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Understanding Rare Neurological Disorders Using Drosophila Models: Mechanistic Characterization Of Neurotoxicity In Snyder-Robinson Syndrome, Chong Li

Open Access Dissertations

Finding treatments for rare genetic disorders can be long and frustrating experience. Completion of the Human Genome Project together with advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have extensively contributed to high accuracy and throughput in the diagnosis of genetic disorders. However, due to the limited clinical characterization of patients, the uncertainty of the nature of genetic variants, and lack of mechanistic understanding of disease mechanisms, it is still challenging to achieve precision diagnosis and intervention for rare diseases. This dissertation takes advantages of the genetically amenable model organism, Drosophila, to identify novel variants that cause neurological phenotypes in undiagnosed patients and …

A Population-Based Assessment Of Suicide Risk, Summer D. Debastiani

Open Access Dissertations

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., and suicide rates in Monroe County, Florida are among some of the highest in the state. The purpose of this dissertation was threefold: (1) analyze the concept of suicide lethality to clarify the concept through the identification of antecedents, attributes and consequences; (2) identify suicide risk factors to target for prevention in Monroe County, Florida; and (3) identify the sociodemographic characteristics associated with selective nonresponse to suicide risk questions. The two methods used in this dissertation were six stages of the Walker and Avant concept analysis method to literature …

The Underrepresentation Of Women Studying Engineering: A Grounded Theory Case Study, Sandra Gross

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this case study is to explore the lived experiences of women engineering students. Social cognitive and social cognitive career theories served as the theoretical foundation of this study. In this study, a sample of seven engineering students from a small private university in Ecuador were interviewed using a semi-structured format to explore their perceptions of factors that help and hinder them in pursuing a degree and career in engineering. Using a grounded theory methodology, this study proposed a mid-level theory of the factors and processes that support and challenge them as engineering students at this institution. Themes …

Counterpossibles For Modal Normativists, Theodore D. Locke

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation, I develop an account of non-vacuous counterpossibles—counterfactuals involving metaphysical impossibilities—and related notions, e.g. metaphysical similarity between impossible worlds, that does not require us to take on questionable ontological commitments and that gives us a clear epistemological story about how we know counterpossible claims. My account of counterpossibles builds on a non-descriptivist account of metaphysical modality called modal normativism, which has been developed by Amie Thomasson. According to modal normativism, claims of metaphysical necessity and possibility are not descriptive claims in need of modal truthmakers, but instead serve the normative function of enabling language users to illustrate or …

A Jazz Pianist’S Guide To Rhythmic Independence Through The Adaptation Of Afro-Cuban Rhythms., Zachary Charles Bartholomew

Open Access Dissertations

While a substantial amount of jazz educational material emphasizing note choices, orchestration, harmonic options, and stylistic analysis is available, there is surprisingly very little research on the piano’s immense rhythmic capabilities. This paper addresses the challenge of developing the pianist’s rhythmic independence and awareness through the study, practice, and adaptation of drumming techniques relating to Afro-Cuban rhythmic patterns. Because clave is an integral part of Afro-Cuban music, it will be the focal point of the paper and foundation on top of which all the rhythmic exercises will be practiced. The reason for exploring Afro-Cuban drumset approaches and rhythmic vocabulary is …

On The Air-Sea Exchange Of Mechanical Energy: A Meso To Large-Scale Assessment Using Concurrent Drifter And Satellite Observations, Lucas Cardoso Laurindo

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation uses near-surface current velocity observations from Global Drifter Program (GDP) drifters, combined with a suite of satellite products, to investigate the air-sea exchange of mechanical energy at global scales. In particular, this work tests the conclusions of recent numerical studies that air-sea coupling mechanisms operating at the ocean mesoscales, arising from the dependence of wind stress on surface currents and on mesoscale SST fluctuations, can create non-zero air-sea fluxes of mechanical energy associated with the quasi-geostrophic ocean variability. First, the slip bias of undrogued drifters is corrected, thus recovering about half of the GDP dataset; and a new …

A Pedagogical Exploration Of Selected Art Songs By Franz Schubert Transcribed For Bassoon, Brian Geoffrey Mckee

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this essay is to explore performance techniques exemplified within some of Franz Schubert’s art songs, or lieder, for voice and piano, and to develop a series of pedagogical characteristics for lyrical bassoon playing. The study is in the form of a performance supplement centered around a set of transcriptions of these works for the bassoon. An instrument used in large ensemble, solo, chamber music settings, the bassoon possesses a variety of characteristics reminiscent of a human singing voice, especially while playing exposed lyrical melodies in its tenor register. Bassoonists, and many instrumentalists, strive to emulate this performance …

Regional Climate Variability In An Ocean Eddy Resolving Global Coupled Model: Implications On Coastal Flooding, Diane Palko

Open Access Dissertations

In this manuscript our goal is to increase our understanding of the components of the climate system that contribute to coastal flooding along the east coast of the United States (US) with a particular focus on the state of Florida. To achieve this goal we use a high resolution (HR) configuration of the Community Climate System Model Version 4 (CCSM4) with a 0.1° resolution in the ocean and a 1.0° resolution in the atmosphere that is able resolve currents, eddies, and other small scale features in the ocean as well as accurately depict the shape of the coastline. We compare …

Black, Female, First-Generation College Students: Perceptions Of Academic Persistence, Renée Dickens Callan

Open Access Dissertations

Higher education continues to grapple with addressing the successful retention and degree attainment of first-generation students. Further, there is limited research that explores implications of first-generation status by racial or ethnic group. Black women who are first-generation are members of at least two groups that have been historically marginalized in education. Although the percentage of Black women participating in higher education has increased, graduation rates for this demographic remains disproportionate. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors that contribute to college persistence of Black, female, first-generation college students. Research questions that were explored include: (1) how do …

Bright Bass Timbres In The "Dark Age" Of Jazz: Eddie Gomez, Three Quartets, Transgression, And Transcendence, Tianyuan (Ken) Ge

Open Access Dissertations

This paper offers a case study of the iconic jazz bassist Eddie Gomez. By locating his negotiations of timbre within historical and social contexts, and examining how others have interpreted his sound, I show that jazz bass timbre can communicate meanings and facilitate discourses of identity, authenticity, gender, and race. Specifically, I rely on a close hearing of Gomez’s tone on the 1981 recording Three Quartets, framing my analysis in research from the fields of historical musicology, ethnomusicology, African American studies, gender studies, timbral and sound studies, and music phenomenology. In doing so, I portray timbre as a common thread …

Applying An Effective Practice Framework To Create A Lesson Syllabus For Undergraduate Jazz Trombone Students, William Wulfeck

Open Access Dissertations

This essay provides a review of concepts and findings from recent research in the psychology of expertise that are relevant to the unique difficulties of jazz trombone practice. An adapted framework is developed based on deliberate practice and motivation psychology concepts to help jazz trombonists and teachers design an effective, organized, and personalized system for skill development. This framework is applied in the creation of a syllabus for an undergraduate jazz trombone studio.

Hemodynamic And Hormonal Responses To An Exercise Test In Parkinson's Disease Patients Without Orthostatic Hypotension, Kirk B. Roberson

Open Access Dissertations

The aim of this investigation was to examine how heart rate, hemodynamics, and norepinephrine are affected by an exercise stress test in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Fourteen individuals with PD (mean age, 68±12 yrs; Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-3) and sixteen healthy individuals (mean age, 66±7 yrs) performed a sub-maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Heart rate (HR), norepinephrine (NE), blood pressure (BP), and other hemodynamic variables including cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (SV), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and end-diastolic volume (EDV) were measured in a fasted state during supine rest, active standing, exercise, and supine recovery in all …

Collective Time- Exploring Interaction In Music That Swings, Nicholas Anthony Petumenos

Open Access Dissertations

A study was conducted on how musicians react to deviations from an isochronous pulse for the purpose of applying emerging understandings of the perception of time to the endeavor of cultivating musical timing in the context of jazz ensemble playing. Anecdotal wisdom was gathered through interviews with reputed sources. Classic jazz recordings were examined as part of the inquiry into how to best improve the interactive aspect of one’s musical timing. Strengths and deficiencies of existing paradigms of practicing and teaching were evaluated with consideration to leading-edge insight into temporal cognition. It was concluded that there exists a need for …

Writing Music And Its Role In A Conductor’S Training As A Performer, Chee Weng Yim

Open Access Dissertations

Transcriptions are often deemed as less important than their original models. The accessibility to original models (in performance and listening), the perceived prestige, and the rejection of transcriptions in place of original compositions are often reasons that musicians provide when dismissing transcriptions. This paper hopes to provide an account in favor of transcriptions, through (1) the review of aesthetic writings on music (especially those related to transcriptions), (2) a brief commentary of the similarities between writing music (composing, transcribing, arranging) and performance, and (3) a transcription of Steven Stucky’s Symphony (2012). Through the above methods, the paper examines the benefits …

The Archer's Guide To Viola Playing, Lauren Emily Miller

Open Access Dissertations

Performance related musculoskeletal disorders are common in musicians. Studies show relatively high numbers of these disorders among violinists and violists. These disorders can occur because violin and viola players often do not make movement, coordination, injury prevention, and tension redistribution their foundational priority. String players often allow the visual and auditory aspects of practice and performance to become their top priority. Musicians are constantly in motion, but they rarely describe what they do using movement vocabulary or as a movement sport. Unfortunately, movement vocabulary is typically reserved solely for enhancing stage presence, reducing pain or repairing an injury. Archery is …

Fluorophores In Confined Spaces: From Targeting Molecular Transporters To Encapsulation By Organic Nanocontainers, Anthony Nolan Cauley

Open Access Dissertations

Fluorescence is achieved by emission of electromagnetic radiation in the form of ultraviolet, visible, or infrared photons as a result of an electronic transition from singlet excited state to singlet ground state. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely utilized technique for studying the structure and dynamics of matter and living systems. It may come in many forms such as small organic fluorophores taking on a “drug-like” role in biological organisms as well as supramolecular host-guest complexes for applications in drug delivery and cellular imaging. Herein, two research projects at the interface of chemistry and biology will be fully discussed. Although the …

Activatable Fluorophores Combined With Amphiphilic Polymer Carriers For Bioimaging, Sicheng Tang

Open Access Dissertations

Self-assembling amphiphilic macromolecular nanoparticle, with a hydrophobic inner core and hydrophilic shell, can capsulate organic dyes inside. Thus, as a result, could be a valuable delivery vehicle for biology applications. We have developed a family of polymers, as supramolecular hosts, with decyl and polyethylene glycol side chains, exhibiting different hydrophobic/hydrophilic ratio, polyethylene glycol length or molecular weight. The polymers assemble into particles in neutral buffer and capture hydrophobic BODIPY in their interior. The relationship between critical concentration, dye loading property, hydrodynamic diameter and polymer structures were investigated. These provided a guideline to design self-assembling supramolecular hosts for the encapsulation of …

Photonic Strategies For Bioimaging And Modulation Of Biological Systems, Lorenzo Sansalone

Open Access Dissertations

The last two decades have seen how the development of photoactivatable fluorophores significantly implemented imaging and spectroscopic techniques applied to the “biological world”. In fact, molecules that switch from a nonemissive to an emissive state upon illumination at an activating wavelength (λac) and then emit after irradiation at an exciting wavelength (λexc) opened a new field of research and, beside the generation of super resolved subdiffracted images, they permit the monitoring of dynamic processes in real time. In the context of our work, an oxazine-based molecular switch has been designed to generate photoactivatable fluorophores suitable for bioimaging. The second and …

Illustrated Libros For Niños: The Interplay Of Translanguaging And Multimodality In Polycultural Picturebooks, Carolina Rossato De Almeida

Open Access Dissertations

The interplay of translanguaging and multimodality was analyzed across 15 English-based polycultural picturebooks with Spanish insertions. The way in which translanguaging is used across the verbal features of these texts and how it is intrinsically related to multimodal elements was critically analyzed. An eclectic coding method (Saldaña, 2016) was employed in order to uncover the nature of these picturebooks while answering the research questions. Five main categories emerged from the analysis, namely: (1) picturebooks provide context clues to understand translanguaging; (2) translanguaging demonstrates the grammar of an additional language; (3) translanguaging is used to represent specific semantic fields; (4) translanguaging …

Identifying And Targeting Androgen Receptor-Variant Oncogenic Networks As Exploitable Prostate Cancer Vulnerabilities, Fiorella Magani

Open Access Dissertations

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progresses rapidly and is incurable. Constitutively active androgen receptor splice variants, such as AR-V7, represent a well-established mechanism of therapeutic resistance and disease progression. These AR variants lack the carboxy-terminal ligand binding domain, the target of all approved drugs against AR. Consequently, a significant challenge is to identify novel therapeutic strategies that are effective against AR variant-expressing prostate tumors. In this work, we evaluated the possibility of targeting AR-V7 in PC and CRPC through two independent approaches. The first approach consisted of disrupting the interaction between AR-V7 and its coactivators as an exploitable PC vulnerability. Using …

Pulsed Infrared Radiation For Stimulation Of Vestibular System In Vivo: Evoked Eye Movements, Weitao Jiang

Open Access Dissertations

Vestibular dysfunction and balance disorders significantly impact the quality of life of patients. To assist patients with bilateral vestibulopathies and in cases where current forms of treatment are not effective, there is a need to develop neural prosthesis. In some cases, although the vestibular system could not sense the input balance signals, a significant numbers of nerve cells remain to respond to electrical stimulation(Jensen 1983). So developing a electrode based vestibular prosthesis becomes a practical solution. Vestibular prosthesis has been researched over the past decades, and vestibular function restoration is partly realized in animals such as chinchilla(Santina, Migliaccio et al. …

Macrophage Depletion As A Therapeutic Method After Sci, Lucy Freer

Open Access Dissertations

Developing successful therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI) is a formidable medical challenge in part because of the axonal growth-inhibitory environment that develops following injury characterized by a glial and fibrotic scar [3]. Whereas the glial scar has been an important research focus for many years, less attention has been given to the fibrotic scar. Recent work from our lab has demonstrated that hematogenous macrophages are important for the formation of the fibrotic scar [4]. Depletion of hematogenous macrophages following SCI resulted in reduced fibrotic scar formation and increased growth of axons into the lesion site. In order to identify …

Insecurity And The Rise Of Nationalism: The Case Of Putin's Russia - Keeper Of Traditional Values, Suzanne Loftus

Open Access Dissertations

An analysis of leadership approval ratings in Russia after the fall of the USSR until the present day was conducted through a review of secondary literature, a demonstration of statistics, process-tracing and discourse analysis to answer the following research question: What explains President Vladimir Putin’s sustainably high approval ratings today despite economic downturn? Indicators including economic performance, political and civil liberties, centralization of power, foreign policy actions, and security levels were examined in their relation to presidential approval ratings during former Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s and current President Vladimir Putin’s time in office respectively. The former was used to provide …

Alignment And Nonsurgical Pain Relief Methods For Musicians: A Trumpet Player's Perspective, Jack Wengrosky, Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

Three out of four musicians may experience musculoskeletal pain that interferes with their ability to perform optimally. Within that group, the modern trumpet player must uniquely contend with high compressive forces on the muscles of the torso, which temporarily raise ocular and blood pressures. Also, the compressive forces temporarily affect heart function, and require the trumpet player to counteract negative external forces on the head and neck where the trumpet connects with the embouchure. When the rigors of performing music are combined with poor technique, poor posture, and general misuse of body mechanics, the chronic pain and injury to the …

Benefits Associated With Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Learning, Ryan Edward Holt

Open Access Dissertations

Innovation and discovery are important for driving the advancement of human society. As a result, there has been a large growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) employment opportunities. Science and technology have become a strong prerequisite for successful integration into higher academics and the labor force of the United States. The increase in demand for STEM positions necessitates motivating future workers from schools in kindergarten through 12th grade. A metaphor of a pipeline has been used to describe the retention of students through the completion of an academic program in STEM fields. Several science organizations have created the …

Sedimentary Catalysis Of Radiolytic Hydrogen Production, Justine Flore Sauvage

Open Access Dissertations

Hydrogen (H₂) and oxidants (O₂ and H₂O₂) are naturally produced by radiolysis of water in any environment where water is bombarded by α, β, and γ radiation generated during radioactive decay. The production of radiolytic H₂ in aqueous solutions and in some monomineral-water mixtures has been extensively studied. However, yields of radiolytic products in natural materials remain largely unexplored.

Quantification of radiolytic production in common geological materials is critical to assess the importance of water radiolysis as source of microbial reductants and oxidants in water-containing subsurface environments. Knowledge of radiolytic production is …

Circulation & Exchange Within Shelf & Estuarine Waters Driven By The Atmosphere, Tides And Buoyancy, Christina Anne Wertman

Open Access Dissertations

The proximity of human populations to the coast renders the studies of the coastal ocean important due to impacts by natural hazards, environmental management and material transport. This dissertation will quantify the impacts of the atmosphere, tides and buoyancy forces in Rhode Island Sound (RIS) and Narragansett Bay (NB) at a variety of scales. Observational analysis and numerical modeling provide comprehensive tools to study resonance between the atmosphere and ocean beneath synoptic storm systems; to describe circulation in RIS; and to study the effect of tides on stratification in NB.

The characterization of the shallow shelf circulation under various forcing …

Cardiovascular And Retinal Vascular Changes In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease, Cláudia Yang Santos

Open Access Dissertations

One in three adults over 85 years old suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other forms of dementia. This already widespread condition is expected to increase further in both incidence and prevalence in coming years. As a result, the need to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of dementia becomes ever more urgent. AD, in addition to its steep cost of care, is the most common form of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It is a complex disease and its mechanisms are poorly understood. The more we learn about AD, the more questions are …

Fundamental Investigations In Organocatalytic Ring-Opening Polymerization: A Trek To New Catalysts, Oleg Kazakov

Open Access Dissertations

Organocatalysis is a powerful tool for polymer synthesis. It has been widely demonstrated that organocatalytic systems enable precise control over polymer microstructure, provide competitively fast reaction rates compared with metal-based catalysts, and effect a broad assortment of polymerization mechanisms. The added value of metal-free polymerizations is that they can be utilized in sensitive applications intolerant to the presence of residual metal-based catalysts.

The initial focus of the present dissertation was placed on mechanistic studies in organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters alongside with subsequent development of new organocatalytic systems for ROP. ROPs of this kind can be mediated by …

Transtheoretical Model Development For Retail Health Clinic Utilization, Stephen V. Matsko

Open Access Dissertations

Primary Care is considered to be in a crisis in the U.S. related to increasing rates of chronic disease, increasing numbers of patients, less physicians, and less money. This dilemma has led to the rise of what could be a disruptive innovation in the form of retail health clinics, health clinics located within retail settings like pharmacies and large retail stores. The core aim of this study was to use a sequential approach to measurement development to develop TTM measures for the Stage of Change, Decisional Balance, and Self-Efficacy for patients’ readiness to utilize retail health clinics using split half …