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Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Substance Use And Abuse By Rhode Island Health Care Professionals, George Anthony Kenna Jan 2003

Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Substance Use And Abuse By Rhode Island Health Care Professionals, George Anthony Kenna

Open Access Dissertations

The major goals of this study were to address: (1) some of the key gaps in knowledge that can best be investigated by simultaneously examining the epidemiologic prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other substance use by dentists, nurses, pharmacists and physicians; (2) methodological shortcomings of previous healthcare professional surveys. The method consisted of a seven page mail-survey sent to a random sample of 697 Rhode Island healthcare professionals (HCPs) during 2002. After three waves of surveys, 479 usable surveys were returned (68.7% response). The results of this study suggest HCPs are at slightly higher risk to use prescription drugs than …

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Self-Organization, Hierarchy, And Task Structure In Workgroups: An Empirical Study Of Complexity Theory, Matthew G. Paldy Jan 2003

Self-Organization, Hierarchy, And Task Structure In Workgroups: An Empirical Study Of Complexity Theory, Matthew G. Paldy

Open Access Dissertations

Complexity theorists argue that an optimal organizational form results from the interactions of individual agents in the absence of an imposed management hierarchy (Anderson, 1999; Begun, 1994; Berreby, 1998; Coveney & Highfield, 1995; Guastello, 2002). There have been few empirical studies to support this claim. This research investigated the effects of self-organization and task interdependence types on group effectiveness and member satisfaction. Results show that groups allowed to self-organize had greater member satisfaction in sequential and reciprocal task structures, shorter task completion times in sequential task structures, and lower satisfaction in pooled task structures versus comparable groups with hierarchy imposed. …

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Parenting The Child With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Sandra Ruth Mott Jan 2003

Parenting The Child With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Sandra Ruth Mott

Open Access Dissertations

What is it like to parent a child born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)? Until recently these children did not live beyond infancy so the question was mute. With the advent of new technologies and care these infants are surviving and thriving. However, they require intense care during their first few years of life. A literature search revealed many publications related to the infant's physical care before, during and between surgeries but little that addressed parenting expectations or concerns. To discover what it was like to be the parent of a child, who was living with a reconstructed heart, …

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Personalizing The School Environment: Teacher-Based Advisory Programs That Support Student Adjustment And Academic Outcomes, Caroline Johnson Caswell Jan 2003

Personalizing The School Environment: Teacher-Based Advisory Programs That Support Student Adjustment And Academic Outcomes, Caroline Johnson Caswell

Open Access Dissertations

This study attempts to look at middle school teacher-based advisory programs in sixteen states across the nation. Over 200 schools were surveyed with analyses from administrator, teacher, and student responses. Regression analyses were conducted on a hierarchical basis with respect to school location, advisory structure (length and duration of advisory programs), advisory practices (academic and career issues, parental contact, individual meetings with students, study hall projects, linkages to guidance and health, leadership, and adjustment and health issues), teacher attitudes (job role strain, job satisfaction, parental contact, burnout total, and school climate), and student experiences (anxiety, depression, recognition, school transition, teacher …

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Computerized Behavioral Observation: Implications For Improving Accuracy And Reducing Bias, Charles Sicotte Jan 2003

Computerized Behavioral Observation: Implications For Improving Accuracy And Reducing Bias, Charles Sicotte

Open Access Dissertations

Direct observation of behavior is a form of behavioral assessment that maintains a low level of inference when applied to psychoeducational decision-making. The recent proliferation of computer behavior-observation systems has provided observers with an efficient means for collecting direct behavior observational data (Kahng & Iwata, 2000; Shapiro & Kratochwill, 2000a, 2000b). Although computerized methods are less cumbersome than other recording methods (e.g., partial-interval form, narrative recording), it is not clear if computerized methods offer improvement by enhancing observational accuracy or reducing judgment bias that is generally initiated in applied settings (e.g. referral information; Arkes & Harkness, 1980; O'Reilly, Northcraft, & …

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Examples Of Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling In Drug Development Using Nonmem, Julie M. Jones Jan 2003

Examples Of Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling In Drug Development Using Nonmem, Julie M. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

The population approach to pharmacokinetic analysis, and its application to the identification of patient characteristics that affect a drug's pharrnacokinetic parameters, is achieving greater prominence in the drug development process. Specifically, population analyses are a way to gather information that might be difficult to capture in some subpopulations. In the fall of 1997, the Food and Drug Administration proposed new legislation, commonly known as the ''Pediatric Rule". This new legislation required pharmaceutical companies to collect pediatric data for drugs with indications applicable to children before the compound would be approved. Other than conducting traditional pharrnacokinetic clinical trials, another way to …

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Optimizing Parameters For Efficient Introduction Of Transgenes Into Turfgrass, Chhandak Basu Jan 2003

Optimizing Parameters For Efficient Introduction Of Transgenes Into Turfgrass, Chhandak Basu

Open Access Dissertations

Embryogenic callus was generated from seeds of turfgrass species (creeping bentgrass, cv. Penn A4 and Providence) on tissue culture medium. After 12 weeks, embryogenic calli were identified and used for bombardment with chimeric gene constructs that confer phosphinothricin resistance (bar) as a selectable marker and β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter gene. After bombardment, the calli were transferred to selection medium and then to regeneration medium. Putative transgenic turfgrass plants were generated and molecular analysis (PCR) was performed to confirm presence of the transgene (bar, GUS). We analyzed reporter gene (GUS) expression in turfgrass cells over a developmental time period of …

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Neuronal Control Of Nematocyst Discharge In Hydra, A. A. Scappaticci Jr. Jan 2003

Neuronal Control Of Nematocyst Discharge In Hydra, A. A. Scappaticci Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation research seeks to understand how the neuronal circuitry of the battery cell complex in hydra functions in order to accomplish the basic biological necessity of food acquisition through its effector organelles, the nematocysts. A behavioral assay was used to discharge individual nematocysts from the tentacles of Hydra vulgaris. Cnidocils were mechanically deflected using a piezoelectrically driven glass probe. Standard immunohistochemical methods were used to localize the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in hydras tissues. Desmonemes and stenoteles differentially responded to imposed forces on the cnidocil. Desmonemes discharged when the cnidocil was struck with a force of at least 3.7 × 10−3 …

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Micropropagation Of Carnivorous Plants, Kenneth Stephen Uhnak Jan 2003

Micropropagation Of Carnivorous Plants, Kenneth Stephen Uhnak

Open Access Dissertations

A simple, efficient system for seed surface disinfestation and in vitro germination was developed for the carnivorous pitcher plants Darlingtonia californica and Sarracenia leucophylla. Of the disinfectants tested, hydrogen peroxide or 10% Clorox® were most effective for disinfesting seeds of D. californica, while concentrated sulfuric acid worked best for S. leucophylla. Differences in the effectiveness of sterilants were associated by differences in seed coat morphology. Seeds of D. californica imbibed at 4-7°C in sterile deionized water with surfactant and gibberellin germinated earlier than seeds without exposure to gibberellin. Unimbibed seeds of S. leucophylla germinated …

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Natural Attenuation Of Roadway Runoff In A Vegetated Channel: A Comparison Between A Winter And A Non-Winter Storm Event, Annalisa Gianfrancesco Jan 2003

Natural Attenuation Of Roadway Runoff In A Vegetated Channel: A Comparison Between A Winter And A Non-Winter Storm Event, Annalisa Gianfrancesco

Open Access Master's Theses

A winter and a non-winter storm were sampled to compare the natural attenuation of roadway runoff within a channel. Samples were taken at three sampling locations within the channel during a non-winter and winter storm. Analyzed constituents of the samples include: trace metals, nutrients, hardness, halide, suspended solids, organic compounds and physical parameters. Comparisons of inlet constituent loads for each storm showed a significant increase in constituents in the winter storm. Reduction efficiencies throughout the channel length were calculated and the winter storm was found to have had lower removal rates per length of the swale.

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Determination Of The Substrate-Docking Site Of Protein Tyrosine Kinase C-Terminal Src Kinase, Sungsoo Lee, Xiaofeng Lin, Nguyen Hai Nam, Keykavous Parang, Gongqin Sun Jan 2003

Determination Of The Substrate-Docking Site Of Protein Tyrosine Kinase C-Terminal Src Kinase, Sungsoo Lee, Xiaofeng Lin, Nguyen Hai Nam, Keykavous Parang, Gongqin Sun

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) are key enzymes of mammalian signal transduction. For the fidelity of signal transduction, each PTK phosphorylates only one or a few proteins on specific Tyr residues. Substrate specificity is thought to be mediated by PTK–substrate docking interactions and recognition of the phosphorylation site sequence by the kinase active site. However, a substrate-docking site has not been determined on any PTK. C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) is a PTK that specifically phosphorylates Src family kinases on a C-terminal Tyr. In this study, by sequence alignment and site-specific mutagenesis, we located a substrate-docking site on Csk. Mutations in the …

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Biological Signature Of Scotian Shelf Water Crossovers On Georges Bank During Spring 1997, Karen F. Wishner, Dian J. Gifford, Barbara K. Sullivan, James J. Bisagni, Dawn M. Outram, Donna E. Van Keuren Jan 2003

Biological Signature Of Scotian Shelf Water Crossovers On Georges Bank During Spring 1997, Karen F. Wishner, Dian J. Gifford, Barbara K. Sullivan, James J. Bisagni, Dawn M. Outram, Donna E. Van Keuren

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Episodic crossovers of cold low salinity Scotian Shelf Water (SSW) onto the Northeast Peak of Georges Bank are a potentially important mechanism transporting plankton species, including the copepod Calanus finmarchicus and its prey and predators, onto the Bank each spring. We provide the first detailed investigation of horizontal and vertical zooplankton distributions in SSW crossovers compared to other onbank locations from three GLOBEC cruises during spring 1997. SSW crossovers are physically and biologically distinct from other Bank locations. In late spring, chlorophyll concentrations and in vivo fluorescence are elevated and light transmission is reduced in SSW, while during early spring, …

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Detection Of Gaps In The Spatial Coverage Of Coral Reef Monitoring Projects In The Us Caribbean And Gulf Of Mexico, Rebecca G. Asch, D. D. Turgeon Jan 2003

Detection Of Gaps In The Spatial Coverage Of Coral Reef Monitoring Projects In The Us Caribbean And Gulf Of Mexico, Rebecca G. Asch, D. D. Turgeon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

As part of the US Coral Reef Task Force's National Program to Map, Assess, Inventory, and Monitor US Coral Reef Ecosystems, a comprehensive survey of projects/programs monitoring coral reef ecosystems and related habitats (i.e., seagrass beds and mangroves) in the US Caribbean and Pacific was undertaken. Information was gathered on a total of 296 monitoring and assessment projects conducted since 1990 in the US Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Substantial gaps in monitoring coverage of US coral reef ecosystems were revealed through geographic information system (GIS) analysis of survey metadata. Although southern Florida contains approximately two-thirds of all marine …

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Assessing The Impact Of Habitat And Stock Enhancement For The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Kathleen Monan Castro Jan 2003

Assessing The Impact Of Habitat And Stock Enhancement For The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Kathleen Monan Castro

Open Access Dissertations

Habitat enhancement and stock enhancement methods were examined as to their effect on abundance of the lobster, Homarus americanus, in Dutch Harbor in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Six experimental artificial reefs for lobster were established in Dutch Harbor in February 1997. The reefs were constructed identically consisting of two portions made up of cobble and boulders. The area was monitored for 6 months before placement and five years after placement using a combination of visual surveys by SCUBA divers, trap sampling, a tag-recapture program and airlift sampling for young of the year. Two areas were used as comparison sites, a …

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Elementary School Children's Stigmatization Of Children With Mental Illness, Yvonne M. Fausett Jan 2003

Elementary School Children's Stigmatization Of Children With Mental Illness, Yvonne M. Fausett

Open Access Dissertations

Stigmatization of those with mental illness, while well-researched among the adult population, has not received as much empirical attention in relation to children as the targets of stigmatization or as the perpetuators of stigmatization. It has been speculated in the adult literature that the stigmatization of adults with mental illness by other adults is a product of childhood socialization. This study seeks to investigate the developmental trajectory of stigmatization, beginning in childhood. To this end, the Children's Stigmatization Measure (CSM) was generated as a self-report measure consisting of 4 clinical vignettes (e.g., Anxiety, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, Normal), with 10 …

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Life Experiences Of Cambodian-American Refugee Women: Segmented Life Stories, Jane A. Mccool Jan 2003

Life Experiences Of Cambodian-American Refugee Women: Segmented Life Stories, Jane A. Mccool

Open Access Dissertations

Of the estimated 50 million international refugees and displaced persons (U.S. Committee for Refugees, 2003), 80% are mothers with children (Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2003). There is a paucity of research that explores refugee experiences with organized violence and healing following such events. Available research typically addresses acts of domination and oppression rather than life stories of individuals. Individual health and healing responses are ordinarily examined through the lens of psychotraumatology. A socialized view proposes that exposure to trauma is not a private experience and that the refugee experience of organized violence, the flight to safety, and …

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Sources, Transport, And Fates Of Particulate Trace Metals In The Gulf Of Maine-Scotian Shelf And Labrador Sea, Sarah Elizabeth Weinstein Jan 2003

Sources, Transport, And Fates Of Particulate Trace Metals In The Gulf Of Maine-Scotian Shelf And Labrador Sea, Sarah Elizabeth Weinstein

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation research describes three studies examining of the role of particulate metals in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Manuscript 1 provides a discussion of the distribution of a suite of size-fractionated particulate trace metals (Al, Fe, Sr, Ba, Mn, Pb, Cu, V, and Co) in the Gulf of Maine, Scotian Shelf and Labrador Sea. An important facet of this study is the demonstration that the Challenger Oceanic Systems and Services large-volume in-situ pump is a valuable tool for the collection of size-fractionated particulate metals in the marine environment. In Manuscript 2, an empirical approach to quantify the downward flux of …

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Predictors For Readiness To Engage In Low-Risk Hiv Behaviors In Men Who Have Sex With Men, Steven Lee White Jan 2003

Predictors For Readiness To Engage In Low-Risk Hiv Behaviors In Men Who Have Sex With Men, Steven Lee White

Open Access Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to investigate Transtheoretical Model (TTM) predictors of condom use in a sample of sexually active young men who have sex with men (MSM). A secondary purpose was to investigate the applicability of specific Multifaceted Model of HIV Risk (MMOHR) predictors of condom use and other interpersonal predictors of condom use in this sample of young MSM. A third purpose was to explore the impact of various behavioral factors and psychoattitudinal factors on condom use in this sample of young MSM. The sample (N = 185) was young men aged 18 to 30 who …

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Writing Across Cultures: Contrastive Rhetoric And A Writing Center Study Of One Student's Journey, Christine M. Fox Jan 2003

Writing Across Cultures: Contrastive Rhetoric And A Writing Center Study Of One Student's Journey, Christine M. Fox

Open Access Dissertations

As student populations in colleges and universities continue to diversify, composition programs do not always meet students' varying needs. English as a Second Language (ESL) students appear to fail mainstream writing courses at higher rates than their traditional counterparts, yet mainstreaming continues to be mandated, often due to budgetary constraints. Many programs offer multicultural writing courses, but these, too, are often ineffective for many students. Meanwhile, as Paul Kei Matsuda shows, there is a decided split between the disciplines of composition and ESL. Since ESL scholars have a much stronger history of working with diverse student populations than composition scholars …

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Stock Structure Of Yellowtail Flounder Off The Northeastern United States, Steven Xavier Cadrin Jan 2003

Stock Structure Of Yellowtail Flounder Off The Northeastern United States, Steven Xavier Cadrin

Open Access Dissertations

An interdisciplinary study incorporating geographic patterns of abundance, geographic variation in growth and maturity, morphometry, and genetics suggests that yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea on the principal U.S. fishing grounds should be managed as separate stocks despite genetic homogeneity. Significantly different patterns of abundance and biomass over time suggest two harvest stocks of yellowtail flounder with a boundary on southwest Georges Bank. Geographic patterns of size and proportion mature at age indicate two phenotypic stocks of yellowtail flounder, with a boundary on northern Georges Bank. With respect to current U.S. management units, southern New England yellowtail form a separate harvest stock …

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The Role Of Nitrate And Carbohydrates In Modulating The Partitioning Of Nitrate Assimilation Between Leaves And Roots In Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.), John T. Bushoven Jan 2003

The Role Of Nitrate And Carbohydrates In Modulating The Partitioning Of Nitrate Assimilation Between Leaves And Roots In Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne L.), John T. Bushoven

Open Access Dissertations

Nitrate (NO3−) assimilation in perennial grasses occurs predominantly in leaves. A growing body of evidence indicates that NO3− transport to and assimilation in leaves reduces the partitioning of photosynthetic products to roots. Since roots are dependent on leaf derived carbohydrates to support metabolism and growth, concentrating NO3− assimilation in roots may increase their sink activity and growth. The rate-limiting step in the assimilation of NO3− is its reduction to nitrite (NO2−) catalyzed by nitrate reductase (NR). The first objective of the present investigation was to compare the results obtained from the in vivo/in vitro NR activity (NRA) assays and to …

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The Influence Of Cognitive Reserve On Neuropsychological Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Susan Anne Legendre Jan 2003

The Influence Of Cognitive Reserve On Neuropsychological Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Susan Anne Legendre

Open Access Dissertations

Neuropsychological functioning is negatively affected in many individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the degree and consistency of this impairment is variable. Research in the fields of Alzheimer's disease and HIV suggests that the impact of various assaults to the central nervous system may be mediated through some form of cognitive reserve. The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) is based on the hypothesis that an individual's genetic make-up or experiences acquired throughout life, such as educational and occupational attainment, provide a reserve which allows an individual to sustain greater cerebral injury before clinical presentation of dysfunction. The …

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Bacterioplankton Seasonal Dynamics In Narragansett Bay, Andrew M. Staroscik Jan 2003

Bacterioplankton Seasonal Dynamics In Narragansett Bay, Andrew M. Staroscik

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis describes the seasonal dynamics of the bacterioplankton in the bay using a weekly sampling regime. Sampling occurred between September 1999 and June 2002. Over the entire sampling period, temperature ranged from −1.0 to 22.6°C and significant correlations of temperature on bacterial abundance and production (p < 0.05) highlight the strong seasonality of bacterial activity in the bay. No significant relationships were found between the bacterial bulk parameters and concentrations of chlorophyll a. Gross bacterial production at the mid-bay station was 237 g C m−2yr −1, roughly 94% of previously reported estimates of bay-wide net phytoplankton primary production, indicating the importance of bacterial activity to the carbon budget of the bay. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to observe bacterial community structure during two successive winter-spring periods. Each sample (n = 48) contained 10 to 32 discernable bands (phylotypes). Eight to 14 phylotypes appeared to be present in all or almost all of the samples collected in each year and many were present in both years. Others could be grouped into winter, early spring, late spring, and summer phylotypes based upon the temporal pattern of their presence/absence within the sample set. Temperature alone appears to be a poor indicator of the timing of transitions in bacterial community structure. Distinct transitions did coincide with changes in phytoplankton community structure, suggesting that the bacterial community changes in response to changes in phytoplankton activity and community composition. Bay-wide sampling showed that between 47 and 63% of the phylotypes present on each date were present at every location sampled indicating that about half of the dominant phylotypes in the bay have wide distributions. Sequencing results suggest that at least some of the ubiquitous members of the bacterioplankton community are related to previously cultured groups (α and γ Proteobacteria and Flavobacteriacea).

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Nonenzymatic Formation Of Advanced Glycation Endproducts By Glucosamine Autocondensation And Glucosamine With Proteins, Xinfeng Zhang Jan 2003

Nonenzymatic Formation Of Advanced Glycation Endproducts By Glucosamine Autocondensation And Glucosamine With Proteins, Xinfeng Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) are a complex and heterogeneous group of compounds formed mainly by the nonenzymatic reactions of reducing sugars with amino acids and proteins. AGE accumulate in plasma and tissues with aging, diabetes, and renal failure. Glucosamine (GlcN) nonenzymatically forms autocondensation glycation products under physiological conditions. Many studies have reported the effectiveness of oral doses of glucosamine alone or in combination with the galactosamine containing chondroitin in treating osteoarthritis. However, none of these studies have considered whether it is the glucosamine itself and/or one or more of its autocondensation products which exerts this effect. Carnosine has been regarded …

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The Dec1 Transcription Factor: Oncogenic Involvement And Molecular Mechanisms On Transcription Regulation, Yuxin Li Jan 2003

The Dec1 Transcription Factor: Oncogenic Involvement And Molecular Mechanisms On Transcription Regulation, Yuxin Li

Open Access Dissertations

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are intimately associated with developmental events such as cell differentiation and lineage commitment. The HLH domain in the bHLH motif is responsible for dimerization whereas the basic region mediates sequence specific DNA binding. Human DEC, mouse STRA and rat SHARP proteins represent a new c lass of bHLH proteins. In each species, two members are identified with a sequence identity of>90% in the bHLH region and - 40% in the total protein, respectively. Based on sequence alignment and domain analysis, DEC/STRA/SHARP proteins show high s imilarities (- 40%) to Drosoph ila Hairy and E(spl) …

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The Four Hundred Eighth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate Dec 2002

The Four Hundred Eighth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

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Curricular Affairs Committee Report #408, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate Nov 2002

Curricular Affairs Committee Report #408, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

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The Four Hundred Seventh Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate Nov 2002

The Four Hundred Seventh Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

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Curricular Affairs Committee Report #407, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate Nov 2002

Curricular Affairs Committee Report #407, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

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The Four Hundred Sixth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate Oct 2002

The Four Hundred Sixth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

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