Digital Commons Network^™

Dewlap Evolution Among Non-Native Populations Of The Lizard Anolis Sagrei, Jessica N. Pita-Aquino

Open Access Master's Theses

The biological invasion of the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) provides an opportunity to test alternative hypotheses for phenotypic evolution as non-native populations established from multiple native-range sources experience different environmental conditions. In this study, we explored the evolution of Anolis lizard dewlaps, a well-studied communication structure with a remarkable diversity of phenotypes within and among species. Considerable evidence exists showing that the dewlap is a multifaceted trait subject to multiple selective pressures related to the local environmental conditions. We tested adaptive hypotheses for the response to climate and habitat variation as well as non-adaptive hypotheses tracing the genetic …

Investigating The Inhibitory Properties Of Candidate Probiotics Towards Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Jacqueline Hilary Camm

Open Access Master's Theses

Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) causes more than a billion dollars of losses to the shrimp farming industry annually. In 2013, strains of the marine pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus containing genes for the PirA^vp/B^vp toxins, encoded on a 70 Kb plasmid, were identified as the causative agent of AHPND. Antibiotics have been used to attempt to reduce losses, however their use in aquaculture is controversial. Additionally, the pathogen has demonstrated the ability to rapidly acquire antibiotic resistances through genetic mutation and lateral gene transfer. Probiotics, often used to prevent disease in aquaculture, may offer the opportunity to mitigate …

Tailoring Digital Health To Improve The Nutrition And Health Of People With Parkinson’S Disease, Dara Lyn Lobuono

Open Access Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incurable, neurodegenerative movement disorder, impacting nearly one million Americans. By 2030 the number of people with PD (PwPD) is expected to double and with this growing population, informal caregiver responsibility will also increase. Nutritional status worsens as PD progresses, which impacts cognition, body composition, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QOL), and increases caregiver burden. Nutritional screening and intervention for PwPD can improve health outcomes, but are often excluded from PD treatment plans.

Given the negative impact of PD on mobility and increased caregiver burden, digital technology could improve …

Influence Of Parent And Community Factors On Infant Snacking, Amy Michelle Moore

Open Access Dissertations

Snacking has increased among young children in recent decades, yet little is known about snacking during infancy. Therefore, three studies were conducted to explore the influence of parent and community factors on infant snacking. Across the three studies, findings suggest that infants are snacking on less healthy foods, mothers may offer snacks to prevent hunger and manage infant behavior, and less healthy snacks are widely available in the retail food stores. The first study was a secondary analysis of data from the Nurture study that examined the prevalence of less healthy snack intake at three time points (4-6, 7-9, and …

The Relationships Between Total Protein Intake, Protein Sources, Physical Activity, And Lean Mass In A Representative Sample Of The Us Adults, Furong Xu, Jacob E. Earp, Maya Vadiveloo, Alessandra Adami, M. J. Delmonico, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Mary L. Greaney

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Although dietary protein and physical activity play essential roles in developing and preserving lean mass, studies exploring these relationships are inconsistent, and large-scale studies on sources of protein and lean mass are lacking. Accordingly, the present study examined the relationship between total protein intake, protein sources, physical activity, and lean mass in a representative sample of US adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2011–2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and corresponding Food Patterns Equivalents Database (n = 7547). Multiple linear regression models were performed to examine the sex-specific associations between total protein intake, protein …

Native American Marine Resource Management In Rhode Island Pre And Post Contact, Sarah Bowen

Open Access Master's Theses

This study examines Native American marine resource management as a coastal adaptation in Rhode Island. It argues that marine resource management techniques were developed by indigenous people between the Archaic and the Late Woodland period, and uses Rhode Island’s salt pond region as a case study. It then looks at how European settlement altered Native American coastal adaptations and changed marine resource management through commodification and eventually loss of access to subsistence bases. The study contrasts Native American management practices with European resource use through the end of the colonial period, and relates how indigenous conservation efforts are applicable to …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Wisc-Iv With A Trinidad Referred Sample, Cherisse Rambarose

Open Access Dissertations

There has been an extensive amount of research in the intelligence-assessment literature on the structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fourth edition (WISC-IV; 2003a). Numerous studies show that the test’s general factor structure replicates across normative and referred groups, in the U.S. and globally. Thus far, few studies have been done examining the factor structure of this, and other intelligence tests with Caribbean samples. The current study adds to this body of literature by examining the factor structure of the WISC-IV with a referred sample from Trinidad. This study utilized archival data from a sample accessed through private …

Teaching Technology To Older Adults: Modalities Used By Student Mentors And Reasons For Continued Program Participation, Dara L. Lobuono, Skye N. Leedahl, Elycia Maiocco

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

The current study examined teaching modalities used by college students participating in an intergenerational, service-learning program that helps older adults learn technology and described reasons for older adults' continued participation in this program. Qualitative data analysis was completed using student-maintained observation logs from approximately 200 older participants. Several different teaching modalities used by student mentors were identified, including observing and listening, writing down information or creating visual aids, explaining the significance and simplifying materials, using repetition/review, and using hands-on learning. Multiple reasons for older adults' continued participation were identified, including continued progress on one topic or device; multiple topics for …

Climate Change Increases The Risk Of Fisheries Conflict, Elizabeth Mendenhall, Cullen Hendrix, Elizabeth Nyman, Paige M. Roberts, John Robison Hoopes, James R. Watson, Vicky W. Y. Lam, Rashid Sumaila

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

The effects of climate change on the ocean environment – especially ocean warming, acidification, and sea level rise – will impact fish stocks and fishers in important ways. Likely impacts include changes in fish stocks’ productivity and distribution, human migration to and away from coastal areas, stresses on coastal fisheries infrastructure, and challenges to prevailing maritime boundaries. In this paper, we explore these and other related phenomena, in order to assess whether and how the impacts of climate change on fisheries will contribute to the risk of fisheries conflict. We argue that climate change will entail an increase in the …

Temporal Association Between Abdominal Weight Status And Healthy Aging: Findings From The 2011–2018 National Health And Aging Trends Study, Furong Xu, Jacob E. Earp, Geoffrey W. Greene, Steven A. Cohen, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Matthew J. Delmonico, Mary L. Greaney

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background/objectives: The longitudinal effect of abdominal weight status (AWS) defined by waist circumference (WC) on healthy aging has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the temporal association between WC-defined AWS and a comprehensive assessment for healthy aging. Subjects/methods: This study utilized data from 5211 respondents aged 65+ who participated in the National Health and Aging Trends Study from 2011 to 2018. Mixed effects regression models were used to examine the association between baseline AWS and the annual change rate in healthy aging score (HAS) via interaction terms (AWS*round) adjusting for confounding …

Serum Acylglycerols Inversely Associate With Muscle Oxidative Capacity In Severe Copd, Rongsong Li, Alessandra Adami, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chi-Hong Tseng, Tzung K. Hsiai, Harry B. Rossiter

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with altered metabolism and body composition that accompany poor outcomes. We aimed to determine whether metabolic derangements in COPD are associated with skeletal muscle deconditioning and/or physical inactivity, independent of pulmonary obstruction.

Methods: We characterized serum metabolites associated with muscle oxidative capacity or physical activity in 44 COPD patients (FEV1=61±4%predicted) and 63 current and former smokers with normal spirometry (CON) (FEV1=93±2%predicted). Medial gastrocnemius oxidative capacity was assessed at rest from the recovery rate constant (k) of muscle oxygen consumption using near-infrared spectroscopy. Step counts and physical activity (average …

Regulating Quiescence And Division In Escherichia Coli, Eric Charles Dibiasio

Open Access Dissertations

The decision for a bacterium to grow and divide may seem like a simple process, but in reality, there are many factors that influence and regulate this choice. Bacteria have been known to respond to many environmental signals or cues that represent either favorable or non-favorable growth conditions, as well as cues, secreted from other bacteria or, in the case of a pathogen, the host. It is not uncommon for bacteria that find their environment unfavorable, to alter their growth, and in some cases, even enter into a type of non-proliferative state, which we term, dormancy. Bacterial dormancy has many …

Lsvt®Big Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity In People With Parkinson’S Disease: An Assessment Of Physiological And Behavioral Outcomes, Christine Marie Clarkin

Open Access Dissertations

Background and Purpose

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of LSVT.BIG, an intensive, whole-body, amplitude-based exercise protocol for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD), on functional mobility, quality of life, and markers of neuroplasticity. A secondary aim was to evaluate correlations between neurobiological measures (serum brain derived neurotrophic factor - sBDNF) and functional changes associated with the intervention.

Methods

Nine people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD), age = 69.9 years Å} 4.9, were recruited from the local community and enrolled in LSVT BIG, which includes 16, one-hour individual treatment sessions delivered over one month (4 sessions per …

Vascular Expression Of Hemoglobin Alpha In Antarctic Icefish Supports Iron Limitation As Novel Evolutionary Driver, Bruce A. Corliss, Leon J. Delalio, T. C. Stevenson Keller Iv, Alexander S. Keller, Douglas A. Keller, Bruce H. Corliss, Jody M. Beers, Shayn M. Peice, Brant E. Isakson

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Frigid temperatures of the Southern Ocean are known to be an evolutionary driver in Antarctic fish. For example, many fish have reduced red blood cell (RBC) concentration to minimize vascular resistance. Via the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin, RBCs contain the vast majority of the body’s iron, which is known to be a limiting nutrient in marine ecosystems. Since lower RBC levels also lead to reduced iron requirements, we hypothesize that low iron availability was an additional evolutionary driver of Antarctic fish speciation. Antarctic Icefish of the family Channichthyidae are known to have an extreme alteration of iron metabolism due to loss …

Horizontal Transmission And Recombination Maintain Forever Young Bacterial Symbiont Genomes, Shelbi Russell, Evan Pepper-Tunick, Jesper Svedberg Svedberg, Ashley Byrne, Jennie Ruelas Castillo, Christopher Vollmers, Roxanne A. Beinart, Russell Corbett-Detig

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Bacterial symbionts bring a wealth of functions to the associations they participate in, but by doing so, they endanger the genes and genomes underlying these abilities. When bacterial symbionts become obligately associated with their hosts, their genomes are thought to decay towards an organelle-like fate due to decreased homologous recombination and inef- ficient selection. However, numerous associations exist that counter these expectations, especially in marine environments, possibly due to ongoing horizontal gene flow. Despite extensive theoretical treatment, no empirical study thus far has connected these underlying population genetic processes with long-term evolutionary outcomes. By sampling marine chemosynthetic bacterial-bivalve endosymbioses that …

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R4 Journal Report 1 (Jr1) 2018-2019, Andree Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R4 Journal Report 1 (JR1) for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019. Journal Report 1 is defined as "Number of Successful Full-Text Article Requests by Month and Journal." This report presents an annual total only.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results: 1,055,792 successful full-text article requests for 30,329 reported titles.

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R4 Book Report 2 (Br2) By Title 2018-2019, Andree Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Project COUNTER R4 Book Report 2 (BR2) for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019. Book Report 2 is defined as "Number of Successful Section Requests by Month and Title." This report presents an annual total only.

File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics.

Results: 119,275 successful section requests for 9,528 reported titles.

Housing Prices And Household Savings: Evidence From Urban China, Weida Kuang, Tao Li, Jing Jian Xiao

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Based on precautionary saving motives, this research develops a three-period life-cycle model to manifest the impact of housing prices on household savings in urban China. The theoretical model illustrates that the expected appreciation of housing prices at a household’s middle age leads to the increase in household savings at a household’s young age. Second, household savings at a household’s young age are positively associated with both expected educational and medical expenditures in a household’s middle age and pension expenditures at a household’s old age. Third, the expected housing prices crowd out educational and medical expenditures at a household’s middle age. …

Urinformed December 2019, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Curricular Report No. 2019-20-6 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Curricular Changes, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of A Student Pharmacist Directed Health-Education Program For Elementary-School Children, Kelly Matson, Kelly Orr, Caitlin Marino, Lisa B. Cohen

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to measure the effect of an annual student pharmacist led elementary-school health education program by assessing children’s comprehension of educational sessions. Secondary objectives were to evaluate student pharmacists’ knowledge of health-related topics and practice skills.

Methods: Student pharmacists led interactive learning sessions for elementary school students on nutrition, physical activity, summer safety, hygiene, medication safety, and tobacco prevention. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered to measure change in knowledge of health promotion and healthy lifestyles. Student pharmacists also completed pre- and post-health education intervention surveys to measure change in self-perception of knowledge, …

Curricular Report #2019-20-2, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Curricular Report No. #2019-20-2 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Ph.D. Program In Health Sciences, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Pre-Pregnancy Bmi, Gestational Weight Gain, And Prenatal Diet Quality In A National Sample, Haley W. Parker, Alison Tovar, Karen Mccurdy, Maya Vadiveloo

Nutrition Faculty Publications

This secondary analysis explored the association between gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and prenatal diet quality in a United States national sample. The sample comprised 1322 pregnant women in the longitudinal Infant Feeding Practices Study II with Diet History Questionnaire data. Diet quality in the third trimester was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy. Self-reported pre-pregnancy BMI (categorized as underweight

“Got Water?” The Effects Of Globalized Agribusiness On Consumers’ Access To Water Sources, Lorena Garcia-Ramon

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This paper conceptually examines the consequences of globalized industrial agriculture on consumers’ access to clean water sources. It identifies the historical conditioners that allowed contemporary agribusiness corporations to gain the influence they currently hold over global water consumption, and it discusses the struggles that consumers face without access to clean water. The paper makes an original contribution by shifting the focus from the fact that vulnerable consumers do not have access to clean water to the reasons why they do not have access. It is suggested that water conservation strategies should not only be implemented at the consumer level, but …

Supplementation With Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Does Not Increase Child Morbidity In A Semiurban Setting In Ghana: A Secondary Outcome Noninferiority Analysis Of The International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (Ilins)–Dyad Randomized Controlled Trial, Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Rebecca R. Young, Anna Lartey, Harriet Okronipa, Per Ashorn, Ulla Ashorn, Brietta M. Oaks, Kathryn G. Dewey

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background

Adequate knowledge about the safety of consumption of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) is needed. Objective

We aimed to test the hypothesis that SQ-LNS consumption is noninferior to control with respect to child morbidity. Methods

Women (n = 1320) ≤20 wk pregnant were assigned to iron and folic acid until delivery with no supplementation for offspring; or multiple micronutrient supplements until 6 mo postpartum with no supplementation for offspring; or SQ-LNSs until 6 mo postpartum, and SQ-LNSs for offspring (6 mg Fe/d) from 6 to 18 mo of age [the lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) group]. We assessed noninferiority …

A Multi-Year Examination Of Gardening Experience And Fruit And Vegetable Intake During College, Daniel Staub, Sarah E. Colby, Melissa D. Olfert, Kendra Kattelmann, Wenjun Zhou, Tanya M. Horacek, Geoffrey Greene, Ivana Radosavljevic, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Anne E. Mathews

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Gardening has been positively associated with fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption based on short-term studies among children, but long-term data among adolescents and young adults are lacking. This investigation sought to elucidate the association between gardening experience and FV intake among college students over a two-year period. Students (N = 593) from eight universities were assessed at the end of their freshman (Y1) and sophomore (Y2) years during the springs of 2016 and 2017, respectively. At each time point, participants completed the NCI FV Screener and questions related to gardening experience and FV-related attitudes and behaviors. Students were then categorized …

Age-Specific Trends In Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Us Adults: Findings From National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2016, Mary L. Greaney, Steven Cohen, Bryan J. Blissmer, Jacob E. Earp, Furong Xu

Public Health Faculty Publications

Purpose

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important indicator of population health, yet no age-specific trend analyses in HRQoL have been conducted with a nationally representative sample since 2004. Therefore, to address this gap, an age-specific trend analysis of HRQoL was conducted using National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data.

Methods

NHANES 2001–2016 data (8 cycles) were examined to evaluate trends in HRQoL by age group (young adults: 21–39, middle-aged: 40–64, older adults: 65+). HRQoL was assessed by self-reported health (SRH) and number of physically unhealthy, mentally unhealthy, and inactive days to due to physical or mental health …

The Effects Of Supplementing Maternal And Infant Diets With Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements On Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour At Preschool Age In Ghana, Maku E. Ocansey, Anna Pulakka, Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Rebecca R. Young, Sika M. Kumordzie, Harriet Okronipa, Brietta M. Oaks, Kathryn G. Dewey, Elizabeth L. Prado

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Evidence on whether nutritional supplementation affects physical activity (PA) during early childhood is limited. We examined the long-term effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) on total PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) of children at 4–6 years using an accelerometer for 1 week. Their mothers were enrolled in the International Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement-DYAD randomised controlled trial in Ghana, assigned to daily LNS or multiple micronutrients (MMN) during pregnancy through 6 months postpartum or Fe and folic acid (IFA) during pregnancy and placebo for 6 months postpartum. From 6 to 18 months, children in the LNS group received LNS; …

Storm-Induced Predator-Prey Decoupling Promotes Springtime Accumulation Of North Atlantic Phytoplankton, Francoise Morison, Elizabeth Harvey, Gayantonia Franzè, Susanne Menden-Deuer

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

We examined the response of North Atlantic plankton population dynamics to rapid re-stratification of surface waters following a deep mixing event during spring. Over the 4-day occupation of a station, we measured phytoplankton growth and grazer/virus-induced mortality rates in dilution assays conducted across a range of light intensities. Rates were estimated from changes in chlorophyll a and the abundance of three phytoplankton groups identified by flow cytometry. Initially, biological and physical water column properties were homogeneous down to >200 m, followed by rapid shoaling of the mixed layer to 20–30 m. Initial in situ chlorophyll a concentration was 0.4 μ …