identifier: Cheng, Limin <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Cheng=3ALimin=3A=3A.html>   (1998) A universal controller for a single-phase uninterruptible power supply system.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis, a single-phase voltage-source uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for 60Hz and 400 Hz applications is discussed. Two control strategies, namely a two-loop controller and a three-loop controller are developed. The control systems developed in this thesis have the following features: (1) stable operation at 60Hz and 400Hz, (2) no need of an external current signal. (3) high output quality, and (4) fast dynamic response. To meet these specifications, dynamic models which take into consideration the feedback variables and switching function are developed. Two suitable PI controllers for the current and voltage loops are selected according to frequency response analysis. Meanwhile, second-order feedback filters are designed to guarantee a perfect output waveform. As a result, the two-loop controller employs the output filter capacitor current and the load voltage as feedback variables while the three-loop controller uses the inverter output current as the third feedback variables. -- SIMULINK. models of the proposed controllers are implemented, and the steady-state and dynamic response, THD of the output voltage and voltage utilization are presented at the two standard frequencies of 60Hz and 400Hz. It is shown from the simulation results that the performance of the controllers meets the requirements. Moreover, computer simulation results of the output voltage waveform, the total harmonic distortion, voltage utilization and dynamic response show that the three-loop controller has a better performance.


identifier: Liu, Yuting <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liu=3AYuting=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Channel assignment utlizing partially overlapping channel for wireless mesh networks.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Wireless mesh networking is one of the most promising next generation network technologies. A wireless mesh network is a decentralized, self-organizing, self-configuring and self-healing multi-hop wireless network. In this thesis, we introduce the development, architectures, characteristics and applications of wireless mesh networks and present the existing channel assignments and routing protocols for wireless mesh networks. -- In recent years, many efforts have been taken to better exploit multiple non-overlapping channels for wireless mesh networks, e.g. IEEE 802.11 a based wireless mesh networks, in which 12 or 24 non-overlapping channels are available. Although the IEEE 802.11 b/g standards, which govern the unlicensed 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band, provide 11 channels, only three of them, namely 1, 6 and 11 are non-overlapping. In order to better utilize communication bandwidth and improve quality of service, in this thesis, we propose a channel assignment exploiting partially o overlapping channels (CAEPO). In CAEPO, the interference a node suffers within its interference range is the main metric for channel assignment. It is defined to be a combination of the overlapping degree between channels and busy time proportion, i.e. channel utilization ratio of interfering nodes. In addition to that, packet loss ratio is another major consideration in the implementation of channel assignment. -- To further improve the aggregated network performance, we propose Load-Aware CAEPO scheme based on the original CAEPO. In Load-Aware CAEPO, instead of using the busy time proportion of interfering nodes, we employ the traffic load as another main factor of the interference metric besides the channel overlapping degree. In addition, the concept of self-interference is introduced to estimate the interference metric. To facilitate the implementation of our channel assignment scheme, we modify the original AODV to be bandwidth-aware, where end-to-end delay and available bandwidth are both used as the routing constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can significantly improve the aggregated network performance. -- For large networks, we introduce a node grouping algorithm in Load-Aware CAEPO and name the new channel assignment scheme Load-Aware CAEPO-G. Compared to Load-Aware CAEPO, Load-Aware CAEPO-G leads to a fairer channel assignment and achieves a minor improvement of the aggregated network performance. -- Finally, performance of Load-aware CAEPO scheme is studied under voice applications over wireless mesh networks. To address the two challenges in voice over packet (VOP) applications, end-to-end delay and delay jitter, we propose VOP-AODV routing protocol. Along with VOP-AODV routing protocol, Load-aware CAEPO scheme can effectively decrease end-to-end delay and delay jitter.


identifier: Li, Ning <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Li=3ANing=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Colloidal ordering under external electric fields.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Colloidal science is an important branch of "soft condensed matter", which incorporates insights from chemistry, physics and biology. In this thesis, I will present the synthesis of fluorescently labeled core-shell silica colloids, and the laser scanning confocal microscopy studies of these colloidal silica particles under an external linear or rotating high-frequency alternating electric field. The external AC field controls the averaged dipolar interaction between the silica microspheres. We investigated bond order parameters upon increasing the field and found the threshold of the field to form dual-particle bonds and the average bond direction dependence on the field. We also studied the pair correlation function of these silica colloids in external electric fields. Moreover, we studied the equilibrium sedimentation profiles of these colloidal suspensions and found the dependence of isothermal osmotic compressibility on the applied electric field energy.


identifier: O'Keefe, Barbara A. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/O=27Keefe=3ABarbara_A=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1999) A study in educational motivation : student's motivation related beliefs concerning co-operative education and school.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In Newfoundland and Labrador schools there is a mode of delivering the curriculum which enables students to experience the world of work while still in high school. Co-operative education is a course of study that gives hands-on-training while connecting school curriculum to work skills. This study investigates the relationship between co-operative education and student educational motivation by investigating five motivational theories. -- The investigation was designed and conducted using a framework based on five theories, namely: B. Weiner's (1990) Attribution Theory, E. L. Deci and R. M. Ryan's (1985a, ) Self-Determination Theory, C. Dweck and E. Elliot's (1988) Goal Theory, M. Covington's (1984) Self-Worth Theory, and A Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory (1977). One hundred and sixty-nine co-operative education students from twelve high schools on the Avalon Peninsula volunteered to participate in the study. A qualitative methodology was used to conduct the focus group sessions and to analyze the data collected during the sessions. -- The intent of the study was to determine if the co-operative education structure was different than a traditional classroom structure, what effects co-op has on student motivation, which elements of co-operative education influenced student motivation, were the learning experiences at a co-operative education placement different than the learning experiences in a traditional classroom setting, were these differences in the learning experiences due to the program's structure, the co-operative employer or the co-operative teacher. During the investigation the five educational motivational theories' confirmed that co-op was a mode of delivering the curriculum that fostered and enhanced student motivation and that this mode of delivery was structured differently than the traditional classroom activities. The findings confirmed that the co-operative education experiences obtained at the workplace influenced the students' educational motivation. Ninety-seven (57%) of the students reported that the combination of co-op program, the co-op placement and the co-op teacher had the greatest influence on their motivation while fifty-nine (32%) students replied that only the element of co-op placement had the greatest influence on their motivation. The remaining seventeen (11%) co-op students responded that the co-op teacher/monitor had the most influence on their motivation. It became evident during the study that there was a significant relationship between the motivation research and the elements of co-operative education. -- One hundred and sixty-nine students reported that their learning experiences and behaviours were different at the work place than in school and these differences allowed the students to change their attitudes and behaviors towards learning and achieving in school Students reported that they needed to have the same type or similar learning experiences in school. -- One hundred and sixty-two students reported they had a positive learning experience and the seven who disclosed their placement was not a great place to learn did not tell their co-operative teacher because they wanted to stay at the placement for various personal reasons. The students who had a positive learning experiences reported that the reasons were many, however, all students agreed that the following reasons were very important to a positive learning experience: how the teacher/employer taught the tasks and skills, the positive attitudes of their employers and teachers towards students' success/failure, self-worth, self-efficacy, and self determination, and the positive role modeling that was evident by both teachers and employers. It did not matter if the experiences were at the placement with an employer or in the integration sessions with the teacher, what mattered was that the learning experience needed to have teachers/employers that had a positive attitude and a learning environment that fostered confidence, belongingness, value and worth.


identifier: Quinlan, Michelle <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Quinlan=3AMichelle=3A=3A.html>   (2006) Characterization of short-term synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses to the supraoptic nucleus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The magnocellular neurons (MCNs) of the supraoptic nucleus (SON) synthesize and secrete the hormones oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP), which are released from the axon terminals in the neurohypophysis, as well as from the dendrites within the SON in response to physiological demand for their products. Hormone release is determined by unique firing patterns of these neurons which are dependent on intrinsic membrane properties as well as extrinsic factors such as afferent inputs. Glutamate is an important neurotransmitter in the SON, and has been shown to underlie the unique firing patterns of MCNs and to induce release of its neuropeptides. Thus, investigation of the mechanisms by which excitatory synapses to magnocellular neurons operate is critical to further our understanding of the functioning of the SON. -- In the SON, a unique form of synaptic plasticity has been shown following brief, intense stimulation to the excitatory afferents. High frequency stimulation (HFS; 10-100 Hz) causes a robust increase in the frequency and amplitude of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-insensitive miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) which lasts for 5 to 20 minutes. This has been called short term potentiation (STP). Excitability of the postsynaptic cell is increased during the course of STP, suggesting that this is a physiologically relevant phenomenon. Much is yet to be determined with reference to the time course and magnitude of STP. In particular, the larger mEPSCs that appear following HFS may increase the probability of postsynaptic firing, given that the MCNs have relatively high input resistance. However, activity-dependent potentiation of mEPSC amplitude remains poorly understood. Thus, the goal of the present thesis is to better characterize STP, with particular attention to the potentiation of mEPSC amplitude. -- Using a visually guided whole cell patch clamp recording technique, we confirmed that a 50 or 100 Hz, 1 sec stimulation of the excitatory afferents to MCN s resulted in both frequency and amplitude STP. These changes are dependent on extracellular calcium, since applying HFS in calcium free artificial cerebrospinal fluid had no effect on the amplitude or frequency of mEPSCs. First, we characterized the time course of STP. Both the amplitude and frequency of mEPSCs showed the most pronounced increase immediately following the stimulation. The initial frequency change was on average 30- 40 fold, which returned to baseline values with a two-exponential decay. The increase in amplitude was more modest compared to frequency (on average a 40% increase) which also decayed back gradually to baseline in most cells within 20 min. -- Further, we determined if variability in basal levels of spontaneous synaptic transmission seen among the cells examined explains the variability in the magnitude of the response to stimulation. We found that baseline mEPSC frequency and amplitude were negatively related to the percentage increases following HFS, which in tum were positively related to how long the mEPSC frequency and amplitude were potentiated. -- Next, we tested the hypothesis that the changes in mEPSC amplitude and frequency following HFS occur in tandem. We compared the duration of the frequency response to the duration of the amplitude response and found that they were not related: approximately half the cells tested showed longer potentiation in frequency whereas the other half had longer amplitude STP. Dissociation of these two parameters suggests that we are seeing two independent forms of synaptic plasticity. Since a similar proportion of cells showed preferential maintenance of potentiation in amplitude vs. frequency we speculated that the preference was due to the difference in phenotypes of the postsynaptic cell. However, this was not the case, as both putative oxytocin and vasopressin neurons showed both types of responses. In addition, we found that this was not a function of the intensity of stimulation, since 50 Hz and 100 Hz stimulation protocols yielded both kinds of responses. Interestingly, a high concentration of EGTA in the recording pipette to chelate postsynaptic calcium had no effect on the response of mEPSC amplitude to HFS. Addition of an NMDA receptor antagonist was also ineffective at blocking the mEPSC amplitude increase. Taken together with our observation that extracellular calcium is required for STP, these results indicate that the locus of this synaptic plasticity is presynaptic. -- From here we focused on characterizing the potentiation of mEPSC amplitude. In order to do this, we took advantage of the dissociation of the time course of mEPSC amplitude and frequency. In cells that showed potentiation of mEPSC amplitude that outlasted that of mEPSC frequency, we examined larger mEPSCs that are unlikely to have resulted from random summation of multiple mEPSCs. Analysis of mEPSC waveforms (rise and decay) revealed that the larger mEPSCs occurring when frequency has returned to baseline levels have faster rise time as compared to control. Also, in some cells, distribution histograms of mEPSC amplitude clearly showed the presence of multiple equidistant peaks following stimulation, which could indicate multiquantal transmitter release from the presynaptic terminal. -- In conclusion, this investigation illustrates the presence of two concomitant forms of synaptic plasticity arising from a HFS delivered to the excitatory synapses of the SON; one for amplitude and one for frequency of mEPSCs. Both of these forms arise from the presynaptic terminal. This result shows the capacity for sophisticated modulation of incoming excitatory information to the SON. Further investigations into the mechanisms behind these two forms of plasticity will be useful in clarifying the ways in which the excitatory afferents to the SON can modify the activity of the MCNs.


identifier: Kennedy, Ellen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kennedy=3AEllen=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Circles in a dynamic software environment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This project consists of two parts: a review of the relevant literature on the new pedagogical issues facing educators today as it applies to the mathematics classroom and a circles unit designed to address these issues. The literature review focuses on the pedagogical issues of constructivism, collaboration and reflective inquiry, the role of the teacher, and the nature of proof A brief explanation of dynamic geometry software and its capabilities in the classroom is included since this unit is developed around the dynamic geometry software, The Geometer's Sketchpad, that allows for individual exploration and discovery. This software has caused much excitement as teachers begin to explore its capabilities in their classrooms. The unit is based on the standards put forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to change the focus of math courses towards the process of discovery rather than the facts discovered. This circles unit is intended to be used in classrooms as enrichment or as a supplement to a unit on circles in courses such as Mathematics 2200 in Newfoundland and Labrador. A brief report on both teacher and students' reactions to this unit is also included.


identifier: Mai, Ming <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mai=3AMing=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Characterization of a novel Gli5 gene during embryonic development in Xenopus laevis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Human Gli oncogene gene was first isolated from its amplification in a glioblastoma cell line, DM-259 MG. Because Gli gene is the vertebrate homolog of the Drosophila segment polarity gene, Ci (cubitus interruptus), isolation of the Xenopus Gli gene and analysis of its function in embryonic development were performed. Using RT-PCR and 5' RACE-PCR, 2.1 Kb of the 5' end of Xenopus Gli5 gene was cloned and sequenced. Sequence comparison found that region one and the zinc finger motif of Xenopus Gli5 were very similar to other Glis. In region one and the zinc finger region, the amino acid identities between XGli5 and Chicken Gli2/4, XGli4, XGli3, XGli1, Human Gli3, HGli1 are 98.6%, 100%, 78.5%, 78.5%, 81,5%, 65.7% and 92%, 97%, 95%, 91.3%, 94%, 87.3% respectively. In addition to these two conserved regions, the GF (gain of function) region and the region located between GF region and region one are also conserved among Gli family. But, outside of these conserved regions the homology is less conserved. -- From Northern Hybridization and RT-PCR analysis, it was found that although Xenopus Gli5 was expressed at all stages of embryonic development, the peak of expression was at stage 8. This expression pattern is different from that of known Xenopus Gli genes in embryonic development. Using affinity purified XGli5 antibodies, through competitive Western blotting analysis, the XGli5 protein expression was detected in stage 28 embryos as a 190 KDa band. -- A XGli5 fusion protein was made in the pGEX.KT vector. GST+Gli5 protein was purified by GST affinity chromatography. The fusion protein was used to test the specificity of XGli5 polyclonal antibodies and whether Xenopus Gli5 can bind the same specific DNA sequence as those in other Gli protein. According to the results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), XGli5 can specifically bind the same Gli binding sequence, 5'-GACCACCCA- 3' as other Glis. Therefore, it is likely that XGli5 is a transcription factor as other Glis which can regulate transcription by binding specific promoter. To explore the relation between XGli5 expression and FGF induction, animal pole explants from Xenopus embryos were incubated with FGF (100ng/ml) for different lengths of time and then total RNA was extracted. The level of Xenopus Gli5 gene expression was examined by RT-PCR. Preliminary results showed that FGF induced Gli5 expression in explants. -- Overall, a new number of XGli gene family, XGli5 was isolated. The full length of XGli5 cDNA is 8.5 Kb and encodes a 190 Kda protein. Because XGli5 can also bind the core Gli binding sequence, XGli5 may function as a transcription factor. In the early Xenopus embryonic development, FGF, the mesoderm induction signal, can also induce XGli5 expression.


identifier: Kelly, Jill E. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kelly=3AJill_E=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2001) A comparison of females in levels I, II, and III as per the influence of mentorship on their attitudes towards science and their career aspirations.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purposes of this study were to examine the influence of mentoring; the attitudes towards science, and the occupational plans of adolescent females in Levels I, II and HI in an urban high school in Newfoundland and Labrador. -- Individual questionnaires were administered to 121 students attending one urban high school. The data from 75 returned questionnaires were analyzed using the statistical program, SPSS. Descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequencies, along with chi-squared analysis were used to analyze the data. -- The findings indicated that 75% of the young women in the study could identify one or more mentors in their lives. There were no significant differences between those who identified mentors and those who did not on variables of attitudes towards self in the present or future, self-esteem, occupational plans, attitudes towards science, or beliefs regarding women in science occupations. Some of the findings on young women's self-esteem and attitudes towards science and science-related occupations were not consistent with findings reported in earlier studies. -- Most of the young women in the study believed that significant adults in their lives had influenced their career-related decisions and supported the notion that schools should encourage mentoring. The majority reported having good self-esteem and felt confident when voicing their opinions. Most of the women surveyed were confident in their abilities in the sciences and believed they would be successful in school. -- It is recommended that parents become informed of the impact they and other significant adults have on the career decisions of their daughters. It is also recommended that schools attempt to promote mentoring for young women and to guide young women in their career planning, ensuring that occupations in science are presented as viable and possible options.


identifier: Vincent, Chrissy D. (Christa Dawn) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Vincent=3AChrissy_D=2E_=28Christa_Dawn=29=3A=3A.html>   (2008) An attempt to experimentally demonstrate the attractiveness bias.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: There exists a large body of psychological research suggesting that attractive people tend to be judged and treated more favorably than unattractive people in a wide variety of social settings. Much of the research on this attractiveness bias, however, has simply relied upon natural variation to separate target individuals into groups of differing attractiveness levels. The current study sought to employ the mere exposure effect to achieve an experimental manipulation of attractiveness, thereby separating attractiveness from any covariates that may have potentially confounded it in these prior studies. Participants were exposed to pictures of target individuals while engaged in a distracting task, and later rated those same targets on attractiveness, sociability, relationship happiness, and career success.   The purpose of the experiment was to investigate whether exposure frequency influenced the latter three judgments, and whether that influence was mediated by perceived attractiveness. Unfortunately, mere exposure failed to affect attractiveness ratings, so the intended analysis could not be performed. Explanations for the lack of exposure effects based on both cognitive load and classical conditioning theories are discussed.


identifier: Islam, Mohammad Shahidul <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Islam=3AMohammad_Shahidul=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Computational studies of reactions involving 1st, 2nd, and 3rd row elements and the performance of theory.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis has involved detailed computational studies of the mechanisms of several chemical reactions involving first, second and third row elements. Geometries of the relevant molecules were optimized at the HF, MP2 and B3LYP levels using the 6-31G(d), 6-31+G(d), 6-31G(d,p) and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets. Gaussian-n theories such as G3MP2, G3MP2B3 and G3B3 were also used, as they are expected to adequately reproduce experimental data. The complete reaction pathways for all the mechanisms have been verified using intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) analysis. -- The reactions of SiH₃ X (X = H, Cl, Br, I) with HCN were investigated and three different mechanisms were obtained. One of the mechanisms involves HX elimination by a one-step pathway producing SiH₃ CN. The second mechanism consists of H₂ elimination, producing SiH₂ XCN via a one-step pathway or three multiple-step pathways. The third mechanism involves dissociation of SiH₃ X to various products, which can then react with HCN. -- We have found for the first time that the mechanism of the addition of bromine to alkenes involves reaction with two bromine molecules in non-polar aprotic solvents, while in polar protic solvents the mechanism involves reaction with a single bromine molecule mediated by a solvent molecule. For both cases, the calculated activation energies were found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. We proposed a kinetic expression that accounts for the difference between bromination of alkenes in protic and aprotic solvents. We also found that bromination of adamantylideneadamantane should occur spontaneously in the gas phase as well as in some solvents with no reaction barrier. -- We have found that for third row elements the BC6-31G basis set which is widely used as a 6-31G basis set in most of the commercial quantum chemistry packages does not meet the definition of the standard 6-31G basis set. A comparative study of the performance of the standard 6-31G and Binning-Curtiss (BC6-31G) basis sets for third row elements, Ga, Ge, As, Se, and Br, was carried out. Frequencies and thermodynamic values obtained by using the standard 6-31G basis set are better than those obtained using the BC6-31G basis set when compared to experiment and G3MF2. We recommend that the standard 6-31G basis set be used for calculations involving 3rd row elements. -- The kinetic isotope effects (KIEs), a major experimental tool to determine the transition state (TS) structure, have been used to characterize the transition state structure of SN2 reactions. Chlorine leaving group k³⁵/k³⁷ , nucleophile carbon k¹¹/k¹⁴ and secondary α-deuterium [(kH/kD)α] kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) have been calculated for the SN2 reactions between para-substituted benzyl chlorides and cyanide ion and compared to the experimental results to determine whether these isotope effects can be used to determine the substituent effect on the structure of the transition state. It was found that both leaving group and nucleophile KIE vary with the TS structure. However, a correct and measurable substituent effect on leaving group KIEs will only be found for a very reactant-like or for a very product-like TS. The substituent effect on nucleophile KIEs will only be found when the Nu-Cα bond formation in the TS is well advanced i.e., in a product-like SN2 TS. -- Nucleophile carbon k¹¹/k¹⁴ and secondary a-deuterium [(kH/kD)α] kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were also calculated for the SN2 reactions between tetrabutylammonium cyanide and ethyl iodide, bromide, chloride and tosylate and compared to the experimental results to determine whether these isotope effects can be used to determine the structure of the SN2 transition states. The results showed that the nucleophile carbon k¹¹/k¹⁴ KIEs can be used to determine the transition state structure in different reactions and the results suggest that changing to a poorer leaving group leads to a tighter transition state. The magnitude of the experimental secondary α-deuterium KIE is related to the nucleophile - leaving group distance in the SN2 transition state (RTS ) for reactions with a halogen leaving group. However, the calculated and experimental α-deuterium KIEs show opposite trends with leaving group ability. -- In conclusion, the results of my doctoral research have greatly increased our knowledge of the mechanisms, transition state structures and the thermodynamic properties of reactions involving 1st, 2nd and 3rd row elements.


identifier: Lu, Zhaoshi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lu=3AZhaoshi=3A=3A.html>   (2008) A finite element numerical study of the ocean circulation off the Newfoundland and Labrador shelf.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: QUODDY, a 3-D finite element numerical ocean model, is used to study the ocean circulation variability over the Labrador Shelf and Newfoundland Shelf, and the evolution patterns of the model temperature, salinity and currents. The effects of two different nudging schemes on the model solution are examined. One approach is to restore the model temperature and salinity toward their initial values (for the first M₂ cycle) or toward evolving immediately preceding M₂ cycle mean values (for the second and subsequent M₂ cycle). The other approach is to fix the density but allow dynamical evolution of temperature and salinity. The moored measurements are used to evaluate the model circulation results and harmonic tidal analysis is used to analyze the simulated tidal results. The model simulated circulations are generally consistent with observations. The current comparison statistics indicate good qualitative agreement and approximate quantitative agreement with moored measurements. The comparison of two different schemes shows that the nudging approach of T/S is conceptually and dynamically more realistic than the pure diagnostic one. Tidal model results are consistent with those from previous studies.


identifier: Reid, Heather Stephanie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Reid=3AHeather_Stephanie=3A=3A.html>   (2007) A study of Southern variant, Maritime Archaic sites from the Northern Peninsula and Strait of Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis, a typology is determined for the southern variant of the Maritime Archaic from the Strait of Belle Isle and Northern Peninsula, dating from 5500 BP to 3200 BP. This typology includes blade-like flakes, bifaces, retouched flakes, side-notched, expanding based bifaces, and artifacts made from a ground stone technology, such as gouges, celts, and ground slate bifaces.   Common raw materials used in this area during this time include white weathered chert, slate, and fine-grained dark and mottled cherts. Upon comparison, the artifacts from this place and time show little regional or chronological variation, and the artifacts types found within the studied sites remain consistent throughout the 2300 year time period. However, a regional variation of raw material is somewhat suggested by this study, as white, weathered chert appears in sites situated closer to the Strait of Belle Isle and around a probably source for this white weathered chert (Beaton 2004). Upon comparison, the classes and types of artifacts from this place and time are similar to other southern variant sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, differences can be seen in their stylistic attributes. Finally, microscopic examination of raw material supports the hypothesis that the southern variant of the Maritime Archaic had been in Newfoundland and Labrador since approximately 6500 BP.


identifier: Bursey, David <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bursey=3ADavid=3A=3A.html>   (2009) A study of the pitting behavior of 316L as-welded stainless steel joints in FeCl₃ solution.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: 316L stainless steels are widely used throughout industry in potable water systems for their corrosion resistance. Welding of this material introduces a number of variables that can reduce the corrosion resistance and make the material subject to pitting corrosion. One such variable is the heat tint oxide that is produced during the welding process. This chromium rich layer is considered to be incoherent exposing the chromium depleted, and hence less resistant material to potentially corrosive environment. Literature suggests the pitting resistance of tinted material decreases with an increase in heat tint oxidation. The aim of this study was to test this correlation by producing welded samples with different degrees of heat tint and subject them to ASTM G48 Method A for pitting and crevice corrosion resistance. While the expected trend was not observed within the time frame of the experiments, important inferences on the pitting behavior of heat tinted stainless steel were made.


identifier: Liu, Lidong <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Liu=3ALidong=3A=3A.html>   (1998) Combined effects of temperature, body size and food density on swimming behaviour and growth of juvenile brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study is an attempt to quantify experimentally the body size allometry and thermal dependence of foraging rate (swimming velocity) in juvenile brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) under different food densities. The results of behavioural experiments on swimming velocity were used in conjunction with additional experimental data on maximum feeding rate and growth rate to carry out a theoretical analysis of the potential effects of changes in body size, temperature, and food density on growth, habitat use, and adult size. -- This study differs from previous studies of salmonid feeding in that the foraging movements of individual fish were tracked in real time through a computerized monitoring and control system that provided an accurate quantitative measure of the distance swum vs. time. The monitoring and control system automatically dispensed a food item each time an experimental fish had swum a prescribed distance. The distance swum per food item consumed, a measure of food density, could thus be held constant for any combination of temperature and body mass treatments, allowing for the investigation of the effects of temperature, body mass and food density on feeding behaviour under conditions close to those encountered in a natural foraging environment. -- The results of the foraging activity experiments show that the total distance swum, the proportion of time spent actively foraging, and swimming speed are all positively affected by both body mass and temperature, but not by food delivery schedule. The data are clearly not consistent with an optimal foraging model in which foraging velocity is predicted to decrease with increasing body mass and increase with increasing food density. -- The body mass allometric scaling factors for total distance swum (0.33-0.56), foraging time (0.21 -0.46), and swimming speed (0.10-0.12) at 5, 12, and 18 ﾟC are all markedly lower than the scalings for maximum feeding rate and both standard and active metabolic rates of fish. The allometric scalings for instantaneous and daily swimming costs, however, are close to the scalings for metabolic rates at all three temperatures, suggesting that swimming speeds are regulated by the instantaneous costs of swimming rather than its energy benefits. Because the rate of energy intake is directly proportional to the distance swum, the scaling for energy intake is expected to be well below that for energy requirements. -- In contrast to the situation for body mass, the values of the Van't Hoff thermal parameter for distance swum of experimental fish are close to those for sustained swimming speeds and the frequency of muscle contraction and tail beat of most fish, and also comparable to those for the standard and active metabolic rates of fish. This suggests that distance swum may respond to temperature changes in a way that  parallels metabolic rate. If energy intake is a linear function of distance swum, then equivalent temperature scalings of distance swum and metabolic rate would mean that food intake should parallel temperature related changes in metabolic requirements. -- The growth rate data is consistent with previous studies and shows that there is a positive relationship between ration and the temperature for maximum growth at any body mass. Daily growth rate increases with increasing temperature at high ration level but decreases at low ration level. As a result, the temperature for maximum growth decreases as food density is decreased. -- The analyses of growth rate in actively foraging fish indicated that growth rate should increase with both body mass and temperature at high food densities, and decrease with both body mass and temperature at low food densities. At intermediate densities the situation was more complex as the effect of body mass and temperature on growth rate depended on food density, body size, and temperature. In the low food density simulation, Wmax, the body mass at which absolute growth rate is zero, is sensitive to both food density and temperature. Wmax is predicted to increase with increasing food density but decrease with increasing water temperature. -- The analyses of growth in actively foraging fish suggested that the temperature at which growth rate is maximized decreases with decreasing food density and increasing body mass. These results are consistent with previous studies of the effects of temperature on habitat use in fishes. It was not possible to draw any conclusions regarding the effect of temperature on adult size from the results presented in the thesis.


identifier: Davis, Reade <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Davis=3AReade=3A=3A.html>   (2009) Compromising situations: participation and politics in the sustainable development of Canada's oceans.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The early 1990s brought sweeping changes to the ways in which uses of the ocean are governed in Canada. At that time, the federal government signalled its intention to move away from the highly centralized fisheries management regime that it had employed in the past. In its place, there emerged a comprehensive new ocean management regime that was intended to encourage the development of other ocean industries and bring Canada's domestic legislation into conformity with policy discourses that had become institutionalized through the Rio Earth Summit and subsequent UN conferences. Most prominent among these are: “sustainable development,” “the ecosystem approach” and an emphasis on the active participation of “civil society” in environmental management. This dissertation explores the ways in which this new policy approach has been engaged with and, in some cases, contested by variously positioned actors in eastern Newfoundland. I argue that what are ostensibly global managerial discourses are being reshaped within particular localities in support of very different, and often incommensurable, agendas. This suggests that ocean planning is not a value-neutral enterprise, but a politically charged conversation, the outcome of which will have significant and lasting ramifications for those living and working along the coast.


identifier: Knapp, R.E. (Rebecca Elise) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Knapp=3AR=2EE=2E_=28Rebecca_Elise=29=3A=3A.html>   (2008) An analysis of tabular slate tools from Phillip's Garden (EeBi-1), a Dorset Palaeoeskimo site in Northwestern Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis presents analyses of the tabular slate tool collection from Phillip's Garden (EeBi-1), a Dorset site in Newfoundland. The purpose of this study is to better understand the role tabular slate tools held in Dorset society. First, to assist in effective communications, a typology was created for tabular slate tools. Then, the microware of tabular slate tools was examined to determine their use, and k-mean analysis was used to determine their spatial distribution. It was hypothesized that tabular slate tools were used in skin processing activities, which was partially supported by the microware analysis. Thus, the spatial distribution of tabular slate tools was examined through the context of skin processing activities, and their connection to functional and social aspects of Dorset society. A sample of tabular slate tools from other Newfoundland Dorset sites were also examined to determine if they fit into the same typology and were used in the same way as those from Phillip's Garden.


identifier: Hull, Stephen H. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hull=3AStephen_H=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2002) Tanite uet tshinauetamin? : a Trail to Labrador: Recent Indians and the North Cove site.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In 1997, North Cove (EgBf-08), a multi-component Recent Indian and Dorset Palaeoeskimo site, was test excavated during the first season of the Bird Cove Archaeology Project. During the 1998 field season, it was determined that the precontact occupation in Area A of North Cove was the result of a group of Recent Indians. This occupation had some unusual characteristics for a Recent Indian site on the Island, including several types of artifacts (such as a predominantly unifacial tool kit, discoidal scrapers and a large whetstone) and, of particular relevance, more than ten thousand pieces of Ramah chert, a lithic material used by the precontact Recent Indians of Labrador to the near exclusion of all other lithic types. The Recent Indian time frame in the Strait of Belle Isle area is composed of three complexes on the Island (Cow Head, Beaches and Little Passage), two in Labrador (Daniel Rattle and Point Revenge) and five along the Lower North Shore of Quebec (the Flèche littorale complex, the Petit Havre complex, the Longue Pointe complex, the Anse Lazy complex and the Anse Morel complex). Taking into consideration the evidence at North Cove and several other Recent Indian sites in the Strait of Belle Isle area, this thesis suggests that the Recent Indian time period was one of interaction between all of these groups. In particular, this interaction, of which North Cove is a prime example, is noted between the early and late Newfoundland Recent Indians (Beaches-Little Passage complexes) and the early and late Labrador Recent Indians (Daniel Rattle-Point Revenge complexes). The direct result of this interaction is seen in the Strait of Belle Isle in the form of a group of Recent Indians with blended characteristics, this group can be informally referred to as a Strait of Belle Isle Recent Indian group. The presence of this component on the Island supports the idea that the people of the Recent Indian Tradition were more closely related than previously believed and that for this reason the definition of the Recent Indian period should be reconsidered.


identifier: Fifield, Heather <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Fifield=3AHeather=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Characterization of human mesoderm induction early response 1 (hMIER1) as a coregulator of the estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The human mesoderm induction early response gene 1 (hmier1) is a growth factor induced gene encoding a novel transcription factor. There are two major isoforms of hMIER1, hMIER1α and hMIER1β, which differ in their C-termini (Paterno et al, 2002). In particular, hMIER1α, but not hMIER1β, contains a conserved motif important for interaction with nuclear hormone receptors, the LXXLL motif. Further analysis revealed that hMIER1 was differentially expressed in normal human breast compared to breast carcinoma cell lines and tissues, implying it may have a role in the neoplastic state (Paterno et al., 1998; Paterno et al., 2002). -- In this study, the role of hMIER1 as a coregulator of the estrogen receptor (ER) was investigated. The physiological effects of estrogen are mediated by two receptors: estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). It has previously been shown that both ERα and ERβ interact with hMIER1α and hMIER1β in vitro (Fifield, Honours dissertation). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) were performed to determine if hMIER1α or hMIER1β interaction with ERα or ERβ affected the ability of the ER to bind a consensus ERE in the absence and presence of specific ligands. These studies revealed that hMIER1α inhibited DNA binding of both ER subtypes in the absence or presence of ligand. In contrast, hMIER1β inhibited the DNA binding of the ERβ in presence and absence of ligand, but has little effect on the DNA binding of ERα. -- Further studies were performed to determine if the in vitro interaction and effect on DNA binding would be translated into functional effects in vivo. Experiments in HEK 293 cells showed that in the absence of ligand, hMIER1α and hMIER1β enhanced ERE-driven transcription with the ERα, but not ERβ. In the presence of ligand, such as estrogen or the ERα-specific agonist, propylpryazole-triol (PPT), neither hMIER1α nor hMIERβ significantly affected ERE-driven transcription with ERα In the presence of diarylpropionitrile (DPN), an ERβ specific agonist, neither hMIER1α nor hMIER1β affected ERE-driven transcription with ERβ. -- Overall these results imply that hMIER1α and hMIER1β are involved in ligand independent activation of ERα, but have no functional effect on the ERβ. This ER subtype selectivity, along with activation of ER signalling in the absence of estrogen or other ligands, warrant further investigation of the role that hMIER1 plays in estrogen receptor signalling.


identifier: Beardsworth, Adam <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Beardsworth=3AAdam=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Cold War confessions: autobiographic poetry in the age of anxiety.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This dissertation revisits a contentious group of twentieth-century American "confessional" poets consisting of John Berryman, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Delmore Schwartz, and Randall Jarrell. It analyzes their poetry in relation to its Cold War political context and argues that the subjective style of these poets was symptomatic of a subversive response to containment culture. Forgoing the impersonality of modernist idiom, these writers developed a poetics of personality that has often been dismissed by critics as maudlin and narcissistic. This dissertation counters this prevailing view. It argues that at a time in American history when civil liberties were routinely threatened by state-sanctioned initiatives such as the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the turn to an autobiographic style emerged as a covert means of expressing political dissent. For these midcentury poets, an exploration of the abject self was the starting point for a poetics that revealed the guilt, trauma, and anxiety common to Cold War experience and that challenged state incursions upon individual autonomy. -- One of the central arguments of this dissertation is that the insidious nature of Cold War containment pervaded all facets of society. Impositions upon individual autonomy made by an American surveillance state eager to contain the domestic communist threat made it difficult for citizens to express political dissent publicly without reprisal. This study positions the "confessional" style as a subversive poetics that expresses the impact of public anxieties on the private self. The first section argues that John Berryman and Robert Lowell forged a poetics grounded in a negative epistemology in order to articulate Holocaust and nuclear anxiety. The second section explores how Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath used confession to challenge constructions of normalized identity advocated by the increasingly influential institutions of psychiatry and psychology. The third section analyzes Delmore Schwartz and Randall Jarrell's reactions to what they regarded as similarities between cultural containment and the institutionalization of literary studies via the organically "contained" protocols of New Criticism. This dissertation redresses a critical misreading of midcentury autobiographic poetry by demonstrating how its "confessional" style was a voice of resistance to the repressive anxieties of Cold War experience.


identifier: Gallagher, Bernadette <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gallagher=3ABernadette=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Adjusting the lens : parents create change in Ontario's child protection system.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study explored the potential for parents to create social change in Ontario's current system of child protection. Concepts of social justice and participatory action research (PAR) were used to focus the inquiry and provided boundaries for data collection, analysis and dissemination (Morse, 1998). Participants in the study included (1) parents, referred to as an adult caregiver inclusive of extended family raising children; who have successfully completed a supervision court order and (2) professionals associated with child protection. The following two research questions were explored: what advice do court ordered parents give on how to create a less bureaucratic system of child protection in Ontario? Secondly, how can professionals be engaged to work with parents to bring about the recommended changes? A research facilitation team of parents as co-researchers participated in the study's design and provided on-going consultation during data collection and analysis. Data emerged from three focus groups; a parent group, a professional group and one involving both parents and professionals. Of significance in the study is the opportunity for eight parents and thirteen professionals to voice their collective views on changes they would make to the child protection system. -- The findings suggest the study was timely in light of the newly amended Child and Family Services Act, 2006 in Ontario. Parents and professionals alike came forward with suggestions for change that now fall within the realm of the new Act. These suggestions are identified and discussed in this study.


identifier: Mooney, Melissa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Mooney=3AMelissa=3A=3A.html>   (2000) A comparison of feeding physiology in cultured and wild blue mussels Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The objective was to improve carrying capacity models by providing standardized values for clearance, ingestion, filtration and oxygen uptake for cultured and wild, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus from Newfoundland. Clearance and ingestion rates of small and large M. edulis and M. trossulus were also compared. -- Measured physiological rates were not significantly different between cultured and wild mussels. Mytilus trossulus demonstrated significantly higher rates of clearance and ingestion compared with M. edulis. Rates of clearance and ingestion generally increased with an increase in food supply. Seasonal patterns were observed for all variables. Larger mussels had higher rates of clearance and ingestion than smaller mussels and should be socked at lower densities. Smaller mussels should be socked at a lower biomass per sock as they have higher clearance per unit biomass. -- Stock size and species proportions, in addition to temperature variability and food availability, contribute to the overall stock food demand. Socking and stocking biomass and site layouts should be adjusted to minimize the risk of exceeding site carrying capacity.


identifier: Granter, Lauren Irene <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Granter=3ALauren_Irene=3A=3A.html>   (2007) Complex sampling design based inference on familial models for count data.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Consistent and efficient estimation of the parameters of generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) has proven to be difficult in the infinite population setup. This estimation issue becomes more complex in the infinite population setup where the estimation is done based on a sample of a small number of clusters chosen from a finite population with a large number of unequally sized clusters. This practicum examines the role of the sampling designs on the estimation of the parameters of the GLMM based super-population for clustered count data.


identifier: Collins, Sean M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Collins=3ASean_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2010) An application of geographically weighted poisson regression.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In fitting regression models with spatial data, it is often assumed that the relationships between the response variable and explanatory variables are the same throughout the study area (i.e., the processes being modelled are stationary over space). This may be a reasonable assumption, but should not be accepted without further analysis. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is a technique for investigating the validity of this assumption and is used to examine the presence of spatial non-stationarity. It allows relationships between a response variable and the explanatory variables to vary over space. Most studies in GWR to date have focussed on the case where the response variable is continuous and is assumed to follow a normal distribution. However, in many regression models, this is not the case. Here, the concept of geographical weighting is applied to Poisson regression, where the response variable represents a count and takes the form of any non-negative integer.


identifier: Goodman, Carol <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Goodman=3ACarol=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Coloring outside the line : traversing the boundaries of race in America.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: "Coloring Outside the Line: Traversing the Boundaries of Race in America" explores how mixed-race individuals who defy categorization disquiet America's racial footing by challenging the entire social system upon which it is based. In the United States, racial difference is cultivated on the socially constructed color line that separates blacks and whites. This line, however, is not indelible. The existence of mixed-race individuals who do not conform to the parameters of their race illustrates the elusive nature of racial identity and the slippage that occurs between supposedly distinct categories of race. Passing - whereby an individual crosses the color line segregating black from white - subverts notions of racial identity by calling into question the scientific, legal, and social systems upon which such narrow notions of race were founded. A prevalent theme in African-American literature, passing, through its interrogation of essentialism, challenges people's perceptions of race. Originating during slavery and persisting into the twenty-first century, passing unsettles prevailing assumptions about the determinacy of race. To this end, the phenomenon of passing proves a powerful lens through which to view the constructed nature of race. -- Part One of this dissertation is broadly historical in its examination of the epistemological roles of science and the law in the social construction of race. My first chapter charts the evolution of the concept of race from its inception in the sixteenth century to its current day usage. In my second chapter, I investigate the role of the courts in the perpetuation of the myth of human races. Part Two of this thesis offers an analysis of racial passing in several mixed-race autobiographies from slavery to the present. By virtue of their position on the color line, the autobiographers discussed in this dissertation accentuate the permeability of that line. My motivation for analyzing autobiographical rather than fictional narratives of passing in the second half of my thesis is threefold: to address a void in the scholarship, to provide empirical evidence of the variability of race, and to examine the ways in which mixed-race autobiographers explore the problematic nature of race in their own writings. The fact that almost seven million Americans now identify themselves as mixed race suggests that race is not an inevitable and unalterable entity. Rather, it is a product of human invention, a culturally constructed edifice that must be dismantled if we hope to combat intolerance and eradicate racism.


identifier: Tom, Melissa <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Tom=3AMelissa=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Adapting remotely sensed snow data for daily flow modeling on the upper Humber river, Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis investigated the use of remotely sensed snow information to help improve flood forecasting in western Newfoundland's Humber River Basin. Flood forecasting on the Humber River is important because of the large population settlements within the Humber Valley. In this research, two types of remotely sensed snow data were considered for analysis: (1) snow cover (or snow extent) and (2) snow water equivalent (SWE). The majority of this thesis focuses on the remotely sensed snow cover data. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra snow cover images were acquired over the Humber Valley watershed throughout the snowmelt period, from March to June, for the years 2000 to 2009. MODIS is an optical sensor on NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra and Aqua satellites. Its daily temporal data are advantageous and the data are free and easily accessible. Daily snow cover data were extracted from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) daily snow product, specifically MOD10A1: a product derived from MODIS data, using a custom EASI script run in PCI Geomatica. PCI Geomatica is a robust remote sensing and image processing software. One major obstacle, regarding the acquisition of MODIS imagery over the Humber Valley watershed, is the presence of over 50% cloud cover for 80% of the days on average from March to June every year. This was a concern for data collection: affecting the sample size of acquired data and the accuracy of the snow cover data. When cloud cover is high there is a greater chance that it may be misclassified as snow and/or snow is misclassified as cloud cover. For this reason, a cloud-cover threshold was determined. The Rango-Martinec snowmelt runoff model, a widely used degree-day model which incorporates snow cover data as a direct input, was evaluated. It was found that the next day's flow is highly dependent on the previous day's flow and less dependent on the meteorological data: rainfall, snow cover, and temperature. The results from the snowmelt runoff model using the snow cover data provided very good final Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients of 0.85 for the calibration stage and 0.81 for the validation stage, but a consistent one-day lag of the modeled flow values was also observed. Although these results were not superior to currently employed flood forecasting models for the Upper Humber (because of a one-day lag in the modeled flows), the methodology developed herein may be useful for other river basins in NL where the flows are dominated by snowmelt during the spring such as the Exploits River Basin located in central NL. Remotely sensed snow water equivalent (SWE) data obtained from an advanced microwave scanning radiometer (AMSR-E), aboard the Aqua satellite, was also investigated for daily flow modeling applications. SWE often provide a better estimate of snowmelt than snow cover but this data had several disadvantages in the Humber River Basin. The major obstacles included large spatial resolution (25 km), data inaccuracy for wet snow, boreal forest, mountainous regions, and time step irregularities. Extremely large variances in the SWE data rendered the information inaccurate and ineffective for streamflow forecasting on Newfoundland and Labrador's Humber River. This research makes significant contributions to the field of hydrology providing a valuable methodology in adapting remotely sensed snow data to daily flow simulation and will be helpful to local authorities.


identifier: Learning, Jeffery M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Learning=3AJeffery_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2009) Channels of communication : a study of folklore in the segmented online "communities" within massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Massively Multiplayer Online Games house communities that require significant folkloric exploration. This thesis penetrates trends, traditions, and etiquette in an attempt to explore some of the more fundamental folklore theories and approaches to functionalism, space/place, group communication, and identity. Building on works that theorize virtual/physical space and notions of communication space, this thesis rationalizes the informal communication networks that are developed and used by the players of these social juggernauts. As observed through participant-observation of Dark Ages of Camelot, the true location of the elusive virtual commons lies not in the simulated physical landscape of the game but instead in the text of various communication channels created exclusively by and for these groups. These channels, i.e., commons, produce a diverse series of traditions that mirror real-world customs, most of which have the side effect of allowing players and groups to build their own identities.


identifier: Langille, Jonathan D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Langille=3AJonathan_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1999) I. All carbon inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions : exploration of the chemistry of an electron deficient diene. II. Synthesis of some 6,15-disubstituted 2,11-dithia[3.3] metacyclophanes.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Dienes which bear electron withdrawing groups at the 1- and 3- positions are formal electronic complements of dienes such as Danishefsky's diene. Surprisingly, the inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) chemistry of these types of dienes has received little attention in the literature to date. The synthesis of (2E)-3-(1'-oxo-2'-cyclohexen-2'-yl)-l-phenyl-2-propen-l-one (102), a novel electron deficient diene substituted in the 1- and 3-positions with electron withdrawing groups, is discussed. This diene and, to a greater extent, its direct synthetic precursor acetal (101) are stable when stored under nitrogen at -20 °C, allowing them to be isolated and stored for later use. Like other electron deficient dienes prepared previously in our laboratory, the diene acetal (101) was observed to participate in a normal-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction, while the deprotected diene (102) underwent IEDDA reactions with a variety of electron rich dienophiles, including ethyl vinyl ether, 2-(trimethylsilyl)oxy-3,4-dihydrofuran (127), and 1,1-diethoxyethene (131). -- The use of enamines as dienophiles led to the formation of dihydronaphthalenones. A domino IEDDA-elimination-dehydrogenation reaction is postulated to account for the formation of these products. The dehydrogenation was proposed to be a result of hydrogen transfer to excess dienophile or other unsaturated species present during the reaction. -- The chemistry of two additional dienes, 7-benzoyl-6-ethoxy- (133) and 7-benzoyi-6-hydroxy-3,4,4a,5-tetrahydro-1(2H-naphthalenone (167), derived from the IEDDA adduct of diene 102 with 131, was also examined. The ethoxy substituted diene (133) was observed to oxidize in the presence of a range of potential dienophiles, and the hydroxy substituted diene (167) was unreactive as a diene in an IEDDA cycloaddition under the conditions investigated. -- As part of a cooperative effort within our group to study the solution state conformational preferences of substituted 2,ll-dithia[3.3]metacyclophanes, 6,15-dibromo- (198) and 6,15-diiodo-2,11-dithia[3.3]metacyclophane (199), as well as 2,11-dithia[3.3]metacyclophane (192) have been synthesized. The 6,15-difluoro- (196) and 6,15-dichloro-2,ll-dithia[3.3]metacyclophanes (197) were also targeted for synthesis, however the Na₂S/Al₂O₃ coupling technique used was unsuccessful for these compounds. The attempt to prepare the dichloro- substituted cyclophane (197) resulted in the isolation of the trimer, 6,15,24-trichloro-2,11,20-trithia[3.3.3]metacyclophane (211), in modest yield.


identifier: Hranka, Teal L. R. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Hranka=3ATeal_L=2E_R=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2008) After the fire : the resettlement of Ferryland, post 1696 (CgAf-02, Area F).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis examines the archaeological vestiges of an early eighteenth-century domestic structure at the English colony of Avalon at Ferryland, Newfoundland. Ongoing excavations at the site have exposed a number of seventeenth-century structures, clarifying the early evolution of the colony beginning with its settlement in 1621 : yet information about the turbulent early eighteenth century has to date remained comparably rare. -- In 1696 the colony was attacked and destroyed, the colonists captured and ransomed. Resettlement occurred one year later, but the ensuing period was one of great stress at the colony as its inhabitants struggled to reestablish their earlier economic success amidst continuing attacks on the fishery. This thesis is an examination of post-raid life derived from the archaeological analysis of an early eighteenth-century domestic structure. It provides an opportunity to discuss the growth and development of the colony into the early eighteenth century and to attempt to understand the ways in which the raid and the events that followed the raid changed the social and economic context of life at Ferryland.


identifier: Kindl, Rita <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kindl=3ARita=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Change and continuity : three generations of women's work in North West River, Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis is an examination of the lives of three generations of women in North West River, Labrador. Change and continuity in the work and lives of Settler women in the face of dramatic economic and technological developments is the underlying theme of the thesis. I adopt a broad definition of 'work' so as to include an examination of the following activities of women: wage work, self-provisioning activities, raising children, volunteer work and domestic chores. I argue that while the wage economy and consumerism have changed the manner in which women accomplish their 'work', women's responsibilities remain unchanged. The work ethic of Settlers in North West River and the manner in which it has influenced women's work throughout this century are discussed. The work ethos in North West River as it applies to both men and women has emphasized hard work, endurance and self-reliance. This ethos, while burdening women, also allows women to take pride in their 'work'. I also discuss the influence of the International Grenfell Association over the lives of women in North West River. The International Grenfell Association has offered women wage work, introduced formal volunteer work to the women of North West River and created an elite within the town.


identifier: Ling, Katherine Anne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ling=3AKatherine_Anne=3A=3A.html>   (2001) A "share of the sacrifice" : Newfoundland servicewives in the Second World War.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Historical interest in the roles that women assumed during the Second World War has been growing since the 1980's but has tended to focus on the experiences of women in the armed forces and war defense industries. The experiences of servicewives, a much larger group of women who accepted equally demanding roles in the war effort, have yet to receive significant academic attention. This case study of Newfoundland servicewives focuses specifically on the women who were married to Newfoundlanders serving in British forces during the war. These women represented the majority of servicewives residing in the colony at this time and the only ones for whose welfare the Newfoundland Government assumed a degree of responsibility. This thesis examines the problematic relationship which existed between Newfoundland servicewives and the Commission of Government throughout the wartime period; the construction and manipulation of servicewives' public image in the local press; servicewives' living and working conditions during the period of their husbands' military service; the policies and regulations which attempted to control servicewives' sexuality for the sake of the war effort; and servicewives' expectations for and disillusionment with the Government's scheme for post-war rehabilitation. The role which servicewives assumed in the colony's war effort and the influence that this experience exerted on established gender systems in Newfoundland is also highlighted throughout the text.


identifier: LeGrow, Keith Herbert <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeGrow=3AKeith_Herbert=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Distribution of marine birds in relation to water masses and fronts in the Strait of Belle Isle, northwestern Atlantic Ocean.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The Strait of Belle Isle, which separates the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and mainland Canada, is a region of two water masses, moving in opposite directions, separated by a seasonal frontal boundary. There are major seasonal migrations of marine mammals, birds and fishes through the Strait. Cold water from the Labrador Current enters the Strait along the Labrador coast and moves into the Gulf of St. Lawrence along the North Shore of Quebec. Warm water flows out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence through the Strait of Belle Isle along the western Newfoundland coast. These different water masses along the two sides of the Strait are associated with different seabird colonies, Le. pursuit-diving alcids and pelagic kittiwakes nesting along the Quebec South Shore and only a few colonies of surface-feeding gulls and terns on the Newfoundland coast. Furthermore, a previous study (Rees 1963) reported that Thick-billed Murres were associated with the cold Labardor Current water mass and pursuit-diving alcids were associated with the frontal regions in the Strait of Belle Isle. However, no subsequent studies have been conducted on seabird distributions in relation to fronts in the Strait of Belle Isle. -- The present study investigated seasonal patterns of seabird abundance in the Strait of Belle Isle. Ship and land-based surveys were conducted across and on both sides of the Strait in order to address three questions: -- 1) What are the abundance patterns of pursuit-diving alcids and pelagic surface-feeding gulls in the Strait of Belle Isle? -- 2) Do alcids occur more frequently in the cold water (western) region and gulls occur more frequently in the warm water (eastern) region? -- 3) Do seabirds occur more frequently near the frontal region of the Strait of Belle Isle? -- It was also expected that the frontal water mass boundary would move over the season and would influence the distributions and abundances of seabirds. An independent data set of land-based observations from Point Amour, Labrador during spring 1996 was used to answer a fourth question: -- 4) Do wind conditions influence marine bird occurrences in the Strait, as has been reported in previous coastal studies? -- Alcids and gulls were the dominant avian groups during the study. Some transects revealed statistically significant differences in seabird densities between eastern and western water masses but there was no consistently higher seabird density associated with either water mass. Seabird density was also not significantly higher at the frontal region. Differences in surface temperatures between eastern and western water masses and frontal strength varied monthly. Statistical simulations revealed that at the observed level of variance, it would not be possible to run sufficient surveys in a season to find significant differences in seabird densities between eastern and western water masses or between frontal and non-frontal regions. Gulls, loons and ducks showed decreases in abundance immediately following wind events. In comparison, alcids showed a delayed positive correlation with longshore wind events, with maximum correlation occurring at a lag of 4 days. The results do not support the hypothesis that seabird occurrences are influenced by the presence of different water masses or frontal regions in the Strait of Belle Isle. Frontal occurrence in the Strait of Belle Isle may not aggregate prey for seabirds, as has been previously hypothesized. Power analysis should be undertaken before surveying seabirds relative to oceanographic processes or anthropogenic effects.


identifier: Chechi, Kanta <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Chechi=3AKanta=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Dietary fat intake during pre- and post-weaning time period and its association with the onset of cardiovascular diseas in the offspring.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The 'fetal origins' of cardiovascular disease (CVD) hypothesis proposes that maternal nutritional environment during pregnancy can play an important role in determining the cardiovascular health of an individual in adult life. A typical Western diet is rich in dietary fats, a fact that has been linked to the increased prevalence of CVD. In addition to the quantity of fat, the quality of fat is also known to affect the development of CVD. Whilst an increased consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA) has been associated with higher incidence of CVD, a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has been suggested to lower the risk of developing CVD. Considering that nutrition patterns are shifting towards a higher-fat Western diet globally, it is of interest to understand the role of a high-fat maternal diet in the fetal origins of CVD. The current thesis was designed to understand the role of the quantity, as well as the quality, of maternal dietary fat intake during pregnancy, in the fetal origins of CVD in the adult offspring. In addition, the role of interaction between the pre- and post-natal dietary fat intake on the offspring health was assessed. Early programming experiments were conducted using C57B1/6 mice, which have been extensively used as an animal model to investigate the dietary fat-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism. Lipid metabolism and aortic vascular function were chosen as the study outcomes to estimate the risk of developing CVD in the offspring. Results indicated that a high-fat maternal diet rich in SFA (lard) was associated with a reduced expression of hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor and a higher concentration of LDL-cholesterol in the offspring. On the other hand, a high-fat maternal diet rich n-6 PUFA (safflower oil) was associated with higher mRNA expression of hepatic lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase and higher concentration of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in the offspring. The high-fat maternal diet, irrespective of the type of fat, however was associated with reduced aortic contractile reactivity towards KC1, phenylephrine and thromboxane mimetic U44619, in the female offspring. In addition, significant interaction of pre- and post-weaning diets was reported for various  outcomes studied in the offspring, suggesting the importance of both prenatal and postnatal environments in regulating the offspring cardiovascular health. -- In a separate study, the effects of n-3 PUFA-rich flax oil feeding were assessed on various parameters associated with metabolic syndrome, using the SHR/NDmcr-cp rat model. Flax oil feeding was associated with significantly lower hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations in the obese rats. In addition, flax oil feeding was associated with lower plasma insulin concentrations and oxidative stress in the obese rats. An up regulation in the hepatic expression of peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) was found to be negatively correlated with the hepatic TG and cholesterol concentrations in the obese rats, thus pointing towards the activation of PPAR-γ dependent pathways behind the hepatic lipid-lowering effects of flax oil supplementation. -- Taken together, the results presented in the current thesis support the role for the quantity and the quality, of dietary fats consumed during pre- and post-weaning time periods, on the development of key parameters associated with the onset of CVD.


identifier: Morris, Jane Elizabeth <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Morris=3AJane_Elizabeth=3A=3A.html>   (2001) Entrances, barriers and bridges to authentic tenured teacher evaluation in Newfoundland : moving beyond "getting done".  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this research was to investigate the need for an authentic tenured teacher evaluation policy within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Using the voices of teachers, the intent was to uncover their evaluation experiences and perceptions as well as gain an understanding of their needs for both tenured evaluation and their role in the process of developing and implementing such policy. A secondary aim was to explore a link between early evaluative experiences and later teaching attitudes and values. -- Interviews were conducted with 15 teachers enrolled in the Education Graduate program at Memorial University of Newfoundland during the 2000 summer session in St. John's, Newfoundland. The teachers, all tenured, represented 8 of the 10 school districts in the province. At the time of this study these districts were found in various stages of tenured evaluation policy development and implementation, ranging from acknowledging the need for new policy to recent implementation. -- The findings indicated a teacher population that wanted meaningful evaluation but felt powerless in attaining it. They viewed the current evaluation approach for both tenured and untenured alike as a product that sat outside their professional practice. Words such as artificial, judgmental and farcical were used as descriptors. While they envisioned the process of professional growth and goal-setting as a more authentic and empowering form of evaluation, their experiences and perceptions of the traditional, top-down method of school district policy development and implementation gave them little hope. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the degree of collegiality and quality feedback early in teachers' careers and their current levels of morale, trust, and collaborative mindset.


identifier: Howlett, Danny <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Howlett=3ADanny=3A=3A.html>   (2010) Drowning in my dreams : X/1999, the modern myth and the constraints of gender constructs.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis proposes an in-depth analysis of the Japanese animated series X/1999. It proposes that the X/1999 narrative is an example the term modern myth and expresses a gendered spirituality defined by both feminism and pro-feminism. It will analyze the narrative by mapping it against Joseph Campbell's structural model of monomyth. In doing so it will use the model to highlight the mythic and religious elements of the narrative, as well as demonstrate gender and universal criticisms of model itself. -- Key Words: Feminism; Pro-feminism; Anime; Spirituality; Gender; Joseph Campbell; Monomyth; Japan; Motherhood


identifier: Andrews, Gordon Todd <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Andrews=3AGordon_Todd=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Elastic and structural properties of supported porous silicon layers.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Brillouin spectroscopy has been used to investigate the elastic properties of (111)-oriented π - Si samples formed from p⁻ and p⁺ type c - Si substrates. In the frequency regime studied, Brillouin spectra of low porosity (28%-40%) p⁺ samples consist of a single set of inelastic peaks due to the surface acoustic wave. These surface waves were found to have velocities which are significantly lower than the corresponding c - Si velocity, and, for samples of a given set, decreased with increasing porosity, ξ. Removal of the thin native oxide film present on low porosity p⁺ type samples by an HF dip, results in a 3%-6% decrease in surface acoustic wave velocity compared to pre-dip values. Adsorbed water on the porous silicon surface appears to have no measurable effect on the surface acoustic wave velocity. -- Complete sets of elastic constants for several low porosity layers formed from p⁺ type substrates were determined from the directional dependence of the surface acoustic wave velocity in the (111) plane. The elastic constants Cij, were found to be much smaller than those for c - Si and, for a given set, decreased with increasing porosity. Empirical fitting of expressions of the form -- [special characters omitted] -- to the experimental data leads to the following relations for the porosity dependence of the elastic constants: -- C11π-Si = 168.5(1-ξ)3.00 -- [special characters omitted] -- The exponents m₁₁, m₁₂ and m₁₄ differ from those of porous samples formed from p⁻ type substrates. This is attributed to microstructural differences between porous layers formed from p⁻ and p⁺ type substrates. In addition, Young's modulus values were calculated from the elastic constants and compared with those determined in other experiments. In contrast to other studies, elastic anisotropy is taken into account. -- A limited number of Brillouin spectra was also obtained from intermediate porosity (50% and 60%) samples fabricated from p⁻ type substrates. These spectra exhibited multiple broad Brillouin peaks at relatively low frequency shifts (< 15 GHz) and are qualitatively similar to those collected by Beghi et al. from samples with similar porosity formed from p⁻ type substrates. -- The structural and light-emitting properties of π - Si prepared from p⁻ and p⁺ type (111)-oriented c - Si substrates have been studied using Raman scattering. A detailed analysis of the Raman lineshapes was performed using a phonon confinement model with realistic longitudinal and transverse optic phonon dispersion curves. This model basically explains the reduced Raman shifts and asymmetric broadening of the Raman peaks in the porous silicon samples of the present work. Characteristic nanocrystallite sizes and shapes were determined for samples with porosities in the range 35% to 80%. The highly porous samples consist of fine Si spheres, while those of lower porosity are primarily wire-like. The photoluminescence spectra are less size-sensitive than the Raman spectra and no clear correlation between the Raman scattering structural information and the photoluminescence spectra has been observed.


identifier: Niu, Haibo <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Niu=3AHaibo=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Dispersion of offshore discharged produced water in the marine environment : hydrodynamic modeling and experimental study.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study has two major components: hydrodynamic modeling and experimental study of the dispersion of produced water in a marine environment. The general objective was to develop a hydrodynamic model that predicts the concentration of produced water and conduct experiments to validate the model. This consisted of seven more specific objectives: (1) developing a steady state model that predicts the near field, intermediate field, and far field mixing process; (2) integrating the wave effects into the steady state model; (3) conducting uncertainty analysis and expanding the model to probabilistic format; (4) conducting laboratory experiments and validating the model; (5) applying the model to a case study dealing with the discharge from an offshore oil platform; (6) coupling the steady state model with a non-steady state model to study the far field time-dependent dispersion; (7) collecting field data using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. -- For the objective (1) and (2), a steady state model named PROMISE (PROduced water Mixing In Steady-state Environment) was developed in this study. The model has four major hydrodynamic modules: (1) a Lagrangian based integral type near field model that employs a new entrainment formulation based on extensive laboratory experiments was employed; (2) a wave effects model that considers the effects of both ocean surface waves and internal waves. A new wave effect formulation based on previous experimental and analytical studies was developed; (3) upstream intrusion and downstream control module; and (4) a buoyant spreading and turbulent diffusion model. Unlike previous approaches which treat the buoyant spreading and turbulent dispersion separately, a unified approach that considers both effects simultaneously was used. -- By analysis of the uncertainties associated with modeling parameters, statistical distributions for these parameters were derived. Together with the known uncertainties of the ambient and discharge conditions, the PROMISE model was used in a probabilistic analysis using the Monte Carlo simulation technique. -- To validate the formulation of the PROMISE model, laboratory experimental data from various sources have been collected. The model has been executed under different conditions to compare with these data. While most of the previous experiments were conducted at small scales, relatively large scale laboratory experiments were conducted in this study to further validate the model. --  To test the performance of the model, a hypothetical study has been performed. Two scenarios were tested: one with the effects of waves and the other without. By integrating the hydrodynamic model with a food chain model, a simulation which studies the distribution of Phenol among the food chain components, especially fish, was performed. -- To study the dispersion of produced water under a non-steady state environment, the PROMISE was coupled with a three-dimensional non-steady state model, MIKE 3. While most previous coupling was only one-way coupling, a two-way coupling was adopted in this study. -- To collect field data to validate the hydrodynamic model and test the potential of using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to map the produced water outfall, two field experiments using the MUN EXPLORER AUV were conducted. A submerged freshwater outfall with Rhodamine WT dye was discharged into the Holyrood Bay and the AUV equipped with a fluorometer was used to measure the dye concentration and the extent of the dispersed plume. The results have shown that the AUV can be effectively used to map the outfall.


identifier: Jensen, Stefan P. T. (Stefan Peter Thomas) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jensen=3AStefan_P=2E_T=2E_=28Stefan_Peter_Thomas=29=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Dodging the steamroller : the unionization of professors at Saint Mary's university 1963-79.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Between 1963 and 1979 Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, underwent a series of profound and radical changes. This thesis examines the relationship between the professors and the university during this era, focusing especially on the participation of the faculty in the governance of the university as well as in negotiating their own terms and conditions of employment. In the 1960s a spirit of collective well-being and consultative participation pervaded the institution. Professors understood that their participation in university governance was both necessary and normal. At the end of the decade, however, the Archdiocese of Halifax and the Society of Jesus accepted that the increasing difficulties in owning and operating a university were outpacing their abilities. When SMU secularized, the administrative structures altered within the Board of Governors sufficiently to lead to a reconfiguration of the administration-faculty relationship that excluded professors from meaningful participation. This triggered a movement toward the certification of the faculty as a trade union. -- After certification, professors quickly mastered many aspects of the collective bargaining process. Negotiating collective agreements did not produce immediate solutions, however, and time was needed to heal some deep wounds. Collective actions by the faculty to pressure the university to reach an agreement varied from year to year, although the union never went on strike. President Carrigan added to the growing tension, and in the fourth year of collective bargaining the union successfully presented an ultimatum that either the President would resign or the faculty would go on strike. The success of this tactic already had roots in Dr. Carrigan's decision months earlier not to seek an extension of his contract. -- This dissertation is a case study of one faculty association that was transformed into a faculty union in the 1970s. The professors of Saint Mary's demonstrated that unionization was a viable option to solve their collective problems with the administration. If unionization did not instantly create a level playing field on campus, collective bargaining at least produced a set of rules governing academic employment which both sides could utilize to normalize relations. -- The uniqueness of this study lies in the rare opportunity to use the records of the faculty union as the basis of the documentary evidence. Indeed, these sources proved far more valuable than the oral interviews conducted as part of the process. Diligent record keeping, the decision by two faculty members to retain and make available all of their their correspondence, and access to all the minutes of meetings at all levels of the university were of inestimable importance. Indeed, one major contribution of this thesis is the overwhelming archival evidence upon which it is based.


identifier: Ballance, Merilyn Brooke <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ballance=3AMerilyn_Brooke=3A=3A.html>   (2008) Emanation as self-presentation: the ontological foundations of Gadamer's hermeneutics.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics is an explicit exegesis of his ontological commitment to a reformed interpretation of the concept of emanation. This reformed interpretation is grounded in Gadamer's assertion that emanation is an immanent rather than transcendent activity. Based on this interpretation, Gadamer argues that emanation is self-presentation. Understood as the essentially disclosive nature of being, Gadamer contends that self-presentation is the activity whereby being manifests itself as truth. Hermeneutics, or the activity of coming-to-an understanding, is for Gadamer the self-presentation of being as truth. Here, self-presentation becomes the activity of language, where language is the complete mediation of the manifestation of being as truth. -- In the introduction, I outline the basic structure of my thesis and introduce the principle arguments that expose the ontological foundations of Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics. The thesis concludes with an overview of the work and includes a brief comparison between Gadamer's ontology of emanation and Charles S. Peirce's ontology of communication that I hope to develop in future work.


identifier: Smith, Andrew Joseph <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Smith=3AAndrew_Joseph=3A=3A.html>   (2000) Enhanced active target detection in fog.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Enhanced active target detection in fog

abstract: Understanding and improving vision through fog and other scattering media has been a significant research area during the last century. Substantial knowledge has been gleaned from various scientific and engineering projects conducted in this period. Still, impaired vision due to fog wrecks havoc on the many forms of transportation that depend on vision as the primary source of navigation and guidance information. -- This thesis details an investigation into the performance of several enhanced vision techniques, determining their advantages and disadvantages when imaging active targets through fog. To support this research, a low cost visibility sensor was designed to assist visual characterization of various marine advection fog events. This sensor was used during a series of field trials to evaluate the potential of visible and infrared technologies to enhance vision through fog. One system, polarization difference imaging, was found to have superior characteristics and could be used to improve visual guidance activities, such as helicopter operations on the Grand Banks, in degraded weather conditions. A design of a dedicated hardware, real-time target acquisition and tracking system based on polarization difference imaging suitable for enhanced guidance activities is proposed and discussed in detail. Ultimately, this research investigates the performance of several enhanced vision technologies in fog and proposes a solution that will improve offshore aviation in poor visibility conditions.


identifier: Powell, Frank <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Powell=3AFrank=3A=3A.html>   (1998) Effects of salinity on eggs and yolk-sac larvae of Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, haddock and winter flounder.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Recent interest in the culture of cold water marine fish has prompted many questions with regards to water quality during early culture. Although temperature is probably the most important parameter of water quality, another key factor in determining site locations as well as optimizing success is salinity. Since salinity may vary dramatically from one location (e.g. estuarine) to another (eg. open ocean), determination of the optimal salinity for a species is important in selecting site locations for prospective marine hatcheries. The current study investigated salinity effects in four prospective aquaculture species: winter flounder, haddock, cod, and halibut. -- Studies were undertaken to determine the optimal salinities for egg survival and their effects on the viability, size, and behaviour of newly-hatched larvae. Eggs from each species were incubated at salinities of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 ppt and a variety of parameters including hatch rate, % viable larvae, larval size, yolk volume and hatching problems were measured. In addition, overall larval condition was assessed using a temperature stress test and cell cleavage patterns among haddock and halibut eggs were investigated as indicators of larval viability. -- Halibut eggs failed to develop past blastopore closure when incubated in salinities of  25 ppt or less, resulting in 0% hatch rates. Eggs incubated at 30 and 35 ppt demonstrated significantly higher hatch rates and there were no noticeable differences in early larval success at these two salinities. -- Among haddock embryos, hatch and viability rates were found to be high at all salinities tested, although there was a slight decrease at 15 ppt. Haddock larval length and yolk size was found to be significantly greater if eggs were incubated at lower salinities. Larvae expressed greater tolerance to temperature shock if eggs had been incubated at lower salinities. -- Cod eggs hatched successfully at all salinities although larval viability was better above 25 ppt, being maximal at 35 ppt. Larval size was generally unaffected by salinity although yolk area was significantly larger at lower salinities. Temperature stress tests revealed greater larval tolerance if eggs had been incubated at higher salinities. -- Winter flounder embryos displayed significantly higher hatch and viability rates if incubated at 15-20 ppt compared to 30 and 35 ppt Larval length tended to be maximal at the mid salinities (25 ppt) while as seen in the other species, yolk area was largest at 15 and 20 ppt Larvae subjected to temperature stress survived significantly longer if eggs had been incubated at 15 ppt. -- Early egg cleavage patterns (symmetrical vs. asymmetrical) were not found to be reliable indicators of larval viability in either halibut or haddock eggs.