Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Food Group Intake, Cognition, And Academic Achievement In Elementary Schoolchildren, Rachel Bleiweiss-Sande, Kenneth Chui, Catherine Wright, Sarah A. Amin, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, Jennifer M. Sacheck

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Nutrition plays an important role in proper physical and cognitive functioning. However, there is limited evidence on the relationship between overall diet, cognition, and academic success in children, particularly among low-income and diverse groups. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between healthful versus less healthful food group intake, cognitive performance, and academic achievement in a diverse sample of schoolchildren. 868 urban schoolchildren (age 8 to 10 years) participated in the study. Intake of healthful (fruits, vegetables, unsweetened beverages) and less healthful (sweet and salty snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages) food groups was determined via a food frequency questionnaire. …

Staple Food Item Availability Among Small Retailers In Providence, Ri, Yuyao Huang, Alison Tovar, John Taylor, Maya Vadiveloo

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Inventory requirements for authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers have undergone several revisions to increase the availability of healthful foods. A proposed rule of 84 staple food items was not implemented due to concerns that stores would not withstand this expansion, resulting in a final rule requiring 36 items. This study used the Food Access Research Atlas data to characterize food provisions in 30 small retailers in areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents in Providence, Rhode Island (RI). Stores were assessed with an audit instrument to tally variety, perishability, and depth of stock …

Coculture Of Probiotic Bacteria In Algal Feedstocks For Disease Management In Bivalve Hatcheries, Samuel Hughes

Open Access Master's Theses

Bivalve hatcheries include microalgae culture operations as a food source for stock, and these algae cultures harbor dynamic bacterial communities. Because algae from these cultures and their commensal microbiota are distributed to stock larval tanks daily upon feeding, the presence of pathogenic Vibrio spp. in hatchery microalgae cultures is a threat to stock health and survival. This study investigates the algal/bacterial and bacterial/bacterial interaction between four popular species of microalgae feedstock, a Vibrio sp. of known pathogenicity to bivalves (V. coralliilyticus RE22 [RE22]), a probiotic marine bacterium with demonstrated effectiveness in reducing larval shellfish mortality in culture operations …

The Social Acceptability Of Shellfish Aquaculture In Washington, Katie Rubstello

Open Access Master's Theses

Domestic aquaculture continues to meet public resistance in the U.S. even though the U.S. imports a growing amount of farmed seafood. This study applies the normative evaluation approach to aquaculture in the South Puget Sound, Washington and uses data from an online survey to evaluate how local residents feel about two different types of shellfish aquaculture methods (rafts; bottom culture) in natural and developed settings. This study also evaluates public perceptions of the social and environmental impacts of shellfish aquaculture and examines how a farmed Atlantic salmon escape in Puget Sound in 2017 affected participant views of aquaculture. Findings revealed …

Anthelmintic Efficacy Of Pelleted Cranberry Vine Against Gastrointestinal Nematodes Of Sheep, Bailey Chalut

Open Access Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) represent a major health concern in small ruminants as well as a constraint for producers. The prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in small ruminant GIN has increased rapidly worldwide, creating the need for alternative control methods to address the issue. The discovery that plant secondary compounds, including proanthocyanidins (PAC), suppress GIN infections has provided promise for alternative methods of GIN control. Although the mechanism is not well understood, studies have shown in vitro and in vivo evidence of anti-parasitic effects of bioactive plants. Recently a study from our laboratory provided in vitro evidence of anthelmintic activity of cranberry …

Older Adults Learning Technology In An Intergenerational Program: Qualitative Analysis Of Areas Of Technology Requested For Assistance, Dara L. Lobuono, Skye N. Leedahl, Elycia Maiocco

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Adults 65 and older are adapting to technology at a slower rate compared to the overall population. Research has shown that programs can assist older adults in learning and embracing technology. However, little information exists about what specific forms of technology older adults are interested in learning and for what purposes. To describe areas of technology older adults are interested in learning and why this study examined qualitative data from an intergenerational service-learning program in which students in higher education assist and mentor older adults with and about technology that older adults want to learn. Data was analyzed from in-depth …

Product Evaluations As A Factor Of Unknown Attribute Positioning, Brand Trust, Need For Cognition And Message Diagnosticity, Ahmet Hattat

Open Access Dissertations

This research investigates how consumer evaluations are shaped towards products that highlight either presence or absence of attributes that are unknown to consumers. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk online panel and randomly assigned to a variety of experimental conditions in four studies. Results of Study 1 show that, under the low brand trust condition, consumers have more positive evaluations of products with absence positioning than presence positioning. Study 1 results also show that under the high brand trust condition, the disjunctive gap between the absence versus presence positioning closes. In Study 2, these results are extended by utilizing …

The Bacterial Symbionts Of Closely Related Hydrothermal Vent Snails With Distinct Geochemical Habitats Show Broad Similarity In Chemoautotrophic Gene Content, Roxanne A. Beinart, Chengwei Luo, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Frank J. Stewart, Peter R. Girguis

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Symbiosis has evolved between a diversity of invertebrate taxa and chemosynthetic bacterial lineages. At the broadest level, these symbioses share primary function: the bacterial symbionts use the energy harnessed from the oxidation of reduced chemicals to power the fixation of inorganic carbon and/or other nutrients, providing the bulk of host nutrition. However, it is unclear to what extent the ecological niche of the host species is influenced by differences in symbiont traits, particularly those involved in chemoautotrophic function and interaction with the geochemical environment. Hydrothermal vents in the Lau Basin (Tonga) are home to four morphologically and physiologically similar snail …

Synthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles Using A Modified Tollens’ Method In Conjunction With Phytochemicals And Assessment Of Their Antimicrobial Activity, Muna A. Abudalo, Ismaeel R. Al-Mheidat, Alham W. Al-Shurafat, Colleen Grinham, Vinka Oyanedel-Craver

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted great attention due to their outstanding electrical, optical, magnetic, catalytic, and antimicrobial properties. However, there is a need for alternative production methods that use less toxic precursors and reduce their undesirable by-products. Phyto-extracts from the leaves of olive and rosemary plants can be used as reducing agents and (in conjunction with Tollens’ reagent) can even enhance AgNP antimicrobial activity.

Methods: Conditions for the proposed hybrid synthesis method were optimized for olive leaf extracts (OLEs) and rosemary leaf extracts (RLEs). The resultant AgNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, an environmental scanning electron microscope, …

The Home And Child-Care: Are Preschoolaged Children Getting Mixed Food-Related Messages?, Noereem Zenaida Mena

Open Access Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: In the United States, nearly 14% of preschool-aged children (ages 2 to 5) are obese. Additionally, disparities persist, with the highest prevalence of obesity among Hispanic preschool-aged children (17% vs. 11% non-Hispanic Black and 3.5% non- Hispanic White preschool-aged children). Establishing healthy eating habits in early childhood is critical and providing children with similar opportunities to practice healthy eating habits independently at home and in child care is thought to reinforce the development of healthy eating habits early in life. However, there is limited information regarding how parents and childcare providers communicate about child-nutrition, including …

What To Eat And When: The Consequences Of Polyunsaturated Fat Consumption And Pace Of Changes To Body Lipid Composition In Songbirds, Wales Aran Carter

Open Access Dissertations

Diet mediates environmental influence on organismal performance, but diets must be broken down into their constituent compounds and integrated into organismal tissues before they can exert such influence. Thus, a full account of the relationship between diet and organismal performance requires descriptions of intermediate effects on body composition and tissue function, as well as the dynamics of composition and function over time. The work described in this dissertation investigates a case study of diet and organismal performance in songbirds: dietary polyunsaturated fats have been demonstrated to influence the metabolic performance of songbirds, but the influence of individual fatty acid compounds, …

Higher Dietary Diversity Scores And Protein-Rich Food Consumption Were Associated With Lower Risk Of All-Cause Mortality In The Oldest Old, Yuebin Lv, Virginia Byers Kraus, Xiang Gao, Zhaoxue Yin, Jinhui Zhou, Chen Mao, Jun Duan, Yi Zeng, Melanie S. Brasher, Wanying Shi, Xiaoming Shi

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Background & aims: Dietary diversity is widely advocated in national and international recommendations although whether the beneficial effects on survival or longevity still apply in the final phase of the lifespan remains understudied. We aimed to prospectively examine the association of dietary diversity, food items with all-cause mortality among the oldest old (80+) and determine whether dietary diversity recommendations were appropriate for this population.

Methods: The study included 28,790 participants aged 80+ (9957 octogenarians, 9925 nonagenarians, and 8908 centenarians). A baseline dietary diversity score (DDS) was constructed based on nine food items of a food frequency questionnaire. Cox models with …

The Burden Of Invisibility: A Case Study Of The Fisheries Crisis In Ghana, And Usaid/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project’S Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, Danielle Bilecki

Open Access Master's Theses

The Sustainable Fisheries Management Project’s primary goal is to create a more sustainable artisanal fishery in Ghana, in order to increase food security within the nation. One of SFMP’s strategies within this fisheries-based project was to implement a gender mainstreaming strategy in order to empower previously overlooked women stakeholders. This chapter will present the results of a study on the impacts of SFMP’s gender mainstreaming strategy on members of Ghana’s artisanal fisheries sector.

This study focuses on impacts primarily associated with fishers, fish processors, members of client and partner organizations, as well as the organizations themselves, and on the Ministry …

The Significance Of Microbial Symbionts In Ecosystem Processes, Roxanne A. Beinart

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

It is increasingly accepted that the microbial symbionts of eukaryotes can have profound effects on host ecology and evolution. However, the relative contribution that they make directly to ecosystem processes, like energy and nutrient flows, is less explicitly acknowledged and, in many cases, only poorly constrained. Here, I explore the idea that, in some habitats, host-associated microbes may have an outsized role in ecosystem processes relative to functionally equivalent free-living microbes due to key aspects of the physiology, ecology, and evolution of symbiotic interactions. My research quantifying symbiont metabolism has shown that microbial symbionts have the potential to make a …

A Direct Comparison Of Biplanar Videoradiography And Optical Motion Capture For Foot And Ankle Kinematics, Sarah E. Kessler, Michael J. Rainbow, Glen A. Lichtwark, Andrew G. Cresswell, Susan E. D'Andrea, Nicolai Konow, Luke A. Kelly

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Measuring motion of the human foot presents a unique challenge due to the large number of closely packed bones with congruent articulating surfaces. Optical motion capture (OMC) and multi-segment models can be used to infer foot motion, but might be affected by soft tissue artifact (STA). Biplanar videoradiography (BVR) is a relatively new tool that allows direct, non-invasive measurement of bone motion using high-speed, dynamic x-ray images to track individual bones. It is unknown whether OMC and BVR can be used interchangeably to analyse multi-segment foot motion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the agreement in kinematic …

Bioeconomic Analysis Of Engraulicypris Sardella (Usipa) In South East Arm Of Lake Malawi, Innocent Gumulira, Graham E. Forrester, Najih Lazar

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Usipa Engraulicypris sardella is the most abundant small pelagic species in Lake Malawi. It plays an important part in the lake communities’ economy and food security. However, much remains unknown on their stock status and bioeconomic importance. This study is carried out to estimate the maximum economic yield and maximum sustainable yield for Usipa fishery in the South-east arm of Lake Malawi. Structured quantitative questionnaire was used to collect information from 139 informants on the price of usipa landings and cost of fishing effort. Catch and effort data for Usipa were used in a biomass dynamic model (ASPIC) to estimate …

Nutritional Beliefs And Practices Of Arabic Speaking Middle Eastern Mothers, Maissa Al-Bkerat

Open Access Dissertations

Childhood obesity is recognized as an important health problem in the United States. Researchers have identified culture and acculturation as major factors influencing obesity across several ethnic groups, although little is known about the historically invisible and vulnerable population of those identifying as Arabic speaking individuals from Middle Eastern countries. In Arabic culture, mothers are responsible for creating and maintaining a home environment that fosters healthy eating behaviors among family members including the children. It is assumed, therefore, that mothers in Arabic culture play an essential role in preventing childhood obesity.

The aim of this study was to explore perceptions …

An Omics Based Approach For The Identification Of Biomarkers In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Using In Vitro Models Of Hepatic Steatosis, Anitha Saravanakumar

Open Access Dissertations

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an “umbrella” term for the broad spectrum of the disease that begins from the simple steatosis to more progressive stages of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that includes hepatocellular ballooning, inflammation, and fibrosis. NAFLD is a growing epidemic globally, with 25% of the population predicted to be diagnosed with this disease. Liver biopsy is the only definitive method of diagnosis, despite the widespread use of sonography and elastography to predict the disease state. There is no current FDA approved medication for NAFLD/NASH. This is partly due to the lack of translatable disease model to predict the …

Alternative Functional Strategies And Altered Carbon Pathways Facilitate Broad Depth Ranges In Coral‐Obligate Reef Fishes, Chancey Macdonald, Tom C.L. Bridge, Kelton W. Mcmahon, Geoffrey P. Jones

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

1. Spatial refuges in peripheral habitats will become increasingly important for species persistence as climate change and other disturbances progressively impact habitat quality and assemblage compositions. However, the capacity for persistence will be determined in part by species‐specific abilities to absorb costs related to altered or decreased quantities and quality of resources at range peripheries.

2. We compared variations in dietary strategies and energy acquisition trade‐offs along depth gradients in two obligate corallivores that differ in level of diet specialization. We also assessed depth‐related changes in energy pathways and energy content of their mixotrophic prey. We found no changes in …

Divergent Trophic Responses Of Sympatric Penguin Species To Historic Anthropogenic Exploitation And Recent Climate Change, Kelton Mcmahon, Chantel I. Michelson, Tom Hart, Matthew D. Mccarthy, William P.P. Patterson, Michael J. Polito

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Southern Ocean is in an era of significant change. Historic overharvesting of marine mammals and recent climatic warming have cascading impacts on resource availability and, in turn, ecosystem structure and function. We examined trophic responses of sympatric chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins to nearly 100 y of shared environmental change in the Antarctic Peninsula region using compound-specific stable isotope analyses of museum specimens. A century ago, gentoo penguins fed almost exclusively on low-trophic level prey, such as krill, during the peak of historic overexploitation of marine mammals, which was hypothesized to have …

Uptake Of Hydrophobic Organic Compounds, Including Ocps And Pbdes, And Perfluoroalkyl Acids (Pfaas) In Fish And Blue Crabs Of The Lower Passaic River (Nj, Usa), Mohammed A. Khairy, Gregory O. Noonan, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The bioavailability and bioaccumulation of sedimentary hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) is of concern at contaminated sites. Passive samplers have emerged as a promising tool to measure the bioavailability of sedimentary HOCs and possibly to estimate their bioaccumulation. We thus analyzed HOCs including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) in sediment, porewater and riverwater using low density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers, and in 11 different finfish species and blue crab from the lower Passaic River. Additionally, perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) were measured in grab water samples, sediment and fish. Best predictors of bioaccumulation …

Growth Characteristics Of Newly Isolated Indonesian Microalgae Under Different Salinity, Wa Iba, Michael A. Rice, Lucie Maranda, Gary H. Wikfors

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to investigate the growth characteristics of microalgae strains isolated from Kendari Bay and the Wanggu River estuary, Indonesia. The growth of the isolates, denoted as Kb1-2, Kb1-3, Kb1-5, and Kb2-6, were evaluated under controlled conditions. A batch culture experiment of these strains except Kb2-6 was conducted for 15 days under salinity levels of 20, 25, 30 and 35 gL-1. Tetraselmis chui, Tisochrysis lutea and Chaetocero sneogracile were also culture and used as the growth references. Cell density was measured every day and cell size was measured from 50 live cells during the logarithmic …

Ocean Deoxygenation And Zooplankton: Very Small Oxygen Differences Matter, Karen F. Wishner, Brad A. Seibel, Christopher Roman, C. Deutsch, Dawn Outram, C. T. Shaw, M. A. Birk, K. A. S. Mislan, T. J. Adams, D. Moore, S. Riley

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), large midwater regions of very low oxygen, are expected to expand as a result of climate change. While oxygen is known to be important in structuring midwater ecosystems, a precise and mechanistic understanding of the effects of oxygen on zooplankton is lacking. Zooplankton are important components of midwater food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Here, we show that, in the eastern tropical North Pacific OMZ, previously undescribed submesoscale oxygen variability has a direct effect on the distribution of many major zooplankton groups. Despite extraordinary hypoxia tolerance, many zooplankton live near their physiological limits and respond to slight …

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R4 Book Report 2 (Br2) By Title 2017-2018, Andrée 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, 2017 - June 30, 2018. 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: 104,151 successful section requests for 6,475 reported titles.

Usage Statistics: Project Counter R4 Journal Report 1 (Jr1) 2017-2018, Andrée 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, 2017 - June 30, 2018. 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: 957,289 successful full-text article requests for 27,451 reported titles.

Evolution Of The Natural Transformation Protein, Comec, In Bacteria, Zachary T. Pimentel, Ying Zhang

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Natural transformation enables the incorporation of exogenous DNA into host genomes and plays a fundamental role in the evolution of microbial populations. At the center of the natural transformation machinery, the ComEC protein mediates DNA import and serves potential functions in DNA recognition and single strand degradation. Despite its importance, the evolution of ComEC is not fully understood. Here, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by surveying putative ComEC proteins across 5,574 bacteria that span diverse phyla. We first derived the presence of a universal, core Competence domain through the analysis of ComEC proteins from known naturally competent species. …

Curriculum And Standards Committee Report #2018-19-4 (Courses), University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity And Obesity From A National Survey: Rural-Urban Health Disparities In Older Adults, Steven A. Cohen, Mary L. Greaney, Natalie J. Sabik

Public Health Faculty Publications

Background

Obesity is a critical public health issue, affecting over one-third of all Americans, and is an underlying cause of numerous health issues across the lifespan. For older adults, obesity is linked to premature declines in physical and mental health and cognitive functioning. The occurrence of obesity and related health behaviors and chronic diseases are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Furthermore, rural areas of the United States have a higher proportion of older adults than urban areas. Few studies, to date, have explored rural-urban differences in the relationships between dietary patterns and obesity among older adults. Therefore, …

Division Of Research And Economic Development Mid Year Monthly Report For December Fy2019 (Awards Report), Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The mid year monthly report includes awards report by individual academic and administrative departments at the University of rhode Island.

Division Of Research And Economic Development Mid Year Monthly Report For December Fy2019 (Expenditure And F/A Report), Uri Division Of Research And Economic Development

Reports (Research and Economic Development)

The mid year monthly report includes expenditures by academic departments, administrative divisions and facilities and administrative funds received at the University of Rhode Island.