StFX SCHOLAR
StFX Scholar is the official repository of St. Francis Xavier University (StFX), offering a secure and free platform to share publications, academic outputs, and other works of StFX faculty, staff, and students.
StFX Scholar is also the hub for exploring our digitized and digital collections. Our mission is to preserve and highlight the intellectual and creative achievements of the StFX community and the broader Antigonish region.
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- StFX-affiliated works, including open-access (aka free) journal articles, books, and more!
- Digitized or born-digital theses and dissertations completed at StFX.
- Materials about StFX.
- The library's digitized and digital collections.
Recent Submissions
The rhythmic language of Ari Hoenig : a musical application of advanced rhythms
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025-05-16) MacEachern, Ty; Michelli, Anthony
Ari Hoenig is a jazz drummer and composer from New York City. He has collaborated with many of the world’s greatest jazz musicians and is known for his melodicism and his masterful application of complex rhythmic ideas on the drum set. This study will include an explanation of advanced rhythmic terms and devices, an exploration of Hoenig’s life and musical background, and an analysis of his playing and compositions. This thesis will analyze Ari Hoenig’s musical style with the goal of making advanced rhythmic ideas accessible to musicians. Musical examples will be taken from select live and studio recordings throughout his career. The performances that will be analyzed include Hoenig’s playing on the Charlie Parker composition “Cheryl,” his version of Max Roach’s piece “The Drum Also Waltzes,” “The Drum Also Fives,” followed by Hoenig’s compositions “The Painter” and “Condemnation.” Compositional analysis will be done on “Green Spleen” from Bert’s Playground, “Arrows and Loops” from Lines of Oppression, and “Condemnation” from The Painter and Tea for Three. Through this investigation, the thesis ultimately seeks to answer a few key questions: how does Hoenig hear and approach these complex rhythmic ideas; How does he make them sound musical; and finally, how can other musicians harness these techniques to enhance their own rhythmic language. Through the analysis and understanding of Hoenig’s use of advanced rhythmic devices, musicians can begin to comprehend and apply these concepts to their own playing, enriching their ability as musicians, composers, and arrangers.
Cleantech ventures : entrepreneurial success probability and valuation premium
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025-04-04) Locke, Davin; Nguyen, Yen
The research looks into two primary concerns surrounding entrepreneurial cleantech firms, seeking to answer: (1) Are cleantech entrepreneurial firms more or less likely to succeed than those in other industries? (2) Do cleantech entrepreneurial firms have higher valuations compared to those in other industries? For this analysis, we utilize a dataset from PitchBook containing over 261,971 firms across 197 countries from the year 2000 to 2020. We apply several regression techniques, including Probit, Logit, OLS, and fixed-effects models, to determine success probabilities and assess valuation premiums.
Determining the use and non-use factors of smartwatches
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025-04-18) Rocca, Gabriella; Reid, Ryan
Introduction: A smartwatch is a wearable device that can monitor variables associated with CSEP’s 24-hour movement guidelines (i.e., physical activity, sedentary time, sleep). The aims of this study were to explore the reasons for acquiring a smartwatch, reasons for early use cessation, and determine barriers of smartwatch adoption. Methods: Participants consisted of 299 individuals from a rural community. Data was collected using an online Qualtrics survey with fifteen, 5-point Likert scale questions (1 strongly disagree – 5 strongly agree). Results are shown as Means (M) and Standard Deviations (SD) and groups were compared using a t-test (p < 0.05). Results: 206 (70%) were current wearers, 33 (11%) were previous wearers, and 56 (19%) were non-wearers. The main reason for purchasing a smartwatch was to track physical activity (M = 4.5, SD = 1.6). The most common reasons for discontinuing smartwatch use were losing interest (M = 3.1, SD = 1.3) and finding it uncomfortable (M = 3.1, SD = 1.4). Previous wearers (M = 2.8, SD = 1.3) did not feel the smartwatch simplified their daily life as much as current wearers (M = 3.7, SD = 1.1), t(227) = 4.40, p < 0.001. The most common barrier for those who want a smartwatch but do not have one is the cost (M = 4.2, SD = 1.1). Conclusions: Future research should focus on reducing barriers to smartwatch adoption, advancing facilitators to encourage extended use, and promoting the use of these devices for health tracking features.
Vestibular Oculomotor Screening & sports-related concussions : a systematic review
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025-04) Oczkowski, Emma; Harenberg, Sebastian; Berrigan, Lindsay
Sport-related concussions (SRCs) are common among adult athletes and often result in vestibular and oculomotor impairments that complicate recovery. The Vestibular Oculomotor Screening (VOMS) tool has emerged as a promising clinical measure for identifying such impairments and predicting recovery timelines. This systematic review examined ten studies, published between 2014 and 2024, that investigated the utility of VOMS in adults (≥17 years) with diagnosed SRCs. Results suggest that elevated total VOMS scores, particularly when assessed within 24-48 hours post-injury, are associated with prolonged return-to-play (RTP). Across the literature, ocular motor components (particularly smooth pursuits and saccades) were the most frequently linked to delayed recovery, while vestibular components showed less associations. Near Point Convergence (NPC) showed variable utility, often limited by inconsistent scoring methods. External factors, such as early sub-symptom exercise, were found to positively influence both VOMS performance and recovery speed. However, the lack of standardized scoring thresholds and inconsistent reporting of component-specific findings limit cross-study comparability. These findings support the clinical value of VOMS in SRC management and highlight the need for greater methodological consistency and focus on adult populations in future research.
Ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) demographics and interactions with cord grass (Sporobolus alterniflorus) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025-05-30) O'Reilly, Tanya; Garbary, David; Wyeth, Russell
Climate change and sea level rise have impacted coastal plant communities in estuaries of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and resulted in conspicuous marsh erosion. The ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) has as its primary habitat the lower marsh fringe where it is attached to the rhizomes of the cordgrass Sporobolus alterniflorus. In numerous sites, the salt marsh is eroding, resulting in the death of the cordgrass and thereby a loss of the primary mussel habitat. I investigated population density and mussel size in 16 populations in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence from Pugwash Harbour in the west to Cheticamp Harbour in the northeast. Population metrics were measured in three marsh elevation zones: (1) a dead, low elevation zone with intact peat but no living Sporobolus shoots, (2) an intermediate zone with low density of living Sporobolus, and (3) a higher elevation, dense zone of Sporobolus. Mussel size was related to position, with the youngest mussels occurring in the intermediate zone and the oldest mussels occurring in the dense zone. Higher mussel density occurred in intermediate zones primarily at the western end of the sampled salt marshes in Nova Scotia. Marshes with extensive dead zones had the oldest mussels and lower population densities. Low mussel density and absence of relatively small mussels, i.e. < 3 cm, occurred at the most degraded marsh sites. I conclude that as sea level rise impacts the lower marsh fringe that populations of the ribbed mussel are becoming less able to recruit and maintain healthy populations. A symbiosis was described in New England in which Geukensia and Sporobolus have a mutualistic interaction. A 12-month long field experiment tested this facultative mutualism at Fox Harbour, where Geukensia is the most abundant in northern Nova Scotia. I found no evidence to support the mutualism and suggest that mussel density at ~100 m-2 may be too low to allow for the mutualism to persist in this region.