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Idcr: Infectious Diseases In Corrections Report, Vol. 9 No. 3, Infectious Diseases In Corrections

Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report (IDCR)

No abstract provided.

Cooperation Between Mef2 And Pparγ In Human Intestinal Β,Β-Carotene 15,15'-Monooxygenase Gene Expression, Xiaoming Gong, Shu-Whei Tsai, Bingfang Yan, Lewis P. Rubin

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background:

Vitamin A and its derivatives, the retinoids, are essential for normal embryonic development and maintenance of cell differentiation. β, β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase 1 (BCMO1) catalyzes the central cleavage of β-carotene to all-trans retinal and is the key enzyme in the intestinal metabolism of carotenes to vitamin A. However, human and various rodent species show markedly different efficiencies in intestinal BCMO1-mediated carotene to retinoid conversion. The aim of this study is to identify potentially human-specific regulatory control mechanisms of BCMO1 gene expression.

Results:

We identified and functionally characterized the human BCMO1 promoter sequence and determined the transcriptional regulation of the …

Division Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report For Fy2006, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

Annual report for the Division of Research and Economic Development of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2005-2006.

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

Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Effects On Growth Of Two Hawaiian Species: Indigenous Osteomeles Anthyllidifolia (Rosaceae) And Invasive Psidium Cattleianum (Myrtaceae), R. E. Koske, J. N. Gemma

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Two important plant species of Hawai'i, the indigenous Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (Sm.) Lindl., a component of Hawai'i's most endangered habitat, and the highly invasive Psidium cattleianum Sabine were grown with or without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a soilless mix at different soil-solution phosphorus (P) levels. At P levels similar to those in the field (0.007 mg P/liter), shoot biomass of inoculated plants of O. anthyllidifolia was 189% greater than that of controls, and that of P. cattleianum was 93% greater. Root weight of O. anthyllidifolia and leaf-tissue P of both species also were significantly higher in inoculated plants. At a higher …

Metabolic Routing Of Dietary Nutrients In Birds: Effects Of Diet Quality And Macronutrient Composition Revealed Using Stable Isotopes, David W. Podlesak, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

During fall migration many songbirds switch from consuming primarily insects to consuming mostly fruit. Fruits with more carbohydrates and less protein may be sufficient to rebuild expended fat stores, but such fruits may be inadequate to replace catabolized protein. We manipulated the concentrations and isotopic signatures of macronutrients in diets fed to birds to study the effects of diet quality on metabolic routing of dietary nutrients. We estimated that approximately 45% and 75%, respectively, of the carbon in proteinaceous tissue of birds switched to high‐ or low‐protein diets came from nonprotein dietary sources. In contrast, we estimated that approximately 100% …

Renaissance 2006, University Of Rhode Island

URI Yearbooks

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

Seasonal Variation In Mussel Byssal Thread Mechanics, Gretchen M. Moeser, Emily Carrington

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, attaches itself to the substrate by producing a radially arranged complex of collagenous byssal threads. The strength of byssal attachment, or tenacity, has been shown to vary seasonally on Rhode Island shores, increasing twofold in spring in comparison with fall. It was previously assumed that this seasonality was due to increased thread production following periods of increased wave action; however, recent findings do not support this view. As an alternate hypothesis, this study evaluates the contribution of seasonal changes in the material properties of byssal threads to an annual cycle in mussel attachment …

Role Of Gluconeogenesis And The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle In The Virulence Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium In Balb/C Mice, Merlin Tchawa Yimga, Mary P. Leatham, James H. Allen, David C. Laux, Tyrrell Conway, Paul S. Cohen

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the Cra protein (catabolite repressor/activator) regulates utilization of gluconeogenic carbon sources by activating transcription of genes in the gluconeogenic pathway, the glyoxylate bypass, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and electron transport and repressing genes encoding glycolytic enzymes. A serovar Typhimurium SR-11 Δcra mutant was recently reported to be avirulent in BALB/c mice via the peroral route, suggesting that gluconeogenesis may be required for virulence. In the present study, specific SR-11 genes in the gluconeogenic pathway were deleted (fbp, glpX, ppsA, and pckA), and the …

The New Student Record : The University Of Rhode Island, The Interfraternity/Panhellenic Councils

Freshman Record

No abstract provided.

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2006-2007, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Evaluation Of Potential Multi-Particulate Drug Delivery Systems, Aruna Mummini Murty

Open Access Dissertations

Multi-particulate tablets have the advantages of pellets and those of tablets. Formulation studies were performed on pellets using the granulation-extrusion-spheronization technique. The objective was to manufacture pellets of good quality with a high drug load and requisite dissolution rates. Inclusion of Ac-Di-Sol (cross linked sodium carboxymethylcellulose) increased the dissolution rate of drugs from clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride pellets. Surfactants such as cremophor (polyoxyl 35 castor oil) improved wetting of the drug and aided in the extrusion process. A major problem in compaction of coated pellets is that the coating can rupture on compaction, this results in significant differences in dissolution …

Effectiveness Of Two Arthritis Foundation Programs: Walk With Ease, And You Can Break The Pain Cycle, Michelle Bruno, Susan Cummins, Lisha Gaudiano, Johanna Stoos, Peter Blanpied

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of two Arthritis Foundation programs: Walk With Ease (WWE) and YOU Can Break The Pain Cycle (PC).

Design: Quasi-experimental, repeated measures design. Retested at six weeks and four months.

Setting: Community based intervention.

Participants: Volunteer sample of 163 adults with arthritis recruited through mailings, newspapers, and flyers.

Interventions: Subjects participated in a 90 minute seminar (PC, Group A), a six-week walking program (WWE, Group B), or both programs (Group C).

Main outcome measures: Survey assessment of arthritis knowledge, general health, selfmanagement activities, confidence, physical abilities, depression, health distress, and …

Transmission Loss In Manatee Habitats, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, James H. Miller

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Florida manatee is regularly exposed to high volumes of vessel traffic and other human-related noise because of its coastal distribution. Quantifying specific aspects of the manatee’s acoustic environment will allow for a better understanding of how these animals respond to both natural and human-induced changes in their environment. Transmission loss measurements were made in 24 sampling sites that were chosen based on the frequency of manatee presence. The Monterey-Miami Parabolic Equation model was used to relate environmental parameters to transmission loss in two extremely shallow water environments: seagrass beds and dredged habitats. Model accuracy was verified by field tests …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Involvement And Adolescent Eating And Exercise Habits, Pamela Lea Steadman

Open Access Dissertations

Pediatric obesity is a major public health concern with alarming increases in prevalence rates over the past three decades, despite improvements in treatment and prevention efforts. Much of the focus on pediatric obesity prevention has revolved around children; however, little attention has been targeted toward adolescents. The current study is the first to examine the contribution of parental and adolescent perceptions of parental involvement in adolescent eating and exercise habits. Forty-six adolescent-parent dyads completed measures of perceived parental concern, responsibility, control and pressure exerted over adolescent health behaviors (AHB). Adolescents completed measures of current physical activity, eating habits, weight control …

Idcr: Infectious Diseases In Corrections Report, Vol. 8 No. 8, Infectious Diseases In Corrections

Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report (IDCR)

No abstract provided.

Idcr: Infectious Diseases In Corrections Report, Vol. 8 No. 7, Infectious Diseases In Corrections

Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report (IDCR)

No abstract provided.

Evidence-Based Research In Complementary And Alternative Medicine I: History, Francesco Chiappelli, Paolo Prolo, Olivia S. Cajulis

Senior Honors Projects

Contemporary Western medicine has witnessed a fragmentation of our conceptualization of the medical endeavor into ‘traditional medicine’ and ‘non-traditional medicine’. The former is meant to refer to the Western medical tradition, the latter encompasses both ‘complementary’ and ‘alternative’ medical practices. Complementary medicine complements conventional medical treatments, and alternative modes of medical interventions are meant to replace traditional Western medicine. Evidence-based research must be directed at establishing the best available evidence in complementary and alternative medicine. This paper is the first of a set of four ‘lectures’ that reviews the process of evidence-based research, and discusses its implications and applications for …

Idcr: Infectious Diseases In Corrections Report, Vol. 8 No. 3, Infectious Diseases In Corrections

Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report (IDCR)

No abstract provided.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Annual Report For Fy2005, Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

Annual report for the Division of Research and Economic Development of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2004-2005.

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

Tick Saliva Is A Potent Inhibitor Of Endothelial Cell Proliferation And Angiogenesis, Ivo M.B. Francischetti, Thomas N. Mather, José M.C. Ribeiro

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

We report for the first time that saliva of the hard tick and Lyme disease vector,Ixodes scapularis,is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. Saliva (≤ 1:500 dilutions) or salivary gland (0.1–0.5 pairs/assay) dose-dependently inhibits microvascular endothelial cell (MVEC) proliferation. Inhibition was also detected with the saliva of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus but not with the salivary gland of Anopheles gambiae, An. stephensi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Phlebotomus papatasi, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Cimex lectularius. Inhibition of MVEC proliferation by I. scapularis saliva was accompanied by a change in cell shape (shrinkage of the cytoplasm with loss of cell-cell interactions) and apoptosis …

A New Model To Estimate Daily Energy Expenditure For Wintering Waterfowl, Richard A. Mckinney, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Current models to estimate daily energy expenditure (DEE) for free-living birds are limited to either those that use fixed thermoregulatory costs or those that more accurately estimate thermoregulatory costs, but require extensive and often logistically difficult measurements. Here, we propose a model based on basal metabolic rate (BMR), activity budgets, and site-specific energetic costs of thermoregulation that requires only simple measures of ambient temperature and wind speed to provide estimates of DEE. We use the model to calculate the DEE of Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) wintering at six habitats that afford differing degrees of protection from exposure within Narragansett …

New Student Record : The University Of Rhode Island, The Interfraternity/Panhellenic Councils

Freshman Record

No abstract provided.

Renaissance 2005, University Of Rhode Island

URI Yearbooks

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

Plasma Clearance Of Lovastatin Versus Chinese Red Yeast Rice In Healthy Volunteers, Zhaoping Li, Navindra P. Seeram, Rupo Lee, Gail Thames, Chayo Minutti, He-Jing Wang, David Heber

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Objectives: It is now accepted that inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis is effective in the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease. However, the perceived side-effects on muscle and liver reduce the general acceptance of statin drug therapy as well as compliance over the long term, which is necessary for prevention efforts to be successful. Chinese red yeast rice (CRYR) is a supplement containing lovastatin (monacolin K), eight other monacolins, pigments, tannins, and other phytochemicals. The authors previously reported on a double- blind placebo-controlled trial of CRYR supplement in 80 individuals demonstrating a significant decrease in cholesterol levels from 250 mg/dL …

Mouse Intestine Selects Nonmotile Flhdc Mutants Of Escherichia Coli Mg1655 With Increased Colonizing Ability And Better Utilization Of Carbon Sources, Mary P. Leatham, Sarah J. Stevenson, Eric J. Gauger, Karen A. Krogfelt, Jeremy J. Lins, Traci L. Haddock, Steven M. Audtieri, Tyrrell Conway, Paul S. Cohen

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

d-Gluconate which is primarily catabolized via the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway, has been implicated as being important for colonization of the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine by Escherichia coli MG1655, a human commensal strain. In the present study, we report that an MG1655 Δedd mutant defective in the ED pathway grows poorly not only on gluconate as a sole carbon source but on a number of other sugars previously implicated as being important for colonization, including l-fucose, d-gluconate, d-glucuronate, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, d-mannose, and d-ribose. Furthermore, we show that the mouse intestine selects mutants of MG1655 Δedd and wild-type MG1655 that …

The Fetal Basis Of Amyloidogenesis: Exposure To Lead And Latent Overexpression Of Amyloid Precursor Protein And Β-Amyloid In The Aging Brain, M. Riyaz Basha, Wei Wei, Saleh A. Bakheet, Nathalie Benitez, Hasan K. Siddiqi, Yuan-Wen Ge, Debomoy K. Lahiri, Nasser H. Zawia

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The fetal basis of adult disease (FeBAD) hypothesis states that many adult diseases have a fetal origin. According to FeBAD, injury or environmental influences occurring at critical periods of organ development could result in “programmatic” changes via alterations in gene expression or gene imprinting that may result in functional deficits that become apparent later in life. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by excessive deposits of aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, which are snippets of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). The predominately sporadic nature of AD suggests that the environment must play a role in neurodegeneration. …

Dietary Restraint, Self-Efficacy, And Gender Differences In Weight Loss Program Participants, Amy Elizabeth Sheeley

Open Access Dissertations

Rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise each year with serious associated health risks. This study was conducted to explore gender differences between behavior change variables for both dietary fat reduction and exercise behaviors in a weight loss population. This research also investigated relationships between these psychosocial behavior change variables. Over 300 overweight and obese men and women enrolled in weight loss programs in the greater Boston area completed self-administered surveys. The behavior change variables surveyed included validated Transtheoretical Model (TTM) measures of stage of change for dietary fat reduction, situational confidence and temptation for dietary fat reduction, as …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2005-2006, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

A Descriptive Study Of Beta2-Agonist Use In Asthma Patients Based On A Nationally Representative Sample, James Melfi

Open Access Dissertations

Study. Prescribing patterns found in asthma patients compared to those patterns delineated in non-asthma patients. Background. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by inflammation as well as airway constriction. NIH guidelines recommend treatment of moderate to severe asthma with both preventive anti-inflammatory medication (inhaled corticosteroids) as well as a bronchodilator (beta 2 agonist) for quick relief of episodic symptoms (i.e., rescue medication). However, inhaled beta2-agonists are recommended for use in all types and classifications of asthma to provide prompt relief of airflow obstruction. The purpose of this study is to describe the pattern of prescribing inhaled …

Catch Basin Ecosystems And Effects Of The Mosquito Larvicide Methoprene, Mari Butler

Open Access Dissertations

The mosquito larvicide methoprene is a juvenile growth hormone mimic that is widely used to control mosquitoes. This chemical disrupts normal mosquito development, drastically inhibiting emergence from the pupal to the adult stage. Methoprene is active at extremely low levels and is widely used; so it could affect arthropods, other than mosquitoes, that have similar endocrine systems. This study evaluates the efficacy at controlling mosquitoes in storm water drainage catch basins and potential nontarget effects of methoprene. Secondly, whether methoprene attracts or deters mosquitoes likely to oviposit in catch basins was examined. Thirdly, the catch basin community was described and …