Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Modulating The Tumor Microenvironment To Improve Immunotherapy Treatments, Lleayem Nazario-Johnson, David Rowley

Senior Honors Projects

Advances in immunotherapy are revolutionizing the treatments of certain cancers, especially those in the blood. However, wider applications for eradicating solid tumors have been slow to emerge. A likely reason is the presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment that secrete immunosuppressive molecules which attenuate the attack of immune cells. We hypothesize that small molecule Wnt/Beta- Catenin inhibitors can be used to modulate the immunosuppressive actions of MDSCs and increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, such as with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. The Wnt/Beta-Catenin Pathway has been shown to be a crucial driving force behind the …

Impact Of Covid-19 Related Deaths On New Nurses In Rhode Island, Jessica Petonak

Senior Honors Projects

The purpose of this project was to identify the impact that COVID-19 related deaths have had on nurses with limited bedside experience in the state of Rhode Island. Exploring the level of preparedness that nurses felt to deal with death can provide insight into nursing and employer education. Hearing about nurses’ experiences during the pandemic helps illustrate the current state of nurses’ mental health. Gaining a better understanding of the amount and types of support that nurses on the frontlines are receiving can identify current gaps and potential areas of improvement. I found that the COVID-19 pandemic and related deaths …

Introduction To Systematic Reviews And Meta-Analysis, Joanna M. Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Traumatic Stress In Families, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Snapshots Of Experimental Methods, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

“I Don’T Want The Next Generation Of Children To Be In Pain Like Me”: The Chab Dai Ten-Year Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project On Sex Trafficking Survivors In Cambodia, Glenn M. Miles, James Havey, Siobhan Miles, Eliza Piano, Lim Vanntheary, Nhanh Channtha, Sreang Phaly, Ou Sopheara

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project started in 2010 and is the only research project of its kind listening to sex trafficking victims over ten years. The project was started in Cambodia by Chab Dai (translated “Hands Together”), a coalition of Non-Government Organisations since 2006 who have focused on human trafficking. The project was founded with the express purpose of listening to the survivors’ voices and recording their experiences in order to better understand their physical, emotional and spiritual needs during their initial recovery in shelters and reintegration back into their communities. The team of researchers and the participants, all of …

"Going It Alone": Following The Male Cohort Of Survivors Of Sex Trafficking Of The Chab Dai Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project, Jarrett D. Davis, James Havey, Glenn M. Miles, Nhanh Channtha, Sreang Phally, Lim Vanntheary

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Over the past ten years, the Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project has followed 128 survivors of trafficking through their experiences in aftercare, reintegration, and beyond to better understand the recovery and reintegration of trafficking survivors within a Cambodian context. This paper focuses on the 19 males who were available to interview. Despite the project’s wealth of data and analysis, there are notable gaps regarding the male cohort. In response, this paper examines this cohort holistically, considering their statements and broader narratives, merging them with previous collective observations of the Butterfly Project. Throughout this paper, data indicates a pattern of violence among …

"When They See Someone Who Is Poor, They Step On Them": The Social Determinants Of Health Among Survivors Of Sex Trafficking In Cambodia, James P. Havey, Glenn M. Miles, Lim Vanntheary, Nhanh Channtha, Hanni Stoklosa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Social determinants of health (SDH) are defined as the non-medical yet health-affecting conditions of a person’s life. They include such considerations as working conditions, discrimination, and access to health services. The aim of this study was to explore the SDH impacting those who have survived sex trafficking in Cambodia. This study employed a mixed methods, secondary analysis, focusing on 52 survivors of sex trafficking in the Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project from 2010 through 2019. Participants described myriad social determinants of health, including: gender, age, relationship status (marriage), ethnicity, national identification documentation (statelessness), social class, formal education, vocational training, occupation, and …

“I Want Justice From People Who Did Bad Things To Children”: Experiences Of Justice For Sex Trafficking Survivors, John G. Morrissey, James Havey, Glenn M. Miles, Nhanh Channtha, Lim Vanntheary

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This research from the Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project focused on understanding the experiences and perceptions of justice and the justice system for 93 Cambodia participants (including 88 survivors of sex trafficking) as they navigated the legal system. Thirty-two of these survivors had experiences in court and provided details into their courtroom experiences, predominantly within Cambodia but also in the United States. The survivors’ experiences were diverse; however, the prevailing themes were: fear throughout their legal journeys; a low level of awareness and understanding of their legal experiences; and that NGO support was essential for these survivors to engage in the …

The Violence Of Postmodern “Gender Identity” Medicine, Heather Brunskell-Evans

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The medical “transition” of children with “gender dysphoria” is increasingly normalized in North America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Although each country has specific national gender identity development services, the rationale for prescribing hormone treatment is broadly similar. A minority rights paradigm underpinned by postmodern theory has gained traction in the past 10 years and has been successful in influencing public policy, the education of pediatricians, endocrinologists, and mental health professionals. In this view, any response other than an affirmation of the child’s claim to be the opposite sex or “born in the wrong body” is …

Consumption Behavior Of Algerians During The Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis, Kamel Chikhi

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This Dialogue contribution is a reflection on the impact of crises and in particular that of Covid-19 on the behavior of Algerian consumers: before, during and post-crisis. It is recognized that during crises, consumers adopt unusual and more rational behaviors: buy basic necessities; save more to deal with possible difficult situations; place more importance on nutrition, health, food quality characteristics, price, psychological and socio-demographic characteristics; have purchasing and consumption intentions based on their cultural background and prefer to adopt planned behaviors. Observed events during the Covid-19 pandemic allows us to illustrate the evolution of consumption behavior of Algerians and to …

Aging And Health, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Pandemic And Õen Consumption In Japan: Deliberate Buying To Aid The Seller, Kosuke Mizukoshi, Yuichiro Hidaka

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This dialogue contribution discusses whether it is possible to create favorable new social assistance under the market principles, based on the Ouen or Õen (aid) consumption in Japan. The meaning of consumption has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, aid consumption is increasing. This means helping local restaurants and producers by willfully and proactively buying and consuming their services and products. This is a favorable form of new social assistance and the result of strong marketing and market functions. The penetration of market forces may surpass pure altruistic behavior such as donations and gifts, by creating new market-linked …

Rethink Everything 2: Markets, Globalization, Development, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Deniz Atik

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

“In This Industry, You're No Longer Human”: An Exploratory Study Of Women’S Experiences In Pornography Production In Sweden, Meghan Donevan

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Despite being a global, billion-dollar industry, very little is known about the conditions women face within the pornography industry. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences in pornography production, with a particular focus on structural antecedents to entrance, coercion, and violence within the industry, as well as current needs and any barriers to exiting the industry. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine women with experiences in pornography production in Sweden. Participants identified young age, financial insecurity, earlier exposure to sexualized violence, and poor mental health as typical antecedents to entering the pornography industry. Once in the …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Lgbtq+ Healthcare In The United States, Nicole Niles

Senior Honors Projects

LGBTQ+ healthcare has made some significant progress in the last few decades, yet countless studies have shown that the American healthcare system still lags behind in equitable healthcare. My project sought to identify the issues that prevent the LGBTQ+ community from receiving quality healthcare, which involved the curation of over twenty academic journal articles for an annotated bibliography, along with a paper discussing these articles.

One of the most important concepts to gender studies is intersectionality. Coined by legal theorist Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality describes the concept of how one’s individual characteristics, including race, class, and gender, intersect and …

The Public Health Crisis Of Alcoholism: What Could Be Done Better In Rhode Island?, Carlos Borges

Senior Honors Projects

Alcoholism is a chronic issue that affects over 3 million people per year in the United States. It is characterized by an individual who is physiologically dependent on alcohol to the point where they cannot carry out common social activities such as having friends or holding down a job. Approximately 88,000 people die per year due to alcohol related events. The economic impact due to hospital bills, criminal justice costs, and lost productivity of the abuser is estimated at $400 billion annually. Alcohol abuse can be used as a coping mechanism in adolescents who are struggling with behavioral health issues …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy For Dual Diagnosis: Treating Adolescent Substance Use Disorder And Co-Occurring Mood Disorders, Melody R. Gately

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

On The Front Line: Uri's Response To Covid-19 And The Role Of The Student-Run Emergency Medical Services, Michael C. Brennan

Senior Honors Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of society, including universities, and we are just beginning to understand its impacts. This project looks at how universities have responded to the pandemic by focusing on the University of Rhode Island, the largest university in the state of Rhode Island. A key aspect of this project is a timeline that documents the policies implemented by URI leadership and relevant policies adopted by the State of Rhode Island. The timeline also includes data about the number of cases at URI and state-wide, as well as figures for the number of students in isolation …

Climate Change And Vaccines: Distrust Of Science In Politics And The Media, Natalie Montalbano

Senior Honors Projects

Distrust in science and the scientific process has increased significantly over the last fifty years, and this distrust is particularly apparent in the fields of climate change and vaccination. Climate change, a relatively new scientific issue, has become one of the hottest topics discussed in both U.S and world politics. The existence and real threat of anthropogenic global warming was publicly declared by National Geographic in 2004, but climate scientists had acknowledged that humans were causing the warming of our Earth as early as the 1980’s. Vaccines, despite being safe and effective in curbing the spread of infectious diseases, have …

A Story Told, Carly Caldarella

Senior Honors Projects

How do we educate our future generations about topics that are difficult to discuss? Oftentimes, children ask us questions that make us think, "How do I respond to this?" It is essential for our young generations to understand the history of racism, its present manifestations, and solutions and methods of action in order for a bright and revolutionary future. It is not always a simple task for children to comprehend such intricate topics. However, through text and pictures in storybooks, children can better grasp the concepts of such subject matter. "A Story Told" shares the story of young children in …

Social Justice Attitudes And Health: A Cross Sectional Study, Edward Donovan

Senior Honors Projects

Background: Increasingly, social justice is being considered as a key factor associated with health outcome. In addition, there is growing interest in exploring perception of discrimination in healthcare settings. This study explored perceptions of social justice, health care discrimination, health care status and utilization of healthcare resources. The investigators predict a significant association between the level of social justice awareness and healthcare utilization based on the hypothesis that those who are cognizant of social inequities are more likely to be informed self-advocates in healthcare settings.

Methods: First, a survey was created based on a review of existing literature. The …

Examination Of The Effects Of Speech Disorders On Juvenile Delinquency And The Potential Benefits Of Speech Therapy For Offenders, Katie Paparelli

Senior Honors Projects

In the United States, there are currently over 50,000 juveniles housed in youth confinement facilities for delinquent acts ranging from truancy to murder. To decrease that number, it is pertinent to identify possible risk factors of juvenile delinquency, but also to establish impactful preventative strategies as well as reactive solutions. Speech disorders and speech differences have been identified as potential risk factors for juvenile delinquency. Having a speech disorder/difference has an undeniable impact on a child’s life, with potentially negative impacts ranging from poor engagement with school and bullying—both risk factors in themselves for juvenile delinquency. Unsurprisingly, researchers have found …

Peptidomimetic Inhibitors: Molecular Modeling And 3d Visualization, Sonika Tahiliani

Senior Honors Projects

Zoonotic viruses, including coronaviruses, Ebola virus, HIV, influenza, and more, are ubiquitous and can emerge as significant human pathogens capable of global epidemics and pandemics. Most often, researchers spend their time and resources targeting only the human pathogens and developing therapeutic compounds to treat the associated diseases. However, a missed opportunity is targeting the zoonotic host instead and aiming to acquire the chemical and structural knowledge to inform us of the evolutionary path of the virus. The bat coronavirus HKU4 belongs to the same lineage as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and shows high sequence similarity. This is …

Health Communication Support In Baseline Health Literacy Research, Owen Manahan

Senior Honors Projects

Health literacy refers to the ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make good health decisions. Improving health outcomes in Rhode Island requires removing health literacy barriers.

In the spring of 2019, researchers at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College received funding from the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services to assess health literacy in Medicaid beneficiary outpatient health centers. Such research has never before been conducted in Rhode Island. Researchers administered a modified health literacy assessment to collect self-reported data on patient health status, measure patient confidence in accessing health information, …

Ethnic And Racial Disparities In Covid-19 Infections In The United States������ ��� ������ ����������� �� �������� ���������� �� ��� ������ ��, Seraphina Negash

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Project Title: Home Birthing: Analyzing The Value Of Home Births To American Mothers, Julia Santini

Senior Honors Projects

There were about 3.7 million births in the United States in 2018, and a maternal mortality rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births (37.3 for non-Hispanic black women). The US also has high rates of birth interventions such as episiotomy and instrumental vaginal births, and increasing rates of cesarean sections, and while these interventions can be life saving, they do not always result in better birth outcomes. When the high US maternal mortality rates are compared to those of peer countries such as Canada and the UK, the data suggests that there is much room for improvement in how …

Comparative Gait Analysis Of Transtibial Amputees Versus, Charlotte Vitale

Senior Honors Projects

While individuals with lower limb prosthetics make up a very small percentage of the population, their musculoskeletal deformities impair their abilities to produce “normal” biomechanical actions. The deviations in their walking patterns can further inhibit their efficacy in other activities of basic living. Understanding the distinct kinematic comparisons during gait between lower limb amputees and able-bodied individuals is critical for those planning to enter such a field of study working with this specific population. As an aspiring specialized Physical Therapist, it is very likely that I will be assisting clients to regain a healthy walking pattern after a traumatic accident, …

Telehealth Interprofessional Healthcare Delivery, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Integrative Review In Nursing Science Nur 661, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.