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Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Acute Lung Injury: Evidence Of Activation And Inhibition Of A Neural-Respiratory Inflammasome Axis, Nadine Kerr

Open Access Dissertations

Approximately 20-25 percent of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) subjects develop Acute Lung Injury (ALI), but the pathomechanisms of TBI-induced ALI remain poorly defined. In my thesis, I investigated whether (Extracellular Vesicle) EV-mediated inflammasome signalling contributed to the etiology of TBI-induced ALI. C57/BL6 male mice were subjected to Controlled Cortical Impact, and the brains and lungs were examined for inflammasome activation and ALI at 4 hours and 24 hours after TBI. I show that TBI releases EV containing inflammasome proteins into serum that target the lung to cause ALI. Administration of a Low Molecular Weight Heparin (Enoxaparin, a blocker of EV …

Design And Optimization Of An Energy Efficient Low Environmental Impact Net-Zero Water Wash Station, Lucien Gassie

Open Access Dissertations

In remote areas with limited access to clean water, disease outbreaks can have a much larger impact than in areas where clean water is available. Portable net-zero greywater (NZGW) systems may be a solution, allowing users to wash hands or shower between patients in areas where fresh water is not typically available, unlike conventional greywater reuse systems. Based on the reviewed literature, an ozone-UV NZGW system was designed, constructed, and operated at the University of Miami. Results of the system are assessed, with water quality goals of meeting WateReuse Research Foundation guidelines for direct potable reuse and federal drinking water …

A Brief Period Of Exercise Improves Cognitive Function After Cardiac Arrest, Holly Stradecki Cohan

Open Access Dissertations

Cardiac arrest effects over half a million people in the United States annually. A lack of brain perfusion results in a global brain ischemia resulting in cell death in several regions including the hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory. Nearly half the survivors of cardiac arrest suffer from cognitive deficits. While there remains no well accepted therapy for these patients, it has been shown that exercise after focal brain ischemia (i.e. stroke) enhances both motor and cognitive function. But this has never been explored in the setting of cardiac arrest. In this study, we determined that a brief …

Development And Regulation Of Two-State Patterned Activity In A Model Serotonin Motor Circuit, Bhavya Ravi

Open Access Dissertations

Neuronal activity accompanies synapse formation and maintenance, but how early activity contributes to behavior development is poorly understood. Here, we used the Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying motor circuit as a model to understand how coordinated circuit activity patterns emerge during development in relation to behavior. The C. elegans egg-laying circuit is a simple neural circuit which develops during the fourth larval stage and drives a two-state behavior in adult animals. The egg-laying circuit comprises two serotonergic Hermaphrodite Specific Neurons (HSNs) and six cholinergic Ventral C neurons which synapse onto vulval muscles that contract to release eggs from the uterus. During L4, …

Resveratrol Preconditioning Induces Bioenergetic Efficiency In The Brain Within The Long-Term Window Of Cerebral Ischemic Tolerance, Nathalie Khoury

Open Access Dissertations

Neuroprotective agents administered post cerebral ischemia have failed so far in the clinic to promote significant recovery. Thus, numerous efforts were redirected towards prophylactic approaches such as preconditioning as an alternative therapeutic strategy. Our lab has revealed a novel long-term window of cerebral ischemic tolerance mediated by resveratrol preconditioning (RPC) that lasts for two weeks in mice. To identify its mediators, we conducted an RNA-seq experiment on the cortex of mice two weeks post RPC, which revealed 136 differentially expressed genes. The majority of genes (116/136) were downregulated upon RPC and clustered into biological processes involved in transcription, synaptic signaling, …

A Critical Examination Of Rhode Island Speech-Language Pathologists Working Under Federal And State Education Policy, Patricia J. Murtagh

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the discourse of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Rhode Island public schools under restrictive policy. The research questions were partly informed from a 2015 pilot study surrounding comments about a state education rule that SLPs named the nine-year rule.

In that 2015 survey, many SLPs working in RI public schools had negatively charged comments about that rule because it required SLPs to terminate speech services for students with only speech sound disorders at the age of nine. Because of the risks associated for these students, this study was value mediated. Using a …

Nutritional Beliefs And Practices Of Arabic Speaking Middle Eastern Mothers, Maissa Al-Bkerat

Open Access Dissertations

Childhood obesity is recognized as an important health problem in the United States. Researchers have identified culture and acculturation as major factors influencing obesity across several ethnic groups, although little is known about the historically invisible and vulnerable population of those identifying as Arabic speaking individuals from Middle Eastern countries. In Arabic culture, mothers are responsible for creating and maintaining a home environment that fosters healthy eating behaviors among family members including the children. It is assumed, therefore, that mothers in Arabic culture play an essential role in preventing childhood obesity.

The aim of this study was to explore perceptions …

Team Medical Decision Making: Available Research And Future Directions, Brian E. Tapscott

Open Access Dissertations

As part of the shift toward team-based care, many clinical decisions are now made by intra- and interprofessional teams. Team medical decision making is a recommended practice that is believed to reduce error and improve clinical judgment. However, surprisingly few studies have examined the accuracy of team decisions and little is known about the efficacy of various team strategies. Consequently, practice guidelines are lacking. To address the paucity of research, this dissertation addresses possible starting points for future studies based on research to date and current practices. Accordingly, Manuscript I will discuss team research from various fields with an emphasis …

Navigating Internal And External Borderlands: The Experience Of Emergent Bilingual Cape Verdean Middle School Students, Abigale E. Jansen

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this grounded theory research study was to better understand the experiences of emergent bilingual Cape Verdean Middle School students as they navigate internal and external borderlands. This study was conducted in an urban middle school in New England. Nine female, emergent bilingual Cape Verdean middle school students, participated in this study. This study was also completed with the assistance of the school district’s middle school language acquisition coach. The participants contributed to student surveys, focus group discussions, participant observations and member checking. All data was analyzed using coding and grounded theory, which lead to the development of …

Laser-Assisted Transdermal Drug Delivery And Vaccination, Prateek Kakar

Open Access Dissertations

Oral drug delivery has been the major route of drug delivery due to the ease of drug administration and patient compliance. Transdermal drug delivery is highly attractive for alternative drug delivery and yet faces significant challenges, largely due to the barrier function of the Stratum Corneum (SC) layer of the skin. Different chemical and physical methods have been explored to disrupt the SC layer to facilitate transdermal drug delivery. However, those methods only received limited successes due to the low efficiency in SC disruption or the potential safety risks.

Ablative fractional laser (AFL) emerged in the last 2 decades as …

Polypharmacy In Cancer Patients: Health-Related Quality Of Life, Expenditures, And Adverse Events, Zachary R. Babcock

Open Access Dissertations

Polypharmacy (PP), often defined as the use of five or more medications, is highly prevalent in patients with cancer. As the quantity of medications for treating cancer and comorbid conditions in patients with cancer become more numerous and diverse, it is important to understand the various ways in which patient health and economic outcomes may be adversely affected by prescribed medications. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate three distinct associations between PP and the lives of patients living with cancer by estimating how PP (1) affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL), (2) is associated with healthcare expenditures, and …

Alexa Or Alex? Gendered Technology’S Influence On Consumer Judgments, Jiyoon An

Open Access Dissertations

This research attempts to examine when technological products are seen as a gendered agent rather than an object. Based on a review of the literature on consumer- technology relationship and social cognition theory, this research addresses the conditions for gendering of technology, its process and outcomes by using multi-method empirical studies. The stereotype model tests the mediating and moderating hypotheses regarding gendering and its effects on consumer judgments. The disruption model attempts to disrupt the stereotyped gender effects by using a counter-stereotypical gendered cue. The research provides theoretical, managerial, and public policy insights.

Relating Marine Mammal Distribution To Prey Abundance, Christopher D. Orphanides

Open Access Dissertations

Marine mammal foraging and diet in southern New England is not well known and has therefore been largely ignored as a component of habitat, distribution, and bycatch. Incorporating prey components into marine mammal management is key to improving management of these species, especially as fisheries management progresses towards ecosystem-based management, climate change results in shifting distributions of marine mammals, and we are faced with new management challenges stemming from offshore wind development. This dissertation aims to address data gaps for species highly impacted by human activities, specifically the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and the harbor porpoise …

Compassion And Well-Being: The Effects Of An Online Filmmediated Compassion Education On Undergraduate Students, Thupten Tendhar

Open Access Dissertations

An increasing number of college students in the US are reportedly experiencing significant levels of emotional distress and mental health challenges. College students who practice compassion have been found to have significantly lower negative emotions when compared to students who do not practice compassionate thinking. This underscores the need for compassion education programs. However, only a limited number of college students benefit from existing compassion programs because many are too busy to commit to eight or more weeks of such face to face training along with their regular course load and work schedule. This study used a quantitative method with …

Remotely Activated Biomaterials For Optimizing The Temporal Profiles Of Therapeutic Molecules, Tania T. Emi

Open Access Dissertations

Remotely activated hydrogel-based biomaterials can maximize the therapeutic effects by providing localized deliveries and minimizing off-target side effects. Smart hydrogels respond to an externally applied stimulus by delivering therapeutic molecules. While showing promise in releasing molecules in a precise spatial manner, they do not inherently provide temporally dynamic delivery profiles (e.g., controlled timing, rates, and sequences) required to direct sequences of biological events.

Biological processes are characterized by a sequence of events regulated by a complex interplay of signaling factors. For example, in the instance of ischemia (where a tissue no longer receives oxygen and nutrients due to a lack …

Molecular And Morphological Investigations Into The Evolution And Development Of Red Algal Parasites, Jillian Freese

Open Access Dissertations

Symbiotic relationships occur on a spectrum from mutualistic to parasitic. Parasitism— where one organism benefits greatly and the other is potentially harmed—is the most common type of symbiosis found throughout the tree of life. Most of the well-studied parasites have detrimental impacts on agriculture and human health as the causative agents of disease. However, these pathogens do not represent the diversity of parasitism. Most eukaryotic parasites have a photosynthetic ancestry but lost the ability to carry out photosynthesis at some point in their transition to parasitism. These parasites have undergone significant morphological and genomic changes as a result of their …

Software Support For Hardware Predictors, Mustafa Çavus

Open Access Dissertations

Hardware predictors are widely used to improve the performance of modern processors. These predictors are mostly used in data or instruction prefetching mechanisms and branch predictors. Hardware-based prefetchers and branch predictors can work dynamically based on the program's run-time behavior. However, most of the hardware-based predictor mechanisms depend on detecting patterns (data access patterns, branch patterns, etc) and they require very complex mechanisms to be able to capture irregular patterns.

Software techniques, like software prefetching, can help to improve the performance of the applications with behaviors that are difficult to capture by hardware mechanisms. On the other hand, they mostly …

An Exploratory Investigation Into The Structure Of Eating Disorder Diagnosis, Juliana Steffes

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation first provides the current conceptualization of the most common Eating Disorders (EDs) as well as other disordered eating conditions currently recognized within the research community. The current literature regarding the epidemiology, risk factors, existing evidence of indicators of overlap, and commonalities in treatment and prevention efforts among these disorders is identified. Researchers have mentioned the concept of a continuum of eating disordered behaviors or a spectrum of eating pathology, either using it in a paper title or within a research paper, yet few have conducted statistical analyses to illustrate that these concepts have more than face validity. This …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Materials For The Detection And Removal Of Toxicants, Daniel R. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

The goal of this graduate research has been to develop novel materials for the detection and removal of small molecule toxicants that have been introduced into natural water sources as a result of human industries. Traditional methods for detection of small molecule toxicants rely on laboratory grade equipment, such as gas chromatography (GC), mass spectroscopy (MS), GC-MS, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These traditional methods have high sensitivity; however, they suffer from a lack of portability, a high degree of training needed to use them, expensive instrumentation, and extended times for data processing and analysis. To address this problem, several …

Real-Time Geometry-Based Feedback For Design Engineers On The Environmental Impact Of Manufacturing, Amanda Bligh

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation study, the concept of an energy shadow, which represents all the work done by the interacting systems back to the earth-based inputs needed to produce a product, is used as a metric to investigate the development of a real-time, geometry-based software tool to assist design engineers in evaluating the environmental impact of manufacturing. A literature review of the energy metrics of consumed energy, exergy, and emergy was conducted to evaluate which may best serve as the thermodynamic framework for representing an energy shadow. Following the comparison and evaluation of the possible metrics emergy was selected as it …

Self-Monitoring Heart Rate Biofeedback: A Secondary Prevention Strategy For Managing Anxiety In College Students, Louis William Turchetta

Open Access Dissertations

Intro: Anxiety is often a chronic condition that will affect approximately 29% of individuals during their lifetimes (Dennis & O’Toole, 2014). Unfortunately, numerous barriers to treatment exist, especially when treating children (Dennis & O’Toole, 2014). Wearable technology, particularly utilizing heart rate monitoring, can potentially aid in the treatment of anxiety, allowing for greater recognition of symptoms and interventions in any setting.

Hypothesis: Hypothesis one: College students with "mild to moderate" levels of anxiety will be able to utilize self-monitoring heart rate biofeedback (SMHRB) consistently (e.g., respond to at least 70% of Maximum HR alerts utilizing relaxation breathing). Hypothesis …

Constructing Transgression: Criminality In Experimental Literature, Charles Kell

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines integral, challenging contemporary poetry and fiction, and its relationship to notions of the criminal in multiple guises. The present focus on “criminal” excavates not only its literal meaning - the nature of crime, and its specific relation to penal law - but also brings to light how the “criminal” affects the construction of fiction and poetry, and the lives of various individuals (speakers) within the chosen texts. Intricately tied with the criminal are practices that transgress, and this study will also locate specific creations where poets and novelists construct transgressions that challenge contemporary ideas of narrative and …

Tourism And Justice On Catalina Island: Burdens, Power, And Decision-Making, Katherine Canfield

Open Access Dissertations

The uneven distribution of the benefits and burdens of tourism development is creating an experience of social injustice for residents today on tourism-dependent Catalina Island, off the coast of California. While there is a great breadth of work covering archaeology and ecology of the island, there is minimal research related to recent human experience on the island (Higgins & Mehta, 2018; Hofmeister & Voss, 2017; Teeter et al., 2013). The island has been developed as a privately owned and managed tourism resort since 1880, and this private status has allowed for fluctuating involvement of island residents in decision-making and prolonged …

Sparta: System For Portable Acquistion With Real-Time Analysis, Joseph Greenfield

Open Access Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to design, develop and test a new portable system for digital forensics imaging with real-time analysis over every live file. Currently large magnetic hard drives are infeasible to perform sequential imaging taking over 40 hours to complete before beginning with any forensic analysis. Attempted approaches included performing a limited (sparse) collection and performing a distributed live analysis using a high-end server environment, neither of which would be sufficient for field use. I designed and developed the code to test the system and developed comprehensive testing scenarios. I show that magnetic disk fragmentation has a …

Assessing Interaction Of Black Racial Identity And Perceived Neighborhood Factors On Educational Utility, Clifton A. Berwise

Open Access Dissertations

Previous research findings have indicated that there continues to be an increased need to assess the impact of neighborhood and community factors on educational outcomes for Black Americans. When investigating neighborhood factors for this population, two understudied variables are perceptions of trust in neighborhood police and collective socialization, particularly in examining their impact on academic outcomes. Furthermore, it is unclear how Black racial identity interacts with the effects of these perceived neighborhood factors on educational outcomes. The present study attempted to add to the literature by exploring how the interaction of racial identity and perceived neighborhood factors impact how Black …

Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems For Students With Disabilities: A Case Study Of Four Students And Their Communication Team, Angela Palazini

Open Access Dissertations

A qualitative methodology was used to investigate the perceptions of four students and their communication team members regarding many facets of augmentative and alternative communication systems. A multiple case study design with cases across three academic levels within a public school district was implemented. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews, document review, and observations. Four themes emerged from the data: “They told us about it” (Laurette), “Give our kids relationships” (Elizabeth), team approach, and working with AAC. Participants described their experience in regards to decision-making, ideal function, training, usage, maintenance, benefits, and challenges. Participants expressed a lack of choice when …

A Phenomenological Study Of Perspectives On Teacher Diversity And The Lived Experiences Of Black Public School Teachers, Michael Browner Jr.

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of Black public school teachers as related to the underrepresentation of Black teachers in the teaching profession. Data were collected through interviews with ten teachers who identified as Black and were employed by two school districts in northeastern Rhode Island. Through phenomenology as a methodology, and autoethnography as a method, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of Black teachers in contemporary public school settings and their perspectives on teacher diversity. This study provides an in-depth and intimate understanding of what it is like and what …

Can Asl-Gloss Be Used As An Instructional Tool To Teach Written English To The Deaf?, Emma S. Rathkey

Open Access Dissertations

This study addressed the use of ASL-gloss as a potential method for improving reading ability and comprehension for those with profound deafness through the use of the Gray Silent Reading Test (GRST). ASL-gloss can be described as a written form of American Sign Language. Research suggests that on average, individuals who are deaf are reading at about a third- to fifth-grade level. Presently, there is limited research on the effects of using ASL-gloss with students who are deaf. Participants (n = 31) self-reported as having a profound hearing loss, used ASL as their primary or preferred language, and were over …

Krill Motion In The Southern Ocean: Quantifying In Situ Krill Movement Behaviors And Energetics, Mary Kathryn Kane

Open Access Dissertations

Krill are a major link in the transfer of carbon between primary production and upper trophic level organisms, like whales and penguins, in the Southern Ocean. However, not much is known about in situ individual krill behaviors, and there have been no seasonal comparisons of individual krill motility in the Southern Ocean. To address how individual krill movement behaviors and energetic requirements shift between seasons, we used a novel stereo-camera and environmental sensor system to observe krill in three bays in the Western Antarctic Peninsula in May-June 2013 (i.e., the late austral autumn) and December 2014 (i.e., the late austral …

Overcoming Contemporary Obstacles In Drug Delivery Via Acetalated Dextran Particle Formulations, Nishan K. Shah

Open Access Dissertations

Particle-based delivery systems have been investigated for their potential to increase the efficacy of patient diagnoses and treatments. In many cases, these systems increase the bioavailability and/or decrease the toxicity of clinically relevant drugs. These developments have led to improvements in patient compliance, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. To date, particle-based delivery systems have been evaluated in hundreds of clinical trials around the world. Unlike conventional delivery systems, particle-based delivery systems offer increased surface area, colloidal stability, and system tunability, all of which can be tailored to target the disease state of interest and specific patient population.

Although there …