Digital Commons Network^™

Editorial: Helping Scientists To Communicate Well For All Considered: Strategic Science Communication In An Age Of Environmental And Health Crises, Brianne Suldovsky, Marcia Allison, Marina Joubert, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Mobile Phone App Intervention To Promote Healthy Salt Intake Among Adults: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Study, Milena Sia Perin, Thaís São-João, Maria Cecília Bueno Jayme Gallani, Titilayo Tatiana Agbadje, Roberta Cunha Matheus Rodrigues, Marilia Estevam Cornélio

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: There is sound evidence associating high salt intake and a greater risk of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases. High salt intake has been observed in several populations worldwide. Therefore, promoting healthier salt consumption has been encouraged as a low-cost strategy to reduce this risk factor. However, these strategies need to be sound, built on theoretical and methodological bases, and consider the target population’s context.

Objective: This protocol aims to describe a mobile phone app intervention to promote healthy salt intake among adults.

Methods: This is an experimental and longitudinal study protocol conducted in three modules. Module 1 …

Impact Of Clopidogrel On Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia: A National Retrospective Cohort Study, Aisling R. Caffrey, J. Appaneal, Kerry L. Laplante, Vrishali V. Lopes, Erlinda R. Ulloa, Victor Nizet, George Sakoulas

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Activated platelets have known antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Accelerated clearance of platelets induced by S. aureus can result in thrombocytopenia and increased mortality in patients. Recent studies suggest that P2Y12 inhibition protects platelets from accelerated clearance. We therefore evaluated the effect of P2Y12 inhibition on clinical outcomes in patients with S. aureus bacteremia across a large national cohort. Our retrospective cohort (2010 to 2018) included patients admitted to Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals with blood cultures positive for S. aureus and treated with standard-of-care antibiotics. Employing propensity score-matched Cox proportional hazards regression models, we compared clinical outcomes in …

Survival And Recovery Modeling Of Acute Kidney Injury In Critically Ill Adults, Todd Brothers, Strock, Traci J. Lemasters, Jayne E. Pawasauskas, Ronald C. Reed

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objectives: Acute kidney injury is common among the critically ill. However, the incidence, medication use, and outcomes of acute kidney injury have been variably described. We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study to examine the risk factors and correlates associated with acute kidney injury in critically ill adults with a particular focus on medication class usage.

Methods: We reviewed the electronic medical records of all adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit between 1 February and 30 August 2020. Acute kidney injury was defined by the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines. Data included were demographics, …

Seasonal Variation And Deposition Of Atmospheric Organophosphate Esters In The Coastal Region Of Shanghai, China, Yuxin Ma, Yuchen Luo, Jincai Zhu, Jinghua Zhang, Guoping Gao, Wenying Mi, Zhiyong Xie, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The coastal megacity Shanghai is located in the center of the Yangtze River Delta, a dominant flame retardants (FRs) production region in China, especially for organophosphate esters (OPEs). This prompted us to investigate occurrence and seasonal changes of atmospheric OPEs in Shanghai, as well as to evaluate their sources, environmental behavior and fate as a case study for global coastal regions. Atmospheric gas and particle phase OPEs were weekly collected at two coastal sites - the emerging town Lingang New Area (LGNA), and the chemical-industry zone Jinshan Area (JSA) from July 2016–June 2017. Total atmospheric concentrations of the observed OPEs …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2022-2023, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Genome Assembly Of The Chemosynthetic Endosymbiont Of The Hydrothermal Vent Snail Alviniconcha Adamantis From The Mariana Arc, Corrina Breusing, Nathan Hagen Klobusnik, Michelle A. Hauer, Roxanne A. Beinart

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Chemosynthetic animal-microbe symbioses sustain hydrothermal vent communities in the global deep sea. In the Indo-Pacific Ocean, hydrothermal ecosystems are often dominated by gastropod species of the genus Alviniconcha, which live in association with chemosynthetic Gammaproteobacteria or Campylobacteria. While the symbiont genomes of most extant Alviniconcha species have been sequenced, no genome information is currently available for the gammaproteobacterial endosymbiont of Alviniconcha adamantis—a comparatively shallow living species that is thought to be the ancestor to all other present Alviniconcha lineages. Here, we report the first genome sequence for the symbiont of A. adamantis from the Chamorro Seamount at the …

Reweighted Components In Diet Quality Scores And Mortality Risk Associations, Haley Wynne Parker

Open Access Dissertations

Over the past few decades, evidence-based dietary guidance has transitioned in focus from single components (i.e., nutrients or food groups) to a more holistic total diet approach. While the total diet approach is more practical for public health messaging, capturing the complexity and multidimensionality of overall diet is methodologically challenging. As a result, diet quality indexes have been developed to facilitate comparisons across dietary patterns by yielding total diet quality scores (i.e., higher score=healthier diet). Various high-quality diets are consistently associated with a similar magnitude of overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk reduction across different diet quality indexes, despite …

Reconstructing Nutrient Consumption In The Expanded Southern Ocean Of Pleistocene Glacial Periods, Basia A. Marcks

Open Access Dissertations

The emergence of the longer, high amplitude glacial cycles of the last ~1 million years are attributed, in part, to variations in the global overturning circulation and iron stimulation of biological carbon drawdown. Previously, data resolving the relative importance of these processes within the Southern Ocean did not exist. Here, I present high resolution records of foraminifera-bound nitrogen isotope values from ODP Site 1090, within the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ), and IODP Site U1475, beneath the modern Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ), spanning both the last glacial period (0 - 160,000 years ago) and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, 1,200,000 - 600,000 years …

Brain Health Perceptions Questionnaire: Further Development And Refinement, Caitlin Michelle Ogram Buckley

Open Access Dissertations

The promotion of brain health is often perceived through an illness model, as research tends to focus on neurodegenerative disease risk reduction. However, research indicates that healthy individuals can potentially improve their cognitive performance through the adoption of health-promoting behaviors such as diet, exercise, and the management of cerebrovascular risk factors. There remains a need for validated instruments measuring the public's perceptions about cognitive health, a need this study addressed by further refining a quantitative measure of brain health knowledge and beliefs, the Brain Health Perceptions Questionnaire (BHPQ). Principal Components Analysis resulted in a 23-item questionnaire composed of five subscales …

Samaki Salama - Promoting Healthy Child Growth And Sustainable Fisheries In Coastal Kenya: A Study Protocol, Ivy Blackmore, Andrew Wamukota, Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia, Austin T. Humphries, Carolyn Lesorogol, Rachel Cohn, Catherine Sarange, Francis Mbogholi, Clay Obata, Christopher Cheupe, Joaquim Cheupe, Lisa Sherburne, Melissa Chapnick, Mary Kate Cartmill, Lora L. Iannotti

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: One in five young children globally suffer the consequences of stunted growth and development and millions experience deficiencies in zinc, iron, iodine, vitamins A and B12, nutrients found bioavailable in fish foods. Small-scale fisheries have the potential to generate income and augment fish consumption while being environmentally sustainable if appropriately managed. However, those engaged in small-scale fisheries are often marginalized, poor, and malnourished. The Samaki Salama project seeks to better understand and address these challenges through a three-arm, longitudinal matched cluster study which evaluates the impact of an integrated nutrition social marketing and modified fishing trap intervention.

Methods …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of Undergraduate Student Wellness: Exploring Generation Z Student Wellness Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kristen Pepin

Open Access Dissertations

Qualitative research exploring undergraduate student wellness during a pandemic was scarce prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and is still lacking. Studies investigating student wellness during pandemics often fracture the concept by quantitatively researching specific wellness dimensions (Cao et al., 2020; Galea et al., 2020; Tang et al., 2020) as opposed to exploring the construct from a holistic perspective. Additionally, few studies aim to understand how undergraduate students make meaning of wellness and their lived wellness experiences, specifically during a pandemic. Furthermore, emerging research (Huckins et al., 2020) corroborates the extant literature that posit student health behaviors were declining in …

Assessing The Potential Of The Unexploited Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin, Arbacia Punctulata, For The Edible Market, Coleen Suckling, Max D. Zavell, Anna L. Byczynski, Brian T. Takeda

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The global demand for sea urchin as seafood is currently unmet. Despite exploitation of > 40 species across the world, there is a need to identify other candidate species, especially in regions where diversification in production is sought where species are considered native. The Eastern US presents an opportunity to determine the marketability of the currently unexploited Arbacia punctulata which is naturally distributed from Massachusetts and southwards into the Gulf of Mexico. To determine whether A. punctulata had market potential, it was fed one of the following diets to determine whether the gonad tissue (uni) could be manipulated to increase gonad …

The Longitudinal Association Between Physical Activity And Physical Function In Older Women, Christie L. Ward-Ritacco, Mary L. Greaney, Phillip G. Clark, Deborah Riebe

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The age-related decline in physical function is ameliorated by physical activity; however, less is known about changes in physical function in active vs. inactive older women. The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal associations between physical activity and physical function in community-dwelling older women.

Methods: 238 participants (age 79.0 ± 5.1) were dichotomized into two activity groups [inactive (IG); n = 144 or active (AG); n = 94] based on self-reported exercise at baseline. Repeated measures ANCOVA, controlling for age, measured differences in physical function between activity groups at baseline and 48-months using the …

Fish And Complementary Feeding Practices For Young Children: Qualitative Research Findings From Coastal Kenya, Mary Kate Cartmill, Ivy Blackmore, Catherine Sarange, Ruth Mbeyu, Christopher Cheupe, Joaquim Cheupe, Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia, Lora Iannotti, Andrew Wamukota, Austin T. Humphries, Carolyn Lesorogol

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examines barriers to fish consumption during the complementary feeding period in two coastal counties of Kenya with high rates of child malnutrition. Study findings indicate that young child fish consumption is impacted by factors related to accessibility, food preferences, and caregiver’s knowledge and beliefs about fish during the complementary feeding period. These factors are influenced by prominent community figures such as elder women and health workers, whose own beliefs and understandings are impacted by underlying cultural norms, potentially limiting fish consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in the coastal region of Kenya to focus …

Nutrient Capture And Sustainable Yield Maximized By A Gear Modification In Artisanal Fishing Traps, Bryan P. Galligan, Timothy R. Mcclanahan, Austin T. Humphries

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reef artisanal fisheries are an important source of nutrition and economic wellbeing for coastal communities, but their management is subject to conflicts and tradeoffs between short-term food security benefits and long-term ecological function. One potential tradeoff is between nutrient capture and fish yields, where targeting small, nutrient-dense species may be more valuable for food security than maximizing fish yields, which is more closely aligned with supporting biodiversity and ecological function. We explored these potential tradeoffs by comparing two similar gears: traditional African basket traps and traps modified with an escape gap. Traps without escape gaps captured a higher frequency …

Organic Farmers Face Persistent Barriers To Adopting Diversification Practices In California’S Central Coast, Liz Carlisle, Kenzo Esquivel, Patrick Baur, Nina F. Ichikawa, Elissa M. Olimpi, Joanna Ory, Hannah Waterhouse, Alastair Iles, Daniel S. Karp, Claire Kremen, Timothy M. Bowles

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

In the face of myriad environmental challenges associated with industrial agriculture, some farmers and researchers have looked to diversified farming systems as a promising alternative. Despite well-documented ecological benefits, diversification practices remain rare in many regions of the U.S, even amongst organic farmers. Our study focuses on organic farmers in the Central Coast region of California, an area that has played a crucial role in the rise of organic agriculture over the last several decades. Through 20 interviews with farmers who all grow lettuce and 8 interviews with technical assistance providers, we investigate the persistent barriers that growers in this …

Probiotics For Eastern Oyster Hatcheries: Commercial Formulations And Effect On Microbial Communities, Evelyn Takyi

Open Access Dissertations

In the United States of America, oyster production is an important component of the seafood industry in many coastal communities. Oysters provide ecological, economic, and cultural services. Several hatcheries providing eastern oyster, C. virginica, seed to oyster farms face significant losses owing to Vibrio spp. infections causing massive larval mortalities. Probiotics have been proposed as a potential preventive measure to limit the impact of bacterial diseases in shellfish hatcheries. The probiotic bacterium Phaeobacter inhibens S4 has been shown to protect C. virginica larvae from Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22 (RE22) infection. A liquid formulation of this probiotic has been developed for …

Frequency Of Food Cravings In Adults Consuming Animal- Or Plant-Based Diets, Kate Thomas

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To investigate the differences in the frequency and intensity of food cravings between animal- and plant-based consumers as well as the association between habitual intake of dietary fibers, animal and plant protein, and food cravings. Methods: An online cross-sectional study collected data from adult (≥ 18 years) animal- and plant-based consumers from March 2020 to January 2022. Participants completed a Qualtrics eligibility questionnaire self-identifying their dietary pattern and weekly frequency of meat, seafood, dairy, egg, and honey consumption. Eligible participants (non-smoking, not pregnant, no fiber supplementation, no chronic disease) were invited via e-mail to complete a Dietary History …

Investigation Into The Impact Of Parasitic Apicomplexans On The Gut Microbiome Of Marine Tunicate Ciona Intestinalis, Evelyn Anna Spencer

Open Access Master's Theses

Gregarines are a diverse group of apicomplexan parasites that inhabit the intestines, coeloms and reproductive vesicles of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial invertebrates. They have been known to dominate soil communities and show high infection rates within their hosts. Despite this, little information is available about the impact of infection on the gut microbiome of their hosts. Tunicates are a known host of gregarines and several species already have preliminary research focusing on microbial sampling and even screening for bioactive metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. The solitary ascidian Ciona intestinalis emerged as a model organism for studying host–microbe interactions taking place in …

An Evaluation Of High School Athletes Acquisition Of Nutritional Information A Survey Based Approach, Nicholas Waltz

Open Access Master's Theses

Importance and Objective: The justification for the current study is that 56.1% of youth (6-17) in the United States currently play sports and they ought to have access to high quality nutritional information. The primary hypothesis of the study is that youth athletes are obtaining most of their nutritional information from a combination of conversations with teammates, and the usage of the internet/ social media. The information obtained from this survey will both help coaches, athletes, and sports organizations develop better educational strategies to help athletes make more informed choices when it comes to supplementation usage, and in turn ensure …

Maternal Experiences Of Discussing Complementary Feeding In Primary Care, Kelly Lynn Bouchard

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To explore mothers’ experiences and perceptions of the complementary feeding recommendations they receive in the primary care setting.

Methods: English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of infants were recruited from WIC offices in Rhode Island and through snowball sampling. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to investigate mothers’ discussions with pediatricians about complementary feeding and their overall impressions of wellness visits. Thematic analysis was informed by the Fundamentals of Care theoretical framework.

Results: The mean age of the sample (n=13) was 30.5 years and 62% were Latina. Overall, mothers reported being satisfied with wellness visits and that they trusted pediatricians (theme 1). …

Mechanisms And Consequences Of Cross-Generational Acclimatization In Reef-Building Corals, Kevin Harrison Wong

Open Access Dissertations

Coral reefs are valued over trillions of dollars and are becoming increasingly degraded due to global climate change. Ocean warming disrupts the symbiotic relationship between corals and their algal symbiont, Symbiodinaceae, leading to severe energetic reduction and increased mortality. Recent studies have identified the potential for beneficial within-generational and cross-generational acclimatization to mitigate the impacts of future environmental change, however the mechanisms and outcomes remain understudied in tropical corals. Here, I present three manuscripts testing different mechanisms of within- and cross-generational acclimatization in corals to understand the long-term consequences of ocean warming. First, we tested the hypothesis that the survival …

The Relationship Of Physical Activity And Dietary Quality And Diabetes Prevalence In Us Adults: Findings From Nhanes 2011-2018, Furong Xu, Jacob Earp, Alessandra Adami, Lee Weidauer, Geoffrey W. Greene

College of Education Faculty Publications

This study aimed to examine the relationship of physical activity and/or dietary quality and diabetes prevalence in the general population and within specific age groups. It was a cross-sectional study using 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Patterns Equivalents data (n = 15,674). Physical activity was measured by Global Physical Activity questionnaire; dietary quality was analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index 2015; diabetes prevalence was determined by reported diagnosis and glycohemoglobin or fasting glucose. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression adjusted for demographic variables and weight status. Results revealed that although …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of The Ebb And Flow Parenting Program, Maria Catherine Difonte

Open Access Dissertations

It is well-documented that parenting impacts childhood outcomes, and research has found specific positive parenting strategies that are associated with increased child resilience, well-being, and functioning (Williams et al., 2009). In-person and online programs aim to increase use of these strategies and have led to significant improvements in child outcomes and parental self-efficacy and adjustment (Webster-Stratton, 1981; Sanders, 1999; Morgan et al., 2018; Khanna et al., 2017). While findings are promising, work is needed to assess the preventative roles of single-session psychoeducational parent training programs in reducing the emergence of diagnosable concerns in children, yet research in this area is …

Longitudinal Clustering Of Health Behaviors Within The Framingham Heart Study, Nathan L. Baumann

Open Access Dissertations

Health risk behaviors (HRB) have been shown to impact non-communicable chronic disease (NCI) over the lifespan, which are among the leading causes of mortality within the United States. Treatment of NCI includes both pharmacological and behavior change intervention. Though behavior change recommendations are common in the treatment of NCI, our understanding of the long-term trajectory of HRB and how they cluster are not yet fully understood. The current study seeks to elucidate the clustering of specific health behavior changes over the lifespan, bolstering the potential for taking preventative measures as well as fostering positive health behavior change more broadly in …

Intergenerational Programming During The Pandemic: Transformation During (Constantly) Changing Times, Shannon E. Jarrott, Skye N. Leedahl, Tamar E. Shovali, Carson De Fries, Amy Delpo, Erica Estus, Caroline Gangji, Leslie Hasche, Jill Juris, Roddy Macinnes, Matthew Schilz, Rachel M. Scrivano, Andrew Steward, Catherine Taylor, Anne Walker

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Intergenerational programs have long been employed to reduce ageism and optimize youth and older adult development. Most involve in-person meetings, which COVID-19 arrested. Needs for safety and social contact were amplified during COVID-19, leading to modified programming that engaged generations remotely rather than eliminating it. Our collective case study incorporates four intergenerational programs in five US states prior to and during COVID-19. Each aims to reduce ageism, incorporating nutrition education, technology skills, or photography programming. Authors present case goals, participants, implementation methods, including responses to COVID-19, outcomes, and lessons learned. Technology afforded opportunities for intergenerational connections; non-technological methods also were …

Opinions On The Halfshell: Examining Public Perceptions Of Southern New England Aquaculture Development, Callan J. Yanoff

Open Access Master's Theses

With the recent expansion of aquaculture in New England, it has become increasingly difficult for aquaculture growers with farm proposals to advance past the permitting process due to public opposition. The substantial lack of innovative strategies for understanding and addressing the public’s perceptions of aquaculture development in the Northeast has created conflict in expanding sustainable farming. Through 15 focus group discussions during the summer of 2021, this study assesses how people who live in Rhode Island and Massachusetts think about farm design and examines their attitudes towards aquaculture impacts and governance. By identifying the general public’s preferences and perceptions, findings …

Care-Portal: A Clinician-Centered Digital Health Portal For Wearable Data Analytics, Shejar Sadhu

Open Access Master's Theses

Growth of “e-health” (electronic health) is unprecedented especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearable technology such as smartwatches and smart finger rings have the capability to remotely monitor and quantify biometric and daily life activity parameters such as heart rate, body temperature, sleep, exercise, sedentary periods, and others from patients when they are in naturalistic environments such as home, school, work, and sports. This wearable technology can also be used to remotely monitor longitudinal symptomatic changes in chronic and acute conditions such as neurological and psychiatric disorders that may require some indicators of psychological stress in daily life settings. Wearable technology …

Phytochemical Analysis And Biological Evaluation Of Maple (Acer Saccharum) Sap Water, Kara Torrey

Open Access Master's Theses

Our laboratory initiated a comprehensive research program to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological effects of an ethyl acetate maple water extract (MWX), in comparison to other maple food extracts. Created by boiling and evaporating maple sap (Acer saccharum), maple syrup has become a popular alternative sweetener. The raw sap of the maple tree has been consumed by indigenous cultures for centuries, but recently, maple water products have gained the interest of consumers seeking plant derived functional beverages with added health benefits. Based on previous studies by our group, we hypothesize that maple water (and MWX) contains many …