Digital Commons Network^™

Incorporating Temperature-Dependent Fish Bioenergetics Into A Narragansett Bay Food Web Model, Margaret A. Heinichen

Open Access Master's Theses

Food web models capture shifting species interactions, making them useful tools for exploring community responses to perturbations. The inclusion of environmental drivers, such as temperature, can improve model predictions as energy demands of an organism can be temperature-specific. While Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) and the recent R implementation of this software, Rpath, have included some thermal responses in past work, models have yet to include temperature-dependent energetic demands and metabolic costs. Our work demonstrates the inclusion of temperature-dependent bioenergetics into an Rpath food web model using the case study of a warming estuary: Narragansett Bay (RI, U.S.). Thermal response parameters …

Investigating Tolfenamic Acid And Its Analogs As Potential Alzheimer’S Disease Therapeutics, Jaunetta Hill

Open Access Dissertations

Dementia is an umbrella term describing several diseases which cause cognitive impairment, confusion, difficulty completing tasks and social withdrawal. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and the incidence is rapidly increasing as the ‘baby boomers’ age. Currently, there is one disease-modifying treatment approved for AD patients, however, its ability to decrease or reverse cognitive decline has yet to be confirmed.

The etiology of AD is unknown, however, there are two forms of AD associated with onset age. Early-onset AD (EOAD) is considered genetic and accounts for less than 5% of AD cases worldwide. Typically, EOAD is …

True Crime, Women, And Sensationalized Representations In The Italian American Imaginary, Francesca Borrione

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation explores American true crime literary and visual narratives and focuses on historical cases involving Italian American women and the cross-cultural relations between Italy and the United States from the late-nineteenth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century. I investigate the influence of true crime narratives on the popular imagination, with attention to the construction of ethnicity, class, and gender. The focus on Italian American women functions as a case study to discuss the impact and persistence of racialized assumptions and cultural stereotypes in American literature and cinema and explores the resistance of women to the dominant narrative. …

Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts, Chang Liu

Open Access Dissertations

Our laboratory initiated a comprehensive research program to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological effects of several botanical based natural products including pomegranate (Punica granatum), red maple (Acer rubrum), polyphenol-enriched maple (Acer saccharum) syrup extract, and various phytocannabinoids (Cannabis sp.). We hypothesize that these bioactive natural products can exert beneficial biological effects via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

In Manuscript 1-4, we identified a series of phytochemicals from botanical extracts including pomegranate, red maple, phenolic-enriched maple syrup extract (MSX) and evaluated their biological activities for potential cosmeceutical and/or dermatological applications. In …

Functional Consequences Of Apoptosis Gene Diversification In Eastern Oyster Immunity, Erin Michele Witkop

Open Access Dissertations

The eastern oyster is an ecologically and economically important filter feeding bivalve mollusc endemic to the east coast of the United States. Outbreaks of disease, such as Dermo disease caused by the parasite Perkinsus marinus, threaten natural oyster populations, and oysters have evolved a complex innate immune system containing large, expanded gene families to combat the diverse array of pathogens in their environment. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a critical immune response to Dermo disease involving a series of expanded gene families, including the Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) family of apoptosis regulatory molecules. The goal of this research is …

Probing Interactions Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes At The Nano-Bio Interface, Mitchell Gravely

Open Access Dissertations

Non-covalent hybrids of single-stranded DNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes (DNA-SWCNTs) have demonstrated applications in biomedical imaging and sensing due to their enhanced biocompatibility and photostable, environmentally-responsive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence. Significant progress has been made in developing robust biological probes based on the sensitive optical properties of SWCNTs, however biological environments introduce complex and dynamic conditions that interact with, and ultimately modulate, their intrinsic properties. These fundamental interactions within biological settings can determine whether a nanomaterial is biocompatible and robust, or cytotoxic and disruptive to biological processes. Thus, a mechanistic understanding of such interactions and their effect on cellular function is …

Advances In Lipid-Based Nanoparticles For Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy, Tianqi Wang, Yusuke Suita, Saradha Miriyala, Jordan Dean, Nikos Tapinos, Jie Shen

Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Nanomedicines have shown great potential in cancer therapy; in particular, the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy (namely chemoimmunotherapy) that is revolutionizing cancer treatment. Currently, most nanomedicines for chemoimmunotherapy are still in preclinical and clinical trials. Lipid-based nanoparticles, the most widely used nanomedicine platform in cancer therapy, is a promising delivery platform for chemoimmunotherapy. In this review, we introduce the commonly used immunotherapy agents and discuss the opportunities for chemoimmunotherapy mediated by lipid-based nanoparticles. We summarize the clinical trials involving lipid-based nanoparticles for chemoimmunotherapy. We also highlight different chemoimmunotherapy strategies based on lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposomes, nanodiscs, and lipid-based hybrid …

New High-Resolution Modeling Of The 2018 Palu Tsunami, Based On Supershear Earthquake Mechanisms And Mapped Coastal Landslides, Supports A Dual Source, Lauren Schambach, Stephan Grilli, David R. Tappin

Ocean Engineering Faculty Publications

The Mw 7.5 earthquake that struck Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on September 28, 2018, was rapidly followed by coastal landslides and destructive tsunami waves within Palu Bay. Here, we present new tsunami modeling that supports a dual source mechanism from the supershear strike-slip earthquake and coastal landslides. Up until now the tsunami mechanism: earthquake, coastal landslides, or a combination of both, has remained controversial, because published research has been inconclusive; with some studies explaining most observations from the earthquake and others the landslides. Major challenges are the numerous different earthquake source models used in tsunami modeling, and that landslide mechanisms have …

Marine Debris Removal: A Case Study On South Korean Marine Litter Management, Eliya M. Baron Lopez

Open Access Master's Theses

Marine plastic pollution is an ongoing global problem, with adverse consequences on human health and marine ecosystems, and requires diverse solutions to eliminate leakages into the oceans via rivers, waste outflows, and direct dumping from vessels. Developed coastal states, like South Korea, have been quietly investing in marine litter management strategies that focus on coastal areas. South Korea is required by national law to establish marine debris management plans that implement policies to address the prevention, collection, and promotion of marine litter. One of these strategies include the implementation of floating debris containment booms (FDCB) in South Korean coastal and …

Understanding The Public Perception Of Selective Breeding Practices In Rhode Island Oyster Aquaculture, Nathan M. Brown

Open Access Master's Theses

Selective breeding is a common practice within oyster aquaculture and is used to improve growth rates as well as reduce the negative impacts of water temperature rise, ocean acidification and disease among oysters. What is lesser understood is the public perception of the use of selective breeding in oyster aquaculture. A total of 81 Rhode Island residents responded online concerning how they perceived selective breeding in Rhode Island as well as what types of oysters they preferred. Multiple 5-point Likert scale questions and discrete choice experiments were used to better understand these perceptions. A majority of those who responded view …

The Initial Response Of The United States’ Textile Recycling Industry To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rosemary Leger

Open Access Master's Theses

The fashion industry is cited as a major contributor to global pollution. The urgent need for a reversal of climate change has led the textile and apparel industry to assess what opportunities exist to convert to greener, less damaging solutions. The recycling of existing textiles and textile waste into yarns and fabrics would reduce the need for raw materials as well as divert millions of tons of textile waste from landfill. Just as these advancements are being made and consumers are beginning to invest in more responsible textile products, the COVID-19 pandemic occurs, and global markets come to a halt. …

Several Factors And Their Role In Control Of Lepidoptera Populations, Alex K. Baranowski

Open Access Master's Theses

A number of factors influence Lepidoptera populations. The larvae are at the mercy of their environment, susceptible to the effects of poor food quality, and highly vulnerable to predation. In this thesis I present three manuscripts dealing with a small snapshot of what dynamics are at play in the control of Lepidoptera numbers.

Host quality is a cornerstone of developmental success, with host suitability to the herbivore in question being affected by the plant’s nutritional profile and its defenses against herbivory. Plant genotype influences plant suitability to herbivores; domesticated plants selected for properties such as high fruit yield are demonstrably …

Effectiveness Of The National Marine Sanctuary Program In Addressing Ocean Noise Effects On Marine Mammals, Kayla N. Williams

Open Access Master's Theses

Ocean noise has become a persistent global threat to marine mammal habitats. U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries have been regarded as possible ocean noise mitigation tools because of their special focus on conservation of marine resources and their location within key marine mammal habitats; yet previous evaluations of National Marine Sanctuaries have not focused specifically on their effectiveness in addressing ocean noise and its impacts on marine mammals. Using management plan and survey data of 11 U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries, this study investigates 1) the actions that Sanctuaries are taking to address ocean noise impacts from human activities on marine mammals …

Who’S Minding The Makos? Applications Of Movement Patterns And Habitat Utilization For Management Of Shortfin Mako Shark And Intersection With Offshore Energy Exploration, Maria H. Manz

Open Access Master's Theses

The absence of coordinated international management for shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus, hereafter: mako) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with a lack of knowledge about large-scale mako movements and habitat use, have hampered effective mako shark management in the North Atlantic (Campana, 2016). In addition to fishing pressure, anthropogenic factors like the expansion of oil rigs into deeper pelagic waters and development of offshore wind farms in the Northwest Atlantic are likely to influence mako habitat use (Bailey, Brooks, and Thompson, 2014). Our work used a longitudinal satellite telemetry dataset to investigate …

Analyzing Hsp104 Chaperone Function In Disassembly Of Amyloid Aggregates In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast Model System, Negar Rahmani

Open Access Master's Theses

There are millions of people affected by neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, and currently there is no presented treatment for neurodegenerative disease, and the treatments available are only to stop symptoms or manage disease progress. Therefore, developing a novel treatment or cure for these diseases has become an urgent matter to the world. However, this only happens when there is a deep understanding of the causes and mechanisms of each disease. A pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of protein aggregates containing an amyloid conformation. These amyloid fibers are comprised of misfolded proteins that are rich in beta-strands and arrange …

Socio-Cultural Changes In New England Lobster Fisheries: Policy, Perspective, And Community In Midcoast Maine, Melanie Nash

Open Access Master's Theses

The Maine lobster industry is not only the most valuable local export, but also a part of the state’s culture and identity. Lobster fisheries in Maine are currently facing a number of struggles. These include environmental issues like climate change and warming water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine. These changes are leading to the movement of the lobster population, which in turn is changing how the lobster industry functions. There are also policy changes being proposed right now that could have serious implications for the lobster fishery. Notably, these include new offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine …

Procedural Generation Of Game-Worlds, Christopher Mccooey

Open Access Master's Theses

In today’s market, video games are a popular source of entertainment for people. Many successful games require environments that are engaging for players. Procedural generation is a technique that allows the creation of environments and other types of content for video games. What makes a procedural algorithm successful will depend on the type of game being developed. The purpose of this research is to discuss algorithms for generating non-linear game-worlds for 2D platformer video games. During this research, I implemented a platformer game with some very basic goals and mechanics. The player can move and jump around an environment or …

Characterizing The Seasonal And Environmental Effects On High Frequency Acoustic Fish Tag Detection In Shallow Water Settings, Jacob Bonney

Open Access Master's Theses

Networks of high frequency (69kHz) acoustic fish tracking tags and receiver arrays are commonly used by marine biologists and fisheries management programs to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of a marine species. Despite the widespread use of these networks for monitoring fish movement ecology, there is often limited information to inform suitable receiver array spacing for optimal detection probability, or confidence estimates in tag detections. This is further confounded by the effects that seasonal and environmental changes can have on acoustic propagation. To evaluate these effects, the effective range of high frequency acoustic transmitters for medium and large fish …

Applying Model Approaches In Non-Model Systems: A Review And Case Study On Coral Cell Culture, Liza M. Roger, Hannah G. Reich, Evan Lawrence, Shuaifeng Li, Whitney Vizgaudis, Nathan Brenner, Lokender Kumar, Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Jinkyu Yang, Hollie M. Putnam, Nastassja A. Lewinski

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Model systems approaches search for commonality in patterns underlying biological diversity and complexity led by common evolutionary paths. The success of the approach does not rest on the species chosen but on the scalability of the model and methods used to develop the model and engage research. Fine-tuning approaches to improve coral cell cultures will provide a robust platform for studying symbiosis breakdown, the calcification mechanism and its disruption, protein interactions, micronutrient transport/exchange, and the toxicity of nanoparticles, among other key biological aspects, with the added advantage of minimizing the ethical conundrum of repeated testing on ecologically threatened organisms. The …

Three-Dimensional Mapping Reveals Scale-Dependent Dynamics In Biogenic Reef Habitat Structure, Tim Jackson-Bué, Gareth J. Williams, Guy Walker-Springett, Steven J. Rowlands, Andrew J. Davies

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Habitat structure influences a broad range of ecological interactions and ecosystem functions across biomes. To understand and effectively manage dynamic ecosystems, we need detailed information about habitat properties and how they vary across spatial and temporal scales. Measuring and monitoring variation in three-dimensional (3D) habitat structure has traditionally been challenging, despite recognition of its importance to ecological processes. Modern 3D mapping technologies present opportunities to characterize spatial and temporal variation in habitat structure at a range of ecologically relevant scales. Biogenic reefs are structurally complex and dynamic habitats, in which structure has a pivotal influence on ecosystem biodiversity, function and …

A Counter-History Of Rhetorical Ecologies, Madison Jones

Professional and Public Writing Faculty Publications

In this essay, I argue that the ecological turn in rhetorical studies has produced spatiotemporal problems and that these problems are directly tied to the material disciplinary history of ecosystems ecology and its connections to the Anthropocene violence of nuclear colonialism. These spatiotemporal concerns result from rhetoric’s “ecological moment”—a kairotic framework that emphasizes flux but elides material histories. Building from rhetorical scholarship in decolonial historiography and place-based methods, I offer a counterhistory of ecology to demonstrate how our field can better engage with the dynamic narrative pasts that shape contemporary rhetorical ecological inquiry. Through this counterhistory, I provide a method …

Deep Mapping For Environmental Communication Design, Shannon Butts, Madison Jones

Professional and Public Writing Faculty Publications

This article shares lessons from designing EcoTour, a multimedia environmental advocacy project in a state park, and it describes theoretical, practical, and pedagogical connections between locative media and community-engaged design. While maps can help share information about places, people, and change, they also limit how we visualize complex stories. Using deep mapping, and blending augmented reality with digital maps, EcoTour helps people understand big problems like climate change within the context of their local community. This article demonstrates the rhetorical potential of community-engaged design strategies to affect users, prompt action, and create more democratic discourse in environmental communication.

Is It Scientific? Viewer Perceptions Of Storm Surge Visualizations, Peter J. Stempel, Austin Becker

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

Scientists and coastal risk managers use semi-realistic visualizations of storm surge connected to hydrodynamic models to make projected impacts engaging and accessible. Such visualizations do not fit within established frameworks for visualizing risk because they add representational detail and may imply more certainty than exists regarding outcomes. This study explores how audiences regard these visualizations in relation to perceived representational norms for scientific graphics and visualizations. Online survey respondents (735 experts and members of the general public, primarily in Rhode Island and the northeastern United States) were asked about characteristics that make a representation “scientific.” Results demonstrate differences in norms …

Indigenizing Ecosystem Management In Rhode Island, Jackson Cox

Open Access Master's Theses

This project interviewed members of the Narragansett Tribe on the concerns the Tribe has with climate change. Following the guidelines of decolonizing methodologies and the concept of Indigenizing futures, this project aimed to be as respectful and useful to the Narragansett Tribe as possible. The project delves into current and future Narragansett concerns the Narragansett regarding climate change, and it identifies some of the cultural, historical, and societal factors that inform their viewpoints on climate change and climate change adaptation. Some of the concerns for the Tribe included: air quality, the health of forest resources, and energy production and consumption. …

The Effects Of Message Framing On Response To Plastic Reduction Policies, Courtney Milley

Open Access Master's Theses

Academic literature to date has effectively proven the scale of plastic pollution’s harm to the environment. Some scholars have even argued that it should be discussed broadly in society as a crisis (Mæland & Staupe‐Delgado 2019). To reduce plastic pollution, potential policies need widespread support. Existing literature shows framing manipulations can influence opinion and care for plastic pollution but have not been tied to policy support. This study looked to assess the difference in policy support between groups framed with plastic pollution contributing to climate change causing emissions, plastic pollution endangering charismatic animals, or a control framing with simple information …

Advances In The Arms Race Between Silkworm And Baculovirus, Liang Jiang, Marian R. Goldsmith, Qingyou Xia

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Insects are the largest group of animals. Nearly all organisms, including insects, have viral pathogens. An important domesticated economic insect is the silkworm moth Bombyx mori. B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a typical baculovirus and a primary silkworm pathogen. It causes major economic losses in sericulture. Baculoviruses are used in biological pest control and as a bioreactor. Silkworm and baculovirus comprise a well-established model of insect–virus interactions. Several recent studies have focused on this model and provided novel insights into viral infections and host defense. Here, we focus on baculovirus invasion, silkworm immune response, baculovirus evasion of host immunity, …

Draft Genome Sequence Of Salegentibacter Sp. Strain Bdj18, A Plankton-Associated Bacterium In The Northeast Atlantic Ocean, Elizabeth J. Mcdermith, Alexa R. Sterling, Matthew J. Bertin, Bethany D. Jenkins

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Salegentibacter sp. strain BDJ18 was isolated from a plankton-associated seawater sample from the northeast Atlantic Ocean. We report its draft genome assembly, which includes genes potentially important for microbial interactions in the marine environment.

Meta-Analysis Of Primary Producer Amino Acid Δ15N Values And Their Influence On Trophic Position Estimation, Matthew D. Ramirez, Alexi C. Besser, Seth D. Newsome, Kelton Mcmahon

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

1. Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of individual amino acids (CSIA-AA) has emerged as a transformative approach to estimate consumer trophic positions (TP_CSIA) that are internally indexed to primary producer nitrogen isotope baselines. Central to accurate TP_CSIA estimation is an understanding of beta (β) values—the differences between trophic and source AA δ¹⁵N values in the primary producers at the base of a consumers’ food web. Growing evidence suggests higher taxonomic and tissue-specific β value variability than typically appreciated.
2. This meta-analysis fulfills a pressing need to comprehensively evaluate relevant sources of β value variability and its contribution to …

Open Ocean Particle Flux Variability From Surface To Seafloor, B. B. Cael, Kelsey Bisson, Maureen Conte, Manon T. Duret, Christopher L. Follett, Stephanie A. Henson, Makio C. Honda, Morten H. Inversen, David M. Kart, Richard S. Lampitt, Colleen B. Mouw, Frank Muller-Karger, Corinne A. Pebody, Kenneth L. Smith, David Talmy

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The sinking of carbon fixed via net primary production (NPP) into the ocean interior is an important part of marine biogeochemical cycles. NPP measurements follow a log-normal probability distribution, meaning NPP variations can be simply described by two parameters despite NPP's complexity. By analyzing a global database of open ocean particle fluxes, we show that this log-normal probability distribution propagates into the variations of near-seafloor fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC), calcium carbonate, and opal. Deep-sea particle fluxes at subtropical and temperate time-series sites follow the same log-normal probability distribution, strongly suggesting the log-normal description is robust and applies on …

Finding Essentiality Feasible: Common Questions And Misinterpretations Concerning The “Essential-Use” Concept, Ian T. Cousins, Jamie C. De Witt, Juliane Glüge, Gretta Goldenman, Dorte Herzke, Rainer Lohmann, Mark Miller, Carla A. Ng, Sharyle Patton, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Zhanyun Wang

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The essential-use concept is a tool that can guide the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and potentially other substances of concern. This concept is a novel approach to chemicals management that determines whether using substances of concern, such as PFAS, is truly essential for a given functionality. To assess the essentiality of a particular use case, three considerations need to be addressed: (1) the function (chemical, end use and service) that the chemical provides in the use case, (2) whether the function is necessary for health and safety and critical for the functioning of society and (3) if …