Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Epi Procolon Utilization, Eric Lamy

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: According to the American Cancer Society, despite being one of the most preventable forms of cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common type of cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (US). The 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System estimates that around one quarter of the US population aged 50 to 75 and over one half of those in their early 50s remain unscreened despite being at risk. In 2016, the United State Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test for CRC screening called Epi proColon. Epi proColon …

Modeling Rhode Island Food Production Potential Under Different Production Scenarios, Nina Oberg

Open Access Master's Theses

Food sovereignty emphasizes the rights of people to have control over their food system. Relocalizing food production and limiting dependence on global industrial supply chains is necessary to increase food sovereignty in regions dominated by conventional food systems. In the US, the New England region aims to relocalize production by producing 50 percent of food consumed in the region by the year 2060. Rhode Island can contribute to this goal by expanding production and strengthening local food systems, thus serving as a model for New England and other urbanizing regions globally. For this study, a site suitability analysis was performed …

Home Grown: An Experimental Analysis Of Home-Methods Of Mold Removal On Textile Substrates, Paige Bailey

Open Access Master's Theses

When seeking information on how to clean away mold from clothing and textiles, searching the internet can lead to an overwhelming amount of confusing and vague information. A lack of reputable references and consistent measurements across methodologies makes attempting to clean textiles, valuable or not, potentially damaging to the textile itself. As such, the objective of this experiment was to select a handful of these cleaning methods and test them with the expectation that the results will contribute to reliable information on what methods could possibly work for certain textiles. It is the hope that this information will be made …

Collaboration Is Key: Using Interdisciplinary Assessment To Improve Wildlife Management Practices, Public Engagement In Science, And Science Communication Programs In Rhode Island, Erin R. Harrington

Open Access Dissertations

Over the past few decades, prestigious scientific institutions such as The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Academy of Sciences have acknowledged the utmost importance of science communication to help improve the general public’s understanding of scientific knowledge. NSF has gone so far as to make “dissemination of research findings to increase scientific literacy” the third most recommended category for research funding priorities, second only to teaching and training, and broadening participation of underrepresented groups (NSB 2011, Skrip 2015). These efforts attest to a growing interest and investment in improving the field of science communication (Druschke and McGreavy 2016); …

The Developing Brain: Considering The Multifactorial Effects Of Obesity, Physical Activity & Mental Wellbeing In Childhood And Adolescence, Nicole E. Logan, Christie L. Ward-Ritacco

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Obesity during childhood has been associated with many important physiological and neurological health considerations. Specifically concerning are the associations between youth obesity and declines in mental health, as shown with increasing rates of adolescent depression and anxiety worldwide. The emergence of mental health disorders commonly arises during adolescent development, and approximately half the global population satisfy the criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder in their lifetime, suggesting a need for early intervention. Adolescence is critical time whereby brain structure and functions are not only negatively associated with obesity and declines in mental health, while also coinciding with significant declines …

Hypertension, Rheumatoid Arthritis, And Hypothyroidism In Women Born Preterm Of The Women's Health Initiative, Pamela L. Brewer

Open Access Dissertations

Advances in perinatal and neonatal management, along with improved healthcare technologies, have increased the long-term survival of individuals who were born preterm. Millions of preterm birth survivors now reach adulthood. Premature birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks gestation, predisposes individuals to adverse health risks later in life. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) theory was used as a framework for this dissertation. The main tenets of the DOHaD theory are that early birth infers immature organ development and when coupled with maternal, neonatal, and environmental stressors, long-term health consequences and/or chronic disease may result. International studies report …

Dietary Magnesium Intake And Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Ghanaian Women Of Reproductive Age, Helena Bentil

Open Access Dissertations

In several studies conducted in high-income countries, low magnesium intake has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, very no studies have been conducted in Africa, where the prevalence of T2DM is increasing in many countries. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the risk of magnesium deficiency in women of reproductive age, a group where lower levels of dietary magnesium intake have been linked to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct a pilot cross-sectional study to investigate the dietary magnesium intakes of women of reproductive age in …

The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) In Narragansett Bay During A Time Of Ecosystem Flux: Temperature, Predation, And Larval Dynamics, Kristin Huizenga

Open Access Dissertations

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) in southern New England sustained a particularly prosperous fishery during the 1980s and 1990s. However, in 2001 lobsters in the region began to decline, leading to the eventual collapse of the fishery in Rhode Island. The Narragansett Bay was no exception to this trend, with the number of lobsters caught by the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography weekly fish trawl survey peaking in the 1990s before the decline. Today, few lobsters are caught in the Bay.

This dissertation seeks to identify whether environmental stressors and predators drive lobster populations in …

Bacterial Community Dynamics In Rhode Island Coastal Ecosystems, Zachary Pimentel

Open Access Dissertations

In temperate coastal ecosystems, there are a variety of potential environmental niches and lifestyles for bacteria to occupy, along with constantly changing environmental conditions. Residing in such a diverse environment with broad habitats, bacterial adaptation can be observed at both the community and genome level. For example, an individual strain may acquire new mutations or genes to respond to varying conditions or occupy a new niche. In addition, the taxonomic composition of bacterial communities can shift, resulting in higher abundances of strains specialized for a new condition. In this dissertation, community and genome-level adaptations to varying lifestyles and environmental change …

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 …

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 …

A Qualitative Study Of Early Adolescents’ Critical Thinking About The Content And Consequences Of Media Violence, Erica Scharrer, Yuxi Zhou

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Research shows that young people are likely to encounter considerable amounts of violence in the media they use. Some of those depictions trivialize the severity of violence. Past studies show that media literacy education can spur critical thinking regarding violent portrayals in media texts. But rarely do prior studies employ qualitative methods to understand how young media audience members reason through the key question of whether media violence is either surprising or concerning. In the current study, an in-school media literacy program is offered to 48 6th graders who provide data in the form of written responses to a number …

Media, Obesity Discourse, And Participatory Politics: Exploring Digital Engagement Among University Students, Tao Papaioannou

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Situated within research on youth, participatory politics, and media framing of obesity, this study examined how undergraduate students in a media literacy course engaged with obesity discourse as a nexus of civic participation. Twenty-nine students enrolled on the course identified frames of obesity in plus-size model Tess Holliday’s Instagram posts surrounding her controversial Cosmopolitan cover in 2018. Analysis of these frames – self-validation, injustice of fat-shaming and stigmatization, influences of Instagram celebrities on fat embodiment, and health stereotypes of obese people – enabled the students to critique activist responses to accepted body norms and moral values facilitating weight bias. In …

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_J1 Report Fy2021 - Journal Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_J1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021. The TR_J1 report is defined as "Journal Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

• Total Item Requests - 696,705
• Unique Item Requests - 513,492

Bioaccumulation Of Pcbs, Ocps And Pbdes In Marine Mammals From West Antarctica, Mohammed Khairy, Emily Brault, Rebecca Dickhut, Karin C. Harding, Tero Harkonen, Olle Karlsson, Kristine Lehnert, Jonas Teilmann, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

To understand the bioaccumulation and food web dynamics of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as a function of species, age and sex in Antarctic mammals, blubber samples of 3 killer whales (Type C) and 77 pinnipeds (Weddell, Ross and crabeater seals) were collected from the Southern Ocean, Antarctica. They were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). ΣDDTs, Σ29PCBs and chlordanes (12 – 4,600, 13 – 1,600, and < 1.5 – 1,700 ng/g lipid, respectively) were the most abundant POPs. Killer whales typically displayed several times greater concentrations of POPs compared to seals, except for PBDEs. PCBs and PBDEs were consistently higher in adult crabeater and Weddell seal males, and in adult female Ross seals than in other sex and age groups reflecting an age accumulation and possible influence of segregated diet, foraging areas, and metabolic transformation rates. POPs concentrations significantly correlated with gene transcription of nuclear receptors involved in detoxification of contaminants and immune relevant cell mediators in the crabeater seals, indicating possible immunotoxic and deleterious health effects. This represents one of the largest studies on POPs in Antarctic marine predators and highlights the complexity of POPs bioaccumulation.

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R5 Tr_B1 Report Fy2021 - Book Requests (Excluding Oa_Gold) By Title, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_B1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021. The TR_B1 report is defined as "Book Requests (Excluding OA_Gold)." This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results:

• Total Item Requests - 84,955
• Unique Title Requests - 38,932

Editorial: Diversifying Farming Systems For Adaptive Capacity, Margiana Petersen-Rockney, Timothy Bowles, Selena Ahmed, Patrick Baur

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Personal Digital Health In Parkinson's Disease: Case Histories And Commentary, Aidan T. Boving, L. Shuster, Theodore A. Walls, Todd Brothers

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

The use of self-tracking of bio-behavioral states along with prescription dosing information is increasingly popular in the care and study of many human diseases. Parkinson’s Disease is particularly amenable to such tracking, as patients live with the progressive disease for many years, increasing motivation to pursue quality of life changes through careful monitoring of symptoms and self-guided management of their medications and lifestyle choices. Through the use of digital self-tracking technologies, patients independently or in conjunction with professional medical advice are modulating their medications and behavioral regimens based on self-tracking data. Self-trackers engage in self-experimentation with their health, and more …

Editorial: Conflicts And Compromises Between Food Safety Policies And Environmental Sustainability, Patrick Baur, Janne Lundén, Michele Jay-Russell

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Program Bs In Nutrition, Julia Lovett

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

The Value And Scope Of The Term Femicide, Robert Brannon

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The term femicide is useful in naming a wide range of sexist killings of women by men, just as “genocide” and “sexual harassment” named these respective other crimes and civil violations. Definitions and example of killings that are, and are not, femicides clarify the scope of the term. A number and variety of misogynistic killings of women can be documented. There is evidence that learning of the term of femicide has helped women to see and to combat femicides in their spheres. The term femicide has been embraced by the United Nations and by eight Latin American countries to date.

Arctic Lagoon And Nearshore Food Webs: Relative Contributions Of Terrestrial Organic Matter, Phytoplankton, And Phytobenthos Vary With Consumer Foraging Dynamics, Kelton W. Mcmahon, William G. Ambrose, Melinda J. Reynolds, Beverly J. Johnson, Alex Whiting, Lisa M. Clough

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Characterizing energy flow and trophic linkages is fundamental to understanding the functioning and resilience of Arctic ecosystems under increasing pressure from climate change and anthropogenic exploitation. We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to examine trophic dynamics and the relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter, water column phytoplankton, and phytobenthos (benthic micro- and macro-autotrophs as well as sea ice algae) to the food webs supporting 45 macroconsumers in three Arctic coastal lagoon ecosystems (Krusenstern, Sisualik, Akulaaq) and the adjacent Kotzebue Sound with varying degrees of connectivity in Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska. A two-source (water column particulate organic matter and …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2020-2021, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2021. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth And Grazing Rates Reduced By Microplastic Ingestion, Victoria M. Fulfer, Susanne Menden-Deuer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in marine ecosystems worldwide, threatening fisheries production, food safety, and human health. Ingestion of microplastics by fish and large zooplankton has been documented, but there are few studies focusing on single-celled marine predators, including heterotrophic dinoflagellates. In laboratory experiments, the heterotrophic dinoflagellate species Oxyrrhis marina and Gyrodinium sp. readily ingested both algal prey and polystyrene microplastic spheres (2.5–4.5 μm), while Protoperidinium sp. did not ingest microplastics. Compared to algae-only fed dinoflagellates, those that ingested microplastics had growth rates reduced by 25–35% over the course of 5 days. Reduced growth resulted in a 30–50% reduction of secondary …

"When They See Someone Who Is Poor, They Step On Them": The Social Determinants Of Health Among Survivors Of Sex Trafficking In Cambodia, James P. Havey, Glenn M. Miles, Lim Vanntheary, Nhanh Channtha, Hanni Stoklosa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Social determinants of health (SDH) are defined as the non-medical yet health-affecting conditions of a person’s life. They include such considerations as working conditions, discrimination, and access to health services. The aim of this study was to explore the SDH impacting those who have survived sex trafficking in Cambodia. This study employed a mixed methods, secondary analysis, focusing on 52 survivors of sex trafficking in the Butterfly Longitudinal Research Project from 2010 through 2019. Participants described myriad social determinants of health, including: gender, age, relationship status (marriage), ethnicity, national identification documentation (statelessness), social class, formal education, vocational training, occupation, and …

Alma Link Resolver Title & Issn Report (Top 500) 2020-2021, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2020-2021 on the total number of OpenURL requests by journal title and ISSN made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries. Includes only the top 500 journals.

Information provided includes journal Title, ISSN, EISSN, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, % Clicks from Requests.

Consumption Behavior Of Algerians During The Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis, Kamel Chikhi

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This Dialogue contribution is a reflection on the impact of crises and in particular that of Covid-19 on the behavior of Algerian consumers: before, during and post-crisis. It is recognized that during crises, consumers adopt unusual and more rational behaviors: buy basic necessities; save more to deal with possible difficult situations; place more importance on nutrition, health, food quality characteristics, price, psychological and socio-demographic characteristics; have purchasing and consumption intentions based on their cultural background and prefer to adopt planned behaviors. Observed events during the Covid-19 pandemic allows us to illustrate the evolution of consumption behavior of Algerians and to …

Children As Mischievous Spirits: Legitimizing Child Cruelty And Filicide In Contemporary Africa, Chima Agazue

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The belief that certain humans are spiritual entities and the belief that some people are spiritually possessed can be found across histories and cultures. While these individuals are not always viewed in the negative or treated inhumanely, cases abound whereby degrading and inhumane treatments are meted out to some of them. In the African continent, certain groups of people, particularly children are linked to certain mischievous spirits due to their unusual appearance, aberrant behavior, disability, chronic illness, psychopathology or exceptional ability. Some are also suspected and consequently mistreated due to events surrounding their birth. Such children are known by different …

Particle Tracking Reveals Pelagic Red Crabs As Indicators Of Climate-Driven Range Expansion In The California Current, Elizabeth Saraf

Senior Honors Projects

Since their first recorded occurrence in 1859, Pelagic Red Crabs (PRC; Pleuroncodes planipes) have experienced increased frequency of episodic mass stranding events in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. PRC’s are transported over 1,000 km northward of their central domain from the coast of central Baja California, Mexico. They have been reported by the thousands on the beaches of central and southern California. Their presence influences the surrounding ecosystem and commercial fisheries because they are nutritional prey items and large predators change their diet to incorporate PRC’s when they are available. Seasonal coastal currents and the California Undercurrent transport warmer waters …

Nutritional Data And Corresponding Performance Impacts Of Uri Student-Athletes, Abigael Fenbert

Senior Honors Projects

This research project investigates the diets of various sport athletes at the University of Rhode Island. The question that this project aims to answer is if our athletes are meeting recommended daily values nutritionally, and if not, why? Research continues to grow regarding how performance implications are tied to varying nutritional disparities for athletes. Various studies show malnourishment leads to performance decline, increased injury risk, and improper recovery. This is influenced by factors such as deficits in caloric intake, macronutrient and micronutrient availability, and dehydration. For college athletes, a lack of food availability and nutritional knowledge leaves them especially predisposed …