Digital Commons Network^™

Planktonic Prey Size Selection Reveals An Emergent Keystone Predator Effect And Niche Partitioning, Darcy A.A. Taniguchi, Michael J. Follows, Susanne Menden-Deuer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Marine herbivorous protists are often the dominant grazers of primary production. We developed a size-based model with flexible size-based grazing to encapsulate taxonomic and behavioral diversity. We examined individual and combined grazing impacts by three consumer sizes that span the size range of protistan grazers– 5, 50, and 200 μm—on a size-structured phytoplankton community. Prey size choice and dietary niche width varied with consumer size and with co-existence of other consumers. When all consumer sizes were present, distinct dietary niches emerged, with a range of consumer-prey size ratios spanning from 25:1 to 0.4:1, encompassing the canonical 10:1 often assumed. Grazing …

Cultural Factors Associated With Human Trafficking Of Girls And Women In Northern Tanzania: The Case Of Arusha Region, Rehema John Magesa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Human trafficking is persistent in many regions of Tanzania despite different efforts to reduce the practice by the Government and other stakeholders. Girls and young women are more affected by this practice in violation of their human rights than men and boys. This study explored the cultural factors attributing to the trafficking of girls and women in Northern Tanzania. The study involved 400 girls and young women for a quantitative and qualitative study on cultural determinants of human trafficking. The study found the following cultural practices pushed girls and women towards situations in which they could be trafficked: female genital …

Hentai And The Pornification Of Childhood: How The Porn Industry Just Made The Case For Regulation, Gail Dines, Mandy Sanchez

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

One of the most popular genres of online pornography today is hentai, sexualized animation, and cartoons in the style of Japanese anime. Data from Pornhub, the world’s best-known pornography website, as well as a recent report from a British regulatory agency and our research, show that much of hentai appeals to children and depicts child-like characters engaged in sexual violence. In almost every instance, this violence targets female characters. Hentai, we show, encourages adults to see minors, especially girls, as legitimate targets of sexual violence. Until the day when these depictions of sexual violence are eradicated, we call for three …

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Dr_D1 Report Fy2022 - Database Search And Item Usage, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report DR_D1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. The DR_D1 report is defined as "Database Search and Item Usage." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Searches Automated - 316,771

Searches Federated - 52,533

Searches Regular - 768,218

Total Item Investigations - 930,171

Total Item Requests - 251,936

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_J1 Report Fy2022 - Journal Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_J1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. The TR_J1 report is defined as "Journal Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Total Item Requests - 771,947

Unique Item Requests - 578,437

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_B1 Report Fy2022 - Book Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_B1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. The TR_B1 report is defined as "Book Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Total Item Requests - 92,619

Unique Title Requests - 43,012

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Ir_M1 Report Fy2022 - Multimedia Item Requests, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report IR_M1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. The IR_M1 report is defined as "Multimedia Item Requests." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

Total Item Requests - 4,309

Insights From Fossil-Bound Nitrogen Isotopes In Diatoms, Foraminifera, And Corals, Rebecca S. Robinson, Sandi M. Smart, Jonathan D. Cybulski, Kelton W. Mcmahon, Basia Marcks, Catherine Nowakowski

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Nitrogen is a major limiting element for biological productivity, and thus understanding past variations in nitrogen cycling is central to understanding past and future ocean biogeochemical cycling, global climate cycles, and biodiversity. Organic nitrogen encapsulated in fossil biominerals is generally protected from alteration, making it an important archive of the marine nitrogen cycle on seasonal to million-year timescales. The isotopic composition of fossil-bound nitrogen reflects variations in the large-scale nitrogen inventory, local sources and processing, and ecological and physiological traits of organisms. The ability to measure trace amounts of fossil-bound nitrogen has expanded with recent method developments. In this article, …

Markets, Businesses, And Consumption In Refugees Settlements: A Review And Future Research Trajectory, Stefanie Beninger

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The global refugee crisis is increasing, and many refugees will end up living in refugee settlements, also known as refugee camps. These settlements have dynamic economic activities, and such activities deserve attention. This paper draws upon academic and practitioner work to describe pertinent aspects of consumption, businesses, and markets in these settlements, including in relation to multiple stakeholders. These stakeholders can include, for example, governments, aid agencies, private sector, and local community groups. Based on these insights, the paper identifies key theoretical areas in need of attention related to these economic activities in refugee settlements, including market change, resilience, and …

Ipbes Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary For Policymakers, Helen E. Roy, Aníbal Pauchard, Peter Stoett, Tanara Renard Truong, Sven Bacher, Bella S. Galil, Philip E. Hulme, Tohru Ikeda, Kavileveettil Sankaran, Melodie A. Mcgeoch, Laura A. Meyerson, Martin A. Nuñez, Alejandro Ordonez, Sebataolo J. Rahlao, Evangelina Schwindt, Hanno Seebens, Andy W. Sheppard, Vigdis Vandvik

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Distributing Transmitters To Maximize Population-Level Representativeness In Automated Radio Telemetry Studies Of Animal Movement, Juliet S. Lamb, Pamela H. Loring, Peter W. C. Paton

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Telemetry is a powerful and indispensable tool for evaluating wildlife movement and distribution patterns, particularly in systems where opportunities for direct observation are limited. However, the effort and expense required to track individuals often results in small sample sizes, which can lead to biased results if the sample of tracked individuals does not fully capture spatial, temporal, and individual variability within the target population. To better understand the influence of sampling design on results of automated radio telemetry studies, we conducted a retrospective power analysis of very high frequency (VHF) radio telemetry data from the Motus Wildlife Tracking System for …

Our Changing Planet In A Changing World, Yeqiao Wang

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Water Treatment With Induced Bank Filtration, Miles Schelling, Kavita Patil, Thomas B. Boving

Geosciences Faculty Publications

This study demonstrates that an induced bank filter (IBF) system can treat raw water polluted with Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Similar to riverbank filtration (RBF), induced or reversed bank filtration relies on natural processes to clean water, including filtration through layers of allochthone alluvial sediments and a bioactive layer that forms on top of the filter after a ripening period. At the study site, located in Southwestern India, villagers rely on a mountain spring for their water supply. Although of generally high quality, the spring water contains E. coli bacteria (up to ~2000 MPN/100 mL). Raw …

Improving Society And The Planet: Sustainability And Fashion Post-Pandemic, Jessica Strübel, Saheli Goswami, Ji Hye Kang, Rosemary Leger

Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of our ecosystem and demonstrated a crucial need to address sustainability across the fashion supply chain, including the end-use consumer. As consumers become more conscious and demand sustainable fashion, the question of whether the pandemic has shaped such behaviors for long-term transitions remains unanswered. This qualitative study aimed to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic has created a societal shift in individual attitudes toward sustainable fashion, whether it can help to motivate long-term sustainable consumption practices, and whether positive psychology plays a role in this context. With online survey data collected from 154 US …

Transfer Of Knowledge From Model Organisms To Evolutionarily Distant Non-Model Organisms: The Coral Pocillopora Damicornis Membrane Signaling Receptome, Lokender Kumar, Nathanael Brenner, Samuel Sledzieski, Monsurat Olaosebikan, Liza M. Roger, Matthew Lynn-Goin, Roshan Klein-Seetharaman, Bonnie Berger, Hollie M. Putnam, Jinkyu Yang, Nastassja A. Lewinski, Rohit Singh, Noah M. Daniels, Lenore Cowen, Judith Klein-Seetharaman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

With the ease of gene sequencing and the technology available to study and manipulate non-model organisms, the extension of the methodological toolbox required to translate our understanding of model organisms to non-model organisms has become an urgent problem. For example, mining of large coral and their symbiont sequence data is a challenge, but also provides an opportunity for understanding functionality and evolution of these and other non-model organisms. Much more information than for any other eukaryotic species is available for humans, especially related to signal transduction and diseases. However, the coral cnidarian host and human have diverged over 700 million …

Developing Virtual And Augmented Reality Applications For Science, Technology, Engineering And Math Education, Christopher L. Hemme, Rachel Carley, Arielle Norton, Moez Ghumman, Hannah Nguyen, Ryan Ivone, Jyothi Menon, Jie Shen, Matthew Bertin, Roberta King, Elizabeth Leibovitz, Roy Bergstrom, Bongsup P. Cho

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Molecular Informatics Core at the University of Rhode Island Information Technology Services Innovative Learning Technologies developed virtual and augmented reality applications to teach concepts in biomedical science, including pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, cell culture and nanotechnology. The apps were developed as full virtual reality/augmented reality and 3D gaming versions, which do not require virtual reality headsets. Development challenges included creating intuitive user interfaces, text-to-voice functionality, visualization of molecules and implementing complex science concepts. In-app quizzes are used to assess the user's understanding of topics, and user feedback was collected for several apps …

Predicting Habitat Suitability Of Migratory Sharks Using Machine Learning Methods, Daniel Daye

Open Access Master's Theses

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) populations have declined significantly over the last century due to anthropogenic mortality. Concerns about the sustainability of known populations and their interactions with humans have generated a high level of interest in the movement and migration patterns of the ocean's largest fish. Despite their seasonal aggregation at locations across the globe, little is known about whale shark movements and habitat use away from these locations. We tracked 26 whale sharks from the male-dominated aggregation near Isla Mujeres, Mexico using SPOT (Smart Position and Temperature) tags. One mature female – Rio Lady – generated location …

Examining The Metabolic Requirements And Physiologic Responses Of Active-Assisted And Recumbent Cycling In Healthy Older Adults, Skye Richards

Open Access Master's Theses

Background Active-assisted (AA) cycling is a form of aerobic cycling exercise that utilizes specialized cycling equipment outfitted with a motor to assist individuals with maintaining their workload/intensity. AA cycling has predominantly been used in research studies to assess its effects aspects of physical and mental health in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. At present, there have been no published studies examining the physiological responses to a standard protocol of AA in healthy older adults. Objectives The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the physiological responses in oxygen consumption (VO₂), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion …

Ipbes Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Chapter 1. Introducing Biological Invasions And The Ipbes Thematic Assessment Of Invasive Alien Species And Their Control, Helen E. Roy, Aníbal Pauchard, Peter Stoett, Tanara Renard Truong, Tatsiana Lipinskaya, Joana R. Vincete, Sven Bacher, Cebuan Bliss, James M. Bullock, Morelia Camacho-Cervantes, Franck Courchamp, Chika Egawa, Llewellyn C. Foxcroft, Bella S. Galil, Ankila J. Hiremath, Patricia L. Howard, Bernd Lenzner, Cristina Lima, Ângela Lomba, Laura A. Meyerson, Carolina L. Morales, Harriet Neal, Martin A. Nuñez, Alejandro Ordonez, Eva Pinto, Rajindra Puri, Petr Pyšek, David M. Richardson, Sophie Riley, Betty J. Rono, Hanieh Saeedi, Andy W. Sheppard, Daniel Simberloff, Charles Van Rees, Sonia Vanderhoeven, A. Sofia Vaz, Montserrat Vilà, Rafael D. Zenni

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Chapter 1: Introducing biological invasions and the IPBES thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Determining The Effects Of Pelleted Cranberry Vine Grains On The Ewe And Offspring During Pregnancy And Lactation, Delaney Smith, Katherine Petersson, Maria L. Peterson

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

When creating any new anti-parasitic interventions, it is important to evaluate their effects across all life stages. This study had three objectives, which were to evaluate the effect of feeding cranberry vine pellet (CVP) on (1) ewes’ body weights and BCS during late gestation and lactation; (2) ewes’ milk quality during lactation; and (3) lambs’ body weight and growth parameters from birth to 65 days of age. Across two years, 41 Dorset ewes were fed either a 50% CVP or a matching control pellet (CON) from 104 ± 1.60 days of gestation for 62.8 ± 0.68 days of lactation. Measurements …

Cardiac Asystole At Birth Re-Visited: Effects Of Acute Hypovolemic Shock, Judith S. Mercer, Debra A. Erickson-Owens, Heike Rabe, Ola Andersson

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Births involving shoulder dystocia or tight nuchal cords can deteriorate rapidly. The fetus may have had a reassuring tracing just before birth yet may be born without any heartbeat (asystole). Since the publication of our first article on cardiac asystole with two cases, five similar cases have been published. We suggest that these infants shift blood to the placenta due to the tight squeeze of the birth canal during the second stage which compresses the cord. The squeeze transfers blood to the placenta via the firm-walled arteries but prevents blood returning to the infant via the soft-walled umbilical vein. These …

Designing Accessible Computing Device Authentication For People With Upper Extremity Impairment, Brittany Lewis

Open Access Dissertations

Computing device authentication, the process of proving one's identity to a computing device (e.g., laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc.), is critical to protecting the sensitive data these devices contain. However, computing device authentication often makes assumptions about the user's ability to perform complex tasks with their arms, hands, and fingers. For example, entering complex passwords, or accurately positioning a camera for facial recognition. This can create barriers for people with upper extremity impairment (UEI) who have reduced strength, accuracy, dexterity, speed, and/or range of motion in their shoulders, upper arms, forearms, hands, and/or fingers. My goal is to design new, …

Neurodiversity, Networks, And Narratives: Exploring Intimacy And Expressive Freedom In The Time Of Covid‐19, Kerri Betts, Louise Creechan, Rosemarie Cawkwell, Isabelle Finn-Kelcey, C. J. Griffin, Alice Hagopian, David Hartley, Marie Adrienne R. Manalili, Inika Murkumbi, Sarinah O'Donoghue, Cassandra Shanahan, Anna Stenning, Alyssa Zisk

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program Faculty Publications

The Narratives of Neurodiversity Network (NNN) is a neurodivergent academic, creative, and educator collective that came together with allies during the Covid‐19 pandemic to create a network centred around emerging narratives about neurodiversity and exploring new ways of learning and socialising. The network focuses on exploring the roles of written, spoken, and visual narratives across cultural locations about neuro‐atypical experiences in generating improved agency and self‐advocacy for those who have been subject to pathologization through neuro‐normativity and intersecting oppression. During the last year, widening access to digital platforms has provided a space to explore these issues outside of traditional academic …

A Loosely Coupled Surface And Groundwater Model To Assess Drought In The Chipuxet Watershed, Rhode Island, Christian Pieter Tulungen

Open Access Master's Theses

Southern Rhode Island experiences annual seasonal population spikes during the summer months. During that period, the 2012 Rhode Island Water Resource Board Strategic Plan reported inadequate water supply to meet the average and peak seasonal demand in the Southern Region (RIWRB, 2012). The region is characterized by predominantly mixed land use with areas of residential use interspersed within agricultural fields and mixed forests. The region is also an important summer tourist destination which increases water demand for many aquifers. In general, New England’s watersheds are expected to see an increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme flow events i.e., droughts …

Gathering Stories: Creating Spaces For Young Women To Connect And Build Community Through Multimodal Storytelling, Laura Shackelford, Ammina Kothari, Karen Vanmeenan

Journalism & Public Relations Faculty Publications

Digital storytelling prioritizes real-time connections, story creation, contextual adaptability, multi-media expression, and accessibility. This article discusses the unrecognized affordances and value of digital storytelling practices for teens living in precarious (neo)colonial lifeworlds. We review the workshop methods developed as designers and leaders of “Gathering Stories: A Digital Storytelling Workshop for Young Women” in July 2021 to enliven and illuminate high school students’ voices while also addressing social, emotional, and affective experiences and needs during the pandemic. The article details how we co-realized spaces where teens’ lived experience of gathering and the draw of story were the driving forces for their …

Holocene Climate Change Shifted Southern Ocean Biogeochemical Cycling And Predator Trophic Dynamics, Chantel I. Michelson, Michael J. Polito, Michael B. Wunder, Steven D. Emslie, Matthew D. Mccarthy, William P. Patterson, Kelton W. Mcmahon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Studies of Antarctic paleo-archives have produced conflicting hypotheses on the relative impact of long-term climate change and historic exploitation of marine mammals on Southern Ocean krill predator foraging ecology. We disentangle these hypotheses using amino acid stable isotope analysis on a 7000-yr Holocene archive of Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) eggshells to differentiate variation in diet and trophic dynamics from baseline biogeochemical cycling as drivers of the rapid decline in krill predator bulk tissue δ15N values in recent centuries. Contrary to previous hypotheses suggesting solely trophic dynamic mechanisms as drivers of this decline, we identified an abrupt decline in source amino …

Dietary Plasticity Linked To Divergent Growth Trajectories In A Critically Endangered Sea Turtle, Matthew D. Ramirez, Larisa Avens, Anne B. Meylan, Donna J. Shaver, Angela R. Stahl, Peter A. Meylan, Jamie M. Clark, Lyndsey N. Howell, Brian A. Stacy, Wendy G. Teas, Kelton W. Mcmahon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Foraging habitat selection and diet quality are key factors that influence individual fitness and meta-population dynamics through effects on demographic rates. There is growing evidence that sea turtles exhibit regional differences in somatic growth linked to alternative dispersal patterns during the oceanic life stage. Yet, the role of habitat quality and diet in shaping somatic growth rates is poorly understood. Here, we evaluate whether diet variation is linked to regional growth variation in hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), which grow significantly slower in Texas, United States versus Florida, United States, through novel integrations of skeletal growth, gastrointestinal content (GI), and …

Conflicts Of Interest In The Assessment Of Chemicals, Waste, And Pollution, Andreas Schäffer, Ksenia J. Groh, Gabriel Sigmund, David Azoulay, Thomas Backhaus, Michael G. Bertram, Bethanie Carney Almroth, Ian T. Cousins, Alex T. Ford, Joan O. Grimalt, Yago Guida, Maria C. Hansson, Yunsun Jeong, Rainer Lohmann, David Michaels, Leonie Mueller, Jane Muncke, Gunilla Öberg, Marcos A. Orellana, Edmond Sanganyado, Ralf Bernhard Schäfer, Ishmail Sheriff, Ryan C. Sullivan, Noriyuki Suzuki, Laura N. Vandenberg, Marta Venier, Penny Vlahos, Martin Wagner, Fang Wang, Mengjiao Wang, Anna Soehl, Marlene Agerstrand, Miriam L. Diamond, Martin Scheringer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Pollution by chemicals and waste impacts human and ecosystem health on regional, national, and global scales, resulting, together with climate change and biodiversity loss, in a triple planetary crisis. Consequently, in 2022, countries agreed to establish an intergovernmental science–policy panel (SPP) on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention, complementary to the existing intergovernmental science–policy bodies on climate change and biodiversity. To ensure the SPP’s success, it is imperative to protect it from conflicts of interest (COI). Here, we (i) define and review the implications of COI, and its relevance for the management of chemicals, waste, and pollution; (ii) summarize established tactics …

Perspective: Dimensions Of Environment And Health In Arctic Communities, Rainer Lohmann, Bonita Beatty, Jessica Graybill, Elena Grigorieva, Ketil Lenert Hansen, Anu Soikkeli

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

In the Arctic, environment and health are linked in myriad ways. A key emphasis has been on numerous long-lived contaminants in traditional foods, particularly marine mammals, and their well-documented impacts on human, animal and environmental health (“One health approach”). More recent concerns for Indigenous communities focus on the (side) effects of the switch to a modern, processed diet, which is accompanied by a loss of tradition and emerging health impacts. Furthermore, the availability of traditional foods is increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change, which also causes the emergence and spread of new and old diseases, such as anthrax. …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2023-2024, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

This is a downloadable PDF version of the University of Rhode Island course catalog.