Digital Commons Network^™

Curricular Report No. 2018-19-7 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate (Courses), University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Curriculum And Standards Committee Report #2018-19-8 (Courses), University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Pressure Profile Of Shock Waves On Lipid Membrane Deformation, Ralph Kfoury, Bahador Marzban, Emad Makki, Michael L. Greenfield, Hongyan Yuan

Mechanical, Industrial & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Use of shock waves to temporarily increase the permeability of the cell membrane is a promising approach in drug delivery and gene therapy to allow the translocation of macromolecules and small polar molecules into the cytoplasm. Our understanding of how the characteristics of the pressure profile of shock waves, such as peak pressure and pulse duration, influences membrane properties is limited. Here we study the response of lipid bilayer membranes to shock pulses with different pressure profiles using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. From our simulation results, we find that the transient deformation/disordering of the membrane depends on both the magnitude …

Honors Seminar In Global Responsibility And Social Sciences Hpr 375, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Coral Reef Ecology Bio 465x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Environmental Isotope Geochemistry Ocg 550x, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Curricular Report No. 2018-19-6 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Curricular Changes, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Testing The Utility Of Geochemical Proxies To Reconstruct Holocene Coastal Environments And Relative Sea Level: A Case Study From Hungry Bay, Bermuda, Andrew C. Kemp, Christopher H. Vane, Nicole S. Khan, Joanna C. Ellison, Simon E. Engelhart, Benjamin P. Horton, Daria Nikitina, Struan R. Smith, Lisa J. Rodrigues, Ryan P. Moyer

Geosciences Faculty Publications

On low-lying, tropical and sub-tropical coastlines freshwater marshes may be replaced by salt‑tolerant mangroves in response to relative sea-level rise. Pollen analysis of radiocarbon‑dated sediment cores showed that such a change occurred in Hungry Bay, Bermuda during the late Holocene. This well-established paleoenvironmental trajectory provides an opportunity to explore if geochemical proxies (bulk-sediment δ¹³C and Rock-Eval pyrolysis) can reconstruct known environmental changes and relative sea level. We characterized surface sediment from depositional environments in Bermuda (freshwater wetlands, saline mangroves, and wrack composed of Sargassum natans macroalgae) using geochemical measurements and demonstrate that a multi-proxy approach can objectively distinguish …

Pornography Induced Erectile Dysfunction Among Young Men, Hamdija Begovic

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This paper explores the phenomenon of pornography induced erectile dysfunction (PIED), meaning sexual potency problems in men due to Internet pornography consumption. Empirical data from men who suffer from this condition have been collected. A combination of topical life history method (with qualitative asynchronous online narrative interviews) and personal online diaries has been employed. The data have been analyzed using theoretical interpretative analysis (according to McLuhan’s media theory), based on analytic induction. The empirical investigation indicates that there is a correlation between pornography consumption and erectile dysfunction that suggests causation. The findings are based on 11 interviews along with two …

Evaluating Summer Flounder Spatial Sex-Segregation In A Southern New England Estuary, Joseph A. Langan, M. Conor Mcmanus, Adena J. Schonfeld, Corinne L. Truesdale, Jeremy Collie

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Marine fish species can exhibit sex‐specific differences in their biological traits. Not accounting for these characteristics in the stock assessment or management of a species can lead to misunderstanding its population dynamics and result in ineffective regulatory strategies. Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus, a flatfish that supports significant commercial and recreational fisheries along the northeastern U.S. shelf, expresses variation in several traits between the sexes, including growth and habitat preference. To further understand these patterns, 1,302 Summer Flounder were collected and sexed in 2016 and 2017 from fisheries‐independent surveys conducted in Rhode Island state waters. Female flounder were more prevalent …

Warming Seas Increase Cold-Stunning Events For Kemp’S Ridley Sea Turtles In The Northwest Atlantic, Lucas P. Griffin, Curtice R. Griffin, John T. Finn, Robert L. Prescott, Mark Faherty, Brett Matthew Still, Andy J. Danylchuk

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Since the 1970s, the magnitude of turtle cold-stun strandings have increased dramatically within the northwestern Atlantic. Here, we examine oceanic, atmospheric, and biological factors that may affect the increasing trend of cold-stunned Kemp’s ridleys in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, United States of America. Using machine learning and Bayesian inference modeling techniques, we demonstrate higher cold-stunning years occur when the Gulf of Maine has warmer sea surface temperatures in late October through early November. Surprisingly, hatchling numbers in Mexico, a proxy for population abundance, was not identified as an important factor. Further, using our Bayesian count model and forecasted sea surface …

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Narragansett Bay In Support Of The Ecogem Ecological Model, David S. Ullman

Physical Oceanography Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Curriculum And Standards Committee Report #2018-19-5 (Courses), University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Curriculum And Standards Committee Report #2018-19-7 (Courses), University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Histology For Cytotechnologists Ii Mls 568, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Field Entomology And Taxonomy Bio/Nrs/Ent 350, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Field Entomology And Taxonomy Ent 350x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Ms In Cytology, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Histology For Cytotechnologists I, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Cytology Practicum Iii Mls 567, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Diatom Diversity Correlate With Dissolved Trace Metal Concentrations And Longitudinal Position In The Northeast Pacific Coastal−Offshore Transition Zone, P. Dreux Chappell, E. Virginia Armbrust, Katherine A. Barbeau, Randelle M. Bundy, James W. Moffett, Jagruti Vedamati, Bethany D. Jenkins

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Diatoms are important primary producers in the northeast Pacific Ocean, with their productivity closely linked to pulses of trace elements in the western high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) region of the oceanographic time series transect ‘Line P.’ Recently, the coastal−HNLC transition zone of the Line P transect was identified as a hotspot of phytoplankton productivity, potentially controlled by a combination of trace element and macronutrient concentrations. Here we describe diatom community composition in the eastern Line P transect, including the coastal− HNLC transition zone, with a method using high-throughput sequencing of diatom 18S gene amplicons. We identified significant correlations between …

Prenatal Iron Deficiency And Replete Iron Status Are Associated With Adverse Birth Outcomes, But Associations Differ In Ghana And Malawi, Brietta M. Oaks, Josh M. Jorgensen, Lacey M. Baldiviez, Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Ken Maleta, Harriet Okronipa, John Sadalaki, Anna Lartey, Per Ashorn, Ulla Ashorn, Stephen Vosti, Lindsay H. Allen, Kathryn G. Dewey

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background

Previous literature suggests a U-shaped relation between hemoglobin concentration and adverse birth outcomes. There is less evidence on associations between iron status and birth outcomes.

Objective

Our objective was to determine the associations of maternal hemoglobin concentration and iron status with birth outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a secondary data analysis of data from 2 cohorts of pregnant women receiving iron-containing nutritional supplements (20–60 mg ferrous sulfate) in Ghana (n = 1137) and Malawi (n = 1243). Hemoglobin concentration and 2 markers of iron status [zinc protoporphyrin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)] were measured at ≤20 weeks and …

Molecular Identification Of Three Sympatric Lagomorphs In The Northeastern United States, Mary Sullivan, Thomas J. Mcgreevy, Amy E. Gottfried, Brian C. Tefft, Bill Buffum, Thomas P. Husband

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is the focus of extensive efforts to conserve the species. A major component of their conservation program is the collection of faecal samples to determine their distribution and abundance throughout their range. In parts of their range, New England cottontail is sympatric with a non-native eastern cottontail (S. floridanus) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Because faecal samples from all three lagomorphs are indistinguishable, a reliable molecular genetic method for specimen identification is necessary. We tested the efficacy of a diagnostic character method by analyzing sequence data from 1770 faecal, blood, and tissue samples collected …

Conifer Responses To A Stylet-Feeding Invasive Herbivore And Induction With Methyl Jasmonate: Impact On The Expression Of Induced Defenses And A Native Folivore, Chad M. Rigsby, Emma E. Shoemaker, Mary M. Mallinger, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Trees attacked by multiple herbivores need to defend themselves against dynamic biotic challenges; appropriate responses to one stressor can elicit hormonal responses that are antagonistic to another. Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) infestation by hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) results in the accumulation of the defensive hormone salicylic acid.
2. We explored the potential for HWA infestation to interfere with anti‐folivore‐induced defence signalling and its implications for a native folivore (hemlock looper; Lambdina fiscellaria). Hemlocks were infested with HWA and/or sprayed with methyl jasmonate; foliar defences were analyzed and foliage quality for looper larvae was assessed.
3. Both treatments …

Measuring Climate And Extreme Weather Vulnerability To Inform Resilience, Report 2 : Port Decision-Makers’ Barriers To Climate And Extreme Weather Adaptation, Elizabeth Layli Mclean, Austin Becker

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

Numerous decision-making barriers prevent or delay climate and extreme weather resilience investments. Port decision-makers’ perceptions of such barriers are important for proactive strategies for reducing coastal vulnerability and supporting safe and sustainable operations of U.S. ports.

This report identifies the perceived adaptation barriers for seaports, and strategies to remove them. Interviews with 30 directors/managers, environmental specialists, and safety planners at 15 medium- and high-use ports of the North Atlantic resulted in a typology of factors and conditions that hamper adaptation actions, planning, and perceived strategies to overcome these barriers.

This study finds that the decision-makers have consensus on seven overarching …

Momentum: Research & Innovation For Spring 2019, University Of Rhode Island

Publications (Research and Economic Development)

The Spring 2019 issue of Momentum: Research & Innovation, a periodical focused on research at the University of Rhode Island.

Momentum: Research & Innovation For Fall 2019, University Of Rhode Island

Publications (Research and Economic Development)

The Fall 2019 issue of Momentum: Research & Innovation, a periodical focused on research at the University of Rhode Island.

Hybridization And Rapid Differentiation After Secondary Contact Between The Native Green Anole (Anolis Carolinensis) And The Introduced Green Anole (Anolis Porcatus), Johanna E. Wegener, Jessica N. Pita-Aquino, Jessica Atutubo, Adam Moreno, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In allopatric species, reproductive isolation evolves through the accumulation of genetic incompatibilities. The degree of divergence required for complete reproductive isolation is highly variable across taxa, which makes the outcome of secondary contact between allopatric species unpredictable. Since before the Pliocene, two species of Anolis lizards, Anolis carolinensis and Anolis porcatus, have been allopatric, yet this period of independent evolution has not led to substantial species‐specific morphological differentiation, and therefore, they might not be reproductively isolated. In this study, we determined the genetic consequences of localized, secondary contact between the native green anole, A. carolinensis, and the introduced …

Reduced Compsilura Concinnata Parasitism Of New England Saturniid Larvae, Alex K. Baranowski, Catherine Conroy, Goerge H. Boettner, Joseph S. Elkinton, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. In the northeastern U.S.A., the non‐native generalist parasitoid Compsilura concinnata, introduced in the early 20th Century to control forest pests, has been linked to the decline of giant silk moths (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).
2. Field research conducted in New England in the late 1990s on two saturniid species, Hyalophora cecropia and Callosamia promethea, found that C. concinnata parasitized 81% and 68%, respectively, when larvae were reared outdoors and replaced weekly. These parasitism rates, extrapolated over the larval period, would prevent any larvae from reaching pupation.
3. In 2017 and 2018, this field experiment was repeated using these same two saturniid species …

Genome-Wide Annotation And Comparative Analysis Of Cuticular Protein Genes In The Noctuid Pest Spodoptera Litura, Jianqiu Liu, Shenglong Li, Wanshun Li, Li Peng, Zhiwei Chen, Yingdan Xiao, Huizhen Guo, Jiwei Zhng, Tingcai Cheng, Marian R. Goldsmith, Kallare P. Arunkumar, Qingyou Xia, Kazuei Mita

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Insect cuticle is considered an adaptable and versatile building material with roles in the construction and function of exoskeleton. Its physical properties are varied, as the biological requirements differ among diverse structures and change during the life cycle of the insect. Although the bulk of cuticle consists basically of cuticular proteins (CPs) associated with chitin, the degree of cuticular sclerotization is an important factor in determining its physical properties. Spodoptera litura, the tobacco cutworm, is an important agricultural pest in Asia. Compared to the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori, another lepidopteran whose CP genes have been well annotated, …