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Graduate School Of Oceanography Annual Report For Fy2017, Uri Graduate School Of Oceanography

Graduate School of Oceanography Publications

Annual report for the Graduate School Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island for the 2017 fiscal year.

Includes research projects by faculty and students, biographies of new faculty, events on the Bay campus and program development and list of donors.

A Workflow For Automated Satellite Image Processing: From Raw Vhsr Data To Object-Based Spectral Information For Smallholder Agriculture, Dimitris Stratoulias, Valentyn Tolpekin, Rolf A. De By, Raul Zurita-Milla, Vasilios Retsios, Wietske Bijker, Mohammad Alfi Hasan, Eric Vermote

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Earth Observation has become a progressively important source of information for land use and land cover services over the past decades. At the same time, an increasing number of reconnaissance satellites have been set in orbit with ever increasing spatial, temporal, spectral, and radiometric resolutions. The available bulk of data, fostered by open access policies adopted by several agencies, is setting a new landscape in remote sensing in which timeliness and efficiency are important aspects of data processing. This study presents a fully automated workflow able to process a large collection of very high spatial resolution satellite images to produce …

Garcinia Cambogia, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, And Pancreatitis, Tamara Bystrak, E. Cervera-Hernandez, Nishitha Reddy, Zachary King, Jeffrey P. Bratberg

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Burden Of Mental Disorders In The Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2013, Raghid Charara, Ali S. Akanda, Et Al

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is witnessing an increase in chronic disorders, including mental illness. With ongoing unrest, this is expected to rise. This is the first study to quantify the burden of mental disorders in the EMR. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) 2013. DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) allow assessment of both premature mortality (years of life lost–YLLs) and nonfatal outcomes (years lived with disability–YLDs). DALYs are computed by adding YLLs and YLDs for each age-sex-country group. In 2013, mental disorders contributed to 5.6% of the total disease burden in the EMR (1894 DALYS/100,000 …

The Impact Of A Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Program On Children’S Physical Activity And Fitness, Furong Xu, Mary L. Greaney, Stephanie Marchand, Celeste Corcoran, Heather Di Biasio, Jane Baruch, Deborah Riebe, Geoffrey Greene

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of South County Food, Fitness and Fun (SCFFF), a 16-week community-based obesity prevention program, on children’s moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), physical fitness, body mass index (BMI), and BMI z-score. A non-randomized pre-test and post-test study design was used to assess changes in MVPA, physical fitness, BMI and BMI z-score from baseline to program end. MVPA was measured by accelerometer, physical fitness measured by Fitnessgram, and height and weight were measured by stadiometer and scale and used to calculate BMI. The analytic sample for this study included 53 children …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2017-2018, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

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

Higher Daptomycin Dose Associated With Improved Survival In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Timothy T. Timbrook, R. Caffrey, Megan K. Luther, Vrishali Lopes, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Study Objective: Current guidelines recommend higher daptomycin doses than the daptomycin label dose of 6 mg/kg for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia; however, the evidence supporting this recommendation is from in vitro and case series studies. This study evaluated the comparative effectiveness of the daptomycin label dose versus higher daptomycin doses in patients with MRSA bacteremia.

Design: Retrospective national cohort study.

Setting: Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Patients: A total of 371 adults with MRSA bacteremia who were admitted between 2002 and 2015 and treated initially with vancomycin within 24 hours of initial culture collection and then …

The Pre-Collegiate Pipeline To Diversify The Nursing Workforce, Pamela L. Mccue

Open Access Dissertations

In the United States, increasing racial and ethnic diversity coupled with widening health care disparities have prompted growing concern about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the health professions. As the largest sector of the health care workforce who practice at all levels and settings of health care, the nursing profession has the potential to widely effect changes to reduce disparities. Yet only 19% of the registered nurse workforce reflects diversity, prompting a look at pre-collegiate pathways to a nursing career. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study examined the pre-college factors that influenced student choice in …

Subtle Microbiome Manipulation Using Probiotics Reduces Antibiotic-Associated Mortality In Fish, Victor Schmidt, Marta Gomez-Chiarri, Chelsea Roy, Katherine Smith, Linda Amaral-Zettler

Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Publications

Prophylactic antibiotics in the aquaculture and ornamental fish industry are intended to prevent the negative impacts of disease outbreaks. Research in mice and humans suggests that antibiotics may disturb microbiome communities and decrease microbiome-mediated disease resistance, also known as “colonization resistance.” If antibiotics impact fish as they do mice and humans, prophylactic administrations on aquaculture farms may increase downstream disease susceptibility in target hosts, despite short-term pathogen control benefits. We tested the effects of antibiotics on mortality after a pathogen challenge in the Poecilia sphenops black molly and subsequently tested if probiotic inoculations could reverse any antibiotic-induced losses of disease …

A Community-Based Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention For Children Who Are Overweight Or Obese And Their Caregivers, Furong Xu, Stephanie Marchand, Celeste Corcoran, Heather Dibiasio, Rachel Clough, Christopher S. Dyer, Jennifer Nobles, Jade White, Mary L. Greaney, Geoffrey Greene

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

There is a need for efficacious interventions to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity, and a limited body of research suggests that collaborative community-based programs designed for children and their caregivers may be effective in reducing obesity rates. This paper reports the results of a community-based obesity intervention, South County Food, Fitness and Fun (SCFFF), designed for preadolescent children who are overweight or obese and their caregivers. SCFFF was developed in response to community concerns. Families were referred to the program by their physician and participated in the program at no cost. The 16-week intervention includes weekly group nutrition and …

Latino Parents’ Perceptions Of The Eating And Physical Activity Experiences Of Their Pre-School Children At Home And At Family Child-Care Homes: A Qualitative Study, Ana C. Lindsay, Mary L. Greaney, Sherrie F. Wallington, Faith D. Sands, Julie A. Wright, Judith Salkeld

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective: Research indicates that healthful eating and physical activity (PA) practices implemented in child-care settings can have a positive effect on children’s healthful behaviours in this setting, and this effect on healthful behaviours may possibly transfer to the home environment. While more research is needed to examine whether behaviours learned in family child-care homes (FCCH) transfer, the potential for transferability is especially important given that Latino children’s home environment has been characterized by obesogenic parenting practices. We aimed to examine Latino parents’ perceptions of their pre-school children’s eating and PA experiences at home and at FCCH.

Design: Qualitative study. Six …

Brazilian Immigrant Mothers’ Beliefs And Practices Related To Infant Feeding: A Qualitative Study, Ana Cristina Lindsay, Sherrie F. Wallington, Mary L. Greaney, Maria Helena Hasselman, Marcia M. T. Machado, Raquel S. Mezzavilla

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and timely introduction of appropriate solid foods are important determinants of weight status in infancy and later life stages. Disparities in obesity rates among young children suggest that maternal feeding practices during the first 2 years of life may contribute to these disparities. Brazilians are a growing immigrant group in the United States, yet little research has focused on parental beliefs and behaviors affecting the health of Brazilian immigrant children in the United States.

Research aim: This study aimed to explore beliefs and infant-feeding practices of Brazilian immigrant mothers in …

Content Validation Of A Home Parenteral Nutrition–Patient‐Reported Outcome Questionnaire, Tracy-Lee Miller, Geoffrey Greene, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Mary L. Greaney, Marion F. Winkler

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Patient‐reported outcome (PRO) instruments collect information from patients about health conditions and disease management, including quality of life (QOL). Clinicians acknowledge patient concerns about QOL but need guidance to assess the nature and severity of individually experienced problems. The Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN)–Patient‐Reported Outcome Questionnaire (PROQ) was developed for use during medical appointments or homecare visits to address this gap. The purpose of this research was to provide evidence that the HPN‐PROQ items and scale possess content validity. Methods: A mixed‐method study design was used. In phase 1, cognitive interviews (CIs) were conducted with 32 HPN patients. …

Social Support For Changing Multiple Behaviors: Factors Associated With Seeking Support And The Impact Of Offered Support, Mary L. Greaney, Elaine Puelo, Kim Sprunck-Harrild, Jess Haines, Serena C. Houghton, Karen M. Emmons

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Introduction. Social support is important for behavior change, and it may be particularly important for the complexities of changing multiple risk behaviors (MRB). Research is needed to determine if participants in an MRB intervention can be encouraged to activate their social network to aid their change efforts. Methods. Healthy Directions 2, a cluster-randomized controlled trial of an intervention conducted in two urban health centers, targeted five behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, red meat consumption, multivitamin use, and smoking). The self-guided intervention emphasized changing MRB simultaneously, focused on self-monitoring and action planning, and encouraged participants to seek …

Effect Of A Nutritiion Intervention On Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Elementary School Students, Jennifer L. Goodwin

Open Access Master's Theses

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a 10-week Policy, Systems, and Environment (PSE) nutrition education curriculum to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, PSE and FV knowledge, and improvement in attitudes towards FV.

Design: Quasi -experimental design.

Participants/Setting: N=312 (intervention=142, comparison=170) 5th grade students in low-income, urban elementary schools in Pawtucket, RI selected by established working relationship between project committee members and teachers in the Pawtucket School District.

Intervention: Both groups participated in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Intervention schools received an additional 10-week PSE education curriculum. Both groups completed pre and post-surveys.

Main Outcome …

Content Validation Of A Home Parenteral Nutrition Patient Reported Outcomes Questionnaire, Tracy-Lee Miller

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Currently, there is no known patient reported outcome (PRO) instrument being used in clinical practice for the home parenteral nutrition (HPN) population. To address this gap, the Home Parenteral Nutrition-Patient Reported Outcome Questionnaire (HPN-PROQ) was developed for use during medical appointments or homecare visits. The purpose of this research is to provide evidence that the items and scales of the HPN-PROQ possess content validity, a crucial step in the process of questionnaire development.

Subjects: Qualitative sample included 32 HPN patients and quantitative sample included 13 expert home care clinicians (physicians, dietitian, pharmacists, registered nurses and patient advocates.) …

Relationship Between Arthritis And Muscular Strength In Older Women With Symptoms Of Sarcopenia, Emily Renna

Open Access Master's Theses

Grip strength has been identified as a valid predictor of frailty and disability and has been shown to be a cost-effective method to assess muscular strength in older populations. Grip strength is also used in working definitions for sarcopenia classification. However, various forms of arthritis have been shown to negatively impact grip strength scores, which could potentially lead to misclassification. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate if hand arthritis is related to sarcopenia classification in a group of older women with or without symptoms of sarcopenia and if arthritis is related to upper and lower body muscular …

Process Of Evaluation Of An Efnep-Enhanced Pse Intervention In Urban Schools, Silvia X. Lepe

Open Access Master's Theses

Objectives: To determine to what extent the EMPOWER intervention was delivered as originally planned and how participants perceived its delivery.

Methods: This was a process evaluation study; data was collected using fidelity and observation checklists, grading rubrics, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and meeting minutes. Program fidelity was assessed by calculating percent average of curriculum delivery. Program perception was assessed using the subjective data recorded on the fidelity checklists and responses from focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed to detect common themes using NVivo11 Software.

Results: The intervention was well received by students, school staff, …

Effects Of 10 Weeks Of Periodized Resistance Training On Sarcopenia Classification In Older Women, Samuel Slezak

Open Access Master's Theses

Sarcopenia is defined as the progressive, age related loss of lean muscle mass, which in turn has been associated with osteoporosis, decreases in physical function, and loss of independence. Newly established sarcopenia classification criteria include measures of appendicular lean mass (ALM), grip strength, and gait speed. Periodized resistance training (PRT) has been investigated in older adults, however the impact of PRT, particularly daily undulating periodized resistance training (DUP) on current sarcopenia classification criteria is unknown. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effects of a 10-week DUP intervention on sarcopenia classification in older women. Inactive women …

Associations Between Nighttime Eating And Total Caloric Intake In College-Aged Students, Marissa Christina Ruginski

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Obesity is a nationwide concern across all age groups including the college-aged population. Approximately 35% of college students are reported to be overweight or obese in America, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m². Increased caloric intake has shown to be associated with an elevated BMI. Nighttime eating may be a contributing factor to increased total caloric intake, and it has been associated with higher total caloric intake and weight gain in shift workers and older adults. However, research has not examined whether an association exists between nighttime eating and total daily …

A Carbohydrate Counting Intervention For Hispanics With Type 2 Diabetes, Flavia Cattaneo

Open Access Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if a culturally tailored carbohydrate (CHO) counting intervention for low-income Hispanics with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) will increase their knowledge and skills related to CHO counting.

This non-experimental, single group design assessed knowledge of CHO counting in adult Hispanics with T2DM with pre- and post-surveys. Recruitment and intervention delivery were in three community locations in the Providence RI area. The intervention consisted of 3-workshops, 1-hour each, conducted in Spanish. Each workshop covered information on portion sizes guides, nutrition facts label reading, CHO amounts in commonly consumed foods and CHO counting activities. The …

A Native Lepidopteran Is Impacted By Host Defenses Induced By Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae), Mary M. Mallinger

Open Access Master's Theses

Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, is currently experiencing widespread mortality due to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae). Eastern hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria), another hemlock pest, is a native lepidopteran that has reached outbreak levels in the past. While these insects share a host and overlap in range, little is known about their interactions. Research has shown that HWA infestation increases methyl salicylate concentrations (an indicator of the induction of the salicylic acid pathway) in hemlock tissue while hemlock looper, a chewing insect, likely elicits the jasmonic acid pathway. While plants are capable of inducing …

Diet Quality Of Preschool Aged Children In Family Child Care Homes, Maggie You Ming Tsai

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Although family child care homes (FCCH) are the second most utilized form of non-relative child care in the US, little is known about what children eat in this setting.

Objectives: The primary objective is to assess the quality of meals and snacks consumed by children aged 2-5 in FCCH compared to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA 2015). The secondary, exploratory objective is to explore the association between childcare provider acculturation and dietary consumption of children in FCCH.

Design: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from an ongoing cluster randomized controlled intervention trial in FCCH.

Participants/setting: Family …

Associations Between Weight Dissatisfaction, Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Physical Activity And Personality Traits, Katherine Tzepos

Open Access Master's Theses

Background: Weight dissatisfaction is a persons’ desire to change his/her current body weight (1, 2). Gender differences in weight dissatisfaction in young adults have been observed, where females prefer to achieve slender figures and males strive to gain muscle mass and increase lean body mass (3-6). Personality type may influence body dissatisfaction: for example, people higher on the neuroticism personality trait have a higher level of body dissatisfaction than those higher on the conscientiousness personality trait (3, 7). There are also gender differences in behaviors related to body dissatisfaction (5, 8). For example, females dissatisfied with their bodies may …

Variety Trials And Production Methods For Vegetable Amaranth In The Northeast, Sarah Schweig

Open Access Master's Theses

This study investigated the production of amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) as a leafy green in the northeastern temperate climate. Amaranth is a productive and resilient crop with cultural, economic, and nutritional significance to many cultures around the world. Growing ethnic crops in the northeastern U.S. is an opportunity for growers to expand into new and diverse markets. Amaranth’s pervasiveness in global foodways and tolerance of many biotic and abiotic stresses make it a promising option for growers to engage with the ethnic produce market and diversify production. However, intensive production research for vegetable amaranth is lacking, especially in temperate climates, …

Biocontrol Of Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (Ahpnd), Jason Laporte

Open Access Master's Theses

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) causes mass mortalities in farmed penaeid shrimp and has proven difficult to control using typical disease control measures. The causative agent of AHPND has been identified as Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains possessing the 69 kbp plasmid pVPA3-1 containing genes homologous with Photorhabdus insect-related (Pir) toxin-like genes (pirA- and pirB-like). Probiotics have been used successfully in shrimp aquaculture to control disease outbreaks caused by pathogenic Vibrio, but there are currently no probiotics available that have been proven to control AHPND. The goal of this study was to screen and characterize marine bacterial isolates …

Determination Of Age And Size At Sexual Maturation Of Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) In The Nw Atlantic Ocean, Chelsea Roy

Open Access Master's Theses

This report examines sexual maturation of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares; YFT) above 35° North in the western Atlantic Ocean. The majority of samples were collected near Oregon Inlet, North Carolina with additional samples from New England to determine if there is a difference in maturation with latitude. Maturation was determined by gross classification of gonads as well as histological examination.

Data were compiled based on sex and fish length to elucidate trends. Females collected at lower latitudes were found to have a lower GSI and gonad weight than those from higher latitudes. Males in both locations had a …

Organellar Genome Evolution In Red Algal Parasites: Differences In Adelpho- And Alloparasites, Eric Salomaki

Open Access Dissertations

Parasitism is a common life strategy throughout the eukaryotic tree of life. Many devastating human pathogens, including the causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, have evolved from a photosynthetic ancestor. However, how an organism transitions from a photosynthetic to a parasitic life history strategy remains mostly unknown. Parasites have independently evolved dozens of times throughout the Florideophyceae (Rhodophyta), and often infect close relatives. This framework enables direct comparisons between autotrophs and parasites to investigate the early stages of parasite evolution. Parasitic red algae have traditionally been defined as either ‘adelphoparasites’, which infect hosts within their same family or tribe, or …