identifier: Kouwenberg, Amy-Lee <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kouwenberg=3AAmy-Lee=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Episodic-like memory in purebred and crossbred Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Episodic memory is a human ability that involves mental re-creation of a personally experienced past event. Its existence is controversial in animals because it requires demonstration of self-consciousness and mental time travel. Episodic-like memory (simultaneous recall of what, where, when aspects of a past event) has been demonstrated in non-humans and appears to depend on the hippocampus. We explored the potential for episodic-like memory in pigs, a previously un-studied species reported to have high mental capacity. As was done for rats, we adopted a definition of episodic-like memory that equates recall of time ("when") with recall of context ("which"). We tested pigs' ability to remember what (object), where (location) and which (context). Through novel object recognition, pigs identified the less familiar of two object/location/context configurations. Since configuration familiarity differed only if all aspects were remembered simultaneously, we concluded that pigs were able to recall what/where/which, providing evidence of episodic-like memory.


identifier: Jebbink-Whenham, Carolyne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jebbink-Whenham=3ACarolyne=3A=3A.html>   (2001) Formative evaluation of a software prototype with grades five and six students attending school in the Northwest Territories.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: The focus of this master's project was a formative evaluation of the software prototype "Rainforests of the World" developed by the writer with Dene and non-Dene students attending grades five and six in a northern rural community. The purpose of a formative evaluation was to determine how the prototype could be improved to benefit its users.The evaluation procedure followed the three-stage model developed by Alessi & Trollip (1991); namely the Quality Review, the Pilot Test and a Validative Stage. The Quality Review with subject matter experts and instructional design expert comments was completed in November 1995. This project focused on the Pilot Test with three students and the Validation Stage with twelve students. Protocol analyses and semi-structured interviews were used to answer the validation question: How do Dene and non-Dene students in grades five and six learn about the facts and layers from the "Rainforests of the World" software prototype? Individual students sat with the investigator at the rain forest computer program. Students thought aloud as they used the program to learn about rainforests of the world. Their verbal reports and computer mouse activities were recorded on videotape. It was expected that results from the data that students would learn by the integrating prior knowledge of rainforests with constructivist learning tasks embedded in the computer program.


identifier: Butt, Mark-Andrew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Butt=3AMark-Andrew=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Hydrodynamic improvements for the DOLPHIN : a surface-piercing semi-submersible AUV.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In 1996, the Institute tor Marine Dynamics (IMD) together with International Submarine Engineering Research Limited (ISER) and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) proposed to design and test a 1/2 scale surface-piercing mast for the DOLPHIN semi-submersible vehicle. The proposed mast was required to reduce mast drag, and hence overall vehicle drag, and, to provide improved roll control. To improve vehicle roll control, a new mast was designed with a 25% of chord plain flap over its lower-half and active air ejection over its surface-piercing upper-half. Both methods of roll control were independently tested in the 200m Clear Water Towing Tank at IMD using a 0.516 scale-model of the DOLPHIN. This work was carried out in early 1998. -- This thesis presents and discusses the results obtained from the scale-model tests. Specifically, it was found that the existing mast represented 54% of overall vehicle drag at the deepest operating draft, while the proposed mast represented only 26% at this same draft. With air ejection from the proposed mast, the overall drag at the deepest draft increased slightly to 31%. -- The basic proposed mast configuration (no air, no flap) provided too much vehicle counter-roll. However, with the inclusion of air ejection on the upper-half of the proposed mast, the vehicle roll moment was considerably reduced. In fact, for some tests the vehicle roll moment was effectively reduced to zero. It was also determined that the 25% of chord flap on the proposed mast was adequate in providing vehicle roll control.


identifier: Burdett-Coutts, Victoria H. M. (Victoria Hariot Maria) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Burdett-Coutts=3AVictoria_H=2E_M=2E_=28Victoria_Hariot_Maria=29=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Larval supply, settlement, and recruitment of American lobster, Homarus americanus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis contains three studies on the American lobster, Homarus americanus. Two took place in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland and a third used a long-term young-of-year (YoY) recruitment index from New England, USA. In the first study, planktonic larval and benthic suction sampling along the Bonne Bay estuary indicated larval concentrations were consistently highest at the mouth of the bay, with a more dramatic drop in density from early to late stages than reported elsewhere. The second study evaluated the spatial scale of correlations between YoY recruitment and older juvenile densities at some 70 sampling sites in New England. Strong correlations at even the finest scale (metre's), along with behavioural experiments, suggest postlarvae preferentially settle among resident conspecifics. The third study compared fishers' local knowledge of lobster hatching and nursery locations in Bonne Bay against ground-truth data collected by fishery-dependent and -independent surveys. Fishers accurately identified hatching but not nursery locations in the bay. -- Keywords: Homarus americanus; larvae; advection; juvenile; recruitment; mortality; Local Environmental Knowledge.


identifier: Pryse-Phillips, Amy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pryse-Phillips=3AAmy=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Modeling the effects of climate change on streamflow in a sub-basin of the Lower Churchill River, Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Future streamflow in the Churchill River is of great interest to Nalcor Energy, the Newfoundland and Labrador energy corporation that is currently planning the development of a 3,074 MW hydroelectric project in Labrador. The current study investigates the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow in a sub-basin of the lower Churchill River. -- In this study, a dynamically downscaled future climate scenario is used to drive a hydrological model of the Pinus River basin to assess climate change impacts on localized streamflow between current (1969-2000) and future (2039-2070) periods. The WATFLOOD hydrological model has been selected for this purpose while the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program has served as the source of regional climate model (RCM) data. -- Biases were detected in RCM temperature and precipitation and non-linear bias-correction procedures were applied prior to simulation in the hydrological model. The results indicated a 13 percent increase in mean annual flow, concentrated in the winter and spring seasons.


identifier: Al-Habashneh, Al-Abbass Y. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Al-Habashneh=3AAl-Abbass_Y=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2010) MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks in forest fire detection.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Power consumption, latency, and complexity are considered to be benchmarks for comparing Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). However, the importance of these elements varies according to the application. Furthermore, the reliability of the system is a more specific factor whose importance strongly depends on the application. The term reliability represents the ability of the system to generate authenticated data and transport this data. In this thesis, three MAC protocols are proposed for forest fire detection. Basically, two of these protocols are based on the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol with some modification to suit the forest fire detection application. These protocols are called Persistent CSMA (P-CSMA) and Per Hop Synchronization CSMA (PHS-CSMA). The third one is a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)-based protocol, called Sensor TDMA (S-TDMA). These three protocols are investigated and analyzed by simulation. Moreover, an analytical model is presented for the reliability analysis. Results show that there is no superior protocol which outperforms others in terms of power consumption, delay, reliability and complexity. However, a trade-off does exist. In terms of power consumption, S-TDMA outperforms other protocols but it is not the best in terms of delay, and it has the most complex implementation since a complete time synchronization is required over the entire cluster while PCSMA and PHS-CSMA do not require time synchronization between nodes. PHS-CSMA outperforms P-CSMA in terms of power and delay, but it is more complex since it needs a coordination between nodes to establish a temporary time synchronization at the transmission times. In terms of reliability, all protocols perform similarly. However, at high node failure rates, the presented protocols do not show a great data transport reliability performance. Therefore, route maintenance algorithms are proposed to enhance the reliability performance1 of the presented protocols. An analytical model is built to examine the reliability performance of the presented algorithm. Analytical results supported by simulation results show that the target is successfully achieved, where a near unity reliability is attained.   Extra delay and power consumption are the price paid for this improvement in reliability.


identifier: Breen, Sarah <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Breen=3ASarah=3A=3A.html>   (2009) Small hydro: a tool for sustainable community development in rural Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: An examination of the use of small hydro as a tool for sustainable community development, this dissertation combines research from the fields of community development, sustainability, and renewable energy development. Historically, community owned small hydro has been used for the benefit of local communities, initially through the provision of services and later through the generation of revenue. Current literature suggests that there is also a strong link between community energy and sustainability. Through an examination of four community-owned small hydro case studies, this research employed semi-structured interviews and sustainable development indicators to examine how each of the communities developed and used small hydro for the betterment of the community. This examination provided the basis for an evaluation of the overall impact of small hydro on community sustainability. Additionally, this dissertation discusses the connection, or lack thereof, between sustainability, energy use, energy generation, and the surrounding institutions (i.e. the energy disconnect).


identifier: Dobbin-Williams, Karen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dobbin-Williams=3AKaren=3A=3A.html>   (2009) Surgical site infection in vascular surgery: an exploration of risk factors and nursing interventions.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Background/Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI) is the third most common type of healthcare-associated infection accounting for approximately 38% of all infections in the surgical patient population. In 2005, the Canadian "Safer Healthcare Now" campaign identified 4 strategies to reduce SSI risk based on available evidence: 1) antibiotic prophylaxis, 2) maintenance of glycemic control in the coronary artery bypass graft surgery population. 3) maintenance of intraoperative normothermia in the colorectal surgery patient population, and 4) appropriate preoperative hair removal. Published research is limited on the use of these four strategies in the prevention of SSIs in vascular surgery patients. The purpose of this study was to determine risk factors for SSI in vascular surgery and to identify nursing interventions to decrease this risk. A secondary purpose was to determine the SSI rate for vascular surgery patients. -- Methods: A sample of 116 was drawn from all vascular surgery patients who underwent Class 1 (clean) vascular surgeries of interest (bypass and abdominal aortic aneurysm [AAA] repair) during 2005. Every second patient from a list with one of these surgeries formed the sample. Paper and electronic charts were retrospectively reviewed, including post discharge records from outpatients clinics, ER, and the Vascular Laboratory. Information on risk factors for SSI, practices related to the management of risk factors, and incidence of SSI was gathered. Standard CDC definitions were used. An attending physician saw 95.7% of patients within 6 weeks of their surgery. -- Results: The SSI rate was 17.2%. Significant SSI risk factors were incorrect timing of antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.0068), increased glucose or HbA1c level perioperatively in non-diabetic patients (p = 0.0468), and abrasion in the incisional area preoperatively with no antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.0047). Risk factors with a trend but not significant were: not receiving antibiotic prophylaxis with no artificial graft inserted, elevated HbA1c level, hypothermia despite receiving a warming intervention in the post-anaesthesia recovery room (PARR), hypothermia on transfer between units, abrasion in the incisional area preoperatively, emergency procedure, renal/liver disease, increased number of cigarettes smoked, blood loss of 1200-4499 mL, and anemia with blood loss 300-1199 mL. Practice findings included antibiotic prophylaxis was not given to all patients at the correct time or at all, the frequency of glucose and temperature assessments was inconsistent, interventions for hyperglycemia and hypothermia were inconsistently provided and evaluated for effectiveness, aspects of assessment and care were not documented, and policy and protocols for temperature assessment were inconsistently followed. -- Implications: The findings highlight elements of care which might reduce SSI in vascular surgery patients. Improvements are needed in glucose and temperature assessment and control, and antibiotic prophylaxis. Additional research is required with a larger sample size, and on strategies to improve adherence to protocols and policies in existence.


identifier: Sam-Aggrey, Horatio <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sam-Aggrey=3AHoratio=3A=3A.html>   (2009) Working in the new economy: class and status identities among information technology employees in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis reports on research about the class and status identities exhibited by different levels of information technology (IT) employees in St John's Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. One important finding of this research is that significant differences exist in the organization of work and the labour market situations experienced by the different levels of IT employees. This is especially the case when high-level professionals and call centre workers are compared. This study also revealed a strong relationship between the objective class position of interviewees and attitudes that can form the basis of a rudimentary class consciousness. However, these fundamental bases of class consciousness are not developed into a coherent class consciousness. As a result, class consciousness was found to be fragmentary among these employees. In terms of status, the majority of interviewees in each of the occupational strata believe that some people in Newfoundland and Labrador society have higher social status than others. The two most important findings were that descendants of the merchant class who controlled the fishery sector in the 19th century possess high status positions because of the fact that their family names are well known owing to the power and wealth they had accumulated over the years. Another significant finding is the issue of the status inequality between people originating from the outports compared to those from the urban areas. This research concludes that in Newfoundland and Labrador society, while objective class position is still an important factor in determining class and status identities, local factors play an equally important role in creating such identities. Thus, this research draws attention to some of the inadequacies of the grand theories of class and status which often ignore the influence of local and historical factors in the formation of class and status identities.


identifier: Algoo-Baksh, Stella <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Algoo-Baksh=3AStella=3A=3A.html>   (1983) Blake and the Bible.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Blake and the Bible

abstract: Through an examination of William Blake's literary works, this thesis attempts a systematic presentation of Blake's interpretation of the Bible. Following a brief introduction, which discusses the strength of Blake's interest in the Bible as well as the character of potential influences on his interpretation of the Scriptures, the study examines Blake's earlier works for at least preliminary statements relating to his reading of the Bible. It is found that up to The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which inverts common interpretations of the Bible, there is little by way of actual reinterpretation of the Bible but that a number of notions and personae which are important in Blake's later efforts to reinterpret the Scriptures already exist though usually in embryonic form. -- The study then presents an overview of Blake's reading of the Bible and suggests that the poet views the Biblical account of Hebrew history as representing the history of Man as a whole and as depicting Man's progress through a series of cycles from a Creation-Fall toward an Apocalypse and Redemption. The thesis next discusses in some detail Blake's version of the Creation-Fall, showing how he radically reinterprets the Biblical account of the Creation-Fall. There then follows an examination of Blake's reinterpretation of the Apocalypse and Redemption, which reveals how in his account of Apocalypse and Redemption Blake inverts or modifies widely held interpretations of the Biblical version of the Apocalypse and Redemption. Finally, there is a summary of the findings of this study regarding Blake's interpretation of the Scriptures, followed by a concluding discussion of the significance of Blake's reading of the Bible.


identifier: Quinton, Bruce W. T. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Quinton=3ABruce_W=2E_T=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Progressive damage to a ship's structure due to ice loading.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis investigates the structural response of an "IACS polar class" large grillage structure to progressive damage loads from ice. The "IACS polar class" design scenario is a static "glancing" load. It was desired to know if the structure responded differently to dynamic progressive loads, than it did to static loads. An explicit nonlinear numerical model was created. This numerical model was validated against full-scale experiments involving an "IACS polar class" large grillage structure. Eight progressive damage load scenarios were tested using the numerical model. In addition, strategically placed static loads were tested in order to provide a basis for comparison between the dynamic and static structural responses. It was found that the large grillage's structural capacity to withstand dynamic progressive damage loads was generally less than its capacity to withstand static loads. Further, the structural mechanisms behind this decrease in structural capacity were identified.


identifier: Zubayer, Abir <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Zubayer=3AAbir=3A=3A.html>   (2015) The multi-craft problem: a distributed simulation approach using networked floating objects.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The multi-craft problem is defined as simulating the interactions of multiple objects
floating on water. This encompasses the direct interactions between water and the object,
and indirect interactions between objects that occur via the water. Existing solutions
generally treat the floating objects as simple 3-dimensional volumes with properties, such
as weight and buoyancy. For many practical situations, these objects need to be simulated
by complex rules. The simulation of ships is a case in point. As realistic water simulation
itself is computationally expensive, accommodating the added complexity due to floating
objects can be a difficult task. The research presented in this thesis proposes a method for
distributed water simulation where the scope of each participating simulation is chosen by
the model that governs it. For the multi-craft problem, this means simulating the water in
one node and simulating the floating objects in other nodes in a network. Details of two
prototypes created as part of this research are presented to show its applicability for
solving this problem and how implementation of such a scheme can be achieved. Its
effects on modularity, performance, scalability and reliability are also illustrated.


identifier: Penney, Chantelle M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Penney=3AChantelle_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Physiological responses of the crabs Carcinus maenas and Cancer irroratus to the combined challenges of digestion and low salinity.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Osmoregulation and digestion are energetically demanding processes that typically result in an increase in metabolic rate. Crabs that move into low salinity environments to feed must be able to balance the demands of both processes. However, achieving this balance may pose greater challenges for weak osmoregulators and conformers than for stronger regulators. In this study, the rate of oxygen consumption (MO₂) of green crabs (Carcinus maenas, an efficient osmoregulator) and rock crabs (Cancer irroratus, a weak osmoregulator) was examined as a function of feeding and salinity. MO₂ increased over 2-fold in both species after feeding in 32‰ and returned to pre-fed values in 17-20 hours. When fasted crabs were given an acute hyposaline exposure (24 and 16‰ for C. irroratus; 16 and 8‰ for C. maenas), MO₂ increased and remained elevated with lower salinities resulting in higher peak values for MO₂. When challenged with low salinity after feeding, C. maenas responded with an immediate addition of the MO₂ due to feeding upon that due to salinity stress, whereas C. irroratus reacted with a delayed increase in MO₂ following the salinity drop. Several aspects of their physiology and behaviour were investigated in an attempt to explain these differences. Although protein synthesis is reported to account for the majority of the postprandial increase in MO₂, this did not appear to be the case in this study. There was no effect of feeding or low salinity on protein synthesis rates in the leg, gills, or hepatopancreas of either species, and this suggests that protein synthesis can continue in low salinity as long as substrates are available. Further, the behaviour (i.e. activity) of the crabs and aspects of their mechanical digestion could not explain the differences in MO₂. C. irroratus became more active than C. maenas in low salinity, and C. irroratus exhibited a trend towards a decrease in gut contraction rate which resulted in longer transit times of the meal through the gut in this species. This reduction in gastric processing may have stemmed from an inability of C. irroratus to regulate osmotic water onload as efficiently as C. maenas, and this likely delayed the additive effect of the metabolic demands of digestion and salinity stress.


identifier: Alkadour, Bassel <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Alkadour=3ABassel=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Micromagnetic simulations of maghemite nanospheres in FCC arrays.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Encouraged by recent developments in synthesizing magnetic nanospheres and
nanos- phere super-lattices, we study maghemite nanospheres using stochastic LLG
implemented by Maglua programming environment. We consider core-shell model
where the core has bulk like exchange and the surface has weak exchange and radial
anisotropy. First, we study noninteractiong nanospheres with diameters ranging from
5 nm to 7.5 nm. For comparison, we vary the surface anisotropy and the surface
thickness. We observe ferrimagnetic order where the core has a bulk-like spin texture
and ordering temperature whereas the surface spins show a hedgehog-like texture
with a domain wall at the magnetic equator. The nanospheres prefer the magnetic
moment to be in the direction that maximizes the surface vacancies at the equator,
which results in a magnetic torque. Also, results of multi-scale simulations of 7.5 nm
maghemite nanosphere FCC arrays with different surface thicknesses are presented.
Comparing these arrays with the corresponding dipole arrays (with no anisotropy)
reveals an orientational disorder below T = 20 K due to magnetic torque generated
by the surface vacancies.


identifier: Roe, Elizabeth Patterson <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Roe=3AElizabeth_Patterson=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Exploring the influence of international social work practicums on career choices and practice approaches.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission.


identifier: Moffatt, Ian <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Moffatt=3AIan=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Confederate hauntings: the spectral legacy of nationhood in contemporary Newfoundland fiction.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Casual references to ghosts, hauntings, and specters abound in contemporary Newfoundland writing. Frequently, the Newfoundland nation emerges as a ghost that haunts the post-Confederation moment. Wayne Johnston, in his memoir, Baltimore’s Mansion, considers Newfoundland’s “ghost history” in which “the independents had won the referendum” (241). Paul Chafe, in his important dissertation on Newfoundland fiction, points to a province-wide “longing” for “Newfoundland if only things had turned out differently. This is the narrative that haunts Newfoundlanders” (78). Discussing comments made by crab-fisher Tom Best, Jennifer Delisle, in her literary study The Newfoundland Diaspora, writes that Best puts forward an affect of being “haunted by the loss of nationhood” (20–21). This pattern warrants a more thorough examination of the idea of the spectral as it works in Newfoundland literature. To that end, I use the diverse field of spectral theory—which uses ghosts and hauntings as analytical tools—to examine three important works of post-Confederation Newfoundland fiction: Wayne Johnston’s The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (1998), Michael Crummey’s Galore (2009), and Paul Bowdring’s The Strangers’ Gallery (2013). All of these novels use the idea of the spectral to convey Newfoundland’s historical, geographic, and social complexity. In The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, the spectral works to bolster nationalist narratives of Newfoundland that are defeatist, exclusionary, and oppositional. Alternatively, Galore and The Strangers’ Gallery use the spectral as a means of challenging the rhetoric of Newfoundland nationalism.


identifier: Pollom, Riley <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pollom=3ARiley=3A=3A.html>   (2015) A global review of the spatial, taxonomic and temporal scope of freshwater fisheries hydroacoustic studies and an investigation into the measurement of within- and between-season fish population fluctuations in a boreal reservoir.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Hydroacoustics for studying fisheries ecosystems has been developed and improved upon since the practice was first used in the inter-war era, with observational and analytical approaches constantly being adapted for a better understanding of aquatic environments. Recently the application has been gaining popularity for use in freshwater ecosystems, improving the study of lakes, reservoirs and rivers. This thesis aims to advance freshwater hydroacoustics by testing size-based approaches for assessing the status of Lac du Bonnet, a boreal reservoir in Manitoba, Canada. There, 11 systematic acoustic surveys were conducted in order to determine fish abundance and changes in that abundance over two summers in 2011 and 2012. This technique shed light on aquatic ecosystem dynamics, namely within-season fish mortality and recruitment variability between two years. A global ecological review of the scope of freshwater fisheries hydroacoustics was first undertaken in order to determine the spatial, temporal, and taxonomic research gaps that must be addressed if a thorough understanding of global freshwater systems is to be obtained through hydroacoustics. This review provides guidance for the implementation and improvement of the size-based techniques elaborated on later.


identifier: Fugarino, Virginia S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Fugarino=3AVirginia_S=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2015) "Every hurricane leaves you with different priorities": preparation, cultural response, and narrative entitlement.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The United States Gulf Coast is a region with a long-standing history of hurricanes. As such, the residents of this region have a wide variety of experiences in dealing with the threats and actualities of hurricanes. Although the region has experienced numerous storms in its history, this discussion focuses on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) and Hurricane Ike (2008).
Central to this discussion is the idea that safety is a concern important to all people involved before a hurricane but that the expressions of this concern can vary both on an institutional and individual level. In this way, this thesis looks at preparation both from a media perspective (as media presents a construction of preparation based upon using official sources) and from the residents’ perspectives. News articles from the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Houston Chronicle are drawn from the days leading up to hurricane landfall—the period when preparation messaging is prominent in the media. Content analysis of these articles (influenced by Zhang and Fleming 2005 and Choi and Lin 2008) develops a sense of the media narrative of preparation. In juxtaposition, this thesis also examines residents’ approaches of hurricane preparation through analysis of personal experience narratives. Through fieldwork interviews and archival research, this thesis analyzes narratives from the Greater New Orleans and Houston areas. The analysis of the media narratives and the personal narratives underscore that preparation is a complex issue. Using the concepts of master narrative (e.g., Lyotard 1979, Lawless 2001 and 2003) and narrative entitlement (e.g., Shuman 2005 and 2006), this thesis proposes that there are areas of resistance and cooperation between the two kinds of narratives. The media narrative, which is often constructed using the perspectives of “officials” (government, meteorologists, etc.), creates an “authoritative” messaging of how residents should prepare, but the residents’ themselves, with experiences of their own to draw from and their own perspectives on the appropriate responses to storm threats, may respond in ways that do not align with the official recommendation. As part of this interplay between official and lay narratives, the discussion proposes the idea that the “narrative of pre-victimization” may be at play in some official communications. This narrative places residents within a narrative space in which they may be doomed to fall prey to a hurricane if they do not follow official recommendations.
This thesis adds to the disaster folklore literature by extending research on hurricanes by considering multiple storms in its scope. It contributes to the discussion of interactions between media and personal narrative. This discussion also opens up the discussion of hurricane stories to include preparation as a useful area of narrative study.


identifier: Sayehban, Mona <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sayehban=3AMona=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Mean field evolution in an open quantum system.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis, we consider N quantum particles coupled to collective thermal quantum environments. The coupling is energy conserving and scaled in the mean field way. There is no direct interaction between the particles, they only interact via the common reservoir. It is well known that an initially disentangled state of the N particles will remain disentangled at times in the limit N -> [infinity]. In this thesis, we evaluate the η-body reduced density matrix (tracing over the reservoirs and the N - η remaining particles). We identify the main disentangled part of the reduced density matrix and obtain the first order correction term in 1/N. We show that this correction term is entangled. We also estimate the speed of convergence of the reduced density matrix as N -> [infinity]. Our model is exactly solvable and it is not based on numerical approximation.


identifier: Roche, Madonna Margaret <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Roche=3AMadonna_Margaret=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Diabetes and early and late diagnosis in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The primary objective of this research was to examine diabetes with a focus on the timing of its diagnosis, the factors associated with diabetes, risk of mortality and hospitalization outcomes, and the diagnosis, treatment and management in Newfoundland and Labrador. Administrative data were used to develop definitions of early and late diabetes diagnosis based on when various complications and comorbidities developed. This dissertation is comprised of three studies. The first study aimed to describe factors associated with diabetes, a late diabetes diagnosis, and whether these factors are different for males and females. The second study compared risk of mortality and hospitalizations for males and females with and without diabetes and those diagnosed early and late with diabetes. The third study aimed to describe how family physicians diagnose, treat and manage type 2 diabetes and to identify if there were any differences in how male and female family physicians diagnose, treat and manage those with type 2 diabetes.
The findings indicate that different factors are associated with a diabetes diagnosis and its timing in males and females. Females living in a rural area, receiving social assistance, having poor self perceived health and considering most days stressful appear to have the greatest risk for developing diabetes. Females with lower education levels are less likely to be diagnosed late with diabetes compared to females with a higher level of education. Females with diabetes have a greater risk of mortality than males with diabetes and cardiovascular disease has a greater negative impact on females with diabetes than on males, especially when females are diagnosed at a later stage. Finally, the majority of family physicians in this province have patients with complications present when diagnosed with diabetes. Even though family physicians have positive attitudes toward diabetes management, risk factors for diabetes complications are not monitored optimally. Male and female family physicians were similar in their diagnosis, treatment and management practices and in their attitudes toward diabetes.
In conclusion, certain risk factors appear to impact males and females differently and more research is needed on the timing of diagnosis and how males and females develop diabetes. Different management strategies could be considered for males and females and those diagnosed at different stages with diabetes. Family physicians should monitor risk factors for diabetes complications more closely in an attempt to manage progression of the disease.


identifier: Bethune, Caitlin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bethune=3ACaitlin=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Rain city chronicles: storytelling and authenticity in Vancouver, BC.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis folkloristically examines a Vancouver-based storytelling night called
“Rain City Chronicles,” founded in 2009. Specifically, this thesis examines issues of the
performance of truth in storytelling, as well as the folk aesthetic of the event – in
particular, what makes a “good story.” Stories at Rain City are supposed to be “true” and
“personal,” and therefore fall into the category of personal experience narratives.
Through narrative analysis and interviews of past storytellers, I determine that the most
memorable Rain City storytellers use humor, authenticity, and storytelling skill to connect
with the audience. Ultimately, I show that Rain City narratives have much in common
with contemporary legends, as well as with folktale and stand-up comedy.


identifier: Murray, Cathy Maureen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Murray=3ACathy_Maureen=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Diabetes education centre attendance and the effect on medication utilization in the elderly in Ontario.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Diabetes education centres (DECs) provide patients with self-management skills to control diabetes and manage complications. To evaluate the effect of DEC attendance on prescriptions for diabetes treatments, prescriptions for cardiovascular risk reduction, and visits for retinopathy screening, a population based cohort study of residents of Ontario, Canada with diagnosed diabetes aged ≥65 years was performed using administrative databases. DEC attendance was identified using a registry of visits to all DECs in the province in 2006. Demographic and clinical confounders and pre-index utilization were used to adjust the logistic regression and also to construct a propensity score matched cohort. Patients attending DECs had greater filling of prescriptions for statins than non-attendees in both analyses. DEC attendance was also associated with greater drug dispensation of glucose lowering medications, glucose monitoring strips and ACE inhibitors/ARBs, and visits to ophthalmology/optometry in both analyses. Diabetes self-management education at DECs is associated with better quality of care in the elderly in Ontario.


identifier: Alwashmi, Meshari Fahad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Alwashmi=3AMeshari_Fahad=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Validity of the portable piko-6 spirometer used for screening obstructive airway diseases in community pharmacy practice.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Obstructive airway diseases (OADs) are among the leading causes of morbidity
and mortality worldwide. Shortness of breath (SOB) is the main symptom associated with
OADs. International guidelines from the Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease (GOLD)
and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) have recommended spirometry as an indispensable
tool for the diagnosis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), but
spirometry is rarely used in family practice. Simple and reliable diagnostic tools are necessary
for screening community patients with onset of OADs for timely management.
Purpose: This thesis examined screening utility of the PiKo-6 forced expiratory volume in one
second (pFEV₁) , in six second (pFEV₆), and the pRatio ( pFEV₁/pFEV₆) in SOB patients for
OADs in community pharmacy settings. FEV₆ has recently been suggested an excellent
surrogate for Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), which requires maximum exhalation of the lungs.
Methods: Patients with SOB symptoms who were prescribed pulmonary inhalers, by their
family physicians, were recruited via community pharmacies. Trained pharmacists collected two
PiKo-6 tests to assess the repeatability of the PiKo-6 device. All patients performed laboratory
spirometry ( FEV₁, FVC and FEV₁/FVC) to obtain physician diagnosis of their OADs. The
results of the PiKo-6 spirometer and laboratory spirometer were compared. In addition, the
PiKo-6 pRatio and laboratory FEV₁/FVC were assessed against physician diagnosed COPD.
Results: Sixty three patients volunteered to perform the PiKo-6 spirometry. Of these, 52.4 %
were men (age 53.9 ± 15.3 years; BMI 31.9 ± 7.40 kg/m2). Repeated testing with pFEV₁, pFEV6
and pRatio correlated significantly (within correlation, r = 0.835, p-Value≤ 0.05 ; 0.872, p-
Value≤ 0.05; and 0.664, p-Value≤ 0.05). In addition, pFEV₁, pFEV6 and pRatio correlated
significantly with FEV₁, FVC and FEV₁/FVC, respectively (between correlation = 0.630, p-
Value≤ 0.05 ; 0.660, p-Value≤ 0.05 and 0.580, p-Value≤ 0.05). The cut-off value corresponding
to the greatest sum of sensitivity and specificity of pRatio for physician-diagnosed COPD was
<0.80, the sensitivity and specificity were 84 % and 50%, respectively.
Conclusions The portable PiKo-6 correlates moderately well with the standard spirometry, when
delivered by community pharmacists to patients with OADs. The PiKo-6 spirometer may play a
role in screening patients suspected of having an OAD in community pharmacies that may
benefit from early physician diagnosis and appropriate management.


identifier: Brothers, Cassidy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brothers=3ACassidy=3A=3A.html>   (2015) In the Canadian population, does caesarean delivery compared to vaginal birth increase risk of early neonatal mortality? An instrumental variable method approach.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
BACKGROUND: The lack of adjustment for unmeasured factors which may be associated with both delivery decisions and pregnancy outcomes has likely resulted in an overestimation of the risk associated with caesarean delivery on neonatal mortality. An instrumental variable method (IVM) originating from the field of econometrics has been utilized in modern epidemiological research to reduce the influence of unmeasured selection bias. By accounting for measured, unmeasured, and unknown confounding variables, utilizing the IVM can serve as a more valid approach in determining intervention effects amongst patients in observational studies.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the results from traditional multivariate methods and instrumental variable-adjusted analyses to determine if caesarean delivery increases the risk of early neonatal death in comparison to vaginal birth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study which compares the outcome of early neonatal mortality between 20 completed weeks of gestation and 7 days post-partum among women who delivered through a caesarean section and women who delivered vaginally. The cohort includes all in-hospital births during the fiscal years of April 1, 2006 - March 31, 2009 across Canada identified in the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI), excluding deliveries in Quebec. The effect of mode of delivery, being either caesarean or vaginal delivery, on early neonatal mortality was measured using a bivariate logistic regression, followed by a multivariate logistic regression and instrumental variable-adjusted analysis which controlled for 24 covariates. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression indicated that caesarean delivery significantly reduced the risk of early neonatal death in comparison to vaginal birth by 21% (Adjusted OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.66-0.93, p = 0.006). Instrumental variable-adjusted regression indicated a lack of association between mode of delivery and early neonatal mortality (ARD = -0.0053, 95%CI = -4.3x10⁻³-3.0x10⁻³, p = 0.781). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the findings from the IVM analysis suggest that the risk of early neonatal mortality is not influenced by the mode of delivery. However, given the large discrepancy in risk estimates between analytic methods, health-system level recommendations towards altering local caesarean rates should be avoided until its impact on maternal and neonatal morbidities, hospital costs, and resulting factors are better understood. Future researchers should aim to answer these questions using similar analytic methods to help inform health-care policy makers and providers of the safety of caesarean deliveries.


identifier: Lainetti Gianasi, Bruno <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lainetti_Gianasi=3ABruno=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Fisheries and aquaculture related biometrics of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa: tagging, resistance to stress and influence of diet on lipid composition.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Cucumaria frondosa is widely distributed in the North Atlantic where it has been increasingly exploited to supplement the growing demand for sea cucumber products in Asian markets. The objectives of this study were based on knowledge gaps identified by the stakeholders of the sea cucumber industry in eastern Canada. The first study investigated marking techniques using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to facilitate sea cucumber research. The second study identified the most suitable media for refrigeration during live storage and transport to address concerns with skin and meat integrity prior to processing. The third study focused on principles of aquaculture by examining growth, and lipid class and fatty acid profiles of muscle and gonad tissues of sea cucumbers fed with either diatoms or fish eggs. Implanting PIT tags at the base of the tentacles to reach the aquapharyngeal bulb emerged as one of the most effective techniques ever developed for tagging sea cucumbers reliably and innocuously for long periods. The most suitable transport media for live boreal/temperate sea cucumbers was determined to be iced seawater (cold seawater with freshwater ice). Finally, while sea cucumbers were able to feed on live diatoms (Chaetoceros muelleri) as well as commercial fish eggs, the latter diet yielded greater body length increment, specific growth rate and ratio of essential DHA:EPA in gonadal tissues. In contrast, sea cucumbers fed with diatoms exhibited the highest ratio of the essential fatty acids ARA to EPA in muscle tissues. The findings presented here will hopefully assist ecological and conservation studies and the sustainable development of sea cucumber fisheries and aquaculture programs worldwide.


identifier: Gray-Cosgrove, Carmella <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gray-Cosgrove=3ACarmella=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Bedrock stories: a critical geography of radium and uranium mining in the Sahtu region, Northwest Territories.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis is aimed at answering two questions: how did uranium mining in the Sahtu
region of the Northwest Territories contribute to the normalization of northern
industrialization in the Canadian imagination? And, how is this historical normalization
iterated in current policy decisions and negotiations around health and environmental
assessments near radioactively contaminated sites in the Sahtu? Through a critical
geography of visual representations and the discursive production of an industrial north,
and employing visual methodologies, I unpack the rise of an industrial discourse
surrounding Northern Canada in the twentieth century. Through an anti-colonial and decolonizing
theoretical framework I follow this discourse into current Sahtúot'ine (Sahtu
Dene)-state negotiations around impact assessments of Port Radium and map the
transactions of this controversy between the Délı̨nę First Nation and the Canadian
government. In the first half of this thesis I examine how representations of uranium and
the Sahtu have worked not only to paint the region as a terra nullius, but, more
importantly, how these representations have worked to confine the Sahtu region within a
discourse of industrial development. I conduct a close study of A.Y. Jackson's paintings
of Port Radium and argue that the institutionalized dissemination of Port Radium
minescapes has facilitated the emergence of a national discourse in Canada that privileges
the interests of the mining industry, while marginalizing Sahtu Dene and 'non-scientific'
knowledge systems and ways of being. In Chapter 3, I turn to a consideration of how
these discourses are implicated in the ongoing controversy around the historical,
environmental, and health legacies surrounding uranium mining in the Sahtu. I map the
contours of the controversy around ionizing radiation and explore how scientific knowledge claims have collided with Sahtúot’ine experience and claims to knowledge
throughout negotiations over mine site remediation at Port Radium and redress for the
health impacts of the mine. The focal point of this controversy is the competing
knowledge claims about the health effects of radiation exposure at Port Radium: while
many Sahtúot'ine, former residents and workers at the mine attest to a drastic increase in
cancer and death rates after living and working at Port Radium, government and third
party reports continually discount these claims with epidemiological and statistical
evidence. Examining both the historical origins and the contemporary iterations of
industrial colonialism in the Sahtu, this thesis uses images, maps, and policy documents
to understand the processes that have oppressed Sahtúot'ine knowledge in industrial
development and in Sahtúot'ine-state negotiations around environmental and health
assessment over the past century.


identifier: Forman, Davis <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Forman=3ADavis=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Differences in corticospinal excitability to the biceps brachii between arm cycling and tonic contraction are not evident at the immediate onset of movement.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: With the use of indirect stimulation techniques, it is possible to examine the basic, underlying mechanisms involved with the neuronal control of voluntary motor outputs in humans. By developing a better understanding of how the central nervous system functions during these outputs, we allow for the possibility of improving current rehabilitative and therapeutic strategies for people with neurological injuries and/or diseases. Recently, this type of work has demonstrated that corticospinal excitability is not task-dependent prior to the initiation of a motor output. However, substantial evidence has shown that corticospinal excitability is task-dependent during motor outputs. Considering these two findings, it is highly plausible that a transition occurs in corticospinal excitability from task-independent to task-dependent as movement progresses from rest to steady-state. The timeline of this transition is poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was examine the possible task-dependent transition in corticospinal excitability from rest to steady-state arm cycling.


identifier: Philpott, Devin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Philpott=3ADevin=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Chronic resistance training enhances the spinal excitability of the biceps brachii in the non-dominant arm at moderate contraction intensities.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The objective of this thesis was to examine how chronic resistance training influences corticospinal excitability (CE) of the Biceps Brachii in the non-dominant arm. Seven chronic resistance trained (RT) and six non-resistance trained (NRT) completed four sets of five s pseudo-randomized contractions at 100,90,75,50 and 25% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). During the contractions, participants received transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transmastoid electrical stimulation (TMES) and peripheral nerve stimulation to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEP), cervicomedullary evoked potentials (CMEP) and maximal muscle compound action potentials (Mmax) respectively. All MEPs and CMEPs were normalized to M-max. CMEPs were found to be significantly higher at moderate contraction intensities in the RT group. Results indicate that spinal, but not supraspinal excitability is enhanced at moderate contraction intensities in chronic resistance trained individuals.


identifier: Dodd, Edward <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dodd=3AEdward=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Engineering men: masculinity, the Royal Navy, and the Selborne scheme.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis uses R.W. Connell’s hegemonic masculinity to critically examine the “Selborne Scheme” of 1902, specifically the changes made to naval engineers in relation to the executive officers of the late-Victorian and Edwardian Royal Navy. Unlike the few historians who have studied the scheme, my research attends to the role of masculinity, and the closely-related social structures of class and race, in the decisions made by Lord Selborne and Admiral John Fisher. I suggest that the reform scheme was heavily influenced by a “cultural imaginary of British masculinity” created in novels, newspapers, and Parliamentary discourse, especially by discontented naval engineers who wanted greater authority and respect within the Royal Navy. The goal of the scheme was to ensure that men commanding the navy were considered to have legitimate authority first and foremost because they were the “best” of British manhood. This goal required the navy to come to terms with rapidly changing naval technology, a renewed emphasis on the importance of the role of the navy in Britain’s empire, and the increasing numbers of non-white seamen in the British merchant marine.


identifier: Evulukwu, Ebubechi Azubuike <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Evulukwu=3AEbubechi_Azubuike=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Experimental investigation of concentration dependent non-ideal diffusion in hydrocarbon systems.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Solvent extraction technology (Vapor extraction/VAPEX) has drawn a lot of industry attention due to its potential to be an alternative to Steam assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) in heavy oil production. However the mass transfer mechanisms involved is yet to be fully comprehended. Reliable oil production rate data is scarce, hence the reluctance from oil companies to implement the technology on a field/commercial scale. More work is required at the experimental level to fully understand the intricacies of the technology and hence facilitate its commercialization.
Experiments were conducted to evaluate the one-dimensional diffusivity of butane solvent in Athabasca bitumen at varying temperatures. Given diffusion is driven by concentration gradient, the diffusivity cannot be assumed constant throughout the whole diffusion process. Hence the diffusivity was found as a function of butane solvent concentration (mass fraction). Diffusivity functions for ideal mixing and non-ideal mixing were computed. Butane vapor temperature (24.00⁰C and 34.65 psi) is kept constant while the bitumen temperature is varied at 5 levels (27.00⁰C, 30.25⁰C, 33.50⁰C, 36.75⁰C and 40.00⁰C).
Assuming ideal mixing between hydrocarbons in VAPEX experiments is prevalent in the field. This is because finding a parameter in the solvent-bitumen mixing system that accounts for non-ideal mixing without upsetting the system is difficult. This work accounts for non-ideal mixing by constantly measuring the bitumen liquid hydrostatic pressure via pressure differential transmitters as diffusion occurs. With bitumen height change and amount of diffused butane solvent being monitored, the real density reduction (non-ideal density reduction) can be computed. Results showed that assuming ideal mixing over-estimates the density reduction. The deviation between ideal and non-ideal mixing density values increase as temperature increases. This is supported by most literature in the field. As temperature tends to standard temperature (25.00⁰C), the effects of non-ideal mixing become insignificant.
A MATLAB model is used to predict the ‘bitumen growth’ (bitumen swelling), this is compared to ‘bitumen growth’ observed experimentally. The difference between the two (experimental – predicted) is minimized by optimizing the diffusivity function coefficients. Results showed that the diffusion values (obtained via diffusivity functions) decreases as temperature increases. There was no ‘live oil’ drainage in this experiment so diffusion is governed by the butane solvent solubility in the bitumen. This butane solvent solubility decreases with increasing temperature.
At equal mass fractions (ωs) all non-ideal mixing diffusivity functions yielded higher diffusion values than ideal mixing diffusivity functions. This is logical because diffusion is driven by concentration gradient. Ideal mixing scenarios over-estimate density reduction on mixing and hence provide a smaller concentration gradient compared to non-ideal mixing. The assumption of ideal mixing conditions clearly underestimates the real diffusivity values. The deviation between ideal and non-ideal diffusivity functions also increased as temperature increased. This follows the same trend as the deviation between ideal and non-ideal mixing density results.
A macroscopic mass balance was used to independently validate the diffusivity functions. This mass balance predicted the change in solvent height after ‘bitumen growth’ had been resolved for the full experimental time. This is an independent validation because change in solvent height data was not used to obtain the diffusivity functions. All but one of the diffusivity functions (40.00⁰C) was independently validated. Lack of validation in the 40.00⁰C run was due to technical issues while running the experiment. For all validation data, the non-ideal diffusivity functions provided a better fit for the experimental data than the ideal diffusivity functions.
Finally, the experimentally determined butane slope decrease, bitumen slope increase and non-ideal mixing coefficients for all varied temperature conditions were used as input values to make models in Design Expert (DE). These models were used to predict the aforementioned parameters at a random bitumen temperature (28.50⁰C). An extra experiment was run at this temperature (28.50⁰C) to compare the diffusivity functions coming from the experimental data to those from (DE) predictions. The DE originated diffusivities functions showed a good fit with the experimentally originated diffusivity functions. The model is therefore a robust model and can be used to predict diffusivity of butane at 24.00⁰C, within a given bitumen temperature range of 27.00⁰C - 40.00⁰C, while also accounting for non-ideal mixing and concentration dependency.


identifier: Boksh, F. I. M. Muktadir <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Boksh=3AF=2E_I=2E_M=2E_Muktadir=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Muskrat Falls hydroelectric generating project: develop an integrated approach to assess sustainability.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Hydroelectric energy is the most abundant source of energy for Newfoundland and Labrador. However, the production of this energy has some uncertain and contestable socio-economic and environmental impacts. This research project proposes a new methodology for assessing the sustainability of a hydroelectric project and develops a sustainability index (SIHEP) which can assist policy makers when planning for sustainable development of hydroelectric energy sources. A four pillars concept of sustainability (i.e. social, economic, environmental and governance) is used to construct this SIHEP. The proposed methodology uses the PESTLE framework to identify the relevant parameters. The SIHEP is applied to the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in Newfoundland and Labrador. The results show that the project is moderately sustainable, as there are some weak governance issues identified. The research project makes some policy recommendations for the sustainable development of the ongoing Muskrat Falls project which can also be used in other forthcoming hydroelectric energy projects.


identifier: Abeywickrama, Gihan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Abeywickrama=3AGihan=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Phenolic compounds of cranberry genotypes and their antioxidant capacities and bioactivities.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Cranberry species are a rich source of natural antioxidants with potential health benefits linked to the prevention of certain chronic and degenerative diseases. This study compared the antioxidant activity of phenolic constituents of five different cranberry genotypes (pilgrim, wild clone NL2, wild clone NL3, wild clone PEI, wild clone NL1) and market samples. Phenolic constituents were separated into free, esterified and bound fractions, the content of each fraction as well as that of their flavonoid counterparts and antioxidative efficacy were evaluated. The latter was assessed using trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity (DRSC), hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and reducing power (RP) as well as metal chelation assays. Among cranberry varieties, pilgrim genotype showed the highest phenolic content (30.02 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dried fruit weight). Similarly, pilgrim had the highest flavonoid content (19.94 mg of catechin equivalents (CE)/g of dried fruit weight). The phenolic compounds in cranberry were predominantly present in the esterified and free forms in the pilgrim and wild clone NL2. In addition, results showed that contribution of esterified phenolics to the antioxidant activity, metal chelating and reducing power was higher than the free and bound phenolics for all tested cranberry genotypes. HPLC-MS analysis was performed for two of the rich sources of phenolics and antioxidant activity. For these, the results showed that caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin, proanthocyanin trimer A-type, proanthocyanin dimer B-type and quercertin 3-O-glucoside predominated in wild clone NL2, while chlorogenic, caffeic acid, epicatechin, proanthocyanidin dimer B-type, proanthocyanin trimer A-type and myricertin 3-O-arabinoside were predominant in pilgrim.


identifier: Bohms, Jeralyn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bohms=3AJeralyn=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Illuminating Inuit life at Double Mer Point: the excavation of an 18th-century communal winter house.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis focuses on the excavation of an 18th-century Inuit winter sod house
located at Double Mer Point (GbBo-2) in Hamilton Inlet, Labrador. Hamilton Inlet has
long been considered a vital region for understanding the Labrador Inuit and their
relationships with Europeans in the 18th century, yet archaeological investigation has been
limited. Merchants from Quebec established trading posts in Hamilton Inlet in the 18th
century, providing a regular local source of goods for Inuit living in the region. As
operations grew at these posts, more Europeans came to work and settle in the area,
creating a unique interaction sphere with great potential for economic benefit to both
parties, as well as very real challenges. The complete excavation of a small communal
house in a larger settlement and examination of the material culture within provides an
opportunity to examine the role of communal houses in this time of dramatic change.


identifier: Balogun, Kayode A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Balogun=3AKayode_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Lipid metabolism and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease: implication of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a complicated and multifarious disease, and is the number
cause of mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis of CVD is attributed to the interaction between
genetics and environment. There are numerous data that support the cardioprotective properties
of omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); however, there are also controversial
reports. Considering the reported sex and age differences in the pathophysiology of CVD and the
metabolism of n-3 PUFA, it is imperative to consider these factors in the cardioprotective effects
of n-3 PUFA. The main objective of the current thesis was to investigate the effects of n-3 PUFA
on the risk factors of CVD such as dyslipidaemia and obesity, with particular focus on how sex,
age and dose of n-3 PUFA affect lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. The set of experiments
presented in this thesis was investigated using the C57BL/6 mouse strain which has been
established as a mouse model of choice for the study of diet-induced pathological conditions of
lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins of mice
offspring at weaning and 16 weeks postweaning were chosen as study outcomes to assess the
sex, age and dose-specific effects of n-3 PUFA on markers of dyslipidaemia, a well-known risk
factor of CVD. It was observed that a longer exposure to a postnatal diet high in n-3 PUFA
increased plasma concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in the offspring in
a sex-specific manner; however, the profile of this increase was less atherogenic , as the high n-3
PUFA group had a lower plasma concentration of very small LDL-particles in both males and
females. There was no effect of high n-3 PUFA diet observed on plasma concentration of highdensity
lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c); however, the high n-3 PUFA group had a higher
cholesterol efflux in the male offspring but not in female offspring, further demonstrating the
effect of sex on cholesterol metabolism. Lipidomic analyses revealed that high n-3 PUFA diet led to higher hepatic and plasma concentrations of n-3 PUFA-containing bioactive lipids such a
phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine and free fatty acids, which could positively
influence pathways involved in cardioprotection. The effects of dietary n-3 PUFA on obesity at
the cellular level was also investigated, using adipocyte hypertrophy as the outcome measure of
adipose tissue enlargement. A diet high in n-3 PUFA prevented adipocyte hypertrophy in males,
with no effect in females. High n-3 PUFA diet also led to the downregulation of the mRNA
expression of acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), fatty acid binding protein-4
(FABP4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor protein γ (PPARγ), and leptin in males,
which are key proteins involved in adipocyte hypertrophy; however no effect was observed in
females. The last study assessed the effects of dose and duration of exposure to dietary n-3
PUFA on DHA accretion in the brain, and the expression of neurotrophins known to have
neuroprotective and cardioprotective benefits. A diet high in n-3 PUFA led to an accretion of
DHA in the brain cortex of the male offspring. Furthermore, dietary n-3 PUFA led to an agedependent
increase in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin
receptor kinase (TrKB), and phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB).
Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the cortical mRNA expression of BDNF
and plasma concentrations of triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids, suggesting a
relationship between neurotrophins and regulation of lipid metabolism.
In conclusion, the results from the current thesis demonstrate a sex, dose and age specific
effect of n-3 PUFA on risk factors of CVD, and on novel regulatory pathways by which n-3
PUFA could reduce dyslipidaemia and obesity; the results also suggest that n-3 PUFA could be
neuroprotective and cardioprotective through a common neurotrophin signalling pathway.


identifier: Carroll, Kayla <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Carroll=3AKayla=3A=3A.html>   (2015) An occupational folklife study of women's housework in St. Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis examines women’s housework in St. Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland
and Labrador, through the lens of occupational folklife and feminist folkloristics. I argue
that despite many social, technological, and economic changes, women consistently
remain responsible for housework in the community. In examining the women’s
contemporary cleaning using McCarl’s concept of canon of work technique, I trace the
“work” of housework both spatially and temporally, documenting the daily, weekly, and
annual/semi-annual tasks in each room. I argue that housework requires a complex
system of conceptual planning that dictates what I call the hierarchy of chore importance.
I also examine personal experience narratives women tell about their housework, arguing
that their narratives position women within a framework of gendered labor, maintain
social relationships, and contribute to their sense of self and occupational identity. I end
by presenting my concept of the Clean Continuum, a useful tool in conceptualizing the
positive and negative connotations evidenced by their housework that get associated with
women, and the greater implications for the community.


identifier: Dooley, Kevin Lucas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dooley=3AKevin_Lucas=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Slow pyrolysis biochar from forestry residue and municipal and farm wastes: characterization and their use in greenhouses as a soil amendment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Biochars from various feedstock’s were produced using a small scale tube furnace and a larger scale muffle furnace via slow pyrolysis as well as a homemade top lit updraft unit. All feedstock’s used to produce bio-char in this work are considered waste streams. Specifically, they included fresh and aged sawdust and bark, sewage sludge, gable (milk carton), chicken manure, various yard wastes and various types of paper products. Production of bio-char and bio-oil from these waste streams has potential to mitigate a large volume of waste while producing valuable by-products.Slow pyrolysis was performed at a heating rate of 20ᴼC/min from a starting temperature of 150ᴼC until the desired high treatment temperature (HTT) was reached. HTT’s started at 300ᴼC and increased by increments of 50ᴼC until a maximum HTT of 550ᴼC was reached. The samples were held constant at the desired HTT for 5 minutes. The biochars from the various feedstock’sand HTT’s were characterized by elemental analysis, gas adsorption capacity (GAC),Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory surface area, Hg porosity, scanning electron microscope, cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, and proximate analysis using a TGA. GAC, CEC, pH and percent fixed carbon were typically found to increase with increasing HTT up to a certain critical temperature that consistently fell between 500-600ᴼC. After a critical HTT was reached GAC, CEC and percent fixed carbon started to decrease while pH of the char continued to rise. It was found that the actual yield of fixed carbon did not vary greatly with HTT’s 350ᴼC and above.
Two potting experiments in a controlled greenhouse were conducted using char’s from various feedstock’s produced by the larger scale muffle furnace pyrolysis unit as well as the top lit updraft gasifier (TLUD) unit. Lettuce and radish plants were grown to represent a leafy and root, fast growing vegetable. Type of biochar, amount of biochar and HTT of biochar was varied in the growth trials. There was also a heavy metal uptake experiment done, comparing the heavy metal uptake of vegetables grown in raw sewage sludge compared to sewage sludge that was pyrolyzed into char as well as poultry litter biochar and sewage sludge that had been diluted with sawdust.


identifier: Hemphill, Lindsey C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hemphill=3ALindsey_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Effects of environmental and anthropogenic influences on bacterial growth and community structure in Newfoundland coastal waters.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The release of petroleum hydrocarbons into coastal Newfoundland waters is an environmental and economic concern. Placentia and St. Mary’s Bays, Newfoundland have contrasting anthropogenic uses and environmental conditions, with greater shipping and traffic in the former site. Bacteria have a key role in marine food web transformations; and petroleum hydrocarbons have been reported to both stimulate and inhibit marine plankton. Here, we examine the influence of temperature and the addition of various combinations of petroleum hydrocarbons, inorganic nutrients and organic carbon, on bacterial growth and composition in Placentia and St. Mary’s Bays, Newfoundland. Organic carbon plus inorganic nutrients and elevated temperature generally increased bacterial growth while petroleum hydrocarbons did not influence growth in Placentia Bay and inhibited growth in St. Mary’s Bay. High-throughput metagenomics analysis examined the response of the bacterial community and showed that the relative abundance of known hydrocarbon degraders increased in the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons, with greater numbers in Placentia than St. Mary’s Bay following incubation. The bacterial community of Placentia Bay, where concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons are higher, may be preconditioned to favour hydrocarbon degraders compared to St Mary’s Bay.


identifier: Liao, Haohao <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liao=3AHaohao=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Design of an integrated hardware platform for four different lightweight block ciphers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In recent years, there are more and more embedded devices with limited hardware resources, such as RFID tags and smart cards. In these devices, since the resources are limited, we need some specially designed cryptographic ciphers to ensure the required security level. Many lightweight block ciphers, such as PRESENT, PRINTcipher, LED and Piccolo, were designed to meet these requirements. In these resource-constrained environments, we need specific hardware implementations for these ciphers to minimize resources. In this thesis, we investigate the hardware implementation of four different, but similar, lightweight block ciphers: PRESENT, Piccolo, PRINTcipher and LED. The purpose of this thesis is to present a common platform which integrates these four ciphers into one system using a shared datapath, with the objective of reducing the area below the total sum of area consumed by the individual ciphers. First, we implement these four ciphers separately, and design a platform which integrates these four ciphers together into a basic iterative design. Then, we compare the resource consumption results of the platform and the four individual ciphers. In addition to the normal iterative design, we also present a serialized design of the platform, which is more compact than the iterative design. The structure and implementation of the platform is clearly stated in the thesis with the target technology being the Altera Cyclone IV FPGA. The final synthesis result shows the whole design has successfully achieved the desired objective of flexibility, low resource consumption and compatibility to many applications. We save a lot of hardware resources by significantly reducing the number of dedicated logic registers and combinational functions used in the FPGA.


identifier: Church, Mary-Jo <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Church=3AMary-Jo=3A=3A.html>   (2014) Falling through the cracks: an exploratory study regarding the perceived barriers to mental health services for rural and urban Cape Breton youth.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Objective: In this study I explore perceived barriers to mental health services for rural
and urban Cape Breton youth, investigate whether there are differences in the perceptions
of rural and urban youth with respect to barriers to mental health services, and analyze
whether age, gender and mental health status affect perceptions of barriers to mental
health services.
Method: Questionnaires measuring perceptions of barriers were administered to
adolescents within 9 schools on Cape Breton Island. The Mann Whitney U Test was used
to examine potential differences between rural and urban youth perceptions, and two-way
ANOVAs were used to test whether age, gender or mental health status influenced
perceptions of barriers to mental health.
Results: Stigma, lack of proper education regarding mental health issues and lack of
awareness regarding available resources were the greatest barriers overall. Rural youth
perceived individual level barriers to be of greater concern, while urban youth perceived
system level barriers to be of greater concern. Rural youth who had not reported any
mental health issues perceived community level barriers as less important than all other
youth.
Conclusion: These findings suggest the need for increased education and awareness with
respect to mental health using anti-stigma campaigns as a vehicle for promoting positive
and accurate messaging. Further research using focus group designs will add depth and
insight to the initial findings and will provide possible clues as to why rural adolescents
with no mental health issues have a different view toward community level barriers.


identifier: Šambaher, Nemanja <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/==0160ambaher=3ANemanja=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Non-local muscle fatigue effects on muscle performance and corticospinal excitability.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Fatigue is defined as any decrease in the ability to produce force whether or not the task can be sustained. Inability of the central nervous system to adequately drive muscles has been termed central fatigue, while any physiological changes that occur at the neuromuscular junction or distal to it, have been classified as peripheral fatigue. Contractions of one muscle group can have direct local effects on the exercised muscle as well as more global effects, influencing non-exercised muscle groups as well. Exercise induced fatigue can produce performance decrements in non-exercised muscles, and this “non-local” effect of fatigue has been termed non-local muscle fatigue.
It is thought that decrements in performance of the non-local muscles are due to central fatigue mechanisms. Decrements in performance along with deficits in voluntary activation and no changes in the peripheral system, suggest that processes within spinal and/or supraspinal structures mediate these decrements. Measuring excitatory-inhibitory balance of these structures can provide insights into how central nervous system behaves in response to non-local muscle fatigue. However, due to methodological limitations of the studies that investigated this phenomenon so far, it is not possible to provide any suggestions on that matter. Exploring this phenomenon can provide us with further understanding of the complex central nervous system functioning, as well it can provide us with further insights into the origins of fatigue. Based on this data, important rehabilitation and athletic strategies can be employed.
Non-local muscle fatigue research literature is not expansive and there are contradictory results between studies. Different fatiguing protocols, outcome variables, and population samples, are just a few factors that can explain inconsistent findings. Literature seems to suggest that non-local muscle fatigue might be muscle and contraction type specific. Studies have shown that dominant arms are more susceptible to non-local muscle fatigue, and that fatiguing protocols with higher intensity and higher volume are able to produce larger magnitude of non-local muscle fatigue. There are only a few studies that have investigated changes in corticospnal excitability in non-exercised muscles after non-local muscle fatigue. These measurements were usually taken during rest, which is not a good representation of what occurs during a contraction. Furthermore, all non-local muscle fatigue studies so far measured excitability of the corticospinal tract as a whole, without taking into account modulation of spinal and supraspinal excitability separately.
To further the knowledge on this topic, we investigated the effect of knee extensor fatigue on dominant elbow flexor force output, voluntary activation, corticospinal excitability and muscle contractile properties. To answer these questions, subjects were required to come for two testing sessions consisting of the same pre- and post-test measurements. At pre-test, subjects performed three maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs), where baseline values for previously described variables were obtained. A fatiguing protocol (intervention condition) that consisted of 12 MVCs with 10 sec rest period between repetitions ensued (or rest for control condition), which was followed by the post-test protocol (measurements). The fatiguing protocol consisted of 5 sets of dynamic bilateral knee extension contractions until task failure, which has been shown previously to be successful in inducing cross-over fatigue. Based on the previous literature, it has been hypothesized that knee extensor fatigue will cause dominant elbow flexor decrements in force production, voluntary activation and corticospinal excitability, without affecting muscle contractile properties.
The results demonstrated that knee extensor fatigue was successful in eliciting non-local muscle fatigue in the dominant elbow flexors. Knee extensor fatigue lowered dominant elbow flexor force production, voluntary activation and interestingly, it caused elbow flexor peripheral fatigue. Furthermore, knee extensor fatigue modulated corticospinal excitability differently compared with control, suggesting that complex changes in corticospinal excitability might have contributed to voluntary activation decrements.


identifier: Gorjizadeh, Sepideh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gorjizadeh=3ASepideh=3A=3A.html>   (2015) International students' job search strategies in the oil and gas industry of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In light of the periodic skill shortage problems in the oil and gas industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, this study uncovered the job search strategies utilized by international graduate students in the oil and gas engineering and earth sciences programs enrolled at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. The study also identified factors influencing students’ choices of job search strategies and investigated the role of the Memorial University, as a higher education institution in the Province, in providing services and support in students’ career search process. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to collect data. The findings indicated that students used networking and online job searches the most to seek employment, followed by the career services offered by the University Career Centre (UCC). Students chose search strategies based on several factors: the type of job sought; the influence of peers and word of mouth; the industry of interest; previous work experience; and the role of the UCC, which is considered to be both a search strategy and influencing factor. Two themes emerged from the data analysis: a) job search as a planned project and b) students’ perceptions of the oil and gas labour market of the Province.


identifier: Wang, Shijia <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wang=3AShijia=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Estimation and inference with complex count data from fisheries surveys, including over-dispersion, many nuisance parameters, and correlation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
We study methods to estimate regression and variance parameters for over-dispersed
and correlated count data from highly stratified surveys. A challenge with such data
is the large number of nuisance parameters which leads to computational issues and
biased statistical inferences. We develop a profile generalized estimating equation
(GEE) method that is more computationally efficient and compare it to marginal
maximum likelihood (MLE) and restricted MLE (REML) methods. We use REML
to address bias and inaccurate confidence intervals because of many nuisance parameters.
The marginal MLE and REML approaches involve intractable integrals and we
used a new R package that is designed for estimating complex nonlinear models that
may include random effects. We conduct simulation analyses and conclude that the
REML method is the better approach among the three methods we investigate.
Our applications involve counts of fish catches from highly-stratified research surveys.
In the first application, we estimate the day and night (diel) effect for three
species from bottom trawl research surveys. In the second application, we estimate
the diel and vessel effects of two different snow crab surveys.


identifier: Jones, Diana <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jones=3ADiana=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Between men and between women: homosocial bonds in Shakespeare's, Heywood's, and Middleton's Lucretia narratives.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Considerable research focuses on the ways in which Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece
(1594) depicts the destructive nature of emulative male homosocial bonds and challenges
the early modern English attitude that male-male friendship is virtuous and idyllic. As
effectively as Shakespeare’s poem makes this critique, Thomas Heywood’s The Rape of
Lucrece (1607) and Thomas Middleton’s The Ghost of Lucrece (1627) provide stronger
parodies of ideal same-sex friendship and open up new possibilities for exploring how
these competitive relationships harm women and how women themselves construct samesex
relations. This thesis builds upon existing scholarship on homosociality in
Shakespeare’s poem and draw attention to the significant contribution that Heywood’s
and Middleton’s lesser-known texts make to studies of early modern homosocial bonds.
This project reveals how, in the three Lucretia narratives, both men and women are
involved in rivalrous same-sex friendships, however; because of the female characters’
common need to protect themselves from patriarchal threats, the bonds between women
are notably stronger than the bonds between men.


identifier: Valluru, Gopikishore <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Valluru=3AGopikishore=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Synthesis and applications of some upper and lower rim functionalized calix[4]arenes and calix[4]naphthalene derivatives.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The work described in this thesis is concerned mainly with the synthesis and characterization of bimodal calix[4]arene and calix[4]naphthalene derivatives. Their complexation properties with some Group 1, Group 2 and transition metal cation guests were studied.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of supramolecular chemistry, calixarenes and calixnaphthalenes and the methods employed herein.
In Chapter 2, the synthesis of some selected upper- and lower-rim functionalized calix[4]arene derivatives and their complexation studies are described. The lower rim of the calix[4]arene derivatives are modified with O-methyl, O-ethyl esters and crown ether moieties which selectively bind to Group 1 and 2 metal ions. Current studies on the development of a microcantilever (MCL)-based real-time device employing modified calix[4]arene-derived sensing layers are on-going in collaborative work with Dr. L.Y. Beaulieu‘s group in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography at Memorial University.
In order to test the selectivity for different metal ions with the sensing layers needed for the different MCLs envisioned in the MCL instrument; the work described in Chapter 3 concerns the synthesis and applications of new triazole-bridged anthracene/pyrene-appended calix[4]arene derivatives. The synthetic strategy involved a ―click‖ reaction as the key step. In the study reported herein, their complexation properties with various metal ions were investigated by fluorescence, UV-vis and 1H-NMR spectroscopic analyses.
Chapter 4, describes the synthesis and applications towards selective metal ion recognition by a calix[4]arene-NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) derivative. The lower rim of the calix[4]arene was functionalized with two different groups, one of which consists of a 1,3 bridged ―crown-5‖ and the other 1,3 positions with imidazole groups. The resulting NHC enables the calix[4]arene to potentially form a stable self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the Au surface of a microcantilever.
In Chapter 5, the synthesis of some sulfonated calix[4]naphthalene derivatives and their complexation studies are described. In another collaborative project with Prof. A. Coleman‘s group at the University of Lyon, these naphthalene derivatives were shown to be capable of capping and stabilizing silver nanoparticles. Along with these properties, cyclotetrachromotropylene (―CTCT‖) was characterized and shown to be capable of selectively dispersing SWNTs into water. The resulting supramolecular complexes in a collaborative project with Y. Zhao‘s group at Memorial University and A. Adronov‘s group at McMaster University were characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis-NIR analysis.


identifier: Wu, Yang <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wu=3AYang=3A=3A.html>   (2015) Stability of nTiO₂ particles and their attachment to sand: effects of humic acid at different pH.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Influence of humic acid (HA) on stability and attachment of nTiO₂ particles to sand was investigated. Results showed that HA can either promote or hinder nTiO₂. Influence of humic acid (HA) on stability and attachment of nTiO₂ particles to sand was investigated. Results showed that HA can either promote or hinder nTiO₂ stability, depending on pH and HA concentration. HA can either enhance or reduce nTiO₂ attachment to Fe oxyhydroxide coating at pH 5, depending on HA concentration. Results further showed that at pH 5, Fe oxyhydroxide coating reduced nTiO₂ attachment to sand in the absence of HA but increased nTiO₂ attachment in the presence of low concentration of HA. Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory was invoked to analyze particle-to-particle and particle-to-sand interactions in order to elucidate the roles of pH, HA, quartz, and Fe coating in controlling nTiO₂ stability and attachment. Overall, this study showed that changes in zeta potential of nTiO₂ and Fe coating due to pH changes and/or HA adsorption are the key factors that influence stability and attachment of nTiO₂. Influence of humic acid (HA) on stability and attachment of nTiO₂ particles to sand was investigated. Results showed that HA can either promote or hinder nTiO₂ stability, depending on pH and HA concentration. HA can either enhance or reduce nTiO₂ attachment to Fe oxyhydroxide coating at pH 5, depending on HA concentration. Results further showed that at pH 5, Fe oxyhydroxide coating reduced nTiO₂ attachment to sand in the absence of HA but increased nTiO₂ attachment in the presence of low concentration of HA. Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory was invoked to analyze particle-to-particle and particle-to-sand interactions in order to elucidate the roles of pH, HA, quartz, and Fe coating in controlling nTiO₂ stability and attachment. Overall, this study showed that changes in zeta potential of nTiO₂ and Fe coating due to pH changes and/or HA adsorption are the key factors that influence stability and attachment of nTiO₂. stability, depending on pH and HA concentration. HA can either enhance or reduce nTiO₂ attachment to Fe oxyhydroxide coating at pH 5, depending on HA concentration. Results further showed that at pH 5, Fe oxyhydroxide coating reduced nTiO₂ attachment to sand in the absence of HA but increased nTiO₂ attachment in the presence of low concentration of HA. Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory was invoked to analyze particle-to-particle and particle-to-sand interactions in order to elucidate the roles of pH, HA, quartz, and Fe coating in controlling nTiO₂ stability and attachment. Overall, this study showed that changes in zeta potential of nTiO₂ and Fe coating due to pH changes and/or HA adsorption are the key factors that influence stability and attachment of nTiO₂.


identifier: Tanner, Amy L. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tanner=3AAmy_L=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2015) An empirical evaluation of the determinants of moose-vehicle collisions on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a problem throughout the circumpolar range of moose, but are especially prevalent on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. I designed a field study which determined that a common MVC mitigation strategy, roadside vegetation cutting, does not attract moose into roadside areas to browse. I also conducted a spatial analysis and identified small scale MVC hotspots scattered throughout the island, and medium and large scale MVC hotspots on primary roads and on the Avalon Peninsula. Finally, I used model selection to identify the best spatial predictors of the probability of occurrence of MVCs in Newfoundland. Specifically, primary roads, straight roads, decreased distance to large cities, and decreased distance to mining areas are associated with areas of high MVCs rates. This research provides managers with a basis for i) continuing roadside vegetation cutting and ii) implementing MVC mitigation strategies in strategic areas to reduce the number of MVCs.


identifier: Aalders, Julie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Aalders=3AJulie=3A=3A.html>   (2011) "I've learn'd to sing a glad new song": singing sacred harp with the Ottawa shape note chorus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis explores how Sacred Harp - a choral tradition of the Southern United States with deep rural and religious roots - is expressed within the urban, Northern, and secular context of The Ottawa Shape Note Chorus. Through an examination of the social and musical practices of the Ottawa group, this thesis will demonstrate the extent to which these regional and religious contextual differences are bridged by the overarching communal and personal meanings that singers draw from practicing Sacred Harp. In examining how the Ottawa group's interaction with the tradition creates a communal expression of sacred song, this thesis will explore how the Northern revival of Sacred Harp relates both to  the breakdown of the traditional community within, and the secularization of postmodern society. Doing so will illuminate the contextual flexibility of Sacred Harp and the use of folk revivalism as a means of restoring engagement with community and with the sacred.


identifier: Abbass, Lily Khattar <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Abbass=3ALily_Khattar=3A=3A.html>   (1985) A report on the development of a videotape series on teaching sign language to parents and relatives of deaf children.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Newfoundland Co-ordinating Council on Deafness is an organization concerned with the welfare of the deaf and with any agency or individual involved with the deaf. A needs assessment revealed that the production of a videotape series to teach sign language would aid the council in better fulfilling their mandate, and would also be beneficial to hearing parents of deaf children and to individuals who might have interactions with deaf individuals. A learner analysis examined the characteristics of the primary and secondary audiences, and a task analysis was devised to identify the necessary  tasks which would be incorporated into the instructional package. Behavioral objectives were delineated, and a Likert scale questionnaire was developed to evaluate the actual learning experience. The videotape series and accompanying viewing guide were designed and produced in consultation with various experts. The package was pilot tested in rough form and changes were incorporated into the package. It was then final tested, and the results of the testing indicated that the package was successful in teaching the basics of sign language to both audiences. It was recommended that a Signs of Sound II instructional videotape series be produced as a continuation of the initial series, to deal with more advanced concepts and vocabulary.