identifier: Yue, Xingtong <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yue=3AXingtong=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Diffraction imaging based on Marchenko equation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Diffractions are the primary carriers of information about small scale subsurface heterogeneities,
such as fractures, faults, karsts and unconformities. However, the several orders of
magnitude difference in amplitude between reflections and diffractions make diffraction imaging
difficult. Many strategies have been used during processing and migration, but only few
studies ever consider the influence of the survey geometry on diffraction imaging. The reason
that the acquisition system can be now taken into account is because of the development of
Marchenko redatuming. Given the data excited and recorded on the surface, the Marchenko
equation can be used to redatum the sources and receivers to any desired position in the
subsurface, with only basic prior information about the subsurface velocity and density. This
makes the idea of improving diffraction imaging by adapting the survey geometry possible.
This study investigates how the depth and the shape of receiver sets influence diffraction
imaging. A set of forward modelling results show that different layouts of the geometry do
enhance the diffraction imaging and suggest two preferred layouts, receivers located in the
subsurface as a line and a semi-circle. Then the Marchenko method is summarized from
the literature by theoretically deriving the 1D and 3D Marchenko equations and practically
introducing the workflow of Green’s function retrieval. In the final chapter, using data
generated from the surface geometry, the Marchenko redatuming is used to move the sources
and receivers to the favourable location chosen during the forward modelling. The amplified
diffraction imaging results indicate that the whole process we propose in this thesis is feasible.


identifier: Espinoza, Yuliana <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Espinoza=3AYuliana=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Interrelations between phonological and morphological development in the first language acquisition of Spanish phonology: a longitudinal case study.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract:
This longitudinal case study analyzes the interaction between phonology and morphology in the
development of medial, final lexical and final inflectional codas of Irene, a Spanish-learning child
from Asturias, Spain. I observe the child’s order of segmental development in light of Polo’s
(2013) line of investigation, which shows that nasals are favoured over any other phonological
category, as well as the fact that phonological development occurs first, while morphology lags
behind. On the other hand, this thesis sheds new light regarding the role of stress in the three coda
positions (medial, final lexical and final inflectional), suggesting that this prosodic factor does not
have an effect on medial codas; however, its role on final codas cannot be independently verified
due to the lack of relevant contexts in the dataset. These observations highlight a possible
correlation between stress and word finality, which may be potentially applicable for additional
languages.


identifier: Tao, Yunwen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tao=3AYunwen=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Metformin and guanylurea in aquatic environments: an overview and improved analysis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Metformin, a biguanide in chemical classification, is widely used as one of the most
effective first-line oral drugs for type 2 diabetes. It is difficult to be metabolized by the
human body and exists in both urine and faeces samples. Guanylurea is metformin’s
biotransformation product. Consequently, significant concentrations of metformin and
guanylurea have been reported in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and coastal
aquatic environments.
In this thesis, a comprehensive overview is conducted to discuss the occurrence, impact,
analysis and treatment of metformin and guanylurea in coastal aquatic environments of
Canada, USA and Europe. The maximum concentrations of metformin and guanylurea in
surface water samples were as high as 59,000 and 4,502 ng L⁻¹, respectively. Metformin
can be absorbed in non-target organisms by plants and in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).
Guanylurea has a confirmed mitotic activity in plant cells. Analysis methods of metformin
are currently developed based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and
gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The removal of metformin from aquatic
environments in the target regions is summarized. The review helps to fill a knowledge gap
and provides insights for regulatory considerations. The potential options for managing
these emerging pollutants are outlined too.
To help better track the occurrence of the two non-volatile biguanide compounds in liquid
samples, the improvement of existing GC-MS based methods for reliable metformin and
guanylurea analysis is also conducted in this thesis. Derivatization of metformin and
guanylurea is the key pre-treatment procedure before the associated GC-MS analysis. Four selected factors affecting for the derivatization were evaluated, and the optimal factors
include temperature (90oC), reacting time (40 minutes), solvent (1,4-dioxane), and ratio
(1.5:1) of reagent to target component. Buformin and N-methyl-bis(trifluoroacetamide)
(MBTFA) were used as the internal standard (IS) and the derivatization reagent,
respectively. Calibration curves were made based on the optimal conditions of
derivatization for metformin and guanylurea with the R² values of calibration linearity
achieved as 99.35% and 99.2%, respectively. The values of relative standard deviation
(RSD%) of metformin and guanylurea based on seven repeated trails are 2.67% and 15.37%,
respectively. The optimal conditions for enhancing the sensitization of metformin and
guanylurea derivatization performance were obtained. The improved GC-MS analysis
method was eventually applied for metformin and guanylurea analysis in real water
samples. Detection of metformin and guanylurea in other types of real water samples could
be conducted in the future like final effluents of wastewater treatment plants.


identifier: Tabasi, Zahra A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tabasi=3AZahra_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2020) π-conjugated pyrenoimidazole derivatives: synthesis, spectroscopic and crystallographic studies.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This PhD thesis was aimed at the design and synthesis of new functional
phenyl-pyrenoimidazole derivatives and the development of these compounds as
novel chromophores/uorophores and supramolecular synthons for organic crystal
engineering. An efficient and modular one-pot condensation reaction between
4,5-pyrenedione and various benzaldehydes in presence of ammonium acetate and
acetic acid was used to prepare all the new phenyl-pyrenoimidazoles investigated
in this thesis work. There are three major projects accomplished in this thesis.
The first project investigated the properties of two new benzaldehyde-substituted
pyrenoimidazoles, in which the electron-withdrawing formyl group is attached to the
para and meta position of the phenyl group. These two isomers were characterized
by various spectroscopic, X-ray single crystallographic analyses, in conjunction
with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The interactions of these
two new compound with uoride anions through hydrogen bonds were examined
as well, and the results demonstrated the applicability of the para-benzaldehyde
substituted pyrenoimidazole as an efficient ratiometric uorescence probe for uoride
anion. In the second project, a series of phenyl-pyrenoimidazole substituted with
various organic functional groups (including CH₃, Cl, Br, OCH₃, CHO, and NO₂)
were synthesized and their structure photophysical property relationships were
subsequently studied by UV-Vis absorption and uorescence spectroscopy. Xray
crystallographic and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analyses were
undertaken to disclose the interplay of various non-covalent forces that govern the
crystal packing of these pyrenoimidazole molecules. The results indicated that the substituent group is an important factor controlling the crystal structural properties,
which attests to the possibility of using various phenylpyrenoimidazole derivatives
as tunable supramolecular synthons for crystal engineering. In the third project,
hydroxyl and alkoxyl-substituted phenyl-pyrenoimidazole derivatives were prepared
and investigated for comparative studies of the effects of hydrogen bonding and π - π interactions on their crystallization behaviors. To construct different organic
crystals, various aromatic carboxylic acids were used with these pyrenoimidazoles.
The resulting crystal structures were analyzed by X-ray crystallography to show the
formation of different supramolecular network structures in the solid state. Based on
the crystallographic data obtained, Hirshfeld surface analysis and quantum theory of
atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculations were carried out to quantitatively interpret
and comprehensively visualize the various intermolecular forces, such as hydrogen
bonding, π - π, C-H...π, and H...H interactions, in the pyrenoimidazole crystals
and co-crystals.


identifier: Randall, Jessica R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Randall=3AJessica_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Forage fish as a predator: summer and fall diet of Atlantic herring in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is an important forage fish in the Northwest Atlantic. However, the diet of herring in eastern Newfoundland is unknown. I compared plankton assemblages to stomach content and stable isotope analyses of Trinity Bay adult herring collected in the late summer and fall (2017-2019) to characterize diet and selectivity. Amphipods (Themisto spp.) contributed most to herring diets in 2017 and August 2018, while calanoid copepods dominated the diet in late 2018 and 2019. Fish eggs and larvae were consistently observed in stomach contents and were most prevalent in the diet when peak larval densities were observed. Stable isotope analyses found that herring fed on prey at a higher trophic level than zooplankton, supporting the importance of piscivory in adult herring diets. As an adaptive predator, Newfoundland herring are resilient to bottom-up changes and may also exert top-down pressure on the early life stages of other fishes.


identifier: Gong, Zijun <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gong=3AZijun=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Mobile node-aided localization and tracking in terrestrial and underwater networks.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the position information of individual
sensors is very important for many applications. Generally, there are a small number
of position-aware nodes, referred to as the anchors. Every other node can estimate its
distances to the surrounding anchors, and then employ trilateration or triangulation for
self-localization. Such a system is easy to implement, and thus popular for both terrestrial
and underwater applications, but it suffers from some major drawbacks. First, the density
of the anchors is generally very low due to economical considerations, leading to poor
localization accuracy. Secondly, the energy and bandwidth consumptions of such systems
are quite significant. Last but not the least, the scalability of a network based on fixed
anchors is not good. Therefore, whenever the network expands, more anchors should be
deployed to guarantee the required performance. Apart from these general challenges,
both terrestrial and underwater networks have their own specific ones. For example, realtime
channel parameters are generally required for localization in terrestrial WSNs. For
underwater networks, the clock skew between the target sensor and the anchors must
be considered. That is to say, time synchronization should be performed together with
localization, which makes the problem complicated.
An alternative approach is to employ mobile anchors to replace the fixed ones. For
terrestrial networks, commercial drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are very
good choices, while autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can be used for underwater
applications. Mobile anchors can move along a predefined trajectory and broadcast beacon
signals. By listening to the messages, the other nodes in the network can localize themselves
passively. This architecture has three major advantages: first, energy and bandwidth consumptions can be significantly reduced; secondly, the localization accuracy can be much
improved with the increased number of virtual anchors, which can be boosted at negligible
cost; thirdly, the coverage can be easily extended, which makes the solution and the network
highly scalable.
Motivated by this idea, this thesis investigates the mobile node-aided localization and
tracking in large-scale WSNs. For both terrestrial and underwater WSNs, the system
design, modeling, and performance analyses will be presented for various applications,
including: (1) the drone-assisted localization in terrestrial networks; (2) the ToA-based
underwater localization and time synchronization; (3) the Doppler-based underwater localization;
(4) the underwater target detection and tracking based on the convolutional
neural network and the fractional Fourier transform. In these applications, different challenges
will present, and we will see how these challenges can be addressed by replacing
the fixed anchors with mobile ones. Detailed mathematical models will be presented, and
extensive simulation and experimental results will be provided to verify the theoretical
results. Also, we will investigate the channel estimation for the fifth generation (5G) wireless
communications. A pilot decontamination method will be presented for the massive
multiple-input-multiple-output communications, and the data-aided channel tracking will
be discussed for millimeter wave communications. We will see that the localization problem
is highly coupled with the channel estimation in wireless communications.


identifier: Jolliffe, Bradley <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jolliffe=3ABradley=3A=3A.html>   (2021) The identity illusion: the impact of heterosexist microaggressions on the identity formation of teachers.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study focuses on identity formation as it relates to teachers and the heterosexist microaggressions that can be experienced. Using critical autoethnography, I reflect on, write, and analyze narratives written based upon both my own and my colleagues’ experiences. Critical qualitative research on the experiences of queer individuals in education has grown in the past decade, however, more first-hand experiences need to be shared to expose the need for all individuals to examine their behavior and beliefs and how they may be attributing to microaggressions. Through my personal voice as a research participant (teacher) and analytical voice as a researcher, this thesis purposely incites chaos, disruption, and entangles perspectives and biases that are usually kept separate. Heterosexist microaggressions enliven the belief that heterosexuality is the norm and benchmark for society, othering those who fall outside of this measurement and shape their identity through different means. When this belief is unchallenged it threatens authenticity and inclusion for the genuine identity development of individuals to occur. As a result of this critical autoethnography, considerations for future research are offered in the hopes of encouraging those living unspoken narratives to make themselves visible and heard in an educational context to promote future fluidity and transformation.


identifier: Boakye Gyan, Collins Kwaku Gyan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Boakye_Gyan=3ACollins_Kwaku_Gyan=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Farmers and herders in Ghana: examining the impact of livelihood and autochthony on the land conflict between indigenes and migrants.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study examines the underlying drivers of the conflict between Indigenous farmers and Fulani herders in two districts in Ghana: Asante Akim North and Gushegu districts. These two districts have witnessed the most violence in Ghana between 2001 and 2020. The research is anchored on land-use and land access theories, as well as autochthony and narratives of "Sons of the Soil". Based on data gathered from forty-five (45) media sources of local, national and international news articles in newspapers and online, including transcripts of extended interviews of leaders of both Indigenous farmers and Fulani herders done on national television and documents from the police, judicial service, traditional Council and Regional Security Council. This Study argues that the differences in the livelihood of the two groups of land users and the use of autochthony identity to deny Fulani herders access to land are the underlying drivers of the violent conflict between farmers and herders. Both farmers and herders need land for their livelihood; however, land access and use are contested and interpreted continuously within the spheres of identity. The focus on the farmer-herder conflict in Ghana emphasizes that theories that seek to identify and explain the causes of group conflict must go beyond simple linear explanations to include complex multi-dimensional explanations.


identifier: Pratt, Claire <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pratt=3AClaire=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Modified reporting of positive urine cultures to reduce treatment of catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CA-ASB) among inpatients: a randomized controlled trial.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
We conducted a randomized, unblinded superiority trial to determine if modified
laboratory reporting of positive urine cultures (UC) increased the appropriateness of antibiotic
treatment among catheterized inpatients. Efficacy outcome was treatment appropriateness.
Safety outcomes included adverse events, bacteremia, and death. Between November 2018 and
June 2019, 100 consecutive positive UCs were randomized to the standard report (SR) (bacterial
count, identification and susceptibility) or modified report (MR) (standardized comment).
Exclusion criteria were pregnancy, current antibiotic treatment, intensive care unit (ICU) or
urology admission, or neutropenia. Current antibiotic treatment was excluded because their use
may affect culture interpretation. True diagnosis of catheter-associated urinary tract infection
(CA-UTI) or catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CA-ASB) was based on published
criteria and prospective chart review. Patients were followed for 7 days after reporting. Of 543
positive UC considered, 443 were excluded. The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis included 100
UCs, while per protocol (PP) included 90. CA-ASB was diagnosed in 75% of all urines and 60% of
these cases were treated with antibiotics. All CA-UTI cases were treated. There was a trend
towards increased appropriate treatment (untreated CA-ASB + treated CA-UTI) in the MR than
the SR: 31/54 (57.4%) vs 23/46 (50.0%), (+7.4%, p=0.45, RR=1.15) by ITT analysis. PP analysis gave
similar results. There were 4/54 (7.4%) deaths and 16/54 (29.6%) adverse events in the MR, and
3/46 (6.5%) deaths and 19/46 (41.3%) adverse events in the SR (-11.7% adverse events, p=0.216).
We conclude that MR trends towards treatment appropriateness and may be safe. Larger studies
are required.


identifier: Diamond, Cody <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Diamond=3ACody=3A=3A.html>   (2021) AID, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B efficiently deaminate deoxycytidines neighboring DNA damage induced by oxidation or alkylation.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: AID/APOBEC3s are endogenous enzymes that deaminate deoxycytidine (dC) to deoxyuridine (dU). Although they can mutate any dC, each family member has a unique sequence preference determined by nucleotides immediately surrounding the target dC. This WRC (W=A/T, R=A/G) and YC (Y=T/C) preference is well established for AID and APOBEC3A/B respectively. Common sources of DNA damage such as alkylation and oxidation alter the chemistry of normal base side chains prompting us to examine the activity of AID, APOBEC3A, and APOBEC3B on dCs whose neighboring -2 or -1 position bases are damaged through oxidation or alkylation. We found that all three enzymes efficiently deaminate dC when common damaged bases are present in the -2 and -1 positions. Strikingly, some of these motifs supported even higher catalytic efficiencies by AID, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B compared to WRC/YC motifs which are their most favored normal DNA sequences. Based on interactions of the surfaces of AID, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B with DNA as resolved by structural studies, we then modeled interactions with alkylated or oxidized bases. Corroborating the enzyme kinetics experiments, these analyses suggest that the surface regions responsible for recognition of normal bases can also interact with oxidized and alkylated bases. Thus, our data extend the current knowledge of the -2 and -1 position substrate sequence specificity of AID/A3s to include common damaged base motifs.


identifier: Gale, David J.G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gale=3ADavid_J=2EG=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Analysis of activation induced cytidine deaminase using atomic force microscopy.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) plays a large part within the pathway
of immunoresponse. It does so by inserting mutations, during DNA replication, in
B cells (immune system cells). This results in a more diverse set of antibodies in
each subsequent generation. However, mutations that cause infinite replication with
no cellular apoptosis, can lead to cancer. AID has been implicated in cancers which
appear independent of the expected environmental causes, such as smoking or UV
exposure.
The method for AID mutations involves binding to single-strand DNA. Using
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) we obtained both the geometry or topology, as well
as the nanomechanical information about this mutation process and AID. In this
thesis, I present the first AFM images of AID, showing direct structural information
about the protein. Although the measurements are done in vitro, physiological conditions
have been approximated in order to get an accurate analysis of the protein
system. To allow imaging in buffer, suitable substrates were tested and identified
which would bind the protein sufficiently in this high ionic strength environment.
Optimized plating and scan conditions for AID in both wet and dry conditions are
described, which allow high resolution imaging to be performed that is not often seen
in biological systems. Through the many scans and procedural changes it was established
that although difficult it is possible to gain an image of AID through the use of AFM. Using the some of the forces with the protein, an image of HOPG anchored
AID was able to be obtained


identifier: Barbour, Glenn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Barbour=3AGlenn=3A=3A.html>   (2020) You don't have to keep score!: a teacher's journey to a new way of being.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Researchers in the field of health and physical education have long been concerned about the physical education experiences of female students in their middle and high school years. The purpose of this research was to examine how teaching a female only physical education class deepened my understanding of teaching female students in physical education. In an attempt to meet the needs and interests of female students, a girls-only physical education class was offered. This project used the principles of existential action research. Qualitative data collection methods used for this study included teacher journaling, descriptive “field notes” and a critical “friend”. The following themes emerged from this experience: autopilot, students looking for something new, opportunities for leadership or ownership, guest instructors, changing perspectives on teaching high school physical education, a positive classroom environment, and physical education and life. The findings are not intended to be generalizable to other physical education teaching situations. However, given that there are many ways of being a teacher in physical education, an approach focused on building relationships with students and meeting the needs and interests unique to each class may be more appealing to students. As a result of this research, specifically through the emergence of the themes, I believe I have gained a deeper understanding of teaching female students as it relates to their experiences in physical education.


identifier: Menard, Kelsey Jane <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Menard=3AKelsey_Jane=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Structures and fragmentation reactions of protonated neonicotinoid insecticides by infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy and computational methods.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam belong to the nitroguanidine subclass of neonicotinoid insecticides. Nitroguanidine neonicotinoids induce higher acute and chronic toxicity in bees, therefore, analytical methods have been developed to evaluate the biological and ecological effects of neonicotinoids. The structures and unimolecular chemistries of protonated imidacloprid and protonated thiamethoxam have been studied in the gas phase by infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and computational methods. Electronic structure calculations employing density functional theory (DFT) were conducted to determine thermodynamic results, relative enthalpies and Gibbs energies, and to compute the infrared frequencies of stretching and bending vibrations. Comparison of the experimental IRMPD and computed IR spectra was done to identify the vibrational features of the protonated neonicotinoids, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.
The lowest energy isomer of protonated imidacloprid, protonated at the pyridine nitrogen, generates an IR spectrum that is most consistent with the IRMPD spectrum. The spectroscopic IRMPD data for protonated imidacloprid urea (loss of N₂O), protonated desnitroimidacloprid (loss of NO2*), protonated desnitrosoimidacloprid (loss of NO*), and the loss NO* and *OH from protonated imidacloprid are also presented. A DFT calculated potential energy diagram of protonated desnitroimidacloprid reveals the energetic barriers for intramolecular proton transfer versus bond dissociation of NO₂*. A possible mechanism for the loss of NO* and *OH from protonated imidacloprid describes isomerization of the NO* loss product ion and tautomerization of the *OH product ion. The structures, energetics, and infrared spectra of protonated thiamethoxam were computed using the B3LYP and M06-2X methods. There is a discrepancy in the computed energies for the lowest energy isomers of protonated thiamethoxam, therefore, a comparison of the calculated IR spectra and the IRMPD spectrum reveals that the oxygen protonated isomer is the best match. IRMPD spectroscopy experiments in conjunction with DFT computations are also performed for protonated desnitro-thiamethoxam (loss of NO₂*), and protonated dechlorinated desnitro-thiamethoxam (loss of NO₂* and Cl*).


identifier: Abdelpakey, Mohamed Hamed <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Abdelpakey=3AMohamed_Hamed=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Visual object tracking in dynamic scenes.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Visual object tracking is a fundamental task in the field computer vision. Visual object tracking
is widely used in numerous applications which include, but are not limited to video surveillance,
image understanding, robotics, and human-computer interaction. In essence, visual object
tracking is the problem of estimating the states/trajectory of the object of interest over time.
Unlike other tasks such as object detection where the number of classes/categories are defined
beforehand, the only available information of the object of interest is at the first frame.
Even though, Deep Learning (DL) has revolutionised most computer vision tasks, visual
object tracking still imposes several challenges. The nature of visual object tracking task is
stochastic, where no prior-knowledge is available about the object of interest during the training
or testing/inference. Moreover, visual object tracking is a class-agnostic task, as opposed object
detection and segmentation tasks. In this thesis, the main objective is to develop and advance
the visual object trackers using novel designs of deep learning frameworks and mathematical
formulations.
To take advantage of different trackers, a novel framework is developed to track moving
objects based on a composite framework and a reporter mechanism. The composite framework
has built-in trackers and user-defined trackers to track the object of interest. The framework
contains a module to calculate the robustness for each tracker and a reporter mechanism serves
as a recovery mechanism if trackers fail to locate the object of interest.
Different trackers may fail to track the object of interest, thus, a more robust framework
based on Siamese network architecture, namely DensSiam, is proposed to use the concept of dense layers and connects each dense layer in the network to all layers in a feed-forward fashion
with a similarity-learning function. DensSiam also includes a Self-Attention mechanism to
force the network to pay more attention to non-local features during offline training.
Generally, Siamese trackers do not fully utilize semantic and objectness information from
pre-trained networks that have been trained on an image classification task. To solve this problem
a novel architecture design is proposed , dubbed DomainSiam, to learn a Domain-Aware
that fully utilizes semantic and objectness information while producing a class-agnostic track
using a ridge regression network. Moreover, to reduce the sparsity problem, we solve the ridge
regression problem with a differentiable weighted-dynamic loss function.
Siamese trackers have high speed and work in real-time, however, they lack high accuracy.
To overcome this challenge, a novel dynamic policy gradient Agent-Environment architecture
with Siamese network (DP-Siam) is proposed to train the tracker to increase the accuracy and
the expected average overlap while running in real-time. DP-Siam is trained offline with reinforcement
learning to produce a continuous action that predicts the optimal object location.
One of the common design block in most object trackers in the literature is the backbone
network, where the backbone network is trained in the feature space. To design a backbone
network that maps from feature space to another space (i.e., joint-nullspace) and more suitable
for object tracking and classification, a novel framework is proposed. The new framework is
called NullSpaceNet has a clear interpretation for the feature representation and the features in
this space are more separable. NullSpaceNet is utilized in object tracking by regularizing the
discriminative joint-nullspace backbone network. The novel tracker is called NullSpaceRDAR,
and encourages the network to have a representation for the target-specific information for the
object of interest in the joint-nullspace. In contrast to feature space where objects from a specific
class are categorized into one category however, it is insensitive to intra-class variations. Furthermore, we use the NullSpaceNet backbone to learn a tracker, dubbed NullSpaceRDAR,
with a regularized discriminative joint-nullspace backbone network that is specifically
designed for object tracking. In the regularized discriminative joint-nullspace, the features from
the same target-specific are collapsed into one point in the joint-null space and different targetspecific
features are collapsed into different points in the joint-nullspace. Consequently, the
joint-nullspace forces the network to be sensitive to the variations of the object from the same
class (intra-class variations). Moreover, a dynamic adaptive loss function is proposed to select
the suitable loss function from a super-set family of losses based on the training data to make
NullSpaceRDAR more robust to different challenges.


identifier: LaFitte, Chad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LaFitte=3AChad=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Assessment of oil recovery methods for reservoirs in the Flemish Pass Basin.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In recent years, the Flemish Pass Basin has been gaining momentum as an area of potential high-volume resources on the frontier of remote, deep-water offshore oil exploration. This simulation study utilizes three sector models representing regional, discovered reservoirs, and two tuned fluid models representing oil sampled from wells in the Flemish Pass Basin.
This study evaluates three secondary oil recovery methods, water flooding, gas flooding, and water-alternating-gas (WAG) flooding. These methods are simulated using ECLIPSE reservoir simulator [1] within the sector models from three different quality reservoirs, and the two different quality fluid models. This is accomplished through a sensitivity analysis of the representative Flemish Pass fluid and reservoir models, using both five and twenty year forecast simulation cases.
The evaluation results capture an inherent uncertainty given the varied reservoir and fluid qualities while the depletion plan is controlled by recovery method. Dynamic modelling results in a range of possible recovery factors from eighteen simulation cases which quantifies the relative benefit of each oil recovery method.
Comprehensive results indicate that implementing WAG as a secondary recovery method can yield a 4% to 10% increase in recovery factor over water flood or gas flood. WAG is usually considered a late-life enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method or tertiary recovery method. Using WAG for secondary recovery is much less common.
Implementing WAG in the light oil reservoir yields a ~10% increase in recovery factor over both water flood and gas flood. Using WAG in the medium oil cases yields a 4% to 9% increase in recovery factor over water flood, and a 2% to 16% increase in recovery factor over gas flood. The most benefit from WAG is observed in the ultra-high-quality reservoir. The medium oil responds best to the gas injection phase of the WAG cycle so it may be useful to optimize the cycle such that gas is injected for a longer duration relative to the water injection cycle. Additionally, secondary WAG may extend the production plateau up to 80% depending on the reservoir quality, fluid characteristics, and production constraints.
In terms of using WAG as a tertiary recovery method, tertiary WAG is observed to be most beneficial in low to medium quality reservoirs. Tertiary WAG extends the duration of production and results in a consistent ~4% increase in recovery factor over water flooding.
Study results go on to quantify the differences in water and gas breakthrough as a factor of pore volume injected (PVI). The conclusions will further provide indication of which reservoirs are best suited for each recovery method.


identifier: Hossain, Ridwan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hossain=3ARidwan=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Modelling dynamic ice-structure interaction based on high-pressure zones' behaviour at medium-scale.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Although ice-induced vibrations (IIV) resulting from dynamic ice-structure interaction have been reported as infrequent occurrences in nature, the catastrophic consequences of these events makes them a fundamental design consideration for structures in ice-prone regions. Over the last 50 years, these events have affected a wide range of structures, including bottom founded lighthouses, channel markers, jacket and caisson retained structures, and have led to operational shutdowns, human discomfort, and even complete collapse of the structure in some cases. Rigorous experimental investigations and theoretical modeling approaches over the years have provided valuable insight into the physical mechanism of the process; however, a significant amount of uncertainty in identifying the conditions associated with IIV and its severity still exists. The primary source of the uncertainty comes from the complexity of the ice failure process, since it is highly influenced by the interplay of different competing mechanisms, such as fracture, damage and microstructural changes. One of the fundamental components of compressive ice failure is the development of ‘high-pressure zones (hpzs),’ which are responsible for transmitting the majority of the loads in ice-structure interactions. As the properties and dynamic behaviour of hpzs exhibit similar characteristics over a wide range of scales, efforts to link hpz mechanics with the occurrence of dynamic ice-structure interactions is seen as a promising approach.
During ice-structure interaction, the ice failure process is highly influenced by different interaction parameters. An uncertainty analysis with self-excited vibration modeling approaches was performed first to identify the critical parameters and how their effects can propagate through the dynamic ice-structure interaction process. Based on the simulations, ice temperature, interaction speed, and interaction area were identified as the key parameters affecting the dynamic ice-structure interaction process. A medium-scale ice crushing dynamics test program was then carried out to study the influence of these parameters on the dynamics of hpzs under controlled conditions with variable structural compliance. In general, more severe dynamics associated with failure behaviour were observed to be more pronounced for colder ice, smaller interaction areas, higher interaction speed, and lower structural compliances.
The observed dynamics of a single hpz was then used to develop a simplified ice-structure interaction model. The behaviour of the hpz was estimated using results from previous triaxial tests, which showed a non-linear relationship between hpz stiffness and the nominal strain, with the degree of softening depending on the average strain-rate. Two distinct failure processes were assessed in the context of the periodic sinusoidal response of the structure using the model. First, such responses can result from the vibration within the layer of damaged ice when the formation of the damaged layer and the extrusion process become cyclical in pure crushing. Theoretical calculation from a previous study was adopted to estimate the equilibrium layer thickness that can result in such vibrations, and the model showed reasonably good agreement with the calculations. The other failure process considered was for spall-dominated interactions with occasional crushing events. Such a failure process can result in frequency lock-in of the structure; however, these responses were observed to be highly sensitive to interaction speed and structural parameters. This was identified as the primary reason for the infrequent observation of frequency lock-in in full-scale interactions. Although the simplified modeling framework presented here shows promising results, further experimental investigation and modeling refinement are required for a full-scale implementation.


identifier: Rasouli, S. Abbas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rasouli=3AS=2E_Abbas=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Fabrication of superhydrophobic-superoleophilic membranes for oil-water separation applications.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The increasing volume of industrial oily wastewater and recent oil spill incidents have negatively affected the ecosystem and human health. Accordingly, it has been a worldwide challenge to separate the water or oil from such oily wastewater effectively. Recently, owing to the low efficiency of conventional techniques, a great interest has been paid in using membranes with engineered wettability especially superhydrophobic-superoleophilic (SHSO) ones, for oil-water separation applications.
In this research, the SHSO mesh is fabricated to examine the effectiveness of membrane surface modification for oil-water separation purposes. After cleaning and activating the stainless-steel mesh by piranha solution, two different silanes with short- and long-alkyl functional chains (Dynasylan® Sivo 408 and Dynasylan® F8261, respectively) are used to modify the mesh surface via a dip-coating technique. Functionalized silica micro and nanoparticles with different ratios are tried to evaluate their potential as morphology modifiers. The superhydrophobic and superoleophilic membranes are then characterized by the contact angle, sliding angle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Utilization of Dynasylan® F8261 as a coating solution leads to a higher water contact angle (WCA) due to having a longer alkyl functional chain, compared to Dynasylan® Sivo 408. Moreover, the combination of micro (25%) and nano (75%) particles results in the highest WCA (165.8˚), followed by the scenario of only nanoparticles with a WCA of 163.8˚. The coating solution with only nanoparticles is thus proposed as the optimal case, since the microparticles tend to settle, making the solution non-homogeneous based on the SEM results. Analysis of characterization tests confirms that the as-prepared mesh exhibits SHSO properties. The stability analysis is also conducted by submerging the SHSO membranes into solutions of NaCl (1M), H₂SO₄ (0.1M), and NaOH (0.1M). Except for the NaOH solution, this mesh maintains its SHSO properties in the solutions of NaCl and H₂SO₄ over one-month stability assessment. The results of static oil-water separation show a higher separation efficiency for hexane (99%) than canola oil (97%), owing to the lower viscosity of hexane.
The dynamic oil-water separation tests are also performed using coated mesh tubes in a cross-flow gravity-based separator. The oil-water mixture is pumped into the tube side for 70 minutes. The oil-water mixture level is adjusted to avoid the breakthrough of the water phase into the SHSO membrane. The effluents of oil and water from the system are directed to the secondary separators to analyze the oil and water separation efficiency. Different oil concentrations (10, 30, and 50 vol%) and total flow rates (5, 10, and 15 mL/min) are examined to evaluate the performance of the SHSO mesh in separating oil from the oil-water mixture. The maximum oil separation efficiency of 97% is obtained from a scenario with 10 vol% oil and 5 mL/min total flow rate. Conversely, the minimum oil separation efficiency (86%) occurs for the case with a 15 mL/min total flow rate and 50 vol% oil. The water separation efficiency is not affected by changing oil-water mixture characteristics, as it reached the maximum level (100%) shortly. The flower-like silica nano-roughness on the SHSO mesh tube by decreasing the pore size from around 80 to 45 μm effectively prohibits the water phase from entering the mesh pores up to 3 cm H₂O column. By increasing the oil permeate flow rates from 0.5 to 7.5 ml/min, the oil permeation flux increases from 314 to 790 (L/m².h). By the time, the production rate of oil and water shows a linear behaviour indicating that the SHSO coated mesh does not experience the fouling phenomenon. Both separated phases are very clear. Therefore, the proposed methodology can have practical applications in oil removal from oily wastewater and oil spill incidents.


identifier: Engel, Monica Tais <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Engel=3AMonica_Tais=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Exploring coastal residents' relationship with the ocean and seals in Newfoundland, Canada.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Humans have a deep and historical connection with the ocean. At the same time,
anthropogenic activities are impacting the environment and changing the oceans’ physical and
biological characteristics. It is recognized that people’s values and behaviours are the major factors
influencing the direct (e.g., pollution, climate change) and indirect (e.g., socioeconomic, political)
impacts on the ocean. This doctoral research emerged from the need to ensure that present and
future generations will get it right when it comes to marine governance and conservation. The
overarching goal is to assess individuals’ relationship with the ocean through examining value
orientations, beliefs, attitudes, emotions, mental images and behaviours related to marine
conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
The study was conducted across coastal communities on the island portion of the province
of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is grounded in the marine social sciences and integrates
disciplines such as human dimensions of natural resources and environmental psychology. Data
were collected using a structured questionnaire containing both quantitative and qualitative data.
A total of 776 questionnaires were completed (49% response rate).
While chapters 2 and 3 provide a broader perspective of the people/ocean relationship from a utilitarian and conservation angle, chapter 4 addresses the issue of seal hunting, thus focusing on
the use and management of a specific marine resource.
Results show that people, in general, value the ocean for its intrinsic and instrumental
values, care about it, feel that they should be doing more for marine health, accept using the sea
for fisheries more so than for oil and gas exploration, and fear about the future. The ways in which
people imagine the ocean influence their thoughts and behaviours and reveal that the ocean is much
more than a food and income provider. The ocean is beautiful, mysterious, dangerous; it is blue,
cold, and fresh. The ocean is fish, seals, whales and puffins; it is boats, vacation and relaxation.
But the ocean is also pollution, plastics and greed. The ocean is changing.


identifier: Khiavi, Aida Ghayour <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Khiavi=3AAida_Ghayour=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Representing transcription factor dimers by using forked-position weight matrices.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Position Weight Matrices (PWMs) and sequence logos are one of the most popular
tools among researchers for modelling and visualizing Transcription Factor (TF)
Binding Sites (TFBS). The PWM based models predict a single DNA sequence as
a reference TFBS for a specific TF, based on experimentally determined sequence
information. One of the standard assays for characterizing the TFBS of one TF on a
genomic-wide scale is called ChIP-Seq. The Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP)
method uses TF-specific antibodies to capture protein:DNA complexes, followed by
high-throughput sequencing of the bound DNA sequences (Seq). These experiments
are applied in a controlled manner to target only one TF at each run, thus describing
TFBSs of a single TF of interest. This approach is proven to be imprecise because
many TFs (e.g. Leucine Zippers) tend to bind to the DNA as homodimers or heterodimers.
Hence, the ChIP-seq assay will obtain the entire set of dimer complexes of
a target TF (homodimers and heterodimers); and merge the captured information into
a single PWM which subsequently will lead to an imprecise description of the TFBS.
The TFBS constructed by the mixture of homodimers and heterodimers will result in
a model with two halves: a conserved part (binding sites of the TF of interest) and a
degenerated part (representing a mixture of the binding sites of TF’s partners). Current
PWMs (or Sequence Logos) seem inadequate to represent TF dimer binding sites
since they fail to represent the TF’s binding dynamic and disregard the alteration in sequence preference caused by different dimer partners of the given TF. To tackle this
problem, we introduce an R library named Forked Position Weight Matrix (FPWM),
which provides the user with variant functionalities to generate a more precise PWM
that adapts to TF dimers by forking it into the co-factors of the main TF. The FPWM
enhances TFBS prediction’s power and allows the biologists to have a more precise
interpretation of cell context by providing a more expressive model of TFBSs. The
FPWM is less susceptible to false-positives and is a more precise way to represent
dimer TFBSs, which introduces a new standard in dimer and TFBSs analysis.


identifier: Arafat, Arshad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Arafat=3AArshad=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Metamarker: differential correlation network methodology and software for metabolomic data analysis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Biomarkers are the substances with quantitative properties present within
organisms indicating disease progression. Metabolomics is a newer approach
towards understanding the human body following the footsteps of other
"omics" techniques (genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics). Metabolomics
refers to the scientific study of low molecular intracellular elements called
metabolites. With the advancement of technology, it is now easier to extract
different sets of metabolites from various forms of biological samples such as
cells, tissues, bio-fluids, etc.
Metabolomic data analysis is a complex workflow. It requires sophisticated
data processing and statistical analysis. Various tools have been developed,
such as data cleaning and preprocessing tools, modeling tools, validation/
result visualizations, and many more. Most of these software tools
are developed for comprehensive studies rather than precisely focusing on
metabolomic biomarker discovery. As a result, their capacity, in most cases,
is limited. The modeling techniques commonly used in these tools are also
not adequate. Many of these software tools provide basic analysis methods
rather than more advanced machine learning techniques. The high throughput
metabolomic datasets require compound analysis techniques. This thesis
designed and developed a software tool that encompasses the general
metabolomic biomarker research workflow. Our software platform is equipped with many basic to advanced analysis techniques, interactive visualizations,
delicate result analysis, and comparison modules (The first version release
can be found at, http://18.189.6.35:8000/). Our software is designed so that
users do not have to switch in between different tools during the study since
the platform provides necessary features that are commonly used throughout
the workflow. Some of the software’s significant features are outlier handling
of the uploaded datasets, analyzing the dataset with principal component
analysis or partial least square discriminant analysis, and comparing different
models. The software makes the study process fast and convenient. We
employed a differential correlation network analysis model for the biomarker
discovery studies, which is advantageous in finding key metabolites that influence
diseases through interaction.


identifier: Bozorgi, Arastoo <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bozorgi=3AArastoo=3A=3A.html>   (2020) From online social network analysis to a user-centric private sharing system.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Online social networks (OSNs) have become a massive repository of data constructed
from individuals’ inputs: posts, photos, feedbacks, locations, etc. By
analyzing such data, meaningful knowledge is generated that can affect individuals’
beliefs, desires, happiness and choices—a data circulation started from individuals
and ended in individuals! The OSN owners, as the one authority having full control
over the stored data, make the data available for research, advertisement and other
purposes. However, the individuals are missed in this circle while they generate
the data and shape the OSN structure.
In this thesis, we started by introducing approximation algorithms for finding
the most influential individuals in a social graph and modeling the spread of
information. To do so, we considered the communities of individuals that are
shaped in a social graph. The social graph is extracted from the data stored and
controlled centrally, which can cause privacy breaches and lead to individuals’
concerns. Therefore, we introduced UPSS: the user-centric private sharing system, in
which the individuals are considered as the real data owners and provides secure
and private data sharing on untrusted servers.
The UPSS’s public API allows the application developers to implement applications
as diverse as OSNs, document redaction systems with integrity properties,
censorship-resistant systems, health care auditing systems, distributed version control
systems with flexible access controls and a filesystem in userspace. Accessing
users’ data is possible only with explicit user consent. We implemented the two
later cases to show the applicability of UPSS.
Supporting different storage models by UPSS enables us to have a local, remote
and global filesystem in userspace with one unique core filesystem implementation
and having it mounted with different block stores.
By designing and implementing UPSS, we show that security and privacy
can be addressed at the same time in the systems that need selective, secure and collaborative information sharing without requiring complete trust.


identifier: Demirbaş, Alican <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Demirba==015F=3AAlican=3A=3A.html>   (2021) 1D and 3D inversion and modelling of airborne transient electromagnetic and magnetic data from over a potential volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit, Cripple Creek, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Electromagnetic (EM) methods, including Transient Electromagnetic (TEM), and
magnetic methods, are commonly used in mineral exploration. In this study, EM
and magnetic measurements are used to investigate possible mineralization
zones in the Cripple Creek property in the Gander area, Newfoundland, Canada.
This study's main goal is to invert airborne TEM data for recovering the
conductive structures of the mineralization zones in the area of interest. Airborne
magnetic and ground-based frequency-domain EM data are are also considered
as supportive techniques, along with the TEM data-set. The magnetic results help
define the regional geological structure of the area of interest. The ground-based
frequency-domain EM, which exists over a limited area, and the TEM responses
are compared and are shown to be mostly consistent. The geometry of a
mineralized zone suggested by the TEM inversion is then refined by further
computer modelling (using the software “Maxwell”). The resulting models are
compared and discussed in terms of correctness of the inversion and the
methods' effectiveness.
The results show that the 3D models of the conductivity interpolated from 1D
inversion results of the TEM data recover the near-surface structures quite well
but become inaccurate at depth. It is shown that the models resulting from the 3D
magnetic inversion are partially consistent with the TEM results. This is possible because of the physical property of the structure of interest, which means that the
area of interest does not show the same magnetic properties everywhere. Both
magnetic and TEM results are only overlapping on one of the flight lines, L2220.
However, when the magnetic inversion is considered separately, it helps to reveal
the magnetic properties reasonably well around the structure of interest.


identifier: MacDermid, Anna <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/MacDermid=3AAnna=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Mixed findings of the irrelevant sound effect in surprise recognition memory tasks.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The irrelevant sound effect (ISE) is the finding that irrelevant sound impairs recognition memory performance. Traditionally explored in serial recall, the current study attempts to elicit the effect in a surprise recognition task. Of the many ISE models, only the Object-Oriented Episodic Record (O-OER) model approaches the effect from an order-centric position. As such, given reduced need for order information in this design, O-OER predicts a null effect. A successful manipulation check in Experiment 1 confirmed that the stimuli were sufficient to produce the effect under a standard serial recall design and confirmed statistical equivalency between in-person and online participants. Experiment 2, expanding on Stokes and Arnell (2012), implemented a surprise two alternative forced choice (2AFC) recognition task under quiet, steady-state, and changing-state sound. Performance in the two statistically equivalent sound conditions was impaired, a result consist with all predictions. Experiments 3 and 4 followed this same design but employed alternative cover tasks. Neither experiment reported statistical differences between sound conditions. These results are best described by the O-OER model, however implications for other models such as the Feature model are also discussed.


identifier: Ghosh, Amrita <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ghosh=3AAmrita=3A=3A.html>   (2021) In vitro and molecular approaches for propagation and germplasm improvement of blueberries.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Blueberries are known as a “super-fruit” and have tremendous commercial importance due to their high antioxidant contents. During in vitro culture, by introducing various plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the culture medium redifferentiation is stimulated in regenerating cells. During organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis (SE), a somatic cell goes through the process of dedifferentiation which is predominantly controlled by various epigenetic factors. I have investigated the effect of different PGRs on SE and established a protocol in half-high blueberry plants, for the first time, using thidiazuron (TDZ) on a semi-solid medium (SSM). I compared the antioxidant capacity of the in vitro grown plants with their donor counterparts to see the effect of SE on the biochemical profile of the regenerants. It was seen that not only the SE process but also the different concentrations of TDZ and the physiological age of the explants significantly affects the antioxidant activity. To get a more detailed insight into the effect of in vitro propagation on differential methylation pattern, I have analysed the global methylation pattern of young leaves and regenerated calli of one hybrid blueberry and three lowbush blueberry clones using methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) technique. Methylation assay results showed that calli regenerated in the SSM supplemented with TDZ are significantly hypermethylated relative to the donor plants, and the level of methylation varies with different concentrations of TDZ. Not only that but different plant genotypes showed differential effect on methylation pattern. These findings further confirm the effect of different aspects of plant tissue culture techniques on altered DNA methylation pattern. Finally, to gain further insight into how various in vitro culture systems affect the global methylation pattern, I performed global methylation analysis on half-highbush blueberry plantlets regenerated from SSM and liquid medium in a temporary immersion bioreactor (TIB) in the presence of TDZ and zeatin. From this experiment I found that significant increase in total methylation percentage and methylation polymorphism were present in plantlets from TIB system in comparison to SSM. Overall, my results indicate that each component of in vitro propagation has strong effects on the epigenetic and biochemical profile of the regenerants.


identifier: Winton, Alexandra <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Winton=3AAlexandra=3A=3A.html>   (2020) "Here today, gone to Mayo": an emotional geography of the Keno Hill silver mines.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Nestled high in the sub-arctic mountains of the Central Yukon Territory, the Keno Hill silver
mines have closed and opened their doors three times in the past three decades. From a sudden closure in 1989, to a short-lived redevelopment in 2012, to a possible re-reopening in 2020, the mine site is emblematic of the cyclical nature of mining in the Canadian North.
Within a framework of emotional and spectre geography, this thesis explores the lives of the people who live in the nearby communities of Keno City and Mayo, including the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun. While many of these people have depended on the mines for their economic livelihood, the redevelopment of the mines proved both beneficial and detrimental to their way of life and their economic, social and environmental well-being. Using oral history and Indigenous methodology, I share the stories of long-time residents of the region, delving into the emotional impacts of mine closure and redevelopment. I suggest that these historic emotions did not dissipate, but instead hung like a spectre over the mine site, continuing to influence residents’ opinions regarding new mineral developments. Indeed, the Keno Hill case demonstrates that emotional invalidation has serious, long-lasting consequences for all parties involved in mineral (re)development, and, if ignored, negative emotions can cast a long shadow that haunts lands and communities, easily evoked by new or redevelopments and requiring remediation in the same
way as the land.


identifier: Hudson, Amy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hudson=3AAmy=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Reclaiming Inuit governance: planning for a sustainable future in Nunatakavut.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In a global world, systems of governance remain integral to establishing and ensuring
order. In Canada, the nature of our governance systems often reflects the values, perspectives and
will of Western European society. Throughout history, colonists have played a dominant role in
decision making with respect to law and order and as a result, governance has reflected the values
and perspectives of colonists themselves. This has oppressed, marginalized, and negated
Indigenous peoples’ knowledges and values and, by extension, their very systems of governing
themselves. This study affirms the collective desire and will of NunatuKavut Inuit to govern on
their lands as they engage in self-determined efforts to ensure the sustainability of their
communities and culture by privileging local knowledge and expertise throughout the research.
This dissertation explores the multifaceted interconnections between research and Inuit
community sustainability planning and governance. Best practices in Inuit research governance
guided a community governance and sustainability initiative (CGSI) in three pilot communities in
NunatuKavut. The CGSI illustrates relationships between local knowledge holders and their
expertise in planning for a self-determined and sustainable future. Further, this research study
identifies key Inuit governance priorities and practices that reflect the values, perspectives and
interests of NunatuKavut Inuit themselves. As a result, this study offers an alternative discussion
to state led governance methods in Canada, while critically analysing the colonial legacy of the
Canadian state on Inuit still today. Finally, the role of Inuit in this study illustrates continued
adaptation to an ever-changing world, with continued resolve to reclaim and rebuild Inuit
pathways to sustainable self-determination grounded in Inuit knowledge and tradition.


identifier: Akhi, Atika Hossain <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Akhi=3AAtika_Hossain=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Fracture parameters for buried cast iron pipes subjected to internal and external corrosions and crackings.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Cast iron water main represents a significant portion of municipal infrastructure in North America and worldwide. The aging cast-iron pipes are subjected to deterioration due to corrosion, resulting in cracking and failure. The municipalities face problems with pipe breakage or leakage and associated socio-economic issues caused by water loss, service disruption, and damages to the nearby facilities. For a proper maintenance decision of the pipes, it requires evaluating the remaining strength of the deteriorating structure. Fracture mechanics is being preferred to assess the remaining strength of the deteriorating structure over the conventional strength-based method due to its ability to capture crack initiation and propagation. However, determining fracture parameters, such as Stress Intensity Factor (SIF), is a challenge in applying the fracture mechanics for evaluating the structure. This study presents an evaluation of the SIF for buried cast iron pipes subjected to internal and external corrosions and cracks. Semi-elliptical surface defects (crack only and crack with corrosion) are considered for a wide range of aspect ratios (crack-depth to crack-length ratio) and relative crack depths (crack-depth to pipe thickness ratio) to evaluate the SIFs. The SIFs are assessed for invert/crown and springline position cracks under internal pressure and vertical surface loads. The study revealed that the SIF for a crack due to internal pressure is not affected by the presence of surrounding soil and therefore can be calculated using the available solution for in-air pipes. The SIF due to surface load depends on its geometry and location of the crack. A design equation is proposed to calculate the SIFs due to the surface load using an influence coefficient. The influence coefficient is presented for internal and external semi-elliptical defects as a function of crack aspect ratios, depths and locations. A method is proposed to determine the SIFs for buried pipes as a sum of the SIFs due to the internal pressure and the surface loads.


identifier: Kumar, Arun <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kumar=3AArun=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Trace amine-associated receptor 1 activation regulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells in vitro.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Trace amines are a group of endogenous monoamines which exert their action through a family of G protein-coupled receptors known as trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). TAAR1 has been reported to regulate insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells in vitro and in vivo. This study investigates the mechanism(s) by which TAAR1 regulates insulin secretion. The insulin secreting rat INS-1E -cell line was used for the study. Cells were pre-starved (30 minutes) and then incubated with varying concentrations of glucose (2.5 – 20 mM) or KCl (3.6 – 60 mM) for 2 hours in the absence or presence of various concentrations of the selective TAAR1 agonist RO5256390. Secreted insulin per well was quantified using ELISA and normalized to the total protein content of individual cultures. RO5256390 significantly (P < 0.0001) increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner, with no effect on KCl-stimulated insulin secretion. Affymetrix-microarray data analysis identified genes (Gnas, Gng7, Gngt1, Gria2, Cacna1e, Kcnj8, and Kcnj11) whose expression was associated with changes in TAAR1 in response to changes in insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cell function. The identified potential links to TAAR1 supports the regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion through KATP ion channels.


identifier: Groenen, Allison <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Groenen=3AAllison=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Determining the potential of paper mill biosolids to produce a compost using Eisenia fetida and fungal inoculum, and its ability to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The pulp and paper industry produces large amounts of organic waste products in the form of paper mill sludge or biosolids (PMB). Current practices of incinerating PMB contribute to climate change and are wasteful and costly for the producer and the environment. PMB has the potential to be a useful product that could become a secondary revenue stream for paper mills. In this study, PMB and bark were composted to test the effect of fungal inoculum on the degradation of PMB, with and without Eisenia fetida, against controls with no additives. The composted product was then used to assess the potential of remediating soil contaminated with motor oil. PMB composted but did not reach maturity based on the C:N ratio. Based on the germination index (GI) 100 % of treatments with E. fetida (Ef+) reached maturity, while only 33.33 % of treatments without E. fetida (Ef-) reached the GI threshold. Compost nutrient levels were acceptable for land application, and contaminants were below thresholds set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, indicating the PMB composted or in raw form is suitable for land application. The soil remediation was successful, with 10 % and 20 % compost addition being the most effective at removing oil. The potential of PMB as a soil amendment and for remediation is significant and further research is required to determine the best use for this valuable product.


identifier: Hamed, Abubaker M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hamed=3AAbubaker_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Problem solving and the barriers to adherence to routine infection control practices.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Background: Healthcare-associated infections can be prevented through adherence to Routine Practices (RP) for infection control. Problem solving (PS) is an approach that can potentially be used to promote adherence to RP, which is suboptimal. Objectives: 1) Understand nursing students’ and instructors’ PS related to RP and barriers to RP; 2) evaluate the effects of a Problem-Solving Routine Practices (PSRP) educational program; and 3) examine the issue of negative role models and strategies that can be used. Methods: The objectives were met using a cross-sectional study that surveyed nursing students and instructors, a controlled before and after (CBA) study that evaluated a PSRP educational program, and a discussion paper about role models and adherence to RP. Results: The vast majority (83.5% to 100%) of nursing students and instructors surveyed correctly answered most, but not all, of the questions related to RP and PS. Both groups identified high nursing workload, empty alcohol-based hand rub dispensers and presence of negative role models as the most common barriers, and identified specific strategies to address them. In the CBA, significantly higher proportions of students in the intervention group compared to the control group showed increased confidence about applying PS to deal with high nursing workload (p = 0.032), correctly identified the steps of PS (p = 0.016), and reported adherence to some of the RP components (p < 0.05). The discussion paper highlighted how role models influence adherence and strategies that can be used. Conclusion: Nursing students’ and instructors’ knowledge about some RP components and application of PS to deal with the barriers to RP adherence need to be strengthened. The effectiveness of the PSRP program was varied, but further exploration of this approach is warranted. Recommendations were made for infection control practitioners, educators, nursing administrators, and future research.


identifier: Sayadi, Azam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sayadi=3AAzam=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Hydrodynamic studies of the electrochemical oxidation of organic fuels.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
A clear understanding of small organic molecules (SOM) electrochemical oxidation
opens a great opportunity for breakthrough in the development of fuel cell technology.
SOM such as formic acid, methanol, and ethanol can produce electrical power through
their oxidation in the fuel cell's anode. These molecules are also known as organic
fuels and theoretically have the potential to produce close to 100% energy efficiency
in a fuel cell. However, fast and complete oxidation of some organic fuels, such as
ethanol, has not been achieved at this time, and has led to a dramatic decrease in the
level of fuel cell efficiency. Therefore, a comprehensive study of the electrocatalytic
oxidation mechanisms of organic fuels as well as a determination of the average
number of transferred electrons (nₐᵥ) are crucial for the enhancement of fuel cell
efficiency. Hydrodynamic methods are highly effective approaches for these study
purposes, and they have the ability to emulate the hydrodynamic conditions of a fuel
cell anode.
The main purpose of this project was establishing a simple and novel system for
the assessment of various fuel cell catalysts performances in relation to formic acid,
methanol and ethanol electrochemical oxidation. For this purpose, we applied two
different approaches of hydrodynamic techniques, rotating disk voltammetry (RDV)
and ow cell electrolysis. Also, as for fuel cells, thick catalyst layers were applied in
our studies in order to obtain meaningful data which are more relevant to an actual
fuel cell.
We showed that RDV is a convenient and useful method for the determination
of the pure kinetic component of the oxidation current which represents a catalyst activity. Also, we estimated nav for methanol and ethanol using mathematical
treatments related to RDV. Two-electrode and three-electrode ow-through cells
were designed to determine the mass transport and kinetic parameters of the formic
acid oxidation current, which can be further extended to methanol and ethanol
for nₐᵥ determination. The two-electrode ow-through cell provided for rapid
collection of oxidation products and real time measurements of CO₂ for stoichiometric
investigations.


identifier: Taheridehkordi, Amir <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Taheridehkordi=3AAmir=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Algorithms for real-frequency evaluation of diagrammatic expansions.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
We compute perturbative expansions of the self-energy and spin susceptibility functions
in real-frequency space for the two-dimensional Hubbard model using a new
solution method. Each term of the expansion, represented by a Feynman diagram, is
translated into its mathematical representation, which includes two types of summations:
momentum-space (spatial) and frequency-space (temporal). We introduce algorithmic
Matsubara integration (AMI), a method which utilizes the residue theorem
to perform the Matsubara frequency summations and store the result in a symbolic
form. This method provides the exact result (up to machine precision) at minimal
computational expense. We then combine AMI with the Monte Carlo methods to
sample diagram topologies in the expansion and to perform momenta summations.
To optimize the Monte Carlo integration procedure we group the diagrams according
to the symmetry of their integrands determined by the graph invariant transformations
(GITs). Since the result of AMI (up to momentum sums) is analytic in terms
of the external Matsubara frequency, temperature (T), chemical potential (μ), and
Hubbard on-site potential (U), the analytic continuation to the real-frequency axis
can be performed symbolically at any point of T − μ − U phase space, even at T = 0
which has been inaccessible in standard methods due to non-ergodicity of the Monte
Carlo sampling in this temperature regime. We compare our results to other numerical
methods in the parameter regimes where the perturbative expansion is convergent, and finally, benchmark our results on the real-frequency axis.


identifier: Vo, Anh Thu Thi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Vo=3AAnh_Thu_Thi=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Wait times in hip and knee replacement: single-entry model and prioritization.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The single-entry model (SEM) in healthcare consolidates waiting lists through a single
point-of-entry and patients can see the next available surgeon from a pooled available provider
based on the patient’s urgent levels. Prioritization is used to ensure that patients with higher
urgent levels may access care quickly. The SEM for hip and knee replacement surgery in the
Eastern Health region of Newfoundland and Labrador showed a reduction in wait times for
consultation by priority levels. Little is known about the improvement in wait times for surgery
and the chance of receiving consultation and surgery within the national benchmarks by priority
levels. This study aimed to examine the SEM’s role in timely access to orthopedic services and
evaluate an association between factors and receiving consultation and surgery within the
national benchmarks through the SEM.
Survival analysis was conducted to estimate wait times, examine factors impacting wait
times for hip and knee replacement. The data used were adult patients referred to the Orthopedic
Central Intake clinic in the Eastern Health region for a total hip or knee arthroplasty assessment
between 2011-2019. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between
these factors and the receiving consultation and surgery within benchmarks.
The study revealed that hip or knee replacement patients with high urgent had more likely
to see an orthopedic surgeon for consultation than those with low urgent. Hip or knee
replacement patients with priority 1 were more likely to have a consultation within 90 days than
their counterparts. Priority levels were not significantly related to the likelihood of having
surgery since the decision to surgery was made for both hip and knee. The likelihood of receiving
a knee replacement surgery within 182 days was nonsignificant among patients with priority 1, priority 2, and priority 3, while hip replacement patients with priority 3 were more likely to have
surgery within 182 days than those with a high priority level.
Choosing the next available surgeon shortened wait times for consultation and improved
the likelihood of receiving consultation within 90 days. However, this choice was less likely to
have surgery within 182 days than choosing a specific surgeon. Incomplete initial referral forms
prolonged wait times for consultation but insignificantly impacted the probability of having
consultation within 90 days. Patients with knee osteoarthritis were less likely to have
consultations within 90 days than patients with other arthritis disorders.
This study explored the timely improvement of access to consultation for hip and knee
replacement by priority levels and factors impacting wait times through the SEM. An association
between wait time for surgery and priority levels was not found in this study, whereas hip
replacement patients with low priority were more likely to receive surgery within the benchmark
of 182 days than those with high priority. Further studies are needed to investigate this.


identifier: Rehman, Asif Ur <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rehman=3AAsif_Ur=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Design of a photovoltaic system for a house in Pakistan and its open source ultra-low power data logger.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis presents an open-source, ultra-low powered data-logger for off-grid photovoltaic (PV) applications. An off-grid PV energy system is also designed for a rural house in Pakistan. The real-life power consumption data of this house is collected for the design and simulation purpose. The expected annual output energy of designed system is calculated by using Homer Pro software. Annual solar irradiance, average temperature and other environmental aspects are also considered for simulation of the designed system in Homer Pro. The data-logger is designed to log major parameters of designed PV energy system. Deep-sleep mode of ESP32-S2 microcontroller is used along with voltage, current, and light sensors for logging the data of PV system in an external micro SD card. Data-logger is programmed to operate in deep-sleep and web-portal monitoring modes and a manual or automatic switch is used to select these modes. Real-time PV data can be monitored in a local web-portal programmed in the microcontroller only by switching the toggle switch to on position. The same web-portal is also used to check and download the historical data of a PV system. The energy consumption of the designed system is 7.33mWh during deep-sleep mode and 425mWh during the web-portal monitoring mode. The total cost of the designed data-logger is approximately 30 CAD.


identifier: Zare, Atefeh <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Zare=3AAtefeh=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Design of a PV system including its SCADA for a house in Iran.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Solar Radiation in the Middle East is relatively high and is one of the most sustainable renewable sources. However, Iran has not utilized it as one of the most significant sources of energy yet. Considering the mentioned concern, in this Thesis, a PV system is designed using BEopt and Homer software for a house in Golpayegan, Iran. Thermal modeling of the house is done using BEopt software to determine the hourly load consumption profile. The meteorological data and the generated hourly load data are used by Homer software to size the system based on the optimum net present cost. The cost analysis results demonstrate that the PV/grid is the most optimal solution for the under-consideration house. Then a control strategy is proposed to connect the suggested PV system to the electric distribution grid. The proposed control strategy aims to design the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm and control the injected active and reactive PV arrays power. The reactive power control provides the PV system with Power Factor Correction (PFC) capability, improving the system's overall performance. Finally, in the last phase of research, a secure, reliable, low-cost, and open-source SCADA system is developed using the most recent SCADA architecture, the Internet of Things. The proposed SCADA system prototype is implemented and tested to measure the temperature, humidity, pressure, and light intensity of a house and control smart home appliances. The results show that the developed open-source SCADA system performs optimally and accurately and could serve as a viable control and monitoring system for PV applications by minor changes.


identifier: Russell, Caitlin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Russell=3ACaitlin=3A=3A.html>   (2021) "Are there really widows anymore?": what widowhood looks like in a Hindu Canadian diaspora community.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Extant scholarship that has been largely focused on sati and lived experience in the Indian context presents widowhood for Hindu women as a largely negative state distinct from that of wife. Using data from a series of semi-structured interviews with 14 women in St. John’s, Newfoundland, this thesis describes and analyzes these women’s perceptions and experiences of widowhood in the Hindu Canadian diaspora. It asserts that while a widowed woman must negotiate the roles, rules, and attributes of "widow," in these contexts they are not fixed or permanent. This thesis examines closely four different components present in Hindu Canadian understandings of widowhood: 1) modifications in diet and clothing that signify the shift from wife to widow; 2) ostracism of widows from the religious and social life of the Hindu community; 3) the positions and relationships of widows in the community, in their family, and; 4) the definitions, classifications and categorization of widows and widowhood among both widowed and non-widowed women. Through each of these frames, the thesis documents how the Canadian Hindu widow both claims and is attributed respect, status, and independence and that the identity, relationships, and practices of widows, though part of continuous process of change, are not set apart from those of wives in any absolute manner.


identifier: Dugdale, Benjamin C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dugdale=3ABenjamin_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Out there in the dark there's a beckoning candle: stories.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
OUT THERE IN THE DARK THERE’S A BECKONING CANDLE is a collection
of interrelated short stories drawing from various generic influences, chiefly ‘weird,’
‘gothic,’ ‘queer’ and ‘rural’ fiction. The collection showcases a variety of recurring
characters and settings, though from one tale to the next, discrepancies, inversions, and a
whelming barrage of transforming motifs force an unhomely displacement between each
story, troubling reader assumptions about the various protagonists to envision a lusher
plurality of possible selves and futures (a gesture towards queer spectrality, which Carla
Freccero defines as the “no longer” and the “not yet”).
Utilizing genres known for their unsettling and fantastical potency, the thesis
constellates the complex questions of identity politics, toxic interpersonal-relationships,
the brutality of capitalism, compulsory urban migration, rituals of grief, intergenerational
transmission of trauma, &c., all through a corrupted mal-refracting queer prism; for
example, the simple question of what discomfort recurring character Harlanne Welch,
non-binary filmmaker, sees when they look into the mirror is demonstrative, when the
thing in the mirror takes on its own life with far-reaching consequences.
OUT THERE IN THE DARK…is an oneiric, ludic dowsing rod in pursuit of the
queer prairie gothic mode just past line of sight on the horizon.


identifier: Jeon, Byeong Chan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jeon=3AByeong_Chan=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Personal social mobility beliefs and motivation for goals.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A major life goal for many individuals is to climb the social hierarchy and attain a higher social status than the one they were born into. People’s beliefs regarding the likelihood of moving up or down in social hierarchy (i.e., social mobility) can have a variety of downstream consequences (Day & Fiske, 2019). Across three studies, I examined whether people’s perception of their own social mobility relate to motivation to pursue their goals. In Study 1, I found a positive relationship between personal social mobility beliefs and hope, a motivational state involving goal-oriented thoughts. Next, in order to test whether personal social mobility beliefs can causally increase people’s motivation to pursue their goals, I developed a novel manipulation. The manipulation involved participants completing a test that purportedly assessed their personal likelihood of moving up in social status and provided false feedback regarding these chances (i.e., high vs low personal social mobility). In Study 2, I tested the viability of this manipulation, and in Study 3, I examined whether it would causally affect motivation for general goal pursuit, including hope. Although the manipulation successfully altered personal social mobility beliefs, it did not affect hope. I discuss the implications of these findings for research on mobility beliefs and personal outcomes.


identifier: Shahrokhi, Farshid <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shahrokhi=3AFarshid=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Functional organic fluorophores based on 1,3-dithiafulvene and pyrene.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis demonstrates the design, synthesis, and application of fluorene and
pyrene-based organic π-systems, in which redox-active 1,3-dithiafulvenyl (DTF)
groups are incorporated. The detailed studies encompass three classes of novel
redox-active organic fluorophores. The first project deals with fluorene-cored π-
conjugated phenylene vinylene dendrimers with DTF end groups attached to the
peripheral positions. The oxidative coupling reactivity of the DTF group allowed
these dendrimers to undergo facile electropolymerization on conductive substrates.
By means of multi-cycle cyclic voltammetric scans, redox-active microporous polymer
thin films were successfully generated. The redox-active polymer prepared through
a double-layer strategy, in which a polymer thin film prepared from a dithiafulvenylsubstituted
phenylacetylene precursor was surface-modified with a fluorene-cored
phenylene vinylene dendrimer carrying dithiafulvenyl end groups. The experimental
results indicated that the polymers can act as highly sensitive and selective
electrochemical sensors for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), one of the most important
nitroaromatic explosives.
In the second project, a group of DTF-functionalized pyrene derivatives was
prepared and investigated. The redox activities and electrochemical properties of
these compounds were examined by voltammetric analysis. Polymer films generated
through electropolymerization of these redox-active pyrenes have been found to show
responsiveness to nitromethane. In addition, one of the derivatives shows an unusually
high efficiency in terms of hydrogen/deuterium exchange, which can be potentially
used for trapping deuterium isotope.
The third project focuses on a comparative study of a series of new Kregion
functionalized pyrene derivatives. Three new K-region functionalized pyrene
derivatives were synthesized using pyrene-4,5-dione as the starting material. The Xray
single crystal structures of three compounds were determined and examined by
the Hirshfeld surface analysis. The molecular geometries of these pyrene derivatives
were found to strongly affect the intramolecular noncovalent interactions in the solid
state. Moreover, the electronic and electrochemical redox properties of these pyrene
derivatives were characterized. Among the three pyrene derivatives, a dithiafulvenyl
substituted derivative presents an intriguing D{A conjugated system with a small
bandgap (Eg) and amphoteric redox behavior, making this compound a potentially
useful organic semiconductor. The findings disclosed in this work show promise for
the development of pyrene-based organic solid materials for advanced optoelectronic
applications.
The fourth and last project investigates a new class of pyreno/phenanthroannulated
1,3-diaza-4-azulenones, which could be readily synthesized through a
straightforward one-pot condensation approach. The molecular properties of these
compounds were analyzed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, UV-vis absorption,
and fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results showed that the emission behavior of
these compounds is highly sensitive to solvent polarity and acidity, rendering them
novel fluorosolvatochromic and acidochromic dyes that can be potentially utilized in
chemosensing and bioimaging applications.


identifier: Lowery, Brennan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lowery=3ABrennan=3A=3A.html>   (2020) ‘Knowing beyond measurement’: integrating sustainability indicators and storytelling in an alternative approach to sustainable development in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The theory and practice of sustainable development has often under-emphasized rural and natural
resource-dependent areas, including in sustainability indicators (SIs) to measure and monitor
local sustainability conditions. It also remains unclear how SI tools should be used by local
stakeholders to support governance for sustainable development, including the roles of
governmental and non-state actors in their design and application, and the efficacy of direct
instrumental use versus more communicative forms of influence. This dissertation examines
these inter-related knowledge gaps in the context of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada,
wherein rural coastal communities have been central to the province’s history and identity, yet
are often labelled as unviable in popular debates. Drawing on socio-economic indicators like
demographic decline and aging population, these characterizations are used to call the
sustainability of rural NL into question, mirroring deficiencies-based narratives in other rural and
resource-dependent places and reinforcing calls for asset-based approaches to local development.
In this context, the present dissertation explores the potential for integrating indicator-based
tools with community storytelling, which has been examined as a potent way to represent
contextualized local realities and mobilizing stakeholders for sustainability transitions. Taking a
transdisciplinary approach, this study aims to bridge scholarship, policy, and practice while
striving for community-based research methods and engagement with rural stakeholders.
Through this approach, I examine existing ways of using SI and asset mapping tools in rural and
resource-based areas and introduce a storytelling approach for not only identifying and
measuring, but ultimately mobilizing rural sustainability assets. By proposing an alternative way
to link knowledge and action through the power of storytelling, this study thus contributes to
understandings of governance for sustainable development and the use of SI tools therein.
This dissertation is presented in four stand-alone manuscripts, including: a) an inventory
of existing SI initiatives across rural Canada; b) a comparative analysis of three SI and asset
mapping projects in rural NL; c) a reformulated conceptual framework for integrating
storytelling and SIs in rural and resource-based areas; and d) an exploratory application of this
storytelling approach on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. These manuscripts
build incrementally on one another, with the storytelling framework responding to the
shortcomings of existing SI tools and providing a novel contribution to research and practice.
Overall, this study makes significant theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions to
research on sustainable community development, rural sustainability, and SI tools, while
bridging knowledge and action between academic, policy, and practitioner spheres.


identifier: Lane, Breanna Ellen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lane=3ABreanna_Ellen=3A=3A.html>   (2021) The psychological consequences of cancer in Canadian young adults: a national exploration of psychological distress and fear of cancer recurrence.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This project is a cross-sectional exploration of the psychological challenges
experienced by young adults (YAs), age 15 to 39, with cancer in Canada and includes two
published studies. YAs with cancer across the country completed an extensive online
survey, which collected demographic information, cancer history, and included
psychometric measures of psychological distress, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), body
image, sleep, well-being, posttraumatic growth and social support. Responses from 508
participants diagnosed with cancer in young adulthood were collected to answer the
research questions across the two studies, but the number of participants included in each
analysis varies based on completion of outcome measures and matching characteristics.
Participant responses from 448 YAs were used to explore whether high
psychological distress reported by YAs with cancer is driven by developmental stressors
shared by YAs generally, or represents the intersection of cancer and development
stressors. An equal number of participants who completed the same distress measure were
randomly sampled from the national Canadian Community Health Survey (2012) to
create a non-cancer comparison group matched on age, sex and education. YAs with
cancer reported significantly greater levels of distress, were less likely to be living
independently, and less likely to report annual incomes greater than $40,000. Individual
factors associated with experiencing high levels of distress included not working, body
image dissatisfaction, poor social support and high FCR. Higher levels of education were
a protective factor and associated with decreased likelihood of experiencing high distress.
To better understand FCR in YAs with cancer, the responses of 461 participants
were utilized to assess prevalence within this population. The prevalence of clinical levels of FCR for YAs with cancer in Canada was 59%, and an additional 25% reported
problematic levels. Individuals with a previous recurrence, distress, and body image
dissatisfaction were more likely to experience clinical FCR, while those diagnosed with
cancer five or more years ago were less likely.
The pervasive nature of mental health challenges for YAs with cancer emphasizes
how essential psychological support is for this population. Comprehensive, holistic and
YA-specific programs are needed to address the developmental needs of YAs with cancer
in Canada.