Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Current Sarcopenia Classification Criteria In Older New England Women, Samuel G. Slezak, Kayla B. Mahoney, Emily N. Renna, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Furong Xu, Disa L. Hatfield, Matthew J. Delmonico

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in a sample of older, sedentary women using criteria from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the International Working Group (IWG), and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIHSP). Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting and Participants: Community-dwelling women (n = 61) aged 71.9 ± 4.6 years (mean±SD) with a BMI 27.3 ± 6.0 kg/m2 who by self-report were healthy and did not exercise were recruited and evaluated for sarcopenia. Measurements: Height, weight, grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular lean mass (via segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis: …

Fto Genotype And Weight Status Among Preadolescents: Assessing The Mediating Effects Of Obesogenic Appetitive Traits, Jennifer A. Emond, Alison Tovar, Zhigang Li, Reina K. Lansigan, Diane Gilbert-Diamond

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Polymorphisms in the Fat Mass and Obesity Associated (FTO) gene are robustly associated with overweight and obesity among children, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We tested if appetitive traits partially mediated the association between FTO genotype and increased BMI among a sample of US preadolescents. Data were from 178 unrelated 9–10 year olds who participated in an experimental study between 2013 and 2015. Children's DNA was isolated from buccal swabs, and the rs9939609 SNP in the FTO gene was genotyped. Children's age- and sex-adjusted BMI z-scores were computed using height and weight measured at the laboratory. …

The Relationship Between Arthritis And Muscular Strength In Older Women With Symptoms Of Sarcopenia, E. N. Renna, S. G. Slezak, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Disa L. Hatfield, Michael J. Delmonico, Furong Xu

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Sarcopenia classification is important for prevention or intervention of sarcopenia in the elderly. However, measures used for the current sarcopenia criteria, including muscular strength, could be impacted by forms of arthritis. Thus, it is crucial to understand the impact arthritis has on sarcopenia status. Objectives: The aim was to investigate if arthritis relates to sarcopenia classification via grip strength or single chair stand in older women. A secondary aim was to assess the relationship between grip strength and upper and lower body strength in those with arthritis. Design: A cross-sectional analysis. Setting and participants: Sixty-one …

Increasing Pediatric Health Care Providers' Referrals To Early Intervention Services, Irene Mcivor Mason

Open Access Master's Theses

This study examined whether an educational mailing explaining Early Intervention services sent to pediatric health care providers would increase the number of referrals to those services. Data was collected from Rhode Island’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services describing the number of provider referrals four Rhode Island’s four core cities. An examination of the data using a difference in differences design, descriptive statistics, and t tests was utilized to determine if providers who received an educational mailing increased their number of referrals compared to the number of referrals made by providers who did not receive the mailing. While there …

Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase-3 And 5: Tissue Distribution, Age-Related Expression And Regulation By Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Zhen Xu

Open Access Master's Theses

Background Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMO) constitute a class of oxidative enzymes. FMO3 and FMO5 are two major FMOs that are highly expressed in the liver. The study was performed to determine regulated expression of both enzymes by age, fructose, therapeutic agents and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stressors. The expression of both enzymes in 33 extrahepatic tissues was determined as well.

Methods The tissue distribution of FMO3 and FMO5 was determined by immunohistochemistry. For age-related expression, livers were collected and divided into 5 age groups: I (< 31 days), II (35-70 days), III (89-119 days), IV (123-198 days), and V (>18 years of age). These samples were analyzed for the expression of FMO3 and FMO5 by …

Advances In The Application Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis In Ecological And Biogeochemical Studies, Naohiko Ohkouchi, Yoshito Chikaraishi, Hilary Close, Brian Fry, Thomas Larsen, Daniel J. Madigan, Matthew D. Mccarthy, Kelton Mcmahon, Toshi Nagata, Yuichi I. Naito, Nanako O. Ogawa, Brian N. Popp, Shawn Steffan, Yoshinori Takano, Ichiro Tayasu, Alex S. J. Wyatt, Yasuhiko T. Yamaguchi, Yusuke Yokoyama

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Compound-specific isotopic analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) has emerged in the last decade as a powerful approach for tracing the origins and fate of nitrogen in ecological and biogeochemical studies. This approach is based on the empirical observation that source amino acids (SAAs) (i.e., phenylalanine), fractionate ¹⁵N very little (< 0.5‰) during trophic transfer, whereas trophic AAs (TAAs) (i.e., glutamic acid), are greatly (∼6–8‰) enriched in ¹⁵N during each trophic step. The differential fractionation of these two AA groups can provide a valuable estimate of consumer trophic position that is internally indexed to the baseline δ¹⁵N value of the integrated food web. In this paper, we critically review the analytical methods for …

Anthelmintic Efficacy Of Bioactive Compounds Within Cranberry Vine And Birdsfoot Trefoil, Carly Barone

Open Access Dissertations

With the growth of resistance to commercial dewormers in small ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), alternative methods are needed for GIN control. It has been shown that plants containing certain secondary compounds (SC) suppress GIN infection, but there is a lack of knowledge concerning the mechanism behind this anthelmintic activity, as well as a lack of viable alternatives to commercial dewormers in the northeastern United States. Secondary compounds, such as proanthocyanidin (PAC), have complex chemical structures that vary between plant species, while SC concentrations can vary between different varieties of the same species. The relationship between specific SC and anti-parasitic efficacy …

Exploring Ways To Enhance Teens' Participation In Social Media Interventions: A Formative Research Study, Hailee K. Dunn

Open Access Dissertations

Social networking sites (SNSs) now serve as a primary form of socialization for adolescents. A growing body of research indicates that permissive drinking norms exist on online just as they do offline increasing teens’ risk for underage drinking and other risk behaviors. However, limited research exists on how to address this growing public health problem. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a formative investigation on how to create substance prevention interventions that address adolescents’ exposure to normative displays of substance use on SNSs. Thirty-three adolescents in grades nine through twelve were recruited from various school- and community-based …

Technology As A Tool To Encourage Young Adults To Sleep And Eat Healthy, Sue K. Adams, Gary Liguori, Ingrid E. Lofgren

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Adequate sleep and proper nutrition are essential to maintaining proper physical, mental, emotional, social, occupational, and academic health and wellness. In fact, Healthy People 2020 has identified both nutrition and sleep health as primary health indicators. The goal of the nutrition indicator is to promote health and wellness, as well as reduce chronic disease risk, through the consumption of healthful diets. The sleep health indicator includes improving public knowledge of the effects of inadequate sleep on multiple indicators of wellness, including productivity, quality of life and safety.

Effect Of Birdsfoot Trefoil On Exsheathment Of Haemonchus Contortus In Rumen Fistulated Sheep, Karalyn Lonngren

Open Access Master's Theses

This study has been developed to address the issue of small ruminant parasite resistance to commercial anthelmintics and to examine the possibility of controlling these parasites using feeds with condensed tannin containing plants. The goal of the research was to determine whether birdsfoot trefoil hay prevents the exsheathment of Haemonchus contortus and whether efficacy differs among birdsfoot trefoil cultivars.

During the first phase of research, a method for testing the exsheathment of H. contortus in vivo was developed. Various larvae containment capsules were tested to see whether the larvae could escape from the capsules. The most successful capsules were then …

The Effect Of A Weight Gain Prevention Intervention On Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity Among Black Women: The Shape Program, Mary L. Greaney, Sandy Askew, Sherrie F. Wallington, Perry B. Foley, Lisa M. Quintiliani, Gary G. Bennett

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: Rates of physical inactivity are high among Black women living in the United States with overweight or obesity, especially those living in the rural South. This study was conducted to determine if an efficacious weight gain prevention intervention increased moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Methods: The Shape Program, a weight gain prevention intervention implemented in community health centers in rural North Carolina, was designed for socioeconomically disadvantaged Black women with overweight or obesity. MVPA was measured using accelerometers, and summarized into 1- and 10-min bouts. We employed analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) to assess the relationship between changes in …

A Review Of Early Influences On Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors Of Preschool‐Age Children In High‐Income Countries, Ana Cristina Lindsay, Mary L. Greaney, Sherrie F. Wallington, Tatiana Mesa, Carlos F. Salas

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: Promoting physical activity (PA) is a key component of preventing and controlling childhood obesity. Despite well‐documented benefits of PA, globally, rates of PA among young children have declined over the past decades, and most children are not accruing sufficient PA daily. Helping children develop the foundation for PA habits early in life is critical for the promotion of health in childhood and prevention of chronic diseases later in life, and will ultimately promote longer and healthier lives for individuals and the general population. The purpose of this review is to provide a synthesis of current evidence on influences …

A Qualitative Study Conducted In The Usa Exploring Latino Fathers’ Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices Related To Their Young Children’S Eating, Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviours, Ana Cristina Lindsay, Sherrie F. Wallington, Mario A. Muñoz, Mary L. Greaney

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective: Increasing evidence documents fathers’ influential role in their children’s eating, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB). We aimed to expand limited existing research examining fathers’ influence in these areas by exploring Latino fathers’ beliefs, attitudes and practices related to eating, PA and SB of their young children.

Designs: Seven focus group discussions were conducted in Spanish with Latino fathers (n 28) of children aged 2–8 years. Audio recordings were transcribed and translated verbatim without identifiers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key concepts and themes using NVivo 11 software. Results: Fathers expressed positive …

Stress, Coping, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Health And Cortisol In Premature Infants, At Age 23, Joyce Ellen Hickey

Open Access Dissertations

Little is known about the psychobiological processes of adults, at age 23 who were born prematurely. Compared to infants born at term, premature infants face additional obstacles of immature body systems, more neonatal stress and are at risk for developmental delay and possible parental overprotective patterns. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory asserts that early prenatal and neonatal stress disturbs hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, which in the long run, affects later health and behavior. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine neonatal stress of prematurity on coping, emotional intelligence, physiological responses, developmental milestones and emotional health …

Three Essays On The Impact Of Information On Nonpoint Source Polluters' Behavior, Haoran Miao

Open Access Dissertations

Nonpoint source pollution is recognized as the primary cause of water pollution in the United States and has many adverse environmental effects in other areas such as Europe and China. In this dissertation research, I examine the role of information in managing nonpoint source pollution through voluntary programs and regulatory policies. Specifically, I look into the effect of informational nudges, information appealing to people to act, and financial incentives to reduce nonpoint source pollution through behavioral changes. Also, I investigate the impact of information on nonpoint source polluters’ behavior under the ambient-based policy when the environmental uncertainty exists at the …

European American Students' Supports, Challenges, And Perceptions Of Their Peers Of Color, Crystal Nicole Gayle

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the experiences of European American students as they obtain advanced degrees in psychology. The study investigated what European American students find supportive and unsupportive as they pursue their doctoral degrees. The participants of this study consisted of 12 graduate students. Qualitative methods were employed, and data obtained through semi-structured interviews was analyzed using content analysis. The interviews revealed factors that students believe have facilitated their success in graduate school, as well as challenges experienced during graduate school, and the types of strategies they used when faced with obstacles. The participants were …

Towards Fog-Driven Iot Ehealth: Promises And Challenges Of Iot In Medicine And Healthcare, Bahar Farahani, Farshad Firouzi, Victor Chang, Mustafa Badaroglu, Nicholas Constant, Kunal Mankodiya

Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Internet of Things (IoT) offers a seamless platform to connect people and objects to one another for enriching and making our lives easier. This vision carries us from compute-based centralized schemes to a more distributed environment offering a vast amount of applications such as smart wearables, smart home, smart mobility, and smart cities. In this paper we discuss applicability of IoT in healthcare and medicine by presenting a holistic architecture of IoT eHealth ecosystem. Healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult to manage due to insufficient and less effective healthcare services to meet the increasing demands of rising aging population with chronic …

Book Review: Healthy Teens, Healthy Schools By Vanessa Domine, Hailee K. Dunn

Journal of Media Literacy Education

No abstract provided.

What Do You Use Mobile Phones For? A Creative Method Of Thematic Drawing With Adolescents In Rural China, Jiachun Hong

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This study sets out to explore Chinese adolescents’ subjectivities toward the use of mobile phones, and reveal the dynamic relationship among students, parents, and school concerning mobile phone usage in rural China. Twenty-one high school students were recruited, and asked to draw a painting that expresses their perceptions of mobile phones in relation to family and school life. After analyzing the thematic drawings and their self-explanations upon the drawings, several themes arise: the mobile phone as a bridge of love, as an extension of the home, as an iron cage, as the blasting fuse of family conflicts, and as a …

Predicting Parental Mediation Behaviors: The Direct And Indirect Influence Of Parents’ Critical Thinking About Media And Attitudes About Parent-Child Interactions, Eric E. Rasmussen, Shawna R. White, Andy J. King, Steven Holiday, Rebecca L. Densley

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Many parents fail to interact with their children regularly about media content and past research has identified few predictors of parents’ engagement in parental mediation behaviors. The present study explored the relationship between parents’ critical thinking about media and parents’ provision of both active and restrictive mediation of television content. Results revealed that parents’ critical thinking about media is positively associated with both active and restrictive mediation, relationships mediated by parents’ attitudes toward parent-child interactions about media. These findings suggest that media literacy programs aimed at improving parents’ critical thinking about media may be an effective way to alter children’s …

Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition, Huipeng Pan, Evan L. Preisser, Qi Su, Xiaoguo Jiao, Wen Xie, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Youjun Zhang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore's natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middleeast Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by …

The Five Hundred And Thirty-Sixth Report Of The Curricular Affairs Committee., University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

General Education Committee Report #2016-17-4: New General Education Courses., University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Arts And Humanities: Reauthorization (1975): Report 04

Arts and Humanities: Reauthorization (1975)

No abstract provided.

Arts And Humanities: Program Funding (1976): Report 08

Arts and Humanities: Program Funding (1976)

No abstract provided.

Curricular Affairs Committee Minutes November 21, 2016, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Costs Of Locomotion In Polar Bears: When Do The Costs Outweigh The Benefits Of Chasing Down Terrestrial Prey?, Linda J. Gormezano, Scott R. Mcwilliams, David T. Iles, Robert F. Rockwell

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Trade-offs between locomotory costs and foraging gains are key elements in determining constraints on predator–prey interactions. One intriguing example involves polar bears pursuing snow geese on land. As climate change forces polar bears to spend more time ashore, they may need to expend more energy to obtain land-based food. Given that polar bears are inefficient at terrestrial locomotion, any extra energy expended to pursue prey could negatively impact survival. However, polar bears have been regularly observed engaging in long pursuits of geese and other land animals, and the energetic worth of such behaviour has been repeatedly questioned. We use data-driven …

Library Services And Construction Act: Reauthorization (1989-1994): Report 06

Library Services and Construction Act: Reauthorization (1989-1994)

No abstract provided.

Impact Of An Invasive Insect And Plant Defense On A Native Forest Defoliator, Claire M. Wilson, Justin F. Vendettuoli, David A. Orwig, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis [L.] Carriére) in the United States is threatened by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand). The native hemlock looper (Lambdina fiscellaria Guenée) also appears to have played a role in previous population declines of this conifer. Although these two insects co-occur in much of the adelgid’s invaded range, their interactions remain unstudied. We assessed looper performance and preference on both uninfested and adelgid-infested foliage from adelgid-susceptible hemlocks, as well as on uninfested foliage from an eastern hemlock that is naturally adelgid-resistant. Larvae reared on uninfested foliage from adelgid-susceptible hemlocks experienced 60% mortality within the …

Food Safety And School Garden Pilot Program For Elementary School Students, Valerie Calberry, Ingrid E. Lofgren, Lori F. Pivarnik

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Food safety education for children is important for developing a good foundation for food safety knowledge and behaviors. The overall goal of the Food Safety and School Garden Program (FSSGP) was to develop a curriculum that integrated food safety principles into school garden-related activities for elementary school students. Specific objectives of this study were to assess knowledge and evaluate the FSSGP through student activity ratings and student-to-parent/guardian interaction. The two-lesson intervention consisted of a didactic component and interactive activities for four major aspects of food safety principles: bacteria and washing hands, produce, and containers. Students' (n = 194) knowledge, in …