identifier: Lu, Ping <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lu=3APing=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Microstructured optical fibres: fabrication, properties, and devices.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis, several novel microstructured fibre-optic devices are investigated on their designs, fabrication techniques, characteristics, and applications. Firstly the dependences of the sensitivity and time response on the coating thickness of polyimide-coated fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) as well as factors influencing these properties are revealed. Intelligent sensing of multiple environmental parameters (salinity, saccharinity, and strain) with a single-fibre sensor system is achieved through the use of multiplexed FBGs with coatings of different polymers (acrylate and polyimide) and specifications. Simultaneous measurement of magnitude and direction of deflection using a FBG cantilever sensor with possible temperature compensation is realized based on Optical low-coherence reflectometry, which reveals the internal structure of the sensing FBG in correlation with its optical properties. Secondly, simultaneous wavelength locking and spectral filtering by a FBG embedded polarization maintaining fibre Sagnac loop mirror through temperature, strain, and polarization tuning is accomplished. The system is also applied to perform simultaneous temperature and axial strain measurement. Thirdly, various fibre Mach-Zehnder interferometers (FMZI) are fabricated using different light steering elements (fibre taper and fibre lateral-shifted junction) to form either a double elements (symmetrical and asymmetrical) or triple elements structure. Simultaneous measurement of temperature and refractive index or strain with a fibre Mach-Zehnder interferometry of high sensitivity is realized based on these FMZIs. Fourthly femtosecond laser induced micro-spots are fabricated inside optical fibres and their optical characteristics are investigated. FMZIs consisting of the femtosecond laser induced spot and either a fibre taper or another spot are fabricated for measurement of temperature, strain, and refractive index. Lastly a femtosecond laser microfabrication approach is adopted to create several all-fibre devices such as long period fibre gratings, fibre core mode attenuators, fibre bandpass filter, and fibre mode converter. The method takes advantage of the flexibility of femtosecond laser micromachining and the specifications of these devices which can be arbitrarily modified by changing the femtosecond laser illumination parameters.


identifier: Ma, Peter <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ma=3APeter=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Time-domain simulation of vortex-induced vibration for deepwater marine risers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

format: application/pdf application/pdf

abstract: The engineering challenges of Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) for marine risers are of great concern as offshore operations move into deepwater. The VIV phenomenon creates fatigue issues and could cause permanent damages in risers. An accurate tool for analyzing riser VIV is important for the safe operation of offshore drilling and exploration. Risers typically have an extremely large length-to-diameter ratio which makes direct scaling nearly impossible in physical model testing - this naturally requires the use of numerical methods. -- In this work, a time-domain numerical model for simulating VIV of deepwater risers was developed. A novel forcing algorithm that utilizes the hydrodynamic coefficients of finite segments of a riser was adopted to predict the external forces on a riser due to fluid effects and riser motion. The predicted external forces are then applied on the riser. A global-coordinate-based finite element model was employed to compute the responses of the riser. -- The computation consisted of a two step process: static and dynamic analysis. The static analysis iterates to find the equilibrium profile of the riser(s), then the dynamic analysis solves the equation of motion at each user-defined time step. The program outputs the responses and the reaction forces (tension) of the riser(s) at any user-defined nodes. -- The numerical model was coded in Fortran 90 and validated by comparing program outputs with published experimental data. Validation studies were first conducted on mooring lines, and the comparison showed that the finite element method was able to capture the nonlinear behaviour of these slender structures. With confidence in the finite element model, the VIV forcing algorithm was implemented in the program. Validation studies were then extended to the VIV prediction of a 6 meter rigid pipe with spring boundary conditions and a 13 meter laboratory scale top-tensioned riser. The comparisons between the predictions in this study with the experimental results are generally in good agreement.


identifier: MacLeod-Leslie, Heather A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/MacLeod-Leslie=3AHeather_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) SANKOFA/Return and get it: an archaeological exploration of black loyalist identity and culture in Nova Scotia.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Scholarly archaeological research into the African diaspora in Atlantic Canada is quite limited to date. The discourse in history has been more regularly attended here but, given the sociopolitical challenges that members of the African diaspora faced, archaeology is a vital and perhaps more democratic source of information to understand this heritage and its importance to modern Atlantic Canadians. This thesis represents an effort to begin to fill this need. -- Localized cultural variation is a factor for which scholars must allow, however the discourse on African diaspora archaeology has demonstrated that some common, Africentric cultural phenomena link populations across the wide geography of the colonial African diaspora through both their African cultural heritage and experiences as members of this diaspora. This thesis, using a specific focus on Black Loyalists and their descendents in Nova Scotia, contends that early black settlers in Atlantic Canada embodied varying degrees and facets of West African cultural traditions. These have contributed to modern black culture and ethnocultural identity in Atlantic Canada and must be seen in both their contemporary and historic contexts as African diasporic in nature. -- This research uses several approaches to understand the emic perspective of African Nova Scotian identity and local cultural heritage. These include a comparative study of consumption behavior through an analysis of ceramic decorative colours and motifs, an attempt to comprehend cultural landscapes at regional, community and household levels and a consideration of ethnocultural identity through materially expressed Africentric spirituality and folk traditions. Further, this thesis demonstrates that, since the material traces of such Africentric practices and perspectives lack any substantial documentary record to assist in their comprehension, the adoption of an Africentric perspective to archaeological field methodology and interpretation is necessary for both detecting the evidence and understanding it. -- Data from several Black Loyalist communities were analyzed to address the varied objectives including Delap's Cove (Annapolis Co.), Rear Monastery (Antigonish & Guysborough Cos.), Birchtown (Shelburne Co.) and a white Irish community, Coote Cove (Halifax Regional Municipality). Data from previous research was used from the latter two communities, whereas the author collected data specifically for this research from the two former communities.


identifier: Mahajan, Puneet <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mahajan=3APuneet=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Effect of high salt diet on blood vessel function: alteration in vascular β-adrenoceptor signalling.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Consumption of high salt leads to the alteration of vascular β-adrenoceptor response which subsequently modifies the blood vessel responses. This change could be due to an alteration in β-adrenoceptor-mediated signalling in blood vessels. To test this hypothesis, an evaluation of β-adrenoceptor-mediated mechanical and electrical responses was undertaken in low-pressure segment of the circulatory system i.e. main pulmonary arteries, of Sprague-Dawley rats fed either normal or high salt diets for 18-23 days. Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored in anesthetised rats using infra-arterial catheters. Isometric tension was measured in isolated pulmonary artery ring preparations. Glass microelectrodes were used for the recording of membrane potential (Em). -- Consumption of high salt resulted in a modest increase in blood pressure but not heart rate. Isoprenaline evoked hyperpolarization in pulmonary arteries of rats fed a normal diet. Hyperpolarization evoked by stimulation of β-adrenoceptor involved multiple processes including the activation of K + channels and Na+ /K+ATPase. -- The removal of endothelium produced hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle cells in blood vesselsobtained from rats fed a normal diet. The hyperpolarisation due to denudation was the result of the activationof K+ channels and Na+ /K+ ATPase. Moreover, hyperpolarization as a consequence of β-adrenoceptor stimulation appeared to be mutually dependent on the presence of endothelial cells since this event (i.e. hyperpolarization) as evoked by isoprenaline was absent in denuded tissues. Isoprenaline-mediated relaxation was found to be partly dependent on the presence of endothelium. -- Isoprenaline produced similar relaxations in intact pulmonary arteries obtained from animals fed a high saltcompared to normal diet. However, the Em was found to be more negative in intact pulmonary arteries ofanimals fed a high salt diet compared to those fed a normal diet. The isoprenaline evoked hyperpolarization was notably absent in the pulmonary arteries. In addition, in intact versus denuded blood vessels obtained from rats on high salt diet, the Em was not significantly different. -- Taken together, the data suggests that the presence of the endothelium is essential for the propagation of β-adrenoceptor-mediated relaxation. Moreover, the evidence seems to also imply that consumption of high saltleads to the activation of K+ channels and Na+ /K+ ATPase channels preserving β-adrenoceptor-mediated relaxations in pulmonary arteries.


identifier: Mallam, S. C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mallam=3AS=2E_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Donning times of marine abandonment immersion suits under simulated evacuation conditions.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Maritime emergencies often occur rapidly in unpredictable circumstances. In a scenario where a vessel or offshore installation evacuation is necessary, personal flotation and thermal protection greatly increases the chances of survival for individuals immersed in water. Marine abandonment immersion suits, intended to be donned quickly, can provide effective protection against these dangers and prolong life. The ability to locate and correctly don an immersion suit before vessel or installation abandonment is critical to survival. The Canadian immersion suit standard (CAN/CGSB-65.16-2005) dictates that a suit must be unpacked and properly donned without assistance within 2-minutes. -- Thirty-two participants, with similar knowledge and training performed donning exercises using two differing manufactures marine abandonment immersion suits under simulated maritime conditions, involving varying combinations of environmental motion and lighting states. Participant donning times, donning task errors and peak heart rates were observed for each trial. Across all conditions the mean donning time was 102.7 seconds (SD=39.6 sec), with a significant difference between donning time and suit manufacturer (p<.0001). Although overall mean donning time was below the 2-minute requirement, in total there was a 26.1% failure rate in the completion of full donning tasks within 2-minutes, with donning task error rates observed as high as 56.3%. These data suggest that the current standard should be revisited with the implementation of a more performance based, real-world applicable approach to immersion suit donning.


identifier: Mani, Ramesh Kumar <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mani=3ARamesh_Kumar=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Electrochemically assisted assembly of collagen membranes and collagen-calcium phosphate composite materials.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: I have designed bioactive collagen-based materials using electrochemical synthesis methods. Preparation of these collagenous materials involves assembly of fibrils from collagen monomers; inorganic-protein composites can be formed by subsequent electrochemically induced precipitation of calcium phosphate minerals. These collagen-calcium phosphate composites are stiffer than the original collagen membranes. The electrochemically assisted mineral precipitation can yield several different calcium phosphate phases (including hydroxyapatite, brushite, or amorphous calcium phosphate) depending on electrolyte composition. Change in the electrolyte composition (by adding different ions), electrolyte p H or duration of the applied field produces membranes with a range of Young's moduli. Single particle tracking reveals that changing the electrolyte composition changes the internal pore structure of the formed collagen membrane. Biocompatibility studies show that cells grow very well on the electrochemically aggregated collagen membranes when they are used as a supportive matrix. Since a major portion of a cornea is made up of collagen, our collagen membranes may be useful as a matrix for artificial cornea applications.


identifier: Rodrigues-Manzanares, Maria A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rodrigues-Manzanares=3AMaria_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Portraits of the activity systems of postsecondary international students in online learning: from tensions to transformations in activity.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of the study was to portray the activity systems of postsecondary international students enrolled in online courses in order to identify opportunities for positive transformations in the activity of learning. Data collection and data analysis were guided by Activity Theory (AT) and relied on individual interviews. The five students who participated in the study were speakers of English as an Additional Language enrolled at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Findings were reported as individual portraits of the activity systems of the students. Cross analysis of the portraits revealed the following themes: Asynchronous, Text-Based Interaction; Synchronous Interaction; Time and Place Flexibility; Social and Cultural Interaction; Teaching Presence; and Independent Learning. The themes were analysed in relation to AT's five principles. A more in-depth focus on the principle of contradictions or tensions supported the identification of opportunities for positive transformations in the activity of learning which included: students' preference for asynchronous interaction; inclusion of face-to-face and online synchronous interaction in online courses; inclusion of a greater variety of media; students' preference for independent learning; support and facilitation of independent learning; enhanced teaching presence; inclusion of first-language online resources; enhanced language-related services and supports; cultural inclusivity; social interaction; and networks of international and domestic students for social and cultural interaction.


identifier: Matheson, Kyle Alexander <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Matheson=3AKyle_Alexander=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Effects of temperature and competition on foraging in indigenous rock (Cancer irroratus) and recently introduced green (Carcinus maenas) crabs from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis determined experimentally how temperature (cold [4°C] versus warm [ 12°C] water) affects predation success in indigenous rock (Cancer irroratus ) and recently introduced green ( Carcinus maenas ) crabs from Newfoundland and Labrador under non-competitive and competitive conditions. Prey (the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis ) capture and size selection as well as associated foraging behaviors were measured in both crab species. Additional factors (crab size, prey size, chela loss, and chemical cues from conspecifics and heterospecifics) were included to gain further insights about how this green crab introduction may alter the structure of shallow benthic ecosystems in this region. Analysis of predation data under non-competitive conditions indicated that 1) mussel capture in rock and green crabs was higher in large than small individuals, 2) chela loss decreased mussel capture uniquely in rock crabs while causing only subtle changes in mussel size selection in both species, and 3) chemical cues from other crabs did not affect mussel capture in rock crabs, yet altered mussel size selection and the frequency of foraging behaviors in small rock crabs only. Increasing temperature from 4 to 12°C exacerbated these patterns by significantly increasing mussel capture in both species. Analysis of predation data under competitive conditions indicated that 1) green crabs primarily grasped the mussel before rock crabs regardless of temperature and body size and chela loss in rock crabs, 2) the number of contests between rock and green crabs was unaffected by temperature and body size and chela loss in rock crabs though the frequency of strong physical interactions was higher in contests with large than small rock crabs, and 3) large rock crabs initiated contests with green crabs more frequently than smaller conspecifics in warm water only while winning more contests than small rock crabs regardless of temperature. Therefore, the introduction of green crab to Newfoundland and Labrador (currently the northern distribution limit of the species) may negatively impact foraging in rock crabs, whether the latter are equal or larger in size than the largest green crabs. The observed marked preference by small green crabs for small mussels suggests that green crabs may alter mussel populations in this region, which could affect interactions with other species that rely on mussels as a food source.


identifier: McCue, Anthony J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McCue=3AAnthony_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) General patterns among generalists: what is revealed by spatial models of coyotes?  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Colonization of insular Newfoundland by coyotes ( Canis latrans ) coincided with declines in woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) populations, generating public outcry to reduce coyote predation on this iconic species. My research was focused on the Maritime Barrens Ecoregion of Newfoundland, which is more akin to an arctic habitat than the desert, plains, or forest habitats typically occupied by coyotes. I investigated both habitat associations and spatial stability of coyotes in relation to short-distance migratory caribou. I compared efficacy between statistical and algorithmic spatial models incorporating relatively static habitat and environmental data for predicting patterns of use. The algorithmic model was superior for predicting future use with the limited background data. However, the best predictive model showed substantial individual variation, possibly reflecting local availability of food resources emphasizing the need to collect these data. Coyote home ranges were relatively static across seasons and years. Overall coyotes appeared to exhibit adaptive and opportunistic behaviour common throughout the species range.


identifier: McDavid, Sara Jodi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McDavid=3ASara_Jodi=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Counterclericalism: Vernacular commentary on the power of the catholic priest in atlantic Canada.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis examines the role of priests in Atlantic Canada (focusing on Newfoundland, Cape Breton and New Brunswick), drawing on legend, personal experience narrative, and popular culture as presented in oral tradition, archival sources and popular fiction. -- Using the discipline of folklore, but with an awareness of the contributions of history and anthropology, it explores both positive and negative depictions of the priest's role as religious and cultural leader, community icon, hero and villain. The thesis argues that these complex folkloric representations express a nuanced "counterclericalism" that extends the concept of "anticlericalism" as developed by anthropologists and historians, and that communally accepted counterclerical narratives create a venue for discourse on the nature of power in general. -- I propose that the term counterclericalism is better suited to the folkloristic study of vernacular expressions of criticism of clergy, suggesting that the term "anticlericalism" be reserved for other uses.


identifier: McEwen, Annie Rosalind <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McEwen=3AAnnie_Rosalind=3A=3A.html>   (2011) There was more strength in singing : community, identity, and the performance of memory in the folk of the sea choir, 1994-2000.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis examines the vernacular choral response to the cod moratorium created by the choral group Folk of the Sea and its memory construction more than a decade later, providing insights into Newfoundland's cultural reactions to  sudden changes of identity and way of life. The ethnography upon which this study rests was collected through personal and telephone interviews during the summer of 2010 and the winter of 2011. First, the thesis introduces the reader to the beginnings of the choir and the seventeen informants who  were interviewed for this study. A history of the Newfoundland cod fishery leading up to the moratorium is recounted as well as a history of singing, both solo and choral in Newfoundland. Chapter Three recounts the first ever concert by Folk of the Sea and analyzes the meaning and  relationships revealed in the performance. In Chapter Four, the concept of the performance of the memory of performance is examined and some of the narratives collected from the informants for this thesis are included to demonstrate the vividness of emotional memory. The influence of place on identity is the topic of the Chapter Five and the persuasive  uses of regional folklore are discussed. Finally, Chapter Six shows how a Folk of the Sea performance combats the stereotypes commonly placed upon the Newfoundland fisher.


identifier: McKee, Erin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McKee=3AErin=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Constructing identity through community radio: community building in Newfoundland and Northen Ireland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This research examines the social and cultural impacts of community radio projects in rural Newfoundland (Norris Point  and Tilting) and in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. The study considers the following questions: How do people construct community identity through community radio? To what extent does it provide `a voice for the voiceless'? -- The research found that, particularly in conjunction with community festivals, community radio stations can provide a hopeful, fun, and unique space for community engagement. Community radios can also be used to revitalise areas economically. Through their potential for teamwork across different constituencies, they can provide new possibilities  for literacy and media education, technical skills development, tourism initiatives, and the promotion of local  knowledge, language, and culture. The research also highlights barriers to participation and challenges faced by  these non-profit, small-scale community radio stations. -- In order to function effectively, that is, to fulfil its community building initiatives, community radio requires active participation, lest it be simply more noise on the dial.


identifier: Munro, Hannah Jarvis <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Munro=3AHannah_Jarvis=3A=3A.html>   (2011) The role of scent and ectoparasites in the ecology of the crested auklet (aethia cristatella).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Ectoparasites are ubiquitous, and can have negative effects on their hosts. The prevalence and intensity of ectoparasites are important in determining their effects. Prevalence can vary greatly, from near absence to all host individuals in a population being parasitized. Intensity can  also vary greatly. Negative impacts of parasitizes can create the pressure required for a natural defence mechanism  to evolve in hosts. Crested Auklets (Aethia cristella, Alcidae; Aethiini) are colonial seabirds that produce a unique tangerine-like scent. There are two hypotheses proposed for this scent's function: 1) as a pheromone; and 2) to reduce ectoparasite levels by repelling ticks and lice. My study is broken into three sections: 1) measuring the prevalence and intensity of ticks on Aethia auklets and determining the relationship of body condition and ornamentation to tick parasitism; 2) measuring the prevalence and intensity of lice on Least (Aethia pusilla) and Crested Auklets and the determining relationship of body  condition and ornament expression to lice parasitism; and 3)  the relationship of Crested Auklet scent to ectoparasite intensity and tick deterrence. I determined that prevalence and intensity of ticks and lice had no relationship with body condition or ornament expression on any hosts species. Lice or tick intensity were not related to naturally occurring scent levels but ticks were less likely to attach to scented objects. My study suggests that when parasitism is low in Crested and Least Auklets the need for a parasite defence is reduced and will obsure any relationship among quality and parasite load.


identifier: Munro, Kathrin J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Munro=3AKathrin_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Boreal owls in western Newfoundland: using local field data to assess home range characteristics and test a habitat suitability index model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A habitat suitability index (HSI) model based on scientific literature and expert opinion was developed for the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) in western Newfoundland, Canada. Preliminary analyses conducted on the model suggested outputs were most sensitive to variation in home range size,  foraging radius, and density of living and dead stems in nesting areas. Over a 2-yr period data were collected on 307  winter point count locations and nine Boreal Owl home ranges  using radio telemetry to examine habitat use and test the HSI model. Owls were detected at 24% of point count locations during two breeding seasons. Home range sizes during breeding varied with a median range of 429 ha. Log-ratio compositional analyses of roost locations and home ranges indicated that Boreal Owls do not occupy these sites at random. For roost locations, owls selected old and young softwood stands and avoided bogs, disturbed stands and scrub. Owl home ranges favored old softwood and disturbed stands and avoided old mixedwood and hardwood stands. HSI values produced by the original model did not differ significantly from those updated with local data on home range size. While owls were not occupying sites at random based on HSI values, the model was not able to predict boreal owl presence at levels better than chance alone. The HSI model failed to produce values greater than 0.60 (out of  1.00) suggesting that input values from the literature for other parts of the Boreal Owl range may not be reflective of  habitat suitability for Boreal Owls in Newfoundland. Further  research is needed to address knowledge gaps about parameters identified as sensitive (nesting habitat and nest  tree availability). The island of Newfoundland may also contain far less suitable habitat than other comparable areas of North America, or Boreal Owls in Newfoundland may be less habitat-specific than previously thought.


identifier: Murphy, Ian Patrick <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Murphy=3AIan_Patrick=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Investigating the values of coastal landscapes on the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Coastal landscapes have potential values for tourism development and community sustainability. Values may be perceived differently by multiple stakeholders, causing conflicting development priorities. Understanding values is fundamental to effective resource governance. This study investigated coastal landscape values on the Burin Peninsula  of Newfoundland using a systematic landscape inventory and a  photograph-based survey. Landscape preferences and values were surveyed for residents, visitors, and people who never visited the region. Results show consensus on preferences, with the most preferred landscapes being a scenic coastal islands landscape and a coastal community with traditional fishing infrastructure. Multiple values were assigned to local coastal landscapes with some differences observed between respondent groups, which may have been influenced by  familiarity with the region. Information on non-resident landscape perceptions is applicable for sustainable tourism development, and resident landscape values suggest landscape  should be recognized as a coastal resource that requires a focused resource governance approach.


identifier: Murrant, Kevin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Murrant=3AKevin=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Attitude and heading reference system for small unmanned aircraft collision avoidance maneuvers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis describes the development of an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) to sense three-dimensional orientation for collision avoidance control in small unmanned aircraft. Unmanned aircraft are currently restricted to flight in designated airspace due to safety concerns of collision with manned aircraft. Therefore, collision avoidance is necessary to ensure the safety of both aircraft. Technical challenges, mainly in sensor limitations, restrict AHRS performance in attitude estimation during high-g maneuvers. Using sensor filtering techniques and a robust attitude representation, an AHRS suitable for collision avoidance is developed. Acceleration disturbances are reduced using estimates of non-gravitational accelerations including centripetal acceleration and model-based acceleration to improve gravity  vector measurement during aircraft maneuvers. Simulation results with a variety of maneuvers deemed challenging for most AHRS are given showing accurate attitude estimates. Flight data from an existing commercial autopilot is compared with the results of the AHRS to demonstrate the validity of the solution with real flight data.


identifier: Myron, Brent Donald Bruce <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Myron=3ABrent_Donald_Bruce=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Dynamics of conformational gating and charge trapping in dendritic chromophores.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The research presented in this Dissertation concerns the elucidating the origin of observed photoinduced dynamics in two distinct types of dendritic chromophores. Physical phenomena such as photon absorption, radiative and non-radiative decay, Förster and Dexter energy transfer, Marcus electron transfer, and Energy Gap Law of non-radiative decay  are introduced and discussed in this context. -- Following a  general introduction of the physical, chemical, and photophysical properties of dendrimers, the unique excited state dynamics of a family of heteroleptic ruthenium polypyridyl complexes of the form [Ru(bpy)₂L]²⁺ (where L represents a ligand derivatized with several sizes of poly(phenylenevinylene) dendrimers) are presented and discussed. Laser flash photolysis and emission spectroscopy reveal the presence of atypical risetime kinetics and dual emission in these compounds. It is hypothesized that conformational dynamics about these dendritic groups cause profound attenuation of interligand charge transfer, leading  to emission from two separate ³MLCT states. -- The second part of the research involves two families of Fréchet-type dendrimers surrounding a tris(methyl viologen) core, wherein  the potent electron accepting ability of the MV²⁺* excited state drives electron transfer and long-term charge trapping. The structural features of these dendrimers that yield such long-lived charge separated states are addressed in the context of the inverted region for non-radiative decay as described by Energy Gap Law.


identifier: Yusuf, Babatunde Olaiya <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yusuf=3ABabatunde_Olaiya=3A=3A.html>   (2011) The effects of varying vibration frequency and power on eficiency in vibration assisted rotary drilling.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Improving drilling efficiency and mitigating risk are major objectives of Vibration Assisted Rotary Drilling (VARD). Understanding the behavior of vibration energy applied to enhance drilling Rate of Penetration (ROP) and reducing bit wear is extensively looked at in this research. -- A series of tests and analysis was carried out to provide data for the evaluation of the effects of varying vibration frequency  and amplitude in rotary drilling. Two separate drill bits: impregnated diamond drag bit and the polycrystalline diamond  compact (PDC) were used. Vibration frequencies were varied at different levels of amplitudes. With water used as the drilling fluid and drilling at atmospheric condition, rock samples with known Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) were drilled with a fully instrumented laboratory drill rig,  and all operating parameters were closely monitored. The interpretation of results shows that vibration rotary drilling using impregnated diamond drag bit and PDC bit at controlled vibration frequencies has significant performance  increase in ROP compared with conventional rotary drilling. The contribution of vibration to this performance increase was found to be very significant. Drilling runs were short, of necessity, in this study and bit wear was not significant.


identifier: Parewick, Kathleen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Parewick=3AKathleen=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Things change, we change : planning for resilience in the Canadian Arctic.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This dissertation addresses climate and coastal changes in three small communities across the Canadian Arctic. The most  pressing physical hazards were observed in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories (NWT) where erosive storm action and floods act on low-lying thermokarst terrain and shoreline infrastructure. Sachs Harbour, NWT is also experiencing rapid coastal erosion and permafrost ablation, although risks are moderated by the greater elevation of the townsite. Relatively few physical hazards were identified in  Gjoa Haven, Nunavut but a sudden reservoir failure above the  townsite in 2005 highlighted latent risks in infrastructure engineered to suit former climatic norms. -- In concert with  physical hazard evaluations, community assessments were undertaken which revealed a variety of factors conditioning changes at the local level. They exposed significant community adaptation challenges stemming from human resource, organizational and relational factors. This approach also contributed to a working understanding of the many cross-scale interactions that ongoing physical changes are precipitating, in tandem with globalizing economic and social influences, on northern populations. Rapid changes in  ice-rich terrain have raised concerns in relation to traditional Inuit livelihoods, knowledge and practices, but significant implications for northern community governance must also be recognized. Resilience is rendered as a dynamic, composite property of communities. A basic analytical framework derived from resilience theory was developed and used in the three Things Change, We Change community-based adaptation case studies. Adjustments were made along the way to suit arising local circumstances, in keeping with an exercise of adaptive as well as adaptation planning. The process has highlighted a number of factors conditioning community responses to environmental changes: examples are outlined using the Four Dimensions of Community  Resilience defined and presented in a variety of ways to enhance legibility. -- Community resiliency is explored as a  frame of reference for local governance and in relation to the significant ontological challenges presented by the necessary interchange among the multiple cultures entrained by global sustainability discourse. Consequently, community planning is re-imagined as an institutional practice which must seek to enhance or restore critical capacities to foster greater adaptability in every aspect of the community  - 'built' and otherwise.


identifier: Penney, Tracy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Penney=3ATracy=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Gluteus medius muscle activation in chronic low back pain patients during single leg stance.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Lumbopelvic dynamic stability is often evaluated by clinicians using the single leg stance (SLS) test when assessing patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). One of  the main stabilizing muscles that is thought to be dysfunctional when there is an inability to maintain lumbopelvic stability during SLS is the gluteus medius. Clinicians often note dysfunction of this hip muscle in patients with CLBP and treat these apparent muscle imbalances. However, there is insufficient evidence to support these clinical findings and the treatment approach. There is evidence of gluteus maximus, abdominal and back muscles contribution to lumbopelvic stability. These muscles  contract in anticipation to movement to maintain equilibrium  and stability of the spine. With CLBP, the deep stabilizing spinal muscles appear to become weak or have delayed recruitment and the superficial stabilizing muscles appear to become overactive. Other evidence supports the altered recruitment of the agonists/ antagonists and superficial/ deep muscle groups with CLBP compared to their healthy counterparts. As CLBP is heterogeneous in nature, a diverse pattern of motor recruitment has also been found in the gluteus maximus from weakness, poor endurance, and delay in recruitment to over activation. However, there are very few studies that examine the gluteus medius function and its relation to LBP. Weak hip abductors and coordination of right and left gluteus medius have been associated with the development of LBP in healthy subjects. However, there are no studies that examine gluteus medius recruitment and strength in a CLBP population.


identifier: Pietropaolo, Cristina <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pietropaolo=3ACristina=3A=3A.html>   (2011) So 'na Bujanes[a] in Canada: the language & poetry of Concetta Sinibaldi.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: When one considers the history of immigrants in Canada, many  of the details get lost. Toronto has had a long history of an Italian presence and community in the city, but most forget that these immigrants began elsewhere, and in particular, it is largely women who are forgotten as social historians put the pieces together. Through a series of extensive interviews with one Italian immigrant woman who arrived in Toronto in 1956 and through an examination of the  folk poetry she wrote, this thesis attempts to fill in some of those details of her identity, pre- and post-immigration.  Moreover, it also closely considers the importance of the poetry she wrote as it related to her life. -- Concetta's poetry can be defined as "folk" because it played two major roles. The poetry she wrote about her beloved Boiano allowed  her to remember a time and place that no longer existed after the Second World War, and when she extended it to her fellow Boianesi in Canada, her poems acted as a mouthpiece for the community as well. The birthday poems she wrote for her family and her friends meant that she could fill her role as the matriarch, the "nonna." These poems, particularly the ones she wrote for her granddaughters, dispensed advice in the safe form of a loving poem. The thesis culminates with a discussion on the poem she write for her 60th wedding anniversary, which combines elements of  her Boiano poems and her birthday poems in order to create what was probably her most personal and sophisticated poem.


identifier: Pourghaz, Yousef <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pourghaz=3AYousef=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Functionalized poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s for chemical sensing and carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersion.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This dissertation explores the design, synthesis, characterization and applications of conjugated polymers as fluorescence "turn-on" chemosensors and carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersants. A series of poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s  (PPEs) were synthesized using the Sonogashira cross coupling  reaction and "click chemistry" was applied to introduce receptor groups such as amino groups to the side chain of the polymers. The ability of synthesized polymers to detect metal ions through a fluorescence "turn-on" mechanism was tested using various metal ions with UV-Vis and fluorescence  spectroscopic techniques. The receptor was also introduced to the backbone of the water-soluble polymer to study the efficiency of the polymer in aqueous media. To investigate the binding stoichiometry between the polymer and a metal ion, a ¹H NMR titration experiment was conducted to obtain a  "Job plot". Further evidence for the stoichiometry ratio was  provided by applying UV-Vis titration data to the "SPECFIT" analysis software. Click chemistry was also used to functionalize the PPEs with electron-rich groups such as anthracene and pyrene to interact with CNTs. The difficulties in working with click-produced monomers and synthesized polymers are discussed in terms of low solubility in organic solvents. An alternative synthetic approach to overcome the solubility problem is also described in chapter 3.


identifier: Power-MacDonald, Stephanie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Power-MacDonald=3AStephanie=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Effects of simulator training on novice operator performance in simulated ice covered waters.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Operations in ice-covered waters are increasing as Arctic environments become more accessible. With this move, there is an increased need for better equipment, procedures, regulations and training to operate in cold, harsh environments. No mandatory training exists for lifeboat coxswains charged with navigating lifeboats in ice-covered water during emergency evacuation situations. This study sets out to examine simulator training in comparison with traditional coxswain training to observe performance in a simulated ice field. Novice participants completed one of three training regimes before performing a standardized protocol of lifeboat maneuvers within a simulated ice-field.  Performance measurements and psychometric measurements were collected. Simulator trained participants were 3.35 times more likely to correctly navigate through the course compared to those who received standard training. As well, simulator trained participants perceived a higher level of confidence and proficiency towards their past and future performance. Future work in this area should further examine  the effect simulator training could have in real ice environments. -- Key Terms: Simulation training; Standard Training; Certification; and Watchkeeping (STCW); Escape; Evacuation; and Rescue (EER); Ice-Covered waters; Arctic.


identifier: Ramadan, Mohamed I.H. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ramadan=3AMohamed_I=2EH=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Physical and numerical modeling of offshore anchor piles under mooring forces.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Floating Production Storage Offloading vessels (FPSOs) are widely used in offshore oil and gas industry in harsh environments reach at the Grand Banks. Vessels working at an  offshore site must be held in position despite the effects of wind, waves, and current. Many FPSOs are keeping position  using seafloor anchors which are commonly secured using anchor piles. Anchor piles are very effective in many soils.  The pile can either be drilled in and grouted, using an offshore mobile drilling rig, or driven in with an underwater hammer or a follower. The anchor pile resists pullout by a combination of bending plus passive resistance and skin friction shear. -- Correctly designed pile anchors should transfer the environmental loads on the floating platforms to the seabed safely. In-service, these anchor piles are subjected to a wide range of monotonic and cyclic lateral to oblique pull forces. The large cyclic forces applied during extreme storm will tend to govern the design.
-- The presented work aims at identifying the behavior and capacity of anchor piles used for anchoring offshore floating structures in dense sand. As full-scale experimental verification is not always possible, this raises up the need to design a physical model which can simulate the behavior of the full-scale case. To simulate the important gravitational component, the physical model tests were conducted using the geotechnical centrifuge to investigate the anchor piles response to mooring forces in saturated dense sand. Two centrifuge tests setup were carried out. In each test setup four model pipe piles were jacked in flight in homogeneous saturated sand and subjected  to monotonic and cyclic pull-out forces with inclination angle 0° (pure lateral loading), 16°, 30°, and 90° (pure tension loading) with the horizontal. The soil pile interaction behavior was monitored through the strain gauges  attached on the pile. While the undisturbed soil stiffness distribution with depth will be measured using a shear wave measurement system of bender elements which can provide soil  shear modulus distribution with depth. -- To study many factors that are affecting the model, a 3-D finite element model (FEM) was validated from the experimental centrifuge results. The validated FEM was used to do a parametric study  to get design procedures and provide better understanding of  the response of anchor piles to a variety of loading conditions. The parameters that will affect the pile behavior as suggested from the previous researchers and will  be studied here are pile diameter, pile flexibility, load inclination angle, and padeye depth on the pile. -- From the  present study, it was found that there is a significant interaction between lateral and tension loading. A design method was proposed to predict the ultimate capacity of offshore anchor pile depending on pile flexibility, loading angle and padeye depth. Also, a design method was proposed to predict the maximum bending moment.


identifier: Randell, Dwane <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Randell=3ADwane=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Reciprocal justice : morality and god in the work of Tertullian of Carthage.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis examines the theology of Tertullian of Carthage as it relates to the concept of 'Reciprocal Justice,' a system of all pervading justice that influences how Tertullian views the relationship between human beings and God, and influences what Tertullian believes to be the very nature of a God worthy of worship. -- The first chapter is an introduction, dealing with basic data concerning Tertullian's life. I speak of the controversy surrounding the identity of his father, believed by many to have been a centurion, the accuracy of the name traditionally given to Tertullian, and whether or not he was a jurist. I also define reciprocal justice and give some examples of it from Tertullian's writings. -- The second chapter discusses the Apology , Tertullian's defense of Christians against the Roman persecutions. Here, I consider the way in which Tertullian sees Christians as the personification of the true justice of the universe, making their persecution unjust by definition. -- Chapter Three begins by looking more closely at the working relationship between human beings and God, starting on God's side. Using Adversus Praxean and Adversus Valentinianos I show that Tertullian believes that only a perfectly moral Creator who is an active and positive force in his followers' lives deserves to be worshiped. -- The final chapter then deals with several of Tertullian's disciplinary works, which illustrate  the human side of the relationship with God. Basically, for Tertullian, since Christians have a perfect God, they are expected to emulate him in all they do, which, by definition, demands perfect morals. Nothing else is acceptable.

LEC

LEC


identifier: Randunu, Raniru Sergaevna <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Randunu=3ARaniru_Sergaevna=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Effect of maternal dietary Omega-6 to Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism of the offspring of C57BL/6 mice.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Dietary fats are a major component of our diet; the quantity  and the quality of dietary fats have been associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Epidemiological and laboratory studies have shown that increased consumption  of saturated fatty acids (SFA) are associated with an increased risk of CVD, whereas consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are associated with reducing the risk of CVD. The current recommendations to replace SFA with PUFA have led to an increased consumption of omega-6 (n-6) PUFA, shifting n-6 to omega-3 (n-3) PUFA ratio from the 2-3:1 in the diets of early hunter-gatherers to 25:1 in the Western diet, which may raise the risk of CVD. One of the objectives of this thesis was to investigate  the effect of various dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratios on the regulation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism using C57BL/6  mice as an animal model. The findings showed significant alterations in biochemical parameters of C57BL/6 mice fed diets varying in n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratios, which formed the basis for the maternal nutrition study. It is now apparent that maternal diet during gestation and lactation may predispose the offspring to CVD in later life. According to the 'developmental origins of health and disease' hypothesis, foetus responds to the nutritional environment by undergoing a series of irreversible adaptations that predisposes the offspring to metabolic disorders in later life. Given the health benefits of maintaining a proper ratio of dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFA, it was of interest to understand the role of altered maternal dietary n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio on the regulation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in the offspring of C57BL/6 mice at weaning. Offspring at weaning were selected to isolate the effects of  pre-weaning diet, excluding the post weaning diet, on the offspring's lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. The C57BL/6 mice were selected for the current study as these have been already established as an animal model in our laboratory to study 'in utero' programming of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in the offspring. -- In the one month feeding study, female C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet containing 20% w/w fat with n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio of either 5:1, 15:1 or 30:1 to establish the effect on the regulation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Mice were sacrificed after one month  and various metabolic parameters were measured. Feeding diets with varying n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratios to C57BL/6 mice led to the incorporation of dietary fatty acids in red blood  cell (RBC) phospholipids (PL), and also altered the regulation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. In the maternal nutrition study, 8 week old female C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet containing 20% w/w fat with n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratios of either 5:1, 15:1 or 30:1 for two weeks before mating, during gestation and lactation. Both male and female  offspring from each dietary group (n =10/group) were sacrificed at weaning and various metabolic parameters were measured. A higher n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio in the maternal diet of C57BL/6 mice led to higher plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations compared to a lower ratio in the offspring at weaning. Moreover the effect of maternal diet was gender specific. In conclusion, a maternal diet high in n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio resulted in higher levels of lipid and  lipoproteins in the offspring at weaning, which may be associated with an increase risk of CVD in later life.


identifier: Raper, Jamie Lee Dawn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Raper=3AJamie_Lee_Dawn=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Latitudinal variation in growth rates of American lobseter (Homarus americanus) at the scale of the commercial range.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Accurate life history information is essential for stock assessment and management of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery in the Northwest Atlantic. To evaluate conservation measures adopted by lobster harvesters, a growth model is required to provide estimates of egg production and reproductive value. This study examines inconsistencies among previous estimates of growth rates and  combines historical data with current tag-recapture studies to develop a general model to estimate growth rates. Growth rates calculated using multiple techniques differed substantially in a single dataset; therefore, a single technique must be used consistently in all locations. A general von Bertalanffy growth model for the entire species'  range was developed and growth rates showed a steady decrease with increasing latitude within the range of 41.543600ﾟ and 50.722915ﾟ N. The decrease in growth rate per  degree of latitude was approximately 0.3% for both male and female lobsters when using a regression weighted by the inverse variance. Growth parameters for American lobster can  now be estimated on a site-specific basis using latitude, reducing the need for resource-intensive tag-recapture field  studies.


identifier: Rasheed, Muhammad Asim <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rasheed=3AMuhammad_Asim=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Synthesis, electrical and gas sensing properties of polycrystalline ZnO films.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The motivation for this thesis work is to identify, assess, and address the challenges associated with the use of polycrystalline ZnO as a gas sensing material in variable humidity environments at room temperature. In this work, synthesis-structure-property relations link the chemistry and physics of the materials involved. -- The effects of humidity on gas sensing are investigated by looking at three  specific parameters: baseline drift, sensitivity, and response time. Ethanol, a regulated volatile organic compound, is the test gas. -- In identical humidity conditions, solid state synthesized ZnO films work better as  capacitive ethanol sensors than as resistive sensors, due to  faster recovery times (tens of seconds), no baseline drift, and comparable sensitivities. Further capacitive sensing measurements show that increasing the humidity content of either the target gas or the sensor's environment enhances sensitivity without impacting the recovery times. In comparison, the recovery times for a test gas of water vapor  alone are longer than for any ethanol-water vapor mixture. These findings suggest that water vapor may interact with the target gas, in addition to the sensing material. At very  high environmental humidities (90% RH), the sensing responses for ethanol mixed with relatively dry air show surface dehydration and subsequent re-hydration in the recovery stage due to the difference in the moisture content  between the target gas and the sensor's environment. -- Comparisons between the electrical properties of ZnO prepared by two different synthesis methods (solid state metathesis ZnO and Zn metal oxidation) in different humidity  conditions revealed that synthesis tuning mitigates the influence of humidity on these properties. Solid state synthesized ZnO shows non-linear asymmetric current-voltage (I-V) responses at moderate (40% RH) and high (60% RH) environmental humidities, with three orders of magnitude increase in sensing current relative to dry (15% RH) conditions. In contrast, films obtained by oxidation showed less than an order of magnitude increase in sensing current under the aforementioned humidity conditions. The asymmetry in the I-V responses of solid state synthesized films at moderate and high humidity is due to water electrolysis.


identifier: Rasheed, Talha <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rasheed=3ATalha=3A=3A.html>   (2011) User pairing and network performance optimization in cooperative wireless network coding.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In today's wireless networks, diversity is regarded as an efficient and established means to combat multipath fading. Moreover, user cooperation has emerged lately as an elegant technique to achieve spatial diversity over wireless channels, where the installation of multiple antennas on handheld, battery-powered, mobile terminals is often impractical. Recently, the application of network coding in cooperative wireless networks has gained increasing interest  with its potential to further boost the network performance,  such as in terms of the achievable throughput. With network coding, the relaying nodes are allowed to linearly combine packets from multiple source nodes, and then forward the combined packets for better resource utilization. -- We propose mutual user pairing in amulti-user infrastructure-based network-coded cooperative wireless network to realize network coding, in the absence of dedicated relay nodes. We propose an optimal user pairing algorithm, and tailor it to maximize the network capacity. Next, we develop heuristic pairing algorithms which approach the optimal performance at  a reduced complexity. Performance analysis is conducted in terms of the average capacity per user, average outage probability per user, and user-fairness. -- For energy-constrained network-coded cooperative networks, we subsequently address the problem of transmission power minimization. A joint optimization problem is formulated and  solved to find the pairing which maximizes the network capacity, and minimizes the transmission power, such that certain performance constraints in terms of the average capacity per user or average outage probability per user are  satisfied.


identifier: Renaud, Nicole <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Renaud=3ANicole=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Mapping a history of water security in the peruvian andes : a case study of mullak'as-misminay.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Marginalized populations in peripheral regions of the Andean  highlands are among the most negatively affected by climate change and other social and environmental stresses. These communities' experiences with hardship have led to innovative adaptation strategies. This research provides an illustration of water security in Mullak'as-Misminay, Peru. Local knowledge systems contribute to water security, however their cohesiveness is diluted by pressures that devalue traditional practices for the sake of modern approaches to water management and agricultural production. Yet the stress from these pressures can also accentuate manifestations of Andean reciprocity that have traditionally  informed water security. Lessons from the region demonstrate  that water security is not exclusively a matter of quantitative calculations, but one that requires qualitative  considerations informed by the local socio-cultural context.  An Andean model of water rights may provide avenues for communities such as Mullak'as-Misminay to meet water security challenges.


identifier: Salcedo-Castro, Julio <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Salcedo-Castro=3AJulio=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Modeling the estuarine circulation and fine sediment transport associated with subglacial buoyant jets in glacial fjords.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: It has been suggested that high latitude systems are one of the regions where the consequences of global warming are becoming more evident. From an oceanographic point of view, glacial fjords are particularly sensitive to climate change because of the seasonal dynamics of sea-ice formation and melting and the important amount of sediment delivered by tidewater glaciers. Our understanding of glacial fjords dynamics in the context of global warming, however, has been  the subject of study only during the last two decades. Glacial fjords are estuaries whose complexity arise from a combination of submarine freshwater discharges, as buoyant jets, a highly non-hydrostatic process. Although buoyant jets and sediment transport associated with these processes have received attention through experimental, numerical and field studies, an integrated study of these processes and the estuarine circulation in glacial fjord has been missing.  This is explained partly by the difficulty in collecting field data to validate and compare with modeled and experimental results. This thesis describes the estuarine circulation and fine sediment transport associated with a sub-glacial freshwater discharge in a glacial fjord through simplified numerical simulations. Results showed that the discharge of freshwater underneath a glacier into an idealized fjord induces an estuarine-like circulation which is dynamically unstable in the near field, with gradient Richardson number at the sheared interface less than < 1/4. The dilution factors and velocities of the vertical and surface plumes are strongly and nonlinearly related to the Froude number. The buoyancy flux primarily controls the resulting circulation with the momentum flux playing a secondary role. Fine sediment transport experiments showed that jet-dominated conditions are more sensitive to the presence of suspended sediment in the discharge than buoyancy-dominated conditions. At high concentrations, sediment settles in the far field, driven by convective sedimentation, and is transported back to the near field by the landward estuarine current. Convective sedimentation is triggered when density is increased by the higher sediment concentration at the interface between the upper and lower layer.


identifier: Sanaei, Asiyeh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sanaei=3AAsiyeh=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Existential closure of graphs.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Existential closure of graphs

abstract: We study the n-existential closure property of graphs which was first considered by Erdös and Rényi in 1963. A graph G is said to be n-existentially closed, abbreviated as n-e.c.,  if for each pair (A,B) of disjoint subsets of V(G) with |A| + |B| ≤ n there exists a vertex in V(G) \ (A ∪ B) which is adjacent to each vertex in A and to no vertex in B. Accordingly, we call the largest integer  n (if it exists) for which a given graph G is  n-e.c. the existential closure  number of G, and we denote it by Ξ(G). Despite the fact that  there are many graphs that are n-e.c., only a handful of explicit families of graphs with the property have been found. -- Recently the property has become a subject of renewed interest and several techniques have appeared in the  literature to construct n-e.c. graphs. These techniques benefit from design theory, finite geometry, probability theory, matrix theory, as well as computer search over classes of graphs that are likely to contain n-e.c. graphs. In this thesis we focus on two subjects: obtaining 3-existentially closed graphs using graph operations and investigating the n-e.c. property of the block intersection graphs of infinite designs. -- In 2001 Bonato and Cameron examined several graph operations to see which operations could be used to construct n-e.c. graphs from given n-e.c. graphs, and showed that the symmetric difference of two 3-e.c. graphs is a 3-e.c. graph. In 2008 another 3-e.c. preserving graph operation was introduced by Baker et al. We  have taken a different approach to the construction of Baker  et al. that enables us to relax the requirement that the two  graphs considered be both 3-e.c. We formulate the construction as the modular graph product denoted by ⃟ and we determine necessary and sufficient conditions for the graph G ⃟ H  to be 3-e.c. given that H itself is a 3-e.c. graph. We then use this operation to construct new classes of 3-e.c. graphs of the form G ⃟ H where G is not necessarily 3-e.c. The classes that we consider are those for which  G is either a complete multipartite graph or a strongly regular graph. The graphs G for which we show that G ⃟ H is 3-e.c. can have as few as four vertices, which represents an improvement in comparison to when G is required to be 3-e.c. -- As part of an effort to find n-e.c.  graphs, Forbes et al. first considered the block intersection graphs of Steiner triple systems, and later McKay and Pike studied the n-e.c. property of graphs arising  from BIBDs. We extend the study of the n-existential closure  property of block intersection graphs of designs to infinite  designs. An infinite t-(v,k,λ) design D is a design with an infinitely many points while k, t and λ can be either finite  or infinite. The block intersection graph of a design D denoted by GD is a graph with the block set of D as the vertex set and two vertices of GD are adjacent if their corresponding blocks share a point. These graphs have infinite vertex sets and have motivated us to investigate whether we can use the construction to find another construction of the Rado graph (the countably infinite random graph that is known to be n-e.c. for all n). -- We suppose that t and λ are finite and solve the problem in two cases: when k is finite and when k is infinite. If k is finite, then for such an infinite design D we show that Ξ(GD) = min [special characters omitted] if λ = 1 and 2 ≤ t ≤ k, and 2 ≤ Ξ(GD) ≤ min [special characters omitted] if λ ≥ 2 and 2 ≤ t ≤ k - 1. Our results show that block intersection graphs of such infinite designs are different from countably infinite random graphs as n is bounded for the n-existential closure property of the block intersection graphs of such infinite designs. -- If k is infinite and (t,λ) ≠ (1,1), then for each non-negative integer n, we show  that there exists a t-(v,v,λ) design D such that Ξ(GD) = n. We also show that there exists a t-(v,v,λ) design D' such that GD' is n-e.c. for each non-negative integer n. This implies the existence of t-(ℵ₀,ℵ₀,λ) designs whose block intersection graphs are isomorphic to the Rado graph. However, if k < v, then Ξ(GD) ≤ min{ℓ,t} where ℓ is the smallest cardinal such that there are ℓ blocks of D whose union is a superset of another block of D.


identifier: Seymour, Matthew P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Seymour=3AMatthew_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Experimental and simulated properties of colloidally patterned cobalt thin films.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Patterned magnetic films have potential uses for magnetic data storage. We develop a method to quickly manufacture patterned magnetic films using spin coating of colloidal silica spheres followed by electrodeposition of ferromagnetic cobalt. These templates have been analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and magnetic force microscopy. They possess polycrystalline ordering of the spheres, with the orientation of the crystals radial to the center of spinning. Ferromagnetic cobalt filled the interstitials between the spheres. Model structures were numerically simulated using micromagnetic software. The results of these simulations revealed differences between patterned magnetic films and uniform films. In particular, the coercive field was greater in the patterned films. On the basis of micromagnetic theory and additional simulations, we propose mechanisms to explain these differences. These results matched those reported by others who have produced patterned magnetic films. The magnetic hysteresis behaviour of several representative samples was investigated experimentally at the University of Manitoba. The results from these samples partially confirmed the behaviour seen in the simulations; however, more measurements are needed to make firm conclusions.


identifier: Shimmin, Carolyn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shimmin=3ACarolyn=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Mental illness, addiction, stigma and heterosexual gender norms.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The stigmatization of individuals diagnosed with a mental illness and/or addiction and who are labelled as mentally ill and/or addicts has long been seen as a barrier to treatment and recovery. Anti-stigma campaigns in Canada date  back to the 1950s, and yet, recent data demonstrates that stigmatizing behaviours and attitudes in the Canadian public  towards individuals diagnosed with a mental illness and/or addiction and labelled as mentally ill and/or as addicts remains pervasive. Yet public health resources continue to be spent on anti-stigma initiatives that use the same normalization approaches that have yet to be shown to have long-lasting impacts on the stigmatizing behaviours and attitudes exhibited by the Canadian public. In this thesis, I argue that there are very strong associations between the stigma against individuals who are diagnosed with a mental illness and/or addiction and the constituting, policing and restraining of heterosexual gender norms. I investigate: firstly how the stigmatization of individuals who are diagnosed with a mental illness and/or addiction is constituted by the loss of power that occurs with the denial  of the diversity and fluidity of gender and the subsequent policing of rigid dualistic gender categories and constructs; secondly I look at how this type of stigma in turn doubles the effects of this powerlessness, and doubles the aggression towards individuals diagnosed with a mental illness and/or addiction; and finally, I consider how this might inform strategies to combat the stigma associated with  mental illness and addiction, and what some alternatives to combating such stigma might be, with the hopes of meaningful  recovery.


identifier: Smith, Rodney D.L. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Smith=3ARodney_D=2EL=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Modification of high surface area electrodes for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Vulcan XC72 was modified with 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) and polypyridyl ruthenium complexes using three approaches. Techniques employed include spontaneous diazonium coupling reaction, benzimidazole forming reaction, and formation of benzimidazole-based polymers on the carbon surface. -- Following the spontaneous diazonium coupling reaction for immobilization of AQ, a surface coverage limit far below that expected for a close-packed monolayer was observed. Varying reaction conditions and pretreatments to the carbon surface failed to increase the surface coverage beyond this limit. The limit was found to include both covalently bound and physisorbed AQ. It was found that washing the modified carbon with benzene was necessary to remove all physisorbed AQ. Upon removal of physisorbed material, differences in surface coverage values for covalently bound AQ were observed to vary, depending on reaction conditions and surface pretreatments. An azo-linkage between the immobilized species and the carbon surface was observed using cyclic voltammetry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry results indicate approximately 10% of immobilized molecules are bound through an azo-linkage. -- A novel approach that coupled aryl diazonium molecules to surface bound carboxylic acid functionality, producing a benzimidazole linkage, was developed and explored using AQ. Two unique forms of AQ were observed following the reaction procedure. XPS results indicated that  one was the desired, benzimidazole-linked form, while the other was likely bound through an amine linkage. The ability  to immobilize polymeric systems on carbon surfaces using this technique was examined through sequential reactions. Following successful sequential immobilizations, a one-pot reaction was then employed to immobilize benzimidazole-based  polymers containing bidentate coordination sites on the carbon surface. -- The immobilization of polypyridyl ruthenium complexes was performed using all three approaches. Poor voltammetric behavior was observed for carbon powders modified using any of the three techniques. However, thermogravimetric analysis, XPS and elemental analysis indicated the presence of significant amounts of ruthenium in modified samples. Evidence of ruthenium ligands  in the modified material was observed, suggesting polymerization of ruthenium complexes is responsible for the  poor electrochemistry. -- The polybenzimidazole-based polymers used in this study were found to be active redox catalysts for the reduction of CO₂. Product analysis indicated that none of the common CO₂ reduction products are  formed.


identifier: Souders, Amanda Kate <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Souders=3AAmanda_Kate=3A=3A.html>   (2011) A microanalytical isotopic study of archean anorthosites.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis focuses on developing and applying in-situ microanalytical methods to study Archean mantle evolution using radiogenic isotope tracers. The timing and mechanism of Archean crust-mantle differentiation is uncertain. Much of our knowledge of the geochemical composition of Archean mantle is through whole rock analysis of mantle-derived magmatic rocks or analysis of minerals separated from these rocks. Pervasive metamorphism and secondary alteration have affected almost all Archean rocks making bulk rock analyses unreliable. Because of this, isotopic analysis of preserved igneous domains of minerals is preferred. -- In this work, isotopic analyses of Lu-Hf in zircon and Pb-Pb in plagioclase are made on coarse-grained, Archean anorthosites. An advantage of these two minerals is both have low parent-daughter ratios and therefore analyses require minimal correction for radiogenic in-growth. LA-MC-ICPMS methods for measuring Lu-Hf in zircon are well established but in-situ measurement of Pb isotopes in Pb-poor minerals required significant analytical development work. Chapters two and three document LA-MC-ICPMS methodology of Pb isotope measurements in Pb-poor silicate glasses, feldspars and sulfides and evaluate any potential biases due to sample matrix. Results demonstrate accurate and precise Pb isotope ratios can be obtained using silicate  glass reference materials as calibration standards, despite differences in physical and chemical properties between samples and standards. Average accuracies for Pb-poor feldspars are within 0.40% of the preferred values with external precisions better than 0.60% (RSD, 1σ). Chapter four applies the in-situ Pb isotope method to igneous plagioclase megacrysts from Fiskenæsset and Nunataarsuk anorthosite complexes of south West Greenland. Lead isotope data from each anorthosite complex are used to determine timing of crust extraction from the mantle. This information  is coupled with Lu-Hf LA-MC-ICPMS analysis of zircon, from the same rocks, to constrain the ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷ Hf and characterize the composition of the crustal end member. Results show the ∼ 2936 Ma Fiskenæsset and ∼ 2914 Ma Nunataarsuk anorthosite complexes crystallized from mantle-derived melts that had interacted with ancient (Eoarchean to  Hadean) mafic crust, which could still be present in south West Greenland today.


identifier: Street, Dwan Krista <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Street=3ADwan_Krista=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Why not manage this fishery ourselves? : a brief analysis of harvesting caps as a management regime in the Northeast Newfoundland and Labrador inshore shrimp industry.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The method by which allocations are distributed in the inshore shrimp fishery in Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFA) 5, 6 and 7, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is a set of "harvesting caps" allocated after the setting of  a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) by the Department of Fisheries  and Oceans. This system has been in place since temporary permits to harvest the catch were made permanent in 2007. Caps are viewed theoretically as allowing harvesters and managers to come together in making decisions regarding the harvest, allowing a sense of autonomy and cooperation, while  also helping avoid some of the theoretical issues facing other allocation regimes. This paper revisits harvesting caps in this fishery four years after the regime's implementation and suggests that harvesting caps may be bringing issues of their own to the industry. An approach aimed toward co-management, while also ensuring the state is  incorporated may better serve the industry in ensuring the resource is harvested responsibly for all involved.


identifier: Thomas, Brandon G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Thomas=3ABrandon_G=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Dynamic reservoir tank modeling with coupled wellbore model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Modern reservoir engineering relies heavily on simulation models to provide a reliable prediction of the subsurface petroleum system. An ideal reservoir simulation model is one  that represents the main features and behavior of a real system, but is simple enough to perform calculations in an efficient manner. -- Using compressibility and transmissibility concepts, multiple reservoir tanks and flowing wellbores can be coupled to provide wellbore influx and inter-tank fluid transfer. This creates a series of ordinary differential equations that, when solved, can be used to describe the system's pressure and fluid movement pattern. This work uses these ordinary differential equations are efficiently solved using the Fourth-Order Runge-Kutta technique. -- A flexible system of equations was  created to represent 'n' number of communicating reservoir tanks which were then solved using ordinary differential equations for the first time. -- This work demonstrates the successful integration of aquifers, reservoir tanks, well inflow, and wellbore modeling into an integrated system that  can quickly be used as a tool for investigating petroleum systems. This work can form a fundamental module enabling the calculation of coupled wellbore and reservoir models with advanced completion technologies.


identifier: Todd, Amy M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Todd=3AAmy_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) New insights into the role of pten-induced kinase 1 (pink1) in parkinson disease using a drosophila model.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Parkinson disease (PD) is the most prevalent human neurodegenerative movement disorder. Hereditary and sporadic  forms of PD share pathological features including oxidative stress, protein aggregation and mitochondrial dysfunction. PINK1 (PTEN induced putative kinase 1) encodes a serine-threonine kinase linked to autosomal recessive and sporadic PD. With no animal models available at the commencement of this thesis, it was our goal to study the gene within a Drosophila model of the disease. We identified a Drosophila melanogaster homologue of PINK1 , and used transgenics to employ expression studies along with morphological, longevity and behavioural assays. We have found that Pink1 is able to improve the effects of toxic proteins, including overcoming the effects of α-synuclein and Gal4  overexpression. Our results suggest that increases in α-synuclein and Pink1 together can have a synergistic effect, allowing for enhanced protection and increased functional longevity. Additionally, our studies have identified the possibility of a non-protective role for the Pink1/parkin pathway. We have found that an increase in Pink1 or parkin is able to increase the damaging effects of the directed over-expression of Foxo in Drosophila, highlighting a possible role in the apoptotic pathway. Taken together, our research highlights the complex role of Pink1, where it likely functions in a Pink1/parkin pathway to operate in the  ubiquitin-proteasomal system, regulate mitochondrial fission/fusion events, regulate membrane permeability during  apoptosis, and other roles that may be independent of its kinase function. Further investigation into the Pink1 mechanism of action will be important for the future development of disease modifying therapies for Parkinson disease.


identifier: Toms, Marc <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Toms=3AMarc=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Gender segregated physical education: an alternative to increase enjoyment among students.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Physical inactivity is a growing concern for adolescents in many areas of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2010). Regularly scheduled physical education periods during school time can act as a platform to counteract the rising physical inactivity levels. However, junior high students sometimes have reservations about physically exerting themselves in the presence of opposite gendered peers (Maihan, Murrie, Gonzalez, & Jobe, 2006). In this study gender segregation was explored as a possible alternative to alleviate these pressures. Sixty-six students (thirty-eight boys and twenty-eight girls) from grades seven, eight, and nine participated in a five class unit of gender segregated physical education, spanning the five out of the six themes of the prescribed curriculum, which include alternative activities, court and field activities, fitness activities, leadership/cooperative activities, and rhythmic activities (outdoor activities was not included) (Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education, 2004). Data was collected via the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) (Deci & Ryan, 1985), focus group sessions, as well as notes takes during the research process. The results of this study provide strong evidence for the positive impact of gender segregated physical education classes at the grade eight and nine level. Grade seven students however reported less interest in the gender segregated environment.


identifier: Underwood, Melanie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Underwood=3AMelanie=3A=3A.html>   (2012) The use of a high definition (HD) underwater camera to observe the behaviour of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) in the mouth of a commercial bottom trawl.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Underwater camera systems are often used to gain a better understanding of fish behaviour in relation to fishing gear prior to conducting gear modifications. Although the use of camera systems enables researchers to identify roundfish, their use has been unreliable in identifying flatfish to the species level. The high-definition self-contained underwater camera system developed in this study enabled flatfish to be identified to the species level with a high degree of certainty, something not previously capable of traditional camera systems. In this study, in situ underwater camera observations were conducted to observe and quantify the relationship between yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea ) behaviour and demersal trawls. A series of novel statistical tests were applied to evaluate hypotheses related to orientation, behaviour, residence time, and fate of an individual. These behavioural observations will form the basis for future trawl designs that incorporate improvements in catch efficiency and may reduce ecological impact.


identifier: Upshall, Michael <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Upshall=3AMichael=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Simulating vegetation change in the Torngat mountains, Labrador using a cellular automata-markov chain model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Changes in vegetation distribution due to climate change are a concern in alpine tundra ecosystems. Past vegetation change was assessed and a cellular automata-Markov (CA-Markov) model was used to predict future land cover scenarios in the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve (Labrador, Canada). Post-classification image comparison was applied to classified, multi-temporal satellite imagery to detect changes in vegetation patterns since 1985. Deciduous shrubs (typically less than 3m in height) increased in areal coverage whereas heath (low-growing, woody vegetation) experienced a decrease in coverage. Transition matrices were developed from these observed changes, and were used in the Markov chain component of the model. Topographic variables were classified, and used as prior information to calculate Bayesian probabilities (BProb). The BProb’s describe suitable areas of growth based on known patterns and were used as a suitability map in the cellular automata component of the model. The CA-Markov model was initially used to predict a known vegetation pattern for 2008, using classified imagery from 1985 and 2001. The model predicted the 2008 land cover with 70.7% accuracy and data, recorded in 2008, was used to predict scenarios for 2018, 2028, and 2038. Results of the CA-Markov simulations show that deciduous shrubs will increase in area by 7.7% but heath will decrease by 14.4%. The results indicate that deciduous shrubs have a tendency to move into higher elevations over an extended period of time.


identifier: Very, Stephen P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Very=3AStephen_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Comparison of DP performance prediction techniques for scaled models.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Utilization of Dynamic Positioning (DP) systems for offshore exploration and production of hydrocarbons is increasing due to the need to exploit deeper water depths, where mooring becomes less feasible. In conducting analysis or predictions for DP System performance, there are three common techniques: experimental investigations at reduced scale, using a simplified mooring system without thrusters; similarly scaled experiments using active DP thrusters; or, time or frequency domain numerical simulations. This paper identifies differences in DP system performance estimates, provided by each of the three methods, by using each method to analyze the same system, in identical wind and wave environments. Experiments were completed using a 1:40 scale model of a typical 99,000t monohull drillship equipped with an active DP system consisting of six azimuthing thrusters. These experiments were repeated with the vessel unpowered on two mooring systems with different stiffnesses. Physical experimental results are then compared to time-domain numerical simulations completed using Oceanic Consulting Corporation's DP simulation program. A comparison of system performance predictions provided by each method is presented.


identifier: Wakeham, Keith J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wakeham=3AKeith_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Development of an active suspension scale vehicle platform.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Active suspension has shown an ability to selectively improve various aspects of suspension performance. These criteria can range from limiting vertical accelerations to more economically using suspension or tire deflections. This is used as a starting point in the development of a quarter car test apparatus. -- This research develops optimal controllers for various car models and provides a comparison which is useful in determining required model complexity. An electrical model of an actuator is incorporated into the more basic quarter car model and again an optimal controller is developed and simulated. The results show that there is potential for real world applications using a slightly more complex optimal controller incorporating an actuator model. Using these simulations various parameters are generated to develop a design of a quarter car test apparatus. Initial work on a development of an actuator was conducted which led to the selection of an off-the-shelf voice coil along with other various parts. Being mindful of future developments, the test apparatus was designed and developed around a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based controller. The FPGA has potential for high speed parallel processing which makes it ideal for running multiple controllers simultaneously as well as implementing mathematically intensive operations but at a significant cost in development time. A basic optimal control implementation was developed and tested and proved to function very well, opening the possibilities of other development.


identifier: Ward, Pamela Rose <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ward=3APamela_Rose=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Exploring the role of discourse in the emerging identities of children enrolled in an obesity treatment program.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: While there has been an abundance of research conducted in the area of obesity, the vast majority of studies have investigated the implications of obesity from a positivist perspective with attention to physical ramifications or potential burden to the healthcare system. Studies that examine the embodied experiences of children who are defined as obese are practically non-existent. Utilizing a multi-method qualitative approach informed by post-structural and feminist theory, this study was designed to examine how children enrolled in an obesity treatment program with a self-esteem focus both utilize and resist dominant discourses related to the body and health, and how they negotiate alternative discourses as introduced through the program. It provides a much-needed examination of how so-called 'obese' children navigate the dominant health and obesity discourses while trying to forge their sense of selves. Through interviews, focus groups and participant observations, I demonstrate how children in this study drew regularly upon the dominant messages in relation to weight and health to situate themselves on the periphery of social space, hence becoming the 'fat other'. Utilizing Foucauldian theory, I also demonstrate how governmental notions of risk and responsibility central to the obesity discourse serve to position 'obese' children as the 'ultimate at-risk' children, placing them in a position of constant scrutiny and surveillance. While I show that within the present healthist environment, these children are provided limited discursive resources to support a so-called 'healthy' identity, I also expose the fluid and contingent nature of identity formation. I illustrate how the children exercised agency through various resistive mechanisms upon entering the program, while also demonstrating this agency in drawing upon the alternative discourses as presented in the program in an effort to challenge the 'fat identity'. This research contributes to a growing body of critical obesity research that moves the concept obesity beyond a medical and social 'problem' to consider how such a concept is discursively constituted within the broader social, cultural, and political facets of contemporary society.


identifier: Wells, Patricia Jean <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wells=3APatricia_Jean=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Social life and technical practice: an analysis of the osseous tool assemblage at the dorset palaeoeskimo site of Philip's Garden, Newfoundland.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The aim of this thesis is to provide an understanding of the social nature of technological life at Phillip's Garden (EeBi-1), a large Middle Dorset site in northwestern Newfoundland. This is accomplished through the analysis of its osseous (bone, antler and ivory) tool industry. The assemblage is systematically presented providing morphological details for tool types, variation in forms and materials selected for their manufacture. In addition, the frequency of tool forms is recorded over the temporal and spatial extent of the site, and evidence of their manufacture and use is explored. Technological practice is defined in a thoroughly inclusive way, not simply as the material outcome of production, but immersed in social action that reinforces relationships among people, the materials they manipulate and the settings of technological events. The results of this analysis reveal a dynamic and unique community at Phillip's Garden where occupants transformed, over the course of its occupation, some practices of material acquisition, manufacture and use, dwelling occupation, tool making, and hunting.


identifier: Westley, Peter A. H. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Westley=3APeter_A=2E_H=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Biological invasions as fortuitous experiments in nature: ecology, evolution, and phenotypic plasticity of non-native brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Newfoundland, Canada.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Biological invasions represent under-utilized research opportunities to gain insight into fundamental evolutionary and ecological questions. I focused on the invasion of brown trout to Newfoundland, Canada, as a case study and conducted meta-analyses of published literature, field sampling, laboratory, common-garden, and reciprocal transplant experiments to understand what can be learned by embracing the fortuitous research opportunities afford by this invasion. -- In the first chapter I conducted a meta-analysis of published rates of phenotypic change to assess the contribution of invasive versus native species in revealing the rate and form of phenotypic change in wild populations. I found that invasive species have disproportionately contributed to published rates of phenotypic change, but most of these estimated rates are based on extensive studies in a few species. Results in Chapter One suggest that invasive and native species both exhibit evidence of abrupt phenotypic change and suggest an important role of the environment in driving trait change in wild populations. -- In Chapter Two I examined the dynamics of the brown trout invasion in Newfoundland by assembling a presence-absence database to investigate the physical environmental correlates associated with population establishment at the watershed-scale. I found that relatively large and productive watersheds are more likely to be successfully established, but that all watersheds in Newfoundland are susceptible to invasion and population establishment. -- In Chapter Three, I quantified among-population differences in a suite of phenotypic traits (e.g. growth rates, body shape and size, colour patterns) and correlated this diversity with environmental features. On the whole, phenotypic variation was predictable given habitat use, suggesting either phenotypic plasticity or adaptive evolution in maintaining this association. -- In the final chapter, I assessed the contribution of genetics and environmental effects on the population differentiation detected in Chapter Three, along with the associated fitness consequences of these phenotypic differences. With a combination of common-garden and reciprocal transplant experiments, I quantified the role of plasticity in facilitating survival in novel environments and revealed patterns not predicted by theory. Specifically, results suggested that plasticity in functional morphology - while common - did not occur in the direction favoured by natural selection.


identifier: Woodward, Christopher <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Woodward=3AChristopher=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Art as experience: gadamer's rejection of aesthetic consciousness through play, symbol and festival.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Although Gadamer's aesthetic writings are aimed at dismantling the scientific method's monopoly on truth-claims, they also constitute an aesthetic theory in themselves. This theory is the application of Gadamer's anti-methodological stance to the process of artistic interpretation in an attempt to give artworks the right to make credible claims about reality and escape the "aesthetic consciousness" that prevents art from making these claims. To describe the mechanics of this process, Gadamer employs the concepts of play, symbol, and festival to showcase how artworks relate to history and tradition, how they disrupt the subject-object relationship, and how their persistent character provides a constant source of self-understanding for an audience. This thesis intends to show that this attack on aesthetic consciousness is the focus of Gadamer's aesthetic theory, and that the concepts of play, symbol, and festival, in their relation to his concept of Erfahrung , are the means of this attack.