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Tuning Intermolecular Interactions To Enhance Solid-State Nanopore Force Spectroscopy, Elaine Foun

Open Access Master's Theses

Nanopores, nanometer sized holes in membranes, have recently come into prominence as tools for single molecule sensing. A technique called nanopore force spectroscopy uses the nanopore to probe energy landscapes between molecules. With the development of this technique, it will be possible for molecular recognition in complex fluids, such as blood. However, before that can be possible, solid-state nanopores, commonly fabricated in silicon nitride membranes, and having very confined sizes and charged surfaces, need to be optimized to minimize unwanted interactions between solution-phase molecules and the surface. DNA, for example, a crucial part of nanopore force spectroscopy, frequently sticks to …

Determination Of In-Situ Dissolved Inorganic Carbon And Alkalinity In Marine Sedimentary Interstitial Water, Justine Sauvage

Open Access Master's Theses

Porewater inorganic carbon concentration and total alkalinity from deeply buried marine sediment reflect biological activity, mineral diagenesis, sedimentary processes and past bottom ocean water composition. Reliable interpretation of these data is often complicated and/or limited due to (i) major physical environment changes taking place during sediment core retrieval, and (ii) the resulting precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) in the course of sample collection, processing and storage. Here we describe a robust method for quantifying the in-situ porewater carbonate system chemistry in deepsea sediment cores. The method relies on the over-determination of the dissolved carbonate system by measuring three …

Metabolism, Hypoxia Tolerance And Heat Shock Response Of Amphipods, Emphasizing The Hyperiid Amphipod Phronima Sedentaria, Leanne Elizabeth Elder

Open Access Dissertations

This work investigates the ecophysiology of marine amphipods. Amphipods are an important part of the zooplankton community in the pelagic environment. Amphipods are a food source for a variety of fishes and also have a role in carbon cycling. Little is known about their physiology and how they have adapted to environmental variation.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that global warming is causing temperatures to rise throughout the world’s oceans, a trend that will continue with rising human carbon emissions. As temperature and CO₂ levels increase, oceanic oxygen levels are predicted to decrease, and as a …

Analyzing And Quantifying Dynamc Program Behavior In Terms Of Regularities And Patterns, Celal Ozturk

Open Access Dissertations

Current processors employ aggressive prediction mechanisms to improve performance and reduce power. Most optimizations, however, are as a result of fairly ad-hoc observations or they primarily rely on heuristic. It is increasingly important to understand and quantify a program's dynamic behavior to effectively design next-generation prediction mechanisms. Although quantifying frequent behavior in an application's dynamic execution behavior is trivial in cases such as observing the frequency of each type of instruction, it is very challenging to summarize dynamic data reference behavior. As a result, most prediction mechanisms (data prefetchers, branch predictors, and other) employed in current processors today rely on …

Are Full-Length Mrna In Bos Taurus Spermatozoa Transferred To The Oocyte During Fertilization?, Elizabeth Jane Anderson

Open Access Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the discovery of full-length mRNA transcripts in Bos taurus spermatozoa. The primary aim of this study is to identify and validate full-length mRNA primarily from RNA-Sequencing of bovine spermatozoa. The secondary aim is to determine if full-length spermatozoal transcripts are delivered to the oocyte at fertlilization, allowing for future studies to track their inheritance from paternal sources to the embryo. The main hypothesis of this thesis is that full-length mRNA transcripts exist within the spermatozoal transcript profile in Bos taurus. The secondary hypothesis is that if spermatozoal mRNA is functional after fertilization, then full-length transcripts …

Phytochemicals From The Roots Of Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium Corymbosum), Amanda Cirello

Open Access Master's Theses

Growing evidence from many in vitro studies suggest that plants produce secondary metabolites which may have potential physiological properties. The northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plant is commercially cultivated for its valuable dark-blue fruit, which has been extensively researched and has been shown to contain phenolic compounds recognized to have positive health benefits. Thus, an evaluation of other parts of the plant, that as of yet have not been investigated, could be worthwhile. There may be undiscovered bioactive compounds within the roots of this plant that may contribute to the improvement of human health. This rationale supports further …

Survival Of The Blacktip Shark, Carcharhinus Limbatus, William A. Swinsburg

Open Access Master's Theses

Proportional survival (S) is a crucial life-history parameter in population dynamics, natural selection, and management of harvested stocks; variations in survival due to age, sex, or geographic region may have large effects on the success of managing fish stocks. The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is the most abundantly harvested shark species in American fisheries. Direct estimates of survival are preferred, but all current survival estimates for this species are either focused on young-of-the-year (YOY) or based on indirect methods. The objectives of this study were to determine whether age, sex, or geographic grouping affects survival and to generate …

Examining Trends In Adolescents' Future Orientation Across 33 Years, Indrawati Liauw

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the future orientation of adolescents from 1977 to 2010. This study looked at the trends over the 33-year period in: (1) the amount of worry high school seniors have about national problems; (2) the value they place on planning for the future; and (3) their material aspirations for the future. Drawing from the life course theory that social and historical contexts influence the decisions and roles that individuals undertake, it was hypothesized that the future orientation of high school seniors would vary with the socio-historical influences such as global and/or national events …

Characterizing The Spread And Impacts Of The Invasive Colonial Tunicate Didemnum Vexillum On Georges Bank, Nicole L. Lengyel

Open Access Master's Theses

Since the discovery of the invasive tunicate Didemnum vexillum on Georges Bank in 2002, scientists have been investigating its spread and potential impacts on the benthic community. Previous research on the invasion of Didemnum vexillum on Georges Bank found that since its introduction, it has colonized at least 230 km12 of pebble gravel habitat in two adjacent areas with contrasting levels of bottom fishing disturbance, Area 18 (open to fishing) and Area 19 (closed to fishing). The aim of the present study is to better understand the impacts of the colonization of Didemnum vexillum to the benthic community on Georges …

Detection Of Diffuse Seafloor Venting Using Structured Light Imaging, Clara J. Smart

Open Access Master's Theses

A systematic detection process capable of locating and quantifying diffuse seafloor venting using remote technology does not currently exist. Such venting is difficult to detect as it is characterized by both low temperature and low flux rates which cannot be distinguished using current remote acoustic or chemical sensors. Therefore the lack of understanding with regard to the distribution of active sites prevents a good estimation of the contribution of diffuse flow to thermal and chemical patterns within the broader ocean system.

Data collected over active vent fields have indicated that a structured light laser sensor, also used for high resolution …

A History Of Sea Ice In The Cenzoic Arctic Ocean, Cristin Ashmankas

Open Access Master's Theses

The body of this work focuses on the use and revelations of grain size distributions combined with age models and physical properties of sediments, expanding our understanding of the central Arctic Ocean in the Cenozoic Era. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program’s (IODP) Expedition 302, Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), recovered sediment cores from the Lomonosov Ridge, providing the most extensive geologic record of the region ever recovered. This record provides the first opportunity for scientists to directly determine the paleo- ice history of the region, one of high importance to understanding global climate.

Grain size distribution analyses reveal a more consistent …

Pathological Effects Of Soybean Anti-Nutritional Factors On Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus) Tissues, Rachel Michelle Bone

Open Access Master's Theses

Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), a popular carnivorous fish in New England, is an important candidate for aquaculture development. The inclusion of plant proteins as a replacement for fish meal in the diets of marine carnivorous fish may lead to economical advantages and increased sustainability. Anti-nutritional factors, organic molecules that cannot be digested and may inhibit digestion of other molecules present in soybean meal, but not in soy protein concentrate, may limit the inclusion of soybean meal into carnivorous fish diets by impacting fish growth rates or immune function. In order to determine the mechanisms by which soybean meal …

Attachment And Self Regulation In Preschool Age Children, Kate M. Pearson

Open Access Master's Theses

Literature supports a relationship between attachment style and emotional regulation (Panfile & Laible, 2012; Waters, Virmani, Thompson, Meyer, & Jochem, 2010; Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005; Cassidy, 1994). Research also indicates that emotional regulation is linked to cognitive and behavioral regulation (Garner & Waajid, 2012; Denham, Bassett, Way, Mincic, Zinsser, & Graling, 2012; Tarullo, Obradovic, & Gunnar, 2009; Ramani, Brownell, & Campbell, 2010; Raver, Garner, & Smith-Donald, 2007). However, existing literature surrounding attachment theory and various components of self-regulation is limited. The paucity of information available and lack of consensus about the definition of cognitive and behavioral regulation make them difficult …

First Principles, Unstructured, Dynamic Model For Regulating Co2 And Ph In Bicarbonate Buffered Perfusion Bioreactor, Ashish Gaurav Airan

Open Access Master's Theses

Since its inception, the biotechnology industry has faced the problem of pH control and CO₂ management. This research paper explores the challenges of developing a first principles, unstructured, dynamic, nonlinear mathematical model to maintain pH and control carbon dioxide levels in an aerobic Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture in a perfusion bioreactor. Perfusion bioreactor is an extremely complex bioreactor to model because the cells grow in a quasi-steady state system. Cell growth, feed, substrate consumption, by-product formation and product formation are all time dependent, equations for which can only be solved through numerical methods. Added complexity comes from …

The Ability Of Pomegranate To Ameliorate Symptoms Associated With Alzheimer's Disease In Aged Transgenic Mice, Aseef H. Ahmed

Open Access Master's Theses

Accumulating research has demonstrated that polyphenolic compounds from natural products, such as pomegranate, may have antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the present study explores whether the administration of a pomegranate peel extract could have a rescuing effect on AD pathology in aged transgenic animal models of AD. These mice already have abundant AD pathology since amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition continues with time. Two doses of the extract or a control solution were fed daily to groups of transgenic mice (R1.40), ranging in age from 24-30 months. Treatment and behavioral assessment lasted thirty-seven days …

Characterizing The Benthic Invertebrate Communities Of The Mixed-Coarse Intertidal Habitat In Boston Harbor, Elizabeth N. Eddy

Open Access Master's Theses

The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) has an extensive intertidal zone, with 47% of the area composed of mixed-coarse substrate. Given anticipated climate change impacts such as sea level rise and ocean warming, and other stressors associated with the urban environment, the critical ecosystem functions provided by the dominant yet largely understudied mixed-coarse habitat are likely to be altered. To evaluate the benthic invertebrate communities of BOHA and to determine what environmental factors of the mixed-coarse substrate affect community structure, 87 sampling sites were distributed between wave-exposed and wave-protected shorelines between mean higher high water and mean lower …

The Formation Of Biaryl Bonds Via Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling, Ashley L. Porter

Open Access Master's Theses

Biaryl bonds are a common motif found in biologically active compounds and the majority of marketed pharmaceuticals. The contemporary methods used to synthesize these biaryl bonds, albeit high yielding, are not economical because they require several prefunctionalization steps that create a high volume of waste and byproducts. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) is the future of green coupling techniques, since it requires no prefunctionalization of substrates and can obtain high yields with a relatively low catalyst loading. Herein, we report on advances being made in the field of CDC, and our own efforts to achieve cross coupling utilizing benzimidazole moieties.

The first …

Separating The Effects Of Temperature And Community Composition On The Magnitude Of Heterotrophic Protist Grazing Rates In Narragansett Bay, Samantha C. Decuollo

Open Access Master's Theses

Understanding the relative effects of phytoplankton assemblage and temperature on heterotrophic protist grazing rates remains underdeveloped due to seasonal constraints that result in concurrent changes in both variables. In order to separate effects of temperature and community composition on microherbivory, we used the dilution method to measure grazing rates at in-situ and cooled incubation temperatures conducted in parallel during summer/autumn 2012, in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Chain-forming diatoms dominated the microphytoplankton, whereas aloricate ciliates dominated the microzooplankton. Weekly environmental variability –not primarily characterized by temperature– had a significant effect on phytoplankton-species composition. Initial autotrophic biomass averaged 127 μg C …

Model-Based Approaches To Characterize Clinical Pharmacokinetics Of Atorvastatin And Rosuvastatin In Disease State, Joyce Macwan

Open Access Dissertations

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of death in the United States. Members of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) class of lipid-lowering drugs are used worldwide for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Cardiovascular disorders are the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus and obesity as well as renal and liver transplantation. The rising global burden of these chronic disorders has resulted in long-term use of statins to prevent and treat cardiovascular disorders in diverse patient populations. Several statins are commercially available; however, atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor^®, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, NY) is the …

Benthic-Pelagic Coupling As A Function Of Changing Organic Inputs In Coastal Ecosystems, Lindsey Fields

Open Access Dissertations

Benthic-pelagic coupling links the sediments and the water column in shallow coastal marine ecosystems. Measurements of benthic-pelagic coupling have been made for decades in shallow, estuarine ecosystems, but relatively few measurements have been made in transitional inner continental shelf areas. Accordingly, the Providence River Estuary and mid-Narragansett Bay have many measurements while ecosystems on the Southern New England inner continental shelf have few. However, even in estuarine areas, the reactions and response times of benthic-pelagic coupling to recent anthropogenic and climate-induced changes are poorly constrained.

Recently, a climate-induced oligotrophication has weakened the relationship between the benthos and the water column …

Gender-Twisting And Bros Talking: Discursive Performance Of Gender, Power, And Recognition In The Sex Ed. Class, Odile Mattiauda

Open Access Dissertations

In American Schools, students are rarely offered educational experiences about gender and sexuality. Programs that do address sexuality are rarely based on moral beliefs and democratic values of tolerance and inclusivity. Sexuality education is predominantly taught by health teachers, rather than human sexuality educators, and their focus is on facts, statistics, and controversial issues such as the prevention of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. This limited perspective on sexuality neglects the important role of gender identity and sexual orientation (Donovan, 1989; Haffner & De Mauro, 1991; Nelson Trudell, 1993)

Using teacher-researcher-participant-observer qualitative methodology, I examined the discourse …

Applying Qbd And Pat In Biological Manufacturing For “Continued Process Verification”, Prakash Bedre

Open Access Dissertations

The objective of this research topic is to show QbD and PAT tools such as multivariate analysis can perform “Continued Process Verification by using a Real-Time Multivariate Process Monitoring (RT-MSPM) system. There are not one but many challenges The pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical manufacturers are facing multiple challenges such as changing regulatory requirements, healthcare reforms, economic pressure and availability of advance manufacturing technology to make better quality products at reduced costs.

Due to the recent technological developments, significant opportunities exist for improving pharmaceutical development, manufacturing and quality assurance through innovation in product and process development, process analysis, and process controls. The …

Role Of Nuclear Factor E2 Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) In Development Of Steatosis And Drug Transporter Alterations, Vijay Rs More

Open Access Dissertations

Steatosis is fat deposition in liver arising from conditions like obesity, diabetes, and/or alcohol consumption. It is a benign condition with normal liver function, and can often be reversed. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver steatosis can further progress to irreversible steatohepatitis to cirrhosis and substantial loss of liver function. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor known to combat oxidative stress in the cell. The contribution of Nrf2 to other cellular functions, such as lipid homeostasis is emerging. The work herein assessed how enhanced Nrf2 activity impacts progression of hepatic steatosis with long-term high fat diet …

Pharmacodynamic Mechanisms Of Tolfenamic Acid Induced Sp1 Degradation Relative To Alzheimer's Disease Pathology, Lina I. Adwan

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to disrupt the lives of millions of patients and caregivers around the world. The few drugs currently used for AD have modest effects on the symptoms and do not prevent the progression of the disease into total memory loss and death. With the increase in the number of AD cases and the high social and economical costs of the disease, there is a great need to find disease-modifying therapeutics that target the core pathology of the disease as well as improve the symptoms and the patients’ everyday quality of life. Two types of pathological aggregates are …

Readiness For Hpv Vaccination: A Comparison Of Male And Female College Students, Anne C. Fernandez

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in both sexes, accounting for approximately 5% of all cancers worldwide. Receiving the HPV vaccine can substantially reduce the risk of HPV infection and subsequent disease. At this time the majority of Americans reach adulthood without being vaccinated. Increasing HPV vaccination among young adults requires empirical assessment and understanding of HPV-related beliefs and behaviors among this population. To achieve this goal, three studies were conducted.

Study 1: This study examined demographic and psychosocial correlates of HPV …

(Viewpoint): Science Should Guide Tsca Reform, Rainer Lohmann, Heather M. Stapleton, Ronald A. Hites

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Little is known about the fate of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) across the Oceans. Air and water were sampled using both active and passive polyethylene samplers on an east–west transect across the tropical Atlantic Ocean in 2009 and analyzed for PBDEs. Typical particle-bound concentrations of PBDEs in the surface water were low, at <1 pg L^–1. Truly dissolved concentrations from passive samplers were ∼0.5 pg L^–1 for BDE 47 and around 0.1 pg L^–1 for BDEs 28, 99, and 100 (results from active samples were compromised). In the atmosphere, particle-bound BDE 209 dominated overall concentrations (median 1.2 pg m^{–3 …}

An Inversion Scheme For Shear Wave Speed Using Scholte Wave Dispersion, Jennifer L. Giard

Open Access Master's Theses

Acoustic propagation in littoral waters is greatly affected by seafloor sediment properties. Shear properties of sediments are also directly related to the strength of sediments for geotechnical applications. These factors emphasize the importance of estimating shear wave speeds in semi-consolidated shallow water sediments. One of the most promising approaches to estimate shear speed is to invert the shear speed profile using the dispersion of seismo-acoustic interface (Scholte) waves that travel along the water-sediment boundary. The propagation speed and attenuation of Scholte waves are closely related to the shear wave speed and attenuation over a depth of 1-2 wavelengths into the …

Asleep Behind The Wheel: Experiences Of Night Shift Nurses On The Commute Home, Shirley A. Sargent

Open Access Dissertations

Aim: The aim of this study was to obtain descriptions of nurses’ perceptions and experiences of falling asleep behind the wheel on the drive home after a worked night shift.

Background: While the evidence suggests that the problem of drowsy driving and fall asleep driving is a strong contributor to vehicular accidents, little is known about nursing perceptions of the issue.

Methods: The design of the study is qualitative and descriptive. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 registered nurses who had experienced falling asleep behind the wheel on the drive home from work after a worked night shift. The interviews …

Prediction Of Heptatic And Renal Clearance In Pediatric Populations: A "Bottom-Up" Approach Versus "Top-Down" Recognition Of Covariates, Hong Lu

Open Access Dissertations

Medications, including many that are widely used in children, are rarely tested in children. Their safety and effectiveness have not been established in children or have been established only for children of a certain ages. For example, 53 of 140 new medications were labeled for use in children when they were initially approved. Much of pediatric practice, particularly in hospitals and by specialists, has involved "off-label" use of medications. As a consequence, about one-third of the drugs prescribed in office-based pediatric practices and about two-thirds of those prescribed to children in hospital settings are unlicensed or off-label. This proportion reaches …

A Comparison Of Carbonic Anhydrase Among Invertebrates, With A Focus On Cephalopods, Albert C. Nyack

Open Access Dissertations

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is both an unavoidable waste product of aerobic carbohydrate metabolism and a fuel source for autotrophic and chemoautotrophic organisms. At biological pH, CO₂ rapidly reacts with interstitial and intracellular water to form carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), that then dissociates into protons (H⁺) and bicarbonate (HCO₃^-). While CO₂ and H⁺ readily diffuse across biological membranes, the majority of the CO₂ in living tissues is in the membrane-impermeable form HCO₃^-. The enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) catalyzes the reversible hydration of CO_{2 …}