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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

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 …

Biological Control Of The Lily Leaf Beetle, Lilioceris Lilii In North America, Marion Secrest Gold

Open Access Dissertations

The lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli), first officially reported in the U.S. in 1992, has become a serious pest of native and cultivated lilies throughout its North American distribution. With no effective North American natural enemies, this exotic insect poses a potential economic threat to horticulturists and an environmental threat to native lilies. This study presents the results of an ongoing classical biological control program initiated against L. lilii in North America. Based on its Eurasian geographic distribution, L. lilii seems capable of spreading throughout much of North America. In Europe, the lily leaf beetle is well known but …

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 …

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 …

Client Perceptions To Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Symptoms And Responses Over Time, Mary Findeisen

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that affects millions of Americans. Adherence to treatment regimens is of critical importance to reduce disease progression and disability. This is particularly true in the early stages of COPD when symptoms are insidious not only in the late stages when symptoms are severe. Health care providers generally assume that once a treatment regimen is prescribed it will be followed. Yet it is not uncommon, particularly in chronic illnesses, for individuals to ignore or abandon treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe and explore the process …

Regulation Of Empa Metalloproteinase Expression In Vibrio Anguillarum, Steven Michael Denkin

Open Access Dissertations

The effect of salmon gastrointestinal mucus on protease activity in Vibrio anguillarum M93Sm was investigated. Cells grown to stationary phase in nine salts solution plus mucus (NSSM) exhibited ninefold-greater protease activity than cells grown in Luria-Bertani broth plus 2% NaCl (LB20). Induction of protease activity in stationary phase cells occurred 60 min after addition of mucus and was ≥70-fold greater than protease activity measured in cells incubated in any other condition. Southern analysis and PCR confirmed that V. anguillarum M93 contained empA. An empA mutant of V. anguillarum did not exhibit protease activity after exposure to mucus, but did grow …

Predation On The Early Life History Stages Of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes Americanus) By The Sand Shrimp (Crangon Septemspinosa), David Lenox Taylor

Open Access Dissertations

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) stock complexes have been heavily exploited in the recent past, consequently decreasing abundances to record low levels. Despite management efforts to reduce further stock losses due to fishing mortality, discrete sub-populations of flounder continue to decrease for reasons that are unknown. Predation on the early life history stages of flatfish is recognized as the most important factor regulating year-class formation and recruitment. Winter flounder eggs and juveniles possess few morphological qualities that benefit the species in predator defense. Subsequently, survival of the early life stages of winter flounder depends on the effectiveness of spatial and temporal …

Making The Grade: Academic Literacies And First-Generation College Students In A Highly Selective Liberal Arts College, Theresa Perri Ammirati

Open Access Dissertations

Previous research on first-generation college students has concentrated largely on students enrolled in community colleges or universities. This study examines first generation students at a single, highly selective, four-year, liberal arts college, and uses an academic literacies approach to understand the relationship between first-generation status and written and oral literacies as illustrated in academic papers and classroom performance. Twelve first-generation college students were interviewed extensively about their early literacy experiences, family background, relationship to family and home community, high school preparation, selection of and transition into a highly selective college, and written and oral literacy experiences at that institution. Writing …

Longitudinal Study Of The Acquisition Of Locomotion, Motor Activity, And Infant Development, Janette Baird

Open Access Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between the age of development of 5 locomotor behaviors, the level of infant activity for the locomotor behaviors, and the performance of the sample of infants on standardized indices of infant development (Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, FTII; Bayley Scales of Infant Development, BSID-II). A total of 157 infants were assessed at 6, 9, and 12 months for their activity levels on the 5 locomotor behaviors of interest, and the age at which each locomotor behavior occurred was obtained through records maintained by each infants' caregiver. The results of the regression path analysis indicates that …

Factors Influencing Transition From Early Intervention, Nina June Pinnock

Open Access Dissertations

This exploratory study examined factors that predict parental satisfaction in the transition of a child with a disability from Early Intervention to preschool at the age of three. In addition to a thorough literature review, theoretical preparation included focus groups with service coordinators, receiving agencies and parents. The sample participants were 62 parent respondents to an Early Intervention transition to preschool questionnaire distributed by Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on proposed factors of parental empowerment, communication and culture, which did not emerge as discrete indicators of parental satisfaction. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) …

Thyroidal Regulation Of Stomach Development And Toxicity Of Pcb 126 In Metamorphosing Summer Flounder, Bruno Soffientino

Open Access Dissertations

The overarching theme of this thesis work is the development of the stomach in summer flounder, which occurs during metamorphosis. During normal development, proliferation of the gastric epithelium increases in early metamorphosis when incipient gastric glands first appear, and declines at late metamorphosis when gastric glands are completely developed. Inhibiting thyroid hormone prevents the increase in proliferation and the differentiation of glands, while high levels of thyroid hormone accelerate gastric gland differentiation but also inhibit proliferation. The hormone is necessary to cause cell proliferation, but at high doses it appears to selectively stimulate differentiation, suggesting that the steady increase in …

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 …

Assessment Of The Rhode Island Coastal Lagoon Ecosystem, Kathryn Hale Ford

Open Access Dissertations

The health of the Rhode Island coastal lagoon ecosystem is of importance due to its critical role as a wildlife habitat and recreation destination. As human population continues to expand along the coast, this ecosystem will receive increasing pressure from contaminants. By examining how the lagoons have changed in the past, we can postulate what variables are linked to change. Current conditions need to be thoroughly studied to provide a baseline with which to study future change, as well as to determine areas of concern in the lagoons. In order to understand how the ecosystem responds to such pressures, a …

International Regulation Of Underwater Sound: Establishing Rules And Standards To Address Ocean Noise Pollution, Elena Marie Mccarthy

Open Access Dissertations

An increasing awareness of anthropogenic sound in the ocean has generated international concern that it is affecting marine mammal behavior and could affect entire marine ecosystems as well. Presently there is a lack of a coherent policy framework for evaluating the environmental impacts of underwater noise pollution. No international treaties or laws specifically address the transmission of sound in waters under national jurisdiction or on the high seas. This dissertation examines the issue of underwater noise pollution in a global context and considers the extent to which the international legal and environmental community has addressed it. The sharp increase in …

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 …

Gas Flow And Heat Transfer In Microchannels: An Experiment Al Investigation Of Compressibility, Rarefaction, And Surf Ace Roughness, Stephen Edward Turner

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents an experimental investigation of laminar gas flow and heat transfer through microchannels. The independent variables: relative surface roughness, Knudsen number, Reynolds number and Mach number were systematically varied to determine their influence on the friction factor and the Nusselt number. The microchannels were etched into silicon wafers, capped with glass, and have hydraulic diameters between 5 and 96 microns. Isothermal gas flow was investigated by measuring the local pressure at seven locations along the channel length. Heat transfer experiments were conducted using thin film sensors developed for direct measurement of the surface temperature.

Eight microchannel test sections …

Remote Sensing And Landscape Analysis Of Indicators Of Estuarine Condition In The Northeastern United States, Wilfrid Rodriguez

Open Access Dissertations

I focused on four questions: (1) are measures of estuarine water quality the same across study regions; (2) are spatial setting variables and intense rainfall events important in explaining variation in water quality measures; (3) what is the relationship between patterns of land cover and estuarine condition; and (4) is land-cover change a good regional indicator of estuarine condition? Estuarine data was extracted from the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and Coastal-2000 surveys. Geographical Information System's modeling, land cover change detection, cumulative distribution functions and multiple linear regression analyses were used to quantify land-water interactions in three regions representing …

Ferulic Acid And Peroxidase Infusion Into Disparate Vegetables And Its Effect On Texture, Karen Rose Conca

Open Access Dissertations

The texture quality of canned fruits and vegetables can be severely degraded or softened due to thermal processing. Increased ferulic acid cross-linking and cell-cell adhesion has been associated with increased firmness of texture in fruits and vegetables. In order to test such a theory for maintaining firmness and cross-linkages of ferulic acid after thermal processing, vegetables were pre-treated/infused with peroxidase enzyme and ferulic acid. Carrots, beets and Chinese water chestnuts were chosen for their extreme differences in texture. Various methods for measuring texture were tested. Flat head compression was selected as the most sensitive method of assessing texture. Various infusion …

Development Of An Acoustic Data Storage Tag For Long Range Fish Tracking In The Ocean, Michael J. Obara

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation describes the development of an acoustic data storage tag for long-range fish tracking in the ocean. The core of the tag is a custom integrated circuit fabricated in 0.5μm CMOS. Device geopositioning is achieved with an on-board hydrophone listening for signals from several moored acoustic sources. Environmental data in the form of temperature and pressure is periodically sampled. All acquired data is stored locally. The tag's sampling protocol is completely programmable via a PC interface. This interface also allows sensor calibration and retrieval of data at the end of the tag's mission. Sensors, batteries, nonvolatile RAM and a …

Type Ii Collagen Differentially Degraded Epitopes Can Be Used To Monitor In Vitro And In Vivo Cartilage Degradation, Brian Roland Felice

Open Access Dissertations

Articular cartilage is comprised of resident chondrocytes interspersed throughout a complicated network of molecules called the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). The major component of articular cartilage ECM is type II collagen, which supplies the matrix with its characteristic tensile strength. In some forms of arthritis such as osteoarthritis (OA), type II collagen is uncontrollably destroyed ultimately leading to joint dysfunction. Type II collagen, the major collagen type found in articular cartilage, may account for 95% of the total collagen content of articular cartilage. The molecules implicated in the destruction of the ECM are a family of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases …

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 …

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. …

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, …

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 …

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).

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, & …