Digital Commons Network^™

Controlling Marine Debris: An Exploration Of The Responsible Behavior Of Recreational Users In Rhode Island, Sarina Lyon

Open Access Master's Theses

Like many other coastal communities, people are attracted to Rhode Island’s waters for the range of recreational activities available among the diverse marine habitats. This large influx of people to coastal areas leads to increased threats to the marine environment. One prominent issue is the presence of debris in the ocean, which is predominantly a result of land-based sources such as runoff or trash left by coastal visitors. Among the debris items in the ocean, plastic is the most persistent due to its chemical composition. For this reason and the difficulty in cleaning up the waste, marine debris is a …

Cogenerative Dialogue's Communicative Effectiveness In Higher Education Entry-Level College Courses, Rachel Smith

Open Access Master's Theses

Cogenerative dialogue is defined as a form of structured discourse in which teachers and students engage in a collaborative effort to help identify and implement positive changes in a classroom’s teaching and learning practices (Martin, 2006, p. 694). For this thesis, cogenerative dialogue will be posited as the pedagogical practice that encourages instructors and students to share the responsibility in an active learning environment, thereby granting students in entry-level higher education courses a voice in their education. Analyzing the research data on cogenerative dialogue primarily in K-12 classrooms where significant research has been compiled, as well as focusing on texts …

Growth, Grazing And Starvation Survival In Three Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Species, Sean Anderson

Open Access Master's Theses

We measured growth and grazing rates of three heterotrophic dinoflagellate species Oxyrrhis marina, Gyrodinium dominans and G. spirale exposed to starved versus continuously-fed prey conditions and assessed their starvation survival ability. All three dinoflagellate species survived long periods (>10 days) without prey, up to 118 days in the case of O. marina. After 1-3 weeks, starvation led to a 17-57% decrease in grazer cell volume and cells became more deformed and transparent over time. Starved grazers rapidly ingested new prey within 3 hours as evidenced by increased cell volumes of 4-17%. Grazer cultures that were starved had …

Situating Genre On Youtube: We Rant, We Laugh, We Conquer?, Emma Gabriele

Open Access Master's Theses

This body of research seeks to understand iterations of ranting manifest via YouTube video blogs through a rhetorical lens. I employ comparative theory to develop a description of the rant as a recurring typology, equipped with excremental metaphors inspired by Burke’s concept of catharsis. I then differentiate YouTube vlog ranting from ‘live’ ranting by applying Carolyn Miller’s theory of genre as social action. Using Miller’s paradigm, I turn to contemporary research in media studies and humor communication, in order to develop a methodology equipped to analyze YouTube vlog rants as generic texts. I contend that the meaning constructed in YouTube …

Dynamic Analysis Of Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom Systems Using A Pole-Residue Method, Kevin A. Goodell

Open Access Master's Theses

This dissertation is concerned with the development of a robust pole-residue method for the dynamic analysis of multiple-degree-of-freedom structures. The utilization of this new pole-residue method requires additional analysis and a determination of its effectiveness in calculating a structure's response to an external excitation. The components of the computational framework are a deterministic model of the dynamic loading and a well defined structure. The finite element method will be used to describe the system, simplify the problem, and develop the mathematical expressions to describe the system's behavior. A commercial finite element software program was used to verify the natural frequencies …

Bile Acids And Premature Labor In Intrahepatic Cholestasis Of Pregnancy, Sangmin You

Open Access Master's Theses

The association between serum bile acid levels and preterm birth has been reported. Clinical studies have shown that significant increase of serum bile acids during intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is associated with higher rate of preterm birth. However, the role of bile acids in preterm birth has not been established. In this study, we found that preterm birth was induced in mice by increasing plasma bile acids with cholic acid (CA) or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment. CCl4 treatment increased plasma bile acids by causing acute liver injury which down-regulated bile salt export pump (BSEP) in the liver. The data …

Effect Of Disease State On Human Carboxylesterase 1 Expression And Activity, Abdullah Aljutayli

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Human carboxylesterase 1, CES1, is a phase I drug metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of about 20% of therapeutic agents. Factors, such as metabolic syndrome, ethnicity, gender and genetic polymorphism can influence the activity and/or the expression of drug metabolizing enzymes. Consequently, these factors can affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs leading to toxicity or therapeutic failure.

Objective: The objective of our study is to investigate the possible influence of ethnicity, gender, age, genetic polymorphism, metabolic syndrome or fatty liver on CES1 gene expression and activity.

Methods: Expression of CES1 hepatic mRNA was measured in 89 …

Modeling Tsunamis For Improved Hazard Assessment And Detection, Michael R. Shelby

Open Access Master's Theses

This body of work uses state of the art numerical models to assess and reduce tsunami hazard. The first manuscript describes the use of these models to explore nonlinear interaction between tide and tsunami in the context of hazard assessment. Inundation due to several probable maximum tsunamis (PMTs) is considered in the Hudson River Estuary (HRE). Of the sources considered, a submarine mass failure (SMF) poses the most significant tsunami threat in this region and across the entire US East Coast. The next manuscript focuses on the how SMF mechanics effect tsunami generation. In addition to inundation, SMF tsunamis are …

Immunohistochemical Localization Of Rf-Amide And Gabaa Receptors In The Hypostome And Tentacles Of Hydra Vulgaris, Jessica Eason

Open Access Master's Theses

This study examined the distribution and localization of the neuropeptide arginine phenylalanine-amide (RF-amide) and GABA_A receptors in the hypostomal and tentacular nerve net of the cnidarian polyp Hydra vulgaris. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to visualize two distinct anti-GABAA α-1 subunit positivereceptor ring structures, nerve cell bodies, neurites and epithelial cells, as well as an anti-RF-amide positive nerve ring, nerve cell bodies and neurites throughout the ectoderm of the hypostome and tentacles of ablated hypostomes. One proximal anti- GABA_A positive-receptor ring, exclusively labeling ectodermal effector cells, coinciding with an anti-α-tubulin- positive proximal nerve ring labeling nerve fibers is …

Evaluating The Effect Of Minimal Risk Natural Products For Control Of The Tick, Ixodes Scapularis, Megan C. Dyer

Open Access Master's Theses

I evaluated the knock-down and residual activity of eleven minimal risk natural products (MRNP) against host-seeking nymphal stage blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) using a novel micro-plot product screening system in a landscape setting similar to a wooded residential property. The micro-plot system reduced variability between testing sites typically seen in larger field trials and provided the opportunity to compare results of studies conducted under the same environmental conditions, saving both time and money by confining product application and tick sampling to a 0.3 m diameter arena. By seeding the arenas with a known number of laboratory-raised blacklegged tick …

Fifteen Years Of Rhode Island Oyster Restoration: A Performance Evaluation And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Matthew Griffin

Open Access Master's Theses

Federal, state and local non-profit organizations have long recognized the ecological and socioeconomic importance the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, represents to coastal communities. Shellfish restoration programs in Rhode Island date to the early 1900s and have been making considerable progress and gaining popularity in the past decade. To better understand both short and long term performance of oyster restoration in Rhode Island a compilation of all oyster restoration activities from 2000 to 2015 was undertaken. Restoration performance was assessed by comparisons of growth, survival, disease and recruitment over eleven years in two distinct programs; Roger Williams University’s Oyster Gardening for …

Exquisite Clutter: Material Culture And The Scottish Reinvention Of The Adventure Narrative, Rebekah C. Greene

Open Access Dissertations

Exquisite Clutter examines the depiction of material culture in adventures written by Scottish authors Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, and John Buchan. Throughout, these three authors use depictions of material culture in the adventure novel to begin formulating a critique about the danger of becoming overly comfortable in a culture where commodities are widely available. In these works, objects are a way to examine the complexities of character and to more closely scrutinize a host of personal anxieties about contact with others, changing societal roles, and one’s own place in the world. Considering two of the most important contributions …

Detection Of Poly- And Perfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfass) In U.S. Drinking Water Linked To Industrial Sites, Military Fire Training Areas, And Wastewater Treatment Plants, Xindi C. Hu, David Q. Andrews, Andrew B. Lindstrom, Thomas A. Bruton, Laurel A. Schaider, Philippe Grandjean, Rainer Lohmann, Courtney C. Carignan, Arlene Blum, Simona A. Balan, Christopher P. Higgins, Elise M. Sunderland

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Drinking water contamination with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) poses risks to the developmental, immune, metabolic, and endocrine health of consumers. We present a spatial analysis of 2013–2015 national drinking water PFAS concentrations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) program. The number of industrial sites that manufacture or use these compounds, the number of military fire training areas, and the number of wastewater treatment plants are all significant predictors of PFAS detection frequencies and concentrations in public water supplies. Among samples with detectable PFAS levels, each additional military site within a watershed’s …

A Vulnerability Assessment Of Fish And Invertebrates To Climate Change On The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf, Jonathan A. Hare, Wendy E. Morrison, Mark W. Nelson, Megan M. Stachura, Eric J. Teeters, Roger B. Griffs, Michael A. Alexander, James D. Scott, Larry Alade, Richard J. Bell, Antonie S. Chute, Kiersten L. Curti, Tobey H. Curtis, Daniel Kircheis, John F. Kocik, Sean M. Lucey, Camilla T. Mccandless, Lisa M. Milke, David E. Richardson, Eric Robillard, Harvey J. Walsh, M. Connor Mcmanus, Katrin E. Marancik, Carolyn A. Grisworld

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Climate change and decadal variability are impacting marine fish and invertebrate species worldwide and these impacts will continue for the foreseeable future. Quantitative approaches have been developed to examine climate impacts on productivity, abundance, and distribution of various marine fish and invertebrate species. However, it is difficult to apply these approaches to large numbers of species owing to the lack of mechanistic understanding sufficient for quantitative analyses, as well as the lack of scientific infrastructure to support these more detailed studies. Vulnerability assessments provide a framework for evaluating climate impacts over a broad range of species with existing information. These …

Traits Controlling Body Size In Copepods: Separating General Constraints From Species-Specific Strategies, Neil S. Banas, Robert G. Campbell

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

A new synthesis of laboratory measurements of food-saturated development and growth across diverse copepod taxa was conducted in a theoretical framework that distinguishes general allometric constraints on copepod physiology from contingent strategies that correlate with size for other reasons. After temperature correction, the allometry of growth rate is inconsistent between the ontogeny of Calanus spp., where it follows the classic -0.3 power-law scaling, and a broader spectrum of adult size W_a (0.3 to 2000 µg C, Oithona spp. to Neocalanus spp.), across which the classic scaling appears to represent only an upper limit. Over the full size spectrum, after …

Estimating The Sustainability Of Towed Fishing-Gear Impacts On Seabed Habitats: A Simple Quantitative Risk Assessment Method Applicable To Data-Limited Fisheries, C. Roland Pitcher, Nick Ellis, Simon Jennings, Jan G. Hiddink, Tessa Mazor, Michel J. Kaiser, Mervi I. Kangas, Robert A. Mcconnaughey, Ana M. Parma, Adriaan D. Rijnsdorp, Petri Suuronen, Jeremy S. Collie, Ricardo Amoroso, Kathryn M. Hughes, Ray Hilborn

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Summary

1. Impacts of bottom fishing, particularly trawling and dredging, on seabed (benthic) habitats are commonly perceived to pose serious environmental risks. Quantitative ecological risk assessment can be used to evaluate actual risks and to help guide the choice of management measures needed to meet sustainability objectives.
2. We develop and apply a quantitative method for assessing the risks to benthic habitats by towed bottom-fishing gears. The method is based on a simple equation for relative benthic status (RBS), derived by solving the logistic population growth equation for the equilibrium state. Estimating RBS requires only maps of fishing intensity and …

Ecological Effects Of Nutrient Enrichment On A Coastal Fringe Mangrove Forest, Brita Juliet Jessen

Open Access Dissertations

Mangrove ecosystems are highly productive coastal wetlands that connect tropical terrestrial and marine systems. Increasing human populations and land use changes are enhancing nutrient loading to tropical coastlines, potentially leading to eutrophic conditions for marine systems. The carbon (C) cycle is critical for mangrove forest structure, function, and resilience under environmental change. Increasing trends of nutrient enrichment in tropical coastal waters may have an effect on organic C mineralization by alleviating nutrient limitation of the heterotrophic microbial community, which may lead to a loss of within-stand carbon sequestration. To better understand and predict the consequences of increased nutrient input, a …

Soft Robotic Grippers For Biological Sampling On Deep Reefs, Kevin C. Galloway, Kaitlyn P. Becker, Brennan Phillips, Jordan Kirby, Stephen Licht, Dan Tchernov, Robert J. Wood, David F. Gruber

Ocean Engineering Faculty Publications

This article presents the development of an underwater gripper that utilizes soft robotics technology to delicately manipulate and sample fragile species on the deep reef. Existing solutions for deep sea robotic manipulation have historically been driven by the oil industry, resulting in destructive interactions with undersea life. Soft material robotics relies on compliant materials that are inherently impedance matched to natural environments and to soft or fragile organisms. We demonstrate design principles for soft robot end effectors, bench-top characterization of their grasping performance, and conclude by describing in situ testing at mesophotic depths. The result is the first use of …

Sequential Release Of Nanoparticle Payloads From Ultrasonically Burstable Capsules, Stephen Kennedy, Jennifer Hu, Cathal Kearney, Hadas Skaat, Luo Gu, Marco Gentili, Herman Vandenburgh, David Mooney

Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

In many biomedical contexts ranging from chemotherapy to tissue engineering, it is beneficial to sequentially present bioactive payloads. Explicit control over the timing and dose of these presentations is highly desirable. Here, we present a capsule-based delivery system capable of rapidly releasing multiple payloads in response to ultrasonic signals. In vitro, these alginate capsules exhibited excellent payload retention for up to 1 week when unstimulated and delivered their entire payloads when ultrasonically stimulated for 10–100 s. Shorter exposures (10 s) were required to trigger delivery from capsules embedded in hydrogels placed in a tissue model and did not result in …

Analysis Of Force Production By A Biologically Inspired Underwater Flapping Foil Near Solid Boundaries In Three Dimensional Flow, Dane Elles

Open Access Master's Theses

Force production from an underwater flapping foil near a solid boundary was experimentally studied in order to characterize the three dimensional flow effects. The experimental apparatus consisted of a dual canister system that actuated a harmonic oscillation of a NACA 0012 rectangular planform foil in pitch and roll. The flapping foil was towed at constant velocity through water in a tow tank in both a freestream and near boundary condition while forces and torques were measured by a six axis dynamometer. Experimental tests showed that for the chosen kinematic conditions and foil geometry, average maximum instantaneous lift forces increased 16-29% …

Technical And Management Aspects And Socio-Cultural Perceptions Of Sea Turtle Bycatch In Ecuador, Nikita Gaibor

Open Access Dissertations

Due to the technological improvements of the last two decades, it is possible for innovations to follow each other rapidly. However, not all innovations are useful ones, and a lot of producers often do not know how to market their new products. Diffusion theory, started by Gabriel Tarde (1903), first proposed the S-shaped diffusion curve. After this research few investigations followed until 1943. In this year Bryce Ryan and Neal Gross published their study about innovation diffusion. This led to an enormous overflow of publications. Later, Rogers (2003) contributed additional research and many others followed him.

When an individual or …

Correlating Behavior With Non-Invasive Physiological Measures To Evaluate Mating Strategies In Belugas, Justin Thomas Richard

Open Access Dissertations

With conservation and ethical concerns facing cetaceans, minimally invasive research on reproduction is important for population management. Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) are endangered in parts of their range, yet little is known about their breeding behavior and much of the existing research depends on post-mortem sampling. To date, there have been no directed studies of social interactions between belugas during the breeding season, and few studies have attempted to correlate reproductive physiology with behavior in any species of cetacean. Improved understanding of reproductive strategies in this species would facilitate management. This work describes the development of minimally invasive methods …

Kindergarten Story Retell: Considering The Influence Of Vocabulary On Quality Of Production, Sarah Hardy

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine kindergarten student performance on a story retell task across at-risk and typically achieving groups (Intervention, Control, Reference) and language status (English-only, English-language learners). Additionally, the current study examined the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and the quality of production on a Story Retell task. Kindergarten students (n = 540) from twenty-two schools across Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Oregon completed a vocabulary program approximately 20 weeks in duration, including an additional vocabulary intervention for students in the Intervention group. Each student was assessed on vocabulary knowledge measures before and after completion of the …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Tumor Targeting Of Novel Ph Sensitive Nanoparticles, Jennifer L. Daniels

Open Access Dissertations

When particles approach a nanoscale size, they exhibit novel properties not seen in their bulk counterparts. Therefore, nanoparticles are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer as imaging, delivery, and therapeutic agents. However, the main challenge is to obtain stable, biocompatible, and tumor-targeting nanomaterials so that they preferentially accumulate in cancerous tissue.

Many contemporary therapeutic and imaging approaches to cancer treatment are based on specific tumor-targeting biomarkers such as antibody or vitamin binding. Although there are significant successes, the inter- and intra-heterogeneity of tumors, their complexity, and their ability to adapt to new conditions often create parts of …

Investigations On Biologically Active Carbohydrates From Natural Sources, Jiadong Sun

Open Access Dissertations

Complex carbohydrates exist in almost all species of plants, animals and microorganisms. Because of their physiochemical properties, they have been traditionally applied as emulsifiers and stabilizers in food, cosmetics, textiles and as pharmaceutical ingredients. Complex carbohydrates generally exist as a layer of thick, sequential, hydrous polymers consisting of monosaccharides and non-carbohydrate substituents such as acetate, pyruvate, and phosphate. While complex carbohydrates are generally believed to serve as structural support or energy sources for the producing organisms, their potential biomedical properties have been less investigated. Our understanding of the biological activities of complex carbohydrates is further complicated since most have been …

In Vivo Validation Of Predicted And Conserved T Cell Epitopes In A Swine Influenza Model, Andres H. Gutiérrez, Crystal Loving, Leonard Moise, Frances E. Terry, Susan L. Brockmeier, Holly R. Hughes, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Swine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory viral infection in pigs that is responsible for significant financial losses to pig farmers annually. Current measures to protect herds from infection include: inactivated whole-virus vaccines, subunit vaccines, and alpha replicon-based vaccines. As is true for influenza vaccines for humans, these strategies do not provide broad protection against the diverse strains of influenza A virus (IAV) currently circulating in U.S. swine. Improved approaches to developing swine influenza vaccines are needed. Here, we used immunoinformatics tools to identify class I and II T cell epitopes highly conserved in seven representative strains of IAV in …

The Fishery And Ecology Of Cittarium Pica In The West Indies, Reuban James-Allen Macfarlan

Open Access Dissertations

Cittarium pica, the West Indian Top Shell or “whelk,” is an understudied but culturally and ecologically important intertidal gastropod in the Caribbean. The species faces overexploitation and possible extirpation in much of its range due to a confluence of factors including life-history traits, a diffuse artisanal fishery, and lack of basic scientific knowledge. The undocumented, unregulated, and unreported nature of artisanal and small-scale commercial harvesting of this species renders its study quite different from that of other more recognizable species such as conch or spiny lobster. Here I have compiled four manuscripts that address specific questions related to the …

Diet Of The Endangered Big-Headed Turtle Platysternon Megacephalum, Yik-Hei Sung, Billy C.H. Hau, Nancy E. Karraker

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Populations of the big-headed turtle Platysternon megacephalum are declining at unprecedented rates across most of its distribution in Southeast Asia owing to unsustainable harvest for pet, food, and Chinese medicine markets. Research on Asian freshwater turtles becomes more challenging as populations decline and basic ecological information is needed to inform conservation efforts. We examined fecal samples collected from P. megacephalum in five streams in Hong Kong to quantify the diet, and we compared the germination success of ingested and uningested seeds. Fruits, primarily of Machilus spp., were most frequently consumed, followed by insects, plant matter, crabs and mollusks. The niche …

Dietary Antioxidants And Flight Exercise In Female Birds Affect Allocation Of Nutrients To Eggs: How Carry-Over Effects Work, Megan M. Skrip, Navindra P. Seeram, Tao Yuan, Hang Ma, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Physiological challenges during one part of the annual cycle can carry over and affect performance at a subsequent phase, and antioxidants could be one mediator of trade-offs between phases. We performed a controlled experiment with zebra finches to examine how songbirds use nutrition to manage trade-offs in antioxidant allocation between endurance flight and subsequent reproduction. Our treatment groups included (1) a non-supplemented, non-exercised group (control group) fed a standard diet with no exercise beyond that experienced during normal activity in an aviary; (2) a supplemented non-exercised group fed a water- and lipid-soluble antioxidant-supplemented diet with no exercise; (3) a non-supplemented …

Evolutionary Dynamics Of Tree Invasions: Complementing The Unified Framework For Biological Invasions, Rafael D. Zenni, Ian A. Dickie, Michael J. Wingfield, Heidi Hirsch, Casparus J. Crous, Laura A. Meyerson, Treena I. Burgess, Thalita G. Zimmermann, Metha M. Klock, Evan Siemann, Alexandra Erfmeier, Roxana Aragon, Lia Montti, Johannes J. Le Roux

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Evolutionary processes greatly impact the outcomes of biological invasions. An extensive body of research suggests that invasive populations often undergo phenotypic and ecological divergence from their native sources. Evolution also operates at different and distinct stages during the invasion process. Thus, it is important to incorporate evolutionary change into frameworks of biological invasions because it allows us to conceptualize how these processes may facilitate or hinder invasion success. Here, we review such processes, with an emphasis on tree invasions, and place them in the context of the unified framework for biological invasions. The processes and mechanisms described are pre-introduction evolutionary …