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The Quantification And Redesign Of A Granular Jamming Gripper With Internal Printed Hydraulics, Michael Rock

Open Access Master's Theses

This project aimed to advance the deployment opportunities of soft grippers by providing a technique to quantitatively evaluate the loading distribution of a manipulator. In an underwater environment, soft grippers show great promise as they provide a means of delicate manipulation that has been claimed to largely surpasses the capabilities of traditional rigid grippers. The inherent compliance of soft grippers passively eliminates accidental shock and point loading; however, this compliant mechanic also complicates the quantitative assessment of measuring and mapping the loading exerted by a soft gripper. Knowing the loading distribution of a soft gripper would provide a numerical means …

Proof Of Concept Prototype For A Phased Array Radar With In-Sensor Neural Network Preprocessing, Mark Bruckner

Open Access Master's Theses

Currently available automotive radars are designed to stream real-time 2D image data over high-speed links to a central ADAS (Advance Driver-Assistance System) computer for object recognition, which considerably contributes to the system’s power consumption and complexity. This thesis presents a preliminary work for the implementation of a new in-sensor computer architecture to extract representative features from raw sensor data to detect and identify objects with radar signals. Such new architecture makes it possible to reduce the data transferred between sensors and the central ADAS computer significantly, giving rise to significant energy savings and latency reductions, while still maintaining sufficient accuracy …

The Relationship Of Physical Activity And Dietary Quality And Diabetes Prevalence In Us Adults: Findings From Nhanes 2011-2018, Furong Xu, Jacob Earp, Alessandra Adami, Lee Weidauer, Geoffrey W. Greene

College of Education Faculty Publications

This study aimed to examine the relationship of physical activity and/or dietary quality and diabetes prevalence in the general population and within specific age groups. It was a cross-sectional study using 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Patterns Equivalents data (n = 15,674). Physical activity was measured by Global Physical Activity questionnaire; dietary quality was analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index 2015; diabetes prevalence was determined by reported diagnosis and glycohemoglobin or fasting glucose. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression adjusted for demographic variables and weight status. Results revealed that although …

An Integrative Exploration Of Sexual, Physical, Psychological, And Cyber-Digital Relationship Abuse In Adolescent And Young Adult Relationships, Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely, Tiffani S. Kisler

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Although detrimental for any age group, rates of experiencing sexual assault (SA) are found to be the highest among young adults; with nearly 25% of young adult women indicating to have experienced SA at least once in their romantic relationship. SA is also common among adolescents, as 33% of young women between the ages of 11–17 indicated to have been raped. The effects from SA include depression, trauma, and interpersonal distress, which are similar to the effects of other forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) (i.e., physical and psychological aggression), suggesting a covariation between these various forms of aggression. Additionally, …

Chemically Tuned Sers Sensors And Signal Processing For Marine Sensing, Robert Chevalier

Open Access Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to explore and develop tools for marine sensing by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The first chapter focuses on the development of a real-time signal processing program to deal with background removal in different spectroscopic techniques such as UV/Vis, SERS and XPS. Background removal by a dual-tree complex wavelet transform with an iterative algorithm (DTCWT-IA) was compared to different background removal methods such as: linear, spline, Tougaard, Shirley, and unspecified proprietary methods from the instrument software companies. Unlike the more conventional methods, DTCWT-IA more resembled the presumed background shape and was generalizable across different spectroscopic …

Chemical Biology Of Dna Adduct Repair, Bypass And Mutagenesis, Rui Qi

Open Access Dissertations

DNA is necessarily to be stable and intact since it is the repository of genetic information in each living cell. However, DNA is not inert, and it is vulnerable to the endogenous and environmental assault including reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultraviolet (UV) light, and various carcinogens. Exposure to these DNA damaging agents is associated with various adducts ranging from small methyl or etheno adducts to bulky adducts such as acetylaminofluorene. These resulting damages, if not repaired, will lead to replication block or mutation which can eventually cause cancer or other genetic diseases. The research covered by this dissertation falls into …

The Development Of An Inclusive Three-Item Gender Instrument, Angela Astorini

Open Access Dissertations

Existing gender instruments are not inclusive and sensitive to all persons of transgender and/or gender diverse experience (TGDE), individuals whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth according to the heteronormative sociocultural construct of gender (Flores et al. 2016; Meerwijk & Sevelius, 2017). The goal of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to develop a new three-item gender instrument that collects information from participants on their sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and the gender they live as in their day-to-day life (lived gender). This gender instrument would aid researchers and health professionals …

Chemical Investigation Of Metabolites Produced By Marine Pseudoalteromonas Spp., Margaret Rosario

Open Access Dissertations

In natural environments, bacteria are surrounded by other organisms such as eukaryotic phytoplankton and other bacterial species. Specialized metabolites are encoded within bacterial genomes and are expected to play a large role in mediating interactions with other cells. Furthermore, chemical communication in bacterial communities is a key component to controlling group behaviors including virulence. Marine Pseudoalteromonas spp. Produce a plethora of specialized metabolites, suggesting a reliance on the biosynthesis, secretion, and response to chemical cues. This dissertation explores the prevalence and function of signaling molecules and specialized metabolites produced by two species of Pseudoalteromonas.

The first study, which is …

Investigation Of The Structural And Optical Properties Of Xanthene Dyes For Analyte Detection And Thin Film Sensor Development, Mara A. Dubnicka

Open Access Dissertations

Chapter 1 Abstract:

The effect of structure on the photophysical properties of six xanthene dye thin films: Rh560, Rh19, Rh6G, RhB, Rh3B, and Rh640 is investigated. The absorption spectra of all six dyes exhibit bathochromic shifts as the thickness of the thin film is increased. Bathochromic shifts are also seen in the emission spectra of the thin films with increased thickness. These shifts are attributed to the formation of J-dimers as the concentration of the casting solution increases. The quantum yields of the thin films are greatly reduced compared to the quantum yield values in aqueous solutions.

Chapter 2 …

Broken Dozer, Haunted Vale: The Ecopoetics Of Ambient Language, Andrew Merecicky

Open Access Dissertations

Broken Dozer, Haunted Vale is a collection of poetry that explores the principles of ambient language poetics as articulated in its critical introduction. Rather than a poetic focused on a set of thematic concerns, ambient language poetics is an ecopoetic that addresses the writing process itself and proposes an alternative to the internal/external spatial metaphor that inspires creative writing pedagogy premised on the urgency of self-expression. The poems within the collection are an experimental inquiry into what might be possible in making poems if the activity of reading/writing is not motivated primarily by representational and mimetic aims that are described …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness And Safety Of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin In Chronic Liver Disease, And After Anticoagulant-Related Major Bleeding, Oluwadolapo D. Lawal

Open Access Dissertations

The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the last decade have greatly expanded available treatment options for the management of thromboembolic diseases. Based on their non-inferiority in efficacy and safety, and more convenient dose monitoring and adjustment compared to warfarin, DOACs are now considered the first-line treatment option in the management and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). While the use of DOACs continues to increase in the general population, limited evidence exists to support its use in chronic liver disease (CLD). Of note, individuals with elevated liver enzymes, liver cirrhosis or CLD were excluded …

Synthesis And Application Of Novel Trisresorcinarenes And Investigation Of New Photochemical Processes Of Chromophores, Carson Lawrence Hasselbrink

Open Access Dissertations

Two fields of organic chemistry with a prominent presence in many research groups are supramolecular chemistry and photochemistry. These fields continue to grow and spread their influence in many industries and research areas. The first two chapters of this dissertation focus on the studies and applications of the macrocyclic isomers Noria and trisresorcinarene (R3). The development of their respective rotaxanes via the slipping method was examined and how the incorporation of the linear thread molecule affects the binding properties of the exterior pockets for target gas molecules: CO₂, Xe, and Kr. Additionally, a novel water-soluble version of Noria …

The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) In Narragansett Bay During A Time Of Ecosystem Flux: Temperature, Predation, And Larval Dynamics, Kristin Huizenga

Open Access Dissertations

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern New England sustained a particularly prosperous fishery during the 1980s and 1990s. However, in 2001 lobsters in the region began to decline, leading to the eventual collapse of the fishery in Rhode Island. The Narragansett Bay was no exception to this trend, with the number of lobsters caught by the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography weekly fish trawl survey peaking in the 1990s before the decline. Today, few lobsters are caught in the Bay.

This dissertation seeks to identify whether environmental stressors and predators drive lobster populations in …

The Self-Health Movement: Changing For Good Health, Julian Michael Saad

Open Access Dissertations

Each person's efforts to support their personal health deserve to be supported and valued by those providers, researchers, and politicians that take a vested interest in the health of populations. Although there are scientific fields, like Population Health, that are committed to supporting equitable patterns of health across populations, there remains a very real absence of a unifying framework that can coordinate the very essential efforts of persons, populations, providers, researchers, and politicians. There is a great need for a generally-accepted and widely-used way of communicating to individual persons and general populations about the science of their health and the …

Advanced Water Treatment And Reuse With Activated Ferrate, Charles D. Spellman

Open Access Dissertations

Ferrate is a promising, emerging water treatment technology. However, there has been limited research on the application of Ferrate in a water reuse paradigm. Recent literature has shown that ferrate oxidation of target contaminants could be improved by "activation" with the addition of reductants or acid. This study examined the impact of sulfite-activated Ferrate in laboratory water matrix and spiked municipal wastewater effluents with the goal of transforming organic contaminants of concern (e.g., 1,4-dioxane) and inactivating pathogenic organisms. Additionally, the formation of brominated disinfection byproducts by activated ferrate were examined and a proposed reaction pathway for byproduct formation is presented. …

Design Of A Wearable Multi-Sensory Based Chest Belt Integrated With Iot Functions For Respiration Monitoring, Gozde Cay

Open Access Dissertations

The world is witnessing a rising number of preterm infants who are at significant risk of medical conditions. This situation demands innovative solutions for medical monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Medical parameters such as heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and blood oxygen level (SpO₂) are continuously monitored in premature infants in the NICU using a set of wired, sticky electrodes attached to the body. Even though medical adhesives are used, they are still harmful for preterm babies’ underdeveloped skin. Also, development of an accurate and sophisticated technology to monitor respiration rate is a …

Regulation Of Composition And Functions Of Swi/Snf Chromatin Remodeling Complex, Kathleen Diep Tran

Open Access Dissertations

The multi-subunit chromatin remodeler, SWI/SNF, is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to humans. The general function of this remodeler is in gene regulation and manipulation of chromatin architecture. In yeast, SWI/SNF acts upon only a subset of genes but under stress conditions, SWI/SNF is targeted to a greater set of genes. The human SWI/SNF has vital roles in cell differentiation, development, and cellular processes and variations of the complex can exist across tissues and cells. SWI/SNF is recruited to chromatin via two methods: covalent modifications of histones and interaction with transcription factors. Specific subunits of the complex contain domains that can …

Longitudinal Clustering Of Health Behaviors Within The Framingham Heart Study, Nathan L. Baumann

Open Access Dissertations

Health risk behaviors (HRB) have been shown to impact non-communicable chronic disease (NCI) over the lifespan, which are among the leading causes of mortality within the United States. Treatment of NCI includes both pharmacological and behavior change intervention. Though behavior change recommendations are common in the treatment of NCI, our understanding of the long-term trajectory of HRB and how they cluster are not yet fully understood. The current study seeks to elucidate the clustering of specific health behavior changes over the lifespan, bolstering the potential for taking preventative measures as well as fostering positive health behavior change more broadly in …

Biofouling Of Sensors In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Kayla Kurtz

Open Access Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the biofouling capacity and potential solutions for sensor devices in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The dissertation was comprised of three main studies. First, the biofouling potential of several surface-enhanced Raman scat-tering (SERS)-based sensors was tested using zoospores from the common biofouling al-gae Ulva spp. Fluorescence microscopy was used to compare the adhesion of tubular Ulva spp. zoospores on commercial and novel SERS-based sensors including uncoated and gold (Au) silicon nanopillar array SERS substrates from Silmeco, Au coated carbon black nano-particle (AuCB NP) substrates, uncoated and Au sputter-coated in-house SERS created with a …

Optimal Shape Estimation And Methodologies For Towed Undersea Vehicles, Matthew J. Dellavalle, Peter Jasinski, Owen Driskill, Nick Sellers

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

Team 02 in part with Dr. Nassersharif, has been commissioned by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center to provide an optimal design and modeling for towed undersea vehicles. The proposed effort served to study, evaluate, and model the drag for the towing of cylindrical undersea vehicles. This project will model towing configurations for both single and multiple vehicle configurations. Recommendations were also made regarding the propulsion configuration of the leading vehicle. The proposed design solution aimed to achieve a drag coefficient of less than 0.3 to minimize the effect the towed vehicle may have on the range and endurance of its …

Sulfite-Activated Ferrate For Water Reuse Applications, Charles D. Spellman Jr., Sahar Da'er, Kaoru Ikuma, Isabella Silverman, Joseph E. Goodwill

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Ferrate is a promising, emerging water treatment technology. However, there has been limited research on the application of ferrate in a water reuse paradigm. Recent literature has shown that ferrate oxidation of target contaminants could be improved by “activation” with the addition of reductants or acid. This study examined the impact of sulfite-activated ferrate in laboratory water matrix and spiked municipal wastewater effluents with the goal of transforming organic contaminants of concern (e.g., 1,4-dioxane) and inactivating pathogenic organisms. Additionally, the formation of brominated disinfection byproducts by activated ferrate were examined and a proposed reaction pathway for byproduct formation is presented. …

Multifunctional Plasmonic And Magnetic Nanostructures Guided By Self And Directed Assembly, Muzahidul Islam Anik

Open Access Dissertations

Nanomaterials showed promising development and progress in biochemical field during the past couple of decades. Nanoparticles that can not only perform as one single task such as imaging contrast or drug delivery agent but also possess the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously has the potential to be the next generations of nanoparticles. Multifunctional ability will allow to use reduced dosage of nanoparticles providing us control over nanoparticle induced toxicity during imaging and therapy. The synthesis of such multifunctional nanoparticles can be guided by utilizing self and directed assembly for various application ranging from in vitro non-invasive particle tracking to …

A Parametric Study On A Paper-Based Bi-Material Cantilever Valve, H. Heidari-Bafroui, Ashutosh Kumar, Amer Charbaji, Winfield Smith, Nassim Rahmani, Constantine Anagnostopoulos, Mohammad Faghri

Mechanical, Industrial & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The novel paper-based Bi-Material Cantilever (B-MaC) valve allows the autonomous loading and control of multiple fluid reagents which contributes to the accurate operation of paper-based microfluidic devices utilized for biological and chemical sensing applications. In this paper, an extensive parametric study is presented to evaluate the effects of key geometric parameters of the valve, such as paper direction, cantilever width, paper type, tape type, and sample volume, in addition to the effects of relative humidity and temperature on the functionality of the B-MaC and to provide a better understanding of the rate of fluid flow and resulting deflection of the …

The Psychological Antecedents Of Personal Financial Management Behavior: A Meta-Analysis, Kirti Goyal, Satish Kumar, Jing Jian Xiao, Sisira Colombage

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: The intent of this study is to aggregate, in a measurable form, the results of previous studies on the association between personal financial management behavior (PFMB) and six psychological factors, which are financial attitude, financial self-efficacy, self-control, materialism, internal locus of control (LOC), and external LOC.

Design/methodology/approach:

A stack of 32 research documents that investigated 52 relationships between various psychological variables and PFMB was analyzed using the meta-analysis technique. Along with the overall meta-analysis, a comprehensive subgroup analysis was also undertaken counseled to determine whether the results contrast on account of the age group of the sample and the …

Posttraumatic Stress As A Moderator Of The Association Between Hpa-Axis Functioning And Alcohol Use Disorder Among A Community Sample Of Women Currently Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence, Silvi C. Goldstein, Melissa R. Schick, Lisa Weyandt, Tami P. Sullivan, Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely, Nicole H. Weiss

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) experience a heightened prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning has been associated with increased risk for AUD in other populations, including individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The goal of the present study was to determine whether PTSD symptom severity exacerbates the relationship between HPA-axis functioning and AUD. Participants were 151 community women who had experienced physical or sexual IPV in the past 30 days by their current male partners and used any amount of alcohol or drugs. A two-phase emotion induction protocol was utilized: Neutral mood induction followed by …

Presence, Sources And Transport Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In The Arctic Ocean, Lihong Zhang, Yuxin Ma, Simon Vojta, Maya Morales-Mcdevitt, Mario Hopggmann, Thomas Soltwedel, Jane Kirk, Amila De Silva, Derek Muir, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are continuously released from multiple sources and are prone to long-range transport. Little is known regarding their presence, transport and fate in remote and deep oceans. Polyethylene passive samplers were hence deployed at deep moorings and surface seawater in the Fram Strait and Canadian Archipelago, as well as in air and surface water of the lower Great Lakes, a potential high-emission region, to understand the transport of PAHs to the Arctic. Dissolved PAHs showed significantly higher concentrations in the lower Great Lakes than those in the high Arctic. Concentrations of dissolved PAHs (Σ₁₉PAHs) ranged …

Editorial: Symbiotic Relationships As Shapers Of Biodiversity, Guillaume Chomicki, Roxanne A. Beinart, Carlos Prada, Kimberly B. Ritchie, Marjorie Gail Weber

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Global 16s Rrna Diversity Of Provannid Snail Endosymbionts From Indo-Pacific Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents, Corinna Breusing, Jade Castel, Yi Yang, Thomas Broquet, Jin Sun, Didier Jollivet, Pei-Yuan Qian, Roxanne A. Beinart

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pfas And Precursor Bioaccumulation In Freshwater Recreational Fish: Implications For Fish Advisories, Heidi M. Pickard, Bridger J. Ruyle, Colin P. Thackray, Adela Chovancova, Clifton Dassuncao, Jitka Becanova, Simon Vojta, Rainer Lohmann, Elsie M. Sunderland

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of fluorinated anthropogenic chemicals that include perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA), which are widely used in modern commerce. Many products and environmental samples contain abundant precursors that can degrade into terminal PFAA associated with adverse health effects. Fish consumption is an important dietary exposure source for PFAS that bioaccumulate in food webs. However, little is known about bioaccumulation of PFAA precursors. Here, we identify and quantify PFAS in recreational fish species collected from surface waters across New Hampshire, US, using a toolbox of analytical methods. Targeted analysis of paired water and tissue samples …

Strength And Consistency Of Density Dependence In Marine Fish Productivity, Anna Rindorf, Mikael Van Deurs, Daniel Howell, Elder Andonegi, Aaron Berger, Bjarte Bogstad, Noel Cadigan, Bjarki Þór Elvarsson, Niels Hintzen, Marie Savina Roland, Marc Taylor, Vanessa Trijoulet, Tobias Van Kooten, Fan Zhang, Jeremy Collie

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The correct prediction of the shape and strength of density dependence in productivity is key to predicting future stock development and providing the best possible long-term fisheries management advice. Here, we identify unbiased estimators of the relationship between somatic growth, recruitment and density, and apply these to 80 stocks in the Northeast Atlantic. The analyses revealed density-dependent recruitment in 68% of the stocks. Excluding pelagic stocks exhibiting significant trends in spawning stock biomass, the probability of significant density dependence was even higher at 78%. The relationships demonstrated that at the commonly used biomass limit of 0.2 times maximum spawning stock …