Digital Commons Network^™

Serials Solutions Subject Search Report 2009-2010

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics on the total number of Serials Solutions subject searches at the University of Rhode Island Libraries by month for 2009-2010. Shows how many times the A-Z full text electronic journal list (at http://zu4tq4pb5v.search.serialssolutions.com/) was browsed by specific subjects.

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2009-2010, Andree J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Library, University of Rhode Island for FY10. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, serial and monograph acquisitions, and goals for the coming year. The Acquisitions Unit was re-formed in July 2009 by the merger of the Serials Unit and the Monographic Acquisitions and Copy Cataloging (MACC) Unit. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year, e.g. serial titles withdrawn, subscription changes for 2010, collection comparisons with other HELIN libraries, fiscal close reports, and a list of e-resources acquired through …

Origin Of The Genus Homo, Holly M. Dunsworth

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The origin of the genus Homo in Africa signals the beginning of the shift from increasingly bipedal apes to primitive, large-brained, stone tool-making, meat-eaters that traveled far and wide. This early part of the human genus is represented by three species: Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, and Homo erectus. H. habilis is known for retaining primitive features that link it to australopiths and for being the first stone tool makers. Little is known about H. rudolfensis except that it had a relatively large brain and large teeth compared to H. habilis and that it overlapped in time and space with other …

Population Genetic Diversity And Fitness In Multiple Environments, Jeffrey A. Markert, Denise M. Champlin, Ruth Gutjahr-Gobell, Jason S. Grear, Anne Kuhn, Thomas J. Mcgreevy Jr., Annette Roth, Mark J. Bagley, Diane E. Nacci

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Background: When a large number of alleles are lost from a population, increases in individual homozygosity may reduce individual fitness through inbreeding depression. Modest losses of allelic diversity may also negatively impact long-term population viability by reducing the capacity of populations to adapt to altered environments. However, it is not clear how much genetic diversity within populations may be lost before populations are put at significant risk. Development of tools to evaluate this relationship would be a valuable contribution to conservation biology. To address these issues, we have created an experimental system that uses laboratory populations of an estuarine …

Digitalcommons@University Of Rhode Island Statistics 2009-2010

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics on the total number of full text downloads from the DigitalCommons@University of Rhode Island institutional repository for 2009-2010. Data are provided monthly on the number of full text downloads by collection and document, and on the number of referrals by domain and country. Dissertations are included in the statistics. Digital Commons statistics are COUNTER-compliant, with downloads from robots and automated processes filtered out.

A South County Almanac: Recollections And Observations Of The Outdoors In Southern Rhode Island, Nevan Richard

Senior Honors Projects

Since its publication in 1949, “A Sand County Almanac: With Sketches Here and There” has served as the benchmark for writing about the environment and nature. “Sand County” was written by famed environmentalist Aldo Leopold, who for most of his lifetime worked towards the conservation of wildlife and natural resources. In “Sand County,” Aldo Leopold recounts his experiences and observations in various essays and journal entries from his many years of living in Wisconsin, as well his travels across the North American continent. With its publication after Mr. Leopold’s death, it changed the face of the American conservation movement, later …

Art In Our Surroundings: An Exploration In Recycled Art Influenced By The Environment, Armine Tahmassian

Senior Honors Projects

The Environment: it is what surrounds us, what we breathe, what we walk on, yet we do not pay much attention to it. Over the centuries, from the start of agriculture and civilization, humankind has been making its mark on the earth. Not always aware of our impact on the planet, we have bit by bit altered the land, water, and atmosphere. This alteration has created pressing issues that only seem to be getting worse with time. I think it is very important to continue informing the public about the significance of these current issues through any mode of awareness. …

A South County Almanac, Nevan Richard

Senior Honors Projects

Since its publication in 1949, “A Sand County Almanac: With Sketches Here and There” has served as the benchmark for writing about the environment and nature. “Sand County” was written by famed environmentalist Aldo Leopold, who for most of his lifetime worked towards the conservation of wildlife, forests, and other natural resources. In “Sand County,” Aldo Leopold recounts his experiences and observations in various essays and journal entries from his many years of living in Wisconsin, as well his travels across the North American continent. With its publication following Mr. Leopold’s death, it changed the face of conservation, later inspiring …

Citrate Synthase And The Visual Interactions Hypothesis, Kristina Camarena

Senior Honors Projects

It has been shown that the metabolic rates of deep-living species of particular pelagic groups are significantly lower than those that live closer to the surface in the water column. Various theories as to why have been presented, including the visual interactions hypothesis, which states that because there is a greatly minimized ability to visually interact in the light-limited deep, predators have a reduced need for high metabolic rates because they do not actively go after their prey. Citrate synthase is a mitochondrial enzyme found at the beginning of the citric acid cycle, which plays an integral role in cellular …

Self-Assembled Nano-Liposomes As Diagnostic/Therapeutic Carriers, Mu-Ping Nieh

Amgen Seminar Series in Chemical Engineering

Unilamellar liposomes have been commercialized as carriers for pharmaceuticals and imaging contrast agents. Traditional manufacturing methods of small uniform (~50 nm) unilamellar liposomes usually involves labour-intensive multi-stage extrusion, where filter rupture and fouling can be problematic, resulting in production delays and elevated monetary costs. Our recent research on spontaneously formed unilamellar liposomes from lipid mixtures composed of a short-chain and a long-chain phospholipid, and slightly doped with a charged lipid has resolved many of the issues associated with extruded liposomes. Firstly, these liposomes consistently self-assembly and are extremely stable. Moreover, the average diameter of the self-assembled liposomes can be as …

Poles Apart: The ‘‘Bipolar’’ Pteropod Species Limacina Helicina Is Genetically Distinct Between The Arctic And Antarctic Oceans, Brian Hunt, Jan Strugnell, Nina Bednarsek, Katrin Linse, R. John Nelson, Evgeny Pakhomov, Brad A. Seibel, Dirk Steinke, Laura Würzberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The shelled pteropod (sea butterfly) Limacina helicina is currently recognised as a species complex comprising two sub-species and at least five “forma”. However, at the species level it is considered to be bipolar, occurring in both the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Due to its aragonite shell and polar distribution L. helicina is particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification. As a key indicator of the acidification process, and a major component of polar ecosystems, L. helicina has become a focus for acidification research. New observations that taxonomic groups may respond quite differently to acidification prompted us to reassess the taxonomic status of …

Curricular Affairs Committee Minutes February 8, 2010, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Functional Genomics Tool: Gene Silencing In Ixodes Scapularis Eggs And Nymphs By Electroporated Dsrna, Shahid Karim, Emily Troiano, Thomas N. Mather

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods responsible for transmitting a wide variety of disease-causing agents, and constitute important public health threats globally. Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of the Lyme disease agent in the eastern and central U.S. RNAi is a mechanism by which gene-specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers degradation of homologous mRNA transcripts. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for effectively suppressing gene expression in the egg and nymphal stages of I. scapularis by electroporation.

Results: The genes encoding the putative Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂), cytoplasmic Cystatin, Syntaxin-5, β-Actin and Calreticulin were targeted by delivering …

Division Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report For Fy2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

Annual report for the Division of Research and Economic Development of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2009-2010.

Includes statistics of project proposals, expenditures, URI Foundation Awards, previous annual report summaries and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For March 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For January 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For April 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For August 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For July 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For February 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For September 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For November 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For December 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Monthly Report For October 2010, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The monthly reports include statistics for project proposals and awards received by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of Rhode Island.

The Ecology Of A Keystone Seed Disperser, The Ant Rhytidoponera Violacea, Dave Lubertazzi, Maria A. Aliberti Lubertazzi, Neil Mccoy, Aaron D. Gove, Jonathan D. Majer, Robert R. Dunn

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

Rhytidoponera violacea (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a keystone seed disperser in Kwongan heathland habitats of southwestern Australia. Like many myrmecochorous ants, little is known about the basic biology of this species. In this study various aspects of the biology of R. violacea were examined and the researchers evaluated how these characteristics may influence seed dispersal. R. violacea nesting habits (relatively shallow nests), foraging behavior (scramble competitor and lax food selection criteria), and other life history characteristics complement their role as a mutualist that interacts with the seeds of many plant species.

Repression Of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Is Responsible For The Sex-Linked Chocolate Mutation Of The Silkworm, Bombyx Mori, Chun Liu, Kimiko Yamamoto, Ting-Cai Cheng, Keiko Kadono-Okuda, Junko Narukawa, Shi-Ping Liu, Yu Han, Ryo Futahashi, Kurako Kidokoro, Hiroaki Noda, Isao Kobayahi, Toshiki Tamura, Akio Ohnuma, Yutaka Banno, Fang-Ying Dai, Zhong-Huai Xiang, Marian R. Goldsmith, Kazuei Mita, Qing-You Xia

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Pigmentation patterning has long interested biologists, integrating topics in ecology, development, genetics, and physiology. Wild-type neonatal larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are completely black. By contrast, the epidermis and head of larvae of the homozygous recessive sex-linked chocolate (sch) mutant are reddish brown. When incubated at 30 °C, mutants with the sch allele fail to hatch; moreover, homozygous mutants carrying the allele sch lethal (sch^l) do not hatch even at room temperature (25 °C). By positional cloning, we narrowed a region containing sch to 239,622 bp on chromosome 1 using 4,501 backcross (BC1) …

The Role Of Interface Organizations In Science Communication And Understanding, Deanna L. Osmond, Nalini M. Nadkarni, Charles T. Driscoll, Elaine Andrews, Arthur J. Gold, Shorna R. Broussard Allred, Alan R. Berkowitz, Michael W. Klemens, Terry L. Loecke, Mary Ann Mcgarry, Kristen Schwarz, Mary L. Washington, Peter M. Groffman

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

“Interface” organizations are groups created to foster the use of science in environmental policy, management, and education. Here we compare interface organizations that differ in spatial scale, modes of operation, and intended audience to illustrate their diversity and importance in promoting the application of science to environmental issues. There has been exciting recent growth in the nature and extent of activities by interface organizations and in new methods for science communication and engagement. These developments can help scientists – who face personal and institutional challenges when attempting to convey the results of their research to various audiences – interact with …

Exposure To Cold But Not Exercise Increases Carbon Turnover Rates In Specific Tissues Of A Passerine, U. Bauchinger, J. Keil, R. A. Mckinney, J. M. Starck, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Carbon turnover differs between tissues within an animal, but the extent to which ecologically relevant increases in metabolism affect carbon turnover rates is largely unknown. We tested the energy expenditure and protein turnover hypotheses that predict increased carbon turnover, either in association with increased daily energy expenditure, or in concert with tissue-specific increased protein metabolism. We used stable-isotope-labeled diets to quantify the rate of carbon turnover in 12 different tissues for three groups of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata): cold-exposed birds kept at ambient temperatures below their thermoneutral zone, exercised birds that were flown for 2 h per day …

Highly Variable Acquisition Rates Of Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) By Birds On An Atlantic Barrier Island, S. S. Mitra, P. A. Buckley, F. G. Buckley, Howard S. Ginsberg

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Acquisition of ticks by bird hosts is a central process in the transmission cycles of many tick-borne zoonoses, but tick recruitment by birds has received little direct study. We documented acquisition of Ixodes scapularis Say on birds at Fire Island, NY, by removing ticks from mist-netted birds, and recording the number of ticks on birds recaptured within 4 d of release. Eight bird species acquired at least 0.8 ticks bird⁻¹ day⁻¹ during the seasonal peak for at least one age class of I. scapularis. Gray Catbirds, Eastern Towhees, Common Yellowthroats, and Northern Waterthrushes collectively accounted for 83% …

Equity In Community Forests In Bhutan, Bill Buffum, A. Lawrence, K. J. Temphel

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

The equity of Bhutan's new community forestry program was assessed after three years of experience with timber harvesting. Despite the impressive achievements of community forestry programs elsewhere in South Asia, there is increasing evidence that poor and disadvantaged members of community forestry management groups benefit less than other members. We compared this with the situation in Bhutan. All households in three villages were ranked by socio-economic status before analyzing the distribution of community forest (CF) products. A household survey and focus group interviews provided more detailed information on how the socio-economic groups participated in the CFs. Economic equity (distribution of …