Digital Commons Network^™

Geographic Differences In The Dietary Quality Of Food Purchases Among Participants In The Nationally Representative Food Acquisition And Purchase Survey (Foodaps), Maya Vadiveloo, Elie Perraud, Haley W. Parker, Filippa Juul, Niyati Parekh

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Objective grocery transactions may reflect diet, but it is unclear whether the diet quality of grocery purchases mirrors geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in diet-related diseases. This cross-sectional analysis of 3961 households in the nationally representative Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey evaluated geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in grocery purchase quality. Respondents self-reported demographics and recorded purchases over 7 days; the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015 assessed diet quality. Survey-weighted multivariable-adjusted regression determined whether there were geographic and racial/ethnic differences in HEI-15 scores. Respondents were, on average, 50.6 years, non-Hispanic white (NHW) (70.3%), female (70.2%), and had attended some college (57.8%). HEI-15 …

Robustness Of Food Processing Classification Systems, Rachel Bleiweiss-Sande, Kenneth Chui, E. Whitney Evans, Jeanne Goldberg, Sarah A. Amin, Jennifer Sachek

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Discrepancies exist among food processing classification systems and in the relationship between processed food intake and dietary quality of children. This study compared inter-rater reliability, food processing category, and the relationship between processing category and nutrient concentration among three systems (Nova, International Food Information Council (IFIC), and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)). Processing categories for the top 100 most commonly consumed foods children consume (NHANES 2013–2014) were independently coded and compared using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Relative ability of nutrient concentration to predict processing category was investigated using linear discriminant analysis and multinomial logistic regression and compared …

Population Demography Of Oldham’S Leaf Turtle (Cyclemys Oldhamii) In Protected And Disturbed Habitats In Thailand, Sengvilay Seateun, Nancy E. Karraker, Bryan L. Stuart, Anchalee Aowphol

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Background. Freshwater turtle populations are vulnerable to a range of human activities because of particular life history attributes, and anthropogenic impacts can cause shifts in demographic traits, including survival, density and population structure. Asian freshwater turtles have undergone dramatic population declines in recent decades principally because of collection for food, pet, and traditional medicine markets. Despite this, few studies have been conducted on the population demography of these turtles, thereby limiting our understanding of population trends and the development of conservation actions. Oldham's leaf turtle (Cyclemys oldhamii) is one of the most commonly traded turtles in Asian …

The Effect Of A Tropical Climate On Available Nutrient Resources To Springs In Ophiolite-Hosted, Deep Biosphere Ecosystems In The Philippines, D'Arcy R. Meyer-Dombard, Magdelena R. Osburn, Dawn Cardace, Carlo A. Arcilla

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Springs hosted in ophiolites are often affected by serpentinization processes. The characteristically low DIC and high CH₄ and H₂ gas concentrations of serpentinizing ecosystems have led to interest in hydrogen based metabolisms in these subsurface biomes. However, a true subsurface signature can be difficult to identify in surface expressions such as serpentinizing springs. Here, we explore carbon and nitrogen resources in serpentinization impacted springs in the tropical climate of the Zambales and Palawan ophiolites in the Philippines, with a focus on surface vs. subsurface processes and exogenous vs. endogenous nutrient input. Isotopic signatures in spring fluids, biomass, and …

Planarity And Out-Of-Plane Vibrational Modes Of Tryptophan And Tyrosine In Biomolecular Modeling, Faramarz Joodaki, Lenore M. Martin, Michael L. Greenfield

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Tryptophan and tyrosine are aromatic amino acids that play significant roles in the folding processes of proteins at water-membrane interfaces because of their amphipathic structures. Employing appropriate heteroaromatic molecular structures are essential for obtaining accurate dynamics and predictive capabilities in molecular simulations of these amino acids. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations that applied the most recent version of the CHARMM36 force field were conducted on aqueous solutions of tryptophan and of tyrosine. Geometric analysis and dynamics quantified how aromatic rings deviated from planar structures and exhibited out-of-plane fluctuations. Radial distribution functions showed possible biological significance because extent of ring …

Urbanization Affects Body Size And Parasitism But Not Thermal Preferences In Anolis Lizards, Christopher J. Thawley, Haley A. Moniz, Amanda J. Merritt, Andrew C. Battles, Sozos N. Michaelides, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Urbanization is accelerating worldwide and creates novel habitat conditions including increases in environmental temperature and changes in presence and abundance of predators, prey and parasites. For species that use urban habitats, these changes can have strong impacts on phenotypes. Anolis lizards commonly exploit urban habitats and, as ectotherms, are likely to experience pressures from these novel environments. Previous research shows that anoles may adapt to some aspects of urban habitats, but we lack an understanding of the breadth of traits that may shift in response to urbanization and how widespread these changes may be. To assess effects of urban habitat …

A Comparison Of The Population Genetic Structure And Diversity Between A Common (Chrysemys P. Picta) And An Endangered (Clemmys Guttata) Freshwater Turtle, Scott W. Buchanan, Jason J. Kolbe, Johanna E. Wegener, Jessica R. Atutubo, Nancy E. Karraker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The northeastern United States has experienced dramatic alteration to its landscape since the time of European settlement. This alteration has had major impacts on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations, but the legacy of this landscape change remains largely unexplored for most species of freshwater turtles. We used microsatellite markers to characterize and compare the population genetic structure and diversity between an abundant generalist, the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys p. picta), and the rare, more specialized, spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) in Rhode Island, USA. We predicted that because spotted turtles have disproportionately experienced the detrimental effects of habitat loss …

Even Obligate Symbioses Show Signs Of Ecological Contingency: Impacts Of Symbiosis For An Invasive Stinkbug Are Mediated By Host Plant Context, Janelle Couret, Lynn Huynh-Griuffin, Ivan Antolic-Soban, Tarik Salam Acevedo-Gonzalez, Nicole M. Gerardo

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many species interactions are dependent on environmental context, yet the benefits of obligate, mutualistic microbial symbioses to their hosts are typically assumed to be universal across environments. We directly tested this assumption, focusing on the symbiosis between the sap‐feeding insect Megacopta cribraria and its primary bacterial symbiont Candidatus Ishikawaella capsulata. We assessed host development time, survival, and body size in the presence and absence of the symbiont on two alternative host plants and in the insects' new invasive range. We found that association with the symbiont was critical for host survival to adulthood when reared on either host plant, with …

Scaffold-Based Lung Tumor Culture On Porous Plga Microparticle Substrates, Aneetta E. Kuriakose, Wenjing Hu, Kytai T. Nguyen, Jyothi Menon

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Scaffold-based cancer cell culture techniques have been gaining prominence especially in the last two decades. These techniques can potentially overcome some of the limitations of current three-dimensional cell culture methods, such as uneven cell distribution, inadequate nutrient diffusion, and uncontrollable size of cell aggregates. Porous scaffolds can provide a convenient support for cell attachment, proliferation and migration, and also allows diffusion of oxygen, nutrients and waste. In this paper, a comparative study was done on porous poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles prepared using three porogens—gelatin, sodium bicarbonate (SBC) or novel poly N-isopropylacrylamide [PNIPAAm] particles, as substrates for lung cancer cell …

Antagonism Of Quorum Sensing Phenotypes By Analogs Of The Marine Bacterial Secondary Metabolite 3-Methyl-N-(2′-Phenylethyl)-Butyramide, Susan M. Meschwitz, Margaret E. Teasdale, Ann Mozzer, Nicole Martin, Jiayuan Liu, Stephanie Forschner-Dancause, David C. Rowley

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Quorum sensing (QS) antagonists have been proposed as novel therapeutic agents to combat bacterial infections. We previously reported that the secondary metabolite 3-methyl-N-(2′-phenylethyl)-butyramide, produced by a marine bacterium identified as Halobacillus salinus, inhibits QS controlled phenotypes in multiple Gram-negative reporter strains. Here we report that N-phenethyl hexanamide, a structurally-related compound produced by the marine bacterium Vibrio neptunius, similarly demonstrates QS inhibitory properties. To more fully explore structure–activity relationships within this new class of QS inhibitors, a panel of twenty analogs was synthesized and biologically evaluated. Several compounds were identified with increased attenuation of QS-regulated phenotypes, most notably N-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-phenylpropanamide against the …

Drug Sensitivity Screening And Targeted Pathway Analysis Reveal A Multi-Driver Proliferative Mechanism And Suggest A Strategy Of Combination Targeted Therapy For Colorectal Cancer Cells, Jinyan Shen, Li Li, Tao Yang, Niuliang Cheng, Gongqin Sun

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Treatment of colorectal cancer mostly relies on traditional therapeutic approaches, such as surgery and chemotherapy. Limited options of targeted therapy for colorectal cancer narrowly focus on blocking cancer-generic targets VEGFR and EGFR. Identifying the oncogenic drivers, understanding their contribution to proliferation, and finding inhibitors to block such drivers are the keys to developing targeted therapy for colorectal cancer. In this study, ten colorectal cancer cell lines were screened against a panel of protein kinase inhibitors blocking key oncogenic signaling pathways. The results show that four of the 10 cell lines did not respond to any kinase inhibitors significantly, the other …

Molecular Mechanisms Underpinning Transgenerational Plasticity In The Green Sea Urchin Psammechinus Miliaris, Melody S. Clark, Coleen Suckling, Alessandro Cavallo, Clara L. Mackenzie, Michael A.S. Thorne, Andrew J. Davies, Lloyd S. Peck

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The pre-conditioning of adult marine invertebrates to altered conditions, such as low pH, can significantly impact offspring outcomes, a process which is often referred to as transgenerational plasticity (TGP). This study describes for the first time, the gene expression profiles associated with TGP in the green sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris and evaluates the transcriptional contribution to larval resilience. RNA-Seq was used to determine how the expression profiles of larvae spawned into low pH from pre-acclimated adults differed to those of larvae produced from adults cultured under ambient pH. The main findings demonstrated that adult conditioning to low pH critically pre-loads …

Bacterial Community Dynamics In An Oyster Hatchery In Response To Probiotic Treatment, Rebecca J. Stevick, Saebom Sohn, Tejashree H. Modak, David R. Nelson, David C. Rowley, Karin Tammi, Roxanna Smolowitz, Kathryn Markey Lundgren, Anton F. Post, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Larval oysters in hatcheries are susceptible to diseases caused by bacterial pathogens, including Vibrio spp. Previous studies have shown that daily addition of the probiotic Bacillus pumilus RI06-95 to water in rearing tanks increases larval survival when challenged with the pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. We propose that the presence of probiotics causes shifts in bacterial community structure in rearing tanks, leading to a net decrease in the relative abundance of potential pathogens. During three trials spanning the 2012–2015 hatchery seasons, larvae, tank biofilm, and rearing water samples were collected from control and probiotic-treated tanks in an oyster hatchery over a …

Identifying Drivers Of Genetically Modified Seafood Demand: Evidence From A Choice Experiment, Michael J. Weir, Thomas W. Sproul

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

The aquaculture industry has expanded to fill the gap between plateauing wild seafood supply and growing consumer seafood demand. The use of genetic modification (GM) technology has been proposed to address sustainability concerns associated with current aquaculture practices, but GM seafood has proved controversial among both industry stakeholders and producers, especially with forthcoming GM disclosure requirements for food products in the United States. We conduct a choice experiment eliciting willingness-to-pay for salmon fillets with varying characteristics, including GM technology and GM feed. We then develop a predictive model of consumer choice using LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator)-regularization applied …

Probing The Effect Of Bulky Lesion-Induced Replication Fork Conformational Heterogeneity Using 4-Aminobiphenyl-Modified Dna, Ang Cai, Ke Bian, Fangyi Chen, Qi Tang, Rachel Carley, Deyu Li, Bongsup P. Cho

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Bulky organic carcinogens are activated in vivo and subsequently react with nucleobases of cellular DNA to produce adducts. Some of these DNA adducts exist in multiple conformations that are slowly interconverted to one another. Different conformations have been implicated in different mutagenic and repair outcomes. However, studies on the conformation-specific inhibition of replication, which is more relevant to cell survival, are scarce, presumably due to the structural dynamics of DNA lesions at the replication fork. It is difficult to capture the exact nature of replication inhibition by existing end-point assays, which usually detect either the ensemble of consequences of all …

Temporal Effectiveness Of Biodiversity Surrogates In Coral Reefs In The British Virgin Islands, Nicole B. Keefner

Open Access Master's Theses

Global biodiversity declines associated with anthropogenic stressors have motivated researchers to implement monitoring programs to estimate species richness for major taxonomic groups. Due to logistical challenges of species identification, there have been efforts to use biological and abiotic surrogates as indicators of species richness targets. An effective surrogate has two essential features: first, it takes less time, money, and experience to measure than the target and second, it maintains a consistently strong correlation with the target over space and time. Few studies, however, have explicitly investigated surrogate effectiveness over time, and those that have are typically quite short. Our main …

Global Spatial Risk Assessment Of Sharks Under The Footprint Of Fisheries, Nuno Queiroz, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Et Al

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Effective ocean management and the conservation of highly migratory species depend on resolving the overlap between animal movements and distributions, and fishing effort. However, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach that combines satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space-use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively), and were also associated with significant increases in fishing …

Vulnerability Of Resource Users In Louisiana’S Oyster Fishery To Environmental Hazards, Austin T. Humphries, Lauren I. Josephs, Megan K. La Peyre, Steven Hall, Rachel Dowty Beech

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Knowledge of vulnerability provides the foundation for developing actions that minimize impacts on people while maximizing the sustainability of ecosystem goods and services. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to determine how resource-dependent people are vulnerable to environmental hazards. This idea is particularly true in coastal Louisiana, USA, where the current era of rapid land loss has the potential to undermine oyster fisheries. However, little is known about how such environmental change might differentially affect resource users and stakeholders. We examined social components of vulnerability to environmental hazards using indicators of susceptibility and adaptive capacity within the oyster …

Complex Transboundary Movements Of Marine Megafauna In The Western Indian Ocean, Amanda N. Barkley, Matthew Gollock, Melita Samoilys, Fiona Llewellyn, Mahmood Shivji, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Nigel E. Hussey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Transboundary marine species have an increased risk of overexploitation as management regimes and enforcement can vary among states. The complex geopolitical layout of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) introduces the potential for migratory species to cross multiple boundaries, consequently a lack of scientific data could complicate regional management. In the current study, we highlight both the relative lack of spatial data available in the WIO, and the prevalence of transboundary movements in species that have previously been studied in the region. Five tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier were tracked with near real‐time positioning (SPOT) satellite tags …

Raytheon -- Strength Optimized Designs Using Additive Manufacturing, Donovan Blanpied, Reed Nelson, David Silverstein, Alex Snyder

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

Designing a structure to demonstrate the strength of 3-D printed part is more complicated than it seems. The design goal was to construct a device that demonstrates how 3-D printing can create a strength optimized design. The design must incorporate maximum strength, while not sacrificing other major components such as weight of the product, cost of the product, print time of the product and how much material is being used. Extensive research and tests were conducted on infill patterns, football helmets, and TPU material (material used in football helmets).

There are multiple infill patterns that must be considered. The most …

Waterproofing 3d-Printed Parts, Allen Freitas, Zachary Carroll, Holly Robinson, Alyssa San Angelo

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

Team Operation: Watertight has been given the task to design a technique for printing or a post process application for treating fused deposition modeled parts to become impermeable to water. The final design report shows the progress made over the past academic year in order to create this process.

In the fall, the team brainstormed many possible solutions and was able to narrow them down with the support of our sponsors, accompanied by a lot of research. This research consisted of many literature searches and patent searches to ensure there was not a process already designed for this application. Last …

Life Without Professional Work-Perceptions About One’S Self, Interpersonal Relations And Social Life After Retirement, Ann-Charlotte Dalheim-Englund, Gunilla Carlsson, Maria Nystrom, Catharina Gillsjö, Irene Eriksson, Lina Palmer

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

The aim of this study is to understand how healthy, older adults in Sweden perceive their life situation after retirement. The study is based on a lifeworld approach, and a phenomenographic method was used. Eighteen participants were interviewed, and data were analysed according to the phenomenographic principle of qualitatively different categories. Two categories were developed. The first category, “perceptions that draw attention inward, towards one’s self”, was further described in three subcategories: Sense of decreased status in society, the desire to keep aging at a distance, and contemplation of one’s own existence. The second category, “perceptions that draw attention outward, …

Associations Between Timing And Quality Of Solid Food Introduction With Infant Weight-For-Length Z-Scores At 12 Months: Findings From The Nurture Cohort, Maya Vadiveloo, Alison Tovar, Truls Østbye, Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon

Nutrition Faculty Publications

This study assesses associations of the timing and quality of solid foods introduced during infancy with weight-for-length (WFL) z-scores at 12 months within the Nurture cohort. Women from North Carolina self-reported sociodemographics, the timing and type of solid food introduction, and reasons for introducing solids; infant anthropometrics were measured every 3 months through 1 year (n = 666). Frequency (0–5x/day) infants consumed fruits and vegetables was used to compute a mean (4–12 months) healthy food score (HFS), and sweets, french fries, snacks, and ice cream was used to compute a mean unhealthy food score (UnHFS). Multivariable-adjusted generalized linear models …

Loss Of Bcaa Catabolism During Carcinogenesis Enhances Mtorc1 Activity And Promotes Tumor Development And Progression, Russell E. Ericksen, Siew Lan Lim, Eoin Mcdonnell, Wai Ho Shuen, Maya Vadiveloo, Phillip J. White, Zhaobing Ding, Royston Kwok, Philip Lee, George K. Radda, Han Chong Toh, Matthew D. Hirschey, Weiping Han

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Tumors display profound changes in cellular metabolism, yet how these changes aid the development and growth of tumors is not fully understood. Here we use a multi-omic approach to examine liver carcinogenesis and regeneration, and find that progressive loss of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism promotes tumor development and growth. In human hepatocellular carcinomas and animal models of liver cancer, suppression of BCAA catabolic enzyme expression led to BCAA accumulation in tumors, though this was not observed in regenerating liver tissues. The degree of enzyme suppression strongly correlated with tumor aggressiveness, and was an independent predictor of clinical outcome. Moreover, …

Development And Validation Of The Policies, Opportunities, Initiatives And Notable Topics (Points) Audit For Campuses And Worksites, Tanya M. Horacek, Mariel Simon, Elif Dede Yildirim, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Kristin Riggsbee, Melissa D. Olfert, Jesse Stabile Morrell, Anne E. Mathews, Wenjun Zhou, Tandalayo Kidd, Kendra Kattelmann, Geoffrey Greene, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah Colby, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Onikia Brown

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background: Workplace or campus wellness/obesity-prevention policies and initiatives can improve health. Research tools to assess worksite or campus policies/initiatives are scarce. Thus, the aim of this research is to develop and validate the policies, opportunities, initiatives, and notable topics (POINTS) audit. Methods: POINTS was developed and refined via expert review, pilot-testing, and field testing. Trained researchers completed a web-based review from a student-focus or employee-focus regarding 34 health-promoting topics for colleges. Each topic was evaluated on a 0–2 scale: 0 = no policy/initiative, 1 = initiatives, 2 = written policy. When a written policy was detected, additional policy …

Mutation Update For The Satb2 Gene, Yuri A. Zarate, R. Caffrey, Et Al

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

SATB2‐associated syndrome (SAS) is an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by alterations in the SATB2 gene. Here we present a review of published pathogenic variants in the SATB2 gene to date and report 38 novel alterations found in 57 additional previously unreported individuals. Overall, we present a compilation of 120 unique variants identified in 155 unrelated families ranging from single nucleotide coding variants to genomic rearrangements distributed throughout the entire coding region of SATB2. Single nucleotide variants predicted to result in the occurrence of a premature stop codon were the most commonly seen (51/120 = 42.5%) followed by …

Prescription Opioid Use Among Pregnant Women Enrolled In Rhode Island Medicaid, Xuerong Wen, Nicholas Belviso, Rebecca Lebeau, Jeffrey P. Bratberg, Brandi Cotton, Kristina E. Ward, Debra A. Erickson-Owens, Stephen Jon Kogut

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: Our objective was to identify the patterns of opioid use among pregnant women enrolled in RI Medicaid.

Methods: This study used linked RI Medicaid and RI Birth Certificate data from 01/01/2006 to 12/31/2016. We examined temporal trends of prescription opioid dispensings and identified risk factors associated with opioids use during pregnancy.

Results: Among 25,500 RI Medicaid enrolled pregnant women who delivered a live baby from 2008 to 2016, 1,914 (7.5%) received at least one prescription for an opioid medication during pregnancy, 810 (3.2%) were during the first trimester, 633 (2.5%) during the second trimester, and 866 (3.4%) during the …

Female Headship And Women’S Work In Nepal, Pratistha Joshi-Rajkarnikar, Smita Ramnarain

Economics Faculty Publications

Literature on household headship has, by and large, tended to homogenize female-headed households (FHHs). We present a mixed methods approach to disaggregating the experiences of female-headed households (FHHs) in the post-conflict period in Nepal. One of four households in Nepal is estimated to be female-headed, either as a result of conflict-related male deaths (de jure, or widow heads) or due to male out-migration (de facto, or wives of migrants). We examine similarities and differences in the work responsibilities and labor market participation of de jure and de facto female heads using quantitative data from the Nepal …

Inclusion, Universal Design And Universal Design For Learning In Higher Education: South Africa And The United States, Elizabeth M. Dalton, Marcia Lyner-Cleophas, Britt T. Ferguson, Judith Mckenzie

Communicative Disorders Faculty Publications

Around the world, institutions of higher education are recognising their responsibilities to achieve the full inclusion of individuals with differing needs and/or disabilities. The frameworks of universal design (UD) and universal design for learning (UDL) offer unique ways to build inclusiveness in our systems. The role of UD and UDL to strengthen successful inclusion of persons with differing needs in higher education programmes is presented from literature, inclusive of national and international policies and resources. Examples from South African and US institutions of higher learning are shared. Discussions of online accessibility, environmental issues, professional development, barriers to inclusion and recommendations …

University Manual 2018-2019, Uri Faculty Senate

University Manual Archive

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