Digital Commons Network^™

Facilitation Between Invasive Herbivores: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Increases Gypsy Moth Preference For And Performance On Eastern Hemlock, Ian G. Kinahan, Alex K. Baranowski, Elizabeth R. Whitney, Suzanne K. Savage, Chad M. Rigsby, Emma E. Shoemaker, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Interactions between invertebrate herbivores with different feeding modes are common on long‐lived woody plants. In cases where one herbivore facilitates the success of another, the consequences for their shared host plant may be severe. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), a canopy‐dominant conifer native to the eastern U.S., is currently threatened with extirpation by the invasive stylet‐feeding hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). The effect of adelgid on invasive hemlock‐feeding folivores remains unknown.
2. This study evaluated the impact of feeding by hemlock woolly adelgid on gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larval preference for, and performance on, eastern hemlock. …

Urinformed Fall 2020, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Spring 2020, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis With Individual Participant Data On Cord Management At Preterm Birth (Icomp): Study Protocol, Anna Lene Seidler, Lelia Duley, Anup C. Katheria, Catalina De Paco Matallana, Eugene Dempsey, Heike Rabe, John Kattwinkel, Judith S. Mercer, Justin Josephsen, Karen Fairchild, Ola Andersson, Shigeharu Hosono, Venkataseshan Sundaram, Vikram Datta, Walid El-Naggar, William Tarnow-Mordi, Thomas Debray, Stuart B. Hooper, Martin Kluckow, Graeme Polglase, Peter G. Davis, Alan Montgomery, Kylie E. Hunter, Angie Barba, John Simes, Lisa Askie

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction: Timing of cord clamping and other cord management strategies may improve outcomes at preterm birth. However, it is unclear whether benefits apply to all preterm subgroups. Previous and current trials compare various policies, including time-based or physiology-based deferred cord clamping, and cord milking. Individual participant data (IPD) enable exploration of different strategies within subgroups. Network meta-analysis (NMA) enables comparison and ranking of all available interventions using a combination of direct and indirect comparisons.

Objectives: (1) To evaluate the effectiveness of cord management strategies for preterm infants on neonatal mortality and morbidity overall and for different participant characteristics using IPD …

A Mixed‐Methods Analysis Of Younger Adults' Perceptions Of Asthma, Self‐Management, And Preventive Care: "This Isn't Helping Me None", Jennifer R. Mammen, Kelsey Turgeon, Ashley Philibert, Judith D. Schoonmaker, James Java, Jill Halterman, Marc N. Berliant, Amber Crowley, Marina Reznik, Jonathan M. Feldman, Robert J. Fortuna, Kimberly Arcoleo

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background: Young adults (ages 18‐44) have increased emergency department use for asthma and poor adherence to medications. The objective of this mixed‐methods study was to understand experiences with and approaches to managing asthma, of which little is known in this age group.

Methods: Surveys (Asthma Control Questionnaire, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire) and 1:1 semi‐structured interviews were used to explore experiences with asthma, symptoms, self‐management behaviors, and relationship to asthma control and quality of life. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were used to examine distributive characteristics and associations between variables.

Results: Forty …

Lessons Learned: Recruiting Aging Adults For Research, David R. Buys, Sarah L. Francis, Melissa Ventura Marra, Julie L. Locher, Ingrid E. Lofgren

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Aging adults are the fastest-growing population in the United States, but they are underrepresented in health care research. Evidence-based decisions for aging adults need to be made using research done with this population. However, recruiting aging adults into research has many challenges. This article presents multiple cases of recruiting aging adults into nutrition research studies in 3 different US geographic locations. The challenges, successes, and lessons learned are presented. The lessons learned can provide guidance to others already doing research with aging adults and those clinical and community dietitians who want to start doing research with aging adults.

Eb4cast Approach Improves Science Communication With Stakeholders In A College-Based Health Program, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Rachel A. Wattick, Wenjun Zhou, Tanya M. Horacek, Anne E. Mathews, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Tandalayo Kidd, Adrienne A. White, Onikia N. Brown, Jesse Stabile Morrell, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Karla P. Shelnutt, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Terezie Tolar-Peterson, Geoffrey W. Greene, Sarah E. Colby

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Communicating scientific results with community partners is often lacking in intervention programs, thus eB4CAST was developed to facilitate impact sharing. This article investigated using the eB4CAST dissemination tool to communicate impact from a campus-based obesity prevention program. Data from Get Fruved RCT university sites collected at baseline were used to generate eB4CAST reports. Experts (n = 13) and RCT sites (n = 15) were asked to provide feedback on eB4CAST reports based on appeal, understanding, and clarity. On all Likert items, participants rated above 7 on each (out of 10). Positive responses from open-ended questions included eB4CAST reports …

Rationale, Design And Study Protocol Of The ‘Strong Families Start At Home’ Feasibility Trial To Improve The Diet Quality Of Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Children By Helping Parents Improve Their Feeding And Food Preparation Practices, Katelyn Fox, Kim Gans, Karen Mccurdy, Patricia Markham Risica, Ernestine Jennings, Amy Gorin, George D. Papandonatos, Alison Tovar

Nutrition Faculty Publications

There is an urgent need to create effective interventions that help parents establish a healthy diet among their children early in life, especially among low-income and ethnically and racially diverse families. U.S. children eat too few fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and too many energy dense foods, dietary behaviors associated with increased morbidity from chronic diseases. Parents play a key role in shaping children's diets. Best practices suggest that parents should involve children in food preparation, and offer, encourage and model eating a variety of healthy foods. In addition, while parents help to shape food preferences, not all children respond …

Keys To Healthy Family Child Care Homes: Results From A Cluster Randomized Trial, Dianne S. Ward, Amber E. Vaughn, Regan V. Burney, Derek Hales, Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon, Alison Tovar, Truls Østbye

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Early care and education settings, such as family child care homes (FCCHs), are important venues for children's health promotion. Keys to Healthy Family Child Care Homes evaluated a FCCH-based intervention's impact on children's diet and physical activity. This study enrolled 496 children aged 1.5–4 years and 166 FCCH providers into a cluster-randomized control trial (intervention = 242 children/83 FCCHs, control = 254 children/83 FCCHs) conducted during 2013–2016. The 9-month intervention addressed provider health, health of the FCCH environment, and business practices, and was delivered through three workshops, three home visits, and nine phone calls. The attention control arm received …

Frequency And Predictors Of Suboptimal Prescribing Among A Cohort Of Older Male Residents With Urinary Tract Infection, Haley J. Appaneal, [email protected] Caffrey, Vrishali V. Lopes, David M. Dosa, Theresa I. Shireman, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Unnecessary antibiotic treatment of suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). However, less is known about the extent of suboptimal treatment, in terms of antibiotic choice, dose, and duration, after the decision to use antibiotics has been made. METHODS

We described the frequency of potentially suboptimal treatment among residents with an incident UTI (first during the study with none in the year prior) in Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Community Living Centers (CLCs, 2013-2018). Time trends were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. Residents with UTIs receiving potentially suboptimal treatment were compared to those receiving optimal treatment to …

Growth, Development, And Phenotypic Spectrum Of Individuals With Deletions Of 2q33.1 Involving Satb2, Yuri A. Zarate, Katherine A. Bosanko, Mary Ann Thomas, David T. Miller, Kristina Cusmano-Ozog, Antonio Martinez-Monseny, Cynthia J. Curry, John M. Graham Jr., Lea Velsher, Mir Reza Bekheirnia, Veronica Seidel, Demitrios Dedousis, Anna L. Mitchell, Amy M. Dimarino, Angelika Riess, Meena Balasubramanian, Jennifer L. Fish, Aisling R. Caffrey, Nicole Fleischer, Tyler Mark Pierson, Ronald V. Lacro

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

SATB2-Associated syndrome (SAS) is an autosomal dominant, multisystemic, neurodevelopmental disorder due to alterations in SATB2 at 2q33.1. A limited number of individuals with 2q33.1 contiguous deletions encompassing SATB2 (ΔSAS) have been described in the literature. We describe 17 additional individuals with ΔSAS, review the phenotype of 33 previously published individuals with 2q33.1 deletions (n = 50, mean age = 8.5 ± 7.8 years), and provide a comprehensive comparison to individuals with other molecular mechanisms that result in SAS (non-ΔSAS). Individuals in the ΔSAS group were often underweight for age (20/41 = 49%) with a progressive decline in weight …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2020-2021, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

The Human Dimensions Of Coral Reef Restoration: A Case Study In The Spermonde Islands Of Indonesia, Jessica Vandenberg

Open Access Dissertations

This study employs a decolonial multidisciplinary approach to explore the sociocultural dimensions of a corporate-led coral reef restoration program implemented in a small island community in Indonesia framed as a conservation and food security initiative. Coral Reef Restoration (CRR) has gained increased attention as a coral conservation tool to supplement traditional approaches to tropical marine management (Boström-Einarsson et al. 2020). Like many other forms of conservation, CRR programs are often posed as dual conservation and development programs, aimed at achieving both ecological and social outcomes. Despite the intention to meet both conservation and development goals, CRR studies have been criticized …

Using Seafood Traceability To Teach The Complexities Of Natural Resource Management And Sustainability, Kelvin D. Gorospe, Lauren I. Josephs, Austin T. Humphries

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

This lesson plan addresses the challenge of conveying to students the globalized nature and complexity of natural resource management. Specifically, it uses seafood traceability, or the ability to track seafood as it moves through the global seafood supply chain, as a theme for understanding the potential for science and technological innovations to enable traceability as well as the different roles that various stakeholders play in ensuring fisheries sustainability. The lesson plan conveys several themes related to environmental sustainability including: the role of consumer empowerment, the importance of data and information sharing, the need to coordinate multiple stakeholders, and the intersection …

Responses To Environmentally Relevant Microplastics Are Species-Specific With Dietary Habit As A Potential Sensitivity Indicator, Coleen Suckling

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

There is a lack of information on understanding how marine organisms respond to environmentally relevant microplastics (MP) which hampers decision making for waste management strategies. This study addresses this information gap by determining whether responses to MPs are species specific within a functional group. Benthic residing sea urchins, Psammechinus miliaris and Paracentrotus lividuswere used as a case study. Psammechinus miliaris are strong omnivores with dietary intake including hard components (e.g. shell, tubeworms) and therefore likely to cope with the ingestion of MPs, while P. lividus are strong herbivores consuming softer dietary items (e.g. biofilms, algae) and therefore more likely …

Evaluation Of Key Perfluoroalkyl Substances To Induce Liver Steatosis In Mouse And Human Models, Emily Sara Marques

Open Access Dissertations

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that have been released into the environment over the past six decades. Some perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA), such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have been associated with hepatic steatosis in rodents and monkeys, however it is unclear if lipid accumulation occurs in humans. This thesis explores the liver effects of PFAS on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, using mouse and primary human hepatocytes. The central hypotheses are that diet and liver lipid composition alter PFAS-induced outcomes, and PFAS structure (i.e. functional groups and chain length) will …

Potential Value Of Gear-Based Management For Coral Reef Fisheries And Conservation, Paul Carvalho

Open Access Dissertations

Access to markets and globalization has fueled the expansion of fishing pressure in coral reef fisheries and has consequently led to overfishing on many reefs around the world. Overfishing has profound consequences for reef ecosystems and the people that rely on reef resources for nutrition and income. Collecting fisheries-dependent data required for traditional stock assessment methods that guide management is often infeasible for coral reefs due to the small-scale, dispersed, multi-species, and multi-gear nature of these fisheries. In addition, coral reefs are concentrated in developing countries that often have inadequate capacity for management and enforcement, which limits the effectiveness of …

Occupied Land Is An Access Issue: Interventions In Feminist Disability Studies And Narratives Of Indigenous Activism, Jess L. Cowing

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

Native/Indigenous narratives of health and environmental activism often engage with feminist disability issues to center the connections between land, health, sovereignty, and historical legacies of settler militarized colonialism. Within the context from which Native women and youth act as key leaders in health and environmental activism, expanded modes of feminist disability inquiry could interrogate how transformative justice issues require historicizing concepts of ableism through ongoing legacies of settler colonialism. Considering the work of Native writers such as Winona LaDuke, feminist disability studies scholars might critically examine how key tenets of feminist disability issues such as access require attention to Native/Indigenous …

Reducing Ageism: Changes In Students’ Attitudes After Participation In An Intergenerational Reverse Mentoring Program, Skye N. Leedahl, Melanie S. Brasher, Dara L. Lobuono, Bethany M. Wood, Erica Estus

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Ageism is a societal concern that greatly affects the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of older adults. One way to decrease ageist attitudes and improve the treatment of older adults is to address and improve age stereotypes among young adults. Using data from students participating in an intergenerational digital-learning program, the present study investigated change in students’ stereotypes of older adults and aging. We examined change from pre- and post-scores in student attitudes toward older adults and the type of adjectives used to describe older adults. We also analyzed responses to open-ended questions about changes in perception of older …

Muscle Oxidative Capacity Is Reduced In Both Upper And Lower Limbs In Copd, Alessandra Adami, Rogerio B. Corvino, Robert A. Calmelat, Janos Porszasz, Richard Casaburi, Harry B. Rossiter

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Skeletal muscle atrophy, weakness, mitochondrial loss and dysfunction are characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It remains unclear whether muscle dysfunction is localized to the lower limbs, because findings are inconsistent in the few studies where upper and lower limb muscle performance properties were compared within an individual. This study determined whether muscle oxidative capacity is low in both upper and lower limbs of COPD patients compared with controls. Methods: Oxidative capacity of the forearm and medial gastrocnemius were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the muscle O₂ consumption recovery rate constant (k, …

Efficacy Of Seaweed (Sargassum Sp.) Extract To Prevent Vibriosis In White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) Juvenile, Indriyani Nur Mulyadi, Wa Iba

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Marine algae, especially brown algae (Sargassum sp.), is a natural compound plant capable of being prophylactic and immunostimulant. This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of seaweed (Sargassum sp.) extract to improve resistance and immune response of juvenile white shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei ) infected by Vibrio algynolyticus .

Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract of seaweed was used to evaluate its antibacterial effect by immerse the juvenile shrimp at a dose level of 0 (control), 150, 250 and 350 ppm for 3 h. Shrimp immune response was observed based on total haemocyte count (THC) and differential …

Prenatal Vitamin Use In Rhode Island According To Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) Participation, Allisa Georgio

Open Access Master's Theses

Objectives: To examine prenatal vitamin (PNV) use between women who participate in The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and pregnant women who do not participate in WIC. The secondary objective is to explore associations between PNV use and sociodemographic characteristics of pregnant women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of Rhode Island pregnant women 18 years of age or older. Women were recruited from WIC offices, OB-GYN offices, and pregnant women known to the research team. All women that participated in the study completed an anonymous 21-question survey in-person …

Dietary Contributors To Food Group Intake In Preschool Children Attending Family Childcare Homes, Andrea Ramirez-Sanabria

Open Access Master's Theses

Statement of the Problem: Exposing preschool aged children to a variety of healthy food is essential for the development of healthy eating patterns. Therefore, ensuring healthy environments are necessary. This includes Family Childcare Homes (FCCH), a specific type of childcare in which non-relative providers care for the children in their own home. Unfortunately, during childcare, children are not meeting recommendations for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk; and on the contrary, are consuming too many sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice and energy-dense snacks. Most studies have been conducted in childcare centers, and even though FCCH provide care for nearly 2 …

Dietary And Supplemental Magnesium Intake During Pregnancy And Its Association With Gestational Diabetes, Celia Palmer

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent and growing epidemic that affected 8.2% of births in 2016 in the United States. Previous studies have shown that low magnesium (Mg) is associated with type II diabetes (T2DM), and the pathophysiology of GDM and T2DM is similar.

Objective: To determine if low total Mg intake is associated with the risk of having GDM.

Design: We did a cross-sectional secondary data analysis using data from the 2005-2007 Infant Feeding Practices Study II which used a validated diet history questionnaire to collect dietary data. We analyzed total Mg intake from 1217 pregnant women …

Interactions Between Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Eastern Hemlock, And Gypsy Moth, Ian Gerard Kinahan

Open Access Master's Theses

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), a canopy-dominant conifer native to the eastern U.S., is currently threatened with extirpation by the invasive stylet-feeding hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). To understand interactions between eastern hemlock and hemlock woolly adelgid, and their interactions with other forest defoliators, we carried out two experiments.

First, in 2018, we evaluated the impact of feeding by hemlock woolly adelgid on gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larval preference for, and performance on, eastern hemlock. To assess preference, we surveyed 245 field-grown hemlocks for gypsy moth herbivory damage and conducted laboratory paired-choice bioassays. To assess …

Examining The Associations Between Lean Mass, Muscular Strength, Muscle Quality And Physical Function, Sydney Reigle

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: The determinants of physical function are not well characterized among middle-aged women. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the strength of the associations between lean mass, muscular strength, muscle quality, and physical functional ability in a cohort of middle-aged women. The secondary aim was to determine the measure of muscle quality most highly associated with measures of physical function.

Methods: Middle-aged women (N=111, age, 53.14 ±6.15 years) had body composition (via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), physical activity (via accelerometer), and physical function (via Transfer Task (TRANSFER), 30-Second Chair Stand (30-CS), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), …

Construction And Validation Of A Video Coding Tool For An Intervention To Improve Parental Feeding, Margaret Doyle Samson

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: This study describes the development and initial validation of a video coding tool to assess feeding practices observed in video-recorded family meals in order to provide feedback to caregivers. Methods: The tool with operational definitions was developed based on the previous literature and other tools that capture caregiver feeding practices. To assess face validity, a sample of child feeding experts (n=6) completed an 8-item online survey about content and usability. The tool was modified based on expert feedback and used to code 10 video-recorded family meals. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine inter-rater and test …

Associations Of Weight Dissatisfaction On Diet Quality, Percent Body Fat, And Physical Activity In College Students, Kelsey Mcnulty

Open Access Master's Theses

Statement of the Problem: As overweight and obesity rates continue to rise in the United States (U.S.), the social pressure to fit an impractical ideal body weight and image influences the satisfaction college-aged students have of themselves and can lead to higher body weight dissatisfaction (BWD). An increase in BWD has been associated with poorer dietary habits, such as lower intake of nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, excessive or lacking physical activity, as well as higher body mass index (BMI) and higher percent body fat (%BF). Since BWD has been determined as a contributor to increased risk of disordered …

The Development And Evaluation Of Transgenic Sorghum Lines For Conferred Phenotypes, Jiayin Liu

Open Access Master's Theses

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) requires minimally 9-months from wild type immature embryo explants to T0 seeds. More efficient methods for sorghum transformation are necessary to conduct routine transgenesis for genome editing purposes in this important crop. With this in mind, there were two primary objectives to this thesis. The first was to evaluate and possibly improve upon methods for characterizing putative transformants once produced through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of sorghum. The second was to evaluate and possibly improve upon transformation efficiencies in sorghum using an available Cas9 construct that would provide, long-term, a platform in …

The Influence Of Pre-Migratory Body Composition And Habitat Quality On Fall Migration In The American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor), Clayton Lee Graham

Open Access Master's Theses

Young forests and the wildlife that are dependent upon them are uncommon and declining within the Northeastern U.S. As such, forest management plans have been implemented to create and maintain young forest for wildlife, including migratory birds such as the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) that use young forest to meet their life history needs. Given that most Northeastern woodcock migrate between more northerly breeding areas and southern wintering areas, information about how post-breeding habitat quality and body composition carry over to influence fall migration strategies and residency is important for their management but currently unknown. I investigated how …