identifier: Laurel, Benjamin Jeffrey <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Laurel=3ABenjamin_Jeffrey=3A=3A.html>   (2003) Interactions of predators, habitat and conspecifics on the coastal distribution of age 0 juvenile cod (Gadus spp.) in Newfoundland.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Newly settled age 0 juvenile cod, Atlantic cod Gadus morhua and Greenland cod Gadus ogac, coexist in nearshore areas around Newfoundland, but little is understood on the mechanisms affecting their distribution. In young marine fish, predation risk is often high yet there is generally an increasing capacity in larger individuals to evade predators. It is therefore difficult to distinguish the role of behaviour and differential survival on distribution of fish in their early life stages. In a series of field and laboratory experiments, I investigate how habitat complexity, predators and conspecific density interact to affect survival and behaviour in juvenile cod, and ultimately, their distribution in coastal Newfoundland. -- In a bay-scale study (~10 km²), I monitored patterns of settlement and distribution of G. morhua and G. ogac, following a large-scale alteration of nearshore eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat. Comparisons of bi-weekly sampling between control and experimental sites from 1995-2001 indicated a significant increase in cod abundance at sites enhanced with simulated eelgrass and a corresponding decrease in cod numbers at sites where eelgrass had been removed. These data supported predictions, demonstrating that: 1) there was a sufficient supply of juvenile cod within the range of areas that have historically been unoccupied (i.e. sand) and 2) both species preferred to settle in complex habitats. However, G. ogac responded significantly to the removal of eelgrass in more comparisons than G. morhua (70% and 37% respectively), suggesting that G. ogac have a higher affinity for complex vegetative habitats than G. morhua at the scale of manipulation (ca. 800m²). Furthermore, despite an overall preference for eelgrass habitat, high within-site catch variation indicated that individuals of both species were not restricted to any single seine site. Rather, the highly variable data indicate that juvenile cod were mobile and occasionally aggregated throughout the study period. My results support previously described juvenile cod-eelgrass associations but contradict other published accounts of high site-attachment and restricted movement in G. morhua following settlement. -- In a second study, fish density, movement and schooling behaviour were examined in G. morhua and G. ogac using a combination of field-seines, mark-recapture-and laboratory experiments. Density estimates from seines (n=427) over five years (1996, 1998-2001) indicated that these species associated with eelgrass but periodically were detected in high abundance over sand. Within-site catch variation indicated both species aggregated more in sand than eelgrass habitat, and in G. morhua, aggregations over sand increased as density in eelgrass increased. Although such patterns in catch data could be interpreted as the effects of differential mortality between habitats, a mark-recapture experiment indicated that both species of cod were not site-attached and moved between seine locations. Furthermore, video-analysis from laboratory experiments demonstrated that cod formed tighter aggregations over sand compared to eelgrass habitats. The results demonstrate that juvenile cod modify their behaviour with changing density, possibly as a means of exploiting poor quality habitats when high quality habitats are saturated with conspecifics. Consequently, habitat suitability for G. morhua should be considered a dynamic rather than fixed variable in density-dependent habitat models. -- In a third study, I measured the effect of predator density and habitat patch size in age 0 juvenile cod in a nearshore field experiment. Eelgrass patch size was altered using artificial eelgrass mats of five sizes (0.32, 1.1, 5 .5, 11 and 22 m²) and subsequently deployed in duplicate at each of two sites in Newman Sound in Terra Nova National Park during summer-autumn, 1999 and 2000. Predator distribution was determined using a combination of weekly underwater transect surveys and biweekly seining. Relative predation rates were measured by tethering age 0 cod at the center of each patch and recording the incidence of predation (n=1116 tether sets). Predation rates were negatively correlated with patch size during both years, suggesting that larger patches reduce predator foraging ability. However, high predator densities in the largest eelgrass patch resulted in higher than expected rates of predation. Therefore habitat dimension affected predation risk in juvenile cod via two opposing mechanisms. The results emphasize the importance of considering both habitat areal extent and predator distribution when estimating the effects of habitat fragmentation on predation rates. -- In a final, small-scale study (<2m²), I examined the spatial conflict between age 0 juvenile cod and their predators, shorthorned sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpinus) and age 3+ Atlantic cod, in complex and simple habitats. Predators and prey were videotaped using a novel method using light and shadow to determine fish position in three-dimensions. Results indicated that both habitat and predator type interacted to form unique patterns of space occupation by predators and prey. Spatial overlap between predators and prey was highest in open habitat in the presence of age 3+ cod (a cruising predator) but lowest in the presence of sculpin (an ambush predator) in the same habitat. In eelgrass, spatial conflicts between predators and prey were resolved along the vertical component; age 0 cod remained above eelgrass in the presence of sculpin but used the structure in the presence of an age 3+ cod predator. Anti-predator behaviour (i.e., predator-prey distance, prey cohesion, angle separation and "freezing") was significantly reduced over eelgrass compared to sand, suggesting eelgrass has lower 'inherent risk' than open habitats. However, predation mortality was similar across all treatments. This raises the question why age 0 cod relax their anti-predator behaviour in complex habitats. I suggest that complex habitats also impair the visual cues needed to perform antipredator behaviour (e.g., schooling) and locate predators. Alternatively, the reduced antipredator behaviour in complex habitats may reflect the fitness costs (i.e., lost foraging opportunities) of using these behaviours in all environments. -- I conclude from these studies that behaviour, ranging in scales from <1m2 to>1000m2, plays an important role in shaping distributions of age 0 juvenile cod in the nearshore. Behavioural decisions were largely made in response to the predation risk associated with predator distribution and refuge characteristics of habitat. Therefore, nearshore distributions of age 0 juvenile cod are not simply the result of differential mortality between areas of higher and lower risk. Consequently, these results provide information on home range, habitat preference and aggregation behaviour that would be relevant to future efforts in the conservation of Atlantic cod.


identifier: Lavers, Jennifer L. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lavers=3AJennifer_L=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Cumulative mortality and population parameters for a vulnerable seabird, the Razorbill Alca Torda, in Atlantic Canada.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: This thesis was developed within the framework of a conservation project to examine the demographics of a long-lived seabird, the Razorbill Alca torda, across its North American breeding range. Research was designed to (a) take advantage of two relatively long-term Razorbill capture-mark-recapture and productivity data sets available for two representative breeding islands in different oceanic regimes and (b) fill in research gaps to predict Razorbill population trends under various scenarios. I quantified the impacts of intraspecific kleptoparasitism, dispersal, fox predation, and hunting bycatch on the population parameters of the Razorbill at the Gannet Islands, Labrador and Machias Seal Island, New Brunswick. The level of intraspecific kleptoparasitism on the Gannet Islands is the highest reported for any seabird species (attack rate = 0.69, success rate = 0.18-0.22) and is implicated in the low productivity rates observed. Productivity at the Gannet Islands during 2004-2006 was the lowest reported since monitoring began in the 1980s, with only 39% of pairs successfully producing a chick. Long-distance breeding dispersal was more frequent than previously thought; distances moved by 40 birds ranged from 60 km to more 3,210 km. My estimates of adult and pre-breeder survival during 1995-2006 (Gannet Islands: 0.890 and 0.482 respectively; Machias Seal Island: 0.967 and 0.778 respectively) contrasted sharply with other studies. Specifically, adult survival at the Gannet Islands was the lowest ever reported for the species, and at Machias Seal Island it was the highest ever reported. The projected growth rate (λ) for the Gannet Islands Razorbill population predicted by models was 0.9475 for the Gannet Islands and 1.0613 for Machias Seal Island. Modeling also suggested that hunting mortality reduced the Gannet Islands projected population growth rate by 0.0603, while fox predation reduced population growth by 0.0126. Together these sources reduced the projected population growth rate by 0.0729. Although the Razorbill population on Machias Seal Island appears to be growing, without substantial immigration the Gannet Islands population is expected to decline. The Gannet Islands Razorbill population is the largest in North America and therefore represents a significant conservation concern. Recommendations for the continued monitoring of both populations and development of specific management plans to control foxes on the Gannet Islands and investigate hunting bycatch are discussed.


identifier: Lawlor, Mary Philomena <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lawlor=3AMary_Philomena=3A=3A.html>   (1977) The effect of validating and invalidating evidence on construct organization.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study tested Bannister's (1963) serial invalidation hypothesis that repeated invalidation of one's judgments loosens construct organization. Sixty university students judged three sets of eight career roles on 16 different constructs. The first eight constructs were termed target constructs since they were the focus of validation and invalidation during treatment. The second eight were termed non-target constructs since no feedback was provided for judgments involving these constructs. Subjects rated eight career roles (pre-treatment), then rated eight more receiving feedback on the eight target construct judgments for each individual career role (treatment), and finally rated eight more without feedback (post-treatment). Treatment consisted of four combinations of validating and invalidating levels of both qualitative and quantitative feedback types. One group was assigned to each of the four feedback conditions. Qualitative feedback consisted of evaluative comments by the experimenter on the subjects' performance. Quantitative feedback consisted of fake ratings shown to the subjects, from which they could assess the accuracy of their performances. -- Data were analysed separately for subjects with strong pre-treatment relations among constructs and those with weaker pre-treatment construct relations, since these groups tend to modify construct organization differently. For subjects with strong construct relations the results indicated that those who received totally invalidating feedback loosened construct relations during and after treatment significantly more than those who received totally validating feedback. This result held for both target and non-target constructs. The mixed feedback groups closely resembled each other with average scores on both the strength and consistency of relations which uniformly fell between the validated and invalidated groups. However, for subjects with weaker relations among constructs, there were no significant differences on any measure or any condition. Analysis of the effect of feedback type supported an additive as opposed to an interactive contribution. The evidence from this study strongly supports the serial invalidation hypothesis, but only for subjects with strong construct relations. Implications for the study of thought disorder were discussed.


identifier: Lawrence, Adam Douglas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lawrence=3AAdam_Douglas=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Cradles in space: the changeling in folk narrative and modern science fiction.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This dissertation considers how modem science fiction (SF) has continually employed elements of European folk narrative to explore subaltern and subterranean culture - meaning, both the politically disenfranchised and biologically deformed figures who threaten to emerge from their underground habitations and infiltrate the most cherished institutions of the upper world. According to legends deriving from England, Wales, Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia, it was common practice for the fairies, also called the "Good People" or the "little people," to abduct human children and leave withered and cantankerous fairies, known as "changelings," in their place. I argue that the changeling emerges as a "conceptual persona" in the nineteenth century when folklorists and scientists alike began to interpret changeling tales as unsophisticated diagnoses of congenital diseases-before the medical lexicon of "congenital malformation" was even available. The changeling provided the absent lexicon, which was specifically adopted by Victorian British society as an explanation of insubordinate behaviour among children, women, the lower classes, and the non-white races. My five chapters discuss the figure of the fairy changeling as it appears in British and other European legends and as it is adapted in several SF novels of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. To begin, I suggest that these European folk legends describe a "fairy economy," in which two species engage in various forms of trade and exchange (Chapter 1). Through detailed readings of such folktales as "The Fairy Wife" and "The Speckled Bull" and such legends as "The Caerlaverock Changeling" and "Johnnie in the Cradle," I argue that the changeling enunciates a particular set of issues that surface in the Victorian period, concerning childcare, reproduction, cross-cultural and cross-species relations, and hybridity, and which are further explored in the realm of modem SF. Both Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde re-imagine the changeling as a representative of the lower-class mob, the atavistic criminal population, and the Gothic underworld (Chapter 2). Shelley's and Stevenson's monsters are also clearly prototypical SF creations, related as they are to early speculations on the biologically engineered human. In both The Time Machine and The Island of Dr. Moreau, H. G. Wells modifies these gothic/scientific fictions and their folkloric antecedents by exploring, on the one hand, the future devolution of the species into a two-nation world consisting of fey-like "little people" and monstrous underlings and, on the other hand, a near future hybridization of the species through the radical vivisection of various animal types (Chapter 3). Wells's two works present vivid attempts to conceptualize a "symbiotic" community, clearly hinted at in the legends involving human-fairy interactions. As I argue through these first three chapters, the changeling narrative presents a fictional narrative that explores human origins through the interaction and exchange with a nonhuman species. Viewed through the lens of SF, the changeling legend conceptualizes species evolution and speculates on the utopian possibilities of cross-breeding cultures and species. Providing an Eastern European perspective, Karel Čapek explores the folkloric-cum-evolutionary notions of hybridity and symbiosis, first, in R. U R., a craftily disguised melodrama about artificially grown workers called "Robots" and, second, in War with the Newts, a satirical scientific parable about salamanders conditioned and bred to function as a labour force (Chapter 4). In both scenarios, the engineered entities possess the "changeling" instinct to infiltrate and undermine human authority but also present the nightmarish results of co-opting monsters for profit and war. Olaf Stapledon develops this twentieth-century folkloric-cum-evolutionary exploration, first, in two "cosmological" fictions, Last and First Men and Star Maker, which contemplate the future development of the human species and the potential function of symbiotic communities. Adapting these original far-future visions, Odd John and Sirius return us to the quaint environment of folk narrative, conceptualizing new changelings in the form of a mutant superman and a hybrid man-dog. Together, Stapledon's "composite" fictional world testifies to the resilience of the folkloric tradition and the religious or supernatural fascination with the fearful symmetry of the human organism. Such science-fictional speculations enable us to discover that legends contain within them subversive undercurrents associated with both a rural underclass as well as a "little folk" driven underground by colonization and industrialization. From this perspective, there are some fascinating intersections between folklore and SF, including the crossover between the "alien" and the "fairy," the abduction motif itself, and the cultural significance of physical metamorphosis as it is consistently presented in changeling narratives and in "alien encounter" SF.


identifier: Lawrence, Karl P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lawrence=3AKarl_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2004) Computation of unsteady viscous incompressible flow around an obliquely oscillating circular cylinder using a parallelized finite difference algorithm.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The objective of the thesis is to numerically investigate the near wake structure and fluid forces generated by a circular cylinder oscillating obliquely in a uniform stream of a viscous incompressible fluid. A numerical series expansion solution valid for small values of the time is used to verify the accuracy of the fully numerical scheme in the initial stages of motion. In this latter scheme, the governing Navier-Stokes equations in vorticity-stream function formulation are solved using a parallelized finite difference algorithm which utilizes global conditions of an integral character. A non-inertial coordinate transformation is used to conformally map the unbounded domain outside the cylinder to a rectangular domain which may be discretized by a set of uniformly spaced grid points. Thus, implicitly, the equations are solved on a time-dependent adaptive mesh. The parallel implementation of the algorithm, which is considered for the first time in this thesis, produces nearly optimal speedup results on 8 processors of a Silicon Graphics Onyx shared memory architecture computer. Numerical simulations are conducted at a Reynolds number of R = 200 to first determine fundamental and super-harmonic lock-on ranges. The effect of the amplitude and angle of oscillation on the flow characteristics at several forcing frequencies is then addressed. Whereas inline and transverse oscillations of a circular cylinder have been the focus of many articles, previous work on this problem is limited to a single experimental study by Ongoren and Rockwell (1988b) and three numerical studies by Kocabiyik and Al-Mdallal (2003a,b) and Kocabiyik, Mahfouz, and Al-Mdallal (2004). Therefore, the results of this thesis represent the most comprehensive analysis of the problem to date. Whenever possible, verifications of the method with previous experimental and numerical findings are presented and agreement between the results is excellent.


identifier: Leaman, Mary Kathryne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leaman=3AMary_Kathryne=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Three-dimensional morphology of Diplocraterion and Ophiomorpha and their impact on reservoir properties.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The morphology of Ophiomorpha irregulaire and Diplocraterion is poorly understood in three dimensions, and their effects on reservoir quality are underappreciated. This Master's thesis focuses on morphological characteristics to aid in the identification of the trace fossils in cross section, and to form models of the trace-makers' behaviour, which is now understood to affect permeability. Understanding of the trace-makers' behaviour has led to a predictive understanding of sediment distribution within burrows and explains some morphological features. Based on the morphology and behaviour of modern day trace makers, Neotrypaea californiensis is an analogue trace-maker of O. irregulaire and Diplocraterion. Permeability measurements indicate that O. irregulaire reduces on average horizontal permeability (kh) by 28% and kv by 14%. Diplocraterion show an increase in permeability within the shafts and around the typical 'dumbbell' morphology relative to the matrix. Ophiomorpha and Diplocraterion have the potential to dramatically alter reservoir estimations and should be incorporated into reservoir characterisation studies.


identifier: Leary, Frances <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leary=3AFrances=3A=3A.html>   (2003) The Honey Island Swamp monster: the development and maintenance of a folk and commodified belief tradition.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Over the past twenty years folklorists have looked seriously at the relationships between narrative and the development and maintenance of belief traditions. More recently belief studies have focused on tourism, commercialization and the commodification of belief phenomena. Within this context a few folklorists have examined cryptozoological traditions, most notably the Sasquatch, studied by Carpenter and Taft, and the Giant Squid, explored by Aldrich. In Louisiana there have been reports of a creature that has come to be known as the Honey Island Swamp Monster, and its home is the 250 acre Honey Island Swamp that lies on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi. In the past 27 years, this creature has evolved into a folk and commercial belief tradition, and this thesis will explore the development and maintenance of these two divergent narrative corpuses. -- Chapter One examines past and present theoretical arguments surrounding monsters, specifically focusing on the hairy monster tradition. Chapter Two identifies the features that define the Honey Island Swamp Monster folk belief tradition as unique. Chapter Three investigates the genres utilized to perpetuate the folk and commodified belief traditions and introduces the divergent paths of the two traditions. Chapter Four examines the commodified tradition in a more detailed fashion by investigating the influences of the academic world, the media, the tourism industry, and the enthusiast tradition. Chapter Five explores the explanatory traditions employed by believers and nonbelievers to attempt to explain the existence of the Honey Island Swamp Monster belief tradition.


identifier: LeDrew, Danielle <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeDrew=3ADanielle=3A=3A.html>   (2007) The value of recreation therapy for individuals living with dementia.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this research was, first, to examine the meaning of recreation participation for individuals with Alzheimer's disease; and secondly, to examine the provision of recreation therapy on a dementia care unit as experienced by recreation therapy practitioners. Qualitative methods included observations of programs, interviews with residents, family members and recreation therapy practitioners, and the maintenance of a reflective journal. -- The findings suggested that participation in therapeutic recreation (TR) programming was important for a number of reasons. In addition to experiencing feelings of enjoyment, engagement and meaning, of primary importance was the relationship development between resident and practitioner. Issues of the TR practice were also examined and discussed. Recommendations for practice and future research are highlighted. -- From this research it was suggested that there should be more communication between the practitioners and the family members as well as between the staff. Increasing communication between the practitioners and the family members will allow for the practitioner to learn more about the residents and provide programs that are focused on residents' personal preferences and past activities.


identifier: Lee, Cassandra Tara <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lee=3ACassandra_Tara=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Temporally navigating spatio-temporal data in GIS: temporal zoom and pan in a multi-touch environment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The temporal dimension of spatio-temporal datasets is often an important component in exploring and answering questions about geographic phenomena. With the ability of modern technologies to capture and store very large spatio-temporal datasets, being able to effectively navigate these datasets becomes increasingly important. While geographic information systems have focused on developing spatial navigation tools, approaches to temporal navigation have not received the same level of attention. Current temporal navigation tools also do not take full advantage of recent technologies such as multi-touch devices. This thesis proposes two approaches, Dynamic Radial Navigation and Multiple Linked Time Sliders, for navigating the temporal dimension of spatio-temporal data within a multi-touch environment. These approaches were evaluated, along with two more common and simple approaches, in a laboratory-based user study. This study indicated that while the proposed approaches enabled the participants to temporally navigate the data, and the participants valued the advanced visualization features, these advanced features need to be balanced with ease of use and would require additional iterations of design and testing before being put into practice.


identifier: Lee, Jason R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lee=3AJason_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2005) On adaptive MIMO space-time processing.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: On adaptive MIMO space-time processing

abstract: In this thesis, we develop a novel adaptive MIMO space-time processing method which adapts to changes in the wireless environment for the maximization of wireless link performance. -- First, we develop a fully simulated MIMO wireless environment in Matlab® to facilitate algorithm development and performance benchmarking. Second, we develop the theory supporting an adaptive MIMO layered space-time processing method called adaptive BLAST (A-BLAS1). Thirdly, known non-adaptive diversity and spatial multiplexing layered space-time processing techniques are implemented and benchmarked under simulated MIMO channels using two element, four element, and eight element antenna arrays respectively. Fourth, we implement and benchmark an A-BLAST approach under equivalent simulated MIMO channels. Finally, simulation results are provided which demonstrate a performance improvement using A-BLAST over the non-adaptive benchmarks. -- The main contributions of this thesis include the creation of a highly parameterized MIMO simulation environment in Matlab®, as well as, the development of a novel A-BLAST layered space-time processing algorithm complemented with adaptation based on reference BER data obtained under MIMO channels of varying spatial rank using the developed simulation environment. The ABLAST code structure developed provides additional space-time codeword mappings not previously defined through traditional non-adaptive BLAST methods. These additional codeword mappings are shown to provide more granular control over the relative weighting of spatial multiplexing gain and diversity order and are better suited to a broader range of MIMO channel environments. Using estimates of the MIMO channel spatial rank and receive signal-to-noise ratio, combined with a residual bit error rate threshold, the developed adaptation algorithm is shown to be able to automatically select an A-BLAST codeword mapping from the available A-BLAST codeword set, improving MIMO link performance when compared with non-adaptive BLAST techniques which are optimized for the spatial multiplexing and diversity encoding respectively.


identifier: Lee, Seng Cheok <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lee=3ASeng_Cheok=3A=3A.html>   (1979) Reduction of offshore platform response with a liquid vibration absorber and seismic response of elevated liquid storage tanks.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The thesis is divided into two parts - I and II. -- I Reduction of Offshore Platform Response with a liquid Vibration Absorber – The LVA consists of a liquid-filled cylindrical container mounted near the deck level of the platform. During wave excitation, the liquid in the container swirls into an oscillating motion which interacts with the platform motion to produce a reduction in the platform response. The reduction in the platform response is largely due to energy dissipation through damping of the liquid, and to a smaller extent the inertia of the liquid. In this investigation, the effectiveness of the LVA in reducing the dynamic response of the offshore platform model is studied. The finite element programme for dynamic analysis of two-dimensional fixed offshore platforms, developed by Duvall (1), has been extended by Glacel (2) to include damping effects and a tuned mass damper. This study describes further modifications of the work with an additional option of replacing the actual spring mass model by an LVA. The relatively rigid container wall is discretized by finite beam elements. The work of Housner (3) is employed account for the liquid sloshing loads on the container wall, while the liquid damping is based on a semi-empirical formulation by Stephens et al (4). The structural response of the model is determined for a digitized wave height spectrum, with and without the LVA in operation. The platform is analysed to determine the LVA effectiveness, and the variation of the system response with the LVA parameters. The various parameters considered are, cylinder radius, liquid height, liquid mass, frequency, and damping. Methods of frequency tuning, and damping device mechanisms are discussed. – II Seismic Response of Elevated Liquid Storage Tanks – The structure under consideration consists of a liquid storage tank mounted on an axisymmetric pedestal. The tank is a thin elastic cylinder with an axisymmetric dome-top and a conical base which is relatively rigid. A finite element model is presented for the seismic analysis of the structure. The shell mass and stiffness matrices are generated by using the computer code SAMMSOR-II (56). The procedure of Shaaban and Nash (45) is used to generate the added liquid mass matrix which accounts for the hydrodynamic effect on the tank wall. A digitized acceleration of an earthquake is provided as the ground excitation input, and the displacement response of the whole system determined by mode superposition.


identifier: Lee, Sing-hoi. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lee=3ASing-hoi=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1971) Fecundity of four species of salmonid fishes in Newfoundland waters.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A total of 530 female rainbow trout, brown trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout collected from seven ponds on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, in 1969 are included in this investigation. Except for brook trout which had a predominance of males, the sex ratios of these species were not significantly different from a 1:1 ratio. -- Females of the four species generally mature one year later than males. Landlocked salmon from Forest Pond had a higher percentage at first maturity than Ocean Pond fish of the same age. There was no marked difference in age at first maturity between Long Pond and Middle Pond brown trout. Female brook trout matured one year earlier (2+) than the other three species. While both sexes of brown trout and landlocked salmon differed in age at first maturity, they varied little in size at first maturity. -- The rates of development of the ovary in early and mid-summer are nearly constant for the four species, each decreasing one month before spawning. Landlocked salmon from both Forest Pond and Ocean Pond had the largest eggs of all fish examined. Egg size could not be consistently correlated with size and age of fish in all species. Egg numbers were significantly correlated with size and age of fish (at the 1% level} and the relationships between the variables were linear. Fecundity and weight were more closely correlated than fecundity and length. Brown trout from Middle Pond had a higher percentage of atresia than Long Pond fish. Atresia in landlocked Atlantic salmon from Forest Pond and Ocean Pond were nearly the same. Within each species the K factor of the fish was inversely correlated with atresia and positively correlated with fecundity. Fecundities of the four species in descending order are, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, and landlocked salmon.


identifier: Lee, Wan-Fung <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lee=3AWan-Fung=3A=3A.html>   (1967) Pressure-induced infrared absorption of the fundamental band of hydrogen in H2-Ne and H2-Kr mixtures at room temperature.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Please see thesis for abstract.


identifier: Leland, Caroline Cadwalader <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leland=3ACaroline_Cadwalader=3A=3A.html>   (1985) Program evaluation of two residential care group homes in the province of Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A group home program was established in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1977 to provide community based programming for children and young adults with special needs. This research constitutes the first formal effort to systematically study the programs of two group homes in this province, located in Corner Brook and St. John's respectively, by utilizing an evaluative strategy designed by Holosko and Feit (1981). In addition, the researcher will determine the effectiveness of this strategy in the group home setting. The Corner Brook group home provides for emotionally disturbed adolescents while developmentally delayed young adults live in the St. John's group home. -- The research method chosen for this study is a quantitative-descriptive program evaluation. The strategy is a "Population Profile Narrative Study" as designed by Holosko and Feit (1981). The goal for this strategy is to describe the clients, services, personnel and immediate community served by the agency and includes three specific objectives. These are to provide: 1) a typical "day-in-a-life" of a client; 2) sociodemographic variables on the clients, services, personnel, and community; and 3) a description of clients, services, personnel as they interface with the community. -- The programs in each group home differed in certain aspects. The St. John's group home had behaviorally specific programs for each resident designed according to the individual's needs. In addition, the assessment of residents and the basic program goals were coordinated with the programming and constantly reviewed. The Corner Brook group home had the same individual programs for all residents, with only one exception - psychiatric counseling - which was recommended for one resident by a referring agency. There was no regular assessment of the individual residents and the group home staff were not familiar with the basic program goals of the group home. -- Recommendations are presented to the group homes based on the data compiled. It is recommended that both group homes: 1) utilize and maintain a strong outreach approach to the community; 2) initiate regular and ongoing evaluation of their operation; 3) introduce a systemized method of recordkeeping on clients and programs/services; and 4) choose Board members who have experience with similar agencies in order that their experience be used to help the group homes develop productively. It is recommended that the Corner Brook group home: 1) introduce regular and ongoing staff training including a formal orientation with a review of program goals and objectives; 2) introduce respite workers; 3) encourage Board members to increase their interaction with the group home staff; 4) institute a method for client assessment; and 5) develop and/or strengthen individualized programs for clients based on needs assessment. -- The Holosko and Feit (1981) "Population Profile Narrative Study" worked well for the researcher in the group home setting with minor limitations. In addition, the quantitative/descriptive data collected for this evaluative strategy may provide a useful data base for policy planning and decision-making in the two group homes, as well as future analyses and research.


identifier: Leonard, Allison M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leonard=3AAllison_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2005) Salt sensitivity in C57 and eNOS knockout mice.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Objectives: The present study examined the basal blood pressure (BP) and salt sensitivity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) knockout (KO) mice and their control strain (C57) mice. -- Methods: Mice, age 12-18 wks, were fed a regular (0.7o/o NaCl) or a high (8% NaCl) salt diet for 6 weeks. BP, heart rate, pulse pressure and activity levels were recorded by  telemetry. Results were calculated for the 12h light, 12h dark and total24h periods. Results: eNOS-KO mice exhibited an augmented basal BP and a heightened level of BP salt sensitivity. C57 mice displayed a slight degree of BP salt sensitivity. The effects of salt were more pronounced in the dark phase of the day perhaps reflecting the nocturnal nature of mice. -- Conclusion: eNOS-KO mice have a higher basal BP and BP salt sensitivity than the control strain.


identifier: LeShane, Lisa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeShane=3ALisa=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Associations of TH17 cells with HLA-DR allotypes and outcomes in breast carcinoma.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A previous study in the Drover laboratory found that IL-6 and HLA-DR52 were associated with increased breast tumor size and decreased recurrence free survival (RFS). Since IL-6, along with TGF-β, is required for the differentiation of naive T cells into TH17 cells, we hypothesized that the number of TH17 cells would be increased in HLA-DR52+ tumors and statistically associate with both larger tumors and decreased RFS. -- Following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor C2 (RORc2) and IL-17 transcripts, we developed a T H 17 cell profile. Statistical analysis did not reveal associations between TH1711i, IL-6hi or HLADR52+ tumors. Both IL-17hi and TH17hi correlated with younger age of diagnosis. Further analysis revealed that TH1711i/HLA-DR52+ tumors had the youngest age of diagnosis. There were no significant associations with decreased RFS or overall survival (OS). Yet, both IL-1711i and TH1711i trended with decreased OS. Future studies should expand on the sample size and determine if these associations and trends remain in a larger sample.


identifier: Leskovec, Barbara. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leskovec=3ABarbara=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2007) A rural drinking establishment in Ferryland: life in eighteenth-century Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Archaeological investigations in Area E, Ferryland, Newfoundland uncovered the remains of an eighteenth-century earthfast timber-framed structure with a stone gable-ended chimney. The building measured roughly 4.6 m by 10.8 m (15' by 35') and consisted of a two-roomed layout. In later years, the building was renovated and a linhey was added. The artifact assemblage and historical record date the structure between ca.1697 and 1765. -- Occupied year-round, the structure was employed as both a residence and tavern. Given the rural setting, tavern guests were served meals along with their drink, and overnight accommodation may have been afforded. The clientele comprised mostly fishers, who consumed more expensive wines and spirits, ales, beer, punch and tea. -- The proprietor was of middling status able to purchase the fashionable items of the day and adopt the new ideologies. The material evidence also illustrates Ferryland's early trade connections with North Devon and Plymouth, and later shift to the ports of Bristol and/or Liverpool.


identifier: Lethbridge, Rebecca <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lethbridge=3ARebecca=3A=3A.html>   (2011) An NMDA receptor-mediated model of associative olfactory learning.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: These experiments support a critical role of the NMDAR in early odor preference learning. First, learning is associated with a significant increase in phosphorylation of the NMDAR at odor-specific glomerular synapses following training and blocking the NMDAR at these glomerular synapses during training prevents learning. These results establish a causal role of the NMDAR in the induction of early odor learning. Second, early odor preference learning induces a transient decrease in synaptic NMDAR GluN1 subunit expression at 3 h post-training and a slower change of synaptic GluN2B subunit expression at 24 h. Transient decreases in synaptic NMDAR expression are thought to be important for maintaining the existing memory while reducing the plasticity for competing new memory. Finally, using ex vivo electrophysiology, it was shown that learning significantly increases the AMPA/NMDA ratio of mitral cell EPSC components. Together, these experiments support an NMDAR-mediated mitral cell-LTP model of early odor preference learning.


identifier: Letourneau, Johnathon E. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Letourneau=3AJohnathon_E=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1997) Steric versus stereoelectronic control of the facial selectivity in the Diels-Alder reaction.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Diels-Alder reactions of 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene and a number of its derivatives, 5-ethyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene, 5-methoxymethyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene, 5·chloro-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene, 5-bromo-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene and 5-iodo-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene were studied. Additions to these dienes with a number of dienophiles, such as N-phenylmaleimide, 1,4-naphthoquinone, 1,1,2,2-tetracyanoethene, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione were studied. The results suggest that the facial selectivity of 5-substituted 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadienes is controlled primarily by steric interactions between the diene and dienophile rather than some stereoelectronic factor. The facial selectivity of 5-alkyl-substituted 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadienes demonstrated only a slight dependence upon the dienophile used. Differences in facial selectivity for the 5-halo-substituted 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadienes when different dienophiles were employed have been attributed to electrostatic repulsions between the lone pair electrons of the C-5 substituent and lone pairs on the attacking dienophile. It was observed that dienes such as 5-ethyl-1,2,3,4,S-pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene and 5-methoxymethyl-1,2,3,4,5- pentamethyl-1,3-cyclopentadiene showed selectivity that demonstrated a large dependence upon the conformation of the substituents on the diene.


identifier: Letto, Karla Rae <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Letto=3AKarla_Rae=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Living with linear features: impact of roads, recreational trails and transmission line rights-of-way on small mammals in Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Linear features have the capacity to degrade landscapes and impact wildlife. I used mark-recapture methods to examine the relationship between small mamma ls and linear features (roads, trails and transmission lines) in boreal forest and barren ecosystems on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. I live-trapped 25 Microtus pennsylvanicus and 314 Sorex cinereus at increasing distances from linear features over a total of 3600 trap nights. Relative abundance of these species did not differ between trapping distances. However, the relationship between linear features and abundance differed between species, favouring the introduced habitat generalist S. cinereus and disturbing the native habitat specialist M. pennsylvanicus. PCA suggests that microhabitat and food availability are important determinants of population density of these species. This study is the first to examine the relationship between Newfoundland’s small mammals and anthropogenic linear features on the landscape, making the findings an important contribution to the management planning for the environmental impacts of linear features.


identifier: Lewis, Christopher W. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3AChristopher_W=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Predator-mediated habitat use by juvenile white hake (Urophycis tenuis) and Greenland cod (Gadus ogac).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Juvenile white hake (Urophycis tenuis) abundance has been increasing on the northeast coast of Newfoundland over the past two decades. In these coastal areas juvenile white hake and Greenland cod (Gadus ogac) overlap spatially and temporally in eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat, an important nursery for young of the year gadids. Concern has arisen that the recent increase in white hake abundance may be negatively impacting other gadids, such as Greenland cod. The purpose of my study was, therefore, to investigate the habitat use and behavioural interactions of juvenile white hake and Greenland cod and how this may vary in response to predator threat (an age 3+ Atlantic cod; G. morhua) and interspecific competition. A series of laboratory experiments were undertaken to determine habitat use under these different scenarios by dividing the bottom of two replicate arenas (2 x 2 x 0.5 m) into thirds and covering these with artificial eelgrass, cobble, or sand. My study documented overlapping habitat use by juvenile white hake and Greenland cod and supported the contention that eelgrass serves as an important refuge habitat for both species, with Greenland cod showing the highest affinity. Furthermore, interspecific competition experiments showed evidence of white hake excluding Greenland cod from preferred habitat as a result of competition for refuges. The size advantage that white hake gain over Greenland cod early during demersal life may be the main mechanism that influences the outcome of this habitat competition.


identifier: Lewis, Karen M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3AKaren_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Anxiety sensitivity and its unique relationship with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and depression.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: There has been significant interest in the unique relationship that anxiety sensitivity (AS) holds with the anxiety disorders and depression. Anxiety sensitivity is the fear of arousal-related bodily sensations due to the personal belief that these symptoms will produce harmful consequences such as the loss of cognitive control, negative physical symptoms, and the fear of publicly observable symptoms (Reiss, 1991). Current research has examined the relationship between AS and anxiety disorders and depression and has found that high leveIs of AS are associated with the development of panic disorders, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and depression (Maller & Reiss, 1992; Olatunji & Woitzky-Taylor, 2009; Taylor, Koch, Woody, & McLean, 1996); however, limited research has examined the three facets of AS and how they relate to specific anxiety disorders and depression. The present study examined three specific anxiety symptom clusters (panic, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety) and depressive symptoms and their relationship with the three facets of AS (fear of physical symptoms, social concerns, and fear of cognitive dyscontrol). It was found that the fear of physical symptoms component of AS was correlated with panic, as was hypothesized, but also correlated with social anxiety symptoms and generalized anxiety symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, fear of publicly observable symptoms, or the social concerns component of AS, was correlated with only one cluster of symptoms, social anxiety. Lastly, fear of cognitive dyscontrol was unexpectedly found to correlate with panic and symptoms of social anxiety; however, it did not correlate with generalized anxiety or depressive symptoms as predicted in the hypothesis. These results, although preliminary, suggest a degree of specificity with respect to how the various components of AS correlate with specific anxiety and mood symptoms. Future work in this area might be useful in preventative efforts to address aspects of AS that serve as specific risk factors for these disorders.


identifier: Lewis, Keith P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3AKeith_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2004) Processes underlying nest predation by introduced red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in the boreal forest of Newfoundland.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Predator-prey relationships are an important element of population and ecosystem dynamics, and influence the evolution of phenotypic traits, life-history strategies, and behaviour. Predation of songbird nests has been intensively studied from these perspectives, and implicated in declining songbird populations, although results vary among studies. However, few studies have explored ecological mechanisms that could influence nest predators. Red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are an important nest predator throughout their range, and have been introduced to the boreal forest of Newfoundland. Newfoundland is an ideal system for studying nest predation due to the low habitat and nest predator diversity relative to the rest of the boreal forest. Furthermore, Newfoundland presents an opportunity to test the influence of introduced species on a boreal ecosystem.  -- Within a predator assemblage, some predators have stronger interactions with their prey than others. I showed that exclusion of red squirrels caused a significant decline in nest predation, especially on ground nests. Unlike other regions of North America, there is no compensatory predation by other predators, i.e. red squirrels are the dominant nest predator. At a landscape level, red squirrel abundance and habitat use are influenced by gaps in the forest canopy created by the processes of disturbance and succession. Herbivory by introduced moose (Alces alces) and snowshoe hare (Lagopus americana), alters the vegetation in these gaps, indirectly influencing red squirrel predator avoidance behaviour. The result is substantially lower nest predation in gaps than in adjacent forest as reflected by patterns of red squirrel abundance. Finally, in an experiment testing multiple hypotheses, I found that nest predation was modestly influenced by red squirrel density but not nest concealment. I also tested a foraging theory based model of nest predation. This model predicts that variations in predator type, nest defense, alternate food for nest predators, and nest location influence nest predation, but I found that only supplemental food influenced nest predation. -- This work demonstrates that understanding nest predation requires a knowledge of the nest predator assemblage and interactions therein, the mechanisms by which large scale ecological processes and interactions indirectly influence nest predator behaviour, and nest predator density and foraging ecology.


identifier: Lewis, Roger J. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3ARoger_J=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2006) Pre-contact fish weirs: a case study from Southwestern Nova Scotia.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Fish weirs have a wide distribution in Nova Scotia, and are present on most primary watersheds found in southwestern Nova Scotia. However, little systematic archaeological research has been undertaken to delineate these structures as to architecture, function and likely geographic location in an ancient landscape setting. Fish weir technology has been employed by humans since at least the Mesolithic period and has persisted in its basic form into the present. Variability in architecture is evident and it appears that at least four types of weir structures were utilized by pre-contact populations to harvest multiple fish species in southwestern Nova Scotia. This research demonstrates that a detailed archaeological inspection of fish weirs is warranted for purposes of providing a broader understanding of their use in Nova Scotia. Petersen and others (1994:198) noted that while other facilities can be found at residential sites, fish weir structures are tied to a location, defined as a place where extractive tasks such as food or raw material gathering are undertaken. Fishing has always been a important integral part of the economy of pre-contact aboriginal populations in the Maritimes. As a result, this research allows for a more detailed inspection of a pre-contact fishing technology and provides an opportunity to increase our understanding of subsistence, settlement, mobility and land and resource use patterns for this region.


identifier: Lewis, Ronald S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lewis=3ARonald_S=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Impedance matching feed network to improve microstrip antenna manufacturability.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Experimental investigation of frequency bandwidth dependence on geometrical characteristics of microstrip patch antennas (MPAs) has shown that variations in impedance are a dominant bandwidth limiting factor. Other functional techniques to increase MPA bandwidth exist such as increasing the thickness of the substrate or decreasing the substrate permittivity, but there are obvious tradeoffs to these methods including cost, increased mass and spatial footprint. In this work, there is a supposition regarding the restriction of basic design elements including choice of substrate materials, thereby limiting the discussion to the first method in order to attack the MPA narrow bandwidth problem in the context of manufacturability. -- These MPAs suffer from variations in material electrical properties as well as inaccuracies and variations of machining during fabrication which result in a shifting of the resonant frequency of the patch antenna. The narrowband nature of MPAs may result in a completely non-radiating build of hardware due to this real variability during the manufacturing process. Low cost printed circuit board (PCB) fallout for digital interconnect is not significant; however, variations in material have very significant impacts on MPA performance. Thus with the advent of wireless commercial electronics, methods to add robustness to RF designs are of increasing importance. -- A rigorous process of computer simulation is applied to examine geometric manipulation of MPAs and how the introduction of two coplanar design element, capacitively gap coupled parasitic elements and an impedance matching network feed line, can improve and increase MPA bandwidth sufficiently to overcome small errors encountered in the MPA fabrication process.


identifier: Li, Cheng <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3ACheng=3A=3A.html>   (2004) Design, modelling and analysis of the balanced gamma multicast switch for broadband communications.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: High-speed networks have become more and more popular worldwide driven by the Internet and its applications. Multicast has become a necessary feature for any switch designed for future broadband communication networks. In this dissertation, a multicast switch architecture called the Balanced Gamma (BG) multicast switch is proposed, analyzed and implemented. A comprehensive study of this promising multicast switch architecture has demonstrated its superiority in terms of loss performance, delay performance, and buffer requirement performance under various uniform and nonuniform traffic. At the same time, it is scalable, reliable, and fault-tolerant, and its hardware complexity is reasonably low which makes it feasible to build as a practical switch. -- The new multicast BG switch fabric is characterized by its space-division architecture in which the control of cell routing is distributed over all switch elements. The key characteristic of a multicast switch, the cell replication function, is integrated into the routing function of the switch element. Two new algorithms are designed to support implicit cell routing and replication, namely the dynamic-length routing and replication algorithm and the dynamic-length backpressure algorithm. Topological equivalence to the unicast BG switch ensures that the new architecture inherits many attractive features such as reliability and fault tolerance from the latter. -- A multicast traffic model is developed for the analysis of the multicast BG switch. The performance of the switch is examined under various traffic conditions, random and bursty, uniform and nonuniform. Numerous simulation trials are performed to obtain the loss, delay, and buffer requirement performance of the switch. An analytical model is derived under the multicast random traffic model to verify our simulation results. The discrepancy between the analytical model and simulation is justified and further improvement of the model is suggested. Performance results are also compared to that of the ideal multicast switch to demonstrate how close the performance of the BG multicast switch is to the optimum result. It is determined through the analysis that the multicast BG switch is a high performance switch in handling unicast, multicast, and mixed traffic. At the same time, it is scalable in terms of architecture, performance, and implementation. -- Following the digital IC design methodology recommended by the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation (CMC) and using the VLSI CAD tools they have provided, a 16 x 16 switch fabric has been implemented using 0.18μm CMOS technology and the Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL). It is demonstrated that the whole switching fabric module can be easily fit into a single IC chip with the current fabrication technology. Finally, the methodology of functional verification of the hardware design is presented and hardware complexity of larger switches is explored.


identifier: Li, Guangchun <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AGuangchun=3A=3A.html>   (2005) Electrochemical study of proton exchange membrane fuel cells and development of Pt based catalysts for electro-oxidation of ethanol.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This research includes three related parts: Investigation of the effects of Nafion loading in the cathode catalyst layer on the performance of hydrogen fuel cells, designing a DHE (dynamic hydrogen electrode) reference electrode to resolve cell performance into individual electrode behaviors, and developing Pt based binary and ternary catalysts for electro-oxidation of ethanol. -- It was found that Nation content and distribution in the cathode catalyst layer had a strong influence on cell performance. There was an optimum Nation loading for the best cell performance, which is due to the fact that a balance has to be made between ionic conductivity and O₂ transport resistance. -- By simulating experimental impedance data, reasonable conductivity profiles and resistance values for the cathode catalyst layer have been extracted, and they provide insights into the understanding of cathode behavior. -- A novel DHE reference electrode has been designed to analyze cell performance losses. The special feature of this DHE reference electrode is that it can be conveniently fitted into a commercial cell without the need of any modifications. Polarization measurements and impedance spectroscopy have demonstrated that it was quite stable during measurements. -- With the aid of the DHE reference electrode, we have separated cell performance losses into anode performance losses and cathode performance losses. For hydrogen fuel cells, it was found that at low current densities, the cell performance was mainly determined by cathode performance, while at high current densities, the anode performance contributed significantly to the cell performance. For methanol fuel cells, it was found that at low current densities, cell performance losses were due to both cathode performance losses and anode performance losses, while at high current densities, the rapid decrease of cell performance was mainly due to cathode performance losses. It was also found that the anode performance was improved at a higher concentration of methanol, whereas the cathode performance decreased significantly at a higher concentration of methanol. -- In order to develop direct ethanol fuel cells, a variety of Pt based binary and ternary catalysts have been prepared for electro-oxidation of ethanol. It was found that carbon supported Pt/Sn (4:1) and carbon supported Pt/Ru/Pb (1:1:0.15) catalysts have significantly enhanced catalytic activities for electro-oxidation of ethanol relative to Pt. Preliminary fuel cell tests have shown these two catalysts to be quite promising. -- Finally, a simplified equivalent circuit has been built to simulate the impedance behavior of PEMFC electrodes. The excellent fit between the experimental data and simulation data indicates that the circuit is reasonable. Meaningful resistance values have been extracted by simulation, and these values shed light on understanding cell performance losses under different operating conditions.


identifier: Li, Haiyan S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AHaiyan_S=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2006) The role of iodine in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), a murine model of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in humans, is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, characterized by destruction of thyroid follicles by infiltrating inflammatory cells. Immunization with thyroglobulin (Tg) – one of the major thyroid autoantigens – or Tg peptides in complete Freund's adjuvant is the classical way to elicit EAT in susceptible mouse strains. -- The first part of the thesis investigates the critical role of iodine in the immunopathogenicity of Tg. I have delineated three iodotyrosyl-containing peptides (aa.117-132, 304-318, and 1931-1945) which are not immunogenic in their native form but become immunopathogenic in their iodinated form. Iodination of tyrosyls facilitates either peptide binding to MHC or T-cell recognition of the peptide. In addition, iodotyrosyl formation has increasing, neutral or decreasing effects on the immunogenic profiles of other three Tg peptides (a.a. 179-194, 2529-2545, and 2540-2554) which are immunogenic in their non-iodinated forms. In a parallel study, I attempt to generate highly iodinated Tg in vivo via NaI administration in the drinking water of mice. We found that this regimen did not facilitate the generation of highly iodinated Tg in vivo, but elicited goitres hypothyroidism in SJL but not CBA/J mice. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood, but it does not seem to have an autoimmune basis.


identifier: Li, Lei <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3ALei=3A=3A.html>   (2006) Stability and bifurcation in systems of tri-neurons with multiple time delays.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This Master thesis consists of four chapters, mainly considering the stability and bifurcation in the systems of delay differential equations representing the neural network models containing tri-neurons with time-delayed connections. -- In Chapter 1, some background of neural networks and the motivation of this work are briefly addressed. -- In Chapter 2, we mainly show the stability analysis. By constructing Liapunov functional, we obtain the global stability condition. Then we show the delay-independent and delay-dependent conditions for local stability respectively. -- In Chapter 3, we discuss the bifurcations. By using the center manifold theory and normal form method, we propose the transcritical, pitchfork and Hopf bifurcation analysis. --  In the last chapter, by using the global Hopf bifurcation result and high-dimensional Bendixson's criterion, we show that the local Hopf bifurcation can be extended globally after certain critical values of delay.


identifier: Li, Sa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3ASa=3A=3A.html>   (2003) Study of the neuronal projection from the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra to the periaqueductal gray region.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Previous studies have shown that neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) project to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (PAGvl) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Research has also shown that stimulation of neurons in the VTA/SN elicits cardiovascular depressor responses that are mediated by a projection to the PAGvl/DR. Anatomical and physiological experiments were done in the present study to determine the neurochemical identity of the VTA/SN projection to the PAGvl/DR Experiments were done to characterize the origin and chemical nature of this projection by combining cholera toxin B tracing with immunofluorescence for the 67K isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The PAGvl/DR region was found to receive a substantial input from neurons in the VTA, SN, and deep mesencephalic nucleus. The DR was preferentially innervated by neurons in the VTA whereas the PAGvl was preferentially innervated by neurons in the SN. A proportion of neurons in the VTA and the reticular part of the SN found to project to the PAGvl/DR were GAD positive. In addition, experiments were done in urethane-anesthetized rats to determine if injections of a GABA antagonist in the region of the PAGvl/DR attenuated the cardiovascular depressor responses produced by glutamate stimulation (0.01 M, 50 nl) of the VTA/SN. Injections of the GABA blocking agent picrotoxin (2.5 nmol, 500 nl) into the PAGvl/DR eliminated the cardiovascular responses from stimulation of the VTA/SN. The results of the present investigation provide evidence for a GABAergic projection from the VTA/SN to the PAGvl/DR. This projection may be an important regulator of the PAGvl/DR, an area of the midbrain involved in the production of behavioral and physiological responses to pain and stress.


identifier: Li, Wen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AWen=3A=3A.html>   (1995) Ab initio studies of phospholipid headgroups.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The thesis consists of two distinct but closely related parts. In the first part we present a systematic conformational study of the stable headgroup structures for phospholipid single molecule using five model compounds: CH₃PO₋₄CH₃, CH₃CH₂PO₋₄CH₂CH₃, CH₃CH₂PO₋₄CH₂CH₂NH₊₃ (phosphorylethanolamine, PE, with methyl end group), glycerophosphorylethanolamine (GPE) and glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC). The potential energy scans and the fully geometry optimized structures were obtained using the molecular orbital program Gaussian 92. The changes in geometrical parameters and conformational energy differences due to the usage of different basis sets (STO-3G, 3-21G*, 6-31G* and 6-31+G*) were investigated. Since 3-21G* and 6-31G* basis sets gave similar results, 3-21G* basis set was chosen for our calculations. The comparison was made between the phospholipid structural parameters (such as molecular area, thickness of the polar region, thickness of the headgroup and dipole) obtained for the model compounds. In the second part of the thesis, the hydrated PE and GPE are investigated. The results show that the structures of PE and GPE are strongly dependent upon the hydration force. We also investigated the effect of hydration on other model compounds. We have studied the following (hydrated) model systems: PE + 4H₂O, GPE + 6H₂O and 2PE + 4H₂O. Direct comparisons of the calculated geometry parameters of compounds in the presence of water with the crystallographic results has been also presented. The geometrical parameters for hydrated molecules are closer to the crystallographic experimental data than those obtained for isolated molecules.


identifier: Li, Xiangqun <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AXiangqun=3A=3A.html>   (2005) Identification of linear and non-linear multi-modal VIV responses for flexible deepwater risers.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Offshore energy exploration has been moving into ever increasing water depths. For floating offshore drilling structures, the riser system is a crucial element. Vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is a major concern for deepwater riser developments, as vortex-induced vibration is a major cause of riser fatigue damage. For deepwater risers, current is the dominant factor causing VIV responses. Due to the increased water depth, deep-water risers have long and flexible structures, so that they have the potential to be subject to very high modes of vibration, i.e. multi-modal VIV. The frequencies, amplitudes and modes of VIV responses are usually the focus of deepwater riser design, as they, along with riser material properties, directly determine the riser fatigue life. In recent years, much effort has been devoted into the investigation of riser VIV response, but there are still many uncertainties, especially for the risers with multi-mode VIV responses in currents. For example, frequency lock-in phenomena and modal resonances are still not fully understood for multi-modal VIV responses; the vibration shapes over riser length and the motion trajectories in the cross-sectional plane for a flexible riser with multimodal VIV cannot be found in the literature. The frequency and mode components contained in the multi-modal VIV responses in both in-line and cross-flow directions have not been published in previous work. -- This research aims to improve the understanding of multi-modal VIV in currents. The research objectives include i) frequency characteristics for multi-modal VIV responses, such as frequency versus current velocity and frequency lock-in phenomenon; ii) amplitude characteristics for multi-modal VIV responses, such as amplitude versus current  velocity, amplitude range and amplitude resonance; iii) spectral characteristics for multi-modal VIV responses, such as dominant frequencies, power spectrum versus current velocity and power spectrum versus location on the riser; iv) modal characteristics for multi-modal VIV responses, such as modal distribution, dominant mode and mode versus current velocity; v) modal system parameters for a flexible riser in calm water, including modal mass, modal damping, modal stiffness and non-linear damping; and vi) the correlation between the modal parameters and the VIV responses. -- After a review of the state-of-the-art literature involving VIV investigation, an experimental method was proposed for this research. Based on a prototype riser, a length distorted model riser was designed with similarity of the mass, the bending stiffness and the frequency ratio. Two model riser tests were designed and conducted. The first one was a shaker-excitation test, which was designed to investigate the modal system parameters. A shaker was used to generate an excitation to the riser, and the riser responses were measured. The modal system parameters were estimated from the frequency response functions based on a simplified governing equation for the shaker/riser system. Modal analysis was used to estimate the linear modal system parameters, and Bendat's technique was used to estimate the non-linear damping for the flexible riser. -- Another model riser test was a current-excitation test. This test was designed to investigate the VIV responses in currents. The uniform currents were generated by towing carriage. Sixteen pairs of accelerometers were used to measure the VIV responses at sixteen locations on the riser. Spectral analysis and modal analysis are two major tools to analyze the measured data. -- It was found that the frequencies of the multi-modal VIV responses in both the crossflow and in-line directions follow the Strouhal frequencies for a flexible riser. The measured Strouhal number was about 0.12. The frequency lock-in phenomena occurred in both the in-line and cross-flow directions at some modal natural frequencies. The vibration amplitudes fluctuate from 0.3 to 0.9D (D denotes the riser diameter) in both the in-line and cross-flow directions for the flexible riser tested, and no increasing trend existed as the current velocity increases. The resonances are not strong as the vibration energy is shared by several modes. The VIV responses for a flexible riser contained a number of modal components, but one or two were the dominant modes. -- It was also found that flexible risers have a variety of natural frequencies, which correspond to a variety of mode shapes. The modal natural frequencies depend on the tension. The estimated added mass coefficients Ca depend on the tensions and mode shapes for a flexible riser, ranging from 1.0 to 3.7, and the estimated damping coefficients Cd have a relatively big scatter, ranging from 0.5 to 2.5. There is a degree of correlation between the estimated modal parameters and the VIV responses.


identifier: Li, Xueming <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AXueming=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Using UML for conceptual modeling: towards an ontological core.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Before developing an information system, the business and organizational domain in which the information system is to be used must be examined and understood. Creating conceptual models in the system analysis phase to faithfully represent the domain is critical for successful information system development. Although it is widely accepted that UML could be used both for modeling software, and for modeling the problem domain that is supported by a system, i.e. conceptual modeling, its suitability for the latter in the early development phase has been questioned. In fact, the semantics of its constructs (such as object, class, attribute, link, association, and association class) are clear with respect to software design and coding, but vague with respect to conceptual modeling. -- To endow UML with semantics for conceptual modeling, in this thesis, an ontological framework of UML based on Bunge's ontology is proposed, focusing on static aspects (class/object diagrams and links in collaborations). The framework assigns precise ontological semantics for a core set of UML constructs (object, attribute, class/type, link, association, state, state transition, operation, and role) in class, object, and collaboration diagrams and is used to resolve a number of confusions in the UML literature. -- Furthermore, in the thesis, a novel ontological metamodel of classifiers based on Bunge's ontology, OntoClean methodology, and Guizzardi et al.’s ontological profile is proposed, focusing on discussing the definition, properties, and representation of the notion of role in the object-oriented literature. The metamodel conforms to the fundamental role features identified in the literature and handles the counting problem and related role identity problem. -- The study also compares conceptual models created using the metamodel to those created using ER approach with respect to conceptual database modeling and describes how to map a conceptual model based on the metamodel into relational database schema. Using examples, the study demonstrates that relational database schemata generated using our approach are more stable with respect to requirements change, and moreover a number of real world semantics and rules can be implemented as integrity constraints of a relational database schema.


identifier: Li, Ying <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AYing=3A=3A.html>   (1997) Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image compression using the wavelet transform.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Along with the success of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging systems and the large amount of data which they routinely produce, SAR image compression has begun to attract the attention of researchers seeking solutions for efficient image transmission and storage. In this thesis, two key characteristics of SAR images, namely their speckle noise and varied image contents are addressed. We develop a selective soft-thresholding method and a multi-rate compression scheme to compress SA.R images more efficiently, using the wavelet transform to accomplish both the noise smoothing and image compression tasks. -- We initially approach the SAR image compression problem by studying the effects of SAR image characteristics using standard compression techniques, such as Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) method, the Efficient Pyramidal Image Coder (EPIC) and the Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) coder. We find that speckle noise tends to break the inter-pixel correlation in SAR images and thus has negative effects on compression. In order to compress SAR images more efficiently, we need to smooth speckle noise and to enhance inter-pixel correlation prior to image compression. To this end, we develop a selective soft-thresholding method which refines Donoho’s overall soft-thresholding method. The proposed method makes use of the correlation structure of wavelet coefficients to select edge coefficients in the wavelet domain and then protects them from soft-thresholding. Test results show that this method can smooth speckle noise and preserve edges and hence enable more efficient compression. -- Another issue in SAR image compression is concerned with the varied scene contents within large-size SAR images. We propose a multi-rate compression scheme on top of the EZW algorithm. This scheme partitions an image into several regions in the wavelet domain. Each region is assigned a different bit budget according to the relative importance of the information each region contains. A highlighted region can be encoded with higher accuracy and only the major structures in the background regions transmitted. This scheme, when combined with the selective soft-thresholding method. Can provide better visual quality for the highlighted regions; major structures in the background can be easily picked up while finer details and speckle noise corrupted coefficients are eliminated at low hit-per-pixel rates. -- This work demonstrates applications of the wavelet transform in SA.R image processing and compression. Many issues for future work are also recommended.


identifier: Li, Yuanlin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AYuanlin=3A=3A.html>   (1996) Units in integral group rings.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Units in integral group rings

abstract: Please see thesis for abstract.


identifier: Li, Zhi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3AZhi=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Design of a robust autonomous surface craft for deployment in harsh ocean environment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Autonomous Surface Craft (ASC) features fast development in the past few years; however, among publications about ASCs, few discussions are about ASC robustness and especially the reliable operation of the ASC in the harsh ocean environment. Therefore, in this thesis project, a robust ASC that is mainly used for reliable operation in the harsh ocean environment offshore Newfoundland is designed. As the first ASC prototype developed in the Autonomous Ocean Systems Laboratory (AOSL), the main concentration is on reliable ASC electrical and communication system design and the ASC system testing and modelling. -- The ASC on-board communication and control system implements the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. External communication with the dock-side computer is built on 900 MHz wireless modems. Four CAN modules are developed to work on the on-board communication network, and many off-the-shelf electrical components were chosen to build the electrical system, which include the Global Positioning System (GPS), Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), Weather Station (WS) and the mbed™ microcontroller. Time synchronization of separate CAN modules inside this CA network is addressed using the presented time reference message (TRM) based synchronization mechanism, and the achieved characteristics are validated using a DPO4034 oscilloscope. The wireless communication link plays an important role in ASC testing, and it can be used to transmit the supervisory command and ASC sensor data between the ASC and the dock-side computer. To support this feature, a Matlab based Graphic User Interface (GUI) is designed to work on the dock computer as the control terminal and the display monitor of the ASC status data. A hand controller is integrated into this GUI for intuitive control of the vehicle, and the ASC position can be shown in quasi-real-time in Google Earth software. -- A hydrodynamic 3 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) nonlinear model for describing the motion of the ASC is generated. Two methods, including the Taylor series expansion method and the system identification (SI) method, are used for model linearization. The designed ASC system was validated by some initial tests, and following t hat, the tow tank tests were performed to determine the vehicle hull resistance and self-propulsion points. Based on the tow tank test data, a propulsion system model was built, and these results were validated by sea trials performed in Holyrood, Conception Bay South, NL. Using the sea trials' data, a state-space steering model for the ASC was identified based on the SI method.


identifier: Liberakis, Eustace Anastasios <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liberakis=3AEustace_Anastasios=3A=3A.html>   (1977) Some factors predisposing to institutionalism in chronic psychiatric patients.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Institutionalism ("institutional neurosis"), the mental and social impoverishment of long-stay psychiatric patients, has been observed by previous researchers to be the result of poverty of the social environment in the mental hospital, the result of lack of contact with the outside world, and the result of idleness. -- The present research includes a survey of all psychiatric patients staying in hospital supervised boarding homes and of a random sample of patients in the wards of the only mental hospital in Newfoundland. The main objective was to determine if certain premorbid factors predispose to institutionalism. -- The researcher examined the patients, interviewed those in charge of the patients, and reviewed the hospital records for "hard data". Institutionalism was measured through the rating scale "social withdrawal", a scale constructed, validated and used by previous researchers of institutionalism. -- Two hundred seventy four patients in boarding homes and fifty random long-stay hospital patients were surveyed. 29.6% of the boarded patients and 80% of the hospital ward patients were found to suffer from institutionalism. Low intelligence, poor education and disabilities in hearing, speech, locomotion and manual dexterity, were significantly associated with institutionalism. Extremes of age on first admission, celibacy, low occupational status in the patient or his father, and visual disability did not prove to be associated with institutionalism. -- Those patients who were found to suffer from institutionalism, despite the fact that they were not cut off from the outside world (i.e. those visited and visiting their homes), tended to be threatening in manner, deluded or affected in their hearing. -- The findings of this research appear to support the following: -- a. Institutionalism is not confined to hospital wards but may appear in boarding homes. The findings of other researchers that social skills of a psychiatric patient do not improve by stay in a boarding home are confirmed. -- b. Some patients are more susceptible to institutionalism than others. -- c. Institutionalism tends to be associated with those biological or social handicaps which affect communication and activity of the patient.


identifier: Licursi, Maria <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Licursi=3AMaria=3A=3A.html>   (2012) Regulation of IRES-mediated translation under physiological and cellular stress conditions.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Cap-dependent and IRES-mediated translation initiation mechanisms are regulated differently by cellular machinery. Under conditions such as viral infection, apoptosis and cellular stress, cap-dependent protein synthesis becomes impaired and translation driven by some IRES elements becomes upregulated. The objective of this study was to investigate how cells regulate cap-dependent and IRES-mediated translation in different cellular environments. -- To determine whether efficiency of translation initiation by IRES elements differs under normal physiological conditions, we tested 13 bicistronic reporter constructs containing different viral and cellular IRES elements. Bicistronic vectors harboring IRES elements are essential to achieve efficient expression of multiple genes in gene therapy protocols and biomedical applications. The IRES element commonly used in current bicistronic vectors originates from the EMCV and, therefore, was used as standard in this study. The in vitro screening in human and mouse fibroblast and hepatocarcinoma cells revealed that the VCIP IRES was the only IRES element that directed translation more efficiently than the EMCV IRES in all cell lines. Furthermore, the VCIP IRES initiated greater reporter expression levels than the EMCV IRES in transfected mouse livers. These results demonstrate that IRES-mediated translation efficiency in physiological conditions is dependent on IRES elements as well as cell types. In addition, this data suggests that VCIP-IRES containing vectors have great potential to improve gene expression and could increase the benefits of bicistronic vectors for experimental and therapeutic purposes. -- Viral IRES-mediated translation often remains active when cellular cap-dependent translation is severely impaired under cellular stresses induced by virus infection. Next, we used bicistronic reporter constructs harboring viral IRES elements to investigate how cellular stresses influence the efficiency of viral IRES-mediated translation. Mouse cell line NIH3T3 cells transfected with these bicistronic reporter constructs were subjected to different cellular stresses. Increased translation initiation was observed under amino acid starvation only when EMCV or FMDV IRES elements were present. To identify cellular mechanisms that promoted viral IRES-mediated translation, we investigated the involvement of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein (4E-BP), general control nondepressed 2 (GCN2) and eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eiF2B), since these are known to be modulated under amino acid starvation. Knockdown of 4E-BP1 impaired the promotion of EMCV and FMDV IRES-mediated translation under amino acid starvation while GCN2 and eiF2B were not involved.  To further investigate how 4E-BP1 regulates translation initiated by EMCV and FMDV IRES elements, we used a phosphoinositide-3 kinase inhibitor (LY294002), an mTOR inhibitor (Torin1) or leucine starvation to mimic 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation induced by amino acid starvation. 4E-BP1 dephosphorylation induced by these treatments was not sufficient to promote the viral IRES-mediated translation. These results suggest that 4E-BP1 regulates EMCV and FMDV IRES mediated translation under amino acid starvation, but not via its dephosphorylation.


identifier: Lidstone, Matthew Adam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lidstone=3AMatthew_Adam=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Reception anxiety and the joycean allusion.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This project identifies and critically explores the significance of allusions to author James Joyce found across a wide range of cultural products, from Jacques Derrida's published philosophical works to popular culture artefacts such as Hollywood films and late twentieth-century literature. Allusive depth is multiplied as allusions to Joyce's work connect to the multiple allusions already at work within his own text; this connectivity functionally reverses the referential chain and carries it outside of the text to innumerable other alluded to texts. This project will elaborate on how alluding to Joyce opens up a multilayered intertextual dialogue that has the potential to enrich and complicate the alluding text, as well as all of the texts that get pulled into such intertextual dialogues. This process of recognition and reintegration generates a dialogue between texts, as the alluding text opens up an allusive space that encourages further signification, culminating in an interpretive interplay.


identifier: Liepins, Alexander S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liepins=3AAlexander_S=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2011) Literature and refusal: Maurice Blanchot's impossible political ontology.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: It is my contention that Maurice Blanchot’s political ontology of the artwork (l’oeuvre) calls for a new politics, but not a politics founded on work, power, or any previously conceived partisan agenda. I begin with Blanchot’s starting point of the question of how literature is possible because he holds this to be a question that cannot be answered. I then establish Blanchot’s unique ontological depiction of the artwork as useless and impossible through the philosophical foundations of Aristotle, Hegel, and Heidegger on potentiality (dunamis), work (Arbeit), and technology (Technik) respectively. Since Blanchot considers his artwork to be evidence of an essentially political refusal, I consider Blanchot under the guise of political ontology. By narrating the roles of impossibility, refusal, the absence of work (désoeuvrement), and death in Blanchot’s theory of art as literature, I show how we can derive a new politics from the artwork.


identifier: Liew, Peter Ket Loong <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liew=3APeter_Ket_Loong=3A=3A.html>   (1969) A study on the biology of brown trout, Salmo Trutta, Linn from four different habitats on the Avalon peninsula, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Please see thesis for abstract.


identifier: Lilly, Anne LeMessurier <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lilly=3AAnne_LeMessurier=3A=3A.html>   (2004) The lived experience of type 1 diabetes in adulthood: a phenomenological study.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Type 1 diabetes in adulthood permeates every aspect of life. While previous research has been carried out on the experience of living with type 1 diabetes, none of it has been written from the perspective of a nurse researcher with type 1 diabetes, who was one of the participants in this phenomenological study. van Manen's (1997) method of inquiry was used to explore the meaning of the lived experience of type 1 diabetes in adulthood. Unstructured interviews were conducted with five women and three men. Eight themes were identified from data analysis: (1) constant vigilance, (2) struggling for stability, (3) striving for freedom, (4) surviving perceived noncompliance, (5) the lived experience of blood glucose fluctuations, (6) enduring sustained uncertainty, (7) family support: sustaining or smothering, and (8) being alone with diabetes. These findings go beyond previous research in that they reveal a discerning insight into the depth of the ongoing impact of type 1 diabetes on the lives of these eight adults. In addition, the findings highlight the ways in which these adults meet the challenges of type 1 diabetes with perseverance, courage, and pride in their achievements, and how they continuously strive to live happy and productive lives.


identifier: Linehan, Kelly A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Linehan=3AKelly_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1997) A study of shrinkage crack patterns.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: A study of shrinkage crack patterns

abstract: Shrinkage crack patterns which develop in a layer of a drying slurry of Al$\sb2$O$\sb3$ powder and water are studied. The ways in which the pattern changes with the depth of the layer, with friction between the layer and the container, and with added impurities are described. A statistical analysis is given of how changes in these experimental conditions affect the lengthscale of the pattern, the junction angles between cracks, the nucleation sites of the cracks, and the number of sides of the polygons formed by the cracking process. The lengthscale of the pattern increases linearly with depth. Longer lengthscales are observed in patterns where the friction between the layer and its substrate is reduced which shows that friction is the main source of stress for fracture. Most crack junctions are perpendicular showing that crack junctions are formed primarily through intersections of new cracks with pre-existing ones. These results are compared with the recent results of Groisman and Kaplan.


identifier: Ling, Lin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ling=3ALin=3A=3A.html>   (2013) Application of physics and mathematics in clinical nuclear medicine.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This PhD research project consisted of two parts. In the first part a new pharmacokinetic model was introduced to improve the accuracy of kidney function estimation based on a sampling schedule of 2 and 4 blood sample measurements. Previous models such SET1 and SET2 have been shown to be unreliable with respect to the choice of sampling schedule and in some cases provide physiologically impossible values of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The new model called Tk-GV uses a Tikhonov regularized gamma variate function to fit the plasma clearance data. Based on a group of 46 patients, a comparison of four pharmacokinetics models (SET1, SET2, OLS-GV, and Tk-GV) revealed that the Tk-GV model was the most robust with respect to sample size and sampling schedule and provided no physiologically impossible values of G FR. When compared to constant infusion results in the literatures, the Tk-GV model was shown to eliminate the proportional overestimation of G F R produced by the SET1 model given by Chantler's correction and the constant overestimation produced by the SET2 model. -- Application of the Tk-GV model for estimating a patient's GF R requires the collection of 4 blood samples. In cases where it is not possible to collect four blood samples, two blood samples are collected and the patient's GFR is calculated using the SET1 model. A criterion called the renal sufficient index (RSI) was developed by others using a group of children to correct the overestimation of G F R as obtained from the SET1 model. In this work the RSI was applied to a mixed group of 26 patients (adults, children, males, and females) and shown, based on additional medical information, to be able to accurately distinguish between patients with normal and abnormal G FR. -- Bone mineral density (BMD) is important for evaluating bone health, especially for elderly people such as post-menopause women and men with prostate disease. However, analyzing a patient's BMD change is difficult because of naturally occurring short-term and long-term fluctuations in a patient's BMD, and also the short-term and long-term errors provided by the equipment used to measure BMD. The World Health Organization has provided a least significant change (LSC) criterion for distinguishing between normal and abnormal changes in a patient's BMD value. Unfortunately the LSC criterion only accounts for short-term machine error. In the second part of this thesis a new criterion called the total detectable difference (TDD) is introduced for analyzing changes in BMD in consideration of naturally occurring changes in the patient's BMD, and instrumentation error occurring on both short and long time scales. Based on the analysis of a group of 8,800 patients, a TDD value of approximately 0.045 g/cm² is obtained for the hip and 0.060 g/cm² for the lumbar spine. Based on the study of 9,379 patients, it is shown that the LSC criterion has a potential of over-diagnozing BMD change by approximately 30% compared to the TDD criterion.