Digital Commons Network^™

Life Cycle Dynamics Of The Harmful Bloom Forming Macroalgae Ulva Spp. In Narragansett Bay, Ri, Elaine Potter

Open Access Master's Theses

Macroalgal blooms occur worldwide and have the potential to cause severe ecological and economic damage. Narragansett Bay, RI is a eutrophic system that experiences summer macroalgal blooms composed mostly of Ulva compressa and Ulva rigida. All Ulva species have isomorphic, biphasic life cycles, and the relative contribution of the haploid and diploid life history stages to bloom formation is poorly understood. In this study, we used flow cytometry to assess ploidy levels of U. compressa and U. rigida populations from five sites in Narragansett Bay, RI, USA. Both haploid gametophytes and diploid sporophytes were present for both species. Sites …

Predicting Readiness To Seek Mental Health Services In College Students, Uchenna Jones

Open Access Master's Theses

Young adults and adolescents tend to be among the least likely to seek mental health services even when they may benefit from them. This is particularly concerning since most psychological disorders have the highest incidence during this period of development. Researchers have proposed a number of variables that may act as barriers to help seeking including attitudes toward seeking mental health services, mental health literacy, and symptoms of psychological distress. However, much of this research has focused only on correlations among attitudes, symptoms, and help seeking intentions. Furthermore, the assessment of readiness to seek mental health services has been inconsistent …

Impact Of Resistance Training On Bone Mineral Densityand Performance In Competitive Female Gymnasts, Andrew M. Procopio

Open Access Master's Theses

This study investigated the effects of a ten week resistance training intervention on bone mineral density and performance measures in competitive female adolescent gymnasts. Previous research indicates resistance training improves performance and reduces injury risk. Resistance training as a mode to reduce injury risk may be of primary importance in sports with history of high injury rates but low participation in resistance training, such as gymnastics. Sixteen female adolescent gymnasts between the ages of 12-20 competing at Junior Olympic levels 7-10 were recruited. Participants were divided into resistance training (N = 10 age; 13.5±1.00 years, height; 155.19±8.38 cm, weight; 51.58±9.63 …

Interpersonal Relational Characteristics And Stages Of Consistent Condom Use In Sexually Active Adolescent Females, Janan Wyatt

Open Access Master's Theses

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) continue to negatively affect young people in the United States, ages 15-24 years old, specifically impacting young woman at a disproportionately high rate. STI infection rates among young Black females are significantly higher than among their white counterparts, and this group continues to be identified as an at-risk population. Condom use has been assessed and encouraged as a prevention strategy for both STI's and unintended pregnancies. Previous research has identified a number of factors that influence condom use in adolescent females, however not enough research has focused on the impact of relational factors on condom use. …

Inner-Peace And Physical Health: Peace Of Mind And Physical Health Among Rhode Island Older Adults, Thupten Tendhar

Open Access Master's Theses

The number of older adults increases globally year after year at an unprecedented rate, and so does their healthcare expenditure. This trend is similar in Rhode Island. The proportion of older adults relative to the general population is rising sharply in this smallest state in the US. The quality of later life and well-being of the older adults remains questionable for many, due to the increasing chronic disease burden associated with advanced age.

The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between inner-peace and physical health, with the aim of developing a clearer picture to improve the health …

Biological Indicators For Assessing Freshwater Wetland Condition In Rhode Island, Thomas E. Kutcher

Open Access Master's Theses

There is a growing need to identify assessment methods that can provide managers and researchers with a relative indication of wetland condition. Biological indicators (bioindicators) are considered to be the most effective and precise indicators of environmental condition. This study focuses on the development of bioindicators based on the concept of species conservatism, or intolerance to human disturbance. In theory, the aggregate conservatism of a species assemblage should indicate the environmental quality of a natural area. In the first part of this study, I applied the conservatism concept to adult Odonata composition to create a novel bioindicator for open-canopy wetland …

Still Hopeful In The Eleventh Hour: A Critical Cultural Study Of The University Of Rhode Island’S Kinesiology Department, Justin Heath Payne

Open Access Master's Theses

My thesis is a critical examination of the cultural practices of the University of Rhode Island’s Kinesiology department 2010-2012, which produces particular norms for what constitutes Kinesiological knowledge. Through the use of the qualitative methods of autoethnography, poetics, a British Cultural Studies optic on the study of everyday cultures, and Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power I attempt to illuminate how a positivistic quantitative Exercise Science way of knowing and studying human movement gets normalized as the privileged form of Kinesiology department. My thesis critically examines my unique experiences as an Exercise Science turned Physical Cultural Studies student as a way …

Assessment Of Food Safety Handling Practices At Farmers’ Markets In Rhode Island, Elizabeth Gran Vandeputte

Open Access Master's Theses

From 2001 to 2010, foodborne illness outbreaks increased in the US and 17% of the outbreaks were from produce. High-risk, whole produce at farmers’ markets present unique challenges to food safety practices in regards to temperature controls, potable water, and exposure to contaminants. Use of a Smartphone application decreases behavior change in those being observed as they are unaware of the observation taking place. The purpose of this descriptive study was to use direct observations to identify unsafe food handling practices among high-risk produce vendors at Rhode Island farmers’ markets. This study used a Smartphone application as a tool for …

Effect Of High- And Low-Fodmap Diet Instruction On Fodmap Intake And Dietary Quality In Healthy Young Adults, James O'Toole

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed Gastrointestinal (GI) condition in the United States affecting 30 million (10%) people. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, distension, excessive wind and altered bowel habits when anatomical abnormalities and inflammation have been excluded. A low-FODMAP diet is now considered as an effective strategy for managing symptoms of IBS in Australia, with interest expanding across the world. Several limitations of a low-FODMAP diet pertaining to dietary quality and health benefits have been suggested. Malabsorbed FODMAPs provide multiple benefits which include a natural laxative effect due to their osmotic effects, a prebiotic …

College Students Perceptions Of Environmentally Conscious Eating Behaviors: A Formative Evaluation, Victorine Shores

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: This study was a formative evaluation of modules related to Green Eating. Perceptions of the motivational value of the modules were assessed.

Design: This study was a cross-sectional study using secondary data.

Participants: 224 college students.

Intervention: Participants completed one of three online modules. Participants established a goal for the module they viewed and determined their self-efficacy (SE) in meeting their goal.

Main Outcomes: Motivational value was assessed using the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS); IMMS scores were compared between modules. Goal congruency (relationship to module topic) and SE were compared between modules.

Analysis …

The Nutrition And Physical Assessment Of Patients With Neurological Disorders, Dara Lyn Lobuono

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To describe cognitive, nutritional and physical functioning status of those with diagnosed neurological disorders for at least one year.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study.

Setting: University of Rhode Island’s Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Participants: Community-dwelling adults living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or acquired brain injury (ABI) for ≥ 12 months.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Cognitive-linguistic status was measured via the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Nutritional and cardio-metabolic status were measured using the dietary screening tool (DST), anthropometrics (height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition), biochemical (lipid and glucose …

The Effect Of An Ipad Application On The Quality Of Lunches Brought From Home By Middle School Children, Christina Pryor

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To evaluate the mobile application, LaLa Lunchbox, on improving the dietary quality of lunches brought from home.

Design: Quasi-experimental design.

Setting: Middle school in East, Greenwich, RI.

Participants: 25 students in the 6^th grade who were predominately white (72%) females (76%) with an average age of 11.2 years.

Intervention: For 4 weeks, LaLa Lunchbox app was used to create virtual lunchbox for each school day of the following week.

Main Outcome Measure: Lunch Quality Index (LQI) scores calculated based on the presence or absence of fruit, vegetables, protein, or empty calorie …

Influence Of A Within Meal Eating Rate Intervention On Overall Diet Quality In Overweight And Obese Women, Sean C. Krueger

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Improved diet quality has been identified as a key factor in improving longevity and quality of life. Behavior change interventions seeking to influence diet quality and limit obesity often focus on caloric restrictions and quantities of foods consumed. No current interventions have focused solely on the act of eating, despite initial research that suggests that pace at which food is consumed during a meal may be influential.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate relationships between within-meal eating rate and diet quality, and the influence of participation in an eating rate intervention on diet quality. …

Effects Of Combined Tai Chi, Resistance Training And Diet On Percent Body Fat In Obese Older Women, Dinah Quintanilla

Open Access Master's Theses

Obesity is a public health problem affecting approximately 35.4% of Americans 60 years of age or older and African-American women are considered at high-risk for obesity. Exercise and diet are effective at reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Resistance training (RT) has been reported to preserve or increase skeletal muscle mass, functional status, well-being, and improve memory. Tai Chi (TC), a form of martial art, is an exercise composed of slow deliberate movements that can result in improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors including body composition, but no studies have combined diet, RT and TC in a community-based study in …

Impact On Nutrition Risk In Community Dwelling Obese Women With Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention, Amy Taetzsch

Open Access Master's Theses

Statement of the problem: There have been no studies examining a combination of behaviorally-based dietary education, resistance training, and Tai Chi on dietary quality and resilience.

Objectives: To examine the effect of a behaviorally-based diet education, resistance training, and Tai Chi intervention on dietary quality as well as physical resilience in obese older women.

Design: Community health outreach with a non-randomized quasi-experimental design. Setting: Urban senior center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Participants: There were 33 women with mean age of 65 ± 8.2 years and BMI of 37.3 ± 4.6 kg/m² who were enrolled in …

Thyroid Hormones, Performance, And Psychological Changes On Overtraining In Female Distance Runners, Justin Nicoll

Open Access Master's Theses

Statement of the Problem: Overtraining (OT) is common in endurance sports. Perturbations in the hormonal milieu are common throughout OT literature. Thyroid hormones (TH) are altered by energy imbalances, and these imbalances are often present in female endurance athletes. Thyroid hormones also regulate metabolism, energy production, and therefore they may play a role in commonly cited symptoms of OT in these athletes. Alterations in TH status often occur slowly, and research investigating TH and their relationship in overtrained athletes is sparse. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships in TH and commonly cited symptoms of …

The Effects Of Different Athletic Playing Surfaces On Jump Height, Force And Power, Kelly Murphy

Open Access Master's Theses

Problem Statement and Background: As artificial turfs (AT) become more commonplace, the number of recreational athletes playing on them increases. Some aspects of performance such as speed appear to be better on AT; yet higher rates of injury have been reported. Despite this information, there are still few published studies on outcomes of athletic playing surfaces on athlete performance. Further, there is no research that compares individual performance on AT, hard surfaces and different composite natural surfaces. The purpose of this study was to compare athlete performance on AT against two different natural turf bases and a hard surface. …

Effects Of Social Support On Individuals’ Results Of 12-Weeks Of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Danika Korpacz

Open Access Master's Theses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of social support on an individual’s result of 12-weeks of cardiac rehabilitation. Specifically, this study investigated whether or not participants decreased their body mass index, increased their stress test duration, showed greater changes in their maximum attained heart during their stress test and overall improvements in health through their SF-36 scores.

METHODS: Fifty-five men and women from Rhode Island were recruited from The Miriam Hospital Center for Cardiac Fitness. All participants were currently participating in cardiac rehabilitation. They completed all twelve weeks, completed all necessary paperwork and …

Structure, Function And Evolution Of Phosphoprotein P0 And Its Unique Insert In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Giovanni Pagano

Open Access Master's Theses

Phosphoprotein P0 is a highly conserved ribosomal protein that forms the central scaffold of the large ribosomal subunit’s “stalk complex”, which is necessary for recruiting protein elongation factors to the ribosome. Evidence in the literature suggests that P0 may be involved in diseases such as malaria and systemic lupus erythematosus. We are interested in the possibility that the P0 of the “ciliated protozoa” Tetrahymena thermophile may be useful as a model system for vaccine research and drug development. In addition, the P0s of T. thermophila and other ciliated protozoans contain a 15 to 17 amino acid long insert, unique to …

A Paper‐Based Lateral Flow Device For The Detection Of Iαip Via Elisa, Hanno Teiwes

Open Access Master's Theses

This study focuses on the development of a new paper‐based microfluidic device for the detection of IαIP via ELISA. Recent studies proved that the concentration of IαIP is related to the mortality rate of patients who suffer from sepsis. The developed device is able to determine the concentration of IαIP in a buffer solution where a low concentration is an indicator for sepsis. Using a microfluidic valve, the reagents needed to perform the ELISA can be loaded sequentially. The microfluidic device consists of paper on which the channel geometry is printed with wax ink. Different layers of the device are …

Classification And Development Of Mathematical Models And Simulation For Industrial Ecology, Fabian Schulze

Open Access Master's Theses

Recent publications call for a higher focus on implementation of the theoretical concept of industrial ecology. It embodies the idea that collaborating companies use each other’s waste and byproducts following the example of the natural metabolism. Subject matter of this work is the practical application of this idea, i.e. eco-industrial parks and networks. In addition to the positive impact on the environment due to a reduction of pressure on limited natural resources, existing cases show that benefits can simultaneously be achieved for all three dimensions of sustainable development, including the economy and society.

In order to promote this concept and …

The Carbon Footprint Of Waste Management Systems – Analysis And Comparison Of Different Approaches, Eike M. Schubert

Open Access Master's Theses

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and their impact on global warming have been researched broadly for several decades. With an increasing attention in both politics and science, the issue of GHG emissions was found to have an extensive impact on legislation, society and the economy. The transportation sector, the industrial sector, the electricity sector and the waste management sector are considered to be the major contributors to the GHG emissions.

Investigating the waste management sector and its GHG releases, it is of public and private interest, which waste management system – Material Recycling Facility (MRF), Municipality Landfill or Waste-to-Energy …

Development Of A Paper Based Lateral Flow Device For The Detection Of Iαip Via Competitive Elisa, Alexander Giannakos

Open Access Master's Theses

This research has the focus on developing a paper-based device capable of sequentially flowing three separate fluids. Different assembly methods are investigated and compared to develop a more streamlined approach for the prototyping and testing of biological reagents. A faster method of fabrication is developed followed by an investigation of the potentials to detect the presence of Inter α Inhibitor Protein (a biomarker associated with sepsis). This is primarily achieved by applying the techniques of an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) onto a paper based platform. The research presented shows the steady progression toward and optimization of a lateral flow …

Interpersonal Sensitivity, Friendship, And Posttraumatic Stress Among Victims Of Child Maltreatment, Caroline Segal

Open Access Master's Theses

The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adverse socioemotional and mental health outcomes is well documented in the literature. Children who experience maltreatment are at higher risk for interpersonal deficiencies, social isolation, and posttraumatic stress. The literature suggests that victims of childhood maltreatment are at risk of developing high interpersonal sensitivity, meaning they struggle to appropriately interpret social cues. However, extant research has not focused on the impact of interpersonal sensitivity on psychosocial outcomes among victims of childhood maltreatment. The current study examined interpersonal sensitivity as a potential mediator between childhood maltreatment and friendship quality as well as between childhood maltreatment …

Predictors Of Surrogate Involvement In Advance Care Planning Behaviors, Donya Sorensen

Open Access Master's Theses

Advance care planning (ACP) is a framework used to describe the process of end-oflife care planning. ACP includes four behaviors: completing a living will that documents end-of-life wishes, appointing a health care proxy (HCP), discussing the use of interventions with loved ones, and discussing quality versus quantity of life with loved ones. Studies have found that the number of individuals engaging in ACP is low. Further, even those who have completed a living will and HCP often have insufficient communication with loved ones regarding their end-of-life wishes, often leading to discordant end-of-life care. The present study used constructs from the …

A Case Study Of Project-Based Learning In An Elementary School Setting, Lauren Nicole D'Ambra

Open Access Master's Theses

Project-based learning (PBL), a form of learning that has its roots in medical schools, has been frequently studied at the secondary and undergraduate/graduate levels. Few studies of this learning approach have been conducted at the elementary level. This study addressed the question of what project-based learning looks like and how it is implemented in the elementary years, as it exists within the context of a whole school. A qualitative case study design was used for the study. A purposeful sample of K through 6 elementary staff was interviewed over a period of 8 months. Analysis of the data showed that …

Evaluation Of A Snap-Ed Family Meal Based Nutrition Education Curriculum, Aaron Slader

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Families who have more frequent family meals make more healthy food selections and their children are less likely to be obese than families who eat together less frequently. A nutrition education curriculum that results in increased family meal frequency could be an effective approach to reducing obesity in children through improved nutrition eating behaviors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a SNAP-Ed 4-week family meal focused nutrition education pilot curriculum to improve family meal frequency among low-income parents in Rhode Island.

Design: This study used a prospective, quasi-experimental design. Low-income parents at one …

Mood And Violence Sensitivity: Using An Emotion Elicitation Paradigm To Assess Perceptions Of Violence Severity, Justine Egan

Open Access Master's Theses

This study aimed to examine the effects different emotions had on perceptions of violent behaviors. Students from an introductory psychology course (n = 517), were randomly assigned to one of five different emotion elicitation conditions (anger, fear, sadness, happiness, and neutral) using one of two methods (automatic story recall and film clip procedure). Perceptions of violence were measured using a modified version of the Violence Sensitivity Magnitude Estimation Scale (VSMES) which asks participants to rate a series of behaviors as to the severity of violence. Trait aggression was found to mediate the relationship between emotion and perceptions of violence. No …

Ecology And Conservation Of The Bamboo Pit Viper: Natural History, Demography And Effects Of Translocation, Elizabeth Anne Devan-Song

Open Access Master's Theses

The bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris, Gray 1842) is broadly distributed through South and Southeast Asia. This venomous snake occurs in high abundances in Hong Kong, and frequently comes into contact with humans. Thus it is viewed as a ‘nuisance’ species and is commonly translocated away from areas of human habitation. Despite being relatively abundant and a frequent focus of humansnake conflict in the region, very little is known about the ecology, demography, and the effects of long-distance translocation on this species. I captured 104 T. albolabris from throughout Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China and collected …

Facebook, Twitter, & Qr Codes: An Exploratory Trial Examining The Feasibility Of Social Media Mechanisms For Recruiting Youth Participation To An Online Survey, Lucy L. Gu

Open Access Master's Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of three social media based recruitment channels for sampling rural adolescent populations for online health research. At present, there is no consensus on the optimal social media based vehicle for recruiting adolescents due to limited research. This exploratory study compared Facebook ads, Twitter, and QR code postcards at three different but demographically similar rural high schools. The results showed that QR code postcards had the highest response percentage and the lowest cost per recruited participant, whereas Twitter had the lowest response percentage and Facebook had the highest cost per recruited participant. Although this is the …