Digital Commons Network^™

Human Leptospirosis In The Federated States Of Micronesia: A Hospital-Based Febrile Illness Survey, Susannah Colt, Boris I. Pavlin, Jacob L. Kool, Eliaser Johnson, Judith P. Mccool, Alistair J. Woodward

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Human leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease of global significance, and is endemic to several countries in the Pacific. Zoonotic transmission dynamics combined with diagnostic challenges lead to difficulties in prevention and identification of cases. The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) lacks surveillance data for human leptospirosis. This hospital-based serologic survey sought to estimate the burden of leptospirosis, collect information relating to associated factors, and assess the leptospirosis point-of-care rapid diagnostic test (RDT) commonly used in FSM. Methods: A four-month hospital-based survey was conducted in Pohnpei State, FSM in 2011. Patients with undifferentiated fevers presenting to hospital …

High-Frequency Oscillations Recorded On The Scalp Of Patients With Epilepsy Using Tripolar Concentric Ring Electrodes, Walter Besio, Iris E. Martínez-Juárez, Oleksandr Makeyev, John N. Gaitanis, Andrew S. Blum, Robert S. Fisher, Andrei V. Medvedev

Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Epilepsy is the second most prevalent neurological disorder (~1% prevalence) affecting ~67 million people worldwide with up to 75% from developing countries. The conventional electroencephalogram is plagued with artifacts from movements, muscles, and other sources. Tripolar concentric ring electrodes automatically attenuate muscle artifacts and provide improved signal quality. We performed basic experiments in healthy humans to show that tripolar concentric ring electrodes can indeed record the physiological alpha waves while eyes are closed. We then conducted concurrent recordings with conventional disc electrodes and tripolar concentric ring electrodes from patients with epilepsy. We found that we could detect high frequency oscillations, …

An Investigation Into Ground Effect For An Underwater Biologically Inspired Flapping Foil, Paulstephen Chierico

Open Access Master's Theses

The topic that was investigated was whether there is a lift and thrust benefit to flapping an underwater, biologically inspired three dimensional foil near the solid bottom surface (so that it was in ground effect). The experimental method used a dual canister device that allowed actuation in roll and pitch, with force sensors attached to the pitch shaft, in order to record the forces produced by the foil as it flapped. The dual canister was towed on a carriage at a constant speed in a large tow tank that had been configured to have a long run of constant, deep …

“By Goodly River's Uninhabited” Waterways And Plymouth Colony, Jordan Coulobme

Open Access Master's Theses

The colonists of Plymouth were dependent on aquatic environments for the dispersal and acquisition of ideas, goods, and people. This thesis builds on of the work of Donald Worster and Michael Rawson amongst others to examine the importance of water in Plymouth Colony.Ultimately this study utilizes primary documents to argue that the abundance of aquatic environments in the colonies played a crucial role in allowing for the establishment of a permanent colony in New England. The rise of environmental history over the past several decades presents a natural tool for analyzing the experiences of Plymouth's earliest settlers. Between the years …

Development Of An Underwater Flapping Foil Tow-Test System, Samuel L. Rauworth

Open Access Master's Theses

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) using conventional methods of propulsion cannot operate in a dynamic environment such as the surf zone or around a reef. Bio-inspired propulsion mechanisms can provide the capabilities required to deal with the hazards of these locations. Animals such as birds, fish, and turtles use flapping foils as a means of propulsion and high maneuverability. Robotic flapping foils can be applied similarly to underwater vehicles like the AUV, Finnegan the RoboTurtle from MIT. Finnegan used four flapping foil "turtle fins" each with two degrees of freedom. One of those fins was outfitted to house force sensors which …

Introducing Serendipity In Recommender Systems Through Collaborative Methods, Suboojitha Sridharan

Open Access Master's Theses

Widely used recommendation systems are mainly accuracy-oriented since they are based on item-based ratings and user- or item-based similarity measures. Such accuracy-based engines do not consider factors such as proliferation of varied user interests and the desire for changes. This results in a muted user experience that is generated from a constrained and narrow feature set. Recommender systems should therefore consider other important metrics outside of accuracy such as coverage, novelty, serendipity, unexpectedness and usefulness.

The main focus of this thesis is to both incorporate serendipity into a recommendation engine and improve its quality using the widely used collaborative filtering …

Increasing The Selectivity And Sensitivity Of Gas Sensors For The Detection Of Explosives, Daniel Mallin

Open Access Master's Theses

Over the past decade, the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has increased, domestically and internationally, highlighting a growing need for a method to quickly and reliably detect explosive devices in both military and civilian environments before the explosive can cause damage. Conventional techniques have been successful in explosive detection, however they typically suffer from enormous costs in capital equipment and maintenance, costs in energy consumption, sampling, operational related expenses, and lack of continuous and real-time monitoring. The goal was thus to produce an inexpensive, portable sensor that continuously monitors the environment, quickly detects the presence of explosive compounds and …

Microplate Methodologies Applied To Environmental Biotechnology, Farrah Solomon

Open Access Master's Theses

Microarray technology is a high-throughput technique that allows a researcher to reduce the amount of reagents for each experiment as well as conduct multiple experiments with varying conditions simultaneously with the capability of analyzing this data quickly. Such microarray techniques have been applied in different fields such as environmental, pharmaceutical, microbiology, and biomedical among others (Kricka 2001).

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to microarray technology with a description of three different techniques: Phenotypic Microarray, DNA Microarray and Protein Microarray, used to study different aspects of microorganisms.

Chapter 2 presents the first manuscript, “A novel application of microarray technology to respiration …

Identification Of Secondary Metabolite Gene Clusters Of Bacteria From South Pacific Gyre Subseafloor Sediment, Liwei Zhu

Open Access Master's Theses

Secondary metabolites are organic compounds that are not directly involved in the key processes (growth, reproduction and development) of an organism. They are commonly targeted in pharmaceutical science for drug discovery. Secondary metabolites that have been used in drug discovery have been derived from plants, invertebrates and microbes. Microbes, bacteria in particular, have contributed greatly and will continue to play an important role in new drug discovery. Among the bacteria from all environments, marine bacteria are a vast reservoir for many potential useful bioactive compounds. Recent studies using marine bacteria for pharmaceutical use mainly focused on the bacteria collected from …

Leukocyte Recruitment To The Peritoneum Of Cultured Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus) During Bacterial, Pilar Juliet Nelson

Open Access Master's Theses

Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) constitutes a major fishery in the coastal northeastern United States. Spurred by population declines, cultivation of summer flounder began in 1996, but expansion of culture efforts has been constrained by disease outbreaks. Flounder Infectious Necrotizing Enteritis (FINE) causes significant mortality of juvenile flounder. The disease is characterized by ascites, intestinal prolapse, and severe inflammation of the mesentery and posterior intestinal serosa, often resulting in intestinal rupture. FINE is caused by Vibrio harveyi, a bacterial pathogen of cultured marine fish and invertebrates. To better understand the immune response to FINE, recruitment and fluctuation of …

Wedding Dress Purchase Intentions Of Tattooed Brides, Sarah Yang

Open Access Master's Theses

A tattooed bride faces internal and external influences that may affect her choice of dress. She also will face the decision of whether to hide or show her tattoos on her wedding day. A review of literature revealed that the history of tattoos, contemporary tattoos, and history of weddings have been comprehensively researched (Fenske 2007; Koch, Roberts, Armstrong, and Owen 2010; DeMello 2003; Mo 2000; Ehrman 2011). However, the topic [of tattooed brides has not been explored. Discussion threads on several wedding blogs indicate that tattooed brides have faced the issue of whether to hide or show their tattoos and …

Fsec Meeting Minutes December 13, 2013, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Curricular Affairs Committee Report #510, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Sensory Basis For Detection Of Benthic Prey In Two Lake Malawi Cichlids., Margot A. B. Schwalbe, Jacqueline F. Webb

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The adaptive radiations of African cichlids resulted in a diversity of feeding morphologies and strategies, but the role of sensory biology in prey detection and feeding ecology remains largely unexplored. Two endemic Lake Malawi cichlid genera, Tramitichromis and Aulonocara, feed on benthic invertebrates, but differ in lateral line morphology (narrow and widened lateral line canals, respectively) and foraging strategy. The hypothesis that they use their lateral line systems differently was tested by looking at the relative contribution of the lateral line system and vision in prey detection by Tramitichromis sp. and comparing results to those from a complementary study using …

Do Tregitopes Have The Potential To Impact The Current Treatment Landscape Of Autoimmune Diseases?, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Current treatment of autoimmune disease usually involves the use of cytotoxic drugs or biologic agents that interfere with the activity of B cells, T cells or key cytokines, such as TNF, IL-1 and IL-6. On occasion, polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG), intravenous (IVIg) is used. The discovery of IgG- (and hence IVIg-) derived T regulatory (Treg) epitopes that trigger the expansion of Tregs in vitro and in vivo provides a novel explanation for the effect of IVIg. These IgG-derived Treg epitopes (also known as Tregitopes) appear to be effective on their own (in vivo, in autoimmune disease models) and when co-administered …

Chromatin-Induced Spindle Assembly Plays An Important Role In Metaphase Congression Of Silkworm Holocentric Chromosomes, Hiroaki Mon, Jae Man Lee, Kazuei Mita, Marian R. Goldsmith, Takahiro Kusakabe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The kinetochore plays important roles in cell cycle progression. Interactions between 4 chromosomes and spindle microtubules allow chromosomes to congress to the middle of the 5 cell and to segregate the sister chromatids into daughter cells in mitosis. The chromosome 6 passenger complex (CPC), composed of the Aurora B kinase and its regulatory subunits 7 INCENP, Survivin, and Borealin, plays multiple roles in these chromosomal events. In the 8 genome of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, which has holocentric chromosomes, the CPC 9 components and their molecular interactions were highly conserved. In contrast to 10 monocentric species, however, the silkworm CPC …

Characterization Of Plp, A Phosphatidylcholine-Specific Phospholipase And Hemolysin Of Vibrio Anguillarum, Ling Li, Xiangyu Mou, David R. Nelson

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Vibrio anguillarum is the causative agent of vibriosis in fish. Several extracellular proteins secreted by V. anguillarum have been shown to contribute to virulence. While two hemolysin gene clusters, vah1-plp and rtxACHBDE, have been previously identified and described, the activities of the protein encoded by the plp gene were not known. Here we describe the biochemical activities of the plp-encoded protein and its role in pathogenesis.

Results: The plp gene, one of the components in vah1 cluster, encodes a 416-amino-acid protein (Plp), which has homology to lipolytic enzymes containing the catalytic site amino acid signature SGNH. Hemolytic …

Learning To Engage: How Positive Attitudes About The News, Media Literacy, And Video Production Contribute To Adolescent Civic Engagement, Renee Hobbs, Katie Donnelly, Jonathan Friesem, Mary Moen

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Many students enroll in video production courses in high school as part of a vocational, career, or technical program. While there has been an explosion of scholarly work in digital literacy in informal settings, less is known about how digital and media literacy competencies are developed through school-based video production courses. This study explores the relationship between civic engagement and the various multimedia instructional practices used in a high school video production course with a single-school convenience sample and an ethnically diverse population of students. Findings reveal that the best predictors of the intent to participate in civic engagement are …

Conservation In The Context Of Climate Change: Practical Guidelines For Land Protection At Local Scales, Kevin Ruddock, Peter V. August, Christopher Damon, Charles Labash, Pamela Rubinoff, Donald Robadue Jr.

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Climate change will affect the composition of plant and animal communities in many habitats and geographic settings. This presents a dilemma for conservation programs – will the portfolio of protected lands we now have achieve a goal of conserving biodiversity in the future when the ecological communities occurring within them change? Climate change will significantly alter many plant communities, but the geophysical underpinnings of these landscapes, such as landform, elevation, soil, and geological properties, will largely remain the same. Studies show that extant landscapes with a diversity of geophysical characteristics support diverse plant and animal communities. Therefore, geophysically diverse landscapes …

Keap1-Knockdown Decreases Fasting-Induced Fatty Liver Via Altered Lipid Metabolism And Decreased Fatty Acid Mobilization From Adipose Tissue, Jialin Xu, Ajay C. Donepudi, Jamie E. Moscovitz, Angela Slitt

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine whether Nrf2 activation, via Keap1-knockdown (Keap1-KD), regulates lipid metabolism and mobilization induced by food deprivation (e.g. fasting).

Methods and Results: Male C57BL/6 (WT) and Keap1-KD mice were either fed ad libitum or food deprived for 24 hours. After fasting, WT mice exhibited a marked increase in hepatic lipid accumulation, but Keap1-KD mice had an attenuated increase of lipid accumulation, along with reduced expression of lipogenic genes (acetyl-coA carboxylase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, and fatty acid synthase) and reduced expression of genes related to fatty acid transport, such as fatty acid translocase/CD36 …

Alatzas: Handwoven Fabrics During The Early Industrial Period In Greece (1880–1920), Linda M. Welters

Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design Faculty Publications

In the Greek provinces of Argolida and Corinthia, women wove striped or checked cotton fabrics called alatzas for a variety of purposes including clothing. Alatzas fabrics are not well understood, as they represent a relatively short transitional period from the older forms of village dress based on Byzantine prototypes to modern Western ready-to-wear attire. In the Peloponnese, they appear about 1890 and fade away after the Second World War.

These fabrics represent the first stage of development in Greece’s early industrial period. Improved transportation, particularly the railroad, brought manufactured goods to market towns where they were sold in shops or …

Spatially Explicit Model Of Wintering Common Loons: Conservation Implications, Kristopher J. Winiarski, David L. Miller, Peter W. C. Patton, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Common loons Gavia immer are a conservation concern in New England due to a variety of anthropogenic factors, yet little is known about biotic and abiotic environmental factors determining their wintering distribution and abundance in nearshore and offshore waters. The primary objective of this study was to develop a spatially explicit abundance model of wintering common loons in the maritime waters of southern New England (USA) that could inform decisions about offshore development. Aerial line-transect surveys were conducted throughout a 3800 km² study area off the coast of Rhode Island during the winters of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012. A density …

Curricular Affairs Committee Report #508 With Appendices, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Immunization With Cross-Conserved H1n1 Influenza Cd4+ T-Cell Epitopes Lowers Viral Burden In Hla Dr3 Transgenic Mice, Leonard Moise, Ryan Tassone, Howard Latimer, Frances Terry, Lauren Levitz, John P. Haran, Ted M. Ross, Christine Boyle, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The emergence of the pandemic H1N1 strain of influenza in 2009 was associated with a unique w-shaped age-related susceptibility curve, with higher incidence of morbidity and mortality among young persons and lower incidence among older persons, also observed during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Pre-existing H1N1 antibodies were not cross-reactive with the prior seasonal vaccine, forcing influenza experts to scramble to develop a new vaccine specific for the pandemic virus. We hypothesized that response to T-cell epitopes that are cross-conserved between pandemic H1N1 and the 2008 seasonal influenza vaccine strains might have contributed to partial protection from clinical illness among older …

Public Services Annual Report 2012-2013, Deborah Mongeau

Public Services Reports

Annual report of the Public Services Department of the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Exploring Adolescents’ Multimodal Responses To The Kite Runner: Understanding How Students Use Digital Media For Academic Purposes, Robin Jocius

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This qualitative study explores how adolescent high school students in an AP English class used multiple forms of media (the Internet, digital video, slide show software, video editing tools, literary texts, and writing) to respond to and analyze a contemporary novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Using a multimodal analysis framework, the author explores the following question: How are students’ multimodal retellings with literary devices mediated by the text, the choice of compositional tool, and the use of different modes? The findings of this study can be used to shape our understanding of adolescents’ multimodal composition practices in academic …

Developing Multimodal Academic Literacies Among College Freshmen, Gloria E. Jacobs

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article describes a semester-long freshman learning community in which multimodal texts were used as primary texts along with traditional texts to support students’ academic literacy skills. Analysis shows that an expository video created by students contains elements of academic literacies and qualities of multimodal texts. An unexpected finding was the presence of play within the process and product. These elements combine to create multimodal academic literacies. The author argues that multimodal academic literacies should be taught alongside traditional essayist forms in order to create rich learning opportunities.

Exploring Message Meaning: A Qualitative Media Literacy Study Of College Freshmen, Seth Ashley, Grace Lyden, Devon Fasbinder

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Critical media literacy demands understanding of the deeper meanings of media messages. Using a grounded theory approach, this study analyzed responses by first-year college students not currently enrolled in formal media literacy education to three types of video messages: an advertisement, a public relations message, and a news report. Students did not exhibit nuanced understandings of message purpose or sender in any of the three types of messages, and had particular difficulty distinguishing public relations and news messages. These results suggest a media literacy curriculum addressing distinctions between media formats, with emphasis on analysis of message intent and point of …

Framing The Future Of Fanfiction: How The New York Times’ Portrayal Of A Youth Media Subculture Influences Beliefs About Media Literacy Education, Drew Emanuel Berkowitz

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article discusses how online fanfiction communities, their members, and their literacy practices are portrayed within popular and news media discourses. Many media literacy scholars believe these youth media subcultures practice complex and sophisticated forms of “new media” literacy. However, when educators attempt to incorporate these practices into K-12 literacy programs, the public’s reactions may be heavily influenced by the media’s documented patterns of marginalizing, dismissing, and denouncing youth subcultures. This study employs frame and critical discourse analysis in order to examine how the news media’s portrayal of fanfiction shapes and reflects the beliefs of teachers, students, and parents.

Review: Arkive—An Intersection Of Conservation, Multimedia And Usability, Julie Ann Decesare

Journal of Media Literacy Education

No abstract provided.