identifier: Kennedy, Brenda Valerie Elkins <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kennedy=3ABrenda_Valerie_Elkins=3A=3A.html>   (1980) Marriage patterns in an Archaic population : a study of skeletal remains from Port au Choix, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In recent years there have been a variety of attempts to reconstruct prehistoric patterns of endogamy, exogamy, and post-nuptial residence using data collected from archaeological sites.  This thesis is concerned with the use of data collected from skeletal remains in studies of this nature.  More specifically, it is concerned with the use of osteological data in reconstructing the marriage patterns of a group of Archaic Indians buried at Port au Choix, Newfoundland. -- This study is based on the premise that marriage patterns determine the composition of the adult segment of hunter-gatherer groups, and that the composition of the adult segment is reflected in the expression of osteological traits within and between the sexes.  A model is proposed which links the various combinations of endogamy and exogamy (three forms) and the three principle types of residence units with specific patterns of within- and between-sex variability of trait expression. -- A group of eighteen adult females and twenty-two adult males from Locus II of the Port au Choix-3 site is used as the sample for this study.  A series of metric and non-metric traits describing the cranial and infracranial skeleton, and a number of univariate and multivariate statistical techniques are employed in the analysis.  The results of the analysis seem to indicate the practice of exogamy coupled with a virilocal post-nuptial residence pattern. -- The use of osteological data in reconstructions of prehistoric marriage patterns would seem to be a valid endeavor if a well-defined sample is available, and if careful consideration is given to the selection of traits and statistical techniques employed in the analysis.


identifier: Parks, Robert Merlin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Parks=3ARobert_Merlin=3A=3A.html>   (1974) Territoriality in the Grand Manan lobster fishery : a game theory analysis of the selection and use of fishing locations.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

format: application/pdf application/pdf

abstract: The interactions between members of a human population have long been the subject matter of anthropological studies.  Much of the behavior involved in these interactions is learned behavior that is part of the extensive repertoire of suitable responses peculiar to an entire society, or part-society. -- Initially, this thesis, which to some extent employs a technique for purposes of illustration and explanation similar to that of "thick description" (Geertz 1973: 3-30), is concerned with revealing those behavioral responses which are appropriate to the manner in which a group of contemporary inshore lobster fishermen perceive, organize, and manipulate fishing space. -- Following this, the observations of spatial patterning which emerge from this investigation are placed within a more encompassing analytic framework, the Theory of Games.  By using this analytic procedure to harness reality, as well as to depict the logic underlying that reality, it is intended that spatial patterning will be viewed as a function, not only of the cultural background of the people being studied, but also of the many relationships, activities, and emotions which develop in those situations characteristic of inshore lobster fishing operations.


identifier: D'Entremont, Stanley A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/D=27Entremont=3AStanley_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1978) The determination of status at Port au Choix.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Burials have long been regarded as a potential storehouse of data for archaeologists.  During the late sixties and continuing into the seventies, much of burial analysis was and still is focused on the determination of the status structure of extinct populations.  For the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, however, due to very acidic soil, no suitable sites were available for this type of study. -- In 1967-68, a site with incredibly good bone preservation was excavated at Port au Choix, Newfoundland, by Dr. James A. Tuck of Memorial University in St. John's.  This site will be used to investigate the status structure of the Maritime Archaic people who inhabited the area some 4000 years ago. -- A number of methodologies have been developed to deal with burial attributes and artifacts; but it will be argued that the best methodology for the Port au Choix data consists of an analysis of the qualitative as well as the quantitative aspects of the grave goods. -- Beyond the simple description of the differences observable, an attempt will be made to relate these differences to other factors of the sociopolitical sphere.  For the Port au Choix cemetery, it will be proposed that there was some form of segmentation within the society, and that this may reflect the existence of three separate "family plots" using the same cemetery.  This does not preclude the possibility of the differences being due to other factors such as clan or band member-factors such as clan or band membership. -- Using the Port au Choix site as a test case, the status structure of egalitarian societies in general will be questioned, and answers will be proposed.  These will relate to features such as the amount of status differentiation, the basis of these differences (sex, age, achievement, ascription, etc.), and the meaning or function of the artifacts interred with the dead.


identifier: Robbins, Douglas Taylor <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Robbins=3ADouglas_Taylor=3A=3A.html>   (1985) Stock Cove, Trinity Bay : the Dorset Eskimo occupation of Newfoundland from a southeastern perspective.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Dorset Eskimo culture has been a subject of archaeological research in Newfoundland for more than five decades.  Sites were first recognized by W.J. Wintemberg and Diamond Jenness in the late 1920's, after the original definition of Cape Dorset culture in the Arctic by the latter researcher, and since then numerous other finds have been made and excavations performed.  Since the time of the first Dorset research in Newfoundland there has not been, however, a consistent interest in Dorset Eskimo archaeology.  Instead, it has experienced a number of “hot and cold" periods, during which it was either in the forefront of Newfoundland research or of little concern to archaeologists. -- Two major monographs stand as landmarks in the history of Newfoundland Dorset archaeology.  “The Cultural Affinities of the Newfoundland Dorset Eskimo" (Elmer Harp Jr. 1964), compiled following fieldwork in 1949 and 1950, examined the occupation of the northwestern Newfoundland coast, and compared and contrasted this Newfoundland Dorset complex with Dorset culture in Hudson Bay, northern Labrador, Baffin Island, and Greenland.  Nearly two decades later, fieldwork by Urve Linnamae led to the publication of "The Dorset Culture: a Comparative Study in Newfoundland and the Arctic" (Urve Linnamae 1975).  Both of these works have taken comparative approaches, and as a result there has developed the idea that Newfoundland Dorset is in some ways unique, in part due to the insular nature of the region.  Concurrent with this idea arose the concept of "typical" Newfoundland Dorset culture, which implied a commonality of Dorset culture - or the observable part of Dorset culture, namely stone tools - throughout Newfoundland. -- Through the 1970's and 1980’s the pace of Dorset archaeology quickened, as several excavations were performed in northern, eastern, southern, and western Newfoundland.  This work permits a more detailed examination of Newfoundland Dorset culture than was previously possible, and it has become increasingly obvious that considerable variety, with respect to settlement, subsistence, and artifact styles, existed among the Newfoundland Dorset population. -- This study presents data from the Dorset Eskimo site at Stock Cove, Trinity Bay, where excavations were carried out in 1981.  Contrasts between the stock Cove assemblage, and northern and western Newfoundland Dorset assemblages are notable, as are ecological differences between southern, northern, and western regions of the island.  The hypothetical scheme presented in the last chapter suggests that there were at least three regional Dorset populations in Newfoundland, each adapted to local conditions, and distinctive with regards to subsistence and settlement, lithic material utilization, and the style of at least one artifact type, the harpoon endblade.


identifier: O'Hollaren, Julie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/O=27Hollaren=3AJulie=3A=3A.html>   (1985) 'Strangers in our midst' : tourism as a development strategy in Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The subject of this thesis is how tourism, particularly cultural tourism, is used as a development strategy in Newfoundland, using the town of Trinity as a case study.  I examine the possible consequences of manipulating the culture of a people to create a particular image for the promotion of tourism.  Finally, I seek to place the study of tourism within the discipline of anthropology at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and encourage further research. -- Keywords: commoditization; commodity; cultural; culture; development; dependence; Newfoundland; tourism; tourists; Trinity; underdeveloped; underdevelopment.


identifier: Holland-Macdonald, Wendy Ruth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Holland-Macdonald=3AWendy_Ruth=3A=3A.html>   (1988) Strangers/outsiders/insiders : examining the impact of degrees of community membership on the roles available to rural bureaucrats.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In the last decade or so there has been an increasing interest in the study of factors which influence the decision-making process of street-level bureaucrats, defined as those who deliver policies or services to a client population (examples of whom include teachers, social workers and police).  The majority of this research has been confined to policy implementors working in either urban or colonial environment where a defining characteristic of the bureaucratic role is separation - geographic, cultural or social - from the client population which negates client input as a factor in the decision-making process.  There have been few, if any, studies that have focused on the roles and decision-making processes available to bureaucrats working in rural environments where simultaneously they are seen in the role of bureaucrat and resident member of the client community. -- In this thesis I review the literature on the decision-making processes and roles available to those bureaucrats who work in urban and colonial situations.  I then explore the role alternatives available to bureaucrats who work and live in a contemporary rural community in Newfoundland.  My interest in rural bureaucrats necessitated a re-examination of the stranger/outsider/insider concept which has been the traditional model used to classify rural populations in Newfoundland ethnographies.  I discovered that the actions and reactions of rural bureaucrats are, in large measure, a function of their degree of community membership and, regardless of how it occurs, once a degree of community membership has been established it will impinge on the decision-making processes and roles available to the rural bureaucrats.


identifier: Wright, Guy David <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wright=3AGuy_David=3A=3A.html>   (1983) Swiling : an ethnographic portrait of the Newfoundland seal hunt.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis describes the social and cultural meaning the Newfoundland large vessel seal hunt has for the men who participate in it.  Large vessels have been taking harp and hood seals off northern Newfoundland since 1793.  Although technologies and economic emphases have changed over the years, the actual work of killing, skinning and harvesting the pelts and meat of seals on the ice remains little changed in nearly two centuries.  The extremely harsh conditions and inherent dangers have made the seal hunt an important rite of passage and renewal for men who are able to participate.  Several major disasters associated with sealing have amplified cultural attachments to the seal hunt within Newfoundland. -- The seal hunt has become a major issue in a dialogue between those who regard it as cruel and ecologically dangerous, economically unimportant and culturally indefensible; and those who feel it is a humane, economically important and legitimate industry.  The hunt has come under a barrage of criticism from environmental preservationist groups in the past two decades and it appears these lobbyists may be successful in stopping or severely restricting the annual hunt.  Sealing is important to the men for cultural, social and ultimately, personal reasons which are extra to the more concrete economic importance it holds for them. -- Following the Introduction and a brief history of sealing in Newfoundland, the body of the thesis presents the ethnographic detail of a voyage to the hunt, using participant observer techniques.  This description gives close detail of the sealers’ interactions with each other and relates, largely through dialogue, the feeling the sealers have for and about the hunt.  The final chapter deals with the sealers' motivations for persuing the hunt.  An epilogue suggests some possible implications should the hunt be ended. -- No major study of modern sealing has been undertaken by an ethnographer who has participated in the hunt.  Recent events are seriously threatening sealing in Newfoundland; this thesis may be viewed as salvage ethnography.  It is an empirically oriented work which aims to show how an economic activity may be embued with cultural meaning.


identifier: Sheldon, Helen Louise <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sheldon=3AHelen_Louise=3A=3A.html>   (1987) The late prehistory of Nova Scotia as viewed from the Brown site.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Unlike most other areas of North America where prehistoric cultural sequences have been established for some time and archaeological research can be directed toward solving more intricate problems such as determining settlement patterns and population dynamics, in Nova Scotia the fundamental research of the prehistoric period remains to be done, i.e., the culture history of the area has yet to be discovered. -- Excavation of a late prehistoric site on the Atlantic coast of the province in 1978 and 1985 produced information on the last 1000 years of prehistoric occupation in the area.  The standard archaeological techniques of radiocarbon dating and artifact attribute analysis were employed to reveal the nature of human occupation at the site, which was found to be represented by one prehistoric component spanning the time from 1,300 years ago to the beginning of the historic period. -- Environmental and geographic data were used to postulate a settlement-subsistence pattern for eastern Nova Scotia.  Additionally, the Brown site assemblages was compared to assemblages from other late prehistoric sites in the Maritime provinces with a view to determining general similarities and differences. -- It was concluded that a lengthy period of cultural stability occurred in eastern Nova Scotia beginning at least 1,300 years ago and ending with the arrival of Europeans.  The late prehistoric peoples are viewed as ancestral to the modern native peoples of the province.  The late prehistoric settlement pattern in eastern Nova Scotia is thought to have been a flexible one that could adapt swiftly to annual weather fluctuations and did not suffer from the rigidity of the early historic winter-interior, summer-coastal pattern.  Some degree of cultural or ethnic difference is believed to have existed between the late prehistoric peoples of Nova Scotia on the one part and Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick on the other part.


identifier: Penney, Gerald <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Penney=3AGerald=3A=3A.html>   (1984) The prehistory of the southwest coast of Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study represents three (1979-81) field seasons of archaeological survey and excavation on the southwest coast of Newfoundland.  Prior to this research our understanding of its prehistory was limited.  Survey results suggest that this submerging coast was thinly populated throughout most of the prehistoric period. -- Excavation at the multi-component L'Anse a Flamme site revealed distinctive and previously unrecognized Recent Indian lithic assemblages.  Four other southwest coast sites were found to contain similar assemblages which are herein proposed as the Little Passage Complex.  The complex may represent either Indian cultural florescence and   coastal re-occupation or new migrants following Dorset demise.  Its relationship to the historically known Beothuck remains unclear, however, radiocarbon age determinations from Little Passage sites elsewhere on the Island, place it late in the prehistoric period.


identifier: Conaty, Gerald Thomas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Conaty=3AGerald_Thomas=3A=3A.html>   (1978) The Wentzell Lake site : a stratified prehistoric archaeological site in the Caribou Mountains, northern Alberta.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Wentzel Lake site (Borden designation IfPo 1) was a stratified site located in the Caribou Mountains of northern Alberta.  Three major stratigraphic components were recognized, and the artifact assemblages from each were described.  Material from the initial occupation, which had a maximum date of 4,765 ± 85 B.P., was stylistically similar to assemblages from the Early Taltheilei tradition.  A second occupation, which dated from 3,585 ± 60 B.P., contained material which was indicative of influences from the contiguous Plains cultures.  Flaking patterns and the presence of grinding on the lateral margins of the basal portions of projectile points indicated that the two occupations were culturally continuous.  In addition, palaeoclimatic and palaeocultural sequences from adjacent areas were presented.  It was hoped that such data would enable the material from the Wentzel Lake site to be understood in its proper context.


identifier: Walsh, Vince <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Walsh=3AVince=3A=3A.html>   (1985) The underside of boarding house life.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: The underside of boarding house life

abstract: Some of the poorest people in St. John's live in illegally operated boarding houses.  These people include alcoholics, drug-addicts, ex-offenders, mentally and physical handicaped, old age pensioners, and structurally unemployed people.  Most are single, unemployed, and lacking in close family and friendship ties in the city.  Almost all rely on some form of state support for their maintenance, and this support is often inadequate in meeting their day to day needs.  This thesis describes life in the low income boarding house, and provides an analysis of the social milieu of the boarders: their relations with each other, with the wider society, and the institution with which they interact.


identifier: LeBlanc, Sylvie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeBlanc=3ASylvie=3A=3A.html>   (1996) A place with a view : Groswater subsistence-settlement patterns in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this research, I approach the reconstruction of Groswater subsistence-settlement patterns by examining the mobility patterns of the Groswater people in the Gulf of St. Lawrence area.  Based on regional lithic and faunal resource distribution, a predictive mobility model is proposed.  The model suggests that the acquisition of Cow Head cherts and the harp seal migration routes form the basis of Groswater mobility in the area.  Data from seven sites are examined from the perspective of technological and intra-site spatial organization.  The data support the proposed model.


identifier: Erwin, John <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Erwin=3AJohn=3A=3A.html>   (1995) An intrasite analysis of Phillip's Garden : a Middle Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo site at Port au Choix, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: An understanding of site function at a Middle Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo site known as Phillip's Garden (EeBi-1), has long been impeded by the quantity, complexity and overlap of the archaeological remains. As greater site complexity has been realized, it has become apparent that establishing contemporaneity amongst the archaeological features is crucial to understanding site function and settlement patterning. Potential contemporaneity is estimated from radiocarbon results, and is used as the basis from which to compare locational data; changes in house construction, and the frequency and distribution of artefacts. This analysis is intended as a means to evaluate the nature and duration of the various forms of occupation which have created this semi-sedentary looking archaeological site.


identifier: Warren, Elizabeth Jan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Warren=3AElizabeth_Jan=3A=3A.html>   (1995) Coastal sedentism during the Atlantic period in Nordhordland, western Norway? : the middle and late Mesolithic components at Kotedalen.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis evaluates the proposition that there was year-round sedentary occupation on the coast of western Norway during the Atlantic period. The modern boundaries of Nordhordland circumscribe a physiographic region that is representative of the fjord indented landscape of western Norway. The seasonal and spatial distribution of food resources available in Nordhordland during the Atlantic period is reconstructed and found to be relatively rich and varied throughout the year, especially in the inner coastal region. The year-round availability of various species of cod is a stabilizing factor. This allows for some degree of flexibility and both seasonally mobile, semi-sedentary and sedentary settlement strategies were possible. -- Scenarios for  each of these strategies indicate that they are all capable of producing large sites with thick deposits, but it  is suggested that the internal characteristics of such sites  will differ depending on which settlement system they are a part of. The artifacts, faunal remains and the features from  four stratified layers at Kotedalen, a large, multicomponent  site located in the inner coastal region of Nordhordland, are evaluated to determine the length of occupation and the kinds of activities they represent. Kotedalen is situated next to a good fishing location with easy access to resources in other physiographic regions and year-round settlement would have been possible from such a location. -- Although data from one site cannot provide clear answers concerning regional settlement patterns, the data from Kotedalen, with its relatively good faunal preservation, identifiable features and stratified layers do provide insight into how one site was used at different points in time. The data from Kotedalen suggest that it was repeatedly  reoccupied and that there was some degree of variability in site use. Data from two of the layers indicates that Kotedalen was occupied at least on a semi-sedentary basis, whereas the other two layers are not adequately sampled, but  appear to show more sporadic use.


identifier: Schuurman, Hedda <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Schuurman=3AHedda=3A=3A.html>   (1994) Culture, politics, and school control in Sheshatshit.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis examines the significance of school control for the Labrador Innu of Sheshatshit. An historical overview of pre-settlement life is followed by an analysis of existence in the community today. It is argued that recent adaptation to year-round life in the community of Sheshashit has created a tension between "country" values, associated with traditions of the past, and the exigencies associated with modern life. It is within the context of this tension that the issues related to school control can best be understood. School control is presented here as primarily a cultural and  political issue. As part of a broader struggle for Innu self-government, political leaders are attempting to gain control of the local all-grade school. School control is portrayed by the leaders as a symbol of cultural and political empowerment. However, as the thesis shows, control  poses multiple challenges for the community. This is mainly because Sheshashit comprises heterogeneous and conflicting views of what the school should be and do; a monolithic "community" perspective does not exist. On the one hand, there exists a competent and empowered group of political leaders, committed to attaining nation status for the Innu. For this group, school control is a means, symbolic and material, of achieving self-government. On the other hand, many community members feel increasingly marginalized as Innu knowledge and skills fade from their lives leaving gaps in their identity which nationalist rhetoric is not able to fill.


identifier: Macey, Jeannette F. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Macey=3AJeannette_F=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1996) Demography and disease of the Næstved Helligåndushus Collection : an A.D. 15th century cemetery population of the 'House of the Holy Spirit' in south-west Denmark.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Together with archaeological and historical information, demographic and palaeopathological investigations can provide valuable insights into aspects of the health and social background of the otherwise silent members of a past population. The Helligåndshus cemetery collection from Næstved is the only burial population of its kind which has been excavated in Denmark. Functioning as a charitable religious hospital during the late mediaeval and post-reformation periods, the Helligåndshus provided charity, healthcare and burials for poverty stricken and unfortunate members of society. The burial collection, consisting of 328 defined interments, provides a rare glimpse of the age and gender structure of the facility's clientele as well as the diseases which posed threats to their health and well-being.  -- Although representing just a sector of society, the Helligåndhus burial population is comprised of individuals of all ages, from infancy to old age. Childhood mortality appears to have been high and life expectancy for adults was  just 32.5 years on average. A slight gender bias may indicate a greater need for charity among females. -- Disease was not an uncommon phenomenon and over half of the burial population had suffered from one or more pathological condition. In accordance with the social background of the population, diseases of an occupational, nutritional and infectious nature were the most common while trauma, congenital disorders and neoplastic diseases were few. While  poverty and disease placed their demands on the individual, the need for charity and heathcare made its demands on the greater charitable society of Næstved.


identifier: Murphy, Kathleen Anne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Murphy=3AKathleen_Anne=3A=3A.html>   (1991) Maternal politics : women's strategies in a rural development association.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The central concern of this thesis was to understand how women had achieved and maintained local political power in a  regional development association (LSDA) in a isolated logging region in northern Newfoundland, dominated by several sects of fundamentalist religions. Early researchers  had suggested that women in Newfoundland were subordinate to  men; later research revealed that women had some power and authority but located in separate spheres from those of men;  but the women I was examining had achieved power in the public and political arenas. The central puzzle in the course of the fieldwork and the writing of my thesis was understanding how and why this group of women who made up  the executive of the LSDA were able to come into positions of authority and power, both in their own personal lives, and within the context of a fundamentalist religious community, which upholds patriarchal ideals about the roles of women and men in the community. -- I saw that women's maternal strategies and politics enabled the women of the LSDA to achieve decision-making positions within the community. Maternal politics is the transference of women's traditional maternal, nurturing, and caretaking role to the political sphere. Within the political domain they were able  to improve the condition of women's lives by using the very roles imposed on them as women by the patriarchal fundamentalist culture of Northeast Brook. These strategies I discuss first in the fundamentalist congregations and then within the specific context of the LSDA. I then discuss the theoretical implications of this kind of working class women's politics within the political framework of feminism.


identifier: Skanes, Frederick William <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Skanes=3AFrederick_William=3A=3A.html>   (1992) Exploring new avenues : anthropological history, political economy and peasantries.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In the past fifty or sixty years the field of anthropology has gone through many shifts concerning the nature of its endeavor. Shifts within general theoretical orientations reflects shifts of topic specific agendas. Moreover, a recent awareness of the role that history can play in a more  vibrant and eclectic anthropology has been advocated. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the history of anthropological theory as it pertains to the discipline's orientation concerning a specific topic, namely the concept of the peasant. Anthropology is enjoined to reevaluate its orientation and accept the challenge of delineating new avenues of inquiry.


identifier: Armitage, Peter <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Armitage=3APeter=3A=3A.html>   (1985) Domestic production among the Innut of La Romaine : persistence or transformation?  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The central concern of this thesis is to describe the character of domestic production among the Innut of La Romaine, on the lower Cote-Nord of Quebec, with the view to determining the reasons for its persistence and transformation. Special emphasis is placed on describing the methods by which the commensal family unit ‘reproduces' itself over time. The role of use-value production, income from wage-labour, state transfer payments, and the sale of commodities such as furs and handicrafts, as well as the patterns of bush-food distribution between domestic units in  reproducing the commensal family unit are considered in detail. -- One important conclusion of the thesis is that in  the post-contact period the general pattern of long-term change in Innu domestic production has been a transformation  away from reliance on income from fur sales to meet the needs of the household for essential commodities to a growing dependence on government transfer payments. Today, social security payments and other income indirectly derived  from government transfer payments are the motor of the economy in which the Innu are situated. Domestic activities,  whether these be hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or craft production, cannot be financed without these payments.  They are in a sense a form of guaranteed income, with numerous strings attached, which allow harvesting activities  to continue and even flourish in certain circumstances despite the rising demands for and cost of industrially-derived products. Thus, domestic production in La Romaine - harvesting practices, craft production, systems of cooperative labour and food distribution - continues until the present-day, but state transfer payments are now an essential component in the financial foundation of this form of production.


identifier: Burke, Charles A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Burke=3ACharles_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1991) Nineteenth century ceramic artifacts from a seasonally occupied fishing station on Saddle Island, Red Bay, Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis identifies a collection of ceramic artifacts excavated from a mid-to-late nineteenth century seasonally occupied site on Saddle Island in Red Bay, southern Labrador.  Each type is examined within a context of chronology, manufacture, distribution and sale with particular reference to the acquisition, use and discard of the objects on Saddle Island. -- The ceramics are identified and quantified by type, form and functional group.  When possible, comparisons with other archaeological data are made.  The material is used to interpret several aspects of the nineteenth century use of Saddle Island.  The historical record provides an organizational framework in which the ceramic material is analysed. -- The ceramic types and shapes recovered from Saddle Island replicate the range of wares available in nineteenth century North America.  The analysis shows that in comparison to sites of similar age and socioeconomic status the Red Bay assemblage is a product of several unique factors associated with a seasonal fishery-based occupation.  Apart from this, the evidence shows that ceramics used by the residents of Saddle Island were similar to the types and decorative styles acquired by their economic peers throughout North America.


identifier: LeBlanc, Raymond Joseph <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeBlanc=3ARaymond_Joseph=3A=3A.html>   (1973) The Wigwam Brook site and the historic Beothuk Indians.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis is concerned with a description of the historic Beothuk using both ethnohistoric and archaeological data. A summary of ethnohistoric descriptions of Beothuk material culture is provided. This consists of descriptions of such things as canoes, habitations, storage and smoke houses, deer fences etc., most of which would not survive in the archaeological record. As such, it constitutes an important part of the existing knowledge of the Beothuks, and furnishes a valuable source of information for the interpretation of the archaeological remains. -- Archaeological data consist of earlier work done on Beothuk burials and more recent work on a number of habitation sites  on the Island. The former is reanalyzed in light of new information on the prehistory of Newfoundland. The latter consists of a summary of the results of excavations previously conducted at two Beothuk habitation sites and a description of the results of archaeological field work carried out for this thesis at the Wigwam Brook (DfAw-I) site, a late historic Beothuk component located near Grand Falls in central Newfoundland. -- The work at Wigwam Brook furnished the data for a detailed discussion of the characteristics of such things as features and artifacts at an interior late historic Beothuk encampment: Analysis of recovered faunal material indicate an unexpected year round occupancy, a fact which may be important in the understanding of the possible causes for the eventual extinction of the Beothuks in the early nineteenth century.


identifier: Chute, Janet Elizabeth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Chute=3AJanet_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html>   (1976) A comparative study of the bark, bone, wood and hide items made by the historic Micmac, Montagnais-Nascapi and Beothuk Indians.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis is concerned with the description and comparison of bark, bone, wood and hide objects manufactured by the historic Montagnais/Nascapi, Micmac and Beothuk Indians.  Both artifactual and ethnographic evidence was examined during the course of the study.  Artifactual collections were viewed first-hand at eight museums throughout northeastern Canada and the United States.  The Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, Leiden, Holland, and the British Museum were contacted overseas.  Literary sources included primary historical accounts and secondary compilations, as well as recent anthropological studies. -- The Beothuk material was re-analyzed in view of the information derived from comparison of this evidence with non-lithic items made by the Micmac and Montagnais/Nascapi.  This comprised the bulk of the work, as it involved the detailed description of artifact types categorized according to function.  An investigation of the stylistic design elements and the mortuary practices of the three tribes provided additional information for comparison. -- During the final stages of this study the functional categories of historic artifacts were projected back in time to correlate with parallel classes of non-lithic objects recovered from Maritime Archaic, sites in the Northeast.  Whereas the Beothuk evidence exhibited traits similar to certain aspects of the Maritime Archaic, the historic Micmac and Montagnais/Nascapi items showed closer affinities to the material cultures of other historic northeastern Algonkian peoples.  This data tended to isolate the Beothuk Indians as an older resident group in the Northeast composed of an assimilated body of Maritime Archaic descendent peoples with an Algonkian speaking, or proto-Algonkian speaking, migrant population, which expanded eastward to the Labrador coast in prehistoric times and eventually crossed into Newfoundland.


identifier: McAleese, Kevin E. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McAleese=3AKevin_E=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1991) The archaeology of a late 18th century sealing post in southern Labrador : George Cartwright's 'Stage Cove'.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Clarke suggests that text-aided archaeology can "increasingly provide vital experiments in which purely archaeological data may be controlled by documentary data, bearing in mind the inherent biases of both" (1973:18).  This thesis uses artifacts and text in order to investigate life at Stage Cove, a small sealing post in southern Labrador.  Its occupation during the 1770s by approximately 20 to 30 Anglo-Irish sealers, fishermen, fur trappers, and a few Inuit was documented by George Cartwright, the merchant who managed Stage Cove.  His journal contains a wealth of general and specific information on the social and economic structure and operation of this and other late 18th century frontier posts in southern Labrador.  Like the journals of many explorers or traders however, it presents a singular view of that social and economic structure tailored for a select audience, apparently the British elite (Cartwright 1792 vol.1:xiii-xvi). -- This thesis compares artifacts and architectural remains recovered during an archaeological excavation of the site in 1986, with Cartwright’s journal and other site documentation.  Comparing these independent lines of evidence should provide a more comprehensive interpretation of site activity than would archaeology or the documentary record alone.  The degree to which the lines of evidence converge will help strengthen interpretations of the site's history.


identifier: MacLean, Laurie Allan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/MacLean=3ALaurie_Allan=3A=3A.html>   (1989) The Beothuk adoption of iron technology.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: The Beothuk adoption of iron technology

abstract: The research described in this text addresses the Beothuk Indians' adoption of iron technology during the historic period in Newfoundland.  This industry is interpreted using archaeological, historical, metallurgical and linguistic data.  A large sample of iron artifacts in storage at Memorial University and the Newfoundland Museum provides physical evidence of many, if not all, aspects of Beothuk ironworking and is the central focus of the examination. -- Chapter one deals with the background information, including historic, archaeological and comparative data, utilized in deriving research questions pertaining to the descriptive aspect of this thesis.  This approach resulted in the first comprehensive typology of Beothuk iron tools, outlined in chapter three.  The resulting overview brings together artifacts that have been found by the public sector during the historic period and through archaeological excavations over the past 25 years. -- The combined sample referred to here includes traditional Beothuk iron implements, including projectile points, awls, fish spears and possibly scrapers, that were mostly recycled from European items.  The sample also contains European objects possessed by the Beothuk and debris from the recycling processes that produced traditional Native tool-types.  Identification of the specific stages in Beothuk manufacturing processes facilitated the formation of metallurgical research questions relating to structural changes in iron that would occur in such reworking of European material.  These queries are listed in chapter four, along with background information describing the properties of industrial wrought iron, cast iron and steel in Beothuk context. -- Chapter four also outlines the results of a laboratory analysis of Beothuk iron undertaken in Ottawa.  In addition to generally corroborating historic descriptions of Beothuk ironworking, these data indicate that during the industry's formative period, ca. A.D. 1650-1720, European-made projectile points and associated forged objects were somehow acquired by the Newfoundland Natives.  These artifacts possibly represent some form of peaceful interaction between the Beothuk and other people, such as Europeans or the Montagnais, a proposal usually considered untenable by students of Newfoundland history. -- After the Beothuk iron industry is described, these data are compared to contemporaneous mainland North American cases, including the Onondaga Iroquois, Labrador Eskimos and Nova Scotia Micmacs.  This highlights the Beothuk iron industry relative to North American history.


identifier: Orchard, Treena <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Orchard=3ATreena=3A=3A.html>   (1998) Teenagers of the tundra : the teenage experience among the Naskapi of Kawawachikamach, Quebec.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The teenage years.  This period of physiological and social change is perhaps one of the most fascinating and misunderstood phases in our life cycle.  It is even more complex when we consider the effects of the introduction of this stage into a culture which previously had its own unique category of youth.  This thesis examines such a development as it exists among the Naskapi people of Kawawachikamach, Quebec. -- Many studies dealing with aboriginal teens contend that these young people are currently experiencing an "identity crisis", or that they are "between two worlds" (i.e. Native and White), ideas which are couched within Western theoretical perspectives of the adolescent identity.  However, the situation among the Naskapi involves more than two competing cultural influences or individual struggles for identity.  The phase of Naskapi adolescence itself has changed, as witnessed by the introduction of the 'teenage' stage.  However, there are culturally specific factors at play which can account for how adolescence is experienced among the Naskapi, and why they do not go through an identity crisis as the adolescent is seen to do in Western models.  As I will show, it is the complex interplay between the newly emerging social category of the 'teenager' and the challenge it represents to traditional Naskapi age-grade systems and social roles which act to produce the cultural tensions which exist among this group.


identifier: Kristmanson, Helen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kristmanson=3AHelen=3A=3A.html>   (1992) The ceramic sequence for southwestern Nova Scotia : a refinement of the Petersen-Sanger model.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Archaeologists have long used ceramics in establishing cultural chronologies.  James Petersen and David Sanger recently proposed a seven part chronological sequence, derived from prehistoric ceramic material, which may ultimately replace the traditional tripartite Ceramic Period characteristic of the Maine-Maritimes Region of the Eastern Woodlands.  This thesis presents the results of a detailed stylistic and morphological analysis of ceramic material from eleven prehistoric sites in southwestern Nova Scotia which was undertaken in order to evaluate the applicability of Petersen and Sanger's model to that portion of the Maine-Maritimes region. -- The ceramic collection central to this research was from the Eel Weir site, Kejimkujik National Park, which has produced the largest in situ assemblage available for analysis.  Attribute information recovered from each vessel from this and other sites in southwestern Nova Scotia recovered from each vessel was entered into a file structure specifically designed for this project using the dBase III Plus computer program.  In addition to the personal examination of over 20,000 sherds, a literature search produced further information relevant to the study.  Comparison of the accumulated data with Petersen and Sanger's proposed chronological sequence indicates that the model is applicable to southwestern Nova Scotia and possibly to ceramics from sites external to the study region.  Access to curated collections with documented provenience, as well as the continuation of controlled excavations of Ceramic Period sites, are imperative for further evaluation and refinement of the model.


identifier: Martin, Kent Oliver <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Martin=3AKent_Oliver=3A=3A.html>   (1973) "The law in St. John's says..." : space division and resource allocation in the Newfoundland fishing community of Fermeuse.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis explores the ecologic and social functions and implications of marine space management as embraced in the Newfoundland Fishery Regulations. -- The Newfoundland Fishery Regulations constitute a particularly interesting body of legislation in that those regulations which apply to the inshore cod fishery were not, in the main, enacted with a view toward husbanding the resource.  Rather, they represent a response on the part of government officials to political pressure exerted by inshore fishermen for the legal codification of regulations which allocate access to resources with respect to particular technologies. -- This need to regulate the extractive process is largely a product of the non-random distribution of fish concentrations over the fishing grounds and the varying productive potentials of the technologies used.  Those technologies which can operate only under a relatively narrow range of environmental conditions (e.g. trap and handline) are afforded protection from competing technologies (gill net and trawl) by setting aside specific locations and/or areas for the exclusive use of the former. -- Ecologically, the Newfoundland Fishery Regulations function to provide for an equitable division of resources for local fishermen.  This division is in turn related to the numbers of fishermen exploiting a given area and the amount of exploitable space available.  In an area such as Fermeuse where there are substantial numbers of fishermen and only limited amounts of exploitable space I found relatively stringent restrictions which limited the bulk of exploitative opportunities to those technologies which required the least amount of operating space thereby permitting the maximum density of fishing unit participation.  Space consuming technologies such as trawl wherein three or four units could control an area which might be profitably exploited by twenty or thirty handline units are banned from large expanses of the community's fishing grounds.  The Newfoundland Fishery Regulations then emerge as a major force in balancing the available space with the number of fishing units. -- In addition, the Regulations function to protect local fishermen from the modernized and highly mobile fishing operations which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Newfoundland waters. -- Sociologically, the Regulations function to minimize social conflict in an intensely competitive fishing milieu where the rewards fall to those who prove to be the shrewdest in getting their share of a scarce commodity (exploitative opportunity).  Because the Regulations are codified into formal law (which is external to the community) disputes engendered on the fishing grounds tend to be less personalized.  This depersonalizing effect is further reinforced by the presence of a federal fishery officer.  His role is particularly important as an enforcer of regulations and as a mediator in disputes, between opposing technological interests.  Because the fishery officer is not directly involved in the extractive process he is regarded as impartial and is commonly sought for adjudication in what are often highly emotional confrontations which could degenerate into a personal encounter that might seriously endanger the social fabric of the community.


identifier: McEachen, Paul Joseph <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McEachen=3APaul_Joseph=3A=3A.html>   (1996) The Meadowood early Woodland manifestation in the Maritimes : a preliminary interpretation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis reviews the Early Woodland period (3000-2000 B.P.) in the Maritime Provinces.  An intrusive cultural manifestation from the Great Lakes region called Meadowood is examined in detail, including a recently excavated Meadowood mortuary/cache site (BaDd-4) in southwestern Nova Scotia.  The inland location of Meadowood ceremonial and habitation sites on major river systems suggest a riverine/lacustrine settlement and subsistence pattern.  Meadowood-style artifacts, made primarily of local raw materials, have no precedent in the Maritimes and may be explained by an eastward migration of small Meadowood groups.  An interaction sphere model may also account for the presence of Meadowood traits in the Maritimes.


identifier: Arefeen, Helaluddin Khan Shamsul <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Arefeen=3AHelaluddin_Khan_Shamsul=3A=3A.html>   (1975) The Hindu caste model and the Muslim system of stratification in Bangladesh.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to study social stratification patterns among the Muslims of Bangladesh.  The thesis also aims at resolving the controversy over whether or not the Muslims of Bangladesh follow the Hindu caste system.  In fact most of the authors who write on Muslim stratification old that it is a form of Hindu caste.  But my research indicates that the Muslims of Bangladesh do not follow the Hindu caste system; rather they follow closely the principles of stratification prevalent in early Islamic Arabia.  For instance, it is found in the investigation that the fundamental basis of stratification in Bangladesh as well as in early Islamic Arabia is the reckoning of nobility of descent.  Moreover, data on the Bangladesh Muslim society show some distinctive features which are different from the features found in Hindu caste.  For example, unlike Hindu caste, Muslim stratification is flexible, wealth plays an important role in determining social status, and there is an absence of any purity-pollution distinctions.  This thesis also includes twelve case studies from different authors.  These cases are reflective of the basis, and the unique features of the stratification existent among the Muslims of Bangladesh.  The thesis has two basic conclusions:  (1) the Muslims of Bangladesh do not follow Hindu caste model and  (2) the application of the concept of caste in studying the Muslim society of Bangladesh is not suitable.


identifier: Brown, Cheryl A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brown=3ACheryl_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1986) The Newfoundland pilgrimage to Ste. Anne de Beaupre : suffering and celebration a world apart.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis examines the socio-cultural context of the Newfoundland Pilgrimage to Ste. Anne de Beaupré, a St. John's-based pilgrimage organization which has made annual visitations to the Québec shrine for over 25 years. -- Examined are the origins of the group, its structural organization, and development. The major symbols and rituals  of the shrine are described, focussing on the Newfoundland group's emic interpretations and ritual participation. -- Pilgrimage activity in the social/secular realm of the shrine utilizes Goffman's (1959) dramaturgical frame. Special emphasis is placed on communication of social-symbolic messages within the group. -- Analysis indicates that gender and age are significant variables, and that the pilgrimage experience has particular appeal for women, especially elderly women. -- Six case studies are provided delineating pilgrims socio-psychological characteristics, motives and pilgrimage experiences. -- Symbolic analysis examines the paradoxical message of the shrine, the sanctification of suffering, examining how the Newfoundland pilgrims interpreted this message. It is revealed that through embracing this sacred message socially alienated individuals achieve self-fulfillment and dignity. -- The socio-cultural context of the shrine is compared to the socio-cultural order of Newfoundland. It is shown that in both spheres oppressed, alienated individuals and groups gain dignity through self-sacrifice.


identifier: Eisener, Amanda C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Eisener=3AAmanda_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2002) Feeding babies, making mothers : infant feeding practices in St. John's, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Breast feeding is promoted as the optimum infant feeding method for numerous reasons.  How do we explain why not all new mothers in St. John's breast feed?  Using examples collected during fieldwork in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1999, I argue that the historical, social, and cultural contexts of infant feeding must be examined in order to understand the experience of infant feeding in St. John's within the context of what has become a pro-breast feeding, anti formula feeding social environment.  As well, I demonstrate connections between the promotion of a "breast feeding culture" and ideas about ‘good' mothering and 'good' parenting.  In examining infant feeding practices from these perspectives, I argue that infant feeding is work that is accomplished alongside other day-to-day responsibilities.


identifier: Wiseman, Dena L. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wiseman=3ADena_L=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1997) Effects of prey density and temperature on survival, growth, and behaviour of newly hatched striped wolffish (Anarhichas lupus).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Two of the main factors contributing to the growth and survival of larval fish are food and temperature. Adequate food must be provided when the larvae switch from endogenous  to exogenous feeding. Temperature can affect growth rate, survival, and metabolism. Feeding and temperature studies were carried out on newly hatched striped wolffish (Anarhichas lupus). In a preliminary study larvae were fed three densities of Artemia, 100/1, 300/1, and 900/1. Survival was not significantly different among treatments (mean 19.5±5.78%) but growth rates were affected by prey density. A non-feeding study showed that larvae can survive on their yolk reserves for 2 to 4 weeks with the first mortality occurring at 15 days post-hatch. Larvae raised on a combination of Artemia and dry feed showed improved survival over the initial prey density study. The level of Artemia influenced growth, survival and weaning time. Final percent survival for larvae fed 900 Artemia/1 plus dry diet was 94.3% as compared to 52.6% for larvae fed 100 Artemia/1 plus a dry diet. Growth was also significantly faster for larvae fed at 900/1. Larvae offered a larger density of Artemia initially consumed more Artemia and weaned themselves onto dry feed two weeks earlier than larvae fed the smaller density of Artemia. Larvae were also raised at 3  different temperature regimes, high (8.0-13.5°C), low (4.0-7.8°C), and ambient (3.0-13.5°C). High temperature had the greatest effect on survival in the first 6 weeks. Survival levelled off after this time. Final survival for high, low, and ambient was 50.5%, 16.0%, and 6.8% respectively. Overall  larvae grown at higher temperatures were larger than those at the lower temperature range. Specific growth rate however  dropped at higher temperatures later in the study. -- The results of this experiment suggest that wolffish larvae should be fed a combination of Artemia and dry pellets immediately from hatch. Artemia should be continued until about 6 weeks or a length of 30 mm. At this time the larvae should be observed consuming primarily dry food. Temperature should be maintained at 4-8°C for the first 6 weeks. Evidence suggests that the temperature should not exceed 8°C  after 6 weeks however further investigation is needed.


identifier: Matolla, Geraldine Kasisi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Matolla=3AGeraldine_Kasisi=3A=3A.html>   (1996) Effect of yeast glucan on immunostimulation of cellular non-specific defences, growth and survival of arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Arctic charr is a promising alternative aquaculture species in Atlantic Canada. Although one of the factors which limit the productivity of this species is microbial diseases, it has been given very little research attention. -- The use of  vaccines and antibiotics are the two methods available for protecting farmed fish against microbial diseases. However, both methods suffer some drawbacks, leading researchers to search for alternative methods for controlling diseases. -- Immunostimulants, a group of biological and synthetic compounds, have been shown to increase non-specific activity  in fish. The immunostimulatory effect of β-glucan from the yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae on non-specific defences, resistance to bacterial pathogen, Yersinia ruckeri infection, and growth in Arctic charr, were investigated. --    The effect on neutrophils and macrophages was monitored after treatment by injection with either 1 or 10 mg/kg and/or by immersion in 1 or 10mg/L of glucan suspension. Neutrophil activity was evaluated by their ability to stick to glass and staining by Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT). Maximum neutrophil activation was observed 14 days after treatment by immersion in 1mg/L of glucan suspension. -- Phagocytic activity, which was assessed by Phagocytic Ratio (PR) and Phagocytic Index (PI), was determined by ingestion of heat treated yeast cells by head kidney macrophages from glucan treated fish. Both PR and PI were significantly elevated by immersion in 10mg/L between Days 2-14 as compared to Day 0 and Days 21-35 after treatment. -- Effect on disease resistance was monitored after infection of fish by intraperitoneal injection with Yersinia ruckeri. Glucan treated fish were challenged on Days 1, 7 or 14 following immersion in 1mg/L of glucan suspension. Treatment on 14 days prior to challenge resulted in higher survival than on Days 1 and 7. -- Maximum neutrophil and macrophage activation coincided with the day of maximum survival. This suggests that disease resistance in Arctic charr may be due to neutrophil and macrophage activation, which is stimulated by glucan treatment. -- Effect of glucan on the growth of the Arctic charr was also investigated in this study. However, glucan treatment of fish did not show any enhancement or reduction of growth. -- This study has demonstrated the potential of yeast glucan as a method for control of microbial diseases in Arctic charr.


identifier: Lyons, Lian <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lyons=3ALian=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Glycolytic genes from Escherichia coli as evolutionary probes.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Comparative studies based on the structure of ribosomes and their components suggested that there are three primary kingdoms: eubacteria, archaebacteria and urkaryotes. However, the validity of this hypothesis is being questioned. In order to resolve the evolutionary relationships among bacteria it is necessary to compare the primary structures of molecules other than those of the translational apparatus. The main objective of this project was to determine whether or not hybrid recombinant plasmids that contain sequences for glycolytic enzymes from Escherichia coli could be used to detect corresponding sequences in preparations of genomic DNA from distantly related organisms. Three plasmids from the Clarke-Carbon E. coli genomic library were chosen for this study. The plasmid pLC 16-4 contains the genes for triose-phosphate isomerase and phosphofructo-kinase, whereas it had been reported that pLC 10-47 and pLC>11-8 both contain the gene for enolase. Restriction endonuclease maps were constructed for these plasmids, and the location of the cloning vector was determined in each case by Southern blotting and probing with Co1 E1. Comparison of the restriction maps of pLC 10-47  and pLC 11-8 indicated that there were no sequences in common in the genomic inserts of these plasmids. Subsequent studies at the protein level showed that only pLC 10-47 contains a gene coding for enolase. Genomic DNA was prepared  from representative species of the Enterobacteriaceae, other  gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, and archaebacteria. The genomic DNA was subjected to Southern blotting and probed with radioactively-labelled pLC10-47 or pLC 16-4. The results from these hybridization studies indicated that genes encoding glycolytic enzymes in E. coli were not able to cross-react with DNA from species that had diverged from E. coli more than 40 million years ago. Therefore, the genes for glycolytic enzymes will not be of use as long range evolutionary probes.


identifier: Moranelli, Francesco <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Moranelli=3AFrancesco=3A=3A.html>   (1977) Endogenous RNasa-sensitive DNA polymerase complex from rat tissues : characterization of the reaction and the products, and of the DNA polymerases released by RNase-treatment.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: An endogenously-templated DNA polymerase activity from rat thymus and liver has been partially purified and characterized, and the product of the reaction analyzed. The enzyme from both sources was shown to be sensitive to pretreatment with RNases [hence it is referred to as a  RNase-sensitive DNA polymerase (RS-DP)]. The molecular weight of the RS-DP complex, estimated from Sepharose 6B gel  filtration, is 280,000 daltons. -- The RNA associated with the RS-DP is probably single-stranded (and therefore functions as a template) since the activity remained sensitive to RNase-treatment under conditions in which only single-stranded RNA is digested. The putative RNA template is heteropolymeric in nature, since all four nucleotides were incorporated into the DNA product to a similar extent (also indicating that the enzyme is not simply a terminal transferase). The enzyme is probably not of viral origin, as the activity was not stimulated by non-ionic detergents and also had a buoyant density (1.05 g/cm³) in a sucrose gradient which differed greatly from that reported for the type-C viral activity (1.22-1.24 g/cm³). Inhibition studies with actinomycin D and distamycin A, however, revealed a similarity to the viral RNA-directed DNA polymerase (RD-DP),  supporting the notion that the RNA in the RS-DP complex functions as a template. Additional supporting evidence for a template function for the RNA derives from buoyant density analysis of the product of the rat liver RS-DP activity. -- The RS-DP activity differs from DNA-directed DNA polymerases  in its preference for MN²⁺ to Mg²⁺ as the divalent cofactor. Furthermore, the enzyme is not inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and also responds differently to heparin and polyamines than  does the rat thymus DNA polymerase α. -- Two lower molecular  weight DNA polymerases (70,000 and 30-40,000 daltons, respectively denoted as Peaks II and III), were derived from  the RS-DP complex by extensive RNase-treatment. These activities are probably not proteolytic fragments of a higher molecular weight DNA polymerase, since RNase-treatment in the presence of the protease inhibitors Trasylol and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride also resulted in the release of these activities. -- The Peak II and III activities differ from each other in a number of their properties, and furthermore, differ from other eukaryotic DNA polymerases described in the literature, indicating that  the enzymes are distinct and probably unique DNA polymerases.


identifier: Arcilla, Rosita N. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Arcilla=3ARosita_N=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Browning reaction in dehydrated short-finned squid, Illex illecebrosus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The market value of Atlantic-short-finned squid, Illex illecebrosus for certain importing countries is adversely affected by its greater propensity to undergo browning reaction than other available genera and species of squid. Browning reaction adversely affects the quality of certain dried and shredded squid. Canadian squid exports are, therefore, not competitive with exports of other genera and species of squid. The present study provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that a Maillard type reaction is responsible for the browning reaction in dried squid. This evidence includes the finding of the followimg precursors of  Maillard browning in squid mantle: glucose, ribose, glucose-6-P, ribose-5-P and free amino acids, notably proline and taurine.


identifier: Silva, Jose Manuel <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Silva=3AJose_Manuel=3A=3A.html>   (1988) A study on the mechanisms of acrolein and diaziquone-induced cytotoxicity in isolated hepatocytes.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Acrolein may be a causative agent of hepatic necrosis during the biotransformation of allyl alcohol. It has also been implicated in hemorrhagic cystitis of the bladder induced by the antitumor agent cyclophosphamide. The mechanism of cytotoxicity is believed to involve DNA and protein alkylation. AZQ, 2,5-diazirinyl-3,6-bis(carboethoxyamine)-1,4-benzoquinone, is a lipid soluble antitumor agent that has successfully completed Phase II drug trials. The mechanism of cytotoxicity is believed to involve DNA cross-linking. However, the following evidence using isolated hepatocytes suggests that the cytotoxicity may involve oxidative stress. Isolated rat hepatocytes were prepared and incubated with acrolein or AZQ. -- A) Acrolien -- 1. Hepatocyte cytotoxicity induced by acrolein ensued following depletion of cellular GSH. No GSSG was formed. -- 2. The addition of the reducing agent DTT to hepatocytes preincubated with acrolein prevented cytotoxicity. -- 3. Malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation metabolite, was formed during either acrolein or allyl alcohol incubation with hepatocytes. -- 4. Although malondialdehyde formation could be prevented by the presence of antioxidants and desferrioxamine in the hepatocyte incubate, cytotoxicity was only delayed. -- 5. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor, allopurinol, did not inhibit acrolein induced lipid peroxidation of protect against cytotoxicity. -- 6. Acrolein readily induced Ca²⁺ release by isolated energized mitochondria. Intramitochondrial NAD(P)H was not affected indicating that oxidative stress was not involved. The reducing agent DTT could prevent the release. A reversible alkylation of proteins involved in Ca²⁺ release could be the mechanism involved. -- These results suggest two mechanisms of cytotoxicity induced by acrolein. One involving lipid peroxidation and another slower mechanism involving alkylation. -- B) AZQ -- 1. Hepatocyte cytotoxicity induced by AZQ ensued following depletion of GSH. -- 2. Incubation of AZQ with isolated rat hepatocytes stimulated cyanide-resistant respiration and stoichiometrically oxidized GSH to GSSG. The GSSG levels remained high, as GSSG was not reduced back to GSH. This was found to be the result of reversible inactivation of GSSG reductase. -- 3. No malondialdehyde was formed. -- 4. If the hepatocytes were compromised with azide to inhibit catalase, cytotoxicity was increased 10-fold. -- 5. AZQ readily induced Ca²⁺ release by isolated energized mitochondria. Ascorbate markedly enhanced the effectiveness of AZQ and catalase delayed the release. H₂O₂ formed by redox cycling may therefore cause mitochondrial Ca²⁺ release. -- These results suggest that under aerobic conditions AZQ participates in futile redox cycling and oxygen activation. The H₂O₂ formed my mediate cell death in compromised cells.


identifier: Connors, Margaret Anne Morris <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Connors=3AMargaret_Anne_Morris=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Naphthalene plasmids in Pseudomonads.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Naphthalene plasmids in Pseudomonads

abstract: The Pseudomonas strains NCIB 9816, PG, ATCC 17483 and ATCC 17484 were examined for the involvement of plasmids in the degradation of naphthalene. The role of a plasmid was demonstrated in strains NCIB 9816 and PG by conjugation. It was not possible to demonstrate the involvement of plasmids in the degradation of naphthalene in strains ATCC 17483 and ATCC 17484 either by curing or conjugation. -- A published method was modified to permit the screening of wild type strains for the presence of plasmids. Strains NCIB 9816, PG and ATCC 17484 contained multiple plasmids. It was not possible to demonstrate the presence of any plasmids in ATCC  17483. It was the largest of the pair of plasmids in NCIB 9816 and PG (designated NAH2 and NAH3 respectively) which determined the degradation of naphthalene. -- The patterns of restriction enzyme fragments from digestion with Hind III  or BAM HI were identical for NAH2 and NAH3, but were very different from those of NAH, the plasmid described by Dunn and Gunsalus (1973). Nevertheless, NAH3 hydridized extensively with NAH. -- Some aspects of the regulation of the naphthalene pathway were investigated. An examination of  mutants generated by exposure to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine enabled the identification of salicylaldehyde as the first possible inducer of the pathway  in strain ATCC 17483. The unusual regulatory characteristics  of the meta enzymes for the degradation of catechol in strains NCIB 9816 and PG were transferred by conjugation, and are therefore specified by plasmids NAH2 and NAH3 respectively. However, differences in the regulation of plasmids NAH2 and NAH3 and plasmid NAH may not be as great as it would first appear.


identifier: Thompson, L. Susan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Thompson=3AL=2E_Susan=3A=3A.html>   (1987) Cloning of the enolase gene from Escherichia coli and characterization of a multimeric enolase from sulfolobus acidocaldarius.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Glycolytic enzymes involved in three-carbon metabolism are found in representatives of every phylogenetic lineage. As these enzymes evolve slowly and their amino acid sequences are highly conserved, these proteins and their genes should be important tools for studying long term evolutionary relationships. Enolase was the glycolytic enzyme chosen for this thesis. A hybrid recombinant plasmid, pLC10-47, is known to complement an Escherichia coli enolase mutant (Thomson et al., (1979), J. Bacteriol. 137: 502-506). As a start to comparing the structure of the enolase gene from E.  coli with its eukaryotic counterparts, the location of the E. coli enolase gene on pLClO-47 was determined. This was achieved by a process of restriction endonuclease digestion of pLC10-47, subcloning the fragments into pUC 12 and transforming E. coli with recombinant plasmids. Plasmid DNA was isolated from the transformants and examined for the presence of DNA from pLC10-47. Cell extracts of the transformants were assayed for enolase activity. The E. coli enolase gene was localized to the region around the unique Eco RI site of pLC10-47. As part of a study designed to compare the enolases from representatives of the three primary kingdoms, the enolase from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius was partially purified and characterized. S. acidocaldarius is a sulphur metabolizing archaebacterium which grows at temperatures of 70-75°C and at a pH of 2-3. The starting material for the enzyme purification was a post-ribosomal cytoplasmic extract kindly provided by Dr. A. Matheson, U. of Victoria, B.C. Enolase was purified by a combination of ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose (DE52) and gel  filtration on Sephacryl S-300. The enzyme was characterized with respect to its native and subunit molecular weights. Parameters such as the Km for 2-phosphoglycerate, pH optimum, magnesium dependence and heat stability were determined and compared with those of enolases from eubacteria and eukaryotes. Enolases from S. acidocaldarius and members of the eubacterial genus Thermus are unusual in that they are thermostable and octamers whereas enolases from other organisms are dimers.


identifier: Li, Xiaomao <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AXiaomao=3A=3A.html>   (1985) Isolation, characterization and structural studies of the antifreeze polypeptides from ocean pout, Macrozoarces americanus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Antifreeze polypeptides (AFP) were separated successfully from the serum of ocean pout Macroxoarces americanus using Sephadex G-75 gel-filtration. QAE-Sephadex and SP-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. -- It was found that the ocean pout AFP consists of a multiple family of at least twelve active components of nearly identical size (about 6,000 daltons), which can be classified into two separate groups, named QAE and SP on the  basis of their amino acid compositions and their behaviour on ion-exchange chromatography. -- A partial amino acid sequence of SP-1-A, one of the major ocean pout AFP, was established up to 41 residues from its chymotryptic peptides using a protein sequenator. SP-1-A was compared with two other major components, namely SP-1-B and SP-1-C, by tryptic  and chymotryptic peptide mapping and amino acid analyses. They showed overall structural similarities with minor differences. -- A cDNA coding for the biosynthetic precursor  of one of the ocean pout AFP was isolated and purified from the plasmid pBR 322 in E. Coli HB101. It was then cloned into phage M13 mp8. The sequence of the cDNA was determined by the dideoxy chain termination method. It had untranslated regions at both 3' and 5', and a coding region for a signal peptide containing 22 amino acid residues and a mature polypeptide containing 65 residues. The sequence of the mature polypeptide matched the protein data from both SP-1-B  and SP-1-C. The results from both protein chemistry and molecular biology showed that SP-1-A, SP-1-B and SP-1-C have  very similar amino acid compositions and sequences with only minor differences. For example, SP-1-A contains Ile and Ala at positions 53 and 62, while both SP-1-B and SP-1-C contain  respectively Leu and Val at the same positions. SP-1-C has an additional Gly at its C-terminal compared to both SP-1-A and SP-1-B. -- The amino acid analyses showed that SP-1-A, SP-1-B and SP-1-C contain fourteen types of amino acids with modest contents of Ala and no half-cystine. There is no obvious repeating structure in ocean pout AFP. These results  confirm that ocean pout AFP represent a new type of fish antifreeze proteins. -- Ocean pout AFP from individual fish caught in both winter and summer from Newfoundland, and in winter months from New-Brunswick were analyzed on reverse phase HPLC. The results did not show any significant populational or seasonal polymorphisms.


identifier: Park, Laura <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Park=3ALaura=3A=3A.html>   (1983) The clinical biochemistry of chicks with aflatoxicosis : some effects of supplementary choline, folate, threonine, lysine and lysine plus arginine.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Aflatoxin (2.5ug/g diet) was fed to broiler chicks for 24-26 days in five separate feeding trials in which the effects of supplementary choline, folate, threonine, lysine, and lysine plus arginine were examined.  Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and hepatic lipid responded in a manner typical for aflatoxicosis.  Plasma concentrations of LDH, taurine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, glutamine, ammonia and perhaps BUN were increased in response to aflatoxin, while plasma levels of threonine, lysine, total protein, albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, uric acid, cholesterol, calcium, inorganic phosphate, total iron, total iron binding capacity, and percent saturated transferrin, decreased. -- Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of choline, but not dietary choline, moderated the influence of aflatoxin on the majority of the biochemical parameters. -- Lysine supplementation improved the performance of chicks with aflatoxicosis, while threonine had a negative effect.  This may be related to ornithine detoxification of aflatoxin through the opposing effects of these two amino acids on the activity of the enzyme arginase, which catalyzes the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea. -- Plasma lysine concentration varies considerably as a result of genetic differences in lysine metabolism.  Data indicates that chicks with high plasma lysine concentration are more resistant to aflatoxicosis than chicks with low plasma concentrations of lysine.


identifier: Moranelli, Francesco <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Moranelli=3AFrancesco=3A=3A.html>   (1973) RNA-dependent DNA polymerase from rat tissues : distribution, partial purification, and characterization.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RD-DP) has been detected in all rat tissues examined, and a partial purification and characterization carried out. The relative distribution per unit weight of tissue in order of decreasing amount of activity is as follows: thymus, spleen, brain, liver, kidney, testis, heart, plasma, and red blood cells. The activity in crude extracts was found complexed to an endogenous template sensitive to RNase. After partial or complete elimination of the endogenous template, this enzyme  was found to respond to externally added templates such as yeast RNA, 16S+23S rRNA from E. coli and QβRNA. The rRNA and  QβRNA were more efficient templates than yeast RNA. RNase treatment prior to fractionation was found to abolish a portion of the endogenous template without freeing the enzyme from the high molecular weight (MW) complex. Prolonged RNase treatment was found to shift 30-80% of the RD-DP activity to a lower MW region on a gel filtration column, resulting in a separation of the activity from the bulk of the DNA-dependent and endogenous DNA polymerase activities. The characteristics of the low MW RD-DP differ substantially from those of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase . Mn⁺⁺ proved to be twice as efficient as Mg⁺⁺ for the RNA-dependent activity with an optimun concentration one-fifth that of Mg⁺⁺, whereas the DNA-dependent polymerase preferred Mg⁺⁺ to Mn⁺⁺. A MW of approximately 120,000 has been estimated for the RD-DP eluting in the lower MW region. The activity versus enzyme concentration curve for the RD-DP was  sigmoidal, and that for the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase linear, in the concentration range — examined. The effect of  the rifamycin derivatives on the RD-DP paralleled their effect on the RD-DP from RNA oncogenic viruses reported in the literature. An interesting observation was the effect of  N-ethylmaleimide and o-chloromercuribenzoate; the RD-DP was relatively unaffected compared to the inhibition effect on the DNA-dependent activity. Some of the later experiments revealed a DNA-dependent enzyme eluting in the same region as the low MW RD-BP. As to whether these two activities originate from the same or different enzymes remains to be determined.


identifier: Simpson, Marian Victoria <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Simpson=3AMarian_Victoria=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Seasonal variation of antifreeze glycoprotein and sensitivity to biochemical damage by partial freezing in muscle from Atlantic cod, GADUS MORHUA, L.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Live Atlantic cod Gadus morhua were acclimated at 0°C or 10°C for at least three weeks and studied as well as cod fish held at ambient water temperature to determine, the effect of habitat temperature on the keeping qualities of fish during low temperature storage. Cod fillets were stored  in ice (0 ± 0.2°C) or partially frozen (-3 ± 0.1°C) for various time intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of the two methods in preserving fish freshness. The criteria employed for the evaluation of biochemical deterioration were changes in (i) extractable protein, (ii) free amino acids, (iii) "extracellular area", (iv) levels of TMAO-N, TMA-N, and DMA-N, (v) free drip and (vi) cell fragility. -- Freezing point and melting point measurements of the muscle fluids or blood plasma derived from cod fish acclimated to cold temperature (0°C) or from cod fish caught in the winter months demonstrated thermal hysteresis, unlike similar samples derived from cod fish acclimated to warm temperature  (10°C) or cod fish maintained at ambient water temperature caught in the summer months. This finding implies that antifreeze proteins are present in the muscle fluid of cod fish when the habitat temperature is low, but absent when the habitat temperature is high. -- Partial freezing proved to be a more effective method of minimizing biochemical damage than ice storage as judged by the capacity of the partially frozen samples (i) to retain relatively higher levels of extractable protein, (ii) to exhibit less depletion of free amino acids, (iii) to form relatively lower levels of TMA and DMA, (iv) less increase in extracellular area, and (v) to maintain better consumer acceptability during sensory evaluation studies.


identifier: Vaughan, David J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Vaughan=3ADavid_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1976) Studies of lipid phase transitions in some model membranes using differential scanning calorimetry.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Phosphatidylcholines (PC's) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE's) have been shown, in general, to comprise the major lipids of most biological membranes. Therefore, a systematic  study using differential scanning calorimetry of DPPC, DPPE and their N-methylated intermediates as well as their diether analogues was undertaken in order to characterize the phase behaviour of such model systems with a view to understanding the more complex behaviour observed in real membranes. It was observed that the lipid phase transition temperature (Tc) decreased as methylation of the PE head group increased. The transition enthalpies for these systems  of single lipids showed no systematic variation with methylation. -- It has been noted that saturated lecithins (as well as DPPG) display a pretransition occuring several degrees before the main hydrocarbon chain transition on DSC thermograms. The introduction of "foreign" molecules (even ones of very similar structure) in lecithin bilayers disrupts the long range order in the gel phase and either modifies or abolishes the pretransitional endotherm, depending upon the concentration of the perturbing molecule.  Certain water soluble additives have no effect on the pretransition up to 20 mole %. However, cooling thermograms of such systems display a minor exotherm occuring ∿12° K below the main exotherm which is absent in pure lecithin systems. -- The tricyclic antidepressant, desipramine, has been shown to affect lipid phase behaviour. When included at  equimolar concentrations with single lipids it lowers the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature and generally increases the enthalpy of the phase change. The extent of lowering of the phase transition temperature was found to be dependent on the head group structure of the phospholipids. PE's were affected greater than PC's, in both  a diester and diether series of lipids. Binary mixtures of lipids were also analyzed calorimetricaily and when desipramine was included in these mixes so as to be equivalent on a molar basis with one of the lipids it was found to exhibit a preference for the lower melting component.


identifier: Tye, Teik Mien <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tye=3ATeik_Mien=3A=3A.html>   (1986) The study of heat-stable protease : effects on cheddar cheese quality and on the total bacterial counts during ripening.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A heat-stable protease T25 secreted by Pseudomonas fluorescens from raw milk was used to accelerate the ripening process of Cheddar cheese.  Its effects on the growth and activity of starter cultures used in Cheddar cheese manufacturing were also tested.  The presence of bacteria protease (T25) exerted indirect influence on the growth of starter cultures.  The addition of the protease to milk used for Cheddar cheese manufacturing caused differences in the growth patterns of bacteria during the first month of ripening.  There was a trend in the lowering of percent total fat, protein, nitrogen, moisture content and yield (dry weight) of the cheese to which bacteria protease was added.  The pH changes observed in the control cheese sample during aging were slightly higher than the sample containing the bacterial protease.  A gradual degradation of αS₁-casein fraction was observed in the protease treated cheese during aging.  Also, T25 protease gives better activity with α-casein as a substrate compared to other casein fractions.  Addition of this bacterial protease (5 mg/L, 9.45 mg/L, 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L) to pasteurized milk prior to the addition of renneting agent (porcine pepsin) in the manufacture of Cheddar cheese by the conventional method, results in a product which is able to achieve higher intensity of cheddaring flavour (P<0.05) and higher preference score (P<0.01) within 6 months of aging when compared to that of the control cheese not containing the bacterial protease.  No off-flavour or bitterness was detected in the protease treated cheese throughout the ripening period.  The texture of the cheeses remained fine during aging.  The results of this study indicates that the protease T25 secreted by Pseudomonas fluorescens is a suitable agent to accelerate the ripening process of Cheddar cheese.


identifier: Letto, Joan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Letto=3AJoan=3A=3A.html>   (1989) Branched-chain keto acid metabolism in the isolated perfused rat heart.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Langendorff once-through perfusion system was used to investigate the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids in rat heart. The effects of branched-chain amino acids on fatty acid metabolism was studied. The ketoacid of leucine (KIC) inhibited the oxidation of oleate in the perfused heart. Although the ketoacids of valine (KIV) and isoleucine  (KIL) were decarboxylated in cardiac muscle, they did not affect fatty acid oxidation. This appears to be due to the fact that KIC is almost completely oxidized in the heart, whereas only 19% of KIV is completely oxidized. -- 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate, an intermediate in ketovaline metabolism, was shown to be released from heart when KIV was  the substrate. 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate was shown to be a substrate for gluconeogenesis in isolated kidney cortical tubules and hepatocytes.


identifier: McGowan, Colin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/McGowan=3AColin=3A=3A.html>   (1992) Aspects of natural and artificial hybridization between Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon in Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Two projects were undertaken to obtain information at the molecular, organismal and ecological levels of organization concerning the causes and dynamics of natural hybridization between brown trout (Salmo truttta L.) and Atlantic salmon (Salino salar L.) in Newfoundland. -- (1) Protein electrophoresis and mitochondrial DNA analysis were used to detect the frequency and direction of natural hybridization between these species in nine Newfoundland rivers. In total, 37 hybrids were discovered in a sample of 792 juvenile fish for a regional frequency of 4.7%. Local frequencies ranged from 0 to 18.7% and were significantly heterogeneous. All of the hybrids sampled were produced from matings between female brown trout and male Atlantic salmon. -- (2) The relative viability of hybrids produced using anadromous brown trout, Atlantic salmon grilse and sexually mature Atlantic salmon parr from a Newfoundland river was investigated. The sperm of sexually mature salmon parr performed equally well compared to anadromous salmon sperm when fertilizing both salmon and trout eggs. Hatching success was high in all crosses and controls. By first feeding, hybrids produced using brown trout eggs had suffered higher mortality and were smaller in size than the  reciprocal hybrid and both parental controls. Hybrids produced using salmon eggs exhibited high viability and by first feeding were greater in size than both parental controls. A comparison of hatching time and length of hatching period suggests a paternal influence in embryo development. -- Possible reasons for the breakdown of prereproductive isolating mechanisms between Newfoundland brown trout and Atlantic salmon are considered in light of the contrasting results obtained from the two investigations. Reproductive characteristics of the populations involved appear to have a major influence on the  dynamics of hybridization between these species in Newfoundland. It is proposed that an abundance of sexually mature Atlantic salmon parr in Newfoundland streams is responsible for both the frequency and direction of hybridization observed in this study. Possible reasons for the differences in viability of reciprocal hybrids and the significance of results with respect to the aquaculture industry are also discussed.


identifier: Wanasundara, Janitha Priyakanthi Deepani <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wanasundara=3AJanitha_Priyakanthi_Deepani=3A=3A.html>   (1992) Characteristics of solvent extracted flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) meals.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Flaxseed meal was prepared by a two-phase solvent extraction  system consisting of alkanol, ammonia, water and hexane. Methanol, ethanol and isopropanol were used as the alkanol and the prepared meals were evaluated with respect to their effect on nutrients, antinutrients and functional characteristics. Commercially available flaxseed meal was also studied. -- Approximately 46 to 49% meal and 46 to 50% oil were recovered from dry seeds depending on the extraction system employed. The removal of 4.2 to 5.7% polar substances from the seeds resulted in an increase of 13 and 10% in the content of crude protein and ash, respectively. The presence of ammonia in the polar phase had little effect  on the non-protein nitrogen content. -- A method was developed to isolate and quantify individual cyanogenic glycosides of linseed using chromatographic techniques. The cultivar used for this study was free of linamarin and contained 4.42±0.08 mg/g of linustatin and 1.90±0.03 mg/g of  neolinustatin in the defatted meal on a dry basis. The extraction system, consisting of 10% (w/w) ammonia in 95% (v/v) methanol, removed 57% of linustatin and neolinustatin present in the original samples. A higher content of water, up to 15% in the methanol-ammonia-water phase, removed 67 to  68% of cyanogenic glycosides but resulted in a sticky, dark-coloured meal. Increased contact time (30 min) and solvent-to-seed ratio (R, 13.3) were more effective as 78% to 8l% of  cyanogenic glycosides were removed by this process. A two stage extraction with methanol-ammonia-water/hexane gave similar results, but, a three stage extraction removed approximately 92.5% of cyanogenic glycosides present in flaxseed. -- The content of total phenolic acids (220±13 mg/lOOg), condensed tannins (136±13 mg/lOOg) and soluble sugars (7.69±0.16%) of defatted meals were reduced by 10-48%, 26-74% and 5-46%, respectively. Defatted flaxseed meals  contained 2.4±0.13 to 2.8±0.37% of phytic acid and solvent extraction resulted in a slight increase in its content in the products. Flaxseed meal was low in methionine, lysine and tryptophan compared to the FAO/WHO reference values. Methanol-ammonia-water/hexane extraction had little effect on the content of amino acids but resulted in lowering of the content of some of the fatty acids possibly due to the removal of some phopholipids by the polar phase. -- Flaxseed  meal had a very high water absorption (9.7g H₂O/g) and water  hydration capacity (5.2 g H₂O/g) and they were not altered by extraction with the two-phase solvent processing. The presence of ammonia in the extraction system enhanced the fat absorption of the meals 2.6-3.2 fold and increased the pH by almost one unit. Nitrogen solubility of the meals was fairly high (46-65%) and extraction with methanol-ammonia improved the nitrogen solubility of the products at their natural pH. Minimum value of the nitrogen solubility in the meals was observed at pH between 3.0-3.5. Emulsifying capacities of the meals were 64.5% to 80.6% and they were fairly stable to heat and retained 95 to 100% of the emulsifying activity. Whippability of the meals was between 55 to 70% and the foams were stable.


identifier: Maneckjee, Aspi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Maneckjee=3AAspi=3A=3A.html>   (1989) Characterization and physiological role of 17 [alpha], 20 [beta]-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one steroid receptor activity in the cytosolic and zona radiata membrane fraction of the ovarian follicles of brook trout salvelinus fontinalis during the terminal stages of oocyte maturation.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Cardiomyocytes and hematopoietic blood cells are closely associated during zebrafish development, as they are both derived from the lateral plate mesoderm. The heart also helps circulate blood cells throughout the developing tissues of the embryo. Proper cardiac function is required to ensure blood circulation. Shear stress at the atrioventricular canal (AVC) from blood flow has been implicated in valvulogenesis in zebrafish. In this dissertation, we present a study that defines the role of zebrafish alpha cardiac actin (actc1a) during early heart development and endocardial cushion morphogenesis (ECs), a step in valve formation. Mutations in cardiac actin (ACTC) have been associated with different cardiac abnormalities in  humans including dilated cardiomyopathy and septal defects. However, it is still poorly understood how altered ACTC structure affects cardiovascular physiology and results in the development of distinct congenital disorders. A zebrafish mutant (s434) was identified that demonstrates heart-specific defects, such as heart dilation and failure to generate ECs. We identified the mutation as a Y169S amino  acid substitution, located within the W-loop of actin, which  has been implicated in nucleotide sensing and proper actin polymerization. This mutation affects actin polymerization and stability of actin filaments and produces defects in heart function. Characterization of this mutant has led to the identification of a role for actc1a during zebrafish valvulogenesis, which is needed to produce proper shear stress at the AVC to form ECs. -- Zebrafish hematopoietic cells formed in primitive hematopoiesis include erythrocytes, macrophages and neutrophils. The first myeloid  cells to emerge in the zebrafish posterior lateral plate mesoderm (PLPM) are neutrophils, and the genetic pathways  that direct differentiation of myeloid precursors into neutrophils are not well understood. Neutrophils are an important component of the innate immune systems in vertebrates and can be identified in zebrafish based on myeloperoxidase (mpx) gene expression. Ets-1 related protein  (Etsrp/Etv2), an ETS-family transcription factor required for vascular development, has been shown to be important for  myeloid cell development in the zebrafish. In this dissertation, we report findings of an investigation of Etv2's role during neutrophil development, and reveal an early cell-autonomous requirement for Etv2 during primitive neutropoiesis. It was also found that Gata1, an erythroid master regulator gene, is required for neutrophil formation during primitive hematopoiesis in the zebrafish. These roles for Etv2 and Gata1 during primitive hematopoiesis provide further insight into how progenitor cells make the fate decision to differentiate into neutrophils. -- In summary, these results underscore the importance of the W-loop for actin functionality and will help us to understand structural and physiological consequences of ACTC mutations in human congenital disorders. The findings from the hematopoietic study help to expand our understanding of the intricate processes and genetic regulation guiding the process of hematopoiesis.