identifier: Sellars, E. Faith <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sellars=3AE=2E_Faith=3A=3A.html>   (1995) Health-promoting behaviours following coronary artery bypass surgery : influencing factors.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This descriptive correlational study was conducted to describe the health-promoting behaviours of cardiac patients six months to one year after coronary artery bypass surgery.  Differences in health behaviours before and after surgery and factors associated with health behaviour choice were also examined.  Pender's Health Promotion Model (1987) was the theoretical framework used to guide the study.  From this model, three cognitive-perceptual and three modifying factors were examined.  Data were collected using mailed questionnaires.  The sample was comprised of 58 subjects, a response rate of 92.1%.  The majority (69%) of subjects were male, 86% were married, their average age was 62.6 years, and their average years of schooling was 9.2 years.  Exercise and diet were the most frequently reported health behaviours among this group of subjects.  Stress management activities, as indicated by the frequency of avoiding upset and talking about problems with others, were less frequently identified.  In addition, a significant difference in the frequency of behaviours before and after surgery was indicated.  Although no significant relationship was found between select cognitive-perceptual variables and health behaviours, several modifying factors were identified as predictors of health behaviours among this group.  Together, previous health behaviours and perceived support explained 48% of the variance in current health behaviours.  The results of this study suggest that nurses need to be alert to the potential influences of health behaviour choice, particularly the influence of previous health behaviours and perceived support after CABS.  Critical periods for relapse to former behaviours after surgery warrant further investigation.


identifier: Carroll, Ann Marie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Carroll=3AAnn_Marie=3A=3A.html>   (1996) Primiparous mothers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Postpartum Parent Support Program (PPSP) at the second to fourth postpartum weeks.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

format: application/pdf application/pdf

abstract: The purpose of this study was (a) to determine whether the Postpartum Parent Support Program (PPSP) is helping mothers identify their postpartum learning needs; (b) to determine whether the PPSP is providing mothers with consistent, helpful, and confidence building information during the first postpartum weeks; (c) to determine whether the PPSP is helping mothers identify and use sources of support in the community; and finally (d) to determine whether early discharge affects maternal confidence in self and child care at 2-4 weeks postpartum. -- The sample consisted of 61 primiparous mothers who delivered healthy, full-term infants at the tertiary obstetrics facility for Newfoundland.  Mothers completed a demographic questionnaire during their hospital stay and a telephone interview between their 2nd and 4th postpartum weeks. -- Results found that the learning needs self-assessment questionnaire is frequently not introduced as outlined by the PPSP implementation plan or in keeping with principles of adult learning. -- While the PPSP is, for the most part providing mothers with consistent, helpful, and confidence building information, information regarding infant feeding from hospital nurses was frequently rated as inconsistent and not helpful.  Furthermore, mothers indicated a need for information in various areas that were not provided, possibly due to inadequate use of the PPSP questionnaire.  Overall, mothers were significantly more satisfied with information from community health nurses than with information from hospital nurses.  While the PPSP is providing confidence building information to new mothers, those who received an explanation of the purpose of the PPSP questionnaire were significantly more confident in self and infant care at 2-4 weeks postpartum than mothers who did not receive an explanation of the purpose of the questionnaire. -- The PPSP is helping mothers identify and use sources of community support.  However, mothers most in need of breastfeeding support (those who were breastfeeding with supplementation) were less likely to be aware of sources of community support than were exclusively breastfeeding women. -- Finally, mothers who were discharged early were neither more nor less confident at 2-4 weeks postpartum than mothers discharged later.


identifier: Brown, Janice Marie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brown=3AJanice_Marie=3A=3A.html>   (1991) The paternal experience of parenting a child who has Down Syndrome.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting experiences of fathers who parent a young child affected by Down Syndrome.  There has been relatively little exploration of the paternal experience in parenting and particularly in parenting a child with a disability. -- The aims of this study were i) to describe how fathers of children with Down Syndrome describe their involvement with their child, ii) to identify critical events which have altered the fathers' experiences, and iii) to identify nursing strategies which were perceived by the father as beneficial in helping the fathers and their families. -- The research was exploratory using qualitative data.  A semi-structured interview guide was used to obtain tape recorded interviews with twelve fathers who had children in the age range of two to twelve years affected with Down Syndrome. -- Data were then transcribed and coded into meaningful broad categories which captured important aspects of the fathers' experiences and critical events relating to these experiences.  These categories were then clustered within three thematic categories entitled Paternal Roles, Paternal Tasks and Skills, and Processes Related to Parenting.  Therapeutic nursing interventions suggested by the data were identified. -- Recommendations which arise from the findings of this study have significance for nurses practicing in the field of child and family nursing.


identifier: Royle, Catherine M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Royle=3ACatherine_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1990) The psychosocial development of adolescent siblings of children with spina bifida.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A qualitative research study was undertaken to describe the developmental experiences of adolescents who have a sibling with spina bifida and to examine the impact of having a physically disabled sibling on the development of such adolescents.  The developmental tasks of Duvall and Miller (1985) provided a conceptual framework for exploring the developmental experiences of adolescents and sorting and analyzing the data. -- Eleven adolescents, with the approval of their parents, participated in the study which involved tape recorded interviews.  The guided interview process was utilized to obtain descriptions of the adolescents' experiences related to their development. -- The analysis revealed that the adolescents were in the process of achieving the developmental tasks appropriate for their age group.  The experience of living with a child with a physical disability did have some impact on specific developmental tasks.  Many of the adolescents demonstrated a maturity in development of specific tasks and this may be related to the experience of living with a child with a physical disability.  Having a sibling with spina bifida has an impact upon six major areas during adolescence: 1) family responsibilities, 2) parental relationships, 3) sibling interaction, 4) school, 5) friends and peers, and 6) personal maturation.


identifier: Yetman, Marion <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yetman=3AMarion=3A=3A.html>   (1999) Becoming a mother in the NICU : a grounded theory study.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Survival rates of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants have improved dramatically.  This results in long periods of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the infant and the parents.  The purpose of this study was to examine the process of maternal involvement with their VLBW infants while the infants were in the NICU. -- A grounded theory approach was utilized to develop a beginning theory of the mother's involvement with her VLBW infant in the NICU.  From a sample obtained from a tertiary care unit serving a provincial population, twelve mothers were interviewed.  The substantive theory which emerged Becoming a Mother in the NICU defines the process through which mothers proceed as they engage in the mothering role in an unfamiliar environment.  It defines three stages in the process: a) caring from the margins, in which the mother as an interested observer experiences a state of anomie, gives over the care of her infant to the professionals; b) shifting the balance, as the baby's condition stabilizes, the mother increases her sense of ownership and responsibility; and c) making progress, where the mother more fully takes on her mothering role. -- The findings of this study give a better understanding of some of the conditions that promote or inhibit maternal involvement with their VLBW infants and what that process is like for mothers.  Study findings also point to the significant contribution that nurses make to facilitate maternal involvement with their VLBW infants in the NICU.


identifier: Snow-Spracklin, Elizabeth G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Snow-Spracklin=3AElizabeth_G=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1998) Caregivers' perception of health, burden, social support, and care receiver problems.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A descriptive correlational study was designed to investigate perceptions of health status in a convenience sample of seventy-five primary caregivers waiting to place older adults in a nursing home.  The relationships among sociodemographics, caregiving factors, burden, care receiver problems, social support, and caregiver health status was also explored.  The conceptual framework for the study was based on the Stress Process Model (Pearlin, Mullan, Semple, & Skaff, 1990). -- Most caregivers were adult children (66.7%), female (54.7%), living with care receivers (56.0%) in a rural area (61.3%), employed or looking for work (50.6%), and between 46 and 64 years of age (57.3%).  Data were collected over a six-month period.  The Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist, Consequences of Care Index, Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and Descriptive Profile Form were administered during interviews with participants. -- Study findings indicated that most caregivers were experiencing burden and adverse health effects.  Caregiver burden was highest for personal and social restrictions, physical and emotional, and economic costs.  The majority of participants rated their physical health good, and their mental health fair to good. -- The findings also indicated that sociodemographics and caregiving factors, care receiver problems, and burden had a limited effect on caregiver health status.  Care receiver memory and behavior problems, care receiver cognitive impairment, and caregiver overall burden were associated with poorer mental health.  With regards to social support variables, only tangible support correlated with physical and mental health.  During regression analysis, mental health and employment surfaced as predictors of physical health, and the physical and emotional dimension of burden and physical health as predictors of mental health. -- The results of this study suggest that caregivers are experiencing negative health effects.  The factors influencing the caregiving process are complex and require further research to clarify their prevalence and importance for caregivers.  Although the results of the current study are not generalizable, they do support some of the findings from previous research and can be used to better inform nursing practice, education, and research.


identifier: Basha, Mary Quinlan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Basha=3AMary_Quinlan=3A=3A.html>   (1993) A study to examine the effectiveness of the Postpartum Parent Support Program (PPSP) on a group of primiparous mothers at four to six weeks postpartum.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of the study was to: (1) examine whether or not the PPSP is working, as intended, to meet the informational needs of new mothers; (2) examine the effectiveness of the information given through the PPSP on the competence and confidence of new mothers; (3) identify the common parenting issues for the group and determine if there is a need for further structured support beyond six weeks. -- Eighty primiparous mothers of healthy, full-term babies completed questionnaires at four to six weeks postpartum (40 before the introduction of the PPSP and 40 after the introduction of the PPSP).  Using descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square Test, the comparison and treatment groups were compared. -- Ratings for printed information and materials were higher for the treatment group (after the introduction of the PPSP) when compared with the comparison group (before the introduction of the PPSP).  PPSP materials which were developed for use with this program were rated by the treatment group only.  They were rated highly for content, readability and ease of understanding.  There was a marked increase in the consistency of information between hospital and community nurses after the introduction of the PPSP.  Mothers in the treatment group demonstrated increased confidence in some areas and increased maternal satisfaction with community health nursing visits. -- Ratings for helpfulness of information given by the nurses were higher for the treatment group when compared with the comparison group.  There were few differences between the groups when compared in relation to the type of maternal infant feeding chosen (i.e. breast-feeding versus bottle-feeding).  Specific program areas were identified as having positive impact, others as making satisfactory progress and three areas were identified as needing to be addressed. -- Both groups sought additional community support from family physicians, family/relatives/friends, community health nurses, hospital nurses and support groups.  There were common concerns related to the parenting experience and marked interest in attending a parenting support group at the community level.


identifier: Zhao, Cida <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Zhao=3ACida=3A=3A.html>   (1994) Effects of adrenergic drugs and monosodium glutamate on the development of sex-dependent cytochrome P450 system in male rat liver.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The effects of adrenergic drugs on the development of male-specific cytochrome P450 in the male rat liver were studied.  Pups, castrated on Day 0, were given (icv) α-antagonist or β-agonist with or without testosterone propionate (sc.), and  assayed on Day 65. Other pups were administered with (icv) adrenergic agonists or antagonists on Day 0 & 3 of life, castrated on Day 55, and assayed on Day 70. Neither α-antagonist nor β-agonist defeminized the EMDM activity in neonatally castrated rats. In the rats castrated on Day 55, β-antagonist and α₁-antagonist superdefeminized the EMDM activity. β-antagonist increased the total amount of P450 but α₁-antagonist did not. In addition, the Vmax of EMDM in β-antagonist-treated animals was increased; the Km was unchanged. Further, β-antagonist stimulated the activities of 16α-, 2α-, and 6β-testosterone hydroxylases in the superdefeminized rats. However, both β-antagonist and α₁-antagonist, given simultaneously, suppressed the superdefeminization of EMDM activity. -- The effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the prepubertal development of  male-specific cytochrome P450 in rat liver were also studied. Pups were treated on Day 1-9 with 2 or 4 mg/g MSG (sc), and on Day 35 the EMDM activities in 2 and 4 mg/g MSG-treated groups were the same as control values. However, MSG  stimulated, dose-dependently, the EMDM activity on Day 65. In addition, Vmax of EMDM was elevated in MSG-treated group;  the Km was unchanged. Finally, 4 mg/g MSG stimulated the activity of 6β- but not 16α/2α-testosterone hydroxylases.


identifier: Lau, Achilles K. M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Lau=3AAchilles_K=2E_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1994) Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel drug-monoclonal anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody immunoconjugates.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The objective of this project was to produce novel drug-monoclonal antibody immunoconjugates for site specific drug delivery. The model in these studies consisted of a target, the tumor associated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expressed by a wide range of human solid tumors, and conjugates of doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) (Dox), a potent antibiotic chemotherapeutic drug, covalently linked to a monoclonal anti-CEA antibody by different heterobifunctional  cross-linking reagents. -- The structure of cross-linking reagents were fully characterized by chemical spectroscopy, infrared (IR) , ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectra (MS). The spacer-Dox derivatives were also characterized by ¹H NMR before coupling to thiol groups of thiolated monoclonal anti-CEA antibody. The immunoreactivity  of immunoconjugates was evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) which showed that all immunoconjugates retained specific binding to CEA. The efficacy of immunoconjugates was determined in MTT (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell survival assays. The Dox 3'-N-amide linked immunoconjugates are not very active in vitro with CEA expressing cell lines.  However, the Dox C-13 hydrazone linked immunoconjugates are active in vitro.


identifier: He, Yuehua <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/He=3AYuehua=3A=3A.html>   (1995) Synthesis and in vitro biological activity of new non-steroidal platinum (II) complexes designed for the treatment of breast cancer.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer among women in North America. The development of resistance to endocrine therapy as well as chemotherapy is presently the major obstacle to successful treatment of advanced breast cancer. Therefore, more potent and selective chemotherapeutic agents  should be designed. An attractive solution to this problem is to combine both endocrine therapy and chemotherapy in a single agent. It may result in a more powerful approach to advanced breast cancer treatment. -- In order to achieve this goal, a series of new triphenylethylene platinum (II) complexes 39a-d, 40a-c and 41 have been designed and synthesized. The commercially available benzyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl ketone was efficiently transformed in eight steps into the platinum (II) complexes 39a-d with an overall  yield of around 30%. In a similar sequence of reactions, the  complexes 40a-c and 41 were also synthesized, the overall yield exceeded 40%. All new compounds were fully characterized by their infrared and ¹H, ¹³C nuclear magnetic  resonance and mass spectra. The final compounds 39a-d, 40a-c  and 41 also passed element analysis. -- The biological activity of the complexes 39a-d, 40a-c and 41 were evaluated  in vitro on both ER⁺ and ER⁻ breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 and MDA-MD-231. The complexes 40b-c showed promising antitumor activity. Their IC₅₀ is up to 28 fold lower than tamoxifen on MDA-MD-231, and 3 fold lower on MCF-7. However,  there was no evidence of selective antitumor activity on ER⁺ breast cancer cell in vitro.


identifier: Bautista, John Cruz <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bautista=3AJohn_Cruz=3A=3A.html>   (1996) A study of the antinociceptive interaction between intrathecal opioids and α-adrenergic agonists in the spinal cord of the rat.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The role and mechanism of action of α₁-adrenoceptors in adrenergic spinal antinociception is uncertain. α₁-Adrenoceptors are normally excitatory in the CNS, suggesting  that any inhibitory effect on nociception must be indirect. Recently, we showed that intrathecal (i.t.) α₁-agonists potentiate α₂-induced spinal antinociception in the rat by a  δ-receptor mediated, enkephalin-dependent process. If enkephalins, released from spinal interneurons, mediate the antinociceptive effect of α₁-adrenoceptors, then non-selective α-agonists (i.e. norepinephrine; NE) should exhibit cross-tolerance to δ-agonists (i.e. DADLE), but not to μ-agonists (i.e. morphine), in the spinal cord. Conversely, the antinociceptive effect of α₂-selective agonists (i.e, dexmedetomidine; DX) should be unaffected by spinal opioid tolerance. To test these hypotheses, male, Sprague-Dawley rats (300-400g) were continuously infused with i.t. saline (1 μl/h), morphine (MOR; 5, 10, or 20 μg/h)  or DADLE (10 μg/h) for 6 days using ALZET osmotic mini-pumps. Antinociception was assessed using the tail flick (TF) test. In an initial time course study, significant recovery from DADLE and MOR tolerance did not occur until day 3 and 4 post-infusion (PI), respectively. In subsequent cross-tolerance experiments, NE and DX dose-response curves were determined on days 1 and 2 PI for DADLE-pretreated rats, and on days 1-3 PI in MOR-pretreated rats. The table of ED₅₀ ratios for i.t. NE and DX in opioid- and saline-infused animals demonstrates that NE exhibits significant (*) cross-tolerance to DADLE, but not morphine. No cross-tolerance was observed between DX and DADLE. -- [table in abstract is omitted] -- In separate groups of rats, i.p. naloxone significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effect  of MOR, but not DADLE, on day 1 of infusion (time of peak antinociception); i.p. naltrindole significantly antagonized  DADLE, but not MOR. These data indicate that μ- and δ-receptor selectivity was retained during infusion, consistent with the different cross-tolerance results to NE.  The marked antagonism of i.t. DX by Wyeth 27127, but not by prazosin, confirmed the α₂-selectivity of DX at the doses used. The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that α₁-adrenoceptors facilitate the release of enkephalins in the spinal cord which, in turn, effect antinociception by a δ-receptor mechanism.


identifier: Yao, Dongyuan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yao=3ADongyuan=3A=3A.html>   (1996) Pharmacological characterization of an esophago-cardiovascular reflex in the rat.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The distension of hollow viscera is known to evoke a range of autonomic visceromotor and behavioral responses subsumed under the term "pseudoaffective" reflex. Although some physiological properties of "pseudoaffective" reflex responses to esophageal distension have been previously described in the rat, only limited pharmacological data are currently available. The present investigation focused on an  esophageal distension-evoked pressor/cardioaccelerator response in the urethane-anaesthetized rat. Our primary objectives were; i) to determine whether relevant sensory input from the esophagus to the CNS is conveyed by vagal or spinal afferents; and ii) to study the effects of antinociceptive agents on this reflex, and their sites of actions. Experiments were carried out on male, Sprague-Dawley rats (300-450 g), previously prepared for intrathecal  (i.t.) injection at predetermined spinal segments, and anaesthetized with urethane (0.8 g + 20 mg/kg/h i.v.). Esophageal distension evoked a reproducible increase in arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Both components increased linearly with the log of inflation pressure (25-150 mmHg). Lower, being more effective than upper esophageal  distension (100 mmHg for 20 sec), was insensitive to i.t. thoracic morphine (4-16 μg). However, i.v. morphine (1.0-4.0  mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the evoked responses. This esophago-cardiovascular reflex was: attenuated by unilateral, and abolished by bilateral cervical vagotomy; and inhibited by the i.t. thoracic, but not by i.t. lumbar or i.v. injection of dexmedetomidine (DX,  0.05-0.5 μg). The evoked response was inhibited by neonatal capsaicin, and by the topical administration of DX or morphine to the solitary complex (NTS). The pressor response  persisted after i.v. pancuronium, scopolamine, and methscoplamine. The data indicate that: 1) the sensory information of this esophago-cardiovascular reflex is conveyed to the CNS via vagal afferents; 2) the efferent limb of this reflex is comprised of sympathetic cardioaccelerator- and vasoconstrictor-preganglionic pathways in the IML of the thoracic spinal cord; and 3) the internuncial connections are made up of bulbo-spinal pathways probably originating in the RVLM which in turn, receive input from the NTS. -- Keywords: esophageal distension; morphine; dexmedetomidine; intrathecal; solitary  complex; spinal; vagal; pseudoaffective reflex; esophageal pain; rat


identifier: Bromley, Edward Thomas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bromley=3AEdward_Thomas=3A=3A.html>   (1973) Consent and character in Paul Ricoeur's Philosophy of the will.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study explores the concept of "consent" in the eidetic framework of Paul Ricoeur's philosophy of the will. Consent,  the third 'moment' in the act of willing, emerges as the epitome of the reciprocity of the voluntary and the involuntary in its patient acceptance of the triple involuntary: character, the unconscious and biological life.  We shall concentrate on consent to character. -- Chapter I examines Ricoeur's phenomenological method, accenting the notion of intentionality and the double bracketing imposed by the Husserlian method of pure description. Phenomenological bracketing eliminates the "natural standpoint" which tends to reduce the phenomena to their causal factors while eidetic bracketing removes the existential 'accidents' of the Fault and Transcendence, permitting access to the fundamental structures of the act of willing. -- Chapter II shows how 'consent' differs from the theoretical stance of 'assent' in that it is an active adoption of the ineluctable 'situation' confronting us in deciding and acting. This adoption necessitates a return to the subject experiencing necessity, although it does not prohibit the use of objective indices provided by science since these serve diagnostically in the understanding of the  'corps propre'. In Chapter III, "caractère" is described as the finite mode of freedom, the perspective from which values are viewed. Consent to one's limited perspective enables character to be assumed as one's own. Yet, consent is always on the verge of collapse. The synthesis of freedom  and nature seems to elude phenomenological grasp and, in Chapter IV, we show Ricoeur's move from pure description towards active participation in existence and the invocation  of a second Copernican Revolution, replacing subjectivity by  Transcendence and hope. -- Chapter V attempts to translate Ricoeur's eidetic adumbrations into an embryonic hermeneutic  of the pegagogical process.


identifier: Dennis, Christopher J. (Christopher John) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dennis=3AChristopher_J=2E_=28Christopher_John=29=3A=3A.html>   (1992) Adorno's Philosophy of modern music.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Adorno's Philosophy of modern music

abstract: Adorno's Philosophy of Modern Music is examined, and its principal theme is presented: the historical demise of tonality as the basis for the valid practice of musical art.  This theme proceeds from Adorno's dialectical view of reality, and from the consequences of the historical change that began with the ascendancy of the bourgeoisie. Tonal music constitutes the most characteristic art form of an age  dominated by bourgeois ideology: in the illusion of its closed organically developing form, it is aesthetically experienced as miming the bourgeois view of the world as a rationally graspable totality. However, since the effect of the bourgeois ideal of enlightenment is a drive to the total  rationalization of human reality, the human subject becomes alienated, reality becomes objectified, and the reified subject loses his understanding of reality as involving himself in the same way as other subjects. Therefore reality  for him no longer includes the collective subjectivity which  makes the convention of tonality possible. The illusion of the organicity of tonal works can no longer be sustained. -- Responses to these circumstances by the principal composers of the period span a continuum: from authenticity, in acknowledgment of the end of musical art, achieved in the objectifying constructions of Schoenberg's twelve-tone principles; to inauthenticity, in the pretence of Stravinsky's works to maintain a traditional tonality which is really dead. Inconsistency is noted in Adorno's understanding of what tonality is, and where it actually applies; this casts doubt upon the notion of totality from which its historical demise supposedly derives. Adorno's characterization of present historical trends is read as negative, and an interpretation of this apparently "essentialist" position is offered.


identifier: Kearney, Gary P. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kearney=3AGary_P=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1985) Nietzsche's explanation of spirit in terms of the will to power.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The subject of this thesis is Nietzsche's criticism of the belief in spirituality or subjectivity. The tendency of Western civilization to regard the "inner" world as vastly more important than the "outer" world, to rank spirit above nature is, in Nietzsche's view, a sure indication of the triumph of nihilism. Given his principle of the will to power, it would not have been sufficient for Nietzsche merely to have decried the preoccupation with spirituality; he had to give an account of it in terms of that very principle. The difficulty, then, is to explain how the will to power can accomodate what normally would be considered to  be its opposite: the spiritual realm. -- The thesis is divided into three chapters: the first chapter relates Nietzsche's account of the creation of the soul as the effect of man's radical break with his animal nature and how  this result is itself an effect of the state's coming into being; the second chapter attempts to give Nietzsche's explanation of how human life, having been forced out of its  instinctive, natural forms, manages to reconstitute itself on a new, spiritual or "inner" plane, and as well, the fundamental role played by the ascetic priest in the formation of this new community will also be noted; the third and final chapter will examine the relationship of the  ascetic will to power to philosophy, wherein, perhaps, asceticsm reaches its apotheosis.


identifier: Leamon, Rosalind Luanne <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Leamon=3ARosalind_Luanne=3A=3A.html>   (1982) The concept of sovereignty and its relation to natural law in Hugo Grotius' De jure belli ac pacis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The concept of sovereignty influences every problem in legal philosophy.  As the modern doctrine of a determinate authority within the state, it has its origin in the sixteenth century.  At the time of the rise of powerful post-Reformation states, and the destruction of the unity of Christendom, Grotius propounded a theory of sovereignty based on a doctrine of natural law independent of the will of God, and deriving its existence from the nature of man as a rational being who seeks a society consonant with his intelligence.  Reason provided the basis for justice in the state and justice among states, both in peace and in war. -- It is the purpose of this work to analyse the concept of sovereignty in Grotius’ book De Jure Belli ac Pacis.  It is argued that the concept, when denoting the legally supreme will within the state, means something different than when it denotes the sovereign state, externally considered, in its relation to other states.  The difference is explored chiefly by using the doctrine of rebellion to explain the nature of sovereign authority within the state; and doctrine of the just war to explain the nature of the sovereignty of states.  These divisions correspond to the second and third chapters of the work respectively, and form the main body of the study.  Special attention is given to the role of the individual in the two orders (internal and external), and it is argued that the degree of freedom accorded the individual in each of the orders constitutes an inconsistency in Grotian theory. -- It is concluded that sovereignty internally considered, and sovereignty externally considered, although of necessity, different in form (the first being defined by will, the second by consent) derive their content and meaning, and their force of obligation, from the same source in Grotian theory, the nature of man.  Hence, the doctrine of sovereignty is rendered coherent by its foundation in the law of nature.  The discussion is aided by an exploration, in the first chapter, of Grotius’ method, his concept of sociability, and his scheme of laws and their relation to each other.  Also, some problems with sovereignty itself, including the absence of an institutional sanction, are examined.


identifier: Badcock, Gary D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Badcock=3AGary_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1984) The genesis of the concept of the Uebermensch in Nietzsche.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The concept of the Uebermensch, while a leading theme of Nietzsche's philosophy, is very difficult to define, and remains largely indeterminate in the commentaries.  An attempt is made in the present thesis to render its definition more determinate through an examination of the genesis of the concept in the overall structures of Nietzsche's thought. -- The philosophy of Nietzsche is here characterized as essentially a polemic against the Western moral tradition, establishing itself purely through its opposition to morality.  Since morality, as Nietzsche understands it, is an aberration of the highest order, a negation, then the negation of that original negation yields a positive result.  The concept of the Uebermensch, which is defined as the positive result of the Nietzschean polemic, therefore has its logical genesis in, and can be seen to reflect the structures of, the critique of morality. -- Chapter One sets forth the various sides of the doctrine of the Uebermensch as it receives expression in Nietzsche.  It is given as a prophetic vision, as a psychological description, and as a moment within a cultural-historical typology. -- Chapter Two examines the nature of "morality” in Nietzsche's philosophy.  Rather than merely a particular set of ethical imperatives, even those characteristic of the West, morality is fundamentally a form of human existence in which the conscious, or spiritual life and the natural life are posed as mutually contradictory.  The chapter concludes with an examination of the negation of morality, and, in particular, of the nature of the positive result. -- Chapter Three, finally, reveals how the express content of the doctrine of the Uebermensch, given in Chapter One, directly expresses the more abstract limits of the definition generated in Chapter Two.  In each of its three phases, the concept of the Uebermensch is defined by a unity in difference of the human spiritual and natural life.  It is therefore defined as the positive result of Nietzsche's negation of negation.


identifier: Glover, David <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Glover=3ADavid=3A=3A.html>   (1974) The origin of language.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: The origin of language

abstract: Although in recent times; there has been all but unanimous agreement that the problem of language origin will never find a suitable context for modern investigation, G. Revesz has tried, in his formulation of the Contact Theory, to reintroduce the problem into contemporary thought.  His Theory establishes a speculative evolutionary sequence of language "growth" from the earliest forms to the more highly, developed.  While his sequence is admittedly theoretical, Revesz attempts to show that all available evidence tends to verify his hypothetical order. -- The Contact Theory, however, is developed without adequate attention to the traditional problem of 'mind-body interaction’.  Man's vocal activity is problematic especially insofar as it becomes a “vehicle" for thought.  The problem is how physical speech processes gave rise to, or were the result of, or were originally incorporated with, the processes of abstract thought.  Revesz insists that his theory is based on neither an empiricist nor a rationalist view, but does not adequately clarify how he achieves this. -- Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology overcomes the basic weaknesses in Revesz's Theory by diffusing Descartes' dichotomy and providing a suitable method for approaching the critical moment of language origin.  By means of the phenomenological description, Merleau-Ponty attempts to uncover the “grounds" of consciousness, and in so doing introduces his concept of the "body-subject”, the practical synthesis of mind and body which we "know" by living it.  This "body-subject", in its preconscious activity, provides the basis for all "second-order" or cognitive experience, including the conscious use of language.  Merleau-Ponty suggests that man has not outlived this level of "primitive being".  The "body-subject" continues to be creative prior to conscious awareness.  Conscious thought merely discovers what is created for it by the preconscious life of the intellect. -- If we grant Revesz's conclusion that language origin was a creative act, like those creative acts which occur daily, an examination of human creativity should provide some insights into the process which gave rise to human speech.  This creative process, according to the accounts of the more eminent minds of both Art and Science, involves a dynamic which is hidden from the conscious mind.  This dynamic can be described, in Merleau-Ponty's terms, as the preconscious activity of the “body-subject". -- Seen in this context, man's language continues to originate from preconscious creative acts which give man speech before his discovery of it in rational terms.  Thus, by avoiding Descartes' dichotomy, and by removing primitive man from an evolutionary context, the language problem can become a contemporary question.


identifier: Stafford, Antoinette Marie <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Stafford=3AAntoinette_Marie=3A=3A.html>   (1973) The life-world and the phenomenological epoche : a study of these concepts in Edmund Husserl's The crisis of European sciences and transcendental phenomenology.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The clearly stated goal of Edmund Husserl's transcendental phenomenology was to enable philosophy for the first time, to achieve a "rigorously scientific knowledge" of the contents of human experience. Through-out his entire career,  Husserl strove to realize this goal, through the development  and use of the techniques of epoche and reduction. In his last major work, The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology, Husserl claims that these procedures have at last given him access to the "life-world," a primordial sphere which is the presupposition of all experience, and which, therefore, comprises the ultimate  phenomenological study. -- A thesis presented here has as its central aim a critical clarification of the relationship  between the two fundamental phenomenological themes of the "epoche" and the "life-world." This takes the form, in Chapter I, of a consideration of the use of the concepts of "world" and "epoche" in Husserl's work previous to the Crisis. In Chapter II, the meanings and function of the term   "life-world" within the Crisis, particularly Part IIIA, are examined in detail, with the specific intention of revealing  why Husserl views the "life-world" as the utlimate field of study for phenomenological science. The final chapter is a critical analysis of Husserl's attempt to conduct an epoche with respect to the life-world, and leads to the conclusion that a complete life-world reduction is, in principle, impossible. Therefore, it is argued, if the phenomenological  ideal of a rigorously scientific philosophy entails an epoche of the life-world, then, for reasons arising out of Husserl's own philosophy, this ideal must be abandoned.


identifier: Peddle, David <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Peddle=3ADavid=3A=3A.html>   (1992) A response to M.B. Foster's critique of Hegel's political thought.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Michael Beresford Foster's book The Political Philosophies of Plato and Hegel crystallizes much of the criticism which liberal theorists direct against Hegel's political philosophy.  In its grasp of the various trends which develop in the course of twentieth century liberalism, Foster's work is, in fact, remarkable.  His criticism brings to light the important relationship between liberalism and the “event theory" of action and history.  Through writings from Oakeshott to Rorty this relationship has been developed and in Foster's work it appears vividly contrasted with Hegel's views or, more accurately, with a liberal caricature of his views.  Foster's work is also remarkable in that, although he brings interesting questions to Hegel's political thought, his criticism thoroughly misrepresents Hegel's argument, merely thrusting a dualistic perspective of his own upon Hegel's dialectical standpoint.  As a result he is insensitive to the subtle relationships which Hegel develops, for example, between desire and reason, individual and state, freedom and history, and history and eternity.  In every instance Foster assumes the radical separation of these concepts, all the while failing adequately to criticize Hegel's attempts to reconcile their apparent opposition.  On the basis of this method Foster resolves that Hegel's political thought is "confused" and results in a totalitarian repression of individual freedom. -- The burden of this thesis is to disentangle Hegel's actual argument from the snarl which Foster creates.  To this end I show the dialectical relationships which Hegel establishes between such concepts as "real" and "ideal"; freedom and authority; and state and history.  The essential point of this analysis is to show that, for Hegel, all socio-political institutions are in principle manifestations of human freedom.  Consequently, I hope to show that the claim that Hegel's political thought develops an authoritarian and repressive state does not hold water.


identifier: Yates, Joyce Alana <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yates=3AJoyce_Alana=3A=3A.html>   (1989) Aristotle, Hegel and Mimesis.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

title: Aristotle, Hegel and Mimesis

abstract:
The topic of this thesis is the concept of artistic mimesis (imitation) as treated by Aristotle and Hegel. Aristotle's Poetics has been viewed as the paradigmatic statement of the  notion of mimesis as the basis of art, and particularly, that of tragedy. In contrast, the entire inclination of the Hegelian aesthetic is held to be such as to place it far from any sympathy with the mimetic school. Hegel's idealism,  with its credo that the material realm is only intelligible as an embodiment of what is spiritual, and hence, that art must be a second creator of the world in order that mind can  be consciously present in art, is bound to reject any notion  of mimesis which requires an adherence to a servile mechanical and static reproduction of nature. It is my intention to defend the Aristotelian theory of mimesis from the Hegelian charge that due to its noncreative and purely naturalistic orientation, imitation stands as an inadequate basis for the production of true art. -- That Hegel leans toward an almost undeviating adherence to the insular view that mimesis is little more than illusionistic mimicry, and as such, sure anathema to his view of the essential nature of art, can be readily seen. Critical passages in the Philosophy of Mind (PM) and the Berlin Aesthetics: Lectures On Fine Art (LFA), are indicative of a definite dismissal of  both inferior and positive aspects of the mimetic theory of representation. I intend to examine the validity of Hegel's reduction of mimesis to that which is unacceptable to the domain of worthy art, and to attempt to demonstrate how and why characteristics proper to Aristotelian mimetic theory need not be, one and all, rejected by Hegel. -- In Chapter One, I focus on the Aristotelian statement of imitation in the Poetics, and I concentrate on the idea of the tragedian as an inventive maker of plots, one who is concerned with fostering the recognition of universals. Chapter Two presents an examination of the notion of imitation as the basis of literary art. Here I present the reader with some idea of the divergent views and connotations that have evolved in imitation theory. In Chapter Three, I examine Hegel's philosophy of geist, the role consigned to nature in  contrast to the self-conscious, and the evolution of art as insight into the Absolute. A critique of Hegel's textual treatment of imitation is the primary subject of my fourth chapter. -- In both Chapters Four and Five, I point to the narrow mindedness of the view of mimesis as copy or mimicry.  Mimesis can be artistic activity that is creative and synthetic. Finally, the fifth chapter considers the possibility of any common ground between the Aristotelian
and Hegelian ideas of mimesis and I argue that Hegel errs in  his analysis and that he is blind to various elements and aesthetic characteristics of which imitation is composed.


identifier: Svece, Artis <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Svece=3AArtis=3A=3A.html>   (1996) An analysis of the possibility of deliberate self-deception.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of my thesis is to analyse the possibility of deliberate self-deception. The analysis is developed in two stages. First, I provide an analysis of the term 'self-deception' and the problems that this term presents for philosophers. Second, I analyse the possibility of on particular kind of self-deception, namely, deliberately making oneself believe what one knows is false. -- Even a superficial glance over the literature on self-deception reveals the variety of interpretations of the term 'self-deception'. The differences between philosophers' interpretations of the term makes it hard to understand what  can and what cannot be called 'self-deception.' In order to analyse the possibility of deliberate self-deception, I must  know what self-deception is. The analysis of the term 'self-deception' turns out to be a rather painstaking enterprise, and I have to separate out the several meanings of the word.  In the end of the analysis, I present two meanings of 'self-deception' in ordinary language, as well as explain the diversity of interpretations the concept has in philosophical discourse. -- When I have reached understanding of what the term 'self-deception' means in ordinary language and how it is used by different philosophers, I proceed to the analysis of the possibility of deliberate self-deception. I use the notion of deliberateness in order to distinguish between previously intended and intentional actions which are not intended beforehand. Not all intentional actions require any thinking  or deciding before the action is carried out. Deliberate self-deception is an intended action of making oneself believe what one knows is false. The analysis of the possibility of deliberate self-deception is meant to demonstrate the extent to which one can control what one believes. The possibility of such control provides a basis for claiming that the self-deceivers make themselves believe  what they know is false. The conclusion of my analysis is that deliberate self-deception is possible, but it is possible only in certain circumstances without which any attempt to deceive oneself fails. The basic methods for such  deception are forgetting what one knows and reinterpreting evidence for one's beliefs.


identifier: Rowe, Robert S. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rowe=3ARobert_S=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1991) Freedom and the egoist : an analysis of freedom in Max Stirner's Der Einzige und sein Eigentum.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: As a philosopher Max Stirner is remembered for only one book, Der Einziqe und Sein Eiqentum, first published in 1844. In it he portrays the standpoint of an individual dedicated exclusively to his own self-caring agenda. It is a  portrayal distinguished by a radical affirmation of individual freedom which is so complete, as to challenge any  traditional view of this most complex concept. -- The concept of ownness in Stirner's Der Einzige is an extremely difficult one to define. This thesis is an attempt to do as much through a comparative analysis of Stirner's text with several traditional philosophical standpoints. -- Chapter one examines the freedom advanced by idealism and humanism to which Stirner was so opposed. -- Chapter two discusses Stirner's meaning of a fixed idea, without an understanding of which it would be difficult to proceed in Der Einziqe. -- Chapters three and four form the main body of the thesis and  attempt to describe the distinctions between freedom and ownness. As will be shown, these distinctions have profound ethical implications. -- Chapter five compares Stirner's ownness with the atheistic line of existential thought, specifically Jean-Paul Sartre. While existential freedom most closely resembles the true free existence Stirner calls  ownness, we conclude, however, that freedom and ownness are incompatible categories. By Stirner's account, freedom is nothing more than an abstract ideal which ought to be abandoned altogether. Thus, an ambiguity appears in Der Einzige. The question to be resolved is whether ownness is something more than or prior to freedom or just freedom itself by another name.


identifier: Horwood, Robert Earl <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Horwood=3ARobert_Earl=3A=3A.html>   (1976) Popper and Piaget on thought and action : a problem in evolutionary epistemology.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The initial problem is 'Compton's problem’, as formulated by Popper: 'how does the universe of abstract meanings influence actions?'  Popper solves this problem on the level of ‘knowing that’ by embedding his theory of the evolution of functions of language within a general theory of evolution.  It is in virtue of the evolution of functions of language, from animal to human functions, that 'the universe of meanings’ - linguistically formulated theories - exerts a 'plastic control' upon actions.  This is a control with freedom and feedback, as opposed to a 'cast-iron' or deterministic control.  Within Popper's general evolutionary theory, this solution to Compton's problem 'bridges' animal and human evolution.  Through it, both the 'trials' and the method of 'error-elimination' undergo a transition from animal to human evolution; respectively, genetically based 'expectations' or dispositions to react become linguistically formulated theories and error-elimination through 'natural selection’ becomes error-elimination through criticism and refutation. -- But there is a 'gap' in this bridge.  The human use of language presupposes that 'expectations’ have become separate from biological organization.  The central problem in this thesis is accounting for the emergence of the plastic control of theories upon actions through an account of the separation of 'expectations' from biological organizations. -- Piaget's theory of child intellectual development was employed to close this gap.  This theory was interpreted by Piaget, through the postulate 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny’, as providing an account of the intellectual evolution of prehistoric man.  It provided a solution to Compton's problem on the level of 'knowing how' by demonstrating that the separation of expectations from biological organization occurs in various stages.  These stages represent the attainment of subjective structures which simultaneously represent the 'form' of a series of actions taking place successively.  Through these subjective structures, 'expectations' influence a plastic 'control upon action by enabling controlled experimentation and the linguistic formulation of experimental results.  Piaget interpreted this theory through the postulate 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny’ in order to demonstrate a merger of the contexts of discovery and justification; while, for Popper, any such merger is erroneous.  Hence, the implications of the closure of the 'gap’ with respect to the roles of these two contexts in the growth of knowledge are considered.


identifier: Dawe, M. Wanda (Mary Wanda) <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dawe=3AM=2E_Wanda_=28Mary_Wanda=29=3A=3A.html>   (1993) The philosophy of pessimism: the relation of Schopenhauer's philosophy to Hardy's art.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Arthur Schopenhauer takes Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, particularly its transcendental idealism and the distinction between phenomena and things-in-themselves, as the point of departure for his own philosophy.  However, Schopenhauer rejects Kant's method of deducing the thing-in-itself and he places his own idealism on an empirical foundation.  Ethics also, according to Schopenhauer, is properly justified only from the existential standpoint of human subjectivity always rooted in the world.  The upshot of Schopenhauer's philosophy is a dark, and profoundly pessimistic, picture of the human condition wherein redemptive possibilities must rely solely on human consciousness, on the denial of the manifest world, and on self-abnegation or complete suspension of the will-to-live through that freedom which consciousness is. -- Schopenhauer's influence on writers and thinkers of the nineteenth century is well-documented in the literature and his philosophy of pessimism is there assigned an important role in the artistic development of Thomas Hardy.  Yet, while key Schopenhauerian themes recur throughout Hardy's oeuvre, Schopenhauer's impact on Hardy is less decisive than is sometimes held to be the case.  Indeed, a Schopenhauerian reading of Hardy's later works clearly shows that the artist's mature thought is quite distinctly un-Schopenhauerian. -- Chapter one addresses Schopenhauer's epistemology and metaphysics along with their background in Kantian philosophy and Schopenhauer's criticism of the latter.  Chapter two is a discussion of Schopenhauer's ethics of compassion and his doctrine of asceticism.  Chapters three and four then consider Hardy's art in relation to Schopenhauerian philosophy, especially with regard to Schopenhauer's theory of perception, metaphysics of nature and of character, his theory of freedom and his doctrine of self-abnegation.  Chapter five  summarizes those views which emerge from the foregoing discussion concerning the relation of Schopenhauer's philosophy to Hardy's art.


identifier: Kiefte, Barend <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kiefte=3ABarend=3A=3A.html>   (1993) The question of ethics as the preparation for the rebirth of tragedy in Nietzsche's philosophy.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In this thesis I raise Nietzsche's question of ethics, his question of the value of ethics itself, in light of his call for the rebirth of tragedy.  I contend that, for Nietzsche, the question of ethics is the necessary preparation and education for the rebirth of tragedy and a new tragic sensibility beyond particular Christian-moral interpretations of existence. -- I claim that there are three overlapping stages in the structure of Nietzsche's philosophy: his initial and premature hope for the rebirth of tragedy, his awareness that humanity must be free from morality to be prepared for the rebirth of tragedy, and his renewed hope for the rebirth of tragedy after overcoming morality. -- Within the framework of this structure I discuss Nietzsche's question of ethics in three parts: his inquiry into the origins of morality through an appeal to sciences, his critique of the origins of morality through a method of genealogy, and his overcoming of morality defined as nihilism through a revaluation of values.  I appeal to Foucault's and Deleuze's analysis of Nietzschean genealogy and I raise Heidegger's question of Nietzsche's nihilism in terms of whether he overcomes nihilism or whether he is entangled and encourages nihilism. -- I maintain that art, specifically tragedy, is the vehicle of Nietzsche's overcoming of nihilism through the revaluation of values.  I discuss the manner in which tragedy contributes to his overall project of establishing an aesthetic and anti-moral interpretation of existence through the figure of Dionysus. -- Yet Nietzsche claims that morality overcomes itself through honesty and truthfulness and that tragedy redeems humanity and existence, which suggests that certain ethical and religious themes survive in his philosophy.  In this context I raise the question of Nietzsche's ambiguous legacy with regards to the question of ethics.  I also appeal to Camus's interpretation of Nietzsche in order to indirectly indicate that Nietzsche makes a positive contribution to the question of ethics in contemporary philosophy.


identifier: Haywood, Tanya <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Haywood=3ATanya=3A=3A.html>   (1997) Graduate internship placement with the School of Physical Education and Athletics Co-operative Education Office.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This report integrates information on three separate components gathered during an internship placement with the School of Physical Education and Athletics Co-operative Education Office.  Section One is an overview of Physical Education student work term placements from 1993 to 1995.  Specific areas of interest include, employer characteristics such as classification, i.e., not for profit, private, government, etc., student pay rates and job descriptions, and the effects of funding on job placement.  This information can be found in Section I - Research Component and Appendices A, B, and C of this document.  Section Two involved a practical teaching component in which the author assisted in the leading of Professional Development Seminars for the class of 1999 and the Debriefing sessions for the class of 1997.  This information can be found in Section II - Teaching Component of this document.  Section Three discusses the development of a student handbook specifically for the use of Physical Education students in the Professional Development Seminars.  The Physical Education Handbook and accompanying Instructor's Edition can be found in Appendices D and E of this document.


identifier: Murray, David Anthony <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Murray=3ADavid_Anthony=3A=3A.html>   (1978) Effect of varying 'reaction time' foreperiods upon overt performance, as measured by muscular power.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study examined the possible relationship between reaction time ‘foreperiod’ length and optimal performances as measured by a text of muscular power. Specifically, several questions were asked: -- 1. Would the use of 5 different foreperiods (i.e. 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 seconds) produce significantly different measures of muscular power for the same individual, using the same sub-maximal load for all trials? -- 2. Which of the 5 choses foreperiods would have a ‘no’ effect of an ‘equal’ effect upon measured muscular power? -- 3. Could various foreperiods be used in a future investigation with reasonable certainty of no inherent experimental bias being introduced into the data, which might contaminate recorded measures of muscular power? -- The ultimate problem was defined: did 24 force-velocity trials with the same sub-maximal load, but with randomly varied reaction time foreperiods, induce significantly different scores of muscular power from the same individual? This was determined by comparing optimal performances for each foreperiod. -- The alternative hypothesis (H) was tested: Any individual’s average score of muscular power, with a pre-determined sub-maximal load, will be significantly different for each of 5 different foreperiods. -- To test the alternative hypothesis, a one-group repeated measures design, involving a single test, was employed. A random sample of 7 male students was tested, using specially constructed apparatus designed to (a) measure muscular power, (b) vary foreperiods. The test consisted of 24 trials with randomly varied foreperiods; the subject was asked to respond to a green light, by kicking against a resistance as hard and fast as possible. -- Mechanical principles governed both the construction of the measuring instruments, and the calculation of scores of muscular power from observed data. (A high reliability score (r = 0.99) was obtained for the measuring technique employed.) -- The effect of the independent variable (i.e. randomly varied foreperiod) upon the dependent variable (i.e. measured muscular power) was ascertained; to compare performances with each of the 5 chosen foreperiods, an analysis of variance, utilizing a repeated measures design with two experimental variables, was undertaken. Statistical analysis (two-tailed, at the 0.05 level of significance) indicated that the treatments effects (i.e. varying foreperiods) were insignificant, since the tabled F value was considerably greater (=5.664) than the obtained value (=0.722). Consequently no reasonable evidence existed for rejecting the Null Hypothesis (H₀); the Alternative Hypothesis (H₁) could be rejected with reasonable confidence, since the low observed F value indicated a relatively small chance of making a type II error. -- Differences between subjects were highly significant (α = 0.05) with an obtained F value much larger (= 440.647) than the tabled value (= 2.214). Order of trials had no significant effect on performance (α = 0.05); the obtained F value being smaller (= 2.532) than the tabled value (= 2.719). Each of the three first-order interactions was insignificant (α = 0.05). -- It was concluded that: -- (1) Whilst an optimum foreperiod may exist for any reaction time task, results indicated that no such optimum foreperiod exists for the muscular power task outlined in this investigation. -- (2) Similar randomly varied foreperiods would not act as an intervening variable, contaminating observed scores of muscular power, in future investigations. -- It was subsequently recommended for future investigations, that various sub-maximal loads be used together with randomly varied foreperiods, when measuring simultaneously muscular power and reaction time.


identifier: Dibbon, David C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dibbon=3ADavid_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1984) The career patterns, occupational changes and job satisfaction of Newfoundland physical education graduates.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The major problem of this study was to determine the career patterns of those individuals who graduated from the School of Physical Education and Athletics, at Memorial University from 1958 to 1982, inclusive.  Distinctions were made between four groups of graduates:  those still teaching Physical Education in the province of Newfoundland; those who at one time taught Physical Education, but are now teaching in other subject areas or involved in educational administration; those who at one time taught Physical Education but have now divorced themselves from the profession; and those who graduated from the School of Physical Education and Athletics, but never entered the Physical Education teaching profession.  Questionnaires were designed and administered to these groups of individuals in an attempt to measure their attitudes towards working in the Physical Education profession. -- Data were also collected on each graduating class at the School of Physical Education and Athletics.  In order to analyse the attrition rates of Physical Education teachers and graduates, cohort analyses were completed for five of the graduating classes. -- During the time period studied by the researcher (from 1958 to 1982 inclusive) there were 496 graduates from the School of Physical Education and Athletics.  Two hundred and thirty of these graduates were still teaching Physical Education as of June, 1983. -- The data concerning the number of graduates per year are consistent with data collected by Statistics Canada on a national basis.  It shows a sharp increase at both levels up to 1979, followed by a minor decrease. -- The results of the cohort analysis were somewhat consistent with earlier studies.  However, the major trend identified throughout this study was one of an upward shift in both entrance and survival rates for cohorts graduating into the mid-1970s.  Also, while the trend of the downward sloping survival curve was still evident, it was a much gentler slope than in earlier years. -- The investigation into the job satisfaction of Physical Education teachers revealed that many were dissatisfied with the non-human resources they had available to do the job, the comfort and convenience of the job, as well as the recognition and financial considerations they received from their job.  Two of these facets were also cited among the most important reasons indicated by ex-Physical Education teachers for leaving the profession. -- This investigation has enabled the researcher to draw the following conclusions: -- 1.  Demographic variables have no effect on the overall job satisfaction of Physical Education teachers in Newfoundland. -- 2.  Physical Education teachers are satisfied with the following aspects of their jobs:  the human resources to do the job, the personal relations they experienced on the job, and the nature of their work. -- 3.  Physical Education teachers are dissatisfied with the 'following aspects of their jobs:  the non-human resources to do the job, the financial considerations offered by their job, the comfort and convenience of their job, and the recognition they received for their work. -- 4.  The attrition rates for Newfoundland Physical Education teachers are lower at present than in earlier years. -- 5.  Ex-Physical Education teachers left the profession for many of the same reasons that present Physical Education teachers are dissatisfied, namely, the lack of non-human resources to do the job and the lack of recognition they received for their work. -- 6.  Many of the Physical Education graduates would not have studied Physical Education if they had had some form of career guidance. -- 7.  The present work load on a Physical Education teacher is too heavy. - 8.  A majority of the Physical Education graduates who did not enter the Physical Education teaching profession chose not to enter for their own personal reasons. -- 9.  The majority of the Physical Education graduates who leave Physical Education teaching but who remain in education are either promoted to an administrative position or they make a lateral move to teach in other subject areas.


identifier: Anderson, Sheila <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Anderson=3ASheila=3A=3A.html>   (1982) The development of an observation instrument to measure activity level of kindergarten children in physical education.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The primary purpose of this study was the development of a technique for assessing the activity behaviour of children at the Kindergarten level in physical education. -- The original intent of the study was the development of a remediation program for those individuals who exhibit a degree of participation insufficient for physiological benefit.  As no observation instrument was available to identify such children, it was necessary to develop such an instrument.  Hence, this study concerned itself with the development of an observation instrument to measure the activity level of Kindergarten children in physical education. -- The subjects were 39 first year (Kindergarten) students of Virginia Park Elementary School, St. John's, Newfoundland, of whom 19 were girls and 20 were boys.  The subjects were randomly assigned to groups ranging in size from four to seven, and were observed in a free play setting.  In addition, the subjects were videotaped throughout the observation period to allow future viewings of the subjects, and the use of such observations for further study and comparison with real time” observations. -- Individual subjects were observed consecutively for five second intervals followed by free five second intervals for recording and location of next subject by observers.  Twelve five second observations of each subject's activity level were recorded. -- Four categories of activity were defined and rated inactive, minimally active, moderately active and vigorously active.  The observation instrument was initially used to rate the activity level of two groups of subjects by three observers.  Refinements were then made to the instrument and it was used to rate a further five groups of subjects by two observers. -- Results indicate that the observation instrument developed in this study was a valid (.88), objective (.89) and reliable (.87) method for assessing the activity level of subjects at a Kindergarten level using a free play situation.  In addition, the instrument appeared usable by a physical education teacher in a regular class situation, and required a minimum of time, equipment, and observer training.


identifier: Clarke, Patricia M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Clarke=3APatricia_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1992) A case study on the role of exercise in the management of Parkinson's disease.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Exercise has been heralded by many as the therapeutic medium for managing stress, enhancing well being, controlling weight, and preventing illness.  In fact, many people attach more credibility to exercising, as a means to achieving or maintaining satisfactory health, then any other form of medical intervention. -- There are however, an infinite number of people who envision physical activity as something that is reserved for the young and healthy.  The infirmed are either non-candidates for any form of physical exertion or, it is generally felt, beyond help.  Because of the preponderance of effort and time required to attend or adhere to a pattern of regular exercise coupled with the belief that exercise might further aggravate a medical condition, those who are ill prefer the comfort and noncommittal nature of remaining sedentary. -- This paper is a qualitative investigation centred primarily around an endeavour to obtain information that describes the experiences of living with a medical condition called Parkinson's disease and participating in an exercise program.  The quantitative research has already established that there is a positive change in gait, muscular strength and flexibility but there is very little research that describes the impact of these improvements.  Initial discussions with participants in the program indicated that they felt some temporary relief of one of the major symptoms of the illness, rigidity.  They indicated an improvement in their ability to extend their limbs and manoeuvre about obstacles in a room.  They were able to dress themselves with greater efficiency, get into and out of a car by themselves and exercise more independence in all aspects of their lives.  Many felt that the key to avoiding total incapacitation was to maintain a regime of regular exercise.  Patients felt some consolation at not having to rely so heavily on others to accomplish routine tasks.  The class also provided the opportunity to converse with others in similar predicaments.  For some, the class was the only form of socialization they encountered in the week.  Continued discussions with the patients revealed that exercise was responsible for restoring self confidence, providing the muscular agility to enjoy hobbies they had given up because of the condition, and generally giving them the power to influence some control over the progression and severity of their symptoms.  These factors alone allowed me to conclude that the role of exercise in the management of Parkinson's disease was monumental and that exercise should be an automatic recommendation by the neurologist diagnosing this condition.


identifier: Brushett, Raymond James <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brushett=3ARaymond_James=3A=3A.html>   (1995) Student attitude and behavior change towards personal wellness through Wellness 1123 at Baltimore Regional High School.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The complexity of life as a student is a wondrous phenomena. The reasons students make the choices they do are even more complex. People are continually encouraged, through the media and other sources, to participate in physical activity in order to increase their overall health and well-being. One would assume that all individuals have an understanding of the benefits of physical fitness and would be leading an active life-style, but this is not happening. -- Wellness 1123 is a Physical Education Course for high school students which attempts to encourage all individuals, regardless of physical abilities, to participate in physical activity as a way of life. It encourages individuals to search for positive experiences and focus on the moment and on the activity for its own sake, rather than for extrinsic reasons or some orchestrated goals. -- This study evaluates the potential of a Physical Education course entitled Wellness 1123 to bring about change in health-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students who completed it as part of their curriculum. The course was designed and taught by the author at Baltimore High School in Ferryland during the 1993-94 school year. An interpretative, qualitative case study methodology was utilized in order to understand the lived experiences of the participants. The research centered primarily around change in student attitude and behavior acquired through participation in four wellness concepts: nutrition, physical activity, stress and substance use and abuse. -- Through the use of interview data, field notes, and discussions with students it was revealed that students had adopted changes in attitude and behavior towards a more positive life-style. Involvement in the wellness curriculum had a positive influence on students' wellness praxis. Through Wellness 1123, students acquired the methods necessary to improve their wellness and they were actively doing so. The data indicated an increase in physical activity, an increased awareness of the effect of nutrition on total well-being, and the ability to handle stress more efficiently. As well, students said that they were more confident and had learned to develop personal goals to assist them to attain a higher level of wellness. There was an increase in conversations at home regarding nutrition and these conversations were having an affect on the manner in which food was prepared and the types of food consumed. -- These factors alone allowed the author to conclude that involvement in the wellness curriculum had resulted in a positive influence on students' wellness praxis. Wellness 1123 students developed an understanding of the components of wellness and applied these concepts to their own lives through attitudinal and behavioral changes. Therefore, Wellness 1123 may be viewed as a starting point for futuristic changes in Physical Education curriculum development.


identifier: Connolly, Maureen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Connolly=3AMaureen=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Supervision of volunteers in service organizations: the effect of leadership style and manner of delivery on volunteer satisfaction.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether leadership style and manner of delivery of the supervisor in health, education and leisure service organizations were significant factors in volunteer satisfaction. -- Many health, education and leisure service organizations rely on volunteers for the direct delivery of service.  In many such organizations, it is the volunteer who enables the organization to meet client need.  Retaining these volunteers and keeping them satisfied are priorities for the administrator who utilizes volunteer manpower. -- This study investigated leadership style of the supervisor as a factor in volunteer satisfaction.  The leadership styles considered were autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles.  As well, the concept of manner of delivery was presented and investigated.  The manner of delivery was presented, simply, as the way a thing was done.  In other words, a, supervisor can issue an order, vaguely pass on a directive or offer a constructive suggestion, depending on the way in which the information was passed on.  Categories of manner of delivery were considered to be sensitive, impersonal or brusque. - Two hundred volunteers in various organizations were given questionnaires constructed to collect information on leadership style, manner of delivery and satisfaction levels, as well as pertinent demographic data.  Ch'i square, correlation, one-way analysis of variance and multiple regression procedures were performed on the data. - Both leadership style and manner of delivery were significant factors in volunteer satisfaction.  The democratic leadership style and the sensitive manner of delivery yielded the highest satisfaction levels. -- In addition, volunteer satisfaction was found to be significantly affected by the age of the volunteer, the gender of the volunteer, the age of the supervisor and the gender of the supervisor.  Female volunteers exhibited significantly higher levels of satisfaction than did male volunteers; female supervisors yielded significantly higher satisfaction than did male supervisors. - Volunteer satisfaction was positively correlated with education level of the volunteer, age of the volunteer, age of the supervisor and the length of service with the agency and with the supervisor.


identifier: Johnson, Francesca <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Johnson=3AFrancesca=3A=3A.html>   (1996) The "Active living go for green tool kit" internship report.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis has no abstract.


identifier: Jollimore, Sharon M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Jollimore=3ASharon_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1996) The development of a programming plan for the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex: an internship placement with the Commonwealth Sport Development Program, Barbados, West Indies.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: In October 1990, sod was broken at the Wildey Complex, to commemorate the start of construction on the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, a 4000 seat indoor multipurpose sporting facility.  The Complex which was built through funds received from a loan agreement between the Government of Barbados and the Peoples Republic of China, commenced operation in November 1992. -- Since its inception the Complex; originally deemed a sporting facility, has been used predominately for cultural and special events.  For numerous reasons, sporting groups throughout Barbados have been unable to obtain use of the sporting facility to operate their programs and activities.  In addition, there is an underlying opinion within the Ministry of Sport and the Management and Staff of the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex that the facility is extremely underutilized and in need of a distinct programming plan. -- The following report is the result of a four month internship placement at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.  The scope of the placement involved three fundamental tasks.  Initially, an examination of the factors contributing to the construction of the facility and the current state of programs, activities, and special events, was conducted.  Upon examination of the current state, a desirable future, detailing proposed programs and activities for increasing the overall use of the facility was developed.  Two major objectives upon which the proposed programs were based involved; developing youth sport, and promoting Barbados as a primary tourist attraction for sports.  Additional factors that played a significant role when developing the proposed plan were: increasing the overall use and revenue earning potential of the facility, attracting a large user population, and finally, the need to instill and promote the benefits of sport and physical activity to the people of Barbados. -- The final component of the report, involved a series of recommendations and action statements aimed at bridging the gap between the existing state and the desirable future.  It was recommended that a complete revision of the current organizational structure of the gymnasium take place, including the establishment of a Board of Management to oversee the daily operation of the facility.  Other recommendations involved a revision of the current rental fees, improved access for sporting groups, training for Management and Supervisors, cooperation and support between the bodies responsible for sport, and promotion of the values and benefits of sport.


identifier: Shelley, Beverly V. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shelley=3ABeverly_V=2E=3A=3A.html>   (1990) The life cycle of organizations: a case study of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association Physical Education Special Interest Council.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This study combines models and methods from history and administrative science, utilizing quantitative and qualitative data, to analyze the evolution of the Physical Education Special Interest Council (PESIC) of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association (NTA) from its inception in 1970 through to 1987.  The statistical technique used to analyze the quantitative data was cluster analysis.  This technique was employed to determine symmetry or asymmetry with Daniel Katz and Robert Kahn's (1966) stages of development for organizations.  The following life cycle stages in PESICs development were analyzed and discussed: -- 1. The Embryonic Stage from 1969 to 1970 aimed at service for the organization.  During that time there existed a concerned group of physical educators who felt the need to establish a formal organization to serve the profession.  The organization was loosely knit, and had as a major emphasis the setting of goals and the provision of a forum for all physical education teachers to share ideas. -- 2. The Primary Stage from 1970 to 1975 aimed at developing a formal organization.  The major emphasis was on adopting a constitution, outlining aims and objectives, obtaining funds, and forming an administrative structure.  The Council initiated a policy of an annual workshop or conference and an Annual General Meeting. -- 3. The Stable Stage from 1976 to 1986 aimed at implementing administration of the organization.  The main concerns were improving communication to physical educators and suggesting policy formation and implementation for the physical education curriculum in Newfoundland.  There was a large increase in membership and regional councils during this period. -- 4. The Elaborate Stage in 1987 showed an increased emphasis on publicity and the initiation of planning and research to evaluate the current status of physical education and make recommendations for the future.  The Council was concerned with educating the general public, school boards, government and other teachers, in the benefits of the discipline of physical education. -- The Sports Institute for Research/Change Agent Research (SIR/CAR) methodology (Moriarty & Duthie, 1974) was used to record the events of these eras.  This research design consisted of three dimensions: -- 1. The organizational dimension which examines the task, structure and control of the organization. -- 2. The personal dimension which examines the administrators in terms of the situation, traits and decision making behavior. -- 3.  The trends dimension which also considers management of change and conflict identification. -- The quantitative data was substantiated by content analysis of the minutes and records of the PESIC and qualitative data obtained through semi-directed, focused interviews with prominent leaders and members of the organization. -- Action-Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations are contained in the final chapter which recapitulates, evaluates the research approach and suggests further research.  The study supports the Sports Institute Research/Change Agent Research (SIR/CAR) model and methodology as a viable instrument for analysis of a council such as the PESIC, and substantiates the theory of Katz and Kahn (1966), which suggests that organizations pass through identifiable stages or cycles.


identifier: Brockerville, Gordon Thomas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brockerville=3AGordon_Thomas=3A=3A.html>   (1995) A deliberative case study of decision-making and action in a physical education curriculum development project.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Using a qualitative case study research methodology grounded in the interpretative and critical paradigm, a provincial physical education curriculum development project was examined to provide a comprehensive analysis of curriculum decision-making and action.  Through observation, audio-taped meetings, journal and interview, the decision-making and action that transpired during the construction of a formal curriculum framework document was followed for 26 months. -- Several strategies were synthesized to analyze what happened in the project, how it happened, why it happened and whose interests were served.  Using Kirk's (1988) features of curriculum inquiry (knowledge, context and interaction), a collection of 'knowledge' that formed the basis for the framework document was juxtaposed against the 'context' of former physical education curriculum development and contemporary educational reform.  The 'interaction' of project participants (including the author as participant-researcher) in decision-making and action was analyzed using an adaptation of Walker's (1971a&b, 1975) System for Analyzing Curriculum Deliberations.  A macro analysis of major episodes and a micro analysis of deliberative moves revealed four phases of decision-making that resulted in the construction of the framework document.  The analysis disclosed a series of deliberative acts in response to contextual problems, issues and constraints.  Also, the analysis showed an eclectic approach to planning, displaying elements of Walker's (1971a&b, 1975) naturalistic model of planning, Schwab's (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973) practical model, and Klein's (1991) conceptual decision-making model. -- Habermas' (1970a&b, 1978, 1979) criteria for competent dialogue was used as a normative screen - first to assess the discourse in the project, and second, to judge whether or not the decisions and actions were made in the best interest of teachers and students who will have to translate the framework into a functional curriculum (Dodds, 1983, 1985).  This analysis revealed that the curriculum writers, as influential decision-makers, were explicit about their intentions.  The participants, as critics of the curriculum framework document, communicated in an environment of mutual trust; however, they were constrained by the hierarchical structure of decision-making.  A form of cognitive emancipation (Tinning, 1992) was the reward for the participant-researcher who intended to share the insight with stakeholders inside and outside the project.


identifier: de Young, Brad <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/de_Young=3ABrad=3A=3A.html>   (1983) Deep water exchange in Fortune Bay, Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Temperature, salinity and density data are presented showing a seasonal cycle in the deep water in Fortune Bay, Newfoundland. Cold Labrador Current Water flows in from Saint-Pierre Channel, an extension of the Avalon Channel, in the summer. Warm Modified Slope Water flows in from Hermitage Channel in the winter. -- A description of the water structure in the Fortune Bay area for 1981 and 1982 is presented. The transport of the Labrador Current in the Saint-Pierre Channel is determined to be 6.4 x 10⁴ m³ s⁻¹. Cold water exchange in the summer is found to be correlated with a seasonal variation in the Labrador Current flow. Direct current meter measurements of this density current inflow are provided with an analytical discussion of the interaction between the flow and the tide. -- Warm water exchange in the winter is found to be correlated with a seasonal shift in the wind stress. Light southwesterly summer winds are replaced in winter by strong northeasterly winds. Two possible mechanisms by which the wind can generate the Modified Slope Water inflow are put forward: a time-dependent upwelling model and a steady-state upwelling model.


identifier: Pearce, George William <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Pearce=3AGeorge_William=3A=3A.html>   (1967) Design and calibration of apparatus for the alternating field demagnetization of rocks.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Apparatus for demagnetization of rocks in alternating fields up to 800 oe. (peak) has been designed, constructed and calibrated. The unit was tested in detail for effectiveness in removing "unstable" magnetization components., and to confirm the absence of all preferentially directed field components that might cause the specimens to acquire an anhysteretic magnetization. Synthetic materials consisting of one-and two- component powders of magnetite, hematite and pyrrhotite set in a plaster of Paris matrix, as well as natural, basalt, were used in these tests. -- The system was shown to be especially sensitive to direct fields acting parallel to the main (N-S) rotation axis, which is perpendicular to the axis of the demagnetization coils. Spinning of the specimen about three orthogonal axes simultaneously proved superior to a two-axis spin, though alternating field demagnetization even in the highest fields of which the unit is capable, was satisfactory with two-axis spin, provided the direct field in the specimen region was insignificant. -- A number of specimens from rock formations in Newfoundland and Ireland were demagnetized in alternating fields, to test their suitability for palaeomagnetic studies. -- Preliminary attempts to use direct current in the demagnetizing coils showed this method to be feasible, but it requires further tests and some modification to the apparatus before it can be used to advantage.


identifier: Yerneni, Seshu Babu <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yerneni=3ASeshu_Babu=3A=3A.html>   (1986) Overlap parameters and hexadecapole-induced transitions in H₂-Ar mixtures.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Please see thesis for abstract.


identifier: Todoeschuck, John Peter <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Todoeschuck=3AJohn_Peter=3A=3A.html>   (1979) The compressibility of the earth's core and the anti-dynamo theorems.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Anti-dynamo theorems are proofs that certain combinations of magnetic and velocity fields cannot produce the dynamo action needed to sustain the magnetic field.  They can be divided into two classes.  One class applies only to magnetic fields that are constant in time.  The second is concerned with the more general case of magnetic fields that are allowed to vary in time. -- The previously accepted proofs of this second class are not generally valid in a compressible fluid.  An anti-dynamo theorem can be applied in a particular case only if the parameter Rmc is much less than one.  This parameter is given by - Rmc = CRm -- where Rm is the magnetic Reynolds number or the ratio of the importance of transport processes to ohmic diffusion and C is the Smylie-Rochester compressibility number which gives the fractional compression of material. -- For large scale processes involving substantial radial motion in the core of the Earth C is about 0.2 while Rm is about 200.  Thus an anti-dynamo theorem for time-dependent axisymmetric velocity and magnetic fields does not apply to the core of the Earth.  Another theorem for non-radial velocity fields is probably applicable as the density difference on any surface of constant radius in the core is not likely to be large.  A third theorem on two-dimensional fields is hard to apply to the Earth because the system considered in the theorem is of infinite extent along one axis. -- The theorems of the first class are not affected by the introduction of compressibility.


identifier: Sen, Amarjit <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Sen=3AAmarjit=3A=3A.html>   (1978) Quadrupolar S₁(J) + S₀(J)- and hexadecapolar U-transitions in H₂ at 77 K induced by intermolecular collisions.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Double transitions S₁(J) + S₀(J) corresponding to the vibration-rotation transition in one molecule and a rotational transition in the other molecule, occurring simultaneously in a colliding pair, have been observed in the infrared fundamental band of normal H₂ at 77 K for gas densities in the range 100-320 amagat with a 2 m absorption cell. These transitions arise because of the contribution to the intermolecular interaction by the anisotropic component of the polarizability of one molecule in the quadrupole field of the other and occur in the high-wavenumber tail of the S₁(J) and Q₁(J) + S₀(J) components of the band. The experimental profiles were analyzed by assuming appropriate line-shape functions and using the available matrix elements of the quadrupole moment, isotropic polarizability and anisotropy of the polarizability of the H₂ molecule. From this analysis the characteristic half-with parameter δq and the binary and ternary absorption coefficients of the S₁(J) + S₀(J) transitions have been obtained.  -- U-branch transitions corresponding to ΔJ = +4 in the fundamental band of normal H₂ at 77 K for gas densities up to 520 amagat have also been investigated. These transitions arise on account of the hexadecapolar induction mechanism in the colliding pairs of molecules and occur on the high-wavenumber wing of the S₁(l) + S₀(l) transition. Although a preliminary report on the observation of the U-transitions was made by previous researchers, no analysis of the profiles was attempted prior to the present work. We have now carried out the profile analysis of these transitions by assuming a line shape similar to that of the quadrupolar lines of the band and using the recently available matrix elements of the hexadecapole moment of the H₂ molecule The characteristic half-width parameter δu and the binary and ternary absorption coefficients of the U branch transitions have been obtained from the analysis.


identifier: Kinsella, Eric Douglas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Kinsella=3AEric_Douglas=3A=3A.html>   (1984) Wind and topographic effects on the Labrador current at Carson Canyon.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Carson Canyon is located on the eastern slope of the Grand Bank and is about 10 km wide, 80 km long, and 700 m deep where it intersects the shelf break (110 m). Data from June of 1980 and 1981 are interpreted in terms of steady and time-dependent (wind -driven) interactions of the Labrador Current with the canyon. The mean velocity field is estimated from direct measurements and the dynamic topography relative to 200 dbar. Up and downstream of the canyon, the flow was predominantly along-isobath  with speeds of 0 (20cm s⁻¹) near the shelf break 10 m above bottom, and 48 cm s⁻¹ at the velocity axis over the 500 m isobath. A 20 m thick cold core of <-1°C water upstream of the canyon separated into inner and outer cold cores over the canyon axis, and coalesced to reform a single core downstream. The degree to which the canyon perturbed the mean flow changed with position both along and perpendicular to the canyon axis with along-isobath flow near the shelf break: cross-isobath flow on the upstream side and cross-canyon flow in the center: further off-shelf, the flow remained undisturbed by the canyon. Divergence of the mean flow in the vicinity of a secondary head on the upstream side is indicated by the measurements, implying steady upwelling. This is supported by a 0.9 cm s⁻¹ residual, near-bottom flow toward the secondary head. A single upwelling event lasting 5 d was observed following 18 - 23 m s⁻¹ southwesterly winds of about 0.5 d duration. Current reversal at the shelf break occurred soon after the high speed winds ceased, following by abrupt temperature (2.8°C) and salinity (1.2 ppt) increases up to 1 d later. At 167 m depth in the central canyon region isohalines rose at rates of 0.2 - 0.5 cm⁻¹. The reversal was baroclinic: the Labrador Current continued to flow southwestward, but with reduced speeds and the reversal itself was confined to a layer centered at about 130 m depth. The reversal and decreased upper-layer speeds probably arise from the barotropic response to a wind-induced decrease in sea surface slope: the upwelling represents the slower baroclinic response. Steady upwelling in the presence of a shelf-break jet in the upper layer is modeled using a two-layer system and a vertical wall at the shelf break. The model results differ from the usual (no jet) case: upwelling is suppressed by 26% at the coast, but extends to greater distances offshore.