Digital Commons Network^™

Correlations Of Self-Reported Androgen Deficiency In Ageing Males (Adam) With Stress And Sleep Among Young Adult Males, Camille M. Charlier, Makenzie L. Barr, Sarah E. Colby, Geoffrey Greene, Melissa D. Olfert

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Androgen deficiency in males has traditionally been predominantly limited to older men aged 50+ years. However, little is known of the correlation between hormonal disruption, stress, and sleep in college-aged males. This cross-sectional study investigates lifestyle behavior patterns in young men and a screening for potential androgen deficiency. A survey of 409 male students, as part of a larger USDA-funded GetFruved study, was analyzed for this subproject. Survey instruments used include the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male Questionnaire (ADAM) to assess for inadequate ADAM scores, the Perceived Stress Scale to measure stress levels and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index …

Abuse Or Be Abused: Traumatic Memory, Sex Inequality, And Millennium As A Socio-Literary Device, Kate Rose

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article applies the research of French psychiatrist Muriel Salmona to literary analysis of Stieg Larsson’s protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, in the Millennium trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2008; The Girl Who Played with Fire, 2009; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, 2010). It suggests that Larsson’s novels may be useful in raising awareness of childhood sexual abuse, through reading neglected signs linked to the neurology of traumatic memory. In the tradition of Nordic noir novels, hyperboles in Salander’s sensationalized identity serve to magnify and bring to light a misunderstood social problem. The article …

(S)Expectations Abroad: Male Traveler Interactions With Southeast Asian Economies, Elliot J. Glotfelty, Glenn M. Miles

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Interacting with locals is a highlight of the tourism experience; however, these interactions may be accompanied by unsolicited propositions for the traveler to participate in the sex industry. Through the lens of Thailand’s largely visible sex industry, this work addresses issues of tourism and travel intertwined with the sex industry in greater Southeast Asia. Governments, a variety of businesses and individuals benefiting financially from a burgeoning sex tourism industry encourage persistence of a viable local sex trade. Although subtleties exist between human trafficking, the sex industry, and sex tourism, each can be intertwined. This article provides an overview of the …

Effects Of The Equimolarly Mixed Cationic–Nonionic Surfactants Of Didodecyldimethylammonium Bromide And Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monooleate 80 On Serum Proteins—Spectroscopic Study, Hua Qiao, Bo Li, Huichao Zhang, Dan Liu, Haipeng Diao, Gongqin Sun, Jun Xie

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Liposomes are a common delivery vehicle for drugs or biologicals, but some common surfactants used as liposome components may cause denaturation and malfunction of serum proteins and cell surface proteins. In this study, we examined the effects of liposome lipid didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), nonionic polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate 80 (Tween 80), and the equimolar mixture on the properties of serum proteins. Bovine serum albumin was selected as the main model protein, and the effects of the DDAB, Tween 80, and a 1:1 mixture on its spectroscopic behavior were investigated. The effects of surfactants on the five major serum proteins: human serum …

Revisions To The Classification, Nomenclature, And Diversity Of Eukaryotes, Christopher E. Lane, Et Al

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This revision of the classification of eukaryotes follows that of Adl et al., 2012 [J. Euk. Microbiol. 59(5)] and retains an emphasis on protists. Changes since have improved the resolution of many nodes in phylogenetic analyses. For some clades even families are being clearly resolved. As we had predicted, environmental sampling in the intervening years has massively increased the genetic information at hand. Consequently, we have discovered novel clades, exciting new genera and uncovered a massive species level diversity beyond the morphological species descriptions. Several clades known from environmental samples only have now found their home. Sampling soils, …

Marine Biodiversity: A Larval Perspective Bio 425g, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Radiolytic H2 Production In Martian Environments, Mary Dzaugis, Arthur J. Spivack, Steven D’Hondt

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Hydrogen, produced by water radiolysis, has been suggested to support microbial communities on Mars. We quantitatively assess the potential magnitude of radiolytic H2 production in wet martian environments (the ancient surface and the present subsurface) based on the radionuclide compositions of (1) eight proposed Mars 2020 landing sites, and (2) three sites that individually yield the highest or lowest calculated radiolytic H2 production rates on Mars. For the proposed landing sites, calculated H2 production rates vary by a factor of ∼1.6, while the three comparison sites differ by a factor of ∼6. Rates in wet martian sediment and microfractured rock …

Potential Roles Of Smell And Taste In The Orientation Behaviour Of Coral‐Reef Fish Larvae: Insights From Morphology, Yinan Hu, John E. Majoris, Peter M. Buston, Jacqueline F. Webb

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An ontogenetic analysis of the olfactory organ and the number and distribution of internal taste buds was carried out in two neon gobies (Elacatinus lori and Elacatinus colini) with the goal of revealing morphological trends that might inform an understanding of the roles of olfaction and taste in larval orientation behaviour. The pattern of development of the olfactory organ is unremarkable and enclosure of the olfactory epithelium occurs concurrently with metamorphosis and settlement in both species. Like other gobies, juvenile and adult E. lori and E. colini lack complex olfactory lamellae, and lack the accessory nasal sacs present …

Perils Of Hollywood Whitewashing?: A Review Of 'Ghost In The Shell' Movie, Kosuke Mizukoshi

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

'Ghost in the Shell' was first produced as a Japanese animated film in 1995. The movie and its sequels established a cult status due to the philosophical depth in portraying the posthuman condition. It was remade as a live action Hollywood film in 2017; and this version failed at the box office. One reason had to be the “whitewashing” issue – that the female protagonist was played by a white actress in the Hollywood movie, rather than a Japanese character as in the original anime. This review essay critically discusses issues of whitewashing, racial ‘identity’, the shifting identity of the …

Parisitology Bio 231x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Levodopa-Reduced Mucuna Pruriens Seed Extract Shows Neuroprotective Effects Against Parkinson’S Disease In Murine Microglia And Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Caenorhabditis Elegans, And Drosophila Melanogaster, Shelby L. Johnson, Hyun Y. Park, Nicholas A. Dasilva, Dhiraj A. Vattem, Hang Ma, Navindra P. Seeram

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Mucuna pruriens (Mucuna) has been prescribed in Ayurveda for various brain ailments including ‘kampavata’ (tremors) or Parkinson’s disease (PD). While Mucuna is a well-known natural source of levodopa (L-dopa), published studies suggest that other bioactive compounds may also be responsible for its anti-PD effects. To investigate this hypothesis, an L-dopa reduced (Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster models. In BV-2 cells, MPE (12.5–50 μg/mL) reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity (15.7−18.6%), decreased reactive oxygen species production (29.1−61.6%), and lowered lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide species release by 8.9–60%. MPE (12.5−50 μg/mL) mitigated SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis by 6.9−40.0% in a non-contact co-culture assay with …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2017-2018, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY18. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

Surveying Silicon Nitride Nanopores For Glycomics And Heparin Quality Assurance, Buddini Iroshika Karawdeniya, Y. M. Nuwan D.Y. Bandara, Jonathan W. Nichols, Robert B. Chevalier, Jason R. Dwyer

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Polysaccharides have key biological functions and can be harnessed for therapeutic roles, such as the anticoagulant heparin. Their complexity—e.g., >100 monosaccharides with variety in linkage and branching structure—significantly complicates analysis compared to other biopolymers such as DNA and proteins. More, and improved, analysis tools have been called for, and here we demonstrate that solid-state silicon nitride nanopore sensors and tuned sensing conditions can be used to reliably detect native polysaccharides and enzymatic digestion products, differentiate between different polysaccharides in straightforward assays, provide new experimental insights into nanopore electrokinetics, and uncover polysaccharide properties. We show that nanopore sensing allows us to …

Pesticides And The Environment Ent 411/511, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Ultrafast Spectroscopy And Microscopy Of Traditional And Soft Condensed Matter, Adam Card, Mohammad Mokim, Feruz Ganikhanov

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate and analyze a series of experiments in traditional and soft condensed matter using coherent optical spectroscopy and microscopy with ultrafast time resolution. We show the capabilities of resolving both real and imaginary parts of the third-order nonlinearity in the vicinity of Raman resonances from a medium probed within microscopic volumes with an equivalent spectral resolution of better than 0.1 cm⁻¹. We can differentiate between vibrations of various types within unit cells of crystals, as well as perform targeted probes of areas within biological tissue. Vibrations within the TiO₆ octahedron and the ones for the Ti-O-P …

Influence Of Commercial Dna Extraction Kit Choice On Prokaryotic Community Metrics In Marine Sediment, Gustavo Ramirez, Dennis Graham, Steven D’Hondt

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Commercial DNA extraction kits are widely used for cultivation‐free surveys of marine sediment. However, the consequences of popular extraction‐kit choices for sequence‐based biological inferences about marine sedimentary communities have not previously been exhaustively assessed. To address this issue, we extracted DNA from multiple paired subsamples of marine sediment using two popular commercial extraction kits (MO BIO Laboratories PowerSoil® DNA isolation kit and MP Biomedicals FastDNATM Spin Kit for Soil). We report comparisons of (1) total DNA yield, (2) extract purity, (3) gene‐targeted quantification, and (4) post‐sequencing ecological inferences in near‐seafloor (< 1 meter below seafloor [mbsf]) and subsurface (> 1 mbsf) marine sediment. In near‐seafloor sediment, the MP …

Shipboard Design And Fabrication Of Custom 3d-Printed Soft Robotic Manipulators For The Investigation Of Delicate Deep-Sea Organisms, Daniel M. Vogt, Kaitlyn P. Becker, Brennan Phillips, Moritz A. Graule, Randi D. Rotjan, Timothy M. Shank, Erik E. Cordes, Robert J. Wood, David F. Gruber

Ocean Engineering Faculty Publications

Soft robotics is an emerging technology that has shown considerable promise in deep-sea marine biological applications. It is particularly useful in facilitating delicate interactions with fragile marine organisms. This study describes the shipboard design, 3D printing and integration of custom soft robotic manipulators for investigating and interacting with deep-sea organisms. Soft robotics manipulators were tested down to 2224m via a Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) and facilitated the study of a diverse suite of soft-bodied and fragile marine life. Instantaneous feedback from the ROV pilots and biologists allowed for rapid re-design, such as adding “fingernails”, …

Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes, Zika And Other Arboviruses, Community Engagement, Costs, And Patents: Ethical Issues, Zahra Meghani, Christophe Boëte

Philosophy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Accounting For Location Uncertainty In Azimuthal Telemetry Data Improves Ecological Inference, Brian D. Gerber, Mevin B. B. Hooten, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, James H. Gammonley, Anthony D. Apa, Amy J. Davis

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Background: Characterizing animal space use is critical for understanding ecological relationships. Animal telemetry technology has revolutionized the fields of ecology and conservation biology by providing high quality spatial data on animal movement. Radio-telemetry with very high frequency (VHF) radio signals continues to be a useful technology because of its low cost, miniaturization, and low battery requirements. Despite a number of statistical developments synthetically integrating animal location estimation and uncertainty with spatial process models using satellite telemetry data, we are unaware of similar developments for azimuthal telemetry data. As such, there are few statistical options to handle these unique data …

Herbivorous Protist Growth And Grazing Rates At In Situ And Artificially Elevated Temperatures During An Arctic Phytoplankton Spring Bloom, Susanne Menden-Deuer, Caitlyn Lawrence, Guyantonia Franze

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

To assess protistan grazing impact and temperature sensitivity on plankton population dynamics, we measured bulk and species-specific phytoplankton growth and herbivorous protist grazing rates in Disko Bay, West Greenland in April-May 2011. Rate estimates were made at three different temperatures in situ (0 °C), +3 °C and +6 °C over ambient. In situ Chlorophyll a (Chl a) doubled during the observation period to ∼12 µg Chl a L−1, with 60–97% of Chl a in the >20 µm size-fraction dominated by the diatom genus Chaetoceros. Herbivorous dinoflagellates comprised 60–80% of microplankton grazer biomass. At in situ temperatures, phytoplankton growth or …

The Theory Of Games And Microbe Ecology, Susanne Menden-Deuer, Julie Rowlett

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Using game theory, we provide mathematical proof that if a species of asexually reproducing microbes is not characterized by maximum variability in competitive abilities among its individual organisms, then that species is vulnerable to replacement by competitors. Furthermore, we prove that such maximally variable species are neutral towards each other in competition for limited resources; they coexist. Our proof is constructive: given one species which does not possess maximum variability, we construct a second species with the same (or lower) mean competitive ability which can outcompete the first, in the sense that its expected value in competition is positive, whereas …

Domain Swaps Of Arabidopsis Secondary Wall Cellulose Synthases To Elucidate Their Class Specificity, Joseph Lee Hill Jr., Ashley Nicole Hill, Alison W. Roberts, Candace H. Haigler, Ming Tien

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized by membrane‐embedded cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs), currently modeled as hexamers of cellulose synthase (CESA) trimers. The three paralogous CESAs involved in secondary cell wall (SCW) cellulose biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (CESA4, CESA7, CESA8) are similar, but nonredundant, with all three isoforms required for assembly and function of the CSC. The molecular basis of protein–protein recognition among the isoforms is not well understood. To investigate the locations of the interfaces that are responsible for isoform recognition, we swapped three domains between the Arabidopsis CESAs required for SCW synthesis (CESA4, CESA7, and CESA8): N‐terminus, central domain containing the catalytic …

Alma Link Resolver Subject Report 2017-2018, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2017-2018 on the number of OpenURL requests by Library of Congress classification code made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Information provided includes Classification Code, Classifications, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, and % Clicks from Requests.

Alma Link Resolver Referring Sources Report 2017-2018, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics from 2017-2018 on the number of OpenURL requests made to the Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Information provided includes Source, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, % Clicks from Requests.

Note: "36520" = EBSCOhost

Alma Link Resolver Title & Issn Report (Top 500) 2017-2018, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2017-2018 on the total number of OpenURL requests by journal title and ISSN made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries. Includes only the top 500 journals.

Information provided includes journal Title, ISSN, EISSN, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, % Clicks from Requests.

Histone Methylation By Setd1a Protects Nascent Dna Through The Nucleosome Chaperone Activity Of Fancd2, Martin R. Higgs, Koichi Sato, John J. Reynolds, Shabana Begum, Rachel Bayley, Amalia Goula, Audrey Vernet, Karissa L. Paquin, David G. Skalnik, Wataru Kobayashi, Minoru Takata, Niall G. Howlett, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, Hiroshi Kimura, Grant S. Stewart

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Components of the Fanconi anemia and homologous recombination pathways play a vital role in protecting newly replicated DNA from uncontrolled nucleolytic degradation, safeguarding genome stability. Here we report that histone methylation by the lysine methyltransferase SETD1A is crucial for protecting stalled replication forks from deleterious resection. Depletion of SETD1A sensitizes cells to replication stress and leads to uncontrolled DNA2-dependent resection of damaged replication forks. The ability of SETD1A to prevent degradation of these structures is mediated by its ability to catalyze methylation on Lys4 of histone H3 (H3K4) at replication forks, which enhances FANCD2-dependent histone chaperone activity. Suppressing H3K4 methylation …

Genetic And Developmental Origins Of A Unique Foraging Adaptation In A Lake Malawi Cichlid Genus, Moira R. Conith, Yinan Hu, Andrew J. Conith, Maura A. Maginnis, Jacqueline F. Webb, R. Craig Albertson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic novelties are an important but poorly understood category of morphological diversity. They can provide insights into the origins of phenotypic variation, but we know relatively little about their genetic origins. Cichlid fishes display remarkable diversity in craniofacial anatomy, including several novelties. One aspect of this variation is a conspicuous, exaggerated snout that has evolved in a single Malawi cichlid lineage and is associated with foraging specialization and increased ecological success. We examined the developmental and genetic origins for this phenotype and found that the snout is composed of two hypertrophied tissues: the intermaxillary ligament (IML), which connects the right …

Learn To Conserve: The Effects Of In-School Energy Education On At-Home Electricity Consumption, Carrie Gill, Corey Lang

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

Environmental education for school students, including lessons on recycling, water conservation, and energy reduction, is a popular measure aimed at increasing environmental knowledge, promoting environmental attitudes, and increasing pro-environmental behaviors. Despite the prevalence of such education, there is little empirical evidence to support the efficacy of these programs on tangible outcomes outside of school. This paper contributes an empirical analysis of a series of energy lessons in the United States. Using a differences-in-differences approach with a rich panel data set, we find evidence for short-term reductions on the order of eight percent in electricity use the day of a lesson …

A New Biological Proxy For Deep-Sea Paleo-Oxygen: Pores Of Epifaunal Benthic Foraminifera, Anthony E. Rathburn, Jake Willingham, Wiebke Ziebis, Ashley M. Burkett, Bruce H. Corliss

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The negative consequences of fossil fuel burning for the oceans will likely include warming, acidification and deoxygenation, yet predicting future deoxygenation is difficult. Sensitive proxies for oxygen concentrations in ancient deep-ocean bottom-waters are needed to learn from patterns of marine deoxygenation during global warming conditions in the geological past. Understanding of past oxygenation effects related to climate change will better inform us about future patterns of deoxygenation. Here we describe a new, quantitative biological proxy for determining ocean paleo-oxygen concentrations: the surface area of pores (used for gas exchange) in the tests of deep-sea benthic foraminifera collected alive from 22 …

Transboundary Cooperation Improves Endangered Species Monitoring And Conservation Actions: A Case Study Of The Global Population Of Amur Leopards, Anna Vitkalova, Limin Feng, Alexander N. Rybin, Brian D. Gerber, Dale G. Miquelle, Tianming Wang, Haitao Yang, Elena I. Shevtsova, Vladimir V. Aramilev, Jianping Ge

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Political borders and natural boundaries of wildlife populations seldom coincide, often to the detriment of conservation objectives. Transnational monitoring of endangered carnivores is rare, but is necessary for accurate population monitoring and coordinated conservation policies. We investigate the benefits of collaboratively monitoring the abundance and survival of the critically endangered Amur leopard, which occurs as a single transboundary population across China and Russia. Country‐specific results overestimated abundance and were generally less precise compared to integrated monitoring estimates; the global population was similar in both years: 84 (70–108, 95% confidence interval). Uncertainty in country‐specific annual survival estimates were approximately twice the …