Digital Commons Network^™

Point Spread Function Determination In The Scanning Electron Microscope And Its Application In Restoring Images Acquired At Low Voltage, Mandy C. Nevins

Theses

Electron microscopes have the capability to examine specimens at much finer detail than a traditional light microscope. Higher electron beam voltages correspond to higher resolution, but some specimens are sensitive to beam damage and charging at high voltages. In the scanning electron microscope (SEM), low voltage imaging is beneficial for viewing biological, electronic, and other beam-sensitive specimens. However, image quality suffers at low voltage from reduced resolution, lower signal-to-noise, and increased visibility of beam-induced contamination. Most solutions for improving low voltage SEM imaging require specialty hardware, which can be costly or system-specific. Point spread function (PSF) deconvolution for image restoration …

Gender Disparities In Awards To Neuroscience Researchers, David Melnikoff, Virginia Valian

Publications and Research

Women in academia receive fewer prestigious awards than their male counterparts. Why this gender gap emerges, however, remains poorly understood. Thus, we tested multiple hypotheses about the proximate cause of the gender gap in award prestige. Our findings suggest that the gender gap in award prestige may emerge in part from gender schemas that portray women as warmer and less competent than men. Specifically, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that gender schemas lead to women’s papers receiving fewer citations than men’s papers, which in turn results in more prestigious awards for men than for women. Additionally, our results …

Clinic-Based Delivery Of The Young Men’S Health Project (Ymhp) Targeting Hiv Risk Reduction And Substance Use Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol For A Type 2, Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial, Jeffrey T. Parsons, Tyrel Starks, Sitaji Gurung, Demetria Cain, Jonathan Marmo, Sylvie Naar

Publications and Research

Background: Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are disproportionately at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Adapting and testing the effectiveness of the Young Men’s Health Project (YMHP), an efficacious intervention designed to reduce substance use and condomless anal sex (CAS) among YMSM, at clinics in Miami, Detroit, and Philadelphia has the potential to reduce HIV and STI disparities among urban YMSM.

Objective: This study (Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions [ATN] 145 YMHP) aims to adapt YMHP for clinic and remote delivery by existing clinic staff and compare their effectiveness in real-world adolescent HIV clinics. …

Identification Of 15 Phthalate Esters In Commercial Cheese Powder Via Cyclodextrin-Promoted Fluorescence Detection, Benjamin B. Cromwell

Open Access Master's Theses

Human exposure to toxicants such as environmental pollutants, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors occurs via a variety of mechanisms, including through the use of commercial products that contain these toxicants. Among such commercial products, many classes of food products have been found to contain toxicants, including phthalate and phthalate esters, which have traditionally been detected using mass spectrometry-based techniques. Reported herein is the use of gas chromatography mass spectrometry and cyclodextrin-promoted fluorescence detection to accomplish the sensitive (0.124µM limits of detection) detection of 15 phthalate esters in commercial cheese powder used in macaroni and cheese products. These results highlight the versatility …

Anthelmintic Efficacy Of Pelleted Cranberry Vine Against Gastrointestinal Nematodes Of Sheep, Bailey Chalut

Open Access Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) represent a major health concern in small ruminants as well as a constraint for producers. The prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in small ruminant GIN has increased rapidly worldwide, creating the need for alternative control methods to address the issue. The discovery that plant secondary compounds, including proanthocyanidins (PAC), suppress GIN infections has provided promise for alternative methods of GIN control. Although the mechanism is not well understood, studies have shown in vitro and in vivo evidence of anti-parasitic effects of bioactive plants. Recently a study from our laboratory provided in vitro evidence of anthelmintic activity of cranberry …

Dredging For Environmental Benefit: Models Of Circulation And Flushing Dynamics In The Providence River Estuary, Grace Elizabeth Medley

Open Access Master's Theses

In estuarine dynamics, circulation in the form of mixing and exchange have a direct link to the water quality. Edgewood Shoals is a highly anthropogenically impacted region of the Providence River bordered by three cities, and receives the outfall from six wastewater treatment facilities. Edgewood Shoals also has low dissolved oxygen levels during the summer months. The Shoal is classified as a circulation-restricted zone, where hydrodynamic exchange is limited due to the steep bathymetric gradient created by an adjacent federal shipping channel. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of determining if there are options for …

Performance Comparison Of Self-Organizing Maps Based On Different Autoencoders, Boren Zheng

Open Access Master's Theses

The Autoencoder (AE) is a kind of artificial neural network, which is widely used for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction in unsupervised learning tasks. Analogously, the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is an unsupervised learning algorithm to represent the high-dimensional data by a 2D grid map, thus achieving dimensionality reduction. Some recent work has shown improvement in performance by combining the AEs with the SOMs. Knowing which variations of AEs work best and finding out whether the selection of AEs is data-depended or not is the purpose of this research.

Five types of AEs are implemented in this research; three different data …

Optimizing Recommendations For Clustering Algorithms Using Meta-Learning, Adam Jilling

Open Access Master's Theses

The field of machine learning (ML) has seen explosive growth over the past decade, largely due to increases in technology and improvements of implementations. As powerful as ML solutions can be, they are still reliant on human input to select the optimal algorithms and parameters. This process is typically done by trial and error, as researchers will select a number of algorithms and choose whichever provides the most desirable result.

This study will use a process called meta-learning to evaluate and analyze datasets and extract a series of meta-features. These features can then be used to intelligently recommend an optimal …

The Relationship Between Personality Of Students In An Intergenerational Program And Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Maryam Marzban

Open Access Master's Theses

With the rapid aging of the population as well as increasing diversity in United State, research on ageism and intergenerational relationships is increasingly warranted. Ageism, or the prejudicial attitudes towards older adults, is seen as one of the most prevalent preconceived judgments that can cause poor treatment, and may even decrease levels of confidence, happiness, and health for older adults (Bishop, 2016). Intergenerational programs can provide many benefits for both younger and older adults, including developing positive changes in attitude towards aging (Wescott & Healy, 2011). Currently, the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations: Cyber-Seniors program was developed to …

Growth Of Saccharina Latissima In Aquaculture Systems Modeled Using Dynamic Energy Budget Theory, Celeste T. Venolia

Open Access Master's Theses

Aquaculture is an industry with the capacity for further growth that can sustainably feed an increasing human population. Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) is of particular interest for farmers as a fast-growing species that benefits ecosystems. However, as a new industry in the U.S., farmers interested in growing S. latissima lack data on growth dynamics. To address this gap, we calibrated a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model to data from the literature and a 2-year growth experiment in Rhode Island (U.S.). Environmental variables forcing model dynamics included temperature, irradiance, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and nitrate and ammonium concentration. …

Global Patterns Of Net Respiration In Subseafloor Sediment, Victoria Madison Fulfer

Open Access Master's Theses

Microbial life is abundant in subseafloor sediment. Rates of respiration in subseafloor sediment appear to be very slow, but are generally poorly constrained. This thesis aims to address this problem by quantifying respiration rates in subseafloor sediment at sites across the globe and determining geographic patterns of depth-integrated respiration rates and average per-cell respiration rates. First, we compiled pore water profiles and descriptive data from scientific coring and drilling sediment cores deposited in publicly accessible databases. Using these profiles, we quantified the global distribution of net respiration rates in subseafloor sediment (>1.5 meters below seafloor) using (i) a reaction-transport …

Rhode Island’S Agricultural Production And Climate Change: Practices, Perceptions, And Limitations, Mishreky N. Lawandy

Open Access Master's Theses

Climate change is projected to have significant impacts on the productivity and sustainability of agricultural production in coming years. In order to safeguard agricultural productivity and strengthen the resilience of regional food systems, farmers and other agricultural stakeholders will need to explore and adopt on-farm practices that are adaptive and/or mitigative. Understanding how farmers perceive and respond to climate change on their farms is essential to resilience building efforts.

The goal of this research is to address the lack of information on the concerns and response strategies of food-producing specialty crop growers in the U.S. Northeast, specifically the state of …

Development Of Bayesian And Non-Bayesian Melphalan Pharmacokinetic Model From Literature-Generated Data, Enoch Cobbina

Open Access Master's Theses

Published articles constitute a huge repository of population pharmacokinetic (Pop PK) models that can be repurposed to answer dose-related questions. We present a Simulation-Informed-Statistically-Aided (SISA) method that can be used to select population pharmacokinetic models from literature for repurposing.

Seven published melphalan PK models, and 1 reference model from FDA NDA submission documents were selected. A 30 minute IV infusion of 140 mg/m² of melphalan was simulated using each of the 7 models. The predictive performance of each of the models were evaluated using a proposed method called modified standard normal deviate (mSND). Five models, M1, M3, M4, M5 …

Nanostructured Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Sensor For Marine Pollutants, Timo Küster

Open Access Master's Theses

Excess concentrations of nitrate and phosphate in seawater can lead to harmful algae blooms that damage coastal ecosystems, pose health risks and adversely impact commercial activity. Early in situ detection of over-nutrification is necessary for rapid response and mitigation plans. Commercial nitrate and phosphate sensors utilize UV-Vis spectroscopy methods. Those sensors show interference with ions present in seawater and are prone to biofouling, necessitating new approaches for in situ monitoring. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a technique theoretically capable of single molecule detection, and therefore may be a promising approach for nitrate and phosphate detection. However, there are clear …

Evaluation Of Ifqs In The Pacific Halibut Fishery In Alaska: Were The Management Safeguards Successful?, Jessica Menges

Open Access Master's Theses

Alaskan fisheries are steeped in centuries of tradition and decades of innovative management. The Pacific halibut fishery is the oldest fishery in the United States managed under an individual fishing quota (IFQ) system. As such, the Pacific halibut fishery serves as an ideal system to study the long-term impacts of an IFQ system. A frenzy of research focused on the system after its implementation in 1995, which created an excellent baseline. However, interest in the halibut fishery faded as other IFQ programs began popping up around the world.

Over two decades later, the Pacific halibut fishery remains understudied in its …

Stakeholder Input To The Development Of The Santa Clara County Lgbtq-Focused Shelter: A Process And Policy Analysis, Anthony Montalvo

Master's Projects

Due to elevated homelessness and growing hate crimes, an LGBTQ-focused shelter was developed and implemented by Office of Supportive Housing (OSH), along with the OLGBTQ (Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer). The following research investigated whether the process to design the LGBTQ-focused shelter program in Santa Clara county took the necessary steps to ensure that the program represents the community it intends to serve. Using process evaluation to identify the problem and proposed solutions, and policy analysis to examine the alternative solutions, the research answered the question: Did the approved design of the LGBTQ-focused shelter represent the stakeholder planning …

Table Of Contents

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the table of contents.

Efficacy Of An Online Native Snake Identification Search Engine For Public Use, Scott E. Henke, Samantha S. Kahl, David B. Wester, Gad Perry, David Britton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Visual methods of species identification are used both in research and recreational contexts because they are inexpensive, non-invasive, and believed to be effective among uniquely identifiable individuals. We examined the ability of the general public to identify live snakes (Serpentes) that are native to the United States using an online snake identification search engine (SISE) produced by the North America Brown Tree Snake Control Team (NABTSCT) website, http://www.nabtsct.net. The SISE consisted of participants answering 7 descriptive questions concerning a snake and then reviewing photographs of snakes that matched that description. Using 3 species of snakes native to Texas, USA, 21% …

A Review Of Rat Lungworm Infection And Recent Data On Its Definitive Hosts In Hawaii, Chris N. Niebuhr, Susan I. Jarvi, Shane R. Siers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis) is a zoonotic nematode that causes rat lungworm disease (angiostrongyliasis), a potentially debilitating form of meningitis, in humans worldwide. The definitive hosts for rat lungworm are primarily members of the genus Rattus, with gastropods as intermediate hosts. This parasite has emerged as an important public health concern in the United States, especially in Hawaii, where the number of human cases has increased in the last decade. Here we discuss the current knowledge of the rat lungworm, including information on the life cycle and host species, as well as updates on known infection levels. Three …

Numbers Of Human Fatalities, Injuries, And Illnesses In The United States Due To Wildlife, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I reviewed published and unpublished papers, government reports, and websites to estimate how many people are injured or killed each year by wildlife or stricken by a zoonotic disease. Over 47,000 people annually in the United States sought medical attention after being attacked or bitten by wildlife, and approximately 8 people died annually. Most bites were by snakes, birds, rodents, and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Each year, wildlife–vehicle collisions resulted in >59,000 human injuries and >440 human fatalities, while wildlife–aircraft collisions added 16 more injuries and 10 fatalities. I also found that >68,000 people each year sought medical …

Application Strategy For An Anthraquinone-Based Repellent And The Protection Of Soybeans From Canada Goose Depredation, Scott J. Werner, Matthew Gottlob, Charles D. Dieter, Joshua D. Stafford

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Agricultural crops can sustain extensive damage caused by Canada geese (Branta canadensis) when these crops are planted near wetlands or brood-rearing sites. From 2000 to 2015, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks spent >$5.6 million to manage damages caused by Canada geese to agricultural crops (primarily soybeans) in South Dakota, USA. For the purpose of developing a repellent application strategy for nonlethal goose damage management, we comparatively evaluated the width of anthraquinone applications (i.e., 9.4 L Flight Control^® Plus goose repellent/ha [active ingredient: 50% 9,10-anthraquinone] at 0–36 m versus 0–73 m perpendicular to the edge of wetlands …

Temporal Variation Of Moose–Vehicle Collisions In Alaska, Lucian R. Mcdonald, Terry A. Messmer, Michael R. Guttery

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between vehicles and wildlife have long been recognized to pose threats to motorists and wildlife populations. In addition to the risk of injury or mortality faced by the motorists involved in wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs), other drivers are also put at risk due to road obstructions and traffic congestions associated with WVCs. Most WVCs in Alaska involve moose (Alces alces), an animal that is sufficiently large to pose a threat to property and human life when involved in collisions. We analyzed the temporal variation in the number of moose–vehicle collisions (MVCs) reported in the 4 most populous boroughs …

Stories And Personalities: Program Notes For Graduate Recital, Erinn Komschlies

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Reproductive Success In Beef Cattle By Implementation Of Estrus Resynchronization, Nutritional Management, And Evaluation Of Disease Prevalance, Kaitlin M. Epperson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The beef industry is a unique community of operations that employ different management techniques to accomplish a similar goal. Like other facets of animal agriculture, profitability of the beef industry is heavily reliant upon the implemented management practices. Reproductive efficiency is an area of management that has great potential to positively influence the success of beef production. Through the use of reproductive technologies such as estrus synchronization and AI, a greater percentage of females can become bred to superior sires, breeding and calving seasons can be shortened, calf uniformity increased, and economic return maximized (Odde, 1990; Rodgers et al., 2012; …

Nodule Zone-Specific Gene Expression In Soybean, Sadikshya Aryal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen is one of the most limiting nutrients for plant growth and yield. Leguminous plants such as soybean (Glycine max) have developed the ability to form a symbiotic association with nitrogen fixing rhizobia. This symbiotic association results in the formation of unique structures called nodules that originate from root cortex via de novo cell differentiation. During soybean nodule development, two major nodule zones, the Nodule primordium (Npr) in the center and the nodule parenchyma (Npa) in the periphery, are clearly distinguishable. Npr gives rise to infection zone (IZ), and the Npa holds vascular bundles. However, it is not clear what …

Improvement Of Dried Distillers’ Grains With Solubles Utilizing Pretreatments And Fungal Fermentation, Burgandy Zschetzsche

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Limited inclusion of distillers’ grains in animal feed is primarily due to low protein and high fiber content. Other elements, such as phytate phosphorus levels in DDGS are still an issue for monogastric animals such as swine, poultry, and fish. Furthermore, unabsorbed phytic acid in manure poses a high risk for environmental pollution, because bacteria can hydrolyze phytic acid into free phosphorus that can result in algal blooms and eutrophication of surface or ground water. The objective of this thesis was to improve the nutritional value of corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS). This was done utilizing submerged fungal …

Applying Machine Learning Algorithms For The Analysis Of Biological Sequences And Medical Records, Shaopeng Gu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The modern sequencing technology revolutionizes the genomic research and triggers explosive growth of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. How to infer the structure and function from biological sequences is a fundamentally important task in genomics and proteomics fields. With the development of statistical and machine learning methods, an integrated and user-friendly tool containing the state-of-the-art data mining methods are needed. Here, we propose SeqFea-Learn, a comprehensive Python pipeline that integrating multiple steps: feature extraction, dimensionality reduction, feature selection, predicting model constructions based on machine learning and deep learning approaches to analyze sequences. We used enhancers, RNA N6- methyladenosine sites and …

Effects Of A Low Allergenic Soybean Variety On Gut Permeability, Digestibility And Growth Performance In Pigs, Katelyn M. Zeamer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybeans are the ‘gold standard’ protein source in pig diets, with lower inclusion levels in weaned pig diets due to transient inflammatory and hypersensitivity responses. This study evaluated a low allergenic (LA) soybean seed containing low Trypsin inhibitors, lectins, and P34 protein. The objective was to determine the impact of weaned pig diets containing LA soybean in both meal (LASBM) and full fat ground (LAGR) forms on the intestinal permeability and gut microbial composition, digestibility of protein and amino acids, and growth performance, in comparison to conventional (CON) soybeans and animal proteins (ANIM). In study 1, 60 weaned barrows (20.9 …

Role Of Glial Glutamate Transporter In Animal Model Of Acute And Chronic Inflammatory Pain, Ghallab Alotaibi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Seed Dormancy Gene-Mediated Biotechnology To Mitigate Transgene Flow Into Weedy Rice, Luai Nahar Muhammad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transgene flows into wild/weedy relatives may cause ecological and economic problems. Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait that distributes germination over time and promotes persistence of weeds in agroecosystems. Silencing natural genes controlling seed dormancy (SD) could promote germination and reduce weed adaptability. The goal of this project was to develop a transgenic mitigation (TM) technology by linking to a primary transgene with an SD gene-silencing structure, as a tandem construct for transformation, to reduce the risk of gene flow into weed populations. In this research, the Bar (Bialaphos) gene for resistance to the glufosinate herbicide was used as a …