Digital Commons Network^™

Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention For Parents Improves Health Behaviors And Food Parenting Practices Among Hispanic, Low-Income Parents, Laura Otterbach, Noereem Z. Mena, Geoffrey Greene, Colleen A. Redding, Anne S. De Groot, Alison Tovar

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background: Given the current prevalence of childhood obesity among Hispanic populations, and the importance of parental feeding behaviors, we aimed to assess the impact of the evidence-based Healthy Children, Healthy Families (HCHF) intervention on responsive food parenting practices (FPPs) in a low-income Hispanic population.

Methods: This community-based pilot study used a non-experimental pre/post within-subjects design. Parents (n = 94) of children aged 3–11 years old were recruited to participate in an 8-week, weekly group-based intervention. The intervention was delivered to nine groups of parents by trained paraprofessional educators over a two-year period. Children participated in a separate curriculum that …

Development And Testing Of A Novel Survey To Assess Stakeholder-Driven Community Diffusion Of Childhood Obesity Prevention Efforts, Ariella R. Korn, Erin Hennessy, Ross A. Hammond, Steven Allender, Matthew W. Gillman, Matt Kasman, Jaimie Mcglashan, Lynne Millar, Brynle Owen, Mark C. Pachucki, Boyd Swinburn, Alison Tovar, Christina D. Economos

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background: Involving groups of community stakeholders (e.g., steering committees) to lead community-wide health interventions appears to support multiple outcomes ranging from policy and systems change to individual biology. While numerous tools are available to measure stakeholder characteristics, many lack detail on reliability and validity, are not context specific, and may not be sensitive enough to capture change over time. This study describes the development and reliability of a novel survey to measure Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion via assessment of stakeholders’ social networks, knowledge, and engagement about childhood obesity prevention.

Methods: This study was completed in three phases. Phase 1 included conceptualization …

Oceans Of Plastic: A Research Agenda To Propel Policy Development, Elizabeth Mendenhall

Marine Affairs Faculty Publications

Although the phenomenon of marine plastic debris is now widely recognized as a problem for the international community, significant gaps in understanding still inhibit the creation and implementation of effective policy responses. This paper reviews the state of scientific knowledge about the causes and consequences of marine plastic debris, including its sources, pathways, composition, location, and impacts on ecosystems and human activities. Much remains unknown about the large scale impacts of plastic debris on ecosystem functions and human health, among other information gaps. Additional scientific research about the nature, extent, and harms of marine plastic debris could increase the political …

Host Specificity And Risk Assessment Of Archanara Geminipuncta And Archanara Neurica, Two Potential Biocontrol Agents For Invasive Phragmites Australis In North America, Bernd Blossey, Patrick Häfliger, Lisa A. Tewksbury, Andrea Dávalos, Richard A. Casagrande

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

Invasive Phragmites australis is widespread in North America and despite decades of management and large annual expenditures (>5 million US$) using physical and chemical means, local populations and the species range are expanding. Allowing continued expansion does not only threaten native wetland biota but also an endemic North American subspecies Phragmites australis americanus. We used extensive multi-pronged investigations in Europe and North America to evaluate host specificity and impact of two European stem mining noctuid moths, Archanara geminipuncta and A. neurica. Both moth species are specific to the genus Phragmites and both show a very strong, but …

Surfo Technical Report No. 18-01, Surfo

SURFO Technical Reports

The 2018 technical reports written by undergraduate students participating in the SURFO (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography) Program while at the University of Rhode Island.

Signals Of Forest Degradation In The Demography Of Common Asian Amphibians, Nancy E. Karraker, Samantha Fischer, Archalee Aowphol, Jennifer Sheridan, Sinlan Poo

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Background: Lowland areas in tropical East and Southeast Asia have a long history of conversion from forestland to agricultural land, with many remaining forests being chronically degraded by wood cutting, livestock grazing, and burning. Wetland-breeding amphibians that have evolved in lowland forests in the region have adjusted to changes in habitat composition caused by humans’ activities, and populations continue to persist. However, we have little understanding of the impacts of forest disturbance on these species beyond assessments of abundance and distribution, and species considered to be common and widespread have been largely neglected.

Methods: We examined body condition …

Efficient Detection Of Phthalate Esters In Human Saliva Via Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Dana J. Discenza, Melissa A. Smith, Lauren E. Intravaia, Mindy Levine

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The detection of phthalates in human biologic fluids remains an important research objective because it provides an important measure of an individual’s exposure to this class of compounds, which have known deleterious health effects. Moreover, the ability to accomplish such detection in fluids that are easy to collect, such as saliva and urine, provides additional practical advantages. Reported herein is the application of cyclodextrin-promoted fluorescence energy transfer and fluorescence modulation to accomplish precisely such detection: the development of sensitive and selective florescence-based detection methods for phthalates in saliva, an easily collectable human biologic fluid. Such saliva-based detection methods occur with …

Detection Of Bisphenol A And Derivatives In Human Urine Via Cyclodextrin-Promoted Fluorescence Modulation, Dana J. Discenza, Julie Lynch, Ezra Feder, Mindy Levine

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Reported herein is the sensitive and selective detection of bisphenol A (BPA) and six BPA derivatives in buffer and urine environments. This detection system relies on the ability of γ-cyclodextrin to act as a supramolecular scaffold to promote highly analyte-specific, proximity-induced fluorescence modulation of high quantum yield fluorophores, which led to unique modulation responses for each cyclodextrin–analyte–fluorophore combination investigated in both buffer and urine environments, and high selectivity between structurally similar analytes using linear discriminant analysis of the resulting response signals. This method was sensitive (low micromolar detection limits), selective (able to differentiate between structurally similar analytes), and broadly applicable …

High Background In Elispot Assays Is Associated With Elevated Levels Of Immune Activation In Hiv‐1‐Seronegative Individuals In Nairobi, Amy Y. Liu, Stephen C. De Rosa, Brandon L. Guthrie, Robert Y. Choi, Rose Kerubo-Bosire, Barbara A. Richardson, James Kiarie, Carey Farquhar, Barbara L. Lohman-Payne

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Spontaneous interferon‐γ (IFNγ) released detected by enzyme‐linked immunospot (ELISpot) assays may be a biological phenomenon. Markers of immune activation levels were assessed as correlates of high background among individuals in Kenya. Methods: Couples concordantly seronegative for HIV‐1 were enrolled. IFN‐γ ELISpot assays were conducted and negative control wells were categorized as having either high or low background (≥50 and <50 SFU/10⁶ peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMC], respectively). PBMC were stained for CD4, CD8, and immune activation markers (CD38 and HLA‐DR) and analyzed using flow cytometry. Proportions of activated T‐cells were compared between those with low and high background …

Hiv-Exposed Uninfected Infants: Elevated Cord Blood Interleukin 8 (Il-8) Is Significantly Associated With Maternal Hiv Infection And Systemic Il-8 In A Kenyan Cohort, Barbara L. Lohman-Payne, Benjamin Gabriel, Sangshin Park, Dalton Wamalwa, Elizabeth Maleche-Obimbo, Carey Farquhar, Rose Kerubo Bosire, Grace John-Steward

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background: In low and middle income countries, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants demonstrate higher morbidity and mortality than their unexposed counterparts. To determine possible immune correlates of this effect, we investigated the impact of in utero HIV exposure on the uninfected neonatal immune milieu and maternal factors mediating these abnormalities in a cohort of vaginally delivered mother-infants. Samples of delivery and cord blood plasma were selected from 22 Kenyan HIV-infected women and their HIV exposed uninfected (HEU) infants drawn from the pre-ARV era, while 19 Kenyan HIV-uninfected (HU) women and their infants were selected from a …

Adaptive Management Of Animal Populations With Significant Unknowns And Uncertainties: A Case Study, Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Conservation and management decision making in natural resources is challenging due to numerous uncertainties and unknowns, especially relating to understanding system dynamics. Adaptive resource management (ARM) is a formal process to making logical and transparent recurrent decisions when there are uncertainties about system dynamics. Despite wide recognition and calls for implementing adaptive natural resource management, applications remain limited. More common is a reactive approach to decision making, which ignores future system dynamics. This contrasts with ARM, which anticipates future dynamics of ecological process and management actions using a model‐based framework. Practitioners may be reluctant to adopt ARM because of the …

Novel Fluorescent Fluorene-Containing Conjugated Polymers: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, And Application For The Detection Of Common Bisphenols, Daniel R. Jones, Ryan Vallee, Mindy Levine

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Eight new fluorescent conjugated polymers were synthesized by the Suzuki polycondensation reaction of 9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diboronic acid bis(1,3-propanediol) ester and a conjugated dihalogenated monomer. The photophysical properties of these polymers were investigated as well-dissolved solutions in chloroform and as nanoparticle suspensions in water. Several of the polymers had large Stokes shifts (greater than 100 nm) and others demonstrated unique changes in the fluorescence properties in aggregated verse nonaggregated forms. Preliminary applications of these polymers in the detection of common bisphenols are also reported.

Supramolecular Luminescent Sensors, Teresa L. Mako, Joan M. Racicot, Mindy Levine

Chemistry Faculty Publications

There is great need for stand-alone luminescence-based chemosensors that exemplify selectivity, sensitivity, and applicability and that overcome the challenges that arise from complex, real-world media. Discussed herein are recent developments toward these goals in the field of supramolecular luminescent chemosensors, including macrocycles, polymers, and nanomaterials. Specific focus is placed on the development of new macrocycle hosts since 2010, coupled with considerations of the underlying principles of supramolecular chemistry as well as analytes of interest and common luminophores. State-of-the-art developments in the fields of polymer and nanomaterial sensors are also examined, and some remaining unsolved challenges in the area of chemosensors …

There Is No 'Obstetrical Dilemma': Towards A Braver Medicine With Fewer Childbirth Interventions, Holly M. Dunsworth

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Humans give birth to big-brained babies through a bony birth canal that metamorphosed during the evolution of bipedalism; they have a tighter fit at birth between baby and bony birth canal than do our closest relatives the chimpanzees; and they are incapable of grasping onto caregivers as early as infant chimpanzees develop the skill. Since the mid-20th century, these observations and more have been linked together into the "obstetrical dilemma" (OD): human babies are helpless because they are born early to escape before they outgrow the mother's pelvis, the expansion of which is prevented by natural selection for bipedalism. The …

These Aren’T The Loci You’Re Looking For: Principles Of Effective Snp Filtering For Molecular Ecologists, Shannon J. O'Leary, Jonathan B. Puritz, Stuar C. Willis, Christopher M. Hollenbeck, David S. Portnoy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Sequencing reduced‐representation libraries of restriction site‐associated DNA (RADseq) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is quickly becoming a standard methodology for molecular ecologists. Because of the scale of RADseq data sets, putative loci cannot be assessed individually, making the process of filtering noise and correctly identifying biologically meaningful signal more difficult. Artefacts introduced during library preparation and/or bioinformatic processing of SNP data can create patterns that are incorrectly interpreted as indicative of population structure or natural selection. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider types of errors that may be introduced during laboratory work and data processing, and how to …

Predator-Driven Natural Selection On Risk-Taking Behavior In Anole Lizards, Oriol Lapiedra, Thomas W. Schoener, Manuel Leal, Jonathan B. Losos, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biologists have long debated the role of behavior in evolution, yet understanding of its role as a driver of adaptation is hampered by the scarcity of experimental studies of natural selection on behavior in nature. After showing that individual Anolis sagrei lizards vary consistently in risk-taking behaviors, we experimentally established populations on eight small islands either with or without Leiocephalus carinatus, a major ground predator. We found that selection predictably favors different risk-taking behaviors under different treatments: Exploratory behavior is favored in the absence of predators, whereas avoidance of the ground is favored in their presence. On predator islands, …

Expressed Exome Capture Sequencing (Eecseq): A Method For Cost-Effective Exome Sequencing For All Organisms, Jonathan B. Puritz, Katie E. Lotterhos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Exome capture is an effective tool for surveying the genome for loci under selection. However, traditional methods require annotated genomic resources. Here, we present a method for creating cDNA probes from expressed mRNA, which are then used to enrich and capture genomic DNA for exon regions. This approach, called “EecSeq,” eliminates the need for costly probe design and synthesis. We tested EecSeq in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using a controlled exposure experiment. Four adult oysters were heat shocked at 36°C for 1 hr along with four control oysters kept at 14°C. Stranded mRNA libraries were prepared for two …

College Of Pharmacy Annual Report For Fy2018, Uri College Of Pharmacy

College of Pharmacy Reports

Annual report for the College of Pharmacy of the University of Rhode Island for the year 2017-2018.

Includes information and statistics for the academic programs, research work and developments by faculty and students, community engagement and donations.

Aboard Gso: A Newsletter For Alumni And Friends Of The University Of Rhode Island’S Graduate School Of Oceanography For Winter 2018, Uri Graduate School Of Oceanography

Graduate School of Oceanography Publications

The Winter 2018 issue of Aboard GSO: A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, a periodical about GSO events, faculty research and essays by alumni.

Dna Base Sequence Effects On Bulky Lesion-Induced Conformational Heterogeneity During Dna Replication, Ang Cai, Katie A. Wilson, Satyakam Patnaik, Stacey D. Wetmore, Bongsup P. Cho

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

4-Aminobiphenyl (ABP) and its structure analog 2-aminofluorene (AF) are well-known carcinogens. In the present work, an unusual sequence effect in the 5′-CTTCTG₁G₂TCCTCATTC-3′ DNA duplex is reported for ABP- and AF-modified G. Specifically, the ABP modification at G₁ resulted in a mixture of 67% major groove B-type (B) and 33% stacked (S) conformers, while at the ABP modification at G₂ exclusively resulted in the B-conformer. The AF modification at G₁ and G₂ lead to 25%:75% and 83%:17% B:S population ratios, respectively. These differences in preferred conformation are due to an interplay between stabilizing …

Use Of Structural Equation Models To Predict Dengue Illness Phenotype, Sangshin Park, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Siripen Kalayanarooj, Louis Macareo, Sharone Green, Jennifer F. Friedman, Alan L. Rothman

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Early recognition of dengue, particularly patients at risk for plasma leakage, is important to clinical management. The objective of this study was to build predictive models for dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) using structural equation modelling (SEM), a statistical method that evaluates mechanistic pathways.

Methods/Findings: We performed SEM using data from 257 Thai children enrolled within 72 h of febrile illness onset, 156 with dengue and 101 with non-dengue febrile illnesses. Models for dengue, DHF, and DSS were developed based on data obtained three and one day(s) prior to fever resolution (fever days -3 …

Structural Versatility That Serves The Function Of The Hrd Motif In The Catalytic Loop Of Protein Tyrosine Kinase, Src, Yixin Cui, Gongqin Sun

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Site‐directed mutagenesis is a traditional approach for structure–function analysis of protein tyrosine kinases, and it requires the generation, expression, purification, and analysis of each mutant enzyme. In this study, we report a versatile high throughput bacterial screening system that can identify functional kinase mutants by immunological detection of tyrosine phosphorylation. Two key features of this screening system are noteworthy. First, instead of blotting bacterial colonies directly from Agar plates to nitrocellulose membrane, the colonies were cultured in 96‐well plates, and then spotted in duplicate onto the membrane with appropriate controls. This made the screening much more reliable compared with direct …

Community Clinic-Based Lifestyle Change For Prevention Of Metabolic Syndrome: Rationale, Design And Methods Of The ‘Vida Sana/Healthy Life’ Program, Patricia Markham Risica, Megan Mccarthy, Katherine Barry, Susan P. Oliverio, Anne S. De Groot

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Purpose and Objectives: The risk of diseases associated with Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is higher for Hispanics living in the northeastern United States than for other racial and ethnic groups. Higher risk of diabetes, high blood lipids, obesity and limited access to continuity of care are all factors that also contribute to disproportionately poorer chronic disease outcomes for Hispanics.

Intervention approach: This article describes the planning and implementation of, and evaluation plans for the Vida Sana Program (VSP), a community-based group intervention created to address the identified MetS risks by encouraging healthier diet and physical activity behaviors among a low-income, largely …

T Cell Epitope Engineering: An Avian H7n9 Influenza Vaccine Strategy For Pandemic Preparedness And Response, Leonard Moise, Bethany M. Biron, Christine M. Boyle, Nese Kurt Yilmaz, Hyesun Jang, Celia Schiffer, Ted M. Ross, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

The delayed availability of vaccine during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic created a sense of urgency to better prepare for the next influenza pandemic. Advancements in manufacturing technology, speed and capacity have been achieved but vaccine effectiveness remains a significant challenge. Here, we describe a novel vaccine design strategy called immune engineering in the context of H7N9 influenza vaccine development. The approach combines immunoinformatic and structure modeling methods to promote protective antibody responses against H7N9 hemagglutinin (HA) by engineering whole antigens to carry seasonal influenza HA memory CD4⁺ T cell epitopes – without perturbing native antigen structure – by …

University Manual 2017-2018, Uri Faculty Senate

University Manual Archive

No abstract provided.

Emancipating The Passive Muse: A Call For A Feminist Approach To Writing Biographies On Historical Women, Ina C. Seethaler

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This essay analyzes two popular biographies on historical women to interrogate how a focus on gender has shaped the genre: Nancy Ruben Stuart’s The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation (2008) and Jung Chang’s Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (2013). I argue that biographers who perpetuate gender stereotypes miss a momentous opportunity during the current life writing boom in the United States to educate readers on women’s social, cultural, and political contributions worldwide. In proposing that feminist-informed biographies are more accurate, complete, and make social …

Urinformed Fall 2018, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urinformed Summer 2018, Urinformed

URInformed: The URI Employees' Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Elevated Potential For Intraspecific Competition In Territorial Carnivores Occupying Fragmented Landscapes, Pranav Chanchani, Brian D. Gerber, Barry R. Noon

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

The distribution of mammals is determined by a suite of endogenous and exogenous factors. In territorial, polygynous species like tigers (Panthera tigris), males often center their space-use around female territories, repelling competitors from these areas. Competition among males for females leads to increased mortality of both sexes and infanticide of unrelated cubs, which can lead to population declines. We hypothesized that increased territorial overlap among adult male tigers and elevated levels of inter and intra-sex competition would be manifest in populations with male-biased adult sex ratios (ASR). We also assessed whether inter-sex variation in adult survival or degree …

Living In The Big City: Preference For Broad Substrates Results In Niche Expansion For Urban Anolis Lizards, Andrew C. Battles, Malcolm Moniz, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Persistence of animals in urban habitats, a stark environmental contrast to natural habitats, can be explained through evaluating the mechanisms behind organism-habitat interactions. One of the most notable effects of urbanization is the change in structural habitat; vegetation is removed and modified, favoring large trees and adding artificial structures in cities, which may alter how organismal preferences for aspects of the habitat are realized. We evaluated the mechanisms by which structural habitat changes associated with urbanization alter the available vegetation and substrates on which two species of Anolis lizards perch in urban and natural forest sites in Miami, FL. We …