identifier: Walker, Leah C. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Walker=3ALeah_C=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) All fired up: A long-term fire history of the coastal boreal forest of Newfoundland, Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Little is known about the long-term fire history of coastal boreal forests in Atlantic Canada, particularly of Newfoundland. Establishing historical fire regimes is essential to wildfire management and projecting future wildfire activity. We radiocarbon-dated and botanically identified soil charcoal to resolve the long-term fire history of Terra Nova National Park (TNNP) in eastern Newfoundland. Typically, dendrochronology or lake sediment cores are used to reconstruct fire histories; yet, a soil charcoal approach produces a longer time-scale than dendrochronology and a finer spatial resolution than lacustrine sediment understanding of past fire events. Charcoal ages ranged from 7528 to 64 cal. years BP. The 150 year fire return interval for the park was consistent with other eastern boreal forest stands. We found charcoal of spruce, balsam fir, pine, birch, and maple. The proportion of black spruce increased in the Central Newfoundland Forest, while the proportion of balsam fir increased in the North Shore Forest from the past to present-day. Our results directly inform the wildfire management plan in TNNP to enhance black spruce regeneration, improve overall forest health, and decrease fire risk.


identifier: Brehaut, Lucas D. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Brehaut=3ALucas_D=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Subarctic ecosystem resilience under changing disturbance regimes.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

type: Thesis NonPeerReviewed

abstract: Disturbance regimes are changing across the subarctic as a result of continued climate change. At the northern range edge of the boreal forest, changes to disturbance regimes are predicted to result in a shift in successional trajectory of the current plant community, altering the structure and function of the current ecosystem. As these boreal tree and shrub species are already climatically primed for range expansion, changes to disturbance regimes may facilitate increased establishment of boreal tree and shrub species beyond their current range edge. An investigation of how different disturbances influence biotic and abiotic conditions for early life-stages of boreal tree and shrub species was conducted at the Canadian boreal-tundra treeline ecotone to determine whether disturbances disrupt the ecological inertia of the current ecosystem, creating suitable conditions for successional change and northward boreal tree range expansion. Impacts to microsite conditions by wildfire, insect granivory on spruce cones, and anthropogenic wood harvesting were examined. These disturbance regimes were selected because they are anticipated to change in frequency and extent across the subarctic with continued climate change. Results from each investigation indicated that while disturbances did create conditions that could support increased establishment of boreal tree species, disturbance severities were low, often creating additional challenges for seed germination and establishment. Thus, disturbance induced changes to ecosystem structure and function are not anticipated at these research locations. Future research is required to examine disturbances of different severity at the range edge in order to determine whether disturbances of higher severity are likely to occur and whether they can break the ecological inertia of the current ecosystem.


identifier: Al Mehedi, Mohammad Abu Abdullah <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Al_Mehedi=3AMohammad_Abu_Abdullah=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Design and dynamic modeling of a solar electric boat power system.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis describes the system required for a solar electric boat power system with energy storage and a DC gas generator for sailing the boat at 10km/h with 20people. Details of existing diesel engine-driven boats in a river in Bangladesh were collected for the system design. Sizing assessment, sensitivity analysis, and optimization of required power are performed in HOMER. The system’s equipment is modeled in MATLAB Simulink platform and simulated to know the dynamic performance of system components. An Arduino-based basic control system also was proposed for the solar boat. The proposed system was simulated in Tinkercad.com web-based software to check the live functionality of the designed control system. Power system instruments were proposed, including solar PV panel, PMDC motor and driver, generator, lead-acid battery, circuit breaker, busbar, and a programmable display device to measure battery voltage and capacity and display data. Additionally, navigation instruments were proposed for measuring water depth, boat speed, and water temperature and display the values on a monitor. The projected payback period was calculated for the recommended solar boat. PV/diesel/battery hybrid power system is compared with PV/battery and the traditional diesel-only power system in this research. Economic analysis indicates that the proposed solar boat design is the best option for rivers in Bangladesh.


identifier: Walsh, Mary <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Walsh=3AMary=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Living with a genetic subtype of ARVC caused by a p.S358L disease causing variant in TMEM43: Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress in partners of those who tested positive and have an ICD as treatment.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) caused by a TMEM43 p.S358l variant is a particularly lethal subset of the disease found in high incidence in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) treatment has been found to be lifesaving in this population, however ICD treatment is not without side effects which can include mental health concerns. Partners of patients with a disease, while genetically unaffected, have the potential to be impacted by the disease. Qualitative data and anecdotal knowledge within the ARVC research team indicated that there may be serious mental health concerns in all TMEM43 family members including partners, negative relatives not just the ICD patients themselves. This study aimed to quantitatively study the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms in the partners of ICD patients.
Methods: Partners of ICD patients as treatment for ARVC caused by a TMEM43 p.S358l variant were recruited. Participants completed the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the PTSD Checklist for Civilians (PCL-C). Prevalences of anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms were described in the partners and compared with scores of ICD patients, negative relatives and the general population. Associations between partners scores and demographic and clinical data was also analyzed.
Results: Twenty-six partners participated that ranged in age from 19-69 and 54% were female. Clinically significant scores for anxiety, depression, and PTSD were found in 25%, 12%, and 65% of partners respectively. Scale score were significantly related to one another(p=0.001-p=0.016). Partners PCL-C scores were significantly positively associated with their partner with the ICD’s PCL-C score(r(24)=0.593, p=0.002), number of appropriate shocks experienced by their partner with the ICD(rS(24)=0.564, p=0.005), and if the partner with the ICD went on to have a heart transplant(t(24)=3.497,p=0.002). Partners were found to have significantly higher(p=0.037) scores for PCL-C than negative relatives. Compared to the general population partners had significantly higher rates of anxiety(p<0.001) and PTSD(p<0.001).
Conclusion: The partners of ICD patients as treatment for ARVC caused by a TMEM43 p.S358l variant are experiencing significant mental health sequale. Additional mental health supports within this population are needed. Further research to better understand these symptoms and the risk factors could better inform health care.


identifier: Piersiak, Michael G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Piersiak=3AMichael_G=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Examining the effects of in-situ aquaculture on marine ecosystem structure and function.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Marine aquaculture operations in Atlantic Canada have been steadily increasing for decades. Along Newfoundland’s southern coast, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are farmed in two of the three major oceanographic bays, and development of hatchery and farm operations in the third are ongoing. Marine farm operations attract wild animals, and resulting changes to local ecosystem properties may also affect wild salmon during coastal phases of their marine migrations to and from their natal rivers. In this thesis, I explore the mechanisms responsible for the aggregative effect generated by farm activity, and examine the effects of changing ecosystem properties on wild salmon populations with natal rivers in close proximity to farm operations. I show that fish schools are an effective proxy measure for predation risk, and that in sea cage environments, attraction of large predators to active farm sites can be quantified using acoustic measurements of fish schools. I also show that basal resource availability does not differ between active and fallow farm sites, while basal productivity trends differ annually between bays and as well across years within the same major oceanographic bay regardless of the presence of aquaculture operations. Finally, I show that wild salmon exhibit little fidelity to active farm sites compared to farm fish, and differences in movement behavior and changes to local ecosystem properties resulting from farm activity leads to increased mortality risk via natural predation for escaped farm-raised salmon. Cumulatively, results from this thesis suggest that marine pelagic ecosystems and natural processes therein are changing in response to aquaculture activities. Within these changing ecosystems, marine survival for escaped farm salmon is likely low due to the combination of reduced antipredator behavior and fidelity to active farm sites where encounter probability with naturally-occurring predators is high.


identifier: Khawer, Maria <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Khawer=3AMaria=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Barriers to physical activity in visible minorities.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
There has been limited research on the role of visible minority status on health in Canada.
In particular, the physical activity of visible minorities has not been extensively
examined. Participation in physical activity is influenced by various biological,
environmental, and social factors, and these factors act as either facilitators or barriers to
physical activity participation. Previous research has shown that the main barriers to
participation in physical activity identified by visible minorities have been the different
ethnic and cultural norms and practices of participants. A cross-sectional, online survey
was conducted to examine the barriers to physical activity in visible minorities living in
St. John’s, Newfoundland. Participants included 75 visible minorities who participated in
the web-based survey; 52 participants had complete data. A stepwise forward regression
model was tested with total physical activity participation as the outcome variable.
Sociodemographic, sociocultural, self-efficacy, and health-related variables were not
significantly related to total physical activity levels. Only two barrier items were found to
be significant and positively and highly correlated to physical activity: physical activity
taking too much time away from taking care of family members (ß = 0.42, t = 2.538, p =
.017) and not being talented in physical activity (ß = 0.339, t = 2.131, p = .042). This
model was a significant fit (F₍₂,₅₆₎ = 5.870, p = . 007) and accounted for 24% of the
variance. All other barrier items were found to have insignificant partial correlations and
thus did not improve the model. Limitations of the study are discussed with emphasis
recruitment of visible minorities and future research recommendations are provided.
Key words: barriers, visible minorities, physical activity participation


identifier: Aastrup, Marie Louise <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Aastrup=3AMarie_Louise=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Global conservation ideas & local reactions: the case of a new proposed national park in the Făgăraș Mountains, Romania.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Environmental protection is never a controversy-free endeavor. Conflicts
arise over land ownership, use, and access. With the fall of Communism (1947-
1989) Romania experienced drastic changes in property rights, land tenures,
environmental policy, and management. In the intervening decades, Romania
transitioned to a market economy and accessioned to the EU in 2007. Since then
a private foundation, Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC), has put forward
a proposal to establish the Făgăraș Mountains National Park in Central Romania.
Although the national park is yet to be established, FCC has, since 2009, been
purchasing land for private protection with the intention of returning these
landholdings to the state once a national park has been established.
This raises questions around how people come to think of conservation in
certain ways, how different actors understand and frame new conservation
initiatives, how lived experiences and histories are shaping conservation
perceptions, and what conservation perceptions can reveal about social equity
concerns and how can these inform conservation planning. To answer these
questions, I employed mixed methods consisting of qualitative data collection
(interviews, participant observation, document analysis) and quantitative data
collection (a questionnaire). I conducted 56 semi-structured interviews with
environmental non-governmental organizations, government officials, local
decision-makers, and local community members with various levels of involvement in the proposed national park. I distributed the questionnaire (n =
644) among local community members in 10 different municipalities. Throughout
this dissertation, I show the fruitfulness of using mixed methods to investigate
local conservation perceptions.
In this dissertation, l argue that a critical social science perspective can
improve conservation planning and deepen our understanding on the humanenvironment
interactions as they pertain to conservation. Local perceptions of
the park proposal are not only complex, they are also contradictory, shaped by
local experiences and histories, public concerns and anticipations for the future.
Chapter Two examines how different actors employ conservation narratives to
push different political agendas. Political ecologists have paid extensive attention
to protected areas, especially in relation to power, rights, and marginalized
peoples. This dissertation draws on political ecology to examine conservation
narratives in the context of post-Communism and neoliberalization in Romania.
Three chief narratives can be observed pertaining to tourism, restrictions, and
deforestation. These narratives are embedded in the history and socio-economic
context of the area, but also reveal the agendas of different actors regarding
landscape values. Assessing these narratives, this research reveals how actors
position themselves and the points of contention among the different actors in the
brewing conflict that the national park represents.
In the third chapter, I investigate how social memory forms and informs local
perceptions of conservation. I investigate the role of historical context, local experiences, and social memories in shaping local perceptions of the proposed
park. I argue that conservation initiatives should be attentive to, and respectful of,
the historical and cultural contexts in which they occur as these will be key in
understanding local experiences, livelihoods, and concerns related to the park
and eventually successful conservation. In particular, exploring and documenting
local experiences and social memories of past and present events deepen our
understanding of local realities.
Finally, I illustrate how perceptions research can guide equitable
conservation planning (Chapter Four). The ways in which protected areas impact
local communities are complex and contextual. In this chapter I investigate local
perceptions of the proposed national park to understand the implications of local
perceptions for equitable management by comparing two geographical areas in
the Făgăraș Mountains: one area, comprised of communities adjacent to an
already existing privately protected area (n = 217) in the Făgăraș Mountains, and
the other area integrating communities in the Făgăraș Mountains (n = 427) but
not adjacent to the privately protected area. I show that contextual factors inform
people’s perception of the park proposal and that locals in the privately protected
areas are slightly more positive that a national park will bring benefits than are
locals further away from the privately protected area. Locals in both areas
perceived a number of restrictions, especially regarding livelihoods.
Understanding local perceptions of proposed protected areas can inform
equitable management, as perceptions can reveal spatial differences in anticipated distribution of benefits, contextual factors that affect trust in
management, and barriers for procedural equity.


identifier: Rana, Md Masud <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rana=3AMd_Masud=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Effects of autonomous vehicles on pavement distress & road safety and pavement distress optimization.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The commercial application of automation technology in passenger and freight transport will bring positive revolutionary changes in transportation mobility. Despite having more advantages, automation in trucking technology has some detrimental effects on the performance of asphalt pavement and highway safety. This study focuses on optimization of asphalt pavement distresses and prediction of rutting induced traffic safety factors for movement of autonomous trucks. This study optimizes the asphalt concrete (AC) pavement distresses by devising traffic input in Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Software, AASHTOWare. An increase in pavement distresses was observed for a small increase in the standard deviation of wheel wander, uniform distribution of truck traffic loading, and equal distribution of vehicle positioning on the road lanes. Permanent deformation of the asphalt concrete layer for roads (PEDRO) model was incorporated to predict AC pavement rutting for a typical pavement section. Hydroplaning speed and skid resistance as traffic safety factors were evaluated from widely accepted empirical equations for the induced rutting. A standard tire rather than a truck tire was considered due to its high susceptibility to traffic safety. A graphical relationship has been proposed to obtain a design threshold value for hydroplaning speed, water film depth and autonomous truck speed. An attempt was made to improve pavement performance by increasing frequency of truck load in low-temperature period of a day.


identifier: Shebani, Muamer M. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shebani=3AMuamer_M=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Development of an alternative droop strategy for controlling parallel converters in standalone DC microgrid.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Most of parallel-connected DC-DC converters schemes are based on a high-bandwidth
communication network to achieve minimum circulating current, proper load current sharing, and
acceptable voltage regulation. However, in DC microgrids, the use of communication network can
be costly and unsuitable considering the data reliability and cost investment because the load and
renewable energy sources are connected to the point of common coupling. Therefore, the droop
control as a decentralized method has gained more attention. However, the challenge for the
conventional droop method is to overcome the issue of circulating current, poor load current
sharing, and the drop in DC grid voltage due to the droop action. This thesis develops and tests
an approach for minimizing the circulating current, as well as improving the voltage regulation
and the load current sharing for the droop method. The developed approach is based on the concept
of synchronized switching, which is implemented using an alternative droop strategy for
controlling different sizes of parallel-connected DC-DC boost converters.
In this thesis, synchronous switching, based on an optimized controller, is presented to eliminate
the initiation of circulating current and minimize the ripple in the output current for parallel-connected
boost converters. Furthermore, a modified droop method, including the cable resistance,
is introduced. The modified droop method uses the measurements of the voltage and current at the
point of common coupling to estimate the voltage set point for each converter locally. The
communication network is eliminated by utilizing the modified droop method because, in the
proposed method, there is no current and voltage measurement data transmitted from one converter
to the other converter. Additional loop control is also applied for equal current sharing between
parallel converters to overcome the issue of mismatch in parameters of the parallel converters. The
additional loop control is added to improve the load current sharing in the modified droop control. The modified droop control method with additional loop control is verified using
MATLAB/SIMULINK and validated with experimental results.
However, the droop action of the modified droop and different cable resistances degrades the
voltage regulation and load current sharing. Therefore, an improved droop method, which utilizes
the virtual droop gain and voltage droop control gain, is proposed to overcome the problem of load
current sharing and voltage regulation. The virtual droop gain compensates the differences in the
cable resistances, and the voltage droop control gain regulates the voltage at the point of common
coupling. This maintains the common DC bus at its rated value. The effectiveness of the improved
droop method is demonstrated by MATLAB/Simulink and Laboratory prototype results. Finally,
the proposed method is utilized in a standalone DC microgrid. An example of a DC microgrid of
a residential building powered by a PV solar system illustrates the feasibility and the effectiveness
of the proposed methods.


identifier: Monosky, Miranda <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Monosky=3AMiranda=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Social and community engaged mine closure: an exploration of mine closure governance and industry practices in northern Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The inevitable closure and remediation phase of a mine’s lifecycle routinely causes negative socio-economic and environmental impacts for nearby communities. For mines operating on Indigenous territories, where communities have complex and nuanced connections to land and varying levels of jurisdiction, these issues are further exacerbated by the exclusion of Indigenous voices from planning and decision-making. Using qualitative document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this research sought to understand company approaches to socio-economic closure planning and community engagement across the North, and then examined Nunavik, Québec, as a case study to explore mine closure governance. The results show that mine companies across the North are inadequately addressing the socio-economic aspects of closure and inconsistently involving communities in the closure planning process. In Nunavik, government policies do little to regulate these aspects of mine closure, which has allowed for considerable variation in closure planning strategies between the companies operating in the region. These shortcomings in closure policies and industry practices mean governments and companies risk reproducing past closure and remediation failures.


identifier: Rafieazad, Mehran <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rafieazad=3AMehran=3A=3A.html>   (2021) On microstructure and corrosion properties of the laser-powder bed fused (L-PBF) AlSi10Mg alloy.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Despite the already existing advantages of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg, there are still process-induced imperfections associated with the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion process, such as microstructural inhomogeneity and high level of porosity. This thesis aims to examine the impact of (i) low-temperature heat-treatment, (ii) recycled feedstock powder, (iii) the laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process parameters, and (iv) post-printing surface treatment on the solidification defects, microstructures, and the resultant corrosion properties of L-PBF-AlSi10Mg alloy. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that heat-treatment from 200 °C to 350 °C promotes the homogeneity of the microstructure, characterized by the uniform distribution of eutectic Si in the α-Al matrix. Moreover, the microstructural analysis confirmed that using the recycled powder in the fabrication of AlSi10Mg leads to (i) an increased volume fraction of internal porosities and solidification micro-cracks, (ii) more coarsening of interdendritic eutectic-Si network particularly along the melt pool boundaries, which were correlated to the larger size and irregular shape of the recycled powders compared to the virgin powders, leading to the reduced thermal conductivity of the recycled powders. Additionally, the implemented process parameters modifications were found to be not only effective in reducing the as-printed surface roughness of the components, but also led to the formation of cyclic small-large melt pools (MPs) in the Upskin layers of the fabricated samples. Employing friction stir processing (FSP) as a post-printing surface modification technique was shown to be effective in eliminating the process-induced porosities of the L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloy, and resulted in drastic microstructural homogenization, grain refinement, and uniform dispersion of refined Si particles. To investigate the impacts of the above-mentioned microstructural changes on the corrosion performance of the alloy, anodic polarization testing, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in aerated and deaerated 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions, intergranular corrosion, and Mott-Schottky tests were performed. The electrochemical measurements confirmed the improved corrosion resistance of the alloy and reduced susceptibility to penetrating selective attack at initial immersion time in the electrolyte solution by increasing the heat-treatment temperature from 200 °C to 300 °C. Moreover, the corrosion results confirmed a slight degradation of the corrosion properties of the recycled-powder fabricated samples, ascribed to further coarsening of Si-network along their melt pool boundaries. Additionally, optimization of the process parameters confirmed that the fabricated sample at the highest volumetric energy density revealed a degraded corrosion performance resulted from its extended HAZ and coarser microstructure. Moreover, improvement of the corrosion performance of the FSPed sample was confirmed by the positive shift of the pitting potential and reduction in the corrosion rate and corrosion current density as compared to the as-printed samples. This research provides solutions to the existing challenges in the industries for adopting additive manufacturing methods due to the final cost, microstructural homogeneity, high level of porosity, residual stress, and initial surface roughness.


identifier: MacKinnon, Marc Richard <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/MacKinnon=3AMarc_Richard=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing cyclophanes: new and improved methodologies.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Cyclophanes are a vast class of compounds that can be defined as any system
containing an aromatic system bridged by at least one n-membered bridge (n≥0). This
description encompasses a large number of compounds, but relatively few examples in
which the aromatic system is more complex than benzene exist. This is largely due to the
increase is synthetic difficulty and a lack of universal methodologies. The work described
in this thesis includes improvements in the synthesis of pyrenophanes and the
introduction of new methodology for cyclophane formation in which the aromatic unit is
peropyrene.
Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the concept of non-planarity in aromatic
systems and the strategies for incorporating such morphologies into structures. Focus
has been placed primarily on cyclophanes containing one aromatic system and one bridge
and their advantages in structural modulation.
Chapter 2 contains a review of the history of pyrenophanes and strategies towards
their preparation. Improvements to the synthesis of the 1,n-dioxa-[n](2,7)pyrenophanes
and [n](2,7)pyrenophanes are discussed in detail. Additionally, the reactivity of these
systems is briefly discussed.
Chapter 3 introduces peropyrene and discusses its properties and limited
synthetic accessibility. The synthesis of a series of new cyclophanes is discussed which
takes advantage of the dimerization of phenalenlyl radicals generated phenalene.
Characterization of resulting [n](2,6)peropyrenophanes is briefly discussed.


identifier: Shah, Md. Shaheen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Shah=3AMd=2E_Shaheen=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Investigation of drilling performance and penetration mechanism using passive vibration assisted rotary drilling technology.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Drilling performance is an essential goal in the petroleum and mining industry. Drilling Rate of Penetration (ROP) is influenced by the operating parameter: torque, Weight on Bit (WOB), fluid flow rate, Revolution per Minute (rpm), rock related parameters (rock type, rock homogeneousness, rock anisotropy orientation), and mechanical parameters (bit type, configuration of the Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA)). The Drilling Technology Laboratory (DTL) at Memorial University of Newfoundland has incorporated the passive Vibration Assisted Rotational Drilling Technology (pVARD) as a drilling tool. This tool includes three parts within a compliant part, a part that dampens and a torque transmitting unit that is inside the BHA of the drill string. This tool utilizes the natural vibrations of the drilling process to increase drilling efficiency and rate of penetration. In this thesis, laboratory and field drilling tests have been conducted by first and second generation pVARD tools respectively which could play a positive role in improving drilling penetration rate through modified bit-rock compliance from conventional drilling. This research aims to develop a fundamental guideline for rock strength measurement and to interlink mechanical tests for the purpose of evaluating drilling performance. The compressive rock strength has an inverse relationship with drilling efficiency. The average Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) of the granite were obtained to be 168.4 MPa and 16.3 MPa respectively by the mechanical loading frame in the laboratory parameters following American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard.
The pVARD operational details are important for optimal configuration and best drilling results. The study focused on designing pVARD to be consistent with a Large Drilling Simulator (LDS) selecting optimal Belleville springs. Compression tests and numerical studies have been carried out using a mechanical frame and simulation analysis respectively, for different Belleville Spring stacking scenarios. Mechanical and simulation studies with details of pre-planned drilling experiments can provide important guidelines for optimizing pVARD basics. The hysteresis effect analysis of LDS-pVARD springs also provided a coherent idea of energy dissipation during the cycle test. Depending on the rock type and drilling parameters can provide pre-settings and configurations of pVARD for optimal drilling performance.
Finally, this dissertation focuses on the effects of vibration on the performance of a diamond coring bit when drilling on hard rock with a first-generation small lab scale vibration tool pVARD. Thereafter, Drill off Tests (DOTs) have been performed using a Small Drilling Simulator (SDS) with axial vibrations on the drill string in laboratory conditions. The vibration properties have been adjusted to various settings of spring compliance and dampening (rubber) material. The results of the evaluation of the experimental data show that the ROP increased by a maximum of 28% keeping WOB within the operational limits.
The results and knowledge obtained from this study will help to design third generation pVARD tools.


identifier: Teixeira Silva, Murilo <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Teixeira_Silva=3AMurilo=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Generalized functions approach to the derivation of the high-frequency radar cross-section of ocean surfaces with electromagnetically-large waves.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The radar cross-section (RCS) of the ocean surface mathematically describes the
interaction between electromagnetic fields and ocean waves, allowing for a better
understanding of observations made by coastal high-frequency (HF) radars. However,
theoretical limitations have restricted the calculation of the RCS of the ocean surface
to electromagnetically-small waves. This thesis proposes an approach to study and
evaluate the scattering of electric fields over ocean surfaces with electromagnetically-large
waves, as well as an extension of the generalized functions approach to the one-body
scattering problem to curvilinear coordinates with variable basis vectors. The
present work enables the analysis of HF radar signals scattered by the ocean surface
during storms and electromagnetically-high sea states, expanding the capabilities of
HF radars in radio oceanography.
First, a system of equations for the electric field in curvilinear coordinates in the
presence of a single scatter is proposed. It is shown that the derived equations can
be applied to coordinate systems with variable basis vectors, being reduced to the
form presented in the literature [1] when Cartesian coordinates are considered. As
a proof of concept, the system of equations for curvilinear coordinates is applied to
a perfectly-electrically conductive (PEC) sphere, yielding the Stratton-Chu integral equation for the electric field, a general solution in classic electromagnetics.
Then, the electric field scattering over a time-varying conductive random surface
is obtained for an ocean surface with electromagnetically-large waves. First, the
electric field expressions are obtained by applying the proposed system of equations
to a time-varying conductive random surface, removing the restrictions to the growth
of the roughness scales presented in the literature. This allows for the study of ocean
surfaces with electromagnetically-large waves. The derivation results in additional
electric field expressions that correct the height-restricted expression accounting for
the energy of electromagnetically-large waves. The resulting expression is reduced
to the height-restricted formulation if the roughness scale is sufficiently small. From
the expression of the electric field, the RCSs of the correction terms are derived.
These derivations yield expressions that can be reduced to a general form, allowing
the generation of correction terms to the radar cross-section at a given order by
a product with the desired correction factor. In a morphological analysis of the
correction factors, it is shown that at small roughness scales, the correction terms
do not affect the total cross-section for the ocean surface; however, by increasing the
roughness scale beyond the limits presented in the literature, the contribution of the
correction terms to the total RCS become significant. Evidence of the presence of the
proposed correction terms was approved in field measurements; however, definitive
proof of the effects observed here can be the object of future research.


identifier: Haycock-Chavez, Natasha <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Haycock-Chavez=3ANatasha=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Indigenous-driven conservation: exploring the planning of Qikiqtait protected area in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Biodiversity loss is increasing worldwide due to anthropogenic pressures. Protected areas are viewed as a primary tool to prevent biodiversity loss. However, protected areas do not always meet local needs and biodiversity goals simultaneously. Increasingly, local, and Indigenous communities globally are initiating protected areas that better reflect local needs while at the same time meeting conservation objectives. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how an Indigenous, community-driven approach to protected area planning differs from the model more typically used by conservation and government agencies in Canada. Using literature and examples of community-based protected areas in Canada, this research sought to synthesize the current conservation framework. Focusing on the Belcher Islands, Nunavut, this research examines the proposed protected area of Qikiqtait, a community-based, Indigenous-led protected area initiated by the community of Sanikiluaq, Nunavut. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatially compare Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) derived from two different approaches: the community of Sanikiluaq, and World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF). The analyses indicated a large overlap between areas of importance for the community and areas of conservation importance for the region identified by the WWF. Overall, the community planning offers a finer spatial resolution more suitable to local planning, as well as encompassing a broader range of conservation and livelihood priorities. Following the literature review and spatial analysis, this research concludes that while Canada’s conservation framework is increasingly making space for greater Indigenous leadership and participation, lessons remain on how to achieve optimum potential in community-based protected areas.


identifier: Boyd, Nicholas <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Boyd=3ANicholas=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Concept design optimization for OSVs operating on the Flemish Pass basin.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Significant oil discoveries in the Flemish Pass Basin off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador have given rise to interest in studying the capabilities of offshore support vessels (OSVs) to provide logistics support to an operating offshore oil installation.
The Flemish Pass Basin represents a departure from current operational environments, characterized by longer distances, deeper waters, and a harsher metocean climate, which raises concerns as to the suitability of existing vessel design configurations.
As a result, this study has been performed into the optimization of the design of offshore support vessels, to develop a high-level optimized concept design which can support oil and gas development on the Flemish Pass Basin.
First, a high-level review of existing approaches to optimizing the design of OSVs and their logistics was examined. These approaches, though powerful for their individual optimization goals, failed to tie all the optimization requirements and logistics together into a holistic understanding of the most efficient design of hull and fleet to meet the operational requirements. The works presented in this paper show the process used to tie these approaches together into a complete optimization algorithm, to develop a fit for purpose fleet of OSVs.
To support this algorithm, a series of computer simulations were performed to develop sets of equations to describe the seakeeping, resistance, and stability performance of OSVs. These simulations were performed on 4 principal hull designs: axe bow, bulbous bow, vertical bow, and X bow, which are representative of many state-of-the-art vessels currently operating.
Using the derived equations, a computerized algorithm was developed which takes account of sea state probabilities and operational requirements to relate the vessel performance, downtime, scheduling, and design to minimize fleet annual cost. The algorithm automatically rejects any hull or fleet mix designs which cannot achieve the required delivery performance, and any which due to their excessive speed, weights, or lack of stability could not be operated.
A result of running this algorithm showed an optimized OSV design consisting of a fleet of 2 vessels based on the vertical bow hull form, with 100 m length, 25 m beam, and a 4 m draft. In general, the results showed a strong cost efficiency of using large, low displacement hulls and fewer voyages.
The sensitivity of the results was studied, and it was found that the algorithm output can significantly vary with little change on the input. Further, the algorithm has a margin of error which can impact which vessel is ultimately recommended, which indicates a need for more detailed studies beyond the concept design phase, to ensure that the optimum design has been selected.


identifier: Markham, Nigel <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Markham=3ANigel=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Labrador Inuit and the World's Columbian Exposition.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis concerns itself with the experience of Labrador Inuit who
attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) as part of the
ethnological exhibit known as the “Esquimaux Village” and with issues surrounding
their representation. Its main argument is that the exposition’s administrators, its
scientific advisors, the concession’s promoters, the journalists who wrote about the
fair and the people who attended it, accepted broadly similar conceptual notions
about the people on display in ethnological exhibits. Those notions did not reflect
accurate representations of who those people were. Instead, they were based on
concepts of who the people were thought to be in the context of a long and complex
history of colonialism. Like others on display in ethnological exhibits at the fair,
Labrador Inuit were cast in the mold of the ”primitive” and promoted as living
vestiges of an earlier stage of human evolution. These constructs were, of course,
fictions that obscured more than they revealed. As the events in Chicago
demonstrate, however lopsided the relationships between colonized and colonizing
peoples, fictions deployed to justify colonial relations were distortions and
misrepresentations that often broke down in the presence of the people themselves.
This was the case with Labrador Inuit in Chicago. The divergence between fact and
fiction became increasingly evident as Inuit failed to conduct themselves in ways
that were expected. Tensions came to a head when Inuit rebelled against their
treatment and sought resolution for their problems through the courts. Their
capacity to take action in defence of their own interests led to a re-evaluation of who
Inuit were, subverting previous assumptions and imaginings.


identifier: Akerele, Olatunji Anthony <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Akerele=3AOlatunji_Anthony=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Maternal lipid metabolism, cytokine profile, and fetal sustainability during gestation: implication of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The quantity and quality of dietary fats consumed during pregnancy have profound
implication on both maternal and fetal health during and after pregnancy. Our laboratory has
previously shown that omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) regulate offspring
lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, and neurotrophin signalling in offspring brain. However,
the effects of n-3 PUFA on pregnancy/fetal outcomes are controversial; this is likely due to
differences in the amount and/or the source of n-3 PUFA in these studies. My thesis
examined the in-utero effects of breeding chow diets, differing in the quantity and quality of
dietary fats, on maternal metabolic regulation and pregnancy outcome in C57BL/6 mice.
Female mice (7 weeks old) were fed specific diets for 2 weeks before mating and throughout
pregnancy; tissues and blood samples were collected before and during gestation at day 6.5,
12.5 and 18.5. My findings revealed that a breeding chow diet containing n-3 PUFA from fish
oil maintained maternal metabolic profile to meet fetal lipid requirement during gestation,
prevented placental inflammation and sustained more fetuses till late gestation (Chapter 2 and
3). A limitation to this study was that the diets varied in both the quantity (5% vs. 11% w/w),
and the quality (providing n-3 PUFA from fish oil at 8% vs. soybean oil at 3% w/w) of fat. I
designed my second study using semi-purified diets (containing purified protein,
carbohydrate, vitamins and mineral premixes) where the amount of fat was kept consistent
(20% w/w), while the amount of n-3 PUFA was varied to give a diet high (9%), low (3%) and
very low (1%) in n-3 PUFA from fish oil, respectively. My findings revealed that a maternal
diet high in n-3 PUFA prevented dyslipidemia prior to pregnancy and maintained maternal
lipid profile required for successful pregnancy. High n-3 PUFA diet also maintained plasma
progesterone level during gestation, reduced inflammatory cytokines and sustained higher
number of fetuses (Chapter 4). My findings also show that maternal diet high in n-3 PUFA
increased the accretion of longer chain n-3 PUFA into fetal brain and regulates neurotrophin signalling as gestation progressed (Chapter 5). Overall, my thesis findings demonstrate the
importance of high n-3 PUFA intake during pregnancy.


identifier: Ghasemigoudarzi, Pedram <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ghasemigoudarzi=3APedram=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Permanent water and flash flood detection using global navigation satellite system reflectometry.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In this thesis, research for inland water extent and flash floods remote sensing using
Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data of the Cyclone
Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is presented.
Firstly, a high-resolution Machine Learning (ML) method for detecting inland water
extent using the CYGNSS data is implemented via the Random Under-Sampling
Boosted (RUSBoost) algorithm. The CYGNSS data of the year 2018 over the Congo
and Amazon basins are gridded into 0.01ﾟ × 0.01ﾟ cells. The RUSBoost-based classifier
is trained and tested with the CYGNSS data over the Congo basin. The Amazon
basin data that is unknown to the classifier is then used for further evaluation. Using
only three observables extracted from the CYGNSS Delay-Doppler Maps (DDMs),
the proposed technique is able to detect 95.4% and 93.3% of the water bodies over the
Congo and Amazon basins, respectively. The performance of the RUSBoost-based
classifier is also compared with an image processing based inland water detection
method. For the Congo and Amazon basins, the RUSBoost-based classifier has a
3.9% and 14.2% higher water detection accuracies, respectively.
Secondly, a flash flood detection method using the CYGNSS data is investigated.
Considering Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma as two case studies, six different
Data Preparation Approaches (DPAs) for flood detection based on the CYGNSS
data and the RUSBoost classification algorithm are investigated in this thesis. Taking
flood and land as two classes, flash flood detection is tackled as a binary classification
problem. Eleven observables are extracted from the DDMs for feature selection.
These observables, alongside two features from ancillary data, are considered in feature selection. All the combinations of these observables with and without ancillary
data are fed into the classifier with 5-fold cross-validation one-by-one. Based on the
test results, five observables with the ancillary data are selected as a suitable feature
vector for flood detection here. Using the selected feature vector, six different DPAs
are investigated and compared to find the best one for flash flood detection. Then,
the performance of the proposed method is compared with that of a Support Vector
Machine (SVM) based classifier. For Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, the
selected method is able to detect 89.00% and 85.00% of flooded points, respectively,
with a resolution of 500m × 500m, and the detection accuracy for non-flooded land
points is 97.20% and 71.00%, respectively.


identifier: Webber, Quinn Marshall Richard <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Webber=3AQuinn_Marshall_Richard=3A=3A.html>   (2020) The social and spatial behaviour of caribou Rangifer tarandus.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: All animals are social at some point in their life. The causes and consequences of animal social behaviour are widely studied, but the integration of space use and spatial features of the landscape within our understanding of social behaviour is not widely studied. My thesis broadly addresses the role of spatial features of the landscape and individual-level space use traits as potential drivers of emergent social behaviour in caribou (Rangifer tarandus). First, I present a theoretical framework linking social and spatial behaviour within the context of evolutionary and behavioural ecology theory. Next, I assess the relationship between social behaviour and space use across scales, from fine-scale foraging and interactions to coarse-scale examination of how individuals and groups vary social behaviour through space and time. Overall, I found that caribou social behaviour is linked to space use and spatial behaviour in four important ways. First, I found that collective movement was an important predictor for patterns of habitat selection, where caribou tend to select foraging habitat (i.e. lichen) while alone, but to move collectively between foraging patches. Second, despite high home range overlap between caribou, and thus potential to associate, sub-groups of individuals had strong social preference for one another and formed distinct social communities. Third, based on a thirty year dataset of caribou group size, I found that group sizes varied spatially and temporally. In contrast to our expectation, groups decreased in size as a function of increasing population density, while groups tended to be larger in winter compared to summer, presumably as a result of seasonal access to foraging opportunities. Finally, I found that social network strength and habitat specialization were density-dependent, while more social individuals were habitat generalists. However, habitat specialization had a greater effect on fitness, where habitat specialists had higher fitness than habitat generalists, but only at high density. My thesis addresses questions about the relationship between social and spatial behaviour and provides a theoretical framework for future studies to address similar questions. Throughout my thesis I also argue for the integration of various diverse ecological fields, including socioecology, spatial ecology, movement ecology, and conservation biology.


identifier: Saha, Riju Chandra <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Saha=3ARiju_Chandra=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Shear strength assessment of a manufactured well-graded sand.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Granular materials, such as sand, are commonly used to backfill buried structures due to its free-draining property and higher shearing resistance. Conventional analysis of soil-structure interaction is performed assuming soil parameters based on typical values available in published literature. Most of the soil parameters available in the literature were obtained from various laboratory tests with standard and natural soils. However, the use of natural soil is gradually decreasing due to the scarcity of material and environmental considerations. Engineers often require replacing natural sand with locally manufactured sand as a backfill material for buried structures. This thesis presents a laboratory investigation of the strength and deformation behavior of a locally manufactured sand which is classified as well-graded clean sand. Considering the various factors on which the strength parameters of soil depend, a series of direct shear tests and triaxial tests are performed with varying density, normal stress, moisture content, shear displacement rate. As the soil used as a backfill for the buried structure is usually moist (unsaturated), the entire test program focuses on investigating the behavior of moist sand. The conventional test apparatus is used in this study as the special apparatus typical used in the research with unsaturated soil is not readily available to the practicing engineer. The study reveals that the conventional test apparatus can reasonably be used to estimate the design parameters for moist sand. For the manufactured sand used in this study, the effect of capillary suction on the shear strength parameters is found to be less significant. While the strength parameters depend on the degree of saturation, these depend extensively on the dry density of the soil with a higher angle of internal friction for the soil with higher dry density.


identifier: Cossitt, Robyn <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Cossitt=3ARobyn=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Regarding the rites of others: an analysis of responses to the serpent-handling sects.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Serpent-handling sects are a subsect of the Church of God and Holiness Movements of Pentecostalism. These sects are famous for their “bizarre” serpent-handling ritual, which has drawn significant attention from scholars, legislators and media organizations. Societies define themselves through comparison with others. In order to underscore the power of the modern, secular American culture, the serpent-handlers have been constructed as an “internal other” that represents the antithesis of the majority culture’s values, beliefs, and practices. This thesis explores the othering process of serpent-handlers through sensationalist and primitivist narratives perpetuated by early academics, state legislation, newspapers, magazines, and television. The narratives constructed about the serpent-handling sects mark the boundaries of normative culture.


identifier: Batten, Ryan <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Batten=3ARyan=3A=3A.html>   (2021) A ten-year retrospective comparison of benzodiazepine usage between rural and urban residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Background: Benzodiazepines are believed to be one of the most overprescribed medications worldwide. Inappropriate prescribing of benzodiazepines can lead to serious adverse effects including cognitive impairment, falls in the elderly, and decreased motor function. Guidelines have been developed to address overprescribing, however analysis of prescribing patterns before and after implementing these guidelines shows inappropriate use is still present.
Objectives: This thesis examined benzodiazepine prescribing patterns in a sample of Newfoundland patients. Various definitions for inappropriate prescriptions were used: within 30, 45 and 60 days of previous prescription. Comparisons were assessed between rural and urban areas of Newfoundland, Canada.
Methods: Patients with a benzodiazepine prescription between 2007 and 2017, through the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program, were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe prescribing patterns. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between prescribing / usage and age, sex, prescriber specialty and location of residence (urban / rural).
Results: Using the various definitions for inappropriate prescribing, the rate of inappropriate prescribing was between 71.7% and 74.9%. Individuals in urban areas had a higher quantity of inappropriate prescriptions, less than 30 days apart, compared to those in rural areas. Additionally, the percentage of inappropriate prescriptions did not decrease during the ten-year timeframe examined.
Conclusions: Inappropriate prescribing remained prevalent in a Newfoundland and Labrador sample. Results from this study highlight that we need to remain vigilant pursuing strategies that encourage appropriate prescribing of this drug class.


identifier: Afzali, Shokufe <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Afzali=3AShokufe=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Mathematical modeling and simulation of water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
Water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection is a relatively mature oil recovery technique in hydrocarbon reservoirs that has attracted the interest of the oil and gas industry due to its successful performance. The main goal of a WAG process is to control the mobility and to decrease the problem of viscous fingering, leading to improved oil recovery by combining the benefits of gas injection (GI) and waterflooding (WF). Mathematical modeling and simulation of three-phase flow in porous media involve complexities related to the three-phase relative permeability, capillary pressure, and hysteresis effects that are cycle-dependent. Extensive theoretical studies are available in the literature, simulating immiscible and miscible WAG processes; however, the simulation study on near-miscible WAG is overlooked. Also, the majority of WAG simulation studies lack the cycle-dependent three-phase hysteresis that appears in the relative permeability and capillary pressure models. Production from naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) is more complicated (compared to homogeneous reservoirs) due to the flow communication between the matrix and fracture in fractured porous media. The implementation of water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection in NFRs also features inherent complexities related to the three-phase flow, the saturation history, and cycle-dependent hysteresis of the individual phases. Moreover, the experimental evaluation of WAG injection in a fractured system is expensive and time-consuming, if not impractical.
In this research work, the three-phase flow modeling of near-miscible WAG process for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) implication is studied, using implicit pressure explicit saturation (IMPES) method. The mathematical model simulates a WAG case study in a strongly water-wet Berea core, using synthetic oil and brine at 38ﾟC and 12.7 MPa. The recovery data from the mathematical model is in excellent agreement with the experimental data of near-miscible WAG process. For instance, the absolute relative error is less than 1.7% while estimating the ultimate recovery factor of the oil in WF and GI stages of all three cycles. The effects of main variables such as injection rate, WAG ratio, slug size (PV) injection, crude oil viscosity, and core absolute permeability on the WAG performance are also studied. The findings from this study can help for better understanding of WAG injection at near-miscible condition for various scenarios under various conditions in terms of operational condition and rock and fluid’s characteristics.
This work is also intended to simulate WAG injection in a fractured system through a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. We evaluate the impacts of hysteresis, fracture characteristics (aperture, orientation, and fracture density in the network), and the three-phase relative permeability of phases during the WAG injection using COMSOL Multiphysics®. The model simulates an immiscible WAG injection, and the modeling results are compared to the experimental data in a strong water-wet sand-pack. Similar to the experiments, we simulate Maroon crude as the oil phase, synthetic brine, and pure CO₂ at 100ﾟC and atmospheric pressure. The results from our model are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The absolute relative error is less than 12 % while predicting the ultimate recovery factors (RF) of the oil in water flooding (WF) and gas injection (GI) cycles. Including three-phase hysteresis significantly increases the accuracy of a WAG process simulation. Excluding the hysteresis remarkably decreases the instantaneous RFs at each cycle (especially GI cycles) and also the ultimate RF by 4%. The simulation results can help to manage and design the optimum operation of immiscible WAG in fractured reservoirs. In the fourth phase of the work, a total number of 1457 data points to predict three sets of two-phase relative permeabilities involved in the WAG injection process, and in a strongly water-wet sandstone core where smart tools such as least squares-support vector machine (LSSVM) and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) are employed. The statistical parameters including coefficient of determination, root mean square error, mean error, and standard deviation are used to examine the predictive models. The LSSVM shows a better performance compared to ANFIS in estimating relative permeabilities. The analysis based on relative importance of parameters shows that for the LSSVM model, water saturation is the most influencing input for gas-water and oil-water systems, while gas saturation is the most important input parameter in the gas-oil system. Final RF of WAG process after three cycles of water-and gas injection is 93.6%.
Forecasting WAG flooding performance using fast and robust models is of great importance to obtain a better understanding of the process future, optimize the operational design procedure, and avoid high-cost blind tests in laboratory or pilot scales. In the last phase of this work, a novel correlation to predict the performance of near-miscible WAG injection is presented in strongly water-wet sandstones. An analytical correlation using gene expression programming (GEP) technique is developed. Dimensional analysis technique is applied and generated dimensionless numbers using eight key parameters with the aid of the Buckingham’s π theorem. Based on the error analysis, the newly developed GEP-based correlation leads to the predictions, which are in a good match with the target data so that R²= 92.85 % and MSE=1.38e-3 are obtained for the training phase; and the testing phase results in R²= 91.93 % and MSE=4.30e-3. The correlation proposed in this phase can be used to forecast the RF of a WAG injection process before committing to expensive and time-consuming laboratory and pilot tests.


identifier: Morrissey, Shaun <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Morrissey=3AShaun=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Executive compensation in charitable organizations: a comparison of media coverage and actual practice in Canada.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
According to the Canada Revenue Agency, there are over 80,000 registered charities
competing for donations from organizations and private citizens to raise funds for their charitable
mandate and to cover their operating expenses. A threat in the form of negative perceptions
noted by the media poses a risk to these charitable operations as one media perception highlights
issues with exorbitant executive compensation in the charitable sector (Blumberg, 2018). Given
charitable organizations are dependent on organizations and citizens for donations, media
attention related to high compensation levels within a charitable organization, may threaten their
ability to raise funds needed to achieve their mandate.
My thesis consisted of three distinct phases. In Phase 1, publicly available media articles
were thematically analyzed to determine the core concepts that are discussed by the media that
have the potential to shape public perception to compensation within charitable organizations.
Phase 2 consisted of analyzing the compensation data of nearly 20,000 Canadian charities to
determine the actual practices of executive compensation in Canadian charitable organizations.
Finally, Phase 3 quantitatively analyzed the compensation data of the organizations discussed in
the media articles of Phase 1, to identify if the media is accurately representing the Canadian
averages. The findings of these three phases revealed that the media is not accurately portraying
the executive compensation practices of many of the not-for-profits organizations in Canada.
My thesis significantly adds to the areas of research surrounding executive compensation
within the charitable sector, as it is one of the first studies to assess the accuracy of the media
coverage on executive compensation within the charitable sector and how this may shape the
public’s perception on executive compensation. My thesis also provides a novel framework for charitable organizations to better benchmark their executive compensation levels to
organizations of similar size based on Canadian averages.


identifier: Bhattacharya, Sriya <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Bhattacharya=3ASriya=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Preconception parental predator stress induces brain and behavioral changes in offspring.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Brain and behaviour are shaped by experience. Recent data suggest that experiences of the parents can be ‘passed-on’ to alter brain and behavior of future generations. Stress during the preconception period is a new topic of interest, as it involves both prospective parents. The current study examined how parental preconception predator stress impacts the development of offspring brain and behaviour throughout its lifespan. Male and female mice (F0) were exposed to a live rat (rat exposure test) or control condition (no live rat exposure) for five minutes. Two days later, all mice underwent the elevated plus maze to assess anxiety-like behavior. Eight days later (a total of 10 days post predator exposure), stressed males were mated to stressed females and control males were mated to control females. Behavior of the offspring (F1) was assessed during adolescence and again in adulthood (following a mild stressor). F0 and F1 brains were examined for stress-induced changes in glucocorticoid receptors (GR), FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5), doublecortin, and c-FOS. Following a mild stressor, preconception stressed offspring show increased anxiety-like behavior, hyperarousal, and deficits in spatial memory. These mice also show elevated plasma corticosterone and altered GR, FKBP5 and c-FOS expression in the hippocampus. Furthermore, following a mild stressor, offspring (F2 generation) with at least one set of grandparents who were predator stressed showed increased anxiety-like behavior, enhanced hyperarousal, and deficits in spatial memory compared to offspring whose both sets of grandparents were controls. Despite the high incidence and potentially tragic outcome, there is little research on neural mechanisms underlying stress-induced disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These results may contribute to identifying at-risk individuals, as well as point to potential novel therapies for these devastating disorders.


identifier: Das, Suprio <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Das=3ASuprio=3A=3A.html>   (2021) An investigation of time-dependent behavior of medium density polyethylene pipes.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are extensively used for gas distribution system in Canada and worldwide. MDPE pipe material possesses time-dependent mechanical properties that governs the performance of the pipes in service. In this research, laboratory investigation is carried out to investigate the time-dependent behavior of a MDPE pipe material. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted with samples (coupons) cut from the wall of a 60-mm diameter MDPE pipe. A tensile test with a sample of full cross-section of the pipe is also conducted to investigate the influence of sample type on the test results. The test program includes uniaxial testings at various strain rates to capture the effects of loading rates, creep testing and relaxation testing. The experimental results are used to develop a numerical approach for modeling the time-dependent behavior using a commercially available finite element software, Abaqus. The strain-rate dependent material behavior of MDPE is incorporated in Abaqus through development of a user subroutine. The proposed modeling approach is found to successfully simulate the uniaxial test results. Applicability of the proposed modeling framework is demonstrated through investigating the time-dependent behavior of conventional buried MDPE pipe subjected to surface load and a pipeline subjected to rate-dependent lateral ground movement.


identifier: Gunasekaran, Sharmila <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Gunasekaran=3ASharmila=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Initial value problems in general relativity.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The initial value formulation viewpoint is one of the main foci of research in
general relativity. This thesis establishes results for two problems pertinent to it.
In the first of the problems which form the contents of Chapters 3 and 4, the
focus is on a class of five dimensional stationary asymptotically flat spacetimes. These
naturally arise in high energy physics as possible microstates of black hole spacetimes.
In Chapter 3, several spacetimes with non-trivial topology in the domain of outer
communication are considered, of which the soliton spacetime is one such example.
The mass variation formula previously established for such spacetimes is used to
compute energy, angular momenta and charge for these spacetimes. It is shown that
regularity is essential for the formula relating them to hold. In Chapter 4, the decay
of the wave equation in a family of soliton spacetimes is studied and a slow decay
rate is established, hinting at nonlinear instability.
The second problem is establishing a horizon-based initial boundary value formulation
with the goal of studying the near-horizon spacetime. The problem is addressed
in the setting of four-dimensional general relativity. In Chapter 5, we establish that
data specified on the horizon and a future null boundary determine the near horizon
geometry and illustrate this for spherically symmetric spacetimes with a massless
scalar field. In Chapter 6 we conclude with directions for future research.


identifier: Geng, Shengkai <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Geng=3AShengkai=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Genome-wide association study of colorectal cancer using evolutionary computing.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The heritability of complex diseases is usually ascribed to interacting genetic alterations.
Many diseases have been found that are influenced by genetic factors.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a type of cancer starting from the colon or rectum that
seriously threatens human health, and it has the chance to spread to other parts of
the human body. The cause of CRC is multifactorial, including age, sex, intake of
fat, etc. In addition, it has been suggested that genetic factors also play an essential
role. Several genetic variations have been identified as associated with CRC. However,
they only explain a small portion of the heritability. More advanced computational
techniques are required to identify combinations of genetic factors. Recently, artificial
intelligence algorithms have became a powerful tool for biomedical data analyses. In
this thesis, I design an evolutionary algorithm for the identification of combinations
of genetic factors, i.e., single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), that can best explain
the susceptibility to CRC.


identifier: Khattab, Sherine Hamdy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Khattab=3ASherine_Hamdy=3A=3A.html>   (2020) The gender wage gap and women's labour mobility in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis examines the gender wage gap and women’s labour mobility in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Women in Newfoundland and Labrador face the highest wage gap in Canada, and a high proportion of the province’s workforce engages in employment-related geographical mobility. The first part of the study details a quantitative economic assessment of the gender wage gap using the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition that was applied to data from 2001, 2006, and 2016 Canadian Censuses and the National Household Survey from 2011. The wage gap decomposition revealed that most of the gender wage gap in Newfoundland and Labrador could not be explained by variation in demographic data, including gender, age, marital status, full-time status, and presence of children . A logit model was used to analyze the likelihood of individuals in Newfoundland and Labrador to engage in labour mobility, specifically commutes between residence and work that were greater than 100 km. Individuals that had at least a bachelor’s degree, were married, separated, divorced, or widowed, and had children were less likely to commute more than 100 km from their place of residence to their place of work, compared to individuals that had no post-secondary education, were single, and had no children. Moreover, homeowners and women were less likely to commute more than 100 km for employment.
The second part of the study examines men’s and women’s experiences with employment-related geographical mobility and the role of place and place attachment to Newfoundland and Labrador. Place attachment may be an unexplained variable when considering the gender wage gap and labour market mobility in Newfoundland and Labrador. Interviews were provided by the On-The-Move Partnership and were evaluated and coded using NVivo 12 software. A qualitative analysis revealed five main themes that affect the labour market mobility decisions of men and women. When describing the labour market mobility decisions of men and women (and the potential implications for wages and the gender wage gap), it is important to consider a) the characteristics of place and community, b) the degree of family support, c) the quality of family life, d) the importance of and implications for community sustainability, and e) the implications for women and their mobility. Support networks and social interactions with family and friends were the most common reasons most women cited when deciding not to move. Additionally, most women expressed a strong sense of place and desire to raise their children in a known, safe community.
Finally, the third part of this study evaluated how public policy impacts the gender wage gap and women’s labour market mobility. Of the provinces in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador has made the least progress in narrowing the gender wage gap. This study compared Canadian and Swedish government public policies related to the gender wage gap, specifically policies of pay equity, employment benefits, childcare benefits and the pension system. Sweden has a different welfare state than Canada and has one of the lowest gender wage gaps in the world. The analysis suggests that the Canadian government should consider improving labour market policies, such as the pay equity act, and enhancing relevant programs such as employment benefits, childcare benefits and the pension system. Improving these policies will help women in Newfoundland and Labrador, and throughout Canada, be more mobile, which should reduce the gender wage gap. Furthermore, improving these policies would also decrease unemployment rates, which should alleviate strain on public resources.


identifier: Khosa, Simi <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Khosa=3ASimi=3A=3A.html>   (2020) I don't know who I am if I am not burning: racialized trauma and affect theory in constructing an alternative final girl.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: The slasher film has been entertaining (and scaring) audiences for decades. In a typical slasher film, a (usually) masked murderer stalks, torments, and murders young women over the course of a night. Only one survives the carnage - she is the “final girl.” But who gets to be the final girl? What about her identity grants her the privilege of survival? In this project, I discuss and broaden the scope of the white, middle class, straight “final girl” trope in horror through an intersectional analysis directed by affect theory. I take the reader through the planning of my short film and discuss it in relation to the established library of slasher flicks. I will move the relevance of these films beyond gender to consider how race is fundamental to understanding how a “new final girl” represents the aftermath of trauma in contemporary Western subjects.


identifier: Manzoor, Sabir <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Manzoor=3ASabir=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Design, simulation and analysis of a passive house and its renewable energy system for Newfoundland.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: A large amount of energy produced is directly consumed in the form of electricity. This need for energy is continuously growing and leading to new ways to make efficient use of it. When we talk about using energy efficiently, the idea of a passive house system kicks in, which essentially focuses on reducing energy use for space heating or cooling in a house. The main idea is to reduce the energy consumption of the house as well as reducing its impact on the environment when the occupants are using the house. The first phase of the research shows the dynamic modelling of an energy-efficient home that works on the principles and guidelines of a passive house using the EnergyPlus simulation engine. A renewable energy system has been developed for the passive house, which is located at Flat Rock, St John’s, NL Canada. The overall design has been simulated using MATLAB/Simulink environment packages. The dynamic simulation indicates that the system gives promising results. In the second phase, a detailed simulation of a renewable energy system using various software and efficient energy management techniques are presented. Finally, for experimental validation, an open-source IoT platform named Ubidots smart home automation is used as Human Machine Interface (HMI) server, an ESP32 Thing microcontroller board as a Master Logic Controller (MLC) where all sensors and output devices such as power meter, relays are connected for data acquisition and control.


identifier: Aly, Samar <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Aly=3ASamar=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Composites as enabling technology in flow assurance.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
In oil and gas production, flow assurance guarantees a successful and economical flow of the fluids from the reservoir to a designated processing facility. Flow assurance is one of the biggest challenges that a pipeline designer faces, especially under deep water where the temperature is low, and the pressure is high. These deep-water conditions favor the formation of solid deposits, which leads to blocking the flow line, reducing oil production, and potentially shutting down the well. To avoid this problem, the flow line temperature must always be kept above the solid deposit formation temperature. This necessitates accurate analysis of the thermal properties of pipelines in order to choose the best material suitable under these harsh conditions.
This thesis provides a quantitative comparison based on thermal characteristics for flow assurance purposes. It also provides a realistic comparison based on strength requirement imposed on risers in general. First, we present a comparison between two different solutions (analytical and approximate) to predict the temperature profile in the steady state flow case. This comparison is carried on a steel pipeline under different cases, which are obtained by varying the length of the pipeline and the flow rate.
Based on the results of the comparison, the solution that meets the objectives of this thesis is identified.
Then, the thesis focuses on the effect of using different materials in the pipeline. The thesis presents another comparison between traditional steel catenary risers (SCR) and Composite Catenary Risers (CCR) based on their thermal characteristics for flow assurance purposes. The comparison is based on predicting the fluid flow temperature along the pipeline to show which material will keep the temperature above the solid deposit formation temperature, which is set in this thesis to be 20℃. Nominal homogenized mechanical and heat transfer properties are used for composite and steel pipelines of the same thickness and diameter. The obtained results show that composite risers have enhanced thermal characteristics over its counterpart steel pipelines. To establish rational comparisons between SCR and CCR, other aspects of their performance must be considered. Performance aspects regarding material strength, expected life and minimal weight design constitute the most essential minimal set for these comparisons. Comprehensive investigations are conducted, and conclusions are extracted to quantify overall performance aspects of SCR and CCR. All the code used to run the experiments was implemented in MATLAB.


identifier: Dev, Tithy <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Dev=3ATithy=3A=3A.html>   (2021) An empirical analysis of urbanization and energy consumption in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Countries.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Urbanization has posed some tremendous challenges which are related to environmental stresses through increased energy consumption. These challenges have drawn attention to the need to implement urbanization with sustainable energy consumption globally. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is considered in the study during the period of 1975-2014 with time series data. The present study aims to investigate how urbanization can affect energy use and identify the urbanizing factors that cause energy consumption in this region. The data are analyzed by using simple statistics and econometric techniques, such as the ordinary least squares (OLS) method for country level, and fully modified least squares and Granger causality for this group of countries. The study has found that all urbanizing variables significantly affect energy consumption with different levels in different countries, as shown by the OLS method. Similarly, the results of the fully modified least squares (FMOLS) method indicate that all the variables are statistically significant at 1% level of significance except urban population growth, although the effects vary among variables. Moreover, there are three long-run causalities running from the gross domestic product to energy consumption, and from energy consumption to gross domestic product, and to the industrial share in the gross domestic product. Besides, in the short run, the causality the exercise explored is a bidirectional causality between the gross domestic product and the energy consumption, the gross domestic product and the industrial share in the gross domestic product, the energy consumption and the service share in the gross domestic product, the energy consumption and urban population. Green technology and energy efficiency technologies to use in the industries, encourage using public transportation, some restrictions on household-level energy use, and education for awareness about energy use and its consequences on the environment, sustainable energy and urbanization are potential policy recommendations.


identifier: Troughton, Tessa E. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Troughton=3ATessa_E=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2021) The writing process of multilingual postsecondary students.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This research project is rooted in an atmosphere of globalization in Canadian higher education, in which universities are multilingual sites of learning. With an increasingly multilingual population made up of domestic and international students at Canadian universities, more information is needed about the writing practices of multilingual students. The purpose of this study was to learn in detail about the cognitive and strategic steps used by postsecondary students in a mid-sized university in eastern Canada as they wrote their university essays. Results were presented on a study of seven multilingual postsecondary students enrolled at a mid-sized Canadian university. Qualitative interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed. The findings included a continuum of meta-themes: agency/following instructions, experience/inexperience, and explicit teaching/finding their own methods. Findings indicate that the role of prior learning in writing and the learner’s context have an impact on the writing. Secondary findings highlight the importance of instructor feedback on learner attitudes and English language learners’ need for extra time to develop their academic English. Additional findings show that multilingual postsecondary students use translanguaging as a strategic tool when composing in English. These findings offer insights into the writing process, choice of strategies, and translanguaging practices of multilingual postsecondary students.


identifier: Ashraf, Usman <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ashraf=3AUsman=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Design, optimization and analysis of a solar water pumping system for Pakistan.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This thesis covers a comprehensive study about the design, optimization and analysis of a solar water pumping system for Pakistani conditions. For the initial part of this thesis, a site was selected in Wasti Jiuan Shah, Tehsil Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan. The site covers 239.6 acres of land on which Rhodes grass crop is grown for commercial purposes. After evaluating the overall motor load to fulfill the required flow rate of 204m³/hr, a feasible solution for a solar water pumping system with a battery bank was designed in HOMER software. For the designed solar water pumping system solution, detailed cost analysis and evaluation of ratings of design components for the overall designed system were also obtained using HOMER software. For the next stage of the thesis, a detailed dynamic analysis was performed in MATLAB/Simulink for the designed system with a battery bank for the duration of the first seven days of operation in April, with custom-made blocks for each solar water pumping system component. In the third stage of the thesis, a solar water pumping system with a water tank was designed for the same selected site earlier. Detailed cost comparison for a solar water pumping system with a battery bank and a solar water pumping system with a water tank was also performed. After analysis, it was concluded that a solar water pumping solution with a water tank is a more feasible solution for Pakistani conditions. The fourth stage of this thesis comprises an open-source Emoncms based SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) monitoring system on which environmental, hydro and electrical parameters of a solar water pumping system were reflected. As the last stage of the thesis, data for three hours and forty minutes was logged in the designed SCADA system.


identifier: Manuel, Vanessa G. <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Manuel=3AVanessa_G=2E=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Utility of dairy digestate as a greenhouse fertilizer.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: Newfoundland and Labrador is currently unable to satisfy the food demand for the population of the province mainly due to climatic and geologic restrictions. Controlled environment agriculture requires consistent conditions and a cost-effective supply of inputs, principally nutrients. Dairy, as the main agricultural industry in the province, does produce significant waste-streams which contains significant nutrient concentrations. Therefore, I proposed the application of dairy digestate to soil systems under controlled greenhouse conditions to grow high value crops in Newfoundland to increase the food self-sufficiency of the province. I assessed the utility of local farm soil as a growth substrate. This study quantified the nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients in locally available dairy digestate, assessed nutrient budget within a soil system, and thus evaluated nutrient uptake and the quality of spent soil when dairy digestate was employed as a fertilizer to lettuce crops under controlled greenhouse conditions. It was hypothesized that dairy digestate is a suitable source of fertilizer due to its high nutrient content and that application to local soils allows greenhouse production. This study thus provides novel information pertaining to the future of agriculture and food self-sufficiency in Newfoundland, bridging the gap between the current restrictions on crop growth in Newfoundland and local options for nutrient re-use for year round agricultural production.


identifier: Ai, Wen <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Ai=3AWen=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Th Lp John ellipsoids for general measures.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis aims to develop the Lp John ellipsoids related to general measures. Our
Lp John ellipsoids contain many well-known ellipsoids constructed from given convex
bodies as special cases, including but not limited to the classical John ellipsoid, the
Lp John ellipsoid, the Lutwak-Yang-Zhang ellipsoid, the Petty ellipsoid, etc.
Let μ be an α-homogeneous measure on Rn for α > 0. Our Lp John ellipsoids
for the general measure μ for p > 0 are defined as the solutions to the following
optimization problem:

max   V(E) subject to Vμ,p(K,E)≥μ(K),
E∈ε₀n

where E₀n denotes the set of all origin-symmetric ellipsoids, K is a compact convex set
in Rn containing the origin in its interior, V is the volume function, and

Vμ,p(K,E) = 1/αμ(K) [integral of] Sn⁻¹ hᴾE(v)dSμ,p(K,v),

with hE the support function of E and dSμ,p(K,v) the Lp-surface μ-area measure of
K.
In this thesis, for p > 0, we establish the existence and uniqueness of the Lp John
ellipsoid for μ. A characterization of the Lp John ellipsoid for μ is obtained. We also
investigate the case for p = 0, which is related to the logarithmic function. Besides,
the inclusion for the Lp John ellipsoid for μ is provided. The convex bodies with
identical John and Lp John ellipsoids for the general measure μ are characterized.
Finally, we provide a study for another arguably more general family of Lp John
ellipsoids, defined in a way similar to the one in (1) but with Vμ,p(K,E) replaced by [integral of] Sn⁻¹ hᴾE(v)dv(v) and with μ(K) replaced by v(Sn⁻¹), respectively.


identifier: Yan, Xiangyu <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Yan=3AXiangyu=3A=3A.html>   (2021) Preparation of N-doped carbon quantum dots and their applications in the selective sensing of Mercury (II).  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract: This master’s thesis presents a comprehensive study on the optimal design and synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) from small molecule carbon and nitrogen precursors and their application as fluorescence sensor for the detection of heavy metal ions. By employing the Box-Behnken design (BBD), the optimal synthetic condition for hydrothermal method was obtained, which led to the achievement of the high quantum yield of 51.7% for N-CQDs. The as-prepared N-CQDs are with brownish-yellow color and showed a bright blue light irradiation. To stabilize the N-CQDs, immobilization of N-CQDs onto a glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan was then performed to prepare the N-CQDs@GACTS hydrogel film for the selective sensing of Hg2+ ion. FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that N-CQDs were embedded into the GACTS matrix mainly through weak hydrogen bond or electrostatic attraction. Among the three tested heavy metal ions (Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺), the N-CQDs@GACTS hydrogel film exhibited remarkable sensing sensitivity and selectivity of Hg²⁺. The excellent selectivity could be attributed to a stronger interaction between the hydrogel film and Hg²⁺ ion. Due to the strong oxidizing ability and chelating power, Hg²⁺ can be more readily combined with polar groups on the surface of N-CQDs@GACTS hydrogel to form new complexes by either chelation or electrostatic attraction, which provokes an effective electron transfer for the fluorescence quenching of the N-CQDs@GACTS hydrogel. The prepared N-CQDs@GACTS hydrogel demonstrates enhanced practicality in terms of fast response, sensitivity, selectivity, and economical pricing. It has great potential for practical applications in selectively detecting Hg²⁺ from either drinking water or wastewater.


identifier: LeDrew, Rebecca <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/LeDrew=3ARebecca=3A=3A.html>   (2020) Circularity on the periphery: exploring the circular economy in rural and peripheral geographies.  Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
The prevailing wisdom about the Circular Economy (CE) is that it is a largely technical
and industrial endeavour, one that is centred in major urban cores. Recent scholarship has
highlighted the need for more critical social sciences research on the topic to illuminate the
human and social dimensions of CE. Heeding the call for more social sciences voices in the field
of CE research, my thesis offers a qualitative perspective on small-scale stories of circular
innovations in the Netherlands and Scotland. In particular, I focus on peripheral spaces in these
countries; in the case of Scotland, this entailed an exploration of CE in and around the postindustrial
city of Dundee and in the Netherlands, the research was more rural-focused. Drawing
on thematic concepts like ethical consumerism, daily practice and institutional/political/social
linkages, as well as scholarship focusing on peripherality and the scalar dimensions of
sustainability transitions, this work offers an in-depth examination of the complex dynamics that
underscore particular CE initiatives. More specifically, my research reveals that CE projects are
diverse and site-specific in nature, therefore indicating that a blanket approach to CE is likely to
be very ineffective. My findings emphasize the need to examine small-scale circular narratives to
better understand what factors facilitate or inhibit their implementation. The smallness of these
projects is to their advantage as smaller, peripheral actors are more likely to leverage creativity
and innovative thinking, as they do not have to implement their projects across a wide
geographical area. Their size also allows researchers to observe more clearly the various
dynamics at play. The purpose of such studies is not meant to be didactic, but rather their
intention should be to stimulate broader thinking about what the CE can mean across a
multiplicity of contexts.


identifier: Rodriguez, Nicole <https://research.library.mun.ca/view/creator_az/Rodriguez=3ANicole=3A=3A.html>   (2021) A prospective observational study investigating cognitive impairment and comorbid symptoms in newly diagnosed women with nonmetastatic breast cancer.  Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

abstract:
This thesis is an investigation into the prevalence of subjective executive functioning
deficits and subjective and objective cognitive impairment in women with breast cancer
throughout the first year of treatment. This thesis examined the relationship between cognitive
impairment and comorbid symptoms in women with breast cancer. Participants were assessed at
four time points (baseline, 4, 8, and 12 months) using objective and subjective measures of
cognition and sleep, and subjective measures of fatigue, mood, insomnia, and sleep quality. The
final sample size was 98.
The first study used baseline data to investigate the prevalence of perceived executive
functioning deficits as well as associations between perceived cognitive impairment and
insomnia, fatigue, sleep quality, and mood before participants began systemic treatment and
radiation. Twelve percent of the sample reported perceived executive functioning deficits and
these individuals were significantly older and reported greater levels of fatigue and depressive
symptoms than individuals without perceived executive functioning deficits. After partitioning
out variability from other independent variables, only fatigue remained significantly associated
with perceived cognitive impairment.
Using the same sample, the second study aimed to establish the prevalence of cognitive
impairment throughout the first year of treatment and to examine the relationships between
cognitive impairment, fatigue, insomnia, and mood using structural equation modelling.
Prevalence of objective cognitive impairment ranged from 3.1 to 8.2 percent throughout the year,
whereas 36.7 percent demonstrated a clinically meaningful decline in perceived cognitive
impairment from baseline to 4 months, which remained relatively stable up to one year. Greater
perceived cognitive impairment was associated with greater fatigue and insomnia symptomology. Short-term fluctuations in perceived cognitive impairment, but not fatigue or
insomnia, predicted future perceived cognitive impairment. Fatigue was a significant predictor of
future reported symptoms of fatigue and insomnia.