Digital Commons Network^™

Suction Generation In White-Spotted Bamboo Sharks Chiloscyllium Plagiosum, Cheryl D. Wilga, Christopher P. Sanford

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

After the divergence of chondrichthyans and teleostomes, the structure of the feeding apparatus also diverged leading to alterations in the suction mechanism. In this study we investigated the mechanism for suction generation during feeding in whitespotted bamboo sharks, Chiloscyllium plagiosum and compared it with that in teleosts. The internal movement of cranial elements and pressure in the buccal, hyoid and pharyngeal cavities that are directly responsible for suction generation was quantified using sonomicrometry and pressure transducers. Backward stepwise multiple linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between expansion and pressure, accounting for 60–96% of the variation in pressure among …

Revisiting The Classics: Considering Nonconsumptive Effects In Textbook Examples Of Predator–Prey Interactions, Barbara L. Peckarsky, Peter A. Abrams, Daniel I. Bolnick, Lawrence M. Dill, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Barney Luttberg, John L. Orrock, Scott D. Peacor, Evan L. Preisser, Oswald J. Schmitz, Geoffrey C. Trussell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Predator effects on prey dynamics are conventionally studied by measuring changes in prey abundance attributed to consumption by predators. We revisit four classic examples of predator–prey systems often cited in textbooks and incorporate subsequent studies of nonconsumptive effects of predators (NCE), defined as changes in prey traits (e.g., behavior, growth, development) measured on an ecological time scale. Our review revealed that NCE were integral to explaining lynx–hare population dynamics in boreal forests, cascading effects of top predators in Wisconsin lakes, and cascading effects of killer whales and sea otters on kelp forests in nearshore marine habitats. The relative roles of …

Cis-Regulatory Organization Of The Pax6 Gene In The Ascidian Ciona Intestinalis, Steven Q. Irvine, Vera C. Fonseca, Michael A. Zompa, Rajee Antony

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Pax6 gene has attracted intense research interest due to its apparently important role in the development of eyes and the central nervous system (CNS) in many animal groups. Pax6 is also of interest for comparative genomics since it has not been duplicated in tetrapods, making for a direct orthology between the Ciona intestinalis gene CiPax6 and Pax6 in mammals. CiPax6 has been shown to be expressed in the anterior brain, caudal nerve cord, and in parts of the brain associated with the photoreceptive ocellus. This information was extended here using in-situ hybridization, and shows that CiPax6 transcripts mark the …

Gender And Women's Studies Newsletter For Winter 2008, Uri Gender And Women's Studies Department

Gender and Women's Studies Publications

The Winter 2008 issue of Gender and Women’s Studies Newsletter, a periodical with articles written by faculty members and some related to events within the Gender and Women’s Studies program.

Glycogen And Maltose Utilization By Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In The Mouse Intestine, Shari A. Jones, Mathias Jorgensen, Fatema Z. Chowdhury, Rosalie Rodgers, James Hartline, Mary P. Leatham, Carsten Struve, Karen A. Krogfelt, Paul S. Cohen, Tyrrell Conway

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Mutant screens and transcriptome studies led us to consider whether the metabolism of glucose polymers, i.e., maltose, maltodextrin, and glycogen, is important for Escherichia coli colonization of the intestine. By using the streptomycin-treated mouse model, we found that catabolism of the disaccharide maltose provides a competitive advantage in vivo to pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 and commensal E. coli K-12, whereas degradation of exogenous forms of the more complex glucose polymer, maltodextrin, does not. The endogenous glucose polymer, glycogen, appears to play an important role in colonization, since mutants that are unable to synthesize or degrade glycogen have significant colonization defects. …

Comparison Of Carbon Nutrition For Pathogenic And Commensal ,Escherichia Coli Strains In The Mouse Intestine, Andrew J. Fabich, Shari A. Jones, Fatema Z. Chowdhury, Amanda Cernosek, April Anderson, Darren Smalley, J. Wesley Mchargue, G. Aaron Hightower, Joel T. Smith, Steven M. Autieri, Mary P. Leatham, Jeremy J. Lins, Regina L. Allen, David C. Laux, Paul S. Cohen, Tyrrell Conway

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The carbon sources that support the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the mammalian intestine have not previously been investigated. In vivo, the pathogenic E. coli EDL933 grows primarily as single cells dispersed within the mucus layer that overlies the mouse cecal epithelium. We therefore compared the pathogenic strain and the commensal E. coli strain MG1655 modes of metabolism in vitro, using a mixture of the sugars known to be present in cecal mucus, and found that the two strains used the 13 sugars in a similar order and cometabolized as many as 9 sugars at a time. We …

An Initial Animal Proof-Of-Concept Study For Central Administration Of Clozapine To Schizophrenia Patients, Daniel J. Abrams, Lijun Zheng, Kevin S. Choo, Jun J. Yang, Wei Wei, Thomas J. Anchordoquy, Nasser H. Zawia, Karen E. Stevens

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

While clozapine is the acknowledged superior pharmacotherapeutic for the treatment of schizophrenia, the side effect profile, which includes potentially fatal complications, limits its usefulness. Central administration of clozapine directly into the brain could circumvent many of the side effect issues due to the dramatic reduction in dose and the limitation of the drug primarily to the CNS. The present study demonstrates that clozapine can be formulated as a stable solution at physiological pH, which does not have in vitro neurotoxic effects at concentrations which may be effective at treating symptoms. Acute central administration improved auditory gating deficits in a mouse …

Alzheimer's Disease (Ad)-Like Pathology In Aged Monkeys After Infantile Exposure To Environmental Metal Lead (Pb): Evidence For A Developmental Origin And Environmental Link For Ad, Jinfang Wu, Md. Riyaz Basha, Brian Brock, David P. Cox, Fernando Cardozo-Pelaez, Christopher A. Mcpherson, Jean Harry, Deborah C. Rise, Brian Maloney, Demaio Chen, Debomoy K. Lahiri, Nasser H. Zawia

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The sporadic nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) argues for an environmental link that may drive AD pathogenesis; however, the triggering factors and the period of their action are unknown. Recent studies in rodents have shown that exposure to lead (Pb) during brain development predetermined the expression and regulation of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its amyloidogenic β-amyloid (Aβ) product in old age. Here, we report that the expression of AD-related genes [APP, BACE1 (β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1)] as well as their transcriptional regulator (Sp1) were elevated in aged (23-year-old) monkeys exposed to Pb as infants. Furthermore, developmental exposure …

From Individuals To Ecosystem Function: Toward An Integration Of Evolutionary And Ecosystem Ecology, Oswald J. Schmitz, Jonathan H. Garbowski, Barbara L. Peckarsky, Evan L. Preisser, Geoffrey C. Trussell, James R. Vonesh

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An important goal in ecology is developing general theory on how the species composition of ecosystems is related to ecosystem properties and functions. Progress on this front is limited partly because of the need to identify mechanisms controlling functions that are common to a wide range of ecosystem types. We propose that one general mechanism, rooted in the evolutionary ecology of all species, is adaptive foraging behavior in response to predation risk. To support our claim, we present two kinds of empirical evidence from plant‐based and detritus‐based food chains of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The first kind comes from experiments …

A Bac-Based Integrated Linkage Map Of The Silkworm Bombyx Mori, Kimiko Yamamoto, Junko Nohata, Keiko Kadono-Okuda, Junko Narukawa, Motoe Sasanuma, Shun-Ichi Sasanuma, Hiroshi Minami, Michihiko Shimomura, Yoshitaka Suetsugu, Yutaka Banno, Kazutoyo Osoegawa, Pieter J. De Jong, Marian R. Goldsmith, Kazuei Mita

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: In 2004, draft sequences of the model lepidopteran Bombyx mori were reported using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Because of relatively shallow genome coverage, the silkworm genome remains fragmented, hampering annotation and comparative genome studies. For a more complete genome analysis, we developed extended scaffolds combining physical maps with improved genetic maps.

Results: We mapped 1,755 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) end sequences onto 28 linkage groups using a recombining male backcross population, yielding an average inter-SNP distance of 0.81 cM (about 270 kilobases). We constructed 6,221 contigs by fingerprinting clones from three BAC libraries digested …

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Revamping A Freshman Seminar Information Literacy Program, Amanda Izenstark, Mary C. Macdonald

Public Services Faculty Publications

Describes the process of redesigning the information literacy component of the University of Rhode Island's first year experience program, URI 101, using a library-based scavenger hunt, student worksheets, hands-on exploration of the Library's web site, and in-class discussion.

Framing, Symmetry, And Contrast In Edmond De Goncourt's Aesthetic Interior, Pamela J. Warner

Art and Art History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Varying Inclusion Levels Of Linseed Oil On Growth, Fatty Acid Profile, Membrane Fluidity And Epa/Dha Production In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar), Mary Anne Eaton

Open Access Dissertations

Fish oil accounts for approximately 26.8% of the operating costs of salmon aquaculture. To compensate for the increasing demand in fish oil, alternative plant and animal oils have been used to replace the fish oil. The goal of this study was to formulate a cost-effective fish feed which supports adequate growth of salmon and is less susceptible to oxidative damage while maintaining the characteristic beneficial fatty acid profile. Experiments were undertaken to assess the growth, fatty acid profile, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, and ability of liver hepatocytes to convert linolenic acid to EPA and DHA in Atlantic salmon with inclusion of …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between The Peptide Hormone Ghrelin And Appetite, Plasma Biomarkers Of Satiety And Metabolic Response In Humans, Daniel Lee Kresge

Open Access Dissertations

The peripherally circulating peptide hormone ghrelin is purported to stimulate hunger and feeding in humans, and is affected by the energy storage state as reflected in body mass index and body composition, and by macronutrient content of the diet. There have been few studies in humans that have measured both ghrelin, in its various isoforms, and appetite. To address this, Manuscript #1 of this dissertation examined fasting and postprandial ghrelin and ratings of appetite, in addition to anthropometric and fitness measures in 50 college-age student. There were no significant correlations between fasting or postprandial ghrelin and appetite or anthropometric measures …

The Formulation And Process Development Of A Novel Multiparticulate Extended Release Pharmaceutical Delivery Platform For A Highly Water Soluble Compound, Cyrus D. Agarabi

Open Access Dissertations

This research compared a traditional drug development approach with an enhanced "Quality by Design" (QbD) approach to foster greater process and formulation understanding. Propranolol HCl extended release capsules and Metoprolol Succinate extended release tablets served as targets for development. The formulation and process parameters utilized well-established techniques, such as wet granulation, extrusion, spheronization, and fluid bed processing with commercially available aqueous or organic polymeric systems.

Propranolol HCl extended release capsules were a benchmark for current generic pharmaceutical process development to identify basic parameters for a suitable product. Metoprolol Succinate extended release tablets utilized the ICH Q8 annex guidelines approach to …

Mitochondrial Cob And Cox1 Genes And Editing Of The Corresponding Mrnas In Dinophysis Acuminata From Narragansett Bay, With Special Reference To The Phylogenetic Position Of The Genus Dinophysis, Huan Zhang, Debashish Bhattacharya, Lucie Maranda, Senjie Lin

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Dinophysis acuminata cells were isolated from Narragansett Bay water samples in June 2005 using flow cytometry. Dinoflagellate-specific PCR primers were used to isolate small-subunit rRNA (18S rRNA), mitochondrial cytochrome b (cob), and cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) genes and the encoded cDNAs. Maximum-likelihood analysis of a concatenated data set of ribosomal DNA and cDNA sequences of cob and cox1 showed that D. acuminata was sister to Gonyaulacoids, but without strong bootstrap support. The approximately unbiased test could not reject alternative positions of D. acuminata. To gain better resolution, mRNA editing of cob and cox1 was …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2008-2009, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

No abstract provided.

Classroom-Based Empathy Training: An Evaluation Of Program Effects In An Elementary School, Kimberly Sherman

Open Access Dissertations

Universal classroom-based social skills and violence prevention training is currently a topic of widespread interest. Although there is a growing body of empirical support for some existing social skills programs, less is known about contributions of specific program components to intervention outcomes. Empathy training is one common component of social skills curricula that has been subject to relatively little research. The current study is a single-school quasi-experimental investigation of Second Step empathy training effects on 57 first- and fourth-graders. Dependent variables included self-reported empathy, teacher-reported social skills, teacher-reported problem behaviors, and fourth-graders' self-reported social skills. The study also explored teachers' …

School Psychologists' Readiness To Implement Response To Intervention Practices, Christina Kilgallen

Open Access Dissertations

This study uses a theoretical framework, the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), to explore school psychologists' readiness to implement Response to Intervention. Measures related to school psychologists' decision making process about implementing RTI were developed based on the TTM. The measures included Stage of Change (readiness to implement RTI), Decisional Balance (pros and cons of implementing RTI), and Situational Self-Efficacy (Confidence to implement RTI). A previously developed Reading Research Knowledge scale was also included. Information was gathered about training and practice as well. Two hundred fifty-six school psychologists completed the survey. Results indicated that school psychologists implementing RTI were more confident about …

Survival Of Eastern Oysters Crassostrea Virginica From Three Lines Following Experimental Challenge With Bacterial Pathogens, Javier Gomez-Leon, Luisa Villamil, Scott A. Salger, Rachel Sallum, Antonio Remacha-Trivino, Dale F. Leavitt, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Shellfish production is often affected by bacterial pathogens that cause high losses in hatcheries and nurseries. We evaluated the relative survival of larvae and juveniles of 3 Crassostrea virginica oyster lines: (1) GHP, a Rhode Island line; (2) NEHY, a line resistant to dermo and multinucleated sphere X diseases; and (3) FLOWERS, a line resistant to Roseovarius oyster disease, experimental challenge with Vibrio spp. isolates RE22 and RE101, causative agents of bacillary necrosis in Pacific oyster larvae, and the type strain of Roseovarius crassostreae, causative agent of Roseovarius oyster disease. All of the isolates were able to induce significant …

Gonadal Cycle Of Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linne, 1758), From Fished And Non-Fished Subpopulations In Narragansett Bay, Dora C. Marroquin-Mora, Michael A. Rice

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

To determine if population density in areas closed to fishing in Narragansett Bay is causing differences in the reproductive potential of the organisms, this study used two approaches to determine the reproductive condition of the animals. The first approach consisted in employing a gravimetric condition index (CI) to evaluate the general condition of quahogs from nine different sites, 3 sites open conditionally for fishing (conditional areas) and 6 sites closed to fishing. The second approach was a determination of gonadal index (GI) of a subset of the sample sites, by histological observation of gonadal tissue sections. Initial sampling included determination …

A Sequential Algorithm For Biological Event Detection Using Statistical Nonstationarity, John Dicecco

Open Access Dissertations

High dimension complex dynamical systems, such as those found in physiological processes, produce time series which are often accompanied by nonstationarity. In many cases, the nonstationarity is caused by a physiologically significant event such as the prelude to ventricular fibrillation in cardiac arrest or the change of stasis by introducing pharmaceuticals. A need exists to be able to detect and monitor this change. Most conventional attempts at addressing this problem involve segmenting the time series and evaluating the statistics of the segments. The difficulty with this approach is that the nature of the nonstationarity can be transient, such that it …

A Multiscale Approach To Breeding Habitat Model Development And Evaluation For The Common Loon, Gavia Immer, In New Hampshire, Usa, Anne Kuhn-Hines

Open Access Dissertations

The common loon, Gavia immer, is considered an emblematic and ecologically important example of aquatic-dependent wildlife in North America. The northern breeding range of loons has contracted over the last century, presumably as a result of habitat degradation from human disturbance and lake shore development. The common loon population in New Hampshire is distributed throughout the state and experiences a wide range of lake-specific habitats, water quality conditions, and varying levels of human disturbance. Identifying critical habitat that supports and enhances individual fitness for loons is an important component of loon conservation management. I used an empirical landscape-habitat modeling approach …

Tolfenamic Acid Interrupts The De Novo Synthesis Of Plaque-Forming Amyloid Beta Peptides: Implications For Alzheimers Disease, Lina I. Adwan

Open Access Master's Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) distresses the lives of millions of people around the world. Its costs were estimated to be at least 100 billion dollars each year (Fillit, 2000). And so far, no cure has been found to stop or slow the progression of the disease. Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are considered to be central in pathogenesis of AD. The plaques are mainly composed of aggregations of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, which are generated upon the sequential cleavage of the larger amyloid precursor protein (APP) first by the enzyme β-secretase, and then by the enzyme γ-secretase. These plaques are one …

Feeding Mechanics Of A Trophic Generalist And A Specialist Shark Species: A Comparison Of Diet, Behavior And Function, Shannon Page Gerry

Open Access Dissertations

Ecomorphological studies investigate the relationship between the morphology of an organism and the environment. For feeding, this can be accomplished by a multi-level analysis of the diet, behavior and morphological function of the organism to predict the role of an organism with a community. Partitioning of resources within a community can often be determined by the degree of plasticity or degree of specialization used in resource acquisition by the members. This research studies the feeding ecology, behavior and function of a trophic generalist, spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias, and a trophic specialist, smooth-hounds Mustelus canis, from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island to …

The Phaeodactylum Genome Reveals The Evolutionary History Of Diatom Genomes, Chris Bowler, Bethany D. Jenkins, Tatiana A. Rynearson, Et Al

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Diatoms are photosynthetic secondary endosymbionts found throughout marine and freshwater environments, and are believed to be responsible for around one-fifth of the primary productivity on Earth^1,2. The genome sequence of the marine centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana was recently reported, revealing a wealth of information about diatom biology^3,4,5. Here we report the complete genome sequence of the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and compare it with that of T. pseudonana to clarify evolutionary origins, functional significance and ubiquity of these features throughout diatoms. In spite of the fact that the pennate and centric lineages have only been diverging …

Renaissance 2008, University Of Rhode Island

URI Yearbooks

This is a digitized, downloadable version of the University of Rhode Island yearbook.

Antimicrobial Peptides For Use In Oyster Aquaculture: Effect On Pathogens, Commensals, And Eukaryotic Expression Systems, Tarquin Dorrington, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of marine origin, tachyplesin from the Japanese horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, and pleurocidin-amide from the winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, were tested for their potential effectiveness in disease treatment in oyster aquaculture. Tachyplesin had a greater antimicrobial effect than pleurocidin-amideagainst a range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with minimum inhibitor concentrations in the range of 0.625 to 5ug mL^–1. Tachyplesin (50 mg mL^–1) was also more effective than pleurocidin-amide (250 mg mL^–1) against the oyster protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus, reducing its viability to 9% versus 22% in vitro …

Ecosystem-Based Management In The Colorado River Delta, Karen Hae-Myung Hyun

Open Access Dissertations

The Colorado River Delta (CRD) is only 8% of its original size and is mainly sustained on agricultural run-off from the Mexicali Valley. Clearly current management of this ecosystem has not been effective and a new paradigm is needed. Ecosystem-based management (EBM), the process of controlling human activities to protect, conserve, and enhance the quality of ecosystems to meet current and future needs, provides a way forward. This study uses nine common EBM principles to analyze legislation, research, management plans, and community actions of six major CRD institutions, establishing a governance baseline. This study also utilizes scenario analysis to depict …

Evaluation Of A Novel Autonomous Detector For Microbial Water Quality Monitoring, Heather L. Saffert

Open Access Dissertations

Rapid testing methods are needed for monitoring waters for fecal contamination to identify associated health hazards. Today, standard methods quantify the amount of indicator bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, using culture-based techniques that require incubation periods from 18 to 48 hours. For recreational waters, this time lag delays the closure of waters when a potential health hazard exists and prolongs closures after contamination has dissipated. A remotely deployable, autonomous sampler capable of rapid automated data analysis and reporting of fecal contamination would provide a more effective warning system for both managers and the public. An in situ instrument may also …