14277 research outputs found
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Providing palliative care to adults experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing
No full textBackground and Purpose: Registered nurses face unique challenges providing palliative care to
adults experiencing homelessness or vulnerable housing, such as difficulty establishing a
therapeutic relationship, acquiring adequate resources, and facilitating care in their preferred
setting. The purpose of this practicum project is to improve equitable palliative care by
developing an e-learning module to inform and support registered nurses. Method: Multiple
strategies were employed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issue. An integrative
literature review was conducted to identify existing barriers for unhoused people, challenges
encountered by registered nurses, and lessons learned from nursing interventions. An
environmental scan and consultations were performed to explore these complex issues locally.
Results: Adults facing homelessness or vulnerable housing preferred to receive care outside of
healthcare facilities, but they faced several barriers due to extensive social insecurities and
disconnected services. Registered nurses found it challenging to provide palliative care to
unhoused patients due to increased clinical complexity, lack of adequate resources, and strained
therapeutic relationships. Based on these findings, an interactive, self-paced, e-learning module
was developed to inform registered nurses of patient barriers, nursing challenges, and nursing
strategies. Conclusion: The developed e-learning module supports nurses in recognizing critical
patient barriers, addressing nursing challenges, and applying evidence-informed strategies to
promote equitable access to care. Next steps include completing stakeholder review, publishing
the module on Nova Scotia Health’s Learning Management System, and evaluating its
effectiveness. Future development may involve expanding the module to other healthcare
providers or adapting it for additional vulnerable populations
Examining the challenges and opportunities of women in Newfoundland's lobster fishery in a changing climate
No full textDespite growing interest in inclusive fisheries governance, research in this area remains gender blind and focused on institutional and interest-based stakeholders. There is a growing but still limited empirical research focused specifically on women's roles, challenges, and opportunities within fisheries around the world. Women play vital roles in global and Canadian fisheries, yet their contributions remain underrecognized in economic analysis, policy decisions, and fisheries management. This thesis examines the challenges and opportunities of women in Newfoundland's lobster fishery, focusing on Western and Southwestern Newfoundland, where rising lobster landings, due in part to climate change, present new opportunities. It examines women's roles, access and benefits, barriers and opportunities in the lobster fishery in the face of climate change. Guided by the Full-Spectrum Sustainability Framework and the Theory of Access (Parlee et al., 2021), and integrated with a gender lens, the study employs a qualitative approach combining document analysis and semi-structured interviews with harvesters, industry stakeholders, and government representatives in Lobster Fishing Areas 11 and 13B.
Thematic analysis using NVivo revealed that women engage in diverse activities such as harvesting, baiting, bookkeeping, and logistics, yet remain invisible in policy and fisheries statistics. Systemic gender inequities continue to limit women's access to and benefits from these gains. Barriers such as high license costs, limited access to capital, gendered caregiving roles, and unpredictable weather conditions constrain women's participation. Women continue to access opportunities and benefits from their involvement in the lobster fishery, but entrenched gender norms and policy inattention hinder equitable benefit sharing. The study recommends the need for better access to capital, expanded parental protections, and gender-responsive licensing policy reform in fisheries governance, emphasizing that centering women's voices and roles is essential for promoting equity, resilience, and sustainability in small-scale fisheries
Development of an educational workshop for registered nurses to improve culturally safe end-of-life care for indigenous populations in NL
No full textBackground: When accessing healthcare services, Indigenous populations face significant
systemic discrimination, racism, and mistreatment leading to Indigenous people’s hesitancy to
access healthcare services delaying timely medical care (National Collaborating Centre for
Indigenous Health, 2019; Statistics Canada, 2024). This delay in seeking healthcare further
contributes to the poorer physical and mental health outcomes in Indigenous populations
compared to non-Indigenous populations (Hahmann & Kumar, 2022; Nelson & Wilson, 2018;
Oosterveer & Young, 2015; Pilarinos et al., 2023; Shahunja et al., 2024). To improve healthcare
equity and optimal outcomes, culturally safe care must be prioritized. Purpose: To create an
adaptable ACP for Indigenous clients in NL to foster cultural conversations and cultural
integration in healthcare delivery. Methods: I conducted a literature review, consultations with
Indigenous and healthcare leaders in NL, and an environmental scan across select Canadian
government, healthcare, Indigenous, and university organizational websites. Results: There is a
significant need for improved education for healthcare providers on the following topics:
Indigenous culture, culturally safe care, ACP in general, and adapting ACP culturally. These
results shifted my project, but the goal remained the same. I created a workshop for RNs to
improve culturally safe end-of-life care delivery for Indigenous clients in NL
A longitudinal analysis of 24-hour movement behaviors and associations with cognitive function and fatigue in women with breast cancer over the first year of diagnosis
No full textThis thesis is an investigation into the compositions of 24-hour movement behaviors, including sleep, sedentary + light activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and their associations with cognitive- and fatigue-related outcomes in women with breast cancer throughout their first year of diagnosis. Participants were assessed at four timepoints (baseline, 4-months, 8-months, and 12-months) with objective measures, including actigraph watches and cognitive tests, and subjective measures of perceived cognitive impairment, fatigue, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The final sample size was 80.
The first study examined associations of perceived cognitive impairment and working memory with 24-hour movement behaviors, symptoms of depression and anxiety, physical fatigue, age, level of education, time, and type of treatment received over the course of the study period. There were no overall associations of 24-hour movement behaviors with either perceived cognitive impairment or working memory. However, there was an interaction between MVPA and timepoint on PCI, indicating that greater time spent in MVPA was associated with improved PCI at 12-months compared to baseline. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, physical fatigue, and time were all associated with PCI. Age, level of education, chemotherapy, and time were all associated with working memory performance.
The second study investigated associations of cancer-related fatigue with 24-hour movement behaviors, symptoms of depression and anxiety, age, level of education, time, and type of treatment received over the course of the study period. MVPA relative to other movement behaviors had an overall association with cancer-related fatigue throughout the year, indicating that increased time spent in MVPA was associated with
decreased levels of fatigue. There was an interaction between MVPA and timepoint, such that increased MVPA had a greater association with reduced fatigue at 12-months compared to baseline. Substitution analysis found that reallocating time spent in sedentary + light activity with time spent in MVPA had a significant association with improved levels of fatigue. Finally, symptoms of anxiety and depression were associated with fatigue, and there were timepoint effects indicating that fatigue was significantly worse at 4-month, 8-month, and 12-month follow-up appointments relative to baseline
Response of small-diameter buried steel pipes to horizontal oblique ground movements
No full textThe widely utilization of small diameter steel pipeline for energy distribution across Canada, facilitates the importance of understanding the pipe responses due to relative displacement between pipe and surrounding soil during large ground deformation such as landslides. Traditionally, pipe loads induced by ground movement have been investigated by pulling a pipe through stationary soil to generate relative displacements. Most existing studies focus on soil reactions under individual loading modes, including vertical-uplift, horizontal-lateral, longitudinal-axial, and vertical-bearing movements. This research aims to investigate the coupled responses of small-diameter steel pipelines subjected to horizontal oblique (combined axial–lateral) ground movement. For this purpose, the testing facility at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) was modified so that a soil tank (representing the ground) could move against a stationary pipeline segment. The pipe was buried horizontally within the moving soil box, with its axis inclined relative to the direction of ground displacement to simulate realistic landslide-induced loading conditions. The influence of pipe inclination was examined using three steel pipe diameters (114.3 mm, 60.3 mm, and 26.7 mm) and three corresponding oblique angles (80°, 70°, and 60°) relative to pure lateral loading (90°). The backfill soils were placed in layers, with each layer compacted using a vibratory plate compactor to achieve the targeted soil density. The pipe segment was instrumented installing the Fibre Optic Sensor (FOS) at both the front (passive) and rear (active) sides of the pipe at the springline level of the pipe to measure the wall strain. To investigate the effect of horizontal oblique ground movement, the soil forces, pipe wall strains, pipe deflection, soil failure mechanism and tank displacement were recorded during the tests. The findings indicate that the soil forces, pipe wall strain and soil failure mechanism during oblique soil movement may vary with the inclination of the pipe axis. The longitudinal strain data implies that the active side of the pipe is subjected to tension, whereas the passive side is in compression, confirming the bending of the pipe segment. The observations also demonstrate that horizontal oblique pipe–soil interaction is inherently three-dimensional, meaning that 2D plane strain idealization is not applicable for small-diameter steel pipelines. Finally, the applicability of existing design guidelines was evaluated by performing beam-on-spring analysis to simulate full-scale laboratory experiments
Investigation of PDC diamond drill bit wear and mechanical impedance of drill string, and study of their impact on drilling performance
No full textPolycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) drill bit wear is a critical factor influencing drilling efficiency and is a major contributor to Non-Productive Time (NPT) in drilling operations. This study presents a comprehensive PDC bit wear measuring technique, the experimental development and testing of a passive Vibration Assisted Rotary Drilling (p-VARD) tool, and the evaluation of their combined effects on drilling performance in both laboratory and field environments.
The intricate shape of PDC cutters, limited availability of bit between drilling runs and weight of PDC drill bit, pose unique challenges for studying bit wear. A wear estimation technique was developed using high-fidelity replicas to quantify and document wear in both lab-scale and field-scale PDC drill bits. The method incorporates visual inspection, weight measurements (for lab-scale bits), and high-resolution imaging. For lab scale PDC drill bit, despite minor edge rounding and minimal shrinkage, the replicas preserved critical surface features, enabling accurate measurement of chamfer width and PDC thickness loss. For field-scale bits, the IADC dull grading system was employed. High Definition (HD) pictures after each drilling run along with localized replicas of worn cutter were used to record and investigate field-scale PDC drill bit wear. This approach offers a permanent and precise record of bit condition.
The CERCHAR Abrasiveness Index (CAI) test was examined in detail. The study evaluated the effects of scratch length, styli reuse, and confined stress conditions on CAI results. A linear relationship was observed between applied pressure and CAI, and a correlation was established between CAI and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) for both natural sedimentary rocks and synthetic concrete analogues. Design improvements to the CAI apparatus were proposed and implemented, enhancing test consistency, accuracy and test portability.
A lab-scale prototype of the p-VARD tool was successfully developed and tested, leading to the development of a field-scale version compatible with a 6” PDC bit. Field trials, conducted over 461.8 feet of alternating red and grey shale formations, demonstrated a significant increase in Rate of Penetration (ROP) under specific operational conditions.
Two metrics were introduced to quantify the wear of 6” PDC drill bit: “wear percentage,” based on IADC dull grading, and “wear metric,” derived from literature to identify wear-inducing conditions. A linear relationship between ROP and recorded wear was observed in conventional drilling, while p-VARD-assisted drilling showed no increase in wear rates over rates observed in conventional drilling. Stick-slip and chaotic whirl were identified as primary contributors to severe wear, particularly when excessive Weight on Bit (WOB) exceeded the bit’s founder point, leading to cutter damage.
In conclusion, this work introduces innovative methodologies for wear assessment and vibration-assisted drilling. The replica-based wear estimation technique offers a reliable and scalable solution for both lab and field applications. The p-VARD tool demonstrated promising performance improvements without compromising bit integrity. Additionally, refinements to the CERCHAR test protocol and equipment contribute to more accurate abrasiveness characterization. Collectively, these advancements support the development of more efficient and resilient drilling systems
An investigation of human activity and environmental change at Turpin's Island through palaeoenvironmental and historical archives
No full textWhile the broader history of European activity in Newfoundland has been relatively well explored, activity on the southern coast, particularly the Burin Peninsula, has been comparatively understudied. Moreover, environmental changes resulting from the migratory cod fishery in this region have yet to be investigated. With this in mind, this research examines human activity and associated environmental transformation linked to the early European migratory fishery and subsequent occupations to produce a biography of the archaeological site of Turpin’s Island, located in Little St. Lawrence on the Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland. This study employs a dual-methodological approach, integrating palaeoenvironmental and historical archives to construct a comprehensive chronology of the occupation of Turpin’s Island and ensuing ecological footprint during the colonial and contemporary period. Palynological analysis reconstructs the environmental history, while the archival data provide insights into the pattern of European settlements. The synthesis of these datasets reveals a distinctive palynological signal that has the potential to differentiate between smaller-scale or seasonal occupations and larger, more permanent settlements, as indicated by the types of non-arboreal taxa reflected in arboreal pollen and non-arboreal pollen (AP/NAP) ratios. Thus, this study introduces a novel methodology for identifying and interpreting pollen diagrams reflecting activity related to the European migratory cod fishery in southern Newfoundland, which could potentially be applied to the broader region of Atlantic Canada. Beyond offering a detailed record of occupation, historical archives have contributed to distinguishing cultural affiliations within local pollen assemblage zones (LPAZs), helping interpret and capture an ecological footprint of French fishing rooms reflected in pollen diagrams, which was not previously recognized
Exploring the role of regenerative and permaculture-informed Agriculture in promoting sustainable food systems: evidence from North America
No full textThis thesis explores approaches to make food systems more sustainable in North America and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) using regenerative and permaculture methods, by addressing the growing challenges of soil degradation, climate variability, and dependence on imported food. It includes two main parts: a scoping review of 84 articles (from 1994 to 2024) on permaculture’s contribution to food security in North America and a qualitative study based on twenty semi-structured interviews with farmers, NGOs, and government officials in NL. The scoping review identifies six main themes: soil health and land management, water management, biodiversity, animal integration, energy and built systems, and community and economy, revealing widespread ecological and social benefits but persistent policy and market barriers. The qualitative study identifies how farmers in NL adopt regenerative practices like composting, livestock integration, cover cropping, and biochar application, but is constrained by the Crownland policy, environmental degradation, policy misalignment and limited institutional support. These studies show that practices focused on circular use and regeneration can improve ecological resilience, enable communities, and support local food systems. This connects ideas from the circular economy, agroecology, and political ecology. The thesis suggests practical ways to create policies that fit local needs and promote fairer, more sustainable food systems in NL and beyond
Distorting black hole solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations
No full textThe uniqueness theorem in four-dimensional general relativity states that stationary
isolated black holes in vacuum spacetime must have spherical horizons, described only
by the two-parameter family of Kerr solutions. However, this uniqueness does not apply
in dimensions higher than four, allowing various black holes with non-spherical
shapes, such as black rings, and spherical black holes with bubbles (non-collapsed
two-spheres) in the exterior region. On the other hand, black holes rarely exist in
isolation; they interact dynamically with surrounding gravitational fields and external
matter sources. Understanding these interactions is essential for comprehending
the full range of black hole properties and behaviors. This thesis explores distorted
black hole solutions to the vacuum Einstein equations, focusing specifically on fivedimensional
scenarios. In chapter 3 of this thesis, a distorted local static vacuum black
hole-bubble solution is derived via the superposition principle for the Weyl class of
solutions. It is smooth in the interior region and free of conical singularities. The distortion
represents the influence of external matter in the asymptotic region, modifying
the geometry near the black hole. By carefully choosing the distortion, we showed
that conical singularities in the undistorted geometry can be removed. In chapter 4,
extending to stationary, non-static settings, the research employs advanced solitonic
solution-generating techniques to derive a novel distorted rotating black ring solution.
This solution begins with a distorted Minkowski spacetime as a seed solution and
evolves through solitonic transformations into a distorted rotating black ring configuration.
This solution can allow us to investigate how external gravitational fields
affect the horizon structure and singularity. In chapter 5, the thesis analyzes the
distorted Myers-Perry black hole with a single angular momentum. It carefully examines
how external matter affects the shape and curvature of the black hole's horizon.
Through analytical and numerical methods, we find significant changes, emphasizing
the importance of external influences in black hole physics
Impacts of climate change on hydrological parameters in northeastern Avalon Basins using the IHACRES model
No full textThis study evaluates the performance of the conceptual rainfall–runoff model IHACRES for simulating streamflow and assessing climate change impacts in five Northeastern Avalon watersheds under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios for 2040–2065. The model was calibrated and evaluated using observed precipitation, temperature, and discharge data, applying statistical performance metrics (NSE, RMSE, R², PBIAS) and a split-sample approach. A Flow Duration Curve (FDC) analysis complemented daily and monthly diagnostics to examine model performance across different flow regimes. Future streamflow simulations were conducted using bias-adjusted climate projections from the CanESM5 model of CMIP6. The IHACRES model achieved acceptable simulation accuracy in the Leary’s Brook, Waterford, and Virginia watersheds (monthly NSE > 0.5; PBIAS ±10%), while performance was weaker in Raymond and Northeast Pond, where lake regulation affected rainfall–runoff responsiveness. Winters are projected to experience higher flows associated with warmer and wetter conditions, while summers show greater variability and potential decreases depending on basin characteristics and scenario. The study’s novelty lies in combining FDC-based evaluation with a Python-weighted multi-model approach to refine climate inputs, improving simulation robustness. This research represents the first climate-informed, multi-basin IHACRES application for Newfoundland and offers insights to support regional water management and climate adaptation strategies addressing both flood and drought risks