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Understanding The Barrier And Facilitators Of Lifestyle Intervention Programs For Preventing Diabetes In High Risk Hispanic Adults, Lisa Adorno Dimaria

Open Access Dissertations

Since the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002) concluded that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in pre-diabetic individuals, translation of the study's intensive lifestyle intervention has been a research priority. Translational research conducted with the high risk Hispanic population is in its infancy. In general, the needs of this population have been neglected in the development and refinement of interventions to prevent T2D. This qualitative study explored intervention components and the perceived facilitators and barriers to making and sustaining dietary and physical activity behavior changes within the context of a lifestyle intervention program designed for a high …

A Numerical Study Of The Circulation, Ecology And Biogeochemistry On The Southern New England Shelf, Shuwen Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

This Ph.D. dissertation presents a process-oriented study with two primary objectives: 1) to obtain a physical understanding of the impacts of local and remote forcing, including basin-scale natural climate variability, on the interannual variability of along-shelf transport and water properties of the Middle Atlantic Bight (Chapter 1); 2) to explore the impacts of physical processes on the seasonal variation of phytoplankton biomass in Rhode Island coastal waters (Chapter 2). To achieve the two objectives, we apply a numerical modeling approach employed by the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) together with substantive analyses of both in-situ and remote observations.

Chapter 1 …

Regioselective Carbon-Nitrogen Bond Formation Via Oxidative Transition Metal Catalysis, Louis Marchetti

Open Access Dissertations

The synthesis of carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bonds is an area of research that has garnered significant interest due to the ubiquity of C-N bonds in pharmaceuticals and natural products. Various methods exist for forming C-N bonds, most recognizably Buchwald-Hartwig amination, but these reactions typically require functionalization of either the C-H or N-H bond resulting in the formation of harmful byproducts. As a result, the need to explore alternative means for synthesizing C-N bonds merits consideration. An alternative means for achieving C-N bond formation lies in the oxidative cross coupling of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) and nitrogen-hydrogen (N-H) bonds. While this approach eliminates the …

Bridging The Soft-Skill Gap From Education To Employment Through Internships, Kim Stack Washor

Open Access Dissertations

Employers express a growing concern that recent college graduates do not possess the necessary soft-skills to transition into entry level positions seamlessly. Educators are asked by employers and policy makers to provide instruction which would develop student skills in both the “hard” (academic and technical) and “soft” (personality traits and habits) skills required to be workplace-ready. The research study was designed to understand the degree to which internships enhance student soft-skill development, specifically in the areas of communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking. Researcher-designed pre-post retrospective surveys were administered to students and one to corresponding supervisors to measure change in …

Development Of New Tools For Study Of Tumor Microenvironment, Michael D. Anderson

Open Access Dissertations

Solid tumors have a microenvironment that is inherently acidic and hypoxic. Hypoxia is caused by leaky blood vessels and large diffusion distances from cells to them. It is heterogeneous throughout the tumor and while all solid tumors are hypoxic to a degree, it is difficult to predict invasiveness based on it. However, acidity is a near ubiquitous characteristic of tumors with more aggressive tumors producing greater acidity. It is important to measure pH in diseased tissue with accuracy and precision, since acidity is associated with the development of various pathological states including tumors. In this work we focus on the …

Examining Health Professional Students’ Attitudes On Interprofessional Education, Suzanne Carr

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing need for healthcare teams to effectively collaborate and communicate to improve patient outcomes. The need to improve patient care has been well established and cited by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Quality Health Care in America landmark report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System (IOM, 1999; Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 2000). Health educational programs are known to be a gateway to changing behaviors of health professionals to impact practice and direct patient care. Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been identified as a viable mechanism to increase the collaboration and communication of health …

Effects Of Perfluorinated Compounds (Pfcs) On Metabolic Tissues And The Benefits Of Caloric Restriction, Deanna M. Salter

Open Access Dissertations

The CDC states that there has been a dramatic increase in obesity from 1990 to 2010. Type-II diabetes and obesity prevalence are increasing worldwide. Often, obesity and Type-II diabetes are concurrent, and predispose individuals to development of fatty liver disease, referred to as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two commonly studied perfluorinated compounds (PFC’s) that are considered environmental toxicants that have the potential to elicit diabetic and NAFLD phenotypes. This dissertation presents novel findings of gaps within the literature to date. Traditionally, diabetes and obesity have been discussed in regard with …

Three Essays On Co-Management In A Fishery, Mihoko Tegawa

Open Access Dissertations

Co-management has been recognized as an important scheme in successfully governing common-pool resources (Ostrom, 1990, 2002). Contrary to Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons (1968) or Olson’s Logic of Collective Action (1965), empirical research has found many long-lasting self-governing communities through extensive case studies (Baland & Platteau, 1996; Ostrom, 1990; Wade, 1989). This is no exception in fishery (Pinkerton, 1994). Fishery cooperatives, where fishermen collectively manage the fishery, have been garnering much attention from both regulators and academics (Costello, 2012; Deacon, 2012; Townsend, Shotton, & Uchida, 2008). In fact, Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery in US has implemented a sector management system, …

Synthesis & Hypercest Testing Of Ctv Derivatives: A Bowl Shaped Compound That Encapsulates Xenon, Joseph D. Brown

Open Access Dissertations

The primary focus of this dissertation is the synthesis and testing of cyclotriveratrylenes (CTV) as potential biomedical molecular imaging contrast agents. CTVs are bowl shaped molecules that have a hydrophobic pocket capable of reversibly binding Xenon-129 (¹²⁹Xe) gas, a spin ½ noble gas, which is diamagnetic and produces a signal when a strong magnetic field is applied to it. These CTVs then create two pools of ¹²⁹Xe which produce distinct signals in an NMR scan. The creation of the two pools of ¹²⁹Xe is necessary for the application of an imaging technique named HyperCEST, Hyperpolarized Chemical …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescents Participating In Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, Francine Rose Bianca Pingitore

Open Access Dissertations

Given the number of adolescents who present with mental health issues, it is important to explore the best treatment options for this population. Group psychotherapy has been described in the literature as the ideal choice for adolescents who engage in mental health treatment. It is considered a “natural” fit, as adolescents are focused on their peer group during this developmental period. There has been an abundance of research examining behavioral oriented group psychotherapy with adolescents suggesting positive clinical benefits and outcomes. However, process oriented group psychotherapy research with adolescents has been lacking. In particular, the “voice” and perspectives of adolescents …

Automated Essay Evaluation And The Computational Paradigm: Machine Scoring Enters The Classroom, Catherine M. Barrett

Open Access Dissertations

Grading papers is a "tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming" undertaking, one that invites the sort of sympathies one might receive upon the "death of a pet' (Baker, 2014, p. 36). Perhaps, though, the only thing more distasteful for an English professor than having to grade hundreds of essays each semester is having to hand the job over to the likes of a mindless software program. Automated Essay Evaluation (AEE), the process of scoring essays by computer, was developed in the 1960s but has mostly aroused suspicion and derogation from the composition community.

The parable of the blindfolded villagers describing the same …

Factor Graphs And Submap Simultaneous Localization And Mapping For Microbathymetry, James Ian Vaughn

Open Access Dissertations

The utility of high-resolution bathymetric surveys important to many problems in oceanography is often limited by the poor navigation options available to Unmanned Underwater Vehicles. This thesis presents a novel method to integrate conventional dead-reckoning navigation with recent advances in factor graph Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms. Dead-reckoning is represented in the factor graph as a new type of factor using a linearized state transition model derived from the Extended Kalman Filter commonly used for dead reckoning. The new factor graph submap-SLAM is faster and more scalable than prior methods and is shown to properly represent navigation uncertainty. This …

Modeling Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Contaminants In Current And Climate Changing Conditions, Ivan Morales Parra

Open Access Dissertations

The use of onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) is a common practice in the U.S., especially in rural areas where the access to centralized wastewater treatment systems is limited. Onsite wastewater treatment systems include a soil treatment area or drainfield where contaminants are removed or attenuated. Ineffective OWTS are a source of microbial pathogens (bacteria and viruses), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and nutrients, which are among the major causes of contamination and water quality impairments in surface water in the U.S. The main objective of this research was to model the different chemical, physical processes, and removal mechanisms that influence …

Chemical Investigation Of Candidate Probiotics In Aquaculture And Formulation Of A Probiotic Agent For Oyster Larviculure, Christine Anh Dao

Open Access Dissertations

Aquaculture is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. The United States is a significant consumer to both fresh and marine aquaculture products. Aquaculture sales in Rhode Island have dramatically increased in the last 20 years. In Rhode Island nearly 4.3 million oysters were produced via aquaculture in 2012. Currently, hatcheries and nurseries in the United States produce large amounts of a variety of species of oysters, clams and scallops. Oysters are filter feeders and are exposed to many microbes in the hatchery. Infectious diseases from bacterial pathogens in the hatcheries can have serious impacts on production. Vibrio species are often responsible …

Predatory Behavior And Physiological Response Of Chinese Mantids To Toxic And Non-Toxic Lepidopteran Prey, Jamie L. Rafter

Open Access Dissertations

Prey have evolved a number of defenses against predation, and predators have developed means of countering these protective measures. Monarch caterpillars, Danaus plexippus, for example, feed on milkweed plants in the genus Asclepias and sequester cardenolides as an anti-predator defense. However, some predators are able to consume this otherwise unpalatable prey. The observation of a Chinese mantid, Tenodera sinensis, consuming the body tissue of a monarch caterpillar while ‘gutting’ the prey (i.e., removing the gut and associated internal organs) without any apparent ill-effects prompted this research. In a series of behavioral trials we explored how adult T. sinensis …

An Investigation Of The Fisheries Ecosystem Dynamics In Rhode Island's Nearshore Waters, Anna Malek

Open Access Dissertations

This research was developed in response to recent interest in offshore wind energy development and the ongoing need for ecosystem-based spatial management planning in Rhode Island’s nearshore waters. Despite heavy use and close proximity to a number of marine science institutions, Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds have been neglected in terms of scientific research, resulting in a poor understanding of the fisheries ecosystem in this area. This research aimed to address this knowledge gap by assessing the biogeography, trophic dynamics and habitat associations of the fish and invertebrate communities in this region. Specifically, the goals of this research were …

Goal Representation Adaptive Dynamic Programming For Machine Intelligence, Zhen Ni

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation is focused on a general purpose new framework for machine intelligence based on adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) design. This research is significantly important for developing self-adaptive intelligent system that is highly robust and fault-tolerant to uncertain and unstructured environments. Generally, there are two key components toward building truly self-adaptive systems: fundamental understanding of brain intelligence and complex engineering designs. This dissertation will focus on general purpose computational intelligence methodologies from a biological inspired perspective, and develop a new self-learning machine intelligent system online over time. Furthermore, this new approach will also be explored on wide critical engineering applications. …

The Stigma Of Obesity: Examining The Relationship Between Bmi And The Treatment Of Pain In Surgery Patients, Dennis H. Sewchuk Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

There is a growing epidemic of obesity in the United States and a corresponding increase in the number of morbidly obese patients receiving healthcare. Despite the increasing focus and research on obesity over the years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has continued to worsen. A stigma against obesity exists in the general public including among healthcare professionals. Attitudes and bias of healthcare professionals against obesity can negatively affect judgment and choices related to the enactment of care, affecting both the quality of healthcare delivered and patient outcomes. Studies have shown that stigmatization against groups of patients such …

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Of Immunosuppresive, Mwlod A. Ghareeb

Open Access Dissertations

The immunosuppressive agents used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs include cyclosporine (CsA), everolimus (EVE), mycophenolic acid (MPA), prednisolone (PLN), sirolimus (SIR) and tacrolimus (TAC). Because of the narrow therapeutic index and high inter- and intra-subject variability of these agents, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an integral part of immunosuppressive therapy following organ transplantation. The immunosuppressants incidence and severity of side effects correlate with the degree of exposure while under-dosed patients can be at a greater risk for allograft rejection. Currently, whole blood or plasma samples that are obtained via venipuncture are used for routine immunosuppressive monitoring. The limitations of …

Reflections Of Undergraduate Business Education Alumnae: Shifting Perspectives On Gender And Work, Aimeé Duvall Phelps

Open Access Dissertations

Women are entering higher education at the greatest rate in history (NCES, 2012). They are succeeding and graduating with degrees relevant to leadership and business and are entering the workforce in record numbers (Catalyst, 2013; Eagly & Carli, 2007). But then women seemingly stall out (Barsh & Yee, 2011; Catalyst, 2013; Soares, Cobb, et al., 2011). The further up the ladder women climb - the fewer their numbers. Numerous literature streams document the potential causes and effects of this phenomenon. This qualitative study sought to augment the current literature that has ignored the impact of undergraduate business education on that …

Role Of Nuclear Factor E2 Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) In Environmental Chemical Induced Steatosis And Adipogenesis, Prajakta Shimpi

Open Access Dissertations

Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity both in the young and adult population is increasing at an alarming rate globally. Along with traditional risk factors, such as diet and sedentary life style, exposure of environmental chemicals is suspected to be a risk factor for metabolic disruption. Moreover, the ‘fetal basis of adult disease’ hypothesis implicates that early life exposure to environmental chemicals is more impactful in causing lipid homeostasis disturbances than exposure in maturity. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a cytoprotective transcription factor known to combat oxidative stress. The contribution of Nrf2 to other …

Further Insights Into The Regulation Of The Fanconi Anemia Fancd2 Protein, Rebecca Anne Boisvert

Open Access Dissertations

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal and X-linked recessive disorder, characterized by congenital abnormalities, pediatric bone marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. FA is caused by biallelic mutations in any one of 16 genes. The FA proteins function cooperatively in the FA-BRCA pathway to repair DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). The monoubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI is a central step in the activation of the FA-BRCA pathway and is required for targeting these proteins to chromatin. Despite their critical role in ICL repair, very little is known about the structure, function, and regulation of the FANCD2 and FANCI proteins, or how …

Three Essays On Shellfish Management In Rhode Island, Pratheesh Omana Sudhakaran

Open Access Dissertations

Shellfish resources are the main fishery resources commercially harvested and cultured in Rhode Island. Wild shellfish management in Rhode Island is undertaken by the RI Department of Environmental Management (DEM) aiming to achieve, among other objectives, conserving naturally occurring shellfish populations in RI waters and managing public health outcomes due to, water quality issues. However, for any management scheme or regulation to be effective, policy must recognize the economic forces at work when evaluating proposed intervention or regulation of shellfishing. Regulations would influence the harvesters’ behavior through the change in the harvested quantity or market price of the product and …

Influence Of Sociocultural Factors On The Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among College Students In Costa Rica, Derby Munoz-Rojas

Open Access Dissertations

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health issue affecting millions of people, adolescents and young adults are disproportionally affected. IPV is a complex problem primarily because it is influenced by a web of risks and protective factors, which interact and shape the experiences of each person. However, the exact nature of these interactions is not well understood, particularly among adolescents and young adults and in cultures where gender norms are rapidly changing and less IPV research has been conducted, such as in Costa Rica. Specifically, little is known about the effect of sociocultural factors on the experiences …

Deep Reef Bioerosion And Deposition: Sedimentology Of Mesophotic Coral Reefs In The U.S. Virgin Islands, David Kurt Weinstein

Open Access Dissertations

The structural complexity and geomorphic diversity of coral reefs are vital foundational characteristics responsible for the many ecological and economic benefits these ecosystems provide. Shallow-water coral reef geomorphology and structural sustainability is mostly determined by varying reef sedimentary components including: (1) sediment production (matrix) and deposition, (2) framework production and secondary carbonate accretion; (3) bioerosion; and (4) cementation. However, little is known regarding the variability and influence of these sedimentary processes in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), deep reef communities 30-150 m below sea-level. Despite recent increases in biological and ecological MCE studies, many crucial sedimentological research questions remain unaddressed. These …

Identifying Novel Genes And Genetic/Phenotypic Spectra For Inherited Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Next-Generation Sequencing, Michael Anthony Gonzalez

Open Access Dissertations

Length-dependent axonal degeneration, sometimes referred to as the "dying-back" of a nerve, results in axonal degeneration at the most distal extent of the axon. Degeneration of extended axons in the peripheral (PNS) and central nervous systems (CNS) is the pathological basis for a number of neurological disorders, including the axonal peripheral neuropathies known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2) and the axonal degeneration of the corticospinal tract in the CNS known as hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP). CMT2 and HSP are inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive axonal degeneration, which can cause severe disabilities and have no clinically available treatment options. …

Surface Chemistry And Spectroscopy Of Human Insulin Langmuir Monolayer, Sheba Johnson

Open Access Dissertations

The focus of this thesis can be categorized as study of two molecules, namely human insulin and carbon dots at 1) air-water interface as a Langmuir monolayer and 2) in solution. Aggregation of proteins into amyloids has been related to several diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Amyloidosis. Human insulin was chosen as a model protein to study fibrillation of the proteins. Effect of carbon dots on the rate of human insulin fibrillation was examined through spectroscopic techniques and imaging. Both human insulin and carbon dots were examined at air-water interface as a Langmuir monolayer. The conformation of human insulin in …

Identification And Functional Analysis Of Alternatively Spliced Isoforms Of Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase In Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells, Xi Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Effective ciliary beating is one of the key factors that regulate mucociliary clearance. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) is partly regulated by changes in intracellular calcium and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). While transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs) are well known for their ability to produce cAMP upon activation, soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) is another source of cAMP production mediated specifically by HCO3-/CO2. It contributes to CBF regulation and the prevention of lung diseases due to mucociliary dysfunction. The three known alternatively spliced isoforms of sAC were identified in mice and rats, but there was no systematic study aimed at identifying additional alternatively …

Spatial Dynamics Of Vegetated Seascapes And The Influence On Fish And Crustaceans, Rolando O. Santos Corujo

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation adopted concepts and spatial tools of seascape ecology, the marine counterpart of landscape ecology, to understand the broad-scale structural attributes that make submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) seascapes resilient to anthropogenic disturbances, drivers of fauna community structure, and productive fisheries habitats. My research was designed to address the relative and interrelated ecological effects of broad-scale changes in SAV habitat amount (habitat loss) and configuration (fragmentation). SAV seascapes in nearshore areas of Biscayne Bay have been subject to constant anthropogenic disturbances associated to freshwater pulses from canals over the last 50 years; thus, these seascapes served as a model system …

The Role Of Chemokine Receptor Cxcr7 With Egfr In Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Nicole Salazar

Open Access Dissertations

Recent advances have revealed a significant contribution of chemokines and their receptors in tumor growth, survival after chemotherapy and organ-specific metastasis. The CXC chemokine receptor-7 (CXCR7) is the latest chemokine receptor implicated in cancer. Although over expressed in breast cancer cell lines and tumor tissues, its mechanism of action in breast cancer (BrCa) growth and metastasis was not clear. Studies in other cancers have implicated CXCR7 in cell proliferation, anti-apoptotic activity and cell-cell adhesion. The present study was initiated to examine the pattern of CXCR7 expression and its role in regulation of growth signaling in breast cancer. The contribution of …