identifier: Abdelfatah, Nelly <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Abdelfatah=3ANelly=3A=3A.html>   (2014) The genetic aetiology of otosclerosis in the population of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background
Otosclerosis is a common form of conductive and mixed hearing loss in Caucasian populations, with an estimated prevalence of 0.3-0.4%. Since 1998, eight loci have been mapped to otosclerosis in families with apparent autosomal dominant (AD) otosclerosis but none of the causative genes have been identified.
Objective
As no otosclerosis gene has yet been identified, the main objective of this thesis was to identify otosclerosis-disease causing genes by studying Newfoundland (NL) families.
Methods
Families with familial otosclerosis were identified and chracterized clinically. Those which fit the diagnostic criteria for otosclerosis were recurited for this study. Molecular genetic analyses of these families were carried out by genotyping, haplotyping, Sanger sequencing of candidate genes in linked regions and exome sequencing.
Results
One Family (2081) was solved through identification of a pathogenic variant (FOXL1c.976_990hetdel) in the FOXL1 gene at chromosome (Chr) 16q that was present in all affected individuals. The 15 base pair (bp) deletion was also identified in a second family from Ontario (ON) and the possible pathways involving FOXL1 in the pathogenesis of otosclerosis were suggested. In the second otosclerosis family, three III
candidate variants were identified through exome sequencing of the candidate regions under a dominant model.
Conclusion
I have identified the first otosclerosis gene, FOXL1, a transcription factor involved in the disease pathogenicity. I also identified three possible candidate mutations for a second otosclerosis family. This finding will have a major impact on molecular genetic studies of other otosclerosis families and it will allows for genetic counselling and the possibility for gene therapies in the future.


identifier: Leendertse, Nikola <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leendertse=3ANikola=3A=3A.html>   (2014) "Coming soon to your city:" independent mobile sex workers managing the risks and stigma of doing sex work in Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: This research employs sex work theory to interpret the experiences of independent mobile female sex workers in the Canadian sex trade. This thesis argues that employment-related mobility and independent worker status are central in both the risk and ideology management of independent mobile sex workers. Mobility and independent worker status contribute to the risk management of independent mobile sex workers in Canada in many ways including: avoiding saturated markets that have a greater supply of sex workers than the current demand of clients, creating a unique market niche, establishing safer working conditions, and generally allowing for economic success in the sex trade. Altogether, the workers’ status as independent mobile sex workers allows the women in this study to manage the risks of doing sex work that threaten their physical health and safety, and emotional and social well-being.


identifier: Ferguson, Nicole L. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ferguson=3ANicole_L=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Examination of the regulatory cascade leading to clavulanic acid production in Streptomyces clavuligerus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The soil bacterium Streptomyces clavuligerus is important from a pharmacological and commercial standpoint because it is capable of producing many known secondary metabolites, including the potent β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanic acid (CA). This research sought to elucidate unknown aspects of the regulation of CA production in S. clavuligerus via an iTRAQ®-based proteomic study comparing the CA producing wild-type strain and two bald mutants, one of which is defective in both CA production and normal development (ΔbldG) and one which is defective only in normal development (ΔbldA). A total of 33.5% of the entire S. clavuligerus proteome was covered, including 10 sigma factors and over 200 regulators and hypothetical regulators. Many of the regulatory elements were differentially expressed among the strains and several are putatively regulated by the pleiotropic regulator BldG. This study represents the most complete proteomic analysis of S. clavuligerus to date and the only such analysis of a CA producing and a non-producing strain. The protein expression data can serve as a useful tool to direct future research into additional aspects of CA biosynthesis and secondary metabolism.


identifier: Morritt, Noah James Andrew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Morritt=3ANoah_James_Andrew=3A=3A.html>   (2014) The making of Scotty Carmichael's Collingwood: folklore and vernacular history in a central Ontario shipbuilding community.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: As a study in vernacular history, this thesis examines the repertoire and history making practices of William “Scotty” Carmichael of Collingwood, Ontario. Focusing on stories he told over radio, in print, and in conversation, the concept of vernacular history is used as a theoretical framework, exploring how Scotty Carmichael mediated the decline of industrial shipbuilding after the Second World War through narratives about local sports heroes. As a theoretical reassessment of folk history, this thesis proposes that vernacular history is the reflexive discursive practices and locally conceptualized systems of meaning that people use to think and speak about the past, drawing attention to the oral, customary, and material genres and practices that shape local traditions of history making.


identifier: Zadakbar, Omid <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Zadakbar=3AOmid=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Dynamic risk assessment and fault detection in process facilities.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
A new multivariate risk-based fault detection and diagnosis technique targeting the safety issues of a process system is being proposed. In contrast to typical fault detection methods which only aim to detect operational faults that affect the control objectives of the process, this method targets the safety of the process. Typical fault detection and diagnosis methods are inadequate as none of the methods considers the consequences of the fault on process safety, integrity and the environment. However the proposed method provides a dynamic process risk indication based on the probability of occurrence of a fault and its consequences. In this method, the consequence is expressed in economic value that demonstrates the potential economic impact of the fault on the process, equipment, workers and the environment. Through this approach, warning system and risk management strategies may be activated when the risk of operation exceeds the acceptable threshold. This is an important concept because it can direct the attention and effort of operators to the faults which poses the most operational or safety risk. Both model based and history based fault detection and diagnosis techniques have been extended to a risk-based fault detection and diagnosis framework. Application of this new risk-based approach provides early warnings and early activation of safety systems prior to the fault impacting the system. This multivariate technique provides much early warning compared to the univariate methods. It has more power in discerning between operational changes and abnormal conditions which have potential to cause accidents. The main benefits of this approach are improved safety, minimum interruption of operation, better alarm management or early warning system and higher availability of process. The novelties and contributions of this work are development of multivariate dynamic risk assessment methodology using history based and model based methods for linear and nonlinear models combined with a newly developed economic consequence analysis methodology. This methodology makes the severity of the faults more sensible by quantifying consequences in economic terms. This new economic consequence methodology helps to integrates real time process state to accident scenarios via loss functions.
The proposed framework when implemented on a process could serve as a real-time process risk monitor. This would help to take preventive actions in order to minimize process risks.


identifier: Lester, Kendra Kristina <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lester=3AKendra_Kristina=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Improvement and remission of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Purpose: To determine the proportion of patients experiencing improvement or remission
of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 12 months following laparoscopic
sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).
Methods: From May 2011 to September 2013, 171 patients underwent LSG and
consented to participate in the study. Based on laboratory values, medical history, and
antidiabetic medication use, 24 (14.0%) patients had prediabetes and 67 (39.2%) had
T2DM. Re-evaluation of laboratory values and medication use was conducted at 3, 6, and
12 months post-surgery to assess for changes in glycemic control and diabetes status.
Results: Of 11 prediabetic patients that returned 12 months post-surgery, 9 (81.8%)
achieved remission of prediabetes. 6 of 24 (25%) T2DM patients that returned for 12
month follow-up achieved remission and 5 (20.8%) experienced improvement of T2DM.
Conclusions: Obese patients may experience improvement or remission of prediabetes or
T2DM within 12 months following LSG. The mechanisms by which improvement or
remission occur are not fully understood. More research is needed to determine the longterm
implications of LSG on T2DM complications, prevalence, mortality, etc. before it
can be considered as a treatment for prediabetes or T2DM.


identifier: Kurtakoti, Prajvala Kishore <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kurtakoti=3APrajvala_Kishore=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Experiments on internal waves: propagation and reflection.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Internal waves are present both in the atmosphere and the oceans. Internal waves
transport momentum across long distances and their breaking provides energy for
mixing. The mechanisms of internal wave dissipation and breaking is not completely
understood. We are interested in understanding how internal waves propagate and
reflect off sloping topography such as the continental shelf and dissipation. We conducted
a series of laboratory experiments to study the energy flux of propagating
and reflecting mode-1 vertically trapped internal waves in a linearly stratified salt
water fluid. The internal waves are generated by a wave generator that is capable
of producing monochromatic vertical mode-1 internal waves. In our experiments, we
record a video in a rectangular section of the tank where these waves propagate along
the length of the tank (5m) and reflect back. We repeated this for 3 different types
of end wall boundary conditions : no slope, supercritical slope and subcritical slope.
Their quantitative measurements of the structure and amplitude of the internal waves
are measured using an optical technique called synthetic schlieren from which we can
extract the energy flux of the wave. We use a complex demodulation function called
the Hilbert transform to filter out internal waves on the basis of the sign of their wave
vector. We employ this technique to filter out the generated waves that are travelling
left to right from their reflection that are travelling right to left. From the filtered
data we can understand how much energy from incoming waves is present in reflected internal waves and how internal waves dissipate across experiments from all the cases
and across different wave generator amplitudes. The analysis of energy flux of internal
waves during propagation and reflection using Hilbert transform is helpful as it brings
insight into phenomena that are difficult to observe during field studies. Comparison
between the reflected energy efficiency across the 3 types of experiments improves our
understanding of how waves reflect from different end boundaries, and also sheds light
on the how dissipation changes when we change wave generator amplitude.


identifier: Belliveau, Patrick <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Belliveau=3APatrick=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Parallelizing the 2.5D airborne electromagnetic inversion program ArgunAir.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis describes the development of a parallel version of the 2.5D airborne electromagnetic
modelling and inversion program ArjunAir. The program uses a finite-element
scheme to model the response of an earth with a 2D conductivity structure to a 3D electromagnetic
source. The program uses a Gauss-Newton like iterative inversion algorithm,
stabilized by singular value damping, to estimate the conductivity of a 2D depth section
of the earth beneath an airborne electromagnetic survey line. The forward modelling code
was parallelized and whenever possible, bottleneck routines were replaced by more efficient
versions. Shared and distributed memory parallel versions of the ArjunAir forward
solver were developed, with the shared memory version being incorporated into a modified
ArjunAir inversion program based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The new shared
memory parallel ArjunAir inversion algorithm ran up to 8 times faster than the original algorithm
when running with 8 threads, with speedup due both to parallelization and the use
of more efficient sequential routines.


identifier: Li, Quanquan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AQuanquan=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Oxidative stability of blackberry, black raspberry and blueberry seed oils as affected by their structural features, minor components, and storage conditions.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Cold-pressed blackberry, black raspberry, and blueberry seed oils were evaluated for their fatty acid composition, positional distribution of fatty acids within triacylglycerols, triacylglycerol (TAG) profile, total phenolic content (TPC), tocol profile, and oxidative stability (in the dark at 60°C and under fluorescent light at 27°C), before and after the removal of their minor components. All three berry seed oils were stripped of their minor components using a silicic acid column and a hexane/methanol solvent partitioning system, respectively. Accelerated oxidations under Schaal oven and photooxidative conditions demonstrated that the oxidative stability of non-stripped, and column-stripped oils was different. Tocopherols and tocotrienols, collectively known as tocols, were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, and found to affect the stability of oils by donating hydrogen atoms in the dark at 60°C. Pigments, including carotenoids and chlorophylls, were also measured by UV-visible spectrophotometry and were found to influence the stability of the oils. The stability of the oils was dictated by their fatty acid composition, TAG profile, and the type and quantity of their total tocols and pigments present.
All tested seed oils contained significant levels of α-linolenic acid, ranging from 13.4 to 33.7 g per 100 g of oil, along with a low ratio of n−6/n−3 fatty acids (1.49−3.86). Six triacylglycerols, namely LnLnLn, LnLLn, LLLn, LLL, OLL and OLLn were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography in berry seed oils tested, where O, L and Ln, are oleoyl, linoleoyl, and linonenoyl fatty acids, respectively. Total tocol contents were 286.3−1302.9 ppm, and included α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols as well as δ-tocotrienol. The highest TPC of 0.48 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of oil was observed in the black raspberry seed oil. Oxidative stability of the three berry seed oils tested was affected by their triacylglycerol profiles, positional distribution of fatty acids, storage conditions and minor components. These data suggests that the cold-pressed berry seed oils may also serve as potential dietary sources for tocols, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and natural antioxidants. These oils must be well protected from oxidative deterioration by proper storage in the dark and in the absence of oxygen and with minimal processing in order to retain their integrity and health promoting minor components.


identifier: Laurich, Jason R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Laurich=3AJason_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Dynamics of symbiont populations in the facultative chemosymbioses of thyasirid bivalves.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Within the family Thyasiridae, symbioses between hosts and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria are not present in all species. Bacteria that associate with thyasirids are extracellular, digested by host cells, and presumed to be facultatively symbiotic. Here, the dynamic and unstable nature of thyasirid-symbiont associations is characterized. We first describe a Thyasira cf. gouldi cryptic species complex in which some species possess symbionts, while others have lost them. Within symbiotic T. cf. gouldi species, both symbiont abundance and the nutritional importance of symbiont-derived nutrients fluctuate over yearly cycles. T. cf. gouldi symbionts are environmentally acquired, and association with host bivalves appears to result in the loss of both flagella and magnetosome chains. Finally, we show that hosts may control symbiont populations by mediating their access to reduced sulphur: exposing thyasirids to a constant source of reduced sulphur results in increased bacterial division which can result in host cell overgrowth and host mortality.


identifier: Liu, Ying <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liu=3AYing=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Algorithms for sea surface wind parameter extraction from x-band shipborne nautical radar images.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this thesis, research for improving sea surface wind parameter extraction from
shipborne X-band marine radar images is presented. First, the curve-fitting-based
wind algorithms are investigated. To exclude the rain cases and low-backscatter images,
a data quality control process is designed. Then, a dual-curve-fitting technique
is proposed to enhance the wind retrieval performance under low sea states. This
modified curve-fitting-based wind algorithm is tested using radar images and shipborne
anemometer data collected on the east coast of Canada. It is shown that the
dual-curve-fitting algorithm produces improvements in the mean differences between
the radar and the anemometer results for wind direction and speed of about 5.7◦ and
0.3 m/s, respectively, under sea states with significant wave height lower than 2.30 m.
Secondly, the intensity-level-selection- (ILS-) based wind algorithms are studied. An
additional process is implemented for the ILS-based method to improve the accuracy
of wind measurements, including the recognition of blockages and islands in the temporally
integrated radar images. Moreover, a harmonic function that is least-squares
fitted to the selected range distances vector as a function of antenna look direction
is applied. This modified ILS-based wind algorithm is applied to the same radar
data. Compared with the original ILS-based algorithm, the modified one reduces
the standard deviation (STD) of wind direction and speed by about 4◦ and 0.2 m/s,
respectively. Also, the above mentioned two modified methods (dual-curve-fittingbased
and modified ILS-based) are compared. Finally, X-band radar signatures of
rain cells are elaborately described both in time and frequency domains. It is seen
that the rain-contaminated image pixels are more uniformly bright than the wave
echoes and radar retrieved wind results are thus overestimated. This property of
“uniformly bright” is used to identify the portions that are more affected by rain.
To mitigate the effects of rain on wind retrieval from X-band radar images, a novel
texture-analysis-based data filtering process is presented and tested. By removing the data in the directions more affected by rain, significant improvements can be seen
from the radar-derived wind results using both of the two wind algorithms.


identifier: Rahman, Md Samsur <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rahman=3AMd_Samsur=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Integrity of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) vessels under ice loading.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Small glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) vessels, such as lifeboats and fishing vessels are occasionally used in sea ice conditions, despite the lack of structural design standards and operating standards for such conditions. In addition, there is limited knowledge relating to the magnitude of local ice loads on these vessels or the structural integrity of these craft under ice loading. To address these gaps, full-scale measurements relating to lifeboat-ice interactions were collected during a field campaign carried out in 2013 and 2014. During these trials, the local ice loads on the hull of a Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC) operating in pack ice conditions were measured using instrumented load panels. This full-scale field data provides the foundation for risk-based design load estimation and has been analyzed using the event-maximum method of local ice pressure analysis. This approach is based on probabilistic methods developed for the analysis of ice loads measured on icebreakers, which have been adapted for ice interaction scenarios involving small vessels. Results from this work provide improved understanding into the nature of loads on small GRP vessels operating in ice-covered waters and help to inform design methodology for these vessels. To compliment these results, the field trials were also assessed in terms of the operational methods used by different coxswains when maneuvering through an ice field. Insights from this analysis provide operational guidance towards methods that can mitigate peak impacts and improve the maneuverability of these vessels in ice.


identifier: Wang, Qing <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wang=3AQing=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Influence of natural organic matter and mineral colloids on arsenic (As) and uranium (U) transport in geological media.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Arsenic (As) and uranium (U) are two common groundwater contaminants that threaten human health. To assess the scope of As and U contamination in groundwater, it is important to characterize and quantify As and U migration in porous geo-media. This thesis research examined the influence of natural organic matter and mineral colloids on As and U transport. As and U transport was investigated by injecting As-spiked or U-spiked solution/suspension into water-saturated columns packed with natural sediments and quartz sand, and analyzing As or U concentration in column effluent. Column experiment results showed that natural organic matter substantially increased As and U transport, while mineral colloids had only minor effects on As and U transport. When natural organic matter and mineral colloids co-existed, As transport was lower, but U transport was higher compared to that in systems with HA but no illite.


identifier: Piercey-Lewis, Mary Elizabeth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Piercey-Lewis=3AMary_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html>   (2014) "Inulariuyunga; Imngirnik quvigiyaqaqtunga!" - I'm a real Inuk; I love to sing! : interactions between music, inummariit, and belief in an Inuit community since resettlement.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Arviat (previously Eskimo Point) is a small predominantly Inuit hamlet in
Nunavut, which in 2006 had 2,060 residents. Like all other native communities in the
Canadian north, Arviat has experienced, and is experiencing, tremendous change. The
nomadic iglu-dwellers have become sedentary wage workers and/or sophisticated
harvesters of Arctic char and other natural resources.
In spite of cultural and social change, Inuit feel a strong continuity between their
past and present. Many born and raised on the land now occupy key economic, political,
managerial, and educational positions within an administrative apparatus that did not even
exist fifty-five years ago. Many Inuit accept change as it comes, and make modifications
in their lifestyle and cultural habits based on their strong sense of Inuit identity. This
strong sense of Inuit identity is based on an Inuit concept called inummariit, which
translates as “real Inuit.”
Most Inuit live by a belief system based on living like a “true Inuk.” How Inuit
conceptualize living the “Inuit way” or inummariit is diverse and complex. Furthermore,
inummariit identity is constantly changing. This can be seen in how Inuit have negotiated
outside influences such as Christianity, fox trapping, media, technology, and syllabic
reading and writing into the same body of Inuit traditional knowledge as hunting caribou,
oral tradition, and survival on the land.
This dissertation investigates the ways in which music, inummariit, and belief
interact in the Inuit community of Arviat. It examines how Inuit belief systems have
changed and developed in response to resettlement and colonialism using music as a portal to understand personal negotiations and transitions. To accomplish this goal, the
musical stories of three generations of three musically oriented Inuit families are
examined: the Illungiayoks, the Okatsiaks, and the Mamgarks.
Using Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of generations and in particular his notion of
habitus, I analyze stability and change in the music performed by Inuit in Arviat,
revealing the many ways in which inummariit is conceptualized by generations. An
examination of the distinctive generational cohorts which have shaped Arviat’s history,
politics, and culture provides an understanding of how twenty-first century Inuit think
about music and contemporary Inuit life.
The Illungiayoks are a family of tradition-bearers who perform the traditional
Inuit drum dance in contemporary contexts. This dissertation examines the connection
between the performance of traditional Inuit drum dances and the concept of inummariit
for three generations of male Inuit from the same family. I argue that the performance of
the drum dance and its accompanying song parallel generational ideas about Inuit social
organization and identity negotiation. The history of interaction between Inuit and their
colonizers suggests that the current practice of drum dancing is one means employed by
Inuit to preserve some of their traditions and to empower Inuit to attempt to assert local
sovereignties, identities (whether sub-group specific or pan-Inuit), and expressions.
The Okatsiaks are the music and song leaders at the Anglican Church in Arviat.
This dissertation examines the ways music and inummariit are negotiated in the
performance of religious rites. The performance of Kuukpaluk—the River at Easter is a
Christian rite which connects Inuit with their past, both Anglican and Inuit. This
dissertation shows that it is not only a tradition of the past, it is a dynamic event practiced today; an event that has evolved and changed over the decades. Issues of syncretism
between Christianity and traditional Inuit ideology are discussed, revealing how
contesting and accepting conceptualizations of inummariit are enacted simultaneously.
The Mamgarks are adherents to the Catholic faith. The matriarch is the song
leader at the Catholic Church in Arviat. The present study extrapolates understandings of
inummariit from the religious practice of three generations of women from the Mamgark
family. Through the examination of the enactment of the Mass, localized and local hymn
texts,1 and the radically different generational attitudes toward music and Catholicism,
generational conceptualizations of inummariit are revealed.
This study focuses on the Inuit concept of identity—inummariit. Inummariit, the
true Inuit way of knowing and being, is multifaceted and diverse. Individual and
generational conceptualizations of what it means to be a “true Inuk” overlap in many
ways while coexisting. These conceptualizations, as revealed through the performance of
and narratives about music, nuance histories of encounter and resettlement, education and
language loss, and cultural revitalization in the community. These conceptualizations
insist that inummariit be understood as traditional and modern simultaneously.


identifier: Inkpen, Sabrina M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Inkpen=3ASabrina_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Characterization and transcript expression studies of interferon regulatory factors in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family of genes encode a group of
transcription factors which have important roles not only in regulating the expression of
Type I interferons (IFNs) and other genes in the interferon pathway, but also in growth,
development and regulation of oncogenesis. In this study, several IRF family members in
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were characterized at the cDNA and putative amino acid
level, allowing for phylogenetic analysis of these genes in teleost fish, and the
development of paralogue specific PCR primers which were used in semi-quantitative
RT-PCR and Quantitative PCR (QPCR) analyses. Two Atlantic cod Irf10 splice variants
were identified and named Irf10-v1 and Irf10-v2, and their presence was confirmed by
sequencing of the Irf10 genomic region. RT-PCR showed that Irf7, Irf8 and both Irf10
transcripts were detected in 15 cod tissues, while Irf4a and Irf4b appeared to be absent in
some tissues. RT-PCR in embryo and larval samples showed unique transcript expression
profiles of IRFs during development and indicated potential stage specific roles that will
be investigated in future studies. QPCR analysis of spleen expression expanded upon
previous studies, confirming that all transcripts were responsive to stimulation by the
viral mimic poly(I:C) and showing that all except Irf4a were responsive to killed
Aeromonas salmonicida (ASAL). Temperature was observed to affect the responsiveness
of all except Irf4a to poly(I:C) and/or ASAL, supporting earlier studies. The effect of
increased temperature on immune responsiveness to pathogens is of particular interest to
Atlantic cod aquaculture in Newfoundland, where fish experience seasonal fluctuations in
temperature.


identifier: Gulliver, Mekaela <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gulliver=3AMekaela=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Preserving the best: Newfoundland's cultural movement, 1965-1983.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study analyzes the cultural movement in the visual arts, theatre and music that occurred in Newfoundland between 1965 and 1983. Artists from the various artistic genres were influenced by both internal and external factors, and reacted to rapid political changes occurring in Newfoundland and artistic, musical, and theatrical trends that were popular in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Members of the cultural movement reacted against modernization, urbanization, and industrialization that occurred during the period that Joseph Smallwood was Premier. Artists thought several of the choices made by this government led to an erosion of Newfoundland culture, and thus felt they needed to help preserve traditional culture. Yet, while artists viewed themselves as anti-authoritarian, they were aided in their artistic endeavours by institutions such as Memorial University, in particular Extension Service, which encouraged the preservation of heritage and promoted cultural productions. Music was one of the genres that artists used to help preserve the culture they feared was disappearing, and to demonstrate that Newfoundland culture was just as good as that anywhere else. Theatre was also important in the movement, and helped artists bring attention to the political issues they viewed as important. This study examines how Newfoundland artists reacted to a perceived loss of culture and identity. It also demonstrates that cultural developments do not happen in a vacuum and that in order to fully understand the Newfoundland Renaissance it is important to look at all the various cultural aspects that influence or impact a society.


identifier: Hossain, Ridwan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hossain=3ARidwan=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Identification of size and location of a single crack in marine propeller shaft using strain and displacement.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The presence of cracks in any type of structure is undesirable as they often lead to
fracture or failure of the structure. Marine propeller shaft is a key component in marine
propulsion systems; moreover due to the strenuous working conditions, to which it is
subjected during its marine operation, it is prone to develop crack(s). The presently
available crack detection methods, either require disassembly of the shaft substructure for
visual inspection or require external excitation of the relevant portion of the shaft for
subsequent dynamic analyses; consequently these methods are quite complex and time
consuming.
In this study a simpler crack detection method is proposed for crack detection in rotating
marine propeller shafts. The crack detection method is based on simple strain and
displacement measurements at identified locations and hence easy to execute. The study
was carried out using Finite Element Analysis through ABAQUS, a well-known
commercial finite element package. The analysis was carried out both for the existence of
single bending crack and single circumferential crack, on the body of the rotating shaft
component, and the proposed method was able to identify both types of cracks at quite
early stages of their growth and development. It was found that if measured at the proper
locations, the percentage changes and slopes of percentage changes for these parameters
(strain and displacement) changed more rapidly than frequencies, due to the presence of a crack. Only two measurements were required to get such identification which could be
directly related to crack location and size. Based on the computed and analyzed
numerical results, a simple but effective crack detection method has been proposed which
would eliminate the complexities present in the currently available crack detection
methods for such structures.


identifier: Hanlon, Richard Gaelan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hanlon=3ARichard_Gaelan=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Isoperimetric functions of groups and their subgroups.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The objects of interest in this thesis are various isoperimetric functions of non{
compact topological spaces. Such functions are of classical interest in Riemannian
Geometry, and are used as group{theoretic invariants in Geometric Group Theory.
Very little is known about the general relationship between isoperimetric functions
of a group and its subgroups, and it is this problem which this thesis aims to address.
By using algebraic techniques, we will give sufficient conditions for an isoperimetric
function of a subgroup H [less than or equal to] G to be bounded above by that of the ambient group.
This result contrasts with known examples illustrating that this relationship does
not always hold when our conditions are relaxed. We conclude our investigation by
discussing applications to hyperbolic groups and how our main result can be used as
a \negativity test" to show that a group does not contain particular subgroups.


identifier: Thorat, Rakesh G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Thorat=3ARakesh_G=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Stereoselective reactions of ephedrine-derived alkylidene morpholinones for the synthesis of (+)-Epilupinine, (+)-Epitashiromine and functionalized quaternary stereocenters.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of cyclic nitrones with ephedrine-derived alkylidene morpholinones provided the corresponding spiro isoxazolidines which were converted to naturally occurring indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids. A detailed investigation of the cycloaddition reaction and the conversion of the isoxazolidine intermediates to (+)-epilupinine and (+)-epitashiromine is described in Chapter 2. In a separate study, haloalkylidene morpholinones were used as substrates for metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions to provide diastereomerically pure, substituted alkylidene morpholinones. These were subjected to a stereoselective Prins reaction to provide diastereomerically pure spirodioxolane intermediates which were converted to β-hydroxy carboxylic acids with a quaternary stereocenter at the α carbon. This methodology is described in Chapter 3. Investigations of alkylidene dioxolanones, as potential substitutes for the ephedrine-derived alkylidene morpholinones employed in Chapters 2 and 3, are described in Chapter 4.


identifier: Lukyanenko, Roman <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lukyanenko=3ARoman=3A=3A.html>   (2014) An information modeling approach to improve quality of user-generated content.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Online user-generated content has the potential to become a valuable social and economic resource. In many domains – including business, science, health and politics/governance – content produced by ordinary people is seen as a way to expand the scope of information available to support decision making and analysis. To make effective use of user-generated contributions, understanding and improving information quality in this environment is important. Traditional information quality research offers limited guidance for understanding information quality issues in user-generated content. This thesis analyzes the concept of user-generated information quality, considers the limits and consequences of traditional approaches, and offers an alternative path for improving information quality. In particular, using three laboratory experiments the thesis provides empirical evidence of the negative impact of class-based conceptual modeling approaches on information accuracy. The results of the experiments demonstrate that accuracy is contingent on the classes used to model a domain and that accuracy increases when data collection is guided by classes at more generic levels. Using these generic classes, however, undermines information completeness (resulting in information loss), as they fail to capture many attributes of instances that online contributors are able to report. In view of the negative consequences of class-based conceptual modeling approaches, the thesis investigates the information quality implications of instance-based data management. To this extent this thesis proposes principles for modeling user-generated content based on individual instances rather than classes. The application of the proposed principles is demonstrated in the form of an information system artifact - a real system iii
designed to capture user-generated content. The principles are further evaluated in a field experiment. The results of the experiment demonstrate that an information system designed based on the proposed principles allows capturing more instances and more instances of novel classes compared with an information system designed based on traditional class-based approaches to conceptual modeling. This thesis concludes by summarizing contributions for research and practice of information/conceptual modeling, information quality and user-generated content and provides directions for future research.


identifier: DiDonato, Roberta <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/DiDonato=3ARoberta=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Effortful and effortless listening: how age-related hearing loss and cognitive abilities interact and influence memory performance in older adults.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study investigated how age-related-hearing loss (ARHL) might contribute to
memory deficits and whether an enhanced auditory message can facilitate memory.
According to the effortful listening hypothesis, effortful listening requires cognitivelinguistic
and attentional resources for deciphering the message, resulting in fewer
resources available for encoding into memory. Auditory perceptual and processing
enhancements should reduce the listening effort and free up those resources resulting in
better memory performance.
Three experiments were conducted to investigate whether decreasing listening
effort facilitates memory performance. In Experiment 1 recall of complex prescription
instructions presented in conversational speech and clear speech was tested to see if the
enhanced listening (clear) resulted in better memory performance than the non-enhanced
listening (conversational) for the two groups of older adults matched for age and hearing
loss (Quiet and Noise). In Experiment 2, recall of complex prescription instructions
presented in degraded (65% time-compressed speech in babble) and enhanced (120%
expanded speech) listening was compared for older adults with particular configurations
of hearing loss to younger adults without hearing loss. Experiment 3 was a replication of
Experiment 2 comparing a group of 21 older musicians (‘expert listeners’) to non-‘expert
listeners’ (two non-musician groups: 20 younger and 20 older adults).
Enhancements of the auditory message during encoding facilitated memory at the
time of retrieval for all groups, more so for the hearing-impaired older adults. The older
adult musicians demonstrated additional enhancement in listening such that their memory performance was more similar to the younger non-musicians than to a group of older
adults matched for age and hearing ability.
The findings from this study support the effortful listening hypothesis. According
to this view, ARHL increases the effort in listening by degrading the message, increasing
the distractor effect, and decreasing perceptual learning. These ARHL effects increase the
processing load necessary to discern the message for communication at the perceptual,
lexical and cognitive levels. These processing loads result in fewer attentional and
cognitive-linguistic resources available for elaborate encoding for later recall.
Enhancements to the auditory-verbal message in an ecologically valid task demonstrated
that memory performance can be improved in older adults with hearing loss. These
findings lend support to ARHL as a potential underlying causal mechanism contributing
to declining memory performance in the aging adult population.


identifier: Ferrier, Taylor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ferrier=3ATaylor=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Prostate cancer: wait times to see a urologist.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Improving wait times has become a national priority and prostate cancer
wait times have not been studied in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
Methods: Using a retrospective chart review, we measured and compared wait times for
prostate cancer care to benchmarks set by local, national, and international experts.
Residents who had a prostate biopsy between April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010 at the
Health Science Centre in St. John' s, NL were eligible.
Results: The 34I eligible patients experienced the longest median wait of 68 days (0-310) between general practitioner date of referral to first visit with urologist. Few men
met the established benchmarks for suspected prostate cancer care. Delays were not
uncommon, and most often existed between date of biopsy and notification of results.
Conclusion: Few men met local and national wait time benchmarks for prostate cancer
care. Findings can be used to identify strategies to improve the timeliness of specialist
care in NL and to enhance the reliability of wait times research.


identifier: Knickle, David Craig <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Knickle=3ADavid_Craig=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Niche partitioning in sympatric Greenland cod (Gadus ogac) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in coastal Newfoundland.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Niche partitioning, the process by which evolutionary pressures divert competing species into different patterns of resource use, is often used to explain the coexistence of closely related species. In this thesis, I test the theory that niche partitioning facilitates the coexistence of two sympatric gadid species (Atlantic cod and Greenland cod) in a coastal region of Newfoundland using a multi-method approach.
Dietary and isotopic analyses were used to examine the degree of trophic niche overlap between species. Results revealed a general partitioning of food resources; G. morhua consumed more pelagic prey and showed a more pelagic (more negative) δ¹³C signature while G. ogac consumed more benthic prey and had a more benthic (more positive) δ¹³C signature. It was concluded that interspecific competition for prey resources and dietary overlap is low and that trophic niche partitioning is likely a key mechanism enabling coexistence.
Acoustic-radio telemetry was used to examine the spatial and temporal movement patterns of juveniles during summer. G. morhua were wider ranging, moved at faster rates and were active throughout the diel cycle compared to G. ogac of the same size suggesting spatial and temporal niche partitioning occurs between species during the summer season.
Fine-scale habitat use and vertical distributions were investigated using radio-acoustic positioning and habitat mapping. Both species preferred coarse substrates with moderate or dense vegetation, areas of low bathymetric relief and shallow (<10 m) water. G. ogac remained closer to the seafloor while G. morhua was generally distributed more pelagically and showed greater variation in vertical positioning. Results indicated high overlap in microhabitat use but differential use of vertical habitat which may reduce competitive interference between species.
Size-at-age and maturity data were used to compare growth rates and maturity patterns between species. Age and size at maturity were lower for G. ogac than for G. morhua despite similar growth rates. Length-weight relationships suggested slightly positive and negative allometric growth, for G. ogac and G. morhua respectively. It was concluded that differences in maturity patterns may promote coexistence by decreasing resource competition between species.
In summary, the findings from this thesis suggest that niche partitioning occurs along several niche dimensions which facilitate coexistence between ecologically similar Atlantic and Greenland cod in coastal waters of Newfoundland.


identifier: Adcock, Sarah Jennifer Jane <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Adcock=3ASarah_Jennifer_Jane=3A=3A.html>   (2014) The relations between stress, social rank, personality, and cognitive performance in Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Individuals differ consistently in their behavioural and hormonal responses to environmental challenges, and these differences can impact cognitive ability. In gregarious species, individual differences in personality, stress hormone concentrations, and cognitive performance can correlate with social rank, although studies have yielded conflicting results on the relations among these variables. Using 10 male and 10 female Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa), we aimed to: (1) explore the potential for inter-individual consistency in behavioural and hormonal traits; and (2) characterize the relations among personality, social rank, the stress response, and cognitive performance on an object location memory task. We found that pigs varied along two personality dimensions, labeled curiosity and timidity. Some stress hormone biomarkers were repeatable in males, but not females. The sexes also differed in activity of the two major stress systems, with females showing a greater asymmetry between HPA axis and sympathetic nervous system activity, symptomatic of chronic stress. Application of an acute stressor immediately before the object location memory task impaired subsequent performance, but only in the males. Finally, the effect of timidity on object location memory differed between the sexes, with performance tending to be better among less timid males and more timid females. The plethora of sex differences in our study suggests that results from one sex cannot be generalized to the other and underscores the necessity of considering both sexes in behavioural and physiological studies.


identifier: Windle, Matthew J.S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Windle=3AMatthew_J=2ES=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2006) Homing mechanisms and mating systems of Atlantic cod: evidence from a Newfoundland spawning ground.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study investigates the movements of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) during
the spawning season in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, and consists of two components.
First, transplantation techniques and acoustic telemetry are used to demonstrate that
transplanted cod return more successfully to a spawning ground from a traditional
migratory pathway compared to cod transplanted to a less-used area, suggesting that
familiar landmarks are important to short-distance homing. Second, spatial and temporal
patterns of fishing data and acoustic tracking of individual fish are used to document leklike
behaviour of cod at a small-scale spawning ground, including spatial patterns of
male-skewed sets, higher proportions of spawning females in male dominated
aggregations, and highly mobile movements of cod over the grounds. The results offer
insights into spatial learning in ocean migrants, and provide supportive evidence for
lekking behaviour in wild cod populations.


identifier: Windle, Victoria <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Windle=3AVictoria=3A=3A.html>   (2006) Role of serotonin and norepinephrine systems in functional recovery after stroke.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Stroke is a leading cause of permanent disability worldwide. Physiotherapy
facilitates motor recovery after stroke but recovery is often incomplete, highlighting the
need to develop other methods (e.g. utilizing more intensive rehabilitation or combining
rehabilitation with drug therapy) to augment existing therapies.
Depression is a common occurrence after stroke and consequently a large
population of stroke patients are treated with antidepressants. Most antidepressants act to
facilitate actions of serotonin, norepinephrine, or both. Despite the prevalence of
antidepressant use, little is known about how these drugs might affect the recovery of
motor function in these patients. The involvement of serotonin and norepinephrine in
motor recovery after focal ischemia in the rat was the focus of this thesis.
Serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors are often the antidepressants of choice in
the stroke population. In the first experiment a chronic dose of fluoxetine (a serotonin
specific reuptake inhibitor) was combined with rehabilitation to determine if it facilitated
motor recovery. No effect of the drug was found suggesting that facilitating the serotonin
system has little or no effect on motor recovery.
In the second experiment norepinephrine was depleted using N-(2-chloroethyl)-Nethyl-
2-bromobenzylamine, a neurotoxin specific for terminals of norepinephrine cells of
the locus coeruleus. Depleting norepinephrine terminals improved recovery in animals
exposed to enriched rehabilitation as well as standard housed animals. This suggests that
norepinephrine plays a role in recovery of function but that role may be more
complicated than previously thought.
The final experiment compared four different endothelin-1 models of focal
ischemia, including the models used in the previous experiments (experiment 1: focal
ischemia of the cortex and striatum by localized injection or experiment 2: by injection
adjacent to the middle cerebral artery). While all four models produced similar
behavioural deficits the model that targeted the middle cerebral artery (the most
commonly used model) yielded the lowest success rate (as determined by survival and
ability to produce a forelimb reaching deficit). The more successful model combining
cortical and striatal injections of endothelin-1 was further characterized using magnetic
resonance imaging and found to have blood flow dynamics similar to clinical stroke.
The results of this thesis help to clarify previous findings regarding the antidepressant,
fluoxetine and recovery of function. In addition, the current findings further
explore the role of norepinephrine in stroke recovery with indications for future research.
Finally, I introduce a new endothelin-1 model of focal ischemia that is a more consistent
and clinically relevant alternative to existing models.


identifier: Ekrami, Sadegh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ekrami=3ASadegh=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Bindings in colored petri nets.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Bindings in colored petri nets

abstract:
Performance analysis of systems is an important part of system evaluation. If the
analyzed system exists, performance analysis can be based on system's measurements
(using some sort of instrumentation). If the analyzed system does not exist (as is
the case of system upgrading, improvement or design), the approach is to build a
(mathematical) model of the system and to use this model for performance analysis.
For systems exhibiting concurrency, resource sharing or synchronization of activities,
Petri nets are very often used as the modeling formalism. In colored Petri nets,
one of nontrivial tasks is to find bindings, i.e. mapping of free variables used in
arc expressions to specific colors. Bindings are needed to determine state transitions
of a system, therefore, are needed in all analyses of system's behavior. A heuristic
approach is proposed which enhances the efficiency of finding bindings in colored Petri
nets. Also, performance analysis is used to compare the proposed approach with some
other approaches to finding bindings and some remarkable improvements are shown
through this analysis.


identifier: Malek, Shahrazad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Malek=3AShahrazad=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Crystallization of Lennard-Jones nanodroplets: from near melting to deeply supercooled.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
We carry out molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations to characterize nucleation
in liquid clusters of 600 Lennard-Jones particles over a broad range of temperatures.
We find that Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT) predicts the rate quite well,
even when employing simple modelling of crystallite shape, chemical potential, surface
tension and particle attachment rate, down to the temperature where the droplet loses
metastability and crystallization proceeds through growth-limited nucleation. Below
this crossover temperature, the nucleation rate is controlled by particle attachment
rates and is still described by CNT, but with thermodynamic quantities that appear to
be “frozen in” to values at the crossover temperature. We use the formalism of mean
first-passage times to determine the rate and to reconstruct free energy profiles, which
agree at higher temperatures with those obtained through umbrella sampling Monte
Carlo. Discrepancy arises when twinned structures with five-fold symmetry provide a
competing free energy pathway out of the region of critically-sized embryos. We find
that crystallization begins with hcp-fcc stacked precritical nuclei and differentiation
to various end structures occurs when these embryos are critical or post-critical in
size. We comment on using the largest embryo in the system as a reaction coordinate,
confirm that it is useful in determining the onset of growth-limited nucleation and
show that it gives the same free energy barriers as the full cluster size distribution
once the proper reference state is identified. We find that the bulk melting temperature controls the rate, even thought the solid-liquid coexistence temperature for the
droplet is significantly lower. Additionally, we find that the anisotropy of critical
embryos grows at low temperature, but largely follows the same size dependence of
anisotropy for embryos taken from a single temperature near coexistence.


identifier: Oates, Sarah <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Oates=3ASarah=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Metamemory for words in noise.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Metamemory for words in noise

abstract:
This study used ease of learning (EOL) judgments to examine whether people
recognize the effect that noise has on their recall performance. In four experiments,
participants studied lists of visually-presented words while ignoring different types of
irrelevant background noise. In Experiment 1, EOLs and recall were measured in three
conditions: quiet, white noise, and irrelevant speech (cafeteria babble). Surprisingly,
the typical irrelevant speech effect (ISE) was not observed. Experiment 2 determined that
the lack of an ISE was not due to the additional EOL judgment. In Experiment 3, a
different irrelevant speech sound file (a single talker speaking German) elicited a typical
ISE. Finally, in Experiment 4, a robust ISE was found. The metamemory data showed
that participants can recognize the effect of irrelevant speech prior to being tested but
incorrectly believe white noise has a disadvantageous effect on their memory. The results
are discussed in terms of Koriat’s (1997) cue utilization theory.


identifier: Ralph, Rebecca Faye <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ralph=3ARebecca_Faye=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Community and the colonial church: an examination of the Church of England's establishment of its first mission in Southern Labrador, 1848-1876.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In 1849, Tractarian Anglicanism appeared on the coast of Southern Labrador with
the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel missionary Rev. Algernon Gifford. Gifford
was sent by Bishop Edward Feild to the fishing hub of Forteau to service a territory of
approximately seventy miles. The purpose of building missions in Labrador was rooted in
Bishop Feild’s (the second bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda) desire to fulfill his
colonial role of expanding and reinforcing Anglicanism in British North America. The
communities of Southern Labrador were actively integrated culturally into the British
Empire through the Church of England. Inhabitants wanted the services of a minister and
especially schools for their children. This study explores the nature of the Anglican
Church’s colonial identity in relation to the social and economic situation in Southern
Labrador. It seeks to contextualize the establishment of the Labrador missions. By
exploring the rich archival collection of S.P.G. records held at Rhodes House Library,
Oxford University, as well as materials from the Maritime History Archive, The Rooms’
Provincial Archive of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Archdeacon Buckle
Memorial Archive, this thesis recovers the stories of life in the Anglican missions of
Labrador. Through focusing specifically on the missionaries’ narratives, this study will
explore the multiple colonial relationships that formed between inhabitants and the
church and how these relationships shaped social bonds affecting the nature of
community. Building on the discussion about relationships through evidence in the
missionary correspondence and academic literature, this study will examine how factors
like the Tractarian theology of Bishop Feild and colonial political considerations further affected communities in Southern Labrador. Through a historical analysis of missionary
correspondence, this study will open a window on Southern Labrador and colonial
Anglican history by demonstrating how and why the Church of England established itself
in communities and how that integration affected the lives of Labradorians.


identifier: Crocker, Matthew Gerald <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Crocker=3AMatthew_Gerald=3A=3A.html>   (2014) A petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological study of rare earth element mineralization in the red wine intrusive suite, Labrador, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Red Wine Intrusive Suite is located in central Labrador, in the Grenville Province front
zone. This suite consists of two peralkaline silica-undersaturated (agpaitic) bodies which
are enveloped by a larger oversaturated component, which previously yielded a U-Pb zircon
crystallization age of 1330 +40/-20 Ma. The agpaitic units include melanocratic and
leucocratic units that occur both as igneous textured and gneissic rocks, and host two
varieties of rare earth element (REE) mineralization. The essential mineral assemblage of
these units includes variable amounts of K-feldspar, albite, nepheline, pyroxene,
amphibole, and aenigmatite, with local occurrence of eudialyte and britholite as the key
REE-bearing minerals.
Petrographic, geochemical and geochronological data indicate that the two key REEminerals
crystallized at very different times. Eudialyte occurs in an igneous texture but has
yielded a U-Pb age of 976 ± 3 Ma, which implies closure of the U-Pb system during cooling
after Grenvillian metamorphism. Britholite exhibits a variety of textures, all of which
indicate secondary crystallization, agreeing with a U-Pb age of 929 Ma which is
considerably younger than the host rocks. Britholite mineralization was likely due to fluid
flow within highly deformed melanocratic syenites during a period of orogenic collapse
after the Grenvillian Orogeny.


identifier: Avi, Tamkin Khan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Avi=3ATamkin_Khan=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Glider mission planning using generic solvers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), in particular gliders, have been used for
many tasks such as underwater surveys or subsurface sampling. Gliders are small lightweight
underwater vehicles, which move by varying their buoyancy. They receive a list of locations
to visit at the start of a mission, and then spend most of their time under water, surfacing
ocassionally to get their GPS reading and communicate with the control centre, possibly
receiving updated instructions.
Modern-day gliders can perform month-long missions. During a mission, several factors
impact their performance: ocean currents, lack of communication and GPS while under
water and weather. At present, AUV operators do not seem to do much automated mission
planning, supplying a glider with a list of goals created by hand. Developing techniques
for planning such missions was the goal of this project.
At the heart of such mission planning problem are variants of the Asymmetric Traveling
Salesman problem: as it is NP-hard, there is no known algorithm to solve it exactly in
polynomial time. However, over the last decade heuristic solvers, in particular solvers
based on Integer Linear Programming and Satisfiability, have been used successfully in
practice to solve industrial instances of many NP-hard problems.
In this thesis we will describe a glider mission planner that we developed, which is
based on using such solvers. We evaluate performance of generic solvers, in particular
Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver CPLEX, several Pseudo-Boolean Optimization
(PBO) solvers Sat4j, Clasp, SCIP and Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT)
solver Z3. The performance of finding a optimal mission plan also heavily depends on
the type of encoding, so in addition to different solvers, we analyzed several types of encodings, from the classic Miller, Tucker and Zemlin encoding to Fox, Gavish and Graves’
time-dependent TSP encoding. In our experiments, Mixed Integer Linear Programming
solver (MILP) has been the most successful compared to other types of generic solvers.
An important question in satisfiability heuristic solver research is modelling the realworld
instances by a synthetic distribution. Here, we compared the performance of the
solvers on instances of ATSP coming from ocean current data with their performance on
crafted instances of random graphs, Euclidean graphs and Euclidean with varying amounts
of noise, both symmetric and asymmetric. Developing techniques for planning such missions
was the goal of this project, and in this thesis we describe and evaluate several approaches
to the AUV mission planning problem.


identifier: Livada, Tijana <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Livada=3ATijana=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Magnetotelluric study of Howley Basin, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The aim of this study is to develop a better understanding of the Howley Basin and
its hydrocarbon potential using a magnetotellurics (MT) survey. This sedimentary
basin is located in western Newfoundland, and is covered by the Howley formation
which is only found in this basin. Very little is know about the basin and its structure.
The Rocky Brook formation, which consists of organic rich mudstone that is known
for generating hydrocarbons, is found in the adjacent Cormack Basin and is believed
to be present in the Howley Basin as well.
The MT method is a passive electromagnetic method that is sensitive to the electrical
conductivity structure of the subsurface. The source for MT is completely natural,
resulting from the flow of charged particles in the ionosphere (e.g. from solar storms)
and from lightning strikes. These cause natural variations in the Earth’s magnetic
field which in turn result in induced currents in the subsurface.
MT sounding of an 18 km long profile was conducted in August and September 2013,
crossing from the Topsail Igneous Complex formation into the Howley formation at
about 3 km from the southeast end of the survey and extending to the anticipated
location of the boundary between the Howley and Cormack Basins in the northwest.
The Howley Basin is characterized by higher conductivities than the surrounding igneous basement. Strike analysis reveals the basin has a preferred geo-electric orientation
of 9⁰ with the deeper structures having a preferred strike of 33⁰. A range of 2D
inversions were performed for both strikes. TM mode only inversion yielded the best
results with misfit (least square fit to the observed impedances) of 3.9 for the strike
of 9⁰ and 2.4 for the strike orientation of 33⁰. The MT data suggest a maximum
thickness of the basin along the profile of approximately 2 km and that the basin
is decreasing in thickness towards its eastern boundary. There are also indications
of a conductive feature or features extending beneath the basin, possibly related to
faulting through the basin and into the basement or of a step in the base of the basin.


identifier: Kizuk, Sarah <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kizuk=3ASarah=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Individuation and individuality: a reading of Spinoza's physical interlude.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study looks at Spinoza's physical and metaphysical theory of individuation. It tackles
the status of an individual in Spinoza's system given his remark in the political writings
that the state is “guided as if by one mind.” Focusing primarily on the Ethics, the study
begins with his physical account of the individual, and then proceeds to the status of
individuals in terms of mind. Following this, it examines the question of the state-as-individual.
Drawing from contemporary debates, the study focuses on three main
accounts: the individualist, the communitarian, and the transindividual. This thesis argues
that Spinoza's theory of individuation is neither libertarian nor strongly communitarian in
the modern political tradition, which is to say that it neither favours the part nor the
whole, but involves a constant flipping between both positions. The nature of Spinoza’s
theory of individuation, then, is one that relies most fundamentally on relationality,
reciprocity and mutuality.


identifier: Miller, Tiffany Rose <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Miller=3ATiffany_Rose=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Sedimentology and organic biogeochemistry of the Ordovician Redmans Formation, Bell Island, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Understanding the processes that control the sequestration of organic matter are critical to the reconstruction of atmospheric CO₂ levels on geological time scales. Muddy, high-energy coastlines are subject to frequent wave reworking, tide-controlled grain-size sorting, and bioturbation. These processes control the remineralization efficiency of organic particles and impact the total organic carbon content (TOC, wt %) and quality (δ¹³Corg, ‰) of sedimentary organic matter. The combination of detailed facies descriptions, in conjunction with geochemical analysis of mudstones and siltstones can be integrated into a paleoenvironmental framework that allows for detailed interpretation of facies control on organic matter geochemical signatures. This Masters thesis aims to develop a better understanding of the effects physical and biological seafloor processes have on geochemical variability within and between facies in the Early Ordovician, Redmans Formation from Bell Island, Newfoundland. Isotopic trends are used herein to determine if bulk organic carbon isotopic values can be applied to the correlation of global organic carbon signatures.


identifier: Nguyen, Trung <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nguyen=3ATrung=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Development of a visual-teach-and-repeat based navigation technique on quadrotor aerial vehicle.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to develop a vision-based navigation and control technique
for quadrotor to operate in GPS-denied environments. The navigating technique
has been developed while using Visual-Teach-and-Repeat (VT&R) method. This
method is qualitative where the position of the quadrotor is estimated based on a set
of reference images. These reference images are collected while taking the quadrotor
manually along a desired route. Each image, collected in the database, represents one
segment of the desired route. The features are extracted from these images using a
well-known method, Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) [1].
When the quadrotor is navigated along the desired route (repeat mode), the quadrotor
performs self-localization. Three methods of self-localization are presented. In method
I, the SURF features observed on the current image are matched with the SURF
features of the reference images to compute the probability value of each segment in
the desired route. The segment that provides the best probability value is chosen as
the current segment of the quadrotor. To improve the accuracy of localization, in the
method II, the condition of feature-size relation with spatial distance is imposed. In
the method III, the estimation of the current segment of the quadrotor is built on
Bayes’s rule.
Based on the appearance-based error of feature coordinates, the system computes
qualitative motion control commands (desired yaw and height) for the next movement in order to control the quadrotor to follow the desired route. This computation is
developed on Funnel Lane theory, which was originally proposed in [2], in order to
2D navigate ground vehicle following the desired route. The thesis extends it to
3D navigation for the quadrotor. Funnel Lane theory qualitatively defines possible
positions where the vehicle can fly straight by the constraints of features coordinates
between the current image and the reference image. If the quadrotor locates outside
the funnel lane, it will be navigated back to the funnel lane.
A nonlinear geometric controller has been developed to convert the motion control
commands, generated basing on VT&R technique, into control inputs necessary for
the four rotors in the quadrotor. The design of proposed controller is simplified by
concentrating on the errors of rotational matrix, instead of attempting to access the
errors of each degree of freedom.
The quadrotor for this thesis is chosen as the well-known AR.Drone model [3]. The
whole system is modeled and simulated in Gazebo simulator using Robot Operating
System (ROS). Four image databases have been used for testing self-localization:
two databases around Engineering building of Memorial University of Newfoundland,
COLD database and New College database. With proposed VT&R technique, the
quadrotor is able to independently follow a long route without GPS-information or
the support from an external tracking system. The proposed system has a simple
implementation, inexpensive computation and high potential for exploring and
searching-and-rescuing missions.


identifier: Seif, Tayyebe <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Seif=3ATayyebe=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Ductile fracture analysis in a steel plate by cohesive zone modeling.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
There are several theories used to describe fracture process including Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics (EPFM), and Cohesive Zone Models (CZM), which allow for development of predictive capabilities. The main disadvantage of LEFM and EPFM techniques is that only structures with an initial crack can be modeled. Other drawbacks of these techniques are geometry dependence and validity limits. In contrast, CZM can simulate fracture in any structures, with or without a crack. CZM is not confined to a class of materials, but it can be used for arbitrary materials.
In this research, the CZM was used to numerically simulate crack initiation and growth in steel plates. Within the CZM, material separation (i.e. damage of the structure) is described by interface elements, which open irreversibly and lose their stiffness at failure, causing the continuum elements to be disconnected. Numerical simulation of tensile tests was conducted to determine and validate the cohesive parameters and then these parameters were used for modeling mode I fracture in steel plates. It was shown that the cohesive model is capable of simulating ductile fracture in cases where the crack path is not known in advance and the crack can evolve anywhere in the specimen.


identifier: Forsey, Weldon Brett <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Forsey=3AWeldon_Brett=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Using location-allocation models to aid in the locating of preventive health care facilities for Newfoundland & Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is facing unprecedented demographic
change. The population is aging at a faster rate than in any other province in Canada, and
this is leading to dramatically increased costs to the province’s health care system. One
way to help alleviate the rising costs of health care is to promote preventive health care.
Preventive health care can save lives and contribute to better quality of life by diagnosing
serious medical conditions early. Unlike services for those who have urgent medical
needs, preventive health services are intended primarily for healthy people who are less
willing to travel long distances to access services. For this reason preventive health
services, such as mammography units, require different locational decision methodology
than other types of health care (Gu & McGregor, 2010).
This research provides a methodology to locate preventive health care facilities
efficiently while ensuring spatial equity in distribution of services. Spatial equity refers
to the locating of services for individuals equitably regardless of where they live. To
achieve this, a variation is presented on the traditional maximal covering location
problem that incorporates equity into location-allocation (LA) modeling. Using custom
developed LA software, the variant algorithm is used to locate mammography facilities as
a representative type of preventive health services for the island of Newfoundland. The
solution set is compared to the locations of the current mammography program, which
will show that the facilities of the province are well located. The results are compared to
those of other models and shown to be the best in terms of equity in service delivery. This study also helps demonstrate that LA models are an effective tool in public facility
planning, especially when evidence-based decision making is important.


identifier: Woolridge, Kathleen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Woolridge=3AKathleen=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Dithiafulvene and catechol as organic molecular building blocks for applied materials.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis reports the synthesis a series of novel dithiafulvenyl (DTF) compounds, and their characterization. This entails an investigation into their unique electronic properties, as well as their response to both chemical and electrochemical oxidation. This work expands upon previous work within the Zhao group to prepare bis-spiro compounds from DTFs, and works toward a mechanistic explanation for this process. Additionally, examination of DTF species unreactive to typical oxidative dimerization to tetrathiafulvalene (TTFV) using density-functional theory (DFT) optimization has elucidated the effect of resonance delocalization on the reactivity of the radical cation DTF toward TTFV formation.
This thesis also reports the synthetic efforts toward a catechol-functionalized polysiloxane material for anticorrosion and antifouling marine coating additives. Several routes have been explored in attempts to obtain the target compound, including the Hiyama and Kumada coupling reactions. The difficulties faced in synthesis and the potential new avenues to pursue are discussed.


identifier: Wu, Hao <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wu=3AHao=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Palliative and end-of-life care for Chinese immigrants: experiences of family caregivers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Though Chinese immigrants constitute one of the largest immigrant groups in Canada, little research has been conducted to explore palliative and end-of-life care for this community. The purpose of this research was to learn about the lived experiences of Chinese family caregivers who have provided palliative and end-of-life care to their loved ones.
This qualitative study adopted hermeneutic phenomenology to understand palliative and end-of-life care for Chinese immigrants from the perspective of their family caregivers. Seven Chinese immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were recruited and in-depth interviews were conducted with each participant using semi-structured and open-ended questions. Thematic analysis, guided by the Voice-Centred Relational (VCR) method, was employed to analyze the data. Five major themes were identified, namely, life as a family caregiver, Chinese cultural understandings of disease and death, interdependency in the Chinese family, experiences with Canadian health care services, and future considerations.
Understanding the lived experiences of Chinese family caregivers is an important first step in making healthcare providers aware of relevant aspects of Chinese culture so they may better provide palliative and end-of-life care to Chinese immigrants and their families in the future.


identifier: Pappoe, Michael <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pappoe=3AMichael=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Applications of capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for the analysis of thiosalts.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Thiosalt species are unstable, partially oxidized sulfur oxyanions formed in sulfur-rich environments but also during the flotation and milling of sulfidic minerals especially those containing pyrite (FeS₂) and pyrrhotite (Fe₍₁₋ₓ₎S, x = 0 to 0.2). Detecting and quantifying the major thiosalt species such as sulfate (SO₄²⁻), thiosulfate (S₂O₃²⁻), trithionate (S₃O₆²⁻), tetrathionate (S₄O₆²⁻) and higher polythionates (SₓO₆²⁻, where 3 ≤ x ≤ 10) in the milling process and in the treated tailings is important to understand how thiosalts are generated and provides insight into potential treatment. As these species are unstable, a fast and reliable analytical technique is required for their analysis. Three capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) methods using indirect UV-vis detection were developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of five thiosalt anions: SO₄²⁻, S₂O₃²⁻, S₃O₆²⁻, S₄O₆²⁻ and S₅O₆²⁻. Both univariate and multivariate experimental design approaches were used to optimize the most critical factors (background electrolyte (BGE) and instrumental conditions) to achieve fast separation and quantitative analysis of the thiosalt species. The mathematically predicted responses for the multivariate experiments were in good agreement with the experimental results. Limits of detection (LODs) (S/N = 3) for the methods were between 0.09 and 0.34 μg/mL without a sample stacking technique and nearly four-fold increase in LODs with the application of field-amplified sample stacking. As direct analysis of thiosalts by mass spectrometry (MS) is limited by their low m/z values and detection in negative mode electrospray ionization (ESI), which is typically less sensitive than positive ESI, imidazolium-based (IP-L-Imid and IP-T-Imid) and phosphonium-based (IP-T-Phos) tricationic ion-pairing reagents were used to form stable high mass ions non-covalent +1 ion-pairs with these species for ESI-MS analysis and the association constants (Kassoc) determined for these ion-pairs. Kassoc values were between 6.85 × 10² M⁻¹ and 3.56 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ with the linear IP-L-Imid; 1.89 ×10³ M⁻¹ and 1.05 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ with the trigonal IP-T-Imid ion-pairs; and 7.51×10² M⁻¹ and 4.91× 10⁴ M⁻¹ with the trigonal IP-T-Phos ion-pairs. The highest formation constants were obtained for S₃O₆²⁻ and the imidazolium-based linear ion-pairing reagent (IP-L-Imid), whereas the lowest were for IP-L-Imid: SO₄²⁻ ion-pair.


identifier: Hodge, Valerie Dianne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hodge=3AValerie_Dianne=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Exploring the impact of social support and chronic distress on drug addiction severity.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The present study investigated whether the relationship between social support and drug
use severity is mediated by one’s level of psychological distress. Scales measuring
chronic distress, social support, and drug abuse were administered to a sample of drug
users attending an outreach service in St. John’s, NL (n = 50). In conjunction, a subset of
matched participants was extracted from the Canadian Community Health Survey
(CCHS) database (n = 25); these participants were also self-reported drug users and
answered questions pertaining to the study variables. Initial bivariate analyses determined
that further tests of mediation were not warranted due to a lack of significant correlation
among the study variables. However, follow-up comparisons indicated that drug users
within St. John’s, NL were significantly more distressed, had lower social support, and
greater severity of drug use compared to the overall CCHS population. Extreme severity
of distress and drug abuse were consistent across the sample, therefore, a lack of
variability among these factors might explain the lack of significant results. Since the
mental health status of this sample was so poor, it is recommended that they be treated as
a unique study group, or receive treatment prior to future research on this topic.


identifier: Martin, Karen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Martin=3AKaren=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Perceptions of hospitalization: a qualitative study of people who are morbidly obese.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This qualitative research study explored the perceptions associated with acute hospitalization of individuals defined as morbidly obese. Interviews were one-on-one and utilized a semi-structured design. Nine participants, six females and three males were interviewed. Questions were aimed at exploring individuals’ personal hospital experience and their perceptions associated with care and treatment during their admission. Narratives shared indicated that participants did not feel slighted because of their anthropometrics and that everyone receives the same basic level of care. Most participants accepted the processes and policies of the hospital as “the way it is.” The concerns are systemic and overall change is warranted. The data collected provides not only an understanding of the challenges faced in hospital, but also the daily obstacles encountered and how this impacts public health.


identifier: Pomeroy, Trevor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pomeroy=3ATrevor=3A=3A.html>   (2014) "As commander of the army of the LORD I have now come": Joshua 5:13-6:27 as war narrative in context.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: War, and what constitutes the waging of successful warfare in the Ancient Near East, is the hermeneutical key by which to properly understand texts such as Joshua 5:13-6:27. Traditionally, scholars have sought to understand biblical war narrative such as Joshua 5:13-6:27 from an ethical perspective, which fails because war generates a culture of its own, with its own set of norms, that are distinct from everyday reality. I describe features of Joshua 5:13-6:27 that persist throughout war narrative from the Ancient Near East and seek to understand those features within the sociology of warfare as described by the sociologist Siniša Malešević. Understanding these features within the context of other Ancient Near Eastern material illuminates the paradigmatic nature of Joshua 5:13-6:27 as war narrative and helps us to draw out its essential theme: the kingship of YHWH.


identifier: Adams, Nichole <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Adams=3ANichole=3A=3A.html>   (2014) A qualitative analysis of university athlete’s perceptions and negotiations of health and athletic participation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This qualitative study explores student-athletes’ relationships with food and exercise, often referred to as eating and training thus unpacking how student-athletes come to understand health within the context of university sport. The unique nature of the study, with its focus on intercollegiate sport in Canada, contributes to the lack of knowledge about Canadian sport athletes’ experiences of sport, and it provides a qualitative lens to consider how student-athletes construct notions about the body, health and performance. Seventeen (eight female and nine male) student-athletes, from Memorial University 2010-2011 varsity roster participated in this study. Participants were representative of varsity sports offered at the university, including individual sports: cross-country running, swimming and wrestling; and team sports: basketball, soccer and volleyball. Data collection involved four focus group discussions and follow-up semi-structured interviews with four individual student-athletes. Using discourse analysis, informed by Foucault’s concepts of the panopticon and technologies of the self, data analysis exposed how cultures of sport not only shape student-athletes understandings of eating and training but also how sport normalizes and regulates specific (un)healthy ideas and practices.


identifier: Gruzdev, Valentin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gruzdev=3AValentin=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Relative growth rate of subgroups of free groups.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this thesis we investigate the following problem: given a free group of a finite
rank greater or equal to 2, and its non-cyclic finitely generated subgroup of infinite
index, is it true that the relative growth rate of the subgroup is strictly less than
the growth rate of the free group itself?


identifier: Kennedy, Janice <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kennedy=3AJanice=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Political participation among youth in Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Since 1970, there has been a global decline in youth voting (Hay 2008). The thesis will explore the political engagement of youth in rural Newfoundland – specifically, the low levels of voter participation. The scholarly literature has offered different reasons for the decline such as the rise of new social movements, apathy and alienation. The thesis tests the literature in the context of Colin Hay’s distinction between “demand-side” and “supply-side” politics (2008) to determine if it is applicable to youth voter decline in rural Newfoundland or if there are other identifiable factors operating in Newfoundland specifically that contribute to a youth voter turnout even lower than the Canadian average.


identifier: Motty, Stephen D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Motty=3AStephen_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Using Scala for computer-assisted stepwise refinement of software (from specification to implementation).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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abstract:
It is possible to generate compilable source code directly from logical formulas that describe the intended behaviour of software. Theories in support of this goal, including theories of predicative programming and programming by specification, were developed and well-understood by the mid-1990's. In practice these techniques result in code and specification libraries that are maintainable, sharable and unmistakably fit for their purpose.
At present, the techniques have not met with widespread adoption. An underlying premise of this thesis is that adoption requires a proficient use of techniques outside the normal curriculum followed by many computer programmers. A Structured Imperative Modular Programming/proof-Language and Environment, nicknamed SIMPpLE, is proposed to pull these techniques together into a single framework.
The specific objective of the thesis is to describe how the typed trees representing a SIMPpLE document are converted to queries to third-party provers. Using the queries, these provers verify the logical correctness of the SIMPpLE program as it is constructed line by line, a process known as stepwise refinement. Two classes of provers are considered: first, Satisfiability Modulo Theorem (SMT) provers; and secondly high-order Theorem Proving Systems (TPS).
The thesis concludes that stepwise refinement of software is practiceable, and that the implementation is readily achievable with today's technology. Examples of programs created using the techniques are provided.


identifier: Griffin-Fillier, Lorna <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Griffin-Fillier=3ALorna=3A=3A.html>   (2014) The storied self: the effects of spinal cord injury on identity narratives.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study examines the effects of spinal cord injury on identity narratives and the role
of narration in the transformation of self following the injury. The purpose was to
uncover what the stories, told by individuals with a spinal cord injury, can tell us about
the transformation of identity after a forced identity transition, a transition that is
neither desired, anticipated or chosen. Using narrative analysis, five narrative types
were revealed: 1) Second Chance, 2) Familial, 3) Transition, 4) Rehabilitation, and
5) Explanation. Three main themes evident within the narrative types included:
personal identity, autonomy and control, and social identity pertaining to peer role
and family. The findings revealed both personal narratives and reflections on
experiences during three stages of transition — pre, during and post injury and how
events from each of these stages were pieced together within a broader narrative that
reflected participants’ attempts to present and create a coherent identity. The study
has implications for individuals who encounter moments of shifting identities while
attempting to create a new self, as well as for practice where narration is seen as a
viable option in adjustment and transition work with individuals. Findings take into
consideration the influence and power of the social worker in the co-construction
(narration) of stories post injury.


identifier: Kennedy, Darrell Calvin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kennedy=3ADarrell_Calvin=3A=3A.html>   (2014) A 'new' Newfoundland and Labrador sustainable tourism vision.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In an attempt to promote sustainable tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), leaders from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador came together in 2006 to form a vision steering committee. Their efforts culminated in the release of a vision paper entitled “Uncommon Potential” in February 2009, which outlined overarching goals for tourism development in the province and created a high level of expectation for numerous tourism stakeholders. While the vision may be well articulated, the document lacks strategies about how to achieve them, raising some questions whether the goals will be realized. This thesis thus aims to illuminate what could cause some of its goals to fall short of expectations and what possibilities exist for the province to increase its potential to realize the vision. The study draws from the interactive governance perspective, which posits that what occurred before and during the development stages (or ‘step zero’) and what values, images and principles underlie such a vision play key roles in the implementation. Through interviews with key informants and document analysis, the study reveals some missteps in the vision’s development process, including lack of representation of key stakeholder groups such as volunteer organizations. Meanwhile, although Uncommon Potential reflected values, images and principles that key tourism stakeholders shared, some concerns were expressed about the absence of values like honesty and principles related to environmental health in the document. On the whole, the thesis brings, through these findings, further clarity to what the vision entails and also provides insights about the priorities and aspirations of the province’s tourism sector.


identifier: Simms, Michelle <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Simms=3AMichelle=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Maternal effects of migration on sympatric offspring of resident and anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Many of the coastal rivers in Newfoundland contain Atlantic salmon populations which include both anadromous (i.e. migrate to sea) and non-anadromous (i.e. freshwater resident) phenotypes. However, little is known about the relationship between the two types and particularly, how early offspring performance (i.e. growth, dominance and survival) may differ as a result of maternal effects (e.g., marine versus freshwater derived nutrients in the eggs). Six pairs of paternal half sib families were created by crossing unique anadromous and resident mothers with a single male (anadromous or resident). Samples were collected at each of four stages (i.e. unfertilized eggs, eyed eggs, yolk-sac larvae and newly emerged fish), weighed and used for lipid analyses. All samples were processed and lipid profiles were determined by Iatroscan instrumentation and further characterized and quantified by gas chromatography. There were no significant differences in triacylglycerols (TAG) or phospholipids (PL) between the two offspring types, however the anadromous offspring had higher amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3) and ω3:ω6 fatty acids. The resident offspring had higher amounts of arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4ω6). Results also showed that resident mothers had larger eggs and their offspring were larger at emergence. Pair-wise dominance trials between newly emerged anadromous and resident offspring revealed no significant difference in positioning relative to a defensible food source. Similarly, growth and survival of the newly emerged offspring, tested over a four week period in stream channels and across three treatments (12 resident offspring, 12 anadromous offspring, and 6 offspring of each type; five replicates of each), differed little. Thus, while there were apparent differences in maternal contributions to the offspring, there were no indications under the experimental conditions examined that these strongly influenced offspring performance after emergence.