Digital Commons Network^™

Modification Of The Escherichia Coli Nissle 1917 EnvZ Gene To Improve Its Probiotic Potential, Jimmy Adediran

Open Access Master's Theses

The pathogenic Escherichia coli EDL933 is known to cause infection in the intestine. E. coli Nissle 1917 is used as a probiotic strain to prevent infection (63). When the mouse intestine is pre-colonized with E. coli Nissle 1917 it prevents E. coli EDL933 from growing up in the intestine. E. coli EDL933 is not eliminated from the intestine; it stays at the level in which it was fed to the mice. The P41L envZ missense mutation was previously shown to causes an increase in the level of phosporylated OmpR (OmpR~P) produced (67). E. coli MG1655 with the P41L missense …

Body Composition, Movement Phenology And Habitat Use Of Common Eider Along The Southern New England Coast, Joshua M. Beuth

Open Access Master's Theses

The nearshore and offshore waters of southern New England provide important winter habitat for many sea duck species including common eiders (Somateria mollissima). Sea ducks that inhabit these waters must contend with global climate change, disease, and anthropogenic disturbance including proposed offshore wind energy development; however, evaluating these potential impacts on sea ducks, in general, and eiders in particular is difficult because knowledge of their ecology during winter is limited. I conducted the first validation of a non-lethal method for estimating body composition (deuterium dilution) of eiders and then applied this method to assess changes in body composition …

Physical Activity Relapse Prevention In Middle School Students: Using Mediation Analysis, Chrislyn Lauren Nefas

Open Access Master's Theses

Currently, very little is known about the mechanisms involved in effective behavior change interventions. In order to determine which mechanisms of the model produced the behavior change, longitudinal mediation structural equation models are necessary. The current study aims to determine the processes that underlie behavior change mechanisms of a Transtheoretical Model (TTM) computer based physical activity intervention study administered to middle school students (N = 4,151) in the state of Rhode Island.

This study examined a subset of students (N = 534) who reported as physically active at baseline. For this study, the independent variables consist of behavioral processes; mediating …

False Ring Formation In Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) After Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae) And Elongate Hemlock Scale (Fiorinia Externa) Feeding, Liahna Gonda-King

Open Access Master's Theses

Hemlock forests in the eastern United States are threatened by two sessile invasive herbivores: the elongate hemlock scale, Fiorinia externa Ferris (Hemiptera: Diaspididae; ‘EHS’) and the hemlock woolly adelgid Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Adelgidae; ‘HWA’). EHS and HWA occupy similar feeding guilds but have enormously different effects on tree health. EHS reduces hemlock growth and causes needle discoloration and loss, but only causes tree mortality under high EHS densities (McClure 1980b). In contrast, HWA has devastated stands of hemlocks on the east coast of the United States. Although EHS reduces fitness of the tree and can kill already stressed trees …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of A Nutrition Education Mini Lesson Series, Elizabeth B. Patnode

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To assess the impact of a nutrition education mini lesson series on children’s knowledge and fruit and vegetable consumption.

Design: Quasi-experimental pre-/post-test design with two study conditions (experimental and control).

Setting: Four (4) Boys & Girls Clubs in Providence, Rhode Island.

Participants: Eighty-four (84) children ages 5-11 years.

Intervention: Participants in the experimental group received one, 10-minute fruit and vegetable nutrition education mini lesson each week for 4 weeks. Participants in the control condition received 2 lessons unrelated to fruits and vegetables. The experimental and control groups completed pre- and post-surveys one week before and after the intervention.

Main …

Green Eating And Dietary Quality In University Students, Garrick Brown

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To determine if environmentally conscious eating, also known as Green Eating (GE), was associated with dietary quality among university students.

Design: Non-randomized cross-sectional analysis at baseline.

Setting: A northeastern university.

Participants: University students (n=26) aged 18-24 years, with a campus meal plan, and a body mass index (BMI) greater than 18.5 kg/m².

Main Outcome Measures: Healthy Eating Index (HEI) - 2005 score.

Analysis: GE Stage of Change (SOC) was assessed by an online survey administered to first and second year students. Subjects were eligible if they were in the precontemplation SOC (PC) (n=18) or …

Stress, Lifestyle, And Diet In College Students: Analysis Of The Yeah Study, Steven Mcpartland

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: This study explored relationships among perceived stress, BMI, waist circumference, and eating and physical activity behaviors in college students and gender differences in these relationships.

Participants: Students from fourteen universities (n=1,116) recruited for a web-based health intervention in fall of 2009.

Methods: Secondary data analysis of study sample at baseline. Associations between stress, BMI and waist circumference, diet, weight-related eating behaviors, and physical activity were explored, as were the between-gender differences in these associations.

Results: Stress was positively correlated with BMI and waist circumference in females, but not in males. Females reported higher levels of stress and scored …

Evaluating Coastal Islands As Potential Translocation Sites For New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Transitionalis), Cynthia L. Maynard

Open Access Master's Theses

The population of the northeast region’s native rabbit, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis; NEC), has declined by more than 80% in the last 50 years. In 2006, it was listed as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 2010, a captive breeding program was developed to help reverse this trend, and islands were identified as having the potential to serve as ideal release sites for captive-bred NEC. Two islands were chosen as possible release sites: Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge in Chilmark, Massachusetts; and Patience Island, located in Narragansett Bay, …

The Combined Effect Of Tai Chi And Weight Loss On Physical Function In Community Dwelling Obese Older Wommen, Jonathan M. Letendre

Open Access Master's Theses

Introduction: Older obese women are at risk of obesity-related disability, but Tai Chi has not been explored as an exercise modality along with weight loss for their effects on physical function. Methods: A 16-week community-based intervention was conducted to assess the impact of Tai Chi plus behaviorally-based weight loss (TCWL, n=29) on obese (BMI=35.4 ±0.8 kg/m²) older (68.2±1.5 yr) women compared to a control group (CON, n=9, BMI=38.0±1.5kg/m², 65.6±2.7 yr). The major outcome was the short physical performance battery (SPPB), consisting of 4-m gait speed (GS), standing balance, and chair stand (CS) tests. The TCWL group …

The Effects Of Different Warm-Up Modalities On Gluteus Medius Activation, Richard Sutton Nadel

Open Access Master's Theses

PURPOSE: Muscle imbalance assessment and treatment practices are becoming more commonplace in the field of strength and conditioning. For instance, exercises such as monster walks are being prescribed as a warm-up exercise with the specific aim of activating and/or strengthening the gluteus medius (GM) muscle. There is evidence to suggest that an individual with either a weak GM or one that is delayed in its onset has an increased risk of injury. However, this relationship has not been established in a resistance trained athletic population. Further, there is no evidence that commonly used glute activation (GA) exercises will acutely increase …

Attrition From Early Intervention: Associations With Several Child Characteristics, Carla Swanson

Open Access Master's Theses

Objectives. This study tested for associations between attrition from Early Intervention programs and a child’s age at referral, race, home language, referral source, functioning, and insurance status and explored the relative predictive power of these individual child characteristics.

Methods. Data from the Rhode Island Department of Human Service’s Early Intervention Data Management System were examined using t-tests and logistic regression techniques.

Results. Overall, EI non-completers tended to be younger and non-white. They were more likely to have had public insurance and they had significantly higher developmental functioning scores at entry. Non-completers were more likely to come from …

Exploring The Health Of Women Who Experienced Homelessness During Adolescence, Claire M. Creamer

Open Access Dissertations

Homelessness remains a significant global issue with substantial health consequences related to the experiences of homelessness. The consequences for people who experience homelessness are typically associated with high levels of risk, violence, and negative health outcomes. Developmental levels and gender contribute significantly to outcomes. As a developmental stage, adolescence is a time of establishing healthy practices for adulthood. Adolescent experiences with homelessness have negative consequences for future health as well as some economic status. Homeless youth have been identified as a medically underserved and vulnerable population.

A significant body of literature has explored the outcomes of mental health, sexual practices, …

Role Of Nuclear Factor E2 Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) In Development Of Steatosis And Drug Transporter Alterations, Vijay Rs More

Open Access Dissertations

Steatosis is fat deposition in liver arising from conditions like obesity, diabetes, and/or alcohol consumption. It is a benign condition with normal liver function, and can often be reversed. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver steatosis can further progress to irreversible steatohepatitis to cirrhosis and substantial loss of liver function. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor known to combat oxidative stress in the cell. The contribution of Nrf2 to other cellular functions, such as lipid homeostasis is emerging. The work herein assessed how enhanced Nrf2 activity impacts progression of hepatic steatosis with long-term high fat diet …

Pharmacodynamic Mechanisms Of Tolfenamic Acid Induced Sp1 Degradation Relative To Alzheimer's Disease Pathology, Lina I. Adwan

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to disrupt the lives of millions of patients and caregivers around the world. The few drugs currently used for AD have modest effects on the symptoms and do not prevent the progression of the disease into total memory loss and death. With the increase in the number of AD cases and the high social and economical costs of the disease, there is a great need to find disease-modifying therapeutics that target the core pathology of the disease as well as improve the symptoms and the patients’ everyday quality of life. Two types of pathological aggregates are …

Exploring Nurse Case Managers' Language Describing Health Needs And Interventions With Populations, Kathleen I. Gremel

Open Access Dissertations

Major advances in health information technologies, safety and quality initiatives, and health policy changes have fueled the development and implementation of the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Any discipline’s work and contribution to patient care exist in the EHR only as they are coded. Thus, coding nursing’s knowledge, work and contribution to patient care in meaningful ways requires nurses to have a language that defines nursing concepts and works consistently and reliably. Currently the American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes twelve (12) nursing languages being used in the EHR. Over the last forty years many research efforts have validated these nursing languages …

Asleep Behind The Wheel: Experiences Of Night Shift Nurses On The Commute Home, Shirley A. Sargent

Open Access Dissertations

Aim: The aim of this study was to obtain descriptions of nurses’ perceptions and experiences of falling asleep behind the wheel on the drive home after a worked night shift.

Background: While the evidence suggests that the problem of drowsy driving and fall asleep driving is a strong contributor to vehicular accidents, little is known about nursing perceptions of the issue.

Methods: The design of the study is qualitative and descriptive. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 registered nurses who had experienced falling asleep behind the wheel on the drive home from work after a worked night shift. The interviews …

An In Vitro Study On The Non-Enzymatic Glycation Of Melamine And Serum Albumin By Reducing Sugars, Weixi Liu

Open Access Dissertations

Glycation is a non-enzymatic reaction with reactants including a reducing sugar and a free amino containing molecule such as protein, amino acids, DNA, RNA and lipids. In the initial phase of glycation, the carbonyl group of the reducing carbohydrate condenses with the free amino groups on the target biomolecule to form reversible glycosylamines, which are then converted to more stable Amadori products. Once formed, these Amadori products can with time undergo dehydration, cyclization, oxidation, and rearrangement to form a polymorphic group of compounds collectively referred to as Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs). The accumulation of AGEs in vivo has been implicated …

Effect Of Metabolic Disease And Xenobiotic Exposure On Hepatic Atp-Binding Cassette (Abc) Drug Transporter Expression, Ajay Chowdary Donepudi

Open Access Dissertations

Drug transporters are membrane bound proteins, which are involved in facilitating both uptake and efflux of xenobiotics, endogenous compounds and their metabolites in various tissues such as liver, kidney, testis, and brain. Alteration in drug transporters may cause imbalances in endogenous compounds such as bile acids, hormones, and bilirubin. Xenobiotic metabolism is inefficient without drug transporters, and drug transporters are recognized as vital mediators for moving polar compounds across membranes. ATP binding cassette (Abc) transporters are a kind of drug transporters, which are ATP-dependent membrane bound proteins involved in transport of wide variety of compounds. Multiple hepatic conditions can alter …

Positive Nurse-Resident Relationships A Focused Ethnography In A Nursing Home, Rosemary A. Costigan

Open Access Dissertations

More than 1.4 million Americans reside in long term care facilities across the United States. Social and professional relationships are an integral component of everyday life within these environments. Few studies have systematically examined positive relationships that exist between residents and nursing assistants in long term care. A focused ethnography of a nursing home, one known for the quality of life experienced by its residents and located in the northeastern United States, was used to examine the nature of (1) interactions (2) positive relationships (their development and maintenance) between residents and nursing assistants, and (3) supportive environmental factors. Peace House …

Compounds From A. Platanoides Bark, V. Corymbosum Roots & Topical Formulations Using Maple Syrup, Raed Omar

Open Access Dissertations

The United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries and the world’s second largest producer of maple syrup. Maine is the nation’s leading producer of wild blueberries, harvesting 82.6 million pounds of wild blueberries. Similarly, the New England region represents roughly 75% of the total U.S. production of maple syrup. These plants play a vital role in New England’s economy and are commonly consumed; however, these plants benefit more than the economy. The secondary metabolites of these plants are both antioxidants, and also anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral agents. Blueberries are commonly consumed and have been investigated exhaustively. On the …

Use And Unintended Consequences Of Antidepressant Medications By Depressed Older Adults, Eun Sun Noh

Open Access Dissertations

Background

National guidelines suggest 12-18 months of antidepressant treatment for depressed patients to maximize the benefits of treatment; however, patterns of medication use according to the guidelines are less well understood, especially in older adults who are at higher risk of adverse drug events. In addition, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are recommended as a first-line therapy for older adults because of their favorable adverse event profile; however, several observational studies have suggested an association between SSRI use and an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. While this link remains controversial, it is important to evaluate the risk of GI …

Pathological Effects Of Soybean Anti-Nutritional Factors On Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus) Tissues, Rachel Michelle Bone

Open Access Master's Theses

Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), a popular carnivorous fish in New England, is an important candidate for aquaculture development. The inclusion of plant proteins as a replacement for fish meal in the diets of marine carnivorous fish may lead to economical advantages and increased sustainability. Anti-nutritional factors, organic molecules that cannot be digested and may inhibit digestion of other molecules present in soybean meal, but not in soy protein concentrate, may limit the inclusion of soybean meal into carnivorous fish diets by impacting fish growth rates or immune function. In order to determine the mechanisms by which soybean meal …

Phytochemicals From The Roots Of Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium Corymbosum), Amanda Cirello

Open Access Master's Theses

Growing evidence from many in vitro studies suggest that plants produce secondary metabolites which may have potential physiological properties. The northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plant is commercially cultivated for its valuable dark-blue fruit, which has been extensively researched and has been shown to contain phenolic compounds recognized to have positive health benefits. Thus, an evaluation of other parts of the plant, that as of yet have not been investigated, could be worthwhile. There may be undiscovered bioactive compounds within the roots of this plant that may contribute to the improvement of human health. This rationale supports further …

Characterizing The Benthic Invertebrate Communities Of The Mixed-Coarse Intertidal Habitat In Boston Harbor, Elizabeth N. Eddy

Open Access Master's Theses

The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) has an extensive intertidal zone, with 47% of the area composed of mixed-coarse substrate. Given anticipated climate change impacts such as sea level rise and ocean warming, and other stressors associated with the urban environment, the critical ecosystem functions provided by the dominant yet largely understudied mixed-coarse habitat are likely to be altered. To evaluate the benthic invertebrate communities of BOHA and to determine what environmental factors of the mixed-coarse substrate affect community structure, 87 sampling sites were distributed between wave-exposed and wave-protected shorelines between mean higher high water and mean lower …

Myostatin And Tgf-Β Function In The Regulation Of Myogenesis In Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), A Basal Teleost, Ian Morrison Jaffe

Open Access Master's Theses

Myogenesis in vertebrates is a complex and intricately regulated process, various mechanisms of which have been alternately conserved or lost throughout the course of vertebrate evolution. Mammalian myogenesis is highly regulated by myostatin, a member of the Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) family of cytokines, however, a similar role for myostatin in fish currently remains the subject of inquiry. Myostatin initiates signal transduction by means of the activin type IIb receptor, and shares considerable sequence and structural homology across vertebrate taxa, though its functional homology remains unclear. Two families of transgenic (TG) rainbow trout (RBT), one in which myostatin was inhibited …

Does Eating Slowly Influence Appetite And Energy Intake When Water Intake Is Controlled?, Ana M. Andrade, Daniel L. Kresge, Pedro J. Teixeira, Fátima Baptista, Kathleen J. Melanson

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background:

Slow eating has been associated with enhanced satiation, but also with increased water intake. Therefore, the role of water ingestion in regard to eating rate needs to be discerned. This study examined the influence of eating rate on appetite regulation and energy intake when water intake is controlled.

Methods:

In a randomized design, slow and fast eating rates were compared on two occasions, in 30 women (22.7±1.2y; BMI=22.4±0.4kg/m²) who consumed an ad libitum mixed-macronutrient lunch with water (300 mL). Satiation was examined as the main outcome by measuring energy intake during meals. At designated times, subjects rated …

Acculturation And Gestational Weight Gain In A Predominantly Puerto Rican Population, Alison Tovar, Lisa Chasan-Taber, Odilia I. Bermudez, Raymond R. Hyatt, Aviva Must

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background:

Identifying risk factors that affect excess weight gain during pregnancy is critical, especially among women who are at a higher risk for obesity. The goal of this study was to determine if acculturation, a possible risk factor, was associated with gestational weight gain in a predominantly Puerto Rican population.

Methods:

We utilized data from Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study of Hispanic women in Western Massachusetts, United States. Height, weight and gestational age were abstracted from medical records among participants with full-term pregnancies (n=952). Gestational weight gain was calculated as the difference between delivery and prepregnancy weight. Acculturation …

Identifying Reference Genes With Stable Expression From High Throughput Sequence Data, Harriet Alexander, Bethany D. Jenkins, Tatiana A. Rynearson, Mak A. Saito, Melissa L. Mercier, Sonya T. Dyhrman

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Genes that are constitutively expressed across multiple environmental stimuli are crucial to quantifying differentially expressed genes, particularly when employing quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. However, the identification of these potential reference genes in non-model organisms is challenging and is often guided by expression patterns in distantly related organisms. Here, transcriptome datasets from the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana grown under replete, phosphorus-limited, iron-limited, and phosphorus and iron co-limited nutrient regimes were analyzed through literature-based searches for homologous reference genes, k-means clustering, and analysis of sequence counts (ASC) to identify putative reference genes. A total of 9759 genes were identified …

Predator-Induced Fleeing Behaviors In Phytoplankton: A New Mechanism For Harmful Algal Bloom Formation?, Elizabeth L. Harvey, Susanne Menden-Deuer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

In the plankton, heterotrophic microbes encounter and ingest phytoplankton prey, which effectively removes >50% of daily phytoplankton production in the ocean and influences global primary production and biochemical cycling rates. Factors such as size, shape, nutritional value, and presence of chemical deterrents are known to affect predation pressure. Effects of movement behaviors of either predator or prey on predation pressure, and particularly fleeing behaviors in phytoplankton are thus far unknown. Here, we quantified individual 3D movements, population distributions, and survival rates of the toxic phytoplankton species, Heterosigma akashiwo in response to a ciliate predator and predator-derived cues. We observed predator-induced …

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (9/26/2012), University Of Rhode Island

The Good 5 Cent Cigar (Student Newspaper Archives)

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