identifier: Lewis, Lesley-Ann P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3ALesley-Ann_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Stress in caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: the role of support.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Caregivers of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of stress, which leads to difficulties for both caregivers and care receivers. A relationship was found between caregiver stress and unmet needs for support or services. This study used the General Social Survey: Caregiving and Care Receiving to explore caregiver service needs, service access and relationship between services and stress. Results from this study found an increase in caregiver stress was related to an increased need for services. Caregiver stress was increased in people who received formal support services and was decreased in people who had informal support. Caregivers who received funding were more likely to report they were stressed. Compared to formal support and demographic factors, caregivers who received informal support were 2.85 times more likely to report not experiencing stress related to caregiving duties.


identifier: Collins, Ryan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Collins=3ARyan=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Exploring sedentary behaviour in young adult cancer survivors.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: To explore sedentary behaviour (SB), physical activity (PA), and quality of life (QoL) in young adult cancer survivors (YACS). Methods: YACS aged 18-44 completed an online survey, which assessed SB, PA, and QoL using validated measures (i.e., The SIT-Q, Leisure Score Index (LSI), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General (FACT-G)). Results: Participants had an average of 777.1 (SD= 274.0) minutes/day of total sedentary time and 113.4 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (SD= 132.4), which was positively correlated with the physical component score (PCS) (r= .32, p<.01) of the SF-36. Multiple regression analyses showed that moderate and vigorous PA significantly predicted the PCS (R²= .10, p<.01), as did napping and TV viewing time (R²= .13, p<.01). Conclusion: YACS were sedentary, inactive, and their activity levels positively correlated with indicators of QoL. Future research should focus on developing effective interventions to improve these behaviours in YACS.


identifier: Hussain, Uzair <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hussain=3AUzair=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The stage joins the show: aspects of perturbed spacetimes.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this thesis we present projects that cover various topics in black hole physics. The
central theme of the thesis is perturbation theory of black holes. The techniques
developed to study the perturbations of spacetime allows us to explore and elucidate
many other topics in gravitational physics.
The recent discovery of gravitational waves provides strong evidence for the existence
of black hole mergers. Using perturbation theory we study the problem of black
hole mergers with an extreme mass ratio in an asymptotically
at spacetime, and
proceed to demonstrate how the event horizon and the apparent horizon of the larger
black hole deform. In this thesis we also study problems concerning perturbation of
black holes that are more theoretical in nature. In the context of the
uid/gravity
duality, we precisely establish the relationship between standard perturbation theory
of spherically symmetric black holes i.e., the master equation, with near equilibrium
dual
uid perturbations on the boundary of asymptotically Anti de Sitter (AdS) black
holes. By the use of this relationship and a numerical evolution of the master equation
we argue for the existence of non-Newtonian
uids in the
uid/gravity duality. The
last project concerns itself with a generalization of the first law of black hole mechanics
to include five dimensional solutions of spacetime called solitons. We verify this
law for spacetimes containing solitons.


identifier: Critch, Sarah A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Critch=3ASarah_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The effects of resistance exercise on insulin sensitivity in adolescents.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: An escalating incidence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents is causing concern. This is thought to be sparked by rising population-wide prevalence of insulin resistance. Resistance exercise has been shown to reduce insulin resistance, however only immediate, post-intervention effects have been demonstrated. The use of resistance exercise by adolescents in managing insulin resistance in the long-term has not been evaluated.
Purpose: To assess the effects, up to six months, of a physiotherapist-supervised, resistance exercise program on insulin sensitivity, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity levels, and anthropometric measures among adolescents with insulin resistance.
Methods: Participants with insulin resistance were recruited from a database of patients from a pediatric chronic disease prevention program. They completed a supervised 10-week resistance exercise program, 60-minutes, three times per week. A body positive approach was used focusing on health behaviours. Using a repeated-measures design, participants were assessed during an observational run-in control period then at pre, post, and 6-month follow-up assessments. The primary outcome was insulin sensitivity, measured by the oral glucose tolerance test. Secondary outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical activity level, and anthropometric measures.
Results: Thirteen participants (14.16±1.19 years old; 8 males, 5 females) completed the intervention. Improvements in insulin sensitivity were found, observed as reduced fasting insulin [F(₂,₂₂)=7.54,p=0.003,ηp²=0.41], fasting glucose [F(₂,₂₂)=3.58,p=0.045,ηp²=0.25], and HOMA-IR [F(₂,₂₂)=7.60,p=0.003,ηp²=0.41], which were maintained at follow-up. Cardiorespiratory fitness, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio also significantly improved at post and follow-up. Daily physical activity levels improved but not significantly. Upper and lower body muscle strength significantly increased post-intervention but returned to pre-assessment values at follow-up.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that a supervised 10-week resistance exercise program (60-minute, three times per week) improves insulin sensitivity, cardiorespiratory fitness, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in adolescents who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Importantly, these benefits are maintained up to six months. Supervised, resistance exercise adds significant long-term benefit in the management of insulin resistance in adolescents.


identifier: Bojman, Kerri <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bojman=3AKerri=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Shame and self-compassion in predicting weight loss maintenance and weight regain in obesity.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Obesity is a serious health condition characterized by excess adiposity and associated with physical and mental health difficulties (Health Canada, 2003; Petry, Barry, Pietrzak, & Wagner, 2008; Tjepkema, 2006). Among individuals with obesity who successfully lose weight, most individuals are unable to sustain their weight loss over time (e.g., Kramer, Jeffrey, Forster, & Snell, 2010).
Weight regain has been associated with psychological variables including weight stigmatization, depression, binge eating, and emotional eating (Ashmore, Friedman, Reichmannm & Musante, 2008; McGuire, Wing, Klem, Lang, & Hill, 1999; Konttinen et al., 2010; as cited in Kemp, Bui, & Grier, 2013; Sutin & Terracciano, 2013). Shame, an aversive emotion focused on one‟s sense of self, has been strongly associated with these variables (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Conradt, Dierk, Schlumberger, Rauh, Hebebrand, & Rief, 2007; Wong & Qian, 2016). However, the role of shame in relation to weight loss maintenance over time in a community sample of individuals with obesity has yet to be fully explored.
Recently, self-compassion has been identified as being an important counterbalance to shame. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is based on a biopsychosocial model of affect regulation that proposes treating oneself compassionately may counteract negative feelings, such as shame, that are thought to underlie maladaptive behaviors (Gilbert, 2010). CFT interventions have been shown to decrease disordered eating behaviours, such as binge eating, in clinical samples (Gale, Gilbert, Read, & Goss, 2014).
This study investigated whether compassion-focused interventions that have been found to be effective in clinical eating disordered populations may be helpful for subgroups in obese populations who struggle with high shame and unhelpful eating behaviours that interfere with weight loss maintenance. It was hypothesized that greater levels of baseline shame would predict weight regain and greater levels of self-compassion would predict weight loss maintenance.
Seventy-one adults (males = 26, females = 45) who were obese and had recently lost at least 5% of their body weight through behavioural methods were recruited from the community. At baseline, six months, and twelve months, participants completed questionnaires pertaining to depression, shame, self-compassion, emotional eating, and binge eating. Participants‟ body mass index was also calculated at each time point.
Results were opposite to initial predictions. After initial weight loss, baseline shame predicted weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Over time, this relationship weakened. Conversely, following initial weight loss self-compassion predicted weight regain. Over time, this relationship disappeared. Novel subgroups of individuals were found who reported positive effects of shame and negative effects of self-compassion on weight loss maintenance, particularly at six months. Results further indicated that baseline emotional eating played a critical role in moderating the relationship between shame and weight change, as baseline shame predicted weight regain at higher levels of emotional eating but predicted weight loss at lower levels of emotional eating.
This research clarifies the roles of shame and self-compassion in relation to weight loss maintenance and weight regain over time. This study illustrated that not all individuals in the community show the same relationships between shame, self-compassion, and weight regulation. Based on these findings, future research can assess whether subgroups of individuals in obese populations who engage in high levels of emotional eating may benefit from CFT interventions for weight loss maintenance.


identifier: Deyhim, Maliheh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Deyhim=3AMaliheh=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The bodily experience of the "Second Sex".  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis, I analyze the feminine style of movement and speech, which is imposed upon women by their oppressive situation. In order to pursue this investigation, I use Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological account of movement and speech to provide my study with a general account of these bodily experiences. I also use de Beauvoir’s account of the situation of women to explain how this situation encourages women to adopt a feminine style of being-in-the-world. Finally, I argue that in experiencing the world in a certain way, women typically adopt a feminine style of movement and speech. As a result of an oppressive social structure, women experience space as confined, and this leads to a limited experience of movement and speech, in which women’s creativity and freedom are restrained. I suggest that this analysis can be used to help explain the limited participation of women in practical and socio-political realms.


identifier: Biehn, Parker <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Biehn=3AParker=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Ecstatic temporality in Martin Heidegger's 1920s works and his Destruktion of the metaphysics of presence.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.


identifier: Mooney, Taylor Elizabeth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mooney=3ATaylor_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Ready or not: employment, re-entry and the lasting effects of stigma after incarceration.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this thesis I explore the how former prisoners experience the transition from incarceration to
employment. Employment has been identified by researchers as an essential element in exprisoners’
community re-entry process. However, the path to attaining employment after
incarceration, particularly meaningful employment, remains complicated. Drawing on in-depth,
semi-structured longitudinal interviews with 24 parolees occurring over a three-year period, I
seek to better understand the experiences of ex-prisoners as they attempt to find work. I aim to
understand whether individuals are prepared to pursue employment immediately upon release
from prison and the factors that impact their readiness, or lack thereof. Upon recognizing that
individuals in the study tended to identify themselves as not ready for employment, I sought to
understand why they were still expected to begin working using Goffman’s (1963) theory of
stigma. I suggest that in many cases, attempting to manage one’s stigmatized status slows
individuals’ return to work. As well, I suggest that the stigma associated with time spent
incarcerated undermines individual credibility, and for this reason, participants’ assertions that
they do not feel ready to begin working are often not accepted.


identifier: Allen, Tsai J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Allen=3ATsai_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Responding to stakeholder concerns regarding potential hydraulic fracturing in western Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Stakeholder views should be considered in decisions relating to natural resource management. There are public consultation processes in countries such as Canada but it is unknown if citizen participation impacts policy-making. This study explores one such case of whether the views and opinions of the public were considered in decision-making. The public was invited to participate in the decision-making process associated with the prospect of hydraulic fracturing along the West Coast of Newfoundland. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador instituted an independent panel to conduct a public review and assess the potential socio-economic and environmental implications of hydraulic fracturing. The Panel subsequently provided a report to the Minister of the Environment erring on the side of caution. The Panel neither supported nor opposed hydraulic fracturing citing the unavailability of sufficient research data for their neutral stance. Citizens, businesses and other organizations, raised several concerns such as apprehensions about water, health and quality of life for future generations through submissions to the Panel. Content and document analysis were used to ascertain the concerns raised in the five hundred and forty-five submissions and compare them against the recommendations made by the Panel. The research determined that the Panel largely addressed the concerns raised in the participants’ submissions. Nonetheless, the study concluded that improvement is needed in future panel compositions as well as in efforts to actively engage members of the public. These changes are necessary in providing an impartial, deliberative and democratic decision that is representative of stakeholders.


identifier: Jami-Alahmadi, Yasaman <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jami-Alahmadi=3AYasaman=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The physical chemistry of gaseous protonated and metal cation-coordinated proline containing complexes studied by tandem mass spectrometry methods.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Studying protonated or metal cationized amino acids and small peptides in the gas phase offers an opportunity to better understand these systems on a molecular level, not often afforded for macromolecules in solution. In the current thesis, proline containing complex ions were electrosprayed and isolated in an FTICR cell where their unimolecular chemistries, structures, and kinetics were explored using sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation (SORI-CID), infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD). These experiments were augmented by computational methods such as electronic structure, simulated annealing, master equation modeling and atoms in molecules (AIM) calculations.
The purpose of the present study is to examine the gas phase structures of the proton- and sodium-bound proline amino acids. Later the unimolecular chemistries of the complexes of proline containing doubly charged first row transition and alkaline earth metals were explored. Finally, the structures and the energetics of the complexes containing isomeric ProLeu and LeuPro dipeptides bound alkali metal cations were discussed. Reasonable agreements between the experimental data obtained from IRMPD spectroscopy and BIRD results with the theoretical calculations for the lowest energy forms were achieved. In the following sections the influence of the size and identity of the metal cation, the gas-phase basicity of the amino acid, anchor site of each ligand and peptide sequence on the structures and energetics of molecules were considered.


identifier: Xiao, Yingjian <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Xiao=3AYingjian=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Evaluation of drilling performance and penetration mechanisms using seismic while drilling and acoustic emission methods.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In oil and gas industry, drilling provides the path to exploit underground resources.
Increasing rate of penetration (ROP) is one of the goal of drilling engineers to build this
path. This dissertation focuses on study of a novel drilling technique, i.e. passive Vibration
Assisted Rotary Drilling (pVARD) technique, and characterization of drilling mechanisms
in comparison to the other two widely used drilling techniques, i.e. rotary drilling and
rotary-percussion drilling (RPD). In terms of the fundamental differences between drill bit
vibrations from three drilling techniques, seismic while drilling (SWD) and acoustic
emission (AE) technologies are used to study drill bit sources and corresponding drilling
mechanisms.
First, geomechanics response of synthetic rock is studied using AE technique based on
standard confined compressive strength (CCS) tests. This research aims to compare
synthetic to natural rock in terms of deformation properties and provides support for the
following drill-off test (DOT).
Second, pVARD tool drillings are conducted in comparison to rotary drilling both in
laboratory and field tests using AE and SWD techniques, respectively. In laboratory, AE
signal energy and cutting size distribution are correlated to polycrystalline diamond
compact (PDC) bit drilling performance. Results show that micro crack is generated from
drag bit shearing action and the higher AE energy, coarser cuttings and higher ROP are obtained. In field test, surface wave energy and frequency bandwidth are correlated to drill
bit vibration and drilling performance.
Third, laboratory active vibration DOTs are conducted to study the penetration mechanisms
from a diamond coring bit using AE technique. Spectral and energy analysis of the AE
signals indicate that the higher ROP and larger cutting size are correlated with a higher AE
energy and a lower AE frequency, indicating larger fractures are being created to generate
the larger size of cuttings.
Fourth, rotary-percussion drilling sources are studied by two field experiments on weak
shales and hard arkose using SWD technique. Characterization of these sources consist of
spectral analysis and mean power study, along with field measurements of the source
radiation patterns. In addition, polarization analysis is conducted on P-waves recorded at
surface geophones for understanding the particle motions.


identifier: Trainor, Catherine <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Trainor=3ACatherine=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Students' time with music in primary and elementary school contexts: a case study in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to use a qualitative case study to examine time allocation for classroom music in primary-elementary schools in the metro area of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The first part of the thesis is the introduction to the study and research questions. The research questions focus on current contexts in participating schools, decision-making processes for school-wide scheduling, and potential opportunities for improvement. This study includes a survey as well as interviews with music teachers and administrators to determine responses to the research questions. The results of this study found that participating schools typically offer less time for music class than is recommended by the Department of Education, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Various reasons, issues, challenges and opportunities around this finding are explored in the data analysis. It is evident that music educators and administrators alike value music education and seem to be making an effort to do what is best for their students. However, some changes to current practices could potentially allow students’ time in music to be maximized to the recommended time allocations.


identifier: Reid, Jonathan Christopher <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Reid=3AJonathan_Christopher=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The global effects of differing durations of static stretching within a full warm-up protocol on subsequent voluntary performance and evoked contractile properties.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The evidence for performance decrements with prolonged static stretching (SS)(>60s per
muscle group) has led to a paradigm shift in optimal stretching routines within a full
warm-up protocol. Many athletic teams and individuals have now incorporated dynamic
stretching (DS) and dynamic activity (DA) rather than SS into their pre-exercise warm-up
routines. However, much of the previous research examining SS did not incorporate all
three components of a full warm-up protocol (aerobic, SS and DS/DA activity). Based on
previous literature, the objective of the present study was to compare differing durations
of SS (30, 60, and 120 seconds per muscle group or a control condition with no SS)
within in a full warm-up protocol on various testing measures. Sixteen male participants
(Sixteen males; 27.6 ± 2.15 years, 187.1 ± 15.3 lb. and 181.9 ± cm) with an athletic
background and at least 2 years of strength and endurance training experience completed
four conditions, each condition included a prior submaximal 5-minute aerobic warm-up
on a cycle ergometer, one of the four SS interventions (0, 30, 60 or 120s per muscle
group) and a subsequent DS/DA component. Results of the present study serve as
evidence that prolonged durations of SS (SS 120s) per muscle group, even with the
inclusion of a DS/DA component can impair subsequent performance in vertical jump
height, force production and rate of force production, evoked contractile properties and
potentiated twitch forces, and the interpolated twitch technique. Results also show that
ROM continues to increase immediately following each of the three components within
the warm-up (aerobic, SS and DS/DA) in all conditions.


identifier: Barry, Jacqueline Patricia <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Barry=3AJacqueline_Patricia=3A=3A.html>   (2017) A novel method for viral protein tracking in host cells.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects approximately 70 million people worldwide and chronic infection can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV contains a perplexing protein that has a number of proposed functions. This protein, termed p7, is essential for virus infectivity in vivo, however its function is a matter of controversy. Research into the function of p7 has been limited because there are no reliable antibodies available for the visualization of this protein. The goal of this project was to establish a system that utilizes fluorescent unnatural amino acids in order to label p7 within the context of a replicating virus. Strategically placed mutations within the viral p7 protein were selected to test their amenability to incorporation of an unnatural amino acid. In order to optimize the incorporation system, plasmids containing mutations in the viral core protein were synthesized for further screening of positions tolerable to substitution. Ultimately, we were successful in incorporating a fluorescent unnatural amino acid into the viral core protein in a single protein expression system. If we can successfully transfer this system back into the context of a replicating virus, this technique could be used to facilitate the study of viral proteins in HCV and other viruses.


identifier: Mahmoodi, Maziyar <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mahmoodi=3AMaziyar=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Micromodel method for enhanced oil recovery; fabrication and image processing.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The number of research projects that employ microtechnology and microfluidic devices has expanded the application of this technique to more innovative fields of study over recent decades. Oil and gas production, a multidisciplinary industrial field, has benefited from the opportunities that microfluidic devices provide to study microscale processes, such as adhesion, interfacial tension (IFT) alteration and multiphase pore scale transportation. Obtaining a deeper understanding through the micromodel visualization experiments, the governing factors in large scale extraction from hydrocarbon reservoirs will be controlled efficiently.
The diversity of proposed micromodel research and the associated requirements have led researchers to develop new methodologies, materials and techniques to overcome challenges attributed to micromodel visualization experiments. This project aims to suggest alternative solutions for two main problems, model fabrication and visual data interoperation, related to the process of exploiting the micromodels in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) screening studies.
First, this research tries to modify and combine the recent advances in wet etching micromodel fabrication method to offer a low-cost and efficient alternative procedure. This modified procedure offers increased flexibility in size and network pattern as well as a significant reduction in the material, time and operation costs. Next, the fabricated prototype is applied in a two-phase flow visualization study to verify the proposed features under the specified experimental conditions.
Following the fabrication of a suitable glass micromodel, this thesis will explore processing/analysis of the visual data in a micromodel experiment. In this section, an image-based computational algorithm is developed and programmed in LabVIEW. This platform offers a graphical programming language and a vision toolbox that can be used for image processing purposes. The availability of advanced image-transform functions and the simplicity of working with LabVIEW, provide the unique opportunity to implement a sophisticated graphical-based algorithm that quantifies the visual observations during a glass micromodel test for enhanced oil recovery screening purposes. The performance of this custom algorithm is then verified by comparison of calculated data from carbonated water injection (CWI) images with absolute values derived from volumetric material balance. Through this procedure, the controlling parameters for utilized LabVIEW functions are optimized to obtain an acceptable agreement between estimated results and true values. At the final stage, the implementation of the presented algorithm in the LabVIEW and a popular commercial software are compared to highlight the advantages and disadvantages.


identifier: Kelly, Michael <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kelly=3AMichael=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Stratigraphy, petrography, structural geology, and geochemistry of the Humber Arm allochthon, North Arm, Bay of Islands - South Arm, Bonne Bay, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Humber Arm Allochthon in Western Newfoundland has long been recognized as a region where an ancient hydrocarbon system is thought to have developed. Nevertheless, and in spite of the many oil seeps along the western Newfoundland coast, no significant commercial discoveries have been made in this fold and thrust belt. The complex structural geology and stratigraphy may hinder any development of successful exploration plays. Recent mapping in other parts of the allochthon may be pointing towards other interpretations of the strata as possible targets for unconventional source rock reservoirs. To address at least part of this hypothesis, higher resolution mapping of parts of the Humber Arm Allochthon on and north of Bay of Islands is used as an indicator for another direction in exploring the petroleum system that developed across this area. In exploring the rocks north of the Bay of Islands new data will offer a better pattern for the distribution of the muddy, deep marine (source rock) strata in western Newfoundland.
The Blow Me Down Brook formation is the most expansive sedimentary unit in the map area. Regionally, this tightly cemented low grade metamorphic rock structurally overlies organic rich and petroliferous strata of the Cooks Brook, Middle Arm Point, and Lower Head formations. The overlying ophiolitic rocks are separated from the Blow Me Down Brook formation by a dismembered unit of Lower Head formation containing exotic clasts and herein considered mélange. Petrographic and geochemical analyses of the sandstone blocks in the mélange indicate both the Blow Me Down Brook and Lower Head formation lithologies dominate the mélange sandstones.
Significant differences in geochemistry indicate a more complicated pattern for origins and transport for volcanic strata that lies adjacent to and sometimes interbedded with. Mapping indicates identifiable deep marine outer shelf and slope strata are significantly folded before or during emplacement of the ophiolite suites. In this setting, tightly cemented Blow Me Down Brook formation sandstones may become the seal laying upon folded and fractured, muddy source rock reservoirs.


identifier: Boyd, Sarah Elizabeth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Boyd=3ASarah_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Timeliness of diagnosis of HIV: a quantitative and qualitative study.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Introduction: A CD4 count <200 at diagnosis results in negative health outcomes and suggests
delays in HIV testing.
Objectives: To describe the timeliness of HIV diagnosis in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)
and explore the reasons for delay.
Methods: Demographic and clinical information from new HIV diagnoses in NL between 2006-
2016 were collected (n=58). Subjects were invited to interviews regarding testing barriers.
Results: At diagnosis the mean age was 40.6, 53/58 (91.4%) were male, 33/58 (56.9%) were
men who have sex with men, and 21/58 (36.2%) had a CD4 count <200. For 39/58 (67.2%), their
first test was positive, though 55/58 (94.8%) had previous healthcare contact. Heterosexuals
were more likely to present late (p=0.049). Barriers to testing were negative healthcare
interactions, stigma, being unaware of their risk, and fear of the diagnosis.
Conclusions: We defined missed opportunities for testing. Heterosexual men are more likely to
test late. Late diagnosis may be prevented if testing is normalized.


identifier: Ma, Yue <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ma=3AYue=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Bistatic high frequency radar ocean surface cross section for an antenna on a floating platform.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Land-based high frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) is an established sensor for
ocean remote sensing. Placing an HFSWR on a floating platform has the advantage of
mobility. However, antenna motion will distort the Doppler spectrum, which is used to
extract ocean information and to detect the signatures of targets. In this thesis, significant
effort has been expended on establishing radar cross section (RCS) models for a fixed
receiver and a transmitter on a floating platform, analyzing the effect of the antenna
motion, and developing a motion compensation method to eliminate the effect of the
platform motion.
The first- and second-order monostatic RCSs of the ocean surface for the case of a
pulsed dipole source on a floating platform have been previously derived in the literature,
with the assumption that the platform motion is a single-frequency sinusoid. Following
that work, the research in this thesis is extended to the bistatic case. The effect of platform
motion on simulated Doppler spectra is considered for a variety of sea states. It is shown
that the resulting motion-induced peaks are symmetrically distributed in the Doppler
spectrum.
Following this work, the corresponding bistatic RCS models for a frequency modulated
continuous waveform (FMCW) source are derived. Results show that the sidelobe
level for an FMCW source is reduced with increasing extent of range bin.
To mimic real world scenarios, platform motion is next modelled as a combination of
two cosine functions, based on existing research of realistic horizontal motions of moored
floating platforms. RCSs incorporating a dual-frequency platform motion model are then
developed. These can be extended to a general form incorporating a multi-frequency
platform motion. It is found that the platform motion can be viewed as a modulator of the
radar frequencies, with the modulation indices related to the amplitudes of the platform
motion.
Finally, to mitigate the effect of platform motion on the Doppler spectra, a motion
compensation method is proposed. This motion compensation method can be achieved
by a deconvolution process. Calculations involving a RCS model, incorporating external
noise, for an antenna on a floating platform are conducted in order to simulate field data
and to examine this motion compensation method. The external noise is characterized as
a white Gaussian zero-mean process. By using this newly-developed RCS model with
external noise, motion compensation results under different sea states and signal-to-noise
ratios (SNRs) are examined. The outcomes indicate that an iterative Tikhonov regularized
deconvolution technique is superior to other compensation methods implemented in this
study.


identifier: Vasquez, Oscar Eli <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Vasquez=3AOscar_Eli=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Interpretation of gravity and seismic data, and assessment of the performance of the MUN swept impact seismic source in the Howley Basin, Howley, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The Deer Lake Basin is a late Paleozoic, non-marine sedimentary basin located in western New-
foundland. It trends northeast-southwest lying parallel to the Cabot Fault Zone and is composed
of two lateral basins separated by a positive
ower structure. The western portion of the basin
has been labeled the Cormack basin, whereas the eastern portion has been deemed the Howley
Basin. Because of petroliferous units found within the Deer Lake Basin's lacustrine facies there has
been an interest in oil exploration within the area. This interest has led to extensive geological and
geophysical studies performed in the Cormack basin leading to a characterization of its stratigraphy
and structure, as well as an uneasy consensus on the development of the greater Deer Lake Basin.
In contrast, there has been little geophysical exploration in the Howley Basin.
The seismic study performed in the Howley Basin has revealed the eastern edge of the basin
to be heavily fractured and reveals 3 major stratigraphic units where the gravity survey has led to
more precise identification of major faults in the basin. The surveys also reveal thinning of the basin
heading east. Two stratigraphic models are created with one interpreting the lateral termination
of the North Brook formation and the other suggesting a major fault displacing the stratigraphic
units. Both models discussed can be used to support the theory of the Howley Basin undergoing a
history of localized transpression and transtension.
The source study reveals that the filtering effect of the application of the MUNSIST isn't effective
in this scenario as the frequency of the noise is often higher in the field than what is applied by
the source, and thus a bandpass filter is still needed. In addition, preliminary studies of the source
suggests that applying different source sweep impact frequencies to the ground is not needed, and
that applying more energy to the ground by using higher frequency sweeps can result in higher
signal to noise ratio and amplitude reflections.


identifier: Bodaghkhani, Elnaz <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bodaghkhani=3AElnaz=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Climatological perspectives on fog from the Hibernia platform.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Frequent advection fog exerts a significant impact on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland
and poses a significant hazard to marine and aviation activities. Improved understanding
of regional fog processes, climatology, and predictability could offer significant economic
and safety benefits. Although this regional fog issue has been recognized for generations,
efforts to fully assess the scope of the issue and reduce its impacts have been limited by a
lack of long-term, reliable observations of the ocean environment. The advent of offshore
oil platforms can help us address this data gap. These platforms provide stationary
offshore observations, as they are required to collect visibility data in support of the
marine and air traffic that service them. Currently, platform records provide cover 1998 to
present. These reports form the primary source of data for our research, and have been
used to establish a baseline climatology of fog within the Grand Banks, including
descriptions of seasonality and diurnal variability. By treating low visibility events as a
point process, the climatology of fog event characteristics including event duration,
persistence of fog cover, and coincident weather conditions is further examined. These
considerations help identify and classify distinct fog event types and inform preliminary
analyses of synoptic climatology. Results are currently being used to guide parallel efforts
to develop fog identification and prediction tools for the Grand Banks region.


identifier: Canali, Andrew <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Canali=3AAndrew=3A=3A.html>   (2017) The crystal chemistry of apatite from an experimental and natural perspective.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Apatite has a relatively accommodating crystal structure that allows for the incorporation of geochemically important elements (e.g., high field strength elements [HFSE]: Hf, Th and U; and rare earth elements [REE]: lanthanides plus Y and Sc) that can be analyzed with modern microanalytical techniques, making it a useful tracer of petrogenesis, post crystallization alteration, and mineralization. Chapter 2, presents the results from an experimental investigation of REE-doped fluorapatites, which suggest that Si is the preferred charge balancing cation in apatite, whereas Na played a minor role in the charge balancing of the REE under the experimental conditions used. Varying the proportion of the REEs in the starting reagents produced REE distributions in the apatite crystals indicating that the melt composition plays a more important role in the incorporation of REEs in apatite than the crystal chemistry of apatite. However, the enrichment of LREE (e.g., La, Nd, Sm) in the synthetic apatite crystals also suggest a crystal-chemical structural control for the larger LREEs that share similar ionic radii with the Ca1 and Ca2 sites as compared to the ionically smaller HREE. Chapter 3, presents a comparative study of natural apatites including the major, minor, and trace element compositions of reference apatites from well-known geological localities, along with those of the case study apatites from the Gruvberget (northern Sweden) magnetite apatite (MtAp) deposit and related rocks. These specific reference apatite samples were chosen because they provide a range of compositions with distinguishing characteristics for each locality. This range allows for empirical discrimination, which is used to develop a framework for apatite from a given rock type, and/or to constrain the effects of post-crystallization alteration processes. The assemblage of actinolite + scapolite in the Gruvberget host rocks and ore suggests metasomatic alteration of the apatite post- and/or syn-mineralization. The Gruvberget apatites, relative to the reference apatites in general, are: 1) relatively depleted in total REEs, especially LREEs; 2) enriched in Cl and OH compared to the other MtAp ore samples; 3) relatively enriched in Mn; and 4) depleted in REE charge balancing cations Na and Si. It is postulated that the primary composition of the Gruvberget apatites were overprinted via metasomatism by hydrothermal fluids composed of a sodium, calcium, and chlorine rich brine, by metamorphism, or by both.


identifier: Nagamyian Vengada Guru, Moorthy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Nagamyian_Vengada_Guru=3AMoorthy=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Organocatalytic Michael addition reactions of nitrostyrenes and application in the synthesis of selected indolizidine and quinolizidine alkaloids.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The organocatalytic asymmetric conjugate addition of carbon nucleophiles and
heteroatom nucleophiles to electron deficient nitroalkenes is an important tool for the
synthesis of highly functionalized building blocks for applications in medicinal and
synthetic organic chemistry. Although the enantioselective conjugate addition reactions
of -nitrostyrenes are well known, the corresponding conjugate addition reactions of -
nitrostyrenes are not reported. The present study examines the organocatalytic
asymmetric, enamine-mediated conjugate addition reaction of aldehydes or cyclic
ketones to -nitrostyrenes that were generated in situ from the corresponding
nitroacetates. The details of this study are described in Chapter 2 of this thesis.
The utility of the above methodology was demonstrated by application in the
formal total synthesis of 4-aryl indolizidine alkaloids, (+)-lasubine II and (-)-subcosine II.
The organocatalytic Michael addition of 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethylene ketal to an
appropriate -nitrostyrene which were generated in situ from the corresponding
nitroacetate gave the key -nitroketone which was used as the starting material in the
alkaloid synthesis. The details of this study are described in Chapter 3.
Finally, an enantiomerically enriched -nitroketone obtained from the
organocatalytic Michael addition of 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethylene ketal to a -
nitrostyrene has been utilized in the synthesis of a recently isolated indolizidine alkaloid, (+)-fistulopsine B, which is of interest due to its anticancer activity. Details of this investigation are described in Chapter 4.


identifier: Schacter, Carley <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Schacter=3ACarley=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Migration dynamics: testing ecological theory with tracking data for Aethia Auklets in the North Pacific.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Tracking technology has profoundly changed the study of spatial dynamics in marine vertebrates, enabling a large-scale focal-animal approach. This thesis shows that tracking data can be used, not only to characterize the annual migration cycle, but also to address ecological theory. I used geolocation tags (1g, 0.8-1.8% body mass) to investigate migration in a group of closely related seabirds. I found little evidence of negative effects of tags on Parakeet Auklets (Aethia psittacula), but tagged Whiskered Auklets (A. pygmaea) showed decreased chick growth, and reduced adult return rate. I combined tracking data with nest monitoring to test Ashmole’s hypothesis that seabird populations are regulated by decreases in local food availability during the breeding season. If food was limiting, individuals should leave soon after breeding is completed. I found no evidence to support resource depletion in planktivorous auklets. Whiskered Auklets remained near the colony all year, and lag times for Parakeet and Crested (A. cristatella) auklets were up to 30 days. Interspecific differences were more consistent with differences in migration strategy than food availability. I also synthesized several aspects of migratory theory into a migratory continuum on which I placed my three species (using a priori knowledge about distribution, and behaviour) to develop and test predictions about migration distance, consistency, and winter habitat. Tracking data supported my classification of Whiskered (residents), Parakeet (intermediate migrants) and Crested auklets (long distance directed migrants). Crested Auklets had longer migration distances than Parakeet Auklets, and greater consistency in most measures of winter habitat use. Whiskered Auklet residence is likely enabled by their less seasonal food supply, and night roosting to reduce metabolic costs. Crested Auklets’ foraging style makes them more dependent on patchy aggregations of prey, which was reflected in their concentration in highly productive areas. Parakeet Auklets spent most of the year in the deep Aleutian Basin, where their flexible diet may allow them to subsist on gelatinous zooplankton and associated amphipods. Tracking data from comparative systems like this one have great potential for addressing ecological theory, while contributing to our understanding of different ways in which seabirds have adapted to the marine environment.


identifier: Wall, Adam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Wall=3AAdam=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Delineating the alteration zone at the big easy prospect using geophysical methods.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Big Easy Prospect is a low-sulphidation (LS) style epithermal system located along the northern extension of the Burin Peninsula High Sulphidation Belt in Newfoundland. It is believed to have formed during an extensional magmatic episode during the rifting of Avalonia from Gondwana in the late Neoproterozoic era. Despite its age, the Big Easy is well preserved which is likely due to rapid burial shortly after it was formed. Overlying sediments have since been eroded exposing what is believed to be the paleosurface of the Big Easy LS system. However, the property is covered extensively with overburden, forests, bogs, and ponds resulting in limited outcrop exposure. Therefore, delineating the alteration zone has proved to be challenging. The alteration zone associated with the auriferous mineralization should be detectable through the use of various geophysical methods. Several surveys were conducted over the property, including magnetics, gravity, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the lateral and vertical extent of the alteration zone. These surveys were followed by two-dimensional forward and inverse modelling. Results of the magnetic survey mainly revealed features caused by mafic dykes. Since mafic dykes are noted to be spatially related to faulting in the area, a new potential boundary for the eastern extent of the epithermal alteration is identified. Bathymetry profiles of the bogs and lakes were created using data collected from the GPR survey. This allowed for proper corrections in the gravity data as well as more accurate modelling of the near subsurface. The gravity survey was the most effective for estimating the depth of the alteration zone since the altered material was slightly less dense than the surrounding units but further drilling is required to confirm this conclusion.


identifier: Beckett, Caitlynn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Beckett=3ACaitlynn=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Rethinking remediation: mine closure and community engagement at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Mine remediation entails long-term risks due to the need to contain and monitor
dangerous materials. To date, research on mine remediation in Canada has focused
primarily on technical fixes; little is known about the political and social nature of
remediation. Using the Giant Mine in Yellowknife, NWT as a case study, this thesis
analyzes mine remediation in the Canadian sub-Arctic and investigates how local
communities shape remediation processes. Applying the concepts of ecological
restoration, environmental justice, social waste theory, and theories of repair, and care,
this thesis analyzes how effectively community concerns have been included in
remediation planning. This thesis asks: how can the current approach to mine remediation
be changed from a focus on site containment to a broader emphasis on community
remediation, restoration, and reconciliation? Without a community objectives based
approach to remediation, such projects risk continuing systems of colonization,
marginalization and environmental degradation.


identifier: Al-Habashneh, Al-Abbass Y. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Al-Habashneh=3AAl-Abbass_Y=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Enhanced methods of ocean wave spectra and sea state parameter estimation from X-band marine radar data.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Due to the ocean's importance in human lives, researchers have been studying the ocean and developing systems to estimate its state since the 19th century. During the last three decades, remote sensing of the ocean surface using X-band marine radars has emerged as a reliable tool to estimate ocean wave spectra and sea state parameters such as mean wave period and direction and significant wave height.
The purpose of this thesis is to develop methods that produce accurate and reliable estimates of ocean wave spectra using X-band marine radar data. The approach taken in this thesis is to determine the sources of ocean wave spectra estimation error in existing methods and then to develop new methods that minimize those errors. In this thesis, four sources of error are addressed: the dependency of spectra estimation on the orientation of the analysis windows; the effect of the radar sampling process; the effect of the scan conversion process; and the accuracy of surface current estimation.
The azimuthal location of the X-band radar data analysis window affects the estimation of ocean wave spectra. it has been reported in the literature, and supported by our results, that using the up-wave directions for analysis windows produces higher signal to noise ratios and hence more accurate ocean wave spectra estimates. In order to minimize error due to dependency on the orientation of the analysis windows, a new method referred to as the Adaptive Recursive Positioning Method (ARPM) is proposed. The ARPM is a recursive approach that dynamically determines the optimal number of analysis windows and their corresponding orientation toward the up-wave directions.
Second, in this thesis, it has been demonstrated that the sampling process of the ocean surface by X-band marine radar during data collection significantly affects the estimation of ocean save spectra from X-band marine radar data. Therefore, a method referred to as the Inverse Sampling Averaging Filter (ISAF) is proposed to mitigate the effect of the radar sampling process of the ocean surface on the ocean wave spectra estimation using X-band marine radars. ISAF was designed based on a novel understanding of the radar sampling process to involve an averaging process or low pass filtering of the ocean wave spectra.
Third, in this thesis, a method referred to as the Polar Fourier Transform (PFT) is proposed to eliminate the distortion presented by the scan conversion process to the estimated wave spectra. Unlike the existing methods which use the Cartesian Fourier Transform (CFT) to acquire the ocean wave spectra, the PFT method is designed to apply a Fourier-type transformation on the radar data in its native format, which is sampled in the polar coordinates, without the need for the intermediate stage of scan conversion used to map the data into Cartesian coordinates.
The performance of the proposed methods, the ARPM,ISAF and PFT, are individually validated by comparing their ocean wave spectra estimates to those acquired using the existing methods with respect to ground truth wave spectra acquired using a wave rider buoy. Furthermore, the proposed methods were also combined together to seek further enhancement. The wave spectra estimation results from different combinations of the proposed methods were validated in comparison to the ground truth data.
Finally, a new method to estimate surface current using X-band marine radar is proposed. This method is referred to as the Hybrid Least Squares (HLS) method. The HLS combines two existing approaches: the Iterative Least Squares (ILS) method and the Normalized Scalar Product (NSP). The HLS is designed to inherit the short computational time of ILS and the high reliability of NSP. To validate its accuracy and reliability, the proposed HLS method was applied on a number of simulated X-band marine radar image sets and the results were compared to the estimates acquired using the ILS and the NSP.


identifier: Zhang, Boyang <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Zhang=3ABoyang=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Improving time-domain prediction of vortex-induced vibration for marine risers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
As offshore exploration and production is moving into deepwaters, the prediction of
the Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) of marine risers becomes a critical issue in the
design process. VIV can lead to a reduced fatigue life and even the structural failure of
the riser. Currently, frequency-domain models are widely used in the offshore industry
to predict riser VIV. However, the nonlinearities encountered in complex deepwater
environments make linear approaches unreliable. In contrast, time-domain models
can capture the nonlinearities in a straightforward manner.
In this thesis, a time-domain model was further developed to predict the VIV
of both rigid and flexible risers. Through a zero up-crossing analysis of the crossflow
displacement, the two state variables, amplitude-to-diameter ratio and reduced
velocity, were determined to interpolate the database of hydrodynamic coefficients
obtained from forced oscillation tests at high Reynolds numbers. The hydrodynamic
forces were then calculated and incorporated into an enhanced global-coordinatebased
finite element method program, MAPS-Mooring, to investigate riser behaviours
in the time domain.
The enhanced program, MAPS-Mooring, comprises a two-stage computation: the
riser profile under static equilibrium is first obtained based on a Newton iterative
method, and the dynamic profile and tension of the riser are then solved by the
second-order semi-implicit Adams method in the time domain.
The enhanced program was first validated by using experimental results of mooring
line tests in the literature to prove its reliability and robustness. Validation studies
were then carried out to the enhanced time-domain VIV model for a rigid riser in a
uniform flow and a flexible riser in a step current. Good agreement was observed
between the numerical results and the experimental measurements.


identifier: Borzooee, Faezeh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Borzooee=3AFaezeh=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Development of a rapid and high throughput yeast-based system for expression and purification of AID.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The DNA mutator enzyme, activation–induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is expressed in mature B lymphocytes, and initiates the secondary antibody diversification events of somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) which mutates cytidine to uridine at Immunoglobulin loci. To date, the expression hosts for purification of AID/APOBECs include bacteria, insect or mammalian cell lines. Here we established and optimized a novel yeast–based expression/secretion system to express AID. This is compatible with different purification tags including GST and His positioned at either N- or C-termini or non-tag. This method also can be adapted for protein secretion into the media, allowing for a simpler purification method of concentrating and collecting the protein from the media, rather than current conventional purification methods. As proof of principle, we provide the first report of expression of functionally active untagged AID as well as GST-AID and AID-His which can address several important unanswered questions remaining in the field.


identifier: Shomalnasab, Gholamreza <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shomalnasab=3AGholamreza=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Advanced analog layout design automation in compliance with density uniformity.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
To fabricate a reliable integrated circuit chip, foundries follow specific design rules and layout processing techniques. One of the parameters, which affect circuit performance and final electronic product quality, is the variation of thickness for each semiconductor layer within the fabricated chips. The thickness is closely dependent on the density of geometric features on that layer. Therefore, to ensure consistent thickness, foundries normally have to seriously control distribution of the feature density on each layer by using post-processing operations.
In this research, the methods of controlling feature density distribution on different layers of an analog layout during the process of layout migration from an old technology to a new one or updated design specifications in the same technology have been investigated. We aim to achieve density-uniformity-aware layout retargeting for facilitating manufacturing process in the advanced technologies. This can offer an advantage right to the design stage for the designers to evaluate the effects of applying density uniformity to their drafted layouts, which are otherwise usually done by the foundries at the final manufacturing stage without considering circuit performance. Layout modification for density uniformity includes component position change and size modification, which may induce crosstalk noise caused by extra parasitic capacitance. To effectively control this effect, we have also investigated and proposed a simple yet accurate analytic method to model the parasitic capacitance on multi-layer VLSI chips. Supported by this capacitance modeling research, a unique methodology to deal with density-uniformity-aware analog layout retargeting with the capability of parasitic capacitance control has been presented. The proposed operations include layout geometry position rearrangement, interconnect size modification, and extra dummy fill insertion for enhancing layout density uniformity. All of these operations are holistically coordinated by a linear programming optimization scheme. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology compared to the popular digital solutions in terms of minimum density variation and acute parasitic capacitance control.


identifier: Davis, John-Michael <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Davis=3AJohn-Michael=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Defining an equitable Israeli-Palestinian e-waste economy.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) crisis is a key and pressing environmental problem, with considerable attention focused on the transboundary movement of discarded electronics from the global North to informal e-waste processing hubs in the global South. Initial, and still dominant, discussion of these flows and the destination hubs was a somewhat caricatured portrayal of the toxic transfer to “digital dumps” in the South of the refuse resulting from overconsumption in the North, giving rise to e-waste trade bans as accepted solutions to the problem. More recently, scholars have considered the tensions between the economic gains and environmental efficiencies of processing e-waste in the South and the health and environmental risks it poses, especially to the local communities. To date, however, little work has explored the development desires of e-waste dependent communities nor strategies to transform informal e-waste hubs into sustainable and clean industrial sectors formally integrated with e-waste management systems from exporting countries.
This dissertation addresses this knowledge gap by conducting a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology on one instance of North-to-South e-waste trade between Israel and the West Bank from June 2014 – December 2015. Based in the West Line informal e-waste hub in South-West Hebron, West Bank, this dissertation describes a PAR method that worked with the West Line community to articulate an improved e-waste industry and implement tangible initiatives to achieve it. The participatory process revealed that this long-term informal e-waste hub has grown economically dependent on imported e-waste, and in contrast to mainstream solutions that seek to ban North-to-South e-waste trade, the local community articulated a development trajectory to regulate and transition this industry in an equitable and environmentally-friendly manner.
This dissertation is divided into five components: an introduction, three manuscripts, and a conclusion. The introduction begins with a broad overview of the e-waste literature with a focus on geographer’s contribution to this field, followed by the specific objectives and research questions that guided this dissertation. I then provide the geopolitical context of the Israel-West Bank e-waste economy along with a description of the PAR method that guided this research.
The first manuscript describes the PAR approach carried out in the West Line community to upgrade the social and environmental conditions of the West Line e-waste hub. This approach contributed to the critique of “rapid participatory development” and the search for ways to recover its initial goals, detailing a unique adaptation of the Delphi-method that allowed the facilitation of a broadly endorsed development trajectory within a heterogeneous and conflicted community.
The second manuscript details a multi-method study that triangulates information from over 300 qualitative interviews, field observations, and structured interviews from a systematic stratified randomized sample drawn from all operating e-waste businesses in the West Line. This study uncovered an e-waste processing industry that imported 16,958 – 25,168 tons of e-waste in 2015, creating 381 enterprises, 1,098 jobs, and USD $28.5 million gross value added to the national economy. This study not only reveals the magnitude of a largely hidden industry, but also details an adaptable method to analyze the quantities of e-waste flows and economic gains of analogous informal e-waste processing hubs.
The third manuscript employs a dis/articulations perspective to analyze the inclusionary and exclusionary impacts of Israel’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and subsequent creation of a regulated e-waste commodity chain. Through a detailed historical analysis of the West Line e-waste industry, I reveal the geopolitical and economic forces that delinked this region from an economy dependent on Israeli employment and subsequently linked it to the Israeli e-waste commodity chain. This manuscript challenges conceptions of “extended” and “responsibility” in EPR laws to integrate pre-existing e-waste economies into regulated e-waste commodity chains.
The conclusion reflects on the PAR process to achieve the West Line communities articulated goal of regulating a local e-waste industry and the levels of friction encountered by various Israeli and Palestinian stakeholders that control or influence this industry. I extend findings from this study to challenge international e-waste policy to incorporate the voices of e-waste dependent communities in the South as a moral compass to determine how to best manage transboundary e-waste trade.


identifier: Azupwah, Kennedy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Azupwah=3AKennedy=3A=3A.html>   (2017) An algorithm to compute the distance to uncontrollability of linear time-invariant control systems.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this study, we determine how far a Linear Dynamic System is from the nearest uncontrollable
system. We will call this quantity "The Distance to Uncontrollability". Estimating this distance,
not only do we know if a given linear dynamical system is controllable or uncontrollable, but in the
case of a controllable system, we also know how far it is from being uncontrollable. This could be
found useful by a control engineer for example, in making a decision to insert additional controls
to the system design.
As it turns out, the estimation of the "distance to uncontrollability" is equivalent to determining
the global minimum of a certain function. In this work, we will examine some already existing
algorithms and will present a Two-Phase Algorithm that will combine a novel search algorithm,
termed the Density Search Algorithm and the Tunneling Algorithm [21] for the computation of
this global minimum.


identifier: Alharbi, Saif <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Alharbi=3ASaif=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Design and modeling of a PV system for a house in Saudi Arabia.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Consumption of electricity in the Middle East is quite high due to the high cooling demands during summer time in each home. However, Saudi Arabia has high solar energy resources that could be used to meet all home energy needs. In this Thesis, a solar energy system is designed using BEopt and Homer software. BEopt was used to build a thermal model for an actual house in Qassim, Saudi Arabia to stimulate the hourly kilowatt electrical consumption for mainly cooling purposes. Mathematical equations have been used to calculate the necessary photovoltaic and Battery size.
The collection of data and BEopt results are used by Homer software to design various options for a PV system. Results indicate that an 18.85 kW PV system, 52 batteries 200 Ahr each and a 10kw inverter can meet all house energy needs. This study presents a dynamic modeling of a photovoltaic (PV) system for a residential application using Simulink. The PV system designed here consists of 56, 325W, 24 V PV modules, 52, 200Ahr, 12V batteries, a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller and a 10 kW inverter to power a house.
This Thesis proposes a boost converter; (MPPT) to be applied to the system to obtain a maximum output power of the PV system. Additionally, varying weather curves data were implemented in the design to simulate potential conditions, namely solar radiation and temperature. A step-up transformer is used to achieve the house required voltage. The simulation results prove that such a PV system would work smoothly without grid connection at a location such as Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
The research aims to design the installation process of a PV system of a typical Saudi house. HelioScope Software is a fundamental tool to evaluate the PV system installation. Moreover, many installation factors have been investigated such as; wiring material, cables specs, shadow effect and protection devices.


identifier: Diamond, Aidan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Diamond=3AAidan=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Surveillance, social order, and gendered subversions in Batman comics, 1986-2011.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Batman is “the world’s most popular superhero.”¹ An icon of American exceptionalism,
Batman has been featured in radio programmes, television shows, musicals,
and more films than any other superhero since his 1939 comic book inception. While
Batman has also been the subject of more scholarship than any other superhero, sustained
scholarly inquiry of his vigilante infrastructures and their effects upon those Batman
deems criminal is scarce; instead, critical readers prefer to interrogate his fascist undertones.
This thesis aims to ameliorate this lack of scholarship by interrogating Batman’s
regulatory surveillance assemblage, particularly how it is negotiated and subverted by
Barbara Gordon/Oracle and Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Using Foucault’s theories of criminality,
Lyon’s articulation of surveillance, Haraway’s cyborg hybridizations, Mulvey’s
deconstruction of the gaze, and Butler’s and Tasker’s respective conceptualizations of
gender, I argue that female characters problematize and complicate the otherwise unquestioned
authority of Batman’s surveillance assemblage in the 1986-2011 DC continuity.

¹ “Batman Day Returns!” DC Comics. 14 June 2016, www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/06/14/batman-dayreturns.
Accessed 16 July 2017.


identifier: Dohey, Amanda <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dohey=3AAmanda=3A=3A.html>   (2018) FRAXE in the Newfoundland population.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: FRAXE in the Newfoundland population

abstract:
Children, especially boys, can present to their primary care physician, pediatrician, or genetics program with developmental delay and/or intellectual disability. FRAXE is a rare cause of intellectual disability caused by expansion and methylation of the CCG repeats in the 5’ untranslated region of the FMR2 gene. Although the phenotype associated with FRAXE is not well defined, it has been reported to include: mild (IQ 50-69) to borderline (70-79) intellectual disability, learning problems, communication problems and overactivity with no consistent dysmorphology.
In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, prior to initiation of the current study, two families segregating FMR2 expansions had been identified. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of FRAXE among boys referred to the Provincial Medical Genetic Program for intellectual disability and/or developmental delay; to characterize FRAXE positive families; and to determine if there is a common ancestor connecting these families. This was accomplished by reviewing the charts of boys seen in the Provincial Medical Genetics Program from 1994 to 2004 that had unexplained developmental delay. This review resulted in the discovery of a FRAXE positive boy and his full mutation sister. During this time two additional FRAXE families were referred to the Provincial Medical Genetics Program. Using microsatellite markers three of the four FRAXE positive families were found to share a common haplotype of 1.8 Mb.
The minimum prevalence rate in this male pediatric population was found to be 1 in 7737 which is a six fold increase compared with the reported prevalence rate for FRAXE of 1 in 50,000 or 1 in 23,423. Our data supports routine testing of FMR2 expansions in boys with intellectual disability in the NL population.


identifier: Knott, Christine. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Knott=3AChristine=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Beyond cheap wage labour: an investigation into qualitative labour shortages and mobility in the New Brunswick fishing industry.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
High unemployment and outmigration (either temporary or permanent) for work are longstanding
features of many rural areas in Canada, particularly Atlantic Canada. In recent
years, some workplaces in these areas have come to rely on workers from other parts of
the world, often brought in as temporary workers. This dissertation considers the apparent
paradox associated with a combination of claims of labour shortages and reliance on
outside workers in regions and sectors with high unemployment and ongoing
outmigration for work, whether temporary or permanent. The seafood industry (both
capture and aquaculture) in a rural region of New Brunswick provides an ideal case study
to investigate this paradox. The dissertation asks how and why labour forces in seafood
processing in a region of New Brunswick have shifted over time from local to regional
and international. It also examines the consequences of these changes for work quality
and local communities. Work quality includes wages, work schedules, job security, and
other aspects of the working lives of employees (including childcare, eldercare, emotional
care, and volunteer work) that encapsulate our lived experience and that overlap with, and
are intricately connected to, our work rhythms.
The conceptual framework that guides the dissertation includes insights from
feminist political economy (changing corporate structure and government policy, capital
accumulation strategies, financialization, and cheap wage labour), and Nandita Sharma’s
distinction between quantitative and qualitative labour shortages. The framework
structures the analysis of shifting labour-capital relations alongside changing labour forces, workplaces, and community dynamics associated with this sector for the period
between 1900 and 2014, with a focus on the latter fifty years. This framework aids in
understanding how historic and current competitive conditions in the global political
economy involve cheap and often, mobile workers via gendered, and in some cases
racialized, divisions of labour and surplus labour pools on regional, national, and
international scales.
Data are derived from document analysis and thirty-six semi-structured interviews
with seafood processing workers, plant managers, community business owners and key
informants associated with seafood processing in one region of New Brunswick carried
out in 2012. These interviews explored employee recruitment issues and strategies,
employer definitions of good workers, changing work environments, and the industry’s
shifting corporate structure. Information about the larger policy and corporate context, as
well as the changing structures and investment strategies of regional seafood processing
companies and their relationships to labour force change and employment quality, came
from qualitative document analysis of newspapers, government reports, and news
releases.
This dissertation contributes significantly to critical discourses about the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and its impacts, and in particular presents a
sustained qualitative assessment of the low-wage stream of the TFWP. It also
demonstrates the role of employers and managers in the qualitative construction of
vulnerable and cheap labour forces in the context of changing labour forces (local, intraprovincial,
interprovincial and international) and how these have intersected within one
industry.


identifier: Abdullah, Md <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Abdullah=3AMd=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Numerical prediction of ductile fracture due to moving load.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This study investigates the effect of moving load on ductile fracture of shipbuilding metals through numerical simulation. Quinton [1,2] and Alsos [3] investigated moving load’s effect on metals, in the plastic regime, and found that moving load results in a significant reduction in plastic capacity of metals. This study complements their work by extending the scope of the work up to ductile fracture initiation which was accomplished by implementing state-of-art ductile fracture model in moving loading scenario.
A state-of-art ductile fracture model has been implemented in this study by incorporating the knowledge acquired by research in the fracture mechanics arena. A stress state based fracture locus with strain rate and temperature effects has been selected as the ductile fracture criteria accordingly. Finite Element Method with Explicit Time Integration scheme deemed appropriate for numerical simulation and LS-DYNA has been chosen to accomplish this consequently.
This study attempts to mitigate two significant limitations of maritime structural assessment techniques associated with ship-ice interaction; undue simplification of load definition and over conservatism on fracture strain selection. Ship-ice interaction is considered as stationary loading scenario while it should be categorised as moving loading condition in accidental overloading situations. In addition, these techniques also regard fracture strain to be constant and independent of stress state, whereas studies show that ductile fracture initiation is highly dependent on the stress state.
This study provides a method to incorporate stress-state dependent state-of-art ductile fracture model for numerical investigation of moving load.


identifier: Suntharamoorthy, Maaran <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Suntharamoorthy=3AMaaran=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Factors influencing starch chain realignment and interactions within the amorphous and crystalline domains of pulse and high amylose maize starches on annealing.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The composition, morphology, structure and physicochemical properties of
starches extracted from lablab bean, navy bean, rice bean, tepary bean and velvet bean
were examined. Imaging techniques revealed the presence of cracks on granule surfaces
and disorganized starch chains near the vicinity of the hilum in some starches. The
starches exhibited wide variations with respect to granular size and specific surface area.
Molecular order, molecular orientation (birefringence), double helical content,
crystallinity, crystalline perfection and crystalline stability differed among the pulse
starches. However, they exhibited similar amylopectin chain length distribution. The
results showed that interplay among differences in molecular order, double helical
content, relative crystallinity, amylose content, granule morphology and the extent of
interactions between starch chains within the amorphous and crystalline domains,
influenced thermal, rheological and digestibility properties. The factors underlying the
susceptibility of pulse (including wrinkled pea) and Hylon®VII starches toward in vitro
hydrolysis were studied. The rate and extent of hydrolysis were influenced by the
structure of the native starches at different levels (molecular, supramolecular, granular) of
granule organization, and by the extent of interaction among hydrolysed starch chains.
Starches were modified by annealing treatment. Annealing increased the relative
crystallinity and the onset (To) and melting (Tp) temperatures and decreased the
gelatinization temperature range (Tc-To). The increase in Tp and decrease in Tc-To
suggest that annealing improved double helix arrangement by decreasing heterogeneity
within the crystalline lamellae. This study showed that the organization of starch chains within the amorphous and crystalline domains of native starches influenced
reorganization of starch chains on annealing. The extent of these changes differed
between normal and high amylose starches due to the structural differences that exist in
both amorphous and crystalline regions. The role of amorphous regions on annealing was
studied using the approaches of partial acid hydrolysis and cross-linking with sodium
trimetaphosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate. The results suggest that the amorphous
regions contributed to the molecular mechanism of annealing by influencing the
realignment of glucan chains in the crystalline regions.


identifier: Mohammadkarimi, Mostafa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mohammadkarimi=3AMostafa=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Advances in parameter estimation, source enumeration, and signal identification for wireless communications.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Parameter estimation and signal identification play an important role in modern wireless
communication systems. In this thesis, we address different parameter estimation
and signal identification problems in conjunction with the Internet of Things (IoT),
cognitive radio systems, and high speed mobile communications.
The focus of Chapter 2 of this thesis is to develop a new uplink multiple access
(MA) scheme for the IoT in order to support ubiquitous massive uplink connectivity
for devices with sporadic traffic pattern and short packet size. The proposed uplink
MA scheme removes the Media Access Control (MAC) address through the signal
identification algorithms which are employed at the gateway.
The focus of Chapter 3 of this thesis is to develop different maximum Doppler
spread (MDS) estimators in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frequency-selective
fading channel. The main idea behind the proposed estimators is to reduce the computational
complexity while increasing system capacity.
The focus of Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of this thesis is to develop different antenna
enumeration algorithms and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimators in MIMO timevarying
fading channels, respectively. The main idea is to develop low-complexity
algorithms and estimators which are robust to channel impairments.
The focus of Chapter 6 of this thesis is to develop a low-complexity space-time
block codes (STBC)s identification algorithms for cognitive radio systems. The goal
is to design an algorithm that is robust to time-frequency transmission impairments.


identifier: Fazelpour, Azam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Fazelpour=3AAzam=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Image analysis methods in the measurement of ice loads on structures.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The icing of marine vessels and offshore structures causes significant reductions in their efficiency and creates unsafe working conditions. Ice detection and removal play important roles to reduce the risk of hazards and increase operational efficiency. Ice detection and measurement on structures are a challenge in marine industries, due to a lack of studies in this field. In this research, image processing methods are developed to measure ice loads on structures. Image processing algorithms are used to detect the ice accumulated on the structures and then the ice loads are calculated. The combination of thermal and visual imaging is suggested to detect ice, in order to reduce drawbacks occurring in these types of imaging. Also, the ice load is calculated on a known structure based on the structure information and the ice detection results. Experiments are conducted to verify the results of ice load measurements obtained by the algorithms. Ice loads are calculated in a variety of situations, such as using different imaging types, changing camera positions and angles of view and using different ice load values. The calculated ice load results show good coherence with the actual values obtained by measuring the samples which are used in the experimental setups.


identifier: Elliott, Deirdre A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Elliott=3ADeirdre_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Investigating the effect of European contact on Inuit-animal interactions in Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Archaeological research into the Labrador Inuit past has shed considerable light on material culture and changes therein, as well as on certain subsistence practices, and on how each of these changed through time. However, few studies have been undertaken that integrate these two aspects of life. Animals are particularly prominent in the arctic and sub-arctic environment, and in many ways formed the core of Inuit culture. Archaeologically, much of the material culture is in some way connected to animals – be it made of animal products, a depiction of animals, or having to do with the acquisition and processing of animals, and so material culture and subsistence are inherently linked. Operating within a theoretical framework of Human-Animal Studies, the aim of this thesis is to explore how Inuit-animal interactions and relationships changed through European contact and influence. By examining both faunal and artifact assemblages from three sites (Nachvak Village/IgCx-3, Kongu/IgCv-7, and Double Mer Point/GbBo-2) covering a range of temporal, geographic, and economic contexts, I was able to separate local variability from larger trends, and to draw conclusions concerning how Inuit used and related to animals within these contexts. This opens up avenues for further study, such as regional, contemporaneous multi-site comparisons, delving into the as yet poorly understood importance of whales, and examining the movements of Inuit-produced materials throughout Labrador and across the world.


identifier: Pickard, Heidi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pickard=3AHeidi=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Understanding long-range transport mechanisms of perfluoroalkyl substances.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent, bioaccumulative compounds found
ubiquitously within the environment. They can be formed from the atmospheric oxidation
of volatile precursor compounds and undergo long-range transport (LRT) through the
atmosphere and ocean to remote locations. Ice caps preserve a temporal record of PFAA
deposition making them useful in studying the atmospheric trends in LRT of PFAAs as
well as understanding major pollutant sources and production changes over time.
A 15 m ice core representing 38 years of deposition (1977 – 2015) was collected
from the Devon Ice Cap in Nunavut and analyzed for PFAAs. Samples were concentrated
by solid phase extraction and analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, IC, and ICP-OES. Both shortand
long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs)
were detected in the samples, with fluxes ranging from <LOD to 4.44×10⁴ ng m ⁻² yr⁻¹.
In this work I assess temporal trends in deposition, homologue profiles, ion
tracers, air mass transport models, and production and regulation trends to characterize
the PFAA depositional profile on the Devon Ice Cap and to further understand the LRT
mechanisms of these persistent pollutants. In Chapter 3 my results demonstrate that the
PFCAs and perflurooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have continuous and increasing deposition
on Devon Ice Cap, despite recent North American regulations and phase-outs. I propose
that this is the result of on-going emission and use of these compounds, their precursors
and other newly unidentified compounds in regions outside of North America. Through
modelling air mass transport densities, and comparing temporal trends in deposition with production changes of possible sources, I find that Eurasian sources, particularly from
Continental Asia are large contributors to the global pollutants impacting Devon Ice Cap.
By comparing PFAAs to their precursors and correlating pairs of PFCAs, I determine that
deposition of PFAAs is dominated by atmospheric formation from volatile precursor
sources, and major ion analysis provides new information regarding the transport of
PFAAs, confirming that marine aerosol inputs are unimportant to the LRT mechanisms of
these compounds. In Chapter 4 my results from the Arctic ice core analysis show a tenfold
increase in short-chain PFCA (scPFCA) deposition between 1986 and 2014, which
coincides with increased production and atmospheric burden of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-
replacement compounds. This is the first multi-decadal temporal record of scPFCA
deposition and indicates that Montreal Protocol-mandated introduction of CFC-replacement
compounds for the heat-transfer industry is the dominant source of scPFCAs to remote
regions.


identifier: Hijazi, Hassan Yasin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hijazi=3AHassan_Yasin=3A=3A.html>   (2017) Novel molecularly imprinted polymer thin-films as micro-extraction adsorbents combined with various chromatographic and mass spectrometry systems for selective determination of trace concentrations of thiophene compounds in water.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Thiophene compounds are polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) present in petroleum in concentrations up to 7%, depending on the source. They are considered as the most relevant and problematic components in petroleum products due to their mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and acute toxicity. These compounds can be used as organic markers for monitoring of oil pollution, which can come into marine waters through regulated oil discharges, accidental oil spills and shipping related inputs. Current analytical methods for thiophenes usually combine solid-phase extraction (SPE) with gas chromatography (GC) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, matrix complexity, low analyte concentrations, and the low selectivity of SPE can limit the efficiency of separation and detection. To overcome these problems, selective sorbent materials, such as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be used for analysis.
MIPs are synthetic polymers that contain artificial recognition sites formed by polymerization in the presence of a template molecule. The molecular recognition mechanism in MIPs is simple. They have a high mechanical and thermal stability, and can be prepared easily at low cost. In our work, MIPs are prepared as thin-films on glass substrates, simplifying fabrication and allowing for flexibility in deployment and use with a variety of detection systems. A pseudo-template is used in the imprinting process to avoid positive bias associated with template-bleeding, which can be problematic when working at low (μg L⁻¹) analyte concentrations. Ours is the first reported MIP for uptake of thiophene compounds from aqueous matrices. Binding affinity, heterogeneity, uptake behaviour of thiophene compounds over a range of concentrations from 0.5-100 μg L⁻¹, and imprinting factors (IFs) for this MIP thin-film have been determined. Coupling of MIP thin-film with different detection systems such GC-MS, head-space GC with sulfur chemiluminescence detection (GC-SCD), and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) has been accomplished. Linear calibration curves and reproducible results with low limit of detection values were achieved for the extraction of thiophene compounds from spiked seawater samples using these techniques. The results showed that the MIP films can be used effectively as a selective sorbent for thiophene compounds from water samples.


identifier: Power, Rebecca Joy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Power=3ARebecca_Joy=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Genetic screening algorithm for inflammatory back pain.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Objective: To develop a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based genetic-based
algorithm among patients with low back pain to screen for axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).
Methods: An 18-plex genetic assay was designed using a MassARRAY, consisting of
SNPs associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD) and uveitis. 1172 AS cases and 848 controls have been analyzed over two cohorts.
A machine learning algorithm was created using a J48/C4.5 decision tree model; the first
decision was human leukocyte antigen B 27 (HLA-B*27) status. The initial algorithm was
validated in an independent cohort. The discovery and validation cohorts were then
combined and the final genetic-based screening algorithm was weighted.
Results: The SNP based algorithm that included HLA-B*27 positivity had a precision,
specificity and sensitivity of; 0.83, 0.83, and 0.80, respectively which is higher than the
current HLA-B*27 based Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS)
classification criteria. The SNP based algorithm that included HLA-B*27 negativity had a
precision, specificity and sensitivity of, 0.58, 0.32, and 0.69, respectively.
Conclusions: This genetic screening algorithm is inexpensive, out performs the clinical
arm of the current ASAS classification criteria and can potentially lead to earlier
detection of axial SpA.


identifier: Andalib-Bin-Karim, Chowdhury <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Andalib-Bin-Karim=3AChowdhury=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Control based power quality improvement in microgrids.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Power quality issue is one of the major concerns in modern power grids due to higher penetration of renewable energy based distributed generation sources. In this thesis, advanced inverter control mechanisms are developed to improve power quality, specifically 1) voltage and frequency regulation, and 2) reactive power sharing in microgrids. The virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control method is employed as a primary control mechanism in this research work, and several advanced control techniques are developed. The incorporation of a fuzzy secondary controller (FSC) and an adaptive virtual impedance loop in the VSG control scheme is proposed to improve voltage and frequency regulation, and reactive power sharing performance in microgrids, respectively. A systematic approach of the control system design is presented in details, and dynamic models of test microgrids are developed using MATLAB/Simulink. Extensive simulation studies are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods through case and sensitivity studies. It is found that the proposed methods offer significantly improved performance compared to existing techniques, and dynamic characteristics of microgrids under disturbance conditions are enhanced. Furthermore, in this study a new data driven analytics approach is proposed for determination of Q-V (reactive power-voltage) curve of grid connected wind farms, which can provide useful information for voltage control action.


identifier: Roy, Kshama Sundar <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Roy=3AKshama_Sundar=3A=3A.html>   (2018) Numerical modeling of pipe-soil and anchor-soil interactions in dense sand.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Buried pipelines are one of the most efficient modes for transportation of hydrocarbons, in
both onshore and offshore environments. While traversing large distances through a wide variety
of soil, buried pipelines might be subjected to lateral or upward loading. Pipelines are generally
installed in a trench and then backfilled with loose to medium dense sand. However, in many
situations, the backfill sand might be densified even after installation due to natural phenomena,
such as wave action in offshore environments. Proper estimation of force/resistance due to relative
displacement between soil and pipe during lateral or upward movement is an important
engineering consideration for safe and economic design of pipelines. In the development of design
guidelines for pipelines, theoretical and experimental studies on anchor behaviour are also used,
assuming that a geometrically similar pipe and anchor behave in a similar fashion. Pipelines and
anchors buried in dense sand are the focus of the present study.
Improved methods for analysis of complex pipe and anchorsoil interactions are developed
in the present study through finite element (FE) analysis using Abaqus FE software. Recognizing
the limitations of the classical MohrCoulomb (MC) model, which is typically used for modelling
sand in FE modeling of pipe–soil interaction, a modified MohrCoulomb (MMC) model is
proposed, which considers nonlinear variation of angles of internal friction and dilation with
plastic shear strain, loading condition, density and confining pressure, as observed in laboratory
tests on dense sand. The proposed MMC model is implemented in Abaqus using a user-defined
subroutine. The response of buried pipelines subjected to lateral ground movement is investigated
using FE analysis with the MC and MMC models. The FE results (e.g. force–displacement
behaviour including the peak and post-peak lateral resistances) are consistent with the results of
physical model tests and numerical analysis available in the literature.
The uplift resistance against upheaval buckling is a key design parameter, which is
investigated for a shallow buried pipeline across a range of pipe displacements. An uplift force–
displacement curve can be divided into three segments: pre-peak, post-peak softening and gradual
reduction of resistance at large displacement. A set of simplified equations is proposed to obtain
the force–displacement curve for a shallow buried pipe.
Although many pipelines are embedded at shallow burial depths, deep burial conditions are
also evident in many scenarios (e.g. ice gouging prone regions). The uplift resistance and its
relation to progressive formation of shear bands (i.e. zones of localized plastic shear strain) are
also investigated for deep buried pipes across a range of burial depths and pipe diameters. A
simplified method to calculate the peak and post-peak uplift resistances, using an equivalent angle
of internal friction, is proposed for practical applications.
A comparative study is conducted to explain the similarities and differences between the
lateral response of buried pipes and strip anchors, which shows that the anchor gives approximately
10% higher peak resistance than does a pipe of diameter equal to the height of the anchor. The
lateral resistance increases with burial depth and becomes almost constant at large burial depths.
The transition from shallow to deep failure mechanisms occurs at a larger burial depth for anchors
than pipes. Finally, a set of simplified equations is proposed to estimate the lateral resistances for
a wide range of burial depths.