identifier: Belsheim, Ariel Berit <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Belsheim=3AAriel_Berit=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Informing tough choices: developing tools to help heritage managers respond to the effects of coastal innundation on cultural heritage.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Coastal archaeological resources are at considerable risk of impact from climate change, in particular, sea level inundation. Heritage managers across the country are tasked with protecting and managing these resources. This thesis investigates the impact of data resolution on a desk-based site vulnerability assessment. With 71% of surveyed cultural resources in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, actively eroding, identifying sites most at risk and prioritizing for management is integral. The goal of this thesis is to develop a vulnerability assessment tool for at-risk coastal sites and to provide heritage managers with practices and methods for selecting highly vulnerable sites for management response. Using a desk-based site vulnerability model, 81% of surveyed sites are expected to be at risk by 2025. This assessment illustrated the importance of accurate site location in desk-based modelling. Through an analysis of current practices, a method for utilizing the exposure of a site and a “value-based” approach is suggested. This method is then applied in Bonavista Bay to demonstrate how heritage managers may be able to prioritize vulnerable archaeological sites for management action.


identifier: Gao, Boyang <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gao=3ABoyang=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Chemical modifications for water-repellent coatings on engineering metals.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
Hydrophobic surfaces have drawn lots of attention for use in applications such as selfcleaning
surfaces, anti-icing in harsh environments and corrosion resistance. Generally
speaking, the prerequisite for hydrophobic surface synthesis is the combination of
micro-scale and nano-scale surface structures along with a low surface energy coating.
In my research work, chemical methods were investigated to produce hydrophobic
carbon steel and stainless steel, which are important engineering metals.
Simple chemical etching and organic coatings were applied to carbon steel and
stainless steel. Although the hydrophobicity of the modified surface increased, the
degree of water repellency didn’t reach our expectation. Furthermore, the heterogeneous
etching and coating caused large uncertainty in terms of wettability. The most
promising system is a zinc electrodeposit with a stearic acid coating. We showed that
mildly alkaline electrolytes can be used for the fabrication of zinc coatings that give
rise to remarkably low adhesion surfaces. Various parameters (pH, applied potential,
electrolyte composition) during zinc electrodeposition influenced the homogeneity of
zinc coverage and the topography of zinc crystalites, which consequently impacted
the hydrophobicity of the surface. Moreover, the two important roles of stearic acid,
preventing the oxidation of zinc surface and decreasing the surface energy, were also
studied. In conclusion, the zinc layer not only increases the roughness of the surface,
but also provide excellent adhesion to the organic coating.


identifier: Obadein, Christiana Omotola <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Obadein=3AChristiana_Omotola=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Foreign aid, corruption and socio-economic development in sub-saharan Africa.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis investigates the inter-related effects of foreign aid, control of corruption and governance on the development of Sub-Saharan African countries. The study examines how corruption influences the effect that infrastructural and total foreign aid have on social and economic development in this part of Africa. This study employs the fixed effect regression quantitative model to analyze the impact of foreign aid on corruption and socio-economic development in Sub-Saharan African countries between 2002 and 2014. The results of this study shows that contrary to expectation, infrastructural aid is uncorrelated with corruption except when there is a governance measure such as regulatory quality and democracy. Similarly, the results show that the effect of total foreign aid and infrastructural aid on health expenditure (social development) is reduced as control of corruption increases, but showed no effect on GDP annual growth (an indicator of economic development).
In conclusion, this study shows that foreign aid leads to increased health spending in high corruption countries, thereby making funds more susceptible for embezzlement by officials through corruption.


identifier: Dabon, Christopher <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dabon=3AChristopher=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Understanding the acceptability of lethal management toward canids on the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The overall purpose of this wildlife management study is to understand the acceptability of lethal management toward coyotes and wolves (canids) on the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador. Data were collected from residents in communities in close spatial proximity to Gros Morne National Park and Terra Nova National Park. Self-administered questionnaires were collected (n=342) using a drop off and pick up method. Overall, respondents held very negative cognitions toward coyotes and wolves. This contributed to high level of agreement and acceptance toward lethal management. Attitudes were the best predictor of lethal management within this study. This research study provides salient information for wildlife managers to consider when gauging public acceptance of lethal management and provides a reference to aid managers to mitigate and avoid human-canid conflict such as targeting a shift in attitudes from negative to positive.


identifier: Mohebifar, Mohamad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mohebifar=3AMohamad=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Evaluating and improving the description of London dispersion interactions in molecular mechanical force fields using the exchange-hole dipole moment model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Molecular simulations are used extensively to model processes in biophysics and biochemistry.
These methods approximate the intramolecular and intermolecular interactions
of the molecules in the system with a set of simplified mathematical expressions.
London dispersion forces account for a significant portion of intermolecular interactions.
These interactions play an important role in condensed matter physics and
many biophysical phenomena. In this thesis, the eXchange-hole Dipole Moment model
(XDM) of density functional theory was used to evaluate the dispersion coefficients
in popular molecular mechanical models that are often used for simulations of water,
organic molecules, and proteins. The dispersion coefficients derived from XDM calculations
were compared to those extracted from molecular mechanical models with
parameters from the GAFF, CGenFF, and OPLS force fields. For the generalized
force fields, 88 organic molecules were evaluated. The Amber ff14sb, OPLS-AA, and
CHARMM36 protein force fields were also evaluated using side chains models. Generally,
the force field molecular C₆ dispersion coefficients overestimate the XDM C₆
dispersion coefficients by 50{60%. Despite this, these models predict the solvation energies
of these molecules correctly. This trend was attributed to the neglect of higher
order dispersion terms. In the empirical parameterization of these force fields, the
interaction energy that should arise from these higher order terms will be spuriously
added to the C₆ term. In the final chapter, a water model was developed with an
improved non-bonded potential that describes repulsive forces more accurately using
an exponential Buckingham-type term and includes C₆ and C₈ dispersion terms.
High-performance GPU-CUDA and vectorized expressions for this potential were implemented
in OpenMM. The model is able to predict the structural, physical, and
transport properties of liquid water accurately.


identifier: Buckle, Natasha Caroline Marie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Buckle=3ANatasha_Caroline_Marie=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Examining neuromuscular fatigue of the elbow flexors during maximal arm cycling sprints in a pronated and supinated forearm position.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
During high intensity exercise, an individual’s ability to generate and maintain force is
decreased resulting in a decline in muscle performance. This decrease in force is referred
to as neuromuscular fatigue (NMF). There have been several studies examining NMF
during maximal leg cycling sprints. Maximal repeated leg cycling sprints have been shown
to induce peripheral fatigue early and this fatigue persists throughout the sprints, while
central fatigue occurs towards the end of the sprints. To date, only one study has examined
the effects of maximal arm cycling sprints on NMF and similar patterns of peripheral and
central fatigue have been reported. Many studies have shown that the specific task being
performed can alter NMF. For example, the development of NMF has been shown to be
different during maximal running and leg cycling exercises at the same workload. This
suggests that NMF appears to develop differently depending on the specific action of the
muscles involved. Although not examining NMF, two studies have examined the effect of
forearm position during constant load arm cycling. These studies found that forearm
position can influence muscular activity and brain and spinal cord excitability during
constant load arm cycling. Despite the present research, it is currently unknown if the
development of NMF is different following arm cycling sprints in different forearm
positions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the development of NMF
during repeated arm cycling sprints in pronated and supinated forearm positions. This study
add to the current understanding of how NMF influences exercise performance, and may
aid in the development of training protocols for rehabilitative and athletic purposes.


identifier: Yildiz, Nadine <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yildiz=3ANadine=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Classroom-based mindfulness for math anxiety.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Previous research has highlighted the negative effects of math anxiety on math
learning and performance in children and adults. However, it has been shown that
when math anxious individuals are also high in emotional regulation they perform
as well in math as their non-math-anxious peers. Further, research has found that
the most effective interventions for math anxiety focus on emotional regulation
skills. Mindfulness has been used as a treatment for anxiety, particularly by
decreasing stress, improving emotional regulation, and self-regulation skills. This
study tested whether a classroom-based mindfulness intervention reduced math
anxiety among 4th and 5th grade students. Twelve grade 4 and 5 classrooms, from 5
different schools were assigned to either a Mindfulness program (MindUp), an
active control (relaxation program), or a Business-as-usual control. Students in each
class (N=142) completed measures of procedural and conceptual math ability, math
anxiety, general anxiety, and mindfulness before and after program implementation.
There was a significant reduction in math anxiety between pre-test and post-test for
Grade 5 students as well as improvements in math fluency among students in the
Mindfulness condition, and improvements in conceptual ability among students in
both the Mindfulness and Relaxation conditions. These findings are consistent with
previous research highlighting the benefits of emotional focused programs to
increase math performance but is the first of its kind to show benefits of a
classroom-based mindfulness intervention on math anxiety and math outcomes for
early elementary students.


identifier: Dechief, Taylor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dechief=3ATaylor=3A=3A.html>   (2018) The contemporary framing of death in St. John's, Newfoundland: "brighter rather than black".  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In St. John’s the decades old narratives of religion, family, and tradition are being
replaced by the contemporary funeral industry’s choice-based and celebratory framing of
death. I focus on the emotional impact of this transition, which can be seen through; the
physical transformation of the funeral homes, the consumption of personalized products,
the presence of personal objects, the negative interactions between the funeral home and
its customers, the high burnout rate of funeral home staff, and the expressed emotional
danger of direct cremation and the presence of urns at home. Funeral directors positively
described the contemporary framing of death as happier and more focused on the
individual, allowing the bereaved to deal with death better. Despite this, they also
described their customers as demanding, angry, confused, and scared. I argue that the
contemporary framing of death is making death a happier and a more individually
focused experience, but in doing so it is also making death a more fragile experience.


identifier: Ye, Tanyan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ye=3ATanyan=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Somewhere in between: Chinese identity and community in St. John's as seen through Chinese restaurants.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis investigates the Chinese community in Newfoundland and Labrador through the lens of Chinese restaurants in St. John’s. It employs interviews and participant observation to uncover how Chinese immigrants, as members of a minority group in a mostly white community, preserve and present their identity while negotiating their relationship with the majority society. The thesis outlines the development of the Chinese community, Chinese restaurants, and Chinese food in Newfoundland and Labrador. It explores the foodways of Chinese residents in St. John’s, particularly the debates over what constitutes “real” Chinese food, discusses the décor of Chinese restaurants, and examines the community events that Chinese restaurant owners are involved in. Based on this research, the thesis intends to shed light on how ethnic restaurants help to facilitate an ethnic group’s integration into a larger community. These locations of business and culture help individuals navigate their own ethnicity as well as contribute to intercultural communication and understanding.


identifier: Chen, Binyu <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Chen=3ABinyu=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Ru-Sn oxide/C supported Pt anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Direct alcohol fuel cells are promising power sources. Ethanol has recently attracted
much attention since it is renewable, relatively safe and has a high energy density. In
order to make best use of ethanol in fuel cells, many Pt-based catalysts have been
studied. However, the low electrochemical activity of ethanol at the low potentials
required for fuel cells has limited the development of direct ethanol fuel cells. This
thesis describes the use of carbon black modified with Ru-Sn mixed oxides as supports
for Pt nanoparticles. Since the Pt nanoparticles are on the surface of the Ru-Sn oxide,
the promoting effect of Ru-Sn oxide is achieved, while the blockage of Pt active sites
is minimized. Therefore, the high carbon dioxide selectivity of Pt can be retained and
the performance at low potentials can be improved. The effects of reaction conditions,
including Ru:Sn:C ratios, Pt loading, and heat treatment, have been investigated.
Cyclic voltammetry allows rapid determination of the electrochemical performance
of catalysts for preliminary screening. Product distribution results from an ethanol
electrolysis cell provide the faradaic efficiency and mechanistic information. The best
Pt-RuSnO₂/C catalyst showed better catalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation at
low potentials than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst and retained relatively high
faradaic efficiency.


identifier: Rajmurugan, Sakthivel <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rajmurugan=3ASakthivel=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Power system stability assessment using measurement based modal analysis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Stability analysis of larger power system can be challenging and difficult. This
is mainly due to the effect of several power system phenomena which are no longer
negligible when the analysis is made on larger and complex power systems. The
modelling of these unknown number of power system phenomena increases the overall
model complexity. This causes the simulation more time consuming which does not
help in improving stability of the system in the event of disturbance. Although,
reduced order modelling of larger power system is considered as temporary solution,
there is always a risk of producing different results than the actual power system
response.
In this thesis, various types of measurement based modal analysis is studied in
detail as an alternate approach to the conventional model based modal analysis.
This is based on the fact that any disturbance given to the system excites a
particular eigenvalue pair/s causing significant reduction in damping ratio and
thereby moving the system towards instability. These eigenvalue pair/s of each
generator can be extracted directly from obtained system response using various
mathematical techniques.
Both time domain and frequency domain techniques are analyzed and compared
with the results of model based modal analysis. Different IEEE test cases are
considered based on the type of domain in which the data is analyzed.


identifier: Norman, Alexander <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Norman=3AAlexander=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Evaluation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) initiative.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Purpose: To determine if patient outcomes and compliance with best practice guidelines improved when an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program was implemented for elective colorectal resections at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital (SCMH) in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
Methods: Interrupted time-series analysis was utilized to compare patient outcomes and guideline compliance between surgeries that were performed under standard practice (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015) and those performed during the first year of the ERAS program (March 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017). An ERAS Coordinator supervised guideline compliance in the first six months of ERAS surgeries. Charts were manually reviewed to obtain patient outcomes and compliance with guidelines.
Results: Length of stay (LOS) decreased significantly from 7.26 days in the control (standard practice) group to 6.27 days in the ERAS group. LOS was shorter in the first six months of ERAS (5.44 days) than in the second six months of ERAS (7.10 days). There were no statistically significant differences in rates of complication, readmission, or mortality with implementation of ERAS. Overall compliance with guidelines increased significantly from 52.2% to 77.7% with implementation of ERAS. Postoperative compliance decreased (79.2% to 68.6%) from the first six months to the second six months of ERAS.
Conclusion: Implementation of ERAS was successful at reducing LOS, but not rates of complication, readmission, or mortality. The success of this program appears to have been largely dependent on guideline supervision by an ERAS coordinator in the first six months. Methods for ensuring postoperative compliance are vital to the success of similar programs in the future.


identifier: Oppong, Abigail <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Oppong=3AAbigail=3A=3A.html>   (2018) The Paris climate change agreement and the regulation of international maritime transportation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: International maritime transport is a significant source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly CO₂. As such, it is a substantial contributor to global warming. The sector’s share of CO₂ is expected to increase considerably if efforts are not made to limit its contribution of GHG emissions. This issue has been on the international climate change regulatory agenda for over two decades now. Nonetheless, the regulation of emissions from international maritime transport is visibly absent in the 2015 landmark Paris Agreement. This thesis attempts to understand the reasons for the non-regulation of international shipping under the Paris agreement. To understand the reasons for the situation, three questions were asked: 1. What is the history of the debate around the inclusion or exclusion of the regulation of the international maritime transport in the international climate regime prior to the Paris Agreement? 2. What has been the role of International Maritime Organization (IMO) in regulating emissions from international maritime transport? 3. What are the driving factors for the exclusion of the regulation of maritime transportation within the Paris Agreement and who are the actors involved? Using a qualitative content analysis of secondary data collected predominantly from online databases and websites, the thesis revealed that the domestic economic and political interest of China, US, and India were the main contributing factors for the non-regulation of international shipping under the Paris climate change agreement. This was facilitated by their structural positions in international politics. These parties exploited the complexities in allocating international shipping emissions to parties to advance their domestic interests. Again, it was discovered that the adoption of secret meetings with powerful actors to achieve tradeoffs on contentious issues among actors, which shrouded the negotiation process augmented the ability of these nations to exert their influence. Hence, this thesis argues that parties’ domestic interests play an important role in shaping international regulations. This argument represents an empirical contribution that advances the field of international environmental regulations by showing how powerful domestic economic and political interests shape agreements at the global level.


identifier: Datoo, Fatimah <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Datoo=3AFatimah=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An evaluation study of a peer mentoring program in post-secondary education.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: There has been increasing concern with the health and wellness of students in post-secondary health professions education programs. Dental hygiene is a health profession in which dental professionals work together to meet the oral needs of their patients. Students enrolled in dental hygiene programs can experience a high-level of stress resulting from examinations, workload, financial strains, patient disappointments, faculty-student interactions and a demanding clinical atmosphere. Peer mentoring programs can benefit post-secondary institutions by helping to reduce student stress and anxiety levels, decrease attrition rates, foster teamwork and collaborative skill development and increase interaction between junior and senior students. This study investigated the benefits of a peer mentoring program in a dental hygiene program. Study participants included peer mentors and mentees from a private post-secondary college in Toronto, Ontario. A mixed-methods, evaluation study design applying Stufflebeam’s CIPP evaluation model was undertaken. Evaluation methods included survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews regarding the merit, value and effectiveness of the peer mentoring program. Eighty-eight (N=88) peer mentees and 26 peer mentors completed surveys, and 10 peer mentor graduates participated in telephone interviews. Findings suggest that peer mentoring is a mutually beneficial relationship encompassing reciprocity between the mentor and mentee. Peer mentoring is positively received and provides peer support, builds friendships and increases knowledge and confidence.


identifier: Low, Jonathan LeRon <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Low=3AJonathan_LeRon=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Prior band-resisted squat jumps improved running time, rating of perceived exertion, and neuromuscular performance in middle-distance runners.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: There is a need for more research that examines the time course of neuromuscular alterations that occur during middle-long distance running. A growing body of evidence suggests that post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a prominent neuromuscular alteration that aids in the enhancement and maintenance of force production. PAP conditioning contractions integrated into warm-up protocols have been shown to enhance subsequent performance, yet the role PAP plays in endurance performance remains under-studied. The aim of this study was to characterize the time course of the effects of a PAP conditioning stimulus (band-resisted jump squat protocol) on a subsequent 5 X 1 km running trial. This study examined neuromuscular properties (ITT, MVC, EMG, drop jump) and metabolic properties (RPE, HR). It was hypothesized that performing a 5RM band-resisted jump squat protocol as part of a standardized running-specific warm-up in a group of endurance runners would induce significant measurable PAP effects during the course of a subsequent 5 X 1 km time trial run and up to 10 minutes post-run protocol. The neuromuscular and performance changes resulted in decreased time to complete the running task (3.6%) in the intervention session, increased force generation (9.5%) throughout both trials, increased voluntary activation (10%) in the intervention session, and a lack of impaired evoked contractile properties. These results serve as evidence of measurable neuromuscular changes occurring during and after the subsequent running trial. It is plausible that the band-resisted jump squat protocol served to increase performance and physiological measures and is attributable to post-activation potentiation, heighted central-pacing strategies, and increased stretch-shortening cycle efficiency.


identifier: Bown, Luke <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bown=3ALuke=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Coronafacoyl phytotoxin biosynthesis in Streptomyces scabies and identification of common scab-associated Streptomyces species in Newfoundland.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.


identifier: Akpan, Etido Gideon <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Akpan=3AEtido_Gideon=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Wellhead fatigue response affected by seabed interaction.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Subsea wellhead system assessment is a vital aspect of well integrity assurance. This thesis focuses on the fatigue damage of the wellhead which has become an important design consideration in the design of offshore structures. Subsea wellheads are generally exposed to fatigue, due to environmental loads such as waves, winds and currents, which implies cyclic loading to the wellhead. The conductor-soil interaction may have significant impact on stress range variation in wellhead system and consequently on accumulative fatigue damage. In practice, the seabed soil is usually replaced with linear elastic springs to define lateral force-displacement curves. There are several models proposed in the literature to simulate the lateral response of soil to force applied by the conductor. However, the selection of an appropriate model depending on seabed soil condition and the nature of soil-structure interaction may have significant influence on fatigue performance of wellhead system. In this thesis, the influences of a range of different lateral force-displacement models were examined through implementation into global riser analysis. Finite element analysis software, OrcaFlex, was used to model the riser configuration and global load analysis. Both static and dynamic analyses of the drilling riser system were conducted. The loads of particular interest with contribution to the accumulated wellhead fatigue damage were investigated with focus on assessment of the impact of conductor-soil interaction and soil properties. The result showed that the selection of lateral P-y curve and the soil properties governing the soil stiffness may have significant influence on fatigue damage. It was observed that, the stiffer soil models will greatly reduce the bending moment at the wellhead datum leading to decrease in fatigue damage and increase fatigue life of the wellhead, whereas, the softer soil model leads to more damage and decrease fatigue life of the wellhead. This implied the significance of developing new models to incorporate the cyclic soil stiffness degradation for fatigue analysis of the drilling risers.


identifier: O'Brien, Laura <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/O=27Brien=3ALaura=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Making care count: troubling neoliberal policy frameworks in the childcare and waste management policy areas of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Since the advent of the political influence of neoliberalism in Canada in the 1970s, the dominant norms of neoliberal policymaking have determined the parameters of political possibility in both provincial and federal policy circles. This framework has compromised policy areas that involve the direct provision of care work due to the incompatibility—both theoretical and practical—of theories analyzing care and neoliberalism. This thesis analyses the universality, the reliance on care work and caring labour, and the longstanding challenges in two policy areas in Newfoundland and Labrador: childcare, and waste management, seeking to identify the utility of a care framework in proposing policy alternatives for both areas. In employing a care framework as an intervention into the policy areas and their neoliberal domination, this study assesses the practicality of care as a policy formulation and implementation framework, determining that meaningful policy change as it pertains to childcare or waste management cannot occur through an adherence to the norms of neoliberalism that currently characterize policy development in both areas. Doing so, this work illuminates the paramount importance of caring labour to society, arguing that an ignorance of this labour in written, regulated policy will continue to prevent significant societal advancement.


identifier: Stefanelli, Lucas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Stefanelli=3ALucas=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The interactive effect of pain and topical analgesic on motor pathway excitability of the biceps brachii.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain that arises 24-72 hours after exercise involving unfamiliar strenuous muscle loading. DOMS is commonly induced by eccentric muscle contractions and may signify exercise-induced muscle damage including impaired excitation-contraction coupling and injury to cytoskeletal proteins in the sarcomere. During DOMS, muscle pain is transmitted via A-delta and C-fibre afferents (group III/IV afferents) to the central nervous system (CNS). While it has been shown that muscle force production is significantly diminished in DOMS, there is limited evidence on the influence of DOMS on corticospinal excitability or inhibition. Furthermore, to date no work has investigated how the application of topical analgesic interacts with DOMS to modulate corticospinal excitation. The current thesis employed a model of DOMS involving fatiguing eccentric elbow flexor contraction exercise. We investigated the effect of DOMS on indices of corticospinal excitability (motor evoked potential [MEP] and cervicomedullary evoked potential [CMEP] area and latency) and inhibition (silent period), peripheral motor excitability (Mmax area and latency), and pain pressure threshold (PPT) in the dominant biceps brachii muscle, as well as how application of a menthol-based topical analgesic (Biofreeze®) influenced these outcomes. Two experiments were employed to test the effects of topical analgesic in participants with and without DOMS. In the first experiment (Experiment A: No DOMS), 16 young healthy adults (F = 8, M = 8; age = 23 ± 1.1 yr; body mass = 71.9 ± 9.1 kg; height = 174.2 ± 8.2 cm) were randomly allocated to receive either a menthol-based topical analgesic gel (Topical Analgesic, n = 8) or a placebo gel (Placebo, n = 8) in a double-blind fashion, during a single session; DOMS was not induced. Prior to the application of gel (pre-gel), as well as 5 (post-5 min), 15 (post-15 min), 30 (post-30 min), and 45 (post-45 min) minutes after the application of gel, MEP area, latency, and silent period; CMEP area and latency; and Mmax area and latency were measured. Participants’ MEP and CMEP areas were normalized to Mmax area. Neither group showed a statistically significant change in these outcome measures at any post-gel time-point compared to pre-gel (p > .05). In the second experiment (Experiment B: DOMS), 16 young healthy male adults (age = 26 ± 5.1 yr; body mass = 81.9 ± 9.1 kg; height = 179.8 ± 6.1 cm) completed two experimental sessions. During the first session participants completed a fatiguing eccentric elbow flexor contraction protocol to induce DOMS. Participants returned 48 hours later and were randomly allocated to Topical Analgesic (n = 8) or Placebo (n = 8) in a double-blind fashion. During the second session MEP area/Mmax area, MEP latency, silent period, CMEP area/Mmax Area, CMEP latency, Mmax area, and Mmax latency were measured at the same time-points as above. Additionally, PPT was measured during session one (pre-DOMS), as well as at the above time-points. Both groups exhibited a statistically significant decrease in PPT from pre-DOMS to pre-gel (Topical Analgesic, pre-DOMS = 7.03 ± 2.48 kg, pre-gel = 3.12 ± 1.26 kg, p <0.001 Placebo, pre-DOMS = 5.77 ± 2.35 kg, pre-gel = 3.51 ± 1.58 kg, p = .005). Following the application of gel there was a significant increase in PPT at post-15 min (3.70 ± 1.69 kg, t₍₇₎ = -2.619, p = .034), post-30 min (3.92 ± 1.67 kg, t₍₇₎ = -3.987, p = .005), and post-45 min (4.33 ± 1.65 kg, t₍₇₎ = -4,566, p = .003) compared to pre-gel (3.12 ± 1.26 kg) in the Topical Analgesic group only. Under the Placebo group, there was no statistically significant change in PPT values (p > .05). Regarding neurophysiological changes there was a statistically significant increase in silent period compared to pre-gel (85.67 ± 19.65 ms) at both post-30 min (96.08 ± 26.62 ms, p = .045) and post-45 min (94.23 ± 22.32 ms, p = .029), in the Topical analgesic Group. The Placebo group did not exhibit a statistically significant change in silent period at any time-point (p > .05). No other measures of corticospinal (MEP area/Mmax area, MEP latency, CMEP area/Mmax area, CMEP latency) or peripheral motor excitability (Mmax area, Mmax latency) were significantly different after the application of topical analgesic or placebo gel (p > .05).
When comparing pre-gel neurophysiological outcomes in participants from Experiment A: No DOMS (n = 16) and Experiment B: DOMS (n = 16), there were statistically significant differences in MEP area/Mmax area (Experiment A = 0.222 ± 0.169; Experiment B = 0.097 ± 0.057, p = .011), CMEP area/Mmax area (Experiment A = 0.186 ± 0.148; Experiment B = 0.077 ± 0.045; p = .012), and silent period (Experiment A = 77.41 ± 31.05 ms; Experiment B = 100.85 ± 32.29 ms; p = .045). No other neurophysiological measures were significantly different across experiments (p > .05). The present findings suggest that DOMS imposes changes in the neuromuscular system that result in increased pain, reduced corticospinal excitability, and elevated corticospinal inhibition. Following the administration of menthol-based topical analgesic, but not a placebo gel, there is a reduction in pain which is accompanied by further increases in corticospinal inhibition. These results provide novel information on the neurophysiological effects of DOMS, as well as the influence on topical analgesic on DOMS-induced neurophysiological changes.


identifier: Teimoori, Fereidoon <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Teimoori=3AFereidoon=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Disciplinary power, subjectivity and liberalism: a Foucauldian approach to the study of democracy and authoritarianism.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In his work, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Michel Foucault enhances discipline from a simple and straightforward concept to one of the fundamental and constitutional elements of economic and political modernity. While Foucauldian scholars have dedicated a fair amount of research to explore the role of discipline in the advent of economic modernity, the role of discipline in the emergence of modern political forms in general and liberalism, in particular, has remained relatively undertheorized. In this thesis, I attempt to fill this lacuna by providing a Foucauldian account of the relationships between discipline and liberalism. I argue that discipline has contributed to the possibility of liberal politics by constructing self-governed political subjectivities. After analyzing the role that discipline has played in the emergence and success of liberal politics in Western societies, I examine the implications of this analysis for societies that are governed by authoritarian regimes. By taking Iran as a case study, I show how the failure of disciplinary projects in shaping self-governed political subjects has contributed to the persistence of authoritarianism in this country.


identifier: O'Brien, Tracy Ann <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/O=27Brien=3ATracy_Ann=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Early modern English anxieties: English-Ottoman encounters in The Fair Maid of the West Parts I & II, and The Renegado.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries marked a period during which
England increased its participation in overseas exploration, trade, and colonization, and
was embroiled at home in religious discord and the transference of the English crown
from Queen Elizabeth I to King James I and then to King Charles I. Playwrights
responded to the sense of uncertainty that emerged from such social and political
instability through fictionalized depictions of English-Ottoman encounters in the
Mediterranean that involved romance, violence, and religious conversion. This project
contains analyses of three such plays: Thomas Heywood’s The Fair Maid of the West
Part I (c. 1600) and Part II (c. 1630), and Philip Massinger’s The Renegado (c. 1624),
and interrogates the dramatists’ portrayals of conflicts between Ottomans and Europeans
in the Mediterranean. This thesis considers how such portrayals signify the anxieties of
the early modern English through themes of race, sexuality, gender, class, nation, and
religion, and how these intersecting factors contributed to on-stage representations of
nascent English identity.


identifier: Ahmed, Tanzir <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ahmed=3ATanzir=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Solid state metathesis synthesis for ZnO-based materials towards applications in light-emitting diodes and ultra-violet-sensing devices.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Solid state metathesis (SSM) has gained much attention for the synthesis of ZnObased
semiconductors. SSM is a synthesis method that avoids organic solvents, high
temperature calcination, and it is simple and fast. Co-doped ZnO has already been
synthesized by several other methods (co-precipitation method, sol-gel). We wanted
to use SSM to make Co-doped ZnO, in which Zn²⁺ ions are replaced by Co²⁺ ions.
The thesis work goal was to prepare Co-doped ZnO to use it in light emitting diodes
as a red light emitter. Raman spectra of the attempted Co-doped ZnO confirms the
formation Co(OH)₂ as a secondary phase, which in turns converts into Co₃O₄ during
high temperature calcination. There were no characteristic peaks in the visible region
of UV-Vis spectra that would correspond to the emission of red light.
Stoichiometric ZnO films are good candidates for use in various sensing devices.
The frequency-dependent UV response of SSM-produced ZnO films were studied under
AC conditions. After storing in the dark for several days, the UV responses were
studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The resulting data allow
determination, for each individual film, what range of frequencies are appropriate for
use in UV sensing.


identifier: Subramonian, Anusree <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Subramonian=3AAnusree=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Universal tumor screening for lynch syndrome: patient perspectives and preferred model of consent.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Lynch Syndrome (LS) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal (CRC) and other cancers. High risk individuals can be detected by testing all CRC tumors for findings such as microsatellite instability suggestive of LS, known as ‘universal tumor screening’. Patient interest in screening and preferences for consent remain largely unknown. To explore the perspectives of CRC patients about universal tumor screening, a postal survey was administered to patients in NL diagnosed with CRC from 2014-2016 (n=698). Response rate was 47.6%. A large majority of patients (81.4 %) were willing to have their tumors tested if such a program were available in NL. Nearly all were willing to discuss their test result with family members and healthcare professionals, and the majority (62.6%) preferred informed consent be obtained prior to screening. While patients were supportive of tumor screening to identify LS, they expected some form of consent to be obtained, contrary to current practice across Canada. Findings can help guide the implementation of a universal tumor screening program in NL.


identifier: Caman, Marina <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Caman=3AMarina=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Russisch-Deutsche kollektive Erinnerungen in den Romanen von Eleonora Hummel und Nellja Veremej.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In der vorliegenden Magisterarbeit werden multidirektionale Erinnerungen und neue Erinnerungsgemeinschaften in den DebütromanenDie Fische von Berlin undDie Venus im Fenster von Eleonora Hummel undBerlin liegt im Osten von Nellja Veremej analysiert, um die Rolle ‚russischer‘ Erinnerungen für ein integriertes deutsches kollektives Gedächtnis hervorzuheben. Nach einem historischen Überblick über die Geschichte der Russlanddeutschen und der Migration aus Russland nach Deutschland werden im theoretischen Teil die Begriffe „Migrationsliteratur” und „Multidirectional Memory“ näher beleuchtet, die für die Analyse der Romane eine Zentrale Rolle spielen. Wie in den darauffolgenden Kapiteln argumentiert wird, wird in Hummels Romanen eine russlanddeutsch-deutsche Erinnerung und in Veremejs Roman eine russisch-ostdeutsche Erinnerung anhand einer post-sozialistischen Erinnerungsgemeinschaft entworfen. Wie im Fazit ausgeführt wird, tragen die Romane somit zu einem neuen inklusiven deutschen kollektiven Gedächtnis bei, das das Potential hat, die Integration von Migranten einfacher zu gestalten.


identifier: Torabi, Mohammad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Torabi=3AMohammad=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Analog layout design automation: ILP-based analog routers.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The shrinking design window and high parasitic sensitivity in the advanced technology have imposed special challenges on the analog and radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit design. In this thesis, we propose a new methodology to address such a deficiency based on integer linear programming (ILP) but without compromising the capability of handling any special constraints for the analog routing problems. Distinct from the conventional methods, our algorithm utilizes adaptive resolutions for various routing regions. For a more congested region, a routing grid with higher resolution is employed, whereas a lower-resolution grid is adopted to a less crowded routing region. Moreover, we strengthen its speciality in handling interconnect width control so as to route the electrical nets based on analog constraints while considering proper interconnect width to address the acute interconnect parasitics, mismatch minimization, and electromigration effects simultaneously. In addition, to tackle the performance degradation due to layout dependent effects (LDEs) and take advantage of optical proximity correction (OPC) for resolution enhancement of subwavelength lithography, in this thesis we have also proposed an innovative LDE-aware analog layout migration scheme, which is equipped with our special routing methodology. The LDE constraints are first identified with aid of a special sensitivity analysis and then satisfied during the layout migration process. Afterwards the electrical nets are routed by an extended OPC-inclusive ILP-based analog router to improve the final layout image fidelity while the routability and analog constraints are respected in the meantime. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed methods in terms of both circuit performance and image quality compared to the previous works.


identifier: Harris, Rebecca R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Harris=3ARebecca_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) The retail food environment: a rural perspective.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Through a series of manuscripts, this thesis has critically reviewed, analyzed and
discussed the contextual factors that are significant to measuring and intervening in the
rural retail food environment.
In order to encourage action and influence change, it is most effective to produce
evidence that is meaningful to policymakers, retail owners, and other key stakeholders,
guiding them in prioritized and informed decision making. To do this, we need to
promote greater transparency in reporting methodology; providing explicit definitions and
rationales so that findings are more accessible to knowledge users and can be used to
guide future research and policy direction. Reporting on all aspects of the food
environment including availability, quality and price as well as the exposure to nutritious
and non-nutritious foods are critical to capturing barriers and potential areas for
intervention in rural communities.
Improving food access in rural communities will require a comprehensive and multisectoral
effort. A direct and prioritized approach that addresses the fundamental barriers
to food access in rural communities is essential to making impactful improvements in the
accessibility of nutritious foods in rural communities and the health and well-being of
those who live there.


identifier: McDougall, Garrett <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McDougall=3AGarrett=3A=3A.html>   (2018) A study of hypertension induced nanoscale viscoelastic dysfunction of murine cardiovascular tissues.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Arterial stiffness plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension.
Similarly, pathologies of the left ventricle can manifest as a consequence
of hypertension. There is currently limited information regarding the impact of hypertension
on the nanoscale viscoelastic behaviors of cardiovascular tissues. Using
atomic force microscopy (AFM), we investigated viscoelasticity amongst vascular and
cardiac tissues. AFM based measurements revealed viscoelastic distinctions between
the differential layers of arterial vessels in hypertensive compared to normotensive rats
in both the thoracic and abdominal aorta. These minimal nanoindentation studies
identify impaired elasticity and energy dissipation throughout vasculature in the hypertensive
state. Subtle changes in the epicardium and endocardium of the left and
right ventricles were also found to exist, and such changes may be related to greater
levels of fibrosis in cardiac tissue in hypertensive animals.


identifier: Gupta, Debobrata <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gupta=3ADebobrata=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Low cost data logger and monitoring system for a small solar PV energy system.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A data logger and monitoring system are very crucial for a smooth, efficient and robust operation of PV solar energy system. Datalogger and monitoring system enables the proper operation and contributes to identifying system malfunctioning before any major breakdown. In this thesis, a low-cost, user-friendly, reliable datalogger and monitoring system has been developed mainly for a pico solar home system in a rural area of a developing country. This ESP 32 microcontroller based datalogger stores all monitoring parameter in a micro SD card and displays that on a local webpage in HTML format. Data can be downloaded directly from the webpage to analyze and verify the system operation. The developed datalogger hardware prototype uses only three sensors for temperature, voltage, and current sensing. An Android app is also developed for cell phone to display all parameters in real time basis for an efficient monitoring which can also able to send an alert text message to maintenance personnel for any issues in battery charging. The overall cost of this prototype is only around C$ 50.


identifier: Ferguson, Hillary <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ferguson=3AHillary=3A=3A.html>   (2018) An epistemological assessment of positivistic knowledge and humanistic knowing in medical care.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis investigates how medical knowledge is developed, implemented and applied. Two types of knowledge are discussed: (1) the positivist stance, regarding observation and evidence as the highest epistemic virtues; (2) humanistic ways of knowing, which consider subjectivity and nuance in medicine. I will discuss three forms of humanistic knowledge categorized as personalized, aesthetic and moral ways of knowing. These forms of knowledge embrace the humanistic goals of medicine and address the individual nature of healing. They seek to empower original thought, intuitive understanding, and ethical sensitivities in healthcare professionals. In contrast to the overarching mission of positivistic medicine to produce general knowledge about patient groups, humanism looks to particular patients and their unique caregivers. Positivistic knowledge and humanistic ways of knowing are viewed as essential to the clinical decision making process and are deemed to be complementary approaches, not rival theories. Used in combination, both strategies for seeking knowledge strengthen the overarching goals of medicine.


identifier: Bergshoeff, Jonathan Andrew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bergshoeff=3AJonathan_Andrew=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Assessing the performance and capture efficiency of the Fukui trap as a removal tool for the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in Newfoundland, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Invasive species are recognized as a serious threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functions, plant and animal health, and economic activities. Habitats around the world have been transformed through the negative ecological impacts of invasive species, such as the displacement of native species and changes to community structure. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a destructive marine invasive species that can cause widespread damage to invaded ecosystems, and is renowned for its aggression, broad environmental tolerances, and voracious diet. Discovered in Newfoundland waters in 2007, the green crab has since become established in nearshore ecosystems on the south and west coast of the island. Targeted fishing efforts aimed at removing green crabs commonly use Fukui multi-species marine traps, but prior to this thesis the direct interactions between green crabs and these traps had not been formally assessed.
In this study, underwater cameras were used to directly observe Fukui traps as they fished for green crabs. Analysis of these videos revealed that only 16% of green crabs that attempted to enter the Fukui trap were successfully captured. Based on these findings, four distinct trap modifications were designed to increase the number of green crabs caught in Fukui traps per deployment. In situ testing of these modifications revealed increased green crab catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) by as much as 81%, without increasing the impact on non-target species. This thesis demonstrates that modifications to Fukui traps can increase CPUE, thereby making them more effective tools for removing green crabs from invaded ecosystems.


identifier: Moyle, Jeremy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Moyle=3AJeremy=3A=3A.html>   (2018) House style and class in Victorian and Edwardian Dunedin, New Zealand, 1870-1910.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis explores the relationship between class and domestic house style in
Victorian and Edwardian Dunedin, New Zealand, 1870-1910. A detailed historical
examination is made of the colonial and commercial contexts that the city’s houses were
created in. Using historic images, a statistical analysis of house styles is also undertaken
to determine any clear associations between different occupational classes,
homeownership statuses, and stylistic features. The results are explored though the
stories of four individuals whose houses were included in the analysis. Ultimately, this
research suggests that house style could express wealth though scale, expensive
materials, and a clear visual differentiation between personal homes and budget rental
accommodation, but there was little evidence to suggest distinctive class-related tastes in
architecture.


identifier: Masoudi, Mehdi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Masoudi=3AMehdi=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Fluid structure interaction analysis of a wind turbine blade with bend-twist coupling for performance enhancement.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This research aims to investigate the aeroelastic capacities of a blade through geometry based bend twist coupling (BTC). Power optimization is performed based on Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) on NREL phase VI rotor and optimized power and elastic twist curves are presented. Elastic twist of the blade can be tailored to improve blade performance. BTC is implemented through the blade spar and blade planform. An L beam is incorporated in the blade as spar and fluid-structure interaction analysis is conducted. 1-way and 2-way fluid-structure interaction analysis are performed and compared. CFD results are verified with experimental data. Induced elastic twist is presented for different spar thicknesses and spar locations over a range of wind speeds. The results show improved elastic twist with a thicker spar placed closer to the tip of the blade. Modified blade designs with different curved planform are analyzed and the results are presented in this thesis. The curved blade is modeled and analyzed with L spar and box spar to compare the effects of spar type on elastic twist. More elastic twist is predicted in the blade with L spar compared to the blade with box spar. Elastic twist of up to 0.7˚ is yielded from the curved blades with L spar with bend depth of 1.5 m. A power increase of 1.89% for the wind turbine due to the induced elastic twist is predicted.


identifier: Shaheen, Maryam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shaheen=3AMaryam=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Digital communication technologies and leadership practice in higher education.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study, undertaken within a social constructivist tradition of inquiry, explores educational leaders’ perspectives on e-leadership practices and the ways new information and communications technologies (ICTs) have influenced leadership practices and abilities. I examine the ways in which technology is brought to bear on educational leaders’ roles and responsibilities in a post-secondary educational setting and identify skills and dispositions that are considered important for modern digital educational leaders. Using qualitative elite interviewing research methods, six (6) academic and five (5) administrative leaders working in a university environment were interviewed and the data analyzed using thematic data analysis procedures.
The findings show that ICT’s exert a transformative effect on leadership practices by enhancing leaders’ abilities to communicate widely and effectively, improving leadership productivity and providing new avenues for leader accessibility within the organization. The study also explores some of the challenges of leading in a digital environment including the maintenance of an effective professional online and social media presence, effective time management, cyber security issues, and amplified expectations from online constituents and other actors. The data show that leaders feel unprepared to tackle these challenges and feel they require on-going support and training. Today’s educational leaders require effective and sustained professional development in mobilizing ICTs in the leadership practice. Moreover, I suggest that effective technology education in the aforementioned areas must become an essential component of formal leadership education programs in order to prepare educational leaders to keep pace with the changing dynamics of leadership practice.


identifier: Page, Phoebe <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Page=3APhoebe=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Evil as anthropocentricism: resolving the ambiguity of Schellingian evil in the Freiheitsschrift through an application of environmental ethics.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Schellingian human freedom is the capacity for good and evil. This is what distinguishes humans from other beings. Despite Schelling’s articulation of this capacity formally, what remains unanswered is what evil looks like in the world. This investigation speculatively reads Schellingian evil as anthropocentrism and demonstrates that the central characteristics of both are resoundingly similar. I consider anthropocentrism within environmental ethics and ecofeminism, extracting the implications and ask what this means for Schellingian evil and critically, what do we do now? As such, this investigation examines the structure of the text outlined in the law of identity, and how this Spinozistic outline is furnished with Jakob Böhme’s concepts, considering what the implications are for Schellingian evil and beyond. This forms the ground for my central argument: that the ambiguity of what Schellingian evil looks like in the world can be understood in environmental terms as anthropocentrism.


identifier: Bui, Sinh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bui=3ASinh=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Autonomic nervous system approach to measure physiological arousal and assess user experience in simulation-based emergency procedure training environment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Given of the impossibility of exposing trainees to hazardous scenarios for ethical, financial and logistical reasons, virtual-environment (VE) based simulation training has been adopted in various safety-critical industries. Through simulation, participants can be exposed to a variety of training scenarios to assess their performance under different conditions. Along with performance measures, physiological signals may provide useful information about trainees’ experience. The objective of this research is to investigate the ability of physiological measurement to provide information on trainees’ experiences by assessing their physiological arousals in a simulation-based training environment.
In this study, 38 participants used a VE-based program called AVERT (All-hands Virtual Emergency Response Trainer). This program was developed for training emergency response procedures for the offshore petroleum industry. Signals of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activities (EDA), and respiration (RSP), were used to assess physiological arousal levels for 8 different conditions of an emergency evacuation task.
On average, neutral and training conditions could be distinguished with an 82.4% average accuracy by a subject-specific machine learning classifier. Most importantly, arousal levels in different training scenarios provide useful information that performance measures alone do not reveal.


identifier: Francis, Michael <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Francis=3AMichael=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Extra-curricular activities and their impact on teacher-student relationships.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether participating in extra-curricular
activities with students impacted the teacher-student relationship in the classroom. Ten
students and five teachers were interviewed. All 15 participants were either in grades 8 or
9, or a teacher of those grades. The results of this study show that participation in extracurricular
activities has a profound impact on the teacher-student relationship in the
classroom. Students and teachers alike reported positive experiences leading to an
increased personal bond between student and teacher. Students reported a genuine
appreciation for their teachers who volunteer their time to offer extra-curricular activities
within their school. The increased time spent together outside of the classroom creates a
stronger relationship characterized by a stronger sense of trust and higher levels of
student motivation in the classroom.


identifier: Aly, Mohamed <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Aly=3AMohamed=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Analysis of scale effect in ice flexural strength.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Ice flexural strength is an important parameter in the assessment of ice loads on the hulls of ice-class ships, sloped offshore structures, or sloped bridge piers. While scale effects in compressive ice strength are well known, scale effects in ice flexural strength are not proven. To investigate scale effects during flexural failure of both freshwater and saline ice, a comprehensive up-to-date database of beam flexural strength measurements has been compiled. The database includes 2073 freshwater ice beam tests between 0.00016 to 2.197 m³ volumes, and 2843 sea-ice beam tests between 0.00048 to 59.87 m³ volumes. The data show a considerable decrease in flexural strength as the specimen size increases, when examined over a large range of scales. Empirical models of freshwater ice flexural strength as a function of beam volume, and of saline ice as function of beam and brine volumes have been developed using regression analysis. For freshwater ice, the scale-dependent flexural strength is given as: σ


identifier: Vilá, Olivia Francis <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Vil=E1=3AOlivia_Francis=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Experiences of natural climate variability in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Climate variability is the semi-regular fluctuation of climate about its mean state. Whereas there is considerable research into how daily variability and long-term change may influence attitudes and perceptions of climate change, the influence of climate variability acting over timescales between these extremes (i.e. interannual anomalies, decadal cycles) has mostly been neglected in human dimensions of climate research. This lack of consideration of long-term climate variability has limited our capacity to assess climate perceptions effectively and holistically. The goal of this research was to explore the extent to which individuals notice, interpret, and communicate climate variability. Through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with people living in areas experiencing considerable climate variability, this research has begun to develop a baseline understanding of the weather and climate phenomena that are prevalent in participants’ lives. This project also analyzes some of the language strategies that individuals use to communicate weather/climate cycles and other relevant climate phenomena. Subsequent focus group discussions were used to test tools for communicating important weather/climate phenomena. Because human values and cultural meanings are often removed from climate science, climate-related information is difficult to understand and contextualize when disseminated to the public. By focusing on the social aspects of weather and climate experiences, this research identifies the climate features that matter most to individuals in the community being researched. The results of this project can inform future research investigating perceptions and experiences of past weather and climate phenomena. Furthermore, because longer-term variability is often misrepresented as counter-evidence to anthropogenic climate change by either those who do not understand or care to understand the phenomena, the results of this research can begin to aid in reducing the potential misinterpretations between natural climate variability and climate change.


identifier: Biswas, Rifat Md. Bakhtear <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Biswas=3ARifat_Md=2E_Bakhtear=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Investigation of EEG-based indicators of skill acquisition as novice participants practice a lifeboat manoeuvering task in a simulator.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Adequate training is essential in safety critical occupations. Task proficiency is typically
assessed through relevant performance measures. While such measures provide information
about how effectively an individual can perform the task, they give no insight about their
comfort level. Ideally, individuals would be capable of executing tasks not just at a certain
level of performance, but also with confidence and a high degree of cognitive efficiency.
Neural signals may provide information regarding a trainee’s task proficiency that
performance measures alone cannot. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns in
neural activity that are indicative of task proficiency. Ten novice participants completed ten
trials of a manoeuvering task in a high-fidelity lifeboat simulator while their neural activity
was recorded via 64-channel EEG. Power spectral features were used along with linear
discriminant analysis to classify the data from pairs of consecutive trials. Repeated measures
mixed model linear regression showed that on average, the classification accuracy of
consecutive trials decreased significantly over the course of training (from 82% to 73%). Since
the classification accuracies reflect how different the neural activation patterns in the brain
are between the trials classified, this result indicates that with practice, the associated neural
activity becomes more similar from trial to trial. We hypothesize that in the early stages of the
practice session, the neural activity is quite distinct from trial to trial as the individual works
to develop and refine a strategy for task execution, then as they settle on an effective strategy,
their neural activity becomes more stable across trials, explaining the lower classification
accuracy observed in consecutive trials later in the session. These results could be used to
develop a neural indicator of task proficiency.


identifier: Nyiawung, A. Richard <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nyiawung=3AA=2E_Richard=3A=3A.html>   (2018) New environmental governance interventions in the Global South: fishery improvement projects in the African context.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The eco-certification movement has gained significant momentum is some developing country industries, products, and markets, but the certification of wild-caught seafood production in developing country contexts is limited. In wild-capture fisheries, eco-certification has been relatively limited in Africa since the growth of certification programs expanded rapidly in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Few African fisheries have attained certification to standards set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the most prominent voluntary third-party certifier for wild-captured fisheries partly because certification to the MSC requires relatively significant resources and capacity. In response, proponents of eco-certification such as the World Wildlife Fund, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, initiated and developed multi-stakeholder Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) in the 2010s to help fisheries make improvements and meet sustainability indicators. Few researchers have examined FIPs within an African context, however, and little is known about how FIPs have been implemented in the African context. Drawing on literature review and key informant interviews with stakeholders involved in FIPs in the African context, this research examines the motivation and role of different actors and organizations within FIPs and the interactions among these actors and organizations. The findings suggest that international actors play significant roles in FIPs in early African cases, with significant international efforts to support capacity-building including fisheries management capacity. Local governments are often portrayed by actors and organizations involved in FIPs as weak and lacking enthusiasm. Producers, such as small-scale fishers, are generally not meaningfully integrated into formal FIP processes. These findings suggest that FIPs are shaped by complex and contested political economies of transnational governance with power differences influencing the motivation and interaction of participants. The political economy of FIPs includes complex and challenging opportunities and barriers to inclusion and participation and a general ambiguity of social development questions.


identifier: Uddin, Bilal <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Uddin=3ABilal=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Revisionist integral deferred correction methods with application to the moving method of lines.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Revisionist integral deferred correction (RIDC) methods are time parallel predictor-corrector
methods used to solve initial value problems (IVPs). The prediction and
the correction formulae are designed in such a way so that the prediction and the
correction steps can be computed simultaneously. More than one computing core can
be used at a time to correct the approximate solutions at different correction levels.
The multi-core implementation can improve the efficiency of the methods in terms of
runtime.
In our thesis, we ultimately wish to solve parabolic partial differential equations
(PDEs) numerically by combining the spatial adaptive moving mesh method with the
time parallel revisionist integral deferred correction (RIDC) method. To do so, we
expand an existing RIDC library to handle systems of IVPs of the form L(t, y)y′ =
f(t, y), y ∈ Rn. Discretization of a physical PDE by the moving method of lines
coupled with a semi-discretized moving mesh PDE results in a system of IVPs of
the form L(t, y)y′ = f(t, y), where y(t) is a vector consisting of the physical solution
u ∈ Rn and the mesh x ∈ Rn, and L(t, y) is a state dependent square matrix. We
achieve a RIDC implementation for this family of IVPs by systematically expanding
the existing RIDC formulation and software. We have verified our derived formulae
and software with relevant examples.


identifier: Gilbert-Mulcahy, Barbara Lynn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gilbert-Mulcahy=3ABarbara_Lynn=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Biological, linguistic and cultural change and education in one coastal community in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Much attention has been focused on issues of ecological and biological loss but less so on the worldwide loss of languages. There is heightened awareness of the need for sustainability in the ecological domain but less so in terms of language and culture. Nettle and Romaine (2000), whose research showed remarkably high correlations between areas of biological diversity and linguistic diversity, coined the term biolinguistic diversity to describe “a common repository” (p.13). It is a key concept for scholars across disciplines who explore diversity through integrated and holistic approaches. An examination of the relationships and differences between the domains of biology and language might explain reasons for loss, or sustainability, in both (Maffi, 2001; Romaine, 2013). I explore how a holistic approach will demonstrate the interconnections and interrelations within different domains. I relate these issues to the ecological disaster of fisheries mismanagement in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly with reference to the cod moratorium of 1992, and examine the impact on language and culture in one coastal community in the province. Furthermore, I examine how education can contribute to biological, linguistic and cultural sustainability.


identifier: Poirier, Claire Charlotte <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Poirier=3AClaire_Charlotte=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Hunting buffalo under the ground: encounters in heritage management.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This dissertation problematizes the notion that ‘heritage’ is a singular, agreed-upon concept within the context of central Alberta, Canada. Given this region’s particular history, geography, and policy-legal framework, the concept of heritage is embedded within networks of relations that take shape through archaeological, ceremonial, and bureaucratic practices, to name a few. By focusing on Plains Cree ceremonialism and the Government of Alberta’s strategies for heritage management, this research asks how or in what ways the state’s approach to the management of heritage infringes upon Plains Cree ancestral relations that are maintained through ceremony.
For those leading a Plains Cree ceremonial way of life, heritage refers to living relations with land-based entities, which require constant care and nurturance. For the state, heritage applies to tangible sites and materials associated with the land’s past inhabitants, which are dispensable in the name of economic progress. As the state implements procedures for the management of heritage, the relations that form Plains Cree ancestral networks come up against the modernist intellectual lineage that informs the state’s notions of what heritage is. Even as the state recognizes that local Indigenous people continue to retain a connection to sites and materials defined as heritage, the management of those sites and materials remains under state control. As a result, the state’s tendency to commoditize land and resources often becomes prioritized over the ancestral relations maintained through Plains Cree ceremonialism.
This dissertation aims to parse out the master narratives embedded in the state’s use of the concept of heritage from how it is used in reference to localized Plains Cree networks in which the landscape itself is an ancestor. Attending to the discord between divergent conceptions of what heritage is and what it does exposes the consequences that come as a result of assuming the concept has only one meaning and opens the way for the lively and active cultivation of Plains Cree ancestral landscapes.


identifier: Li, Cheng <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3ACheng=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Dreams and challenges: rural Chinese postsecondary students' experiences with learning English as a foreign language (EFL).  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: English as a foreign language (EFL) in China is predominantly regarded as a tool for the country to achieve modernization and for individuals to pursue education and employment. Students from rural China, however, typically present little interest and poor school achievement in EFL learning. While rural students' challenges in EFL learning have long been a problem of economic and social inequality, only little research addresses how rural students understand their challenges in relation to current EFL education in China. The purpose of this study is to investigate how rural students connect their challenges in EFL learning with the structural system of EFL education in China through their perceptions of EFL learning and their narratives of the challenge. Drawing on a poststructural paradigm, this study assumes that the individual rural student's partial and situated knowledge will inform what is constructed as authoritative knowledge in and what is excluded from the context of EFL education in China. A life story research was performed with an attempt to foreground rural students' knowledge and question the dominant standards and practices in China's EFL education. Twelve postsecondary students originally from rural villages participated in life story interviews, providing not only factual details of their experiences and events regarding EFL learning, but also narrations of their experiences and events. A narrative approach was adopted to analyze both the participants' experiences and narrative in their life stories. The findings of this study reveal that rural Chinese students often relate the challenge in EFL learning to the current structural system of EFL education in China. In such a context, the dominance of cosmopolitan structural system in EFL textbook contents, the prevalence of oral communicative class activities, and the dominance of instrumentalist ideology in foreign language policy impose subtle exclusionary forces upon rural students in their EFL learning. The participants' understanding of what is constructed as dominant concepts and practices provides both theoretical and pedagogical efforts are to be made to uncover and reduce the subtle exclusion of EFL education for improving equity in foreign language education.


identifier: Pye, Emily <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pye=3AEmily=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Writing in medical education: a student perspective.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Liason Committee of Medical Education (LCME) requires that faculties of medicine include
specific instruction in written communication skills. This study explored medical students’
experiences with developing writing competencies and reported the findings of a survey of
medical students that examined the relationship among students’ 1) self-reported writing
competence (writing self-efficacy), 2) self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies, and 3) attitudes
towards writing. The online survey was distributed in the fall and winter semester to 320 medical
students enrolled in all four years of undergraduate medical education at an Atlantic Canadian
university. The four-part survey included scales on writing self-efficacy, SRL strategy use, and
attitudes towards writing, each tested for scale reliability. The sample of medical students (N =
53) ranked their writing competence high and SRL strategy use high, yet expressed low levels of
feedback and writing instruction received from their medical instructors. The use of SRL
strategies was positively correlated with perceived writing competence. Students did not have
extensive experience with writing in a post-secondary setting. Many students saw the value of
writing in medicine, and some expressed interest in attending workshops that could improve their
writing. Student perspectives may inform curricular change, specifically the need to make
written communication skills explicit in medical education. Students should be taught why
effective writing skills are important in clinical practice to ensure writing practices are being
valued. The results suggest that workshops to improve writing, and more clear and consistent
feedback from teaching faculty, would be welcomed by students.


identifier: Howell, Jonathan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Howell=3AJonathan=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Physical and numerical analysis of fracture in flat plates arising from translating loads.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Previous work with moving loads showed a significant decrease in structural capacity of samples subjected to moving loads that caused plastic damages, however did not investigate loads which incited fracture. The state of the art in material science for ductile metals indicates that fracture can be predicted by a locus of triaxiality, Lode Angle Parameter and effective plastic strain. However, in the case of stationary loads, effective fracture strain has been used to accurately predict fracture.
Collision analysis for loads which incite fracture is more frequently being completed using non-linear finite element analysis, commonly using the effective plastic strain to fracture method. However, real collisions are often oblique, and as such, it can be assumed that some horizontal translation is realistic and should be modelled as a moving load.
This thesis explores the effects of moving loads which incite fracture in plate samples using experiments and corresponding numerical models. The results of this thesis found a significant loss in ability to resist fracture during the horizontal translation of a load along a plate sample as well as a clear inability to accurately characterize a moving load numerically using the effective plastic strain to fracture method. In particular, this thesis presents: the results of laboratory experiments using the Moving Load Apparatus involving two distinct indenters (cutting and rolling wheel) designed to induce different stress states; a discussion of calibrated numerical models as well as triaxiality and Lode Angle Parameter for the point of fracture of these models.


identifier: Minnes, Sarah Rose Lynda <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Minnes=3ASarah_Rose_Lynda=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Enhancing source water protection in rural regions: exploring the role of capacity and collaborative watershed governance in rural Ontario.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The primary goal of this research was to examine the implementation of Ontario’s source
water protection (SWP) policies and explore implications for rural regions. The research
was particularly focused on relationships between the implementation of the Clean Water
Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 22 (CWA) and capacity, as well as collaboration in governance,
two areas identified as key concerns in other contexts. The research explored the
successes and challenges with SWP planning and implementation in Ontario, implications
of the CWA for capacity building and collaborative watershed governance, as well as the
available capacity for SWP in privately-serviced areas. This research derived findings
from 30 key informant interviews conducted in two case study areas in Ontario (the
Cataraqui Source Protection Area and the North-Bay Mattawa Source Protection Area),
extensive document and literature review, and member checking.
The SWP process under the CWA raised capacity for SWP in the rural municipalities
impacted by the legislation and has contributed positively to enhancing collaborative
watershed governance in the province. Particularly, the CWA improved communication,
collaboration, transparency, integration, knowledge sharing, and trust amongst watershed
actors. However, there needs to be careful attention as the program continues to support
the capacity built. The lack of a reliable financial commitment to the process by the
provincial government disproportionately impacts rural communities, which often lack
the internal technical and financial capacity for SWP. The absence of a continued
provincial commitment to the SWP program under the CWA (financially and otherwise),
will impact the collection and maintenance of required data and monitoring of source
water supplies, enforcement of source protection plan policies, and public outreach and
education efforts. Furthermore, greater attention to flexibility for identified local concerns
is important. The CWA’s focus on SWP for exclusively municipal drinking water
systems left privately-serviced communities out of the process. A new, strategic,
implementable, and integrated institutional framework for SWP in privately-serviced
areas needs to be created, together with capacity building efforts for these areas, in order
to properly protect all drinking water sources in rural Ontario.


identifier: Lewis, Alyona F. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3AAlyona_F=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Incidence rates of malignancy and precancerous lesions in Newfoundland and Labrador population with immune mediated inflammatory diseases: psoriatic arthritis and rheumathoid arthritis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) are reported to be associated with an increased risk of malignancy. Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has one of the highest cancer rates in Canada. There is a paucity of literature on the prevalence of malignancy in NL patients diagnosed with RA and PsA. We hypothesize that the risk of malignancy in these groups of patients is higher compared to the NL general population.
Objective: Evaluate the incidence of malignancy and precancerous lesions in a cohort of PsA and RA patients and compare rates with the general population. Evaluate the impact of therapy and chronic inflammation on these two diseases.
Methods: Data were extracted from the charts of 700 arthritis patients (68% female) seen at a local rheumatology clinic between 2011 and 2014. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 21.0 (IBM Inc.). Overall cancer incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 person-years. Observed rates were compared with the rates in the NL general population. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess association between incident cancers and explanatory variables.
Result: The results suggest no significant difference in cancer rates between the cohort and the NL general population (P<0.3217). We identified 37(5.3%) different types of cancers. Etanercept and combination therapy (Biologics (bDMARDs) and Methotrexate (MTX)) showed significant risk reduction: (OR=0.1, 95% CI, 0.01-0.89, P=0.039) and (OR=0.3, 95% CI, 0.02-0.44, P=0.003) respectively.
Conclusion: There is no difference in the cancer rate between our study and the NL general population. We also concluded that the analyzed data was reassuring due to OR values less than 1 (OR 0.3, P=0.003) for combined therapy of MTX and Biologics. More epidemiologic studies are required to determine the cancer prevalence in NL population.


identifier: Bukola, Boluwade <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bukola=3ABoluwade=3A=3A.html>   (2018) The dynamics of the learning circle in high school: teacher and students in "equal partnership".  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The learning circle (Boyes-Watson & Pranis, 2014) is a concept that Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) is beginning to explore. It is a practice that allows the teacher and students to engage in equal partnership, which benefits both teaching and learning. The dynamics of the learning circle (LC) as a pedagogical tool are limitless, but as a science teacher, I have noticed a gap between theory and praxis in the practical ways teachers use restorative justice learning circles to teach, especially for teaching the science curriculum in high school (Evans & Vaandering, 2016, Riestenberg, 2012). This study explored this pedagogy in St. John’s, Newfoundland (NL), Canada in order to contribute to the existing literature on LC, especially for teaching science classes, where more real life experience is still needed to understand student engagement. Using a qualitative narrative case study, I examined the impact of the LC on teacher and student relationships and explored whether perceptions of moving towards equal (shared) partnership positively influence participation and achievement (Wadhwa, 2016). The findings and results revealed that the teacher and the students were impacted in various ways. Although the challenge of time constraints, reaching equal partnership, and inadequate prior knowledge and skills for practice were some concerns, after introducing the LC in the science class, the teacher participant acknowledged the potential of the LC for knowledge-based science topics and remained hesitant about its use for calculation-based topics. The students experienced an improved level of interaction with the teacher and had more time to process information when sharing reflections and wanted it introduced in their other classes as well.


identifier: Mosbah, Fathi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mosbah=3AFathi=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Design and analysis of a hybrid power system for Western Libya.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Renewable energy systems are widely used in the world, as their prices are going down
and efficiencies are improving every year. According to energy data from the General Electricity
Company of Libya, electricity demand in Libya is growing by about 9 percent every year. An
increasing number of power generators is needed to meet the electricity demand and prevent
power outages. In this thesis, available renewable energy sources in Bani Walid, Libya, which
is part of the western Libya power system, are studied to design a hybrid power system.
Optimization results show that a large-scale 76.8 MW PV system with a backup generator and
batteries for energy storage can provide reliable power in that area. A detailed system design,
optimal location, and stability analysis of the system have been studied and the results are
presented in this thesis. The system is sized using Homer ver. 2.68. Results of sensitivity
analysis show that irradiance sensitivity of -5, 0, and +5 have more effect on PV sizing than on
the batteries. Power system steady-state analysis and power flow calculation are done using
PowerWorld. Designed system stability and fault analysis are done using ETAP. Results
indicate that the expected maximum voltage drop is only 1.2%. Contingency analysis indicates
that an outage of transformer T10 will lead to 130% overloading of T11 and an outage of
transformer T13 can cause 108% overloading of T14. Transient analysis results indicate that
after a trip, voltage can vary by ±4%, with a peak variation of ±12%. The system control
methods and suggestions for further work are included in the thesis.


identifier: Elms, Justin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Elms=3AJustin=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Characterizing dynamic wetting behaviour on irregularly roughened surfaces.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Surface wettability describes the behavior of liquids on substrates and their ability
to remain in contact with them. Quantification of wettability is often reduced to a
measurement of the contact angle that a liquid droplet makes on the surface. Although
this practice has become ubiquitous in the literature, a growing number of researchers
have voiced concerns that static contact angles alone cannot fully describe surface
wetting properties. Our research findings fall in line with this sentiment and highlight
some of the difficulties encountered when quantifying dynamic wetting behavior. The
wetting dynamics of more than 300 droplets were studied on randomly roughened
surfaces to demonstrate the range over which advancing and receding contact angles
can vary. Factors such as droplet size, rate of volume change, and shape fitting
algorithms affected measured contact angles. The relation between static and dynamic
contact angle data was compared based on empirical models developed by others
[Furmidge J. Colloid Sci., 1962, 17(4), 309; Xiu et al., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2008,
112(30), 11403]. The results of these comparisons demonstrate that static contact
angles alone are not enough to characterize irregularly roughened surfaces, and that
more information related to dynamic wetting behavior, such as sliding angles and
hysteresis, is essential.


identifier: Bhatia, Karan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bhatia=3AKaran=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Development of dynamic models to estimate ice accumulation rate and risk-based inspection interval.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Evolving process operations in harsh environments and stringent safety regulations have created increasing complexity in the assessment and management of risks. This demands an advanced approach to monitor and manage the process system's risk profile. This thesis presents two contributions: i)a model for dynamic risk-based inspection planning, and ii)a predictive model for the ice-accumulation rate for operations in extremely cold conditions.
The traditional risk-based inspection (RBI) guidelines assume that the system is safe for operation throughout the planned interval. This assumption has led to several unfortunate accidents. A novel dynamic RBI model has been proposed in this study to monitor the system’s degradation rate and estimate its impact on the risk profile. The results were compared with the risk profile obtained industrial guideline: API-581. It is demonstrated that the use of this framework would provide a better understanding and monitoring of the system's risk. This will help to plan for optimal inspection intervals rendering the maximum cost savings possible while ensuring the system’s safety.
A new model is developed to predict the ice accumulation rate on sea vessels and offshore rigs operating in harsh and cold regions. This model use Bayesian approach to predict the icing rate. It be easily be applied to a wide range of vessels and rigs and can include several parameters. The model was tested and validated using an experimental setup designed to simulate the spray-icing observed on sea vessels. It was concluded that the ice accumulation rate predicted using the proposed model was reasonably close to the values observed in the experiment.


identifier: Hussey, Melissa H. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hussey=3AMelissa_H=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Perspectives on the legalization of cannabis in Canada and how this may impact university life.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Government of Canada announced the passing of bill C-45, providing legal
access to Cannabis in Canada and, to control and regulate its production by October 2018
(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [CBC], 2017). Cannabis is the most commonly used
illicit substance among university students, where the percentage is higher than any other
age group (Adamson, UNICEF Office of Research, & Canadian Electronic Library,
2013). Yet little research has been conducted on their perceptions of cannabis
legalization. It is inevitable that this change in cannabis policy will be implemented, and
university students are of particular importance. The purpose of this study is to further
understand students’ views and concerns pertaining to the recent topic of legalization of
cannabis in Canada. Participants were interviewed to understand, and to explore, their
perceptions of legalization of cannabis, giving them the opportunity to express how it
may impact their lives, specifically while attending university. Themes arising from these
semi-structured interviews and their implications for future research and practice are
explored.


identifier: Sheykholeslam, Mohammad Hoseyn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sheykholeslam=3AMohammad_Hoseyn=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Privacy-preserving query processing on health data.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Due to the huge volume of digital data and the underlying complexity of data
management, people and companies are motivated to outsource their computational
requirements to the cloud. A significant portion of these productions are used in
health applications. While popular cloud computing platforms provide flexible and
low-priced solutions, unfortunately, they do so with little support for data security
and privacy. This shortcoming clearly threatens sensitive data in cloud platforms.
This is especially true for health information, which should always be adequately
secured via encryption. Providing secure storage and access to health information
that is generated by systems or used in applications, is the main challenge in today’s
health care systems. As a result, owners of sensitive information may hesitate in
purchasing such services, given the risks associated with the unauthorized access to
their data. Considering this problem, researchers have recommended applying encryption
algorithms. Data owners never disclose encryption keys in order to keep
their encrypted data secure. Because cloud platforms can not search in data which is
encrypted with regular encryption algorithms, it is supposed that data owners conceal
their secrets with searchable encryption algorithms. Searchable encryption is a
family of cryptographic protocols that facilitate private keyword searches directly on
encrypted data. These protocols allow data owners to upload their encrypted data
to the cloud, while retaining the ability to query over uploaded data. In this project,
we focus on symmetric searchable encryption schemes, as well as apply an efficient searchable encryption scheme which supports multi-keyword searches to provide a
privacy preserving keyword search framework for health data. Our framework applies
a recent secure searchable encryption scheme and employs an inverted indexing
structure in order to process queries in a privacy-preserving manner.