moving multi-rotor UAV. Based on the results obtained, it was found that both manned and unmanned aircraft were detected and localized with sufficient range and accuracy to avoid a collision. Thus, it was finally concluded that acoustic sensing does in fact appear to be viable technology to establish a non-cooperative collision avoidance system for UAVs.


identifier: Skinner, Shane <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Skinner=3AShane=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An investigation of organizational goal setting: what processes do organizations of varying sizes utilize when setting goals?  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The existing literature on goal setting theory has focused primarily on goal
setting at the employee level. Little consideration has been given to goal setting at the
organizational level. In this MSc (Management) thesis, I highlighted the existing
literature and where I believe gaps exist. From there, I conducted semi-structured
interviews with 26 individuals at a variety of organizations. These interviews provided
information on the processes organizations of varying sizes utilize when setting goals. By
analyzing this data, I was able to uncover that there are a variety of processes utilized to
set organizational goals. Going forward, I suggest that more emphasis be placed on goal
setting in the context of organizational goals. In so doing, scholars can evolve the theory
of goal setting beyond its current focus on the individual level.


identifier: Lewis, Clare <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3AClare=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Characterization of spontaneous, juvenile-type granulosa cell tumours from SWR mice.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Granulosa cell tumours (GCTs) are a subtype of ovarian cancer derived from the
granulosa cells (GC) surrounding the oocytes. The SWR mouse is a well defined model
for juvenile-type GCTs in terms of endocrinology, genetics and malignancy. GCTs
appear spontaneously in SWR-derived female mice at puberty, characterized by rapid,
benign growth followed by a malignant transition after 6-10 months in approximately
half of the tumour-bearing population. Our aim is to characterize the protein expression
profile of early GCTs, normal ovaries and the human COV434 JGCT cell line to
determine if protein expression differences can help identify the mechanism of
tumourigenesis. This was accomplished using immunoblotting to define the protein
expression profile of mouse primary GCTs, normal, whole ovaries and human COV434
cell lysates. Protein lysates from the early GCTs were positive for expression of Cyp19a,
Fshr, Egfr, Esr2, Foxl2 and Sox9 proteins, with significant downregulation of Esr2 and
significant upregulation of Egfr in GCTs relative to both normal ovaries. A further
evaluation of Sox9 was done by immunohistochemistry, which confirmed a proportion of
cell specifically express Sox9, although the cellular identity is not conclusively that of
GCT cells. Protein lysates from the COV434 cell line compared to the mouse GCTs were
also positive for expression of Cyp19a, Fshr, Egfr, Esr2 and Foxl2 proteins, with
significant upregulation of Cyp19a, significant downregulation of Egfr and Esr2, and no
Sox9 protein expression. A further evaluation of Sox9 was done by
immunohistochemistry and confirmed its expression in GCTs. The protein profile of
GCTs, as compared to normal ovaries and a human representative cell line will provide a
basis for future studies of juvenile-type GCT genetics, biology and therapy.


identifier: Marshall, Zack <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Marshall=3AZack=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Documenting research with transgender, gender non-binary, and other gender diverse (trans) people: an evidence map and ethical analysis.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This work critically examines and documents the approaches researchers have taken to studying transgender, gender non-binary, and other gender diverse (trans) individuals and communities. It applies systematic review methods, including evidence mapping, to demonstrate new ways of studying researchers and research ethics. This dissertation documents trans research across a broad range of fields and identifies evidence gaps and opportunities for more responsible research with trans individuals and communities. Incorporating mixed methods design, the study includes a systematic evidence map of 690 trans-focused empirical studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2014, an ethical analysis examining research challenges and recommendations for positive change, and a cross-sectional study investigating the relative risk of clinical photographs of trans people published in peer-reviewed journal articles appearing openly on the internet. It presents a detailed ethnographic content analysis of key ethical challenges related to research focus and study design, data collection and reporting, data analysis, and publishing practices. Recommendations to researchers, research ethics committees, and publishers highlight the need for vigilance with respect to study design (particularly, attention to how and why we divide people into gender categories and the implications of those choices) and publishing practices (emphasising public engagement, open science, and the potential of critical data studies to increase access to research that includes trans people). This study is innovative, the first of its kind to draw attention to trans people as research subjects, and the first to examine trans research ethics using systematic review methodologies. The Global Trans Research Evidence Map is also unique, incorporating qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and clinical research from multiple fields of investigation. This study, by providing critical insights into how to engage in inclusive, respectful, and responsible research with trans individuals and communities, has broader implications for the ethics of research with marginalized communities and for innovations in methods to examine research ethics.


identifier: Graham, Benjamin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Graham=3ABenjamin=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Mingling of multiple crystals mushes in the Fogo batholith.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This field, petrographic, and geochemical study examines mingling of compositionally similar rocks at multiple scales. Evidence of complex magma mingling in a multi-component crystal mush reservoir is preserved at Wild Cove East, located along the northeast shoreline of Fogo Island, Newfoundland. The irregular contacts and lack of chilled margins between units, the back-intrusion of younger units by older units, the similar composition of units, and an overlap in U/Pb zircon ages suggest all units interacted as viscous crystal mushes at similar temperatures in the shallow crust. Abundant rounded to ellipsoidal magmatic enclaves, of which there are at least three different populations based on composition and crystallinity, appear to represent separate magmas that were entrained either as earlier mush material or crystal-poor intrusions that experienced break-up at depth. Evidence of exchange of liquid at deeper levels is preserved both in the field and at the mineral-scale, where it is highlighted by abrupt compositional spikes in traverses across early forming minerals such as plagioclase and pyroxene. Heterogeneity in textures and composition of both major minerals (plagioclase and pyroxene) and an accessory mineral (zircon) suggest processes such as crystal exchange and capture affected mush host rocks, enclaves, and other intrusions in the study area earlier in their histories at deeper levels.


identifier: Neufeld, Dennis James <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Neufeld=3ADennis_James=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An exploratory study of the impact of digital learning tools on student engagement, self-efficacy and ownership of learning.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The modern education landscape is seeing an ever-increasing infusion of technology in schools and classrooms. As teachers and administrators sift through the saturated market of digital learning tools, they might question whether or not these trendy and often flashy tools will have any positive effects on their learners. This exploratory case study seeks to understand the impact that various digital learning tools have had on students who are enrolled in classes whose teachers use various forms of technology. More specifically, through the use of an online survey tool consisting of Likert scale and open-ended questions, this study was designed to better understand the impact of digital learning tools on student engagement, self-efficacy, and ownership of learning at one high school in British Columbia. An analysis of participant responses suggests that learner engagement and self-efficacy are positively impacted by the use of these tools. However, ownership of learning seems not to be directly affected by the use of technology in the classroom. Ultimately, the responses collected and their analysis could help educators at the participating school to make informed decisions when implementing new technology, and it might inspire other schools or districts to look closely at the effect that these tools are having on their specific demographics.


identifier: Coleman, Shelley <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Coleman=3AShelley=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Newfoundland and Labrador guidance counsellors' use of theory to inform practice.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Theory is an important consideration in professional guidance counsellor practice. There are a multitude of theoretical models that counsellors can use to understand their work and guide their practice. The current study explored the views of guidance counsellors in Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of how they reported using theory, along with which theories they used, to guide their various work-related responsibilities. All guidance counsellors in the province received an e-mail invitation to complete a survey designed to explore theory use for each of the established 15 guidance counsellor work related roles in Newfoundland and Labrador. Survey questions also explored views on previous training around theory and potential areas for future training needs. Results illustrated a wide variety of views on the usefulness and appropriateness of theory to inform practice. Results also highlighted a range of theoretical models being utilized in schools in Newfoundland and Labrador by guidance counsellors. The current thesis explores findings related to theory use among guidance counsellors in the province with a focus on implications for practice, future research, and training.


identifier: Gruchy, Alyssa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gruchy=3AAlyssa=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Body image in men: the impact of drive for muscularity and drive for thinness on depression, social physique anxiety, self-esteem, and behavioural factors in male health and fitness trainees.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Recently, there has been a call for enhanced research in the field of male body
image. The term “drive for muscularity” (DM) was created to capture the desire for a
more muscular body type. This construct has been described as occurring on a continuum
with “drive for thinness” (DT). Though many men struggle with these body image
concerns, there are certain subgroups that are at a higher risk for DM and DT. Health and
fitness trainees have endorsed greater body image and muscularity-related concerns than
others. The current study had several objectives. The first was to determine whether DM
and DT were higher in health and fitness trainees than in other males. The second was to
examine changes in DM or DT as a factor of age or progression through the program. The
third was to explore psychosocial variables (depression, social physique anxiety, and selfesteem),
sexual orientation, and body composition measures (BMI and waist
circumference) and their relationships with DM and DT. The fourth was to examine
whether exercise behaviours (frequency, duration, and type of exercise) or supplement
use was related to DM or DT. Finally, the fifth was to determine whether motivations for
exercise played a role in the level of DM and DT endorsed. Seventy male health and
fitness trainees participated in this study. Correlations, regressions, and one-way
ANOVAs were calculated to examine relationships between variables. Results indicated
that male health and fitness trainees were higher in DM than non-health and fitness
trainees. No psychosocial variables correlated with DM, but DT was significantly
correlated with social physique anxiety and body composition measures (BMI and waist
circumference). Non-heterosexual orientation was endorsed at an unusually low rate. DM, but not DT, differed significantly based on participant frequency, duration, and type
of exercise, and type of supplement use. Other notable findings included participant
endorsement of creatine usage, and the likelihood of using creatine to predict considering
anabolic steroid use. These results contribute to the growing field of male body image
literature. Directions for future research and clinical implications for practice with males
with body image concerns are discussed.


identifier: Musharraf, Mashrura <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Musharraf=3AMashrura=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Modeling and simulation of offshore workers' behavior.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The offshore oil and gas industry functions in a team work culture in which operations depend not only on individuals’ competency, but also on team skills. Team skills are even more necessary when it comes to handling emergency conditions. Emergency conditions are dynamic in nature and personnel on board are challenged with evolving high-risk situations, time pressure, and uncertainty. One way to effectively handle emergencies is to train personnel to a competency level, both individually and as a part of a team. This would increase the chance of achieving safety in a timely manner using the available resources such as information, equipment, and people. Such training involves enhancing team members' understanding of human performance, in particular, the social and cognitive aspects of effective teamwork and good decision making. Post-accident analysis of offshore accidents shows that conventional training programs are often too generic, and that they are not designed to identify and tackle the human factors that are critical for evolving offshore emergency situations.
Recognition of the importance of human factors on operator performance raises the need for training that goes beyond conventional training programs and incorporates non-technical training focusing on leadership, command, decision making, communication, and teamwork. A major difficulty to design such training is that it involves practicing emergency exercises with a potentially large number of participants, each playing the appropriate role in a given scenario. Such large-scale team exercises suffer from both organizational and educational drawbacks. The amount of human and financial resources needed for such a training exercise is difficult to organize. Furthermore, it is very hard, if not impossible, to get all team members together at the same time and location. Also, the team members may have variability in the competency levels (novice versus advanced trainees) and hence different training needs. One effective and flexible solution to this problem is to use intelligent artificial agents, or ‘virtual workers’, in a virtual environment (VE) to play different roles in the team. Virtual workers are artificially intelligent agents that can reproduce behaviors that are similar to or compatible with those of a real worker. This research proposes to develop a human behavior simulation model (HBM) that can be used to create such virtual workers in the context of offshore emergency egress.
The goal of this research is to develop a human behavior model that can simulate offshore workers’ emergency response under the influence of performance influencing factors (PIFs). The first part of the work focuses on understanding human behavior during offshore emergency situations. A two level, three factor experiment was conducted in a virtual environment (VE) to investigate the relationships between the PIFs and human behavior. Influence of both internal and external PIFs were investigated. Knowledge acquisition and inference processes of individuals were also investigated in the experimental study. In the second part, a computational model was developed to capture the across-subject variability observed during the experiment. Interviews with subject matter experts (SME) were conducted at this step to ensure that the model is able to produce a realistic range of human behaviors. The final step was to validate the developed behavior model. All high-level tasks to validate the HBM were performed. Special emphasis was given on acceptability criteria testing to ensure that the integrated HBM performs adequately under different operating conditions.


identifier: Evans, Piers <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Evans=3APiers=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Biotic and abiotic effects on temperate tree range expansion at the boreal - temperate ecotone.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The broad-scale effects of climate change on the distribution of species around the planet
are relatively well understood, however our predictive powers of how species ranges will
shift and re-organise are hampered by species’ interactions with one another and their
environments. An investigation into seedling emergence constraints of four northern
temperate tree species beyond their realised geographical niche was conducted using the
available literature and experimental manipulation of natural systems. Two iterations of
the field experiment (2015/16 & 2016/17) allowed for development and evaluation of
experimental design, particularly vertebrate herbivore exclosure design. Climatic
variables were largely unimportant drivers of model species’ ability to successfully
emerge at experimental sites across Newfoundland, whereas biotic interactions impacted
species-specific emergence, depending on reproductive strategies. Seed predation and
canopy composition were among the most important biotic drivers of model species’
emergence success.


identifier: Lasmar, Abdalmawla <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lasmar=3AAbdalmawla=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Modeling a hot water storage tank for thermal energy storage using encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Over the past few decades, there has been a steady increase in the use of solar water heaters in areas of the world that have large amounts of solar energy. However, as the sun can only provide energy for a portion of each 24-hour solar cycle, there is a need to augment the solar-powered water heaters with thermal energy storage systems. These systems feature Phase Change Materials (PCMs) that can store extra energy in order to provide sufficient power to, for instance, offset potential shortages which might occur due to low production times such as occur at night or on a heavily clouded day. PCMs can experience phase changes from solid to liquid (i.e., melting solidification) when heated to a temperature that accords with the thermal application being used. The present thesis study will investigate ways to enhance thermal efficiency in hot water tanks by applying potential numerical simulations using PCMs that incorporate paraffin wax. Finding the most expedient PCMs for the finite element model includes finding changes in thermal conductivity and enthalpy across different temperatures. Elements which enhance efficiency (e.g., raise the thermal conductivity level in paraffin wax) potentially include utilizing encapsulated PCMs for spheres on the heat exchanger and changing the time needed in the melt/solidification process. The present study also includes an overview of the latent heat energy storage system (LHESS) and the theory underlying it.


identifier: Doody, Kyle Stephen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Doody=3AKyle_Stephen=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Evaluation of performance in emergency response scenarios: a virtual environment skill retention study.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The research described in this thesis investigates the longitudinal retention of skills attained by naïve subjects who had completed a virtual induction training. This work is a continuation of the original induction training conducted by Smith & Veitch (2017, 2018). The original induction training introduced participants to a “virtual offshore platform” where they were taught basic safety and egress procedures. After a period of 6 to 9 months, the participants were re-exposed to the virtual environment and tested again. The researcher has hypothesized that participants will demonstrate skill fade over this period, and there will be a difference in repeated measures between exposures. Retention of key concepts were evaluated to determine where skill fade was most prominent, and the amount of retraining required to bring participants back to competency was recorded. The experimental results demonstrated that skill fade was most prominent in foundational testing scenarios where participants were first re-exposed to each learning objective. Further, the results indicated that the participants were quickly re-trained to post training competency after initial re-exposure to the environment. The findings of the experiment support the research hypothesis.


identifier: Shiell, Nicholi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shiell=3ANicholi=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Behaviour-based pattern formation in a swarm of anonymous robots.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The ability to form patterns is useful to maximize the sensor coverage of a team of
robots. Current pattern formation algorithms for multi-robot systems require the
robots to be able to uniquely identify each other. This increases the sensory and
computational requirements of the individual robots, and reduces the scalability, ro-
bustness, and
exibility of the pattern formation algorithm. The research presented
in this thesis focuses on the development of a novel pattern formation algorithm
called the Dynamic Neighbour Selection (DNS) algorithm. The DNS algorithm does
not require robots to be uniquely identified to each other, thus improving the scal-
ability, robustness, and
exibility of the technique. The algorithm was developed
in simulation, and demonstrated on a team of vision-enabled Bupimo robots. The
Bupimo robots were developed as part of the research reported in this thesis. They
are a low-cost, vision enabled, mobile robotic platform intended for use in swarm
robotics research and education. Experiments conducted using the DNS algorithm
were performed using a computer simulation and in real world trials. The exper-
iments conducted via simulation compared the performance of the DNS algorithm
to an other similar algorithm when forming a number of patterns. The results of
these experiments demonstrate that the DNS algorithm was able to assume the de-
sired formation while the robots traversed a shorter distance when compared to the
alternative algorithm. The real robot trials had three outcomes. First, they demon-
strated the functionality of the Bupimo robots, secondly they were used to develop
an effective robot-robot collision avoidance technique, and lastly they demonstrated
the performance of the DNS algorithm on real robots.


identifier: Pan, Yuntao <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pan=3AYuntao=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Experimental investigation of water droplet impact and icing on hydrophobic surfaces with varying wettabilities.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Ice formation and accumulation can lead to operational failure and risks for structures such as power transmission lines, aircrafts, offshore platforms, marine vessels and wind turbines. Liquid repellent surfaces could reduce ice accretion and improve asset integrity and safety in harsh environments. there are significant needs to probe how surface wettability affects the droplet impact, ice formation and ice accretion processes. This study presents experimental results of water droplet impact, droplet dynamics, and icing delay time on flat and inclined stainless-steel surfaces with varying wettabilities. Several different designs of the micro-structure of the hydrophobic surfaces are considered. The commercial hydrophobic coating from Aculon is also used to improve liquid repellency and reduce ice accumulation. It was found that the impact speed and surface wettability are significant factors to the droplet oscillation and the total icing time. The droplet oscillation time is significantly longer on a hydrophobic surface than on a hydrophilic one. Lower surface wettability also significantly increases the droplet total icing time. The droplet total icing time decreases with lower droplet temperature, larger droplet impact velocity, and smaller droplet diameter. The droplet shows a gliding phase on an inclined surface. The total icing time decreases on the inclined surface since the contact area increases due to the gliding process. for typical droplet icing process, the ice formation initiates at the solid-liquid interface and then propagates from bottom to top through the liquid-gas interface. The droplet bounces off from the angled superhydrophobic surface made by electrodeposition at room temperature.


identifier: Aljaroudi, Alaa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Aljaroudi=3AAlaa=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Creatine synthesis and arginine partitioning during total parenteral nutrition in Yucatan miniature piglets.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Arginine is an indispensable amino acid for the neonate. Significant quantities of both
arginine and methionine are required for de novo creatine synthesis to satisfy whole body
accretion requirements, even when creatine is provided in milk. Neonates that require
intravenous feeding (parenteral nutrition, PN) are at risk for arginine deficiency because arginine
is synthesized in the small intestine from dietary precursors; as such, arginine deficiency may
limit creatine synthesis. L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) is the first enzyme, and
the rate limiting step, involved in creatine biosynthesis and catalyzes the conversion of arginine
and glycine to guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) in the kidney. GAA is then methylated by methionine
in the liver to produce creatine via guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase. Our objective was to
determine whether a parenteral diet supplemented with GAA or creatine could spare arginine and
methionine for protein synthesis and growth. Piglets (6-10 d old, N = 31) were parenterally fed
for 5 days one of five diets: 1) low arginine and low methionine (base), 2) base plus GAA, 3)
base plus creatine, 4) high arginine and high methionine (Arg&Met), or 5) high methionine and
low arginine plus GAA (Met&GAA). On day 6 of the experiment, piglets underwent a 6-hour
constant infusion of stable isotopes of arginine, GAA and creatine to measure fractional
conversion of arginine to GAA and creatine. In addition, continuous infusions of phenylalanine
and tyrosine isotopes were used to measure whole body protein kinetics. At the end of the
experiment, the piglets were killed and AGAT activity and GAA and creatine concentrations
were measured in tissues. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In piglets fed
the GAA and creatine diets, there was significantly lower kidney AGAT activity compared to the
Arg&Met diet (P < 0.05), which indicates that GAA and creatine downregulated kidney AGAT
and suggests that less arginine was used for GAA synthesis. Pancreatic AGAT activity was also significantly lower in the creatine group compared to Arg&Met (P < 0.05). Whole body nitrogen
balance did not differ significantly between groups, however, nitrogen retention was higher in
the group fed GAA with excess methionine (Met&GAA), compared to GAA alone (P < 0.05)
suggesting that methionine in the GAA group was directed towards GAA methylation rather than
protein synthesis even when limited amounts of methionine were provided in the diet. This is
consistent with the higher weight gain in the Met&GAA group compared to all other groups (P <
0.05) except the Arg&Met. A greater amount of arginine was utilized for GAA synthesis in the
Arg&Met group compared to the GAA, creatine, and Met&GAA groups (P < 0.05), which
demonstrated that providing creatine or GAA in the diet spared arginine in those groups. Overall,
supplemental GAA in parenterally fed piglets seemed to be effective at sparing arginine for
growth, provided that methionine was supplemented in adequate amounts. GAA may be useful
as a supplement to parenteral nutrition formulas to preserve arginine for growth by facilitating
creatine synthesis.


identifier: Lord, Kristina Diane <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lord=3AKristina_Diane=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Critical engineering pedagogy: curricular peer mentoring as a case study for change in the Canadian neoliberal university.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This research explores themes of pedagogy, change, and agency within education systems, by examining the possibility of changing a pedagogical discourse within an undergraduate engineering program through critical pedagogy. Changing that discourse is necessary because engineering, as engineers themselves acknowledge, cannot remain an exclusionary space given its crucial role in shaping our postmodern world. This world is full of tensions: it is defined by a pervasive neoliberalism that values technical knowledge for its commercial utility; however, it also values human rights, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. If engineering education only focuses on training students to solve technical problems, it risks producing engineering professionals who are unwilling to reflect on, and lack the agency to address, the effects of engineering on individuals, society, and the environment.
To address these concerns, this study piloted a peer-based learning program that ran in an undergraduate engineering program at a Canadian university for one semester, returning rich qualitative data on implementing a change process within engineering education. The pilot program was informed by critical pedagogy, and attempted to introduce a specific model of undergraduate peer mentoring, known as curricular peer mentoring, within engineering education to question exclusionary discourses. Therefore, the pilot program primarily acted as a case study into implementing a pedagogical change within engineering education at a program and faculty-level.
However, the case study was also used to assess whether introducing curricular peer mentoring within university education generally might produce graduates who are critical thinkers, and able to engage in the academic, professional, and civic discourses within and beyond their chosen fields of study and practice. This is a pressing issue of contemporary university education, for as we enter the ‗Post-Truth Era‖ there is an urgent need to train university graduates to think critically, so they can effectively evaluate social, political, and economic discourses.
Finally, as the wider university continues to be impacted by a neoliberal agenda that curtails their agency and shapes their pedagogies, research, and organizational structures, they too must change. The pilot program also provided an exploration of a change process that challenges that neoliberal discourse, while at the same time existing within it.


identifier: Callanan, Andreae <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Callanan=3AAndreae=3A=3A.html>   (2018) The Debt (Poems).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: The Debt (Poems)

abstract: The Debt is a collection of poems exploring tensions between tradition and innovation, between past and present. Set largely against the backdrop of post-moratorium St. John’s, Newfoundland, the collection is based on my own experiences as the product of a province unmoored by loss and grief. The opening long poem, “Crown,” sets the tone for the project, juxtaposing formal verse and prose poetry in a vernacular commentary on culture and social class. The Debt is about development and change, idleness and activism, ecological stewardship, feminism, motherhood, the personal and the political. It is also about resistance—against the encroaching forces of greed and capitalism, even against the accumulated notions of the self. The poems are an argument for community and connection in an age increasingly associated with isolation of the individual. The Debt explores the dues we all owe: to nature, to those who came before us, and to one another.