Digital Commons Network^™

Personal Inquiry And Online Research: Connecting Learners In Ways That Matter, Julie Coiro, Jill Castek, David Quinn

College of Education Faculty Publications

This piece introduces a framework for how to envision Personal Digital Inquiry (PDI) in K-8 classrooms. To conceptualize what teaching and learning might look like in these classrooms, important practices are situated along a two-dimensional continuum of digital inquiry that varies in terms of levels of support and purposes of technology use. We then offer several examples of what teaching and learning within a PDI framework can look like; visions that move from teacher directed to student directed inquiry, always informed by purposeful choices about the role that technology plays along the way.

Thank Your Intelligent Mother For Your Big Brain, Holly M. Dunsworth

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Multifaceted Biological Insights From A Draft Genome Sequence Of The Tobacco Hornworm Moth, Manduca Sexta, Michael R. Kanost, Marian R. Goldsmith, Et Al

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Manduca sexta, known as the tobacco hornworm or Carolina sphinx moth, is a lepidopteran insect that is used extensively as a model system for research in insect biochemistry, physiology, neurobiology, development, and immunity. One important benefit of this species as an experimental model is its extremely large size, reaching more than 10 g in the larval stage. M. sexta larvae feed on solanaceous plants and thus must tolerate a substantial challenge from plant allelochemicals, including nicotine. We report the sequence and annotation of the M. sexta genome, and a survey of gene expression in various tissues and developmental stages. …

Pfos Induces Adipogenesis And Glucose Uptake In Association With Activation Of Nrf2 Signaling Pathway, Jialin Xu, Prajakta Shimpi, Laura Armstrong, Deanna Salter, Angela L. Slitt

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

PFOS is a chemical of nearly ubiquitous exposure in humans. Recent studies have associated PFOS exposure to adipose tissue-related effects. The present study was to determine whether PFOS alters the process of adipogenesis and regulates insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in mouse and human preadipocytes. In murine-derived 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, PFOS enhanced hormone-induced differentiation to adipocytes and adipogenic gene expression, increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake at concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 μM, and enhanced Glucose transporter type 4 and Insulin receptor substrate-1 expression. Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 1 and Glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit were significantly induced in 3T3-L1 …

Bisphenol A Sulfonation Is Impaired In Metabolic And Liver Disease, Emine B. Yalcin, Supriya R. Kulkarni, Angela L. Slitt, Roberta King

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used industrial chemical and suspected endocrine disruptor to which humans are ubiquitously exposed. The liver metabolizes and facilitates BPA excretion through glucuronidation and sulfonation. The sulfotransferase enzymes contributing to BPA sulfonation (detected in human and rodents) is poorly understood.

Objectives: To determine the impact of metabolic and liver disease on BPA sulfonation in human and mouse livers.

Methods: The capacity for BPA sulfonation was determined in human liver samples that were categorized into different stages of metabolic and liver disease (including obesity, diabetes, steatosis, and cirrhosis) and in livers from ob/ob mice.

Results: …

Effects Of A Standardized Phenolic-Enriched Maple Syrup Extract On Β-Amyloid Aggregation, Neuroinflammation In Microglial And Neuronal Cells, And Β-Amyloid Induced Neurotoxicity In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hang Ma, Nicholas A. Dasilva, Weixi Liu, Pragati P. Nahar, Zhengxi Wei, Yongqiang Liu, Priscilla T. Pham, Rebecca Crews, Dhiraj A. Vattem, Angela L. Slitt, Zahir A. Shaikh, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Published data supports the neuroprotective effects of several phenolic-containing natural products, including certain fruit, berries, spices, nuts, green tea, and olive oil. However, limited data are available for phenolic-containing plant-derived natural sweeteners including maple syrup. Herein, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of a chemically standardized phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) using a combination of biophysical, in vitro, and in vivo studies. Based on biophysical data (Thioflavin T assay, transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential), MSX reduced amyloid β₁₋₄₂ peptide (Aβ₁₋₄₂) fibrillation in a concentration-dependent manner (50–500 μg/mL) with similar effects as the …

Thyrotropin Receptor Epitope And Human Leukocyte Antigen In Graves’ Disease, Hidefumi Inaba, Leslie J. De Groot, Takashi Akamizu

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Graves’ disease (GD) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease, and thyrotropin (TSH) receptor (TSHR) is a major autoantigen in this condition. Since the extracellular domain of human TSHR (TSHR-ECD) is shed into the circulation, TSHR-ECD is a preferentially immunogenic portion of TSHR. Both genetic factors and environmental factors contribute to development of GD. Inheritance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, especially HLA-DR3, is associated with GD. TSHR-ECD protein is endocytosed into antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and processed to TSHR-ECD peptides. These peptide epitopes bind to HLA-class II molecules, and subsequently the complex of HLA-class II and TSHR-ECD epitope is presented to CD4+ …

The Simple Chordate Ciona Intestinalis Has A Reduced Complement Of Genes Associated With Fanconi Anemia, Edward C. Stanley, Paul A. Azzinaro, David A. Vierra, Niall G. Howlett, Steven Q. Irvine

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a human genetic disease characterized by congenital defects, bone marrow failure, and increased cancer risk. FA is associated with mutation in one of 24 genes. The protein products of these genes function cooperatively in the FA pathway to orchestrate the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Few model organisms exist for the study of FA. Seeking a model organism with a simpler version of the FA pathway, we searched the genome of the simple chordate Ciona intestinalis for homologs of the human FA-associated proteins. BLAST searches, sequence alignments, hydropathy comparisons, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, and structural modeling …

Review Of Harvell, Drew. A Sea Of Glass : Searching For The Blaschkas’ Fragile Legacy In An Ocean At Risk, Judith B. Barnett

Technical Services Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

University Manual 2015-2016, Uri Faculty Senate

University Manual Archive

No abstract provided.

Anti-Tumor Effects Of Second Generation Β-Hydroxylase Inhibitors On Cholangiocarcinoma Development And Progression, Chiung-Kuei Huang, Yoshifumi Iwagami, Arihiro Aihara, Waihong Chung, Suzanne De La Monte, John-Michael Thomas, Mark Olsen, Rolf Carlson, Tunan Yu, Xiaoqun Dong, Jack Wands

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has a poor prognosis due to widespread intrahepatic spread. Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is a transmembrane protein and catalyzes the hydroxylation of aspartyl and asparaginyl residues in calcium binding epidermal growth factor (cbEGF)-like domains of various proteins, including Notch receptors and ligands. ASPH is highly overexpressed (>95%) in human CCA tumors. We explored the molecular mechanisms by which ASPH mediated the CCA malignant phenotype and evaluated the potential of ASPH as a therapeutic target for CCA. The importance of expression and enzymatic activity of ASPH for CCA growth and progression was examined using shRNA “knockdown” and a mutant …

Glucitol-Core Containing Gallotannins Inhibit The Formation Of Advanced Glycation End-Products Mediated By Their Antioxidant Potential, Hang Ma, Weixi Liu, Leslie Frost, Louis J. Kirschenbaum, Joel A. Dain, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Glucitol-core containing gallotannins (GCGs) are polyphenols containing galloyl groups attached to a 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol core, which is uncommon among naturally occurring plant gallotannins. GCGs have only been isolated from maple (Acer) species, including the red maple (Acer rubrum), a medicinal plant which along with the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), are the major sources of the natural sweetener, maple syrup. GCGs are reported to show antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory, and antidiabetic effects, but their antiglycating potential is unknown. Herein, the inhibitory effects of five GCGs (containing 1–4 galloyls) on the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) were …

N-Acyl Dehydrotyrosines, Typrosinase Inhibitors From The Marine Bacteriu, Thalasssotalea Sp. Pp2-459, Robert W. Deering, Jianwei Chen, Jiadong Sun, Hang Ma, Javier Dubert, Juan L. Barja, Navindra P. Seeram, Hong Wang, David C. Rowley

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Thalassotalic acids A–C and thalassotalamides A and B are new N-acyl dehydrotyrosine derivatives produced by Thalassotalea sp. PP2-459, a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from a marine bivalve aquaculture facility. The structures were elucidated via a combination of spectroscopic analyses emphasizing two-dimensional NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometric data. Thalassotalic acid A (1) displays in vitro inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase with an IC₅₀ value (130 μM) that compares favorably to the commercially used control compounds kojic acid (46 μM) and arbutin (100 μM). These are the first natural products reported from a bacterium belonging to the genus Thalassotalea …

Review Of Wilkinson, Matt. Restless Creatures: The Story Of Life In Ten Movements, Judith B. Barnett

Technical Services Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparative Use Of A Caribbean Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem And Association With Fish Spawning Aggregations By Three Species Of Shark, Alexandria E. Pickard, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Richard S. Nemeth, Jeremiah B. Blondeau, Elizabeth A. Kadison, Mahmood S. Shivji

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding of species interactions within mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; ~ 30–150 m) lags well behind that for shallow coral reefs. MCEs are often sites of fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) for a variety of species, including many groupers. Such reproductive fish aggregations represent temporal concentrations of potential prey that may be drivers of habitat use by predatory species, including sharks. We investigated movements of three species of sharks within a MCE and in relation to FSAs located on the shelf edge south of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Movements of 17 tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), seven lemon (Negaprion …

Comparative Structural And Computational Analysis Supports Eighteen Cellulose Synthases In The Plant Cellulose Synthesis Complex, B. Tracey Nixon, Katayoun Mansouri, Abhishek Singh, Juan Du, Jonathan K. Davis, Jung-Goo Lee, Erin Slabaugh, Venu Gopal Vandavasi, Hugh O'Neill, Eric M. Roberts, Alison W. Roberts, Yaroslava G. Yingling, Candace H. Haigler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A six-lobed membrane spanning cellulose synthesis complex (CSC) containing multiple cellulose synthase (CESA) glycosyltransferases mediates cellulose microfibril formation. The number of CESAs in the CSC has been debated for decades in light of changing estimates of the diameter of the smallest microfibril formed from the β-1,4 glucan chains synthesized by one CSC. We obtained more direct evidence through generating improved transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and image averages of the rosette-type CSC, revealing the frequent triangularity and average cross-sectional area in the plasma membrane of its individual lobes. Trimeric oligomers of two alternative CESA computational models corresponded well with individual …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Ecosystem Services Of The Wami River And Estuary, Catherine G. Mcnally, Arthur J. Gold, Richard B. Pollnac, Halima R. Kiwango

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Management of riverine and coastal ecosystems warrants enhanced understanding of how different stakeholders perceive and depend upon different kinds of ecosystem services. Employing a mixed methods approach, this study compares and contrasts the use and perceptions of upstream residents, downstream residents, tourism officials, and conservation organizations regarding the value of 30 ecosystem services provided by the Wami River and its estuary in Tanzania, and investigates their perceptions of the main threats to this system. Our findings reveal that all of the stakeholder groups place a high value on the provision of domestic water, habitat for wild plants and animals, tourism, …

A New Heroic Figure: Female Protestors And Precarity In Puerto Rico, Guillermo Rebollo Gil

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This paper offers a critical look on an isolated, failed incident of protest carried out by a young Puerto Rican woman and her two children. In doing so, it explores the possibilities of radical political thought and action on the island. Furthermore, by situating this event within the larger context of danger—physical, social and discursive—that women in Puerto Rico are subjected to, it seeks to question the manner in which female protestors’ vulnerability and agency challenge those on the left to formulate gender-progressive strategies for emancipation. Lastly, it is argued here that this protestor features as new type of radical …

Zhong(Centrality), Self-Competence, And Social/Communication Competence: A Chinese Perspective, Guo-Ming Chen

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

The discourse of zhong (centrality) has dominated the study of Chinese philosophy for more than 2000 years. Zhong, dictating the interplay of yin and yang motivated by chi, is the foundation of the paradigmatic assumptions of Chinese culture. In order to regulate the motion of chi to reach the holistic state of equilibrium, shou zhong (nurturing zhong) is considered to be not only the most effective way of cultivating self-competence, but also the key to the success of social interaction in Chinese society. This paper attempts to delineate the nature of zhong and further applies it to demystify …

Aboard Gso: A Newsletter For Alumni And Friends Of The University Of Rhode Island’S Graduate School Of Oceanography For Fall 2016, Uri Graduate School Of Oceanography

Graduate School of Oceanography Publications

The Fall 2016 (Special Issue) issue of Aboard GSO: A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, a periodical about GSO events, faculty research and essays by alumni.

Graduate School Of Oceanography Annual Report For Fy2016, Uri Graduate School Of Oceanography

Graduate School of Oceanography Publications

Annual report for the Graduate School Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island for the 2016 fiscal year.

Includes research projects by faculty and students, biographies of new faculty, events on the Bay campus and program development and list of donors

Ampicillin In Combination With Ceftaroline, Cefepime, Or Ceftriaxone Demonstrates Equivalent Activities In A High-Inoculum Enterococcus Faecalis Infection Model, Megan K. Luther, B. Rice, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Ampicillin-ceftriaxone combination therapy has become a predominant treatment for serious Enterococcus faecalis infections, such as endocarditis. Unfortunately, ceftriaxone use is associated with future vancomycin-resistant enterococcus colonization. We evaluated E. faecalis in an in vitro pharmacodynamic model against simulated human concentration-time profiles of ampicillin plus ceftaroline, cefepime, ceftriaxone, or gentamicin. Ampicillin-cefepime and ampicillin-ceftaroline demonstrated activities similar to those of ampicillin-ceftriaxone against E. faecalis.

Ph-Sensitive Phlip® Coated Niosomes, Mohan C. Pereira, Monica Pianella, Da Wei, Anna Moshnikova, Carlotta Marianecci, Maria Carafa, Oleg A. Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak

Physics Faculty Publications

Nanomedicine is becoming very popular over conventional methods due to the ability to tune physico-chemical properties of nanovectors, which are used for encapsulation of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. However, the success of nanomedicine primarily relies on how specifically and efficiently nanocarriers can target pathological sites to minimize undesirable side effects and enhance therapeutic efficacy. Here, we introduce a novel class of targeted nano drug delivery system, which can be used as an effective nano-theranostic for cancer. We formulated pH-sensitive niosomes (80–90 nm in diameter) using non-ionic surfactants Span20 (43–45 mol%), cholesterol (50 mol%) and 5 mol% of pH (Low) Insertion …

Novel Ph-Sensitive Cyclic Peptides, Dhammika Weerakkody, Anna Moshnikova, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Ramona-Cosmina Adochite, Gregory Slaybaugh, Jovana Golijanin, Rakesh K. Tiwari, Oleg A. Andreev, Keykavous Parang, Yana Reshetnyak

Physics Faculty Publications

A series of cyclic peptides containing a number of tryptophan (W) and glutamic acid (E) residues were synthesized and evaluated as pH-sensitive agents for targeting of acidic tissue and pH-dependent cytoplasmic delivery of molecules. Biophysical studies revealed the molecular mechanism of peptides action and localization within the lipid bilayer of the membrane at high and low pHs. The symmetric, c[(WE)₄WC], and asymmetric, c[E₄W₅C], cyclic peptides translocated amanitin, a polar cargo molecule of similar size, across the lipid bilayer and induced cell death in a pH- and concentration-dependent manner. Fluorescently-labelled peptides were evaluated for targeting …

Probe For The Measurement Of Cell Surface Ph In Vivo And Ex Vivo, Michael Anderson, Anna Moshnikova, Donald M. Engelman, Yana K. Reshetnyak, Oleg A. Andreev

Physics Faculty Publications

We have developed a way to measure cell surface pH by positioning a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, seminaphtharhodafluor (SNARF), conjugated to the pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP). It has been observed that many diseased tissues are acidic and that tumors are especially so. A combination of effects acidifies tumor cell interiors, and cells pump out lactic acid and protons to maintain intracellular pH, acidifying the extracellular space. Overexpression of carbonic anhydrases on cell surfaces further contributes to acidification. Thus, the pH near tumor cell surfaces is expected to be low and to increase with distance from the membrane, so bulk pH …

Pet Imaging Of Extracellular Ph In Tumors With 64Cu- And 18F-Labeled Phlip Peptides: A Structure–Activity Optimization Study, Dustin Wayne Demoin, Linden C. Wyatt, Kimberly J. Edwards, Dalya Abdel-Atti, Mirkka Sarparanta, Jacob Pourat, Valerie A. Longo, Sean D. Carlin, Donald M. Engelman, Oleg A. Andreev, Yana K. Reshetnyak, Nerissa Viola-Villegas, Jason S. Lewis

Physics Faculty Publications

pH (low) insertion peptides (pHLIP peptides) target acidic extracellular environments in vivo due to pH-dependent cellular membrane insertion. Two variants (Var3 and Var7) and wild-type (WT) pHLIP peptides have shown promise for in vivo imaging of breast cancer. Two positron emitting radionuclides (⁶⁴Cu and ¹⁸F) were used to label the NOTA- and NO2A-derivatized Var3, Var7, and WT peptides for in vivo biodistribution studies in 4T1 orthotopic tumor-bearing BALB/c mice. All of the constructs were radiolabeled with ⁶⁴Cu or [¹⁸F]-AlF in good yield. The in vivo biodistribution of the 12 constructs in 4T1 orthotopic allografted …

Mirna-378 Reverses Chemoresistance To Cisplatin In Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells By Targeting Secreted Clusterin, Xuesong Chen, Ying Jiang, Zheping Huang, Dandan Li, Xiaodi Chen, Mengru Cao, Qingwei Meng, Hui Pang, Lichun Sun, Yanbin Zhao, Li Cai

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Cisplatin resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of NSCLC, and its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The objectives of the study were to determine the role of miR-378 in the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin (cDDP) and its working mechanism. With TargetScan and luciferase assay, miR-378 was found to directly target sCLU. miR-378 and sCLU were regulated in A549/cDDP and Anip973/cDDP cells to investigate the effect of miR-378 on the sensitivity and apoptotic effects of cDDP. The effect of miR-378 upregulation on tumor growth was analyzed in a nude mouse xenograft model. The correlation between …

Remix As Professional Learning: Educators' Iterative Literacy Practice In Clmooc, Anna Smith, Stephanie West-Puckett, Christina Cantrill, Mia Zamora

Professional and Public Writing Faculty Publications

The Connected Learning Massive Open Online Collaboration (CLMOOC) is an online professional development experience designed as an openly networked, production-centered, participatory learning collaboration for educators. Addressing the paucity of research that investigates learning processes in MOOC experiences, this paper examines the situated literacy practices that emerged as educators in CLMOOC composed, collaborated, and distributed multimediated artifacts. Using a collaborative, interactive visual mapping tool as participant-researchers, we analyzed relationships between publically available artifacts and posts generated in one week through a transliteracies framework. Culled data included posts on Twitter (n = 678), a Google+ Community (n = 105), a …

“Strong Women Make Strong Nations”: Women, Literature, And Sovereignty In Paula Gunn Allen And Virginia Woolf, Kristin Czarnecki

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This essay places Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas alongside Paula Gunn Allen’s The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions. Reading these landmark texts together helps establish a transnational dialogue essential to twenty-first-century literary and feminist studies. A Room of One’s Own and The Sacred Hoop resonate with each other in striving to recuperate women’s history and literature, long denied or suppressed by patriarchal tenets and texts. A fruitful dialogic also emerges between Three Guineas and The Sacred Hoop, both of which argue for the eradication of patriarchy in favor of female-centric social …

Development Of Three-Dimensional Lung Multicellular Spheroids In Air- And Liquid-Interface Culture For The Evaluation Of Anticancer Therapeutics, Samantha A. Meenach, Alexandran N. Tsoras, Ronald C. Mcgarry, Heidi M. Mansour, J. Zach Hilt, Kimberly W. Anderson

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Three-dimensional (3D) lung multicellular spheroids (MCS) in liquid-covered culture (LCC) and air-interface culture (AIC) conditions have both been developed for the evaluation of aerosol anticancer therapeutics in solution and aerosols, respectively. The MCS were formed by seeding lung cancer cells on top of collagen where they formed spheroids due to the prevalence of cell-to-cell interactions. LCC MCS were exposed to paclitaxel (PTX) in media whereas AIC MCS were exposed to dry powder PEGylated phospholipid aerosol microparticles containing paclitaxel. The difference in viability for 2D versus 3D culture for both LCC and AIC was evaluated along with the effects of the …