Digital Commons Network^™

Envisioning Equitable Access To Secondary Literacy Learning Through Sociocultural And Critical Approaches To The Implementation Of Multitiered Systems Of Supports, Audrey Flynn Richardson

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

The acquisition and operationalization of literacy are of critical importance to all learners. The use of literacy and language abilities including reading and writing as well as critical thinking and communication are essential to accessing one’s human and civil rights (Goodwin & Jiménez, 2019). Because the acquisition of these skills and abilities does not always happen with automaticity or in the same way for all students, public schools are asked to provide layers of comprehensive support for students in their literacy learning. Since the reinstatement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, state and federal educational …

Exploring Mycorrhizae In Riparian Restoration To Enhance Phosphorus Mitigation And Pollinator Habitat On Unceded Territory, Jessica Ann Rubin

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

When land degradation imperils freshwater quality, land managers can restore ecosystem functions. The premise of three published/accepted thesis chapters is that mycorrhizae can enhance water quality function of riparian buffers and pollinator habitat through diverse, native polyculture associations.

Where water quality is threatened through excess phosphorus (P) loads from agriculture, riparian buffers are considered Best Management Practices (BMPs). They intercept agricultural nutrients before reaching waterways. However, their seasonal cycles, saturation capacity, and often degraded conditions limit their ability to protect water quality. In particular, riparian buffers can transition from sinks to sources of P when agricultural practices chronically contribute P, …

Three Branch Diversity Systems For Multi-Hop Iot Networks, Sakil Ahmed Chowdhury

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technological paradigm connecting numerous smart objects for advanced applications ranging from home automation to industrial control to healthcare. The rapid development of wireless technologies and miniature embedded devices has enabled IoT systems for such applications, which have been deployed in a variety of environments. One of the factors limiting the performance of IoT devices is the multipath fading caused by reflectors and attenuators present in the environment where these devices are deployed. Leveraging polarization diversity is a well-known technique to mitigate the deep signal fades and depolarization effects caused by multipath. However, neither …

The Impact Of Nitric Oxide On Dendritic Cell Metabolism, Julia Priscilla Snyder

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Dendritic cells (DCs) are sentinel immune cells capable of directly sensing and responding to pathogens. Upon pathogen recognition, DCs undergo a process of activation that allows them to participate in the proinflammatory response at the site of infection and to initiate the adaptive immune response through antigen presentation to T cells. Because activated DCs serve as the critical link between innate and adaptive immunity, modulating DC activation could be a powerful tool in various clinical contexts such as vaccine design. DC activation is accompanied by widespread changes in metabolism including the rapid upregulation of glycolysis, which is sustained in DCs …

Short- And Long-Term Impacts Of Forest Management In Response To The Invasive Emerald Ash Borer In New England Forests, Hanusia Higgins

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As non-native forest pests disperse across the United States, the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (EAB), has emerged as one of the most costly and destructive invaders. In response to EAB, forest management practices, including pre-salvage logging, "phloem reduction" (large ash removal), and strategies to improve future ash regeneration, have been implemented to meet economic, ecological, cultural, and safety objectives. Although many studies have quantified the impacts of EAB on mortality of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), less is known about the short- and long-term ecological impacts of forest management in response to this pest. In summer 2020, we measured forest …

The Microbiome As An Environmental Risk Factor For Multiple Sclerosis, Theresa Montgomery

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The etiology of MS is complex and poorly understood; however, disease risk is likely combinatorial due to the effects of both genetics and environmental risk factors. A recently identified environment risk factor for MS is the gut microbiome. However, the specific gut microbiota associated with disease risk, onset and/or progression, their mechanisms of action, and impact of host genetics remain unclear. Leveraging the primary autoimmune mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), in a genetically diverse mouse model consisting of 29 unique genotypes, combined with gut …

Drivers And Controls On Soil Carbon Storage In Temperate Forest Soils, Adam Noel

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels pose a threat the global climate stability but large amounts of carbon can be held within soils worldwide. Forests function to capture carbon and eventually, through litter inputs and decomposition, add this carbon to soil systems. This process is driven by climate, landscape conditions, forest and soil characteristics, that have complex interactions with one another across spatial scales. In this dissertation, I examine drivers of carbon contributions to the mineral soil, via litter decomposition and forest floor carbon pools, and how these contributions vary with forest composition and soil conditions. First, using data from a 10-year …

Characterizing Phosphorus Transport To Agricultural Tile Drains In Vermont, Ryan Andrew Ruggiero

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Dairy agroecosystems use subsurface or tile drainage to improve trafficability and crop yield. One of the main concerns of tile drainage is that it acts as a major source of non-point phosphorus (P) pollution because of preferential flow pathways (PFP). PFP are large conduits in the soil that allow rapid movement of water. This reduces contact time infiltrate has with deeper soil horizons, which are not saturated with P and that could act as a sink for this nutrient. Also, PFP are responsible for channeling manure applied at the surface to tile drains. The rate of tile drain installation is …

Application Of Nanoparticles In Photodynamic Therapy And Increased Endothelial Permeability By Nanoparticle-Induced Activation Of Trpv4: Towards Improved Understanding Of Nanomedicine, Jaspreet Singh Nagi

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Nanotechnology holds great promise in biomedicine towards new diagnostics, new therapies, and improved patient outcomes. This work explores both the application of a novel nanoparticle in an established field of cancer treatment as well as an investigation of the human health implications of nanoparticles in intravenous applications. First, novel dye-linked zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated for use as photosensitizers (PS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their excellent thermal- and photo-stability. To overcome the limitations of current cancer treatments, we investigated the effectiveness of ZnO-Dye 847 NPs as a near infrared (NIR) PS in PDT. The NPs were surface …

Anchoring Communities Through Crisis: Enhancing Anchor Institutions’ Roles In Local Food Systems, Naomi Cunningham

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Anchor institutions serve as economic and social anchors for the communities they are embedded within. These mission-driven institutions often leverage their purchasing power and hiring practices to support community development. Local food purchases are one crucial way institutions support local economies and contribute to the development of robust and resilient food systems. The relationships institutional buyers establish with local farmers and intermediaries frequently require more time and energy to facilitate but result in more direct, connected, and mutually beneficial relationships, which, based on the findings of this research, are a critical source of resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most …

Electrospraying Of Designer Alginates For The Production Of Powder-Based Tissue Sealants, Trevor Taylor Paris

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The tissue sealant industry has seen rapid development in new and exciting materials in the past 20 years. Synthetic and naturally sourced biopolymers have been extensively researched to address this call for an update to classical tissue sealant technique. These new materials seek to improve upon older methods such as staples, stitches, and glues by increasing biocompatibility, wound integration, and dynamicity. One biopolymer, alginate, has been gaining attention due to its inexpensive price, abundance in nature, and material properties that allow for improved sealant properties. Much like other naturally available biopolymers, alginate can be processed into glues, sheets, and powders. …

Revealing The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On Soil Nutrient Dynamics And Forage Resources In Mountain Ecosystems, Kenna Elizabeth Rewcastle

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Modern climate change is already altering the structure and function ofecosystems around the world in nontrivial ways. Mountain ecosystems in particular will continue to experience a greater magnitude and rate of climatic warming than the global average, threatening the stability of key ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling as well as the supply of benefits from ecosystem services provided by mountains. While significant advancements have been made to address the direct effects of rising temperatures on nutrient cycling dynamics, our understanding of the synergies between the direct effects of warming and the indirect effects of climate change, mediated by the response …

Changing Environmental Conditions And The Response And Potential Adaptability Of Freshwater Whitefishes, Taylor R. Stewart

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Changes in winter conditions, such as increased temperatures and decreased ice coverage, have been observed worldwide. The responses of many lake fish populations to changing winters are projected to be inadequate to counter the speed and magnitude of climate change. Such environmental changes have been hypothesized to explain the low recruitment observed in freshwater whitefishes (Salmonidae Coregoninae). My research focused on measuring the impact changing winter conditions may have on coregonine reproductive phenology and developmental and morphological traits to better predict changes in coregonine populations as a result of climate change.

I used experimental incubation methods and modeling to explore …

Constraint-Aware And Efficiency-Aware Control Of Air-Path In Fuel Cell Vehicles, Eli Bacher-Chong

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Fuel cell technology offers the potential for clean, efficient, robust energy productionfor both stationary and mobile applications. But without fast and robust control systems, fuel cells cannot hope to maintain real-life efficiencies near enough to their theoretical potential. This work studies control and constraint management techniques to regulate a nonlinear multivariable air-path system for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The control objectives are to avoid oxygen starvation, run at the maximum net efficiency, achieve fast tracking of air flow and pressure set-points, and be easy to calibrate. To operate at maximum efficiency, a set-point map is generated for …

Finite Element Deformation Of Silver Nanowire Networks, Akiva Gopalkrishnan

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Tin doped Indium oxide currently is the dominant material used in the field of transparent electronics (TE) but suffers from Indium scarcity and brittle failure under small deformations. Silver Nanowires (AgNWs) are of considerable research interest due to their relative ease of fabrication, high conductivity, and mechanical ductility, as well as high corrosion stability. Existing research on single AgNWs via nanomechanical testing has shown an increase in the strength and ductility as both the diameter and gauge length is reduced, or a “smaller is stronger effect”. The formation of a network structure of AgNWs on flexible plastic substrates is essential …

Examining The Effect Of Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes On Weight Among Smokers With Psychiatric Conditions Or Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Roxanne Harfmann

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Introduction: There is a pharmacological effect of nicotine on weight, such that reductions in nicotine exposure lead to weight gain. Weight gain may be an unintended consequence of a nicotine reduction policy. To our knowledge, two studies have examined the relationship between very low nicotine content cigarettes (VLNCs) and weight, both in general-population smokers. As would be expected, only smokers adherent to VLNCs gained weight. The aim of this study is to examine associations between VLNCs and weight among vulnerable populations.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of VLNCs among individuals …

Atomic-Scale Analysis Of Solute Segregation Energy Into Grain Boundaries And Polycrystals, Tara Nenninger

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Solute segregation in grain boundaries (GBs) is used in design to stabilize nanocrystalline alloys. While analyzing GB segregation energy as a spectrum allows for a more in-depth analysis of the effects of GB atomic structure on solute segregation, this method inherently ignores solute-solute interaction by nature of considering one solute at a time. Here we develop an efficient molecular statics (MS) algorithm for determining the local effect of solute-solute interaction on GB segregation. We apply this algorithm to a Σ9 (221) symmetric tilt grain boundary in a bicrystal as well as a randomly oriented polycrystal for Ni and Cu solutes …

A Network Intervention Analysis: Exploring Patterns Of Symptom Change Over Winter Depression Treatment With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Vs. Light Therapy, Richard J. Norton

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This is an exploratory network intervention analysis (NIA) of a larger randomized controlled trial comparing two first-line treatments for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD): light therapy (LT) and group cognitive-behavioral therapy for SAD (CBT-SAD). Of 177 adults with SAD randomized in the parent study, this study included the 159 participants (88 LT, 75 CBT-SAD) who completed treatment. NIA was applied to examine the relation of treatment type to changes in four previously identified symptom clusters on the Beck-Depression Inventory-II extended version. There were no differences between LT and CBT-SAD in the magnitude of symptom cluster score changes in the interval …

Phosphorus Dynamics In Restored Riparian Wetlands On Former Agricultural Land In Vermont, Adrian Robert Hendrick Wiegman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Wetland restoration has numerous potential ecological and societal benefits, one of which is the retention of phosphorus (P) and consequent protection of downstream water bodies from eutrophication. Past studies focused on influents to and effluents from a variety of wetland types have documented net P retention. However, some wetland systems are less effective at P capture and wetland P retention capacity can change over time. Certain wetland types - especially riparian wetlands restored on former agricultural land - remain understudied. In Vermont, most of the over 4000 potential wetland restoration sites in the Lake Champlain Basin are located on current …

A Multi-Scale Examination Of Skeletal Muscle’S Contribution To Local And Systemic Immunomodulation, Joseph J. Bivona Iii

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The innate immune system requires input from a myriad of tissues and cell types to adequately prepare, locate, and neutralize infections. Skeletal muscle’s widespread distribution throughout the body and its potent ability to secrete cytokines makes it a vital signaling organ to alert the immune system during both localized and systemic injuries and illnesses. This dissertation first deciphers the crosstalk between skeletal muscle myocytes and macrophages during acute lung injury, reporting the macrophage-derived cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α, to be necessary for eliciting the full potential of the skeletal muscle inflammatory milieu. Next, the total contribution of skeletal muscle mediators …

Emergence Of Elasto-Inertial Turbulence In 2d Natural Convection Flow With Polymer Additives, Fuqian Yin

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Elasto-Inertial Turbulence (EIT) is a recently discovered state of chaos triggered by the addition of polymers in a liquid flow. Its presence in wall-bounded parallel flows, pipe and channel flows, has been well-established. The present research investigates the existence of EIT in large circulations, specifically the Rayleigh-B\'{e}nard cells (RBC) caused by natural convection between two horizontal plates with a negative temperature gradient. The method of investigation is high-fidelity two dimensional direct numerical simulation of the constitutive polymer model FENE-P. The flow parameter space is mostly subcritical, characterized by $Ra$, Rayleigh number, below or equal to $10^6$, which loosely defines the …

Multi-Scale Assessment Of Gully Erosion At Road Drainage Outlets, Emma Louise Estabrook

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Gully erosion and sediment deposition from roads are underrated sources of sediments entering receiving waterways. While gully erosion has been studied throughout the world, the monitoring of the temporal and spatial erosional processes related to culverts and road drainage is rare. The objectives of this study are to quantify rates of gully erosion from Vermont’s transportation drainage networks at multiple temporal scales and report on insights gained from a multi-scale approach to monitoring gully erosion. To quantify event to seasonal timescales of gully erosion, high resolution terrestrial LiDAR surveys were conducted at 13 field sites. Field sites were monitored at …

Strain-Enhanced Coherent Exciton-Polaron States In 1d Phthalocyanine Crystalline Thin Films, Libin Liang

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Organic semiconductors are at the forefront of materials research, due to their desired electric and mechanical properties. They offer the unique opportunity to modify material properties during synthesis process, opening an avenue to the development of novel flexible and wearable electronic and photonic devices.Molecular excitons are of importance in organic semiconductor properties. While majority of research studies are centered on achieving good control of amorphous or polycrystalline thin film properties, the static disorder effect leads to poor device performance when compared to inorganic semiconductors with superior crystalline ordering. On the other hand, the macroscopic molecular long-range ordering can enhance device …

Development Of [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangements Of Zwitterionic And Cationic Intermediates Formed By Intramolecular Cyclization Of Tertiary Allylic Amines Tethered To Heterocumulenes, Joseph Pisano

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Guanidines are ubiquitous in nature and serve as useful building blocks in biologically active natural products as well as non-nucleophilic bases and organocatalysts. There is thus a need for methods for the synthesis of guanidine compounds as well as isoelectronic groups such as isothioureas. The 1,3-diaza-Claisen rearrangement represents a powerful reaction by which to synthesize highly substituted guanidines.

The scope of the zwitterionic 1,3-diaza-Claisen rearrangement has been further investigated through the introduction of a two-carbon tether. Electron-deficient carbodiimides can be synthesized through desulfurization of isothioureas, which undergo intramolecular cyclization through a tethered tertiary amine bearing an allylic group to afford …

A Global Understanding Of The Factors Facilitating Plant Invasions., R. Kirsten Tyler

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Globalization has resulted in the anthropogenic movement of plant species, many of which have established and become invasive in their secondary ranges. A fundamental goal in invasion ecology is to understand the factors that contribute to successful establishment and spread of invasive species on a global scale. Given the likelihood of a future with increased international connections leading to introductions of plant species, understanding why some species are successful invaders and which ecosystems are susceptible to invasion continues to be crucial to development of effective preventative policy and management strategies. Although there is a large body of literature on determinants …

Soil Invertebrates In Agriculture: Assessing Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity Impacts, And Farmer Perceptions, Eva Kinnebrew

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Harmonizing biological diversity and crop production is a major goal towards building more sustainable food systems. Soil invertebrates are diverse and abundant organisms in agriculture, but relatively little is known about their benefits or how agricultural management impacts them. In this dissertation, I dig into the complex interactions between agricultural land use and soil invertebrate biodiversity to better inform farmer decision-making. I find that soil invertebrate communities have major potential contributions to agroecosystems (Chapter 2) and are shaped heavily by agricultural land use (Chapters 3, 4), but remain too uncertain to contribute to farmers’ management choices (Chapter 5). First, I …

Online Cross-Cultural Mentorship In A Health Career Pipeline Program, Nicole Lapointe

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This phenomenological study of cross-cultural mentoring is set in an online health workforce development program for youth from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (URIM). The purpose of this study is to understand how personal and contextual factors influence the experiences of medical student mentors. This study provides insights into how mentoring programs can support the development of positive cross-cultural relationships in online environments. A literature review identified individual and contextual influences that contribute to mentoring relationship quality. How these factors translate through online modalities is underexplored in the literature on youth mentoring. This research used mixed methods in a case-selection variation …

Assessing Assumptions And Applying Cosmogenic Nuclide Methods To Earth Surface Processes, Christopher T. Halsted

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Terrestrial in situ cosmogenic radionuclides are powerful tools for quantifying rates and durations of Earth surface processes. Among the many applications of cosmogenic radionuclides are quantification of basin-scale erosion rates, burial durations of paleosols and terrace sediments, and unraveling of glacial chronologies. In this dissertation I use large data sets to investigate methodological assumptions critical for using cosmogenic radionuclides to interpret Earth surface processes, and I apply this isotope system to reconstruct the deglacial history of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the northeastern United States.

I use new and previously-published measurements of in situ 26Al and 10Be concentrations, over 300 …

'He Went Out And Subdued Them': The Significance Of The Haitian Revolution In Absalom, Absalom!, Curtis Browne

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

William Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom! mediates the persistence of the violent history of the US South in the present and grapples with the difficulty of narrating and wresting meaning from it. This violence is embodied by Thomas Sutpen, a man who installs himself as planter and patriarch in the antebellum South, and whose narrative trajectory and fate the various narrators attempt to reconstruct. A peculiar anachronism appears in their attempt, however: in the 1820s, Sutpen begins his rise by suppressing a revolution of the enslaved in Haiti. The existence of slavery in Haiti at this historical juncture implies that the …

Lingering With Hegel And The Madhyamaka School: Lack In Anna Karenina And Swann's Way, Oliver Bissell Creech

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Jacques Lacan observes that desire has the inherent flaw of always being disproportionate to the object of desire. Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way and Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina reveal the key role that lack, or the negative, plays in the way desire gets out of control. Applying Hegel’s thought on the negative to Swann’s Way and Anna Karenina, I interrogate models of love and relationships to the negative to confront the dilemma perceived by Lacan. I note how the role of the negative in Swann’s Way and Anna Karenina runs parallel to the role of impermanence and emptiness in the Madhyamaka …