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
Age and petrogenesis of Li pegmatites in southern Newfoundland
(St. Francis Xavier University, 2025) Saha, Deepyaman; Archibald, Donnelly
Canada’s efforts to develop low-carbon technologies has increased the demand for critical
minerals, including lithium. Southern Newfoundland is a region displaying favourable
geological conditions to host lithium pegmatites, particularly in the aureoles of voluminous,
geochemically evolved plutonic rocks. The present research is focussed on the Killick
pegmatite field, a swarm of lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites discovered in 2021 in
southern Newfoundland. Fieldwork focussed on mapping and sampling multiple
spodumene-bearing pegmatite dikes. The dykes intruded metasiltstone, meta-quartz
arenite, and metavolcanic rocks of the Dolman Cove formation. Due to the homogeneity of
the >10 dykes in the Killick swarm, three dykes form the focus of petrographic and mineral
chemistry data collection (Kraken, East and Hockey Stick dykes). The dykes are of variable
thickness with irregular widths ranging from <1 up to <5m. The textures in the Kraken dyke
are mostly equigranular and dykes show no internal zoning, but the East and Hockey Stick
dykes have irregular zoning patterns including layered aplite zones in the contact with the
host rock and coarser-grained cores with spodumene up to 15cm in length. Most plagioclase
grains are albite, which likely formed due to the alteration of K-feldspar. Muscovite is
present as both primary and secondary muscovite. Spodumene is acicular in shape, pale
green, up to 15 cm in length, and it formed during the late magmatic stage. In some cases,
the spodumene is altered to clay minerals. The garnet grains are Mn-rich spessartine and is
either magmatic or xenocrystic. The tourmalines are acicular, schorl in composition, and
mainly present in the contact zones of the pegmatites with the host rocks. The columbite –
tantalite minerals are mostly manganocolumbite to manganotantalite that are rich in HFSE.
Apatite, monazite, and beryl are also present in minor proportions. The high Li and Cs
content in the dykes and the presence of spodumene, spessartine, and columbite-tantalite
group minerals indicate that the pegmatites are highly fractionated. Taken together, these
new data provide a better understanding of the magmatic-hydrothermal processes that
resulted in the emplacement of LCT pegmatites in southern Newfoundland. The pegmatites
may be related by a remelting or anatexis of nearby, voluminous, geochemically evolved
two-mica granites (Peter Snout and Rose Blanche plutons) or originated by the remelting of
the metasedimentary host rocks
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.