identifier: Verhoeven, Joost T. P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Verhoeven=3AJoost_T=2E_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Microbiome exploration of deep-sea carnivorous Cladorhizidae sponges.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Members of the sponge family Cladorhizidae are unique in having replaced the typical filter-feeding strategy of sponges by a predatory lifestyle, capturing and digesting small prey. These carnivorous sponges are found in many different environments, but are particularly abundant in deep waters, where they constitute a substantial component of the benthos. Sponges are known to host a wide range of microbial associates (microbiome) important for host health, but the extent of the microbiome in carnivorous sponges has never been extensively investigated and their importance is poorly understood. In this thesis, the microbiome of two deep-sea carnivorous sponge species (Chondrocladia grandis and Cladorhiza oxeata) is investigated for the first time, leveraging recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and through custom developed bioinformatic and molecular methods. Microbiome analyses showed that the carnivorous sponges co-occur with microorganisms and large differences in the composition and type of associations were observed between sponge species. Tissues of C. grandis hosted diverse bacterial communities, similar in composition between individuals, in stark contrast to C. oxeata where low microbial diversity was found with a high host-to-host variability. In C. grandis the microbiome was not homogeneous throughout the host tissue, and significant shifts occured within community members across anatomical regions, with the enrichment of specific bacterial taxa in particular anatomical niches, indicating a potential symbiotic role of such taxa within processes like prey digestion and chemolithoautotrophy. The potential for bacteria-mediated chemolithoautotrophy was further supported by stable-isotope analysis in C. grandis but not in C. oxeata. Metagenome analysis further showed a potential role for archaea in nitrogenous-waste detoxification, as well as an assemblage of bacteriophages potentially influencing the bacterial community composition and functionality. Lastly, metabolic pathways of associated microbes were diverse and included metabolism of elemental substrates (nitrogen, sulfur) and methane. This thesis provides novel insights into the role of microorganisms in carnivorous sponges and their relation to carnivory; the microbiome of C. grandis is linked to many metabolic functions, including the facilitation of carnivory, whereas heterogeneity and absence of apparent symbiotic potential in C. oxeata suggest that in some sponges, other processes govern carnivory.


identifier: Roberts, Trevor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Roberts=3ATrevor=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Oil and gas field application of hydrate kinetics modeling.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
In the offshore environments, hydrocarbons are extracted from the reservoir and transported through subsea flowlines in which ambient temperatures can be as low as 0°C. The production systems must be designed to manage potential gas hydrate formation which can lead to pipe blockages.
This thesis assessed the applicability of coupling multiphase Oil and Gas Simulator (OLGA) models with a hydrate prediction model (Colorado School of Mines Hydrate Kinetics) as a tool to better understand the risk with hydrate blockages. This tool would be more realistic than the current method of using hydrate dissociation curves, which can tend to be conservative.
Real oil field data is used to validate the coupled model results. Two example cases were analyzed in this work, 1) hydrate blockage had formed and 2) conditions present for hydrate risk. In the first case it was found that the sub cooling (the difference between the flowline and hydrate formation temperatures) assumption may have been conservative, and the model did correctly predict the most likely location of the blockage based on vol% of formed hydrate. In the second case the model confirmed that there was little hydrate formed and in reality there were no signs of blockages upon restart of the flowlines.
Overall the analyses showed that the coupled model can be a useful tool for hydrate prediction. Modifications were proposed to improve the modelling predictions by incorporating the impact of the sub cooling and its stochastic nature within the model. Another potential improvement could be integrating compositional tracking in the model to constantly generate hydrate curves in each volume section of the models based on the expected fluid content. It is also proposed to further the understanding of water/oil emulsion in the kinetics of hydrate and hydrate plug formation.


identifier: Sandoval, Larry <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sandoval=3ALarry=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Understanding the tectonic evolution of the East Orphan Basin, offshore Canada, Porcupine Basin, offshore Ireland, and Galicia Interior Basin, offshore Spain.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The East Orphan and the Porcupine basins form two highly promising basins for
hydrocarbon exploration along the North Atlantic rifted margins. Despite having formed at
conjugate margin positions and similar geological times, the basins appear to have
fundamental differences. The objective of this project is to investigate the tectonic evolution
of the East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia Interior basins. Analysis and interpretation of
seismic reflection and well data was integrated with 3D grids of the depth-to-basement and
Moho proxy to produce and restore representative geologic cross-sections.
Interpretation of seismo-stratigraphic units across the East Orphan, Porcupine, and Galicia
Interior basins reveals similarities in their seismic character. However, structural
restoration of the selected lines indicates that basin evolution, sedimentary cover thickness,
faulting style, and crustal structure differ significantly. Similarly, kinematic evolution
models place Porcupine and Galicia Interior basins forming a continuous basin during
Jurassic time.
Based on a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained in this thesis and in the context
of published kinematic evolution models, the linkage between the seemingly conjugate East
Orphan and Porcupine basins seems implausible. In contrast, a potential connection
between the Porcupine Basin and the Galicia Interior Basin is proposed.


identifier: Goodarzi, Fatemeh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Goodarzi=3AFatemeh=3A=3A.html>   (2019) A closer look at water/oil emulsions in energy and environment: modeling strategy.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The formation and presence of water/oil emulsion is an important phenomena in the oil and gas sector, drug delivery systems and food emulsion industry. In this work, mesoscale simulation is employed to investigate the structural and interfacial behaviour of the system. Both aliphatic and cyclic structures of the oil molecules were considered. A non-ionic surfactant was introduced to the system and the interfacial tension at the interface was measured at varying surfactant concentration. The effect of brine is also investigated on its ability to modify the electrostatic forces between the particles in the system. Flory-Huggins chi parameter were measured using molecular dynamics simulation and Monte Carlo method and implemented as an input in dissipative particle dynamics simulation. This parameter acted as a bridge between microscale and mesoscale simulation. The effect of temperature is studied on the solubility parameter and energy of mixing which are the parameters used to calculate the chi parameter. Water/oil ratio turned out to be an influencing factor in determining the type of emulsion formed in the system. According to the results of the MD simulations, the presence of salt improves the interfacial efficiency of the surfactant by decreasing the interfacial tension, which is in a good agreement with the literature data. . Comparing the snapshots taken at different simulation time steps, concertation profiles and radius of gyration values, it was observed that in the case of aliphatic hydrocarbons, surfactant molecules will stretch more due to the linear structure of oil molecules, however, for cyclic hydrocarbons, radius of gyration values reported to be smaller since less space is available for the interaction of surfactant tail groups with oil molecules — however, interfacial tension obtained to be a function of molecular weight of hydrocarbon, as it calculated to be the highest for Dodecane(43.62mN/m) and smallest for Benzene(29.68mN/m), regardless of their structure and polarity of the molecule. Based on the parameter considered to affect the properties of the system, an ideal case was introduced to have the lowest interfacial tension.


identifier: Anaraki, Nahid Rahimipour <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Anaraki=3ANahid_Rahimipour=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Prison subculture and drug-related crimes in Iran.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The present study seeks to investigate prison subcultures in the Iranian cultural context with regard
to drug-related crimes. Following this vein, the main objective is to compare the subculture of
prisons as governmental institutions with that of non-governmental treatment institutions.
‘National threat’, ‘danger’, and ‘criminal’, are the terms used to legitimize the mass incarceration
of drug users since the ‘war on drugs’ began in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. This policy
had a number of unintended consequences, including the way that incarceration of first time
offenders may actually produce professional criminals as a result of exposure to prison
environment. Therefore, the argument that drug-related offenders need to be medically cured
instead of locked up was put forward and led Iranian authorities to introduce treatment regimes in
the 1990s. Drug users have been re-categorized since that period from ‘criminals’ to ‘patients’
while their moral weakness was justified by a medical cause.
The key research question of this thesis explores: how drug-related criminals and drug
users experience and adapt to the context of prison and NGO Treatment Centers? I utilized
Grounded Theory to examine this question, and extracted seven categories to explain the subculture
of prisons: (1) unstable pyramid, (2) captives as a society, (3) battle zone, (4) hegemony of
drug-related networks, (5) shifting identities, (6) instrumental relationships, and (7) two sides of
the same coin. Moreover, four categories were extracted to explain the sub-culture of ‘Narcotic
Anonymous’, including: 1) horizontal network; 2) restricted and exclusive trust; 3) constructing
and reconstructing identity; and 4) gender-based reintegration.
A key element in the lives of drug users both inside and outside the legal system, is their
‘contested identities’. The modern era produces contested identities almost everywhere.
Individuals in the modern world struggle with these contested identities not only in prison but also in their treatment centers. A distinctive feature of drug addicts’ contested identities refers to their
multiple exclusiveness.


identifier: Derwish, Roya <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Derwish=3ARoya=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Investigating the role of the mesoderm induction early response (MIER) family members as transcriptional co-repressors.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Large coregulator complexes are recruited to specific gene loci to modulate chromatin structure by altering epigenetic marks on DNA and histones to control gene expression. Mesoderm induction early response 1 (MIER1) is a nuclear protein known to function in transcriptional repression through its ability to recruit histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and 2. The MIER family consists of three related genes encoding proteins containing ELM2-SANT functional domains. MIER1 is the prototypical member, well characterized in our lab but little is known about MIER2 or MIER3 function and there is no data characterizing these two proteins. In my thesis, I have begun to characterize MIER2 and MIER3 proteins and to compare them to MIER1. I investigate their subcellular localization, their potential association with each other, their interaction with HDAC1 and 2 and chromodomain Y-like (CDYL), the activity of associated deacetylases and key residues for HDAC and CDYL recruitment.
Immunostaining followed by confocal microscopy analysis revealed that, while MIER2 and MIER3 are mainly nuclear proteins, a substantial proportion (32%) of MIER2 is localized in the cytoplasm. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments demonstrated that the MIER proteins do not form dimers, neither homodimers nor heterodimers with either of the other two family members. Our data also showed that MIER2, but not MIER3, can recruit HDAC1 and 2. Co-IP experiments showed that MIER1 and MIER2, but not MIER3, interact with CDYL through the ELM2-SANT domains. Both MIER1 and MIER2 augment interaction between CDYL and HDACs. Finally, ChIP-Seq analysis revealed that each MIER member has unique targets and that they share target genes. In addition, consensus DNA sequences for MIER protein occupancy are nearly identical to binding motif for the transcriptional repressor RE-1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST). REST is known to regulate expression of neural genes by recruiting corepressor complexes. Co-IP experiments demonstrated that MIER1 and MIER2, but not MIER3, interact with REST. Suppression of MIER1 or MIER2 expression in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells results in neuronal differentiation. Observations made in this report suggest that MIER1 and MIER2 play an important role in the repression of neuronal genes by the REST complex.
Overall, I am the first to characterize MIER2 and MIER3. The results presented in this thesis show that MIER2 is similar to MIER1 in that it recruits some of the same epigenetic regulators and both proteins are enriched on REST target genes. In contrast, I showed MIER3 to be distinct: despite a high degree of amino acid similarity between MIER3 and MIER1/2, it did not interact with any of the MIER1/2 recruited regulators and is enriched on FOXA1 target genes.


identifier: Taylor, Lisa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Taylor=3ALisa=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Exploring social media and student engagement in physical education: a multiple case study approach.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Purpose: This study examined the benefits and challenges of a social media program to
demonstrate student physical activity and literacy outside of physical education (PE)
class time. Method: A multiple case study approach was used to identify the experience
of two secondary PE teachers and their use of a social media program. Results: Based on
the experience of the teachers, four main themes were identified following analysis of the
data: a) social media can support the achievement of secondary level PE outcomes; b)
social media can help improve student/teacher communication and relationships; c)
students can demonstrate resistance to social media program adherence; and d) age or
grade level can affect social media student participation. Discussion/Conclusion:
Specifics regarding achieving PE outcomes through a social media extension of the
classroom are examined. Benefits to the teacher and student are discussed and include
improved communication and relationships between student and teacher, improved
student grades, an opportunity for teachers to improve role modeling, student opportunity
to actively use typically sedentary behaviour encouraging technology, and student
opportunity to see positive health communication through social media. Challenges
regarding running a social media program within PE are discussed and include student
resistance to social media program adherence, parental resistance to student social media
involvement, and difficulty in grade justification for younger secondary students.
Suggestions are made for PE professionals looking to incorporate social media within
their PE programs.


identifier: Blundon, Daphne Allison <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Blundon=3ADaphne_Allison=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Human reliability analysis using virtual emergency scenario via a Bayesian network model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Human reliability assessments (HRA) are typically completed by eliciting expert opinion.
Data used are subjective and are prone to uncertainty and errors. This thesis outlines an
HRA method using a Bayesian network (BN) model to evaluate human performance in
emergency scenarios using a virtual environment (VE). VE can be used to simulate
emergency situations to evaluate human performance in an environment that is controlled
and safe and gives access to data that is based on an experimental method, rather than
expert opinion. This method involves selecting appropriate performance shaping factors
(PSFs) that are varied into different states to create credible scenarios in the VE to
observe human performance. The virtual experimental technique provides a way to
collect data to quantify a BN. The BN approach is suited to the assessment of human
reliability due to its ability to 1) characterize dependency among different performance
shaping factors (PSFs) and human errors, 2) incorporate new evidence as it becomes
available, and 3) quantify the impact of different PSFs on different individuals. This
paper presents an extension of the work done by Musharraf et al. (2014) by introducing
PSFs that were purposively selected based on the ability to implement them in the VE,
their relevance to real-life situations, and whether they could be controlled to minimize
the effects of variables other than the chosen PSF. The PSFs used in this paper are
complexity, stress, and uncertainty.


identifier: Clarke, Lorraine Frances <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Clarke=3ALorraine_Frances=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Managing tensions: understanding experiences of climate change in Atlantic Canada through a somatic artist-researcher practice.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
We are living during what is considered Earth’s sixth mass extinction event. Our knowledge of this evokes selfprotective
responses. Throughout this dissertation I explore how fifteen people in Atlantic Canada, including myself,
experience the loss and threat of climate change. My work explores and observes the complexity of these
experiences for fifteen people in Atlantic Canada, including the artist-researcher, in ways that include the lived
body, and ways that apply the theories and practices of Somatic Experiencing (Levine, 1997, 2010; Payne, Levine,
& Crane-Godreau, 2015) and heuristics of polyvagal theory (Porges, 2001, 2009, 2011). Thinking with Haraway
(2016), I look for ways to stay with the trouble, acknowledging that the trouble is shared by human and more-thanhuman
kin. I also explore how the work of climate change is intimately tangled with colonization. What has
emerged from this (always) partial mapping of experience is knowledge about the embodied tendencies of humans,
similar to our mammalian kin, to self-protect in the face of the great threat to our world of climate change.
In this dissertation I articulate an emergent methodology name somatic artist-researcher practice (SARP). Somatic
artist-researcher practice is a flexible methodology for justice-seeking, somatically grounded, artistic/practice-based
research. This methodology is suitable for inquiry into messy, unsettling, and dissonant experience phenomena. It
does not offer neatness, a path of least resistance, nor a claim to truth, but honours polyvocality and multiple
epistemologies. Somatic artist-researcher practice works towards the impossible, utopic values of being present with
others while practicing awareness of orienting to internal and external environments, having one eye in and another
out. Somatic artist-research practice follows curiosity and an autoethnographic impulse, embracing fragmentation
and failure as part of knowledge production. In SARP, knowledge is gained when artist-researcher enters into
relationships in which (s)he risks being transformed in the intercorporeal zone. Links to video documentation of
performances are embedded in the text.


identifier: Marshall, Jenika D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Marshall=3AJenika_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Free fatty acids liberated by lipoprotein lipase modulate macrophage cholesterol efflux via AKT activation in vitro.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is upregulated in atherosclerotic lesions and it may promote the progression of atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms behind this process are not completely understood. My laboratory has previously shown that the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) within THP-1 macrophages is increased in response to the lipid hydrolysis products generated by LPL from total lipoproteins. Notably, the free fatty acid (FFA) component was responsible for this effect. I hypothesized that activation of Akt may play a role in cellular lipid accumulation. My results show that the total FFA component results in Akt phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner over 18 hours. Specifically, palmitoleate can significantly increase Akt phosphorylation over two hours versus control. Additionally, I expanded previous studies showing that the total FFA component significantly inhibits cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. I further show that blocking of Akt phosphorylation using the inhibitor MK-2206 restores cholesterol efflux levels to those observed for apolipoprotein A-I alone, for cells treated with either the total complement of FFA or palmitoleate alone. Overall, my data support a negative role for LPL in macrophage lipid accumulation, which is a major contributor to atherogenesis.


identifier: Evans, Bradley <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Evans=3ABradley=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Evaluation of an educational intervention to improve colonoscopy quality in St. John's, NL.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) implemented the
Colonoscopy Skills Improvement (CSI) program across Canada with the goal of
improving colonoscopy quality. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of
the CSI program on colonoscopy quality in St. John's, NL.
Nineteen endoscopists practicing in a tertiary referral centre who have
participated in CSI training since October 2014 were evaluated. For each endoscopist
fifty consecutive procedures immediately before, immediately after, and eight months
following CSI training were included. The primary outcome was change in adenoma
detection rate (ADR). Secondary outcomes included number of adenomas detected per
colonoscopy (APC), cecal intubation rate, and sedative usage and dosing.
Patient characteristics were similar between time points. ADR did not
significantly improve immediately after CSI training (31.8% v. 33.6%, p=0.484) or at the
eight-month assessment (31.8% v. 35.3% p=0.107). There was no significant change in
APC or completion rate at any time point. There was a statistically significant decrease in
the average dose of Fentanyl (72.8mcg v. 64.8mcg v. 63.5mcg, p<0.001) and Midazolam
(2.49mg v. 2.17mg v. 2.11, p<0.001) immediately after CSI training that persisted at
eight months.
Participation in the CSI program is not associated with change in ADR. CSI
training is associated with decreased sedation dosing during colonoscopy.


identifier: Barnes, Jocelyn Ruth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Barnes=3AJocelyn_Ruth=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Glutamate dynamics determine the magnitude of Hebbian synaptic plasticity.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that synaptic NMDA receptors (NMDARs) promote long term potentiation (LTP) while extrasynaptic NMDARs inhibit LTP and promote long term depression (LTD). Glutamate transporters maintain this balance by rapidly clearing glutamate from the extracellular space. In many disease states, transporter dysfunction is thought to underlie LTP deficits. However, the precise relationship between extracellular glutamate dynamics and LTP is unknown. Here, we used an optogenetic sensor of glutamate to monitor glutamate dynamics in real-time during LTP induction. Pharmacologically blocking glutamate transporters slowed clearance and inhibited LTP magnitude in a concentration-dependent manner. Surprisingly, impaired glutamate clearance caused rapid NMDAR desensitization and simultaneous three-fold increases in postsynaptic calcium through L-type voltage gated calcium channels. Overall, our data characterize the relationship between glutamate dynamics and LTP, and identify a novel mechanism underlying LTP impairment due to slow glutamate clearance. These results may be applicable to neurodegenerative diseases associated with impaired synaptic plasticity and glutamate transporter dysfunction.


identifier: Nabavi, Seyedfakhreddin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nabavi=3ASeyedfakhreddin=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Design and optimization of piezoelectric MEMS vibration energy harvesters.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Low-power electronic applications are normally powered by batteries, which have to deal with stringent lifetime and size constraints. To enhance operational autonomy, energy harvesting from ambient vibration by micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) has been identified as a promising solution to this universal problem. In this thesis, multiple configurations for MEMS-based piezoelectric energy harvesters are studied. To enhance their performances, automated design and optimization methodologies with minimum human efforts are proposed. Firstly, the analytic equations to estimate resonant frequency and amplitude of the harvested voltage for two different configurations of unimorph MEMS piezoelectric harvesters (i.e., with and without integration of a proof mass) are presented with their accuracy validated by using finite element method (FEM) simulation and prototype measurement. Thanks to their high accuracy, we use these analytic equations as fitness functions of genetic algorithm (GA), an evolutionary computation method for optimization problems by mimicking biological evolution. By leveraging the micro-fabrication process, we demonstrate that the GA can optimize the mechanical geometry of the prototyped harvester effectively and efficiently, whose peak harvested voltage increases from 310 mV to 1900 mV at the reduced resonant frequency from 886 Hz to 425 Hz with the highest normalized voltage density of 163.88 among the alternatives.
With an intention of promoting uniform stress distribution along the piezoelectric cantilever and providing larger area for placing proof masses, in this thesis a T-shaped cantilever structure with two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) is proposed. Thanks to this special configuration, a considerable amount of stress/strain can be obtained from the tip part of the structure during the vibration, in addition to the anchor region. An analytic model for computing the frequency response of the proposed structure is derived, and the harvester performance is studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. The conventional MEMS energy harvesters can only generate voltage disadvantageously in a narrow bandwidth at higher frequencies. Therefore, in this thesis we further propose a piezoelectric MEMS harvester with the capability of vibrating in multiple DOF, whose operational bandwidth is enhanced by taking advantage of both multimodal and nonlinear mechanisms. The proposed harvester has a symmetric structure with a doubly-clamped configuration enclosing three proof masses in distinct locations. Thanks to the uniform mass distribution, the energy harvesting efficiency can be considerably enhanced. To determine the optimum geometry for the preferred nonlinear behavior, we have also used optimization methodology based on GA. The prototype measurements demonstrate that our proposed piezoelectric MEMS harvester is able to generate voltage at 227 Hz (the first mode), 261.8 Hz (the second mode), and 286 Hz (the third mode). When the device operates at its second mode frequency, nonlinear behavior can be obtained with extremely small magnitude of base excitation (i.e., 0.2 m/s²). Its normalized power density (NPD) of 595.12 (μW·cm⁻³·m⁻²·s⁴) is found to be superior to any previously reported piezoelectric MEMS harvesters in the literature. In this dissertation, we also propose a piezoelectric MEMS vibration energy harvester with the capability of oscillating at ultralow (i.e., less than 200 Hz) resonant frequency. The mechanical structure of the proposed harvester is comprised of a doubly clamped cantilever with a serpentine pattern associated with several discrete masses. In order to obtain the optimal physical aspects of the harvester and speed up the design process, we have utilized a deep neural network, as an artificial intelligence (AI) method. Firstly, the deep neural network was trained, and then this trained network was integrated with the GA to optimize the harvester geometry to enhance its performance in terms of both resonant frequency and generated voltage. Our numerical results confirm that the accuracy of the network in prediction is above 90%. As a result, by taking advantage of this efficient AI-based performance estimator, the GA is able to reduce the device resonant frequency from 169Hz to 110.5Hz and increase its efficiency on harvested voltage from 2.5V to 3.4V under 0.25g excitation.
To improve both durability and energy conversion efficiency of the piezoelectric MEMS harvesters, we further propose a curve-shaped anchoring scheme in this thesis. A doubly clamped curve beam with a mass at its center is considered as an anchor, while a straight beam with proof mass is integrated to the center of this anchor. To assess the fatigue damage, which is actually critical to the micro-sized silicon-based piezoelectric harvesters, we have utilized the Coffin-Manson method and FEM to study the fatigue lifetime of the proposed geometry comprehensively. Our proposed piezoelectric harvester has been fabricated and its capability in harnessing the vibration energy has been examined numerically and experimentally. It is found that the harvested energy can be enlarged by a factor of 2.66, while this improvement is gained by the resonant frequency reduction and failure force magnitude enlargement, in comparison with the conventional geometry of the piezoelectric MEMS harvesters.


identifier: Walsh, Kristin Harris <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Walsh=3AKristin_Harris=3A=3A.html>   (2019) "A bit of convincing madness": toward the development of a university dance program in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Dance is a critical part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s heritage and
contemporary arts scene, and the lack of dance in the K-12 and postsecondary school
system is incongruent with dance’s cultural importance to the province. This study uses
the personal narratives of individuals involved in the creation of dance programs at
universities across Canada as the basis for exploring how academic dance programming
might be developed at Memorial University of Newfoundland. It sheds light on the
benefits and challenges involved in creating an academic dance program and considers
the significance of local context, strengths of dance as a scholarly and performative
discipline, and finding allies and creating partnerships in the arts, the university, and in
community for such an endeavour. This study makes recommendations for how dance
could be developed at Memorial, thereby contributing to the development of the
academic dancespace in Canada.


identifier: Al-Darabsah, Isam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Al-Darabsah=3AIsam=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Time delayed models in population biology and epidemiology.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this dissertation, we focus on the development and analysis of time-delayed mathematical models to represent real world applications in biology and epidemiology, especially, population growth and disease spread. Throughout five projects, we establish then analyze the models using various theorems and methods in the literature, such as, the comparison principle and the method of fluctuations, to study qualitative features of the models including existence and uniqueness of solutions, boundedness, steady states, persistence, local, and global stability with respect to the adult/basic reproduction number ℜA/ℜ0, which is a key threshold parameter.
Firstly, we discuss ecological models in Chapters 2-4. In Chapter 2, we derive a single species-fish model with three stages: juveniles, small adults and large adults with two harvesting strategies depending on the size and maturity. We study the population extinction and persistence with respect to ℜA and find that the over-harvesting of large matured fish after a certain age can lead to population extinction under certain circumstances. Numerically, we investigate the influence of harvesting functions and discuss the optimal harvesting rates. In Chapter 3, we develop a model for the growth of sea lice with three stages such that the development age for non-infectious larvae to develop into infectious larvae relates to the size of adult population size. As a beginning, we describe the nonlinear dynamics by a system of partial differential equations, then, we transformed it into a system of delay differential equation with constant delay by using the method of characteristics and an appropriate change of variables. We address the system threshold dynamics for the established model with respect to the adult reproduction number, including the global stability of the trivial steady state, persistence, and global attractivity of a coexistence unique positive steady state. As a case study, we provide some numerical simulation results using Lepeophtheirus salmonis growth parameters. To explore the biological control of sea lice using one of their predators, "cleaner fish", we propose a model with predator-prey interaction at the adult level of sea lice in Chapter 4. Mathematically, we address threshold dynamics with respect to the adult reproduction number for sea lice ℜs and the net reproductive number of cleaner fish ℜf, including the global stability of the trivial steady state when ℜs < 1, global attractivity of the predator-free equilibrium point when ℜs > 1 and ℜf > 1, persistence and coexistence of a unique positive steady state when ℜs > 1 and ℜf > 1. Furthermore, we discuss the local stability of the positive equilibrium point and investigate the Hopf bifurcation. Numerically, we compare between two cleaner fish species, goldsinny and ballan wrasse, as a case study.
For epidemiological models, in Chapter 5, we propose an SEIRD model for Ebola disease transmission that incorporates both the transmission of infection between the living humans and from the infected corpses to the living individuals, with a constant latent period. Through mathematical analysis, we prove the globally stability of the disease-free and a unique endemic equilibria with respect to ℜ₀. Moreover, we find that the long latent period or low transmission rate from infectious corpses may reduce the spread of Ebola. In Chapters 6, we consider the influence of seasonal fluctuations on disease transmission and develop a periodic infectious disease model where asymptomatic carriers are potential sources for disease transmission. We consider a general nonlinear incidence rate function with the asymptomatic carriage and latent periods. We implement a case study regarding the meningococcal meningitis disease transmission in Dori, Burkina Faso. Our numerical simulation indicates an irregular pattern of epidemics varying size and duration, which is consistent with the reported data in Burkina Faso from 1940 to 2014.
In summery, in population growth models, we find that the basic reproduction ration depends on maturation time, indicating that this key parameter can play an important role in population extinction and persistence. In disease transmission model, we understand that latent period can play a positive role in eliminating or slowing a disease spread.


identifier: Moore-Gibbons, Claire <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Moore-Gibbons=3AClaire=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Resource-limited baterioplankton stimulated at mid salinities across the surface mixed layer of Lake Melville, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study investigates dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrient cycling by heterotrophic bacterioplankton along a salinity gradient in the surface waters of the Lake Melville estuary, Canada. Understanding estuarine processing of DOM is essential to better constrain the potential environmental impacts of natural and anthropogenic hydrological changes to the estuarine source waters. Here, bacterial biomass and chlorophyll concentrations were compared with modelled conservative mixing, and suggests stimulation of surface bacterioplankton and primary production at mid salinities. Multi-day nutrient incubations in the dark revealed resource limitation of bacterioplankton during September when the flow rates of Churchill River are low. Changes to chemical constituents and bacterioplankton biomass suggest that a riverine-dominated site was predominantly C- and P-limited while a marine-dominated site was predominantly C- and N-limited. Results suggest that riverine inputs’ control of microbial processes are relevant to future study of food webs in this boreal estuary.


identifier: Seliem, Hafez <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Seliem=3AHafez=3A=3A.html>   (2019) End-to-end delay analysis for routing protocols in VANETs.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) technology enables communication between vehicles, or
vehicles and road-side units (RSUs) through wireless communication devices installed on the
vehicles. One of the most important goals of VANETs is providing safety applications for
passengers. In addition, VANETs provide comfort applications to users. Guaranteeing a reliable
and stable routing protocol over VANETs is a very important step. The proposed research
attempts to improve routing protocols that decrease the end-to-end delay to suit VANET communication
characteristics. In addition, it proposes analysis of the end-to-end delay probability
distribution.
More specifically, we derive a closed-form expression for the probability distribution of
the re-healing delay in a VANET conditioned on the distance between two VANET clusters.
Furthermore, we propose a closed-form expression for the probability distribution of the unconditional
re-healing delay. Moreover, we develop a mathematical model to calculate the
probability distribution of the end-to-end delay.
On the other hand, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in wireless communications
and Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) has started to attract attention. We
propose a routing protocol that uses infrastructure drones for boosting VANET communications
to achieve a minimum vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay. In addition, we propose a
closed-form expression for the probability distribution of the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery
delay on a two-way highway. Moreover, based on that closed-form expression, we can calculate the minimum drone density (maximum separation distance between two adjacent drones) that
stochastically limits the worst case of the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay.
Furthermore, we propose a drones-active service (DAS) that is added to the location service
in a VANET. This service dynamically and periodically obtains the required number of active
drones based on the current highway connectivity state by obtaining the maximum distance
between each two adjacent drones while satisfying a probabilistic constraint for vehicle-todrone
packet delivery delay. Our analysis focuses on two-way highway VANET networks with
low vehicular density. The simulation results show the accuracy of our analysis and reflect the
relation between the drone density, vehicular density and speed, other VANET parameters, and
the vehicle-to-drone packet delivery delay.
In addition, we propose a new routing protocol called multi-copy intersection-based routing
(MCIR) for vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) in urban areas. MCIR is an intersectionbased
routing protocol that forwards multiple copies of the packets in different road segments.
Moreover, it is a beacon-less routing protocol with a carry-and-forward strategy. We show via
simulation that the MCIR protocol is superior to other existing routing protocols, especially
in low vehicular density scenarios. The results show that MCIR achieves a shorter end-to-end
delay and a higher packet delivery ratio in urban VANET communications.


identifier: Dos Santos, Helen Samara <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dos_Santos=3AHelen_Samara=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Group gradings on the classical lie superalgebras Q(n), P(n) and B(m,n).  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Let G be an abelian group. We classify, up to isomorphism, the G-gradings on the
classical Lie superalgebras B, P and Q, as well as the fine gradings up to equivalence.
Also, we revisit the problem for the associative matrix superalgebras. Everything is
done over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. In summary, this work
completes the classification of the group gradings for some of the non-exceptional
classical Lie superalgebras. Part of this work is published in [1] and [9].


identifier: Nguyen, Khanh Q. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nguyen=3AKhanh_Q=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Lighten up: using artificial light to improve the capture efficiency of fishing gears.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) is an important commercial shellfish and one of the most valuable fisheries in eastern Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery has been the world’s largest for the past two decades. Total landings grew substantially between the 1980s and 1990s, but more recently, the industry has been faced with new challenges including decreases in stock abundance (i.e., poor pre-recruitment), changes in environmental condition (i.e., warming ocean water temperatures), conflicts with shrimp trawlers, effects of seismic exploration, and increases in operating costs. Maintaining the economic viability of small fishing businesses in the presence of these new stressors can be a challenge. In output-controlled fisheries such as snow crab, improving the catch rate of existing traps is an effective method of improving the financial viability of small fishing businesses. In this thesis, I conducted a comprehensive examination of the behaviour of snow crab in response to artificial light (i.e., Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights and luminescent netting), including laboratory and field experiments, to address the primary goal of improving the catch rate of small conical traps commonly used for catching snow crab in the North Atlantic Ocean.
First, I conducted a literature review regarding the use of artificial light in commercial industrialized fisheries. The review provides valuable knowledge and reference for scientists, managers, and fishermen on animal behaviour in response to artificial light. It also addresses the trade-off between positive effects such as increased catch rate and reduced bycatch with negative effects such as the production of increased plastic, ocean litter, and greenhouse gas emission. Second, I conducted 7 experiments to investigate the behaviour of snow crab in response to artificial light, including 2 laboratory studies and 5 field studies, to address the primary goal of improving the catch rates of snow crab traps. Results from the laboratory experiments indicated that snow crab responded differently to different light colours. Field experiments in 2016 demonstrated that equipping baited traps with small low-powered LED lights increased the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE; number of crab per pot) of the traps (i.e., 77% and 47% for white and purple LED lights, respectively). Next, I examined the effect of installing underwater LED lights in different locations and orientations inside baited traps targeting snow crab off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Results from this field experiment in 2017 revealed that the location and orientation of lights does not appear to be important. Next, I conducted a comparative fishing study onboard a large offshore fishing vessel targeting snow crab in the Barents Sea, off the coast of Norway. Results revealed that equipping baited traps with purple lights increased the CPUE by 11.6%, although the results varied with the density of crab.
Finally, I examined the potential application of luminescent netting as a source of artificial light to determine whether it could be used to improve the CPUE of traps. A benchtop laboratory experiment was conducted to measure the duration of luminescence using time-lapse photography. I found that luminescent netting can be activated to emit light and that the resulting intensity and duration of luminescence emitted over time, depends on the initial duration of UV exposure and the source of light. A follow-up field experiment in 2018 showed that luminescent traps significantly increased the catch rate of snow crab compared to traditional traps.
Overall, the results of my PhD research demonstrate that artificial light can improve the catch rates of snow crab traps, with examples from different light sources (i.e., LED light, luminescent netting) and locations (Barents Sea, Newfoundland and Labrador). These results suggest that the application of artificial light in commercial snow crab fisheries could improve the financial viability of fishing enterprises.


identifier: Warren, Shannon <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Warren=3AShannon=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Chew, spit and speak: autoethnography and the eating disorder world.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study focuses on the word “responsibility” as it relates to eating disorders, gender, and the entanglement of the two. Using autoethnography, I write and examine stories that may not have been told in research literature, speak to why they may not have been told, and illustrate the benefits of when they are told. Critical qualitative research on men with eating disorders has grown since the 1990s and has increasingly incorporated the use of stories and experiences as data. Yet rarely does such research offer a client-authored response to medical and popular ideologies of a male with an eating disorder. This study does. Through personal client voice and intersecting researcher voice, this thesis explores the history of one male’s experience of not having space to be seen and heard and when seen, is reduced to a stereotype of gender and client. This study also examines the role autoethnography plays in exploring the male experience of having an eating disorder. As result of this exploration, I offer considerations for future research and treatment discourse on diversifying what is visible, heard, and affirmed in the eating disorder landscape.


identifier: Post, Andy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Post=3AAndy=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Newfoundland, Reeveland: Chief Justice John Reeves as a conservative reformer, 1791-1793.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis argues that John Reeves’s political conservatism is essential to understanding
how his job as Law Clerk to the British Privy Council’s Committee for Trade and
Foreign Plantations influenced his simultaneous appointment as Chief Justice of
Newfoundland. Historians of Newfoundland have only recently begun to rediscover
Reeves as a leading Tory theorist of the 1790s, but largely continue to regard his politics
as separate from his colonial career. However, a closer examination of Reeves’s time as
Chief Justice from 1791 to 1793 reveals his agenda of justifying constitutional reforms
according to a Tory Administration’s policy of discouraging colonial settlement. This
explains his sense of the Supreme Court’s role in enforcing that policy, his efforts to
imbue the new Supreme Court with a legislative function, and his efforts as a
propagandist as the author of the deceptively populist and violently royalist History of the
Government of the Island of Newfoundland.


identifier: Rostami, Sina Khakzad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rostami=3ASina_Khakzad=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Materials degradation of aircraft.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Materials degradation of aircraft

abstract: One of the most critical area on which aviation industry research is still focused relates to the construction materials for airframe structure. There are certain requirements must be met by candidates to construct the airframes, which are basically determined by primary factors such as strength, weight, and reliability. Amongst these materials, aluminum alloys due to their unique characteristics are being widely used by aircrafts manufactures. The attractiveness of aluminum relies on its moderately low cost, high strength-to-weight ratio, ease of fabrication, good stiffness and fracture toughness. On the other hand, there, similar to other construction materials, are drawbacks associated with the use of aluminum alloys; susceptibility to damage by corrosion and fatigue. This study investigate the corrosion susceptibility of the bulk aluminum alloys found in airplane structure, 2000 (Al-Cu-Mg) and 7000 (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) series, in different pH and temperatures. In addition, the corrosion protection efficiency of zinc-phosphate and epoxy resin as primer coatings are examined by electrochemical techniques.


identifier: Dorward, Douglas Morrison Tulloch <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dorward=3ADouglas_Morrison_Tulloch=3A=3A.html>   (2019) The necessity of the patient sitting alone in silence for the measurement of blood pressure using a BpTRU device.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Context: While previous studies have demonstrated an increase in blood pressure when measured while talking, the effect of conversation on the measurement of blood pressure using a BpTRU device is unknown.
Objective: In adults who have their blood pressure measured using a BpTRU device in the primary care setting, does the presence of a healthcare professional engaging the patient in conversation during the measurement period affect the recorded blood pressure compared to the patient being alone in a private room and silent during the measurement period?
Design: An assessment of two approaches of measuring blood pressure using a BpTRU device in which participants serve as their own control and the order of testing is randomized. Participants: Adults (n=272) aged ≥ 19 years recruited from an academic family practice unit in St. John’s NL.
Intervention: Participant’s blood pressure was measured twice using a BpTRU device, once while alone in a quiet room maintaining silence and once while engaging in a health-related conversation. Whether blood pressure was measured first during conversation or during silence was randomized.
Outcome Measures: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the mean difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressures between talking and silent measurement conditions.
Results: Mean systolic blood pressure was 9 mmHg higher (95% CI 8.2 – 10.5) and mean diastolic blood pressure was 8 mmHg higher (95% CI 7.6 – 8.9) when measured during conversation compared to when measured in silence. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured during conversation remained significantly higher after controlling for all other variables in multiple linear regression analysis.
Conclusion: To avoid inaccurate measurement of blood pressure which could result in the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of hypertension, blood pressure measurement with the BpTRU device should be conducted with patients alone and in silence.


identifier: Thorburn, Jack R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Thorburn=3AJack_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Utilization of renal function and iron status laboratory test investigations in Eastern Health.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Introduction: Healthcare spending in Canada reached 219.1 billion dollars in 2015. Unnecessary
laboratory test investigations have been well documented in many countries, making it an area of
interest in order to reduce costs, improve care and ultimately improve the performance of the
health care system. The use of serum urea is unnecessary to evaluate kidney function in stable
patients as serum creatinine has better specificity and no decrease in sensitivity. Therefore, we
examined the use of serum urea in the community of a regional health authority. Ferritin is a good
test of iron status and indicated in anemic patients, particularly when mean corpuscular
volume/mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels are low. Therefore, we examined the use of iron
status tests in the community to determine the degree of under-utilization in the patients likely to
have iron deficient anemia and of over-utilization in patients with normal hemoglobin and blood
indices.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of Eastern Health’s laboratory electronic
database to investigate patterns of laboratory test utilization for two specific bundles of tests: (1)
serum creatinine and serum urea; (2) hemoglobin (hgB), ferritin and iron saturation. Laboratory
tests were examined for a 6-month period in 2014 (bundle 1) and a 12-month period (bundle 2)
throughout 2013-2014. Test utilization is described by age, sex, patient type (inpatient/outpatient),
submitting physician specialty and test result.
Results: 227, 092 serum creatinine and 218, 289 serum urea tests were ordered for all patients
within the Eastern Health Region during the 6-month period. 96.8 % (n=211, 279) serum urea tests
were ordered in the same draw as serum creatinine. 64.6% (n=141,112) serum urea tests were
ordered in the same draw as serum creatinine for outpatients. General practitioners elicited the
highest rate of serum urea tests (52.5% of total), followed by the internal medicine specialty.
69.3% (n=62, 274) of coupled serum creatinine and serum urea laboratory investigations ordered
by general practitioners for outpatients elicited normal results for both tests. High volumes of
hemoglobin (n=450, 792) and iron status tests (ferritin; n=86,293, iron saturation; n=23,415) were
ordered within the 12-month period. General practitioners elicited the highest ordering for all three
tests for outpatients. 89.6% (n=55,595) of iron tests requested by general practitioners for nonanemic
outpatients (first Hgb) produced a normal result in the 12-month period. 44.9% (n=136) of
females (≤ 50 years of age) with anemia did not undergo iron testing within 1-year of the first
documentation of the anemia by a general practitioner.
Conclusion: Serum urea and iron testing may be areas of interest for the improvement of
utilization of health care resources within the Eastern Health Region. Information contained in this
thesis may be used as a guiding tool for decision makers in the development of interventions to
improve test-ordering behaviours without compromising patient quality of care.


identifier: Halfyard, Sharon <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Halfyard=3ASharon=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Intertwined: the leadership development of A. Job Halfyard - One educator's social history narrative account of educational and community leadership development in rural Newfoundland (1949-1987).  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
What do Raymond Williams, Paulo Freire, Philip Warren, Herb Kitchen, and my research subject, A. Job Halfyard, have in common? They were male children of the Great Depression born in the 1920s and early 1930s. They lived through some of the most traumatic events of the first half of the 20th century at a most vulnerable stage of their lives. As adolescents, they had the opportunity to attend universities, a privilege once only awarded to the elite. They studied Marxist thought. They came to understand that politics is power, that intellectual knowledge—education—provided possibilities for new directions in life. They had reached a ‘turning point.’ They became socialist in their philosophy, values, and viewpoints. They listened, debated, and expressed opinions. They learned to become ‘actors’ and ‘change agents’ in a traditional institutional system that shaped their lives, their culture. They joined modern organizations. They became part of movements in their quest for a more just, equitable, and humane society. They encouraged experimentation and new ways of looking at the world. They became leaders who mentored and taught others. But Halfyard lived his goals and vision in one small corner of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) as an ordinary, obscure, and unsung foot soldier who had the ‘call to serve’ reflective of so many others of his generation.
Through this case study of A. Job Halfyard, who taught in rural ‘outport’ Newfoundland for nearly 35 years from 1949 to 1987, I also explore factors that may have contributed to the leadership development of other educators in rural NL. During these post-Confederation years, the role of education was to prepare young people to take their place in a rapidly changing, increasingly industrialized, and more urban-centred society (Atlantic Development Board, 1969, p. vii). Using social history narrative and drawing from aspects of oral history, life histories, autoethnography, and visual auto/biography narrative inquiry methods, I examine the emergence of educational and community leadership identities—how and why so many teachers of that generation became leaders in outlying rural areas of the province (Giddens, 1991; p. 126; Sugrue, 2005, p. 10).
My aim is to record and chart the institutional, community, personal factors and conditions that influenced the leadership development of teachers like Halfyard. My ultimate goal is to document some of those significant contributing influences to better understand the role of educators in post-Confederation Newfoundland. This study also provides insight into the alternative practices and policies envisioned within the educational landscape from 1949 to 1987. It was a time when the ‘welfare state’ ideology reigned supreme, a time when the social and economic well-being of all citizens was a paramount focus of governments. During this time, more professionally trained teachers were being groomed to assume rural leadership roles traditionally held by merchant families and church officials. They were given autonomy and inspired to adopt practices to meet the specific needs of the students and families in the rural places where they taught. This decentralized place-based educational approach would change with the introduction of the neo-liberal economic model of the late 1980s and the massive out-migration of rural populations to urban centres. Yet, their lessons and their approaches have currency today as rural communities struggle to sustain themselves in light of ongoing economic development pressures.


identifier: Onalo, David Ojonugwa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Onalo=3ADavid_Ojonugwa=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Dynamic data driven investigation of petrophysical and geomechanical properties for reservoir formation evaluation.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Petrophysical and geomechanical properties of the formation such as Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and porosity provide characteristic description of the hydrocarbon reservoir. It is well-established that static geomechanical properties are good representatives of reservoir formations; however, they are non-continuous along the wellbore, expensive and determining these properties may lead to formation damage. Dynamic geomechanical formation properties from acoustic measurements offer a continuous and non-destructive means to provide a characteristic description of the reservoir formation. In the absence of reliable acoustic measurements of the formation, such as sonic logs, the estimation of the dynamic geomechanical properties becomes challenging. Several techniques like empirical, analytical and intelligent systems have been used to approximate the property estimates. These techniques can also be used to approximate acoustic measurements thus enable dynamic estimation of geomechanical properties. This study intends to explore methodologies and models to dynamically estimate geomechanical properties in the absence of some or all acoustic measurements of the formation. The present work focused on developing empirical and intelligent systems like artificial neural networks (ANN), Gaussian processes (GP), and recurrent neural networks (RNN) to determine the dynamic geomechanical properties. The developed models serve as a cost-effective, reliable, efficient, and robust methods, offering dyanmic geomechanical analysis of the formation. This thesis has five main contributions: (a) a new data-driven empirical model of estimating static Young’s modulus from dynamic Young’s modulus, (b) a new data-driven ANN model for sonic well log prediction, (c) a new data-driven GP model for shear wave transit time prediction, (d) a new dynamic data-driven RNN model for sonic well log reproduction, and (e) an assessment on the ANN as a reliable sonic logging tool.


identifier: Shah, Shrushti Kaushikbhai <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shah=3AShrushti_Kaushikbhai=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Gut derived short chain fatty acids alter plasma and hepatic lipid metabolism in a sex-specific manner in Long-Evans rats.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), generated from the microbial fermentation of dietary fibers, alter
lipid metabolism. However, sex-specific effects of SCFAs on lipid metabolism and lipidomic
profiles are not known. Male and female Long-Evans rats were either given a mixture of SCFAs
(acetate, propionate, and butyrate; molar ratio 60:20:20), or vehicle for seven days
intraperitoneally. SCFAs significantly decreased plasma and hepatic cholesterol, triacylglycerols
and plasma glucose in males, while there was no effect in females compared to their respective
controls. SCFAs showed a significant decrease in the mRNA expression of acetyl-CoA
carboxylase in both males and females. SCFAs also altered the lipidomic profile of cholesteryl
esters, triacylglycerols and phospholipids by decreasing the abundance of saturates and
monounsaturates with a relative increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids. These findings
demonstrate that SCFAs improve plasma and hepatic lipid profiles in a sex-specific manner, and
may represent a cheaper therapeutic strategy against metabolic diseases.


identifier: Ahammad, Mohammad Jalal <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ahammad=3AMohammad_Jalal=3A=3A.html>   (2019) A CFD and experimental approach for simulating the coupled flow dynamics of near wellbore and reservoir.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The modeling of simultaneous flow behavior through a reservoir and wellbore is important
and an integrated model is needed which accounts for the transient multiphase flow in the
wellbore and its surrounding region. In addition, reservoir and wellbore interface modeling
and cost-effective Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodology are required to
simulate the flow behavior in that region.
The study outlines the development of an experimental prototype to study multiphase
flow in the near wellbore region. To the best of my knowledge, this facility has the capability
to accommodate a larger length scale compared to similar facilities available in
the research organizations. This experimental setup can be used for investigating a wide
variety of multiphase flow problems which have been considered in the present research.
A CFD methodology has been developed using the 3D Navier-Stokes equations to simulate
an integrated wellbore-reservoir flow. The CFD methodology has been verified for the
fluid flow mechanism at near wellbore. The simulation results have been compared to the
analytical solutions. Then, this model is extended to establish a coupled wellbore-reservoir
framework which is based on 3D Navier-Stokes equations. The simulations have been performed
to validate the newly developed CFD algorithm and various scenarios of a reservoir
have been taken into consideration. The same process has been applied to investigate flow
through a perforated tunnel and a new method of perforation has been discussed. The study
indicates standard CFD techniques use a “numerical approach” such as the volume of fluid accounts for capillary pressure and surface tension force needs to be improved for more
understanding of the flow through porous media. In this regards, Allen-Chan phase-field
method has been combined with the Navier-Stokes equations to simulate multiphase flow
in porous media. The simulations performed with the phase-field method have been verified
with the experimental data. The experimental and CFD approach of this thesis make
a unique contribution in the field of the petroleum industry and multiphase flow in porous
media.


identifier: Peckham, Jordan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Peckham=3AJordan=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Autonomous real-time infrared detection of sub-surface vessels for unmanned aircraft systems.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The threat of small self-propelled semi-submersible vessels cannot be understated;
payloads from drugs to weapons of mass destruction could be housed in these small,
inconspicuous vessels. With a current apprehension rate of approximately 10%, a
method resulting in increased interdiction of this illegal traffic is required for national
security both in the ports along the coastlines of Canada, as well as the rest of North
America. A smart, autonomous payload containing an infrared imaging device, designed
for use in small unmanned aircraft systems for the specific mission of detecting
self-propelled semi-submersibles over the vast ocean coastline will address the current
security needs.
Thermal imagery of the disturbed colder water layers, driven to the surface by the
vessel will allow for the detection of this traffic using long wave infrared technology.
Infrared signatures of ship wakes are highly variable in both persistence and temperature
contrast as compared to the surrounding surface water, thus infrared imaging
devices with a high resolution, a high responsivity, and a very low minimum resolvable
temperature will be required to provide high quality imagery for airborne detection
of the thermal wake.
A theoretical understanding of the physics associated with the energy collected
by the infrared sensor and the resulting infrared images is provided. Explanation
of the factors affecting the resulting image with respect to the camera properties
are detailed. A variety of examples of airborne thermal images are presented, with
detailed explanations of the imaged scenes based on theory and sensor characteristics
provided in the previous sections.
Infrared images taken over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from manned and unmanned
aircraft platforms are presented. Temperature measurements taken using
Vemco Minilog II temperature loggers confirmed the thermal stratification of the upper
5 meters of the water. Thermal scarring due to upwelled colder water to the surface was noted during the day time under normal conditions, with temperature
differences found to be consistent with the measured temperature profile. A custom
gimbal system, with corresponding ground control station for real-time, visual
feedback is presented.
An algorithm for the detection of submerged vessel ship wakes using a LWIR
camera, specifically for a small unmanned aircraft, with limited power, space, and
computing power is developed. A time sequential processing method is presented to
reduce the required computing, while allowing high frame rate, real-time operation.
Moreover, a windowed triple-vote method is continually applied to ensure that the
detection mode is correctly set by the algorithm, while ignoring unexpected targets in
the image. A simple background estimation method is presented to remove any nonuniformity
in the captured images, resulting in a high detection rate with low false
alarms. Finally, a complete, mission-ready payload system is prepared for small UA
platforms, with an accuracy rate greater than 97% for the detection of self-propelled
semi-submersible vessels.


identifier: Nematzadeh, Afrouz <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nematzadeh=3AAfrouz=3A=3A.html>   (2019) The response of dense sand to the ice gouging event.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The integrity of subsea pipelines in the Arctic regions are threatened by ice-related subsea geohazard. A common practice for physical protection of the pipelines against the ice loads is to burying them inside the subsea trenches. However, determining the minimum burial depth of the pipeline to minimize the construction cost is a challenging design aspect of Arctic offshore pipelines. This requires an in-depth understanding of the ice-soil-pipe interaction, which in turn is significantly affected by ice-soil interaction and the foucuse of this thesis.
Mohr-Coulomb soil model is conventionally used for continuum modeling of dense sand by adopting the constant friction and dilation angles. However, this approach neglects the pre-peak hardening and the post-peak softening behavior of dense sand. In this study, two smart self-correcting soil models were incorporated into an advanced Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) analysis to automatically update the shear strength parameters by the magnitude of plastic strains.
The analysis was conducted using ABAQUS/ Explicit scheme incorporating the soil model that was coded into a user-defined subroutine. The soil strength parameters are self-corrected to model the nonlinear hardening, softening and pressure dependency behavior of dense sand by considering the ice keel bearing pressure and octahedral shear strain. The pre-peak hardening, and post-peak softening behavior of dense sand were captured through a series of free-field ice gouging analysis. Tow comprehensive parametric studies were conducted, one investigated the ice properties and anther one was foucued on the soil parameters.


identifier: Lahouti, Behzad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lahouti=3ABehzad=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Modulation of corticospinal excitability and short intracortical inhibition during submaximal force outputs of the biceps brachii in chronic resistance trained and non-resistance trained individuals.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Most of studies investigating neural mechanisms during isometric voluntary contractions have focused mainly on the corticospinal tract. Little is known about the modulation of the intracortical inhibitory and facilitatory circuits during different levels of muscle activation. Also, studies using a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine neural adaptations have shown that excitability of the corticospinal tract is modulated following chronic resistance training. But, the effects of a long period of resistance training on the modulation of intracortical interactions has not examined yet. The current study was designed to assess corticospinal excitability and short intracortical inhibition (SICI) modulation using two different TMS protocols during different target forces. Using these techniques, we sought to determine whether a central nervous system excitability and SICI system changes as a function of contraction intensity, as well as determine whether these probable changes were similar in chronic resistance trained (RT) and non-RT subjects.


identifier: Penney, Heather D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Penney=3AHeather_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Environmental and maternal effects on hatch characteristics and early growth of fishes in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Early life history can set individuals on phenotypic trajectories that subsequently affect their ability to survive. Additionally, early life stages are the most vulnerable to sub-optimal conditions and predation so early success can be fundamentally important for overall fitness and health of an individual. This thesis focuses on two important adaptations, phenotypic plasticity and growth compensation. In Chapter 2 I looked at how temperature and conductivity impacted embryonic development and found that most of the variation in hatch success was explained by temperature and not conductivity levels. In Chapter 3 I showed that hatch synchrony was affected by both temperature variability and water pH. However, the main focus was on the relative contributions of maternal and environmental factors (temperature variability and pH) on embryonic development and how maternal effects influenced the degree of phenotypic plasticity. Overall maternal factors were more important than environmental factors in explaining early life history characteristics and the degree of phenotypic plasticity that embryos expressed.
Both Chapters 4 and 5 were field-based research chapters where I examined the relationship between growth rate and hatch timing. Through daily aging of otoliths I found no relationship between age and fork length in young of the year salmonids, suggesting that older fish were not necessarily larger and that later hatchers were likely growing faster than early hatchers. This was supported across four species from six different locations in Newfoundland and Labrador and may be a within-population compensatory growth adaptation for a shorter growing season that late hatchers experience. The populations I examined were from northern latitudes (Labrador-Chapter 4 and Newfoundland-Chapter 5) where the relationship cannot be explained by changes in environmental conditions or age alone, which may point to a within-population adaptation to a short growing season.
Overall, this thesis supported previous work that abiotic factors affect early development. I found that environmental and maternal factors can impact hatch success and size, and that the timing of hatch can affect early growth rates. This is significant because small changes in growth and survival resulting from environmental changes can have far reaching implications.


identifier: Hynes, Andrew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hynes=3AAndrew=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Developing a pipeline for gait analysis with a side-view depth sensor.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis presents computational methods for conducting gait analysis with a sideview
depth sensor. First, a method to segment human body parts in a depth image
is presented. A standard supervised segmentation algorithm is run on a novel graph
representation of the depth image. It is demonstrated that the new graph structure
improves the accuracy of the segmentation. This contribution is intended to allow
fast labelling of depth images for training a human joint predictor. Next, a method
is presented to select accurate 3D positions of human joints from multiple proposals.
These proposals are generated by a predictor from a side-view depth image. Finally,
a gait analysis system is built on the joint selection process. The system calculates
standard parameters used in clinical gait analysis. Walking trials have been measured
concurrently by a pressure-sensitive walkway and a side-view depth sensor. The
estimated gait parameters are validated against the ground truth parameters from
the walkway. As future work, the initial segmentation process could be applied to
multi-view depth images for training a view-invariant joint predictor. The proposed
gait analysis system can then be applied to the predicted joints.


identifier: Darmonkow, Georgia M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Darmonkow=3AGeorgia_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Prevention of diabetic ketoacidosis in Newfoundland and larador: hospitalization rates pre and post a multiphase provincial knowledge translation program.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background & Objectives: The province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes mellitus globally. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the major complications of this disease. The Newfoundland and Labrador Diabetic Ketoacidosis Project (NLdkaP) is a multiphase project aimed at lowering the rates of DKA in the province. In order to assess the effectiveness of this project, we studied hospitalization rates for type 1 diabetes over a six–year period.
Design, Setting & Measurements: This is a retrospective study carried out in NL using hospital administrative data covering the period January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2014 for patients aged ≤24 years. Data extracted for each patient included demographic factors (e.g., sex and age), location of treatment, length of stay, and whether the patient has had recurrent DKA.
Results: There were 412 patients admitted for DKA over the study period. DKA hospitalizations in the province decreased for the two years during the NLdkaP (2011 and 2012; n = 107). In the two years post project (2013 and 2014), DKA hospitalizations increased (n = 148) but rates did not increase to the initial rates measured before the project was implemented in (2009 and 2010; n = 157).
Conclusions: The NLdkaP was associated with a decrease in DKA hospitalization rates. This knowledge translation project could be adopted by other regions to reduce the rates of DKA hospitalizations. Ongoing efforts are needed to sustain this preventative effect.


identifier: Pater, Justin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pater=3AJustin=3A=3A.html>   (2019) A Multi-omic approach to genetic hearing loss in the Newfoundland founder population.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder and despite the identification of over
143 genes, many loci remain unsolved. Therefore, the identification of novel genes are of great
importance to provide insight into disease pathways and improve the diagnosis and
management of hearing loss. Due to a limited gene pool, genetic isolates, such as the island of
Newfoundland, provide unprecedented opportunities for gene discovery. The objective of this
thesis was to identify the genetic basis of hearing loss in several large Newfoundland families
with either autosomal recessive or dominant hearing loss. Firstly, we identified a
pathognomonic deafness, autosomal recessive 29 (DFNB29; OMIM: 614035) phenotype that
was caused by a novel pathogenic CLDN14 missense variant, which resided on a 1.4 Mb
ancestral haplotype across four families. Even though DFNB29 is associated with a highly
variable, congenital phenotype, we observe cases of prelingual hearing loss that progresses to a
distinct audioprofile. Subsequently, we identified a linked region (13q34; LOD: 4.77) within a
large autosomal dominant hearing loss family that led to the discovery of a pathogenic splicing
variant in a nascent ATP11A exon, which activates a cryptic splice site 153 bp downstream of
the canonical splice site. This linked region overlaps with the DFNA33 locus, and hearing loss
due to ATP11A exhibits significant variable expressivity, which is consistent with the family
from Germany used to map this locus. Unexpectedly, three families were found to have Usher
syndrome, caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous USH2A splicing variants that cosegregated
in two families that were initially ascertained as non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa,
while the remaining non-syndromic hearing loss family was positive for a novel pathogenic
ADGRV1 nonsense variant. Given that these families were reassigned to an Usher syndrome diagnosis based on genetic testing, this highlights the importance of employing next-generation
sequencing in the clinical setting. In summary, this thesis identified a novel autosomal
dominant hearing loss gene, and reclassified four variants of unknown significance to
pathogenic variants, ascertaining the genetic etiology of deafness within eight families in the
Newfoundland genetic isolate. These discoveries accelerate the diagnosis and surveillance of
those at-risk of developing hearing loss, as well as enrolment into promising clinical trials.


identifier: Barrett, Matthew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Barrett=3AMatthew=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Effect of a dynamic office chair on spine biomechanics, calf circumference and perceived pain during prolonged sitting.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that prolonged static postures, such as
those in sitting, are a risk factor for low back pain (LBP). Henceforth, increasing
movement at sitting dominant work has been recommended.
Objectives: To investigate the effects of a dynamic office chair on spine biomechanics,
muscle activity, perceived pain, calf circumference, seat pressure data, as well as seat
movement was compared to a control office chair.
Methods: Thirty male participants were recruited for two, 3-hour sessions, which
included a 2-hour standardized typing trial. Participants were block randomized to sit
either in the dynamic or control chair on the first day. Spine angles, low back
electromyography (EMG), perceived pain and calf circumference were measured pre and
post typing trial.
Results: Sitting in the dynamic chair resulted in significantly less spinal flexion (p =
0.039), significantly lower pain ratings (p=0.025), significantly decreased calf
circumference measures (p < 0.001), significantly lower average seat pressure (p> 0.001),
and significantly greater seat contact area (p=0.034) compared to the control chair after a
2 hour standardized typing trial. Low back EMG for all 6 muscles showed no significant
differences between chair conditions (p=0.101, 0.115,0.173, 0.201, 0.248, 0.547).
Conclusions: Participants sitting in the dynamic chair adopted a more upright posture,
had lower levels of perceived LBP, and exhibited lower increases in calf circumference
compared to the control chair. These results suggest the active chair is effective at
decreasing several negative components associated with sitting for the occupant. Future
work will replicate this design on a female population.


identifier: Greene, Ryan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Greene=3ARyan=3A=3A.html>   (2019) The effect of prolonged sitting on neuromuscular and biomechanical responses of the low back in healthy individuals.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Sub-maximally flexed spine postures have the potential to elicit creep (lengthening) in the posterior passive tissues of the spine leading to a delay in the normal muscle reflexes of the spine. This scenario could result in a low back injury when a sudden perturbation is experienced following a prolonged period of sitting.
Methods: 17 men and 23 women were recruited to examine the effect sitting in an office chair had on the reflex onset times of muscles in the low back. Surface EMG of the low back, and lumbar spine and pelvic angles were collected continuously through all trials. Muscle reflexes were elicited immediately before and after exposure to 2 hours of sitting, and onset times were compared.
Results: Low back muscle reflexes were non-significantly longer after sitting for two hours (72.89 ms ± 38.72) as compared to pre-sitting latencies (60.00 ms ± 27.77). No significant interactions or main effects of pain groups or sex were found for reflex times.
Conclusion: Sitting for two-hours in an office chair does not appear to affect the ability of the low back muscles to respond to a sudden perturbation. This conclusion holds for males and females as well as those who develop transient sitting-induced pain. Future work should examine if longer periods of sitting and/or different chair conditions and spine postures induce delayed reflexes.


identifier: Mahdavi, Sadigheh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mahdavi=3ASadigheh=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Investigation of carbonated water injection (CWI) for enhanced oil recovery at the pore and corescale.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Oil recovery by CO₂ injection has been studied in the laboratory and applied in the field, however, for the most part, CO₂ injection lacks acceptable sweep efficiency. Various CO₂ injection strategies such as CO₂ alternating water and gas (CO₂-WAG) and CO₂ simultaneous alternating water and gas (CO₂-SWAG) have been suggested to alleviate this problem and improve oil recovery. The amount of CO₂ required can be a limiting factor especially in offshore applications. Thus, carbonated water injection (CWI) has recently been given considerable attention as it requires less CO₂ for the injection and increases the sweep efficiency. This study provides an overview of previous work on the topic and outlines the results of an integrated experimental, theoretical, and simulation investigation of the CWI for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The effect of carbonated water injection on vertical displacement (gravity effect) at both the pore-scale and core-scale was investigated in this study. The novelty of this research is to investigate the performance of water flooding (WF) and CWI in the presence of gravity using homogeneous and heterogeneous (fractured) porous media.
The first phase of this research investigates the pore-scale displacement phenomena which occurs in the presence of CWI in a glass micromodel. Although the effects of many parameters have been studied, an investigation of the effect of gravity displacement and heterogeneous porous media on trapped oil extraction using CWI, is deficient in the current literature. To evaluate the potential use of CWI for vertical displacement and oil extraction, a series of experiments in medium pressure homogeneous and heterogeneous (fractured) micromodels were designed at 2.1 MPa (305 psi) and 21°C (69.8 °F). The oil saturation profile, fluid flow pattern, pore-scale mechanisms, and trapped oil mobilization were analyzed during the experiments. The results of CWI showed an increased vertical sweep efficiency compared to water flooding. The fluid flow pattern in both water flooding and CWI showed that the carbonated water phase has a better sweep efficiency. Secondary CWI resulted in 16.8% additional oil recovery compared to water flooding.
After a visual investigation of the impact of CWI on oil recovery and oil distribution in micromodels, core flooding experiments were designed to qualify and compare the effectiveness of water flooding, water alternating CO₂ gas (CO₂-WAG), and CWI at reservoir conditions considering the solubility of CO₂ in seawater and oil. The results of the core flooding experiments were evaluated using a simulation study. The results of core flooding experiments showed that secondary CWI obtained the highest recovery factor of 74.8% compared to 66.5% in CO₂-WAG and 64.2% in tertiary CWI processes.
The third phase the research was to simulate and predict the experimental results using Computer Modeling Group (CMG version 2014) software. The fluid model was constructed using CMG-WinPropTM to create the compositions and properties of the CO₂-oil and CO₂-brine mixtures. The fluid model was incorporated into the compositional and unconventional reservoir simulator, CMG-GEMTM, in order to reproduce the CWI and CO₂-WAG flooding tests conducted in this study. The simulation results indicated that CWI had a higher oil recovery factor compared to water flooding and CO₂-WAG. In summary, this comprehensive study highlights the CWI applicability for vertical oil sweep efficiency and enhanced oil recovery in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media.


identifier: Smith, Chris Gerard <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Smith=3AChris_Gerard=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Bariatric surgery in patients with body mass index < 35: a systematic review and meta analysis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background
Bariatric surgery has been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of morbid obesity (BMI > 40
kg/m²) and some related comorbidities. The goal of the current study is to explore the role of surgery in
patients with moderate obesity (BMI < 35 kg/m²).
Methods
Systematic review and meta analysis was performed focusing solely on patients with BMI < 35 kg/m² who
underwent laparoscopic roux en y gastric bypass (RYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), or adjustable gastric
banding (AGB). Data were limited to randomized controlled trials (RCT) and prospective cohort studies.
Primary outcome measure was fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Secondary outcome measures included
hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and other obesity related comorbidities.
Results
13 studies were included in the analysis, 4 randomized controlled trials and 9 prospective cohort studies.
Surgery was associated with significantly improved FPG compared to medical therapy (weighted mean
difference (WMD) -3.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) -4.45; -2.02). Surgery was also associated with
improved HbA1c, body weight, BMI loss, waist circumference, and resolution of hypertension and
dyslipidemia. These results were consistent across each surgical procedure. 2 RCTs compared RYGB to
LSG. There was no difference with respect to glucose metabolism however RYGB was associated with
greater BMI loss (WMD -1.07, 95% CI -1.81; -0.33) and decreased waist circumference (WMD -3.51, 95%
CI -6.99; -0.03). Complication rates were comparable to morbidly obese subjects.
Conclusion
RYGB, LSG and AGB appear to be safe and effective in the treatment of obesity and related comorbidities
and should be offered to patients with BMI < 35. RYGB and LSG have similar effects on FPG and HbA1c
however REYGB appears to have improved results with respect to waist circumference and BMI.


identifier: Herbert, Christopher <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Herbert=3AChristopher=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Faith and the feminine in Levinas The Horizon of Hope.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The philosophical works of Emmanuel Levinas rely heavily on the revelatory face to face encounter with The Absolute Other. In this encounter the individual is forced to recognize difference, ethics, and in turn finds freedom. A question remains at the centre of this revelation in how the finite individual is meant to recognize the absolute infinite? This thesis offers a response to this question by presenting faith (an outwardly directed hope) as a preparatory condition of the individual awarded by the Feminine that ultimately bridges the gap between the finite and the infinite.


identifier: Young, Erika H. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Young=3AErika_H=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Abundance and diversity of nematodes and microarthropods in established and newly converted agricultural soils in western Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Nematodes and microarthropods are used as indicators of nutrient flow through complex soil food web interactions and thus are indicators of soil health. In this study, nematodes and microarthropods were extracted from natural and farmed land at two locations in Newfoundland and from biochar treated soil at one location in Labrador. Newfoundland soil had several combinations of crop and manure treatments. All soils were analysed for various abiotic soil fertility parameters. Farmed soil had a more stable and complex nematode community than adjacent natural soils. Manure application did not have an obvious impact on nematode composition but affected the microarthropod community. Biochar treatment resulted in changes to faunal composition and abundance though microarthropod populations were not well established in Labrador soils. Nematode and arthropod compositions were more strongly reflective of variations in soil pH than other measured parameters. All systems had bacterivore dominated nematode communities, an indication of bacterially driven soil metabolism.


identifier: Wei, Qian <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wei=3AQian=3A=3A.html>   (2019) The governance of non-governmental organizations in an authoritarian state: evidence from Chinese foundations.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
How are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) governed in the authoritarian context
of China? Adopting a perspective of power, this thesis investigates in-depth the
governance of Chinese NGOs at the macro-, meso- and micro-level in three chapters.
Multiple statistical techniques are used to analyze primary as well as secondary data
collected from philanthropic foundations in China. The first chapter focuses on the
societal level, examining how the authoritarian government governs and steers the NGO
sector at the macro level. Through multilevel modeling, the findings show that the
Chinese government has adopted a more sophisticated, indirect approach rather than
using direct control to govern and regulate NGOs in China. The second chapter focuses
on the organizational level, examining the internal governance and particularly the
leadership style within Chinese NGOs. Through box plots and ordinary least squares
regression, the results suggest that leaders of Chinese NGOs have a more democratic-orientated
leadership style than people from other types of organizations such as
government agencies and private corporations; however, this leadership style becomes
less democratic under the influence of public donations in China. The third chapter turns
to the individual level, conceptualizing and measuring CEO power by proposing a two-dimensional
(structural power and individual power) framework and multiple indicators.
Through factor analysis and ordered logistic regression, the findings show that CEOs’
individual power has no significant effects on financial performance, while structural
power presents a double-edged effect: it is positively associated with one kind of
organizational effectiveness (public donations) but has a negative impact on another
(overhead costs). This thesis makes contributions to the literature in two ways: (1) theoretically, this study takes an under-explored power perspective, which not only
provides a more consistent and unified perspective for understanding the public
governance and nonprofit governance of NGOs but also sheds new light on these
longstanding topics; (2) empirically, primary data on Chinese NGOs, especially regarding
internal governance and management, are scarce. This thesis develops different ways to
operationalize governance and power and also provides new empirical evidence on the
organizational governance of NGOs in China. In summary, this thesis establishes a
comprehensive picture of how NGOs are governed in the authoritarian context of China.
As a special kind of organization with a democratic mandate, NGO governance in the
authoritarian context of China is under more pressure than we realize.


identifier: Jankunis, Vincent E. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jankunis=3AVincent_E=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2019) Divided but together: variation in 18th-century Labrador Inuit housing as seen in House 3 at Double Mer Point (GbBo-2).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The sod winter house has been a source relied upon heavily by archaeologists who study the Labrador Inuit past. Research has focused on how the size and construction of houses have changed through time and used those changes as evidence of larger social changes in Labrador Inuit society (Jordan 1978; Jordan and Kaplan 1980; Kaplan 1983, 1985; Kaplan and Woollett 2000; Murphy 2011, 2012; Murphy and Rankin 2014; Richling 1993; Schledermann 1976a, 1976b; Taylor 1976; Whitridge 2008; Woollett 1999, 2003, 2007). However, there are also differences in the design of houses that reflect variation in Inuit housing at certain points in the past. Recently, those designs present during the Communal House Phase of Labrador have been highlighted (Kaplan 2012; Murphy 2011, 2012; Murphy and Rankin 2014), but little work has focused on explaining the reasons for the many different house designs. This thesis offers an explanation for the design of House 3, a house occupied at the winter community of Double Mer Point during the latter half of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century.