Copyright (c) 2009 University of Rhode Island All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog Recent documents in Senior Honors Projects en-us Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:31:54 PDT 3600 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/163 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/163 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:48:07 PDT Films provide profound reflections and interpretations of the people and the times in which they are made. Because of this, we often feel emotionally connected to certain films. We root for a teen who pursues his talent against his family's wishes, because we have also been misunderstood by family and friends. We cry with a young girl whose best friend has passed away, because we remember the first time we lost someone we loved. We applaud the couple whom manages to stay together despite their differences, because we still believe in happy endings. Film has had a tremendous social impact partly because of the emotional attachments viewers form to characters and storylines. Our escalating exposure and increased access to film through DVDs and the internet has further propelled us to look toward the screen for answers to life's challenging questions. Cinema therapy is the phenomenon of using films to help people work through emotional issues. The practice of cinema therapy is an increasingly popular method of psychotherapy where psychotherapists prescribe patients certain films to help them with family and relationship issues, substance abuse, and other problems. The purpose of watching prescribed films is to help patients feel like there are others who have gone through similar situations and that solutions to their problems exist. Dr. Birgit Wolz, a psychotherapist who specializes in this form of therapy, calls cinema therapy "a powerful catalyst for healing and growth for anybody who is open to learning how movies affect us." She explains that one aspect of most movies is that they serve as allegories, in the same way stories, myths, jokes, fables, and dreams sometimes do, which can all be utilized in therapy. When we are observers of a film, we are able to step back and clearly see the bigger picture. Watching movies helps us learn to understand ourselves and others more deeply in the big picture of our own lives. We develop a skill to see ourselves and the world more objectively and less judgmentally. Therapists such as Jan Hesley, who specializes in marriage and family therapy, believe the films help their patients develop new perspectives on their situations and inspire them to make positive changes. Hesley has found that movies "connect a client's world to the characters and plots: furnishing role models, providing inspiration and hope, and offering new solutions to old problems" (John Hesley, 55). Cinema therapy is able to reach patients in new and effective ways through the accessible medium of film and its portrayal of identifiable characters and situations. Catherine Collazzo Behavioral sciences Entertainment industry Psychology http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/162 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/162 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:39:20 PDT Painting on small canvases has been a hobby of mine since I was a child. My personal passion for tactile art has always made art therapy an aspect of psychology that has piqued my interest. However, I have left it unexplored during my undergraduate college career as a psychology major. I did research on art therapy and discovered that one of the major ideas in the area was that the use of creative activities can promote the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being. I also discovered that art can be seen as a self-esteem builder; the children will always see the mural in their home and feel proud that they completed a project on such a large scale. I also researched therapeutic murals and found that the use of imagery and color can affect the way a person feels. A mural seemed like the perfect project to take on and combine my compassion for children and interest in art therapy.The mural I help direct is in one of the residential homes at Bradley Hospital. As discussed with the program director the residents, eight children with various developmental disabilities will be creating and constructing the mural. I observed the therapeutic components of both the creation of the mural and the final product Natalie Brooks Art Health care Psychology http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/161 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/161 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:55:05 PDT Prosthetics dates back thousands of years, with some of the earliest recorded devices dating back to the ancient Egyptians. The devices are used to replace a limb that may have been lost due to a variety of reasons. Of course, much has changed since the basic wooden devices. What is exceptionally fascinating about prosthetics and orthotics is that the field is always changing and become more advanced; it truly has infinite potential. Prosthetics has evolved over many centuries to be what it is today, but where will the technology go in the future? Focusing on one area of prosthetics, specifically upper extremity devices, one can clearly see that much improvement can be made. Prostheses for upper extremity patients are traditionally passive (purely cosmetic), body powered (operated by movement of shoulders or upper arm), or myoelectric (controlled by signals from patient's muscles). Each of these types of devices has its advantages and disadvantages, but no significant changes have been made since the 1980s. Through conducting independent research, interning at Nunnery Orthotics and Prosthetics in North Kingstown, RI, as well as consulting with numerous prosthetists and other experts in the field, I have come up with three possible directions for the field of upper extremity prosthetics: sensory feedback, wireless electrode transmission, and simultaneous control of devices. This project has allowed me to further understand the challenges that prosthetists and their technicians face when trying to meet the needs of a patient, as well as the incredible benefits that patients receive through this new technology. Each of these directions will require many years of research and study to perfect, and it could potentially be years before anything is available to the public. I hope that through the completion of this project I have caused many more to think about the population of people using prosthetic devices, and how to make their lives easier to live each day. I chose to complete this project for a few different reasons. Not only did I wish to expand my knowledge of the field of prosthetics, but I also really wanted to learn about where the future may be going to potentially conduct my own research someday. Jenna Marcus Biotechnology Engineering Health care http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/160 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/160 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:37:36 PDT Our bodies are constantly exposed to a variety of substances that damage our DNA, such as ultraviolet radiation, environmental chemicals, and the reactive by-products of our metabolism. To prevent the harmful effects that may result from such damage, our cells possess multiple DNA repair mechanisms. However, if their ability to repair damaged DNA is somehow impaired, cells are more likely to accumulate potentially harmful mutations, including those that may lead to the development of cancer. In Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare recessive genetic disorder, a defect in a DNA repair pathway results in increased sensitivity to a particular type of damage. FA is characterized by congenital abnormalities, progressive bone marrow failure, and increased susceptibility to cancer. Interesting connections have been made between FA and cancer, including findings that several of the FA genes are also breast cancer susceptibility genes. Despite recent progress in this area, much about how exactly the pathway functions on a molecular level to repair damaged DNA is still unclear. Thus, further research on this rare disease will be valuable for both the treatment of FA patients and our understanding of cancer in general. For my honors project, I investigated whether there is any link between the FA pathway and p21, a critical DNA damage response protein that halts replication and progression through the cell cycle until the damage is repaired. To determine whether p21 plays a role in the FA pathway, I examined whether FANCD2 monoubiquitination (a key event in activation of the pathway) and expression of p21 in cells are coordinated following exposure to UV irradiation and other types of DNA damage, whether FANCD2 monoubiquitination is impaired in cells lacking p21, and whether inhibition of p21 degradation affects FANCD2 monoubiquitination. Mae Shen Biology Health care Science http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/159 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/159 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:30:42 PDT Tetrahymena thermophila is a member of the phylum Ciliophora (the ciliated protozoa) and is currently of great interest due to its unique qualities that make it useful as a model for research directed towards understanding how eukaryotic cells function. Recently, the T. thermophila genome was sequenced, and made available online. Since Tetrahymena is a member of the Alveolata, the major eukaryotic clade that also contains the apicomplexan parasites that cause a number of serious human and animal diseases, we sought to determine whether the genes coding for apicomplexan vaccine candidates were represented in the genome of Tetrahymena. In addition, we sought to find out whether there was any data available online to support the expression of the vaccine candidate orthologues in Tetrahymena. By using the tBLAST functions at the NCBI database (National Center of Biotechnology Information) and the Tetrahymena Genome Database, the amino acid sequences of the apicomplexan vaccine candidates were compared to the predicted protein sequences derived from the Tetrahymena genome. By doing so, the homologue of a vaccine candidate, Phosphoprotein p0, was found and identified as a predicted protein coded by the gene TTHERM_ 00636970. The predicted Tetrahymena phosphoprotein is 324 amino acids long. This protein had already been identified as a 60S Acidic Ribosomal Phosphoprotein in an unrelated study on ribosomal proteins of ciliated protists. In apicomplexans as well as other organisms such as yeast and mammals, phosphoprotein p0 is is also known to localize on the cell surface as well as intracellularly, although it has no transmembrane domain. When apicomplexan parasites are exposed to antibodies against p0, invasion of the host is blocked, explaining why it has become a target for vaccine development. From a recently published microarray survey of gene expression in Tetrahymena, we have determined that the Tetrahymena p0 is expressed at 250x background continuously during the life cycle of T.Thermophila. The results from the BLAST yielded e-values of 2.7x10-35, 5.4x10-37, 1.8x10-36 for the apicomplexans Plasmodium falciparum, Babesia microti, and Toxoplasma gondii respectfully. Though not apicomplexans, species of other protozoan parasites, including Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Neospora, and cryptosporidium, also contain phosphoprotein p0. We used Clustal W to align all the parasite p0 sequences with the p0 of Tetrahymena (Ttp0) and found domains of strong homology with Ttp0. These domains in Ttp0 are currently under further analysis and we are further analyzing the Ttp0 sequence for other functional domains that might provide evidence for localization to the cell surface. We also plan to conduct immunocytochemical studies to determine whether the putative p0 protein of Tetrahymena is found at the cell surface, as it is in apicomplexan parasites and other protist cells. If so, Tetrahymena may be a useful cell in which to discover the mechanisms that direct p0 to the cell surface rather than to the ribosomes. Justin Schumacher Biology Biotechnology Science http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/158 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/158 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:59:51 PDT Rehabilitating criminals has become a highly debated topic throughout the U.S. With the majority of criminals being repeat offenders, the correctional institution has made rehabilitation a top priority. Research over the last twenty five years has shown that some programs are more effective than others. After reviewing the body of research, I developed a modification of a widely used assessment instrument, the Correctional Program Assessment Inventory, to make it more suitable for use in Rhode Island. I used this modification together with the State of Michigan's Program Assessment Tool to assess the degree of which four of the over 100 programs offered to offenders at Rhode Island's Adult Correctional Institute have the characteristics known to be associated with effective treatment. The ones tested were the substance abuse, the domestic violence and the sex offender treatment programs. Assessments involved reviewing the curricula, observing classes, and interviewing staff and program participants. Victoria Miceli Criminal justice Law enforcement Sociology http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/156 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/156 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:44:25 PDT Problem Statement: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are both major risk factors for CHD. There is limited research regarding the combination of diet and physical activity education for overweight and obese college aged females who are at risk for developing CHD.Background: There are several traditional risk factors for CHD that indicate who is at higher risk for developing CHD. There fore, it is important to determine successful interventions that modify CHD risk in order to decrease CHD incidence. Glucose intolerance, physical activity, and fitness level may be important markers in determining risk for CHD. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) indicates an increased cardiorespiratory fitness and training level and average number of steps taken per day can serve as an indicator of physical activity level. Also, glucose intolerance is specifically linked to an increased risk for diabetes mellitus and CHD. Further research needs to be done to determine the relationship between VO2max, number of steps taken per day, and glucose intolerance in obese and overweight college females.Hypothesis: If fitness level and physical activity are both negatively associated with blood glucose concentrations, then overweight and obese college females with low fitness and physical activity levels will have elevated blood glucose concentrations and will be at increased risk for CHD. Subjects: Thirty four participants were recruited. Eligible participants were apparently healthy females who were not pregnant or lactating, students at the University of Rhode Island between the ages of 18-24, and had a body mass index between 25.0-39.9 kg/m2.Methods: Measurements including body composition (BodPod), waist circumference, blood glucose, dietary intake (1 weekend and 2 weekdays), and VO2max were assessed at baseline and post-intervention (8 weeks). At the last baseline assessment visit, participants were randomized into one of two groups; Self Taught Intervention Group (STIG) and Intensive Intervention Group (IIG). During intervention, IIG participants maintained logs of their number of steps per day as measured by a pedometer, with a goal of increasing their weekly averages by at least 25%. The STIG participants also received pedometers, but were only encouraged to log their average steps on their own.Significance: If it is true that fitness level and physical activity are both negatively associated with blood glucose concentrations, then overweight and obese college females with low fitness and physical activity levels with elevated blood glucose concentrations will be at increased risk for CHD. Therefore, assessing physical activity level and fitness level in overweight and obese college females is important in fully determining CHD risk. Selected References 1. Janowska J, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Olszanecka-Glinianowicz M. (2006). Relationship between serum resistin concentration and proinflammatory cytokines in obese women with impaired and normal glucose intolerance. Metabolism Clinical and Experimental 55 (2006) 1495-1499. 2. Kamijo T, Murakami M. (2009). Regular physical exercise improves physical motor functions and biochemical markers in middle-age and elderly women. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2009, 6, 59-62. 3. Matthews DR, Hosker JP, Rudenski AS, Naylor BA, Treacher DF, Turner R: Homeostatic model assessment: Insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in man. Diabetologia 28 : 412 -419, 1985 4. Rubin D, McMurray R, Harrell J, et. al. (2008). The association between insulin resistance and cytokines in adolescents: the role of weight status and exercise. Metabolism Clinical and Experimental 57 (2008) 683-690. 5. Center for Disease Control (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov 6. American Heart Association (AHA): http://www.heart.org Leah Dorfman Disease Health care http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/155 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/155 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:25:29 PDT The National Institute of Health reports that more than 65 percent of American adults are overweight or obese and that the rate of obesity is steadily on the rise. Being overweight increases the odds of developing many serious health problems. For example, being overweight increases a person's chances of developing heart disease, stroke, certain kinds of cancers, and Type 2 Diabetes. Particularly, the increase in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes has paralleled the increase in the overweight/obesity epidemic in America. With the development of new technology to identify and map genes, more and more diseases are being tied to a genetic marker. Recently, several new genes for Type 2 Diabetes and obesity have been identified. Given the growing number of children and adults developing Type 2 Diabetes, efforts to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors in this population are critical. However it has been difficult to engage this population in any preventative or treatment behaviors. One idea to help motivate people to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors suggests the use of genetic susceptibility tests. Genetic susceptibility tests are indicators of a person's risk for developing a particular disease. It is a form of DNA testing. Genetic susceptibility tests exist that can tell a person if he/she carries a "high- risk" gene for Type 2 Diabetes. This test in not painful; it only requires a swab of the mouth. A person that tests positive for the "high-risk" gene has a higher chance for developing Type 2 diabetes than the average person in the population. However, carrying the "high-risk" gene for Type 2 Diabetes does not mean that a person will definitely become a diabetic later in life. Thus, it is unclear how people would respond to knowing whether or not they carried the high-risk gene and if a positive test result would motivate people to live a healthier lifestyle. In this honors project, a survey was designed to explore the utility of genetic susceptibility tests for Type 2 Diabetes to influence the motivations of college-aged students to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, one question in the survey asks: If you carried the high-risk gene, how interested would you be in changing your eating habits? Also, other questions in the survey are designed to obtain students' opinions and general knowledge about genetic testing and Type 2 Diabetes. This project is still in progress. The survey has not yet officially been administered to a large group of college students; however, hypotheses, survey writing techniques, the relevance/importance of each survey question, and pilot data from informal survey participants are important topics of discussion. Sajel Shah Disease Health care http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/154 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/154 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:12:42 PDT The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that within the next few decades, adults aged 65 and older will represent 20% of the US population. As a result, health professionals will see an increase in the number of older patients they treat and as such, must be knowledgeable about the aging process and age-associated issues in order to provide appropriate treatment. Often, older patients do not receive care that is of comparable quality to that provided to younger adults. This original research project was designed to identify perceived barriers to providing appropriate and high quality treatment to older adults and discover strategies that improve care by conducting one-on-one, qualitative interviews with clinical experts representing seven medical disciplines. Eleven healthcare professionals from the University of Rhode Island specializing in the areas of physical therapy, communicative disorders, nursing, pharmacy, kinesiology, and human development, as well as a geriatrician (MD for older adults) were identified as key informants for this study. Domains related to health care disparities in geriatric care were identified and an open-ended, qualitative survey was developed by the student. There were two objectives for this work: 1) to capture the characteristics of healthcare disparities between younger and older adults and, 2) to show how key informants thought the healthcare system could be improved to meet the healthcare needs of a growing geriatric population. All interviews were tape recorded and lasted between 10 and 60 minutes. The qualitative data were synthesized into common themes. The current gap in the quality of healthcare that older adults receive particularly from primary care physicians was recognized by the key informants, who also identified some disinterest among their current students in working with this population. One way to change the attitudes of undergraduate students could be to increase the opportunities available to work with older adults. Many of those interviewed said that their own interest in providing care to older adults came from having direct, positive experiences with older adults in their own families, having enthusiastic professors and taking exciting courses about aging, and working directly with older adults. These personal experiences have shaped course requirements for URI students, that is, most of those interviewed require their students to complete service learning projects in a variety of settings with older adults. They hoped that these direct experiences would influence students, so that they would come to enjoy older adults' wide range of personalities, wisdom, diversity, and high motivation to be healthy - all qualities identified by the key informants as their favorite aspects of working with older adults. The healthcare system is full of obstacles that prevent older adults from receiving optimal care. Obstacles include the complexity of the system, difficulty understanding insurance reimbursement and benefits, and problems filling out paperwork to be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. Most primary care physicians are not adequately trained to treat older adults, often do not ask the right questions of older adults to get desired responses, and do not work within effective interdisciplinary teams. The key informants in this study suggest advocating for change to improve care which included expanded and focused training of students to increase knowledge and enrich perceptions about aging patients, increasing funding to study the health-related needs of older adults and increase healthcare access, and shifting the standard of care paradigm to one that is interdisciplinary in nature. Megan Coral Health care Public health Social conditions & trends http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/153 http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/153 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:02:57 PDT As environmental awareness and sustainability have become more widely promoted, it has resulted in an increase in the importance of recycling. A consignment store, by definition, is a second-hand store that offers previously owned goods, both used and unused, for a lower price than that of new products. Consignment stores provide consumers with an outlet through which they can recycle items, by selling those that they no longer use and purchasing products that have been previously owned. Along with their environmental benefits, these businesses present creative designers with the chance to sell their original work. My experience working at a consignment store has allowed me to recognize consignment as a valuable business opportunity providing affordable fashion to the community. The University of Rhode Island has allowed me to explore my studies of Marketing and Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, and to combine them with my love for fashion, retail, and general business. This project is my way of integrating my education and my experience working at a consignment store with what I am passionate about.The purpose of this project was to provide URI with a successful student-run organization and business. My project will consist of a written business plan for a Campus Consignment store to be run by and for students and faculty at URI's Kingston campus. A student club, the Campus Consignment Club, will be organized specifically for the store's operations. The goal of this club and of the store is to provide motivated students with an avenue to gain hands-on experience establishing and maintaining all aspects of a successful business. Together, both the Campus Consignment Club and the consignment store would offer the university community an additional opportunity to become more environmentally conscious. I will conduct market research to help me determine and locate the market for the store, to understand the wants and needs of the customer, and to realize the potential of a student organization for this business. My ultimate goal for this project was to explore my interests, to apply my knowledge of business in a way that would allow me to strengthen my skills, and to learn and prepare myself for my future as a potential small business owner through creating a detailed business plan. Krista DeAngelo Environmental policy Management science Marketing